good times

 This was a pretty darn good day

    Sure, we had a severe thunderstorm warning with the possibility of damaging wind and a tornado, but all it did was get real dark and rain.

    Friends John and Kathy came out from the city for a long overdue visit.  They brought a variety of brats and salads for lunch.

    I had a Greek brat, which was made with lamb.  It was pretty darn tasty!  There are also  Italian beef brats.... but those  did not get cooked. And traditional brats.  Plus some hot dogs.  They graciously left the left overs.

    It's great to visit with friends you have had for a long time.  We told stories, talked about dogs, and just had a great time talking and laughing.

    Julia dropped by and Emily stopped after work.

    After everyone but Julia left,  I asked her about the bugs I have been finding in the pantry.

    She said they looked like the grain beetles she had.

    We hunted for a source and I think  found it........ Beth's dog food! 

    I was getting food at the bottom of the container and there were a lot of bugs there.  And also in a container with treats.

    We ended up tossing out a lot of expired, and buggy food.  I found some in the bottom of a couple of spices we bought in Amish country so they got tossed.  The spices, not the Amish.

    The damn bugs are just annoying.  Hopefully getting rid of the buggy dog food will solve the problem.

    But now I have to figure out how to store dog food so bugs don't get in it.

    And honestly, we have never had that problem until recently.

    After all that, I went out to mow.  Another disaster.

    The grass is pretty long.  I could not finish because it got dark.

    I have to finish mowing, run the sweeper over the grass because the cut grass is laying everywhere.  I also have to start picking beans.  And go to PT.  And wash down shelves in the pantry.  And go to a museum meeting. And put the pantry back together.

    Something tells me I won't get that all done tomorrow.

    But Rome wasn't built in a day.

    Today was good.  Friends are good.  Family is good.

    Not much more I can ask for.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

watch out

 What a day!

    Jackie wanted some new towels, so we went to Kohl's in DeaKalb.  She had a 30% off coupon that expires soon.

    I got a coffee and I was sitting in the car in the parking lot.

    Right across the street from Starbucks there is an exit from the shopping area.

    As I am watching, a man is crossing the exit lane and a white car hits him!  He few up onto the hood,  then rolled off and got up.  He walked around and looked fine.  Or at least ok.

    My theory is the driver was looking left for a break in traffic.   They saw it, moved forward and hit the guy.The car was not going fast.  But it still had to hurt.

    Another driver stopped to render assistance.  We left before any police or ambulance arrived, if an ambulance was needed.

    We stopped at Walmart on the way home, and I was at the van when I heard yelling and swearing.

    Somebody in a car and a woman in the parking lot were screaming at each other.

    I heard things like, watch where you are walking, learn how to drive, you almost hit me, and finally she screamed something like oh yeah?  You want a piece of me? Come on.  I'right here.

    Luckily nothing happened.

    When it is cars versus pedestrians, the cars always win.

    Be careful.  Look both ways.  Watch for pedestrians.  And pedestrians, use a little more caution.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

rain, rain,

 I am hoping for rain

    Everything is so dry....the lawn, flowers, veggie garden.  Veggies are my fault, I took the sprinklers down when I mowed last Friday and did not put them back up.

    Or was it Thursday?

    We got a little rain today, but not enough.

    A last wedding story.

    There was a definite Chinese influence because the groom is Chinese.

    We all got fortune cookies with our names on them.  Inside was a fortune, and a number for the table we were at for dinner.

    I love the fortunes that say things like:  One door will open when another closes.  Friends will help you during a rough patch.  Good fortune is to come.

    You know, the uplifting, optimistic, positive fortunes.

    Mine was pretty positive, although I don't remember it at this point.

    I do remember, however, the fortune cookie that was extra.

    And I am a little worried.

    It says:  You will be the reason friends and family gather.

    Now, for a younger person that could mean a wedding, birthday, a celebration of some sort.

    But when you are 78, it takes a whole different meaning!

    Lucky I am not superstitious.  Knock  on wood!

    A bit oof baseball talk.  The Cubs and Nats are tied for leading the National League in games where they have scored 10 or more runs.  Both teams have done that16 times this season.

    They play each other starting Tuesday in Washington.  2 teams that score a lot of runs.

    I predict no game will feature more than 3 runs for a team.

    Obviously, I hope the Cubs do score a lot and the Nationals don't.

    Time will tell.

    No storm last night......3 tornadoes south of us.  In fact, we did not even get rain!

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

short day today

 I did not get much done today

    I think we were pretty tired from yesterday.  I got up at 11.  Jackie woke up at about 11:30.

    By then I had done my stretching exercises.

    No need to have breakfast, so we went right to lunch.

    I watched the Cubs for a while.  When they were ahead 7-2, I opted to rad the Trib on line.

    Now, after sleeping for 11 hours, I really did not expect to fall asleep in front of the computer!  I missed the eighth and ninth innings and part of the post game show.  Jackie did not wake me because she too fell asleep.

    I w ent to the store, and on my way back to the car noticed some jerk parked in a no parking space at Walmart.  Then I realized it was me!  WTH???

    Jackie texted me and said they found a foot rest for a wheelchair in the parking lot at the wedding venue.  I said it was not ours because I know I put our foot rest in the van.

    But just to be sure, I double checked and.....crap.  Our wheelchair foot rest is 70 miles away.

    Damn.

    Hopefully I can piece together a complete wheelchair until I get the leg back.

    There was an after wedding brunch  today and we opted not to go.  But Julia and Emily went and brought us back some delicious chicken, brats and lots of cookies.

    And tonight storms are rolling in to the area.  I can hear the thunder....now we just need the rain.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

The invitation said cocktail attire, but make it festive and colorful.  I t think I did.

I thought I was in the space.  

long day!

 We went to a wedding today

    It was a family affair, , and it was great to see all the nieces and nephew and their kids..

    The setting was beautiful, a wedding garden in Woodstock.

    For food they had 2 food trucks. One with smash burgers and fries and the other with Chinese food.

    All in all it was a great day.  Family, food, fun....not too many days like hat in life.

    There was even a special guest.  Actually, 2 special guests.

    But I only got a picture of one.

    Anyway, that's it for me.

    Stay safe out there.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

BNLT for supper

I am being very careful about the latest malady 

    You know,  the one that causes explosive diarrhea.

    I wash my berries and all store bought fruit before I use it.

    But I keep hearing lettuce is a problem, so I just don't buy lettuce.

    And that explains my BNLT for supper:  bacon, no lettuce, tomato.

    The tomato part came from our garden.  It is one of 2 I have found ripe on the plants.  I honestly thought there would be more  by now.

    Stopped in Cypress House for a coffee today and one of my favorite former students was there.  I recognized Tallie right away.  As we were talking, the man waiting at the counter turned and it was former student Joe, another favorite, who  now teaches at Tilton.  

    And Tallie treated me to a coffee!!!  Triple win!!

    Tilton is undergoing a massive reconstruction project.  There are still a couple of classrooms in storage containers and work is still being done in the rooms.

    Joe said they can go into the classrooms Monday.  School starts Wednesday.  2 days to unpack and get a room ready.

    I told him I may stop in Monday afternoon to see if I could help.  I could put up some bulletin boards, something I truly sucked at while teaching.  Maybe there are other retirees who could show up and help.

    And I finally put Jackie's dinner table together.  

    The girls got it about a month ago, but I have procrastinated.  It only took about an hour and 2 start overs to get it together. 

    It might have gone faster if Beth had not decided to help by licking my face while I was on the floor.  

    In any case, that was a minor task I finally got done.  

    And that is my life.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

don't know why

 Up until a week ago, this posted on Facebook

    Now you have to click the link and go to the site.

    I know it is not that big a deal, but I wish I knew why.  Just seems to be an extra step.  Then again, maybe it isn't.

    I had a PT appointment.  I arrived 3 minutes early for my 2:15 appointment, only to be told my appointment was at 2.  They took me anyway

    I don't know why I have such a hard time with dates and times.  I wrote down 2:15 on our weekly schedule.  I checked the schedule they gave me and it sure does say 2.    Next week my times are both 2:15 so I guess I read the wrong line.

    Oh well.

    Beth is running low on dog food.  We get it from our vet and when I called Monday to tell them I was picking up some on our Tuesday trip to DeKalb, they said they were out.  They were ordering more and would put one bag  aside for me.

    Sure enough.  Wednesday morning they called.

    So after PT I went to DeKalb, stopped at the vet, stopped at Hy-Vee and stopped at Portillo's.

    I figured all the stops were in and out, but that is never. the case.  

    Vet's office was busy.  The thing I wanted at the store was in the back.  It took me a few minutes to find it and there was a wait at Portillo's.

    So I had to settle for listening to the Cubs game tying home run by Bregman while I was driving home.  Now, that was dramatic!  Down 2-0, runner on base, 2 outs and 2 strikes.....Bingo bongo, game tying home run!

    And the win in extra innings?  Just fantastic.   That I got to see.

    Here's hoping there are many more wins in the future.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace