day...wheee!!....140

This was a pretty darn good day

     I met two friends for a bike ride in town.  It started off well, but one had a meeting to go to and the other had exercised in the a.m. and was pretty worn out.
     But it was great for the first half hour, talking to actual people!
     I stopped for a coffee and across the street from the store a young woman was out with some kids.
     After about 5 minutes, she put the kids in a stroller and crossed the street towards me.
     "Mr. Dickow?" she asked.
     Turned out to be a former student.  We were talking about all sorts of things when she mentioned being out on a walk in the woods and coming across a small spring.
     She said she was going to make a reference to "Tuck Everlasting," but figured most adults would not know what she was talking about.
     She remembered me reading "Tuck Everlasting" to the class!  She loved the book, still does.
     If you have never read the book, I recommend  it.  I read it again shortly after my brother died, and it had a powerful effect on me.  Still does.
     Anyway, she asked me what my favorite books were and did not hesitate.  "Tuck Everlasting" and "The Great Gilly Hopkins."
     Reading children's literature is one of the things I do miss about teaching.  I could list 25 books that I liked, either as read alouds or to recommend to a student.
     One year I read "The Avion My Uncle Flew."  I told students to keep a notebook on French phrases, because the book would use a French word in the story, then explain the word, and in doing so integrated the language into the story.
     The last 4 pages of the book were entirely in French, and students who kept up with the translations could read it!  I invited French language students from the high school to come and read the ending.  We had a blast with students sharing laughter, and baguettes coated with chocolate.
     By the way, that was the only book I took from my classroom when I retired.  Now, I wonder where it is.
     Capped off the day by giving Jackie a tour of the yard on the golf cart and having a great meal from a local restaurant.
     Teca, you guys rock...everyone in the kitchen and all the servers were wearing masks.   Mentally, made me feel like my food was safe.
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.
Peace and Love


     Here's a look at my native garden plot.

day...... huh......139

I learned an amazing thing today

     Actually, I learned a couple of things, and they were not really amazing..
     First, this blog has 189,000 views over the 116 years I have been doing it.      That's a lot of reading about my mundane life.
     Second, people from all over the world visit the blog site.
     Now, I think it is mostly on accident.  The US and Switzerland I can understand, because Julia reads it.
     But his week a country that has never appeared in my list of where people are popped up.  Seychelles!   I will Google it later, but I believe this is an island chain off the coast of Africa that is in danger of being inundated by the ocean due to climate change.  Or not.
     Or maybe it is part of a tongue twister:  She sells sea shells in the Seychelles.
     Which reminds me of another tv commercial I hate.
     Guy is on a date and his shirt is no longer a round neck, bu a drooping neck.  A fabric softener might help.  The commercial calls it a U neck.  I wondered if it was unique to wear a u neck.  Then I wondered about a unique u neck wearing eunuch.  My mind then wandered to him playing a card game, a unique u neck wearing eunuch playing euchre.
     Then I realized, I said this several weeks ago  and am now just repeating myself.
     Anyway, other nations that showed up this week were Argentina and Portugal with 6, Austria, Germany, Italy, and the UK...all with 1.
     Sure wish I knew who the people were and why thy hit my page.
     I better quit before I start repeating myself.
     But I sure wish I knew who the people were and whey they hit my page.
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.
Peace and Love

day... dejá vu......132

Well, that did not work out well

     Jackie has another infection, I think that is number 4 for the year...maybe 5.
It makes her really tired.  Someone with MS who gets tired needs help.  So Emily and John came over tonight to help get her into bed.
     Please, this is not a poor Terry or poor Jackie post.  Just a matter of fact statement.
     That is what our life is.... a series of problems to overcome.
     We are no different than the couple facing  cancer, or Covid, or Alzheimers.....just two people struggling to make it through the day.  One foot in front of the other.
     Except sometimes it just saps the patience right out of you.  Sometimes the wrong foot is in front.  Sometimes the foot doesn't move.  Sometimes the frustration builds to the point of tears. 
     So, how was my day?
     Not the best.  Not the worst.  Frustrating, yes.  Tiring, yes. 
     But I do have my blessings:  my daughters, my son in law, my wife, my dog, my friends, fireflies that blink hello in the night and stars that twinkle and remind me I am a pretty small part of this world.
     It's also the kind of day that I wish I could find humor in, but I can't.  Except I was careful making salad and eating croutons tonight.
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.
Peace and Love

day......tasty....131

Sometimes I just have  to learn the hard way

     We had leftovers tonight....to be honest, it was not a great dining experience.
I made a salad.
     Romaine lettuce, tomato, cut up mandarin oranges, bacon bits, cucumber, carrots...topped off with some croutons.
     I made Jackie's, then mine and gave Jackie hers and put mine aside. 
     Next I made Corkie's supper. 
     I sliced up a carrot, mashed some green beans, added a fish oil tablet, and then stirred in her food.
     Now, Corki has a special diet food.  There are two types of chunks, small round ones and odly shaped larger ones that are a chicken product.  (I wrote the manufacturer and asked.)  Corki will eat the small chunks, but pile up the larger ones.  Eventually, she eats them.  I guess  when she gets hungry enough, they are ok to eat.
     There is a point to all this detail.
     After supper I was doing dishes and started to wipe off the area where I made the salads. 
      I found a couple of croutons, so I popped one into my mouth.
     It did not taste like a crouton.  It was salty.  And meaty.  I looked at the second crouton and it strongly resembled the chicken parts in Corkie's food.
     I don't know why she des not like the chunks, because I thought it tasted fairly good.
     As a side note, when I was young and dumb, I would go to my cousin Sally's house.  They had a dog.  One day I tried a Milk Bone.  I actually liked it and it became a regular treat for me at my cousin's until the day someone told me what went in them.
     Lesson learned:  Don't eat random items you find on your counter.
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy  Mask it or casket.
Peace and Love

day....nada.....130

Sometimes I just can't get into it

Tonight is one of those nights.  Just not in the mood.
I apologize.
Stay safe.  Stay healthy.
Peace and Love

day.....rain...129

We had a 10 percent chance of rain today

     It poured about 8 tonight.
     Buckets.  Wind.  Thunder.  Lightning.  Heavy rain.
     Hopefully it broke the heatwave.
     I always wonder about weathermen.  They are wrong so often, yet they are always watched.  I'd even guess they are some of the more beloved tv personalities.
     Remember George Carlin and the Hippy Dippy Weatherman?  He was funny.
     David Letterman started out as a weatherman.  I guess that worked out pretty good for him.
     Now I think weatherman is a term not to be used because there are women in the field.  Weather people?  Not all are meteorologists, so that doesn't work.
     Today the museum folk had a remembrance birthday party for a gent named Norm Skare.  His grand niece said it is pronounced Skar.....which means there are 3 pronunciations I have heard.  Skare Park, which is across the road from us, was named for him.  So I popped over to the park for a little while.
     It was hot, but there were a good turn out.  I  think people just want to get out and visit.
     I wore my mask and kept a safe distance from people most of the time, but sometimes you just end up next to someone.  Maybe we should all have curb feelers like the old cars used to have.
     If you are under 50 you may want to Google curb feelers.
     And a Cub win, chat with Julia, chat with friend John....all in all, a pretty good day.
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.
Peace and Love

day....ennui.....128

I admit it, I was bored today

     Busy, but bored.
     I did 3 loads of laundry, we blanched and froze 18 ears of corn, I went to the store for supper and I almost fell asleep during the Cubs game.
     I just can't get used to crowd noise without the crowd.  And at some points they put in computer graphic generated fans in the stands, which was pretty neat but at the same time weird looking.  At times, the first 20 rows were empty, but the stands were full behind those empty rows.
     My eyes closed a couple of times during the game...which the Cubs lost, so I did not miss much.
     It was too hot for me, although I did see a pack of bicyclists going down Skare Road.  Well, at least 4....which could be a pack.   They all looked young, thin, and had on the spandex outfits bike racers wear.
     I actually have a pair of spandex biking shorts.  I put them on once and Julia and Jackie forbid me to leave the house.  I think Julia was temporarily blinded.
     Although it is hot, we don't have a hurricane bearing down on us or an earthquake waiting to happen. 
     So, I guess life is pretty good.
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.
Peace and Love

day......hot hot hot....128

I think it's going to be a brutal weekend

     It's supposed to be hot, with "feels like" indexes near or just past 100.
     I probably won't do much outdoors, although I would like to get a short ride in later in the day.
      I did ride in town today.  I also stopped for a coffee and the extremely young person serving put on a mask as soon as I walked in the door.  I like that.
     I was glad to watch the Cubs tonight. It brings a little normalcy into our lives, although watching a game with hardly anyone in the stands is a bit odd, especially with the piped in crowd noise.
     There were some people in the stands, I imagine Cubs staff, scouts, coaches, Comcast execs and I wondered what it would be like to be the only person in the stands.  It would be eerie.
     When I was young, once, I went to a late September game at Wrigley.  Sat in the bleachers.  There must have been less than 1,000 people at the game.
     What I remember is Billy Williams hit 3 homeruns that day. 
     You would think sitting in the bleachers I would have had a good chance of getting a ball....but noooooo!
     If I sat in right, he hit one to left.  If I sat in left, he hit them to right.  I think he knew I was out there.
     The other memory of that game I have is hearing the infielders' chatter.  With so few people in the park, you could hear the guys talking.
     It was eerie, but neat.
     I imagine Wrigley these days is the same way.
     The advantages include less crowds in the neighborhood on game day and not having to travel 3 hours home after the game is over.
     In January I would have told you  that I was going to 10 Cubs games this year.
     Just shows that the future is a bitch to predict.
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket!
Peace and Love

day.....SRO......127

Have a seat...or not

     I needed to replace a toilet seat.
     I like going to the plumber who installed all the stuff in our house.  That way, things are consistent.
     Last Friday I went and bought a new seat.
    Toilet seats come in two shapes....the one that fits my toilet and the one that doesn't.  I can never remember if I have an oval toilet, or a round one.  But it seems to me, a round one is not correct.
     So I ordered an oval.  It did not fit.
     I called the plumbing people and they looked at my purchase record and said last time I needed a seat I got an oval.
     An oval does not fit.  That hit me as I put the seat on and it did not fit.  It did not fit the last time I ordered an oval.  It will not fit the next time I order an oval.
     So I went today and got a round, which fits.
    Here's where it gets complicated.
     I took the seat from the basement toilet and replaced the broken upstairs one with that.  Then I took another toilet seat off the small bathroom upstairs,  because it is now the "odd" seat in the upstairs.
     Hovever....because I knew the odd seat fit, I took that to the plumbing place as an example.
     While there, I mentioned two minor issues that needed to be fixed some day.  I then went to ride my bike in town.
     One of the guys finished his job early, so they called the house and said they were coming.  No problem.
     Thursdays and Fridays are my afternoons off as a caregiver.  We have a person come in for three hours to tend to Jackie so I can have some free time.
      One of the minor issues is a toilet that runs for 15-20 seconds every three or four hours.
     Plumbing guy was working on that toilet when Jackie called.  It seems in a house with 4 toilets, we were down to one that a person could actually use!  I had the seat for the basement one with me, and the new seat for the upstairs one with me, and the plumber was working on the other one.
     4 toilets.....we can only use one.
     Go figure.
     To top it off, now I can't find the damn nuts for the seat going downstairs.  I know I put them in a place where I would not lose them.  I just don't remember where that place is.
     The good news....we have three toilets you can sit on, if needed.
     I'm sure the nuts will turn up someday.
     On a more positive note....had a great bike ride and a video visit with our Florida relatives.
     And please, no comments about me mishandling my nuts.  Someoine had to say it.
     Stay safe.  Stay masked.  Be careful out there.

Peace and Love

day....oh my....126

I made my dreaded phone call to Apple support today

     I am not smart enough to schedule an appointment in the Naperville store. 
     So I talked to someone on line.
     Nice guy...Matt...lives in Ohio.
     I called the support number at 12:28 and at 12:55 I was connected with Matt.
    We spent the next two and a half hours booting, rebooting, rebooting, scanning, reconfiguring and chatting about sports during the process.
     The whole reason for my call was my computer runs slow.  And everything we did does not seem to make a difference tonight.
     For example:  Computer is asleep.  I wake it up.  I click on the Google Chrome icon and 1 minute later I am finally at a place where I can click on Facebook, Yahoo, or do an internet search.  One minute seems too long to me and Emily and John thought it was also.  Hence the call.
     On a restart, it could take 5 or more minutes.  Again, that does not seem normal.
     My whole schedule was thrown off today.
     At 2 I was to clean the master bedroom and bathroom.  When I got off the call at about 3:30, Jackie still hadn't had lunch, nor had I, so I made snacks.  That put me almost at 4 before I started cleaning.
     Scratch the bike ride.  Scratch anything else I had planned.
     So I am kind of bummed. 
     At least the bathroom and bedroom are cleaned, supper is done, dishes done....I think I forgot to start the dishwasher.  Have to do that.
     There are not enough hours in my day.
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket!
Peace and Love

     I did have a visitor today!
     I don't know which shot I like best, so there are three.

day.....finally....125

I finally broke the 100 mile mark on my bike

     Unfortunately, that was my goal for May.  By the beginning of July I wanted to be at 300 miles and 500 by August.
     Unless I ride to DesMoines and back tomorrow, that's not going to happen.
Because   I need to stay close to home, I am now just riding around the block.    One loop is about 2.25 miles.  I got 3 loops in tonight, but I was tired at the end.
     Hopefully tomorrow and Thursday I can get in some longer rides, but I have a tendency to excuse my way out of things.
     I did not call Apple today because I was  not "mentally prepared" to spend time on the phone.
     I yelled at Corki.  Someone came to our front door and  Corki would not get out of the way, so I yelled at her and pushed her out of the way.
     I felt terrible.  Still do. 
     I am blaming my emotional roller coaster ride today on last night's multi dream feature.  In one dream, I was driving to Colorado and someone pulled along side me and tried to shoot me.  After I got back to sleep, I was back at Tilton School and running from someone who wanted to kill me.  I ran out the door and stuck a piece of wood in it to prevent him from following.  After a restroom break, I returned to the land of death and mayhem which ended when a total stranger standing next to me was hit by an arrow from a crossbow.
     I don't know if I need a psychiatrist or a screenwriter.
     I did not take a nap today.  I figured if I sleep in the afternoon, I won't be sleepy when I go to bed.
     At least my legs have stopped itching.....whatever the hell I ate or touched has resulted in a case of hives and an over dependence on Benadryl.
     I would like a normal night of dreams......ocean scenes, quiet walks in the woods, sitting in a cabin surrounded by flowers....... ah, I am almost relaxed.
     Maybe tonight.  Or not.
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or Casket.
Peace and Love

day...almost!....124

I tend to procrastinate

     Last July we went to Switzerland to visit Julia.
     We left July 29 and returned Aug. 9.
     We flew a major airline, which is a member of the Star Alliance group.  That means we get mileage points for travel.
     Last fall I went to check my account and discovered I was given miles for Zurich-Geneva, Geneva-Zurich, and Zurich-Chicago.  But no miles for the Chicago to Zurich connection.
     I went to check Jackie's, but could not log in....the message was:  account not found.
     This was last fall.
     Last fall I ran off copies of the tickets, all the information and the number to call for the airlines to ask about credit.
     I never called.
     However, I did call today.
     The very nice lady looked up my ticket, gave me credit for the miles, and asked if there was anything else.
     I told her about Jackie's account.  For some reason, it was locked.  She sent me a link to change her password so I could access it.  I got the link, and followed the instructions......but.  And here's a big but........I did not log out of my account first.
     In effect, I changed my password to my account while not changing Jackie's.
The lady was very patient.  She walked me step by step  (inch by inch) through the procedure of closing my account, getting a second e-mail on how to reset a password, made sure I was on the right page, and updated Jackie's mileage totals to reflect the trip.
     She spent probably 25 minutes with me, making sure I was good to go.
     Then at the end she said, "I just want to remind you that any credit for missing miles must be made within a year of the flight date."  I told her that's why I was calling today....it is almost a year.
     And maybe it's time for me to make my photo book of the trip. 
     Four weeks ago Emily and John said something was not right with my computer because it runs so sloooow.  So tomorrow, Apple help.
     Heaven's knows they better be patient people too.
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Wear a mask.  Do it today.
Peace and Love

day.....zzzzzzz......123

I had another terrible sleeping night

     I did not have any afternoon caffeine, but I was a mess.  My legs itched like crazy.  Still do.  I put lotion on them, took a  Benadryl, but they kept me awake most of the night.
     Plus Jackie has an app on her phone that tells her about weather events.
     The phone went off for lightning nearby.  The phone went off for lightning near by, again.  And the phone went off for heavy rain.
     Of couse, she sleeps through the announcements while I try to figure out how to get back to sleep.  What would make sense is to disable that......at least at night.
     That explains why at 11 a.m. I was still asleep.
       I got a very late start on the day, but still the yard was mowed, and trimmed, the native garden weeded, and a tomato eater captured.
     Notice I did not say I did all that...Camryn mowed.  That saved me a lot of time in the yard.  Weeding the native garden took about 10 minutes because I do believe the card board and mulch have cut down tremendously on the amount of weeds.
     I noticed something was eating my tomato leaves and tomatoes.  After a search, I found the culprit.  But I believe there is more than one.  They blend in, and are not easy to spot.
     I pulled this guy off and then sprayed the plants with an organic insecticidal soap, which may or may not work on the worms.  Time will tell.
     I am going to mix a mojito.  Maybe two.  And practice my flash cards....only Linda will understand that .....
     Maybe I'll watch the Cubs on ESPN.....who knows.
     For some reason, I am not tired.
     Stay healthy.  Stay home.  Wear a mask.
Peace and Love

This sucker was at least 4 inches long...looks like a leaf, right?

Black eyed susans...love em

Butterfly weed

purple coneflower

Plants seem to be doing well.

day.....same old......122

I am really at sea

     I am using the old definition of at sea, meaning confused, addled.
     I said to Jackie that we had a doctor appointment coming Monday.  She said we did not, the appointment was July 27.  I said, yes, Monday.  She pointed out Monday was July 20.
     What happened?  Emily's birthday was last Monday, and she and John came to dinner.  I thought it was over a week ago.  I can't believe they were here Monday....which means I had fish Tuesday.  It seems like a long time ago.
     I lost track of the days this week. 
     Missed a deadline.  Wrong on a doctor's appointment.
     Like I said, at sea.
     Could be the heat....but it was not hot earlier in the week.  Or was it? 
At sea.
     I barely left the house today.  Just got the mail and watered my patio plants.  I figured the porch plants were heavily watered the day before...maybe too heavily watered.
    At some point this week, I don't remember when, I had a visitor to my little fountain.
     It's not a great picture, but you get the idea.
     Stay cool.  Stay healthy.  Stay safe.
Peace a nd Love

Birds have found my porch fountain and are enjoying the water

No comets in this photo....just clouds and contrails

day....damn it....121

I missed a deadline today

     I do a column for the local paper.  It runs in the weekend edition, which comes out Saturday.
     I write the column on Wednesday, let it sit until Thursday, then reread and change as needed.  I send it Friday morning.
     I sat down Wednesday night and wrote the first paragraph.  Then I don't know what happened.
     Last night I was sitting at the computer at 9 thinking I had forgotten something.
     Today I woke up, picked beans, watered plants, filled bird feeders, had breakfast and went shopping.
     At about 6 tonight, I said to Jackie that I had a column to finish.  She said, "You know it's Friday."  I did not.
     I never finished the column, never sent it.  I missed my deadline.
     I know I went out a couple of nights to look for the comet, which I can not see for the life of me.  I have been up at 4 a.m. with no luck and out at 9 p.m. with about a zillion mosquitoes swirling and biting.  Lots of fireflies...but no comet.
     I ordered out tonight and gave the girl  my last name.  I picked up the order and the young girl looked at me and asked me what my last name was.  I told her.  She asked my how to spell it.  I told her.  She laughed.
     Who ever took my order wrote it was for Dick Hole.
     I guess I better start using Johnson.
     Stay healthy  Stay safe.  Wear a mask.
Peace and Love

day....sky sigh.....120

Sky phenomena and me don't mix

     Comet Neowise is visible about one hour after sunset.  Looking in the northwest sky, about three fists below the Big Dipper, you should be able to see it using binoculars or a telescope.
     So I went out at 9 tonight.  Sunset was 8:18.  Set up a chair in the driveway and watched the sky.
     Saw fireflies.

 Sparkling lights dot the sky

glowing  high, glowing low, mini shining stars

fireflies, lightning  bugs, nature's joy

     But no comet.
     Had a few nibbles from mosquitoes

Damn little bugs, you bite

injecting venom in my bare arms, neck

making me itch, damn bugs

     But no comet.
     Maybe tomorrow.
     I hope I sleep tonight.
     I did a dumb thing today.  Starbucks has happy hour...buy one drink, get one free.  So I got a medium caramel crunch and a medium iced vanilla Americano.
I should have gotten the small....but I can never remember the right name.
     Or I could have gotten half cafs.....just did not think of it.
     Next time, I will.
     I did do some shopping  and a short  bike ride...only 5 miles, but it felt good.       I have not ridden in a week.
     And probably won't for the next few days.
     Stay cool.  Stay healthy.  Wear a mask.
Peace and Love

day.......uh.....119

Let's talk about cleaning

     We have a cleaning person who comes every other week.  On weeks she does not come, I clean.
     She is here about 4 hours and cleans three bathrooms, our bedroom, great room, nook, hallways.....all but Julia's bedroom, which is seldom used, and  the den, which is a mess.  Our perpetual mess.
     I started our bedroom at 1:45.......and finished about 4.  That includes the bathroom.  But seriously....over 2 hours?
     I do get interrupted.  Dog has to go out, Jackie has to move, I get thirsty, phone rings, mail has to go out...but still.  I just don't get it.  Why does it take me so long?
     Needless to say, the rest of the house was not cleaned.  And by cleaned, I mean furniture dusted, floors vacuumed, rug vacuumed.  It is not heavy work, or a lot of work.  It just takes me forever and it shouldn't.
     I admit I have a problem focusing.  I can start out doing one thing, and 20 minutes later I have started three other projects and not finished any of them.  I then go back to the first, and finish that, then work on finishing the other 3...unless I get distracted.
     My methods complicate my life.
     Anyway....one part of the house is clean.  For now.  The rest will eventually get done.
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Wear a mask.
Peace and Love

day.....answers....118

I got some answers to questions today

     Comet Neowise is visible in the morning sky, just an hour or two before sunrise.  So, for two mornings I have been up at 4 searching the skies.....nothing.  I am looking in the northeast sky....nothing.
     Maybe it's trees blocking my view.  I don't know.
     Starting today, the comet will be visible to a lesser degree about 1 hour after sunset.  Much more doable for sleeping purposes.  But it is cloudy tonight.  And storms are forecast for tomorrow. 
     By July 23 the comet will be its closest to Earth, but you'll need a telescope to get a good view.  Go figure.
     That happens to me a lot.  Meteor showers?  Rain.  Lunar eclipse?  Clouds.  Space station passing overhead?  Clouds.
     I have a devil of a time looking at sky phenomena.  Every year I say I am going far north in mid August to catch the Persied meteor showers....and every year I stay here and see one or two meteors. 
     Answer number 2:  What the hell happened to my yarrow, the plant almost impossible to kill?   Friend Bobbi said the plant got too much water at one time.  I had four patches of it...and all four shriveled up and died.  She said it will come back....I hope so.
     Answer 3:  How long will it take to prepare our beans for the freezer?  About two hours...we packed three one gallon bags of Italian beans.  Now, just waiting for the bush beans to ripen...in this heat, it may not be long.
     Answer 4:  To be determined....how hot will it get this weekend?  I hope the predictions of 98 are way off.
     That's it.
     Stay Safe.  Stay healthy.  Wear a mask.
Peace and Love

day....surprise!....117

My new porch chair does seem comfortable

     I was a little worried about that.  But today I went out about 1:30 to read a little.  At 4 Jackie called me.  I had read one chapter.....about 8 pages. 
     I am guessing I had about a 2 hour nap....so the chair is comfortable.
     Right after I woke up,  our friend Curt stopped by with some zucchini.  We had a nice visit...I do miss people afterfall.
     Spent time weeding and picking Italian beans in the morning, which we now have to blanch and freeze, hopefully tomorrow.  Italian beans are a lot like lima beans, I think.      But I love the taste and the plants are prodigious producers.
     Emily and John came over for dinner because someone had a birthday today. We had a nice time talking and eating.
     Today was a 9. on a scale of 1-10.   It would be a day I would like to live over...Molly O'Keefe, take note.
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Wear a mask
Peace and Love

day.....rerun.....116

One day just blends in with the others

     Woke up.  Got out of bed.  Dragged a comb across my head. Found my way downstairs and ...... wait a minute!  That's the Beatles!
     I had a pretty routine day.....did a little gardening, worked on my French, read.  Much of the day was routine.
     I had salmon for supper.  I have two gas containers for my grill, so I never run out.  Until I get ready to cook my supper at 6:15 and discover both containers are empty.
     All's well that ends well.  Salmon was extra good tonight, don't know if it was the great outside temperature or the mojito I mixed.  The outside temperature is important in fish prep and eating at our house.  Jackie can't stand the smell of fish.  So I  cook and eat fish outside.
     Yes, I am a good husband.
     Working in the garden was not bad.  I only work for one hour at a time, and today was no different.  Despite the cooler temps, I was sweating like a pig. 
     Hopefully tomorrow I can get up early and weed in the shade instead of in the full sun, like today.  And yesterday.  Yesterday. All my troubles seemed so far away.  Now it looks as if they're here to stay.
     Damn...I better play some music.
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Wear a mask.
     Peace and Love.....Love love me do, I'll always love you........there I go again.
Peace and Love....again.

day.....whew....115

I am sort of a baby sitter this week

     Not kids, who have a tendency to wander off.
     Not dogs, who have a tendency to wander off.
     Not a cat, who has a tendency to wander off.
     OK, true cat sitting story.
     Years ago, a friend asked us to watch her cat for a week.  She said it would be easy, just pop into her apartment every couple of days and make sure there was food in the feeder and water in the container.  If we needed to, we would have to clean the litter box.
     Nice cat.  Named Trey.  Only had 3 legs.  It was missing a front leg.
     We went the first time, made sure there was food, played with him, filled the waterer with fresh water, and left.
     Two days later we go back.......shit everywhere!
     Not only was it on the floors, but Trey had walked in it and jumped up on the counters, were there were brown footprints.  He must have had cat diarrhea.
     Trey's litterbox was in the pantry/closet and it seems one of us, who can't seem to live with any open doors, closed the door when we left.  Trey had no place to go except the floor.
     How the hell he walked in it then tracked it up on to the counter with only 3 legs, I will never know.
     I don't believe we ever told Trey's owner......some things are better left unsaid.
     Suffice it to say, the pantry door stayed open on our next two visits.
     So...no animal of any form is being baby sat by me.
     Plants.  Potted plants.
     A friend is on a trip and asked if I could water plants, and we felt it would be easier for them to be on my porch.
     I am fine with it...I know I won't lose them or have them wander off.
     All I have to do is water them
     Should be the cat's whiskers, eh?
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Wear a mask
Peace and Love

pale purple coneflower in the native plot

black eyed susans in the native plot

Like a tropical paradise!!

day....textbook....114

I passed a test today

     At least I was told I passed, but a cardiologist has to certify the results.
     I took a nuclear stress test this morning at the local hospital.
     This test involved several parts I don't like:  getting up early, injections, walking on a treadmill.
     First I got an IV port in my arm, then a nuclear tracer dye was injected.  I rested, then had a series of pictures taken of my heart at rest.
     Next I went on a treadmill.  I had a target heart rate of 126, which I reached at the 8 minute mark.  The nurses were impressed, considereing my physique and obvious lack of physical exercise.
     Then there was another injection and more pictures.
     At the end, the nuclear med tech said my heart was, "textbook."
     I asked for clarification:  textbook good or textbook bad.
     She said good.
     She was very nice.  And when she poked the IV port in, it only hurt a tiny bit.       She asked if my doctor was the guy who bikes.  I said he was, because we always talk about riding and my need to do more during our yearly visits.
     She said she wanted to meet him because she likes to ride too.  I told her I had not ridden much this summer, for various reasons.
     Then she impressed me.
    She rides 20-30 miles a day.  A day!  She said she averages 120-150 miles a week.
     Yes, she is 40 years younger than me, but even when I was that age, I never rode that much.
     She said she likes to ride.
     She inspired me so much, I got home today and thought about riding.
     I had taken the test, gone nome, then took a friend to DeKalb for a car, went shopping, came home agin, went for dinner and mower gas, ate, then mowed.
     I am now 5 days behind on my 30 day French challenge, and I don't hink I will do much tonight.  Make that any.
     I don't know where my time goes.  I have not played spider solitaire for longer than 10 minutes total the last two days.
     Tomorrow, I hope to get up early and weed a garden plot.
     Then I will work on my challenge and hopefully get in a bike ride tomorrow night.  Hoplefully.  At least, I will think about it.
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Wear a mask.
Peace and Love

day.........gah.....113

I am losing it.

     Today was Thursday.  What happened to Wednesday?  And Tuesday?
Holy crap.
     I went swimming today at a friends.  Inground pool.  Nice.  Got cooled off, relaxed, talked with another human being.  It was a pleasure. 
     When I got home I put together my new chair.
     I followed the directions....almost.
     Key direction:  don't tighten screws until fully assembled.  The last piece, a cross bar, would not go in because I had tightened all the screws, so I had to loosen them all and put the cross bar in, then retighten eveery thing.
     I wanted a chair I could stretch out in....not sure if this is the one.
     When I was a kid, my folks had a chaise lounge on our porch in  Chicago.  It was iron and had springs across the bottom, plus a thick pad that was like a mattress.  I could lay down on it and sleep....and I did that a couple of times at night when it was hot.
     I should have salvaged it whm my mom moved.
     Anyway, here are some pictues to entertain you.
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Wear a mask.
Peace and Love

Lately I have been enjoying mojitos....reminds me of my trip to Cuba!

How I celebrated the Fourth...sparklers and a full moon.

I need to find out what these chunks are...Corki will eat all her food, but these parts she takes out and leaves on the floor, under the table, in the bowl.  She eventually eats most of them but it is just weird.

Found this in the closet.  Julia left in 2002.  I tosed it.  By the way, the picture is from New Glarus!

My new chair...it's sort of a recliner

day........whatever.....112

What happened to this week?

     Tomorrow is Thursday?  Already?  I have to put out the recycling. 
     I thought it was yesterday I went through a tub of pictures.  That was Monday.  The goal was a couple of tubs a week.
     And I signed up for a 30 day French course.  I have missed the last two days.
I know, why does he want to learn French.  Not a question, but said in puzzlement.
     Someday I will go back and I will have a conversation in French with a real French person.
     I have tried.  I have given it the old college try, as they say, and never seem to have a conversation.
     For one thing, I don't always have an ear for sounds.  Maybe the hearing aids will help, I don't know.
     But mostly, the language is too darn fast (tro vite?) for me.  I can't hear, translate, comprehend at a fast enough rate.
     Tomorrow I will try to pick up the pace a little.  I don't want to get too far behind.  I noticed some of the people have a zoom session a couple of times a week to practice.  But I keep thinking I might not be up to their level.
     I just can't believe I have lost this week.....at my age, time is something you don't want to lose.
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Wear a mask.
Peace and Love

day....$$$$$$$......112

I'm in the money...I'm in the money

     You probably have noticed advertisements on my blog.
     Whenever someone clicks on the ad, I get paid.
     I don't know why I put them on the page.  Maybe I had read about bloggers getting millions of dollars every year for their work.
     Maybe I was just curious
     In any case, Google pays out in $100 increments.  I was notified the other day I had a $100 payment due!
     After 5 years..... I have earned $100!
     Believe me, I am not complaining.  I don't want people to click on the ads if they are not interested.  You don't have to click when you read the blog.  Don't do it.
     That being said, I don't know how to get my money.
     The website says I have to send them my bank account and the routing number so they can deposit the money in my account.
     I will not do that.
     I don't think it's a scam, but I am not comfortable telling people in whatever place they are my bank account info.
     I can't find a PayPal option or an option for an old fashioned check.  There is a number to call, but I am not in a calling mood.
     Maybe when I hit $200, in 2025, I will give them  the information.  Until then, I will keep writing and I hope you keep reading.  Don't click unless you mean it.
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Wear a mask.
Peace and Love.....and it is Ringo's 80th birthday today!  

day.....memories.....111

I spent some time with my mother today

     That seems an odd thing to say, since she died in 2001.
     My goal was to go through a box of pictures from the basement, saving ones we wanted and tossing others.
     The box I picked was my mother's.
     In it were all of the sympathy cards received, a copy of the people attending the visitation, death associated paperwork and several photo albums.
     I must not have been paying attention to her life.
     She took a trip to Philadelphia and Washington DC, sometime in 82.  She went to Florida where she saw Shamu!  And yes, she used the exclamation mark.
     In 83 she went west, seeing the San Diego Zoo, Nairobi Village Wild Animal Park where she was impressed the by elephant show.  At least, from the number of pictures she took, it made quite and impression.  She went to the Queen Mary, LA and Hollywood and took a Homes of the Stars tour.
     She visited my dad's sister Fritz and her husband Jack in Laguna Village.
     In 1984 she went to Canada, Lake Placid, Boston.  She went to Shelbourne Village in Vermont, a place Jackie and I  have been.  She went to Plymouth Rock and Boston Harbor.
     She also went ot Mildred and Ernest's anniversary party in Baraboo......and I have no idea who they were.
     But mom had fun, dancing the polka with a man in lederhosen.
     And family pictures.....birthdays, Christmases, dinners.
     It was nice seeing the "old ones" again...Kay and Jim, Dort and Floyd, Bea and Henry, Loretta.  There were even pictures of relative I had long forgotten, like Harry and Ruth.
     Strangely, there were family members on her side not in any of the pictures.  Were they dead by then?  Or too far away?
     All I know is, every description of a trip included the words "great" and "amazing."
     I pulled some pictures to pass on to family.  But most of them were tossed.  No need to keep pictures of Shamu, Plymouth Rock, or elephants.....no matter how great they were.
     I think there are 9 boxes to go.
     This isn't going to be easy.
     Stay safe.  Stay masked.  Stay healthy.
Peace and Love

Ps....guess who turns 80 tomorrow?

day........ennui....110

I seem to be in a rut

     Wake up.  Eat.  Read.  Eat.  Do dishes. Go to bed.
     Two days I have not gone off my property.  I don't even remember walking to the back of the yard to check on my native garden.
     It is hot, and I am just not up to it.
     But I need to do something to show some sense of accomplishment in life.
     I should ride around the block at around 7, but the past two nights I am just starting supper then.
     I should weed in the shade in the afternoon, but that is my nap time, apparently.
     I don't think I am the only person with this problem.  It's hot.  Covid lurks.  Shopping is a crap shoot.  Dining out is the same.
     And the forecast for this week keeps us in the 90s until Saturday, I do believe.
     I could go around and level the pictures in my house..Emily pointed out I don't have a picture hanging straight in the entire house!  I think that is because my eyes focus on slightly different levels, and that throws things out of whack.
     I may have to go shopping soon.  It is approaching sock time.
     Years ago I decided to buy one color and style of sock...Gold Toe black crew socks for winter and Gold Toe gray crew socks for summer.
     I buy 12 pairs at a time....and then I toss my old socks.
     They are starting to get a little thin, because I bought them all maybe 2 years ago...or 3.  Once one goes, they all seem to go.
     Why the same?  Because I got tired of matching different styles of socks when I do laundry.  Now all I do is match up two black socks or two gray.  It is so much easier.
     Geez....I have a boring life.
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Wear a mask.
Peace and Love

day........recaps.....109

Have you had defining moments?

     I don't mean marriages, births, or deaths.... but  other moments that changed your life in major ways?
     Some of you only know me through the blogs.  So, to refresh you on  my life, here are some defining moments.
     In 1998 my wife was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  Talk about defining moments!  She has gone from a fairly active lifestyle to shuffling slowly short distances around the house.  It changed our lives.....a defining moment.
     In 2001 daughter Julia took a 3 year position with Nestlé in Switzerland.  She is still there.  This started out as a negative, but it really is a positive.  We have been able to travel to places we never would have gone:  Paris, Normandy, King Ludwig's castles in Bavaria, Colmar, Venice, Milan, Florence, Tuscany, Prague..... and all the small towns in France and Switzerland we have visited. 
When she left, I was crushed.  My baby was thousands of miles away.  Don't get me wrong, I still miss her terribly.  But she has had a good life over there and we have been able to share that life for weeks at a time these past 19 years. 
But honestly, Jackie's traveling days are over.  MS is not a kind disease.
     April 9....2015.  Defining moment.  Unstable air mass, tornado warning, we head for the basement.  I look out the back window and see  trees airborne in the park.  After it passes, I go to check on Emily's house and discover it is gone.  So are most of the other houses on her street.
     Not just damaged.  Gone.  She was at work, her fiancee was on his way home, so thank God no one was in the house.  In fact, no one suffered major injuries  in our area.  Everyday I give thanks that they were spared.
     True, she lost a house, two dogs, and almost everything she owned.  But she and John were able to rebuild their lives, get married, and return to "normal."
     Don't get me wrong, lots of other important things happened in the last 15 years or so..heart attack, retirement, additional stents for minor blockages, bike trips to Holland, a trip to Cuba, seeing the Grand Canyon for the first (and only) time.
     I suspect at some point 2020 will be a defining moment in most all of our lives. Like all moments, there may even be some good in this one...although it is hard to see at this point.
     Hope you had a safe July 4th.
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Wear a mask.
Peace and Love

day...holy hell!....109

I am not a warm weather person

     Once upon a time, I was.   When it was hot, I would ride my bike,  play outside, do yard work.
     Not any more.
     So the next several days pose a challenge for me:  How to not get overheated and yet still accomplish something..
     I have some mulching to do, still.  And some weeding.  And some picture sorting.
     So I think I will do picture sorting first.
     14 weeks ago, or June 30, I dragged out 10 totes of photos.  I foolishly said we would go through one a week over he next 10 weeks.
     I have not touched them.
     Monday, come hell or high water, I will lug up one of those totes and dump it on the dining room table.  Jackie and I will go through the pictures and decide if we even know the people, if we are keeping them, and where we are putting them.
     I don't think scanning them is an option at this point, but it may become one.
    Meanwhile, the temps outside will be in the 90s...with fairly high humidity...and my bike riding will be reduced to a couple of laps around the block after 7 p.m.
     That is, if I have not had a mojito or two to impair my balance.  Or a glass or two of rosé. 
     Honestly, I do not drink that much.  Maybe two or three drinks a week, which I don't think is a lot.
     I just have a feeling I will need alcohol to get though the totes.
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Wear a mask.
Peace and Love

day....hot dog!.....108

We had a taste for hot dogs tonight

     I have 3 favorite hot dogs The ones they pass out on Hot Dog Day in Rochelle, for one.  And no, not because they are free, but because they have a great taste and a wonderful, snappy casing.   Then there is a hot dog I only had once at the Big O, the Original, in Pittsburgh.  Again, the casing was crunchy and the dog tasty.
     Around here, we love Vienna Beef hot dogs.  In fact, that is usually the only brand we buy.
     So, I was headed to DeKalb for pop and other goodies.  I figured I would pick up some  Vienna Beef dogs, Rosen's poppy seed buns, and green relish.
     Was at Schnucks first.  Everyone was wearing a mask, but no green relish.
So I did not even look for dogs.
     Went to Hyvee.  Everyone was wearing a mask.  No Vienna Beef dogs, so I did not look for anything else.
     I realized these are not really Chicago area stores.  But Jewel is.
     So I stopped at Jewel and hot hot dogs, buns, and relish....all on sale.  Plus, everyone had on a mask.  Walking in the store, I had forgotten how much I like Jewel. 
     Stopped at Starbucks.....they were in masks.  Stopped at Dairy Queen....they were in masks and politely reminded me to put on my mask as I placed my order, because they will nto serve you at the window if you are maskless.  Kudos to them.
     Made a salad, mixed a mojito, grilled some dogs.....it was a fine meal!
    Friend John called and we got talking about birthdays.  I mentioned Ringo will be 80 sometime this month and Ricky Nelson, teen idol and singer, turned 80 a couple of weeks ago.
     There was a silence...Then John said, "He's dead."
      I swear I heard his kids say they were putting together a program for his 80th birthday and people should  tune in and maybe even send cards.
     Ricky died in 1985.
     I guess I don't keep up on current events.
     What ever happened to Elvis?
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Wear a mask.
Peace and Love

Summer means it's time for some rosé.  And yes, I bought two of them because of the bottles!

day.......when will I learn......107

I have to be one of the dumbest people

     We learn from our mistakes, and our past experiences, right?
     Not me...I keep repeating the same mistakes over and over and over.
     My driver's license expired in May, but because of Covid it was extended until October or some time.
     Two weeks ago I went to the SOS office in Oregon and renewed my license.  They gave me a paper copy showing that my new license was being processed.
     About 1 week ago I got my new license.
     I did not put it in my wallet.  I did not put it on the counter.  Today, I realized I had no idea where it was....and the paper copy was gone.
     Like the important letter from insurance, it had disappeared.
     I spent 15 minutes yelling at myself for my stupidity.  Jackie looked, I looked, nothing.  I went through the shred box, for the second time in two weeks, looking for something that was not there.
     I constantly lose my phone because I just lay it down.  Same with my wallet.
I decided to put my phone and my wallet in a little plastic basket on the counter.
     For some reason, I looked in there and my license was laying face down in the basket.
     20 minutes gone from my life, and a lot of frustration.
     I do this constantly.  It really angers me.
     On a positive note, I did cancel my Sirius.  I turned down a six month offer, a one year offer, a free home radio, a streaming service for only something but  because I am a valued customer they can give it to me for almost nothing.  And the radio is free!
     I bet I said no 20 times. 
     He asked me why, and I said I was selling the car.  He asked me why, and I told him we had two cars and Jackie rarely drives, so we don't need 2 cars.
     He was persistent.
     But as they say, all's well that ends well.
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Wear a mask.
Peace and Love

My native garden is growing!