day ..... cookies....170

 I had a mini family reunion today

    My brother Carl and his wife Ruth came down from Rockford for a visit.

    Now, that may not seem like a big deal, but they spend November to around May in Florida.  And with Covid, I have not gone to see them since they came  back.  So it has been about a year since we visited.

    Now, there were four of us.  Four.  I popped to the store in the morning to pick up some prescriptions and bought some goodies for us to enjoy during the visit. 

    I bought some white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies.  Then I realized Jackie is fond of peanut butter cookies.  So I  bought some of them.  Then I thought chocolate chip cookies might be good.

    And I have a frozen pound cake that I could thaw and so I bought some frozen strawberries and whipped cream to top that off.

    Did I mention there were 4 of us?

    I made coffee, we visited, had some cookies, and then I brought out some of my mother's photo albums.  

    I am hoping to get rid of them.  But I have this thing about tossing out stuff other people may be interested in, like family pictures.  That explains the piles of pictures and envelopes taking over the dining room table.

    We spent over an hour going through the pictures, laughing, talking, sharing memories of relatives long gone.  

    They took some pictures, but I have a lot left.

    If you read this little missive regularly, you may remember my posting the commission papers for Captain Timothy Kennedy.  Well, I found this at the bottom of the tub.

    These are Captains Kennedy and Sisk at Camp Lincoln, Springfield IL.

    July 8.......1896.

    My math skills are not the strongest, but that seems to be 124 years ago.

    Guess I better buy another frame.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day....burp.....169

My cucumber soup is not bad 

    It is a little too watery though.  I should have followed the advice of a couple of people who said to add less vegetable broth than called for.  But I forgot their advice.

    I do notice a tendency to burp more.  These were burpless cucumbers, so maybe it is the sour crean or yogurt giving me a little case of the burps.

    I also notice this is not something I want to eat a lot of.  I had two small bowls, and that was enough.

    Tomorrow I will buy some containers and freeze some, although I am a little uncertain how it will taste when I thaw it in 4 years because I forgot I put it in  the freezer.

    Rode my bike for the first time in weeks today.  Just around the block, but it felt good.  I went around 3 times, which was 7 miles.  Tomorrow I will do four times.  This way I am always within minutes if Jackie needs me.

    Other than that, a pretty boring day.  I did replant peas for the fourth time.  Jackie asked if that was wise considering they have not grown the first three times.  My answer was I already have the seeds, if I don't plant them I toss them out.  At least we may get some peas out of this.....I hope.

    I do notice the shadows getting longer and the days getting shorter.  Tom Skilling says Sept. 1 is the start of meterological fall, even though the equinox isn't until later in the month.  It seems like summer never existed.

    Damn Covid.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day....up at 6....168

 I was up early today...on purpose!

    I helped out at the monthly market in Rochelle.  Cypress House organizes the markets every Saturday, but the last Saturday of the month is a large one.

    My job, as a volunteer, is to greet vendors when they arrive, remind them of the rules, and tell them their assigned space.  They start arriving a little before 7.

    After that, I know nothing.

    But it was fun doing it last year, so I offered again this year.  I was bothered by the mask....every time I said hello, my glasses fogged up, which made it hard to read the clipboard.  But it all worked out.

    Next topic:   We have a lot of cucumbers.  When Bob, Diane and I went to Holland to ride bikes, we made a lunch stop one day.  I had cucumber soup....something I had never heard of and never tasted.  I liked it.

    So today I made cucumber soup.  I found a recipe on line and tried to follow it.  I have not tried the soup yet, it is in the fridge.  I will try it tomorrow.

    I notice that when I go someplace, I bring back a food memory.  Mojitos in Cuba, fried perch from Switzerland, croissants from France, lobster from Maine, salmon from Alaska, pasties from the UP ..... all become something I have to have when I get home.  Usually what I cook isn't as good, but it does bring back a memory or two.  I still have not found a recipe for apple cake that I think I could make...that was my favorite food in the Netherlands!

    I just hope the soup  is edible.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

I honestly did not think I would make a big mess making soup.....but I might have been wrong.

The old Stone's store in downtown Rochelle seems to be filling up with antiques.....anybody know anything?

day......Nachusa.......167

 I spent some time out on the prairie today

    I took a drive out to Nachusa Grasslands, a Nature Conservancy project located just a few miles west of us.

    They have bison.  Not buffalo, which are a similar animal in Africa and Asia, but North American bison.  Beautiful animals.  Huge.  Majestic.  A symbol of the great West of the United States.

    Just don't get too close, because they will gore you.

    At Nachusa, they are held in place by an electric fence.  I have not touched it, but I am guessing it is pretty strong.

    Anyway, also had coffee at Cypress House, signed up for membership at our new rec center, and had a great time visiting with SK over pizza and wine.

    My only regret...I wish I had worn a hat at Nachusa.  It was hot.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

Watering hole was popular today!

What a monster!!

day......meh.....166

 Took a ride through the countryside today

     I was in my car, not on a bike.  Tooo ooo ooo hot.

    Was down in the area near Waterman and Sandwich and was amazed at all the wind turbines I saw functioning.  I had forgotten there were so many.

    As I was driving I passed a car off to the side of the road.  The hood was up, and a man was sitting in the driver's side.

    As I went into Waterman, I saw a sheriff running radar, so I pulled over and told him about the disabled vehicle.  I think I am a buttinsky....but it was hot, and I don't know if the guy had help on the way or not.  And I would not be able to help because I don't know any mechanics in that area.  Lord knows I don't know the first thing about cars either.

    I noticed gas prices have really jumped in the last couple of days.  It seems Tuesday it was 2.07 a gallon for regular, now it is 2.35!  I should have filled my mower cans on Tuesday.....I never learn.

    Still waiting for rain......might be a long wait.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day...open wide...165

 We visited the dentist today

    It was just our normal Covid delayed checkup.  We both passed with flying colors, 

    It was hot today.  Our car temp was 93 or something, but once it gets over 85 i figure it is hot.

    And it was humid.  Sticky humid.

    The sky is muted because of the smoke from the wildfires out in California and Colorado.  My heart goes out to those folks with houses, lives and livelihoods  threatened by the flames.  And I hope the people fighting the fires stay safe.

    At the start of this pandemic crap, I said we were going to go thru one box of pictures a week.  I had 10 boxes, so I figured we had plenty of time.  I am on box 2.

    These are my mother's pictures.  She had a lot, a lifetime, I guess.

    She was at my first play, Death and Life of Sneaky Fitch, which we did outdoors at the park.  There are several pictures, out of focus and to dark to see who is in the picture, but she put them in an album and labeled it "Terry's play."

    Weddings, Christmases, family parties, picnics, birthdays....she has pictures of it all.  Not good pictures, but pictures.  Ahd there are vacation pictures from California, which she must have visited several times because I had another album with California pictures.

    But one object stood out.

    My parents bought their first, and only, house when I was about 10 or 12.  The Kennedy family owned the house.  

    I guess my mother had found this paper commissioning Timothy Kennedy as a captain in the infantry and held on to it.  It is from 1898.

    It's kind of neat, but I am not sure what direction I am going with this.  I may buy a frame and let the kids deal with it someday.  Or, I may contact the Chicago History Museum to see if they have any interest.

    The family had 2 sons and a daughter.  None married.  There might have been two daughters, I am not clear, but Marion was the only one who did not have a church career.  Phillip and Jack were priests, and Timothea was a nun...but I don't remember if she was an aunt or a sister.

    I can't just toss it...it is 120 years old!  Just seems it is begging to be saved.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love.

This guy has appeared at my door three times in the past week.  Once I sprayed him with water from the hose, but now I have a little spray bottle that I douse him with.  Why?  Toads absorb moisture through the skin.  Deep down inside I do believe he comes to my door because he knows I will not hurt him and give him water.  Call me a dreamer.....

day....ahhhhhh......164

 I got a pedicure today

    Jackie and I went were happy to get our toes done.  I can't bend over to cut mine (no comment, you know who you are!) and I just can't seem to get Jackie's done well.

    My dad was terrible when it came to toenail maintenance.  He actually would develop talons.  At some point, he would buy new shoes a size bigger to get his feet into them comfortably.  I swear, he could perch on a wire, his nails were so long!

    Ok, maybe I exaggerate.

    What gets me is the place we go to is in a strip mall.  It used to have two handicapped parking spaces, one on the east end, one on the west.  But it had only one ramp....on the east end.

    So I pulled in today and there is a truck in the east space. No handicap sticker or plate.  Then I noticed the lot has been repaved recently and there is no marking for a handicap spot, and no sign on the wall.

    Thus, the only handicapped parking space is on the west end and the ramp to get up to the sidewalk is on the east end.

    Makes no sense.

    So, I parked in two spaces and pulled down my handicapped sticker.  I was waiting for someone to criticize my parking, but no one did.

    Anyway, tonight my feet are silky smooth.  They fit in my shoes better.  My mood is much happier.

    The person doing my feet said I had great feet for a man!  He said they had a wonderful shape.  

    Like, I have not heard that before!

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day........hot!!!....163

 I stayed cool today

    Well, actually I went to the store for a few things.  One of the things was surgical tape.  I went to the big store and got some frozen items, some cold items, then went to get surgical tape.  The shelf was empty.

    The friendly pharmacist said I would have to go to Walgreen's.  I checked out, packed all my bags in the car, and started it up.  

    The thermometer read 94.  I thought that had to be wrong.  I drove past a bank.  93.  It was not even noon.

    My major concern was leaving frozen items in a car on a 94 degree day while I searched the aisles for surgical tape.

    Surprisingly, it only took a couple of minutes and I was back in the car with the air cranked on high.  Nothing melted.

    Friday I lost my sunglasses.  They are in a black case.  I  always leave them in the car.  I looked, and they were not there.   Not in my car, not in the other car.  I looked everywhere inside the house.  Went back to the cars and looked under the seats, in the glove box, (Why do we still call it that?  Does anyone actually put gloves in it?  It should be called the drawer you put all the crap in while you are driving.)  but I found nothing.  The case had disappeared.

    I did find some old ones, beat up, scratched, huge smears that don't come off, so I wore those when I went for a bike ride.

    When I came back, Jackie asked if I was sure they were not in the car.  I replied that I had looked 3 times and NO THEY WERE NOT IN THE CAR!

    But just to satisfy her, I went out and looked.  

    They were in the car.  Right where I always put them.

    I swear, if I thought she could walk that far I would accuse her of tormenting me.      But she can't, and I shan't.

    Nice rhyme, huh?

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day.......sunny Sunday.....162

 I had a really nice day today

     Talked to Julia, friends Dan and Linda came over for some rosé, Cubs won, had the last of the summer sweetcorn.

    It was just a really nice day.

    I do wish it would rain though, the grass is brown.

    That's it.  

    We really enjoyed visiting.  It was great conversation, too.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day.....memories.....161

I paid my respects to an old friend today 

    Nobody died.  Today was the day to pick up items bought at the Hickory Grove auction.

    Hickory Grove was built in the early 1990s as a community denter.  It was a giant mish-mash that did not work well.  For years VCCT performed plays there, each show erecting a theater in a multi purpose room.  VCCT moved out a few years ago and the building is scheduled to be knocked down later this year.

    So items were auctioned on line.  I went to help pick up the items VCCT bought.

    I pulled up carpet tiles.  Lots of carpet tiles.  VCCT will use them in the light booth, green room, ticket booth and other places.

    The group also got a stage curtain, emergency lights, chairs, tables, a desk, bar and a lot of other items that can be repurposed in the new theater building.

    TC and I got to reminiscing about the shows we had done there...the fun times, the great shows, the positive memories being in a theater group  brings.  It was a little bittersweet, although I hated the place as a theater because it was not a good place to do a play.

    I believe my first play was 1982.  I think I have been involved in about 30 shows, either on stage or backstage.  Plus I have worked on sets for shows I have not been involved with.  The group has been running little videos of years and sometimes I see a show and read that I was in it....like Bullshot Crummond.  Reading the info, I had several parts.  Strange, it was so long ago I almost forgot the whole thing.

    Oh well.

    I replanted peas today, hoping I can coax out a second crop.  This is the second time I have planted the  second crop, which does not look promising.

    Rain would help.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

My natives are thriving in this heat and dryness....love the colors

Should we be concerned?

No, those are not bodies....stage curtains......room looking naked

My cucumbers are huge!  We have made pickles, eaten lots in salads....maybe cucumber s sandwiches or cucumber soup?  I am willing to share.

day....not again...160

 I think we need to move to DeKalb

    We were there Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and again today.

    And I have the ideal house in mind

    I wanted to have my hearing aids checked and cleaned.  I should have dropped them off Wednesday after Jackie's surgery, but I figured she wanted to get home, not sit in the car while I ran errands.

    Thursday I had a lab appointment so I dropped them off at about 1:30.  I knew what would happen.....got home at 3:30 and they called, all cleaned and ready to go.

    So, Jackie, Corki and I made a drive to Sycamore to pick them up today.  Now, this was the first time in months Jackie has wanted to leave the house....so it actually was a big deal.

    We stopped for super sweet corn, only to learn the storm last week flattened a lot of the corn and all that was left was bi color....so I bought some that we will freeze, but no fresh corn is a sure sign summer is almost over.

    About the house.  It is small, only about 6,000 sq. ft. with 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms.  It sits on 14 acres and has an in-ground pool and a lot of other plusses.

    Jackie said we don't have the nearly one million buckaroos to buy the house.  I floated a plan to her and Julia about buying it.

    You could find 3 other people/couples, which puts the cost down to a little over $200,000 per couple.  Each owner would have their own bedroom and bath and access to the common areas.  Hire a cleaning service and a lawn care service and you could be living in style.

    Remember the expression "goes over like a lead balloon?"  Or as "silent as a fart in church?"  That was the reaction.

    I pictured it as kind of a commune....close friends living together, bonding, getting on each other's nerves...... fun times ahead?

    So, we are not buying the house.

    But if you are interested, and have some close friends, I think it would be a hoot.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day....OMG....159

 I just don't seem to learn

    I went to DeKalb for several errands today....hearing aid cleaning, blood draw, rosé.....

    I stopped for coffee.  

    People know I like Starbucks.  I usually get an iced venti vanilla Americano with two shots of cream.  (An Americano is a shot of espresso in water. In the case of a venti, it is 2 shots.)

    Today has happy hour, so if you bought one drink, you got one free. 

    I figured a venti was too much twice, so I ordered the medium iced Americano and a caramel crunch frappachino.

    Well, I sort of ordered that.  The young lady asked me what I wanted and I said a medium Americano with two shots of cream and a ... a... a .... drink with coffee and caramel....and...and...I can't remember the name.   She asked if it was the hot caramel mocha and I said no, it had ice......it's a ...a....a....

    Finally one of the workers said, "Frappachino?" and I said yes!  Caramel crunch frappachino!

    When my drinks came, I took the Americano, which was hot, and asked if she could just pour it into a cup with ice.  She said no, it changes the flavor, and dumped the drink and made me a new one....but without the cream.

    I sat outside and had the caramel crunch which was a mistake because it is now too rich for me!  I had no desire to drink the Americano, so I went home, put it in a glass, added some milk and ice, and sipped away.

    It is now 9:30 p.m. and I think I will go for a walk, weed the garden, go through a box of pictures and maybe paint the bathroom.

    Earlier this week I decided I should finally put the Switzerland pictures from last year into a photo book.  After all, I had created an album, so all I had to do was load the pictures from the album to the book.  Easy peasy.

    45 minutes later I was done.  But something didn't seem right.

    So I went back through the book, then went to the pictures and discovered I didn't have all the pictures I wanted in the album. ....so they were not all in the book.  

    So I deleted the book and now I have to start over.

    Maybe tonight.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day......whew......158

 This was quite the day

    Jackie had some surgery today.  Nothing major, a quality of life issue for her that was fixable.

    We had to be at the hospital at 7:15....and Dickows don't do early.  I was up a little after 5:30 and quickly got shaved and dressed then helped her get ready so we could leave by 6:30.  The hardest part was getting Corki out, she is not an early morning animal either.

    We were done by 10 or so and the nurse was going over final instructions.

    I joked that if I wasn't back in 15 minutes to get her, call Emily.  No one laughed.

    The "rooms" are really cubicles with privacy  screens.  As we were getting ready to go I heard a voice from behind one of the screens saying, "Is that Dickow?"

    Turns out it was a friend from town who had a little surgery also.  They thought the voice was familiar, but the Terry and Jackie the  nurse said was the tip off.  They are doing well also, but I should call tomorrow just to check.

    Aside from that, pretty calm day.  Emily came over to visit and ended up changing a dressing, and Emily and John came back about 8 to help get Jackie into bed.  When Jackie gets physically tired, she just can't stand or move on her own.  I am not strong enough to lift her, so help is frequently needed.

    That's all the news I have......please keep her in your thoughts for a quick healing.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day.....get real......157

 I am an overly critical person

    I realize that.   It often surfaces when watching tv.

    I don't understand why an incident or event in week 7 of a tv series is not carried over to week 8.  For example, in week 7 a star breaks his arm.  In week 8 he is fine and no mention of the injury.

    Also, nobody ever turns out the lights when they leave a home on tv.  Lots of times they don't lock the door either.  Come to think of it, they often don't unlock a door when coming home.

    Friends has been bothering me lately because they always show the apartment building and pan up to the fifth or sixth floor.  I know Monica has people living above her, so it can't be the top floor.  They also have a little balcony that you get to by going thru a window.  But the apartment building they show has no balconies.  Also, from their window they can almost touch the building next door....but nothing like that is possible from the outdoor scenes they show.

    I know, give it up.  It's TV.

    My latest gripe is a commercial for a Rockford area group called Remedies.  Now, they do good work in helping people with various addictions.  But the commercial shows a man playing Monopoly with his kids, having successfully recovered from a gambling addiction.  The man rolls the dice and moves his piece to the right on the Monopoly board.

    Call me crazy, but I think no matter where you sit when playing Monopoly, you move to the left.  

    My wife rolls her eyes and says ignore it, but it just drives me bonkers!

    And it is moments like this I realize I have too much time on my hands.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day.....what?....156

 I had an interesting experience last night

    I have not been wearing my hearing aids as much as I used to.  If I go to the store, I put on a mask and the hearing aids get caught in the mask when I take it off.  I am afraid I will lose one of the aids.

    So I have not been wearing them a lot.

    Last night we watched a show on BritBox.  Because of the accent, I sometimes miss words.  So I put my hearing aids on.  It helped a little, but the accents are really strong on this show.

    I went out about 10 and stood in the driveway.

    l was shocked by how loud it was!  Previous nights I went out and it was so quiet.  Last night I could hear hundreds of insects and other night time creatures chirping, chipping, squeaking....all sorts of noises. 

    I took out my hearing aids....nothing.  Silence.

    Now I wonder if my hearing has gotten worse since I got the hearing aids!  

    I did wear them all day today, and I plan on doing that more often to get back into the habit.

    Hearing aids...glasses.....high cholesterol meds...blood pressure meds...sure is fun to grow old.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day.....c'mon....156

 I took Corki for a walk today

    I had to carry her down the driveway.  Seriously.

    Two weeks ago I went to take her for a walk and she would not go.  Instead, she jumped up on the chair with Jackie and sat there.

    She has repeated this behavior at least 4 times since then.  She used to love to walk with me.

    Jackie said maybe I have not done it as much as I used to and she just doesn't trust me.  Or, when we went recently I forgot her shock collar and she got a shock.  But we had gone 3 or 4 times after that with no problem.

    Strange dog.

    So, I picked her up and carried her out to the middle of the driveway and she was fine.

    However, she did not want to go far and she went a lot slower than normal.

    I know she is getting up there in years, so maybe the thrill of a walk has diminished.  I know we don't walk as far as we used to, she would go to the end of the block in past years, but this year she turned around about half way there.  

    Another perplexing issue.....I am cold.  I am sitting in the house wearing a sweatshirt.  When I went out before, I put on a sweatshirt.  I don't have a fever, I am just cold.

    My dad would wear long underwear 365 days a year.  I hope I am not becoming like him.

    I guess getting old isn't only for the dogs.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day.....what's that smell?.....155

 I have learned several things in life I don't need

    Pasties, for one.

    I learned about them on one of our first trips to Mackinaw Island.  We would see signs that said "Pasties for sale."  It confused me.  I was thinking pasteis, like the exotic dancers wear to cover certain parts of their upper anatomy.  But these were pasties, a pot pie type food Cornish miners used to carry into the mines back in merry old England.  

    Usually they have beef, turkey, or vegetarian forms.  Included in the pie is the meat and rutabagas.  

    I think they are tasty, Jackie thinks they are too dry.  To each their own, huh?

    And they seem to be a common food item in the UP.

    Friend Todd is up in Escanaba and jokingly said he would bring me one....but I know they do not taste well unless hot out of the oven fresh.

    Years ago I was in a play called Escanaba in the Moonlight.  A great bunch of people...Chris, TC, Bethie, David.... were in the show.  It was a good show.  So was Escanaba in Love.  And to be truthful, I may have mixed up cast members between the two shows.  Carrie directed and almost everyone will have a better memory than me.

    It might have been during rehearsals for one show I saw frozen pasties in a Rockford supermarket.  I bought some and cooked them, bringing them to rehearsal to get everybody in the mood for life in the UP.

    What I did no foresee was the incredible odors brought on by these epicurean delights!  I think at one time my eyes were watering and it was not from laughing.  I don't know who admitted to having their intestines adversely affected by them, but I do know I never did.

    I tried to call a neighbor tonight, whose name is the same as a friend in town. Of course, I called the friend in town, which was actually good because we have not talked for a long time and I miss the company of those I called.  Someday.

    I guess when I put names in my phone, I should use last names or at least initials.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love 

day.....Friday!!!.....154

Sometimes a blah day is good 

    Nothing major happened to day.   Well, nothing bad major.

    I went shopping, got a coffee, stopped to visit my friend Bethie on my way home, unloaded groceries, went to Oregon to pick up supper.....

    I go up Skare Road to Il 64, then go 64 to Oregon.  It is a direct route, only one turn, and pretty hard to mess up.

    Coming home I go 64 to Skare, then Skare to my house.

    Coming home tonight, I reached Kings and realized....I overshot my turn by about 3 miles!  What the hell!!

    I have driven that route for 50 years...never missed the turn.  In addition to the intersection sign, there is a run down house on one corner that really stands out.  But I drove by all that.

    I guess my mind was in neutral.

    At least nothing major disrupted the day. And that is always good.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day...drained....153

 This week has been a roller coaster for me

    The storms Monday, doctor visits Wednesday and Thursday, a quick ER trip Thursday night, birthday celebrations,  meteor showers, 2 meetings, hot days, nice days.

    All is fine.  But I am mentally drained!  It's a little after 11 and I am thirsty, but I have no desire to drink anything.  I think I am just too lazy to get up.

    I would like a cold glass of chocolate milk, with ice cubes.   Not sure how that will mix with the rosé I finished earlier, so I am going to pass.

    This is day 3 of my going to bed early so I can get up early and work on stuff while Jackie is asleep initiative.  . So far I have gone to bed at 10 once, midnight once, and probably close to midnight tonight. 

    But at least I am getting sleep.

    The crazy dreams persist.  Usually when you dream someone you know is in the dream with you, right?  I have had two nights of dreams with people I have never seen before in my life!  They look normal, I just have never seen them.

    And they get crazier and crazier.   I can't wait to see what happens tonight.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

Day.....WTH....152

 I am beginning to hate change

    I don't mean the dimes and pennies in a pocket.   Although it could include that.  I gave a clerk $2.13 in cash tonight and it turned out one of the pennies was actually a dime!  A very dirty dime.  Very dirty.  As in filthy, not sexy dirty.

    But I digress.

    Blogspot changed how the site works.  I don't know how to eliminate double spacing, that just appeared.  It took me a while to find out how to post to Facebook too.  I think I have that solved.

    But now Facebook has changed.  My whole FB world is upside down.;  I can't find how to set the newsfeed, the display is different, my whole psyche is katy whumpus.

    And this is from a centibillionaire.  I had never heard that term until recently.  There are now 3 centibillioniaires....Zuckerberg, Bezos and Gates.

    A centibillionaire is someone who is worth 100 billion dollars.  I think that is $100,000,000,000....but I only taught place value to millions so I am not sure.

    Imagine what you could do with that much money.  You could reshape cities and neighborhoods, even states and countries.....just by spending money on programs that benefit poorer areas of our world.

    Gates dos a lot of that, and I bet the others do to.  Just think what they could do if they took 10 percent of their money and adopted a city or state and initiated programs to improve the life of its citizens.

    Oh well.....that could have been any of us, I guess.  No use crying over milk you can't spill.

    Celebrated John's birthday today with a dinner in and little itty bitty bundt cakes Emily bought.  It was a great night of visiting and talking.  I miss that. 

     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day......wash wash.....151 151

I did dishes tonight

I did dishes tonight 

    I was in a hurry.     I was in a hurry,

    I had them all washed and dried.  I had them all washed and dried.

    Then I looked at the towel.

    I repurpose a lot of stuff.  Kitchen towels sometimes get worn out.  So I use them as cleaning rags.

    I cut off a corner so I know that it is a rag.

    Somehow, tonight I dried all the dishes with a cleaning rag.  One I just used in the bathroom.

    So I rewashed all the dishes.  And redried them, this time with a clean kitchen towel.  (These are dishes that can't go in the dishwasher....so don't worry about eating off a dirty plate or drinking out of a dirty glass when you visit!)

    I don't know how I did that, I am always careful about checking corners when I do dishes, just in case.  Tonight I didn't.

    Some good news.

    There was a story in the Tribune Sunday about a 14 year old boy who was shot when caught in gang crossfire in Chicago when he was 10.  He had some pretty serious injuries, but recovered.

    Each year the reporter, Mary Smich, does a story updating people on how he is doing.

    Since being shot, a real estate developer from out west got involved and found them a home in a safer neighborhood, away from gangs.  The police who investigated his shooting befriended the family and helped them out in various ways through the years.

    One of the detectives has a child going to a Catholic high school just blocks from where the family now lives.  In the article, he said they were working on a way to raise tuition money for the family so the boy could attend.

    I wrote Smich and asked her to notify me if they set up a Go Fund Me account, because I really would like to help this boy and this family.

    She wrote me back yesterday, but since we lost power for 5 hours, I did not check e mail.  There is a Go Fund Me account.  She gave me the web address

    I went to it tonight and discovered I could not make a donation because they are no longer accepting donations.  In the 48 hours the page was up, over $50,000 was donated.  Most of the donations were $100 or less.

    Total strangers helping out a family trying to break the cycle of violence and dispair.

    Even though I am disappointed I could not contribute, I am happy that people responded as quickly as they did.

    They were showing the love we have for each other.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket

Peace and Love

day....dude!.....150

 I experienced a derecho today

    High winds, intense rains, fast moving storm.

    Luckily, it did not do any damage near our house, but a quick drive around the area showed lots of downed limbs and broken trees.

    A friend had some pine trees behind his house.  Older ones, pretty tall.  He mentioned they were thinking of taking them out.  Well, Mother Nature had a start at that today!  He had quite a mess.

    We lost power.  Now, living in the country, no power means no water.  In the winter, when a storm is coming, I fill jugs and the tub with water.  I did not think to do that today.  We went 5 hours without power.  I can't imagine what it was like in the pre electric age!  It is an inconvenience, but compared to what happened to Emily and John in 2014, it was nothing.

    The weather people always say seek shelter in the lower level of your home.  With Jackie, that is not possible.  So I put her in our little guest bathroom, an interior room with no windows.  It is not perfect, but better than sitting in the living room.  Of course, Corki saw her in the transport chair and immediately assumed we were all going for a ride.

    Since we had no power, I went out for supper.  My first choice was Taco Bell, but the line was out into the street!  So I went to Arby's, where the line was long, but not as long as Taco Bell.  I had the beer battered fish sandwich and it was good.  I could not see the staff to see if they were masked though, and that is always a concern.

    Too much excitement for the day.  I am glad it is over.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

    And a couple of pictures.

I found these guys while driving around after the storm.

Weird color, eh?

day......strum and dang......149

 Ever have one of those days?

    I just had a feeling all day of angst.  

    Maybe it was the heat.  Or threat of storms.  Or lack of a sleep.  Or the humidity.  Or any number of reasons.

    I just felt frustrated.

    Knots did not untie. Bottles did not open.  Downloads did not work.  Lunch was boring.  I filled Corki's water server but forgot to put the lid on, so half a gallon of water went all over the floor.

    A DIY fix it project has not gone like I thought it would.  No matter what I do, it looks worse than before.

        Dan and Linda were going to come over for some rosé, but we connected and decided to put it off until the weather was nicer for porch sitting.  Honestly, I would have been a terrible conversationalist.  (Is that a word?)

    I spent time on the porch, in the heat, napping and sipping a smoothie.  My mood seems to be better, but I am still grouchy.

    And frustrated

    A frustrated old man...straight out of It's aWonderful Life.......

    And now the weather guy is saying we are done with storms.....but we have not had any rain.  

    I know tomorrow will be better....it always is.  But it will also be hot.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day...damn....148

 Making lists does not seem to help me

    I went to the store today to buy one specific product.  Cheese.  Just some cheese.  I am out.  Wanted some cheese.

    I spent $35 and got half way home before I realized....I didn't buy any damned cheese!

    Luckily, Emily was working so I called her and asked her to buy some and drop them off on the way home.  She did, so all is well that ends well.

    I just don't understand how my mind doesn't function correctly.  Jackie can ask me for something and 20 minutes later she will ask again, because I forgot to get it.

    Geez....

    I planted beans and peas again today.  I am not sure if the peas will produce anything, but I think I have time for a second bean crop.  I should have planted them last week......but I forgot.

    Today we made refrigerator pickles and I blanched 18 ears if corn, took it off the cob, and froze it.  Hopefully we will have enough vegetables to last us through the winter and next spring.  Carrots will be the next challenge, although I am in no hurry to do them.  Usually it is October when I finally get around to digging them out of the frozen tundra.

    But we need rain.  The lawn in yellow.  The garden was watered, but the flowers and trees are starting to show stress.  A gentle rain of 45 minutes or more would be wonderful.

    That's all folks!

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket!

Peace and Love

day...I see.....147

 It was my turn for a doctor visit today

    I had a check up with a retina specialist, because I have a slight problem with my eyes.  He checks me every 6 months or so, and once again he pronounced my vision as stable.  I was doubly happy, because when I made the appointment I said I had not been there since last November.  It turned out I had not been there since 2018.  Time flies.

    Stable.  

    I had a stress test a couple of weeks ago and the cardio guy said my heart was stable.

     I guess that is good.  I hope all my medical tests come up as stable.  I would be very happy to hear that.

    Funny thing....with the new  blog format, every time I hit return it double spaces.  That is a little weird.  So when you read this, if there are double spaces between paragraphs it is not me doing it.

    Anyway, John drove me over today and waited for me because as part of the exam I get my eyes dilated.  It was several hours before they returned to normal and I did not squint when looking at light.

    Patio guys came today and hopefully corrected the dip in the patio.  I said dip in the patio, because someone (Doug?) might comment about the dip on the patio.  I am looking at the area that they redid and something does not seem right, but I can't find it.  I think it's an OCD thing, like checking all the doors at least twice every night before I go to bed. Then sometimes I am in bed and I think I may have unlocked a door instead of locking it, so I check it again.  It makes for very long nights.

    Speaking of long nights....I had a dream that I was travelling with Chris Farley and we squatted in a vacant motel room, only to discover it was actually the home of a psycho who hated people.  Chris was really funny.  That followed the dream of living in  a former motel that had been converted to private housing.  Jackie and I had a long unit on the ground floor.  Long.

    It must be the food.

    And Jackie and I were treated to an abbreviated version of Suessical the Musical tonight by our talented little friend Sam.  It was a great one person show and we enjoyed the entertainment.

    Stay Safe.  Stay Healthy.  Mask it or Casket.

Peace and Love

Day...found!....146

I lost a pair of shorts

     I only have 4 pair that I regularly wear, and one of them disappeared.

And no, not underwear shorts...outerwear shorts.  Just to be clear.

     I looked in the dirty wash, behind the washer and dryer, in all my drawers, 

     I would say I looked in my wife's drawers but someone would take it the wrong way.

     How can I lose a pair of shorts?

     It seems I confused them with another pair, my work in the yard outside shorts because those have a couple of rips.  I put the good shorts in my yard work pile.  I looked there twice, but did not see them.  It wasn't until the third time that I looked everywhere that I found them.

     All's well that ends well.

I did take advantage of the beautiful weather to ride in town with a friend.  We rode and talked, and it made the ride so much more fun.  It did not even seem that we were riding for 45 minutes.  So, if you read this, thanks Gwen for the company and the ride.

     Now the heat is set to return....and hopefully some rain.  It is pretty dry out there.

     In hindsight, I should have started this with I found a pair of shorts....that makes more sense.

     Oh well.

     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day...wth....145

Blogspot has a new format

     I am very confused by it all.

     It took me forever to find out how to post to Facebook the other night.  I did it, but last night I could not remember how I did it and I had to work through it all over again!

     Sufferin succotash!

     For you folks who have fire pits......do the ones that sit in a stand burn the grass below?  I just cleaned up my burn pile.....several years in the making.  When I burned it off right before Covid, I discovered there were 3 Christmas trees in it! 

     I confess, I had also tossed in a pallet and a cedar stick in the ground type fence that was broken.

     So I had a mess.

     It was also not on my property, and I started to feel a little guilty about that this year. I don't know why.

     I thought maybe a fire pit that does not sit in the ground might be nice, but then, I did not have a fire for 3 years, so maybe it is not such a hot idea.   (Yes, the pun was intentional.)

     I always have this fantasy that on a cool fall night I would be out there with a few friends, making s'mores and small talk, watching the shooting stars, listening to the coyotes and owls......but I have not done that for a long time.

     Maybe this year....if I can figure a way to do it without ruining my yard.

     I think last night would have been a perfect night to do that.

     Oh well.

     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day.....retreat....144

I am on day 13 of a 30 day challenge

     The problem is, it started July 1.  I should have been done days ago.

     Yet, I am not.

    This is an on line learn to speak French challenge.

     It seemed well organized, the person presenting was informative, the lessons clearly presented.

     I don't know what happened.

     The positive is that I have all the days in my in box and they won't disappear unless I delete them.

     I realize I don't use my time wisely.

     I play too much solitaire on line, I spend too much time looking for things, and I seem to waste time doing I don't know what.

    Those are my choices, to be sure.  But I sure wish I had more time.

    Today the house was cleaned and not by me.  That freed up a couple of hours that I used to weed in the garden and ride my bike.  I managed to go around the block 4 times, and finished with about a 9.5 mile ride. 

     If I were like my friend Mike, I would have to do that for almost 300 days to match his total for this year.

     What are the odds of that?

     Oh well......I'm happy for what I can do.

     Stay healthy, stay safe, mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day......easy peasy...143

I had a normal supper tonight

     No dog food.  No mistaking my salad for Corki's food and ultimate fish oil destination.

     I made a pork roast.

     It was a small one, less than 2 pounds.  I looked on line and the only web page I visited said 25 minutes per pound at 350 degrees.  Cooked temp of 145 degres. I figured 50 minutes.  At 45 minutes I started the rest of the supper....au gratin potato (from a box) and carrots.

     I stuck the meat thermometer into the roast at 45 minutes and it read.......68 degrees.  A far way from 145.  So I set the timer for 45 minutes, and finally it was at the 145 mark.

     I must not check the right web sites for cooking directions.  I should have learned after cooking chicken at 150 degrees for 20 minutes.  That did not work well.

     But that was less frustrating than Jackie's day.

     She spent 2 hours on the phone setting up 2  medical appointments.  

     She needs a scan, and was told she could do it at the Rochelle facility.

     She called and they said to make sure insurance covered it.  Insurance had no knowledge of the Rochelle facility, even though I had a scan there in January.  Called the scheduler who transferred her to another scheduler who transferred her to another scheduler who said she had to call the first number she called.  It was weird.

     And frustrating.

     What made me laugh was the recorded message that said, "We know your time is valuable so we strive to answer your questions quickly."  Two hours.

     But all is well that ends well...our calendar is filling up quickly with medical dates.

     I also need to pay attention to weather forecasts.  I put on shorts and a t-shirt today and was pretty darn cold by the time I got home.

     I donned long pants, a sweatshirt, then went onto the porch and "rested" in my new chair.

     I closed my eyes and dreamt I was a lot of different places:   a boat in Alaska, Julia's balcony,  the porch at the cottages at Dewey Lake, at Charley's sipping wine.       It was very relaxing.

     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Mask it or casket.

Peace and Love

day......yum 2.0.....day 142

Focus....Focus....I have to focus

     I really need to focus.
     I made a nice dinner tonight....steak, potato with green pepper on the grill, grilled zucchini, and a great salad.
     Partially great.
     Earlier this week I made the mistake of eating a piece of Corki's food because I thought it was a crouton.
     I will not make that mistake again.
     I had the salads prepared, the potato/pepper mix on the grill, the steaks seasoned and ready to go.
     Then I made Corki's food.
      I carefully placed my salad away from where Corki's food was being prepared. I put cut up carrots in her bowl, mashed up some green beans, slipped in a vitamin and went into the pantry to get a fish oil soft tab, which I always crumble up to top off her food.
     Focus.
     I walked right over to the food area, crumbled up the fish oil, and put it on my salad!  Seriously,..what the hell is wrong with me?
     Yesterday I was doing dishes when I noticed some dust on the floor.  I got the vac out to do the floor and figured I should dust the coffee and end tables. I never finished the dishes or the dusting or the floors before starting yet another job!
     Focus. 
     Eventually I finished all of them, but I had a very frustrated feeling about myself.
     I guess in the end as long as the stuff gets finished, it doesn't matter what order I work.
     But it does matter what I put on my food.
     I scraped off as much as I could and then ate the salad.  It did taste a little fishy, but I had too much work in it to just toss it.
     Focus.
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.
Peace and Love

day.....fam......141

Had a nice visit with family today

     My niece and her daughter (grand niece?   second cousin?  I can never figure that stuff out.  And now at my age, why bother?)  popped in for a visit today.  We had not seen them for about a year, and it was a nice surprise.
     No hugs.  No embraces.  We practiced social distancing as if our lives depended on it.
     Emily, John and Camryn came over too, so it was a little difficult spacing everyone out.
     A puppy came along and it did not go well with Corki.  There was a lot of barking and growling and a little aggressive behavior, but no bites or blood.     Corki does not do well with other dogs.  Usually Emily brings a dog over and Corki barks for a few minutes, then just ignores them.  Same with when we walk.  She will meet up with a dog from down the street and bark and yip, then settles down.
     Corki needs to practice social distancing.
     And bark control.
     A couple of years ago I would go over to the park and meet friend Todd.  He had two dogs, one Corki's size and one bigger.  The one Corki's size drew a lot of barks and noises on our first walk.  On the second walk, not much noise.  On our third or fourth walk, Todd did not come and Corki actually stood in the path and kept looking toward the parking lot.  I think she was waiting for her new friend.
     After everyone left today, we turned on the Cubs.  I got to thinking how long they will play this year.  With three teams now experiencing Covid out breaks, it does not seem out of the question that at some point the season gets cancelled.
     I'm giving them 26 games.......mark that in your prediction book.
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.
Peace and Love