in the zone

 I was really freaked out tonight

    I watched an episode of The Twilight Zone tonight and it kind of freaked me out a bit.

    Dennis Weaver was the main character.  If you are of the Gunsmoke age, you may remember his character Chester.  

    But I digress.

    In this episode he portrays a man convicted of murder.  He is sentenced to death.

    But he tells the judge, jury, reporters, DA, that if he is put to death, then everyone disappears because the world he lives in is only in his mind.  Once he dies, everyone dies.  And then he relives the nightmare.

    It freaked me out because there are days I wonder if the world is real, or is it something I have created in my mind.  Memories did not happen, they were created.  Nothing existed before this moment. 

    I guess I shared his world.

    But what about photos?  Those too are a figment of imagination.  

    Nothing existed before this moment.  

    It's just a strange feeling I get sometimes.

    And Dennis Weaver....he was in a made for TV movie titled Duel.  

    He was in his car and a semi truck was trying to ram his vehicle, for some reason.

    It was really a tense and scary movie.

    Julia must have been about 4 or 5 when it aired.  She watched it with us.  Remember, we only had a few stations to pick from in those pre cable days....so don't judge our parenting skills.

    Whenever we got in the car  after seeing it she would panic if a truck came up on us.  She may have even cried or made one of us sit in the back seat while she sat in front.  It took a while for her to get over that movie.

    I understand.  I guess watching Psycho is the reason I did not take showers for a while.

    I still check.  

    You can never be too safe.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

not missed

 I am surprised no one called me from Walmart

    I am in almost every day.  I go to the same register.  The same person checks me out. I chat about the prices  going up.  I complain that there are no raspberries.

    You would think after not being there for 3 days someone would call to check up on us.  I mean, they keep saying check on the elderly.  We're elderly!

    I usually swing past the  pharmacy to wave to Emily.  But today she looked real busy and I was in a hurry, so I did a general wave and moved on.

    When I told this to Jackie she asked me who the check out person was.  I told her I usually use the self check lanes.  I guess that would explain the lack of a call.

    When I go to the deli there I probably have the strangest order.  I get 3 slices of honey roasted ham, sliced on #2.  Then I get 8 slices of Genoa salami, and 8 slices of deli Swiss, both sliced on #2.

    Jackie likes a sandwich at lunch.  Well, half a sandwich.  So I cut the slices of ham in half and that is enough for 6 sandwiches.  The extra cheese and salami is for me.

    Basically that is all I did today.

    I was reading the Trib at about 10 when my eyes got heavy.  I sat in my chair and Jackie yelled for me at 11:45.  It was a good nap.

    I left for the store at 10-2 in favor of the Cubs.  When I got home it was 23-3.  I just hope the offense keeps it up.

    My bird feeder poles came today. 

    Young guy got out of his truck with the box marked" heavy" and we set it by the garage.

    I asked him if he was ok with water and if he needed ice or anything.  He seemed surprised t hat I asked, but thanked me for the offer.

    When I was a kid in Chicago, in hot weather we always put a glass with ice and lemonade or ice tea on the porch for the mailman on those hot summer days.

    I guess I still carry that habit.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

Questions

 SometimesI wonder about things

    Why don't my strawberries produce?  They get flowers, but no berries.  I suspect birds are getting to them, but I have no proof. I am getting a little frustrated.

    Found out today that I did not have the correct name for someone.  Have been calling her the wrong name for almost a year.  Actually, it's her last name, and I never really  call her anything except her first name.  Still.....

    I have not done a thing for 2 days.  The heat is dragging me down, even though we have the AC on.  I think it is a mental issue.  Just can't get going.  I had 5 projects to do indoors this week....not a 1 done.  How come?

    Do the sports betting ads bug you?  They drive me nuts.   I especially don't like the guy who says his app has high limits and high stakes.  Is that what we really need?

    Why do car commercials always show a vehicle driving too fast? Does that subliminally encourage people to exceed the speed limit?  

    I got behind a car today that was doing 45 on Flagg Road.

    Now, I don't mind someone going slow, but that was tooooo slow.  When they got toward Flagg Center, where the speed limit is posted at 30, they kept doing 45!  Why?? 

    Why do some houses burn up while others burn down?

    There is a commercial for a product for us older folks.  I think it improves the mind.

    In the commercial 2 older people are walking on a narrow path with steep slopes on both sides.  I keep thinking, if they were real smart they would not be on that path.

    But what do I know?

    Not much.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

hot hot hot

Our forecast is for hot 

    Depending on who you listen to, it will be in the 90s thru Thursday or next Monday.  

    In any case, it will be hot.  Uncomfortable.  Dangerous.

    Today the guys were working on a new house across the street.  I think they were there in the afternoon, but I am not sure.  I did feel sorry for them.  And for all the people who have to be working outside today.  But I am also thankful for them.

    I tried frying an egg on the sidewalk today, but as soon as I put it down it hatched and a huge turkey came out and flew away.

    Now turkeys can fly, just not far.  Or for long.  Despite Mr. Carlson telling the WKRP staff he thought they could, they can't fly from a helicopter.

    As I have said before, I am reading Tales from the South Pacific by Michner.

    I sat out on the porch today and read for about 30 minutes.  

    With the heat and humidity, I almost felt like one of the characters in the book.  He was hot, I was hot. He was sweating, well, I wasn't.  He was making love to a beautiful Polynesian girl, I was reading a book.

    But the heat and humidity made for good ambiance.  Some Polynesian beauties would have been nice.

    Speaking of baseball, the bullpens at Wrigley are climate controlled.

    I would think that would be a disadvantage to come in from a cool spot to pitch in a hot spot.  That would take adjusting to, I think.

    And staying on the baseball theme, on this date in 1916 The Cubs played Cincinnati and they used 1 baseball the entire game.  1.  One. 

    Typically. today it's 90 to 120.

    Finally.....gave up on the idea of digging a hole for a wooden pole to mount my smart bird feeder.

    I worried that I would put it in the wrong spot and not be happy.

    So I ordered a metal pole designed to hold smart bird feeders.

    If I change my mind about placement, all I have to do is pull the steel pole out of the ground and move it.

    We'll see, eh?

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

        

chairs

 I think we need a new chair

    Jackie has had a. real problem with her chair.

    It raises up, making it easier for me to move her from her soft chair to her wheelchair.   But she can't get back far enough in the soft chair to be comfortable.

    We have a pillow behind her, but that does not seem to help enough.  We might try 2 pillows, but I am not sure that will work either.

    Here's my problem;  If we get a new chair, she should try it out.  But the thought of lifting her in and out of chairs makes my back hurt.

    I may try some out on my own, then bring her along if I find one that would work.  But I don't intend to buy a chair she has not approved  of.  (Or of which she has not approved.  Whatever.)

    The next few days should be pretty brutal around here.

    Temps in the 90s with heat indexes over 100.

    Good time to stay cool and read.

     I have 2 chores to do this week inside.  Maybe 3.  Or 4.

    They will get done, eventually.

    It seems I always have more to do than there is time, or inclination. 

    And the heat and high humidity won't help.

    Stay cool.  Stay smart.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

The good, the bad, ,the broken

 Oh boy, I have a lot to say tonight

    Got an e mail from Capital One about a charge by Avantgard for $45.

    I checked our on line orders and nothing showed.  Jackie did not order anything either, and it was her card that had the charge.

    The e mail said there had been complaints about this company. 

    So I called he number on the back of my card, talked to a nice rep, who told me the charge was made at an automotive store in California.

     The lady asked me if it was possible Jackie went to California and forgot about a purchase.

    I said doubtful because she is in a wheelchair.

    Jackie is getting a new card.  The $45 came off our card.

    Had a short but nice visit with Dan and Linda yesterday.  We met at the library and Dan and I  talked in hushed tones

    Went to a Buffet party at TC's house  today.  

    It was a small group, but lots of good conversation and great cheeseburgers!  Thanks to the Camplains for hosting.

    And now the broken.

    After the party I mowed our  yard.  Grass was kind of long and the yard does not look good.

    So I pulled out my tow behind the tractor yard sweeper.

    First off, the tow bar was way off center.  Once I took it apart I could not get it back together very easily.

    In fact, it took a little over half an hour to get the parts on the sweeper.

    After I did get it together, I hitched it to my mower and made a couple of passes in the back yard.

No grass was in the catcher.

    The wheel that drives the brushes did not move.  It rolls when I push it backward, but it does not roll when going forward, hence ho grass in the catcher

    By this point it was 8:30 and I just said to myself, "Gove up.  Try tomorrow."

    So I did and I will.

    If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

a ha!

 Sometimes it is not my fault

    Like when the guy it the white pick up truck pulled out directly in front of me yesterday.

    He had a stop, I did not.  He stopped and then when I was almost in the intersection he pulled out right in front of me.

    Luckily, Julia's BMW handles better than our van.  I swerved to the right and he missed me by less than a foot.

    No damage.  No foul.

    Also yesterday, we have a cleaning person who comes every other Thursday.  I put out my Bona mop, a floor sweeper and a Swifter hand duster for her to use.  (No, it does not dust your hands.  You hold it in your hands. )

    When I went to put the stuff out, I could not find the hand duster.  I looked under stuff, behind stuff, in corners, in closets and could not find it.

    That really puzzled me.

    Then our cleaning person came in and was holding it in her hand!

    Seems she accidentally took it home 2 weeks ago and at the end of the day had no idea where it came from.

    Again, not my fault.

    Other things not why fault:

    Cubs relievers.

    The Reflection Pool.

    Toll increases in Illinois.

    Projected 90+ temperatures next week.

    And a host of other things.

    I still have not finished trimming the bushes or dug my hole for the new bird feeder.

    And those  for sure are my fault.

    Maybe tomorrow.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

foodie????

 Food can sometimes be perplexing

    For example.  Tonight I made scrambled eggs and bacon.

    I know it's a breakfast meal, but I was at a loss on what to cook.

    I made a few suggestions, but they did not go over well.

    Julia gave us some hot chelate bombs at Christmas.

    She pointed out the other day that I have not used any and they may end up going bad.

    So last night I made a hot chocolate.

    I had on my favorite Beatles shirt, the one with the boys holding different colored umbrellas.

    I want to stress I LOVE that shirt.

    I dripped chocolate and marshmallow on it.  I was so angry with myself.  I treated it with OxyClean but I have not washed it yet.  If the spot does not come out I may have to go back to Liverpool and. replace it.

    Well, I had a Jimmy Buffet Key West shirt on tonight and dammit if I did not drip hot chocolate on that one!

    I am not a messy eater, but I guess I may be a messy drinker.

    What are iconic foods in Chicago?

    Hot dogs.  Italian Beef.  Pizza.

    Hollywood Casino in Aurora opened Wednesday and they have several restaurants, one of them featuring the Chitocity.

    What is a Chitocity you ask.

    Well......it's a hot dog, wrapped in Italian beef, covered with provolone and parmesan cheese, gardiniera and marina sauce and then wrapped in pizza crust and deep fried.

    It's not a hand held.  It might be a heart hold though.

    The creator said  this combo has never been done before, and I believe him.

    I also know if I ever have the stomach to order one I. will be wearing an old shirt.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

back when

 Sometimes I miss the good  old days

    I guess I am just a little nostalgic tonight.

    I miss the simpler things. 

    Riding a bike.  Playing ball in the alley. Walking to the movie house to watch John Wayne.

    Catching fireflies.  Playing outside  until the street lights came on.

    The gang I hung around with when gangs were groups of friends, not drug runners or other types of nefarious individuals.

    I miss holding a newspaper in my hands, smelling the ink and having to wash my hands when I was done reading.  We had the Tribune, Sun Times, American, and Daily News when I was young and it was great to read the printed word.  Especially Mike Royko.

    I miss playing with my cousins and eating Milk Bones on a dare, finding out I liked them and continuing to eat  them after the dare was done.

    I miss the joy of Earnie Banks and the unabashed Cub lover Jack Brickhouse calling games and going "wooo heee" or "Hey Hey" when a Cub homered.

    I know my childhood was special because of where I lived and who I was.

    I wasn't aware of the injustices people faced until I heard about civil rights workers being killed, and marchers being blasted by hoses and chased by dogs.

    I remember getting vaccinated agains polio while thousands did not and got sick.

    I don't think I knew anyone who was gay, because that was hidden and not condoned.

    What I did not know made for a simpler life.

    And some of that I miss.  Other parts I don't miss, and neither do those who had. their rights and lives taken away because of the color of their skin or sexual  lifestyles.

    I hope someday kids will look back and remember the good things.

    And someday when kids look back maybe they won't have to remember hatred, war, hunger or poverty.

    Because it won't exist.

    Except in memories of old people.

    Like me.

          Peace and Love

                Especially Peace

A little off the top

 I started trimming bushes today

    We have 15 boxwoods along the front of the house.

    Jackie does not like it when they "touch" each other, so that means I have to trim.

    I had planned on doing 2, then resting, doing 2, then resting......just to give my aging body a break.

    I was starting the fifth one when a friend stopped by.  Thank heavens.

    I had not stopped to rest.  I had not followed my own script.  So a visit was lifesaver.

    I was not at work long because we made a run to Sycamore so Jackie could get her glasses adjusted.  So we do not waste a trip, I also went to Target, Menards, Ulta and Starbucks.  

    There are a couple of people outside the entrance to the shopping complex housing Ulta.  They hold signs asking for money.

    One guy waves at every car that passes, giving off a big smile. He is either deleriously happy or he's an idiot.  Either way, I take the back entrance out because I feel guilty sipping a $90 coffee near him.  Well, not 90, but a lot.

    I should not feel that way.  But I do.

    Anyway, Nadine was driving by and spotted me out working and stopped.  While here we chatted and solved some tech problems with our phones.  Rather Julia solved them.

    Tomorrow could be a rain day.  I would not mind that.

    But I would not mind getting the rest of the buses trimmed either.

    Time will tell.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

whew!!

 I was productive today

    That is unusual.

    Our morning help leaves at 11.  At a little after 10 I went out to the front porch for a 30 minute nap.

    I did not take my phone.

    Then there was a slight miscommunication.

    I woke at 11:45.

    Jackie rolled herself to the front door, opened it, and called me.  If she hadn't, I might still be asleep.

    I should have plainly said wake me when you leave.  But I didn't. Lesson learned.

    When I was a kid growing up in Chicago, we had a front porch that was partially screened in.

    There was a white iron chaise lounge, with a real comfy cushion, on the porch.

    Sometimes in the summer I would sleep out there, especially when it was hot.

    Sometimes I think about sleeping in my porch recliner at night.  It would be cool, comfy, and I could hear most of the night sounds.

    But for some reason, I am afraid to do it.

    I have visions of raccoons jumping on me, or skunks spraying me, or bats nesting in my heart.

    All of that is possible, but highly unlikely.  

    Still, it is enough of a worry to me that I would not sleep, but keep a sleepless vigil instead.

    Such is life, eh?

    Anyway, I mowed, worked in the garden, went to several stores, packaged meat for the freezer, (I bought 2 pounds of ground chuck to make into patties), played with Beth, and made supper.

    Sure, I still have sheets in the dryer.  And it was a little after 9 when I finished the dishes.

    I guess that nap helped.`

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

pa pa's day

 I had a wet Fathers Day

    I just checked my rain gauge and it had 1.3 inches in it. 

    That's a lot!

    I got a funny card from the girls.

    On the front it says:

Dad, You're strong, gentle and things would be crappy without you

    Inside it says:

You're a lot like toilet paper in that way

    I thought it was funny.

    The plan was to cook out, but the rain put a damper on that.

    So I cooked some steaks and butterfly chops in the house.  Not as good as on the grill, but the meat was fine.

    Throw in some macaroni salad, potato salad, twice baked cheesy potatoes, and some broccoli and it was a feast for a king.

    Plus Julia made key lime pie for dessert.

    Kevin, Jen, and Sam came over earlier in the day and. visited.  I got Kevin to take out the dead light in the kitchen, because I could not get it unscrewed.

    All in all it was a nice day.  

    But I am one tired poppa.

    It's hard to relax!

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

aBout time

I thought it would be good to get my bike down 

    Thought.  That is the operative term.

    It never came off the ceiling hooks.  I need to get it down and ride because I feel it calms me and allows me to relax.

    Just do it.  Hey, that sounds like a good tag line for a shoe company.

    I mostly frittered away another day.  Yes, I did 2 loads of laundry and cleaned our bathroom, and let out Emily's dogs, but that was it.

    I spend a lot of time pondering this.

    Debut.   As in he made his stage debut. 

    Person alley, I think  of it as day butt, but that is me.  (Note the clever mis use of personally.)

    What I can't figure out is. the past tense.

    Debuted?     Or as I often say, de butted.  But it is day beud. 

    Neither correct pronunciation has the T pronounced but it is very prominent in the word.

    Then I got thinking of depot.  It's not de pot.  Again, the T is there but silent.

    The T is not silent on pot.  Or but.  Or butt.

    Put that de in front of its and it acts as a silencer.

    And I wonder why I don't get more done.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

eh

 Today was an "eh"  kind of day

    Nothing exciting.  Nothing really funny or odd.

    Just "eh."

    There was a car show at the museum.  Board members posed for pictures wearing our Celebrate 250 shirts.  

    Last month the car show had 40 or 50 cars if not more.  Today there were maybe 20.  It was just very low key.

    Maybe it was the threat of rain.  Who knows.

    An insurance company had a booth for a while.  They were giving out Rand McNally Road Atlases.  I got one, although I have no idea why.

    I guess it will be fun to look up various places.

    Map reading is a lost art.

    When I taught, some of the social studies lessons involved map reading, including using scale to estimate distances.  I bet that is a lost talent now.  All you have to do is say the location into a phone and you get directions, mileage and estimated time of travel.

    A couple of weeks ago I read about a 70 year old woman who was following her GPS and ended up turning onto the tracks of a light rail system.  She drove to the next station where they had to bring in special equipment to lift the car off the rails.

    I am just amazed that people can be that stupid.  

    That being said, the Reflecting Pool in Washington DC also seems to fit into the stupid category.     

    At least the Cubs won a squeaker.  

    And yes, I am feeling the eh tonight.

    Hopefully tomorrow will be a brighter day.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

diggin it

 I have a new project in my head

    I know it is June, but I just recently opened the bird feeder I got for Christmas.

    It takes video of the birds at the feeder.

    The feed gets sent to my phone, and then I can move it to my computer.

    But I have to mount the feeder on something.

    So I am thinking of getting a 6 ft. tall 4 x 4 of treated wood.  Then I will dig a 2 ft. deep hole and put the post in the hole, backfilling it with dirt.

    Then I will mount the bird feeder and the solar panel on the post.

    That sounds like a great plan until I realized how deep 2 feet is and how hard it will be for me to dig it.

    But that is my plan.  For now. 

    Once I start digging I may change my mind.  I may dig the hole before I buy the post.

    Jackie sits at the nook table for breakfast.  She needed to use the restroom today, and as soon as I got her in the restroom I went back to the kitchen and watched a deer dance through our yard.  Jackie missed seeing it by lesst than 3 minutes.

    I have not seem many deer this year.  I am happy, because that means the garden will have a chance to actually grow.

    If only I can figure out what is wrong with my strawberries.

    I also have to figure out how to connect hoses to the hydrants on the house so that they don't spray water.  I have replaced washers,  taken the hose off and reconnected it and still the damn things leak.

    And finally, my most frustrating issue.  The Rochelle paper used to be 3 times a week, then it went to 2 times, now it is once.  I love to do the crossword puzzle..... but for the third time the same puzzle has appeared!  Three times!!!!

    The first clue across is sealed with a kiss and the second clue is large sandwich........as much as I hate doing it, I am not renewing my subscription.

    It is no longer a newspaper....it is just a paper.

    Back to my crossword book.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

whew

 We missed the bulk of bad weather today

    It was windy.

    I was ready to get in the shower when Jackie started yelling for me.  I went to the nook table and said, "What?" in a highly aggravated manner because I only had on a facecloth.

    She yelled, "The grill!"

    I looked out and the grill had moved from the wall to the top of the steps.

    I quickly put on sweatpants and a shirt and went to fetch the grill, which actually had one wheel off the patio!

    Luckily no damage was done.  But that had to be a strong wind.

    We only got a little over half an inch of rain, which was a surprise.  From the forecasts and warning I thought we would be building an arc in the garage.

    The bigger, and yet unresolved, issue is temperature.

    Jackie was cold.  The house was at 67.  She asked me to raise the temperature.

    I raised it to 72.  Still cold.  I put it to 73.  Still cold.

    That's when I checked the vents and found no air was coming out of them!  No fan was running, no heat, nothing.

    I went downstairs and hit the reset and the furnace turned on for about 15 seconds and then shut down.

    HVAC people will be out tomorrow to have a look.

    On the brighter side, I found the blades for the Ninja chopper.  I have put the unit together on the pantry shelf.  A memory came flooding back to me.  I broke Julia's Ninja just about the time she moved out.  So I bought 2 of them, one for her and one for us.  But I kept the motor part of the old one, which made me think we actually had 2.  But we didn't.

    I went through the pantry and am embarrassed by things I found.

    Years ago our church hosted chili cook offs.  I made white chicken chili one year, using a package of white chicken chili seasoning.

    I found a package on the shelf. It had a best use by 2016 date on it.

    10 years!  I have had that for 10 years!

    I also threw numerous goods out that were 3 and 4 years past the best use by dates.

    It angers me that I bought stuff and never used it.

    But I was not comfortable trying it now.  Better safe than sick.

        Peace and Love

                Especially Peace

whaaat??????

 I generally don't believe in omens

    I have walked under ladders and survived.  

    Black cats have crossed my path and there has been no effect.

    I have dropped many forks on the floor.  I don't know what that means except I am clumsy.

    But tonight I am a bit spooked.

    I looked at the NOAA weather service forecast for Wednesday in our area.

    We could get a LOT of rain.  And thunderstorms.  And hail.

    Usually I take all that with a grain of salt.

    But not tonight.

    Because at the bottom of the hydrologic forecast is the word DOOM.

    Doom!!!

    I looked at another forecast on the same site and there is no word, only $$.

       Doom!!!

    I can guarantee rain because today I got all the windows washed, inside and out.  Screens too.

    Thanks to Matt and his crew, all we had to do was write a check.

    But I did have to wash and hang curtains, because Jackie says whenever the windows get washed, so do the curtains.

    I am cutting this short tonight because I have to prepare myself for the end of the world.

    DOOM!!!!!

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

oops

 I bought some flavored water today

    I am getting tired of plain water and Gatorade.  And I am trying to cut back on pop.

    I thought flavored water would be a god idea.

    I bought 2 bottles and when I got home, I put ice in a glass, dropped the plastic bottle, picked it up and opened it and water sprayed everywhere!

    It does not say carbonated on the label.  To say I was surprised would be an understatement.

    I mowed today, probably the first time I mowed before it got too long to cut nicely.  But I think we may get rain the next few days and I did not want it to get out of hand.

    I even timed mowing the field........45 minutes.  Just seems like it takes longer than t hat.

    I planted 10 little trees about 3 weeks ago.  I think some of them have survived.  The maples and hickory seem to be still struggling, but the oaks look toast.

    I wish manufacturers would put some sort of device on these big ass trucks with the oversized wheels to indicate the driver is turning. Slowing down and suddenly turning deserves some kind o signal, so maybe car makers could put some device in those gas guzzlers.

    Yes, I am a bit grouchy.

    Did a lot today and I am tired and sticky and hot and irritated and frustrated that the Ccubs can't score runners.  It took a walk in the bottom of the ninth to get a win.  But a win is a win,

    But aside from all that, today was an ok day.

    Sam and Kevin  stopped by while I was out in the driveway.  It is always nice to see them.

    And I now have my golf cart, lawn mower, and huge yard cart all in the garage.  The house no longer looks with theBeverly Hillbillies live here.

    But oh so much more to do.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace.

2 down

 And four to go

    We have 6 can lights in the kitchen.

    They have been in since the house was built 14 (almost) years ago.  About 2 weeks ago 1 burned out.  I did not replace it because today's bulbs have a different "color" than the ones from 14 years ago.

    Today a second one bit the dust.

    Now I have a problem.  The kitchen is dark.  Not terribly dark, but much darker than I am used to.

    I really don't want differently  hued bulbs, but I do want light.

    And I hate tossing out 4 bulbs that work, with an unknown death date.

    Sigh.

    Here's my bigger problem.

    You know I have trouble finding things because I don't put them away.

    We have 2 little Ninja machines that chop up stuff.

    I can find the motors.  I can find the tops.  I can find the canisters.  I can not find the blades.

    A normal person would've put them all together.  But the canisters were in the cabinet above the oven and the motor and tops were in different places in the pantry.

    I have looked in every cabinet, on every shelf, in every drawer but I can not find the choppers. Damn, that is frustrating.

    I have spent hours looking today.

    I found all natural dog treats that were best used by May 2024.  I tossed those.

    I found some chocolate bars.  I kept those.

    But I did not find the little choppers.

    I am going to look again tomorrow.  

    I did find all the parts to a smoothie maker, although Julia had to show me how the parts went together.  I used it last summer but just did not remember.

    I used it because we have a blender.  I made Jackie a smoothie the other day and  the blender  leaked all over the counter.  It seems the little gasket that acts as a seal is torn enough to cause a leak.  That is why I used the smoothie maker last year.  That came to me while wiping up the counter.

    Tomorrow is another day, by golly, and those blades will show up!

    I hope.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

stormy weather

 I predict a major storm tonight or tomorrow

    Not a tornado, but high winds.  And heavy rain.

    Why do I say that?

    Because my patio table is actually on the patio.

    Julia and I were going to put the legs on and take it out, but it started raining.

    So Emily came over later and helped put the legs on and we carried it out.  

    She also solved the problem of the cart not going together.

    Julia and I tried, but we could not get the sides to fit.

    Emily came and looked at it.

    The back of each side panel had a U shaped slot on a 90 degree angle.

    Emily took a pliers and bent it straight out instead of on a 90 degree angle and it all went together easily.

    I had thought of doing that, but I also thought it was unusual to have 2 pieces bent the wrong way, so it must be designed that way.

    Emily simply said they looked bent to start with.

    Tomorrow I will take out the chairs and umbrella and then I can begin sitting outside and watching the world go by.

    I used my new cultivator on the garden today and it was amazing how quickly I could weed the 4 beds.  Everything I planted seems to be coming along nicely except the carrots and lettuce.  I can't see a lot of carrots and I don't see any lettuce sprouts.  But it is still early.  

    The only negative of the day was Julia's dog peed in our house!  Beth has never done that before.  Emily was playing with her and Beth just squatted and peed.  I guess Beth was so excited to have someone on the floor with her that she just couldn't hold it.

    Beth did drop a load on the concrete floor part of the basement once, but she had just come here and we may not have read her "Let me out" signs correctly.

    And if that is the worst she does, I will be  a happy person.

    Hope you are too.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

grrrr

 I almost put my new lawn garden cart together

    I got a slow start today.  I was just really tired and had no get up and go.

    But at 3 I went out to start assembling the cart.

    All went well until it didn't.

    The sides don't fit right.  

    I can't figure out what I did wrong.  I tried reversing the sides, turning them around, but nothing seems to solve the issue.  I fiddled with it until 4:30 then took a half hour break.  I just sat on the porch, enjoying the beautiful day.

    I went back to the cart and still could not figure it out.

    So I t texted Julia and Emily and asked them for help.  One, or both, will stop over tomorrow to see what is wrong.

    They have both assembled carts.  

    Whenever that happens I think the product is defective.  Something is not in the right place or the right size and that is why I am having problems.

    Of course that is never the case.

    I also took Beth for a walk.

    I swear, she must have  peed 15 times on our little stroll.  Plus, she twice  dumped a load and tried to a third time, but nothing came of it.

    And yes, I carry bags to pick up her droppings.  I won't let her go in someone's yard, only in empty lots.  But we are running out of them.  Lots, not bags.

    We must have made a spectacle.  Her peeing, me pulling up my pants, her pooping, me picking it up and pulling up my pants.

    I was thirsty when I sat down to do this tonight.  I can't have pop, I have had my fill of Gatorade, water was not appealing.  Julia left some hard ciders in the fridge.  So. I opened that and discovered a taste I  really do not like.

    Just a topper to my day.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

all clear

 I think we are out of storms for the night

    Currently the sky is pinkish.  Which I think is a good sign, although I have no idea what it means.

Red sky at night, sailors' delight

Red stay at morning, sailor take warning.

    Our sky is pinkish.  That could mean the nuke plant in Byron melted down, but I don't think so.  It's the sun shining on the back end of the storm clouds, I think.

    I bought a rain gauge today and stuck it in the front at about 2:30.  I came home from a museum meeting and there was 1.5 inches of water in it!  That's a lot of rain in a little over 4 hours.

    In town some streets had standing water and on the way home ditches were pretty full, but no water on the country roads.

    I watched most of the Cubs game today.  They finally won.

    Last year the Cubs were in first place about now and the Sox were in last place.

    Today the Sox are in first and the Cubs are floundering near the bottom.  Funny how things work, eh?

    The Cubs lost 2 of 3 to the worst team in the league and the Sox won 2 of 3 from the best team.  I was surprised by both.

    I am a Cubs fan, but I am glad the Sox are winning, and winning with young players.

    There are a lot of batting and prediction sites on line.

    I am thinking of starting one called "Where does Terry hurt today?"

    I think Jackie gets tired of my complaining.  Today it's my shoulder and wrist.  Yesterday it was my back and legs.  Every day a different  part of me seems to hurt.

    I imagine someday I will just be a mass of pain.  Maybe they'll wrap  me in bandages like a mummy.

    Just leave me a straw hole for some wine.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

huh????

 Today was one of those days

    The plan was to get up early, finish clean up around the gardens, finish mowing and trim.

    I actually got all of that done.

    But I forgot to feed Beth!  How could I do that? 

    I had eaten, had my tea and was heading out the door when I noticed her food bowl was empty.  That triggered a response.  It was empty because I never filled it.

       Later  I went to the store and forgot my reusable bags, and  my produce bags,   I also forgot my grocery list.  Well, I didn't forget it because I never made one.

    I was planting some little greens in the garage when the Fed Ex truck slowed to a stop in front of the house.

    He backed up and pulled up the driveway.

    He was looking for an address and could not find it, mainly because he was on the wrong road.  I know!!  How does that happen??

    I told him he was not on Flagg Road and that  I thought maybe he had something for me.  He looked on his computerized list and said he did!  I got my new cushions for the porch chairs. 

    Then the rains came.

    I went into the house and sat down for a few minutes.  There was a huge boom of thunder that shook the house.

    Jackie asked where Beth was, because Beth does not like loud noises.

    I went and looked.  Not in the den. Not in the bedroom.  Not in the laundry area.

    I opened the garage door and there she was!  I had no idea she went into the garage.

    Our neighbor told me they had 1.25 inches in the rain gauge from the gusher today.

    It's raining again.

    Julia said she has standing water in her standing water.

    We have a tornado watch until 11.  I tend to get a little excited about those, but so far tonight I am ok.

    But it is early.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

Fireflies!

 I saw my first fireflies of the year tonight

    There were several in the front yard.  I did not even attempt to catch them.

    When I was a kid, I would collect them and put them in a jar.  There would be holes poked in the lid.

    I could sit and watch them for hours.

    Then I would set them free, at least the ones that were still alive.

    I read an article that basically said we may be the last generation to see fireflies.

    Climate change, habitat loss, pesticides..... all are combining to put stress on those little bright lights.

    It would be a shame if they disappeared.

    Years ago my cousin Sally brought her young daughter to Illinois from Alaska for a visit.  There are no fireflies in Alaska.  The little girl was entranced by them.

    I know, people also call them lightening bugs.  and some glowworms.

    But I will always call them love and summer.

    Jackie and I got our new glasses today.  She had a doctor's appointment in Sycamore, and we hit the eye doc and the vet.  Usually what happens is we get a call to pick up something minutes after we have left the place.  So the timing was great.

    After watching the start of the Knicks-Spurs game last night, I am beginning to like New York fans a lot more than I did.  That was a lot of boos.

    I have a little mowing to finish tomorrow.  10 minutes of mowing that will take me an hour.  Pick up will be the chore.

    And I have to get it done early.  Severe weather is moving into our area for the afternoon and through the next day

    I have not started to panic.....yet.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

wet days

 I got very little done today

    Yes, I did 1 load of laundry.   Sheets.  Folded them when they were done in the dryer and made the bed.

    I also cut up some boards from the old garden.  I stuffed 5 of them in the trash can.  Even if I had my new cart I would not put it out with the garbage.  Lesson learned.

    I still have 3 boards to cut.  It should take a normal person about 15 minutes.  I am not normal. After cutting a couple I moved to the garden and checked the crops..  Beans are up, cucumbers are up, tomatoes are doing ok.  I bought a second green pepper plant.  I just remembered that now.  I have no idea where I put it.

    I was cutting and fiddling for about 40 minutes.  Actual work time....maybe 10.

    Around 3 I sat on the porch and tried to read.  But my eyes got heavy and I napped.

    I just need to take care of little things.

    I just can't seem to get started on them.

    It is possible we will  get heavy rains tonight.  No fear of flooding because the ground is so dry it just sucks the rain in.

    You can actually hear it!   Suuuuuuck....... suuuuuck.......burp.

    Or maybe that was me.

    Time will tell.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

drip drip

 This was a hose day 

    I finally set up my garden watering system. It is Bluetooth activated and all  I have to do now is wait to see if the timers actually go on when they are supposed to.

    We had a lot of rain today.  We needed it.

    I did not have anything in my rain gauge except a crack, so I have no idea how much we got.  It had to be close to an inch.

    Emily came over to help with the table and the fountain.  The fountain took about 3 minutes.  I held and she tightened the clamp.  It works nicely now.

    But we did not move the table.  

    It was still a little tacky and moving it would probably not have been an ideal thing to do.

    Maybe tomorrow.

    She also showed me how to use my Walmart app to get a discount on gasoline.

    I grilled in the rain.

    It wasn't raining when I started, but did drizzle while I was burning meat.

    The rain must have been the magic touch, because the meat tasted pretty dang good for road kill raccoon.

    After all, beef prices are up!

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

almost

 I have  several things in the almost done stage

    And it is the little things that frustrate the hell out of me.

    For example:  I have a fountain on the porch.  Every time I connect the hose to the pump and lower it into the water, the hose disconnects.

    I found a tiny, tiny clamp I can put on it. but I can't hold the clamp and screw the tightener at the same time.  I tried several times before giving up.  I just need a third hand.

    My patio table is ready.  But I can't move it by myself.  Hopefully one of the girls will have about 10 to 15 minutes to finish both tasks.

    Emily said she would drop over tomorrow sometime, so I should be able to get those 2 things done.

    Took a whole bunch of stuff to shred day at a local bank.

    Surprisingly, there were not a lot of people there. One of the guys said they were busy earlier, but that had slacked off.

    They do this once a year,  Another bank is doing one in 2 weeks.

    Seems to me they need to coordinate better and spread the days farther apart.

    Not to get political, which I seldom do in this little missive.  

    But what is being done to the White House is simply outrageous!

    The People's House used to be a beautiful icon of our country.

    Now. the Rose Garden is gone, the East Wing is a pile of debris, and worst of the worst is whatever the hell is being built to host ultimate fighter matches.

    What an embarrassment.

    You know who is going to have to pay for all of this.....you, me and countless others who never wanted their White House desecrated in such a manner.

    End of my rant.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

It has begun

 The summer of our discontent

    Cubs playing terribly.  Dry, hot weather burning up yards and stressing trees. 

    The war at home.

    No, I am not talking about Iran.  I am talking about The Thermostat War.

    We have 2 settings for the AC:  Too hot or too cold.

    Set it at 74 she says.

    Too hot.

    Set it at 72 she says.

    Too cold.

    I like it at 72...she sits with a sweatshirt on and complains it is too cold.

    I think it is funny how our body reacts. 

    In the winter 72 is quite comfortable and at night sleep seems best at 68.

    But it is too cold in the summer with those temperatures.

    Jackie has allergies, so opening windows at night is not an option.  When she could still walk, I sometimes would go into the other bedroom, open the windows, and sleep in there.  That stopped when Julia came home.

    Now I can't because with my lousy hearing I would never be able to hear her in the middle of the night.  Or Beth either.

    The problem is the house gets so hot at about 4.......no setting seems to be the optimum at that time of day.

    At least no one gets hurt in The Thermostat War.  

    Just sometimes a little cold.  Or hot.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

A mental trip

We went to the South Pacific today 

    Well, not the South Pacific, but the musical currently at the Paramount Theater in Aurora.

    Jackie, Emily, Renee and I made the matinee after a nice lunch at a restaurant almost next to the theater.  I think it was the Art Box?  But maybe not.

    Anyway, South Pacific was written in 1949 and was a smash hit.  (Thanks, Wikipedia)  A movie was made in 1958 and I do believe my mom took me to see it at the Music Box.  I think.  I know I saw the movie and loved the music.

    In high school, I remember the chorus singing Some Enchanted Evening in concert.  

    And VCCT did the show in Atwood Park several years ago.  I was much younger and had a small role.  

    The Paramount production was great!  The set, lighting, performers.....I was pretty impressed.

    Two of the main characters were talking about the women they loved but marriage was not in the cards because of cultural issues, such as marrying someone not of your background even though you loved them.

    I copied the lyrics from one of the songs.

You've got to be taught

From year to Year

It's got to be drummed

in your dear little ear

You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be taught

To be Afraid

Of people whose eyes

are oddly made

And people whose skin

Is a different shade

You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be taught

Before it's too late

Before you are 6 or 7 or 8

To hate all the people

your relatives hate

You've got to be carefully taught

    Written in 1949, the lyrics still run true today.

    Some things we need to stop teaching.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

Big Boy

Big Boy came to town today 

    No, not the hamburger chain from years past, but the gigantic steam locomotive on the UP line.

    Big Boy is over 130 feet long.  That is almost half a football field!  There were 41 of them produced in 1941, but this is the only one still operating.  It is billed as the largest operating steam engine in the world.

    No, it does not burn coal or wood.  It uses diesel fuel to heat the water to steam, which drives the engine.

    Last year Big Boy was in Rochelle for half a day.  It stopped at the intermodal yard west of town and drew a crowd estimated by some at over 50,000.

    But today it only made a whistle stop .  It stopped at a packed railroad park in town for 15 minutes, then continued on its journey.

    Julia went with.

    While waiting for the train, which was behind schedule, we struck up a conversation with a man from Racine Wisconsin.  He brought his young son to see this piece of history before it disappears.

    They stopped at Franklin Grove to see the train, then headed to Rochelle to see it again.

    It was pretty cool.

    Now for something not cool.

    I have been cutting up my old raised garden wood into 4 foot lengths.  

    For the past 3 weeks I have loaded them onto my yellow yard cart and put them out by the street for Tuesday's trash collection.

    Beth was barking like mad at 4:30 or 5, so I got up to let her out.

    My yard cart was gone!

    I checked the trash can and it was still full.  So the trash people did not take it.

    I guess someone just assumed I was getting rid of the cart.

    I got in my van and drove the neighborhood, looking for the wood or cart but to no luck.

    Those carts are not cheap, either.

    And when I get a new one, I sure as hell won't put it out by the street!

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

take this job

 I was drifting back in time today

    For some reason, I started thinking about all the jobs I have had in life.

    Newsboy, 2 grocery stores, deli worker, postman, pharmacy tech, day laborer, reporter, editor, seed corn plant laborer, pea picker,  food service worker, and finally teacher.

    True, most of them were summer or fill in jobs until a real job came along.

    Newspapers and teaching involved the bulk of my work years.

    All of the jobs provided me with some positive moments.  And truthfully, I did not hate any of them.  Some I did not like as much, but I did not hate them.

    I even learned some things.

    At Funks I learned to play a game of euchre in 15 minutes.

    At Jewel I learned Sparkle glass cleaner looks a lot like grape Nehi, but does not have. the same taste.

    While picking peas for DelMonte, I learned putting a tractor towing a combine in neutral while going downhill is not a smart idea.

    As a postal person, I learned the importance of carrying dog spray on you, not leaving it hanging on your mail cart 15 feet away.

    I also think about dream jobs I wish I had had, but am glad I did not.  Baseball announcer, actor, lawyer, politician to name a few.

    I would have loved to host a talk show like Johnny Carson.  Or a game show like Pat Sajack.

    I think of kids today an d wonder what they consider dream jobs.  Computer game designer, computer programmer, writer, artist, musician, ball player?

    I always chuckled when I asked fifth  grade boys what they wanted to do in life and most of them picked a sport.  The shortest ones always picked basketball for some reason.  I always told them that was great, but have a back up plan in case sports does not work out.

    Girls were nurses, teachers, attorneys, doctors and one girl told me she wanted to be a truck driver.

    Of all, truck driver seemed the most stable because so much moves by truck.   But it is a hard life, being on the road for hours and days at a time, eating fast food, not seeing family, dealing with crazy drivers.

    Anyway, yesteryear bounced out of nowhere today.

    It was kind of nice to remember the times and a lot of the people that filled them.

   

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

well.....

The garden is planted and watered

    I  planted 2 types of beans, 2 types of cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes and a pepper plant.

    I figure these will be one darn expensive batch of vegetables!

    I have some area left.  Thought about planting lettuce of some type, but have not really decided.  I mean we will have carrots, tomatoes, cucumber....all we need for a salad is lettuce.

    The birds were watching me intently.  I imagine they will be pecking out the seeds as we speak.

    Sigh.

    We have itty bitty black flies in the bathroom.

    I read on line they come from the shower drain, and I should clean it out.

    I absolutely hate doing that.  All the hair the is stuck in there.....that is one thing  that makes me sick.

    We have never had them before and now I feel like we are dirty people.  

    That's on tomorrow's schedule.

    Also on the schedule is the possibility of rain!

    That would be very welcome.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

\

The wooden bins were starting to fall apart

I still have some clean up to do in the yard.  Hopefully these do the trick!

not diggity dog

 I need to focus on the positives in life

    The beautiful day.  My family.  My friends. Our dog.

    Sometimes the negatives just get in the way.

    Like when I went out to plant today. 

    I laid out the stakes, strung the string, and realized it was almost 2 and we had a graduation party in DeKalb at 3.

    I decided to hold off on the planting until we got back.

    Then I could put up the sprinklers, attach the timer, plant everything, test the system and watch it grow.

        We got home a little after 6.  By. the time I fed the dog, got Jackie settled, and was ready to venture out it was a little before 7.

    We had a nice time at the party.  We saw church friends we have not seen for a while and had some awesome brisket and pulled pork.  The food was cooked by friend Jamie and it was great.  I did not get to enjoy all my macaroni and cheese because a big gust of wind sent my plate flying.

    As soon as we rolled up, people asked if we  needed help.  I looked at the slight hill into the party area and said yes, and a nice man pushed Jackie up and then a couple of long girls gave up their seats so she could pull up to a table.

    When we left, a lady helped wheel her down the hill.  I said we could just let her go and catch her at the bottom, but Jackie said no.

    I have a digital watering timer.  Uses Bluetooth.  I can sit in the house and control the timer.  I usually set 2 watering devices to run in the morning.  

    I can't find the timer.

    I looked high and low, but no timer.

    I went to Ace, where I bought it last year, but they did not have any.

    So I ordered one on Amazon. 

    I just got a little pissed at myself and got out of the planting mood.

    But tomorrow is another day.  

    And it will get done.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

planting time

 I finally got something planted!!!

    I know!!  It is almost June and my seeds are not yet in the ground.

    Hopefully tomorrow.

    We have a graduation party in the afternoon, but I hope to go out in the morning and plant carrots, beans and cucumbers.

    Today I planted 2  tomato plants and a pepper plant.

    I got a late start because I had trouble putting my new hand held cultivator together.  My fingers don't work like they used to.  If I dropped a screw once I dropped it 15 times.

    Frustrating, but I put it together and it works.

    I am almost finished with Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain.

    I was fairly surprised by his opinions of people who were not white or Christian.  I know he wrote it in the 1870s, but some of the things he says are what people are saying today.  I think that is sad.

    I never imagined tourism in those days.  It is not a modern phenomenon and the actions of tourists these days are similar to those 100 years ago.

    People in his group wrote on walls, chipped pieces off of rocks and statues and complained about people not speaking English.  And of course, food was often not to their liking.

    He went on this journey with 40 or so other people, including some women.

    They travelled extensively through Europe and the Mid East.

    He said early in the book that the trip cost him $2,500.  I did an inflation index on that sum and today the trip would be around $45,000, a princely sum in both time periods.

    I enjoyed the book, but I also wondered about some of the places he mentioned.  Are they still there?  

    He mentioned dozens of towns in the Holy Land.....and of course Jerusalem and Bethlehem got a lot of print.

    Strangely, I have never had a desire to go there. 

    But reading his descriptions makes me think it would be a wonderful place to visit.

    That's it!

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

fini!

 I am done with dirt

    I know!  I said that before.  But tonight I am positive.

    The bags are all emptied, the compost bin has been scooped out, bins are almost full.....and my back and legs are a bit tired.

    Sometimes plans do not materialize.

    For example, today is our cleaning person day.  She comes every 2 weeks,  but was unable to come today.

    Since it is cleaning day, I had to clean.

    My cleaning is a thing to watch.  

    I may be dusting, then vacuuming, then dusting, mopping the floor and none of the room has all three tasks completed.

    I get a little distracted.

    I divide our house into three parts for cleaning purposes.  Today I did the West Wing. Tomorrow I will do the center and I may never do the East Wing.  

    It takes me forever, but I get it done.

    So today:  Caretaker, cleaner, dirt mover, cook, and in a few minutes, dishwasher.

    I also had a chiropractor appointment and he worked on my back.  It does feel better. 

    To celebrate, and to give me the energy to clean, I stopped at Cypress House where I called 3 people the wrong name and confused 2 others with other people.

    On a positive note, I did call 2 people by. their right names.

    For me that's a big deal.

    But not as big as cleaning the West Wing and finishing my dirt moving job.

    And I did wear a belt....so my pants did not fall down .

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

Liar, liar

 I told a lie yesterday

    Actually, what I said then was the truth.  But it changed today.

    I said I was not going to order any more dirt.  And I meant it.

    But Jackie suggested I go ahead and order more.

    So I went on line and ordered 8 bags of top soil.  And 8 bags of garden soil and 8 bags of cow manure compost.

    Do your math.  

    It is now a little after 8:30 and I am sitting with ice on my back.

    I might have overdone it.

    I had a problem that I was too lazy to solve.

    I put on my outside shorts, but did not put on a belt.

    So it was put a bag into the bin, pull up my pants.

    At any point I could have decided that  all I had to do was go into the house and get a belt.  But I didn't.

    24 pull ups....1 for each bag.

    Then I decided to start getting compost out of my compost bin.  

    I have a system.  I take a section of screening that is 1/4 inch opening size.  Usually I take a garbage pail to put stuff in that I don't want in the garden, like plastic, rocks,  nuclear weapons.

    Tonight I did not.

    I opened the bin, took 2 shovels full of compost, put it on the screen, shook it, dumped the crap in the front of the cart, pulled up my pants and repeated the action several more times until I ran out of gas.  Me, not the tractor.

    Plus the bugs were starting to bug me.

    I drove back up the pad in my drive, unhooked the yard cart, and watched in surprise as the cart obeyed the law of gravity and rolled don the slight hill and halfway across the yard.

    I just watched it.  I figured if I  tried running, my pants would have tripped me.

    Tomorrow I will bring  it back to the garden bins, shovel the compost out and maybe, just maybe, spread the dirt and start to plant.

    And I will be sure to wear a belt.  The neighborhood association requested that of me.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

Isn't she a pretty pooch?

If you know where I can buy these, let me know.  We love them!

The cart started on the pad......

no mo

I am not getting any more dirt 

    I have been buying bags of topsoil to put in my new  garden beds.

    I ordered 16 more bags and they were delivered last night.

    So after supper today, I hauled them out to the garden and emptied 16 bags of top soil and 6 bags of mushroom compost into  3  bins.

    The bins are not full.  Each one is about 3 inches from the full line.  I know, that is an arbitrary line, but I am thinking 3 inches.

    Truthfully, I am tired of dealing with the bags.  Next fall I will find someone who has some topsoil and buy some bulk.   I hope it can be loaded into my yard cart so I don't have to shovel it.

    I still have not planted a thing.

    Tomorrow I hope to get out there and use my new hand cultivator and church up the soil.  If I can, I will go to my compost bin and get what I can from there and put that into the gardens  too.

    At this pint I need to have my head examined and ferret out anymore bright ideas.

    I don't think my body can take another one!

    Tomorrow.......cultivate and plant.

    Maybe.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

needles and haystacks

Well, I lost something else 

    I swear, I spend more. time looking for stuff then I do using the stuff I am looking for.

    We have some Cutco knives.  They are made in the USA and are fairly expensive.  We have had them for years.  Recently I sent them away for free sharpening.

    Now they are really sharp.

    When I do dishes, I put them on the ledge behind the faucet so I don't cut myself.

    I wash them, dry them,  and put them away.

    Yesterday I noticed my little paring knife was gone.  I looked in drawers, behind stuff on the counter, in drawers again.  I could not find the knife.

    I knew we had it a couple of days ago.

    I thought maybe I threw it out.

    So I grabbed the 2 garbage bags, some disposable gloves, and sat down in the garage to go through garbage.

    Banana peels, moldy bead, broken glass, lots of yucky stuff I can not even describe.  No knife.

    I was really bummed.

    I went to the computer, I don't know why.  

    I looked at the printer and then at the scanner and there it was!

    That's when I remembered the paper jam last Wednesday and how I attempted to clear it using a tweezers, and a thin knife....the paring knife.

    Mystery solved.

    Sheets got changed today.  When I went to make the bed I took out clean sheets and 4 pillow cases.

    I made the bed and when I went to put on the pillow cases, I only had 3.

    I did not bother to look.  When we go to bed it will show up.  Or not. Time will tell.

    Yesterday I made lemon cookies.  

    They are as hard as a rock.  Did I over bake them?  Too much of something or not enough of another?

    They taste fine.....but I can only eat little pieces at a time. 

    At least I  know where they are.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace