to mow, or not to mow

 I had a tough decision today

    Go sit on the mower for 2 hours in 90 temperatures that felt like a closed bathroom after a 20 minute hot shower,  or not.

    Granted, I never take 20 minute hot showers.  Maybe 10 at the max, unless my body is sore.  But never 20.

    And I did take 10 minutes to finish the small area I did not mow on Friday.

    The grass looked long.  I had time after PT.  The sky was cloudy.

    But I just did not have the desire to sit out there in the heat and humidity just to make my yard look nicer.

    So I will wait for the temps to come down Saturday or so and then mow.  I probably will have to run the sweeper after I mow,  but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

    Beth had. 9:30 blood draw this morning.  Yes, I got there on time.  Our morning help took care of Jackie while I was gone.

    Beth has gone several days without a solid BM. But this morning, in front of the vet clinic, she dropped a load.  Luckily I had a plastic bag and a spoon, so I scooped some up and carried it in.  Then I washed my hands several times.

    I figure every bit of information can help figure out what Beth's problem is.  

    Now it is a waiting game.

    Emily's flight back from Wyoming was delayed about 2 hours due to storms in Chicago.  Jackie looked at the weather map and did not see any storms.  I am just thankful the carrier is being cautious.

    Meanwhile, the Cubs begin a crucial series with the Brewers.  4 games.  I am hoping the Cubs can win 3.

    They are a very confusing and frustrating team.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

Ear worm, again

 I don''t understand why this happens

    When I was a kid, a guy named Alan Sherman did a song about Camp Granada.

    Like Hi Lili, Hi Lili Hi Lo Hi Lo, I have not heard the song in years!  So why did I wake up having," Hello Mudda.  Hello Fadda, here I am at Camp Granada." running through my brain?

    And the chorus...."Take me home, oh Mudda Fadda, take me home, I hate Granada. Don't leave me out in the forest where I might get eaten by a bear"  

    If I remember, Leonard Skinner got ptomaine poisoning after dinner.  And a boy named Spivey was covered in poison ivy.

    Somebody was lost and there was now a searching party.

    Anyway, I guess I will Google it to see if what I remember is what it was.  Sometimes the memory is a little weak.

    But why did this song pop into my brain?  I have not heard it in years

    Am I regressing toward childhood?

    Are diapers in my future?

    Good grief.

    I went to a bench dedication at the museum today.  Jackie looked at the radar and it said rain at 1.  The dedication started at 1 and she reasoned it would not be good to be in the rain in a wheelchair so she stayed home.  It rained about 1:15.

    The bench was dedicated to Steve Strang, who was Santa for a long time.  He also decorated hay bales and helped with a lot of things around the museum.

    The bench was made from recycled bottle caps.  A local service club...I think Golden K?  Or is it Lions? .... (DJ will tell in the comments) collects the caps, sorts them, cleans them, and sends them to Indiana where the caps are melted  to make benches, picnic tables, planters and other items.  

    I think it is a really good program.  I did not bring my bag of caps today, but I will drop them off sometime.

    I also blanched 10 ears of sweetcorn, stripped the corn from the cob, and froze it. 

    But the best part of the day was sipping a coffee from Cypress House while reading on our porch.  And napping.  I need to do that more often.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

the plot thickens

 We got Beth's blood test results today

    Turns out, she looks fine but has some problems.  Her albumin level and cholesterol levels are low, which is ver concerning to the vet.

    He called in the prescription to Walmart and I picked it up this afternoon.  (I was stumped when they asked when her  birthday was.)

    Talking with the vet, he seemed to feel a change in diet would be a big benefit to her.  But he also wants to do another blood test.  So Monday morning I have to take a fasting Beth over to the clinic for a blood draw.

    I will also be picking up a special food that should help.

    We certainly did not expect this.  She acts fine, has been eating her new food, which will be replaced by newer food, and she has taken the meds the vet prescribed.  Not to be gross, she has not had a solid poop in a while.

    Our fingers are crossed that this is just a blip and that diet and medication will solve her problem.

    But we also have to change.....not so many treats and only, those approved by the vet!

    I decided to mow today.

    That was a late decision.  I did not finish the yard.

    I was shocked at how much it had grown since Tuesday!  So not only do I have to finish mowing, I may have to run my sweeper again.  I don't think I have used it in previous years as much as I have  this year.

    And my trimmer won't start.  It kicked over briefly but failed to continue running.

    That is a continuation of my inability to deal with gasoline powered lawn equipment.

    But tomorrow is another day.

    And it could be a hot one.

    Hope everyone stays cool.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

TGIF

 Beth had her vet visit today

    There was noting obvious concerning her condition.

    She did not have any swelling or painful spots.  They took some blood and a urine sample from her and sent them for analysis.  But the vet was upbeat about our puppy.

    Beth  is now on a bland diet with 3 different medications that will help get her stomach in sync again.

    Beth takes a heart worm preventative.  We changed brands this month and it might have been around the time her digestive issues started.  But the vet assured us it was the same medication with a different name.  I think I will Google that and see if I can compare ingredients.

    We also have to cut down on the treats.  That will be hard.

    Jackie and I had a nice time tonight.  Julia, Human Beth and Sheri came over for pizza and we had a great time visiting and talking.  No Emily because she is in Wyoming. 

    And I talked to friend John in the city.  

    So all in all it was a pretty darn good day.

    The only drawback was whenever Beth goes to the vet we get a pupachino  for her and vanilla latte  for me at Starbucks.  So, no pupachino for her today.  I felt guilty, and I could feel her stare at my drink all the way home.

    I think that was my first coffee of the week!

    Tomorrow I will attempt to get the bird feeder up.  That is day 6 of me saying that, if anyone is counting.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

Yummy!!!  Maybe for my pizza tonight?

She always looks so sad.

chef Terry?

I don't know when I became a chef 

    But here I am, making complicated dishes with pleasant appeal, visually and in taste.

    Meat loaf.  Steak.  Pork chops. Left overs.  Dining out.  Left overs.  Meat loaf.  Steak.  Pork chops.

    See a pattern?

    Tonight I made left overs.

    And I made lemon squares.

    I have not sampled them yet, so I have no idea if they are good or not good.  Even if they are not good I will eat them.  That's me.

    PT knocked me out today.  It was strengthening my quads, hammies, back, and learning to lift heavy objects  so I don't damage my back as much.

    I seem to be building strength, but my oh my, my legs hurt tonight!  Of course they hurt every night.  And every morning.  But afternoons between 2:45 and 3 they are generally ok.

    As usual, I was tired this morning.  Our morning help is here until 11, and I figured I would sit in my porch chair and take a short nap while she was here.

    Well, she left.  I slept.  We even got a FedEx delivery to the porch while I was sleeping!  90 minutes.  That is how long I napped.

    Hopefully that won't affect my sleep tonight

    I plan on staying up to see the eclipse.  

    This is an unusual one, because in the past it has been cloudy, rainy, foggy, or all three.

    But tonight it is clear.  Unlike my mind.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

lost

 I have been thinking of Dolly Parton today

    Truthfully, I am not a country and western fan.  Sure, I like Merle, and Willie and Waylon and a few others, but I am not a fan.

    Then there is Dolly.  

    I have learned more about her the last 2 days than I thought I would ever want to know.

    Turns out, she was a pretty remarkable person.

    Talented, intelligent, humble....and generous.

    Because I a not a fan, I missed all the good things about her. 

    I didn't know she was one of 12 children, that her father could not read, that they were pretty poor hill country folk, that Coat of Many Colors was based on a.true life experience.  I also did not know she was a prolific song writer.

    I knew about the Imagination Library, but not about her redeveloping a block for businesses in an impoverished area.

    She was rich.  But she knew that being rich has a responsibility to improve the lives of others.

    Too bad some of the billionaires in our country don't take that same philosophy.

    Anyway, Beth is acting a little weird so I have a vet appointment on Friday.  She is not eating her food, and seems to have trouble pooping.  And she is drinking a ton of water each day, something she never did before.

    Hopefully the vet will have answers.

    Finished trimming the front bushes today.  Started in May.  

    I was going t trim around the house, but I could not get my grass trimmer started. I may have flooded it.....maybe tomorrow it will start and I can trim around the house, culvert and gardens.

    Of the 11 free trees  Julia got me from the state, only 6 have survived.  In about 40 years they may be providing someone some shade.

    I will remember next year and do a better job with planting and watering them.  Remember, we don't plant trees for today, we plant them for the future.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

for the birds

 I have good bird news, and sad bird news

    Jackie and our morning help spotted a fine young specimen in the back yard this morning.

    It was slowly walking through the yard, frequently stopping.  It then moved to the green space behind our yard, where it continued to slowly walk.

    Unless somebody knows differently, we are calling it a Great Blue Heron.

    We had a couple show up last year, and maybe the year before.

    Friend Nadine was over today and she said long before our street had houses she would see them in the field.  She stayed and visited with Jackie while I went to PT.

    Herons typically hang around water but we don't have any water near us.  There are a couple of creeks, but  not close to our house.

    Their diet can include small mammals.  That makes me happy, because I hope they are hunting the ground squirrels around the house.

    That's the happy news.

    Now the sad news. 

    I took Beth out last night about 10:30 and there was a bird perched on our bird bath in my little front garden.  It was all huddled up and did not flinch when I approached it.

    Beth had to go out again later, and little birdie was still there.

    It was still there this morning, but instead of perching on the side it was floating in the water.

    Now I wonder if I should have put it in a box in the garage and put some water and seed in the box.  Oh well.

    Emily landed safely in Wyoming.  She  is going out there for a short break from work and life in Rochelle.

    I think I need a break too.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

Heron on patrol

It was all huddled up

Love this shirt!

huh!

 I had an eye exam today

    I go to 2 different eye doctors.  The one today is a retina specialist.  I go to him because I have a small hole in the retina in my right eye.

    It is not macular degeneration.  It mimics that, but generally does not get worse.

    But, I go every 6 months just to be sure the damage is not getting worse.

    Last night I was laying in bed.  We have a smoke detector on the ceiling.  It has a green light if it is working, a red light  if it needs a new battery.

    The room was completely dark,  I closed my left eye and stared at the slittle green light.  It moved!!  It was like a satellite going across the ceiling.

    But it did not move, because it is fastened to the ceiling.

    I repeated the process by closing the left eye and focusing with the right and it continued to move!

    When I told that to the good doc today he gave a very detailed medical explanation.  "Huh", he said, looking at me like I was a nut.  "That's interesting.  I have no idea what would cause that."

    I wonder if my eye just wanders in the dark, because it does not do that during the day.

    Another of life's puzzles.

    My eyes are still dilated, so everything is really bright.  Especially the computer screen.

    Last night I sat in front for a while and got bit.  Whatever it was, I began to itch like crazy while getting the eye exam.  I may have scrap[ed the skin off my leg.  

    I put on plenty of lotion when I got home.  On my leg.  On my ankle.   On my hand.

    And that is my life.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

pickled

 We made refrigerator pickles today

    That is exactly what they are.  You cook some juice, cut up cucumbers, sick stuff in a jar and add the juice.   Allow the pickles to cool ,then put them in the refrigerator.  After 4 hours, flip them upside down for the rest of the night.

    Feel free to follow my recipe.

    Yes, the kitchen was a mess,  Yes, I cleaned it up before I cooked supper.  Yes, I cleaned after I cooked supper.

    Here is a funny thing.  

    I went to take a nap in my porch chair today and actually was chilly!!!  In the shade, with the breeze,  I thought about getting a blanket, but my nap time was up.

    On to my bird feeder saga.

    Julia was over Saturday and we tried to put the new feeder up, but were missing a part.

    I looked for it, but could not find what we were missing.  But I did find the directions and guess what?   The missing part is not listed in the directions as a part!

    So I will try tomorrow to finish the installation.

    I do have an eye doctor appointment tomorrow afternoon.  My eyes will be dilated and vision will be an issue.  Julia is taking me so I won't be a risk on the road.

    I just dropped off 3 bags of yard waste at SK's house.  I thought I would ask another friend to take 2 bags tomorrow night for Tuesday pick up, but realized I may not be able to drive into town.

    There is always next week.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

aww shucks

 Baseball is a fickle sport

    Two nights in a row the Cubs have had a win in their back pocket.  Last night a .130 hitter bloops a 2 out single into center to score Seattle's winning run.  Tonight with 2 out in the bottom of the ninth and the Cubs leading 4-2.....double, single, home run.

    Dang that is frustrating.

    I took a vacation tonight.

    I spent the evening at a small lake, watching the flames from a little campfire.  I would hear the laughter of children playing on the beach.

    It was all very relaxing.

    Trouble is, I was on my front porch just imagining all of it.

    As I was imagining, I got bit twice by I assume mosquitoes.  Damn, that does itch!

    We had 1 inch in our rain gauge.  That is a lot of rain at one time.  In Rochelle a friend of Julia's had 2.5 inches, plus hail.  I did not see or hear hail.  

    I washed out Beth's new dog food container.  It is insect proof.  It holds 25 pounds of dog food.  I buy 25 pound bags.  Explain to me why there was a couple of pounds of dog food on the floor as I filled the container.

    And yes, I did try to stop but things did not go well.  Now I have dog food in 3 containers.

    The Chicago area last year had a record 273 warnings for severe storms or tornadoes.  This year there have been 330 warnings....and there is still time for more.  Records are made to be broken, I guess.

    And somewhere I read that Illinois leads the nation in the number of tornadoes this year.  Go figure.

    Politicians should be paying better attention.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

it was a dark and stormy night

 Snoopy got it right about tonight

    At least I think it was Snoopy.  If not, tell me so I know the truth!

    Fake news.

    I bought a half gallon of milk Wednesday.

    I drank some last night and it did not taste as good as it usually does.

    This morning I drank some of a small glass, and it did not taste right.  It did not smell right.  I did not drink a lot, just a couple of swallows.  

    That may explain my numerous trips to the bathroom and the  general feeling of nausea I have been experiencing today.  Or it may be something else., like my poor dietary choices.  In any case, I decided to toss it.  The milk.

    Unfortunately I did not buy milk on my daily trip to Wally World, so I had to go back this evening.  That was ok because we ordered take out from a local Mexican restaurant.  I had planned to order a take out margarita, but didn't want to take the chance of further upsetting the tummy.

    On my first trip, I bought a single onion.

    I put it on the self check out scale and it rang up $2.42 with a weight of 2 pounds.

    I hit the cancel button and did it again.  Same result.

    I called the help person over and asked how that could be correct.  She re-entered it and said I should be ok.  It registered $2.42 again.

    I called her over and again said that can't be right because this one onion does not weigh 2 pounds.  I told her I wasn't buying it, so we canceled the onion.

    I went back to the onions and found one with a zebra code. I scanned it and it came up 81 cents.  

    I went back to the lady and said there is something wrong with the store's system.  I am sure she took care of it right away.

    That's why you have to pay close attention!

    Gosh.....first high school football game of the season in Rochelle tonight.  It is thundering and lightning and I have no idea if they finished or not.

    It seems crazy to me for high school football to start so early.  I bet really good teams can play up to 15 games this year, counting the HS championship.  That to me is just way too many games for young people to endure.

    But what do I know.

    Not much.  You?

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

no zest

 Sometimes I can't find what I beed

    We have been making lemon cookies recently.  The recipe says they are Panera lemon cookies.  We loved those cookies, but they stopped making them.

    Jackie found a recipe and I follow the recipe.

    But, and there is always a big butt, the recipe calls for lemon zest.

    I have been using a McCormick spice called lemon peel, which should be the same as lemon zest.

    But I am out of the lemon peel.

    I bought a lemon and scraped the rind to get the teaspoon of zest.  But I tossed the rest of the lemon.  Now that I think about it, I wonder if I could have gotten a tablespoon of lemon juice from the lemon, because the recipe calls for that too.

    Anyway....went to Walmart, Hy-Vee and no lemon peel.  Last time I I found it at Woodman's in Rockford, but I don't want to drive up there just for. that.

    Maybe I will try squeezing the lemon and zesting it for the next batch.

    And that is all I have.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

eh

 Today was kind of an eh day

    I did laundry, watched the Cubs, made supper, and walked Beth.

    We did not walk very far.  I got halfway down the block and realized I I did not have my phone.  If Jackie needed anything I would not be able to skedaddlee home.

    Of course, at my age I don't really skedaddle anymore. 

      We met a neighbor walking his little dog and while we talked the 2 dogs happily sniffed each other.  I was proud of Beth for not growling and barking.  Their dog is a King Charles Cavalier, I do believe. 

    For supper I made mini meat  loaves.  I cook them in muffin pan.  We eat 2 and I freeze 2 for those nights when we need a quick meal.

    I realized I like beef.  Hamburger, especially.

    Considering what is happening with the beef herd in this country, my liking it could get pretty expensive.

    Tyson closed a couple of plants, including one near the Quad Cities, because they can't get enough cattle to keep the plants operating.

    That's a little scary.

    Beef up, chicken up.......and being a vegetarian now is dangerous.  Who wants exploding diarrhea?

    Not me, for sure.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

oops

I sometimes do irrational things 

    Like taking my evening meds in the morning.

    For the most part that is no big deal.  After all, I take several of the same drugs morning and night.

    But at night I take 2 nighttime Tylenol.  And I take a sleep inducing drug to help me, well,  sleep.

    So this morning I took a lot of sleep inducers.  That explains my 90 minute nap.

    It also may explain my on and off confusion during the day.

    But I persevered.

    Went to PT, stopped at the bank, went to Walmart, and met one of my favorite authors.

    The mistaken doses may explain the bank issue.

    When I went in, there was only 1 other customer and there were 2 tellers.  When I finally stopped gabbing, I looked behind me and there were 3 people in line!  And they are all thinking, "When is the old man gonna shut up?"  So I did,

    I stopped at Cypress House and had a caffeine free drink off the kids menu.  Then I waddled to the back of the store and The Rochelle Hub book store, where Molly Fader was signing her new release.

    I purposely shorted my PT time to get here early, but after only 20 minutes they were out of her book.  I am on the wait list.

    It was great to talk with Molly.  She was never a student and I think I got to know her through theater activity.

    In case you don't know, she has written dozens of books, a lot of romance novels, and has won several awards.  I don't read the romance novels. Jackie does.

    But the non romance novels are pretty darn good!  

    If you want romance, look for Molly O'Keefe.  If you want good fiction, look for Molly Fader

    Also ran into friend Dianne at the book signing and she was singing Hi Lili, Hi Lili, Hi Lo.  Seems my ear worm was catching.

    I finished running my lawn sweeper over the back yard.  Now I have 4 huge piles of grass behind the native plants.  I can't see them from the house and I am hoping they go away.

    If not......??

Peace and love

    Especially Peace

My eighth grade teacher  taught me a valuable lesson:  Rain has to start and stop someplace.  I think this is an example of his wisdom.

A butterfly!!!!

Molly and me

argh! ear worm!!!!

 Sometimes I don't understand me

    I was working on the beans yesterday and a tune came into my head.

    I could not get rid of it!

    I could not remember r all of it, just part: Hi Lili Hi Lilli Hi Lo, Hi Lo....a song of love is a sad song.....

    I kept singing that part, and the Hi Lili refrain and it was driving me crazy

    So before I went to bed I Googled it.  The song is a simple little tune from a movie  called, strangely enough, Lili.

    Then I Googled the lyrics and was shocked that they were so familiar to me!  It was like I knew the song, but forgot it.

    The movie came out in 1953 and the song has been performed by a variety of artists.   Guess at some point I had heard the song and really liked it.

    As a. matter  of fact, I still do.

    Julia came over today to help me install my new bird feeder.

    Trouble is, I seem to have misplaced a key part.....the one that holds the feeder on the pole.  My task tomorrow is to hunt in the garage, den, closet, mud room and ant other place I might have wandered with it.

    I almost finished mowing the lawn, again.

    I just don't seem to have enough time to get the last bit done.

    I do have to pick up garden debris before I mow, but that should not take long.

    And I have to trim.  Grass is a little long around the gardens and house.

    While I am working I will probably sing Hi Lili.

    And now I know all the words.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

Whadda change

 It sure feels nice out tonight

    I was out earlier in the day and it seemed hot and humid.  Close, is what my parents called it.

    I think that was code for "I am hot.  I am sticky. Get too close and I will bite your head off."

    But I am not sure.

    I went out tonight to water the porch plants and it actually felt comfortable.  

    Normally I would have put the porch plants out on the sidewalk and let Mother Nature take care of the watering.  But I did not do that.  I should have.

    When I checked my rain gauge last night it had 1.9 inches in it!  That's a lot of rain.

    Today was blanch, chill and bag beans day.

    Jackie and I spent the better part of our day cutting beans.

    Then I blanched  them, stuck them in cold water, dried them, and finally bagged them and put them in the freezer.

    We ended up with 2 1-gallon bags of green beans and 3 1-gallon bags of Italian beans.  That should be plenty for the next 10 months!

    Next weekend....corn.

    I made a huge mistake last night.

    After I got Jackie to bed, I did my blog, played solitaire, read some articles, checked Facebook and before I knew it, it was 1:15!

    I am not making that mistake tonight.

    I hope.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

picking time

 I picked beans today

     I planted 2 kinds....regular green beans and Italian beans.  The Italian beans are flat and we cut them into 1 inch or so pieces.  The green beans we just cut the ends.

    Tomorrow we will be cutting, blanching, and packaging beans for winter and spring use.  I may keep some out for supper, but we also have broccoli I bought at the store.  

    In years past I would bend over and pull each bean off the stem, leaving the plant to produce more beans.

    This year I pulled the entire plant out and then pulled off the beans. 

    I could do the pulling while sitting in the golf cart, which is a lot easier on my back.  Besides, I have enough of both varieties and don't need any more.

    What is puzzling is the tomatoes.  Still don't have any.  I think they just got too much rain.  There are a lot of green ones, but no red ones yet.  I am hopeful.

    I noticed my hickory tree is producing nuts!  I don't remember any last year, so. this is kind of exciting.

    Of course, nuts mean squirrels. which means I have to check the yard before letting Beth outside just to be safe.

    Played cards with friends tonight.  We play Eucher, or however it is spelled.

    I had a perfect hand tonight.  Double red jacks, queen of diamonds, ace of diamonds and ace of hearts.

    Never got a chance to call trump with it.

    That was the most frustrating feeling.....knowing you have a loaner in your hand and not being able to play it.

    But it was a fun evening despite that.

    We talked about a mutual friend and someone said they were over 80.  I said that was hard to believe they were that old.  Then I realized I am 78...... pretty dang close to 80 myself.

    Stay dry.  Stay safe.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

    

peace

 I declare the Bug War officially over

    I am not a wasteful person, but I did throw a lot of stuff out today.

    You have to know, I am an impulse buyer.

    That is why I bought a shoo fly pie kit while up in Amish country.

    All I have to do is preheat the oven, pour one bottle into a pie dish, pour the pouch into the pie dish and stir.  Pop it in the over and wait.

    I decided last night to make it today.

    When I opened it the pouch had exploded inside the box!  Something gooey was all over the inside, so I pitched it.

    Then I realized I have not been to Amish country in several years.  I could not find a best use date on the box, so that was no help.

    I picked up an unopened 1 lb. box of spaghetti. I know the little bugs like grains, so when I turned it over to look, sawdust fell out of one end of the box.  Into the trash.

    Beth's container of treats?  Buggy.  Tossed.

    But I just looked around carefully and saw no bugs.  None.  Zilch.

    So I am calling it a victory.

    I just hope the little suckers agree.

    Friend Nadine and I made our annual trip to Amboy today to buy raffle tickets.

    Maybe it is just me, but I honestly think the lady at city hall remembers us. 

    Anyway, I also got some for Linda and Dan.

    Amboy started this drawing years ago.  The first year I think it gave $600 to the winner and $600 to the museum.  Over the years it has grown in pot and popularity.

    Last year the winner took home somewhere around  $130,000.

    The money is used for all sorts of projects that benefit the residents and the museum.

    Our museum is in its third  year of a 50/50 drawing, I think.  Our prize last year was a bit over $600.

    I have tickets....$1 for 1, $5 for 6,  $20 for 24.  Plus, you get one year of museum membership if you buy the $20 pack.

    And if you buy the $20 pack directly from me, I will treat you to a drink at Cypress House.

    And yes, Jen I owe you 2,  SK I owe you 2 and Ken I owe you 1.

    Let's get together and sip!!!

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

PS...I hope you liked the video!  

Into the bin they go!!

Potty Cast

 We did a very informative museum podcast

    It dropped today.

    Why not take a peek when you are done reading this little missive.  The link is at the end, if I copied it right,

    The Pantry Bug War is continuing.  I have declared victory.  But the struggle is on going.  I won't give up until the foe is totally vanquished.

    Or I might just give up and put it off until tomorrow.

    I am. turning into a sock idiot.  Or just a plain idiot, I don't know.

    I get deep marks around my ankles when I wear ankle socks.  By the way, those are different from crew socks, as I found out after ordering 6 pairs of the wrong socks.  But they are non binding, which is what I wanted.  I just did not want crew socks.

    I have a pair of ankle socks that are great.  so I ordered 8 additional pairs.  Same sock.  Same brand.  Totally different fit.  When I take them off I have huge rings around my ankles.

    So last night I found exactly what I wanted.  By the way, that is the third sock I have said that about.

    I ordered them, and got a confirmation.  But, and I don't know how I did this, I ordered 2 different sizes!  I ordered a pack of large and a pack of small.  I wanted 1 pack of large.

    I could have sworn I did it right the first time.

    Now I have to go through another return process,

    Damn, life gets hard when you don't pay attention.

    OK....here is the link:

https://drive.google.com/.../19YtGwEFRztkyiqylQmrrFD.../view

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

good times

 This was a pretty darn good day

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

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

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

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

    Julia dropped by and Emily stopped after work.

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

    She said they looked like the grain beetles she had.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    But Rome wasn't built in a day.

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

    Not much more I can ask for.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

watch out

 What a day!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Luckily nothing happened.

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

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

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

rain, rain,

 I am hoping for rain

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

    Or was it Thursday?

    We got a little rain today, but not enough.

    A last wedding story.

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

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

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

    You know, the uplifting, optimistic, positive fortunes.

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

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

    And I am a little worried.

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

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

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

    Lucky I am not superstitious.  Knock  on wood!

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

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

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

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

    Time will tell.

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

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

short day today

 I did not get much done today

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

    By then I had done my stretching exercises.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Damn.

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

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

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

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

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

I thought I was in the space.  

long day!

 We went to a wedding today

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

    The setting was beautiful, a wedding garden in Woodstock.

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

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

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

    But I only got a picture of one.

    Anyway, that's it for me.

    Stay safe out there.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

BNLT for supper

I am being very careful about the latest malady 

    You know,  the one that causes explosive diarrhea.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    And I finally put Jackie's dinner table together.  

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

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

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

    And that is my life.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

don't know why

 Up until a week ago, this posted on Facebook

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

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

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

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

    Oh well.

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

    Sure enough.  Wednesday morning they called.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

fright night

 I actually let out a tiny scream

followed by an "Oh my god you scarred me!"

    I decided today to work on the tree bases in the yard.  There are weeds, suckers, grasses and something very itchy that rubbed on my arms growing around the bases.

    I took a break for supper, then went out again.

    About 8:30 I was ready to come in when I spotted an area of crab grass that has given me fits all summer.

    So I l decided to dig  it out.  This patch was almost a foot in diameter and I was working with a shovel when I heard this screeching from behind me.

    I yelped  then turned around to see  a subdivision neighbor on her very squeaky bicycle.

    I had her daughters in school and she just stopped to say hello since she saw me in the yard.

    We had a nice chat, once my heart stopped racing.

    Jackie called me about 8:45.  I never answer when she calls.  I just go straight into the house as fast as I can.

    I got in and she was just wondering where I was because it was dark outside.

    In the not too recent past, if I don't answer her quickly she thinks I have died.  I know!  But I also know sometimes she needs me ASAP and answering the phone takes time.

    Anyway, I worked around 5 large trees and 2 of the smaller ones. And by small, I mean 1 foot or less.  These were free from the state last May and I planted 11 of them.

    Most of them have leaves.

    But there are 4 that don't have leaves.  They have buds.  I tried to snap a bit off, but they are very flexible, which to me means they are not dead.  But why no leaves?

    I am kind of itchy, but not really tired.

    It's too dark to work outside.  Maybe there is something in the house I can do before I  hit the hay.

    Or not.

Peace and Love

ahhh

 We had some luxury today

    I had a pedicure and Jackie got her toe nails trimmed.  We go to a place in Sycamore, have been going there for  a long time.

    While there, I stopped at the audiologist's for supplies, the eyeglass place for  an adjustment on Jackie's glasses, picked up dog food for Beth, returned some shorts. to Kohl's, bought hair spray at Ulta, and picked up some groceries at Hy Vee.

    It was a busy afternoon.

    But life does have its frustrations.

    We got our X Finity bill and I almost shipped my pants!

    Our bill has gone up almost $100 since June!

    After a very long time with a live chat, I was told our bill had been lower because we had promotions which have expired and there are no current promotions available.

     Neither Julia or Emily have cable service.  Maybe it is time for me to consider  going to another provider.

    But, they have to carry Marquee so we can watch the Cubs on their way to another World Series.

    As we were driving today I noticed some yards are full of old cars and trucks, machinery, garbage, and other stuff.

    It makes me wonder why a person would have 5 or 6 vehicles that don't run.  Or why they leave garbage all over their property.

    When we first married we struggled, financially.  but we kept the yard clean.

    True, walk into our kitchen now and maybe it would not be sparkling clean, and there may be dishes in the sink.  And on the counter.  And the recycling bin may be full.  And maybe the counter tops are cluttered

    But the outside looks nice.

    And that's the way it is.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

fini

 I mowed today

    I did not start until 4:30, then paused for supper, and finished about 8.

    That seems like a long time....but when you consider supper, bathroom breaks, water breaks and everything, it wasn't bad.

    Looking at the garden, the tomato plants. are huge...but there e are few tomatoes!  Kind of disappointing.

    And I am wondering if I should cut back some of the cucumber runners....they are really going everywhere.

    I had my second PT session today.  Working on stretches, next target will be building up muscles.  Today I did some stretches that really stretched me out!  I am skipping stretches tonight becuse I did them in the morning and in the afternoon. 

    I have read a couple of articles on Lollapalooza in Chicago over the weekend.

    I honestly did not know any of the names of those performing with 1 exception.  I knew Smashing Pumpkins.  But one of the kids at Lolla said they performed on the "grandpa stage." 

    Good grief.

    I saw a video of people leaving the show at the end of the night.  The description was something about how do 115,000 people leave Grant Park.

It showed all these people, holding their phones in flashlight mode,  walking  on Wacker next to the river.

    Now, I man not the most aware person, but if you are leaving Grant Park I don't think you would walk the half mile or so down to Wacker to go home.

    So I am guessing it was an AI generated image.  

    That's my opinion, unless someone can prove me wrong.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

almost

 Today was an almost day

    I made lemon cookies and they almost came out right.  They are crisp, and they are supposed to be soft.  I followed the directions.  It said to bake until the edges turn light brown, so I did.  But they are crisp, not soft.

    I almost made it through the day without major leg pains.  Afternoons seem to be better than mornings but I still have tines when I hurt.

    My eye almost looks normal.  I just have to remember not to rub it so hard next time.

    I almost contacted my nephew and his family in Switzerland, but before I knew it, it was almost 10 at night there.  Gotta do that early!

    I almost changed the batteries in my trail cam......but I can't get the old batteries out.  There has to be a trick.

    I almost went the entire day without using a swear word, but the trail can broke the spell.

    And I almost done with my chores.  Hopefully they will be finished by the time I go to bed.

    Have a great first week of August.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

rattlesnake master

Cup plant seems to be taking over the native plot

Royal catchfly....I love the red!

riddle

I have a riddle for you 

    Here is the question:  What's a 7 letter word that starts out egg and ends in soup?

    This was kind of a blah day.

    Gray skies, misty, no nap.

    Sometimes I wonder how I am going to get it all done.

    Taking care of Jackie, laundry, cooking, dishes, lawn care and who knows what else.  I complain about it, but I get it done.  Sometimes it takes a while, but I get it done.

    I know there are couples worse off than me, and I am thankful that we are not in a terrible situation.  But it gets mentally and physically tiring with the same day after day after day routine.

    We had a couple of visitors in our back yard today.  It looked like a doe and her fawn.  They were browsing around the bird feeder and then went over to neighbor john's yard.  I lost track of them after that.

    I did not go out to check the garden today.  I should have.  

    Next year I am going with 1 cucumber plant.  This year I have four or 5 of 2 varieties and they have spread like crazy!  But my tomatoes look sick.  I am not optimistic about them.

    Beans and carrots will be good crops.  I can tell by looking at all the flowers on the beans and all the carrots in the planters.  

    That is good.  I cooked the last of the beans the other night.  Well, no actually cooked.  I put the frozen beans in a pan, turned the heat on and went and grilled hamburgers.  Unfortunately I did not put water in the pan and they burned.

    Oh well.

    I guess that is all I have.

    Oh,  the answer t the riddle:  chicken.  I know!  It's not funny!!  But you will tell someone, won't you?

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace