tour de farce

 I loved riding my bike

    I have not been on  it this year at all.  At least I don't remember being on it.

    I grew up in Chicago.  My dad sold the family car when I turned 15.  I. think he saw the future with me behind the wheel of the 51 Dodge we were driving in 1963.  It was old, but it was paid for and ran well.

    I think the only time we ever used it was going to Dewey Lake in Michigan.

    I got around by bike, foot, or bus.

    Bike to the zoo.  Bike to work.  Bike to friends' houses.  Bike to the lakefront.

    Ah....biking to the lake front.

    I had a really old Schwinn.  Thick frame, huge tires, it was like a truck. It was used by at least 4 people before I got it.  The first thing I did  was paint it black, then wrap tape around it in circles and painted it yellow.  It looked cool.  Black and yellow stripes.  The cat's meow.

    Somebody stole it.

    I was delivering papers.  I bought a new Schwinn with a basket on the front.  I biked to  the Coca Cola Bottling place on Ravenswood, biked to the store, biked to the Riverea Theater.

    Somebody stole it.

    And it was my fault.  Yes I chained and locked it.  To a parking meter.  The friendly officer I reported it to said that was a poor choice as the thief could just lift the bike over the parking meter.  

    So I bought a used 3 speed racing bike, with narrow tires.

    It was great!  

    I could ride like the wind.  Again, I was free to go anywhere I wanted to. And pedaling was easy with 3 speeds.

    One day I was down at Montrose Harbor.  There is a huge parking lot there and lots of times people take children or friends there to practice driving.

    I was just biking around when I saw my friend's car.  We were both dating the same girl, which put a little strain on the friendship.

    He was teaching her how to drive stick. 

    They saw me and I decided to show off my bike.

    I pedaled as fast as I cold toward a curb.  Now, I had jumped curbs before.  You pull up on the front wheel and the back wheel follows.

    I was inches from the curb when I pulled up on the front wheel.

    The bike also had hand brakes.  I pulled on the hand breaks. Why?  Because I was stupid.

    The bike did not lift, but came to an abrupt stop. 

    I went over the handle bar, wondering if I would ever have kids.  The pain was severe.

    I did what Bill Cosby suggested under those circumstanced:  I grabbed my head.

    They came over and took the bike off me, I may have still been pedaling  on my back with my feet up in the air.   then asked if I was ok.

    My now falsetto voice managed to creak out. "Hunky doory.  Just let me lay her a while."

    They could not give me a ride, because it was a small car.

    I said that was ok, I would just walk it off

    And I did.  Walked all the way home.

    It was a few days before I could ride again.  And sitting for long was uncomfortable.

    I did eventually have kids.

    And I never curb jumped again.  On purpose, anyway.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

home coming

A friend took her daughter shopping for a homecoming dress

    Boy did  that trigger a memory!!

    I was a freshman at Lake View High School.   Homecoming was approaching.  I had no idea what that was about.

    After being clued in, I thought it might be fun.

    So I asked a girl to the dance and festivities.

    Now, I don't do anything a normal person would do.  I have my own unique style.

    My folks had  ordered a pizza from Biasetti;s on Ashland and Irving.  I was sent to pick it up.  That was a big thing in our household because money always seemed tight.

   Now at  age 15, it should not be a problem for me to walk 3 blocks, get the pizza, pay for it, and come home.

    I was walking down Irving Park with the pizza when I saw Mary Jane.  She was also a freshman at Lake View.  We had a couple of classes, or maybe homeroom, together and I thought she was nice.  I think her parents owned a hardware store on Ashland but I am not sure about that.  Hell, I am not sure about anything that happened past yesterday!

    So we stopped in front of a hamburger joint called the Patio and talked.

    After a few minutes of chit chat, I shifted the pizza and worked up the courage to ask her.

    So I did.  But she said no, because her father would not allow her to date until she was 16.

    Then she looked at me and asked what I had in the box, which was tucked neatly under my left arm.

    I told her pizza from Biasetti's. 

    She said I should not carry a pizza like that and I responded that I always carried it like this, trying to make it seem like I was some kind of bon vivant.

    We parted ways.  I continued home.

    When I got there, I laid the pizza on the table and my dad opened it.

    All the pizza was crammed into one side of the box.  Plus it was cold.

    "What the hell?"  were the only words out of his mouth.

    I don't recall ever being sent for pizza again.

    And I never asked Mary Jane out when she turned 16.

    But it all came back to me when a friend said she took her daughter shopping for a homecoming dress.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

olio

 A lot of different things today

    Jackie got me up at 7:30 so she could use the bathroom.

    Our alarm goes off at 7;45.  When it goes off, I put on pants, open the garage door, and do little things, like get out her clothes, put her towels out, and wait for the morning help.

    But today. there was about 30 minutes before our morning help arrived.  So I lay on the bed with Beth and turned off the alarm.

    The next thing I know is someone is poking me.

    I fell asleep.  Jackie called, but I was sleeping on my good ear so I did not hear the phone.  Not only that, but our morning help was late.  It was 8:30!

    I am not supposed to sleep on my good ear!  I am supposed to have a phone next to my good ear!

    Neither happened.

    About 11 the doorbell rang and 2 of our neighbors' children were at the door with a pan of snack mix!  I did not have my hearing aids in, so I may have missed some of the conversation.  But Jackie rolled over to join the talk and we had quite  a nice little visit. 

    Another neighbor had a Labor Day party for the kids.  He had a hay rack and hay bales and they took a hayride round the neighborhood.  A good time was had by all.

    We turned on the Cubs game, but could not see or hear anything!  All the other channels came in fine, but not Marquee.  I tried the online chat and that was totally worthless.    We ended up streaming it on the computer, which makes no sense.  Could not see it on the TV, but could on the computer.  Plus our neighbor watched it without any problem.  Weird.

    And yes, the game did frustrate us.  

    I got. rid of 4 bags of grass clippings, but I still have huge pile in the back.  I may resort to burning it, but burning grass has such a terrible smell.

    Tomorrow I am going to tackle a mountain of cardboard and my new bird feeder.  I figure I have most of the day to do that, and I may get one done.

    Also tomorrow, I am going to take Jackie out to the porch and surprise her with the mums.

    Beth is having good days. I walked her out to the back of the yard and she froze when she saw my bison.  She approached it very tentatively and after sniffing it, backed away.   I may take her out there again so she can see it is not going to do anything.

    The weather was great.......and I hope everyone took advantage of that and had a happy Labor Day.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

Broken promises

I went back on my word today

    I said I would not mow my yard on a Sunday, because Sunday was a day of rest.  And quiet.

    Well, I mowed.  And mowed.  And  mowed.

    Yard done.  Lot done.  I'm done.  

    I have christened the lot "Folly."  Part of me is thinking buying it was a mistake, but the other part of me says I don't have to put up with construction noise or neighbors who are not as great as the ones I have.

    While I was mowing, a bicyclist rode by and stopped in the driveway.

    It took me a minute to recognize friend Wendy, who rode out from town and stopped when she saw me  mowing.

    We had a nice. talk about riding, vacations and all other good things.

    In a sense it made me sad, because I used to be able to do what she is doing.  And no, she does not have an e-bike.  She pedals, which is the purpose of a bike.  

    I have not even taken my bike down this year.  I had said I would ride in August, but didn't.  Then I said September, and haven't.  There is still some time though, so maybe it will happen.

    For the first time this summer, I ate on the back patio!  It has always been too hot before, but tonight it was perfect. In fact, I was a little chilled by the time I was done.

    Emily got me some buttered chicken Saturday, but I ate so much at Costco I wasn't hungry.  So I had it today and I think I have enough for 2 more meals!  They sure gave me a lot of food.  I wonder if I can freeze it?   I am not sure about 3 nights of buttered chicken.  The nice breeze kept the bugs away, except for on aggressive fly that kept landing on my arm. 

    And I got the corn blanched and stripped from the cob.  It is now down in the freezer.  Next up will be carrots, but not for a while.

    Finally, I have a red tomato!!  I have no idea what I did wrong with them this year.  Too much rain?  Not enough water?  Too much sun?  Shade?  Is it the soil?

    All I know is the tomatoes were a flop.

    Beth had a pretty good day.  She has a semi solid BM working now.   The is progress, although pretty disgusting too.

    Happy Labor Day

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

what a day

 This was a very strange day

    First off, I went car shopping.  Sort of.

    Julia and Emily went with because I do strange things sometimes.

    Today, for example, I found out my Paramount Plus subscription was automatically  renewed for $139 for the year.  Well, I am a Walmart whatever member and I get Paramount Plus for free.

    So I talked to a nice young man who cancelled my subscription.  He then offered it to me for $59 a year and pointed out the major differences. 

    I opted for the free offer.

    I attempted to call back after thinking about it and get the $59 offer.  But I got a different rep and she said there was no cheaper rate available, just the $139.    Here's the rub:  I only watch Twilight Zone on Paramount Plus!!!!!  I was thinking Peacock.

    So, we hit a car dealership in Rockford and I explained my situation.  I said I wanted a car that had the capability to have an after market swing out seat installed.  The salesman had no idea if the car we looked at could do what we wanted.

    Julia, or Emily, saw an article that said the car did.  But the seat manufacturer does not list the car as compatible.  I can't buy a car unless the seat can be adapted.

    I did ask the guy if we bought the car and the seat doesn't fit, could we return it for a refund?

    Car sales don't work that way.  He may still be laughing

    Afterward, Julia wanted to go to Costco.

    I have not been in a Costco for years.

    I encountered a very nice lady from Australia who was sampling the Nespresso macing.  I had an espresso, and she added some caramel machaitta flavoring and it was out of the world!

    I was tempted to buy the machine.  But in all honesty, I would never use it.  I prefer going out for coffee and talking to people.

    I think I only missed 2 food sampling stations in the store!  Coffee, wafer cookies,  sliced steak, lunchmeat, brownie bits, (which were amazing) a chicken filled won ton like item and more........and then I topped it all off with a $1.50 hot dog and drink!

    I am not sure how the espresso and the Coke will help me sleep.  2 Cokes, actually.  Emily had a drink from somewhere and it was not what she ordered, so I finished that.

    And I spent more than Julia.  My impulses were out of control!

    After I got home and rested, I went into town for gas to finish mowing.  Unfortunately, I got back at 7 and it didn't make sense to go out for 20 minutes.

    So I shucked corn.

    Tomorrow I will blanche it and take it off the cob and freeze it for winter use.

    Just like peoneers in the olden days.  Except, they did not have freezers.  Or sweet corn.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

When Emily was flying home, she saw Wrigley!

A sign?

My hot dog......10 p.m. and I am still burping!!

damn it

 Sometimes my mind is in n neutral

    I had to go to DeKalb to puck up some meds for Beth.  We had enough until Monday, but with the holiday I did not want to run out.

    Stopped at the grocery store.  Bought a few things, loaded them in the back seat, got in the van and started to drive.

    I didn't go too far before I realized I never closed the sliding door.

    I needed gas for the mower and I was not comfortable carrying smelly gas cans to DeKalb.  With the windows up and the AC on, I thought the fumes would not be good for me.

    So I planned to make a second trip after I got home:  Drop off groceries, pick up the gas cans, finish my errands.

    I planned to go for dinner at about 5:30, so I was going to hold off mowing until 4:30 or so.  Julia was here and asked the basic question:  So, you are going to mow for 45 minutes, go into town, get gas and supper, then eat and go out to mow again? 

    That did seem a little odd, so I opted to put off mowing until after dinner.

     I went to town to get gas, stop at Wallyworld for a prescription and pick up dinner.

    I was near the gas station when I realized I did not bring gas cans.

    I got supper, which included a carry out strawberry margarita.  Julia ate with us, I watched the Cubs, then went out to mow.

    It gets dark pretty early.  I will be interested to see what I actually did mow considering it was so dark.

    Jackie asked me for something and I told her I would get it after the Cubs batted.

    An hour later she mentioned I was getting her something an hour ago and never actually got it  So I fetched that for her.

    But I did watch the Cubs a little.  Had a nice margarita and a burrito. and got some of the lawn mostly mowed.

    Yes, I could have gone out earlier but it was so darn hot!  I passed a bank In DeKalb and the temp was 95 while the temperature reading in the van was 92.  In any case, it was too warm for me to mow.

    That's my story and I am sticking to it.

    By the way, Beth is acting perfectly normal.   More than I can say for me.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace 

late night

 Late night tv knows how to target audiences

    We watch Antenna TV at night.  Jackie likes to hear the shows when she drifts off to sleep.

    But the commercials?  

    Pain relievers you rub on your legs to help you walk.  Orthopedic shoes.  Life alert buttons. 

    If it is a product that appeals to Boomers, it is advertised!

    But the one that gets me is for ..... wait for it....  a Viagra like product.

    No, I am not interested in it.  But some people are.

    In the commercial some guy said he was looking for some way to spice up his marriage.

    But Viagra was $40 a pill, according to the man.

    $40?  Holy cripe!  

    But this guy found a plan where you could get a generic equivalent for only $8 a pill.  

    Yes, you need a prescription, but they have a doctor on staff and all you have to do is call and answer a few questions.  (By the way, the last 4 numbers for the phone are 6969.)

    He then says his wife now walks around the house with a smile on her face.

    Hell, I bet if he did the dishes, laundry and cleaned house once in a while she would really be smiling!

    One of the fun things I do is try to figure out who the guests are on Carson's show.  People don't look the same today as they did 40 years ago.  I honestly thought Marc Harmon was Tom Cruise. 

    There are so many comedians I never heard of that appear.  But George Carlin, Bill Mahr, and Roseanne Barr were all on at some point. 

    I realize most of the people have now died.  

    Sometimes it is hard for me to grasp the passage of time.  The Beatles were in their heyday 60 years ago.  The Summer of Love, Woodstock, man first walking on the moon.......in my head they were just yesterday.

    But late night TV, and Sirius Radio bring them all to life today.

    Beth's blood work came back pretty normal.  Our next step is an ultrasound, which will be done next week.

    We are to just keep on doing what we are doing until a reason for her low albumen and cholesterol counts is discovered.

    I may need a part time job.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

Ding, Dang it

 No word, no patience, no rain, no cool

    I did not hear from the vet today. the message they sent said  test results were not back yet.

    But I asked about Beth eating a bird carcass and having bugs in her food and they did not feel that would be an issue.

    I somehow turned off the     "leave a message" option on the land line.  Figured that out t today.  No wonder for the past few months we have not had any callers leaving messages!

    Amboy must not have called to tell me I won the big 50/50 drawing.  If they did, there was no ability to  leave a message.

    Jackie had a doctor appointment in Sycamore today.  Boy, was it hot!  I told her if I dropped her during the transfer she would probably fry on the blacktop.  Luckily, I once again made good on moving from the car to the chair, back to the car, back to the chair, back to the car, back to the chair and into the house.  

    About a month ago I contacted Comcast about our bill.  We worked it out, lowering it some 50 a month.

    Got the bill today and it was up 50 from last month.

    Tomorrow I hope to talk to a human.  Not "chat," but talk.  

    Time will tell.  I don not handle dealing with them very well.

    We had some packages of Rosti in the pantry.  I made it tonight along with peas and carrots, and bratwurst.  All the food was done almost at the same time.  I thought it was pretty good.  Rosti is a Swiss hash brown dish.

    At least it was different.  I need to find simple meals that taste good.

    And that I can cook.

    The frustrating thing is I had some special brats in 3 separate freezer bags.  I can't find any of them!  How can I lose brats?  I have looked in my freezer upstairs and the freezer downstairs and did not see them.  I don't smell them either, which means I did not put them on a shelf somewhere.  

    Oh well.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

no scam

 I got a strange e-mail today

    Basically, it said I was eligible for a refund from State Farm Insurance as part of a $5 billion settlement.

    It looked very official.  All I had to do was enter the claim number and provide information to direct deposit the funds.

    The e-mail was not sent from State Farm, but from a different e-mail address.

    I am no fool.  I deleted the e-mail and then e-mailed my State Farm agent about the scam.

    About 15 minutes later she called and said, "Yup...it is real."

    Turns out the company works through a third party to handle the refunds. 

    By not providing my bank info, I will be sent a check.  That is what the e-mail said.

    I have become scam scared!

    Better safe than sorry.

    We have not had an update on Beth.  I thought we would hear something today, but maybe the test results were not back yet.

    She is acting very normal......but she still has not had a BM that was solid. And she still strains.

    She was in the front yard squatting and straining when a squirrel raced around the corner.

    The squirrel saw Beth and froze, sitting on its hind legs with its front paws out like a boxer.  Both just stared at each other.  

    They were like that for a few seconds.  Then the squirrel scampered up our maple tree and Beth did not even give chase.  That is not normal.

    But aside from that, she seems fine.

    We are hoping for positive news tomorrow.

    Watching the flooding in Nepal is mesmerizing and horrifying.  I can't imagine what those people went thru.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

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