tis the truth!

I know why the Cubs have had so many injuries 

    This is a baseball post.  If you don't like baseball, you may not like this.

    I have a friend, who shall remain nameless, who told me what happened in Milwaukee when Craig Counsell was hired as Cubs manager.

    As you know, Counsell was a life time Wisconsin resident and a crowd favorite...until he signed a huge contract with the Cubs.

    The night after the contract was signed, 56, 665 fans met at the ballpark.  They had a voodoo priest in attendance. 

    That person produced a bear doll and told the crowd that he would stick pins in the doll from time to time and a Cub would be hurt.

    The crowd cheered loudly!

    Then they began the chant:  "Cubs Suck.  Cubs Suck."  You know the drill.

    The chanting went on for 6 hours!  Men and women were hoarse by the end.  Children were crying.  The Sausages slumped to the ground in pain and agony from wearing those costumes for so long.  Bucky Beaver, or whatever its name is, ended up with leg cramps from going down the slide 2, 544 times. A record at the park.

    Now, if you ask someone about it they will deny it ever happened.  They were sworn to secrecy by placing heir hand on a picture of Aaron Rogers and pledging never to reveal what was said or done that night.

    Some of you may scoff at this.....but you can not prove it did not happen, can you?

    Remember, you heard it from me first.

    Strange weather night.

    We had an alarm that there was a severe storm with 60+ mile per hour winds heading towards us from Dixon, and we got nothing. 

    The air is thick with blowing dirt, and at dusk there was a haze like quality.  Its was a gritty haze.

    I worked in the veggie garden today but the wind eventually beat me and I had to quit.

    We do need the rain.

    We are in a tornado watch until midnight....which means I will be playing a lot of solitaire.

Peace ad Love

how much?

 I had a case of sticker shock today

    When I plant my veggie gardens, I always throw in some mushroom compost, manure, and manure and compost.

    It builds the soil. Makes it richer.  Produces better weeds.

    In town there are 3 places I go to in order to buy it.  I go with the cheapest price.

    I went to a hardware store and mushroom compost was $7.94 a bag.  Manure was $6.78.

    I have never paid that much!

    Especially for manure, which is basically cow shit.  How can cow shit be in short supply?  There are cows all over the place!

    (One year a circus came to town.  They had elephants.  They were giving the shit away! People were hauling it away in anything they could carry it in.  Must be good stuff.)

    So I went to the next place.  They didn't have either product.  Nor did the third store.

    Now, maybe I could drive to DeKalb. or Rockford and buy it, but I would use at least 2 gallons of gas, which is also expensive.

    Julia suggested using Beth's droppings, but I did that once around some trees with our first dog and those trees died.

    Plus I would not be comfortable working in the garden with dog doo everywhere.

    Sigh.

    So, no mushroom compost or manure in the garden this year.  The plants will just have to work harder.

    My veggie garden will have sweet corn this year.  A person I know said I should put a radio in the garden and leave it on.  That will keep away deer and raccoons.  

    With my luck, that will draw them and they will have big dance parties as they munch my sweet corn.

    It has been a good week so far today.  Did not destroy the garage with the golf cart.  Did not lose my hearing aids.  And the Cubs did not lose today.

    Hope I can say all that tomorrow night.

Peace and Love

Lordy, Lordy

 I really don't know where to start

    So, this may be a little disjointed.

    First off, we got up late.  I mean, late.  I shut the alarm off at 8:45 and when the cuckoo struck 10, I guess I fell back asleep.

    10:45.  That's when we got up.

    Holy crap.

    I planned to mow and plant flowers.  If you have not noticed a pattern, most of my plans involve planing flowers and trimming bushes.

    I mowed.  Took longer than I hoped because I had to clean the mower deck. before I started.

    Finished mowing, hosed off the mower deck, and was ready to start planting when the subject of supper came up.  It was about 4:30. 

    We decided bratwurst.  But we had to go buy them. And buns.

    No big deal.  I had some yard waste to drop off at a friend's, I just dropped it off earlier than I usually do.  And usually is after dark, like a stealth burglar except I am leaving things, not taking them.

    After supper, around 7 or so, I headed out to plant the damn flowers.  But I went to put my hearing aids in so I could listen to music while I worked.

    There was only 1 hearing aid in the dock.

    I looked on the counter, under the counter, in the den, bathroom, bedroom, table on the deck.....nowhere.

    Julia and I went through drawers, papers, bags.....nothing.

    To say I was upset would be an understatement.

    So far I have smashed the garage door, bought a lot, have ordered too many specialty coffees and have spent a fortune.  I did not need to spend another fortune to replace my hearing aids.

    I was depressed.  And angry at myself.

    I took out the garbage, put on a pair of vinyl gloves, and sorted through the kitchen debris. 

    No hearing aid.

    Future garbologists examining our trash would think we ate out a lot and liked pizza and pasta dishes.  We do.

    Julia finally said to give her my phone.  She pumped up the volume on the phone and hearing aids and slowly made her way around the house.

    Nothing.

    Disgusted, I went out to clean up. the debris from the driveway and look for dog poop that might have a hearing aid in it.

    I was putting a shovel full of yard waste  into another paper bag when she opened the door and said to come in.

    She heard music!!  

    Standing in the pantry, she could hear the Beatles.

    She asked me, "Can you hear it?"

    I said if I could hear it I would not need hearing aids.

    She found it on a shelf.

    One of 2 things happened.

    Either it got stuck to a bag she put on the shelf or I had it in my hand when I went to get Beth a supper treat.  I had to have put it down to open the  treat bag.

    I do believe I put it there. I remember wanting to put the hearing aids in while I ate supper, and I must have set it on the shelf.  

    And forgotten it.

    And that, my friends, is the scary part.

    I hugged Julia and thanked her for finding it.  

    And I kicked myself for not keeping track of it.

    I still have the plants to plant.

Peace and Love

eh day

 I think summer arrived today

    I  went out and the car temperature read 87 degrees.  I thought that was  hot for May, but what do I know?

    Anyway, I got some things done today, even some that were on my list.

    One thing I did that was not on my list was bring up my summer clothes and pack up my winter clothes.

    Now, these are not the ones that hang in the closet, but the flannel pajamas, sweatshirts, and things like that that I won't need for a few months.

    Here is where I have another problem.  I probably have 50 t shirts!  Every time I go to toss one, I rethink it and put it away.

    Some hang in the closet.  Others take up 2 drawers in the dresser.  Still others are stuffed on a shelf in the closet because they are wear outside to work shirts.

    I have t shirts from plays I have been in, places I have visited, places the kids have visited, and just some weird shirts.  I have a glow in the dark shirt from a radio show we sent to at least 20 years ago.  I never wear it.  but it is neat because it glows!

    And when I retired from teaching I had a picture of the class printed on a t shirt and had the kids sign it.  I have never worn the shirt.  Ever.  I have been out 16 years!!

    Every shirt has some kind of emotional attachment.  A memory.  A place in my life.

    But holy crap!  I need to cull the t-shirt herd.

    What I should do is take one a day and either wear it or toss it.

    But I have a Beatles shirt I wear when it rains, and a Cubs shirt or 3 when they play, and plain shirts when I am bored.   I can't toss any of them.

    And plays?  Places I have gone?  Shirts from the girls?

    Nope.  Can't let them go.

    However, I did toss 1 red t shirt.  I think it looked old and too worn. 

    Small steps.  Small steps.

Peace and Love

What is this on the driveway?

Ah....my aunts came over to visit!

It was a dark and storm afternoon

oops

This was one of.those days 

    I had my mind set on getting 4 things done:  mow the field, plant the bluish pots on the porch; put up the windmill; plant my mojito mint.

    I told Jackie I was going to start at 1 and work until I was finished.

    I did not anticipate Beth waking me up at 4:45 to go out.  It was early, but also eerie!  The fog crept on big cat feet during the night and visibility was pretty poor.

    I fell back asleep until 7:30, when Jackie woke me up because she had to use the bathroom.

    That's when my day fell apart.

    My routine is:  put on my slippers, put on my belt, get the transport chair, swing her from the bed to the chair.

    Well.....3 out of 4 ain't bad!

    We missed the chair and she went down onto the floor.

    It was a gentle fall and my fault because I did not lock the chair.  I was tired and not thinking clearly.

    Julia was working and I got her to help.  We lifted Jackie up, I held her, and Julia pushed the chair under  her.

    To be honest, I was upset with myself and very tired.

    I was too keyed up to go back to bed, so we got ready for the day.

    My routine is tea, breakfast, and read the paper.

    When I got done with the paper my eyes were pretty heavy, so I fell asleep in my chair until about 12.

    I had some errands to run:  bank, Aldi's, Walgreen's, other bank to get our license sticker renewed, and of course, Cypress House for a pick me up.

    I did not start mowing until sometime after 3.  Then I clogged the mower and had to clean it off.  Then I clogged the mower AGAIN and had to clean it off.

    Mulching mowers do not handle long grass very well.  So I mowed at the field t a high height.  It does not look good, but it is mowed.  

    After mowing I started to plant the pots but I just felt sick.  I think it was a combination of the heat, the bumpy field, and not having any liquids. 

    So I quit for the day.  Which was fine because it was 6.

    I swear, the older I get (which is daily) the longer it takes me to do things!

    15 years ago I would have k nocked all those chores off in an afternoon.  Now I have put them off until Saturday.

    But at least I won't have to spend time mowing.  That is a blessing.

    Hopefully tomorrow I will get the pots planted, the last 4 bushes trimmed, the windmill up, and the plants I bought for the slope and natural area planted.  But....and there is always a big butt.....tomorrow is the plant sale at. the nursery in Creston and I have a few plants on my list.  

    Hopefully I will get my plant shopping and work done.

    Maybe I'll even have some wine tomorrow night to celebrate.

Peace and Love

bad dog

 I think the honeymoon is over

    Dog Beth is now going into my off limits flower bed in the front of the house.

    Corki never did that!  Beth started going in there today, I think.

    There may be a rabbit living in there, which is the draw.  I saw a baby bunny hop across the porch the other day and it was heading to the flower patch.

    And today she started digging a hole in the back yard!  She has been here a year and never dug anything.  But today, she started a hole.

    So much for the honeymoon period.

    I don't know if there is a ground squirrel in that area, but that is the only reason I can think of for her to dig.  I will investigate tomorrow.

    Did not get the bushes trimmed today...too many errands!  Maybe tomorrow.

Peace and Love

Our Miss Kim lilac......how do I trim it back?

My small hosta area in front....plus some dutchmen's  britches....if I remember correctly

Too bad the dianthus don't last longer than they do.  I try deadheading them, but very few rebloom.

beat

 I am really tired tonight

    I actually worked today!

    I trimmed around the yard before I mowed. 

    Mowing was a problem.

    I went about 10 feet and the mower started to die.  When I stopped, huge bunches of grass came off the mower.

    So I took it into the driveway, got on my back and found the underside was packed with wet grass.  I mowed the field the other day and it was wet.  I didn't clean off the mower, which is normal for me.  Not cleaning the mower that is.

    As I am laying on the driveway, scraping away, neighbor Jim came along and offered to put the front end of the mower  on a hoist and lift it up, making it easier and more efficient to scrape.

    So we did.

    The funny thing is, I am standing there, with a scraper in my pocket, watching him scrape!  It suddenly dawned on me I should be scraping too.

    We finished and had a nice chat and I went back to mow.  At that point Jackie needed me, so I went into the house to help her.  I made her lunch and the phone rang.  It was a Prudential insurance agent for the Pru Review we had set for 3, I thought. 

    He chad to  back because I was in the middle of something.

    Every time I think of life insurance I think of George Bailey as he says, "I'm worth more dead than alive!"

    Our policies have a double or triple payment if we die in an accident.  So if I have a heart attack the kids have to load me in a car and park me on the railroad tracks'

    Anyway, I finally got mowing.  

    Next it was trimming the bushes in front.  Man, that almost killed me!  My back was throbbing after 2 bushes and there are 15 in total.

    After finishing bush 11, I quit because I was in pain.  By the time I cleaned up, hosed the mower down, filled the bird feeders and put my stuff away it was 8:30.  My back hurts and my shoulder hurts.  Did I mention I was tired?

    I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but I am really tired tonight.  Just thought I would emphasize that.

Peace and Love