Some Soggy Friday Fragments…

I almost hate to post anything today, since I’m still in the midst of a case of ‘cabin fever’. However, in reading everyone’s blogs and Facebook posts, I can see that I’m not alone in this!    Some folks are dealing with ice and snow, others with cold and rain, but everyone seems to be dealing with something!  We’ll get through this winter of 2015, I know we all will!

Ed and I planted the first of our garden, on Monday, in between showers of rain.  It’s rained every day since!  If the potatoes, onions, carrots, and garden peas don’t rot, it will be a miracle because we’ve gotten 3 1/2 inches of rain in just two days… The fact that we plant our garden on raised beds of dirt [because of the way our tractor works] could be a saving factor, but it’s too early to tell.  Meanwhile, we have tomatoes, peppers, squash, and cucumbers growing in cups in our laundry room!  What a pain it is to wash clothes, these days 🙂  Thankfully, these seedlings will be soon be spending warmer days on the back porch, until it’s time to transplant them!

Everything is soggy outside, and our chickens appear to be bored.  Apparently, chickens must lay more eggs when they’re bored!  I picked up seven eggs, yesterday.  Seven eggs from ten chickens is pretty good, especially when three of the ten are older hens.  Our egg count is almost up to 100, in less than six weeks time!

Since the weather has been wet and cold, this week, I’ve been watching a lot of television.  I’ve watched several movies, some recorded weekly shows, and even caught the rerun of the 40th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live.  Watching the original cast members of SNL brought back some very old memories!  I was only 21 when the show debuted–and that seems like almost a lifetime ago. (It was!)  Chevy Chase has gotten old…

It’s been a l-o-n-g week for Ed.  He doesn’t do well when he’s cooped up in the house!  He tried to go outside, in between rain showers, but he wasn’t able to stay outside long.  He’s been restless, and has been in and out a lot this week. (which drives me crazy)  Some retirement days can be challenging.

Speaking of Ed, he’s started a new hobby.  He’s been trying to learn how to play the guitar.  Ed already knows how to play the piano, but it’s been years since he’s played.  Ed says playing the guitar is more difficult than playing the piano because (a) his fingers are short, and (b) the tips of his fingers are soft and tender!  Time will tell if he rises to the challenge.

I’m thankful the end of the month is finally here!  February has been our first month of living on our new budget.  Even though Ed’s still getting paid every two weeks, from his previous job, we went ahead and put ourselves on a ‘paid once a month’ budget, in preparation for the days ahead.  Let me just say, this has taken some getting used to!  I bought one of those coupon organizers and separated our monthly money into categories.  Now that the end of the month is here, we have $9.00 left in the ‘extras category’, and $26.00 left in the gas/oil category.  All other categories are empty!  I couldn’t help but wonder what the cashiers thought when I pulled out my handy coupon organizer to pay 🙂

That’s it for this edition of Friday Fragments.  As usual, I’m linking up with Mrs. Fours, @ Half-Past Kissin’ Time.  If you haven’t already done so, why not hop  on over and join her party!  Enjoy your weekend.

 

A Final February Hodgepodge…

I’m sort of anxious to say goodbye to the month of February.  Thanks to the cold, the clouds, and the rain, a bit of ‘cabin fever’ has begun to set in around here.  Goodbye February, let’s ‘March’ into spring, with warm weather and sunshine!

Even though it’s cold and cloudy outside, there’s a little ray of sunshine, every Wednesday, known as ‘The Wednesday Hodgepodge’.  Thanks to our hostess, Joyce, for this mid-week reprieve!

Here are today’s questions:

1. Did you watch The Oscars? How many of the Best Picture nominees have you seen? (American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, Selma, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash)

 No, I didn’t watch.  I stopped watching The Oscars years ago.  I also stopped going to the movies several years ago, therefore, I haven’t seen any of the nominated movies either.  I’d like to see American Sniper, but will probably wait until it comes out on dvd.  In the meantime, I’m reading the book.

Do you think actors should use their acceptance speeches as an opportunity to promote their political and/or social agenda? Does that sort of speech make you more or less inclined to change the channel?

I do not think actors should use their acceptance speeches to promote their agendas, so I’d be inclined to change the channel if I happened to be watching when this happened.

 

2. Speaking of the movies… are you comfortable going to a movie alone? How about dinner in a restaurant (not fast food, but an actual restaurant)? The second half of this question was posed by Carrie who blogs over at It’s Not Easy Being Queen. Thanks Carrie!

Yes, I am comfortable going to a movie alone, and have done so many times.  I’d also go to dinner alone, but wouldn’t be quite as comfortable with that.

3. What’s the last home repair or home improvement project you had to pay someone to complete? In hindsight was this a project you could have done yourself?

The last home improvement project we hired to have done was having a cover built over our front porch, about a year ago.  I’m not sure Ed could have managed the project by himself, that’s why we paid someone else to do it for us.

4. Have you ever had Indian food? Like it or no? If you’re a fan, what’s your favorite dish? Have you ever prepared this yourself at home? Is there an Indian restaurant in your current hometown?

I’ve never tried Indian food, so I don’t know if I like it or not, but I’ll say, “probably not.”  There’s not an Indian restaurant in our town, or anywhere nearby, so I guess I’ll never know if I like it or not.

5. A song that reminds you of your parents?

I can’t of a song that reminds me of both of my parents, but there once was a song entitled ‘Don’t Worry About Me’ by Marty Robbins that mama really liked.  One time, when I was still young, mama let this record play over and over and over, a ridiculous amount of times.  I don’t know what was on mama’s mind, at the time, but I’ve never forgotten the incident–or the song.

6. The 26th of February is National Tell A Fairy Tale Day. What’s your favorite, or one of your favorite, fairy tales? Do you have any childhood memories associated with a particular fairy tale?

I was intrigued by the story of Hansel and Gretel, as a child.  The thought of a house in the woods, made of candy, really captured my interest! Meanwhile, thoughts of a father willing to leave his children lost in the woods, plus a witch willing to eat little children kind of freaked me out.

7. What’s a problem you solved yesterday?

Insurance headaches!  I received the information and card for my new health insurance, then I had to set up a recurring payment schedule.  After dealing with a couple of minor computer glitches, I should be good to go, come April 1.

Random:

Several months ago I posted about Vic, the Claxton Quarterhorse Twin.  Twin horses are rare (1 in 10,000), and surviving twins are even more rare than that.

Sadly, Vic’s mother didn’t survive after the birth (due to ruptured intestines).  Despite being larger of the two, Vic’s twin sister, Grace, died just five days after being born.  However, Vic lived up to her name, Victorious, and has beaten the odds.  Vic celebrated her first birthday, yesterday, February 24!

Vic with her twin sister, Grace, before Grace died

This is Vic today!

Happy first birthday, Victorious!

photos via the Claxton Quarterhorse Facebook page

Memory Monday ~ The Jobs I’ve Had, Plus A Few Other Things…

 

Another Monday has rolled around, and the prompt for ‘Memory Monday’ is “Jobs”.  I’ve written about all of my jobs, at one time or another, but at the risk of repeating myself, I’ll briefly sum them all up again, for those who may not know.  I’ll be linking this post up @ Retired-Not-Tired.

My first job, and my all-time favorite, was the job of being a ‘gift wrapper’ in a small department store, during Christmas.  I was in my junior year of high school, at the time.  The job only lasted a couple of weeks, but oh, what fun it was!  You see, back then, I absolutely loved wrapping gifts, so to be able to do so and get paid for it was almost too good to be true!  Apparently, I made an impression on the store manager, because she hired me again in the spring, but this time she hired me to work as a sales clerk in the store.  I ended up keeping this part-time job until right before graduating from high school, the following year.  A extra ‘perk’ of this job came when the store manager eventually put me in charge of decorating one of the store windows!  It didn’t earn me any extra income, but it was an honor to be chosen for the responsibility, and I really enjoyed doing it.

My second job didn’t come along until a couple of years later, after marriage, when (with the help of Ed) I got hired as a receptionist in the radiology department of the large hospital, where Ed also worked (in Radiology). Fortunately, Ed and I worked the same shift so we could ride to and from work together, because I still didn’t know how to drive, at the time! I worked at this job for almost three years before I  quit.

I spent the next fourteen years of my life being pregnant, raising children, and keeping the home fires burning.  After our youngest child started to Kindergarten, I was able to get a job working at the local elementary school, as a first-grade paraprofessional.  I worked as a paraprofessional for almost fourteen years, before circumstances beyond my control caused me to quit.  I got assigned to a particular teacher, and could not, in good conscience, be a part of what was going on in that classroom– in other words, there wasn’t much teaching/learning going on.  I know, in my heart, I should have become a teacher, because I truly enjoyed working with children, and helping teach them reading and math.

I followed up my fourteen years of working in a classroom by working as a nanny. I kept twin baby girls, aged 5 months. Twins were a ‘piece of cake’ after working with twenty first graders! I worked as a nanny for almost two years, before I decided it was time to retire and come home.  By then, our first grandchild had been born, and I wanted more free time to stay home and enjoy her.  I haven’t worked outside the home since 2007.  Last year, I finally began drawing a small retirement pension, from my days as a paraprofessional .  At long last, I’m ‘officially’ retired.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

and now for a few other things…

Ed and I spent a quiet weekend at home.  We had a little bit of company, sprinkled throughout the weekend, but, over-all, it was quiet.  The only interesting thing we did was to plant some onions in the garden.  We’d planned to plant our potatoes, too, but the guys at the feed and seed store discouraged us from planting them yet.  So, we decided to wait until today!  It’s 7:30 in the morning, and Ed’s already on the tractor.  The gardening season of 2015 has officially begun!

Saturday night, I rented and watched the movie, Gone Girl.  Ed started watching, too, but got a phone call in mid-movie.  Yowza, what a movie!  I sure didn’t see that ending coming.

The dentist glued my temporary crown back in place, then told me he’d probably see me again, next week–when the permanent crown comes in.  Funny thing about my dentist–I’ve been using this same dentist since I was a teenager. I guess you could say, we’ve grown old together.  Unfortunately, me teeth have grown old right along with us!

On Friday, I asked for prayers for my sister-in-law (my brother’s wife), whose mother was very sick and under the care of Hospice.  Her mother passed away yesterday afternoon.  I ask for your continued prayers, for the family, in the difficult days ahead.

Have a good Monday!

A Few Friday Fragments…

Week five of retirement has been a wet and cold one!  Of course, after watching the evening news, I’ve realized it’s not really cold here, compared to most places.  Still, for us, it’s been cold enough to keep us indoors.  All of that is due to change tomorrow, thank goodness!  Temps are supposed to reach 72, by Sunday.  I’ll believe it when I see it.

We met with an insurance agent, on Monday, to purchase future healthcare coverage, for after the insurance, from Ed’s previous job, runs out.  Between the two of us, the process took about two hours, so that took care of a big portion of the day!  Ed got one kind of policy, while I got another.  After all of that, Ed’s previous employer now says, “We could have covered you through the end of May.” (If this is true, why did they first state the end of March on the form?)  Grrr….  Speaking of Ed’s previous employer, why is it they had no problem disabling our ‘Flex Pay’ medical expense card, but are having so much trouble discontinuing taking the payments for it out of Ed’s check?!

Ed had to go and have blood work done, this week.  He’s always had his blood drawn at the hospital where he used to work, so he went back there, on Wednesday, to have it done.  As usual, anytime he goes back to the hospital, his blood pressure goes up.  Things are still crazy there, and dealing with them makes us crazy, too!

I took down all of the Valentine’s Day decorations, yesterday, and put out the St. Patrick’s Day decorations.  My St. Patrick’s Day decorations are my least favorite decorations, since I’m not a fan of green (except for money, of course!).  It’s sort of fruitless to decorate a green tree with green decorations anyway.  In just over three weeks, it will be time to decorate for Easter!  This year is passing quickly.

You know, I’ve had nothing but trouble with the temporary crown I had put on three weeks ago.  Well, last night, while eating a piece of Valentine’s Day candy (my first and only piece!), the crown actually came off!  Fortunately, I realized it was off before I actually swallowed it.  Hopefully, I’ll be going back to the dentist today!  (If not, it will be a long weekend!)  This will be visit #4, since receiving this crown!  I’m hoping and praying the permanent one works better than the temporary one has!  Of course, the problems in my life are small, compared to the problems of some people in my life, so I shouldn’t complain.

Speaking of the problems of people in my life, I’d like to end this edition of Friday Fragments by asking for your prayers.  Not for me, but for some people who are very close to me.  My sister-in-law ( my brother’s wife) is going through some tough times, at the moment.  Her mom is currently under the care of Hospice, and is living out her final days.  As if that’s not enough to deal with, my brother and his wife are dealing with other serious family problems [concerning their oldest grandson], as well.  Please pray for God’s strength and guidance for them, as they travel the road that lies ahead.

I’m linking today’s fragments up over @ Half-Past Kissin’ Time.  Thanks for hosting, Mrs. Fours!

Stay warm, and enjoy your weekend!  God willing, I’ll see you back here, on Monday.

 

 

 

 

A Snuggle Up And Stay Warm Hodgepodge…

 In the words of the old song, “Baby, it’s cold outside!”  I hope everyone is snuggled up, safe and warm!  It’s time for The Wednesday Hodgepodge, a great way to spend a chilly day, so here we go…  (Thanks to our hostess, Joyce, for another great set of questions!)

1. When did you last have to interact, either by phone or in person, with someone in a government-run agency? On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the experience? (10 being fabulous and 1 being pass the Tylenol)

Due to Ed’s recent retirement, we’ve interacted, both in person and by phone, with several people in government-run agencies.  Believe it or not, both times went rather smoothly.  I’d give both of our experiences a 9!  Wonders never cease.

 

2. The current governor of Wisconsin is considering a run for President next time around. Walker attended Marquette University, but never graduated. In terms of any candidate running for the office of President (not asking here if you agree or disagree with Scott Walker’s politics) would the lack of a college degree influence your vote or no? Would that be a factor in your support of any candidate running for public office, even a role less weighty than President?

The lack of a college degree wouldn’t influence my vote–for any office, nor would a degree be a determining factor for me.  We’re living in a time when too much emphasis is placed only on college degrees, and not much else!

3. When did you last visit a place or site named for George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, and what was that place or site?

Nothing comes to mind.  I’ve probably driven on a street named after one or the other, but I can’t remember when or where.

4. February 16th was President’s Day in the US, but did you know it was also National Almond Day? I didn’t think so : ) Do you like almonds? If so, what’s a food/dish/recipe you enjoy that contains almonds?

Almonds are okay, but they’re not my favorite nut–cashews are.  I like almonds best when they’re nestled in the middle of Hershey’s chocolate!

5.The television program Saturday Night Live celebrated its 40th anniversary this past weekend. Were/are you a fan of the show? If so what has been your favorite (or one of your favorite) skits, sayings, or characters that came out of the program?

As a young adult, I used to be a huge fan of SNL when it first started coming on.  As I grew older, I found it too difficult to stay awake that late, and my taste in shows also changed.  Back in the day, I used to enjoy watching ‘The Coneheads and Gilda Radner as Roseanne Rosannadanna.

 6. Anything purple within ten feet of you? What is it?

Yes.  My purple ‘Winnie the Pooh’ checkbook cover is on the couch beside me because I’ve recently been paying bills.

7. Back in December I asked you to submit a question for a future HP as part of a giveaway I was hosting. I grabbed this one from those entries, submitted by Zoanna who blogs over at Penchant for Pens. Thanks Zoanna!

She asks, “How often do you make your bed, and how do you like to make it-pull the covers all the way up over the pillows, tuck the covers in around the pillows, or place all the pillows on top of the covers?” 

I make my bed every day.  If my bed is made, it makes me feel better. Something about an unmade bed bothers me!  I like to place the sleeping pillows on the bed, then pull the comforter over them.  Then I prop the rest of the decorative pillows on top of the covered pillows.  I’ve tried making my bed all kinds of ways, but this works best for me.

Random:  I’ve decided to share a recent picture (courtesy of their mom’s Facebook page) of our two oldest grandsons, Chase and Caden.

“The Love Bandits”

This-N-That On Tuesday…

I’ve been away from my computer for a few days.  Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging.  As much as I enjoy blogging, if I have to choose between life and blogging, I’ll choose living every time!  I’ve been busy celebrating both Valentine’s Day and a family birthday.  It was a busy weekend, but what fun we had!

Ed and I celebrated our Valentine’s Day, on Friday, by going out to lunch.  We went to Longhorn, which happens to be my favorite steakhouse.  I was thankful to be able to chew my steak, considering the dental woes I was having, just a few days ago!  There was a time when I feared I might be having soup for the rest of my life.

I spent most of Valentine’s Day in the kitchen, first making a heart-shaped German Chocolate cake for Ed, then baking some cupcakes for Sunday’s family dinner.  I was dead on my feet by the end of the day.  It was such a busy day, Ed and I didn’t exchange cards/gifts until late that afternoon!

Fortunately, Ed made chili for Valentine’s Day supper!  We took  our chili, some hot dogs, and Ed’s German Chocolate cake over to our daughter’s house, since she invited us to come over and share in her family’s Valentine’s Day celebration.  We enjoyed eating with them, and watching their exchange of Valentine gifts.

Sunday morning found me back in the kitchen, as I prepared lunch for the entire gang.  Sunday was our daughter-in-law, Christina’s, birthday, in addition to being the day after Valentine’s Day.  Everyone gathered together for lunch, following church.  Afterward, we celebrated Christina’s birthday with an ice cream cake, and some exchanged Valentines.

I have a funny story to share, concerning Christina’s birthday gift from our son.  He brought her gift to our house, on Friday night, so he could wrap it.  When he pulled the gift out, I realized it was a set of baby monitors.  My eyes grew large, and I quickly asked, “Are y’all pregnant?!”  He laughed and said, “No.”  It turned out that the old set of monitors they’d been using in the boys’ room had broken, and Christina wanted a new set.  I must admit, he sure had me going for a minute or two!

Another funny story concerns our daughter-in-law, Jennifer.  Our son, Brad, called me bright and early on the Monday morning before Valentine’s Day weekend.  He asked if I’d order a pair of shoes[for Jennifer] from Amazon, have them delivered to our house, then let him pay me for them over the weekend when they came to visit.  Apparently, Jennifer wanted a new pair of shoes for Valentine’s Day, and Brad wanted to surprise her.  I ordered the shoes, and they arrived two days later.  I bought a Valentine’s Day bag, and put the shoes inside of it.

It turned out that Brad had to work, unexpectedly, on Valentine’s Day. He was gone all day, and, because her gift was here, Brad had no Valentine’s Day gift for Jennifer.  Then, Jennifer asked Brad if she needed to pack casual shoes, for the trip, or did he have a pair, waiting here, for her.  Brad sheepishly told Jennifer she should pack a pair.  At this point, I can only imagine what Jennifer’s thoughts must have been!  Brad says it was a tense trip, but he was secretly enjoying every moment!

It was almost suppertime before Brad and Jennifer arrived here in town.  They’d already planned to spend the night with Jennifer’s grandparents, and Jennifer was in a hurry to get there because they were running late.  Brad quietly informed her that he needed to stop by our house first–on the pretense of dropping off a guitar!  I’m sure Jennifer was probably at the end of her wits, by then, and she told him they didn’t have time for all that!  They stopped anyway.

Knowing what Brad had done to Jennifer [because he’d secretly told me over the phone], we couldn’t help but wonder what kind of mood she would be in when they arrived.  Jennifer came in bearing Valentine’s gifts, and didn’t say too much until Brad surprised her with the Valentine’s Day bag containing her new pair of Sperry Top-Siders! Then, we all had a good laugh!  I sure am glad Jennifer is a good sport, otherwise, Brad might have gotten a black eye for Valentine’s Day!

A Little Update On ‘The Girls’…

It’s been a while since I’ve written about my chickens, aka ‘the girls’, so I thought I’d post an update.  I’m happy to report, with the exception of ‘Della’, who died at 3 weeks old, the chicks I ordered through the mail, in September, are alive and doing well.  In fact, three out of the seven have already started laying eggs!

I have to admit, this flock of chickens has certainly been more challenging to raise than their predecessors.  While everything seemed to come naturally to my flock of little red hens, this mixed flock has seemed to have trouble with almost everything!

For a long time, I kept a red light bulb inside of their chicken house, and would have to turn it on at dusk just to get the new flock of ‘girls’ to go inside.  Once inside, they seemed to think it was party time!  I could see inside of their house, from my kitchen window, and two hours after dark, they’d still be walking around in their house!  I finally took their light away, but they continue to put off going in their house until it’s almost too dark to see outside! Meanwhile, their older red sisters, have happily roosted in their own house each evening, well before dusk!

Once the new girls finally go inside of their house, they often can’t seem to make up their minds where they want to sleep.  We had two roosting bars, side by side.  For a while, the chickens slept in different spots on the roosts every night!   They seemed to have trouble establishing a pecking order or a sleeping spot.  Ed finally raised one roosting bar a little higher than the other.  After that, five hens started sleeping on the highest bar, while two sleep on a shelf, next to it, that’s meant for supplies, not for sleeping!  The older red sisters established a pecking order, early, and have slept in the same spots since then.

Some of this flock of chicks didn’t seem to know what was going on when they first felt the urge to lay an egg.  We watched, with great interest, as the first hen paced in and out of the hen-house, several times, but finally laid her first egg in the dirt!  Some of the sister hens soon followed, but utilized the nesting boxes we’d built and filled with hay, instead of laying in the dirt.

I’m happy to report, everyone is laying in the nesting boxes, now, but, one hen, in particular, seems to get upset when I gather the eggs!  The new hens have already laid 3 dozen eggs, since January 9th!  Most of the eggs laid are small, about the size of a golf ball, but, so far, two of them have had double yolks inside!

One new trick some of the new hens have learned is how to ‘squat’ for me whenever I enter their coop.  (I believe it’s because they think I’m a rooster)  Whenever a hen squats for me, I’ll reach down and rub her back!  I’m not quite sure what she’s expecting, but a back rub is what she gets!  (None of the older girls have ever squatted for me before.)

You may recall, I first began raising chickens three years ago, with a flock of six little red hens.  Over the course of two and a half years, we’ve lost three of the six to various illnesses.  Late last summer, we decided to let the remaining three hens go free during the day.  The girls now free range all day, but return to their coop at night, where they are locked up (as protection against predators) until the next morning.  So far, so good.

Of course, we had to add some wire fencing to areas around the yard that needed chicken proofing (like my flower beds),  and I’m wondering if they are going to find their way into our garden come spring.  Time will tell, if they will get to continue enjoying their freedom!  These hens stay in a separate housing area than their younger sisters, but can often be seen trying to get into the pen with them.

These red hens have laid literally dozens and dozens of eggs, during their lifetime.  They kept three families supplied with eggs for over two years!  They are called ‘Red Stars’, and are bred to lay more eggs than any other breed.  I thought the girls’ laying days were over, but, lo and behold, some of the hens have started laying eggs again! I’ve gotten 5 eggs from them over the past couple of weeks.

One interesting thing I’ve learned about those little red hens is they can tell time!  They’ve learned that I go outside to give them an afternoon snack every day around 4 o’clock.  If I’m ever running late, I’ll find them waiting for me beside the front steps!  They look forward to their treats.

Another interesting thing about those little red hens is they know the sound of my voice.  Whenever I go outside, and call, “Chick, chick, chick” they will come running, as fast as their short, fat legs will carry them!  One of them will still sit in my lap if she gets half a chance, too.

One thing’s for sure.  If you have chickens, there’s never a dull moment, and there’s always something to do!  Someone once wrote, “Chickens are like the worst of dogs and cats.  You have to let them out, and you have to clean up after them!”  This is true, but I love spending time with them, and we sure do enjoy those farm fresh eggs they provide.  It’s a win-win situation, for me.  I like to refer to my girls as “pets with perks”!

 

 

Still Loving The Hodgepodge…

It’s volume #208 of The Wednesday Hodgepodge, and I still love it!  I still look forward to answering the questions and visiting the participants.  I’ve learned many things about myself, and others, through The Hodgepodge.  Thanks to our hostess, Joyce, for continuing to make this mid-week fun possible!

1. Have you ever written a love letter? Have you written one recently? Had one written to you? Did you keep it?

Yes, I’ve written many love letters.  Ed and I wrote hundreds of love letters to each other, during his time in the army.  By the time we got married, I had a small suitcase, filled with Ed’s letters to me.  Sadly, when Ed and I married, I left them behind, at my parents’ house, and they threw them away.  I’ve wished, many times, that I’d taken those letters with me when I moved!

2. What’s a movie that ends in a way you especially love?

Pretty Woman is one of my all-time favorite movies, and I especially love the way it ends!

3. Something that makes your heart sing? And for those of you who are parents, I mean something besides your children that makes your heart sing?

Let’s see, not having to set an alarm clock every night… waking up every morning, with the one I love… living in a home that’s paid for… having most of our family living nearby (with the rest of them planning to move closer!)… any or all of these things make my heart sing!

4. What’s the last event you had to attend, phone call you had to make, routine task you needed to complete, or meal you had to prepare, that you did do, but only half-heartedly?

Last Sunday morning, I half-halfheartedly vacuumed my bedroom and cleaned the bathroom–two of my least favorite household tasks.

5. Tuna fish salad-yay or blech? If you said yay, how do you like your tuna salad prepared? Hey, this is the Hodgepodge, right?

I like tuna, I just don’t love it.  Whenever I make tuna salad, I add chopped, boiled egg, pickle relish, and some Miracle Whip or mayonnaise.

6. What’s something you ‘know by heart‘?

I’ve known Ed’s social security number by heart since 1970!  I learned his social security number [before I learned my own] because I wrote it so many times on the envelopes of all of those love letters I wrote him!

7. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, what two or three word phrase would you write on a conversation heart for someone you love? That someone could be a spouse, child, parent, cousin, bestie…anyone at all whom you love.

To: Ed

“You’re still the one”

Random:

So far, week #4 of retirement is going much better than week #3!  I hope the trend continues.  It’s hard to believe it’s almost been a month already!

Miscellaneous Monday…

I’m posting this early because company is coming to town this (Sunday) evening.  My brother and his wife are coming in from Florida for a little visit, and I’m sure we’ll be too busy catching up with each other tomorrow for me to blog.  It will be our first visit with everyone retired!  In the past, poor Ed always had to go to work.  My brother and sister-in-law have been retired for over seven years, as have I.

I’m happy to be able to report that “the third time was the charm”, regarding my sore tooth!  On Friday, the dentist popped the temporary crown off and reworked it twice before I could bite down without feeling pain!  I was a little apprehensive when he said he was going to try working on the tooth without the use of anesthesia, but, thankfully, it didn’t hurt.   I left the dentist’s office feeling like a  new person:)

Our weekend weather was absolutely gorgeous!  It was sunny and the highs reached near 70 degrees both days.  Ed and I took full advantage of Saturday afternoon’s beautiful weather, by working in the yard.  Ed trimmed our crepe myrtle bushes (trees?), while I picked up and burned some limbs that had fallen in the yard during our last storm.

Before we spent the afternoon in the yard, Ed and I did a little Saturday morning shopping.  In addition to our weekly grocery shopping, we hit a sale at Tractor Supply, and came home with the PT Cruiser fully loaded!  It always amazes me how much stuff we can pack inside of that little car!  We had a 50 lb. bag of chicken feed, a 10 lb. bag of layer pellets, a medium bag of dried worms (for the hens), two 16 lb. bags of dry cat food, 40 cans of cat food, a large bag of wood chips (for the chicken run), plus our groceries!  Needless to say, our ‘people food’ took up much less space than our ‘pet food’  and accessories did.

Several people left helpful hints, in Friday’s comments, regarding how to get off HRT painlessly.  Thanks to all, for the helpful advice, I’ll definitely give those suggestions a try!  I am really looking forward to the day when I’ll have one less prescription to fill, and one less capsule to swallow!

On Friday, Ed successfully got his Social Security paper work filled out, regarding the date when our insurance benefits [from the hospital] will end.  The office staff still seemed unsure of exactly when our insurance benefits are going to end, so Ed told them to terminate our benefits on March 31, and he got that in writing.  Now we’re free to see about getting follow-up insurance coverage that will begin on April 1!  I feel like we’re finally moving forward.

I’m looking forward to week #4 of retirement, this week!  It’s time to plant some garden seeds in cups, and I’m looking forward to having something growing again.  I’m planning to start some lettuce, cabbage, tomato, and pepper seedlings in paper cups, then transplant them into the garden in April.  It’s supposed to rain tomorrow, so I guess we’ll see if Ed’s most recent patching job on the roof worked, too!

That’s about all I have to write about today.  Enjoy your Monday!  I’ll be around to visit as soon as I can!

Friday Fragments…

Today marks the end of week #3 since Ed lost his job  and went into retirement.  It’s been the most difficult week, so far, at least for me.  I chalk this up to the fact that I haven’t been feeling well all week.  Nothing else has really changed.

As mentioned in an earlier post, I had a temporary crown put on a tooth, on Monday.  I’ve had a lot of discomfort, since then, and will be returning to the dentist again, today.  The problem is not the dentist, it’s my teeth and how they fit together, which isn’t normal.  Hopefully, “the third time will be the charm”, and the dentist can get my crown down a little lower today.  My gums are already feeling much better.

This week also marks the second week I’ve been reducing my HRT (hormone replacement therapy).  I’ve been gradually working toward stopping HRT, for over a year, by going down to a lower dosage, last January.  I recently began the process of skipping one capsule every third day, another step in weaning off hormone therapy slowly. No hot flashes, so far, but I can tell a change in my mood.  I’m hoping my mood will change, for the better, once my mouth doesn’t hurt anymore!

It rained again this week, and we discovered Ed wasn’t successful in fixing the leak in our roof.  He got on top of the house again, yesterday, and added more silicone.  I’m hoping “the third time will be the charm” for the roof, as well as my tooth. When Ed built our house, several years ago, he put a tin roof on it.  It’s been nothing but a problem for the past two years!  If money wasn’t an object, I’d have that tin replaced with shingles, in a heartbeat.

Ed and I are still working on getting our business affairs transitioned, in the wake of his involuntary retirement.  He was finally able to get the final date that our insurance coverage will end, so we can move forward with shopping for new insurance coverage.  For the first time in our lives, we’ll have separate health insurance policies, because Ed’s on Medicare.

Ed and I took a trip to town, yesterday, to have our prescriptions filled and to stop by the grocery store.  We ran into a former co-worker of Ed’s, and he told us that three people, at the hospital, had gotten their jobs back, this week. The management company discovered they’d “cut too deep”, so they had to back-track and re-hire some personnel. Hearing this has me wondering about this management company…

The big project for this week, for Ed, turned out to be re-doing our grapevines.  We have several vines, and Ed hasn’t had much time to properly take care of any of them.  He started with the two vines closest to our house, this week.  He took down the old strands of wire the vines were running on, and replaced that with new fence wire.  It will take a year or two for the vines to recover, and get properly trained, but the vines should grow much better and yield more grapes, in the end.

My projects for the week consisted of starting a new book and painting some Valentine’s Day sun catchers.  I wasn’t thrilled with the way the sun catchers turned out, but, at least, the book is good.  I’m reading American Sniper.  I wanted to see the movie, but figured the book would be much better.

That’s about it for this edition of Friday Fragments, and I’ll be linking up with Mrs. Fours @ Half-Past Kissin’ Time. Enjoy your weekend!