That Was The Week That Was…

I’m going to try to ease my way back into blogging on a regular basis.  I think I’ll start with a weekly post, and see how it goes; hence, the title of this post.  By the way, does anybody remember the little news skit that used to come on television by the same title?  I think there was a comedy skit, with that title, included on the show Laugh Inn, back in the late 60’s or early 70’s.

This week started out busy, like Mondays often do.  I cleaned up the house, while my husband, Ed, mowed the lawn.  After lunch, we went over and helped clean the church.  It was our first time being put on a regular “cleaning crew”, since joining the church in February.  Our church has six cleaning crews, with approximately six people on each crew.  January and July will be our cleaning months.

Tuesday was not a typical day because Ed had an appointment with his ophthalmologist, to have a laser procedure performed.  Ed had cataract surgery done about five years ago, but, since then, he’d developed some scar tissue behind the lens of his left eye.  The laser procedure was to break up the scar tissue, which it did.  We didn’t quite know what to expect, but the procedure was quick and painless.

On Wednesday, Ed and I had a surprise visit from our pastor.  (He stopped by to see how Ed was doing after the laser procedure.)  Boy was I thankful the house wasn’t in the mess it sometimes is!  When our pastor arrived Ed was out working in the garden, while I was inside struggling to sew a hook and eye on the jacket of a church dress.  As I struggled with threading the needle and getting the hook and eye straight, I was thinking to myself, Why does everything have to get so difficult when we get older? In the end, Ed and I had a nice visit with our pastor, and were glad he came to see us.  Our pastor is about the same age as our grown children.  Ed and I are getting old!!!

One thing I’ve discovered about our new church–they like to eat, and they do a lot of it!  Wednesday night was no exception, when someone brought an ice cream cake in celebration of an upcoming birthday.  Will I ever lose the unwanted pounds I’ve gained since coming there?  Probably not anytime soon, since we’re having “finger foods” tomorrow night after church, and next Wednesday is “Family Night” during which we also eat.

I’ve been wanting to go to St. Simon’s Island for the past several months.  I finally got the opportunity on Thursday.  Ed, our daughter, our granddaughter, and I piled into our van and made the two hour trip.  We unloaded and set up our chairs under our favorite oak tree.  About twenty minutes later, it began to rain!  The sun was still shinning while it sprinkled, so we stuck it out until the rain stopped a few minutes later.  The tree shielded us from most of the rain, plus we also covered up with the straw mats we’d brought along.  What a sight we must have been, all covered with those huge striped mats!!!

Finally, after two of those “sunshine showers”, the skies clouded over and heavy rain began.  We gave up and called it “quits”.  By then it was lunchtime, so we rode over to our favorite eating place, “Southern Soul Bar-b-que”.  The place was crowded, but, almost immediately, four bar stools [in a row] opened up so we could all sit down together.  As always, the food was delicious, and by the time we finished eating, the skies had cleared!

We rode back over to “The Village”, toured a few of the shops, then spent the rest of our time under the gazebo beside the water.  Our trip didn’t turn out quite like we’d planned, but we had a good time–and we laughed a lot!  I’m sorry I didn’t take any pictures.  On second thought, I’m not… Our daughter took a couple of pictures with her phone, and they’re awful–at least the ones of me are.  Just think beached whale…and you’ll get the idea.

Today (Saturday) I’m still a bit tired.  So far, I’ve only managed to change the sheets on my bed, then bake a pound cake for tomorrow night’s church supper.  The cake turned out ugly…sigh.  I hate when that happens.  Grandma always said, “ugly cakes taste best.”  If that’s true, this cake should be delicious!

Until next time…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Falling Into Another Hodgepodge…

 

It’s been over a week since “Irma” blew through, and we’re still not finished cleaning up her mess!  I think one more day should finish that up.  There is no easy way to clean up leaves, limbs, and debris, especially from three different places!  We’re keeping a watchful eye on “Marie”, and praying hard for the folks who are getting hit again.

On a more pleasant note, it’s time for The Wednesday Hodgepodge!  Many thanks to our hostess, Joyce, for providing the questions and a place to link up.  If you’d like to join in, click on the button at the top of this post.

1. What’s something you’d rate a 10/10?  Tell us why.

It doesn’t get any better than stretching out on my bed at the end of a long, tiring day, soaking in a tub filled with hot water, or stretching out in a lawn chair under my favorite oak tree on St. Simon’s Island! All of these things rate a 10/10 in my book.  The reason should be obvious–all are a great way to relax!

Speaking of St. Simon’s Island, it suffered damage from hurricane Irma. Among other things, the beautiful brick walkway that runs beside the ocean has been destroyed–a victim of the storm surge.

2. What job would you be terrible at?  I think I’d make a terrible nurse.

What makes you think so?  Watching anyone have medical procedures makes me squirm– iv’s, injections, stitches, staples all give me the creeps.  I squirm just listening to Ed and Jennifer (our daughter-in-law) talk about certain medical procedures!  I feel ‘sympathetic pain’ for the patient, even if I’m just watching the procedure on television!

3. When did you last take a fall?  Actually, I stubbed my toe on the door facing of my bedroom, on Monday afternoon.  This threw me off-balance and I began falling toward a glass doll case in my bedroom.  Fortunately, I was able to shift my weight over, so I landed on the side of the bed instead of falling into the display case!  My little toe is black & blue and very sore, but it could have been much worse if I’d hit that glass display case!  I still have bruises from the fall into the bathtub, two weeks ago, and I’m beginning to think I need a padded bodysuit!

What’s something your falling for (in a good way) these days?  We haven’t had many of them, yet, but I’m ‘falling for’ the cooler, crisp mornings of September.

4. According to the Travel Channel here are some of America’s best fall festivals-

National Apple Harvest Festival (near Arendtsville PA, close to Gettysburg), Harvest on the Harbor (Portland Maine), German Village Festival (Columbus Ohio), Wellfleet Oyster Fest (Cape Cod), and Wine and Chile Fiesta (Santa Fe NM)

Have you ever been to any of the festivals listed?  No.

Which one appeals to you most?  I like the sound of Harvest on the Harbor.

Does your hometown have any sort of fall celebration, and if so will you make it a point to attend?

Our hometown doesn’t have any kind of fall celebrations.  However, neighboring towns will have a “Wiregrass Festival”, a “Pumpkin Patch” and a county fair, but we have no plans to attend.

5. What is your goodbye message to summer?

“Please don’t forget to take the gnats, mosquitoes, and love bugs with you when you leave.”

Random:  An update on “Trouble”, the cat, and the man with the can.

“Trouble”, in her younger years

Many of you know the story of “Trouble”, the sixteen-year-old cat, and how she’s lived at Ed’s parents’ house, alone, even after the house became unoccupied. This saga has been on-going for well over five years!

A couple of months ago, “Trouble” finally migrated down to our son’s house and began staying there, but Ed continued to feed her every day, as usual.  Occasionally, “Trouble” would go back to Ed’s parents’ home for a day or two, but Ed would track her down.

Unfortunately, “Trouble” has developed a bad habit of sleeping underneath parked vehicles.  Now that she’s older, her hearing isn’t good, and this has created a problem–which finally caught up with her.

On Labor Day, our son, not knowing “Trouble” was under the car, was backing up when he accidentally ran over “Trouble”.  She was able to get up and run off, but we couldn’t find her for almost three days.  I thought she was dead.

By the time “Trouble” showed up at our son’s house, hurricane Irma was upon us, and we were in full-blown hurricane preparation mode.  Our son and family were planning to evacuate.  “Trouble” had a broken hind leg.  She wouldn’t eat, but would drink  small amounts of milk. Ed took her to his parents’ house, left her some milk, food, and water, and put her in the freezer room to ride out the storm, comfortably.

After about a week, “Trouble” began eating any food again.  In the meantime, she’d drink small amounts of milk.  (I think she used up another of her nine lives.)  While she isn’t getting around as well as before,  she’s now able to go where she wants to go.  She’s as cantankerous and independent as ever, and is more than ready to be free of that freezer room!  Ed’s been letting her outside for two hours a day, under his supervision, and she keeps trying to sneak off!  Ed plans to let her go, today.  We wonder where she will go.  Back to our son’s  house?  To the woods?  Or maybe just stay at Ed’s parents’ house?  The saga continues…

 

 

 

 

Saying Good-bye To April With A Hodgepodge…

What in the world happened to the month of April?  It went by in a blur, or at least that’s how it seems to me.  Never-the-less, it’s Wednesday again, and you know what that means.  It’s time for The Wednesday Hodgepodge!  Thank you, once again, to our wonderful hostess, Joyce, for continuing to host this fun meme.  Now, let the fun begin…

1. April showers bring May flowers or so the saying goes. Has your April been filled with showers?

We haven’t had many April showers in our neck of the woods, other than the kind that flows from our water sprinkler.  It’s been extremely dry here!  That’s why we were absolutely thrilled when it finally rained on Sunday evening!  We are very grateful for the inch of rain we received.

Do you carry an umbrella, wear a slicker, or make a run for it?  I often carry an umbrella, but, sometimes, I’ll just make a run for it.  A little water never hurt anyone.

Besides rain, what else has filled your April?  

April has mostly been filled with planting and taking care of our garden.  Gardening is quite time-consuming (especially for poor Ed)! Due to my back issues, I do more watching and watering than anything else.  You can’t tell from this photo, but there are 20 rows of vegetables planted in this garden!

2.  What’s something you could give a 30-minute presentation on, at a moment’s notice, with zero preparation? I could easily give a presentation on these creatures:

I can’t believe how little I actually knew about chickens when I brought those first baby chicks home, five years ago, but experience is a great teacher!  These ‘girls’ think they rule–and they pretty much do.  The two red hens are from the original flock of five years ago, and they still lay eggs!  The other six members of the flock (one missed being photographed) will celebrate their 3rd birthday in September. We’ve almost reached a milestone of 4, 400 eggs from these chickens (plus the five members of the flock who are now deceased).

3. Share with us a favorite food memory from childhood.

I remember my maternal grandmother having some awesome family dinners at her house!  There’d be all kinds of foods, but, strangely, the thing I looked forward to the most was the large plate of pineapple or pimento cheese sandwiches!  They always tasted so good!  Grandma also made the most delicious ‘bread pudding’ I’ve ever eaten.  For those who may not  know, ‘bread pudding’ is made with ‘left-over’ bread, eggs, milk, sugar, and cinnamon, then baked.  I sure wish I had grandma’s recipe.

4. What’s a song you thought you knew the lyrics to, but later discovered you were wrong?

I don’t have a particular song in mind, but, prior to Google, I didn’t know the correct lyrics to most of the songs by Credence Clearwater Revival or Elton John…  Come to think of it, can anyone sing the correct lyrics to Benny and the Jets?

5. According to one travel website, the most overrated tourist attractions in America are-
Niagara Falls (NY), Hollywood Walk of Fame (California), Times Square (NYC), Epcot (FL), Seattle Space Needle (WA), and Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market (Boston).

How many of these have you seen in person?

Sadly, none of them.  I’m not well-traveled.  I have been to Disneyworld, in Florida, but I went before Epcot was completed.

Did you feel like a tourist? Did you care?  Yes and no.

Tell us about a place (not on the list) you’ve visited that might be considered a tourist trap, but you love it anyway.

Elvis’ former home, Graceland might fall into that category.  His home, seemingly frozen in time, is still open for tours, as far as I know.  The house is still decorated as it was back in the late 60’s or early 70’s, but I enjoyed touring it, since I remember the 70’s so well.  I’m sure everything in the home was ‘state of the art’ back in Elvis’ day, but everything looks rather antiquated now.  Check out that television!

photo via Google

6. Your signature clothing item?

Crocs! I wear them all the time.  Here’s a photo of my first pair of Crocs.  I wore this pair for about ten years before finally throwing them away!  Sadly, the newer Crocs aren’t made to be quite as durable.

7. What’s an experience you’ve had you think everyone should experience at least once? Why?

A “close call”.  My husband, Ed, had a heart attack 18 months ago. Fortunately, he survived his  “widow maker”, and is doing well. While going through the experience was extremely scary and stressful, it made us both realize just how precious (and short) our time [here] really is.  We can be taken in the blink of an eye!  We thank God, every day, for this ‘extra’ time we’ve been given together.

Random:
While in Brunswick on other business, we had the opportunity to briefly visit St. Simon’s Island, last week, our first visit since last September.

I was pleased not to see much damage from last fall’s hurricane Matthew.  Everything seemed pretty much unchanged.  The ‘walking man’ was still making his rounds…

and folks were still taking pictures beside the strange-looking tree on the island… which I can’t seem to find a photo of!  The island was actually pretty crowded, for a Thursday.

We only stayed long enough to grab a bar-b-que sandwich from Southern Soul, then ate it while sitting in a park beside the beautiful water.  I hope to go back, soon!

An Out Of This World Hodgepodge…

It’s Wednesday, and you know what that means… It’s Hodgepodge Time!

Many thanks to our hostess, Joyce, for coming up with another ‘out of this world’ set of questions to exercise my aging brain 🙂  I really appreciate all that you do, Joyce!

Also, many thanks to the readers who faithfully stop by to visit  and read my blog.  I love and appreciate your visits and comments so much!

All that being said, here are today’s questions to The Hodgepodge, along with my answers:

1. Do you find yourself influencing your world, or is it more the other way around?

I do my best to control my own little world by trying to limit outside influences. Ed and I have never been much into the ‘social scene’, so we prefer to be at home, with each other, or family.  This is a lot easier now that we’re both retired!  I’ve never had a problem with being different, so I usually don’t get caught up in current fads, trends, or whatever, either.  A while back, I made the choice to limit how much media I read or watch, as well.  My mood is a lot better, now!

2. July 14th is National Tape Measure Day…the device was patented on this date in 1868. When did you last use a tape measure?

I used a tape measure, yesterday, to measure a fan.  We bought a new one, and I wanted to make sure it was the same size as our old one.

Do you always know where to find one in your house?

Yes, I always keep my tape measure in the sewing box.

Tell us one way in which you feel blessed ‘beyond measure’.

I figured out, a very long time ago, that I am blessed beyond measure to have Ed, in my life!  He’s truly one of a kind.

 3.The Plaza Hotel (Eloise), The Land of Oz (The Wizard of Oz), Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia), The Hundred Acre Wood (Winnie the Pooh), Wonderland (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), or Never Never Land (Peter Pan)…which storybook land (on this list!) would you most like to visit and why?

I’m a huge fan of Winnie the Pooh, so, of course, I’d most like to visit The Hundred Acre Wood.  I love the characters, and can identify with most of them.  I love “sweets” as much as Pooh loves honey!  Ed is somewhat like Tigger, usually bouncing around, full of energy,  and getting the job done.  Meanwhile, I’m moving around like Eyeore.

4. Where and when do you get your best ideas?

This question reminds me of the teacher I used to work for!  She always said she got her best ideas while in the shower!  I don’t know that I have a particular time or place for getting good ideas… Perhaps when it’s quiet.  Maybe at night, in bed, when I should be sleeping?

5. So what have you been watching on TV this summer? Anything good?

Ed and I have been watching a lot of Dateline reruns and the new season of Big Brother.  So far, Big Brother has been pretty good.  I like the twists and turns they’ve added this season.

6. ‘Don’t swim for an hour after you eat’, ‘Dog days of summer’, ‘Knee high by the Fourth of July’…choose a summer saying from the list or share one of your own, then tell us what image or memory comes to mind when you hear it spoken.

‘Dog days of summer’ conjures up an image of hot, sweltering days with lots of gnats and mosquitoes–sort of like it is now!   It also brings back the memory of a fund-raising event I once chaired for our local animal shelter, called “The Dog Days of Summer Festival”, which took place during the ‘dog days of summer’.

7. In a single sentence, sum up one life lesson you’ve learned.

At some point, your life will change, drastically, in the blink of an eye.

Random:

Praise the Lord!  Yesterday, I woke up feeling better than I have in over a week!  This could be attributed to finally getting back on my arthritis medication, or it could be attributed to the fact that  there are no vegetables waiting to be canned!

Anyway, a great opportunity is a terrible thing to waste, so Ed and I quickly threw our beach chairs and our cooler in the car, and headed for St. Simon’s Island!  The weather was ‘picture perfect’ (95 degrees, but with a nice sea breeze) and we spent several hours lounging under the shade our favorite oak tree.  Finally!  We feel like our summer has officially begun 🙂

“Mother, May I” Present Another Hodgepodge…

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Another week has passed, and with it another new month has dawned.  The month of May brings all sorts of things to mind–May Day, Mother’s Day, and our little town’s “Sweet Onion Festival”.  Then, of course, there’s The Hodgepodge!  As always, thanks to our hostess, Joyce, for hosting–even while traveling.

1. What’s something fun you’re looking forward to on your May calendar?

May is a busy month for our family!  Our oldest son and his wife will be celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary (May 6), our oldest son will also be celebrating his 34th birthday (on May 10), and one of our grandsons has a pre-school closing program (May 16).  Then, of course, we’ll be celebrating Mother’s Day on May 8th, too.

2. What are some images that come to mind when you hear the word mother?

Several images come to mind, but this picture of our DIL, Jennifer, and our youngest grandson, Evan, is one of the all-time favorites of my collection.

Other images that come to mind are “sleepless nights” and “proud moments”.  First there are the 2 a.m. feedings and the infant milestones, later there are teenage worries and scholastic accomplishments.  Finally, there is “wedded bliss” and trying to silently watch your grown children find their own way through this, sometimes complicated, life.

3. What’s something beautiful you own or have seen that’s made of glass?

The first thing that comes to mind is a glass dinner bell that my parents gave me for my birthday, many years ago.  Others may not find it particularly beautiful, but it is to me.  I keep it on the top shelf of my curio cabinet, in addition to many other treasured items.

4. Was today typical? If not what made it unusual?

Today (Wednesday) is sort of typical, but not totally.  I’m helping my daughter with something, this morning, and Ed has a dental appointment.

5. What is a quality you wish you could have more of?

The ability to convey kindness better. I have a kind heart, but I don’t always know how to show it.  Sometimes, my words come out sounding unintentionally harsh.  It’s an inherited family trait.

6. What’s the next major purchase you need to make? Will it happen in the month of May?

Ed says he’s going to replace the front section of tin, on the roof of our home.  When he put the first section of our roof on, eleven years ago, he put it on incorrectly.  As a result, we’ve been plagued with some pesky leaks, lately.  I’m not exactly sure when this purchase is going to take place, but it will probably be sometime soon.

7. What responsibility/job/work did you dislike while growing up but has proved helpful to you as an adult?

I know this isn’t what Joyce had in mind, but Business Math is one of the most useful things I learned while growing up.  It taught me how to balance my check book, and how to figure percentages, which comes in handy when shopping sales 🙂  I can figure the sale price in my head, or keep a running total [in my head] for the items in my shopping cart.

Random:

I apologize for my absence in the blog world, lately.  A lot of things have been going on.  The most noteworthy of which was our first trip (of 2016) to St. Simon’s Island, last Friday!  Our daughter and her family joined us on the day trip, and we all had a great time!  However, it wasn’t quite the same, since I now have to wear sunscreen and cover up my face with a bonnet– even while sitting in the shade of our favorite oak tree.  Oh, well…

Here’s an example of our view for the day:

It never gets old!

Since I Last Wrote…

Since I last wrote, another weekend has come and gone. Ed and I kicked off the weekend by boiling the last of Ed’s peanuts, and grilling a few hot dogs. Our daughter’s family, who lives next door, decided to throw a few hot dogs and sausages on the grill, too. Then we all decided to eat them outside, on our daughter’s deck. Just as we were about to eat our meal, Brad and family came driving up (with pizza in hand), and they joined us, too. We had a fun, impromptu cookout.  Our oldest son, and family, joined us a while later, after supper. I need to get better organized and plan more Friday night get-togethers, like we used to do!

I’ve already forgotten what we did on Saturday, so it must not  have been too noteworthy!  Oh, now I remember!  Ed cleaned out our old birdhouses, and put one of them on a new post.  He also added a shelf onto the side of the post (and painted the post and shelf), so I’d have a place to put a little ceramic robin. Last, he placed a hanging bird feeder below the shelf.  We spent part of the afternoon sitting on the back terrace, and admiring his handiwork, too…

On Sunday, Ed and I hit the road, again, for another trip to Brunswick.  We packed a picnic lunch, and headed for St. Simon’s Island (even though we’d just been there, on Wednesday). Unfortunately, the sun played peek-a-boo with us all morning, and by lunchtime sprinkles of rain had begun to trickle out of the sky.  Our favorite tree protected us from the rain, for a while, but we had to eventually give it up, but I can’t complain.  We’ve taken lots of trips to St. Simon’s Island, but this was only the second time we’ve ever gotten rained out. We spent the rest of the day browsing through several stores.

It’s back-to-school time, and Monday was the first day of home-school for our two oldest grands.

 

grandson, Caden (note his missing tooth!)

 

granddaughter, Madison (can’t believe she’s in 3rd grade already!)

Ed and I tried to help things get up and running smooth for the home-schooling mama’s.  Chase, the younger brother of Caden, spent the morning at our house, where he played and watched cartoons with Ed. (This freed up his mama to concentrate on over-seeing big brother, Caden’s first day of first grade.)  Madison and her mama entered the scary new world of third grade at their house.  Meanwhile, I took on the roll of the “lunch lady” and cooked lunch for everyone.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the spaghetti, salad, bread, and s’mores cupcakes for lunch.  After everyone went home, Ed and I both enjoyed a long nap!  Assisting with home-school is hard work 🙂

On a serious note, I’d like to say how proud I am of all of our grandchildren, and, especially, how proud I am of their parents for doing such a great job of raising them! Whether or not they realize it, all of our grandchildren are blessed with some great parents!  It’s not an easy task to raise children properly, especially in this day and time.

Home-schooling requires sacrifice.  First of all, it means giving up the second income, so many people have come to depend upon, these days.   It means being with your children 24/7, and rarely ever getting a break.  It means having to go “the extra mile” to make sure they have a good and pleasurable school year.  In addition to being “mom”, you have to be “teacher”, too.  This means planning each day in advance, giving tests, and grading papers–in addition to your regular mom duties.  Some days can be tiring!

If Ed and I can help make the task a little easier, for our home-schooling mamas, it’s our pleasure to do so!  This “lunch lady” has to go now–it’s time to get cooking 🙂

 

 

 

This-N-That On Friday…

This week has absolutely flown by…but then they all do, these days!  As I mentioned once before, I’m constantly reminded how fast time goes by, when I’m constantly having to refill my weekly “medication minder” (pill box).  It’s scary!

The feeling of fall was in the air, just a little, this morning!  It felt so good to feel a slight coolness in the air, especially after Wednesday’s ridiculous temperatures. (mid 90’s with heat index of 107)  It’s a little breezy outside, which should keep the temperatures down a bit today.

I’m continuing to take walks, twice a day.  Ed always joins me in the mornings, and sometimes in the evenings, as well.  On some days our granddaughter, Madison, joins us, too.  It was sweet, this morning, when I noticed three sets of footprints in the dirt, from our walk, last evening.

Ed and I had a special mid-week treat, this week, when we took our daughter and granddaughter to St. Simon’s Island with us.  Imagine our surprise when my daughter and I realized we had dressed alike, without knowing what the other was wearing!  (sort of like when we picked out the same mailboxes and posts)

great minds must think alike…

This time, we actually went down to the sand and surf, instead of taking shelter under our favorite tree.  It wasn’t long before we realized we’d made a mistake, but we wanted Madison to have the opportunity to play in the sand and sea.

Even though we had umbrellas, it was so hot we could only tolerate the heat/sun for an hour and a half! (Granddaughter, Madison, was the first to ask to leave.)  Let me tell you, we were all happy to get to the shade and breeze of those oak trees!  We ate lunch beside the water, (Southern Soul Bar-b-que) and spent the rest of the day in our usual spot, under the oak trees.

I had another special ‘mid-week’ treat of my own, too.  On the day we went to St. Simon’s Island, I experienced a “pain-free” day!  Even with all of the riding and sitting on the beach, I experienced absolutely no back pain!  This gives me some hope that there may be some light at the end of this tunnel I’ve been in for so long…  I hope so.  I’ve had some pain, since Wednesday, but it’s tolerable.

Most of the seeds I planted (for a fall garden) have sprouted.  The lettuce plants seem to be lagging behind, but the cabbage plants are growing by leaps and bounds.  It’s been less than two weeks since they were planted.  I don’t know why, but cabbage plants always start out tall and skinny (and fall over)…

Fall garden 2015

We have no plans for the weekend, but that’s okay.  I know most of our grandchildren have parties to attend, so their parents will be busy with those things. Ed and I may take a day trip, somewhere, just to get out of the house again.

We haven’t seen our son, Brad, and his family in almost three weeks.  We don’t see them any more, now, than we did before they moved back to town, which is sort of sad.  They haven’t sold their house, so their weekend time has to be divided between two places, for now.  Their new jobs require more of their time, as well.  Perhaps it won’t always be this way.

Ed bought himself a pair of headphones for the television, this week.  That’s the best money he’s spent in quite a while!   Now we can watch television without having to turn the volume up so loud that it rattles the pictures on the walls–and he can actually hear what the people are talking about!  I figure if I can’t convince him to get hearing aids, headphones are the next best thing:)  On that note, I’ll just say–

Have a nice weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

Saying Goodbye To July With A Hodgepodge…

1.  I recently read here about four secrets to happiness from around the world. They were-

Overcome your fears by facing them head on, allow yourself to relax and reset, work to live versus living to work, and find the good in life. Not sure if these are the actual secret to happiness, but which of the four do you struggle with most? Which one comes most easily to you?

I probably struggle most with overcoming my fears and facing them head on.  I’m somewhat of an introvert, and am not adventurous at all.  I also tend to be anxious.  In the end, I usually overcome my fears, but sometimes it’s not an easy journey. Remember, I’m the one who didn’t get her driver’s license until she was 26.

As far as what comes easiest to me, it’s allowing myself to relax and reset.  I was forced to learn how to do this twenty years ago, when I came down with RA.  Since then, I’ve had to learn how to enjoy the good days, but relax and reset on the bad ones–sometimes hard to do when you have things planned for those days.

2. How would you spend a found $20 bill today?

I think I’d save it for gas money…so I could go back to the beach again! (see #3)

3. Ego trip, power trip, guilt trip, round trip, trip the light fantastic, or trip over your own two feet…which ‘trip’ have you experienced or dealt with most recently? Explain.

My answer would have to be “round trip”, as in we made a round trip to St. Simon’s Island, this past Sunday.

4. If you could master any physical skill in the world what would it be, and how would you use that skill?

If I could master any physical skill, I’d learn how to do construction work.  Then I’d put my new skills to work by building a shed to keep Ed’s lawn mower in.  We desperately need one, and Ed keeps procrastinating on this project.

5. As July draws to a close, let’s take inventory of our summer fun. Since the official first day of (North American) summer (June 20th) have you…been swimming? enjoyed an ice cream cone? seen a summer blockbuster? camped? eaten corn on the cob? gardened? deliberately unplugged? watched a ballgame? picked fruit off the vine? taken a road trip? read a book?  Are any of these activities on your must-do-before-summer-ends list?

These are the summer activities I’ve participated in, so far:  Enjoyed an ice cream cone, eaten corn on the cob, deliberately unplugged, picked fruit off the vine, and taken a [short] road trip.  I need to get busy and read a book, soon.

6. The Republican Presidential candidates will debate on August 6th. What’s your question?

Can you ‘undo’ the damage the present administration has done to our country?

7. What’s your most listened to song so far this summer?

I’m not sure I have a “most listened to” song, but I always enjoy playing my collection of “summer tunes” on my MP3 player.  There’s some Jimmy Buffet (It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere, Margaritaville) on there, some Zac Brown Band (Toes, Knee Deep), and Kenny Chesney (Key Lime Pie, When the Sun Goes Down, Flip Flop Summer), among others.  Here’s one of my favorites, Key’s In the Conch Shell ( by Kenney Chesney)  from YouTube: (some of the pictures are blurry, but the video is still pretty)

Random:

Today, I thought I’d share a photo of the signs I bought to decorate our chickens’ coop.

I like for ‘my girls’ to have nice living quarters.  They have their own wind chimes, too 🙂  You know what they say, “Happy chickens lay better eggs.”  Our egg count since January?  1106 and counting–and they’re delicious.

Miscellaneous Monday…

Lately, it seems to take me more time to do less things, so there’s been less time for blogging.  Dear Blog, I’m so sorry for neglecting you.  If it makes you feel any better, Facebook is feeling neglected, too…

After I visited the neurologist, on last Tuesday, I began my ‘home physical therapy program’, on Friday.  My friend, Diane, [who also suffers with back problems] loaned me this fantastic book entitled Treat Your Own Back.  Diane had been given this book by her physical therapist.  I’m currently doing the exercises in that book, and following the other advice given throughout the book, as well, such as correcting bad posture and using a lumbar support pillow when sitting.  It’s a little too early to tell if the program is working, yet, but I’m hoping and praying it will.  The book says it will take about two weeks to feel results.  It takes that long to add all of the exercises to the sessions.

(Google image)

In other news, we finally discovered that the meter that’s been measuring the humidity underneath our house is wrong!  We suspected this, after continued high readings, but actually confirmed it by testing with another meter.  Our meter is ‘off’ by over 20%!  Apparently our meter has a faulty sensor, but that’s actually good news for us.  When we thought the humidity levels were at 97%, they were actually 75%, or so.

In other house news, the exterminator came back to do the 90 day check (it’s hard to believe 90 days has already passed!) on the termite traps he’d set around the perimeter of our house.  Two of the twelve traps had signs of termite activity.  He baited them with poison, which the termites will carry back to their colonies.  I’m so glad we had this baiting system installed, in addition to having our house treated underneath. It would be great to cut the little buggers off before they actually reach our house, since we apparently are living in termite territory.

termite bait system 

Ed and I took our weekly shopping trip, on Thursday, and ended up bringing home more than groceries.  We ended up purchasing a new chair for me.  Every since I developed sciatica, I have trouble finding a comfortable place to sit.  I avoid our reclining sofas like the plague!  I borrowed a chair from Ed’s mom’s house, which worked for a while, but soon became uncomfortable, as well.  I needed something firm!  I found a small glider rocker/recliner at Big Lots that seems to meet my needs.  The chair is small, about the size of a computer chair, and has memory foam in the seat.  So far, so good.  The chair doesn’t match a thing in the living room, but who cares?  I have a chair I can sit in (for short periods of time) without so much discomfort!   We had a time fitting that chair and the ottoman in the PT Cruiser, but we did it.  I [still] love that car, and I love my new chair, too!

Ed boiled some of his ‘home grown’ peanuts and grilled hamburgers and hot dogs on Friday night.  All of our grown off spring and their families gathered with us to ‘kick start’ the weekend.  I served hot fudge cake for dessert which everyone seemed to enjoy.  It’s so nice to finally be able to get the entire family together again, without waiting for a holiday or special occasion.  At times like these, I wish we’d built our house just a little larger though.  Twelve of us pretty much fill up the kitchen space, and mine is a lot larger than most.

Ed and I ran away to St. Simon’s Island, again, on Sunday.  The trip wasn’t planned, but the weather finally gave us a break from the oppressive heat and humidity, so we took advantage of it!  This time, we packed a picnic lunch, so we didn’t have to buy a thing except enough gas to get us back home.  We discovered it doesn’t matter what you’re eating, it tastes better beside the ocean, and, best of all, we only spent about twenty dollars!  It felt so good to get away–and the view wasn’t half bad either…

 

The two ‘oldest girls’, aka known as my little red hens, have forgotten where they are supposed to lay their eggs, again. Their latest nesting spot has been under our car port (in addition to underneath Ed’s lawnmower).  As a result of this, ‘the girls’ are spending mornings in their coop, which they are not too happy about!  One of them fusses and makes a noise similar to a child crying.  I refer to this noise as “chicken crying”.  Every now and then they just need a reminder of where “home” is… The other day, I found an egg beside a tree in our yard!

My back is telling me it’s time to get up and stretch, and the breakfast dishes aren’t washing themselves either,  so I should end this blog post.  Have a great Monday, everyone!

A Little Of This-N-That On Monday…

Life goes on, as usual, here in our ‘neck of the woods’.  Life, last week, was relatively uneventful, except for that out-of-control truck taking out all of our mailboxes, on Monday.

On Tuesday, Ed, our daughter, and our granddaughter went to a local farm and picked some peaches, while  I stayed home.  (I love putting peaches in the freezer, then making peach cobbler with them during the winter.)  It had been several years since we’ve picked any peaches, and the price has gone up.  This little basket of peaches cost $22.00, so those peach cobblers better be delicious!

After the mailbox incident, on Monday, Ed made a couple more calls about getting our boxes moved.  The post master continues to give us “the run around”, but hasn’t told us “No”, yet.  We’ll see if anything else comes of  it before we give up.  There have been two wrecks within two years, near where our mailboxes are.

You know, a funny thing happened when some of us went to replace our mailboxes.  Our son and his wife were ‘on the ball’, and replaced their mailbox the day after the accident. The rest of us drug our feet a bit.

Ed and I went to Lowe’s to buy ours, on Wednesday, without saying anything to anyone.  When we got to Lowe’s, we discovered they no longer sell the kind of mailbox we previously had.  This made the simple chore of choosing a new box just a bit more difficult.

The following day, our daughter went to Lowe’s to buy their mailbox, without knowing that Ed and I had already bought ours.  When she arrived home, she discovered she’d bought the exact same mailbox and post that we’d bought the day before!  Even the little sign to hold the address numbers was the same!  What were the chances of that, considering the mailboxes we both chose were “Venetian Bronze” in color?!

As of Saturday, all three of us have our new mailboxes back in place.  Now, if we can just get the mailman to deliver our missing mail.  After three days of no mail, all we got was two envelopes, on Friday–and no weekly newspaper!

Ed and I decided to mix a little pleasure with business on the day we bought our new mailbox.  We drove to the Lowe’s in Brunswick, then made a side trip to St. Simon’s Island for lunch and a couple of hours of relaxation.

While Ed and I ate our lunch, on St. Simon’s Island, we watched a young lad climb one of the massive oak trees we were dining under.  He carried a couple of backpacks and some rope with him as he climbed higher and higher.  We watched, with interest, as he unpacked a hammock, tied it up in the branches of the tree, then hopped into the hammock and began relaxing!  Ed took a picture.

I couldn’t even relax and enjoy my lunch because I was afraid the boy was going to fall the entire time!  He didn’t. After an hour or so, the boy climbed out, took the hammock down, packed everything back up and rode away on his bicycle!

The rest of our week wasn’t nearly as exciting as watching the boy in the tree, but I’m sort of glad.  We shopped a bit, canned peaches, mowed our grass, and got caught up with our family.  Normal and unexciting is good.

This week won’t be ‘normal’, at least not for me.  Tomorrow is my ‘long awaited’ appointment with the neurologist.  My stomach is in knots today.  I’m both relieved and terrified that the day is finally about to arrive.  I have no idea what to expect, other than opening up our checkbook…  That much I know for sure!  I’d sure appreciate any and all prayers concerning that doctor visit and the healing of my back.

My back is aching, my hair needs washing, and the floor needs vacuuming.  I guess that means it’s time to get out of this chair and get busy.  Let the day begin…

Happy Monday!