The day before New Years Eve

Can you believe that in less than 48 hours we'll all be saying good-bye to 2008? Is it just me, or are the years passing faster and faster? I'm sure I'll say good-bye around 9 o'clock as I'm finding it much harder to stay up much later than that. Of course, I do get up at 5ish (sometimes 4ish) every morning, but maybe once Maggie/Maxie goes to her new home I'll sleep a little later as she is usually the first one up and then they all stomp me until I get up!

I went to see Mother today. I decided not to tell her about Patricia. It would serve no purpose. Mother and Patricia were quite close and stayed in contact with each other over the years. I still haven't heard anything about the cause of death or the services.

Mother was a little more confused today than she has been lately, but then like everyone else she has good days and bad ones. When I got there she was in a group thing going on in the dining room. She was sound asleep in her wheelchair. Maybe that's why she was addled.

I just finished making potato salad for 20+ people for work tomorrow. The boss is baking a country ham and one of the other girls (ha!) is doing baked beans. That's a nice little feast to say good-bye to the old year with!

When I got home from Tallahassee the puppies had once more breached the gate between the hall and my room. They polished off two unread paperbacks, a couple of magazines, a pillow and a bag of cherry flavored cough drops. I haven't heard either of them cough since I've been home.

Patricia

Around 11 am Tuesday morning my cousin Patricia was found dead in her recliner in front of her TV. Age 55. Cause of death undetermined at this point. The family is in shock and grieving greatly. The autopsy should be complete early next week. Her two dogs and her cat were with her. Service arrangements haven't been made at this point. I am going to try to go down for the service.

I didn't find out about Patricia until last night.

Christmas at the Waukula Spring Lodge was very nice. Nancy, Bert and Nancy & Mark B. and I sat at a table set for 6. The empty place a reminder of people not there. For both Nancy B. and Bert I'm sure the spot was empty of his first wife and her mother. I don't know Mark well enough to know of his loses, but I'm sure there are some. For Nancy, I'm fairly sure the spot was empty of Daddy first, her friend Poppy and Mother and she's had other loses, too. For me, I felt the loss of families first, but most immediately the spot was empty of Mother. And, I know that was the foremost thought of each of us there.

The food was fantastic. A gazillion salads and a gazillion desserts! The buffet was awe inspiring! Turkey, fried shrimp, oyster dressing, primerib, stuffed pork chops, lamb, collards, green beans, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravies and sauces...unreal! I tried, of course, to try some of 'most everything. I failed. But, I tried! I think I'm still stuffed this morning!

Before I left Monticello yesterday, I drove through the car wash. Six dollars to drive through! But it did do a pretty good job, didn't get all of the love bugs, but cleaned her up pretty well. I didn't realize that the wall looking things on either side of the car would move back and forth, so the entire wash I sat with my foot on the break and most of the time with my eyes closed! That was the funniest feeling, it really felt like the car was moving!

Then I picked Nancy up for the trip to Waukula Springs. Usually she drives, but a week ago she fell in her shower and fractured 3 ribs and she has a horrible cold with deep chest coughing and sneezing. Both of which tear her ribs up! So, needless to say, she's in no shape to drive. However, she is a fantastic back seat driver!

The weather was quite overcast, but very warm, 77/78 degrees. I just wore a nice white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and some jeans. I mean, it is a lodge! There were people dressed in every thing from jogging suits to their Sunday best!

Christmas 2008 will go down as a most memorable Christmas in my book of history! I think history is what each of us actually experiences. Everything else is hearsay.

Happy Christmas Eve Day!

A while back RM said she's addicted to FaceBook. Well, I think I may be too! Two mornings in a row my first thought on awaking has been about harvesting my crops on MyFarm! Wow! Who woulda thunk it?

Today is a party day at work. I baked 5 dozen Heath cookies last night. If nothing else it'll be a sugar rush day!

Gotta run.

Well, the fence is enlarged...

The fence guy came yesterday and extended the fence back 25'. It sure does make a big difference, but I can see that I'd like to enlarge it even more!

He didn't take Maggie with him, but his wife and 7 yr. old son and 5 yr. old daughter did come and meet her. Maggie fell in love with them (especially the children) and they all fell in love with her. They didn't take her because one of their Christmas gifts is a Disney cruise. So, Maggie'll be here another 3 weeks and they'll pick her up on the 9th. They are very excited about this and so am I. I'm much easier about the adoption now that I've met her new family. It was love at first sight. Her name is probably going to be Maxie because that's what the daughter called her. I've been trying to use it too.

Friday night was Dinner with the Ladies and as always most enjoyable.

We have a wonderful little rain right now. It's supposed to be quite cold tonight. We've really had it cushy lately with the temps. in the high 70's daily and high 50's nightly. Sigh, I guess it had to end, but I sure am spoiled!

Just call me a party animal!

Can you believe it? Three parties in less than a week! Well, I'm not quite sure if the last 2 count. They were both in nursing homes.

Wednesday was a Christmas party in one of our local nursing homes. Our garden circle got the names of several of the patients who don't have family and we gifted them. Norma (one of my ladies night dinner friends) and I got the name of James C., we weren't given a last name. When we got to the home he was sitting away from the main party with his back to it. He seemed not to be aware of anything going on around him, but when Norma and I gave him his gifts and talked to him for a little while he began making eye contact and when we were ready to go he got tears in his eyes and said "Thank you". Sorta makes your heart burst!

Then yesterday was the Christmas party at Mother's nursing home. I got there an hour and a half early and since the weather is so warm Mother and I sat out on the porch most of the time. We had a nice visit as long as no one else was around. Mother would holler at folks that she thought were trying to interfere with our visit. When it got a little too cool for Mother we went in and sat in the common area and watched for Nancy. At one point Mother said to me "get up, get up, don't you see who that is?", I asked who and she said "Obama"! Of course he wasn't really there! The party started at 5:45 and was really festive. A group of the patients sang carols (quite nicely) and there was a ton of food...mainly sweets. Nancy got there right on time and Bert got there a little later. We were a nice little family group. Nancy and I left around 6:20 and I got home about a quarter to seven.

When I got in the puppies had filled the living room with poly fiber fill type stuff. I still haven't figured out where it came from! Then I made a pot of mushroom, chicken and noodle soup. Sure is good. Just finished a bowl for breakfast!

Tomorrow the fence guy is coming at 8 o'clock. He said he doesn't think the job will take very long. I'm so excited about this! Then, if all goes as planned, he'll take Maggie with him when he leaves!!!!! I've got a little box of her things and her gifts from Santa for him to take with him too.

Tonight is dinner with the ladies.

I went to a party!

I can't remember the last time I went to a "real" party. I did last night! It was a progressive neighborhood party and within walking distance! Generally I'm not a party person, but this was fun. I met a gazillion neighbors that I'd never set eyes on and really hit it off with a few of them...there wasn't anyone I didn't like. We started with wine and appetizers at one house and went to another for dinner and then on to dessert. It began at 5:30 and I didn't get home until 9! Imagine that!

Both yesterday and today Maggie escaped from the fenced yard. I think she's getting out by going under the house, but I've blocked up every escape hole I can find. Evidently not very well! She's a little hard to get back in and yesterday she was across the street. That's a very busy road and that's scary! I sure do hope the fence guy takes her!

No real news.

I may have found Maggie a home!

Yesterday the young fellow that put my original fence in came by to give me an estimate on enlarging the fenced area. He's going to extend it 25 feet toward the back of the yard. Now, 25' doesn't sound like much to me, but when he wheeled it off and marked it I was pleased at how much more area that will be. The dogs will have a much larger area that's grass to romp in and perhaps that'll give the area around the patio a chance to heal.

Anyway, while we were out there the dogs were watching and voicing encouragement. The fence guy said, "you only had the little dog (Shirley) when I put this fence in". So I told him the story of how Maggie came to live here and that I'd tried for months to find her a home and had given up and had her spayed and shots, etc. He asked if I was still looking for a home for her that he and his wife were talking about getting a dog!!! Well, next Saturday he's going to do the fence and when he's finished he'll take Maggie home!!!! I hope this works out. Three dogs is more than I want or need. Vet bills are awful and dry dog food has really soared in cost. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I'll miss her and worry about her, but she'll have a family with a little boy and a big fenced yard and people that want her. This is definitely for the best!

Last night was dinner with the ladies. We were all dressed in our Christmas finery and looked so spiffy. Wine and conversation flowed freely. We solved all of the world's woes. If only it could extend past our private dining room! I did find out that the Senior Center has gotten a grant to complete the building and a private citizen has completed the ball field. No help for the Humane Society yet. We all pray that is coming soon! It's important.

Wow! Was that a storm!

We had some really strong weather blow through here last night and this morning. It's still blustery and raining, but the storm's gone. The winds torn the plastic on the front porch down once more and it's to be in the 30's tonight. I'm probably not going to get it back up today. We'll see what happens.

Monday I started the arduous task of turning the garden bed. I'm using a garden fork, the shovel just didn't do a very good job. The ground is so wet after earlier rains that turning it is both easier and awfully hard. Easier because I'm not having to chisel away at adobe like soil, but harder because of the weight of it. In two days I got an area apx. 4' x 10'x 18" turned. That's a bed and that's a start. I have 5 or 6 more of the same size I want to turn in that plot. Won't be trying today, that's for certain!

Didn't go to garden club today. Just wasn't going to get out in this messy weather. Tomorrow night is dinner with the ladies. Tonight is Survivor!!!!

Last night I watched PBS-TV. I had two and a half hours of Elvis and then an hour of Roy Orbison! Talk about wonderful. I drove the dogs crazy with my singing and dancing. But, I sure did enjoy it! The Roy Orbison show was from a 1964 concert. I was amazed at the folks he had doing back up...Bruce Springsteen (very young and pretty), Elvis Costello and Rita Coolidge! There were a few more that I recognized last night, just don't remember who today.

Can you believe that Christmas is two weeks from today? I'm really not doing much this year. It's one of those belt tightening years! I'm afraid they will be like that from now on.

The City of Monticello got some kind of a beautification grant a while back and we had reached the point of use it or lose it. So they dug up parts of the road that circles the courthouse (US 19 & US 90) and are planting trees and such in the four corners. That feels so frivolous in these days of financial woes. I guess the grant was specific and couldn't be used for other things, but there are so many things that money could have been used for that are really needed. We have a ball field that needs funds for completion. Our senior center's outside walls have been covered with Tyvec for the last year or so. Our humane society is always just a gnats breath from closing, yet we plant trees. Just seems wrong, you know?

Twelve cents

Sunday morning the puppies got me up around 5 o'clock to go outside. I usually flip on the dining room light not only to see my way, but to avoid any early puppy mishaps. Well, when I turned the light on Sunday morning a little glint caught my eye on the floor of the funny room. On investigation it was a 1960 copper penny. Picked it up. Let the dogs out and the cats in and went in the kitchen to feed the cats and start the coffee pot. As I was crossing the gate from the kitchen to the funny room to let the dogs in another glint caught my eye. You guessed it, another penny (19981)! and then, a dime (1992)! Twelve cents! Not a bad haul for 5 o'clock on a Sunday morning! I have no idea how they got there as my purse never goes in there and all of my change goes into jars. It's a mystery...maybe my ghost?

Today Nancy, Bert and I had a meeting with the staff at Mother's nursing home at 1:00. Nancy and I were both a tad wary as the last staff meeting we'd had about her was at the other nursing home she was in for 2 weeks and they said they couldn't keep her there and we need to move her as soon as possible. But, today was quite different. It was very positive and they told us they actually enjoy her, that she pretty much runs the place! Her second roommate died a few weeks ago and the staff told us that when her new roommate moved in last week that Mother told her she was quite safe in that room, because she is a nurse!!!!! What a hoot! She's not a nurse, though she was quite knowledgeable about medical things before the stroke. Anyway, her medications were discussed and the feeding tube also. The head nurse said she has a request in to Mother's doctor to stop the day time feedings and only do a slow drip at night that this way Mother may start eating better with an appetite. Well duh! This has been our idea all along! Who's going to want to eat if they are never allowed to be hungry! Then the subject changed to Mother's dementia and my heart flipped a bit, because this is the first time I've heard that word used by the staff. Of course, I know she has dementia, but I guess that in my heart of hearts there was that faint hope that she could improve. She won't.

Yesterday I borrowed the boss' truck and brought home a gigantic cardboard box that has a metal framework inside. Furniture came in it. You should have seen me unloading it. I got as close to the fence as I could with the truck and finagled the box over the side of the truck and rested part of it on the fence. Then I couldn't budge it! Ended up squeezed between the truck and the fence under the box and flipped it with my head and arms on over. It's in the fenced area now covered with a tarp and weighted on top. I had the idea that it could be a dog house. Well, after I got it covered and situated I crawled in and just sat there trying to entice dogs in. Shirley finally came in and sat in my lap for a while, but the puppies were sure it was a trick and would have nothing to do with it! The cats have been in and out of it and Goodness perches and suns on the roof. So, maybe it's a cat house. It'll be interesting to see how it stands up to rain.

Galaxies and Stars

I went to see Mother yesterday. When I got there she was in the common room with several other people waiting to be taken to their rooms for their naps. She was pleased to see me and said "Oh, I'm so glad you're here, there's something I need to talk with you about". When I asked her what she said "Galaxies and Stars"! I asked what she wanted to know, but she didn't remember. I told her that they were basically the same as galaxies were mainly made up of stars and planets. That pleased her.

We're to have a hard freeze tonight and "they" say that with just a few little tweeks snow is possible Friday!!!!! Wouldn't that be great!!!!

I'm not sure just what's gotten into the puppies, but they are exceptionally bad right now. Yesterday they breached the gate between the back hall and my room and once more tore up pillows and papers. Then this morning before I left for work they shredded magazines (that were put up) all over the living room. Gotta get my fence enlarged and a dog house!

Goodness didn't come in last night, nor did he come in for breakfast this morning. When I went out to go to work he was on the back steps with a bloody ear and a bloody side. I carried him into the kitchen and left him there. I was running late because of the puppies and didn't take the time to check him out too well, but nothing looked life threatening and the bleeding had stopped.

I'll go by on my run to town this morning and check on him.

The weather outside is frightful!

Wow have we had a few days of WEATHER! Since Friday I've gotten over 7 & 1/2 inches of rain measured in my rain gauge! The wind had really been strong, too. Both the front porch and the carport are flooded and the puppy yard in one large mud puddle! I took the garbage can out to the street earlier and debris had piled up in the gutter just at my driveway and I had a most astonishing puddle quite a ways up my driveway! Used a large stick that had blown down to make a path through the pile and watched the water just gush down the road! Then I picked up the rest of the stuff in the year that the wind brought down.

The wind also tore about a third of the plastic I put up around the front porch a few weeks back down. So for an hour or so I fought the wind on a ladder on my soaked front porch and stapled the plastic back up. I'd saved a handful of the thick, slick campaign fliers that came around a while back, so I cut them into strips and used them between the staple and the plastic. That should help, the heavy paper ones that I put up at first just got wet and let go. I also cut some wind flaps on that side. I have the few potted plants that survived the puppies and the drought out there. They seem to enjoy it as they've gone through a couple of weeks of weather in the 20's at night and seem no worse for wear.

I spent Thanksgiving at home alone this year. So did Nancy. It was quite pleasant and I got a lot done...not sure just what, but a lot. I baked a little ham and made potato salad and ate all day! Then on Friday I used turkey from the freezer and the ham bone and some ham and made a fantastic pot of Spanish bean soup. Yum!!!

I've put off making my share of the ornaments for the Opera House Christmas tree until today. We're decorating tomorrow. I've gathered LOTS of berries and leaves and acorns and pine cones and lichen and stuff and just didn't know what to do. So I ended up hot glueing Yaupon Holly berries in pine cones and put wooden stars on top that I drilled a hole in and I call them Christmas trees. Don't look too bad, sorta like a third grader made them. Oh well.

Shopping and othr pleasures

Saturday morning I met Nancy a little later than usual (9:30) because we decided to "do" lunch instead of breakfast for a change. It's so much easier to do 9:30 than 7am! We went to Talbots and shopped their sale. There wasn't much and they had rearranged the store to hide the emptiness. It really didn't work too well and wasn't so pleasant to shop in. Nancy had received two cards in the mail from Talbots for 30% off, one for her and one for a "friend". I was the friend. They had a wonderful sale on socks and we both stocked up!

I've been hearing that Talbots was in trouble and that they have already closed their men's and kid's stores and that they are planning to close many of their ladies stores. This experience on Saturday really seemed to back that up. It's a shame.

Then we went to Bert's house, but he wasn't there. We left cards (his 91st birthday is Wednesday) and Nancy sorted through Mother's mail and the junk mail and then we left.

We just couldn't decide where to have lunch, but as we were driving down Capital Circle we saw Famous Dave's Bar-b-que and whipped in. Talk about a feast!! We both had the Devil's spit bar-b-qued hamburger. A half pound of meat with jalapeno bacon and all the trimmings slathered with Devil's Spit Bar-b-que sauce. Talk about to die for!!! I got four meals out of that burger!!! The manager bought us dessert, bread pudding, and it was absolutely wonderful! So good that I got the recipe!

It's been quite cold. One day this weekend I wore a hat, scarf and jacket in the house all day!

Brrr!

We have been right cold for the past week. Several nights we've hit 27 degrees or lower over night and low 50's in the day time! (The wind has been fierce, too!) For North Florida that's quite cold this time of the year. Rumor has it that this will be a colder than normal year for us!

I still haven't turned the furnace on. Nor have I had it checked out or had the propane tank filled. I'm just not going to do it! I have the fireplace and a couple of space heaters and that's just going to have to do!

When I was little, 5ish, we lived in an old farm house that was built waaay up off the ground and wasn't insulated. I remember running through several unheated rooms to get to the kitchen and the wood stove (that Daddy would have going pretty hot) to dress and have breakfast. We didn't have heated bedrooms or bathrooms...I think there was a little space heater that we used in the bathroom, but we had to go through a screened sun porch to get to it! I remember several times going to Daddy's office to take a bath in a galvanized tub because it was warmer there than in the house!

Well, I think I can do this. I do go to bed a little earlier (if the fireplace has burned down enough) and I've been turning one of the space heaters off. I don't know if it's safe to leave a space heater on all of the time or not. The other night I turned them both off and didn't have the fireplace going and the house was very cold in just a few minutes. I turned just the one in the living room on and in an hour or so I was comfortable enough. Shirley stays burrowed most of the time but, for some reason (probably puppies), she can't keep her sweater on. Since she's lost so much weight she shivers more.

Yesterday was our Fall Festival at work. I was outside from around 11am until 3ish. In the sun it was quite comfortable, but in the shade it was cold. We had a really good party with soccer and basketball and darts and toss games and an auction and wonderful food. We had the event catered by out local Mexican restaurant. We had 5 different types of soft tacos and red beans and rice. There were grilled chili peppers and onions and halves of limes and really good sauces. I brought over half of mine home and had it for supper! Yum!

That was one of my longer days in a while, ended up with 7 1/2 hours on the clock! When I got home I was tired to the bone! and my back was killing me! I took an Advil liquid gel and that eased my back and sat down in my recliner with numerous animals and just vegetated the evening away.

Watched Survivor, thank goodness they got rid of that Randy guy...they should have done that weeks ago, now he's on the jury and he's such a loose cannon!

Nancy and I are meeting tomorrow to do some shopping and have lunch. Tonight is my dinner with the ladies. Food is really the mainstay of entertainment, isn't it?

First Garden Club Meeting

Yesterday was my first Founders Circle Garden Club meeting. I knew about 1/2 of the women there. The meeting was held at Palmer Place, one of the most historic and haunted homes in Monticello. During the Civil War Palmer Place was turned into a hospital and it is said that the spirits of many of the men who died there and who are buried there frequently appear. This isn't the only home, area or building in Jefferson County that has spirits, but is possibly one of the most beautiful! There is also a full size antique car museum on the grounds of Palmer Place that also has a full size merry-go-round and several other carnival rides that have all been fully restored. The calliope played Christmas carols the entire time we toured the museum. It was all breathtaking!

This Garden Circle will be decorating areas of the Opera House for Christmas, so most of the meeting was spent talking about making organic ornaments for the tree and centerpieces. We also had a cookie swap (everyone took 2 dozen cookies). I came home with more cookies than I know what to do with! I've already eaten more cookies than I usually eat in 5 years and I think I'll take the rest out to work and let the boys dispose of them! Oh, and we had chili and soup for lunch.

Poor Nancy still has a kidney infection. This is 8 or 9 weeks now and she's really feeling poorly! She's going to a urologist and every time she finishes a round of antibiotics they do another urinalysis. This last time they told her that she has 2 different bacterias and they put her back on one of the antibiotics she's already been on, but double the dosage at twice the frequency. Lets hope this works! She can't afford to lose her kidneys! Can anyone?

The weather is quite odd! Last night I was watching tv and the air conditioner came on! When I looked at the thermostat it said it was 82 degrees! Now the tv is saying we could have a hard freeze Sunday night. Talk about yoyoing! Right now I'm in short sleeves with the back door open. Bet this will not be the case Sunday! Today we are to have severe thunder storms! We do need the rain, just not the storm!

No real news. Puppies are still here and a little better (some days). Shirley and the cats are all fine. Shirley had to wear her sweater two days last week. No change with Mother.

The beginning of the weekend!

Thank goodness it's Thursday! For the past few months my weekend has begun on Thursday and it's Wonderful!!! No big plans for my 4 days, just house stuff and yard stuff and dog stuff...and all that stuff is actually never ending!

The main thing I'd like to do this weekend is work on a painting. We'll see.

Monday I went to see Mother. She's still banished from the main dining room and I found her finishing up her dessert in the "bad girl" room. She was happy to see me and liked the pictures I took her. Also took her a couple of lemon drops, they weren't particularly welcomed, not chocolate.

Left there, found gas for $2.25!, ran to Publix and then got my hair cut next door. It was my regular fellow and this was my first cut since he disappeared for 6 weeks this summer (I had a stranger cut it then) and I'm not so thrilled with the cut. It actually seems to have no shape and all of the frosting is gone and it's just a dark blob sitting on the top of my head. Not sure what I'll do with it, but I'm sure I'll take the scissors to it...maybe try to color it, too!

Got a flu shot at CVS on Tuesday. I called my doctor's office and they are charging $40, CVS charged $30. Found out later that the health department is charging $20! Should've gone there. I'm not sure why insurance doesn't cover the shots. Doesn't make sense to me.

Yesterday I changed out all of the files for TLS's year-end. This morning my shot arm is aching, not sure if it's the repeated lifting and moving of the files or if it's the shot. Maybe it's a combo.

We've gone 2 days of no poop in the house!!!! I'm afraid to mention it, don't want to jinx anything! However, I'm afraid the sofa is history. I was watching tv the other night and my nose cleared just enough that I wished it hadn't. The smell in the room was awful and I finally tracked it down to the sofa. I have Febrezed and vacuumed to no avail. Not sure what to do other than get it out of the house! Damn!

The election on Tuesday night was record setting in so many ways. The number of young people registering and voting for the first time was astonishing! Good for them! I do hope they maintain an active interest in issues and continue to play an active part in shaping the country they will be inheriting in a very short time. The numbers of voters turning out all over the country was awesome! It will be the best thing for the future of our country if all of our citizens stay informed and active in the power of the vote!

We had a very gracious winner and a very gracious loser. Both men were facing a mountainous task and I wouldn't be surprised if one of them had a small sense of relief and one a twinge of what now?!

Oh no! Quiet puppies!

A Halloween leopard

This was my inspiration...how'd I do?

Brrrrr!

Gracious, it's COLD! We've been cold for 3 nights (or maybe 4) in a row and this old person just isn't taking it so well! I haven't had the furnace checked out ($60!) and I haven't had the propane tank filled either so it's quite nippy in the house!



Last night I built my first fire of the season (gotta get more wood) and it really did make quite a difference in comfort! We (the 7 animals and I) have been going to bed between 8 and 8:30 just to be warm and last night because of the fireplace we stayed up until 10!



I'm trying to get the house a little more comfortable with sun light today. It seems to be working a little bit, but this time of the year I don't get much full sun on the house until late in the day. Yesterday I sat on the front porch from 5 til 6 and was comfortable for about 45 minutes. When the sun goes down it's mighty fast!



This afternoon I'm going to bake a little 8lb. turkey and that'll put a little heat out and then around 6 tonight I'll build a small fire. I'm trying to conserve my wood pile as much as possible. Then I should be able to stay up through Survivor!!!!! It's terrible, but I have turned on a couple of incandescent fixtures just for the heat and it does make a difference!



Tuesday work gave us all giant bags of mixed candy. When I say giant I mean really big, like 10 pounds! and, Carolyn gave me 2 bags of candy! I got a couple of oval orange-colored plastic tubs with handles at the Family Dollar Store for $1.00 each and filled one to over-flowing and took it to the nursing home that Mother's in and put it on the nurses station. Wrote on it Happy Halloween from JP (Mother). They were tickled! And, it made me feel good too! I'm going to fill little buckets for all of the Friday night ladies and that still leaves me with a whole unopened bag! Not sure just what I'll do with it. I'll figure something out.



I'm sure I mentioned that we are all going to dress up Halloweenishly (boy, that one drove spell check crazy! didn't even have a suggestion!) for dinner Friday night. I'm going to attempt to paint on a leopard face and wear my leopard pants and jacket. I've got a tail and ears that I made years ago and I'll wear them too. Keep your fingers crossed that it turns out okay, the face painting, I mean.



When I got to the nursing home Tuesday Mother was in bed for a nap, but not asleep. We visited for about 10 minutes and she was quite nice. It's amazing what a difference her medications have made! Her mind is quick now, just not terribly focused.

I voted!

Today before going to Tallahassee to see Mother I stopped at the voter registration office and voted! Feels good getting that done! Today was only day two of the two week early voting and it was actually quite crowded. I had to wait for 20ish minutes before it was my turn. I bet this election is going to see record numbers of voters! Yeah! I believe it is such a privilege to be able to vote!!!

Mother was in the beauty parlor when I got there today. Aleen was just finishing her up and she look very pretty. She recognized me as soon as I walked in (the last few times she didn't know it was me) and was quite happy. She had a talk with Aleen about having her color done and they settled on next week. I wheeled her about for a little while and then it was time to go into the classroom where she and 3 other ladies eat. Today was the first time in a long time that she didn't want me to leave, but they don't want us there during this meal. Not sure why.

Stopped at Publix on the way home. They had some featured calf liver and I bought a package with four slices and divided it into two and two when I got home...froze one package. So, for supper tonight I had liver and onions with rice and gravy and green beans. Talk about comfort food! I find it amazing, I cut the two slices in half and still have three pieces for tomorrow! and rice and gravy and green beans! Lucky me! Yum!!

The first good chill of Fall!

The weather was absolutely beautiful all weekend long! Clear blue skies, puffy white clouds and mid-80s for the temp. Cool nights, 50s. Then last night it got quite chilly! I turned both ceiling fans off Friday night and have been leaving the French doors open, but last night I put on socks, closed the doors and put a blanket on the bed! I was cold!

Wore a 3/4 length sleeve pull-over with a denim jacket to work! Love to pile on those layers! You can always shed some if you need to.

Tonight it's to get back down into the 40s, but it's not to go up too much tomorrow day. Yeah! I've already gotten out tomorrow's clothes...got some good layers!

If you don't watch Biggest Loser you can watch it on the web. Sure do enjoy that show. They always look so much worse than I do when the season starts and they always look so much better at the end! It's amazing!

I really need to expand the fenced in area. What I have now is 50'x50'x50'x50', but the majority of it is cement ( which I plan to stain or paint someday). These puppies need more room to romp in. Maybe they'd tire out some.

Oh! I almost forgot, I've finished 4 of the six dining room chairs and have the seat off of the 5th one. It's a MAJOR change! Looks good.

Will go see Mother tomorrow.

The first good chill of Fall!

I've done so much recently that you'd think I'd have something to show for it! My 3 main focuses have been rendering the dining room usable, organizing the side porch and working on my work room.

The dining room is getting there. The table and chairs are once more centered in the dining room under the wonderful new chandelier that the kitchen renovators installed for me. They also left greasy black hand and finger prints on the relatively white ceiling! I must get up there and see if I can do anything about them! and...today I recovered 1 of the 6 chairs in there. It makes such a difference! Adds a wonderful pop of color and ties in the wall paper with the chandelier. Just looks great!! Now only 5 more to go. May have to do 1 a day or something as my hands are killing me from using the stapler. I'll just have to see how it goes.

I got a recycling bin last week and put it out Tuesday night for the first time. It felt good. I have put a great number of boxes out for recycling and I've taken recycle things to the dump. (They have special bins for certain things). But, it really did feel good just putting it out front!

Nancy and I have talked about needing to sell Mother's car. The sooner we do it the better the profit, but I guess that's dependent on actually be able to sell it. It's a 2008 Lincoln Town Car, I think. Anyway, it is a 2008 and you'd think it'd be easier to sell it in '08! Nancy broached the subject to Bert this week and he's dead set against it! He told Nancy that he really believes that Mother will "snap out of it"! and he wants her car to be there when she comes home! Oh, so sad!

Had dinner with the ladies last night. Always fun! I love being the youngest for a change! Had fried shrimp, cheese grits, cole slaw and hush puppies! Wonderful! Brought home a slice of pie to die for, Cool Whip, coconut, chopped pecans and caramel in a graham cracker crust! So good! Brought home enough left-overs that I had everything for breakfast and again for lunch today. Yum! Sure hate that it's all gone! Week after next is Halloween and we're all going to dress in costume for dinner! Fun! Oh, they finally pin-pointed me down on joining the Founders Garden club. I am.

I'm thinking this quietly as I type it in: The puppies seem better. A couple of times this past week I actually caught them doing something and swatted them pretty good with whatever was close at hand. Also, they've pretty much chewed up everything. They did a number on the bench that I bought to use as a coffee table. I can make it usable, but it just pisses me off when they do things like that! I coated it with hot sauce and that's working for now.

Guess I'd better go, no puppies in sight and it's mighty quiet!

It was one of those days!

Have you ever had one of those days when everything happens wrong? Well, today was one of those!

It all began before I left the house this morning.

When I got up this morning the puppies had torn up one of the last of the dog toys all over the bedroom. Fuzz and stuffing everywhere! Calmly picked it up.

Put the gate up between the back hall and the dining room as I was leaving for work. Saw I'd left the kitchen light on. Stepped over the gate right smack dab in the middle of a fresh, steaming, smelly pile of poop. Tossed purse to the table, grabbed the shoe and hobbled to the kitchen. Used the hottest water the pipes could produce and the sprayer and got the poop out of all of the grooves on the shoe.

Scrubbed the sink with Comet.

Only worked until 10:30 this morning. Then it was off to Tallahassee to see Mother.

I was closer to Hwy. 27 at work than I was to Hwy. 90 which is the usual way I go to see Mother. But somehow it made more sense to me to go Hwy. 27. Wrong! Because of the time of day and traffic and the fact that I was on the opposite side of town, it took me almost twice as long to get to the nursing home. Mother was in a group activity when I got there and I watched for about 15 minutes and left. I didn't want to upset the apple cart.

Stopped at Publix on the way home. They were out of my cigarettes.

When I got to Monticello I went to Fred's and got my cigarettes.

Since I was on that side of town I decided to go home the back way and stopped at Leah Jane's to get some more things out of the yard. Couldn't pick up the bird bath, but got 2 large pots of asparagus ferns and tossed them into the back seat.

Got home and opened the back door of the car to take the ferns out and a rather large green and gray snake fell out. (Use your imagination here.) After hopping around for a while I decided to try to reach over the cats that had circled the snake and take my groceries in.

As soon as I opened the back door I knew that I wasn't going to be a happy camper...there was cushion foam in large chunks all over the dining room and into the living room and the fresh aroma of puppy poop. Now I got home about 30 minutes earlier than I usually do from work and the distruction had already begun. I think they decorate for me. I'm glad I was early! After tossing the dogs out I started in on cleaning up the mess and found the remote for my TV under a mess of foam. The end that you point toward the TV was gnawed. Pointed it toward the TV and pressed "on"...nothing.

You know, at this point I'd about had it! I left Shirley and the puppies in the yard (which I have never done before) and took my remote to Radio Shack. Well, wouldn't you know it they didn't have one that was compatable with my TV! Said I'd probably have to go back to where ever I got it (Thomasville) and get one there. I moaned and groaned and the fellow said why didn't I let him check the remote out for me. It turned out that he was able to unstick a chewed button on it and said it should work. Got home, it DID!!!!

When I backed out to go to Radio Shack the snake wasn't in the carport. He rode there and back under the car somehow, 'cause he fell out when I got home!

Thank goodness, the remainder of the day has been rather uneventful. The snake got into a flower bed and seems comfortable, the puppies haven't done anything else that I've found and I'm having wonderful leftovers for supper, so no cooking! And, Biggest Loser is on tonight! All's right with my world for now!

Just catching up

Friday was my night to have dinner with the ladies. As always it was very good and much fun! The nicest thing about it was how we all dressed...in our fall clothes! We all looked so warm and fuzzy!

I sat on the computer almost all day yesterday playing a new game I found, Peggle Nites. Simple and totally captivating! Gotta watch it! It's hard to get much done that way!

Left home at a quarter to seven this morning and headed to Tallahassee. It wasn't quite as cool as its been the past few days, but cool enough! The fog was funny. It was very heavy at ground level about up to the hood of my car and perfectly clear above. There was a stretch of road where the fog pretty much covered it and the going was a tad slow. It burned off as soon as the sun came up.

Nancy and I went to The Village Inn again. They do know how to make breakfast important! Good food and brought some home!

After breakfast we "did" Walmart. I'm in the process of weather stripping and had run out, so I got some more. It's quite cheap for such a good fix. I also found some self adhesive bottom of the door strips. I'm hoping all of this will help this winter. Got some jerky and puppy chow, too.

Things at work are okay. Now that I'm really part time I find that what goes on there takes on much less importance. Funny how that works. I get up three days a week and put in 15 hours at one place and another 1-4 hours at another. And then I'm my own person. Getting the house in winter order and just order in general is a joy. If I ever finish all of my "home improvement" projects then I have a million and one other projects waiting in the wings. I'm enjoying looking forward to them!

The poor yard has really "gone to hell in a hand basket" as Aunt Maude used to say. We haven't had rain in 3+ weeks and I'm really not watering much at all (money you know). I had the fellow who mows my yard mow the pitiful garden spot, so that's gone, thank goodness and 'most everything else is dying in pots. You'd think I'd be upset by this and on some level I am, but mostly, it's a funny relief. Gets me!

Hold your breath, the puppies are better. Not good, better.

Gotta go put a bird in the oven.

Baby, it's cold outside!

We in Florida do tend to become accustomed to the oppressive heat and humidity we live with 6 or 7 months a year, so when there's almost no humidity and the temperature is in the mid 50's we are COLD!!!! That's how it is this morning...WONDERFUL!!!

Just yesterday the two space heaters I ordered from Lowes were delivered. I won't be unboxing them today, but the thought did flicker through my mind. Fuel cost this coming winter have been on everyone's mind lately. I know it's a topic of conversation at some point at every gathering. We don't have natural gas available here which would be my fuel of choice. And, even though a fire place is wonderful, the range is limited and it does require a lot of tending and cleaning. I figure that I've been able to keep up with my electric bill this summer and shouldn't use more electricity with a couple of those oil filled radiator-type heaters. And, of course, bundling up is easy enough...and I do have wool socks.

I checked the gauge on my propane tank yesterday and there's a little less than 45 percent in it. I'm thinking that I'll have it filled soon and that WILL be the only time this winter. For the past 3 winters that I've been in the house I've had the tank filled 3 times each winter and have kept the thermostat on 62 degrees. I read an article on the net that suggested keeping the thermostat on 50 degrees and using space heaters. These radiator-type heaters are supposed to be energy efficient and safe to run. I'm going to have to have several outlets replaced because plugs won't stay in them...that's another expense, but one that I need. And, the furnace uses both propane and electricity!

I have had puppies up to HERE! This has been a horrible week for both them and me. Monday when I got home from work I walked in to a mess. The puppies had torn a hole in the orthopedic pillow I use in my chair and there were chunks of foam everywhere. Tuesday morning they brought in a dead bird and played tug of war all over the living room. I found the mess as I was leaving for work and had to call in and tell them I'd be late. Was only 20 min. late, but that matters to the pay check! Then when I got home I discovered that I'd left the gate down from the dining room to the back hall. They had gotten every pillow off of the bed and had completely torn up 2 throw pillows and had pulled the stuffing out of the main pillow I sleep on! There was stuffing from the bedroom all the way to the front hall! Not only that, but puppy poop was mixed in with it! Yesterday they completely uprooted a blueberry bush and were running around the fenced part of the yard with it. I whacked both of them with the bush and replanted it (raving all of the time) and liberally sprinkled pepper around it. Poor bush, it'll be a miracle if it makes it! When I got up at 5 this morning the first thing I saw when my feet hit the floor was pillow stuffing all over the bedroom. Another throw pillow bit the dust. It's not like they don't have toys and dog chews, etc. They have many of both...maybe too many?

I did try to find a home for Maggie when she was tossed into my yard...in fact tried for several months. I probably should have taken her to the Humane Society then, but they were so crowded. Now they are talking about having to euthanize to reduce the number of animals...don't know what to do. As angry as the puppies make me, I'm so attached to them and they to me!

Didn't visit Mother this week, nor will I next week. Nancy and I are trying 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off with the visiting. Mother's in a routine (she's been banned from the dining room again) and doesn't know who we are when we visit (she visits like with a stranger), nor does she remember being visited. Nancy and I both find the visits quite stressful, so we're trying this for a while. Of course, I feel guilty because I really COULD visit.

Another Mother visit

Yesterday after work I headed to Tallahassee for a visit with Mother. Once more she was waiting in the common area for her aide to take her in for her nap. She was again quite calm and rather lucid. She said it was lucky I got there when I did because had I been later I'd have missed her. Asked where she was going and she said "home", but not to stay, just to visit. Asked her how she was going to get there and she said her "partner" was taking her. Asked if she meant Bert and she said "no", it was her aide she was talking about. Asked if Bert knew she was going there and she said "no". She had all of the details worked out in her head and said if Bert wasn't home she'd just wait outside until he showed up...and that she wasn't taking her clothes, but would be coming back to "here". Then she said she'd probably stay a few days as she thought the trip would be hard on her. When I told her it was only 5-6 miles to the house she got a little agitated. I don't know, but I imagine she had forgotten all about it when she woke from her nap. We visited for about 30 minutes before her aide came and got her.

Bert told us a week or so ago that Uncle Buddy was coming to see Mother this coming weekend. Neither Nancy nor I have heard any more about it.

This coming Friday the Methodist Church in Waukeenah is having a fish fry. Nancy and I plan to go! Last year it was just wonderful and we are anticipating yet another feast! (we are taking plastic baggies!!!)

The puppies are just awful. One of them chewed on the door frame between the dining room and back hall yesterday. I coated it with hot sauce. Hope that works. If it does I guess I just buy a giant supply and a sprayer and douse the entire house, furniture and yard. It's worth a try!

HWB and his wife and family were named Jefferson County Farm Family of the year! Didn't know they farmed!

A little while ago I checked the temperature and it was 73 degrees! Absolutely wonderful!

And Autumn Begins!

Tomorrow is the first day of Autumn!!!!! We are feeling the vaguest hint of Fall in the air...the humidity is lower, the temperature is lower and the air smells different. The dogwood trees are turning and other trees have that russet hue that promises more of the same! I LOVE FALL!!!

I visited Mother on Tuesday. She was in the common area waiting her turn to be put down for a nap. As soon as I sat down with her she asked if I would be upset when her aide came to get her. Of course I said no. We had about a 15 min. visit before it was her turn. She seemed very ready for a nap.

Mother's roommate, Stella, died last weekend. Mother didn't mention it. I don't think she knows. She has a new roommate, but I haven't met her yet.

I had jury duty Wednesday. Because of the evidence, or lack of actually, our verdict was "not guilty". We didn't reach a verdict until 5:15 that afternoon and by the time I got home at 20 till 6 my phone was ringing with a call from the judge's mother. That bothered me.

Nancy and I had breakfast at the Village Inn yesterday and then shopped at Bed, Bath and Beyond. They were having a wonderful sale. I got shelves to put on the side porch in the hopes of clearing out the last of the mess from the living room, funny room and dining room. I got home around 11AM.

It took me a little while to put the shelves together and fit them in on the porch, but it was well worth the effort! I can see the tops of tables in all three rooms! Yeah!! It's not completely done yet, but I plan to finish today. I moved the dry cat food from the back hall to the kitchen. Poor Goodness is really unhappy about that and acts confused. He'll adjust but not happily.

Survivor starts Thursday!!!!! Biggest Loser started last Tuesday and The Amazing Race starts next Sunday! Finally!!!

Birthday at the Seinyard

Yesterday Nancy, Bert and I went to the Seinyard to celebrate my birthday that was several weeks ago. It just wasn't the same without Mother...in fact it really was quite sad. As always, the food was wonderful and ample and I brought a ton home. There's probably three good eatings in that box in the refrigerator.

Years ago the coffee with the best brand recognition and the coffee of choice for most folks was Maxwell House. When I was given the choice of so many brands I tried them and settled down with some that met my taste and never went back to Maxwell House. A few weeks ago Publix had Maxwell House on sale 2 for $5.00 and, being the frugal shopper that I am, I couldn't resist such a deal.

Well, I now remember why I never went back. I don't like Maxwell House. It smells awful while pouring, tastes bad and leaves a bitter taste in my mouth after drinking. I'm wondering if those folks ever try their competition. They should!

It's horrible what damage Ike did to Texas! Those folks are really in a mess. Nancy and I were talking earlier this morning about what we'd do if a storm of that magnitude headed this way. We are about 25-30 miles closer to the Gulf of Mexico than Houston is and just look at what happened there. Can't you see me evacuating in my little Honda with 7 animals! It'd be a wild ride!

I was planning to make brownies with a coconut/pecan frosting for the storm, but since Ike headed the other way I didn't. Maybe I'll make them and take them to work tomorrow. Or not.

Season of storms

Not just hurricanes, but the inner storms are mighty this season!

I went to see Mother yesterday. It was the first time I've seen her since I was sick. The medical staff seems to have gotten her medications regulated, or something. She was calm. She was alert. She didn't have as many word problems. She was so much easier to be around! She is still as mentally and physically impaired as ever, just not as agitated and addled. She's still bad. She made fun of how one of the aides talked. AND, she's not allowed to eat in the dining room 'cause she's disruptive. There's 3 other ladies who have also been removed from the dining room and they along with Mother and 2 aides do meals in a classroom sorta place.

When I got to the nursing home I went straight back to the area Mother's in and couldn't find her, not in the different groups, not in her room. So I checked out the beauty salon, not there either. I asked the nurse in her area about Mother and she said she'd seen Mother with "her husband" earlier and that was probably where she was. I thought that maybe they were outside and went out back to check...nope. I was on my way back to Mother's area when I saw an aide go into that classroom and saw some wheelchairs. Stuck my head in and saw Mother. Sat with her in there for about 15 minutes and was asked to leave when the food was delivered. So I did.

Hurricane Ike is really looking nasty! Not for us, thank goodness, but LA and TX better look out! We're getting outer bands from Ike now...I just got an alert that a baaad band of storms is moving this way. Better get off of the computer.

Labor Day

We are so fortunate! No hurricane for Labor Day and actually little bad weather forecast for us either. Well, it's relative...at 4:30 this morning the temperature was 81 degrees, it's cooled down to 80 now! They did just say on TV that we can expect gusty showers w/possibility of tornadoes this afternoon.

You know, I would never want our government to tell people where they can or can't live, but it seems to me that if folks are dumb enough to keep moving back to areas that are lower than sea level and storm prone they should be penalized somehow. Perhaps no government assistance in any form is the answer. Rather harsh, but something needs to be done.

When I woke up this morning I felt better. Still have a cough (bad one) but soooo much better!

Gustov update

Just heard on tv that Gustov has sustained winds of 85mph!

Aftermath of Fay

Fay lingered for quite a while in each place she visited. Of course she's still creating havoc north of Florida and it looks like she just will not quit! We got 22" of rain here (maybe more, but that's the most I've heard officially) and Tallahassee still has major roads closed due to flooding! Nancy's creek roared and rose, but never challenged her house. She said yesterday that she can still hear the roar from inside the house!

It's possible we may be in for more this weekend or early next week. Hurricane Gustov has 70 mph winds and is currently taking more or less the same path Fay did. I'll just leave all the porch and yard stuff as is and see what happens.

I had to go to the doctor yesterday. Stopped on my way in to work and begged to be seen. They couldn't see me until 10:30. Well, it seems I have bronchitis bordering on pneumonia. Dr. Scoles said I was just a day or two away from pneumonia and the hospital. Gave me 4 prescriptions and sent we home to bed. Really feel awful and it's my birthday. Guess I'm just lucky to be here!

Today was my day to see Mother. Nancy's going in my place. Like she said it'd be horrible to infect Mother with this...maybe even the entire nursing home! I'll go next week.

Fay is arriving

We finally can stop waiting for Fay to arrive and just batten down the hatches. The first of the heavy bands arrived around 2 this morning. Of course, we've been getting wispy outer bands for a couple of days with winds and rain, just nothing continuous. Now she's showing us that she may "just be a tropical storm" but boy can she dump rain! As slowly as she moving we should have this for 2-3 days and possibly 10-12 inches of rain! I'm not too worried about my house, she's built up several feet above the ground, but Nancy's house is on a flat slab and she has a creek that borders one side of her yard. I suggested she get sand bags, she's not going to.

Got up early this morning, made coffee, a pasta salad with black beans and pan grilled a rather large rib-eye steak.

All of the animals are in and not too happy about it...told them just to settle down and enjoy, 'cause this is how it's going to be for a while.

It would be nice if we didn't lose electricity. It would also be nice not to lose any trees! I have several large, old pecan trees that seem to loom toward the house and my neighbor to the east has several old trees that seem to lean over my new kitchen!

Got a reminder call from one of the ladies I dine with on Friday nights. She seems to think we'll have supper together tonight. I'll have to see how the storm's doing before I go out.

Nancy's thinking we'll still go to the Seinyard Saturday to celebrate my upcoming birthday. Told her that we can always do it next weekend. I'd just as soon not head for the coast in this. She's not too happy with that. We'll just have to see how it goes.

Tomorrow is Moonies 17th birthday. Can you believe that?!!! Happy Birthday Moonie!!!!! I love you!

Fay

Fay has certainly been an odd storm. She's been all over the place and her projected path is just as odd. The two most likely scenarios are: (1) she'll get out into the Atlantic and get her wind back and turn due west at Jacksonville and head across the panhandle and: (2) she'll make an abrupt u-turn when she exits around Cape Canaveral and pass across Florida out into the Gulf of Mexico and stall, gain strength and head here. Wow! It seems that either way come tomorrow night we'll have us a little storm!

Last night I got flashlights ready and made ice. I've gotten 3 battery operated fans (one a year) and haven't even gotten them out of their boxes...I did last night. Put batteries in them and tested them. I thought I had a little radio that took batteries, but all I can find is the big green one and it takes so many battries...of course, one of the fans uses 10 D batteries and the little tv uses 10 C batteries. I've been collecting batteries for over a year...still in the packages, so I guess they're okay. They worked last night.

I'll get more cat and dog food on my way home today and then I'll be set. Maybe I'll get some jerky, too. This is sorta spooky!

The living room is painted!

I spent all day Saturday painting the living room and it is done!!! Looks good. Feels good to have finished it! The hardest part was dragging that 8' ladder around the furniture and avoiding the ceiling fan! Of course going up and down the ladder constantly was a challenge too! The cats (except for Mercy) took turns keeping me company by sitting on the paint shelf on the ladder while I did my thing. This room had soooo much cutting in. There are 5 doorways (counting the front door and the closet door), a double window and the fireplace.

Yesterday I was so tired and sore that besides feeding the animals and myself I didn't do much. Read the newspaper, watched the Olympics and read my book. Still feel a little stove up today, but better.

The track for soon-to-be hurricane Fay brings her ashore right here in Jefferson County! I filled an oil lamp and set up my weather radio yesterday. And, of course, made a list. I look for her arrival late Tuesday or early Wednesday. She's still far enough out that lots could change. I just heard on TV that her track is moving slightly to the east. That's good news for here!

Early morning

Wow! It's 7 o'clock on a Saturday morning and I've already done a million things. In fact I just got back from running out to work and leaving a birthday card taped on the door for one of the guys. Having these 4 am furry alarm clocks sure does start the day off with a BANG!

Went to see Mother Tuesday. She was in the dining room having lunch. There were two other ladies in wheelchairs at the table. I sat with them and found it all so sad. Mother really has lost all of her social filters and is really nasty with people. At one point she yelled across the table at one of the ladies "Hey stupid, I'm talking to you"! Both of the women just ignored her. You don't hear yelling from any of the other folks in long term care. Why her?

I finally saw her roommate awake (if you can call it that) for the first time. She has Alzheimer's, is blind, is frozen in a very stiff, uncomfortable looking position and is mute. No wonder she and Mother get along so well! And, Bert told Uncle Buddy that they communicated well and enjoyed each other's company!!!!

Starting this next week I'll go to my old job after work on Wednesdays. This won't cut any of the time out that I'm working, but will cut one day out...so I'll have 4 day weekends! Sure am looking forward to that as there just isn't enough time to do everything I'm trying to get done around here.

I've almost finished painting the living room. Should be able to get it done today. It sure is looking good! Still have to take the tack strips up in the dining room and the staples out of the floor. Dread that job as it's killer on my back to sit on the floor any length of time and my hands just don't work too well. Still have carpet under the corner china cabinet and it looks ratty. If Nancy's shoulder ever heals she'll try to help me move it out.

Bless her heart, earlier this week Nancy got stung by a wasp at work. She's very allergic and had to dash to the doctor's office. They gave her two prescriptions...don't remember what one was, but the other was for an antibiotic. Interesting. They told her that insect bites can carry some really nasty germs and they'd like to nip it in the bud. She's doing okay, but like with me, the weight of Mother seems to magnify everything that happens. Stress is mighty powerful!

Yesterday Jazzy was 6 months old. That makes Maggie about 7 months old. I am soooo looking forward to them growing out of this puppy chewing stage! Now that they've emptied all of the stuffing out of the box spring of the bed they are working on the wood frame of it. Damn! Oh, they've chewed the right arm of my newish recliner terribly and the lever that you use to recline it, too! It's said that they aren't mature until they're around 18 months old. Just a year more! I was hoping that having them spayed would slow them down just a bit. It hasn't yet.

A chilly August morning

It was amazing to wake up to temperatures in the low 60's this morning! Typically August in the Deep South has early mornings in the mid to high 70's. So this is really a treat! Our high is to be in the low 90's today, but that's a decent swap off!

This long weekend has been wonderful and productive! Wednesday afternoon I got the majority of the carpet and padding out of the dining room, Thursday it was laundry (still have a couple of large spreads that I used to cover doorways with to do), Friday cleaning and having dinner with the ladies, yesterday I was in Tallahassee until 3ish and got a lot more taping and some painting done. Today, if my sore muscles hold out I want to plant some grapes and Altheas and finish painting at least one whole wall!

I went to see Mother yesterday. When I got there she was on the outskirts of a group of wheelchair bound patients. She was fussing loudly and yelling at real and imaginary people. I just stood there for a few minutes and watched her. She was the only one making such a fuss. It was so sad. Then I went up to her and took the brakes off the chair and whispered in her good ear that maybe we should go out to the porch. Bless her heart, she didn't know me for a while. We sat out on the porch and I tried to visit, but she was incoherent. Was raving about things being straight/in line and once more was dipping her finger onto the table and wiping it on her cheeks. The only really coherent moment was when after taking her back inside I told her I loved her and she responded that she loved me too and said my name.

Went to see Nancy afterwards and then to Walmart for my weekly shopping. Got another gallon of paint...the dead/dried fern paint was just wrong. This time it's dried mint...still a deep color, quite rich, but is brighter than the fern one was. I managed to get enough on two different walls to know that I DO indeed like it and will go with it. I was unaware that Kilz makes paints...have used the block out (what's that called?) they make and it's wonderful! Anyway, they have an astonishing array of colors, all guaranteed 1-coat coverage. That's what I got. It'll be interesting to see if it covers that red wall in the funny room in one coat!

Well, I think I'll go out and get the paper in, pour another cup of coffee and start my Sunday off right!

Long weekend!

Officially I've been off work since 11:30 am yesterday! There's a large nursery convention in Atlanta this weekend and all of our guys have gone up to set up our booth display (I had no idea it took sooo many guys to set up!), so the phone isn't ringing at work and I'm all caught up with the filing, etc. Carolyn (my immediate supervisor) asked at 11 if I was bored (been surfing the net for hours), of course I said yes...she suggested I go on to my Thursday job and then I could have a long weekend! Did. Actually spent less than 30 minutes there.

When I got home I ripped out the rest of the carpet and padding from the dining room (except for under the china cabinet) and got it out to the street. The house sure smells better and even though the floor in the dining room isn't too good, it looks so much better than that nasty carpet!

I started taping off woodwork in the living room this week. Boy is that a tedious job. So far have only taped as high as I can reach on the front door on one side. At this rate I may finish taping by Christmas! I'm not sure about the color of paint I got...it's called dead fern, maybe it's dried fern, and it's a bit dull, may be a bit dark too. I slapped a bunch on two of the walls (with a 1" foam brush, bad technique) when I bought it last week. Like a fungus, it seems to be growing on me...we'll see.

Took Maggie in to have her stiches removed on Tuesday. Take Jazzy in today. Boy, dem dogs is wild!!!!

I have so many projects in mind and a few actually in progress. A 4 day weekend may not be long enough!

I started not to blog today...

I'm not sure if I'm just a little agitated or "Mad as hell" and can't take it anymore. I got a call from Mother's twin brother last week. He and Bert talk often and he calls Nancy on occasion, but this was the first time he'd called me. The start of the conversation, which lasted apx. 45 mins., was just family type chit chat, but he really wasted no time in getting to the guts of his call. He told me that Bert wants to take Mother home and that he thought it was a good idea. Well, he hasn't even SEEN Mother since she had the stroke and sorta talked to her once on the phone (he told me that she seemed just fine on that phone call). Bert had her outside on one of her good days and called Uncle Buddy on his cell phone and the chat didn't last very long...Bert told me this at the time. Then UB told me that he'd been talking to our cousin in Panama city and SHE'S a nurse. Said that she said Mother should go home. Well, I told him that she had no business saying anything like that, she hasn't even seen Mother and that he hadn't either! Mother's doctor told Nancy that Mother needed round the clock nursing care and shouldn't go home. Anyway, it's just boiling up to a big nasty mess and Nancy and I seem to be cast as the Nasties! It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Muggy Summer Days

We've been so fortunate lately. It's the doldrums of summer now with highs ranging from the mid to the high 90's (actually hit 100 early last week) but we've gotten fairly frequent rains that off set the temperature quite a bit. One evening last week I went out to the front porch to sit and watch it rain and had to go in and put on a long sleeved shirt just to sit out there. The temp. dropped from the 90's to the 70's in a matter of moments! It was lovely! But, being the Deep South, after the rain the temp. goes up and the humidity becomes thick enough to slice! The plants seem to love it, I think they think they're in a green house!

Last Monday I went to see Mother after work. Bert pulled up right before I did and we went in together. Mother asked me who was driving. When I told her that Bert was driving his car and I was driving my car she said "Well, I guess I just drive mine, too!". I told her that was fine with me and she said "Well, we better get going, I don't want to make that little boy wait too long!". It seems she thought we were going to Gainesville. I never could find out why or who the "little boy" was. I didn't stay very long, she really does better one on one and I sorta infringed on Bert's visit. This week I go on my regular day of Tuesday.

Picked Nancy up at her house a little before 7 this morning and we went to Village Inn for breakfast. Boy, do they ever do a bang up job of breakfast. It's almost 1 in the afternoon now and I'm still so full that I really feel like a nap! and, I'm not that much of a napper!

On my way home I stopped and took a look at my 4 dogwoods at work. You know, sometimes it rains at my house and not at the nursery. It looked like there was a good rain there late yesterday as there were still puddles everywhere and my dogwoods were quite wet. Thursday I fertilized the various trees (maples, crape myrtles, birches, eucalyptus and some others) that have been planted around the office and I wanted to be sure they got rain, too. They did.

I'm in the midst of a rather nasty job. I'm ripping out the wall to wall carpet in my dining room. It's awfully nasty (puppies, etc.)...actually it was puddle stained when I moved in a little over 3 years ago and has just gone from bad to worse! I'm finding it a tedious job. In the doorway to the back hall there were two tack strips...one was metal and nailed down with what looks like long roofing nails. I popped the heads off of several of them and just hammered the shanks on down. The other tack strip was wooden...very old and broke into small pieces as I used the pry bar and hammer to get them up. Then the padding for the carpet was stapled down. I'm having a very hard time getting the staples out, they're long and rusty and very little of them stick up enough to get the pliers underneath. So far I've only gotten a 3x3 foot section out, but it looks much better already. Don't know how I'll handle the corner china cabinet as Prentice secured it to the wall so it wouldn't tip over...and it's heavy and akward to handle. I guess I'll figure something out. The floor underneath looks like an old porch floor that had been painted gray and then looks like someone tried to strip it or sand it or something. Rather an interesting look. Will probably leave it as is for a while (if I ever finish). I'm thinking I may paint it at some point...I'll see...

Just made some ice tea...think I'll go out to the front porch and watch traffic and read the newspaper and sip tea.

Some pictures of RM & family visit

July is half over!

Can you believe it, July is on it's downside! Wow! How can we slow the march of time?

Went to see Mother after work yesterday. Both she and her roommate were asleep (she doesn't know she has a roommate) and I didn't wake them. It was almost a relief. When they moved Mother to her (final) room all of her clothes and an arrangement I made for her didn't get moved with her. They have no idea where things are. Damn.

I think I mentioned that I lost the hairdresser I was using. Well, after visiting the nursing home I ran to the mall and got some canvasses and some dog stuff and headed to Publix. As I pulled into a parking spot I saw a walk-in beauty salon and went there instead of Publix...may have made a mistake, but it's only hair! When I got home Nancy called and the fellow we've both been using had called and he's back. Oh well....

Got this picture of our class of '63 in an e-mail this morning. Don't know how it happened that we all got so old!

Shirley, Goodness and Mercy

Another visit!!

Rosie, Mecho, Moonie & Bean were here yesterday! Talk about feeling like Christmas, 2 of my young'un visited in 2 weeks!

I couldn't believe how grown the girls are. Moonie'll be17 next month and Bean is 12! They are beautiful and sweet and so smart!! The only 2 pictures of family that I've managed to hang in the house are one of each of them on or about their 1st birthday (two really good pictures I took) and now look at them!!! Of course, it goes without saying, both Rosie and Mecho were great!

We visited here for a little while (the puppies were fairly good!) and then went to Tallahassee to visit Mother. Both Nancy and Bert joined us there. Mother has been moved to long term care in the same center and was in good spirits. She had some word hunt problems, but other than her normal physical and mental problems was just fine. They started her on Haldol (an anti psychotic drug) on Tuesday and it has seemed to have a calming effect on her. She had her hair done on Wednesday and looked nice. Got a few pictures. Hope to have them developed soon.

Afterwards we all went to Crispers and then we scattered in the wind...wish for a longer visit sometime soon.

More Pics

I figure if I keep doing this picture posting thing I'll catch on sooner or later!

Pictures

Finally! I got the film developed from last week's visit with Terri, Keith, Andrew and Anslee. Some of the ones with Mother aren't as cute as the actual visit was, but I'm going to put a few on here anyway...and of course, some of the animals.

This first one is Mother, Bert, Terri and Andrew. Well, I'm not going to try to name them all, because they show up in a different order than I do them. Odd.

Happy Fourth of July!

Today actually went quite well with Mother today. We were all to meet @ Mother's at 11 this morning. I can't believe it, but I was the last to arrive. I left early, but they actually had a road crew working on 90 and there was a long stretch that was one laned. I sat first in line for what seemed like hours (probably 15 min.) and got to follow a truck with "FOLLOW ME" on its tailgate! I do believe he traveled @ around 15 mph the whole way! Anyway, I was almost 10 after 11 getting there and everybody was in the waiting room waiting!

Mother had thrown up on herself and we were to all wait until she was changed. I went back to her room twice before it was done! I wheeled her out to the little garden out back and it was so pleasant! The temperature was quite moderate and we had a little breeze. The children had room to move around and interesting things to look at. However, the little one was really taken with Mother and Mother with her! She chatted with Mother quite a bit. I think I got some good pictures of the visit! and, KC was manning their camera and I'm sure he got some good shots.

Mother really got tired rather quickly and Nancy suggested we take the children to eat and Mother thought it was a good idea. Bert wheeled her back to her room and stayed with her for a while and we all 3 car caravaned to Chrispers. Bert slipped me an envelope with money before we left the nursing home to pay for everything. They wouldn't have heard of it had it been me trying to pay, but they had to let Bert pay! He joined us a little later.

A really good visit

ETC and husband and 2 children (my grands) visited today!!! Both of the children are as smart as a whip and so precious. Needless to say, ETC and hubby, too, both look great. It's so interesting to see a very grown up daughter with both her poise and wits about her, who enjoys what she doing so much! I guess most parents do, but I have little snapshots of all of my children, as children, all stored in my head that from time to time do a slide show presentation. When I see the children all grown up I'm often surprised, it happened so quickly!

You know how I fret when someone's coming over (even Nancy). Well, I've known about this visit for several days and every day I've worked at certain projects, trying to get this place under control, it didn't quite work, but I did vacuum and really worked on the sofa and got my old computer out of the dining room (it's in the guest room now) and, you know, just put things away and such. Well, anyway, I didn't vacuum until this afternoon. Had things looking okay, sofa wise, until the puppies wallered in their mud pit and bounded into the house and onto their sofa. I wiped both the sofa and the puppies down, but I'm afraid it didn't help too much, there are a couple of large muddy paw prints on the toss pillows on the sofa and the cushions feel quite gritty.

The dogs were just awful while they were here! Finally we ended up outside with Maggie in the house. It calmed right down. I do think I'm going to have to take her to the humane society (as much as I hate to do it). She just too rambuncious for me and for the size of the house. She's a sweety and I've tried to find her a home, I've even passed out pictures of her, just no takers. But, tonight along with last night, just pointed out what a disruptive force she is. Oh, last night, a friend of mine (she's 85) stopped by with her young dog. These dogs were so bad that she almost didn't stay. Her dog was terrified! I put them in the house and we sat out back. I don't like that.

This evening the five of us went to Sage. They paid for mine, shame me for allowing that! It was so nice and I think the children enjoyed it , too. I took some pictures at the house, so did ETC. I'll try to put some on another post when I get them developed.

Tomorrow morning the four C's and Nancy, Bert and I are meeting at the nursing home to see Mother. I hope it goes well. With Mother, there are no guarantees. I'll go in with my fingers crossed.

Oh, you want to know something that's the pits? I finally found a hairdresser and now he's not there. Actually, he was Nancy's hairdresser and she turned me on to him. Well, my hair needs cutting now and he's not there! Nancy went to another girl there after work today and got a cut, I'll see it tomorrow and maybe make an appointment with her.

The continuing saga

Last night was our night to get together in a local restaurant for dinner. As always the food was good, the company was fun and all in all we had a really good time!

Was home in time for "What not to wear"!

Nancy called a little after 8 this morning. Bert had called her. Said the nursing home called him after 9 last night to say that Mother had some how gotten out of her wheel chair and had fallen and had scraped her leg and was screaming and disturbing other patients. Well, Bert right away told Nancy that they were going to kick her out and he & Nancy needed to meet with the head people out there at 9:30 this morning (his idea, not a requested meeting). So I told Nancy not to go and called Bert. Told him that I knew every time something awful happen with Mother his heart broke a little more, but we all knew this was going to happen. She's always going to have her ups and downs and that because of her brain injury her downs are more pronounced and quite embarrassing. Told him NOT to go talk with anyone, to just let it ride. They have other patients with similar problems and they are trained to handle things like that. He then said he'd have to hear this from Nancy, but that today is his day to visit and he was going. I told him that that was okay, but to let it ride. Called Nancy, told her what was happening and told her to call Bert. She did and he said okay.

Bert called a little after 10 this morning and had gone to see Mother. She was still asleep when he got there, but woke up when he opened her door. Said he only visited for about 15 minutes, but she was in good spirits and calm.

This just can't go on and on, or can it?

Mother/Nancy Update

After work yesterday I stopped at Arby's picked up lunch and dashed to Tallahassee. Took lunch to Nancy. The bruising has started coming to the surface and is massive. Funny, she never felt the shoulder injury, but that bruise is really bad along with a bad scrape. She's quite stiff and very sore. She's going to go in to work for a while today. I folded the rug up and dragged it across the street to her neighbor's trash, put clean sheets on her bed, watered some of her outdoor plants for her and dashed across town to see Mother.

Mother had a visitor when I got there and was very sane!!! After her visitor left we chatted for a little over an hour. We actually laughed until tears ran down our cheeks when she said (in response to something I said) "I hate when butter falls" and I said, "Mother, I hate when butter falls, too!"...we both got so tickled and laughed and laughed!

Bert called last night and said he got there 10 minutes after I left and had the best visit with her that he's had so far. That's always a relief!

It was around 4:30 when I finally got home to no puppy poop and intact magazines! I thought I was home free until I walked into my bedroom. They somehow got my newest batch of photos and chewed up not only the pictures, but also the negatives...thank goodness I've been getting a cd with the prints!

We have rain predicted for the next 5 days! Hope it does!

3 reunion pictures

Three pictures that were sent to me via e-mail. I didn't take a camera, so am please these were sent to me...I'm the chubby one in black.