Friends

Friends are very important.
I have a group of 4 friends who are the funniest, most generous spirits I’ve ever known.
When our kids were in high school, we volunteered and ended up spending almost every weekend in the fall laughing and working together. In the spring, we would see each other at concerts, track meets, and more. Basically, we saw each other all the time, hung out, and shared more than a few dozen meals together.
And then the kids went off to different colleges and we lost touch. We’d see each other here and there, but we drifted. If we saw each other, we’d say that we neede to get together and that would be that.
I ran into one of the husbands at the dump. I mentioned getting together and got the same answer I always got - “yup, we need to do that”. So, I decided that I missed those funny inspiring women and I was determined to meet at least a couple of them for lunch this week.
I sent an email asking if they could get together on Thursday for lunch. Guess what?! Every one of them can make it! Every single one! I am so excited! I know I’m going to laugh and catch up and have a wonderful time. And I can’t wait!
So, if you have a friend you haven’t seen, get moving and make some plans.
Life is too short!

Sock-palooza

Mini has quirks.

Yes, I know, everyone in my house has quirks...

Mini is our cat, as you know. She has always been quirky, but lately, I’ve noticed a trend...

Mini does not like Mondays. Mr heads back to work on Monday morning. Mini gets very upset when he walks out the door. He leaves at 4:58. How do I know this? She comes upstairs, steals socks from the laundry basket, and cries very loudly. It sounds like she is saying, “Hello?” (complete with question mark) over and over again. I have to call to her to get her to quiet down.
This morning I found a pair of socks at the top of the stairs.
Mini also gets upset when I leave the house during the day. I come home to socks left all over. They can be found on the stairs, in the kitchen, in the family room, and in the hallway. One day I came home to what we lovingly call “sock circles”.
Mini likes her people at home. She doesn’t need to be with us every second, but she wants us close. Mini is the sweetest cat!

Better late...

It’s Sunday evening and we’ve had a busy weekend. We’ve seen friends. We’ve been to the dump. We’ve relaxed a tiny bit. And we’ve prepared for the coming week.
My goal for this week is to contact some old friends and set up a time for us to meet for lunch. I’m working Friday and Sunday and hosting an event on Saturday, but there is always time to take an hour and spend time with friends.

Fun and Games

I like to play games. Card games, video games, board games, etc. I’m currently hooked on Animal Crossing Wild World for the Nintendo DS. Yes, I still have one and yes, it still works. As a matter of fact, it’s in perfect condition. This little game is so much fun! We have the Wii version, too. I enjoy that one just as much! Mr likes the music - says it’s relaxing and mellow. :)
I have to work today. I’ll not be playing any games there. It’s supposed to be a nice day. I’ll be pouring wine. Come out and see me!
Mr is going shooting with LLB while I’m working. I am just a teeny tiny bit jealous, but every daughter needs daddy time, so it’s ok!
We have a tree guy coming to give us an estimate later this afternoon. We need to get these dead trees down before they fall down. Our regular tree guy must be busy because he hasn’t called us back. Unfortunately, we can’t wait for him this time. These dead trees are simply dangerous.
Later this evening we have a reception to remember a neighbor who died this week. We will toast him, hug his wife, and catch up with the rest of the neighbors.
It’s a busy day, but a fun day!

The Ew Factor

We have a lot of critters around here. They range in size from tiny to huge and everything in between. We’ve been here since 2004 and we’ve seen a lot of critters, but this year we have a new one. It is the Bag Worm. It is one ugly bug in its current form. They like upright yews, pine trees, and other deciduous trees. They can kill a tree in less than a day. I’d like to know who invited this nasty thing into our yard! We believe in pesticides here and trust me, Mr sprayed the crap out of the yews and pine tree. Two yews are dead. Our pine tree might make a comeback, but I’m not holding my breath.

We have checked the rest of the back yard landscaping and at the moment, the plants are clean and healthy.

We’ve also got 3 dead ash trees thanks to the emerald ash borer beetle. We had a dead ash a few years back, so we knew that was just a matter of time. Ash is a hard wood that makes great baseball bats, furniture... and firewood. Yup, we will be cutting that up for wood stove fuel.

So, we will be keeping our tree guy busy this year... all because of tiny critters... ew!

Symbol over Substance

  I’m so tired of hearing about the crazy ideas coming out of California! 



First it was straws. The eco crazies wee telling us that our plastic straws are polluting the oceans. I don’t know about you, but I did a wee bit of research. Plastic straws contribute to .002% of all of the plastic pollution in our oceans.  According to the Economic World Forum, “By analyzing the waste found in the rivers and surrounding landscape, researchers were able to estimate that just 10 river systems carry 90% of the plastic that ends up in the ocean. Eight of them are in Asia: the Yangtze; Indus; Yellow; Hai He; Ganges; Pearl; Amur; Mekong; and two in Africa – the Nile and the Niger.” It seems to me that those places aren’t here in the USA. You don’t want plastic in our oceans? Get those 3rd world countries who actually do pollute to stop polluting! 

I can honestly say that I have never tossed any trash into the ocean and have never tossed a single plastic straw into anything but a trash can. Don’t punish me! I like to use straws. If I'm out about and stop for lunch, give me a straw in my glass or my cup. If I don’t feel well, I like a straw in my beverage by my bedside. If I’m driving long distances, I like a lid and a straw for my drink. I prefer plastic straws because they don’t get soft and disintegrate like those old paper straws we used to get. That used to totally gross me out. 

Not only do they not want me to use straws, they want to fine or jail servers who give them to their patrons. So... my server can get tossed in jail or fined for giving me a straw, but Hillary Clinton gets a pass for having classified information on her home computer? Really? Tell me how any of this makes sense! 

Banning straws makes the eco crazies think they are making a difference and it makes them feel good... sorry - it’s ineffective and a waste of time.

The other crazy thing coming out of California today was that the restaurants in San Francisco don’t like the fact that Google and the other tech companies provide free cafeterias for their employees. They want the government to prohibit the tech companies from having cafeterias that provide free food to employees. Talk about the “Nanny State”! Can you believe this?! This is the only time the liberal left has protested a free lunch! “We can’t compete with free”, they whine. 

We have a free market society. If a company gives a perk of free food in the cafeteria, the employees will be taking advantage of that. Yes, it keeps them on campus and working longer hours for the same amount of pay, but if the employees like it, so be it. Happy employees = excellent productivity. But, the restaurants don’t like it so they want to legislate companies to make their employees go out to lunch. That there is crazy talk! 

One ball of yarn at a time...

I finished the 2 baby boy sweaters. I started a virus shawl in fall colors. Once that’s done, 4 skeins of yarn will be used out of my stash. It’s not a lot, but it will make a difference.
I think I’ll work on another Icelandic wool blanket after the virus. That will make a dent in the stash, that’s for sure!

Slipping and Falling

Last Thursday I cleaned. I vacuumed. I dusted. I polished.
When I finished, my house looked great and I kicked off my shoes and sat down with a much deserved snack - an English muffin with jam.
I took one bite and the phone rang.
I got up to answer the phone and as I was about to round the corner, my feet went one way and my body the other. My English muffin landed face down. I landed on my rear end. It was a spectacular fall and would have broken the internet had it been filmed. Alas, fortunately, it was not.
I currently have and enormous bruise on my leg for where I landed on the vacuum on the way down. It is a most colorful bruise... lots of reds and purples - even five days out.
I am fine. My bruise is sore, and I’ve found other places where I must have bumped on the way down.
I have learned a few lessons:
Don’t run around in socks unless your floors are dirty.
If you take your shoes off, put your slippers on.
When you get up to answer the phone, put your plate on the table.
English muffins always fall jam side down.

Rainy Days

I enjoy a rainy day now and then.
Today I worked on 2 baby sweaters, patted my cat, binge watched the X-Files, and generally hung out.
I do enjoy a quiet day at home.

Trucks and stuff...

My SIL has a truck. He is the most thoughtful and considerate truck owner. He always backs it in and makes sure that the back end is either over grass or up against something that people won’t be walking behind. For some reason, I thought most truck owners were as considerate as he is, but I was incredibly wrong in that assumption.
Yesterday I was at a shopping center having lunch with my family. We were seated at a window that looked out on the sidewalk. A spot opened up right up front. A huge truck backed into the spot. His back end - complete with trailer hitch extending a few more inches - took up half the sidewalk. 4 able bodied adults emerged and went into the restaurant. I liked their license plate very much, but their parking - not so much. Just then, a little old lady was being dragged along by her family member and I was sure she would trip on the hitch. Somehow, she didn’t. I’d like to think my quick prayer and her guardian angel took care of that.
I looked around the parking lot and saw that there were many trucks backed in over the sidewalk, some were taking up more than one spot. I’m sorry, but Americans need to wake up and be a little more considerate. Just think about someone other than yourself - your fellow American. You don’t have to fix the world. Focus on those here at home first and the rest will shake itself out.

Save, save, save...

Now is the time to put your pennies aside.
This fall, no matter what happens with mid term elections, congress has to pass a budget. President Trump has said, more than once, he isn’t giving in to a budget with pork in it. He will shut the government down. I believe him.
So, you’re going to need rent money, grocery money, and more and you won’t have an income if you’re a government employee. You’ll be paid retroactively once the budget is passed, but until then, you need to survive and eat. So, my friends, save those pennies!
And if that doesn’t happen, then you’ll have a lovely little nest egg set aside for when the shit does hit the fan.

Chores...

Today I will do some chores.
Vacuuming, dusting, dishes, toilets, tubs...
and then I will finish up the cream Icelandic wool afghan.
That’s what you call Temptation Binding... you combine something you would rather not do with something fun.

Respect

I wonder what happened to respect. When football players started kneeling, that made me angry. Our first responders and military fight and some gave all for the freedom that flag represents. How dare any American kneel or step on those colors! That offends me to my core! Have they no respect? No. No they don’t.

What happened to respect for others? So many people are rude and disrespectful to each other. You can’t have a discussion these days without getting shamed if you disagree. I spent my whole life being quiet, being nice to others, and trying to see both sides of a situation. I may have wanted to shake people who disagreed with me, but I never did. Why can’t people agree to disagree? What happened to tolerance? Does tolerance only happen when you agree?

 What happened to respect for our president? Now, you don’t have to like the guy who resides in the White House, but you should respect the Office he holds. I certainly didn’t like the previous guy, but I respected the office. If I had been invited, I definitely would have gone and been polite. I’m so tired of listening to the media poo poo every single thing President Trump does or doesn’t do. In my world he is doing a great job - as evidenced by my bank account, how happy my service members are to be working under him, jobs numbers, and the excellent economy.

The balloon thing in London was completely rude and disrespectful to our president and our nation. They dissed every single one of us with that nastiness. I am appalled at that behavior and I can’t believe that any American would want to even begin to bring that thing here!

Know what I want to see? How about the nation come together, give the guy a chance and the benefit of the doubt, and enjoy the good things he is doing?

The C’s

Life is all about change and choice.
Each day starts with choices - Do you get up or turn over? Red top or blue top? Jacket or sweater? Coffee or tea?
We’ve got some decisions to make. To stay or go? This time, it’s all about what we want. It’s not about kids or schools. It’s about us, our wants, and each other... and to be honest, that’s really exciting and so much fun! There’s a bit of waiting involved to see if this  huge change might actually happen. If it does, we are ready!

Crocheting one stitch at a time...

My yarn stash is ... umm ... a little larger than I thought. It is a good thing... right?

I’ve finished one gray blanket out of Icelandic wool. It is warm, but lightweight. LLB is sending that one off to her in laws to thank them for having them at their homemfor a week. I hope they like it, because it is a really nice one!

I’m working on a triangular shawl for the church, a cream Icelandic wool blanket, and a really lovely triangular shawl in a fabulous deep blue green wool. On top of that, I’ve got to make 2 baby sweaters for a friend whose son and daughter are both having boys within a week of each other. How does that happen??

I just need time to sit still and work on this stuff... maybe once I’ve packed everything up, the renovation starts, and I’m limited in what I can do? Yep... that sounds about right. Until then, I’ll steal a few minutes here and there and crochet when I can.

Leo and Mischief

have gone home.
Leo was not pleased to be put into a crate and then into a car. He was so displeased that he peed... all over that crate and Mischief. He even managed to get some out of the crate and onto LLB. That went over huge... not.
LLB took matters into her own hands. She was not putting up with that kind of behavior! Especially in the car, thanks. Those two cats ended up getting bathed in the tub with soap and water. She was not having pee soaked cats running around her apartment! They proceeded to clean themselves for hours after that bath... because soap and water is gross as far as they are concerned.
LLB ended up bathing her cats, cleaning the crate, setting up a new cat tree, replacing the kitty litter, AND after she finished all of that, she had to go wipe down the interior of her car with vinegar to be sure that there wasn’t any cat pee in there...
That, my friends, is what pet ownership is all about... pee, poop, and cleaning up...  You thought it was about companionship, love, snuggles, and purrs... Ha! Nope.

Mini is still not sure they are really gone, but is enjoying leaving food in her bowl for later.

As for me... I’m still sweeping up kitty litter, finding toys in weird places, and leaving doors ajar because I can!

Bicycles? No thanks...

Those who cycle seem to love it.
Those of us who have to drive while the cyclists are cycling on our roads - which run at speeds at 55mph with no shoulders - we hate it. We understand that bicycles are legal “vehicles”, but why would these people ride on virtual highways? Yes, they look like empty country roads, but they aren’t. Our roads are hilly. We can’t see over the top of these hills until we are at the top - and at 55 mph, it’s very scary to crest a hill and find a cyclist in the way! If the sun is at the wrong angle, we can’t see you at all because of the glare. It’s not safe for the cyclist or the driver. It’s not safe for those of us who live here, work here, and commute here.
So, if you want to cycle, please find a bicycle trail. Don’t cycle out here on our country roads. Really. We want you to come to our wineries. We want you to come pick peaches and berries. Just drive your car... leave your bikes at home.

Happy Birthday, Mr!

Today is Mr’s birthday! We will celebrate for real with LLB tomorrow. Today we will have a mini celebration that includes a dump run, lunch (complete with onion rings), and an afternoon by the pool.
Every day with this man is an adventure and I’m so blessed that he chose me to be by his side!

Happy birthday!

Finally Friday

It’s been a good week, but I’m glad it’s Friday. 

I walked on the treadmill every day again this week - even when I didn’t feel like it (like every morning). 

LLBs cats are settled in quite nicely - although Mini is still not pleased at all. She is definitely ready for them to go home. They love all the space to run around. They love exploring in places they have no business being (for example: the pantry, the fridge, the dryer, the dishwasher). They particularly enjoy stealing her kibble out of her bowl. 

I’ve organized, purged, chucked some stuff, and hauled some things to the attic. I still can’t believe how much stuff is up there. I went to the dump twice and donated books to the library. I’ll be working on boxing more things up today... Our upstairs will be ready for those new floors no matter what! 

Getting in gear...

It’s Thursday...
Today started with Mini snuggles, laundry, and 4,000 steps on the treadmill.
In addition to the folding and putting away, I’ll be vacuuming, dusting, working on some crochet projects, organizing some more stuff, and trying to find a place for all this yarn I’ve found.
This afternoon, Mr and I intend to sit by the pool and enjoy a little bit of time outside. It’s a lovely day and the water is warm. (As much as I’d love to sit out there all day, I’ve got chores to do!)

Busy busy!

I’ve been trying to prep for upcoming renovation. I’ve been cleaning out, sorting, organizing, and storing.

The one thing I didn’t realize was the quantity of yarn I happen to have.

It’s ... umm... almost looking like an episode of hoarders.

In an attempt to downsize, I’ve taken all the small balls and 1/2 used skeins and donated them to the prayer shawl group - you know that I’ll probably end up taking some of it back to make a shawl or 5, but for now, it has a home where maybe someone else can put it to good use.

The full skeins have been organized into bins... And, I need more bins... I told you it was a bit of a problem. I’ve started making easy V-stitch blankets in an attempt to use some of the weird , but amazing, Icelandic wool that has “texture”. It makes a really nice warm light weight blanket.

If you want a blanket, a shawl, a scarf, or mittens for Christmas, put your order in now. If you want a wool blanket, specify grey, white, or marled. If you want mittens - pick a color and if I have it, I’ll make them for you. If you’re super lucky and I have enough, you’ll get a matching scarf. If you want a shawl, email me. Those take a specific amount of yarn and we will need to collaborate.

Ok, I’d best get back at it! I’ve got a lot to pack, a lot to organize, a lot to move into storage, and a lot of presents to make.

Jezebel Sauce

Today at bible study we are studying Bad Girls of the Bible and I got Jezebel. There are not many redeeming qualities about the woman. She was nothing but trouble, that’s for sure!

Since leading these discussions aren’t my forte, I decided to make some Jezebel Sauce to serve on cream cheese and crackers in order to turn the focus away from the discussion and onto feeding our bellies.

Jezebel Sauce is easy to make!
It’s sweet, tangy, and has a bit of a zippy kick.

Combine the following:
2 10oz jars of pineapple preserves
2 10oz jars of apple jelly
2 oz dry mustard
5 oz horseradish
3 Tbsp coarse black pepper (I used 2 Tbsp regular ground pepper)

Refrigerate and let sit for 24 hours.
Serve on crackers and cream cheese, ham, or whatever you think will taste good!

Chirp.... chirp...

not birds, my friends... the dreaded smoke detector chirp...
I thought I heard something when I went to feed Mischief and Leo this morning. I’ll be honest, I wanted to ignore it until after my walk and my breakfast.
I guess the chirp was making Leo nuts! (Totally understandable.) He made sure I knew something wasn’t right. He came to get me and ran towards the dining room door. He sat in front of it and looked at me as if to say, “Lady, this thing is making noise and it is irritating! Please fix it!”
So, I procured a replacement battery as headed next door.Mischief and Leo sat at the dining room door looking through the glass - they wanted front row seats to this show, let me tell you!  Then I located the culprit, got the ladder out, and changed the battery. It is blissfully quiet. Leo is pleased. He can take a nap without the dreaded chirp interrupting his sleep every 90 seconds...

Sunday...

It’s Sunday... once again, I find myself almost cringing at the thought of going to church. I love our priest. She is a terrific lady. She may judge me, but it certainly doesn’t show. It’s the rest of the people who attend. They all lean so far left that they fall over. They used to talk to me, but since they figured out that I like and respect our president, they have blessed little to do with me. It’s interesting that the left is all about inclusion... except when they disagree with you.

So, I guess I’ll get my act together and get ready to go... because it’s the right thing to do. I will show up. I will smile. I will participate.

I will also not discuss anything news related. I know better than that.

Saturday!

I love Saturdays. I especially love Saturdays with cool breezes and no humidity when I can open every window and air my house out. Like today!

I also love Saturdays because it’s the day I don’t have walk on the treadmill - providing, I’ve walked every day during the week. So far, I’ve walked 5 days a week - 4000 steps - every weekday for the past month. Yes, I see a difference. My bathing suit fits much better. My clothes fit better. I will continue to walk every weekday.

Today I’m going to finish up the laundry, haul some things to the attic, sit by the pool, see how many times Mischief can steal the sponge out of my kitchen sink, and figure out what goodies to bring to supper club tonight.

Waiting patiently

Today is a day of waiting.

This morning I waited for the plumber. They arrived bright and early, replaced a bunch of toilet seals, and left in what I consider record time. (I’d still be working on the first one!)

While I was next door, I noticed the door handle was a little wonky. So, Mr and I ran off to get a new one. We considered stopping for a quick lunch out, but decided against it because the HVAC guy is due sometime between 2 and 5 and we did NOT want to be late in case he could be here earlier... Needless to say, we are waiting.

We came home, planted a plant, changed the door knob, had some lunch, cleaned the kitchen, started the laundry, and are currently watching soccer. We did consider a few more chores, but it’s raining, so... we watch the World Cup while we wait.

Ribbon!

Mr has graciously agreed to accompany me to the ribbon outlet today. He is so sweet! I like to use regular ribbon for my gifts because my cat doesn’t eat them.  She likes to lick the stick on bows and steal them off presents... what can I say, she is a weirdo... Anyway, I can get huge rolls of real ribbon for pennies, so it’s worth the drive.

While we are gone, we will probably stop at the outlet mall, Walmart, Costco, and someplace for lunch. We try to combine all our errands for more efficient use of time and gas. :)

Have a great day! I’ll try to remember to post some pictures of what I find.

It is Independence Day!

Our independence - our freedom - is what we celebrate today. Thank you to all who did serve, are serving, and will serve in the protection of our great nation.

You don’t have to agree with me politically, but you do need to respect my opinion.

The Dems told me to give our last president a chance when he was elected. I kept my mouth shut, sat back, and watched as he drove our nation towards the communism and socialism with his ridiculous policies. I chose to take the high road. I did not scream at legislators I saw on airplanes, on restaurants, or in the grocery store. I did not yell at my friends whose left leaning tendencies actually made me crazy. I did my research, and I used the power of the vote to help change the direction our country was headed - as did thousands of others.

You cannot spend yourself into prosperity. Lower taxes are good for everyone. The unemployment rate is as the lowest it has been in more than a decade! People need to understand that there’s no such thing as a free lunch - the government only has the cash you pay in tax to spend. The government doesn’t make money - it only spends it and it spends YOUR money.

You cannot protect the nation without using the all of the laws available - even if the consequences mean separating children from the adults they are with. Nobody likes it, but it’s done for the safety of all involved - and this has been done since 1997, so really... zip your lip!

If protecting our citizens means building a wall, so be it. High fences make for good neighbors. I have a fence around my property, as do many of my Dem friends... what’s good for us, should be good enough for the nation, right? I know that celebrities and millionaires all have walls around their homes - why can’t the nation have one? Those who live along the border want the wall... shouldn’t their opinion be more valid than those of us who live elsewhere? You don’t like strangers uninvited in your yard or your home - well, I’d not like them in my country, thanks. You want to come here? Do it the right way - like my family did.

My children are in the armed forces. They are far more comfortable with President Trump as Commander in Chief. They feel he listens, supports them, and is working to give them what they need to do their jobs and do them well.

So, to my Dem friends, please give the man a chance to do his job. Stop listening to CNN and hype media. Do some research about the issues. And don’t hate me for my politics - I don’t begrudge you yours.

It’s HOT!

And we have no upstairs air conditioning...
I requested a service call via email and they called almost instantly to tell me they can’t send someone until Friday afternoon... really? Why, pray tell, do I have a very expensive service plan? In the winter, we can live without the heat pump, and we can and are happy wait for service - as in a few weeks while we waited for our new unit to arrive. But in the summer, I do not like to live without A/C. Yes, it’s a first world problem, but I am older and I do not like to sweat while I sleep. No, I don’t need air conditioning, but I sure do like it, and it’s a creature comfort I intend to not live without.
Let’s hope they can send someone today. The hotter I get, the more miserable I get, the crankier I get. It’s not pretty, and I know it.
I’ll be sitting by the pool sulking until the fixit guy arrives... unless he can’t come today, in which case I’ll be at Honda getting a new inspection sticker for my car... oops!

To RSVP or ....

We had a church thing here last night. When I started cooking we had a crowd of 12 who did RSVP and that number dropped to 10. 17 people showed up. That’s 5 extra mouths to feed. Had I expected 15, I could feed 17, no problem. But 5 extra people?

If you don’t RSVP, you need to learn to do it. Do it for the hostess who is planning food. She wants to have enough and doesn’t mind a few leftovers but doesn’t want to eat them for a week... but she doesn’t want to be short... and technically, I was short. And if you show up and you were asked to bring a side dish, bring a side. Please. Fruit salad is fine, even watermelon, but please bring a real side dish - salad, pasta salad, roasted potatoes, something to fill out the meal...

So - be kind to your hostess. RSVP and bring what you were asked to bring... please!