Good Afternoon! It’s a beautiful day in my neighborhood, sunny, 77 degrees, and just a slight breeze blowing. The sliding doors are open and the birds are happily chirping away outside in a nearby tree. I sold a couple things in the gift shop this morning but I spent most of the morning working on a large mailing for the hospital foundation. We had our first sweet corn for lunch !!!
The dishwasher is done and I need to switch laundry to the dryer. Hope you all enjoy the rest of your day!

I just have to brag! Ian’s team won both games tonight! They are going to state! They didn’t expect to win the first game tonight so would have been done. Guess I will have to wash my baseball t-shirt and be ready to roll for the next game! I’m sure there must have been some shocked people from the other two teams! We are sorry we didn’t go but just never know what can happen. I’m so excited for the kids!

Good Evening! It’s been another cool, windy, cloudy day in my neighborhood. This morning was my once a month coffee date so that took care of getting anything done at home. After lunch I did vacuum and dust the tv area then called it good. Late this afternoon was the Board of Adjustment meeting for the guy across the street. I don’t remember if I shared or not but last summer the “weekenders” across the street moved in a mother-in-law house sized lawn and garden building (huge) then put it on the lot line. The lady next door pitched a fit as well as our neighbor who had her view of the lake blocked. The next door neighbor to the guy has since sold her house. The city finally served papers on the owner after requesting he have his lot surveyed to find the lot line, and he didn’t do that. Bob is chairman of the board but we got a registered letter notifying us of the meeting as did the other neighbors. Bob knew he couldn’t vote but because there are three new board members he made notes, to share, as to the rules and regulations pertaining to lot lines. Long story short, the city attorney wouldn’t let Bob nor me speak. Bob was to open the meeting and then go sit with the public while the pros and cons were presented to the board. He left the meeting right after turning it over to another member so we don’t know how the vote went. He will pursue it with the city council who has to approve the decision if the vote was in favor of the guy. This guy lives on a farm and raises pigs in another county so has no clue about living in town.

Ceejay, thank you for the baseball good wishes! It has been a fun season! We have a friend currently undergoing chemo treatments. Their bedrooms are upstairs and he got so weak he couldn’t climb stairs any more, so they were lucky to find a house all one level and are in the process of moving. Their kids all live in Iowa but not in the same town so are able to help with the moving. I hope your bil’s blood count is ok and he is able to have his next treatment. You mentioned having his pump taken out, is that for the fluids or the chemo? I remember my mom being so tired,

I have a couple checks to write for the gift shop so better get that done. Enjoy the rest of your evening and have a fantastic Friday tomorrow!

Good afternoon! It is a pleasant mid 80’s day today. I have been lazy today but need to fold clothes, etc when I am done here. I think it is sandwiches for us tonight.

I ordered some cute sandals on sale and saved a bundle. Of course Jack is going to tell me a sale is only good when you need whatever is on sale. He says not much of a sale when you just buy it because you want it. He likes to tease me about it. In this case, I am trying to get sandals that will work for the cruise everyday if my feet swell. That’s the story I’m sticking to. I am pretty well set cruise wise now I think.

I finally got the underside of my feet cleared up. I started using aloe hand sanitizer to wash them. Sounds goofy, but nothing else worked. I am now doing that and moisturizing every day. Hopefully they’ll stay ok.

The guy came last night and put the new springs on. What a difference and the door doesn’t creak going up and down anymore. He told us if we pd by credit card he had to charge us tax but in cash, not. I told Jack the guy was under the gun for taxes not the customer. Anyway, we are in good shape again.

This is grocery weekend so it’s Fresh Market for meat tomorrow and the commissary for everything else on Sunday. I hate it but we have to eat.

Jean: Congrats to Ian’s team. I know they have to be excited. When do the kids start back to school? Our kids go back the 12th I think. Why were you two not allowed to speak? Was it because you were neighbors? I have seen many a neighbor blow up over lot lines. Trees, bushes, kids swing sets, you name it all the way up to serious stuff like swimming pools and additions. No one ever wants to take the time to seek out or ask, they just assume. We are getting ready for a massive blow up here I think. They raised our HOA fees to $200 a few months back. They cover exterior maintenance, lawn care, pool when we had it but it’s a cement slab now, painting, trash collection, road maintenance, etc. Well, the board wants to change to city trash pick up and we would be billed on our utility bill not pd under HOA fee anymore. On top of that, it is likely they are going to raise fees by the end of the year $25-$50 a month. The thing is, fees were never raised when they should have been and now money for stuff is very tight. It was a different maintenance company and he didn’t do anything with regards to paying for stuff. I guess we were in arrears to places tens of thousands of dollars and you add in all the bums he never forced to pay fees and now they are struggling to get things right. We had one lady $25,000 in arrears! So people are going to blow their stacks I am sure.

CeeJay: Did the doctors say how long he’d have if he quit the chemo? Poor man and your sister too. My bff lost her husband to lung cancer but the guy refused to quit smoking. He smoked up to the day he died. The one thing I tried to tell her not to let them do was put a chest tube drain in. They did and he died from it specifically only a couple weeks later. I never ask, but is your bil diabetic? I sure hope they can make him comfortable. Praying for you all!

Have a good weekend!!!

Good Afternoon! It’s been a cooler cloudy day in my neighborhood. We went to church this morning, mainly because my co-counter asked me to pick up the offering. The pastor rambled on for 35 minutes but enough said about that. We stopped at the store for strawberries afterwards, and Bob said he felt the need for a sweet roll and coffee when we got home. I always end up with more in my basket when he is with me! His usual comment at the checkout is, “gee, I wonder how that got in there?” The checkers always give me a funny look. Sometimes I will say, “I really don’t know him!” I’ve read the paper and really need to accomplish something else this afternoon. My island has paperwork from my China shoes spread out and yesterday’s mail; the shoe credit still hasn’t come through and I need to call the credit card company when I finish here. Makes me but I have learned my lesson!

Ceejay, I have a steam clean oven that also self cleans. Usually the steam clean will do the job except for the grates which have to come out during the process. I don’t broil anything and try to wipe up any spatters as soon as they happen. I remember cleaning ovens when we first married - not fun. Is the friend who moved in Arkansas the one who came to visit you? Next installment on the neighbor is Bob talked to the city attorney and let him know that the three board members are new and have no clue! All Bob wanted to do was review the code rules, and if they were explained in detail the board would have voted down the easement. The Mexican woman came up to Bob before the meeting and asked what it all meant, she didn’t understand. Another board member is out of town on a job assignment and hasn’t looked at the building; he votes over the phone! Anyhow, the city council can review the decision per the city attorney’s request, and send it back to the board for another vote. Meanwhile the code officer has to educate the new members on the rules and regulations. They all have a copy of them, and are supposed to view the property in question. We shall see what happens next. Bob couldn’t even defend our property line if it happened to us! His parting comment was he would have our lawyer involved! Chemo is bad, no doubt about it, but in some cases it does seem to be successful. Keeping your family in my prayers.

”Gma,” you always find the best bargains when you clothes shop! Hope the grocery shopping went smoothly. I thought of you this morning when Bob was putting his sweet roll in the basket then started looking at muffins. I said, “one or the other!” Sometimes he is worse than when I had the kids with me. I’m not sure when the kids go back to school, the girls are ready but the boys don’t say much. Ian has been so busy with baseball and football training I think he is ready for some time off. He will still have football training though, but since that is his favorite he never complains. Bob couldn’t speak at the meeting because he is on the board. I couldn’t speak because I’m his wife and would be influenced by him. He’s not supposed to share any information with anyone. Any time a board member knows the person requesting the adjustment or the situation, they have to abstain from voting. Our town has lots of vacancies on all the volunteer boards because the younger people don’t get involved and many others don’t understand the language. Bob is short a member; when he got mad and quit so did four more. The remaining one has health issues and asked Bob to come back; he is chairman again because the others have no clue. One is a retired professor from the college and Bob figured she would make an intelligent decision but even though she led the meeting after Bob left, she didn’t know anything either. Since he couldn’t explain the rules and regulations, they voted to let the building sit on the lot line. The new neighbor sharing the lot line has no clue what kind of view she would have if it were moved. Our town is literally falling apart: street repairs, garbage enforcement, cars and trailers parked on lawns, old appliances and furniture sitting on lawns, etc., because the city keeps funding the resort screw ups. On the way home from church we saw people stacking furniture along the curb; we assumed someone hadn’t paid the rent because there was no moving trailer and no one was putting anything into cars or pickups. Lovely place to live 30 years ago!

It has started to rain a few sprinkles at a time but at least it is cooler than yesterday. I need to clear off the counter clutter! Hope you enjoy the rest of your day!

Good evening! We did grocery shopping today at the commissary because he wanted to and half the shelves were sparse or empty. They had like 3 pks of chicken! I only needed burger and pk chops and they didn’t have burger and got crummy pork chops. We ended up going to dinner after the baseball game was over and Jack ran into WM while I sat in the car. The place was a zoo.

Going to the nail salon tomorrow and since I finally cleared up my feet I can get my toes done too. I am going to skip the black “troll” nails that someone posted on FB though! It’s hot again so I am staying in as much as possible.

We came home and vacuum sealed all the meat and now both the chest freezer and fridge freezer is full. We have to eat stuff before we can buy anymore.

CeeJay: I feel for you all. When I was having back stuff I told Jack I could sure sympathize with people who had chronic back pain. You feel so helpless because you know nothing makes them feel better, they can’t sleep it off or relieve it with pain pills. My fil had stomach cancer and the Christmas before he died we visited them in Houston. He was at MD Anderson cancer hospital. Seems he spent most of his time vomiting and this big strong man became a 90 lb weakling. Will just keep praying for you. Do you read Erle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason books? They’re really good even though they’re pretty old now they still carry them in the library, etc.

Jean: Jack has a terrible sweet tooth. Let’s see this shopping trip, 2 half gallons vanilla ice cream, (which I don’t eat,) package of Heath crunch Klondike bars, box 4 cinnamon rolls, box of apple strudel, box fresh choc chip cookies, bag of mini heath bars...I think that’s it. Of course, I don’t eat any of it. He also always buys container of this fancy spreadable sharp cheese to eat with Ritz crackers. I bought two containers of mixed fresh fruit, and two tomatoes. I got gipped! Don’t you wonder how these ministers prepare to bore you to death?

Well, better finish a chore. Have a nice evening.

Good Afternoon! It’s a beautiful day in my neighborhood with sunshine, a breeze, and 77 degrees. I was up a little earlier than usual and it is dark at 5:30! Church counting went fine and I didn’t have to drop checks off at the hospital so made WM run. Bob and Beth leave for Canada on Saturday so had a list for what he needed/wanted. Of course WM didn’t have a couple things so will stop by the grocery store tomorrow for those.

“Gma,” there was only one checker line open at WM this morning. The couple ahead of me (young and grubby looking) were waiting for a price check and when the customer service rep came back he said it was $5; he was holding an extra large coffee cup, white with gold circles painted on it - ugly! The checker finished their order and the guy paid in cash, $339. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was his paycheck for the week. Their basket was full above the top but I couldn’t tell what was in it. I was in no hurry but while we were waiting the checker marched around and plunked a “closed” sign after my pile. She didn’t say “boo” to me at all, so when I was finished I said to her, “I hope you have a nice day!” She still didn’t say anything. I got the definite idea she didn’t want to be there. I was going to try a new nail salon and found out they are closed today, but open on Sundays. So will call tomorrow I guess. Jack has my sweet tooth beat I think. I go in cycles and find if I crave something to buy a little, eat it, and get it over with. Same way with salty snacks; I know it costs more but I like the individual serving size chips, crackers, etc. I can graze all day long but Bob rarely eats between meals. I admire you for leaving Jack’s treats alone. The minister does a series of movies on Sunday nights for a month, then bases his next sermon on them. Usually they are Disney but last night was Star Wars, maybe it is Disney too. I would bet money this guy preaches rerun sermons, and uses the same method his father did when he was growing up. So boring! He lays across the pulpit which drives me nutty.

Ceejay, a cheeseburger sounds good! I haven’t had one of those in quite awhile. It seems like all of the restaurants have gone to 1/3# size burgers. By the time all the veggies are stacked on top it is too much for me to eat, let alone get my mouth around it. Bob’s farmer friend will order a double cheeseburger without the cheese. He wants the two meat patties but doesn’t like the cheese. It makes me smile every time Bob mentions they had lunch during harvest. I hope your bil feels better today. Sometimes when we follow weaving drivers, especially truckers, Bob will say they are falling asleep. Makes me nervous to pass them but I don’t want to be a part of their accident either.

Not much newsy from here but wanted to check in. Hope you are enjoying a happy Monday!

Good morning. Dreary day today. It rained last night and cloudy today. Supposed to start raining again this afternoon. Sticky is in the cards I imagine.

I am leaving in about half an hour to go get my nails and toes done. My knee is stiff and not bending well so going to be interesting getting my toes polished. They’ll just have to work with what I can do.

Jack made a dr appt for next week. The hand that has the shakes and is the same one they did the surgery on is giving him trouble. He can’t wear his wedding ring and the ring finger curls and sort of paralyzes. I think he should go straight to the ortho guy, but he’s going to the gp. They’ll just tell him to see the other doctor I am sure. He can’t have another surgery until the first of the year anyway because the city requires you to do FMLA if you take more than 3 days sick time and it hasn’t been a year yet since his hand surgery. At least the other tech helps him hold stuff if he needs two hands for something.

CeeJay: Have you ever read Hugh Pentecost? He’s in the same era as Gardner and his books are about a big hotel and murders that happen there. Good easy read. Hope you bil gets to feeling better. Drivers are nuts these days. You used to know Semi drivers were the best, but these days they drive like their trucks are Volkswagens or something.

Jean: I eat breakfast, meander for lunch then eat dinner and have a snack later. I need to cut out evening snacks because my fasting blood sugar is higher in the AM then. Habit. Nowadays I think they are on the phone or texting more than any other distracted driving. It is illegal here, but they continue to do it. How long will Bob and Beth be gone?

Well, about time to get out of here. Have a good day all.

Good morning! Lovely sunny day out today. Old age stinks. I am dealing with the arthritis in my shoulder today. Must have slept on it wrong. It’s aching and sore when I move it unfortunately, I’m left handed and it’s in my left shoulder.

I got my nails and toes done. She did a nice job on my nails, but crummy job on my toes. I ask her to trim the nails and she did but didn’t file them and left them jagged. I didn’t notice until I got home. At least they’re painted so I can wear sandals now.

I did a load of laundry, mostly new cruise clothes, but want them all washed so that all I need to do is run them through dryer to de wrinkle them if necessary. Almost all of them don’t wrinkle, which is nice. I bought an outfit that is red capris, navy top with red anchors, and found a pair of Grasshopper brand deck slip on type shoes. They are red with the top red and white striped and white laces on top. I hope they fit because they’re so cute. We are going to be gone two whole weeks and though I hope to get some clothes rewashed, want to make sure I take enough. The cruise is 7 days, but travel time and a couple extra days here and there and we have another week added on.

I’m fixing Steakum sandwiches for dinner tonight with chips. We have turkey roast last night so decided to have something simple tonight.

CeeJay: Have you looked at this one? You can order at little as 4 dinners it looks like. https://www.realeats.com/collections/plans I sure hope they can get your bil fixed up so he feels better. Intestine problems can take it all out of you, I know. Doesn’t his doctor have someone to cover his patients? Of course, you never know what you’re going to get. I was in the hospital after my first surgery and my surgeon went to some conference. He had some old dude cover his patients and this jerk wouldn’t remove the NG tube. I went without eating food for nearly two weeks even though after 3 days I was fine. I lost like 40 lbs. First thing my dr did when he got back was take out the tube. Such good news about the tumor.

Everyone have a great day!