Happy Halloween! No sunshine again today. There is no wind but the weatherman just said it “feels like 8 degrees outside” early this morning. I’m wondering if we will have any trick or treaters tonight. Last year there were six houses on our long block that didn’t turn on outside lights. We live on a dead end street so can’t imagine many will walk down and back for a couple pieces of candy.

“Gma,” I can’t remember the last time I wore sandals! It has warmed up to 37 degrees now and my winter coat is first in line in the closet. It’s nice you will have the extra time to travel north and won’t be quite so rushed. Doesn’t your good friend live in that area too? What do you use on Jack’s clothes to take the grease stains out? Bob claims they just jump on his clothes when he’s not looking! I just copied your recipe and noticed you had “add ketchup and kitchen bouquet” but they aren’t in the ingredient list. Do you just add to taste?

Sandy, we lived in a Cleveland suburb, N. Olmsted, for four years. We loved the winters (mild while we were there), and the natives couldn’t believe we would drive in the falling snow. It is hard to change bosses! Bob has gone through several different managers in 36 years, but they were never working out of his local office. He has seen many changes, and unfortunately not all good for the insurance industry. He deals mostly with farmers which is really his niche. It looks like we are all pet moms! We have an 18# cat named Ernie. He’s good at eating and sleeping. I got a new car in June and have almost 8,000 miles on it, mostly driving to grandkids’ ball games this summer and fall. We feel fortunate to be able to go and know perhaps some day we may not be able to. Maggie has moved to California; at first she lived with her brother-in-law and then moved into a place of her own. Every once in awhile I get a text and it’s usually just a “hi, how are you?” Will’s death hit her hard; I don’t know if she didn’t realize how sick he was or was in denial.

I need to get busy and do some laundry; then have to run a couple errands and make a stop at the hospital.

Good early morning to you all. We will be heading out in a few hours but with my intestinal issues and no rest areas after we cross over into AR and not until we get into MO, I get up several hours early hoping it will “take care of itself” before we get into the car.

From what I understand, they didn’t think there would be enough money to have a viewing and service before cremation but there is so there will be a viewing tomorrow afternoon. My sister flew into Indy yesterday and we should be there late this afternoon. I noticed it was snowing there this morning. UGH! I will get to see my niece’s big new house and my great great niece who is 8 months old. Her cousin is due eminently and I hope my great niece doesn’t go into labor because of her grandma passing.

My new pants are hugely too long so will take them back to a Catherines store when I get home. I just reordered the same three pair in petite. It said petite was 27” so thought they might be too short, but the regular are a good 3-4 inches too long. I know I have shrunk an inch or two, but I am still not in the petite height according to their info, obviously I am!

Jean: I thought I removed the ketchup and kitchen bouquet on the recipe. I didn’t have any kitchen bouquet and thought the ketchup sounded gross so when I make it I don’t put it in. If you want to include it, 1 Tbl ketchup, 2 tsp kitchen bouquet. The Lincoln has 25,000 on it and is two years old now. We have taken two trips to FL in it so that’s not too bad. When Jack and I started dating he got a $10,000 signing bonus with the Navy and he bought himself a brand new 1971 Monte Carlo with all the bells and whistles available back then. It was his first car and he loved the thing. He put 66,000 miles on it in one year driving from Va Beach to Indiana and back dating me. True love I guess. The perfect thing for grease stains is squirting some Dawn dish detergent on them. I’ve not had it ever not work. I keep a small bottle with my Shout when he gets grease on his shirts. His pants are uniform pants and they are laundered by the company that issues them. Because they now have to wear either the neon vests or neon shirts, he prefers the shirts so I buy them at Amazon. They can only be washed like 50 times then they’re considered no longer “safe” and I have to buy more. It comes out of our pocket because Jack doesn’t like wearing the vests they issue. He says they’re uncomfortable to work in.

Sandy: Did you grow up in Kentucky? I grew up in a little town in northwest Indiana not far from Notre Dame. We have lived here in Memphis for 16 years having moved down for better job opportunity and our first grandson was a new baby. Our daughter lives down here but our son and dil and other grandson live in South Bend, about 4 blocks or so from Notre Dame. We have lived coast to coast in the Navy, but Jack retired in 1989, then in 2001 went to work here for the city. He can retire any time, but he wants to keep cruising so he has to keep working. You don’t live all that far from us as we go to Cincy to see my Cubbies play.

You all have a good week.

Morning ladies! Rainy, chilly morning here. Supposed to warm a bit throughout the week & be in the 70's by Sunday. Can you believe it?

Donna: Yes, I grew up in KY....Covington specifically. You'll get a chuckle out of this...I grew up on Russell St. When Bill & I got married we bought a house on Russell St. Praying for safe travels for you & Jack. Hope visits with family go well. Your recipe for beef tips sounds delicious. I'll definitely have to give that a try. I love trying new recipes & fortunately Bill doesn't mind. My favorite cable channel is the Food Network with Ree Drummond (Pioneer Woman) being one of my favs. You & I have the same taste in reading material I noticed. I love murder mysteries & have read a lot of the same authors as you.

Jean: We didn't get any trick or treaters last night. Guess it was too cold. Thanks for the update on Maggie. I often wonder how she's doing. It was a shock to me when Will died. I loved reading her posts about her glass houses, etc. (Told ya I've been lurking for awhile! ) An 18# cat???? Whoa!

Well, I need to get going & pay the bills. You ladies have a wonderful Wednesday!

Good Afternoon! It’s another gloomy day but a few degrees warmer. The sun peeked out for about a minute and then disappeared. The weather map is showing clouds for the next several days. That's depressing! The bird baths have thawed so can get them cleaned out and the heater put in the big one that the squirrels use. The guys finished harvest last night so Bob went to the office today. He was home for lunch which doesn’t happen during harvest; they eat wherever the nearest restaurant is when it is lunch time. I was hoping he would work on the leaves this afternoon but he had things to do at the office. The hospital coffee and gift shops will close at 10 tomorrow so they can decorate for Christmas. Today I picked up the money after lunch and will get the deposit ready for the bank. I was in WM yesterday; Halloween stuff was in carts and the clerks were putting toys on the shelves right by the entrance. They’ve had trees and gift wrap, etc., out for over a month. I do have a couple gifts bought; Ian and Maddy both sent me a picture of some kind of speaker they want for their phones. I can’t help but think of the little plain radio I had as a kid, red plastic and plugged into the wall socket.

“Gma,” It would be nice if all clothes manufacturers would use the same pattern so clothes would fit the same no matter who made them. I get discouraged trying clothes on and if I find a brand that fits, and I like, I stick with that brand. But even then the sizes will vary. I have used Dawn on grease before. I have a front load washer and am only supposed to use a tablespoon of detergent. If I get too much suds, it keeps rinsing trying to get rid of the excess. I still like to think I’m smarter than the machine but not so much any more. We are still trying to find a couple settings on the car. I did find the heated steering wheel button where they hid it. On the Buick it was on the steering wheel and handy, now it’s on the radio screen under climate. That’s not handy when driving.

Sandy, no rain here in the forecast. I see the wind has come up and is blowing the puffy clouds through. With the leaves off the trees, I can sit at the kitchen table and check a neighbor’s flag to see how strong the wind is blowing. They live across the street behind us and I told her one day that I missed seeing their flag during leaf season. I had to explain what I was talking about. I don’t like to cook but have lots of cookbooks and cut out recipes in magazines and the newspaper. I do enjoy The Pioneer Woman; Beth has a basset hound named Fred. I miss Paula Deen and some of the others that used to be on during the day. I am not a fan of the Diners and Dives guy, whatever his name is.

Donna, hope everything goes ok for you. Safe travels home again!

I have laundry to get into the dryer so better keep moving. Hope you all are enjoying a nice day!

Morning ladies! Been pretty quiet in here the last couple of days. Dreary day here. Had dinner with daughter & grand daughter yesterday evening. Granddaughter was in "one of those moods." Everything you said to her got back a snotty response. My daughter sure has her hands full!

Jean: Oh I loved Paula Deen too! And I definitely don't care for Guy Fieri. Seems like every time I turn around, he has a new show. I used to enjoy Rachel Ray too. I'm sure Bob's glad harvest is over. Farming is hard work for sure. Are you enjoying your retirement from teaching?

Donna: Hope your trip went well.

I have no energy today. Think it's the weather. Good day to sit on the couch & read a good mystery! Nothing planned for the weekend thank goodness, other than church tomorrow. You ladies enjoy.

Good Afternoon! It’s another gloomy day in my neighborhood. It is foggy and I still can’t see across the lake. I have been fighting a scratchy sore throat for a couple days and haven’t slept good at night, so I took a nap this afternoon. My other accomplishments for the day are changing the sheets on the bed, ironing a shirt for Bob so he could go to church and usher for a memorial service, and a lunch of leftovers. That sure doesn’t sound very exciting as I reread it. Tomorrow is church if we go; it is “All Saints Sunday” where they announce every person who died during the last year, light a candle, and ring a bell. The deceased’s family can have the candle afterwards. Then it is also communion Sunday and I’m sure will include a 30 minute sermon. The couples card club is tomorrow night, all members of our church.

Sandy, I am guilty of coming here to check in, read, and then don’t get back to post. Rachel Ray has her own show sometime in the morning. I’ve never sat down and watched her so don’t know if it like when she was on the food network or not. All the cooks make it look so easy. Bob grew up in a small farming community and his dad had an Oliver tractor/implement dealership along with Ford. Bob worked there as a kid and then helped area farmers when he was older. The tractors were originally manufactured in my hometown, and now he has four restored farm tractors as well as a toy collection. He would love to own his own farm but $$ is the problem. He has the next best thing helping his farmer friend! Over the years he has wanted to move to an acreage promising me I could have all the cats I wanted. I do enjoy retirement but sometimes find myself busier than I want. I think your “no energy” is catching! I blame mine on the gloomy weather!

I need to get the sheets out of the dryer and put them away. Hope you all are doing something fun today and enjoy a bright sunny day tomorrow!

Good evening gals. We are still in Indy but will head home tomorrow. We have run, run, run, getting into bed at 1AM or later every night. We are back in our hotel room early tonight because my great niece went into labor at her mom’s house while we have been there and they all headed to the hospital. Her grandma would have loved seeing her new great grandchild.

We had to go to DSW and buy me a pair of shoes because my feet and legs swelled so badly being on them so much. Other than that it was funeral home and my niece’s house and going through all my sister’s things that were in storage when she went to assisted living. Lots of memories and tears.

I got to see my younger grandson, which was nice and a cousin I haven’t seen in 30 yrs did a beautiful job on the service. He is a Baptist minister.

Jean: As usual, you make me out of breath with everything you do. The guys watched the Ohio State/ Iowa game and I told Jack the win should make Bob happy. You know, I am pretty sure the Bassett Hound that was the pet of Jerry Reed in the movie with Burt Reynolds and Sally Field, “Smokey and the Bandit” was named Fred. Guy Fieri won Food Network Star one of the first years and that’s how he ended up on tv. Rumor has it he’s a total jerk to everyone, won’t sign autographs, has a bunch of beefy jerks to keep people away from him, etc. I don’t watch his shows as he’s irritating.

Sandy: I read all the time and all kinds of murder mysteries. I just finshed a series set in the early 1900’s where the woman is a midwife/doctor. Victoria Thompson is the author. I like Dick and Felix Francis books. Got hooked on those when I was very ill for several weeks back in 1989. I like the Spenser books by Robert B Parker/Ace Atkins. I read Stuart Woods books until he started slamming conservatives and writing in political garbage in his books then I quit buying and reading them. A cute series is the Anne George sisters series. Unfortunately, she died suddenly and the series was never finished but her books are cute.

Well, I am sitting in the dark because Jack is in bed snoring away so guess I better head there too so we can get off in the morning. Talk to you after I get home.

Good Evening! It’s been a busy day for me today. The sun finally came out this afternoon which was a nice change after so many gloomy days. Counting balanced on the first try but I kept getting interrupted when I was doing my part on the computer. The organ company is here taking the pipes apart to reinforce them. Some are so heavy they were beginning to bend at the bottom. They planned for a week and came from Lincoln, NE. This afternoon I had a P.E.O. meeting which lasted longer than usual. Bob had practice at church so was gone when I got home. Supper was late leftovers so now I need to put the kitchen to bed.

“Gma,” I’m so glad you got to see Jackson! I hope the baby has arrived and all is well there. I used to read in bed but when I was having so much trouble with my eyes I quit. I take quite a few magazines so try to read through those for a few minutes. I need to get back to the library! Daylight savings time change always seems to mess with my sleep schedule. I woke up at 4:30 Sunday morning, got up, read the paper, then was ready for a nap by 8! Today was better but I was awake earlier than usual.

I need to unload the dishwasher and sort through the junk mail pile. Have a terrific Tuesday tomorrow!

Good Afternoon! We will be leaving shortly for Maddy’s Northwest Iowa Honor concert. I decided to renew my driver’s license this morning and was at the court house shortly after 8. They make you take a number then go sit in a waiting area full of dead stuffed wildlife animals until it is your turn. A lady came out of the office and asked what she could do for me so I said I was there to renew my license. She asked to see it, then asked if I had a passport and my social security card. I had the passport but not the ss card. I know it is in the house “somewhere” but quit carrying it years ago when the powers to be said not to carry it. So then she asked who did our taxes and if I could get my W2 form they would accept that but not my Medicare card. I called Bob and he has all the tax stuff filed at the office so he pulled my papers and I went back to the court house again. By 2020 everyone needs the license or ID card signifying they have passed the background check in order to get into a federal building or fly. I think the “bad guys” will get around it somehow, just like guns and drugs. The best part is I passed the eye test without my glasses!

“Gma,” it’s a good feeling to have everything back in order after being gone. I just got a survey from our hospital regarding my care while there. I had my mammogram in August, a knee X-ray in September, and cataracts in October so can honestly say the care and concern is an A+ for all areas. I try not to be the patient and my doctor thinks that is so funny since I am there all the time. I just told him being in the gift shop was a whole lot more fun!

Bob is home and offered to wash my car on the way out of town so we’re off! Enjoy the rest of your day! The sun finally came out!

Good morning ladies! Chilly here this morning & only getting to about 49 today. We have some 20s coming later this week. I don't mind the cold at all but I don't like the snow/ice that comes along later. Always afraid I'm gonna fall & break something.

Jean: Can't believe you had to go through all that to get your license renewed! How was Maddy's concert?

Donna: You sure had a busy trip! I love shopping online but hate to make returns. I ordered some things from Walmart a couple of weeks ago online & rec'd 3 huge bags of cat litter which I did not order! Fortunately, I wasn't charged for them so I took them out to the local animal shelter.

I'm trying to type this post with a Doberman sticking his head under my arm. Doesn't make it easy that's for sure! Guess he needs some attention so off I go. Have a great day everyone!

Good Afternoon! This is my two cents worth from yesterday! The site wouldn’t let me in and now it does. Today is a cold windy one, “felt like 7 degrees” according to the weatherman. But what does he know? I went to get my nails done first thing this morning. Then I made a WM stop to get mothballs for Bob’s tractor this winter. They keep the mice from setting up housekeeping. I bought four Starbucks gift cards for Christmas and asked for four separate gift cards because they are going to different people. The checker said she had to ring them up individually. After the second one the machine refused my debit card, so I used another card, but then allowed me to use the debit card on the rest of my stuff. When I got home the bank called and said they questioned the sales as being fraud. Local bank, local card, local charges under $25 but I’m glad they questioned it. This afternoon was crafty club and now, after pecan pie and ice cream there, nothing sounds good for supper.

Good Afternoon! The sun is shining and it’s quite a bit warmer today. No wonder I have a head full of snot — crazy weather! Today was lunch bunch so I haven’t accomplished anything but to wash and dry a load of clothes. I have bell practice in a little over an hour so there’s no point in starting a project now.

“Gma,” returning things is the main reason I don’t order clothes online unless I know I like the brand and it usually fits. We finally have a place where we can take UPS packages but can’t insure them because it is a “courtesy” at the grocery store. Otherwise I have to meet the truck at 4:30 when he picks up at a box drop off by the bank. You will eventually have to jump through the driver’s license hoops; perhaps it is a state regulation rather than nationwide. After the age of 70 we can’t renew online and the license is only good for two years after 72. When we went to vote yesterday we had to show our license, never had to do that before. We now have a “you know who/what” on the city council. More low rent, free subsidized housing here we come!

Sandy, it was 21 degrees when I came downstairs this morning. I agree about the cold but I don’t mind the snow if there isn’t freezing ran first. I, too, am afraid of falling and breaking something. I’m not sure I could get back up if I did fall. According to the driver’s license lady, everyone will have to pass “inspection” by 2020. We’ll see I guess. The concert was nice; it was all northwest Iowa 8th graders, over 500 according to the introductions. There were two guest conductors, a man who really got into the action with the boys, and a woman for the girls. They practiced all afternoon and it was standing room only in a gym with folding chairs on the floor and bleachers on all four sides. We drove back to Sioux City for supper and ice cream afterwards. Will had a Great Dane when Beth met him, named Bob. Turned out he liked Beth better than Will. They have a picture of newborn Maddy laying right behind his head. Bob had allergies and other health issues so now resides in a cookie jar on a shelf.

The mailman just drove by so will go see if I got anything interesting. I know the two local newspapers will be there if nothing else. I should be on a search for my social security card. That is a downer for sure! Enjoy the rest of a wonderful Wednesday!

Happy Friday tomorrow! I need to do some much needed cleaning and going for a perm in the afternoon.

Morning everyone & happy Friday. I don't get as excited about Friday as I used to! 30 degrees when I got up this morning with a high of 38 predicted. Yikes!

Jean: We have a "Barney" and a "Preston" in cans on a shelf. It's hard losing pets for sure. Sounds like a good concert.

Donna: I had to smile when I read your post about your slacks being too long. I ordered a pair of capris online once & they were so long, I could wear them as long pants....which I did!

Any big plans for the weekend? None here. Can't believe Thanksgiving is right around the corner! That's always been my favorite holiday. This year, my bday falls on Thanksgiving. My daughter's bday is the day before. When she was little, she wondered why if her bday was before mine, why I was older than her!

My hubby has the coffee made (I have him well trained don't I?) so time to fill up my mug. Enjoy your day!

Good Evening! It’s been another windy, cold, gloomy day in my neighborhood. If the sun would just shine that would help, but then the dust also shows better in sunshine. The auxiliary had a book sale fund raiser today so I went early, mainly looking for a horse book for Zowie. There were lots of baby/toddler toys and books, some adult books but nothing I wanted, Christmas decorations, and lots of stocking stuffer type things. I did buy coloring books for our granddaughters but no horse book. I see a road trip in the near future to the mall! This afternoon I had a perm and will decide on the results tomorrow after I wash it.

Sandy, I couldn’t get in here earlier today. I don’t know why but it won’t accept the same password I have used for a long time. I have “Mom” (a stray cat who had kittens in our garage and ended up moving on into the house with us) and Sonnybub on a shelf in the living room. We have five buried by the lilac bushes and each have a little granite marker. I am anal about my cats, they are family! The weatherman just said we will have a “mix” Saturday night so I am thinking rain turning to snow. Ick! Bells are playing Sunday and I have to be there by 7:30, ready to practice. Thanksgiving would have been Bob’s parents’ 74th anniversary. Our grandson’s birthday is the 21st and he will turn 15. I remember going to meet him, it was very cold and quite a bit of snow on the ground.

Guess I will see what is on tv tonight, maybe I will have a nap before it’s bedtime. Hope you all have a nice weekend!