Good Morning! It is a gloomy wet day in my neighborhood this morning. There is NO wind blowing, not even a breeze. I ran a couple errands and now have the vacuum and fur bunnies waiting for me. I have bell practice later this afternoon.

"Gma," what a scary thing to happen at Jack's work place! I'm glad nothing was broken but can imagine his hands are sore just doing daily routine things. In Iowa the wife can have all of the husband's social security if it is more than her's but not both. Enjoy your new patio set!

Maggie, would it be possible to get a copy of Will's service to share with us? I hope you get your bank statement soon so you know what the money situation is. I would think you could call or visit the bank to get faster service than the USPS.

I need to get the vacuum revved up and get that done before lunch. Hope you all enjoy a nice day.

Good morning, ladies! 63 degrees and sunshine, heading for the 70's today.

I have bursitis in my right hip. Doc put me on prescription NSAID and said it will take a week or two for it to get better.

I can hardly believe 3 months of this year are already gone. Time goes so fast! The trees are leafing out now and my bird feeders are busy places. My yard man has begun cutting the grass so I'd say Spring if flourishing in VA. As usual for us, one day it's hot and the next is cold. How to dress is the question. At least I've turned the heat off.

Donna, poor Jack! I hope they heal up quickly. Our rain pattern has been following yours so I guess we have rain in store for tomorrow.

Jean, I don't think I could bear snow this late in the year. I see you are busy as always.

Maggie, here is the SS website with survivor benefit info https://www.ssa.gov/planners/survivors/ifyou5.html and you can get anywhere from all of his SS down to 0. Because my SS is more than Stan's, I don't get anything. As you will see, Social Security is a federal program and has nothing to do with the state you live in. You will need to call the office nearest you to get the ball rolling. Usually the funeral home will notify SS of the death and the death benefit will be mailed to you (very small, around $300 when Stan died). I'll will go to Mass tomorrow and say prayers for Will. I know this is so hard.

Have a wonderful day!

Good Evening! It's been a very strange weather kind of day. We got up to rain and wind, the sun came out for a couple hours around noon, then dark clouds rolled in and the temperature has been dropping steadily. It's been raining all evening. The weatherman has warned a "wintry mix" is on the way. I spent the morning having coffee and catching up with a friend. This afternoon I made banana bread with bananas that were too ripe to eat even though they were green when I bought them a couple days ago.

Maggie, I've been thinking of you today. How many years were you and Will married?

"Gma," our grass has turned green and the flowers were coming up before the last snow dumped on them. Our temperatures have ranged from the 20s to the 60s in the last few weeks.

Susan, I hope your hip feels better soon! I've heard bursitis is painful. One thing about snow this time of year is that it doen't last long. It's just going through the sloppy streets stage, and having a dirty car is a pain.

It's about time to catch the news and then head to bed. I'm getting a perm tomorrow morning. Hope you all enjoy a a nice day tomorrow!

Good Afternoon! It was 33 degrees this morning when I went outside to feed the squirrels! The never ending wind was blowing so I know the wind chill was even colder. I wish the weather God would remember it is now spring and shape up! I went for a perm first thing this morning. You would think after almost 38 years she would notice which side I "swoop" my bangs to. I just come home and do it over anyway. I've been picking up the clutter and doing laundry this afternoon.

"Gma," your afghan sounds very nice! It sounds like you have a busy weekend planned. I have never put chocolate chips in banana bread but I have seen them in different recipes. I always put chopped walnuts in mine. I am going to a Mary Kay open house tomorrow morning. I like to try new shades of blush rather than pick one out of a catalog. My favorite color has been discontinued. and so many have sparkles in them, which I sure don't need. Tomorrow night is the Neil Diamond concert and Sunday we are going to see the Broadway cast of Jersey Boys! I am really excited about that! They are in Sioux City and Bob surprised me with tickets saying "Happy Mother's Day!"

I need to fold towels and keep moving. Hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Good evening! This weekend flew by fast, must have been the strong winds! Saturday morning I went to an open house hosted by a friend who is a Mary Kay distributor. I don't buy much but do like their eye makeup remover. It's always fun to see the new items. Two concerts two days in a row and both the wonderful music from the 60s era. I've done a load of laundry since being home and am done "working" for the day. I have a P.E.O. Luncheon at noon tomorrow so Bob is on his own for lunch.

"Gma," it was 82 degrees in Sioux City this afternoon, but they had the same winds we have here. The birdbath has had a thin layer of ice each morning since Bob removed the heater last week. I need to clarify what I said about the Neil Diamond concert. It was a father and two sons performing a tribute to ND. They included a couple favorite Johnny Cash songs and one of Buddy Holly's hits. They were very good and I would go see them again. The Jersey Boys was excellent and a true Broadway production. They had remote control microphones that were mounted on boards and rolled out however many were needed for a song. Also a remote controlled drum platform that whizzed the drummer from place to place. I was glad we had seen the movie so could follow the story line. We sat in the balcony and I think I would have preferred the main floor but the tickets there were twice as much. They travel with eight semi trucks for all of their props, costumes, and supplies. Bob just looked them up on his iPad and they have a show scheduled in Washington D. C. on April 6; they will have to hustle! You and Jack really had a productive weekend in the garage! Wish you lived close enough to help me clear out the excess stuff around here. Good luck in going without the Belviq -- you can do it!

Maggie, I talk to Ernie and Sonny all the time. Sonny talks back sometimes. I think having a pet is good company, but not the same as a mate for sure. I know you will enjoy seeing your Kansas friends again. It's so nice that your host neighbor can go with you.

The dishwasher is finished doing the dishes so I should unload it. Hope you all enjoy a nice evening. April is moving along and soccer games start Saturday in Sioux Falls, then on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays in Sioux City. Both kids play on Tuesdays in SC so we will go then.