Soda Shoppe June 1 , 2025

JaneS · June 05, 2025, 10:03:09 AM

I Lost my post!

PHYLLIS, my first note was to you! I do remember that you are here and that you are oder than me and I do consider you a FRIEND! I talk about you to my family all the time and I think of you often. I was just wondering if anyone else was in our age bracket. You do write some interesting notes in here and I'm always glad to see a post from you. I've quoted you often!

I forgot the rest of what I wrote. I might try to come back later and make sure this one posts! I wish you all a great day.

Vanilla-Jackie · June 05, 2025, 10:06:07 AM

Phyllis...
...i grew up living with my parents and my grandma in grandmas house, and as a young child " she passed away when i was eleven " and i do remember a Steinway upright dark brown piano in which music sheets were inside the stool which i proudly got out and placed in front of me, and of course i banged away with pride but looking back it was just a racket of noise as i never learnt to play the piano...Sadly i dont recollect anyone else ever playing it

We did learn to read and write music when at secondary school but by then, the piano had disappeared...

Amy · June 05, 2025, 10:12:59 AM

The rain was short lived but some is bettter than none. Crow must be feeding babies as they have been 3 times now hollering for food!
Stopped for tea and treat and soon to start up again...think I am going to shock the sewing machine and get more blocks done.

OLM, don't know if you can use this but Epsomgel is what I use. At first ,didn't think it would work but 1/2 hour later no pain!! Knew a farmer that made his fences out of tree limbs,tight together and his pathways were made of small stones pounded down into the ground.

Break done..

OnLonelyMountain · June 05, 2025, 12:46:15 PM

I'm back in for breakfast after mending fence and exercising the dogs.

What lovely stories Phyllis and Jackie! Phyllis you are truly a musician! Even if your hands won't let you play anymore, your soul still vibrates with music. I too am a "Jack of all trades, master of none." I love learning new things. I tried to teach myself the banjo, however my skin had become so fragile that even bumping it against the counter would cause it to split open. I didn't put it together with the original pesticide poisoning at the time. I did take 7 years of Spanish, 4 in high school, 3 in college. Then when we had an opportunity to go to Italy, I taught myself Italian. Alas, I really crashed that spring and we did not go. I still enjoyed the learning though, and will, like you, continue seeking new things to learn. I think we are kindred spirits😀 (like in Anne of Green Gables) Thank you both again for sharing these fascinating glimpses into who you are, and parts of what makes you you.

Amy, thank you for the recommendation. I'll look into it. I have some arnica salve I've made from the arnica that grows wild here. I used that and its not very painful now. It just needs a rest. I always wait to use it until after I've fed the dogs as it isn't good to ingest. If its on my hands, it will transfer to their food.

Try to creep up on that sewing machine so you don't spook her. I've heard they're skittery when they haven't been used in a while.🤣

patricia19 · June 05, 2025, 02:09:00 PM

Good mid-morning on a cloudy, partly rainy day in the fifties. I don't know when, if ever, Spring will give over to Summer. Memorial Day is usually seeding time, but that one was wet, cold and windy! Our two outdoor farmer's markets are, however, up and running.

My morning routine, meet and greets and feeding and watering Farrah are long done. As well as the Kitchen and bathroom finishing touches this morning. I only have the two walk in closets and living room general cleaning, then the bedroom, before total carpet vacuuming. A friend stopped by yesterday and her husband asked why my apartment smelled like vinegar before Ruthie hushed him. 🥸 ☺️

I've had the management deliver a fire suppression blanket, as well as replacing the fan on my stove hood and adding two fire suppressant cans to said hood, and now all that's left is the annual inspection on June eighteenth and the drain dismantle and replacement in the latter part of June. Then I can breathe until the next plan management comes up with. 😕

I had an Amazon order delivered yesterday for my neighbor and mine is in town but not out for delivery so far.

And I need to get in and make my coffee, and sit and breathe for a spell.

Amy, your lemon cake sound delicious and I made blueberry muffins yesterday and now wish I'd made something similar to your lemon cake. What happens to the goldfish come winter?

We don't have crows here, and our ravens leave in the spring for the cooler mountains and return each fall when it cools again.

Phyllis, not so! I always watch for your posts and Callie's too. I feel an affinity between you and me as I'm becoming housebound too, and it makes me antisocial and put upon as my neighbors expect me to be their dogsbody when they're out. So, many of my friends have come and gone, most recently Claire as her son took her away to Arizona.

My mother was very musical, she played piano, organ, accordion and alto sax. My father played a mean mouth harp. None of us kids, inherited any musical genes. 🥺

Barb, I'm also using Amazon for more and more items rather than the groceries. In 2013, I retired and moved into this building, coming off the long waiting list. It's a five-story building for disabled seniors that are still independent but need some help.

I'm not ready for the various senior care homes nor the wildly expensive senior apartments available for those no longer wanting to live on their own. When the State purchased it from private ownership in 2016, we came under the umbrella of their maintenance and rules and regulations of other state building management.

Unfortunately, this city's older historic district, where my building is, and the older business district is bound by two rivers, four bridges, and the newer, areas nineteen sixties through two thousands is on the other sides of those two rivers, including the seven groceries and malls. So, the newer suburbs are circling those areas and I have to factor in those transportation costs.

Up until 2019, I walked or biked everywhere, I even walked seven miles in minus sixties to and from work to keep fit and save on transportation costs. I used to love to roam the sanctuary and watch and or photograph all the animals in the public areas. In the two main public viewing areas they would spread grain each spring and fall for the migrating birds. Plus there were bears, moose, lynx, hares and other animals about, so care was needed in some of the wooded areas open to the public.

I keep a running, simple list making app, syncing on my laptop, cell, and kindle, for groceries, non groceries and health items. Google puts it out, it's called Keep; and has no unnecessary parts and is simply for list making. It's very helpful for me.

OLM, the only learning, besides life's lessons, I do now is through books and computer commentary. I used to write poems and short stories, hook rugs, basic sewing, knit and chrochet but that's no longer possible. Now my information comes from the computer and all the books I've read and contuine to read. My friends and I have a daily chat, refered to as meet and greets, and sometimes we debate issues and ideas. Politics, we learned long ago, is never part of any of our discussions.

When I joined SeniorNet, one of Norm's friends, I can't remember her name, other than it started with P; called me a baby senior, because I was at that time, the youngest. Now I seem to be somewhere in the lower middle.

I took Spanish in seventh grade, but only remember bits and pieces. In middle school, I was really into self-help books. I certainly read a lot. That and I discovered boys, protesting, and the sixties. I was your average teenager.

In college, I went four years for a history degree, discovered that didn't pay well enough and took a two-year course in office management. I, then, discovered offices and retail paid more in aggravation than ready cash, but I persevered in between traveling the country, 46 states, Canada and once in Mexico with two military husbands, not at the same time, raised and lost a child and discovered I had lost my youth along the way.

OnLonelyMountain · June 05, 2025, 03:21:48 PM

Good afternoon Patricia,
Very nice post. I laughed out right about Ruthie shushing her husband for asking about the vinegar! I'm still giggling about it.

I'm continually impressed and amazed by the things you all share here. Rick said you all were "... a great bunch of people here." He is spot on. Thank you all for sharing your lives with me. We are so very divergent. To me its far more interesting than TV ('cause you all are real). It helps me deal with my loneliness too.

patricia19 · June 05, 2025, 06:20:10 PM

Thanks, OLM. To use an old expression, I find that the further I age, the more I find we are alike even in our differences.

I remembered the name of the senior netter who dubbed me the baby senior, P.Roe, had I believe six sons, and was quite a character. She didn't like people using avatars and said we should just use our first names. I never quite got the courage to ask why she didn't.

There were so many welcoming people at SeniorNet and then in Seniors and Friends, and so many I miss. It used to take an hour or two simply to read the discussions I was into. Plus the various controversies and dustups enlivening the site.

OnLonelyMountain · June 05, 2025, 08:19:43 PM

Dustups? Were there trolls?

patricia19 · June 05, 2025, 10:37:28 PM

There are always trolls. But I was speaking of rifts, tiffs and disagreements among members.

OnLonelyMountain · June 05, 2025, 10:47:14 PM

Rifts! Tiffs! And disagreements! Oh my!

Amy · June 06, 2025, 06:47:30 AM

Good morning..

We have a haze in the air from the smoke from the fires out west. Can't imagine what it is like for those living closer to it.

Gathering up items to take to the dump this morning then home to finish up domestic duties.

Patricia, in my (much) younger years I went with a lad that played sax in the school band but let him listen to a new song and give him a piano and he could play it right off! We both worked on farms in the summer he on the dairy farm down the road and I on a mixed farming. The people I worked for the nephew would visit and Jackson and him would pound out many songs together on the piano..boogie woogie being one of them. Gold fish will go to friends with a backyard pond.

Better shake a leg..

Enjoy your day and stay safe..

OnLonelyMountain · June 06, 2025, 08:56:05 AM

Good morning Amy and all!
(She says as she waves to Amy hustling out the door) Nice sax story. I wanted to comment to you, Patricia, about your mother's musical abilities. I got distracted. She was quite talented. That she played the sax was particularly interesting to me. I always wanted to learn to play the sax. Sigh. Amy's story reminded me of my brother. He was one of those who could pick up, or sit down at, any instrument (as in ones he'd never played before, and be playing it in minutes. He never had much formal training. My parents bought him a upright concert grand piano (without even recognizing its value) at a garage sale for $30.00 so he could take lessons. He did not take to lessons, or finger drills. I assume they were too slow. But he could make that piano resound! I once played in a marimba band in college. 😄 It was fun. In addition to your mom playing the sax, This comment, " ... That and I discovered boys, protesting, and the sixties." made me grin. You wild thing, you! 🤣

patricia19 · June 06, 2025, 12:06:10 PM

Good Morning!

JaneS · June 06, 2025, 12:34:49 PM

Good Morning Everyfriend! It Thudered and poured all night last night. I even heard it without my hearing aids! But today the sun is shining and I've had my morning walk! I'm 2/3 of the way to my steps that I try to do every day! Some days I make it and some days I don't! But at this age, just trying is an accomplishment! I'm sorry, I can't see what I'm typing. Cindy did some work on my computer this morning and I didn't notice that the print was smaller. Right now, she's on line with a customer so I guess I'll try to come by later when she can fix this. If I made mistakes, I apologize. Please forgive me!

OnLonelyMountain · June 06, 2025, 12:42:09 PM

Good Morning Patricia! Cute kitty! I've finished my outside chores. Along with the grass seed watering it included stuffing dog poo into gopher holes. A professional yard maintenance guy online said that putting dog or cat poos in gopher holes was more effective than anything else he's ever used! Since the gopher holes are bugging Ron, and I have plenty of spare dog poo, that I remove anyway, I thought, "eh, worth a shot." It seems to be working. And working faster than most product reviews online said commercial non toxic products took.

Jane, kudos on both your steps and your typing! No typos that I saw.😀

Amy · June 07, 2025, 06:35:30 AM

Good morning..

Starting out at 56° and no sign of rain.Watered the garden last evening but I am sure rain water would have been more appreciated than well water..

Picking up a few things from town then home to weed a side garden (if sketters will let me), wash the van and trim back some lilacs.

Patricia, are you getting any of the smoke from Man? Some areas to the south of here were bad .

Jane, how is the canning going? Just Kyle's dill pickles and pickled beets to do this year here as we have enough from last year to use up.

OLM, we had groundhogs bigger than a gopher but also hated! The other day while in a garden centre my friend said to come and look at some plants....groundhog had topped them off!! He said he was just going to see up his trail cam to see what was doing the damage when out came Mr Groundhog!

Enjoy your day and stay safe.

JaneS · June 07, 2025, 09:21:03 AM

Good Morning Everyfriend! My computer expert, Cindy, has been working on my prining size, my typing size and a bunch of other stuff that I forgot! So I'm back in business.

OLM, thanks for the kudos! I keep trying!

AMY, Ali wants to make and can Salsa today so when Cindy and I go to the Farmers' Market today I have a list and we'll be heading over to her house this afternoon. It's gonna be a busy day! At the Farmers Market there's a young lady who makes all kinds of butter and that's my pickup for today! I always get some to take home. I really love the Jalapeno flavor one and my plan is to get 3 o those and three other flavors too.

We had bad storms overnight and I was afraid the Farmers Market wouldn't be open today but Cindy checked it out and they're opening but 2 hours later than usual. I guess they have to dry stuff off! We're leaving to go back to Pennsylvania next Saturday at 6AM-ish....Cindy's words. So we wouldn't be able to go next week. I'm glad they didn't decide to close this week! All the storms around here seem to be overnight! That's OK by me!

I guess I better close so I can jump up from here when Cindy says "time to go"! I wish you all a great day. Make it your own in every way! And don't forget to share it with us. We're curious (I mean "nosy")

OnLonelyMountain · June 07, 2025, 10:03:42 AM

Good morning Amy! Good morning Jane! Good morning all!

I'm nominating you both, Amy and Jane, for the "Go-getter Prize." You are both going to have lovely, busy days. Sound a little sweaty too.🤭 "Glowing," for Jane, in the kitchen. But Amy: weeding, trimming the shrubbery and van washing! And it was nearly 60° when you wrote... That sounds like sweaty work. Take it in manageable bites, with lots of ice water. Maybe stand close to the van during rinsing for the back spray. 😁 I, like yesterday, don't anticipate getting much done. Something got me. I could hear timber company equipment up wind all day. I don't know if/what but I had trouble all day and night. My gout is back to "C hands." All I got accomplished was a little weed whacking around the tiny house, watering the grass seed and carding wool. And my internet was terrible! I'm anticipating Ron coming with supplies today, and maybe he'll work on the tiny house a bit. I think he over did it yesterday. He finished shearing the last 6 sheep. Then our last surviving llama, Ebony, went down. She's quite old. He spent several hours getting her in, making her comfortable and trying to help her. She perked up for awhile. When he checked her before bed she couldn't raise her head again. He also has a 5k to run this morning. He was so tired yesterday he said he may just walk it with our granddaughter and her dad. So I'll mostly be puttering. But I'll be mentally cheering you ladies on in admiration!

Jane, 🤣 I made a typo in that short little message, missed it (I'm a horrible proof reader), posted, then had a terrible time with the internet trying to correct it. LOL

Amy, we have "ground hogs" here. They're the size of beavers and are called Rock Chucks. Boy do they make a mess! I wonder if poo works for them? 🤔

Amy · June 08, 2025, 06:01:20 AM

Good morning

Cooler this morning 38° with an air quality advisory warning. A day of rest here but the grass may get cut later on as we are to have two days of needed rain to come.

Not all got done yesterday but 4 loads of laundry did and some hung out on the solar dryer! Crows cried and held their tummies ending up getting fed four times during the day. Seems they hide in the trees and when they see me they holler for more food!

Jane, how did the salsa turn out?

OLM ,not sure about that but I know a 22 stops them. THey build highrise homes in the hay fields ,not good for machinery, one really had to keep an eye out for them.

Rick,this is for you.

Enjoy your day and stay safe.

MarsGal · June 08, 2025, 08:55:44 AM

I can relate to the Snoopy clip, too, Amy.

Not much has been going on around here lately. It does look like things will liven up a little beginning Monday. Parked in the back car-park are a dump truck, a detached blade for the truck, a portable generator and two pieces of equipment I can't identify because they are folded down on themselves along with a relatively small pile of gravel. Since I saw a guy measuring the lane a few days ago, I surmise that they are getting ready to repair and repave the rest of the lane. They only did half the lane last year.

A neighbors' cat, sporting a collar with tags, has been making the rounds lately. It has discovered my cats, so has been stopping by to enjoy a staring contest with them through the patio door.

Other than that, I have nothing of note to report so far today.

RAMMEL · June 08, 2025, 09:37:35 AM

Snoopy knows his stuff. How right he is.

RAMMEL · June 08, 2025, 09:40:42 AM

Quote from: Amy on June 08, 2025, 06:01:20 AMCrows cried and held their tummies ending up getting fed four times during the day. Seems they hide in the trees and when they see me they holler for more food!

I have some Mocking Birds that do the same. I think they've been taking food back to the nest so expect to see, and hear, more of them.

JaneS · June 08, 2025, 09:50:36 AM

[/b]Good Morning Everyfriend! I'm dressed and ready for church whenever Cindy is ready to take me there.

AMY, the salsa turned out great and the the left-over, we ate but we didn't finish it! It was really good! However, we had a bit of a problem. She had to do it in Quart jars because we didn't have any lids to fit the smaller jars. She said that's OK with her. It won't limit what she and DAN can eat and bothe Emma and Mikey like it so it won't take long for them to down a quart! And the best part of the day (for me) was when we were leaving and ALI said "I think I feel OK about doing the canning by myself after you leave to go home". So that job paid off for the future!

Sometime this week I'm going to go get her some pine jars and some extra lids to fit them! Then she'll be off and running! I told her to text me pictures of what she does in the future and she promised! Now I know where all my jars are going when I go!

I wish you all a great day! Make it your own in every way! And don't forget to tell us how you did that. I love reading everything everyone writes!

OnLonelyMountain · June 08, 2025, 10:08:20 AM

Good morning everyone!No big news here, yet. I'm on my 2nd coffee. Kato is outside. He couldn't wait for me to drink my coffee because "Poppa's here. Ron arrived yesterday after 5:30 p.m. He unloaded the truck: doors for the tree fort, insulation for the tiny house, then he re-mowed the play field. He took the Rhino's to the nearest dump station (in town). It was full dark when he returned. He smoker grilled himself a slab of salmon. I could smell it coming through my ceiling vents. He is a night owl. I don't expect to see him for at least 3 hours.

MG hopefully the road crew does a good job!

Amy, re: rock chucks, a .22 works if you have the time. True on the damage to machinery. The holes break livestock legs.😣

Jane, yum, salsa! You made my mouth water when you mentioned it yesterday. So glad the next generation of canners in your family had you to teach them.

Good morning Rick🙂 We don't have mockingbirds up here. I don't feed any of the birds. They are fat and sassy and holding their tummies from gorging themselves. I have been known to throw up a grasshopper or 6 later in the summer for the bats at twilight.

RAMMEL · June 08, 2025, 10:31:44 AM

Quote from: OnLonelyMountain on June 08, 2025, 10:08:20 AMI don't feed any of the birds. They are fat and sassy and holding their tummies from gorging themselves.

No grain, or grazing fields, around here, though there was as I grew up. Pretty much just a City area now. So most of our wild life are thieves (from peoples gardens) of fed by suckers like me. But I enjoy watching them come to eat. Even a chipmunk now and then.

patricia19 · June 08, 2025, 01:42:51 PM

Good morning, 48 and mostly cloudy here, but more rain expected in the afternoon and overnight. This has been the coldest spring and summer in quite a while, not since 1967 according to those in the know.

Morning routines, meet and greets and all decluttering and heavy cleaning finished. Now I only have to keep from making a mess before the inspection. My floor is scheduled for the afternoon of June 18th, and it all depends on which end they start from.

Amy, I heard from Claire's son. She is still having anxiety and depression, but the care home has a counselor who visits her twice a week and is working on trying to find her an emotional support dog. It's hard to believe this is the same woman who ran a small farm and market stall at the farmer's market. When she lost her husband, and then her land, she simply spiraled. I miss my friend.

OnLonelyMountain · June 08, 2025, 02:55:30 PM

Hey Rick, the birds in my area don't get "grain." We don't have grass seed yet, other than what my husband put down. They aren't eating it. I think the birds are eating bugs. The ants, beetles and other crawlies are hatching in waves and the birds flock in and pounce. I have mostly robins, junkos, bluebirds, and tanagers. The crows and ravens eat carrion from coyote and other predator's kills. The hummingbirds eat pine sap! I put out a feeder but they don't like it. Too sweet. The water fowl eat bugs, frogs, snakes and leeches.

They are fun to watch no matter where you are. Back on our farm my husband puts out bird feed. Not that they need it, just that he likes to watch them near the house.

RAMMEL · June 08, 2025, 04:10:55 PM

Bluebirds are the NY State Bird, and I have never seen one (knowingly). But I'll settle for the Cardinals, Mockingbirds, Doves, Bluejays, and endless Sparrows, and an occasional Woodpecker.

Amy · June 09, 2025, 05:58:38 AM

Good morning..

Starting out overcast with a temp of 56° I did see spots of rain on the deck but we sure need more than that! Managed to do lawn care yesterday ,one job out of the way.

Working inside today,some cupboards need cleaning and rearranging.

Jane, does Ali put sour cream in a dish then salsa over top to tip nachos or crackers in? That will make a quart of salsa disappear.

OLM, the groundhogs mainly dwelled in the hay fields, better eating I guess. We rode the pasture field and didn't see too many groundhog dens.

Patricia, I am sorry about Claire not easy getting old. A dog just might do the trick, gives her a purpose to get up and look after him/her. Good company too !

MG and Rick, I look around to see what else I can do while down there,usually a dust bunny comes into view.

Quote from: RAMMEL on June 08, 2025, 10:31:44 AMBut I enjoy watching them come to eat. Even a chipmunk now and then.

Me too!! The antics the birds go through is hilarious.

Quote from: MarsGal on June 08, 2025, 08:55:44 AMA neighbors' cat, sporting a collar with tags, has been making the rounds lately. It has discovered my cats, so has been stopping by to enjoy a staring contest with them through the patio door.

Now that would be more fun than watching tv! Does your cat get vocal?

Enjoy your day and stay safe.

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MarsGal · June 09, 2025, 07:46:12 AM

I may have to revise my roadwork theory. All of a sudden the park parking area is full of cars. They may be doing the upper apartment parking area. Well, going to do. The Microsoft weather gadget says no rain today. Could have fooled me. It has been drizzling.

Amy, Shan twitters some, but he hasn't gone into teeth chattering mode. Oscar just watches.

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