Hi everyone.  We are in for another very pleasant, sunny and warm day here in South Carolina.  We had another nice, although short visit yesterday at lunchtime with our step grandson and his family before they left to return to their home near Atlanta.  I did go to Sunday School as I had made a commitment to bring the devotional so I went but didn't stay for church.  On the way home I stopped at Krogers and got three large subs, potato salad and cole slaw and a big bag of various small bags of chips for our lunch.  It was quick and easy.  It wasn't the best lunch but it served the purpose.  As soon as they left I laid down but got involved in the golf tournament and couldn't go to sleep.  Needless to say I went to bed early last night.

This morning I emptied the dishwasher and fixed Pat's breakfast.  Pat had ordered some new Corelle dishes to replace the plates, etc, that we had been using.  They came yesterday so I unpacked them this morning and got all but two sets in the dishwasher.  The other two sets I will wash by hand for use this evening for our dinner.  I also need to grate a pound of cheese and make more sausage muffins for Pat's breakfast.  However, I needed to rest so am now in my office doing that as I write in the discussions.  If I am not too tired I will attend my noontime meeting and then stop at Costco for a few items on the way home.  That will be it for today. 

Mary Ann, nice that Annie's mother is now interested in her background.  I bet holding the tiny infant was a real joy.  The little 9 month old of our step grandson is a ball of fire and really wore me out when he sat on my lap and wanted to climb up and bounce.  It was fun but he was heavy. 

Sandy and Mary Ann, I really only watched the last day of the telecast of the Master's and it was an exciting event.  I was also happy to see Garcia win.  Speith sort of fell apart on his round and went backwards in his score.  However, I saw him interviewed after the tourney was over and he was very positive.

Marilyne, it is always sad to lose a dear friend as friends are important.  Had he been ill or was this just sudden?

Mary Ann - You made me laugh this morning, remembering those song lyrics. "When I'm not near the girl I love, I love the girl I'm near"!  I Goggled the phrase, and read the entire song, which is from the musical Finian's Rainbow.  Similar to Brigadoon - I get the two musicals mixed up also. The lyrics certainly do describe the fickleness of a cat's personality! LOL! When I'm not facing the face that I fancy,
I fancy the face I face.

Marilyne, sorry I got the shows mixed up, but you did recall the song.  I think David Wayne was the one who sang the song.

I have just put batteries into two clocks and Kendrick is going to be confused, maybe go "nuts".  One clock is a chime clock; I got it when I retired nearly 31 years ago.  That one chimes on the quarter hour - a Westminster chime.  Last week is started losing time and yesterday it stopped entirely, something it's never done before.  The other clock is a bird clock and after about three months, it loses time.  It has been "off" for a long time and only the mourning dove at 7 pm has worked.  Kendrick was sitting beside me while I changed the batteries and reset the time and looked puzzled each time the bird sounded.  The button that I push to aline the birds doesn't seem to work so while a bird will sound off on the hour, it won't be the right bird for that hour.  Won't bother me a bit because there are only a few birds that I recognize on the clock - the mourning dove, cardinal, blue jay and chickadee.  I do recognize other birds, but I don't put their calls with the bird.

My computer says the temperature is 66 degrees and the thermometer at my elbow says 74 degrees.  I think the heat gets trapped between the garage and my unit so I don't usually trust the one close by.  But 8 degrees is a big difference.  Regardless, it's warm and very comfortable out and in.

Mary Ann

Larry, I am so glad you have a dishwasher in your home. It makes life so much easier. The corelle dinner wear is nice. I like what I had, looks and feels like china, but wears so well.

How is Kendrick responding to the clocks bird calls. I wonder if he will know the difference in electronic sounds compared to the real thing Please keep us informed.

June, to tell the truth, I haven't heard the clock chirp.  It is in another room but my hearing isn't so bad that I shouldn't hear it.  The button to adjust the sounds did not work, so maybe there is a connection there, however, when I set the time, the birds chirped.  I'll have to look into it.

I got my State income tax in the mailbox today and it will go out tomorrow.  I'm glad that is done for another year.  Since I had to pay, I was in no hurry to get it to the State, but the deadline is approaching so I wanted it to be mailed.

Mary Ann

Good Morning Everyone

It is a beautiful  sunny day here on the rocky coast of Maine.    I am off to spend some time with my daughter,
Kelly. 

Sandy

Hi everyone on a bright and sunny day.  It looks like we will get up to about 82 today.  Not feeling very peppy today and guess I just got overtired yesterday.  It doesn't take much anymore to do that to me.  I did not get to Costco yesterday and Pat plans to go with me this morning.  This afternoon after 3 pm I will drive down to Walmart to pick up another online grocery order.  I sure love this method of buying groceries.  I will take the rest of the day quietly.

Please forgive me for not making individual comments today.  I read all the postings.

I've been busy this morning and it seems like it is mid-afternoon, but it's only 11:42 am.  Tom drove me to my haircut and he went to the restaurant next door to wait.  When I was finished, I joined him for breakfast.  We do this every five weeks when I have my hair cut.  I even managed to get a nap in.

As far as the bird sounds are concerned, I think my bird clock has bit the dust.  It keeps time OK, but I was hoping the birds would chirp on the hour - and they don't.  Kendrick did watch the birds for a few minutes on the deck and even tried to chase a couple of them, but he stopped at the railing.

After our nice day of yesterday, today is a disappointment.  Our temperature is 44 degrees now, which isn't too bad, but the sky is overcast and it is on the coolish side.  Funny, but if the sun was shining, 44 would seem very comfortable. 

Mary Ann

My bird clock is about 18 years old now and it keeps on chirping at me.  When we moved from CA we forgot the bird clock so had to buy a new one when I got up here.  Love it.

Joan, I don't know how old this clock is but my oldest nephew, Tim, and his wife gave it to me shortly after they were married in 1995, not necessarily that year, but close, so mine is about the same age as yours.  Clocks are funny and it's entirely possible that one day I will hear a chirp or two. 

I went after the mail a while ago and it's kind of breezy out.  I did not put on a jacket, but I could tell it is chilly, even at 45 degrees.  At least no snow - yet!  (I just looked at radar and it is snowing in the UP about 225 miles north of us).

Mary Ann

Good afternoon: I'm taking it easy today . . . over did it yesterday by doing a huge load of winter blankets & comforter at the local laundromat.  AJ went with me, and did all the heavy lifting, but still it was exhausting.  Moving those wet items from washer to dryer, and then folding afterwards, was a real pain for both of us.  I guess I still had some energy leftover, because I spent most of the afternoon, transplanting some plants into larger containers.  However, today I'm feeling the results of all that work. 

wjoan - I didn't buy the rolling stool at Lowes.  It turned out to be a tall stool, that would be counter height, if I were sitting on it. I was tempted to get it, because it seemed like something that would be useful, but then the problem of the lower cupboards and drawers would still need to be addressed.  Besides, I don't really have room for one stool, much less two! LOL 

Mary Ann and joan - I'm wondering what a "bird clock" is?   Is it the same as a cuckoo clock?  I guess I could Google, and maybe even see some pictures?

Marilyne, I live in an apt, so space is limited.  My stool fits right under my stools at my kitchen bar.  Works for me.

Marilyne, a bird clock is round with different birds where the numbers would be.  When a particular bird is at the 12 o'clock hour, the bird's song chirps instead of striking.  The chirp is not the number of the hour, but if you know your birds, they're very distinctive.  I don't recognize all of the bird calls, but I do know a few.  All bird clocks do not have the same birds on them, or in the same position.  On my clock the cardinal is at 9 o'clock, the blue jay at 3 o'clock, the mouring dove at 7 o'clock and I think the chickadee is at 8 o'clock.  I know there's a nuthatch, house finch, white throated sparrow, maybe a warbler and I forget the others - if I weren't so lazy, I'd get up an look at it but it's in the living room and I am not!

I also have a cuckoo clock but I don't have it working.  Norm sent it from Germany in 1952 but it has to be "wound" daily.  One of the ratchets didn't work so I took it to be fixed and the man asked if he could put in a larger mechanism.  Dumb me, I didn't know beans about the mechanism and I let him do it.  The poor cuckoo - when it would come out of it's house, it would go "cuck" and that was it.  The mechanism is too large for the clock and I've never had it restored.  I had it in the family room and since Tom works down there, it would drive him crazy!  Gosh, Norm sent that 65 years ago.  Tempis fugit!  Not sure about that spelling.

https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=bird+clock&ei=UTF-8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-002

This is from Amazon and it came up first; I know there are other vendors.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - By my age, I assumed I had seen everything in the way of household items, decor, clocks, etc. . . . but I guess there are always more things to see and to learn about!  I clicked on your link, and looked at the bird clocks on Amazon, of which there were many, with lots of different birds pictured on each clock.  That's the first time I've ever seen them, and I'm fascinated!  The prices are reasonable, so I'm tempted to order one.  Common sense tells me no, that I have enough clocks, and enough everything else around here! They sure do look cheerful and attractive though.

Marilyne, I know what you mean about "excess".  One year Norm and his first wife gave me and each of their three sons a clock that had the name Tock and the O was the clock.  I loved it but found out it killed the battery after a week.  So it hangs on the wall of the family room and twice a day it is right!  I also have an outdoor round thermometer on the wall and it does give the temps OK, but that room fluctuates from 60 degrees to 70 degrees from winter to summer.  I doubt Tom pays any attention to it, after all he has a smart phone that tells him everything!

So buy your clock, you'll enjoy it.

After temps in the 70s yesterday, we didn't get over 50 degrees today.

Mary Ann

Hi everyone on this beautiful Spring Day.  It looks like it will be another very pleasant one.  Our family is going to have our traditional Easter Dinner late this afternoon as Scott has to work Sunday afternoon.  We bought the ham but Jennifer is preparing it.  Pat told me the different dishes we will be having but not whether we were making them or would depend on Scott and Jennifer to prepare them.  They are both good cooks and getting these big meals is almost beyond Pat now.  Pat is getting showered before her breakfast this morning and hopes to have enough energy left to go to her gifts group this morning.  I hope she can go as it is good for her to be with the ladies and she always enjoys the group. 

Yesterday, for the first time in almost a year she decided she was going to drive and she took herself to our local Walmart to pick up a prescription and get a few other things.  She said she got along well and her back cooperated as long as she kept moving.  Yesterday was truly a lost day for me as after I finished posting in the discussions I went back to bed for the rest of the morning, got up and ate a quick lunch, and then laid back down for a couple of hours more.  I was just too tired yesterday to try to get to Costco as we had planned.  I seem to be getting to a point where all I want to do is lay down and rest.  I certainly don't feel depressed just weary after I do just a few things.

Marilyne, it sounds like you overdid yesterday with all that heavy laundry and then transplanting the plants.  I hope that didn't require a lot of bending. Sorry the stool idea didn't work out. 

Mary Ann, Pat has a beautiful grandfather clock that she got many years ago.  The chimes on it are not unpleasant but just too loud.  Since we have moved she hasn't had it serviced, which it needs, so it isn't working (and I am not sad about it) as it resides in a little alcove off the family room that goes into our bedroom and I know it would heighten the sounds of the chimes, which I find annoying.  However, if she wants to get it serviced I won't argue with her as she does enjoy it. 

Larry, the Westminster chime clock I have was given to me at retirement, nearly 31 years ago.  It is a mantle or desk clock.  I have two other strike clocks that no longer strike.  One belonged to my Grandmother Tock's family when she was young.  It is cast iron with mother-of-pearl insets.  I have it on a cabinet along side of a clock that belonged to my Fleming grandparents.  I found a picture in a magazine as it must have been when new, but my clock in my time has never had a glass in the door.  The glass must have had a reverse painting on it.  At one time, I had both clocks going and striking (not quite at the same time) but eventually, both ran out of steam.  I hope someday someone in the family will appreciate them.  Both wound for seven days.

Today looks as if it will be a nice day with the temperature in the 50s and/or 60s.  It is nearly 50 now and the sun is shining.  Radar shows the area clear for at least today.  Seeing it is Wednesday, it is our family luncheon day and I have no idea what we will do.  Dot has her book club so won't be with us.

Mary Ann

good afternoon, yesterday, was beautiful to day cloudy, but still not that bad, I plan to go out to the Florida room and read. Before General Hospital comes on, I have been watching that for over 50 years.

Dennis had sent me a beautiful Black Forest   cuckoo clock from germany, when he was stationed there. I felt awful, as it got lost when we moved here.  I think my son took ac couple of boxes to the Hospital thrift store, and that's where it went.
I now have a very expensive  clock I bought as a gift to me a few years ago. It plays beautiful music,  it plays Tenn. Waltz, which was one of my husbands favorite songs. that is what sold me on it, at Christmas you can push a button, and it plays Christmas songs.  The pendulum is Swarovski crystal . The face of the clock opens up when it plays music. Hard to describe.

Gloria, your clock sounds as if it is beautiful.  Especially the pendulum.  I have the cuckoo clock I mentioned, but until I get it fixed, I won't use it.  It is only a one-day mechanism and is too much bother to wind each day, especially if I would have it downstairs - because I seldom do stairs any more. 

Mary Ann

Gloria and Mary Ann - you both have some lovely, high quality clocks!  I had really never thought about it before, but I don't have a single clock worth mentioning. We do have one old antique school clock, but it's packed away in a box, and is missing some of it's parts. Other than that, I can't think of a single one. Mary Ann - I think it's time that I took another look at the bird clocks on Amazon, and ordered one! 

Larry - I'm sure you had a nice early Easter dinner today. It's good to hear that Pat, got out yesterday and drove the car! Driving the car, even a short distance, gives me a feeling of independence and freedom!  I would hate to give it up, but I know I will have to some day. 

So few people posting in S&F now.   I feel bad that so many have dropped out, but I know there is really nothing we can do to encourage people to start posting messages on a regular basis. 

Marilyne, for a few days a bird clock will drive Winnie crazy - every hour on the hour, but he'll get used to the sounds.  My clock sounded at noon or 1 pm but I don't know which bird it was.  If I could get the button to work, I'd put the birds in order.  Instructions will come with the clock  so you will know what I'm talking about.

One reason for fewer posts is that Joan usually replies to everyone in Soda Shoppe and without her, there are many fewer posts.  But other folders are not so busy, either.  I am not taking Norm's place with this folder, but I do try to post every day.

Our Wednesday luncheon was just Tom and me so we went to the Score which has good food and is nearby.  It is a sports bar and the Detroit-Minnesota game was on.  There are screens at every booth so people can watch whichever program they want to.

We're trying to find out how we will celebrate (?) Easter.  I suggested we get a small ham and when he called Annie to see if she would be able to come, she said she wanted to host the dinner, but because she'd have to work, we wouldn't eat until 6 pm.  It has been hard to get Annie to learn anything about cooking but now she is more interested.  She lives with her boyfriend (not to our liking, but she's 21 and has a mind of her own) and I think he may be encouraging her to do some cooking. 

Mary Ann

My grandfather's clock is over 100 years old.  My father, according to family legend, was rocked to the rhythm of the pendulum in 1910.  It's a key wind and chimes on the hour and half hour.  Keeps pretty good time for its age, loses about 2 minutes a month, which is better than I do!   

Hi everyone.  We are headed up to the low 80's this afternoon with a 20% chance of showers.  We had a delicious early Easter dinner last evening.  Our granddaughter fixed the ham and it was delicious.  Pat fixed our traditional green been casserole and the 5 cup salad and also a nice potato dish that was new to us but sure we will have again as Pat said it was easy to make.  Scott switched printers between the one in my office and the one Pat had been using but that I couldn't get to print after clearing a paper jam and replacing an ink cartridge.  As soon as he brought it into my office it stated working.  Pat's upstairs printer in her sewing room says it has a paper jam but both he and I tried to find it without success.  He took that printer home with him to see if he can find it. 

We plan a fairly light day today.  I am going to pick up my friend and go to coffee, will return him home and then make the decision whether to go back to the Wisdom class or not.  I have spent a good part of the last two days just laying down and resting.  We are planning on going out to eat this evening for our main meal as Pat said she just plans on taking it easy today as she had a full day yesterday and needs a day to recover.

Mary Ann, my grandparents and then my parents had a beautiful mantle clock.  I think maybe my sister now has it although have lost track of it.  The grandfather clock Pat has uses a windup crank.  It is a beautiful piece of furniture and I guess we need to get it fixed so it runs as she enjoys it.  It sounds like you are having some nice weather up your way.  My granddaughter is a good cook but this was the first ham she had ever fixed. It was very good and tasty. It sounds like Annie is quickly learning to cook and must like to entertain. Pat and I discussed yesterday that our days of hosting big meals is probably near its end in terms of preparing the food.  We are more than willing to pay for the food but someone else is going to have to prepare it. 

Jeanne, it must be a bit unusual for a clock to run so well for such a long time.  I have a gold watch on a chain like railroad conductors used to wear. It was my grandfathers and then I inherited it from my father.  I keep it in the safe deposit box and have no idea how much it is worth but don't intend to sell it.

deAngel, has the story line changed much in the 50 years you have been watching General Hospital?    Just teasing.  You have certainly been a loyal fan.  Good for you in buying the expensive clock as a gift for yourself.  It sounds like it is beautiful.

Marilyne, it sounds like it is time you treated yourself to the nice bird clock.  It should be entertaining with your cat and as you get used to it as well.  I was glad to see Pat drive the car as sometimes I have had to really push myself to get her where she needed to go.  She knows she is going to need to be able to drive in the future when I am no longer on the scene or not strong enough to drive.  Hopefully that is a long way off but one never knows.  Posting on these message boards has been a daily part of my life for over 20 years. I basically limit my reading and posting to three discussions and while there is overlap of some folks there are others I would lose contact with if I dropped out of one or more of them. 

It is the start of what looks to be another nice day.  The temperature is at 45 degrees at 10:30 and I have an idea it will go up some.

I've heard a couple of birds chirp on my bird clock and I don't know what is causing it, but it's OK with me.

Tom and I decided we'd take the green bean casserole to our Easter dinner.  I'm pleased that Annie is doing some cooking.  I tried to get her involved in simple things but she wasn't having any part of it.  The funniest thing (to me) was the day I went to the kitchen and in a small saucepan, Annie had put in the pasta contents of a box of mac and cheese with about as little water as possible.  I had her add some water and then I cautioned her to read the directions on the boxes whenever she used a box mix.  She did very little cooking here so I don't know if she does that or not.  She is skinny as a rail but apparently in good health.  She doesn't take after either family but I know she is not adopted!

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - When I saw Annie's picture on Facebook, I could tell she was tall and slim. Now that she is doing family genealogy, she may discover someone on her mother's side, who has the same body build?  Good that she is getting interested in cooking.  My youngest daughter lives alone, and rarely prepares a meal.  She claims it is cheaper for her to eat out after work, or bring take-out home to eat. She lived with a boy friend (now moved away) for about four years, and during that time he did most of the cooking, so she has never really learned how to put together a complete meal. 

Larry - It seems that many of our long time S&F/SN posters, have left us in favor of Facebook. Others just leave for no apparent reason. I guess they just get burnt out on posting messages? Like you, I've been posting on message boards for the past 20 years, and it's become a part of my daily life.  I also like Facebook, but it's an entirely different foremat, and doesn't work as well for me . . . probably because it's hard for me to post one sentence comments! ha ha  I tend to run on and on, as I'm doing right now!

Marilyne, to my way of thinking, Annie is the only person I know who is eligible to wear those skinny pants.  She does look good in them, but so many women who wear them (men too) are too hippy.  I would never think of wearing anything like that.

I just got the news that my hair stylist is retiring in two weeks.  I have been with her for well over 30 years, maybe even 35 years.  She suggested a new stylist but she is available only on Saturday and I don't want that, so I am going with another woman who has cut my hair before and charges the same amount my retiring stylist does.  For what I get - shampoo and cut - it is too much, but I have my hair cut only every five weeks, so I'll put up with it.  Of course, I could go somewhere else, but I'm not going to.  When I started with them, they were across the street from my condo.

I am not on Facebook and I don't intend to start.  I think everyone else in the family is on it and if someone posts a picture Tom thinks would interest me, he sends it to me.  I was not aware you could only post single sentences on FB and I like it that I can talk and talk and talk on S&F.  Once I get started, it is hard to shut me up!

I like learning about the people who post here and I can't learn much in one sentence.

Mary Ann

Good afternoon, cool but beautiful day.  A neighbor just came  by and wanted to know if I would like to the Christmas tree shop. Of course I said yes. So have to quick get ready.

Mary Ann, I have a true story I must tell you about clocks.  My grandfather gave my g. mother a mantel clock, I still remember it, it was very fancy and had a gold horse that stood on top of it.  My g. mother died at 9:00Am and the clock stopped,  Just like the song. I was 12 years old, and I remember everyone talking about that.

Jeanne, what a treasure you have in that clock.    They are few and far between these days.

Mary Ann - Regarding Facebook: You can write as much as you want, but after a couple of sentences it stops showing, and it then says, See More, in blue.  If anyone reading your comment wants to read more of what you have to say, they will click on the blue, and the rest of your message will come up. Because FB moves fast, most people only write one or two sentences that show and can be read quickly.  Facebook is really meant for short comments and "likes", whereas message boards are designed for longer conversations. 

Marilyne....and don't forget "shares" on Facebook. 
I have blocked seeing posts from several friends on my time line because of the ( evangelical - political - "helpful hints" - "inspirational" - etc. etc. ad infinitum) same posts that show up.

I don't post a daily report - but, when I do post, I don't copy what anybody else has done.

(O.K.  - off my soapbox  )