A good SUNDAY afternoon HELLO to all. 

We spent most of the morning trying to get all the rain water out of our patio cushions. The debris from trees and plants all over the place too. We received 2 1/2 inches on Friday.....then more yesterday and more again today. I am not complaining as any moisture is welcomed‼️ Sure wish theWest Coast could get some nice showers.🙏🙏

Dave and the kiddos are back in Boston after two days in NY City.  Dave's best friend from high school help to tour them around yesterday.  They walked over 22 miles, so they are exhausted and their feet are very tired‼️😅 Tomorrow they will fly home....and reality will set in as they are back in their home🙏🙏

We all are at a loss of words over the Miami condo disaster.  How many more buildings like that are in danger?  So sad for the families that are waiting word on their loved ones🙏😩

Seeing pictures that the family shared from NYC yesterday also helped to remember our time there not that long ago.  One of my solemness  moments was standing at the reflecting pools of the 9/11 Memorial titled "Reflecting Absence" by Michael Arad. You could hear a pin drop....

PATRICIA, my heart aches for you and others that have buried their children.  I am kind of in denial that this has happened and yet, I know well it did.  I dread the family coming home to the home and how it is going to effect them.

JANE...enjoy the visit.....precious time, for sure! Thank you for thr update nnJoy.  I hope she can get stronger so she can get home. 

SHIRLEY, a week ago the spring broke on our garage door also.....took a few days to get someone out to do the repair....$280.00 later and we are back in business.  Did the guys have a nice time in Colorado, I hope? I loved LOAT WORDS... so many of those old sayings I still use today!  Even CLODHOPPERS, JANE! 

OH how I loved all of the posts....thanks to ALL for giving us something to learn, remember or what every.  So blessed to have a nice group to chat with. 

Jenny

I'm on my way to the haystack and my eyes have already entered the slam shut mode.  It was a great weekend with my daughter and granddaughter but it was waaaaay too short! 

I might not be on tomorrow morning.  Cooper is arriving about 7:30 and my friend, Shirley, is picking me up at 8 to go pick black raspberries.  It's going to be hot but the owner's email said the bushes are loaded!  When I get back, I'll have to deal with the two doggies and the berries and I'm sure the couch will be calling my name in the afternoon.

I wish you all a peaceful night's sleep and a happy tomorrow.  And may God bless us, every one!

Good morning..

We are off and running.....umm..a sedate walk would be more like it.  I have a list of items to pick up for the neighbours,friends and us. Cooler is already packed in the van with an ice pack.

More rain last night and likely more today. Fire ban has been lifted in this area for now.

Jane, our rhubarb is still going strong. My friend wants to get some to freeze and I will freeze some .

Enjoy your day and stay safe..

Good morning everyone. Had a problem getting to my last post this morning. don't know it is this lemon or the site messing  around. Finally g ot to today's posts so did miss those of yes terday. Will no t go hunting  for them anymore. Just saw loal forcast-chance of thunderstorms today up to Wednesday then rain the rest of the week but on the Fourth they have a question mark. Think Joan  hit it  r ight when she called the fore casters "weather  guessers".

JANE  hope you picked those berries one for the container and one for you to make sure they taste good.

I hope I have Yvette back  today.  The woman from the company has been calling me every day to say who is coming the next day. No call from her Friday so have my fingers crossed. If these companies would give them a decent pay maybe it would make more people want to be homemakers or CNAs.

Have a good day and stay cool if possible.

Good morning, Friends! Cloudy (love it) & rain drops every time I'm ready to go attack that holly bush so an excuse not to go out. Need to vac the pool & should do it while this cool BUT... haha, I need to wear glasses to see what I'm doing & they don't have little windshield wipers on them so will see how this works. Maybe just go eat a donut. I'd rather go back to bed but so many must dos on the agenda I don't dare zonk out until at least part taken care of.

Even tho some of you talk about dull lives, you do teach some of us a lot about a different way of life. I never heard of CNAs until you, Gloria.... and won't single out, but each of you have interesting lives to me. My little corner of the world is pretty simple, but it's where I am at this stage so even tho I do a lot of whining, this is MY choice.

For once the wind is not blowing ((didja hear that??? THE WIND IS NOT BLOWING IN KANSAS!))) I will go turn the front sprinklers on since mowers don't come until tomorrow & my grass out front is looking better than has for many years.

The lady from Overhead Door just called to thank me for the business last Friday & wanted to know if all's well. I got to tell her how much I appreciate their speedy work, but didn't tell her they were cheaper than yours, Jenny!

Jenny, as we all know, there isn't any way to ease the pain of giving up someone, it gnaws at the strangest times. Best way is to keep telling them to "be the person their mother wanted them to be.... best way to honor her memory and absolutely remember she wanted them to be happy".

Amy & Jane, I bow to your gardening skills.... last night I threw away all those little red tomatoes with the icky bottoms. One (of about 25) had less than the others so I washed & cut the bad off the bottom & top, had one bite but it didn't taste really good so not sure I will try tomatoes next year. Did put the smashed egg shells around the base, will see if that helps. Need to make more phone calls so better move along.

As Callie would say, "Have a Merry Monday"!!!   HiHoHiHo, off to work we go.............

Good morning from an Interior where the weather stays the same and the days roll on. Saturday, we had another picnic, the hot dogs and burgers type with cool drinks and loads of gossip! A very casual, slow-moving, lovely time just enjoying the moment.

I needed that as Sunday was spent dealing with an internet account that decided in their infinite wisdom to delete my account and open two new empty ones under each of my emails when I updated my account. I luckily have a backup, but it is buried in one of my externals, so I'm not happy about that or them! This week, hopefully, will be sunnier.

We had an enjoyable day, topping it off by meeting Sabrina who gave us two packed tins of homemade cookies, biscotti 4 different kinds and jam and cinnamon honey butter...
We only had to brake for one doe. We stop at a park to let the dogs out and I could hear a squawking going on  I found out it was baby osprey calling its Mom. Once Mom flew in the nest all was quiet.
Now to figure out do I can or freeze all the hamburg I bought today. Strawberries should be here tomorrow and those I will freeze.
Patricia, good food ,good friends what more can one ask for??

The kind of friend you have Amy, who brings all those goodies!   

We have several ospreys but primarily on a near army base where you're not allowed as a civilian and can't go exploring even tho the birds are safe. Still, on the far end, there are firing or bombing ranges or other incendiary reasons!

Right now, with the ravens in the mountains for the summer and cooler weather, we have besides the local wrens, robins, and magpies, herring gulls, and mew gulls in my area. On the other further western side is the wildlife refuge with all the swans, ducks, geese, cranes, hawks, etc.

There are golden eagles but not in the city proper. I used to head out to the refuge several times a week, but not in the past years since I fell on black ice in 2014.

I got back safely from the raspberry field with more black raspberries than I planned to pick.  There were so many of them that you hardly had to move to fill a container!  My friend, Shirley, picked about twice as many as I did because I left the BR field to go over to the Red Raspberry field but by the time I got there, it had been pretty well picked over.

When I got home, I was soaked with perspiration (or maybe it was just plain sweeat).  I put the berries in the fridge and hopped (or maybe crawled) into the shower.  After that I felt a bit better and I've accomplished a few things...including a phone consultation with my dr. about the gunk growing in my cheek.  It's been tested and it's NOT malignant!  HOORAY!!!!.  The choices to get rid of it are to have a local anesthetic and do it in the office or in the hospital with a general anesthetic.  I'm thinking that over and discussing it with my kids and anyone else who has an opinion.  She (the doctor) mentioned what her choice was and I'm taking that into consideration, too.
 She also mentioned that I'm a "healthy older woman" so my choices are more open than some peoples' are.

Now, I'm going to take the rest of the day off!  And tomorrow, I'm making black raspberry jam!  And I'm having blackberries and cream for breakfast!

Gloria, I don't know where you got the idea that I'm a gardener!
 If I got any instincts from my dad as I grew up, one was NOT gardening.
 My daughter Christy is the gardener and it's her touch that makes things grow at my house.  I just water them, pick them, cook and can them.  I did learn that from my Mother! 

I think Mickie might want a short walk so we'll take off for the mail box.  It's not too far to wear out either of us but it is up th street!

I hope you are all having a good day!  Better than yesterday but not as good as tomorrow.

Well now, this is very interesting!  Yesterday, I told everyone that I might not be in most of the day today and when I got here late afternoon, around 5?30 p.m., this had been a very busy place.  I read and I posted and then everyone left and no one came back for 5 hours.  That should tell me SOMETHING!

I'm heading for the haystack and I wish you all a peaceful night's sleep and a happy tomorrow.  And may God bless us, every one!

And I WILL be around tomorrow!  And I WILL be checking to see if y'all come or y'all stay away because of me!  Good night!

Good morning..

Busy day ahead with doing strawberries  and the rest of the hamburg.

Son called, they had to say good bye to one of their Great Danes. Cole's back was high than my hips! He was only 5 but had a back issue.

Meeting my friend at some point today and then home to work.

Jane, I love  Red raspberries..it would be one for the pot and two for me!!

Better get going

Enjoy your day and stay safe

Lloyd posted this in introductions..


Good Morning. I do Not Know how I got to Post,But Looks Like I did. we had sale , Never went good Grandson Kept over riding me and sold things I did not want to sell.also he had things in sale was sold in our name so will show up as taxes Income for us.It did not rain while sale was going on But has rained almost non stop day and night for several days.  already had a thunder boomer this morning. I wish some of you that need it could get it and give us some relief. Have a great day.

Lloyd

Lloyd, you can leave that Grandson a bucket...an empty one.

Darn, now even my notepad is messing me up. Was ready to post and everything I had typed disappeared. I tried  the undo and nothing came back.

JANE  you never make me stay away from t he SS. It is how I feel or how lazy I am that I do not post. Do you strain the seed out of y  our blackberry jam? I did when I used to make it. Those seeds drove me crazy getting stuck between my teeth or at the gum line.

AMY  do you freeze  the s trawberries whole or do you slice or mash them before freezing? I always slice  them and add a little sugar before freezing. Thanks for Lloyd's message. I feel bad for  the things tha t have happened to him from someone he thought was a good friend and a grandson. He sure did not deserve to be kicked in the butt from 2 people he trusted.

Still no Yvette and have the second best CNA I had a couple of times since Y left on her vacation. No one is as good or caring a Yvette.

Better go get washed and dressed and make the bed before I let this CNA in.

Have a good day and stay safe and cool.

Got a little drizzle right now so will keep this short (really?).... but wanted to mention to Lloyd that I don't think you pay taxes on anything sold at auction or garage sales because you've paid taxes on it once already. Is this the grandson you'll be staying with in same farm or duplex?  He might have been just thinking ahead to where y'all can store stuff. I'm like you, do not want anyone trying to tell me what to do or how to do it!  A tough time for you & Nancy, I hate changes.

Jane, I started itching when you mentioned berry picking! I've had a terrible time this year with bug bites and have yet to see what is biting so must be chiggers. Got out the big guns this week, my own solution. Been putting on Cutter's & several other brands of sprays that do not seem to interest these bugs but took a B-1 vitamin & then got out the bottle of baby oil I mixed with B-1 vitamins last year & rubbed that on legs, around neck & arms and nary a single new bite. I did smash another new B-1 (in a snack baggie)& added to the baby oil so fresh stink. But it worked for me!

The first time we were going to Colorado to camp my mother was so afraid we'd be putting on the commercial sprays & not wash off before getting into sleeping bags, she sent a clipping out of their paper about 2 young campers that died because of the sprays they used & didn't wash off before getting into sleeping bags. I am kind of "anti" anything that repels bugs being on my bare skin so was pleased when just taking the vitamin worked for me, but even better with the baby oil plus crushed vitamin that clings to skin. hahaha, people don't like the smell too much, either! Most of the time just swallowing the vitamin will work for me. An old pharmacist told me to try it when we first moved to Wichita some 50 years ago, said the B1 is what is in most prescriptions for mosquito repellents. He recommended 100mg for adults, 50mg for mid size and 25mg for the little kids. My kids could swallow pills so worked for them & us. What I put in the baby oil stays a little "grainy" but works.

Gloria, as a kid & again the first place we lived in KS had all the blackberries we could eat. I also strained the seeds out of the jam but gave up when making blackberry cobblers. Both places we had the "tame" berries that were at least as big a a thumb, and so sweet. Yum...

Well, looks like the off/on sprinkles are on again so may as well do inside work & get busy. The mowers are due about noon & I usually get out my weed whip (battery operated Black & Decker) to trim where they don't go & they can blow away any mess I make on the sidewalk. They will not attack my flowers since they don't know which is flowers & weeds. Have a "bezillion" little red bud trees that pop up everywhere. I've transplanted so many I just chop off the babies now, they grow so fast I can't keep ahead.

Well, I did laugh at first about this being "short"..... behave, everyone! Thanks for finding Lloyd, AMY!

Good morning, from the Interior where the weather and I are the same.

Good Morning...Good Afternoon....Good Evening...And GOOD NIGHT!

It's been a very busy day and I have 11 jars of Black Raspberrry Jan to show for it and another container of black raspberries in the fridge for eating.  GLORIA, I do not strain my berries and when I mash them I don't mash them to a thin pulp because I like to get the pieces of berry on my bread/toast/whatever.  And also because my mother never did.  I prefer jam to jelly every day.  I like the pieces of fruit!

I also have closets and drawers full of clean (and when needed...ironed) clothes.  It was way too hot to be outside so I did what needed done inside.  Our temp almost made it to 100 but it stopped at 99º.  It was almost too hot to breathe out there! 

Mickie didn't even waste any time outside.  She went out after lunch, did the necessaries, took a roll in the grass and hurried back inside!

Now I'm heading for the haystack because I have a lot to do tomorrow, too.  I wish you all a peaceful night's sleep and a good tomorrow!  And may God bless us, every one!

I am back! Did you miss me? lol
Too many posts to read since my last being here. Same for mails: I deleted I believe over 12 thousands unopened. Mainly PSP lessons.

I am still weak, but doing better.
Sorry not to have changed to my 15th June new page here. Maybe it will keep for next year!

Have a great day everyone. I missed you!

What a nice surprise to see BUBBLE here this morning!  One of those emails you deleted was from me to welcome you back to emailing.  You have been MISSED!  Keep getting better and better!  Love, Jane

    So good to "see" you here this morning. Despite the cloudy day out there you sure made it bright!  

Good morning..

A day of catch up here...clean up the kitchen from last night and need to deliver 2 quilts once I make the contact with the people.

Hamburg, strawberries all but 3 quarts and a mixed berries canned ready for pie filling are done now.

Gloria, I prefer to cut the large berries and mixed with sugar, let them set till there is a bit of juice in the bowl then bag and seal them. I find they taste just like fresh when thawed.

Shirley, I passed your sketter information on to friends that live deep in the woods. He normally slathers baby oil on ,but I think this method may work better.

Jane, wow you were busy!!! Only berry ready here are strawberries and they are really good this year. I am not a fan of strawberries but have ate some of these.

Phyllis and Joy good morning to you.

I lost one post due to trying to do too much at once so I am going to get this one I hope gone.

Enjoy your day and stay safe.

Good morning everyone, the sun is shining already and it looks so nice outside. Already 80 at 7:30. When I got on Skype yes terday told Regina I might get off fast. We had storms in the forecast. We did chat for a hour and the storm started. It was loud and bright. I am not as bad as I used to be. I used to pull all the plugs from appliances. Now I just shut off TV and PC bul left the AC running. We got to 97 yes terday and broke a record set in 1934. I poured and my windowsch from the rehab place but I was still weak and when Yvette came every day she had me lay on the couch and she waited on me. Even when I had to get up and take care of nature's calling me shw would walk me and  the rollator  to  the bathroom.

JANE  like you I prefere jam, if spreads much bet ter on bread or whatever. The only thing jelled I like is cranberry sauce, not the whole canned cranberries. In the fall I ger severa l bags of them and cook them and put into small  containers into the freezer.

AMY  that  is what I do with strawberries. Leaving them whole they do not have anytaste to them and do not hold the shape too well after thawng. Tried that once with just a few of them to see how they would be. Never again.

OK we know Joy is recouperating snd wanting t o get home. Lloyd is still in a mess with getting out of the family farm. Where is Callie? Who else is missing? So few of us here in the SS these days. Getting lonesome.

Time for breakfast so will sat bye bye for now.
Have a great day, keep cool and no outside work at all. Stay safe.

Good Morning everyone. I never slept good Last night, I am as tired as I was when I went to bed. it is haze here this morning. well we had a good day yesterday, Nancy's controls on here lift chair quit working. so we went and bought her a new one, she Is happy now now we have a chair to get rid of not enough room for a extra one.

Lloyd

Lloyd, good to see you in Soda Shoppe... hope you have a better day today..

Gloria, now I have the cauliflower cut up along with some red onion and will pickle that when I get a moment. Hope Yvette gets to come back to you and soon. She is a blessing to keep!

Not often seen but lurking and reading ---
Welcome back Bubble & Lloyd.
Bubble, Don't push it too much. Let each day bring improvement.
Lloyd, a couple of days to "let the dust settle" and the sleep should get better. Your comment about the lift chair reminds me - must change batteries in ours, lest we have a power failure.

Lloyd...things can only get better...

And a soggy good morning from Kansas!  I can't remember EVER having rain this many days in a row in all my years in KS. We had one bolt of lightning that put me n the cat to the ceiling, about 2:30 am. Got up to see if any damage, we didn't lose power, so went ahead and ate & fed Tiger. Tom had stayed outside under the eves where he doesn't get wet, but not there when I got up the early hour but was laying on the step waiting for his breakfast at 7:30 (I did go back to bed).

Bubble, so glad to see you back. These days it takes longer & longer to get back to "normal" after being sick, so be nice to yourself!

Lloyd, hope you enjoy the new life, remember that you are blessed because you & Nancy have each other and where ever you are together is HOME! My Fitbit says I had a little over an hour sleep before the lightning and won't give me credit for the the maybe 2 or 3 hours after. Like you, I am as tired as when I went to bed last night. Better go flush some water out of the pool while the rain stopped, radar showing a lot more on the way.

Rick, your mention of battery in the chair reminds me why I couldn't go to sleep last night. I was kicking myself for not taking batteries out of the cameras & metal detectors that aren't getting used for a long time.... and probably some flashlights with leaky batteries. This whole last year & half, nearly 2 years, has been a fog.

Amy, I haven't seen a good cauliflower for a couple years. I love steaming the whole head in my little electric pressure cooker with a good shake of Mrs.Dash over & then a lot of shredded cheese melted over that. Could make a meal out of it. Cas always suggested I cook it outside!!! Oops, too late to work outside, raining again!!! I think my trug needs a drain plug.

Gloria, I totally agree about jam over jelly and cranberry sauce over the lumps. My mother's cranberry dish she made had pecans in it & not sure what else, but it was really good. I did come turn off this laptop & unplug after that bolt of lightning got me up, it isn't on a surge protector. The two really old ones are, but they take so long to wake up even when on, it would have taken half an hour to shut them down. One is tied to the printer and the other oldie still has some of the PSP that works. They started out being XP & Vista so long past updates. Well, rain is not just a sprinkle now! I missed my chance to get water out of the pool.

Good morning from a steady, partly sunny, partly cloudy Interior! We've canceled our outing for the third or the fourth due to the holiday and rescheduled for the following week. I still have some shopping to do so may brave the crowds alone.

Bubble, I have hurrahed your return through various sites so that I will simply say hi!

It is so nice to see Lloyd again! I also had trouble sleeping last night, so I slept in this morning. If it wasn't for Farrah's repeatedly nudging me awake, I might still be there.

I'm on the jam and cranberry team as well, altho jelly makes a very nice rub on for some meats. I have a delicious sweet pineapple and red pepper type presently from friends.

GOOD MORNING 🦋
Sun is shinning and I am feeling a bit perkier❣️

Welcome back, BUBBLE‼️ YES, YES, you were missed. Happy you are feeling better but hope you do not over do. 

LLOYD, sorry you are missing your beauty sleep 💤.  Take care‼️

PATRICIA, sorry you have to cancel your plans.  Hope the weather cooperates and you get to do it soon.

GLORIA, glad you got to finish your conversation with Regina before the storm hit.  Hope Yvette is back soon.  She is THE BEST!

SHIRLEY, I feel like I have been in a fog for about the same length of time.....l just hope I can get out of it soon....I am dazed‼️🤪

Have a great day.....hugs all around.

Jenny