Wow yes, Patricia got it - sent back to you a reply - my first message how much fun...

Little by little today getting caught up with projects started and not finished -

Next I need to cull my knitting books - no way will I be knitting as I once did - have wool for several sweaters but no way - hate giving this good wool to Goodwill but don't know who else - so few knit this far south - the many years ago when I lived in Kentucky everyone always had a project going 

Bed in a bit - sweat dreams everyone...

A very good, wet morning to you all.

Oscar report: Oscar has some new cat food which is mostly chicken that includes things he has never had before, like duck, quail's eggs, lamb, and beef (which he hasn't had since he was a youngster). He ate them all and demanded more. I read an article by a vet that the way lymphoma works in cats is that it feeds on carbs, so low-carb or no carb food with high protein and fat. Starve the cancer to at least slow it down, assuming it is in fact cancer. I am happy that he is eating and not barfing it up every few days.

If I haven't mentioned it already, I have finally settled on a bedroom set. Now all I have to do is get rid of stuff, including the old bed, to make room for it. My current plan is to keep the old dresser, which was my Moms', and put in this room. That involves getting rid of a heavy metal shelving unit and my huge porch rocking chair. The chair needs to be put into the back of my vehicle so I can take it over to Goodwill. It is in very good shape, spending most of its life so far, inside. Unfortunately, I can't use it outside because the way the apartment building is oriented it seems to act like a wind tunnel between the building and the yew bushes causing the rocker to get blown over and knocked about. That surprised me because the rocker is not particularly light. The maintenance man, who I haven't seen hide nor hair of in the last two days, is willing to remove the mattress and furniture.

Time to get my day started. 

Barb, when I moved I got rid of "tons" of crafting books, but kept most of my knitting, crochet and needlework books. What remains still takes up a shelf and a half. My knitting and needlework supplies are packed in one big box and several smaller boxes. Last winter I was going to finish a knitting project, but never got around to it. Those round-to-its are incredibly elusive.

Rain today and tomorrow with temps staying in the 50s. 

ah MarsGal you also with the textiles - ah so - we had such dreams that evidently young women do not share today...

Well I'm bushed and the day has barely started - got a dozen empty Banker Boxes to the curb using my walker and the way I had them stacked on the seat it only took 3 trips to the curb but that is quite a walk since I have a circular drive and a good size front yard - let's hope someone needs boxes and they are gone but in case not the garbage men come tomorrow - not sure if they will take them or not since I had not alerted the company to an extra load - we shall see what we shall see...

Then last night I tried a new spider spray and sprayed down the keyboard and area around my computer - If I'm on the computer for any length of time (which is where I read my kindle books) my hands are full of itchy welts all bitten by I'm assuming spiders - don't see anything flying and so can only assume it is those itsy spiders - Lordy what a mess this morning - spray is called STEM and it leaves a wet oil almost puddle behind - trying to clean up and used more paper towels then if I had a spill in the kitchen - this may be effective and it may not used the chemicals of 'Raid' but oh oh oh what a mess...

Well today my get up and go came back and so I need to keep going - have laundry to do and books to cull and some garage organizing to do - hope y'all have a great day

Good Morning Everyfriend!  I'm up, had my breakfast and I'm checking you all out before I head back upstairs to get dressed!  I wish you all a great day.  I read all your entries and I hope the good stays with you and the bad leaves!  I'll be going out for a walk after I'm dressed and ready!  The bad weather seems to have left us!  I wish you all a great day!  Make it your own in every way.  I'll be back later!

Good morning..

Temp is 50° overcast and drizzly. Good day to stay in and...I am sure I will find something that I don't want to do...   Maybe go sew..

OLM my friend had solar with backup generator.The highlight for her was when they bought a generator that was hooked up to the house and could be started by a fob from inside her home.

Jane, we are in for 3 days of rain here..aka makes grass grow and bugs mulitply .

MG, that is good news!! So happy to read that Oscar is eating..

Enjoy your day and stay safe.

MarsGal, good to hear Oscar is doing better. Cats are obligate carnivores. They were never designed to eat carbs. Here's to him being much healther!

Its is a sunny, warmer day today. I've been hardat getting all the things done that I've been holding off due to raining, freezing, windy weather.i've done the dump and fill, started laundry and started moving last yea'rs green wood into the dry pile. Yesterday I spent hours trying to get the signal booster working. Everywhere I could put the outside antennae was either looking into heavy forest, directly at a tree, or into the side of the tree fort. I have an app thatbtells you where the strongest signal is. You lineup te antenae with its arrow. Thats how I know it always was aligned with the aforementioned obstacles. There was some benefit. I'm getting lots of practice rectifying oscillations.

Good morning Amy, my LP generator has a fob for remote stop and start. I do love that feature. When the solar batteries are down and I'm on the generator I can get in bed and stop it. In the morning I can start it from bed and let the room warm up before getting up and putting on my clothes. Much nicer than the old generator where I had to get up in the frigid RV, get dressed, then go out and start it. 😀

Good late morning, I had my coffee, fed everyone, finished my morning routine and participated in meet and greets. I was up early on this cloudy 53 degree morning, finished several elusive tasks, and wrote up a list of those I've been attempting to ignore.

Everyone has been so busy that I feel a bit ashamed that I'm not. However, with all the disruptions due next month, I'll need to begin getting an early start, so I don't end up doing my annual cleaning blitzkrieg.

Good evening Patricia, Putting my feet up; I'm done for the day. It was sunny and 60°😀 Loved it. Another day of rain expected tomorrow. I got a good share of my list done plus clipped 1/2 a poodle.😄

What do you mean by "meet and greets?"

Good morning..

Weather dog came in and said it is light drizzle outside. Rain now through to Sat. Everyone is itching to get their garden in butweather and soil is not co-operating.

Work around home after having our morning coffee/tea with friends.

OLM,  to me the remote start generators are the only way to go . We now have a new one but not remote start, electic start which works  better than pull start.

Jane, how is the canning going?

Better get the day started.

Enjoy your day and stay safe.

Good morning Amy and weather dog,
Grey here, light rain in the night. Projected to rain most of the day. Currently 45°F. Tomorrow through Sunday expected mostly clear - sunny, 60-70°. Finally!

I never could pull start one since I got sick. My husband got me an electric start one right off. Then, even better, an LP one, less toxic. And that's when I found out about the remote start feature and insisted on it. To use the electric start one I had to have a long (like 7' or better) stick and stand as far away as I could and poke it. Fumes

I'm hoping the rain will not be as bad in my neck of the woods. Our weather forecast covers a large region. Not Canadain Province size but the eastern half of Oregon and Washington, a sliver of Canada and Idaho ajacently. Sometimes I get lucky and the bad stuff misses me entirely (like T-storms during fire season). Maybe I'll be able to get out.

Good morning! Haven't been here for awhile but occasionally I have popped in to read about what is going on with all of you.  I am still with you but I don't do much these days.
I am sleeping a lot but did manage to make a meatloaf for dinner last night, with David's help.  He fetches ingredients and mixing bowls, etc for me and I manage to put things together and then he puts it into the oven.  Not perfect but we manage and it makes me feel like I am still doing something and it is a break from catered food though what I order from the  catering company is always very good.  Once  in  a while  we  miss the home cooking that I used to do. 

Our weather in this part of NC is beautiful this  morning but a little cool so I have a sweater on.  It's supposed to go to the mid-80s this afternoon.

Thanks for thinking about me, Amy. I'm hanging in there.  As I have said before, some good days, some not so good.  Hope you and Kyle are doing OK.

Good morning Barb, I looked up your spider spray this morning. How's it working for you?

[/b]Good Morning Everyfriend!  Today is going to be another busy one.  Yesterday we had Granddaughter Ali and her whole family for the afternoon and for supper.  That was fun!  I got lots of hugs from the kids and the little guy (barely 2) has started to talk to me and hug me again.  I love it!  Emma, just finished first grade and she a real little smart cookie!  Mikey is just downfirgh friendly at 4.  I love them all and I glad I'm able to enjoy them!  They wear me out but I'll take that, too!

Not sure what we're up to today but I know i'll like it.  Just being here with my daughter and her family is special for me!

Now I'm going to go see if I can help Cindy get some laundry done!  I wish you all a great day!  Make it your own in every way!

Good morning, partly cloudy with a rain shower here or there, again today.

Morning routine, meet and greets and getting everyone and everything done for the morning, so, with coffee in hand, here I am.

OLM, Meet and Greets is what a group of us started during Covid, to keep in touch, stopped for a short time and then the group started up again after realizing we missed and needed that morning round of check-ins by text, cell phone, or email. Originally, there were twenty of us, evolving from years of friends from work, getting together and bringing in new friends from work or school or marriages, beginning in the sixties.

By Covid, we were down to perhaps twelve, and then more and more were lost or moved away. Now, unfortunately, we're down to eight, as age whittles us away.

Amy, we had a heavy snow up in the mountains and on the Dalton Highway and are only now in the sixties regularly. We are about twenty degrees cooler than normal this year, but without the spring floods from breakup, so there is that.
You and I and my Idahoan sister seem to be sharing the same weather, although she's on a warmer track.

Good morning Jane, You sound in heaven with all the littles about, enjoy!

Phyllis, it is always nice when you pop in. I know what you mean about no longer doing everything as much and in the way you liked to.

And good morning to Rick and to any others stopping by or looking in.

Patricia, sorry to hear you lost so many of your friends. Its a lovely thing that you have that close group. Thanks for enlightening me.

My weather is better than forecasted. Partly sunny. Were at 60°, with a stiff cold wind. I've been outside moving firewood, doing laundry and I finished the other half of Rosie's poodle trim. She's much happier, though its a little chilly out with that wind and the dramatic change in her coat length. We have enough sun to keep the solar batteries charged while running heat. She and I are inside warming up. Kato prefers being outside and doesn't feel the cold: double coat.

Good morning.

Liquid sunshine again....temp is 44° at the moment.A few things to do in town then home to clean ....or as Callie would say domestic duties. I take with me a box and if this or that isn't being used into the box it goes!

Watched crow as he hid some of the bread I threw out yesterday...in the neighbours trug!!


Patricia, we have had snow to the north of us and I hope it doesn't visit here!

Enjoy your day and stay safe. 

Jane, forgot to mention I gave friends some butter tarts and in return they gave us Girl Guide cookies!!! We haven't had them in years and still good dunked into a cold glass of milk!!!

Good morning everyone,
Its 34°F, frosty in the meadows, and clear skies. Still working on laundry, wood cutting and stacking,I have some business I have to do online which means a trip up Cell Hill. It will be warm enough that I'm hoping to make yogurt.

Have a lovely day all!

Good Morning Everyfriend!  Daylight is here but it's dull today.  We're supposed to have a rainy day later.  I might be doing my walking on the walker that Cindy uses inside her house!  That's ok but I prefer being outside!

I read everything you all wrote....twice!  I love sharing life with all of you.  It's interesting knowing what's happening in different parts of the United States, Canada and the rest of the world when it comes on here!  I wish you all a great day!  Make it your own in every way and don't forget to let us know how you did that!  We're very interested!  O should I say, "we're very nosy!"

Good morning, all the usual routines were done and everyone has been fed, washed, coffee-ed, and watered. My over ten years old blender broke yesterday and I remembered I had purchased a hand held immersion blender from Amazon and found it today, but no instructions, so I looked it up. I purchased in 2023 and this is my first time using it! I'm sure at the time, I imagined plenty of uses that ended up in the blender instead.

Jane, I too find others lives different and interesting and only about half of that is being noisy, I swear!      

Amy, I wish I saw as much wildlife as you. Here it's pigeons in the summer and ravens in the winter. Since they cut down all the trees in back, we no longer have the songbirds that those in front see. They also have the sun, we have the shade...

OLM, you certainly have an adventurous life, on your mountain. It reminds me of when my sister was homesteading and all communication and supplies were via the radio and a Cessna.

Here's hoping a good day  is had for all, those posting and those looking in!

Patricia, I do have it way easier than your sister did. I'm grateful for that! I can't begin to express my admiration for those stalwart homesteaders! They were and are still inspirational!

There is always something with a house - heard this sound off and on yesterday and the day before that was new to me - had no clue but my Son came by yesterday afternoon and heard it as well - ah oh it was coming from the septic system - so this morning the guy comes around having called Paul first who was also here and as soon as he got here without even looking he knew what it was - seems there are two tanks and the first one has a pump - the pump had had it - it was not a very good pump but regardless it has to be replaced - it is the one that sends air into the tank that then decomposes everything -

Well as Paul predicted just how accommodating, the guy said we could save over half the cost if we order one from Amazon that he showed to Paul and then explained how Paul could easily install it for less than $300. Where as, he would have to up charge for the pump taken out of their stock and charge for his travel and his installing it next week which would be the earliest - this way the pump will be delivered this evening and Paul installs it first thing in the morning...

I was doing laundry and wondered but was told it was OK - plus it would take a week or two before the neighbors and me would have noticed a problem

While in the yard I attempted to cut the suckers growing around several of the small trees - unfortunately I flagged before even finishing one tree - this is the one aspect of being old that drives me up the wall not being physically capable of doing simple tasks that looking around I can see need attention. Everything needs to be noted and then I have to decide who or what service is best to use - I feel like the father of a spoiled teenage daughter that all he does is write checks. I often wondered how those spoiled girls handled life as an adult but it must have worked out - you never hear of adult women spending and spending and spending - if so I guess it is why some have a high balance on their credit cards.

Probably tomorrow but I recently purchased a sort of wagon with these two huge wheels and you can either push or pull it - can't handle a wheelbarrow any longer and so this will be my new wheelbarrow - plan on making a mixture of all the soil from last year's hanging baskets that did not make it through the winter plus just about everything I have on that one garage shelf - Epsom Salts, some kind of little pearls that hold water in soil, Lime, huge can of Coffee, small sack of Sugar, on and on - I may even add a sack of soil and then after mixing it well spread it on all the plants and what is left I'll spread on the grass. With the high heat of summer around the corner I really need to pile some peat moss around the plants - probably get Emigdio and crew to do that the next time they are here.

Second year and my Vitex is blooming up a storm - it has tripled in size however where the Crepe Myrtles have doubled in size two of them are not robust - one of the pink ones near the fence outside my bedroom and the other way in back what should be a beauty, a Natchez that is supposed to become like a giant umbrella rather than straight up - They'll bloom through the summer into the fall - I'd love to get an evergreen back there as a foil to all of this but the evergreens have roots that will interfere with the septic system so that is out.

With the rain being plentiful and nice polite showers it is a joy to walk out among all this that I just had to share...

And then I was so proud of myself - I've had banker boxes filling up the garage and driving me nuts - and so using my wheelie that has a seat I got a dozen banker boxes out to the curb in 3 trips and best of all did that yesterday morning and while I napped someone, thanks goodness without my having to put something in the neighborhood news, all the boxes were gone - tra la - feel so accomplished.   

Next I need to lighten up and go ahead and cull my knitting and probably my needlework books - such a big part of my life - I taught needlework back in the 70s and saved up the earnings to spend time one Spring in England, Wales and France studying needlework - the history around needlework is amazing and only recently learned during the middle ages, before banks were thought of textiles was an investment and used as we use dollars today to make large purchases or show our wealth as wall decoration was the thing - some pieces made by the 'family' and other pieces made by professionals - it seems kings invested huge sums in textiles that matched or outdid their investment in guns and implements of war. Knowing all this makes it difficult to let go... but let go either I do it or family who does not share my knowledge and interest will probably just toss the books since few do needlework other than quilting and decorating shirts and jeans.

Well hope y'alls day is full of satisfying tasks that keep us going - that seems to be the challenge as we age... rain or shine have a good one...

Way to go, Barb! I think you out worked me by quite some distance! I'm done in and its not even 3:30. My list is not even close to that impressive. I "mowed", moved the rest of the green pile and did laundry. I soent most of my time on the phone with SSA. I did finally get the answer I was looking for.

Lovely post about textiles. I was a tad envious of your UK trip, sigh! I spin, weave, knit, crochet, french silk embroider, bead, x-stitch, quilt, sew and I've even done a little trapunto. Anything and everything with fiber, fabric, thread, yarn, chord or string. Oh, yeah, I've done macrame, rope making, fishing rod and fly tying, too. 

Good morning.

Another wet one outside but temp is 45° slowly crawling up there. Put the wagon of flowers, tomato plants and everbearing strawberries out in the rain yesterday.  Can't use the solar dryer for the laundry today.
Crows have been fed now they can be quiet..

Patricia, love seeing ravens....or Gronk as my friends named them. We do have a lot of wildlife here,some you like to see and others not so much. When the bear was in my neighbours garage we didn't mind that bear moving on.

Better get the day started.

Enjoy your day and stay safe.

Good morning Amy and all,
48°F and sunny. Ron's supposed to come today but his youngest sister ended up in the hospital some hours away, and he may need to divert to there. I I love hearing about everyone's gardening projects. Getting to a place I can have that again is on my wishlist. So far I've noticed the following spring wildflowers: violets, ranunculus, blue camas, arnica, vetch, golden pea, wild iris, wikd strawberry, death camas, Indian paintbrush and lupine. Those crows sure have an amazing variety of calls don't they. My favorite is the one that sounds like submarine radar from the old black and white movies.

I still have wood cutting to do, more laundry (stuff that got toxed and stuff that is new that I've been holding in isolation) and some calking in the tiny house now that its finally warmed up and dried out.

I hope everyone has a lovely day.🙂

Amy, long ago, in the fifties through sixties, we used to see all types of animals in town. Perhaps we still do, as I'm no longer out and about daily. There were moose, lynx and bears on the outskirts, river otters and porcupines. The city has grown so much larger in the past decades and then shrunk a little after Covid. Time passes and nothing remains the same.

Found a stash of book I purchased for my grands back when they were 10, 11, and 12 that at the time I forgot to give them - saw the young family across the street are back home and the two girls were riding their starter bikes round my driveway which is safer then riding on the road - we have no sidewalks - called them over - the older one is going into 5th grade - gave them the books with one especially for the younger sister that I asked Baily, the older girl if she would read it to her sister - it is an alphabet book with a short story or poem about an animal for each letter of the alphabet - felt so much better knowing the books are going to someone I sorta know rather than to Goodwill.

Also delightful - watched all morning out my kitchen window a male and female vireo building a nest in my hanging pot of philodendron - it is thick and lush this year - now I don't know if or how to water it without dosing the birds that I bet are nesting to lay eggs and hatch.

High high humidity all morning - storm yesterday evening and an email notice from the county there was supposed to be more but no, storms passed us by however, 89% humidity with temps raging between 92 and 94 and here Paul is replacing the Septic pump - obviously a couple of Tshirt changing day and my AC was going full on - by mid-afternoon the humidity let up to a reasonable 55% - Sun had broken through and dried us up.

Looks like we are in that time of the year when all outdoor activity needs to be completed by 9:/9:30 and not started up again till after 6: Once the temps are at least mid to high 90s consistently it will dry things up and life will be easier - yes, the temps will continue to soar but life is very doable without the high humidity.

For some reason it does not feel like Saturday - Good watching the Astros - it would be nice if they took the 4 game series but 3 is nice and tomorrow's game will be the story - I bet the Seattle Mariners are pleased that Daikin Park, the Astros stadium here in Houston, is air conditioned

hope y'all had a good day and even a better tomorrow...

Good morning..
WOW, the sun is making an appearance.   Temp is 39° with more rain later on today.

A day of rest here but IF the grass dries it will get cut!

Barb, 90° + would make me into a puddle!!

Patricia, I do like to see the wildlife around.On one of my walks a wolf came out of a field ahead of me,then off he went on his hunt for food. All the while we were farming we never had any problems with them and there was lots to chose from. Calves, colts, lambs but they never touched any.

Jane, miss your posts! Hope you are making so many memories to leave there in their hearts and bring some home to share.

Phyllis, sorry I forgot to answer you. Kyle starts on more pain meds today so I hope they work! Otherwise we are doig fine here, thank you for asking.

Better put an egg in my boot and beat it.

Enjoy your day and stay safe.