We had quite a day.  I didn't do much before the kids got here, however, after Tom returned from church, we went to the Cholesterol Pit for lunch.  I had a tuna melt and brought half of it home.  I should be able to finish it tomorrow.

Everyone arrived about 4 pm.  Annie had furnished the power washer and Jamie is the one who used it.  In the meantime, Annie vacuumed the living area and may have done something in the kitchen.  When James and Alicia arrived, I went outside (first called Dot) to be with her and the girls.  Dot came eventually as she had not seen the girls since they were born and still in the hospital.  In spite of being born two month early, I think they both seem quite alert.  And what nice smiles!  While we were gabbing, James was working on the deck - and it doesn't look like the same deck - and Annie was working in the garage.  If she thought something might be something I might not need, she'd bring it to me and let me decide.  I bought pizza for everyone when they were finished.  I'm going to clean up the dining room and kitchen tomorrow.  Tom has already gone to bed but I thought I'd come here to see what everyone has been doing.  I may be outside tomorrow afternoon to see what I can see (not looking at the sun) in our area.  Maybe we won't have total darkness, but we will have some.

Mary Ann

Good Morning Mary Ann...
Sounds like you are gettting some organizing
accomplished. 

My rule..   If I haven't used it in the last
year or so,  it probably is a good candidate for
moving it along!!

We are suppose to be able to start viewing the
eclipse     around noon today EDT.....

I am going to try to follow it here:
https://www.nasa.gov/eclipselive/#National+Park+Service+Coverage... 

Other wise, here in New England isn't going to see much. 
(Like Texas,  I suspect!)

Have a good day ,  Every one!
Sandy   

Hi everyone. The eclipse day has finally arrived and according to the our local weather report it is to be partly cloudy here this afternoon when the full eclipse hits us around 2:40.  It looks like we will only get to 90 this afternoon, which will be better than what we have experienced the last few days. 

I have to get a haircut this morning and find the right type of filters for my heat pump.  That is all that is on my schedule for today.

Mary Ann, missing Church on a Sunday also throws my whole week off. At least you were able to go to Mr. Burger for a meal. Nice of Tom's kids to come and pressure wash your deck and do some housekeeping for you.  I bet those twins are really cuties and very entertaining.   

Carol and Joan, nice to see you are getting some cooler weather.

Shirley, I read about Jerry Lewis and later read a very interesting sort of history of his life and very long career.  It said his efforts had helped to raise over $2 billion dollars for the charity he championed for so many years with his telethon.

MarsGal, I also saw the report on Dick Gregory.  It has been a long time since I have heard anything about him or his activities. 

Marilyne, glad you had a nice time at your DIL's birthday dinner.

Sandy, like you I will be viewing the eclipse via the television.  I have no intention of risking my vision.

Sandy, my main problem with storing things is not getting back to them to keep or send to Goodwill.  Annie said she is coming back to arrange things in the garage.  Not everything that is old or unused has to be thrown away.  After the cleaning and washing was done, Tom ordered pizza (which I paid for) and about 9 pm, James and Alicia left for home.  Annie had gone home much earlier and delivered the stuff to Goodwill.

Larry, the twin girls are so cute and they have the nicest smiles.  They were very good until about time to go home.  Alicia was trying to feed them and both of them were crying at the tops of their lungs.  While Alicia nursed Ellie I held Johanna, knowing she was crying and feeling I probably could not get her quieted - and I didn't.  She was flailing her arms about so I had to take off my glasses and the hearing aid closest to her.  Jo prefers a bottle but I had a time trying to give her the bottle.  It was funny in the afternoon when Dot was there - she asked me if I had ever heard them really cry.  Well, I hadn't by that time, but I surely got an earful later.  I'd do it again!

We won't be able to see much of the eclipse, maybe 75%, and I am only going to look for a darkening of the sky.  I remember looking at it through a pinhole in something, but my dad also smoked some glass and I think we used two or more of those to actually see the eclipse. 

Mary Ann

I tried but I think it didn't work.  I put a small hole in a cardboard, then held it over a piece of plain white paper.  When the sun was out, I could see the hole but it didn't change shape.  There was cloud cover, but probably only half the time.  I loved sitting on the deck, it looks so nice now. 

Dot stopped over to tell me that our transitional minister is going to be with us only one more week.  He really wanted to retire from our church but his wife said she does not want to spend another winter in the north.  He is going to Florida to teach at a college - don't know where.  He was "on the streets" as a young man and traveled much of the country.  He met and married his wife who was born in Puerto Rico which is why she does not like "cold".  Dot and I have liked him so much and I know others have too.  So - here we go again - looking for a minister, one who will excite the congregation.  This minister had ministered to a Spanish-speaking congregation and they have been meeting at our church, some even expressed the intent to join our church.  So with the minister's departure, we know that is going down the drain.  The saying "if mama ain't happy, no one is happy" applies!

Now I'm seeing the eclipse over the Atlantic.

Mary Ann

The eclipse was visible here.  Although only 75%, it was definitely noticeable.  As the sun started to get covered, there was a strange unnatural color outside.  It wasn't like dawn or twilight, but more like a strange gray dimming.  We have the eclipse glasses, so could look directly at the sun.  It was fascinating, and I'm glad I had a chance to see it

Marilyn, I don't know how much of the eclipse might have been visible but I did notice the light was different, when the sun was out it was not so bright.

I have read the eclipses affect animals and I don't know about Kendrick.  I went for the mail before time to watch the eclipse and offered him the chance to go outside.  He refused.  When I came back, he was in his scratch pad with sides, where he often sleeps, and did not get out of it while I was on the deck.  When I came inside, feeling the eclipse was over in our area, he was more normal.  It may have been a coincidence, but he seemed different for the moment.

I tried watching TV but there was so much talking and not showing the sky that I put my computer on and between the two of them, I saw much of the action.  Of course, when I was on the deck (my beautiful deck), I didn't see either TV or the computer.

I'm glad you were able to see the eclipse; it certainly was a once in a lifetime thing.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - Winnie acted exactly like Kendrick!  He always wants to go outside on the deck with us, but this morning he didn't want to.  He sat in front of the slider for a few minutes and watched us, and then walked away.  Later when I went looking for him, he was on my bed, way up by the pillow, kind of half way under the pillow.  He didn't seem upset or anything, but has not been interested in going outside since.

My big news of the day........got a new phone.  Jitterbug erased most of my contacts and could not fix it  So went elsewhere.  Half the money I was paying for Jitterbug.

W.Joan, I am now a new owner of a jitterbug phone, and paying half of what I paid for ATT. I have lots to learn, but find it has many nice features I did not have on my old one. I am not that good at learning new things, but I will keep trying. My brain retired several years ago. 

Hi everyone. This morning is starting out sunny but by afternoon we have a 60% chance of rain with a high in the low 90's.  This is going to be a busy morning as Pat has a 9 am appointment with the podiatrist and his office is about 30 minutes away.  Then later this morning I have to go downtown and pick up a grocery online order at Walmart. 

We watched the eclipse on TV as they tracked it in our area.  It got darker, but not dark here with a weak light outside.  As far as I know people here were able to view a total eclipse or almost total eclipse.  They showed many students at Clemson out watching the total eclipse up there.

Mary Ann, it sounds like the twins were just worn out by all of that attention and were sending a loud message to get them home and let them sleep.  Glad you are happy with the patio and having things taken to Goodwill. Sorry that you are losing the minister you have liked so much. 

Marilyne, we also experienced the strange unnatural looking color outside.  The eclipse really moved quickly. 

Joan, hope you like your new phone.  What brand is it?  Nice to save a little money as well. 

June, you will soon learn to use the features of your new phone and you always have the book to refer to if you need a little help.   

Larry.  Now I thought I read in paper today that our Walmart here in town will deliver to your home. delivered by Uber or what ever that auto place is called.  $9.95. You have been able to order/ pickup for a few months. I don't buy many groceries from them. Just certain things.
The Add on building that Aldi is adding on to their store across the street is a good size . Will be the largest one in town I believe. Already a good size.  We have 4. Going up Fast.  Now they say they will never go to the order on line and pick up. Not the European way of doing. They have been in my Home town in UK for at least 25 years I know of. Never changed ways. Some stores  have gotten out of the way you have to get the cart and return with some stores but not them.  It makes checking out a lot faster. Other stores here  are taking so long. Want
you to use the check out your self isles.

Cooling down a little here today. Had a storm last night. so far my A/C off but it getting Humid. May have to turn it one.

Hi everyone. We are in for another very hot day.  We got no rain yesterday and none expected today.  I plan on staying in until later this afternoon.  I did fix Pat's breakfast and emptied the dishwasher.  In a little bit I need to grind up another pound of cheddar cheese and fill my medicine boxes for the next two weeks. I think that will be about all the work I will do today.  Late this afternoon we will go to Texas Roadhouse for our dinner.  I think I will have to get a takeout to bring home for Pat as her back is giving her fits again and she doubts she will want to get out this afternoon. We might just order take out meals for us all and then share them at home.   

JeanneP, I would find the $9.95 delivery price rather steep but suppose I would pay it if I had no way of getting my groceries.  Fortunately, with my son living near by I am certain he would stop at the Walmart, which is near where he lives, and pick up an order on his way out to the house.  Fortunately, at this time I have no problem driving. I have to hope that Aldi's doesn't decide to increase the size of their store here as it is still walk able for me and now I pretty well know where to quickly find the items we buy there. All the Aldi's here you have to put a quarter in the shopping cart to unchain it from the one in front of it and when you are finished you take it back to the rack and retrieve the quarter. I have actually made a quarter or two by people leaving the cart in the parking lot or forgetting to take out the quarter when they have taken their cart back to the place they are stored. 

The Bait and Tackle Shoppe sure was short on customers yesterday.  I hope business picks up. 

I have showered and washed my hair and now I'm drying off.  Toweling doesn't do a good job because of my right shoulder so I put my night clothes back on and dry that way.  It's 10 am now and I should be dry in an hour.  It may sound like an odd way to dry, but it works for me. 

Today Tom and I are going dishwasher shopping.  This one is ONLY 36 years old.  If I could get the water arm off to get the clogged up screen off, I could use it again, but I can't get the arm off and no one else can or won't try.  Tom has wanted a new dishwasher for some time and I've always been able to clean the screen, but not this time.  I have a Kitchenaid and I had said I wanted another, but I looked at the prices and $700 is the lowest of that make.  When I was with Jim a few years ago, he bought a Whirlpool and I like that.  If it isn't too expensive, I'll try to get that model.  I don't need a lot of bells and whistles.  And I don't need to spend an arm and/or a leg either.

The day looks to be nice.  It is about 65 degrees out now so is comfortable.  We may get up to 75 today, in fact we are to be in the 70s all week long.

Mary Ann

Good morning,  been raining all night, just cloudy right now and confortable.

Waiting for the nurse, to get a check up and also check my wound, which is no infected.  I finally got my antibiotics late yesterday afternoon, after I called the doctor.  They said there had been no message from the drug store to them, so they did not know it was not filled the day before.  While I was on the line, the nurse called Walgreens and they said they did not fill it as I was taking amiodarone.  The doctor took me off of it  when my pulse went down to 40.  that is over a month ago.

MaryAnn, I got a new dish washer a few years ago, it was a special order, as I got a smaller one It is a GE, and I am very happy with it. Of course I live alone and wash about every 3 days.  Like it when I have company.  I am expecting my nephew from Calif. to spend a few days with me, he has his daughter with him this time, and they drove from Calif about a month ago.   He was staying in N. C for 10 days, now also visiting a friend in Patchogue, then coming here.  He was here Sunday for a short visit.  Next he will go to Pa. to see his brother.

Yes Larry he was the one in the bad accident in march.

Gloria, I am familiar with the GE dishwasher, however, they are too narrow for the space my present dishwasher is in.  Some of our units here have the GE and I've never heard anything bad about them, but I don't want a hole beside the dishwasher which I would have with the GE.  I think they are 18" wide and standard is 24".

Thanks for the idea.

I'm glad you finally got your antibiotic and I hope the infection clears soon.

Mary Ann

Today we're driving the 150 miles to see my brother in Forestville.  He is not doing well at all, and I'm very worried about him.  It will take us about two and a half hours to get there, because of the horrendous traffic on the freeways . . . maybe longer to get home. I will check in later this evening when I get back home.

Mary Ann - sounds like your old dishwasher has served you well for many years!  I love to hear that about appliances.  Fortunately my husband is good at repair, so all of our appliances live a long and useful life.  I hope you and everyone else has a nice day today!

Marilyn, I'm sorry to hear about your brother.  That is quite a distance to drive to see him.  When I went to see Jim in Indps, it took me about 5 - 5 1/2 hours to get there with one stop near the State line.  I'm glad I don't have to drive that amount of time now; Tom does it!!!

I hope your brother improves.

Mary Ann

Well, Dan took Candy for a ride on his bike.  They went up to Yakima and brought me back a Miner burger and fries with sauce.  Now I cannot move, too much food and I only ate half the burger and a few fries.

Joan, out of curiosity, what is a Miner burger.  I expect it is something special to either Yakima or Washington State. 

Tom and I had lunch today at Bud & Stanley's.  Bud & Stanley's is unique in that it is named for the owner's two dogs!  Regardless, the food is good.  I had two pulled pork sliders which came with pub fries.  Sliders are smaller than regular burgers so I ate both of them.  To me, the pub fries were no different than French fries, but they seemed to have a coating on them.  I ate some, but I try not to eat too many fried things, especially fries.  Tom had the Chef's salad.  I have had that and it is good.  They have a luncheon menu at $5.50 for each of everything on the menu and I have tried many.  My beverage usually is water.

Now I will try to figure what I'll have for supper as Tom is not going to be here.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann, it is the name of the place that makes the best hamburgers in WA State. 

Hi everyone. It is another bright and sunny morning and headed into the lower 90's by mid-afternoon.  I did have to leave the sprinklers on so the yard could be watered this morning.  It has been several days since we had rain.  I do plan on picking up my friend from the care facility and we will go downtown to coffee this morning.  That will be about it for the day as the Wisdom group was cancelled again this week. 

Our plans did change yesterday.  Neither Pat nor I felt up to going out to eat last evening so I asked Scott to stop at Wifesavers and get us all takeout dinners.  The food from Wifesavers is very much like home-made and we all had delicious dinners.  I spent most of the day resting and a lot of that time just laying down with my eyes shut and listening to an audio book.

Mary Ann, I hope you found the dishwasher that you wanted yesterday at a reasonable price.  We have a lot of bells and whistles on ours and always use the same two settings.  I would say your old dishwasher is ready for retirement after 36 years. What beautiful weather you are having.  I look forward to a few 75 degree days.  It was above that when I got up before 7 this morning. I have always liked a good Chef's salad with honey mustard dressing.  That is a good price for a meal. 

deAngel, it is a good thing you followed up on the antibiotic as the drug store really dropped the ball.  Nice that your nephew is going to spend a few days with you.  Will his daughter be with him when he visits?

Marilyne, sorry to hear your brother isn't doing well but bet he was happy to see you both.  That is a long trip to be made there and back in the same day.  You are fortunate to have a husband who is good at repairs.  I have no talents in repairing anything.  Fortunately, my son is good at repairing things. 

Joan, nice to know you were pampered by your kids with them bringing you the Miner burger that you really like.  We have a three places around here that make very good burgers.  Dairy Queen is one of them as is Ruby Tuesdays. 

Larry, I don't know if Tom was too busy or if he forgot, but we did not go dishwasher shopping yesterday.  I made the mistake of looking at them online and got so confused, I just threw up my hands.  I told Tom last night he could do the shopping alone.  I think if we only go to Lowe's which is on the avenue near here, I can shop, but if we go to various places, I will not go.  And it was my idea to look at various vendors online, not anyone else's.  I may have worked with appliances for 25 years, but I found my limit.  The bad part is the old dishwasher works OK except for the clogged screen and I can't get to the screen to remove it.  I also notice in the pictures of new ones, they don't have screens.

I doubt we'll shop today unless we go this evening.  Tom's friend is coming to clean today.   

Mary Ann

Mary Ann, I replaced the 20 year old dishwasher that came with the house about three years ago with a mid-price Whirlpool and am very pleased with it.  This is about the third Whirlpool I've had over the years. 

A friend who owns an appliance store said most if not all appliances are built with an eight year life span or eight year planned obsolescence.  Not like the old Kenmore Washer and Dryers.  My Kenmore washer lasted 20 years and my sister is still using hers that is probably close to 30 years old.

Mary

Larry, we used to have a Ruby Tuesday right down stairs from where I worked.  Really convenient for lunches.

Mary, I had to replace the washer and dryer that I bought when I moved here in 1981 - I think I replaced them two years ago.  I bought them from Sears and shortly after that, Sears closed the Grand Rapids store.  I had had a unit put in the dryer (electric) but nothing had been done to the washer.  But when it wouldn't spin the water out, it was time for it to go.

The appliances got less use when I lived alone, however, I did wash and dry every weekend.  With Tom, I hear the washer going more often. 

Even after all these years, usually I buy my appliances, the sales person does not sell them to me. Unfortunately, I know too much about appliances.

Mary Ann

My first dryer lasted 35 years!  When the 2 oldest sons were in diapers we lived in Brunswick, Maine.  In the short summer months I hung the diapers outside, but come late September I hung them in the basement.  We didn't buy a dryer until we moved to Monterey, CA, where our last son (who was a big surprise!) was born.  It rains and is overcast a lot in Monterey and although we had clothes lines next to our apartment, things just didn't get dry. That was a wonderful dryer to last so long.  We bought a new one after we retired to Alabama, but not until the original quit.  I've had this dryer at least 10-12 years.  I brought it up here in 2004.  I'd stayed at our farm until then, although Bob died in 2002.  That summer brought lots of rain and I was mowing 10 acres of grass almost every day it wasn't raining.  I knew it was time to move!

I was shocked and saddened to see my brother yesterday. He is in the final stage of cancer, and I don't think he'll live much longer.  Both he and my sister-in-law, seem to be in denial, and are now pursuing alternative therapies. I don't believe in alternative medicine, but of course I didn't voice my opinion. At this point, I guess that whatever makes you feel good and gives you hope, is comforting.  Anyway, that's about all that's on my mind this morning.  I'll return later.

Marilyn, I'm so sorry to hear about your brother.  I don't know anything about alternative medicine, so won't comment.  Sometimes hope keeps one going but I know how it is with people who deny the inevitable.  We all knew that Norm would not last long, but his passing was a surprise because we didn't expect it at that time.

Incidentally, Dot is doing fine.  She has her aches and pains, always has, always will, but she keeps busy which helps her a lot.

Mary Ann

Marilyn, sorry to hear about your brother.  I know you will miss him and hard to see him as he is now instead of how you remembered him.