Yep, It's Cold Outside

Four degrees, wind chill -10.

I think we'll stay in today.

Large Vehicle, Small Driver

Today while sitting in the van at the grocery store while Lee shopped, a middle-aged man approached the driver's window with a pleasant look on his face. He stopped so I rolled the window down and he said, "You certainly drive a large vehicle for such a small lady."

I laughed and said, "I don't know about the little."  He turned away and told me to have a good day. I wished him a Happy New Year.

Some folks are so nice.

Chicken Soup for the Body

Remember the book from a few years ago, Chicken Soup for the Soul?  I made some soup for me to eat. I think it may be true that it helped the cold I felt coming on.

With only a chicken breast and one thigh in the freezer, I used half a bag of Amish noodles. Broth from bouillon cubes is not as good as broth from cooking a whole chicken or from a carton bought at the store. But it's what I had.

I had some cooked carrots from the roast so I sliced them and threw them in at the end of the cooking. It was ok but seemed to lack something. How about a little thickening with corn starch? OK. Still lacking Something. Oh!

Salt!

My how that improved the thing. So far I have frozen three servings. Lee won't eat it. In fact, when he saw it in the fridge, he said he thought he'd have some of that tuna casserole. I said, 'What tuna?"  He mentioned noodles, so I had to tell him what it really was. I said maybe if I hadn't told him, he probably wouldn't have known the difference. His reply? "Probably."

This morning I had some for breakfast. Weird? Not really. When our boys were in grade school, I heard a teacher that I admired very much say that it was better to let your kids eat anything they wanted for breakfast (left-over pizza?) than to let them go to school with nothing in their tummies! So since that time, I have had some unusual breakfasts, thanking Jan Skeen Bretz for widening my view of what to eat when.

Merry Christmas!

We talked or texted with both offspring. Had a lovely breakfast and an unusual dinner. We are just
glad we're still here and able to walk around, remaining upright most of the day.  There are times for naps.

Hope you who read this have a quiet and happy day.

What a Coincidence!

We have an unusual last name. I had never heard of it until I was on a blind date with this good looking sailor. Another couple had asked me to go when another friend backed out of the picnic they had planned. (She had gotten a letter from her boy friend that day and felt guilty about even going on a fun picnic with a group and an unknown guy.  Things were different  sixty-seven years ago.)

Anyway, I agreed to go and while waiting in the car for the sailor to borrow a large tub to put the ice in for the soda pop (beer), I saw the name tag on the key chain of his dad's car. Wow! That's a strange name. Three and a half months later, that name became mine. We waited seven years for our first son and the second son arrived two years later.

And now this week in California that second son and his family took a trip from another state. In a gift shop in San Francisco, they discovered one of the clerks had the same last name. How unlikely is that? It was actually supposed to be her day off but there she was.

They took a selfie and we later figured out that she is actually a cousin-in-law. (Is that an actual deal?)  Anyway, she was married to our sons' cousin.

Strange things happen when you're paying attention.

Too long in the Fridge

Today I'm throwing out some ham.

I thought that 'cured' ham was good forever. It seems I was wrong.
We had some ham for Thanksgiving and since then I have been having a spiral slice once in a while for breakfast or in a ham sandwich.

Google, my source for everything since we no longer have an Encyclopedia, says it's only good for three to five days.

I must have a stomach made of leather.

The Tale of the Grocery Store

We needed to pick up stuff for chili. It's going to get cold and that sounded good to Lee. Now we have enough food ahead that we can avoid getting out when it's really cold.

We received a coupon for $9.00 when the amount of your bill is $90.  Missed it by $5.


I need to carry a calculator to add up what I'm throwing in the cart.                        

Seed Pod Santa

I love this little guy. He hangs from a shelf in front of my computer year round. He's from Minnesota and created by a very talented blogger "up there."  Thanks again for drawing my name!!!

Quiet week

We haven't been doing anything exciting this week. (Do we ever?) I just enjoy my main hobby, crocheting, and trying to keep up with my sister-in-law in New Jersey. She makes beautiful afghans in large sizes. Mine are not so large but she makes more than I do. Not sure how that works but we Skype every day and mostly agree in our conversations.

Today we agreed that if one person says a relationship is consensual but the situation made her feel like a victim - well, that's one of the dumbest things we've ever heard on that subject.

Sorry, Dr. Phil.  Perception is NOT reality in that case.

And for this "victim," just keep your mouth shut if it was consensual.

Sunday Morning

Up at six. After shower, coffee and a Danish.

Plan to make a roast today - just like my mom used to make.

Peeled the carrots, potatoes, chopped the onions and cut the fat (most of it) off the roast. Into the oven by 10:30.

Hub says he needs to go to Walgreens. Ok.

Out of the drugstore, I'm directed to stop at McDonald's for a large coke and a cheeseburger. It's 11:30.

The roast will be done about 12:30.

Why did I make a roast?

Degrees of Crime

Even in murder there are levels of the crime;
     Capital Murder, Manslaughter, Criminally Negligent Homicide  and Murder. (from Google.)

So why is there no differentiation in degrees of bad behavior concerning sexual assault?

Putting a hand on a person's back could be called assault if it was done to overpower or hurt an individual. But it could be innocently touching.

If someone who is touched feels it is inappropriate,  speak up at the moment, take care of it right then. Don't wait weeks, months or years later to bring a charge.

Just my two cents worth.

The Cost of Smoking

We went to get gas today in the van. It was down to only one quarter tank. Usually we keep the top half full. Lee wondered if it would take $25 worth. It would - with another quarter tank to fill it up.

As I sat there, I saw the sign advertising cigarettes. I've never smoked unless you count the time a friend and I tried one in my bedroom and had to put it out in the window sill and throw it out to the drive-way. I'm sure my mother was not fooled. The smoke does smell, after all. And the evidence was right below my bedroom window. I think that was in the seventh grade.

Anyway, back to the sign. A carton of Newport is listed at $66.49. I had to come home and google how many packs are in a carton. Ten with twenty ciggies in each pack.

It seems in my memory that packs were 25 cents when I was a kid or $2.50 a carton.

Inflation?

OOPS

Today I turned on the oven to bake a tuna casserole. I thought I smelled something burn-like!

It seems I hadn't opened the oven door since Thanksgiving. That was the day our wonderful granddaughters were the cooks. It may be that basting the turkey and returning it to the oven was the origin of some baked on "stuff."

Since the oven was hot, I decided to just wait till after the casserole was cooked, the oven was cooled and we had eaten lunch to clean the blackened broth.  I should have taken a photo! Anyway, with Bar Tender's Friend and a lot of elbow grease the gunk is gone.

I'm finding it harder to bend over and scrub. Wonder if my age has anything to do with that.

Turkey Day

The temp made it to 165. Turkey's done.

Outside it was 81 degrees. A very unlikely Thanksgiving temperature.

Wonderful day and food and family - still missing the ones not feeling well and the ones far, far away!

Happy Birthday

Today is my husband's birthday. We had family from Texas arrive with the whole Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday afternoon plus an ice cream cake with a big eight seven on it!

The girls fixed all the food and we ate at noon! Their mom was sick with a cold and didn't make the trip. We missed her and our other family that lives in Oregon!

We are blessed to have had a family that gets along with no major problems. (I'm speaking of the time frame After the teenage years here.) I think we all really like each other. If that is not the case, we are all hiding it quite well.

After two boys, we love our four granddaughters - especially since they are past that screaming age that little girls seem to go through! (I told me sister-in-law that I don't remember screaming as a kid.
Wonder if I did before I can remember.)

This is sort of a silly blog but I'm feeling very blessed here. The only problem - Texas and Oregon are so far away from the middle of Kansas.

And Lee was thrilled that we had the guests and talked to our other son by phone.

Small Errors

Lee had an appointment with the doctor on Wednesday. He got his lab work done on Tuesday. At 10:40 we reported to the receptionist at the EKG department. No record for him to have any test done. Repeated the unusual name, spelled it, repeated date of birth and still no record. She asked for help from another clerk and they found the problem.

It was supposed to be an x-ray. "Someone just wrote it on the wrong line." Thanks for finding it. We were two floors away from x-ray. Even with an elevator, it's a struggle to walk for any distance. We just simply blew off the x-ray.

The doctor's receptionist asked if he had his lab and x-ray done. Yes and no.  Our doctor didn't ask any questions so maybe the x-ray wasn't so important after all.

I know everyone makes mistakes. I make my share but it is so amazing how many errors are made in the real world. I think I'll try to stay out of the hospital.

Wednesday!

Lightning may strike today. We are supposed to have sunshine for the first time in over a week. And, I got up and actually accomplished something before seven o'clock.

And I woke up at 5:00 and decided I needed to get that stew meat browned and the stew in the slow cooker. After my shower, I browned the meat. (To flour or not to flour for browning? I even googled it.) There are two opinions so I tried the opposite of last time we had stew - no flour.  We'll see if there is difference! Chopped celery, onions, garlic (ok, it came out of a jar) potatoes, carrots and threw in a can of diced tomatoes and a can of beef broth. Should be ready by 1:00 p.m.

At 10:45 e have a doctor's appointment for Lee. That's always fun. Our doctor is a great guy and we see photos of his Mastiff - Lee loves BIG dogs and we have two small ones now. He likes them but I know he wishes for a Great Dane again. During our years together we've had a Boxer, Mac, a Bassett Hound, Duffer, four Great Danes, Bruno, Brutus, Beauregard and Zeus - one at a time, thank goodness, a rescue, Wally, and now Jack and Jill. also rescued. That's nine dogs in sixty-five years.

We also cared for a few, temporarily. Chip and Ernie, Schiz, Belle, Mork and Ingrid.



Egad.

Uneventful Day

Nothing much happened today except one of my computer "programs" that I like to use everyday is giving me fits. I don't know if it's their problem or mine but it sure is frustrating. I guess I'll try it tomorrow on the iPad and see if I have any difficulties there.

We did take a trip to the grocery store. A cloudy day (again) but about 51 degrees. The thing we discovered is that Sunday afternoon is not a good time to shop. The market place parking lot was full and so was the store. Isn't it too early to buy for Thanksgiving?  It is not on my schedule at this time.

No ads yet by the grocer to purchase their turkey meal deal as in past years. Maybe it wasn't popular (or profitable.)  I think I'd rather have a ham anyway

Interesting Quote

While moving a bunch of "stuff," I found some books I had forgotten I owned.

One is "Unkempt Thoughts" by Stanislow J. Lec. Many of the quotes are over my head but some strike a chord!

This probably will be considered political. I take no position on this but it references some actions we have seen lately in our country.

This is the one that really got my attention:

When smashing monuments, save the pedestals - they always come in handy.

Breaking News!

I watch too much television. Too much of the news channels. It seems that every fifteen minutes the words Breaking News appear. Sometimes there is an actual news item. Sometimes not.

Lately it has been stories of men harassing or abusing women.

And today we learn that the United States Congress finds it necessary to hold training sessions for its members instructing them that it is not ok for them to take advantage of women or young men.

I am pretty sure that none of the parents of these grown men ever thought their offspring would  engage in such activity. Maybe their dads were not great communicators on telling their sons to behave themselves. Perhaps their mothers thought it was just an unspoken fact that to be an honorable person one did not treat women in that manner.

I don't know what the answer is but I would think men from the age of thirty-something on up to the age of the eighties would have figured it out but evidently some of them have not.

Chaos

This is the table full of contents from the china cabinet.

All because of a burned out bulb.  At least the shelves were dusted today.

Note to self: Do not place china cabinet so close to wall that one cannot reach the plug for the light.

Speaking Too Soon

Yesterday I remarked that the sun was out and I would be able to tell when it got dark. (I really meant what it looked like during sundown.)

That all changed when the clouds came back and we had a dreary evening. Same today.

It would be nice if there were some moisture with all that cloudiness.


And later -

I just watched a movie from 1939 with Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins. Two of the main players, Bette Davis and her daughter (born out of wedlock! Horrors!) were named Charlotte and Tina.

I kept thinking those names were used in Now Voyager for Davis (Charlotte) and Paul Henreid's daughter (Tina.)   What a weird coincidence. So I had to look it up on www.imdb.com and sure enough, those were the characters' names. I wonder if that was intentional?

Such minor stuff occupies my mind while I crochet and try to avoid the news.

We Have Sunshine!

After four days of clouds with fog in the mornings, we have blue skies.

At least tonight we'll be able to say what the clock says when it gets dark.

(Not crazy about daylight saving time.)

Sunday (time change) Morning

It seems to me that I have never noticed the changes that happen when we "move the clocks" to save energy. Really?  I suppose there must have been some studies to prove it. The simple solution is just to pick one option and leave it there.

I do understand that it affects some folks. The one that amuses me are when people say their cows are confused. I never could figure that one out. I don't think it was the cows.

Lately I have been taking naps. The reason? We have no schedule. We get up when we wake up, eat when we're hungry and go to bed whenever. Some of my naps are way too long. That means I'll be up late, watching tv or crocheting. In some ways it's nice not to have a time that we have to do something.

The only times we have to meet are our doctor appointments and then we're always early.

Non-stick

Here is my pan after scrambling two eggs.

I am a sucker for advertising. On this one I waited until a friend/relative reported that nothing sticks. Eggs slide right out!  Wow! I'll bet $19.95 on that fact.

Well two things are apparent:   A. The pan is faulty or B.  I don't know how to cook.

Thinking it's probably B.   I used butter and a low heat. 

Ever the optimist, I tried browning hamburger for chili in same pan. This time it was a JOB getting the stuck meat off the pan. I used no scrubber or abrasive cleaner - just a soft dish cloth.

I may donate it to Good Will.

Halloween

Is it possible to be the Grinch on October 31st. I believe it is.

We have lived here ten years. Not once have we given out treats. We turn off the yard light, the inside lights and so far no one comes to the door.

There are different sites around town where younger kids can go and have fun with adult supervision. One place is the fair grounds.

Many years ago, I always wore some stupid costume and gave out candies. That was when our kids were little and we enjoyed it. We also had Great Danes, one at a time, and they startled the strangers.  The neighbor kids loved Bruno, Brutus, Beauregard and Zeus. Now our two little barkers love everybody after they have arrived inside but not so much when they approach the porch.

So we will have another quiet night, ignoring a tradition.

Thursday Thought

God Bless George W. Bush.

More Wild Life

Yesterday a bird.  

Today a mouse.  Yes, a mouse on the couch. My husband called to me. Actually it was more like a holler. Sounded serious. The dogs had gone berserk and they were up on the couch. Lee was standing there wanting paper towels or Something. I grabbed a towel and some paper towels in the kitchen.

Then I saw what he was facing. An immobile mouse. Don't mice run when they see people?

Not this one. We were able to throw the towel over it and I grabbed it,  took it outside for release.
It just remained still. We think one of the dogs brought it in (Jill?) and maybe injured its spine because it was not moving, not making any sounds of pain nor had any visible injuries.

My brave man put it out of its misery.

I hate critters in the house.

Curling Straight Hair

I just saw an ad on tv for a hair styling kit for $29.95. It consisted of long strips of some soft material which you wind into your hair and go to bed.

In our teenage years, we used our dad's clean boot socks.  Free.

Bird Feeder

My husband was gifted with a bird feeder and he likes filling it and watching the birds (and squirrels) eat.

Yesterday he told me, "There's a bird in the house." There he was. Perched on top of the padded rod above the sliding glass door to the back deck.

The question was, how did he get in through two dog doors. Both dogs were running around in a crazed circle.

We shut them into a bedroom and closed all other doors to rooms. We opened the front and back doors to try to shoo him out. No luck. The last we saw him, he went under the couch.

Our neighbor helped Lee tip the couch up. No bird. The only thing we can figure is that he must have flown out one of the doors while we were looking down.

New theory: One of the dogs brought him in after he caught him outside. The bird was not injured. At least he could still fly.

A different incident in an otherwise dull day.

Buick Coupe

This is a screen shot taken from a silent movie short, Saturday Afternoon, starring Harry Langdon. The date was 1926.

Last night I went to bed early so of course I was awake in the middle of the night when the Silent Sunday Night movies were showing on TCM. Some of them are almost too crazy during the 1916 era but by the middle '20's there is some plot and a lot of slapstick.

This photo was taken after I had seen this car driving for a few minutes. I grabbed my phone and naturally it was turned off! By the time it was operational, the car was stopped and Harry was out of the rumble seat.

The reason I wanted the photo is that this model car was the one my grandparents had when they moved in with my mom, dad and me in 1944. It's a Buick, with wooden spoke wheels and the rumble seat and the spare tire, barely visible here. I have remembered that car and always wished

I had taken a photo of it. I was starting to take pictures with a Brownie camera that my Granny Brown had given me. No color film then (that I could afford) but the car was a faded, dark green.

My friend, JoAnn, and I used to sit out in front of 100 West 12th in Hutchinson, KS, and wish we could drive! We were 14 and in Kansas at that time, you could get a full driver's license. I remember going to the office. It wasn't even called by any official name. Just the place where you went to get legal permission to drive.  Two questions:  Are you color blind and do you have epileptic seizures? No and no.  Here's your license. Not a learner's permit, a regular license.

Thanks, Harry, for using that particular car.

Outlook

There are many things in this world that can make one happy. Sometimes we concentrate too much on the sad things that happen instead of being like Pollyanna and looking only for the good.

Maybe I just didn't pay attention but I do not remember a time when I was saddened by what a president expressed in talks to the public. My memory goes back to FDR's fireside chats on the radio.

This is not a nostalgic longing - things were never perfect, or even uplifting, at all times in the past. But now, every day brings another event that divides us as a country.

I guess my fear is that I will never be around long enough to see things start turning back to an optimistic outlook and respect for others.

Talk About Dense!

This is one that I really hate to admit even happened. (Grammatically incorrect sentence!)

A few days ago we decided to get take-out for lunch.
 I drove to a fast food place that we don't visit very often. I noticed there were several large white trucks in the parking area and some orange cones but the drive was open so in we went.

Turning the corner and approaching the speaker/ordering spot, I saw one of the large white trucks parked facing me in the drive-through.


Oops.

The place was closed and they were remodeling. There was no sign indicating that fact on their huge sign in front. I backed up and thought some of the men who appeared to be working there gave us an odd look as I was swinging the Ford 150 cargo van around in order to exit through the entrance drive.

Later we passed the Aldi's grocery store and it had two huge signs⛔⛔ with red letters: "Closed for remodeling." Too bad they couldn't have loaned one to the restaurant.

The Bum Song

My grandparents lived in Iowa on a small farm. When I was in the third grade, I took a trip, by myself, on the train to Fairfield, IA. There were stewardesses on the train to watch out for kids traveling alone.

What an adventure. I didn't even have to wear a name tag. I met people on the train but I remember only one - a Mrs. Waterhouse. I have her autograph in my autograph book.

There was no electricity on their little farm in Woolson, IA. They did have a crank phone which I have to admit that I did listen in sometimes when it didn't ring "our" ring. I don't find Woolson on a map but it was just south of Richland.

There was a big old Victrola in the parlor and a bunch of thick 78 rpm records. My favorite was what I thought was called The Bum Song.  I found it on YouTube and it wasn't the same one. Right next to it was Hallelujah, I'm a Bum.  That was it!

And here it is for your enjoyment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uKbIkYGsIg

I think I had those lyrics memorized at one time. Recorded in 1928 on Victor records and rereleased in 1941 on Bluebird records.

Loved That Coat

The picture is from 1953. Newly-weds and my wine colored coat that my folks bought for me to wear to my junior year at Emporia State Teacher's College (now known as Emporia State.)

I remember shopping for a winter coat with both my dad and mom. This may seem odd now, but I think my dad enjoyed seeing my mom and me picking out "stuff" to take to school. We looked at many coats. Being the tight wad that I still am, I wanted this one so badly but was going to choose a tan model that was much cheaper. My dad asked which  one did I really like and I told him this one.
"Let's get it then." (Not too spoiled a brat at twenty.) It was $75.00.

Well I loved that coat. I was like a tent, full and long. There were smaller buttons on the sleeves and the texture was a little nubby. (Is that even a word?)

The reason I bring this up is that the other night I dreamed about that coat. In my dream I was shopping at a store that was closing. This was probably influenced by my trip to our Penney's store which is closing. I hardly ever "shop" anymore. I don't need anything. During this trip to Penney's  I made a small purchase which I thought was going to cost me about $8.00 . The cashier rang it up and said, "Four dollars and thirty-two cents. You saved $108 dollars. What a deal!!

So in the dream I am shopping and I see my coat from 1951! It looks brand new and I can't wait to buy it! What actually happened to the real coat?  After wearing it for years, I gave it to my dad's cousin, Violet, who was a miracle worker with fabric and could sew, remake, alter anything you gave her. She cut off the buttons and gave them to me. The thing is, I don't remember what she made out of it!

Anyway, the dream was a pleasant memory.  Next I'll tell you about the one I had last night that included John McCain and a trip on a motorcycle.

Hurricane Reporting

Several articles about news persons standing out in the rain reporting on the storm have appeared on social media.

One article said it originated with Dan Rather in 1961 reporting on Carla. Since television is all about seeing the story, the networks decided that viewing the ferocity of the storm would emphasize that people should stay inside.

I don't know whether that worked in the beginning but it should by now. In my opinion they should stop it. We know it's a terrific storm - four hundred miles across - the same distance across Kansas from west to east. Category five is a powerful storm.

I hope the people who opted to stay and ride it out are all right.

Grocery Shopping

The store wasn't crowded. Maybe most folks found out that this was the day that the grocer decided to move EVERYTHING in the store to a different shelf.

Wouldn't it be nice if there were a warning - sort of like a hurricane warning - stating: "On a certain date we will be swirling all our contents around inside the store, landing you know not where. You may want to shop on an alternate day."

We wanted to stock up. Not because of weather but because of the coming of many people to our state fair which starts tomorrow. The traffic here is usually minimal but for about nine days we will have Kansans from other places trying to find out where things are.

It's a great fair - not too big - and much improved. If it rains, there is no mud and all the paths on the grounds now have names. There is talk of tearing down the grand stand. It's been around since the 1920's. I hope they decide to keep it. They did save Ye Olde Mill several years ago. It's one of only about three remaining in the USA.

Wildlife

We have had a mouse in the garage most of the summer. Maybe more than one. They all look alike to me.

Never have we seen one inside the house.  Until Sunday morning. I got up early and saw Jill, our wild terrier, nosing something under a side table. In the partial darkness, it looked like some doggie had failed to go outside to do their business. (But under a short table?)  I looked down and moved Jill, who seemed to be hovering over the item, and saw a long tail.

Yes, a dead mouse.  I believe Jill must have brought it inside and luckily she wasn't interested in eating it.

I disposed of mouse with large amount of paper, grabbing it by the tail.

Yuck.

Don't Worry - Be Happy

That is hard to do with flooding in Texas and fires in Montana, Oregon and California. Such sorrow for the Texans and now for all the folks near the fires. The smoke is traveling east along with the jet stream so we are getting red sunsets and lots of smoky skies.

People calling for prayer is a good idea but I fear there is more suffering ahead. It may take much more than prayer to solve our problems.

This is a downer blog on a national holiday.

We must also count our blessings.

Words and Opinions

I just think people ought to think before they speak and criticize others who are in the public eye.

This is nothing new. I remember that persons talked in a very negative way about Eleanor Roosevelt;
she traveled too much, wrote a column called "My Day," and had an unpleasant speaking voice - all of which and more were criticized mercilessly by the opposition and the public.

How does the saying go?  If you can't say something nice, don't say anything.

This includes saying unkind things about minor children,  including two daughters who were very intelligent but were going through those awkward teen years during their fathers' terms. Most adolescent girls have a time when they are insecure - and they look it.

Be kind, people.

Another One Bites the Dust

We have too many restaurants in our small town. From time to time, one fails.

Today we drove by the fancy hamburger shop that has been here only two years. The windows were covered by brown paper. On social media I thought about posting "Another One Bites the Dust" but decided against it. Scrolling on down the page, I came to a post on a commercial news site that was headed by those very words! I was so glad I hadn't used it or even posted about it.

Some of the comments indicated that when this shop opened, they hired forty-five people. Later they trimmed it down to a very minimum. Another person said that when two  hamburgers, fries and two drinks cost $30 they should have known it wouldn't make it in this little town with no good paying jobs.

The ice cone place next door closed earlier in the same building. A few years ago someone opened a self service yogurt shop. I went there once and spooned up a small amount of yogurt and very few toppings. It was $6.50. Didn't ever go back! And then it closed.

Do you get the feeling that I'm tight with our money?  You would be right.

The One that Didn't Get Away

Standing at the "screened in" back porch this morning, looking out at our newly manicured backyard, (thanks Texan family!) I saw a large, grey bird swoop down and take off upward with a thin snake in his beak.

I hope it wasn't Jake, the snake. He's been around for several years, visiting our yard and the two neighbors' to the south.

I wish the bird could have scooped up the mole that is residing on the property. I'm afraid we'll have to hire a human to do that job.

Here's the Double Exposure - Remember Those?

I should have included in the blog on Tuesday but here it is - our wedding album.  Three friends were there and took two (2) photos. Forgetting to wind the film saves on the space it takes to store the album.  Glad we got at least one!!!

65th Anniversary

We didn't do anything special. I did cook a nice supper (we still call it that at our house.) We had a roast with all the carrots, potatoes and onions plus creamed peas.

That was nicer that trying to go out and eat. It's been sixty-five years since we got married. We had known each other three and a half months after a blind date was set up by a friend.

His folks thought we were nuts. Mine weren't thrilled. My mom wanted a church wedding. We went to the minister's home and no honeymoon. Back to work and school the next day.

We did have a wonderful celebration for our fiftieth which Elke, our daughter-in-law, arranged. Friends from quilt guild, the tower (FAA) and neighbors were there at the Lone Star Steak House.

I didn't put a photo or announcement in the paper. They actually charge for that service!

Wonder if they charge for obituaries.

Scared Straight

The clinic where our doctor resides has an online site. Through the "portal" a patient can check his appointments, current prescriptions and many other things. I accidentally clicked on something and up came all the conditions that I am listed as having.

Amazed that I am still alive, I am now concentrating on changing my habits of eating, exercising and general pattern of living.

Scared me!

A Little Break in the Heat

We had a few sprinkles. The main storm missed us and hit Wichita leaving trees and electrical lines down! But the cool air made it this far. What a nice feeling in the mornings to have 76 degrees for running errands.

Our errands are so boring - dog food, bird seed and groceries for us. Our microwave died. Our older son asked, "How can you cook?" I told him I'm learning. The big debate is whether to buy a counter top or an over the stove model. L. says you can't sell a house with a broken microwave. Who is planning on selling?

It is a pain to reheat coffee in a saucepan on the stove. We make a several cup pot in the morning and drink some later. Our younger son and family sent us one of those single cup producers. I had been looking at them for a long time but never made up my mind to buy one. I was excited. Read the instructions (as my mother taught me to do) and followed them. The coffee dripped out one drip at a time. We tried three times, using three pods of the forty pods included. Sadly only drips that made about one fourth cup of very strong brew. So it was packed up and made ready to send back.

Then I got a call. "Did you put the coffee back in the box for return?"  "Yes." "Could you take it back out? They will not accept it back since it's edible!"  "Ok."  Luckily we had plenty of tape for the rewrap!

So we're still using the big pot and reheating on the stove. Life goes on.

Hot, Hot Days of Summer

We are having days of 99 and 100 with plenty of humidity which makes it very muggy.

I haven't had much to blog about. Crocheting fills my afternoons after mornings spent running errands before it gets toohot to touch the car.

Two things happened recently which involve buying yarn. At one store I did not get a cart and carried several skeins of yarn back to the check out register with one tucked under my right arm pit. I put them all on the counter except the one under my arm. She rang up the yarns, I paid and suddenly realized I had another skein. She laughed and said she hadn't seen it. So another ring up and I paid and got out of there.

Several days later at a different store,I had a coupon with a percentage "off." I put both skeins on the counter with the coupon and said, "I have a coupon for one of them."  She rang it up along with two other items that my husband bought. The total didn't seem out of line but when I got home, I looked at the ticket. The clerk had only charged me for one skein.

It was too warm to go back that afternoon, but the next morning we went back and I paid up! She thanked me and said it had happened to her. We agreed that if they had made a mistake by overcharging, the customer would want it corrected.

From the replies on social media to the dilemma, everybody agreed it was the right thing to do.

I knew that already.

Stinky but Soothing

I dislike the smell of liniment. My grandmother Brown, bless her, used it quite a bit when they lived with us. I think it was for her rheumatism. I'm not sure if that is aching muscles or joints. Would it be called arthritis today?

Wellll, I now smell like my granny.Thursday morning I woke up with bite at the base of my throat.
Mosquito? Spider? At least it's not a tick! And man, does it itch. I tried  Neosporine because it was the first thing I saw in the medicine cabinet. No good. Lee mentioned Lamisil. Tried it. Some relief but not for long.

Then he suggested the smelly stuff he used to put on his feet that smells like my grandmother's liniment:  ABSORBINE JR.  Yuck!  It burned like fire and I thought, "This was a big mistake." Then the fired calmed down and although I can now walk into and clear a room, the itch is under control.

I Can Count

Yesterday we celebrated Sunday by getting carry-out (!)

Total bill $11.47.  Got out $12.00, ready to hand it to the window person.

"$10.47."  Dumbly, I handed her the  $12.00. She handed back  .53 change and kept the extra dollar.
It was not a tip. I immediately realized something wasn't right. We got home and there were two cash register receipts in the bag.  One was for $11.47 and one was for $10.47 with a (old age) discount.


So, I guess it was tip.

Almost a Boo Boo

Last week I was back at the only store in town (that I know of) that sells the brand of yarn that I use.
I didn't use a shopping cart and picked up five skeins of yarn, tucking one under my right arm.

When I reached the cashier, I put four skeins on the moving counter and reached for money in my wallet. She checked me out, put the yarn in a sack and gave me change. All of a sudden I realized I had another skein under my arm! She hadn't seen it and I don't know where my mind was.

I apologized and she said no problem and rang it up.  We both laughed; me a little nervously?

I really was not trying to get out with a free hank of yarn.

Sunday Tea

I enjoy a sweet tea now and then.

This morning as we returned home from an errand, we stopped at the fast food shop and I ordered, "Sweet tea, please."

Got home.  Plain tea.  Oh well, I could always add some sugar but maybe it's better that I don't!

I wonder how many orders they get wrong in one day. We seem to get our share every time we go there.

  Should I take a sip before driving away?


Such a minor problem in today's world!

Duffer

A friend/blogger posted several photos of her Border Collie sitting among a large field of daisies. Beautiful dog and great pictures!   It made me think of our McDuff, Bassett Hound puppy, near our old cement porch in 1962. He was a good dog for the kids but destructive. We got our first Great Dane and sadly found Duff a new home. I don't know if he chewed on the siding of their home or not but I remember getting a note saying he used their new white shag for relieving himself. 
They did not care for the new color scheme: brown and white.

Something New to Be Solved

It's a nice cool morning to run errands. The last stop was the grocery store. (We needed ice cream.)
So we drove home, parked in the garage and went to the back door of the van. Lee says, "It's locked."
I said that I must have hit the button when I got out. Back to the driver's side, press U for Unlock.
Nothing. Tried toggling the switch. Nope. Turned on the engine, toggled the button. No.

Meanwhile the ice cream is probably melting in the back of the warm van. Ah! There is a place for a key to unlock the door, right below the handle. How silly not to see that.

That didn't work either. Key goes to and fro with no result.

Guess who had to get the step stool, climb in the side door and around the third sea to the inside handle?  Got it open.

Ice cream and groceries put away.  It still won't open.

Can we use the side door for loading now? Boss says no.

Old Expressions

I was watching an old movie, The Strawberry Blonde from 1940, starring James Cagney, Rita Hayworth and Olivia de Haviland, Alan Hale and Jack Carson. Set in the early 1900's, it had some expressions that I had never heard before and some that I had forgotten.

At a bar a man was telling a tall tale. Another guy told him, "Leave that bull tied outside."  That was a new one for me. What a great way to tell someone he's "full of it."

At another place, Cagney was telling his father he was a wimp but he used the word, pussy. That one surprised me - used in 1940.

Imagining a blind date, Cagney said she's probably "a crow." I had never heard that term used to indicate an unattractive person.

The one I had heard before but not for a long time was, "I love my wife, but oh you kid!" And of course, "Twenty-three skidoo."

One of my parents friends used to tell me, a nosy kid who often asked him where he was going, "I've got to see a man about a dog."

My mom saw young boy riding a bicycle and said, "He certainly is a tow-head." In my mind it was "Toe head" and I tried to see if his head was shaped like a toe.

"Hold the phone" was another common exclamation I heard a lot.  Then my dad used to say our small bathroom was "Not big enough to cuss a cat in." I thought cuss was a bad word so when I told my cousin I said catch. When you think about it, that doesn't make any sense at all; well either version, actually.

Is this what you call a stream of consciousness?

Left Out

Yesterday a new phone book appeared on our front porch.  Sealed in a plastic bag, it is about the size of previous copies. However, for several years now, the book is almost completely full of businesses in our area. In fact, the book is called and "Area-wide" phonebook.

There is a slim section of white pages listing all of us that still have a land line. That's what the old CBers called a wired phone.

For the first time, we are not listed. Lee doesn't care. I think it's terrible.

We pay our bill every month but for some reason the publisher didn't receive our listing.

Oh well.

Does Directory Assistance still exist?

The Joys of Not Being Prepared

It's finally happened. I have become the elderly lady in the check-out line that fumbles around trying to use her debit card.

We went to the grocery store for a "few" things. The basket was far from full; the same for our wallets. I started shelling out fives and saw I was short. Lee gave me his bills and we were still short. I was trying to stuff them back in my purse, (dropping a five on the floor) and get the debit card out. Since I never use it, it didn't "swipe." The cashier was so nice. I apologized and he swiped it. Got the pin number right and we were on our way.

I can only imagine the thoughts of those behind us. I know my husband has very little patience for these moments. This time he couldn't complain since it was US!

When I got home, I counted what we had in our wallets - we were $3.33 short of the $73.33 cent charge. So close. From now on, I will try to manage to have more cash on hand before we shop.

Helpful Shout Outs

Today was a trip to the clinic for my husband to get lab work. As do many others, we drive in past the front door to an unloading area for patients. I drove around two parked cars, swung in and turned, getting the rear end of our club wagon Ford van "in" from the drive area. After my husband got out, I checked my mirror and a red SUV was passing me. The lady from Barton County called out, "Learn how to park."

I wonder if this made her day happier. If I could have answered her, I would have said, "Still trying and getting better every day."

Evidently it wasn't too awful because her husband had no trouble getting past me.

Some day it would be fun to drive a tank.

More on Dog Feeding

Everything is going well here at the dog house. The dogs are eating dog food from a can. Someday I would like to transfer to dry but I'll go with what is working for now.

So yesterday, the other half says, "Maybe we should wean them by adding just a little steamed hamburger to their meals."


They are already weaned!

Two Days In

This is the third day that I have been in charge of feeding the dogs.

I don't know how I lost this job in the first place but no more roasts or steamed hamburger added to perfectly balanced food produced for dogs.

My theory is, put down the food at regular times of the day.
If they don't eat, pick it up until the next time for feeding.

Someone else does not approve of this theory. The finicky one, Jill, does not eat when I place the food.  This someone removes the food to another room, holds the bowl and then Jill will eat.


I expect the next step will be using a spoon to feed her.



GRRRRRR.

Thank God for Jack. He eats once a day with no ceremony but some days he skips and eats the next day. Vet says this is completely normal....about the only thing normal at dog dinner time here.

Passing Days

Our days seem to pass by with not much different happening.

Today, about noon, we had a dog that was not feeling well. She was trying to cough. Of course, someone wanted to call the vet immediately. (They close at 1:00 on Saturdays.)  I coaxed Jill outside where she tried to eat a lot of grass. It didn't look like she was getting much but after about half an hour of grazing, there were some results - twice.

After this she was calm and no more attempts to "cough." She wanted inside to get water. I brought it outside and she finally just lay down on the porch and has seemed fine since then.

I have talked someone into letting me feed the dogs and I have requested no more potato chips or French fries as treats for them.

Sometimes it takes a lot of talking and a harsh tone.

Stormy Weather

We did get the sirens today and radar showed a possible tornado headed our way. I put the cell  phone in one pocket and the charger in the other; harnessed the dogs and put leashes on them.

We were ready to head to the smallest bathroom. No basement here which is crazy in this state. Then we watched the weather guys in Wichita follow the radar. The funnels stayed mostly over farm country and so far no reports of damage. Then after heavy rain, the sun came out. The bad weather went south of us.

More rain tomorrow. My hope is for no more warnings!

Springy Storms

Today we have many warnings in the central plains.  Rain and high winds have occurred all over the state of Kansas.
Yesterday there were tornadoes west of Great Bend.

Not a peaceful time of the year.

And Jill doesn't like the thunder.

Unpleasant Encounter

Who knew it was so discouraging to order a sandwich.  I had the feeling that the clerk was being trained. There were long pauses between sentences. The speaker at the drive-through was not very loud. We couldn't hear the voice. "Please turn off your vehicle."  We still couldn't hear and Lee has excellent hearing.

I said I'd drive around. The window opened and an unhappy face appeared stating the amount of the purchase. I smiled and said I was sorry we couldn't hear. No response. Then I mentioned that she hadn't asked our choice of veggies. "No, you drove away."

Not a very pleasant way to help a customer. We got our sandwich. I saw her name was Mary Ann and smiled and told her I was Mary Lou. Not a glimmer of kindness or acknowledgement. So I said, "Your day will get better and again I'm sorry." Nothing.

So when we got home, I wrote on a blank note card, addressed to "Mary Ann" in care of the restaurant to "Keep Smiling. Sorry we had trouble hearing you."  No return address so she can't come and egg our house.

A Surprise Visit

Older son and his younger daughter surprised us driving all the way from Tejas!

We no sooner had them arrive than we had them at work. Two fence posts - up.  Two downspouts - up.  Plastic on porch - down. One shelf in the bathroom medicine cabinet had collapsed and we couldn't get it perched back up. Someone, sometime, had put the shelf holders in upside down. One finally broke and dumped the shelf to the rear so nothing fell out when someone happened to be sitting on the throne.

All the holders were wrong. We did some serious spring cleaning, tossing anything that was outdated or looked weird. We had a whole plastic grocery sack full.  On to the "en suite" where the same condition existed. More stuff thrown out or recycled. Shelf holders switched. What a job for visitors!
I helped by throwing out and replacing what we saved.

Fluorescent lights over the sink and in the laundry room were replaced. And at the opportune moment with helpers here, one of the lights in the garage died.



It may be a while before they return!

A Nice Invite

In my email there is an invitation for Mother's Day, addressed to my husband.

Lone Star restaurant is having a succulent steak topped with a grilled shrimp and champagne sauce. Margaritas are only $3.00. There is a chocolate dipped cheese cake topped with a strawberry. $22.99.



Too bad they closed a couple of months ago.

Latte at Home instead of To Go

Since I came to my senses and quit buying coffee at $5.00 a cup, I have discovered this product. Because I watch way too much television, you might know that's where I found it.

The directions say it contains six to seven servings when you press the spout for five to seven seconds (so many numbers to remember!)  Well, I have had it at least four weeks. I don't use it every day but I've kept track of the number of cups I was able to squirt out.  Twelve!

I think the price was $3.49 which is pretty cheap for a latte.  Oh yes. it comes in Vanilla, Mocha and Caramel. The Mocha was good. I'm trying Caramel next.

Warm - as in Eighty-one degrees

A nice summery day but with a little wind. We had to get out three times. That is unusual. We usually try to make it one trip a day - and some days no trips.

But when you forget something, back you go!

Such an exciting day.

Freaky Friday

I had to wait a day to comment on yesterday.

Everywhere we went, every errand we ran, and several persons were just unbelievably frustrating.
I have tried to learn to be more patient. For the most part, I think I have succeeded. In the grocery line waiting to pay, I don't sigh or shuffle my feet while waiting for the person ahead of me try to get their debit card to work.

I try to see the store clerk or worker's point of view -just like Gregory Peck as Atticus said in that great movie.

But yesterday at each stop we made, either the item promised us was not there or something didn't work out. The woman ahead of me in line had several items. Her card did not work when she swiped it. The clerk had told her on a previous visit to try putting scotch tape on the card.
 She had forgotten so the clerk left to go get some tape. At first there was a bubble. Tape off, more tape on. Success.  The clerk apologized and then we both wondered why people don't use cash anymore.

At the last stop, the record showed that I had not been there since August of 2015. I differed but computers don't lie. (People who key things in can make mistakes but they insisted.) Oh well.

Patience, Lord, patience - and I need it right now!

Soup from Seinfeld

Today it is cool and rainy so soup sounded good. I had everything for the soup Nazi's recipe except an apple.  How much difference could the absence of an apple make in a big recipe?

So I made it anyway. It was good and I didn't miss the apple.

2 skinless chicken thighs
1 cup peeled and chopped apple
1 cup chopped carrots
1 (15 oz.) can fire roasted tomatoes
1 tbsp. dried onion flakes (I chopped up some onion)
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. curry (I used only one)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup long grain  white rice (to be added later)

Use a 6 quart slow cooker. Place chicken thighs in bottom of cooker. Add all ingredients. I mixed the spices and lemon juice in with the broth and pour over all.
Cook on low 8 - 10 hours.   At the end you can separate the meat into shreds by using two forks.                    

You can put the raw rice in the last 30 minutes and turn cooker to high. I chose to cook the rice separately and add near the end. (I wanted it to be fully cooked.)

This is also known as Mulligatawny (sp?) soup.

Art at the Arena

Our town voted to improve the sports arena where the National Junior College Basketball tournament is held every March. I haven't seen the inside but it is greatly enlarged and  big new entrances on the south and west. The colorful circles seen here are also new. We are trying to figure out if they represent anything in particular. Maybe hula hoops; basketball hoops; halos; not sure.

Garden Phlox

Our pretty lavender stalks are coming up around the dead pampas grass that wasn't trimmed back this year. We'll see how that works out in the next few weeks. Will the grass green up?
Don't know.

Computer is Down

This was an eye opener yesterday. We went to place that has great hamburgers and the best fries (in our opinion) in town.  The voice from the speaker said their register was not working so we'd have to pay in cash. O.K.
I ordered two cheeseburgers and a medium order of fries. She asked me if I wanted cheese. Well, yes.
I repeated the order - that was two cheeseburgers and an order of medium fries.  The answer was is mustard and pickle all right?  Yes. No drink.
We drove around, paid cash $8.70.  Naturally we didn't look in the sack. At home there were no fries.
I called the restaurant and told her we had just placed an order there and I would like to know the price of two cheeseburgers. A lot of hems and haws. Finally she asked why. I told her we didn't get any fries. We could come back or they would send me a coupon. No. I just wanted to know if we had paid for fries or not. She asked if there was a receipt. Yes. Then I made the mistake of telling her the amount on the receipt.  $8.70.  Yes, that was right for cheeseburgers so we weren't charged.

Check the addition and what I assume is supposed to be the tax....$1.09? Our tax is about 9%.
If it were 10%, it would only be 80 cents!  I give up.

Poor clerks are so used to the computer/cash register doing the figuring. It was probably very frustrating doing the job and then some old lady calls in about it!

Civil War Cannons

These are two cannons near a statue of Abraham Lincoln and four figures representing the armed forces at the time of the Civil war.

It seems the city didn't realize that these were authentic! When they found out, they chained them down.

The Anniversary of the Blind Date

A blind date has been recorded by wood burning a slice of tree. Sixty-five years ago today . . .

Friend

This is Jo. We have been friends since before Pearl Harbor. She moved here from another town in Kansas. Her dad worked for Standard Oil. We were at a church camp in Sterling, Kansas, when this photo was taken.

The tower on the building in the background is gone, lost in a wind storm sometime after the 1940's.
She lives a long distance away but we keep in touch by phone. If I could just get her to use Skype on her daughter's iPad!

Chilly and Chili

After some days of eighty degrees in March, we are back to coolness.  It was thirty-three here this morning. Warmer today and tomorrow and then the forecast is for the mid forties for the week-end.

So the boss called for chili.  It is smelling good simmering now.

Errors

Around here lately it seems to be a comedy of errors. I decided to make a tuna casserole for Lee since he mentioned one the other day.

At the store I grabbed a can of tuna and a can of cream of mushroom soup.

Since I didn't have any noodles and a lot of spaghetti, I broke it up and cooked it. Added some chopped onions and part of a can of peas. I opened the can of soup which had magically changed from cream of mushroom to cream of chicken and MUSHOOM soup. The word mushroom on the can was bigger than the word chicken. Oh well.

When I cook, I like to put everything out on the counter and as I use an item, I put it back in the cupboard or in the trash if it's not recyclable. When we came home from the store, I put the can of tuna in the cupboard so Lee wouldn't see it was a product of Thailand. I sprinkled cheese on top of the mixture and then some crushed Ritz. Into the oven for 25 minutes to cook through.

The tuna is still in the cupboard.

Doctor Day

Another trip to the clinic. Our visit today was with the P.A. It was very pleasant and things went well until she asked us if  L. was taking the two new over the counter medicines that the doctor had suggested.

I looked at L. and he looked at me. Had we both forgotten? I know it's easy to disremember at this age but neither of us have any recollection of a suggestion to buy this product. It was written on the chart, which now is an iPad, but we are really losing it or someone forgot to tell us. No big deal. We went immediately to the pharmacy to buy them. They only carry one, B 12.

On to a larger pharmacy at our grocery. They don't carry it either but will order it for us and it will be there by noon tomorrow.

In case you're wondering, the item is B 1, Thiamine, pronounced Thi'a-meen. Never heard it pronounced that way before but that must be used in medical circles.

Too Many Accounts

I like putting photos on the computer. I like sharing them with family.

So I opened an Instagram account at some time in the dim past - and I guess I forgot that I had done that.

Then I got on the account that I thought I had and found the older one. I need to delete one. Their help page is no help. They only give me the option of deleting the one I want to keep.

I guess I'll just use one and ignore the other.

Technology seems SO complicated sometimes.

Nap Time

Yesterday I felt sleepy after lunch so I decided to take a short nap before a certain tv show comes on

I started to set the little alarm clock and my husband said he would do it. It was 1:40 and I requested a wake up for 2:55.  Got my CPAP on and snuggled down.

The alarm went off and I woke up - not feeling any more rested than when I lay down.

It was 1:55. I had slept about fifteen minutes. He reset the clock but that was the end of nap time.


Maybe a quarter of an hour is long enough for refreshing the brain.

Phone Questions

I have a new phone. I've had it a few months.  I still need a tutorial.

Today I tried to use a procedure that I have done many times before and it will not perform!

I need my granddaughters here to help me!!!

I don't want to bother my other helper who is 1800 miles away. He logs in on the computer and helps me with all sorts of things so the phone is so much less important, I'll just struggle on.

Such minor things to concern a person in this crazy world.

Needles

Yesterday was the day that rolls around every eight weeks - the day to get an IV of gammaglobulin.

The nurses are all so nice, pleasant, cheerful and efficient. I saw one young woman dressed all in black. The nurses wear blue surgery scrubs. When everything was assembled and the regular nurse was ready she began instructions to the lady in black. It finally dawned on me that this was a student at the local community college nursing school.

She prepared the many tubes, needle, tape and put on the plastic gloves. They looked for a vein. I kept very quiet, not wishing to tell them that the veins are small, they roll and just generally are very contrary.

They found a likely looking spot after looking on the underside of the arm.  Just above my left wrist she inserted the needle. They needed to draw some blood for testing and then attached the tubing. It was almost painless.  After she was all finished, I told her she did a really good job and that we didn't want to tell her beforehand that sometimes they have to try four times (the record was five) and I would go out into the world looking like a victim of something with coban all over my arms.

She seem pleased that I complimented her. After she was gone, I found out this was the last thing she had to check off her list. As an LPN, she had to do certain procedures before entering the RN program. The nurse told me that the student had been a little nervous. I would think so - trying the first blood draw on an old woman that you had never seen before!

Actually I was surprised by the fact that they didn't ask me if I minded if the student did the injection.
Usually they do but I think I was the last one to come in on her shift without a port!

I wonder who decided that the students should wear black.

1970's Colorado Vacation

This is from the middle of the 1970's. Great memories from that trip.

Back when we traveled!

Seventy Year Typing Certificate

We have just a few documents from our families. I'm sure our high school diplomas are around somewhere but this turned up yesterday.

From Lebo, Kansas, in Coffey County, my husband earned this certificate in his first year of typing. He was sixteen and a junior in high school. I met him five years later after he had graduated and served four years in the navy. Yes, in at seventeen and out at twenty-one. We met on a blind date and were married three and a half months later. I'm sure my parents thought I was nuts but we were twenty-one and I guess since this year will be year sixty-five, we must have been right.

I don't think I know where the wedding certificate is!

Old Words

Last week I heard a word in an old movie on TCM that I hadn't heard for a long time:  piffle.

We used to say this when I was in high school, "Oh, piffle!" An expression of disgust is the way we used it. So I looked in dictionary.com and found out it means nonsense. As a verb it means to talk nonsense.

That made me think of other words I don't hear anymore. My mom called a boy going by on a bicycle a towhead. I thought she meant his head was shaped like a toe.  Later I discovered it meant very light blonde.

When I was a kid, I was tall and had thin legs. My dad told me I looked like a shyte poke, pronounced  to rhyme with shy. This was  a bird with long skinny legs. ( I since have shrunk in height but still have skinny legs.)

A friend (?) in high school told me I had alligator skin on my arms.

Another person kidded me and said I looked like Helen Brown. I was too dense to realize he was really meaning that I looked like hell in brown.  I wasn't too sharp. In Spanish class the Latinos called me Seca.  Dried up and thin.

Luckily, none of these things bothered me. They were harmless names and not like some terrible terms that are used more commonly now.

How did I get from old movies to calling people names? Stream of consciousness, I guess.

Later edit:  I used Google to look up shitepoke"   A common name for the bird, a heron, is shite-poke, which is an old-fashioned way of saying “bag [poke] of excrement. Used in Europe.

Care of Handkerchiefs (or is it handkerchieves?)

Lee opened his package of thirteen men's handkerchiefs, priced $5.00. The option was six for $3.00. Not being quick at math, I told him to get the larger pack.

After looking at the packaging, he read the notice on the package:

Handkerchiefs are reusable (really?) and do not waste environmental resources.

65% polyester       35% cotton

Machine wash cold. (No heat for killing germs?)  Gentle cycle. (They must be very delicate.)
Only non-chlorine bleach when needed. (Who uses bleach?)
Tumble dry low. Warm iron when needed. (Iron? What's that?)

I doubt if we will be that  careful of these new things. They will surely last in good condition until he loses them.

Walmart - The Search

Today we went to Walmart to look for men's handkerchiefs.

My, there are a lot of aisles with men's stuff: overalls, shirts, shorts (inner and outer,) socks, jeans, undershirts, gloves, pajamas, t-shirts, bandanas (they were close to the handkerchiefs.)

After strolling for quite some time, Lee asked a clerk. One nice thing about this store and the big grocery store we have - when you ask, they will lead. They don't just say, "Two aisles over."

I also picked up more yarn. I am always told get all that you need. I do for what I'm working on now, but who knows what colors I'll use later?

So with a fine mist and a strong wind, we came home and plan to stay in the rest of Good Friday..

What an exciting day.

Doughnut Wars

Yesterday we bought two boxes of doughnuts. LN picked out six with ooey gooey frosting; I picked several plain but assorted goodies.

After they were brought home and deposited on the counter, my doughnuts started disappearing. First it was a half that was gone with L.'s morning coffee. So I ate the other half.

After lunch another disappeared. I confronted him and said, "You are eating my doughnuts!" No answer. Later I told him I was half joking but why did he buy those with frosting if he wasn't going to eat them? There was no satisfactory answer. I believe we are buying and eating too many doughnuts. However, I have only had 1/2 of one plain.

Late afternoon another is gone. I guess I'm going to have hide them or put them in a lock box.

Jersey Afghan

This is a sample of the beautiful work my sister-in-law does. (The rows are really straight; that is just an optical illusion.) She inspired me and I am now using up yarn to make a similar one. Of course, in order to complete it, I have already bought more yarn. I needed more colors. I shamelessly copy her ideas. I hope they aren't copyrighted!

Seasonal Shift

We had many spring days in February. Now we are having fall days in April. Windy and chilly but sunny today.

My sister-in-law in New Jersey and I have been making afghans. Since all of our four grandchildren have at least one or two, I am making "spares." J. has ten grands so she is quite busy. In her spare time, friends of her daughter express their yearning for one so she obliges and I have lost count how many she has made. We share our results on Skype and talk every day.

There are many ideas on the internet and the latest that I have tried are crocheted "sweaters" for mugs. Since Picasa has morphed into Google Photos, I'm not sure how to include a phot in the blog.
Well, I can't post the mugs but I was able to add the following:

This is the birth date of my dad's cousin, Violet R. Hampton Dewey. I have a photo of her taken for  a contest "A Nation of Readers" at the Hutchinson Public Library.

Wonder of wonders, I was able to include the photo. The pitcher on the table was one she bought for her mother when she was a small child, about five. She saw it in a store and asked her dad to get it for her mom. This photo was my entry in a contest "A Nation of Readers" at the Hutchinson Public Library. Under the crocheted throw on her lap she was wearing her sweat pants. I think people over eighty should always be comfortable!

Surprise Visitors!

A couple of weeks ago our doorbell rang. We don't get a lot of dings from it!

I opened the door and saw a K-State sweat shirt. I looked up and saw someone that I hadn't seen for about thirty years....a friend of our younger son who spent a lot of time at out house! He and his wife and twelve year old son were on their way to visit his dad in a town west of here. They stopped here to see us. We had such a good time catching up.

He's retired after teaching for twenty-seven years. He moved back to Kansas after spending most of his career in Washington state.

We used to tease him about looking like Robert Redford. And he still does - a younger RR!

It's Been A While!

After a few weeks, I think my computer problems are solved. If there were some way to thank our computer guru, I would do it. Thank you doesn't seem adequate. He has spent hours figuring out why the computer was "nuts."

Now if I just had something interesting to blog about.

The most important thing is we are getting some rain. It is so dry here that the first week in March we had terrible prairie fires north of our town, losing twelve homes. In the southwestern part of the states many farmers lost all their cattle, fencing, buildings and some homes. Help has come from all around to fight the fires and now bales of feed for remaining stock is being trucked in from Missouri and other places.  Teens are volunteering to rebuild fences.

I hope the rain helps all those who were affected.

Nothing to Blog About

I haven't felt like sharing anything with the few people who may read this blog.

The most exciting thing to happen here is a can of soda (which in this neck of the woods is called "pop")  exploded in the freezer. We did hear a strange noise one night. The dogs took notice but didn't go into barking mode so we didn't investigate.  And who would check the freezer for things that go bump in the night?

Hats

The holidays are over.


I've been making hats - beanies - or as we called them, stocking caps.


The new thing is a pattern for a messy bun hat with a hole for the bun or pony tail.

These are a pattern called Mommy and Me.


One reason I haven't been posting is that our son helped me change some things on the computer and I couldn't find my blogspot page to compose a blog.  Some days are so challenging.