Happy Half Year!

I think I am going to propose a new holiday. ("Festivus for the rest of us" - ha ha!)

Here's my idea:

June 30th:  Half Year's Eve
July 1st:  Half Year's Day

Christmas and New Year's Day are only a week apart. With my proposal, we'd have two more holidays that are close together (although July 4th is a U.S. celebration and not a global one).

What do you think?

Where Have You Gone, Social Media?

I just peeked at Facebook and I can't help wishing for the "old days." I used to really enjoy Facebook at first... fun banter between family and friends... photos of loved ones... news about what folks have been doing with their lives.

Sure, there is still some of that. But now there is a lot more stuff to sift through... political rants... game invitations (no!)... and the quizzes (you know the ones I mean: answer a few questions to find out which character you are in some T.V. show, etc.)... oh, and the "If you care then you'll share this post" challenge to your conscience. (I've never shared any of those out of principle.)

About four months ago I hid every single one of my Facebook friends (even my husband). I stopped following all of the organizations/pages that I "like." Then I went to my news feed and it was completely empty. It was a wonderful feeling.

I have since restored my Facebook news feed, but I don't spend too much time looking at it. I know I miss a lot, but eventually I do learn about the important stuff.

Despite my rant above (hmmm.... maybe I should share it on Facebook?!), I do appreciate Facebook for one simple reason: I have connected/reconnected with a lot of people. And I guess that's the real point.

Dad 364: The Blog Must Go On

(How Dad feels today...? I feel that way almost all the time, LOL! Enjoy his post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Continuing fairly nice weather day after day, even though we have lost two minutes of daylight. Hoping for a good July 4th.

I really don't feel like writing today so I won't do much.

Spouse (Mary Lou) is about done with her home therapy. Still a ways to go but is about ready for discharge. At most five or six more visits. Still want prayers for her. Thank you for them.

Tune in next week when I might have more to say. One never knows. Sooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Two Anniversarys

If I am doing my math correctly, it was 30 years ago today that my sister Kim married Joe. Happy 30th to them!

I just did some extensive research (Google) and learned that the 30th is the "pearl" anniversary. That's the traditional gift anyway. Apparently there is also a modern gift, too... "diamond" on the 30th... ooh la la!

I was also curious about the 2nd anniversary: traditional = cotton; modern = china.

Why the 2nd?

We adopted Marilyn two years ago today! Happy Anniversary, sweet kitty! You will not be receiving cotton nor china.

I Pass the Buck

I forgot all about a blog post on Saturday until it was too late. Lew is willing to accept the blame for it because Saturday is his day to write. But last I knew, the name of this blog is Mainely Tracy.

I say, "The buck stops here."

And what is the origin of that statement — "the buck stops here" — anyway? I know it was a past president, but I can't remember which one....

.... The extensive research I did just now (Google) informs me this phrase is associated with Harry S. Truman. He had a sign with this saying on his desk. He didn't actually coin the phrase himself, but he is responsible for making it well-known.

To really get to the origin, though, I'd have to look into "passing the buck" as well. I don't really feel like doing that. But if you really want to know, I'll get Lew to research it for you.

Yet Another Place to Eat

There is a new seasonal restaurant at the end of our road.

It's called Garage BBQ. (It was formerly a car mechanic's shop!)

Lew and I ate there for the first time tonight. I had ribs and he had pulled chicken.

The best part of the meal? The cornbread!

Waiting for our meal. Open air seating. One of the garage doors is above us.

Good food. Nothing fancy — just how we like it!

Dad 363: Our Resident Mr. Clean

(I had a great time at the Steven Curtis Chapman concert last night! Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! A beautiful summer day today. We have had many now as the days are getting shorter. Did I just say that?

 

Josh leaves tomorrow for Scotland. Bon voyage, Josh!!

 

Last week I mentioned Lew and his taking apart the truck body. He got tired of seeing the rubber hanging a few inches off the body. I've noticed that Lew likes to keep things clean.... I work on the garage bench. Then I leave stuff all around. Lew cleans it up.... I take the tarps off my trailer and leave them on the garage floor. After a few days, they (tarps) are neatly put away.... Lew likes things clean and his garage floors are always swept. We work well together!

 

A follow-up on the truck: I went to a truck place to get some help replacing the rubber strips that were hanging out. They do not use these rubber shims anymore. The man gave me some shims that are now used. No charge as they were not in the inventory. He also told me how to make the truck tailgate close easier. Best trip ever to a shop. Solved two problems and no charge!

 

We are almost through with outside therapy for Spouse (Mary Lou). We are improving daily. Keep the prayers coming!

 

The summer is here as sister Deb is in old Orchard Beach!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Scheduling Change

Went back to work today. Kept thinking it was Monday, but that's what I get for missing yesterday.

Tomorrow night I am going to see Steven Curtis Chapman in concert! My friend Luanne invited me to go with her. I am looking forward to the concert and I am especially looking forward to hanging out with my good buddy.

Because of my Wednesday plans, Dad's weekly blog post will be on Thursday this week. So for all of you Derf fans, please sit tight in your anticipation of his latest ruminations.

Good night, all.

And, let's go, Red Sox!

Things Work Out

Lew is home from his colonoscopy. All is well.

I am taking one more day for R&R. My neck is feeling so much better, but I need today to ease back into things. Will return to work tomorrow.

We had a cookout on our deck Saturday night. Nephew Josh's boat is docked in Portland for a few days, so he was here. Brother-in-law Joe had been in Maine, so he was here. And Matt's family came over, so Lew got to have a Father's Day celebration after all (albeit early). Many thanks to Debbie for planning this event!

Josh, Zack, Eli, and Adam.... Four of my favorite young men.

Lew's Logbook: Father's Day BooBoo

(Lew writes today about the great day he plans to have tomorrow. Enjoy his post... if you can! ~ Tracy)

Tomorrow is Father’s Day. It is traditionally a time for family get-togethers and cook-outs. Burgers, salad, chips and maybe a chocolate cake would be on the menu. But this year I have a bit of a problem of my own making....

About two months ago I received a call from my doctor's office to schedule a colonoscopy. The scheduler said that their first opening was Monday, June 19 at 8:00. I thought that a first-thing-in-the-morning procedure sounded good, so I said, “Fine.”

It wasn’t until about three weeks ago when my son suggested a Father’s Day breakfast that I realized Father’s Day would be the day that I would need to do the prep for the colonoscopy. No eating, just purging. To reschedule would take me out at least another month, so....

No cake... just quiet moments of reflection in the water closet.

Learned My Lesson

I titled this post Learned My Lesson, but perhaps I should have called it I Hope I Learned My Lesson. I really shouldn't boast until I know how this current situation ends.

The situation I am referring to is a stiff neck. I have a little bit of one at the moment. I still made it to work today, but I'm getting ready to go to bed and relax and rest.

The lesson I am referring to pertains to the last time I remember having a stiff neck. (It was more severe than what I am currently experiencing,) I tried to keep up with my daily routine. When I went to my doctor the second time, he put his foot down. He prescribed a strong dose of Valium and told me that I would be taking the next few days off. And after five days of non-participation in life, my neck did finally get better.

I am not going to allow my current stiff neck to turn into another Valium-requiring episode....

Have I really learned how to relax?

Stay tuned!

And have a good night.  😊

Move Over, Picasso!

Tonight I went to a painting event with fellow Batgirl Anne-Marie. We wore aprons to protect our clothing from paint splatters, we ate chocolate chip cookie desserts, and we laughed... a lot.

Below is my finished painting. It is supposed to be a dandelion. The instructor told me mine was very "abstract."

I will not be quitting my day job.

Dad 362: Rubber Trucky

(My Aunt Debbie once told me, "There's always something with a car." So true; so true. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Enjoying a beautiful day in the Northeast after two scorching-hot days (90° plus). This day is perfect!

 

Busy day for Spouse (Mary Lou). Started the day with her physical therapist walking her in the driveway, covering the area twice. That's twice as much as she has done this spring. Within an hour after her exercising, we were on the way for her first haircut since arriving home on May 2nd.

 

I was able to get the lawn mowed today. The lower 40 is looking good!

 

Today was a busy one for Lew. He went golfing in the morning. He had to take my truck because his vehicle is having some work done. Well, the truck has two rubber pieces stretching the length of the truck body. They were both coming undone and looked very ugly hanging out each side by several inches. This has been going on for years. I knew if Lew drove the truck he would notice this and work to fix it. It worked, as he spent the afternoon taking the truck body apart.

 

Stay tuned! Sooo....

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Here Comes the Summer

Today was voting day. Because it's not a day when we're electing major officials, the voting was held at town hall. (It's held at the high school on "big" voting days.)

After I voted, I went out to my car to get the registration. Then I went back into town hall and got my 2017 beach parking permit. Usually I get my parking permit before Memorial Day, but this year has been so cold I hadn't been inspired to get it yet. The past few days have been quite hot, however. (Even hot enough to warrant running the air conditioners.)

I didn't go to the beach very much last summer, except for some walks with Lew. But maybe this summer I can get down there and read some fun books....

I can not tolerate just sitting on the beach. I must have a book!

The Number of the Day: 57

Today's number is most famous for the Heinz slogan "57 Varieties."

But yesterday this number became nearer and dearer to our family.... My parents celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary.

Wishing them love, joy, peace, and many blessings as they begin year number 58!

💕

Can't Even Come Up With a Good Title

I asked Lew if he was going to write a post for today.

He thought about it for a while, but he came up with nothing.

His exact words were, "Ixnay on the ostpay."

I didn't know Lew was bilingual!

😉

Not-So-Lite Friday Nights

Lew and I usually eat out on Friday evenings.

Sometimes we go to Pat's Pizza. If you get there before 5:00pm, the lunch specials are still available. Plus they serve macaroni & cheese (the best!) on Fridays. Lew will get a lunch special and I will get the mac & cheese.  Win/win.

Lately we have been going to the Blast From the Past Too Diner. Lew gets either the chicken parm meal or the turkey club. I pretty much always get lasagna. I love their lasagna, and eating out is the only time I get a chance to eat lasagna. (I have made it a couple times in my crockpot, but it's a lot of work.)

Tonight was a chicken parm night for Lew and, yes, lasagna for me.

We also ate dinner rolls... delicious, warm, melt-in-your-mouth dinner rolls. We asked for seconds!

I'm a Little Curious

Tonight Lew and I were chatting about curiousness.

I think of myself as a curious person. If something does not go as expected, I like to figure out why. I pay attention to details, but I also want to be aware of the big picture.

Since our conversation, I have been thinking that I may have been giving myself too much credit for being curious....

I am not curious about how it feels to parachute.

I am not curious about how much horsepower my car has. (I don't even know if talking about horsepower and cars makes sense; nor do I care if it makes sense. How's that for being curious?)

I am not curious about the calories in a chocolate bar. That information is immaterial.

I could give many more examples. But I'm not going to, even though you may be curious.

Dad 361: The Three Goals of Spring

(I have yet to meet my goal of becoming a morning person, so Dad is faring better than I am. Enjoy his post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Enjoying a not-so-warm but beautiful sunny spring day. I think we are turning the corner as our weather patterns seem to be changing. Even the experts tell us to look for the change.

 

Well, Spouse (Mary Lou) is making progress with her therapists. Her physical therapist seems to be happy with the progress and continues to march up and down our driveway with Spouse on her arm.

 

I had three goals this spring. I have accomplished all three as of yesterday afternoon. First goal was to get a new couch that lifts legs and puts one in a very comfortable position via motorization. Second goal completed was getting a new air conditioner. Final and third goal was to get a new car. Completed yesterday as we now have a new Subaru called a Forester. It has more technical junk that I never will use or understand. Stay tuned. Sooo....

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Blech

I know this has been mentioned many times on this blog before, but....

The weather has been unseasonably cold. And damp. And depressing.

It's raining as I write this. The temperature is 52 degrees.

I came home from work early yesterday and crawled into bed. I was feeling lousy. My boss even said I looked lousy; she meant it with great concern and affection.

I didn't sleep well at all last night so I didn't go to work until noon. I'm still not feeling 100%, but I'm on the mend.

A couple of my colleagues were ill today, too.

Everyone is blaming the illnesses on the weather. (I think they are right.)

We are expecting a vast improvement tomorrow according to the meteorologists. (I hope they are right.)

I want to end this post on a high note, so here is a picture of a pizza.

Lew's Logbook: Fidget Spinner

(The rest of the story: Lew just went to that great online store, Amazon.com.  Enjoy his post!  ~ Tracy)

Have you heard of “fidget spinners?”

Of course you have.

But I only became aware of them about two months ago.

Tracy will tell you that I am a fidgeter. I tap, snap, and click things to the point that she needs to grab my hands to stop me when it starts to annoy her.

We were visiting friends last weekend and someone mentioned fidget spinners and, lo and behold, they had several of them.  I got my hands on one and I don’t think I put it down until it was time to leave.

I suspect the first time I see one for sale in some store I will buy it.

They are made for people like me.

The Craziness Known as Month End

Second day of June.

Processing of May month end is in full swing at work.

This is my third "solo" month end since I gained my new responsibilities.

Maybe some day I will feel confident.

Glad I have AWESOME colleagues!  😊

The Search

When I get home from work, my kitties hear me and come to greet me. Sometimes the kitties are visiting my parents, and they will still come running to see me. (The kitties come running, not my parents.)

Tonight I was told that Jerry was over on my parents' side of the house. But he didn't emerge at the sound of my voice.  I looked for him under beds, in closets, in the bathtub, etc., but I couldn't find him anywhere. I called for him on both sides of the house.

Lew soon joined in the search. We were hoping that Jerry hadn't gone outside somehow. (Jerry and Marilyn are strictly indoor kitties.)

I was walking around shaking the goodies container. Marilyn was following me around, but still no Jerry....

Lew was standing in my parents' living room, looking contemplative, when my father noticed a little gray head staring at Lew.... Jerry!

Jerry's hiding place was apparently under the center section of my parents' new couch. He must have been dozing when I got home.

It should be hard to misplace a 20+-pound cat, but somehow we manage to do it every now and then!