We're on vacation!
We're on vacation!
We're on vacation!
Everybody sing The Vacation Song!
(Dad told me that he wrote a really good line today, and he challenged me to identify it. I was really happy when I finally got to "Until next time!" Was that the line? LOL! Enjoy Dad's post! -- Tracy)
Derf Here! Enjoying another summer day here in the Northeast. Morning started with clouds, fog and dampness. Then the sun came out and burned away the cloudy, foggy start of the day. Now the clouds have reappeared and a seabreeze is upon us. I sit here on our (Lew's) porch as I write this. It is getting chilly!
Spent the cloudy morning mowing with the hand mower. By the time I was ready to ride, the sun appeared and mission was accomplished. Even fired up the weedwhacker. The old hay field looks pretty good. At least to my eyes.
Spouse had pulled up all the vine plants in our 'front lawn' garden. She did a fine job. So I took care of the pulled plants as they were added to the lawn clippings. Only thing left in the garden are four tomato plants and one snakeskin that was shed at an earlier date. I hate snakes! Not too fond of tomatoes either!
Was going to change the oil in the go-kart, but will do another day.
Lew is on vacation this week so I had better not bloviate too long as editor doesn't want too much to do in posting my blog entry. Lew and Tracy (editor) just returned home so I better end this.
Sister Jean is scheduled for surgery on September 16th. This will be a very critical operation. Please pray for her to remain healthy enough for this step in her recovery process. Must stay away from any infections. Thanks for your support and prayers.
As I watch the RVs coming and going, we are experiencing a sea-turn. I can see the fog rolling in from the ocean. Feels and looks fall-like.
I'm skipping my ellipticalizing this week and will resume my daily exercise after Labor Day. It is a very pleasant week! Will probably gain a couple pounds. Hope not too many!
Until next time!
Toodle Pip!
Derf!
Breakfast: Chocolate Danish from Mr. Bagel and a banana
Lunch: Chinese food -- Luncheon Special #4 (Sweet & Sour Chicken, Chicken Wings, Pork-Fried Rice)
Dinner: IHOP -- Garden omelette, Strawberry Banana Pancakes, and two Splashberry beverages
HAPPY TUMMY! :)
Our house has a little entryway off of the porch. Once in the entryway, go right to my parents' side or go left to our side.
The doors leading to the two sides both have windows, which had been covered with curtains. Here's what our door looked like:
The above picture is actually an "after" picture. The curtain used to have a bottom rod, too, firmly securing it to the door. But Jerry, the cat you see on the table, hung off the curtain. He bent the top rod so badly that it was no longer usable. So I switched the bottom rod to the top, allowing the curtain to hang freely.
There was another incident not long after this while my sister Kim was visiting. Kim was on my parents' side when she looked across the entryway and saw a dark shape swinging back and forth in our window. That dark shape was Jerry, of course. He had bent the remaining curtain rod. I could bend it back okay, but it was pointless to keep the curtain up.
Our door then looked like this -- and, yes, the cats were on the table a lot (they loved being able to see through the window):
But someone who did not like this new arrangement? Lew.
I looked and looked and looked and finally decided on a nice window film, which we put up today. We did my parents' door, too. I think it looks good!
Happy husband.
But not-so-happy kitties.
(Postscript: Yes, we use Spongebob Squarepants placemats. Don't judge us. LOL!)
Tonight marks the beginning of Lew's final vacation week for the summer. He doesn't need to go to work again until the day after Labor Day! Hooray!
I will be posting this coming week, but keep in mind that....
We're on vacation!
And I will be singing The Vacation Song!
(Lew really wanted that Jaguar... LOL! ... Enjoy Dad's post! -- Tracy)
Derf Here! A day late but not a 'dollah' short! Another beautiful start of the day in the great Northeast. Possible showers later in the day but I don't think they will reach our coastal area. Ready for a great weather weekend as night temperatures may reach down to the mid 40s. Brrrr!
Now for my two trips to the Owls Head Museum: As mentioned in my last two posts, I made these trips with no explanation to you. Well, the cat is now out of the bag....
Every year at Owls Head there is an auction of classic and special interest cars. I decided to offer our 1939 Bantam up for auction. I delivered the car on my first trip. The second trip was on auction day. Lew and I spent last Saturday at the auction. We sat and watched about 160 automobiles reach the auction block. Some cars didn't even receive a bid. A Jaguar, however, sold for $104,000.
Our Bantam reached and sold at the amount I hoped to receive. My whole life was spent with this car. It had been in our family since about 1945. I have driven the car for about 65 years. I must admit that I had to fight back tears as I watched the Bantam change ownership. I managed to recover and made it home through my tears. I hope the new owners enjoy the car as much as we did. It was time to sell as we no longer used the vehicle. (Licensed and insured but not on the road for five years.) Time to sell, but very sad to see it go! I'm recovering, albeit slowly.
If interested in looking over the auction, you can google "Owls Head auto auction 2013" and click on the pictures and prices of vehicles auctioned last Saturday.
No more on auction.... Done! Wipe my eyes!
Purchased an iPad over the weekend and Spouse is very busy playing a game that crushes candy. Purchase was made because computer is dying. However, computer seems to be working better as it has been cleaned up. It may outlast the iPad! (Hope not!)
Another request for prayers for sister Jean. Supposed to be checked out today for possible tumor in her heart. This is a necessary step to determine future procedures. A very serious situation. Thanks for your concerns and prayers.
I'm running out of time and words as I must ready myself for a trip to Cindy's. Cindy is the lady that cuts my hair. Must be on time and not late! Soooo!
Until next time!
Toodle Pip!
Derf!
(Derf has graciously allowed me to bump his weekly post to Thursday!)
My dear hubby celebrates a big birthday today. His age now ends with a "5." (If you are a regular reader of my blog, you should be able to come up with the first number.)
Matt, Emily, Eli, and Adam hosted a birthday dinner. Yummy. :)
Happy Birthday, Sweetie!
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| Eli wants everyone to see his "big boy" bed! |
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| Best baby hairdo ever! |
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| Grampa studies his cake. |
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| Kaelen and Adam hit it off! |
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| Kim wanted to take him home. |
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| Eli and Zack had a lot of fun together. |
I said to Lew, "This is kind of sad."
He replied, "I understand. It's the end of an era."
And with that, I deleted my last Perry Mason episode from the DVR.
271 episodes up.... 271 episodes down....
But I sure will miss my friends Perry, Della, Paul, and Hamilton.
A great, great show!
My sister Kim plays "Candy Crush" on her phone. She is at some high level of which she is quite proud. (She talks about it a lot.)
I think Debbie plays it, too.
My mother now has the technology needed to play. Kim was giving her pointers on the game this afternoon.
Best wishes as you crush that candy, Mom!
A few days ago, Kim and Kaelen spent the day at the lake with Debbie's family. Here's a photo from that day!
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| Kaelen, Kim, and Debbie |
A couple days ago I wrote about the beach walk that I went on with my sisters and Kaelen.
While we were still at the house preparing for the walk, there was some controversy between Kaelen and her mother (my sister Kim) about who would carry a small shoulder bag during the walk. The items in the bag were for Kaelen's use, so I thought she should carry it. I kept this particular opinion to myself.
However, I did comment on how my sister was getting some "pay back." When we were growing up, Kim constantly asked other family members to carry stuff for her. (For example, I carried extra tissues in my purse for her while we were in high school.) She never wanted to carry anything! She even wanted to photocopy her driver's license and leave copies of it in the glove compartments of all the family vehicles -- an idea that still appeals to her, if only it were legal.
When I reminded Kim of all this, she blamed this behavior pattern on me! Apparently, I "enabled" her.
When we got to the beach, Kim was still complaining about having to carry the bag.... So can you guess what happened next?
Yep.... I'm still enabling my sister after all these years, but can you blame me? I couldn't stand the whining!
(Dad told me he wrote this quickly so that he could exercise as scheduled. And he is ellipticalizing right now! Enjoy his post. -- Tracy)
Derf Here! Another beautiful day up here in the Northeast. The experts are predicting great weather through the next week. We'll take it.
I meant to write this during my morning couch period. I had my six-month doctor's checkup at 8:30 AM and returned home. I completely forgot about my Wednesday blog post. So, here I am at noontime writing this. It will be brief as I am about to do my daily elliptical session. I hate every minute of the elliptical but must make this effort. Ten pounds lighter than my last doctor's visit. Here's hoping that my next visit will have the same result. I'll let you know in February. Stay tuned.
I will be taking another trip to the Owls Head Museum this Saturday. I mentioned a trip there last week as a tease. This will remain as a tease until next week when I will tell all about my Owls Head visits. Promise! Probably not too interesting! I'm hoping for an interesting result, however.
Kim and Kaelen are here this week. They are being kept busy with Deb and family. They are, in fact, at the beach with Deb and Josh as I write this. Even went to target range last night to do some target shooting.
Football has started for Zack as he will be a member of the seventh-grade team. Josh will pick up his equipment tomorrow and will start practice next week. The starting date of practice is determined by the State Education Association. All schools must start training at the same time. It won't be long until we'll spend a couple days a week watching football games. Looking forward to it. Another exciting fall season. It seems like baseball season just ended.... Oh! It did!
Please keep the prayers coming for sister Jean as she still struggles with her rehab from her cancer operation. Thanks!
I hear the elliptical machine calling me and I must answer the call. Shucks!
Until next time!
Toodle Pip!
Derf!
My parents' computer monitor bit the dust yesterday. I had access to an unused monitor, which I picked up and brought home this afternoon.
When I arrived home, I saw that Dad had already disconnected the dead monitor. Dad had gone to the grocery store, but my mother and Kim were home.
Mom told me that now Dad was also having trouble with the laptop that he uses. He couldn't access his websites.
Which problem to tackle first?
I decided on the laptop. The antivirus definitions hadn't been updated for a long time, so I did the update. And voila, the laptop's internet access was back in business!
I also had success with connecting the "new" monitor. Mom is very happy that she can play her Solitaire game again!
Then I started to use my own laptop. Internet... slow.
Checked out my iPad. Internet... slow.
Hmmm....
The first thing I did was reset the modem and wireless router.
Result: Internet... fast!
Thus ended my afternoon of home computer equipment troubleshooting.... A happy ending!
"If Noah had been truly wise, he would have swatted those two flies." -- Helen Castle
I skipped our Saturday breakfast with our friends, but Lew went. He brought home a three-berry muffin for me. Yum....
I was able to get an early start on my day's chores, which were pretty numerous given the events of yesterday.
My biggest task was to prepare a craft project for children's church. This craft is for tomorrow, so I sort of needed to get it ready.
Lew and I also went to see Verlie in her new digs. Wayne was there, too, so we were able to go over a few details together.
Big news: Kim and Kaelen are here! Dad picked them up at the airport in Manchester, NH late this afternoon. When they arrived at the house, both Kim and Kaelen commented on Jerry's size. It may be kitty diet time again.
Additional happy news: Everything that I ate today stayed down. Hooray!
Today we learned that Lew's mom would require long-term care. We had suspected this would be the situation.
Fortunately, there was a long-term care opening at the same facility where she has been for rehab. She moved from one end of the building to the other! And this place is right down the road from us!!
I went to see Verlie three times today: 1) late morning, 2) after her room move early afternoon, and 3) after dinner, accompanied by Lew.
When I came home after my first visit, I had a phone message from an investigator who told me I was being investigated for a check fraud case. I called her back immediately. I was successful in proving that I am NOT the person she is looking for.
I have received phone calls like this before. (Click HERE to read an earlier blog post.) Apparently there is another gal out there with the same name who is of a criminal bent. Thanks a bunch, lady. I hope they catch up with you soon....
All in all, it was a good day. A little too much for my stress-o-meter, though.
Why do I say that?
My dinner didn't stay down. Blech. :(
Kurt's annual trip to the vet was today.
He did NOT want to go into the cat carrier. My parents had to help me get him in. He is a strong little bugger.
He cried during the whole ride to the vet's office. Fortunately it's less than a two-mile drive. I can't take that pitiful sound for too long. (Apparently it's hard being a kitty!)
He enjoyed exploring the examination room while we were waiting for the vet.
A technician came in to weigh him and ask me a few questions. He was purring and being quite sociable with her. But then she asked him, "How come you have a troublemaker mark on your chart?"
Uhhh... that would be because he scratched the vet last year. Drew blood. But he's much less skittish now....
The vet came in shortly after this exchange. She remembered being scratched last year. She fondly commented that he has a "strong" personality. :)
The rest of Kurt's appointment went quite well. And I think his troublemaker mark even got removed!
(Happy Birthday and Bon Voyage to my Aunt Debbie! Enjoy Dad's post. -- Tracy)
Derf Here! Another beautiful day in the great Northeast. Rain predicted for the next two days. Then a great weekend according to the experts. We will see! Stay tuned!
I just returned from the store. I went to buy a birthday cake (small) for a celebration of sister Deb's special day. Notice I did not mention her age. She is younger than I am. My mission was successful. Even got a little lettering on the cake.
Deb will be heading to Indy tomorrow to help get niece Wendy settled in her new living arrangement. This new arrangement has taken several months to secure. Another example of slow government involvement. Does the government ever work in any other way? I certainly doubt it!
I took a trip to Owls Head Museum today. The trip was brief. More to come on why the trip was even made. Stay tuned. Just a tease!
Since I am writing this in the afternoon, I will mention only one more thing. I will be brief. Must keep the proofreader and editor happy!
Please keep the prayers coming for sister Jean. Important decisions must be made in the near future. Thanks.
Until next time!
Toodle Pip!
Derf!
Jerry is our cat that likes to scratch stuff. The furniture, my mirror, the dishwasher, cupboard doors... nothing is off-limits as far as he is concerned.
Kurt is our cat that likes to chew on stuff. Windowshade pulls, lamp switches, phone antennae, cupboard pulls... nothing is off-limits. (Well, almost nothing. Fortunately he does not chew wires or cords.)
Thus -- between both cats -- the eventual total destruction of our house is guaranteed.
We love our kitties!
Figuring out mobile banking has been on my to-do list for several months. Maybe even more than a year.
I finally downloaded the apps for two different banks today. It took me only a few minutes to log in and see what menu items were available. I accessed both banks on my iPhone first. I then repeated the process on my iPad.
Piece. Of. Cake. I can't believe that I put it off for so long.
Now to conquer the other long-avoided items on my to-do list.... May they all go as smoothly!
I heard meowing. Lots of it. It was coming from the dining room.
I went into the dining room to check on things. Jerry was on the floor, looking up at the following:
(See the corner of the table? Apparently that was the launching pad!)
I stood on a folding chair and tried to coax Kurt to come toward me. He did not.
He eventually jumped down on his own, landing on the table.
I think that Jerry is jealous of Kurt's jumping ability.
MEOW!
Here are some photos from today's visit!
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| Sweet little Adam. |
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| Grampa loves his new grandson! |
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| "I'm awake!" |
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| "Do you like my smirk, Grampa?" |
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| "I'm the BIG brother!" |
Lew and I are usually opposite on the "glass half full/empty" approach to situations. When he's on the full side, I'm on the empty... and vice versa.
Going into the bottom of the 9th in last night's Red Sox game, I suggested that we turn the TV off. (The Sox were down 7-2.) Half empty.
Lew said, "Let's just keep it on and see what happens." Half full.
Out boys ended up making a miraculous comeback to win the game, 8-7! Glad we hung in there.
In the words of baseball great Yogi Berra, "It ain't over 'til it's over." Good to remember!
Zack had been fitted for a football helmet, but later on it became apparent that the sports equipment representative had messed up the sizes. So Debbie had to drive Zack to a shop in Auburn in order to get it straightened out.
The gentleman at the shop called the original representative and began the conversation by saying, "I have a pretty lady here...."Glen interrupts with, "You have mentioned 'pretty lady' every time you've told this story!"
