Two Cats in the House

On this penultimate day of the year, I thought it would be nice to share a photo of our sweet kitties.

Lew took this picture today and texted it to Dick and Carole (our breakfast buddies) and me.

Jerry and Marilyn are patiently (?) waiting for dinner!

"Yo! Dude! Put the phone down!"
(caption credit: Carole)

Tournament Results

Dad and I just watched Zach's team's final game in the holiday tournament. They won tonight, and they finished the tournament with a 2-2 record. Very respectable!

We now have a weeklong break before the team starts regular conference play. We'll watch as many of their basketball games as we can. (If a game is being streamed online, I will find it.... 😁)

Let's go, Rockets! 🏀

Dad 652: Baby Boston

(An early-in-the-day edition of Derf! Enjoy! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! A somewhat cloudy day today. Acceptable, however. We'll take it.

 

Well, the family increased within this past week. Our granddaughter Kelsey gave birth to our great-granddaughter last Thursday. She has been named Boston Louise. She has the title of "World's Most Beautiful Baby." A great addition to the family. Now Bode has a little sister.

 

Last night Tracy and I watched Boston's dad Zachariah's basketball team play its first game in a tournament in Bloomington, Illinois. We will watch the remaining games over the next couple days. I'm sure Zach will be glad to get the tournament over in order to be home with Bode and Boston. The next game is at noon today. We'll be watching.

 

That is about all the news we can take for now.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Tournament

Tonight at 10:30 Dad and I (and maybe Lew) will be watching the Rockets play in their first game of a four-day basketball tournament.

Dad has been relaxing in anticipation of the late night.

I've had tummy issues today, but I should be okay to watch.

Lew will probably be asleep by the time the game starts. 😴

Best wishes, Coach Zach! Play hard and have fun, Rockets! Your Maine fans will be watching.

(P.S. Game time tomorrow depends on the outcome of tonight's game.)

Christmas Wrap

We had a nice Christmas.

Despite encountering a blocked road (downed telephone poles), we managed to get everywhere on time.

There was wonderful food to be had all day. I ate too much, of course, but it was worth it.

We watched football.

I started a jigsaw puzzle.

I did some reading.

Blessed!

Have a Merry Christmas!

We survived the high winds of yesterday.  Our power blipped a couple times and we did lose cable TV and internet service for a few hours.  But we were fortunate.  Some households lost power for several hours and I'm not sure whether all service has been restored yet.

Lew and I went to a Christmas Eve service at our church today. We will spend tomorrow morning with Matt, Emily, Eli, and Adam. Then — after a quick visit with my mother — we will lunch at Debbie's house.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

JOY TO THE WORLD!  🌟

Welcome, Baby!

This morning a beautiful little girl was born!  She is the little sister of Bode, the daughter of Kelsey and Zach, the granddaughter of Kim and Joe, and the great-granddaughter of my parents. She is my great-niece and already very much loved!

Welcome to the world, Boston Louise!

Sweet little Boston Louise!

My sister Kim with her new granddaughter.
Looks like it was love at first sight!

Dad 651: My Big "Win"

(Dad writes today! If only his "win" was real.... LOL! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Once again, we have a very sunny day with cool temps.

 

I can't believe I'm doing this writing so early in the morning. I planned on doing this for many months and finally doing it. Best to write in the morning as I am trying to leave to see Lou in the afternoon.

 

I must now complete my Christmas plans. Because I'm lazy, I plan on giving money to most relatives for an easy plan. Will do after my blog post.

 

Well, I've had a busy week. Went to Subaru dealership for my last service before turning in my lease this coming spring. I guess it's about time to limit my driving. I don't want to be a statistic.

 

A phone call last night at 2:54 AM caught me by surprise. Since Lou is in a nursing home, a phone call at this time usually is not great. (Although we are waiting for some good news: the birth of a great granddaughter, Boston Louise.) Well, listen to this. The phone call was from Publishers Clearing House. I "won" $4.7 million and a new Mercedes (my choice of color). Since this summer, I've "won" approximately $60-70 million plus the vehicle. Look for me in town in a new Mercedes. Ha ha!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

And That's A Wrap!

Today was our annual Christmas present wrapping day. I am in charge of putting gifts in gift bags. Lew wraps whatever isn't going in a gift bag.

Our cats may have mixed emotions about wrapping day. They enjoy trying to "help" us, but then they realize they can't get into the guest bedroom. We keep the door shut because I don't want them destroying our nicely prepared gifts. Just a few days, kitties, and you'll have full access once again!

And that's a wrap for this blog post, too.

🎄🎁🎄

The Final Day (times 2)

The six of us went to the diner one last time for breakfast today. Two days in a row, but circumstances called for it. We will miss our neighborhood diner. It is now closed for good.

After breakfast I went to visit Mom at the nursing home to watch the championship game of the FIFA World Cup with her. The game was tied after regulation time and again after extra time, so it came down to penalty kicks. Congratulations to Argentina! The defending champion, France, had to settle for second place.

Next on the to-do list: Find new breakfast place.

The Final Saturday

Went to the diner for breakfast this morning. Same attendees as Thursday night. We even sat at the same table as Thursday.

I had two pumpkin pancakes and a side of corned beef hash. Both so yummy.

😭

The Final Thursday

Ate at the diner tonight. There were six of us: Debbie, Glen, Zack, Dad, Lew, and me. (Zack is home from college until mid-January.)

A couple things that indicate the diner is almost closed:

• They didn't decorate for Christmas like they usually do.
• There are no more dinner rolls!

😭

Dad 650: Weather, World, Win

(Dad writes today. It is his 650th post. Another milestone! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Not too bad a day in the Northeast. Temps a little above freezing. Another very low amount of snow last night. (Twice this week!) The coast is not receiving the amount of snow that the north and west are receiving. Planning on another storm in a couple days. The coast will not get a great amount of snow, but the prediction is a foot or more for up in the state. Better there than here! I would like for winter to be over, but that won't happen anytime soon.

 

Watching news as I write this. My own opinion of this world is that we are in a serious mess. Not just our country but it seems trouble is everywhere. Scams are being used in the financial world. Drone strikes are many. Throw the leaders out and I believe it will be possible to regain some type of improvement. It doesn't look like this will happen soon enough for most people. Well, we'll deal with what we have. Pray for improvement!

 

Congratulations to Zach for his basketball win yesterday.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

A Win for the Rockets

Dad, Lew, and I watched Zachariah's basketball team win tonight. The boys played well, and I'm sure it was due to Zach's excellent coaching. 😊

Congratulations, Zach! And keep up the great work, Rockets!

The Final Monday

Dad, Lew, and I went to the diner for dinner tonight. (Debbie and Glen usually go with Dad on Mondays, but they were not able to this week.)

The diner's last day is this coming Sunday, so today was its last Monday of operation. The countdown has begun....

😭

Offside

Today I learned more about soccer, courtesy of my father. We were watching the last part of the England/France game while visiting Mom, and I asked him what an "offside" is. (I knew it had something to do with a player being in a certain position on the field, but that was the extent of my knowledge.)

My still-somewhat-limited understanding of "offside" is as follows: While on offense at your opponent's end of the field, make sure there is a defensive player (in addition to the goalie) between the goal and you before your teammate kicks the ball to you. Otherwise you are offside. The purpose of the offside rule is to keep a player from hanging around the goal waiting for a long pass from a teammate, which probably would result in an easy goal. (But after watching some of the World Cup, I think more goals would be a good thing. LOL!)

Please do not quote me on the offside rule. Ask my dad instead.

The "Other" Football

Today Lew and I watched some World Cup Soccer.

We don't understand much about the game of soccer, other than that the teams are trying to kick the ball into the goal (to score for themselves, not the opposing team). Usually, there are very few goals scored per game — from what I can tell anyway.

There is an interesting concept called "stoppage time." The clock never stops during the game, so the officials add time to the end of each half.  The time added depends on how often play stopped during the half due to injuries (which are commonly just a player flopping to the ground) or how long a team celebrated a goal scored (said celebration might include a player ripping his shirt off). The amount of stoppage time seems arbitrary, so it is unclear to us how the players can know how much time is left.

We did learn something interesting during the Netherlands vs. Argentina game today. (Spoiler alert: Argentina won.) When one team has a "free kick" — not to be confused with a "penalty kick" — the defending team will form a wall by having several players stand side-by-side. Another player will LIE DOWN ON THE GROUND in back of the wall. This confused both Lew and me, so I had to do an internet search. Apparently the wall of players will jump when the kick is made; the player lying on the ground is keeping the kicker from kicking the ball under the jumping wall. Hopefully his teammates don't land on him. (The "hopefully" comment is my own; I didn't see anything mentioning that in my internet search.)

Will Lew and I watch more World Cup Soccer? Maybe, but not if real Football games are on!

⚽ < 🏈

Dad 649: Sad Eating News

(Dad writes today! Also, I am feeling much better. ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another sunny day in the Northeast. Temps in high 40s or low 50s. No snow in our area yet, but it is possible within the next week. I'm comfortable with bare ground. Let us have a "no snow" season. Nice, but won't happen. Just heard cold temps expected for this weekend but no snow.

 

Well, about three to four years ago, Lew would go up to our local diner one night a week and bring back delicious meals for Lou and me. (Lou has been living at the nursing home now and it will be three years in February.) For the last couple of years I have been going to the diner on Monday and Thursday nights. Monday with Glen and Deb (and Josh and Zack, if home) and Thursday (or Friday) with Lew and Tracy. These nights at the diner will come to an end as of December 18th. (We will still go out to eat on these nights, but at other locations.) Our diner is becoming a Mexican food restaurant, and Mexican food is not for me! This is a sad situation for us, but we will survive and eat enough.

 

That is my sad news regarding our eating arrangements.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Two Weeks In a Row

The weekly installment of Derf has been postponed until tomorrow. (It was postponed by a day last week, too!)

I am a bit under the weather today, so Dad's postponement of his weekly post is okay by me.

Thank you for checking in!

The Diner is Closing!!!

The diner that we like to eat at is closing as of December 18th! We are sad for the employees, whom we will miss very much.

Apparently a Mexican food restaurant will be opening up in the same location. But it just won't be the same.

We already know of other places to eat dinner, but we will have to totally rethink where to eat out for breakfast.

So sad!

😢😢😢

Ear, Nose, and Throat (cont.)

After a couple days of feeling okay midweek, I again was stricken with whatever this illness is. (Cold? Flu?)

Something IS going around. In fact, a local high school closed early yesterday because over 40 percent of the teachers and students were out ill with the flu!

Here's hoping for a speedy recovery for them, as well as for me.

Dad 648: Teeth and Toes

(As promised, Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Well, at least today the rain from yesterday is gone and the sun is out. Temp is only 39° with windy conditions. Do have a chance of snow. Won't happen! Maybe in the hills up country.

 

My dentist appointment went well yesterday. Only one cavity in a tooth that is not fillable. The tooth will be watched. Not willing to put on a crown. Will pull later if necessary.

 

Now on an as-needed basis to see foot doctor if I have problems. So a good report here also.

 

Lou (Mary Lou) and I visit together on a daily basis. We sit there like the old people that we are. We don't say much and I try to get caught up with my sleep. This is what I wanted to do during this time of our lives. However, I wanted to be at home with her. But we will manage.

 

Trying to watch all of Zachariah's Rock Falls basketball games from Illinois. Keeps us busy. Thanks for technology.

 

That's it for today!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Three Things!

Number 1

For fans of Derf, no worries! Dad's weekly post has been postponed to tomorrow. He went to the dentist this morning and forgot to write today.

Number 2

Exciting (?) household news: Our water meter reader was replaced this morning! It hadn't been working for several months. The water company has been guesstimating our quarterly bills, so I imagine the next bill will have some sort of adjustment on it. Hopefully it will be a small adjustment, especially if we owe for prior quarters.

Number 3

I went to a friend's apartment for dinner last night and we watched The Muppet Christmas Carol. I loved it! It came out in 1992, so I'm surprised that I had never seen it before. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a nice, kid-friendly Christmas movie to watch.

Remember to check back tomorrow for the weekly edition of Derf!

Ears, Nose, and Throat

It's that time of year again! It's time for sore throats and/or sinus infections!

I've been fighting a sore throat since Saturday. Lew joined the club yesterday.

Dad's been holding down the fort with visiting Mom. I'm hoping to get back in there to see her tomorrow. We'll see.

Stay healthy, everybody!

Let's Go, Rockets!

It's that time of year again! It's time for Rockets basketball!

Nephew-in-law Zach is the head coach for the varsity boys basketball team at Rock Falls (IL) High School. Most of the games are streamed online, so we can watch them while sitting in Scarborough, ME. (Gotta love modern technology!)

The season started today with a holiday tournament. The Rockets lost the afternoon game but won handily tonight. They play two more tournament games tomorrow.

Let's go, Rockets! Have a great season!

Dad 647: A Holiday Greeting

(Dad writes today. Happy Thanksgiving to all! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Another nice day! Tracy said a short blog post is fine, so here it is.

Several years ago on the TV show Mister Peepers (Wally Cox), the character of Mrs. Gurney (Marion Lorne) said:

"Have a Happy Turkey Day!"

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

A Visit from Luna

A hospice aide that comes into the nursing home brought in her dog today.  Mom and I enjoyed meeting Luna!

Manicure Monday

I've been taking Mom for a "quick spin" every day when I first arrive at the nursing home. A staff member gets her in her wheelchair, I put a hat on her head, and off we go! Sometimes we look at the fish, sometimes we look at our favorite paintings on the wall, and sometimes we go see whomever is sitting at the front desk. We don't go for very long, but everyone agrees it's good to get Mom out of her bed even if it's only for a little bit.

During our "quick spin" today she got her nails done! Pink is her favorite nail polish color. (The blue hat in the picture is the one she usually wears when she leaves her room.)

I Learn Something New

Last night I updated my iPhone's operating system to the most recent release.

Today I looked at some of the new functions. A really fun one is the ability to remove the background from a photo. 

Below are a couple examples featuring my favorite photo subjects! 

The Bears Have It

I know I've posted a similar sentiment previously, but this is worth revisiting:  Bears have the right idea when it comes to cold weather.

Hibernation.

Yes, I would like to be a bear right about now.

Brrrrrr!  And it's only mid-November!

🥶

Diner Times Two

I ate at the diner TWICE today! I met a friend there this morning for a leisurely breakfast. Then Dad, Lew, and I went there tonight for dinner.

And what about lunch? I ate some carrots and celery in my living room.

Thank you for tuning in for today's riveting post on Mainely Tracy!

😍

Dad 646: We Need Changes

(Dad writes today. I agree that the world is a mess. ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! A rainy, cool day today. There is snow going on in the state, but not on the coast. (We like that.) We are now looking at the start of winter weather. Not really happy about it, but it is here.

 

Still watching Russia waging war in the middle-east (Ukraine). The war seems to not favor the Russians. Would like to see Russia quit the fight. Sure it won't do it. Let's hope for peace. The world is a mess.

 

Hope to see the next voting in two years. I have hopes of a different result from 2022. We need to see our leaders changed. We'll see what and who gets into the brawl of the next voting season. Let's pray for some new leaders.

 

Enough for today. Off to see Lou!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Another Way to Know You've Gained a Little

We video chatted with Kim and Kaelen during my visit with Mom today.  Kim mentioned reading my post about stepping on the scale yesterday.  (I asked her if she heard my scream all the way in Illinois!)  Kaelen suggested another way to determine if you've put on a few: Your pants are too tight.  She then amended that to your fat pants!  Perhaps that is one reason I stepped on the scale, but I'm not telling.

😏

Starting the Week Off

A piece of advice: If you want to have a happy Monday, then don't step on the scale! (My poor husband received the brunt of my reaction.)

Tonight's dinner will include some vegetables!

I Watch a Movie

After I got home from visiting Mom today, I decided to watch a movie. Lew was watching college football in our living room, so I knew I had our bedroom TV to myself.

There are many movies I want to see that Lew has NO interest in whatsoever. But what to watch today?

I decided on Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, which was a good choice! A sweet little story.

👗

Happy Veterans Day!

Our grocery store was offering 10% off your total shopping trip today if you are a veteran, so Lew and I took advantage of his service to our country. Lew says that I "slow him down" when I accompany him to the grocery store, but I think we did pretty well today! Well, that's my analysis anyway, LOL!

Happy Veterans Day!

War of the Window

The weather was beautiful again today, although not as warm as it has been lately.

Lew had opened one of the windows in our bedroom and I closed it this morning.

A little later I noticed it was open again. I closed it.

He opened it. I closed it.

Opened. Closed. Opened. Closed. Opened. Closed....

Will Lew and I escape from this endless loop?

😁

Dad 645: Election Blues

(Dad writes today. The desired "red wave" was more like a trickle. ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another beautiful day for the fall season.

 

Well, my weekend started great as the Patriots won and then I saw a lot more of Brady magic as he made great use of the last minute of the game.

 

Then election day came. I'm very disappointed that the pollsters mispredicted the results. Wish that both the House and Senate had been turned. But a 50-50 Senate and a turned House is better than nothing.

 

Life goes on, even in Maine with the reelection of our governor. Just keep the prayers coming for our nation and our wonderful, brilliant leaders.

 

Yes, disappointed, but the sun will still rise tomorrow. Do have the House, and maybe the leaders there will pose some questions about the Biden family businesses?

 

DO SOMETHING!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Blue Sky, Red Wave

I mentioned in yesterday's post that Lew and I took a walk. The sky was so beautifully blue that I snapped a photo.

Today I am hoping for a "red" wave! (Get it?!)

Friends!

Today I had wonderful phone conversations with two friends.  One is an "older" friend and the other a "newer" friend. I am blessed by the friendships I have! God is good.

Beautiful day today. Lew and I took a late morning walk. Didn't need coats again!

We're Walking in Sunshine!

Another gorgeous day!  Lew and I took a mid-morning walk. We started out wearing coats and eventually took the coats off. It was so nice!

Don't forget to "fall back" tonight! What are you planning to do with your extra hour? (My answer: Read!)

"WOW!" Weather on November 4th

I met up with a friend today to gab, shop, and eat lunch at Burger King.

The weather was so beautiful that we didn't need to wear a coat! And that is with wearing T-shirts, not long sleeves!

I would be okay if the weather remained like this all winter.... I can dream, right?

🌞

Big Day Yesterday

I lasted three whole weeks at my new job!  Yesterday was my last day.

It wasn't a great fit from the start, and I probably stayed longer than I should have.  I really wanted it to work out.  But I realized I needed to walk away sooner as opposed to later, and I am SO relieved to be done.

Obviously, there is an interesting story behind this, but I'm not free to write about it. I do wish I could share it with you, though, because it's hysterical! 😁

As for what I will do next?  I think I am going to look for something part-time.  And I may do the temp-to-hire route.  But I'm not in any rush.

Today was a great day! Lew made cinnamon buns for breakfast. I actually used the elliptical machine. I had a leisurely visit with Mom. I had a leisurely phone conversation with a friend. Dad, Debbie, Glen, Lew, and I went to the diner for a leisurely dinner. Life is good.

Dad 644: Warm Weather Week

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! We are in the midst of a serious week of weather that makes us think of a beautiful spring week. Temps are up into the 60s and projections for the weekend days are up into the 70s. A wonderful weather week. Not a usual event. We'll take it.

 

Watching hundreds of groups cross into the US through our southern border. Nothing new as this is a daily scene. "The border is closed!"

 

I believe all persons in the Northeast will say daily prayers to have a warm winter. This will surely help with paying bills for heating fuel. Still have high prices for all fuels along with gas for our transportation vehicles.

 

Sure will be glad for November 8 and the end of voting day. We'll see what happens in the voting cycle. Pray for the best, but watch out for the worst from the same groups that do this every two years. Will let you know if I'm happy next week.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Happy November!

I know it's cliche to say this, but I can't believe it's already November. This year is flying by!

Our credit union updated it's digital banking application over the weekend, so I just got signed in to the new system. Signing in wasn't quite as slick as I expected it to be, but I managed to figure it out. I've already utilized the remote check deposit feature by depositing three checks. I must say the new app takes much better pictures than the old app did!  Time will tell if the other features are better or not.

I am now planning to watch a little of World Series game #3 before falling asleep. That's another thing that's hard to believe... baseball in November!

We Have Been Warned

During the week TV Land airs a few episodes of Gunsmoke back-to-back-to-back (and maybe one more "-to-back"). 

Now that I'm visiting Mom over my lunch hour, I've had the opportunity to see the channel's "warning" before the day's first Gunsmoke episode. I took a photo of it yesterday:

This program contains outdated cultural depictions.
Viewer discretion is advised.

Oh, no! Run for the hills! 😱

(As opposed to the above, my actual reaction was more like, "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!")

Mom and I love watching Matt Dillon, Miss Kitty, Doc, and Festus!

Eli at Eleven

Our grandson Eli had a birthday on the 27th. He is now 11 years old. Wow!

Lew and I went to his birthday party today. It was at the Westbrook Community Center. All of the kids played a rousing game of wiffle ball and then we all ate pizza, chips, and cake. It was a fun and very chaotic time!

Happy Birthday, Eli! Grampa and Tia love you. 💗💗

Dad 643: It Was a Good Plan

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Third day in a row of cool, foggy, and rainy weather. Didn't even go to the store today. Will go tomorrow as we start a four-day rain-free dry stretch. Hopefully!

 

This will not be a very informative blog post. I must leave to see Lou for the afternoon in about 20 minutes. I've managed to waste the whole morning and do nothing. I had planned to write this post during the morning. My plan didn't work out. Should have been done hours ago. Must do better with my time.

 

I did manage to get a sandwich a few minutes ago!

 

I'll try to do better starting next week.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Adjusting, Part 273

So I may be exaggerating a bit with my title (definitely not my 273rd post about adjusting!), but I am still pretty much a zombie. LOL!

We had an all-company meeting at 7am this morning. I got to work at 6:50am. I was already tired at the beginning of the day yesterday!

I put my jammies on when I got home tonight and will go to sleep soon. But I first wanted to write a post to celebrate the upcoming World Series which will not include the New York Yankees! (The next-best thing to the Red Sox being in the World Series is the Yankees not being in it.) Best wishes to the Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros. I'm not really rooting for one over the other, but I do hope they play some exciting games.

It's Fall! Play Ball!

Pumpkin Pancakes

The diner where Lew and I meet our friends for breakfast almost every Saturday morning is currently serving Pumpkin Pancakes on the weekends! They don't do this for very long (maybe until Thanksgiving), so I will be ordering them every Saturday until they say, "No more."

I survived week #2 of my new job, and I'm so tired that Pumpkin Pancakes are all I can think of right now. LOL!

And thus ends this blog post.

🥞

Dad 642: Upcoming Appointments

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Fall is now here. The weather today is bright and sunny. Temperatures are dropping (mid 50s). Bring it on. At least we are not getting snow like the Midwest did yesterday. Hold off the snow until next year.

 

I just ran out of ink in my pen. This new pen seems to be working fine.

 

I just saw my schedule for the next week. Quite busy. Tomorrow I have an eye checkup. My glaucoma doctor will look me over. I'll ask him if I'm getting old enough to stop appointments. He'll say all is good, so let's keep it going. I'll agree; see you in six months. After my eye checkup I'll go to see Lou for the rest of the afternoon until early evening. I still visit Lou every day.

 

Have nothing else scheduled until Monday. Must go to Walgreens to get my flu shot and my second shot for shingles.

 

On Tuesday the furnace will be serviced to get set for the winter. Then the busy six days will be over.

 

I should mention that I voted yesterday. Now I can listen to all those promos for another three weeks. Please go by fast.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Keep Going....

Five days of my new job down. Probably over 2,000 more days to go! 😏

I am still learning, of course, but I got another special project to do today. It will take me several days to do it, but I think I got off to a good start. Before I left, I sent an e-mail to my supervisor asking, "Am I on the right track?" so I guess I'll find out about that "good start" tomorrow!

Except for my first day of work, I have gone to visit Mom during my lunch break every day. She drinks her Ensure while I eat my lunch bar, carrots, and celery. We watch "Gunsmoke" and just enjoy being together. Yesterday we video-chatted with Kim for a few minutes.

Time for bed. I am tired!

Whirring and Buzzing

I have an all-in-one computer which is now several years old. It's been working hard lately, with more whirring and buzzing than normal. My fear is that it is about to go kaput!

If I need to replace it soon, I will probably go with a laptop this time. But I have enjoyed the screen size of my all-in-one. The nice large screen is the main reason I got it.

At least I am back to work and will be able to pay for a new computer if necessary. But I do hope my all-in-one will last quite a bit longer!

Adjusting, Part 2

It was nice to have a short week for my return to working full-time. I know that I will eventually adjust to the new schedule, but right now I am pretty tired! (Maybe it's just my old age, ha ha!)

Today I managed to do laundry and get caught up on paperwork (checkbook, mail, etc.). I even used the elliptical machine! Also had a nice visit with Mom. We watched baseball.

Speaking of Mom, I visited her during my lunch hour yesterday. It was raining and really windy, but I managed to conquer the elements. Although I did get really wet!

Adjusting

Day #2 of my new job today. I spent most of the day shadowing a co-worker. Then about mid-afternoon I got a special project to do. It was nice to be productive! When my project is finished (probably tomorrow), I will go back to shadowing my co-workers. They have A LOT to teach me!

I went to visit Mom over my lunch hour. The driving distance is so short that I was able to spend a good amount of time with Mom. This arrangement is going to work out well.

Dad, Lew, and I went to the diner for dinner tonight, so I have had a full day. Getting used to a new schedule is tiring, so I think I'm going to sleep real soon.

We are getting a lot of rain tonight!

Dad 641: Winterizing

(Dad writes today! I made it through my first day of work! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another nice sunny pre-winter day with temperatures around the high 60s. We will enjoy it.

 

This will be a short blog post. Things to do to get ready for the winter.

 

Tracy started a new job today. About 2 to 3 miles to travel to work. Not a bad trip.

 

We are waiting for a hard frost to be able to mow the lawn and put the mower in storage.

 

Still must get garage refrigerator emptied for winter shut-down.

 

Must admit that Lew does all the work around the house as I have virtually stopped doing things.

 

So Lew is getting us winterized while I sit in my chair. Naps are a daily thing!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Big Day Tomorrow

After not working for the past 13 months, I am returning to the workforce tomorrow!

I had been keeping my eyes peeled for employment "close by" that would be a good fit.  A little over a month ago I saw a bookkeeping job with a family-owned company that is 2.4 miles from my house. I applied and they hired me!

Since the nursing home is the midpoint between home and work, I hope to use my lunch hour to visit Mom on a daily basis. I could also stop to see her on my way home if that works better on some days.

So... it's an early night for me tonight since I need to rise and shine in the morning!

🌞

Under the Weather

Today marks day #3 of not feeling so hot. I haven't been to visit Mom since Friday (which was a good visit, see my prior post), so Dad has been holding down the fort there. He tells me that he has been remembering to bring the daily Ensure to her. 😊

I do hope to rejoin civilization tomorrow!

A Good Visit

I had an exceptionally good visit with Mom today.

The weather was beautiful here, so I took her for a quick walk outside.  Well, I walked and she rode in her wheelchair.

When we got back to her room, she drank an Ensure while we watched the baseball playoffs on TV.

Then we did one of her tray jigsaw puzzles.

After we finished the puzzle, I asked if she wanted to do another one or if she wanted to watch more baseball.

"Baseball!" she answered.  And so we watched.

🌞🥤🧩⚾

Dad 640: Governor Election

(Dad writes today. From what I can tell, the general election for governor is not ranked choice. ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another fall day in the Northeast along with a little dampness. Temps in the 50s. Tomorrow is supposed to be a fantastic day with temps in the 70s. Not too many more of these 70° days this fall. Enjoy them as they are few and far between.

 

I'm so tired of all the political ads on TV complaining about the opposition in the upcoming elections. I'll be so glad when this fall's elections are over.

 

Watched the three candidates for governor debate last night. The only two who have a chance to win are current Governor Mills and former Governor LePage. Hoping for the former governor to retake the controls. (I'm not sure if this election is ranked choice. I don't care for this type of vote. Should win head to head. If this is ranked choice, I'm sure the third-party is in the mix so they can reelect the current governor. Certainly not what I want.)

 

I have not heard from anyone wanting me to determine what sex their babies are. Still willing to do it for no pay.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

62 for 99

Aaron Judge plays for the New York Yankees, the team that is traditionally the biggest rival of the Boston Red Sox. But right now I am happy for Mr. Judge....

Tonight he hit his 62nd homerun of the year! So now he holds the American League record for most homeruns in one season.

Congratulations, New York Yankee #99 on homerun #62! (But I hope your team gets beat in the playoffs.)

Mouse Pads

I bought a new mouse pad this week. It has a picture of Grumpy Cat and says,

I HAD FUN ONCE

IT WAS AWFUL

I just put this new mouse pad in a pile with four other regular-sized mouse pads. The other four themes are Marilyn Monroe, Sylvester & Tweety Bird, Red Sox, and Geek Squad.

Despite owning five of them, I don't use any of the regular-sized mouse pads. Instead I use something that covers my whole keyboard tray. I also have two other larger-sized options at my disposal.

So that means I own eight mouse-pad options.

I suppose I could get rid of some of them, but I don't want to.

😁

Happy October!

Two days of October 2022 are now in the books.

In full swing: football season, fall foliage, warmer clothing, and new seasons of TV shows.

I have a lot to accomplish this first full week of October. I even made a list!

Wishing all of my readers a great month!

No BoSox

The Boston Red Sox finally have been mathematically eliminated from making the post-season. This is not a surprise at all; anyone who has been paying marginal attention knew weeks ago that the team was "done for."

Lew and I have watched quite a few games this year. By "watched" I do not mean we sat down and paid close attention. A game was just "on" while we surfed the internet or read books. (Yes, we can be classified as part of the "marginal attention" crowd referenced in the paragraph above.)

Maybe the Red Sox will have a better 2023. If so, we might even pay more-than-marginal attention.

Dad 639: Hurricane Ian

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another nice day in the Northeast. We will enjoy it while it lasts.

 

Well, while we are enjoying our weather, Florida is getting slammed by Ian, a very strong hurricane. The category of the storm is a four or five.

 

Rain in Florida is up around the 20-inch mark. Winds are as high as 155. Pilots have flown into the eye of the storm, and the severity of the storm has caused them to turn around.

 

I did talk to sister Deb today. She is in Leesburg, about one hour above Orlando. She has not seen any results of the storm yet. It looks to me like she will be on the top side of the storm. She may stay across the street with neighbors tonight. I'll check in with her early evening and see what is going on.

 

Not much news from Maine as everything is status quo. Tracy has a better name for how things are going. Perhaps she can put it in here.*

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

 

* (When people ask how my mother is doing, I often reply, "We are in a holding pattern." ~ Tracy)

Singing With Mom

On more days than not, Mom and I recite the 23rd Psalm, which she memorized as a little girl. Then we sing a few songs, usually Jesus Loves Me, The B-I-B-L-E, and He's Got the Whole World in His Hands. One of our verses, with Mom singing my name:

He's got Mary Lou and

Tracy

in His Hands

He's got Mary Lou and

Tracy

in His Hands

He's got Mary Lou and

Tracy

in His Hands

He's got the Whole World in His Hands!

As I'm leaving at the end of my daily visit we sing the following:

Tomorrow,

tomorrow,

I'll see you

tomorrow.

It's only a DAY

... A —

... WAY!

Sometimes Dad even joins us on the Annie song!

Fall Kickoff

This morning I attended the Women's Ministry Fall Kickoff at my church.

It was a lovely time and I made some new friends! Got a chance to catch up with some "old" friends, too.

Coffee, tea, juice, and water were served.

As for the food?

Muffins! (It's been a "muffin" couple of days!) I had the pumpkin strudel.  😋

Muffins

Lew and I went to pick up some homemade muffins this morning. Our waitress from our old breakfast place (now closed) decided to revive her mother's amazing muffin recipe, so we ordered a dozen from her. We got three pumpkin, three coffee cake, three blueberry and three 3-berry.

We weren't her only customers this week. She made and sold at least 20 dozen muffins! She told me she will make the muffins as long as people keep ordering them. I hope business will be good for her!

The best muffins in the world are back!

Dad 638: New Job

(Dad writes today. He would be great in the role he is willing to take on! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! A brief blog post on this last day before Autumn. The weather has struggled to get to a temperature in the low 60s. Looking out from the interior, it seems a little better than it feels outside. FALL TOMORROW! Then comes Winter!

I think I found a new job. It will be as a medical doctor. I will tell all new parents the sex of their recently born child. I saw a kindergarten lesson showing that a doctor will tell what they think the sex of the new creation is upon birth. Well, I'll tell them definitely what it is. Two choices: girl or boy (female or male). I will be sure of my answer, and I'll even do this for no fee. And the sex will not change after my decision! (Just a thought!)

 

What is this world coming to? Thank you, Joe!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Big Savings!

Today I called our cable company to talk about our TV plan. There are a couple items on our bill that represent "old" add-ons for which the company now has newer options for basically the same channels.

My question to the company: We want to keep our current channels, so will switching to the "new" add-ons save us money?

The answer is "YES!"

I am pleased to report that we now are paying $6 less per month for our cable TV!

😄

Pats or Tom?

Once upon a time, if you watched a New England Patriots game, you watched Tom Brady as their quarterback.  Alas, no more.  (Old news, I know.)

Today the Patriots were on CBS and Tom Brady was on FOX at the same time.  Even though I already knew how she would answer, I asked Mom if she wanted to watch the Patriots or watch Tom Brady....

"Tom Brady!" (No hesitation.)

Yes, the GOAT is still loved by many New Englanders!

🏈🐐🏈

Last Week of Summer

My calendar says that Thursday, September 22nd is the "First Day of Autumn."

This means we began the final week of Summer today. We are still having some beautiful summer-like weather, but there is definitely that "fall" feel in the air already.

I actually enjoy the Fall except for one thing:  It is followed by Winter.

Enjoy your last week of Summer!

Dad 637: School Days

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! The weather is still beautiful and will remain very nice for the next few days. Fall is trying to get in, but summer is still trying to hang on. We will take it.

 

The schools are in session. Daughter Deb has been busy in her first year substituting. She worked the first five days! I don't know about today. She seems to like it. Good for Deb!

 

Just heard that Glen, Deb, Josh, and Zack will be taking a vacation early next year. They will be on board a ship. Josh will be right at home on the sea. (Josh will be back working on the tanker sometime early in October. Hopefully after that he will have served all of the time needed to become a 2nd engineer.)

 

I hear great-grandson Bode likes his time in preschool.

 

Tracy and I are still visiting Lou every afternoon. I must get ready for today's visit.

 

Tune in next week for more info.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Reading

Every now and then I write about my love for reading. I don't recall mentioning it for a while, so I figured it was time to get another blog post out of it.  😁

After I finish reading a book or a short story, I add it to my Reading List page for the current year. My 2022 Reading List page is currently at 68 books/stories.  I hope to add many more by December 31st.

Read a book!

🕮

A Selfie With Mom

Mom and I both thought it was a good idea to take a selfie of the two of us yesterday, so we did.

I texted our photo to a few people. I also posted it on Facebook, where there are currently 86 reactions to it!

All of my blog readers probably have already seen the picture, but I still want to share it here.

I love my mom! 💕

A Family Birthday

It snuck up on me, but today is nephew Josh's 24th birthday.

I remember holding him on the day he was born. I'm kind of in shock it was 24 years ago.

Happy Birthday, Josh, with love from your old Auntie!

QE II

Today is truly the end of an era.

Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the tender age of 96. She led quite a fascinating life.

And now Charles is King. It was a long time coming for him.

In other news, the NFL season starts tonight.... Where did the summer go?

Dad 636: He Got No Sleep

(Dad "writes" today! Excuses, excuses.... ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another very nice post-summer day. We use Labor Day as summer's end. According to the pros, we have some summer weather coming. And then comes Fall. We'll take it.

 

Don't feel too much like writing today. So I'm not going to.

 

The news just showed a judge calling a mistrial in a case and letting the criminal off. The reason: the man on trial complained of not having a pillow and blanket and got no sleep. I had a pillow and blanket but was up six to eight times last night for bathroom trips. I'm tired today as this happens nightly. Therefore, I will not be getting any more writing done.

 

Tune in next week when I'll feel like writing. That's it!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Renewing My Commission

My Notary Public commission expires toward the end of the month. I thought about not renewing it, but I decided it would be useful when I rejoin the workforce.  (Employers appreciate having a Notary on staff.)

On Friday I completed the online renewal application, paid the renewal fee, and printed off the paperwork I am required to mail to the State.

Today I made a couple stops here in town to get three signatures that I needed on my paperwork and to get sworn in. (Paraphrase of swearing in: I will uphold the Constitution and do my duty, so help me God!) Then I was off to the post office to mail the paperwork to the State. I even sent it certified receipt.

Now I just need to wait for my new certificate, and then I can order my new stamp!

National Days

When I clicked on the search bar of my computer just now, I learned that today is "National Hummingbird Day."

Who makes up these days?  Is anyone allowed to do it?

I just googled "national days" and found a site that lists a lot of these crazy days. I saw that in August there was a "National Toilet Paper Day."

Tomorrow is "National Pet Rock Day" as well as "Eat an Extra Dessert Day."

I like the extra dessert idea, but then I saw that the following day is "National Cellulite Day."

Happy September!

Busy day today.  Had a doctor appointment, ran a few other errands, visited Mom, went out to dinner with Dad and Lew, continued playing catch-up....

And now I want to wish my readers a blessed September!

Dad 635: Grocery Store Tab

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Not a bad day as summer comes to a close (almost). Do have a high state of heat. Enough to use the AC. Supposed to be a little more fall-ish starting tomorrow. Unofficially, summer ends on Labor Day. That will be here shortly.

 

Well, I did get to the grocery store today. I only have one person here (me) to feed. Mostly get fed by Lew and Tracy. Yet somehow I managed to spend $208 at the store today. I did stock up on some paper goods. It seems like everything costs more now. (Thanks, Joe!) I'll fill up my car with gas next week.

 

Just want to say I'm living in the greatest country in the world. So it is upsetting to me to watch as we go downhill towards more trouble. In my life I have never seen such stupid choices being made by my leaders. Hopefully can change this in the near future. (Speak softly, Derf!)

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Playing Catch-Up... Again

I am trying to catch up on everything I fell behind on this past week. Being sick for a few days will do that to you!

I made good progress today. 

I still have some bills to pay tomorrow morning. And after I get home from visiting Mom, I am going to do my laundry.

My life is so exciting!

😁

A Rough Weekend

Ugh. I was sick all weekend. It must have been a stomach bug of some sort, since nothing would stay down for a full day (all day Saturday into yesterday morning). It was a lovely time.

Lew bought me some jello and 7 UP, and I was finally able to keep something down. Saltines were okay soon afterward. Then grape jelly toast.

After a good night's sleep, I was ready to try some scrambled eggs this morning. They tasted delicious and, more importantly, I was able to digest them in the normal way.

I did not conquer the world today. I did manage to visit my mother for about half an hour, and I even brought her laundry home. (The washer and dryer do most of the work, so I figured I could handle it.)

I will end this uplifting post by wishing my sister Kim a very Happy Birthday!

😁😏😉

Thunder and Lightning and Rain... Oh, My!

What a lovely morning and early afternoon we had today. A friend and I went to a late lunch, and enjoyed sitting outside on the restaurant's patio.

By 4:00 PM we were experiencing a major thunderstorm. It was accompanied by a torrential downpour. I was sitting in a waiting room at the time, and all of us in the room were in various states of anxiety. We joked about how the office might have to stay open later than 5:00 so we wouldn't have to go outside.

The storm subsided within a couple hours. (And I did get wet.)

It's not too bad outside at the moment, but the forecast is for more rain late this evening. Hopefully there won't be any thunder. But if there is, you will find me hiding under the covers!

It Took Me a Mere 15 Years

What took me 15 years?

See the photo below. It is the inside of our dishwasher door, where the silverware is stored for washing.

The purple "lattice" on the right is how I ran the dishwasher for 15 years. The silverware would bunch together in the compartments. 

The other day I figured out the "lattice" can be flipped down to keep the silverware from touching each other! (That is a fork in the left-hand side.) 

It seems so obvious now, and I honestly don't know why I didn't figure this out a long time ago. Cue the eye-roll emoji.... And I'm pretty sure I can hear my sister Kim laughing all the way from Illinois!

🙄

Dad 634: Hip Woes

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Not a great summer day in the Northeast. Temperatures in the low 70s. One could say Fall is in the air. Schools will be in full force next week as the Northeast catches up with the rest of the country. Drive safely – school is in!

 

Still visiting Lou daily as Tracy and I try to be with her every afternoon. So far, so good!

 

Got up this morning with a sore hip. Trying to walk it off. No luck with that. We'll see how long this lasts as I limp around with my walker. Hope it will get better quickly.

 

Also my foot doctor will be moving his office from Scarborough to Auburn. I will see him this Thursday prior to his leaving. Just want to get one last look at my toe-less feet before moving out of town. (I am now on an as-needed basis.) Good luck, Doc!

 

That's it for today!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Food at its Best

Lew and I continue to watch as much of the Little League World Series as we can. We've watched (at least part of) every game.

We have talked about trying to go some year. It would be fun to see the kids play in person. Plus there is lots of good-looking food! Tonight they showed pizza and funnel cakes. As good as those things are, I'm sure they taste even better while watching a game.

Play Ball!

Happy Birthday, Lew!

Today is my dear husband's birthday! How is he celebrating? By relaxing in his recliner! (He played 18 holes of golf yesterday with Matt, Glen, Josh, and Zack, so a day in his recliner is what appeals to him!)

Lew's mother always made him an angel food cake for his birthday. His brother, Wayne, has been continuing the tradition. He brought the cake over to Lew yesterday. (Wayne made the frosting himself!) Delicious!

Baseball at its Best

The Little League Baseball World Series started yesterday!  These first couple days have been plagued by weather delays, but they are managing to get the games played.  Because the delays have caused TV schedule changes, Lew and I have worked hard to figure out which ESPN channel to flip to... ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews... they've all aired games.

The Series continues for several more days. I encourage you to watch these kids Play Ball!

Dad 633: Routines Return

(A short post by Dad today! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! A little rain today. More tomorrow. We need it and could use a nice slow rain for a few days. A beautiful weekend is predicted. We'll take it.

Our Illinois family members have all gone home after their visit to Maine, and we are missing them already. Not much to say as we are getting back to our regular routines. Tracy seems back to normal (almost). We will continue to visit Lou daily. Back to our routines.

That's it for today.

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

I Venture Out

Major accomplishment: I visited Mom today! It had been almost two weeks since I'd been able to go, so it was good to see her.

She remembered who I was, but she also knew that I hadn't been in for a while. She was happy to see me, too.

We spent most of the time in her room, although we did go for a quick walk outside. It was a beautiful day, so it was nice for her to get some fresh air.

Look out, World. I'm back. 😏

She's... She's... She's ALIVE!

After fighting THE virus for a few days, I finally reached my get-out-of-the-house day yesterday.

Or so I thought.

Instead I ended up with a really bad migraine headache.  It was so bad that I ended up "tossing my cookies" for a few hours.

Fun times. Absolutely miserable.

I finally was able to rest comfortably and get a good night's sleep.

Although still feeling wiped out, I am much better today.

I hope to lead a "normal" life tomorrow!

Dad 632: Two Shots

(Dad writes today! Many thanks to him for keeping the blog going.... ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! A cloudy day with temperatures just tipping the seventies. A nice change from the very hot days preceding today. We are slowly getting through the dog-days of August. I'm sure there are more to come. Fall is getting closer. No hurry!

Our Maine homes are missing some of our summer visitors now that Zachariah, Kelsey, and Bode have gone back to Illinois. Their trip back went well, and for that we are all happy. We had a good visit with them. Already anxious for their next trip to Maine.

I received two shots this morning at Walgreeens. One shot is for shingles. The other is for many other illnesses that hopefully are now no longer "available" to me. We will see!

Must now get prepared to spend the afternoon with Lou. Lunch then out of the house! Done writing for today.

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Things to Do While Under the Weather

I have not been feeling well for a few days, and it appears I have a few more days to get through before I can rejoin society. Hopefully this time of R&R will lead to renewed health and vigor.

Things I have done, am doing, and will do during this time:

• Read
• LEGO
• Drink lots of fluids
• Eat comfort food
• Watch Little League (Regional tournaments right now)
• Watch our country be destroyed
• Pray
• Rest

Notice that I didn't say, "Write blog posts."  Ha ha!  I imagine Dad will write his weekly post tomorrow, but no promises for the rest of the week.

Keep cool!  😎

More Sub-Cultures

Today Lew and I watched a professional break-dancing competition on TV.  Lew said he was going to try some of the moves. I told him to wait until I had the 9-1 punched in on my phone so that I would only have to dial another 1.

We also watched something called Slippery Stairs. It was just what it sounds like: people racing each other up stairs that are slippery. I would have called the sport Stupid Slippery Stairs.

There was also a sport called OmegaBall, which was a lot like soccer but more fun to watch. Three teams playing all at once with three goals. Fast action.

Also on TV today: Cornhole. This is the only one of the four sports that I could possibly try. I wouldn't be any good at it, but at least I wouldn't pull a muscle or break anything!

Dad 631: Doctor and Diner

(Dad wrote today's entry a few hours ago. I'm finally posting it! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Another nice summer day. When are we going to get some rain? Hopefully soon.

Just got back from breakfast at the diner. Joe and Kim first took me to my doctor's appointment in Standish. Had a good visit and chat with Dr. Chase and Kim. Doctor's visit went well. He looked over my sugar numbers and said all was good. Only trying one sugar test a day instead of two. Send your prayers.

We are sad today because Zachariah, Kelsey, and Bode's visit came to an end. They left Maine this morning. They will be missed. Lucky to have them visit every year. Bode cried upon leaving. Chin up, Bode! Better days ahead!

Done for today.

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Bye Bode Visit

Zach, Kelsey, and Bode head back to Illinois tomorrow morning. They came up to the house tonight to say their good-byes.

Kim and Debbie brought Bode to the nursing home this afternoon to see Mom (a.k.a. "Great Grams"). We determined that an outdoor visit would be best, so I wheeled Mom outside. The brief visit went very well, and Mom was very happy afterward.

Thank you for visiting us, Zach, Kelsey, and Bode! Praying for safe travels!

Bode, Kim ("Grandma"), and Mom ("Great Grams")

Family Gathering

Matt, Emily, Eli, and Adam came to our house tonight so they could touch base with the Illinois family.

By the end of the evening, Eli, Adam, and Bode were all playing together like they were old friends. 

There were three injuries tonight, only one of which involved blood (Eli's ankle). The other two "injuries" were to wiffle ball equipment: a broken ball and a broken bat.

Everyone had an ice cream treat from Fred's Fridge.

That is what I call a successful evening!

. . . .You're It!

Lew and I (sometimes) enjoy stumbling across sub-cultures about which we know nothing.

Today we had our TV turned to ESPN2 and saw a sport that looked a lot like a game of tag.

And guess what?

It WAS a game of tag!

The league is called World Chase Tag (WCT). It's website says it is "The first and only global league for competitive tag."

It is quite fun to watch!

Leapin' Grandkids!

Adam's 9th birthday was yesterday! He had a party at Urban Air at noon, so Lew and I went to watch the partygoers enjoy the trampolines. (No, Lew and I did NOT jump!)

Click HERE to see my blog post from the day he was born. Nine years has certainly gone by fast.

Dad 630: A Beach and Golf Day

(Dad writes today. Enjoy! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Another beautiful day in the Northeast. A great summer day that brought Joe, Kim, and Bode to the beach for the morning. I understand that Joe, Kim, and Bode all went into the water. They enjoyed it. Better them than me.

I have visitors as I write this. Kim, Deb, and Bode are here now!

Glen, Kelsey, Zach, and Zack went golfing. Kelsey has taken up golf so she can play with Zach. Of course it helps they have a golf course at home that belongs to the family and friends. The Mainers played the course the weekend of Zach and Kelsey's wedding a few years ago.

Trying to get something written prior to visiting Lou. I think I'll stop now.

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Chewy!

Chicken, cheese, chocolate....

(Chuckle!)

My Baseball Future

The Red Sox have been looking like a Little League team lately. (No offense meant to Little Leaguers.)  If they lose tonight's game, they will go back to having a losing record. And I may not bother to watch them again this year.

😕

One bright spot for the team: David Ortiz was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame yesterday. Congratulations to Big Papi!

😎

Still H*O*T

Kelsey, Zachariah, and Bode arrived in Maine yesterday! Bode has grown and is very talkative. He asks lots of questions! So cute.

I went to the eye doctor yesterday. Lew drove me because I was getting my eyes dilated. 👀 Everything looked fine. My prescription hasn't changed, so I don't need new glasses. (I didn't think I did, but it's nice to hear the doctor say so.)

The Red Sox lost to the Blue Jays today, 4-1. At least they didn't lose as bad as they did last night. In case you haven't heard, last night's score was 28-5. Four touchdowns + extra points > field-goal + safety. Yes, I know it's the wrong sport....

It's still HOT!

Dad 629: This Day of July 20th

(July 20th rolls around once again! Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! A hot summer day. Better than 90 degrees. Tomorrow even hotter with possible tornado warnings. Still not scheduled for 100+ degrees over the next week, like it is in Texas.

Three things for today....

Congratulations to daughters Tracy and Deb on their wedding anniversaries. Tracy and Lew are celebrating their 22nd.  Debbie and Glen are celebrating their 26th.  Congratulations to all!

And the big one for today:  My 84th birthday! I am now as old as my better half.

Enough for today.

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

H*O*T

What have I opted to do in the afternoon of the hottest day of the year so far?

Laundry.

Stay cool, everyone!

Bible Reading

I read the Bible to my mother just about every day.

Today I asked her if there was a favorite story she would like me to read.  

Her response was, "All of it."

So we started at the very beginning.  ("A very good place to start" as the Do-Re-Mi song explains.)

Tomorrow we'll move on to Genesis Chapter 2.

Read The Book!  

📖

Dad 628: Eight Days, A Week

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another beach day on the northeast coast. We have had a series of beach days. We need rain and did receive a small amount yesterday. The experts say this weekend, including Friday, will be a fine time for beach-visiting. I hope we get some of this weather in a couple weeks so Zach, Kelsey, and Bode have some good weather. Please!

 

A short blog post today. Yesterday we celebrated Lou's birthday. We also had a picture taken of our family. You saw that picture on this blog yesterday. This is the highlight of our week. One week from today I will have a birthday that will give me age equality with my eight-days-older partner. She robbed the cradle!

 

Nothing negative today, so I'm done.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Mom is 84 years old today!  Debbie brought her a Bundtlet (gluten free!) as a birthday cake, and Mom ate half of it already.

We all happened to be at the Center at the same time this afternoon, so it was a great opportunity for a family photo.  (Photo credit goes to Olga, one of the CNAs.)

💗💗💗💗💗

Pie & Fry!

Mid-Afternoon

I have written often recently about the lateness of our mail delivery.

Today the mail was delivered mid-afternoon!  There were also a couple other days this past week when we got it earlier than normal.

Thought I would give the USPS some credit.  Keep up the good work!  

📪📫📪

Lew's Diner: A Review

After making dinner for Dad and me tonight, Lew asked me to give him a good review on Yelp. This review on Mainely Tracy will have to do.

Food:  The hamburgers were cooked to perfection. The corn on the cob, although not native, was likewise delightful. The store-bought potato salad was a nice addition to this summer meal.

Atmosphere:  A very down-to-earth feel, almost like I was in my own home.

Price:  More economical than eating at most establishments.

Overall rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dad 627: Ensuring Ensure

(I brought Mom an Ensure, which was the only one she got today. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another nice summer day. We have had a pretty good stretch of summer weather. Summer temps but we would like a little more rain every night so our lawns can get some non-brown color.

 

Well, we were fortunate that not much fireworks activity went on near us over the July 4th holiday. So the animals were not traumatized. For that we are thankful.

 

Glen now has his boat in the ocean, but one problem exists. Motor on the right side is leaking oil. Hopefully this will be a simple fix. He is looking to find out this week. The boat seems to work well except for this oil leak. The boat was a great place to watch the nighttime fireworks in celebration of July 4th. Deb, Glen, Kim, and Kaelen enjoyed the show.

 

Must get ready to go see Lou this afternoon. Must remember to bring the Ensure. Lou will get two today if I remember to take one.

 

Joe, Kim, and Kaelen went to the Bangor area today in order to visit Joe's mother for a few hours.

 

We wait for Zach, Kelsey, and Bode to arrive here in a couple weeks. We wait!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Jerry's Big Yawn

Getting ready....

Off to a great start.

OH, YEAH!

See my tooth?!

What are YOU lookin' at?

Happy Birthday, USA!

Our country is still the greatest place to live on Earth.

Happy Birthday to the land of the free and the home of the brave.

10:02

At 9:45 tonight we locked up and assumed there would be no mail delivery today, despite the fact that we had outgoing mail in our mailbox.

Then at 10:02 the mail chime went off, alerting us that our mailbox had been opened. I looked out our bedroom window and - yes - it was the mail truck picking up the outgoing mail and delivering our incoming mail. 

Seriously?  10:02 at night?  Yikes!

I should be thankful our mail is being delivered.... 
I am thankful our mail is being delivered....
I am thankful.

Mom's Special Visitor

 COCOA!

Dad 626: Boat Now, Bode Soon

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another beautiful summer day. Temperature is around 76°.

 

Haven't watched the committee meetings on the January 6 "vicious" riots. What a joke! Hopefully this joke will be over with the November elections. Stranger things have happened.

 

Well, after two years in dry dock, Glen's boat is in the Atlantic Ocean. It was in the water last Sunday and Glen went on a trip with Deb, Kim, and Joe to Casco Bay Islands. All went well, so I'm sure that they will get in some serious boating this summer. Have summer fun on the high seas. Enjoy!

 

My first priority remains Lou, as she is visited by Tracy and me every day. We now have Kim, Joe, and Kaelen visiting her when possible. Lou enjoys all her relatives. I think the highlight of the season will come when Zach, Kelsey, and Bode get here in a few weeks. Bode will be the top person to see. Looking forward to it! BODE!

 

Enough for today.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

 

A/C Units and Books

Lew now has put in all three of the window air conditioner units we use each summer.  They are for our bedroom, our dining room, and Dad's bedroom.  I am pleased to report that the weather actually has warmed up enough to warrant turning them on at times.

Regular readers of this blog know I love to read, and summer is just the time to do more reading. (I say this in fall, winter, and spring, too! Ha ha!)  I currently have about 10 different books going.  I am concentrating on three of them and the others I pick up when I feel like it.  (These "others" are not novels, and they are okay to read slowly and sporadically.)  If you'd like to get a sense of what I like to read, please check out the links to my "Reading List" pages under my photo on the right.

I did not practice my penny whistle yet today, so I better get on that.  😁

Ole Miss and Tin Whistle

Congratulations to Ole Miss for winning the College Baseball World Series! Lew and I enjoyed watching all of the teams over the last week and a half. Lots of fun.

A friend of mine wants to learn to play the Irish Tin Penny Whistle and I'm going to learn, too! She already had a whistle and I ordered one on Amazon. It arrived yesterday, so let the learning begin. (Sorry, Lew! You may want to turn down your hearing aids. 😁)

A Good Decision

Today, June 24, 2022, is a historic day!

I haven't read the complete SCOTUS opinion, but I have bookmarked it.  The PDF file is 213 pages, so it will take a while to read.

I am praying for all of the life-affirming pregnancy centers. They have helped so many women and will continue to do so.  Protect them, Lord, and honor their work!  (I was on the board for our local center for eight years.)

Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV) ~

For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

    when I was made in the secret place,

    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

    all the days ordained for me were written in your book

    before one of them came to be.

Dad 625: Summer!

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Summer is here. It arrived yesterday. We have had some great weather lately. A little cool but quite nice.

 

Part of our Illinois family arrived a couple days ago. Joe, Kim, and Kaelen are spending time at Debbie's and Glen's house. They arrived Monday, and Kim spent Tuesday afternoon visiting her mom. I believe today Lou will have a visit from Kaelen, and Joe has gone to see his mother in the Bangor area. So things are rolling along with their visit. They will be here for a few weeks so Joe can attend his 50th high school reunion in August.

 

We now await our visit from the rest of our Illinois family in a few weeks. That would be Zach, Kelsey, and Bode, and they will be coming for about 10 days. We await!

 

We are visiting Lou every afternoon. I am playing the bubble game with her daily and getting trounced each day. Occasionally I win a game. The wins do not come easy. She (Lou) takes a few more moves than she should on her turns. Why? She wants to! I guess that is a good reason, for her anyway.

 

Our country is in trouble still. Just a few more months and a correction will begin.... I HOPE!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!