Travelers Update

Kelsey, Zachariah, Bode, and Boston safely arrived home today. It was fun to have them in Maine, but I imagine being back in their Illinois home is nice for them — especially after such a long drive!

Of course, we've had two beautiful days here after their departure. They did have mostly good weather for their vacation, though.

Next time we'll "see" them will be when we stream Zach's basketball games. We always try to find them in the stands, as well as watch for them after the game is over. Bode and Boston love to run around on the court.

Is it too early to say it?... GO, ROCKETS!

Another Update

Dad came home last Friday. He's had home healthcare workers coming just about every day. Today he had a late afternoon doctor's office appointment, and he planned to write a blog post after arriving home. And he will write that post... tomorrow!

As for me, I had three long days at work. I got a lot done, so it was worth the effort. Hopefully next week will be a little more relaxing now that the quarter end tasks are completed.

Thank you for checking in!

P.S. It is very windy outside!

A Busy Week

We had a busy week in our household. So busy that my father didn't write his post on Thursday — and I forgot to put any update until today!

Dad's been dealing with swollen legs due to cardiovascular issues (resulting in fluid buildup). Lew and I took him to Urgent Care on Friday. He had a great doctor, who ended up doubling the dose of one of Dad's prescriptions. Dad's lower legs are wrapped, and we will take off the wraps either tomorrow or Tuesday. Then he should wear medium-strength compression stockings. That will be fun. (I call them "the evil stockings.")

Let's see... did anything else major happen in the world recently?  Operation Midnight Hammer!

We're embarking on an exceptionally warm week. Air conditioners are in the windows. Stay cool.

These Shoes Were Made for Walking

After a couple rainy days over the weekend, the weather was lovely today.

Of course, I was at work.

My officemate suggested a walk during our lunch break. We ate lunch while working at our desks, then we got ready to venture out.

I keep a pair of sneaker-type-shoes at the office for times such as this. The shoes don't have shoelaces nor are they velcro; they merely slip on — with a little help from a finger or two. I purchased these shoes a few years ago for my mother and they are still in good shape. So I think of my mother every time I put them on.  She would be happy to know I am using them....

Mom's shoes were made for walking!

😍

My Week

After writing that I probably wouldn't stay up for the end of the NCAA men's championship game this past Monday, I did anyway. It was quite the finish. Congrats to the Florida Gators!

Long days at work Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I now have two entities to close for the quarter ended March 31st, so I'm busy, busy, busy. I think I'm on track to close both of them by the deadline. Otherwise I will grovel for a couple days extension. (I'm good at that!)

I thought I had finally returned to full health, but a cold set in yesterday. Lew told me I looked as bad as I claimed to feel (it's true love), and I feel even worse today. I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. Hopefully the weather will get warmer soon, which should help.

I named my ukulele Georgia.

Under the Weather

Spring and I were both under the weather for a few days.

It snowed again on Saturday, and it wasn't all that nice out yesterday either. Today was a bit of a dreary day, but it was a little warmer. I think it's supposed to be even warmer by the end of the week.

As for me, I've been dealing with a couple different ailments. But, just like Spring, I am on the mend. Hooray, I say!

Ending my post with this note: Josh's destination in Thailand is over 400 miles south of last week's earthquake, which was a relief to hear. Please be praying for those affected.

Is Spring Here to Stay Yet?

We got food from Ken's Place on Sunday to celebrate the start of Spring.

When I left work yesterday, I snapped this photo of my windshield once I got in my car:

Yes, it was snowing! ❄❅❆

It was a bit slippery walking outside this morning, but Spring seemed to be back by the time I left work.

Here's hoping no more snow until next winter! (And even then I could do without it.)

🌞

Winter to Spring

Spring is in the air!

I have a bit of a cold, which I usually get with the change of seasons.

There has been activity over at Ken's Place. Lew tells me they are opening this Friday.

The March Madness brackets will be in place later today.

I am thinking about doing some cleaning and decluttering. My "thinking" about this is a sure sign of Spring. (Now I need to "do.")

Enjoy the last few days of Winter!

Eagles, Snow, and Taxes

The last time I wrote a post was before the Super Bowl. Because the outcome went the way I hoped, I now will share that I was rooting for the Eagles. Congratulations to them! Fly, Eagles, Fly!

Old Man Winter has reared his ugly head. It snowed/sleeted all day yesterday. (Church services canceled for the second week in a row.) And I am listening to strong winds as I type this. You can go away now, Old Man Winter!

Yesterday I prepared Matt & Emily's taxes, and today I did ours. All e-filed! Just waiting for the State of Maine to get its act together and "Accept" the state returns. But otherwise, I am done. So Tracy's Tax Preparation Service is closed for another year. Have you filed yet? $$$

The Number Two

The last few days have been tough in America. Two plane tragedies with loss of life. Devastated families and communities. May they find peace in the Lord during these times.

Our church had one service on Sunday mornings until today. Needed to expand to two services because we were at capacity. Lew and I went to the second service, which was nicely attended. Apparently the first service had a nice turnout, too.

Groundhog Day today. The 2nd day of the 2nd month. I heard the groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter. Sounds about right.

Tomorrow I start my final two-day work week. I'll be going to three days the following week. I'm hoping to go back to two days at some point, but we'll see.

May you have a blessed February!

Fall Back Tonight!

Twice a year we need to change our clocks. "Fall back, Spring ahead" as the saying goes.

Legislators are always talking about whether we should stick to just one time. There are pros and cons to both. I know that one argument against Daylight Savings Time is that school children would be waiting for the morning bus in the dark. Hence the need to "fall back" to Standard Time.

I personally would be okay with Daylight Savings Time year round. It would help with S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder) in the winter, and we would still have extra light on beautiful summer nights. Now to figure out the morning bus situation.... Hmmmm....

Hurricane

I've tried to type this post three times, and I'm not sure what to say. Hurricane Helene has done major damage. Loss of life currently is reported to be 84. That number will probably increase.

I have subscribed to WORLD Magazine for many years. Their headquarters is in Asheville, NC, a town that has been devastated by the hurricane. Both of WORLD's buildings have had several feet of flooding. I'm praying that all of their local staff is okay.

So I guess this is what I ultimately should say in this post: Please pray for everyone affected by this storm. Pray for the emergency responders who will be busy in the days ahead. May God grant His peace and comfort to all.

Derf Tomorrow!

Dad will be writing tomorrow, so some random stuff from me:

Trump was almost assassinated on Saturday. Thankful he is okay.

But the would-be assassin did take the life of a rally attendee. Prayers for his family.

I got bit by spider (we think a spider, anyway) sometime on Monday. Big red circle on my right shoulder. Ended up going to the doctor today. I'm now on a topical steroid. I don't think the steroid will make me super strong, unfortunately. And the spider bite didn't give me any superpowers. Bummer.

I closed the books as of 6/30 at work. Now I can breathe.

Speaking of breathing, it has been hot the past few days. Air conditioners are running, making it easier to breathe while sleeping.

Thanks for checking in!

And the Heat Goes On

We have had to sleep with the air conditioners running the past few nights. Hot, hot, hot... for us anyway. Sitting in my recliner with a good book would be a delightful way to survive the mid-day heat. This is as opposed to getting some tasks done at my desk like I am doing now. I'm almost done, though, then I can return to the good book.

Today is my mother's birthday. She would have been 86, which my weather app says is the high temperature for today. 

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Mom! 💕

Another Scorcher

It was the perfect day to stay in the house... in rooms with A/C units.

I went outside to put outgoing mail in the mailbox and went once more to retrieve the delivered mail. It was very, very hot.

I caught up on some paperwork, did some reading, and did some relaxing. 

The outside temp is supposed to be more tolerable tomorrow, so maybe I'll do some laundry.  The good thing about laundry is that it will still be there later... like magic.

Stay cool, everyone!

Miscellanea

I just googled the plural of "miscellaneous" so I hope the title of this post is the correct usage.

Lew and I watched the final round of the Women's College World Series last week. Congratulations to Oklahoma on the FOUR-peat! Over the course of four years, the seniors played 250 games together. They lost only 15 of those games, they were never run-ruled, and they were never shut out... not to mention the four national championship titles. What a great softball squad!

I did some much-needed organizing/cleaning on Friday. I still have lots more to do, but I'm tired. Plus it will still be here later, LOL!

Dad will write more about this on Wednesday, but he DID go yesterday. The weather cooperated after all.

The weather today... well... it's raining. It must have rained really hard at some point during our church service; we could hear it pounding on the roof for several minutes.

I've been reading some interesting novels. (What about you?)

We finally went for pie & fry (Bill's Pizza and Pier Fries) with some friends last week. We followed up our fine dining experience with delicious ice cream treats at Fielder's Choice.

Now I'm off to have some lunch!

June

Although it is has only 30 days, the month of June seems long. It's the last month of our fiscal year at work, so there is more to do than usual. Also, social media will be full of celebrations of... well... I'm going to leave it there.

Some of our Illinois family should be arriving after mid-month. We are looking forward to seeing them! Hoping the good weather we've been having will be the status quo for the entire summer.

Happy June to you all!

Tuesday Musings

The NCAA tournaments are over. Congratulations to the UConn men and the South Carolina women for their decisive wins! And now I can try to get to sleep at a decent time. 😴

My work colleagues shared eclipse glasses yesterday. We weren't in the path of totality, but we were able to see some of the effects of the eclipse. The glasses showed us that most of the sun was blocked by the moon at the peak point of the eclipse, but it still wasn't dark out. The sun is certainly a powerful star.

The weather has been nice the past couple days. I think that Spring got the message and decided to show up!

It Snowed on April 4th

Everything screeched to a halt on Thursday because of heavy, wet, and icky snow!

Police and fire departments requested that people stay home if possible.

Our power went out about 4:15AM. 

We were cold.

We were tired.

We were cold and tired.

Just over 12 hours later — around 4:30PM — our power came back on.

Warm food for dinner!

Hot coffee! (Regular for Lew, decaf for me.)

Cable TV and internet working again!

Every time we lose power, I promise to never take it for granted again. But then I do....

Therefore, many thanks to the line crews that have worked hard these past two storms.

And, Spring, you need to step it up.

March is Mad

Lots of stuff the past few days:

March Madness! The NCAA basketball tournaments (both men and women) are great sporting events. I love watching the games. Lew likes filling out the brackets.

More March Madness! It SNOWED on Saturday. Then it turned into an ice storm. We lost our electricity around 7:40pm on Saturday evening and didn't get it back until last night around 7:30pm... so almost a whole 24 hours without power. Besides being cold, we also missed watching lots of basketball.

Many area churches lost power as well and had to cancel services yesterday. Our church was one of them. A strange Palm Sunday indeed.

Dad had a good follow-up appointment with his foot surgeon today. The nurse at rehab is doing an evaluation tomorrow, so I expect he will be home within the next couple days. He still needs to stay off his foot as much as he can, but it is healing nicely.

Thanks for checking in!