Organizing

Larry piles papers, catalogs, and whatever on the couch and coffee table. Today I gathered it all up and put the pile in a basket. It looks a lot better and gives Larry a place for his pile!

Planning

Index cards are my current favorite way to plan. One of those cards is for daily plans, one for seeds and plants I'm planning for this spring, and one for authors to check since I have a few credits on audible. When I finish one, I can toss it. Sometimes I have a shopping card out, too.

Busy

I cleaned a lot of stuff from the refrigerator and made a run to put it in the outside bon, wrapped a package, took a load of Christmas stuff to the basement, and made a small loaf of yeast bread. I also cleaned a couple of surfaces that had accumulated papers, etc. My internet connection is slow but I downloaded a book which took almost two hours.

Artisan Bread

The book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day calls for mixing all the ingredients at once, yeast and all, and letting it sit out several hours, then refrigerating it. This mix can be made into a number of things. When we got married, I didn't know how to cook. My decision to make yeast bread was based on having all the ingredients. I didn't know to use plain flour, so it was pretty awful. My mother in law was such a sweetie that she said it was good. I said it couldn't be right or nobody would make it twice. I had to beg her to tell me why the rolls were little and hard!

Bread

I love yeast bread. I stopped making it because it isn't on a low-carb diet. But Larry is buying artisan bread and biscuits, so I decided I might as well make it. So today I mixed up a batch of the five-minute artisan bread dough. It's in the refrigerator. I don't know if I'll like it. I know I like the yeast dough that is hand kneaded. I guess I'll see tomorrow.

Taking Down

I started taking down a few Christmas arrangements. It turned out that I needed to dust and vacuum the areas as I went. It doesn't seem long enough to have so much dust accumulate because I'm certain I cleaned it before I decorated. Oh, well.

Different

When I got to the hospital, I went to admin to sign in. Everything was different. The people were the same, but the office furniture had been rearranged. The sign in tablet wasn't there. The office manager said the tablet it in the gift shop, all of the volunteers will have keys, and the mail room is in a new place. So I hunted everything down and finally started feeling like I had a clue. It feels off to come in and find everything different.

Merry Christmas!

Some people didn't send Christmas cards this year. So, I wonder if they are sick or dead. A Christmas card let's me know they are all right!

Money

I see pleas for money for dogs, etc., on TV. I'm pretty sure those TV slots are paid for. They have workers who get paid. I don't know how much actually goes to help animals.

Rain

I drove the gator to check the rain gauge. It wasn't parked under the shop carport but under the shop porch. We got three inches of rain and a bunch of it was in the seat of the gator. I was wet with really cold rain collection. I was telling Larry about it and he said he did the same thing Thursday but didn't get mad at me. I told him I wasn't mad at him I was just mad.

Cherry Pie

This is mama's recipe except I used a refrigerator pie crust. I made my own pie crust for my last pie and it was tough. This one is better.

Roast or Chicken?

I wanted roast for Christmas but Larry wants fried chicken. So today I made roast with the trimmings and we'll have chicken for Christmas. I don't plan on anything fancy, but we'll have food that isn't on our diet so it will be special. The paper said we'll have a white Christmas, but the weather channel isn't agreeing. Lots of rain seems to be the projection now.

Unexpected

I was surprised that Ben won Survivor. Some seasons I don't watch until the end because nobody is left but the cockroaches. I thought Chrissy was going to win and I didn't like her or Ryan. I liked Ben but didn't think he had a chance. So he made it to the end and the jury didn't let me down.

Wait and See

My neighbor is convinced that this tax bill means we will have to pay more taxes. I asked which television channel he watches. He was noncommittal about it and named a local channel and "others." Larry said we will probably know in February when we see how much tax is deducted from our checks.

Difficulty Ordering

We've been trying to order fragrance tins for the candle warmers at the gift shop. She finally called them to find out what was wrong. It turns out that the website says to order in increments of six. But what it really wanted was for the total to be divisible by twelve. You'd have a fifty-fifty chance of that with increments of six of each type. But in addition, they wanted four of each kind although it said six. So we got our order placed, but Melody had to figure to make sure the total was divisible by twelve. If they want to make ordering difficult, they've done it.

Sale

We went to Hobby Lobby to look at their Christmas stuff on sale. Everything was 66% off:) They didn't have a green pencil tree. They had white, gold, and silver. I had decided not to get one because I don't like how Larry is decorating. When I told him I'd changed my mind because he doesn't seem interested, he said it was fun when the kids were at home. I told him I thought we should still have a life even though there are no kids in the house. He said we have one, it's just different. But he's interested in decorating outside. I'm glad for lights, but that's about it for outside for me.

Christmas Decorations

I'm usually enthusiastic about Christmas decorations. I was going to print out a discount coupon and go to Hobby Lobby to get a pre-lit pencil tree. But I was looking at St. Nicklaus with a skull beside him and my nativity set with a rifle in front of it and decided why bother.

Hearing Aid

Larry was watching Larry's Country Diner. He likes it and keeps taking it off of mute so I can hear something. Mostly I just remember all the times I wanted to read him something and he was rude to me. But tonight an old entertainer said he and his wife have been married for 52 years and she insisted he get a hearing aid. She had told him she was proud of him and he replied he was tired of her, too. That was funny to me because I've had some of those conversations with Larry before he got his hearing aid. We still have problems communicating because if he doesn't have them in, I have to yell. If I've made a mistake and they're in, he yells back at me. I wonder if he knows how difficult it is to decide if talking to him is worth while.

Greenhouse

I have been rearranging my greenhouse so a few pieces of fitness stuff would fit in there. So I got the things arranged and noticed that the floor looked awful, so I mopped it. The guy came to plant the pollinator seeds. I don't think he's finished, but he got a good start. To get to one of the fields, he has to go through a neighbor's field. It's planted with soybeans. They didn't want him to go through the field, but we eventually settled on driving through the sparse edge. I was glad the conversation was on the phone because it didn't sound friendly towards the end. But it was ok, I guess. I'm glad that part is finished.

Tests

I had two tests scheduled this morning at an imaging center. I got there early and they took me immediately. The tests were done and I was back in time to eat lunch...fish on Friday:) The tests they do every few years don't upset me. I tried to tell them I didn't need a bone scan since I don't break anything when I fall. They weren't impressed. Anyway, tests when something is wrong have a whole different impact.

Exercise Peddler

This is for using while seated. It can also sit on a table for arms to use. There is a knob to adjust the tension.

Today's List

My Christmas cards are finished. I ate my oily fish and three pieces of fruit today. I ate more than just those things, but those were the things I put on my list to make sure I ate them. I bleached a load of whites (that's a once a month chore) and went to the bank. It wasn't a bad day.

Dry Eyes Diet

Today I ate a can of sardines. It's a fatty fish and is supposed to be good for people with dry eyes. I bought several cans of sardines, and I have tuna and salmon (canned...I hope it isn't necessary that the fish is fresh). I need to try to eat stuff on that diet six times a week. I don't know if I can actually do it, but I don't want to use drops longer than I have to.

Addiction

My iPod worked on the way to the hospital and at first when I got there. Then I turned it off when I stopped to talk to somebody. It wouldn't come back on. It was awfully boring not being able to listen to an audio book while I was there alone. I wasn't alone the whole time, but I'm in the habit of listening to a book whenever I'm not actively listening to somebody else. I thought at first it could be the earbuds, but when I got home I tried different earbuds to no avail.

Breakfast

Today I had a ham/cranberry roll and fried egg for breakfast. I don't think it was wonderful, but I should be able to eat it for breakfast several times before I toss it. I started Christmas cards around doing the laundry.

Buns

I made yeast rolls filled with ham and cranberry sauce today. I meant to add shredded cheese but it hadn't held up well in the refrigerator so I tossed it. The rolls were all right, but I kept thinking that for the same amount of effort, I could have made cinnamon rolls. I don't guess I'll make it again.

Too Cold

I'd planned to do some baking today but the kitchen was too cold for me to get up any enthusiasm. I was pretty sure that when I started cooking, the kitchen would warm up. But I didn't do much. The copper pan I bought yesterday was excellent for its nonstick quality and didn't mess up the texture of the fried egg. I kept thinking of how plastic the egg on tv looked, but it was about as perfect as a fried egg gets.  I looked at the reviews on Amazon and wished I'd gotten it there as they come with glass lids if desired. I didn't see just the glass lid so I could fit the pan with a lid without buying another one.

Copper Skillet

I've been frying an egg every morning and it is sticking to my black iron skillet. I'd thrown away my last nonstick skillet because it was not nonstick any more. Today I got a copper skillet. I want to know how long it works. So this post will document the time I bought it.

Post Appocalypse Stories

Post Apocalypse stories are interesting to me. The idea of people working together for survival is interesting to me. I read Emergence by David Palmer a long time ago. In that one, people developed powers after the event. In Nora Roberts's new one, Year One, Chronicles of the One, it's kind of like that. People developed powers, some good, some bad. But the idea of finding people to work together to survive the situation is the same. Well, Nora Roberts doesn't have as many bad words as some.

Dry Eyes

I went back to my ophthalmologist today to check on my eyes. We had this long discussion about medication. I told him I went three weeks ago because I wanted to know if my eyes were infected. They weren't so I didn't want to use the medicated drops. I'm using otc  liquid tears occasionally. He said use the liquid tears more frequently but my eyes are in good shape, come back in a year. He agreed that people over medicate and a healthy body is the best plan...eat fruit and vegetables. That discussion went better than some I've had with doctors!

My Squash

I have a friend who is always thinking somebody got a better deal than she did. She takes little packages of stuff from the table, looks for freebie coupons, etc. Wednesday she looked at my tray at lunch and said her squash didn't have red stuff in it. I looked at my tray to see what she was talking about and told her that my squash was sliced pickled peppers. The red stuff was pimentos from the olives. I ate the olives but not the pickles...too much vinegar! She laughed and repeated that my squash was peppers.

Eggnog

Well, I usually look longingly at eggnog around this time of the year. But today I bought a quart of it and added wild turkey to it when I got home. I just made a glass of it and didn't put near as much wild turkey in it as the container suggested...1:1 was going to end up two cups and really strong. So the glass I made wasn't as strong as the suggest recipe, but it was still really strong for me as I don't drink much. It was really good:) Happy Holidays:)

Business

The Supreme Court is hearing the case about the baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple. I really think that is a ridiculous case. Nobody should support a business which is rude to them. If somebody refused to let me place an order, believe me, they'd never get my business for any purpose from a birthday cake to whatever else they put out. My friends would find someone friendlier to buy from. But the Supreme Court? Really?

Books and Places

When we moved to Germany, part of why we wanted to go was to see places we'd read and studied about. We enjoyed going to cathedral, museums, and palaces. Now we are back in the states and I enjoy reading certain books because of the character and plots and others because of the setting. Dorothy Dunnett's House of Niccolo is set in Bruge, well, the first book is. Bruge is an absolutely wonderful town. The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone is mostly set in Florence. Florence is also a great place to visit. The history of those places is interesting, the architecture is wonderful, and rereading those books is sort of like revisiting them. There are other books with place associations that I enjoy, but those two pop to mind easily.

Back to the Doctor

It was time for Larry to see the doctor again. It had been three months. It wasn't a great visit but she said to come back in two months. She is still talking dialysis but not yet. Getting old and feeling like you are falling apart must be awful.

Book Food

I was reading A. American's survivalist series and they mentioned fried mush and how good it was. I looked it up and decided to try it. The reviews looked OK and I like cornmeal. So I scrambled some sausage and made it. It was prettily awful just sliced and fried. It is edible with a fried egg topper, but I won't be making it again!

Car

My car is fixed. EJ replaced the hood and the paint looks good. I was worried that it wouldn't match the rest of the car, but it looks good. It took a while, but now it is fixed.

Kumquats

The box of satsumas had a bag of sour kumquats, too! I like them a lot, but they burn my mouth on the outside. So I've only eaten two.

Satsumas

Satsumas are easy to peel and virtually seedless. They are sweeter than tangerines. They are kind of hard to find in most places so Larry called and ordered a box. It arrived today. I don't know how much the fruit cost, but the postage was fifty bucks!

Dragging Stuff Inside

I brought more Christmas stuff inside from the basement and cellar. As I found stuff I was looking for, I found stuff to throw away. So that was two good things. I also made more cornbread patties with pepper and onion and a mincemeat pie. My kindle isn't working for my blog or email. My hotspot is draggy. Luckily, I have some time. Unluckily, it's boring waiting for it to decide to work.

Friends and Family

It turns out a friend doesn't agree with me politically. We've been friends for years and honestly, she's not the first friend or relative to disagree with me. After a discussion, she said, she agrees right now but doesn't think our choices right now are what they should be. I kind of agree with her, but pointed out that the choices we have are the choices we have and she shouldn't decide not to vote just because nobody is what she wants. After a bit where she said I'm an elitist, she felt bad about saying it to me. I was pretty stunned that she thought that. She asked if I was mad at her and I said of course I am. I prefer everybody to agree with me. Then I said I wasn't angry, we just have to agree to disagree.

Volunteer Day

About the only thing I did today was volunteer. I guess it wasn't a wasted day. I had things on my list but didn't do any of them. Nice to be able to do that once in a while.

Volunteer Day

About the only thing I did today was volunteer. I guess it wasn't a wasted day. I had things on my list but didn't do any of them. Nice to be able to do that once in a while.

Volunteer Day

About the only thing I did today was volunteer. I guess it wasn't a wasted day. I had things on my list but didn't do any of them. Nice to be able to do that once in a while.

Warm Today

My big plan today was to cook beans, cornbread patties with hot pepper, and slaw. That worked out fine, including going to WalMart to get the stuff. This afternoon we cut some trees that have gotten pretty big in the flower strip that runs parallel to the road. We didn't get very far, maybe a fifth of the way. But it's a start. It was so warm I almost had to take off my sweater.

Decorating

I wanted to put out my ceramic Christmas village so I was taking the skull to the storage area. Larry saw what I was doing and objected strenuously. I asked if he was sure he wanted the Halloween skull to stay in the living room for Christmas. He said he did. Well, I didn't want my Christmas village with the skull, so I took the pictures and knick-knacks off the two shelves on that wall. I relocated the stuff into the guest room and put my ceramic village out. It looks great there. I'm not sure why Larry wants the skull out, but there it sits, right next to the St. Nicolaus we bought when we were in Germany. Larry said he couldn't put out the bells because I'd put pansies in baskets where he usually puts the bells. So I waited until he was off doing something and put the bells on the same brackets but above the pansies. The red bells and purple pansies look great together. Even Larry likes it.
We've been eating leftovers from Thanksgiving, but tomorrow we are going to have slaw, pinto beans, and cornbread. I love beans and cornbread:)

Curious

I'm curious about the Moore election in Alabama. If he wins, it won't be because Alabama voters support sexual misconduct, but because Alabama voters think it is fishy that this misconduct story surfaces right before an election. So he wasn't convicted or even charged. Who knows what the truth is? But I'm curious how voters will decide.

Thanksgiving Signals

Thanksgiving was yesterday so today we put up our Christmas lights and some outdoor decorations. We have more to put up, so we're piling them up until we get them out there. I will start addressing Christmas cards and looking for boxes to mail presents in. We'll start putting out our indoor Christmas stuff.

Huge Mess!

This is the third time I've tried to post this. I'm tempted to give it up because it isn't earthshaking. But I have a pound cake recipe that calls for whipping four egg whites with 1/4 t cream of tartar and then folding it into the batter. It makes it light. And it stays nice in the following days. But I make a huge mess when I make that cake. It's worth it, but there's a lot of clean up.

Night Cooking

It's 9pm and I'm cooking. There will still be a lot to do tomorrow, but some stuff can be done ahead.

Don't Wait!

If you're shopping at a small place, if you see something you like, it's good to go ahead and get it. I am constantly hearing people say they want something we had but it's gone. I learned that when we were shopping at the PX.

Allergy

My allergies have been under control with an allergy nose spray and over the counter allergy relief tablet. But now when I take the tablet it dries out my eyes as well as my sinuses. Miserable.

Check the Freezer!

I thought we wouldn't need to make dressing because we had some in the freezer. I checked and we had one container of dressing and three of eggplant parmigiana. Glad I checked!

Our Thanksgiving Menu

I made a menu and asked Larry what he thought. He changed it a little but decreased the amount of money and work so I'm glad I asked. As of right now, we are having chicken and dressing (only two of us so no turkey), ham, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked beans, turnip greens, jello salad, ambrosia, Pound cake, mincemeat pie, and rolls. We will have leftovers:) But not so many as if I'd chosen a huge ham and a whole turkey.

Tomorrow

I talked to the guy who is going to repair my car today. He said he will go to get the hood tomorrow. I don't know if he'll start work tomorrow, but at least it will be that far along. I told him I dreamed that he got a neon green one. He laughed and said he will paint the hood to match the car and buff it out until it matches the red that has been on the car for several years:)

Sharpe's Honor

I read the series several years ago, but then the series was televised in such a mish-mash of the plots, that I lost interest. Now I'm going back through them. For a while audible didn't have the beginning books so I didn't try to get them. But this time when I looked, most of the titles are there. The books are really good historical novels with good character development.

Spaghetti

I ran out of spaghetti sauce before I ran out of noodles so I opened a jar of Bartolli Alfredo sauce, nuked it, and sliced cherry tomatoes on it. Better than tossing the rest of the noodles!

Cultural and Social Expectations

I've been watching a bunch of sexual harassment allegations shown on television. The thing is, over the years men expect the power of their positions to serve as a voucher of their worth. Their looks aren't an issue. For women, good looks are the same. Smart women are denigrated. Forceful women are termed bitches. The "cute girls" expect to have their way. Now, after having traded on their looks for years, they whine about it. To say somebody had a nonconsensual sexual relationship with someone in a position of power decades afterwards, seems weak to me. They were afraid to complain at the time because they were not relying on their worth in the first place, but their looks. I liked Condoleezza Rice because she didn't try to be one of the "cute ones." I'm not saying that if a woman dresses attractively she is "asking for it." I'm saying if she relies on her looks for advancement, she shouldn't complain later. If someone is groped and shrieks with an embarrassed overreaction, that person will think twice about doing it again. If that is the stance of the woman, she'll have to make sure she doesn't do anything she can be called on because she won't be cut any slack. Also, looking the person dead in the eye and asking where the sexual harassment papers are kept is usually enough to let the lecher know you don't want to play. 

Dry Eyes

I went back to my opthamologist today because my eyes were burning and bloodshot. He said it isn't a result of the cataract surgery or inflammation, but is dry eye and use some drops for three weeks and then come back. It was a relief to know I don't have an infection. I told him I couldn't see how I could have dry eyes when my eyes were watering profusely. He said good tears have a little oil. Degraded tears are just salty and the eyes feel like something is in them, gritty, and burning. Well, that describes how they felt so I guess he's right.

It Wasn't You!

I had a small order from a snack vendor so a nice person who isn't a volunteer offered to pick it up for us to save the $5 delivery fee. When she got there, one of the employees told her we were two months in arrears on our payment and we wouldn't be able to use their services if we didn't pay promptly. She indignantly told me that, and another person who relayed the message to me. So I called our treasurer and she told me the last two invoice numbers with dates and the check numbers with dates. I called the snack vendor and asked to speak to the billing department. There was some confusion in the background about a billing department, but finally somebody got to the phone. I introduced myself and she immediately said, "It wasn't you. We got the check yesterday and it was another gift shop. I'm sorry!" That's all well and good, but she was pretty rude to a person who was just helping us out.

Lucifer

After television shows we watch together, Larry usually says, "That was a good one." I usually agree. We don't watch many shows together, but we watch a few. After last night's Lucifer, Larry said, "I don't know if that was a good one or not." I said I thought it was good. He wanted to know why. I said that Lucifer said he didn't actually punish humans, they did it to themselves by reliving parts of their lives where they had screwed up. Then the bad guy died. As he died, he said he had redeemed himself by setting up another bad guy to be taken by the police. Then it showed the bad buy starting back at the beginning of the episode...he was in hell, reliving his mistakes. Larry decided maybe it was a good episode, just not the stand up and cheer kind.

Baby Wipes

I keep a box of baby wipes in the bathroom and just this year noticed that they are really cold. So I went online and checked for baby wipe warmers. They exist! Now I will check t local stores to see if I can see one. The one I saw didn't list which wipes to use with it so I need to see it.

Bathrooms

Once or twice a year a lightbulb blows in the bathroom. So that is the time to get a ladder and clean the vents as well as replace the bulbs. Dust cakes on the vents and rains down on the tub, floor, me,etc.

Pink Flower Bulbs

I started with a half dozen free bulbs. I've divided them, spread them around, and given some away. They are winter hardy, require no care, and bloom prolifically. I don't have any idea what the name is.

Last Tulips

I planted the last thirty tulip bulbs today. Some went in the small flowerbed across the driveway and some went on Rose Hill. Weeding the roses left holes so I enlarged the holes and dropped a tulip bulb into them. When the last of the tulip bulbs was planted, it was too late to start on the pink flowers' bulbs. I have three large clumps of them and dug two of the clumps. Larry thought they were clumps of monkey grass. I'd like to transplant some of the monkey grass, but I think it will have to be in the spring.

Fish on Friday

A local restaurant has a couple of specials each day. On Friday, they have fish. It is cooked when it's ordered, not sitting on a buffet drying out. It is a good day to eat out.

Bernard Cornwall

I'm listening to Bernard Cornell's Sharpe series. I've read them all, and am in the process of trying to get the entire series on Audible.  Larry doesn't like the series as much as I do. I tried to get him to explain why. He said he doesn't Lille it because Sharpe can't hang onto money. But I don't think that's unreasonable. A lot of people have talent that gets them a fortune but can't keep it. Football players, actors, etc., don't always keep the money their talents brought their way.

Former Students

Today I heard that a former student I knew slightly had killed his wife last week in a drug related episode. I didn't teach him, but I had his sister and knew who he was. I've never stayed in one place long enough to know how kids turned out.

Former Students

Today I heard that a former student I knew slightly had killed his wife last week in a drug related episode. I didn't teach him, but I had his sister and knew who he was. I've never stayed in one place long enough to know how kids turned out.

Lots?

An employee came into the gift shop today and asked if we have lots of candle warmers and can we get more! That's the kind of question that livens things up.

Lousy Step

My laptop isn't connecting to the internet. My stitches should come out tomorrow but they look inflamed tonight. My audible books are taking forever to download. This has not been a stellar day, although I've definitely had worse.

More Outside

I don't know if I'll ever finish my flowerbeds, but it's been a good weekend to work on them. It hasn't been too hot or too cold or too windy. I thought it was going to rain on me once or twice, but it was just a light mist.

Tulip Plans

The salvias haven't been killed by frost yet, but it would happen soon.

Yesterday's List

Yesterday's list had twelve items. I accomplished five of them. I really didn't expect to get all of them done, but if I write them down as I notice the need, I have a chance of getting to them sooner or later. The thing that took the longest was getting the salvia out of the two large pots flanking the front steps. I was cutting the foliage and blooms all the way to the soil when a neighbor pulled up in their four-wheeler. They have a very active four year old that they've adopted. He wanted to know why I was cutting off the pretty flowers. I explained that frost was going to kill them very soon and I wanted to plant tulip bulbs that would bloom in the spring. Then I asked if he wanted to cut the salvia flowers off. He happily took the snips and got to work. He carefully put the cuttings in the bucket. I went to get the cart and he emptied the cuttings into the cart. Julie spends a lot of time telling him not to do things. It would be better if she kept him busy. He is interested in just about everything.

After Halloween Sale

Larry has hit the after Halloween sales and bought a skull and posable skeleton. I had no idea he wanted those things!

Misty Fall

The fall colors are pretty this year. It's misty today and muted the colors.

Still Weeding

My tulip bulbs came yesterday. I know where I want to plant them, but I've got to clear out the flowers that are all around the places. When I'm digging up weeds and grass, that's different from clearing out flowers from the spring and summer. They both take a while to clear out, but it's all right with me if I leave dirt and roots because I know they'll be fine without a mess. The stems and blooms have to go because frost will eventually make an ugly mess of them.

Fountain

I dismantled the fountain, drained it, cleaned it, and took the pieces to the cellar. I was careful to take all the pieces to the same place this year.  I didn't volunteer today because my chin still had the pressure bandage which is larger than the bandaid I'll be using soon.

Doctor's Visit

Two hours to the doctor, two hours in the waiting room, 20 minutes with the doctor, and 2 hours home made this a pretty miserable day. I have had a melanoma and this place on my chin showed abnormal cells that would become a melanoma. It was enlarging so it would have required a surgeon in another year. So, I'm glad it's done, but it was a long, tiring day. Happy Halloween! I have real stitches and a real bandage for my costume.

Stuff

We had a guy come out to work on stuff today. We needed a new battery for the generator and gator. We needed the fireplace and remote to work. Now the fireplace and generator work. Larry still has to get a battery for the gator and get it in. The placement of the battery makes that a difficult job, but at least the old battery is out.
The guy also looked at the shower in the guest room and thinks he may be able to fix it without tearing out the whole tile wall. But he can't do it tomorrow because we're playing doctor tag for part of the time tomorrow.

Fall Color

The dogwood trees are beautiful in the spring when they bloom, but are also gorgeous on the gall when their colors range from a pinkish orange to dee Burgundy.

Faith Justified

A while ago an 18-wheeler backed into me. It was going slowly and I was sitting still. I tried to back up but threw it into fourth instead of reverse so killed it. It didn't do a lot of damage and the driver said to get an estimate and he'd send me a check. I got the estimate and sent it to him after offering to get a second estimate if he thought it was too much. He said it was about what he'd thought it would be. He called and said he'd sent the check but it didn't arrive. Some other mail went missing, too, so I called him back and asked if his check had cleared. It hadn't. Today we met and he handed me a check. He seemed like a nice guy and I'm glad he was:)

Peaceful

We wanted a vacation near the water in cool weather. We did it and enjoyed it, but it wasn't what we were expecting. It was listed under Gulf Shores/Pensacola, but was actually a cove. Another camper said his reservation on the beach at Gulf Shores had been cancelled because Nate had closed access roads, so I guess we did OK. It was under a tornado watch when we arrived and pouring down rain, but was sunny and cool for the rest of the week.

Vacation Idea

We used to take vacations. We've taken touring vacations to see famous historical sites, theatre vacations, sport vacations, and relaxation vacations. We had only taken vacations to see family members for the last seventeen years. Those vacations might include theatre or national parks. But we've decided to start saving a monthly amount toward a relaxing holiday once or twice a year. I am really pleased about the idea and that it is Larry's idea!

Angry Dream

Larry woke up angry because he dreamed somebody had a garage sale and sold everything in our metal building. I said at least it was cleaned out. He said but we didn't get the money! He was upset for hours.

Religious Rant

Larry gets on a rant occasionally. Mostly I'm not a participant. But this one was about our community not showing respect for the Amish as they call them Amish and Mennonites interchangeably. I listened for a while without comment and finally said I don't respect their religion. He expounded for a while about their work ethic, etc. I said they allow their young men time to leave the community to experience other ways and return. Women aren't given that chance. I don't object to people believing how they think is right, and I don't throw rocks at them, but I don't respect the religion. I named several families and he agreed their work ethic was nothing to brag about. Finally I said that I respect a couple of families, but not the religion. So he dropped his rant and the subject.

Yard Sale

They are either having a yard sale or refinishing the floors.

Lab Results

Today we went for our doctor's evaluation of our lab results. My results were all right, including blood pressure. Larry's results were better on some things and not so good on others. It's annoying to not have a clue how to fix something that's wrong. I understand medication is a solution and must sometimes be used. But a diet fix that cancels everything out for one thing or another is just frustrating.

Putting Stuff Away

It's easy to put things away, but putting all the stuff together so I can find it next time isn't so easy. If four of the pieces are in one place and one is somewhere else, it's tough. Cleaning the stuff before stowing it is one of the problems and why the last piece may end up somewhere else entirely. One of Heinlein's books had a computer that would tell you where to put something and later tell you where to find it. Lots of things in books are nice.

Taking a Knee

It looks respectful to me when the football players kneel for the anthem. They pretty much bow their heads, too. If they mooned during the anthem, that would be disrespectful.

DIY Laundry Detergent

https://www.diynatural.com/homemade-laundry-detergent-soap/
There are a lot of sites that tell how to make this. I make five gallons of the liquid recipe and it lasts me about a year. I use 1/2 cup of the liquid for a washer of clothes. Some laundry soaps make me itch, but this doesn't. I like it, it's cheap, and it works. When I started to make the second batch (a year later), I found the borax and Arm and Hammer washing soda had solidified. I chipped it up and bagged it in large Ziploc bags to prevent that problem. The third time I made it, I went ahead and mixed up the borax, grated fels naptha, and washing soda, writing "add 5 gallons of water" on the bag. I tried putting the bar of soap in the food processor, but grating with a hand grater worked better for me...and was a lot quieter. I've used this for three years now and don't think I'll ever go back to buying detergent. It's easier to buy it, but it's cheaper to do it this way because the borax and washing soda make more than one year's worth...and is cheap to but in the first place.

Ribs

Add caption

Babyback ribs and slaw make a great lunch! Larry grilled the ribs today and it makes a holiday of any day.

Frost

Today we had a light frost. I've gotten everything in the greenhouse that needs to go. But I didn't clean up first so that's on my list. I cleaned where I put my cuttings and plants. But in February I'll need space for seedlings. So I have until February!

Easy Day

A little tidying up inside and out as well as a little shopping made for an easy day today. There is still plenty to do, but no rush about it.

Breakfast Buffet

I don't usually see anything new on a buffet, but we went to a diner-type place after our lab work yesterday and saw French toast with had been battered and fried paired with chocolate gravy. I don't know that I would have gotten it if I hadn't seen somebody with a plate with only that. So I asked what the French toast was and then got it myself. Really! Chocolate for breakfast:) It reminded me of our first breakfast in the hotel in Germany where we had Nutella.

Poppers

When I first made poppers, I took the seeds and veins out of the jalapeños and filled the halves with cream cheese. Then I wrapped a half piece of bacon around each one and baked until the bacon was crispy. This way uses real bacon boots stirred into the cream cheese. It's quicker and still tasty!

Porch

Today I moved almost all of the flowerboxes and baskets to the tire garden to dump the dirt and begonias. I pulled the dichondra silver falls off and stuffed them into a couple of big plastic bags to dry out. Hopefully the seeds will fall out as the strands dry out and I can try to grow next year's batch from the seeds.

Worry

We went for lab work this morning. I seriously hate no-coffee mornings. I asked the lab tech to run the A1C immediately so I'd have the results before leaving. I worry. It's probably better if I don't eat Butterfingers while I worry! I had the stitches from my biopsy removed and then went back to get the results. They were ok, so three months before I have to do that again. The assistant brought me a cup of coffee while I waited for the doctor to remove my stitches.

Satsumas

RFD TV showed a clip about satsumas grown on the Sessions Farm in Grand Bay, Alabama. It was a nice clip and had one of Larry's cousins on it.

Satsumas

RFD TV showed a clip about satsumas grown on the Sessions Farm in Grand Bay, Alabama. It was a nice clip and had one of Larry's cousins on it.

Looks and Show

I asked the receptionist if the community room was reserved for our meeting. She said she didn't have a copy of the schedule but would find out. I heard the call and heard her tell the other person she didn't have a copy of the schedule. After the call, she told me the community room was scheduled for our meeting. She then said she doesn't know anything but is just there for looks and show. I told her, "Good job! Keep up the good  work!"

Finished with Cuttings

I'm finished taking cuttings and now need to take the flower boxes and baskets down and dump them. They are heavy and somewhat awkward to move. So I'm not looking forward to that part of the fall process.

Fried Okra

A neighbor brought over some pods of okra today. I sliced the pods and soaked them in a beaten egg while the oil heated up. Then I dredged the egg drenched okra in cornmeal with salt and pepper. It was wonderful. Soaking the okra in the beaten egg allowed the cornmeal to stick to the okra.

Cuttings

Today I started taking cuttings for the greenhouse so I'll have them for next year's flowerboxes and baskets. I'm going to take more, but I've stopped watering outside so they won't be so heavy when I dump them.

Pressure Washer

Pete brought a broken pressure washer and tried to fix it. I tried to use it today. Some of our buildings have a gray scummy looking mess on them. I was disappointed in the results. It's difficult to decide if it is the pressure washer's fault or lack of pressure from our well.

Gardenias

I dug out the pots that contained gardenias half planted in dirt and carried them to the greenhouse today. The low plastic containers under them aren't all in place yet, but I've started locating and placing them. Since the gardenias were surrounded with impatiens, I started taking them out and adding them as green manure in the compost bin. One side of the bin has impatiens that are growing and blooming...an unusual sight in a compost bin.

Greenhouse

Today I started organizing the greenhouse. Putting cuttings in the greenhouse works better when there's room. So, I started.

Awful News

I don't know these people, but the wife is a doctor and her husband, an RN, shielded her. He died, but she wasn't harmed. I Sam sorry our area has lost a good man.

Volunteering

Today was a normal Tuesday. I volunteered at the hospital and didn't do much else. I hope I sleep more than four hours tonight!

Quiet

When we've had company, and they leave, the house seems very quiet. It isn't as bad as when the kids started to leave home. That was quiet and miserable. This is just quiet. I guess we finally got used to the quiet and it doesn't feel like somebody died.

Helpful Friend

Today Pete fixed my water pipe for the back porch so I can have flowers out there again. He also replaced the front door handle so my key works. He is a wonderful guest:)

Another Nice Day

We've enjoyed another nice day with friends. We went over to another friend's to see their wine-making setup. It's a home deal, but they are very organized and enthusiastic about it and are currently making wine from blackberries, apple (hard cider?) and muscadines.

Friends at the River

It's good to have friends visit. We went to Pebble Isle Marina and enjoyed their grill. The weather was cool and sunny.

Dermatologist

Today we went to the dermatologist in Memphis. The construction on our way in is complete. The view reminds me of the Jetsons when I was much younger:) We both came away bandaged. The part where my dad had melanomas and I've had one means I have to go for a check on a scheduled basis. The doctor reminded me to remind my kids to use sunscreen and no tanning beds. She took a biopsy from my chin and said I will have the lab results in a week She said I shouldn't worry as it is probably nothing. Well, that is exactly what she said when the spot on my thigh turned out to be a melanoma and I had to go back to have a bigger hole dug in my thigh.

New Glasses

Ever since my cataract surgery I've been anxious to get my new glasses. I've had the same frames for about twenty years. They were titanium and way out of style but I didn't care. I've had frames that burned my skin. I was worried about getting glasses constructed of a material that would react badly with my skin. These don't have much in the way of frames so I'm hopeful I'll like them.

TV Show

Ha! Lethal Weapon is back on:)

New Baskets

I've gotten two baskets ready to hang when I take down my summer baskets. I'll have to water them from inside, but it's only two baskets of pansies.

Neighbors

Usually we have good neighbors. That may be because we try to be good neighbors and don't really interact with other people much. But we had people nearby who had the sheriff out several times removing people. It was impossible to determine who was living there at any given time. I'm glad they moved. It doesn't mean somebody better will move in.

The Riyia Chronicles

The Riyia Chronicles is a sword and sorcery series. It's by Michael J. Sullivan. I've listened to it before, but it's been a while and I'm enjoying listening to it again. The characters are good, the plot is good, and it takes me away from boredom.

Hypochondria

Today I picked out glasses. It will be a couple of weeks before they come, but at least I'm that far along. A couple of days ago the back side of my head started hurting. I thought maybe I should go to a chiropractor or a neurologist. In case it was an aneurism, I told my husband I love him and not to be too upset if I died. Then I managed to get an immediate appointment with a chiropractor. He said it is apparently the trigeminal nerve and thumped me in the head with an odd syringe-like thing. He said to come back Monday and we'll evaluate the treatment. I apologized for being a hypochondriac and he said it's better to take care of small things then letting something serious progress. He was very nice and so far the pain is gone and I'm not holding an ice bag on my head.

Nap

I am not much of a napper but yesterday I took a ten hour nap and an hour nap today. Seriously odd.

Late September

I finally finished cutting back the peonies and weeded a little more. I have a new 18 volt black and decker battery for the battery-operated hand chain saw. It's charging now. Pansies are going to be in two baskets so they can adjust to their new environment. When I take down the angel wing baskets, I'll have the pansy baskets ready to hang.

Doctor's Visit

Today I went to the doctor because it's a month since my cataract surgery. I got a prescription for new glasses. I had intended to eat breakfast at a diner after that and then go to pick out new glasses. But my eyes have been burning and the doctor said the antihistamine I'm taking adds to the dry eye problem I'm having. The doctor also told me to start back on one of the drops because I'm showing inflammation cells in both eyes. So instead of going to a diner and having a nice breakfast and then picking out new glasses, we came back home so I could dig through the garbage. I'd tossed the drops and put them in the outside garbage container which is picked up on Mondays. We got home in time to find the drops (expensive!) and retie the little plastic bag for the garbage pickup.

Figs

This is the most figs we've gotten at one time so far.

Monkey Grass

I want a border of monkey grass, but it wants to take over the whole flower bed.

Pumpkin Gourd

The gourd we turned into a jackolantern turned out OK.

Gourd

Larry cleaned a gourd and wanted me to draw a jack o lantern on it on it. I did, and then he cut the face. Then I painted it orange. I'm not convinced a candle in a dried gourd is a good idea. I guess I'll try it in the driveway with a jug of water.

Crunch

An 18 wheeler backed into me this morning. It didn't hurt me and didn't do a lot of damage to my car but was very upsetting.

Maybe OK

I may have my password problem fixed. This is the first time I've been able to get to my blog in a while and also could not get to anybody's google posts and my email account was iffy. Maybe everything is fixed and will still be fixed tomorrow!

Nice Day

New book, new game, fried green tomato at lunch😀

New Stuff

We had a sale at the hospital gift shop Friday, and today when I arrived, I saw the gift shop all decorated for Christmas! The tall, skinny tree is perfect for our small space!

Power Outage

We've been without electricity for over twelve hours now. A neighbor came by a couple of times to get water. Another came by to see if we need water. Apparently the whole county is without power.

Alarm Clock

One of the best things about retirement is not having to set the alarm clock. I set it three times a week because I volunteer two days a week and call Mama at eight on Saturday. I want time to go through my morning routine and have coffee. This week I'll be volunteering three days, taking Larry to the doctor...leaving home at six...and calling Mama. I am not wild about this week.

Cute New Stuff

We are having a sale at the gift shop Friday and we have cute new stuff as well as stuff people have been lusting after since the last sale. This is a candle warmer. The hat comes off and a fragrance tin goes in. It's a great gift for self or others😀

Flash Flood Warning

We have flash flood warnings from tomorrow through Friday. Looking at the television coverage of tropical storm Harvey's flooding in Texas, I don't see how there could be enough rain left for us.

Three More. weeks

I went back to the eye doctor today. He said I'm doing fine and to come back in three weeks for a prescription for glasses.

Flower Bed Plan

The weather has been nice enough to work at getting grass and ground cover out of this flowerbed. I'm leaving carnations, columbines, and monkey grass. I'm trying to clear space to put the irises back. The irises didn't bloom much this year because the ground cover and grass pretty much smothered the bulbs. I planted the ground cover but ten minutes of yellow blooms aren't good enough to make up for the irises.

Pumpkin

I got this from Kroger. It's too big for a tea light candle! So I ordered a string of battery operated led lights. I can use them again at Christmas.

Soup

An envelope of taco seasoning is a fantastic addition to a tomato based soup!

Flower Box

I love the trailing stuff with the flowers. Dichondra Silver Falls is the trailing stuff and angel wing begonias are the other flowers.

Solar Eclipse

We experienced a solar eclipse when we were in Germany. It was dark and very noticeable. This was supposed to be about 97% but it wasn't very impressive.

Staying Put

Putting drops in my eyes every two hours is easier if I stay home. I have made a chart for each eye and each set of drops. My vision is improving pretty steadily.

Historical Monuments

I've been thinking about the controversy over historical monuments. I didn't see any monuments to Hitler when we were in Germany.  The thing about these old slave owner monuments is it shows how far our country has come. To deny that progress is taking away from where we ate today. So I'm still thinking I can see both sides of the issue.

Mantis

This is only the third praying mantis I've seen this year. It isn't very big and the color is odd.

Eye Surgery

Giving written directions to somebody who can't see well isn't wonderful. I'm relying on my memory to get me to tomorrow's appointment. My memory isn't usually bad, but right after anesthetic, it would be nice to have it written in large print! If it is written anywhere, I don't see it.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow I have my second cataract surgery. I'm seriously tired of the drops. I don't know how long it takes for the eyes yo cleat up after the surgery. I hate the feeling of helplessness when going for a procedure. I hate no food or drink, but I wasn't nauseated after the last one, so I don't have to dread that.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow I have my second cataract surgery. I'm seriously tired of the drops. I don't know how long it takes for the eyes yo cleat up after the surgery. I hate the feeling of helplessness when going for a procedure. I hate no food or drink, but I wasn't nauseated after the last one, so I don't have to dread that.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow I have my second cataract surgery. I'm seriously tired of the drops. I don't know how long it takes for the eyes yo cleat up after the surgery. I hate the feeling of helplessness when going for a procedure. I hate no food or drink, but I wasn't nauseated after the last one, so I don't have to dread that.

Really?

We were watching TV and saw a couple talking about their company. It offers a nonsexual cuddle for $80 an hour. Larry and I talked about it and agreed we'd rather have a massage. That's nonsexual touching.

Poppers

A neighbor brought squash from their garden and poppers. I had forgotten how much I like poppers! My trip to my eye doctor went well. Larry got his hearing aid😀 and was filled with wonder at how much sound he had been missing. He also told me I don't have to talk so loud anymore. I said it might take a while to break that habit. The UPS guy came to pick up the package I wanted to return. Good day. If I'd missed the UPS guy, I'd decided I wouldn't volunteer tomorrow so I'd be home when he came. But we got our appointments in and got home in time for neighbor and UPS! Nice!

Drops

Tomorrow I continue the post op cataract drops and start the pre op drops for the other eye. I have to go back to the doctor so he can check both eyes. I'm not very happy with the high maintenance drops.

Sidetracked

I wanted a battery powered pole chainsaw. I found an 8" one. Then I saw a 10 in. one and ordered it. The ten in arrived and I realized I'd gotten sidetracked by the ten inch lure and had forgotten the battery part. It needs a cord. So I have to pay return postage, return the ten inch and order the eight inch battery powered one.

Slept

I took a seven hour nap today. Maybe it was the remnants from the anesthetic used yesterday.

Cataract Surgery

I had cataract surgery on my left eye this morning and had to go back this afternoon. They said I'm doing all right but that eye is still dilated so my vision is blurred unless I shut that eye.

Stories

When I'm going to have some sort of medical procedure done, lots of people have awful stories to tell.

Feet

Larry had a pedicure yesterday and went to the doctor today to get a prescription for diabetic shoes. Evidently it is a complicated process but he got it started. They have some decent-looking offerings. I thought they would just have ugly ones.

8-7-17

Larry had his first pedicure today. He said it was better than trying to lean over. His toenails were hurting his feet to the point where he was limping. I started drops in preparation for Thursday's cataract surgery. Sometimes drops burn my eyes but these are OK.

Wildlife

This is intended to keep the neighbor's dogs and stray skunks off the porch.

The giant hostas are blooming really well. I like how they look with the other flowers around them.

Why?

We went to the marina for lunch. While we were enjoying our lunch and the gorgeous weather, we noticed the marina was flying a British flag. I asked our waitress why and she said she didn't know. When we went inside to pay, I asked the manager. He pointed out the new owner and explained that he's from England. The manager said they didn't fly that one on the Fourth.

Under the Hood

Dirt daubers were trying to build in the grill beneath the windshield. That was the second day in a row I've cleaned the dried mud out!

Car AC

Freon didn't help. E.G. said it might be the compressor. We talked about symptoms and he suggested I clean under the hood as bits of debris could be blocking the moving parts when I push buttons. If that doesn't help, he is willing to check the solder places on the control panel.

Rain Gauge

We had a thunderstorm yesterday evening with lots of wind and rain. I went to check the rain gauge this morning. It was upsidedown. I don't know how much rain we got, but we got a lot of wind.

New Pump Tank

Our pump tank was about to rust through. EG replaced it today. He replaced the fittings, too. We have great water pressure now!

To Do 8-3-17

The spray bottle is round up, one of the plastic jugs is water with a little vinegar for the fountain, the other jugs have liquid fertilizer. The weed whacker is ready to trim around a couple of buildings. That's my outside to do list. Inside I plan to totally dismantle my electronic charger end table. I want to clean the accumulated dust and redo the plugs in the power strip.

Not Fun

I can't connect to Google from my laptop or desktop computer. I can't remember my password. The question I can't answer is when I set up the account. This is the third time I've tried to post this. I'm about tired of technology.

Not Fun

I can't connect to Google from my laptop or desktop computer. I can't remember my password. The question I can't answer is when I set up the account. This is the third time I've tried to post this. I'm about tired of technology.

Fall

The new fall stuff has started to come in. I love this one with the metallic rusts and bronzes. It doesn't have a way to light. Up so I didn't buy it. But it is really gorgeous! Yea, fall😀

Hearing Consultation

It has been 24 hours since Larry's hearing consultation. He doesn't have his hearing aids yet but things are better. After hearing an explanation for why he looks angry when I'm trying to talk to him, and him hearing that it hurt my feelings that he didn't want to hear me, we are both trying harder to work around this until his hearing aids arrive. There was a lot more to the consultation, but it was interesting.

Hearing Aid

We had an appointment today to have Larry's hearing evaluated. It was very interesting. Part of the test was about how many decibels were needed for him to hear words and part was about how the brain processed what he heard. He ordered a set which will arrive in a couple of weeks.

Mimosas

I like Mimosa trees with their pink flowers. But they seed freely and I spend time every year trying to keep the seedlings out of my flower beds. Today I spent time getting some out of my tire garden. If I don't get them out of my rose strip soon, I'm going to need a chain saw.

Lower Humidity

Today was very pleasant because of the lower humidity as well as the lower temperature. My car has stopped making odd noises (thanks E.G.), and he came out to look at our pump. We will be getting a new tank next week.

Wheels to Heels

I took my car to E.G.,s this morning for a little work. It was Larry's turn to sleep so I walked home, about an hour. Walking as a form of transportation isn't the same as recreational walking or even fitness walking.

Dirt Daubers

I haven't gotten rid of it yet because they eat spiders.

Poaching Trials

The directions for poaching an egg in the microwave said one minute. It looked odd so I did it another thirty seconds. It was harder than I liked. Today I nuked it for seventy seconds. I guess tomorrow I'll go for one minute.

Insulation and Fan

The outside temperature was 98 degrees in the shade and 71 degrees inside with the air conditioner off but a box fan costing about $20 on. Trying to keep the power bill down without being miserable is my goal. We run the air conditioner at night because it cuts down on humidity as well as keeping the house at a comfortable temperature.

Insulation

The weather station showed 96 outside and 76 inside. The air conditioner wasn't on so the 20 degrees difference was due to insulation. It took a while for me to figure out that opening the windows isn't helpful when it's so hot outside.

Figs

Our fig started producing for the season.  Too bad they aren't low carb!

Air Conditioner

My car air conditioner was reminding me of a sauna. Larry had seen a commercial for AC Pro on television and suggested I get it. The place I went to said freon would be cheaper and he put some in for me. On the way home a belt was squealing about every ten seconds and it wasn't cooler. I stopped when I got to E.G.'s and told him my sad story. He said the compressor was overloaded. He bled some freon off while it was connected to something. As he did it, the air started cooling off. It remained cool as I drove home and the squealing was gone. I hope it still works tomorrow.

I bought a dozen gallon containers of distilled water. My plan is to burn holes in then and put liquid fertilizer in for setting around my roses. I tried one and didn't have a lot of luck. I need a different nozzle for the hose. The water was draining almost as fast as I could fill the container.

Easy Breakfast

I decided on eggs Benedict for today's brunch. I used half an English muffin, two slices of deli ham, a microwave poached egg and knorr hollandaise sauce. I microwaved the egg for a minute and a half. Next time I'll try seventy seconds.

Extended Again

We've been under a heat advisory since Wednesday. It has been extended until Sunday night. The miserable heat index makes it even worse. So I vacuumed and mopped since it was nice and cool inside.

New Haircut

I like my new haircut! It is cooler and dries faster😀.

Scary

I took a deposit slip to the bank. I asked the teller which account she'd put the money in. She said the receipt had the number. I didn't see any indication so she looked. She said she hadn't put it in any account and thanked me. She went back and redid it, putting the money in my checking account. I don't know that I'm always careful. That was very disturbing.

Peaches

Larry bought another peck of peaches so the ones left from last week's peach purchase were very ripe. Larry doesn't like ripe ones so I trimmed them, added cottage cheese, and had them for dinner😁

Your Turn

Her: Where do you want to eat today?
Me: I picked the last two times. It's your turn so why don't you pick Mallards!
Her:OK.

Round Up

I didn't have success building up enough pressure to spray with this thing I got at Walmart. I finally got it taken apart and used the hand sprayer to the left. Every time I find poison ivy I spray it.

Today's Plan

I intended to finish weed whacking in my tire circle and trimming the long blackberry canes. That part worked. But the round up sprayer wouldn't work so I gave up on that and weed whacked around the tomatoes, eggplants, and asparagus. Then I continued until both batteries were exhausted.

Weed Whacker

It was somewhat overcast today so I decided to use the weed whacker to tidy up the tire garden. The string disappeared so I thought I needed to replace it. I managed to get it apart and saw it wasn't out of string, I just needed to pull some string out and put it back together. I did that and it worked! So I weed whacked until the battery ran out. My next session down there should finish weed whacking, and then perhaps I'll spray round up on the weeds.

Tea Towels

I like the tea towels that say funny things. I've gotten them in various places we've visited. This one is in the gift shop at the hospital where I volunteer.