SHEs Organized

I had the grand kids eat breakfast on the deck I put a table cloth on it dgd wanted to know why there was a "cloth" on the table. Then we dropped them off at home. H. & I had planned a date for brunch and some errands we did & got groc. shopping done unloaded them hens food etc. Put food away.

Then H. got busy before it got any hotter and fixed the roosts and perch in the chicken run. The hens were not happy with him messing around out there one was really squawking a lot. It was really quiet out not a sound from other birds usually out this time of year [starlings] I said maybe that hawk is back. Who knows. I rinsed off the ramps in the chicken run and watered the back... that reminds me I need to put those ramps back up X and water in the front yard still to do.

H. grilled lunch yummy burgers for us those were great.

We got a small five gal. sized galvanized bucket like a trash can; this one is for feed. These came without a handle this shipment; but I knew we had a wooden knob at home so I rounded that up and the right size screw and h. put that on for me while the burgers were cooking.

Yesterday dgson came up grinning ear to ear dgd was tattling that he got eggs w/ out the basket he had the eggs stuffed in his pockets such memories we are building around here! They do love to gather eggs and help with the chicken chores.

While we were a brunch I got a Sunday paper and the adds had the school supplies & I got some mead comp. note books by some price matching.

I got the kit. trash dumped. I need to do some work on the counters and dining table still to do.

I napped for about an hour.

DCousin stopped by to give away an abundance of cucumbers, squash, cantaloupe and corn from his garden. I took a couple squash because I didn't want to appear ungrateful of his effort. However, I passed on everything else because we are overloaded with vegetables.

Need to get geared up to start the week. It appears like we are going to have a rather calm week, so I am looking forward to getting some things done.

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This set on PC because I forgot to press submit.

Since I wrote this I've done -
** 15 minutes in kitchen washing and general up keep
** 30 minutes drum practice
** 20 minutes in garden
** 20 minutes evening chores

Thursday night dd1 and I went to dd2s to help with the 2 little girls while she trying to get ready for their trip. I did dishes, dd1 swept the living room and kitchen. The plan was for them to leave at 1 pm Friday afternoon after picking up the boys. After dd1 and I walked on Friday morning, I showered, picked up dd2 a cappacino and went to her house. She had everything washed, folded, stacked and ready to pack. Dgd17 and her dh were in charge of their own packing. She packed for the 2 boys, 2 little girls and herself. While she was packing, I gave the girls their bath and washed their hair.

Dd2 was packed and ready to go at 10:45 am. She was suppose to pick her dh up at 11 am because he was leaving his feed truck to be repaired while they were gone. He was running late, so it was 12:30 before he was ready for her to pick him up. I came home for lunch. She picked up her dh, the boys and lunch for all of them. At 2 she called and said she was getting Redbox movies but I could go on out. I wanted to see the boys. While she was gone her dh was putting on the baggage topper. He was delayed because he couldn't find the key. Then he loaded the car. When she got back, she sent him to town for gas. Then when he got back he went to take a shower and she was having a fit that they were running behind. Her and the kids started loading up and then they decided they needed to hook up all the dvd players and headphones. Between the dvd players that are hooked into the back of the seats and then hand held ones, they had 5. I finally hugged and kissed them all goodbye and left. It was close to 4 before they left home.

According to dd2s trip planner, if they left at 1 pm, they would arrive in LA at 5:18 am on Saturday. Dd2 wanted to drive straight thru but she had packed a separate bag in case they did stop and wouldn't need to take in a lot of bags. They ended up stopping at Gallup, NM about 1 am. She texted dd1 yesterday and said they wouldn't be taking a big trip again, anytime soon. She then texted dd1 about 9 last night and said they were in LA, in a traffic jam and trying to get to the hotel. She called me at 10 and said they were at their hotel, unloaded and were going to either eat at the hotel or have room service. Then they were going swimming. She said the kids had been really good, but that she had been a nervous wreck because of all the traffic that day and all the curves they had been on. She didn't realize how many mountains they would be dealing with. Then there had been an accident and that was the reason for the traffic jam. Their hotel is 10 miles from Disneyland but the hotel has a shuttle and they were going to use that. They were going to Disneyland today, tomorrow is Disneys Adventure Land (I think that's what it's called) and on Tuesday they wanted to go to Universal Studios and the ocean. On Wednesday they check out of their hotel and plan to go to San Diego to the zoo and then start home. They should be home sometime Friday. Dd2 told me that she just wants to get her kids safely home and get back to the wonderful life they have here.

Dh and I plan to leave late Friday afternoon and drive 3 hours east of here to spend the night. We will pick up his youngest dsis the next morning and then we are going to OK to see his oldest dsis and her dh. We will come home Monday. His youngest dsis will either come back with us or will stay at her dsis and her daughter and family will pick her up in a few weeks.

Dh and I bought new decorative motion lights for the front garage. We needed 3. What we had was pretty rough and only 2 worked. Of the 2 only one would go out at daylight. When dh took off the first one, which is the one that didn't work, well if it is not even wired it can't work. So he will have to wire it at a later date. Then he installed the other 2 and they look so nice. Since these will go on at dusk and off at daylight, it won't be obvious that we are gone by leaving the one on nonstop.

Dh finally got in gear about the fence. He had taken the fence down on the sides of the house that went over to meet the fence between us and the neighbors on both sides. When the wind blew, the fence swayed, so it's been down about a year. He also had taken the large gate that was behind the garage down. So we have been pretty open. He found a place that will install the 109 ft. of fence and 3 gates that we need for about $700.00 labor. Dh will build the large gate that will go behind the garage. That labor price sounds like a bargain to me. If dh would have done it, it would take a lot of time. This company will have all the equipment and can do it in a short period of time. They can't get to it until September but it will be nice when it is done. He said their quality of fencing was much better than Home Depots or Menards fencing.

Guess dd2 isn't going to call, so I better get to bed.

Oh my, I feel so far behind! I am trying to cuop but missing the majority of important stuff, I’m sure! Y’all just bear with me and forgive me, as usual, I guess.

Happy anniversary to Mr. & Mrs. Helia!!!

Re: funeral traditions… church groups here usually do take care of post-funeral meals for the family, plus friends arrive at home almost immediately as soon as death is announced, it seems. Friends will bring full meals, (usually they do call ahead and schedule/coordinate that, at least) desserts, and sometimes paper goods – paper towels, napkins, cups/plates/plasticware, etc. I think that is particularly thoughtful, actually.
Flowers are usually the go-to memorial, w/afghans also very popular, and dmom & I received two little ceramic items – mine is an angel that winds up & plays “Amazing Grace,” and hers is a little church w/a night light. Gifts to charities, church memorials, and Gideon Bible gift memorials are also very popular.
Sad to say, and not surprising to any of you, I’m sure, I do not feel I do near enough in terms of the house visits and taking food, etc. My dsisil is sooo much better about stuff like that than I am.

ANYWAY…
I had something of a revelation today. DH and I are NOT as young as we used to be. LOL.
Yesterday we went to Nashville, got home about midnight, but it was around 2:00 a.m. when we turned out the lights.
Alarm clock goes off @ 4:45 a.m. b/c we were accompanying ds to a church about an hour and a half away.
DH’s first words: “WHAT was I THINKING???”
As we got dressed, he continued grumbling… one of his better lines was this:
“In the words of Dizzy Dean, ‘This ain’t the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s up there amongst them.”
I was just about ROFLOL @ all his little comments and murmurs and I told him, “You should write this down. You could take this act to a comedy club.”
He said, “You just think it’s funny b/c you’re punch-drunk, too!!!”

Well… by the time we returned home @ 2:00 p.m., I agreed. I was definitely punch-drunk, and I think I slept for about 4 hours. Maybe more!

But I’m slightly refreshed now, I have my tweaked and printed out my checklist for the week, and I’m about to go revise the weekly extras list – which will include * ugh * the DPC to the retirement agency.
I really, REALLY enjoyed the pastor’s sermon this morning and it was something I needed to hear sooo badly. It was also nice to see dcousin who attends that church and whom I’ve been out of contact with for the most part since she got out of school…(somewhat distant cousin – dmil wouldn’t count her, but we do in my family, LOL – Our grandmothers were first cousins, actually. I don’t keep up with EVERYONE who is that degree of relation to me, don’t even know some of them who ARE related to me, b/c there were 13 children in great-grandparents’ family, but this set has stayed close, so this set counts.)

Anyway… I am going to get about my business of checking off whatever I can for this weekend’s to-do’s.

Oh – in case you’re interested -- my new list looks like this:
Excel sheet with Daily Items down the left hand column, morning/afternoon/before bed stuff.
Next, 7 columns for Mon.-Sun.
Then a column for “Sometime Weekly” w/errands, paper work, whb, ironing & mending items.
Except for errands, it doesn’t really matter when these get done, and it is impossible to have a rigid weekly routine w/dh & dgs, etc… but as long as I make progress on them weekly, I’ll feel quite proud of myself.
Next, a column for Saturday/Sunday w/ the weekly stuff that is usually best to do on the weekends, even for a retired person – allergy shots, refill meds, etc. – things that need to follow a somewhat more regular 7-day schedule.
So – it’s ALL on one page where I can check it off and see my Ta-Da’s.
I’ll still refer to my cards to add the extra stuff – doctor’s appts, zone focus, birthdays, etc.
I’ll let y’all know how it’s working out.

Monday PWIC
fracture clinic.
arm has healed enough to be somewhat pain free, though I still can have issues with elbow and wrist - they aren't interested in that.
Met physiotherapist. I have a number of exercises to do 3 x 10 each held for 20sec daily.
They suggested I have the next 6 weeks to get it moving as much as it will ever. My instruments of torture include a rope over a pulley or pivot point to haul my arm forward and up (it gets to 90degrees at present) and a stick to force it laterally (atm to 45degrees which is twice as far as prev unassisted.) I had an umbrella in my bag they used to demonstrate.
Caught the bus to the wrong destination and went to big coastal shopping center.
Booked and later had a 50 min massage (an opining special) while looking for now out of business toy store.
K mart - bought a skipping rope - better handles than just using a rope; and a pool squirty thing that is a good lightweight stick I can also take to the pool if I wish. cheaper than the plastic golf clubs I also looked at. total cost $3 for those 2. I did buy a new lightweight cardigan. Peacock blue.
health inc claim for nmassage.
got bundle prices from telco next door.
went to the discount store and got a large microfiber cloth to sit on my plastic bath board. My tender derriere complained about plastic seat with holes. I'm hoping it will dry quickly.
Waiting for me to pay and put away, gather everything up from the counter (one handed takes x3 as long) the next customer was someone I know who offered me a lift home. yay for that. Last time I took the bus from that shopping center that goes to my area there were speed bumps along the way that caused my neck injury to flare for weeks. I had thought to take the other bus to my town then catch another to my neck of the woods. I still wonder if the speed bumps are still there, and the drivers generally hit them at speed.

gosh it will take a long time to do these exercises 10 times with rest in between. I guess as time passes it will get easier. As long as I do them. I used only be able to do 2 forearm curls, and had to lend my arm support to do that. My goal is to feel like my hand could be useful on a steering wheel. No driving until then. I might try out in our culde sac first.

I am hedging my bets with the massage place. Didn't make a return appointment. He was a bit scared to get into things because of the oestioporosis, but //i think he could get that there was a heap of damage in my shoulder surrounds. Will still consider oestiopath or chiro also. I've had chiropractic make a big difference to shoulder stuff before. I need to see gp as well - see if he wants anything more looked at re elbow or wrist. It does have common elements to carpel tunnel or rsi type things.

time to walk dog.
interrupted by a ph call.
dog is walked and fed.

I'm tired but said I'll take a lift to a meeting tonight. I have 2 hours. I had a banana smoothy when I got home, and salmon w lots of greens, quinoa and rice while I was out. I might just have something when I get home. maybe toast. I'm not hungry now. Maybe I need eat now regardless, then I can fall into bed later.

I've meant to post condolences to the congegations of the OKay's and the Harriets, and to Dee's community.
So tragic OKay. whenever I hear of these matters I know there are families overcome with grief and most likely despair at what has happened.
Harriet - this may sound so silly. I sometimes wonder if once person in a community passes on, and others battling to live on hear that "being on the other side"/ "in the other room" isn't so bad and they let go of their tenuous hold on life. Maybe that is just my childish thought.