SUNDAY SIMPLICITY

[Harriet]

Kally, I'm so sorry to hear your family is having such struggles. Hope your dmother's injury heals well and that you can get enough rest. Thank you for letting us know.

Wow, Cowinkie. I will never disrespect a saltine again if they are helping you this much. Reading makes you feel sicker? So sorry and hope you are feeling well soon.

Dee, not that I know one iota about it, but sometimes people are unaware of how they change when they are drunk. I believe it was Joe Namath who explained that he went "on the wagon" after seeing a video of himself while drunk and being surprised to learn that others had been right about his behavior. Until he saw that video, he honestly believed he was being wrongly accused.

Twins' Mom, it's tough to sit down and write on cue. Just because you have time to write doesn't mean it comes to you right then.

Congratulations to the 3rd Amigo and the new Missus Amigo.

I can't believe dd14 starts school in the morning. But theoretically, she's ready! LOL! This morning we arose at 6:45 and my intention had been that we'd arise at 6:15 tomorrow to complete our cycling into correct schedule hours. Now I'm thinking we'll have to arise at 6:00.

[BookSaver]

Hello, villagers ~
Emptynester ~ Thanks for posting the link to the puppy videos. They just made me laugh and laugh! Especially the one of the puppy with the bone pillow -- I could just hear it's thoughts: "This is MINE! No one else can have it. You know you all want it, but it's MINE!"

Dee ~ So glad you tracked down that burner. Hope you feel better soon.

Harriet ~ Good luck with getting up at the crack of dawn!

I couldn't get much simpler than what I've been doing today. Dillydallyed around the kitchan this morning. DH had planned to mow today, but we got a lot of rain overnight and everything is soaked. *\o/**\o/**\o/* We went to the truck stop for a burger for lunch. On the way there, we noticed how green the lawns are all of a sudden.

I finally turned on the computer well after 2 and have been catching up on Emails and such. Alternating that with searching out sewing supplies.

I have been asked to make a bunch of small bags cut from a fallen soldier's camo uniform. The bags will be auction items at an event next weekend, raising funds to put up a memorial to this young man as well as others from his home town.

Today's goal was to gather all of the supplies. I think I finally have everything I need. Tonight I'll figure out how to cut the pieces. Tomorrow I'll do the actual cutting. I'll set up my machine tomorrow night and start sewing, and then sew Tuesday and Wednesday. I want to deliver the finished bags on Thursday.

[OKay]

Would you have gotten sick if you weren't retired? Interesting question. I know there are many times I have felt lousy and would have laid down and/or go to bed if it was an option. Thankfully have always made it through each time although at a slower pace.

>>>skippable
VDFriend called. She is juggling so much that it makes my head spin.
** She asked if DH or myself could spend the night and all day tomorrow with her DFIL/DMIL. DH will do it as a favor to VDFriend family. Both of their parents are mentally unable to stay by themselves (Alzheimer and dementia). The family has been rotating through staying with DParents in their home, but 3 of the adult children are in the hospital, so they find themselves in a crisis taking care of DParents.
** VDFriend DD is in jail for contempt. DHS removed her children from her on Friday and she tried to hide two of them. DD has threaten DHS worker & VDFriend with violence when she is released from jail. VDFriend has been instructed to call police if her DD shows up at her home.
** VDFriend DD test positive for drugs and found out Friday she also has hepatitis.
** DHS placed the 3 children with VDFriend on Friday. 8, 2 and 1 year old.
** All of them have to get tested tomorrow for hepatitis.
** VDFriend doctor thinks she is having strokes. She had MRI & EEG on Friday and will get test results back tomorrow
** VDFriend will enroll 8 year old in school tomorrow and seek a daycare solution for the 2 & 1 year olds.

[helia]

Oh, my OK! Very big HUGS for ((VDFriend)). And for ((OK and Mr. OK)) for helping her out. Wow. My life is so easy-peasy compared to that.

I took ds to the campus bookstore to buy his books. Wow! Sticker shock! I'd forgotten how expensive those books are!! I'm sure Twins can relate.

I had a very nice conversation with dmom today. That was so nice after the last conversation which left me feeling upset. Not long after I got off the phone with her, dh called and we chatted for a while. It is late where he is (6 hours ahead) and I could tell he was tired and feeling a bit impatient. Dd16 isn't the easiest kid to travel with and that is wearing on him a bit. Maybe things will be better for them in the morning. They are back in NL in the family's summer house with one of dh's sisters and 2 of her sons, ages 18 and 21, I believe. Maybe familiar spaces with familiar people will be helpful for dd16. (They just spent a couple days sightseeing in Belgium.)

The automatic watering system dh set up before he left isn't working, at least not for dd14's morning glories or the other flowers (near the house). I don't think it is working for the tomatoes either, so I need to go water those tonight. I also need to collect the tomatoes! I have forgotten about doing that.

I am looking forward to reading about dd14's start of school, Harriet. Hoping you can even share about the first day, but I know you have a lot going on and may not have time. One more week here until school starts, after Labor Day. Michigan law - schools may not start before Labor Day.

Ds isn't home from robotics yet; I suppose he ate pizza there, so I can do what I want for supper? He is trying to finish something he's working on so he can hand it off to the high school kids. He isn't planning on being involved in the club his first year at Univ. (The mentors for this club are all Univ. students.) He will go to work tomorrow, and then I think he is done. They have asked him to continue during the school year, so ds will have to make that decision. I need to go shopping with him and have him packed up for the big move on Thursday!! I still can't believe we're at this point in life.

Off to tend to our wilting gardens before it gets dark.

[Harriet]

Oh, OKay, how wonderful that Mr. OKay can be there for them right now at this tough time. I know you have this on your heart. May things work out for them in the best way possible.

That wasn't "crack of dawn" for us in the past, BookSaver, but after 3 years of 9:15 school bells, it sure is now. As a matter of fact, I'm convinced even the roosters I hear around the area are sound asleep then. Oh, how I dread it if we have bad winter weather.

Emptynester, of course I had to find the "bone" video having heard a good review and then of the interior ones I decided my favorite is the toy hedgehog video. Whoever manufactured that hedgehog, that's the best advertising they could ever have.

Filled up with gasoline since Tuesday promises storms. Checked on the other house, flushing toilets and changing lights, reducing AC more. English Ivy was climbing all over the back porch screen there, so I pulled that down, making a couple writing spiders pretty mad.

Tucked a pair of Dr. Scholl's "instant flats" into dd's bookbag in case anything should go wrong with shoes this year.

[helia]

The toy hedge hog video was my favorite too!! The bone one was cute as well. . . .

[DeeClutter]

Okay, you had friends a few weeks who had taken on 3 grandchildren -are these the same ones? Or do I have my 'facts' wrong?

[DeeClutter]

Our next door neighbors vdfriends -are leaving here for FL on Wednesday. Hoping if they go the far eastern route they won't encounter the stormy weather. We're hoping they'll stay at least an extra day if there's any question. They traveled down in a tropical storm last year and some roads were closed in the path.

Dh has gone to take his shower. He was stopped by at least 2 people who wanted to talk about the situation going on at the campground right now. Plus the person in question stopped to talk to him again -fighting tears all the time. It's hard to see a very grown man cry. Tomorrow night we have a VIP invitation to C amping W orld with hordeurves from 5-7. DH has fire dept meeting at 7 and it's our potluck night. We've decided since the conversation most assuredly will be this same event, that it would be a good night for us to be gone. So, that's what we're doing. In fact it would be a good week for us to be away if only we could. Not fun being an employee right now. Wish this had happened at the end of the year. Would have been slightly easier. As it is, the permanent member is showing his letter from dcampowner to everyone he can and I can see people taking sides. And I can see they'd much like to see dh do the same and he CAN'T.

[Emptynester]

The puppy in the hedgehog video is Ditto, my favorite. She is called Ditto because she has a white spot on her chest like her mommy, Blaze.

My other favorite is Annie, the darkest of the yellow labs. She is named after my niece and also called "The lovely Mrs. Davis". Ditto and Annie were the two smallest of the females. And I think the cutest.

I think I told you that the reason so many of the puppies have names of tires (BT, Tred, Michelin, etc) is that DD had a flat tire the day she was taking momma dog to meet daddy dog. And, of course, the spare was also flat. So good neighbor to the rescue.

It has been raining all day here - beautiful female rain. It is clearing up in the west and we have a beautiful sunset - especially where it shines on the bottom of the rain clouds that are still over us.

Edited to say that DD took the puppies swimming again today and uploaded some more videos. Have fun with the time wasters. Oh, and by the way, DD has a whole basket of those toys - I had to repair from last litter. They almost took the duck's head off.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Tidied up the fridge quite well and took things out that don't belong there now (Gatorade and diet soft drinks.) Am going to go through my receipts and see about returning the cases of diet softdrinks I bought before getting sick. There are three unopened ones. At the very least, I'll ask if I can exchange for store brand club soda (it is lower in sodium than low sodium Canada Dry Club soda.)

I still have to have a glass of milk and then I'll have hit my nutrition standards (barely) for the day. I never did had lunch, just a bran muffin and a bag of goldfish crackers. I've only had fruit, no veggies except for the onion, lettuce and tomato on my burger tonight. McD fries don't excite me anymore so that's a bonus except the McDs didn't have any side salads so I ended up with no veggies with my dinner.

I can't drink diet soft drinks (Dr's orders) and non-diet don't appeal to me either so I'm checking out the pathetic, non-carbonated offerings at fast food places now. I can't drink juice without diluting it (it tastes too strong to me) so they sold me a juice at McDs and gave me a small cup half full of water so I could cut it myself. But mainly I drink water at home, plus 2 glasses of milk and one juice box (diluted 4x) each day. In the long run it will save me money since I was drinking 3 diet pops a day which cost more than one juice box. Except when I go out. At Subway, an 8 oz milk cost me 50 cents more than a 20 oz soda.

We went to the market town since there was a Staples, McD and Walmart there but it has older fashioned hours so the Staples was closed by the time we got there at 5:20. I picked up some of my 'school supplies' at Walmart but I think I was paying more than Staples would be. It is hard to say because the notebooks are completely different styles. There's a Staples around the corner from Presbytery so I'll go there on Tuesday when I go in for a meeting. (More precisely, I'll have dh take me there - he's still not wanting me to drive far.) I picked up two blank note books with good covers and a set of coloured gel pens so I can write in creative colours.

I've been up since getting home, wasting time on the internet. The house is insanely hot, 79 in the bedroom, 72 outside but no wind, so it will be another rough night's sleep. Dh really hates to run the a/c and made a comment yesterday when I ran it, so I left it off today. Now I regret that decision since it will cost me sleep. Perhaps I'll get 'even' by sleeping in the basement or on the couch. He hates when I won't sleep in the bed with him.

(((CoWinkie))) I hope your appetite comes back soon.