Spring Cleaning...again

I don't know why I can never judge how long a job is going to take me.  I was thinking two hours tops, but it ended up being four!  The twins came over to help me sweep it out a bit. First thing Maddie did when she arrived was change my radio station. She has her priorities.

I didn't think I would find that much to discard but I did.  Have a "dump pile" set aside for Wayne to pick up once he decides to go and I took a car full over to Goodwill.  I stopped at this other second hand store on the way but they must be thinking about phasing their stuff out as they were only taking furniture and it was lookin' kind of bare in there.

I passed two native American women on the sidewalk as they were leaving the store and when I came back out, I stopped to talk to them as they were parked right in front of me. Told them I was going to Goodwill to unload but they were welcome to look my stuff over first if they wanted to.  They took a few things and we chatted.  They knew Joe Kenney so I told them to tell him Joyce says hey!

The twins found a few things of interest as I was sorting through the various boxes.  I came across this old beat up cloth-like box with a lid that I used to store buttons in.  The buttons are in glass jars now but I've had the box so long, I hate to throw it out.  May have picked it up at Value Village  back in the 60's or 70's. Or maybe my Aunt Velna gave it to me.  When you open the lid (which is attached) there is a kids' message written in pencil and another kids' crayon scribbling marking it out.
I told the kids it was their mother's writing but she informed me when she arrived that it was Mary. She said she didn't know how to spell "Joseph" until she was almost 12 and she remembers I was mad at her for her.  Said that I told her "it's just JOE!"  ha ha    Funny the things kids remember.

Anyhow, the box makes me laugh everytime I open it. Mary wrote: "I hate the crybaby. It is who cries so much and it is Joseph."

I don't know why my back is hurting as bad as it is because I tried again to take things slow and easy and I sat down to rest.  I guess I'm just going to have to accept the fact once and for all that my strength and endurance is not what it used to be.  My tooth is trying to get in the act too. Guess it's a  good thing I've got a dentist appt Monday morning.  Been thinking seriously about whether or not to go the expensive route or have it pulled.  I'm leaning towards extraction.

Well, 'Lord of the Flies' is on so either I can head for the recliner to watch it or I can work on genealogy files.  I think I'll choose the movie. My back is making up my mind for me.

The Rains are Back

Lookin' wet this morning but I'm fine with that. At least it gives me an excuse to stay inside and work on genealogy without having the guilt of not working in my yard. I'm way too delicate to do yardwork in the rain.  Ha!  I'm watching three deer across the street. They've been frequenting other neighborhoods these past weeks but are back to the vacant lot across from me again.  Good sleeping place, I suppose, with all the overgrown scotchbroom and high grass.
I hope they stay on that side of the road. I put a pot of pansies on my steps and it's the first thing I check out in the morning -- to see if they've come by for a midnight snack.

I taped three hours of shows last night and watched some of the previous shows I had taped a few nights ago. Three hours of 'Dancing with the Stars' (over two nights) lets me see and hear everything I want to in about 45 minutes.  I bypass all the commercials and a lot of the show-off antics of the judges and certain dancers. I don't mind the stars who are poor dancers but I do mind the stars who get criticized for their poor dancing and then get an attitude.  If they'd laugh it off, they'd go a lot further. They eliminated one such guy this week and I was glad to see the last of him. What an ego! I also can't stand the stars who are pretty good dancers and act like they're doing us a favor to watch them.  You'd be surprised at the language I use during this show.  Well, maybe you wouldn't.  But it's what I do for amusement.

I stuck my Red Box movie of 'Lincoln' in the DVD player and gave it an hour and a half before giving up on it.  Talk about an overblown movie!  Bored me to tears!  And I like political stories too.

I slept better last night and feel a whole lot better this morning. Happy that my itchy hand has ceased, as well.  Interesting dreams last night.  So odd the people that show up and have an acting role. Last night it was Karen Hinton, Bob Hinton, some guy named John Morris?, and lots of others too.  I won't bore you with the details but it was definitely busy.

I pulled out my box of paints and brushes and set up a corner for rock painting this weekend.  I keep thinking I need to get my sewing machine put to use, as well, but I'll hold off on that for a while longer.  I have a tendency, sometimes, to get too many projects going at once.

And with that, I'm off to pour a second cup of coffee and begin the chore of sorting photos.  Good fun.

Shopping, Movies, Dreams

I had to return a Red Box movie (only costs $1.20 and I like that!) and I noticed Lincoln was available so I brought that home for tonight. Watched Life of Pi yesterday and enjoyed it very much.  I seem to go in spurts renting movies. There's quite a few out now that I wouldn't mind seeing and I'm reminded how much cheaper it is to wait until Red Box offers them.  Even matinee prices seem to be going up every year and I never buy soda or popcorn.  Not on my budget.

I taped an hour show on the Discovery channel a few nights back. Naked Castaway. I knew right away I was going to be entertained. The opening credits read:  If you are offended by pictures of the naked buttocks, please avert your eyes."  ha ha ha ha    Yeah, they had me right away with that one! I can hardly wait for the next episode.  This guy (who is taping himself) is staying on a deserted island off Australia (I think) and he has no tools, no clothes, no food or drink, and intends to stay two or three months if he can survive.  Fascinating show.

I've been working steadily on putting my genealogy notes and photos in folders so I can find things when I want them.  I'm making good headway but it took me a while to figure out the easiest way to transfer.  I had so many duplicate files.  All this family tree work has me busy in dreamland too.  Sometimes I wake up very tired just because I've been so busy at one party or reunion or job after another.  Seeing lots of interesting people, though.

I've got to make time to go across town to the Morman library to see if they have files that might help me, or at least point me in the direction I need to go.

I plugged in my crock pot up this morning so the house smells pretty good. I cooked a pot roast and had it for two or three meals and decided to take the last of it and cook it down with sweet and sour sauce till it's stringy like pulled pork.  Gonna fix a sandwich for supper and call it good.

I've got something going on with my skin today.  Especially my left hand. Nothing there that I can see but it's been itching since last night.  Just plain ole dry skin, I guess. My hands (like the rest of me) are sure looking old these days.  Kind of swollen over the knuckles.  Well, not kind of...really puffy.  My tongue continues to bother me too. I think I'll give it another couple weeks and then make a doctor appt.  I have my doubts it can be diagnosed but you never know.  It's not terribly uncomfortable all the time but it's been going on for weeks and it's just enough to keep me agitated.
Dentist didn 't see anything suspicious so at least that was comforting.

I have to get a crown on Monday.  Once he takes off the crown that is there now and removes the decay, he'll decide if there's enough tooth left to put another crown on.  If not, a root canal might be called for first.  OR...... and I'm seriously considering this.....I just might opt to have the damn thing extracted.  I'd only have two teeth on the bottom left but I think I could manage with that.  A root canal and a crown are both very expensive and when you don't have dental insurance, it can wipe out your savings.  I have reservations about spending a lot of money on my teeth at my age.  I'm thinking on it.

I got an email this morning telling me about this product called raspberry ketone supplement that my friend says has helped her lose weight and has given her energy.  A Dr. Oz video was attached with it. I did stop at the health food store this morning to check it out. Didn't take me long to decide against it. $26 for a tiny bottle.  Dr Oz often has nifty ideas to share but you need deep pockets too.

I looked over my humidifier this morning and it suggested changing the filter once a month. I've never changed it so I went to half a dozen stores trying to find a filter. Finally came home and went on walmart.com.    They have it for $4.44 and will send me a message when it's in so I can pick it up at the store with no shipping charges.  Wish I had thought of that sooner. I did consider going all the way over to Walmart but didn't want to go that far and then find it wasn't there.  Course as much time as I spent going from store to store only defeated my purpose.

I stopped at Joanne's to buy a skein of yarn and noticed a big crane moving equipment into the vacant store next door. Rite-Aid people told me they heard it was Big Lots.  I hope so.   I did buy a flower pot at 50% off at Rite Aid.   Came home and put my Christmas cactus in it.  So cute.

 

Yvonne and I went thru Frugals for a burger today and sat on the bluff to watch the ships. She said:

"Remember that guy who is buying my house with his son and how I told you you should welcome them to the neighborhood once I'm gone?"

 

I said: "Yeah. Do you still think I should visit?"

 

She said: "No. I'm datin' him!"

 

"Well, you're movin' to Olympia this weekend. Maybe I'll just steal him away."  hee hee

 

We laughed but I knew she was serious. She likes the guy, and he's apparently very attentive.  I always joked about how my next boyfriend was going to have to show up on my doorstep 'cause I was too tired and too lazy to go looking these days.  It seemed to work for her.  He plans to visit her and vice versa.  Still makes me chuckle.

 

Well, I think I'll go take a nap in my chair. I didn't sleep all that well last night and I've been yawning all day long.  Hopefully, that means I'll sleep like a log tonight.

Spring cleaning

Lookin' halfway decent out my front window this morning. Gonna have to keep the tv off, though.  Nothing looking good there. I think our country went around a corner way back in 1963 when JFK was shot.  From that day on, the under belly scum got the attention they wanted and it's only gotten worse.  When the Oklahoma daycare center was bombed in 1995, I sent money to the Red Cross.  The coverage of those poor kids being killed had an effect.  And the Twin Towers, of course, will forever be remembered.  Evil is the word that most often comes to mind.

I don't travel much these days and since my last airplane trip, I'm not all that enthused about flying anywhere.  Having to take off your shoes and have your bag searched is one thing, but when you're frisked in a special room because your hand lotion set off an alarm, it's time for this gramma to tell the security people to take a flying leap and get their act together.

We've always had evil but there is definitely more evil today than when I was a kid.  I think everybody can agree with that.  You can also bet that Boston is just another story in terror bombings.  Wackos are alive and among us and they thrive like a virus gone wild when there's a chance for them to get the world-wide attention they crave.  We're not special, though. Bombings are going on all around the globe and people are being killed daily. We're just not used to experiencing it living in a place where the worst things we have to contend with are acts of mother nature, disease, auto accidents, threats by unstable world leaders in distant lands, and murder by deranged citizens.  Sadly, we're going to hear more and more stories like we're hearing on the news this week.

Well, Maddie just dropped off her softball equipment so time to answer the door.

Both kids are in track this spring and Maddie goes to daily softball practice after her track runs. She had a game last night and didn't get home until 8:30.  And no, I don't go to the games.  I prefer the comfort of my recliner.  I do take her to practice, though, so I'm not a complete waste as a gramma.  Ha!

Yesterday, I spent the morning getting my genealogy files in order.  I needed to be able to find the various files I was working on and once I got going, I realized the job was more complicated than I thought.  I had so much "repeat material" in different files that it took a while to delete and refile everything.  The photos are another story.  I'll work on them today.

I went outside to get started on cleaning up the deck. Here's what I got done...

I went slow and sat down for everything I could sit down to work on.  I only put in a little over two hours so I was surprised that I was as worn out as I was.  I mean...really  worn out!  I didn't feel that I was lifting too many heavy pots or moving at a fast pace but by the time I pushed my wheelbarrow full of weeds over to the vacant lot across the street, I was dragging like a woman of 99.  It zapped any energy I had right out of me 

I rested for an hour and then went back outside to finish the last 30 minutes of work I wanted to do.  I know I'm no spring chicken but it's discouraging to get tired this fast.  I don't like it!  I set up my reclining lawn chair and soaked up the sun for 20 minutes.  All that did was make me more tired.

Hmmm... the Today show is doing a piece about all the violence that has occurred in April over the last few years.  Interesting.  April is significant to me too.  Five years ago this month, Mary and Andy got married.  Nineteen years ago this month, Jenni and Wayne got married.  My son-in-law turns 59 this month and several friends turn 70! -- Virginia Tomlinson, Sharon Sofie, John O'Brien, and my neighbor, Yvonne. (who is moving to Olympia in a few days)  Boo hoo hoo!  Also, happy birthday to cousins Dale and Denny this month.  By the way, if you want to play around with a fun website, go to
paulsadowski.com.  It's a fun place that will tell you all about your birthday and even predict when you were conceived.

I've seen three good commercials this week. Think I'll head over to YouTube and see if I can find them.  Okay. I found them all.... ENJOY!

Quiet Sunday

Boy, what a difference a good nights' sleep makes!  I feel so much better (emotionally) than I did yesterday when my sleep pattern had gone awry at 3 a.m. The view out my front window showed blue skies and pretty white clouds an hour ago but it's getting grayer by the minute.

See that white steam coming up from the bottom of the picture right in the middle? That's the paper mill down on the waterfront.  I've always thought it was kind of ironic that the view from my window is paper mill steam. Course only I would find that interesting --having worked in a paper mill for two decades.

Two black crows are walking around my yard now.  Lookin' for worms I suppose. And a robin is watching them from the middle of the street.  I wonder if she's waiting to see if they find something good for breakfast.  Odd how I've become such a bird watcher these days. Two hummingbirds just arrived and they're my favorites. And thank you, Coke,  down in Oregon for telling me my woodpecker yesterday was a flicker.  I want to buy a better camera just so I can take pictures of birds and other things nature-wise that I've taken an interest in.

Looked over the tv line-up for today. Gonna watch golf at 4 and Call the Midwife at 8. Also taping Mad Men and a new show on the Discovery Channel called 'Naked Castaway.'  Has to do with surviving techniques in the wild.  (my way of communing with nature)  Found a new favorite show on Netflix last night too. I'm really enjoying the streaming side of Netflix. Kevin Spacey stars in this 13-episode  first season of House of Cards.  Really good!

Another movie I recently watched was 'Fanny,Annie,and Danny.'  Very dark but very good.

Came across a blog that has free patterns if you sewers are interested.  modafabrics.blogspot.com

Spent hours on ancestry yesterday. Found a picture of Ben Downs which I saved (for now) even though I'm fairly certain he's not "my Ben Downs."  You never know. He could be a relative.

 

My cousin, Marlee in Gig Harbor recently did the MS walk to raise money. She wrote:

 

The actual MS Walk is almost two miles on the completely flat part of the trail if you walk to the last booth and back to the beginning.  We always walk the whole loop, down near the beach and back up.  Mary wore her GPS and we walked 3.1 miles.

The wind was really blowing - my car said it was 39 degrees, but the wind-chill factor has to be considered!  We started out with just the cold wind, but it started sprinkling then really raining at the end.  The wind was blowing the rain sideways as we walked up the last long hill.  We could hardly wait to get back to the car and get warm!  (She's in the red)

 

First thing I did this morning was move my laptop desk back over where I originally had it. I found not being able to sit and look out the window threw off my balance.  Or something.  Maybe it was just a reminder that I prefer watching the goings on outside.  They're never really that interesting but you have to find your entertainment where you can.

 

I should work on a Town Kid blog today but I can't think of a thing to write about. Any suggestions?



Cold, Wet, Windy and Nasty!

An hour ago the sun was shining. A minute ago it was pouring and hail was coming down. Obviously, mother nature is going through the change. 

I've had Pandora music on since I got up. It's 5 p.m. and I have been on ancestry for HOURS!  I really am disappointed in my lack of will power to move about and do other things with my life.  It's so pathetic! 

I spent two hours yesterday getting ready to work on the pots on the back deck. After buying dirt and pansies and setting up my "sit down chair" it started to sprinkle and then got wetter and wetter so I called it a day.  Went outside this morning to inspect the wind damage. One pot fell off the porch and broke but it was a small pot and empty.

I set up all my bird feeder stakes in another corner of the yard this morning. Figured it would be easier to get them in that rock hard ground after the heavy rain but it was still a fight.  Now I'll have to wait and see if they stay upright. You can hardly see them in this picture but they're there.

I've only got a couple feeders hung 'cause I have to clean the others out with the hose and a wire brush.  It's a dirty project.

I made an early morning run to Safeway to gas up the car and took a quick spin through the store to buy some comfort food.  Picked out a pizza for tonight's dinner 'cause I don't feel like cooking and I've had leftovers all week long. Tomorrow, though, I'm gonna fix a nice pot roast.  I hardly ever do that.

With all the time I spent on ancestry today and all the different people I kept searching for data on, I ended up with nothing new.  Disappointing.  I'm just going to have to break down and visit the morman genealogy library across town. I'm not getting anywhere on my own.  I did email the Seattle schools today as I discovered one of my cousins was a teacher for several years in various Seattle schools. Seward, Queen Anne, and James Madison Jr. High. 

It's doubtful they'll have a picture of her from that far back (1920's-1940's) but you never know.....

I guess I'll look over my picture collection and see if there's anything new I could add to the ancestry file.  I noticed a lot of folks attached my Blankenship family portrait to their records.  That photo continues to puzzle me.  Mainly, the boy in front.  Certainly seems odd that I can't find a birth or death record for him.

I've even wondered if he's adopted.  I have another cousin who changed his last name altogether because he didn't like his mother.  ha ha  I never would have found him if I hadn't located one of his nephews in Olympia.  Drives me crazy that I have so few pictures.  But I need to move on.  There are more records on other family limbs.

My hummingbirds hung around all winter long. There's one sitting outside my window now.  Also noticed that hawk is back looking for dinner. He's been soaring the vacant lot across the street and another noisy crow is yakking him up as he watches his progress.  Yesterday while I was outside on the deck, I kept hearing this rat-a-tat-tat.  I grabbed my camera and walked a ways down the alley as I saw a bird on top of a telephone pole. I think it was a woodpecker.

And now for your listening pleasure......  hee hee





Okay. Time to move on down the line. I've got to make an effort to stay up as long as possible tonight. I woke up at 3 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep so I got up.  Then I dozed from 5 to 7. Naturally, that made me feel groggy and out of sorts.  It's always something.

End of the week

I haven't felt like blogging much this week. Not really much to yak about. Course I've never let that stop me before. It's 8 a.m. and I opened the curtains to this view.

I don't care if they graze on that side of the road. I'd just as soon, however, that they avoid my lawn. I haven't really got any flowers planted yet but I'm thinking about it.  I found some tulip bulbs in the garage that I'm wondering if I can still stick in the dirt.  I've been trying to get in garden mode for over two weeks now and I think today's the day I just might go outside and play around.  At least with those pathethic looking pots on the back deck.

My tulips in the raised flower beds are looking okay but the ones I planted along the fence didn't fare as well.  Slugs, I imagine. I bought slug bait but then forgot to use it.  Wasn't exactly sure when I was supposed to use it.

It's actually halfway warm outside this morning so I may get  busy as soon as I finish here.  I know it will be fun once I get going. It's kind of like cleaning out dresser drawers or closets --you put it off but once you get started, it's fine.

I walked around the backyard a little bit yesterday when I was pulling the trash bin out to the alley. I need to get out my "notes" and take action on the moss.  If it was "pretty moss" I wouldn't care as much but my moss is ugly.  Over in one corner where I had a  small garden patch, I noticed the hole near the fence that I plugged up with a large rock has another hole dug nearby.  Not sure what kind of critter is coming in but I'm hoping it's not a rat. 

There isn't really that much of interest in this little corner. A small droopy rhubarb plant that I may transplant somewhere else 'cause I do like rhubarb; a small rose bush that needs fertilizer in the worst way; a half dozen strawberry plants (not sure why I even bother) and then the bird feeders. I only have three up now as I need to clean the others. I'd really like to get them all situated in another corner of the yard but I'm not sure I have the strength to get the stake in the ground. It's like cement where I want to put them.  The corner where they're at now is soft and moist.  Which is why I was able to take a photo of this......  Yep!  A toadstool or mushroom. Whatever it's called. Tall one too.

I had a dentist appt yesterday and I usually cope while sitting there by rearranging every room in my house.  It was only 45 mintues (2 fillings) but I was tense and uncomfortable the entire time.  And my mouth is sore today.  Cost me over $700 for those two appts. First one was an exam, x-rays, and cleaning.  He says I need a crown too.  Another $1200. I'm putting that off for a while.  Seems like such a waste of money. Spending that kind of dough on my teeth at my age.  It's not like my teeth are even worth looking at!  And yes, I'm well aware of the fact you need teeth for eating and good health.

I wonder how much dental insurance runs people these days. I'm betting it's not cheap. I figure I'm just as well off not having it since I put off going to the dentist as long as I can.

Anyhow, I came home and rearranged a few things here and there. Started on the front porch when I noticed the wind had blown down a hanging decoration from the back deck.  Now I've got most of my doodads in the front.

My porch rocks are looking kind of faded and in need of a fresh coat of paint so maybe I'll play around with those this weekend.

I decided to move a couple of bookcases and change where I sit at the computer.  I think I like this better although knowing me, I'll probably put my desk in front of the window again. I need to keep an eye on what passes by my window.  Ha!

I was reminded when I had to remove all the books from the shelves just how many books I have that I still need to read.  Like most of 'em!  I like having books around. Always have. You'd think I'd read more than I do.  I did take a couple to put by my bed -- even though the one I chose is one I'm sure I read back in the 70's.  The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart. I also have The Hollow Hills.  I don't remember one single thing about them but I do remember I liked them.

The dryer just turned off so I guess I'd better retrieve the whites and get them folded and put away. Looking kind of gray outside but the wind's not blowing and it's warm enough so I'll work with a rainhat if I need to. 

The sooner I get those pots done, the sooner I can get back to ancestry.com.  I'm still looking for cousins and I was successful this week. Connected with a couple in North Carolina and they're going to send me pictures of their grandfather who I've been researching off and on for weeks.

My grandpa's sister, Georgianna, married Jake Stark and they ran hotels in Oregon.  They had four kids (one set of twins --a boy and girl) and this boy and girl are the ones I was working on.  Inez, who I wrote about on my Town Kid blog, was a teacher in Seattle.  Her brother, John, had restaurants in Oakland, CA.  John, in turn, named his son, John. This guy married Jean Robinson in Seattle and I'm still working on what he did for a living. He's the father of the N.C. people.  I know. Could I bore you even more?  Ha Ha  But it's interesting to me.

I looked over various programs online where you can fill in family tree forms but I found them too slow and burdensome to navigate. I think I'm going to make my own system and just write about the various relatives giving them their own file page.

Looking forward to settling in to watch golf this weekend. I still find it kind of funny that I'm interested.  I don't like Tiger Woods, though. He'll probably win but I'm hoping somebody beats him.
And tonight at 8 is Doc Martin on PBS. One of my favorite shows along with Call the Midwife.

Watched Southland last night and I can hardly wait for the finale next Wednesday.  Made me TENSE!

Okay. Time to get to work.