This is so me!

Saw this cartoon on Facebook this morning and thought it pretty well wrapped up my life right now.

I just finished my  morning surfs of websites I usually stop at, and did my Yahoo crossword puzzle.  For the first time in a long time, I was able to complete the puzzle without having to go to google for "crossword clues".

Some mornings I feel a little bit guilty about jumping back into genealogy research when I could be
weeding outside, going for a walk, sewing, reading, or any number of other worthwhile chores.  All in good time, I tell myself.  My view from this chair is the dirty flower pots on the deck that need to be scrubbed with a brush.  I'll get to them. And maybe even this week. But if I don't, who really cares?

A few more yellow tulips have opened up here and there.  Too bad I didn't put more effort into planting them all in one pot last winter.  As I recall, it was kind of chilly outside and I wanted to get the bulbs in the dirt quickly.  Noticed my trees are starting to bloom a little more each day now that spring has sprung.

I know they don't look like much yet but except for the 3rd and 4th one, I planted them all myself. I've only been here 7 years.  Maybe in another 7 years, they'll be more interesting to look at. I really love trees.  I wish the back yard had more of them.

The window guy is coming tomorrow to replace the bad glass in the living room.  Wonder how long it takes to do that.  I wouldn't think longer than an hour.

Watched 'Call the Midwife' last night. What a great show that is.  Been listening to the excitement over the basketball playoffs and am tempted to tune in the last few games to see if I can get interested.  I suppose if I can find golf interesting, I certainly should be able to activate some interest in basketball. Ha!

Well, that's about all I got this morning.  Time to move on over to --you know where--
Hope I can find something good today.  Found a college picture of a cousin at the U of Oregon yesterday.  And finally figured out the steps to be able to save a picture that seems unclickable.  I used the prtscr key and while I had to google the instructions, I did manage to learn how to open the paint program and Cntl V it onto a setting I could play with. Every little new thing I learn gives me hope I can keep going.

A puttering kind of day

I've been fairly busy all morning long.  Decided I needed to make my sewing room more user friendly 'cause I keep getting the urge to wander on back there and get going on quilt projects.  I moved the table from the corner to the center of the room and brought in a stool so I'll be more apt to have a work area.  Much better.

Then I started looking for a book I was pretty sure I had (but apparently I disposed of it) and as I straightened up the shelves, I found other books I completely forgot I had.  I actually have a pretty good sized library. Everything from cookbooks, health books, how-to books, biographies, history, cartoon books, tons of fiction, high school yearbooks, writing books, and several old children's books.
I hunted everywhere on my computer for a list of those collectables but I must have deleted it on one of those days when I was "cleaning out files."  I've got to quit doing that!

Meanwhile, I thought maybe I would see about listing some of these old books on Ebay. Just because I need more practice at selling online. It's easy to forget but then I've always got Hunter to guide me through as he's big on buying and selling on Ebay.  I set out my stack of books so I can type up a list of the names and years.  Need to research a little bit to see if any are worth more than a dollar or two.

While trying to get a picture of the morning hummingbirds coming in to feed, I decided to hang my Port Townsend pennants alongside my button and small knickknack collections.

Since I was already busy snapping photos around the house, I thought I would try again to understand my camera settings better so I could take a picture with light in the background.  I used my camera, my phone camera, and my old phone camera ('cause it takes halfway decent pictures) but no matter how many settings I used, I still couldn't get a picture that didn't turn out too dark.  Guess I'll just have to always make sure I don't snap photos with light in the background. Also need to start looking around for a better camera.  Mine takes "okay" pictures but I want better shots than I'm getting. Plus the little piece of dirt on the lens seems to be growing and I always have to crop it out. It's a nuisance.

Mary sent me pictures of the turtles that my sister-in-law, Lill Greenwood, made for Jake.  He's such a little ham!

Their neighbors invited him to a birthday party yesterday so he got to go in a jumping tent.  Wish I could have been there to see it.  Mary had him dressed so cute.

I see 'Call the Midwife' starts up again tonight. Good. It's about time.  I also heard 'Downton Abbey' is only having one more season and they're done.  Sigh...  One show I've just recently come to look forward to is  'CBS Sunday Morning'.  It starts at 7 a.m. and is almost always worth paying attention to.

I've been wanting to get back into doing counted cross stitch at night while I'm watching tv but I couldn't find anything to sew that really interested me.  I didn't want something too complicated and that would take me forever but I wanted something worth spending my time on.  I discovered an old magazine I had stored away that had color diagrams of all the state flowers.  I'd looked at it before but found following the color diagrams too hard to keep track of.  So I cut out each page and because the layout was such I could do the whole book that way, I now have a small half page I can mount on  my metal board with a see-thru ruler and magnets. Works much better and while it's time consuming and I don't get a lot done each night, I suspect (if I stick with it) I'll have some pretty nifty flower patterns.  I may make a wall quilt out of them.

I posted a picture on Facebook of me and John in January 1965 when he had just got back from his tour overseas and was meeting his new baby for the first time.  I look like hell in it but he looks pretty good.  I've always liked this picture, mainly because it shows a little bit of the kitchen we had when I was growing up on Kuhn Street. Wish I had more pictures of the inside of my house during my growing-up years. It looks like an electrical cord hanging off the back of the refrigerator but I remember dad's belt hung there when we were kids and he didn't hesitate to use it.  Not that he was abusive; we were just four kids without a mom in the house and determined to get away with everything we could.  Ha!

Saw on Facebook today that Kay Harper passed away. She lived across the hall from my sister down at Claridge Court.  I've probably known her for close to 40 years.  A character.

 Well, time to type up my book list. Golf will be on in an hour too.  Have a good week.

This had me in tears

Saw this on Facebook and thought it was really something!

A relaxing Friday

It's 9:20 a.m. and I've been up since about 5:50.  In case you care.  Feeling rested and I never take that for granted anymore. My plans for today are to do anything I feel like doing. Ha! I love retirement!

I had to make a quick run down to the neighborhood grocery store to fill up my gas can 'cause Hunter seems to feel he's well enough to mow the grass.  I'm thrilled because the neighbors on either side of me have done their lawns and I was looking like the scruffy cousin.  Not that I really care all that much. I don't even know these neighbors.  Don't really know anyone in the entire neighborhood really.

When I moved into the senior mobile home park (Green Acres) in Sequim, I made a point of going house to house and introducing myself.  I don't feel the need this time, though.  Guess I'm too contented with my own company most of the time.  Perhaps aging has something to do with that. I was a whole lot more social when I was younger.  I thrived on company and hanging out.  I also think having kids in the house contributes to your social network.

When we lived in Kirkland, we were having parties all the time.  Every holiday and sometimes it seemed like every weekend.  That was a different period of time, though. Computers and video games hadn't hit the scene yet so we played board games, cards, went bowling, drank beer, hosted Tupperware parties, jewelry parties, toy parties, candle parties...you name it.  It was party time.  Most of us smoked too but not the funny stuff.

Anyhow, back to lawn mowing.  Hunter was able to do his other grandparent's lawn yesterday so if he feels up to it, I'll gladly pay for his services.  I wonder what the backyard is going to look like as summer approaches.  It's mighty ugly now and absolutely nothing could make it better except to plow up the entire yard and lay new sod. Even then, I doubt it would look nice. Brown ugly moss is spread everywhere.  Maybe I'll look into buying some moss killer.  Seems like I tried that last year but I can't remember now.  I'm putting it on my to-do list.

Ideally, I'd love to have Andy & Mary's lawn. Here's a shot of Jake in my back yard and a couple of him at his front and back yard.

I love the way Andy has the yard landscaped all around the entire fence line. So pretty. Maybe I'll surprise them and give this  yard a facelift when I win Hit Five.  Surely I'm going to win this year.

I saw a documentary biography on Gore Vidal a few nights ago. Fascinating.  Made me want to read his books.  I have one on my shelf but I checked another out at the library called 'Hollywood.'  If I ever get to the point where I can ready steadily without falling asleep, I'll try to read more of his stuff.  I ordered three books a couple days ago on half.com.  My intention was to order 'Still Alice' as there are a lot of reserves on it at the library. Once I read about her other books, I decided I had to have them all.  Still only spent $18 and that includes shipping.  Besides Still Alice, I ordered Left Neglected and Love Anthony. All by Lisa Genova.

Went to the doctor yesterday morning (couldn't renew b/p  pills without an office call) and as I was leaving, I noticed two guys in the parking lot "having words."  As I got in my car, their volume increased so I had to sit there with the window down so I wouldn't miss anything. Ha Ha
One guy was about my age and the other in his late 30's or early 40's.  Not sure what they were arguing about but there was also a woman standing there. (maybe the wife of one and daughter of the other?)  She had on scrubs and worked in the clinic.  They almost came to swinging at each other. The younger guy, especially, was getting louder and starting using that ole favorite -- the F word!  Neither seemed willing to give an inch and as a little shoving started, the woman tried to get between them and pull them apart.  Then two other medical women came out to assist when they saw she was crying.  The older guy finally went to his car (right next to me) but the younger one wasn't done and followed him.  They continued their back and forth and the woman finally pulled the young one back.
I decided I was on the older guy's side because I noticed his hand shaking a bit and when the younger guy started yelling things like "Even your own kids don't like you or being around you. They're all scared of you."  That wasn't fighting fair.  I'm glad it didn't go further.  It did ease my impatience about having to make an appointment just to get a prescription renewed, though.   One of my more interesting doctor visits.

On a happy note, my teeth have quit hurting since I started up on Sensodyne toothpaste again.  Course I know I'm going to have to get myself in that chair sooner or later but I can put it off for a little while longer and that pleases me.  While at the doctor's office yesterday, she decided to draw blood and check some numbers. The poor technician couldn't find a vein (they often have problems with my arms) so she called another lady to help her. She had problems too but eventually they got their blood and I got three holes and a band-aid.

Well, guess I'll get my ancestry notes in order now.  I took them all out of a three-ring binder but am finding that wasn't such a good idea so I need to take only one person or family out at a time.  Also need to take in a couple pair of pants I bought.  I wonder if I'll ever be able to buy the correct size online the first time out.  I already had to hem them up and now that I'm wearing them, I'm finding they're a tad too baggy.  Still, that's better, I suppose, than not being able to get them on at all.

Five more photos....

                                                   1st subway ride in NY - 1904

                          1st woman to go over Niagra Falls in a barrel - 1901

                                                                  1938 Baltimore slums

                                                               Union soldiers 1863

And one I saw on Facebook this morning....  I hope I can remember this one

Sorting photos

Once I sat down to work on this project of filing pictures on my hard drive, it became kind of fun.  I'm still not done but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Gonna work on FRIENDS today and maybe PLACES.  At some point, I need to begin scanning in other photos I have in filing boxes and scrapbooks.

I got an email reply from a cousin in MD (never met) but I saw her name on Facebook and remembered that I had contacted her years ago through the ancestry.com email site.  Thankfully, she wrote back and I'm hoping we can share data.  One person I've been researching is Inez Stark.  Her mother, Georgia, was my grandpa's oldest sister.  Georgia and Jake had hotels in various towns in Oregon and Inez was a teacher.  (In Oregon and Washington)  Anyhow, I've tracked her journeys here and there and always wondered why she was in Baltimore when she died back in 1986.

When I looked over my notes, I realized that this cousin in Maryland lived very close to Baltimore so that had to be a connection.  She  thinks she has Inez's obit somewhere so I've got my fingers crossed.

Next Tuesday I'm babysitting Maggie, a very lovable dog of my son-in-law, Wayne's dad.  Ed has been having health issues and Kathy has a doctor appt in Winslow that day hoping they can get some answers.  Maggie will come here and spend the time with me and Sammy.   If I could find a dog like Maggie, I'd get one tomorrow.  She's an older dog, very pretty, and very friendly. Just the right size too.  Not big but not small.  I'll take pictures.

I went to Safeway this morning because I wanted to compare prices on what I bought at Walmart yesterday.  I took the time to write everything down (ten items) and came home to play with the numbers.  Discovered I saved $8.43 buying at Walmart.  They beat Safeway on all items except two, and those two items were only a penny different.

Sitting here near the sliding glass door and keeping an eye on my pots, two that have tulip bulbs in them.  My pink one bloomed and it looks like another might open next week.  I've got to get out there and scrub those pots soon but I'm just in the mood yet.

Jenni fell on her butt a couple days ago and bruised her tail bone real bad.  She's in a world of hurt and has been told it might take a while to feel better.  She can barely navigate some tasks.  She tripped on uneven ground in her yard.  A moss clump I think.

Well, dinner is leftovers (half a cornish game hen, potatoes, peas, and corn muffin) so I'm free to do whatever I darn well feel like the rest of the day.  And you know what that means --- genealogy, jigsaw puzzle, and filing photos.  Yeah, it's an active life I live on my butt.

Here's some more photos I received in an email...

              Abe Lincoln in 1840, same year my g.grandmother, Jane Downs was born                                        

 CJ Walker in 1858 - 1st black woman to become millionaire under her own works

                                               1896 Henry Ford in his first  car

                               1931 - 1st Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, NY

                                                                     1940 - 1st computer

Thinning out the photos

Surely, I've counted wrong.  (but I don't think so)

I decided I was going to get my photos in better order on my computer today.  I had so many "miscellaneous" folders and stuff just put any ole where that I knew I was overdue at tackling this chore.  Just for fun (cause I knew I was going to have to delete some photos of the newest grandson) I took a tally of the Jake folders I've continually added to.  I was approaching 600. What?!  That can't be.  Or can it?  Yeah, probably.  Much as I hate the thought, I really don't need that many poses of him doing the exact same thing he did a minute ago. Ha Ha

I did manage to get the entire photo library down to FOUR FOLDERS -- Family, Friends, Places and Miscellaneous.  'Course each of those four folders has many sub-folders.  The family folder, for example, lists My cousins, My kids, My grandkids, My siblings, and Me.  Yep!  Got a folder on myself and it is sooooo pathetic.

Since I've been organizing my genealogy files for some time, I have a lot of family photos over in that section away from the "regular photo file."  I made a folder of each aunt and uncle and within that folder, I put each of their kids, grandkids, where they lived, etc. It trimmed down my photo library a tiny bit but I still have to organize both areas.  (It's hard being a Virgo sometimes)

I've got a whole lot more rearranging and new folders to make too.  Port Townsend has a folder (within the PLACES folder) but I need to make sub folders in there too.  This is getting way too complicated.  I think I'll stop for a bit and let my brain rest.

I did write a short piece on my Town Kid blog at the Leader this morning.
Go to www.ptleader.com  and at the top, click on blogs.  Scroll down to Town Kid and you'll see "Tales I'll Never Hear".

Here's a couple of the pictures I came  across....

One of my favorites of Sammy is him sitting here watching Wayne cook hotdogs out in the yard.  Cracks me up everytime.

And this next one is an example of pictures I really didn't need to keep but they caught my fancy.

                                                               An old library card

I even have 3 Chimacum HS yearbooks scanned in.  Here's one of my pal, Susie Bishop, who had a birthday last Saturday.  Happy Birthday you old bag!

Sunday at Home

Got to see both granddaughters today.  Catie stopped in to help me with some computer questions I had and then she made a quick run to Safeway to pick us up sandwiches for lunch.  I only had tuna or pb&j and neither of those sounded all that inviting (to either of us).  She showed me an easier way to transfer my photos from file to file.  My collection continues to grow and pretty soon I have half a dozen "miscellaneous folders" that need to be filed.  I enjoy doing that and will begin tomorrow.

She also instructed me (probably again 'cause I forget) how to use text boxes and move pictures around with text.  Another thing she taught me was how to delete pictures all at once from my phone. I never can remember how that phone operates with its apps and such.  I thought I was the only one who missed having a phone with push buttons instead of the "smart phone" type screen in use now so I was surprised when she said she didn't care for using the phone this new way either.

She's pretty savvy on the computer. Said that was one reason her boss liked her.  Now if she can just find another job real quick like, all will be good. Her company was bought out and she was let go. Or will be come May 1st but she'll get a couple months severance and good recommendations so that will help.  I took a picture of her and Maddie (who came over to earn some money doing housework) but I should have taken a second shot as mine came out blurry. Hate it when that happens.

I noticed Catie had two different colored socks on. She said she wasn't really making a statement. It was more a matter of lazy dressing. Ha!  She was so relieved that the craft fair was behind her as it was kind of stressing her out with all the preparation it took.

Another thing she helped me with was getting a good  counted cross stitch picture from a book I have. My scanner just wasn't giving me a copy good enough to use and Catie suggested I take a picture with my camera of the page and then insert the picture onto a word document so I could print it. Wah Laa!  Worked like a charm.

Here's her calling card....

I finished my puzzle called 'Dad's Shop' so tomorrow I'll set out one I have with a jungle scene---or maybe a bird one Joyce Lee gave me.

My tulip finally bloomed so that's nice to look out on as I sit here at my laptop.

And here's one from Facebook that I liked and some others I received in an email.

                                                                    I just love  this idea

                                                              Country store in NC in 1939

                                                       1st baseball team shot in 1858

                                                 1st ferris wheel in 1893 at worlds fair

                                               1st neon sign in Las Vegas - 1941

                                                             1962 photo of the Beatles

Hunted around on Netflix and Amazon Prime last night trying to find something that interested me.
I finally settled on Season 6 of Sons of Anarchy.  I just love all those 'seen better days' beaten-up old biker guys.  The uglier the better.

Well, I guess that's it for now.  Since Maddie cleaned my house, tomorrow is a free day that I intend to use sitting on my butt looking for old relatives.  An added note...Catie told me that games of solitaire were invented online so people would learn how to drag and drop.

Girl with a pole

I didn't make it to this event so I'm glad someone got pictures. Jenni I think.

Man oh man!  Have things changed since I was 14!

My Granddaughters

Visited Catie at her craft both at a church here in Port Angeles today.

Her mom was sitting with her.  She'll stop by tomorrow before she heads back to Renton.

Maddie also had activities in the works today as a track meet was in progress at Port Angeles High.
I'd never been to a track meet before that I recall.  Lots of people there. I had to park blocks away.

My favorite picture for today, however, is one Mary emailed me........

While browsing on ancestry, I came across  a couple pages of my aunt Velna's high school annual in Centralia. Not sure how well they'll appear here, but maybe if you click on them you can read the fine print.

And three more photos I got in an email a while back...

                                                          Oklahoma dust bowl farmer

                                                    Samarai fighters in training 1860

                                                                        Two boxers