Monday, June 25, 2012

Yeah ... (or, one down, one to go)

YIPPIE!





I passed the test ... the mammogram test that is!  Got the official "all's well" letter last week and now all I have to do is the dreaded physical (with PAP included) this week.  Since the women in my family have had both breast and cervical cancer, I always look forward to this time of year with fear and trembling.  But like I said, one down, one to go.

It's been a busy time in the garden!  Today I blanched and froze more snow peas.  Canned the last of the beets late last week and got those jars washed and put aside this a.m.  It is very satisfying to put things in the freezer and on the shelf that come from our garden.  Of course as I write this, you too are suffering through this drought.  We are torn about watering the garden.  Will our well go dry if this lack of rain continues?  We don't know.  Only God knows that.  So once a week Wendell waters the garden for about 2 hours.  We'll see ...  My flowers are just on their own.  I've been watering them with "left over" water.  Gray water to those of you who are wondering; I can capture some right at the sink that otherwise would just go down the drain.  I wish we had a cistern like we had in Ridgeville ...  I am wondering why our county doesn't have a burn ban yet.  

I have started hooking a new piece ... yes, I know.  I have two other uncompleted rugs.  What can I say?  I guess I get tired of one project so I start something new.  One of these days I'll get on fire and finish them all!  In a week!  (I can dream ...)

This week is Owen County Homemakers Achievement Day.  It's Wednesday evening.  For some reason "they" want to decorate the building one day, then the Achievement Day is the NEXT day ... Why tear up two days?  This could all be done on the same day; decorate in the a.m., go home and prepare your carry-in dish, then go to the program in the evening.  Whoever plans these things must just be all wrapped up in Homemakers.  With nothing else going on in their lives.  Do I sound p.o.'ed?  Yeah, I sort of am.

I am weary of the hot, humid weather already.  And it's not even July yet.  Sigh ...  Maybe that's why I'm sort of on edge.   Bless you all and keep cool.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

A full week (and then some) ...

Well, first, the washing machine disaster.  Went to the grocery about 10 days ago as usual.  It started out as just a normal day.  But when I got home and opened the garage door to drive in, water was coming down from upstairs like Niagara Falls.  I had left the washing machine going when I left; I was washing a blanket.  Wendell was home but outside of course.  He had just come in and discovered this mess.  I ran upstairs and he was on his hands and knees trying to mop about 1 inch of water up from the laundry and kitchen with a towel and a bucket!  What??!!  We discussed what had happened (he said the washer stuck in fill and never stopped; obviously it had been doing this for about an hour I'd guess).  I said, hey, don't you have a wet vac at the garage (dummy)???!!!  Why are you trying to mop this up with a bath towel?????  Anyway, he got over to the garage pronto and brought the shop vac back and began the cleanup.  He was the upstairs person, I was the basement person.  (In the meantime I had all of these groceries sitting in the car ......)  So I pulled down insulation which cascaded water all over me, but it had to come down.  I squeegeed the basement.  I drug wet insulation outside onto the driveway.  I moved out wet shoes, hats, sweatshirts, garbage, recycle materials, shelves full of 'stuff, extra boards -- all of the stuff on that side of the basement in the sun to dry.  What a mess.  Just writing that does not cover what had to be done to fix this disaster.  The saddest thing to me was three bags of things I had prepared to take to Goodwill.  I felt bad about that; just ruined.  In about 2 hours we had it whipped into shape.  But the after effects is the floor in the kitchen and laundry.  They dried but of course the sub floor got wet.  It will have to dry thoroughly  The water damage upstairs was contained to the kitchen and laundry.  Thank heaven it didn't get onto the laminate floor.  The only lasting damage seems to be to the grout lines in the tile.  That can be fixed.  It will take some time for it to really dry so it can be fixed, but time I have.  So that is how that day went.  (We had fans on for a week.)  

It was a bad day.

What a busy time I've had lately ... the next day Wendell had to go to Terre Haute for a dr. appointment.  So I went along and we got a new washing machine.  It's one of those energy efficient ones and I don't know if I'll ever get used to washing a washer full of dirty clothes in an inch of water ... but what can I say.  I'm saving the planet.  

Saturday I went to the Hoosier Hills rug hooking guild meeting in Washington.  It was wonderful seeing all of the women and getting the scoop on how the fiber fair went (I had to miss it because of my class reunion).  Believe it or not they did it without me!  LOL!  Sounds like it went well.  Our 10th year of doing the fair will be in 2013 and I'm looking forward to it already.  We need to think of something extra special to do or a guest to have in, etc.  I'm putting my thinking cap on ...  That night we went to Randy & Benjie's for dinner with two other couples.  It was a very good, relaxing evening.  I needed that!

Sunday we went to church as usual and were greeters.  It's our month to do it and I always enjoy getting to talk with everyone who comes through the door this way!  After lunch we went into Noblesville to our nephew Pat's daughter's graduation open house.  Lauren is such a sweet, cute girl.  She's off to Anderson University this fall and is so excited about this new phase of her life.  They had a house and yard full!  It was good seeing some of my family there.  Here's a pix of Wendell with two of our nephews.  They seem to be having a good time in spite of the 90 degree weather that day.
Wendell with Matt & James (two brothers; both 'the fuzz')
Got to see brother Gale and his wife and it was especially good to visit with all of Gale's family, grandchildren included!  Julie was there from Cincinnati with her significant other, Michael.  Check out this blog to see them doing the tango:  www.citizenpork.blogspot.com   Go to the blog dated May 24, 2012, tango del barrio.  The pictures are exquisite!  Julie is special!

This week has been so busy.  Monday I caught up on things around here such as paying bills and CLEANING.  Then on Tuesday I did lots of prep work in the kitchen for a Wednesday night homemaker meeting where I was co-hostess.  Baked a cake and did lots of salad prep, etc.  Made up a trivia game based on Flag Day.  Wednesday I went to the community center and decorated.  (BTW ... while cutting flowers for centerpieces I came away with numerous chigger bites; fun fun fun.)  Came home and put my finger foods together, got showered, loaded the car and went to club.  It was fairly successful.  Busy meeting with installation of officers.  I'm the new treasurer of Jolly Homemakers.  Yes, I know, I should have said 'no'.  I was the reporter but gave that up for personal reasons (I REALLY enjoyed that job because I love to write).  When our treasurer died unexpectedly I was asked to fill the void.  I am very apprehensive; I've never been a treasurer of anything!  Wendell went to Bloomington that day to the auto dealership to have his truck worked on and they sent him home in a loaner (which I know they hope to sell to us).

Thursday went to Terre Haute for my mammogram.  [Please say a prayer for me.  I always worry since I had that one scare.]  Wendell also had an appointment at APS and got another shot in his bum shoulder.  We had a nice lunch at Grand Traverse Pie Company but it was so hot that day it was not fun to be outside.  I did do a little shopping at JoAnn's and got some yarn.

Yesterday we met brother Don & Nancy at the Hilltop north of Spencer for lunch.  It was soooooo good to catch up with what is going on with them.  We did just a little talking about mother and lots of talking about what is going on in their lives.  I came away happy and contented.  Went home and we mowed the lawn!  Oh my ... was it hot?  I have never felt so tired and beat.  I could not have gone anywhere or done anything last night.  I was so tired I had trouble getting to sleep.  (Does that make sense?)  

Enough already.  Today we did nothing really; went into Worthington to an auction but found nothing much we really wanted to stay for.  Went on to Randy's and borrowed back our coon cage to trap those bluebird-killing, birdbath dirtying, flower pulling coons.  Tomorrow it is "nothing" for me -- greet at church then nothing!  

God is good all the time.  All the time God is good.  (Here's to you, Mel!)

Friday, June 8, 2012

Who'd have thunk it ???

Here in the country it's always been "us vs. them" ... by that I mean the VERMIN that disguise themselves as cute little Bambi's.  Our trees, our flowers, our garden -- all victims. They even drink from the bird bath, for Pete's sake!

Here's the latest ... A few years ago I brought back some prickly pear cactus lobes from Arizona.  I used some rooting hormone and successfully potted them.  (You who know us know that it's been about 5 years since we've been there.)  Believe it or not, those cactus have remained alive but were "just there" -- not growing any.  Well, this spring I told Wendell, I'm putting them out in the ground and they either make it or not here in Indiana.  So I did.

Well, I was elated that two of the three plants have developed new lobes, almost immediately!  Yeah!  Right?  Wrong!  Here is what I saw two days ago:



See the lovely new growth on my cactus?  See the BIG BITES taken from them!!!!  I know you're saying, "but how do you know that deer did that?"  See below ...
This is a close-up of a deer track right in front of these cactus ...  I rest my case.


What can I say.  It's my life (in Indiana).

P.S.  I'll tell you about our washing machine disaster later ... sigh ...