Category: Friday Five

Another week has flown by. Several things kept me busy, so I will simply just get to this week’s Friday Five.

1. I simply cannot believe how much having Strep Throat has kicked my butt. I’m now several days into my antibiotics, but I remain tired and my throat is still somewhat sore. I cannot recall having ever had strep throat, so this is somewhat new to me.
2. Jack’s ulcerated toe is doing much better. His podiatrist also ordered him new shoes, as he has special shoes due to his amputated toe. Because of the Pandemic, it has been a long time since he had a new pair. This was probably a contributing factor in the formation of the ulcer on his toe.
3. I have finally stopped the wretched Crows and Ravens from pilfering my suet feeders. I have feeders with V-shaped roofs on them, but that did not stop the larger birds. They would fly in, hang upside down and chow down! They would clean out the suet block in under two hours! Then, I had an idea. First I placed a frisbee over the top of the feeder and then I moved my feeder poles into the trees. I simply hang them carefully in there and the only birds that can get to the suet are the much smaller birds. Now I am feeding the little songbirds that I want to. Also, I must note, the feeders go out after breakfast and stay out until after dinner. So far this has worked and we have not had a bear problem.
4. After last weekend’s fireworks problem with our neighbors, sweet Lili has remained a little bit of a psychological mess.  She scares easily and is having a fair bit of separation anxiety. This particular neighbor never liked Lili, so I’m pretty sure he could care less, but it does make us pretty upset about the entire fiasco. Especially after reviewing our town’s Firework Ordinance. He was far from legal shooting off fireworks in his yard that fell into our yard. He also did not have a permit or authorization from our Fire or Police Cheif!
5. Not too much else for now. Once the rain stops I hope to have nice enough weather to hang out some laundry. It won’t be today, but hopefully over the weekend.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Well folks, here we are the first Friday in July! How did that happen? When older people tell you that time is racing by them, they are not joking! This year especially is flying by me. So, without further adieu, here is what is happening in my Friday Five Plus 2!

1. The first part of the week Jack returned to the Orthopedic doctor for evaluation of his Dupuytren’s Contracture. He had injections of  XIAFLEX a few weeks back. I’m not thrilled with the results, but Jack said he thinks it is a little better. Still, with a price tag of $7000.00, the darn finger should be straight, able to play the piano again, and also dance a jig! Maybe I expect too much.
2. The heat has just about killed us. Well, not killed exactly, but it sure has wiped us out. We have air conditioning and we are doing what we did when we lived in Florida. We are staying where it is cool.
3. On Wednesday, my dryer died. I mean, the drum was still moving, but there was no heat. It’s a gas dryer, and as I listened I could not hear the igniter start. So we talked it over and decided to call our appliance repairman, Barry. If he deemed we needed a new dryer, we could book him in advance to do the propane fix and set it up. But we asked him to stop by and check it out.
4. I actually woke up sick on Wednesday and felt, I could do a little laundry, and well, this was when I found the trouble with the dryer. My throat is sore, I’m slightly feverish and I feel blah. However, when the dryer quit, I was hanging up two loads of laundry, no rest for the sick!
5. Thursday was slightly better. Barry called me and said he could come by after lunch to diagnose the dryer and evaluate whether or not we should repair or have a funeral for this machine. Before he arrived, I masked up (So as not to share my sore throat with anyone) and went to get the mail and a burger and fries for Jack from McDonald’s. Let me just say that our town is chock a block full of Tourists. I would still be out fighting traffic if two nice individuals hadn’t stopped and allowed me to pull into the traffic.

Now here are my Plus-Two!

+1. So after getting the mail, I went to McDonald’s and ordered Jack’s meal and a chicken sandwich for myself. I had to wait. They felt bad and asked if there was anything they could get me? Yes, a Strawberry Shake. When they finally brought everything out, I asked how much for the shake and they said it was on the house! I went home and we sat down to watch Roger Federer play tennis at Wimbledon and what happened next was shocking! Arnie grabbed the top roll of the chicken sandwich and started to run off. I stopped him, grabbed the bun, and scolded him. He has never done this before. His mother the great and wonderful Greta, was always trying to steal food! Oh yes, and the Strawberry Shake felt good on my throat.

+2. Barry arrived and after replacing the ignitor, and cleaning the inside of the dryer (the place you never see because it is behind the dryer drum) he fit a new belt and got it all back together and the dryer works like a new machine. And it saved us a ton of money. I’d looked into another dryer last night and for what we have it would have been at least $1000.00 to get a new one, plus installation fees. This machine is all fixed, working perfectly and I sure hope I will get another twenty years with it? That would be nice!

So there you are. The week that was. Some good moments and some not so good, but in the end, it all worked out!

 Have a great weekend everyone!

This week flew by and it was a good week. A lot of things were accomplished and  I actually had one day where I almost felt like life was close to normal. So, here we go with this week’s Friday Five.

1. As I wrote before, I wiped my Cell Phone and did a Factory reset. That was not easy, but I did it and I learned so much. And to top it all off, my phone is working very well!
2. On Wednesday I met up with my lovely ladies. We had voted to go out for lunch once a month during the summer. This past Wednesday was our luncheon. Oh, what fun I had. We joked and laughed and told each other stories from our pasts. I felt so light-hearted and free. It was wonderful!
3. After weeks of trying to do things to keep the crows and ravens from emptying my suet feeders, I finally figured out what I could do to keep them away. I have now placed the feeders in the tree branches. The crows and ravens do not want to go into a tree to get at the suet, lest they get tangled up. Now my smaller songbirds and woodpeckers are happily back to feed!
4. I had a kitchen cabinet door where the top coupler that holds the door came apart. I tried just screwing it back together, but that was a no-go. So, I got out the gorilla glue and glued the pieces together. I am waiting two days for the glue to dry and seal, and then the problem should be fixed. This has happened before and this solution is a good one.
5. And lastly, what a horrible thing to see part of the condo complex in Florida that pancaked and fell. 51 people missing and the rest of the building totally uninhabitable. So much destruction. So many dead. Such a terrible tragedy.

So that is it for the week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

This week was an incredibly busy one. Each day was full and I covered a lot of ground. So, here are the top things in this week’s Friday Five.

1. Monday was Jack’s first appointment with his new Primary Care doctor. I’m doing all the driving now, but I also wanted to go in with him for his appointment. Jack has had an infection in the toe next to the one that was amputated and I felt he needed to get on some antibiotics. I should get paid for my diagnosis. Sure enough, he was put on a strong antibiotic. And an appointment to see his Podiatrist was made. On our way home, we stopped and got gas and groceries. What a long day!
2. Tuesday I was trying to get some housework done and I actually did get some basics gone. But there is still more deep cleaning to do.
3. Wednesday we were off to the VA again to see Jack’s Podiatrist. The doctor debrided the infected area on the toe until we could see the ulcer. It is not very large, which means I got to it in time (I hope!). Jack now has to allow me to clean and dress the toe daily and finish all the antibiotics.
4. Thursday was another kind of crazy day. Sheets were washed and beds were made, I went to get some fresh fruit and popcorn at the grocery store which I like. The last time I shopped I got Jollytime Popcorn, and it was terrible. It was very salty and it tasted like crap! I like Orville Redenbacher’s Kettle Corn Mini Bags. It’s the best of the diet popcorns out there. I also went to get the mail at the Post Office, only to find out that I had paid my property taxes and was 5 cents short! Needless to say, I stopped and left the nickel to pay the town what I owed.
5. And last but not least, today Lili is going in for a dental and her shots. I know the trip out to my Veterinarian will be crazy as Lili is not a good car rider. But I also know the ride home will be nice and quiet as she will still be sleepy. Thus ending another long and busy week!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Another week has gone by. Somehow we survived the heat. But as this week ends, thus begins “Motorcycle Week”.

1. I went with Jack on Wednesday for his hand procedure. It was the non-surgical procedure to “cure” Dupuytren’s Contracture in his left hand. I did not expect what happened, (his skin tore!) and all of the blood. Now Jack has a one-inch cut at the base of his finger. Honest to goodness, if he had done this at home I would have taken him in for stitches. Now I have to dress his hand and clean it until it heals. No stitches involved.
2. I usually do okay with these things, but watching this done and all the blood, well, I felt a little faint. That is the first time that has ever happened. At least the bleeding has stopped and it looks a tad better.
3. I keep working, making tweaks on my bird suet feeders. I love feeding the birds, but we have several crows and a raven that like to fly upside down and clean out the feeders. I’m attempting to train Lili to chase them off!
4. I had a major update on my phone yesterday and suddenly all my pictures disappeared! I was frantic. I headed to the Verizon Store and asked what was going on? Somehow the Google Pictures had been turned on and had taken all my pictures and sent them to the cloud! And worst of all, if I reach my limit there is a fee to store them there! I already use Flickr, so once home, I turned Google pictures off! I have an SD Card in my phone with plenty of backup space.
5. I have no plans for this weekend. I want to watch tennis, and also maybe a movie or two.

Have a great weekend everyone!

This week really sped by for me. It’s not that I was too busy, but I just found that the hours of each day sped by. So, let’s look back as we come up with this week’s Friday Five.

1. It was the Memorial Day Holiday on Monday. We didn’t have any big plans, so we just hung out and watched “The French Open Tennis Tournament”. I love to watch tennis, even though I have never played.
2. Tuesday was my beauty appointment and I just have to say, I really love going and spending a couple of hours on myself.

   So very relaxing!

3. Wednesday I met up with my friends for our weekly meeting. WW may have dropped us all up here in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, but these 12 wonderful women bring light and hope to me every week.

   We sit outside and this is our view!

   We have become very good friends during the Corona Pandemic. We are so lucky to have each other.

4. I did something to my new cell phone and I couldn’t access my SD Card. Back to Verizon, I went. There was simply a conflict. My old cell phone had shifted material over to the new phone and some of the old programs no longer work on the newer cell phone. Jessie was nice and she got me all taken care of.
5. Tomorrow I will be heading down to see my grandchildren. It’s a little rough because I have to drive down and back in one day. 76 miles down and 76 miles back. In my youth, this wouldn’t have bothered me, but I do get tired. But, I can sleep on Sunday. For now, I can do the down and back in one day so I can be with my grands and daughter!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Life is crazy right now. It seems to be flying by. Unlike last year, when we were all shut in and wondered when life might begin again. Well, here we are and things are speeding by like they did pre-covid! So here we go with this week’s Friday Five.

1. I have discovered a way to keep the Crows, and Ravens away from my bird feeders. I put out a white patio chair in between the two feeders and since then the larger birds are not interested in raiding the suet feeders. The Grackles are also leary of the wonderful white chair.
2. Arnie is hanging in there. Most of the time he does very well, but the boy has discovered that after dinner and his walk he would rather just go to bed. Guess he doesn’t enjoy Jack’s police shows.
3. I finally got in to have my mammogram. Not my most loved thing to do, but it’s what you do when you are over the age of 40 now. Yearly, right? Somehow I missed 3 years! Oops! Well, it’s done now, and it was done on their new 3-D mammography machine.
4. This weekend I plan to kick back a little. I am still not up to par and I need to try and get past this.
5. We have had wonderful weather, with the exception of a thunderstorm Wednesday night. We got into the 90s on Wednesday before returning to the low 80s. The town is crowded with summer tourists, and motorcycles race up and down the road below us, giving us a lot of noise. Mostly, things are very quiet, but with summer here, the noise of the great hogs takes over.

Have a great weekend.

The week has flown by, but quite honestly, I am wiped out. Arnie has been sick and I have been back and forth to the Vets, and then worried sick about him. At fourteen and a half years old, even a sneeze elicits panic in my heart and soul! Anyway, here is my Friday Five!

1. I made the best ever Pot Roast for Jack. Thankfully there are leftovers for him to eat so I can stick to my plan.
2. I lost six pounds this week on WW. I am thrilled, but I also know I need to be careful as it comes back far too quickly!
3. I am planning an overnight with my grands very soon. Quite honestly, it can’t be soon enough. I sure have missed them!
4. I am not sure if I mentioned that my Insurance Carrier refused to pay for my facial surgery last October. They claimed it was cosmetic despite the fact that three tumors were removed. I appealed the decision with 23 pages of supporting documentation. I heard back, that after reviewing the documents and the pictures of the three tumors, they had decided to pay! Well, happy days are here again!
5. I had lunch with several of my WW Ladies on Wednesday. We have decided to make this a monthly thing. It was so nice to relax and just chat away!

So that’s it this week. Please keep Arnie in your prayers. He is such a good boy and honestly, I am not sure what I will do if he takes a turn for the worst!

Meanwhile, have a great weekend!

This week was a fairly busy one, so as I sit here writing, I can’t quite believe it is already Friday! So, here goes!

1. ‘Tis the season for Auto Inspections. We have two cars, so we made appointments to bring them in. Both passed with flying colors and now that job is done for the year.
2. It was Jack’s Birthday and food was eaten. Good food! Sinful food! So the day after I hopped back on the WW wagon, and I am really working at getting back into the program. It is so easy to fall off the wagon. And not so easy to get back on.
3. I am off to the Veterinarians this morning with Arnie. Poor guy is still not feeling well. So I will bring a urine sample in, and they will do a complete senior doggy exam, complete with a blood draw and CBC. At 14 1/2 years old I worry so much about him. Regular check-ups are a must.
4. I discovered a great recipe. It for WW Eggplant & Vegetable Pizza. For all of 1 point! I made it on Wednesday and it was so good! Since I had leftover veggies I decided to have it again today.
5. We are finally having sunny weather. Not that it is too warm, but it sure is nice to see the sunshine! And after all that rain, everything is very green and the grass will soon need to be mowed.

Have a wonderful weekend, Everyone!

Here we are the last day of April 2021! Wow, this month literally flew by.

1. Many things were accomplished, which included both of my Covid-19 Vaccinations. Do I feel safer? Yes and no.I feel a little safer, but I still wear a mask, still wash my hands like crazy, and I keep my distance from people. You never know when a new strain will show up.
2. We are finally having rain. A lot of rain, in fact. Which we really do need. Everything is greening up and starting to grow. It’s actually quite beautiful. Even if it is wet!
3. Tomorrow is my big day. I have rearranged the phone and tablet and computer charging stations in the family room. This required a longer and better power plug bank.I ordered one as well as the cords for cell phones and Bluetooth earpieces. So I will clean out all the dust bunnies and then set it all up.
4. I also would like to take down the curtains, wash and dry them, and put them back up. Spring cleaning.
5. I’ve really been enjoying old movies in the morning. I’ve had trouble sleeping lately and so I make coffee and sit and watch old movies from 6 o’clock on. I look forward to getting back into a normal sleeping pattern.

So that’s it for this week’s Friday Five, and for the month of April!