The Weekend Wrap

In the last few days, I’ve been bogged down. It’s mostly in my mind, as I want to ensure everything is settled if I drop dead tomorrow.

My biggest concern is Lili. She has taken Jack’s loss so hard. And she is not a dog who could go to just anyone. She is shy but loving and loyal to her people.

I spoke to Heidi’s breeder, who would take Heidi until one or two of my friends felt they could take her.

But I think to myself, I will be sixty-five in less than a month.

There are things I want to do and places I want to go. Let’s start making a “Bucket List”.

I have carpenters working on the house on the trim. It looks so good already.

If only I could find a church that wants my Hammond Church Organ. That would really make me smile. If anyone local to me wants it, let me know. It’s yours free of charge; just come and get it.

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The Weekend Wrap ~ October 17th

On Sunday night, I made up a list of the things I needed to accomplish on Monday. This list filled me with dread, but I knew I had to finish it. I am happy to report that I got most of this done, with just a few things left.

Back in August, I noticed that although Jack was no longer with us, we were getting charged for him. I called and thought I’d fixed the problem, but today, October 16th, I finally resolved the problem. I will not blame our insurance carrier. What I blame is the fact that Jack’s death occurred just a few months before my 65th birthday, thus throwing me into a totally different category for my insurance. I went from a family policy to a senior policy.

My second stop of the day was my plumber’s office to drop off a check. Call me if anyone in my area needs a good, hard-working plumber.

I have a few other things on my list but those were the top ones.  I hope this week will continue to be a good and productive one.

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The Weekend Wrap ~ July 31st

weekend wrap 1Didn’t I say on Friday I was going to keep things low-key? I guess, for the most part, it was, with the exception of working on laundry and puttering around the house, picking this up, arranging things for my convenience, and a few naps I threw in.

On Friday I found a new car. She is a 2023 Toyota Highlander with all that I could hope for. She is on the assembly line in Indiana, and I expect delivery at the end of August—pictures to follow.

I’ve been selling Jack’s stuff. Already the tractor/mower is spoken for, the chainsaw, Jack’s dingy, and engine too.

We have a church organ that we got at an auction when we lived in Florida. Yes, it is big, but in excellent condition.

I still have things like the snowblower and two push mowers to go, and I am sure a whole bunch of other stuff, but it is a start.

Every time I accomplish something, I call Melodie & Ron and report in. I am not sure how I would manage without them cheering me on!

Well, that’s all for now. I imagine I will be busy like this for a very long time.

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The Weekend Wrap ~ February 27th

P1160020 (3)Just when I’d hoped for an early Spring and would be able to gloat that the rodent Punxatawney Phil, was wrong in his forecast of six more weeks of Winter, We got smacked with an honest 9 inches of snow.

I was actually scheduled to drive Jack down to the VA in Manchester for his doctor’s appointments that day, but they called me the day before the storm hit and rescheduled his appointment.

Cleanup came on Friday (although our plow guy was here on Thursday in the late afternoon). How happy I was when I had to clear our satellite dish, as I can reach this from the ground.

I went to get my hair done on Friday. A slightly new style, along with color.

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But I learned for sure, what I have suspected all along. My hair is thinning out. I have noticed this, but was choosing to ignore it due to the fact that a Great Aunt of mine, who I resemble, had almost no hair on the top of her head in her elder years It is my hope that I will not take after her!

Saturday morning I decided it was time to open my closet up and start the tedious and unpleasant job of cleaning it out.

With trash bags in hand to either toss things away or donate them, I took a deep breath and started.

What I found is that I have far too many shoes and not a single pair of sneakers! You see, I have bad feet. Merrell clogs keep my arches high and I am pain-free. And it was this Plantar Fascitis that got me going with the Merrell Clogs.

Many of you will know that most Merrell shoes and boots cost close to $150.00. And as a Thrifty Scott, I simply refuse to pay that kind of money on myself. So, over the years I watch the sales of Merrell shoes, boots, and clogs. Thus, yesterday as I reached the back corner of the closet I found four brand-new pairs of winter clogs. I also found three pairs of summer clogs. None of these had ever been worn.

Now I have a large shoe box that I have under Heidi’s ramp and that holds probably a dozen+ pairs of shoes that I wear day to day.

I should swear off buying more Merrell shoes. But…but…I really do need a new pair of boots for next year. We shall see.

On Sunday morning I woke early and walked the dogs. By the time I returned, the coffee had brewed and as I sat down to watch the weather report, I noticed a light snow had started to fall. “The Weatherman” assured us all that most of the snow would evaporate. Well, it started to snow around 8:00 AM and at this point (11:00 AM) it is snowing harder.

My goal today is to clean out my dresser. I went to get a pair of socks the other day and found a jumbled mess. So time to organize.

I hope you all had a great weekend.

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The Weekend Wrap ~ October 3rd

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I was sitting here writing about the craziness of the last week. I had finished up and actually felt I’d written a decent accounting of what life had been like for me, and I added a signature at the end, and my entire entry vanished! I will try to remember what I wrote, but I am almost certain I will not be as eloquent. But here goes!

Hurricane Ian was a disaster for so many of my friends and family. However, I am pleased to share that my family and friends all made it through.

My 92-year-old cousin had the worst experience. She is on the third floor of her apartment and the roof simply peeled off. She was knocked down, but she survived. She is safe in a hotel in Kissimmee.

My other family and friends have all been accounted for and although there will be a lot of work to rebuild their homes and lives.

I picked apples in the yard and made a batch of pretty decent applesauce. Yum!

The coming week finds me driving hither and yon for appointments for Jack and for myself.

The air conditioners are out for the winter. It’s been so cold the last two mornings and I actually had to turn on the heat. I simply hate to do that because home heating oil is very expensive! $4.67 a gallon. We fill our tank, with 200 gallons every 5 weeks in the winter. I will simply be going broke this winter.

Well, the week and weekend were good. Everyone is safe and sound and I hope there will be a speedy resolution to everyone’s troubles. Although the news says that it will be decades before everything is rebuilt

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The Weekend Wrap ~ June 20th

weekend wrap 1I am always happy when I plan a weekend with nothing much going on. The ability to read, or binge-watch a TV show is a good thing. But although intended, there are weekends that turn out differently. So was the case with mine.

  • It was the end of motorcycle week here and since I live a mile from the Harley Davidson store and showroom, and the roads above my house and below my house leads to this store, I heard the hum of large groups of motorcycles from 8 AM until 2 AM each day. It’s rather like the drones of gigantic bees.
  • And I had tried to pre-plan my meals so I would not need to go grocery shopping, but I failed and ended up in the grocery store on Friday afternoon. It was crazy busy, but I did manage to get things and get home in a short period of time.
  • Since the news is too upsetting to watch, I turned on the tennis matches in Europe. These are the matches that are being played on grass as a warm-up for Wimbledon.
  • I also watched “ER“. Long ago, back in the 1990s, I watched that show. But with time, and other programs in my head, I really do not recall the plot lines of this show. So, needless to say, I have been enjoying the show as if it were completely new.
  • I have found a friend to dog-sit for me on a few of the days that I have doctor’s appointments.2022-05-12_08-34-29What I need to find now is a man or woman who will stay overnight with Jack and Lili so I can go and visit my family. I want to spend time with my daughter and grandchildren and then perhaps go to see my sister. I have not seen Mel since July of 2019.
  • I have also hired a woman to help me go through the house and get rid of things. I want to clear the decks! Having someone who can keep me on goal and not allow me to get sidetracked is essential!
  • I began my diet a week ago. People can tell you all the time not to call it a diet, but guess what folks? It is a diet no matter how you cut it. I had regained some weight after Arnie died and finally I reached a point where I sat down and planned what I was going to do. My first week back I lost 4 pounds! Yay me!
  • When I woke today it was 39 degrees. Yes, you read right. In order to walk the hounds, I put on my winter coat!
  • So that’s the weekend. I hope yours was a good one and that the week ahead will be filled with warmth, sunshine, and happiness!

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The Weekend Wrap ~ April 25th

The weekend wrap 2Although the weekend sped by, I can’t really say that a lot went on.

Heidi was quiet for the most part. I’m feeling good about getting her spay surgery out of the way.

2022-04-25_07-05-11As you can see, her Recovery Suit covers her incision. I simply love these!

From now on she can think about living a wonderful healthy life! In a few more days we will get back outside and back to our walking plan.

Lili goes from being fine to limping around. She goes in for her shots in two weeks and she’ll be evaluated further then.

After sleeping in my recliner for nearly four months I can tell you that my neck, shoulders, and back no longer hurt when I get up in the morning. I am thinking I should get rid of my regular bed and get a reclining bed. It seems to take all the pressure off of my spine. I think it is time to shop and do some price comparisons! Stay tuned…

This week we have no plans. I may try to do some spring cleaning, but nothing that requires me to drive a lot. If I am lucky, I will make a few runs to the recycling center and actually purge a closet or two!

Have a great week!

The Weekend Wrap ~ April 4th

The weekend wrap 2Despite my best efforts to have a truly quiet weekend, it turned into a pretty crazy one.

Lili’s ankle is still bothering her, so each time she needs to go out, I have to walk her on a leash. She weighs 77 pounds and is very strong.

So imagine trying to walk her and Heidi at the same time? Heidi may only be 16 pounds, but she is very strong and tries to pull you right off your feet!

Have you ever heard an old song, and then looked for it so you could hear the entire thing, and suddenly you realize that the group was one you really enjoyed back in the day, so you go to your music app and listen to all those tunes from your youth!

That’s what happened to me today when I heard “Share The Land” by the Guess Who.

Oh my goodness! What fun this has been!!

2905_the-guess-whoThe Guess Who.

My only observation is that some of these guys had better, thicker, and curlier hair than most women!

I am still concerned about Lili’s limping. I may give the doctor a call on Monday. I am thinking she may need to have it wrapped. Lili is not a good patient. She wants to run and jump and play, but it just wouldn’t be good for her.

This is my quiet week. I am grateful. I am not feeling 100% and need to just putter around the house instead of trying to do it all at once.

Have a great week everyone!

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The Weekend Wrap ~ February 28th

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Our weekend really sped by. We had another 10 inches of snow, and then a cold front moved through dropping the temperatures as well as a little more snow.

Heidi is rather confused by all of this. Previously our snow was frozen enough so that she could walk on top of it. Now with the new fluffy snow, she sinks!

I spent time on the phone helping to find a new dackel baby for a woman I have known for many years. She owned Arnie and Anneliese’s sister Angelika. It is so strange, but the pups from that first litter all made it to age 14 and died within months of each other.

The best news is that Heidi and Lili are now total buddies who have started sleeping together.

Heidi and Lili 1This makes me very happy!

Have a great week ahead!

The Weekend Wrap ~ February 21st

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Well, February is nearly done, and the Olympics in China is done, so here are some of my thoughts on February, the Olympics, and life in general.

  • This may be the worst Olympics I have witnessed. The cheating with people doping was bad enough, but to have the International Olympic Committee allow the 15-year-old to skate after she failed a blood test with three different heart medications in her system, is beyond me. They claim they were protecting her, but what they did was just the opposite.
  • I knew that fifteen-year-old Kamila Valieva, wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure and her last skate was a disaster. And after she had her meltdown, she was then abused by her horrible blond coach, this left me angry. I wanted to hug that little girl. I truly fear for her wellbeing.
  • I also found the people who were American-born, or Canadian-born, who switched their loyalties to another country, pretty upsetting. What’s that old saying, “I am who I am”. If I suddenly changed my allegiance to Germany or any other country it’s simply being dishonorable to myself and my country of birth. It was repulsive to me.
  • I also found that the Chinese made it very difficult for everyone who came to compete but their own athletes! Those who tested positive (I will not even go into that.) were kept in isolated hotel rooms that were little more than prisons. No hot food, no place for them to work out. And really, no way for the team doctors to examine them.
  • Since I subscribed to Peacock I was able to see certain events in their entirety. All the ski jumping, ice skating, etc. I liked that. But felt bad for people who did not have a streaming service.
  • Heidi is growing and changing every minute.20220219_145643She is simply so beautiful with a personality to match. I am just the luckiest dackel Mama!

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