It's Like I'm Writing a Summer Diary

 

I can't believe I am blogging for the fourth day. Crazy.  

I forgot to share a view from the porch to the flowers yesterday. I just got started on the inside of the porch. I have boxes of stuff buried in a closet in what I am now calling the warehouse at the end of the hallway. 

The room is storing the bathroom cabinetry, the shower pan and walls, all the plumbing fixtures, I am pretty sure the special drywall and who knows what else. And the bedroom furniture stacked around the edges. 

The bathroom project has come to a complete stop due to my husband deciding to put new brakes on my youngest son's truck. Then he discovered an issue with the four wheel drive vacumn (do you like how I am sounding like I know what I am talking about?) and I swear I heard something about rebuilding the engine. I am hoping that isn't true. 

And yesterday the truck project stopped when my daughter's AC went out. Yesterday's temperatures were in the 90's. After taking apart the condenser (Mr Merry is a retired HVAC person as well as a Water Treatment Plant operator, all as a railroad buildings and grounds employee), the problem was a mouse who chewed a wire and electrocuted himself. 

ANYWAY First I wanted to share this photo that appeared in our local paper in 1991.  It features my three sons and a neighbor boy who not only scavenged pieces and parts from a construction site, but built this car and called the newspaper to take their photo. And gave the reporter their names and their parent's names. 

I worked at the library at the time and we were first to get the paper. The only childcare I was using that summer was my 13 year old daughter and my mother on standby across town. In other words, my children were raising themselves. Fortunately no one called from the construction company or filed theft charges. 

I mention this because my nine year old granddaughter got an Apple watch thing this week. She moved to a neighborhood full of children and has crossed the line into bike riding a few streets away, playing pickup softball with neighbor kids at the end of the street, and traveling all over the three blocks of her subdivision with her friends.  

Stepdad especially is very concerned about her boundaries and personal freedom. The watch has a tracker so they know where she is and there are only four people she can call and text. Those chosen are mom, stepdad, Mr Merry and me.  And the highlight of my day is now the 20+ texts I get from morning to night. Please keep in mind that she usually visits me once a day, too. Here is a sample. 

Mom has suggested I begin retyping misspelled words. 

I read in the paper that someone else was chosen to fill the vacant seat in our city government.  I am going to admit I was a little upset. I had mentioned to my husband days ago that an email thanking me for my time and telling me that they had decided the other candidate was a better fit would have been nice.  

A few hours later I got a panicked email asking me to call the committee and apologizing for not contacting me earlier. The gist was that they all thought the other person would call me. 

I told myself I was not going to get upset if I wasn't chosen, but I am upset, mostly at the rudeness.  They actually made the announcement at a dinner at a local establishment with a whole committee and newspapers present. But couldn't drop me a two line email.  

Yes, I am being petty. But I am giving myself 24 hours to pout.  And then I am planning my trip on Saturday to the Cleveland Museum of Art to view a special exhibit by the artist Takashi Murakami.  We are also looking forward to touring the other half of the regular exhibits we missed when we visited the museum last year! 

Should We Try for Three Posts This Week?

 

Things are not going well on the front porch of the house with the picket fence.  I spent $25 each on hanging baskets for my front porch and this is the condition they are in.  I have hung these baskets on this porch since it was built in 2004 and my gardener/husband has provided the same care every year. With the use of a magnifying glass and a microscope he discovered they are full of tiny little bugs.

My daughter is forcing me to get up and dressed and leave the house early every day. Today it was back to the Amish nursery where everything was half price. There was the sweetest owner/mother and an adorable truck driver who was no help at all. 

I am going to flood your brain with flowers.  

I was overwhelmed. 

So pretty. 

I was starting to forget what I was looking for. 

My daughter bought this planter for half price - $15. 

I decided to go patriotic. 

I paid full price for this wooden garden. (of course)

The truck bed. 

Might as well stop at the Mennonite Grocery Store. 

I think this is cereal. 

Oh yes, some came home with me. 

But they were out of peaches. 

The tomatoes were HUGE. 

My son and his sons have been coming to dinner on Tuesdays. Yesterday I baked a 10 lb ham and it turns out that they were only coming during the school year. I bought cheese for ham and cheese sandwiches for the next week. 

When I would bring my 4H club here, I gave them a scavenger hunt sheet. One activity was to count how many sprinkle varieties. There are hundreds. 

I used to buy the 25 pound bags of sugar and flour before we had an Aldi. 

They were out of the donut mix. 

I used to buy the paper plates of homemade hoho cakes for my kids. They were $2-$3 for a half dozen. Now they are $8.25. 

Came home and redecorated the front porch in the new theme. My gardener is treating the new plants in the morning. Please ignore the dead iris blooms. 

New flowers in the bike basket only because I accidentally bought an extra basket of flowers. 

By afternoon it was in the 90's. But it was the first summer free concert at our new city amphitheater. I couldn't believe I talked Mr Merry into going. But he did. 

This is a dad, three daughters (the bass player is 15, lead singer just graduated) and a son, the drummer, who is the youngest. The band name is Townline 26 which is the road where they live. 

And tomorrow is my church charity office day. I need the rest! 

Two posts in a week?

 I know! I can't believe it either! 

We did take seven grandchildren to the amusement park.  The weather service lied. They said that the temperature would reach a high of 72 degrees after 4 pm and that it would be a cloudy day on the lake.  It was a very sunny day and the temperature was in the 80's. I was wearing jeans and I swear they melted to my legs. When I got home I looked at the weather and they had changed the high to 84 degrees. Sneaky sneaky. 

Luckily we took the stroller which held all the sweatshirts we shed and I bought the kids drink passes for Easter so they stayed hydrated with lemonade and Powerade.  The heat did not bother them at all. 

We were going to return to the park today, but my daughter and daughter in law discovered it was $5 movie day so they took the crew to the air conditioned theater without me. It is already in the high 80's. Tomorrow is forecast in the 90's.  Since I was home I loaded up a box of clothes I will never fit into again for the clothing bank, a bag of books for the first little library (I have lots of bags of books) and then took a box to Goodwill.  I did pick up this book from the little library, but I was still ahead since I dropped off 10 and only took 1. 

Then my vehicle accidentally parked in front of the cancer thrift shop again. I did not buy the pig.

I did not buy these chairs. But I really like these chairs. 

And then I ran into the wife of a member of my church board. She volunteers at the shop several days a week and was putting out new donations.

I just noticed those little glasses on the tiered tray on the left. I love little glasses. I may have to go back and look at the little glasses. 

I was very tempted by the little crock with the fawn. But I resisted. 

This is a lovely dining room table just full of treasures. At this point I was accosted by the parent of a former 4Her. This took about 15 minutes of browsing time to catch up. 

The large green tiered tray was very tempting but I resisted! 

I mean really, how cute is this recycled crib settee?  I think this is where I ran into an old classmate and burned another 20 minutes of browsing time. 

And how fabulous is this wicker suitcase and trunk? I was very tempted by this suitcase. 

I am always tempted by the basket of unmarked photos. And this young lady was giving me the eye. But they aren't priced and it is always a hassle and discussion. 

$133. No handle so I don't think it was a baby carriage. Maybe a laundry cart? I have a lot of purses and I think it would be fun! I am thinking about it. Actually I just shook myself. No. I do not need this or have a place for it. 

I really really love the dishes. Really really. And then I spotted the wreath. 

It is a wreath frame (and I have several) with strips of felt tied to the frame. I am pretty sure I also have the felt.  And I am really really considering the dishes. 

I have a collection of these Avon vehicles somewhere. I used to get them for my husband for Father's Day in the 70's.  He never used the cologne and eventually I dumped it out.  I am sure he does not want them and I need to dig them out and donate them. 

I finally bought something. These figures are very tiny (the largest not even 2 inches tall) and were only $1 each. I have them under my TV marching in their own 4th of July parade. 

Every year I go to the Amish nurseries and buy hanging baskets. My husband waters and fertilizes and people remark on them all the time.  They are not doing well and he is not sure he can save them. I am not happy.  We may be taking a trip to a different nursery (if any are still open) tomorrow for replacements.  I am so not happy about it. 

HAPPY JUNE

 Just checking in to say we are still here.  We think our grandkids shared two viruses, a tummy virus and a high fever virus and we suffered through both at the same time. Although they were down only 1-2 days, it really took a week for us to get back to what we call normal.  And we are still tired. 

My scarewoman Pearlie Mae looks at the last of my iris. 

We had a quiet Memorial Day weekend with me in bed for two days before grampa went down. No picnics for us.  We were still putting one on the school bus this week, but everyone made other arrangements instead of dinners at the home place. 

No trips to the amusement park. No food pics or recipes. 

On Thursday I found substitutes for my charity day and we were able to attend our next to the last Kindergarten Graduation.  This was quite the event with the ceremony held on the football field while families cheered from the grandstands. 

I am hoping this is a camera angle and that my legs have not shrunk to half the size of my arms. 

I have been complaining and complaining about the heartbreaking state of affairs in this country. I saw this wonderful pin by Mary Engelbreit and took it to heart. 

I submitted my resume for consideration to be appointed to a vacated seat in our city government. The committee chose two candidates to interview and will make a decision this week.  I realize it is a small step and a position without much impact in the future of our country.  But they say charity starts at home and I think we need an emphasis on charity (as well as compassion) in this country right now.  I will keep you posted. 

Meanwhile, back in the saddle tomorrow as my middle son, my youngest daughter and I are taking seven children between the ages of 5 and 12 to the amusement park! Fun times!