Special Day...Memorial.

 I love Memorial Day.  Don't know one in all my of memory that they weren't sunny and beautiful in all ways. Even when I was living overseas...they were sunny and beautiful.  We would go to an American Base on the day and enjoy they parades and music and speech.  Always special.  

I have been out for quite a time walking.  I came home for lunch and in a minute I am headed out again.  It is too absolutely wonderful outside to stay in the house.

Oh--  I bought a pillow that advertised  itself as one that you could take filling out OR put it in.  They send extra for the pillow's regular price.  It has a zipper on one end, so I thought this was going to end my continual search for a thin pillow.  Normal pillows jack my head up so high, to where I feel the most uncomfortable ever.   A certain store in VT sells thin pillows.  They charge an un-goshly amount  of $$$ for them but they are perfect for me.  Maybe 2 inches high. They get mis-shapen  on the middle edges and middle to where you have to buy a new one after 4 months or so.  More $$$'s.  

So when I saw this one I bought advertised for 60 some dollars, I took a chance (what a PRICE!!  UGH) and looked forward to it arriving.  Glad it had a zipper or it would have gone straight back.  A person could use that pillow for a step stool it was so stuffed full.  I took out 3/4ths of a kitchen trash bag full of stuffing.  And I finally tried it last night.  Almost still too high for me.  But I had my thin miss-shapen one handy in case I couldn't stand the new one.  I got thru the night.  Not sure but I may take out more tonight before bed.  How do people stand pillows so high? 

Son with kidney stone had a CT scan...awaiting results... as he had pain in the flank even after passing the stone.  DIL with Gall bladder surgery is about 100% recovered, and their son is able to go back to school (virus) just when school let out. 

Just saying hello.  ❤️

Ay Caramba!

 For those not on Face Book, I am so sad!  I went out to see how my tomato flowers were doing and today is the day I discovered white things all over the plants !  Flowers, leaves and stems.  I threw myself on the combined knowledge of people of Face Book.  They mostly concurred these are aphids.  I didn't see any  sign last evening while watering. If I cannot get rid of these things I'll have to give up and throw these WERE flourishing plants into the woods.  I just hate this!  

I'm trying to post pictures but Blogger said not now.  Go figure.  Still trying, but it keeps saying "an unexpected error happened, try again later". 

Now I see I will have to go buy a spray bottle. Water, dish soap and baking soda. I hate going out but I have to in order tp get the bottle.  Just got back in from the Big City.  

Sleepy and I wish I could get more sleep.  I go to bed early enough but I am obliged to get up early to go somewhere...usually not for me.  But this morning it was for me at the dentist.  Just a quick run in there and back out but had to do it. 

Made a lemon cake with lemon frosting..THICKly layered on...and sprinkles.  OH that was so good and I doubt I will eat again for the rest of this day.  Let me try another time to get a photo posted. 

I just moved this screen shot over to the blog.  

My Usual When Complaining..."Good Grief" NOTE: Made legible and an addition was made to text as well.

I'll blog about this because it remains a sore point with just me, I guess. I was getting dressed a while ago. I chose a navy color tank top and a cap sleeved top to go with it. Once again this morning I was struck by the quality of the tank top that I have had for years as well as the top I chose to go with it. (I take care of my clothes). It's all cotton, both articles I chose, they have body to the fabric. Not any cheap polyester or spandex in it at all.  The feel of it after I put them on is so nice.

Unlike all mass produced tank tops, t-shirts and knit (not woven) tops of the past 15 + years, these two things I am wearing today are very nice, soft, have substance to them. And you can't buy this quality any more. Once these are gone...that will be the end of good quality clothing for me. I always buy classical type clothing. Always. Never buy on trend. So they aren't out of style. I have a few suits that I hope I can get in to again, that are as perfectly able to go to a meeting or somewhere of importance NOW as they were when I bought them. Nothing to date them.

Today's t-shirts for example, men's and women's are so thin even when they claim 100% cotton which is rare, that you can see through them under proper conditions to do so. Bright light does the trick. I have stood at a mirror in a sunbeam from time to time with a cheaply made t-shirt (all you can find) and faintly, just barely saw the light color of my underclothing.

If it's a skirt, know you'd better have a good slip on under it...because outside it will reveal all of you- albeit in shadow form. I've been surprised on occasion in dresses and skirts approaching a store and seeing all of me, as it were, approaching.

Mass production- unless it is made by the most expensive labels where quality is still built in, is just cloth to cover you, never mind it is made in china of the cheapest possible materials and labor. Remember the old Union labels we used to see on our clothes? Which were made here in this Country by workers who did quality work and were proud of it?

Just sayin'.

Sitting and Waiting

 Howdy.  Sitting around and waiting for them to text and say the car is ready.  I noticed a few weeks ago that it is running just a bit roughly.  Just a bit, but the condition was always present these past several weeks. I had already guessed plugs, and that's what it is.  Next up are the brakes.  Got 100,000 miles on the car now.  Then, drain and change transmission oil etc. 

Just found out only  a few seconds ago that one of my sons is in the ER as he has kidney stones.  No idea if he knew that they were/are a problem prior to this attack. And here I am without my car if needed. His wife of course is there. 

I have the house pretty organized thank goodness.  While I wait for my car there isn't a lot to do.  And I've spent all of my money on gasoline and food anyway.  Done for a few days with that!  After my dental woes and Katie's, that was a LOT of money.  Today's garage visit won't be cheap either.  

Just texted to get the yard mowed.  I can't do it.  It's like a house on a mountain ledge and plenty of rocks all around and in the clay soil.  An exaggeration, but close enough. 

If the car was here I would make an appointment to get it washed and cleaned inside.  But I will wait until I have it back in my possession as they might have an hour or so and tell me to come in now! 

Going to try to find someone to paint the inside of the house.  Then, the carpet cleaners.  Whoopee. Somethings are more than I want to deal with.  I still remember how I used to beg to be allowed to paint inside of  the house when I was just barely a teen. 

Hey, I saw two really great scarecrows in a field as I was on my way to The Big City last week.  That was cool!  I haven't seen scarecrows, the traditional type you see illustrations of in books etc. in a gazillion years.  One was in a checked shirt and the other in  plaid. They had brooms in their hands.  I wish them success. 

Anyone here watch Colombo?  Or used to?  The show that Peter Falk starred in. I love the shows and the music with them.  The composer for most of the movies was so good I cannot find adequate words to describe his talent.  Post, I believe his last name is. 

See ya later.

Taken in the arboretum

Many Many Thanks

 My friends, thank you so much for your well wishes for Katie.   And really for me as well, as I was distressed by her not being well.  I have never seen her under the influence of drugs and it scared me.  Especially when she tried to leave the carrier and her legs splayed out like a star fish on the floor, and she could not told herself upright.  That horrible collar, the tight tight tee shirt, hunger and thirst...her misery and not leaving a place in the living room for 24 hours just made me suffer as much as her. I was up most of the night trying to be there for her.

Now she is free of the pain patch, the tee shirt, and that horrible horrible collar.  Thank you so much.  It meant a lot to me.

Here is an early early morning off my deck....two pictures of the same thing...separated by about a minute in time and one room, as I rushed from one place to another. I am so fortunate to live in a beautiful place.  My back yard.  My property runs to the County/City line. 

Grateful you are my friends.  

It's Getting Time!! YES!

 Look what I saw this very morning an hour ago when I went to get the hummingbird feeder in to change the nectar.

I didn't expect flowers this soon.  The tomatoes will start very very soon from the flower, and I cannot wait to see that little pencil eraser sized 'mater as it starts forming. I will feed it again today or tomorrow.

Right now I am watching and waiting for Katie's doctor to call and tell me I can come after her to bring her home.  That will be later afternoon.  I got to stay with her an hour and fifteen minutes while the premeds worked.  It kept her stress at a minimum. She is having two teeth removed.  They may call about more but I won't allow but two more this time if it has to be.  Cats' teeth resorb, and cause a bad problem when they do so.  I hope that is not the case here.She's having a radiograph first, That will tell us.

Look at the size of these strawberries.  The one on top there is 6" around at its "waist". 

Happy Mother's Day

Dear friends.  Happy Mother's Day to all the moms of two and four legged children.  The love is real and strong no matter whether or not fur is involved.  And as I always do, I wish a Happy Mother's Day to the Dad's out there who have been both mother and father  to their children, including four legged ones.  

I always wish a happy Father's day to all the women who are both mom and dad to their children when that time comes because I know how that is.  I was mom and dad both for years. Still am.  I "channeled" my own father in order to impart the right things to my children as best as I could.  I had a tough job too, and because of harsh long shifts and much over time, our important times had to wait several days before we could all be together as a family of four. We rarely had Christmas on the day.  I always had to work. (I was paid very well for the OT and holiday working, but that is never like being with your children). But we did celebrate together either before or after, including their birthdays, when work let me alone for a break.   But, just as each of you do, I love(d) my children with all my heart.  I still do even though they aren't with me now.  That doesn't matter at all.  My sons were and are loved to the nth degree.  Nothing will ever change that and I am grateful for them in my life. I will go to my last day on earth still being grateful for all three of them.  They really are the world.  Ain't nobody gonna love them and be grateful as I am, that they are in the world giving every day and that they are my children

Be grateful for what was given to you, rejoice in it and be glad. 💗

Might Be...

 Good morning to you!  Got to thinking while making the bed and all that stuff whether or not this next thing I will write is a local phenom or everywhere.

Where I live..the entire town is hills and flatland and hills again.  Predominately hills.  I get a jolt worthy of a heart re-start while I am driving down or up, into where I live by people speeding on down the 25mph streets in the middle...straddling the yellow solid line. Sometimes a third of the way over into the opposing lane.  Seriously stated, that far over.  You will come to a place where you turn the corner...no stop sign involved... and here comes a car turning as well, all the way in your lane!  They get this huge eyed "what are you doing in my way?" look on their faces to swerve belatedly into their own space.  I already wrote here twice (2 separate occasions) of having to go up on the side walk to avoid a head on collision because a person who turned at the same corner did so in MY lane that I was using to drive in.  Thank goodness I said then and now again that there was no one on the sidewalk there at the time.  If there had been, I would have had to risk myself and take the collision. 

So, is it just lame brains here or does this happen where you are too.  It occurs mostly in residential areas but also on the main roads in town  Just not as badly.  Their tires will be over the yellow lines. Not a lot of the vehicle as well. 

I was going to water my new sunflower just planted and discovered that the last person who used the hose (which is one of the more expensive collapsable ones) and that would be the gas system service man...broke the connector of the hose to the faucet making it unusable.  I'll take the pieces to the store.  No idea if that piece that connects to the hose and then to the faucet is available by itself.  It's cheap plastic. 

Taking Katie's brother back today and then, a cleaning fest here in my castle. And if the antenna behaves, I get to watch my faves this afternoon on TV after that.  Haven't been able to for 5 weeks now. All the other channels work but that particular one.  So it's not placement. 

Anyhoo, are drivers in their own lanes where you are?