what are you doing right now?

[Pink Cashmere]

Idk if I mentioned this here already, if I did, and I’m repeating myself, I’m sorry!

With me trying to grow herbs (again) and vegetables, I’ve been trying to learn about storing them if we have more than we can eat within a reasonable time frame. Thanks to Mister, I use more herbs for seasoning than I ever have before.

So it seems that you can dry them to store them. Our oven doesn’t have a low enough temperature to do it that way. So I looked at the Ninja thing he wanted and I bought him a couple years ago that does a million things I don’t understand or care to figure out, and it has a dehydrator function. Yay! I am excited about being able to dry my own herbs for future use instead of buying them. Let’s just not tell Mister yet that it will be his job figuring out how to use the dehydrator function on the Ninja thing, ok?

I am growing rosemary, oregano and basil. 

I already told Mrs. T that she can help herself to any and all of the herbs I’m trying to grow, after she said she does cook with all of them. I will be happy if she takes me up on that offer.

[weltschmerz]

I just finshed planting my herbs....chives, basil, rosemary and cilantro.  I couldn't find the silver-edged thyme I usually get.

[countrygirl2]

I think we have a bird building a nest in the corner of the gutter by the living room. It has a built up piece so the water doesn't overflow. Those poor things are going to get a rude awakening when it rains. The cats couldn't stand it last night, they could hear them up there and going in and out. If I can get one of the bigger ladders out I will remove it if no eggs have been laid. But a poor poor place for one.

I have my zipper in and the waistband pinned on. Ran out of pins, took a box to Washington thought I had more here, nope. So when I ran to town to pick up scrips and ice cream I bought some. I also found a package of kebob veggies on sale for $1 and have a rib eye steak. Will saute those and cut the steak up and add for DD and I tonight. Right now neither of us is hungry.

I also have the fabric laid out for a sort of shorts/skirt, kind of like culottes. I have made the pattern before in a larger size. The shorts are orange, this skirt is black background with yellow and orange flowers, both will look nice with the light orange colored top. I have filled the main room with tables for sewing and my steam generator iron, that one is 8 or 10 ft long. Makes a wonderful cutting table. Have the telly on a roku program to watch. It's beautiful out 77 so just right, but it was cool down there. So I turned on a heater we have down there and made it about 70 didn't take long.  Hubs put in furnace vents but they are shut off for the summer. Got my sewing room floor mopped, it was pretty dirty. Also bought distilled water for my steam iron so I can use it. Tomorrow will be the bedroom.

Both kitties are down there with me, they are perched on the side of the mattress up against a wall and sound asleep. Big old babies, they just want to be around "their" people I guess, ok back at it.

[Deleted]

May 21, 2023 16:23:24 GMT -5 swamp said:

May 21, 2023 16:02:14 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

We just keep reducing animal habitats by building in their turf, and they learn quickly how to adapt.  As long as your river area is kept human-free, the gators will have space to do their own thing in their own space.  

I'm with you on the bears - I want no part of them at all, even at a distance.

Bears are cool 

They are smart, they are fast, and I don't want to be dinner.  I think 99% of all human/bear interactions are caused by humans who get them accustomed to human presence and teach them to associate us with food sources like trash.  

[weltschmerz]

May 21, 2023 16:32:42 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

May 21, 2023 16:23:24 GMT -5 swamp said:

Bears are cool 

They are smart, they are fast, and I don't want to be dinner.  I think 99% of all human/bear interactions are caused by humans who get them accustomed to human presence and teach them to associate us with food sources like trash.  

"A fed bear is a dead bear"

[Deleted]

May 21, 2023 16:36:03 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

May 21, 2023 16:32:42 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

They are smart, they are fast, and I don't want to be dinner.  I think 99% of all human/bear interactions are caused by humans who get them accustomed to human presence and teach them to associate us with food sources like trash.  

"A fed bear is a dead bear"

Absolutely right!

[seriousthistime]

When my friend and I were driving cross country, we were trying to decide where in Kansas to spend the night.  We settled on Bonner Springs.  She called and talked to a very nice reservation agent with a foreign accent.  He repeated several times that we were booked at the hotel in Boner Springs. We got a lot of giggles out of that one and it is still one of the more memorable moments of our trip.  

[andi9899]

May 21, 2023 16:38:57 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

When my friend and I were driving cross country, we were trying to decide where in Kansas to spend the night.  We settled on Bonner Springs.  She called and talked to a very nice reservation agent with a foreign accent.  He repeated several times that we were booked at the hotel in Boner Springs. We got a lot of giggles out of that one and it is still one of the more memorable moments of our trip.  

That's only about 20 minutes from me. I always like it when people not from here try to pronounce Olathe, which is about 30 minutes from me. They never get it right.

[Pink Cashmere]

May 21, 2023 16:23:24 GMT -5 swamp said:

May 21, 2023 16:02:14 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

We just keep reducing animal habitats by building in their turf, and they learn quickly how to adapt.  As long as your river area is kept human-free, the gators will have space to do their own thing in their own space.  

I'm with you on the bears - I want no part of them at all, even at a distance.

Bears are cool 

Yep, they are. From a distance. Like, can’t get to me distance.

When Mister and I took the girls and my Grandbabies to Gatlinburg, TN, in the Smoky Mountains, we rented a condo up in the mountains. When we checked in, we were warned to not leave food in our vehicle because the bears know how to open car doors. There was another large warning inside our condo, concerning the bears. Someone staying near us actually had a bear get in their vehicle while we were there. Their dirty laundry was strewn everywhere and I joked to.Mister that their laundry must have been musty and the bear was trying to find onions lol.

The grounds around our condo had a swimming pool and playground for children. I wish I WOULD take my Grandbabies to a playground where bears are roaming around. That was the first and only time I’ve seen bears IRL, outside of a zoo. I have never in my life been in such a hurry to get into or out of a vehicle, to safety lol. I also saw a few from our balcony, which was far off the ground. That was close enough for me. I also saw some kind of big cat that ran into the woods before I could get a good look at it.

Black bear or Grizzly bear, they are all the same to me because I’m not trying to deal with either one. Forget “playing dead”, I probably would be dead for real if I ran into any kind of bear.

I use to always say I wanted to go stay in some mountains one day. I’ve done it now, and I’m good with never doing it again. Besides the wildlife, I’d never thought about actually getting up the mountain, and going back down it to sightsee, only to have to go up the mountain again to get back “home”. I did NOT like driving (well riding because Mister was driving) on the narrow, twisty roads going up or down the mountain. So we had to be at “home” well before dusk and neither of us could have ANY alcoholic beverages when we were “in town” and had to drive back up the mountain to get “home”. 

The Smoky Mountains are absolutely beautiful and I love everything about the idea of the scenery and wildlife, but NOT IRL lol. I’m good if I NEVER do that again.

[bookkeeper]

May 21, 2023 9:16:35 GMT -5 finnime said:

So I just ordered rubbers, or waterproof shoe covers if you will, for DH. He wears very specially modified shoes for his sugically corrected feet. If they get wet on our cruise that could be an issue. I expect we will be trooping through rain at some point. Hoping the rubbers work out. He could put them on his spare older pair of shoes.

DH and I are on an Alaskan cruise in two weeks.  I bought a new pair of "rubbers" to put in my suitcase.  DH already had a pair.  We also use them to go pheasant hunting when it is wet.  Cheap trip insurance against rain, I figure.

Who else wore the red rubber boots with the fold over elastic buckle to school?  Sometimes with bread sacks inside if they had a leak!

[Opti]

May 21, 2023 15:59:55 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

May 21, 2023 15:49:50 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

Oh dear!

There are supposedly alligators near the end of a smaller river here, near where it flows into the Mississippi River. But that area is pretty much inaccessible to the average person. I read about it when I was researching what animals live along the river where the trail I was riding my bike is.

Apparently whatever sciency type people monitor things like that, believe the alligators haven’t strayed from that area, which is far from where I was riding my bike. I hope they don’t, pleas and thank you. 

Over the last several years, there have been reports of black bear sightings in the are where I live. One was in northern Mississippi (I could literally walk to northern Mississippi from my first house), and one in the northern part of the county. Idk what ended up happening with either story, but please God, no bears OR alligators.

Black bears are relatively harmless, unless they have cubs.
There was a 95 year old woman in BC who shooed one out of her kitchen, twice in one day. She told him to go home.

www.ctvnews.ca/canada/i-was-annoyed-woman-95-shoos-black-bear-out-of-kitchen-twice-in-one-day-1.4037741?cache=kyifhaaa

For me it depends on the type of bear. I would love to see the ghost bears in Canada and sun bears are small. No grizzlies here so I think its all OK. 

[Deleted]

May 21, 2023 16:52:53 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

May 21, 2023 16:23:24 GMT -5 swamp said:

Bears are cool 

Yep, they are. From a distance. Like, can’t get to me distance.

When Mister and I took the girls and my Grandbabies to Gatlinburg, TN, in the Smoky Mountains, we rented a condo up in the mountains. When we checked in, we were warned to not leave food in our vehicle because the bears know how to open car doors. There was another large warning inside our condo, concerning the bears. Someone staying near us actually had a bear get in their vehicle while we were there. Their dirty laundry was strewn everywhere and I joked to.Mister that their laundry must have been musty and the bear was trying to find onions lol.

The grounds around our condo had a swimming pool and playground for children. I wish I WOULD take my Grandbabies to a playground where bears are roaming around. That was the first and only time I’ve seen bears IRL, outside of a zoo. I have never in my life been in such a hurry to get into or out of a vehicle, to safety lol. I also saw a few from our balcony, which was far off the ground. That was close enough for me. I also saw some kind of big cat that ran into the woods before I could get a good look at it.

Black bear or Grizzly bear, they are all the same to me because I’m not trying to deal with either one. Forget “playing dead”, I probably would be dead for real if I ran into any kind of bear.

I use to always say I wanted to go stay in some mountains one day. I’ve done it now, and I’m good with never doing it again. Besides the wildlife, I’d never thought about actually getting up the mountain, and going back down it to sightsee, only to have to go up the mountain again to get back “home”. I did NOT like driving (well riding because Mister was driving) on the narrow, twisty roads going up or down the mountain. So we had to be at “home” well before dusk and neither of us could have ANY alcoholic beverages when we were “in town” and had to drive back up the mountain to get “home”. 

The Smoky Mountains are absolutely beautiful and I love everything about the idea of the scenery and wildlife, but NOT IRL lol. I’m good if I NEVER do that again.

One of my best life adventures was a trip through the Smoky Mountains on a completely unintentional route due to our planned route being closed because of rock falls. Fortunately, my bestie was a true road warrior and we rode the route called The Tail of the Dragon-death defying, amazing, beautiful, and a lot more words, not just once but twice.  www.visitmysmokies.com/blog/smoky-mountains/tail-of-the-dragon-in-the-smoky-mountains/

[toomuchreality]

May 21, 2023 16:21:24 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Home and bathed. Thinking about putting a load of clothes in the washer, but I think it's going to be an early night. 

Glad you made it home safely.
Take care of you.

[Deleted]

May 21, 2023 16:53:25 GMT -5 bookkeeper said:

May 21, 2023 9:16:35 GMT -5 finnime said:

So I just ordered rubbers, or waterproof shoe covers if you will, for DH. He wears very specially modified shoes for his sugically corrected feet. If they get wet on our cruise that could be an issue. I expect we will be trooping through rain at some point. Hoping the rubbers work out. He could put them on his spare older pair of shoes.

DH and I are on an Alaskan cruise in two weeks.  I bought a new pair of "rubbers" to put in my suitcase.  DH already had a pair.  We also use them to go pheasant hunting when it is wet.  Cheap trip insurance against rain, I figure.

Who else wore the red rubber boots with the fold over elastic buckle to school?  Sometimes with bread sacks inside if they had a leak!

You too?  That makes four of us from this board.

[toomuchreality]

Growing up, we went to Yellowstone on our family vacation. Slept in an old army tent, on the ground. There were a lot of bears around in those days. They'd come into our camp at night.
One day, we went for a drive, to see the geysers (miles and miles of dirt roads) and we came across bears. A lot of BIG bears.
It was summer, with no a/c in cars, so windows were down. A bear walked over to our car and my dad yelled to roll up our windows! One of my sisters didn't. Not until it reached up to put his paw inside our car! Luckily, we were all safe. But boy, was my sister in trouble. That bear was huge and leaning against our car, so it was close.
I remember driving through huge Redwood trees and going into one, they'd built a gift shop into the trunk, it was so big. And the tree was still alive. I was 3-4 at the time. And I got a stuffed black bear as a souvenir from that gift shop. The bubbling sulphur pots stunk so bad!! Old Faithful was amazing.

Life was so different back then.

[daisylu]

In an effort to stay awake until DH gets home at 8, I started that load of laundry and it is in the dryer now. Not a large load, so shouldn't take very long to dry.

I also strained a half gallon of the fire cider that I made for DH in February, and cleaned up the dishes from that mess. The previous batch ran out Thursday.

[daisylu]

May 21, 2023 16:23:41 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

Idk if I mentioned this here already, if I did, and I’m repeating myself, I’m sorry!

With me trying to grow herbs (again) and vegetables, I’ve been trying to learn about storing them if we have more than we can eat within a reasonable time frame. Thanks to Mister, I use more herbs for seasoning than I ever have before.

So it seems that you can dry them to store them. Our oven doesn’t have a low enough temperature to do it that way. So I looked at the Ninja thing he wanted and I bought him a couple years ago that does a million things I don’t understand or care to figure out, and it has a dehydrator function. Yay! I am excited about being able to dry my own herbs for future use instead of buying them. Let’s just not tell Mister yet that it will be his job figuring out how to use the dehydrator function on the Ninja thing, ok?

I am growing rosemary, oregano and basil. 

I already told Mrs. T that she can help herself to any and all of the herbs I’m trying to grow, after she said she does cook with all of them. I will be happy if she takes me up on that offer.

Of those listed, basil is the only herb that I worry about dehydrating. For rosemary and oregano I made a small hanger that I painted with chalkboard paint that hangs in the kitchen. After I cut some, I bundle with twine and just hang them until I dry. A dehydrator works fine too, you'll just want to keep an eye on it and it is sometimes an all day event.

[weltschmerz]

May 21, 2023 18:03:22 GMT -5 daisylu said:

May 21, 2023 16:23:41 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

Idk if I mentioned this here already, if I did, and I’m repeating myself, I’m sorry!

With me trying to grow herbs (again) and vegetables, I’ve been trying to learn about storing them if we have more than we can eat within a reasonable time frame. Thanks to Mister, I use more herbs for seasoning than I ever have before.

So it seems that you can dry them to store them. Our oven doesn’t have a low enough temperature to do it that way. So I looked at the Ninja thing he wanted and I bought him a couple years ago that does a million things I don’t understand or care to figure out, and it has a dehydrator function. Yay! I am excited about being able to dry my own herbs for future use instead of buying them. Let’s just not tell Mister yet that it will be his job figuring out how to use the dehydrator function on the Ninja thing, ok?

I am growing rosemary, oregano and basil. 

I already told Mrs. T that she can help herself to any and all of the herbs I’m trying to grow, after she said she does cook with all of them. I will be happy if she takes me up on that offer.

Of those listed, basil is the only herb that I worry about dehydrating. For rosemary and oregano I made a small hanger that I painted with chalkboard paint that hangs in the kitchen. After I cut some, I bundle with twine and just hang them until I dry. A dehydrator works fine too, you'll just want to keep an eye on it and it is sometimes an all day event.

I bundle my herbs too, and hang them upside down in the kitchen, next to the cleaver.
Sometimes, when I roast something like a chicken, I pop the herbs in the oven on a pie plate when it cools down some.

[Pink Cashmere]

I was outside enjoying the weather and the birds chirping, while playing on my IPad. DD called, and she was clearly fudging about something, but I let it go because she said she was just calling to see how I’m doing.

A few minutes later I looked up and she, my Grandbabies and her friend’s son were at the gate yelling Hey Nana! It’s been a very long time since they’ve popped up like that, and I was SO happy to see them. DGS asked if he could let the dogs out the gate. I said yes, and he and DD’s friend’s son ran around with them in the yard. Then they and DGD1 decided to climb the pecan tree. DGD2, who will be 3yo next month, just wanted to sit in the rocks DS and I put down with my project last week, and play and hand me rocks that she liked, to hold for her. DGD1 was also picking out rocks that she said looked like crystals.

At some point, DGS was way out across the yard, sitting cross legged by himself on the grass, facing away from us and the house. DD yelled and asked him if he was ok, he said yes, so we let him do his thing. When he was done and came back across the yard to where we were, he said “it’s just so peaceful, sitting out there in the yard”. He just turned 11yo and I was kind of surprised about him finding his zen in my backyard, or even wanting to sit somewhere by himself that felt peaceful to him, but I loved it.

School will be out soon, and I hope I will be able to spend a lot more time with them over the summer. It’s difficult during the school year because I work weekends, when they are free. 

[cooper88]

May 21, 2023 16:23:41 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

Idk if I mentioned this here already, if I did, and I’m repeating myself, I’m sorry!

With me trying to grow herbs (again) and vegetables, I’ve been trying to learn about storing them if we have more than we can eat within a reasonable time frame. Thanks to Mister, I use more herbs for seasoning than I ever have before.

So it seems that you can dry them to store them. Our oven doesn’t have a low enough temperature to do it that way. So I looked at the Ninja thing he wanted and I bought him a couple years ago that does a million things I don’t understand or care to figure out, and it has a dehydrator function. Yay! I am excited about being able to dry my own herbs for future use instead of buying them. Let’s just not tell Mister yet that it will be his job figuring out how to use the dehydrator function on the Ninja thing, ok?

I am growing rosemary, oregano and basil. 

I already told Mrs. T that she can help herself to any and all of the herbs I’m trying to grow, after she said she does cook with all of them. I will be happy if she takes me up on that offer.

I'm low tech. I just hang them upside down and let them dry, but I'm in an arid climate. I never tried that when I lived in Memphis.

[Works4me]

May 21, 2023 16:17:53 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

May 21, 2023 5:28:42 GMT -5 finnime said:

Good morning, invisible founts of erudition, visiting me in my trusty laptop. Happy Sunday to you. I hope your day is smooth and easy in every respect, and provides respite from pressures of life.

Today is The Day to finalize packing up. We leave early Wednesday morning.

All the talk of cooking and baking makes me miss my grandmother, my mother's mother, very much. She was an excellent scratch cook with no recipes at all but an uncanny feel for food of every type. My mother was, as well. With 5 kids we went through food very quickly but we always had ingredients. It was New England food: boiled New England dinner; chowders - corn, fish, quahog; Swedish pancakes; chili; spaghetti; lentil soup; Sunday roast with broccoli and mashed potato; muffins and puddings; scalloped potatoes with hot dogs or kielbasa; blueberry teacake; turkey; checken; oatmeal.

It's been raining and rainy. Yesterday I got an aptly named fishing boat coming in to harbor, but there was no sun and precious few tiny dinosaurs at the beach.

I like the name of this boat.

It makes me remember that old Heinz Ketchup commercial. I learned recently that there are other types besides tomato. They include cucumber ketchup, Walnut ketchup, mushroom ketchup, even blueberry ketchup and banana ketchup. Such a sheltered life I've been living.

[Pink Cashmere]

I’m not sure about just hanging them to let them dry, because this time of year is very humid here, even inside the house. Maybe even especially in our house where outside air seeps in through all the gaps around our windows and doors.

Yesterday morning and this morning, I woke up with my skin looking all pretty and hydrated, and I know it was because of the humidity. Because in reality, my skin is very dry, and I hadn’t been doing any of my skin care routine to make it look like that when I get up in the morning.

I’ll figure it out though. If they can’t//won’t dry naturally, I’m glad to have another option with Mister’s thingamajig.

[countrygirl2]

I keep getting interrupted. I was sewing and saw a zip across the floor, a mouse down there. The cats went wild, it ran into the end room so I opened the door. They have been all over and can't get it. Too much stuff sitting around for them to get it. Outside they would have it. We never had any until some holes were punched through the foundation area for solar and a plug hubs put outside now mice down there. None have ever been upstairs. We keep poison down there and find one dead once in awhile. I told him when he gets home fix it so they can't get in please.

Hubs called twice this afternoon. He got in up there at 1PM today. He and grandson have already been running all over. He bought him a calculator grandson wanted so hubs is teaching him about square roots and other things. I told him try percentages, little guy said they are learning about measuring now. So he is all excited to learn about the functions on the calculator, hubs is a good one to teach him about that. And hubs is letting him eat oreos in my living room on the carpet, grrr, and drink sodas. I said you are ruining his dinner, hubs said that's ok. I figure he will take him to get a Subway before the evening is over. If we lived up there that kid would be spoiled rotten.

So hubs is having a good time already. He will be there a few weeks. Son is getting eye surgery the 13th so maybe he can help him with that too. Then then renter came, I had the basement door open and thought I heard something. But he didn't ring the door bell and came downstairs, scared me to death. Luckily I wasn't in my underwear trying clothes on, going to have to watch that.

And I just ruined dinner. We both had ice cream, DD with marshino cherries and me with butterscotch.

Ok back down to sew again. I was telling hubs what I was doing, he said I built you a sewing room and now you are taking over the basement with sewing, well yeah, LOL!

I just closed all the windows up here, it's cooling off again and think it will be in the 40's again tonight.

I am so happy we bought that place up there and think hubs is too, it gives him something else to do. He likes keeping busy, but he has a lot to do. The things on the motorhome he wants to fix, the house we will eventually get back and much more.

[weltschmerz]

May 21, 2023 18:23:14 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

I’m not sure about just hanging them to let them dry, because this time of year is very humid here, even inside the house. Maybe even especially in our house where outside air seeps in through all the gaps around our windows and doors.

Yesterday morning and this morning, I woke up with my skin looking all pretty and hydrated, and I know it was because of the humidity. Because in reality, my skin is very dry, and I hadn’t been doing any of my skin care routine to make it look like that when I get up in the morning.

I’ll figure it out though. If they can’t//won’t dry naturally, I’m glad to have another option with Mister’s thingamajig.

Herbs, like spices, lose some potency when exposed to air. That's why I don't like leaving them hanging for too long.
Ergo, the oven after I've roasted something.

[daisylu]

May 21, 2023 18:14:30 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

I was outside enjoying the weather and the birds chirping, while playing on my IPad. DD called, and she was clearly fudging about something, but I let it go because she said she was just calling to see how I’m doing.

A few minutes later I looked up and she, my Grandbabies and her friend’s son were at the gate yelling Hey Nana! It’s been a very long time since they’ve popped up like that, and I was SO happy to see them. DGS asked if he could let the dogs out the gate. I said yes, and he and DD’s friend’s son ran around with them in the yard. Then they and DGD1 decided to climb the pecan tree. DGD2, who will be 3yo next month, just wanted to sit in the rocks DS and I put down with my project last week, and play and hand me rocks that she liked, to hold for her. DGD1 was also picking out rocks that she said looked like crystals.

At some point, DGS was way out across the yard, sitting cross legged by himself on the grass, facing away from us and the house. DD yelled and asked him if he was ok, he said yes, so we let him do his thing. When he was done and came back across the yard to where we were, he said “it’s just so peaceful, sitting out there in the yard”. He just turned 11yo and I was kind of surprised about him finding his zen in my backyard, or even wanting to sit somewhere by himself that felt peaceful to him, but I loved it.

School will be out soon, and I hope I will be able to spend a lot more time with them over the summer. It’s difficult during the school year because I work weekends, when they are free. 

That sounds like a lovely evening. How old is DGS? I think it is wonderful that he can find his peace!

[Pink Cashmere]

May 21, 2023 18:24:07 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

I keep getting interrupted. I was sewing and saw a zip across the floor, a mouse down there. The cats went wild, it ran into the end room so I opened the door. They have been all over and can't get it. Too much stuff sitting around for them to get it. Outside they would have it. We never had any until some holes were punched through the foundation area for solar and a plug hubs put outside now mice down there. None have ever been upstairs. We keep poison down there and find one dead once in awhile. I told him when he gets home fix it so they can't get in please.

Hubs called twice this afternoon. He got in up there at 1PM today. He and grandson have already been running all over. He bought him a calculator grandson wanted so hubs is teaching him about square roots and other things. I told him try percentages, little guy said they are learning about measuring now. So he is all excited to learn about the functions on the calculator, hubs is a good one to teach him about that. And hubs is letting him eat oreos in my living room on the carpet, grrr, and drink sodas. I said you are ruining his dinner, hubs said that's ok. I figure he will take him to get a Subway before the evening is over. If we lived up there that kid would be spoiled rotten.

So hubs is having a good time already. He will be there a few weeks. Son is getting eye surgery the 13th so maybe he can help him with that too. Then then renter came, I had the basement door open and thought I heard something. But he didn't ring the door bell and came downstairs, scared me to death. Luckily I wasn't in my underwear trying clothes on, going to have to watch that.

And I just ruined dinner. We both had ice cream, DD with marshino cherries and me with butterscotch.

Ok back down to sew again. I was telling hubs what I was doing, he said I built you a sewing room and now you are taking over the basement with sewing, well yeah, LOL!

I just closed all the windows up here, it's cooling off again and think it will be in the 40's again tonight.

I am so happy we bought that place up there and think hubs is too, it gives him something else to do. He likes keeping busy, but he has a lot to do. The things on the motorhome he wants to fix, the house we will eventually get back and much more.

Maybe 15 years ago, a female coworker of mine had a house built out in the country, about an hour away from our job. She was single with no children, and lived alone. I worked evenings at the time and she worked the overnight shift. After her house was built and she was living in it, sometimes she would mention in conversation, that she’d left her windows open while she was at work.

I couldn’t and still can’t see myself coming home alone to my house where my windows have been open for 10 hours or so. It doesn’t set well with my soul that I’m not comfortable having my windows up even when I am at home.

At my first house, part of my spring cleaning ritual became opening windows and the sliding door, to let as much fresh air into the house as possible. But still, I really only got comfortable with that after I had my dynamic duo, my big Poodle that had a bad attitude and would not let anyone near me or my children or my home without trying to defend us and my property unless we told him to settle down, and my 120lb Bullmastiff who was way more laid back, but was always ready to back the Poodle up if there was a problem. I was very certain that someone would have to get past both dogs to get to me or my children.

Back then I felt like I could leave my doors unlocked and be okay, never mind having windows open. 

But my dynamic duo is no longer with me and I’m back to being a scaredy cat.

[Pink Cashmere]

May 21, 2023 18:42:39 GMT -5 daisylu said:

May 21, 2023 18:14:30 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

I was outside enjoying the weather and the birds chirping, while playing on my IPad. DD called, and she was clearly fudging about something, but I let it go because she said she was just calling to see how I’m doing.

A few minutes later I looked up and she, my Grandbabies and her friend’s son were at the gate yelling Hey Nana! It’s been a very long time since they’ve popped up like that, and I was SO happy to see them. DGS asked if he could let the dogs out the gate. I said yes, and he and DD’s friend’s son ran around with them in the yard. Then they and DGD1 decided to climb the pecan tree. DGD2, who will be 3yo next month, just wanted to sit in the rocks DS and I put down with my project last week, and play and hand me rocks that she liked, to hold for her. DGD1 was also picking out rocks that she said looked like crystals.

At some point, DGS was way out across the yard, sitting cross legged by himself on the grass, facing away from us and the house. DD yelled and asked him if he was ok, he said yes, so we let him do his thing. When he was done and came back across the yard to where we were, he said “it’s just so peaceful, sitting out there in the yard”. He just turned 11yo and I was kind of surprised about him finding his zen in my backyard, or even wanting to sit somewhere by himself that felt peaceful to him, but I loved it.

School will be out soon, and I hope I will be able to spend a lot more time with them over the summer. It’s difficult during the school year because I work weekends, when they are free. 

That sounds like a lovely evening. How old is DGS? I think it is wonderful that he can find his peace!

He turned 11yo last month.

Ever since we moved here, it has made my soul happy to see Mister’s children and his niece, plus my Grandchildren, run around our property, playing. Honestly, it also makes me happy just when our dogs run around in our yards like maniacs. I really just love being able to provide space for our families to do what they want and enjoy themselves, including our furry family members.

Today was the first time since I moved here that DGS sat out in the yard like that and said what he did after. But if that’s what soothes his soul, I am all for providing that space for him.

[chiver78]

I'm home from picking up the pups and catching up with a different group of friends this afternoon. we hit up a Chinese place for cocktails and apps, and I put in a takeout order to have to pick from for the week. I've got other shit to do than cook this week, which is not normally my way to sanity. 

pups have had dinner, and are both out cold. I'm farting around on here and procrastinating being personally productive on job search sites, but I found Pretty Woman on E! and it's one of those movies I'll always watch. 

[NancysSummerSip]

The car is waxed and ooooh so shiny. Not sure if the paste was, buff and polish route is worth the extra effort, but she sure looks pretty out there.

Laundry, dishes and lunch sandwiches for DH are done. I have early doctor appointments Tuesday and Thursday.

[busymom]

When my kids were little, I tried to introduce them to all kinds of music, everything from classical to contemporary, hoping they'd find something they'd enjoy.  I was surprised to find out DD & her BF scored tickets to the Andrea Bocelli concert tonight.  Who knew?