The treasures keep popping up

 

     Yesterday we uncovered another treasure.  Under a pile of stuff in the basement, we found a first edition James A. Michener ‘Report of the County Chairman’ with a dated autograph.  We weren’t really working down there.  We took a friend down to check out a few things he wanted to buy.

     With the friend’s help, we were able to put Grandpop’s mattress and box spring out on curb for the garbage.  This means that one bedroom is almost completely empty.  All that remains in there are the dresser and armoire I am keeping and an antique radio that I need to find a home.

     We lifted the rug to see what the hardwood floor was like underneath it and it looks to be good shape.

     G collected a ton of wire hangers and put them in a recycling bin to go out on Sunday while I worked on garbage detail, and filled several bags.  We are making progress!

Today and yesterday

 

     Off again today to do more work on the MIL’s house.  We hope to clear another bedroom.  Sunday we took down all the curtains except for one window in the living room and about died from the dust.  With the curtains gone, the rooms are much brighter.  There are blinds to keep nosy neighbors from peering in to see what we’re doing.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t take down the curtains in the living room because there are no blinds behind them.

     I put ribs in the crock-pot so when I get home we should have a tasty meal ready and waiting.  All I’ll need to do is whip up some side dishes.

     DH had his MRIs yesterday and we’ll hear about the results when the neurologist let’s us know.  After spending that much time at the hospital, he was shot for the rest of the day.  Gavin and Patty seemed to sense this and behaved themselves…for a change.

     I’d stayed up to make certain he got off okay for his early morning appointment, and to take care of the dogs’ morning routine.  Didn’t get to sleep until after nine a.m. and slept until almost three in the afternoon.

DH needs to relearn how to relax

 

     Staying up to make sure DH is awake and out to his MRI appointments this morning.  His new neurologist feels that he needs them since it’s been a while since he had any done.  His first one is scheduled for 8 a.m. and the second for nine.  He had trouble sleeping since he knew he HAD to get up.  I hope the MRIs prove helpful.

     Yesterday he forgot his morning medications and had trouble walking as a result.  He told me that once he remembered to take them it wasn’t long before his gait improved.

     Saturday, fishing season begins here and I hope to have both of our licenses soon after so I can get him out of the house.  He needs fresh air, sunshine, and something to do that he enjoys.  He needs to relax.  I can set him up at a decent fishing spot, take a power walk, and then join him.  I’m picturing many picnics beside the rivers in our future.  This is something we haven’t had time to do over the last three years with his mother’s poor health.

It is colder than a brass brassiere in the arctic

 

     Dang, it’s 2 a.m. and the dogs want out.  It is COLD out there!  The pups don’t care they want out when they want out.  I need a cup of coffee to take the chill off.  This isn’t spring it feels like freaking winter.  I’m glad I didn’t put the winter jacket, gloves, and hat away.

     I’m also glad we haven’t removed the pond heater yet because I think if had, there’d be ice on it.  It wouldn’t be so bad if there were no wind.  It felt like below zero out there.

     I really, really, really want the warm weather to get here.  Now.  Not later.  (Shut up, Dave.  You had your winter now I want WARM weather.)

     Time for that coffee.

Another Sunday of clearing the house

 

     G and I are off to the MIL’s house again this afternoon.  We’re taking along another recycling bin in hopes of getting rid of most of the plastic, glass, and metal stuff upstairs today.  No, we haven’t even begun to think about all the stuff in the basement or garage yet.  We both dread those jobs.

     I am looking forward to the day that we are down to bare floors and get working on the fix ups we need to do over there.

     We have some people coming over to check out the electronics—I hope they want them.  I have no idea what to do with them.

From where does your inspiration come?

 

     Now that’s a question I’ve heard many times.  It isn’t an easy one to answer.  My writing inspiration can come from a well-turned phrase in an overheard conversation.  It may come from something I see in a newspaper that makes me wonder ‘what if?’

     Your neighbor hauls five heavy bags of garbage to the curb.  What goes through your mind?  My mystery-twisted mind wonders if he cut up a body and is disposing of it.

     Scenes run through my head all the time.  Unfortunately, lately they don’t seem to make it to my computer.  This too shall pass as things settle down around here.

     Now it’s your turn.  What inspires your writing?

I want to be with these two lovely gals

 

It’s been a while since I’ve seen all my favorite people and horses.  I miss them.  These are my cousin’s Arabians.  Whenever I visit, I take carrots to the horses every afternoon. 

Patty wanted Gavin’s bed tonight

 

     Poor Patty, since the towel-eating incident she isn’t allowed to have any bedding in her crate.  That was a scare and a vet bill I’d rather not have again.  Since it was only a year or two ago we still don’t trust her to leave bedding alone.

     I put a fresh towel in Gavin’s crate tonight and then I was busy doing something in the kitchen.  DH went into the living room to give Patty a cookie but she wasn’t in her crate as he thought.  She was in Gavin’s crate checking out the new bedding.  She was having quite a good time in there too.  We half expected her to steal the towel and take it into her crate.  We are betting she had thought about it. 

The weather gods are meanest in the spring

 

     My crocuses are all in full bloom and my daffodils are ready to blossom.  I enjoyed the lovely signs of spring while I could yesterday.  The weather forecast for today and the rest of the week is dismal.

     When I took the dogs out at two in the morning it was raining, snowing, and sleeting.  The dogs and I were not amused.  The dogs don’t want snow they’ve been enjoying the grassy yard.  I don’t want snow any more than I’d want a root canal.

     You’d think the weather gods could make up their minds wouldn’t you.  I think they enjoy playing with our heads.  It’s not nice to give us lovely, warm days and then send this crap along.

     It’s like dangling candy in front of a kid then snatching it away as they reach for it. 

     “Oh, look at this!  Do you want it?”

     “Yes!  Yes!  Give it to me.”

     “Here, reach out your hand.”

     The pudgy hand of the child reaches for the brightly wrapped candy her fingers feel the touch of the paper…

     “Nope.”  The candy is snatched away.  “You can’t have it.”

     Cruel.

Update on chaos house

  

     Sunday G and I went over to work on the MIL’s house again.  Every closet is now empty.  We cleared out the last of the cupboards in the kitchen and emptied out the bathroom.  The hall closet yielded a ton of coats, jackets, and sweaters for donation and more garbage to toss.  We loaded ten more huge garbage bags of clothes into my car to go to Goodwill.  We’re running out of boxes to put things in.

     Feeling a bit destructive, we cleared out, took apart the rickety microwave stand, and put the pieces out for garbage.  We took the limit of five huge bags of garbage out to the curb along with the two overloaded recycling bins.  I’m sure the garbage men over there have begun to hate us by now.  We already have two bags loaded and ready to go out for garbage on Wednesday.

     As of right now the room that shows the biggest improvement is the bathroom.  You wouldn’t believe all the junk she had in there.  It is all gone and the room seems twice as big.  The only thing we didn’t empty was a hamper in which she’d stored all the tall, decorative ceramic beer steins I’d made for my father in law over the years.  If anyone wants them, they need a home.  Look out Pennwriters, there might be a couple of them in baskets or used AS baskets.

Another bad pun day

 

     A marine biologist developed a race of genetically engineered dolphins that could live forever if they were fed a steady diet of seagulls. One day his supply of the birds ran out, so he had to go out and trap some more. On the way back, he spied two lions asleep on the road. Afraid to wake them, he gingerly stepped over them. Immediately, he was arrested and charged with transporting gulls across sedate lions for immortal porpoises.

     Evidence has been found that William Tell and his family were avid bowlers. However, all the league records were unfortunately destroyed in a fire. Thus we’ll never know for whom the Tells bowled.

     A skeptical anthropologist was cataloging South American folk remedies with the assistance of a tribal brujo who indicated that the leaves of a particular fern were a sure cure for any case of constipation. When the anthropologist expressed his doubts, the brujo looked him in the eye and said, “Let me tell you, with fronds like these, who needs enemas?”

     What goes clop, clop, clop, bang, bang, clop-clop-clop? An Amish drive-by shooting.

We were in the doghouse last night

 

     A clear sky and a fabulous view of the full moon brought rise to high spirits last night.  I’m afraid I wasn’t the only one who had a bit of fun.  The pups were in on it too and we were in trouble with DH.

     I went out for two quick walks, one for Gavin and the other for Patty.  DH had gone to bed.  We can’t help it if we enjoyed a little exercise and still wanted to romp upon coming indoors. 

     It began with a tail tweak and a teensy bit of encouragement on my part.  Gavin decided that Patty needed a chase.  Patty thought it great fun and then she went a tad overboard with a bully run on the couch. 

     The next thing we knew a voice from above us asked, “What the hell are you guys up to?”  Two dogs sprinted for their crates.

     “Oops, my bad, we were having a little fun.  Sorry we woke you.”  I couldn’t help giggling at the pups that were hiding in the back of their crates.

     DH went back to bed.  A little while later two bull terriers stuck their heads out of their crate doors as if to say, “Is the coast clear?”