Editing

I am on a serious "editing" kick now. But editing of things in your life has many different looks. This is a trailer of tires we found in our woods. G suggested just leaving them there, but that made me cringe. So he spent several hours loading them with the front end loader of the tractor. Yesterday I took them to our local waste management site. As you may know, one must pay to dispose of tires but this only cost $85 so I was very happy. There were 40 tires on the trailer. We a have few left that are still on the rims (they would not take those) so must find a solution to disposing of them. But what a start.

On a lighter scale , I have spent an hour a day editing one drawer of the filing cabinet. A picture of that is not so dramatic.

Thanksgiving with grandchildren

After our turkey dinner the three cousins were given the task of making a gingerbread house. As you can see, they all took it very seriously. Afterwards, Bryce wanted to "help" as he puts it, by cleaning the floor. It seems that he loves machines already.

First Holiday dinner a success

Dinner for 14! That was last night. It was a simple meal: pork tenderloin, roasted root vegetables, a salad of romaine with pears and pecans and for dessert a purchased chocolate lava cake with ice cream. I had to push myself a bit because I had a cold all week, but everyone seemed to have a great time. Next Friday I have another dinner for 12. I am using the same menu.

Tonight I plan to paint two walls in the basement. We had moved all the shelves to the center of the basement to put insulation and dry wall on the walls. So, since a new furnace will be installed in a week, the walls need to be finished and the shelves moved back. For those who have seen our basement, you understand the magnitude of this project. But a deadline is great to get things finished. I would post pictures but it would be too embarrassing.

Geothermal is actually happening

There are no pictures to show what G and I did tonight unless I scan the rather large check I wrote. We actually made a decision on which geothermal contractor to use and placed the order. It should be installed in three weeks. We have been studying about it, talking about it, and getting bids for three years. Now in three weeks it will be in.

Our job now is to complete the insulating and painting of the basement walls. We have them all insulated with polystyrene which we have glued to the concrete walls and have dry wall up on all but half of one wall. G will be finished the mudding so I can paint. It will take primer (one coat I think) then the paint (two coats).

I have two dinner parties scheduled (Dec 3 and Dec 10) so either I will need to be really organized or you can come visit me at the "funny farm".

44th Kent State Folk Festival

Gerry and and I spent a total of 10 hours on Friday and Saturday listening to various folk performers. Friday there were 35 venues at various stores, bars, churches or galleries. You can listen for a few minutes and then go to another or stay for the entire concert. Some of the categories were folk rock, hammered dulcimer, bluegrass, tribute bands, blues, and blend of world music. We met a music professor from Kent who was a great source of info. His special area is far eastern music. He led a Chinese gong and drum group on Saturday.

We stayed at a motel on Friday so we would be raring to go on Saturday, when there were 36 "workshops" as they call them, over six hours. Again you can come and go as you wish. Some we attended were: Dulcimer lesson, Jug Band music, Slow Jam, Songwriting, Bawdy tunes (adults only), and Shape note singing. In many of these you learn a lot about the culture that produced the music. The Professor told us of a local church that does the shape note singing. (look it up on youtube)

Halloween

OK, OK, I am planning Thanksgiving dinner, my house is mostly decorated for Christmas (more on that later), but I am finally posting pictures from Halloween. Granddaughter made an apple costume for a program the children gave at her preschool. The next picture is her brother and their cousin. Sorry about the first picture being so big. I don't know how to reduce the size.

I love the web site Ted.com

Today I spend a couple hours listening to speakers on Ted.com. Check it out. It's amazing how ideas I hear are applicable to situations in my life. Amy Tan was speaking about creativity and talked about how ideas or information comes to you when you need it. She didn't try to explain how or why. She also talked about a person doing something and it not turning out as you thought it might. You are to just look at your intention. (I am simplifying here)

So, here is my story. On Election Day my job as a judge was to look at everyone's ID, which in most cases was their Ohio driver's license. When I looked at one I noticed that it had expired so I mentioned it to the man. He turned red and said he had lost his job so didn't have the money. He said maybe one of his roommates could help him out. As it turns out he is a neighbor who lives four houses from me. I felt bad that I had caused him embarrassment. So today I went to his house to apologize. I was going to offer to help if he would accept. He was gracious and said it had been taken care of.

In looking at my intention I was reminded of this which I had recently read - Gloria Steinem's story, "Ask the Turtle".

http://www.yuni.com/library/docs/217.html

Post election rant

On Tuesday I did my civic duty by working as a poll judge again. All 14 1/2 hours. Don't know where I will spend the $100 I earned. That is for the entire time. We had a high turn out. (40 to 50 %) That is sad when I type it. High should be 99%.

My biggest rant on our local elections is that we have the most archaic, convoluted methods of funding our public schools in Ohio. It comes down to a local voted levee. But of course the schools are mandated by law to provide the education but in many cases do not receive the funds because the levies do not pass. It is the only place people can have control of the taxes they pay. It is real mess.

The other thing (rant continues) I would say is "Good Luck Republicans in fixing the mess we are in!"

Sunset

I always wished for a home where I could see the sunsets. Our deck faces the west so my wish has come true. Since I am not an expert photographer, this was the best I could do. But I am working on it. Yesterday we had part of the storm that was covering the Midwest with winds gusting to 60 mph. Our gusts were not as bad as further west. But it rained hard and then there was this fabulous sunset.

Out door work

The former owners of our property used various kinds of stones as mulch. They put plastic under it. Not the best growing conditions for plants. So we have started removing it. Yesterday Gerry and I loaded two half barrels with stones and put them in the woods to prevent erosion. Good exercise. There is still more to do, but I am encouraged with the start.

Today I tilled the second half of my garden. I had done the first half a month or so ago. I planted seven kinds of hybrid day lilies there. It is a "nursery" for the plants. I will move them in the spring to a prepared bed.

To answer the question about the quote, that was for my dear husband. Just wanted to bring it to his attention that he cannot take his large collections with him. He actually thought it was funny.

Vacation not happening

Gerry and I have been planning a vacation to view the Fall colors in the Northeast states. This started as a two week trip, then one week. But I am sorry to report it now is a zero day vacation. He has some heavy ( important to be present for) things happening at work. So we are back to the drawing board. Don't weep for us, as we are not. We will be thinking about how to spend his vacation days. There should be other fun things we can do, just in smaller increments.

Quote for the day: "Have you ever seen a hearse with a luggage rack?"

Deck needs staining

My next big project is to stain the deck. I have spend several hours doing research on what is the best product to use and how to actually do it. One site lists eleven (yes 11) steps and it warns that you should not rush any of them. It seems that I will need to strip the stain on the part of the deck that still has stain on it as it has the roof over it. The remainder is quite weather bleached, but should be stripped so it all looks the same. The railings will also get stripped. After stripping, you put on something that neutralizes the stripper, then stain. And of course you have to completely rinse it after each step. When I am working close to the house siding I will need to cover it with plastic or the stripper may splash up and remove paint from the house.

The next part is what will make Gerry's jaw drop. Since labor is such a big part of this, one should get the best stain available, which translates into $$. I am guessing between $200 and $300. But I am sure that if I hired someone it would be more than that, given the amount of labor involved. Guess I will sleep on it tonight and decide if it really needs it. But I already know the answer to that. It really does. So, words of encouragement are requested.

Why did a son disown his Mother at his birthday party

I have a story to tell. A mother invited her son (who will be 33 years old tomorrow), his wife and their two children, ages 1 and 4, to dinner. It was a special dinner to celebrate his upcoming birthday. She slaved in the kitchen all day making a special dinner of baked pork chops, mashed potatoes, fresh corn on the cob, and tomatoes that she had raised in her own garden. The children were put to bed by their mother in the bedrooms that the grandmother had carefully set up for them. At this time a conversation was ensuing downstairs in the living room between the mother and her son. She asked him to look something up on his Blackberry. He shouted upstairs to his wife, "Get the children, we are leaving." What had the mother done to deserved this treatment?

The answer to this question is: She insulted his Google Android by calling it a Blackberry. So mothers around the world take note. There are certain things that are sacred and you had better know what they are.

Happy Birthday Son! :)

Pig Roast 2010 - Part One

The Pig Roast was a couple weeks ago. The last of the tables, paper plates and games have been put away. I decided to post pictures of just the pig roasting saga in this post. Pictures of the people attending will be the next post.

This is the "Pig in a Blanket". That is a bit of a play on words since "Pig in a Blanket" is a small hot dog rolled in a batter and baked. But this pig was rolled in ice, then plastic, and then in blankets so he stayed really cool all night.

The roaster is being prepared and moved close to the house. This took place at about 7:00 am. Helpers at this point did not include Andrew since he had a good excuse. He had arrived after midnight and needed his rest so he could preform his duties later in the day.

We learned in the past to get the coals hot while putting the pig on the spit. The trick here was to use compressed air to get it going.

Here we have men from three states up at the crack of dawn. Jonathan came from Pennsylvania, Harry from Illinois and of course Gerry from Ohio.

The cutting crew doing their thing. Hungry guests are standing around patiently waiting.

Ladies Luncheon

Today I had a planning meeting with officers and committee chairs of the Cloverleaf Women's Club of which I am President for the next two years. I decided to invite the ten women over for lunch and have the meeting at my house. I made a salad (recipe was on Epicourious) of greens, cooked chicken, peaches, caramelized onions and purchased poppy seed dressing. It was a success. We planned most of the scheduled meetings for the year. Our big fundraiser will be in December. We are planning a Holiday House tour. The next challenge is to find five or six people who are willing to have strangers walk through their house. I did not find any volunteer to chair the committee so have to give some thought as to how to handle that situation.

As an aside, it was great planning to have them here because it forced me to get the house cleaned, which would have been necessary by next weekend, which is the Annual Pig Roast/Pot Luck. We have only 100 reservations this year. Last year 140 came, but I did not keep good records as to how many did not RSVP and just showed up. This year I have this information recorded on an Spread Sheet. So next year I may not invite people who did not RSVP at all this year.

Needless to say, the next week will be a busy one. I am excited about seeing everyone who is coming.

Show and Tell

Today there is some kind of "show and tell" at Invacare. G decided to ride the KLR motorcycle that he rode on the Continental Divide ride and to Moab this year. We have a small digital picture frame that Shawn and Stacey gave us years ago. So we put about 200 pictures from these two trips on the picture frame. G then rigged up a car battery with an inverter so show the pictures since the event will be outside in the parking lot. He tried to make the KLR look somewhat like it did on the trip. He put extra tires on the sides and duffel bags on top.

My week

On Sunday Gerry flew to Oshkosh Wisconsin for the EAA Air show. It is now called AirVenture. It is a week long event with up to 800,000 people attending and 12,000 airplanes. A neighbor has a small plane and asked him to go along. The flight is about two hours. Many years ago he flew his ultralight from Kankakee, Illinois to Oshkosh with a group of other ultralights. He spends the days looking at planes, attending seminars and watching the daily air show. As an aside, I think my son in law would love this event. We will get him there some day.

So what do I do when he is gone for several days? I went on a Garden Walk with a friend where we toured 8 gardens and got lots of ideas for landscaping.

One evening I went to a picnic with biker friends. Here is a picture of the bikes, not the friends.

I also mow the lawn, trim, weed in the garden and flower beds. Today I washed the windows and screens on one side of the house.

Invitations are ready to go

I have just spent two days getting the invitations out for our annual Pig Roast/Pot Luck (third annual). This year I am trying to organized and to be able to use the lists for next year. I put all 115 people on an excel spread sheet and put together a group to email the 80 of the 115 who have given me their email addresses. The others will be hand delivered or sent by snail mail. I went through all of our lists from the last two years so that I would not skip anyone who was previously invited and especially those who did come. For those of you who are more computer savvy that I am, this probably would not have taken that long. I have to remind myself that I do better on the computer that a lot of my peers.

It is August 21, so you will probably hear a few moans and groans between now and then.

Involved in my community

Gerry and I joined a local organization, Ruritans. Yesterday I worked at their flea market serving food. This is a service, good will community organization. It is a great way to meet people in the area, many who have lived here their entire life. I had been talking with one man for a while when a young Amish man walked by. I spoke with him about the Corn Hole game he had been playing. The man I had been talking with asked if I knew the Amish man. When I said no, he made a comment about me as a "lady" talking with someone I did not know, like he thought it was not safe. I should have told him of the homes I went into as a Social Worker. And those were people who were not happy to have me there. Interesting.

The only thing I bought were 3 pints of fresh raspberries from an Amish vendor. At $2 a pint it was a good deal.

Gerry is spending 3 days at a motorcycle race, swap meet. He actually took three bikes to try to sell them. Those of you who know him, realize what a historical moment this is. You also know it is one down and how many more to go?

NYC visit

I just returned from spending four days in New York City. A friend organized the trip for me and eight other women. I had met two of them before this. Where to start? Maybe with my three favorite events. I saw the production of "Wicked". I thought it was on par with "Phantom of the Opera" Loved it, especially the surprise ending. Loved the story itself, the actors voices, the special effects, etc. Secondly we had a three hour food tasting and cultural walking tour of Chelsea Market and the Meatpacking district. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the area. Thirdly was my walk in Central Park. Stopped in "Strawberry Fields" and listened to a group playing Beatles songs. Strawberry Fields is a part of the park dedicated to John Lennon. It is just across the street from the place he was killed.

Of course we were in the midst of the waves of people on the streets, unending streams of yellow cabs, and persistent street vendors. It was Gay Pride Week and the soccer games were going on so that added interest to everything. It all was such a contrast to "the sticks" but I loved it.

Some pictures will follow, I promise.

Guests at a birthday party

Yesterday we attended a birthday party of a two year old (Kyla's cousin). Kyla and Bryce were both in attendance. Bryce showed everyone how to enjoy a cupcake.

The uninvited guests were these ducks. The mother duck made her nest just outside the front door of the house were the party was. The ducks hatched as we watched. What a treat.

I let this one go

When our children were young their father told them that as parents we were like a big ship in the ocean. They were like a small boat being towed behind us. We would occasionally throw "care packages" to them. The packages were the advice for living that we were giving them. Sometimes they would let the package drift away and other times they would grab it.

I was reminded of this today when working on a project. I am screwing down the subflooring in the bathroom and two closets. I had watched Gerry so I knew how to adjust the torque, charge the batteries and figure out where the joists were under the subflooring that I needed to screw into. However, I did not pay attention to how he removed the bit from the drill. I wore one down and could not figure out how to put a new one in. Guess I let that "care package" drift by.

Two weeks without Hubby

The last two weeks have been both relaxing and exhausting for me. Gerry has been in Utah and Colorado on a motorcycle adventure. I do enjoy my time alone because I can do things on my own schedule. For example, if I want to paint for a few hours from 9 to 11 pm I do. Meal time is not on a regular schedule. I have gone out for dinner with friends, watched a movie (The Blind Side), and done some excruciating hard yard work.

On the subject of painting, I thought I was finished with all but the accent walls, but decided to add a third coat to the bed room walls because if a couple irregularities. Yesterday I purchased plants to put together several planters. The problem is that I cannot move them once they are filled, so have to put them in the final location before filling. See I do need Gerry around. Seriously, it is good for us to have time apart, but I do miss him. In my next blog I will try to post some pictures of his trip.

It's strawberry time

I was able to make the most perfect jam from the most perfect strawberries. Tonight I will freeze four more quarts (whole or with sugar) and on Wednesday make a strawberry pie. Yum!

My family visit

In the middle of May I flew to Minnesota to visit my Mom and siblings. I took a few pictures that may be of interest to some of my readers.

Bryon (nephew), Shelby, Wanda, Ethan

Maxine (sis), Kelly, Patrick (nephew)

Sue (sis-in law), Ed (Bro), Shelby (their granddaughter)

Khris, George (bro), David (his son) and David's sister

Siblings and Mom: Maxine, Marge, Mom, Ruth, me, Harry

Waking with the birds

We have a very vocal Mockingbird living near us this year. I don't recall every having one around before. These particular birds like to perch on the top of the roof and start their chorus before 6:00 am every morning. Other than waking earlier that I would like, it is fun trying to identify each bird call he makes. I have heard the calls of crow, blue jay, robin, wren, and a few I don't recognize.

Lacey and Danny have a boy

Last Tuesday, May 18, Lacey and Danny welcomed another boy into their lives. Haydn, now has a little brother, William Grant. He was 21 inches and weighed 10#, 3 oz. He has reddish brown hair. This information came from his proud Grandmother, Linda.

Dan was there for the birth but had to return to Iraq the next day.

If anyone wants their current address, send me an email.

Cool Youtube video

A friend of mine posted the link to this on Facebook. It is called "Don't honk at Old People".

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr8KrF8vNPM

MN trip

Monday I returned from my week long visit in Minnesota. This year I decided to fly instead of driving two days coming and going. I spent time almost every day with my Mom who is 89. She still lives alone in a senior apartment. My sister Marge and I made chicken noodle soup and lasagna for her. We froze it into one meal portions. Time was also spent with all of my brothers and sisters. My three sisters and brother's significant other, together with Mom, spent a day at one sisters apartment in Sioux Falls, SD. We helped her empty boxes, sort and organize and decorate (put up pictures). It was fun doing a project together. I told them next year we should do this at my house.

I have returned to my painting project. The ceilings about did in my neck, but I survived. It is not quite ready to post pictures (a bit of a problem since my NEW camera died, but it is on warranty so I am not crying). I will be dealing with that today.

Fun painting and mowing

I know, I know, I haven't posted for a long time. On Wednesday I mowed all day. The grass was so long and thick that I had to go slow. I did some trimming too. The "big deal" was that I changed the oil in the riding mower. Whenever I checked it, it was so black, but DH never got around to it. I was proud of myself. It never hurts to have a new skill.

Then I spent a day painting: ceilings in the walk in closets and bathroom and walls in the closets (this was primer). Wow, was I stiff this morning. Next is the ceiling in the bedroom. I may go buy an extender so I don't have to keep moving the ladder. I spent all morning reading on how to actually paint (techniques on cutting in and such) so when I get the actual top coat I know what I am doing. There is a lot to learn. Thank goodness for the Internet! All this so I can save some money on the decorating budget. The money is being spent on nice faucets.

Have paint

The Master Bedroom and bath project is moving forward slowly but surely. Yesterday I spent $350 on paint. This did include primer for the basement walls. Today I am shopping for the light fixtures so Gerry can have the electrical in and the walls repaired ready for me to start painting. I will post pictures of the progress. I am hoping to have the painting finished by the end of May. There will be a week trip to Minnesota during that time. I have had only one person volunteer to help with the painting. Thanks Stacey.

Appliance rebate program

What would I do with out a computer and internet? There is a cash for clunkers rebate program for appliances in Ohio. It was extended today because there was some money left. We will need a new washer and dryer soon so I started researching the best ones to buy. It appears you cannot buy online but have to buy with a store that is participating in the program. The rebate is $150 for a washer. Dryers are not in the program. What I found is that I can save more than the $150 by just ordering it on line. And the shipping is free. Go figure. I also saved time and gas money by looking on line instead of driving all around. I know many of you tech people already know this.

Book Sale

The AAUW chapter that I belong to has an annual used book sale as their major fundraiser. The money is given as scholarships for "non-traditional" women students. For example an older women going back to school or a Mom seeking a degree. I donated two boxes of books. Tonight was the kickoff of the sale. Members could buy for the first hour before the public arrived. I only bought 8 books, six for my grandchildren and two for me, a very technical book that explains how a digital camera works and a cook book of "secret" recipes from famous restaurants. It appears I am going the right direction with the editing of my stuff

Tax day again

Taxes gave me fits this year. First of all my desk top computer wouldn't work the program. Computer guru (Shawn) thinks it is because of the virus we got. So I did it on the laptop. All went well until I tried to E file. IRS rejected it and I did not have enough time refile electronically (and get verification they received it) so I decided to print it and send it by snail mail. That was a great plan until the printer died. Gerry was able to get my photo printer hooked to the laptop and I printed the forms on that. I was up until 2:30 AM. A note here: Please do not feel too sorry for me. After all I was the one who procrastinated. :(

I am going to celebrate today by getting my tires rotated and an oil change in my car.

Pictures again

On Saturday our Car club group played Whirly ball. These men all drive British cars, so the size of these cars didn't bother them much. Gerry really gets into this type of thing. Guess he has a competitive nature.

One of the cars was not going fast enough so a "time out" was called for repairs.

Another bit of news. My blog readers may notice I am again including pictures. That is because I now have a new camera. I got a Canon Rebel dSLR. So far I love it. It has a lot of potential. I just need to study the instruction manual and understand all it can do.

Why actual books are necessary

I have been "editing" my stash of books for a fundraiser book sale for AAUW. Luckily I did not get rid of my dictionary. Today I was looking for the spelling of a work and could not get close enough to find in on line so just browsed the actually dictionary and found it. I keep keep getting rid of cook books because I can find wonderful recipes on line. But yesterday a virus did a number on our computer and I had to use a physical cookbook. What to do? (A separate problem is that I am trying so hard to edit stuff in my house but as members of AAUW we have first dibs on the books that are for sale. I will be strong!)

Regarding the computer, it is great to have a computer guru in the family. We just made a quick visit to Shawn and it is up and running. When I got it back home I ran the antivirus program and did locate a virus.

Saying no hurts

Without going into specific reasons, I (and Gerry on one) decided to say no to three commitments we had previously made. One was just a monthly meeting that I will not attend tonight, another was monthly lunches (Red Hat Ladies) and lastly G and I will not be going on a two week vacation we were planning with friends. I guess you could say "life happens" which I take to mean a person is over-committed. But it was not life that made these choices; we did and now have to make hard choices about them.

I need to do some serious soul searching because I tend to say yes to everything that comes along. I know I will enjoy them but don't think of how it puts stress on me. (You would think by now I would have this figured out? Do I need at life coach at age 65?) :)

Evening of detours

Last night I planned to go out to a nice restaurant with Gerry. But he noticed that a local church (which usually hosts bluegrass music) had a jam session from 6-11pm. They also usually have hot dogs and such to eat. Gerry and I decided to attend. When we arrived we soon realized it was not bluegrass but many local bands from high schools which meant rock music. So we decided to go to Medina for dinner and come back and check them out. Since Gerry is trying to diet, it was hard to find a suitable restaurant. We finally went to a sandwich shop I love called Dagwoods (named after their famous Dagwood sandwich). But as we were walking to the door at 7:00 pm they were closing. Then I discovered tickets in my wallet for a musical (good for any performance) which started at 8 pm. We decided to attend, but needed a now quick dinner. So we ended up at KFC for chicken. The musical, Big River, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, was by a local theater group. It was great. It is based on a book by William Hauptman, adapted from the novel. Actors ranged from middle school age to adults. So our plans made many detours in short order, but the evening turned out great. I thought it was quite funny each step of the way as things made a detour.

Weekend update

On Saturday Gerry and Shawn had a work day at Shawn's house. They "plumbed" up his air compressor in the garage. The tank is in the attic part and the hoses on a reel in the garage. My job was to play with the grandchildren and talk with Stacey. Today I had a doctor's appointment in the morning (regular physical) and now have a lump on my arm from receiving a pneumonia vaccination (you get these at age 65 so most of you have this to look forward to).

Snow is all melted, but it is 40 degrees and raining. I forget what Spring weather is like here.

Update on our lives

Gerry and I work almost every night gluing the dry wall to the polystyrene on the basement walls. This gets a bid involved since we need to move shelves and the contents around to get to the walls. I have started a pile of things to donate and today Gerry went through it and gave his approval. Sometimes there are items that he thinks he can use in the shop and that is fine with me. Just get it out of the basement. This week I will take a trip to the thrift shop. Yea!!

I have visited two different camera clubs but haven't decided which to join. Maybe both. I need something to fill my time. From those meetings and my reading, I am quite sure that my next camera will be a dSLR. I could take pictures on the automatic settings, but it would encourage me to learn more about photography and hopefully take great pictures.

Muscle aches and faucets

On Tuesday I had a massage from a Massage therapist. My greatest tension spot is my neck and between my shoulders so she worked on that. My range of motion increased noticeable but there was some pain the next day! It was not the pleasurable massage you get at a spa. I really need to work on flexibility of my whole body.

The redecorating project (Master bed and bath) is moving forward, albeit slowly. The last few days I have been on line looking at faucets . One site has thousands. I have narrowed it down to type (one handle) and style (contemporary or modern) and chrome as the material. Still there are a lot to choose from. What is cool is that I am learning how to navigate my way around on the net. And this is a great project to work on as the snow is falling and blowing in the wind.

Fundraiser frenzy

When I attend fundraisers, I love to bid on the silent auction items. Faith in Action had their Soup and Jazz fundraiser on Tuesday. It was held in a local party center. Area restaurants (12) each brought their signature soup and there was a three piece jazz group playing. It was great fun to see many people I had worked with or volunteered with in the past. I bid on several things and was the highest bidder on three. The first is a free consult with a Chiropractor, a 30 minute massage and two bottles of wine (worth $285 total. I bid $50). The second is a decorator who comes to your home and decorates it for the holidays. I assume she uses what I have, but I haven't talked to her yet. This was valued at $150 and I bid $50. The third was two ticket to a local theater, an oil change for the car, 4 tickets to the Akron Zoo, $20 worth of dry cleaning and $15 for a purchase at a ceramic shop. I bid $40 on this. Gerry was rolling his eyes when I wrote out the check for $140. It is for a great cause and I will get a lot of enjoyment out of all of these things (well maybe not the dry cleaning.)

Great turkey dinner and date chosen for Pig Roast

The dinner went well. This is the second turkey DH has cooked in hot oil and it turned out a lot better than the first. I made mashed potatoes which I reheated in a crock pot and a killer cranberry relish. We had four couple plus us. These neighbors live within a mile of each other but some had never met. I know I need to use DH's camera to document the event, but I was too busy to think of it. On the topic of cameras I still have not completed my research to get a new one. We are already planning another dinner, hoping to invite four couples. That seems to be a workable number.

And speaking of entertaining, we have a tentative date for the third annual pig roast - August 21. Anyone who reads this is invited. Out of town guests need to get their RSVP in early to have a room reserved for them at our house.

Entertaining again

This Saturday we have invited 8 people over for dinner. Gerry is going to try cooking a turkey in oil again. I say " try" because when he made his first one, it was quite overcooked. Fortunately it was only family here. I just realized this means I need to clean the house and plan a menu for the rest of the meal. I also told everyone to come at 4 for appetizers with dinner at 5. So I need appetizers too.

Now I need to go outside and retrieve the mailbox which is in the ditch, thanks to the snow plow.

Joined a book club and rec center

I know you cannot be just a little bit pregnant, but can you have just a little bit of the flu? For three days I just do not enjoy food. Sometimes I enjoy what I am eating, but don't feel so hot an hour afterwards. Go figure. So much for the complaining. In the whole scheme of things I am in great health.

This week I read the book, "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. The help are the black maids who worked for white families in Jackson, Mississippi in 1964. The novel is written as if the maids are telling the story. Good read. I will be discussing it with a book club I am joining. Joining the book club is one of the goals I set for myself on my "retreat". Another goal was to get more exercise so today I also joined a Recreation Center. My health insurance actually pays for the membership fee so there is no excuse! I guess they want me to stay healthy.

Basement project

It is always interesting how one project leads to one or two more. Gerry and I are gluing 2 inch polystyrene to the basement walls. We do one or two pieces a night. They are 4 x 8 sheets that cover three walls now. The last wall has all of our shelves against it. The shelves are made of steel and are filled with stuff. Gerry has made several little platforms with a wheel to put under each one. We then will pull them a few feet from the wall to put the polystyrene on the wall. I still need to remove anything that is of value and could be broken. I decided this would be a good time to look at each thing and decide if I still should keep it. That is easier said that done. I look on eBay and find that a glass bud vase is worth between $5 and $15. So is that a keeper or not? So far there is a rather nice size pile to get rid of so it is worth it. The other thought is, should I save everything for a garage sale or just donate to a thrift shop? Past experience says donate it!!!

My own retreat

A week ago I went on what I am calling a "mini retreat", spending three days and nights at a lodge in a local State Park. Author Joan Anderson has written four books on her experiences starting with her living a year by herself on Cape Cod. That book is called "A Year by the Sea".

I had read this book and then found another, "A Weekend to Change Your Life". She now gives weekend seminars and has put the contents of what she covers in this book. So I read the book and did the exercises in the book. I did not come home with any radical changes (or maybe they are) just some really good ideas to put in practice.

The first is that I am really trying to look at each activity in my life and decide why I am doing it. Am I happy doing it? If not, why am I doing it or why did I not say no. It is very freeing. Last week I was asked to help plan a patriotic program for our community. That is so not me. So I did not agree to help. Yea Me!

Secondly, I am working on being "mindful" of what I am doing when doing it. Another term that is used for that concept is "living in the now". I will give updates through out the year as to how this all plays out.

A fresh start

I have conducted the final sweep for decorations around the house. Everything is boxed up except the lights on the front porch (waiting for warmer weather to take them down)

and this vignette that I put in the area above the front door (need a tall ladder and someone to steady it). For those of you who have been listening to me grouse about the stuffed animals that Gerry had up there, I have several items to replace them when the current things come down. I will post pictures when that is completed.

DH's clone

We have a weekly newspaper which is delivered free each weekend. It has a lot of local news in it and a feature where they ask a question of five people in the community. In the last paper they asked, "Do you have a collection of anything?" A man answered, "I collect old cars and trucks because it upsets my beautiful wife". Gerry got a big kick out of that. I will now listen with attention when people ask him about his collections.

Free range pig

I am sure you all remember the fabulous compost box Gerry made for me. I have three of the four sections filled with semi composted material already. The fourth section is where I throw current stuff. I had noticed that something (animal) had gotten in to it and eaten a lot. Then it snowed and I saw the footprints. It looked a lot like a pig hoof. I put a big piece of a wooden gate over it and kept my eye on it. And sure enough, one day I saw a big pig walking on top of it. He came from the same farm that had the sheep that came to enjoy my lawn when we first moved here. So the owner, Joe, and I had another chat. Actually he is always is very apologetic and tries to remedy the situation. This time the pig was due to be slaughtered in a few days so I was just helping to fatten him up a bit. I still love living in the sticks. :)

40 years of marriage

On December 20th, Gerry and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. After much discussion with our children we (Gerry and I) decided we would just like a dinner with our immediate family. Since Renee Michelle and Andrew were here for the whole week it worked out great. She cooked as usual and we just hung out together. Our gift from the children was a family portrait, which we took the following Saturday. I do not have pictures . Maybe someone else has some they will post It was a great evening together. Having family together is the best.