Life in my Eighties

I finally delivered all that excess hoarder stuff to the Goodwill. Now somebody else can collect it for their house. I still have lots of books and other odds and ends and I will get it done. I asked the man that unloaded it for me if he had a couple extra boxes he could spare. Now I can fill those boxes.
I sure will be happy for payday, which is Friday for some of us seniors. I have been holding off until payday before gassing up my gas-guzzler, but the light came on today and said "low fuel". It has nearly ¼ of a tank according to the gas gauge, but now that it says "low fuel" I am afraid it will run out any minute and I am hoping I will have enough to get me to the gas station on payday.
I haven’t had this car that long so I don’t know if it is really almost empty or if it is just giving me plenty of notice. Anyway I will not go anyplace until Friday. I would hate to run out of gas. I better put a gas container in the car in case I have to go hiking to the next gas station. On the other hand, I can’t believe anything that car tells me. One day it said, "gate open". When I got home I went in the back yard to look at the gate and it wasn’t open. Gas is now almost exactly $3.00 a gallon in this town. That’s the way it is for now.
Til Next Time.

Wrong Numbers

You young folks, in your 50’s and 60’s, 70’s and younger think getting old like me is far far away. Let me tell you something, it will bite you in the butt before you know what happened. One day I was just sitting here minding my own business when I suddenly turned old. I was looking in a mirror when it dawned on me. "How did that old hag get in my mirror?" I asked myself.

Maybe it’s time to invest in some wrinkle cream. Please! All you wrinkle cream sales people just back off. I don’t really mind the wrinkles, thinning hair, tired body, it’s my mind I’m worried about. Today I had a phone call and I saw on the answering machine that it was a local eye Dr. I thought to myself, It must be another appointment that I have forgotten about. She asked for somebody that sounded sort of similar to my name so I said, "Yes, but the name is pronounced "Retha". (Retha is the legal name I use with medical places) After all the chitchat over the spelling of the name, we both finally agreed that she had called a wrong number.

If I were younger my hearing would be sharper and I would have known instantly that she had a wrong number.

Those wrong numbers can get a little confusing. Or maybe it’s just me. One time many years ago I answered the phone and a man asked for Hollis. Hollis is my brother and I thought he was the only person in the world with that name. So I said, "Hollis isn’t here". He asked when he would be home. I said, " He might be home now, did you try calling him"? He said, "I thought he lived there." I said, " Hollis has never lived here, he lives in Snoqualmie". He said, " Snoqualmie? What did he move over there for?" This conversation went on for another 5 minutes or so and we finally realized we were talking about two different people.

I hung up and my husband asked, "Who was that?" I answered, "It was a wrong number". He said, "Wrong number! You talked for half an hour". Then he ended up telling everybody the whole conversation for the next twenty years.

But-First

This picture has nothing to do with my story today.

I just wanted you to see a picture of my Son-In-Law.

I have watched a few shows about Hoarders and house keeping and I think, except for the grace of God, goeth I (or however the phrase goeth). I seem to save a lot of things, but they goeth into a closet or a drawer. I would never give up my table space. I like to eat too well and I would never give up my bed or bathroom. I would never have little paths in my house to get to the bedroom or bathroom. My problem is more like lazy than it is hoarding. It’s just my opinion, but why do they call that show "Hoarders". They could call it "The Lazy Bunch". When I replace something I just stick the old one in a closet or empty space, and it’s because it still has some use and I plan to take it to the Goodwill later. Later never seems to come. I no longer have any empty closets or drawers. It has reached that stage so I have been trying to do a major weeding out, but I suffer from a condition called "But-First". I find something in the kitchen that belongs in the bedroom and when I get into the bedroom I notice something. But-First I need to take care of this and that leads me to two or three other directions, and it might be a couple weeks before I get back to the kitchen.
I also read the newspaper that way. I start with page one and the first article I read is continued on 12A. So I turn to page 12A and finish reading that article, But-First I want to read this other item that caught my eye. Then I continue reading the paper from back to front. But-First is a malady that is not caused from old age. I know of young people that are afflicted with it. I don’t mean to be hurtful, but to all you organized people out there, you make me SICK!!!

I have put a lot of stuff in the back of the Van and someday when I pass the Goodwill I will make a deposit, But-First I need to go buy a coffee at Starbucks

Ask Not and Get A Job

Are times really getting rough, or is the world just finding more ways to bilk people out of their money? Everybody has their hand out. Can you spare a couple dollars? They beg on the street corners. If they could get their hand in your pocket they would definitely do it. I saw on the news, a problem they were having in London. In one area motorcyclist would wait for people to walk by and they would grab their purse or package or whatever they had and take off. It was so bad they had to close that area to motorcycles. Of course, that isn’t begging, it’s just plain stealing.
Not only is there a lot of open begging on the streets, you get a ton of stuff in your mail box asking for donations for this or that. Anyway, I do. They send little token things like address labels and note pads, which I have sent five dollars a couple times. That seems to be a mistake because I think they also sell your address to others that are in the begging business because I now get so many of them, I just pitch them in the trash as soon as they arrive.
I feel very sorry for homeless people and I don’t blame them if they ask for something, but it’s the large companies that do it with that give away gimmick. Maybe I’m wrong and maybe they truly are collecting it for a good cause, but after hearing so much about the fraud that goes on with big business people that you thought were educated upright moral folks and they can rob you without batting an eye. They rob people of their retirement money and homes. How can you trust anybody?

American Justice System

Wordless Wednesday

Not to be outdone by her Aunt Cora, I also have a picture of the sleeping beauty. I do believe she has some serious red hair.

Spring has Sprung

After shrub removal

I don't have a before picture.

Do you think this shrub needs to be trimmed?

Could it go another five years or so?

I finally made the decision. The carpet has to be professional cleaned. I closed my eyes and made the appointment. I always dread having it done because it’s a lot of work for me. All those little things like end tables, lamps and magazine racks and anything else that is movable needs to be moved out. He told me on the phone to move any knickknacks off of tables, and he will move them. I may take him up on that because those end tables are heavy. I have a small carpet cleaner, but there comes a time when it needs a good wall to wall cleaning. Spring is a good time of the year for that.
I also had an evergreen shrub taken out last week. It was in front of my living room window and I failed to have it trimmed for a couple years and it almost turned into a tree.
I was very happy to have it moved out of the way. It should also help reduce the spider population. He is coming back this week and trimming the shrubs in the back of the house.
Now I will be ready for spring. Bring it on!!!!

Another Picture of Leah

A little smile

This is my first Great Granddaughter

Just had to get a shot of these jeans. I think Aunt Emily gave

those to her.

We had a lot to talk about.

Truth is funnier than fiction

If you have time read this link and the comments. I think it would be good material for a comedy movie.

Lost is found

Caleb and Coleman

This is a picture of my Nephew, Shawn and Kelly's, grandson's. Two little brothers. How cute can you get? This was sent to me a long time ago and got lost in outer space. I thought I had lost all my Charter mail. One day I discovered what I thought was lost.

My two cents worth

I get so confused with American Idol. The judges tell one person they need to take the song and make into their own song, put a different spin on it. Then another person comes on that has done that very thing and they rip it apart. "OMG you just ruined that song". "You should leave the song alone". Or they tell somebody the following "You were screaming". "I hated it". "You’ll never make it". Why do they have to be so offensive.
"You were too pitchy" (What does that mean?) Simon just likes to be opposite of what the others like. Somebody could sound like a newborn calf bellowing for his mother and if the others said it was awful, Simon would say, "I disagree with the others I think you were wonderful and will probably win the competition". He is such a jerk, but if it weren’t for him they’d have a dull show. He is just one of those people you love to hate. I think we love him because he is so disgustingly good-looking. It’s just typical to love beautiful things.

New Great Granddaughter

Here she be, two weeks old and ready for church.