Another Big Expense

I don't know what the new struts for my car will cost but I will also have to buy at least two new tires too. The struts have ruined the left front and rear tires and it remains to be seen what the other two will look like when I can get the car in to Gary to be checked. He had closed early last evening so it will be Monday before I can even get an appointment.

Those tires were only one year old.

This seems to be the year of catastrophe for me. First Bob got the lympedemia in his left arm, then a new hot water tank, then a new thermostat for the furnace/AC, then a new wiring board for it. Then Bob got acutely ill and died. Then there was a new part that makes the furnace start.

There was a hiatus then for a couple of months. Then the eyelid began to droop.

Then, in my ignorance I backed into my neighbor's framework for her gas meter on Thanksgiving Day. Now the struts are out on the car and have ruined at least two tires. I wonder what's next?

I will still go to Independence this morning to the Arts and Crafts Fair.

More later...

Leslie and I hit all the Arts and Crafts places(3)and then decided to go on to Neodesha and Chanute where they have great gift shops. We browsed at all of them and Leslie bought a few things to finish decorating her house. I will try to remember to take my camera Monday when I clean and take some photos. She is going to have her cookie exchange again this year in a couple of weeks. That is always fun.

I bought lunch and then we came back to Independence and went to Wal Mart where she scanned some photos she will use in the baptismal service tomorrow. She bought a few groceries and then I took her home. John had her car and son, Jeromy, had his truck for cutting wood and carting home some trees to plant from Bartlesville.

It was a fun day.

Quiet Friday

This should be a quiet day. The only thing I want to do is go see Phyllis. Bob A. was telling me she was much better now that they have her urinary tract infection under control. Denise called him last evening to tell him she came in and helped her with her dinner and she did quite well and ate all her food. She was able to answer "yes and "no" questions too. She just can't find the words to tell a story.

I also need to go to the market and get orange juice and oatmeal. That's about all I need. I brought some of my dinner home from last night. And I still have some of my Chinese from Sunday. It may need to go in the trash.

While I am out doing that, I will run by the mall and check it out. I may have sold enough stuff this month to pay the mall rent but I am going to give it up in thirty days. They are going to add 10% of sales to the rent. I'm not going to do that.

I gave Slinky a Benadril in his oatmeal this morning. His allergies are driving him nuts. I may do that again this evening and put it in cheese.

More later...

Bob A. and I went to Bartlesville to get my tires rotated and balanced. They couldn't do it. They dropped the left front tire and the strut was leaking oil all over the place. It had caused my tire to wear badly causing that terrible road noise I complain about. They also noticed the bad wear on the left rear tire and assume that strut is ruined too. I couldn't get the car into Gary's this afternoon. He closes early on Fridays. They suggested I take the car into a mechanic and have all four looked examined. I may need tires too. I do need two at least. If the other two are alright, I may have them put on the front and buy two new ones to put on the back.

Upkeep, upkeep, upkeep.

I'll need to get in to see Gary on Monday and find out what I will need to transfer for the repair.

Good thing Leslie advised me to have them rotated and balanced.

Really Busy Thursday

This has been a really busy day. I got up early...the animals were ready for breakfast. I dressed and left for South Coffeyville to be sure the Woodshed was not charging me for gas I didn't get. I tried to get gas there yesterday and the pump wouldn't work. It did take my debit card though. I went in and complained about it and they told me it didn't charge anything but this morning I noticed it did charge $1.00 each time I tried to use the pump. I talked to the manager and she assured me it would be off my bank's website by tomorrow.

Then I went to Independence. Juanita wanted to take me to breakfast and needed me to take her to the bank and to get milk before I went to have my hair done. After I dropped her off at home, I got my hair done and then came on home to prepare to go to Windsor Place for the CMA meeting. Again, I did not find time to go see Phyllis. I will get out there tomorrow.

After the meeting, I came home and did my minutes. Then I packaged up the grandchildren's Christmas stockings and went to the post office to mail them off. They all seemed to want them. Sara and Christina wanted theirs and I sent Ashley and Jerod's to Scott, their father. I took Jeromy's to Leslie yesterday at lunch. I sent each of them a neat book in with the stockings.

It's 4:15 now and Bob A. will be back to pick me up at 5:00. We are going to dinner with Leslie and John, Jeromy and Marlene and Maia in Independence to celebrate my birthday.

It has been a good day. Even the Ministerial Alliance sang Happy Birthday to me and dozens of friends e-mailed me cards and greetings. I guess being 75 is not that bad.

Tomorrow should be quiet. I hope...

Busy Wednesday

It will be a busy day once I get my car back. I have to go to Caney to get my new glasses, go to Independence to have lunch with Leslie, go by Nanny La Rose up there to redeem my gift certificate for a new tee for my birthday tomorrow, and last of all stop by the church to water the poinsettias and make copies for tomorrow's CMA meeting.

I got a good night's sleep last night. Missy spent the night outside and Slinky slept through the night in the utility area of my kitchen too. I got up about 6:00. Missy really wanted to get back in this morning and snuggled up on my legs and got warm. It was very cold last night.

I washed my bedding this morning. I had a small bit of oatmeal for breakfast but Slinky ate the bulk of it. He loves oatmeal.

The car is supposed to be finished about 11:00. I will call after awhile and check on it.

The kids are taking me to dinner tomorrow for my birthday. We are going to a new Italian restaurant in Independence. I will have lunch with the Ministerial Alliance at Windsor.

I read Robert Reich's blog this morning and that man makes so much good sense. I have his blog marked along the side of this one if you are interested in reading his remarks.

Tuesday Again

Today I take my car in for the repair. Did I tell you folks that I managed to back into my neighbor's iron pipe frame around her gas meter? I did that while Keith was here. In fact, it was on Thanksgiving Day. I refused to deal with it that day. I was not going to put a blight on Thanksgiving.

The next day, I went into Diamond Collision and got an estimate of the cost to have it repaired. I figured it would be $1300 or so. He asked me if I had insurance and I do, of course, but it is $1,000 deductible. So I told him if it got repaired I would have to pay for it myself. He quoted me $662. So I will have to transfer the money out of my savings to get it repaired. I will go ahead and transfer enough to pay half my taxes too. They are due December 20th.

My brother-in-law will pick me up and bring me home. They will have it overnight so I will get some things done here at home while I am carless.

I need to clean my bathrooms and vacuum my spare bedroom. I got the beds changed Monday and vacuumed the other rooms then. Hopefully it will be finished tomorrow. I need to go to the church and make copies of the minutes and agenda for the CMA meeting on Thursday.

Saturday is the big Arts and Crafts fair in Independence and Leslie and I are planning to attend. I always like to look at their handiwork.

Sunday is the baptismal service and we will have a brunch between the services. We will also confirm the candidate. I will make my coffeecake to take.

More Monday

I spent the morning getting out my Christmas decorations and setting them around. I need some greenery and I will go out to Wal Mart when I get my groceries and see if I can find some.

Anyhow, here are some photos of the decorating I got finished.

Scott's Birthday

We did the Hanging of the Greens yesterday at church. This is a series of photos that I took afterward. The tree in the foyer is the one I decorated with Keith's help.

This is Scott's birthday. He has received the birthday cards Leslie and I sent to him but didn't get his box until today...his birthday. That worked out well. He just called a little while ago to tell me. He and his girlfriend have made up. That's good. She will be going over there in December to stay a month.

Not much going on today so I will get my Christmas tree out and get it decorated. That's always a mess but it stays up all month. I want to get the fall decoration put away. I will take some photos after I'm finished and post them tomorrow.

I watched TV last night. There wasn't much on after 60 Minutes but some music shows on PBS. I did watch a special with Peter and Paul of Peter, Paul and Mary fame. Mary Travers died last summer. Mary Chaffin Carpenter sang her songs.

I notice my left eye, the one I have been putting steroid drops in to stop it from tearing, is getting sore. I think I will taper out of that stuff before it really gets sore. I was supposed to use it four drops a day for three weeks, three drops a day for one week, 2 times a day for one week and 1 time a day for one week. But it costs $87 a bottle the the bottles are very tiny. I don't believe there is much left in the bottle and I really can't afford the stuff. What a mess. I hesitate to have the left eyelid done because the right one will then look strange since it droops too. It doesn't bother my vision though so doesn't qualify for Medicare payment.

I imagine Keith got home alright. He called three times yesterday but didn't call when he got back there. That was an 18 hour drive.

More later...

Sunday Again

It's Sunday again and we have the "Hanging of the Greens" service this morning. Bob A. wil pick me up for church. He says no sense taking two cars to the same place.

Christina and her boyfriend and Mia came last night about 6:30. I was exhausted. We had hung around all afternoon thinking they might come earlier. I raked leaves and got the yard about half finished. We ate around 5:00 and the only thing I had to offer them to eat was some chili I had thawed out. They didn't want that. They went out to Wal Mart to look for Christina a birthday present and I got the room ready for them while they were gone. Keith called to say he had put them up in a motel and not to bother. Mia was wound up tighter then a nine day clock and would not settle down. Keith was going to leave at 3:00 this morning for his 18 hour drive back to Phoenix. The dog was in the kitchen and Missy, the cat, was in the house and hates everyone but me and she doesn't like me much. I had no patience to deal with a wild four year old. So they thought the motel would be better for all.

Keith did leave at 2:45. We had had a great visit while he was here. He says he will fly back in the spring. He called about 45 minutes later. When he got to Caney's four corners, he found a wreck..an upside down car with a woman and a small dog inside. They both appeared to be all right but the car was totaled. He did not want to move her...just in case...but he called 911 and stayed with her until the police said he was free to leave. What a mess. He called to tell me all about it.

I got a Happy Birthday wish from Scott this morning on e-mail. He seems to be doing all right although his girl friend is mad at him right now. He is staying bury seeing the countryside.