Saturday and Dusting and Laundry

I up woke three times in the night thanks to all the water I drank yesterday while working in the yard. But I evidently needed the water. Each time I awoke when I got back to bed, I went right back to sleep...thanks to all that work in the yard I guess. I got up at 6:00AM...late for me. It's almost 7:00AM now and I am still working on my oatmeal. I haven't turned on the weather yet or checked on the cats. They probably think I have forgotten them.

Only Blondie was out there this morning and I fed him. He hangs around and rests on the doormat out there and looks in the door at me.

I think we're due for several days of rain. And Dean is coming tomorrow. I don't know whether to let him know or not. Several times this Spring we have had rain forecast and it hasn't developed. I will check to see if that is still the forecast.

It  looks  like Sunday, Monday and Tuesday is forecast for rain. I hope that won't deter Dean.

I spent the last two hours digging leaves and clippings out from under the hedge, sweeping them up and putting them in the black trash yard bag. It looks a lot better  but will look even better when some of the hedge grows back. I had John trim it drastically. I know it will grow back fine in time. I usually have to trim it twice  a month. But I wanted to get the leaves and trimmings out from under it. I got half a bag of trimmings that had fallen through to under the hedge. I have half an idea to get out my blower and blow the rest out from under there but that would make a terrible mess.  Now, I am sweaty though. What else is new?

I need to get my laundry started now. And I will also need to dust.

I got the laundry started. It's primarily towels and my PJs and underwear.

So more later...I will go read for awhile and read my latest book .

I went over to Coffeyville this morning and went to the bank. Then I bought a gift and after that I took highway 169 to state highway 10 and when I got to highway75 I went on to the  celebration of Sunfest in Bartlesville. I enjoyed the trick dog show and I walked around until I got tired and then came on back home. I did stop at Dewey for a banana milkshake. I got home about 1:45PM and will read more now. 

It's 4:20PM now and I did decide to go out and use my blower to blow all the dirt and leaves out from under the hedge. That was quite a mess but I got it swept up and put in the black yard bag,  It looks a lot neater under there now but won't look real good until some of the leaves on the hedge grow back. I had John trim it back pretty severely. But it will grow back probably within a month.

It;s almost time for the news so I will get back to this later. I've had quite a day. My back hurts so I will probably have to take some Aleve tonight. I'm sure not as flexible as I used to be...of course, I'm not as young as I used to be either. :)

So more later... 

I read on my son, Keith's, facebook that their air conditioning went out and they want an arm and a leg to replace it. The first appraisal was twice the cost of the second one.  Luckily they canceled the first one and arranged for the second one.

It's 7:11PM now and I just had my bath. I had my banana before I had my bath. That's my usual supper. It's a great source of potassium.

I will read awhile and plan to go to bed at 9:00PM

Friday and Working in the Yard

I slept well until 2:00AM when news notifications began beeping and waking me up.  Finally after the fourth sleep interruption, I turned on the light, got my glasses and went through the notifications and turned some off.....especially the news. I get my news from the TV and radio. I don't need to be notified by phone. Then I managed to get back to sleep until almost 6:00AM. I got up and dressed and got myself ready for the day and had my breakfast and coffee and Chai Latte .  So it's almost 7:00AM now and I will bet the cats think they aren't going too get their breakfast. I'd better go check the weather too...but first...the cats. 

More later... 

Only Blondie was out there..no scruff, no Inky either. Weird! Maybe scruff will show up later. 

It's nearly 7:00AM now.  So more even later...I have the weather on now.

It's 8:45AM now and John just texted me that he will be here between 9:30AM and 10:00AM with my new front flowerbed and pasture dirt to fill it.  He's also going to trim the tree in my front yard. And I want him to cut down the one next to the foundation in the back yard before it ruins the foundation. He is also going to check out the leaky guttering in the back over the larger flowerbed. 

I also need him to open the window on the west side of the living room. I tried to get it up yesterday so I could get the screen off but I couldn't budge it. I want Suzanne to get a new screen for  it. This one is full of holes.

After he gets the flowerbed in, I will go buy some flowers to put in it.

More later..(it's so good to have a handy and willing son-in-law!!!) 

I swept out the garage and my drive this morning and my neighbor's driveway too.  

John came about 10:00AM or so and got all my projects done. He started with the new flowerbed. He dug out the grass (if you can call it that) and put the new above ground flower bed in there and added good dirt and pasture dirt to it. 

Then he cleaned out the gutters in the back on my end of the duplex . They were being clogged with gravel from the roof and leaves from the nearby trees. They were so full the water was running over when it rained instead of draining. He took out the little tree growing under the foundation next to that drain. We knew that would eventually be hard on the foundation. He poisoned it so it wouldn't come back. He trimmed the tree in front that had grown so low that I was having trouble mowing under it. He raised the window on the west side and took off the screen so Suzanne could have a new one made.

He trimmed my hedge back to all parts of it the same size and I took my rake and broom and cleaned those leaves up.

Then he used his chain saw and cut up the branches he had cut from the tree in front and loaded them into his truck. He used tie downs to secure them.

After he left and I drank some more water, I took my black yard bag and raked up the leaves and small pieces of branches on the yard and put them in that black yard bag. I went to the back and raked up what little mess was still there and put that in the yard bag too.  

I offered to take him to lunch but he said he was too sweaty to go to a restaurant.  I intend to buy him a gift card for El Pubeblo in Coffeyville. He did a lot of work for me!

He's a jewel!!

Now I want to go get some bedding plants to put in there. I will look first at the market. There are a couple of more places in Caney to buy them so I will be able to get them here in town.

More later .....It's 1:56PM now. I want to get that new flowerbed filled.

I went to the market first but nearly all their reds were gone. I bought what they had left in other colors.  So I went to Myrtle's and found some red there.  I watered the plants with my pitcher since I only have a hose at the back of the duplex. I hope the plants live.Those from the market were awfully dry. I will need to water them daily in this heat.

  

The post is my mailbox post. The red shows up online. Good!

I put snapdragons on the back row, sun patients in the middle row and Cecolia in front. If I keep them watered daily, they should be fine. I hope!!

Here's one showing the mailbox.

It's 3:39PM now and I will read awhile. I am very tired and have not eaten any lunch either.  I had better eat some lunch.

More even later... 

I went out to Eggbert's  but they are closed at 2:00PM on Fridays so I went to Pizza Hut and had a personal pan pizza and a small Doctor Pepper. I hadn't had a personal pan pizza in months.So that tasted good. While I was there, Keith called and we had a good visit. The kids are very good to me....all of them....even their spouses.

It's almost  time for the news so I will get back to this later...

It's nearly 7:00PM and I have just had my bath. I will read until 9:00PM. I imagine I will be ready for bed then. There's really nothing much on Friday nights..certainly nothing I am interested in. I will read until 9:00PM, just as I planned.

Thursday and Apartment Cleaning

I slept well last night and was up before 5:00AM. I have made my bed, dressed and had my breakfast and am drinking my coffee now.  

I have another mystery  this morning. I had an e-mail from Atmos Energy that my bill, which was due on the second had not been paid. I checked my paid bills on my online bank account and that showed it was paid on the first of June. It was due on the second. So I checked my online bank statement and that statement was for June. It started with June 2nd..weird, I just checked it yesterday when I balanced my checkbook and it should show June's purchases thus far..and there have been several because I usually use my debit card. I will check it again before I call the bank this morning.. 

I heard from John at bedtime last night and he had finished the flowerbed for the front of my house. He sent me a photo of it. He may be bringing it today. If so, I will go buy some more flowers for it after I clean the apartment this morning. He is fast when he decides to do something. He also will be trimming my front yard trees next. He's sure handy!

I turned on the weather and checked on the cats. There was only Blondie and Scruff there. Little Scruff is simply vicious. She is small but she scratched a chunk of hair off Blondie when she attacked him and there was food enough for both of them. She seems to intimidate him and he's much bigger. He gives her and her bad temper a wide birth. They are eating now..and again...no Inky. I miss both him and grey Scruffie.   

I have the apartment vacuumed and mopped..all except the dining room rug. I have the chairs out of there but the CBS news has started and I will watch some of it until their commercials come on. Then I will vacuum that rug and empty the vacuum and clean it up. There's always a large wad of dirt when I empty it. I can't imagine where that comes from since I put my slippers on when I come into the apartment.

And I don't have that much company to bring dirt in. If I could find a company that used the dry cleaning, I would hire them to clean this carpet. I just don't want water on the carpet. 

More later....

I have the apartment  cleaned again. I will dust tomorrow. I am very tired now.

It's 10:22AM now. I just went to the post office to mail a letter and then to the market to buy milk.  It's another beautiful day. I guess I will do some trimming while I have the time.

I got the trimming finished and it looks better. I also swept off the grass so it would look better.  Krystal's daughter will be here at 2:00PM to mow the west side. I had better check the gas and see if I need to add more for her. 

I just had my last chicken pot pie for my lunch. I fixed some fruit punch in my new pitcher for something to drink.

More later.. 

Krystal's daughter came about 2:00PM and mowed the west side of my yard for me. She also was able to put the clippings in the trash container for me. When those black yard bags are full, I cannot lift them. Luckily, she can.  The yard is neat for another week now. It's 2:50PM. 

I just tried to call Nancy and she did not answer as usual. That's the second time this week I have tried to call her and she has not answered her phone.

More later... 

I am really tired today. I cleaned the apartment and for some reason I am really tired. Of course I got down on the floor and did some extra cleaning around the floor boards. For some reason that really wore me out. I also trimmed the yard. I don't know why I am so tired though. For one thing, my back hurts and when your back hurts, everything hurts. Before I go to bed I will take a couple of Aleve tablets.

I have had my banana for supper. And I will drink some water too. Or make myself a cup of sleepy time tea. It's only 7:00PM though and I have a couple of hours before I go to bed. I tried to raise the window on the west side of the living room but It wouldn't budge. Suzanne and Steve want to replace the screen on that window.It's full of holes. They have gone camping though so it will be several days before they get back and Steve will deal with it then.

I plan to go to bed about 9:00PM. I am very tired.

Wednesday and Bunco

I slept well again last night and was up shortly before 5:00AM, made my bed and got myself ready for the day. The mowing probably helped.  I have had my breakfast and am working on my coffee. I will leave here about 8:30AM for Coffeyville. First there's my hair appointment and then later the Bunco game. 

Suzanne is going to be showing this duplex at 3:00PM so I won't be rushing home. I talked to Jackie Friesburg  last evening and she also has that duplex out at the new addition for sale. The units sell separately there and the one that is left is listed at $75,000. It is three bedrooms. Neither the kids nor I am in any position to buy a property these days. But the neighborhood would really be nicer. My immediate neighborhood here could use a vast improvement. The house across the street to the north is a mess and the one catty cornered and across the street from it on the corner of 8th and State is even worse. The weeds are three feet high there. It has only been mowed once in the time I have lived here. And I called the city and asked them to mow it then. There are tree limbs down in the front yard and they didn't even move them...just mowed a small space around them.  It is empty and really unlivable.

The problem with small towns is they have no ordinances to keep that from happening.

More later...I should catch the weather and also see what cats are out there for breakfast.

There was just Blondie and Scruff out there for breakfast. Still no Inky or Scruffie.

The are still forecasting rain for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

I see Brandon got his front yard mowed last evening after I mowed mine. The back is still a mess. I hope he gets it mowed this morning. Hopefully Suzanne has advised him she will be showing the duplex this afternoon. It is in our contracts that the mowing had to be done weekly. He pushes it.

Brandon did get his back yard mowed but the clippings are all scattered all over the top of the yard. Still looks messy.

When I got out of game day I wanted to call Marilyn Rutledge. She is still down in the back and could not come.I took her the rest of the strawberries and the little cakes too. She loves strawberries and I am glad to share them.

When I got ready to call her, I realized I had no cell service. I stopped out at US Cellular and there were many cars there. Their tower was down and the engineers were working on it. By the time I got home, I had service again.

It's 5:00PM now. I will go watch the news  after I open my mail. I set the solar kittty out to absorb some of the sun's rays.

More later... 

John came by a couple of hours ago and did some measuring  for the proposed flowerbed in the front. He also looked at the low hanging limbs on the tree in the front. He is going to bring his chain saw and do some sawing on those limbs on the tree in the front. Every time I mow the front, I have to duck to keep from hitting my head on those low hanging limbs.

He wasn't able to find those metal plates he wanted to put on the corners of the new flower box. I thought I might try a lumber yard. He's going to build it to fit around the mailbox. He will use a 2X12 he has on hand.  

At 7:00PM,I took my bath and am watching the weather channel.

I plan to go to bed at 9:00PM. If I read it may be a little later.

Tuesday and Perhaps More Rain

I slept pretty well again last night. I woke up once and went to the bathroom and got right back to sleep. I got up at my usual 5:00AM and made my bed and got myself ready for the day.

I have had my breakfast and am working on my coffee.

I had an e-mail from Dean this morning. He said he would eat anything I chose and Sam's would be fine. Or I told him when I wrote  back that we could go to Bartlesville and eat at Murphy's Steak House. We may make that decision after he gets here on Sunday. I may not go to church on Sunday since I don't know when he will get here.  I sure don't want him to find I am not at home. I can always watch "Beyond The Walls". 

I guess I will go in and turn on the TV and see what they are forecasting for the week. Then I will check on the cats. 

So, more later.. 

Only two of the  yellow cats were there..Scruff and Blondie. I haven't seen Inky in a couple of weeks and haven't seen Scruffie, the grey mother cat, in weeks. I am assuming she is gone for good. Scruff is her kitten from her last litter (the one where her grey sibling was run over by a car out in front of the duplex) and Blondie is hers from her first litter. Inky was hers from the same litter as Blondie. Blondie is a male and Scruff is female.

Scruff is gone now but Blondie is still out there. He likes to lay on my doormat.

It's 64 degrees right now and cloudy. We have a 20 percent chance of rain today. The same forecast for tomorrow. Next Sunday and Monday are also forecast for rain. 

I see the neighbor's yellow cat is out there now. He is the father of Blondie and Scruff. He was going to eat from Blondie's bowl but Blondie was going to defend his bowl from his father. So he gave up and went away. I see Scruff is back. Blondie doesn't feel threatened by Scruff. He lets her eat from his bowl.  

More later.... 

I had a scam e-mail today. Some foreign sounded guy told me I would get my Norton automatically renewed for $349.99. There was an 800 number and I called it and told him I didn't have Norton on any of my computers and I would not pay for it. He wanted to know some personal stuff and I told him I would not give him any personal information and I hung up.

Then I called the bank and told them about it and told them I didn't think he had my account number or even the name of my bank but she said they would put a "watch" on my account anyhow.

I went out to Eggbert's for lunch. I had their chicken salad  with fruit and a muffin. I have that about once a week.

I went to the market and bought a few things including strawberries and whipped cream. I will take that to Bunco tomorrow as my treat at the senior center. That should go over well. 

When I don't have game day or Bunco on Wednesdays, I wait until I get back to Caney and get the kid's Wacky Pack at Sonic. That's two good sized chicken strips, tater tots and a small coke for $1.99... $2.18 including tax. You can't beat that for a lunch. 

I also have my regular hair appointment at 9:30AM tomorrow. I will have to go by the bank tomorrow too so I will have cash to pay for my hair. And I will get something to drink at Sonic to take with me to Bunco. I won't need lunch because there will be lots of treats. I will take my Kindle to read while I wait for 1:00PM. That's when Bunco starts. It's usually over by 3:00PM or 3:30PM.

I see on the news that B.J. Thomas died. When I was young, I used to enjoy his music. 

 

So far today, the sun has shined. No rain yet. I think there was only a 20% chance of it today. I set the solar kitty out on the flowerbed when I got home from the market. It will glow this evening. 

I weeded that flowerbed too. I'd like to get John to build me another one out by my mailbox. I would like to put landscaping timbers around it and put some of John's pasture dirt and Miracle Grow and more flowers in that. That would be pretty in front. It would get lots of sunshine there. The one in the back is doing well. The guttering out there in back has leaks and it tends to let too much water pour onto some of the flowers in that flowerbed. The new lilies in that bed are trying to bloom too. If I had a large ladder I would put some caulking in it to stop the leak. The down drain pipe of the guttering in the front leaks too but I think Steve just put some duct tape on it sometime.  It looks pretty makeshift. If this apartment was mine I would have new neat guttering put on it. But the duplex is for sale and if it sells I will ask the new owner to replace them. They are in bad shape.

I saw a hummingbird on my new hummingbird feeder this morning. I changed the feed in it yesterday and just put sugar water in it. I did mix up some of the hummingbird feed Ginger sent me with it for the next time I change it and put it in the frig until I change it out again..

It's 3:37PM now and I guess I will go read.

It's 4:30PM now and my Kindle needs charging again. It doesn't hold a charge very well anymore.

I watched the episode of "Bull" that I had recorded last evening at 9:00PM (after I went on to bed).

I had a banana for my supper and then afterward I decided to mow the front yard. I got that finished in about 20 Minutes. It was almost completely dry. I would like to do the back but I don't know whether I can get it done this evening.  I drank a bottle of water and am resting up so we will see if I recuperate.

Suzanne is going to show the duplex tomorrow at 3:00PM. I want it to look nice and neat for her. I will be gone until 4:00PM or 4:30PM. I have my hair appointment in the morning and Bunco in the afternoon. She should have plenty of time to show it. If I see her vehicle is still here when I get home, I will go out to Sonic and have a drink and kill some time.

I sure would like to get that back yard mowed this evening. We will see. It actually it doesn't look as bad as the front did. It's just 7:00PM right now and I believe I can get it done.

It's 7:21PM and I did get it done. I am so  glad. The west side can wait.

 

I will take my bath now and get my pjs on. I will plan to go to bed at 9:00PM or thereabouts. I will have a big day tomorrow. 

Today turned into a bigger day then I thought. 

John just texted me! He is going to build that flowerbed for the mailbox area for me. I am so tickled about that. He said he would start working on it this week.  I will put some colorful flowers in there and it will really help the front yard look colorful! He built the one in the back yard when I moved into the fourplex in Coffeyville and then when they moved me here to Caney, he picked it up bodily and brought it to Caney with them in his pickup and he set it up out in the back yard under my big window in the den. I have managed to keep flowers growing in it all the time I have lived here. You can't ask for a better son-in-law then that. He has done several great things for me since I have been here. 

Monday and Resting

I slept well last night. probably because I was so tired. I was up about 5:00AM this morning, dressed and made my bed and had my breakfast. When I opened the door Scruff was the only cat out there waiting for breakfast. She ate and then left. I should get that food back in the house before one of the neighbor's dogs sees it.

It's supposed to rain today and tomorrow and one more day this week for sure. I did turn on the TV just as the local weather came on. I will get the cat food in and then open the blinds for the day. I will then get back to this.

This past weekend I did paint my birdhouse again. The rain had washed away some of the paint.

More later... 

Blondie came and looked in the front storm door and saw the cat food that I had brought in after Scruff had finished and left. I set it out there and he ate his fill and then left. I brought it back in.

I am going to watch the CBS news now. So more later... 

I went out and started trimming my hedge. Before I got it completely finished, it began to rain. I need to take another six inches off the north side of this east end of it. I will do that when it's not raining. It is hanging too far over the walk.

 

It stopped raining long enough for me to trim some more on that hedge, I do need to get an electric hedge trimmer though, My little hand trimmer can't cut through some of the larger branches.

 

It's 11:50AM now and I need to figure out what I will have for lunch. Nothing really sounds good. I guess I could have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

More even later.. 

And that's what I had for lunch. I went out to Sonic and  got a cherry limeade slush. I had no pitcher to make punch in so I had to get some sort of drink for my lunch...besides water.

I have read all afternoon. It's 3:33PM now. I am thinking of calling Nancy except it's a chilly and damp day, She is probably sleeping. I even stepped out and brought the solar kitty back in out of the drizzle. I am tired of reading. 

I did do some cleaning in the garage and did some rearranging.  I also took the card table down and put the card table away in the garage. I took the puzzle down and put it back in it's box and put it away too.

I got my first shot in January and the second one in February. But the Red Cross contacted me yesterday to say they had tested my blood from May's blood donation and found it was positive. They asked me a lot of questions about symptoms, but I had none. I figure the reason I tested positive was because I had developed antibodies from the vaccinations. It's a mystery to me.

This is me and Phyllis at the cookout at John and Leslie's on Sunday afternoon. As you can see, John is cooking.

  

I went to take my bath at 7:00PM and read until 9:00PM and turned on the TV to watch the presentation of the CBS show on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. I couldn't stay awake so I recorded it. I may watch it later.

I went on to bed at 9:30PM.

Sunday and a Cookout

I slept well last night but I woke up at 2:00AM to realize this was not the Sunday Dean was talking about coming, It is next Sunday. I jotted off a mid night e-mail telling him how confused I had been and uninviting him to John and Leslie's cookout after church since he would miss it anyhow. It is this Sunday after church.

Wow!

I did have Tricia and Everett here yesterday and in order to visit with them, Leslie even came by. He took Tricia and me to a supper at Copan Cafe, an extremely popular truck stop six miles south of here. Leslie had to get back to her class reunion meeting.

I will not be making up my coffeecake this morning because everyone needs to be ready and hungry for the cookout at John and Leslie's after church. I only hope it doesn't rain. Which reminds me, I better go check out the weather...and the cats.

More later....

Hopefully the weather on the 8's will be on in a minute for two. That's the local weather. 

Scruff was the only cat that came for breakfast and she ate fast and has left now. I'd better get that cat food in now.  

Sure enough, I just got the food in and Blondie showed up for his breakfast...so I went out and got the double bowl and took it out to him.

The local weather finally came on and we are forecast for rain Monday and Tuesday. The rest of the week and even today look fine.

Blondie ate fast and is now gone now too. I will get that food in again.

More even later....

About 9:30AM, I left for church. I got there abput10:00AM intending to sweep the walks and clean up any bugs. The little girls were doing that so I didn't need to do it. I put my potato salad in the church's frig and just sat in a chair and watched Leslie do her decorations. I took in my groceries and put them under the money tree where she indicated they went. 

Her service was very good and included not only the theme but also recognition of the graduated seniors.

After the service we went out to John and Leslie's for the cookout. As usual, the house and yard looked lovely and both John and Leslie worked very hard to help everyone have a good time. John's hamburgers were very good. Leslie's ice cream was exceptionable. They were both very hospitable and I am sure everyone had a good time. I cleaned up the kitchen and left them the potato salad. 

John showed some of the girls, Karan and Phyllis, his artwork. 

I left about 3:15PM and was glad to get home. For some reason I was very tired.  

It's 4:41PM now. 

I read until 60 Minutes came on and then just before 7:00PM, I took my bath and read until 9:00PM, when I went on to bed. I was very tired. It had been a big day.