In My Home This Week: Radio-active

Saturday:
Happiness is little boys who think Grammas are fun.
Tired this morning after keeping boys yesterday afternoon.  They were good, very good, but Gramma was very tired by the time they arrived.  The nap I'd intended to take was cut out entirely before it was even begun by the arrival of  "Mr. Bug Man" as Josh referred to him when he came in after school.   Had a grand time with the boys, really, but these 5am days are so very long and I was worn out, too tired to even get up and go to bed after they left.



Up this morning, planning to set a roast to cook, though I didn't do necessary prep work yesterday.  Forget that.  A phone call from Bess wanting John to check Josh's ant bite and the subsequent visit threw me off entirely.  Then Katie came over almost immediately afterwards...so when John looked at me and asked "What's for lunch?"  I almost got snarky.  Then I remembered I'd just put away half a recipe of the Beefy Pasta Bake in the freezer this past week and retrieved that to thaw and heat.  Not a happy woman overall what with family concerns and feeling I'm behind before I've gotten started well, but doggone grateful for that easy meal!

Thankfully the rest of the day from our lunch hour onwards was quiet and lazy and peaceful and I even managed a 5minute nap.  My head is spinning with ideas....

Sunday:  Epiphany today in church:  John 6:66...and suddenly I knew why the mark of the beast is 666

Put the pot roast on to cook and potatoes, too.  Nice feeling to know dinner is ready when we come in from church and nicer yet to tell John it's unnecessary to run by the grocery since we've plenty of foods to use up from the last big grocery shop I made some two or more weeks ago.

John went into Lowe's after church and apparently enjoyed being on his own to wander about freely without me sighing along behind him.  He likes to look at uninteresting things like plumbing parts and screws.  I could be perfectly happy in the paint department looking at chips or in the garden center dreaming up a garden, or in the bath or kitchen sections dreaming of home improvements but if we go in together we must stay together.  Hard to wrack up the same enthusiasm for toilet flaps and 1/2 inch screws as it is for home dreams.  Anybody else with me on that?

So I sat in the car admiring the plants from my seat, with the windows down, enjoying the sun and the breeze.  Then this little old woman pulls up in the first parking spot and immediately begins to fuss at her dog and her daughter and keeps it up all the way across the parking lot.  Gracious but it set my nerves to jangling.  It made me very aware that some people haven't the least concern for how they speak to others nor how they are presenting themselves to complete strangers.  It's just more important to harp on a point and make it very evident that they are displeased.  And here I'd been so enjoying the peace of just sitting there!  But golly beeswax isn't that just like life?  You are all calm and cool and collected and peaceful and there's old satan rattling windows and shaking doors and blowing clouds across that sunny sky of your life...

John bought me an unsweetened iced tea at the store where he stopped to get a paper.  Nothing  better on a warmish fall day.  

When we got home, I took a few minutes to pick up the limbs under the pecan tree.  There are more in the yard but it's a start.  I'm determined to do the 'little bites approach' to all jobs this week.  When I came up on the back porch, I could small the roast I'd left cooking.  What a nice welcome home that was!  I told John it was a shame we couldn't do the same for when we're returning from our vacation, lol.

I have done smaller jobs about house since.  A load of dishes, a quick straightening here and setting things to rights there and making out a rather comprehensive list of all I hope to do tomorrow.  I'm going to start with housekeeping routine work and then run errands and whatever else gets done after that will depend on energy plus time.

John has been restless with tv lately.  He's flipped channels and flipped through Netflix and flipped through Prime Video and sighed and sighed.  Well, today the sighs stopped.  He determined that "Poldark" sounded good and we watched the first two episodes.  He pronounced it a 'good' British film because he said "They don't enunciate so very precisely."  He's more a fan of the English countryman than he is of the aristocracy, lol.   Then he found a second program called "Tin Star" about a U.S.Marshall who wears cowboy boots and a stetson.  It's a modern show, not Western, which I mistakenly thought it might be.  Admittedly I didn't get into it very much just at first, but later I found myself drawn in and I think we'll like it rather well.    He's determined to find something he likes and I'm glad because he is truly on the very cusp of breaking it off with satellite tv services...If it were a diving board he's taken his first and second bounce and isn't too likely to back down off it now.

Happiness is discovering the October lilies came up after all, once I marked the area off with stone and John stopped mowing them over.  He apologized many times but I really didn't expect to see them at all this year.  Even happier is that they have multiplied!

Monday:  

I simply did not settle in to sleep last night.  I know perfectly well my mistakes:  a bite of milk chocolate a little later than I would usually take any and watching 'just one more' episode of Third Rock From the Sun which pushed me well past my usual bedtime.  Entirely my fault.

So up very early this morning with too little sleep, but as usual when I've had too little I can't go right back to bed and sleep.  I did try, really I did, but my mind raced with what I wanted to get done today so I got back up again and did my Bible study and went over my list of things to do and ticked off a few as I did them.  Then I dressed and got out of the house rather early to start my run of errands.  I stopped all down the driveway though to pick up limbs.  Gracious but it got warm mighty quick doing that job and I greatly regretted wearing the tank with chambray shirt over it.  I'd much rather have had a single light layer than the double layers.

Josh has most thoroughly cured me of sleeveless shirts in public or private.  When we were playing on Friday afternoon, I was pretending that my arm had grown especially long and so I rolled up my sleeve all the way to the shoulder to show him how very long it was.  He immediately looked at me and said "Gramma, you're old.  Lookit that flap!"  Oh.My.Word.  He was merely repeating the very words I'd said to him, except I'd said flab and not 'flap', when he first enquired why my arm looked as it did.  That little boy remembers like an elephant at times and he turned those words right back on me.  Then he reached out and poked the flabby part to watch it swing.  Needless to say, Gramma didn't grow her arms longer again that day!

So I suffered today with my two shirts and just glistened mightily rather than expose myself.

Amie requested cane syrup and 'real cracklin's' as she put it.  I've been meaning to go to town forever and buy the cane syrup and check for cracklings too but hadn't.  No cracklings to be found locally but I did buy her two bottles of syrup.  John had wanted me to get her a card and send her a gift for passing her cosmetology boards so today was the best day to attend to this.  I'd thought two weeks ago I'd just order the syrup online....well heck no I won't!  $16.95 for the same 12 ounces I bought today for $2.99.  I'd thought I'd be able to have it shipped to her more cheaply using Amazon Prime or Walmart but that was apparently a crazy idea.  I mailed her two bottles of syrup and the card John wanted her to have in a priority box and all in spent about the same as one bottle of syrup cost online.

So local grocer, then local dollar store.  I had a clear list of things to pick up today which involved walking the store pretty much.  Dollar General has some nice items but I'll tell you why I seldom will go in to check it out: It's mussy looking and crowded.  They just cram way too much stuff into too small an area!  I am very short on storage containers and glass jars at present.  No clue why  but they've been doing a disappearing act around here, so that was my first aisle.  And I bought two small dip sized containers in my favorite color and two plastic condiment bottles because I pack my own condiments for picnics and vacations.  I've decided I'm getting more of those bottles because they are lightweight and I can put anything I like in them that is squeezable.  I will store in a plastic zippered bag in case of spillage...but that is indeed thinking for another day.    I visited the pet aisle looking for a storage conatiner for that but no luck and bought the regular catfood brand since Misu has made it abundantly clear that she really would rather go hungry than eat the Aldi brand.  Now mind you, the Aldi brand smells just fine and looks quality food.  The dogs have thoroughly enjoyed any leftovers of it they got to eat.  Why did I say the food smells just fine? If my pets food doesn't smell good to me I don't feed it to them.   I might not want to eat the stuff I feed them but I want to pretend I might, so it must smell edible.   I'll mix Misu's regular food with the Aldi brand and see if that won't tempt her to eat more of it.

I stuck to my list as I find the dollar store fairly tempting once I do enter the doors.  I'd noticed during my last visit that they had a smaller  storage bin that seals hermetically (has a gasket) and I thought that might be a better solution to the round food grade buckets I've stored flour and sugar in.  I could store more of both items and stack them better, etc.  I'll have to check for more of these, since my store had just one left but I do like it quite well and while I didn't use it to store the flour and sugar as intended I did find all pasta, crackers and such fit in it with room to spare.  I have worried the other storage bin might let in critters.  This one definitely won't.

My next stop was the liquor store.  This is not on my list of places where I typically stop but I had two reasons to go there today.  I like to keep a little whiskey in the house for medicinal purposes and I haven't had any in the house in quite a long while now.  I also like the rare mixed drink and I'd found an online recipe that sounded decent for an Old Fashioned which just sounds like me anyway.   The bitters required to make the drink cost as much as the rather good quality small bottle of bourbon I bought.  Reason number two:  I was in search of an elusive common beer brand in glass bottles, something John enjoys.  I only stopped at four stores today looking for it and when I mentioned to him later that I'd been unable to find it at all, he said "That's because they don't make it...Don't you remember me telling you that?"  I replied, " Obviously I don't because I stopped four times to see if different stores carried it."  Yes, I was feeling rather peevish at that moment.

I completed  my last task and then began the homeward trek.  I didn't do all I'd set out to do but I'd gone as far as I could go and besides I was feeling rather broke at this point.  My allowance is GONE.  The reserve I had is GONE.  It's very sobering to know you are out of cash entirely and it's a week until pay day.  My very last allowance spending was when I stopped at a fast food place to refresh myself and bought an inexpensive lunch.  I came home to pick up the last limbs, clean up the car a bit and then head indoors to clear out my purse, tot up the checkbook and put away my purchases.

I looked hard at my list of things to do and decided that after all I had worked all day long starting shortly after 6am.  Running errands is not the most relaxing of things to do either. Just now I'm glad I took the time to rest a little because Bess asked if I'll take the boys for a short while until Sam gets in from work.  I'm so glad it's not meant to be a long sit this go round, much as I enjoy them. 

Happiness is seeing my little boys play on the back porch and beg to stay...even if I was too far past tired to consider keeping them a little while.  Josh was placated with the last of the apple cake wrapped up to take home for all of them to eat.  I had to cut into four slices so he was sure there was enough for them all.

Came indoors after the boys left and decided that I really needed to clear up the kitchen all over again.  So I loaded dishes, cleared the counters, swept the floor and then sat down to shred paperwork that accumulated during all the decluttering last month.  I meant to work only until the coffee brewed but tricked myself.  I set up the coffee pot but forgot to hit the ON button when I was done.  Ah well.  Coffee, cheese, and the last half  piece of Spicy Apple Cake made a fine enough supper for me and I have the satisfaction of the kitchen being all cleared up as well.

Tuesday:  Fell into bed last night just before my usual hour and went off to sleep right away.  I didn't wake until this morning about 7:00.  I am pretty sure it was the sound of the school bus leaving that woke me up.  It usually is!

I wandered into the kitchen with the idea I'd use the rather ripe bananas to make muffins.  I didn't feel up to making streusel but did sprinkle the tops with a bit of the last batch of Granola I'd made.  I tried a different recipe this time, and used coconut flakes in it.  I really enjoyed it.  I've already pinned my next batch which has peanut butter and honey.

John called as the muffins were baking and it was after he said he was in Reynolds that I realized I'd never started the hash browns potatoes.  I'd diced the potatoes Sunday morning while making my pot roast and had covered with water to keep in the fridge for a work morning breakfast.  I scrambled the last three eggs to go with our breakfast after he was in.

I was distracted this morning from my Bible study.  My mind kept drifting over to the things I wanted to get done today.  I'd decided that today was the perfect day to do my bedrooms and baths.  Well...I sure over planned!  I did get our bed and bath cleaned but that was as far as I went.  I had no idea how neglected our area had been.  I knew that in August, just after the kids moved out, I'd given the guest bed and bath a really good going over and it seemed a lot less important to get that task done by the time I'd finished our rooms, lol.   Our room has all of the really old furnishings in it, all solid wood save a bookcase and the little table we bought for the printer so I polished furniture today and dusted and changed sheets and wiped things down and it just seemed to go on and on and on.  All that was after I'd gone over our bathroom very well, too.

Grateful for the leftovers in the fridge that made a good hot lunch for us.  Grateful too for the phone call from Isaac, aka Bess, this morning.   Isaac calls to 'talk' three or four times a week.  Monday's call was pitiful.  He kept saying something and ending with 'brudder'.  Well he'd had Josh home all last week and now that Josh was back at school Isaac was worried.  "Can't you find him?" I asked Isaac and he said "uhn uh" which is all he says pretty much but he shakes or nods according to what he means at the moment.

Today he called to talked to Yada, not Yaya.  I just love how individual the names are the children have had for us while they are learning to talk.  So he talked to John a bit and then spoke to me before leaving the phone to Bess while he screamed at the cat.  I settled into a chair and Bess and I had a brief conversation, too brief, because I had all that mess in the bedroom to finish off!  I had to stop two or three times more to rest before I was finally done and then I told John we could have lunch which I'd left heating in the oven on low.  It sure was nice to have that hot meal all ready without any great effort on my part.

I'd meant to settle after lunch but somehow I worked right up until 3pm.  That seems to be my 'quitting' time.  By that point my feet just hurt like crazy.  The dogs went crazy barking and I knew it was the mail carrier.  There are two carriers on our route that I like a great deal.  They always are willing to run the mail up to the house if I've a package and they are always pleasant as can be.  The new carrier who came out on Saturday didn't even attempt to come up to the house, just stuck a  'You have a package' notice in the box without any information at all on it.  I had to call this morning to ask the clerk to ask the carrier to bring it out.  Glad it was one of the regulars who was working today.

Rufus stood there and barked himself silly.  It was utterly ridiculous the way he carried on and the moment I spoke to him he hushed it up but I noticed he coughed a little here and there after.  I think he overdid it, lol.  Maddie wasn't half so excited by the arrival of the mail.  She was content enough to bark a little, wag her tail a little and grin at everyone in sight.

Happiness is living the small town life.  I like calling up the local post office and asking for a package to be redelivered, or taking time to chat briefly with the carrier when she's come up to the house.  I like that she is quite literally willing to go the extra mile to do that.   

Wednesday:  No work today.  Instead I'll chatter on about different things I've noted of late.
The first is related to my phone.  I've been very careful to keep apps on my phone to a limit.  I have facebook on my phone but purposely log out.  But my phone recently updated.  Not only did it change the fonts but it changed colors and how screens appear overall.  The most irritating change of all is that it now notifies me of any and all notifications.  If I have mail it notifies me.  If someone on Instagram likes a post, it notifies me.  And if any of my friends post on Facebook, I get this:  Terri, xxxx says...even though I am logged out!  Number one, I don't want these notifications.  Number two I am mightily disturbed by the fact that my phone apparently thinks it knows me well enough to speak to me by name...

Bess has had an ongoing issue with a bill that was overpaid, a portion refunded and now shows a positive balance instead of a zero balance.  It is an absolutely ridiculous thing.  Anyone can look at the bill and see that it has been paid, that the portion refunded was overpayment and that the balance is clearly zero.  She's called about it every single month when the new bill arrives.  She talks to a different person each time and each one tells her, "There are no notes on this account..."   This was puzzling to me in the extreme, as a former collections clerk.  I made notes all over the accounts I tempted to collect.

Well, a light was shed on this whole matter when Katie began her new job this week.  She is working in a collections agency.    She read off some of the protocol points to me:  There will be no pens or pencils and paper to make notes with.  At no point can you leave a comment on any account.  All cell phones must be in the employee's locker...    When I asked how on earth you were meant to keep track of whom you spoke with and what was said she told me, "This day and age you don't.  People can steal your credit card number if they can write it down or have record of it where it's seen."   Well...that explains a great deal of the difficulty Bess is experiencing in getting anyone to resolve her own account ('Take no notes nor leave any comments on an account") as well as how companies are doing their level best to keep our information away from thieves.  If there's no record then you have nothing to steal, do you?     So while you're banging your head against that wall wondering why it's so hard to resolve your account, just know that you're actually being saved from a bigger headache.

John has a few days off...I've been packing for our trip.  I am an overpacker.  There I've said it.  I'm not the sort who brings along fifteen outfits for a two day trip.  No, I'm the one who brings along a favorite coffee mug, the heating pad, lavender oil, three books, three pairs of shoes, snacks, etc. 

When we arrive at our destination this time it is my sincerest intent to NOT be loaded up like pack mules when we start up to our room.  Inevitably there are no luggage racks to be found anywhere and if we do, keeping all the stuff together on it is nigh on impossible.  For John, it's a personal challenge to make it to the room in one trip.  To say that we can get rather testy about this is being very polite indeed. And to say that one or both of us usually has a muscle strain that keeps us miserable for at least 24 hours is truth as well.

So this time...this time... I meant truly to go to our room with one cooler of cold things and grocery items and one bag.  To that point, I have unpacked my bags four or five times now.  If it were not for the fact that John asked me specifically to pack a skillet and our 12 cup coffee maker I would indeed have it down to one cooler and one suitcase.  As it is, I've warned him that (A)  I am not carrying a week's worth of food.  There are grocery stores all over the place and delivery services if we care to use them not to mention four restaurants next to the condo.  (B) I have told him we will NOT stop and buy groceries before we've been to the room.  To that end, I'm carrying stuff to make supper, and stuff to make breakfast to negate his desire to stop and buy a week's worth of foods before we've even reached the area where we're staying.

I'll not publish this until we're home so I can't even ask you all to wish me well...but it will all be perfect the moment we step out on the balcony, feel the breezer, look at that ocean and hear the surf.  Really that's what we need more than anything I might fear we won't have or food.