Lets all get naked

I am firmly convinced that the only way to deal with this extreme heat is to run about in our birthday suits.  Of course we may all get arrested and hauled off by men in white coats, but at least we will be cool.  I once took care of an elderly lady who did just that, and of course she wound up in a state facility and then over to the nursing home as she aged.  Of course, she was cool while she was running up and down the streets in her nothingness.

I didn't do a lot today other than go in and out the back door a few times to water some plants.  That was enough for me.  I think it was a lot more humid today than it was yesterday.  I waited until  6 P. M. to go to the store for milk and some other items.  As it was I felt like a wilted catus, if one can get wilted.

Tomorrow I don't plan on doing much, either.  Instead, I am going to the Olive Garden and let some one else cook or whatever.  I won't have dishes to do or food to cook or turn on the stove.  I wish you all an Olive Garden or something similar.

A WALK TO YESTERYEAR

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Come walk with me to yesteryear

Down the road of childhood miles,

Lets turn our thoughts away from fear

And change our frowns to smiles

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Lets walk together in memory

To times when we were young,

Lets live each minute in mimicry

And renew those years of fun.

*

M. Rosser Lunsford.

*

When we were young we didn't mind the sun or heat and stayed out and played until the 9 oclock whistle blue. Does anyone else remember...?

END

Hot..and that all I have to say about that

Contrary to my own advice I got out and mowed the back yard in this 97 degree heat.  Wearing a straw hat and only mowing two rows at a time, stopping often and drinking plain water, I got the back yard done.

Another sweet potato slip is putting out little green shoots..  I hope to plant the slips deep in a pile of grass clippings.  The extra heat and moisture from the composting grass clippings should make them take off.  I put coffee grounds and egg shells in with my pepper plants and buried them in about 6 inches of grass clippings.  They were shriveling in the heat in spite of all the water I put on them.  They perked right up after getting a nice blanket of fresh green grass clippings. I hope the produce like crazy.

I am still trying to cool down after my little job in the back yard.  I have drank a lot of H2O and Lemonade, but I wanted those clippings.  In between I cleaned out the bird bath which was becoming gross.  The water went right on the Peppers along with all the birdy poo.

Using a crass catcher is extra work and I don't do it every time I mow, but every other time I put the clippings on the garden, and now on the potato plants.  The garden soil is worn out and I am trying to build it up again without using chemicals.

One of the old fellow at the home had a perfect garden without tilling.  He had several inches of leaves in his garden spot and all he had to do was to make a hole and plant.  He had the biggest tomatoes you could ever imagine.  After Joe passed away Father Lindoure tried to carry on with the tomatoes for the home because all the residents loved the fresh tomatoes from the garden.

I did clean the bathroom today.  At least I got that done on the inside, and the dishes washed.  Bully for me.  I am all washed up or worn out..so I am outta here.

END

Big John and Sparky

Remember Big John and Sparky?  It was a radio show for kids from 1950 to 1958.  It was the kind of show that you didn't have to screen or find  the ratings for, to know that it was a really good show for kids and had an adult following as well.  It was my very favorite show when I was small.

I don't know why that old radio show came to mind.  Maybe because it was a soft and gentle Saturday morning show with soft moral teachings and ethics.  The kind of show or child geared entertainment that is hard to find in today's world.  Your going to say Sponge Bog, right.  Wrong.  Watch that show closely and listen well.  Read between the lines, if you can, and think about it.

'Most everyone I know that may read this, was born after the show ran its course and TV took over and became an insidious downhill slider.  Entertainment on Black Ice.  You can't see the spin until its too late.

My sister was crazy about Roy Rodgers and Dale Evans.    My older brother was addicted to Gene Autry.  We also listened to The Green Hornet, Fibber McGee and Mollie, The Lone Ranger, Dark shadows, Dick Tracy, and the original country and music station out of Wheeling, West Virgina.  On a clear night you could pull in a lot of distant stations or hear the sound of a far off whistle blow on  a train headed for somewhere or nowhere..  Your imagination could soar, esp. if you had a good antenna and the old vacuum tubes didn't burn out on that old time radio.

I have been at my de-junking job for three days.  I have a large bag filled with old books, old phone books, old magazines and various old papers and old mail.  I have made a lot of progress.  Now I don't feel like a hoarder...so very much.  It takes time to look through stuff.  I once threw out a check for $130.00 bucks, so I am more careful now.

The rug in the living room was shampooed this afternoon along with the couch and one chair that got "rained on."  The sofa came out fairly decent.  The stains are still there, but much less noticeable.  The living room looks much better, but I still have some signed prints to be re-hung.  I also vacuumed the carpet over and over trying to get as much debre' up as possible.  There is paint on the rug, some on the furniture and a lot of hits and misses.  At least the indoor swimming pool is now a bad memory. 

 Here is another sad fact.  I got my bill for my auto insurance today.  It has gone up...a lot.  I do not drink, do drugs, made no claims, have not had a ticket or done anything for such a rate increase.  I was told it was raised because of all the storms.  OK, a little raise is to be expected, but not that much.  Ouch.

So it goes and we go with it.

END.

DE-JUNKING

Today I am de-junking...again.  This time I am going at it with a vengeance and a scythe, hammer and nails and a big knife...sort of.  Anything that I have not used, looked at, old magazines and old mail, is going, going...gone.  I am finding some things that I thought I lost, forgot where I put or just plain forgot that I even had the stuff.  Some things I am keeping separate to go through later and think about whether I want to keep said objects(s) or not.  I think NOT will be the key criteria here.

It is definitely way too dangerous to work outside so this is a good time to be doing odd jobs in.  Even though the A/C is running flat out it is still warm and humid within.  I have stepped out a few times, but I stepped right back in again.  It is 99 F. out there, a near record. I still need to put fresh water into the bird bath and put the old water(full of fertilizer!)on my pepper plants.

I was happy to find that one of the sweet potato plants is putting forth shoots and leaves, almost overnight.  I have three more "slips" that may...look like...they are about to do the same.  If I have four productive plants I will be a happy tatter eater.  I have put out 13 plants and had a bumper crop, more than I needed and some went bad before I could use them up.

For some that have been getting their gardens out late; not to worry for the most part... unless you are hoping to have cold weather plants that will bolt in the heat.  Potatoes can be planted twice, as a spring crop or what is known as a "fall garden."  These, like lettuce and radishes and other spring crops, can be planted in the fall when it is cooler.

This area of Ky. is noted for it's extremes.  It can be extremely rainy and wet, or windy and cold, severe storms or droughts.  Toss in a few tornadoes here and there ...and you have the KY State.  Oops, I forgot. Ky. is not a state...it is a Commonwealth.

I saw two people out "running" in this intense heat, inviting a heat stroke or a heart attack.  This intense heat will bring on intense storms.

Even though it was almost dark out the birds were flying in for fresh water.  Hot, hot, hot a lot.

END

Nothing Much

I keep looking out the back door and thinking that I should get out there an mow the grass, but I have put it off, waiting for some muscle relief.  The pulled muscle is getting better, but it is taking it's time and I just don't want to aggravate it...just yet.

The computer guy called and it will cost an arm and a leg to fix my computer and he has to send off for a new hard drive.  Still, it will be cheaper than trying to buy a new computer and the new hard drive will be more powerful than what it will replace.  As I have this old Dell I can continue to use it while I wait.

I still have a couple of big bills to pay; one for the dentist and the other for upcoming insurance on the van...then maybe I will have a nickle or a dime left over at the end of the month.  I don't count on it 'though because just when you see the light at the end of the tunnel...the bulb burns out.  Your back in the dark shadows again.  HA!

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God in the morning,

Peace for the day.

God at the noontide,

Rest upon the way.

God in the evening,

Will make the shadows flee.

God for all our lifetimes

Is Joy eternally.

By Dorothy Doane

Thus Ends This Day

"STUFF IS GETTING BETTER"

I didn't get much done today due to that pulled muscle which is still bothering me.  I did what I had to do; wash dishes, water plants, put a small load of cloths through the washing machine.  I did go to the library to take a book back and donate a couple of items for the sales table.  After that I stopped and got a few groceries and dragged them home.

On Monday I am having the carpet in the living room shampooed and the couch done, as well.  I hope that the couch can be salvaged and that the black stain can be removed.  I really can not afford a new couch.

  I paid my home owners insurance today.'though I was tempted to just drop it.  However, you never know what the future holds and if I ever need to file a claim again...something is better than nothing.

I plan on making a big pot of homemade bean soup tomorrow or the next day.  I need to go back to the store and get some carrots and onions as I forgot them today.

The grocery store was overflowing with shoppers.  I guess because it was payday today and tomorrow, all the checks will be out and everyone is stocking up.  I saw one woman literally throwing lots of meat into her cart.  There is a "sale" of "5 for $19.95" for various cuts of meat.  That is not necessarily a real bargain because if you buy your meat in individual packages according to your needs or usage, you will save more that way.  I don't think a roll of sausage is worth $5 bucks.  What I did buy was a package of chunk ham and a package of meaty neck bones for my bean soup.  I love homemade bean soup or pea soup.  My mother made the best homemade pea soup with a ham bone.  You can hardly find one (ham bone) anymore.

I am not following the sales much now.  There just does not seem to be any real deals to be had.  Gas went up a good 10 cents overnight.  "The powers that be" are cashing in on your checks, be they S.S., disability, welfare. or regular paychecks, fully aware that most recipients need to or must be out and about, buying groceries, medicines or other needs of daily living.  If anyone can possibly wait a week or so, some prices will come down.  The government will tell you "stuff is getting better," but it isn't.  Remember that quote...from "THE POSTMAN?"

My arm is very stiff and my neck and shoulder muscles are painful.. That is what you get when you get older.  LOL!

END

Birds and Bees

Whatever I did yesterday caught up with me today.  I didn't feel it yesterday or last night, but when I tried to get up this early AM I knew I had pulled a muscle and it hurt badly.  I tried to work outside, but didn't get very much done other than going  "Ouchy."  I am going to bed early and by tomorrow it will be all better...I hope.

There are other things I can do inside tomorrow.  I really don't have to go anywhere or have anything that really needs to needs to be done, although I will want to mow on Friday or Saturday and water some plants.  I am seeing honey bees in the clover in the backyard.  I hope they are on the comeback.

I have been sitting at the table where I can watch the birds flit in and out, visiting the bird bath.  I can see directly out the back door.  I like having a lot of birds in the area because they help keep the mosquitoes down.  However, I have yet to harvest a single blueberry before the birds get to them.

I took my little laptop in to the computer doctor.  It's $60.00 just to have someone look at it.  I am sure that I shouldn't spend the money, but I miss my little laptop.  This big old Dell is fine for some things, but has no sound or a photo slot.  I keep it because, as now, it comes in handy or to the rescue.  Maybe some day I can get this one worked on, too.

I will have new neighbors next week.  I am told they have an autistic child and that he is very talkative.  That sounds more hyper to me, but I don't know a lot about it.  Anyway, I am going to rub my shoulder  and neck with a pain cream and go to bed.

END