PLANS DO CHANGE

Didn't go for the wood today. He called, told me he was up sick all night. I told him it's just as well. Yesterday I rebult 2/3's of the stone wall out front in preperation of putting down mulch, so I'm stiff and sore today. I had a 'feeling' I wouldn't be going, 'cause I didn't load the chain saw and stuff last night. I use to get certain 'feelings' a lot in the past. I'd get real quiet for about 2 to 3 days, real sad and down. Then, someone would pass away. I have not had anything like that happen in a few years. And it came on me this week, two days later an old friend of Dad's that he farmed on the shares with, died. He was 95. A great man. Maybe its all just coincidences. Maybe not.
Since I'm not going for wood I guess I'll clean house and then mow the yard. We're suppose to have rain all weekend. If I get more than a day of rain, I'm in trouble with this yard. It takes a day or more to dry out.
Talked to my young friend Matt last night. He bought a shot gun to go turkey hunting. When his dad called me back later, I heard his mother yelling in the back ground, "YOU'RE A BAD INFLUENCE ON HIM." She was only kidding of course.
Had to repair one of my walking sticks this week. That's the second one. This was a 'design flaw'. I had carved it for my friend Sarah, and, it started out as a belsnickel. For those of you that don't know what that is....it's like an old-timey Santa. Anyhow, when it was done, it looked like her brother Dick. So, they called it a Dick-snickel. She was cleaning last week and it fell. Poor guy lost his head. I brought it home, drilled a couple of holes, put in a small dowel. Now its much stronger.
Last year I had to fix the one I made for Trudy. It has two turtles on it and the one turtle lost his head. Another 'design flaw'?

LOTS ON MY MIND

My friend Sue got back from Arizona on Sunday nite. She said she can die now, she saw two rattlers screwing. I appoligized for how I talked to her friend Pat, but she told me Pat never smoked on the entire trip. I don't know if Pat's husband George smokes or not. Fingers are crossed.
That said, I've decided to quit 'preaching' about such things. Also, I'm not talking until I'm blue-in-the-face about people needing to prepare. Their eyes glaze over and they just look like they're thinking, 'Oh boy, here she goes again.' They are all on their own. If they ask me a question, that's different, but, this world is heading fast and furious down the wrong road. This country is in trouble and we, who are preppers, know it. I believe everyone else just figures 'If I ignore it, things will eventually get better. I don't want to hear it.'
There was a lady at the same dude ranch as Sue, who couldn't get home 'cause of the volcano. She is from Norway. Another lady, who is a veterinarian, is at the ranch for one more week, told her she could bunk with her. The vet and her husband have a hospital for small animals, but she felt she needed to know more about horses so she was taking clinic classes at the ranch. The one from Norway was astounded at the invite. She said that would never happen in Europe. They question why you drive that SUV when you should have a small car. The people watch everything their neighbors do. Sounds like they are already indoctrinated over there. I told Sue that is what is headed for here. She just said, 'Yeh, well.'
On an up note, I bought another cordless phone at Radio Shack. I normally don't go to that chain store, they always seemed to be so condescending and opinionated. But, the manager at this store was a hoot, he was so nice, that I also bought a new camera. I'll be posting pics as soon as I figure the thing out.
A friend from work called me yesterday and told me he got a new email and wanted to give it to me. I told him to just send it to me. Then he told me, his wife left him and took the laptop with all the addresses on it. Crap. Last year, she had a blood clot in her leg and the doctors ended up taking it off. Now, she blames him. WTH!!
Then he asked me if I still wanted wood. I said yes and he told me a tree limb came down on top of his pick up last Friday in all that wind. I told him if it wasn't for bad luck he'd have no luck at all. I'm going up Friday with my chain saw, maybe Dad will go too 'cause I'm giving him the wood. Then another friend called later in the day and told me another couple we worked with split. Seems he's been seeing someone else since December. WTH!!
My mamma always said..............

ANYBODY SEEN A BLACK CORDLESS PHONE?

Sitting here at my desk, holding Archie, serfing the net and the blogs, and saw where I didn't post all week. My bad.
Wednesday, Ezra came down from the stove store and cleaned out the cataletic converter on my stove and put a new gasket on. That is such a neat name, Ezra. I told him if I ever get another German Shepherd I was going to name him that. He laughed and told me his BIL beat me to it. On his way down, he got lost and called me. I gave him directions again, and he still wasn't here. So, I went it to the house to get his number and just as I was going to call him, he shows up. I'm standing in the driveway when he pulls in. I put the phone down somewhere and haven't found it since. I suspect I put it on the tarp of the truck bed and then when I left, so did it. I liked that phone too.
Thursday, of course is cat-fish night, and, I always feed the crew before I leave. Lily is outside most of the afternoon 'cause I was hanging bird houses around in the trees. Come time to leave and NO LILY. I called (she usually comes), looked in the barn, twice. Looked in the house to make sure she didn't go back in, NO LILY. I left Cleo out, cause they're buddies, and I went to the restaurant. Couldn't really enjoy myself, came right home and unlocked the barn to see if she really was in there, and, here she comes around the corner. I think she was hiding under the car the whole time. Little shit. I told the gang, if I can't find her, I'm not getting out of bed on Friday. LOL.
Saturday it's chicken and waffles at one of the fire halls. They have it twice a year and one dinner is enuf to feed two people. I'll get two orders and take them up to Sarah's, since her sister is in Arizona. We plan on eating and then taking their 3 dogs and Archie for a walk down town. The rain is coming in later today, so I hope it clears out for tomorrow afternoon.
Sunday, Dad and I are going looking for houses he lived in. I have pictures of most of them. But I don't know where two of them are. I need to buy another camera too. Might as well buy another phone while I'm at it. I HATE to shop. Crap, guess I'll go now. Later

I HAVE A BIG MOUTH...........

Went to lunch on Saturday with all of the girls. We've lost 3 in the past two years, Joyce and Pat died of cancer. Joanie was a cancer survivior and her autopsy diagnosed her death as heart related. That said, a new person was along for the lunch with my friend Sue. They were leaving for the airport after lunch and flying to Arizona for a dude ranch vacation. New person excused herself and went 'outside'. When she came back, I said to her, "You smoke, don't you." She said 'Yes, but I'm trying to quit, again.' I went balistic, starting ranting about all that Pat went thru for 23 years and even tho she quit smoking in 1972, when she found the lump in 1986 and it was malignant, the doctors blamed everything on her history of smoking. I feel bad now about it, 'cause I only met the lady an hour before. I guess when you watch someone fight battles daily; the doctor visits, the drugs, the test, the operations; and you know they are probably going to lose this war anyhow. Then I see somebody doing something that will most likely put them into the very same war, that they also will lose, I tend to go a little nuts. I will apoligize to her somehow. I guess I'll just keep my big mouth shut and let people do whatever they want. I had several people tell me to quit and I did, when I was ready. So, who am I to tell someone what to do?

On a lighter note, I mowed the yard on Saturday, but didn't get it done. So, today, I mowed the yard again. Figured I might as well mow the whole thing 'cause rain is coming in tomorrow afternoon. I'm up in the pines and mowing along the fence, clouds of dust, crap flying everywhere and a small piece of wood flies UP my nose. I stop the mower and go digging in my right nostril for this thing but all I manage to do is push it up farther. I had visions of laying on an operating table and someone drilling out my sinus to get this thing. Finally, I had a brain fart, and blew my nose. Out it came, I saved it, it's about 1/4" long and 1/8" wide. The way I'm hitting my head on tree branches and stuff flying around everywhere, maybe I'll need to wear more protective clothing.

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

Sorry about not posting for a while, been busy with the yard and trying to get this house in order. I've mowed 3 times already! It's raining now, so mowing tomorrow is not going to happen. Maybe by Saturday, if the sun is out strong, wind helps too. My yard is like a sponge and takes a while to dry out.

Wednesday went for lunch with my friend Denise. We used to work together and got laid off the same day. She will run out of UC benefits before I do 'cause she was on partial lay-off for a while. We worked on her resume for a while but then she had to be somewhere. I used to hate doing my resume, you have to sell yourself and I always felt I was bragging. Just hire me and let me get to work. That's pretty much the way she is too.

Went for my catfish tonight. Lois and Bill, Artie and Ross, Judy and Bob were all there and I surprised them with additional friends. Mike and Dave were coming back home from visiting their oldest daughter, Mike is a lady by-the-way, it's a nick-name, and they wanted to meet me at this other restaurant for supper. I told them about the 'round-table' suppers on Thursday at another place so they met me there. What a great time. Everybody talked like old friends. Judy has told me, "You know the nicest people and have the coolest friends." That's a compliment I'll relish for an eternity. Saturday, a group of us will meet at that other restaurant. Looking forward to that, it'll be the first time we've gotten together since November, when my friend Joanie died.

YARD WORK IS NEVER DONE

Been busy in the yard, after the rain finally quit. Today was just beautiful and I went out about 10 to get the last two piles of stuff that I'd raked up before the rain started. Then I figured I'd better cut up that tree limb that came down onto the neighbor's fence. I guess he figured it was my tree so I should take care of it. Really screwed up the fence tho. I'll stop at my Amish neighbor to tell him 'cause he was the one who put up the fence. I'd rather talk to Henry anyhow. Then cut up another dead limb and trimmed the cherry tree. NO I did not cut it down. Its really old but still budding out so I just cut the dead limbs out. All said and done, got a heaping wheelbarrow of wood for next winter. But this old body is tired, and still have more yard to clean up. Mostly its the flower beds that are left.

Saturday is the 'Mud Sale' at our fire company. Hundreds of people will be in our little village. There's one every week for months, put on by all the different volunteer fire companies. Good food, lots of bargains, everything from trees to tractors. I ain't going, too many people.