A day early but still happy JULY 2019

I know, a day early but we will be on vacation for 2 weeks so I may not be on the blog.  As if we NEED a vacation so I should say we will be traveling and not on internet.  So I welcome July 2019 and hope that it brings success, hope, fun and more to all.  By the time we get home July will be half over but from then on it needs to be "pedal to the metal" in terms of work!  I THINK the garden will be in full bloom also so maybe there will be fruit and veggies to enjoy.  Bye to all until mid July.
I am almost finished with my FP for the morning and this may be the last for two weeks.  The air is warm this morning and the phone shows it get into the low 90s with a heat index of mid to high 90s.  Time to travel!  Tomorrow it turns to low 80s again.  As I write it is cloudy and still.  John will drive us to the airport this morning and it looks like we will need a cab when we return as we get in at 5:00 AM.  Forty-eight hours from now we will be in Pago Pago American Samoa exploring the national park!

Happy 17th Mary and John

Seventeen and counting as of today!  May you continue to foster a great marriage and great family.

Breakfast at the Coffee Cup

Saturday morning breakfast at the Coffee Cup with Grandpa!  As one can see the food was enough for more than 4 people!  John and Mary walked to the Highland Cafe for a 17th anniversary breakfast while Grandpa treated the kids to breakfast and Grandma Terry enjoyed her morning paper.

It will be a day of grand kids and last minute packing for the trip.  Later, when John and Mary return, Grandpa will ride along to the compost place while Henry drives!  Yikes, never have ridden while a grand child drives!

Forecast shows 90 today but then the phones shows only 88.  Either way the window AC units are already cranked up as better to be early than late.  

Later the line up is Henry or Liam on the mower, Henry or Liam on the weed whip and Audrey on the blower so that Grandpa's lawn looks in tip top shape as he and Grandma Terry head out for Hawaii tomorrow.

As I write Audrey is trying to get the back on her watch as we put a new battery in and ALL are watching Stars Wars on TV.  I am sure it is NOT the first time they have watched it!!!

I had my FP early today and then "what they call coffee at the cafe" later so I am wired for the day.

Two days to go!

6X6 with 1'maple and then 4 1/2X4 1/2 with 3/4" maple. WHICH ONE IS LIGHTER?

The top photo is of the first stair post and the second.  I needed to make a smaller one that looked proportional to the landing of the stairs.  I will let it be in the wood shop until mid July and then install it.  What does one do with a 6X6 36" post made of 1" maple?  

The bottom picture is of ALL the papers for our trip.  I have not counted them but I would say there are 50+.  Tomorrow PM we can print out boarding passes for our trip to Hawaii.  From there it is hang on and hope we have all we need.  Before we left Terry said she wanted her prescription mask for the water if we take the time to swim and look for fish.  I KNEW I packed it but I had checked every box and nothing.  I could remember putting it in BUT it just was not here.  I did not understand how we could have left a box in FL.  Yesterday I decided I may want a back pack instead of a brief case so I took my red one up and measured it.  I then went on line and asked Delta if the pack would pass for a carry on in addition to my suitcase.  It was borderline and the website said it may be OK but they may flag it.  SO I went into the basement to get Terry's blue back pack which is smaller.  As I picked it up it seemed kind of full!  Presto there was her mask and snorkel.  Of course it was in the LAST place I looked!!!

It will be a busy day for this old guy.  John/Mary and family arrive late afternoon from their trip so we will have dinner and Travis said he would be over.  It looks like sweet corn on the grill, burgers on the grill and then ice cream treats.  Ice cream treats were half price a while back so we bought several boxes.  The kids will have to decide between a root beer float and an ice cream treat.  I know what I would choose!  We need to get some things today at the store SO I think Terry and I will go on a date!  What the heck I know of people who go to Costco and call it a date so why not us?  There is a NEW Cub store just across the river and it is very nice.  So it will be DATE time when Terry finishes the paper this morning. 

The only thing I have left to do in terms of work is cut the grass tomorrow.  ALL the wood working will have to wait until mid July when we return.  Just in case you may want to know.  On July 1st we fly to American Samoa and it is 5 1/2 hours over the ocean.  If our plane runs out of gas or has engine trouble and goes down this may be my last blog!!!  Really I suppose I should not joke about that and perhaps it shows that I may be a tiny bit apprehensive about the flight!

The Aleve seems to be working for the good of my leg.  It did not bother me much yesterday and I am thinking that with Aleve and no stairs for 2 weeks I should be good to go when we return.  IF anyone reads this you may want to reconsider as when we come back it will be picture after picture etc.  

No I think I am finished and I just may take a short bike ride this morning.  It has been wet the last couple of mornings so I did not get on the bike but Bentley is just waiting in the garage for some street time so will do that.   I had my same old, same old eggs, ham and hash browns for breakfast but "for sure" the FP made it all GREAT.  I should clarify  that I had different food each day but the same kind.

Two days late!

I should have posted this June 25.  Mom and Dad were married 84 years ago.  They did live past their 50th and we had a celebration at Joan/Ron's lake cabin.  Their brides maid, Ruth, celebrated her 100th birthday this spring.  According to her daughter Erlene Ruth probably did not join in the celebration as she is in a home and I am pretty sure she did not realize it was her birthday but the family got together and had a party.  Ruth LOVED Mom and she returned the feeling.  I know the best man is Sig, Grandma Lee's brother but I do not know who the little girls are.  Maybe sister Joan, sister Helen, or brother Dave knows.  I am not sure where the picture was taken but my guess is at Grandma and Grandpa Sampson's farm.  I THINK Mom lived at home until she married and in those days Mom and Dad were OLD to be getting married as they were both 24 that October.

Anyway I missed the day by 2 but better late than not at all.

Nothing to brag about BUT I am happy!

driveway into the yard

sidewalk in front of our home

Terry's flowers add a bit of color

Oh my we have plants

I like to do gardening and yard work.  IF the time ever comes when I can not do that I hope I am under the ground!  My yard is nothing to brag about but I am happy with it.  I have worked kind of hard at improving it each year and I think the work has paid off.  This year I kind of took a big step.  I gave my gas powered weed whip away and invested in a Worx edger/weed whip/blower.  I admit, I like the smell of grease, gas, oil etc BUT working with battery powered equipment is so so much easier in many ways.  

This morning I fertilized the lawn, put some weed killer down, watered the garden and fertilized the veggies.  Terry and I will leave on Sunday and be gone for 2 weeks so will see what shape things are in when we return.  Travis has said he will mow the lawn and water the plants if needed.  We are looking at a hot and humid few days ahead so time will tell how things go.

I have never seen tomato plants like the ones we have this year.  Most of the plants, when they get about 10 inches high, want to bend or lie almost flat.  Never have I seen that and I do not know why.  As one can see I have staked up most of them but it will be interesting to see how they grow and IF they produce.

Trip plans are full steam ahead.  I am planning to not take a lot of things and have most in a suitcase already.  I spent time yesterday going over the day to day plans and I THINK all is in order.  Of course the biggest thing is getting to our AiBnB for the first time and then making sure we get to American Samoa.  Once the first week passes we are in the clear as on Saturday, July 6, we get on the cruise and that takes up the entire last week.  We get off the cruise at 7:00 AM July 13 and fly out at noon that day.  We do have 2 excursions off the ship to take in national parks so that should be fun.  Leaving Hawaii at noon on Saturday and getting in at 5:00 AM Sunday is not my favorite thing to look forward to.

We are looking forward to John/Mary and family getting in from the Boundary Waters Friday afternoon.  It will be fun to listen to the kids adventures.  They will be here until about the time we leave on Sunday.  They will be taking the dining room table with the 8 chairs with them which will be good.  Terry and I will need to find a couple of chairs for the kitchen and one for the desk.  Not a big deal.  We have used the dining room chairs for that but the new walnut ones will not leave the dining room.

I broke down yesterday and went to the doctor at Urgent Care.  My right upper thigh has been so so painful and I just wanted to make sure there was nothing serious.  The doctor came up with a diagnosis of acute tendonitis in the tendon.  She said it needs rest and should heal in 4-6 weeks.  She encouraged me to take 2 Aleve twice a day as she said that was about the same as a prescription.  I took 2 when I got home at about 2:30, two again when I went to bed and two this morning.  I am not sure but it seems to be helping already.  The last and only cruise I went on was when Terry and I went to St. John's Island off the coast of Florida to take in a national park.  During that time I actually could barely walk but it was different.  However I wanted to be sure, if possible, that did not happen again.  It looks like I am good to go!!!

Enough for now.  Yard work is finished for the day, breakfast of ham, potatoes and eggs are history and the FP is down to the last drop so will sign off and get some more work done for the trip.

Starting the count down to American Samoa etc

Much of this week will be getting ready for our trip as we leave on Sunday morning for Hawaii, American Samoa and the cruise.

I have been nervous about all our details as I did them and when that happens who knows!  Well Terry and I sat down at the kitchen table yesterday and went through everything--I think!  We started with the flight to and from Hawaii, then the flight to and from American Samoa, then the hotel in Samoa, then the rental car for 6 days, the day long visit to Pearl Harbor was looked at, we made sure the AirBuB was set and finally the 7 night cruise around the island.  Oh I did make reservations for a day excursion from the ship to one of the national parks but the other is up in the air.  The park on Maui is still a question.  We are on the island more than 24 hours so we should be able to make it work but the only excursion is a sunset trip when the visitor center is closed.  I will have to figure it out.

I will get some work done this week but very little.  I want to get the post for the stairs glued up and I think that can happen fairly easily.  I did get the lawn mowed yesterday which means I can mow it again Saturday just before we leave on Sunday.  I do want to get it fertilized before we go.

The garden is doing well and I have not had to water it for the last couple of days.  With .9' of rain it is good.  The rain came down and soaked in so the garden is going to take off as the warm weather comes.  It is supposed to get to 80 today but then in the 9 days after it looks like mid to high 80s with two days in the 90s.

Not much more left to say.  I am going on a short bike ride this morning.  That darn right leg is giving me problems as I get on and off the bike.  IF I act like an old man when I mount or dismount I am fine so will swallow my pride and show my age!!!

I have finished breakfast and have only one cup of FP left so will save that until I return.

Back from a great trip

We arrived home yesterday about 5:30 ending a fun trip.  The pictures--North Dakota has water everywhere.  Many of the farmers will not get crops in this year but it looks to me that the water is not only this year but from the past as well.  Cousin Philip told his mother that he just is not going to plant this year.  At this time the soil is saturated and it is already late for planting.  

We spent 2 days and 3 nights with Dave and Marlys.  Dave and I got a tiny bit of work done, we played pool once but most of the time was spent talking and some time looking at the MANY items Dave has on his computer.  Of course we ate too much and Marlys is to blame for that!

We left Jamestown yesterday about 9:30 and headed to Forman to take in the Malheim gathering.  We arrived about 11:20 or so and they were well into lunch (they may say dinner).  I met many relatives I did not know and actually came away with 4 book sales!  It was an enjoyable time.  From Forman we headed to Lidgerwood where cousin Arlene lives in a home.  She was so so thankful and happy to see us.  At 93 she is doing quite well.  She said that she would have something to tell daughter Loren when she calls today.  Arlene is one of the FEW cousins left on the Sampson side of the family.  With Mom being the youngest by 10 years most cousins on that side were older.  

Finally around 5:30 we turned onto Niles Ave to find that John/Mary and family were not here yet.  John had texted and said they would arrive about 7.  We ordered 2 pizzas and had them ready when they arrived.  They spent the night and then headed to the Boundary Waters this morning.  They will get back here Friday late afternoon and they stay until Sunday.   Terry and I head to Hawaii Sunday AM so we have some work to do before then.   What the heck, by the time we return it will be mid July and the house projects will be staring me in the face big time!!!  At that point it will be get some things done here but in the back of my mind Naples is calling soon.  That is Naples and tennis!

Enough for now.  I enjoyed my FP with Mary and John this morning.  That is enough for now as we welcome the last full week of June 2019.

We are down sizing!!!

The sun is shining and the temp is great as we greet this Wednesday AM.  After we finish packing and the garden is watered we will be off to North Dakota for a few days.  We will park ourselves in Jamestown until Saturday AM when we will head to Forman to see what the Malheim gathering is all about.  It is 11:00-4:00 and have heard NOT one detail so it will be a matter of show up to see what is happening.  We will head home on Saturday as John and family will stay over night here.

Down sizing, we will do it but I am referring to the picture of the stairs.  The post in the picture is 6X6 and it will be replaced by a 4 1/2 X 4 1/2 one.  As I put up the first one Terry, who has a better etc than I, knew right away that it was out of proportion.  We think the smaller one will look better.  I got the boards cut yesterday and some holes drilled for the dowels but that is it.  It may not get made before mid July as when we get back this weekend most of next week will be spent making sure our ducks are in order for our trip to Hawaii.  I THINK I have all in order but Terry and I need to go over papers to be sure.  A wood worker I try to be but a travel agent not so much!

I will not be on the computer until Sunday as I do not write when we are on the road.

I have this darn right leg issue that is bothering me big time.  I do not remember doing anything that should have pulled a muscle but I assume and hope that is what it is.  My groin is VERY sore and the pain makes it difficult to walk.  I am wondering if sitting in the car for 5 hours today will help or hinder?  We will probably drive non-stop until we get to Fargo and then stop at Costco for gas.  Putting gas "on" there should hold us until we get home on Saturday.

No it is time to get the watering done and then make sure things are packed for the trip.  My breakfast of hash browns, ham and eggs should hold me most of the day and the FP, as always, will make the day go better!

We are now on the down side of June 2019---hang on to your hat as life moves fast!

Every pictures shows a slice of life

The garden is making progress 

Not trimmed, sanded or attached  but gluing is finished and it is looking up

Yesterday was not a very productive day but some work was done.  I did get the four sides of the post glued and now it is a matter of sanding, trimming and deciding how it will be attached to the steps and wall.  I did not have a wide enough piece of maple for the top and to buy just did not seem right.  Terry came up with the idea of trimming it with walnut and I think it was a great idea.  I also am in the middle of making a threshold up stairs and need to work on that as well.  After that comes the barn door for the bathroom and after that and after that and after that!!!

We received very little rain .1" over the weekend so I need to continue to water daily.  I think the lawn is getting a bit dry but maybe rain will come later this week.

Terry and I made a trip to Costco yesterday and we purchased NO food.  Perhaps a first!  We did pick up a new robot vacuum and a new dehumidifier which was needed.  

We are off to Dave/Marlys tomorrow and then back on Saturday when John/Mary and family will spend the night on their way to the BW.  

No it is time to get out and water things.  Breakfast is history and with hash browns, eggs and ham I should be good for most of the day.  Of course, as I write, my FP is telling me that it will be a good start to the day.  

Happy Father's Day to Aaron, Mike and John

Dad was one of a kind for sure.  He was a man of many talents.  In his 20's he was a mainstay of the local baseball team which had several Lees on it.  In his married and family life there was actually not much he could not do.  When REA (rural electric association) came into being he taught himself how to work with electricity and after wiring our home and barn he worked for the neighbors.  If he went fox hunting in the winter you could almost bet he would bring home his prey.  I do not know if he EVER came home from deer hunting empty.  If unsuspecting boys drove the truck without water (Dave & I) he would overhaul the engine.  Hardly a beautiful sunset happened without a picture.  If you lived in the areas of Cayuga, Geneseo, Veblen etc in the 60s, 70s and 80s AND got married Lawrence probably took your pictures.  I think the count was 300+.  Rarely did he go anyplace without his camera.  

SO TO AARON, MIKE A, JOHN AND SO MANY OTHER FATHERS IN EXTENDED FAMILY CELEBRATE TODAY AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.   To Dad, Ronald, Mike P, Charlie and others thanks for the legacy you left with family.

We got a spit of rain yesterday and last night.  Not enough to negate watering the garden today but still a little helps.  It is supposed to be cool today and stay in the 70s for the next week or so.  I will not complain.

For me today Father's Day will be a low key stay at home day.  Travis will come over later and we will have a meal but other than that it will be just another day.  The days of little kids jumping up and down with Father Day greetings are LONG gone for this household.  I have said this perhaps in the past but in June of 1966 Father's Day came and I did not have a present for Dad.  We went to church and when we came home I handed the keys to my Harley Sprint to Dad and said he could have it for the day.  That was perhaps the best present I ever gave him.  He took the keys, smiled and then rode off down the hill going south.  We saw him again as the sun set.  

Special days are times to sit back, relax and remember what was.  I will do that today but only after I get on my Bentley bike and go for a ride.  In case one is wondering my Bentley bike is a pedal one, not like my Harley!!!

The Twins won again last night.  It is fun to read about how they are doing.  They fell behind last night and then came back to win.  It was special for many as it was Joe Mauer night where they honored him and retired his famous #7.  As a sports star he was as nice and down to earth as a person can be.  I am not sure how down to earth you can be after earning 200+ million while playing a boys game but according to newspapers he is a nice guy.

No the FP is half finished and breakfast can wait as I get in a short ride.

Thursday, but almost Friday the 13th

No picture today.  I met Larry B for breakfast at 7:40.  I had the breakfast mess and it was delicious but a mess!

I have worked on the threshold upstairs but am finished for the day.  My body feels like it did a few years ago when I had Lime BUT I know I do not have that.  However I just could not continue working so locked the wood shop at 2:45 and got in the tub with the jets going and a cup of Epson Salt.  I have to admit that was after a 35 minute nap.  Those darn naps are coming a bit too often so will try to correct that in the future.

Not much planned for the remainder of the day.  I am sitting at the computer in my leisure wear and will stay that way until bed time.

Not much else.  Travis will come over at 6:30 tomorrow and we will go out for breakfast.  That will be it for breakfasts until after our Hawaii trip which ends in mid July.  What the heck by that time we will be looking at 2 1/2 months until we head south again.  Oh my but time flies by way way too fast.
Looking forward to the next few weeks as there is a trip to ND to visit brother Dave and wife Marlys,  the Malheim gathering and then 2 weeks in Hawaii and American Samoa.  All that makes me think that this body had better get better so the projects do not stare at me in 2020.

I post this picture to show what it is like working on a house that is 113 years old.  The short piece of quarter round is straight but when put in place there is a huge gap against the molding on the wall.  WHAT IS A PERSON TO DO???  Well for sure one can think, calculate and try to figure out some way to make it work.  Oh, as one can see the floor is not perfect either.  SO onward and upward to new things.  Maybe, just maybe, that is the reason my body aches and I stopped for the day!!!

Enough for now and as one can guess the FP is history to the tune of maybe 10 hours.

A cool cloudy day

As I sit and type the weather is cloudy and cool and it appears it will stay that way.  55 now and it will not get out of the 60s as the day wears on.

Well I thought I had a fairly good start to our stay in MN up until yesterday.  There has been a new garden plot, things are planted, the fences are around the garden, railings have been put up, my wood shop is cleaned up and ready to go BUT yesterday was a BUST.  I accomplished NOTHING and was in for the day by mid afternoon.  I look at the summer and say to myself, "I can NOT afford those days if things are going to get done".  BUT then I woke up this morning and said to myself that I do NOT have to go to work so maybe I can get on track again today.

I did have a bit of therapy yesterday.  For the first time this summer I pushed start on my table saw and the sound of it and the oder of wood made me feel like I was sitting in a spa with easy chairs and aroma all around me.  I should explain I have never been in a spa but I can imagine!  I am in the process of making a threshold for our bedroom upstairs and it did not go so well yesterday.  I do enjoy creating things for a purpose with wood so will give it another shot today.  I am also thinking of making a column of wood going up stairs and I THINK I should get a router bit for that.  One should know that "another project means another tool"!

No it is time to cut the words and get to work.  Once again I had a healthy breakfast sandwich BUT then fell for 2 so the calories probably were too many anyway!  I have come to really like the egg beater, a slice of Canadian Bacon, a thin slice of cheese all on a light English Muffin.  Wait, I just looked up the calories on everything: muffin=100, cheese=45, bacon=20, egg= 40 and add 50 for a T of heavy cream and really I think 2 sandwiches are OK as long as I only put the heavy cream in the first cup of FP.  Way to go Carmen.

It is what it is

Every picture tells about life!

This is what I found in the front yard yesterday as I went out to get the paper.  We have these darn rabbits that chew on things they should not BUT I am guessing there is 1 less now.  I have no idea what did the damage but I am pretty sure this rabbit did not live to bother plants any more!  Way to go whatever took care of one bunny rabbit!!!

OK so I gave in to Mother Nature and took a 45 minute nap yesterday.  Also I hit the sack shortly after 9:00 BUT I did get work done.  Fences were put up around the two garden spots and a bird net was put above the west plot.  Last year those darn birds feasted on the tiny plants as they emerged out of the ground.  I am hoping the net on top discourages that from happening this year.  I also finished my railing projects.  Last week I got railings off of the deck and yesterday I put one up for going down the basement.  Don't laugh, Terry and I are 72 and slowly are giving way to an age  just beyond middle age!  I did not want to give in to my age but as we all know it is better safe than sorry so "it is what it is"!

The weather is cool today and will remain that way for some days.  Looks like temps will be in the 70s for at least the next 10 days.  Nice I think but it probably does little for the garden to take off.  After I clean up the mess I made putting up the railing I THINK I may take on PROJECT #1 for the summer which is a threshold upstairs.  That is unless I come up with some "in between" projects.  With the bending, pulling, shoveling etc my poor body thinks it is over worked but I feel that if I plow ahead it will adjust and I will be fine!  If that does not happen, I do not have plan B.

I was good for breakfast this morning, well kind of.  I had a low calorie muffin, a slice of Canadian bacon, a thin slice of cheese and egg beaters for a sandwich.  That was great but then I went ahead and spoiled it all by having TWO.  I am pretty sure at this time in my life that I may NEVER LEARN.

I just took the last of my FP and so that means it is time to get some things done.

June temps at 50 this morning

Not much to say today.  Yesterday was one of those days where I felt like I should have stayed in bed all day.  I ate a little and felt like I was stuffed.  I took a late late nap and that did not help matters.  I did get to Menards to get material to protect the garden as I saw a black cat using it as a litter box yesterday.  Was NOT happy about that.  I was hoping for rain but we had about a spit and a half, not enough to make the sidewalk wet even.

So I think I will leave things as they are and get to some work.  I would like to get the fence around the garden today and of course things need to be watered.  Also need to get one of those grand kids notes written as 2 each week go out!

I have had NO action on the china cabinet so it looks like maybe Salvation Army or a place like that is in order.  I would like to see it go to a nice home but the bottom line is it needs to move away from Niles Ave.  I did get a note about the hitch but then nothing so it was not serious I am guessing.

I received a note from our tennis pro Myke.  She and her husband are our pros.  She said Phil had his other knee operated on last Thursday which means he will not be playing in the Twin Cities in August.  He has done that the last couple of years.  He did want to have it done soon as that would most likely mean he would be healed when people start coming down in the late fall.

No the FP with a bit of heavy cream is now history so will close.  Not to put a damper on the summer BUT June is now 1/3 gone!

Pentecost Sunday, June 9, 2019

Come Holy Spirit today as we celebrate Pentecost Sunday.

Aaron, Amy and Ruby came for a visit yesterday as did Travis.  Terry put together a delicious meal of ribs, brats and salad along with a great lemon-blueberry dessert.  Ruby did the honors of frosting the dessert!  Leo was attending a Boy Scout event so he could not come.  Aaron brought along pictures of the Melheim farm, as it is today, in Norway.  It does not look any different than the one which I believe was taken many years ago.  Fun to see it.  It would be fun to visit Norway as that is where my heritage is.

As I watered the garden this morning the gnats almost ate me alive.  There was an article in the paper about how bad they are this year and "for sure" they are.

As I sit in front of the den windows there is a delightful breeze coming in.  It is supposed to reach a high of 71 by early afternoon and then the temp goes down a bit.  Rain is at 60% and it would be nice if we got some.  Watering the garden is fine but God's rain is always better.

I received a text from sister Helen that sister-in-law Glorine's brother Darell passed away June 1st.  He was 84.  He had served as county agent in North Dakota for many years.  I think I met him once but can not remember when or where.  He lived in Minot at the time of his death.  Again, each time I hear of a friend, relative or family member's death there is a stab in my heart.  Perhaps it is not because of knowing a person but often a stark reminder that with each passing year one gets older and with that of course it is a reminder that life is short and then the question "Who is next?"  I will get a card off to Glorine tomorrow.

No, it is nearing 9:00 and the sky is beginning to look a bit dark so maybe that rain will come.  The lawn says it needs water.

Finished with my FP for the day and Sunday is a day of rest so may get into a book a neighbor bought over.  I NEVER read in St. Paul as it is all work and the reading takes place in Naples but maybe I will change my MOO just for a bit of time.

YesYesYes

Every picture shows a slice of life

headed south off the deck

headed east off the deck
I should add that these railings are a bit over due but then better late than not at all-RIGHT?

Done is the word from yesterday.  I finally decided that I needed to have more patience and not be afraid of a sore arm/shoulder!  So I simply used less brain and more brawn and after several minutes (it seemed like hours) the cement bit won over the cement slab and I was finished.  I do need to put copper tops on each of the posts but for the most part they are finished and good to use.  

I posted my china cabinet on Craig's List and so far have not gotten any response.  IF I do not get a response not sure what I will do.  I did post the 2" hitch with 2" ball and got one response, "you take $10?  I responded back, "I take $12!  I have not heard.  

Cynthia and Mike will take my gas weed whacker and also my fishing equipment as they are going on a week long camping trip to Devils Lake ND.  Little by little things will get cleared out and this place will look like it is lived in  and not a Good Will store!!!

We are excited to see A/A/R (Amy-Aaron-Ruby) this afternoon.  They will get here in time for a mid afternoon meal.  I think they will head back to Madison after their nephews graduation party on Sunday.  I think Terry is thinking of kind of a nice meal with ribs, brats, salad etc.  I can hardly wait.

Lunds has a great sale on bi-color sweet corn and Terry would like to freeze some so I need to refill  a propane tank for the grill.  

I am out of words for this Saturday.  Oh I should say it is kind of fun to see the Minnesota Twins doing so well.  I think they still have one of the the best records in baseball.  I do not follow them very closely but fun to see them do well.

Time to finish off my last cup of FP and then do a couple of dishes.  For breakfast I finished up my take home from breakfast with Travis yesterday so not much to clean up.

Every picture is a glimpse of life

This is not working out the way I expected.  I am putting up hand rails on the south and east side of the deck.  Putting those darn screws into cement is not an easy job.  I do have cement bits but they seem to go down a half inch or so and then it is STOP.  I need to figure out a way today as I can not spent half the summer trying to do one job.  HELP!

Travis and I had our weekly breakfast this morning.  Went to Highland Cafe and it is under construction so had to travel to Grandview.  As is often the case there was too much food so a box is in the fridge.

Hard to believe that we are already at the first Friday in June.  It is another great weather day here with temps supposed to be in the mid to high 80s which means I need to get those AC window units in soon.  It would be nice if we had AC units on the first and second floors like A/A have but that is not the case so it is a matter of 1.screen off, 2.lug the AC unit out of the closet or garage, 3.place in window and then stuff things in the sides and bottom so no bugs can get in.  Today will be a good day to do that.

I could complain about the things that I want/need to get done but then as I turn on the living room ceiling fans and walk up the new stairs to the second floor I am thankful for what was done last year.  

Not much else to say for today.  I THINK Terry and I are looking at kind of a quiet weekend.  I did something I usually do not do.  After making my FP this morning I still had a cup left when I went to meet Travis for breakfast so took my coffee to the cafe.  Not my usual MOO but I just could not give up my FP for cafe coffee.  On to work for the day.

Another help in God with half inch of rain!

We had a very nice rain last night which means I do not have to water the garden and the sod that I put in.  I am sure the plants and sod like the GOD water better than the well water too.  With some warm weather I think the garden will start to grow BUT the down side is the lawn will also grow so I will need to get that mower out.  This time of year, when we have rain, I usually mow about every 4 or 5 days.

Terry and I spent a fun several hours with Connie and Darrel yesterday.  They are friends of Terry's from way back.  When one spends time with them you can be sure there are laughs and good food.  In the same trip we picked up Terry's car from storage and brought it home.  We now have 3 vehicles around which is really too many but they all get used.

Not much work was done yesterday.  I did start to put in railings down from the deck on the east side and the south side.  Attaching the posts to the deck is no big deal but attaching a post to the cement is not so easy.  I made sure I had a good cement drill bit but that darn bit tends to move away from where I want the hole and with 4 holes needing to be lined up that is a problem.  I will make it happen but need to come up with a better strategy than I had yesterday.

I need to post a couple of things on Craig's list today.  I do not like to do that as often one gets a note saying something like this "I want your item but am out of town.  I would like to send you a check for $20 more than the asking price if you would just send me your bank info so I can deposit it!"  Oh my do some people actually fall for that kind of scam?  Anyway I will go on line after I write here and see what I can do.  I just do not want to get a note from someone who is in India or in South America!

As I sit in front of the den windows and type I am looking out through VERY dirty windows.  I think my day would start better if I take some time to clean them.  Years ago it was get a ladder outside and wash there and then come in the house and wash the inside.  THEN look out and see the smudge outside and climb the ladder again.  Today I can open the windows and tilt to clean.  Not very difficult so I have no excuse to leave it undone.

Will close for today and after taking the last sip of FP will kind of get to work.

We welcome the first Monday of June 2019

Every picture gives a glimpse of life

Agatha

Jude

Ben

Faustina

I attended the Adkin kids' violin concert at St. Agnes yesterday.  All of them did a great job.  Now to be perfectly honest the music was not on the same level as Itzhak Perlman but I certainly enjoyed hearing the kids play!!!  Great Grandma Lee (Ruby) would have been so proud of her great grand children being in music.
 
The bike tires are pumped, the garden is in, the lawn is fertilized so maybe, just maybe I am ready to start some projects around here.  First, lets see!

Yesterday Terry and I spent about an hour at Grand Old Days on Grand Ave in St. Paul.  We saw most of the parade.  It was fun but my comment is they need several parade marshals as there often was up to 5 minutes between parade entries.  That makes for a long time to stand and watch.  But it was a fun time.

I actually went down yesterday for a nap late in the day.  Not sure why I was tired but I was.

We have cloudy cool weather this morning.  I should have gone on a bike ride when I got up at 5:30 but decided my body needed at least one more day to rest after the garden making.  What the heck, I seem to have less energy as the time flies by.  I have yet to get out into the wood shop and get that in order.  I think I need about 3 hours to get things out of the basement, get things put away and in order so I can get to doing some work.  In the fall over the last couple of weeks we are here I kind of disassemble things for the winter and store a lot of the things in the house.  Maybe I need to get energized by just getting on Bentley (my bike) and going on a short ride.  I think that is a great idea.

No breakfast yet but my FP is great.  I did not get things cleaned up in the kitchen yesterday afternoon so it is not as easy to make breakfast in a kitchen that has dirty dishes etc.  Anyway blogging is finished for this morning.

We enter June of 2019 with plans, hopes and anticipation of good things to happen!

June is for puppy dogs, high water creeks, dolls and not so sure about that Halloween picture in this month!

Yesterday I showed my true colors, both in AGE and determination.  Terry and I decided to get that darn south garden ready.  We jumped in the pickup about 11:00 and headed to the compose where I had scouted a huge pile of dirt.  Of course that compose dirt is FULL of wood, rocks and much more so what one has to do if you want nice soil is sift all of it.  Well we dug and sifted for about 45 minutes and it looked like we had: a-sore backs b-dirty and muddy clothes and c-about 5% of the needed soil.  Well if one starts to figure that out it may be a month of Sundays before that south garden would be ready so plan A was scrapped.  Plan B was to go to the nursery and buy garden soil. By the time this happened it was already 1:30 or so.  So the plan went as follows.  Drive, shovel soil into the back of the pickup, drive home and back into the driveway, shovel the wheelbarrow full, wheel it around the house and then dump.  The first load was about 6 wheelbarrows.  I went back for a second and then paid as I told the guy I was not going to last a third load.  My back said stop, my energy said stop and that was it.  I asked what time they open on Saturday and he said 8:00 AM.  After unloading the second time I could see that ONE more trip would do it.  What to do?  I could stop and put things away for the day and then get in the Jacuzzi tub with Epsom salt which meant an early trip on Saturday for one last load.  OR I could suck it up and try to finish.  I decided to take the latter choice so off to the nursery one more time.  I finished and had things put away by 5:30.  Terry then went out later and planted all the things we had purchased.  And was all that a good idea?  It was a great idea as we have a rainy Saturday morning so finishing would not have happened and also the rain is great for the plants Terry put in.  Now all we need to do is watch them grow.  Well I do need to put a fence around them and then netting over them as the birds ate much of the young plants last year.  DONE.

Sod off, new soil in, plants planted so harvest here we come!

I do not have much planned for today.  Last night my body would not hold up and I hit the sack very early.  This morning my back, shoulders and legs feel like I ran a marathon  but then I really can't say that as I have never done that!  Of course we did have to do the work yesterday when it was high 80s while today it is supposed to be a high of 71!  I would say one good thing came out of yesterday.  I lost 2 pounds!

It looks like the rain may be over and we got about 1/4 inch.  Good for the lawn and good for the garden.

The eggs, bacon and toast are history and the FP is almost there so will sign off.