Monthly Archives: January 2016
Finally! Porch repairs look imminent.
We found someone to fix the porch!
For a couple of years we’ve been looking for someone to fix our porch, contractors came and went, each telling us the job was too small for them to do.
We sort of gave up and hoped we’d be able to get a friend to patch it.
However, when the bottom step fell off in October we renewed the search with vigor. Praying the city wouldn’t see it and fine us.
Every contractor we called did not call us back.
Once again, I began a search, and again, no one would consider the job.
We thought we had someone through a friend of a friend, but we never heard back from that person. Then someone else found what looked like a promising lead, sent it to me, and that contractor also did not call back.
In the wee hours of last night I went on a hunt vowing to do it all night if necessary.
A search of cement porch repairs found “Porch.” Once on Porch, I punched in my project, zip code, and other information. Today we had a call and a warm body show up at the house, and by 6 p.m. had an estimate in hand.
Yes, he’s hired.
All but the back pieces and that piece on the right on the bottom step are gone now.
The Hello Crow
The cemetery next door is a winter home for a rather large murder of crows. Because of this we have to walk the yard before taking the dogs out to find and clear up bones and other garbage that the crows and squirrels drop in our yard. Both creatures scavenge from open trash cans around the area. (Too bad people can’t keep the cans covered but instead risk people’s dog’s health…if I miss just one bone…)
Yesterday while out with Gavin, I had the pleasure of meeting our old friend Hello Crow. He’s part of the murder and has been around for many years. We know him by his distinctive ‘Hello’ which makes us believe a woman raised him. His ‘hello’ is a fairly high pitch and quite clearly a hello.
He sat high up in the tulip poplar and said hello to us many time. I, of course, responded in kind.
I’m sure the people passing by thought I was completely strange, but I don’t care.
Global warming anyone?
The sixteenth of January we hit 50 degrees in Pennsylvania.
Yes, we’re getting colder weather over the next few days, but the warm days we’ve had are way above normal for our area.
I promise, I am not complaining. I hate winter.
However, no matter what the vacuous ‘there is no such thing’ people say, it is a real thing and we need to work towards a solution.
So far this year we haven’t had a chance to do this…and I am fine with that.
Lucy speaks
The Momma went out to lunch wiff Auntie G. They went to a place out back and groceries shopping and pet store shopping.
Gavin and I has lots of cookies and big bag of food now, we won’t starve!
She also gaved us some steak from out back, told the Daddy they cooked it wrong and she did not want to complain but couldn’t eat it that done and tuff.
They gived her a new steak cooked perfectly and she brought us the one they cooked wrong.
I didn’t smell nothing wrong wiff it. I thoughted it was berry good.
Yes, I did too share it with the Gavin brother.
The Curmudgeon’s birthday
So it was The Curmudgeon’s birthday today. He’s now 63.
G brought him cake.
I got my revenge for the Christmas present vacuum cleaner he gave me many years ago by presenting him with a new rollator the other day.
Dang it no winning ticket again
So G and I didn’t hit the lottery.
Which means still no escape from this life as a caregiver in a falling down around our ears home.
No beach home…. yet.
No spa like care facility for The Curmudgeon.
No financing more research into a cure for MS.
I need a daily reminder to take my pills
So I have been ill the last few days. Dealing with an “if I hadn’t forgotten to take my medications three days in a row” problem.
Yeah, I get sidetracked by The Curmudgeon and dogs so often some days that I really do forget to take my daytime medications.
Doing much better after two days of TAKING ALL my medications.
One day where no one is ill and no one dies
Every day on Facebook there are many stories of someone’s ailment or their pet’s ailment or so much death.
I wake each day, full of dread, at just having to face my husband’s Multiple Sclerosis.
I find I am online for less and less time each day.
I feel myself withdrawing more and more into an insular life.
This is not a good thing.
I can’t help it.
I am tired of everything.
He’s getting snazzy now
So The Curmudgeon’s new rollator/transfer chair arrived today. Gee, that was quick! Thank you Overstock.com!
It is simple and quick to convert it from rollator to transfer chair.
When in transfer chair form, I wish it rolled over floor transition strips better.
Now all I need to do is get his Mom’s old, heavy, clumsy rollator out of here, we don’t have space for three.
Once dark fell, so did the temperature
Warm day for January, we hit 61 degrees. Sort of funny, the back porch was so cold that the windows fogged up on the inside.
It would be nice if the porch were a finished and heated room. However, it is not. It is strictly a closed in porch made of cement block with a cement floor. Yep, that spells cold in cold weather.
In a normal winter I can use the entire porch as an extra refrigerator. 😉
Since night fell the temperature plummeted to 36 degrees.
Dat’s okay I habs me blankie.
Caregivers need care too, but seldom get it
One of these days, I’ll manage to make and keep the appointment for my carpal tunnel. Half of my left hand is constantly numb.
Seems every time I’ve made an appointment for my hand, he’s gone into the hospital and I’ve had to cancel it.
Heaven knows how I’d manage surgery on it anyway. There’s no one that will take care of him and the dogs.
Yes, I NEED to hit the lottery so I can have a life.
As if we didn’t spend enough there already
G and I are in trouble.
There’s a new stand out at the farmers market.
“Here, have a sample.”
We take a sample. Looks of ecstasy cross our faces. “Ah, too delicious! We’ll stop here last, on our way out, so it stays cold.”
We skipped the Amish bakery, can’t set off my sweet tooth now I need to have some restraint.
Stopped at the gadget stand and picked up a biscuit cutter, I am tired of using a glass to cut out my biscuits–I’ve used one for 42 years.
We split a loaf of fresh sourdough bread at the artisan bakery.
G bought cabbage for halupkies (stuffed cabbage rolls) and I’ll get some!
Stopped at a favorite stand and picked up a little bulk sausage, pimento cheese, and smoked Gouda.
Another stand for smoked chicken thighs.
Finally back at the new stand, we bought our lunches of sushi and seaweed salad. Once we got back to my house, we dished out and shared our sushi choices. What a perfect and delicious lunch.
Doggonedmysteries 