Category Archives: Misc
She’s worth more than a sister or two to me
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Someone mistook G and me for sisters again the other day. It set the two of us off into the giggles. Actually, I’ve been around her more years than I was my sisters. We’ve been neighbors and friends for thirty-seven years. Therefore, when you figure I only lived with my sisters for about nineteen years, then yeah we’re closer than most sisters are by far.
She never met my father but when my father died, she sympathized. When my sister died, she grieved with me, she knew my sister well. When my Mother died, G and I shed tears together because my mother treated her like a daughter when she visited us in the summers past.
We’ve borrowed sugar and stuff from each other forever. We’ve shared many hobbies over the years. We trade plants and garden harvests. We’ve laughed over many a cup of coffee.
I watched her sons grow from toddlers to men. I sat with her in the hospital when she had surgeries. I stayed with her, worried, and held her hand when her husband had a heart attack a few years ago. DH and I celebrated her hubby’s recovery with her.
Not a week goes by without us checking in on each other at least twice during the week. If I haven’t seen her all weekend, I know she’ll pop by on Monday.
Posted in Misc
Tags: Author, Best friends, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Never take the wife’s car without leaving a note or a message
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Many years ago, I had a gold Toyota Tercel wagon and I loved that car. Then one day someone stole it right out of our driveway. I was devastated. Today, for a few minutes, I thought Casper had gone the same way.
As usual, I woke up, had my coffee, and took the dogs out. The first trip outside with Gavin I didn’t notice Casper wasn’t in the driveway. I knew DH was gone, his truck wasn’t there, but my missing van didn’t register. It didn’t register until I took Patty out. Mind you I’d only had one cup of coffee.
I was standing there waiting for her to tinkle when it dawned on me that Casper wasn’t in the driveway. Having already been a car theft victim once it was the first thing that went through my mind. “Where’s my car? OMG!” Don’t panic…think. “Call the police…no, call DH first.”
I dragged Patty inside, grabbed the phone, and hit the speed dial. Two rings, he answered, and I stuttered, “M-my car! It isn’t here.”
“I have it. My truck is in the shop. I took it over, they brought me home, and I took your car to go over to my mother’s house.”
“Expletives deleted. Why didn’t you let me know? More expletives deleted. I almost called the police.”
Posted in Misc, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Cool weather chores
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We’ve had much cooler weather for several days, which brings to mind all the winterizing chores I need to do. The outside back door needs new caulk all the way around the frame, inside and out. I should also do the windows out there. My neighbor’s son will, I hope, come through and seal the crack in the wall between the back porch and the house.
We still need to find where the leak is in the pond. I’m betting it’s in the waterfall. However, so far we haven’t been able to locate it.
I must purchase some new weather stripping for the front and back doors and figure out some way to keep the cold from seeping into the basement from the outside door. Then there’s purchasing covers for the air conditioners although I think I’ll leave the one in the bedroom alone. It lets in just enough air that I only have to crack the other window to keep the room comfortable for sleeping during the winter. It is the warmest room in the house—too warm.
It’s too early to dig out the elephant ears and cannas. Nevertheless, I have buckets ready for them when it’s time.
Posted in Misc, Weather related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Doors and Windows, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Weatherstripping, Writer, Writing
I can see again!
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Finally, my glasses came in and I went to pick them up this afternoon. Their seven to ten business days stretched out to several more than that, but I’m happy now. It’s so nice to be able see well again. I love both pairs. They fit well and are comfortable. Driving home from the optical store, I did wear my old, old glasses. I switched to the six-year-old pair after the eye doctor told me the new glasses prescription was weaker than the four-year-old pair. They worked well and did knock out the headaches I was getting.
I can read better now—both books and my computer screen. No more straining my neck to read fine print on the computer is a bonus in itself. I don’t have to enlarge my pages to 150% to read them. No more, do I have to struggle to read price tags or grocery store prices!
DH likes my choices in frames. My thanks to G who helped me pick them out. It isn’t easy to when you can’t see a thing without your glasses.
Posted in Misc, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Eyewear, Family, Fiction, Glasses, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Vision, Writer, Writing
The house is getting cleaner by small increments
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I now have the organizing bug in my system. My back porch is much improved. Thank you Jackie for coming over and lending a helping hand. My kitchen has more room since we hauled the bench out onto the much cleaner porch to give DH a place to sit when he comes in with muddy or snowy boots.
It makes me want to tackle places like the back bedroom that has become a bit of a catch all for things that should be in the attic. The attic is another place that needs clearing and organizing. Then there’s the cellar—oh, Ick! That’s one area I’d rather ignore, in fact I’d rather clean out the shed than work in the cellar.
I don’t think the garbage men are pleased with me tonight I did put out quite a bit more than usual. They’ll get over it.
I do think that before I tackle another large project I need to clean my desk. It does tend to gather papers, books, and computer doodads all the time. Yes, it’s time to clear the clutter from my workspace. Now if I could only get DH the pack rat to clear out some of his junk…
Posted in Misc
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Clean house, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, getting organized, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
I don’t need to go far to enjoy nature’s beauty
Posted by doggonedmysteries
About and hour before cooking dinner was a perfect time to take a break from writing and chores. I went out to relax on the hammock. The temperature was perfect and there was a gentle breeze blowing. Pure heaven.
The yard hummed with activity. I watched several monarch and swallowtail butterflies visit the flowers. Wouldn’t you know that as soon as I thought ‘camera,’ they disappeared. The cardinal family fluttered about in the tree above me and then bravely came down to the feeders. House sparrows and purple finches hopped around under the feeders cleaning up what the cardinals dropped to them. Then Momma Downy woodpecker hung upside down on the suet feeder directly above me, I almost held my breath so as not to frighten her.
I always allow my Echinacea to go to seed for the small flock of American goldfinches that we have around here. They came to nibble them and again I wished I’d brought my camera out with me. They made a colorful picture among the purple flowers.
The best of all was when I spied two ruby throated hummingbirds darting around the Cannas. I do wish they’d find the feeder.
Posted in Misc, My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bird, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Downy Woodpecker, Echinacea, Family, Fiction, Flower, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Hummingbird, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Writer, Writing
We live in a funhouse
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Old houses have oddities like crooked walls and strangely sized doors. I’ve been sort of shopping around for four interior doors. Of course, all four are different widths and they are all taller by more than an inch or two than any I can find. We’re so blessed to have an old house…. Sometimes it’s like living in a carnival funhouse.
Most of our doorways are out of square, which makes for more interesting problems. Floors tilt and bow. The stairs are all narrow and steep. The attic stairs do a lovely eighty degree turn, twice.
The cellar steps are another test of balance and agility. Although they don’t have turns they aren’t level and the bottom step is only an inch high, just enough to sprain an ankle if you hit it right. Or rather, if I hit it right I’ll sprain an ankle, which I’ve done many times over the years.
The entire house, except the attic and back porch, is heated by radiators. This makes the placement of furniture a challenge. There are two radiators in the living room under the master bedroom and one in the master bedroom. The room is very hot in the winter. I have to sleep with the window opened even when it’s below freezing outside or I’ll die of heat stroke.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bedroom, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Funhouse, Home, Home and Garden, Humor, Life, Living room, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Stairway, Writer, Writing
Sudden stink sends rat terrier scurrying
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I’d smelled a skunk a few hours ago. I had to close up the house the odor was so strong so the skunk had to have been nearby. After the stink dissipated, I reopened the windows and inside doors. The breeze from front to back was glorious. It’s so nice to have seasonal weather back.
It was about then when I heard my next-door neighbor come home. I hailed her from my door and we talked for a few minutes.
As she went inside, I warned her not to let her dog out without looking in the yard first but… The next thing I knew I heard the dog bark, bark, YIPE! I closed my windows and doors again.
The skunk didn’t get the little dog. She is quite fast, but from what I understand it was a narrow escape. I am surprised she had the good sense to retreat. Had it been either one of mine they wouldn’t have backed off or I’d be bathing them about now…
Posted in Dog related, Misc
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Home and Garden, Hydrogen peroxide, Life, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Odor, Pets, Rat Terrier, Rescue Dogs, Skunk, Writer, Writing
Dryers, the inter-dimensional sock gateway?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Sorting socks on laundry day is a dull, life-sucking task. I hate sorting socks and would love it if they did it all by themselves. However, there are some days where you feel as though you’ve stepped into the ‘inter-dimensional sock gateway zone’ when you find strange socks and miss some you swore you’d put in the wash.
Does anyone else have a dryer that is an inter-dimensional sock gateway? A few E-mails back and forth with Elena made me realize that I am not the only person who has one of these. She told me that she had a pair of socks come out of her dryer that she didn’t recognize. I often have that problem, as well as having socks periodically disappear into the IDSG void. Most of them are DH’s since during the warm weather I seldom wear socks.
Some people ask why it is that only socks do this. The easy answer is because a dryer is an inter-dimensional sock gateway not an inter-dimensional clothes gateway. Has anyone seen a super soft sage green sock? I can’t find one of mine. Check your dryer it might have beamed over there.
Once beamed into the IDSG do the socks turn into evil sock puppets that return here bent on taking over the earth?
Beware of strange sock puppets.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Footwear, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Socks and Hosiery, Writer, Writing
Do you back up everything?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
After losing several precious to me pictures and some book chapters a few years back when my computer crashed I’ve become rather anal retentive about saving things to CDs and memory drives.
I have a 2.0G SanDisk that I’ve been using for a few years and it drives me crazy because it has some junk programs that came installed on it. Thanks but no thanks I only wanted storage for my books.
With it now back to school season, I found an on-sale-super-cheap 4.0G USB memory drive put out by Dane-Elec. I’m in love with it. It is all storage and no junk programs. At the price I paid for it I’m going back to buy more, many more.
I’ll use some strictly for pictures and keep others for my writing. I might even back up my entire computer again although there are a few programs I won’t bother with since I have them on disk. Heck, if get a couple of the 8G ones I can back up things to my heart’s content.
Posted in Misc, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dane-Elec, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, hard drive, Hardware, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, SanDisk, Storage, USB flash drive, Writer, Writing
Not as blind as I thought
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Nothing like finding out that the problem you’ve had with seeing, is because your eyes have improved. Here I was expecting to have stronger glasses and I’m getting weaker ones. This is a first for me.
I was also shocked to learn that it’s been four years since I’ve had my eyes checked. I don’t know why, because I normally would go every two years. It could be because I ignored a reminder from them but I don’t remember.
The sticker price of all this was also a surprise and a big ouch. At least I’ll have new glasses. Two pair in fact. I started buying two pair at a time after breaking a pair and the only ones I had to wear until they fixed mine were far too weak. The headaches aren’t worth it.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
At war with tree rats
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Yesterday, my day began as all my days do with coffee, lots of coffee. My third cup I took outside to enjoy the cooler weather we’re having. That’s when I spotted one of my almost ripe Big Boy tomatoes on the ground. Someone had nibbled a good quarter of it and left it there for me to find. I was not happy. The tomato went into the compost bin.
There was no sign of the culprit who had raided my garden. However, I swear I heard giggling coming from the trees. Later, I went out to feed the fish and as I walked under the magnolia tree, a large, mostly green tomato almost beaned me in the head. It too had been nibbled. I looked up to see a squirrel sitting on an upper branch. His face covered with tomato juice from MY TOMATO.
Thus, the war with the tree rats has begun. I took the tomato from the compost bin and the one that had nearly whapped me in the head and baited a Have-a-Hart trap. All tree rats who enter the trap will find themselves relocated to the other side of town. My mother in law doesn’t have a garden.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
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