For the second time in three days I am not doing a traditional post. I’m just tired and it’s late. I cleaned the house, did laundry, weed whacked, cut the grass, and helped over at Kathy’s. I stoved my right thumb on the chain-link fence when I was mowing and it’s swollen and sore. Not sure what I’ll do about that. Last month I stoved the little finger on left hand and it’s still a little stiff. Ugh. So I’m just going to go to bed, as I do have to work tomorrow.
June 8 – Share a horse-riding story. “When I was in 2nd grade I had my foot burned & couldn’t wear a shoe. I rode on the back of ‘Old Molly’, one of the work horses, when my mother wanted to go visit a neighbor. We didn’t use a saddle. She had a big wide back.”
Weather is crazy today – one minute it’s dry and the next it’s pouring. But it’s chilly so my chores will be inside the rest of the day. I worked both stores this morning. Jeannette had a few things, and Rege and I had our weekly chat. After I finished in Greensburg I stopped and got a hair cut. I wanted to give it a week to settle and for me to get used to it.
A little shorter…
So, yesterday I got to Kelly’s a little before 10am. It’s so quaint to turn onto their road and go through the covered bridge. No matter how often I do that, I still love it!
Erskine Bridge 1`845
I helped her do a few things, and then we took a walk down to say hello to Fluffy. He was convinced that we were there to feed him, so he just stood beside his food bowl. I tried to get a picture of the piggies but they were in a pen on the other side of Fluffy. We had to walk THROUGH his pasture to get to the pigs and that was NOT on my list of favorites. So we didn’t. But Fluffy posed for a few photos for us.
Where IS my food???Fluffy keeping his eye on us.
After talking to Fluffy for a while, we walked down to the creek. A little robin was giving himself a bath. The water was flowing well, and a huge tree grew out over the creek. The photo of the tree doesn’t do it justice.
See the robin? In the very center. On the far side of the creek.A tree grows in … the creek!The tree is HUGE
Kelly and I met Matt at the Condo village – Londonberry, in West Virginia. Such a nice neighborhood! But a lot of landscaping to weed and clean up. We worked for over five hours, with a little help from Matt and about an hour’s worth from Peyton until he had to leave. We did not get finished but we made good progress. Not sure when I’ll get back down – if he needs me. I think we narrowly escaped an Indiana attack (can I say that?).
Beds with weeds, before we startedOne little corner doneThere were seven or eight sections this long, plus about six or seven smaller ones.Is there such a thing as ‘feather’ language?
When we got back to the house, Kelly made tacos for supper. They were very good; I never make them for myself so it was a treat. Sarah had asked Kelly to make Wyatt a little onesie, so she did that after dinner. I always hate leaving my little family!
Wyatt’s onesieLogan (15) and Kelly. He’s WAY taller!
I left there about 8:15pm, and got caught in several construction projects. The craziest was near the Speers bridge. They actually directed all traffic off Route 70 and then back on the other side. I sat for a while and never moved. The speed limit sign, (meaning to SLOW DOWN to 45 MPH!) belied the actual real-time fact! I got home very close to 10pm.
Restricted speed limit…My actual speed at the time…
I was asked to notarize something for Kathy’s brother-in-law George, so we met at Kathy’s. Our friend Lynn (you may remember her from Beef Day!) came to pick up a few things and we chatted for a bit. I miss talking with Lynn and glad I was there when she stopped over.
Kathy and Lynn
June 7 – What food did you learn to cook or prepare first as a youth? “I remember learning to fry eggs first. We were baking cakes and cookies at age 10.” I learned very young, too – from my Mom! Our famous brownie recipe!
Sunday’s vacation destination (we skipped yesterday) was not a destination. It was a type of vacation; one that you would go to volunteer your time and services. Photo posted was to do Climate change research in Canada. Other places and causes are:
Safari in West Africa helping wildlifeSave sea turtles in Costa Rico Volunteer with homeless animals in NepalWork to protect Peruvian AmazonSailing and protecting Galapagos IslandsDefend endangered species of Bolivia Encourage youth development in GhanaHuman rights advocacy in Thailand
Calendar inspiration – When you’ve done all you can, let your project develop and grow on its own.
Quote –
Scripture –
Vacation Destination –
We were going to stop here on vacation but it’s a little out of our way….
My longest best friend is Gen; 2nd longest is Diane. Then there’s a long list in the number three spot! But my cherished side-by-side best friend is my sister! Happy best friend day to all of my dear, dear friends! God bless…
Gen & I since 9th gradeDi and I – since 10th gradeKath & I – since 1954!
Today was a good day, but very long and I’m very tired. A GOOD tired, and I’ll sleep tonight for sure. I will catch up tomorrow – but I spent the day in Wheeling pulling weeds for a Condominium Association that Matt does lawn care services for. We didn’t quite finish but ran out of steam and time!
June 6 – Did you ever go on a snipe hunt? “Yes. Across the small stream down back of our barn & up on the hill above the stream. You can guess what happened. If you don’t know I’ll take you snipe hunting.” Funny, Mom! Funny!
Today was very strange – glad to say I survived it, although not unscathed! Started out by being whacked in the eye by a donkey. Well, let me explain. We have a stick ‘donkey’ that we use to act out Bible lessons. The donkey and rider got a little aggressive and I was in the way. Thankfully I had my glasses on or it would have been a lot more painful. The ‘donkey’ was very contrite and repented quietly on his own accord in the corner chair. Our donkey has now been relegated to the supply closet on the other side of the building!
Looked a little like this….
But before that, as I started the car to go to church, the dash kept flashing a message that the key fob battery was low. I won’t be at work until Tuesday so I hope it doesn’t quit working while I’m in West Virginia tomorrow. Hmmmm.
After church I was leaving to pick up Chrissy, Autmn, Hope, and Daphne to take them bathing suit shopping. I have been so careful going in and out of my driveway because of the severe drop-off. For some reason I had a bad angle, and scraped something underneath the car. Ugh. I didn’t see any damage and everything was working ok.
Reminder of road drop off
But I picked up the girls at the flea market venue, stopping first to grab a bite of lunch. They had really good French fries. After that, we went to Target. The girls found a few things there, but Chrissy did not find a swim suit. So after we left there we went to Walmart, and she did get a really cute one! I was glad she found something she liked as she likes to be stylish but also modest. I think they had a good time. Taking four teenager girls for swimsuits is not for the faint of heart! But — all is well.
Chrissy waiting for Hope to come back from the restroomAutmn & DaphneFour Musketeers – Hope, Chrissy, Daphne, Autmn
Once I dropped the girls back off I did yard work, cutting back dead flower stalks, pulling weeds, watering plants, and trimming the bridal veil bush back a bit. I was having trouble mowing around it. Now is the best time to trim, as they are done blooming.
Trimmed and neat
Kathy came over about 6pm and we finalized our schedule and reservations for Newport. Two week away! I feel better now that we have a motel room for each night, and we are focused on one adventure – Newport RI!!
Kathy – handling business
June 5 – Did you ever go on a camp out? Tell about it. “Not when I was a kid.”
Yesterday’s vacation destination was a TYPE of vacation – gardens! The one yesterday was Claude Monet’s garden in France. Here are other famous garden destinations:
Autmn is working at Evergreen Drive-In! Go to the movies, see her, and celebrate! And I’m celebrating eyewear because it definitely saved the day for me today! And I am gardening for Matt in West Virginia tomorrow! 🙂 God bless…
Where to start. I guess from when I got up! I realized that it was one year ago today that John passed away. In the midst of everything going on THAT was my first thought. But I changed and washed the bed sheets, showered, had breakfast, and went the the Flea Market for Jen’s Ninth’s Life Rescue. I always think I will NEVER find anything – but I walked in the door and Nate said, ‘Mom, when I saw that bench it reminded me of you!’ I said I’d look around and decide. I saw Sherree (Jen’s mom) at the front table, and she said, ‘Did you see that bench out there? It has MARGE written all over it.’ So — you can guess what I brought home! I scrubbed it and added the decals and there you go!
This is only partial – there are raffle baskets, cats for adoption, clothes, food, bake sale, 50/50. Still on tomorrow, 9-4!Small wooden bench
Kath gave me a little basket with rope handles that she didn’t want, so I scrubbed it, added the lamb that Mom made Autmn when she was born, (Autmn, not Mom!!!) and there you go again!
Lamb basket
I had my eye on a purse at L&L, and decided since I was down that way I’d see if it was still there. It was, so … there you go! It has like ten different compartments, at least. It’s so organized it’s scary.
Purse with a gazillion pockets!
I spent a few hours helping Kathy pack boxes, load two vehicles, and take a trip to the new house. I can finally see that we are making progress! She was spending a few hours with Millie and Wyatt tonight so we stopped early. I came home and weed-whacked, pulled weeds, trimmed the Azealias, added a step by the deck to the fire pit, and moved my cement Bench. I plan to put pond stone around the bench, since I can’t mow under it. I love how it looks and it will be perfect for fire pit nights.
Step down from the deck.Cement garden bench by the fire pit.
I bought 2 metal stars (one red one blue) and attached them to the deck rails by the fire pit. I took a close up of the blue one; you really can’t get a good idea as to how they look but for 50 cents I was totally happy!
Red star – blue starBlue star close upAnother flea market find – brand new for almost no $$$!!
June 4 – Tell about hot dog or marshmallow roasting. “Sometimes, not too often, we would roast marshmallows. Dad wouldn’t buy hot dogs. He heard they put ‘junk’ in the meat when they were grinding the meat. We had many at the cabin, as you will remember.” I think we all question the nutritional value of hot dogs!
Yesterday’s vacation destination wasn’t a destination – it was a type of vacation, which was energy efficient vacation destinations. Yesterday’s was a destination off the grid. Other places:
Faroe IslandsCamino de SantiagoKerala IndiaLjubljana SloveniaNew ZealandNuclear energy
Calendar Inspiration –
Quote –
Scripture –
Vacation Destination –
A type of vacation – but you may recognize this one….
I can celebrate both Kelly and Nathan, who survived their own type of cancer and are healthy and happy! Also my cousin Holly and my cousin’s wife Judy. Congrats to all who have survived and thrive! God bless…
I hit the ground running this morning, catching up on what I didn’t get done all week. I had a lot on my plate. Today I cleaned the whole house, did laundry, cut the grass, pulled weeds, sprayed Round-up (cautiously) on some weeds, and trimmed some bushes. I took a picture of the happy little Peanuts gang while I was dusting their shelf.
At 5pm I went to Kathy’s. She had a group meeting to take some boxes to the new house. Nate & Dave are painting while the house is empty. They have the living room/dining room done and it really looks beautiful. I’ll help her tomorrow for a while, after I go to Jen’s Ninth Life flea market at the Grandview Fire Hall in Jeannette. I like to support when I can!
Trunk fullBack seatFront seat
June 3 – Did you ever sleep under the stars? “We had a play house across the field from the house. it was a nice old chicken coop. I never slept on the ground until I was a Girl Scout leader.”
Yesterday’s vacation destination was not really a destination. Based on yesterday’s calendar inspiration and quote/scripture, it’s scents that evoke vacation memories. The pictures posted was sunscreen. Other aromas are:
Very early this morning I heard the machinery working on the roads. A jarring way to wake up! The one machine was scraping the asphalt off the roads and spitting it into the huge dump truck. That, of course, left a big bump in the middle of the road, and also a considerable drop off to get from my driveway onto the road. I was worried that the car would scrape but didn’t. Now we see when they will start paving.
You can see the bump in the middle, but it’s harder to tell the drop off from my driveway to the road.Scraping up the asphalt
I had lunch with Aunt Darlene (a friend’s aunt, not mine, but very sweet and kind) today at the New City Buffet – her favorite place to eat. She knows the owners and the staff by name and they cater to her every need. She hasn’t been feeling her best – nine years ago she was given a kidney by her step-son, and yesterday’s test/biopsy revealed that the kidney was failing. She’s uncomfortable and weak and of course very concerned as to what will happen next. She has an appointment with her specialist on June 14th to determine how to move forward. Please pray for her. She’s more than a little rattled by this whole discovery.
New City Buffet – Greensburg
We sat for over two hours and talked. Thankfully we didn’t EAT for two hours! She takes things very slow. When I left there I had a few errands to run. I found the garden flag that I wanted for my new holder; it matches the door mat exactly! So that was a plus. Then I got groceries.
Flag matches door mat!
Before I came home, I left a little congrats wish for my sister on their porch. I’m so excited for them!
Happy balloons!
June 2 – What was the funniest name or nickname in your town? “We had a neighbor that lived down in the valley. I don’t know what her real name was but everyone called her Gooley. Gooley Galentine. Her husband’s real name was Clover.”
Yesterday’s vacation destination was Los Angeles CA = the hometown of Marilyn Monroe (one of the quotes was hers). The photo was a tour of Warner Brothers Studios. Other points of interest (just a few):
Celebrity homes bus tourLong BeachHollywood signGriffith’s ObservatoryCatalina Island day tripRoute 66Haunted Hollywood
Calendar Inspiration – Scents can trigger memories; What nostalgic scents do you recall from your childhood?
Quote –
Scripture –
Vacation Destination –
Not a specific place – a nostalgic suggestions. What could THAT mean?
I bought eggs at the store today and I have doughnuts in the freezer (if I remember to eat one). They are the mini-tiny ones! Other than that I plan to clean the house and then help Kathy move boxes! Have a lovely weekend. God bless…
Today was the last school tour of the 2021-2022 season. It was a home-school group of about 30 kids and 15 adults, and it was so fun to have them. I enjoyed the interchange between the parents, recognizing certain comments from hearing Kelly and her home-school group chatting. They were all very well behaved – even the two tag-a-long babies! – and I was amazed that for the most part the youngest group did the best job at focusing and completing their tin punch projects. One young lady (whom her Mom said loved history!) asked what training it took to be a volunteer, and how to get involved with the site. She looked to be about 14 or so. I hope she follows through! (They were a local group.) Here is the view from the front porch of the Klingensmith House, where the craft was set up. I was there from 9:30am to almost 2:30pm.
I can see the buildings through the trees. New types of native plants are being added.
I brought a yard sign home to stick in my yard. Only a few weeks until Court Days, and it’s a great event that is well worth the visit. Come on out! Get the details at www.westmorelandhistory.org.
I’ll be there Saturday, about 11am until 5pm. Stop out!
Just as I walked in the door, Kathy txt me that they were done with their closing and were headed to their new house! I jumped in the car and met them there. This home will be such a blessing. It’s big and fairly new and the living area is all on one level (no steps!). The basement is bigger than my whole house! I am so excited for them and know it’s a wonderful move for them. Sarah, Millie, and Wyatt stopped by, too, and Millie immediately went looking for her bed! She was excited, too.
Happy owners of their new patio home!Keys to the castleNew addressMillie sitting with Grandfather – “Where is my BED???”
One of the things that I ‘rescued’ from Kathy’s yard sale was a birdhouse that we brought back from the farm sale in October. I know Kath loves churches — but they can’t hang anything in their yard. So it’s living with me until (or unless) something changes and she can have it at their house.
Church bird house
Today Kelly and Matt have been married for 20 years! I can’t believe how the years have flown by. Best of wishes for a wonderful anniversary and many, many happy years ahead. Love you both!!!
June 1, 2002
June 1 – Tell about a strange person that lived in your town. “Linus Fetterhoff was both blind & very hard of hearing. He had a big horn he held to his ear & we would yell into it. He would walk the roads & everybody that drove knew to be careful passing him. He would swing his cane when he thought something was close to him. He was a smart man.”
Yesterday’s vacation destination was Utah – hint was that May 31st was National Utah Day. The picture posted was Red Hills Desert Garden. Here are other photos in Utah:
Big Cottonwood CanyonArches National ParkGrand Staircase Escalante National MonumentThe NarrowsBryce CanyonSnow Canyon State ParkFifth Water Hot SpringsAnasazi Indian Village State Park
Calendar inspiration – Sparkle wherever you are, though others may not appreciate your brilliance.
I probably won’t leave the office early. I’ll work until I finish everything on my desks. Rotisserie Chicken really sounds good…. Have a happy Thursday. God bless…
Tomorrow is the last school tour for the season. Today we had about 45 students in four different groups. They seemed to have a really good time, and most enjoyed the tin punch project – something they could take home with them. One little girl gave me her pattern when she was done; she said she wanted me to have it! She did a very good job with her tin picture.
Arletta’s pattern – my gift!
I went directly to work from Hanna’s Town – including a stop to help Mike P. When I got home at 3pm, I had time to take all the red/white/blue window stickees down and put them away. Also replaced the burned-out set of multi-colored lights on the stair ledge among the houses. Just finished in time to pick Autmn up and drive her to work. Came home and snapped a few outside pictures. I’m feeling the tiredness wash over me more today than yesterday. So this is it!
New blooms – see the ‘insulator’ in the background? It’s blue…Front yard flowersRed hot poker; roses in the backgroundSince all the special holidays are over for a bit, I put out the new very colorful flag!
May 31st – Do you have any good bath time stories? “We always had a bath tub but no running HOT water. We had to heat the water on the gas stove & mix it into the cold water in the tub. We were allowed to slide in the old fashioned tub and we would have water splashed all over the bathroom. We always used Ivory soap.”
Yesterday’s vacation destination was Bushy Run Battlefield. Here are additional photos of the site:
Calendar Inspiration – Any growth begins with faith and hope.
Quote –
Scripture –
Vacation Destination –
There was a hint in yesterday’s post as to where this might be…
I love going barefoot – and that’s usually where the nail polish comes in handy. But you can’t run when your nail polish is still wet because you can’t put on shoes! Have a wonderful Wednesday. God bless…
I started the day very early going over to help Kathy finish setting up her yard sale. It was a slow start but they had a nice amount of people come through. The nice thing was that Jen’s rescue – Ninth Life Rescue – came over and picked up ALL THE LEFTOVER ITEMS and the place was cleaned up by 1:30pm! It was an amazing amount of work but it’s over now and that’s another successful event on the books!
Yard sale items…More items…And even more…
After changing, I buzzed over to Hanna’s Town to do tours. I was busy all afternoon and we closed up the building right at 4:30pm. Everyone was very nice and they expressed a lot of interest in the information and the history. It was VERY HOT but we managed just fine. I even made friends with the crow on a stick that sits on the window in the gift shop!
Hot, sunny day at Hanna’s TownCrow on a stick
I passed the cemetery down the road, and they were having their Memorial Day service. We’ve attended it before, and it’s a very nice ceremony.
Westmoreland County Memorial Park
Today is the time to stop and remember the men and women who gave themselves selflessly for our freedom. Below are some famous quotes that I thought were worth sharing. I marked my favorites.
I think this one is my favorite….
Ronald Reagan – I like this one two, said in reference to those who gave: “But most of them were boys when they died, and they gave up two lives — the one they were living and the one they would have lived.”
May 30 – Is there anything you have now that you have kept from your childhood? “Yes. I have a pitcher & bowl for on a wash stand. Dad bought it for me at an auction. I wanted to go & he said ‘not this time.’ He brought it back for me & I have kept it all these years.”
Yesterday’s vacation destination was Sanibel Island Florida – the picture posted was the causeway. Here are other photos:
Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge Lighthouse Beach ParkBowman’s beach – best place to find shellsBlind Pass BeachNational Shell MuseumHistorical Museum and VillageConservation Nature CenterCenter for rehabilitation of wildlife
Calendar Inspiration –
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Vacation Destination –
I have a painting that a friend did of this building – it’s hanging in my bedroom.
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