Grass

After several inches of snow the last couple of weeks, we are in a slight warming trend.  I noticed when I came home from church this morning that the lawns on the north side of my street are showing something that looks mysteriously like grass.  Alas, those of us on the South side of the street still have an overabundance of the fluffy white stuff where ever the sun doesn't hit.  But, I do know that Spring is on the way.  I could hear a robin singing when I left the house for church.  I couldn't see him, but I would recognize his cheery song anywhere.
Isn't it sad that when one retires, does little, that he tends to prattle on about the weather.  Well, I don't have much more of interest to write about.
I haven't traveled lately, unless going downtown to the coffee shop, to the library, church, and grocery store can be considered traveling.  Last month I actually got by on only one tank of gas, if that gives you any clue to how far I went and how boring my life has become.
This weekend did bring my daughter for a visit, tho however brief, and we had a chance to get caught up and have a nice breakfast at our local Bob Evans restaurant.  She had plans with her guy for the evening, so she left to go back to the capitol city around noon on Saturday, but it was nice to have her to myself for a few hours.
My son and his family are fine.  The little ones are growing rapidly.  The princess, age 6, has succeeded in losing both upper front teeth this past month.  One just came our Thursday at school, which she proudly carried home for a payout from the tooth fairy.  They have all enjoyed being able to play in the snow, and have been on some "exciting" sledding adventures with Daddy and Mommy.  Even little T.W. is enjoying the snow and being pulled in the sled.  I, on the other hand, am enjoying watching from afar.
Tomorrow, weather permitting (there it is again), my good friend Curley and I are meeting and heading to the city for a day of craft shopping and a quick trip to Costco to stock up on Keurig pods for my coffee maker.  We will stop somewhere pleasant for lunch before trekking home.
I have read numerous novels since 1/1, and the count is now 13 already for this year.  I just, a few minutes ago, finished "A Dangerous Fortune" by Ken Follett.  I loved it!  It is an older one of his, but I haven't read his works too extensively, and have just gotten re-interested in taking them up again.  I have read several by Jonathan Kellerman, too.  I also finished recently "You Don't Cry Out Loud," an autobiography by Lily Isaacs, mother and matriarch of "The Isaacs" gospel singing group.  What a wonderful book.  She has led a life that is unfathomable for me to comprehend.  The daughter of Holocaust survivors, the hardships she endured, along with  illnesses and personal family tragedy, she is certainly to be commended.  Reading it, I was struck by how truly fortunate I am to have lived in America and have had the kind of life I have.  Lily is only 2 years younger than I and has been through so much.  If you get the chance, please read it.  It will inspire you.
Now, I must close.  I am "closet" Downton Abbey fan and it is once again Sunday evening and episode 6 is about to begin.  Until next time...

Peace,
JE

Where did the time go?

I can't believe that I haven't blogged for so long.  I guess there has been so much going , or not going on that I just haven't thought much about it.  Nor have I had too much that I've wanted to write about.
   We made it through  Christmas without having to cancel or change our plans.  My daughter came to my house the day before Christmas and did all the cooking for our annual Brunch.  I was eternally grateful that she did so because I would have probably either not had the brunch, or we would have had Cheerios, tea and toast!  As it was, she made the wonderful breakfast casseroles that she makes, and also the sour creme coffee cake we always have.  We had a great time opening gifts and oohing and aahing over everything.  The little grands had a ball and even the littlest one had fun playing in the paper and boxes.  We took lots of pictures, and I enjoyed all the hustle and bustle.  The house was sure quiet when everyone finally packed up their cars and went home. 
   Since then, I have been fighting sinus and ear problems and either an ulcer or other digestive problems.  The Dr has me on a very restrictive diet, rather bland and not too appetizing.  But, it seems to be helping and I am in the stage of keeping a food diary and noting how different foods affect me.  BORING!!  And, what bothers me this time might not bother me the next time I eat it.  I can't seem to win.
   There has been some "bad" stuff going within the family, which is too sensitive and private to blog about, but it has completely upset the family as a clan, thus I think it has aggravated my ulcer.  I know stress and anxiety can do that.  I have found that no matter how old a child gets, we never stop being a parent (or grandparent in this case) and the worry continues.  Let me just say that "good thought and prayers" are appreciated.
   So far my section of the country has been pretty lucky when it comes to ugly winter weather.  I think if I added it all up, we probably have had the total of about 14 inches of snow so far.  BUT, we are expecting 7 to 12 inches over the next 24 to 36 hours here in North central Indiana.  I have contracted a snow removal service, so getting scooped out will be no problem.  I told them that I wanted them to do other people on their list who have to get to work or have small children first, and save me to the end of their list because I don't HAVE to get out and go anywhere.  I am not looking forward to all of that snow, and I know many of you who read this have had a lot of snow, but I do think it's beautiful, but confining.  Even getting scooped out, the streets and traveling is hazardous.  Our town is well equipped to handle the snow, but do run out of places to push it.  Last year they actually loaded it into dump trucks and hauled it out of town to a field and piled it.  Though, coming this late in winter, we know that the snow will not last forever.  After all, Spring is just around the corner.  And I am ready!

Peace,
JE 

Another Year Passes

Can it really be time to deck the halls already.  It seems like I just did that!  But, alas, the time is here again.  So, I began by decking my blog out for the Christmas season.
I haven't purchased one gift, nor do I even know where to start.  My daughter sent a list, so that's a beginning, but money is tight, as always, so I will again restrict my buying to things they want the most.  Or need the most.
As for me, other than some new tee shirts, socks and underwear, my needs are few and my want list is short.  As for decorating, I got a start, but have a long way to go.  My card making is done though, and ready for a trip to the post office.  (Did you know you can print stamps off on your printer via the USPS?)  But, I like to go in and say "Merry Christmas" to the postal employees, stand in line at the window and visit with friends and strangers that I haven't seen since last Christmas.
The town is bedecked, and the Nativity once again graces the court house lawn.  I am so proud of our community for being just a bit politically incorrect with this one.  After all, it is the reason for the season!

Peace,
JE

Halloween Scrooge

The wind blew and the snow flew, along with sleet and some hail thrown in.  This was last Friday evening, Halloween night to be specific.  Thus I had no little gremlins or Elsas knocking on my door.
But if they had, they would have been sorely disappointed, for I do not treat them anymore.
Trick or treating has become a racket in my city.  People in outlying areas load their precious ghosts and goblins into vans and transport them into town and dump them out to go door to door for the goodies.  I used to treat everyone who came to my door.  Usually it was just kids from the neighborhood, but then I began getting them in droves, and they were not kids I had ever seen before.  Once I ran out of candy, I shut off my light, which is the signal in our city to not knock anymore, but they persisted, and even "soaped" my front door windows.  That was it.  So now, on Halloween, I either go away, or just turn off all inside and outside lights, and watch TV in my bedroom until the cut off time.
Another reason is that candy and treats, at least what is acceptable by parents has gotten very spendy.  No more can we issue popcorn balls, and homemade candy.  It has to be individually wrapped and must pass an xray at our local emergency room.  This aspect is not the kid's fault, and I honor the parents who watch out for their kids, but it has certainly gotten out of hand.
So, no treating.  I fixed treats up for my grandkids, but the weather was so bad that they didn't go out.  So I will deliver them to their house one day this week.

Peace,
JE

"Grammarly" Speaking!

As a former English teacher, nothing rubs me the wrong way as much as bad grammar.  I notice it most on Facebook.  Okay, I know that Facebook is not  necessarily the place to be grammatically correct, but I do believe people look rather ignorant sometimes by the words they choose to post.

As an example, this summer a young lady on Facebook got married.  She continuously referred to the wedding as "Matt and I's wedding."*  I was appalled.  I know this young lady, knew her English teachers in middle and high school, and also know that if she took the time to reread what she had written time after time, she would know she was looking pretty uneducated.  (She has now graduated from college!)  I so wanted to send her a message and correct her grammar, but being the kind, retired English teacher that I am, I just seethed quietly and didn't do it.  Grrrr!

Another grammar misuse that really grinds my coffee is the old, "they're, there, their" mistake.  I recently saw a poster that could be used in the classroom that described what each of these meant and how to use them.  I wish I would have had that poster in my classroom years ago.

I know this is just a minor blip in the EKG of life, but it just bugs me.  Rant over!  I need to get a life!

Peace,
JE

*Note:  Correct usage:  "Matt's and my wedding."

What's Happening Out There in Blog Land?

I was sitting here, dressed for church waiting on time to leave, and I was perusing my blog list.  Except for a couple, there's nothing new.  I  wonder what is going on.  Are all these people on extended vacations?  Have they all been abducted by aliens form the world wide web?  Are their lives so busy they don't have time to write?  Or, like me, are their lives so boring they have nothing to write about?
I know Mellodee over at Mellodee's Musings is in the throes of moving from one state to the other.  Okay, I will forgive her for not writing, although, Mel, you could let us know what is new in your new state!  The rest of you...get busy and write.  It's good for the fingers, and good for the mind.  We readers really don't care what you write about, even the everyday mundane things at least let us know you are still alive and kicking. 
Keep on keepin' on!

Peace,
JE

Squirrels Are Gone!!!

I wrote last week about the squirrels in my eaves area.  Well, like I said, Todd, the pest guru caught one in a live trap.  We just couldn't entice the other adult into a trap for some reason. I was standing in my kitchen window the other day, and lo and behold, the other adult came out and was sitting on the downspout elbow in the corner right under the hole where the pesty things were getting in and out.  I must admit, I own a BB pistol that runs on CO2 cartridges.  I acquired this gun from my son many years ago.  I have never used it.  I knew it had BBs in it and I had a package of CO2 cartridges, but I wasn't too sure how to load them into the gun, but I went on line and learned.  (I found printed instructions for this weapon online:amazing!)  Well, I grabbed the gun and headed out the back door.  Of course, when I got around to where the squirrel was sitting it was gone.  I waited patiently around the corner of my outbuilding and watched the hole.  In a while, the squirrel came slowly out and sat on the elbow again.  I took off the safety, aimed and fired.  Be damned!  I hit the bugger on the first shot.  It fell to the ground, and as I stood stupidly in awe, it crawled under the outbuilding right in front of me.    I stepped out into the yard and could see it under the corner of the shed, so I laid down on the grass, too aim and thought I finished it off. Not wanting it to lay there and smell, I donned heavy leather gloves and reached under to pull it out only to have it crawl away from me farther under the shed.  I hope the cats in the neighborhood dispose of it before it begins to smell. 
Now, a week + later, the young have left the nest, disappeared and the eave is once more mine. The hole is covered, the traps are gone and the pest control bill is paid in full.  I didn't owe him bounty on the one I "plugged." (To quote Todd, the pest guy!)
I am not promoting cruelty to animals, but I had to get rid of these pests before they chewed their way into my house or caused extensive damage to the roof and eaves.  Do I feel guilty about shooting this animal?  Maybe a little, but not enough to loose sleep over it. Our town is overrun with the things.  They are a common nuisance around here like prairie dogs in the west.  We just don't have a season for them.
That very evening, our local paper had an article reminding town citizens that discharge of any firearm in town is against the law!  OMG!  Did they see me!  I think not!

Peace, (once again)
JE