We were outside much of the afternoon yesterday – in the excessive heat warning – trying to get the oil changed on our generator. My husband had received a notice from his computer that this was needed, and wouldn’t put it off for even a day.
To make a long story much shorter, we went to town to get an oil filter, but it turned out it was not the correct one, even though we took the old one in to the store. We went back, but the only other one they had was a ‘comparable’ and was $30. Since the generator was apart, we took it. This one worked, but we were both wringing wet after getting it in, adding the fresh oil, cleaning up the spilled oil from the mistakes and getting the generator back together. I had also started out the session by checking to make sure the watering in our planters was going as it should, having to make some tweaks. We certainly had enough of ‘outside when we shouldn’t have been.’
Today I hope we have a quiet day, INSIDE in our air-conditioning. We have become quite spoiled regarding our creature comforts. I feel so sorry for the people in Texas who are suffering in this heat with no power – two weeks after Beryl. I also worry about the people working outside trying to restore that power. Awful situation.
I would like to get up to my art room today. Maybe it’ll happen. :0)
Good morning. We are back into some super-hot weather today with a heat index this afternoon and evening, starting around noon and tapering off around 8pm, of 106-109. Three of my poor transplanted tomato suckers are still alive, but I don’t know if they can survive this. If they can’t and don’t, I’ll start snipping suckers and putting them directly into the planter to see if I can get something going. It’s a fun experiment. Meanwhile, I gathered a few ripe tomatoes from the main plants. They seem to be in kind of a holding pattern right now. Lots of green tomatoes, but very few ripe ones, showing the stress of different amounts of water, rather than the steady watering they prefer.
Our excitement for the day is gathering trash and driving it down to the bottom of the driveway. We’ll also get mail and go to Walmart for a couple of things. AND, speaking of ‘exciting,’ my new coffee thermos came with a bottle brush to clean it, but didn’t have a brush to clean the straw that it uses. I just ordered several so hopefully I can keep residue to a minimum. We discovered we needed a new oil filter for the generator while my husband was changing the oil, so we’ll stop and get one of those, as well, while we’re out.
Hopefully, more work on the two wood-burning projects I have going right now. Not sure what the rest of the day holds.
The generator repair guy texted me yesterday afternoon, saying he was planning to come by if we were here. I texted him back, saying, “We’re here!”
I stayed out of the way, letting the guy and my husband do tech/mechanical speak. In fact, I was up in the art room and didn’t hear the driveway alarm go off. By the time I found out the guy had been here, he was gone!
He stayed about 20 minutes, fixed the generator, and left. My husband isn’t sure what he did to get all the red lights to go off. The man said he had never seen a Generac generator as old as ours. (He probably hasn’t seen PEOPLE as old as WE are, either!) So – the red lights are off. The automatic test should happen next Friday around 2pm. Fingers crossed.
We. may. be. healed!
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I’m hoping to spend time in my art room this afternoon or this evening. I started a new piece yesterday, but didn’t get to the actual wood burning part of it due to my husband coming up to tell me he was going to look for something in the basement. Since we didn’t know when the generator guy was due, I came downstairs to listen for the driveway detector to go off.
I’ll see if I can get some work done on it today, plus continue the work on the plaque I’m trying to do. There are people on Etsy offering laser-guided wood burned pieces. They look really nice, but I prefer the things that are done by hand. I’m feeling excited now. Challenged, but feeling as though I might be able to do some interesting things. I’m loving it. :0)
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With all the really challenging weather across the world now, I’ll just wish you a safe, happy day.
When I was getting dressed this morning I saw a spot on the carpet behind the door. As I leaned down to look at it more carefully, I saw it was a curled-up scorpion. It was dead, but I got the forceps we keep on a hook to pick it up anyway. As I started to pick it up, I discovered the scorpion was NOT dead. I managed to grab it, though it wasn’t hard because it was obvious he was quite ill. I disposed of him, but felt thoroughly shaken anyway. And this is after TWO trips to us for full house spraying, inside and out, this quarter. I don’t enjoy waking up this way. :0(
We have all our morning chores done. My sweet husband has already been out to the shop, working on the drink holder he’s making for me (the one above shows HIS holder, and he’s making one like this for me.) HIS holder was created after I threatened him with throwing him in the hole I’m having dug in the back yard if he continued to dump his drink off his tray table in the living room. Since he’s been using it, he hasn’t dumped a drink. He said he needs to take one of the cold drink glasses out to the shop next time for the ‘fitting’ of the holder. MINE is needed now that the cat has decided that she wants to rub up against and sample any cold drinks on MY table. I’ll use the holder when it’s finished and put a heavy marble coaster on top.
Speaking of the cat, two things –
THING ONE – she had jumped up onto the shelves to one side of my computer and sprawled out this morning. Her tail was swishing, so I kept my distance, understanding that is a signal she isn’t ready for affection yet. My husband, who refuses to even try to read the cat, decided he wanted to pet her. I grabbed the small spray bottle of water and turned in my chair as my husband petted her. Jet immediately zeroed in on the bottle and ‘allowed’ my husband to pet her without incident. We both noticed that is a very good sign.
THING TWO – she got us both laughing out loud as we watched her attack of the catnip mouse this morning. She started out under my husband’s roll-around chair, batting the mouse around on his floor pad. I got the fly swatter and carefully moved the mouse to my floor pad, where she would have a bit more room and not be hurt by chair wheels. She immediately attacked the mouse and was batting it from one end of the floor pad to the other, whacking it with her paws, grabbing it and holding it while she rolled, biting it, batting it again, having a big time. We couldn’t help but enjoy the antics.
I’m having a bit of trouble throwing off ‘the groggies’ this morning. I think I slept well, but I’m having a bit of a challenge on the actual getting up and getting going. Maybe after another cup of coffee…
We’re having really nice weather for summer here today, and for the next couple of days. “Normal Summer” doesn’t sound like much, but after the excessive heat warnings followed by rain for a couple of days, sunny and 75 seems unbelievable. A high of 91 with much lower humidity is a winner in my book.
I’m hoping that my tomatoes will ripen. They have been as shocked by the intense weather, too. I have lots of green tomatoes, but they are very slow to ripen. I’m in withdrawal, having eaten the last ripe one yesterday at lunch.
This is my first wood-burned piece. As you can see, I’m just learning, but I’m encouraged that I was able to anything with the new wood burning kit. Watching YouTube videos, experimenting, and dreaming is a really fun combination. :0)
“Monster Cat” aka “Jet” is really showing her personality these days. I guess she’s growing more confident as the days pass and she sees a routine. I’m making a bit of progress, though, in encouraging her compliance in a couple of areas.
She was trying to pull some bagged products down from my “Etsy shelves” onto the floor. I loudly said, “NO!” and she STOPPED. Woo HOOOOO!
Then she jumped up on my desk – after walking across my keyboard and disrupting my work and train of thought at my computer area – and started messing with a group of things, trying to knock them off onto the floor. I turned and rattled the little water bottle at her. That made her pause, but the attraction for the things on the desk was too great and she returned to messing with them. I then rolled over closer to her and sprayed her with water. She immediately jumped down and went to another room to find something else to mess with. :0)
I’ve been having to apologize to my SIL, who is on the receiving end of all the weather I whine about, since she lives east of me in NC. She is now having to live through the awful excessive heat warnings and humidity I have sent in her direction. I tried to get Mother Nature to relent, to no avail.
I hope that you are not in the areas hard hit by Beryl. My heart goes out to all suffering from the aftermath of the tornadoes, wind, excessive rain, and flooding, plus the added challenge of no electricity.
The rain seems to be tapering off. We never got the ‘heavy rains’ predicted, and we were under a flood watch. I don’t know if we’ll get out today or not. It’s comfortable in here and we’re lazy. :0)
I had a surprising thing happen last night. It was time for our cat, Jet, to go to bed, so I got up from my chair. She was across the room from me, playing with something in the corner. She noticed me get up. I bent over and patted my shins. She started to come toward me. We both continued and she ended up standing right in front of me. I calmly picked her up – trying not to look surprised – and started to leave the living room. My husband gave me a thumbs up – clearly impressed. :0)
Burn Savvy
I had a great time playing in my art room yesterday. I closed myself in and ignored Jet meowing plaintively on the other side of the door as I sat down to experiment with my new wood burning kit. I’m currently trying to learn what the new tips do. I’m delighted that they heat up so quickly. I can change them while they are hot, carefully placing them in the metal tin they came in to cool off. I spread the rest of them out on my drafting table so I can keep track of which ones I want to try. I’m working on a small piece and a larger, plaque-type piece at the moment, but mostly experimenting. I’ve found a few good videos on using this new type of wood burning kit. It’s SO. MUCH. FUN. to be able to learn something new. I feel a whole new world of possibilities is opening up.
First thing this morning I got a beef roast in the crock pot. We’ll have some of that with a side salad for dinner. I hope I’m not being annoying by reporting my weight loss efforts. I’m finally having some steady success, so I want to shout it from the rooftops. Being old, having to push myself to exercise, and having a horse’s appetite, all work against me most of the time. I lost another pound though, this morning, so I’m down 33 pounds. I’m not great at keeping my mouth shut – talking, writing, or eating – so my progress lately is encouraging. My current goal is 35, so the goal now seems doable.
Pixabay
My tomato plants don’t look nearly as great as the image above, but I’m hoping I’ll find some ripe tomatoes when I go out later today. It has been simply too hot for the tomatoes to do well lately. I’m hoping that the rain we have received and the lower temperatures for at least a couple of days will help our green tomatoes ripen. My sucker plants are still on our dining table. I will plan to try to plant them in the garden planter around the middle of this month. Fingers crossed.
We have an 80% chance of rain starting today at around 10:00 and continuing through the day. 90% chance of rain throughout the evening and night, continuing until around noon tomorrow. Between 9:30 and 10:00 we’ll gather and take our trash down, get our mail, and then be in for the duration.
Pinterest
I didn’t get to ‘accountability-for-my-trying-to-lose-the-lard’ until yesterday. At this point I’ve lost 32.6 lbs and 34.1 inches. Reasonable start.
I’m planning to spend time in my art room again today, experimenting with my new wood burning kit. No information came with it, so I’m finding some YouTube videos on the wire tips to watch and then experimenting.
Amazon
I bought two very small (3oz. ‘cosmetic’) spray water bottles while we were out yesterday. The minute Jet saw them, she knew what they were! All I had to do was START to reach for one (at my computer desk or beside my chair in the living room) and the cat stopped what she was doing. This morning my husband, of course, ignored the signs she was sending out that she didn’t want to be petted right now and he started to pet her anyway. She opened her mouth to bite him and I shot her with the spray. She stopped, mouth open, and got up and left without biting. Maybe I can train BOTH of them to change their behavior…
My husband just asked me if we could have hot dogs for dinner this evening. Since I found Mission Zero Net Carbs Tortillas, I can say, “Yes!” :0) He eats his with regular hot dog buns plus a side of chips and some baked beans. I have mine with the tortillas. Happy grins.
Spreadshirt
My husband and I are stupid (you already knew that) and have to learn the same lessons over and over. The latest example is concerning our dog, Amber. We’ve changed her food because her tummy seemed to be reacting badly to the dog crunchies we were including in her food. We switched to just giving her canned dog food. This has stopped the tummy problems. She is a very food-driven dog, though – hence the foraging in the kitchen.
Last night we were eating dinner in the living room, watching 60 Minutes. We heard a sound we couldn’t identify. We got up to investigate. Amber was standing at the stove, trying to reach and eat the spaghetti sauce that was still in the skillet. ARRRRGH. We had forgotten to bring her into the living room with us and close the dog gate until we got things put away and cleaned up. AGAIN.
My husband decided he wanted to again see if she can handle the crunchies. We agreed that we would make sure she was enclosed on the tiled areas after eating today in case she had problems. I got up this morning and let her out. When she came back in, my husband let her in with him in the living room. I asked him if he fed her crunchies this morning. He said, “yes.” BUT he wasn’t making sure she was on the tiled areas…. And so it goes.
I’m not sure what came over me yesterday afternoon, but I FINALLY got upstairs to my art room and cleared off my drafting table so that I now have room to experiment with the new wood burning kit. I don’t know when I’ve been so intimidated by trying to learn a new skill. I guess the fact that the first tool I got was hard for me to use and made my hand arthritis act up badly put me off. I’m really hoping that this lighter, beginner’s tool kit will get me over the hump. I have lots of ideas of what I would like to try to accomplish with it.
Our high temperature today will be 94 WITHOUT an excessive heat warning needed, so that will be a very welcome change. I’ll get out this morning and see if we have some ripe tomatoes. My tomato suckers are looking extremely droopy, but are still alive, so I still have hope that I can transplant the roots soon to the garden planter.
I’ve been quite amused by the free downloads of books onto my Kindle lately. I’m in the Kindle Unlimited group which allows unlimited downloads, so I have lots of choices for things to read. I download one, read a bit and then many times ‘give it back’ to choose another. I’m CHOOSING to be amused, rather than disgusted or appalled, by the quality of many of the books. If I find TOO many spelling and grammatical errors (and I give people what I consider a LOT of leverage), I delete. If the main character is so stupid I would embarrassed to meet her or know her, I delete. If the language or content is simply too much (again, a lot of leverage) I delete.
Sometimes I find myself sighing in relief that I managed to find an author who writes something that keeps my interest. :0)
I hope this day finds you feeling good. Make it a fun one.
draws_nn – Pinterest – (Sorry I can’t read the signature at the bottom right.)
Good morning. I hope you enjoyed a nice 4th of July celebration if you live in the U.S.A. (I’m reminded as I communicate with readers here, and also on X, that many of the people I treasure are from other countries, so yesterday was not a holiday for them.)
Our down-in-the-valley neighbors shot off some fireworks last night, since we missed the forecast thunderstorm. Sadly, our weed trees in the back made it almost impossible for us to see the display. :0( I wished we had a 2nd floor deck so we could have seen it better.
We’re in the process of a cool front moving through, so the awful heat indices we’ve been having won’t be a factor today. Right now the humidity is 82% according to my computer, so it may be the end of the day before we FEEL any relief, but the temperature is only supposed to be 91 this afternoon, so I’ll be grateful for that.
Since we’re inside, I’ve been trying to clean some areas that have needed attention for a while (a too-common condition around here). The days have been whizzing past my head while I clean and then relax and read in my chair or listen to music.
I’m hoping for a quiet day ahead. I hope that if you traveled, you get home safely and get a chance to rest before any return to work.
Happy Independence Day! I hope you have a wonderful day with family and friends.
We’re having a quiet celebration here. Due to the excessive heat warning and then the threat of thunderstorms later this evening and into the overnight, we’ll cook our cheeseburgers inside. We still hope our wonderful neighbors down in the valley behind our house will give us a beautiful show as they make their own festivities.
I just went out to gather ripe tomatoes. We didn’t have many, though the plants themselves are still looking okay. The minute I walked out, sweat started spurting out on my forehead. And that’s at 9am, BEFORE the excessive heat warning that starts around noon and lasts until around 9pm this evening! I’m hoping that if we can get past all the dangerous heat, the tomato plants will be happier and more tomatoes will ripen. The suckers I started inside are still not perky, but they’re still alive at this point. One day at a time on this experiment. I’m hoping to move the survivors to the garden planter mid July.
Although in OUR eyes, our driveway is a delight to behold now – after scraping and shaping and spreading of good gravel that is used on the roads around here, plus the huge trimming of branches that were threatening to grow together across the driveway and make it impossible for us to drive down – some people are still having some traction problems.
Yesterday I drove down to get a package that UPS had ‘delivered’ – putting it on the ground behind the trash can that lives in a spot almost at the bottom. I had noticed someone had trouble the day before, leaving a hole in the driveway gravel where a tire spun. I put the smaller shovel we have in the truck and took a few minutes to pull the gravel back into the hole as best I could, given my strength and the heat. I did a reasonable job.
PBS-Shutterstock
Michael Remillard, of Tangles Hair Studio in Greenwood, performed a miracle once again, transforming this women who looked like a gone-to-seed dandelion into ‘someone-who-had-a-plan.’ We enjoyed visiting and catching up, and it was time for lunch by the time I returned home. I got our mail and dragged the trash can back up to where it lives to the side of the driveway.
This morning my husband was in his recliner in the living room when I came downstairs. He had already been out working in the shop on the drink holder he’s making for me on the lathe. I again thanked him for thinking that this would be a good thing to help protect my cold drinks from Jet, our cat, but more than that – I thanked him for doing a ‘doable’ chunk on the project, which is quite labor-intensive, AND coming in before it got too hot in the shop. I don’t care if it takes him a year to make it. I just don’t want him to risk a heat stroke.
Women’s Health
Shout Out to ML, my SIL, who suggested a squirt bottle of water as added ‘Jet control.’ This, and my rolled-up newspaper, are gentle attention-getters for the cat, and she hasn’t bitten me or sampled a drink on my table in a couple of days now. :0)
I’m down 31.2 pounds as of this morning, so I seem to have found a workable combination for my ‘losing-of-the-lard’ project. Tonight we’ll celebrate the 4th with cheeseburgers – with bun for my husband, chips and baked beans; Mission Net Zero Carb tortillas and no beans or chips for me; deviled eggs and some ripe tomatoes for both of us.
As I sit here at my computer, I’m hot even THINKING of our heat index of up to 112 from around noon until 9pm this evening. I really hope we won’t be this way all summer, though my husband is pleased he hasn’t had to mow the grass.
I’ll get out when I get back from my haircut and a couple of other things to see if we have ripe tomatoes to bring in. The tomato suckers that are sitting on my dining area table are still alive, though really droopy. If they continue to live, I’m scheduled to transplant them to the outdoor planter around July 15th. If I have to start over, it’s well worth the effort, though I’ll try a bit different technique.
Vecteezy
Since we are basically staying inside these days, I’m trying to tackle some cleaning and reorganizing issues. Yesterday I spent about an hour reorganizing a couple of areas in the master bath, getting things put away and cleaned up for the first time in a while. I also vacuumed the tiled areas on the first floor (pantry, kitchen, dining area, two half baths, ‘foyer’ to the living room) and later vacuumed the carpeted areas of the first floor (living room, office, foyer), getting a whole canister full of Amber hair. Honestly, I’m amazed this dog isn’t completely bald with all the hair she sheds. My husband thinks I’m a fanatic about vacuuming, but is amazed/appalled when I show him the trash can after I’ve cleaned out the canister each time I vacuum.
I read this morning where a bunch of people here were without power from around 8pm until about 12:30am yesterday after someone hit an electric pole with their car. All electricity was restored by 6am this morning, thank goodness. The news didn’t say anything about the person who hit the pole, but I hope they are all right. We were lucky that we weren’t affected by the outage.
I hope that you have a wonderful day ahead, and that you enjoy our glorious 4th of July holiday tomorrow. Stay safe and cool.
Today has been a busy morning already. I discovered that the heat index for this afternoon and evening is forecast to be 113. GACK! We MAY get some rain Friday, as well as MAYBE a bit of relief from the heat warnings. That would be nice.
depositphotos_83604102
We’ve been getting a recurring charge on a credit card resulting from my husband signing up for a free trial and then neglecting to cancel. We don’t use the service, so I decided to close the account.
To make the story shorter – we don’t have an account so I can’t cancel through their website, customer service, etc. I finally called our credit card supplier who told me the only way to stop a recurring charge is to cancel the card and replace it. They can’t charge the cancelled card, so that will solve the problem. We only do one other charge on that card, so I got on their website, changed the credit card we use for that, but then couldn’t find a way to cancel the old card or confirmation that the new information was received. I got on chat – with an automated response that it would take two billing cycles for them to ‘recognize’ the change. I couldn’t get an answer on whether I would receive a paper bill for the two cycles.
I’m now absolutely bald from tearing my hair out. I may lose my teeth from grinding them. I don’t think I’m equipped any longer to deal with stuff like this. :0(
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My tomato sucker plants are looking pretty sad. I may need to start over with a different technique. I’ll give them another day or two to perk up before giving up.
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The rest of today almost HAS to be better than it began.
This is the first part of the experiment to try to get tomato suckers going in order to extend the ‘ripe tomatoes’ luxury we’re now enjoying. My sweet cousin/friend Murray suggested that I wait on trying to do this outside, since our weather has been insane (example – today will be 95 with a heat index of up to 109). I found an article that suggested planting the suckers in small pots indoors and then transplanting them outside to the planter in two weeks.
Right now the suckers are looking sad. I don’t know if that’s because of the shock of being cut off from their plant, brought inside where it’s air conditioned, plonked into a pot and watered, or what. If they don’t survive (I’ll give them another day or so to perk up), I’ll end this effort and try it again outside when Mother Nature decides to give us REGULAR too hot weather without all this dangerous heat warning nonsense.
We’re running a bunch of errands today since our generator guy hasn’t contacted me. That will clear the decks for most of the rest of the week so someone will be here if he can come.
I hope that this is a good month for you. Stay cool.
We’re having a quiet start to our Sunday. We MIGHT get some rain this afternoon, but the heat index is STILL forecast to be 107 even so. Mother Nature is feeling relentless.
Our irrigation system is finally working as it should. We have a couple of kinks in hoses, but they can wait, particularly if we have rain today.
Murray, my ‘cousin-in-law,’ (I think), but more importantly, a FRIEND I love to pieces, texted me yesterday, suggesting I might want to wait to try to replant suckers directly in the planter until this super-hot weather fades to ‘regular’ hot summer here. I think that’s wise, since new plants are stressed by any transplant – not even having to take in account the heat advisories we’re getting daily – so I’ll sure take her suggestion.
I did find some information on planting tomato suckers INDOORS – source: sarabackmo.com
Planting tomato suckers:
Fill a pot with soil, regular potting soil is fine.
Find the suckers along the stalk. They’re located where the leaves meet the stalk and are easy to find. Pick a larger one that has already developed flowers (if possible).
Cut the side shoot from the plant.
Remove the bottom leaves.
Use a stick to make a hole in the soil and plant the sucker. Make sure that it’s standing steadily in the soil.
You can put several suckers in the same pot if you want.
Water.
It only takes a few days before the sucker starts to develop new roots. You can plant your new tomato plant (either in the garden bed or a large pot) after about two weeks.
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I’m thinking about getting a few small pots ready, trying it – keeping the pots on a tray on the table where they get light and sun – and see what happens. Hopefully, my tomato plants won’t croak in this heat and I can try both ideas. :0)
If I can get our bills paid and the filing done, I’m thinking of working more on clearing off the drafting table upstairs so I can experiment with my wood burning tool. (I know I’ve been SAYING this and not DOING it. I’m having to watch my husband more closely lately, and the day whizzes past my head, blowing my hair as it goes.)
Our heat index is supposed to be up to 115 today. UGH. I’m going to attempt to get the equipment I need outside today by the planter I’m going to use to try to get tomato suckers to grow, but probably won’t try to actually find and replant the suckers until tomorrow. I really don’t know how people survived heat like this (if they actually did) before air conditioning. I find I whine a lot about the weather, but a little more moderation would be greatly appreciated…
Pinterest
I hate to brag, but I’m getting really good at ignoring my ‘to-do’ list lately. I’ve had the same stuff on it for several days now (some have even been on it for longer!) I only feel guilty for short periods, then I read, listen to music, play on my computer, or take a nap instead of accomplishing any of it.
Independent Living Aids
I smiled when I realized that my watch was more messed up than I am this morning. For some unknown reason, my watch said it was ‘1’ for the date. Looking further, I found that my watch thought it was March 1st. It’s been correct until this morning, so I have no clue. I reset it, but it’s a mystery why it went bonkers all of a sudden.
We lost power for just a few seconds yesterday. The public power came right back on, thankfully, but it keeps the fact that we have called for a technician to come look at our generator and the electrical hookups that cause it to turn on automatically when we lose power, and then turn off again when the public power comes back on. He was supposed to come Thursday. When I finally texted him Friday, he apologized and said he got hung up on a big project and would get to us next week. That’ll have to be good enough.
We have finally been without significant rain for long enough that my husband is grinning that he doesn’t have to mow. We have the irrigation system going now (we’re still trying to make sure all the planters are getting water) – but the systems only cover the planters – not the grass. My husband lives for “brown and crunchy grass” so it isn’t growing a foot as you watch.
Ontario Science Centre
We have a CHANCE for some rain tomorrow. I’m not sure what to hope for as far as rain goes with the 4th of July coming up. I love fireworks, and we enjoy the neighbors’ displays each year, but the fire danger is high right now. Hoping we can all celebrate and stay safe.
WEATHER – Heat index of 106 today, starting at around lunch time. That may be our normal forecast this summer. I can tell you I’m NOT a fan! hahahahaha – (pun inadvertent, but enjoyed.) :0)
HELP NEEDED – The man who had us on his schedule to come yesterday to look at our generator and the electricity associated with it didn’t come or call. I’m hoping we’re still on his schedule – hopefully today.
LAZIES – I’m trying to fight the lazies. I’m hoping that I’ll adapt to the weather, having to get chores done outside in the early (for me) morning or right before dark, and actually getting things done inside when it’s too hot outside. It’s definitely going to be a work in progress.
Wolff’s Apple House
GARDEN – The first thing on the list (other than ‘have-to’s,’) is gathering and planting suckers from my tomato plants in an attempt to lengthen our ripe tomatoes season. We’ve had a really nice crop this year. The plants themselves don’t look that great, but they’re producing really delicious tomatoes we’ve been devouring for lunch and dinner daily. I want to get the planting done by the end of the weekend. I’ll also set my alarm for 3pm today so I remember to get out and check the irrigation watering of the planters.
Unknown
ART ROOM – The second thing on my ‘stop-procrastinating-list’ is to clear off my drafting table in my art room so I can start experimenting with the new wood burning kit. So far, I start into the room and am immediately overwhelmed by all the STUFF on my drafting table that has to be moved before I can even THINK about working in there. I am trying to promise myself to at least spend 15 minutes each day in the attempt to move the mountain…
DEBATE – Kudos to CNN for the debate last night. It was the best handled presidential debate I personally have ever seen. Whoever came up with the idea of the microphone turn -off when it wasn’t one of the candidate’s turn to speak was inspired. Also, the lack of an audience. It was professionally done, with what I thought were good, fair questions and follow-up. The listener was able to see and hear the difference in policies and plans for the future, even though there was the regular blame game that is always a part of things. People have a clear choice in who they would like to lead them now. Kudos, CNN, and moderators.
I hope you have a nice Friday and an even better weekend ahead.
Yesterday I was finishing up things on my computer, getting ready to leave for my husband’s haircut when the sky changed from normal summer morning to BLACK. I knew we were under a ‘heavy thunderstorm warning,’ but this got my attention.
It turned out that we had to use our lights to get to town, got a bit wet when we got out of the truck, but otherwise the big storm was a non-event, for which I’m grateful. Our plants got a good watering, we saw evidence of wind, but no damage in town, on the way home, or in our yard. Just a bunch of leaves blown around. Whew!
There was actual steam coming up from the road, our driveway and our yard. By the time it dried up, the afternoon was almost gone. Today we’re back to normal summer.
We’re waiting for the generator repair/electrician to come sometime today. He said we’re ‘on his schedule,’ though we’re not sure when he will be here. We’ll just stick close to home and I’ll keep checking my phone to see if he has called. Hopefully, he can get things working correctly again without too much time or money.
I researched planting tomato suckers yesterday. I’m going to harvest ripe tomatoes today, then hopefully find and plant some suckers. We’ll see how the day goes.
Lately I have a lot of good intentions, but few actual results. I’m not sure what’s up with that….
We’re forecast to get a heavy thunderstorm mid morning – JUST at the time we’re out for a haircut appointment for my husband. No other rain today or for the next several days – JUST when we need to be out. I feel as if something may be hanging over our heads. Good thing we’re not water-soluble. :0)
Linn Acres Farms
I’ve decided to collect suckers from my tomato plants and plant them in the brick planter I used for lettuce and spinach that is vacant now. I’ve never tried it before, but the ‘directions’ online are very straight-forward: snip the sucker, plonk it into the ground, feed, and water. I can DO that. It won’t hurt if it’s a complete failure, and it would be great to prolong our ripe tomatoes for the season.
I’ll also make the ‘Sausage, Egg & Cheese Bake’ by Suzanne Ryan of Simply Keto for dinner tonight. We haven’t had that in a while and it makes enough for another couple of dinners for us. That and a salad with our fresh tomatoes will make a nice meal.
I had my magnificent massage this morning. My friend Linda really liked her birthday present. She loves turtles, so I got her this one –
It’s solar powered, so it acts like a super night light. I wish you could have seen her face. She is such a beautiful lady.
I did my other errands, fixed lunch, and then took a really great nap. I’m a really spoiled lady. I feel good now.
It looks like we’ll have a record-breaking summer. Usually it’s hot, but dangerous heat indices are not regularly a daily occurrence. Today the temperature is forecast for 98 with a heat index of 109. I’m super grateful we have good a/c.
When I was on my way to town the square was starting to decorate for the 4th of July. My hair was blowing as I realized how FAST the time is going.
We are not feeling the least bit industrious around here in this heat – just moving slowly inside – trying to conserve energy. Amber is spreading out on the cooler tiles in the bathroom between the living room and the dining area, and even the wonky cat, Jet, is stretching out, sleeping a lot.
Free-Spirited Expressions – Priscilla Marie – Pinterest
I’m still limping around a bit after having a Charley Horse this morning about 4am. My sweet husband massaged my calf again when I came downstairs, rubbing some pain cream in. The pain is easing and I’m loosening up some now. I’ll drink more water today and do more mindful stretching in my yoga practice this afternoon.
We’ll do exciting stuff today, such as gathering the trash and driving it down to the bottom of the driveway, getting our mail, and grocery shopping before spending the rest of the day inside, since the temperature is supposed to get to 100 degrees F. today with a heat index of 111. That’s insane.
Thankfully, the programming I did on our two water timers (we now have one of each of the above) for our irrigation system yesterday WORKED, so the planters for the flowers and tomatoes will get the water they need mid-afternoon. If this weather continues, though, I’ll probably lengthen the time of watering from each unit.
Etsy
I’ll work on clearing off my drafting table in my art room this afternoon in preparation for trying out my new wood burning kit. I’m really hopeful that the lighter, different tool design and wire tips will allow me to practice enough to be able to create some things. I have all I need now, except for the skill…. :0)
Our heat index is forecast to be 104 degrees F. this afternoon. UGH. Yesterday we replaced a water timer in the well house that controls the back yard irrigation system. We THINK all is functional now. I’ll go out in a minute to check what time the two systems are supposed to start and I’ll monitor that today to see if 1) each of the two systems is turning on and 2) if we are, in fact, getting water everywhere we need it. The rest of the day will be spent – I HOPE – inside where it’s cool. :0)
I received my new wood burning kit yesterday. I’m going to clear a space for it upstairs on my drafting table as soon as possible and start playing with it. I’m embarrassed that I’ve been intimidated by the other type of system I have that I’ve had trouble using it, due to its weight and my hand arthritis. I’m hopeful I’ll be more successful with this different style.
sam-@Britton65Sam on X
On Friday my husband asked me out to lunch. We went to the Pizza Barn, one of our favorite places. My husband had a cheeseburger “with everything,” and I had chicken fingers/strips with honey mustard, eating my fill there and bringing home a box with enough for another lunch for me. All well and good, but that started a ‘binge’ for me. I ended up eating some chips from my husband’s stash for the first time in a year or so, followed by no sugar added ice cream and Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup. Then I had the 2nd half of my chicken fingers/strips as part of my lunch yesterday.
As you can imagine, it was as if I had eaten lead. I gained 2 and a half pounds. I’m back on track today, but it’s a bit sad to have to lose the SAME pounds over and over…
We’re going to buy a new water timer for the irrigation system in the back yard this morning. Hopefully, that will finally get our systems up and running. My husband is happy that we’re not getting all the rain that we’ve had this spring now. He wants our grass to get to the ‘brown and crunchy’ stage so he doesn’t have to mow. I can’t really blame him. I do want our flowers to get water, though, and it’s getting so hot and humid (heat index in the 100s this weekend) that I would like to be able to stop having to water things with the hose and the water sprinkler containers. Fingers crossed.
I got my new wood burning kit yesterday, so I’m hoping to make the time and energy to try it out.
Things are quiet around here today for the most part. I’m hoping they stay that way. I wish you a happy, cool day.
Jet – Taking It Easy in Yet Another “Bed,” (aka my desk calendar.)
My husband slept in this morning. He said he had a hard time getting to sleep last night. Once he did fall asleep, though, he slept okay. We’re getting to the point where any time, anywhere, we can get some rest is good, so we don’t worry about having to take naps or keep weird hours.
I finally ordered a different style of wood burning tool, since the equipment I have –
still intimidates me
is too heavy and makes my hand arthritis act up quickly
As you can see from the image above, this one has WIRE tips, rather than metal shaped pieces. I’ve read some really good reviews from both beginners, like me, and seasoned pros, who all seem to be happy with this one. Fingers crossed this will get me over the obstacle of intimidation and into trying to actually make something more than the earrings I’ve done so far.
My husband invited me to eat lunch out today! We haven’t been to the Pizza Barn in a long time. My Lunch Bunch group of over 20 years has faded away. One of my friends now lives in a retirement place and is only available when her daughter can bring her. The other has been ‘too busy,’ for a long time and so the group and shared lunches is in the past now. It will be nice to see the owner and our favorite waitress today. We’ll do several quick errands after and then be home for the rest of a hot day.
We’re trying to get our irrigation system going for the flower beds. We got the front working yesterday, though the water pressure is low for some reason. We’ll tweak that, plus test the back one today. THEN I’ll try to program them so that when one stops, the other goes on for a timed period each day. I’m still using hoses and water sprinkler containers right now until we get things going and settled.
I recently bought what is advertised as a ‘barefoot’ tennis shoe. After three full days of wearing them, I’m sold. I’ve been having discomfort, trying different shoes in my closet and then taking them off halfway through the day. I have NO inclination to take these off. They are extra wide, with lots of room for my old toes. I’m not sliding around in them or feeling pinches or wearing on places on my feet. I can really ‘forget’ about my feet!!!!
I have just ordered a second pair as a backup and also a pair of their ‘winter tennis shoes’ which are fur lined for warmth and waterproof.
Both are advertised as ‘barefoot,’ “zero drop,” ‘wide toe box.’ One is under the brand Joomra and the snow boots are under HiGropcore. I read a LOT of reviews before buying the pair I’m wearing now, and read more, particularly for the winter boot design. I feel almost as if I’ve won the lottery. I bought them through Amazon because if I find the new pairs aren’t as advertised, I can return them easily.
DripWorks.com
I’m going to test our planter box irrigation system today, if I can make myself go out there. I’m not really sure why I’m being so recalcitrant about this. I’ve actually gone out and watered the two tomato planters by hand with the hose, and filled watering cans to water the elephant ear plants in three different places in the yard, but for some reason, I’m putting this off.
I guess I’m afraid we’ll get into a never-ending ‘death struggle’ with the system, not being able to figure out what’s wrong, with my husband refusing to quit, even though we’re about to pass out in the heat.
Maybe I can ‘sneak’ out there, turn it on in the front manually, and see what happens…
My “Birds of a Feather” series greeting cards. 5×7. Blank inside. Fun to use to reach out to friends and family. ink drop – Adobe.com
Freedom is such a beautiful thing – to be cherished and celebrated every day. Today is Juneteenth, a celebration of the end of slavery in the U.S. The actual Federal holiday was declared in 2021.
My husband ordered this and it was delivered yesterday. He got it ready to put up and we got it up – all but the final wiring detail – yesterday. We finished it up this morning. It’s really bright neon. I think it looks great, and it’s the first thing he’s been really excited about in quite awhile. :0)
I’m going to try to get him to help me test and program our irrigation system this evening. I’ve been watering the tomatoes with a hose, and then taking watering cans around to the elephant ears, but we need to get serious now that the constant rains have stopped and the heat is pouring in.
I harvested a bunch of nice tomatoes yesterday. We’re now enjoying them for lunch AND dinner. They’re a bit difficult to eat because I tend to smile so much as I’m eating them. I love them so much! :0)
This is the planter in front of the garage. The elephant ear plant is doing really well so far.
This is the planter to one side of our front porch. I’m hoping that this plant gets really large, spilling out both sides of the planter.
I’m a bit worried about this one. This planter is on the east end of the house. It’s shaded, but we’ve had elephant ear plants here before and they did well. This one is really growing slowly.
I had fun creating this new series of handmade greeting cards. The whimsical birds are made of feathers with paint accents and then pastels. 9 cards with different designs and quotes. Blank on the inside for your message.
Since summer is in full swing here now with heat indices in the 100s, I’m just going to check on the tomatoes, do some watering, and call it a day outside. I’m thinking of getting back to my wood burning efforts today.
Yesterday I MADE myself do my yoga practice after only doing yard work for quite awhile now. Our new cat, Jet, noticed me down on my mat in the living room, came over to say “hi,” and pounce on my stomach. I said ‘hi,’ scratched her, and then started to get back to my stretch. She decided that she hadn’t had enough attention and bit me, shattering my ‘calm.’ I hope she loses interest in me.
I bought some new shoes which were delivered yesterday. I’m wearing them for the first time this morning. They are Joomra Women’s Minimalist Trail Running Barefoot Shoes | Wide Toe Box | Zero Drop. I don’t remember where I got the URL for their website, but actually went to Amazon to purchase them. So far, I love them. They are really comfortable and that’s saying something for someone who feet that are essentially uncomfortable much of the time, regardless of the shoes I wear. It’ll be interesting to see how they do on the driveway, since I have problems with skidding on the gravel, trying to avoid falling on my head. (The problem is much less than it was with the new work and gravel on the driveway).
We will run some errands later, but thankfully we don’t have a bunch.
I’m having some difficulty waking up this morning. My husband is sleeping in. I have the morning chores done and the only other thing we have to do today is gather our trash and drive it down. I like unscheduled days like this.
Art Room
I finished a group of 10 greeting cards this morning that feature a feather as a bird with a bird quote. I’m going to list them on Etsy today.
I’ve read that the 2nd Sunday in June is officially Children’s Day, but I think every day should be. I just LOVE this by Greg Catarino.
Summer is truly coming to Arkansas now. The incredible rains seem to be past us and the high temperatures are pouring in with accompanying heat indices. Yesterday I think the heat index must have said, “Suitable for frying.”
The “Hot Man” mailbox decoration we made above could be up the rest of the summer.
Gardener’s Supply
I weeded three flower planters yesterday. I would have stayed out longer, but the sun was shining VERY hard and my skin just couldn’t handle it. I’m hoping to get back out today to continue getting the weeds under control. We’ll see how long I last.
We got up early (for us) this morning, did not pass “GO,” and went directly to the local clinic for me to get a follow up blood test to see if my new thyroid hormone dosage is correct now. (I had my thyroid radiated/killed several years ago due to Grave’s Disease, so my thyroid dosage is important, and the level was too low.) I’m actually hoping that my doctor will decide to raise the dosage again, based on my energy level and some other things. I should know in a couple of days.
We always reward ourselves after we have blood work done by enjoying a delicious breakfast at our favorite local restaurant, The Dari. I felt very pampered (and full!) when we finished. :0)
Dakota Storage Buildings
We’re home for the rest of the day. I’m going to try to get the weeds in my flower plants under control today. I’ll also check to see if we have any ripe tomatoes to harvest. Yesterday my husband fixed a break in a hose connected to our irrigation system. I’ll test the system to see if it’s working or needs more soon, since the daily rains SEEM to have stopped.
Ohio State News
We just had our quarterly pest spray on the 21st, but we had to catch a LIVE scorpion off the ceiling in our foyer last night. oooooh. I just called our company and asked what could be done. They are sending our guy out again for a respray at no charge on Friday afternoon. You can’t ask for better service than that.
My husband got the generator to work yesterday manually, but there still seems to be a problem on communication between the generator and the house on starting automatically. The electric company is sending someone out Monday to take a look at things. Hopefully, the tech and my husband can figure out what needs to be done.
Spectrum News
Today the heat index is supposed to be 104 here. UGH. I need to do weed whacking all around the yard, so will need to do MANY short sessions.
I’m also doing several loads of laundry today, so maybe I’ll climb in with the last load – :0)
Johnny “The Tree Man” came yesterday and worked really hard on trying to get the greenery in our driveway under control. He is back this morning with a friend to help him finish. I’m glad they are starting now (8:30) because my weather sources are saying the high will be 93 this afternoon. UGH. I’m hoping they’ll be home, with a cold drink and their feet up by then. I’ll try to get some pics to share later.
I also talked to him about his availability in the winter when we have evergreens sag down in the driveway from both sides, making it impossible for us to get out. (It took my husband and me 4 days one winter after an ice storm to chain saw our way down to the street.) I also talked to him about recreating the ‘fire break’ we had done between the civilized part of our back yard and the heavier wooded area below years ago. It has grown back now. He said he would be willing to do either or both. HOOORAAAAY! :0) Now we just have to save our pennies…
Johnny was talking to his friend about our yard art. Johnny particularly likes the way I painted the propane tank to look like a watermelon.
He asked his friend to take a picture of it. :0) Willie, his friend, particularly like our Guard Dog.
My good long-time friend, Linda, is having a birthday at the end of this month. I make a point now to visit with her at the retirement place when I get my massage there each month, since we don’t do Lunch Bunch anymore. I ordered the turtle above to take to her when I go. It’s solar powered, and she LOVES turtles, so hopefully, she’ll like this. I should get it by the end of next week.
The tomato plants are looking healthy.
First harvest of ripe tomatoes this morning!!!!!
AND – even though it’s obvious that this bed needs weeding, you can see that the elephant ear plant in this planter is starting to unfurl its first leaves. There are two other plants in two other planters also doing well, but not this far along.
creativeartworksblog 