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On Friday I broached the subject about replacing our recliners. We love them, but we had had them a long time. They had gotten stains that wouldn’t come off and they were splitting and peeling in some places.
After Lunch Bunch, I was going to try to finish in the garden. My husband suggested that we go look for recliners. Happily, we found ones we loved in the first place we looked! Happily again, they had a second one in the warehouse. Happily a third time, they would deliver and take the old ones away. And FINALLY, they could deliver the next day, Saturday!
They called last night and told us the delivery would happen between 2 and 4 this afternoon. Then I got a text at around 12:30 that they would be arriving in about half an hour. They came at 1pm.
They did a neat trick – they pulled up the flap on the back of each of the old chairs, reached in, hit some type of release, and the whole top of the chair came off! They each took a top out to the truck and then came back to get the bottoms. The same procedure was followed with the new chairs.
They had them together in our living room in a snap. They were hot and tired, so I gave them bottles of cold water, something that seemed to surprise and please them.
Their truck was huge. They tried to turn it around, and then ended up backing down our driveway. Our driveway is long and steep, and 650+ feet long, so better HIM than ME.
The furniture company was FFO (Factory Furniture Outlet in Fort Smith. I didn’t get the name of the delivery people, but they work with FFO on a regular basis. If you live in the area, this is a place that deserves your business.
I’m going to go do some serious relaxing now in my new recliner! :0)
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This is one of the six garden planters filled up now with Mel’s Mix. The mix a soil alternative – a recipe of peat moss, vermiculite, and as many different kinds of compost as you can find – created by Mel Bartholomew who wrote Square Foot Gardening. (I used mushroom, cotton burr, and barnyard composts. Later I’ll add my own compost if it makes well.)
My boxes are 4′ x 4′ x 8″ and we put them up on supports, like tables, at about my chest height. This means that I can plant, weed, and harvest without bending over double or getting up and down from hands and knees.
Filling up the boxes is a big project, but I only have to do it to this extent every couple of years.
We finished filling up the boxes late yesterday afternoon. Today we put tarps over each planter. We put a plastic bucket in the center of each planter so water won’t pool in the center, and will hopefully run off.
We know this won’t solve ALL our problems on getting ready for the spring, but we’re hoping that the tarps will last reasonably well, keeping most of the Mel’s Mix IN the planters and most of the weeds OUT.
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All ended well here, even though Abby really pushed it, attacking Amber’s tail with both teeth and claws over and over again. Amber was distracted. The cat got to ‘play’ with the enticing tail and lived to “ELL THE TALE.”
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My heart goes out to the people in the path of Hurricane Delta. Stay safe and well!
We will join some of our good friends for Lunch Bunch today. One of us won’t be there, having to drive her car to a dealer in another town for service, but 4 of us will be there.
I am HOPING I can finish filling up the garden boxes in our raised bed, square foot garden today. We have one-and-a-half boxes left – about three double-loads of Mel’s Mix. When we finish, I will take pics when the boxes are filled, and again when the tarps are on.
All of a sudden, the headliner in our truck started sagging and hanging down! I’ve never seen that happen before. (The picture above gives you an idea)
I got on chat with the Honda dealer in Fort Smith and someone was supposed to email me, but hasn’t. I called a company that repaired damage to our Vette last year, and she gave me the phone number of a man she says is really good with our problem. I called HIM, we went to his house in the next town, he gave me an estimate after we agreed on a color.
He says this is a common problem. The foam backing on the fabric deteriorates and then the fabric lets loose and hangs down.
We will take the truck Monday afternoon and pick it up Tuesday. I feel really lucky to have been connected with someone who can fix our problem!
I am hoping I can finish in the garden today because I have some ideas rattling around in my head that I want to start on in my art room. The outside work takes precedence, but I’m eager to be able to play. :0)
Hope your Friday is a good one!
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(Forwarded by a friend to me)
“The American flag does not fly because the wind moves past it….the American flag flies from the last breath of each military member who has died serving it.
AIRLINE CAPTAIN – You will not regret reading this one. I promise.
My lead flight attendant came to me and said, “We have an H.R.. on this flight.” (H.R. stands for Human Remains.)
“Are they military?” I asked. ‘Yes’, she said. ‘Is there an escort?’ I asked. ‘Yes, I’ve already assigned him a seat’.
‘Would you please tell him to come to the Flight Deck. You can board him early,” I said…
A short while later a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier.
The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us. ‘My soldier is on his way back to Virginia,’ he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words. I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military, and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the Flight Deck to find his seat.
We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure.About 30 minutes into our flight, I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. ‘I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is also on board’, she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left.
We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia. The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane.
I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do. ‘I’m on it’, I said. I told her that I would get back to her.
Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher.
I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me. Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:
‘Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now, and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal, where the remains can be seen on the ramp.. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.
I sent a message back, telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, ‘You have no idea how much this will mean to them.’Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.
‘There is a team in place to meet the aircraft’, we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller, we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, ‘Take your time.’
I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said: ‘Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking: I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX s under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.’
We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft. When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later, more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of ‘God Bless You’, I’m sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.
Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier. I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA.
Foot note: I know everyone who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me. Prayer chain for our Military. Don’t break it! Please send this on after a short prayer for our service men and women. Don’t break it! They die for me and mine and you and yours and deserve our honor and respect
Prayer Request: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world. There is nothing attached. Just send this to people in your address book. Do not let it stop with you. Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, and others deployed in harm’s way, prayer is the very best one.
GOD BLESS YOU! Thank you all who have served, or are serving. We will not forget!
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Every once in a while I can ‘stand back’ and see my life from a different perspective.
It’s easy to become so enmeshed, so enveloped by the day-to-day or even hour-by-hour that you can become overwhelmed, despairing of finding any real answers, looking at things out of proportion.
I learned from my dad how helpful it can be to be able to look at things as if I were looking at a movie. (The things I see are happening to someone else. Everything will be tied up in a neat bow by the end of the ‘show’.) Many times I can even see the humor in the situation! And when I can laugh – or at least smirk – I can can use the different perspective to handle things a bit differently. I can change what is bothering me, change my behavior toward it, or realize that sometimes the “it is what it is” nature of what’s bothering me is the best it can be.
Instead of feeling swamped, I’m empowered to some extent. I have a different plan. A new outlook. I feel stronger and more able to cope. Changing your perspective is a problem-solving skill that is beyond price. My dad sharing his sense of humor, his sense of the ridiculous, and his ability to see things as a ‘story’ have helped me my whole life.
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In the last part of 2005 into 2006 we had all of the windows in our house replaced. Things had changed a lot since we built our home in 1987, and we decided that new windows would help us save on our energy bills.
We also found that there was a huge difference in SOUND, as well. We can have pretty hard storms now and never realize it. It’s wonderful.
One of the things I like the best is that I can clean both sides of the windows from the inside, not having to dodge wasps, get up on ladders, etc. I WISH this meant my windows were always sparkling, but that’s a case of my being lazy. :0)
We had a problem with two of the windows recently. There was condensation between the layers of the windows after a rain. Due to stupidity on my part, I hadn’t kept up with the paperwork as I should have. I didn’t have the contract or the serial numbers of the windows. I only had a lifetime warranty and some other stuff. The local people were unable to find our paperwork and so had no record we had done business.
We made an appointment to go see them, taking what we had. We had a record of a check written to them, and one written by them to us. Before we went, I went through the folder one more time and a small note fell out of one of the brochures. It had one serial number on it!
Today she called and said they were able to find our records because of that one serial number! That means we ARE covered by the warranty despite my stupidity! A sales rep is coming Monday so that we can all be sure we know which windows have failed, match them up with serial numbers and whatever else is needed for replacement.
My faith is restored! Even though I failed in my responsibility to keep the proper paperwork, we chose a company who does a great job and stands behind their work. If you have a chance to do business with Window World, they deserve your business.
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This is my raised bed square foot garden. I am in the process of mixing the soil alternative called Mel’s Mix, filling up the six planter boxes before I cover each with a tarp to hold over the winter.
These are the trash cans that hold the ingredients for Mel’s Mix: (from left to right) mushroom compost, cotton burr compost, vermiculite, peat moss, and barnyard compost.
To the right of the trash cans is the used concrete mixer we bought several years ago. We used to dump the ingredients into our wheelbarrow, then use a hoe to mix things up the best way we could, and then barrow it over to the garden and use plastic pails to scoop it up and pour it into the planters.
Now we can mix double loads, dumping the ingredients into the mixer, then running it for about 3 minutes, and then dumping it half at a time into a big tupperware style garden basket. We then haul the basket over to a planter and dump it in.
It’s still rather laborious, but we’ve made things about as easy for an old lady as we can – without having someone ELSE do it. :0) Since I get no prizes for finishing it today rather than tomorrow, and if I want to take a day off from the project, I can; I have absolutely no complaints.
We have 3 of the 6 planter boxes filled with Mel’s Mix right now. I’m about to head out to the garden to do a couple of double loads. If everything works well, I should be finished with the refilling of the boxes by the end of the week and can get the boxes covered with tarps tied down with bungie cords.
Then, one of the parts I like best – I can start dreaming about what I will plant in the spring, sketching out planting plans based on what I planted this year. I can rotate my crops and try to make sure everything I plant has the best chance to thrive without pests or disease.
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I am encouraged this morning. I lost pound # 41. I think I am finally in a downward trajectory after a LONG time of the scales frowning or smirking at my efforts.
What is helping now is the advent of two new frozen food places in Greenwood: Real Food and Stu’s Clean Cookin’. Both are excellent. We find very few things we don’t care for (a really welcome thing after a LONG time of being very unhappy). The portions are controlled. We eat the meal, sometimes licking the container. (SHHHH!) We are okay when we finish. Our stomachs don’t think our throats have been cut. We certainly don’t feel stuffed, but we aren’t feeling deprived. The food is GOOD.
We build our day around this meal. We don’t eat breakfast. We have tuna fish salad for lunch – and I have green olives and my husband has sweet pickles. We eat a snack mid afternoon if we need it. We are trying really hard not to have ‘a little snack’ before bed.
I’m drinking a LOT of water (for me). My eyeballs are floating. I get lots of exercise running to the bathroom. :0) Otherwise, I’m working in the yard this time of year, plus doing my elliptical trainer several times a week, plus trying to do my yoga stretches on a daily basis. This varies, depending on how MUCH I’m working in the yard.
I’m happy not having to figure out what to cook every night. I cook something each weekend. I have a full plate on my to-do list that keeps me busy and active. If I can continue like this, I am a happy camper.
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I just finished cleaning the aquarium. When all was back together, they did their one trick of piling up in the corner, blowing bubbles at me and wriggling their sweet bodies, telling me it had been MONTHS since anyone had fed them.
Apparently, we are neglecting ALL our animals. One of the cats tried to trip me on my way into our office to the computer – her way of telling me she wanted some treats.
And Amber, our 95-pound yellow lab, just tried to crawl up in the chair with me, trying to be cute and licking my ear.
It’s obvious that we have a whole houseful of neglected animals we really should be paying more attention to…
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These photos are of the Tawny Frogmouth Owl. These birds are so ugly they’re beautiful. One of my favorites.
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I mixed and distributed 2 double loads of Mel’s Mix in my garden boxes today. I came in, drank a glass of water, and then went back out. This time my husband joined me. We mixed and distributed ANOTHER 2 double loads.
We are now half way finished with the filling up of the six planter boxes. Each one is 4 feet x 4 feet x 8″, and we’re just topping off the boxes. It takes a LOT of Mel’s Mix to do this. Once we are finished, I’ll take some pics of the finished boxes and then with the tarps over them for the winter.
Also when we finish, I’ll order one more group of ingredients so that the trash cans are in good shape for the coming spring.
When I came in from working in the garden, I had black stuff from head to toe – even in my NOSE from standing on my head in the trash cans. I feel much better now after a nice, hot shower.
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It’s a beautiful Monday here. Lots of sunshine and cool temperatures. I hope that you are having a nice, fall day, as well.
I plan to spend some time in the yard, mixing more Mel’s Mix for the garden if our ingredients can be picked up at the co-op, or mixing up and spraying weed killer, otherwise.
I was thinking about pulling out our tomato plants yesterday, but found tomatoes! They are mostly the size of cherry tomatoes, but they taste good, so I gathered them and will leave the plants alone for now. :0)
I just sent this picture to Laufrain, my friend who gave me the two elephant ear plants last fall. I have never had such great luck with elephant ears before. They are definitely happy in this planter beside our garage. They are HUGE!
Have a wonderful day.
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