Heat Wave

We're having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave...so the song goes. It was 108 degrees two days ago and 107 today. It's not fun to get into a car that's probably 112 degrees and everything that is metal is burning hot.

I got up at 6 AM and showered and washed my hair and got ready to get the car to Big 10 Tires to get the flat fixed. Bobby came over before 7 AM and took the flat tire off and put the small tire on so I could drive it. I waited 1 hour and 45 minuted and it finally got done. It didn't cost me anything because I'm part of the Pep Boys network. I think that's why I didn't have pay the $19.99 fee. Flats are fixed free. It's a nice place. I like to take my car there.

At 3:00 PM, I sat down at the computer and typed three pages about my previous church callings. That took two hours. I really haven't committed to a set time to sit and write, but I'm thinking about doing so.  I'm still reading the book about writing, Down to the Bones.

I went to Walmart and bought 3 gal. of vanilla Blue Bell and an apple pie. Frank wanted some ice cream and I wanted to bake a pie and have some ice cream to take to Brenda and Bobby for being such a nice neighbor and helping us with the tire.

I bought a bathing suit from Walmart but got a size too small. The bathing suit I ordered from Land's End came in today. The first on I bought didn't fit and I hadn't tried this one on yet. I don't plan to go swimming, but I just thought I might need a suit that fit me.

Temple Trip

Thursday, I took Frank to H'ville to the Pain Clinic at 11:00 AM. I had a temple trip planned for 3:00 PM. We got home in plenty enough time for me to get ready to go. Ken was out of town so it was just Karen, Summer and me who went. It was fun, like having a girl's night out. Even with caring Summer home, I got home at 12:00 AM. I guess when we don't have to go get her, we get home about 11:30 PM. It was a nice evening.

I believe two back to back trips to H'ville and shopping with the kids and a temple trip got the best of me. I was planning to lead the exercise today at the senior center, but I felt too bad when I got up, so I called Ethel and told her I wasn't going to be there. I went back to bed after breakfast and stayed there until 11:00 AM. I had a busy week, the last half of it anyway.

I had an appointment with Janet at 2:30 PM this afternoon and I got into my car and as I was driving up our road, I heard a flapping noise. I stopped the car and got out and found I had a flat tire. I backed back into our drive way and got Frank's car and drove into town. Bobby said he would come over at 7 AM and fix the flat and put the little donut spare tire on it and I'll drive it to Big 10 Tires and get a new tire. I don't believe the old tire can be fixed.

Shopping For Youth Conference

I led the exercises today and then came home and waited for my Dr. appointment at 12:40 PM in H'ville. I was to meet Forrest and Sadie after the Dr. appointment. I thought I was meeting them at Penny's but when I got there, they were at Marshall's. We got in my car, for Forrest's doesn't have air conditioning, and went to Target. Sadie is picky and only wanted a certain type of jean shorts. We went out to Old Navy and she found a shirt and shorts outfit. I was so proud of Forrest. He followed us around while Sadie was shopping and was content. He had his phone to play games on and he didn't complain once! I was gone 5 hours. I got home at 4:30 PM. Sadie is like me at her age. It was hard to fine clothes that fit. Mother had a lady make clothes for me for a while. When I grew up more, it was easier for me to find clothes that fit.

Tomatoes

I put 4 tomatoes in a freezer bag today. I have plenty of green tomatoes but none ripe yet. I helped Frank make up some herb pills. Took us 11/2 hours to do it.

Ann, my VT partner called and asked me too pick her up tonight to go VT to see Joy. I wasn't planning on going out but it's okay. Tomorrow is my busy day with going to see Dr Shergy and going shopping with the kids. It will be a busy day!

Usual Things

Did the usual Monday things except I didn't go to Curves. Instead, I went to the Co-Op to get some spray for my tomatoes. I got a bottle of fungicide, insecticide and mitecide. I mixed some up in a hand held sprayer and sprayed the tomatoes. They did have bugs.

While I was at Karen's I mentioned I needed some qt. size freezer bags to put the tomatoes in. She said she would get me some since she was going to town to shop. I have three or four tomatoes that I need to get ready to go into the freezer. I don't really have a taste for tomatoes this year or last year either. The tomatoes will go good in the meat and bean mixture I'm always making.

It was 102 degrees in town today and 99 degrees here at the house. The wind was blowing and I bet it made the temperature seem even hotter.

Got an email from Trudy saying that Youth Conference was this week. I said I would help the kids buy some clothes. Forrest has Wednesday off and he and Sadie will meet me in H'ville. I have a Dr. appointment at 12 :40 PM which shouldn't last long. Instead of meeting them at 10:00 AM, I think we'll shop after my appointment so I won't be worried about the time. Forrest can shop fast, but it takes Sadie longer to find what she likes. It will be fun to shop with them.

Smooth Saturday

Washed clothes today. We went out and looked at the blueberries. They are beginning to turn blue, but they need to stay on the bush longer to get more sugar in them. The bushes are full of berries but they have a while to go before they are fully ripe.

I wrote a story about the gardens I have grown over the years. I should say "we" have grown, I didn't do it by myself. I got 2 1/4th pages. It's been hot today. I have to get a fungicide to spray on my tomato plants. The leaves are turning yellow and dying. I need to tie one of the plants up to the cage. I need to get some qt. ziploc bags to put them in for the freezer.

Frank gave the birds a spray today. All but Gert. I sprayed him in his cage Thursday and he really enjoyed it. Dr. Jan says he should be misted every other day for he is a sub-tropical bird.

Nice Day

 I led the exercises and went to Curves and to Walmart. I needed bananas but I got some grapes and cereal.

I wrote on two subjects today. Shopping and the three most difficult things I've done or had to go through. I wrote one and 1/2 pages and 31/2 pages on the other subject.

I didn't notice I still had a container of meat and beans in the freezer and I made up a big ppot of it today. I won't have to cook anything but beans now for a long while.

Gas is  down to $3.29 a gallon, but I think the powdered milk we drink has gone up.

Thursday At Home

My piano student came at 10 AM. She's just 9 years old but she comes from a musical family and is doing well. She mastered eight notes today. Her mom had paid me double last lesson so for today's money I let her buy the new books I had for her. It's the next lesson book and a theory book. I look forward to teaching Carrielee and really enjoy teaching, especially a child who wants to learn.

I worked around the house doing little things. I had to submit my lesson from the Write Your Life Story to the discussion group so the teacher could read what I wrote. Since I'm not so terribly creative in my writing, I doubt she'll be impressed, but I posted it like she asked. Summer Rae took the same course at the H'ville library and she got lots of handouts and personal attention. That has been lacking in the online class but I'm glad I've taken it. I printed off all of the lessons, so I can always go back and read them again. I bought two books from Amazon that the teacher recommended and I can always read them again. I'm going to try and write something every day.

Dad helped, or rather, did all the work of putting a new shower liner in the tub. He's tall enough to do it. He stood in the bathtub and unhooked all of the hooks and took the old liner down and put the new one up.

Very Busy Day

I led the exercises at the senior center and then went home. I thought I was going VT at 10:00 AM but it was 11:00 instead. Ann came over and we went to see Karen. When I got home I had about 1 1/2 hours until I had to go into town to work out with Janet. After supper and scripture reading I was tired and lay down and watched Bill O'Reily. While watching TV, I remembered I had an online class to do, so I got up to do it.

We had a writing assignment to write a letter to the teacher telling her how we planned to continue writing our life story after the class was over. I wrote that and will have to post it tomorrow in the Discussion area of the class. What I wrote is not profound, but neither am I. Now it's 9:30 PM and it's time to go to bed.

Trip to Faulkville

I left home at 9 AM to go to Faulkville to see my brother and interview him for my life story. I had a list of questions prepared and we went through them. I had a small tape recorder going too, but I don't think it got all the conversation. I think I erased some of it when I stopped it and later turned it on again. I haven't tried to listen to it yet, so maybe I'm wrong about that.

I learned that Autherine Lucy was the first black woman to integrate the University of Alabama and not Vivian Malone, who I knew. I need to Google Vivian Malone and see what information I can get on her since I knew her. She lived on the same floor in my dorm and went to the Wesley Foundation on Sundays. I would ask her to sit at my lunch table with me when I saw her.

I was at the University the summer that Governor George Wallace "stood in the school house door" to prevent integration of the university. He arrived in his car. Got out. The news cameras were there, and he stood in the door way of one of the buildings and said the university wouldn't let blacks in and then he got back in his car and drove away. That was a campaign promise of his, but he couldn't stop it because integration was the law of the land then.

Tonight was Relief Society and Summer Rae was teaching and Karen and I went to support her. She had taken a Write Your Life Story at the H'ville library and she taught about that. We got a sheet with a list of things to write about and we had the opportunity to write about something on the list. I close shopping. I believe I will use what I wrote and expand on it and use it as one of my writing pieces. It was a fun evening and we enjoyed everyone's company.

Shogun

I led the exercises and did one round at Curves and then went to Trudy's to pick up Sadie and take her out to lunch. I visited with Trudy and "the Boys" and then Sadie and I drove into H'ville. She wanted to eat at the Shogun. I had never been there. It's where they cook your food on a grill in front of you. It was a pretty nice affair. Sadie got steak and chicken and I got shrimp. There was rice and veggies and soup and a salad and drinks. It all was $27.86 for the both of us which was a little pricey but Sadie is worth it. We then went to Penny's and I took back two pair of lounge pants I had bought for Dad. We went on to Clair's to look at earrings. We bought two pair and got the third pair free. That's an expensive place, too! On the way home, I stopped by Walmart and got a chocolate pound cake and a 12 case of diet Coke to take to my brother's house tomorrow. I will be interviewing him for my life story. Some or at least one of the questions is too broad but I'll get some incite on the subject. On the way to Hazel Green, I stopped by Isom's Orchard and got two baskets of peaches. One for Trudy's family and one for us.

7 Pages

I started writing from my notebook this morning and typed seven pages of my life story. I used a big font so I could read it easily. My posterity probably won't have any trouble reading it, but I just like the big letters.

My new Logitech keyboard and mouse came in today. It's like my old keyboard but the keys are harder to push down and I like that. It has a curved keyboard but the hands aren't separated. At first, Frank had trouble getting the mouse to work but then he discovered what was amiss and fixed it. The new mouse doesn't have the little key like buttons on the side. The old mouse had those keys and my fingers would hit them and the screen would change! I don't know what they were for, but I didn't like them.

Frankie sent some pictures to my dropbox account. They were mostly of the younger children but Kayla and Luke were in some of them.

Didn't vacuum today but did sweep. Oh, yes! My shoes came in the mail from Maryland Square and they fit. This is the first pair of shoes that I have ordered that have fit. I've had to send the other pairs back. I'll wear them tomorrow to church.

It was 93.9 degrees today! It's getting to be summer weather now. I'm only in and out of it so I don't get hot. I'd hate to have a job out of an air conditioned building. I'm so spoiled!

Made It Through Another Week

I did the usual Monday things on Friday. I taught, Curved and went to Walmart. I was out of bananas and bought some other stuff, too. I came home and cooked some hamburger and TVP and tomatoes and beans.

I remembered that I had a Life Story lesson after 3 PM and did it. I really couldn't relate to the lesson, but I went to Amazon.com and bought a book she had recommended called, Writing Down the Bones. I think it's a book on writing. It didn't cost much for the Kindle and I figured I would learn something from reading it.

I typed out the questions I want to ask my brother when we get together and found several notebook pages I had written but hadn't yet typed. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow.

Uh Oh!

We had this dentist appointment that we've known about for weeks. We both go together and have our teeth cleaned at the same time therefore saving one trip to H'ville. We got up in plenty enough time and had our list for traveling all laid out and got all the items on the list...We get to the dentist and they are ready to call us back when they ask us if we have pre-medicated? Since we both have had joint replacements, we have to take an antibiotic the day of the service, and we had forgotten to take our medication! Since we couldn't get our teeth cleaned, we went to the Mall.

Frank had called the SAS store where he gets his special shoes and they didn't have any men's sandles but said to try Belk's. We went into Belks  but they didn't have anything but told us where we could go to find some flip flops. The store was at the other end of the Mall and we walked down there and did find a pair of flip flops that were soft enough for him. Then we walked all the way back through the Mall to the other end and found another pair of flip flops at
The Shoe Dept. Frank hasn't walked that much in 6 months! We stopped at Krystal and got some hamburgers and drinks, and then drove home.

In the news paper, there have been pictures of the kids playing ball and Frank misses seeing our girls in the paper when they played soft ball. That was a long time ago!

Usual Wednesday

I taught today but didn't go to Curves. I don't really "teach"at the senior center, I just lead the exercises. I have introduced two or three new things to do, but just about any of the ladies that come regularly can lead the exercises but they don't want to. I'm used to it and usually don't make too many mistakes of forgetting things. I have 4 pages of notes to glance at to tell me what comes next and I have a lot of the exercises in my head, but the notes give me courage!

I came home and washed clothes and put them away. Didn't remember I had a Write Your Own Story lesson to do today until around 7 PM. It was on interviews. I've already set up an appointment with my brother to go down and ask him things about our parents and when we were young children. I haven't set the exact day yet but it will be next week.

Hartselle

Frank got all of the birds out of their cages and we shut the door of Gertie's cage so he couldn't go back in. Frank had a white towel to get him with and he went to the floor and went under the cages. He came out on the side where I was and I put my finger down and he got on it and I carried him to my room where the carriers were and put him in.

The trip to Hartselle was uneventful. All the birds got trimmed and Rikki got an x-ray done. It showed the tumor on her liver was getting larger. Her appetite is still good and she had gained a little weight. As the tumor grows it will push on her spine and will make moving around harder for her for she will be out of breath. Dr Jan said that she (Rikki) will let us know when she is ready to go. I got  a bit upset which surprised me but I still really haven't finished the grieving process for Belle and she's been gone several years, now. I resist grieving and I hate to think what will happen to me when Frank dies. There are 5 steps of grieving and one doesn't necessarily go through them in order but one must get through them.

Usual Monday Things

Taught, went to Curves and came home. After lunch went for scripture study. We studied Hosea. It was 10 chapters long and the BYU professors spent a good deal of time on Chs 1-3. The lesson I got out of it was that the Lord loves his people and will do all he can to help them repent and come back. They were pretty wicked people and lived in a wicked society but they were the Lord's covenant people and He cared for them.

Came home and cooked a pot of beans. They are still on the stove. I'll have to put them up after I finish this blog. I got an appointment with Dr Jan for the birds tomorrow at 2:30 PM. All the birds will go. I hope Gertie will not hurt himself as he tries to fly and drops to the floor. I couldn't take another broken bone and the confinement he had to do the last time he broke his leg. Prayers will go up for all the bird's safety. Rosko hasn't wanted to get out of his cage when Frank has tried to get him out of his cage. I think a piece of cheese will lure Gert and Rosko out of their cages. They just love a bite of cheese!

Missed Friday

Don't know why I didn't write Friday. It was a typical Friday-I taught but didn't go to Curves, I went to Walmart instead. They didn''ts have the cereal Dad likes and he didn't like the kind I got.

The neighborhoods breakfast was this morning. We ate at Shoney's. There were 8 of us there. Bobby & Brenda, Harold and Nancy, Tim and Eva, Diane and me. I had pancakes (2). It was very busy at 8 AM. People traveling and school being out was probably the reason.

I watered my flowers and tomatoes and baked some chicken thighs. I ordered 2 books from Amazon. One new author and one familiar one.

Frank hasn't been feeling well. He got his medicine off a day and is trying to get it back the way it should be and it bothers him. We have a dentist appointment June 14th so he has to be okay for that.

I had to write a 500 word paper about something I had taught myself to do. I could only think of making cards. Actually, I ended up with 528 words. I think next I'll write about Dad and Sally. That assignment was probably the reason I didn't write Friday. I was involved all afternoon with the assignment.

Relaxtion Day

I didn't have to teach today so just went back to bed. I love to do that! Got up and showered and got dressed, bummed around here until it was time to go to Janet's for my work out. Had a good work out.  I was going to go to Lowe's to look at kitchen cabinets, but the feeling I should go just wasn't there. I guess I will call some of the names I got out of the phone book and have them come over and look at the cabinets and give us a price on them. I'm thinking not over $8,000.00 if that much. I have no idea what it will cost but my kitchen is small and I don't want fancy cabinets. Time will tell.

Mary Kate called tonight. They sold Forrest their Civic and she said he would be looking for another job to add to the one he has, I guess to pay for the car. I wrote him a letter today about this coming year and how that he has to prepare now for his mission in a year. If he gets another job, all his time will be spent working and he won't have any time to read or go to church activities. This may be a bad deal for Forrest.

Usual Wednesday Things

I taught and went to Curves and came home. After lunch, I had to go back into town to the pharmacy to pick up Frank's Rx I had forgotten to pick up on the way home this morning.

This afternoon, I wrote for an hour and1/2 and got 5 pages done. The lesson was about keeping a journal of thoughts and ideas. I will have to try and do that even though I usually write in my blog every day. But I don't write the really personal things in it. In my paper, I wrote about the church in my life. I told about church in my early life, through childhood, teenage and adult years. I don't know how I'm going to tie all these random papers together, but there may be a way.

I got two more tomatoes off my vines today. I hope they won't be mushy like the 1st one was.

Tuesday

I had planned to go into town today, but I went back to bed and wasted the morning. I don't like to go out to run errands after lunch so I just stayed home.

I wrote about music in My Life Story yesterday and about schools today. I got three typed pages each. If I write one page a day, that's 365 in a year. That's like my blog. My blog is mostly a daily diary and not much about past things.

Mary Kate and Sophia had a good trip to NYC. Sophia left her Kindle on the plane and they have contacted the necessary sources and filled out paper work and hopefully, if there are any honest people left in the world, she will get it back. What a hard lesson to learn.

Trudy went to Knoxville to see Frankie for the week-end. I haven't talked to her about her trip to see how every one is doing.

I need to make an appointment to take the birds to Hartselle to the Vet. Nails and some wings are long. We can't cut Girt's wings because he won't let us handle him. I hate to throw a towel on him because he always tries to fly and he can't and he lands hard on the floor. After breaking his leg once, I couldn't go through another event like that.

I've been reading the Ensign lately and it surely give me a spiritual lift.

Good Day

We had a good day today. I went into town to stop by the pharmacy and on to Staples to mail a package. From there I drove to H'ville to go to Penny's to get Frank some new lounge pants. I forgot to check to see if they were !00% cotton and bought some that were a blend. I'll take them back next time I'm in H'ville.

The spider 1st aid kits and the bug traps came in today. After I vacuumed, we set a bunch of traps out. We had to fold the traps and then take the top off the sticky bait-I guess the stickiness was the bait. Frank insisted on Swiffering behind the places we were putting the traps and what dirt he found. I don't, or can't, move furniture around and sweep behind it. I get the dirt I can see and don't worry about what I can't see.

Mary Kate and Sophia are in New York City. Sophia's choir had a trip there. Mary Kate sent us pictures of some of the scenes and one of then was of her and the Necked Cowboy! He's a guy that has cowboy boots on and his underwear and nothing else. He may have a guitar! She got one of the subway and of the Central Park and a grocery store. Don't know how long they will be there.

Friday

Taught at the senior center today. I took some classical guitar music on a CD since our tape is damaged. It's not what I want and I will have to look and see what other kind of music I have that might work. I came on home afterwards for I wanted to bake a cake for Karen's birthday today. I was in the middle of making the cake and Trudy called her Dad and later he handed me the phone. I got involved in talking to her and forgot to put the oil in the cake! It was in the oven when I realized what I had done. It baked up like it should but it may be dry. The frosting made it look good but I did tell Karen I had left it out. She and Ken were going out to eat tonight and then to a movie.

I had another Life Story lesson tonight. I tried earlier to get on the site but it was too busy. I did the lesson tonight. She was giving us ideas to help up remember things. While Frank was on my computer, I hand printed a whole notebook page of memories of childhood and elementary school. Our assignment tonight was to look at a picture of us when we were young and write 100-500 words about the picture. I choose one of me in my band suit. I was able to get 277 words out of it.