Day 247 - Sis

This is the unsafe deck we have and this will soon be the new, safe deck that will replace it!  Big relief to know we and others, whenever we get visitors, will be able to use it without stress or concern for our lives.  Can't wait to sit on it, with my bug spray in my hand of course!

Day 246 - Sis

I like my iPhone. I like all the features. I like to play games and the handy App store makes games available.  I like the people who play these games with me.  I like sleep.  I liked to tell these people that I like and play the games, but  I'm spending valuable sleep time. Spelling words for points, guessing songs from genres I don't have a clue about, drawing pictures on a split, ( truly split, from dropping ), screen which makes the drawings Picasso like. Soon I will have to hire someone to play the games for me if I don't get some sleep!  Just be patient folks I'll get to my turn, yawn.

Day 246 - Lisa

This is pretty much the prettiest rainbow, hitting the jackpot, heaven on earth of all food combos for me.  LOL!  

Day 245 - Sis

We did not start out today to buy plants and stands, but for the two of us, going to a store that has a garden section is almost as fatal as going to a store that sells music.  I think we're close to having more plants indoors than out.

Day 245 - Lisa

Our New Orleans dining room is coming together.  We added a fence.  ;>  And some plant stands.   sunii is enjoying her plants and window, nice breeze on a super humid day.

Day 244 - Lisa

Still working on the hutch.  Took me almost all day to get to the last layer of paint.  Threw on some flat white to cover the black so I can cover with tangerine.  Why does everything end up black, white and orange?  LOL  Just need to do the glass doors and hopefully next weekend the hutch will be finished.  Aye yi yi!  Praying all the knobs and brackets are going to go back on it ok.

  

Day 244 - Sis

Only took months of care to find three of the six tomatoes now showing promise to become future components of a beautiful salad.  Love the smell of them.  May not be blue ribbon category but they made my day!

Day 243 - Sis

So the world of children's books has apparently left my world because I haven't heard of the "Flat Stanley" series.  My niece, Kellee, apprised me of their existence when she asked if I was willing to help her daughter, (my great-niece), with a school project.  Autumn's, (the great-niece), class will be using this character's format to learn about other geographical areas.  Since I live the furthest from any other relative or friend she chose me to take "Flat Autumn" to some of the places I visit. It doesn't have to be a tourist or special place, just anywhere I go for whatever length of time I want.  I can send her back with menus, maps or little souvenirs but it requires a pictures of Flatty and me of these sites.  I didn't take a picture of the Target store visited today because her Grandmother, (my sister, Kellee's mother), works for Target in California and that might be overkill for Flatty since she visits that particular store regularly. Maybe I'll take her to Walmart because I'm sure her Grandmother never takes her there!

Day 243 - Lisa

So I learned today that Mini Cooper has a vehicle equivalent to a small SUV, a 4 door.  Ugh!  This is such a tough choice.  I HATE car shopping.  Sure is cute. And my mom and I would have no problem reading the dials!

Day 242 - Lisa

I learned this week that peanuts from the baseball field are just as good at home courtesy of MLB.  I ate a whole bag watching the Republican Convention this week.  I can tell you watching baseball and eating peanuts is a WHOLE lot more fun!

Day 242 - Sis

Look what's here!  We decided to subscribe to the local paper  but only on Thursdays and Sundays for now.  I miss the printed news and reading it just seems a better way of grasping the world around me and not get lost in the over made-up, reporter's faces on tv.  TV and websites hit on the big and quick stories but sometimes you want to get a more in-depth view of a smaller or particular one.  Plus being raised in a home where a paper was read daily, it's just an act I hang onto and enjoy.  Reporters described and wrote articles that opened up the world and made you think about ideas, culture, politics and people, that weren't always available on tv in those days. Words were there in print so if you didn't understand, a dictionary was opened and you absorbed and felt good about learning it.  Articles were written, some in a series, on stories that delved into worlds or ideas you had never thought or knew about.  I like the smell too, I still enjoy the comics section and I can read something that doesn't require a battery!

Day 241 - Lisa

I saw this on TV while channel surfing.  LOL  He'd be special alright!

Day 241 - Sis

Praying for the Gulf states being hit by heaving rain and waiting for Isaac to blow through.  I, like many, wonder how do these citizens do it?  Then I go to New Orleans and understand once again what draws some of us and keeps many in this region.  God bless all the people there and hope this picture, taken in City Park, will reflect the areas soon.

Day 240 - Sis

On the subject of breakfast, remember yesterday?  My Mom, though very loving and entertaining, she was no Julia Child but she did make some dishes that are still favorites. The fact that she was not chef rated would show up especially when for breakfast she would call, " Breakfast, it's pancakes!"  Now you're thinking, wow, homemade pancakes, light, fluffy, maybe a 1/2 inch thick.  Again, keep in mind she had seven kids. This is kind of tricky because I don't know if she was really bad at making those above dream pancakes or if she was just being efficient in serving up a filling and fast meal to her hungry children. Mama's pancakes were at least an inch and half thick, not always round but almost as big as the pan she made them in; probably weighing in at half a pound.  Needless to say syrup was bought in the largest container and dispensed in great quantities to cover these monsters. If you could get through two of them, your next meal would be dinner.  One of the reasons you could last to dinner, you were inert for two hours after consuming them!  I mean if we ate at someone's house and they were serving those dollar size pancakes, we thought they were hor d'oeuvres.  But have to say the pancakes were much better than her biscuits, which my father swore he was going to sell to the military as weapons.

Day 240 - Lisa

This little guy didn't care that I was about 4 feet away.  He was singing his heart out.

Day 239 - Lisa

Oh man, this made me snort when I seen it on the website womenunite.org.  I usually watch both conventions every election season.  This year I don't know if I have the stomach for it.  I just know this;  I grew up in the late 60's and into the 70's.  I was witness to ERA amendment fight, civil rights change, I participated in sports at the time of Title 9 and was a part of history, if you are a woman and you are not voting or worried, well then I just don't know what will move people to stand up for their basic rights. My opinion.

Day 239 - Sis

While eating my cereal this morning I thought about this old radio show we listened to at home during the weekdays.  It was a morning ritual, especially on school days. Why?  My mother was very good at keeping her brood, ( in 1948, only 5 with an increase of 2 daughters by 1951 ), entertained and one of the ways was listening to the radio, no one had tvs yet.  This show had a variety of things going, comedy, music, audience participation, even a moment of prayer, but Mom's favorite was the quarterly hour, "March Around the Breakfast Table".  "Everybody up and marching," or something like that was announced over the airwaves. She managed to get the ones going to school, my older brother Frank and I, at the time, out the door while listening to the sound of marching feet and music. In case you're wondering, Frank was five and I was 4, no preschool in those days.  Of course later with the younger siblings attending school they joined us and it was a mini parade streaming out the door. Oh but there was no "minivan" ride, we walked on our "mini" feet to the bus stop. ;-

Day 238 - Lisa

Six bags of clothes donated to Goodwill and the local Women's Shelter.  Finally all my clothes are in the  closet hanging or folded.  Now to get a dresser and nightstand.  My room will finally be complete. I brought no furniture to ATL.  I spent all day Sunday unpacking and organizing my closet.  No knick-knacks though.  I do not have time or energy to hit any box labeled "cats" or "Disney" till I'm on vacation.  However, sitting in my room looking at my views, my kitty napping on my bed, knowing I had a home I felt very blessed.  So I decided to burn some mugwart.  Smelled so good.  Flooded me with good memories.  And then I got home sick for Indian World.  <sigh> 

Day 238 - Sis

We are so happy. along with my hip and Lisa's knee thanks to a friend/co-worker of her's.  Yesterday he spent some hours installing, then re-installing to his standard, that much needed step from the garage into the house's  back door. Also added a guard to the bottom of the garage outside back door, fixing a light fixture and a leak from a toilet tank.  Cost? Oh yeah, parts and dinner.;-

Day 237 - Lisa

My cousin Ruben made this stand for my mom, his Godmother, when he was about 14 or 15 years old so that makes the stand approximately 33 years old.  It leans a bit and it's had about 4 coats of paint but it's still functional.  In fact, we are convinced the paint is the only thing holding it together.  It's been to LA, Chicago, Livermore and now ATL as my mom gave it to me when I moved out, then it reunited with her when we bought our home in Livermore together.  It's well traveled.  It's had a wide variety of plants live on it, it's held snowman, nutcrackers, angels, roosters, candles, pictures, lights and pets on it's three platforms.  Some material things have so many memories attached to them it's impossible to say goodbye.  So red she be!  I'm thinking a really healthy purple Wandering Jew belongs on top.  So many jokes to make over that last sentence.  Nah, I'll leave it alone for now.  ;>

Day 237 - Sis

Starting to try new recipes and hope to find some favorites.  This past week we ate five various dishes, we found four out of five are keepers!   At this rate with all the ones I have saved and not collecting any more, cooking everyday,  we should be through the binders around 2015. :-/  Now you know I have no plans to cook everyday and doubt if we will repeat this week's success.

Day 236 - Sis

When I commuted to work I found that audio books really helped past the time and made the frustration of sitting in traffic a diversion from screaming at other drivers and explaining the rules of the road. Recently after unpacking  music CDs I found this audio book among them.  Have no idea where or who it came from, if it was mine or Lisa's, but I planned on listening to it.  I had started a painting project and thought this ten CD  book was a great way to do some physical work and past the time. I did learn pretty fast that the car, where you aren't interrupted to answer a door, let a dog in or out, receive a phone call or even nature's call, is a much better setting to listen to a book.  When I left the area where it was playing I'd forget to stop it, making it necessary when coming back to rewind and hear some pages repeated.  I suppose with my comprehension level not as strong as a few years ago I shouldn't complain but it's beginning to feel like there are 15 CDs !

Day 236 - Lisa

Oh my!  LOL perfect for this political season.

Day 235 - Sis

Time for allergy animal to have her shampoo medicated bath, which means I must gather together the items necessary, besides towels.  The treats to entice her up the stairs and into the bathroom, of course the shampoo and today I needed the leash since she caught on to the treat trail trap. She's not ever eager to have me lift her into the tub and can't say I am either.  So I think one more item is necessary, just have to have a winch installed in the ceiling over the tub.

Day 235 - Lisa

Visitors are coming!!!  Woohoo!  I hope my sister leaves her friends at home.  Not sure they'd survive oneeya and sunii.  ;>

Day 234 - Lisa

Beautification to the hideous porch.  Gotta get ready for all those hunters coming to stay at Carrier Lodge!  LOL

Day 234 - Sis

About five years back I ordered a few things as a joke from this company.  I get an email occasionally from them with new ways to use our last name on clothes, hats, etc.  Well today their ad came in the mail.  I knew I had to dispose of it quickly.  See, I have a daughter that wanted to open a tamale parlor in New Orleans until the reality of the cost, to start one, hit her.  And even though no one in my family hunts or has any experience in running a lodge, (well if you don't count people who come to visit and you wonder when they will be checking out), she might think we could do this.  I mean she would be on multiple websites, investigating hunting equipment, clothing and how to make your own jerky!  "Mom this wouldn't be any different than what you do now, sure a few more rooms to clean and you're use to cooking too much food.  We could do it, Mom are you listening?"

Day 233 - Sis

Remember how Tim Allen  in Home Improvement would make that grunting noise whenever a new power tool became available to him?  That's how I was feeling today when I saw this planter pot.  I pick up Lisa's new drill and am getting that grunt mentality.  Here I go, hit the button, one spin and it stops. Whaatt?!  Dead battery.  Leaves me no choice, have to go old school and grunts are not longer a thought, they're coming with each hammer hit.

Day 233 - Lisa

Yes, those are CD's.  Finally unpacking and putting the bookcases to use.  These are my mom's little African animals.  Another World Market purchase.  They make me feel happy when I see them.  I want to break out singing, "It's the Circle, Circle of Life."  And yes, we are that ANAL!  Little tabs by genre.  My mama did the hard work of sorting, I just made and inserted the tags.  ;>  Teamwork.

Day 232 - Lisa

Saved and saved, finally found a good deal I could not refuse!  Now the baseball players are taller than my mom in our living room.  55" baby!

Day 232 - Sis

This stand is my project.  We were trying to go with a red that hopefully will look fine with that "reddish" mirror in the dining room.  No the bright yellow hutch will not be in the same room!  Well not for now anyway.

Day 231 - Lisa

Working in a hot, humid garage is not ideal but sanding and coat one is now done.  It's going to take quite a few coats to get her looking like we want.

Day 231 - Sis

One of the big grocery stores in our area, couple of miles from home. It's a place that provides us convenience and a pretty big variety of foodstuff.  Usually we visit it once a week after Lisa gets home from work.  Today I did the shopping by myself, as Lisa was getting a little more bed time and had plans to continue working on something while I was gone. Most of my life I have done the grocery shopping alone and like it when I can go early in the morning there is plenty of parking and less people.  So while folks were attending church and praying, I was paying and praying I could stay in my budget.