Dot`sThoughts

Last day of Sept and sure felt like the beginning of Winter. Was only in the 40`s today. But supposed to go back up into the 70`s over the weekend. Crazy weather. I`m in no rush for snow, freezing rain or the lower temps. I`m sitting here eating some garden string beans that I picked this morning. Added some butter, milk , hamburg to them. I like to dip bread and butter into the seasoned milk.
Back again, Had to stop eating and typing as had some company stop by. A granddaughter, her son and her friend. Guess I`ll have to stop till later as just heard my brother drive in.
Brother just left and supper is cold, so guess I`ll need to rewarm it.
Walked out to the car with my brother and found that my neighbor has a new little puppy. When it saw me it came running up the road to my driveway. I picked it up to keep it out of the way while my brother drove out. Then I figured I should carry it home so it wouldn`t get hit by a car as some drive way to fast up our short road. I was pretty sure who it must belong to , and when I entered threir driveway I was told it sure was theirs. The father had the older boy take it into the house and put it in its cage. I never liked cages myself, but I know many do. He looked like he had some beagle in him and a little German police, but was mostly light brown with a little white - no black. Asked his name- told brownie. They have had 3 different dogs in the past year and they all end up in my yard whenever I am out. Noticed that my favorite one hasn`t been around lately. Wonder if they gave it away, or what. More I think about it this could be one of her pups as it does resemble her. Time will tell. If it is then it will be a small dog as the other dog was small.
Decided to cover the garden boxes while was out there. This summer I bought one of those large dog water holders-- A huge plastic container that sits on a watering dish and it constantly keeps the dish filled. It holds enough water for many days, but I only half fill it and dump it every day and refill it.
WOW, don`t think I`m supposed to eat tonight. Had just reheated it when a neighbors daughter stopped selling for school. They catch me every year. But, the neighbors were great back when my kids were young and selling, so the least I can do is help out the next generation. Bought some Christmas wrap, a roller type scissors and some fudge. Don`t need the fudge, but it just looked good. Have to spoil myself once in a while, don`t I? If Walt were here he would have bought it for me.
Don`t feel like heating supper a third time, so guess I give up. Wasn`t real hungry anyways.
Back again. just run some choc kisses with cherry cream filling over to my D and her friend. Bought a large bag of them at BJ`s couple weeks ago and the next day saw the Dr who said my sugar was a little high, so last week I gave a lot of them to D, then this week gave some to a son and today took another dish of them to the D. They are good with that cherry filling. The more I give away, the less I will eat. Had them over two weeks and only ate about 6 or 8 of them.
I`m not a big sweet eater, but was in the habit of buying it for Walt and some habits are hard to break. So, even though I don`t eat it very often, I do keep a dish on the table for all those grandkids and great grandkids that keep showing up.
Wonder if Geralds Album or Charles radio has showed up yet? A while ago I went looking for the dishtowel. But I did find where I dropped it when I finished wipeing the dishes earlier. It was laying on the electric frypan. I laid it down to head for the compost pile with the potato peals and bean ends.
I picked the small melon, hope it is ripe. it has a hollow sound when i thump on it, so it might be. Figured it wouldn`t ripen more in the compost as the vine is dying from the cold nights. Might be my last year to use the 3 bin compost holder as its starting to be work turning it all the time. Time will tell.
Well, off to check the e-mails that came in this afternoon and evening.
Did you see that i started this post at 5:01 and am just finishing it at 7pm. Two hours to write this little bit with all the interuptions. But, I`m not complaining, I do enjoy seeing the family.
Sure is dark out tonight. Must be clouds covering the stars tonight. Just checked on Sassy and again she doesn`t want to spend the night inside.
Well, I`m off......

WOW is it feeling chilly today. Only in the 40`s today. Sure can tell that winter isn`t far off. But still Sassy doesn`t want to stay in yet. Just gave her a treat- called "meaty bone" or something like that. Bought a large bag of them when went to BJ Club.
We didn`t get the thunder storm, but did get the strong winds. I went out earlier to be sure there was nothing to fly around either in my yard or the yard next door where a Daughter lives. I noticed that the boat cover was partly off, so i pulled it back and tied it better. Told daughter she should start covering her motorcycle to protect it from the weather. Not sure where she intends to keep it over the winter. Her friend takes his to his brothers garage, so maybe he will also take hers there. Time will tell. Still can`t believe that the strong winds left the air so cold. Glad i took the air conditioners out of the windows, or I would be freezing sitting here.
Tv just said we are getting a freeze tonight. Hope covering the peppers is enough. Guess I should go out and pick that lonely melon that grew in the compost bin from the melon seeds that i tossed there from the last melon I bought. Bought one and now getting one back, thats a good deal, don`t you think?
Well, Microwave just shut off so the baked potato is done. Guess i1ll go eat, then bring in the melon and cover the pepper plants for the night. Will have to give in and pick them all soon.
Time to eat. So Long for now.

Learned something new today thanks to a friend Charles who showed me how to work with the template and add links to my blog. The more I learn about different things to do on my blog the more interesting it will probably get.
Chilly enough to day . Had to turn the temp up so the furnace would come on. With the fuel going up I am hoping to make what I have last a little longer before I need to buy more.
Almost ended up watching one of the great grandkids a while ago, but her Mother arrived before Daughter T had to leave for her Dr apt. She would have kept me on my toes as she is one who never stops for a sec..
Had a nice time yesterday. A sister-in-law invited my 3 sisters and myself out to a Restaurant forLunch. Then we went back to her home and I got to spend more time with my oldest bro. On the menu was sweet potato fries. never had them before and love sweet potatoes so decided to try them. They were good and each of my sisters wanted to try one. They had reg fries.
Uncovered the pepper plants this morning, but need to recover them tonight. Peppers still getting larger- don`t want the frost to kill them.
Expected a Thunderstorm today, but not so far, so maybe they will be wrong which would be fine with me.
Think I`ll sign off and get out the wheelbarrow and pick up all the ceramic animals from the front flower beds and put them inside the shop for the winter. Sure would be nice if the youngest son would take all his stuff from the garage so I could start putting them in there. Also still have some of his things still packed in the cellar. Wonder how many other parents have their kids stuff around waiting for them to move them out? He`s always going to take them, and there they still set. Hard complaining since he does so much for me. Did most of the roof. His bro who helped him told me that Ron can do 3 rows to his one. But Ron does it for a living so is super fast from experience. He also helped pull and replace the well pipe. How do you get rid of a kids things when he helps you so much. Maybe someday he will surprise me and show up with a truck to carry them to his apt.. I can hope, can`t I ?

Here I am again. A rainy day and a bit chilly.Got so chilly last night that I had to turn up the thermostat for the furnace to come on. Put it back down this morning and with the cold rain, I had to turn it back up. Guess its getting chillier early this year. Who knows, maybe we will get what they call the Indian Summer days when it warms up again for a few more days. Just added a new friend in my Yahoo contacts. I usually go invisible on yahoo much of the time, but do enjoy talking to family and friends both there and on msn. I used to like yahoo better, but haven`t used it since I updated yahoo till today.
My sister Ginny stopped in this morning. She had given her son a ride to the Hosp for tests and it was nice seeing her. We don`t get together as often as we used to since I don`t drive much thru the center of Town. After she left a bro stopped in for a short visit. He had jusy had some tests done. When he left, I started downloading e-mails and answering one when a G Daughter stopped in on her way to work. Boy! I go for days seeing noone, and then three the same day. A daughter just left me a message while I was on msn and yahoo messenger with a friend Charles.She said it wasn`t anything important and she`d call me back later. Can`t remember when I`ve heard from so many in the same day. Almost like Mother`s day again.
Not much got done so far today, just sitting visiting with everyone. It is 5:10 pm now, so most of the day is gone. Almost supper time and I never found time to eat breakfast or dinner till around 1pm. Just think if I was over in Australia I might be having breakfast. or even in Washington, might be only 2pm now. Isn`t it something that is still Monday here and going into Tues over across, or down under as they say. Gee they could come here and have a second Monday or we could go there and never have the night hours to sleep in. It sure was hard trying to figure a time to hold the Surprise Baby Shower 3 years ago. Had to figure a time that would work both here in NY and NJ and also in Australia. Well we attended the shower over the internet, was late evening here and still morning the next day there. Another Australian Friend agreed to handle the Surprise Party in her Home. It sure was a lot of fun. Cost almost 27 dollars to mail the gift that only cost me a few dollars in yarn to make- a large baby blanket, both a girls bonnet and matching booties, a boys cap, a stuffed clown and other small items. They would have cost lots to buy, but lots cheaper to crochet and knit them myself.
Well, I better go answer some more of the letters in my e-mail box before my D phones back.Someday maybe I`ll get a different internet where I can use the phone without going off the net. Then need to figure out something to eat.

Found this place where i can change the time. Hope I find it again when I need it. LOL

Here it it Sunday, almost lunch time and I still haven`t decided what I will accomplish today. Sitting here typing while listening to a music Cd. It is the one a daughter bought for me when we went to see the Elvis impersonater. He was ok, but not as good as the First Elvis Impersonator that I saw a couple years ago. Usually I play Country artists music. I still like my old 8 track one with Eddy Arnold singing on it. I like to hear him yodel. But I haven`t copied it to a Cd yet and have to use the sterio with the 8 track connected to it to play my songs on the 8 tracks. I still also have the 8 track car player, but never put it into the car I own now. Maybe someday. Had it in the old car for over ten years and it still works great. Sometimes I worry about the old 8 track tapes wearing out or breaking. I did copy some of them onto cassett tapes, but still lots more to copy off. Would someday like to put them onto the newer Cd`s or DVD`s would probably even be better .
Well, this isn`t getting my blind up and it`s been sitting in the front room long enough. Oh Well, I usually have the blinds open during the winter to allow the morning sun to help heat up the house, but shut at night. But it comes in handy shut on those hot days to keep out some of the heat from the sun. No problem today as it is only going up to 69 F, so cool in here. I even put on a light jacket this morning to sit here at the comp. Might need to remove the kitchen window conditioner soon.
Well the Cd songs are on the last one and then I`m going to see if I can get the hooks up and hang that wide blind. It fits the 42 1/2 picture window. I have small blinds in each of the smaller double windows on each side of the picture window. Off I go to do the blind as the Cd is done playing.

Here it is another new day. Actually it is a Daughters Birthday.
I started the day moving everything in my Laundry room to prepare for removing the large window air conditioner. Summer is surely over now as it dipped down into the low 30`s last night. Since the Laundry room is next to my bedroom, it was allowing too much cold air to enter overnight even with the bedroom door shut tight.
I remember when it took all Walt and I together could do to lift that heavy air conditioner up into the window. So, a few years ago I decided their must be an easier way to lift it into the window and to remove it at the end of summer.
This is the idea I came up with. I built a table the exact height as the bottom edge of the window ( minus the height of the caster). It is just 4 legs with a table top and a middle shelf to make it stronger and to help keep it level. All made from odds and end pieces I had left over in the wood shop, so it cost me nothing to do except for the cost of the casters. . With the larger casters it moves real easy even when the heavy conditioner is sitting on top of it. On the top I placed a section of roll out tiles style floor covering that was left over from when we did the kitchen floor. I cut it a speck larger than the top of the table so it could overlap the table edges a bit. Did this so the piece wouldn`t slide when I was pushing or pulling the conditioner onto and off from it. Could tack it onto the side edges of the table if need to.
Now, I just push the table up tightly against the open window. I also have a piece of thin board the width of the open window with a short piece of 2x4 connected to the back edge of the thin wood piece. The 2x4 section sits on the outside of the sloped window cill leaving the thin board on top more lever for sliding the air conditioner into the open window onto the thin board. Makes it easier to slide the conditioner off the table onto the board till the window stop edges of the conditioner hit tight against the window. When it is time to remove the conditioner, it is easy for me to do it alone. I just push the table back up to the window and slide the conditioner by pulling it out onto the table. Then I just roll the table back over to the wall where I store it for the Winter till I need it next year.
Surprizing how easy you can move something alone that is so heavy it takes 2 people to lift it. All it takes is a bit of thinking and a little work to put the thinking into what will work. There is almost always an easier way to do something hard if we just stop and think about it for awhile.
Was going to mop floors today, but decided to work in the Laundry room instead. Still have the smaller conditioner in the kitchen window in case we get more hot days again.That one is light and will be carried up to the attic when it is removed. Now that the conditioner is removed, it is about time to bring in all the house plants that are still out on the two porches. I have a nice varnished table with a turntable type top on it that I sit in front of the Laundry room window so the plants can get sun in the winter. To protect the top I cut a piece of thick heavy plastic ( isenglass )- kind with the bubble look in it - to fit the top. This way the dampness from the plants doesn`t touch the varnished wood. Need to bring them in before they freeze some night. Also have a lot of Amerillas that need to be carried inside and upstairs on the large desk for the winter. Amerillas need a dark or at least semi-dark place to rest for the winter. They are beautiful when in blossom. I have about 30 of those plants, but many are still to young to start blossoming and some are getting so old they probably won`t blossom for many more years and then will be discarded.
Well, I stopped long enough to get the desk upstairs ready for holding the amerillas so might start carrying them up today or tomorrow.
Guess I`ll sign off till I get another itch to write about something else..

Friday, Sept. 23, 05
What a wasted lazy day. After working so hard the past few days my back told me to take the day off. My back is my biggest boss and one I do listen to. I did manage to take care of one load of washing and the second load is piled on the washer waiting for me to fold and put them away. Will get it done before gets too late. WOW, only quarter after 6pm and I need to stop and put on the light. More proof that winter isn`t far off. Also need to go out and cover the pepper plants so the frost doesn`t kill them. They are still loaded with small peppers that I am hoping get a little bigger before I have to pick them. Might get down as low as mid 30`s or even lower tonight and frost is expected.
Guess I better get off here and call my sister-in-law to wish her Happy Birthday. She was married to my younger brother who died in 1994. Him and I used to be very close and confided everything to each other. I have 2 older brothers and 3 sisters ( one older and 2 younger), all of them I love dearly, but my younger brother- just 2 yrs younger- and I were the closest growing up and it stayed all thru his life. I`ll always miss him and have stayed real close to his wife and their children and grandchildren.
Had 3 sisters and 3 brothers, 3 older and 3 younger. Boy, can`t get any more in the middle than that.
Well, this isn`t getting anything done, so I better sign off for a while and make the phone call, fold the towels etc, cover the plants and take care of the dog. Maybe Sassy will decide to come in tonight since it`s going down so low. Sure hope so. She`s 9 years old and I already paid out over $170 on her ear problem and she`s still babying it. Might need to take her back to the vet again.
Well, signing off for now

Here I am - another day. Yesterday I spent 2 hours putting all the tiles, black paper and tin off the front section of the house roof- into a large bin that my garbage pick up fellow left for me. Then I added some of the junk from my cellar- such as all the old plastic tubing pulled from the well when we redrilled it. Fun pushing it into the bin and having it only go tight all around the bin at the inside outer edges. Added some other things from the cellar, plus some of the junk wood pieces from the wood shop. Finally got that large bin filled.
This morning I awoke to hear the trash fellow dumping the bin and leaving it for my Daughter ( lives next door) and I to do more cellar cleanup, plus more from my shop.
Sure a lot of junk to get rid of from the pipe and other stuff left from pulling up the old water well when we replaced everything from the point to the kitchen faucet. It has to have it`s own spare line and can`t be connected anyplace into the town water lines in my house. Also had some items left from when we removed the old furnace and replaced it with the new furnace a few years ago. We went thru carbon monoxide poisioning before we realized the old furnace wasn`t working right. Boy, we sure learned the hard way. Almost lost hubby that time as he already had breathing problems. But, God was kind enough to give us almost 8 more years with him. I will always be grateful for those extra years even though I still miss him loads.
Well, guess thats all my thoughts for this time.

Been so long i seem to have forgotten how to change the topics and wrote the last post under last years post.
Just got the front half of my house roof redone by two of my sons. They did the back half just as winter started last year and had to wait till this year to finish the front half. Glad thats done. One less worry for this winter.
Couple months ago my three boys pulled up the pipe and point going to my in cellar well. They replaced the new point and new pipe into the well and added the line to the new water pump that I bought a while ago. I also replaced the liner in the cold water tank. But, they still need to drive it down a couple more feet. I already took a sample of the water and had it tested and it passed ok. Can`t wait as i don`t care for the town water with all it`s chemicals. The old point was so rusty that now I need to clear up the waterfrom the rust before drinking it.
Last month I made a small floor cabinet on casters for the bathroom, plus made a tall floor standard to hold the bathroom paper. I didn`t want to make more holes in the wall, so the standard took care of that.
This time I was able to correct the time posted.
Guess thats all my thought for tonight.
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Sept. 21st. One real busy morning. Spent 2 hours just picking up roofing tiles or should say pieces, and black paper that was removed from the front of the house roof when the boys redid that roof. Had one of those huge dumpsters dropped off and it is almost filled with what I picked up this morning off the tarp and ground. Then tried to wash off the tarp. loads of shingle stones etc. stuck to it. Hoping to get it clean as my son uses it to cover his boat. real nice of him to loan it to pile the shingles onto. Much easier to pick back up. Glad that heavy job is finished. Now, it is 10:30 and I decided I earned a rest. So, hear I sit at my comp waiting for all those e-mails to finish downloading. Went out at 7AM and worked till a little after 9AM. Didn`t t5hink it would take that long, but also didn`t realize how far it would fill the dumpster. About a foot from the top and I was hoping to also clear out all the scrap wood from the shop. Have to check that out after my rest period.
Looks like a good day. One daughter already told me I shouldn`t have done that hard work, that I should have waited and let her and her intended do it for me. I know they would have, but guess I just need to keep my body used to hard work if want it to keep able to keep going. Habits are hard to break and i have always worked hard and never learned how to slow down , at least not until I know I have to.
Wrell, guess thats all for now.