Dot`sThoughts

Boy does it feel chilly today. Says almost 40 degreesF on my side porch, but the wind chill makes it feel much lower.
Took off thei morning as soon as the school bus left our corner. Bought a couple bage of potting soil. Came home and decided to wait till aroung noon when it would be a bit warmer to work outside. Needed a jacket, it was so cold. I managed to rake up enough leaves to make a wind barrier aroung my hollyhacks to hopefully keep them thru the winter.I once read that it wasn`t the cold of winter that kills them, but the cold wind. Have tried for years to grow them but was losing them every winter. Last year i banked aroung them with high piles of leaves and they made it thru ok. So, hoping for the same luck this winter. Most of the leaves are still on the trees, so was hard to get as many as i wanted . So only have about 3 feet of leaves so far. If we get the snow they keep threatening us with, i won`t be able to rake up any more. Hope what i did saves them in case i can`t rake on moreleaves.
Then I replanted about a dozen flowering plants and brought them inside. Most are still sitting in a cat litter box on the dinning room ( or should call it the horse room) floor until I can make room for them on one of the plant places. So all thats left now is inside work as far as the flowers go. Glad that task is done. I like keeping them alive thru the winter as it means less money spent next spring to fill the outside flower planters. Then I put the outside tool away in the garage for the winter. Tipped over the large plant standard and leaned it nea the house till next year.
A grandson stopped to visit and gave me a new picture of him and his older son. Nice picture. While he was here he said he would go up and paint the end section of my home for me. So, I will need to go after more paint. He can walk on the kitchen roof to reach it. Hate that I don`t trust my knees well enough to climb up the tall ladder onto the roof to do it myself. Can climb out the upstairs bedroom window to get onto the roof, but it`s quite a drop from the window down to the floor trying to climb back in. Walt used to put up the ladder for me as I can`t hold it well enough to stand it upward that far. I do what I can, but have to leave what I can`t to others.
Haven`t heard yet from my Grandson who lives in Port Richy, Florida. Don`t think the hurricane was supposed to reach up that far. Also wondering how my sisters condo in Miami made out. Good thing she hasn`t yet gone south for the winter. Pictures on Tv show lots of damage in Miami. Glad it wasn`t worse.
So cold that the furnace seems to be running almost steady. With the
higher prices for fuel, I keep hoping what I have lasts for a while more. I better go down and check to see how much i still have. Just another thing Walt used to do, so one more thing for me not to forget. Also still need to shut off the outside faucet so it won`t freeze in the winter. Seems i have twice as much to remember these days. Was going to run the dishwasher, but after doing two loads of washing I decided to wait till morning.
Well, I`m off to fill my face if I can find something that tempts me . Was too tired earlier, so just ate some watermellon and sat here on the computer to rest. Never could just sit and rest, always need to be doing something. Must come from being taught to help around home while growing up, or it is just because of raising 8 kids counting his and ours while running either the Bicycle shop or the grocery store at the same time. Was always washings to do and ironing too in those days. Wasn`t much time back then to just loaf around. Didn`t stop for lunch, so guess I should go find something for supper.
Don`t realy feel hungry, but have to eat to take the pills, so guess I have to eat. I usually eat much earlier than this. Well, I`m off to hunt the freezer and cupboards for something tasty.