Dot`sThoughts

Been a busy week and I feel I accomplished a lot. I finally had a few nice days to finish painting the front of the house, plus put two coats of stain onto the side porch floor. I might have to wait till next spring to paint the back side of the house. There is a lot of scraping that needs to be done on the back which might take me all day. Then I would need a nice day to put the primer block on, then another nice day to paint the top coat. Then, I would need at least one more dry day to allow the paint to dry fully before it rained. Need at least four dry days that are warm enough for paint to dry well. If I wait till spring than I would be able to do two good top coats so it would last more years. The house doesn`t look bad, but the front had some places where the paint had blistered up and needed scraping and repainting before bad weather sets in. I do believe the blistering was caused by the fuel guy getting his fuel sprayed onto the house as it was only blistering up on that section around where the fuel line is located. Lately we seldom get more than one or two dry days before it rains again. I should have started earlier in the year. God willing, I hope to be able to finish it next spring.

This week I have most of my outside work done. I repotted 31 Amerillas and have carried them upstairs to rest for the winter, or until any of them decides to bloom during the winter. I tossed 4 smaller new ones- I sure don`t need more to take care of. They have such beautiful large flowers when they do bloom.

The next day I heard we were having a freeze that night, so that meant time to repot all those flowering plants in my side porch flower box and bring them inside for the winter. That meant another job had to be done first. The table that hold the plants during the winter sits in front of the laundry room window that held the air-conditioner. So, I had to remove that large air-conditioner from the window and take care of it. Seems like one job usually leads to another job needing to be done.

Quite a few years ago I realized it was getting to be way too much for Walt and I to lift and carry that heavy air-conditioner. So, I made a table the height of the window and large enough for the air-conditioner to fit upon. I added casters to the bottom of the table to make it easier to move, plus a shelf half way up the frame to make the table stronger. Then I found an old piece of floor lineolium and cut it to fit the top of the table to make it easier to slide the air-conditioner off the table into the opened window, and also to make it slide easier out of the window and back onto the table to put it away. So now all this is done for this year except for the cactus plants waiting to be repotted. Was going to do that today, but went to the bank and to the grocery store instead.

Yesterday I managed to cut down all the new brush and new trees starting to grow in the next lot. I noticed one tree was dead and so I decided to cut it down before the winter weather brought it down. I used the camp saw to saw it down as it was only about 3 to 4 inches thick across the trunk. When a son stopped by and saw the tree cut up, he asked me what I used to cut it down. When I told him the trusty camp saw, he was surprised it did it. Told him that after all these years the saw blade sure could use some sharpening. I also cut off the lower branches that were touching the ground on the apple tree , plus the one on the eucolyptus tree that also touched the ground. Figured they would be healthier with the branches off the ground and the apple tree branches out of the snow.

Then all I have done the past few hours is sit and rest. Well, I have been on the comp and did some crocheting while resting. Need to get another baby sweater finished for another baby shower in a month or so. Just found out the neighbors daughter is expecting a boy. I had started two sweaters- one for a boy and one for a girl. Had the hooded part finished on both before I heard it was a boy, so now I will just work on the boy sweater and put the girl one away till later.

I should have washed and waxed my car today, but was too tired. Going to rain again tomorrow, so can`t do it then. I have some of that advertised "Nu Finish" that I am thinking of using in place of the Meguiars cleaner and wax that I usually use on my car. Wjhen I asked my son, he said he used it on his boat and it dries real fast so i should do a small section at a time.
Well, just thought i would let everyone know why i haven`t found much time to write this past week.
Now, I am going outside with hopes Sassy will come inside again tonight. She only refused one night in the past 4 nights, so wish me luck.
Sassy decided she wants to stay outside tonight. Since it will be in the 50`s all night I won`t force her. Last night was in the low 30`s and we had a freeze, so I was real happy she was willing to come in then. She is a pretty smart dog. I don`t think her eyesight is as good this year, but hoping I am wrong. My youngest daughter told me today thatshe had to have her pet put to sleep this past week. Slash was about 17 yrs old, couldn`t hear well, almost blind with fighting cancer for the past few years. One of my sons had to have his old dog put to sleep a few months ago as he didn`t want to see it suffer any longer. His other dog died from old age last yr. They were both old dogs. So hard to lose a pet especially when they have been with you for many years. I worry about Sassy as her facial hairs are turning gray and her eyesight seems to be failing. She is looking more like an old dog, but still wants to play with me like she was a puppy. I think she has arthritis in her back hips. She is so important to me and such good company.