Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Just another rainy day/ Aunt Hazel.
Another day stopped by rain.
Monday, June 15, 2009
This has been one rainy spring so far. Saturday I decided to make a small picket style fence to sit in front of the trash barrels. At my daughters they had some scrap treated lumber which I felt would work great. I started checking out the boards and cut the smaller pieces into the length I needed and then decided to make the top with the slanted sides and a small flat center to match the picket fences we had in our back yards. I was doing great until I ran out of the smaller boards (about 9-10 foot lengths that made two uprights each) and needed to cut some very long boards down as they were too long to cut in my shop. These boards were long enough to cut three good picket boards with more board left over. So, I asked my Son-I-L- if he could cut them in half for me. He has the saw for doing it and all I had was Walt`s heavy electric saw and with the pinched nerve in the right shoulder I knew I would not be able to hold the weight long enough to do all the cutting. As it ended up, my Son-I-L not only cut them shorter, but did the rest of the top cuts on them also. Well, I could have cut them on my table saw, but there are a lot of long boards that would need to be moved before I could turn my saw sideways to accommodate the longer boards. Then I found some thick boards that made good posts by just cutting them into about 3 1/2 inch widths. Son-I-L owns a hole digger, so I didn`t even have to dig the deep holes for the three posts. With me holding the level we finally got the three posts put in. Then I decided to add a wider board along the bottom of the posts a short distance above the ground. Then I used another wide board, cut in half lengthwise to make two narrower support boards which we screwed a short ways down from the top and one across the center. These I did on my table saw. Then I held each upright picket cut board in place while my Son-I-L- screwed them all onto the support boards. Daughter thought it looked nice when we finished and said she would paint it.
Would have been easier and faster to have put it all together on the ground and then just set the posts into the holes. but if you have ever tried to dig 3 holes exactly the same distance into the ground, you know how hard that is to do. Even harder into uneven ground where you cannot mark the poles to be sure the same length shows above the ground. I did level the ground some to make it a little easier. We finished just as it started to rain. We ended up hurrying to get all the tools out of the rain. Never realized how many tools we used until we were rushing to pick them all up- the heavy cutting saw, drill, shovel, hoe ( I used leveling), post hole digger, hammer, 3 different size screws, level, right angle ( used when cutting the boards) , plus the smaller saw used for trimming the end on one board.
Yesterday ( Sunday) I spent the day working on my long narrow flower beds that run along the front of the house on each side of the front porch. I had to trim the grass before starting. Most of the rocks had worked down into the ground and needed to be dug out, then I weeded them well and added more soil in the front where the rocks were to sit. The floor boards on my front porch are painted redwood color, so I decided to use the reddish brown colored mulch around the plants I put into the flowerbeds. I finished one side and came in the house to rest for a spell, then went back out to do the other side. I was almost finished when again it started to sprinkle. But I still managed to keep working. A lot less tools to take care of in the rain this time- just the wheel barrow, shovel, the grass trimmer, rewind the 100 feet of electric cord onto the reel, bring in my phone, rinse off the garden gloves and hang them on the clothes line.
When we finished my daughter told her husband " Now that you know how to build a picket fence, you can build me a short one to keep the kids in the play area and away from the flowers when they are out back". His reply was that you can buy one already made. Ha Ha.
One problem that I have is -too many cordless phones. The old one I mostly use outside and in the shop, one sits beside my bed and when I went for a new one for my computer line I ended up with a two phone set, making a total of 4 cordless phones. Saturday I had taken out the mate to the comp phone as the phone rang and that one was the closest phone when I ran inside to answer it. Big mistake . I had laid it on my son`s snowmobile out of the way while carrying the boards and marking them for cutting. That was located near the back of the property, close to where the boards were piled. But the work was being done out front a short distance from the road where the phone couldn`t be seen. Rushing to get everything inside out of the rain, I never went back into the back yard. So, my phone was left out side. Since I never use that phone- it usually just sits on the charger out of sight. This morning when I got up, I suddenly remembered that I never brought it back in and it was outside from Saturday morning until about 5:30 am this morning (Monday). I was surprised to see that even in two rain storms, plus the night moisture , when I opened the battery case no water had gotten in. Now I am waiting to see if the dead battery will again take a full charge. If I owned less phones, I would have had to remember to bring it back inside the first night. So, guess there is a bad side to owning so many cordless phones. But, I also keep one of the old style phones that isn`t a cordless just for extra safety.
I haven`t started anything outside so far today as we are expecting a thunder storm according to the weather report. It did thunder a bit yesterday while I was putting everything away, but it didn`t last long. I just read a severe thunder storm warning going across the bottom of the TV screen , warning to get inside if you hear thunder , and that there might be hail with this storm. It is almost 1:30 now and it is supposed to be about 15 miles from me by 2:15, but it still might not reach this far. I can hear thunder way off in the distance now.
-----------
Here it is Tuesday and the phone charged up ok and I used it today. Went out and hooked up the hose sprayer and watered the front yard. Grass is nice and green and flowers are doing well. Picked some lettuce from my garden boxes, then painted an old wood rectangular table that used to be my small work brench before I built myself a much larger one. I am thinking of painting the table top to resemble tile blocks and might sit my small water fountain on it along with a few other items. Then sit the table out near my back porch close to the larger flower bed. Later I am hoping to add a standard under a real large table like top that resembles what would make a wonderful table to sit with company in my back yard. It is shaped like an 8 sided very large table top. I have some pieces of treated posts that would make a great base once I decide how I am going to hook them all together and how I can add supports so it can not tip over. If I have good luck, I plan on making some sort of framework under the table top to fit tightly over the center standard. This way, I would be able to remove the top and put it inside the shop during the winter since the top is not made from treated wood. A lot of planning, next thing is to carry them out. The edging around the table top extends up a little so nothing could fall off it. Still a lot more planning to do before I can begin working on it.
I have looked at that table top taking up so much room in my shop for a few years now and hope to do something with it now. Wish I had a nice patio to sit it on, but that is too much dreaming and I do not have the proper space for building a patio, or even to enlarge my back porch that much. Hope my plans are not to much for me to accomplish. Time will tell.
When I was last out side it was starting to sprinkle, but I do not think it will amount to much tonight. Supposed to be nice tomorrow, then more rain the next few days. The farmer must love all this rain.
------------------------
Here it is a nice day for a change- Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
Started the day out by driving down to check on my Aunt. Sat and crocheted with her till her youngest son came home from work around 4pm. Wish I knew a way to help her handle living with out my Uncle. I know from experience that time is the only thing that helps. She feels she has nothing to live for without her husband. Being 89 years old, she is not able to do all the things she used to do and feels she is just a burden to everyone. Today I reminded her that her sons and their families needed her. I understand how hard it is finding yourself alone after many years of marriage. I told her that her sons just lost their father and that they needed her now more than ever. I was hoping that getting her to remember that they were also missing him as much as she is might get her thinking of how they felt and why they needed her so much.
I did manage to get her laughing a couple times for the first time in months. I went after her mail for her and took care of her trash can after the trash truck picked up this afternoon. Things she would have done herself in the past. She hated leaving everything for her son to do after he came home from work.
I got her talking about lots of happy memories that were connected to many of the items in her home that she has kept over the years. Her eyes did brighten up while she was telling me how she obtained the medium sized wooden pig that once belonged to her grandparents, and about the painting she did by copying a picture off a card some stranger had sent her many years ago. This stranger was riding a bike across country and had stopped at the little country store that my Aunt was running while her husband was off in Germany fighting in the second World War. This young lad was stopping to rest and she gave him a free ice cream while she listened to him talk about his travels. When he tried to pay for the ice cream, she insisted it was free. Before he left he had asked her to write her name and address on a paper grocery bag for him. Months later she received a Christmas card from him thanking her for the free ice cream. He did sign his name, ( Larry something) , but his address was listed from " A windstorm that passed through". Today, over 50 years later, she still wishes she knew where he lived and how he was doing. The picture on the card was a nice winter scene and the enlarged painting she did looks just like that card. She told me that listening to him talking about his journey was the brightest part of that week and she wish he knew how much it had meant to her. i enjoy listening to her telling me her stories about the past and I know how much my just sitting quietly listening brightens up her day. She is very hard of hearing, so talking is easier for her than trying to carry on a two way conversation all the time. i waved to her son who was driving in as i was leaving. He is always thanking me for spending time with his mother. As I told him once, he doesn`t owe me any thanks because i enjoy visiting with his mother. Saddest part is that one of my cousin and myself are the only family members who ever stop to visit with her. I wish more relation would stop to visit with her once in a while. It sure would mean a lot to her. Some day they might find them self alone that way and then they will realize how it feels to feel abandoned that way with few visitors to talk to. I wish they would realize it before it is too late to brighten up her long lonely days.
Tomorrow, Thursday, I am off again to see my eye specialist. I know I will need to have the prisms in my glasses changed again as things are not as clear again. My Dr hates to change them until he actually has to. I was told by the place where I have my glasses done that there are only so many different prisms and that is why the Dr likes to wait as long as he can before changing them. But, working in a wood shop around so many kinds of large saws and other electrical tools, I do not feel safe waiting that long. As I told the Dr I have to see as clearly as possible to be safe in my shop and also for driving my car. So, I will just keep praying there are enough prisms for me to keep changing them for as long as I am around to need them.
Over 5 years ago the Dr told me that in time the prisms will turn my eyes crossed and he was surprised it hadn`t already happened. Now, here it is over 5 years since he told me that and so far it has not happened.
God has been good to me this long, so I have Faith that he will continue getting me through the hard times ahead. No need to be worrying until I have to, that is my motto.
----
Now, for the weather ahead- weather report says more rain tomorrow (Friday), again Saturday, thunder storms on Sunday and rain again next Monday. Haven`t heard any further ahead, so wondering when our next dry day will arrive. Neighbors must think I am crazy as using the earth boxes to grow my garden in means I need to use the water hose and refill the bottom section of each earth box with water every day, even on the days when it rains. Wonder if my neighbors think I am crazy when they see me standing in the rain, holding the hose pouring water into the boxes? :) But the boxes have covers over them and the only openings in the covers is where the plants are growing, so the rain doesn`t water them.
Monday, June 15, 2009
This has been one rainy spring so far. Saturday I decided to make a small picket style fence to sit in front of the trash barrels. At my daughters they had some scrap treated lumber which I felt would work great. I started checking out the boards and cut the smaller pieces into the length I needed and then decided to make the top with the slanted sides and a small flat center to match the picket fences we had in our back yards. I was doing great until I ran out of the smaller boards (about 9-10 foot lengths that made two uprights each) and needed to cut some very long boards down as they were too long to cut in my shop. These boards were long enough to cut three good picket boards with more board left over. So, I asked my Son-I-L- if he could cut them in half for me. He has the saw for doing it and all I had was Walt`s heavy electric saw and with the pinched nerve in the right shoulder I knew I would not be able to hold the weight long enough to do all the cutting. As it ended up, my Son-I-L not only cut them shorter, but did the rest of the top cuts on them also. Well, I could have cut them on my table saw, but there are a lot of long boards that would need to be moved before I could turn my saw sideways to accommodate the longer boards. Then I found some thick boards that made good posts by just cutting them into about 3 1/2 inch widths. Son-I-L owns a hole digger, so I didn`t even have to dig the deep holes for the three posts. With me holding the level we finally got the three posts put in. Then I decided to add a wider board along the bottom of the posts a short distance above the ground. Then I used another wide board, cut in half lengthwise to make two narrower support boards which we screwed a short ways down from the top and one across the center. These I did on my table saw. Then I held each upright picket cut board in place while my Son-I-L- screwed them all onto the support boards. Daughter thought it looked nice when we finished and said she would paint it.
Would have been easier and faster to have put it all together on the ground and then just set the posts into the holes. but if you have ever tried to dig 3 holes exactly the same distance into the ground, you know how hard that is to do. Even harder into uneven ground where you cannot mark the poles to be sure the same length shows above the ground. I did level the ground some to make it a little easier. We finished just as it started to rain. We ended up hurrying to get all the tools out of the rain. Never realized how many tools we used until we were rushing to pick them all up- the heavy cutting saw, drill, shovel, hoe ( I used leveling), post hole digger, hammer, 3 different size screws, level, right angle ( used when cutting the boards) , plus the smaller saw used for trimming the end on one board.
Yesterday ( Sunday) I spent the day working on my long narrow flower beds that run along the front of the house on each side of the front porch. I had to trim the grass before starting. Most of the rocks had worked down into the ground and needed to be dug out, then I weeded them well and added more soil in the front where the rocks were to sit. The floor boards on my front porch are painted redwood color, so I decided to use the reddish brown colored mulch around the plants I put into the flowerbeds. I finished one side and came in the house to rest for a spell, then went back out to do the other side. I was almost finished when again it started to sprinkle. But I still managed to keep working. A lot less tools to take care of in the rain this time- just the wheel barrow, shovel, the grass trimmer, rewind the 100 feet of electric cord onto the reel, bring in my phone, rinse off the garden gloves and hang them on the clothes line.
When we finished my daughter told her husband " Now that you know how to build a picket fence, you can build me a short one to keep the kids in the play area and away from the flowers when they are out back". His reply was that you can buy one already made. Ha Ha.
One problem that I have is -too many cordless phones. The old one I mostly use outside and in the shop, one sits beside my bed and when I went for a new one for my computer line I ended up with a two phone set, making a total of 4 cordless phones. Saturday I had taken out the mate to the comp phone as the phone rang and that one was the closest phone when I ran inside to answer it. Big mistake . I had laid it on my son`s snowmobile out of the way while carrying the boards and marking them for cutting. That was located near the back of the property, close to where the boards were piled. But the work was being done out front a short distance from the road where the phone couldn`t be seen. Rushing to get everything inside out of the rain, I never went back into the back yard. So, my phone was left out side. Since I never use that phone- it usually just sits on the charger out of sight. This morning when I got up, I suddenly remembered that I never brought it back in and it was outside from Saturday morning until about 5:30 am this morning (Monday). I was surprised to see that even in two rain storms, plus the night moisture , when I opened the battery case no water had gotten in. Now I am waiting to see if the dead battery will again take a full charge. If I owned less phones, I would have had to remember to bring it back inside the first night. So, guess there is a bad side to owning so many cordless phones. But, I also keep one of the old style phones that isn`t a cordless just for extra safety.
I haven`t started anything outside so far today as we are expecting a thunder storm according to the weather report. It did thunder a bit yesterday while I was putting everything away, but it didn`t last long. I just read a severe thunder storm warning going across the bottom of the TV screen , warning to get inside if you hear thunder , and that there might be hail with this storm. It is almost 1:30 now and it is supposed to be about 15 miles from me by 2:15, but it still might not reach this far. I can hear thunder way off in the distance now.
-----------
Here it is Tuesday and the phone charged up ok and I used it today. Went out and hooked up the hose sprayer and watered the front yard. Grass is nice and green and flowers are doing well. Picked some lettuce from my garden boxes, then painted an old wood rectangular table that used to be my small work brench before I built myself a much larger one. I am thinking of painting the table top to resemble tile blocks and might sit my small water fountain on it along with a few other items. Then sit the table out near my back porch close to the larger flower bed. Later I am hoping to add a standard under a real large table like top that resembles what would make a wonderful table to sit with company in my back yard. It is shaped like an 8 sided very large table top. I have some pieces of treated posts that would make a great base once I decide how I am going to hook them all together and how I can add supports so it can not tip over. If I have good luck, I plan on making some sort of framework under the table top to fit tightly over the center standard. This way, I would be able to remove the top and put it inside the shop during the winter since the top is not made from treated wood. A lot of planning, next thing is to carry them out. The edging around the table top extends up a little so nothing could fall off it. Still a lot more planning to do before I can begin working on it.
I have looked at that table top taking up so much room in my shop for a few years now and hope to do something with it now. Wish I had a nice patio to sit it on, but that is too much dreaming and I do not have the proper space for building a patio, or even to enlarge my back porch that much. Hope my plans are not to much for me to accomplish. Time will tell.
When I was last out side it was starting to sprinkle, but I do not think it will amount to much tonight. Supposed to be nice tomorrow, then more rain the next few days. The farmer must love all this rain.
------------------------
Here it is a nice day for a change- Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
Started the day out by driving down to check on my Aunt. Sat and crocheted with her till her youngest son came home from work around 4pm. Wish I knew a way to help her handle living with out my Uncle. I know from experience that time is the only thing that helps. She feels she has nothing to live for without her husband. Being 89 years old, she is not able to do all the things she used to do and feels she is just a burden to everyone. Today I reminded her that her sons and their families needed her. I understand how hard it is finding yourself alone after many years of marriage. I told her that her sons just lost their father and that they needed her now more than ever. I was hoping that getting her to remember that they were also missing him as much as she is might get her thinking of how they felt and why they needed her so much.
I did manage to get her laughing a couple times for the first time in months. I went after her mail for her and took care of her trash can after the trash truck picked up this afternoon. Things she would have done herself in the past. She hated leaving everything for her son to do after he came home from work.
I got her talking about lots of happy memories that were connected to many of the items in her home that she has kept over the years. Her eyes did brighten up while she was telling me how she obtained the medium sized wooden pig that once belonged to her grandparents, and about the painting she did by copying a picture off a card some stranger had sent her many years ago. This stranger was riding a bike across country and had stopped at the little country store that my Aunt was running while her husband was off in Germany fighting in the second World War. This young lad was stopping to rest and she gave him a free ice cream while she listened to him talk about his travels. When he tried to pay for the ice cream, she insisted it was free. Before he left he had asked her to write her name and address on a paper grocery bag for him. Months later she received a Christmas card from him thanking her for the free ice cream. He did sign his name, ( Larry something) , but his address was listed from " A windstorm that passed through". Today, over 50 years later, she still wishes she knew where he lived and how he was doing. The picture on the card was a nice winter scene and the enlarged painting she did looks just like that card. She told me that listening to him talking about his journey was the brightest part of that week and she wish he knew how much it had meant to her. i enjoy listening to her telling me her stories about the past and I know how much my just sitting quietly listening brightens up her day. She is very hard of hearing, so talking is easier for her than trying to carry on a two way conversation all the time. i waved to her son who was driving in as i was leaving. He is always thanking me for spending time with his mother. As I told him once, he doesn`t owe me any thanks because i enjoy visiting with his mother. Saddest part is that one of my cousin and myself are the only family members who ever stop to visit with her. I wish more relation would stop to visit with her once in a while. It sure would mean a lot to her. Some day they might find them self alone that way and then they will realize how it feels to feel abandoned that way with few visitors to talk to. I wish they would realize it before it is too late to brighten up her long lonely days.
Tomorrow, Thursday, I am off again to see my eye specialist. I know I will need to have the prisms in my glasses changed again as things are not as clear again. My Dr hates to change them until he actually has to. I was told by the place where I have my glasses done that there are only so many different prisms and that is why the Dr likes to wait as long as he can before changing them. But, working in a wood shop around so many kinds of large saws and other electrical tools, I do not feel safe waiting that long. As I told the Dr I have to see as clearly as possible to be safe in my shop and also for driving my car. So, I will just keep praying there are enough prisms for me to keep changing them for as long as I am around to need them.
Over 5 years ago the Dr told me that in time the prisms will turn my eyes crossed and he was surprised it hadn`t already happened. Now, here it is over 5 years since he told me that and so far it has not happened.
God has been good to me this long, so I have Faith that he will continue getting me through the hard times ahead. No need to be worrying until I have to, that is my motto.
----
Now, for the weather ahead- weather report says more rain tomorrow (Friday), again Saturday, thunder storms on Sunday and rain again next Monday. Haven`t heard any further ahead, so wondering when our next dry day will arrive. Neighbors must think I am crazy as using the earth boxes to grow my garden in means I need to use the water hose and refill the bottom section of each earth box with water every day, even on the days when it rains. Wonder if my neighbors think I am crazy when they see me standing in the rain, holding the hose pouring water into the boxes? :) But the boxes have covers over them and the only openings in the covers is where the plants are growing, so the rain doesn`t water them.
