Dot`sThoughts

This is special for  a couple friends who posted recently. One asked for phone #, other was interested in receiving puzzles. I left replies to you both in my comments under my last two posts and wondered if you both received my answers. Hoping you did. Looking forward to hearing from you both. Hugs and all the best always, Dot

Here it is already August 15,2013 and so cool last night it felt like Fall was already here- down in the low 40`s F. Still feeling a bit on the chilly side this morning.  But expected to get back into the 80`s F next week.
 Taking advantage of the cooler weather for working outside. A few months ago I made a new two bin compost bin a little closer to the house, but still over on the empty lots I  own next to the house property. Well, not completely empty as there are trees and some bushes there, most of the trees now are white birch on that property. The old three bin compost place was getting in poor condition, so tore it down. Spread most of the good compost soil there around under the apple tree.  Spent years trying to keep that apple tree growing. My youngest daughter brought it home back when she was a young girl in the lower school grades and her class went to a tree place where they gave every child a little tree to take home. She picked the little 2 foot tall apple tree. Today she has a grandchild about that same age. Well, one year that baby tree died, but the following year it came back up as two trees from the same trunk. I have been spraying  it for years and the only problem I ever have is caused by too much water and we sure have had way too much rain the past few years. This year the tree is loaded. Squirrels are constantly going up the tree, knocking down an apple, chewing a few bites from it, going back up and knocking down another one to chew. They continue doing this leaving me plenty of ground apples to keep picking up and tossing over for the compost.  Many of the apples are starting to get red. Hoping they are better apples this year.

  Not sure if I ever posted about the small Pug I brought home with me back in October 2011 when he was only 5 months old. He was born with front leg disabilities. He couldn`t open his front legs very far so he couldn`t walk using his front paws and slid along on the first half of his legs with his head almost touching the floor. The breeder was a close friend of mine who intended on keeping him herself. But when I was visiting her that day, well first guess should tell you how he got his name "Roo". He was always sitting up on his fanny  with his front legs held in front of him and resembled the way the kangaroo sits up. So the breeder named him Roo  from the end of kangaroo. Well Roo started following me all over her home, where ever we went he followed me. If I sat down, he would stand in front of me waiting for me to pick him up and of course I did. When I was getting ready to leave for home, there was Roo still following me to the door. Then my friend asked me if I would like to take him home. Of course the answer was yes, I had already became attached to him.  Right now he is laying hald on my feet while I am writing here. He sure is spoiled.
    The friend had taken Roo to the vet when he was born, vet tried braces, said they made things worse, so removed them. Said there was an operation, but could make things worse, so that was out. Well, once I owned him I started using therapy on his front legs hoping it might loosen them. Here it is  almost two years later and he is doing better. He no longer walks on half his leg, but on his paws. His front legs do not open all the way, but they are open enough so he can walk on his feet the center leg joint  a ways up off the floor and the tendon under both front legs has loosened a lot, allowing the legs to open  on a slant. Now his head is up much higher from the floor , more like a normal healthy dogs head  height. Took him out to see the breeder friend last Fall and she was amazed at how much better he was, need to find time to drive back again so she can see even more improvement now. Everyone who sees him seems to fall in love with him. He is a pure breed Pug and just loves everyone. Sometimes I think the great grandchildren come more to see him than me. Haha.  But that is fine with me. 
   I now have  a total of 27 great grandchildren, 4 are from the step children we raised.  Lost my step son on October 8th, 2011 at age 62.  A  month before that the family threw me a surprise  80th Birthday party. I will never forget the word he said to me as I was walking to his car with him. He told me " Mom, nobody, and I mean nobody could ever have a better Mother than I have with you. I love you."
Nothing a step mother loves hearing from a step child more than his words.
Always hoped I was a good mother to him, did my best to treat them with the same love and teachings as our own children. 

  Yesterday I decided I couldn`t stand looking at the mess on my back porch. Soo many garden tools, plus a pitchfork, a shovel, leaf rake, and other long handled items. So I went to my shop and using some boards decided to make a tool holder. Made a frame with bottom, sides open,  top board has cutouts to hold the tool handles, added boards crisscrossed under to hold the tools from tipping over.  Much easier to get just what I want now without knocking many over.  All now in the tool holder except for the shovel and pitchfork which are short handled with the handle style tops.  Won`t be long before most of these tools, plus the grass trimmer  will be stored away out in my small shed. Then it will be snow shovels and the small snow blower sitting on my back porch.  Was in the low 40`s last night, reminding me that  Fall and winter are not far away. I am in no rush for it to arrive.  Expecting the weather to be back up in the high 80`s F next week, telling us summer is not over yet. Garden needs some nice weather to last a bit longer allowing more time for tomatoes to ripen . Picked more green string beans and cucumbers  yesterday. Love fresh garden veggies.

  This summer has been a bad one for skunks. Already removed 4 that found a home under my wood  shop,  bread and peanut butter set waiting to see if it brings any more from under there. Hoping no more. Once am sure there are no more, then must find a way to finish closing up any spots where they can dig under again next year.





.

8/11/2013
Good morning Bloggers. Been some time since I have written here in my blog. Lots has happened. I now have a total of 23 great grandchildren from our children plus 4 great grandchildren from the step children I lovingly raised. Am expecting another great grandchild in January.

 Thanks to Facebook I have been able to keep in touch with those who do not live near me- some in Virginia, some in North  Carolina and one family living way over in Germany.  So much better than when we had to wait days for letters to be answered before we knew if someone ill was getting better. Now, we can receive the answer fast.

 So much rain this summer that some garden veggies are not growing very well. Lettuce grew well, and just one cucumber plant survived the rain. That one was growing in one of my earth boxes and stays loaded with new growing cucumbers, ripening faster than I can eat them.  Only had two zucchini before the rain destroyed the plants, but they did taste good.  Tomato plants are loaded with small tomatoes, but wish they had started producing much earlier so they would already be ripening. Same with my pepper plants. Green string beans doing well, picked more again yesterday.
Broccoli is another one growing way too slow. One of the three different types of Lettuce is going to seed, but other two still doing great.  Ate a few beets, but most are still too small as are the carrots. Waiting to see how the celery plants will do. Not as good a garden as had the past few years.  Some of the apples on my apple tree are getting that scab look which the gardener information said was caused by way too much rain.  Not much I can do for that, just wish the weather would better cooperate . Maybe will be less rain and better gardens next year.
 Flowers are all doing great, except the Lilacs didn`t stay in bloom long with the acid rain that seems to turn the blossoms to rust color.  Only lasted long enough to enjoy a couple bouquets in vases. Love the Lilac smell in the house.

 Wish my camera was working to post some of my latest wood shop items. 
 One daughter told me last week that she wanted all the items I had made in my shop. Told her she would need a larger house as all the new thing are slowly over filling my own home. Have  kitchen base cabinet, large paper basket with cover and bookcase for all the computer items, small one door  cabinet and paper holder standard in the bathroom, more bookcase styles holding some of my horse collection, smaller one holding some wood magazines, sewing machine cabinet under sewing machine, huge 4 door cabinet holding yarn, photos and other items in living room,  and lots more. Had an outdoor swing kept in the attic every since some of the back boards on the standard were ruined from the rain hitting them on the back porch. Well, last month I finally carried it from the attic to my shop where I replaced the boards which also required some routing, sawing, painting, some new back slats along with the main bottom board across the bottom of the back. Now, back swinging again out under the tarp covered framework that I also made,   along with a couple benches to go with the table there. First time I ever had a comfortable place to sit in the back yard out of the sun.  Had a rocker on the side porch, but no room for others to join me there.

 Last September I joined the Merry Mohican Square Dancing and am enjoying it very much. Never knew there were so many new  dance steps to learn. Guess I expected it to be more like the normal square  dancing I had done over the years.  In June I received my Merry Mohican`s name tag and Diploma , but still no pro. Still can use more practice, so will be going back next month for another year of practice along with hopefully more new members for us to help learn  by dancing with them.   Never would have dared to try if a niece and a daughter hadn`t asked me to join with them. Wasn`t sure ,at my age, if I would be able to do all those fast moves, but guess I fooled myself and had fun.  My daughter started having medical problems and had to quit, but Walt`s niece (actually a great niece- her mother was his niece) still picks me up for the dances.  I have met some very nice people, both in the local group and in the other groups other places. Couple weeks ago we were invited to join a group located about 50 miles from home, great group of people there also.  Other dancers from other groups often attend ours also.  Once you receive the Diploma you are able to dance with any Merry Mohican`s group located any place  in the United States.   Some in other states have invited us to join them, but so far  I haven`t gone that far from home. Not something I ever intend to do, except for a few groups located nearer home. Feels good knowing age hasn`t stopped me from enjoying doing things and hope to be able to continue for many  more years.  As I tell my kids, I only have one wish- to remain healthy enough  to be able  to spend the rest of my life living here in my own home where Walt and I  raised our 8 children  (counting the twins, 6 of ours, plus two of his from a former marriage), and stored up so many wonderful memories.  We built this house when the twins were just 5 months old, back in 1955. Also had our 2 1/2 year old daughter plus his 7 year old  daughter at that time. His son moved in a few years later. Our family seems to keep on enlarging. So many great grandchildren that never got to meet their grandfather.  Family was always as important to Walt as it is to me.  I feel soo blessed having such a great family. 

 Well, guess time I stopped writing and check my e-mail and maybe do the picture puzzles that I send off  every day to others that enjoy doing them. God Bless everyone who reads this with much health and happiness.