My new blog

[golotomer]

Julie, 

I certainly have enough money to mail the books.  I had over 1700 dollars deposited to my account this morning.  Yippee...I can go buy groceries. 

The last two days I've woken up to dirt from my plants in the kitchen being splattered everywhere on the shelf and sink.  Figured it was a furry culprit so Bob set a trap yesterday with peanut butter.  Yep we got the bugger.  Why do they dig in the dirt like that?

We painted some more of the trim yesterday and I gave a coat of paint to my barn stars.  Our trim is dark green and brown so I'm going to try to paint the stars in both colors.  I got the green on put will give them a second coat then I have to try to free hand the brown on the alternate points of the stars.  We shall see how steady my hand is.  I might try taping the edges if I can determine that the tape won't pull the paint off when I remove it.  I have several outdoor benches that I want to paint to match the house too. 

I am babysitting a few days this week.  I volunteered.  I figured that would give the little one a break from attending daycare for a while.  Granpa will watch her this morning long enough for me to get some much needed supplies at Walmart.  I think I'm going with him to Indiana next week.  He has a race there and I can go and visit my friends in Indianapolis.  His race will be over on Sunday afternoon so we plan on staying an additional day and he will let me show him some of my haunts around the city.  I do miss Indy but it would have been lonely there without family now that I am no longer with my "work family" of 20 plus years. 

My son's fiance took a new job as RN at Hamot Hospital in Erie.  She will be working in the emergency room there, which is what she has always wanted to do.  It's a major hospital for this area.  When people need more than the little local hospitals can offer they will lifeflight them to either Erie or Pittsburgh so she will see a lot of activity there. Of course this means they will be moving again too and they just moved into this apartment in May or June.  Their winters are going to be a lot worse too with the snow off the lake. 

I'll get your books in the mail in a couple of days.  I have to pick up a couple of mailers. 
Tata for now.   

[jcribb16]

Kim,

That sounds good about the books.  I'll get yours out in a couple of days, too!

Speaking of the furry critter, glad you caught him.  One of our cats likes to get up on the kitchen window ledge and dig dirt and eat leaves.  Not only that, she likes to push things until they fall in the sink.  I finally got her out of that. 

That sounds really neat about what you are doing with the painting outside.  That makes homes and gardens look so inviting and appealing to the eyes.  Looking forward to some pics. later!  We have got to re-paint our shutters - they are fading with the heat of the sun.  They are burgundy while the home is grey.  I need to plant some fall flowers across the front.  Since it's starting to cool down a tad, maybe I can soon.

That's nice what you are doing with babysitting the little one.  I imagine it surprised SD, too.  Maybe you, Granpa and little one can spend some quality time and bond with her some more.  I am still really struggling not being able to see my 2 granddaughters.  The older one's birthday is in October and I'm having a hard time having to wait until November, or after he gets back, to give her birthday presents to her.  I'm sure DIL and her mom are going to tell her that we don't even care enough to send her birthday presents or call her (and her not knowing the real truth of the matter at hand.)  I'm just really sick about this, Kim.

When I got my shots on Friday, I went by my mom's house (or used to be now) and did a walk thru.  The workers were still in there doing things.  What a major difference from when DIL and her mom left things so messed up and destroyed.  The workers have changed out the carpets, re-painted all the rooms, put in new cabinets and counters.  They completely re-did the bathroom she destroyed and it looks amazing!  My BIL is planning on putting it on the market by the end of this month.  In fact, there have already been a couple of different people who have inquired about the cost and when, so that's a great sign!

That's super about your son's fiance!  I wish her the best.  How much farther is that from you from where your son now lives?  Many years ago, there was a possibility that hubby, kids, and I may have had to move to Erie.  The company he worked for at the time, instead, gave him a promotion and so we stayed where we were.  Every once in awhile, I think about that. 

Well, I am very glad for you about your getting paid finally.  That does help bring the stress level down some.  Hopefully I'll "see" you tomorrow!  Have a great night!

Julie 

[golotomer]

My one cat used to do that kind of stuff too.  He couldn't stand for anything to be on the counter or kitchen table, such as pens, pencils, money, so he would get up there long enough to knock things off, then move about his business.  He used to drive my son crazy trying to do that stuff in his bedroom and my son is kind of OCD when it comes to personal objects being in their place and in a straight line. 

I got the barn stars painted yesterday but the rest of the paint day projects got halted because it rained.  It's raining again this morning so I guess this will be an indoor work day.  I have plenty of little projects inside the house, in addition to working on the genealogy book.  I will be taking pictures of the outside of the house soon.  There are pictures on FB of the house that were taken last fall...I think the album is called Fall Walk.  You can see the befores and afters.  We did tear down most of the ivy that was on the house but it's starting to grow back again. 

I feel so bad about you not being able to see your little grand-daughters.  I just hope in some way you can eventually repair whatever damage their mother is doing to make your relationship bad with them.  I'll be anxious to see what your son does when he gets home. It's a shame he should have to deal with this stuff while he is gone let alone come home to drama.  I get so irritated with people like her that act so badly.  You can't talk to them and show them the errors of their ways and all you can do is protect yourself and try to set an example with your own behavior but those kind don't seem to see the example anyhow.  Just feel comfort in knowing that you are doing what is right in God's eyes. 

Maybe you should go ahead and send little cards and just wait and see if they ever really did get them.  It would be a good test of just how vicious she is. 

How is the little boy you mentioned on FB?

Give yourself a hug for me. 

[ButterflyWings]

Here is something I made for a friend it is a mobile picture so its kinda ruff but these are 3 things I make regularly.. its a name plaque,a bracelet made with knotting almost indian form and a plastic keychain..

[jcribb16]

Here is something I made for a friend it is a mobile picture so its kinda ruff but these are 3 things I make regularly.. its a name plaque,a bracelet made with knotting almost indian form and a plastic keychain..

Dianne,
Those are really neat!  How long do each of those take you to make?  I imagine there are several ladies, teens, and girls/boys who would enjoy those things!  When I was really young I remember making jewelry bracelets and necklaces from all kinds of beads and some kind of stretchy string.  I remember giving one to my great-grandmother and how much she said she loved it.  After she died, it was willed back to me with a special note packed in with it.  Keep up the neat work!

[jcribb16]

Kim,

Thanks very much for the greatly needed hug!  One for you in return! {}

The post about the little boy was shown later that night to be a hoax.  Someone told me about how it had been listed on Snopes a year earlier and was a hoax then.  I posted another note later telling everyone it was a hoax.  I also told them that sometimes when we are asked by family and friends to post something like that, then that is exactly what we do with the greater importance at the moment being to pray and spread the word.  What's strange is a "friend" of mine is the one that looked it up and knew it was a hoax.  Instead of telling me then, she sent me a message asking me if I knew them.  I had the computer up and FB open, but was away from the computer cleaning up after supper.  So when I didn't answer her, she accused me of dodging her answer and repeated her question.  When I came back to the computer, I saw all of this waiting for me.  I told her no, I did not know them, and that it was a neighbor who asked me to post it.  I then asked her why the "trial" treatment.  Then she told me about the hoax.  I was ticked and told her that there was no need to ask me something she already knew, kind of like trying to trap me into lying to her about knowing or not knowing that family.  She said when I wouldn't answer her that she thought I was ignoring her deliberately.  I told her that as long as we've known each other (since jr. high school,) I can't believe she acted that way and that I didn't appreciate it.  That's when I went back on and wrote what I did about why we even post these things in the first place.  As we have grown older through the years, she has gotten this way with her friends and now with her teen-aged daughter.  Her daughter couldn't take it anymore and moved to a college dorm, and got a job, and can't be happier.  I don't know why I went all into this - I guess I'm just still ticked at her trying to twist things unnecessarily over something simply posted out of care and concern.  Just let me know it's a hoax and we're done, right?  Thanks for the shoulder, though.  Sorry so much written.

I'll go back and browse through your pics of the house.  That will be neat to see before and after (when you're done!) 

We had smoke from one of the fires come back through yesterday and today.  It was pretty bad this morning.  Something re-started at the Honey Prairie Forest again.  Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

We don't have DIL's address since we don't know where she moved.  I'm not going to send them to her mom's house, because when we did that for Valentine's Day, the DIL's mom didn't give them to the girls and apparently kept the money in them.  Randal figured that one out before he left.  When we had the girls up at the end of February, we asked the older one about them and she said she didn't get them.  So I showed her the cards like what we sent with the stickers and she said she had not seen them before and didn't get money.  So we made some up again with stickers and money in them and let them open them while here.  I was really upset about that.  By the way, thank you for listening and supporting/encouraging me with this.

Well I have gone overboard in a book here and you've got lots of other things to do, lol.  Hope you are enjoying your time off - how's the little one enjoying her time off, too?  "See" you soon!

Julie   

[golotomer]

Here is something I made for a friend it is a mobile picture so its kinda ruff but these are 3 things I make regularly.. its a name plaque,a bracelet made with knotting almost indian form and a plastic keychain..

Those are really nice.  I really like the name plaque.  It's colorful and everyone seems to be pink crazy right now.  I used to make the keychains and friendship bracelets too.  I actually thought about buying some floss last week and getting back into making them but stopped myself.  I have way too much going on right now to get into anything new. 

Did you make the plaque for one of your own kids or is that one for sale? 

[golotomer]

Julie,

Thanks for letting me know about the hoax.  I'll post something on FB and tell people.  That stinks that someone would spread something so serious that wasn't true.  I guess we all need to check everything out on snopes before we send it by email or post it.  I used to do that because I got caught a couple of times with similar things.  I've gotten lazy though. 

It was cold and rainy here all day yesterday.  I didn't get anything done outside so worked on some indoor projects.  I had bought a pair of shoes the other day, greatly reduced at 65 dollars off.  They had been 85 and I got them for 20.  A pair of New Balance walking shoes that are all curved and supposed to help you tone and lose weight.  Well I wore them all day the day before and woke up to soreness in my calves, above my knees to the middle of my thighs and right above where you develop your muffin top so figured they really must do something!  I wore them again yesterday and actually did more walking as I was running errands and really moving about.  Boy oh boy, by late afternoon I was so sore I had to lay down for a while and just stretch out.  I feel pretty good this morning, so far, so I guess I'll wear them again today and see how I feel.  It seems there really is something to the claims they make.  My one friend scolded me though saying she had heard of people throwing their back out and twisting their ankles. 

I just can't believe your dil and or her mother are so brutal that she wouldn't even give those children their cards and would take the money out of them!  Your poor son has a lot of crap to deal with when he gets home.  It's one thing to have words with your spouse for not picking up a wet towel from the bedroom floor but to have to point out when they are ethically, spiritually or morally wrong is the worst case scenario and she has overstepped those boundaries with many issues.  If I was within eyesight of her I'd be glaring at her.    That kind of stuff just makes me so angry. 

Guess I'm going to go to Indiana.  We are going to leave her Monday for WV and return my daughters car, stay the night, cut her hair and help her hang the set (about 20) of wall crosses I gave her.  (I used to collect the crosses and have them hanging in my house but when I moved in with Bob decided not to use them on his walls.  I've attached a picture that shows a portion of one of my walls where the crosses used to hang.  By the time I gave them to my daughter I had accumulated a bunch more.) Then Tuesday he has to report to the racetrack in Indiana and start setting up the shelters.  The company will be paying for us to drive there and back and also the hotel room.  All I have to pay for is any gas money spent driving around to visit friends or sightsee and my own eating expenses.  He will then drive the sprinter back with the cars and I'll follow in my Blazer.  Two days set up, practice on Thursday and Friday, races on Saturday and Sunday then home.  I have to pick my books up on Monday and it's back to school on Tuesday.  This break seems so short!  I'll get to visit all of my friends in Indianapolis that I haven't seen in two years.  We are planning a big meet up with a bunch of co-workers too.  We were such a big group there at BMG and those people became like family.  I worked there for over 20 years and watched people get married, have kids and now those kids are grown up too. 

We still have a bunch of painting to do on the trim and I'm going to attack those spots that I can reach today and tomorrow.  Hopefully we'll get enough warm weather and time off yet that Bob can complete the higher spots.  We still have to cover the pool and get the garage cleaned out enough to put all of the deck furniture in.  Where does the time go?  I can't believe it's the middle of September already and all the plans we made for renovations never got accomplished during the warm weather! 

I'll be taking my netbook with me while on the road and will probably be spending a fair amount of time online while the racing stuff is going on in the background.  I plan on taking the genealogy package with me and working on the book while I'm gone too. 

You asked about the "little one".  Yes we've had a good time the last couple of days.  I cut her hair yesterday and she accompanied granpa and me while we ran some errands but I need to set aside some fun time.  He told her we might try to take her to Chuckie Cheese real soon.  Goodness knows when.  Maybe when we get back from Indiana. 

Hope the smoke has cleared some today.  Never apologize for writing too much.  I look forward to our chats.

[ButterflyWings]

Here is something I made for a friend it is a mobile picture so its kinda ruff but these are 3 things I make regularly.. its a name plaque,a bracelet made with knotting almost indian form and a plastic keychain..

Dianne,
Those are really neat!  How long do each of those take you to make?  I imagine there are several ladies, teens, and girls/boys who would enjoy those things!  When I was really young I remember making jewelry bracelets and necklaces from all kinds of beads and some kind of stretchy string.  I remember giving one to my great-grandmother and how much she said she loved it.  After she died, it was willed back to me with a special note packed in with it.  Keep up the neat work!

Thanks Julie, The name Plaque took a day,same with keychain..Now the thread indian like bracelet took 3 days its alot of work cause you have to have length right and stretch it also ..I make lots of beeded jewelery..I am goona try to post stuff as I make it so you all can see

[ButterflyWings]

Here is something I made for a friend it is a mobile picture so its kinda ruff but these are 3 things I make regularly.. its a name plaque,a bracelet made with knotting almost indian form and a plastic keychain..

Those are really nice.  I really like the name plaque.  It's colorful and everyone seems to be pink crazy right now.  I used to make the keychains and friendship bracelets too.  I actually thought about buying some floss last week and getting back into making them but stopped myself.  I have way too much going on right now to get into anything new. 

Did you make the plaque for one of your own kids or is that one for sale? 

Kim,

Thank you so much hun..I make all my stuff for sale,for my kids and friends..that one was a birthday gift for a friend..When I make them to sell I let them pick their colors..it hangs on the wall with ribbon or string..I like using ribbon cause it looks prettier.

[jcribb16]

Here is something I made for a friend it is a mobile picture so its kinda ruff but these are 3 things I make regularly.. its a name plaque,a bracelet made with knotting almost indian form and a plastic keychain..

Dianne,
Those are really neat!  How long do each of those take you to make?  I imagine there are several ladies, teens, and girls/boys who would enjoy those things!  When I was really young I remember making jewelry bracelets and necklaces from all kinds of beads and some kind of stretchy string.  I remember giving one to my great-grandmother and how much she said she loved it.  After she died, it was willed back to me with a special note packed in with it.  Keep up the neat work!

Thanks Julie, The name Plaque took a day,same with keychain..Now the thread indian like bracelet took 3 days its alot of work cause you have to have length right and stretch it also ..I make lots of beeded jewelery..I am goona try to post stuff as I make it so you all can see

Dianne,

I'll watch for them as you make them.  I love stuff like that for my granddaughters, daughter, nieces, and for my students when I taught.  I even like them for myself, lol. 

[jcribb16]

Hi Kim,

You'll have to let me know how the shoes end up working.  I've heard some positive about them.  But, like your friend, I've heard of some who have stepped just the wrong way and twisted an ankle.  I've thought about trying them, but just not sure.

I went and looked at your album of the house and the area around.  You are in a beautiful area - it's got to be beautiful when the leaves change.  I love the house - the ivy gives it a hint of England - I like that!  I love your pictures with the crosses - I didn't realize you collected them like that (Was that where you used to live?)  The room is very pretty and welcoming!

It was smokey a little today, but not as bad.  We were supposed to have rain with a cool front behind it.  But no rain, just clouds and a breeze.  It is supposed to drop several degrees now and I'm hoping that will come through since the rain didn't!

I'm glad you are going to see your other "family!"  I hope all of you have a great catch-up time together.  That's bittersweet, for sure.  I hope you and Bob have a nice time together, too.  It sounds like he will be pretty busy, but you have given yourself plenty of fun stuff to do.  I hope you get some of your genealogy research done.  Have fun spending time with your daughter. 

I had requested prayer awhile back on FB for a friend of mine's son.  He had been in a one-person car accident and was in a coma, with major swelling on his brain.  Yesterday his lung collapsed, and things started happening with him that didn't look good for him.  He died this morning.  He was in school with my older son, while his brother was in school with my daughter.  I taught their cousins (a brother and sister) in elementary school, too.  I feel so sad for Jordan's mom and family.  Her name is Julie. 

Once again, thank you for the support and encouragement about my granddaughters.  Sometimes I just want to give in and get a police office to go with me to the mom's house and ask to see those girls.  But that's just me thinking but not actually following through and making things more heated.   

Yes, you are right! Where has the time gone this summer?  I hope you get those things done today and tomorrow that you are hoping to do.  Hope your evening is great.  Talk to you tomorrow!

Julie   

[golotomer]

Julie,

I'm so sorry to hear about the boy that died.  So sad to have a life cut short so young. 

I took the little one with me yard saling yesterday.  She found a real tambourine, an American Tourister child's rolling suitcase, a wind up musical clown that moves its head while the music is playing and a couple of shirts.  She announced, quite emphatically, that she LOVES shopping. 

I guess the SD is having a yard sale here today.  Her aunt is coming to help her so I'll be here at the house with them all day.  Sort of awkward.  I have laundry and packing to do so I'll try to just stay out of the way. 

It's much cooler here now than it has been.  I'm sure we'll get some Indian summer by the end of October.  I remember many sweltering fall days in this area. 

I know you feel like just doing what you have to do to see those girls but you have to tread lightly until your son comes home, as hard as that will be to do.  I feel so badly for him coming home to such an emotional mess when he should be coming home to sheer joy. 

Rushing this morning so I'll cut this short.  Enjoy your day. 

[jcribb16]

Hi Kim,

It sounds like little one had a most wonderful time shopping with you, lol!  She got some neat things, for sure.  That was a great opportunity for the two of you to spend some bonding time together.  I'm glad she had fun.  Hey, I would have had fun, too!

Hope the yard sale went okay and that things weren't too awkward.  Hopefully you were able to get your things ready to go out of town.  Once a year, this whole (small) town and surrounding counties have a day of "garage-type" selling that set out their things to sell.  They are everywhere on the sidewalks, the corners, warehouses, yards - it's amazing to me!  They never did anything like that where I lived in the big city - just individual garage sales and/or neighborhood sales.  But up here, people plan for this day and spend the whole day canvassing these sales.  A lot of them will continue on the next day (Sunday) as well.

It was cooler here today, too!  It went down to the upper 50s this morning and up to close to 80 today.  That is so much better!!!  I agree with you, though, there are always a few Indian summer days waiting around the corner.  Where we did live in Jacksonville, FL, it was common to have warm and balmy weather on Thanksgiving and even Christmas.  Yuck, it's supposed to be cold, right?  At least where we are now, it's a little more seasonal with the cooler weather on those holidays.

Enjoy your Sunday before having to leave Monday.  I'm glad you are going on this trip.  I want you to have a great time!!  Talk to you later.

Julie   

[golotomer]

Julie,

No the yard sale was a bust.  She only made about 20 dollars and had spent 10 advertising.  She really has a lot of nice little girls clothes too so it's a shame to have to put them back into storage or to give them away.  I think she should maybe take them and put them in sets, take photos and sell them in lots of maybe 5 outfits on ebay.  I don't know if she has time to fool with them though and I'm not going to take on the task as I have my hands full with school and now this genealogy book. 

I personally love yard sales and especially the community type.  I used to take my little red wagon and go to all of the sales in our neighborhood.  It was a yearly event.  I didn't like having my own sale during that time because it prevented me from visiting all the neighbors goodies. 

I just stayed out of the way yesterday and did laundry and things around the house.  I haven't started packing but will do that today.  I worked on my genealogy files a long time yesterday.  My computer room looks like a command center.  I have two full-size monitors going, one on my regular computer and one running from my little netbook.  The netbook, only 7 inches, makes three monitors.  I really need to take a picture of this work in progress.  It's going to be a while for sure.   

We haven't turned the heat on yet but I did put on socks and shoes and throw a cape on while I wasn't moving around yesterday.  No more running outside in the bare feet to empty trash or make a run to the car.  We have been known to have rather warm days at Thanksgiving and Christmas too but probably not like Jacksonville.  I remember the kids riding their new bikes one year on Christmas day and it was really warm.  On the other side of the coin I remember being snowed-in on Thanksgiving.  One never knows.