Happy Birthday, Pop........

Today is my dad's birthday.  He would be 85.  It'll be 2 years this June that he passed away.  I miss him every day.

I miss his goofy jokes....."hold on, your father wants to talk to you" my mother would say at the end of our lengthy phone conversation.  He would get on the phone and say "geezz, I thought she'd never stop talking!"  and then he would proceed to tell me a few jokes.  Mostly ones he just read in the monthly Reader's Digest.  And I would laugh my arse off!!!   My father had a way of telling a joke ---- he's Irish, ya know.

Sometimes he would tell me of wood working plans he was thinking of.  He loved wood working.  One year his band saw burned out.  All of us kids (7 of us) got together and bought him a new one for Christmas.  Being that most of us live out-of-state, we left it to my sister and brother to pick it out.  My son went and got it from the store with his pickup truck and got it down to the basement without Pop seeing it.

On Christmas, we had our usual conference call so we could all be on the phone to tell him "Merry Christmas, Pop!"   He was soooo excited and thankful, you could almost "hear" the tears in his eyes.

I've been the recipient of many of those wood working plans.  I have a full size Colonial cradle (mom made dolls and stuffed animals, a mattress pad, pillow and comforter for the inside);   a corner hutch with glass doors and lighted shelves;  a scalloped china plate shelf with 2 drawers;  a 6-ft. long trestle Harvest table with 2 benches;  a couple of picnic tables, one with attached benches, the other with separated ones;  2 Adirondack chairs  and a blanket chest.

He and mom would bring them out to us when they visited in the Spring.  All pieces were unfinished ("I just build them, you finish 'em", he would tell me), but he would bring all the hardware I needed.  Once he brought me a can of stain/varnish he discovered that he thought worked "the nuts!"  Of course --- he always finished the pieces he made for Ma.  Oh ---- and it did work "the nuts!"

Pop, I miss you like crazy to this day.  And I suppose I will til the day I die.  I can't believe you're gone --- that you've been gone this long.  Everyday brings a memory from the past.   Love you!

Pop - 2 yrs. old   1929

19 yrs. old

50th Wedding Anniversary    1998

In Minnesota - 2005

Aaarrgggghhhhh!!........

After much wrangling, searching and......yes.......swearing a blue streak.......I found a way to get back to the old blogger form.  So everyone listed on the side bar that I read were back in place.  Ok. I'm happy now.

Don't know how I wound up on Google sites with YouTube predominant.  When I had to sign in, there were 3 different Google options - none said "return to blogger" and it didn't direct me there automatically when I signed in.

Well, I must've hit the wrong one because there I was.......in GoggleLand.  With no seeable way out.  Then I came upon"return to old blogger style".  Clicked it.  And here I am.

However, this morning, I clicked "new post" and it brought me to the funky new set up again!    Had to search around until the option of "return to old blogger style" was found.

This makes me very angry.  I do not like complications.  I do not like the powers that be changing up the way things have been done.  And I most certainly do not like  getting an eerie feeling that the computer has been hacked and I'm in a duplicate but fake site.

That's all I know.  Thank you, Rani, for your input and help.

Anywho........yesterday was a gorgeous day! Little on the cool side, but sunshine all day.  We went to an auction.  BH saw that there was a boat with all the trimmings, similar to his, and wanted to see how much it went for.  As we are selling his this year.  And in the meantime, I found a couple of things to bid on.  Of course.

The thing about auctions is it's a whole day!  You're there from early morning til sometimes supper time.  And there's no guarantee that the item you waited all day for is going home with you.  There's always someone with more money.  Always.  Personally, I'd rather go to a yard sale.  It's there.  You want it.  You buy it.  You take it home.  It's yours.  End of story.  But I digress......

So there's a dorm room style fridge with a brushed aluminum door.  Perfect for son's "Man Cave" in his new home.  Then we spot a portable floor air conditioner!  And it's a Haier!  For those who may remember last summer's fiasco with the new A/C we bought (off-brand), this was a dream come true!  I can now dump that stupid one from last year.  We do have another Haier that we've had for 5 years now.  Love it!!  Never given us a days trouble. So...this one is on the list.

Then at the end of the aisle, I spot it.  OMG!!  Just what I've been looking for......an adjustable dressmaker's mannequin.  OMG!!!  My toes are tingling!  (Actually, it didn't have to be adjustable; any mannequin would do.  This was "Bonus!")  Now I"m all antsy, jittery...."come on, come on, hurry up;  get down here....."

Well, we lost the dorm fridge.  Bid went up to $80.  Hell, you can buy them new for $100.  My limit was $50, but was hoping for $20 or $30.  But we did win the A/C!!   A $400 unit for.......drum roll, please.......$55.00!   Yep.  We are prouder than peacocks!!  There was just 1 other bidder who quit.

Not so lucky on the mannequin.  Me and 1 other bidder.  I went to $75.00.  He......yes......he  went to $80.  He was standing behind me. I didn't see who my competition was til the winning bid.  I turned around and here's this guy....6'4", 220#, burly, about 36 years old....and he non-chalantly takes the mannequin from the auctioneer.....right in front of me!!   I was crushed.  This is the second time a man has won a "woman" item at an auction.

BH says "maybe he bought it for his wife; it's a birthday gift".  (He's sooooo naive!)  "NO", says I.  "He's going to use it for target practice in the backyard!  A***hole!!".    Yeah.  I don't take losing very well.

Well, anyway, we did ok.  BH won a circular saw for $2.50.  So he was very happy.  Oh.  And the boat/trailer/motor went for $1700.00.   So at least he has a good idea what to ask for his outfit.

Today is rain off and on all day.  Good day for spinning and knitting.  And anticipating the summer.  When we can set up our almost-new Haier A/C!!!!  Along with it's mate.  Life doesn't get any better.

Have a great weekend, all!

This May Be the End.........

Help! While signing into blogger this morning (for some reason, I have to sign in more than not lately - I don't ever "sign out" - sooooo??????), I was taken to a funky Google site.  Everything has changed.  I don't like the new "Post" page.  I think I'm now hooked up to "You Tube".  They have most of the blogs I follow, but also some blogs I deleted a very long time ago!

Does anyone know what is going on?  Am I in the right place?  Did Blogger get all mixed up with Google now?  I have to go through all of Google's sites? 

Thank you in advance to anyone who can help me out here.  I do not like a lot of Google sites and don't want to be permanently linked to them by default.  If that's the case, then it's "Goodbye"  from "Sheepishly Speaking".  It was nice while it lasted.

Rollercoaster........

Yes. It's April.  The weather is a rollercoaster ride.  70's, 80's then 20's, 40's; back up to 50's, 60's; down to 30's, 40's........you get the picture.  Mixed with  sun-filled days, beautiful evenings.....to tornado-like winds, torrential rains, cold/damp temps, and now....we've had a bit of a snowstorm overnight.  Yes.  Snow.  Not to mention the winds are blowing about 40 mph from the NE.  And then it's supposed to be in the mid 40's today.

Saturday we visited our elderly friends.  I made an apple coffee cake the night before for the occasion.  We got to their home about 10:00am and ate, drank coffee and talked for 2 hours.   The husband will be going to the VA Retirement Home within the month.  His health has been declining for a couple of years, but seems to have hit the gas pedal this past year.  He can barely walk, doesn't know anyone but his wife, not even their 3 daughters.  So sad.  He used to be the most active person we knew.  He was the realtor who sold us our house.  He has no idea who we are - or that we bought the house from his client.  He will be 84 next month.

She, of course, is worn to a frazzle.  She rarely sleeps.  She needs to be ever on alert for him.  She was telling us that she can barely get out of the house to take care of business because he can make it to Senior Day Care only 2 days a week now instead of 5 days.  He's generally too weak.  She will be 78 in the Fall.  

And there go we but for the grace of God.  God bless them both and give them peace.

Wednesday I have to go to daughter's.  She has her annual re-certification for her apartment. Gotta gather all the financial records.  Then on Thursday we have the semi-annual meeting with the Independent Living group.  Geezz, I hate meetings.

So I'll stay overnight at her apartment Wednesday.  I'm taking some upholstery material.  We're going to recover the seats on her kitchen chairs.  Maybe I'll get her curtains washed and ironed, windows washed and blinds cleaned.

Did I mention I've been spinning a raspberry colored Shetland roving?  No?  Well, yep, I have.  And it's been going very. very. slow.  What the heck is up with processed wool having all this VM and grit running through it???  This is the 4th batch of Shetland (different providers, different years) like this.  I can't believe it!  It's very aggravating.  Not to mention is does nothing for the mojo.

Started the second sleeve of the denim blue sweater.  I was tempted to attach the finished sleeve, but talked myself out of it.  Because that would be inviting trouble --- of course, one sleeve would wind up bigger/smaller than the other.  The Fair Isle patterning looks pretty good; I hope the sleeve matches with the patterning on the yoke.  I'm kinda making this up as I go along.  So if it turns out I'll be one ecstatic knitter!!  If not, it'll get put away until I can find the heart and energy to rip it.

I intentionally made the sweater smaller than I've ever made any sweater.  I like 'em BIG!  I hate tight fitting shirts and sweaters.   But I really have to start thinking "small".  Or at least "small-er".  BH has been after me to sell my handknits next Fall.  So I need to start knitting for the small to average size person.  Not just for my own size.  Which will not be discussed right now.  Just think "Big".

And for the no-brainer knitting, there's a pair of socks in the works.  Actually, the cuff of the first of the pair is being worked on.  This is what will go with me to daughter's.  Just in case we decide not to do any cleaning til next time.  After we get the chairs re-covered.  Maybe when we come back from eating supper somewhere.

You gotta have a "Plan B".

A Happy Blessed Easter To All

Another Holiday......Must be Time to Clean the House........

So Easter is upon us.....I guess the house should be cleaned.  I can't be emphatic enough about how I hate housecleaning.  Been doing it for 50 years (no joke!).....egads, that sounds horrible.....50 years.

Yes, that was the foray into womanhood....learning to clean house and it becoming a regular chore by the age of 12. (no joke!).  Laundry was learned at 9 yrs. of age....from my grandmother....who thought it was time I learned the how-to's of the washing machine......while my mother was in the hospital, having just given birth to my 5th sibling.  But I digress........

Holidays are getting to be a pain in the arse.  Sorry.  But they are.  Besides getting the house ready, there's the menu to plan, groceries to be bought (which one meal's worth equals the grocery bill for a month), cooking, baking and clean up.  Then, of course, there's the "purgatory" of not knowing who's going to show up because no one can get their act together to give you a definite "yes" or "no".

Ahhh, but this holiday, there's only 1 kid coming for dinner.....I think.  And if he doesn't make it, then it'll be just BH and me.  With a full course meal I didn't want to make in the first place and my dream of going out to dinner and taking a lovely ride through the country, making a nice relaxing day of it, just the 2 of us,... shattered.......again.

Used to be when the grandkids were small that I really looked forward to holidays like this.  Easter was the full course meal with a special dessert, baskets made for all and an Easter egg hunt, which thrilled the kids because the eggs were filled with money.

But they're all grown up now and the families have their own agendas.  Not to mention that most of them live 3 hours away (that's 6 hours of driving here and home), and Monday is a work day for them.  So forget about staying here overnight.

Oh the Easter candy is still purchased.  BH loves his Easter basket!!  Looks forward to it every year.  The good thing is......it used to cost at least $50 for everyone's candy.  Now I can get away with $20!!  He's definitely worth $20.    But there are no dozens of colored eggs....6 will do just fine.

So today will  be house cleaning.   Because.....well, just because.....it's the Easter holiday.

Wishing you all a very blessed and peaceful Easter!