Tempest Fuget!

Wow! Can you believe that it's almost July?! Summer's half over. Yikes. I'm still Spring cleaning. I figure I should be done by the end of Summer! That should take care of the Fall cleaning. It's a win-win situation!

Today I'm going to clean out the kitchen cupboards; the kitchen will then be done. Got to defrost one of the freezers today; do the other tomorrow and start cleaning the utility room. All I'll have left then is the family room which is going to be a major job. But it'll be very nice when it's finished.

BH just mowed the lawn again yesterday. Lots of rain since last week; the coming weekend it's supposed to rain everyday. That just might put a damper on July 4th fireworks! It's going to be nuts at work that weekend, too. We are totally booked. Where do people find the money?! I can't believe there's that many people who still have usable credit cards! hahaha

I've been managing to get in an hour's worth of spinning every day. Trying to finish the Merino. I have about an ounce or two left. No knitting done. I've given up on that until Fall. The shawl I was working on needs to be frogged -- again! I guess the "knitting pixies" are telling me this is not the time.

I went to my storage tote to get another bobbin and low and behold --- I find 4 bobbins of plied yarn that I need to get skeined and washed! Holy crap! I forgot all about them. What a nice surprise! I do believe this yarn will be knitted into the "Horseshoe Cap", a pattern that was in the summer SpinOff magazine. I love the look of the hat; can't wait to try it out. But not now. This is not the time. Fall is best. "Knitting Pixies".

Getting Back to It..........

Well, we need to get back to life, such as it is. Apparently we had quite a bit of rain while we were gone. The grass was about 8" high. BH started mowing on Monday, then it rained. He mowed again Monday night; mowed Tuesday, then it rained; mowed after supper. He was going to finish up today but ------ it rained -- all day. Good grief!! I did manage to get the weedwhacking done last evening; pulled weeds from the flower beds and put up the fence for the wild flowers. They are getting very tall and bushy. And it looks like rain for the next 4 days! Crap.

Today it was grocery shopping, pick up things at the hardware store and the Dollar store. And we had a good supper. Haven't had one for a couple of weeks.
Ham steak in brown sugar glaze, baked sweet potatoes, peas/carrots and pineapple chunks. Yum!

Yesterday I started the new curtains for the dining room. Got 3 pair done today; working on the double pair for the front window. They look good so far. I'm making tab curtains instead of shirred. I have got to get these done.

I also put together new picture frames. This is very time consuming. I planned on changing the family pictures around, getting rid of some, adding new ones. Then I find out the frames I bought last month aren't going to do the job. I need ones totally different ------ hence the trip to the Dollar store. I also decided to do different groupings. This is going to be a challenge! I did get Mom and Dad's portrait in a new, beautiful frame and hung it on the wall, along with my Dad's parents portraits and a picture of my grandma on my Mom's side.
The kids school pix will be downsized and put into collage frames instead of individual ones. Then I want to do collage frames of candid family photos.

I also need to sew the topper for the kitchen window and clean the cupboards.
Then I MUST defrost the freezers! Holy crap. Penquins could live in my freezers!

New windows are in the family room, thanks to our son who installed them. He did a great job and I love them! Now I have to clean them so I can get my curtains back up. We also have to put new screening in the air conditioner (a long story -- don't buy cheap air conditioners!) and get that back in the new window. Hopefully before another 87 degree day with 100% humidity!!

And then there's the regular house cleaning. I can't believe the dust that accumulates even when no one is in the house for 2 weeks. Gotta get that done. I go back to work Friday.

I also received my daughter's paperwork in the mail for her medical coverage recertification. That needs to be filled out, only I have to get some documents from her and make copies. That means a trip to her apartment. Don't know yet if I will stay with her for a couple of days or bring her here this weekend. Papers have to be back by July 8.

Then for the near future -- I have to wash down the utility room, shampoo the rugs, wash down the family room, shampoo the furniture and paint the room. All this should see me through the rest of the summer!

On a more serious note, it occurs to me through the day - every day - that I have not grieved for my dad. Oh, I've had quick bouts with tears. But inside I feel that if I was not keeping busy, I really need to break down and cry for a while. I know it will happen. I see his picture, the furniture he made me, the camper he and mom stayed in when they visited; I remember him being here. I think of Mom at home and wonder what she's doing and thinking without him there, now that us kids have gone back home. She does have my sister and 2 brothers and my son to look after her, so this is positive.

I know I'm going to miss Pop terribly; I will think of him every day many times; I do now. But I thank God that his suffering was short lived and we were with him at the end. He came into the world with a loving family and he exited the world with his loving family by his side.

My prayers go out to all who have lost a loved one. The sorrow will ebb, the memories will heighten, and the love will endure. Peace.

An Ending and A Beginning.......

We came home this evening about 6:30 from NY. My father passed away on June 10 at 2:30pm. We made it to my parents' home at 10:30 that morning; we had 4 hours with him, though he didn't know it. His illness was terminal; the time diagnosis went much quicker than anyone expected. May 26 he was given 3 to 6 months; on June 2, it was "a few weeks" and on June 8, it was 3 to 4 days.

All his kids made it home; some of the grandchildren did not. One granddaughter came in from Hawaii; one from Las Vegas. One son and wife and grandson from Seattle; one son, wife, granddaughter, grandson and great-grandson from Minneapolis; husband and I from northern Minnesota; one son and wife and their 3 kids from Massachusetts. The others still live in NY.

All family, old and young; brothers, in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews; former co-workers; neighbors past and present; and every neighborhood kid who had ever stepped into my parents' home, friends of my brothers and sister for 40 years -- and there were dozens of them -- came to pay their respects to my father.

The wake was beautiful; the funeral mass exceptional. Pop was given a military salute by 2 Navy representatives because of his service during WWII. Mom was presented with the American flag.

My father could not have been more honored and respected if he had been a wealthy man or a well known politician. We were all honored. If he could see the throngs of people and the beautiful solemn arrangements made to pay him homage, he would've been quite embarrassed --- and then very proud of his family. And I know he DID see it all. Not physically, but spiritually.

Mom held up very well. She is doing well. I know there will be days and nights when she misses him very much - they were married for 61 1/2 years. But I hope that knowings her kids are always there for her will help eleviate some of the loneliness.

I know Pop is so proud of us all -- as we have been of him all of our lives, but never more than when he peacefully, humbly and graciously left our world for his eternal world, and left us with all our memories of him to last our lifetime.

Love you, Pop.

Say It With Me.....95.......9..5......

Yes, dear friends, today it was 95 degrees in Minneapolis. And though we are 3 hours north, we had 88 degrees. The weather guy said Mpls. hasn't seen this temp on this date since 1897! Holy crap! It is waayy to early for this kind of heat! The humidity is about 70. More to come tomorrow.

I came home from work today to find all the windows still open (I am an optimist), the fans still going on "low" and the A/C not ON!! BH has been home all day - most of the time in the house. What is WRONG with him??!! I proceeded to shut the windows, turn the fans up high and power on the A/C. We still have one more air conditioner to put in the window in the family room. Tomorrow. Definitely tomorrow. Would have done it today, but he was so tired (from the heat, no doubt) and we had grocery shopping to do. A LOT of grocery shopping. Son, his friend and our grandson are coming up Friday night for a weekend of fishing. We also have to pick up daughter as she wants to come home for the weekend, too.

This means lots of cooking, baking and BBQing. I sure hope the weather cools down a lot by Friday! Geezzz.

How's the Spring cleaning going, you ask. Glad you asked. I did manage to get the 2 ceilings painted and the dining room carpet shampooed. And the shades ironed and put back on the windows --- since last Tuesday(?). Then it all came to a screaching halt.

I don't know what is going on with BH, but I can't get anything done. I love to work around the house in the evening. This is my favorite time. But I'm hearing "you're not doing any more tonight?" "that's enough for today; you've done enough" "you're doing too much". Aarrgghhh. I want to get this done! Cleaning is low on my totem pole and when I'm in the mood, I want to keep at it til it's done!! I have other important (fun) things I want to do with my free time!

Now we'll have company for the weekend. No big whoop. We're going to be swamped at work, too. But I swear, come Tuesday night and Wednesday and Thursday, nobody better get in my way!

We still don't have the pool up yet. Yeah, can you imagine. Hot, humid temps for the past 4 days ----- no pool! The water would've felt like bath water by now!

Of course, with all this humidity and the thunderstorms we had yesterday, the grass needs to be cut again --- and weedwhacking too. Good grief!

Oh yeah. The shawl I've been working on. I finished up 1 ball of yarn, got about 8". I have 4 balls of yarn totaling about 13 ounces. You guessed it. Not going to be enough. This will be ripped out when I am in a more peaceful state. As of now, I took another ball and started over again. Less stitches so it won't be soooo wide; bigger needles. After I finish this ball, if it still doesn't figure out right, I'm chucking the whole thing. By that time, I should be able to get back to spinning. And no, I did not finish the sock yet, either. Right now I'm tempted to put all the knitting away until Fall. When it's cool. And my house is all clean and organized. And BH will be watching the World Series in the evenings.

Sounds like a plan!

Back At It.......

This has been a wonderful 4 days. I have gotten so much accomplished, I amaze even myself!

Went back to work today. It was great having a few days off after getting home from NY.

Got the yardwork done. Scrubbed down the dining room yesterday; did the kitchen ceiling tonight. Tomorrow I can paint both ceilings. Get the screens and windows washed; wash all the katchkis and finish cleaning the kitchen. BH cleaned the fans for me tonight. He's soooo good.

Today we were in the 80's!! Holy cow --- I think we better get the pool up very soon and get the air conditioners set up. What beautiful weather.

While I'm wading in gallons of Spic and Span with a spritz of 409, I'm daydreaming of the time to come when I can finally get back to spinning! I dream of my days off, evenings, BH gone fishing for the whole day ---and I can spin to my heart's content! I think this gives me the extra zap of energy to keep pushing to get this tedious housework done.

I have been knitting, though. I manage to get about an hour every morning before the routine of the day begins. I did start that shawl before we left for our trip. Nice easy pattern; 4 pattern rows. Nothing I haven't done before. I've knitted many sweaters with hardly any trouble. What could go wrong, right?

HAH! I ripped the damn thing out 6 ----yes, 6 times. Then I decided, ok, maybe this isn't the "mindless" knitting I thought it would be. Went to the stitch book, picked out another pattern. Ah, the Trinity stitch. I've done that many times. It's easy!

HAH! Somehow, my bobbles weren't staggered as they were supposed to be; kept lining up on top of each other! Riippppp. Again. Rrriiippp. Again. Rrriippp.
Switched to bigger needles; switched to circular needles. Finally! I now have about 2 1/2 inches knitted. All the while, the second red sock is sitting on the table and I can hear " you should've finished me first. I'm almost done; 2 more rows and then the toe. You could've had another pair of socks done. But Noooo. You had to start something new!"

I really, really need to get back to spinning!

There's No Place Like Home..............

Hello, one and all! There truly is no place like home. I can't tell you how many times I clicked my heels together.....

Our visit was not as long as we had thought it would be. Found out that my dad had no appointments after that Friday. The Doctor had put a hold on everything until Pop goes for a CAT scan tomorrow.

But I did take Mom out on a couple of errands; to the salon, grocery shopping. We could only spend the morning and early afternoon with them; then it was nap time and my dad was worn out. We didn't see them much in the evenings.

We stayed at my sister's house, which is about 25 minutes from my parents'. We felt very comfortable, but it's not home. You still feel that you're putting people out.

And our son was very happy to see us. But then again, he didn't know we were coming until the last minute, so he couldn't arrange to get time off from work. And our daughter-in-law works full time days, waitresses on the weekends and goes to college week nights. So..... Did see the grandsons a few times.

My hip finally, finally felt much better by last Saturday. I was taking ibuprophen as often as I could while driving to NY and for a couple days after we arrived.

So we told the family on Tuesday that we were leaving the next day. No body seemed all that disappointed, which was a good thing. We got home Thursday evening. It rained all the way home, but that was nice, too.

Then it started......

Messages on the phone. 2 from the brother of our friend who is now in a nursing home. He wanted us to bring her storage containers to her apartment because his family was coming up Saturday to clean out her place. We are 4 containers short because she had told us to go ahead and use them, give them to the kids, whoever needed them. Yikes!! Oh great!

Trip to Walmart on Friday to buy containers. (Walmart is an hour away from home ----- and we just drove 1200 miles in a day and a half!) Well, then, we might as well go grocery shopping on the way home ----- after we drop off the containers at her apartment.

Saturday was a beautiful day! I have not called into work yet to tell them I'm back. I really need this weekend to catch up on everything. Cleaned the house; weedwacked the areas outside. Decided I would clean the flower beds and bring out all the yard ornaments on Sunday. Which is what I did today; another gorgeous day!

Mountains of laundry; pay the bills; file daughter's paperwork. Called work this afternoon to let them know I'll be coming in tomorrow.

Tomorrow.......fans need to be cleaned; air conditioners set up (we're supposed to be in the high 80's by next weekend). Windows need to be washed outside.

And BH is going to putty, scrape and paint the living room and utility room windows outside, but I said I could get at it. He's still working on getting the grass cut - tomorrow will be 3 days he's been mowing!

Then I really have to get the kitchen and dining room ceilings washed and painted; clean kitchen cupboards, wash down the walls.

Shooting to set up the pool either next weekend or the weekend after. We're not quite sure if we're going to move it to the other side of the house or set it up in the usual spot.

I still haven't been able to find the sheets I want to make the dining room curtains. Walmart is revamping the stores. Supposed to be done in a couple of weeks. Good. Because you can't find a damn thing! And the stock is here one week, gone the next. I know exactly what I want; they just never have enough of them in stock at one time! Geezz. Work with me, people!!

Then I think we'll be done for the most part. The living room needs to be painted, but I don't care if I get it done now or in the Fall. Oops, except I do need to shampoo the furniture. Damn. Ok, I'll get that done. Might as well wash the blinds and curtains while I'm at it. Crap. Might as well shampoo the carpet, too.

Ahhhh, there's no place like home!!

Leaving on a Road Trip......

Well, we're 90% packed and leaving tomorrow morning for NY. BH says 5:00am, I say 6am. We'll see.

House is cleaned and our bedroom finally put back together, laundry done, fridge cleaned out, bills paid, children notified.

My hip is still kind of wonky; still on ibuprofen. It helps A LOT! Funny, though, it doesn't seem to bother me when I'm driving. Just getting in and out of the car. That's a good thing.

I have 3 more rows on the second red sock before starting the toe decrease. But I know I need more knitting than that to take with me. So I started a shawl this morning. A simple pattern. I need mindless knitting for traveling. It has only 4 pattern rows. Easy enough, eh?

Mind you, I did try a triangular lacy pattern shawl. Ripped it 3 times before I realized this might not be the time to start that. I love the pattern, just couldn't get my head around the increases; kept winding up with one stitch too short! Aarrgghhh.

Oh well. I really wanted to knit that pattern for my future daughter-in-law as a wedding gift. I plan on spinning white merino with irridescent firestar glitz and pearl beads, 2-ply, fingering weight. I envision it will be beautiful! I will need to get started on the spinning soon! Thank God there's no wedding date yet. Son is dragging his feet. Don't know why. They've been together now for almost 5 years! Geezz, I don't think there's too much more you could know of a person that you don't already! I think I've gotta have a talk with him very soon.

Hope you all have a very productive, happy 2 weeks. I shall return.