Ah.  I finally have time.  It's been a busy week.  Nothing seriously important, but little things that come into life and need to be attended to.

 I had mentioned to Nancy that it takes me longer to do things than it used to.  It's true.  This morning I completed four out of five things on my list.  One was Curves.  Didn't get there, but I did the other four - bills, making Gracie's appointment to get her KC (kennel cough) vaccination. 

I completed a form to have my monthly Circlewoods fee debited from my account.  I had done that originally, but the Association changed banks, so I needed to fill out new forms, and send it back in.  Did that too.  Plus sent in a check so that I'd have a back-up amount in my account with them.  The water bill came.  $75.  I think that's reasonable for Florida. 

Have you gotten a late-night (11:00) call recently?  Oops - Is something wrong?  Of all things,  I was using my blood pressure monitor in the kitchen at the time, and couldn't get to the phone, so Paul answered.  No problem - it was Epril wanting my recipe for Grandma Lotte's home-made brownies.  Today they're taking them with them when they  go on a day trip to visit some friends in Naples. My BP was high.  Took it a half hour later, and it went down.  A bit. 

 New Mind Rule - first thought:   late night calls are from them.  Not to be alarmed. Bill and Epril live on a different time schedule than we do.  He works nights, and she keeps him company . . . checking in with her relatives and friends in the Phillipines via computer and skype.  But . . . We're very glad she's got friends near her in Florida.  May they increase.

If you remember, we've been going through the process of trying to find someone to take care of Gracie in case we felt like  to go away for a while. We did find someone, and we do have a place to go: We're flying to California for Emma's Graduation.   The Puppy Patch "lead" led to someone who dog sits at her home. 

 We visited her last Sunday morning. This lady, Carol is a nurse-teacher at Elmira Heights High school, and pet-sits small dogs.  She has one also and he's used to other dogs being there. Gracie and he got along fine. Carol has a small house, but there's a fenced in backyard, with a doggy door of sorts. A neighbor walks the dogs  when Carol is working.  There's plenty of room to close off various parts of the house and yet it has an open feeling.

 Carol says her dog sleeps with her  and  if Gracie wanted, she can too.  (Gracie has her cage and feels comfortable in it.  But. . . who knows.) 

Sharon still offered to see how Flea, her young Boxer, and Gracie would get along.    There's quite a size difference between them. We're still going to take Gracie over to see Flea. A play date of sorts?   We'd like to use Sharon as an emergency back-up.

My hairdresser in Bath retired  last December.  I put it in the back of my mind til I got home and then started at a new one in Montour.  I like her.  She works with a barber, that Paul goes to.  Her shop is in the back with a partition between the barber and her.   Ruth and Lue use her too. 

Speaking of Ruth (but another one - my friend in Bath). . . Wednesday, I had to pick up some medical papers at my old doctor in Bath, so we arranged to meet at the Chat a Whyle Restaurant after I had my hair done in Montour.  Ruth's mother , who is 95, came along.  She's  staying with her right now. I'm not sure what happens when she goes back to her home up near Buffalo.  Ruth has sisters up near her,  and I think she stays in her home and they look in on her.  Ruth and Wes will be celebrating their 50th anniversary this June with a party at their Country Club.  It'll be good to see all their friends and family.  For many years, they included me for many occasions that I was alone.  They've been very good friends to me. 

I talked with Carol O. on the phone yesterday.  She had a good trip to Washington on the autotrain. She always stops at Matt's in Pennsylvania and stays overnight on the way home to Bath. This time she had to stay another day due to the snowstorm the Northeast had. All the schools were closed on Monday and the roads were pretty bad She had been home a while, but now she was back in Pennsylvania at her son Matt's  home.  She was invited to Grandparents' Day by her grandson Ryan. Age 6.    When she called me back on her cell, she was in a long line of cars  at the school .   .

Wednesday night we had such a good time! We went to the Clemens Center to see Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein, the musical.  We had really good seats - Row Q in the middle.  There wasn't anyone sitting in front of us at first, but some people moved over.  Luckily they were short!   The music wasn't all that great, but Puttin on the Ritz was hysterical with the monster dancing with the dancers.  The sets were wonderful and the costumes very creative and beautiful.  I had seen the movie, but Paul hadn't.  So I rented it.  It's very funny.  It should come next week.

Also - speaking of movies:  We can now share our Kindle books because we combined our accounts, so he read The Shawshank Redemption from my library.  I think Paul's seen the movie, but he doesn't remember it,  so  I also rented that DVD after Frankenstein.  We just finished Boardwalk Empire from HBO - first season.  Really good.  Very R rated though.  Not for the faint of heart.  I spent some time away from the tv. 

It's now 4:30 on a perfectly beautiful spring day.  The hills are that soft early green that I love so.  Paul has put new dark brown mulch around the trees and bushes out front and he's mowing the grass.  It's about 68 degrees.  We went to Walmart's mid-afternoon which is why this is getting published so late.  But it was so good to get out. 

So - how're things goin' in your neck o' the woods?