So - how've your days been lately?

It poured this morning.  It was an old-fashioned rain.  I awoke with the blinds still drawn to the sounds outside, so I peeked out.  It was really coming down.   We haven't had such rain in a long time.  I think the difference is - being a Snowbird - we're not in Fla. for the rainy season.  And we've had a pretty dry world up here since we've been here.

 I went to Curves this morning.  I found a small lime green umbrella in the back seat of the car that hadn't ever been used.  I didn't even know how to open it up correctly because it had a different type of catch on it and I had to work at it for a while to make it stay open.  It was still pouring when I left Curves to go to the grocery store.  Good thing I had the umbrella even if it  dripped a lot in the store. And it was raining very hard when I came out.

 When I came home, I left the umbrella open in the garage to dry.  Unfortunately, Paul didn't see it, and he didn't  have the green umbrella when he went to Walmart this afternoon because I forgot to mention it.  He did find a larger one in the trunk though.  Good thing.  It was still pouring.  So it worked out.   

We're still a one-car family. After seven weeks, we got some calls last week.  Now I must say, we had to wait a long time for an insurance inspection to be done.  Then they said parts were only delivered on Friday, so of course, if the parts didn't come in, you'd have to wait a whole week more for them. 

Last Wednesday we were told the car would be ready on Thursday.  They didn't call.  Then we were told Friday it would be ready.  It wasn't.  They said. . . Monday.  It didn't happen.  Today. . . Tuesday, they promised us.  Nope.  It didn't happen again.  Lots of stupid reasons to me (a headlight that wasn't put in properly, I really should have kept track of the reasons.  That one stuck out.) Today's reason was the car hood wasn't latching properly because it had been out in the wind and they needed to fix it.  I'd like to retaliate, but Paul has the cooler head.  Which is darn good. 

I'm windowshopping in my mind. . .

Perhaps we could get on  - Angie's List.  For those of you who don't know what Angie's List is:  it's a list of local businesses you can find on the internet.  People give their comments about local businesses as to whether they're happy or not with how they're treated.   It's a good place to find good people. 

Angie's list(s) are all over the country, but it only is relevant to local businesses.  Companies are not allowed to advertise on there, so it's all dependent on whether you've been treated well by a business or not.  Not happy that it's taken seven weeks so far for us to get it back.  Actually we haven't gotten it back yet, so it may be more.  That's how I see it.

I'm going to get off all this griping and complaining.  Enuf is enuf!  Yes.  I know how lucky I am. 

I am so proud of my daughter, Nancy.  On a whim, she took the two kids (age 6 and almost 2) on a plane to Los Angeles from Chicago  to visit an old friend Adi, whom she hadn't seen in 8 years! Adi had been one of her bridesmaids.   Her thinking was - Evie was not yet two, so she could travel free.  Nancy is four and a half months pregnant, and with the new baby coming in February, she didn't know  when she'd be able to travel as easily or as cheaply!

Adi has two sons and a daughter.  Now, I may get the ages not quite right, but from what I remember, Adi has an older boy (9) and another son within a couple of months of Vincent. (6) And a daughter four months older than Evie.  Nancy put a picture on Facebook of Evie and the little girl, and she thought we'd enjoy seeing mini Adi and mini Nancy coloring together.  Cute as can be!  I was pleased that Adi and her mother wanted to be remembered to me. 

So - that's what's happenin' at the Woods Edge.  What's happenin' in your neck o' the woods?

Possibilities

Seems like things are changing.   

 Summer is certainly fading away. I usually mourn that.   Our thoughts are to the future months, and our other life. (Florida)   There'll  still be some warm days here,  but  the nights are colder, the days smell like fall, don't look like fall yet. I know why I'm glad I'm not a teacher.  Or have to work.  Yes. I remember the couple of past posts when I yearned for the teaching profession - but this month is beautiful!   Paul had a fire out in our firepit, out by his shed, and we took lawn chairs and sat and watched it.  It's practically hypnotizing. 

 What a treat to have the temp around 70 and be able to still go outside without a jacket.  Although, sometimes in the mornings you might need one.  Labor Day really is the point where our Fall weather begins.  It's like a page has been turned.  Onward!

Paul's been working on something:  We're planning on staying south this Christmas and not returning here til Spring.  But, we're hoping to get the family together someplace in the southlands.  Some place where the family can meet and be together for the holidays. It'd probably be between Christmas and New Years. 

It's all in the planning stages, but Paul is in the midst of looking at possibilities, looking at that, thinking. . . what if. . . where can we . . . how about . . . why not. . .    Great ideas.  I have been his sounding board.   Nothing I wish to share with you as yet, but he's working hard at the possibilities.   Nothing's in stone.

Paul is nursing a bad cough.  We went to the doctor, thinking it may be bronchitis, but doesn't seem so.  He has medications he's taking but the cough is persisting.  Maybe we're just not patient enough.  We went on Monday and it's  Friday - four days of medication.  He has ten days to complete.    We're going to take it easy this weekend.  We had hoped to go to a family reunion in western Pennsylvania, but it will not be happening.  It is what it is.

Paul's car was supposed to be ready yesterday.  It wasn't.  No big surprise there.  We're hoping for today.  It'll be great to have two cars again.  In fact, it will be stupendous.  Now Paul says, they say Monday.  One part is still missing. . . Say, what???

This week has flown by.  Carol O. came for a short visit Wednesday and stayed overnight.  We had a great gab fest.  And took a walk at the mall.  Stopping in our favorite store up here - CJ Banks.

 Carol's due for another knee replacement on the 25th of this month.  She knows what she's in for, and knows how great her replacement knee has been, so that may have eleviated some of the stress.

  Her sister, Patti, is coming down from Rochester to help her out, and then Carol will go back with her and stay at some nursing facility in Rochester, nearby, for rehab.  It's all been planned with great forethought. 

She even signed up for the handicap car on the auto-train, when she heads south for Florida in January.   Great planning, Carol! Enough time has passed then that she should be able to enjoy being a Snowbird.  The possibilites are endless.  Are you going to take up tennis???  Perhaps play a little golf.  Circlewoods has a golf league, you know. 

I called Brother Bob on his cell phone last night at cocktail hour.  We talked via speaker phone.  He
was at our house having cocktails with Bill and Epril. What a wonderful surprise, and how great he sounded!   I had thought he'd return to Carol and John's house, but evidently he's doing well enough to be on his own. 

Saw Lue and her sister Sharon yesterday for lunch at Chef's. Good food.  Paul and my bill came to $7.50 together.  At the Harvest Cafe, it usually costs a 20 dollar bill.  It has very slow service, about a 40 - 50 minute wait, but excellent food   Lue looked well.  We're all going to her granddaughter's wedding in October.  That'll be near Boston.  Then we'll meet her little great grandson, Robert. 

Well - time to fold the wash, etc. 

How're things goin in your neck o the woods?

Problems solved.

Problem #1 -  Remember I wrote last time about the spam one of my friends was getting with my name on it - I got an e-mail from my son suggesting I change my password, so I did.  It's one of the passwords that I never ever use and couldn't remember what it was.

  After Paul and I spent some time finding the steps to do it,  and locating the old password, we were able to change it.  BTW I can remember when I first got my first computer.  It was cautioned to change passwords every so often.  Well, I didn't do it.   Now, the problem should be solved.  Knock on wood.

The new password is in a safe place.  I know I shouldn't write it down, but what else can you do?  Luckily I did write it down, the first time.  Years ago.  What a pain.  But a lesson learned.

Problem #2 - I think I talked about last Sunday when I played the piano at the Bath church, but I don't think I wrote about the "before-hand" part that really got me agitated.  And inwardly laughing.

  I got up, leaving plenty of time to take a shower, wash my hair, blow dry it, use the curling iron on it, get dressed.  And if I may say so myself, I looked pretty darn good.

 I had originally planned to wear an outfit that I really loved, but it was way too big for me, hooray,  so I went online and ordered the exact same outfit BUT a size smaller.  And on sale - half-price.

 So, Saturday, the day before,  I had hemmed the new pair of black pants (petite) that was a smaller size than I had been wearing.  Can you believe that I had to take 4 1/2" off the hem?  And that was a petite!  But anyway - I digress.  On with the story. . . .

 I looked really good.  Then I sprayed my hair.  The spray felt different. How stupid can you get?  Well I'll tell you. . .  I'd  used bath cleaner spray!

Oh, no.  I went in to Paul who was in the kitchen reading the Sunday Paper, and I told him what I did.  God Bless him -  He didn't laugh, but he told me what I knew I had to do, but didn't want to do.  I had to get in the shower, and start all over again.  The next time, I surely used the hairspray.  Incidentally, my hair didn't look as good.  It didn't curl as well. 

 As we were hurrying to leave, I looked at the label of the bath cleaner, and it said - do not make contact with skin.  If so, flush with water for 20 minutes.  Don't be ridiculous - there was no time to do that.  Before I washed my hair again, it had the same smell as permanent wave solution which would have certainly turned people off.  No hugs.  I was glad to get rid of that smell. 

 Also I was thinking  that perhaps  it would take the color (only your hairdresser knows) out of my hair.  That would have been interesting as I don't know what my hair would look like natural.  And looking at the bright side. . .hahaha. . . .I didn't get any in my eyes.  It wouldn't have been very bright if that had happened.  Praise the Lord for that. 

Well, here I am again.  It's been a busy day or two - yesterday I went to the luncheon for the retired teachers and had a wonderful time.

I started off for Corning - a half hour trip, and one of the warning lights appeared on the dashboard, so I stopped the car at the nearest spot, took out the manual, found the light icon, and called Paul. It said one of my tires needed air.  He said to come back home, which I did. 

Paul worked on the tires.  Meanwhile, I thought I should call someone at the luncheon to say that I would be late, so they wouldn't worry.

 So I went inside and found the only cellphone # I had which was for my good friend Rosemarie.  I called her and got her.  I could hear people talking in the background, so figured she was there already.  She asked if I knew where she was?  No. In Ireland. OMG.  We had a quick talk while I apologized. 

It was obvious, she wouldn't be at the luncheon.  I didn't know you could do that with cell phones.   Talk overseas.  You can see I'm quite naive about such things.

 I sat next to Pat, our retired phys. ed. teacher, and former union president.  She's been retired 11 years.  Me? 9.  She made the statement that - we didn't know it at the time, but we were probably teaching during the "Golden Age."  We had small classes, time to do what we wanted, available storerooms of material.  Most of our requests were granted.  I remember her as a wonderful teacher with a rye sense of humor.

On the other side of me, was the most recently retired teacher, Carole, who taught special ed. and was one of my cohorts.  She was able to tell us most about recent school and district-doings. 

Yesterday afternoon, I noticed my neighbor across the street was sitting in her drive-way looking over her kids, so I took Gracie over there and I had the chance to ask the little girl how her first day of kindergarten went.  She seemed excited about it, made a new friend, and said the sandwich her mother made for her was too big.  She's the oldest in the family of three, and her mom said she did okay.  (meaning herself).  Big  day for all. 

Gracie endured  the pettings of the little ones.  I was pleased with her behaviour.  Barley, the big, big, big dog across the street (weighs about 100 pounds) went by and wanted to play with her, but Kim, his owner, wouldn't let him.  She said he even cried.  Chloey, the 20 pounder next door was also out, and stayed away.  Everyone's afraid of harming Gracie.  And rightly so.

Received word from Paul that spam was sent out, in my name, to his sister-in-law, Alicia.  I am so sorry about that and apologize.  I think it was Facebook because that's the only social media of which I am a member. (other than this)  She said it was a spanish sounding name with a picture.  The picture wasn't described, but I hope it was okay.  Sometimes things can be so very unpleasant.  It makes me feel bad that these things can happen.
 
There is a lovely older lady (by ten years) who has the same name as my maiden and first name.  Spelled exactly the same.  We've corresponded a bit and it's been fun.  I've noticed things appearing with her name, and knowing that it was something she'd never send.  I've ignore it.  If anyone has any ideas about how to eliminate this problem, could you let me know? 

I'm sorry, Alicia.  Hope it doesn't happen again. 

So - what's happenin' in your neck o' the woods?

Nostalgia

Today is the first day of school here near the Woods Edge. 

In Chicago: My grandson, Vincent, starts first grade.  That's so exciting.  I wonder if Evie (2) feels left behind.   Next year she and her new brother will be watching. 

All Paul's grandchildren are headed to school today, or have been for a week or so.  Emma is in the beginning stages of college life.  Alaina is almost done.  DJ is.  What a great time.  They do say Youth is wasted on the young.  How true.  Ida, Lee, and Charles are at Odessa.  This is Lee's last year.  That in itself is a ritual of last times,  but also looking to the future:  looking at colleges, planning for life after.

 I heard the school bus go by our house, around the cul de sac, and come back, and stop across the street.  I was up but not dressed yet.  Paul held Gracie outside, and the two of them watched.   I peeked through the blinds in the bedroom and saw it all.  The kids getting on.  When it left, we could see the parents and young ones left behind. I imagine they'll be in their thoughts all day.  That's what happens everywhere - on the first day of school.

It seems like a long time ago that I was on the receiving end of those buses.  What memories. . . How exciting it was for the teachers too!

 I enjoyed my job because as reading/math teacher, I didn't have my own group of students, but could help out in the halls with the little ones who were shaken by these new surroundings and needed a grown-up to help them find their way.  There weren't many, but always a few.  Some. Somewhere.  Who needed a little guidance. 

Then there were the older students who would come up with a hug.  So glad to see me.  And vice versa.  Some of them I'd seen only a couple of weeks earlier at summer school.  The best part of being a reading/math  teacher was I'd have the same children for many years and got to know them very well.  As you can see, I miss that.   I'm glad I was fortunate to have a job I loved so much. 

Today, the teachers and I who've retired have our own celebration for the first day of school  - we meet for lunch and talk about how our lives are going.  I know some who go out for breakfast.  We all laugh and enjoy the time together, and we really do, but I think  we all remember the "good old days" and the cameraderie we had.  Life goes on.  Different, but good. . . .

So how're all of you doin?  What's going on in your neck of the woods?  I heard from Jennifer, Lue's daughter.  So nice to hear she'll be coming this Fall - to see all the colors and visit.