September started off with, well, lots of heat. We have had 90+ temperatures all week. And it will stay that way until the end of the week, when the county fair ends. That is a local tradition: it is always hot the week of the fair. I did manage to get out and run three mornings this week. And then I wonder what the point of showering is; I will only need one later. But out of respect for those that might come in contact with me, I shower.
Monday while Deborah was here we checked out her rental house so she could see the 'after' view in person. And the property manager found a renter for it before the week was over. That means one less lawn for me to mow! We also stopped at one of our rentals to see what needs to be done to put it on the market. Sandy has wanted to sell this particular house for some time, but we needed to wait until her year lease was up. Then we gave her plenty of notice and a rent break for the last month.
Now the work for me begins.
I spent the week back and forth getting this house ready to paint. Unfortunately, it required more cleaning than originally intended. And after only a couple of hours there it was obvious the AC was not working properly. Had my AC man come check it out; three ducts were disconnected under the house, probably the result of unwanted cats getting in there. How did the tenant not notice the lack of cooling, or a high energy bill?? By the week's end, it is ready for paint.
One of Rebecca's houses needed three interior doors replaced. No problem. Not so. It took me four hours to get the job done. Needed to trim three sides of the new doors. Doors of the '60s aren't the same size as today.
Friday afternoon we met with a realtor about the house we want to put on the market. He shared some interesting information about how to price a house for your anticipated market. Good information to remember in the future.
One of my church responsibilities is organizing the monthly temple trips. We have a number of people that can only attend on a Saturday. So we had one set up for yesterday; had 10 people and the required two drivers for the van. Then at 8 pm Friday night I received a call; one of the drivers was sick and two others were unable to go. Fortunately one of them was willing to drive and had room for all seven.And there was additional excitement; one of the 70+ year old men almost passed out in the temple. His blood pressure took a plunge; the temple personnel were able to assist him and he was able to make the drive home that night.
Today we sang 'Happy 8th of September' to my brother; he doesn't do birthdays anymore. But that did not stop me from making a chocolate cherry cake, nor him from eating it!
Our priesthood lesson today was taken from President Eyring's talk in the recent priesthood session on faith and sustaining of leaders. We had an interesting discussion on what it means to sustain leaders and the dire consequences associated with turning our backs on their counsel.
Sandy has been maintaining as best possible, Her energy level is slowing down and her feet are swelling, but her attitude is still good. One of the church members loaned us a smaller, light weight wheel chair that she is now using when going to church.
This Saturday we look forward to celebrating our 49 anniversary with a small reception at the house.
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Sunday, September 1, 2019
The Week That Was!
Monday I managed to run. Then was off to a rent house that had just vacated (they were able to purchase a home). And they left it wonderfully clean! Because I had done extensive work last year to the upstairs, nothing else needs to be done there. However, the downstairs needed some additional work that did not get done then. So I spend the first part of the week installing vinyl planking in the two framed rooms downstairs, installing closet shelving and painting the remainder of the basement floor. Each upgrade highlights the other areas that need attention. But I am done for now! The basement walls can get painted next time! We were able to increase the rent 20%, so I feel pretty good about my accomplishments.
One of the rooms before flooring:
And after flooring:
Sarah wanted to make cookies (chocolate chip of course!) and Charlotte offered to help.
One of the rooms before flooring:
And after flooring:
The other room:
I also painted the stairs and installed a new handrail:
The before painting of the floor:
And the after painting. Note the ugly wall that won't get done this time around:
Tuesday we met with our attorney about a trust fund we are setting up. He and Sandy are on the same wave length discussing the intricacies of this legal doctrine and I have to remind them that I am a fox of a very small brain. Doesn't always work.
Deborah's family was scheduled to arrive Friday evening so we had things to do to get ready for them. Lawn mowed, extra beds set up, food purchased, and so on.
Saturday Steve and I transported two canoes to the Buffalo River to connect with Andy's family. They had brought two of their own kyakes and floated about 9 miles down the river. We drove Andy's truck to the pick up point, found a spot to park it and returned home. On the way home, the elder's quorum contacted me. A new family that had moved here needed unexpected help unloading a moving van. Seems the company did not find anyone to help offload the van, so assistance from church was requested. This might have been a simple task, except that the van was too long to get on their street, and the driveway was too windy for a large truck. So the moving van was parked in town and they rented a 26 foot U Haul. So, while it took us about 20 minutes to unload the U Haul, it took the driver and his assistant about an hour to shuttle back into town, load the U Haul and return. I was there for two truck unloadings and left; they had at least three more to go.
When Andy got back into town, I met him at the garage to store the canoes,. Then we came home for a delicious spaghetti dinner with garlic bread and a tossed salad. A very satisfying meal.
Today we heard some faith promoting testimonies and had an excellent discussion about spiritual gifts. So, what spiritual gifts have you? and which ones would you like to possess?
And this is what happens in our house on a Sunday when we have 18 people:
Sue is helping teach Aaron some genealogy research tips:
Sarah wanted to make cookies (chocolate chip of course!) and Charlotte offered to help.
And this is how we look when we dislike having our hair braided (and don't know the camera is on you):
And how we look after grandpa jokes with you:
Sunday, August 25, 2019
A Quiet Week
Monday was my running day. Afterwards I paid a visit to the chiropractor and then headed to Deborah's house to finish up there. Mom decided she wanted to return to Long John Silvers for a fish dinner, so we enjoyed not having to cook that night.
Tuesday Steve and I picked up the Sister Missionaries from the local Chevy dealer where they had dropped off their car for some repairs and took them to their apartment for their regular transfer inspection. Aside from who knows how old some of the food in the pantry is, everything else is always neat and in good order. They had shown a great deal of innovation when the selection knob on the dryer broke; they used the claw end of the hammer to grasp the prong sticking out and twisted to the desired location. I suggested a visit to the office, which they did, and were successful in their request. We then brought them to the house for lunch.
Wednesday was again running day followed by a chiropractor visit (no, the visits are not related to my running!). I then visited an older couple to help them with Family Search; the sister recently got a new laptop and was having some trouble adding family info to the site. With my limited abilities, I was able to get over some of her challenges. I was also able to show her 'mormonchannel.org' which plays continuous music, podcasts, and more. She was most delighted with this find.
Thursday is a blank. But I did get the rest of Deborah's rent house finished, so now it can be rented. And one of our tenants purchased a house and was moved out. So Steve and I drove out to check it out. They left it so neat and clean, no additional work will be required. This is the rent house that had a complete interior makeover in 2018 and two rooms enclosed in the downstairs. That evening the elder's quorum hosted a catered bbq dinner followed by participating in an 'Escape Room' adventure. Three rooms had been set up and we were divided into three groups, each one assigned to a different room and then rotated through the other two. It was an interesting effort of teamwork and individual input. Our team was successful in 'escaping' all three rooms.
On Friday I helped a church member cut a trailer load of wood at our neighbors. Actually, he did the cutting and the tractor did the hauling. That also included four loads of trimmings hauled to a nearby burn pile. Later I installed shelves and coat rods in the two basement rooms and painted the stairs going into the basement of the rent house. Next we will install vinyl planking in those two rooms and get it on the rent market.
Rain on Saturday cancelled any planned outdoor activities. During a lull, I did manage to wash a months worth of grim off the van.
Had a good Sunday. Heard from a returned missionary today. He spoke of the importance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how it heals all. I had invited a ministering couple for dinner. Sue prepared a delicious dinner of hamburger stroganoff and a cheese cake dessert. Yummy.
Tuesday Steve and I picked up the Sister Missionaries from the local Chevy dealer where they had dropped off their car for some repairs and took them to their apartment for their regular transfer inspection. Aside from who knows how old some of the food in the pantry is, everything else is always neat and in good order. They had shown a great deal of innovation when the selection knob on the dryer broke; they used the claw end of the hammer to grasp the prong sticking out and twisted to the desired location. I suggested a visit to the office, which they did, and were successful in their request. We then brought them to the house for lunch.
Wednesday was again running day followed by a chiropractor visit (no, the visits are not related to my running!). I then visited an older couple to help them with Family Search; the sister recently got a new laptop and was having some trouble adding family info to the site. With my limited abilities, I was able to get over some of her challenges. I was also able to show her 'mormonchannel.org' which plays continuous music, podcasts, and more. She was most delighted with this find.
Thursday is a blank. But I did get the rest of Deborah's rent house finished, so now it can be rented. And one of our tenants purchased a house and was moved out. So Steve and I drove out to check it out. They left it so neat and clean, no additional work will be required. This is the rent house that had a complete interior makeover in 2018 and two rooms enclosed in the downstairs. That evening the elder's quorum hosted a catered bbq dinner followed by participating in an 'Escape Room' adventure. Three rooms had been set up and we were divided into three groups, each one assigned to a different room and then rotated through the other two. It was an interesting effort of teamwork and individual input. Our team was successful in 'escaping' all three rooms.
On Friday I helped a church member cut a trailer load of wood at our neighbors. Actually, he did the cutting and the tractor did the hauling. That also included four loads of trimmings hauled to a nearby burn pile. Later I installed shelves and coat rods in the two basement rooms and painted the stairs going into the basement of the rent house. Next we will install vinyl planking in those two rooms and get it on the rent market.
Rain on Saturday cancelled any planned outdoor activities. During a lull, I did manage to wash a months worth of grim off the van.
Had a good Sunday. Heard from a returned missionary today. He spoke of the importance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how it heals all. I had invited a ministering couple for dinner. Sue prepared a delicious dinner of hamburger stroganoff and a cheese cake dessert. Yummy.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Where have all the children gone??
Monday was a sad day. Rebecca and Adam's families left! Katie joined Tom and Rebecca's family in the van to help with the driving and we were on our way to Springfield by 11 am. We caravaned to Andy's frozen custard for one last indulgence, said our goodbyes and parted ways. Adam to the airport and Rebecca to Jonathan's for a couple of days. After getting Rebecca unloaded, visiting briefly with Jonathan and Kristy, Katie and I headed home. We made a brief stop at Menard's for a couple of items, then at Aldi's to restock the pantry and then on home. In our absence, Miranda had been busy washing towels and sheets and making beds. Her service was much appreciated!
For the past several years, Rebecca and family have joined us for 4-6 weeks during the summer. She spreads out in the room available, retracts into a smaller space when required and when she leaves, it is as if she was never here. She cleans up after herself and always manages to take all her stuff with her; she has never left anything behind. There are some family members who leave the occasional footwear and item of clothing behind when they visit for only a few days.
Tuesday morning Katie was out on the tractor bush hogging the west pasture while I mowed our overgrown yard. In the afternoon, we took the mowers and mowed Adam's rent house and then drove to Deborah's rent house and did the same. We had to stop for milk shakes on the way home. Susan and Steve spent two days on the road and arrived in time for dinner. We are being well cared for!
Wednesday, I took Katie back to Deborah's house and we painted the paneled room to match the rest of the interior. Katie left mid afternoon to return home and her family. She is a great worker and her assistance is always appreciated.
Thursday I had a chiropractor appointment first thing in the morning; my lower back was complaining again. Then I spent the rest of the day at Deborah's house, painting and cleaning up. Discovered that the water to the bath sink was shut off; turns out the drain pipe was corroded out and leaking, so they just turned off the water. Too bad they didn't call the property manager so that problem could have been resolved. Then I found the basket strainer in the kitchen sink was leaking. It appeared the tenant had tried to put some caulking around it, but that didn't work. Again, why not a call to the property manager?
Friday I was up about 330 am to get to the chapel by 445 am. It was ward temple day. 9 of us showed up and we drove two separate cars. A good time was experienced by all, and we were back on the road by 3 pm, arriving home by 8 pm. Having Susan and Steve here meant I was able to be gone all day at the temple. They are quick learners in finding things in the house!
Saturday I returned to my labors at Deborah's house. When I went to rinse out the bath tub, I discovered that after about a quart of water, the tub backed up. Wait, didn't the cleaning lady clean the tub? Didn't she notice this? Did she pass that information on? Of course, the tenant never spoke up either. There is a partial basement which allowed me access to the p-trap; upon removing this pipe, the largest hairball I have ever seen fell out. Tub now drains properly. Dinner included fresh corn from the garden; sure tastes good. And I need to pick the rest of the corn before it gets over ripe. We will be enjoying corn for several days.
Some pictures before family left:
For the past several years, Rebecca and family have joined us for 4-6 weeks during the summer. She spreads out in the room available, retracts into a smaller space when required and when she leaves, it is as if she was never here. She cleans up after herself and always manages to take all her stuff with her; she has never left anything behind. There are some family members who leave the occasional footwear and item of clothing behind when they visit for only a few days.
Tuesday morning Katie was out on the tractor bush hogging the west pasture while I mowed our overgrown yard. In the afternoon, we took the mowers and mowed Adam's rent house and then drove to Deborah's rent house and did the same. We had to stop for milk shakes on the way home. Susan and Steve spent two days on the road and arrived in time for dinner. We are being well cared for!
Wednesday, I took Katie back to Deborah's house and we painted the paneled room to match the rest of the interior. Katie left mid afternoon to return home and her family. She is a great worker and her assistance is always appreciated.
Thursday I had a chiropractor appointment first thing in the morning; my lower back was complaining again. Then I spent the rest of the day at Deborah's house, painting and cleaning up. Discovered that the water to the bath sink was shut off; turns out the drain pipe was corroded out and leaking, so they just turned off the water. Too bad they didn't call the property manager so that problem could have been resolved. Then I found the basket strainer in the kitchen sink was leaking. It appeared the tenant had tried to put some caulking around it, but that didn't work. Again, why not a call to the property manager?
Friday I was up about 330 am to get to the chapel by 445 am. It was ward temple day. 9 of us showed up and we drove two separate cars. A good time was experienced by all, and we were back on the road by 3 pm, arriving home by 8 pm. Having Susan and Steve here meant I was able to be gone all day at the temple. They are quick learners in finding things in the house!
Saturday I returned to my labors at Deborah's house. When I went to rinse out the bath tub, I discovered that after about a quart of water, the tub backed up. Wait, didn't the cleaning lady clean the tub? Didn't she notice this? Did she pass that information on? Of course, the tenant never spoke up either. There is a partial basement which allowed me access to the p-trap; upon removing this pipe, the largest hairball I have ever seen fell out. Tub now drains properly. Dinner included fresh corn from the garden; sure tastes good. And I need to pick the rest of the corn before it gets over ripe. We will be enjoying corn for several days.
Some pictures before family left:
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Revolving door
Busy week. Did I mention that we had a busy week. We were really busy this week!
Rebecca and family drove to Andy's Monday afternoon for a short visit. In the morning, Rebecca and I did a walk through of her two rental homes with the property manager. No big problems, but did find some items that need to be addressed. With their departure, it was interestingly quiet. In the evening, we drove to Buffalo City, on the White River where we were met by Bill Friend who gave us a two hour ride in his boat on the river. It was an amazing tour; we saw eagles, herons, beautiful scenery and a lot of river fog. The river has a lot of secrets and Bill shared many of those with us. Due to heavy rains, the Bull Shoals Lake is releasing a lot of water; therefore the river level was extremely high.
Tuesday morning, Cynthia and Jim drove to the airport and flew home. It was just Sandy and I until Wednesday when Rebecca returned. I kept busy with the garden, house chores and such. One good sister from church brought her adult daughter over Tuesday evening to help make beds in preparation for additional family visits. They even brought Chinese food to share with us for dinner. We feel loved.
Wednesday Rebecca and daughters returned with Aaron and we got things ready for Adam's family possible arrival later that night. There were due in at Springfield at 1134 pm. We were concerned since they only had a 41 minute layover in Denver. They were 20 minutes late landing, but still managed to catch their next flight. But only because the flight attendant on the arriving flight asked that everyone remain seated until those in the back (Adam with Liza) could exit and the departure attendant scanned all the tickets even though not all the family was at the gate. That way the plane could not close the doors without all the passengers. They did arrive in Springfield, picked up a rental van and drove to our house, arriving about 230 am. I did not wait up for them.
Thursday, Rebecca and family drove to Branson to go to White Water and meet up with Jonathan's family. Rain storms closed the park after a couple of hours and she was 'forced' to take her daughters to Golden Corral. While they were gone, we enjoyed the Oregon Foxes and getting reacquainted. Then Miranda showed up with her four. We had 19 in the house by day's end.
Deborah and children left early Friday morning to join us for the day. Good friend Wendy came to play the piano for the musical number that Mom likes (and wants sung at her funeral service - which we hope is in the very distant future) and we had a fun time singing and visiting. Her husband finished the stairs so now we have an official front door entrance. Best of all, it is of composite material and does not need to be stained!
In the afternoon, all the children ran off to Vela's house to go swimming. Adam was able to surprise her. And a most wonderful time was enjoyed by all. Deborah and her six returned home after dinner.
But Andy and family joined us early Saturday for the day. Andy was helpful in installing a new kitchen sink faucet and helping replace some bad decking at the neighbor's house. Kera went shopping for appropriate vegetation to plant in the new flower bed at the base of the stairs. She did an amazing job!
We enjoyed a delicious meal of sloppy joes and then Andy headed home with his children. Try feeding 25 people.
Just prior to their departure, we did several photo ops and for one, I asked several of the children to climb one of the trees for a picture. Unfortunately, a branch supporting two of them broke and they had an unexpected 5 foot fall. Only some cuts and scratches fortunately.
Katie, who spent the summer working at a ranch in Wyoming this summer, left early Thursday morning to drive here. She spent some time with Jonathan's family and arrived here late Saturday night. She will spend a few days with us before returning home to attend college.
Today was our ward conference. Good sacrament meeting; our bishop shared his story of gaining a testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; it was and continues to be a progressive thing. The second hour we spent visiting with a member of the stake presidency; they want us to know they are praying for us and appreciate our past service. Here is another photo after church:
Monday will be a sad day. Rebecca and Adam's families will be leaving. However, Sue and Steve will be here this week for a few days this week.
Rebecca and family drove to Andy's Monday afternoon for a short visit. In the morning, Rebecca and I did a walk through of her two rental homes with the property manager. No big problems, but did find some items that need to be addressed. With their departure, it was interestingly quiet. In the evening, we drove to Buffalo City, on the White River where we were met by Bill Friend who gave us a two hour ride in his boat on the river. It was an amazing tour; we saw eagles, herons, beautiful scenery and a lot of river fog. The river has a lot of secrets and Bill shared many of those with us. Due to heavy rains, the Bull Shoals Lake is releasing a lot of water; therefore the river level was extremely high.
Tuesday morning, Cynthia and Jim drove to the airport and flew home. It was just Sandy and I until Wednesday when Rebecca returned. I kept busy with the garden, house chores and such. One good sister from church brought her adult daughter over Tuesday evening to help make beds in preparation for additional family visits. They even brought Chinese food to share with us for dinner. We feel loved.
Wednesday Rebecca and daughters returned with Aaron and we got things ready for Adam's family possible arrival later that night. There were due in at Springfield at 1134 pm. We were concerned since they only had a 41 minute layover in Denver. They were 20 minutes late landing, but still managed to catch their next flight. But only because the flight attendant on the arriving flight asked that everyone remain seated until those in the back (Adam with Liza) could exit and the departure attendant scanned all the tickets even though not all the family was at the gate. That way the plane could not close the doors without all the passengers. They did arrive in Springfield, picked up a rental van and drove to our house, arriving about 230 am. I did not wait up for them.
Thursday, Rebecca and family drove to Branson to go to White Water and meet up with Jonathan's family. Rain storms closed the park after a couple of hours and she was 'forced' to take her daughters to Golden Corral. While they were gone, we enjoyed the Oregon Foxes and getting reacquainted. Then Miranda showed up with her four. We had 19 in the house by day's end.
Deborah and children left early Friday morning to join us for the day. Good friend Wendy came to play the piano for the musical number that Mom likes (and wants sung at her funeral service - which we hope is in the very distant future) and we had a fun time singing and visiting. Her husband finished the stairs so now we have an official front door entrance. Best of all, it is of composite material and does not need to be stained!
In the afternoon, all the children ran off to Vela's house to go swimming. Adam was able to surprise her. And a most wonderful time was enjoyed by all. Deborah and her six returned home after dinner.
But Andy and family joined us early Saturday for the day. Andy was helpful in installing a new kitchen sink faucet and helping replace some bad decking at the neighbor's house. Kera went shopping for appropriate vegetation to plant in the new flower bed at the base of the stairs. She did an amazing job!
We enjoyed a delicious meal of sloppy joes and then Andy headed home with his children. Try feeding 25 people.
Just prior to their departure, we did several photo ops and for one, I asked several of the children to climb one of the trees for a picture. Unfortunately, a branch supporting two of them broke and they had an unexpected 5 foot fall. Only some cuts and scratches fortunately.
Today was our ward conference. Good sacrament meeting; our bishop shared his story of gaining a testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; it was and continues to be a progressive thing. The second hour we spent visiting with a member of the stake presidency; they want us to know they are praying for us and appreciate our past service. Here is another photo after church:
Monday will be a sad day. Rebecca and Adam's families will be leaving. However, Sue and Steve will be here this week for a few days this week.
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Where did July Go?
Since Rebecca's arrival, she has been running three days a week for up to 2 miles, then stops for a drink and then I join her for another 1.5-2 miles. This is good for me since she 'encourages' me to run faster than I might otherwise run. Then she goes out with Callie and Marian on their couch to 5 k program. But this past week, Marian has run with us; actually she runs faster than us for about 2 miles. She has the potential to be a good distance runner in my opinion, given the proper training.
Monday morning, Sandy's friend, Tanya, spent a couple of hours sorting through Mom's horse accessories and loading them into her car. She will find good homes for the saddles, tack and other items. And she organized that shed so it really looks neat and clean! Thank you Tanya!
Tuesday Tom, Rebecca and Miranda and family did Silver Dollar City. The children had a great time splitting off with others who wanted to do the easy rides, the roller coasters and 'I'll stick with mom' groups. The weather wasn't beastly hot and a fun time was had by all.
Here are Alex and Camden at the bakery ready to hit the rides:
Sarah spent the week with us and is demonstrating her unique abilities at SDC:
Rebecca was strapping into the Time Travel ride with a couple of her girls when she noticed two young women who looked a lot like two of her nieces. And it was! Turned out that Isabelle, Miriam and David came after their dental appointments. So we had a brief visit with them before heading home.
Tanya left early Wednesday morning and I had an appointment with a realtor about listing one of our rent houses. Once the tenant moves out the end of this month, I will need to repaint the interior and we will get it on the market. Mom announced in the afternoon that she wanted to go to Long John Silver's restaurant for fish that night. So that is where we had dinner. They are also connected with A&W root beer, so I had two mugs of their delicious brew with my meal. And she actually ate more than me!
Mom had her weekly visit with Clifford on Thursday. Rebecca did the chauffeuring, since this gave her an opportunity to shop at Salvation Army and check out the local furniture store. Mom wants to replace the 20 year old sleeper sofa downstairs with an electric recliner couch. She found one. So later in the day we drove over to check out the options and ended up buying one that Sandy likes. It will get delivered next week.
By the time we returned home from shopping Cynthia and Jim were arriving. We neglected to provide them much needed information about driving in Arkansas: 1st, we should have sent them directions to our house; 2nd, we did not tell them google or sirius are not always accurate; 3rd, you can expect intermittent phone service. They got to see more of northern Arkansas than they had planned on.
Friday, Sandy had her port removed. While it served a useful purpose when receiving infusions or having IV's, those things are in the past. Besides, it was uncomfortable for her. We were in and out in about an hour. And she has had no negative reactions or pain.
Prior to family visiting this week, I was busy stripping wall paper from the upstairs bathroom and repainting the walls. All the fixtures were gold colored; so they needed updating. On the way home from Silver Dollar City, we stopped at Menards to get new towel rods and a hand held shower that are brushed nickel. I was able to get the bath done with the exception of where the washer/dryer are located. That will have to wait for another day.
Saturday, the church youth had a temple trip in St Louis. Rebecca and her three oldest and myself drove up separately. There were 27 there, many with their parents. It was amazing to me to see them performing most of the functions that only a short time ago only adults go do. The girls had a good time. We stopped at Costco to spend money to justify our annual membership fee and then had dinner at 5 Guys; Rebecca had that on her bucket list. We were home about 9 pm.
Today we heard some awesome testimonies in reference to the atonement of Christ and the value of having a stable testimony. Cynthia and Jim joined us for services. And now Cynthia is preparing her favorite bread recipe for us.
On the light side, this is what happens when Rylee gets a hold of your phone:
Callie has adopted the eight orphaned chicks; she feeds them bugs and grain by hand; they come running whenever she is outside. And she has trained them to hop into her lap or on her arm. You might even see her with one on her head or shoulder.
Sandy continues to maintain her normal activities. One good note is that she has gained a couple of pounds this week. We feel loved and pampered!
Monday morning, Sandy's friend, Tanya, spent a couple of hours sorting through Mom's horse accessories and loading them into her car. She will find good homes for the saddles, tack and other items. And she organized that shed so it really looks neat and clean! Thank you Tanya!
Tuesday Tom, Rebecca and Miranda and family did Silver Dollar City. The children had a great time splitting off with others who wanted to do the easy rides, the roller coasters and 'I'll stick with mom' groups. The weather wasn't beastly hot and a fun time was had by all.
Here are Alex and Camden at the bakery ready to hit the rides:
Sarah spent the week with us and is demonstrating her unique abilities at SDC:
And here is our hero:
Of course we had to stop at Andy's Frozen Custard (it is on the way home) for some light refreshment. A good friend watched Rachel and Tanya stayed with Mom while we were gone.
Mom had her weekly visit with Clifford on Thursday. Rebecca did the chauffeuring, since this gave her an opportunity to shop at Salvation Army and check out the local furniture store. Mom wants to replace the 20 year old sleeper sofa downstairs with an electric recliner couch. She found one. So later in the day we drove over to check out the options and ended up buying one that Sandy likes. It will get delivered next week.
By the time we returned home from shopping Cynthia and Jim were arriving. We neglected to provide them much needed information about driving in Arkansas: 1st, we should have sent them directions to our house; 2nd, we did not tell them google or sirius are not always accurate; 3rd, you can expect intermittent phone service. They got to see more of northern Arkansas than they had planned on.
Friday, Sandy had her port removed. While it served a useful purpose when receiving infusions or having IV's, those things are in the past. Besides, it was uncomfortable for her. We were in and out in about an hour. And she has had no negative reactions or pain.
Prior to family visiting this week, I was busy stripping wall paper from the upstairs bathroom and repainting the walls. All the fixtures were gold colored; so they needed updating. On the way home from Silver Dollar City, we stopped at Menards to get new towel rods and a hand held shower that are brushed nickel. I was able to get the bath done with the exception of where the washer/dryer are located. That will have to wait for another day.
Saturday, the church youth had a temple trip in St Louis. Rebecca and her three oldest and myself drove up separately. There were 27 there, many with their parents. It was amazing to me to see them performing most of the functions that only a short time ago only adults go do. The girls had a good time. We stopped at Costco to spend money to justify our annual membership fee and then had dinner at 5 Guys; Rebecca had that on her bucket list. We were home about 9 pm.
Today we heard some awesome testimonies in reference to the atonement of Christ and the value of having a stable testimony. Cynthia and Jim joined us for services. And now Cynthia is preparing her favorite bread recipe for us.
On the light side, this is what happens when Rylee gets a hold of your phone:
Callie has adopted the eight orphaned chicks; she feeds them bugs and grain by hand; they come running whenever she is outside. And she has trained them to hop into her lap or on her arm. You might even see her with one on her head or shoulder.
Sandy continues to maintain her normal activities. One good note is that she has gained a couple of pounds this week. We feel loved and pampered!
Sunday, July 28, 2019
It will be Fun!
Monday was my birthday!! I celebrated by taking Rebecca and Marian to shop at Branson, have a hot fudge sundae at my favorite frozen custard place and pick up Sally at the airport. Came home for a wonderful dinner and, of course, a chocolate cake for dessert. There were now 18 of us to house and feed for a couple of days, but we managed. Some might inquire if the chaos was too much for Sandy, but she enjoys the laughter and the visiting. If it is too much for her, she just takes a nap.
While I was gone, Jonathan and Ian removed the front steps in anticipation of an updated version.
Work is to start this week; we might even have a finished picture for next week.
We had a delightful week with Sally and Sandy really enjoyed her visit. On Tuesday, she joined us as we visited one of the three funeral homes in town to make preliminary arrangements with them. Sally did not disclose her husband's occupation, but did ask if it was okay to provide your own casket; and it is. So she is researching the type Sandy liked. We also stopped by the local small cemetery down the road from us; we met the next day with the caretaker who showed us where her plot will be, on a small hillside surrounded by trees in a quiet setting. We paid him $400 for two side by side plots and he will mark those for us.We also stopped by the monument store at the end of the road and looked at what they have to offer. You can get some really fancy headstones.
I was keeping a rough tally of the costs associated with a funeral; it is not cheap to die! But I keep telling myself it is only money. And she is worth it!!
Wednesday, Ian, Deborah, Sarah, Callie and I visited Deborah's rent house to mow and trim and clean up. We spent a successful hour achieving our purpose and then checked out the inside to see if the roach infestation was under control. It was not; we found out later that there had been a mix up in communication and the exterminator had not been out to spray. Made me feel better, but a little upset that we had lost a week. We opened the frig door, but the results are too graphic to share! Just know, there were a lot of them.
That evening, following dinner, Deborah's family headed home with Callie. Sarah's stake had their youth conference and she had invited Callie to join her It appears that they enjoyed themselves.
Thursday morning we discovered that our month old 8 chicks were now orphans. Never did find the mom, but there was evidence that she had been pulled through the 2 inch by 4 inch fence. I set the trap that night but did not have the trigger properly set. This is what I found Saturday morning though:
Mom and one baby were in the cage; the other two babies were on the outside, huddled next to the cage. I was able to get the two into cat carriers and Dan drove all of them several miles away to a secluded area to release them. It was interesting; the very predator that had eaten one of the chickens were now within 25 feet of the baby chicks (they are small enough to slip through the pen) and were not the least bit interested in them.
Saturday, Rebecca and Miranda drove Sally back to the Branson Airport and then met Deborah in Harrison to pick up Callie and Sarah (who will remain with us until Miranda returns home this week). While they were gone, we attended the ward Pioneer Day activity, which included lunch and an indoor pioneer trek (I did not participate in this activity and therefore cannot address it, though the G-Kids enjoyed it). Sandy used the wheelchair for the first time since the cruise. Our good friend Tanya, from Ohio, arrived in time for dinner and we had a quiet evening visiting. She will spend a few days and go through Sandy's horse stuff and find good homes for her items; Sandy still has some tack, saddles, fencing material etc that we do no longer need.
Today we again had great meetings. The priesthood lesson was on Elder Hale's conference talk on prayer. Prayers are answered in God's time and not ours, and He starts with the end in mind. And we don't always receive what we ask for because He knows what we need better than we do.
Hospice visits at least twice a week and they are marvelous.
While I was gone, Jonathan and Ian removed the front steps in anticipation of an updated version.
We had a delightful week with Sally and Sandy really enjoyed her visit. On Tuesday, she joined us as we visited one of the three funeral homes in town to make preliminary arrangements with them. Sally did not disclose her husband's occupation, but did ask if it was okay to provide your own casket; and it is. So she is researching the type Sandy liked. We also stopped by the local small cemetery down the road from us; we met the next day with the caretaker who showed us where her plot will be, on a small hillside surrounded by trees in a quiet setting. We paid him $400 for two side by side plots and he will mark those for us.We also stopped by the monument store at the end of the road and looked at what they have to offer. You can get some really fancy headstones.
I was keeping a rough tally of the costs associated with a funeral; it is not cheap to die! But I keep telling myself it is only money. And she is worth it!!
Wednesday, Ian, Deborah, Sarah, Callie and I visited Deborah's rent house to mow and trim and clean up. We spent a successful hour achieving our purpose and then checked out the inside to see if the roach infestation was under control. It was not; we found out later that there had been a mix up in communication and the exterminator had not been out to spray. Made me feel better, but a little upset that we had lost a week. We opened the frig door, but the results are too graphic to share! Just know, there were a lot of them.
That evening, following dinner, Deborah's family headed home with Callie. Sarah's stake had their youth conference and she had invited Callie to join her It appears that they enjoyed themselves.
Thursday morning we discovered that our month old 8 chicks were now orphans. Never did find the mom, but there was evidence that she had been pulled through the 2 inch by 4 inch fence. I set the trap that night but did not have the trigger properly set. This is what I found Saturday morning though:
Mom and one baby were in the cage; the other two babies were on the outside, huddled next to the cage. I was able to get the two into cat carriers and Dan drove all of them several miles away to a secluded area to release them. It was interesting; the very predator that had eaten one of the chickens were now within 25 feet of the baby chicks (they are small enough to slip through the pen) and were not the least bit interested in them.
Saturday, Rebecca and Miranda drove Sally back to the Branson Airport and then met Deborah in Harrison to pick up Callie and Sarah (who will remain with us until Miranda returns home this week). While they were gone, we attended the ward Pioneer Day activity, which included lunch and an indoor pioneer trek (I did not participate in this activity and therefore cannot address it, though the G-Kids enjoyed it). Sandy used the wheelchair for the first time since the cruise. Our good friend Tanya, from Ohio, arrived in time for dinner and we had a quiet evening visiting. She will spend a few days and go through Sandy's horse stuff and find good homes for her items; Sandy still has some tack, saddles, fencing material etc that we do no longer need.
Today we again had great meetings. The priesthood lesson was on Elder Hale's conference talk on prayer. Prayers are answered in God's time and not ours, and He starts with the end in mind. And we don't always receive what we ask for because He knows what we need better than we do.
Hospice visits at least twice a week and they are marvelous.
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