The Tale Of The Not-So-Smart Clock

Hi,

Saturday night was the annual Fall, turn-your-clock-back night.  Mr. D and I made a big production of going around to the many clocks we have in the house and setting them at the proper time.   

I happen to have a smart alarm clock by my bed.  In the spring it didn't automatically change like it should have - it had to be manually set.   After getting the instruction book out and following the procedure exactly on how  to set Time Zone, I set the clock to Zone 3, which is what the book said for Wisconsin.   It should have gone off - right?   Wrong!

For some reason it didn't adjust, and had to be reset it manually--- again.   Mumbling under my breath "just  give me an old fashioned wind-up clock any day!" ha ha - I think it's time to retire this one even though it isn't more than 5 years old, if that.   Ha ha -  maybe it will accidentally drop on the concrete, brake, and we can blame Mario!  (poor kitty will tell you he gets blamed for everything).  

Does your smart clock work, or  do you still have a "dumb" clock?    Have "dumb-smart clock" - am willing to trade for "dumb clock"!

Until next time,

Mary

Happy Halloween

Hi Everyone,

It's a very spooky halloween this year.  The wind is howling down from Canada at 50 MPH and the temp is 38.  Snow flurries are expected off and on today.   brrrrr!   We feel sorry for the children tonight as they make the rounds of the neighborhood for trick or treat.   I remember the days of walking our daughter around the neighborhood - sometimes in the rain, wind, and a little snow one time.   Not fun!

This is also "exchange leaves" day in the neighborhood.   Our yard was cleaned up last Saturday, but now is full of leaves from those up the street!   it's a good thing Mr. B will come one last time for cleanup.   We so appreciate him.  

Sorry I've been missing again for a month this time.  I always have good intentions, but then my brain goes dead on what to write about and/or my back is tired of sitting at the desk.   Maybe there is hope this month.   I'll try.

Since I'm such a hap-hazard poster, you might want to follow via email - that way you'll get a message when there is a new post.

Hope all is well with each of you and you haven't blown away yet!

Until next time,

Mary

Great Weekend

Hi Everyone,

Isn't that photo of the hummingbird great?   Our daughter's mother-in-law took that picture from her kitchen window, which I think is amazing.    She took the one below too:

Bev kindly gave me permission to use these lovely photos in my blog.

We had such a good Sunday.   Our son-in-law's mom, Bev (the family photographer) invited both her sons and families to their house yesterday for lunch. Bev and Steve have two sons - both married (one to our daughter).   Both sets of in-laws were invited yesterday (we're one of the fortunate in-laws).   We had food in abundance and it was such a good time. We are so fortunate to be considered part of their family.

After two weeks of perfect weather (lots of sunshine, temps between 72 and 78 daytime and no humidity) things changed today.  Fall is here.  We had rain today and only a high of 55.   This entire week will be below normal fall temperatures.   I'm not complaining because I'll take this any day over 90's and humidity.    I'm just hoping it doesn't mean an early winter.

Sorry I've been missing for so long again.  I'm trying to rectify that.   Now to go around and visit - my favorite part.

Until next time,

Mary

Childhood Revisited - Part I

Hi Friends,

Yup - that's me.   I sure have no idea how old I was, and my mother passed away a few years ago, so I can't ask her.   I'm guessing I'm 3 or 4 maybe.  What is your guess?

Last spring a cousin sent me a brown mailing envelope containing many photos that she thought I'd appreciate having.   This was not one of them, but by and by I'll be sharing them with you.   One of my Mother's sisters passed away a couple of years after my mother, and the cousin was still dispensing of things.  It was so thoughtful of her to give me a folder full of pictures.

I'm having fun reliving my younger years and thought I'd talk about them here because I'm sure many of you can relate.

My mother and I were very poor, and yet I see that picture must have been taken in a photographer's studio.   I know my mother didn't have the money for such, so apparently one of her sister's must have paid for it.   

Most all of my dresses were "hand-me-downs" from a cousin or made for me out of "gunnie sack" or more commonly known as feed sack fabric!  Yes, that's right!  Apparently various feed items would come in those sacks.   Sometimes for animals on the farm.   he he - very stylish!  But they were usually a good cotton fabric and quite often had pretty, dainty flowers printed all over.   However I got a new dress, it was a real treat. I would prance around and feel like a princess! 

Probably most of you are not quite old enough to have had clothing made out of Gunnie Sacks or Feed Sacks.   But I'll bet most of you are familiar with "hand-me-downs."   It was like getting a new dress to me.  


Those were simpler times back then.   Sometimes I miss those carefree days of youth.  ha ha - but then I'd have to grow up all over again.   Nah - guess I'll stay this age.

Until next time,

Mary

Remembering 9/11

Photo taken from Google Images and  RoadSide America's Webside

Dear Friends,

Do you remember where you were when you heard the news?    I was at work in an office downtown in our small city in the midwest - far away from where this horrific incident happened.   But it left a big impact on me that day.   My office mate and I didn't have the radio on that day, but someone came in and asked us if we had heard.  We immediately headed for our conference room to watch TV.

One by one people trickled into the conference room.   I got there just in time to see the 2nd plane hit the 2nd tower.   Our conference room was dead quiet even with about 25 people huddled around the small TV in disbelief.   I remember thinking "I wonder if the world is coming to an end!"   It was downright scary.    My second thought was "I just want to go home and be with family."  But since the work day was only about an hour old, I could not do that.   We tried hard to keep the office running, man the phones, and do whatever was important to get done.  But, no one's heart was really in it that day.  We were just going thru the motions thinking of those poor people who were trapped, killed or injured in that horrific event.   That was one time where I really appreciated the media's overkill on a subject -  it was needed for that event.  We were able to catch up on all the news in the evening after work.

Mario's good blogging friend Cathy Keisha wrote a wonderful, first-hand post of what it was like for her Pop who worked in one of the Twin Towers.  I think you will find her post very interesting and worthwhile reading, if you have not already done so.

A couple of years after 9/11 our city decided to have a replica built of the original Twin Towers in a park located downtown for all to see and remember.    Roadside America's Website wrote a very nice article  along with the picture.   I think you'll find it interesting.   Every year a memorial service is held there on 9/11 to remember the event and honor those who perished. 

I hope and pray that we will never have to witness an event like that ever again.  But we'll have to remain on the alert forever.

What was the impact on you of this event?

Mary

Goodbye Muggies!

Streptocarpella

Dear Friends,
It's a glorious day in Wisconsin.   The temp is hovering in the low 7o's, there is no humidity (worth mentioning anyway), and a light breeze.  The windows are open and one can hear birds singing.   Days don't come any better than this.   It's a welcome relief after almost 2 weeks of high heat and high humidity.   And the best part is that I don't hurt anywhere! Humidity and Arthritis don't get along at all.  In fact, I hurt much less in the winter than in the summer when the humidity is with us.

What is everyone doing for the long weekend coming up?  For over 25 years we camped with a group of friends, and I do miss that on the holiday weekends. But, I don't miss all the work that goes with it.   It was getting to be too much for Mr. D. and me.   Maybe we'll go out there for a day trip to visit for a couple of hours.   Will see if it is going to rain or not.

The Streptocarpella plant pictured above is blooming it's little heart out this year.   Every year I get two baskets for each side of our patio.   It is a plant that likes mostly shade with a little filtered sun peeking through.  Our patio seems to be the perfect spot for it.   This is the first year that I haven't had a hummingbird visit every night.   Or at least, I haven't seen one.   The hummers do like the plant and I have missed seeing them this year.   

We hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend.  For us living in the northern states, it usually signals the end of summer (although we do have many nice days ahead of us in Sept and Oct.)

Until next time,

Mary

A Helping Hand

Sunset over the Bay of Green Bay on Lake Michigan

Hi Friends,

Hopefully you all are having a great week.   I can't believe that it's almost the of August.   It seems the older I get, the faster time moves.  Some days it's over in a "wooooosh!"   

A couple of days ago I had two dentist appointments.  Yup  - you read it right - two.  I'm being fitted for partial plates (replacing teeth).   Tuesday morning my regular dentist played around with one of my plates, glued it back in my mouth with Fixident, and sent me on my way.   By 3:00, I was grinding my teeth and really irritating one side.   Well, to make a long story short, I called the dentist back and was able to get in again Tuesday afternoon.   More adjustments made, so I went on my merry way.

I decided to stop at Walgreens as I had a couple of coupons that were to expire. I loaded up on stuff, went thru the check out counter, and another passing customer in the next line said to me "Can I help you to your car with the packages?"    She could see I was loaded down and dealing with a cane.  Of course my car was right outside the door, so I didn't have far to walk.  But I decided to take her up on her offer.

Bless you Peggy Sue - you were a bright spot in my day.  I thanked her profusely and told her I'd write about her kindness in my blog (without names). Then she said, oh, you can use my name - it's Peggy Sue - and I don't mind if you publish my name.

So Thank You to Peggy Sue (reminds me of the song Peggy Sue, which has been going thru my head) for helping an old lady with her packages. What an angel you were.   Such a nice lady.   Goes to show us that kindness is not by any means dead yet. Sometimes you find it where you least expect it.

Hopefully your day has been blessed with an unexpected kind deed - or you have blessed someone elses day with a kind deed.

Until next time,

Mary