Kitchen Update

Kitchen with reinstalled cabinet and dishwasher

The kitchen is partially back together. We have a sink and a dishwasher again. The floor, however, remains a problem.

Being old, that little 1/4 inch drop is something we must watch to keep from tripping. I've put a few mats down in hopes of helping that, but we also are tripping over the mats. Yikes!

We are having difficulty finding tile people and getting quotes from flooring companies. I'm not sure what the deal is - it's not a small job. Or maybe that's the problem, it's a big job.

Anyway, the cabinet facing is the old one. The "furniture hospital" removed the facing and put it into a new box. They also fixed the toe board on the cabinet to the left of the dishwasher.

Stay tuned as we try to sort out the kitchen floor. I'm hoping before Christmas . . .

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. What is one thing that you would change about yourself if you could?

A. My health.

2. Name three exotic countries you would like to visit.

A. New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland.

3. What do you think the secret to life is?

A. We're not really alive. We're all figments of imagination of a giant.

4. What was the best concert you ever attended?

A. Elton John playing by himself.

5. What is a song you can listen to over and over and not get tired of?

A. Hotel California, by The Eagle.

6. What do you think is the worst movie music soundtrack or score?

A. I have no idea. But I think Forrest Gump's soundtrack is one of the best.

7. What is a song you wish wouldn't get stuck in your head but always does?

A. (Don't Go Chasing) Waterfalls, by TLC

8. Who was your first date?

A. His name was Mike.

9. Do you still talk to your first love?

A. My husband was my first love, so yes.

10. What was your first alcoholic drink?

A. I don't know. Probably the dregs from my father's beer can or one of his glasses of liquor when I was three years old or something.

11. What was your first job?

A. Babysitting.

12. What was your first car?

A. It was a Datsun. Very ugly.

13. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane?

A. I flew to Spain.

14. Who was your first best friend & do you still talk?

A. That was either Allison or Donna, and no, I don't talk to either of them.

15. Whose wedding did you attend the first time?

A. I am not sure, but I think it was my uncle's wedding.

16. Tell us about your first roommate.

A. My husband was my first roommate. He's a guy. He does guy things like leave his socks in the floor and walk around the house with dirt on his boots.

17. If you had one wish, what would it be (other than more wishes)?

A. I would wish for better healthcare for everyone.

18. What is something you would learn if you had the chance?

A. How to dance.

19. Did you marry the first person you were in love with?

A. Yes.

20. What were the first lessons you ever took and why?

A. I took piano lessons because my mother made me take them.

21. What is the first thing you do when you get home?

A. Take off my bra, followed by my jewelry.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: She Works Hard for the Money

She Works Hard for the Money (1983)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about a woman who works hard as a waitress. What's the hardest job you've ever had?

A. Physically, working on the farm. Mentally, being a reporter.

2) The lyrics tell us she has worked at this job for 28 years. What's the longest you stayed with one employer?

A. I wrote for the newspaper for 30 years, but I was a freelancer, not an employee. The longest I was an employee was about two years or so.

3) Donna Summer was inspired to write this song during an awards show. She ducked into the bathroom and met the elderly ladies' room attendant, whose job it was to make sure the room the spotless, the complimentary hairspray and moisturizer was abundant, and there was a hot towel for every celebrity who used the facilities. "Wow," Donna thought, "she works hard for those tips." Who is the last person you tipped?

A. A waitress at Cracker Barrel.

4) Early in her career, Donna was in the touring company of the musical Hair. It played in Munich for so long that she became fluent in German. What's the longest you have ever lived away from home?

A. The 35 years I've been married, although I'm 6 miles from where I grew up.

5) Sam's dad is naturally outgoing and enjoys striking up conversations with waitresses, librarians, the checker at the supermarket, etc. Sam is always polite but more private. Are you more like father or daughter?

A. I am a Gemini. Sometimes I'm like the father and sometimes like the daughter.

6) A little more than 10% of the American workforce is self-employed. Have you ever been your own boss?

A. I have been my own boss since 1994.

7) Labor Day weekend may offer a golden opportunity for napping and sleeping in. Do you snore?

A. According to my husband, I have "kitty cat" snores.

8) Will you be attending a Labor Day picnic or barbecue?

A. I doubt it.

9) Labor Day traditionally marks the beginning of the fall. Will you be adding any new fall clothes to your wardrobe?

A. Maybe. It depends on whether or not I lose more weight.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Watermelon

We buy watermelon frequently during the summer, and think nothing of it. After all, we have a nice variety to choose from - seedless, little ones, big ones, pre-cut ones.

But they don't taste quite like I remember those watermelons from my childhood.

Once upon a time, having watermelon was a big deal. It was a wait-for-it big deal.

Daddy would bring home a watermelon and slip it down into the spring house in the water, leaving it to cool. He would have bought it off the back of some truck some place. I don't think many of them came from a grocery store, anyway.

We knew that watermelon was down there. We knew that in a day or so we'd have watermelon to eat, and seeds to spit at one another. My brother and I would talk about it, thinking about that watermelon as it grew colder by the minute.

Maybe there'd be company, too. Having watermelon often meant we were having a picnic or a meal of some kind. Maybe Grandma and Grandpa and my uncles would be visiting.

Whatever was going on, there was anticipation. Anticipation for what was to come.

Watermelon then tasted so scrumptiously sweet you'd almost think it was candy. And it came with seeds that you could send flying between the hole where you'd lost your front tooth a few weeks before.

What could be better?

After we ate the watermelon, hot dogs and whatever else there was to go with whatever we were celebrating - surely we were celebrating something, and not simply eating watermelon - we'd take the rinds down to the creek and float them.

The watermelon turned into a fleet of ships, crashing into each other until we tired of that play. Then we sent them sailing on down Rocky Branch to the sea, or so we imagined. Sometimes we'd follow the rinds as far as we could, watching them until they floated out of sight.

Today? Today watermelon is simply something else to eat, a little treat after dinner, maybe. They are too easy to obtain, too tasteless to be remarkable.

Does anticipation disappear with age? Or did it disappear with availability and change, as watermelons became seedless, tasteless, and part of a healthy diet?

I don't know. But I do remember those days when watermelons grinned at you when you split them open, those seeds looking like black teeth. Watermelons don't do that anymore.

I remember the taste, too, and that anticipation. I remember cheering when Daddy brought the melon up from the springhouse, because it would be good and cold. Delicious.

Oh, for those days.

Thursday Thirteen

1. I am on day eight of not having a kitchen sink.

2. This is because on August 5 the dishwasher that had been leaking finally gave up the ghost and we realized there was water damage to the cabinets and hardwood floors in the kitchen.

3. The insurance company has been less than stellar, and during the two weeks it took them to get their fingers out of their butts, mold grew on the drywall and cabinets.



4. They took one of the cabinets away to repair it so I would keep my matching cabinets. That would be the cabinet that has the kitchen sink.

5. The things you cannot do without a kitchen sink are legion.

6. We only have tiny little sinks in the bathrooms and a walk-in shower.

8. You can't wash big pots in a tiny little bathroom sink. At least, not without a lot of mess.

9. You also don't really want to wash anything in the bathroom sink. There are reasons these two rooms are separated. Eww.

10. We have been eating a lot of TV dinners and sandwiches on paper plates to keep from having to use dishes.

11. I haven't cooked a real meal in two weeks. I don't miss the cooking but all of these prepared meals are not good for either of us. We both have high blood pressure.

12. I never knew how many times I washed my hands during the day until the kitchen sink was gone. Now I know. A lot!

13. Even if I get the kitchen sink back, I won't have flooring because they tore my hardwood floors up. At the moment it is looking like it might be next year before this is all settled.

______________
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 567th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Makin' Hay

A Poem From Great Great Grandfather

My great-great grandfather, Charles E. Simms, wrote this poem after the death of his son, Cecil James Simms.  The child allegedly died from measles. Grandfather Simms was a traveling preacher and teacher.

Untitled Poem
Charles E. Simms

 

Returning once unto my home

Along a muddy way

The path that through the fields did come

I took that fatal day.

 

Near by a neighbor farmhouse stood

I, weary, sad, thought best

to stop with them, partake of food,

and gain a little rest.

 

Fate lays her hand in silent state

Unwarned on all of earth

Regardless of the small or great,

Or those of noble birth

 

Fate, her silent stroke fell on me

I, measles did inhale,

The billows of life's troubled sea

Rose by the stirring gale.

 

There was a flower in my home,

A darling little boy;

No dearer object there could come,

This precious little toy.

 

I used to take my darling son

When near the close of day

The busy cares then being done

And sing in joyful lay(?)

 

"I never will cease to love him

My, Jimmy, my Jimmy!

I will never cease to love him

He's done so much for me."

 

But when the sickness seized this flower,

It drooping, withered, died.

We strove to save it from that feover;

It perished by our side.

 

We sadly laid him in the grave

To wait that coming day:

One by one the Savior gathers,

choicest flowers rich, and rare,

He'll transplant them in his garden,

They will bloom forever there.

 

 

Here are the original documents. They are hard to read, and I suppose if you're a younger person who can't read cursive writing, you can't read them at all.

 

 

 

 

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. How has your life most benefited from the Internet? Whether it’s meeting people, cutting business overhead, finding rare collectibles, or simply sharing funny cat pictures, share how the web has made life easier.

A. It gives me instant access to education and made it easier for me to do my freelance work.

2. The getaway car is waiting outside – where is it taking you?

A. The Ponderosa.

3. Do you reply to comments on your blog? All of them? Or just the really interesting ones?  Do you go back to check if the authors or the blogs you comment on reply to your comments?

A. I am afraid I don't reply to comments on my blog with regular frequency. I also do not go back to see if authors have commented on my comments, unless it is a topic I have great interest in. I value all of my readers and every blog writer I read, but I forget to go back so unless it's a heady topic I don't remember.

4. On average, how long does it take you to make an important decision?

A. Depends on what it is. Emergency appendectomy versus blessing out my insurance company are two very different decisions.

5. Do you gather a lot of information prior to making the decision, or do you go with your gut in the heat of the moment?

A. I try to gather a lot of information, even for emergency surgeries.

6. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned recently?

A. Everyone should know what their insurance policies cover and what happens when you file a claim. While your claims adjuster and insurance agent should be assets to you when you need information, that is not always the case. Additionally, like most industries, insurance companies have their own acronyms and code words. Don't hesitate to ask if you don't understand.

7. What’s your hidden talent? Are you double-jointed? Can you sneeze the alphabet? Share your unique skill.

A. I have many skills, including the ability to quote Xena: Warrior Princess saying, "I have many skills."

8. Rate the level of intensity you have about wanting to know God – no desire, low priority, curious, great desire, high priority, desperate to learn more. Explain your answer.

A. I don't define god the way most Christians do, so I am not sure how to answer this. I see the infinite in everything and the infinite to me is sacred. Therefore everything is sacred and the search for knowledge of everything encompasses my religion.

9. What’s one of your nicknames?  How did you get that nickname?

A. My husband calls me Sweetie Pie. I have no idea why.

10. What do you have to have with you when you travel? Why?

A. My medication, because without them my blood pressure would go zoom! Also my eyeglasses so I could see.

11. What do you think about reading books on an electronic reading device? Do you have an electronic reading device? Do you love it? Why? If you don’t love it, why not?

A. I read books on a Kindle as well as on my iPhone, but I prefer real books. E-books are handy when you're at the doctor's office or waiting somewhere, but for a long reading session, I want a real book in my hands. I like the feel of it, the weight of it, the action of turning pages. A book is like a little lover whose words are softly tickling your fancy. I don't get the same notions from e-books.

12. Do you prefer writing on paper or a keyboard? Why?

A. I do both, but I write more on a keyboard because I can delete and edit. But if I am in need of deep thoughts, I write longhand. I also generally write poetry in longhand.

13. If the shoes make the man (or woman), what do your shoes say about you right now? (Assuming you’re wearing shoes. Although if you’re not, that certainly says something, too.)

A. My shoes say I am a bit careless, because they are always scuffed even though they're leather sneakers. They say I won't hesitate to spend money on a good pair of shoes because these are expensive sneakers I need because of issues with my feet (I wear custom orthotics and these are the only shoes that fit them.). They also say I walk around a lot because they are showing wear on the bottoms even though I bought them in June. (I average 2 miles a day according to my Fitbit.)

14. Describe your favorite pair of shoes.

A. That would be the sneakers I have on and just described. They are white leather shoes, wide width, with laces. They are Apex shoes and I recommend them to anyone who needs a stiff sole in their shoe.

15. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one ability or quality, what would it be?

A. I would like to have the ability to move through time.

BONUS:  When they "cool sculpt" your body, where does the fat go?

A. That's what Cool Whip is made of. I thought everyone knew that.
__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Think

Think (1968)
Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here.

In fond remembrance of The Queen of Soul (1942-2018). Farewell, Aretha Franklin.

1) As befits one of America's premiere artists, Aretha Franklin sang at three Presidential inaugurations. The first was Jimmy Carter's in 1977, when she sang "God Bless America." What's your favorite patriotic song?

A. America the Beautiful

2) The daughter of a Baptist minister, Aretha grew up with church music. She told Rolling Stone one of her favorite songs was the hymn, "Victory Is Mine." What's your favorite religious song?

A. Amazing Grace

3) She welled up a bit when President George H. W. Bush presented her with the nation's highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. When is the last time you shed a tear?

A. This is going to sound weird, but I was in the car at the stoplight earlier this week, and the song "This is my fight song" came on the radio. I had this sudden image cross my mind of Hillary Clinton appearing on TV, breaking the imaginary glass ceiling, and I started to cry, right there in the car.

4) In 1980, the Queen of Soul sang for the Queen of England in a Command Performance at The Royal Albert Hall. Have you ever been to London?

A. A plane I was on stopped at Heathrow on its way to Spain. Otherwise, no.

5) Since Aretha had many honorary degrees, it would have been appropriate to refer to her as Dr. Franklin. Who is the last person you referred to by his or her title (Officer, Father, Sgt., Dr., etc.)?

A. My chiropractor.

6)  In this week's song, Aretha tells her lover that it doesn't take a high IQ to understand what's going on in their relationship. Do you know your IQ?

A. Haven't a clue. I was told a long time ago in school that it was above average but I have no idea of the score.

7) A sculpture of Aretha is on display at Madame Tussaud's in New York. Do you think wax museums are cool, or creepy?

A. I think it depends on the museum and the subject matter.

8) Aretha and Motown legend Smokey Robinson were literally lifelong friends, since they were playground buddies in Detroit. Smokey is one of the only people who can claim to have seen The Queen of Soul with a bucket in a sandbox. If we went to the playground today, would you head for the swings, the slide or the jungle gym? Or, like Aretha, would you play in the sand?

A. I'd go for the carousel, though I don't think they have those at playgrounds anymore. My second choice would be the swing.

9) Random question: Do you like pumpkin seeds?

A. They turn into pumpkins if you plant them, so sure.
_____________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Thursday Thirteen

I readily admit I stole this idea from something I saw on Facebook.

Destination	How to Get There
Home	Country Roads
Memphis	Loving somebody and following them
Winslow, AZ	Flat Bed Ford
Desert	Horse with No Name
Illinois Central Station	Ridin' on the City of New Orleans
Heartbreak Hotel	Lonely Street
Georgia	Midnight Train
Heaven	Stairway
The Sea	Fly Like an Eagle
Hotel California	Dark desert highway
Honalee	A boat with billowed sail
Hell	Highway
Round the Mountain	Six white horses

 ______________
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 566th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Still Dealing with the Dishwasher Damage

The insurance company dragged its feet for an entire week, but after an unhappy policy holder turned up at the agency office to complain on Monday, things began moving again.

For two weeks we had this hole, minus the flooring, which was removed on August 6.
Then the waiting began.

Minus the flooring. Alas, my parquet. I loved you for 30 years.

Tuesday the plumber showed up. Really nice guy from Eagle Rock, Richard Craft. Seemed to know his stuff and I give him a big thumbs up for a job well done.

After he left, I had this:

No sink.
 

Today I went to take the car to Christiansburg for service, and when I returned, I found this:

No cabinet and the drywall's been cut out.

The next step is to have a drywall person come in (I hope I don't need an insulation person, too. Surely not.). That person will fix the hole. The reason there is a hole is because the wall was black with mold from the leak from the dishwasher. There was mold on the cabinet, too.

Trying to figure out dinner when you have nothing but a tiny bathroom sink to wash a big pot in is a real challenge. I think we might be eating out a lot until this issue is fixed.

Lesson? Keep a closer eye on things that deal with water. Water in the sink is good. Water in the cabinets, not good.

A Visit From Mr. Skunk

Early Saturday morning I had a visitor in the field. I shot these in low light, so they're not the best.

One thing I was intrigued by was the snake-like way the skunk moved about the field as it searched for grubs. It moved as if it had no bones, almost. The skunk was minding its own business, seeking breakfast, and I was far enough away not to bother it. Thank goodness for a long-lens camera!

We smell them occasionally but rarely see skunks, so I was pleased to get these photos.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Name three fears.

A. Fear of being homeless, fear of being left behind, fear of losing my mind.

2. Name three things you love.

A. My husband, my other family members, my technological gadgets.

3. Name four turn-ons.

A. I am turned on by stimulating intelligent conversation, chocolate, learning, and music.

4. Name four turn-offs.

A. I am turned off by people who don't bathe, certain foods, snakes, and anger.

5. Who is your best friend?

A. I have several close friends. I don't like to name just one; someone might be hurt by that.

6. Name your favorite book.

A. Lord of the Rings

7. Tell about your best first date.

A. My best first date was with my husband. We met at a football game (Lord Botetourt v. James River, 1982), and we were underneath the goal posts watching the game. We weren't actually on a date. Our friends had maneuvered us so that we met. We went dancing after the game. Since I have been married to him for 35 years, it must have went well.

8. How tall are you?

A. I am 5' 2" tall.

9. What do you miss?

A. I miss my grandmother a great deal. We talked on the phone a lot and sometimes when I am feeling very lonely I wish I still had her to call.

10. What time were you born?

A. I was born on a day when the world was standing still while spring began its sojourn into summer, under the sign of Gemini.

11. What is your favorite color?

A. My favorite color is blue.

12. Do you have a crush on anyone?

A. No.

13. What is your favorite quote?

A. "Not all those who wander are lost." J.R. R. Tolkien

14. What is your favorite place?

A. My home.

15. What is your favorite food?

A. Chocolate. That technically is not a food, but what the hey.

16. Do you use sarcasm?

A. Oh right. Like I would ever use sarcasm to make a point. What do you think I am, a pencil?

17. What are you listening to right now?

A. The sound of silence, aside from the pecking sound my fingers make when they hit my keyboard.

18.  What is the first thing you notice when you meet someone new?

A. Their posture.

19. What is your eye color?

A. Hazel, but my eyes are liked cracked ice.

20. What is your hair color?

A. Brown and "soft white."

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them. (#245)