Sunday, September 4, 2005

Sun. again & I'm watching the Mets against Marlins.  Soon baseball will be in the past.  It's fun to watch football.  Yesterday I watched Wisconsin win the game.  Sure was a sea of red in the stands.  Number 2 Brian Calhoun sure can run. (I like the word "sure"!)

Yesterday we received the Penneys Christmas catalogue & you know what that means. Suggestions!  Barb's E mail is.....I'll enclose the slip so you can E mail us ideas.  I'll still send money but like ideas for something to open on Christmas Eve or Day.  So put on your thinking caps -- you know we like to start early.

The gas project on our street is completed & grass is planted.  I suggested Dale water it but he hasn't followed thru.  He did once & Barb did as well.

We had a guest organist today -- a Barry Keller.  The pastor didn't make any comments so we don't know if he is temporary.  He did OK.

Dale's El Camino is in a rented garage & mice got into it & smelled up the car.  So he's been cleaning it until it is fine with him.  Smells gone.  He wants new wheels & tires for it & then it will be complete.  He just got new tires for the white car.  Names of cars don't stick in my mind.

It was 52 this A.M. but it has warmed up.  It is nice to be able to wear fall clothes again.

I watched a little volleyball yesterday on TV.  We played volleyball in high school & it was fun.  I'm sure it is a faster game today.

Barb keeps track of mileage when she rides her bike.  Her dream is 1000 miles but she only has 600 miles sol far.  Last year she couldn't ride at all, so she is happy with what she's dong (so far).  She'll still be able to ride before it gets cold.

The little house across the st. might have sold.  A man & woman have cut down a tree & removed all the weeds in front of the house.  All the stuff is piled up -- wonder if the city will take it away.  It's way past the time alloted for pick up.  Time will tell.

Dale went up to our Mall & brought me home a pkg. of Oreos and 3 dish cloths & I haven't bought any for ages.  He got them at Big Lots.

Labor Day

The Mets were on the NYC TV channel but Dave O'Brien who also works for ESPN wasn't available.  And the announcer talked all the time (not Tom) so I had to mute the broadcast so I missed the usual color of the game.   Tom & David are great together.  And they lost.  They never can get the hits when they need them.  Carlos Beltran is a "bust" this year for the Mets.  Maybe it takes a while to get used to playing in NYC.  I hope he's better next year.

I don't know if I have an allergy or a cold but I'm sure using the Kleenex.

Wed. the 8th

We have a chipmunk that is eating the sunflower seeds.  They are big one 10"-12" in diameter & he's just about finished it.  We try to scare him but we don't always see him. Barb cut them down to dry.

Barb says Andy should be happy that the Braves are on top in their division.  But my question is "Can they win the Big One?"  They've only won 1 World Series, haven't they?

I have a recipe for banana blueberry bread.  Dale likes them separately but isn't sure of the combination.  So I'll try it as I have 2 ripe bananas I want to use.  I'm sure it will get eaten.

Fri. the 9th

Just got home from getting my hair done.  Started a load of wash & will finish my letter.

Kim & Lar are fine.  Next week Thurs. Kim & friends will help Betsy Moran celebrate her 50th birthday.  so it will be a short visit here for supper.

The other Betsy (your classmate) doesn't know if she can take 2 more years of teaching. She bot an old house next to her property, had it torn down so she'd like to get that loan paid off.  At the new elem. school she teaches 2 subjects & they have to follow a schedule -- they change from room to room.  Teacher teaches same subjects to all her classes.  If they run behind there is no time to make it up.  It has been hard getting started in a new school where all kids are bussed but it should get smoother & easier as time goes by.

Sunday, September 19, 2004

I'm in a quandary -- what do I watch when the Mets are on TV as well as the Ryder Cup, where for 2 days the U.S. has taken a beating from the Europeans.  But today the U.S. fellows are doing better in singles play so I'm switching back & forth.  Maybe it's too late, tho for U.S.  It was.

Fri. Barb went to our Mall.  Barb always says I don't need anything but ends up buying a jacket to wear with jeans, etc.  A bright pink.  Nice for the cooler weather of fall.

Dale is on vacation this week.  Mon. at 9:30 he will help Barb put up clothes, a TV, & VCR & store them here.  Bert's friend from Hawaii things.

This A.M. in place of the sermon, the youth who went to Mexico to help build a house, told of their experiences.  Only the wealthy have garbage pick up, so there is garbage all around. The small house they helped build is more like a garage in the U.S.  But the people were thrilled to get it.  It was quite an experience for them.

Pittsburgh had so much rain & flooding, Fri. nite's game was postponed.  So they had a double header today & the Mets lost both games.  Another lost season again.  Will it ever change?

We could have frost tonite so I brought the fem in from the porch.

We received the L. L. Bean Christmas catalog but the one I'm waiting for is the Penneys catalog.  Lynn got hers last week, so maybe mine will come this week.  Barb looked thru Lynn's & said it was interesting.  I got the Holiday Cookbook from the Taste of Home books in Greendale, Wi.   It was so much fun to look thru & I noticed some interesting ideas & recipes for holidays, not just Christmas.

The political signs are going up.  Collins have the Bush-Cheney sign up & their neighbors, a lawyer, whose name slipped my mind, has a bunch of signs for state Democratic offices.  I'll be glad when the hype is all over.

The new bridge has really been hindered with bad summer weather & heavy rains from the hurricanes (it does have an E).  It should be near the finish but they are really behind. Wonder if the company will make any money on it.

In football Buffalo lost so Barb was unhappy; Pittsburgh lost so Dale was unhappy; Green Bay lost so you are unhappy; Mets lost so I'm unhappy.  If that's all we've got to be unhappy about, I guess we're pretty lucky.

Mon the 20th

Got your interesting letter today.  Interesting about our house.  It also had a half bathroom with the laundry area, by the kitchen.  Both Grandpa & Grandma Randolph lived with us until Grandpa died.  I don't remember much about Grandma.  When we moved in she fell down the cellar stairs & cut her head open & it took 48 stitches to close it.  It affected her mind & in the end she spent time in the hospital for the poor.  She wore long skirts & I remember the cake she made didn't taste as good as my mother's.  One morning in grade school, I guess I didn't want to go to school so I hid in the attic during the A.M.  Grandpa was still living them & he whipped me.  I went to school that afternoon!  Gen must have told one me.  When Gen was born they named her Madeline G. & because my dad said there were too many actresses' names, they went by Gen.  My dad was young when he first married to someone older than him & she died in childbirth with Millie.  She was Hulda from Hartford & had 2 sisters that never married.

I've kept a few things from you "kids" school days & that bakery trip was one.  Barb said I should sent to you -- otherwise it would be with "stuff" to go over when I'm no longer here. Are you going to keep it.

Barb & I went to CVS for my meds, to the Mall & then Quality.  At the Mall Barb got a pair of nice black pants to go with her new jacket.  I was looking thru a sale rack & found a $49.00 Liz Clarbourn blouse for $7.95.  I couldn't believe it, but it was true.  It is navy print with a small design of pineapple, glasses of juice, palm trees, etc.  Very small print but maybe people didn't like the design.  But for that price I'll wear it.

Back to the family, Ford was older when he married.  It was so interesting to read the facts.

I don't remember getting a radio but I remember the Vincents 2 blocks up Allen St. got one of the first ones & they also had an Essex car.  They had 3 kids we played with.  They always had marshmallow creme & we'd get a spoonful.  We could go into the kitchen but not the rest of the house.  It was that ways with Christiansons who had 4 daughters.  We'd sit in their kitchen & play rummy with  packs of cards.  And we'd play jacks a lot.

Barb & Dale picked up Laura's things this A.M. & Barb has them stored.  She said she'd take Dale & me out to dinner.  Dale is willing to go & will go Fri. nite.  Probably to Fernwood. Her $2,000.00 is in the bank.

We got the Penney's Christmas catalog today & it's fun looking thru it.

Concerning reading.  Remember 70+ years ago, school didn't push children like they do now. I don't remember anything but I got my library card before we moved to Hartford Ter. so I must have been reading as I was 9 when we moved -- no I was 7 if it was 1927.

Wed the 22, Rose S birthday.  We're the same age for a couple of week & then I go ahead.

Mon. Barb went to BiLo for Bert & she noticed chrysanthemums on sale 5 for 10.00 &^ they are good sized plants.  She put them on the side by the back door, & they look so nice.

I got info from Penney's -- 40% off catalog orders before the 28th.  So I sent an order for a casual jacket & matching sweater.  Jacket was 49.99 & take 40% off, that is nice.  Barb saw a sweater she liked & I ordered it -- a Christmas present.  She's in a "pink" mood as it is a bright pink.  Also ordered a pink shell to go with the sweater.   My shell & jacket are a med. bright blue.  I go for the blues.  In clothes,  not in spirit.  Too much to be thankful for to be blue.

I started another puzzle I got at KMart.  I didn't think it would be that hard.  It is.  A floral design with  lots of shades of pink.  It stayed untouched over the weekend & Mon. I started to put it together but it is a slow job.  Finally have the greens in & am working on the flowers. It also had a gazebo in the center but that was easy to put together.

Barb finally got a film developed -- some from Christmas & some of flooding at Beaty field. Barb wants me to enclose some in a letter.

Thurs the 23 - I don't know if you noticed the front steps when you were here.  They needed paint.  Yesterday Dale sanded U& washed them.  Today (A.M.) he put a coat of primer on . What an improvement.  He washed the El Camino & has it sitting in the driveway.  He said it's finished & ready to go, but there is always something he can do to make it better.  He's had a perfect week for vacation.  He doesn't work all the time - takes it easy, also.

Taury had shots because he was always biting his leg til its' bare.  Allergy shots.  Lar forgot to give him a pill at noon so Kim gave it to him at 4 pm.  That nite he woke Kim up.  She asked "Do you have to go out" & he headed for the door.  So at 3 A.M. Kim took him out so he could relieve himself.

Enough for this time.