After our trip to PA for my class reunion and to Indiana to reunite with CA friends, 1827 total miles, $883 poorer for 218 gallons of diesel for the motor home and a much shorter trip than we had planned, we came home. It is not worth being ill and in my case cranky away from home; I am not a good sick person, in fact I am downright miserable. Halloween approaches, but I could get my witch on early.
We arrived home September 25, over a week ago bringing along our remnants of the crappy "cold bug" from PA courtesy of the typhoid Mary at the reunion who spread germs amongst all. Yes the reunion was wonderful and yes it was a superb time. I loved reuniting with classmates, most of whom I'd not seen in 40 years since the 10th and some 50 years since we graduated. First Jerry caught this bug and then a week or so later me, but I amplify everything. After two weeks now I did check in with my local doc who advised me that my body is doing its job expertly fighting this nasty thing. Give it a few more days and if it is not better, then fill the RX for antibiotics which he wrote. Jerry went last week and got heavy antibiotics which he is taking. He no longer coughs at night, I still do. I am fine except for the night time cough that interrupts sleep and leaves me feeling tired through the day, but neither of us have fevers and what I am left with is sinus drainage. This is one nasty bugger. Colds are supposed to take a week, well this one did not get the memo. That said, here we are enjoying wonderful balmy autumnal weather, the colors are changing all along the river and bluffs, reflecting a golden, orange reddish glow in the sunshine. And with that I have tried to get in a little bit of outside trimming, weeding, etc as the days go along. I will be much happier when I get back to my own level of physical activity and walks and the like. As it is I savor my strength for spurts of activity and hold those in check.
Here's good news regarding sale of my uncle's home which is the last part to settle the estate. And for my Catholic friends, know that St. Joseph is at work. Nonbelievers will not comprehend this, but Catholics who trust in the power of intercessory prayer of saints will applaud. I was getting despondent as the home has been on the market for a year and nary a looker. Yes it is small but it is a grand old house with a massive lot. The area has regressed to what it was when so many of us fled in the sixties, just poor economy and people are not buying homes despite the "buyer's market." Well people just cannot get the loans and maybe that indicates their lack of credit worthiness and the rightful tightening of financial markets.
This trip I took a St. Joseph statue along, as urged by several, and placed him on the shelf in the kitchen with instructions to do the right thing and bring a right buyer and proceeded with prayers. After all, my uncle's middle name was Joseph and so what did I have to lose? Viola on Saturday, September 29 my realtor called with an offer. Actually the day after I placed St. Joseph in the home in September, a realtor who had shown the home previously called my realtor and asked if it were still listed. That was a glimmer of hope. Thank you St. Joseph and "my people" the plethora of them who have gone on ahead and whom I talk to from time to time. My own realtor asked me if I had buried St. Joseph as the legend calls for, face down away from the front door. No, I did it my way.
Now, it seems we may have a buyer, if all goes well, loan and FHA home inspection. The price is way lower than originally listed and is a steal for the buyer, but after continuous payment of PA real estate and school taxes, utilities, lawn maintenance, and the exorbitant insurance for vacant homes, I can accept a low bid to be done with this major concern. Sure I could hold on and wait, but what for? Someone needs to live there and keep the home going. Someone with ability to update and tinker. Someone, well, you get it a good buyer. This will be such a weight off our shoulders to no longer be absentee owners. So now we are in the midst of emailing and faxing and signing millions of real estate papers. This is why I dislike realtors, with them comes tons of paperwork, tree killing at its finest. I ask again of the realtor, "can't you initial all these documents for me with my permission?" "oh no, indeed not, I'd go to Realtor Prison." Well thankfully I have ability to email and print and fax....tomorrow it is faxing 35 pages which I printed from the email, each one initialed by me as executrix and this is only the beginning. There will be more, ever more as this buyer is getting an FHA loan, more and more paper.
There is more coincidence here, the potential buyer is a niece of a PA friend of mine. My friend was not aware of the circumstance, knew they were looking but did not know it was my house. It is a small world indeed back there and so we look ahead to moving this last bit of estate work along.
All things concerned have kept me from blogging. But I have been on Facebook daily, posting reunion photos and tracking and talking online. As I hit time crunch I will likely have to avoid that too. I am anticipating one less big issue to handle and the carefree ability to plan trips to other areas. We will still return to PA, I have friends and a cemetery to visit. But the visits will be leisurely and with out pressure to do anything over at the house. You can only imagine how I am looking forward to being less concerned. Whew I might even have time to blog creatively once again.
I created this blog to record our RV trips and ;morphed into life in our retirement lane and telling my tales of life. Now my tales of life are on widowhood, my new and probably my last phase of l I have migrated to Facebook where I communicate daily, instantly with family/friends all over. I write here sometimes. COPYWRIGHT NOTICE: All photos, stories, writings on this blog are the property of myself, Patricia Morrison and may not be used, copied, without my permission most often freely given.
Other blog dominating
Blogger insists on showing my posts and comments to others as my Books Blog, You can click on it to get here and vice versa....the Book blog is just that while this one, my first, original has miscellany
Link to BookBlog https://patsbooksreadandreviewed.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Simple reset and all is well.....hmmm
Sky at Mt. Top Tarentum night before |
We had a rainy day yesterday here in PA, what else is new, when we are here we ususally have rain.
Jerry has a sore throat, he says no big deal, but I flash back to last October on our southern trip where he ended up with almost pneumonia. So he will stay put at the motor home today while I am out and about with friends.
Here we are at Beermuda, left to right around the table Linda, Pam, Carlie, Jerry, me and Peggy |
In the sunshine interim yesterday afternoon, we went to Greenwood cemetery to see all my people. Then we went over to St. Mary's where I tried to find other older family graves, there was no one at the site but roaming I did find a few by accident, however not the ones I wanted. Oh well, another trip, those folks aren't going anywhere.
Labels:
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Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Traveling and newer devices not working consistently
Who"d have thunk it....me with Carole Krasinski Both in the same top Friday night, hers from PA and mine from MN. |
We have been so busy here in PA with reunion (a 2 nite event) and recovery from which was a one entire day for me--I can no longer dance all night without recovering the next day! The reunion was the best event and the most fun ever for all of us. Those who did not attend really missed out. The memory books are so nice and those who did not submit their questionnaires or were too late, oh well, so sorry for you. Those of us who were there really celebrated. The band rocked Saturday night and so did I! Some only came on Friday some only Saturday and some missed everything with myriads of reasons. There will never again be such an event for ourselves.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Murphy, that rascal, returns
You might wonder what that poster has to do with Murphy, well read on my friend. It has been exactly one week ago that we experienced our main sewer line clogging and this morning as Jerry showered I heard the downstairs toilet gurgling. Sure enough, new week, same problem. The plumber says he can be here about 2 o"clock so we wait and wonder. Last week we toughed it out on Sunday and waited until Monday afternoon for a plumber; Jerry rented a snake from the hardware store and used drain unclogger chemicals to no avail and just when it seemed like the plumber could find nothing in our over 100 foot sewer drain, paydirt (or dirt of another kind.)
We have 2 sewer drains on this house, and the biggest is clogging. We remain suspicious that this is a result from our recent company who may have flushed things that we do not....think 13 year old girl for one and you can figure the rest out. Apparently the original culprit was not all cleared. But we can use the downstairs shower and sink and we have the motor home for potty needs (ala an outhouse run!). Having never had these troubles in the 7 years we have lived here, it is frustrating.
While at the computer, I heard gurgling, which was the backing up, shower water was backing into that downstairs toilet and I bailed. It can always be worse and we will manage. As we said last night with friends, while on this side of the grass, what's to complain?
I had intended to spend today reconfiguring our wifi and really learning my new Samsung III smart phone and tablet...but Murphy said, "not so very fast there pardner'...not so fast.... If you don't know Murphy, consider yourself lucky. Murphy even has a website for all Murphy's laws in one place http://www.murphys-laws.com/ His law, and I maintain Murphy is/was a he, is usually stated as: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong". And so given that we can expect the unexpected to occur, or it's always something as Roseanne Anna Danna wailed.
Wikipedia has quite a bit of information about Murphy. According to the book A History of Murphy's Law by author Nick T. Spark, differing recollections years later by various participants make it impossible to pinpoint who first coined the saying Murphy's law. The law's name supposedly stems from an attempt to use new measurement devices developed by the eponymous Edward Murphy. Edward Aloysius Murphy, Jr. (January 11, 1918 – July 17, 1990) was an American aerospace engineer who worked on safety-critical systems. The phrase was coined in adverse reaction to something Murphy said when his devices failed to perform and was eventually cast into its present form prior to a press conference some months later — the first ever (of many) conferences given by Dr. John Stapp, a U.S. Air Force colonel and Flight Surgeon in the 1950s. The phrase first received public attention when Stapp was asked how it was that nobody had been severely injured during the rocket sled tests. Stapp replied that it was because they always took Murphy's Law under consideration; he then summarized the law and said that in general, it meant that it was important to consider all the possibilities (possible things that could go wrong) before doing a test and act to counter them." And we thought engineers had no sense of humor!
I intend to master my new techie toys prior to our journey to PA for my 50th high school reunion, a master event for which planning has been underway most of this year. It is a two night event, casual Friday with pizza and banquet dinner and music Saturday evening. I am excited as we are going to celebrate ourselves, survivors, we have made it. While I am disappointed that so many of my friends from elementary grades are opting out, that will be their loss. I do not understand disinterest from the locals who have no cost to travel etc. Well, some people just don"t see the significance of celebrating milestones. Some people complain about the cost, but they have had plenty of time to set aside some money for this, and some people simply are not interested, I suppose. The curiosity would lure me if nothing else if I lived there and as it is, this is my first reunion since the 10th, the only other one I made. There are even those who did not graduate with us who are attending, either they moved or they are wanna bes of our Ken Hi class of 62.
I pulled out my Pittsburghese t-shirt which I purchased many years ago on a visit home, when I wear it anywhere but PA nobody appreciates it. It has many of the dialectic phrases I will be hearing. I really should alter it as I prefer a scooped neck, more tailored look instead of these men's style. I had already shortened it because it is a rather large and long size, the only one they had. All my tasks and 'shoulds" amuse Murphy who always brings another plan...but be of good cheer, because it came to pass not to stay and we can get through this too. It is best to hold onto optimism and or at least humor when all else fails.
As my old Uncle John said, "everything will be a funny story someday so we might as well laugh now" followed by, "nobody likes a moaner anyway..." Laugh and the world laughs with you, whine and you cry alone! And this is how Murphy, plumbing and Pittsburghese makes it to the blog today...
We have 2 sewer drains on this house, and the biggest is clogging. We remain suspicious that this is a result from our recent company who may have flushed things that we do not....think 13 year old girl for one and you can figure the rest out. Apparently the original culprit was not all cleared. But we can use the downstairs shower and sink and we have the motor home for potty needs (ala an outhouse run!). Having never had these troubles in the 7 years we have lived here, it is frustrating.
While at the computer, I heard gurgling, which was the backing up, shower water was backing into that downstairs toilet and I bailed. It can always be worse and we will manage. As we said last night with friends, while on this side of the grass, what's to complain?
I had intended to spend today reconfiguring our wifi and really learning my new Samsung III smart phone and tablet...but Murphy said, "not so very fast there pardner'...not so fast.... If you don't know Murphy, consider yourself lucky. Murphy even has a website for all Murphy's laws in one place http://www.murphys-laws.com/ His law, and I maintain Murphy is/was a he, is usually stated as: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong". And so given that we can expect the unexpected to occur, or it's always something as Roseanne Anna Danna wailed.
Wikipedia has quite a bit of information about Murphy. According to the book A History of Murphy's Law by author Nick T. Spark, differing recollections years later by various participants make it impossible to pinpoint who first coined the saying Murphy's law. The law's name supposedly stems from an attempt to use new measurement devices developed by the eponymous Edward Murphy. Edward Aloysius Murphy, Jr. (January 11, 1918 – July 17, 1990) was an American aerospace engineer who worked on safety-critical systems. The phrase was coined in adverse reaction to something Murphy said when his devices failed to perform and was eventually cast into its present form prior to a press conference some months later — the first ever (of many) conferences given by Dr. John Stapp, a U.S. Air Force colonel and Flight Surgeon in the 1950s. The phrase first received public attention when Stapp was asked how it was that nobody had been severely injured during the rocket sled tests. Stapp replied that it was because they always took Murphy's Law under consideration; he then summarized the law and said that in general, it meant that it was important to consider all the possibilities (possible things that could go wrong) before doing a test and act to counter them." And we thought engineers had no sense of humor!
I intend to master my new techie toys prior to our journey to PA for my 50th high school reunion, a master event for which planning has been underway most of this year. It is a two night event, casual Friday with pizza and banquet dinner and music Saturday evening. I am excited as we are going to celebrate ourselves, survivors, we have made it. While I am disappointed that so many of my friends from elementary grades are opting out, that will be their loss. I do not understand disinterest from the locals who have no cost to travel etc. Well, some people just don"t see the significance of celebrating milestones. Some people complain about the cost, but they have had plenty of time to set aside some money for this, and some people simply are not interested, I suppose. The curiosity would lure me if nothing else if I lived there and as it is, this is my first reunion since the 10th, the only other one I made. There are even those who did not graduate with us who are attending, either they moved or they are wanna bes of our Ken Hi class of 62.
Front of the tshirt. |
Back of tshirt |
Monday, August 27, 2012
Spider, spider in the web..... and the threes
This AM out on yard and garden patrol I spotted a new addition to the front of the house, between the snowball and hydrangea shrubs, right over the bayberry bush. A 6 foot by 5 foot spider web of magical symmetry and proportions. This was a job for the bigger camera, not trusting in my smaller Nikon. I was unsuccessful in capturing that entire web, that lacy intricacy did not show up. But I did snap several great spidery shots and immediately posted to Facebook so that my California expert entomologist friend, Baldo would identify type of spider
We did put him on cardboard for the viewing and that way I was able to finally capture his top side up.
If you saw the photos on Facebook, sorry for the duplication, but I am posting near the phone awaiting a call from a plumber. This is the 2nd day of the three's. You know how things happen in threes, or so I have heard. Well yesterday after I showered Jerry heard the downstairs toilet gurgling....a quick check found it filling. I went off to church and he said he was puzzled but thought he had it. He did not. Long story very short, we have a clog in one of the two sewer drains from the house. Jerry rented a snake and has dumped drain unclog to no avail. So although we have running water, we cannot use it. We figured we could move the motor home up the driveway out of the shop and use it for toilet and running water--hah, wrong again. It has only been a couple weeks, but for some reason it would not start, the battery is not charging, and Jerry could not locate a relay! Bingo that's the third thing, the relay, and there should end the plague of the threes.
Well, we wanted to avoid triple time pay for a plumber on Sunday and so we waited until Monday and we are still waiting. The plumber who said he's be here by noon is two + hours late. I only hope we are not started on a second phase of the three's.
Spider from belly side with center web criss cross to his left |
I am still awaiting Baldo"s reply but I think it had to be a Steeler's fan because he definitely sported a black body with yellow pattern, his legs had a reddish tint. Notice the past tense, because he is no more. We watched him for quite a while and saw him move so very fast to catch the smaller bug that was caught in his sticky web and the bug was gone in an instant. This was a very inexpensive 15 minutes of entertainment as we both stood looking. Imagine how long this guy spent weaving that huge web. And how do they produce the web netting? There is a lot to question in this act of nature, and after I post I may do more web browsing, or Baldo may let me know more than I can question. This spider was big over an inch and a very full body and had a very long reach with his legs, if that's what thy are called. There is likely a entomological term, but they are legs for this post. We considered letting him stay in place, maybe he would eat mosquitoes which are reappearing with the reappearance of our warmer temperatures again. But when Jerry said, "we don"t know what he is...do you want to keep him?" I knew it was curtains for the spider.
Here he goes head first down the web |
I am not squeamish about them, but I am very allergic to spider bites and watching this guy's actions gave me pause. Fortunately I did not step that way to trim the snowball bush, I'd gone to the other side where I could more easily reach the back or I'd have been entangled. It was on the return trip from mission accomplished of the offending branches into the house siding that I caught this artistic endeavor.
He seemed all too eager to show his belly while in the web. In fact all I got were side and belly shots, until.....we sprayed him with spider shot from the can. He teetered and tottered in his web and then it was all over curtain call for the spider and the web. The web was very tacky and sticky and Jerry used a rod to dismantle it. Even that caught the sticky.
Another belly shot, a bit fuzzy in focus |
Repose of the Steeler fan Arachnid |
Well, we wanted to avoid triple time pay for a plumber on Sunday and so we waited until Monday and we are still waiting. The plumber who said he's be here by noon is two + hours late. I only hope we are not started on a second phase of the three's.
Labels:
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things happen in threes,
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Saturday, August 25, 2012
Goodwill hunting
Shelf of some birds and other collectibles |
I personally do not ever hold a garage, yard or estate sale because I have no patience to sit all day to earn a pittance. This means I donate lots to charity efforts and leave the selling to them. I much prefer being on the other side of the hunt, the hunter rather than the prey, if you will. I have no patience for bargain hunters who haggle for sport--if something is marked $1, they want it for 50 cents, if it's marked $10 they want it for $5 and so on. I much prefer shoppers to hunters. I have never been one to quibble barter like that and so do not get along well where haggling is expected. If I think something is too expensive or more than I want to pay, I just walk on by. Not so with hagglers, who consider it a sport. Sometimes they are quite insulted when one does not engage.
Now to me a sale is different from an auction where bidding is quite fun. But a sale is a sale, and the most I have done is ask, "Is this your best price?" Sometimes it is sometimes, I am surprised by a discount.
Guest bedroom where there is once again room to walk by the foot of the bed |
The thrill of the hunt is something that still surfaces from time to time and Friday after shedding at Goodwill, I took the time to browse inside. Hey, you never know what you will find and I had time to kill, I am after all Teofil's granddaughter, so maybe I need it someday and will be happy I have it. Read about Teofil elsewhere on this blog, and at http://patonlinenewtime.blogspot.com/2010/03/sepia-saturday-week-16-click-here-to.html
Friday's Goodwill finds |
1973 Musical Owl plays Sunrise Sunset |
We just never know when a possession will lead to a collection, but over the years of gifts, inheriting, auctions, estate sales, and thrift and Goodwill hunting we can build collections. Earlier this week another blogger asked if I have any collections that are out of hand, not yet, although Jerry might disagree.
My old childhood canary whistle |
Saturday, August 18, 2012
When you start to notice things
A friend and I have gone buggy this year, she knows who she is....2012 is our self proclaimed year of the Lady Bug . I'm not sure how it all started, maybe with the pins, maybe with a comment maybe because the bugs are red and black and that was our high school colors and we will be celebrating a 50th High School Reunion in PA in September but it has been fun and we still have months to go. She even found a ladybug hose for me, which is quite welcome outside this year where we had to water more than ever before in a MN summer.
Now others who have become aware that I will buy most anything tasteful, because we are rather diva-ish in our ages, with lady bugs on it are helping me, looking out for all things ladybug decorated. A long time dear friend from CA recently sent me unannounced two pair of great ladybug socks, one pair to share with my other buggy pal because Sandy knows I like to share. That generated a comical episode as I dashed off an email thanking Carlie for the socks. My gratitude set her to head scratching because she had not sent me any socks since winter when the 3 "monkey" matched style buggy knee hi's arrived, perplexed, she emailed right back, "I must be losing it...." My quick look at the package receipt showed it had been purchased by Sandy in CA and so the fun began. Confusion and laughter. Jerry pitched in to say, "..don"t admit anything, just let her wonder until we get to PA in September." But I'd already fessed up. After I called Sandy she explained she'd sent two pair, one for my friend which was interesting because that is what I thought I would do when I saw two duplicate pair, but at first I wondered why Carlie sent me two pair.
For a short respite I had given up, I could find no more lady bug things at least nothing I thought tasteful enough to add to our mutual collections. So I painted a couple stones to send her. I have not painted stones for many years, something I did back in CA when a group of friends mutually declared we would only give home made gifts. Wanting to indulge in something different, I painted sayings and roses on stones.
Now our lady bugs, are showing up in the most unexpected places. I mailed a herd of bug items off forgetting I had something else on order which arrived the day I mailed the first group. Our lady bug phenomena has gone to another level, analogous to what happens when you buy a certain color or model vehicle and then see it on the road. Did you ever notice how that happens, suddenly that car is all over the place. Where before ladybugs were hard to find amid decorative items, they are now showing up.
Last night I served Lady Bug ice cream. I have no idea why the Cedar Crest brand so named it and I cannot send this to Carlie, so she will have to just see the photo on this post. This was new to me and I am wondering how many more lady bug related or named items will show up in 2012, Year of the Lady Bug. I do have another ladybug project underway which will take time as I am adjusting and tweaking a design.
Door off the sun porch, 4 season room has been bugged |
Now others who have become aware that I will buy most anything tasteful, because we are rather diva-ish in our ages, with lady bugs on it are helping me, looking out for all things ladybug decorated. A long time dear friend from CA recently sent me unannounced two pair of great ladybug socks, one pair to share with my other buggy pal because Sandy knows I like to share. That generated a comical episode as I dashed off an email thanking Carlie for the socks. My gratitude set her to head scratching because she had not sent me any socks since winter when the 3 "monkey" matched style buggy knee hi's arrived, perplexed, she emailed right back, "I must be losing it...." My quick look at the package receipt showed it had been purchased by Sandy in CA and so the fun began. Confusion and laughter. Jerry pitched in to say, "..don"t admit anything, just let her wonder until we get to PA in September." But I'd already fessed up. After I called Sandy she explained she'd sent two pair, one for my friend which was interesting because that is what I thought I would do when I saw two duplicate pair, but at first I wondered why Carlie sent me two pair.
For a short respite I had given up, I could find no more lady bug things at least nothing I thought tasteful enough to add to our mutual collections. So I painted a couple stones to send her. I have not painted stones for many years, something I did back in CA when a group of friends mutually declared we would only give home made gifts. Wanting to indulge in something different, I painted sayings and roses on stones.
Now our lady bugs, are showing up in the most unexpected places. I mailed a herd of bug items off forgetting I had something else on order which arrived the day I mailed the first group. Our lady bug phenomena has gone to another level, analogous to what happens when you buy a certain color or model vehicle and then see it on the road. Did you ever notice how that happens, suddenly that car is all over the place. Where before ladybugs were hard to find amid decorative items, they are now showing up.
This is one of our favorite brands of ice cream. And the Lady Bug flavor was irresistible Caramel and chocolate swirls, two delicious additions to vanilla |
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Wall is done and all's wall
Just a couple buckets and a barrow to take The great wall of Morrison 2012 is complete |
Side of the wall |
I was surprised that all the river rock which is atop each layer has a whitish cast, but the landscaper assured me that will wash off when the rains come or when the dust settles off. He said that depending on where they purchase the rock, the shadings are different ranging from this whitish to reddish to a blue tone. Oh if he had given me my choice I"d have taken red or maybe blue, just to see the different effect.
Here they spread hay over the newly reseeded back lawn where the bobcat had grooved ruts |
This is one project that ran almost exactly as planned once they started, which was a month later than expected. The other evening I was sitting out back and watching a flock of robins gather in, almost meet and discuss and then trot up and down the equipment ruts in the lawn. I have not a clue what mesmerized them but as we watched the flock divided up went all along, both tracks parallel and one after another side by side, back and forth a couple times, wished I'd captured that photo. There is always something amusing to see watching birds.
Scattering hay over new seed at driveway end |
Shoveling off the dirt and debris from our side driveway as the crew completed street cleanup. |
Overseer with big stick |
New wall, something to be happy about. New trellis also below the house. |
It's wall over a transformation Especially when compared to how it looked just a week ago, hooray! |
Birds nest in apple tree. |
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