When I got up this morning the thermometer read 79F... no heat ...no nothing... just from the heat outside yesterday! It looks like today will be just as hot until the "storms" move in. The rest of this week will not be great!!
This area needs the rain. We have gotten grass fire warnings ! And I see way too many building fires ( houses and strip malls) on Facebook. Not just little fires... whole structures gone!
Today was busy... laundry... washing floors and so on...
Today is going to get quite warm... 85F or so. So I went out on the deck to finish up getting ready for our Easter get together. Nagged Bob into checking on the grill which is sort of below the deck. He's currently changing clothes... hosing down the grill and checking the tanks left him WET. We have one completely full tank and one partial...plenty for all the "white hots" we are planning to grill.
We are supposed to get at least two days of rain this week... no deck chair cushions on till Saturday!! Bob and I discussed the menu and I am just about set!
Put my box of short pile mohair out into the mailbox... with its USPS label.. headed off to California to a bear maker who is still making small(very small) bears!! Sad to see it go but I know I will never be using it.
Made a batch of scones... will have to rethink some of the directions but they came out tasting great. Bob snarfed one down right away...
So wish yesterday (rally day) had been as warm as its getting today!!
I spent part of the last few days de-cluttering some of my mohair fabric. I have mohair that could only be used to make very small bears and bear friends. Mentioned it on a Facebook bear supplies group and found someone who would love to have it. So I boxed it up... sent a PayPal invoice for shipping... and will mail it tomorrow. One more thing my daughters will not have to cope with....
I am now searching for a bear maker that would want my leftover mohair pieces...
Spent time this morning adding PayPal buttons to my site for the next online bear show ... April 10th - 13th...
I don't have to plan or make dinner tonight. We are joining one of my daughters at Oak Grove's Moocho restaurant!
While de-cluttering mohair I found a piece big enough for a not too small bear... so I traced one of my patterns and cut it out... ready for another sewing session.
While it is warmer, the weather reports mention rain over the next few days. Actually I am glad .. we are in a fire hazard area. And all the blooming trees and greening grass will be happy. Tomorrow will be quite warm...80+F. Easter will be cool and dry...
It was COLD when we headed to Independence Square for the protest rally... wore my winter coat and later wished I had taken gloves. My hands got really cold holding up my sign. Bob and I met our daughter and her family and set up two folding chairs at the corner of Main and Truman Roads. Rally attendees were along all four corners . It's a four way stop so cars honked as they stopped.
Since we were so cold Bob and I left a little early When our daughter left, she found a coffee shop of the Square ( so she could warm up) that was offering a protest discount!! She stopped at the Scandinavian shop and the chocolate shop too! Her husband ,son and daughter went to the game shop... need to support shops on the Square!
It was great to see so many who felt the same way we do! Funny thing... the non-honkers didn't even look at the protestors!!
My teacher/daughter has mice in her school! Her students were very fond of the very tiny one that would scurry around and disappear into a hole. Much to their dismay he was found dead and desiccated. Now there is a bigger mouse which showed himself yesterday after having gotten into some of the snacks stored in a cupboard..... and then my daughter found him under her feet which were under her desk.
This time she reported it to the school maintenance person... and a glue trap was put down. Glue traps are not very humane really... they just catch the mouse by its fur..... but no poison for kids to worry about. My daughter plans on doing a release if one is trapped in her classroom ... outside!
But I can beat her mice story. My Mother's farmhouse in Nova Scotia would get inundated with field mice in the fall. The foundation was stone with lots of access holes . One of my last visits I could hear them scrabbling in the walls. If I ran my fingernails on the wall they would get really quiet. Anyway I went off and bought loads of snap-type traps and set them up all over. One haul netted 7 mice which I threw outside for the barn cats. ( empty traps the next day). I felt like the great white hunter. As we sit watching tv at night one could hear the traps snap!!
Also cleared out cupboards the mice had gotten into!!
I guess I haven't been posting much... let's blame it on the fluctuating weather!
I bought a cedar planter from a local man on Marketplace... delivery was included. Thank goodness because it couldn't have fit in the Malibu! Anyway... the new planter led to getting rid of all the sticks and leaves on the deck and rearranging the seating. Necessary too because I am hoping people will want to sit outside on Easter!
I am not sure what I will put in the planter... yet... but the tents etc. at the various garden centers are showing up ... and truck loads of plants are being unloaded and arranged. Since I don't want plants to die because of a cold snap I am forcing myself to wait...!
Last evening my craft/quilting group met...lots of talk ongoing. One just returned from a trip to Las Vegas . No gambling just family getting together...The local person told us a ghost story from a hotel her family stayed in... and about Winslow, Arizona and the song... and about going through Bisbee on Rt 66.
While talk was going on my daughter worked on a needle felting kit for a Kiwi, I worked on the mouse and others did their diamond art pictures!!
Bob and I decided to use a coupon we got in the mail for Subway sandwiches for dinner tonight so that was two nights I didn't have to cook...hooray
Looks like we will be joining my daughter and her husband at the Women's march in Independence on Saturday . I will take my "no kings" poster along. My s-i-l is bringing a folding chair for me.. standing for a long time is the "pits".
Woke up this morning to a much colder day... yesterday when I awoke the house was 80 F. Nowhere near that this morning and the furnace turned on!!
Back to de-cluttering...reading and working on a little gray mouse...
dinner was leftover creamy tortellini soup, fresh green beans and a green salad.. healthy? Temps down to the 30's at bedtime.
Bob, our daughters and I will head out sometime this summer back to Rochester to visit with Bob's brother. Bob and I decided that maybe staying in a hotel ,again, was not the best idea. So we have been walking our fingers through VRBO rentals.
It has been fun. We have "saved" some interesting ones...looked at google maps discovering neighborhood areas such as Swillburg" and seeing just what our old home area looks like now.
We haven't had much time to be tourists during our previous visits ... but we will this time. I think a stop at the Strong museum would be fun... our last visit was 50 or so years ago when it was VERY new. When Margaret Woodbury Strong's duplicate dolls, toys etc were auctioned off to provide funds for the museum it threw the collecting world in a tizzy.
Maybe the George Eastman museum? Highland Park with all its many lilacs ( there's been a lilac festival for 128 years)?... Memorial Art Gallery?
Back to my book... Stephen King's "Talisman". I finally finished it and feel a little guilty about all the time spent on it... just a little.
My daughter and I went to our friend's 95 th birthday... fun time... the room at her retirement home was packed! Cake and ice cream and lots of visiting with outh attendees.
The day was great... but it has dropped temperature-wise to 45 F and windy. It will be cooler tomorrow and then jump back up to 90 F Wednesday... Crazy Missouri!
Today is gorgeous out...lots of sun and blue skies... and little wind. So it was nice to head out to the Greenwood craft show. We hadn't been to Greenwood for a year or more so it was interesting to see what changes had happened.
Out trip took us south on 7 hwy and then west on 150 hwy. Lots of new houses and a big Q Trip at 7 Hwy and 50 Hwy .
The places to park were pretty full but we managed to find one! A big outdoor popcorn stand was at the door to the show... Bob said "no' because we still have loads from the Boy Scouts. A taste at the winery booth convinced me a bottle would be nice.
I found a cute Easter bunny display piece for a friend's birthday party tomorrow. She will be 95 ! Amazing!!
Bob found some yummy cookies and I found some plant sticks with cute sayings.
Afterwards we went upstairs and looked at all the antique booths.
Made a batch of creamy tortellini soup for dinner... recipe was slightly different from one I had used before. Biggest difference was 8 oz. of tomato puree.
BTW... the house is at 80 F. I turned on my bedroom ceiling fan hoping to cool things down at bedtime.
The morning started with stop at Aldi's for things one can't find elsewhere such as eggs for $1.66/ dozen!
And I did find a few things for my Easter loving grandchildren ( 19 and 23) ...did I say chocolate? Deviled eggs?
We decided to go to our church's ( St. John LaLande) fish fry this evening... fried fish, french fries, mac and cheese, green beans, cole slaw and a table full of deserts. It was being held by the Knights of Columbus. Each table had a flyer for the women's auxiliary for half a pig raffle. We didn't buy one.. no freezer to keep all that pork!!
More de-cluttering and reorganizing up in the attic.
The temperature hit over 80 F... maybe a record. Warmer tomorrow...
Tomorrow ... Greenwood's craft show
Yesterday we headed out to Target for two prescriptions that were waiting for me and then off to the neighborhood Walmart with a huge grocery shop list. I had waited till we really needed loads of groceries. We are still doing a "where is it now" as Walmart continues its remodeling!! Just about everything is somewhere new!
Bob brought everything in from the car trunk and I put things away!! Good thing we went early. Our neighborhood was full of "ditch witches" digging holes just inside the curbs for wi-fi stuff. One of the vehicles even spent time in our driveway. No way for us to leave!! Things were so congested that the mail person didn't make it at all.
Today I finally went to the hairdresser... where she "trimmed" inches off! Bob went with our daughter as a support person at the dentist... both things at the same time!!
The weather is on its upswing...currently in the 70's... tomorrow in the 80's and maybe 90's on Saturday... then typically Missouri the temps will drop somewhat. Tomorrow will be a great day for a big craft show in Greenwood. Afterwards we may hit Greenwood's antique shops!
I have been reading but when I started feeling a little guilty I decided to spend some time de-cluttering my work room. I have had some things for bear accessories way too long. Time to donate what I will never use.
Well.. according to ancestry.com I don't have a drop of Irish in me...but Bob's great-great grandfather came over from Ireland in the 1840's ! I did enjoy our visit to Ireland in 2014... we stayed in Dublin and Galway and visited the Aran Islands. We squeezed lots into our short one week stay.
.....The pictures are from InnisMoor.... I still love the horse one. She followed us along the "road " we took to go to the oldest church on Innis. I fed her black berries growing alongside and when we went into what was left of the church she put her head through the window. Second picture ... We had tea and cakes here!
Spent the rest of the afternoon reading a new Dana Stabenow ( Kate Shugak) book... and being cold. The temp wasn't bad but the wind was.
My grocery list for tomorrow is lo-o-ng plus I need to pick up my prescription from Target so we will be heading out.
I am looking out into our circle's backyards... a dusty of snow, loads of sun and cold temps ( 16 F). Nothing like what the weather people had predicted!!Except for the cold temps.
My daughters are still at home... working of course. One is modifying her non-profits website. The other is doing something online with the school ( kids didn't have school though they did have work to do on their tablets.
So far I am doing a puttering type of de-clutter, finishing a light pink bear and reading on my Kindle.
Bob is puttering around on his computer and found that the weather predictions mention an 80 F next week! Maybe it will be nice enough to spend our Easter get together out on the deck!! That means clearing off all the winter debris! We've been feeding the birds out there all winter... won't they be surprised?
We went to John Knox's craft show today. Hadn't made it to many lately... but decided it would be fun. Bob went along.
John Knox is a large retirement complex and the event center makes a great place for all sorts of shows. It is about 20 minutes away in Lee's Summit.
This time there was lots of different vendors and many of the ones that had been duplicates were gone.
We came home with a large jar of salsa.The vendor has a commercial place and lots of Kansas and Missouri tests done.. and expensive ones too. He has four regular salsas with different heat levels and ones made from tomatillos. Got to try them all.. all except the really hot ones!
Found a vendor with stained glassed and fused glass items. Came home with two pieces for gifting.
Another vendor makes the most gorgeous cupcakes... almost too pretty to eat. Took a card and may have to order special ones for a birthday or something.
Tried samples of sweet non-yeast breads. The non-gluten were not for us- too dry and grainy, But the regular ones were great and we bought a loaf of banana pecan with a crunchy topping.
Spent time talking with a pair of basket makers... one of them is buying a scrapbooking and craft shop and will be offering different classes... In Blue Springs. We will have to go and check it out!
Bob found his primary care doctor at a table offering honey products. He and his son have loads of hives and are getting more!
Two youngish vendors had lead pipe and plumbing parts lamps.. assembled or kits. Bob bought two..I see gifts in the future.
Last but not least was a table of nuts.. coated.. almonds, cashews , pecans .
LATER
Both of us were a little tired and I didn't feel much like cooking. So a pizza was ordered and picked up. Love that the pizza places all seem to be having sales!
We headed out to the DMV just before 10... hoping that this time would be pretty quiet. It wasn't... The room was pretty full We signed in and waited for a text saying we were next. More people came in having signed in and were sitting in their cars.
Most people were not getting their driver's license renewed or replaced. Ten people in the queue in front of us. My turn took a little over 5 minutes... eye test, sign recognition test, questions, picture, payment. We left the DMV a little over an hour later!!
Next month it will be Bob's turn.
My teacher daughter teaches the older kids on Thursday and Friday. Many of them are fasting for Ramadan. She set up a spot in her classroom so that the kids could read or do art projects during lunch while the non-fasting kids eat. My daughter decided to fast with them today. She said everything went ok except not being able to have a caffeine drink ... The kids understood and were happy she tried!
My daughter's Kindergarten= First grade Code class will not be meeting next week...they don't have school because the teachers have something . They said they didn't care... they wanted to come to Code! Nothing she could do but the kids did make her happy!!
Last night's weather was something else. Not much for the eastern part of KC south of the Mo. River... but hail the size of small baseballs to the west and north!!
We did have small pea sized hail which melted right away... the temp was 63 F .. and LOUD thunder and lightening!! Turned off the computers...
Bob had a cardiologist appointment today... all went well! All set for 6 months.
The elephant is finished but today was too gray to take pictures... tomorrow...Though around 10 we are headed off to the DMV so I can renew my driver's license. I have the necessary "stuff" ..my special driver's license ( the one I had to get in order to fly), the Missouri reminder card and two pieces of mail with my address. Fingers crossed it won't be too busy!
When we left on our errands Bob suggested I add a jacket over my light sweater...It was way too much. The temps reached 80 F !! Here's hoping tomorrow will be as nice!!
We finished our errands. Our habit of combining errands will hold us in good stead as gasoline prices jump higher !!
One of the errands was to return a library book... "The Correspondent" . Bob really liked it and our daughter decided to borrow it too... putting it on hold. Well the list ahead of her was over 400 people. Mid-Continent Library has many branches and will be buying more copies of the book... wonder how long our daughter will have to wait?
Our cul-de-sac has many little flags poked into the ground on our front lawns... plus lots of symbols spray painted in the road. They are adding Google Fiber... we already have AT&T and Xfinity. Can't see them dropping the cost with three now!
The weather is on a sunny upswing for the moment ... much appreciated. I started noticing that my neighbor's magnolia tree has a few flowers... daffodils are sprouting... and grass is getting green All this is encouraging Bob to start getting rid of what leaves are left from last fall!!
As for money... going through Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle paper's site Bob came across the NYS unclaimed money site. He found two listings for his parents and filed a claim... and received a horrendous 6 page file he has to fill out. I won't tell you what but it asks for relatives four generations worth! Also death certificates for both parents...!
KCI .. the Kansas City Airport is investigating a purported bomb threat !! Partial evacuation.. FBI there..
I am working slowly on another thing for the April online show... this time it is an elephant. BTW .. the cat left for Ohio yesterday! The little elephant is an unusual fabric... green fur with a blue backing. I'll have to make some tusks from polymer resin!
We have a round robin of errands tomorrow plus an estate sale!
Weather arrived... rumbling thunder and loads of rain off and on all morning !! BUT by early afternoon the sun came out and the temps rose to 70 F !
Then our teacher daughter called... with car problems. She took it to a local garage and they said it was a coil pack in #2. She and her husband picked one up at O'Reilly's and with Bob's overseeing things ( in our driveway) they replaced it. Still a problem...so this morning my s-i-l and grandson came back having bought new spark plugs and coil packs for all cylinders... The driveway became the place to work again....The one bought yesterday will be returned as defective. Bob says new spark plugs were needed.
No one has called so fingers crossed all is good!!
But it is much colder today... currently 44 F
Received a text... it worked. Hooray!
We were warned last night that things would be really foggy this morning ... and they were right!! But now... later on.. it is just hazy and 50 F.
We have been planning our Easter get together... it will be a different one... LOL...A thing we remember and our kids remember is white hot dogs at Bob's parents ( and their grandparents)... A summer staple at the cottage ( Seneca Lake; Finger Lakes, NY).
Bob's father was a district sales person for Tobins/ First Prize and the hot dogs were something they sold. Tobin's closed in 1975 at the plant in Rochester and 1981 at Albany.
So when we discovered on a trip back to Rochester that Zweigle's now makes white hots ... we had them each trip. Now we will be having them on Easter! Plus other comfort foods as sides.
My grandchildren have never had them!! So it will be a first for them... May have to buy some regular red hots, just in case!! Though their Mother assures me that they will love them.
The Walmart we go to is a neighbor hood one and they are remodeling... won't be done till the end of April. Everything is somewhere new... what a challenge. I was there today with my list. The store clerks answered my "where" ! with a smile. I would guess they must have MANY such queries!
Many many more self-check out lanes... no cashiers today... lots of flowers. The non-grocery store items were way in the back... not sure where they will be now!!
Plus prices have risen with the moves!
While I worked my way round WalMart... Bob went to Ace which is nearby for more bird food ... and put out lots on the deck. When I looked out the kitchen window a squirrel was eagerly stuffing himself!
Finished the white cat and took a picture for the possible buyer
Sorry Kathy.. I accidentally deleted your comment. Hickman Mills ( my daughter's school district) uses I-ready and two other child tests to target gifted kids... including kindergarten. Testing is done upon teacher recommendation. Since some kids aren't tested until the fall, they don't start CODE till second semester... once in the program they are in it till high school.
All kinds of nasty weather was predicted for Sunday night through Monday morning.... well nothing happened. The street was almost dry and I don't think the temp was below freezing.... now they are saying tonight.
It's laundry day..... everything washed, dried, folded and put away.All set till the next time...
When I went downstairs this morning I found Bob already there ... thanks to a kerfluffle between the cats early early early! So my usual chores .. like emptying the dishwasher... were already done!
He went out for the Sunday paper .. on the driveway.. and we settled down to paper and bagels. Afterwards I spent some time working on the cat and putting away some things down in my "craft room".
We have had some lovely days ... sunny and up to the 70's but today is gray and the weather people are predicting some really nasty stuff tonight and Monday. There was a dusting of sleet on the deck when I looked out.
My daughter's school district warned the staff on Friday that it might be bad enough to close actual school and go online Monday ... so she was prepared. Though teaching kindergarten students online... even though very bright.. can be a problem.
Treated (?) ourselves to a Domino's pizza. Their current sale is so tempting and I didn't really feel like cooking. Did have a green salad on the side!
The cat only needs his back legs and to be stuffed.... feeling pretty happy with him,
