Another Successful weekend draws to a close

Another successful weekend draws to a close.  The sky is pink outside in the South Western sky.  It is partly cloudy and just 47 degrees.  It felt colder earlier but I am still not feeling my old self yet.

I left here around 9.  I went straight to the nursing home and chatted with my friends on the picket line who were trying to stay warm.  I went in and chatted with a few of the residents.    Gertrude B was being very uncooperative and swearing.   She continued to speak during the communion moment.  She came back much later.  We started bingo late but that’s okay.   Natalie and Angela came in to make soup for them and it smelled delightful.  I had an opportunity to speak with Natalie about her vacation and her family.  We didn’t have coin for the games so they had my “Undying love and gratitude”. 

After the games I headed directly to Telka’s house and we got started.  The girls were arriving as I was too.  I stayed with the section of the assembly line (Yay I remembered the name of it) that peeled and cored the apples.    Roberta got them from Bishops Orchard in Guilford.  They were huge.  They were called “seconds”.  Some of them I wasn’t that impressed with them.  Some had huge holes in the centers.  I think there were 160 lbs of apples so there may not have been a whole lot of bad apples.

We were done making the pies by 2.  There were a lot of apples left over that we made apple crisp for the shelters in town.  We did have refreshments as well.  We usually make two extra pies to try and they were good.   It was all cleaned by 3.  Some of the others finished the gift wrapping for the gifts for the nursing home. 

By the time it was all done I was tired and not really feeling well.  I suspect not eating all day and having the snacks only and having the penicillin on an empty stomach wasn’t helping.

When I got home Mom had just finished shopping.  I got the last of the groceries out of the car and went inside.  We both were having problems with our knees.  I took a nap and Mom got dinner ready. 

Just as we were sitting down to meatloaf and potatoes Jim called.  He says his doctor is concerned about his heart so he is sending him to a specialist.  Jim is a little worried.  As Heart problems are a HUGE issue in our family.  I think he sees the specialist this week before coming up for the holiday.

Speaking of the holidays I asked Mom about more of the menu and what the plans are.  There will be eight of us.  Jim and the kids will get here by 1 and dinner will start around 4 (we have always eaten then at holidays)  The menu will be Turkey, Roast Beef, creamed onions, string beans, broccoli, of course the dinner rolls, and pies for dinner.  I think that I will take the girls and James on a walk along the beach.  They usually like to do that and at some time we will see Liz and Nelson and perhaps Ethel.

For now I have some bills to pay so I am going to do that before I hit the sack for the night.  Have a great night!

Bingo, Pie Baking, Lost Family Members

Hey everyone hope all is well. It’s been a long day here and so I won’t be on long. Last night had a great time but left my cell phone in Roberta’s car last night so I was lost with out it until this evening. I can honestly say I am now into a new card game. It’s the Military Whist Card game. It was a lot of fun and I did pretty well my first time playing. Some took it way too seriously and others were just so fun with it. There were snacks and cake and coffee during the three hour game. Needless to say I part took in that as well. Ended up not feeling well and spending time in the bathroom after the event. It was quite embarrassing. We were back home by 11 and I watched TV and shortly after midnight went to bed.




This morning I stayed in bed until maybe 8. I wanted to be up early so I could get to the folk mass at St Mary’s. That was not “in the cards”. I got ready for Bingo and made a quick stop for breakfast and Dunkin Doughnuts. I had their smoked house egg and cheese sandwich (with some type of sausage). It was good but not something I would order again anytime soon (one word: salt).



When I arrived at the nursing home there was only one resident and that was Ken. I got the coffee going and I ate my breakfast. Eventually more people came and I began the announcements. Ryan came and made him do the calling. We had a lot of fun. We played until almost 11:15. Afterwards I chatted with Claudia H who was working the front desk today.



It was nearly 12 when I headed to Telka’s. a small number of people were there already and we were just getting started. I had the a-peeling job of preparing the apples. Eventually more girls came and over the next 2 hours the pies were ready to be baked. All in all we made 22 pies. The discussions were pretty interesting. Movies we saw the holiday activities that were being planned. In the end we got to eat one of the pies. We were basically cleaned up by 3. I took one of the girls home and headed back to the house by 3:30.



Mom was upstairs puttering around. She wrote out some Thanksgiving cards just because. She had been doing some cooking. She did tell me that my darling cousin Sharon lost her father-in-law the other night. We had gotten word earlier in the week that he had cancer and sadly he succumbed with his family around him. I will pick up a card tomorrow and send it off. I did post hugs to her on her Facebook page a few moments ago.



I went to the 4:30 mass at St Mary’s. It seemed to go pretty fast but I also was fighting a headache. It’s gone now but it was distracting. After Mass I got some gas and then stopped by Roberta’s house to pick up the cell phone. It was in her car under some bags. I also had to stop at the store to pick up some “supplies”.



It was nearly six when I got home. We had spare ribs and potatoes and asparagus and watched our Sunday night PBS stuff. After dinner I fell asleep watching TV in the spare room. I haven’t done much of anything else either.



I did pick out the clothes I am wearing tomorrow to work. I hope they will be good enough for our visitors tomorrow. I am going to drive in tomorrow so that I can get back here in time to take Mom to her Bridges Meeting and for me to get ready for the Inauguration. Let’s just say its going to be another long night.



That being said I am going to say good night. I hope all of you are well and if not know I will send hugs and prayers to you as I go to sleep.

Going Apple Picking Today

Good Morning! I am leaving in 15 minutes with Dave to meet Mary and her sons at the restaurant for lunch and then go to the Orchard. I suspect we will also do the Corn Maze. That should be fun. Not really but what the hay.

Hey everyone I am back. It has been a long day. Dave didn’t get here until around 11:15 and we had to wait a bit because Mary was still at church. I told Dave they should have said this originally. I mean I could have done bingo if I tried and also went to church. I was going to go at 8:30 but by the time it came time I didn’t.

We started off at 11:30 and headed to the Meeting place while we were driving Mary called and said she would not be getting there until 1. So we made a few side stops. (Now that I am writing this so late I can’t remember what order they were.) They were Dunkin Doughnuts, Vinnie’s garden shop they all didn’t take very long.

Mary and the kids were just ordering when got there (we had no trouble finding it). It was in a lovely place on Route 66. Yes Connecticut has a Route 66. We sat down and then gave our order. I had chicken nuggets, onion rings and water. I think Dave had tuna something.

While we were talking Mary had to reprimand or scold her son Eric a few times and encourage her other son Garrett to eat. She was saying that Eric was spoiled and that her MIL spoils him and then criticizes her for not disciplining him enough. Something I have felt on a number of occasions.

After we ate we took off for the Lyman Orchard Complex. We met up with our friends Julie and Keith. They brought their son and another little boy. We went to the Corn maze and went through it. It was $8 and as in the past went to the Cancer Society. This time it was in the shape of a lady bug. As in the past there were trivia questions and some extra stuff too. It got a bit hairy a few times.

Once we were done with the corn maze (maybe an hour later) we stopped in the Apple Barrel shop and did some shopping and tried the samples. I didn’t buy anything but everyone else did. Julie and Keith had to leave for home but we decided that we would do a pot luck dinner for November 1. Once we said goodbye to them we headed to the Orchard and did some fruit picking. Before we left Mary was a little annoyed with Dave for taking his time at shopping while she had the boys who were getting bored. It was not really Dave’s problem but he also does forget he is with other people.

First we headed to the Pears and got separated from Dave. I stayed with Mary and she had to scold the boys. I called Dave to see where he was but I saw him as he was coming back.

Our next stop was the Apples. I got just over 4 lbs while Mary was picking some and so where her kids. Once we finished we chatted and she admitted or criticized Julie for making comments about disciplining her kids or letting the kids stress her out. Dave was totally ignoring it but I made some suggestions (and observations) that counseling might help. I also said that some people feel they can discipline other people’s kids in their homes or set boundaries. She didn’t seem to buy it. I asked Dave later if she said those things not only to criticize about Julie but in around about way tell me not “to discipline her kids”. If they had gone on ahead or something I would say something and I asked and she said she had no problems with it. She also felt her SIL’s were too strict. I felt differently.

We said goodbye and headed back home. The ride was fine until we got to Milford. We got to Merwin Avenue and I asked Dave if he could help get he bulk trash out with me so Mom wouldn’t have to. (That was my intent but) from there it went to hell very quickly.

He hemmed and hawed and said he wanted to go walk the dog first and get some pie for Mom and me. Well I got angry because he wasn’t taking me home first and was reduced to us call each other names and him almost throwing me out of the car. He reminded me that the day after his father died I bitched about Mom but did he say anything no. I realized he was right. I apologized and I offered to go back and get the dog walked with him and we would do the bulk trash after. Things were fine after that. We emptied the car and then came back here.

I was apparently pretty hyper when I came home because Mom commented before I left. She has no idea what had preceded our arrival. We talked about the corn maze and how successful I was at the apple picking and how we found our way with little difficulty.

Once we had gotten enough stuff out for now Dave and I went back to the house and walked the Dog and then he had dinner and I had a piece of pie and then he drove me home and I apologized again.

Mom was watching and having a late dinner. She was exhausted and wanted to relax. I went upstairs and watched TV for the next few hours. I got into my pajamas and put the AC on. I was watching Philadelphia (1993) and something on the History channel about the Twin Towers on 9/11. It got to be too much.

I also checked some emails and answered some of the ‘Sad News’ replies when I posted last week about Dave’s Dad passing. One of them was from Telka. I was so embarrassed that I hadn’t seen them before this. I replied tonight. I also got an email from my friend Michele P asking about Lyman orchard. I hope she got the link with ease.

Mom went to bed a short time ago and I will be following suit. Tomorrow I go back to work. I was checking the work emails and found one from Stephanie M. She had the revised documents I had given her to use while I was on vacation. I have no idea what to expect when I get there. I am still concerned I will be spoken to about the stuff under the desk. I hope not but this will be chance to start out fresh again.

Well I better get going. I am too wired to get to sleep. I may throw out some more papers and then hit the sack. I am really worried that my alarm clock won’t go off. It was ringing when I got home.

What do Farmers and Ranchers do for Vacation

I had a very interesting discussion online this morning. I had been listening to a radio station in Dickerson ND. It is KDIX 1230. During the morning I heard farm reports, agriculture reports and anything to with futures. It got me to thinking. What do Farmers and Ranchers do for vacations?

I posted this question to my journaling lists and pen pal lists and most of them have told me that the farmers don’t go on vacations and Ranchers have managers to handle the ranches while they are gone.