I'm Off for the Weekend!

I feel so bad for Jeannie and Donald having to be separated - she is staying with me, and he is staying with his mom, not too far away.  So this weekend I invited myself to Steve & Meg's house for a couple of days.  Jeannie & Donald can live as a family should for at least a little while.  It is going to be very difficult for them until we finally get into the house.   Donald was here yesterday evening and I could hear him helping Arianna with her homework.  He is so sweet with the girls, who are reaching the age where they are sweet one minute and the exact opposite the next.

I start my infusions tomorrow for the cancer and I hope it goes as well as it did the last time I had them.  I think Joe is taking me this time, and he, Jeannie and Steve will switch off.  I feel like such a trouble maker! 

Meg and I both love gardening, and I think we will be visiting some garden centers this weekend.  I am trying to decide what I want to plant this time around, and how much space I can devote to a garden.  When you look at the gardening websites you can just imagine yourself growing and enjoying everything.  I'd like to try a few veggies I've never grown before as well as a lot of herbs.  Even though I don't cook anymore, Donald is an excellent chef and will be able to use whatever grows.

It has been wonderfully cool yesterday and today, but we will get back into triple digits by Sunday and the beginning of next week.  How I dislike the really hot weather!

I hope everyone has a great weekend, and I'll be back soon. 

I just have to add a paragraph to describe what is happening at my house.  My granddaughter and a schoolmate of hers walk home from school together, and the friend's mom picks her up about a half hour later.  The two girls were giggling in the other room, and finally walked out with their long hair braided together on one side.  It is hilarious and I can't find my camera to take a photo of it!  It's very difficult to walk but they manage somehow, and of course, the giggling never stops when you have two 12-year olds!

 

Living With Others!

I've mentioned previously that until the new house is ready Jeannie and one daughter are living with me, and Donald and the other daughter are with his mom.  On the one hand, I love having other people in my house and it is very comforting to me that they are near.  On the other hand, it can sure upset a routine when someone else has a hand in it.

Jeannie is an excellent organizer (she gets that from her late father, God rest his soul, and she has organized my kitchen cupboards, fridge, etc., so that I can't find a damn thing!   I really don't mind, because at my age I'm just glad I have the company, and Rocky and I really love the chaos.  As the oldest of 8 kids and with 4 of my own, I've lived in chaos all my life and thrived in it.  But finding things in my kitchen has become a little more difficult.  As long as she doesn't touch my bottle of scotch, I'll keep my mouth shut, just grin and bear it!

The Caldor Fire

The fire keeps burning and continues to cover thousands of acres in the mountains.  I took Rocky out very early (for me) this morning, and the air doesn't look very healthy - yes, you can almost "see" the air.  I didn't walk far as I noticed and felt the poor air quality.

At this time of year I get a lot of mailings from nurseries, offering sales of plants and seeds for the coming spring (2022).  I am so anxious to get started in a new place, and design and plant a garden.  I think Donald is getting interested too, and would like to have some input on what to plant.  He is a gourmet cook, and I'm sure I will have a really good variety of produce and herbs with his collaboration.   

Last year I grew tomatoes from seed, but this year I think I will buy established plants.  I'd rather grow from seed because I love watching the tiny shoots when they pop out of the soil, but it is a crap shoot as to how they will turn out.  Last year I had about 26 tomato seedlings and gave half of them to Megan (my d-i-l).  She has done wonders with her gardening this year and has really reaped a good tomato harvest.  I think I didn't enrich the soil enough or with the right enrichments, because nothing i tried to grow was very productive, if it came up at all.  What a let-down after my success last season.  I won't give up though, because it is such a joy to me to see any results at all.

I can remember years ago, when I was just a child, visiting my grandmother, whose garden behind their house was probably just short of a quarter of an acre.  I still see her in my mind, in the garden with some type of hand plow, and a mule pulling it along as it dug trenches in the soil.  I wish I had been more attentive to her gardening, but my favorite thing to watch was when she made biscuits every morning.  Those biscuits were heavenly when just out of the oven.  But I also ate them cold and leftover, which amazed her.  She saved leftover biscuits for when she made dressing (or stuffing as northerners call it).  When I was a bit older I often made biscuits myself, and although they couldn't hold a candle to my grandma's biscuits, they were pretty good.  My husband and kids didn't really appreciate them for the amount of effort I put into making them, so I quit doing it.  I think about it now and then, but probably wouldn't try it at this late date.  It takes practice, and a person gets better at it as they get used to handling the dough, and I have no one who would help me eat them now.  Not that I couldn't eat a half dozen fresh warm biscuits at a sitting, but I wouldn't eat them cold, and I certainly wouldn't make home-made dressing!

After writing about biscuits, dressing, etc., I'm tempted to go make a small batch of biscuits!

 

"Another "T.G.I.F." Day!

 Fridays used to be looked forward to, and weekends planned with fun things.  Those days are long gone for me - I just appreciate living each day at a time.

This wait until our move is getting to everyone, and it isn't easy for any of us.  As I mentioned, Donald is staying with his Mom and Jeannie with me, with the two girls switching every now and then.  With the current fire situation, I'm worried the air quality will be such that the construction workers won't be able to do much on our new house until the air clears up.

Speaking of the fire, it is further "up the hill" as they say, meaning up into the mountains and towards Lake Tahoe.  But we get a lot of air pollution from the blaze, even here in Sacramento.  I certainly think the firefighters are true heroes, and pray for their safety as well as their mental health.  Just looking at videos of the fire on the news brings me to tears over the devastation, and those who witness the destruction first hand won't ever be able to forget it.

For those who have never been in this part of the country, I can tell you that it is probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in all the world - nature at its finest.  Now we are seeing nature at its worst.  I always loved backpacking and hiking in the Appalachian Mtns in the eastern part of the U.S., and they are like an old friend.  The Sierra Nevada in the west are more dramatic and powerful in their beauty, but often foreboding as well.

I am ready to get back to the cancer treatments on September 3rd, and hope they can give me a couple years more of feeling well.   Then I will have to start the process all over again.  I wouldn't want it any other way though - the dr. mentioned there was an ingredient they could add to the cocktail they inject into my veins but that it had side effects.  I replied that I don't want anything with side effects, and I've never been sorry, so far.  The only thing I have is fatigue, and that's bad enough.  Fatigue with hair loss or constant upset stomach would be much worse!

New Phone

 I am getting so tired of changes in technology, rearrangement of websites, and always something new.  I guess nobody else goes by the old saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"  Even writing and publishing my blog post is a challenge these days - I just want it to stay the same - easy to learn and easy to use - as it has been for a long while.  What improvement is made by changing things around just for the sake of change?  I'd be interested to hear from people who might like and look forward to the occasional changes.

I'm irritated because I got rid of the phone I had - way too many options for a person who uses their phone to make and receive calls and maybe to text and read messages now and then.  I opted to go back to a flip phone, and my son, Steve, set it up for me last night.  I like the phone, but when I wanted to make a call it wasn't all that straightforward.  I think once I get used to it I will really like it, but I don't recall having a problem with my first cell phone, a Jitterbug, touted as a cell phone for seniors.  That's all I want - a cell phone that works like a telephone - not a secretary to manage my life!  (I even went online and found that there are still regular old-style phones available.  The kind that sit on a desk or table, that many of us grew up with.)  I wish I had thought to look it up before I bought my new cell phone, although it would no doubt take having someone from the phone company come out and install the hook-up. 

I am so sad about the fires burning in the next county over, which is the county I hope to be moving to by the end of this year.  I can probably assume that the move-in date will be delayed - the folks who are working on the house might not want to go into all that smoke filled area.  The fire isn't to our new neighborhood yet, but the smoke is likely unhealthy to say the least.  Planes (tankers, I think) are constantly flying over my current house, no doubt carrying fire retardant, and the skies are hazy even here, about 30+ miles away.

The area burning right now is a special part of California, and the terrain, flora and fauna are beautiful.  Or at least they were - before this fire.  All my kids spent a week with their 5th grade class at a place called "Sly Park".  It was so special, and they learned much about the geology, geography, plants and animals, and the ecology of the area.  It has been a "rite of passage" for kids in the Sacramento area, and no doubt other areas of the state.  Now, I doubt if it will be replaced any time soon, if ever.

The stack of boxes in my living room has steadily been reduced - mostly because Jeannie has been advertising and selling a lot of small appliances and things from their old home.  She mostly does that on weekends, so nothing moves very quickly.  I grew up as the oldest in a large family (8 kids), and had 4 kids of my own; I have never been a stickler for a
"model home look".  Chaos has always been more of my style.  But I have had to look in the other direction many times in the past 4-6 weeks, as I know this chaos will pass.  I'm glad I've been able to "go with the flow" throughout my life, even though sometimes it felt like the chaos was going a bit too far and too fast!   And now this fire has caused me a lot of stress about the future move, but I feel guilty even thinking that.  The people who have had to leave their homes are the ones with a lot of stress!  My heart goes out to them, and to the precious wildlife who have lost their habitat, and even their lives.

Caldor Fire

In times of disaster it is wonderful to see where help comes from.  In the case of the fire burning in Northern CA, a nearby Walmart has offered a large chunk of their parking lot for people who have been displaced by the fire.  Cars, RV's, and tents are all welcomed, and different organizations are bringing food to those in need.

Our weather has been cooler since the fire and smoke block and/or diminish the sunlight!  A good breeze is blowing as well, which certainly helps the comfort level.  I haven't needed the a/c running for the past two days, but I think that will change by the end of this week when we will go back to triple digits. 

I took Rocky for a short walk this morning, and couldn't believe what has happened to the driveway at the nearby school.  Construction is underway for a fairly large new addition, and the heavy trucks pulling in and out of the school driveway have really torn it up.  It is certainly a hazard for me, and probably for many of the kids as well.  The entire street will need to be repaved when the construction is finished!  

Visit to the house site

Today, Saturday, 8/21, we visited our new house site, and the construction is coming along very well.  The air is smoky from  nearby fires, but we were able to comfortably view the home.  This is my patio area, just outside my bedroom.  I will love being able to sit out on that patio and drink my morning coffee.

 Standing in front of my garage.  (Garage door to left of structure).  I have windows in my garage!  I think I've mentioned previously that the garage is going to be used as an art room by the kids and me, and will hold things such as my treadmill.

The house - my garage on right, and my kitchen, living/dining room, and bedroom behind it.  I will take pictures as the construction and finishing comes along, but this will give you a pretty good idea of what it's all going to look like.

My rooms are all behind the garage, all the way back, shotgun style.  It is small compared to the rest of the house, but is plenty big for Rocky and me.  I can use the living/dining and bedroom furniture that I have and won't have to buy furniture at all - maybe some lamps, but otherwise, I should be all set with a minimum amount to be purchased.

Jeannie's office will be upstairs over my suite -- you can see the three windows up there that will give her a million dollar view of the area for miles around!

This builder (Lennar) advertises the fact that everything is included, so you don't have to buy/add anything except your personal furniture.  I'm really looking forward to see the house completed and ready to move in.  Next time we are there I hope I can get more photos that will show it in a more finished state on the inside.  There is a closet that will hold a washer/dryer, and will be very convenient for me to use.  The kitchen space is small, but adequate, and Donald has helped me pick out some appliances that will be perfect for the space.  I don't cook these days, so I don't need an elaborate set-up - just enough to prepare my basic meals.  I also don't eat much, so I sure don't need to be bothered with a full, family-size kitchen!  It will suit me fine because I will have the space I need in my living and sleeping areas, rather than in the areas less important to me.  I basically need a place to plug in my coffee maker, and room for a small dinette set, plus cabinetry for food and utensils.  Oh, and a perfect spot for Rocky's dish!  And when I'm hungry, I will just go next door where my gourmet cook-son in law will feed me!

Speaking of Rocky, he's been limping this afternoon.  He won't let me look at his paw too closely, and I don't know what he did - if it's something he stepped on, or what.   I feel so bad for him.  He has certainly changed since he turned 3 yrs old at the end of May.  He no longer gets into things or destroys them while I'm gone, so I can safely leave him with the run of the house.

The Mom of a friend of Arianna comes by now and then, and yesterday she brought two of their four dogs with her, one being a beautiful black lab.  I just love the lab's temperament and easy going nature.  Of course they can find their way into trouble if not kept busy and challenged.

I mentioned the fires burning up in the mountains - we are getting a lot of smoke and skies are hazy, but so far they have presented no immediate danger to us.  We always pass a deer or two on the way up to the house site, and they don't seem to be skittish - the first time we drove around the nearby neighborhoods we passed a contingent of deer peacefully grazing at a crossroads.  I worry about the wildlife in the vicinity of fires, from deer to snakes.

Sorry to be so wordy this evening.