It's Summer (sort of)!

The house painting is finished and the plumber came and fixed the bath tub drain and the leaky pipe in the basement!  Now here's the next thing!

Two weekend ago it was HOT with high HUMIDITY and I don't have central air!  I am a cold weather person.  You can put on additional clothing or turn the heat up to be warm.  When it's hot and humid, you can only take off so many clothes (unless you want to live your life in the closet).  So I called the HVAC people to come and give me an estimate on installing central air.  Keep in mind my home was built in 1854!  So here he came.  We walked through the house and I told him which registers were heat and which were air returns ( I actually knew that!).  He looked in all the closets and behind all the doors.  Finally he came to me and said he could cool the first floor without any problem, but if I wanted AC on the second floor, he would have to knock out walls and take over a few closets.  It seems I do not have enough duct work and air returns to accommodate AC on the second floor.  And it would cost way, way, way more than I was willing to pay.  Plus, I just got the walls up and painted and was totally NOT interested in surviving another mess.  He was very nice and told me if it were him, he would go and buy several window units.  So that's what I did.  Went to Sears (an appliance store) and bought 3 units and they work great!!!!  The first floor is always very comfortable especially the front porch so I just needed to sleep "cool"!  And now I do.

Right now we are experiencing the fish fly season.  Oh my gosh!!!!!  These fish flys hatch in the water then fly around until they run into something (like you, your house or car) then they latch on!  Once the sun hits them they die but they don't fall off your house.  So then you take the hose and spray them off!  This will last about two weeks.  They say one morning I will go outside and they will be gone.  Can't wait!

My flowers are growing!  All the ones I planted that were already started are lookin' pretty good.  The seeds I planted are coming up!!!!!!!  Praise the Lord - literally!  I have watered and fed them and I act like I know what I'm doing.  I finally had 3 unknown bushes bloom this weekend and discovered they are pink (or lavender) spirea.  Very pretty.  Also have a ton of lilies of the valley blooming and am waiting for what I believe to be tiger lilies.  I figure if I can make it through this summer then next summer, I can add to what I know is there.  Oh, also have quite a few very pretty and different colored hostas.

The schools are all closed for the summer.  Garrett works at the candy store which becomes additionally an ice cream store in the summer.  Emily works there too.  Grace goes there sometimes but most often she comes here!  I taught her to play Yahtzee and she wants to know if there is a world championship (which I am sure she would win)!  It is a great practice of math skills and she quickly figured out how to get the most points.  Her mother, Emily, told her how every Sunday afternoon when she was little, Nana (HC's mother) would sit at the dining room table and play the game with Emily, Libby and their cousin, Heather who all have families of their own now.  Too funny and what memories.

My summer visitors are about to begin.  First is HC's sister and her husband, Jenna and Stan, followed by my dear friend Barbara and her husband Rick, then Libby and the kiddos, then my sisters, then there's a bit of a break until September and October which are full of more great friends.  Let the games begin!

There's still available days so come on up!  The lake is beautiful, the water's getting warmer (TR was swimming yesterday), as I write, seagulls are swooping in and out of the trees in the front yard, the beds have brand new mattresses and the AC window units are installed!  What more could you want...and I'll cook!

xxoo      

Two Years

Two years ago on this morning I was counting the hours until HC Baker and I would leave on a much needed vacation.  We would head to our cottage in northern Michigan in the afternoon and enjoy a week of relaxation and grandkids!  When that day ended my life would be changed forever.

I was speaking with a new friend the other day and he had been involved in a serious automobile accident also, and we both agreed we could recount every second.  And I still can to this day.  It replays in my mind in slow motion like a movie.  I can even see the colors of this life-changing experience.  So often I can't remember the events of yesterday but I can tell you the song that was playing on the car radio.

And now here I am.  In the past two years I have retired, sold three houses, moved 600 miles away from my home for plenty of years, made a new home in a house that's over 150 years old, survived its' remodel, made new wonderful friends, miss old wonderful friends, grown closer to my son, grown closer to my Michigan grandchildren, miss my Louisville grandchildren, and the list continues goes on.

Did I make a mistake?  Have I made the right decisions?  If HC Baker is watching, what does he think?  And if he is able to affect my life, why isn't he making it easier?  And then I think maybe my life is supposed to be this way.  I can only accept that it is.

I continue to be blessed by the thoughts and prayers of so many.  I'm looking forward to visits this summer and fall from friends and family.  (So far, no one has braved the winter for a visit!)

This day will be filled with memories, but I'm just not sure which ones.  HC Baker can still be found on the bookshelf in the den and I've already had a conversation with him this morning.  I still feel sad and angry sometimes but I also still know he's so happy to be where he is.  And as beautiful as today is, he's probably already caught plenty of fish!  (I wonder if there's a limit?)

Two years...hardly seems possible.

  

Medicare and other great stuff!!!!!!!

Well, I'm now 65 years old!  And once again I must say this growing old stuff is not for sissies!  I have spent the past 3 weeks trying to figure out the medicare thing.  OK, Part A is free (right!!!), Part B cost $100 and is automatically deducted from your social security, Part C is the supplement you must buy yourself and it costs a bunch.  So now they deduct taxes and medical from my social security and I'm nearly at the point that I owe the feds every month.  I know none of you want to hear this but you work all your life and then you get a piddlin' amount of money every month from the govt that is supposed to supplement your retirement income.  Actually the amount left to "supplement" barely covers groceries.  I told someone the other day that I have stopped reading and watching any national news because it scares the livin' daylights out of me.  I got a call the other day from medicare welcoming me to the program and wanting to know if I had any questions.  I told the woman I did and asked her my first question - how much will be deducted from my monthly social security check for this insurance?  Her answer - she didn't have that information.  Now between you and me, why would you call and ask to answer any questions if you didn't have the information to provide the answers?  I, very politely I might add, asked her what kind of information she had.  She replied she didn't like my tone of voice and I replied (not politely) "Well hang on Prissy because my tone of voice is getting ready to sound a lot worse than you ever thought!  And she hung up on me.  I immediately called back the number she had called me on only to hear a recorded message telling me the "call could not be completed.  Please check the number and try again."  I did and received the same recorded message.  Now I'm angry.  Don't my tax dollars pay the salary of Miss I don't like your tone of voice?  Well, I finally was able to talk to someone who did answer my questions and now I feel much more well-informed...don't I?

The exterior painting is a work in progress.  It's been raining a lot and cold so they paint one day and then can't for several.  Hopefully, it will be done next week.  It does look fabulous and I'm excited to get it done.

With all the rain, the basement has sprung a leak.  Water is coming in from somewhere so today I had a gutter person come for a view.  Up here they don't do gutters because in the winter the snow and ice freeze and rip the gutters away from the house.  However, today's gutter man said he could put gutters in 2 areas of the roof edge and redirect the rain water to stop the basement leak.  Of course that comes at a price!!!!!  So anyway, they will be here within the next two weeks to add those gutters.

The next exciting thing that happened was the upstairs tub drain.  The little thing that lifts the drain plug up and down ceased to work.  So I went to my trusty, dusty Lowe's.  I love those people.  I think most everyone in the store knows me.  I bought two things and came home to fix the problem.  I read the directions (I now know what a cotter pin is!!!), removed the old drain open/closer thing, measured the length and replaced the stopper thing.  Hooray!!!!!!  The water still wouldn't drain.  So apparently what I have is a plugged drain!!!!!!  Back to the store I went in search of drain opener stuff.  Got some, used it, no help.  So now I need a plumber!  At a price of course.

This was the last week of school for Garrett and Gracie.  They finished yesterday and Emily had today to complete work and submit grades.  Yesterday I went to Gracie's school for her awards ceremony.  She won every award they gave!  The people sitting around me started to say before the principal announced the name...it will probably be that little Lindgren girl!  I was so very proud of her.  At the same time it was a very sentimental experience for me.  I have been to each elementary school my grandchildren attended and this appears to be the last (at least until TR Baker just might decide to marry again and add to my grandchildren numbers!!!).  I found myself seeing a child that reminded me of each of my grandchildren, and it was fun to watch them.  Garrett also had an awards ceremony and Emily was able to attend that one.  He won quite a few awards too.  One of them was the Algebra award and I know that made his mother quite happy!  Next year all three of them will go to the same campus for school.  Take a deep breath!

Today was my 65th birthday and never did I think I would be spending it without HC Baker.  I know I had a 64th birthday without him, but today was just different.  In another 10 days he will be dead 2 years, and I'm not sure what I'm thinking about that either.  More about that on another day.  Today I spent all day with Gracie.  Garrett was working at the candy store with Brett and Emily was at school.  Gracie and I started with manicures, followed by lunch with TR Baker, then a bit of shopping, then back home where Gracie tried on every pair of my shoes looking for the perfect heels for tonight's birthday dinner!  Her mother was thrilled when she showed up at home wobbling in high heels.  I've always told my grandchildren what happens with Jo stays with Jo.  Once they're home, I loose all authority!

I am blessed by each of you.  I received so many birthday greetings from you today and loved each one.  My life is full of wonderful people who help me get through every day.  Some days I just need a little more help than others!  After two years of being without HC Baker, I'm supposed to be close to my new normal.  I need someone to define that for me.  Life sure is interesting, isn't it?

My birthday is over for 2012.  Best wishes to you and goodnight!              





  

 

26 degrees tonight???? Really????

I have spent the past two days planting a garden.  This is a first time thing for me as HC Baker was the gardener with 10 green thumbs, and as everyone knows, I don't go outside.  I was assured there would be no more frost but ALAS!!!!  Not true!!!!  I just finished covering my new beautiful garden with a drop cloth (only thing I could find to fit).  If it all dies, I'm switching to hanging baskets!

Garrett's face is doing very well.  He will get the stitches removed Friday.  I'm still thanking God for sparing his eye.

Tomorrow I begin my 2-day job as the ballet dancer's chauffeur.  Emily is tied up with a million other things and Brett is of course at the candy store, so it's my lucky "daze"!  Performances Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.  Then it's over until the fall.  I'm so glad I'm here and get to be a part of it all!

This morning I started flipping the winter clothes closet with the summer clothes closet.  (Good thing I didn't finish.  I'll need those sweaters in the morning.)  Crammed in with the summer things, I found a shirt of HC's.  It startled me.  And the first thing I did was smell it and there he was.  That was the last thing I did today.  Is that instinctive?  To hold clothing to your nose and try to find the memories?  I don't know where the shirt came from or how it got into my summer things.  I immediately put it on and am still wearing it.  I don't want to wash it and wash "him" away and I want it to always smell just like him.  I might wear it for a few days and see what happens.  I've felt very good all day with it on yet there's a "lonely hole".

Miss all of you too!        

What's a Monday without a track meet OR Thank you God for reopening the ER in Cheboygan TODAY!!!!!

WOW!  We are very busy here!  The weather has "turned" and every day seems to be like the first day of spring, temps in the high 60's and low 70's.  The exterior house painting is coming along very well.  I'll photograph as soon as it's done.  I have been planting flowers!!!!  Me...planting flowers (wearing tennis shoes and knee sox, long sleeve shirt, long pants and gloves).  I have never planted flowers before and I'm doing OK!  Have completely planted the red geraniums, added English daisies, creeping phlox (one of my favorites), lots of lavender, hostas and those verigated green leafy things that I can't remember their name and other stuff.  Have to do mulch tomorrow (not so looking forward to that).

TR Baker was on vacation last week and we had a good time.  We went to Traverse City one day and I SHOPPED!!!!!!!!  Downtown is so beautiful there plus they have a MALL!!!!!!  I felt so much better after that trip.

Went to Gracie's last soccer games on Saturday in Charlevoix.  She is nearly the youngest one on her team but is as aggressive as the older girls.  It was a beautiful day but I sat in the car for the first game because it was so cold!  And I was dressed for the cold!  Glad that's over.

Had a wonderful Mother's Day!  TR Baker took me to the Stafford Hotel in Petoskey for brunch.  The hotel is a beautiful historic hotel right on Little Traverse Bay.  Brunch was delicious with anything and everything you could possibly want.  My two most favorite things were what they called tomato pudding (stewed tomatoes) and...ready for this?...chicken livers!  I love them and never get to have them.  They also had cold peach soup - YUM! and lox and bagels, another YUM!  For dinner we went to Emily's for a cook-out.  Loved every moment.  Spoke to Libby on the phone and so wished she had been here.  She'll be up at the end of July for a visit.  Can't wait!

(I'm nearly to the "title" part of this story.)

This week's schedule is totally crazy!  Gracie is very involved in ballet and this week there is a rehearsal every night because the recital is this weekend.  But to start the week off there was a track meet for Garrett at Cheboygan High School (across the parking lot from Cheboygan Middle School where Emily teaches).  My instructions were to pick-up Gracie at her school and bring her to the track meet.  I did and we were walking toward the shot-put area when one of the teachers came up to me and said if I was looking for Emily, she probably wasn't back yet.  Gracie and I looked at each other and said where did she go?  There was a pause and another teacher said Garrett had an accident 6th period and she had taken him to the Emergency Room which just re-opened TODAY!!!!!!  I asked what kind of accident.  She said Garrett fell and cut his face.  I looked at Gracie and asked her what she wanted to do (knowing the answer) and she said she wanted to go to the ER and see.  So we headed back to the car and were stopped by the Asst Principal who told me to tell Emily he had talked to all the boys in the locker room at the time and they all said it was an accident.  Garrett was jumping from one bench to the next on his way to his open-doored locker.  He slipped on the second bench and his face landed on the edge of the locker door.  Gracie started to cry and we continued on to the car.  The hospital is just 2 minutes away from the school and we were there in short order.  (I really am so grateful to God because the hospital ER had re-opened just today!  Otherwise he would have needed to go to Petoskey 35 miles away.  Isn't God great?)  When we arrived Emily's car was parked in front of the ER and Brett's was right beside it.  We walked in and asked for them and they said they would tell them we were there.  We waited a few minutes and they walked out.  Garrett had a bandage over his left eye/6 stitches and under his left eye/8 stitches and a gash below the bandage that traveled down to his jaw line.  Oh my gosh!  And a wonderful plastic surgeon just happened to be in the ER when they arrived.  And Garrett said he wanted to get back to school and compete!!!!!!!!!  I thought Emily was going to rip his head off!!!!  (Here's where the grandmother gets to laugh!)  So anyway, change of schedule.  Emily is taking Garrett home, Brett is going back to the candy store, and Jo is taking Gracie to dinner and on to dance recital rehearsal.  Aren't we all flexible?

So ends this Monday's track meet day!  And if my sister Linda reads this and thinks I didn't tell her before sharing it with the world, I'm going to tell her to get her damn (sorry) phone fixed.  It's been busy since 5pm and Bill isn't answering his cell phone!  I did reach Mary (my other sister) and told her.
Sisters, Sisters...  Also waiting for TR Baker to come home from work so I can tell him!  Family's are special!!!!

And so you know, yes, the ER did re-open today.  The rest of the hospital is expected to open by the end of the month.  A company called McClaren bought the hospital and is working to get everything back to normal.  It certainly is wonderful news especially for our family today.  xxoo
          

Did you vote today?

One of the things that worried me the most about changing my state of residency was voting.  I have always voted in every election and have a pretty good understanding of Kentucky politics (for whatever that's worth!!!).  So I was concerned about voting in Mullet Lake Township, MI (aka Topinabee).  Today was an election day.  I had studied those running for office so I took my voter registration card and headed to the town hall where I was told voting always takes place.  The town hall is down my hill and across the corner right next to the fire department and the Topinabee Market.  I got to the town hall and there was no sign of life.  The door was locked and I thought...Hmmmmm?  Wonder what's going on?  The fire department is volunteer so there was no one there either.  I walked over to the market.  I went in and asked the young woman where do we vote?  With that she looked out the window of the market and said it's usually at the town hall.  I said I know but not today!  She then said..."I didn't even know today was an election day.  Is today the day we elect a new president?"  (I swear!)  I said no, no new president today.  (And the liquor section of the market was not covered so I thought maybe they don't vote up here!!!!)  A man walked in to the market and I asked him - where do we vote?  With that he looked out the front window and said it's usually at the town hall.  I tried to call Brett but he was off today and working in the woods and fields of their home.  I sent a text message to Emily hoping she would check her phone during her lunch time.  I walked over to the post office!!!!!  Answer there was "I don't think we're voting on anything today."  WHERE AM I?????????  I'll check tomorrow's paper and let you all know if MI voted on anything today!

Haven't shared with you all about my Derby party!  It was the first time TR Baker and I were premiering our "re-done" home (well most of it!).  The weather was perfect.  The sun was shining on our new Michigan home and the temperature was in the low 60's.  I was serving hot brown casserole (Nancy B's recipe), shrimp & grits, country ham on black pepper biscuits, asparagus with benedictine dip, cheese straws (won't do them again - too much work), goat cheese torte with homemade crackers, my chocolate pecan pie and iced sugar cookies cut in shapes of the state of Kentucky and horses heads.  I even had white, grey, 2 shades of brown and black iced horses heads to match the colors of the horses running!!!  We had about 40 guests and only 4 had been to a Derby party before (mine last year!).  I explained all about the food...the history, the ingredients, what are grits???? and so on.  TR Baker was in charge of the mint juleps!  I had made the simple syrup (another explanation) and he was doin' the pourin'!!!!  The front porch looked "FAB" and the house was all clean.  And I breathed a sigh of relief as everyone told me how beautiful the house looked and how delicious the food was!!!!!!  That "ice" is finally broken and I'm glad.

Finally, I'll tell you the outside of the house is being painted this week.  They started Monday morning and it was raining.  They spent the day power washing the exterior.  Then today they began on the porch painting the ceiling light blue (a color called "balmy" - I loved it!) and treating all the windows.  The inside walls of the porch are cedar and there was some serious water marks on the windows.  They bleached all that and will re-caulk all of them.  After that is done, they will begin outside!!!!!!  And for those of you wondering...I chose...after the painters had painted a small section outside of each color next to the brown...the...Mark Twain Grey!!!!!!!  It looks fabulous.  All the trim that is now dark green will be white.  I already have red geraniums.  I got them for the Derby party and placed them in the ground still in their pots (in case of another freeze).  The red geraniums look fabulous against the grey too.  So when you come to see me, look up on the hill for the grey house.  It's the one that looks beautiful!!!!

I hope all of you had a happy Derby!  I've been praying for many of you and challenges you are facing right now.  I might be 600 miles north but believe me when I say I'm there in spirit with my arm around your shoulder whispering in your ear, I love you!  xxoo      

Another First!

There are 3 windows in the den and one of them opens to the front porch.  TR Baker and I decided we would open that window, move the den TV through the window and out to the porch for our Derby party and the summer.  We would put another TV in the den.  Several weeks ago TR said "that window opens right?"  I said "of course".  Well, I looked at it the other day and saw that if had been painted shut.  The only question I had was how many times had it been painted shut?  So my brain begins the process of how difficult is it going to be to get it open?  And "how to" get it open.  I could also already see TR Baker tackling this job and the vision was not good!

I am continually amazed how much TR Baker and HC Baker are alike.  Honestly, sometimes it startles me.  HC and TR both would have attempted getting that window open with anger and frustration already simmering inside them just below boiling point.  So, I decided I would do this while TR was at work this evening.

I went to the toolbox and found this "thing" that looks like a paint scraper only it's about 2 inches wide and 10 inches long.  Also at the opposite end there is a little hole that looks as if it would remove nails.  I have no idea what it's called but I also brought a hammer!!!!  I took the paint scraper thing and the hammer and went all around the window hoping to loosen it and get it open.  I was able to release the window from the inside but it still wouldn't budge.  I went out to the porch and looked at the inside of the window.  Guess what?  Painted closed on the outside too!  And there is a storm window!!!!  So I call my friend Rick J. who is married to one of my oldest (known each other, not age) friends and knew HC Baker very well and shares a lot of the same personality traits and outdoor hobbies.  I gave him the whole scenario and asked what I could do.  He determined (over the phone) that my next step would be to call someone to help me.  I assured him I could do this.  (He's used to hearing that from women because his wife is always just as pleasant as I am and as flexible and as even-tempered and open-minded!)  He says OK but you'll have to remove the storm window.  Not a problem.  I go get the electric screwdriver and it's CHARGED!!!!!!!!!!  Hooray!  Out on the porch I look at the storm window.  There are 12 screws holding it in place.  I start at the top and remove each one, at the last one I have my shoulder up against the window so it won't fall out.  It doesn't, I remove it, and then proceed to use the "paint scraper thing" and the hammer to loosen the outside of the window and guess what????  I got it open.  Yea for me!!!!  And nothing's broken, nobody's angry and all is well with my world.  Should I replace the storm window or put it in the garage until next fall?  Your thoughts?

So when I ask TR Baker to move the TV through the window in the den onto the front porch and he stomps into the den to begin work on the window...     (I'm smiling!)

P.S.  It was cold and rainy this afternoon so where was I?  Yes!  At another track meet!  Garrett won 3rd in shot put again!!!!