I didn’t realize it had been a month since I last posted. We are still in the land of the living, doing a lot of the things that we do each Fall.
I am still getting the house ready to sell, but we have pushed back the date for putting it on the market to next March or April.
Dear Husband is going to get a new knee in November, and then will have to go through four to six weeks of physical therapy. Hopefully he will be able to help me organize the basement this winter.
I had the landscaper come in and re-seed an area of the lawn that died this summer. We have grass! I was a Doubting Thomas. I didn’t think that seed was ever going to germinate, but it’s come in nice and full. I also had them plant two gorgeous hydrangeas, an Endless Summer shrub rose and two hostas. I plan to add three more hostas next year.
Tomorrow I’ll be adding dirt around the iris that are trying to lift out of the ground, and I’ll mulch the rest of the bed at the front of the house. Later in October the landscaper will return to help me put the gardens to bed for the winter.
We had new faucets installed in the master bath, and the kitchen. Yea! Looking good.
Scraps on a Mission, the little group I manage which makes quilts for charity has made FIFTY ONE small quilts since February. They run from small baby quilt sizes to large lap quilts. We are also going to provide quilts for Facing Forward, a shelter, and will make larger quilts for them next year. I’m sure our founder, Mary Rinn, would be so pleased to see how well we’ve done.
This weekend we are celebrating our second grand daughter’s fifth birthday. I wish I had some of her energy! She runs non-stop. We’ve agreed not to post pictures of the girls, so I’ll just have to tell you that she has the most beautiful dark hair, and her eyes light up her face. It should be a fun afternoon.
Dear Husband is getting the sailboat ready to be hoisted out of the lake. He still has about two weeks of time left to sail, but part of that will be taken up getting the boat ready for winter storage. It’s a sign of his dedication to sailing that he continued to sail despite a painful knee. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him spending some weekday time on the boat this coming week.
It looks as though our business will officially close at the end of this year. We’re finishing the last of the jobs, collecting income, paying bills, and arranging for the disposal of the equipment. It feels really odd after all these years to be closing our doors, but I’ve really been enjoying the chance to spend more time with Dear Husband. *S*
I had a chair upholstered. I got a new perm. I went to the Sandwich Antiques Fair with My-Sister-The-Nurse. We’re getting ready to make a trip in October to visit my sister, Frankie, and her family. We’re going to be celebrating Frankie’s youngest daughter’s birthday. I’ve been taking a friend from exercise to the Farmer’s Markets in the area, and he suggested that I might want to try the Orange Tomato Soup featured on “The Chew.” We’re going to try it tomorrow.
And I think that may be most of my September news. Hopefully, I’ll have pictures to share in the future. I hope you’re all well, and enjoying the Fall weather

I’m hooked on Downton Abbey! I’ve been playing it while I’ve been working in my studio this week, and I love the stories, the history, the costumes, and the building they are using as Downton Abbey. It’s all wonderful.
The DVDs of the second season arrived yesterday. I’m two thirds of the way through the season, but there’s a problem. I put the third disk in, and it says it’s “Loading,” but it’s stuck. It’s so stuck it won’t let me open the disk player. I am very concerned about going through withdrawal tomorrow! *G*
I’m hoping that letting it sit and cool off over night might let me open it tomorrow. (Typical non-techie response.) I may smack it, if it doesn’t open up! I NEED to see the rest of the shows! lol
I’m eager for the third season to open on PBS this fall. I should check the schedule to find out when it returns. Dr. Who starts on September 1. I also like the newer version of Sherlock Holmes on PBS. That’s another that I need to check on.
Until then, I want to get the DVD player up and running again, so that I can actually LOOK at more of the Downton Abbey footage. Gorgeous dresses (that I’m so glad we don’t have to wear on a daily basis!)!

My youngest sister, Frankie, has just completed her first full week in school as a new assistant-principal. I talked with her very briefly, and had an e-mail from her, but it’s been very quiet in that part of the world.
You have to know that she puts her all in to everything she does, and most of us who have taught know that the first week back is a killer, even when you think you are prepared for it.
I didn’t call her this afternoon for the details because I suspect she needs time to decompress, and I can talk with her this weekend. But, I’m eager to hear how things went.
I hope she keeps a journal, because there HAVE to be stories from this first week that she will want to visit in the distant future! *G*
Sis….I hope you had a fabulous week, and that you love your new job. I am confident that you ARE a success! *S*

I had a GREAT day!
I’ve been having a problem with edema in my feet and ankles. I’ve seen the doc, and he and I are working on it. One of the things he suggested was that I should put my feet up so that they are higher than my heart. It’s very difficult to do this during the day, so I don’t accomplish it as often as I should.
My-Sister-The-Nurse suggested elevating my feet when I was in bed. I’ve been trying to figure out how to do that, because I toss and turn all night long. I put pillows at the end of the bed for a couple of days, but halfway through the night, I’d kicked them off the bed.
Dear Husband came up with something for us to try. He brought home a cement block and cut it in half. He lifted the bed frame, and I pushed the blocks in place under the legs of the frame. The bed looks a wee bit odd, but it elevated my feet, and I managed to sleep through the night.
I have to wonder if that accounted for having such a great day. I had more energy at exercise, and I came home and jumped right into chores. By early afternoon I was able to sit down and work on quilting, and I finished up two small charity projects, and put the binding on the back of a larger quilt. I was really happy to work on these things, because I had been putting them off for several weeks, and felt guilty about not getting them finished.
IF, tilting the bed is responsible for this spurt of energy, I hope it continues! I’m reminded of what my younger self felt like.

WHERE does the time go??? I just checked to see when I last posted, and it was August 12th. I know I’ve been busy, but nothing special has been going on.
I have a friend in exercise class who is going blind. He’s had the opportunity to take instruction at Hines V.A. hospital to learn how to get around, and how to take care of himself. At the moment, he lives with his mother, and both of them are in the exercise class. David needed someone to take him to the Farmer’s Market, so two weeks ago, I picked him up, and we went to the market I usually visit.
He can see enough to move through crowds, but I didn’t think he could determine all the varieties of fruits and veggies on the tables, so I kept up a running commentary, directing him to vendors whom I thought were better choices. He used his folding cane to check out the ground, and people gave him a little room.
I helped to carry our finds, putting the heavier things like cantaloupe in my bag, so the delicate things, like tomatoes, wouldn’t get squished. We re-bagged things when we got back to the car, and then went on to breakfast.
He needed to pick up half a dozen things at the store, so we stopped at a Meijer’s on the way home. He had never been to one, so I steered him through the store.
Last weekend, Dave called, and asked if I could give him a hand again, with the grocery shopping. The woman who normally volunteers for this duty had a conflict. Since I wanted to pick up a few things, I said, “Yes!”
This time, we went to the Farmer’s Market in our own town. I was surprised to find it was totally acceptable. I’d attended it once when it was held in a different location, and it seemed there was an abundance of jewelry and kitch. This time there was a lot of variety in fruits and veggies, with just a few non-food booths thrown in. I’m really glad we gave it a try.
We stopped at Panera for breakfast and then headed on to Woodman’s, a MONSTER grocery store. Dave shops there regularly, so he could direct me to the aisles where we would find the things on his list. As we walked through the veggie department, people who were in a hurry were practically bowling him over, so I asked him to get his cane out. I thought if he “advertized” that he couldn’t see, they might give him a little respect, and I was right. Better he use the cane than have to call for a ride because I was arrested for decking some snotty shopper!
Soooo….I should have called Dave earlier today, but I was happily buried in my quilting and I let the time get away from me. I plan to go to the Farmer’s Market early, and I want to see if he needs to go too. I sent him an e-mail tonight. I’ll break the 8:00 rule on the phone, and call him before I leave Saturday, to see if he needs to shop.
I’ve enjoyed the time with him more than I would have guessed.

Did I say we’d been traveling? The summer got away from me. I kept thinking I had a month and a half to get in a visit with my sister Frankie, and her family. What I forgot is that she has just started a new job as an assistant-principal, and her first day was the last Monday in July! OMG! Where did the time go!?
We asked if she and her hubby thought they could fit us in, and they graciously made room in their lives for us. We left mid-day Thursday and were with them through early afternoon on Sunday, and every moment of the time was lovely.
Frankie comes here to stay, and I put her to work. I go to Frankie’s, and she lets me sit out on their wonderful porch, or on the deck, and veg out. I was feeling guilty about that by Saturday night, and helped out by making a salad. I really should have done more, and I apologize to you, dear Sis, for being such a sloth.
We visited a Farmer’s Market, and ambled through several antique places. We ate, and ate, and ATE! We made a stop at Starbucks, and chatted, caught up on all the family news, and just enjoyed the relaxed life for a few days.
Sunday morning we packed up the car, and headed to church with the family. Frankie and her youngest daughter had gone on a mission project this summer, and Sunday was the day all the mission efforts were presented to the church. It was good to be able to see all they had done, and be there to support their efforts.
After the mission presentation, we headed out to brunch, which was just fabulous. We were so full that I don’t believe I cooked the rest of the day!
Dear Sis, it was lovely, as always! Thank you for letting us be a part of your gracious life.

I was in the office and Dear Husband was off on an errand, when the phone rang. DH called and told me to look out the front window at the pear tree. I went to look. Two female deer were eating pears that had fallen to the ground. I watched for some time, and wondered if they had waved at DH as he drove down the driveway. Then, from stage left, DH slowly drove past the deer. One looked at him, as if to say, “Buzz off! I found them first!” The other deer was a little more skittish, and moved further away from the driveway. But, both deer were there, eating, for some time.
Either they are very young and inexperienced, or they are very hungry. They could be both, I suppose. It’s quite uncommon to see deer out in daylight hours like this. There were at least three hours of daylight left. Our lot is not manicured. There is a lot of cover for the wildlife, and I know they move through our lot to the forest preserve south of us. I hoped that if I was quiet, they would move around the house to find the birdseed that had been dropped on the ground, or they might even prune the sage for me. The apples must have satisfied them, because they left the herb garden alone.

I’m just a sloth tonight. I have a few things I need to do, and can’t seem to pull myself together enough to get them done. I washed the bedroom curtains on Thursday, and still haven’t put them back up. They’re cotton, and it would take about 10 minutes to press them, and another five or so to hang them. Push me out of this chair, won’t you?
We finally got some rain this past week. The weeds perked right up. I was going to weed early this morning, but was a sloth then, too. Hopefully, I’ll get some of it done early tomorrow. I’d like to get some mulch down to slow down the evaporation.
I’m still packing. A few boxes here and there. I think I’m dragging my feet because I hate the thought of leaving this house. Thanks to my sisters and one of my nieces, most of the main floor has been packed, and I need to focus on the basement.
My exercise guru was away for ten days, so I got to lead class for five consecutive sessions. The class was just great. Almost everyone came, no one got hurt, and everyone seemed to have a good time. I love it when a plan comes together!
I have two small quilts that are ready to be pin-basted. One is for family and the other is for Scraps on a Mission. The group meets here on Tuesday, so I’d like to be ready to quilt.
I hope to visit with my youngest sis, Frankie, before she begins her new job. She’s been hired as assistant principal for a school just ten minutes from her home! YEA! Yea, to the hiring, and yea to the chance to visit! It will be a short visit, too bad we can’t go for weeks! She feeds us like royalty, and arranges for entertainment, too!
Okay, this sloth is heading off to get some work done. I hope you’re all having a great weekend.

I am delighted to be invited to fill in for our exercise guru when she has to be away. I’ve filled in here and there, generally doing one class every two months to satisfy our employers. I use the music she provides and recreate the exercises she’s done. I don’t add anything new to the sessions, I just keep us moving while our Guru is away.
For the very first time, our Guru has decided to take 10 days off just for herself. She arranged to take a yoga seminar with some friends in New Mexico, and then her husband flew in to spend the rest of the vacation with her. They wanted to see Sedona and other parts of the area. So, I am leading FIVE classes in a row!
Usually I do a set of exercises that I am familiar with, but for some off the wall reason, I decided to try to recreate her current session, which meant learning to call four new cardio songs. Things went surprisingly well on Monday. On Wednesday, I goofed in a place that was unexpected, but recovered. On Friday, we’re exercising along, and the music was still playing when I had called all the moves for that song……wait……WHAT SONG!?? I did the breathing exercises, and totally skipped the warmup. We were doing the first cardio to the wrong music! All I could do was laugh. Those around me who realized what was wrong were smiling. No one complained, when I lead them through that set of exercises a second time.
I figure that no one else wants the responsibility of charting the exercises, so they are willing to let me play with the class. I’m going to return to my earlier program for the last two sessions, and just have fun with the class.
Thanks, Guru! I hope you had a great vacation!

I’m still working on it. Most of what I’ve been doing lately isn’t apparent. I’ve been working on closets, and filing in the office. I have seven rooms close to being finished. I may use the rest of today to put away things in those seven rooms, to see how close I am to being ready to show the house. Unfortunately, I still have two closets and the basement to clear out, and I think I will pack up part of the office and studio as well. Both rooms have things I don’t use on a daily basis, and by clearing off the shelving, I’ll have a cleaner, more organized look.
There’s still a lot of work to be done in the basement. At least it will be cool there. I need to create an area to pile up things to be thrown out, and one for things to be given away. The rest needs to be boxed up. I hope I can find the roll of tape for boxes that’s hiding down there. I turned my back on it one afternoon and it disappeared!
So, we’re still making progress, but it’s slow.