Saturday Doings

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Today’s goal was to do some tidying up downstairs.  Mainly I did a little picking up and then ran the vacuum…freshened up things.  I also put some finishing touches on the Sunday School lesson.  I printed that off a little while ago.  This morning at 11am was my Cottey College Alum Zoom Bookclub.  We were low in number and the person who was supposed to lead the discussion didn't show up.  But we had a good discussion despite all that.  We enjoy just talking with each other.  My friend from childhood and fellow Cottey classmate wasn’t there today as she was away in New Mexico at Ghost Ranch, former residence of artist, Georgia O'Keeffe.  The location of Ghost Ranch makes one have to stand in just the right place or go out to the highway to get cell reception…so not the best place to try to join a Zoom meeting!  The funny thing was that without her being at the meeting and there being only five of us there, what were the chances of two of the five having attended the same high school.  But we had discovered a meeting or two back that one of our other bookclub members had attended the same high school for one year as Randi and I had…and she was a junior when we were sophomores…small world.  Plus she went to the same church that Randi and I did.  I do not remember her from high school or church, but I do remember her as being at Cottey with us.  The next Bookclub selection is mine and I have invited the author and his wife join us.  I just hope that our club attendance picks up a bit…we will have a lively discussion no matter the numbers.  My book choice is Copyboy by Vince Vawter.  This is the 2nd book in a trilogy.  Vince and his wife joined us for our discussion of his first book, Paperboy last year.  I look forward to them joining us again this year.  

Well, the above Bookclub "discourse" wasn't part of my plan for the blog banter for tonight.  Just never know what gets transferred from my brain to my fingertips!  

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!  

Friday…I Think!

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It has been a rather busy Friday…though it doesn't seem like Friday.  I am a bit lost without certain activities that mark the days of the week for me…like working in the library on Tuesday or Bible study on Wednesday.  Then add in the unexpected falling of a tree and the clean up of that tree along with taking down another tree and thinning branches out of another that took care of my Thursday. I did make today seem more like Friday by going grocery shopping. I washed the sheets on the guest bed and put them back on the bed…that's an exhausting job these days!  I did that, as I might have a guest or two if they decide to escape the heat of their house without AC.  I napped some this afternoon.  Then I set to work to get something written into the outline of the Sunday School lesson for Sunday.  I just about finalized it before I came in to blog.  I still have to decide if I am going to include two things…and, if I do, where they need to be…but, all in all, the lesson is complete except for printing it out.  And, that can be done tomorrow after I make those two final decisions. Stitching and watching TV or reading for pleasure is calling to me for the rest of the evening.  Tonight's photo is one of the beautiful roses at The Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.  

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Timberrrrrrrr!

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BOOM! In the Night!

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Last night at midnight there was a big boom and then another boom.  I first thought tree, but when I heard the 2nd one I thought thunder.  My first thought was correct.  The tree that I had decided just yesterday morning that I needed to make arrangements to have it taken down due to it leaning so much and due to all of our rain to date.  Well, I have made a call to get it taken care of…but not to have it taken down since it is already down!  

I don't know who in the neighborhood called to report it, but the the police were here not long after I discovered the cause of the boom.  We had three police cars because the tree blocked the         T-intersection that happens right at our property line…so cars couldn't get through in three directions…but the neighborhood wasn't blocked as it has access in and out from several directions.  The tree did not take down any power lines, didn't do any property damage. And, the timing was good since at that hour there were no children out running around.  Not long after the police came the city arrived with a truck that had a claw to pick up branches that were cut with a chain saw.  They worked until 2:30am and cleared the neighbor's yard of all of the tree that was in their yard…leaving only me with the part of my tree that was still on my property.  They were back at 6:50am and cleaned up the rest.  The telephone pole was only broken off at the top which took off the street light.  The utility company was there to reattach a guy wire and put a street light back up.  They just used the broken pole.  

Nathan stopped by and while he was here, the city arborist stopped by and talked to us about tree problems, etc. He gave us a lot of good information and made some suggestions.  After talking with him, Nathan called the tree removal company that we have used in the past.  He was here in the early afternoon to assess the tree and other things we wanted him to do.  He will cut up the fallen tree, grind the stump, thin out some branches in the tree next to the fallen tree to help lighten its load in hopes that we can keep it for a while longer.  I also asked them to take down a branch that our tree broke in the neighbor's tree. And, I am having a tree taken out that is in a bad place next to the driveway.  I forgot about one of the trees that the arborist suggested we take down…since it was forgotten (that one I hadn't thought about previously so it slipped my mind when I was talking with the tree man and that tree was behind me). I can have that one taken down another day…and…the tree team is supposed to be here in the morning!

I think I am witnessing what it means to live in a small town…at midnight the tree landed with a boom and 30 hours more or less the tree crew should be here taking care of the problem and some other problems as well.  It makes me sad, though, that my trees are aging out.

I think a good number of people in the neighborhood lost some sleep last night.  I know that I have been tired all day.  I have taken a couple of short cat naps. Hopefully I will sleep well tonight. I need to get to sleep a little earlier than usual as I imagine the tree crew will show up bright and early so they can work in the cool of the morning.

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

An Eagle's Point of View

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This isn't exactly a prize-winning photo…but it shows an eagle's nest pretty well…all those sticks.  Their nests are huge.  If you look closely, you can see that mama eagle is sitting in the nest…unfortunately there is a branch between eagle and my camera lens!  At the raptor center there was a replica of an eagle's nest that people could get into…lots of people fit in it!  

Today has been another day that didn't have any "have-to-dos" in it.  Donna and I chose not to work in the library today so it was a "free day." I made a couple of goals to accomplish…read the study helps for the Sunday School lesson = ✔️…organize needlework supplies before getting underway with next Christmas ornament = ✔️…get out the next ornament to work on and get floss, etc. organized = ✔️.  So I did get those small tasks done.  The organizing that I did was to put away floss that I had been using on the ornament that I finished last night.  Plus there was other floss that needed to be put away so that took a bit of time.  I put them away in numerical order in a DMC cabinet for floss (used to be part of a large cabinet in a cross stitch store.  I was able to purchase it when the store closed many years ago.  I am always thankful to Woody when I get out floss or put it away.  All those years ago, he helped me divide up the floss so it would all go in the compartments in the drawers.  He then drew me up a diagram, that I use to this day.  It is looking a bit grubby and the pencil is fading…but I hate to stop using it and making another chart!  I enjoy that memory each time I use the chart.  

Besides organizing cross stitch and preparation for the Sunday School lesson, I enjoyed a morning phone call from Ruth and an afternoon one from Cheryl (my favorite/only sister).  It was good to catch up with both!  

We had another pop-up shower this afternoon…becoming a habit of unexpected rain at unexpected times…guess that means it’s summer! 

Planning to do some reading and some more Christmas ornament stitching this evening before I turn lights out. 

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Monday Rolls Around…Again!

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This Alaskan photo makes me think of peace and tranquility.  It is the Alaskan photo that I have chosen for the moment for my iPad wallpaper.  

Today has been a quiet day with storms rolling in every so often…sort of the pattern of the last three days. When I got home from prayer meeting, I emptied the rain gauge.  I hadn't emptied it over the weekend…so the amount represents Saturday, Sunday, and to this point of today. I emptied 2 3/10 out of the gauge.  Think it will rain?!?!

I have done rainy day things like read and stitch and start working on this coming Sunday's Sunday School lesson for my class. I am very close to finishing another Christmas ornament.  I plan to out in the final stitches this evening.  I returned a little while ago from prayer meeting.  So it is time to start bidding good bye to the day…time to settle in for the night.  

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Alaska Favorite Photo

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