Author: Kay Krause

The guys showed up to start the solar panel installation a little after 10:00 this morning. They got most of it done but it has started spitting icy pellets and the roof got slick and they had to quit for the day. The electrician is still down in the shop doing his thing. They are to come back tomorrow late morning to finish up the install. I thought it was going to take all week but he thought they will be done tomorrow.

I have had a quiet day tucked inside. I ventured out to do the chicken chores but quickly came back in when I was done. It is 35 our and on its way down to 24 for the night. I have had my fireplace on today and have been sitting in my chair knitting most of the day. Decided to take a quiet, do nothing day. It is easier to embrace winter weather when I don’t have to get out and be in it.

I was able to make a couple of phone calls today. Somedays I can do that and other days I can’t. Transferred a prescription from one pharmacy to another to save some money. Called my insurance agent to inform them I added the solar panels and check to see if I needed to increase my coverage. Also scheduled an appointment with our attorney so Jim can sign some papers. We are going to KC Thursday late morning to get that done. I want to stop at Costco while we are in KC but other than that it will be a quick trip up and back. It will only take about 15 minutes to sign the papers.

I have another quiet day scheduled for tomorrow. Jim will be here late afternoon or early evening. I will need to fix dinner for him but other than that have nothing I have to do tomorrow. I got the house put back together after having eight guests over the weekend. May bake some cookies if the mood hits but they are optional.

I will need to go to town to pick up the prescription that I transferred but don’t need it urgently. If I remember we can stop and get it when we go to KC Thursday.

I slept fairly good last night but am tired this afternoon. I always feel a bit of a let down after having guests for several days. It has been a good day to do nothing.

Has anyone tried the weighted blankets? I ordered one and have been using it for almost a week now. I think it is helping me sleep better. I don’t toss and turn so much. My restless legs seem to be quieter with it. I have hopes that it may help me solve my sleeping problems. Can it be that simple of a solution?

I do need to run into Cottonwood Falls tomorrow and drop off some recycling stuff and a donation for the Chase County Christmas Event that is held Thanksgiving weekend. I am donating a hand knitted baby blanket and a set of tea towels. Someone will put some other things with them and create a baby basket and a kitchen basket for their silent auction. I hope they find someone interested in them.

They have taken the rain and snow out of the forecast for today but it is still predicted for Wednesday. We are getting a foggy, icy coating though. Not heavy enough to show on radar but enough to make black ice. Glad I got the chicken chores done before it got slick.

I have lost three pounds since last Tuesday. Seven to ten to go and I will be back down to what I was before. I want to be back down to where I was by Christmas. My body likes when I stay on plan and don’t cheat. It is harder to do when Jim is here but I have tried to come up with meals that will make it easier for me. He doesn’t like to eat three meals a day and likes lots of potatoes which I can’t eat often. He doesn’t eat many vegetables except for white potatoes. I’ll have to get creative and find foods that will suit both of us.

Very aware of being in my peaceful valley today. It feels good to take care of myself with a do nothing day and not feel guilty about it. I have been very organized lately and have not been procrastinating on getting things done. Not sure why that goes away at times but I welcome the times when I can get things done. I think being back on my eating plan gives me more energy in some ways to get things done. Although I am also realizing my body has been detoxing a bit and I feel more tired than normal.

Grateful I am tucked inside my warm house with the fireplace on and am safe and warm, grateful the solar panels are almost completely installed and ready to start saving me money, and grateful Jim will be here tomorrow.

A busy day around the place today.  All four guests checked out a little before 11:00 this morning.  The three young ladies that came were delightful and give me such hope for the future.  I sat with them during breakfast today and visited.

My invisible guest came up this morning to settle his account.  I only saw him when he came in Thursday afternoon.  I would forget he was even here.  He stayed in all day yesterday but stayed in his room.  I would hear him go into the kitchenette occasionally but never saw him.  He said he had a very relaxing and quiet time.

I have been doing laundry all day.  My new washing machine does not like washing the robes I provide for my guests.  I learned I can only wash one at a time.  I tried two and I keep having to go back and balance the machine.  I didn’t know I needed to do that so the washer sat doing nothing for a long time today.

Went into Emporia to get groceries for next week.  One of the twin bed sheets is stained and needed replaced so I went ahead and got four new sets so I can replace all of them.  They were all starting to look a bit worn.  Got some sweat pants for after surgery.   Walmart didn’t have any boy sized ones that didn’t have elastic in the foot. Found some in women’s that will work.

Have been cleaning and doing laundry all day.  One more set of guests to come next weekend for two nights and than I am suspending my account again until May.  I have a house full booked for the last week of April and than I am guessing I will get more booking for May and June.  Blacked out July as we are going back to CO for four weeks.  We want to do some other traveling too but don’t have dates to black out yet.  If someone books we will have to work our travel schedule around the bookings.

Tomorrow the guys come to start the installation of the solar panels.  Hope they get most of it done before the snow comes on Wednesday.  I don’t know if they can work if it is snowing or raining.  At least the slant on the shop is not too severe so it won’t be so dangerous.

Jim is coming up Tuesday after he teaches his Osher class in the morning in Stillwater.  It will be good to see him again.  He will stay until Saturday and than he has to go back but will return the next Tuesday after his class.  This time we will be together until I can drive again which will be in about six to eight weeks from surgery day of November 6.  Don’t know what I would do without Jim right now.

Got a whole ham today for Thanksgiving dinner.  I’m looking for guests to come eat with us.  It won’t be a traditional turkey dinner but we will have plenty of food.  We plan on eating at 1:00.  Come if you can – you can even stay overnight the night before or the day of if you would like to.

Got the chickens winter heated water can set up.  Figured out if I take an empty litter container the water container will fit in it and I can fill it and keep it from dumping over.  The lid is hard to put back on it.  If I put a brick in the bottom of the container the water container will sit up high enough for me to make sure the lid is back on and I won’t dump ice cold water on my feet.  Now why did it take me five years to think of doing that?  Better late than never I guess.

It looks beautiful outside today but the temperature is about 10 degrees colder than yesterday.  Today will feel balmy warm compared to Tuesday.  I took advantage and got the tarp that lines the chicken fence zip tied back into place.  The wind breaks the zip ties and then the tarp flaps in the wind.

Got the second set of blood test results back.  All but three were within normal ranges and the three that were out of range showed good improvement from last time.  Surgery is a go!

Grateful the chickens are ready for winter, grateful to have solved the watering container dumping on my feet issue, and grateful the guys will be here tomorrow to start the solar installation.

I woke up at 4:30 this morning after going to sleep around 1:00.  I could not fall back asleep.  I finally gave up at 6:30 and got up.  I heard my four guests downstairs getting showers and knew they were leaving a little after 7:00.  They came up and were out the door at 7:15.

I stripped the beds and collected the dirty towels and changed the trash cans.  Got their rooms flipped and ready for the three women that were coming in this afternoon.  One of the sheets has a stain on it and I couldn’t find the extra set of twin sheets.  I’ll have to go to town this week and get some new ones to replace it.  The others are starting to be rather worn so I will replace all four sets.

Mowed most of the yard this afternoon.  It was hard to mow as I couldn’t always tell where I had mowed.  It was ragged looking before I started and looks much more even now.  We are to get a hard freeze next week so this will be the last mowing I do this year.  I need to get my mower in and have the blades sharpen and balanced and the oil changed.  I never did get it taken in earlier this year.

I got the extension cord and heat lamp set up in the chicken coop.  Still need to wash out the heated water container and then the chickens will be ready for winter.  When I plugged the heat lamp into the multi plug in thingy the heat lamp didn’t come on.  I took a blow dryer down and checked to make sure the plug in on the shop was working.  It was.  Then I plugged the dryer into the extension cord and that worked.  When I plugged it into the multi plug in thingy it didn’t work.  Got to looking at it and the darn thing has a power button.  Once that was turned on it worked and when I checked the heat lamp the bulb came on.  Sometimes it is the simple things in life that challenge me!

It was an absolutely beautiful day on the prairie.  It got up into the low 60’s today with bright blue skies.  Wish it would stay this way for several months.  I like weather like this.  It is only to be in the low 50’s tomorrow and drop from there the rest of the week with snow in the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday.  Better get my deck painting done tomorrow or it won’t get done next week.  I’m running out of time before surgery to get that done.

My third set of guests this weekend came while I was out mowing. They are lovely, young women.  Not sure how they know each other but they act like they are good friends with each other.  They have been out hiking at Tallgrass Prairie Preserve and came in and took showers and rested for a bit.  They left a bit ago to go meet some friends in Matfield Green.  My other guest stayed in his room all day and just left to find some dinner.  I haven’t caught him to say anything to him since he first arrived.

The guests that left this morning left two items behind.  They had gone to the OU and KState football game and stopped on their way back to Oklahoma City to pick up the forgotten items.  They were nice guests that really liked my dogs.  They didn’t get to see much of the prairie thought as they didn’t arrive until 11:15 last night and left before the sun was up this morning.

I gave the dogs and cats their flea and tic medication today.  When I was putting it on Bell she jumped out of my arms just as I squirted the medication out of the tube.  Some landed on her but most landed on me.  Guess I am protected from fleas and tics for the next three months.  Good thing a hard frost is coming next week.  Maybe it will kill the fleas and tics for the winter and she won’t pick up any.

Tomorrow I will have three bedrooms and two bathrooms to clean.  At least I won’t have a time pressure this time as my next set of guests don’t come in until next Friday.  They will be my last guests until I return in April unless someone else books between now and the 5th of November.  October turned into a fairly busy month for me with 10 bookings from late September to early November.  I’ve enjoyed having guests again.  I like when the house is filled with people.

Grateful the chickens are ready for winter, grateful for nice guests that come and enjoy the prairie, and grateful the yard is looking nice again.

Another productive day today after sleeping for almost 8 hours last night!  Wow!  So that is what nights are for.  Who knew?

I cleaned the chicken coop out today and gave the girls fresh linens.  I had cleaned it out a little over a month ago so it wasn’t too dirty.  This will be the last clean out until spring.  I add fresh straw monthly during the winter and don’t remove the old stuff.  That gives them a bit of insulation against the bitter cold temperatures.  The spring clean out is a big pain though as the shit piles up all winter long.

I voted in Cottonwood Falls today.  I am only the 22nd voter so far.  Didn’t have to make choices on people running as there were only one person per position on the ballet.  I did have to choose on the amendment issue.  I had done my homework and knew which way to vote on that.

Dropped off a bunch of recycling material and than came home.  Worked some more on my taxes and got them as complete as I can at this point.

My real estate partner got my house listed on Willow as a rental. Trusting someone will need a short term lease during the time I want to be gone.

Made another batch of Chex Mix.  Wanted to get the boxes of cereal out of the way in my pantry.  Trying to get as much as I can done early before surgery.  Chex Mix freezes well and it is nice to have that job done.  May bake a batch or two of cookies tonight or tomorrow.  Jim is a Cookie Monster.

My guest was out most of the day.  He came in a bit ago but I haven’t seen or heard from him.  I need to catch him and make sure all is well.

It turned out to be a beautiful day on the prairie today.  Warmed up to the mid 50’s but the best part of the day was no wind.  I had to shed my coat while I was out cleaning out the chicken coop.  It is to be nice the next two days and then turn cold.  We are to have a hard frost Monday night with chances of snow for Wednesday and Thursday.  Not sure I am ready for winter yet.

I have decided to have a Thanksgiving Day ham dinner and invite friends and family.  If you don’t have a place to go on Thanksgiving Day please come join me.  We are eating at 1:00.  No turkey and dressing but there will be plenty of other food.  Give me a heads up if you can come but if you decide at the last minute come on out. Call if you need directions.  Bring a side dish if you want to but it isn’t required.  I love a full house for Thanksgiving and would love to have you join us.

I sent an application to Oklahoma AARP to see if I can be a tax aide for them next year.  I enjoyed doing them a lot last year and would love to be able to do them again next year.  I’ll see if they get back to me.

I have been enjoying a long stay in my peaceful valley of life.  It has been a while since I fell into the muck pond.  I am grateful!  Things seem to be falling into place for me and solutions to problems arrive almost before I am aware of the problem.  Love when that happens!

I have been able to get back on the Bright Line eating plan fairly easily the last few days.  My body sure feels better when I eat on plan.  It will take me a bit to lose the 10 pounds I gained.  I am a slow loser but I know it will eventually come off if I stick to plan.

Grateful for another beautiful KS sunset tonight, grateful the girls have fresh linens tonight, and grateful for a long sleep last night.

Finally had a productive day.  I got to stay home all day for the first time in a long time.  That felt good!  I needed a stay at home day.  They fill my soul.

I got the house ready for my guest to arrive.  He showed up around 3:00.  He is a very nice man who lives in KC and came down for a weekend get away alone.  He stayed in his room downstairs all afternoon and then left around 5:15 to find some dinner.

The guy from Pella Windows came and replaced the window in the master bedroom that had a rotten sash.  He did a good job.  He looked at the big windows in the living room and gave me some ideas on how to stop the water leaks in them.  He was going to give me an estimate for a weather stripping kit that goes around the window in the bedroom but he forgot to do so.  He said he could feel cold air coming in.  The price is around $100 per window plus installation!  Think I will see if Jim can do something a bit cheaper.  Pella sure likes their product and prices them accordingly.

I worked on taxes this afternoon and cleaned out all my files.  It went smoother than normal which is a great thing.  I will have to fill in a few more blanks as I get November and December bills but they are almost ready to go.  Wow!  I’ve never had them this ready before.  I realized if I am going to go to Oklahoma for several months I needed to get them done early as I won’t have access to my files while I am gone.

I didn’t sleep very well last night.  I slept hard for two hours and than I was up for four or five hours.  Finally got one or two more hours of sleep.  I am tired this evening.  Might be an early bedtime.  It is cloudy and cold outside and that makes for good sleeping weather.

Craig, Nancy and I figured out our Thanksgiving and Christmas plans with the kids.  We are going to combine Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.  I’m not sure when I am leaving for Oklahoma and Craig and Nancy leave for Mexico right after Christmas.  With two of the kids working shift work it makes it hard to find a time when we can all get together.  I need to decide if I want to make my Christmas treats to give the kids when we gather the 30th or if I will make them later and take them to the kids.  I’ll see how I do after surgery and if my feet will allow me to bake.  Jim will be here to help me so I should be able to make them before the 30th.  I would like to have them done and out of the way.  Christmas is not my favorite season of the year.  At least doing Christmas on Thanksgiving weekend I don’t have to put up a Christmas tree!  Yay!

Since we are doing our family thing on the Saturday after Thanksgiving I think I will fix a meal on Thanksgiving and invite my brother and his family and any of my kids that can make it.  I’ll fix a turkey dinner for the kids on Saturday and I think I will fix a ham for Thanksgiving day.  Hams are easy and I won’t have to fix all the extra side dishes.  I’ll see how much my foot allows me to do.

A guy that came as a guest for the Disc Golf tournament is going to house sit for me on a weekend in November.  Jim wants to go to Oklahoma to go to church on that weekend.  Harold’s family likes to get away together prior to Thanksgiving so he is bringing the gang with him.  I love when someone helps me out and at the same time I can help them out.  That is a win – win situation!

One of my other disc golf guests sent me some helpful information on my light bulb situation.  He even offered to get parts for me if I want him too.  I’m so lucky to meet these strangers that stay at my house and they become friends before they return home.  I love my job!

Called the door people again about the screen for my back door.  They were to have ordered it the middle of September.  I called two weeks ago and they said it wasn’t in but I think he had forgotten to order it and got it ordered.  When I called today to ask about it again I was told it was in and they would try to get out next week to install it.  Why do I have to call people to remind them to do their job?  How does a business stay in business doing it that way?  They do good work but I shouldn’t have to nag them to do it.

If I remember I want to go to Cottonwood Falls tomorrow and vote.  I need to dump recycling so I can make it a two for one trip.  Not too many people to choose from in the local contests but I will do my civic duty and vote.

I am back on my Bright Lines eating plan.  I have strayed too far away and my pants were getting tight.  I do feel better eating on plan and not cheating.  I still haven’t eaten flour or sugar but I was eating way too many potato chips and have been eating lots of peanut butter.  I can have both but I have no will power to eat a small amount of either food.  They have become triggers for me to over eat and have caused my cravings to start again.  Time to clean my diet back up and take off the 10 pounds that I have gained since I had surgery in August.  I wasn’t as active as I had been and I didn’t adjust my food intake to reflect my sitting lifestyle.  Trusting this surgery I will have learned my lesson and will decrease my intake.

Grateful for a productive day, grateful for guests that become friends, and grateful my taxes are almost done!  Yippee!!!

Went into Emporia this morning for my pre-op appointment with my family doctor.  He spent about five minutes with me.  Most of the time he was on the computer.  He finally listened to my heart and said I was good to go.

Got the first of two sets of blood test results back.  All on the first set were within normal limits.  Should have the second set back either tonight or tomorrow morning.

Stopped by the post office to mail my internet adapter cord back to my old internet company.  After a stop at the bank to cash a check I came home.

My get up and go got up and left without me today.  I was feeling tired and a bit drained this afternoon.  I started having bad diarrhea about two hours ago and it is still going on.  Feels a bit like a flashback to my Ayahuasca experience in Peru.  I sure trust it won’t last five days like that episode did.  I don’t have time for that!

I haven’t gotten anything else done this afternoon besides running to the bathroom.  It is starting to slow down a bit.  I think I am ready to have a colonoscopy- I am cleaned out!  Yuck!

Had another guest book for the weekend.  He is coming in Thursday night and staying until Sunday morning.  I will have five guests Friday night and four on Saturday night.  Might as well fill the house if I am going to have guests.

I called my plumber about the booster pump.  He told me parts to fix it cost $500 and a new pump is $900.  He recommended I replace the pump as the one I have is one that was remade five years ago.  Ouch!  Sure seems I have had a rash of things breaking down around here lately.  Hope I am getting to the bottom of the barrel of things breaking down.  My annual repair budget has been blown up.

I managed to get the light bulb in the high ceiling in the living room replaced today.  I have to use a long extension pole to change it and sometimes it is easier than other times to change it.  Today was an easy day.  Still not sure why the same bulb keeps burning out.  Next time I have the electrician out I will have him check it out for me. Thinking the socket needs replaced.

I didn’t get the chicken coop cleaned out today.  I haven’t even made it down to do chicken chores this afternoon.  I can’t be that far from the bathroom.  Maybe I will be better in another hour or so and can get down there before it gets dark.

I think I will skip dinner tonight and let my tummy settle down.  Not sure if I have a mild case of food poisoning or what is going on.  Have no clue what I have eaten that would have caused it.  I’m trying to drink as much water as I can get down so I don’t get dehydrated.  It seems to activate my gut when I drink water.

It is only going to be 50 for the high tomorrow.  Not sure I am ready for colder temperatures.  There is even a chance for snow flurries next week.  Not even ready for snow!  Getting around on one foot if it gets icy will be a challenge.

I don’t think I have to leave the prairie for the next few days.  Tomorrow a guy is coming to replace the broken window in the master bedroom.  The first of my weekend guests arrives tomorrow afternoon too.  I like to stay close to home when I have guests, at least until I know it is OK to leave them.  Some I can leave and others I feel better if I hang around the house.

I remembered I get Apple Music free with my new cell phone plan.  Figured out I can play it through my Sonos system.  Got that running today and have been enjoying listening to different music this afternoon.  I may be able to cancel my Spotify subscription if I can find enough music I enjoy.

Declaring the rest of the day a rest day.  Trusting by morning I will be back to feeling good and have the energy to clean the house.  My guest is to be here around 2:00 so will need to get with it in the morning and get the house ready for him.

Grateful for blood test results that are all in the normal range, grateful my tummy is starting to quiet down, and grateful for the sun shining in through the west windows this afternoon.  It warms my soul and spirit!

This has been a fairly productive day.  I went into Emporia this morning to meet with my real estate partner and friend.  He is going to try to find someone to rent the house while I am in Stillwater from December to April.  I have a back-up plan if he can’t find someone but it would be nice to have a profitable renter while I am gone.  If you know of someone that needs a temporary house to live in during those months please have them call me.

While I was in town I stopped by the Vet Clinic and got flea and tic medication for all four animals.  That stuff is expensive!

I went to the grocery store and got a bunch more things off my Thanksgiving dinner list.  I will be on crutches during Thanksgiving and wanted to get as much as I could ahead of time while I have two good feet.  I also picked up a few things I needed and then headed home.

Called my old internet provider and they gave me the address to mail in the forgotten adapter cord.  They are to refund me my $5 late fee but I’m not going to hold my breath that they will.

Got the grandfather’s clock running again.  I set an alarm so I would wind it at the time it stopped at.  Sometimes it has trouble figuring out what time it is after it has stopped but today it worked fine.

The wind is in a hurry again today although not as much of a hurry as yesterday.  It calmed down during the night last night but picked back up this morning.  I have some outside work to do but it is too windy to paint.

Went through the mail that had piled up while I was gone and mailed a check or two and filed the rest.  Most of the mail I get is junk mail and I disposed of that in the recycling bin.

Tomorrow I have a doctor’s appointment and a blood draw for my upcoming surgery in November.  While I am in town tomorrow I need to go to the bank and post office and then I think I am caught up from being gone.  I have a few letters to write tonight and I still need to unpack my suitcase.  It was nice to cross a few things off my to do list.  I need to do a big feed haul from Bluestem sometime before surgery so may take care of that tomorrow too.

If it is nice tomorrow and not so windy I need to clean out the chicken coop.  The straw blows everywhere when it is this windy so decided not to do that job today.  I will also need to do some repair to the tarps that line the fence.  The zip cords I use to hold them in place have broken off.  That is another job that is hard to do when it is windy outside.

Thursday the guy is coming to replace the window in the master bedroom that has a rotted sash.  I will also need to clean house Thursday for the guests that are arriving Friday evening.  I still haven’t finished detailing every room so maybe I will get some more of those rooms crossed off my list.  Thankfully my house sitter always leaves my house clean so I don’t have much to do to get it ready for the guests.

I need to make two phone calls to follow up on some repair guys but couldn’t make myself do them today.  I did manage to call the internet provider but that is all I could make myself do today.  Not sure why some days phone calls are hard to make.  I am enjoying the peace and quiet of my house this afternoon.  I can feel it filling my soul with calmness and joy.

My Yahoo mail is not working this afternoon.  I keep getting an error message.  Anyone else having trouble logging on and getting emails?  I tried logging on with the Yahoo app and even that didn’t work.

I feel like I am living in two different worlds – Stillwater and KS.  I could be very happy in either place, especially if Jim is with me.  The house in Stillwater fits me better and is easier to clean as it is much smaller.  The house in KS feeds my soul better though.  I so appreciate the magnificent views of the sunrise, sunsets, night sky and moon when I come home from being gone.

Grateful to cross things off my to do list, grateful for my real estate business partner and that he is a dear friend too, and grateful for the fall beauty of the prairie.

I am back home on the prairie after being gone for 11 days.  The wind is in a big hurry this evening and the temperature keeps dropping.  Not ready for these cooler temperatures.

We had a fun day celebrating Jim’s birthday.  The guy from the hardware store that can match my deck paint called me this morning to tell me the paint was ready.  It was a 45 minute drive to Chandler from Stillwater to pick up the paint.  When we got back to Stillwater we stopped and had lunch at a local diner.

I packed up and left Stillwater around 2:15.  I thought about stopping at Costco in Wichita to get some chicken tenders but decided not to.  It was getting close to rush hour traffic by the time I was by there and with the road construction going on by Costco I decided not to stop.

Drove up the Turnpike all the way to Emporia so I could stop and get my mother’s ring that I had resized and the diamond replaced. Thank heavens it was done.  I like how it turned out.

On the way home from Emporia I came inches from hitting a big deer on Highway 50.  Not sure how we managed to miss each other but very grateful we did.

My new glasses from Warby Parker were here when I got home.  They fix perfectly and don’t need adjusted.  I like them.  They are similar to the pair I had before but these are black frames.  I can see better with them and so far my eyes aren’t getting so tired when I read and write.  I was most impressed with their service, price and product and will return next time I need an eye exam.

I was able to cross three things off my pending list tonight!  I hope to take care of several other things tomorrow and get some more things crossed off.  It seems like my list has been growing lately and I haven’t been able to get across the finish line with any one item.  Maybe the tide has turned and things will start falling into place.

A light bulb in the living room has burned out again.  I put LED light bulbs in it and have had to replace the bulb several times in the past.  Can someone tell me why they keep burning out in the same place?  There are six lights in the living room ceiling and only two of them ever burn out.  Do I need an electrician to check out the socket?

Got an email from the solar install guy.  They are on track to start the installation next Monday.  He has done an excellent job communicating with me and keeping me updated.  I look forward to having lower electric bills after next week.

It is nice to sit in my corner chair and watch the sunset tonight.  I miss the sunrise, sunset and the moon when I am away from my prairie home.  I don’t miss the wind though.  It is really in a hurry tonight and whistling as it flies by.

Jim won’t be back up until Tuesday of next week.  We have spent every weekend together since we got back from Asheville in September.  It will be hard to go eight days without seeing him in person.  The time should go rather quickly though as I have lots of things on my to do list for the next three days and then have two different sets of guests coming over the weekend.

Grateful to be back home on the prairie tonight, grateful for the time I had with Jim, and grateful to have Mom’s ring on my finger tonight.

 

Another beautiful day in Stillwater.  The weather was perfect this afternoon for painting.  We went to church this morning and then worked on a window.  Got it painted after putting in fresh glaze and new boards.  Haven’t gotten it put back together again yet with the screens and storm windows but it sure looks better.

We went out for Chinese for dinner.  Tomorrow is Jim’s birthday.  I have to go back to Kansas tomorrow afternoon so we celebrated tonight instead.

I haven’t heard from the hardware store about the deck paint so unless he calls in the morning I will have to have Jim go get it for me if it comes in.  I trust it will come in before Jim comes down to help me after surgery as that is when Jim will do the sanding and I will need the paint.

I have a lot of little things to do when I get home Monday.  Tuesday will be a full day of errands and phone calls trying to get some loose ends tied up.  I seem to be having trouble getting others to do what I have hired them to do.  Maybe it will all start falling into place these next two weeks.

I am considering spending January through March in Stillwater so we can get Jim’s house finished up.  In order to be able to do that I will need to find someone to stay in my house for three months.  If anyone knows of someone that needs a temporary home during that time frame let me know.  I have some flexibility on dates.  I’ll need to be back in my house by mid April as I have guests scheduled for the Disc Golf tournament the end of April.

Gertrude has been fairly quiet today.  Last night she talked to me during the night and woke me up.  Sure wish I knew why she started hurting more after nine weeks than she did earlier.

It has been a wonderful ten days with Jim.  I’m sad I have to go home tomorrow.  Not sure when he will make it up.  He may not be able to get away until November.  At least when he does come we will have lots of time together again.  This next couple of weeks may be out last long time apart.

Grateful for perfect weather to paint this afternoon, grateful for this time I have had again with Jim, and grateful Gertrude is calming down again.

It was another beautiful fall day in Oklahoma.  Bright blue skies with temperatures in the mid 70’s.  Perfect day to be outside painting and scrapping.  We got more work done on a set of windows.  Didn’t get them finished but made good progress.

We went to a brunch this morning at some friends of Jim’s.  They live in a beautiful home in Stillwater.  It is homecoming weekend at OSU and. I guess it is a tradition to gather with friends over the weekend.  We had a nice time.  I especially enjoying spending time with the husband of the couple we visited.  For some reason we have clicked and enjoy each other.

I took a nap this afternoon.  I didn’t mean to but I laid down on the couch and fell asleep.  I hope I can sleep tonight.

Tomorrow we will go to church in the morning and then finish painting the set of windows we are working on in the afternoon.  We still need to put the storm windows and screens back in the first set of windows we took out earlier this week.  We are going to stop by the hardware store on the way home from church and get some screen so we can repair those and get them put back in.

Monday I head back home to Strong City.  The list of things I need to do at home keeps growing.  Hoping I will have a productive week and get some things crossed off my list.  I have two sets of guests coming this weekend so that will provide some motivation for me to get the house in shape.

Not sure when Jim is coming back up to KS.  He will be coming the 5th so he can take me to surgery on the 6th but I am hoping he will make it up before that for a couple of days.  I have guests the next two weekends so won’t make it back down to OK before surgery.  I always hate the time when we are apart.

Gertrude has been quiet today finally.  She has been cranky lately.  Not sure what the problem with her is.  Hoping it was the final episode of her being cranky.

Grateful for naps, grateful for friends that invited us to brunch, and grateful Gertrude has quieted down again.

Another beautiful fall day in Oklahoma. We took a 3.34 mile walk today to get out and enjoy the weather. Did a bit of walking on sidewalk, on the cross country track and through the pasture. My foot held up well and hasn’t been cranky tonight.

I ordered a birthday cake for Jim from a local bakery. I picked it up this morning. His favorite cake is German Chocolate and this bakery made a three layer one for me. Jim says it is very good. I don’t eat flour or sugar so I didn’t eat any. I used to love German Chocolate cake. Jim’s birthday is Monday but today was the day that worked best for the bakery for me to pick it up.

This afternoon after our walk we worked on another set of windows to get them ready to paint. Still have some work to do before we can start painting tomorrow but ran out of daylight.

Tomorrow we have a brunch to go to. A friend of Jim’s has invited a group over for an informal brunch. I have met them and they are fun people to be with so I’m sure we will have a good time tomorrow. We will get to work painting again when we get home. It is homecoming weekend here and there is lots of extra people in town. Not a good time to get out and do much.

Someone called me today to see if I had a bed for them to stay in tonight. Not sure where they found my phone number – maybe off the Chase County Chamber website. Airbnb doesn’t publish my number until a guest books a room.

I fixed sauerkraut with hot dogs for dinner tonight. We both enjoyed it and it was easy to fix. I broiled the hot dogs before I mixed them in with the sauerkraut and it gave them a good flavor.

Hard to believe I have been here for a week. The time goes so fast when we are together. We have gotten lots of work done on his house but have so much more to do. I return to Strong City Monday afternoon. I have a long list of things I need to get done there next week.

When I had my eye exam the eye doctor recommended I go to a retina specialist to see if they can figure out why I have a blind spot. The specialist called today and I go see him the week after I have surgery. Not really expecting to get any answers as I have been down this road before but maybe with the new equipment they have now they can figure out what is wrong with my left eye.

I haven’t heard from the hardware store about the deck paint they are to get in for me and then mix to match my colors. Evidently he is having trouble getting it in. Sure hope he comes through for me sometime soon.

Grateful for a long walk today and that my feet held up without getting cranky, grateful for the work we got done on the windows today, and grateful for this time I am having with Jim. We celebrated one year together this week.

A year ago today I received my first letter from Jim. In that first letter I could tell he understood the Flint Hills and loved them as much as I do. This year has gone by very quickly. I’m grateful he found me on Match.

We drove over to Tulsa this morning so Jim could teach two Osher classes. One was on the history of American Religion and the other was on the impact of Technology advances on society. I enjoyed both of them and learned new things.

Both classes were very interesting to me. I guess Jim has been sharing about me in class. One lady asked me how my foot was healing. One lady was very talkative to me. Her late husband had been a college professor and we were exchanging observations of college professors. It was amazing how alike the two men are.

I put a beef stew in the crock pot before we left this morning. I had never used this crock pot before and I didn’t adjust the temperature correctly so it isn’t done yet. Thank heavens for the instant pot. I poured the stew into the instant pot and turned it on. Jim has a meeting at 5:30 and by the time he is home from his meeting the stew will be done. I only had an apple for lunch today and I am hungry.

Since we were gone all day we didn’t get any work done outside today. Jim stayed up very late last night finishing up his notes for class so he didn’t get much sleep. Thinking we will not do much this evening after dinner.

My old internet company sent me my final bill. They added a $5 late charge as I stopped the service in early September and didn’t pay anything in September at their instructions. They delayed picking up the equipment until this week and I just today got the final bill. So glad I have changed companies. I don’t like how they handled the final steps.

Tomorrow is to be another beautiful fall day so will get back outside and do some more painting and work outside. There is lots of scrapping and painting that needs done. It is OSU’s homecoming this weekend and traffic is to be heavy so will probably hang around here all weekend. Monday is Jim’s birthday and we are going out to dinner Sunday night to celebrate as I have to go back to Strong City Monday afternoon.

Grateful for a fun trip to Tulsa today, grateful Jim has an instant pot that saved the beef stew, and grateful for this beautiful fall weather.

Jim and I have spent the afternoon outside painting and scraping.  He took apart the storm windows in the master bedroom yesterday and today we painted the outside part of the windows.  We also took apart the windows in the dining room.  Found some rotten boards that will need to be replaced.  We also scraped and painted some more on the porch.

The weather was perfect to be outside painting today.  Upper 60’s and no wind with bright blue skies.  We are going out to dinner and then Jim has choir practice tonight.

I’m going to run to the grocery store while he is at choir practice and get something to put in the crock pot for tomorrow night.  Jim teaches two classes in Tulsa tomorrow so we will be gone all day and will have an early start to our day.  It will be nice to come home to dinner ready for us.

The toe that I dropped a cake pan on is black and blue today and a bit swollen.  It hasn’t slowed me down today though.  I’m tired of hurting feet!

The eye glasses I ordered from Warby Parker arrived at home.  I am anxious to get home and try them on.  I hope they don’t need adjusted too much as I’m not sure when I will be in KC again.  I want to get up there one more time before surgery but not sure I will make it.

I didn’t hear from the store that is fixing my mother’s ring that the ring actually got done today.  If it isn’t ready when I go in next Tuesday I am going to be upset.  I sure hope I like the modifications I had made to it.

Pella Windows called and gave me a time for my appointment to get a window replaced next week.  They have been very prompt and good communicators.  Trusting they will show up as promised and that project will be completed.

I have four guests coming in a week from Friday and then they leave Saturday morning and three more check in Saturday afternoon.  They will all be using the same rooms so I will be busy flipping them to have them ready for the guests arriving Saturday.

Jason called me today.  It is always good to hear from my kids.  He is hoping to go back to work Sunday but he can’t wear ear protection yet so wasn’t sure they will let him return yet.  He said his ear was healing well but still has a ways to go.

Grateful for the work we got done on this beautiful fall day, grateful my glasses arrived – ahead of time, and grateful for guests that come to visit the prairie.

 

 

I didn’t have a good start to my day.  I was putting away the dishes and pulled out some bowls to stack one.  I cake pan fell out and landed on my toe on my surgery foot.  Man!  It hurt.  I put ice on it and after about 30 minutes it finally calmed down. It is black and blue and swollen tonight. Gertrude did not need that to happen to it.

This morning Jim taught an Osher class on Technology and its impact on Society.  It was a fun and interesting class.  I like watching him teach.

We had lunch at a diner downtown in Stillwater then came home and took a nap.  After our nap we took apart the windows in the bedroom, washed them and scrapped paint to get them ready to be painted.  Not sure we will get them back together again tomorrow as some of the screens need to be replaced as well as parts on the screens.

Yesterday we put together the third set of railings and did some painting on the porch.  Lots more painting needs to be done but getting a little bit done makes a difference.  We plan to do some more painting tomorrow as it is to be nice outside again.

My old internet company finally showed up to pick up the old equipment.  Unfortunately the piece that was inside didn’t get set out on the porch in time so when I get home I will either have to mail it or deliver it.  They had cancelled twice before when I was home.  What a pain this has turned out to be to get it all back to them.

I got an email notifying me my new glasses were delivered today.  I will be anxious to get home and try them on.  The store that is fixing my mother’s ring called me yesterday to tell me it would be ready today.  I will pick that up next Tuesday.  Sure hope I like what was done to it.

We didn’t take a walk today as my foot was cranky.  Trusting it will be feeling better tomorrow.  I’m tired of it being cranky.

Grateful for the work we got done on Jim’s house today, grateful for another beautiful fall day, and grateful to get to watch Jim teach.

Had another good day yesterday.  The weather was perfect to be outside in the afternoon.  Mid 70’s, no wind and bright blue skies.  It was a wonderful fall day in Oklahoma.

We went to church in the morning.  After lunch we built another set of porch railing.  This time it went together faster as we learned from the mistakes we made the first time.  It is set in place but not nailed in place yet.

We went for a two mile walk through the neighborhood.  Gertrude, my left foot, got a bit cranky so we came back to Jim’s house.

We walked across the street and up the hill to watch the harvest moon rise at 7:16.  The moon was big, orange and beautiful.  We stood out and watched it for about 15 minutes.  I miss my open prairie views at times like this.

I fixed a ham, cheese and potato casserole using the Instant Pot for dinner.  It was an experiment that turned out good.  You slice the potatoes and ham and onion and cook it in the pot for only 2 minutes with some broth.  Then you put it in a baking pan and add cheese and milk to the remaining broth until the cheese melts.  Pour that over the ham and potatoes and broil for five minutes.  I didn’t get the sauce thick enough but th flavor was wonderful.

It was warm enough for us to sit out on Jim’s back porch for an hour after dinner.  The moon cast a silvery light on the trees.  It finally got too cold and I had to come in.  By then it was after 11:30 and was my bedtime.  Jim stayed up until his normal 3:30 before he called it a day.

Today we are going to paint on the front porch and then build the third set of railings.  It is to be in the low 80’s today later after being in the low 50’s this morning.  I have one more week of being in Oklahoma before I have to head back home to th prairie.  Time is going by quickly.

I slept well again last night – this time drug free.  Nights go by quickly when one sleeps all night!  I hope I continue sleeping much of the night.

Grateful I got to see the beautiful full moon rise last night, grateful my dinner experiment worked and tasted good, and grateful for the beautiful fall weather we are having.

 

I forgot to blog the last two days.  Significant memories on those two days too.  October 11 was the day four years ago I arrived in Santiago after walking 500 miles on the Camino.  It was a wonderful ending to my journey.  October 12 would have been my mother’s 90th birthday.  Hard to imagine her as an old person – she lived life young.  I still miss her physical presence but feel her spirit with me often.  On the 13th of October, 2015 I flew to Paris to start a week with Kathy as a celebration of walking the Camino.

I came to Oklahoma Friday afternoon after cleaning up the house from having a guest for two nights.  My guest was quiet and gone much of the time.  He was the second guest in a row that left without saying anything.  I hadn’t had guests do that before – wonder what is up with that.

Yesterday Jim and I put together one of four sets of railings for his front porch.  I had painted the rails last time I was here.  It was interesting to see how he put them together.  Friday and Saturday we walked around Boomer Lake which is a little over a three mile walk.

Friday I ended up taking a pain pill.  My foot had been aching for over three days and I was tired of it yelling at me.  I slept for 12 hours Friday night and took two short naps Saturday.  One pill!  I slept again last night and finally feel normal again this morning.  I don’t think I would make a good drug addict as all I would do is sleep.

Today we will go to church this morning and probably put together another set of railings this afternoon.  We might even get two or three sets put together.  The first set always takes the longest.  I’m sure we will take another walk around the lake too. It is to be a beautiful day here with the temperatures in the 70’s.

I was disappointed on Friday when I call the jewelry store and found out my ring was not ready yet.  I had taken my mother’s wedding ring in over three weeks ago to have it sized and the diamond replaced.  When I dropped it off they told me it would be ready in three weeks.  They had told me a week ago that it would be ready as promised on Wednesday.  When I called Friday they said they needed another week to finish it.  I dislike when a store tells you one thing and then doesn’t come through with that.  They didn’t bother to call me and tell me there was a delay.  Whatever happened to good old fashioned customer service?

I called the hardware store that was to have had my deck paint ready to pick up Friday.  It is about 40 minutes out of the way to go to it and I didn’t want to waste my time if it wasn’t ready.  I’m glad I called as it hadn’t come in on the truck as planned. He promised to call me when it comes in.  Hopefully it will come this week and I can go over and get it before I go back to KS on the 21st.

I have about ten things like the above pending that I can’t seem to cross off my to do list.  All are waiting for someone else to do something for me.  Hopefully things will come together soon and I can get some things crossed off my list.  I’m trying to clear it all off before I have surgery November 6.  May or may not happen at this rate.

My summer boarder stopped and pick up an item he had left at my house when he moved out in August.  At least that is one more thing removed from my lost and found pile.  I’m surprised he stopped and got it but am grateful he did so.  I don’t like being responsible for someone else’s things.

Having a wonderful time with Jim doing the normal things of life.  We don’t do anything special together usually although Friday evening we went to Jim’s church for an organ recital.  It was wonderful.  The guy that played really showed off the range of what an organ can do.  The meditative pieces he played were my favorite.  I had never gone to an organ recital before.

As nice as the weather is I almost wished I was at home so I could finish painting my deck.  I’m afraid the cold weather is going to come in and I won’t get that project finished this year.  We shall see what happens I guess.  I will have two more weeks after I get home before I have surgery to get it done.  Crossing my fingers fall will hang around and it won’t be winter yet.

Grateful for a safe trip to Oklahoma, grateful to have this time with Jim, and grateful to be able to walk three miles without pain or worry.

 

Got the newsletter done around 1:15 today.  Lynn came over at 9:00 to help me finish it.  Mary came a little after 10:00 and Jane came at 11:30.  It goes so much faster with four sets of hands.

I made hamburger soup with beer bread muffins for lunch.  Both are easy to make and as the cold front and wind moved in a hot soup was a good thing to eat today.

Gertrude, my left foot, is swollen again today and a bit cranky.  Not sure why she keeps swelling.  I am nine weeks out from surgery and I didn’t expect it to start swelling at this point.

My guest came in late last night, dropped off his stuff and left.  He returned to my house a bit after midnight.  He left this morning a little after 9:00 and came back for a while this afternoon.  I only talked to hm briefly when he needed some more bottles of water.  He left again after that and I don’t expect him back until late again tonight.  He will be leaving sometime in the morning tomorrow.  He has been an easy guest since he hasn’t been here much.

Tomorrow I will get his room cleaned up and the sheets on my bed changed out.  I hope to be on the road before noon tomorrow.  I am taking a detour to pick up some deck paint in Chandler, OK.  I should be with Jim by 4:00.

I made a big batch of Chex Mix today.  I wanted to get the first batch done before my next surgery as lifting things in and out of the oven is hard to do when I am on crutches.  It is cooling on the counter now and I will bag it up and freeze it when I am done blogging.

I was disappointed the jewelry store didn’t call me today to tell me Mom’s ring was ready to be picked up.  They were to have had it done yesterday and I haven’t heard from them yet.  Still hoping I will get called for tomorrow morning so I can see it before I leave for over a week.

The weather did an about face today.  It was 72 degrees mid morning but is now only  41.  It is to keep dropping over night and there is a freeze warning out.  The high for tomorrow is only to be 50.  Thankfully it is to warm back up on Saturday.  Feels like we are going directly from summer to winter this year. Not looking forward to the upcoming cold weather.  It has been very windy today.  I was hoping I could paint this afternoon but it was too cold and windy for that.

The house feels very quiet to me tonight.  It was nice to have some friends come over and help me finish up the Newsletter today.  I have been out of touch with so many of my local friends lately.  It was good to catch up a bit with some of them.

Grateful to have been in service today through my work on the Newsletter project, grateful my house is nice and warm this evening, and grateful I get to see Jim tomorrow.

This has been a busy day.  I went into Emporia this morning for a haircut and made a quick stop at the grocery store.  Came home and cleaned house to prepare for my guest that arrived tonight.  While I was cleaning the Pioneer Bluffs Newsletter material was delivered for me to stuff.  We worked on it for an hour and got one box done.

I had to stop and finish cleaning the house and do chores.  I have worked off and on the rest of the day and have five of eight boxes done.   Decided to take a break and blog and then take my bath.  I may do one more box before I go to bed unless I get too tired.  I have two helpers coming tomorrow to help me finish.  All of them still need glued shut and I sure would like to have them all stuffed before 9:00 tomorrow when the helpers show up.  We’ll see if I can make that happen or not.

My guest checked in around 8:30 tonight.  He got a quick tour of the house, dropped off his stuff and left.  He didn’t think he would be back before midnight.  Not sure what his plans are for tomorrow.  He is staying two days and came to visit a friend in Cottonwood Falls.  I doubt that I see much of him.

Friday I will need to get his room cleaned up before I can leave for Oklahoma.  The house sitter will be back for eleven days while I am gone and I like to leave the house in order for her.  I don’t have any rush to get to Oklahoma so it may be early afternoon before I can get gone.

I do need to detour and go to Chandler, OK to pick up the deck paint.  I told the nice guy that figured out what I needed I would be there on Friday to pick it up.  Trusting he will have it ready for me.  If I think about it I will call and confirm tomorrow.  It is about 35 minutes out of my way to go the Chandler and don’t want to drive there if they don’t have it ready.

The local junk dealer came and hauled off my broken refrigerator out of my garage today.  Leaning against the refrigerator was a heavy metal decorative piece that had a broken part.  He took that away for me too.  I so appreciated him coming to get my old stuff and make it go away.

It will be good to finish up this newsletter project in the morning.  I like doing projects like these that are quick and easy.  I can see that I accomplished something when doing them and that always feels good.

Tomorrow afternoon I want to get a big batch of Chex Mix made up and put in the freezer.  I always give the kids a bag of it for Thanksgiving and need to get it made up before I have my next foot surgery.  I got the stuff to make it at Costco yesterday.

When I get home from Oklahoma I will have a long list of things I will need to get done before November 6.  I want to get all the non-perishable food stuff on my Thanksgiving list so I will only have to shop for vegetables, fruit and dairy when it gets closer and I am on crutches.  I will need to get the chicken coop cleaned out one last time before winter too.  Jim has told me he would prefer not to do that task.  Sometimes I forget he is a city boy and cleaning a chicken coop is a country boy thing!

Grateful for a haircut today, grateful over half the newsletter project is completed, and grateful the refrigerator and art piece are gone.

Home sweet home after being gone all day.  I left for KC this morning a little after 9:00.  Met a dear friend for lunch at 11:00.  We had a delightful visit and lunch.  After lunch I went to Lowe’s Hardware to get someone a gift.  I purchased something I knew nothing about.  I asked a clerk for help and the first one said he really didn’t know anything about the item but offered to find someone that did.  The guy he found didn’t know much either.  I finally found a third guy that was knowledgeable and helped me decide between the three choices.  He even helped load it in my car.

Then I filled the car with gas and went to Costco for a long list of items.  I always end up buying stuff that isn’t on my list at that store.  Good thing I don’t live close to one.

My eye doctor appointment was down on the Plaza at Warby Parker.  It was a beautiful day to walk around the Plaza.  I got there very early and spent some time picking out my new frames.  Luckily they had an opening in their schedule and got me in to my eye doctor appointment early.  I liked the eye doctor.  He was very young but seemed knowledgeable and competent. He is going to refer me to a specialist to see if someone can figure out why I have a blind spot in my left eye.  It has been there for 20 years and I have gone to specialists in the past and no one has ever figured out what is wrong.  He thinks they might be able to diagnose it now with the equipment they have now compared to twenty years ago.  The specialist is to call me to schedule an appointment.  No big deal if they don’t.

I ordered a pair of glasses.  They were much cheaper than I had been paying at LensCrafters.  They will ship them to me within ten business days.  I was impressed with the service at Warby Parker and will go back there again next time.

Stopped at Best Buy and got a new watch band for my Apple Watch.  I kept catching the other one and the watch would fall off.  Got a more secure band and another charger so I can leave one at Jim’s house and not have to remember to take one back and forth.

Finished the day by having dinner with Nicole and Geoff and his parents.  They are delightful people and we had a fun dinner together.  Drove home afterwards and got home at 9:00.

While I was in KC today Airbnb notified me that a guest had book a room for Wednesday and Thursday night.  Guess I will be cleaning house tomorrow morning.  I don’t have the house back together again from my weekend guests.  I don’t think he is coming in until after 6:00 pm so will have time to get the house cleaned.  I have a haircut in Emporia at 11:00 tomorrow morning so will be gone part of the day.

The Pioneer Bluffs Newsletter material won’t be ready until Wednesday late afternoon at the earliest.  I am to have some help on Thursday so we can get it done before I leave Friday to go to Oklahoma.  Anyone want to come out and join in on the fun?  I’ll fix lunch if you want to come out and help stuff envelopes.

My plumber texted me this morning to let me know he is working on finding parts for my water booster pump.  He always takes good care of me and I appreciate his work to help me out.

I am tired tonight.  I fell asleep at 6:00 last night and slept until 10:00.  Then I was up for most of the night although I probably got another two hours sleep off and on.  I’m ready to go to bed now and trust I will get a good night’s sleep.

Grateful for a safe and productive trip to KC, grateful to have met Geoff’s parents, and grateful for the beautiful fall day in Kansas today – rain is to arrive during the night.

Sunday was a busy day.  I was up and in the kitchen cooking before 9:00.  I fixed a chocolate cake, roasted vegetables and a meat loaf to take to the family reunion.  The kiddos came out around 11:30 and we left a little before noon.  The reunion was fun with lots of good food.

At one point I felt like one of those moms that left their kids in a hot car.  I was visiting with relatives and all of a sudden remembered I was responsible for the grandkids and I had no idea where they were.  They were outside with cousins playing on the playground equipment.

When we got home two guests arrived for the night.  One was an eight year old that played with Ellexia all evening.  Jim and I took the three kids for a mile walk after dinner.  Got home and got my two ready for bed.

Tagen had a tummy ache and had trouble falling asleep.  Ellexia had one of her nights where she couldn’t sleep.  I went between the two of them attempting to calm them both down.  Tagen fell asleep a little after 10:00 but Ellexia didn’t completely fall asleep until after midnight.

The grandkids were so good for me this weekend.  I didn’t have to referee one fight between them.

I had to be up at 6:30 this morning so I could get myself dressed and fix breakfast for the kiddos before I drove them into town for school.  Despite getting to bed late both woke up easily and did a great job of getting dressed.  We were on the road on time at 7:10.  I fixed breakfast burritos for them and they ate them in the car on the way to school.  Tagen still wasn’t feeling very good and only managed to eat one bite of his.

Last night the shower head for my guest’s bathroom clogged up and they couldn’t get water to come out of it.  I stopped at the hardware store this morning after I dropped the kids off at school and picked up a new one.  The hardest part of attaching it was getting the damn thing out of the packaging.  It works and I did it!

Kathy had waited to leave until I got home so she could say goodbye.  She is headed to Massachusetts for the winter.  I wish her safe travels and a productive winter.

I fixed blueberry pancakes for my two guests after they were up and dressed.  They left around noon to return to Salina.

After they left Jim and I went out and mowed the yard.  He did the trim mowing and I rode the big mower.  The yard looks nice this evening.

I came in and took a shower after I mowed.  I noticed my left ankle and foot is a bit swollen tonight.  Not sure what that is all about.  It has been cranky and stiff since I had physical therapy last Wednesday.  Maybe one of these days it will get over itself and straighten out.

Jim left a little before 5:00 to head to Stillwater.  It gets harder and harder to watch him drive down the driveway and head for Oklahoma.

I am tired tonight.  I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night and had to get up early.  I feel like all I did all weekend was laundry, clean house, make beds, cook and do dishes.  I am ready for a sit in my chair type of evening and do nothing.

Tomorrow I go to KC for the day.  I’ll leave around 9:00 if not before.  I have a stop to make before I meet a friend for lunch.  In the afternoon I have an eye doctor appointment and then I need to do a Costco shopping trip.  I am meeting Nicole and Geoff and his parents for dinner at 6:00.  I hope to be home by 9:30 or so.  It will be a long day but should be a fun one.

Friday I am headed to Oklahoma for ten days.  My house sitter is coming back to stay and watch my critters.  I have a list of things I need to get done before I can leave.  I still haven’t finished my fall house cleaning. And the rooms I have gotten finished already need cleaned again.

I called the plumber this morning to see if he can fix my water booster pump.  It only works some of the time.  If I go down and unplug it and then plug it back in it works. Not convenient to do that every time I turn the water on though.  The plumber hasn’t let me know yet if he can get a starter relay to fix it.  Seems like there is always something on my pending list.

I need to go do the chicken chores.  I forgot to do them earlier this afternoon.  I may go to bed with the sun tonight.  It is time for me to crash and sleep for a long time.  I think I will enjoy having an empty house for four nights.  The house feels a bit big and empty to me right now though.

I’m tired and cranky tonight.  I might go take a walk and see if that releases some emotion for me.  If not, I am putting myself into time out and going to bed.

Grateful for all the relatives that made it to the reunion yesterday, grateful the yard is all mowed up, and grateful for the time I had with Kathy while she was home for a short visit.

It has been a quiet day around here today.  I got up before 8:00 to see my guest off.  He didn’t get to go for a bike ride this morning as the weather was not good.  We had a thunderstorm roll through with some sharp lightning and lots of rain.  He left around 8:15.  He was driving back to Virginia.  I think he was going to stop halfway today.

I did four loads of laundry today but not much else.  Jim and I took a two and one half mile walk this afternoon.  It was a beautiful day for a walk although a bit windy. We worked getting the steps ready to be sanded.  Jim is replacing a board or two on a step.  Getting closer to getting this project wrapped up.

Craig got married today.  I am happy for him and I really like his new wife.  I wish them years of happiness together.

Tomorrow will be a busy day.  The grandkids are coming in the morning.  We are going to Marion Lake for a family reunion at noon.  I need to fix some food to take in the morning.  I have two guests coming in Sunday afternoon.  The grandkids are spending the night so I will need to drive them to school Monday morning early.  Kathy is headed for Massachusetts Monday morning.  My guests will go back to Salina late morning Monday.  Jim will go back to Oklahoma Monday afternoon.  I will have lots of beds to change linens on Monday afternoon.

Tuesday I am going to Kansas City.  I am having lunch with some dear friends, have an eye appointment in the afternoon, doing my quarterly Costco run, and then ending the day by having dinner with Nicole’s finance’s parents and Nicole and Geoff.  I probably will leave around 9:00 and won’t be home until after 9:00.  It will be a long day but a fun one.

Wednesday and Thursday I will be stuffing a Newsletter for Pioneer Bluffs.  Friday I am headed to Oklahoma for ten days.  Thinking this week will fly by quickly.

I am having trouble remembering it is October.  This year has gone by so quickly and this month will fly by too.  Four years ago I was in the home stretch of my Camino walk to Santiago,Spain.  Two years ago I was recovering from having my thyroid out and finding out they found cancer in it.  This year I spent the day with Jim and Kathy.  Things change so quickly in my life.

Grateful for a quiet day at home, grateful for new beginnings, and grateful for the peaceful beauty of the prairie tonight.

Slept good for about two hour last night.  Woke up and thought it was time to get up. After being awake for four hours I finally got two more hours of sleep.

Went into Emporia after I had breakfast this morning to get groceries for the weekend.  Remembered to get a switch plate to cover a hole in the wall for a room downstairs.  That has bothered me forever and I finally got it fixed!  I kept forgetting to write it on my to do list.  Not sure why I remembered today as it still wasn’t on my to do list.  Also remembered to get a step on trash can for the laundry room.  The cats get into the other kind and for some reason thought today to try a step on type.  Sometimes I am a bit slow!

Did some laundry today and some more cleaning.  My guest is to be here around 4:00.  Jim hasn’t left yet so not sure when he will get here.  I want to bake a batch of cookies when I finished blogging.  Other than that the house is guest ready.  I didn’t get all the rooms detailed cleaned but they are clean enough for now.  I am the only one that knows they aren’t as clean as I would like them to be.

It has rained off and on most of the day – more off than on.  It is only 55 degrees out right now.  I am bundled up in a sweater and a long sleeve shirt and jeans.  My body does not yet like this cooler weather.  Not sure what I will have to wear this winter when it really gets cold.

I am fixing ham and beans in the instant pot for dinner tonight.  Once Jim lets me know he is leaving I will know when to start them.  They take less than an hour to fix in the instant pot.  Since I will have the oven on to make cookies I’ll probably fix him some corn bread. I can’t eat it as it has both sugar and flour in it.  He likes it so will fix it for him.

Ellexia let me know her hamster is missing this morning.  She told me when she woke up his cage was open and he was gone.  Trusting the cat and dogs didn’t eat him for breakfast.  I trust he will be found and returned to the safety of his cage.  That would scare me to find him.  I told her to check inside her shoes and under her dresser – she said she looked there already.

I keep getting reminders from FaceBook about my Camino walk four years ago.  I was on the final home stretch at this time as I arrived in Santiago on October 11.  That trip is one of the best things I have ever done in my lifetime.

Jim named my feet Gertrude and Matilda.  I could have bitch slapped Gertrude last night as she whined all night long.  I finally took some ibuprofen and she calmed down a bit.  Sitting all day yesterday was not a good thing for her.  She has yelled at me for being active today but as the day has gone along she is quieting down and getting back used to me moving.

Best get to baking my cookies so I can have the mess cleaned up before my guest gets here.

Grateful Jim is coming soon, grateful the house is guest ready, and grateful Gertrude is calming down again.

What a lazy day this has been for me.  I slept in this morning.  Didn’t take my shower until 9:00.  Decided to take it easy this morning with the intention of getting some cleaning done this afternoon.  That back fired as I got cold after lunch and decided to warm up under my electric blanket for a short bit.  Two hours later I woke up!  This day went by fast for not doing anything.

I tracked down two gallons of deck paint.  I had purchased my deck paint from the True Value store in Emporia.  The True Value in Emporia is no longer a True Value and no longer stocks the paint I need.  I called three different True Value stores and finally found a guy that had worked there a long time.  He figured out the formula for the paint had changed and that is why no one stocks the base color I needed.  He is going to order in what I need and mix the paint for me and I will pick it up when I head south October 11.  I am grateful for someone that was curious and investigated for me.  I like that kind of customer service.

Got a note from the solar panel guy.  He told me the parts are starting to come in and he is on schedule to arrive October 28 to start the installation.  I will be grateful when that project is completed and my electric bills decrease.

My mom’s ring that I took in to have resized and the diamond replaced should be ready next week.  I am anxious to see it.  I was kinda hoping it would be ready yet this week so I could show it to my aunt’s at the reunion Sunday.  If not, I guess they will see it the next time I see them.

Tomorrow I need to go to town to get a few groceries so I have stuff to fix for the reunion lunch on Sunday.  I will also be fixing dinner Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights as well as breakfast on Monday.  I don’t keep lots of food in the house like I used to so will have to see what I have and make a list.

Fall has arrived on the prairie.  It was only a little over 60 degrees today for the high.  It has been cloudy and sprinkles off and on all day.  It felt good to put on long sleeves and jeans today.  I have a sweater close that I put on and take off ten times a day.  My body is confused and doesn’t know how to handle the cooler weather. I slept really hard last night once I was able to get to sleep.  I think the cooler bedroom temperature helped.

I ordered a rack to hang the bath mat in the shower on.  It came in today and I think it will work.  I don’t like to keep the mat down all the time as it molds and I don’t have anywhere in the bathroom to hang it where it won’t drip on the wood floor.

I am making a list of things I need to get while I am in KC on Tuesday.  I will do my quarterly Costco visit and get the things I need from there.  I also have a couple other things to track down.  I tend to run out of energy before I finish my list though.  Shopping is not something I enjoy.

Jim will be here tomorrow thank heavens.  I think the time apart gets harder for me each time it happens.  He is busy teaching three Osher classes this month on Tuesday and Thursdays.  I’ll be glad when they are over.  One good thing about having surgery again is it will cause us to be together for four to six weeks in a row again.  I like that part of surgery.

Grateful for lazy days that fill my soul, grateful for outstanding service from the guy at True Value today, and grateful for cooler weather.

I am finished with physical therapy for my left foot.  I will start again two weeks after I have the right foot fixed.  I am not all the way back to the flexibility I had before surgery but am getting closer each week.  I am to continue to do my exercises daily and start to strengthen the right ankle in preparation for surgery

Kathy helped me do ladder work painting late morning today.  We didn’t get all of it done but pretty darn close.  I ran out of time as I had to get cleaned up so I could get to Emporia for my Physical Therapy appointment.  The part that is done is really making the deck look nice.  We have the big staircase to sand and paint and then all the black metal rails need painted.  I am beginning to think we may get this project done this year.

Went to the Grand Hotel for dinner last night.  Kathy treated me to steak night.  There is a group of friends that meet there every Tuesday night.  It was a fun evening out.

The rain is just now arriving on the prairie.  It was forecast to arrive earlier but it must have gotten slowed down somewhere.  Originally it was to rain most of the afternoon and into the evening but now we are only to get light rain for two hours if that.   There is a slight chance for more rain on Thursday.

My friend got the chain link fence removed from my front yard today.  I will have to paint the deck where the support posts were for the gate.  It sure opens up the front yard with the fence gone.  I need to get out and mow where the fence used to be.

I finally got my Verizon account fixed last night.  When they transferred my line to my own line somehow they didn’t push the right buttons and I was still connected to Kathy’s account.  It took three hours and three phone calls to fix the problem.

Got the dining room deep cleaned this morning.   Need to do at least one more room tonight and then two or three rooms tomorrow and Friday.  I have a guest coming Friday so need to get this project done.  Eight more rooms to go!

I am tired this afternoon.  Physical therapy wears me out for some reason.  My foot is really cranky tonight.  I think part of it is the cold front that is coming in.  I welcome its arrival and wish it would get here quickly.  I am so ready for 60 degree days and 40 degree nights.  I will turn the air off tonight and hopefully be able to keep it off the rest of the year.

Tomorrow I have an empty space day.  Nothing I have to do tomorrow and no where I have to go.  I haven’t spent a full day at home for a bit and welcome the chance to do so.  I will probably do some cleaning and maybe some more painting but maybe not.

Transferred two of my prescriptions to Walmart Pharmacy.  Found out it was cheaper to get them there and not file with insurance than it was from CVS and have insurance pay for part of them.  Crazy!  In the process of doing so discovered my blood pressure pill is not available due to a contamination issue and they aren’t sure when they will get a clean supply.  Had to call the doctor’s office and get a different prescription.  The new one is expensive!

Fighting the urge to go take a nap.  All of a sudden I got very tired and am struggling to keep my eyes open.  When I get done writing I need to go take care of the chickens and then decide if I am going to clean or take a nap.  Maybe moving my body will wake me up.

This is going to be a busy weekend.  Jim is coming Friday afternoon and going home Monday afternoon.  I have a guest checking in Friday and checking out Saturday.  Sunday the grandkids are spending the day and staying over until Monday morning when I will take them to school.  We go to a family reunion on Sunday and Sunday evening I have two guests coming for one night.  Hope I keep straight who is coming when!

Grateful physical therapy is done for now, grateful more painting got done today, and grateful I have a quiet day planned for tomorrow.

I can’t believe it is October already.  This year has gone by so quickly.  Thinking the saying time flies when you are having fun must be true.

I went into Verizon today to get a Apple Watch and to switch my account off of my sister’s plan and on to my own plan.  The guy I worked with was so good last time I was in but today he seemed distracted and not listening well.  I wanted an unlimited plan and he signed me up for the 2 G plan.  I have been trying to change my plan on line and am told I am not the account owner.  Ugh…..   This stuff drives me crazy.  I am on hold with Verizon now to try to sort this all out.

Learning to use the Apple Watch is going to take me some time.  I was watching a video and my watch wasn’t able to do what he said it should be doing.  I’ll give it a break and try it again later.  Not sure what I am doing wrong.

I tried to use the pedometer when I took the trash down to the curb but it didn’t work.  Sometimes the simple things in life confuse me the most!

I painted for a bit this afternoon.  Got all I could get done without being on a ladder.  I got the ladder out and tried to go up it but it hurt my foot.  It is very windy today and I took that as a sign that I should stay off the ladder for the day.  If it calms down later I may go out and try again.  The steps I painted look nice.  Jim did a nice job sanding and preparing them.  I will be glad when he gets the big staircase sanded and ready for me to paint.

My foot is whiny today.  I sure can tell the weather is about to change.  Ouch!  It was very sensitive all night long and kept waking me up when ever I would turn over.  I finally got some good sleep between 4:00 and 8:00.

My old internet company was to have come today to pick up their equipment.  I left it hanging on the front door as requested but it is still there this evening.  I’ll have to call them tomorrow to find out what happened.  There is a $50 fee if I don’t turn in the equipment.

My friend sent a guy out today to start taking the chain link fence that was in the front yard apart.  Most of it is down and needs hauled away.  The yard will look better once that is gone and mowing will be much easier.  One big area less to have to hand mow and trim.

Tomorrow I have my last physical therapy session.  It will be good to be done with those for a bit.  I will start again two weeks after surgery on my other foot in November.  Once I know if I am going to be in OK or KS I will get those appointments scheduled.

Thursday I have an empty space day at last!  My soul has been craving one of those.  I need to get lots of detail cleaning done as I didn’t get any done yet today.  Maybe when Kathy and I get back from dinner I will be able to get another room or two done.

Friday Jim is returning for the weekend and I have a guest coming for the night.  I had another guest book for Sunday night so will have a house full Sunday night with Jim, Kathy, the grandkids and two guests.

Next Tuesday I am going to KC for the day.  I am having dinner with Nicole and Geoff and his parents.  I am excited to meet them.  I also have an eye doctor appointment and will order new glasses.  Costco is on my list to do that day as well as a trip to Lowe’s Hardware.  I try to make each trip to KC count and this one will be a full day of errands.

I’m going to OK October 11 and staying until the 21st.  I hope to be able to help Jim get a few projects done around his house in exchange for all the help he has given me on my deck.  Surgery time will be here before I know it and he will be back to taking care of me.

It feels good to be back to doing my normal things and not letting my foot slow me down too much.  It did stop me from painting on the tall ladder today but that was probably a good thing due to the wind.

Grateful I got some painting done today, grateful the chain link fence is going away so easily, and grateful I have an empty space day coming up Thursday.

The electrician came today to change out the breakers.  I thought it would take a while but he was only here for five minutes.  Glad to have that task crossed off my to do list.

Jim went back to Stillwater this afternoon.  He will be back on Friday.  He has to teach two classes for Osher tomorrow and again on Thursday.  It is always hard for me to see him driving down the driveway to return to Stillwater.  We had another fun weekend together.

I went to Emporia after Jim left to watch Tagen play in a football game.  He got to play about half of the game.  Afterwards Tim, Ellexia and I went out to dinner before I came back home.  It was good to get to spend some time with Tim and Ellexia and catch up with them.

Jim got a set of deck steps ready for me to paint so I will do that tomorrow before the rain is to return on Wednesday.  While I have my paint brush out I will do some more ladder work and get all that is ready to paint done.  Still hoping we can finish this project up this year.  Maybe next weekend it will dry out enough for Jim to do some more sanding and I can get the rest of it painted before I have surgery in November.

Tomorrow morning I have an appointment at the Verizon store to change my cell phone service off of Kathy’s plan.  For some reason she has to be there to give permission for me to go on my own plan and to be removed from her plan.  She has a dental appointment in the morning and will be done around 11:00 so can meet me at Verizon afterwards.  After I finish up the painting tomorrow afternoon I need to get back to detail cleaning the house and get that project finished up.  I am halfway done.

Pella window company sent me an email to let me know they will be coming later in October to install the replacement window in the master bedroom.  That will be another thing I will get to cross off my to do list that has been pending for a while.  I like tying up loose ends.

A friend came out and looked at my chain link fence and is going to take it down for me.  He was looking for some chain link fence for a project he has to do.  It will make mowing so much easier without that fence there.

I need to remember to call and get an eye appointment for either later this week or sometime next week.  I go to KC for the appointment and will try to coordinate having dinner with Nicole and Geoff on the day I make the appointment.  I also need to make a Costco run and stock up on some things.  I want to get the appointment done so I have time to go back and get my new glasses before I have surgery and won’t be able to drive for a bit.

The house feels big and lonely tonight.  I’m grateful Kathy is here so it doesn’t feel quite so lonely.  I always notice the silence after Jim leaves.  I’m grateful he is coming back next Friday.

Jim and I took a two and one-half mile walk last night on the gravel road.  Not bad for being less than eight weeks out from surgery.  My foot has been a bit cranky today but not bad.  I’ll keep walking more and more and work back up to six to eight miles a day.  My other foot will take me down again for November but am trusting I can work myself back up again rather quickly with that foot too.  Come spring time I want to be back in good hiking condition and be able to go ten to twelve miles at a time easily.

Grateful for the time I spent with Jim over the weekend, grateful things are getting done and crossed off my list, and grateful to have spent time with Tim and Ellexia tonight.

Had a very non-productive day yesterday.  Didn’t get much done.  Guess it is OK to take a day once in a while and do nothing.  We did run into Emporia and get dog food, sunflower seeds and oats.  Organized and filled the chicken feed containers when we got home.

I found a dead chicken in the coop yesterday afternoon.  I never know what happens to them to cause them to die.  I need to give some serious thought to doing away with this group of chickens and getting some new chicks come springtime.  These girls are four years old and not laying well any longer.

Today a friend came to visit from Salina.  Always good to see her.  We went into Strong City and had lunch with other mutual friends.  Jim went to church in Emporia and then joined us for lunch.  I dropped off lots of recycling stuff and came home after lunch.  Finished a baby blanket I have been knitting.  I did change and wash the sheets on my bed this morning but today is not looking very productive either.  I may get out and paint for a bit yet this afternoon.

Tomorrow Jim will head back to Stillwater.  It always feels a bit lonelier and quieter when he goes home.  Grateful Kathy will be here to keep me company this week.  I have a fairly quiet week this week.  Monday the electrician is coming to switch out the breakers.  Tagen has a football game in the afternoon he is to play in that I want to go watch.  Tuesday I have to go to Verizon to switch my phone plan.  Wednesday I have my last scheduled physical therapy session.  Jim will be back Friday.  I hope to get the rest of my house detailed clean this week and get that project crossed off my list.

I have a guest coming this Friday but he will only be here for one night.  His room is already cleaned and ready for him.

Broke down and turned the air back on.  It is only 85 out but the humidity is thick and it was sticky feeling in the house.  A cold front is coming in Wednesday and the high is not forecast to be over 70 for several days after that.  I welcome the cooler, more fall like weather.

Grateful for a visit from my friend, grateful to getting some things on my to do list crossed off, and grateful for air conditioning that makes the house much more comfortable.

I forgot to write last night after Jim came.  We had one hell of a thunderstorm blow through.  We got some marble sized hail with it.  The thunder was so loud one time I almost peed my pants it scared me so much.  We sat out on the front porch and watched it rain until the wind picked up and we were getting too wet.  My weather app says we got two inches of rain.  I still have standing water in my back yard this morning.  More rain is in the forecast starting this afternoon and going through the night.

Not sure what our plan is for the day.  We were going to work on painting and sanding the deck but thinking that won’t happen due to the wetness.  I’m sure we will figure out something fun to do together.

I got two more rooms detailed clean yesterday – the office and the entry hall way.  I am halfway done with this project but some of the biggest rooms are still on my list.

I got the bid from Pella windows to replace the window in the master bedroom that has a broken sash.  Installed the price is $580.  Wow!  Glad I only have one window to replace.  I signed the bid and returned it.  Not sure when they will be coming to do the install.

The electrician is coming Monday around noon to replace the breakers.  The ones I have now are 30 amp but wired with 20 amp wiring.  I hate spending money on things like that but was told they are a fire hazard.

I ordered a replacement screen for my south facing screen door off the living room last Monday.  I haven’t heard when they are coming to get that fixed.  The cats have torn a big hole in the screen.  The door people ordered a stronger more flexible screen that might help prevent the cats from destroying it so fast.

Sometimes it is hard to keep up with this house and all the little things that seem to go wrong with it.  I get overwhelmed with it all sometimes.

When it dries out again I will need to mow the yard again.  It is too wet this morning to do it.  Jim was going to trim it for me but not thinking that will happen this weekend.

Grateful for the rain the prairie received last night and that I had no damage from the high winds and hail, grateful repairs are getting done around here, and grateful Jim is here for a few days.

My guests text me and let me know when they left this morning.  I had offered to let them hang around all day but they left fairly early today.  I was sorry I wasn’t home to wish them safe travels.  They were fun guests and I trust they will return again someday soon.

I was in Emporia to pick Jason up at 6:00 this morning.  I took him to Topeka where he had a medical procedure done.  We got there early enough to have breakfast before his appointment.  His procedure took over four hours.  When he was done we stopped at Chipotle and had lunch and then I drove us back to Emporia.  Jason tolerated the procedure well and will find out in two weeks if another procedure needs to be done.

After I dropped Jason off I came home and stripped the beds the guests used and started laundry.  I ran back into town as I thought Tagen was going to play in a football game this afternoon.  I had gotten to the football field when I got a phone call telling me he wasn’t going to get to play.  I came back home.  Part of me was grateful I could return home quickly as I am tired this afternoon.  But the grandma side of me is sad for Tagen that he doesn’t get to play.

I have bedrooms to put back together and need to get the two adjoining bedrooms and bathroom detailed cleaned when I finish writing this blog.  I didn’t get a room cleaned yesterday so will need to make up for it today.  What I really want to do is take a nap but am hoping if I can make myself get up and move I will find some energy and not need a nap.  I didn’t sleep much again last night and am afraid if I take a nap I will sleep too long and not be able to sleep again tonight.

I noticed my hay has been rearranged in the lean to shed.  Not sure when that happened.  I know it was all stacked up before I left for OK last Friday.  The shed is in front of the gate that got opened and the neighbor’s cattle got out of.  Wonder who has been on the property to cause such mischievousness.  My neighbor said he saw truck wheel prints in the drive around the gate.  Makes me wonder what happened.

Tomorrow I get to stay home all day as far as I know right now.  Both Kathy and Jim will be coming in sometime during the day tomorrow.  It will be good to see both of them.  I doubt that I get much detail cleaning done this weekend.  Maybe tomorrow morning I can get a few more rooms done before they get here.

Grateful Jason tolerated his procedure well today, grateful for the cooler weather we had today, and grateful Kathy and Jim will be here tomorrow.

 

 

Went into Emporia around 12:30 today.  First stop was to get my blood test to check my thyroid done.  The results are back already and my level dropped from over 7 to a bit over 3.  That is good news.  MD Anderson wanted me to keep my level between 2 and 3 so I am just a bit high.  The level can fluctuate greatly depending on time between pill and draw, what I have eaten for the day and how much activity I have done.  I’ll take where it is any day.

I had been given a gift certificate to the local book store downtown over a year ago and finally remembered to go buy two new books and use them up.  I got a book of poetry by Mary Oliver and Anne Lamott’s new book.

Got a new trash can from True Value.  I really only needed a lid but they don’t just sell the lid.  Wonder how long the tires on the trash can will last.  That is what I wear out quickly from pulling it down my 1/4 mile driveway and back up again.

Went to Physical Therapy.  He made one more appointment for me for next week but thinks that will be the last one.  My foot is a bit sore tonight from the workout he gave it but not too much sorer than normal for it.  He reminded me it will take up to six months before all the stiffness is gone.  He cleared me to walk as much and for as long as my foot can handle.

Finished my time in Emporia by stopping at Walmart to pick up some groceries and a few other things.  While I was there I was notified by Airbnb that two guests automatically booked a room for tonight.  I quickly finished buying groceries and headed home to make sure the house was ready for them.  Luckily I had deep cleaned the room they are in yesterday so knew that room was ready for them.

The guests arrived around 5:00.  It is two women on a girls night out trip.  I ended up putting them in two separate rooms as one doesn’t like to sleep on a twin bed.  I should have charged them for the second room but didn’t.  They dropped their bags off and went out to find dinner at The Grand Hotel.  They came to star gaze but thinking they are going to be disappointed as it is to be cloudy all night.  The forecast shows that by sunrise time the skies are to be clear and I invited them to come upstairs in the morning to watch the sunrise.

Tomorrow I have to leave the house by 5:40 to pick up Jason and take him to Topeka so he can have a medical procedure done.  I told my guests the house was there’s and they are welcome to stay all day if they want to.  I probably won’t be home until mid to late afternoon.

Friday Kathy and Jim are both arriving.  I will need to get the guest rooms cleaned up and some laundry done and food fixed for the weekend.  It will be nice to have Kathy home again and to see Jim again.  Rain is in the forecast all weekend so not sure how much deck painting we will get done.

I haven’t gotten any rooms deep cleaned today but am hoping I will get the office and guest bedroom upstairs done yet tonight.  I have got to keep at it so I can get this project done.  I’m not even halfway done yet.

Nicole posted on Facebook so I am now allowed to say that she and Geoff are engaged.  He had called me a week or so ago and asked permission to ask her.  They had called me last Saturday to tell me he had asked her and she said yes.  They are a wonderful couple together and I am so happy for both of them.

No eggs today from my slacker chickens.  I am about to cut them off of their sunflower and oats treat I give them everyday.  No eggs – no treats!

Grateful for good news on my thyroid blood test results, grateful for Airbnb guests, and grateful to be welcoming a new son into my family.

I was at the Vo-Tech this morning at 8:00 to have my teeth cleaned.  Anna did a great job and is so gentle and kind.  I was done by 11:00 today.  She has some openings and is looking for more clients.  Cost is only $20 and they do cleanings on Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:00 am and I think 12:30 or 1:00 pm.  It does take three hours but your teeth will be very clean when she is done.  Send me a message and I will help you get in contact with her.

I was going to get groceries and run some errands but I didn’t have the energy for that and so I went straight home.  I have to go back to town tomorrow afternoon for physical therapy at 2:00 so I will hopefully do my errands then.

The guests that came last night were a cute couple.  They had come to KC for a wedding and had stayed over an extra day so they could come out to the prairie.  Her mother had worked for some conservation organization that helped the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve get off the ground and the daughter wanted to see what her mother had helped make happen.  I had to say hi and bye to them last night as they weren’t up before I had to leave and were going to be gone when I got back from my dental appointment.    They went on the 11:00 bus tour to see the buffalo and were going to hike back to their car.

I cleaned a guest bedroom, bathroom and the downstairs hall way today.  I didn’t get a room cleaned yesterday so had to make up for it today.  Tomorrow I want to clean the upstairs library and upstairs guest bedroom.  I am finding lots of dirt so this cleaning was overdue.  Not sure how the house gets so dirty but it sure seems to do so.

Have another guest coming October 4 – 5.  He is from Virginia and is coming out to ride his bike on gravel roads.  His wife had to cancel coming due to a work conflict so he is coming by himself.  I told him he will find lots of gravel roads at the end of my gravel driveway.

It feels good to be hosting guests again.  Doing the Airbnb is so easy I rarely know the guests are here.  I did block off most of November though as stairs are a challenge for me right after surgery.

My foot has been a bit cranky today but I didn’t put it back in the boot.  I don’t think it approves of me hand mopping floors.  I need to stretch it out one way or another and mopping floors stretches it a bit.  I walked down the driveway and back up so I could take the trash can down.  It is an almost 1/2 mile round trip.  Need to get another 1/2 mile in today but doubt that is going to happen.  At least I can report to the PT guy that I walked a solid mile without stopping earlier this week.

I didn’t sleep very good last night so I am tired tonight.  I have something in my head that I am trying to figure out and I can’t seem to let it go.  I think I have it figured out but can’t hold on to the solution.  Hate when that happens!  It will sort itself out soon I am sure.

My house feels big and lonely this evening.  It will be good to have Kathy home for a bit and for Jim to come back for the weekend.  Life is more fun when I share it with others.

Grateful for Anna and the great job she did cleaning my teeth, grateful for Airbnb guests, and grateful three more areas of the house are detailed cleaned.

I walked a mile last night without my boot.  After dinner Jim asked me if I wanted to take a walk.  We walked down the sidewalk in front of his house and went all the way to the street light which is 1/2 mile from his house.  I didn’t think I was going to be able to walk that far but my foot didn’t hurt any more at the end then it did when I started.  Even better news is it wasn’t hurting any more this morning than it has been.  Today I have made it all day again without the boot – third day in a row for that milestone.

I left OK a little before noon and got home a little before 3:00.  I have two guests coming in tonight and they thought they might get here between 3:00 and 5:00.  I quickly touched up the room they will be using but they haven’t arrived yet and it is after 5:30 now.  Not sure when they will show up.

I had decided this weekend to open my account with Airbnb back up.  I will be home most of October and might as well have guests.  I didn’t expect one to book this quickly though.  I did block out most of November as my surgery is November 6 and I won’t be able to do steps easily for four weeks or so.

I had another nice weekend with Jim.  We didn’t do anything special – just relaxed at his house fixing meals together and enjoying each other’s company.  I am tired tonight as I didn’t sleep well last night.  I took too long of a nap yesterday.

Tomorrow I have to be in Emporia by 8:00 for a dental cleaning at the Vo-Tech.  My guests will have to see themselves out in the morning.  I will stop at the clinic and get my blood draw taken care of when my cleaning is done.  I also need to pick up a few groceries and run a few errands.  I have to go back into town Wednesday as I have physical therapy in the afternoon.  Thursday I take Jason to Topeka for a procedure and then I should be able to stay home for a few days.

Kathy is coming in Friday afternoon.  It will be so good to see her again.  She is only staying for about ten days this time.  We have a family reunion to go to on October 6 and then she is leaving for the east coast for the winter.  I’m sure the time she is here will go by too quickly.

I haven’t gotten a room detailed cleaned today yet.  I didn’t want to start a project and be in the middle of it when my guests arrived.  I may go ahead and start a room soon if they don’t get here in the next hour or so.  I can do one of the bedrooms or the office upstairs and not be in their way.

Not feeling motivated to do much this afternoon.  It feels good to sit and look out over the prairie and “be” for a bit.  The silence of the house feels good to me this afternoon.

Grateful for a safe journey home today, grateful for guests that are coming, and grateful for the beauty and silence of the prairie today.

 

Second full day with no boot!  My foot has been cramping up a bit but it did that before surgery.  I walked over a mile yesterday without the boot.  I did it in two sections but did it.  I will attempt a mile tomorrow in one session.  The flexibility is returning and the ankle is getting stronger.  I think my recovery is almost done.

We went to church this morning and then took a long afternoon nap.  It has been a rainy day and a perfect day to nap.  I had slept fairly well last night but for some reason could sleep some more this afternoon.  I take sleep whenever it finds me.

I will return to Strong City tomorrow afternoon.  I have a busy week next week.  Tuesday I go to the Vo-Tech to have my teeth cleaned in the morning, Wednesday I have Physical Therapy and Thursday I am taking Jason to Topeka to have a procedure done.  Friday Kathy is coming for a ten day visit and Jim will be driving up.  I also hope to get some more of my detail house cleaning done.

Sometime next week I need to remember to go to the clinic and have a blood draw done.  I had my thyroid medication adjusted two months ago and the doctor wanted me to have it checked to see if the new dose is achieving what we needed it to.

It has been a relaxing weekend for me.  I am able to fully relax here and set aside all the busyness of my life for a bit. Maybe that is why I was able to take a long nap today.

Grateful for rainy day naps, grateful for two days without having to wear my boot, and grateful for this time with Jim.

I am in Stillwater, OK with Jim.  It is cloudy and very humid outside.  So far Stillwater has only gotten some sprinkles but rain is in the forecast. My feet are telling me the weather is going to change as they are achy and sore this morning.

The electrician came yesterday morning to figure out why the light above my kitchen sink blinks when the dishwasher runs.  He didn’t find a reason for it other than maybe the pump in the dishwasher is getting ready to go out.  It doesn’t change the voltage when the light dims so he doesn’t think it is a fire hazard.  He changed the light bulb to see if a different type of bulb would make a difference – it didn’t.  He checked all the ground wires and bypassed the switch and nothing made it stop blinking.  I will replace the dishwasher in the coming months and see it that works.

Unfortunately while he was working with the breaker box he discovered the 30 amp switches are wired with 20 amp wire.  He said if I was concerned about fire I would get that fixed and if I ever sell the house he would recommend it be fixed if he did the sale inspection.  I told him to put me on his schedule and get them fixed.  There are 20 or 30 of them that need fixed.  Not sure if he will replace the breaker with a 20 amp one or replace the wire leading to them.   I am grateful he discovered that issue but I hate spending money on things that I can’t see the results of.

I got two more areas of the house deep cleaned yesterday before I left for Stillwater.  Three down and many more rooms to go!  It does feel good to have that cleaning project started.  I have a busy week next week but will continue to get at least one room a day done.

It was good as always to see Jim.  We went out to dinner and enjoyed a quiet evening at home afterwards.  He has a lovely back porch and we sat out and enjoyed the evening and quiet of his porch and back yard.  Today he has to work at the book sale at the library from noon until 2:30.  He has a project he needs my help on this afternoon when he gets back.  Tomorrow we will go to church and probably do another project in the afternoon.  I will drive back to KS Monday afternoon.

Hope the rain comes soon so my feet will quiet down.  Both feet are sore this morning from the coming weather change.  I so look forward to the cooler temperatures that are in the forecast for next week.

Grateful to be with Jim again, grateful for service people that can fix things, and grateful my deep clean project is started.

Today hasn’t been as productive as yesterday but I have gotten a few things done.  I had physical therapy in Emporia today.  The kid that worked with me is the son of someone I went to high school with.  He gave me a few additional exercises to do and encouraged me to continue doing the ones the lady in Stillwater had given me to do.  My foot is a bit sore this afternoon from the work out he gave me.

He doesn’t think I need eight visits so he only scheduled me for one time next week and that may be the last visit.  I’m always grateful when a company doesn’t take advantage of a person and has them come less than ordered.

By the time I go back next Wednesday he wants me to have walked a mile without the boot without stopping.  I am going to OK tomorrow and will have sidewalks to walk on so no problem doing that.  Gravel still is a bit of a challenge for me but it is getting easier to walk on.

I put both shoes on this afternoon.  The surgery foot feels a bit tight in the shoe but it is wearable.  Feels good to have both shoes on again.

I ran a few errands while I was in town after my therapy was done.  I am trying to switch my cell phone to my own plan and get it off Kathy’s plan.  Found out she has to give them verbal permission to do so.  Good thing she is coming a week from tomorrow so we can go in and get that taken care of.  Not sure why doing a simple thing like that is so complicated.

I had gotten an advertisement from Pella Windows some time ago.  I had saved it in case the local people couldn’t fix the window that is broken.  I have called the local people four times and they can’t seem to get a window ordered for me.  The Pella people are doing some research but they seem to have the original order that was placed when this house was built.  They are to call me back in a day or two.  It will be nice to get yet another thing crossed off my to do list.

The electrician called and is coming out tomorrow morning to see if he can figure out why the light over the sink blinks on and off whenever the dishwasher pulls water.  I had called them several months ago and for some reason they had cancelled my request.  Yet one more thing that may get fixed and off my list.  Trusting it will be a simple fix that they can take care of tomorrow.

I seem to have lots of pending things going on right now.  It will be good to cross those things off as the loose ends get tied up and completed.

Got the master bathroom detailed cleaned today.  One room down and I don’t want to count how many more rooms to go.  At least that fall cleaning project is officially started.  I may get to the other bathroom upstairs today and get two rooms crossed off the list.  I still need to get outside and mow the little fenced in yard.  I didn’t get that done yesterday.

It rained for about two minutes this afternoon.  It has cooled down a bit but the cold front hasn’t fully gotten here yet.  I will appreciate some cooler more fall like days.

Tomorrow I am going to OK for the weekend.  I am coming home Monday afternoon.  My house sitter will be back out tomorrow for me.  I so appreciate her taking good care of the critters while I am gone.  It will be good to be with Jim again for a few days.

Grateful to have two matching shoes on my feet again, grateful I can start walking outside without the boot, and grateful I get to see Jim tomorrow afternoon.

I have had a productive day finally!  It feels good to have crossed off about ten things from my to do list.  The girls have fresh linens to play in today.  I hadn’t cleaned the coop out since I had surgery and it was overdue for a clean out.  They aren’t laying eggs right now and I am hoping fresh linens will encourage them to get back to doing their business.

Finished mowing the rest of the yard after I cleaned out the chicken coop.  I still need to weed eat and push mow the little front sections of the yard.  I hope to do that tonight after it cools down.  If not, I may get it done tomorrow morning before I have to shower and go in to Emporia for physical therapy.

Went into Emporia after I mowed.  I ran a bunch of errands and picked up a few groceries.  Since I am going back to OK Friday I didn’t need very many.  Got two things taken care of that had been on my list for a long time.  That feels good.  Not sure why I was so productive today but am grateful I was.  I have two or three more things to take care of when I go to town tomorrow morning.  I ran out of energy to finish my list today.

My foot is doing well.  I wasn’t sure how it would handle me cleaning out the chicken coop as the path down to the coop is a bit uneven.  No worries!  I wore my boot to clean out the coop as well as for the trip to town as I knew I was going to be in and out of the car a bunch of times.  It sure feels good to be able to take the boot off when I get home and am in the house.  So far it hasn’t swollen up at all with the increased use of the foot without the boot.

Haven’t gotten the house work done yet.  Trusting I will get at least one room done yet tonight.  Might as well take advantage of feeling productive and get that job started.  I made a mess in my bathroom when I came in from mowing.  Grass likes to stick to my boot.  I had to take a brush to it to get it cleaned up a bit.  Maybe I will start with cleaning my bathroom since it is dirty.

I wanted some Jonathan apples and the grocery store didn’t have any.  I drove out to The Orchard to pick a bag up.  Decided not to get a case of them as I still have apple butter left over from last year.  I do like to eat fried apples and apples with peanut butter.  Jim likes apple crisp so I will make him one this weekend.  It used to be something I liked to eat but it isn’t something I eat now.

One of the things on my to do list is to have the fencing removed front the front yard.  Anyone want some black chain link fence?  You can have it free if you come take it down and remove all the set poles too.  We had it put in when we first moved out here and had our two Cavalier King Charles dogs.  I don’t ever plan on having another inside dog so don’t need the fenced area.  It is a pain for me to have to mow around.

I am really noticing the silence today after being with Jim for several weeks in a row.  Life feels a bit empty to me without him here.  I’m grateful I will be with him again for the weekend.

Grateful to have crossed lots of things off my long to do list, grateful the chickens have fresh linens, and grateful to be able to walk barefoot in the house again.

I got a very good report from my surgeon today.  He said I healed much faster than most people do.  No more crutches or compression tape.  I can start weaning myself off the boot with the goal of being boot free in two weeks.  My big toe is still too stiff so he wants me to do physical therapy twice a week for four weeks.  I scheduled the right foot to be fixed on November 6.

It was good to get home this afternoon.  I stopped for lunch and came straight home afterwards.  I had planned to go to Costco’s and Lowe’s but didn’t have it in me to stop and shop.  Neither stop was urgent so will visit them when I to to KC in the next week or so.  I need to schedule an eye exam and my eye doctor is in KC.  Once I get all my physical therapy sessions scheduled I will know when I can slip away and get up to KC for the day.

I sorted mail, unpacked my suitcase, made a few phone calls and then went out and mowed for two hours.  I didn’t get the whole yard mowed as I ran out of daylight.  I will finish the mowing tomorrow after I do the chicken coop clean out.  I also need to do some more deck painting in the morning before it gets too hot.

I am tired tonight.  It will be good to sleep in my own bed.  Trusting I will get a good night’s sleep.  Bet I am in bed by 9:00 tonight.  Don’t have it in me to stay up late tonight.

I start physical therapy Thursday morning.  I need some groceries so may have to run to town tomorrow and than go back in on Thursday.

I have a long list of things that I need to get done over the next couple of weeks.  I plan on going back to OK Friday afternoon and will be back on the prairie Monday sometime.  After this trip I will be staying home for several weeks in a row so will hopefully get some things crossed off my long to do list.  I hope to get one room a day deep cleaned.  It will take me a bit to get the whole house done.  It always feels good to have it done though.

Jim starts teaching one of his Osher classes Thursday.  The other site starts in two weeks.  That ties him up for eight weeks so I will be going to OK on the weekends so he can stay home and prepare for his classes and continue to work on his house.  He is coming up here some weekends though.  He also plans to come stay for two weeks when I have surgery in November like he did last time.  I scheduled surgery so his classes will be done.  My house works easier with the foot scooter for the two weeks that I have to be non-weight bearing.  After those two weeks I will go to OK for two weeks to continue my recovery.  The holidays might change our schedule a bit – I’ll have to see how everything plays out.

Hard for me to believe that it is the middle of September already.  Christmas will be here before I know it.  This year has flown by.  Jim and I have been dating for eleven months.  Doesn’t seem like it has been that long.

Grateful to be home again, grateful for a good report from the surgeon, and grateful I got some things done this afternoon.

 

We got to Stillwater last night around 11:45.  We had left Asheville at 9:30 their time Sunday morning. It was a long day sitting in the car but it felt good to get home and not have to drive this morning.  I got restless legs about two hours from home which made those two hours feel much longer.  I really enjoyed my Epsom salt bath last night and slept for over five hours straight.

We went for a walk at the lake this morning.  We probably only walked a mile or so.  I hadn’t walked much last week and didn’t want to overdue the walk as I see my surgeon tomorrow and I didn’t want my foot to be cranky for that visit.  I even used the crutches for the walk and I haven’t used the crutches much the last couple of days.

I trust the doctor will tell me tomorrow that I don’t need to use the crutches any more and that I can start going for brief times without the boot.  Wednesday will be six weeks since surgery and he had told me at the beginning to plan on six to eight weeks in the boot.  It will be weird wearing a shoe again.  I will be glad to get back on level ground again.

I have knitted a bit this afternoon and evening.  Jim is working on a sewer issue and on his classes that he is teaching Thursday.  I almost took a nap but decided against it to increase the odds that I sleep good again tonight.

I have to leave for Wichita no later than 9:00 in the morning.  After my doctor’s appointment I want to go to Costco to pick up a few things.  I also have another errand to run while in a big city.  It will be good to be back on the prairie tomorrow afternoon.  I’ll only be home until Friday when I will return to Stillwater for the weekend.

I have a long to do list of things that need taken care of this week while I am home.  Cleaning the chicken coop out is at the top of my list.  I will try to get that done Wednesday morning before it gets too hot.

I need to start my fall house cleaning as I want to get it done before my next foot surgery which will be the first part of November.  Twice a year I hand wash all the floors and wash all the wood work.  It takes me about two weeks to get through the whole house if I do a room a day.  I have most of the weekends on October booked with things to do and places to go so will only have three days a week to clean.

On my list of things to do this winter is to paint all the walls in the house.  I haven’t painted any walls since I painted them when I first moved into the house in November of 2013.  It is time to repaint and freshen up the walls.  I probably won’t be able to get that project started until after my second foot heals from surgery.  I need to get the deck painting project finished before I start the inside walls project.

Grateful for safe travels for our trip east, grateful for a walk at the lake today, and grateful for this time I have had with Jim.

Happy birthday to my oldest daughter Michelle. It is so much fun watching her mother her children. Trust her day was full of love and laughter.

I had one of those nights last night where sleep was hard to come by. Trusting tonight will be the night when I get lots of sleep.

Today was the Celebration of Life Service for Jim’s niece. There was a wonderful crowd that came to the service. The service was full of laughter and music and did a perfect job of honoring her life. Christa was joy and love and the service reflected that.

It was nice to see most of Jim’s nieces and nephews and to get to spend some time with his brothers, sister and their spouses. I’m so glad I had gotten to meet them when we came earlier this year. This time I could almost keep the names straight and know who was who. They accept me so graciously and open their arms and hearts to me. I so appreciate that.

Tomorrow morning we head for OK. We will probably drive for eight to ten hours and stop for the night and drive the rest of the way Monday. We will see how traffic and weather is and decide how far we want to go. It will be good to get back to OK.

My foot held up today. I took my crutches to the service but didn’t need them. My foot is a tad sore tonight but not bad considering how much I was on my feet today. I will get to sit all day tomorrow since I will be in the car. Sure hoping the doctor will tell me Tuesday that I don’t need to use the crutches any more.

It rained this afternoon but the timing was perfect. The family did a dove release after the service and the sun was shining and it was beautiful standing outside watching it. We moved to the fellowship hall for an ice cream social and it started to rain. By the time we were ready to leave the church the rain had stopped.

Grateful for the life and love of Christa and her family, grateful we are heading home tomorrow, and grateful my foot continues to heal and improve daily.

Jim and I drove up to Mount Mitchell today.  It was a beautiful drive on a curvy road through the mountains.  Mt Mitchell is the highest point in the USA east of the Mississippi.  The leaves are just starting to turn.  It will be especially beautiful in another two or three weeks.

We had lunch at the restaurant at the top.  We drove on up afterwards and were going to walk to the observation tower but when we got there it was raining.  I didn’t want to get my boot wet and the sidewalk was wet and I didn’t want to slip.  We turned around and came back down the mountains.

I knitted for a bit this afternoon and evening.  We sat out on the deck and listened to the rain hit the trees and drip down to the ground late afternoon.  The smell was delicious and the sound soothing.

After dinner I was tired as I woke up at 4:00 this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep.  I did my foot exercises and went to bed.  I only slept for about 30 minutes and woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep.  I am hoping I will get tired soon and be able to get some sleep.  Tomorrow is the Celebration of Life Service for Jim’s niece.  Jim and I are passing out programs to those that attend.  They are expecting up to 300 people.

We will be heading for home Sunday early afternoon and will arrive in OK sometime on Monday.  Tuesday I have a doctor’s appointment in Wichita and than will drive on to KS.  Jim starts teaching one of his classes in Stillwater on Thursday.

My foot had a good day.  I didn’t use the crutches much at all today.  It is a bit cranky tonight but it is a full moon and thinking that is why it is cranky.  Trusting it will calm down in a bit and I will be able to sleep.

Grateful for a beautiful drive today, grateful for the rain and the beautiful sounds it makes, and grateful my foot is continuing to heal.

This morning the four of us took an almost one mile walk around a beautiful pond in a park.  There were lots of ducks, geese and turtles on the pond.  It had been a foggy morning and the sun burned through the fog on our walk and was beautiful.

We then drove up to Black Mountain and had lunch at a new restaurant that had opened in the last year.  All of us were pleased with our lunches.

This afternoon we all took a nap.  We had some brief showers and it was good napping weather.

One of Jim’s other brothers had us over for a delicious dinner tonight.  It was nice to spend time with his brother and his family.

Not sure what the plan is for tomorrow.  We may go for a drive up the Smokey Mountain Parkway.  The memorial service is Saturday so some last minute preparations may need to be done that we can help with.

We only have two more days here before we start the journey home.  I heard the prairie received some rain today and got a notice that the power was out at least for a bit today.  I don’t look forward to the 1,000 mile drive home but will be glad to get home next Tuesday.

Grateful for being able to walk well enough to take a mile hike, grateful for the beauty of the mountains, and grateful for Jim’s family and the love they show me.

We arrived at our destination around 4:15.  Travel was easy today although there were times of heavy traffic.  We stopped for breakfast at Waffle House and only stopped for gas and rest areas after that.  We traveled almost 1,000 miles to get here.

Jim’s brother fixed a nice dinner for us this evening.  After dinner we took a short walk down the road.  It felt good to stretch my foot and get out and walk for a bit.

I am tired tonight.  It isn’t even 9:00 here which is 8:00 back home and I am ready to go to bed.  I slept good last night so not sure why I am so tired tonight.  Sitting in a car must be tiring.

I think I will go take a shower and go to bed early.  Anytime sleep can find me I welcome it.

Grateful or safe travels, grateful for good travel weather, and grateful for family.

We traveled 600 miles today and have a little over 400 to go. Hit some traffic in Memphis but never completely stop and go. Traffic has been heavy in places but not bad. Lots of semi trucks on the highway.

We left OK around 10:00 this morning and stopped for the day at 8:00. We stopped for dinner a while back. Drove through two minutes of rain somewhere in Arkansas. It reached over 100 on the east side of Arkansas this afternoon.

My foot is doing OK. I got a cramp in it late afternoon so we stopped and I walked it out. I don’t think my foot likes me to sit all day. Sometimes it is hard to please as it gets cranky if I am on it too much.

I felt bad I didn’t do any of the driving today. The car we are in has a clutch and I don’t feel comfortable using the foot with the boot to work a clutch.

We will sleep in a bit tomorrow and drive on into Asheville tomorrow afternoon. It will be good to get to Jim’s brother’s house.

Grateful for safe travels today, grateful for hotels that are clean, and grateful we are over half way there.

I was busy this morning getting packed and ready to leave for ten days. Had lots of little loose ends to tie up. I didn’t get as much cleaning done as I wanted to but I think I managed to bring everything I needed. I’ll find out during the week if I forgot something important.

I got to Stillwater around 6:00. It was good to see Jim again. We sat outside on the deck for about five minutes and got about ten mosquito bites. I came inside to save my body. The mosquitos are big and hungry tonight.

We plan on leaving for NC around 8:30 in the morning. We are only going to drive about eight to ten hours tomorrow so no real rush to get on the road. Trusting there won’t be lots of traffic to slow us down. I will have to remember to get out and walk every time we stop so my foot can stretch out a bit. It got sore from sitting in the car for the three hour drive down here today.

There was a nice thunderstorm last night. I love hearing the thunder roll over the hills at night. At times there would be a sharp lightning which would immediately be followed by a thunder clap. I don’t think we got lots of rain out of it though. I was glad the fresh dirt in the back yard got sprinkled on at least. Maybe it won’t all blow away if the wind picks up again.

I need to remember to do my foot exercises tonight. I brought my sack of marbles I am to pick up with my big toe each night. The sack has 50 marbles in it and it takes me a bit to pick them up. My toe hurts when I use it like that. It is easier to exercise the toe when I have something to do with it rather than just moving it up and down.

Grateful for a safe trip today, grateful for cream to put on mosquito bites so they don’t itch so much, and grateful to be with Jim again.

Had a delightful surprise today.  Tim and Michelle brought the kiddos out late morning.  The kids stayed for a couple of hours and I took them back into town.  They were so good and we had a fun time together.  I hadn’t seen them for a bit so it was nice to spend some time with them before I leave again tomorrow.

Tim brought out a box for the TV.  Found out I am not getting the speed of internet the provider advertised.  When I get home on the 17th I will have to call the internet provider and find out what the deal is.  It is faster service than I had before but not fast enough for TV and movies.

I went out and painted on the deck this morning and when I get done blogging I am going to go back out and paint for another hour.  What I am painting is tedious work and I can only stand to do it for an hour or so.  I have some ladder work that needs done but am resisting the urge to do that as I don’t trust myself to climb a ladder safely with the boot on.

My foot has been quiet most of the day.  I got some good sleep last night and my foot was mostly quiet all night long.  It woke me up once or twice but overall I had a good night.

I have been pressing completed sets of tea towels and stamping two more sets.  I do one set and than have to get off my foot for a bit and than do another set.  I have put away three sets so far today and still have two sets to press.  I have two more sets stamped and ready for me to embroidery.  I think I am going to take them with me to NC to have something to do while I am visiting with Jim’s family.  I can embroidery and visit at the same time.  Still not sure what I am going to do with all the sets I have done.  The tub I store them in is full already.  I enjoy making them though.

The kids went down to help me do the chicken chores.  The uneven ground still challenges me.  Tagen was brave and went into the chicken pen with me and gave the chickens their sunflower seeds.  We only got one egg today.  Not worth the cost of their feed – the slackers.

I have enough critter feed to last another two weeks so didn’t have to wrestle with feed sacks today.  I’m grateful as picking heavy things up hurts my foot yet.  Trusting I will get by until Jim comes next time and he can lift it for me.

I haven’t gotten any cleaning done today.  I’ll have to get at it when I get done painting this afternoon.  I’m not leaving until afternoon tomorrow so will have some time in the morning to get some cleaning done.  I seem to find ways to procrastinate on house work.  I would much rather be outside painting than inside vacuuming floors.

Ellexia likes to choose the music to play.  I had not heard of any of the groups that she likes to listen to.  Made me felt a bit out of touch and old.  Can’t say that I wanted to remember the names of the groups as I didn’t care for the music she was playing.

Grateful to get to spend some extended time with the grandkids today, grateful my foot has been quiet today, and grateful I get to be with Jim again tomorrow.

 

Had a frustrating morning trying to tell my printer about the new internet provider. They don’t seem to want to be friends.  I can only use my printer through the cord to the computer and can’t get the wireless connection to work.  Not sure what I am doing wrong.  When I am not so frustrated I will call the new internet provider and find out if they have any hints for me.  I am so over it right now I can’t deal.

The solar guy came today.  I really liked him.  I signed the contract to have solar panels installed.  He won’t get here until the end of October to do the work.  We are going to put the panels on the barn roof as the south roof on the house is not big enough.  It is a huge investment so trusting I am not doing the wrong thing.

The retaining walls are complete.  I liked the guy that did that work too.  He did a few little extra things Jim wanted done to help improve the drainage in the back yard.  I was talking to the guy after I paid him and found out he would be interested in helping me install a labyrinth in the back yard.  I might consider doing that next summer.

Jim sanded the railings on the deck and I painted them this afternoon.  We only have the steps to do plus a bit more ladder work and the deck project will be completed.  Another long weekend of work on it and we should wrap it up.  Not sure when we will get to it but hoping a weekend soon.

I was able to get some good sleep last night.  I woke up around 2:00 as my foot was cranky.  I took some ibuprofen and about an hour later was able to go back to sleep.  My foot was OK this morning but is a bit cranky this afternoon.  I am moving more in this house than I do in Jim’s house and my foot doesn’t seem to approve.  It can get over itself!

Jim is gathering up his tools and getting ready to go back to OK.  I will go to OK Sunday afternoon and we will leave for NC Monday morning.  We have been together since August 6 this time.  That is the most time consecutively we have spent together and haven’t had a fight yet!  I don’t look forward to coming home from NC as we will then be apart for two weeks or so.  Life is much easier for me when we are together.

I have an empty space day tomorrow.  I do want to get the box for the TV and see if I can get it hooked up.  After the trouble I have had with the printer I am a bit nervous about my ability to successfully hook it up.  We shall see!  I also need to do some house cleaning.  I haven’t done much for over a month and the house is starting to feel very dirty to me.

Feeling a bit cranky this afternoon.  Thinking the timing of an empty space day is just what I need.  The last three days have been busy with lots of extra people around.  Although my mobility is better I am still limited as to what I can do comfortably.  Guess it is a good thing I will be sitting in a car and not doing much for next week.  Maybe by the time I get back home my foot will be lot better and things will feel more like normal for me.

Grateful for contractors that provide great service, grateful for more work done on the deck, and grateful It will only be two days before I am with Jim again.

I had a night of very little sleep.  It happens occasionally to me and I have learned to just roll with it.  I had taken a nap yesterday so maybe that was part of it.  I am very tired this afternoon but resisted the urge to take a nap.

I was awake at 7:00 so decided to get up and finish the mowing.  I had mowed about a fourth of the yard last night before I ran out of daylight.  The sunrise this morning was incredible.  There was a low hanging fog that the sun rose up and over.  It was a great way for the prairie to welcome me home.

I mowed until about 9:30.  I’m glad I got it done while it was nice and cool out as it warmed up today and is hot outside now.  The guy came to work on the retaining wall again.  He finished the south wall and then did the north wall.  He is bringing in some dirt to level the yard out tomorrow.  He helped Jim remove the little fish pond that was in the back yard.  It was a mosquito breeding place.  Tomorrow he is going to help Jim level the ground under the deck steps.  The timing of having both guys here this week was perfect.

The internet guy came around 9:00 and installed the new internet service.  It is so much faster.  I can actually watch movies on PrimeTime now.  I ordered a box from Tim so I can have TV for Jim to watch the news on.  We are going to figure out a way to get that installed Saturday.

The Geek Squad from Best Buy delivered and installed the new washing machine a little before noon.  It is nice to have a washing machine again.

The solar panel guy called and postponed his appointment until tomorrow.  Jim will stay to be here for that and than he is heading back to Stillwater to get his yard mowed before we leave Monday for North Carolina.

I went into Emporia this afternoon and went to Walmart to pick up a few groceries.  I also got a TV for the study upstairs, some marbles so I can do a foot exercise, and some more bandage tape for my foot.  I was really tired by the time I finished my shopping.

When I went out the door after checking out the receipt police guy checked my cart.  I expected him to check the receipt for the TV but then his scanner thingy had him look for several other things.  He asked me where I had gotten the ice and why I hadn’t paid for it.  I told him I had told the lady and she said she rang it up.  He said it wasn’t on the receipt.  I asked if I could see the receipt and found it.  He didn’t apologize for asking me why I had stolen it.  That kinda put a sour taste in my mouth.

Jim is out in the heat finishing up the mowing and trimming using the hand mower.  He had given me a swing for my birthday which had come while I was in OK so he put that together today.  I have dinner in the oven and need to go get it finished up soon.

Tomorrow the guy from the solar panel company is to come around 2:00.  Other than that it should be a quieter day around here although the retaining wall guy will be here again.  I hope we get around to getting some sanding on the deck done so I can do some painting on Saturday but we will see how the day goes.  Other things keep coming up and painting the deck project seems to have been pushed to the back burner.

Saturday I need to do some house cleaning.  It has reached the point that I can’t stand how dirty the house is.  I leave again Sunday to go to OK so we can leave Monday morning for NC.  Not sure I will get the whole house cleaned or not.

My foot is holding up today.  I think I was on it too much today but so far it hasn’t gotten too cranky with me.  I used the crutches part of the time and I think that helped keep it happy.  I trust it won’t start yelling at me tonight and keep me from sleeping.

Grateful for a new washing machine, grateful for fast internet, and grateful for the guy doing the retaining wall and a few little extras for us.

Got to the doctor’s office at 10:30 this morning for my 11:00 appointment.  This office usually runs early and I was surprised when it was after 11:00 and they hadn’t called me back.  The Lady that struggled to check me out last time had checked me in.  I was thinking of going up to see what the problem was when I saw the NP come out.  She saw me and asked if I was ready to go back.  The girl that had checked me in had marked that I was doing paperwork for them and my status was on hold.  I told the NP about the long check out last time and that I had been waiting since 10:30.  She apologized and said she would fix it.

After that delay the office visit went fast.  I was immediately taken back for my x-rays.  Everything looks very good and the bone is already starting to fill in which is ahead of schedule.  I am free to not use crutches for short distances such as being in the house although I am to continue to use them for longer distances.  She was not impressed when I told her I had been standing barefoot on my hurt foot for two minutes at a time.  She said my foot is not ready for that yet.  I still have to use the compression wrap as it will help keep it from swelling.  I am not to walk anywhere yet without the boot on that foot.

She recommended up to three more weeks of physical therapy so I can get help with regaining the range of motion of the big toe.  I told her I was going to be gone next week and couldn’t start doing PT until after my next appointment on the 17th.  She told me to keep doing my home exercises and they would re-evaluate it the 17th.

Overall it was a good report and she is pleased with my progress.  The scar looked really good this morning and is already softening and disappearing a bit.

We stopped at Pop’s Diner in Peabody for lunch on the way home.  I had a bun less hamburger and Jim had a hamburger steak dinner.  The hamburger was cooked perfectly and was very moist and tasty.  We got back to my house around 1:30.

The guy is here rebuilding the south retaining wall.  It has been fun watching him work this afternoon.  The back yard is a big mess as a result.  He had to bring in some fill dirt and fill rocks.  He still needs to do the north wall.  I’m so glad that project is underway and almost halfway done.

I will need to mow either yet this evening or tomorrow morning.  The grass is tall!  I don’t see any evidence of it burning up this summer.  Amazing!

Tomorrow the new internet service is to be installed.  They haven’t contacted me to tell me what time they are coming.  The new washing machine is being delivered between 12:00 and 4:00.  And the guy is coming to give me a bid on putting up solar panels on the barn roof.  He hasn’t firmed up a time yet either.  Guess I will mow in between appointments.

We may run into town this evening and get a few groceries.  My refrigerator is rather empty.  I am only going to be home until Sunday afternoon so won’t need too many things.  I am fixing ham and beans in the instant pot for dinner as I have that stuff on hand.  Breakfast might be hard to come by though with my empty refrigerator.

The girls are only giving us one or two eggs a day right now.  They are totally slacking!  It is too early for them to molt so thinking the heat is bothering them.  Next spring I will need to replace them if I want a constant supply of eggs.

Got through the stack of mail.  90% of it was junk and went into the recycling bucket.  I need to go out and spend some time petting the cats and dogs.  I took a nap when I got home and haven’t made it out to visit the critters yet.

Four weeks of recovery down!  Two more weeks with partial use of the crutches to go.  She said I would probably still need the boot after my next visit in two weeks for when I go out and walk any distance at all.  She said it usually takes ten weeks to be fully comfortable in a shoe all the time after surgery.  When that happens I can then schedule a date for the next foot to be done and we start this process all over again.

Grateful for the healing that is happening in my foot, grateful for my retaining wall being repaired, and grateful for my house sitter that does a beautiful job taking care of the house and critters while I am gone.

I completed my physical therapy this afternoon.  I currently have my foot on ice trying to calm it down from being stretch out.  I was able to stand on only my sore foot for two minutes with full weight.  It doesn’t hurt when I do so although it does feel stiff.  Progress is being made!  The therapist is rather sure I will be able to ditch the crutches after my appointment tomorrow.  That will make me very happy!

We found out today the Celebration of Life Service for Jim’s niece will be September 14.  We will go to my doctor’s appointment in Wichita tomorrow morning and then go to Strong City.  Jim will stay until Saturday when he will then return to Stillwater.  I will drive to Stillwater Sunday afternoon and we will leave for Asheville on Monday and arrive on Tuesday.  We will leave Asheville Sunday, Sept 15 in the afternoon and be back in Stillwater on the 16th.  I have another doctor’s appointment in Wichita on the 17th so I will go to that and then head back to Strong City alone.  Jim starts teaching his Osher Classes Sept 19.

Thankfully my housesitter can come back the 8th and stay until I get back home on the 17th.  I will be able to attend all my appointments and not have to reschedule anything.  Everything worked out perfectly for my schedule.

Not sure what I will do if the doctor wants me to have additional physical therapy.  I won’t be able to work it in until after the 17th.  I will continue to do the exercises I have been taught and hope for the best.

It will be good to get home and get through the stuff that has piled up since I have been gone for two weeks.  I’m sure the yard will need mowed and I will have lots of mail to sort and bills to pay.  I will also need to restock all the critter’s feed supply so I can be gone for ten days again.  I’m glad I don’t have guests coming so won’t have to clean house for them.

It is very warm in Stillwater today.  I haven’t taken a walk yet today and may not do so if it doesn’t cool down before dark.  I am not a big fan of heat.

Grateful for the physical therapy I received and the progress it has helped me make, grateful the schedule is coming together and I can keep my appointments, and grateful to be returning home tomorrow.  I have missed the prairie!