Saturday, September 14, 2013

Friday the 13th

I cut off the forsythia!  Finally!    Then we burned all the cuttings.  Smoke
is still in my hair.  did get some in my eyes also!

I am achy from my waist to my knees.  Yesterday it was back on the roof of the RV to put some gel coat on the top of the front and back.  Cannot reach it with the ladder.  Well, I can the back, but in front you also have to lean over the windshield a bit and on a higher rung on the ladder than I like to be.  So I lay down and reach over the edge and polish.  Can't tell a whole lot of difference, but it will help make it easier to get the bugs off. 

Ernie did a bunch of small maintenance jobs that needed to be done.
plus helping me move the cut off forsythia.  Maybe it will grow back, The humming bird has been buzzing me.  I do not know if he thinks I should make his "juice" stronger or he is telling me it is about time to head south.
We think so too.  Will probably not leave until November.

The neighbor has had some of his corn cut for silage.  The last few weeks have been so dry the corn dried earlier than it should for full kernels. 

I am getting sleepy.  Talk to you another day.
JKC

Monday, September 9, 2013

CLEAN RV

Sept. 9, 2013

I finally did it and got it done!!!!!!!  Yeah!!!!

The rubber roof is clean, both sides, front and back, Washed.  Now who wants to come help me put the gel coat polish on.  I started on the front.
Where all the bugs hit.  Figured that would help when I clean off the bugs.



That's all.  I a tired, I did the the roof and one side last Thursday and today did the rest.  Oh, yes, I cleaned the windows also!

good night
jkc

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Baby birds are gone

Sept. 5, 2013

Our Grandsons birthday.  26 years ago we sat in the St. Vincent Hosp. while Nancy labored to have this little boy.  Not so little now.  Always enjoy him when we do see him.

The baby birds hatched,  two of the.  One was big, and mother bird did not like my peeking in on them.  They hopped out of the nest soon and stayed in the bush for some time.  then they were gone.??

Have yet to cut down the bush.  Need to trim the shrubs at the side of the house also.  Was going to do that today, but instead I moved up the
RV ladder and scrubbed the roof.  and awning covers. Best way to do that with out falling off the roof is to lie down and lean over the edge. Got rather wet, Ernie said my behind was wet.  so I tried to spay him with the hose.  He would like to get up on the roof also, to check out the stuff up there, but the knees
are not the greatest this summer.  Got that done, and since I was wet all over anyway, ( I would wash myself off with the hose as my capri's were dirty wet.  Then I would clean some more.)  I came in and took a shower.  After lunch I washed the passenger side of the coach and than called it quits.  Those muscles that I do not use every day are telling me they ache!!!

We had the front end of the RV aligned a few weeks ago.  Drives better.

and we have tomatoes!!!! I even canned some juice this year.  Our grape arbor had just enough grapes to make 1 large and 1 small grape pie.  They
are in the freezer.   Have green and red peppers also.
The neighbors kept us supplied with corn and green beans.

Have you ever made peach pie by just putting fresh sliced peaches in a baked pie shell, use a glaze on the peaches and whipped cream on top of a slice.  Oh, it is good!!!  Fruit has been good and plentiful this year.

We miss having a big garden,  only for the veggies we get, but not the work a nice garden entails.    So we mooch off the neighbors.  and they do not mind.

It is getting late, wish you all a beautiful fall season.

jkc


August

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

I just wrote a nice long blog about what we have done in August.  Somewhere, the computer is hiding it.  I know it did not delete.  Backed spaced it into oblivion, I guess.
that is the only key I may have hit..

The RV has had its front end aligned and next week we will drive it to Michigan to see Michelle.

I canned tomato juice and made a fresh peach pie.  Thank you Melanie, for the glaze recipe.  Baked pie shell, add freshly sliced peaches that have the glaze on them and a dollop of whipped cream.  Delicious!  Shared with friends that came over for pie and coffee and a few rounds of Rummy cube. 

Nancy is back at school for the second week.  Said she has 23 students.  Grandson David will be 26 next month.  Really......slender   good looking young man!   Even if Grandma says so!

Time to close.   Take care

jkc

p.s. spell check only found two errors.  not bad for second time on same letter.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Forsthia

   Our forsythia bush is at least 45 years old.  Like every thing else around here.  Including us.   Add another 31 years on the us.

anyway,-----The bush resides behind the house almost in front of the bedroom window.   Fine, I can see when it gets the pretty yellow flowers (if I am home) and watch the green leaves appear.  And the last several years I have kept it trimmed in to a nice large bush.

Over they years I have cut it waaaay back once or twice, to about 3 feet.  It doesn't die from this cruel treatment.  It just keeps growing.  Like that bunny on TV.

This year it is so big that when it sprouts nice new leaves and stems, it is difficult to see out the bedroom window.  Enough already!

I am determined to cut the bush way down.  Out I go, collect the tools needed
The trimmer wound not run.   Go to my favorite fix it man, and Ernie determined that the extension cord was bad  He found me another one that worked.  So I trim off the new leaves and get out the heavy duty cutters and start at the back to cut it down. 

We have a burn barrel, Still can, where we live, and we took a barrow full out to be burned.  Ernie had a bunch of branches burning that he had cut off one of the maple trees, that were in the way when driving the RV down the drive
We walked back and  looked at the bush.  Oh, a birds nest, OH Oh----
it had 3 pretty blue eggs in it. 

Guess what?  I cleaned up the leaves and twigs on the ground, put my tools in the wheel barrow, Ernie took the trimmer and extension cord and we headed back to the barn. 

Later, I was looking in at the nest, put my hand up to it.  (mother bird was watching from a distance)  She did not like my hand near her eggs and let out a screech.  Leave my eggs alone   so I did, and will not look that close again.
I will wait until after the baby birds have flown the nest and then take another
chance at cutting the forsythia down to 3 feet.

Have a good day.   jkc

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Familly Reunion

what a good time------

Ernie and I left Thursday, July 19th for Madison, IN.  Took the RV to the City of Madison Campground.  One of my favorite camp grounds  We get a spot facing the Ohio river and then relax.  Watch the barges, I get out the binoculars and look for the names on the tugs that push them down or up the river.  Never tire of watching the river.  Here comes one now.  The Sarah Hunter of Hunter Marine.   only 3 barges long, two barges wide.  So 6 in all.  The barges are sitting high on the water, so they are empty. 

The Madison, IN., bridge to Ky. was to be demolished this week.  Wed,  then Thurs, Monday and now Tues. the 23.  We were all hoping for Monday, and all were going to stay and come on down to our camp site to watch the show.  No such luck.  It rained and the river is also too swift.   So 8 members of the family left this afternoon.  (Sunday)  6  of us will leave Monday.

Friday, we all met at Ernie's brothers home and ate too much lunch.  Do you ever go to a reunion or family get together and not eat too much good food?   Some went out to the farm for a look see out there.  There were two that had not been to Indiana, much less a Southern Indiana tree farm.  Another good evening meal and lots of talk.
Aileen ask what did the cousins remember about Christmas at Grandma's and about the farm.  Interesting comments. 

Saturday, the 21, John and Aileen took off for Bloomington, IN. for John's family reunion.  After lunch, 10 of the family went out to the farm and this time went over to
Big Creek and to Green Hole.  Don't ask me why it is called Green Hole, but it is a spot that Ernie and brother Nick used to go fishing.    (some one is tubing down the river)  And they got rained on, a cold hard rain. they also took time to stop at the family cemetery. When they got back to the house it was,  "can we go back to the hotel to get dry warm clothes before supper?"   Fun time
We had a surprise after supper.   John and David turn 70 in 2013.  so we had two long angel food cakes with "70" candles and cards from all of us.  They were quite surprised.   Their birthdays are in August and Sept. and so they were not expecting anything.

Sunday we met at 10  ish and again headed out to the farm.  this time, Aileen, John and Jane went with them.  We stopped and went thru the South woods first.  Uncle David took us the shorter??? route to Green Hole.  Past some bamboo that was growing in the woods.  It was up hill, down hill, watch out for spider webs and fallen tree limbs to trip on.  And then we got to the creek.  Off came the shoes and we put our tired hot feet into the cool water.  The creek had risen a foot due to the rain the day before.
David walks the woods and knows them well.  He also walks 5 miles a day for his exercise.  So he would get ahead of us old folks and then sit down and wait for us.
The younger group would help this old woman over the downed trees, muddy spots
and up and down the steep hill sides. 
While at the creek we skipped stones, found many fossils and two of the more adventurous fellows climbed a rocky wall.  Laugh and enjoy.  It is good to see the younger generation enjoying the creek and woods.
When we were younger there was a picnic spot that we would go to, canoe and swim.
That spot has been sold and so no more picnics at the creek.

Detroit, Arizona,  Columbia City, Anderson, Bloomington, Alexandria, and Ernie and I from Middletown.   Tonight Alan, Danielle, Lynn and Luis will come to the camp ground and try some fishing. 

Hope all of you have family time that you enjoy. 

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

This and That

June 9th. 2013

Off to breakfast today, at Perkins.  Ernie's group of men from the factory.  Judy and our daughter Nancy joined me.  We had a good visit.
We discovered this am, before leaving for breakfast that the coffee maker was not making coffee.  Light was on, so it had electricity. but it would not percolate!
So I got out the little 4 cup maker and Ernie had his cup of coffee before leaving the house.
did some grocery shopping.   Found some fully cooked smoked turkey legs.
We get them while we are in Florida, had not seen them up here, until today.
The ones we get in Florida are not fully cooked.  So I put them in the crock pot
for about 2 hours and they usually are moist and tender.  Today they were good, but different.   Also had some fresh green bean and potatoes.  Brian came over and said I should come pick some beans, I did and they were good.

I have been baking cookies for a family reunion.  Tried a different recipe that I have had for some time, just never made them.  Called coconut washboards.  Use brown sugar and the coconut.  crisp    since I cut them thin.  I have found that most cookie dough will take being refrigerated, so I put them on wax paper make a roll and then I bake them when I have time.  So depending on how I cut them as to how they will turn out when baked!

Our son came down Friday and Saturday to help dear ol Dad work on the RV.   They got the mirror all set, except for the glass and Ernie ordered that.  Alan found a leak in the air pressure system, Ernie got a part and they fixed that Sat, after a trip to town for the right size part  Alan also found
a few hole in our exhaust system.  SOOOOO  off to the repair shop     Will check one out Wed or Thur.  in Muncie.

I think one of my two tomato plants may be sick.  An end to one of the stems is wilted and looks kinda droopy.  Will have to check it out in the morning.  I did pick a green
pepper yesterday.  And today after picking the green bean at the neighbors south of us, the neighbor north of us called me over and cut a nice head of cabbage for us..  He also showed me the weed pursalane, the leaves are good eating.  Did not taste bad, might be good in a salad.  If my tomatoes die and the ones out in the garden do not do well, we may have some from our neighbors. 

Nancy came over the other day, to pick up some things I had from Syracuse.  She brought back the big ledger that my mother had used as a scrap book when in high school.  1919, 1920 and 1921.   Interesting articles, pictures from magazines, various notes and stuff.  Fun to look at and I was able to fill in some questions she had about her Grandmother. 

Have a good evening.

JKC

Monday, July 1, 2013

HOME SOLD

June 30, 2013  I am writing letters and on the blog today!!!

Yes, we closed on the house June 20 and 21.  Took two days because -
 long story that I will not put down here.  Nothing drastic, just timing.

We had our laughs, memories and sighs, while we were cleaning the home.
We each took a few things, most was left for the new owner.  At his request.
And so now we can get busy with the things that need to be done at home.

The chigger bites are almost gone,  altho I found a couple of new ones.  Where is that
human bug spray you spray on yourself.  Maybe I need to be more careful what I
weed whip. 

The rally was a good time.  Ernie took Friday day off, staying in the coach and resting.
That evening we all went to the Ft. Wayne Tin Caps baseball game.  Nice, fairly new
ball park and good weather.  Not too hot, with a little breeze.  They are called the Tin Caps, because------Ft. Wayne is an area where Johnny Appleseed was located long ago.  He is often pictured with a tin pan on his head while he walked around planting apple trees.  Sat. we went to a private car showing.  Corvettes?  Ernie could tell you all
about the cars.  Very pretty and the man even said we could touch and  sit in some of the cars.   Then off to an Art Show.  (Ernie went back to the coach, I went with friends)
some neat things, some a little too modern for me, but I enjoyed looking.

Sunday we came home.  Our coach has a loose mirror on the drivers side.  A car pulling a trailer passed us in a no passing construction zone and the trailer they were pulling had an awning.  The awning brace hit our mirror.  It also moved the coach just enough that we scraped the guard rail.  I was looking down, could just see the white line
(I was the passenger, Ernie driving) and the guard rail next to that line.  so we have a scrape along the right side of the coach.  We did finally catch up with them and
got some info.  Poor RV.  It has had it share of problems this year.  Ernie hopes he and our son can fix the mirror.  We have plans to go to Madison, to the park by the Ohio River later this month.  Can not go until the mirror is fixed.

The pine tree in the front yard?  Looks so much better.  Friday, Ernie cut off all the limbs that were dead and more so that it is even all around.  Our neighbor helped clean up the limbs.  One more load and it will be all clear.  Can mow under it.  Well, I know, there is no grass there now, but at least Ernie will not have to go around a big pine tree.
And my tomato plants have tomatoes.  Not very big yet, but they are there.
Brian bought us some new potatoes and green beans last week from his garden.  Soooo good.

It is getting late. 
Sometimes when I write I get to thinking about what I have written or want to write and the time flies.  so---- enough for tonight.
take care,  see you down the road
jkc

Sunday, June 16, 2013

TWO TIRED PEOPLE

June 15th----   We worked outside today.  Started by cutting off some low limbs from our maple trees.  Low enough to hit your head when mowing.  Then Ernie cut them smaller to go in our burn barrel.  Yes, we can still burn things in a barrel.  We are out in the country and it is ok.   Then it was out to our big old pine tree.  Such a pretty tree, if you looked at it from the house.  But from the road the lower limbs were bare of needles and it did not look very nice.  So we have started cutting off the smaller parts of the limbs to get a path into the middle.  Then we will get the saw and saw those off.
Making a clean trunk about head high.
We had 5 wheel barrel loads full. Really full!  More to cut off also. I am reminded now and then, that when Ernie wanted to buy the wheel barrel at a garage sale I thought it was not necessary.
Well, I really like the darn thing and use it frequently.  It is a great tool when loading the RV.  I bring it up to the house, fill it with stuff from the fridge or closets and take it out to the RV.  Handy and not so many trips. Do the reverse when we get home.

Have you ever mowed a gravel drive?  We did today.  Due to not being home unless it rained or we had appointments, some weeds came up in the driveway.  Our drive is over 200 ft long and some of it does not get much traffic.  Ernie sprayed the weeds and grass with weed killer and then we had a brown and gravel drive.  So today he got out the old push mower with grass (weed) catcher and tried to see if we could mow the weeds down.  So together we mowed  and the drive looks much better.

The house in Syracuse is scheduled to close on the 20th of June.  Hope it all goes ok.
The bedroom( where I have put things from Syracuse) was a little neater and then I decided to change the shelf above the bed.
It was full of brass candle sticks that we collected when we first started traveling.
Need a brass candle holder?  I have plenty, inexpensive too!  Will put some pictures
on the shelf, with a few remaining brass pieces that I still like and want to keep.

We are going to a rally---next week-- in Ft. Wayne Indiana.  Yeah!

There were 10 from my class at the Methodist Homecoming last Saturday.  Enjoyed the day and had a good lunch.  The School of Nursing has a homecoming every 3 years.   Works out great and they still have good attendance.  The last nursing class was in 1967.

 Our son and daughter gave me a Mothers day gift of a free piano tuning.
Now I need to start playing again.  I took piano lessons for several years.  I now realize my piano teacher was very patient with me, I do not have the best sense of timing and rhythm.  But she always complimented me on how well I played the scales.
Still like doing them.  Limbers up the fingers.  Does any one else have the Readers Digest music books?  I got them when Nancy and Alan were still home. 

Our tomato plants have blossoms!!!!!  Yesterday I decided to get the clippers and cut the weeds away from the asparagus.  Our asparagus bed is rather sparse, it is only about 45 years old, the best asparagus is growing out in the grass, too root bound in the original bed.  Anyway, I even sat down to pull or cut those weeds close to the grown asparagus.  The weed eater cuts  aspargus faster than you can say  "oh no, not that one!"  You know what I am going to write next.    It is called CHIGGERS.  They had a family picnic on my body.   At first I thought I had gotten into poison ivy as I saw a little sprig of it under the pine tree.  No, Oh, No.  I do know the difference.  They are both bad things to have and get rid of.

and enough stuff, it is getting late.  Hope you all have a good day and Happy Fathers day to any Fathers reading this.

jkc

Sunday, June 2, 2013

June 1

A new month.  time goes fast, but yet so slow. 
the house in Syracuse has an offer and we close on or before June 15.  good offer,
Just trying to sell a house owned by 3 sisters and a brother, is not the easiest thing to do.   
 Ernie got out the old roto tiller Thursday and tilled a narrow spot to plant 10 tomato plants and 4 pepper plants.  I had already planted two tomato plants up by the house in my little mixed up garden.  It has miniature rose bushes,  that are now about 3 and 1/2 feet tall and full of pretty little red roses.  Ernie said I should divide them again and make the whole area a rose area.  But I also have some chives, sage and marigolds planted in that spot also.  And the big pretty pot of flowers Nancy gave me for Mothers Day.
The aloe plant is sitting there also.  Did not put it in the ground this year.  It is getting big and I have a smaller one I took to Florida last year
We have decided that the Florida way of life is the best.  No grass to cut, no 3 bedroom house to take care of, nothing to do each day, but what ever we decide to do
that morning.  Sometimes the night before, as we have to set the alarm to get going early to some of the flea markets.
The spare bedroom is now a disaster room.  3 mirrors, assorted puzzles, linens (towels, sheets, etc.) stuff       from Syracuse. 
  What shall we do with this?  Don't you want it?
No, but I took it and have all ready taken some things to Good Will.   Alan got some cast iron skillets and a nice roaster.  David got some more cast iron skillets and a few other things  Nancy has the triple mirror.  Hope to find a sturdy table for it rather than trying to bolt it to the wall.  It was once part of a dressing table.  My father had removed the drawers and used them as part of a base for book shelves.  And then bolted the triple mirror to the wall.  The two smaller outside mirrors may be moved so you can see on 3 sides.  My father had built at least 3 book cases and a cabinet that we kept our toys in.  Plus most of the cabinets in the kitchen.  Ahhh  memories.

We are just about finished with our round of Doctor, dentist, orthopedic visits.  All is well, I guess. 

We missed the first Hoosier Cruiser Rally.  A real bummer, but we were tired out from a trip to Syracuse.  Hope to get to the one in Ft. Wayne.  We have our reservation ready to mail Mon.am.  Now we have to finish getting the RV cleaned up and ready to go.  And we will miss the National Rally in Gillette, Wyoming.  I had hoped to go this year, mainly to see our Oregon friends.  But to much going on here, plus it is a long way out there.
This Saturday, I will go to Indpls to Methodist for the Homecoming.  55 years ago I graduated from the Indianapolis Methodist Hospital School of Nursing.  IMH
I will meet my former room mate and also another good friend there.  We try to get together once a year.  So I do look forward for next Saturday.

I have rambled on enough for now.  Hope everyone is having a good spring.  Summer will be here soon. 

good night    jkc

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Its May Day!

Happy May Day!    Did anyone leave flowers on your door step, ring the bell, then run and hide?  Did that a few times when I was much younger.

We have survived the first round of Doctor visits.  Next come the Dentist, hearing and skin Doctors.  The family, lung and heart Dr.'s all say Ernie is doing well.  Will have some shortness of breath and be tired.  Take a nap, a good idea for some one our age.  (Seems like they have been saying that a long time.]  Lung and heart Dr.'s changed dosage on some meds.  Helped with the cough, time will tell with the others.  so that is good   just need some pep to do the things on the to do list.  Ernie's is longer than mine.
Our lists in Florida are much shorter and usually contain items such as
go to flea market, or lunch or Busch Gardens. 

Ernie  has mowed twice now,  or 3 times.  I have done a little mowing with the push mower.  Have a few tulips left and just planted some pansies.
I do like pansies.  and most flowers.  Trees are tuning green.  Spring has sprung and rain has been gone for 3 days.  It will come back this week end.

I just lost this blog, took me 5 minutes to find it again.  It bugs me, I inadvertently his the wrong key, and presto, everything is gone.  Who know where the stuff hides.  I found it this time tho.  Time to stop while I am ahead.

Have a good day.  We will head to Syracuse Thurs. for more house cleaning.  Who know what I will want to bring  home.

JKC

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Time Flies

and my Mother once wrote that in a letter to me and drew some birds flying.

We are now home in Indiana.  Two weeks?   Seems like a longer time than that.  The daffodils are now about gone.  Forsythia bush is becoming green instead of yellow and the grass needs mowed.  But it is wet and raining this week.

We have been gone two days and are leaving again for 3 days. Help!

For the last two years my brother and I have been trying to convince my two sisters that the home in Syracuse needs to be sold.  We are getting older, I am the youngest, and the house will need repairs that we do not want to do.  Such as a new roof.  Plus general maintenance.
Finally, this year we had a friend and former real estate agent, now a consultant, come in, view the house and give us the information about the house.  She was good.  All 4 agreed this time to sell, and agreed on an agent.
Pat left, called us 10 minutes later and said the real estate man and daughter would be there in 15 minutes.  7 pm the for sale sign was in the front yard.
Talk about doing things NOW.  The next day we did some cleaning and furniture rearranging and came home.  Today we are going back  to Syracuse to go thru some things we put on the back porch, box them up and take them to the thrift shop or to the persons wanting some of those kitchen items stored in the basement.  Like big pots, cast iron skillets, vases, you name it, it was down there.  And we thought we had cleaned out the basement a few years ago.

Ernie and I are tired, mentally and physically.  And we have been eating out when we were in Syracuse.  Not good when we both have routine Dr. appointments next week.

While in Florida, Rita had brought the game Rummykub and 5 of us are playing the game.  So we have managed to find the game also.  Last Sunday I made a pie, called, Rita & Clayton, and Beth,  come over for pie and coffee.  Rita had just made a big pot of soup, she brought that and Beth brought some cheese and crackers.  A good time.

Have talked with a sister-in-law and a niece yesterday.  Good talking with them, not only about the house, but about their families. 

Wind and rain have been the weather this week and looks like next week also.
Managed a couple of time to have a mostly dry day to hang out some laundry.  I prefer to hang my sheets and T-shirts outside.  Nothing like Mother Natures drying system.  Do not have to use those smelly sheets in the dryer.  No, I do not like the smell of any of those softener sheets.  Good ole sunshine for me.   But I do use the dryer for my towels, jeans and a few other things.

We heard from a friend from Pennsylvania that is wife did not survived the
liver by pass surgery.  We met them in Arizona at Judge Roy Bean estate.  Shirley was wanting Ernie and her husband to stop talking so they could be on their way.  Then we saw them at Big Bend National Park in Texas, met them in the White Mountains and have seen them the last 6 or 7 years.  The next winter they looked us up, what to do in Florida.  She decided that she was glad the fellows kept talking.  And now Shirley is with her Lord.  They were Missionaries for the
Navajo Indians in Arizona and another tribe in Canada.  Interesting friends,
we will miss her.  

Time to hang this up and get on with the day.  jkc