Ginger's Toy

I had a large soft hugable black and white cow. Over a foot long and at least 6" wide. I say had because my cat has fallen in love with it in the last two weeks. She plays with it,sleeps on it and generally just enjoys it. I can't take it away from her. She tried to hide what she was doing at first but all the cat hair gave it away and now she will lay on it and play when I am in the room. She will hit the floppy feet and ears. Now Ginger has a toy bigger than she is.

Plans

I had hope to work on my porch this coming weekend but if we get the rain they are predicting no work will be done. I know we need rain so the weather might win out. My kids have trained me to say "What Ever". Sometimes it is easier to say that and not say what you would like to.

What A Day

My son came up and brought along two of my great grands-Lexie and Robbie. We traveled about 50 miles to a city with lots of places to shop. I was able to get a few things I wanted to buy for quite awhile. I bought two rose bushes. Won't get them planted right away but thats okay. I was going to buy some wood to fix my porch but since there were no measurements and no saw available it was put off. It was a good thing since I said 2 by 4 and I needed 2 by 6s.
I wanted a pair of backless sneakers and I got them today.
We went to McDonalds for lunch. It was something to see and hear as we ate in the play room. The kids had a great time running and climbing all over the place. All these kids shoeless having a ball. You never go there with a headache but you may have one when you leave.We stayed there for quite some time but when we were leaving ,the shoes were put on and jackets put on with no trouble. We had seen a dad trying to get his little one to leave and he had a time of it with this boy around 2.
After we came home the kids and I went to the park. They had so much energy and went up and down on the slide. They were on the swings to. I can't remember the last time I push someone on a swing. When I said it was time to leave they didn't make a fuss.

Memory

Have you ever thought how far back you can remember? How old you were at your earliest memories?
Now I know I have memories back before a lot of you were born-stick around long enough its easy.
But today I even shocked myself. I found a newspaper article about the day my little brother was badly burned by hot tea he pulled down on himself. He was 1. I can remember the scream my mother let out and all the rapid moving and them taking my little brother to the hospital. It was about a month after I turned three. Mother kept that piece of newspaper; dated and put in a little wallet. I wasn't sure when it happened but I remembered it and the scars my brother had. But thanks to my Mom I know when.
Now if I could remember recent things as well.

You Want Billions

You hear and read the billions that are spent and you can't comprehend that figure. Well here is something that puts it in perspective. The yearly estimate budget for one year -
Total receipts $6,650,410,000
Total Expenditures $7,345,655,000 (exclusive of debt retirement)
Net deficit $695,245,000
Debt retirement $200,000,000
Gross deficit $895,245,000
This was in what year? I bet the people didn't like that budget because we were in marked recession in business. Would you care to guess the year.

Old Music Found.

Looked at some records I found upstairs. I found an Al Jolson record. I have a few from the Knickerbocker Male Quartet and others. They were on Silverstone and Columbia records. From the tittle of the songs these were from the time of WW1. I also found a few albums that are a litle more modern. Two by Perry Como, One by Bread, and one by Crosby Stills and Nash. Oh there was even a record with music recorded at Ziegfield Follies. That started my week out.

Wrong Box?

Tonight I opened the wrong box to check what I could throw away. It had very old memories but it still hit me like a ton of bricks. I found the paper from the cemetery for my husband's burial.
There were sympathy cards. I couldn't just put them in the garbage. I had to look at each one and see so many names that I don't remember. They are still in the box; maybe I will be able to shred or throw but not tonight. It amazes me after all these years how this affected me. These were from 1966.
I also found the bill for my son's surgery less than 2 months later to check if he had Cancer.
I had to wait for a week before I got the final results. He was fine. My son was a little over 2 years old.
This certainly was not the best of times for me.
I did find a Christmas Program from 1974 where my son played solo Silent Night on his small organ.
I am not sure how i'll sleep tonight but the good Lord will give me peace I am sure.

MISC.

Hope everyone had a great Easter. I saw some great posts about the meaning of this holiday.
And it didn't have a thing to do with rabbits or colored eggs.
Yesterday I finished going thru my old medications. I opened the bottles-emptied them into plastic bag and took the labels off the bottles or boxes. I had hoped to get rid of them today. My druggist wouldn't take them but said I should take them back home;fill the bag with water and when they are destroyed put them in coffee grounds or kitty litter and put them in the garbage.
They are almost all melted.
I did my wash this morning because it is supposed to be rainy for the next few days. Another job done!
When I came home there in front of my house in an old garden spot was one little crocus in full bloom. Oh the power of one. :)
I went to the store and saw some old friends outside. It was great to see them and chat for awhile. The day has hours to go but it has been such a good day.

Happy Easter

Today He died! BUT on Sunday HE AROSE!! The promise of the Bible was fulfilled and gives hope to all who believe. So I have no problem saying Happy Easter.

When I was working it went from most people working in an office Monday thru Friday to my area where we worked 24/7. The office staff had half a day on Good Friday. Once our area started there was a problem with Easter Sunday holiday pay. A few of us stated if you didn't have Easter Sunday Good Friday didn't mean anything. We won for a little while.

So Happy Easter to you all.

UpDate

Don't think I can quit yet; but at least I can get into the storage room. There is still a lot of things that belong to my kids. There are things of mine that I want to get rid of also. Its like this: I don't want it or need it but I wouldn't want to give something away without giving my boys a chance to say "I wouldn't mind having that."
Yesterday even after we did over 200 pounds in the morning I got busy and we took 4 bags up. I put them in my car and my son came along after I talked him to taking my car. We went to refuse place and then to another town's hardware store. I need string for my weed eater and that is where I bought it. We bought the string and headed home. John fixed it all up and then proceeded to do
the area that needed to be done. He raked the area also. I think he was happy to be outside in fresh air and he knew that it was something I needed done.
It was a good couple of days. I had time with my son and We accomplished things.
It sometimes gets to me when I see things that need to be done and I can't do them.
God I love my sons.

200 Pounds

Just a little over 200 pounds of trash were taken up today. It seems like alot but I still see more I think can go. I have said more than once I would like to reduce the things in my house by half. I don't feel like I should be on the program called 'HOARDERS'

Work Day

Well, my son came up and I can't believe the amount of purging we did. We are going to borrow a truck tomorrow and get rid of some more things. It wasn't all work and having time with him is great. I found more pictures. Some I kept and some I did throw away. I am beginning to see an ending to this chore.

Good TV

Tonight I watched some good tv. It was on the Discovery Channel. It was all about animals all over the world and how they adapt. It is called Life. It started last Sunday and it is going to be on next Sunday also. I don't agree on the evolution and dates given but all the strange animals I saw tonight and their ways to do what is necessary for survival. After that program there was one about a man catching a Demon fish that lives in the Congo River.
I enjoyed and learned a few things tonight. TV isn't always worth my sitting and watching but tonight I did.
My two sons that were coming up tomorrow is down to one son. The other son is sick. I hope to get some more things done tomorrow.
Have a great week and God Bless

Bank Robbers NOT

Did you hear about the two bank robbers from Conn. that were arrested by the police at the bank.
Robbers were not coming out of the bank--they were going into the bank.
The idiots called ahead and said they would be there in 10 min. and have the money ready.
Now really give me a break!

Junk Day

It is cold this early morning but as the old saying goes--I am hot to trot. I have to get the garbage out for the garbage men to pick up around 8:30. Then get all the stuff-- bags and bags of stuff they don't take ready for my son coming up from Green Bay sooooo the two of us can load his vehicle up and go to disposal place and GET RID OF IT!! I felt that my name should have been changed to Emelda Marcos when I went thru my shoes. I am getting rid of alot of shoes. When you pack shoes away it is just plain dumb on your part because you won't or can't wear them again.
Throw them away or donate don't pack them away.
Sometimes when you throw away you get a feeling that your life wasn't so bad if you have this much to get rid of.
Monday two more sons come up and take their things. Then I can peruse what I have left and get rid of alot more. One more son to get his things and then blessed relief I can dispose of more things without regard if its something I am storing for some one.
Someone told me yesterday I am doing my kids a favor by going thru this now- I can't accept that.
I am doing it for me. I want my house back and don't want or need all this stuff to feel secure.
I am blessed and I know it. So here I go!

Nice Visit

This afternoon I had a great little visiter. It was my little great grand son Calvin. He is 4 months old. I haven't seen him since he was less than a week old. It was such a nice surprise.
When his mom called and asked if I wanted to see him I was so happy. I didn't have to go upstairs I could stay downstairs and enjoy the baby leaving the work upstairs. I did go up later and found a few more surprises. But I am tired and don't want to go upstairs and deal with things the first part of my day every day.

History & More

I didn't realize all the things I would find when I started to clear out my house. I have so many things that bring me back many years. Baptismal certificate from 1938 for my mother,my sister,my younger brother and myself. Birth announcements- one for my son from 1963 and then one for his daughter in 1985. Pictures of people I haven't seen for decades. I am reliving many things these last few weeks. Not everything I find is good but it is history.
This is some project I started. I didn't have to do all that I am doing and my upstairs does not look better right now for all the time I have spent up there. But the memories keep flooding my days and my mind. My brain is really getting a workout trying to fathom what and how I feel.

Treasures

I have to make correction. Newspaper article was for my grandparents 60th anniversary not 50th.
When I put it in a protective cover I saw my error.
I sent my niece a letter that came from her parents with pictures of her and her siblings that was sent to my parents on March 20,1973. Almost exactly 37 years ago. I received a call tonight that she received them and was surprised. It felt good to share.
I shared some pictures with my sister and she received them today also. There was a picture of her that my dad carried in his wallet. She remembered the suit she had on.
This has changed my attitude a little bit. I have always said "stuff" is just that "stuff" Things don't have value as much as people and memories. I guess I was wrong.

Flying Fast Past

My upstairs has my mind going thru years at a speed I have trouble comprehending. I pick up something and I am looking at a newspaper clipping from 1947 about my grandparents 50th anniversary. I pick up another piece of paper and it is from 1926. It was my parents marriage license. A brief time later I am looking at pictures of their 50th anniversary celebration that I gave. Then I am looking at Christmas pictures from 1966 of my boys first Christmas with out their dad. He died in september of that year. I am looking at pictures from January 1967 when my son had his first birthday. More pictures when my sons were older. High school year book of mine from my junior year 1950.
It is a little hard dealing with all of this coming at me so fast. I have set myself down on the top stair and just sat more than once.
They say you can sometime see your life pass before you before you die. I'm seeing it now without any thing bad happening to me.

Memories

Going thru things that you have stored has an advantage. You can find triggers that bring back memories of the different times in your life. Yesterday I found a stash of recipes of my mom's;
some handwritten and some cut from newspaper. My mom cooked some good meals. She made a good fruit cake and she and my dad canned some great relishes.
I also found the program for my high school graduation almost 60 years ago. Then I started to think about where I have lived. I thought of all the places since birth. Each house brought back a memory. And I can state that they were mostly good. Not all were good but thats expected out of life.
I will be happy to finish this work though because it is work. Some of the boxes are heavy for me. My back is complaining.
Have a great week and if you start feeling bad go to your memory bank and think good thoughts and thank God for them.