So they we are swimming in Otter Lake!  I had to back up a hill to park out of the way.  I made sure it was in park and the emergency brake was on.  After a bit of swimming and a light lunch we decided it was time to head for home.

We get in the truck, I release the emergency brake, start the engine, and put it in gear.  Something is wrong!  The steering wheel is impossible to move and when i stepped on the brakes the truck almost didn’t stop rolling off the hill.
Oh boy I am in trouble now!

A phone call home didn’t help determine what the trouble was.  Jay couldn’t come to me because he had no vehicle and hasn’t driven except on the property in months.  Knowing we couldn’t just leave the truck and walk home(approx. 3 miles) I decided to do my damnest to steer it out of the parking lot, down the street to a little garage there in town and get help!

So there I stood in a wet bathing suit telling this guy what had transpired.  He check it over and announced that the shaft in the power steering pump had sheared off.  This pump also works with the power brakes unit therefore I had neither power steering or power brakes.  Oh joy, next could he fix it, how much, and how long?  Yes, he quoted a price, and more importantly if he could the part in on tomorrow morning’s delivery I could have the truck by tomorrow afternoon. The warranty had expired so I said to go ahead.

So another gentleman graciously hauled the cooler, bathing bag, Jazz, and me home.  My only problem now is we had used up the catsup yesterday and the milk is low.  Man I miss my truck already.  But as we say—time sure flys when you are having fun!!! 

  Jazz came up for a little vacation and I put her to work.  What kind of a grandma am I?  I’d say a smart one, Huckleberry Finn style.  I mean who can resist a chance to drive that tractor? 

Well tomorrow I think swimming is on the agenda.  We worked hard today and 2+ acres is no small job.

By the way we started a different puzzle but it is pretty slow going.  I don’t hold much hope in seeing it finished.  But what the hey we don’t have to do it if we don’t want to.

Now I’m off to a hot shower.  The thought of sleeping with grass clippings and pine tree needles in my hair just doesn’t appeal! Good Night!

Do you believe that it was 5:00 pm today when it dawned on me that it was my 30th anniversary?  Man, I wouldn’t have had everyone out working in the yard.  I would not have cleaned bird cages or any other every day thing I did today.  No I would have yelled to go out to breakfast , lunch, and supper.  Come to think of it my sweet hubby made all three meals today so I guess I’d better shut up and smile!!

Yes my friends this is what we looked like 30 years ago.  We made the dresses, stitched the guy’s jackets to match, and were married in my parents’ back yard.  It was a second chance for both of us and it sure has worked out well.

From the left is my good friend Pam, my sister-in-law Peg, and yours truely.  Next is my sweet hubby Jay, my brother Daniel,and my eldest Wes.  Les and Cindy were in some of the other pictures but this was are formal shot.

Now I take a moment to thank my hubby for another chance and wish him a very Happy Anniversary!!

Jazz is up to spend the week with us and as you can see we are jigsaw ‘puzzleing.’  Actually we are jigsaw bathing.  I kinda spilled a cup of coffee over half the puzzle and we had to take the pieces outside to dry off.  In the process some of the pieces buckled, some of the fronts came off, and we lost one.  I hate this damn puzzle.  Stupid Thomas Kindkade puzzle costs about $10 and we are going to throw it in the garbage.  We will buy Deb another one or give her the money.

Of course after trying to work with crinkled pieces I put my coffee cup on the floor away from the puzzle and the table top.  You guessed it—I stood up and kicked the cup over on the carpet.  To make me feel better Jay tipped his glass of water over on the new computer desk!!

Well we plan to hit Otter Lake on one of the warm days to go swimming and have a picnic.  We are also going to Birch Run Outlets for a little shopping.  We have the yard to mow,  branches to cut up and burn, Jazz has gotten to drive the tractor and learn to knit, not necessarily in that order.  I thought we might take in a couple of the Antique stores for fun.  And we also have one more puzzle to spill coffee on! 

All and all a busy week, but we hope a fun one!

The upstairs room, next to the computer room, has been known as the clown room for almost six years now.  It contained costumes, wigs, makeup, tricks, balloons, a balloon pump, skit material, clown dolls, puppets, and generally every thing needed to perform. 

Also in this room was craft materials.  Yarn, material for making costumes, fabric paints, colored pencils, crayons, punch rug kits, etc. These articles were stored in two wood cabinets, assorted cardboard boxes, and blue plastic storage boxes. In the middle of all of this was a very uncomfortable futon, our offering for a guest bed.

A couple of days ago on my way to the store I noticed, in a front yard, a bed, chest of drawers, and a vanity with a mirror attached.  Stopping to check on it on the way home I found the dressers had wooden drawers and although there were some paint chipped off in spots the items were in pretty good shape.  Best of all the seller was moving out of state and the price was $50.

So today it was off in search of a full size box spring and mattress.  What we found was about 5 times the price of the set but still reasonable enough so we hauled it home.  I have spent the last few hours packing up clown and craft stuff to haul to the basement. I do very little clowning anymore and I can find the things I need easy enough down there.

Tomorrow David is comings up and I am going to help him turn the clown room into a bedroom.  This will be a little nicer on the Evil One and family when they come up and I also have two visits from my granddaughters coming up. Just another change in our household.

With two computers, the one downstairs shares a room with the washer, the dryer, and the cat box so it wasn’t the most pleasant place to work.

As you can see Jay is working on a new desk to move the unit into the living room, into Momma’s Corner.

Two very sweaty days later there she sits.  Untold amount of time saying these parts aren’t all lettered, is the finished side on the outside?  Oops dropped another screw/nail into the carpet!  A few oh shits, a few why did we decide to do this? 

So the rocking chair and the pillow have been moved to the bay window just a few feet away and the utility room is back to normal with a built in desk to write bills out on!!

  We had pastys for dinner tonight, they were so good!  I got to remembering them from long ago when I bought them at an old farmhouse in Utica, MI.  So I looked up the maker, The Pasty Oven, in the U.P. to see if they also made them with rutabaga. THEY DO!  All this to show how Momma describes me.  Ask me the time, I’ll tell you how to build a watch.

  Then browsing their site I discovered how to heat them the “miner’s way.”  First, find a mine shaft and go down 400 feet.  You will need “One long or fat round candle, one yellow canary, two rocks with one flat side, one #2 flat shovel, hard hat, meat thermometer, rain coat, one 8×10 sheet of tin foil, illumination device (candle may be used) .

  WARNING! If the canary keels over, DO NOT LIGHT THE CANDLE!!

  Place candle firmly between rocks and light. Place tinfoil on shovel. Preheat shovel until glowing red and carefully place pasty on it and heat to an interior temperature of 160F. Note: To heat more than one pasty use a larger shovel.

  Children under the age of thirty should be supervised by a responsible adult. A final note: If you prefer this method you have WAY too much free time.”

  If you realy want more info on this, send me a comment.

—Jay

The Little Snit Relaxes!

But Jazz Has To Work!

The Evil One Is Caught, But Not Flat Footed!

A Little Smooch Before Dinner!

Momma Is Smiling For Sure!

Hope you had as much fun as we did!

Kicking Back Before The Fireworks Begin

  It is dusk and the family is ready for the display to begin.  In the back row from the left is Little Snit, Cindyism, Deb, Momma, and Richard.  In front are Jay and Jazz.  The green chairs wait for the rest of the family to join us

WOW! TALK ABOUT YOUR RED, WHITE, AND BLUE! 

I had complained that the Fourth was a nothing this year, but I soon found out I was very wrong!

Words of encouragement from you, time spent with my family, and this extremely patriotic young man who wandered into the yard to say hello has really changed my mind!