Grandma, the Mechanic

Are things so different now than they were when I was growing up that children can be "mother deaf" by the ripe old age of five?? There are Rules. I have tried (in my 24 hours of summmer caregiving) to let the children have some latitude. They have been basically good...but Ryan still doesn't have a lot of impulse control, and I am finding that playing outside with "friends" is great leverage. We did errands today. Got home at 3:00. Thereafter, things have been dicey, at best.

Robin found a group of children just down Stanley Road and wanted permission to go down there to introduce herself. I told her that she (and Ryan) could, as long as they were right where I could see them every time I went to look. I went to look three times, and three times, they were in sight. On the fourth time, they weren't. I walked down, only to find that they were IN THE HOUSE. Ack! I'm sure that the folks there are good people, since the grandmother there is taking care of her grandchildren...but still!

What errands did we run? Went to my bank; went to Cookie Cutters for damage control on Ryan's hair (not helped much) and got Robin a trim; stopped at Target to see if we could find another swim suit for Robin and sandals for both. The children are really hard on shoes! (Plus the fact that their feet are growing faster than they are!) We also stopped at McD's for a late lunch. Play place, you know...

Robin is a snacker. She wanted something to eat after we got back from errands. I suggested grapes or apples slices. She took apple slices. Good choice! I am reserving major sugar treats for dessert. Period. So far, no problems with that.

Ya know, I look at what I write here and think it is so boring. I guess blogging is pretty self-serving. If you are reading this and actually care, thank you. I mean, the title is "Peggy's Ramblings". That should tell you something!

Reunion

The children arrived home from Tennessee sometime around 4:00 yesterday. Ryan clung to his mother, being happy to see her. Robin clung to her father for one last hug. (It has been ever thus. Robin is Daddy's girl, and Ryan is his mama's boy!) We had pizza for supper and got everyone to bed at a decent hour...peacefully. I think they were genuinely glad to be home! Nathan had given Ryan a conservation Mohawk haircut (which we will have "fixed" at Cookie Cutters tomorrow) and both children had been eaten alive by sand fleas on their Tennessee camping trip, but they seemed otherwise none the worse for wear.

This morning, I let the children sleep in. Can't do that every morning, but it seemed right today. When they were finally up, dressed, and breakfasted, they each got on a computer for awhile...then the neighbor boy appeared outside...and they played outside with him all day! I managed to get them to come in for lunch along about 2:30, and they ate well...then back outside to play.

To be honest, I like it if the kids can play outside (even if I do have to check on them every 10 minutes or so). As long as they are following The Rules, outside play is a great babysitter! At least they aren't watching television or mindlessly eating junk. They ate a good lunch and a decent supper, with nothing in between. They played well together. I didn't have to get after anyone for anything. No threats. No punishments. Just good kids. Don't know how long this "honeymoon" will last, but if we can have the rest of the summer like today, I'll be a happy camper!

What else got accomplished today? Several loads of laundry, the last of the Field Day preparation dishes, and...oh yes...loading Neighbor Fred's pickup truck with yet another load of MY yard trash to go to the yard trash place. I had the ash tree in the south yard trimmed, plus there was a stack of collected twigs/branches at the corner of the house that needed to go. Oh...and dear Fred tackled the volunteer mulberry trees that grow in the few inches between my other neighbor's fence and mine, so that trash went, too. (Those mulberries have been chopped down at least twice. I need to find some stout herbicide to get them gone for good.)

We are beginning to prepare for a long Fourth weekend in Gatlinburg. Apparently Gatlinburg has a midnight Fourth of July parade on the very day that we will have been on the road all day. I don't see how we can miss it. I mean, where else can you go for a parade at midnight on the Fourth of July??

Ciao. Bedtime for Grandma.

An-ti-ci-pation

Grandkids due home any time. Haven't seen the little skunks in almost a month. I have missed them! I know that 15 minutes after their return, I'll be wondering what I was thinking...but they are good children!

Field Day went okay. Saturday was hot. Antennas weren't working right. Two of our three logging computers went down for a time. No training on some of the rigs we had set up, blah, blah. Worst of all, propagation wasn't great. But FD 2009 is history. I didn't do any contesting, but I did provide the food. I don't think anyone went hungry. Will have to prepare an after-action report on the food deal for our next meeting. I think it's okay with everyone to have me do the shopping, etc. They hardly touched the veggie tray, but I notice that the cherry/cheese Danish that I laid out for breakfast was all gone this morning, as were all the bananas...

I was up at 4:30 this morning. Don't know why. Typically, I wake up around 3:00 and sleep somewhat fitfully after that. I got up at 4:30 just to do some housework before I had to go back to the FD site (Hendricks County Fairgrounds). As it was, I got a call from one of the guys at the site at about 10:30 saying, "Come get your stuff. We've torn down early." First time in history that I was there and back in an hour!

Anyway, it is cooler today...less humid. Nice break from the nasty heat we've had. I sure hope my grandbabies come home in a good mood!

TGIF

And what a day it is! The television is full of nothing but Michael Jackson, due to his untimely death. I have to admit, I was shocked. He had his eccentricities and had a big question mark over his head about his sexual proclivities, I still truly enjoyed his videos and never tired of watching him dance. And, or course, he is way to young to have died... **Paragraph breaks.** I came down with a UTI early in the week. Wasn't too miserable until Tuesday night/Wednesday morning when the pain kept me up all night. Needless to say, I took a trip to the doc for meds. Feeling MUCH better now. I think I'll live! *Getting ready for amateur radio Field Day. I'm doing the food, since I usually don't take part in the antenna erection. In recent years, I haven't done much by way of contesting, either...ever since one of my Field Day buddies died. It's going to be hot. (This is a 24-hour outside event.) And the meds I am taking supposedly make one sensitive to sun exposure, so I have to be careful. I don't think anyone will go home hungry... *Am trying to put the house back together. The grandchildren will be home Sunday. I miss them!!!

Dr. Phil

I try to watch Dr. Phil's show every day. There is always something to learn, and I am often surprised to find out that I am right when it comes to his assessment of how things are with people. There was a gal on today who was complaining about the fact that men "bail" on her because she is independent. At first, they are attracted to her because of that, but eventually, their egos get in the way and they evaporate. I can relate to that! **Paragraph breaks...again.** When I was a recently-divorced woman, back in the early '90s, I had too much to do to be bothered with relationships. I was establishing employment, finding a home in a new location, trying to make a secure life for my 12-year-old daughter. It was a huge job, and I knew that no one was going to take care of us but me. (Daddy Dearest was in the early throes of establishing a new life with his then-secretary. He didn't even ask to see Megan for two months after she and I moved out. I won't continue because it will just make me angry.) I also considered that Meg might be jealous of any relationship that I tried to make. I had too many other things to worry about! I made sure that I could handle whatever it was that needed to be handled. Did NOT want to depend on anyone who could potentially fail me again. I became an independent female. *I think I have lost relationships because I know myself. I am a caregiver. Inevitably, I end up caring for others, whether they need it or not...and have trouble accepting care from others. I'm a Covill Woman. Stuff happens. Then, too, I have worried about what man would accept me with my close connection to my daughter and grandchildren. The truth is, frankly, I don't care! I will spend the rest of my life as a single woman, and happy about it. Of course, that doesn't mean that I don't have friends...

Thanks Be to God!

I got home from my mini-trip safely yesterday (Sunday). Today, I got up early enough to track Meg's trip from San Francisco to Houston, and then from Houston to Indy. The "red eye". Picking her up at Indy International was easy. Getting to the airport takes less than 10 minutes, and they have a new "cell phone" lot where you can park and await a call from someone arriving. It is then two minutes to the terminal. Meg was waiting on the curb. Easy!

I took her to work, then came home to wait for the floor dude to put in the toe kicks under the cabinets. He is willing to do the rest of the floor work to be done around here for a decent price. I'm sorely tempted! May still do this...

Went back to pick Meg up from work. Understand that she had been on a plane overnight with only "twilight" sleep...then went to work. We had some dinner and watched her pics of California...then she went to bed (about 7:30). She's on her own tomorrow! I have a young man coming over at 9:00 to help with yard work before he leaves for Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. I hope the heat doesn't kill us! Realize, I'm not complaining!

I'm working on a bladder infection. It's always somthing!

Sunshine!

We have sunshine! No rain at all today (yet)...so my mood has been pretty good. I had planned a trip out of town today but dragged my feet getting ready, so I'll go tomorrow. No biggie!

I got a cell phone text message from Meg indicating that she and former sister-in-law Rhoda are in Chinatown together. Meg had to take a train to meet up with Rho and was plenty nervous about it this morning when I talked to her, but apparently all is well. Hope they are having fun! The Internet, btw, is a wonderful thing. I can be in touch with Meg in so many ways because of Internet and cell phone technology. (Thank you, amateur radio!)

Yesterday, Mr. Clumsyhawk came back over because I couldn't get the dishwasher door closed enough for it to start. Much to my embarrassment, the problem turned out to be a dish lid that was in the way. Oops!!!

I did get my insurance issues taken care of yesterday. Got the bills paid. Have a couple of phone calls to make still, but things are working out in spite of my procrastination. Life is good!

I miss my grandbabies. They'll be back in 1 1/2 weeks. We will have to find fun things to do!

Will be out of touch for a few days after tomorrow. Hope everything will still be here when I get back on Sunday. Ciao!

Jealous!

Meg and I have connected via Internet every day, so far...on G-mail with a video chat. She has also posted a lot of pictures on her Flickr account. I am green with envy that she is seeing lots of sights that I saw, only briefly, as a 10-year-old kid. Still, what an opportunity for her! They toured San Francisco Bay via boat and took a cable car tour. They've eaten at Bubba Gump's on Fisherman's Wharf, driven down the coastline to Big Sur, and watched the sun go down over the Pacific. Pretty neat stuff for a Midwestern young'un! Fortunately, I don't have to remind her to take lots of pictures. She's good at that. **Paragraph breaks...again!** I feel pretty well today. Actually, this is the best I have felt for a couple of weeks. ALL of the laundry is done (because no one is here to add to the pile, except me). I just need to get it all put away in the right rooms... *I am learning something about the new kitchen floor. It shows every last little grass clipping that gets tracked in! It means more work than when the carpet was here, largely because I totally gave up on trying to clean the old carpet. I'm prepared! I have an inside broom, a smaller dust pan with a little brush (that will fit little hands), and a brand new sponge mop. There is also a fairly new little vacuum that comes apart and becomes a Dust Buster-type deal. Do you see my thinking here?? My vision is that the children will take turns cleaning up the kitchen floor at the end of supper. We'll see! Still, it's time that everyone took some responsibilities around here! *I am out of my stinkin' mind, but I really miss the children. I'm afraid that they will have grown a foot by the time they get back. Robin has already pulled yet another tooth while in Muncie. I think she's lost 8 now. I've lost track! *Back to work here. I need to take a run to school tomorrow to check on insurance. That's important!!

Slave Labor

I got Meg to the new Indy Airport terminal yesterday afternoon. (My first time at the new one. Easy deal. Very well marked, etc. Round trip to-and-from came to a whopping 30 minutes.) The first leg of her trip was from here to Hebron, KY (Cincinnati) for a 40-minute layover, then on to San Francisco from there. Her plane from Indy took off 45 minutes late, which ate up virtually all of her layover time. She called me from there, out of breath, hot-footing-it to the gate. Fortunately, THAT flight was delayed, too--probably due to connecting flights that were delayed, blah, blah. In other words, she did NOT miss her flight to SF, but she was worried. (So was I!) I got on the Internet and used a flight-tracking website that I used years ago. Her flight to SF was also considerably delayed. She was over Utah when I decided to go to bed. Sometime before midnight, she called to say she was on the ground, and sometime before mightnight-thirty, she called to say that she had connected with her friend. All's well. **Here we go again! Check asterisks for paragraph breaks!** This morning, Mr. Clumsyhawk came over to help out with some things. (It is amazing how little jobs can add up!) For example, when the floor dudes put the dishwasher back in, they didn't screw it into the countertop...so, with the door open and loaded, the dishwasher wanted to tip forward. He took care of that. And when the floor dudes put the new vinyl under the back door threshhold, the door stuck terribly. He worked and worked on that. Finally had to take the door off and plane the bottom a bit. Now it opens and closes better than it ever has!! *I did put the china cabinet and most of the buffet back together this morning. Had Meg take a picture of the china cabinet before we took everything out because I was worried that I wouldn't get it all back together well. It worked! *The young fellow that usually mows my lawn has been "contracted" for Monday to do more slave labor--mostly in the back yard. I just can't do it all alone, and the back has been sorely neglected these last two years. It is a small yard, but I want the children to play back there instead of in the front...so I am looking at swing set/playscapes. But first, there are messes to take care of! I hope Blain can help make a dent. He's a good kid. Hope the weather cooperates. *While I was obsessing about getting things done before the children get home, friend Ryan reminded me that I am retired now and need not be in such a hurry. I don't think that even computes! In years past, I have had a summer to-do list that exceeded my time and energy. This year, I guess if it all just happens before the snow flies, I should be okay with it. We'll see! *And so it goes. I have to remind myself that Rome wasn't built in a day, and huge messes can't be cleaned up in that amount of time, either. I am STILL fighting the urge to find places for things when most of them simply need to be thrown out. Ever onward and upward!

Baby Boomer

In recent months, I have made it a habit of curiosity to read the posts that readers enter at the end of online news articles. Some are thoughtful and sympathetic to the subject of the article. Many are deliberately challenging, as if the person posting is merely throwing a rock in a pond just to watch the ripples. Others are downright insulting, calling people "idiots" and "morons" for sport and/or are generally racist. Why does this happen? Largely because the people can post anonymously. No one will ever know who they are. Computers do that to folks. They feel entitled to say things that they would NEVER say to anyone in person. And so it is.

But there is more to the story. There seems to be a horrible desire to place blame in today's society. An 8-year-old boy was stuck and killed by lightning while out night-fishing with his father at 3:00 AM. Instantly, the posts started with "What's a boy of that age doing out at that hour? Bad parenting!" A parent allows her young son to go back to their car at a football game to get something. They find the boy dead, with his neck caught in the power window. "How could a parent allow this? Bad parenting!" A girl gets raped on her way to or from school. "Where were the parents??" As a teacher of 39 years, I understand how parental inattention can cause problems, but sometimes things just happen, ya know?

My own family experienced one of these deals before I was born. Back in 1945, my 15-month-old sister was in the care of my grandparents while my parents taught. Her crib was pushed up against a window that was covered with Venetian blinds. (There are warnings on those things now, but back then, who knew?) The looped cord from the blinds were within Barbie's reach. She was supposed to be napping, but somehow got the cord wrapped around her neck and lost her footing. When my grandmother went in to check on her, she was dead. They did everything known to medical science back then, to no avail. The newspaper reported my grandparents as "prostrate with grief". My parents never once blamed my grandparents. In fact, they faulted themselves because Mom wasn't home taking care of the children, herself. (That was as big thing back then.) There was a Coroner's Inquest that ruled the death "accidental". Today, I'm quite certain that my family would have been fried in the court of public opinion...

But think about this:
As a pre-K kid, I played, alone, in a vacant lot down the block from my house. No one supervised me.
When I was in 3rd or 4th grade, my girlfriend and I were allowed to take public transportation to the YMCA in Danville, IL, for swimming lessons. We even had to make a bus transfer, and did it quite well on our own.
At age 10, in Japan, my mother allowed me to be in downtown Sasebo by myself for some function, with a few yen to hail a cab on my own to wend my way home.
When my daughter was in KDG, she walked to school from a caregiver's with a friend. By 3rd grade, she was allowed to walk to school with two of her neighborhood buddies.
I often watch the Andy Griffith Show on TV, where Andy and Aunt Bea allow Opie to be off with his friends, unsupervised. Even Beaver on Leave it to Beaver is out with his buddies after school, and no one worries about him until it gets late.

So...what's up with that? Is the world so much more dangerous now that we can't let our children out of our sight? Or are we just so much more sensitive to law suits that we can't leave any little thing to chance? As we reel in our children, they lose their innocence and sense of fun. Have I lived too long? Have things changed that much??

Yeah, they have. We live in a different time and space. I'm not sure I like it very much, but (thankfully) I live in a community that feels somewhat safe. I hope I don't live so long that all of that changes. I choose to believe that we still look after each other and each other's children. With my grandchildren living here, I am constantly aware of what COULD happen...but there is no way to prevent everything. I just pray to God that nothing bad happens here!

Meg is flying to San Francisco tomorrow. Please, God...let her get there and back safely!

Done!

The kitchen floor project is DONE! Appliances and furnishings are back in place (the dryer having been fixed while off line). All that is left is for me to re-load things...and I am somewhat reticent to do it. No painting got done. I ran out of steam, and neither Meg nor I could decide what kind of colors we wanted, so I just cleaned walls and baseboards as best I could and figured the transformation would have to wait for another time. The new floor makes the room look bigger and cleaner. I like it! Thanks to everyone who helped!

Next house project: main bathroom floor. I'll tap into the same dude to do it. He's good.

There is a pair of doves that spends time on the edge of the neighbor's roof. They don't seem to have a nest, but sit quite happily together there. Cute!

I also noticed last night that the yard is a-glitter with lightning bugs. That's when I miss the grandchildren most! Lightning bugs always bring back memories of my own childhood. What fun to chase them around!

Meg is leaving in a day or so for San Francisco. I'm trying to get her laundry done, now that the dryer is fixed. She is flying by the seat of her pants. (Funny! She has lost so much weight that she is out shopping for pants right now!)

More later.

Halfway Done...

I got up this morning at 5:00 in fear and trembling. There were still things to get out of the kitchen...LOTS of things...and I was moving slowly. The floor dude was a bit late, which gave me an opportunity to get more done. Barry (the floor dude) walked in full of confidence. No problem moving things. And he was right! He started removing the filthy, filthy carpet immediately, in sections...and the ancient vinyl tile underneath--the original from 1968, I think--mostly came up with it. He did have to do some scraping but declared that the concrete underneath was smooth and in good shape for new flooring. He had to move some appliances around. The washer and dryer went to the patio. The stove got put aside, as was the fridge (which WAS on rollers, after all). I think the built-in dishwasher turned out to be the most problematic because the water shut-off valve wasn't working well (and will need to be replaced). When he got all of the old stuff up, he left for the day. Will return tomorrow with a helper to lay the new vinyl down. **Hmmm...paragraphing won't work again. Check asterisks for new paragraphs!** *MEANWHILE, Mr. Clumsyhawk (see yesterday's post) came over to take a look at the defunct dryer on the patio. He had it apart in no time and cleaned out gobs and GOBS of lint! He told me that it should be done every few years. Well...except for cleaning the lint screen with each load, I have never taken the dryer apart to clean it in all of the 18 years that I've had it! In short order, he determined that the "coil" was fine; one of the thermostats was bad, meaning that it had shut down in order to prevent a fire because of all of the lint! Thank God for thermostats! My friend left to get replacement parts--a whopping $57 worth--and had the dryer put back together quickly. Our assumption is that it will be good as new when it comes back in the house tomorrow. No down time! *I paid Clumsyhawk for his time and expertise. He said it was too much. I said I would have had to pay twice that for a commercial repairman, and I trust him more. I left to meet Meg at Subway for supper, and when we got back, the front lawn had been mowed!!! Clumsyhawk had driven home, loaded his Dixie Chopper on a trailer, drove back, mowed my lawn, then loaded up and left--all before we returned a mere 45 minutes later! Thank God for Mr. Clumsyhawk! *One thing that occurred to me at the end of the work day as the floor dude was leaving was...DUH...I should be painting behind the appliances while they are not in place! Oh, well...I'll just wait for another time, I thought...then re-thought...no...gotta do it now! I have the paint. Will just have to get up early tomorrow and do it! (Too tired tonight.) *The kitchen echoes this evening. Hope it won't when everything gets put back in. We can always add throw rugs!

One Thing Begets Another...

I could have sworn that I did a blog yesterday... Guess my mind is going!

So much to do! The kitchen floor project starts tomorrow morning, so I have been "lightening" the load on kitchen furniture and appliances so stuff doesn't get broken...china cabinet...buffet...washer/dryer...stove. Um...the refrigerator is another deal. Don't know WHAT to do about that! Of course, one job begets another. As I have done laundry, I have moved clothing around. Kids winter clothes pile. Kids outgrown clothes pile. Clothes on hangers. Folded clothes. I usually at least get them to the appropriate bedroom, even if they aren't put away properly there. (Since the children aren't here right now, their bedrooms are taking the kitchen overflow. As always, things get MORE messed up in the process of trying to get things right!) You can't believe how nice the refrigerator looks without all of the magnets, calendars, and cereal boxes on it! I'm not anywhere ready for the guys tomorrow, but I have made a big dent.

"Grandpa" Phil came over on Friday to clean out my maple-farm gutters. Since the shrubs that usually make that difficult have been removed, it wasn't a hard job...just tedious. Clean out gutter, put rotting leaves and seedlings in a bucket, dump the bucket into a garbage bag, move the ladder. Repeat. It took a couple of hours in decent temperatures. Whatever would I do without people like Phil and Judy?! Thanks, Phil! I owe you one!

My best plan was to have all of the laundry caught up so that there wouldn't be problems over the two kitchen floor days. This morning, I re-tumbled a load in the dryer in order to get it unwrinkled to put away...and noticed that there was no heat. Hmmmm.... I put it on a different setting. Again, no heat. The dryer is electric and about 18-years-old. To my remembrance, I've never had service on it. (I keep records on that stuff. Should look it up.) I shot "feelers" out to some of my radio friends. All three agreed that it was worth fixing...and cheaper than buying new. One volunteered to come over this afternoon and move it out to check on the electrical stuff, but another said he would come over tomorrow (after the floor guys move it out) to fix it. I'm not supposed to say who he is because he's afraid others will want him to do their work, too. Let me just put it this way: this fellow has been a good friend through many years and has always helped me through the rough spots. Even Meg feels guilty that we always seem to call on him when things go a-foul here. God bless Mr. Clumsyhawk!

This is going to sound stupid. I have an inside broom and an outside broom. The inside broom never gets used outside...and usually never vice-versa. Today, I wanted to clear a space on the patio, so I brought the outside broom through the house, set it in the kitchen...then grabbed it to sweep something in the utility area...and earwigs went everywhere! There must have been 15 of them hiding in the broom!! I couldn't grab the Raid fast enough! Ugh! I HATE those things! We have had a bit of an infestation of them over the last 3-4 years outside. Too many places to hide, I guess. Once everything is cleaned up, once and for all (I hope), there will be fewer places for them. It will probably take all summer to get done. Double ugh!

My health hasn't been all that great. I feel better today than I have in awhile. I will probably turn myself in to a doctor on Wednesday, just to get things checked out. My weight is down, but I still have a long way to go before I am not considered overweight. At least 30 pounds. I can do this. It's just a long, slow process!

More later. I need a nap!

The Slow Lane

Life in the slow lane got a whole lot slower over the last couple of days. The cold that I caught just before school was over struck my lungs. For two or three days, I couldn't do anything without being quite short of breath. In fact, I figured I must be having heart failure or something, until I figured that I was actually tasting the infection that I was coughing up. SO, for two days, I kept moving, but rested when I felt tired. (On some days, that meant TWO naps in a day!) However, yesterday and today, I have begun to feel better. I think I'm going to live!

It rained ALL day yesterday...that, after storms the night before that did a lot of damage on the northeast side of Indy. It's cool today, but at least the sun is shining.

I did postpone the kitchen floor project until Monday. That gives me a couple more days to get ready for that deal. I'm workin' at it!

Getting Things Done

Gosh, but I'm slow these days! I've been plugging right along, but I can't point to any one huge job accomplished...and I have a lot to do before the floor replacement deal.

"Big Ryan" got the shrubs cut the other day, then Neighbor Fred and I loaded the stuff into Fred's truck yesterday and got it dumped at the yard recycling place...so the yard trash is mostly gone. There's always more where that came from! That will have to come later...

This morning, I was to meet Nathan's fiancee' at the Indy Zoo for a kid trade. (She apparently spent the night under the dolphin dome as a Girl Scout field trip.) I got the kids up, dressed, and breakfasted in order to deliver them for about 3 1/2 weeks of visiting in Muncie. Was back home by 10:00 I miss the little skunks already, but I am grateful for the break in order to TRY to get things in order here. They always seem to have a good time there. It's hard to compete!

We've had two waves of storms here this evening, mostly to the north. In one area in Marion County, they reported softball-sized hail which broke windows and windshields. I've been through one of those. Hope never to go through another!

Tomorrow is another day...