2019 Family, Friends and Miscellaneous
January - First temperatures below 0° on January 21. (- 2°) Ice fishermen on lake many days of the month. Middle of month deep snow. Worked on rejuvenating my old photo album of the 50's for oldest daughter. Brother gave me a real crystal ball that he hand made. Granddaughter huge with twins to deliver. -10° January 31.
February - The mister fell in the living room and tore up his arm. Messy but not serious. Fell again two days later and increased damage. I was his nurse. Baked brownies, snicker doodles and a large cheese-spinach quiche. More snow. Twin boys arrived. Great Grandsons. Deer all over in the backyard. Baked blueberry cheesecake.
March - Two more snow events. Lots of long icicles. A large number of fishermen on the lake enjoying the sport. Brother brought me large container of his home made maple syrup. Baked raisin cake, oatmeal cookies. Daffodils sprouting in front yard. Oldest daughter's father-in-law died.
April - The mister fell and gouged his brow. Not serious. Great Great Grandson born. Granddaughter got a new horse. Baked a lemon cake. Got a nice large prism for display. Twins baptized.
May - Spring perennial flowers up and yard flowers purchased. Dandelions and forsythia out in full bloom. Fresh asparagus time. Cabin cleaning of high things and beams done by grandson and partner. Baked a lemon blueberry cake, banana nut bread, peanut butter cookies and brownies. New rain gutters installed. Friend got a Labradoodle puppy. Grandson got a Rottweiler puppy. Yard man hard at work. Hummingbirds arrived. Shower stall repair.
June - Baked blueberry bread loaf and ginger snaps. Put up eight Qts. strawberries for freezer. Two lake hatchings of goslings, four and three. Airboat spread weed killer on lake twice.
July - Grandson won our lake association fishing trophy second year in a row. Won once before as well. Son and partner visited from Stroudsburg. Granddaughter became engaged. Yardman got beautiful white husky/shepherd mix. Put up green beans for freezer. Corn and tomatoes abundant. Baked banana nut bread. Rooting mint.
August - Peaches put up for freezer. Ate at least three cantaloupe. Squash, zucchini, tomatoes, cabbage, eggplant, cucumbers and corn abundant. Huge Oxheart tomatoes this year grown by daughters! Apples available. Airboat spread weed killer on lake again. Baked cranberry/bran muffins and eggplant parm. Twins won blue ribbons at fair. Made kettle of pea soup for freezer with hambone from daughter.
September - Dried and stored tomato and cantaloupe seeds for next year. Dried out and reaped garlic cloves for freezer. Apple time for sauce and pies and eating. Son from Scranton rode motorcycle here for visit. Baked large meatloaf. Granddaughter un-engaged.
October - Apple cake, crisp, pie and sauce time. Brought back a dozen 1/2 gallons of cider for 2020 supply from orchard. Freezes well. Baked several pumpkin pies. Yardman helped me get enough teasel for porch craft project. Grandson grew a pumpkin that weighed almost 600 lbs! I won 10 lbs. home grown beef burger meat from local farm produce market. Great Granddaughter, age 21 died in FL.
November - First snow - just dusting. Temperatures +18°. Lake completely frozen on 23rd. Didn’t last. Baked spinach quiche, pumpkin pie, roasted turkey breast, chili, meatloaf. The mister fell and bruised cheek and broke eyeglasses. Cause? shuffling and not paying attention plus poor balance. This time had CAT scan to see if fracture on face. AOK. I started using electric blanket from daughter's gift last Christmas.
December - VERY rainy and wet and MUDDY! Baked large lemon cookies - two batches.
ME-Turned 83. Still slowing down while moving forward. Taking pictures mostly from golf car riding around home area. Twelve of my photos were selected to be shown on local TV slide shows. Shoulder and hip received injections every 8 weeks. Eyes still giving me grief with dry eye. Leg and feet circulation poor.
HE-Turned 84. Forgetful but able to complete general tasks and chores except for yard work. Using cane sporadically for stability. Fell about 11 times during year. Hearing very poor. Good dishwasher and vacuum cleaner operator and very helpful. Does all of the driving.
WE-Are living within our means and don't have a single debt. We are comfortable and still capable of being fully independent and self sufficient.
New Stuff
• Updated 2012 Ford Escape to 2016 Ford Escape.
Repairs (Professionally Accomplished)
• Leaky shower stall
• Rain Gutters replaced
• Preservation of bottom logs in back
Crafts…..
Teasel mobile
Photomanipulations (About 120)
Total revamping of old photo album.
All of my various directories and calendars are updated for the year 2020 and I start all over.
By the way, death is part of living in my mind. It is just another path. We leave the old and anticipate the new every year, don’t we? It doesn’t mean that we don’t remember but we do move onward.
“Count your blessings instead of your crosses.
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes.
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears.
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full times instead of your lean.
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth.
Love your neighbor as much as yourself.”
Kindness and acceptance for all. SHARE! SHARE!
Out with the old....