Spring Thing

I ordered a new cap. How do you like it? It will keep the sun from blinding me when I go for my buggy rides. I hope! It may also help to protect my hair from some of the dust as I ride.

Speaking of hair, I just got it cut for the first time this year. It was last October when the beautician came and did it for me right in my living room. This time my daughter took me to her hairdresser in town. The long hair and thin hair and raggedity grow-out was not nice. I feel better now! My hair looks green - I think because I took my picture with my computer app. called Photo Booth. 

It is supposed to rain tomorrow. At least the grass is cut and it is looking pretty good around here. Many trees have baby green leaves. The weatherman says it will hot - hot - over the weekend. I might have to have the AC cover removed. Today I have heat on as it is only 58°  outdoors today. 

Now I have some doctor appointments to attend to soon. I went to the optometrist as my vision was becoming blurry, especially in left eye. I haven't had new lenses in any of my eyeglasses for five years so it was time. During the exam it was discovered that I will need to have a cataract removed - BUT - Before than can be done it is more important to have treatment for glaucoma in left eye. Hopefully drops will bring the pressure down. Sneaky darn thing! Anyway, after that then will have removal of cataract and AFTER that new lenses for eyeglasses. I had a reaction to the medicine he put in to enlarge the pupils for seeing the interior of eye better and after I returned home, had little lunch and took a nap. After that I looked in mirror and my complete face was beet red! Yes, dark and bright red! I called and they wanted me to check my blood pressure and call back. I did and it was where it usually is, NOT raised. I called back and she said they would tell the doc and to expect a call back.  Don't you know he never called back! The redness finally faded and was gone before I went to bed but I KNOW it was an allergic reaction. It wasn't just a flushing. I'm allergic to latex and bee sting and penicillin. Soooo I'll discuss it with him upon my return. (Good news - normal eye pressure is 10-21 and mine is just 23 so it is early.)

 

Winter Wails

Do you hear him? Listen! "BRRRRRRR" James wants to have his winter attire put on!  I was planning to make him a new hat but didn't so he'll have to wear one of the three he has worn before. (The red one didn't even last one season as it turned pink in the sun.) You see, I have to go to a thrift shop and pick out a very extra large used men's winter sweater that won't cost me an arm and a leg. When I return home, I cut off the entire top part just beneath the arms and draw up the cut off bottom section to make his hat. Then there is a large pom pom to be created for the top. I just "might" make a new pom pom to replace the tattered red one that has lasted so well. 

"In a couple of days, James! I'll be there!"
I must confess that I have made two hats for others and not one will fit James.

I just finished this one:

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This one above has an imaginary pom that I haven't yet created for real. The hat was my first try at knitting for many years. 

Click on link below to see more of this hat.

Hat First Made

Eureka!

I did it! Now I have cramps in my shoulder and hands. OK. It fits great, it feels wonderful, it is very stretchy and I won't embellish it at all. 

Maybe the Mister will wear it when the snow chores demand being outdoors and keeping warm. It will come over ears and forehead easily.

please click on image to view larger

Next project: paper tree folding. I have a few prototypes started. 

Chalk it Up

Some days I get a lot of small projects completed and some days I accomplish nothing - nada - zero!

Today was a very good day. I conquered my to do list.

The oven went on and the brownies went in. Nothing to it!

The oven stayed on and the squash went in.

The squash came out, was scooped into a bowl and put aside for Thanksgiving day.

James has a cold head. The scissors did their job and the new hat was made. All I have to do now is to make something to wrap him up for winter's wrath.

Click on image to view larger

Memories of My Old Pop

My grandfather on my father's side of the tree remains very strong in my memory. I wonder why it is, that I haven't thought about him for quite a long time. It seems that vivid memories come back to me now that I'm much older and want to leave some of them for my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Perhaps this is why I'm now putting these recollections on paper. I have only one nephew at the end of my direct family line to carry on old pop's last name and he might be interested as well.

Pop & me 1939

The first memory that comes to mind is Pop's arrival at our home. We would go down the street to meet him as he exited the #72 bus carrying his valise.He always was dressed in his pin striped suit, with a vest, shirt and necktie. I'm not sure about the hat. He had beautiful white hair and maybe it was uncovered, but I don't really think it was. ~memory loss here~ And - of course - his pipe hung in his mouth, not even lit!

~Memory returned~ a Homburg type hat! Yes, that's it. It was probably given to him by a wealthy neighbor for whom he worked.

His pipe was his "trademark." He always smelled of tobacco, plus some other musty odor. His bottom lip would become chapped, forming a scab in the middle where the pipe stem would rest. Eventually a deep and permanent cleft developed and remained there. I found it interesting.I also remember long hairs protruding from his ears and nose!

Pop had been a farmer most of his life, and had an affinity for horses. When I was about 12 years old, I had an old horse that was kept in a nearby barn. When he would come to visit (via train and then bus) he had old clothes to wear and accompanied me on the mile trek to the barn. He taught me the "farmer's blow." During the winter our noses would dribble and he showed me how to hold one nostril shut and blowout the other, making sure the mucus would be spewed downwind. His skills, separating the manure from the straw, using only a three tine fork, was amazing to me. Apparently I was doing a poor job of stall cleaning because I wasted too much straw. I never was able to master his method.

When he visited, my dad would corner him and make him take a bath and after clean underwear, long john type, was on, sit on the edge of the bathtub with his feet, one at a time, over the toilet bowl. A toenail cutting was then done with cutting pliers by dad and he let me watch the procedure.

As he aged, my family, all six of us, would travel about 50 miles to the place where he stayed. His inclination was mostly hermit-like in those days and my dad visited while we remained on the lawn of the home during the visit. Eventually he was moved by my uncles to a care facility for his last days. He had not been eating properly and hoarded the tobacco, and saltine crackers that we always sent to him at Christmastime. I know no more about his hoarding and not taking care of himself, but believe he had dementia. He died at age 87. I had four children at the time and have no recollection of his funeral or burial.