Finally a Car!

It's been years since I've had a car for more than a few months. There was that nice car we had a few years ago, that we could barely drive in winter and finally gave up the ghost. We were able to drive it to the rapid station to go see Weird Al downtown. That was fun. But for the most part it had so many issues it was barely in use. That's what you get with a $1200 car sometimes.

In theory I should have had enough money to afford a car, but as I look around the house I realize why I didn't. When I moved her I had a serger, a not so great sewing machine, a stained sleep sofa and buckets of fabric with an air mattress on it for a bed. Oh, I also had a beat up frying pan.


Not a lot to set up a household with. I did get a LOT of donated items, some furniture, lots of household items and a microwave that I  bought for $10 from a friend. But since then I have bought: dining room table and chairs, new nice sewing machine, living room chairs, side tables, storage cabinet, printer, file cabinet, kitchen table, kitchen bakers rack, toaster, coffee maker, an iron, an air conditioner, window treatments, towels, dishes, flatware, dresser, 2 TVs (I had a tiny vintage one), a vacuum, and countless little things that you need to cook and clean on an everyday basis.

That's a LOT of stuff. It is expensive to set up a household. Since January, I've been testing my ability to "make a car payment". I've been putting away a payment amount of money each month. Some of that had to be used for the abscessed tooth I had to remove, and my portion of the medical bills for the broken ankle. Things will be a lot easier when I pay off the IRS and my medical bills.

So last week I went out to the dealer with the money I set aside to prove I would make payments as my down payment and got this very cute Orange Kia Soul. It's about a loaded as a Soul gets with the exception of a sunroof (no sunroof). It's DD's favorite color and she's a bit jealous, but hey, I like it. I like bright different colors. They are great for visibility, fewer accidents, and you know, everyone will know it's the crazy lady coming at them.

It's a cute little beast and I finally have a reliable set of wheels. It's not new, but it's in decent shape. I love it.

Seven Weeks - Still Healing

Seven weeks. I can't begin to tell you how sick I am of this. I was hoping to post that I can walk, but a death in the family of my ride to the doctor has delayed my appointments. Maybe that's good, because I've figured out how to handle the swelling I'm still having in my foot.

Things are getting much better. If you've never had a cast on for 5 weeks, you just can't possibly imagine the amount of dead skin you accumulate. It took me 4 days of exfoliating to get it off and now I'm peeling. Not sure what that's about, but I think it has something to do with the area being hot from healing and swelling. Even though I'm not allowed to walk or stand on the offending leg, at least I can bring it in the shower and wash it with the rest of my body. That is just like being in heaven.

So live is improving. I made a cute little afghan for my granddaughter to be this week and got my orders done and packed with little effort. I even managed to take my walker outside and sit in the sun for a bit. I never dreamed how difficult just getting out of the door was for people with disabilities. I had to lock the screen door open, because it's just too hard to hang on to the walker, go up and down the little steps AND hold the door open. Crutches wouldn't have been any easier, but I don't use those because I'm still a little off balance from my new and improved blood pressure.

I can't imagine what it's like for people on scooters to get around, although I would like one now to get up the hill to my mailbox. The drive is so steep, I'm afraid I'll tip over backwards trying to climb it. it really is a steep short hill. Maybe next week I'll have both legs back.

I also learned a new trick to get the swelling down. I'm still having soft tissue problems and it's very annoying. I'm hoping it will eventually clear, but the swelling continues. I'm getting it down by strapping an ice pack IN my boot and it's working very well. Now my foot is less swollen by the time I go to bed that it is in the morning when I wake. I'm hoping this will help with the healing process.

Well, overall I'm happy with progress of any kind. I go to the doc, next Tuesday and I hope to get a license to walk. Enjoy your two legs if you have them.

Four Weeks

Four weeks since I broke my ankle. Hard to believe. I still have about 4 more weeks in a cast and then a removable boot support for who knows how long? but at least I should be able to walk by then (I hope).

It's been quite an adventure. This old dog has learned some serious new tricks. First, I had to rearrange my house and my life to accomodate. I was also put on blood pressure medication at the same time, which made it impossible for me to use crutches, so I had to be creative, or lay in bed all day.

I bought a used wheel chair, and if it wasn't for all the bumps between rooms, it would have been great. It would have been great to get me to the car to see the doctor, if it wasn't for all the snow and ice, but there it is. I've adapted an office chair as my major indoor mode of transportation. It rolls and it spins and I can change the height of it for different purposes. It's actually much handier than the wheel chair as long as you have one good leg to push it around with. You just have to be careful, because they can tip over.

I roll from, say my bedroom, to the first elevation, between the living and dining room. A 1 1/2 inch rise that the chair will not roll over. I grab on to the door frame, lift myself on to my good leg and set on a small stool, move the office chair over the bump and drop back down on the office chair. From there I have to take my stool with me, because that's not the last of the floor level changes.

There's a strip between the bathroom and the dining room, that I can roll over, but it's like hitting speed bumps, not good for the chair, so I transfer twice every time I have to go into the bathroom. The kitchen is bad too. It's a 5 inch drop into that room and a 6 inch rise to go into the laundry room off of the kitchen. It gets pretty exhausting.

So, because I'm spending most of the time in a rolling chair, I've had to move all the furniture out of
the way. I've also had to use the wall switch for the fan light in the living room, after I keep reminding the grandsons to use the pull chain. I can't reach it in the middle of the room. I will stand if there is a counter or wall next to me, but the chair is too rolly.

My cousin picked me up a nice swivel bar stool for the kitchen.
I can sit in it to wash dishes and cook food, AND I just found this great bath bench that just clips on the tub. No more sponge baths and leaning over the tub to wash my hair. Three weeks of that was enough. Wish I found this sooner. It was only $23 at walmart.com if you know anyone who could use it.

Sewing is tricky. I'm really supposed to keep my leg elevated as much as possible. That will keep it from swelling and turning that nice purple color you may seen. And yes, it does hurt less elevated, so I have learned to sew sideways with my leg on a footstool and twisted trunk to reach the machine.

I also cut fabric on a cutting board on my bed now. It's a good height for me.

I have a bag that I use like a backpack to haul things from room to room. I have a water bottle by my bed, a thermos for coffee, and a sealed container to transport food if I want to eat in another room. There are tables and benches by the thresholds, to transfer things in my hands when I transfer with chairs, and I now use a laundry bag, instead of my arms.

I have to sleep with my leg on a pile of pillows and on my back, which is my least favorite position, I have to tilt the blinds instead of opening them, because I cut the cords short for the grandbaby, I have to have someone get my mail and garbage, and I keep my phone on me at all times, in case I have another accident.

Also, I have to think ahead of time, when I need something. For instance I have food in a pantry in the laundry room, so when I go to do laundry, I have to look at the food and decide if there's anything I will need. I have to be much more deliberate in my every day actions, not just random.

Sometimes I get a little frustrated and weepy, but then I think of all the people who are out there, that live with some kind of disability every day. I will probably not be exactly the same as I was before the accident, but I know I will walk again someday, and I will be able to stand in the shower and easily get to the pantry. I'll probably still be able to take a long walk to town again eventually, and work in the garden. Everything new that happens is a new adventure, It's only a few months, I can handle that.

Life on Mars - The Week of High Winds

The last wind storm a tree blew over on our house. Seems like people get a little odd around here with the winds kick up too. Or should I say a little odder.

Tuesday night, winds caused power to flicker on and off just as I was writing to a seller who had her wrong payment information so my payment went nowhere, and she input a wrong tracking number so it looked like she was scamming me. I wrote her a long email, hit enter and the power cut out for just a second, but it was long enough to make my email disappear into the ether.

Wednesday, the power went out for three hours. That's the day I usually sew, but sales have been so lousy that I cleaned the house. That entailed switching loads and placing things in the washer for when power came back on, sweeping with a broom, and wiping the counters with the tiny bit of water I managed to get out of the water tank before it went totally dry. We have a well and no power, no pump, no water.

I had a seller that told me his 8 year old bought something from me and would I cancel the order. I really wish people would quit blaming their kids on their mistakes. Really. If you didn't see the $24 international shipping before you bought, I might think you were kinda dumb to buy before looking at shipping, but I'd understand.

Main door to the house is falling off the rotten frame again. Used to slam shut when the cats opened it, now it stays open and I can't keep it shut, because the latch barely reaches the hole for it. Every morning I come into a freezing room with the door to the outside open about 6". Storm door doesn't shut all the way either, so that's a waste too.

I cut off a piece of my thumb knuckle peeling an onion. I broke a molar and the chipped pieces are cutting my tongue. Shopping with the MIL lately is fun, she cut her med dose in half (without her Dr's knowledge) and she's worse in the dark of winter, so whenever we drive, every other car is driven by that damn drunk that hit her a few years ago.

Here's to a better next week. After all March comes in like a Lion and leaves like a Lamb, right?

Life on Mars - Tree Removal

I bet you thought we would never get that tree taken down from our house. We didn't think so either, and when the crew first arrived I had my doubts. I couldn't really see the truck from the house that clearly and I thought the chipper was a tiny crane. But the crane came later and they actually did a pretty good job.

They did catch it in the cable and electric wires as they carefully dropped it, but to be honest, there's not a lot of room in our yard to maneuver. Poppy's MIL who owns the house (with her DH) stood outside while it was being taken down and screamed at the top of her lungs for her DH when it got caught in the wires. Not really sure what she thought he was going to do to.

They managed to maneuver it around the wires and drop it to the ground. It was all pretty amazing. Especially considering our space constraints and the tree was rooted in the back of the house. We were supposed to dispose of the tree, but they fed it into the chipper and hauled it all away. Sweet.

I thought all the excitement was over for the day, until I heard my name being screamed in sort of a panic. I looked out the door to find the MIL out by the trash cans ripping open the garbage bags and dumping them out on the ground. She wanted to know which bags were mine.

She only uses black bags and we only use white. I thought it was obvious, but I told her which was ours with a puzzled look on my face. Apparently her husband lost his wallet and of course the garbage was the logical place to look for it. I would have posted a picture but for once, she cleaned it up, not only the same day, but within the hour.

Life on Mars - You Can't Make This Sh-t Up

I haven't been posting my Life on Mars series lately. Honestly I think you would all be bored with the next door lady pulling everything out of her shed and leaving it in the yard, or the crazy guy fishing on a barely frozen lake, the youngest boy getting hit in the eye on a regular basis, or the ambulances coming to the next door neighbors at least once a month, maybe more. I know I get tired of it. And quite honestly, if it weren't for the photo's I like to take, I'm not sure I'd believe any of it either. But sad to say, it's all true.

Life here is - well - always unexpected. You would think that living on a lake in the country, it would be peaceful. And it does have it's moments. I think though, that there is something terribly wrong with the water here and it makes people a little odd. But even nature can have an unexplained and sometimes perilous sense of humor here.

Take today for example. Although I'm sure this happened earlier this week, because after we started swearing about it, the youngest boy declared that he TOLD us there was a tree on our house. We always get branches on the roof, so we just assumed that was what he was talking about, not an actual tree. But as I was shooting picture outside of my daughter wearing some lovely jackets she made, I glanced over my shoulder and saw this tree on our house. How did we miss a thing like that.

This is not a little tree. This is, I would say, a 30 foot pine that fell over and is leaning on our overhang, over my bedroom and reaching across the whole length of the house from front to back. One good wind or heavy snowfall and that sucker could snap in half and come crashing down. I have to write this story tonight, because I may not be here tomorrow to tell it. The insurance company is supposed to send out someone to remove it tomorrow. I hope they do. It's kind of scary.

Like I said, hard to believe sometimes, but you really can't make this stuff up.

Life on Mars - After the Fall

I haven't posted much lately. Not that I don't have time, or that my life has been uneventful. Far from it. I guess that Falling down the steps of the house, and the stiffness that came of it, just threw me out of whack.

It's been overt 2 weeks now, and all that remains is a 3" x 1 1/2" lump, a 3" diameter bruise over my tailbone, and a 3" X 7" bruise on my butt cheek. (Don't even think to visualize). The bruise on my elbow is barely noticeable.

I guess I was lucky, the wood on the back porch is kind of rotten and moldy and the steps get slippery when it rains. I usually hold the rails, but I was mad at the pup who peed in the kitchen and I was running her out cursing. Both my feet flew out from under me and fortunately I landed on my back near my hip on the edge of the stairs. I actually feel blessed, because it was a very hard fall, and my spine was just a few inches away. It could have been much worse.

Long story but short version, I tell the lady owner and she yells and swears at me. Then she comes over later  with sandpaper step treads (not really waterproof) and gets mad when we say that there is no way in hell that the sticky backing will stick to the moldy rotten steps. (I actually said it much nicer). Then her husband comes over and starts swearing at me and tells me he's going to raise the rent $100 a month and then tells me to leave, all because I fell down the stairs and told them I wasn't going to the hospital, because I didn't want them to have to claim in on their insurance. What a couple of freaks.




Other than that, we had a very late Halloween, due to Sandy. I'm sure some kids in Jersey haven't even had theirs yet. Emer dressed in gore and when Poppy posted the pics, friends thought it was another real accident. No Emer is not the accident prone one. Very realistic bullet hole, but once again Emer is entirely inappropriate as he wore this costume to the neighborhood where kids were shot at the High School last year.



Luna was an adorable little witch, but she wasn't very happy. She hates coats, shoes and hats.

The Dink is a Spy of some sort. Video Game character.

Puppy is growing. Business is post Halloween slow, but we're taking the opportunity to rearrange the house to better suit the needs of growing children with a school in the home. (moving the business into the living room instead of the bedroom), which means I get to move into a bedroom instead of the living room. Bottom bunk bed, but better than the living room sofa.

Life on Mars - Gummy Bears and Bruises

Another crazy week in costume hell. DD ordered fabric that was promised and never shipped. She had to rum out and buy more, interrupting her work flow. At the end of last week our NEW serger broke so we had to order another and wait until Tuesday to serge. DD did all her cutting while waiting. Good thinking Poppy.

We really could have used the babysitter all week, but she had things to do, so I had to deal most of the week with the baby and the 9 year old's school. Both boys got a little sick and were a bit whiny. The 15 year old had to go to the clinic and get meds for a sinus infection. By the end of the week, they were feeling a bit better and the sitter was back on the job.

Poppy and I were stressed and got into a big fight. There was lots of yelling and crying. But the puppy is finally starting to sleep at night. She seems to settle down when it's dark out. I love that in her. She actually slept one whole night all the way through. But mostly she only wakes once to go out. I don't mind that at all. I guess she was just too young when we got her. She was only 7 weeks. Now she's a very mature 10 weeks.

Luna in Gummy Bear costume 

The mother in law was putting on a Halloween Party at our clubhouse this weekend. Besides being a little off normally, she gets even worse in the fall. The stress of putting on a party by herself makes it even worse. She told the older boy that her party will be much better than the one his mother did. That was the best party our association ever had and he was very offended. She has a habit of offending the kids. Like when the middle one almost lost his eye and she bought a gift for the girl that instigated the accident and not her own injured grandson.

I was supposed to be helping Poppy with the costumes, but when I took the dog for a walk and stopped in the clubhouse, there was nothing there, no decorations, no dishes for the chips she bought, no food at all, just a few posters on the wall. I took the pup back home and got the middle boy, the baby, and our decorations, and we went back and decorated. I set out all the chips and helped as much as I could. There wasn't much there to work with. I wasn't really in the mood, because I was getting sick too.

I left when the baby got cranky, but there were only 2 kids at the party and I could't stand listening to the Pumpkin Patch Polka one more time. No kid over 3 would be interested in that garbage. I have no idea where she found that horrid Halloween CD, but it was scarier than chains and screams.

Dink with Bruised Cheek

After Luna napped a bit. Poppy took her back down and the 15 yr old went with his dad to decorate more. The party had gotten bigger, more kids came. The older boy doesn't like parties and came back. Asked me if I heard about the middle child. He fell and injured his face and had to go to the hospital. I went down to the clubhouse and there he was with a bag of ice on his face and arm.

I guess the swelling went down, because everyone said he looked better. I thought he looked like a zombie. Huge raised bruise and small cut on his cheekbone. He could barely move his arm. I checked him out and it seemed like just bruises, but they took him to the ER later just to be sure. That one needs a padded helmet with goggles and protective clothing.

At least when I walked the pup Sunday Morning at 5 am, I got to see just one meteor flash by Orion's thigh. I didn't even have my glasses on. That's the good thing about the stinking puppy.

Life on Mars - Baby Sitters and Manic Swings

Some of us (not really us, just the neighbors) have ... lets say ... trouble with their medication at certain times of the year. I can usually tell, because all of a sudden everything is pulled out of the sheds or the house and reorganized, or put in trash cans, or just left in the middle of the yard. This week someone was running out in her nightgown barefoot in the middle of the night and everything outside was cleaned up, including several large ladders scattered all over the yard.

The best part was when she gave me a ride to the store after arguing with her voices the whole night before and Walmart shopping at 4 am. Other than the fact that she looked like she was going to fall asleep and the conversation starter that there is a conspiracy against her and everyone thinks she's crazy but someday they will all find out that there really is a conspiracy against her, things were going good.

The second last stop however, she pulled the car up for me. I left my purchase in the car and took the baby (who I had for the day) over to the other side to put her in her car seat. As I was buckling her, with the car door open and my leg out of the door, the car starts taking off. With my stuff in the cart next to it. Fortunately when I started screaming my head off in panic, she stopped the car. But it started rolling again. I lost it and told her to shut off the damn car and put on the brake. I was actually very nice, I didn't want to upset her more, but her response to the situation was "Well, I don't have eyes in the back of my head."

I did suggest that she use the rear view mirror in the future, but I really wanted to say that's why God put that bendy thing between your f'ing shoulders and your chin.

And that was just the start of Saturday. Later that day our new 2 week old serger, seriously broke. Like it won't sew, so we had to buy a new one. The one we wanted is only available online, so we have to wait until  Tuesday to sew again. At least I got my orders finished first :). But my DD has a lot to finish when it comes. We've been painting, cutting and packaging in the mean time.

We also had something wonderful. A great babysitter, who loves the baby and baby loves in return. She lives down the street and has been a dream come true. It was so hard with baby in the house, but for 3 days a week, she is out of our hair for 4 -5 hours a day and we can work like mad without having to worry about baby getting into pins and fabric.

Only a week or two of total madness, at least until the winter holiday rush. Hope the machines hold out for that.

Life on Mars - Busy as Hell

This one will be brief because there is no time no time.

Last week my son's lung collapsed again and he had to go back and have it re-inflated. I get little enough sleep, and he called me at midnight to tell me he talked to the Dr and they thought the bruising in his chest might be his heart bleeding. I told him to get to the ER immediately (he is on the other side of the country). He called back at 2 am. No bleeding heart but X-rays show his lung collapsed again. They sent him home and   put in a chest tube the next day. One day with the chest tube and he was good to go and now (knock wood) everything is working like it should be.

My DD's sales have hit the roof and there is no peace here. I have to handle everything else while she sews, which means I have to work on my merchandise at midnight and get no sleep training the new puppy. I do get a few hours to a) sew buttons on her costumes b) lace her corsets c) clean the house and do dishes and laundry and d) watch her baby and teach her boys.

We are trying a sitter this week. She is a mom with a girl in school. The girl is our mother's helper, so we're hoping that the Baby will love her and stay with her for at least 4 hours a day. THAT will help a LOT.

School is still crazy, but the younger boy finally has some programs that he can do all by himself (phew).
Both boys have much higher grades than they had at their brick and mortar school. And it isn't that the program is easy, it's just easier for them to learn.

Hope this was entertaining, I have no more time. See you again next week. Can't wait til Halloween season is over.

Life on Mars - As If

As if life wasn't complicated enough with the Boys in Online school that I'm in charge of, and my own increasing sales, and the lighting designs, that I'm about to give up on, My DD's baby I watch, and the help I have to give her through the Halloween Sales (hand-stitching buttons, and skull heads, and threading corsets), my crazy daughter just picked up a worm infested 7 week old Lab - Boxer mix puppy.

OK - The Puppy's really cute. But I know it's going to be a lot of work and sleepless nights. FOR ME, because I'm the one who knows how to do everything around here, including training a puppy. She's a pretty good girl though. She already is pretty well trained. Goes outside.

I also had a full moon kind of week in other respects. My DS FINALLY got the temporary fix heart surgery he needed at the Mayo Clinic. For those of you who don't know, he's been trying to get disability insurance and Medicaid for several years. He finally got the insurance and it's been about a year that he's been trying to get diagnosed and whatever else he needed.

The full moon part of it, is not the fact that he finally got the defibrillator put in that will pace his irregular heartbeats and start him up if his heart stops, it's the fact that, even at the Mayo Clinic, there were complications. During the procedure his lung collapsed and his heart stopped. I was really freaked out when I found out, but he's already home and he seems to be doing OK.

Sales are really really good this month. For some reason Bow Ties are really hot. I know some were for homecoming, but that's pretty much over and I'm still selling ties. I also got a chance to have dinner with my lovely cousins again. Good food and wonderful company. So the week wasn't all tense and scary, just some parts.

Now that the full moon is over, lets hope the new month has a little smoother sailing.

Life on Mars - Another Hectic Week

Sometimes it feels like I have my own private full moon that follows me wherever I go. You see the moon is always full, it just depends on how the Earth blocks the sun from getting to it. Apparently the shadow of the Earth has no effect in tempering the effects of the full moon in our neighborhood. Everyone is crazy all of the time.

Last week was worse than the week before. Seems like I'm coaching the spawn of Satin. The 9 year old swears and spits and torments me. He hates reading. Really hates it. Turns out he might just be dyslexic though. I have a serious bone to pick with his former school if he is. And I do not think that I am equipped to teach him if he is.

Then there is the neighbor who offered me a ride on the weekend and said that she'd have the car after 12. So I discussed it with my daughter about how we would arrange it. Then I find out she'd have the car TOMORROW after 12. When I said I didn't understand that she meant tomorrow, because she didn't say tomorrow, she screamed at me and accused me of calling her a liar. I love crazy people, no really.

They all drink coffee like it's water. Three adults in the house and they go through one 34 oz can of coffee a week. Ours lasts 2 of us about 2 months. How do they sleep? Well you just take the thorazine when you need to go to bed.

I am so looking forward to the next few weeks. My horoscope says this is one of the best months I had or will have in years. Things will culminate into very bad on the 29th. If this is good, I just can't wait for bad. I'm supposed to stay home on that day, but I think I have dinner with my cousins, and I see them so rarely that I don't really want to miss, but I don't really want the roof of the restaurant to fall in on us either.

Have a good week. I'll see you back next one (I hope)

Life on Mars - Online School and Exhaustion

So you're thinking about online school for your kids. I guess if you have as bad of a school system as we do you might consider it: if your kids are not doing as well as you like, you might consider it: if you kids are bullied: you might consider it. 

My grandsons weren't living up to expectations, and in the really rotten school they went to, they were getting yelled at constantly. Imagine your kids teachers pointing out your child specifically and saying...there's so and so again, daydreaming. I mean they did that to me, but that was a LONG time ago. 

First, registration is NOT easy. We thought we had almost everything 2 weeks before school. Then we needed this, and that, and another thing. Immunization records, last report cards, a 2 hour long online form for EACH of the kids, computer waiver forms,  birth certificates, progress reports, the list seemed never ending. This school was not like any other, we had to get everything, there was no transfer of information from the other school.

The registration process took us so long that the boys missed close to 3 weeks of school, because the online school started earlier and had less vacation days than our local school. We are a bit lost and behind right now. And the tough part is that I have to work WAY more than I imagined, because I am the boys coach. 

The boys  need to work about 5 hours a day, and I have to sit by the third grader and help him understand everything he's working on. And I don't get a lot right now. I had to take an online coaching course that was several hours (I haven't even finished it yet). 

Here is the plus. The students get all of their books, and study materials free. The 3rd grader even got a nice art kit and paper (no, I don't have to go out and buy crayons and pencils and erasers enough to last everyone in the class for a year). Most of their work is done in their provided workbooks, wow, no paper either. They also each get a loaner computer for the school year. YAY!

And the other nice thing? Their grades are already improving. The 9th grader works well independently and he's working very hard. The third grader is going to be a LOT of work, but he likes the way he's learning. Some of the classes are fun, he can go back when he doesn't understand, and they have cute videos too. I'm hoping he will eventually be a bit more independent. 

So that's what Life on Mars was like this week. Coaching, learning, unpacking and setting up computers, and designing and finishing my new purse.

Life on Mars - End of Summer 2012

I am so sorry that I haven't been posting here so much this Summer. Believe me, it's not that Summer was without our usual events. As a matter of fact, it was so bizarre and eventful, I really didn't feel like sharing. Twisted relationships, police visits, arrests, fights, crying, wild kids, sad deaths in the family. Too many full moons, alcohol and Mercury retrograde. I must say that it was the most stressful Summer I can remember and I was literally a bystander to it all. Most of my stress was from the bounce effect.

That's all I have to say about this summer. One good thing was that before Summer hit, I had some of the best sales I've had in years. And I bought a used kindle and a few cheap and free books, so I started reading again. I really, really didn't care for the Hunger Games Trilogy. Hate me if you will, but I really didn't like the message it sent to the youth it was geared to. I can't even begin to point out how many flaws there were in that story, and leaving the heroine weak and depressed was not where I would have lead the reader. I've read more positive stories about survivors of Hiroshima.

I'm reading Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse 5 now. Started out so boring, but I'm really engrossed halfway through. I love the voice he writes in. Reminds me a bit of J. D. Salinger. I plan on catching up with a lot of classic literature I missed out on, because I had trouble reading in the past. I have 60 books waiting on my kindle now and I watch for deals. The next book is a semi fictional book about Pearl S. Buck. I really want to get The Good Earth, but have to wait until I get better sales to afford it. I'm fascinated with China and her people and want to read more about it's past.

There were good times too. Out of town visitors were fun. Time spent with family, visits to the zoo and Art Museum, and the weather, although hot, was pretty nice this year. We had a booming crop of tomatoes thanks to my intent work on the garden this year. Every penny put in was worth it.

One good thing I can say about this Summer is that things have been so crazy busy here that the woman next door didn't attack the little shed and pull everything out on the lawn like she has every summer before. I think she's been too busy chasing around her adult boys who keep getting in trouble. That and the fact that they finally have a car and she can just get away from the house when things get stressful. I've just been going for walks. Stress has been better for my health in the long run. Arms are stronger from lifting a heavy baby and cardiovascular health is better from the long uphill walks.

Life on Mars - Just another Manic Monday

I've been so behind on my posting lately. I really should keep you all up on my latest adventures. I guess I've just been busy with....drum roll please..

a. extra sales (money - thank you)
b. baby sitting (money for Poppy - thank you)
c. finally finishing the bathroom
d. getting the garden planted

I love to garden, didn't know if you got that. So far the garden is doing great, other than that the slugs really like lettuce and cucumber sprouts. They didn't make it. Next year I'll make copper rings for the cucumbers and plant the lettuce in pots. Although slugs will climb the pots too I think. Once the garden gets big, I'll post pics of it. I think I cursed mine last year by posting early pics.

This year I added junk to the soil, put down more landscape fabric, and bordered the garden on one side with potted herbs and the other with corn (no corn sprouts yet, and I saw ants trying to carry away some of the seed ) I'm thinking the corn will act as a fence if it grows and it runs East to West so won't block the sun on the garden.

My Marvel comic Bow tie made it to the front page of Wanelo this week, but I think it got pulled, because maybe they were afraid it wasn't legal? But it is legit to use and resell this licensed fabric. Anyhow, I got a lot of views and a few sales too. Wanelo seems to be a good spot to post too.

We had a power outage this week, and I got an offer to go to the store during it. It turned out not to be the best trip I've ever been on. It was a little more intense than I expect. But I made it home safely.

I almost finished the bathroom this week. Just need to paint the ceiling and finish a bit more trim. It looks finished, but I want baseboards that I didn't get up yet. I'll make a post on what I did, because I did very different shower walls, I think you'll like to hear about. You can try it too, because I think they are awesome and they are NOT tile.


Oh yeah. I won these awesome vintage Dr Scholls exercize sandals. I'm hoping I can wear them on my pitifully flat feet. I used to love them. I bought them because I just love the shoes with print fabric wrap ties, and I thought I could easily alter these. I may just use them as is though. They are so cute.

That's all I care to share this week. Hope you have a good one, and I'm hoping for a little less excitement in my life this one myself.

Life on Mars - a Little Confession

Isn't confession supposed to be good for the soul? I don't know about that. Maybe it's commercialism for the Catholics. I used to be a Catholic by the way, for a few months. But that's another story. I was baptized twice too (don't they cancel each other out) but that's another story too. I'm not really a Christian either. Not really in the sense that I believe in more than one higher power. It's complicated and not what I'm here to talk about.

Here is the confession. I haven't blogged as much as I usually do the past few weeks. Ha! and I bet you thought this was juicy. No, really, that's not it. Are you confused yet? Because I'm rambling. I've been a little depressed the past few weeks. Not able to focus much. People with ADD tend to get depressed now and then and actually, considering I'm not on meds, I think I do very well. So I had a few bad weeks. I added a little nutmeg, cinnamon and clove to my diet and I'm feeling much better. Decaf Chai tea is wonderful for that.
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Even the beautiful sun, working in the garden, and listening to the birds didn't help. It has nothing to do with what's happening to you sometimes. It's just chemical. There it is. I've hardly worked on anything the past week or so. Well not really, but not with the vigor I had since January. Just filling orders, not going overboard. I hope it's over now and I can move on.

You've heard me talk about my crazy life and the place I'm living in. This place is so beautiful, the lake, nature, but some of the people here are so odd. This week a police car pulled in the drive and I thought to myself "what did the teenager do now?" It wasn't him, it was the young man who called the police to take him to the hospital because he was afraid his parents were attacking him. I guess the poor guy needed his medication adjusted again. I can't even begin to tell you how unusual it is for me to be the sane and reasonable one. I am far from sane and reasonable. But by compare, I am totally functional.

I was sitting out in the yard with the baby, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw two women walking what I thought were some really huge dogs. After a closer look they were two Shetland ponies. People were walking ponies around our lake, on leashes, not harnesses, leashes.

I am dead serious. If I told you everything that happened around here, you would not believe it. Sometimes I don't believe it. Like the ponies. I would have sworn it was just a dream. Maybe I need my medication adjusted (or get myself on some).

Life on Mars - Senior Moments

I haven't posted here in over a week. Sorry friends. I've had interesting events, shops I like, recipes, and tips to give, but no motivation to write about them. I don't even feel funny. I guess I've been working too hard and needed another break.

Yesterday was such an event filled day, and I could make it funny, but I only had a few hours sleep, and I'm not in a humorous mood. The GS (Dink) has been watching this movie, Mary and Mas all weekend and trying to get me to watch it. I'm not doing a good job. It looks wonderful, he's 8 and loves it. It's a claymation, about a young girl with life problems in Australia, who become pen pals with a 300 lb man with Aspergers in NYC. It's a bit mature for most young kids, but really wonderful.

So yesterday, I decided to attack the kitchen table area. We have a kitchen the size of a pea and Poppy insisted in having the round table that I made here there even though it sits out too far into the kitchen and caused many other problems. I finally convinced her to use a long, counter type table that we can actually push against the windows, to the cats won't knock things on the floor behind, and actually push our chairs under. It took me several hours to rearrange and clean up under the table where I couldn't reach, but I got it done.

Then, exhausted and sweaty, I heard cats screaming. The cat next door was fighting with our little girl and scratched her eye. Took Poppy a while to get her in the house, and she wouldn't open her eye, It was a bloody mess and we thought she lost it. We spent a long time calling everyone in the neighborhood to find a place to take her on Sunday, the only places were too far, as we didn't have a car. Stress Stress Stress. I finally got her to look at me and saw her eye and it looked like just the extra lid got hit. Very swollen, but eye OK. I got her an appointment today.

Then Poppy's DH called her. His brother collapsed and went to the hospital in a coma. Turns out he wasn't really in a coma, just that his father doesn't know what he's talking about and he scared the crap out of everyone saying the wrong thing. Poppy's BIL was moving and semi conscious, just not talking coherently. He's been having problems the past few days. He is on a lot of meds and it's possible he got confused and took the wrong doses. Whatever happened, he collapsed and possibly hit his head or possibly was knocked out by the strangers his father left him with. He is also not in a very good hospital so we all hope things improve for him. So after stressing about our cat, I had to go over and try to comfort BILs mother.

I finally got a shower at 11:30 pm and as Mad Men was on at midnight and I missed it earlier, I stayed up and watched it. Fell asleep about 1:30. The girl kitty woke me looking for love and padding me with her claws, then the oldest boy at 6 am getting ready for school.

The best part of the weekend was getting makeup on to go to the vet, I found 2 huge malted milk balls at the bottom of my purse. Purse being fairly clean, I dusted them off and ate them. I know, I needed chocolate. What can I say?

Life on Mars - A Week Abbreviated

I didn't post last week, because I was sick. I need to catch up with life so I'm giving you the abbreviated version of the week.

No ambulance or police visits, but MIL did get out of the Hospital, seems she was really sick last time.

Kids and Animals really do go crazy during the full moon.

Even if you throw the damn cat out the door for a few days he will still find a way to pee on the new carpet.

Cats with muddy paws will find their way onto the new sofa even if it's covered.

I know why God gave us fingernails, and, that She did intend for us to invent the sharp kitchen knife.

The human sinus can hold an absolutely astounding amount. My brain must be smaller than I thought it was.

I don't care enough about you all to blog when I feel lousy.

I can get hooked on Downton Abbey too.

Cars do not heal themselves. Damn things!

Life on Mars - Deja Vu

The week started out so nicely, we had decent sales, the cat stopped peeing on everything because we found an anti anxiety collar that worked, friends were helping me get my packaging, logo and ads together for my business, and we even found a fantastic deal at Target for a clic clac sleep sofa that we desperately needed. We only have one sofa in the living room. no chairs and we often have the family of at least 4 watching TV and when Luna gets bigger, it's just too crowded. The sofa was on sale and an extra % off and free shipping. Can't pass that up.

Simon - and if only he did pee there

Well the week started good, but it all went to Hell in a very familiar kind of way. The boys were sick, the printer fell off the shelf and broke, and shipped off of one of Poppy's new computer keys, and the car broke down, well actually there's this scraping noise in the rear by the wheels. And after we bought the sofa, we don't have enough to take the car to get repaired. So once again we are without car. Not something we aren't used to.

Then there was the ambulance arriving at our door again. Ms hypochondriac next door was sure she was dying and had to have the paramedics come over and she got hauled away AGAIN. Last time she was hauled away (2 weeks ago) she went to her mothers to clean her house the next day. I've never seen someone taken away in an ambulance so many times in my life. Well, there was that bipolar Jamaican lady we lived next door to that used to throw rocks at her own house and chant and dance in the backyard in her nightgown.

At least the police haven't been here lately to take the son away. I think his meds are OK. I swear we are the ONLY people in this community that aren't on anti psychotic meds. Well, actually, that doesn't mean we don't need them ;)

Life on Mars - Full Moon Week

Last Week I started a new Blog - Four Months - A Diary of Progress for lack of a better name available. Basically I need to make more money and I am going to make daily posts on my struggle to discover exactly who I am and what I should do as a career to earn more money. Maybe I should be a sanitation engineer or a prison guard. But I'm so close to retirement it will be difficult to get anything. 

Here's something that maybe a lot of you don't know. Retirement age is getting pushed back further and further. For me it's 66, for you it might be 72 or later. It's nice that we can all work so late in our lives, But, even though I can retire at 62, or get survivor benefits at 60, I can't get health benefits until I'm 66 (or later for you). That's OK, I can get a job with benefits right? Sure, because employers want to hire a 60 year old full time employee that they have to pay TWICE as much for their health insurance. That's right, starting at 60, health premiums DOUBLE so usually the employer has to pick it up, to be fair to the employee. 

OK enough about jobs, I know you're here to find out about all the crazy stuff that happened this week.

MIL got a SS raise, had me take her shopping and kept throwing money at me. Good FIL doesn't have a computer to read this. We just gave him the money back as rent, lol

FIL got a big SS raise too. I don't get it. Maybe he just doesn't understand that his payback was taken out monthly, not in a lump sum, and he's done with it. Kinda dense. Sometimes I wish I was more dense. Would make life simpler.

Car did that thing where the break light stuck on. I kept going back and forth and breaking, then after a while it went off. Gotta find where the break light switch is so I can lube it. Other than that, she was pretty good this week, until the f'ers 2 doors over had another party and she got keyed.

I also had some weird buyers. One flamingly upset because I had a problem with an item and I couldn't ship it after it sold. Refund and apology was not enough, he claimed fraud. And another buyer ripped an apron and claimed it "fell apart" You know right in the middle of an 8" line of stitching that was back tacked 3 times in the middle where it "fell apart". Now those of you who sew, know that it is impossible for stitching to "fall apart" in the middle. Damn I hate liars. If the dude pursues, I'm claiming fraudulent return on him. That's the good think about that expensive site. 

Sunday was the full moon and it was huge, beautiful, and drove all the animals mad. I was ready to kill. The cats were running around howling, the females got into a fight, and the dog, well she's always annoying. 

That's all I care to share this week. Till next time. Hugs and Puppies :)