PORCH 1061 IS NOW CLOSED (5/8/18)

Hi, Kids,

I'll be back later. Enjoy the new Porch.

Love, Mikie

Hi Kids

This will be brief. It may be even briefer than I hope. The computer may crash at any
moment. Most of the day I haven't been able to get on at all. Sometimes I can for half an
hour. Sometimes a few minutes. Kinda like being appointed to a job by You Know Who.

Thanks for opening up, Mikie. Does SV like to sleep on the couches?

Granni, Yes I remember Mr. Sandman. Big hit for the Chordettes the year I was graduated
from High School. "Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream. Make him the cutest that I've ever seen."
A lotta the girls at our school just loved the Chordettes. Said their singing thrilled them
to the core. Well, it's all those romantic chords. Key of F: F E7 A7 D13 D9.

So we are still using the old computer. Gordon went to the library yesterday. A man was
repairing a computer, so Gordon talked to him. The guy works for the library. Travels to
different branches. Either fixes the machine on site or takes to the County facility to fix it.

Gordon got some advice from him. (I think good advice would be, "Send for Duckie.")
He asked the guy if he could pay him to act as a consultant. The guy said, No. He's tried
that in the past. Then he gets lots of phone calls: This doesn't work. The compute won't
do this or that. The something or other doesn't work." Day after day. Ay yi yi!

Right now we are experimenting using Gordon's brother's monitor. My question was:
What's a monitor? Well, the only monitors I know about are Hall Monitors and monitor
lizards. The biggest of the monitor lizards is the Komodo Dragon. Yikes!

Oh, oh. Trouble is afoot. Better go. Hope to be back soon.

Hugs everdobby
Rock

Good, good morning! Oreo and I (and probably Den, too) are kinda dragging a bit. We had some more thunder and lightening last night, so that meant Oreo coming to my side of the bed so I could pet her...then her trying to get as much of her body as possible underneath the bed! Poor thing...I did think about going to the living room with her to sleep, but then she would calm down and I would fall back to sleep (until the next rumble )

Anyway....we'll make it.

My dad's nursing home called last night to tell me he was out of 7-Up. It's not an emergency and they will give some to him when he asks for it, but I usually keep a supply in his little refrigerator for him to grab whenever he wants. I probably won't get over there till Friday now, so am going to call someone in the office and ask them to use some of the money in his "account" (I keep about $20 in there for special meals, etc.) to get him a few cans and put in his fridge. I'm sure he feels a little helpless to have to ask each time...

Amy let us know to keep an eye out for pink eye...Keira woke up yesterday with her eyes matted shut (had been itching and red on Monday) so Clinton took her to the doctor, who confirmed. Probably a good idea if I'm not around Dad till I know I haven't gotten it too...not sure how long it takes after one is exposed.

Rock, I sure hope you can still get a new computer...that would be so frustrating to me.

Mikie, hope you're okay...that symptoms are getting better, not worse.

Hi to everyone...I'm not really awake yet...hope another cup of coffee helps

Here's Granni's song...found myself watching a whole bunch of videos, lol!

Good Wednesday Morning, Kids,

Whatever caused my ear to plug up and my sinuses to hurt is still hanging on. There was diarrhea with the other symptoms and it's still rearing its ugly head as well. Seems I have a bug of some sort. Geez, it never ends! Neither does my whining so I'll leave it at that.

Rock, no wonder your post was brief; you're an attorney. Your computer problems sound like the ones I was having with my old standby computer. I looked at Wal*Mart before buying this Chromebook laptop at Best Buy. I like it that if anything goes wrong, I can take the computer to BB for repairs. Wish I had gone there before buying the FPOC from HSN. I was turned off by BB employees' attitudes years ago but our store has really nice employees now. They used to project a feeling of superiority and talked down and rudely to people in the stores. I've heard this complaint from so many people. It's too bad because it's now a good place to buy a computer, at least in our store here. Good luck to you and Gordon on finding just what you need. Yes, SV sleeps wherever he wants to. His favorite spots are on my bed or on the back of the loveseat in the front bedroom where he can look out the window.

Julie, we must have been posting at the same time. It's great that you can keep some $$ in your Dad's account. At his age, little comforts like the 7-Up are so important. Have you seen those tee shirts for dogs which help calm them during thunder storms or on the 4th of July? I've heard they really work. My old dog, Taffy, freaked out from loud noises. She would lie low and shake. I hope you and Den can get some sleep. I also hope no one else gets pink eye. I had it years ago and it was very painful and awful looking.

Our temps are soaring; it will be 93 today. Too hot for spring. It will be a bit cooler this weekend and it is supposed to rain. I hope it does but it's a shame to spoil Mothers Day for those who want to go to the beach. Just read an article that Venus' and Jupiter's orbits affect our climate every 405,000 years and, when they are closest to us, it can make temps hotter in summer and colder in winter and cause droughts or flooding. What the article didn't state is whether we are in that part of the pattern. I would guess maybe we are.

Nancy's sweet old cat, Bob, died on Monday. She thought he might be getting sick on Saturday but not enough to warrant taking him to the vet until Monday. He had cancer in both lungs and his breathing was restricted. He was rally bad by the time the vet put him to sleep. It was such a shock for her. I had two cats like that. The vet said it's not unusual because animals can't tell us how they feel. She was in shock and feeling very sad. It breaks my heart. Nancy loves her animals with a passion. This last year, her DD got cancer but is doing well, thank God. Nancy moved to be closer to her. The DD and her husband have a small farm and Nancy helped while the DD was under treatments. Nancy's little dog died this last year and now, Bob. It's been really rough. I'm glad Claudia and I can be there for her through our text circle. We both took care of Bob when Nancy lived here and went to visit her son. He was a great cat. When he saw me, he would streak all over the condo and then jump up on the sofa as though to say, "How'd you like that?"

OK, Kids, I gotta go shower and wash my mop, as Granni says. Every week, it's a toss up as to whether I'll keep going or get it cut. It needs to be colored again. BTW, NCIS devotees, last night was Abby's last appearance in the series. I watched a segment on celebs somewhere and she is a blond. Who knew? One character was killed off, the British guy. I think Tony and Gibbs are the only originals left. Well, Duckie is still there but he isn't on much anymore.

Hope everydooby is having a good day.

Love, Mikie

Granni: OK.....thanks for the mention of Mr. Sandman. I started singing it and couldn't stop for over an hr. Brought back kinds of memories. By the way.....why not say something along that you're going to wash your tresses. Mop sounds pretty awful......when I read that I think of one of those old dirty string mops the janitors used to use! And I'm sure your hair doesn't look like that. LOL

Mikie: There's always something going around. I've been dealing with popping ear, and an upset stomach for about 4 days.......though I won't go into any of the details, you can use your imagination cause I know no one wants to read about it. My DGDs open house was last night.....felt crummy so first took vinegar in the afternoon, then an hr. Later took some antacid tabs and called the house about an hr. Before the OH........she sounded disappointed that I couldn't come so I asked the name of her teacher and would try to find the way to her classroom. I hate to disappoint my grandkids. So I dressed, drove 30 min. To the school, finally found a parking place in a closeby neighborhood and parked up the hill. Whew....what a walk, but she was very happy that I came and I'm glad I made the effort. My mom NEVER made an effort to come to any of my kids school events.....always said she wasn't feeling good......and she wonders why they really didn't connect with her. Kids remember things.

Julie: Pink eye always goes around the schools in spring as does chicken pox. I'm hoping the doctor caught it and that the rest of the family doesn't also get it. Awww....poor little Oreo.

I got two more floating discs painted for the pool, hoping this will discourage any ducks flying overhead. I pulled out a stack of books, read and not wanting to read, and will drive them over to a little "donation box". The city has a lot of these cute little houses, filled with free books. And I've also noticed some bright yellow bikes all around town. I walked by one the other day at Starbucks. Apparently they are for use.....you download an app. Then when you want to use it you scan the barcode on the bike and apparently it must unlock something for you to ride. Quite clever. We have a lot of colleges around here so I'm thinking it might be good for the students.

Good morning, all!

Yesterday went by in a haze...I was busy all day at work. I was about to post at one point, but we had a network outage. After work I went to vote in the primaries. Then after dinner, I took my DS out to get new shoes. He's very hard on shoes.

My vacation is fast approaching and I'm getting excited. But at the same time, I'm getting nervous. There's still a fair amount of work that needs to get done before I leave. I got a little...well, I confess, a lot... frustrated with my mentor, who is supposed to be helping me learn some new things. I told him I needed him to walk me through something, but he just kept saying "All you have to do is 'this'" but I had no clue how to do 'this'. I finally convinced him that I really needed help, so we had a meeting this morning. Now things are going much better.

Our weather seems to have jumped to summer already as well. I'm not looking forward to it, as the heat, humidity and thunderstorms are all major triggers for my migraines. We're actually supposed to get up near 90 on Saturday. Pollen counts are really high. My sinuses are telling me about it.

Mikie - I'm so sorry for your friend losing her cat. That's so sad. But pets come with built-in heartache. I hope your sinus and gastroinstestinal woes go away soon.

Sun - What a trooper making that effort for you DGD!

Julie - Unfortunately, the incubation for pinkeye is as long as 14 days. But most doctors agree that it's only contagious while the 'sufferer' is symptomatic. If you weren't around Kiera while she was having problems, you're more than likely fine.

Must get back to work now. Hugz to Rock, Barry, Spring, Star, Judy, etc.

Duckie

Hi, Kids,

I did get my hair shampooed. I just can't get it to where I want it to be. I keep messing around with it. It's so dry and I used a wee bit too much of the oil on it so it looks a bit stringy. AACCKK!! I don't have wash 'n wear hair. It demands a lot of attention to style, long or short. I envy the cat who doesn't have to wash his hair.

Sun, it certainly sounds as though we are suffering from the same thing. This happens to the two of us so often. I admire you for going to the open house. Good for you. I think I could have gone out if it were for something important to one of my kids. There are times when I just can't. I'm sorry your Mom wasn't there at your school events. I wasn't sick yet when my kids were little and I'm so grateful for that because I was always involved when they were in elementary school. I volunteered in the classroom and enjoyed it so much. I remember one darling little girl in kindergarten who the teacher said couldn't line numbers up from one to ten. The teacher was afraid she might be slow. She appeared to me to be of Latino descent and, thank God, I knew my numbers in Spanish from one to ten. As soon as I said the numbers in Spanish, she lined them up just as I had ticked them off. She was smart as a tack. That made the teacher and me very happy. Rest up, Dear One, and feel better fast.

Duckie, I'm glad you got things worked out with your mentor. Mentors can be such a huge help but the communication has to be there. Thanks for your good wishes. This bug will likely leave in a day or so and, at least, it's not keeping me in bed. After my last kitty died, I said that I didn't want more pets. I was sick and didn't feel as though I could care for myself let alone a pet. When Jeff came begging me to take the cats because one neighbor was screaming at him about them and he was having heart attack symptoms, I couldn't say no. He moved to another place in here and was able to take Tweety with him after she had lived with SV and me for several years. In her old age, she became sooo jealous of SV and she started peeing in the condo. When she peed on my bed, it was the last straw. It was either Jeff take her back or I would have had to take her to the no-kill shelter. He wanted her and, where he lives now, no one complains. It's better for her because she gets to spend time outside on her own. SV isn't street smart and he loves being catered to so it worked out best for all concerned. You are right, though; unless our pets outlive us, we go through the heartache each time we lose them. SV is only six so he might outlive me. I'm surprised at how hot it is there. Yikes! We expect it down here in the jungle. The constantly changing ambient pressure causes havoc with our sinuses. I hope your sinuses will be OK.

I've been doing nothing besides washing my hair and watching TV. The nominee for CIA Director has been testifying before the Senate Committee and, as I always say, it's history in the making. I love history but can't remember anything these days. I wish the members of the committee would not be so partisan because this is vital to our security in this country. Some of them end up just testifying themselves or making digs. No wonder congress polls so low with Americans.

I brushed my teeth but my mouth feels like it's fur lined. Just hope this bug doesn't rile up the Sjogren's. Hope all y'all have a great day.

Love, Mikie

Good afternoon y'all,

Have been sort of taking it easy today with stuff in the house, including the filling of boxes of stuff for donations. They will be coming to pick up on Friday. So I had to get going even though there is still lots of stuff I am not sure about and still hanging in the closets. I already had a few things in one box and ws fixing up another one but needed to add to it. The pain part was especially trying on the pants especially to see if they still fit, even though right now I have a couple different sizes in there. I had jeans that were quite old but still good. So, I put them in the box. I also did a wash and work around DH who needs food occasionally, etc. !! Of course I need food too but I can always wait and eat later.

MIKIE - I think we are getting a lot of the same weather as you have. Warm and muggy. I am into shorts now so you know it is hot or quite warm.

SUN - That was nice you could go to visit your DGD at her school. We went to some of the things at our grandchildren's school a few times. We were never that close except for one DGS when they lived not to far away from us. Glad you could go and I know she appreciated it. I don't remember ever having things at our school when I was in elementary school for parents. If they did I don't remember it it was to long ago and not that close although I walked to school daily and came home for lunch too. Maybe they had an open school night but I don't remember it. Dad took the only car and MOm didn't drive. He also worked all kinds of odd hours. Glad I was not the only one singing that song most of the day.

Have to get up early tomorrow morning to try on my new top and leggings that I bought for our new costumes. We will have our pics taken tomorrow morning.. At first it was at 10:00 but then changed to 9 as the gal taking the pics had someplace to be at 10. She had to get up ;look presentable for pics and makeup, etec. That is not always easy to do for me. That will be interesting as many of the ladies have not touch the tops yet to fix them to fit properly. Hope the pics won't look to weird.

Gee, where are all those Porch volumes going? Zipping by so fast for me.

Hi to ROCK, BARRY, JULIE, SPRING, DUCKIE, et al.

Love,
Granni

Hi Kids

Woke up a couple hours ago. Had the vague notion today might be Sunday. Have no idea
why I thought so. Anyway we immediately jumped in the car and went to the nearest compost
lot. It's a mile or two East of downtown. The compost is free. It isn't very often you get anything free from the the City. However the quality was not so good. Too much fiber. Mostly from palm trees. So we only got one bag. Gordon will let it age for a year or two.

I don't know why, with all the crime shows on TV, one of them doesn't open with some
gardener finding a body buried in the compost heap. The forensic clue could be a bit of a rare
orchid like the vanilla orchid. And when the cops go to make an arrest the orchid-growing
killer attacks them with a sharpened trowel. At his trial the felon will claim he is in-o-scent.

Then we stopped at the library and picked up several books. Gordon got 3 from Priscilla Royal.
She writes Medieval mysteries. BTW, here's the address of a site that has an interesting view
of the Medieval period. Apparently much of what we've heard and read is not too accurate.

http://localhistories.org/middlemyths.html

Duckie, you were right. Using a new monitor lizard has solved the computer problems, and
saved me from going compu-bonkers. I saw in the news that quilting has again become popular
in Ireland. The number of quilting clubs has been Dublin.

Mikie, the possibility of SV outliving you reminds me of stories about Winston Churchill and
his parrot. Some 20-30 years after Churchill died, I read that his grey parrot was still alive,
and that it had been taught to curse Adolf Hitler. According to Snopes the daughter of
Churchill said that her father did own a parrot at one time, but it was before WWII.

Snopes also said that the story in today's news about kid's deliberate burning themselves by
spraying deodorant on their skin for a protracted time is not a fad.

Granni, is this a group pic tomorrow? More than one group? An appropriate song
to sing might be "In Your Easter Bonnet.

Hugs
Rock

Good grief.
Ear worm is it? When it plays like a broken record, over and over?
I awoke often through the night with "Mr Sandman" crooning away.
By this morning I was about ready to shoot the singers and the sandman! Ugh.
I listen to the radio pretty much all day, but no.Mr Sandman was relentless!

Yeah I know.could definitely be worse.some of the nightmarish lyrics that are out there...
I was on hold a couple of days ago.trying to get through to someone at the cinema.
Well, I started listening to the lyrics that were trying to permeate the grey matter.
I was appalled! The dude was obviously way depressed when he wrote/ sang this song,
but the next one was just as bad.Why do people play such destructive stuff?
Life can be tough enough without some random song telling you to end it (in a round about way).

The town we moved to has a significantly higher amount of rain fall than where we used to live and starts earlier too. Its absolutely bucketing down here.so much that Im worried about some of the over priced tulip bulbs I planted.Im second guessing myself, as I dont really know my way round this yard as yet- weather, soil etc etc...took sooo much effort to pot them and then sink them, aswell as mulch etc etc, so Im not too keen on redoing Anything.I think this year is more of a hit-n- miss/ learning curve, as far as the yard is concerned.

Im so glad I was able to move the birds back under cover.unfortunately it is right outside our bedroom window and no matter how dark I make it for them.(cover each night for dark aswell as warmth), they are still Very aware of the time.noisy little sods.
Pretty sure the cockatiel Dh reared by hand (Donald), has become snippy because he has gone into Protective mode.His girl, Princess, who usually regards him as somewhat of an idiot, has been Very accommoating of late (if you get my drift) and now they are taking turns at retreating to the nesting box...
All new to us, but researched that 3 to 8 eggs is average.
I am quietly freaking out here.I dont want anything to go wrong...
But Im also very excited for them.

Good on you Sun! for getting to Dgd's, dispite being unwell.

Duck, my youngest goes through shoes like Ive never seen before, so I can commiserate.
Yes mentors and teachers often forget that the actual 'teaching 'part is crucial.

Mikie, coloured my hair yesterday and it turns out it has a rather Purple hue to it.
I did wonder why I had that box in the back of the cupboard...
I remember you mentioning when you looked after Bob. You both bonded quite well.

Julie, many folks in care facilities dont hv anyone for even the little things.
A little cash for moisturizer and snacks goes a long way.Dh used to be carer for his grandfather.
He used to go most days to his house.
when the time came for both g parents to go to a home, they were fortunate to be able to hv adjoining rooms.
It was kinda cruel though.
He used to cheat on her and was rather selfish, but I dont think he realised how much his actions impacted her...alzheimer's had her reliving those awful times ...and he saw first hand, before she passed, how deeply he had hurt her...I dont think he ever loved her as much as he did in those last days , but she was unaware that this kind man was her husband...
She told me on one visit that her dh was off with some chinese girl and youd never know who he had hooked up with...he was at that time totally incapacitated, in the adjoining room.
So sad.
Dh's G pa ended up surviving her by about a yr and the change in him was miraculous.I believe it had Everything to do with seeing his wife like that.

Anyway, didnt mean to put a downer on things, but he too had his own fridge.
Stocked with chocolate mostly.

Rock, I hope you get your computer soon.I would love a laptop of my own, rather than one finger type on this phone.

Hi to Barry, Jb, Granni, Spring and All Porchies!

Take care all
Catch yas later

Star:. You too with the Mr. Sandman? Honestly, I even had it going thru my head today. Even when Mr. Sandman answers.....YES in a low voice! Crazy.

Don't forget that England gets a lot of rain and their tulips are beautiful. I hope Your's turn out spectacular. I once was able to grow 4 very large, very beautiful parrot tulips, but only once.

I've done my hair red FOREVER and EVER. No one knows me without being red. Some reds are too dark with that purple tone. But right now those purple tones are really popular so enjoy it. By the way, since I keep my hair on the shorter side I learned a long time ago to mix up about a half batch and I use a large paint brush to brush first my roots then kinda brush it thru. It comes out more natural that way and I'm able to do it every 2 weeks.

Duck: Sorry about your troubles at work. When do you leave on vacation?

Anybody love photos like I do? Check these out?

https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2...avel-photographer-of-the-year-contest/526119/

Hello -

I got water on my cell phone and the display went off. I didn't know the password to wifi on the other gadgets..and also wondering what strange thing caused the saved p.w to be deleted. Only DD knew and I could not contact her so was cut off for a bit but it's all ok. Cell, other computer etc. restored and running.



Granni, lol. I too looked up Sandman. And at a little of the Chordettes before it was posted here. I envy that you have your singing group and all those activities with them. I'm sure it keeps the mind alert. Alerter than otherwise.

Star - Julie had posted an absolutely hilarious video of a recalcitrant cockatiel who did a want to go to the vet and was extremely vocal about it. Have you seen it? Terribly sad about the DHs father and his wife with her Alzheimer's but i am glad he found out how much pain he was causing. It amazes me when people are so thick skinned they go on their merry way even knowing they doing wrong!

Sun - I sure lil grands will appreciate the gargantuan effort you and other grands or papa mamas make for the sake of their loved ones. Unfortunately the aches the pains the fatigue of body mind soul are not as clearly apparent as they should be. And talking about it sounds like whining! What a ..(can't think of a suitable word..readers please insert your own).

Julie - kids and pets both come with worries. Some frequenter than others..my own grammar but it serves. One just hopes the pink eyes and whooping coughs and scraped knees come at longer intervals. And that you and they become stronger, more resilient with each little thing.

I hope your DF is looked after well, and I think he is. The N.H. Staff seem pretty alert.

Rock - darn, you Hitler, may your mustache be lice infested and fall off in clumps into your strudel. Oops! That was not me..it was the spirit of churchills feisty parrot. That anecdote was hugely entertaining. I admire Winston very much. He had so many qualities I don't but covet. The need for only three hours of sleep a night one of them. Or so they say.

You have missed your calling as a screenplay writer for Hollywood. I was wishing you had written more on the horror ticulturist murderer.

I've seen children and doggies emerge from piles of fall leaves. On tv. Always funny.

Mikie - poor Nancy. I feel her pain. With all the shards in it. I have not gotten over losing some beloved ones. Only those who departed decades ago i can recall without hurting somewhere. Only the thought that there is a place in heaven where no evil can enter and they are there gambolling around bring a little comfort.

DMC - network outage sounds very alarming. For someone who works in the field. We used to have power outages of 20 hours at one time. What a time that was!

The other day I visited the stupa to restock on incense and the like, and there were these three boisterous stray pups, jaw wrestling and turning round and round. Probably just fed by the scores of restaurants in the area and generally enjoying life. One of them came running up to me, smiled into my face and went running back to his pals. Then they wrestled right into my knees like I was some wall, I walked a bit and they moved with me. Me vastly amused. One of them leapt up and gently nipped at my hand. I think he wanted me to join in their frolic.

Was tempted to but too many passers by.

Hi Kids

Yesterday was a busy day what with errands and watering the flowers and sorting seeds for
the gardener in the family. Tiny seeds. Tinier than the bubbles in Lawrence Welks wine.
About a forth of an inch long. Uff-duh!

Springwater, here are a couple of words one might use in dealing with the dilemma presented
in paragraph 4 of your post: Conblomudation; exdoomooballing; woomporchalacious.

Here is the address for a site that has excerpts of speeches by Churchill. Also a photo of him when he was comparatively young.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wi...on-Churchills-10-most-important-speeches.html

Sun, thanks for the photo site. The lion looks so majestic it's hard to realize he's actually
alive. I took a course in ph0tography decades ago at the Jr. College in Ventura. The first assignment was to take an interesting picture of the local Mission. I took my camera and a gallon of water. Poured the water on the street. Took a picture of the reflection.

Was at the Courthouse in Santa Barbara shortly thereafter. There were student
photographers all over the place. With tripods, reflectors, etc. The Courthouse is also in the traditional style. Santa Barbara has the well known Brooks photography school founded the year WWII ended.

Well, getting tired. Better go back to bed.
Hugs
Rock

Good Thursday Morning, Kids,

Just sent an email to the new property mgr. at the mgmt. co. She is turning out to be as bad as the rest of the lazy crew there. Even if she isn't lazy, that co. manages more properties than it can serve. I am having a mess getting the plumber paid and the landscapers to pony up their portion. This email isn't quite as friendly as my former ones have been. Joe told me that I'll probably have to be a &%$#* to get some action on it. This is so stressful for me. I don't like having to be a drill sergeant to get people to do what they should be doing in the first place.

I'm meeting Claudia at the pool this morning. I'll go early to get my intense exercise out of the way and we will just walk back and forth and chat. It feels really good to get out in the fresh, or otherwise, air. It's not humid out but that will change on Sunday when rain is expected. Nancy sent a video of her new Shih Tzu puppy. He's black and white and adorable. He needed a home and she decided to adopt him just before Bob died. I think God sent her someone to keep her company while she grieves and beyond. When she talks to him, he talks back and does all kinds of cute posturing. He is so cute I can hardly stand it. SV does that with me and his kitty vocabulary is as good as this puppy's.

Granni, I hope the photo shoot goes well. I'm laughing thinking of all those tops held together in the back with big safety pins. I am not photogenic to begin with and hate having my pic taken. Also, I feel icky with my hair in its present stage of growing out. I need to get my drivers license renewed and think I may get my hair cut before I go. My last two license pics came out great and I don't want to break the good luck. Yes, I've been wearing shorts for some time this spring. Target had some and I may go get another pair or two. I also have things in the closet in three sizes. What a pain.

Rock, I looked at one of your photos and when I wanted to exit it, I exited everything including other websites. Rats! Beautiful bldg. Pics were kinda small so couldn't see much of the details. A lot of the stucco bldgs. in CA are in the Spanish style. The ones here are in the Italian style but the Spaniards left their touch on some of our landmarks. The old fort in St. Augustine is definitely Spanish. I am interested in Churchill and have seen several films about his life. I haven't seen the latest one which won an Oscar for Gary Oldman. I also took a photography class back in the days when we used film. I loved shooting in B&W. Hope you got your seeds sorted.

Star, how exciting to be expecting. If the ducks in the pond behind my condo are any example, mating can be quite vigorous and noisy. Like Sun said, enjoy your new exotic hair color. The first week or two when I color mine, it's a pinkish brown. My friends all love it but I don't. If I were to select another color in the gold spectrum, my hair would turn flaming red. Yikes! I don't look good as a red head but my older DD is beautiful with her henna rinse. Evidently, my ex had no clue as to how painful his cheating was for me until he saw some women on Dr. Phil. He called to apologize. By then, it really didn't matter to me and I was glad to be rid of him. Men sometimes think with different organs than their brains and indulge in blissful ignorance so they don't feel guilty from all the damage they do to their families. It's painful for the children too. Keep us updated on how the love birds are doing.

Sun, I didn't watch the video because when the Golden Girls sang that song, I couldn't get it out of my pea brain for days. Same with the Electric Light Parade music years ago when we visited Disneyland. How are you feeling?

Spring, my old phone went through the washing machine and I put it in a bowl of dry rice and it dried it out. I can picture you with the romping puppies and enjoying it. You write so well that it transports me half way around the world and I feel as though I'm there. Star does this as well. How nice to be able to get out of my familiar surroundings to experience a bit of your life there. I also believe our beloved pets wait for us on the other side. Mediums always describe people's pets. They are usually with family which has gone before the person being read. I can't imagine facing death without a belief that there is something beyond these physical lives.

SV is out on the lanai, basking on the little teal throw run by the sliding doors. He looks so handsome with his gorgeous black and white fur against the teal rug. Nancy's new puppy is black and white too, one of my favorite color combinations for critters.

Hope everydooby is having a good day.

Love, Mikie

Good morning dear ones,

ROCK - Yes it is a group pic and I got up much earlier than usual to try and get ready. It takes me some time to looking presentable !! I also do not like to rush - unlike DH !! I am waiting for my ride who lives on our block.. However, if she wasn't here I would just bring myself. Luckily it is also in my subdivision. It will be interesting to see how everyone elses top fits them . I know a few who do sew probably did a little altering for the pics but others have not . However, others might fill out the larger sizes a lot more than I do esp in the chest area and shoulders too.

MIKIE - Poor kitties really do have a rough life, esp if they live in a household where they are given lots of care. When I went over to DD's the other day the kitties were both lying on the floor basking in the little bit of sun coming through the windows.. BTW, my grand kitties are now 1 year old. No, they didn't have a party, but some do I hear. In fact my eldest DD who lives in Austin went to a doggie shower or something and other doggies were invited along with their owners. I think the doggie was adopted and that is what the party was for.

Gotta get off for DH.

Love,
Granni

Hi Gang.
I'm hanging on; difficult with Richard being gone, I must admit. He'll be back on the 20th of this month, so ten days. His trip was so screwed up by the Air France strike, and then by a cancelled flight on Norwegian Airlines. Aye, aye, aye....

Mikie, so you got a Chromebook laptop. How do you like it? Richard has one and loves it! I have an old Dell and it suits me fine. Most of the time, anyway, knock on wood.

Star, bucketing down rain eh? It shouldn't bother the tulips if in the ground, but I don't know about pots, or did I read you wrong? We plant our tulips in autumn, they endure our wet winters and prosper, bloom in the spring, then die back completely for the dry summers we have here in this part of Calif. (N.W.) Anyways, good luck with yours! Very interesting about the cockatiels! Hey, what happened to the ferrets....?

Spring, a nice story about the stray pups playing near you. I hope there aren't too many unwanted doggies on their own, alone, though. Do you have cats for rats?

Ladies, a word of advice : don't dye your hair chartreuse!

Rock, what seeds are you talking about? I just looked through my collection of books ( I've way too many) thinking what I could get rid of. LOTS of orchid books, cook books, etc. I imagine you are in the same situation, eh? Or maybe not, since you have so many libraries near you... I guess I'm just a hoarder. I'm not really interested in the "Native Australian Orchids" anymore. Oh well, we shall see.

I'm going to take it very easy today, am tired from weeding and watering and dogging and catting, so extra reading I guess. It's kind of cool and grey today, sun trying to peek through.
Lovely irises in bloom, both wild and bearded. One of the bearded is called "Cairo Lyric" and is a lovely tan and maroon.

I am afraid for this country. I am afraid for democracy. I am afraid at the lack of civility in politics now. I AM AFRAID FOR THE PLANET!

Love and Peace to All,
Barry -- the cowardly lion.

Just sent another post with note to BARRY but not sure where it went to... Gee's maybe you can find it MIKIE?? Hang in there BARRY. I know it is hard without Richard and not having anyone to talk to other that the kitties and doggies and having to do a lot of the work without Richard there,. and little or no NRG. Keep smiling and doing what you love even though mostly reading and taking are of plants and flowers. There is only so much conversation you can have with a kittie or doggie, even if you both love each other... I don't feel like rewriting everything I wrote before. I think I made a mistake and wrote under Barry's last post but it wasn't showing the whole thread, just Barry's post.

Our pics went well this morning even though the gal who was taking them came a little late for her to do the pictures..

Gotta run for now. I am already aggravated at myself for posting in the wrong place.

Love to everydobby,
Granni

Good afternoon!

It's almost the end of my day. I had another very productive day. I've nearly finished the project I was working on (now that my mentor taught me what to do). There's one more piece we have to work on tomorrow, but otherwise, it's done - ahead of schedule.

We had at least one thunderstorm roll through during the night. I woke up during it, but fell right back to sleep.

Barry - I had a white-crowned sparrow at my feeder this morning. Quite distinctive with its black-and-white striped head. Glad you're getting along well enough.

Mikie - Maybe I'm a witch and don't know it, but I loves me my black kitties. But my Worf cat is slowly losing his all-black-cat (ABC) status because of his vitiligo.

Star - how cool that the cockatiels are nesting. I have 2 female cockatiels. They laid eggs a couple of springs, but haven't done so in a couple of years.

Spring - If the video you are referring to is the one I'm thinking of, it was actually a Moluccan cockatoo named Max. And, yes, he was vehement about not going to the vet! The network outage really wasn't too bad...it didn't affect me much other than causing a couple of my jobs to fail. But it distracted me from posting. It was over pretty swiftly.

Granni - Glad the pictures went well. Now you can get to the job of taking up the top for real!

Rock - You are a punster extraordinaire as usual! You had me rolling!

Time to pack up and head home. Hugz to all!

-Duckie

Rock: What a clever, creative idea to take a picture in a reflection in water. Did you save the picture? I hope so.

Mikie: My stomach is better but I'm feeling REALLY exhausted. I pushed myself this morning to take a walk early then had planned on getting my van washed so it was completely empty of all my stuff I carry in it, so had to carry thru with that plan. Then had to buy a can of red spray paint. My pool guy told me that red is the best for scaring off the ducks. So since I was passing Armstrong nursery of course I had to stop. Bought a variegated trailing plant for my new shade area. So now I'm really ready for a nap. I was awake until after midnight. I guess you're all over the bug now?

Spring: I think I would have been a tad scared with all those dogs tussling around. You're very brave.

Duck: My son is having raccoon troubles with one that actually clawed open his back door screen and came in TWICE to eat the cat food. He sent a link to some "vampire" raccoons up around Youngstown, Ohio. The authorities figure they all had distemper so had to be captured and put down. It was a wildlife photographer who took all the pictures as they were by his house.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...tood-on-its-hind-legs/?utm_term=.9b3778afb3c6

Barry: Hang in there, Richard will be home soon.

And here's a link to some wonderful pictures of nature.....OMG.....I would like to all of them on a bucket list as they are amazing. I've seen a gathering of the monarch butterflies in so. Calif. There is campground near Malibu, Ca. We were there in October but it was overcast so they were all clustered on branches but their wings were closed and not many flying around.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/lists/seasonal/colorful-natural-phenomena-things-to-do/?utm_source=ngp&utm_medium=crm-email&utm_content=travel_newsletter_20180510&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_rd=&utm_rd=<#itlscript>${CONTACTS_LIST.RIID_?c}</#itlscript>&cmpid=org=ngp::mc=crm-email::src=ngp::cmp=editorial::add=travel_newsletter_20180510::urid=&utm_rd=<#itlscript>${CONTACTS_LIST.RIID_?c}</#itlscript>

Hi, Kids,

Just sitting a spell and thought I'd drop in. I did get to the pool today and did my running and intensive training. Then, Claudia showed up and we walked and talked. She's great fun and we always laugh when we get together. Joe came over and we sat on the balcony and chatted when I came home. It was a nice morning.

I talked to the plumber's bookkeeper and she emailed the second and third invoices to the bookkeeper at our mgmt. co. so they could be paid. What a mess! We will have spent more than $2,000 this year on plumbing. I sent another email to our mgr. and it wasn't as friendly as the ones before it. I'm sick of this crap. I'll be sending all the info to the president of the big board because he is stingy and just the thought that the POA will have to pay the bill will strike fear in his heart. He deals with the landscapers so he's the one to get involved. I've decided it's not worth stressing over.

I think the mess with my credit card payments has been solved but I still need to go through the statements to be sure. I've decided to put that off until tomorrow. I'm channeling Scarlett O'Hara. Tomorrow is another day.

Barry, I keep you in my thoughts and hope all goes well for you and for Richard as he travels. It's hard having to do everything yourself but even worse is having life disrupted--something is out of place and someone is missing. I absolutely love my Acer Chromebook. It's fast and easy. Only problem I have will all the new laptops is the squirrelly keyboards. Wish I had bought it first. Glad Richard likes his. Hang in there and he'll be home before you know it.

Granni, glad you got your pics done. I'm still struggling to decide whether to get my hair cut short or not. I think I have a face made for short hair with bangs. The older I get, the more difficult it is to look good. Right now, I have dark circles under my eyes, probably linked to whatever bug I have had or my allergies. Wish I could help with your post but, as you know, it's all I can do to keep from finding my own when the disappear.

Duckie, I have yet to meet a kitty or dog I don't like unless it's trying to tear me to shreds but I've seldom seen any of those. I like all colors of critters but the B&W is a favorite. Tweety is all white and she is beautiful. We had an all black kitty and he was beautiful too. What is so amazing to me is how smart the critters are and how cute they act. If there were a Mensa for cats, Tweety would be a member. SV, on the other hand, is laid back and not interested in doing smart things. Still, every now and then he surprises me with something really clever. His vocabulary alone is a thing to behold. Glad work is going so well for you.

Sun, I'm sorry you are struggling to feel better. My stomach is still a bit iffy today and I feel hot but I'm definitely better. I have variegated trailing Purslane in the flower box and it is beautiful. I keep having to separate it every year because it takes over everything. Right now, it has tiny red flowers on it. What are you going to spray paint red to put out to scare off the ducks? Raccoons can be a real problem. Talk about your smart critters. I hope you feel better soon.

I fried up some bacon and eggs for dinner tonight. I've been eating light and decided I need something heartier. It'll be time to play Jeopardy in a little more than an hour. It's the highlight of our day for us three old ladies in my text circle. I hope everydooby else has a great evening.

Love, Mikie