Wednesday May 8th 2024

nursej22, MSN, RN · May 8

Good morning. The sun is up and it may reach 70 today! I will be leaving shortly to work at the demo garden, then mow the backyard this afternoon. dh got the fence repaired so the little dog can't get out, at least for now. We didn't do too well at trivia last night. We didn't do so great at the basketball category, nor one on stock symbols. Oh well, better luck next week.

DiL is giving us tickets to see the Mariners play Saturday night. During the day, we will be working at a big plant sale to raise funds for the Master Gardeners. Along with the demo garden I work at, there is one that teaches gardening to school kids and donates food to the food bank, a therapy garden at the hospital, and a heritage garden at an old mansion that serves as a community center.

Joe, I am sorry for your woes with technology yesterday. And kitty was just trying to help, LOL.

Stars, I certainly think you are entitled to more from your in-laws. You are only getting $13 a day to be a near constant companion, prepare and clean up meals, and there is all the laundry.

Time for me to dash. Ta.

No Stars In My Eyes · May 8

89-90 degrees and a thunderstorm is slowly rumbling on its way here. SiL came over and got Nannie up and dressed, then she did yardwork, pulling weeds and spraying, And she swept and mopped the kitchen floor before she left. I did the dishes, and then went up to my room to gather the piles of alllllll the magazines I need to toss into recycling, and I filled a box from the supermarket, the size that they received 4 gallons of milk in....but first I had to tear off anything with my name and address on it. I am a total print junkie and HAVE TO have stuff to read; I have a subscription to my favorite magazine (The WEEK) and I may get several other subscriptions (for magazines I just cannot resist buying when I see them.)....that ought to be a bit cheaper than buying them all off the rack all the time. I also ditched all the catalogs I've gotten, (they are like the SEARS catalog used to be referred to: Dream Books.) It's not like I can afford to buy anything, and anyway more catalogs will show up again, that's for sure.

The baby birds that were in a nest on the front porch, on top of a wreath made from branches, are dead. The mother had been in the nest and flew off any time someone came or went through the front door. The wreath got knocked off its nail and there were two puny looking baby birds in the nest. Then a short while later the entire nest fell off of the wreath; we had managed to get the nest and babies back up on the wreath, without touching them, but I doubt they would have survived too much longer anyway. They were obviously dehydrated and without any feathers yet; too weak to peep. Sad, but wildlife doesn't have it easy. They were too young to try to do any feeding or giving fluids. I think it was the mother bird's second egg-laying of the year. Don't know what happened to the first batch though; it's possible that they didn't make it either.

Have had casual talks with both BiL and SiL about possible contingency plans....like about some "what if's".... We will get together and figure out what we want to do about the house, Nannie, etc. Nothing is changing right now, anyway, but it is good to have some ideas about what could come in the future. BiL said "Nannie can't last too much longer; she could go any day now." But I said, "That's what hubby and I thought 7 years ago!" I always say she's too mean to die, and she always laughs and agrees with that. Really, she is so fearful of dying she can't even think or talk about it,

Basically we three will all figure things out together and go to a lawyer to have him explain how things might roll out if we did this or that about Nannie and/or the house and property. Essentially they have assured me that I will not be out in the cold financially OR physically. I said I do need to be some place safe (maybe smaller) and have enough money so I don't have to worry about going broke trying to make rent/mortgage, etc. and I have to know that I can survive on my pittance of Social Security. But, it will all work out, I am sure, and there is nothing current that needs doing anyway. Just doesn't hurt to "Be Prepared" ! Whatever we decide to do, hubby's dgt is going to be mad as a wet hen, as she believes it ALL should be HERS! Yup, nope, that ain't happening.

Nannie is conked out, so I don't have to make her an early supper. It is still thundering and looks like the bottom will fall out any minute, but so far no rain.

Uh!.....We are now getting lightning; the weather report is giving warnings of severe thunderstorms in this area, for a couple more hours. This too shall pass.

Y'know, it's kind of a relief to have a dog that is NOT afraid of thunderstorms!

No Stars In My Eyes · May 8

Sun's out again. Nannie had me close the drapes while it was storming; as if drapes are going to keep her safe! But, she has fallen back to sleep, and it looks like the worst of the storming is over, so I just opened the drapes again. This den is such a dark little cave anyway, that I wanted to leave the drapes open so I could at least watch the storm.

Almost time to turn on the local news and hear how others in the area around here have fared (faired?)

........YIKES! The worst effects of the storm were in East Charlotte: trees on houses and cars, wires down, power outages, and streets closed. Our weather-guy says "It isn't over yet folks!" There is another storm coming overnight, about midnight, from the west and that storm is supposed to be even more severe and hazardous. Maybe the Blue Ridge Mountains will 'muffle' its effects like they do with other storms that head toward us.

TV reception is hiccupping and the pixels are intermittantly and irregularly shattered, making it hard to watch the camera shots, or hear a complete sentence.

Nannie is still out like a light. I'm going to have to wake her up to eat. Think I'll do something VERY easy to make, like p'butter and banana sandwiches, potato chips, fruit salad, and a chocolate dessert (SiL sent it over yesterday evening) and some BOOST drink and cranapple juice. That'll fill her up! I usually give her a hot meal at suppertime, but she will like what I just mentioned, so I am fine doing just that.