the Friday 56

It's that time of the week: Freda's Friday 56

 Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.

p56. "Mr Goldberg wore a black patch over his left eye, and below that a pearl snap cowboy shirt and jeans, white python skin cockroach killer boots with gold tips and heal ornaments, and a solid gold buffalo shaped belt buckle with rubies for eyes and diamonds everywhere else".

Come back in a week or so and see what I think of this book. We are reading it for book club.

I apologize if any of you could not get onto my blog last week. I got one email stating that it appeared the person was blocked. NO ONE is blocked, there is a glitch somewhere. Is that why I don't get any comments? If you have or had any trouble I hope you will email me. Thanks.

Thoughts on Thursday

As I was watching HGTV last night and playing Words with Friends my thoughts went to how wasteful we are as an American society. No, not all of us....but anyone who watches HGTV's Million Dollar Rooms must think we are all so rich and don't care about the less fortunate. I saw a bathroom (couldn't find a photo of it) that was waaaaaaaay over the top, I was actually disgusted  by the opulence of it. Granted, there is no way I'll ever find out if maybe I could live like that.....but it might be nice to give it a try. *wink* In the meantime I will be satisfied with what I have.

personally, I do not like the tub jutting out or in the middle of the room

We have 1-3/4 bathrooms.........I say 2, but since the downstairs one only has a shower (that we never use) it is considered a 3/4 bath. Both of our baths are big enough for the essentials and only 1 person. I've never lived any other way so I am OK with it....sure would be nice to have a master bath attached to our bedroom though. Now that it is only hubby and me it is like our master bath. Oh, and a vanity would be nice, several years ago when my back was really bothering me I couldn't stand in front of the mirror to do my hair or make up.

white upholstered furniture and a fireplace in the bathroom? not for me

Ooops, I fibbed in the above paragraph. Many, many, many years ago when my (then) husband was in the service we lived in Colorado Springs (and I do remember the address) we had a 1/2 bath in our attic apartment (that is a whole other post) and had to share the tub, yes tub, with the other tenants. It didn't even bother me then, it sure would now.
On another HGTV program a remodeling job was being undertaken and the fixtures were smashed with a sledge hammer <#@>)^$%$.....why do they have to smash things? Can't any of these items be reused? There have to be needy organizations that can put them to good use!!! I hate wasting things; whether it is food, clothing, or other household items. Many years ago, when I worked in a factory one woman said she'd rather smash an unwanted item than give it to someone. Stupid! Heartless! Unchristian! Some of my unneeded items get sold and others I give away. I even try to fix things....later today I have to take apart my dehumidifier and vacuum it out and see if I can get it back to working condition...wish me luck!
What are your thoughts? Is there anything you need to share?

After The Weekend

our youngest grandaughter and her mom don party hats in anticipation of Lucy's birthday

 

 

 

 (Lucy is the imaginary friend of M's, Lucy had no hands)

Everyone who was sitting around the picnic table yesterday had to put on the party hat and have a picture taken with Mackenzie.

Our Father's Day cookout went off with out a hitch. Saturday we had some rain but Sunday morning we awoke to beautiful sunny skies. I got the pool out and filled it up. My grandsons (who spent the night on saturday) brought out a bunch of pool toys and and things for the younger children to play with. (NOT my idea to get everything out....but they were being good hosts). The kids had fun in the pool, with the squirt guns, and tossing water balloons around. I warned M's mom that I suspected water would be involved...so bring extra clothing for her. Between our son in law and a friend, the guys got the grill going and food cooked. Wouldn't you know it? The grill was out of gas....Greg to the rescue! Chuck cooked the food and many friends brought food to share so we had plenty to eat. I love being able to sit outside and visit, although some of the guys went inside to watch a baseball game. Later a couple of the men took the kids to the playground across the street to play for a bit.

Home Interiors window shelf-(looks hand painted)-$3

the section of my 'garden' that I like, flowers are still small, but it has potential

Kevin got home from work about 5:30 and he was able to enjoy our company for a while......it was Father's Day after all.... After everyone left we cleaned up and I even washed all the dishes. Today I slept in and then talked on the phone so it was after noon when I left to run errands. I did manage to stop at the thrift store and find the above window shelf. It looks hand painted but after close scrutiny one can see that it is a decal. It is well used but just exactly what I am looking for and for $3 it's perfect to hang outside for the summer.

Most of today was nice, I washed and hung out the sheets. It was one of those days when I was on the phone at least10 times.......other days my phone doesn't ring at all. But was Monday and my day for errands, to play catch up, or just to play. I like Mondays! After supper it rained again. I guess we needed it, but maybe in a day or 2??? At least Sunday was perfect! Back to work and the real world tomorrow.............ta ta.....

Great Customer Service From Piggly Wiggly

OK, it's saturday, the day before I am having a small cookout with some of the family, so why am I posting on my blog??? I have food to make, cleaning to do, the ever popular laundry. etc. It's an addiction, an addiction, I tell you! I wanted to tell you about some great customer service I received from the Piggly Wiggly food store in WI. I believe they are a small chain of grocery stores in this part of the country. It pays to shop locally!

my little garden: kohlrabi, carrots, tomatoes, & radishes

Last Thursday I stopped to fill my car with gas and use up my 'pig points' (one earns points for buying certain items and those points can be used as cents off gasoline). The gas tank was empty and I had a $50 gift card and .22 off a gallon of gas....woo hoo! I put my card into the designated slot and learned I had only $6.85 remaining......and I could not finish my transaction with a different credit card....so I only got less than 2 gallons of gas. *insert sad face* The attendant inside could not help me so I just left....not very happy....then I stopped at the Piggly Wiggly store (which is on my way home). I explained the situation (nicely) to the manager and he said I'd be able to get my points reinstated.

don't you just love, love, love the colorful kiwi succulent in the center? I do.

Yesterday I received a phone call from the 'head' store telling me that my points were reinstated. This morning I stopped to pick up some things from the store and, sure enough, my points were back where I wanted them. *insert smiley face*

Happy Father's Day weekend to my friends in the US. Hubby has to work but I am still having a cookout. Our son in law is going to do the grilling *smile* and we'll save some food for hubby. So that means I have to get off the computer and get busy and pray for sunshine tomorrow so the kids can play outside.

the Friday 56/Tears of the Giraffe/Book Review

It's Friday.............time for Freda's Friday 65  here

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.
*Post it.

p.56 "She looked back at him and thought: There is intelligence here. This is a clever man who cannot be trusted."

This is the 2nd book in the series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. I don't know why I like this series, but I do. Mma Ramotswe is a traditional lady (fat) in Botswana Africa and runs her own detective agency. She's a proud, kind, hardworking, single woman. There's a bit of info about Africa that I find interesting. It's not a page turning thriller but it leaves me wanted to read more. It's so refreshing to read about a life that is so different from the fast moving world I live in.

I read the first book in the series some time ago so when I saw the set of 5 books for $1 at a garage sale I scooped them up! They are quick reads (about 227 pages) so are good for me to read in between book club books or other serious reads.

Thoughts on Thursday

My thoughts today:

* I don't want to go to work today (I am normally off on Thursdays), but I want to get paid for Thursday, so I'll go

* Why did hubby wash off the "I love you guys" that was painted on our driveway by our grandson? I liked it....it's not like we live in a ritzy neighborhood or it was graffiti.

*Am I wrong to still be angry and hurt that some family members lied about something I did not do? I guess I am holding a grudge b/c I haven't spoken to either....well, they haven't spoken to me. I don't plan to talk to them either unless they talk to me first and I expect acknowledgement of the wrongdoing. Is that wrong?

* How will I ever get the house cleaned and food made for the cookout I have planned for Sunday afternoon?

*Why has one of my bosses decided that now he needs to park in front of the building??? For 14 years he parked somewhere on the side and I parked in front....it's annoying for me to back into the space next to the building, and besides I park like a 'dufus'

Itineraries Change

How was your weekend? What did you do? No, I didn't make this big mess, I made it worse, and then spent the afternoon cleaning it up. The pool is not huge but it makes a great wash basin for dirty toys and lawn chairs after the kids go home. When it was emptied the lawn got a much needed 'drink'.

 

On my itinerary for Saturday morning was attending the garden fair at a local town. I had never been able to go and decided since summer is so short I want to do as many outdoor activities as I can. It wasn't nearly as big as the one I was at in the botanical garden but there still was a lot to see. I had a busy day planned so I was out of the house 'earlyish'. I looked, took photos, ate, bought a couple of things and, was on my way home in time to pick up my grandsons for Wacky Weekend. I usually take the boys there once a month to make an art project. We didn't go last month and they were very disappointed.

beer can wind chimes, doesn't everyone need one of these?

imaginative uses for old tools

Thank goodness this garden table was sold, I really loved it. I admire people who can take something old and see something new in it. Recycling at it's best!!!

no need to clean up the old sewing machine treadle for this project

nothing new here, but still adorable

art painted onto old windows

Saturday was a perfect warm summer day. My SIL was bored and her son wouldn't leave the house unless he could play with my grandsons. I invited them over to play in the pool and have a squirt gun fight. The photo below is a peaceful moment among them. The 2 cousins on the right often have disagreements :-(  Michele and I just wanna strangle them sometimes. We give it about 10 minutes and then they are back to being friends. The boys can't help it....they get their stubborn genes from their dads.

relaxing with treats

About 4pm the boys wanted to go to the beach (not on my original itinerary) so we packed up our stuff and off we went. It's a 5 minute drive so not a big undertaking. It was chilly there. It was a breezy day, but not noticeably cooler unless you were on Lake Michigan (aka the beach). There was digging of  holes, laughter, and arguing......par for the course. The boys had a good day though. On the way home we picked up subs for dinner, that hit the spot!

making chalk paint

My grandsons spent the night on saturday. S remembered the chalk paint my granddaughter invented and he wanted to make some, so I gave them the proper kitchen utensils and they made a couple of batches. Grandson S painted a sign on the driveway for us. :-)

"I love you guys. love, Skylar" (the heart is the 'e' in love)

Cleaning out the shed (where the outdoor toys are kept) was not on my itinerary but that's what I did after our grandsons were picked up. I posted several things online for sale and a few things got tossed. I found the slip n' slide that the boys remembered but I had forgotten about. I sat on the deck and read for a while (that is always on my itinerary). Later hubby and I took the convertible (the long way) to the grocery store to get steaks for dinner. Grilled steaks and baked potatoes.....YUM! Hubby know I hate to cook on summer weekends, especially when I am busy with other stuff.

the glass plate flower I purchased

Today I have groceries to buy, plants to plant, cards to stamp, laundry to fold. Will any of that itinerary change? I hope not.

the Friday 56/Mine Are Spectacular

It's time for Freda's Friday 56    here   

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.
*Post it.

p.56 "How could I have forgotten the bathing suit?"

Our book club is reading this book and at first I just couldn't get into it....but one of my friends told me to forge on, it gets better and it did! I wouldn't say you must read it but it is a nice summer read. 

Question- what do you tell your 7 & 8 year old grandsons after they read the title and ask "what does she have that is spectacular?"

my reply "her friends"

What would you have said?

A Quote for Today

I heard this quote on the radio (from a very opinionated radio announcer that I like) this morning as I was getting ready for work. Think about it.....I just had to find the quote so I could post and remember it. 

"The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely".~Lorraine Hansberry, American Playwright who wrote the play, A Raisin in the Sun (1950)

Lorraine Vivian Hansberry the 3rd (May 19, 1930 – January 12, 1965) was an African American playwright and author of political speeches, letters, and essays. Her best known work, A Raisin in the Sun, was inspired by her family's battle against racial segregation in Chicago. (taken from Wikipedia) 

She studied at the University of Madison, WI (gotta promote my home state of Wi once again).

Road Trip in Rural WI

 Much of Wisconsin in rural area and it is very beautiful (in my prejudiced eyes-I've lived here almost all of my life). Even covered in ice and snow it's beautiful, I didn't say I liked it...just that it is a beautiful state.

 I was on another of my solo adventures today. I went to visit my mom in her new apartment. On the above stretch of road a person feels like you are in a tunnel, it's especially pretty in autumn. There's no cell phone reception in that area, are you surprised?

 

This small river may look dirty brown, but it's quite shallow, clear, and the sandy bottom is showing through. I really wanted to take of my shoes and wade in it. It was beautiful and sunny when I stopped, all you could hear were the birds (an an occasional auto). I could have spent the whole day in my chair with my book. I have now decided I want to live next to a small river, to heck with the boaters and people  on the lake! This was sooooooooo peaceful!!!

Here is 'my' billboard, as promised.

With all the crap and changes around me I know why some people choose to steel their hearts

Garden Fair at the Botanical Gardens

Lots of flowers to choose from

It was a nice day for a walk through the flowers and I took advantage of it. I didn't see the need to be the first one there so I slept in this morning. I met some friends while I was there.

chairs

jewelery

gourds

the lady in red, love it!

flip flop flowers and a pink flamingo

shovel art

 Who thinks of using such things as art? ...people that are much more creative than me!

cup cake windsock

I think I am going to buy some of this plate art this year, it just fascinates me

spoon flowers

tiny mirrors

a trip fence/border

 The winding trails through all of the gardens are beautiful, with one unusual plant after another.

huge koi

bench and plants inside this building

gorgeous sculptures

I didn't buy much but had a fabulous time looking at everything. I look forward to next years event.

How Fast Do You Read

I stumbled across something fun this morning....how fast do you read? take the test....   here
It's a quick, easy, and fun little test, try it. I could read War and Peace in 25 hours and the Bible in 33 hours. How fast are you???

If the above link doesn't work try: http://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/technology-research-centers/ereaders/speed-reader/