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I got out the lawn mower this morning. I cut down the old flowers and used the mower to mulch up the leaves. I wanted to run the mower dry of gasoline for the winter so I continued cutting the grass. I was able to get the whole lawn done before it conked out and the rain began.
Next, I changed the washers in the bathroom faucets. Three of them went well. The forth, the cold-water faucet for the tub gave me a problem as the screw to the washer was corroded and the screwdriver had nothing to grip. I tried using Ted’s screw remover but that just bore a hole in the screw. I finally chipped out some of the washer and grabbed the screw with the vice grips. I then took the screw to the hardware store to get a new one. It went back together fine. The big test was when I turned the water back on. The hot water faucet leaked worse then before. I was afraid I’d have to shut it off from the basement but I got it tightened enough to stop the leaking. I believe the stem needs new packing and I’m not sure how to do that. I didn’t see anything that looked remotely like it when I was in the hardware store. It is an ancient tub and they probable don’t have parts for that kind anymore. All I saw was plastic cartridge parts. I may have to replace the entire faucet but that would mean taking the tile off the back and the plywood underneath. I dread that mess.
Danny went for a little walk at lunchtime. He didn’t like being out in the rain. At 4:00, it was raining hard and when I took him out, he went to the edge of the porch, looked at the rain, then looked up at me as if to say, “Are you out of your mind? I’m not going out in this. He turned around and went back into the house.
Tonight was movie night at the parsonage in Vineland. I picked up my good friend, June, and we went over. I didn’t expect many, as it was dark, rainy, and dreary. I was surprised at the big turnout. The movie was about a Lutheran minister in Nazi Germany. He became part of the resistance movement against Hitler. It was a good movie but the ending was sad. The Gestapo executed him less than a month before the end of the war.
Twenty years ago, I would never have thought something like that could happen again but now I’m not so sure. Our liberties are being eroded away and the way things are going politically, they will be eroded away even more.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Look at the size of this Sycamore leaf. The tree is on the circle at the mobile home park. The sycamore leaves I have in Vineland are only a third that size. I found an even bigger leaf there.
I got the decorations out of the garage this morning. I loaded them in the car and drove them to the house as my garage is halfway down the block. I got ready and went to church. There were not many people attending. Some were away for the holiday weekend. After church, three of my lady friends and the minister went to lunch. I got the cod fish and ate the whole meal. I usually only eat half and have another meal. I don't know why I goobled it down.
I stopped in Walmart on the way home and got a pair of boots for $7.00. I needed a pair to walk Danny in the wet grass. My old boots were worn out and leaked. My feet were getting soaking wet. They will be one of my Christmas presents. I buy them for myself. Santa was in the restaurant so I gave him my list of gifts I want for Christmas.
When I got home, I put up the tree and started decorating it. Danny came down so I had to take him out for his walk. I then called Ted's parents and talked for a while. I was hoping to find a Christmas music special on the Television but no luck. I watched a couple Christmas movies on the Family Channel as I put the decorations on the tree. It was sad in a way as it was the tree we had in the lobby at our office. Sonia always helped me put up the tree and put the decorations on it. Decoration the tree brings back memories. This tree brought back memories of the office. How different things are now.
I hope to take my main tree to MD and put it up in the living room. That one has memories of Christmases of Ted and I. It has ornaments that people have given us over the years. I don't want to put too many decorations here in Vld but I don't have much furnature to put them on in MD. I don't have a fireplace to hang the stockings. I'll have to find a place to put them. I also put ornament and figurines on the mantle. I plan on getting an electric fireplace when I get this house sold. I have a lot on my list to get when I get this place sold.
I have much to do here and not much time to do it. I need to fix the faucets on the tub so I can get some water pressure to wash my hair. Danny needs a bath. I'll have to bathe him in the laundry tub. It has a hose on it. I need to run the mower over the flower beds and clean up the rest of the leaves. And I want to paint the cellar white to make it brighter and more appealing to the people looking at my house. They all seem to have a weird interest in the cellar. They want to put extra rooms down there. It doesn't lend itself to that but if it's brighter maybe it will help.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I spent the morning packing up and loading the car. I stopped at the Dollar Tree Store in Delaware. I got some Christmas cards and put together a Shoe Box full of gift for the mission. I got hot wheels, a dinosaur, a transformer figure, some pens, pencils, a puzzle, and tooth brushes. I need to throw in some hard candy and some toothpaste. Ted and I used to fill a box each, one for a boy and one for a girl. Last year, I did one for a girl so this year, I did one for a boy.
I headed straight home to Vineland from there. We made good time. When I got home, I unpacked the car and put the things away. I had some lunch and vegetated for the rest of the day. I did try putting my table in the car to see if it would fit and it did so I can take it down next time. I'll have to see if my headboard will fit in so I can take my bed the following trip. I need to pack up the Christmas tree and decorations to take down when I go this time.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
We were up and out walking early. It was dark and rainy. While having my morning coffee, I put away the Thanksgiving decorations and got out what Christmas decorations I had here. I rearranged my plants and the bed so I could put up my trees. The one is the front window; I decided to put white lights on it. They are in Vineland so I’ll have to wait to do that one. I put the fiber optic tree in the living room until I get the main tree down here. I hung some wreaths.
Cheryl called and said she and Ed would be here in about 20 minutes so I took Danny out for a walk and they were here before we got back. The weather had turned cold and windy but the sun was out. It started drying up a little bit. Ed examined my door, took measurements and we went to the mobile home store. He knew just what I needed and I ordered the door. It should be in on Wednesday. We went into Wal-mart where Ed got some clips to put his lights on the roof and Cheryl found a gift for my brother that was on sale.
We had lunch at Chick-fil-let. It was pretty good and the hospitality was exceptional. After I got home, I took Danny out to the Post Office and went to the library. I had a list of movies I had written out a long time ago and found the first one on my list.
I plugged in my outdoor lights this morning and it was still dark enough for the sensor to turn them on. They went out when it got lighter. I will have to see how much I can bring down on my next trip. I will be decoration two houses.
I will be going to Cheryl and Ed’s for dinner tonight. It is wonderful not to have to eat alone.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I fixed some things up around here this morning. In the back bathroom, there is a cabinet over the toilet. It was not attached to the wall on one side. I tried several times to attach it but couldn’t. I took the screw out to see if it fit in the groove and it did. I noticed it wasn’t lined up correctly so I marked it and screwed it into the wall. It wasn’t easy because I didn’t have enough clearance for the screwdriver. I took off the bit of one of the screwdrivers and gripped it with the vice grips. It was slow going but I got it done and mounted the cabinet to the wall. Next, I put a fancy hook on the back of the bathroom door. It’s decorative with birds and bird houses and has five hooks on it. I marked where to put the screws and got out the drill. The door is a hollow door and the panels are paper thin. I hope the hook holds. It looks like a solid wood door but I’m wondering if its vinyl. It drilled as if it were.
I glued one of my earrings with goop this morning. It is an autumn leaf and I wanted to wear it today with my outfit. It seems to be holding up OK.
I went to make my cranberry Waldorf salad yesterday and realized I forgot to bring my recipe. Computers are a wonder. I looked up and found the recipe. I had to make half yesterday and refrigerate overnight. I finished it up today. I went over real well as I made a big bowl using my glass Dutch oven. My serving dishes are packed in paper and in boxes here in the computer. They are waiting for my china closet to be moved in and that won’t be until I sell the house in Vineland.
We went to my nephew, Rick’s for dinner. When carrying in my Dutch oven, the lid slipped off and crashed and burned all over the front steps. I’m glad the food didn’t crash with it. Rick cleaned it up.
We had a real nice dinner. Turkey was the main course with all the trimmings. It was a good turkey; it was very moist. I stuffed myself as usual but boxed up my dessert to take home. I’ll have it tomorrow.
I hooked up my Christmas lights on the two little trees this morning. I had put the lights on last weekend but I ran the power cords to them today. I have an outlet that goes on at dusk and off at dawn. I didn’t plug them in yet but they are good to go.
I put a fiber optic Christmas tree in the front window. I may replace it with a 3 foot tree that we had in our office. I’ll have to move the air mattresses back to the side window. I moved the plants into the computer room. The tree has decorations of gold. I think it has colored lights. I may get white ones for it.
I’m going to put my regular tree in the living room here and the 6 foot tree we used in the lobby at the office will go in the house in Vineland. I don’t know if I’ll get the icicle lights on the roof here or not. I have to bring my ladder down. It will fit in my car if I put down the back seat. I have to bring a lot of stuff down including the tree and all the decorations. I’ll also have to bring down my large white outdoor table. It comes in two pieces. I don’t know if it will fit in my car or not. It may fit in the back seat but I’m not sure. If not, I’ll have to take my dinning table apart and bring it. I may be having Christmas dinner here.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Ted was always interested in photographing things of nature. This is a fungus that complete encircles my neighbors tree. I find many fungi to be unusual and this one certainly is.
I got the things on my list for yesterday and today finished. I went to the DVM to renew my driver's license. They have things so they go smoothly now. I was second in line and did not have to wait long. I have all my documents ready.
Next, I went to see Ann who manages the building where we used to have our office. She had some mail there for me from the IRS. I don't know why they sent it there as they have my correct address. Any the documents they have been losing for years are finally in order and it looks like I get a refund only I can't figure out how much I'm to get because they sent four letters all saying a different thing. I don't believe I should be getting a refund because I made the correct payments but don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I visited with Ann for awhile and then went on my way.
I went to Wal-Mart. I needed food for both here and MD. I got the ingredients for my dish for Thanksgiving except for the seedless grapes. There doesn't seem to be any at least not in the sale brochures. I hope I can find some. Wal-Mart had grapes with seeds.
I came home, walked Danny, had some lunch and then went to the Mall and Michael's. They had electric candles with sensors on sale. I bought 10 for my sun-porch here in VLD. They will go on at dusk and off at dawn. I still have to get the air conditioners out of the windows. Maybe my brother can come on Sat or Sun to help me with them.
I looked in all the department stores at the mall to see if they had a granny nightgown with brushed back. My aunt told me she liked that kind and is unable to find them anymore. I had no luck but looked them up online and found them at a store called Nationals. I never know what to get my aunt for Christmas and now I can get her something she likes and needs.
When I got home, I put the cold food away and took Danny for his afternoon walk. I had my dinner and now it's time to take Danny out for his night time walk in the yard.
I have some lovely flowers blooming in the yard. A yellow Stella Doro lily is in bloom and all three rose bushes; red, pink, and yellow.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I didn't do much today. I seem to get tired out after driving back from MD. I did the laundry and caught up on my bills. I did some computer work and that was it. I had a list of things to do but just didn't get to it. I guess the weather is so depressing. Rain again. It'll clear up tomorrow but the leaves will be still too wet to do anything with. The rest of them came down so I have to clean them up maybe next week. I also want to run the mower over the dead flowers and get the beds cleaned up.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I walked Danny early this morning and met a new dog friend. He was a white poodle about the size of Danny. He belonged to a neighbor who wondered why his dog was tugging on his lead. The dogs were friendly to each other but the other little dog wanted to play and I think he scared Danny.
I sang in the choir and after church, I had some lunch, walked Danny and went to my nephew's in DE. His company, Valero, had just closed down and he is out of a job. The Avon plant in DE has also closed down. I helped them rearrange their furniture for the Thanksgiving Dinner and took off for home.
I unpacked the car and walked Danny. I had the vegetable soup from the church for my dinner. It was good. I also had a large piece of pumpkin pie.
News from the Vorlon Wife
I got a few things done today. I put some Christmas lights on the little trees that are along my walk. They’re not plugged in but I wanted to get them up before it gets cold out. There was frost on the pumpkin this morning. I hung some under-the-counter lights. I put some weather-strip under the storm door as there was a big gap under it. I went to the Christmas Bizarre at the church. I bought some Christmas cactus for gifts and a quart of soup for dinner. I had lunch of a chicken salad sandwich, chips and a soda. I also bought a home made pumpkin pie. It’s delicious. I had two pieces when I got home.
I visited some of the little shops in town. There are antique shops, a gallery, a general store, and gift shops. One antique shop is called Sanford and Son.
I blew some more leaves this afternoon. It is a hard job as they are so wet and the grass is long and wet. They grass is full of weeds that the leaves get entangled in. It took me a couple hours and I’m still not finished with the yard. I have to do the area around the shed and a corner of the back yard. I had to quit. I was tired and it was getting close to sun down. I wanted to walk Danny before dark. We didn’t get far. He must have heard a gun shot as he turned around and wanted to go back in the house. I may have heard some faintly in the distance.
I wasn’t very hungry but the soup went down well. I wasn’t hungry enough for my pumpkin pie. I have to eat a couple more pieces tomorrow.
I watched a couple DVD’s with James Garner in them. Support Your Local Sheriff and Support Your Local Gunslinger. My brother loaned them to me. I have seen them all now. I hope he has more. The Vineland Library lets you borrow the DVD’s for a week. The one in Chesapeake City only allows four days and it’s not open on Sunday.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
It was another nice day with the high in the 60’s. I went to the post office and the library to get a movie. When I got home, I had some lunch and took Danny out. We only got out to the street when we heard gun shots. Danny made a bee line for the house. He got to the top step, turned around and decided he wanted to go for a walk after all. We hardly made it to the walk and there were move guns shots. We tried four times and gave up.
I got to work on the leaves. I blew the east side and the back. The leaves were wet and heavy. I had to get the rake out when the pile got too large. I blew them to the back of the property and down the embankment. At least I didn’t have to drag them out to the curb I still have the west side to do but I was beat. I walked Danny down to the circle and he barked at two of the neighbors. One of them was named Bob. He used to live in NJ and although he misses some of NJ he loves it here.
When we got back, I fed Danny and had my snack.
I moved some boxes out of the way so that when I move my furniture in, the boxes won’t be blocking the place where I’m going to put it.
I repaired on of the mini blinds. Its handle was broken. I had a finding ring and slipped it through the holes. It worked out fine. I also glued the book shelf that I brought down yesterday. I have a few more things to do here before I head back to Vineland.
They finally have some decent music on the radio. I don’t know what happened to the oldies music form the 60’s. I guess the oldies music is now from the 80’s and I can’t stand it. The decent music is Christmas music. It’s a little early but the sound is wonderful.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
It always takes all morning to get packed up. I was almost ready when Melissa called and someone wanted to see the house in the afternoon. I had to run the vacuum and straighten up. I loaded the car to the hilt and left at noon. I stopped at McDonald’s in Woodstown and got a burger, fries, and coke. I sat at the outdoor benches and shared my food with Danny. I walked him a bit and the got back on the road. We got here around 2:00. I unpacked the car and put most of the things away. I had hoped to blow the leaves before the rain but get caught before I hardly got started. At least I got the walk blown and rounded up the leaves on part of the front. I put them in the flower bed and then wound up the cord and brought them into the house. I put Danny’s coat on him. He saw the coat and looked out the door to verify it was raining. He didn’t go far. He barked at the kids getting off the school bus. The rain seemed to only be a drizzle but I got wetter than I thought.
I got hot shower and got ready to head out to dinner at the church followed by Bible Study. It’s only a two minute drive.
I hope the person likes my house. I really want to get moved in down here and stop the driving back and forth. My driver’s license is up for renewal and it would be nice if I could get it in MD rather than NJ and have to get another one in MD, later.
Danny is curled up in a ball on a pillow on my lap. I think he is asleep. I guess the ride tires him out too.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I didn't get much done today. I boxed up some more things and wasn't feeling that great. The trashmen came early so I refilled my reycycle box with shreddings that couldn't fit in yesterday. I got ready and went to the Red Hat Luncheon. Afterward, I went to BJ's, got some gasoline and then went inside to get some Puff's tissues and some other things on my list. I think i can do just as well at Wal-mart.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I had a call from my friend Dottie. It was good to hear from her. I had to rush off to a doctor’s appointment. I needed to renew my prescription and go in for my 6-month checkup. They didn’t have any flu vaccine yet. It won’t be coming in until December.
I sawed the branches in half. It was easier than I thought. I also got out the stepladder and saw off a dead limb on the redbud tree. I trimmed back the butterfly bush, too.
I spent the rest of the afternoon shredding 1995. It still is not done. My personal documents require more shredding than the business document. All the credit card statements, bank statements and cancelled checks, (they were still sending them back then). I still have to do the payroll advice slips. It seems to take forever.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
It was a beautiful day today. It was in the 60’s and sunny. I packed up some more things. Some in the basement and some in the living room. I talked to Melissa and the lady who was looking at my house decided on buying another house. I guess she didn’t like my counter offer or she got the other house cheaper. I think she got the foreclosure house down the street.
I did some raking of leaves on the east side and out front. The leaves have not entirely fallen off the Carolina Maple. They are half off and are not the splendid gold they were last year. The remaining leaves are half green and half yellow. I guess the storm knocked them down. The Japanese Maple has not fallen yet. I will finish the backyard when they do.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I did it again. I fell asleep the last 5 minutes of Masterpiece. I don't know what happened. I think it will be continued next week because there were no where no a solution when I dozed off.
I walked Danny down the road this morning. I went east to where a lady named Kelley lives. I met her at the church fellowship dinner and Bible Study. She lives three house down the road from the mobile home park.
I got things packed up and ready to be loaded in the car before I went to church. I sang in the choir. People thanked me for singing in the choir. After church, I had made a PB&J and loaded the car. I walked Danny before leaving. I drove straight through without stopping. Danny seemed to be OK.
When I got home I found large branches had come down from the Sycamore trees near the hedge. Someone had put them on my leaf piles. The streets are lined with leaf piles waiting for the city to take them away. The branches may be too big so I'll have to saw them in half. I don't know how to use the chain saw. I'll cut them with the bow saw. They are light in weight so should be easy to saw.
I took Danny for a walk and went to the Acme to get some tea and ice cream. I haven't unpacked yet but the suit case is nearly empty. I put the dirty clothes in a plastic bag. I washed the towels because they were damp from this morning. I'll do the rest of the clothes tomorrow.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I’m tired out. It seems like midnight and it’s only 6pm. It has been dark all day and is now drizzling again. I hate when it gets dark so early.
We were awakened at 6:30 by guns shots. It’s duck season. The good thing is that they only get one shot and the ducks take off. I took Danny out around 7:30am and we walked down the road about a mile. We walked nearly to the marina and saw a large tanker going through the canal. It was huge. I wondered if it would fit under the bridge but it fit under the other four bridges so I guessed it would. Danny likes to get going down the road and not turn around. There were lots of birds flitting and tweeting in the trees and brush but they all looked black. I had my binos but couldn’t get an eye on them. As soon I brought the binos up to my eyes, there were gone. I heard a blue jay and saw white throated sparrows, juncos, a Carolina Wren, and a cardinal. There were others but it was just too dark to see what they were.
I went to Elkton to do some shopping. I went to the hardware store to get some more keys made. I gave one to my niece, and will give one to my brothers. I keep one with my car keys and one on a lanyard for when I walk Danny.
I drove down the road to a Builder’s supply company. I wanted to check out there doors. Mobile homes have short doors. Most doors are 80 inches but mobile homes are 76, I am perplexed as to what to do about a new back door. They have the double door combination at the mobile home store but they are a 34 inch rough opening and mine is a 32 inch rough opening. The single door is 32 inches but is as chintzy as the one I want to replace. The building supply can custom make one but it would have no glass. That would make the room very dark.
I next stopped at the dollar store to get a couple birthday cards. My niece’s husband’s family invited me to dinner. It was Ed’s birthday and his sister’s birthday. When I got back, I took Danny out and some people were setting off some kind of cap poppers that sounded like fire crackers. They threw them up in the air and when the hit the road they made a noise. Danny turned around and headed right back for the house. He wanted to hide under the bed but my mattresses are on the floor and he is unable to find a place to hide.
I went over to Cheryl and Ed’s and followed them to his sister’s house in Elkton. Ed’s mother always prepares a lot of good food and desserts. The house was decorated for Christmas. The tree wasn’t up but there were lights and decorations all around the living room. It looked pretty with the lights circling the open beams. I ate too much and I am stuffed.
I bought a DVD in the dollar store. It is called Custer of the West. It’s the only one that looked any good. I am about to slip in the disk and relax.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I planted this yellow lily at the mobile home last week. I hope it will go as lovely as it did in Vineland. I went to the library and got a DVD for tonight. I also went to the bank to open an account here. It took awhile and it was time to have some lunch and walk Danny. He is one spoiled little dog. He just wants to sit on my lap all the time. I put a pillow on my lap so he can curl up when I'm on the computer.
I was going to go back out after lunch into Elkton but there were still restrictions on the bridge. It was probably for trailers but that bridge is scary anyway so I decided to stay home. The gas man came to fill the tank. He said the one gauge is stuck but the other gauge shows what they both have in them. The stuck gauge is too old to be replaced easily. He had recommended replacing the tanks but they are probably pinching pennies. They have been recertified.
It is nasty and cold outside. It is drizzly but not raining hard. The coastal areas are being hit hard. A lot of the shore areas in NJ and DE have the roads closed. I hope it clears up tomorrow. I had better take Danny out now before it gets dark as it is almost dark now.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
We made good time getting down in spite of the weather. It was light rain and drizzle but the wind was bad. I felt the car blowing around on the Delaware Memorial Bridge. They had restrictions on the Chesapeake City Bridge because of the wind. I normally take the summit bridge. It isn’t as high because the canal at that point was cut out of a hill. The ground is higher up so the bridge doesn’t appear as high even though it’s the same height from the canal.
I printed a temporary discount card for the Pathmark Super Market. I have a very old one that was rejected the last time I went to Pathmark. I hardly ever shop there as it is not convenient in Vineland. It is convenient, however, in Delaware. I pass right by it on the way to the mobile home. I left a little space in the car when I packed up so I could have room for the groceries. I was out of everything down here. I had made a list and I think I got most of the things. I didn’t get the tissues because they are cheaper elsewhere.
I unpacked the car and put the things away. We must have gotten a lot of rain here as the ground is squishy.
I bought a pumpkin pie to take to the pot luck at the church. The pumpkin was good but the crust was tough. I had a hard time cutting it. It was very thick. It was like cutting cardboard.
One time when I was going home from here, I saw where you could get the Delaware traffic report on the radio. It comes in handy and let’s you know if there are detours or traffic jams. I tune it in to make sure the summit bridge is not closed or if there’s a jam up on Interstate 95. I have several ways I can drive here.
I went to the Bible study after the dinner. We are studying the Psalms. I had emailed the Pastor to see what we’d be studying tonight as I had missed a couple weeks and the class had been canceled a couple times. There were only three of us plus the Pastor. I guess the weather kept people away. It wasn’t that bad as far as the rain but it is damp and cold. It is also very dark. I live in the boonies here. There are no street lights between the Mobile Home Park and Chesapeake City. It is only a mile but the road is narrow and winds back and forth.
I met a lady tonight who lives a few houses down the road. Not in the mobile home park but further down the road toward Delaware. I may have walked Danny down to her house the last time we were here.
Danny is curled up on a pillow on my lap. The poor little guy. He never knows where I’m taking him when we get in the car. He stands there in the passenger side of the front seat as if he’s trying to figure out how to jump into my lap. He rocks side to side pondering this. He is in a harness that is hooked to the shoulder strap of the seat belt. He can move around and look out the window if he wants but he just stands there looking at me for an hour. Sometimes he will lie down but not for long. He is up again renewing his quest to try to figure out how to jump in my lap.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I didn’t do much today. It rained and was cold and miserable. Alex was raking his grass in the rain. I packed up some things and sorted others. I shredded 1998 documents. It took hours. I guess I was feeling kind of down because the value of the house sank so low.
I’ll be packing up some more stuff tomorrow.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
We had some excitement at the mobile home park last night. It seems smoke was pouring out of the state hunting grounds and into the mobile home park. The firemen came and I could see them walking up and down the trails up there. They could find nothing. Then some drove into the park and said the fire was in Delaware on the other side of the canal.
I made some phone calls this morning. I wanted to make sure there were heat tapes on the pipes to the new laundry sink I had put in. They had done that. I also called the gas company. They said I wasn’t on automatic delivery because I was on COD. I said, "I have an account and have been being billed." “Oh yes, you’re right,” was the reply. Unbelievable! They are coming Wednesday to fill my tanks. I talked to the park manager and she said that both tanks have gauges and that they should both be the same pressure. I took the lid off the other tank and saw it had 50% pressure and the first tank has 50% if you look at the fat end of the needle. It looks like the needle is on backwards.
We drove home after lunch. It was quite warm today about 70 degrees. I was dressed too warmly. I shed my jacket and sweater and put on the air in the car.
My real estate lady called and the last people who looked at my house made an insultingly low offer. We had to come up with a counter offer. It makes me sick. The real estate values have gone down so much. The dump across the street has lowered its price to $119,000. I hope I can sell before they do and the value of the neighbor will go way down.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I got up just before 7am and put on the coffee. Danny was ready to go out but I wanted to look up the weather. It was warmer today. I didn’t see any frost. I walked Danny, had my breakfast and got ready for church. I sang in the choir. I was afraid I didn’t know the song but it was one we had practiced the last time I was at practice. A man made an announcement that the church was able to get one channel without the cable. It was channel 10. The church is housing the homeless shelter this week so the homeless people can stay up past 10pm to watch the football game. It is on channel 10. I’ll have to see if I can get it.
After church, I walked Danny down the road. I saw and heard lots of birds in the woods. I also saw and heard a lot out back. I looked under the mobile home. I see that I have heat tapes plugged in but I can’t see where they go because they are under the insulation. I do see where some of the insulation is falling down under the master bathroom. It is cold in there so I’ll have to get that fixed. I don’t know how that can be done as there only looks like less than a foot of clearance. It is also the room that is the last on the duct line.
I pulled some plastic trash out of the woods bordering my back yard. The frost killed off the weeds so I was able to get at it. There are still some plastic flower pots thrown out there but I’m not able to get at them yet. Branches and leaves have been cast out there and the footing doesn’t look safe. I got most of it. I can’t stand trash strewn around like that. It’s one thing to throw branches and leaves back there but the plastic stuff is too much.
I talked to my brother this morning. He is still recovering from his cold but doing OK. Yesterday, my niece called and she has come down with something. Everyone at work has it. She hopes it is just a cold and not the flu.
I watched the Orient Express again last night. I must have fallen asleep through most of it the night before because I missed so much. I fell asleep toward the end but was able to rewind it and find out who done it. It’s been a long time since I had seen it that I forgot.
Danny curled up around my head last night. I shooed him over but he didn’t move far. I don’t know if he feels insecure or if he was cold. I wish he would curl up beside me and not try to sleep on my head.
When we were on our walk this morning, we heard gunshots. I’m glad his business was done because he makes a beeline for home. Ed said they are not allowed to hunt on Sunday. Maybe they were having target practice. There are lots of farms, hunting grounds and fields around here. The town only has 500 people and the county only has 5 or 6 towns that are incorporated. There are some towns that are just cross roads with a name.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
We had a good frost out there this morning. It was 30 degrees when I went out with Danny at 9:00. It was the same when I got up at 6:00. The current Temp is 29. The ground was not frozen but frost was everywhere. I heard the geese honking. There is quite a bit of that here. There is a lake down the road about a half mile. It is up in the hunting grounds. I’ll have to get a permit so I can walk up there. There are lots of trails; it is a good bird watching area.
We arrived here around 12:45 yesterday. We left Vineland at 11:00 and stopped at the WaWa in Woodstown for gas. It is the cheapest around at $2.459. I did pass one at $2.449 but didn’t know WaWa was more. I can walk Danny at WaWa and I went in to get some lunch. I got the cream of broccoli soup. It was delicious with lots of chunks of broccoli. I also got a whole wheat roll and a pumpkin Tasty Pie.
Tasty baking company was founded in 1914 in Philadelphia. They had the unique idea to wrap baked goods in small packages. My mother and here two oldest brothers would share a package of three chocolate cup cakes. They were handy to pack in lunches and for many years sold for $.10. Now they cost over a dollar. The company was founded by two men. One of the wives sampled the first batch and said they were tasty. Hence the name, "Tasty Baking Company.” They coined the name Tastykake. They were an immediate success. To lean more about them, go to www.tastykake.com
Click on Our Company and then Company History.
I unpacked the car when I got here. I had some plants to plant outdoors and some house plants to bring inside. I also brought a wicker plant stand for them. I have two wicker stands that were my grandmother’s. I put it in the living room window and the other one will go next to it. When my grandmother and my mother had them, they were green. I painted them blue to go with my décor. They are a light, bright blue and I am going to paint them blue-gray. I couldn’t find blue gray paint when I did them years ago but found it after I painted them. They are ready for another paint job now.
I brought the leaf blower and will get to work on that today when it warms up. Rob hasn’t been around to remove the branch off my roof and check out my heat tapes. I guess he feels funny about doing work when I’m not here. Maybe Ed can come over with his truck and a ladder. He may be able to help me with the heat tapes as he has them under his house. He has a crawlspace also.
I walked Danny around 3:30 and then put my sweet potatoes in the oven. I also had baked salmon. Danny likes salmon. The first time I gave it to him, he spit it out. When he doesn’t like something, he flings it across the room. He also likes sweet potatoes.
I put the converter on my TV but I guess there is no reception here for anything. I thought I might be able to get a station in Wilmington or Dover. I didn’t have any luck. I may need different rabbit ears or an outside antenna. I will be getting cable so I don’t want to go into that expense. I put in a movie, Murder on the Orient Express. I feel asleep through most of it. I woke up to see the beginning of the DVD with the options to “Play”
I took Danny out and then went to bed. It was around 9:00. I read for a while. I am reading James A. Mitchner’s “Centennial”. It is good. I am at the section where the main character is an Amish man from near Lancaster, PA. He got shunned by his people and is now on his way out west. He heard people talking about Oregon. He didn’t know where that was but it sounded good to him.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
This is one of the flowers in the gardens at the North Wildwood Lighthouse.
A view of the south side of Chesapeake City with the Chesapeake Inn and marina. Taken from the other side of the marina at the Canal Museum.
Below are some of the photos I took last weekend.
I did some computer work this morning and then went to Cathy's candy shop. She had a couple boxes for analog TV's that she no longer needed. One was still in the box, brand new. I thought I could use in at the mobile home until I get the cable set up. I hope I can pick up a local station and at least get some news.
When I got home, I went to work on the leaves in the back yard. I used the blower and the rake and did half of the yard. I was really beat. Partly from the yard work and partly from traveling back and forth. I fell asleep after dinner and Danny went to bed after his dinner. He did not come down to be let out before going to sleep for the night. I guess he is tired from the traveling, too. The time change is also a factor. My body would like to go into hibernation this time of year.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
The entrance to the horse farm just south of Chesapeake City.
I was able to catch the Lipizzaner Stallion in midair at the Convention Center in Wildwood, NJ.
My brother Don checking out a deserted boardwalk in Wildwood.
I’m beat. I was up early and out the door headed for NJ by 8:30.
I stopped in Woodstown and got a breakfast sandwich and coffee. They had pancake sandwiches. They are two pancakes with maple flavoring with egg and sausage sandwiched between them. It’s rather tasty.
I went to vote before I went home. The leaves were waiting for me when I arrived. I got out the blower and blew them out on the west side and out of the patio and driveway. When I was walking Danny, I found my hedges had been vandalized again. This time they went up and down the little hedge on the north side. My neighbor, Jim saw it too. We don’t know who is doing it. Jim is disgusted with the brats cutting through his property. It was the nicest the hedge looked in years. It was filled in nicely. It will take another five years for the hedge to recover from the damage. I just hope a prospective buyer doesn’t notice how the hedge is being vandalized.
I went to the meeting of the churchwomen’s group. Attendance is poor. There were only 20 people on Sunday. I feel sorry for the people who have been life long members of the church.
After the meeting, we all went over to the Episcopal Church for their annual election night soup. My neighbor, Jim and his wife were serving the bread. They are members there. Their church has declining attendance, too. They have merged with a church in Bridgeton.
I walked Danny after I got home. It was dark and with the time change, he must have thought it was time for bed. I hope he doesn’t have to go out in the middle of the night.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I did a couple things around here today. I unpacked some things and went through them. I brought some things in from the shed and stored them in the closet. I put some summer clothes in the other room. When walking Danny, I saw four turkey vultures in the tree across the street. They looked eerie. It was a gray day and they and the tree were black. It looked like Halloween.
The guy who cuts my grass is going to look under the trailer to make sure the heat tapes are in place and check out my heating ducts. There was a toad or frog hopping in the duct a few weeks ago. I want to make sure there isn’t a hole in the duct. I don’t want to heat the outdoors. My niece has a cricket in hers. They have had tree frogs in theirs. Who knows how they get in?
I went to the post office and picked up some menus at the new restaurant next to the post office. They serve breakfast and lunch. They have their main restaurant in Wilmington. I dropped some things off at my niece’s house and went south as the road was backed up because of construction on the bridge. I didn’t have to go over the bridge but the road to town was blocked up from the traffic.
I took a five mile loop and found myself in horse country. I saw a sign saying I was entering the largest agricultural area on the Eastern Shore. The Winbak Farm spread across the country side. I saw someone training their horse for harness racing. He was trotting around a track. I took some photos of the farms. Many farm belonged to the Winbak Farm.
I stopped in at the Canal Museum parking lot and took some photos of the south side of Chesapeake City and the little lighthouse there. I scared up a flock of geese and saw a few cardboard coyotes placed around in a vain effort to scare the geese away.
When we got back, I walked Danny through the back field. There were a lot of birds in the brush but I didn’t have my binoculars and couldn’t identify them. I did here a jay but the other birds were smaller. At his 4pm walk, there were thousands of birds flocking up and flying over head. I was afraid I would get hit with their droppings but I lucked out. It looked like someone was pouring pepper in the sky. They appeared to be grackles.
After dinner, I watched the movie Australia. It was a good film.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I don’t know what was out back in the woods. Danny went tearing down the steps barking. I heard what sounded like a bird but birds should be asleep in the dark. He wanted to investigate but I had no idea what kind of critter was out there.
I got up at 5am, packed up the car and left for Chesapeake City by 8:30. I arrived here at 10:00. I unpacked some of my stuff. It was raining so I left some things in the car. I went over to the church to see if I knew the song the choir was going to sing but the choir wasn’t singing today. Someone sang a solo. I didn’t see the choir director and some of the other choir members were absent.
I came home and was going to walk Danny but we didn’t get very far. Someone was hunting and when Danny heard the gun shots, he bolted for home. I made a sandwich and took him for a walk later.
I went to my niece’s jewelry demonstration. It was about 10 minutes away in Bear, DE; not too far from where my nephew lives. The demonstrator had a lot of nice jewelry and she had a special on watches at 50% off. I needed a new watch so it worked out just right. I’ll put it in my stocking for my Christmas present. I have a lot of gifts on my wish list. In need new sneakers, some waterproof boots and a pair of brown fashion boots. Higher on the scale are a new digital TV, a DVR/VCR combo, and a headboard for my king size bed. I could manage to come up with some more things like a new perm. I’m sure my list could go on.
After the demonstration, my niece called and said that they (my brother, sister-in-law, and Cheryl and her husband, Ed were going to the Hibachi Grill. I wasn’t hungry after the refreshments at the demonstration but I could always find room for shrimp, clams, and crabs. I enjoy being with family.
News from the Vorlon Wife.