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I went to the cemetery, planted some mums and crocus bulbs. I stopped in at my aunt's house on the way home. I had brought along my witch hat, cape and a mask. My cousin, Jan, answered the door. She thought I was a trick or treat kid and thought, "Oh no, I forgot it's Halloween and I don't have any candy. She said, "Do I know you?" I nodded my head yes. She guessed it was me.
She told me her mother was in the hospital. At first they thought she had had a stroke but the test results didn't find any signs of a stroke. Everyone is worried. My cousins are all at least 10 years younger than me and they all work. The hospital doesn't want her to go home and be by herself. I said I would be glad to stay with her at least until they can determine if she will be all right living on her own or until they decide what they should do.
I hope she will be OK. She is feeling better and wants to go home. I'm not sure when they will release her. Maybe tomorrow. Jan will call me and let me know.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I took this last October in the gardens of the North Wildwood Lighthouse. My brother and I went to see the Lippenstiener Stallions.
I took Danny to the Vet today and he got a clean bill of health. I stopped in at the place that sells mowers but they did not have my cable. I'll have to try the hardware store in Elkton and maybe some other places.I unpacked a couple more boxes and cooked up the chicken wings my neighbor gave me last night. She had forty pounds of them. I don't know how she got them or why as she doesn't like them. I don't turn down food. I ate some, put some in the frig, and froze the rest.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Danny Boy. He looks a lot different that he does in the photo at the right which was taken four years ago. Today is the day we celebrate Danny's birthday. We got him four years ago today. Happy Birthday, Danny.
Danny's new hair cut. I think have the fur on his ears shorter, makes them stick up higher.
I went to exercise class this morning but left about five minutes early. My neighbor, Diane, was going to the dog groomer and invited me to ride along with her to see where the place was. I had a good idea but would have never found it. It is out in the horse farm country and there are two driveways next to each other. The second one was hidden behind some bushes. I was just going to meet the lady and have Danny meet her and make an appointment for another time. She took him this morning. I felt like a mother leaving her preschool child at daycare for the first time. I almost asked Diane to turn around so I could go back and get my baby. He whined and cried when I left him in the waiting room. Diane's dog, Bambi, is a young dog and though he and Danny are friends, Bambi gets a little rambunctious and Danny growled at him.
Rhonda, the groomer brought the dogs back. She said Danny was very good except he even let her do his nails but he didn't like his butt being trimmed. I don't blame him, she gave him a bare butt. I wasn't prepared to leave him so I didn't know what to tell her more about how I wanted him trimmed. I did tell her that I let his fur grow long for the winter and I wanted his face and feet done. He now has a poodle face. Next time I'll have her leave a mustache. I forgot to tell her that. He looks cute. His fur is soft and fluffy. She dropped the dogs off her at our homes.
As I worried about Danny, I hung up a cup rack, finished putting the moldings in the last cabinet, and unpacked some more boxes. I had a box of can goods that had not been put away. There are still more boxes but most of them are from our business. I have to sort and shred some of them and keep others back seven years for IRS purposes.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
This barn in Chester County, PA may be an Amish farm. Notice the clothes line coming from the barn. The Amish don't have dryers. Of course, other people hang out their clothes but many farms in the area have Amish style clothes hanging on their lines. You can't really see what's on this line; it looks like a lot of small items.
I didn't do much today. I put a coat rack behind the front door so I could hang Danny's leash and my lanyard with keys. I also put my umbrella there.
I took the trash out and got the empty boxes out of the shed to put them out with the trash. I emptied a couple more boxes of books and put in the bookcase. I gave Danny a little clipping around his face and feet. I made his appointment with the Vet in Middletown. My niece takes her dogs there. He is scheduled for Friday afternoon. He needs his yearly exam and his three year rabies shot is due.
I called the Wildlife Management to get a non-hunting permit to hike up the hill across the road. There is good birding and wildlife up there. There is a lake that I think they drain into the ditch in back of my house. It was running high and there was no rain until today. I did go up there once but there is a no trespassing sign and you must have a permit to enter. I just went far enough to take a look. I saw a fox at the same time he saw me. He continued on his way. I've heard there are beaver up there. The permit is free but you have to apply yearly.
My neighbor came over to tell me she and her husband are taking their dog to the groomer. The groomer lives out some country roads and they feel it is better to show me rather than explain how to get there. We will be going tomorrow. I'll take Danny to meet the lady and get acquainted with her.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I went to exercise class this morning and then to the post office and bank. When I got back, I went into my shed. I took some things out so I could get at my grass seed and spreader. As I was taking things out, I was also rearranging things and found empty boxes that can be put out in tomorrow's trash. There were empty boxes taking up room on a shelf. I took out the mower to get the model number off the frame. I had the model number off the engine and found I had the wrong number. Hopefully, I can get the cable now that I have the correct number. The grass seed was in the garage in Vineland so I brought it with me. I spread it this morning hoping to get it done before it rained. I'm still waiting for the rain.
I'm ready to take Danny out so I can get into my jammies. I am beat.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I got the cabinets in the bathroom finished. I used wood-patch to fill in where there was a little opening and I put a couple moldings in the other cabinet. I started to swap out my summer and winter clothes when I noticed the closet shelf was not attached to the wall. One bracket was missing and the other bracket was screwed in but it was under the shelf and not attached to it. I was able to repair that but the one bracket was in the corner and it took some effort to get it attached properly. I replaced the plastic bracket with a metal one. The plastic dries up and breaks over time.
Thats about all I got done today. Danny didn't walk very far on his walks. He went around the block this morning but on his afternoon walks he stayed close to the house. We walked to the mailbox and then he was ready to come in. He saw the dog across the street and went to greet him. He is a Bichon and looks alot like Danny but is taller. My neighbor, Ida, asked if I would like to play Bingo with them but I'm not the Bingo type. I don't like going out at night. I get all keyed up and then can't get to sleep.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I thought I take in some local culture today. I went to a Revolutionary War Re-enactment. It was quite interesting. I drove down a dirt road that was nearly two miles long. It was one lane and we had to wait about ten minutes for the traffic coming in the other direction. After I got to the parking lot, I had to walk another mile to the Mount Harmon Plantation where the event was being held. It is a beautiful place with gardens overlooking the Sassafras River.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
The gentlemen on the left is with the Royal Regiment and the gentlemen on the right is with the Highland Regiment. They were wearing kilts. These two men were telling me about the different regiments. The Highlanders had another name but I forget what it was.
Maryland Regiment. The flag has thirteen stars signifying George Washington's special troops and it also has an ensignia of a bald eagle and a duck or goose that the eagle has caught.
The battlefield was covered in smoke from the muskets and cannons. Good thing I didn't bring Danny. He would have been terrified.
American Artillery Regiment.
The British are coming.
Mount Harmon Plantation located about twenty minutes from my house. They had a civil war re-enactment. The house was built in the eighteenth century.
Here is my headboard. It's not quite finished yet. I haven't put the back on. I am thinking about the wires to the electric blanket control. I may cut a small hole in the corner for them. I many also leave the back off the center portion so I can look out the window at the big dipper.
I went to dinner for my niece's birthday. We were also celebrating her husband's birthday and his sister's birthday. We went to a place called The Shady Maple. It is an Amish Smorgasbord. The place is humongous. It must have six banquet size dinning rooms. The food is delicious and the price is inexpensive. They gave a 10% senior discount. It is located way out near Ephrata in Amish country. We saw many farms and horse drawn buggies.
It took an hour and a half to get there but it was a pleasant scenic ride. When we got back, I wondered why so many people were walking around town. I saw some dressed in Halloween Costumes and realized they were having their ghost walk. There were several large groups visiting the different houses.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Ted liked taking pictures of our dogwoods. He took this one in October of 2006.
Yesterday, I went to Walmart in Elkton to get my flu shot. I then went to Payless looking for some cheap boots to wear when I walk Danny in the wet grass in the morning. They didn't have what I was looking for but I did find a pair of fitness shoes that I despartely needed. From there, I went to the Acme to get some groceries.
In the afternoon, I worked on getting my cabinets mouse-proofed. I cut some moldings and wood to block up the cracks that the critters are coming through. I am still working on that this morning. The bathroom cabinet went well on one side but I made the other side worse. When I was hammering in the piece of wood, the piece I was hammering it into got knocked out of place. I managed to fix it but I'm going to have to get some more of that yucking foam and seal up the openings I created. Everything is a mess. I can't put the things back into the cabinets until I get them sealed up. Grrrrr!
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Michigan Barn 4 taken along route 66 in August 2010
My headboard came this morning. I was surprised it came early but glad as I could assemble it. It was heavy, I had to help the man carry it in. It weighed 90 lbs. I put it in the living-room, opened it and took out the parts. I put them on the bed and started putting them together. I was nearly finished by lunchtime. I took a break, walked Danny and had some lunch. I only had to put the trim on the sides. It looks nice. I put my lamps on it as well as my Bible and reading material. I also put my CD/radio on it and my controls for the electric blanket. Danny was not happy that I invaded his nap time with all the noise and the moving of the bed. He went into the back bedroom to sleep.
This afternoon, when I was walking Danny, I saw the lady who bought my washer. She said she used it one time and it made a terrible noise. Her son told her not to use it anymore. I gave her the money back. It was a bummer for both of us. She had been so happy to get the washer. She was looking forward to getting her laundry done. I was happy to have sold it and get it out of my shed. She wanted to bring it back but I told her to put it out in the trash.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I went to exercise class this morning. There were only three of us. Frances is away and she brings another lady. The rain woke me up around 4am. It was thundering. When I got up, Danny came running out to sit on my lap. He was shaking. He was scared of the thunder. We got about a half inch of rain. It was gloomy until mid afternoon when the sun came out.
I got some moldings I had brought from Vineland and stored in my shed. I used them to cover the cracks in two of my cabinets. I still have more to do. I wish I had brought more moldings. I put a lot of them out on the curb for someone to take. There may be some up in the rafters of the shed. I'll have to take a better look.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I spent all morning on the phone getting my prescription coverage taken care of. My former company couldn't give me new coverage in Maryland. Some regulation didn't allow them to do so. I had to search the medicare website to find another company. The least expensive was AARP so I went to their website and then called them. I was on the phone with them for what seemed like hours answering the same questions over and over. The premium is about 60 cents less a month but my prescription is about $100.00 less. I was exhausted after all that.
I took the things out of all my cabinets so I could foam the backs. I put on my old clothes and rubber gloves. What a mess that stuff is. It seems to get on everything except where you want it to go. I guess I didn't shake it well enough. All the air came out at once and then the foam dripped out even when I wasn't squeezing the trigger. It dripped on the bottoms of the cabinets, the floor, the fronts of the cabinets, the bathroom rug, and me. I was fortunate to get it off the Purgo floor. I didn't even realize it had dripped there. I scraped it with my fingernails and then scrubbed it off with steel wool. I will get some quarter round moldings to finish the job.
I trimmed Danny's face this morning before I called the insurance companies. He doesn't like being trimmed. I bribe him with some bits of chicken. His downy undercoat is growing in for winter and it grows quickly. It is soft and silky and very fine. It tangles easily. I can see why they clip poodles down to the skin. I like to let Danny's fur grow long for the winter because we go out walking in all sort of weather. He doesn't like rain though. We don't go far when it's raining but we have to go out several times because he doesn't get his business done.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Trinity United Methodist Church, Chesapeake City, MD
This is the church I am now attending. I will be doing a series on churches. Many are falling by the wayside. Trinity was part of three congrations that merged together.
I did some ironing this morning and also worked on getting my hanging lamp installed over my house plants. I drilled a hole in the ceiling where the stud was and screwed the brass hook in. I had to soak the chain and wash the cord and the lamp. It had been hanging between my kitchen and livingroom in Vineland and was covered with kitchen grease. I got it off the brass lamp and chain but the cord is still sticky. I hung it up anyway. The east windows do not get enough light. The sun has to get over the trees and by the time it does, it is over on the south and then west side. Maybe when the leaves fall I'll get more light. The sun may become too low in the sky to get much light on the east. Some of my solar lights are not getting enough light. They are rather dim.
I took Danny down town to walk around but there are still too many tourists. He was good but some people let their dogs loose and I have to pick him up to avoid problems. There was also a man with a group of people who asked me if I knew a place where they could go wee wee. I didn't know if he were being sarcastic about the dog or if he wanted to know where the rest room was. I told him I didn't know and he went on his way. Later, I remember the rest room was in the brick building right next to where we were walking.
Danny likes to walk around town and the waterfront. He like to sniff new smells. I'll either have to wait a little longer for the tourists to leave or maybe I can try during the week.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I brought this fiesta daisey from my flower garden in Vineland. It has done well here; it has bloomed all summer and is still going strong. It is a lovely color for fall.
I went to exercise class this morning. It started raining after class. I went to the supermarket and got some things I needed. I took Danny out in the rain and he quickly did his business and ran back into the house. I fell asleep watching the closer. I guess I was tired out from the exercise and the gloomy weather. I was hoping to do some things inside today but got nothing done except put the groceries away.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I painted my shelf today. I had to wait until it warmed up a little. You're not supposed to paint below 55 degrees. It takes a while for the sun to get up over the trees in the woods on the east and south sides. I rearranged some things in the shed and brought some stuff out of the house to store in the shed. I had plastic outdoor chairs stacked in the spare bedrooms. They didn't fit in the shed and I didn't want them out in the rain. I use them for holiday dinners. I also put two fans in there, a vacuum cleaner, floor shampooer, and the big cooler.
I did some computer work and called the cable company to ask why they charged me a service charge when they hadn't hooked up my computer when they came the first time. They removed the charge.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Barn next to the Town Point Church
I went to my exercise class this morning. It went well but tires me out for the rest of the day. I planted some daffodil bulbs out by my fence. I have some crocus bulbs to plant but I want to plant some at the cemetery on Ted's grave and on my parents grave. Maybe I'll plant some on my grandmother's grave.
The lady came for her washer this evening but had trouble finding someone with a truck who could haul it to her house. John, another neighbor wasn't home. They asked a couple other neighbors but no one would help them. They were going to come back tomorrow when a neighbor drove in and said he would do it. The lady's son does construction work so he is going to look under my trailer and see what needs to be done to fix my torn insulation. I just don't feel like crawling under there and getting insulation all over me.
I glued my frame for my crewel work. It looks nice. It is candy apple red and the crewel work has a farm with red house, barn, and outbuildings. The kitchen has tiny red apples on the wallpaper and apples and American flags on the border. Rob cut my grass and took the cable off my mower so I can take it to the dealer and get a new one. He showed me what to look for on the new cable so it can be connected properly to the mower. He also moved some bags of mulch out of my shed so the people could get the washer out.
I got a refund check from the telephone company in Vineland. It wasn't much but beats a nail in the foot.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Yesterday, I babysat for my nephew, Rick while he and his wife Michelle went to a wedding on her side of the family. I stayed with Joey age 7 and Ryleigh age 2. Joey played with his computer games but Ryleigh had to be watched every second. She was upstairs in Joey’s room being awfully quiet. I found her standing on a counter stool trying to close the 2nd floor window. I have heard of kids falling through screens so I quickly got her down from there. My brother and sister=in=law came down for a while to help me out. The kids were eating junk food all afternoon and I didn’t figure they’d be very hungry. I hadn’t cooked pasta in a long time and misjudged how much to cook. I had to do a second batch because both kids wanted seconds. I couldn’t find anything in there kitchen so I was challenging but we got by. Ryleigh was a mess. She had to have a second bath as she had icing all over her and spilled her tea twice. She also ran outside with bare feet and they were dirty. Sylvia, my sister-in-law and Ryleigh’s grandmother gave her a bath. They left after we got the kids into their pajamas. Joey had a bowl of cereal for a snack. They were to watch TV in Joey’s room and fall asleep. Joey wanted to watch TV in his parent’s room and Ryleigh wanted me to stay with her in Joey’s bed with the two dogs. She fell asleep so I checked on Joe. He was still awake. I got a bowl of ice cream, let the dogs out, and checked on Joey again. He was asleep so I turned off the TV. I got into bed with Ryleigh and the two dogs. She tossed, turned, and took her half out of the middle. I fell asleep for a couple hours; the dogs started barking when Rick and Michelle came home. It was very late as the wedding was until 11pm and they had an hour drive. I felt like I was awake all night between Ryleigh and the dogs moving around. I was awakened at 6:30 when Joey came climbing into his bed. He found a spot to crawl into. I guess the poor kid was surprised when he found his bed was full of people and dogs. I got up, let the dogs out and got some coffee.
Ryleigh came down about 7:00 followed by Joey at 7:30. Rick and Michelle came down around 8 and made some pancakes and bacon for breakfast.
I got ready so I could go to the 11:00 service at my church. I got there in plenty of time. It was the Contemporary Service and the rock band hurt my ears. You could feel the vibration in the pews, the floor, and on my chest. The church was rocking. Not my cup of tea but I like to support my church. I’ve been dragging all day and didn’t get a thing done except prepare food for Danny and me. I walked him but this afternoon, he only got as far as the driveway when he heard some hunters fire their gun and he made an about face to the house.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I changed the tags on my car this morning. They match my car very well. They are white with blue numbers and some red insignias on them. They have the words "War of 1812 and The Star Spangled Banner" on them. Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner after the Americans and British fought in Baltimore Harbor. He looked up and saw the flag still waving. I had a similar experience the day after 9/11. I was jogging before 6am past the State School in Vineland. Dawn was just breaking and I hear something wavering in the wind. I looked up and saw the flag. I thought of "the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there." Old Glory was waving in the morning breeze. It gave hope after 9/11.
I didn't get too much done. Rob was going to cut my grass so I didn't want to paint my shelf until after he finished. I didn't want my shelf speckled with grass cuttings. I weeded the flower garden lining the walk. Rob's mother had a water leak and Rob had to fix that for her. He crawled under her trailer and worked on the leak. My grass didn't get cut today. I did some work on the computer and I did some laundry.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Ted took this photo of the goldenrod growing along the beach in Ocean City, NJ
October 9, 2004
I went to exercise class this morning. After class, I went down to the apple barn and bought some mums. I got six yellow and four pink. I have some blooming from the ones I bought last year. I was pretty tired so after I walked Danny, I had some lunch and vegetated on the sofa for an hour. I had some spray painting to do so I donned my paint clothes and wet outside. I painted a wooden expanding cup rack or it can be used as a coat rack, and a picture frame. Both were painted a candy apple red to go in my kitchen. I washed the gray metal shelf that I will be painting white to go in my 3rd bedroom. It will have a nautical theme. I hosed off several house plants and brought them indoors. I also went through some more boxes in this computer room.
I put some WD40 on the bolts that are attaching my license tags to the car. I'll work on them tomorrow.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I went to the Dept. of Motor Vehicles today. I got my driver's license, car registration, tags and title. I also got my voter's registration. It went smoothly, I had all my paper work that I needed.
I went to the Home Depot afterwards. I got my umbrella clothes line and some other items. I went to the Safeway Supermarket next to the Home Depot. When I got home, I took Danny out. He went in the back yard and then came right back into the house. I was glad because it was way past lunchtime. I didn't get much done around here. I put the trash and some boxes out earlier. Kyleigh, the neighbor girl helped me with the boxes. Now I have more room in the kitchen but that will soon disappear when I unpack some more boxes. I have some outdoor work to do but it's supposed to rain all week.
I got emails from my cousins and friends. I sent my address change. It was good to hear from them.
When I went in the Home Depot, I saw the Christmas decorations and in my head I said, "Christmas." It reminded me of when I got Ted out of the hospital in December of 2006. He saw the Christmas lights on the houses and said, "It's Christmas." I had to fight back the tears as I walked through the store.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Michigan barn # 3 that was taken along the roads while touring Michigan.
I went to exercise class this morning and I was done in for the rest of the day. I went to the bank, I walked Danny, put out the trash, paid a bill, put the dust ruffle and changed the master bedroom bed and that was about it.
I went through my email and will now look through face book, have some tea, fall asleep watching Stargate and go to bed.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
It was dreary all day today and the forecast calls for more of the same for the rest of the week. I managed to catch up on my laundry. Now I have a mountain of ironing to do. I turned the furnace on for the first time this season. It was cold and damp all day.
I put the dust ruffle on the bed in the yellow guest room and will do the same in the master bedroom tomorrow. I rearranged some more clothes. I need my long sleeves handy in this weather. It's funny how you can go from short sleeves to several layers in just a few days.
I put Danny's winter parka on him when I took him out. It keeps him warm and dry. I'll have to take a picture of him in it; he looks so cute.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I went to church this morning and sang in the choir. After church, I went to Sunday School. When I got home, I sorted through some clothes. I put some summer clothes in the closet in the back bedroom and brought some fall clothes into the master bedroom closet. I ironed my Kelly green blouse to wear to an Eagles football game party. Everyone was wearing their football jerseys so I at least wore the team color. My niece, Cheryl, was going to her friend's in King of Prussia with her sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law got sick and couldn't go. Cheryl didn't want to go by herself and her husband doesn't like football so I went with her. Her friend, Barb, had a nice array of food and I was hungry. The Eagles lost. Ted didn't care for football either so we never watched much of it.
Yesterday, I repair some items with Goop. One of my end tables had its bottom shelf come apart in the move so I was able to fix it. I also Gooped some of my sandals that were coming apart and a drawer that held cassette tape had broken in the move. I still have to glue some more spots on my sandals and I have some items that need gluing in the yellow bedroom. I have my sewing machine and crafts in that room as well as things that need fixing.
It started raining on our way back home from the football party. I took Danny out and put on his winter coat to protect him from the rain. He has a rain coat but it is in the mending pile.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Yippee! I got my computer up and running and my washer and dryer are installed. My niece and her husband came over this afternoon. Cheryl power washed the front of my house while Ed installed the new ether-net card and connected my printer, speakers, wireless mouse, and my port for the camera. He also fixed my email so I can receive them. It is so good to have my computer back. It is also good to have my washer and dryer. I have a mountain of sheets and towels to do.
They will finish the power washing and my other computer connections on Monday. I hope it doesn't rain but it is in the forecast for the rest of the week. Ed said we got 17 inches of rain. I looked in the ditch today and it has a lot more water in it than it did yesterday. I guess it is draining from the swamp up the hill across the road.
I fee tired but I don't remember doing much of anything today. My neighbor, Robbie, will cut my grass on Monday and take the cable off the mower so I can take it to get a new one.
Things are shaping up. I was able to cross a couple things off my list but there are a lot more. Some things I haven't even put on my list.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Blackeye Susans in a neighbor's yard in Vineland, NJ
I went over and bought my Ethernet card at the computer store near the bank and post office. The cable guy said it would cost between $35 and $65. It cost $25. So my computer is ready to be repaired. Ed said he would do it sometime this weekend. He’ll also bring his hand truck and move my washer and dryer.
I did a couple loads today. I put a washcloth under the faucet where it leaks. It didn’t leak very much today. I installed my kitchen knife holder. I put it on the wall next to the counter near the microwave. I had to drill some holes to screw it in.
While I was out, I went to the gas station. I hate having to pump my own gas. In New Jersey, it is against the law to pump your own gas. I never had to do it until I came here. I’m afraid it will over flow and spill all over the place. The sun glare made it so I couldn’t see the readout on the pump. I thought it said 15 gallons and it said 11. I stopped pumping the gas because it thought it took 15 gallons and so it must be full. It turned out to be ¾ full. Oh well.
It rained hard all night last night. My rain gauge was over flowing at 5 inches so I don’t know how much we got. Just that it was in excess of 5 inches. The ditch was still low but a neighbor, Diane said her husband John drove by the marina and the picnic grove was underwater. Ed had some photos on facebook showing his marina underwater. Someone left their car in the parking lot and it got flooded. I can’t imagine someone being out on their boat in that weather.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
