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I had a busy day today. I washed both bathroom floors before taking Danny out. When I got back, my next door neighbor was raking his leaves. I thought I'd better do the west side before the rain comes. It was good we both did them at the same time as our yards adjoin and if only one of us raked, the leaves from the other yard might blow onto the raked yard. It started sprinkling so finished up the west side. I still have to do the back. I was dressed too warmly and sweated so into the shower I went. When I got dressed, it was time to walk Danny. He likes to say hello to his friends. A neighbor who lives halfway down the street was laid off from his job so we see him outside nearly everyday.
After lunch, I was beat from the yardwork so I laid down and vegetated in front of the television. I heard a knock at the door and found my friend Dottie had come to visit. She has her trailer in a camp ground near here and was getting her Christmas decorations out of the shed there. She has a mobile home in DE so stores some of her things at the camp. The came is one in which you own the camp site. There is an association fee which covers the water and electric. The water is shut off in the winter except for a few sites. The bath house is open all year for those who wish to camp in the winter. It is a neat place with an Olympic size pool and access to the Sassafras River for those who like boating, fishing, and crabbing. There are probably some folks who like to hunt.
It was good to see Dottie. We have been friends since we were 4 years old. Her church will be having a luncheon in Dec. and she invited me. I had been to one in the spring when they had a luau theme. They have a different theme each month.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I went to church and Sunday School. I was able to get Danny out early but was almost late for church anyway. I sat next to Joan and Frances. Joan had a cane. She is having trouble with arthritis. I asked Frances how Linda was and she was fine. I saw her later and she was well.
I walked up in the hunting grounds again yesterday afternoon. I went the other way towards town. I took a couple photos of the trail and the road down below. I also took a photo of the sun going down over the marina. Danny loves walking up there. He trots out in front of me at a good clip. When we walk around the mobile home park, he lags behind and I have to almost drag him along.
I went to dinner at the Hibachi Grill with Cheryl and Ed. I went around the buffet this time. I got some things I never had before. The crayfish was so small it is hardly worthwhile to catch the poor things. There is only one bite and it’s a small bite. I also had a squid ring. It was deep-fried. One could eat a pile of them. They looked like onion rings. I’ve had squid before but small ones with the legs deep-fried.
Today, I went to the County Building and got Danny his dog license. It was a little unnerving. I gave her Danny’s rabies certificate and she must have keyed my name the computer and all my information came up. I felt like big brother is watching. She asked if the phone number she had was correct. I had to think for a minute because I never call it. It must be in the computer from the DMV. They are the only ones I gave my number to.
On the way home, I stopped in Advance Auto and got a cover for my windshield. Scrapping the frost off the window almost made me late for church yesterday. It didn’t scrape off well. I don’t know if the scrappers were worn or what. It scrapped off in streaks.
Next, I went to Big Lots. I found a couple items for Birthday and Christmas gifts for my grand nieces. I’ll go to the bookstore for the other grandniece and grand nephews.
Early this morning, I put a doorstop on the door to the second bathroom. It was not installed correctly and the hinge is bent so it doesn’t stay open. I drilled my holes and screwed it on the door only to discover I put it on upside down. It works so I left it that way. It has two screws on one end and one on the other so I would have to drill more holes to mount it correctly. I felt like an idiot.
I had a wonderful pleasant surprise. A UPS letter came for me. It looked like something official. I opened it and found a thank you gift from my cousins, Aunt Jean’s children. I was overwhelmed with their generosity and went weepy at their gratitude. I called my cousin, Donna tonight and thanked her. I hardly knew what to say. It was thoughtful of them.
I didn’t get much else done. I looked up some things on the internet and sent my brother my Santa Claus list.
It was down it the 20’s this morning. Danny has taken to sleeping under the bed. He lies on the bed until I turn out the light and then he heads for his den under the bed. I hear him crawling under, as it’s not high enough for him to stand. I guess he feels that I am tucked in so he leaves me and feels secure in his den under the bed. I had a hardwood floor in Vineland and the only time he slept under the bed is when he heard firecracker or fireworks. This place has wall-to-wall carpet so his den is soft.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
This afternoon, I got out the leaf blower and blew the leaves into piles on the east side of the house. I raked and blew them onto a tarp and dragged them down to the edge of the woods and dumped them. It got late so I'll do the west side another day.
I took off the old dryer vent and put on the new one. I haven't screwed it in yet. I have to drill some holes because the old one had two screws in the center and this one has four at the corners. It fit nice and snug so it will be OK until I get that job done.
When I was at the Home Depot, a man told his two boys to grab a couple of them. There were styrofoam things in a display basket. I looked at the sign to see what they were and they were covers for an outdoor faucet. They were only a dollar so I got one and put it on today.
I had planned to go to Aunt Jean's but I got a slow start and I didn't feel up to going. I called my brothers to see if they could take Danny but Don wasn't home and Sylvia's sister was coming with her dog. I figured I could walk Danny around 11:00 and he would be good to leave for the afternoon. I called Aunt Jean's but no one was home there either. Maybe they all ready left for lunch. I decided I would watch a movie and rest. I felt better after lunch so I got to work on the leaves.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
This goldenrod was taken last year near the lighthouse in North Wildwood.
I ventured out today to do some shopping. I went to the PO and the bank and then the hardware store. I wanted to try one more place before I had to call to order the part for my mower. The hardware store only had blades and spark plugs. I headed on down route 40 to go to big lots. The traffic was not bad so I decided to go to the Home Depot first. I got the dryer vent and a couple other things there. I had a list but forgot to take the pegs for the bookcases so I could get the right size. From the Home Depot, I went to the dollar store and bought some things that I had on my list.
I walked Danny when I got home and then had a late lunch. I called to see how Aunt Jean was doing. My cousins were there for the holiday. She is doing very well. They are thinking of trying to get her drivers license back. I hope she can get it back.
I didn't do much else today except I bought some small flameless candles. I didn't realized they changed colors. I put them in cut glass candle holders and they really look pretty.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. I didn't do much of anything this morning. I put some candles in my bedroom windows. It wasn't easy. Mobile homes do not have windowsills. My sister-in-law gave me some flameless candles and I tried to put them in between the window and the storm. The glass interfered with the remote control. I was hoping it would work through the glass but all I could get was a blue flame. It was tough getting it in the front window. I had to move the king size bed and the headboard. The bed used to roll easily on the hardwood floor in Vineland but the wheels sink into the carpet and it is a bear to move. When the flameless candle didn't work, I got out my electric candles with a light sensor. The problem with them is I have to leave the window open a crack for the cord. Maybe I can get some foam and put in the crack. They will turn on and off by themselves. I just have to hope the the bulbs don't burn out.
I had a yogurt for lunch and made my Waldorf Salad to take to my nephew, Rick's. Danny was waiting at the door so I took him with me. I was going to leave him home but I didn't have the heart to leave him. He gets along fine with my nephew's dog, Sassy. He was happy to see everyone. He even had some dog kisses for Sean. He likes Michelle and the children. She noticed his haircut and how much fur was missing from his ears. We had a nice dinner. Everyone brought something. Everyone was there except my nephew, Bob and his family.
I was really tired out today but felt better after dinner. I am doing a lot of sneezing. I hope I'm not coming down with something. My sinus is a little sore.
Tomorrow, it's down with the Thanksgiving decorations and up with the Christmas decorations.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I was rudely awakened this morning by a beep noise. I thought it was the computer but it was coming from over my head. It was the carbon monoxide detector. I turned on the light and looked at it. The display said "zero" Then it beeped again and the display said, "L6" I thought what is L6? Then through my sleepy eyes I realized it was Lb or Low Battery. I dragged my self to the kitchen and got the new batteries and changed them. I made some coffee and put on the weather. Thanksgiving Day doesn't look good. Showers are in the forecast with rain on Friday. I did my computer work and hung up some more things on the walls. I put a framed collage up in the kitchen. I was going to paint the frame but I figured I could hang it until I got to painting it. That may have to wait until spring and warmer weather. I hung a couple brass plates in the kitchen also. I put the vases of silk flowers that were on the mantle in Vineland on the triple dresses in the bedroom and put another vase of silk flowers in the second bathroom. The colors of pink and blue go well with that room. I got the vase for my mother when I was in Paris. The vases on the triple dresser were from Ted's funeral. I'm slowly getting things put in place.
I went to the ecumenical Thanksgiving service tonight. It was held at St. Rose of Lima on the North Side of Chesapeake. While I was driving over, I thought I wouldn't know anyone there. When I went to the one in Vineland, there were lots of people from my church and my neighbors who lived in back of me were there. I walked in and went up front to sit down. I turned around as I was about to sit down and saw three ladies from the Methodist Church where I attend. One was Frances who goes to the exercise class with me. She waved for me to sit with them. One lady was Linda who is the church secretary. The third lady I recognized from church but didn't know her. Frances introduced me. The lady was wearing a very strong perfume. It was the reason I went all the way up front when I first went in. When I sang the hymns, I could taste the perfume in the air. It's a wonder I didn't gag on it. Linda got sick toward the end of the service. We all went out during the last hymn. Frances was driving and Linda and Betty came with her.
Most churches here are very small but it's a small town. The Priest said the Ecumenical Assoc. does a wonderful job in helping the poor. He marveled at the resources they had and how they were able to stretch every penny. They did a better job than his mother. One lady announced the toy drive was overflowing with toys for the children and asked to let them know of any families in the community who were in need of help.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I went to Walmart in Middletown, DE to get some groceries and some things for the house. I needed an air filter for the furnace and they had a grow light for my plants. I also got some of those hooks advertised on TV that stick on the wall. I got them for my Christmas Wreaths that I will hang on the windows.
I hung some things on the wall in the second bathroom. I hung a picture, the clock, a floral basket, and a set of ceramic angels my cousin had given me.
The household things made my order more expensive than usual. I also got a new electric toothbrush as my old one died.
On the way home, I stopped at the Vets and got Danny's Flea and Heartworm medicine. He will be due for it at the first of the month. I missed my turn on the way home from the Vets. I realized it right away but had to go down the road for awhile before finding a place to turn around.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Yesterday, Danny and I walked up the hill onto the state game lands. We followed the road along a lake that's up there. There were gulls on the lake, most likely herring gulls. I didn't bring my binos. There were ducks that may have been buffleheads. I could see they had while on their heads. At first I thought they were coots with a white beak but the white was on the head, not the beak. A big blue heron flew just over my head. We walked down to Bethel Church Road access which is a mile from my house then turned around and came back. There is a lock or flood gate just above the ditch in back of my house. I figured it was there because the ditch was full at a time when there wasn't any rain.
We didn't do much today. We rested. I think we were both tired out from being away and walking the trail in the hunting grounds.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
A little church in Earleville, MD. There are a lot of little churches in this area.
Yesterday I was tired. I went to the church Christmas Bazaar. I bought a beautiful brooch with yellow stones in it. It was marked $2.00 and when the lady saw me looking at it, she said, I'll sell it to you for $1.00. It will look pretty on my yellow blazer. I returned the mason jar from last year and bought some more soup. I had some for lunch. It was good. I also bought a huge sugar cookie and a pumpkin bread. I ate the cookie yesterday and I had a couple slices of pumpkin bread today.
Danny slept in this morning and I had to go to church before taking him out. I wasn't able to stay for fellowship or Sunday School because I had to get home to let him out. The little turkey probably did it on purpose. He seems to know when I'm going to go out and leave him.
My plan yesterday, was to go to Cheryl's jewelry demonstration. I went over to her house and no one was there. I came back and reread the message on facebook. Sometimes facebook is not easy to navigate. Cheryl was having the demo and I assumed it was at her house but I had to click on location and found she was having it at her friend, Barb's house. Barb lives about an hour and a half away so I didn't go. I'll order something from the catalog for her.
Getting my mower fixed is a real pain. I wanted to cut the grass and it mulches the leaves but it may take a week or more to get the part because I'll have to order it. I think the guy who did my grass has moved out. I haven't seen hide nor hair of him or his family. His trailer look abandoned.
My APC surge protector was beeping a horrible beep last night. I unpluged it and it still keep beeping. I opened it up and disconnected the battery. I have two more of them. I plugged another one in and it too beeped. I tried the third and it worked without beeping. They usually beep when the power goes out but that was not the case. I wish two wouldn't have gone bad at the same time. They are expensive and I still have to hook up the other two computers. They are the network server and my computer from work.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
These daiseys are still blooming at my mobile home. They are lovely colors for fall.
Glen Providence Park across the street from Aunt Jean's house. It is a lovely park to walk Danny in but some people bring their big dogs and let them run without a leash. One couple just opened their car door and let their pit bull out. I put Danny up on the stone wall and asked them to please get their dog. It had come around the wall and just looked at us but one never knows. The people had their leash in the trunk of the car so they wouldn't have leashed the dog if I hadn't said something.
This morning, three ladies were walking down the road coming in the opposite director of me. One lady had a large black poodle on a leash. When she saw me with Danny, she turned around and went back. I guess she wanted to avoid problems. I had just brought Danny out so I waited to let her pass by she turned around.
I think Aunt Jean is well enough for me to go home. The problem is they took her driver's license away and she won't be able to go anywhere. I'll take her to her line dancing class this morning and think I will leave this afternoon if I can contact one of her children to let them know. She got a good report from the doctor so I feel confident she will be OK on her own.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Tuesday was rainy and miserable. Yesterday was sunny but high winds. Today is sunny and nice. I walked Danny around 7:30am. The wind and rain has beaten the leaves down. There are only a few in the sheltered areas. I took Aunt Jean to the drug store and supermarket yesterday. Today, we go to the doctor's and the condo. The inspector is coming.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Beautiful fall trees in the park across the street from Aunt Jean's.
The fox slinking across Aunt Jean's back yard.
A big Buck seen from Aunt Jean's window.
It is a rainy dreary day but the yellow and red leaves look bright against the grey trees and sky. Yesterday, I entered my bills into the computer and put them on automatic payment. We left for Aunt Jean's around 3:30. She had a doctor appointment that her daughter, Donna took her to and they didn't get back until after 7pm. Donna cooked up some omlets and we had them for dinner. I took Danny out and after Donna left, we watched Dancing with the Stars and went to bed.
This morning, I took Aunt Jean to her line dancing while I went to the mall. I looked in Sears for the part to my mower but found I have to order it over the phone. The man gave me the number. I looked around the mall and found a good buy on a big HD TV. I'll get it in Delaware as they have no sales tax. I also found the type of night gowns that my aunt likes in Sears. I'll get her a couple for Christmas. She likes the nylon brushed on the inside.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I went to church this morning and they had a fellowship breakfast afterward. It's a good thing because Danny didn't get up until late and I didn't have time to eat much. I had a granola bar and cup of coffee. The church had an egg and sausage casserole and a plain egg casserole. I had a square of each. They were both excellent.
I had plans of getting a lot done but got nothing done. At 4pm, my niece and her husband picked me up for a family birthday dinner. My nephew, Rick's birthday was on Nov. 3 and Cheryl's husband's birthday was today. We had a 20 people. Both my family and Ed's family. We went to the Hibachi Grill where you can have all you can eat. I went to the Hibachi Grill and had them cook my meal up while I watched. They also have an elaborate buffet. We had a nice time and the food was good.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I am back at my own home. Jan and Nate came down this weekend and will be staying until Monday. I'll go back then. Aunt Jean has a doctor appointment on Monday and I want to make sure she will be OK.
It will be great to get back into my own bed. I have a king size bed with a three inch memory foam topper on it. My old joints just sink down into the comfort of it.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
A view from the window of my Aunt's house. This was taken a few days ago and many of the leaves are down but there are still some left. They look beautiful in the early morning sun and in the late afternoon sun.
There were deer in the yard this morning. Danny didn't see them but seemed to know they were out there. The man next door has bird feeders so there are lots of birds outside. They like to sit in my Aunt's dogwood and blue spruce tree that are right outside the back windows.
My cousin Jan will be coming down tonight so I will get to go home for a couple days. I need to catch up on my bills and water my plants.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
We had a busy day yesterday. I took Aunt Jean to her Line Dancing at her church and went to visit my brother, Rick and Sylvia. I had lunch with them and then drove back to Aunt Jean’s house. I was only there a few minutes when her friends dropped her off. She had a Senior Assoc. meeting after Line Dancing. We had some tea and then went to the Real Estate Office so she could put a deposit on the condo she is buying. We were there for a while because the insurance agency was connected to the Real Estate Office. She was able to get her condo insurance taken care of.
It is a bright sunny day and more leaves have fallen off the trees. While I was walking Danny, the sun lit up the yellow tree tops. It was beautiful. I should have had my camera with me.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
There was a cold wind today. The trees out back have lost their leaves but on the side and out front they are at their peak. They are brilliant orange and yellow. The only wildlife I saw today were mallards and Canada geese. When I walked Danny down to the lower end of the park, I saw 4 male mallards and 1 female. The mate to the female kept chasing the other males away from her. This afternoon, I heard a Canada goose honking for about ten minutes until a flock came and landed on the lake. He must have been calling them.
I went to the Post Office this morning while Aunt Jean went to the bank. Then we both went to the Acme to get some groceries. We are well stocked up on food.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
A beautiful day today. I took Aunt Jean to church and we had a light lunch afterward. I took Danny down into the park along the creek. We walked through the autumn leaves. My cousin, Scott and his daughter came over and we had a nice view of the fox out back. I got a good photo of him.
Around 4pm, I took Danny up to the other end of the park and found a trail that paralleled the road and then looped around and came back. He is getting a good workout with the hills. Vineland was flat and so is the trailer park.
Aunt Jean's friend came and we all went out to dinner. We went to Hennesey's in Aston and I asked if they used to be in Prospect Park. They were. It is a nice place with good food. The one in Prospect Park is now a CVS.
It's time to take Danny out before bedtime.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Autumn leaves in Cecil County.
Fox in Aunt Jean's backyard. He is in the center of the photo to the left of the brown leaf.
It is windy and rainy today. The leaves are blowing off the trees and it is dark and gloomy. I hope my cousin Alan doesn't have any delays at the airport. A big fox came around out back this afternoon. I got a photo of him but he really blended into the background of leaves and trees. We'll see how it looks on the screen.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Aunt Jean wasn't feeling well yesterday morning. She had not slept well the night before. I also think that everything was catching up to her. She felt better after some rest. I took her over to vote and then her son-in-law came to stay with her so I could go down to MD to vote. The polling place was in the high school. There were two lines and they were long. One was to sign in and the other was to wait for a voting machine. This place had seven voting machines that looked like computer terminals. When you signed in, you got an access card and that was put into the computer like a debit card at the ATM. Someone escorted you to the machine and helped you get set up. I chose the large print so I wouldn't have to put on my glasses. Then the lady left. I went through each page that had several candidates on it and marked off the ones I wanted to vote for. At the end I pushed the screen where it said "Cast Ballot". I saw my niece at the end of the line. She had parked next to my car and the dog barked at her. She said, "Hello Dog." Then she saw it was Danny Boy and said, "Danny Boy what are you doing here?" She knew I was taking care of Aunt Jean and didn't know I had come back to vote. Everyone at the polls seemed excited to vote.
This is a beautiful home here at Aunt Jean's. The family room has window out the back and side with views of trees and the lake. I'll take some photos when the sun comes up. Fox, deer and birds are regular visitors to the back yard and we are only a few blocks away from downtown Media. I think the fox has a den just steps from the back door. There is a rock with a hole dug out under it that looks as if a fox could fit in it. I'm not sure because I took Danny out there and he didn't sniff at the hole. There may have been too many other trails to sniff.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I’m sitting here in my aunt's family room looking out the window at a deer in her back yard. Earlier I saw a fox slinking around the neighbor's birdfeeder. I guess he was looking for a poultry dinner. The deer is probably coming for the seed.
My aunt came home from the hospital yesterday. She went to the emergency room thinking she had bronchitis and while waiting she had a stroke. It must have been a mild one because she seems fine now. They did take her driver's license away which was very upsetting to her. She was disoriented for awhile as she didn't remember driving to the hospital or why. She felt well enough to go out to dinner last night. We went to Ruby Tuesdays.
Her daughter, Donna, came this morning and we went to look at some condos nearby. Many of my aunt's friends live there and it is on flat level ground and within walking distance to her church and shops. We looked at three in the complex. Two were very nice; the other needed a lot of work. One was on the bottom floor with sliding doors going out onto a patio. It has nice shrubs and you cannot see the houses. On the higher floors, you see the parking lot and surrounding houses.
I am here to make sure she can live independently. She was getting her medicine mixed up so we want to be sure to get that straightened out. It was her first day home and she is still healing from the stroke. Her other daughter, Jan, wants to move back here from NY state and buy the house. This makes my aunt happy as they can still have their family dinners and get togethers here. This is a beautiful home that my uncle and my aunt’s father built. It is on a hillside overlooking a lake. We all have wonderful memories of swimming, sledding, and ice skating.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
