July 2024.... really?

 Here it is another year since I have written on this blog. Since I found You Tube and started doing videos over there this blog has become sort of a forgotten treasure. I am thinking I should try to get on here each morning and write a post again like I used to. I have been thinking about finding some way to have this blog put into a book for our son. Anyone have any suggestions on where to have that done?

Another year nearly gone...

 Hello to all those that have followed this blog for some time. I have not posted in quite awhile so thought I would pop over and write something. 

The time has come to make some fruit cake for Christmas as we can't stand the bought fruit cake. Here is a link to the recipe as well as to the video we did with Scott's mom several years ago. 

https://lifeforus.blogspot.com/2013/11/baking-fruit-cake-with-my-mother-in-law.html

https://youtu.be/o0ju-uyhSB4?si=6kFZEeIPSUvH9wK8

She is currently 96 years old and still living on her own and doing OK. She has some trouble getting around but who wouldn't at 96? 

I'm currently dealing with an ingrown toenail and can't get in to see a Podiatrist until January or February. My Nurse Practitioner has called in an antibiotic for me and I will pick that up as soon as the pharmacy opens. I am also soaking in epsom salts and taking Tylenol. Seems like the Dr's only want to care for people that aren't sick or injured only preventative care anymore. We are on our own until the next preventative appointment. I am beyond frustrated. I will manage.

Scott really needs to get his knees replaced but we can't afford him taking time off from work to have it done. I hate to see him in so much pain all the time. Maybe after his birthday he will be able to do it as he will be able to start pulling from some of his retirement. 

See you in the next post.

Is It REALLY September ALL ready?

 Here it is the first month of what usually signifies Autumn/Fall here in the USA as this is when ALL the children are officially back in school and the planning for the "Holidays" begins. Of course the Crafting stores have had the Christmas stuff creeping in since June but that is so normal. And I am always reminded that people that do Holiday sales for handmade items begin working on their products in the Summer months.  I sometimes... but only SOMETIMES wish I was that driven and could make things to sell but that would flat kill the joy I get from making things. So good on the guys and gals that go for it and make a little extra money during the Holidays.

I am recovering from what we think was Covid; I took an at home test but only had one bright pink line and a faded out line... Scott said two lines means positive and I tell you it's been bad. I started getting sick on Labor Day and it went down hill from there, Thursday and Friday were the worst and thankfully now I am feeling so much better. I opened the house up this morning to let fresh air in and the cooties out. I've gone around and emptied all the trash cans and sprayed them all with Microban and I stripped our bed and am washing the bedding. I have already re-made the bed with fresh linens. I am so hoping I can lay down tonight and don't have to be in the recliner for a good portion due to coughing my head off. Hoping the next couple days will find me back to normal.

I fixed my first cup of  hot Apple Cider mix tonight and it was delicious! It felt so good on my throat. Scott was so sweet and has been doing all he could to help me find some comfort; he bought some Italian Ice the other night when my throat was on fire... oh that felt so good. He truly is a wonderful husband.

Greg started all this drama as he was the first to get sick and he is still not feeling too hot.... it's because he won't stay on the cold medications long enough for them to do their job. And he is a grown man now at 36 years of age as of last month. 

Here's to things improving ALL around.

Happy Fall Ya'All

Here We Are Again

 Just to record this for our personal record.... Scott is now unemployed once again. He is hoping to find something else within this month and has made plans to start teaching in the evenings at Tech starting in October. I'll just say that there was a heated disagreement and he was let go. First time he has ever done that in over 40 years of working. 

Here's to yet another... FRESH START.

Spring Already?

 HELLOoooooo... Remember me yeah I'm back; at least for a single post. It is a quiet morning here so I thought I would come in and leave some of my thoughts. We are having to turn the A/C on in the evenings to remove some of the humidity and to keep the pollen from coming in the windows and it is only February. Our Tulip Magnolia is in glorious bloom in the front yard and this week the Robin's arrived back in our yard from their winter holidays. Spring... well signs of Spring are popping up everywhere... day time temps in the 80's; in FEBRUARY for crying out loud. Global warming seems to be happening faster and faster. So sad. 

I've started going to all the yearly check-ups... first set of blood work.. check... Bone density test... check. Tuesday is the dreaded Vice... I mean mammogram at a place I have never been before... GREAT... said with full on sarcasm. OF at blood work appointment they also ran a quick EKG... gosh I am feeling older and older by the appointment. Young people.... SAVE SAVE SAVE... and take part in a Medical savings plan... You're going to need it. 

We had our yearly Termite inspection and they discovered our hall bathroom needs a full remodel thanks to a water leak that has destroyed the floor. We talked with the guy about what it would cost if we did the demolition, Sheetrock and painting and they did the structural repairs, replace the piping and set the tile... our cost about $14,000. UGH! Trying to come to grips with that in my mind. If Scott could; he would do it all himself but these days just going to work exhausts him so badly. We knew the bathrooms would need to be done before we could even think about selling this place IN THE FUTURE but not NOW. 

The health of all our remaining parents is a worry and we are doing what we can for them. My Mom has been down staying between myself, Robin and Ronda this  month. She will be going home Sunday and I am hoping everyone there is ready to step in. 

I am glad we are back close to Scott's Mom too. She is 94 and I like being where we can help her. She is doing GREAT for being 94 and living on her own but I worry she will fall in that multilevel house of hers all the time... all those stairs. Bless her... she wants to keep her independents so badly but I still worry. 

I will try to stop in here more often. I find myself more invested in my You Tube Channel AuntBecscreations these days and can be found most Wednesdays at 3 PM Eastern LIVE over there doing something crafty. I am also hosting a crochet-a-long where I release a new video each Friday announcing a new stitch to learn featuring another You-Tubers Tutorial with links to their actual tutorials.  There is a playlist for the Crochet-a-long 2022 . We just did our 11th stitch yesterday and the blanket is coming along nicely. I'm not sure how long we will go but I know we will be adding a border to even the whole thing out as each stitch may either draw in or widen as we go as they are all different. I am really loving how it is turning out. 

Take care and enjoy your weekend... Hmmm perhaps a once a week update over here?

A Saturday walk by the Congaree River

 Saturday Scott and I went for a lovely walk along the river and it was so lovely. I took my Lumix camera and captured as much fungi and blue tailed five lined skinks as I could spy along the way. So many people just walk or run along that walkway not seeing all the beauty around them. Beauty comes in small packages a lot of the time and it only takes a moment to see them if you just slow down and observe. 

Fungi first...

I just so love all the different types of fungi you can see along this city Riverwalk. 

 

Now for some flowers and leaves: 

Autumn is coming

Grapevines, Kudzu and Privet.... all obnoxious! At least with grapes you can make jam or wine.

The only tropical fruit in South Carolina... Paw Paw's - Fruit

Paw Paw tree/leaves

Paw Paw before Scott cut it open. These have ZERO shelf life/

"Monkey Grass" - Liriope

Another glimpse of Autumn

Why you NEVER want to plant Kudzu - it grows 1 FOOT a day!!!!

Kudzu Leaf

Bark from a Sycamore tree... Doesn't it look happy?

All the lovely "Critters". We saw Canadian Geese, 5 lined Sinks and a snail as well as so many illusive dragon flies and other shy bugs. 

SO much beauty in such a small package.

And before we knew it was time to get back to the car to head home. T little hut is a Community board and the larger building is the restrooms. There is also a lovely picnic area right there near the restrooms and it is a covered area. 

Pain and Rain

 Nearly all  of June has been under clouds and giving us plenty of rain. I'm ready for a sunshine break! Everything is lush and green but I can barely keep the grass cut let alone do any of the yard projects I have had in mind. I want to turn our front yard into a Woodland wonderland with some edibles dotted amongst the flowering bushes and shade trees. It will have just some pathways of grass to mow and I want to mulch heavy to conserve water and deter weeds.  I have to wonder what the City will say to that as they go around handing out notices about the grass needing cut at the first sight of sunshine but the grass is still too wet to mow. VERY infuriating..... so I want to do away with most of the grass. 

Sunday we decided to drive over to the boat ramp to see how high the river is at the moment and Scott spotted this fellow walking along in the ditch along the road by the wastewater treatment facility. It was 3 to 4 foot long. Quite an interesting thing to see.

We took some photos and came on back to the house and started painting on the brick wall in our bonus room. We are planning to re-arrange Scott's hobby space out there and set Greg up out there as he needs a new space of his own as we don't like him vaping in his current bedroom so my plan is to relocate him out there... we will see how it works out. His cats stay out there most of the time as they don't get along very well with our three in the house. Things are improving between them but they still get sassy with one another from time to time. 

Back to that brick wall. We scrubbed it good with wire brushes, vacuumed it down with the Shop Vac and then I applied a masonry bonding primer. Let that set 4 hours then we double teamed the painting; we used the same "smoked tan" that's in the kitchen and den. We really like how it has turned out and plan to do the second half of wall once we get things re-arranged out there. It was quite a workout and we are both hurting in our shoulders pretty bad. It was worth it though; here are the befores and afters.

Getting that area where a window used to be painted over has made a world of a difference in that walls appearance. I am usually dead set against painting brick but in this case I think it was just what we needed to do. I AM THANKFUL the remaining half of that side wall is MUCH smaller than this section was. Next I need to get the ceiling painted in this corner but I need a few days for my shoulder to recover before I brutalize it again.

Once I get the ceiling painted I will be ripping the carpet out of there and start moving things around. This room needs replacement windows and new flooring but they will wait until the economy has recovered a bit more so we aren't paying twice or three times the cost . We are also planning to install a wooden step over the concrete step that goes into the kitchen. And it would be nice to get more light in there. So many ideas floating around in my head.

I made this tote as part of the #apgstitchingtogether monthly stitch along challenge. I will use it for toting crochet projects when we start traveling again. The challenge is still open until June 30th . Here is a link that tells all about it...

https://www.allpeoplequilt.com/magazines-more/stitching-together

I am hoping to get back into sewing more again.It definitely makes my heart happy and I end up with useful items and new clothes. I hate the clothes in the stores these days. So watch for more sewing to show up here.