I haven't been posting as much as I usually do, and I thought it was because I have nothing more to say.  But that isn't so, I'm just nervous lately.  So nervous that I could not sleep a wink last night.  Kept listening to the wind and rain, which makes it seem very autumnal lately.  The garage has been painted, and I'm waiting for help with getting the rest of the panels up, so I can paint them, too.  I love the color "Russett" that I picked out.  It really looks good next to the forest.  Now for gathering the firewood.  I'm ready to go.  There's a lot of sticks lying around out there. 

When the rains began this summer, I noticed a bright orange color in the woods, and went in to find out what it was.  It was a mushroom called "chicken of the woods," very delicious, growing on dead oak.  But when I went back to harvest more of it, it was gone.  I'm pretty sure a bear took it; the log was scratched and bark was lying around.  The mushroom (or fungus) was gone, just a few crumbs scattered around.  And the blackberry patch that promises to produce many juicy berries this year is constantly being harvested by a family of bears - mom and cubs.  I know what it's like to be mutually surprised by a bear.  Me on one side, picking merrily away, and black bear on the other side, apparently unaware of me.  Then we meet, suddenly face to face.  While I stand there frozen in fear, the bear makes a rapid recovery and runs from the terrible human contact.  I am never afraid in the woods and wonder about that.  But black bears are almost/mostly good neighbors.    

My aunt sent me a link to my cousin's church - even the sermons are online.  He is the Pastor of King of Kings Lutheran Church in Minnesota, and I enjoyed listening to a recent sermon he gave about Samson and Delilah - not so much about her.  I am going back to his website and get very well acquainted with it.  I enoyed the sermon a lot.

I guess, let's see here, I overdid it yesterday with the shoveling?  I could barely stand the pain after I woke up this morning, and every time I moved a certain way, woo-hoo boy, I found it difficult to straighten up again.  But it passed after a couple of hours, and now I am just normally sore and stiff from yesterday's effort.  I am going to take the rest of today off, just to take care of me. 

The weather is beautiful, and it definitely feels fallish.  I have been getting letters from each of the credit card companies I have accounts with, stating that they are raising my interest rates, exorbitantly.  My minimum monthly payments will go up to reflect these new rates.  So I did a little reflecting of my own, called my bank, and they will see what they can do to help out.  I went in and talked to a very helpful gentleman about it today.  I will close out my credit cards if possible, perhaps save a bundle of money. 

And back home, all I can do is walk over to the garage and admire what I've gotten done so far.  Give my back a break for a few days to get over the digging and shoveling.  But really, there's no one else I would want to work in my place.  Perhaps I will be stronger, next time I pick up that shovel.  In the meantime, I can still paint, but not today. 

I got plenty sore yesterday, picking up piles of boards and finding all kinds of garbage goodies buried in the leaves.  Everything is stacked in appropriate places now, waiting for removal.  And I raked all the leaves back, and can now see that a lot of digging will be required to make a drainage area away from the garage.  The question of the day is, can I do this digging without hurting myself?

After a hot bath, a good night's sleep, and a lot  of coaxing of back muscles, I think I am ready to try the shoveling part.  This is important, I tell myself.  And being Sunday morning, I turned on the TV in time to catch a few of the exercize shows.  Of course, my favorite is the so-called belly dancing routines, and after I got done with that program, I noticed I had NO pain whatsoever in my back.  So I'm cooking dog food now, and when it's done, out I go for another work session.  I have more than a week left to finish painting the garage, and landscaping the area around the garage (which I had not known was going to be important!).  I keep telling myself that once the garage is made nice, that is the end of outdoor work for this year - except for gathering the firewood.  At least I will have help with that.  Or more specifically, I will only be a helper on that chore. 

The weather has been so cool lately (in the 40's one day) that it seems more like fall now.  My bare feet are cold, and I need to put socks on.  I can't believe how good I feel. 

It is amazing, how much happier I've been, since having a small stroke, and perhaps not being as "sharp as a tack" anymore.  I just laugh when people ask me number-answer questions, like "what time is it?  what date is it?  how much money do you have in your account?"  Hoo-haw!  I don't know...if it's important, I'll look it up!  And it will be gone again, in a flash.

It stopped raining today, it's been raining for 2 or 3 days, and I went out to the garage and cleaned up the other side; by that I mean all the debris that was there, that hadn't been classified as garbage before.  It is, now!  It was just buried, for years, under the leaves.  So it is all stacked by the driveway for Mr. John to take away.  All of it is his stuff, long forgotten, another load to the dump.  And then I raked those leaves away in big piles into the woods.  My next chore will be digging a trench along the drip line of the roof and grading that to slope away from the garage.  Then, and only then, will I be ready to paint that side. 

I am so happy to be able to go about my regular business of getting things done.  I have 6 tomato plants in buckets that can be brought in and possibly get a few for over winter, but I am not counting on it.  It would just be nice, that's all.  I'm allowing myself the rest of this month to finish painting the garage and cleaning up around the outside of it.  Next month, the firewood!

And I think the credit card companies have finally had things their way for long enough.  I am calling the bank to see about getting a loan to pay them off, except for the two I actually need.  I will try to buy a new car, sooner than later.  It's just possible, if I can get any cooperation from the banks, etc.  If not, oh well.  I tried. 

My health is improving a lot lately, since taking the herbal supplements that always make me feel so much better.  So onward and forward, and all that. 

I have hardly posted all month so far, and that is because I seem to have gotten into a funky mood about my blog.  Maybe it's the summer weather, the green walls of forest, the bugs.  I haven't been walking, either.  The incredible thing is that my hips do not ache anymore.  Is it that I've eaten so many cherries and blueberries, that they cure (hips)?  Don't know, but when I consider how my diet has changed, and is changing, from a trusting, fast-food acceptance to eliminating things like soda, high-fructose corn sweeteners, etc., I seem to be changing into a healthier person.

I've seriously cut down on salt in my diet, to about half of what it used to be.  That means I'm using a salt-free seasoning (Mrs. Dash) on everything I eat.  And cutting way back on salty snacks, like corn chips, potato chips, etc.  If only I could give up coffee!  I can't, and I can't stand decaf....not for too long....but I have cut down on amount of same, to 4 cups a day, instead of the 8 or more it used to be. 

Then there is exercize.  I have found the exercize channel on tv, and once in awhile, I spend a half hour doing the exercizes I see there. 

But this week I began to paint the garage.....that is making me feel like I'm making progress, for sure.  What slowed me down is - incredibly - there seems to be so much more to pick up and haul away out there.  I can't believe it!  But I will get that done, too.  I have the whole month of September to finish the garage....and October will be gathering and cutting up of the firewood.  John will do much of the harder work there.  Right now, he is putting a new transmission into his Honda, saving a lot of money - or saving the Honda! 

Paradise, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, that is, where John is going to run a marathon, tomorrow.  It has a beautiful waterfall.  I am home here with the dogs, as usual. 

On August 12, I finally planted 6 of the tomatoes in colorful, 2-gallon plastic buckets with holes in the bottoms.  I put aluminum pie plates under them, and set them out in the garden.  Last night, we had a nice downpour with thunder and lightning, and today, they look very happy and healthy in their new homes.  I can't imagine planting out my tomatoes in the middle of August, but I am ready to bring them indoors if there's frost.  This is the strangest year for gardening, for me.  The grass/weeds in the garden are chest high.  I've never seen such healthy grass.  This is my new life, after stroke. 

I see that life can continue at a diminishing pace - that's what old age is turning out to be, for me.  Some days are better than others, especially with regard to numbers, but then, other memories which once were indelibly inscribed in my mind, are fluttering around like butterflies not ready to settle down and land. 

The mama deer did not lose her baby, as I had been fearing.  Others have seen her and the growing fawn together, but I haven't.  What I've been doing, is trying to give my dog, Pepper, a haircut, especially on her hind quarters.  If I can do that much, then the rest should be easy.  But she will not be still, and I don't want to hurt her.  It's a tricky business. 

Of course, I still watch the news casts and political commentaries of my favorite Democratic people, and remembering that I have promised not to blog my opinions; not much anyway, but I am enjoying the shows and hope that reason will prevail......

We always picture July as being one of the hottest months.  There's the Fourth of July to get us all in the mood for outdoor activities.  There are supposed to be fireflies on the lawn, telling us that the deer are ready to eat.  Tomatoes should be ready to set fruit.  This is a peculiar July, like so many Julys before it, that defied the logic of the calendar.  We have had Fourth of July picnics at the ballpark, wrapping ourselves and the party-goers at the picnic table in a roll of plastic sheeting, drinking our beers and watching the wind whip snowflakes around our protective wrap.  Picture a whole party of happily-boozed-up people, cheering the snowflakes, all contained in a huge roll of plastic wrap, like the veggies at the produce department.  Well, that was a good time, but that's the July weather for a good many years. 

Today is warm and foggy, after a good rain last night.  There was thunder and lightning, and I couldn't sleep, because I have caught a summer cold.  I couldn't seem to breathe.  So I ended up taking a couple of big green pills, for colds/flu and they put me right to sleep, if nothing else.  But I do think they help.  Today, my son and his wife are having a big party at the park, with delivered food from a grocery store, lots of beverages, and probably rain.  But at least it is warm.  Which means plenty of bugs.  I didn't go, as I'm groggy and extra dizzy, with a lot of aches and a big head. 

I did go shopping this past week, and got all the fruits, etc. that I love to eat.  The cherries were dark red, with lots of juice, and I am eating them all.  Surprised, I went for a walk, and my hips didn't even ache a bit.  Could it be the cherries?  I believe that is one of the things they claim cherries can do.  But everything is slow and mellow this summer, except that my temper is attempting to return, with a vengeance.  I am fighting it. 

Oh, it's because I got a flat tire while driving to the store....since I was nearly there, I just whop-whop-whopped it in and got the groceries.  Then I whop-whop-whopped over to the place of the tires, etc. and had a new one put on.  I was angry for a long time, because I thought that tires should last forever, just like me.  I am trying to make my "balance owed" column steadily decrease.  It didn't go down for 8 months last year, and I'm determined to make it happen now.  But it won't if things like this keep happening.....

I have been delaying my blog-writing, because I've convinced myself that nothing ever happens, but that's not true.  It's just that I'm so slow these days. 

So here it is, August 1, and the tomato plants still are sitting on the table of the porch; big, green, wanting to put forth their goodness.  I still want to get them in the ground out there, but the weeds are so tall and strong, and will have to be pulled out to make room.  Don't know if I can do it.  I could plant them in big containers.... 

Yesterday, I contented myself to clean out my closet - a Fibber Magee closet challenge if ever there was one.  Beach balls, tools for the vacuum cleaner, shoes enough for Emelda Marcos, skeins of yarn, a missing sweater, medical equipment(?) I guess, and what, I ask, IS this?  It took all afternoon.  I was exhausted by the time I got through.  But the result is that I can WALK (not fall forward) into the closet, and take something off a hanger as if I was doing a commercial for TV.  Smile and say "Ahhh!" 

My grandson has gotten in touch with me, and also his mother sent pictures.  My spirits soared.  He has made it through basic training, and is going on with his career in the U.S. Army.  I can't describe what good this has done me, to know he is doing well on his chosen path. 

And taking my herbal supplements and remedies has improved my health tremendously.  I hadn't taken any since I had the stroke, by doctor's orders, but I was feeling run-down, depressed, and not getting better at all.  Why not take some, especially if they won't interfere with the needed meds? 

On day 1, I take Calcium Citrate with Vit. D, Potassium, and Triple Magnesium complex, plus CoQ10.  Next day, I take Cranberry, Green Tea Complex, and Liver Essentials (contains dandelion root, et al).  I hardly need acetaminophen, but only one when I do.  And my antihistamine for my allergies that threaten to come up now and again.  My back seems to be improving, due to massages from John and my stretching and yoga exercizes daily.  And I lost a few pounds, that always makes me feel good.