A fire was built in the fireplace last evening, the first of the current heating season.  Today, the last day of September, I should try to get things done that still remain to do.  That would be painting the back wall of the garage....everything else, including bringing in the tomato plants, has been done.  Yesterday, my daughter took me to get my blood tested again, and it is wildly off the mark.  They keep adjusting meds, and I have to keep adjusting to their schedule.  I am recovering nicely from yesterday's efforts, bringing in the potted tomatoes, etc. 

But the rains have stopped and the sun is shining brightly in a clear blue sky this morning.  It froze last night and the trees' leaves are crackling in the sunshine.  All morning chores have been done.  Taking my medication(s), eating my toast and freshly-brewed coffee, feeding the chicken and dogs and letting them out, filling the wild birds' food jugs, sweeping the floor and watering the plants (every 2 weeks).  It will get warmer as the day goes on, and I'll probably finish painting the garage.  My daughter's health is improving, and we enjoyed our outing yesterday; also shopped for clothes (on sale). 

Or two or three.  September has become full-fledged autumn weather.  Yesterday, it rained a bit and the wind picked up.  Last night the wind picked up more, it rained more; the power has gone out 2 times since yesterday, but back on again.  And I'm doing everything I can think of now before it goes out again.  I actually love this kind of weather, but my bones ache with old injuries that should not be there now.  I'm glad I got the chicken's cage protected before this kind of weather started.  She's doing well, but all the critters are looking at me with a sad, knowing look on their faces.  But as soon as I put out sunflower seed and suet, the birds come swooping in, undeterred by any kind of weather. 

This kind of weather puts us in mind of gathering and cutting up firewood, which we will do as soon as it stops blowing and raining.   

This is the anniversary of my son's death.  I had a dream, years before he died, of a big hill with a dirt road running up it, and saw a red motorcycle with my son driving it, going up the hill.  In the dream, I kept calling his name, trying to call him back, but he couldn't hear me.  The sound of a big crash, and an aching heart, woke up crying.  I couldn't know what this dream meant; only after it happened, did I understand it.  It's been such a long time ago.  Much longer than he was alive.  But the day remains a reminder that will always be with me. 

I got the chicken's house fixed up a bit better.  Some kind of animal, probably a raccoon, had torn down the plastic sheeting that protected the lean-to from the north wind, and I got busy and fixed it with a stapler, just to keep her warmer at night now.  I will clean out the entire cage area and the lean-to, including inside her house, when I am feeling better.  Raccoons are testing, always testing the defenses.   

Yesterday, I had to go into town again and get some medication prescription refilled, and picked up a head of lettuce; also dropped a bill in the mailbox.  On the way  home, I had the windows cracked so I wouldn't need to use the air conditioner.....soon I was coughing and choking.  By the time I got home, I was coughing non-stop and my throat was sore.  That was it for the day...

I read an article in my local paper, by Dr. Ida Allen, a local fitness/health guru, whose advice I have taken before with good results.  In her most recent article, she tells us to limit sugar and refined grains, and to eat garlic.  She also recommends the following for dealing with a sore throat...

"When it comes to a sore throat, I have found that the following remedy works wonders.  Start with 12 ounces of warm filtered water, add one heaping tablespoon of sea salt, one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide, and four drops of regular clear iodine (clear so you don't stain your teeth).  Gargle with this solution every 20 to 30 minutes until symptoms subside.  For a child, use a spray nozzle to spray the solution to the back of the throat.  This will greatly reduce the bacterial count in the back of the throat, and will decrease inflammation, redness and pain."

I got together the sea salt, warm water (my own well water is 99.9% pure), and hydrogen peroxide.  Will look around to see if I have clear iodine (suppose not!) but used this partial recipe last night to gargle periodically.  It worked very well, and I was able to spend evening in bed, napping off and on, until a good night's sleep.  And it rained off and on last evening and during the night!  I said a prayer of thanks.

I made a supper by boiling together kielbasa sausage and cabbage, peeled potato and carrot, onion and garlic, adding a chicken boullion cube and other spices, and about 4 cups of water.  It was simple to make in one deep pan, made my throat feel better, made me break into a sweat.   

Today I feel better, but my body aches with the memory of pains I have had, have taken care of and cured; but the body remembers them and puts them out there again for you to remember what you did wrong. 

I've been outside, raking and cleaning out the garage - that seems to be most important to do today.  It is dry and sunny bright.  Some idiot left a brush pile burning and walked away, started a small forest fire, which was quickly put out.  Good thing there isn't any wind to speak of. 

I am very worried now about my daughter's declining health.  Her troubles keep on multiplying.  I find it hard to advise her, since I'm sure she has tried everything.  I wish they would find a cure for MS...I've lately been thinking that an answer may be found in deep breathing exercizes, and in controlling acid buildup in the stomach (and body).  She suffers a lot from acid, and can't seem to eat anything without upsetting her digestion.  I told her today she must not worry about me, as I seem to be in better shape than she is. 

I've been outside today, as I mentioned, and the acorns keep falling at regular/irregular intervals.  Sometimes they strike hard nearby, making me jump.  The metal roofing on the garage really makes a loud noise.  I got a lot more stuff separated from inside the garage, and I am almost ready to make a run to the dump.  But I overdid it, and got so dizzy, I got to the house and decided that I've done enough for today. 

John has finished putting up the panels on the walls of the garage, and now for the final cleanup and the last painting chores.  I have just 3 more panels to paint.  The side walls are 5 panels each, and each side took 1 gal. of paint.  I have 2 more gallons, 1 will cover the back wall, plus.  I will have that leftover and 1 more gallon to finish the peaks, but that will have to wait until next spring, at least.  Now, I can begin pulling things out of the garage.  I can put in windows and doors.  I'm covering the peaks with plastic sheeting for this winter.  It has taken me so much longer to do this much.  But I have had to learn, the hard way, to slow down and take it easy. 

My daughter picked me up and took me to the coumadin clinic to check my level of blood thinner.  They found the reading to be very much higher than it has been - could it be because we ate before we went to the clinic?  But they have ordered me to cut in half my medication for blood thinner.  That's fine...I look forward to the day when I hardly need medication at all...will continue though, as long as they tell me to. 

It still has not rained here in the northwoods for the entire month of September, and the leaves are barely turning color.  They are just withering and falling. 

My son was featured in a photo session of the local newspaper.  It was the show about exotic food, hosted on the Travel Channel.  I can't remember the name of the show or the host's name - will have to find out and post it later, but Snowshoe Baseball in Lake Tomahawk was the subject, and one picture was of my son.   

Just before sunset yesterday, I left the dogs in the house and walked down the driveway to see if the paint had dried on the garage.  It was a still evening, no wind, and the acorns were falling steadily and noisily from every side.  I stood there in front of the garage, looking into the darkening forest, perking my ears up at the sound of falling acorns all around me.  The sky was still brightly lit from the rays of the setting sun.

Then another noise surrounded me - it sounded like the harsh panting of a very large animal.  My eyes scrambled through the trees, trying to find out where the sound was coming from, but everywhere I looked, no explanation showed itself.  The sound was even coming from above, my eyes following it.  A raven flew by overhead, his wings beating out the exact rhythm of the "heavy breathing" sound I was hearing.  He greeted me, I guess, with a single "grauk" and flew on, just above treetop level.  But the sound all around me persisted for almost a minute more.  Usually there are two ravens, so I thought maybe the sound around me was produced by more than one bird.  But I saw nothing else. 

I walked back to the house, marveling at how changed the entire atmosphere was by the passage of this amazing bird.  Mysterious, powerful creature; he had greeted me with his call as he passed. 

It's hard to believe that Autumn is almost here, with temps in the 70's and 80's.  Window open at night, but it can't last too much longer.  I got the outside picture window washed with the long-handled squeegie yesterday - I didn't even need to get up on a ladder, which is good.  Truly, I don't know what I should do now - gather firewood and see if I can cut it up and stack it?  Mow the lawn?  Make a dump run?  I'm just either lazy or too afraid of hurting myself.  I'll make an effort on all three of those chores, but soon, it will be time to forget the outside work and get going indoors.  I'm just waiting for a vacuum cleaner....

We finally finished viewing all the episodes of  "Dexter" the other night, and can hardly wait to see the new season.  What to do until then?  We started watching the whole series over again, and many things are noticed that weren't apparent before.  The characters change over time, just like real people do.  Well, we've also watched "Nurse Jackie" and others of the new genre. 

I've finished reading "Kabloona" and really liked it.  On to "The Red Badge of Courage" and others that I finally picked up at the library.  I stopped at the little farmer's market stand by the highway and picked up lovely corn on the cob, tomatoes, cukes; made a salad and corn on the cob for supper.  I've also made my Best Ever Macaroni Salad, and I see by my blog that it is still a popular article.  I have expanded on it lately, substituting bacon and shrimp for the chicken, and now I always add one apple, chopped.  I should make a note on that article....

Looks like I really have nothing to say lately.  I will finally be able to start cleaning out the garage so I can clean the floor and who-knows-what in there.   

What a joy to listen to Barack's speech the other night - I was immediately relieved and once again primed to move forward with my support for his (and others') plans on health care reform. 

I believe that the untold criticism he is facing these days is nothing more or less than racism, disguised to look otherwise.  I wish the media would give as much coverage to "our" side as they give to the "other" side.  But once again, he made a lot of sense to me, with his fine speech that warmed my heart. 

The weather here continues to be warm, dry, with constant, even temperatures.  There has been no rain at all in the month of September though, and we are down several inches this month.  The leaves are simply drying on the trees and falling - there isn't much color. 

Today, John got started on the garage, putting up the last panels.  I will be able to finish painting, then cleaning out the inside of the garage for winter.  I am finishing the book "Kabloona" and it has at last, become a joy to read, as the white man finally adjusts his thinking in accordance to the native wisdom.  He has got it!  He now can marvel as he sees another white man coming into the territory, as "civilized" as he was at first, all angry, mystified, and impatient, focusing on what he perceives as "his stuff" and nobody else's.  Next books are waiting to be read, but I'll regret ending this one.   

I got started cleaning indoors where it most visibly needs it.  The windows haven't been done this year yet, and I don't have Windex anymore, so made up my own solution in an empty spray bottle.  I poured into it, one cup of hydrogen peroxide, one cup of vinegar, and one cup of water, added one drop of liquid dishwashing soap and gently shook it up.  It worked so well that I am amazed; the windows were easy to clean, and there was no streaking at all.  Not only that, it left a shine that is almost magical.  I've never had an easier time of window washing.  So I went on to cleaning the window frame too. 

Then I tackled the problem of the malfunctioning vacuum cleaner.  Took it all apart, the head anyway where it first picks up dirt.  Ohmigod, what a horrible packed mess!  It's the dog hair that really causes problems, but in this case, I also discovered a broken wheel, which means the vac won't sit properly on the surface to be cleaned, so I disconnected that front part, and managed to clean the walls, tops of things, and behind things with the hose attachments only.  I called the vac cleaner repair place, but they are closed until next Tuesday....of course.  Meanwhile, I'll just continue to search the house and my mind for where I must have put that wheel when I found it....hope I didn't throw it away.

Today, I have found my squeegy head with the windshield wiper blade for doing the windows outside that are too big or tall for me to reach.  Let's see if I can get there, now that I have the perfect window cleaning solution. 

We have been watching the tv series of "Dexter" which I thought was going to be horrific, but which I am completely mesmerized by now.  The story is actually interesting!  We have been catching up, as we never saw it before, so we watch two episodes every night.  You laugh...you shake your head...you cover your eyes....you ponder.  Interesting, and the sets are so...tropical.

Last night perfect peace and contentment settled over me - not that life has become problem-free, but that I felt that peace that comes from being on top of the moment, having done the best I can do.  The weather is beautiful, some leaves have turned color already, and blue jays are calling every morning. 

My Susie Q. Chicken has developed a habit of wanting to stay outdoors after dark and just sleep in her outer cage.  But that isn't as safe from predators as being shut in her house, so I have to convince her it's time to go in.  After all, I don't necessarily want to go outside in the dark to shoo her in and shut her door.  I have always managed her with a dry stalk of Jerusalem artichoke, poking it into her outer cage and shooing her indoors with that.  But nowadays she fights with the stick and tries to dodge directions.  I usually give up and wait until she is more cooperative, but last night, I was impatient and tried to prod her in.  We ended up in a samurai contest with the soft stick, which is now about half as long as it used to be.  I didn't win.....  Today I feel bad that I tried to force her in, so maybe I'll give her some special treatment to make up for it.  Poor girl.

I know I promised not to blog about politics, but I can only say that the current situation with Health Care Reform makes me sad and sometimes angry.  The insurance companies have a lot of power, don't they?  And they know how to use it to keep their profits high.  Okay....

I went shopping for groceries yesterday, and nowadays I split up shopping into 3 trips, which should make things easier for me.  It does, but I still had a frightful back/neck pain to deal with last night.  Also, I went to the bank and picked up the money (or checks) I borrowed to pay off my credit cards.  I am beginning to feel relieved and free from worry about that.  I mailed out those checks and can settle back and enjoy hassle-free, high-interest-free living. 

The garage still waits for my friend to finish his transmission installation so he can put up the panels to finish the garage.  So I have decided to move on with my own plans, which today, must center around fall housekeeping.  I haven't dusted for quite a while...my vacuum seems to be clogged....there are many small places to clean and small chores to do and it's time to come indoors and do them.  Intense cleaning efforts will be required..... 

I finished painting the 4x8' sheets on the garage, and they look really nice.....but the rest of the sheets are still waiting to be put on, so I can finish them, too.  John keeps saying he will get them up, and I hope he can.  He's still putting his new transmission into his Honda......

I feel so punky lately, that I'm beginning to suspect that I have flu - but that's just silly me again, always thinking the obvious worry.  My daughter is picking me up tomorrow to take me to the clinic and the next day, I have another appointment to settle up with the bank and mail out my credit cards for the last time.  They will be paid in full, and I can cut them up into teeny tiny pieces, hahahohoheehee! 

The weather continues beautiful, clear and mild, though temps are close to freezing at night.  I've seen the mother doe and her fat little one, spotted and sticking close to her clever mom, but now I see the nibbled plants in the yard, all around.  They eat everything.  Somehow, someone has been nibbling on the rhubarb, too, that is so well protected.  I doubt rabbits could get in there.  Could momma deer be sticking her head way in there, between the yarn, getting under the fencing that covers it, just to show me she can? 

Lets see now, I'm reading Kabloona, by Gontran de Poncins.  It's about Inuits (Eskimos) in an area that knew no white men, before the whites got to them all.  Having read about the horrors of South America (bugs, disease, humidity and heat, poisonous snakes, terrific weather patterns, and worst of all - oil drilling), I'm now in horrific dismay at how this white man is suffering in the intense cold up there.  He must be in great fear of getting left behind and freezing to death, at least.  Well, that's the joy of being able to read about it, and not going there.