December 24, 2020

 Absent.  That is how life has been the last few months.  Sure.  There have been some activities but on a limited basis.  Too much time sitting in my new recliner looking at the distant rise located about 10 miles away as the crow flies.  Not sure crows always fly in a straight line but you get it.  It is the day before Christmas 2020.  I have all the gifts wrapped.  I managed to lose one of the ornaments I had purchased.  It was just laying on my dresser and then it was not.  Just typical for this year that started with a vandalized car window.

I want to share a few photos of my penguin collection that I have pulled out to enjoy this year.  Yes, there are 100 + penguins around here.  All sizes from about 5/8 inch (1.5 cm) to 2.5 feet (.76 m).  Some are stuffed.  Some are serve ware. Others are ornaments, oven mitts, baskets, lotion bottles, and figurines.  This year I added a pillow for the winter season.  These birdies will stay our till spring possibly.  I am in no hurry to end the season of winter.  Even though winter in central Texas is usually some clouds and cool weather.  Nor even really cold weather except that I have gotten sort of soft in my old age and 60 can feel cold at times.

This is a music box.  Many of these came from my friend, Kathy.  Sorority sisters provided others.  Everyone kept their eyes open for penguins.

This Christmas Eve Hubby and I will spend together.  We have a restaurant where we will order dinner for pickup.  For the past 5 years we have had dinner with our son's family.  The virus spread in our area is so great we have been put at level 5.  We will not meet our son at a restaurant tonight.  Christmas morning we will go to their home, masked and social distance our Christmas.  We are blessed to have a warm home a larder full of food and people that love us.  We are even more blessed to have people we can give love to for no reason at all.

With that I shall end this post for now.  Maybe a year in review is due next but for now Happy Christmas!

Janice

October 24, 2020

I started this post almost 2 months ago.   Time to finish.

 No rants here today.  This is a very special day.  My sweetheart of a husband was born on September 4, 1940, 80 years ago.  Delivered by the hands of his two grandmothers. Grew up in small towns in first Missouri, then Kansas then back home to Missouri near his birthplace.  He attended a country school near his home.  One teacher and 8 grades.  Only the teacher only taught every other grade each year.  So grades 1, 3, 5, and 7 one year.  The next year was 2, 4, 6, and 8.  He attended 4 years of high school in the nearby town of Aurora.  Over the 54 years since I first met that handsome guy I have become convinced he is like a cat with nine lives.

5  year old Hubby with paternal grandparents and baby brother.

During a fund raising project for that old Liberty grade school he and some other kids were walking to different houses selling pie supper tickets.  The money would be used to buy recess play equipment.  Kids being kids, Hubby jumped into a ditch. His right wrist landed on a broken jar.  The glass sliced his wrist cutting the vein.  One of the other boys grabbed Hubby's wrist using his hands as a tourniquet.  The two kids, each about 9 years old, stood in mild panic.  From out of no where a taxi came down the street.  At first the driver did not want the bloody boys in his cab.  One look by the cabbie and the boys were loaded into the cab.  Hurried to a near by doctor and sewn back together sans pain killer.  The doctor did it at his desk with Hubby's arm draped across the pull out that old desks always had. There is still a scar that is attached to tendons, ligaments or muscle.  When Hubby attempts to straighten his fingers, the next to the little finger will not fully extend.  And the scar area is pulled into the wrist area.  One lady fainted right out on the floor when Hubby showed her.  It may not be pretty but it closed the wound.  That Garrout boy. a cabbie and old Doc. basically saved Hubby's life.   Life # 1.

Freshman year Hubby had a sore throat. His mom treated him with kerosene mixed in sugar. She thought it was just a minor sore throat.  Doctor visits were for serious issues.  Hubby reached a point he could not climb the stairs of the school.  His mom decided it was time to call the doctor no matter the expense.  Hubby's sore throat was in fact strep throat that had turned into rheumatic fever.   The doctor came to the house for around three weeks to treat Hubby.   There was no heart or other damage from the condition.  Life #2

Hubby joined the Army the year he graduated high school.  Part of the training was crawling through the 'combat zone' with live bullets flying over head.  It was frightening.  One of the other trainees could not remain on the ground.  He stood up and was killed.  Hubby finished the course on his belly.  Life #3.

Coming home from work one night we turned onto an overpass.  There was a thin sheet of black ice on the road.  Hubby was driving.  An approaching auto came on the bridge and lost control.  It went into a fishtailing skid.  He stopped and the approaching auto swerved back about 4 feet from the front of our car.  Pretty sure that was #4 for him.  Not sure about what number it was for me or the other driver.

Celebrating his life following the clot, 2007.

Number 5 was the blood clot in 2007.  If you want to read about it click here.  Number 6 came in 2012.  Another blood clot following knee replacement.  Number 7 was when Hubby took a tumble on his bike.  A helmet protected his head but the left knee took the impact.  Due to blood thinners to avoid clots a huge hematoma formed in the leg.  The leg was already showing signs of necrosis by the time the emergency surgery were performed just hours after the fall.  Maybe that is only 6.5.

No matter how many lives Hubby has used we still celebrated his 80th for several days!  Here he is with his cake shaped like his favorite hobby, an amateur radio.  That is our DIL and our son's arm.  Why did I not get a photo of the whole bunch!  Because we were so amazed by that cake.

Yes, more stuff has happened since this and this may be why I just was not prepared to write.  Older Sister #1 continued to not improve after having a stent placed in her heart.  Around the 13th of October she became so ill with fever, chills and bowel issues she was sent to the ER.  Initially showing severe anemia to the point she was admitted to be given transfusions.  Doctors followed with testing from literally head to almost her toes.  Colon cancer was the result.  October 19 she was in surgery for 7 hours.  7 specialists in succession worked on the urethra, removing the uterus, removing a portion of the colon, lymph nodes.  Today the pathology came back to show no cancer present in any points beyond the colon and other treated areas.  Today, October 24, she was released to go home.  Pretty darn good for an 84 year old.  Guess Hubby is not the only one in the family with several lives!

Y'all all take care and stay safe out there!  I owe some photos of the sister time back in August.  I hope to get that done at some point.

Peace,

Janice

August 30, 2020

 Right now, on this day, people are just too screwed up for anything to work.  Why would anyone say it is ok for a 17 year old who is not old enough to vote to go to another state with a rifle to protect property.  It is not his job.  His job is to be in school as a student and graduate.  If the police in a city cannot get things in control on their own then the police should reach out to the county or/and governor for assistance.  No sent out a call for anyone with a gun.  A well regulated militia is not 17 year old kids with a bunch of other untrained individuals.  That right to own a gun is not covered by the second amendment.

As for the protesters.  Get a permit.  Do the protests in the time limits then go home.  Anything else is just assisting the Idiot far right re elect notably the absolute worst president in my life time.  Trump is nothing but a con artist with rich friends.  Trump proved to be too fu#&ing crooked for any US bank to even deal with him after a certain point.  That a known fact in the banking circles of New York City.  My family friend, Ruth Pittman, worked in the financial circles of New York City for decades.  That is the source of the information.

Rules and regulations within a nation are not some sort of Deep State conspiracy.  I can just hear people saying, "but it goes too far, Janice."  Hmmm let me think.  Of course people will all be honest and do what is best for the protection of the environment, NOT.  People will save money by dumping chemicals because $$$ is god in this nation.  Yes, I am on a rant and it is my blog on which to rant.  Circuit board builders polluted the ground so badly in the Springfield, MO, area that the cave systems are becoming polluted 40+ years later.

The President chose not to use the power he had to force companies to make the PPE items needed. He just knew the manufactured would do it voluntarily.  Nope.  Maybe one or two but insufficient to actually have an impact.  While many people are good at the center we all become distracted with the temptations of life.  Money, success, our own egos needing to be right all the time.  Before we realize it we have left behind the basic goodness within ourselves.  

With the goodness removed we start not caring about anyone beyond like minded people.  We start humans start losing that which sets apart from a hungry bull or rogue tiger.  We start thinking that stuff is more important than people.  We forget the ten rules set out for humans:

In no way do the looters get off any better than the murderers.  As for racism and you who read this that say you are not racist I ask one question.  How do you feel when you encounter a group of black or Hispanic boys or men?  How does that compare to how you feet when you encounter a group of white boys or men?  I have to admit there is a difference for me.  I work at being antiracist but it is a hard habit to break.  But break, I must.  And so must law enforcement.

Things are just messed up and I am worn down by people thinking guns are gonna solve the problem.  That 17 year old is a murdered.  Protesters tried to stop him after he shot the first person.  The protesters giving chase were no different that the man that gave chase to the church shooter in Texas.  The only difference was the protesters had skate boards and their hands.  The 17 year old murderer was armed to kill to protect property, stuff.  No stuff is worth killing to keep.

Janice  

August 17, 2020

 It is funny how sayings get started.  One of Daddy's sayings was said as one word,  Quityourbellyakin".  "Quit your belly aching" I guess came from someone groaning and crying in pain.   Daddy talked of rat killings and goat ropings when talking about parties.  One day I asked what on earth was a rat killing.  He explained that the corn cribs in the farmers barnyards would be full of corn for the farm animals.  The rats would infest the irresistible food supply.  In order to protect the food supply neighbors would gather with their dogs.  The sides of the corn cribs would be removed.  Rats would run in all directions with dogs in pursuit.  The men would move to a different farm and repeat the process.  Often the women would gather at one of the farms.  There would be food for the workers and the women and children.  In rural areas it became almost a sort of party, hence, a rat killing.  

Goat roping were similar to the rat killing.  Neighbors folks gathering helping to catch goats.  Daddy said Uncle Clay brought that expression back from his time in Europe during WWII.  Goat ropings were not part of the rural life in North Texas.  That may have changed now as goats are seen frequently in uncultivated fields or pastures.  I suppose the closest event to these two activities would be the Amish barn-raising gathering.  Men and boys work to build a barn.  Women and girls work to provide needed food and water.

The where sayings start train of thought came about from an email from a cousin this AM.  I had seen the email several times in the past.  Many of the sayings harken back to hard times and living conditions.  Sayings like peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.  My Sis #2 cringes if we leave food out of proper refrigeration any longer than is required.  Sis #2 was the cafeteria manager for a large elementary school.  Proper food prep and storage was her profession.

All this talk of sayings leads me to wonder something.  Will there be some sort of sayings to come out of the Covid 19 pandemic?  Sis #1 calls it pandamnit.  It may take a while for the sayings to appear frequently enough to become common usage.  Or maybe words will take on different meanings or usage.  40 years ago 'text' were words in print.  Now 'text' is a verb.  Mail was paper notifications like letters and magazines.  Electronic mail became shortened to email.  Fewer letters and magazines.  I read the newspaper from an email just today.

If you would like to share some sayings from your part of the world that could be fun to read.  I need to get the pillows off the patio.  Hear tell we are about to get a gully washer.

Ya'll all take care.

Janice

L to r, Granny C, 76, Grandma R, 72, Sister #1, 23, Aunt Billie, ?

Not sure if this photo from 1959 is a goat roping, rat killing or a barn raising.  Could be Sunday dinner.

August 16, 2020

There is a rather indelicate expression here in Texas to describe how dry it is.  We are dryer than a popcorn fart down here.  Except for a spot or two in the county there has been less than .5 inch (1.27 cm) of rain since early June.   With about 40 days of 100 + F, 37.7 C, temperatures so far this season the earth is baked.  Checking past stats this is no where near the hottest nor driest year so far.  2020 is standing at spot 22 right now.  There have been 15 days straight at 100+.  Longest on record is  42 days straight in 1980 with 40 in 2011.  As the article noted, there is still plenty of summer left to change this.  Forecasts show there will be fewer days with triple digit temperatures.  I am good with that, no need for a record setting year so far as I am concerned.

This time of year the crepe myrtle trees/shrubs are usually covered in blossoms.  This morning as I was walking, I noticed the crepe myrtles in the road median were almost brown.  Certainly no blooms.  With that sort of situation I am not inspired to get out to take photos of dead grass.  I walked across the parking lot and noticed the hair on my arms were sort of crinkled.  My mind thought, dang it is so hot the hair on my arms are singed.  That might be a bit of an exaggeration.  

An update on the chrysalis we had brought into the house.  We apparently killed it.  It never opened up.  We sat the rock table back on the patio.  The chrysalis disappeared in a few days.  The bunnies were showing up looking for something to nibble.  We failed to put lettuce out a couple of days and now I have not seen one for several days.  Of course with the new room arrangement I cannot see the floor of the patio.  The bunny could be there and I would never know it.

7/25/2020 taken through the patio door glass.

  

Oh, another thing we did with our time over the last month was DJ the granddog sitting.  Hubby was beyond diligent making certain she was doing her 'job' outdoors.  We certainly did not want another incident where Robbie the robot vacuum drags poo everywhere.  Nope, not again.  Once in a lifetime is actually one time too many for this old gal!

The reason we were keeping DJ was Son, DIL and 4 of the 5 grands were taking the oldest granddaughter back to college.  Son had rented an Airbnb on Beaver Lake in Arkansas.  They crew enjoyed time in the lake and visiting the area near where Son grew up in Missouri.  When it came time to move Granddaughter into the sorority house, only two people were able to assist carrying items into her room.  That left 3 brothers to entertain themselves for an hour or so.  No blood was drawn nor items broken.  That is always a success.

Oldest Grandson will be attending a local college virtually this year.  He is working at a local restaurant so he did not get to go on the Arkansas trip.  On the nights we took the dog to the house to let her run and play, Oldest sat and visited with us.  Grown grandkids are pretty fun, too.  Conversations about customers to politics to the latest playlist.  

Not much else to tell.  Will leave you with a photo of our living area with the rearranged area.  Hubby likes my chair located close enough for him to reach over and touch me.  This arrangement accomplished that.  He is a happy camper now.  Amateur radio stuff on the right of his chair, remotes and my chair on the left. Everything withing reach.  Now to make him get up and get moving for exercise!

Ya'll all stay safe and healthy!

Janice

August 15, 2020

My goodness.  Over a month since I have taken time to post on this blog.  I have submitted photos to some memes.  Otherwise I am not sure what I have been doing.  I did finish a collage shadow box covering the three trips we did last summer.  The last few days have been about incorporating two three additional photos into our living area.  These photos are memories of trips and loved ones.  

One photo is from around 1918 - 1920.  It is my late MIL and her younger brother.  The frame needed to be cleaned and sort of refurbished.  I took the photo from the frame.  Mom had used the folder to put behind the photo.  The photo did not fill out the frame.  I cut the embossed edges of the folder and used those along the long edges of the photo to "fill out" the frame.  Lots of cleaning to the photo and frame.  Silver rub and buff brought the frame back to a brighter and certainly cleaner. 

Before

After

Picture number two had been stored in the closet with other photos since the move.  The signed print was given to us by a waitress at the Delta Hotel in Canada.  We had told her the story of Hubby's near death experience the year before.  How the doctor that pretty much saved his life encouraged us to continue to travel.  The waitress teared up and walked away.  She returned with this numbered print of Lake Louise with the artist's signature on the matting.  She felt she was supposed to give it to us as she was so touched by the account of Hubby's miracle.  The frame was reclaimed from my items from my Mother's belongings.  We had given her the frame with photos of our two year old son in it.  His photos were faded and the frame was the perfect size, so repurpose!  Rub and buff to the rescue.

From '70's avacado green

Silver rub and buff

Sorry for the blurry photos.  Too lazy to get out the good camera.  Another photo grouping was taking Hubby's treasured photo of his Uncle Trecil's mules, one that was born the same year.  Uncle had written on the back so those words were special.  There was, also, the photo of Uncle Trecil with just Jude, a red mule.  I used the same photo frame that Uncle Trecil had given to Hubby sometime in the early 1980's.  This is how the three worked together with a bit of photoshop work for the matting and bottom photos.  I cut the center out so the pair of mules were visible.

Now we can enjoy these three treasures from the comfort of our easy chairs.

Last year I ordered this photo made into a wrapped canvas.  It is the hills of Wyoming just outside of Laramie.  The area is called The Buttes.  We were heading south on 287 and sunset was approaching.

60 miles an hour on 287.

In addition during the week before I had designed and assembled a collage of photos from our three trips last year.  After assembly I had to redo three different times.  Things kept falling down.  This was my first three dimensional collage.  Anyway I finally was able to hang it and leave it in place.  Thumb tacks did the trick.  And lots of tape.  Lots of hidden tape.  But it is all in place.  As I was brightening the photo I noticed that the "congrats" has fallen.  I am not going to work on it tonight.  I really am sort of done with pictures for awhile.  

In addition I have been catching up on cleaning.  We have a small place but I just could not do the cleaning for almost three quarters a year.  Now I am being able to slowly catch up on just regular housekeeping.  Plus a bit of freshening up like a new bedspread and rearranging the living area.  Cleaning, sorting, and clearing out more unnecessary items.  Like a full size ironing board.  

 

We are staying healthy.  Next week we will be spending a few days with my sisters.  Each of us sisters have been staying closer to home than even before so we further reduce risks.  The sister time has a theme this time.  Even a not too formal invitation.

Yes, we will be dressing in costumes or at least something that represents that country!  Should be fun and have many more fun things to write about afterwards.  Photos will be forthcoming.  Husbands will be dressing, also.  Hope to put a few smiles on some stale faces.

Everyone take care out there.  Stay healthy.

Janice

July 13, 2020

Here are a few of the things we have done since July 4.

• The cover for our clothing in the closet project is finished.
• That includes getting everything put in a proper place
• Items we chose to part with have been delivered to Goodwill
• Time spent reading.
• Time spent mending and altering a couple of grandsons' shirts.
• Time spent on Marco Polo.
• Talking to my 3 sisters.
• Talking to my cousin who has joined in with us 4 sisters.  We long ago adopted this guy as our brother.  He is our aunt's oldest son.
• Rescuing Robbie the Robot Vacuum from various places.
• They go under the sofa without the skirt being raised but are afraid to come out with the skirt down.  Silly them
• Grabbed by the throw rug and Robbie retaliates by chewing on the rug.
• Caught in places too narrow or low for them.
• Between the wheels of the vintage record player stand.
• Between the legs of the metal stool.
• Between the legs of the hutch.
• Beneath the wooden skirt of the hutch.
• Between the footstool and leg of my chair.
• Sitting on the patio.
• Watching the chrysalis for a butterfly to emerge
• Discovering we miss the butterfly emerging.
• Watching the second caterpillar grow.
• "Lost" it.
• Found it. 
• Took photos of it.
• Lost again.
• Found it turned into a chrysalis hanging on the "rock collection" table.
• Moved table to inside apartment so we do not miss the emergence, we hope.
• Watching the volunteer plant/vine grow.
• Repeatedly examining the blossoms to determine what it is.
• Determined it is either cantaloupe, watermelon, cucumber or zucchini.
• May never know as bugs are attacking the vine.
• Taking pictures of the vine and its flowers.
• Feeding the birds.
• Sure there is food in the summer but we enjoy the visitors.
• Taking more pictures of birds.
• Playing with Hubby's weather station he was given on Father's Day.
• More like adjusting the location of the bamboo pole to which it is attached.
• Watching the wind turbine turn.
• Taking photos and making short movies.
• Noting the weather is too d@$n hot.
• 101.4 F, 38.5 C in the shade on our patio.
• Downtown airport recorded 108 F, 42.2 C.
• Cooking again without getting short of breath!
• Eating regular meals instead of full liquid diet.
• Still adjusting to bite size and lots and lots of chewing.
• Health care visits.
• Hubby going to rehab for the torn rotator cuff.
• Mammogram for me.
• Gastro and eye doctor visits for me this week
• Watching movies using the HBO Max streaming feature included with the upgraded internet.
• Spent about 15 hours on and off trying to connect the service to our Smart TV.
• Determined that TV needed to be a bit smarter.
• Or maybe the operators need to be a bit smarter.
• Stopped trying to connect TV and stress level went down 100 points.
• Use HDMI connection to my computer.
• Worked without a hitch.
• Could not shop while connected.
• Oh, and have we done some online shopping.
• New wire cutters for Hubby.
• Callus removal tool so I do not have to go to podiatrist to have them removed.
• New worm farm setup.
• Picture frame picture holder thingies.  
• Nose cushions for eyeglasses.
• Buttons for grandson's shirt.
• Groceries.  Cause I can eat real food now.
• Pizza and Cheese filled bread.  Real food eaten with small bites and slowly.
• New hand towels to replace the ones bought in 1984.  Really.
• Bath and Body Works 
• Shower Gel
• Body Cream
• Home fragrance Wallflower refills
• Bed, Bath and Beyond.
• Bed risers to raise the head of the bed.
• New drinking glasses cause ours are cracked.
• Replacement bottle brush cause ours is from when our 47 year old son was a baby.
• Replacement sink caddy cause ours keeps falling off, so irritating.
• Still shopping for love seat recliners.
• Several important gadgets for Hubby's radio hobby. 

As I look at the online shopping I figure part of the purchases are attempts to remove some irritations in our lives.  Eyeglasses digging into the side on my nose.  Hand towels that have had the edges resewn multiple times.  Those little projects that need just one thing to finish.  You see, one other thing happened since July 4.  Our son's family visited a close friend that withing days tested positive for Covid-19.  Now most of Son's family have been tested and are all negative.  Also, the friend's family members have tested negative.  I cannot eliminate the virus but I can finish framing that picture the lady gave us in 2008.  Yes, do what I can and let the rest take care of itself.  

Here are a few of the photos I made of things on the patio.  Enjoy and do stay safe and healthy.  Janice

Shappy 100 Pieces Frame Picture Turn Button and 100 Pieces Screws for Hanging Pictures, Black

July 4, 2020

Today is a pretty big day for the USA.  Folks will congregate to celebrate the day the founding fathers declared independence.  We will not be getting out among the folks.  Here are a few photos from a few years ago.  Everyone stay safe and healthy.  We are surely trying to do that as the numbers continue to rise here in Texas.  Now that the cows are out, so to speak, the governor has made it mandatory with a penality of fines to wear a mask in public.

We had curbside pickup for some articles for the closet project.  That worked smooth as could be.  Had curbside pickup for an order of groceries.  The grocery pickup was easy, too.  Have some barbecue brisket for our dinner and watermelon.  And that is how we are celebrating Independence Day.

Stay safe, stay healthy and be happy!

Janice

July 1, 2020

Been a bit busy over the last few days.  Where do I start or maybe pick back up on my not so exciting life.  Lucy was great company.  She even helped me check up on the chrysalis and caterpillar.  

We had chosen to upgrade our internet to fiber network since the apartment with AT&T had upgraded a couple of years ago.  What was supposed to be just a two hour install turned into a 6 day endurance test for three different techs.  The access point is in our closet.  That meant we had everything off of one shelf piled in our bedroom on a cart for the entire 6 days.

The final install was on Saturday.  Lucy was not happy with the unknown person being in our apartment. She actually growled and barked.  The tech was there more than three hours.  As the tech said, "I've never seen this type of problem before."  Of course not, you are in the Adcock Zone.  We get rain on our vacations and weird things happen.  Anyway Tech was there long enough to make friends with Lucy.  He, also, wanted to see the caterpillar and chrysalis. 

At some point Hubby and I managed to get the cart unloaded onto the shelves, again.  Moved a few items to different locations and all was back in order.  

Seems events, order of events and exactly when something happened is getting fuzzy.  Is it each day being so much like the last?  Or maybe it is events sort of piling up on top of each other.  When ever it was all the boxes, suitcases, tubs of clothing were back on the shelves.  Project complete.

Lucy's dad was to pick her up on Sunday.  His car would not start so we took Lucy home.  

On Monday I had a followup appointment with the ENT.  I arrived and I was a day early.  Seems I had mistaken my husband's PT appointment for mine.  I called Hubby on the way home to ask if his appointment could be the 10 AM appointment.  No, not till one was the answer but he called to make sure.  The appointment was at 10 AM.  

I returned home, and changed into a more comfortable outfit for the day.  Hubby was still at his appointment and running a couple of errands.  We were not due to go to Son's house for pet care till evening.  I had just settled in with my computer when I heard a noise.  Something had fallen.  I checked the utility room.  All good.  Then I went to the closet.  I could hardly get the door open  The rearrangement had caused an entire shelf to pull out of the wall.  90 % of our clothing, tubs of pictures and clothing, extra bedding were all in a heap on the floor. No helpful cart as Hubby had it with him on his errands.   I spent the next hour moving the all the stuff off the floor and out of the closet.  Most of the stuff is piled about 3 feet deep in an area behind my chair in the living area.  Maintenance request was sent to the office.  I sat down again. 

Monday night we brought DJ to our apartment to spend the night.  I had an appointment with the ENT doctor on Tuesday, really I did.  Of course my calendar said 11:15.  The reminder text had 10:15 so would need to call to confirm the time.  Hubby, DJ and I settled into our bed for the night.  DJ seemed a bit anxious about something.  She roamed for a few minutes then came to bed and really settled in for the night.  

As per usual at 6 AM Robbie announced their intent to "start smart vacuuming".  DJ promptly awoke and began growling and barking.  She finally calmed down and we both just laid in bed while Robbie cleaned the bedroom and bathroom floors.  Back to the the living area to do the that area.  Before long I thought I smelled my bad breath.  Or maybe DJ had passed gas.  Oh, no.  I smelled dog poop.  Yes, DJ had tried to tell me earlier that she needed to go out.  Now Robbie had found how she took care of the problem.  

I stopped Robbie in his tracks before the cream colored carpet in the bedroom became a poopy mess.  Only a small area had poo.  The living area was a bit different.  And poor Robbie was a total disaster.  First I cleaned the concrete floor in the living area.  I managed to not even gag as I cleaned the 2.5 meter smear of poo.  That done I moved to cleaning Robbie.  That took almost 2 hours.  Oh, what a mess.  Just as I finished Robbie and was beginning one more mopping of the living area with a clean mop cover, Hubby awoke.  He offered to mop.  I let him with I worked on the area of carpet where Robbie had wiped their wheels and brushes.

Thank the cleaning industry for Pine-Sol, Oxiclean and Clorox spray.  It took over 2 hours to get everything cleaned but I managed to get it done.  We opened the doors to add additional air movement out of our apartment.   No time to sit down as there was the now confirmed 10:15 AM appointment.  Shower, dress and head out to the doctor leaving Hubby to enjoy the smells of the 'incident' and the cleaning products. 

And by the way I do not recommend a poop morning as a good way to start any day.  Most especially your wedding anniversary.  However, Hubby noted to Son and DIL that we like to have memorable anniversary days.  One year we were in Williamsburg, VA.  On our 40th we visited the hospital where Hubby had been so critically ill.  We went to thank the folks that had worked so hard to save Hubby's life.  2008 we were at the end of our trip into Canada and the US Rockies.  In 2017 we were in France cruising the river ways.  Last year we were in Charleston, South Carolina.  This 53 anniversary will certainly be one for the books even though it was a staycation year. 

As for the shelf that broke loose from the wall, that has been repaired on Monday.  Not a single anchor of the shelf had been in a stud.  Every anchor was just attached to drywall.  No wonder it pulled lose and fell.  The clothing is still in the living room on Wednesday night.  Thankfully none of the poo mess made it to the clothing.  See there are bright spots even in the worst of times.  The clothing may get hung up on Friday cause there is more sheet rock dust to clean off surfaces.  I am only good to get about one thing done each day.   And Thursday will be the last of the DJ, Lyla and Norman care days.  

Oh, yes.  Hubby went to his Wednesday PT appointment at 10 as noted on the calendar.  The appointment was really at 1:00.  Next week has only one medical related appointment.  It is mammogram time.  The following week will be another challenge to keep things straight.  A PT and doctor visits for Hubby.  Two doctor visits for me.  My visits are followup to the surgery and/or visits I postponed until after the surgery recovery was well on its way.  Stay tuned for the next few weeks of the boring life of Jan and Hubby.

Be safe and stay healthy,

Janice