Lets hear it for Thursday

[BirdbyBird]

Just propping the door open here for anyone else to come in. I am off to run my last day before I leave errands. Jane's grooming is done for now and is all ready except her bath. Lark and Audrey have reluctantly agreed to stay here. I heard Audrey mumble something about, if she still had that big MH I bet she would take us.....but not camping this time girls. It was fun to watch Jane trot over to sniff and check out the small pile of equipment I had made next to the door waiting to be taken out on the next trip to the van. She knows something is different but isn't quite sure what that might be.

Enjoy your beverage of choice and your day. Rainy and damp here in SW Ohio, but not hot.

[Cudedog]

Enjoy your beverage of choice and your day. Rainy and damp here in SW Ohio, but not hot.

Coffee for me, this morning, thanks!

Good luck at the shows!

Definitely LIKE the sound of your weather. Rainy and damp here in northern California it is most definitely not. All-time record high temperatures are predicted here starting tomorrow (Friday), continuing through the weekend, likely well into next week, and beyond.

"Heat ‘rarely ever seen’ is forecast to roast West by the weekend, with wildfires still burning.":
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/09/02/california-heat-wave-wildfires/

Gah.

Anne

[snowball]

Actually made it to mom's not doing a lot here though right now it's Diagnosis Murder Perry Mason when we first got here. watered plants wish I'd thought when I planted her deck pots to keep the soil here and repot some of her indoor plants some are so big that repoting them is a problem... not sure how to do it to replace some of the old soil with some new... something I've been pondering for a couple of years see how focused on it I am wait long enough I won't need to do it... but considering the lack of care they get they are actually looking good...
going to go to SLC this weekend to help DD out with her kids so they can do some work in the garage without having to worry about them...
I want to vacuum the floors dd is working but she said that I could vacuum once she was off a scheduled call don't hear her talking now so perhaps after the show ends... or after lunch.. was going to take us all out and try these lobster rolls but don't want to rush it dd will be working till we leave so she can make her appointment at 2 so lobster rolls next time...
when I get home will water plants so I can leave tomorrow
you all take care
sheila

[MandysMom]

Good morning everyone! I start my day with a big glass of water, so leaving the coffe for those who like it. Sun is shining, starting its roll to near 100. Very dry here, as is rest of California. Not a lot of plans today, just staying in out of heat and lingering smoke, which, thankfully is lighter than it was.
Dreaming of a trip, hopefully next year, in my van driving to see the grand kids then my sister in law. Hope our world gets better so I can do that.
My grandchildren are grounded, from phone, so I don't even have their video antics to entertain me. Guess I'll have to continue going through the junk, not nearly as entertaining as my granddaughters trips around their property. I did find a cute stationary set on Amazon, which I ordered. It's cardstock printed to color along with envelope you fold to put the card in. I colored a bit over half the first one and challenged her to finish it and will mail that today. Her Daddy, my son, said she loves to read letters and write back, so maybe this will become a thing, I hope so. I haven't hand written letters in years. I used to be such a good letter writer, just got out of the habit.
Saw a facebook discussion today on planning what to do in your RV if stopped by a protest! Scary we even have to think about that.
Have a good day all.
Velda

[cnq50b]

Hi all,

Well, I had both kids yesterday & experienced more of Olivia's distance learning. I must be out of touch - her kindergarten class is being taught the difference between fiction & non-fiction, the role of authors vs illustrators & nouns vs. verbs. With Olivia's pre-K cut short last year, she's still working on the sounds of the alphabet! They review the alphabet once a day, but expect kids to 'read' sight words already & have started basic math functions. I thought kindergarten was learning how to pay attention, play with other kids & learn the basics of phonetics & numbers. Olivia does fine with understanding the extras, but still struggles with some of her letter sounds. Wish they focused more on the basics - hope it all works out ok.

Needless to say, I was exhausted by the end of the day - she had 14 assignments outside of her class time! We didn't get all of them done but her folks told me to just do what we could do. They know the struggle all too well - especially when dealing with the baby too.

Back to having Jordi by himself today & feel like I'm on vacation.

Anne, I wish we could get some of that rain too... Hope you & all of us in CA survive the heat wave headed our way.
Sheila, lobster rolls sound delicious - hope you do get some next time.
BJ, I need to get better at scrolling past postings that just make me mad or anxious too. Should probably just not spend so much time on the computer...
Beth, hope the water issue is a simple fix.

I, too, enjoy reading about what everyone is up to - stay cool & safe out there.
Take care,
Catherine

[Acadianmom]

I picked up my motorhome yesterday. I decided to try to mow but the mower wasn't running right. I started looking at it and some grass on the deck had gotten wet and dried. I'm lucky I didn't break a belt before I found it. Then it wouldn't start again so opened it up and started messing in there. I don't know what I did but it started. It backfired a couple of times and then ran ok. I still have half the barn lot to mow.

I feel like Sylvester Green. He was a neighbor of my grandmother that wore rubber boots year round. I have been wearing my rubber boot to keep from getting all my shoes wet and keep the ants from bitting me. The ants are on everything. I have just about won the ant battle in the house. I wish the mosquito spray truck would come around. I saw the parish truck checking the trap they have at the neighbors. I feel sorry for the horse across the road. I went out to put something in the trash after dark and the mosquitoes covered me.

I spent my hour cleaning this morning and am cooling off. It's only 93 but the heat index in over 100. Hauled the bin for the cat food back to the barn.

I made the pineapple cake yesterday. It is sure good. I think I will have to bring one to the next campout. I have one coming up in 3 weeks. The local state park is probably still closed. Water is off the main road but I still see a lot of water on side roads. The road to the park is through a swamp.

Sheila, I don't know how you would add new dirt to a plant. I dump worm dirt on my ficus tree when I finish a container. It probably needs to be repotted but if it gets any bigger I wouldn't be able to move it.

Velda, if your granddaughter writes you letters don't correct them and send them back. I had an aunt that would do that to me.

We are having protests in Lafayette now. A black guy with a knife was shot by the police. He was headed into a convince store. If he had gone in there and killed a customer or employee where would the protests be? If the police tell you to stop, STOP. Almost all the shooting have been because the guy wouldn't comply with the police orders.

Catherine, I think I missed out on learning phonetics in first grade. Back then we didn't have kindergarten. I remember having a workbook in third grade for phonetics. I guess that was the version of special education. I still can't spell some words to even get close enough to find them in the dictionary. lol I still laugh about what my son said about kindergarten. He said all they do is cut and color and he didn't like to color.

I finally called AT&T to report my house phone being out. I use to get so mad at them I have been putting off calling them. I was shocked, The recording could understand me and I had a 2 minute wait to talk to someone.

Martha

[Shirlv]

Yea! Thursday. A mystery, have a large balcony container that had two large parsley plants and a large chive plant. Went out this morning and it looked like someone had cut the two parsley plants off. I’m on the second floor. Could wind have shirred sp?. off the plants, roots were still there as was the chive. Going to garden center for some cold weather plants. I like stuffed cabbage rolls but don’t like the work, handling large pot of boiling water etc. I put cabbage roll casserole in the slow cooker. Tastes the same but not as pretty. My pantry is well stocked and I like trying to find easy ways to fix traditional time consuming meals. Not too much I can do with the high humidity, pandemic and lousy news so cooking fills the day. Yesterday was another disappointing doctor visit. I’m still trying to find a doctor who says I have the body of a 40 year old Forty was such a good age. Be safe

[OregonLuvr]

Another hot one here for southern Oregon...........and more hot days to follow. I am rooting for FALL. Worked out in the garden some this morning, pulled out one of my tomato plants and dead headed my geraniums and carnation plant. Visited with a couple of neighbors walking by. Came in and now I am vacuuming (think Roomba). Having salmon and seafood salad for dinner tonight that should finish up both of them Just a green salad for lunch. Weighed myself and I have now lost 10#s Working on another 10. Sure is slow tho. I am not really dieting just making better choices, no snacking unless it is fruit or veggie, and watching my portions. I am not someone who enjoys those diet shakes of any kind. I guess I just like to chew something ha ha

Good luck at the dog show Tina. Martha you are making me tired today LOL Well I see Roomba is back in her dock so now will Swiffer my kitchen and family area.....then D O N E.

[monik7]

Shirl, maybe you should look around for some kind of critter eating your plant. I love Lobelia for their pretty dark blue flowers and had a couple on my front deck. Something ate both all the way down to the soil and didn’t touch anything else.
Sandi

[Shirlv]

Sandi, it would have to be a flying critter, I’m on the second floor. Bats. Ick

[JudyJB]

Catherine, you have hit on one of my pet peeves--kindergarten as preparation for college! Yes, parents are so afraid that their toddlers will not make it into a good college that they teach reading, writing, and even math in kindergarten! They have forgotten that small children need to play, and learn to sit still, listen, and love learning! I remember singing, dancing, and just playing in kindergarten. And then we went outside to play and took naps when we came in. Now, most kindergartens are all day so both parents can work.

Had to get up early (for me) for a teleconference and have spent the last few hours getting my class ready for opening. Am going to get my bike out and go for a ride right now.

[Cudedog]

I like stuffed cabbage rolls but don’t like the work, handling large pot of boiling water etc. I put cabbage roll casserole in the slow cooker. Tastes the same but not as pretty.

Cabbage rolls?! Oh my. I haven't had cabbage rolls in at least 25 years. They sure do sound good! There used to be a small restaurant (maybe it was just one of those mall take-out places, I don't remember) in a Sacramento mall I used to go to when I wanted to do major shopping.

I would always stop there for cabbage rolls and (at another place) caramel corn. Dang. I can taste those cabbage rolls now.

Would you please post the recipe?

Thanks!

Anne

[Cudedog]

Sandi, it would have to be a flying critter, I’m on the second floor. Bats. Ick

Um. . . could be rats or squirrels. Both are excellent climbers.

Anne

[monik7]

Sandi, it would have to be a flying critter, I’m on the second floor. Bats. Ick

Um. . . could be rats or squirrels. Both are excellent climbers.

Anne[/quote…]

In fact, Anne, a squirrel was the first culprit I suspected. Never was able to confirm that though there had been one hanging around at the time of the “crime.”
Sandi

[BirdbyBird]

Martha, about the phonics issue. I had an educator explain it to me (I think it may have been early on as in the woman that owned the riding academy that I stayed and worked with through Jr. High and High School) We of a certain age have observed many changing educational philosophies. Don't get me started on what constituted research for educational theories as compared to the hard sciences.... Any way there was a brief blimp in time during the 50's that phonic were not routinely taught. I was also one who did not have a foundation in phonics and have been a very challenged "speller" most of my life as a result. I had a composition teacher in high school who told me is was not a crime to not be able to spell but it was a crime not to look things up in a dictionary when ever possible. He like me.

Along that passing theories of education line, I watch when the push was for the benefit of "middle" schools soon to be followed by those that said showed the importance of learning leadership and being role models for those upper 7th and 8th graders that remained in the same setting with younger elementary students.

I may have shared this story already but the woman who had grown up on the farm and as a widow now ran the riding academy on her own told her story....She started teaching 1st grade when she was 19 or 20. When I got to know her she was in her late 50s. She spoke specifically of teaching math. She had by that time seen so many curriculum changes come through the schools that she would start out the year teaching according to the current state standard but any child that failed to grasp those concept got taught math her way...... And believe me she could have made a fortune if she had copyrighted her stories and songs for teaching letter recognition and sounds. This was all before Sesame Street. She taught 1st grade for 50 years in the same school and when she had to retire at 70, she opened up a small pre-kindergarten school in her home that she continued for years tutoring 4-8 children......