Saturday, October 19th

[Colliemom]

Good Morning. Still dark outside at 7 a.m., , but will start getting light before long. Supposed to be another sunny and mild day. Going to be glad when we hit the time change and it’s lighter earlier in the mornings. Takes half the morning for things to warm up enough to get outside now. I’m a morning person and I want to get moving. It’s currently 37°. 70 is in forecast for today. And into the next few days.

Glad about that because I have an unexpected project to do. Some of you I know have seen the pictures I posted of the “kids” and the flowerbed decorations at our sub entrance. Well, that sign, plus the roof over it and the posts supporting it are in bad shape. Not so much the sign, but the rest of the structure is. One post has rotted out underground, thus making the whole thing unstable and the shake shingles on the roof are so dry and warping, they are falling off. One of our POA board members volunteered to redo the structure and I will repaint the sign where needed, since I’ve done it twice in the past. Well, he has been so busy this summer, he hasn’t been able to get to it until yesterday. Fortunately with this spell of decent weather, something can get accomplished. Plan was kind of originally to shore up the roof and take the posts out from underneath it and put new posts in place, but he decided to take the roof off and take it down to his house and work on it and then reassemble the whole thing when that’s done. So yesterday after a bit of a fight with one post, he was able to get the roof down on the bed of his truck and off it went. . So, since he started that project, I am going to have to work on the sign which is something I hadn’t anticipated doing anymore this year. The metal frame around it needs to be sanded and repainted as well. Want to get that done while it’s warm enough to paint it outside. I can do the sign itself in the house as that will be apart in three sections anyway. So will be working on that in between other things like leaf cleanup, which isn’t hurting right now. Once the frame is painted, that can go back up when the new posts go in. Sign can be reinstalled when I get it done. Just a matter of fitting it back in place and screwing in the bolts. All this is going to take a little while to accomplish, so hopefully mother nature will continue to cooperate for a while yet.

Pat, great to hear from you and know things are okay with you. Tina, I remember those tales about the ax murderers. I always carried a hatchet for so,itting kindling or wood, like you mentioned. We are campfire people here in MI. Good luck with Jane. Careful around Lansing, lots of road construction, closures, detours etc. Beth, sounds like things are progressing with the fridge.

Loved the conservations about the beets. I used to eat them all the time when I was a kid, but rarely do anymore now. Seems we just got away from having them at supper for some reason.

Took an hours ride over to one of the Apple Orchard places yesterday, to get some fresh Apple Cider. Saw some spectacular fall color on the way. It has just exploded tbese past few days, but won’t be around long. After this weekend, the yellows, oranges and reds will slowly fade and fall off, then the browns and russets take over. The oaks being last to drop leaves.

Well, daylight is coming in, so going to be time to get up and at em eventually. The sign and its frame are still laying out by the entrance, so want to go out there later and get the sign out of the frame and bring it back here. Unless the neighbor gets it here first. The whole thing is extremely heavy, so I think it will be more manageable once the sign is removed. Need to check and see what I have in paint in the basement. Know I will have to get sone for the frame. So busy day coming up.

[Bethers]

Sue, I'm always so impressed with everything you do, and live how you take care of your community sign. Anne, I like cilantro also, especially in salsa, like you. My fridge is getting a black frame right now and that should be the end of it's installation. But I'm sitting here watching him redo and redo and it's driving me nuts lol lj

[OregonLuvr]

Good afternoon. Been busy this morning. Sorting and organizing. I am not sure how I accumulated so much stuff in 4 years. I moved here with nothing now I have way too much stuff LOL Mostly clothes and stuff. Well since I have gained some weight I dont like the way some of them fit...but I am hoping to lose that 15 lbs then they will fit fine!!!! I dont weigh again until Monday and I have been good all week so hopefully another pound or two. I dont like to lose it too fast because then it comes back overnight. And I am not really on a diet just watching what I eat and how much. I dont feel deprived of anything so that is good. I bought some asparagus the other day so going to have some terriyaki chicken, make some rice in my new rice maker that will also steam my asparagus. So anxious to see how that works. I loved the rice the other day so this will be trying the steamer part of it

Sue I am also amazed at what you can do. I am so untalented in that area. I am going to clean my gutters tomorrow and that will take a while because living in a manufactured home you dont have the same kind of gutter as most homes do, when you have an awning. Oh well will do my best. The front is the hardest as it is on the north side and things tend to "grow" in that one. But it is also the shortest so there is an upside.
Beth so glad your fridge problem is soon to be solved. Now you can fill it with food lol
Anne I like the cilantro they put in salsa but that is about all. I dont even mind a little bit but it can quickly overpower me in other things.

Just had some lunch the rest of the Thai noodle salad. Going to make a caramel mocha and patiently wait for dinner ha ha ha

[Bethers]

Karen, a small grocery delivery yesterday in the fridge. We aren't going to talk about the amount of clothes, especially sundresses I have. And here's a pic of the fridge after being "framed".

[OregonLuvr]

That looks really awesome Beth. So glad you have some food to go in it ha ha

[Acadianmom]

Beth, your refrigerator looks nice. The guy did a good job.

I went to get a load of stuff out of my son's old trailer. Some of it is kitchen stuff and other stuff that needs to be thrown. I found a Lodge cast iron meatloaf pan. I didn't know they made those. They finally bailed hay over there. Thanks to no rain I don't need to mow yet.

I don't know that I would say that the beets taste like dirt but I didn't like them. They were pretty scrawny and came from Walmart. If I see some better looking beets I might give them another try. I don't think I have ever tasted cilantro other than if it was in something I ate. Yesterday I made some parmesan grits. When I came back through town I picked up some shrimp to make shrimp and grits tomorrow.

Martha

[JudyJB]

Martha, a long time ago when I lived in my condo and had a self-cleaning over, I also had a 100 year old frying pan that was given to my dad. It was badly crusted, but I cleaned it as best I could with oven cleaner and then put it in self-cleaning oven on cleaning cycle. It came out as wonderful bare metal. You have to really try to get most of the stuff off with oven cleaner before you try the oven, however, because it will smoke badly. I probably put oven cleaner on it and let it soak for an hour or so about 6 times before I used the oven cleaning cycle. I had to re-season it, but it was beautiful and kept its smooth surface.

Low of 40 last night and high of 62 today, but it was mostly sunny with not much wind off the ocean, so it turned out very nice. I took a short walk around the campground, but am saving a beach walk until tomorrow or later in the week. Pretty weak cell service and internet from cell here, but I am managing.

And I think the black trim against the cabinets looks fantastic!

[snowball]

we celebrated mom's b'day today... a group of women plus 2 great grandkids (mom's) and my youngest brother showed up... while on my trip I text him telling him about it saying you are welcome to come but it is a group of women... and he came... I hadn't heard a word from him so had no idea that he was going to come... we had to give them an amount of people so told them 11 niece showed up with her two dd's but not her mom who we had down so one extra there and then brother so two extra but some sat at a different table it was a nice time... enjoyed the food and the group had hopes that the dd's would come over and visit... but eldest came up to help #2 work on her house and wanted to get back to it... dd#3 drove with them... and she had plans with her son and his family tonight ... never had been at this place... it's a wildlife museum with an eatery in it... makes more since than a laundromat with a eatery in it I enjoyed the food mom ate her who sammy that is what they called it a brisket sammy think it's mainly a lunch with soups salads and sandwiches... liked what I got actually a salad that had beets in it
I like beets ...years ago we had a potluck at work and one person brought a green salad with raw beets in it ... was totally yummy
mostly that was my day came home read scriptures reheated the tenders and made coleslaw but the tenders were dry it was the last batch I made the other day and I may have over cooked them or reheating them did it... or a combo of both
I got the crocheting part of the rose done now I need to look at the video and see how to assemble it I think it's going to be a bit larger than hers she used a sport yarn for the flower and I used what I had which is not sport yarn will see when it's assembled
love the frame on the fridge Beth looks good
you do lots Sue hopefully the community recognizes it
enjoy your beach stay Judy
I have a package of grits in the cupboard need to try making it one day see if mom will like it it's just the instant kind when you make shrimp and grits how do you do it Martha?
you all have a great day
sheila