WEATHER CHANGE

My candles and my new tray. Sometimes you really find neat stuff at Thriftshops.

Another picture of my coffee table that Darrell made me. I am turning into such a shopping monster. The table is so beautiful but I just had to put something on it but did not want to cover up too much of the wood. I got three candle holders and three blue candles from Wal-Mart. I found a very nice gilded gold tray at the Goodwill that was just the right size. Then at Wal-Mart I spotted the two blue pillows I put on either end of the couch. Someday I may replace the couch. Clayton had the couch when we got married and we were married 13 years and I have no idea how long he had it before that. I am sure a long time. In the meantime, I am going to, hopefully, with some help, make a small quilt to go over the back to make it look a little better. Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day. Now today it has been raining off and on all day. It really feels cold today because the weather has been so good up to now.

Thursday Debbie and I are taking our trip. Maybe we will have some nice weather in California. I hope so. No matter what the weather, it will just be fun being with Debbie.

Last evening, my neighbor, Marge and I went to a Arbonne home party. Donna couldn't go because she had to be on the radio. It is a good thing we went because Marge and I were the only ones there.

The Arbonne company has Cosmetics, skin and body care and health products. I ordered some shower gel and some every day conditioner for my hair. The cosmetics are WAY to expensive. We had a nice time and the hostess was very nice.

VISITORS

Heather, my granddaughter, her husband, Kyle and my son, Darrell all came to visit yesterday.

This is the beautiful coffee table that Darrell made for me. He does beautiful work. The wood is so beautiful too.

The old TV has now become an end table. I have a blue tablecloth on it and my "Little House" collector books which I got last year when Donna and I were in the midwest.

We had a very nice visit and the weather was great. I took everyone to the 101 Cafe for lunch. Kyle has never been on the Penisula before and he could hardly stop watching the view from our deck. Heather and Kyle want to come again sometime and go to Victoria.

ANOTHER INTERESTING DAY

My Snake plant if really growing. My new Entertainment center. It is really part of the bedroom collection but I love it. My Tivo and my DVD player are right under the TV. Holes were already there for connections. I love drawers to keep things in.

Laif working on the plumbing problem.

The old TV set-up. When I moved here we didn't have to move anything away from the wall, we just put my TV right on top of the old one so no one knew about the leak. Laif is glad I bought it so the leak was discovered.Friday was another interesting day----I have been wanting a new cabinet for my TV for sometime now. I have been shopping off and on for one. Laif brought the truck home this weekend so Donna said it would be a good time to get one. I bought it from Costco and it is an Entertaiment Dresser. Costco was having a closeout on this particular style and there was only one left so I bought it Thursday night.

Friday morning Laif and Donna went to put the new entertaiment center in for me. They pulled out the old TV and low and behold a copper pipe was leaking behind the old TV and stand they had there. (Donna says I have to quit buying things because they always find something wrong with the house.) Last time it was the gas leak.

As it turns out, Laif was glad I bought it because apparently it has been leaking since last winter when they didn't take the hose off their sprinkler control and it froze. The only reason the basement didn't have any water in it except in the corner where the old TV was is because the basement slopes and the water was running into the gravel outside. Donna said she always wondered why that part of the gravel was wet.

Since the floor is cement and the carpet in that corner was just in sections, it was easy to remove that part of the carpet and padding and dry it out. It was good, however, that Laif had not put any sheetrock on that part of the wall because the wood behind it and the insulation were wet and there was already mold.

Now on to another problem---I am going to have to have Cataract Surgery for my right eye on Sept. 13th and my left eye on September 27th. Dr. Niemeyer here in Sequim at the Northwest Eye Surgery is doing it. Everyone I have spoken to about hilm says he is wonderful and real caring. I have even talked to patients of his.

So yesterday was my evaluation and I finally got to meet Dr. Niemeyer. I really liked him. He says I am an excellent candidate for the surgery. He said my eyes are really good. He said he hopes his eyes are as good as mine when he is my age. Dr. Niemeyer said he has already done 1,000 cataract surgeries so far this year. I'm thinking there must be a lot of old people here.

It is going to cost over $8,000 dollars to have both my eyes done but my insurance will pay for it. I have to put some antibiotic drops in my eyes for 3 days before my surgery. The drops cost $144.99 but I only had to pay one dollar.

Bless Clayton for the wonderful insurance I have. He worked so hard for at least 30 years as a Longshoreman, the last 25 years with the Union. He liked working hard and always talked so highly about his job. I am so blessed to have been a part of his life. He was a dear, kind man and he liked everyone.

WALK IN THE PARK

Yesterday and today both have been beautiful days. Yesterday Donna had a meeting for her Home Schooling that took most of the day. After she got back, we went to the Railroad Bridge Park. This is a beautiful park and is so easy to walk in. After we took our walk, we went to Applebee's for dinner.

Today I went to the doctor. I have to start with new doctors since I changed medical plans. I am still under the Longshoreman's, just their other plan. I went to get prescriptions for the two meds I take. Of course, once you go to the doctor you have to be checked out for everything. I had a very nice doctor and she took a lot of time with me. My records from Group Health had already been sent over. Except for my two bouts with Bronchitis and my pulled muscle, my chart is pretty blank. So I had to be checked over and I had to have a Tetanus shot. Anyway, the doctor said and I quote--"You are in amazingly good health."

I did have one little shock--I have shrunk. I used to be 5ft 3inches and now I am 5ft, 1 and a half inches. At least I am not bent over yet. I am going to get a bone scan, probably after my trip with Debbie. The doctor says the ones where you just have your foot tested are not very accurate.

So my next challenge is my eyes. I will be having the evaluation for my cataracts on Friday. I won't be having surgery until after my trip. I am trying not to stress about it. I am so fortunate to be in good health.

BIRDS

You will have to look hard to see this, but between the three stones and the wood post is a beautiful Wild Canary. Donna took this picture of a bird sitting on the third cement block from the left.

I don't think I took a picture of my table since I bought a new tablecloth for it.

About the birds--I have seen a lot of the Wild Canaries (Goldfinches) since I have been here. I have not seen the Hummingbird for some time. I was so excited by seeing the Hummingbird that I had to run out and buy a Hummingbird feeder and the nice plant that is supposed to attract Hummingbirds. I know I have shown the pictures on that. I will keep watching. Maybe I will see some other birds with my downstairs camera and I am still waiting for the deer to walk down the street so I can catch them with my upstairs camera.

Yesterday afternoon we went to the Clallam County Fair. It was a nice little fair. We ate our "dinner" there. I had a Taco and a Root Beer float. We had Scones too but they are not near as good as the Scones at the Puyallup fair are. After we left the fair, Donna wanted to stop at Wal-Mart. Wal-mart is closing out their fabrics. All the fabrics are 75% off. Donna picked out some nice fabrics. It took a long time to get waited on because even though Donna was second in line to get her fabrics measured, the lady ahead of her was buying lots of fabrics and ribbons. By that time two more ladies were waiting. It is certainly a good deal for people that are into sewing. We had a nice time.

I just noticed, if you click on to enlarge the picture, you can see the birds pretty well.

SUMMER DAY IN THE PARK WITH FAMILY

Last Saturday we spent the day by Lake Washington in Renton. It was a beautiful day and we had a spot under some shade trees. Most of the people went out on Donna's and Laif's boat.

Everyone seemed to have a good time. I took more pictures but I just put a few on right now.

An interesting little happening--Kyle and Erik left to go to Kyle's house to play a game for the evening. I asked them what they were going to play and they said "Dungeons and Dragons". I almost fell over from shock when they said that. Just the day before, Friday, I just finished reading a true crime story involving that game. Up until I read the book I had never even heard of the game.

The book was "Cruel Doubt" by Joe McGinnis. The murder happened in 1988 in North Carolina. Chris Pritchard plotted with two of his friends to murder his step-father, Leith Von Stein and his mother for a $2 million dollar fortune. Leith Von Stein was killed and Chris Pritchard's mother was seriously injured but did recover. Anyway, according to author Joe McGinnis and author Jerry Bledsoe, the murder was a result of role playing of the Dungeons and Dragons and the authors played up the role-playing angle claiming the game was a feeding program for occultism and witchcraft.

As it turns out only 2 murders have been loosely associated with the game. I just thought it was so weird that I just finished reading that book and the book really does convince you that the murder was a result of the game. I am sure now that the boys in the plot must already had some mental problems.

Kyle and Erik explained a little of the game to me. So continue your fun guys and enjoy.

Talking about shocks, today I had my eye exam and my cataracts in both eyes have finally got into my line of vision. I have known for awhile that I am not seeing as good as I have been. my lenses for my glasses have not changed, the cataracts are interfering with my sight. Anyway, the bottom line is that I am going to have to have Cataract surgery. I was shaking all morning thinking about it. My neighbor, Marge, had hers done with the same eye surgeon that will do mine. Marge said it is an easy surgery and that I will be surprised how well I will see. Marge Otte had cataract surgery not too long ago and she too says I will see so much better.

LUNCHEON

Yesterday Donna and Laif went to Victoria, BC. It was our day to serve lunch to the Missionaries so I told Donna and Laif to go enjoy themselves and I would do the lunch. Actually, I really enjoyed doing it. How fortunate I am to still be able to get around so well. I ended up going to the store twice yesterday and then in the evening, George, Marge and Misty and I all walked around Kerry Blake Park. The weather was just great. I found some nice place mats and some luncheon plates to serve the food on.

At the present time we have three sister missionaries. We had a very nice visit. I showed them my apt. downstairs. They thought it was so nice and so roomy.

MYSTERY OF THE DISAPPEARING POST

This is CATCHING UP--PART THREE Dan's shop

Dan and Donna. I love to have pictures of my children together.

The house Dan and Heidi live in

Dan and Heidi in the shop. They love what they are doing.


In case you wondered what happened to my original "CATCHING UP--PART THREE. " The post had an accident. I wanted to edit one of the pictures on my blog. Donna was helping me and we thought we were figuring it out and then someway the delete button wiped the whole thing out, not just the picture.

So now you are probably seeing some different pictures than what I had on originally. I was not sure anyone had noticed the blog was missing but Richard skyped me today and said "what happened to your post from Dan's place".
Warning to all--don't push the delete button unless you really mean it.

CATCHING UP--PART TWO

I just wanted to put a few more pictures on from our "baby sitting " trip to Portland. We just had a great time. Steven and Janet are such wonderful people. On Our last day, Steven and Janet took us to a nice Mexican Restaurant. The children were so well behaved.

Sweet picture of Grandma and Katie snuggling.

Two tired girls after a long busy day. Both Anna and Katie were so good for us and so much fun.

CATCHING UP--PART ONE

Although I missed taking pictures of the deer walking down the road, Donna and laif had spotted these Elk off 101. Donna said they had been close to the road but by the time Donna and I got back, the Elk had moved further from the highway. It was neat to see a herd of Elk. My new set of pans. Saga of my pans beneath these pictures.*

Picture of Richard when he visited before we went to Portland

* I started out deciding that I needed a nice small fry pan and a nice saucepan for my kitchen. Then I looked on the Penney's website .(for me that is my danger territory because I always see something I like)
Anyway on the website there was a 13 piece copper pan set. It was an online set only. It was regularly $749 but was on sale for $249. I went to Penney's in Sequim and ordered it so I would not have to pay shipping. I kept checking on line and found it was backordered even though when I ordered it in the store it said in stock. The next time I looked the order had been cancelled. I went to Penney's again and again it said the pans were in stock so the clerk re-ordered them for me. The next day I found on line that they were on back order and would not be here until August 13th.

In the meantime, Donna and I went to Costco and looked at pans. Richard and I had looked at them when he was here but at that time I had my heart set on the copper ones. I did end up buying the Kirkland 13 piece stainless steel set for $170. These are very nice pans.They are 18/10 stainless steel copper-bonded 5-ply base construction consisting of two layers of stainless steel, two layers of aluminum and a copper core. If you ever need a set these are just great and very beautiful.
So, after I bought the pans I went back across the street to Penney's and cancelled the order. The clerk checked again and said it showed the pans were in stock but she saw when she looked at my order it was backordered. She called and told them I just didn't want them. I keep checking just to be sure it doesn't show up on my credit card. Everything seems to be OK. I have ordered so many things from Penney's over the years and never had any problem.

I will keep ordering. I love Penney's too much to stop.