Well we certainly did enjoy a cold walk but didn't go too far then once home, I called Chrissie and agreed I would visit at 1230 to walk Bella. Before I went I took my new tv out of its box and spent an age connecting its feet that are black, requiring black screws to be attached through a cavity into black tv frame. That needed a torch to see what went where and that then meant running out of hands!
We were lucky walking because it remained dry and Bella seemed quite relaxed as we walked along the streets that took us to an open but muddy field. Chrissie did well wheeling her walker and with a helping hand was able to join us while I walked Bella round the perimeter on an extended lead. After more recall practicing we walked back to Chrissie’s home and before I left, she got into her car while I took Bella to the passenger door and she jumped right in and sat on the seat while the engine was started. Very quiet being electric and no panic from Bella so more advancements!
Back home I tuned the tv, connected the Firestick then tried to work out which remote does what. So many channels I wouldn’t ever have the time or inclination to work my way through them all but did set up Amazon prime to try a month free trial and think I’ve registered for Netflix… time will tell!

More wild weather Patsy. What a worry and I see north California is still struggling with huge fires. Meanwhile Cop26 discussions falter as the same old empty promises get banded about! Please do keep us updated so we know you and John are safe.

Sandy, you are just like my friend Pat, lots of plans to travel and visit like a Duracell bunny, always on the go. My walking is necessary for George and Betty but I doubt I would go trekking across cold, wet and windy moors if I didn’t have to even though I know it’s good for my all round health.

Lin, do enjoy your classes and let us know what you learn. With your sort of weather right now you will be in the best place. With gas shortages in Europe and here in the UK, electric heating is becoming the cheaper option for sure. It’s what I have in each room to keep a steady 19c but wouldn’t be without the stoves for the extra cosy feel.

Anne, hopefully you are able to receive your grocery order and the phone is back on. As you say, always something being tinkered with when I would shout If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!!

Hello Barbie! ❤️

Time for bed as it’s gone midnight.
Stay safe
Jackie 🥰

We have sun! Yea! Katie has been in and out and now requiring a couple of ball games outside and even maybe inside. The door is wide open even though it is a bit chilly. Fresh air and sunshine really makes a difference in ones mood.

Tomorrow is John’s birthday. I have a salmon dinner planned and since he is adverse to sugar if any kind, we will have his beloved sugar-free chocolate cookies and his cherry ice cream. I know Damon will call and I hope our daughter remembers. I will text her to remind her. No sense in risking making John feel sad, gifts are totally unnecessary but a connection and acknowledgment are hugely important.

I have decided to join the 20th century a bit late (20 years) and get an iPod. I love music as I do almost anything. Exercise is boring! Boring but tolerable with great music. So now I have to learn how to record my music on that little doodad and what kind of ear phones to get and I am in business!
I love technology and oddly I am hopelessly ignorant about it.

Life is never dull around here. There is always a disaster brewing somewhere around us. We seemed to have escaped any major flooding and no drain back up. I didn’t wash clothes or use the dishwasher to give our ancient septic system as chance to deal with any high water table issues. My next strange repair is the bottom drawer of my oven. It has rust in the bottom. I am cleaning that and repainting, before adding a drawer liner. Sounds simple and easy but it is a giant mess.

I loved reading that now there is technology to recycle and start cleaning up the enormous Pacific plastic ocean island. It has been growing at an alarming rate. Damon has seen it on a sailing junket. He said he saw several boats stuck in there. He wondered how the crew of those boats escaped. Helicopter is best guess. Science still solves a lot of problems but also causes some problems.

Anne: yea! You are back with us! We missed you dear friend. There are some vacancies that cannot be filled! Sneakers are in that category.

Jackie: you are like the Dog Whisperer. You can understand and communicate with animals. I think it is an innate skill that some people possess. I have great empathy for all animals but I can’t always connect and communicate. Chrissie is lucky to have you help her. It could be that Bella saved her as well as the other way around.

Lin: learning new tricks and ways of using materials is exciting, fun and also frustrating at times. I think the interesting conversations and exchanges are worth the time and effort. Hope your classes and workshops are worthwhile for you.

Sandy: wow! You are an intrepid adventurous lady. The wedding sounds complicated and expensive. But delightfully romantic. Big weddings are a thing in our family from the past. Honestly they lasted a couple of days with the wedding itself, dances, dinner, breakfast for wedding party, lunch or picnic or BBQ after, before everyone heads back home. Exhausted, with a bit of a hangover and the inevitable fuss with some family member! Typically Irish Catholic wedding. Oh yeah!

Barbie: hello! What’s going on with you, Jake and the pups?
Patsy☘️

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN


Like it or not you are a valued Sneaker, even if you remain in the shadows! We all love you because you take such good care of Patsy. Personally I feel I’ve got to know you just as well as I know your wonderful wife so am sending hugs across land and sea along with my very best wishes that you have a fabulous day….. Enjoy!

Jackie 🥰

Good evening. I ran after two little orders today. And otherwise, it was church, some reading and addressing cards. It was very chilly outdoors today but we did have sunshine.

I hope everyone had a lovely day.

Be safe and well!

Lin🙋🏼‍♀️
❤️❤️

A Brown Betty teapot according to the caption with this photo

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY GREETINGS JOHN.

Mike did not show yesterday because of sleet and snow where he lives. Just rain here, gallons of water but the good news is everything downstairs dry as a bone which means Mark can start doing the stairwell and replacing walling.

No one here at first so I tried calling my old friend again. She won't empty her answering machine and one gets a metallic voice asking all callers to try and notify her to do this. Much to my surprise Flo answered! apparently she sleeps an awful lot, so much so her helpers visit daily to haul her over end and feed her! It was her 81st birthday and I asked if her two children had been over. Not yet but she thinks her son had been over whilst she slept and found her cigarette hiding places, because all packs were gone. She's smoked a pack a day since she was 17 years old! Lungs of iron wouldn't you say. I think this is because the son and daughter want her safely placed in a senior home near me. However all homes in all towns contacted have refused her unless she gives up smoking. That aint going to happen is my guess.

Then I tried finding old workmates and much to my surpriseI found one lady who was to put it mildly the company trouble maker. Caused me quite a bit of angst in our day and I found her once crying in the washroom and saying she didn't know why she caused all the trouble. Just a mischievous personality but good at her job. Anyway I found her miles and miles away, photo and all in a country old folks home. Both Flo and I hope she is behaving herself with the old residents but doubt it judging by the still mischievous grin on her now lined face! Her husband who was constantly called to remove her when she got rather merry at Christmas parties died and I guess she is a bit too hard to handle for her two daughters. The good news she is still very involved in charity work at 87 and despite all, did an awful lot of good in that capacity.

Mark and Mary Jo came over to check that all is still dry downstairs. Jilly ecstatic and went into HER George look alike zen mode when MJ rubbed her ears closing her eyes and I'd say almost hypnotized.

Last but not least I had the most vivid nightmare last night. My neighbours had sold their house to a very morose looking Donald Trump, the "dream" owner of a large fierce dog. He informed me his wife had run off with all his money and a very skinny aide! And here's me thinking in wide awake mode that I nobody could actually beat Harry for "unusual" neighbours.!!!!!!

The neighbours had the "Pipe Dream" folks over again. I don't know why as they were crawling up a ladder onto the roof.

Read everyones posts and everyone seems to be enjoying life and thriving.

Annsie.

Hello! Another cold day but looking forward to warmer temps tomorrow. One warm day but I will be happy for that. I am doing laundry and paying online bills.

Switching over now to yet another birthday card. Thinking cap is on but not working well at this point. 😂. Maybe a birthday hat will help. 🥳

Sandy, a busy week for you once again. You seem to always fill in any blank spaces. Hope you get some rest.

Anne, happy, happy, happy. No water in the house. Wahoo! Sorry that Mike’s area received sleet and snow. You are a busy bee following up with friends and acquaintances. Glad you finally got in touch with Flo. And my heavens, what a horrific nightmare. 😱 I hope that one doesn’t ever show up again!

Jackie, lovely layers in the sky! Glad you didn’t freeze or get drenched. Housework, it cannot always be avoided although I really do try. 😄

Patsy, still recovering from the birthday weekend? I hope you had a wonderful celebration.

Should shuffle along. It’s the day to gather trash, pick-up day tomorrow. I like to clean out as much as I can.

Best wishes.

Lin🙋🏼‍♀️
❤️❤️

Good evening! Another grey day with mist and low cloud hanging over my head as well as the occasional drizzly shower. I was hoping to get some tidying in my garden but it’s far to wet so instead, after a walk on the moors, I made a large pot of vegetable soup to enjoy over the next few days then spent too much time resetting the new tv back to factory settings because there were too many unwanted channels popping up. Most times I don’t wander far from BBC1 but was finding it difficult to search it out amongst all the other unwanted channels.

Yesterday I had great news from our local parish council that someone on there that I trust has been promoted to chair the committee that oversees the allotments and he phoned me to assure me the not so pleasant bullying and controlling man will be dealt with immediately. I phoned my friend Linda who had been so upset by his antics and made her day! It definitely made mine too because the matter was upsetting my calm persona! It had even had me thinking I would give up my part of the plot but instead will consider what to do over the Winter months.

I placed a post on our parish news and comments website offering the tv I no longer need free to a good home and had an immediate response from a lady who lives just across the road so I’ve offered to deliver it tomorrow afternoon. Not much else happening but then it’s that time of year with shorter days and cool temperatures.

My neighbour is still working on his “beer garden” with its string of lights and hanging baskets so I’m not yet making a plan to have a fence and trellis put up most of the length of my garden in case it will need to be even higher by the time he finishes. It will be interesting to see what happens when we have one of our storms crashing in off the Atlantic because it could all end up in my garden! 🤭

Such a pretty teapot Lin but I’m not sure if the flowers are violets or small primula. Gorgeous whichever!
You put me to shame with your card making so I did cringe when I bought a few boxes of Christmas cards a couple of days ago. 🥴. When I was working full time I dabbled in painting and creating calendars and cards and wonder why I seem to have less time to make such things now I’m retired.

Sandy, it’s sad to see older friends deteriorate isn’t it and I’ve come to the conclusion from what I’ve witnessed over time that even the best care homes can take away the incentive to keep moving and maintain independence. You seeing Joe has reminded me I must visit my friend Les as he is 96 and living on his own, loves a bit of company and adores George and Betty. Perhaps I’ll combine the visit with taking the tv across the road in the back of my car!

Anne, what a great job Mark has done if you are now dried out. What a relief too!
I once carried out a Google search for someone I worked with in Toronto. He was very supportive when my partner passed away but was going through a rough time himself because he had emigrated to Canada with his parents and left a girlfriend behind promising he would send for her. He told me he didn’t feel the same for her anymore but didn’t want to break his promise so she was on her way! When I returned to England he was about to arrange their marriage but I lost touch so didn’t know the outcome. No mention of a wife or children on his Facebook page but then I left Canada over 40 years ago and since I’m not on Facebook myself decided not to make contact!

I forgot to log my 2 lbs gain in weight on Saturday so will pop over to post it now.

Take care everyone and stay safe.
Jackie 🥰

Good evening. I ran errands this morning and spent the afternoon and early evening talking on the phone to several friends. I ordered a pair of shoes while speaking with my first friend. We talked through the shoes she purchased that are her favorites and I worked through the Zappos site and found that in my size and voila—ordered! Love Zappos as returns are pretty easy compared to other places.

I have been working on a birthday card for a friend who loves all animals but has a real soft spot for her cats. Here’s a photo of the inside of the card. The front is a cartoon cat.



I am still addressing Thanksgiving cards and mailing a few at a time. It time will run out so I should pick up the pace. 😃

Patsy, I am glad you had a nice celebration for John’s birthday and glad he is one of us.

Jackie, what wonderful news. Bye bye problem man! As far as putting up a fence, we have limits here on how high our fence can be, I think in most circumstances 6 feet is it unless you live along a very busy noisy highway and then some exceptions are made. Usually those are installed by the city so they are uniform. I hope the beer garden would go away! Wow, you got rid of the old television in a hurry. Best wishes tomorrow. Oh, I have no idea what those flowers are supposed to be on that teapot. Just lovely colors.

Sandy, I hope the day went well. Another busy one! Good of you to do laundry for Bryanna. I know how rough it is to be without a washer!

Anne, I hope you and Jilly are well. And I hope we see you tomorrow.

Be safe everyone.

Lin🙋🏼‍♀️
❤️❤️

Teapot with lots of text detail: “…R.S. Prussia pot was delivered today and it is spectacular. It was made by Reinhold Schlegelmilch in Prussia c.1905-10; see Leland & Carol Marple’s “R.S. Russia The Wreath and Star” page 31-33. Made in Mold 28, it features a flower finial, a mint green flange around the top with three large, molded flowers and two more on the bottom. It is decorated on the front with pink, yellow and rose carnations and a dangling orange one (the molded flower on bottom) against washes of mint and teal green. There is no decoration on the back. It was sold by Falkner & Stern Co. in 1906 and by Butler Brothers and G. Sommers & Co. during 1906 and 1907. It is unmarked. The teapot is 5⅜” to the top of the finial and 8” from the tip of the spout to the back edge of the handle. The bottom is 3½” in diameter.”

Hi Ho! We have sunshine but very chilly. That’s why sweaters were made.

John is still working on replacing the wood stove pipe. It is a dirty and really challenging job. I wish he would have hired it done but you can’t ask that of a guy who treasures his tools and his skills.

It is our daughters birthday. We are not to visit because she is feeling a bit under the weather. But her family is ordering a big pizza for a close family party. I mailed her card and birthday check. She is complicated and extremely emotional but very talented and at times very funny.

I will try that link, Sandy! As I have lamented many times, I am hopeless with computers. I need a class in use and new technology and terms.

Jackie: I have often thought a wormer was such a great idea. We have a compost pile that requires nothing. Veggie matter and occasionally we cover with soil. Later the veggie matter is gone and John spreads the black rotted material around under trees etc and we start over again. The deer love the grass that grows near the compost pile. Low tech and not very pretty but it is out of sight and we have several acres of land To hide our messy veggie/dirt pile.

Lin: the very fancy teapot is so pretty. I doubt it was ever used. I wouldn’t! I would just look at it in awe. Your cards tickle me. I made a very personal romantic card for John. I wanted to turn his face red and cause him to chuckle. It did! Cards are a great way to let someone know you care.

Anne: where are you dear girl? Supervising the construction job in your basement? Tell us all about it and Photos!!!
That veggie soup of Jackie’s sounds great. I may give it a try as well.
Patsy☘️

Hello dear ones! We had sun fir a couple of hours then fog and mist rolled in. Our famous PNW marine layer.

Event of the morning, the tool shed cat brought a long dead bird and put it on the deck right in front of the French doors. Katie had a hissy-fit. Barking and growling. The cat ran back to the tool shed. He/she sits on a gate support and surveys the neighborhood. Refuses to go home excepts for days or nights of heavy rain or storms. Then he remembers his home and the cat door into his owners laundry room. Other than that, he spends his time on our gate or in the tool shed. John dutifully
keeps a dish of water and cat kibble available in a work bench. Anne and I wrote a story about such a cat. I loved our children’s stories. I got discouraged because so many publishing companies closed up during the pandemic and Amazon publishing.

Lin: cards are really becoming a luxury. The cards themselves plus postage can make a card very costly. A large mailing like Christmas cards to friends and family can be a huge investment, as you know! But it is still a lovely tradition.

Anne: okay dear friend. Now all is right with the world. We have heard from our dearest Anne. I confess that I worry if I don’t see posts from all of us. Your idea of Christmas bags sound adorable and fun. Idea…. I know every one will have great fun thinking of creative items in each bag. By the way there are these very complicated mechanical puzzles that are delightfully complicated, kind of like a rubrics cube. A time waster but devilishly engaging. Mike sounds like he is a tease and the life of the party.

Jackie: we have had our smart T.v for over a year and still haven’t figured out many of the features. We don’t have high speed WiFi so we cannot watch movies or netflicks. We have to buy dvds. But we have a large collection at this point. We can pick out the movie of the evening and enjoy. We rewatch our favorites many time. We have a collection of Christmas movies we like to watch. It includes Charlie Browns Christmas tree.

Sandy: don’t feel guilty for buying cards at dollar tree. Being thoughtful and caring is very valuable and rare these days. Even a note on simple typing paper is a treasure when written by someone who cares.
All my wishes for wonderful Thanksgiving!
Patsy☘️