Good evening Sneakers....

Another day almost gone and I don't exactly know where the time disappeared. I headed off early this morning to get a much needed haircut again. Finally found a gal that isn't afraid to cut my hair short. I laughed when Jackie said her pink hair dye is sitting in the closet. So is my old hair dye, but as time passes I am getting quite used to my white/grey hair, which was the color of my moms. The compliments keep coming and time keeps passing, so I am less likely to go backwards again. LOL

Once home I went to my med clinic for a blood draw and to pick up a rx. While there we went to get our flu shots. I came out with a sore arm, but am glad this is all done. We don't think we will get our covid shots until about January though my dr said she tried to get her appt and she is number 600. Us seniors need to stay on top of that to stay healthy especially when others in the family don't take vaccine shots as a necessity.

Finally we went out for out walk thru the neighborhood in 79 degree weather. Such a delight to finally have some days cooler and they are even talking about maybe light rain come the weekend. Trying my darnest to get used to some new walking shoes and inserts to avoid my plantar fistiitis problems again that are starting to come back.

Loved all of the drawings on Queen Elizabeth and her corgis. Speaking of Queen Elizabeth I was visiting my new neighbor. I happened to see a small cabinet with several keepsakes....little collectible boxes etc. She had moved here from the area that I was brought up in in the Bay Area, so we always have lots to talk about. Of course the Queen was mentioned again and she comes out to give me something she thought I might appreciate. Apparently she had quite a collection on royalty items, but didn't move them all. She gives me a plate from The Silver Jubilee 1952-77 with HM Queen Elizabeth II on it. What a nice surprise !! Wish my grandmother was still around to see it. She is just one of those jewels for a neighbor that one would always appreciate having them next door. A very outgoing positive person that is a delight to have for a neighbor. Made my day ....

So envious of Jackies trip she is going on. Look forward to hear from her as she makes new discoveries.

Anne glad to hear the outdoor steps are getting replaced to make it a bit safer for you. Hard enough to deal with the winter weather. Hopefully your eyes adjust quickly to your new glasses.

Sandy...You are one busy lady ! Your grandkids will always remember the disco ball and dancing with grandma. New contacts with a change of drs for Babe seems to be what is needed for him. Glad he is getting his strength back also. Plus more than glad you don't have to haul up your groceries anymore. Have a lucky trip with your friends and good luck !

Patsy....You are so creative. Those stories with your drawings will be some childs favorite book. You and Anne no doubt will have a winner. Stubborn husbands when it comes to anything health related is a challenge for me too and I know it won't get easier. Wish you luck on this too.

Barbie....Can just imagine how beautiful it is up your way because of all of the photos I see. Sorry to hear you are dealing with fires in the Puget Sound area. Hopefully they get them under control soon. Those of us on the west coast have had our fill of the fires this yr. Hopefully that is about done for the season. Be safe !

Lin....Love getting a glimpse of the cards that you are making. You are so creative and talented. Almost puzzle and book reading time again.... This summer went by fast ! Hopefully your roof repairs get done quickly and not too costly. You do tend to have a lot of storms back there. I would take some of your rain. It is getting harder having water restrictions. The beauty of the neighborhoods much less the state
is really changing. Hoping we get back to a winter more like we have had before. Time will tell.

Getting late. Enjoy your day tomorrow.

Diane

Hello sneaker friends! A sunny mild day here again. I have so much to do and even more that I want to do. I will try to fit some of it all in.

Tonight is cauliflower pizza night. I am adjusting to it. I can’t remember how the other tasted. We get the veggie kind and John likes me to put anchovies on his. Now I ask you!!! He has arrthrymia and his pulse is faster than it should be. His DR Knows about John’s aversion to doctors. He advised a week of keeping a BP readings and pulse as well as noting the arrthrymia. Then coming into the office for a “chat.” With all that going on, I don’t think eating those very salty little fish is a good idea. Oh and another thing. For years John was on our local hospital board. And he had some good friends that were doctors. But now, when he really needs to go for a check up, he has a million reasons not to go. He looks pointedly at me and reminds me that they are all dead now.

Sandy: you do have your hands full. I also know that our kids don’t really see us as getting older. They think we are just like we always were. We wish we were but time takes a toll on us. It is great to see your grandkids often. I know you will try to be careful and also try to do it all. I know several babysitting grandmas. It must be exhausting! It is also a bit risky. Falling is the big danger. Of course, you know about this and are great at thinking out solutions.

Anne: it does sound like you also have your hands full. New front steps and new neighbors. I think it is so sweet that your son and his sweet wife try to not burden you with fixing lunch for everyone. Damon try’s to make meals for us when he is here. We end up with both Damon and me fixing meals while John gives advice and listens to bad music! Family fun!

Lin: I am not good at presentations. I get fidgety and need to go to the bathroom, get coffee, let Katie in or out, check on dinner, feed Katie, answer some question from John. Well you can clearly see, I can’t get organized enough to really enjoy these excellent presentations.

Barbie: my friend, if you can’t do anything about this vision anomaly and you can still have your good quality of life, my thought is that you are doing splendidly! I think you are very strong and adaptable. Enjoy!

Jackie: wherever you are….hope you are having fun and enjoying the countryside. We are eagerly awaiting your news and hopefully some photos.
Patsy☘️🍕😍

Hello friends. I missed a lot of the presentations today because the company sponsoring this spent much time in what I would call commercials. Ugh. Then some presentations were about scrapbook layouts rather than cards and I have no interest at all in that topic. Hoping tomorrow is better. I messed about with some supplies on my own, which was fun.

I spoke with the insurance adjuster for a long time early this evening. We are closing the file on the claim. He reviewed the estimate and the photos. And I cannot go into detail but the photos show a quite small area of very minor damage that likely occurred years ago. If I insisted, he would come out and I could likely talk him into replacing the roof. Apparently there’s a lot of that going on. That doesn’t seem honest.

Patsy, I understand John’s hesitancy. The people he knew are gone. I do get it. I am sure you and Damon will do your best to persuade him to proceed. Wishing him well. And you too!

Sandy, a bad meal and no big winnings makes for a bad combination. Best wishes to Lisa on finding the job that works best for her. 🤞🏻

Diane, wow, what a friendly neighbor. That was quite a wonderful keepsake that she gave you. Very kind. ❤️❤️

One more offering with a Corgi



Anne, Jackie and Barbie…..hello🙋🏼‍♀️ Hope you are well.

Lin
❤️❤️

Fairy tale teapots

Well, its all go here! For a start, although we never saw furniture etc going into Harrys old house, you should see the stuff coming out! Darren, our neighbour across the road calls Harrys old house "The Tardis" from Dr. Who. The folks who live there, on and off, must have used the house as a storage place. Remember, it has no basement but yesterday after a week of stuff being removed by the parked trailer, it and TWO removal vans hauled more stuff out and away. AND they haven't finished because the old car and trailer are still parked on the drive.
Mark and Mary Jo are working so hard on the new deck and stairs. Its a tremendous job and they are trying to beat the rain which maybe arrives tomorrow afternoon. This of course gives them a worms eye view of the proceedings next door and they finally see what I've been twittering on about for some time. Its quite unbelievable. The family are really nice people but one wonders what on earth is going on underneath all the pleasantries. Joe, who appears to be the boss man, actually gave Mark a building supply yesterday to help with cost saving. Beats me.

Old age, ah yes, the family now realize at last that mom has become tottery. In fact when we went to the Organic Garage MJ treated me with so much solicitation I began to think I'd reverted back to two years old! I'm not quite sure how to deal with this. I might be deaf in one ear from the shingles, and somewhat short sighted from the cataracts but hey, the grey cells are still functioning! The conclusion I've come to is: enjoy whilst I can! If they all want to check for cobwebs etc thats okay. Leaves me time to write my stories and do my drawings.
MJ's parents died in their seventies so I guess I AM a bit of a wonder to them. Like an old family heirloom.

Well Michael arrives today to add to the chaos of our house and the moving folks next door. What a mess, cut back bush trunks, foliage cut back to add to the piles on the drive, not to mention all the old discarded wooden planks and railings littering the place. Jilly's the one who's enjoying all this activity and attention.

Sigh.....but hugs anyway sent to my more civilized Sneaker friends,
Anne.

A somewhat cool but sunny day. The weatherman here said the summer temps are gone for the time being. John and I have the most trouble with hot weather. We don’t mind cool weather, I guess it is because we have lots of jackets and sweaters. And John wears hats a lot. He says his bald head gets cold or hot or wind blown or too wet in the rain etc. he has many different hats for every occasion and weather condition.

We are trying to make an appointment for the vaccine at Walgreens but I got to tell ya…their appointment online procedure is a nightmare. I am still trying to wrestle through it. Our health dept. appointments are full. Safeway isn’t answering the pharmacy calls and I can’t get on their online appointment site. Hummmmmm? What’s the problem?

Anne: You are indeed lucky. I wish our kids were solicitous. They feel we are strong and have no worries. Damon checks on us but I know he still thinks we are competent and very healthy. Wrong! I have never been competent! I am barely functional at times.


Sandy: I must admit, with all your social and family activities, you are a wonder. I think you must have some secret magic vitamin. Anyway, you are living the life you enjoy around family you love. I think that might be your secret vitamin.

Hello dearest Lin! Hello sweet Barbie, my friend! Hello Lovely Diane! Hello to our dear Jackie!

I am chasing Katie around right now. She has one of my wool dryer balls in her mouth. She is playing keep away. She is winning because no one can catch her. That dryer ball will soon be a pile of chewed up wool. Katie has reverted back to her puppyhood. Thank goodness she still remembers about going outside to do her “business.” She needs more activities and more exercise. I can see that!
Patsy☘️🤔

We had a bit of good fortune this afternoon. We were out doing our little errands--library, mail a letter, drop off a UPS return package, ending with the pharmacy drive through to get a prescription for Jake. We were the only ones in line and Jake asked the pharmacist if they had flu shots available. She said yes and we would usually have to make an appointment but things were slow so we could walk in and get them. We parked the car and went in and walked directly to the pharmacy where they told us we could get the new Moderna booster at the same time. So we are successfully boosted with little effort 🌻😃
Barbie

Hi JACKIE, so you can see why I get a little homesick. It should be quiet at Alnwick Castle with the family down in London for the Queens funeral.

The saga continues here girls. It started with our departing neighbour asking Mark if he'd like an enormous ladder which Harry the horrible had nailed to our fence with enormous screws on the day the expensive fence was erected. Too heavy for them to haul away. Mark and Mary Jo said yes they'd take it because they don't want the new neighbours to get ideas about nailing things to our fence. The keys are exchanged on Wednesday. Meanwhile Mary Jo's eyes like saucers as she helped Mark with the new deck whilst glancing over at the movers. Stuff still coming out of the house, its quite unbelievable, with patio furniture etc.

The deck is a long and complicated process. I had no idea the preparation needed. You can't have it leaning or sloping etc so much checking with spirit levels, and measuring tapes. So far we have just got bare bones as it were. No flooring or planks. Work today, but tomorrow off as rain is expected.

After my quiet life and neighbours in the old country I am adjusting to sock throwers and the Harrys of this world etc. No sign of Maria but loads of cars showing up at her house so I wonder about Tony. Its an interesting neighbourhood. Yesterday the previous mayor of this town stopped walking by with her elderly mom to view the Ms labour. I hadn't a clue who she was until MJ put me in the picture.

Mike is threatening to come over again so must get moving, peeling carrots and spuds etc.

Anne, pioneer woman?

Hello again. Just watched online church service which was quite good but also quite short. Everyone had been to a wedding and reception last night. Apparently quite exciting when the storms hit, everyone scattering but also a good party (in spite of the weather).

Sandy, I hope all goes well with the visiting and feeding everyone, etc. We have storms on tap again this afternoon and evening. Yes, shaker cards have a clear window with sequins or confetti or something small that moves around. I think I have made a total of 3 of them. 😄😃

Anne our Pioneer woman. Always something going on! Woooo! I predict the ladder will stay at your house. How would they get it home? It must be quite interesting to watch things continuing to be carried out of that house. It is like the Dr. Who Tardis, only on a larger scale! How are you liking your glasses?

Barbie, my goodness, what an opportunity. No fuss, no strain and all finished for now. 🙌🏻

Jackie, lovely countryside. I hope you are enjoying the day. Apparently almost everything will be closed tomorrow right? A number of our television stations are broadcasting the funeral ‘real time’ which means probably starting hours earlier to talk about absolutely every nit they can think of and that is likely not overly interesting. Is the weather cold in Northumberland?

Diane, hello. I hope your weather didn’t turn inordinately hot again. Happy Sunday.

Be safe everyone.

Lin🙋🏼‍♀️
❤️❤️

Is this tea, breakfast or just a combination of things a photographer out together I wonder.

Hello. A beautiful fall day here. Sunny and mild.

I guess I will try to take a page from the amazing Sandy and equally amazing Anne. By that, I mean I will try to coach John out if his pandemic isolation and start being social again. It is an interesting thing about various personalities. I really suffered from the isolation. John is like a grumbly old bear. He curled up in a ball and has been waiting out the “virus storm.” I am signing up for our shots and we will try to open up again personally.

Damon is sailing with his architect group. They all work with Damon on really big projects like hotels and big bridge and highways. They are a wild and crazy bunch I guess. This weekend is the last sail of the season. Damon is sad but ready to put the boat away for awhile.

I am inviting Andrea for our cauliflower pizza night. John is as always, concerned. He said he still wants her to test before coming. I know he will calm down soon. We will gently ease him back into real life. Just teasing! He isn’t a total basket case….but close!

I think I will try for a family Halloween gathering. I think we need to get together. I know Andrea will enjoy it. I am already starting my plans. I love the idea of decorating and wearing a costume. More later on this.

Barbie: you and Jake were very lucky indeed. I am still waiting for my appointment confirmation. It is for later in the month. We also are getting the flu shot. It will likely put us into that achy fatigue like last time. But it wasn’t too bad.

Sandy: you are smart to not try cooking for all that company. I would have been silly and tried to do too much, all at once.

Anne: what a great thing! New front porch and steps. New neighbors, new downstairs remodel. New glasses! Wow, all those changes can be exhausting. And a proper Sunday dinner with Mike. Sounds like things are great in your neighborhood, like Mr. Rodgers used to sing.🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

Jackie: there you are! This first photo of your vacation. It will be like you took us all with you. We do miss you terribly when we don’t hear about the daily adventures of Jackie, the intrepid!

Lin: I remember getting several of those cards with sparkles, or confetti popping out as I opened the card. Funny, yet annoying. Having to vacuum for 30 minutes afterward.

We are all affected by the passing of Queen Elizabeth. Even us Americans.
Patsy☘️