The Changes in life

  

It has been a long since we sent someone off for the first day of school in this house.   Sophia started 1st grade.     The family is all moved in and we wake up in the morning to Sophia's laugh.   She wakes up laughing and happy and stays that way all day.  It is fun.  Her job is to feed Chester the guinea pig in the morning and give Zoey a treat when she gets home.   She takes her job very seriously.  I told her she also has to scratch Chester under the chin every morning and she happily does that.   She is a joy.

  Slowly but surely we are getting everything tucked away and the house is getting livable again.    I have wacked my broken toe twice on boxes and think I might have re broken it one of those times.   It only took twice to remind me to wear shoes at all times until the toe heals.  Slow learner here, LOL.

     Work is going well but my wrist is still causing me some grief.    It hurts where the break was and after lifting all night it will start bruising and swelling up.    I have one more doc appointment so I will ask about it.  I think it isn't healing as fast as it should.  But it is absolutely wonderful to be getting a check.

      I hate election years.   It embarrasses me how pliable people are.  One side yells that seniors will lose their SS and medicare and the seniors all scream.  One side says they will get rid of the illegals and the illegals all yell.   The truth they all miss is taxes will continue to go up and things are continuing to get grim.   Not only am I not spending anymore I am not saving.   It is all I can do to just get my bills paid.   What has happened in the 3 years we have had this president is so depressing.   And notice,  our unemployment is higher then ever,  money doesn't buy what it used to,  we are now in 3 wars and people are still getting their homes sold for foreclosure.

     The candidate I really like,  not that I am sure I trust any of them, is Herman Cain but I don't think he has a chance.  But they all talk the talk,  will anyone of them really be able to save the country?

    The weather in Iowa has cooled down and the pool is going to be coming down soon.   Sad.  The flood water is slowly receding.  Replaced by a damp sour smell that I think will linger for quite awhile.   Housing is still in short supply here and I think the kids will be living here for awhile.   So far we are all getting along.   It is hard when we all work different schedules and have different tastes.  3 generations under one roof.  That is the way it used to be all the time and from what I hear is becoming more and more common as people struggle in this bad economy.   I do sometimes feel the pressure of staying healthy and working since so many depend on my check.  Oh the pressure.  But I am a strong woman.  I meditate every morning and try and convince myself of that, Ha.  Just so nothing else breaks.

  Well,  lots to do today as usual.  I am blanching and freezing some corn someone gave us,  yummy.   Love all the fresh produce and tomatoes,  is there anything better!  Check out the picture of the sneaky squirrel going after our feeders,   Right in front of me, cheeky thing.

       I have put my son's feeders up.  The birds aren't sure about the squirrel proof one,  I think it is more decorative then functional.

Time is Flying

   

Notice me hiding in the back, LOL.   I got my dress off ebay for $24.00.  How's that for saving.

   I am back to work.   It is going fair.  By the end of the night my wrist is pretty swollen and sore.   But time heals and it is going fast.   I can't believe it is August already.

  Yesterday I broke my toe.  One thing after another.   The toe pain keeps my mind off my wrist pain, LOL.    My basement is completed and I am trying to grow grass back on my lawn.   It is going slow.   It has been so hot and dry here nothing wants to grow.   But it really makes you appreciate the pool.

     My son and his wife and daughter are moving in this week.   Their rent was raised to $1100.00 dollars.   Now who can afford that?  And it is just a small ranch house.   But rentals are in demand here since so many were displaced by the flood.   

    The flood waters are slowly starting to recede leaving behind a mess and a ton of dead trees.   Not to mention tons of sandbags.   I wonder what our bike trails will look like or if they are even there anymore.    We haven't seen anymore houses or trailers going down the river lately so their is no new damage,  just the damage left behind in peoples lives.  And unfortunately cleanup will be slow and during the winter months at this rate.

       We have been very busy with all the mess here,  cleaning out the basement and workers all over, and now getting my spare rooms emptied and ready for my family to move in.   I used them to store my old blankets and winter clothes.   I had no idea I had so many blankets.  And my books.   Destined to be stored in the basement.  Sigh.   I have plastic tubs so they won't get damaged this time.    Throwing away a few hundred beloved books when my basement flooded was hard.   Like old friends and it seems so wrong to toss them in a dumpster.

     Zoey and Chester are going to have fun with a 6 year old in the house.   It will be different since we are getting stuck in our ways, but family does what they need to do to help each other out.   Hopefully they will be able to save up some money so they can get back on their feet.   My son being off work for 4 months didn't help.  And the money they will be paying me will help me recoup some of my losses I hope.

    We were just going to start back at the gym this week when my toe broke so I guess that is off for awhile.   Wonder why I am breaking so easy these days.   My youngest thinks I should get checked for bone cancer, LOL.  Now why should I go looking for more troubles!

     Well,  that's all that is new.   Except for what do you think about this economy.   In his short little rein Obama has managed to run us to the ground in dept.   They could save money by getting rid of his Czars and making them pay for their own vacations.  I can't believe what I am hearing these days.  Professors thinking students should be allowed to sell a kidney to pay back student loans, and his tenure.   And Obama,  will there is just so many things he is doing to destroy this country I can't even list them.   I fear we are doomed.  What job creations I just want to know?  Get rid of the EPA, the UN, the wasteful spending.   Stop trying to scare the seniors with threats of stealing more of their social security.   Put social security back in a private fund and not in the general fund.  Gee,  thanks President Johnson.  Good ideal.  It's too much to even imagine.  And now they are so afraid of the Tea Party they are saying they need mental help?  For what?  Believing in the constitution and God.  What is the world coming too?

     Well, enough of the rant.  I have to get busy.  I promise I will be stopping by.  If I will get a chance to use my computer once the kids move in.   Ta all.

       I was watering what is left of my flowers and look what popped out.   Baby rabbits,  so cute.

It speaks for itself…

 

A Picture from the Mpls. Star/Tribune taken on a June morning at the Minneapolis National Cemetery .

Rain Rain go Away.... Please

  I sit here listening to the heavy rainfall with heavy heart.   Please stop raining.   I wonder what is going on in my basement, but I just don't want to look right now,  not a thing I can do about it.   We have the holes covered as best we can.  My contractor can't start for another week and a half and we still don't have the basement cleaned out of all the tools and mud.


    My son's both are working to much to help this upcoming week and Rick can't do it alone.   Yesterday I was shoveling mud with one arm and then lifting it to a bucket.   Today I have severe pain in my broken wrist and am afraid I undid the healing the bone was doing.   I just can't afford that.   So I put a ad in Craigslist looking for some strong men to do some dirty work.  Rick was mad but I have to do what it takes to get it done before the contractor gets here to repair the wall.


     This week we had temps in the 100's making working in the basement and hauling things to the storage unit horrible.   I must have walked up the basement stairs 1000 times. 


    I told Rick bad things come in 3's so hopefully this is it for this year.   My broken wrist,  the basement wall,  both my lawn mowers are out of commission right now and my grass it mid calf high.  Oh, and if I lose my job.   That would really be bad since I am going through my retirement stash to pay for my basement repairs.  Oh well,  I never expected to live to retirement anyway.


     Not all things are bad though.   Went to a party at the newlyweds and had a blast.   Rick is better but I am worried about the weight he is losing.   Down 12 pounds without trying.   He is under 200 and for a man as tall as him that is getting kinda low.    He is tired all the time and having all these joint pains.   But he won't go to the doctor.  Hopefully it is just because we are working so hard and he has to do all the heavy lifting.  


   My grandkids are here and will be staying with us this week.  I was hoping to have the pool up but with all the things going on having managed it yet.   I did talk to someone about leveling our yard area for the pool since the new one is larger.  I want it level.   Maybe I can get him here Tuesday.


     Well, enough of this depressing post.   When I feel real sorry for myself I drive down the hill and look at the flooded business's and homes.   I really have nothing to complain about.   Things could be worse and are for many.

Summer Shoes for the ladies in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota

Especially popular this year with the ladies in Iowa , Ne. North and South Dakota!  

When it rains it pours

   I think you all get the picture that we have been having lots of water here in Iowa.  On top of the dams releasing all that water and flooding the low lands we have been having some major storms.    And even on top of a hill we didn't survive all that water.


       Sunday we had a major rain storm.   3 and a half inches of rain in 10 minutes.  It was raining so hard you couldn't see outside.   We lost our electricity for 3 hours.   It was really bad.   During this time we heard a thump but thought it was probably another tree branch since we had wind gusts of up to 70 MPH.   Major storm.   When we woke up Monday Rick was really really sick with the flu.  I went outside to assess the damage and sure enough we lost some more branches.   I assumed that was the noise we had heard.   Later that day I went to the basement freezer to get some ice for Rick and a nightmare awaited me.   


      The egress window the city insisted I put in the basement had blown out in the storm.  The thing filled up with water and blew out.   Everything that was stored on the floor was ruined and the water level looked to have been about 8 inches.    I didn't look into the the other part of the basement and didn't tell Rick until the next day since he was so sick I didn't want him to mess with it.    Tuesday he went down to check it out and he did check the entire basement.   In the front of the house he found a large area of the basement wall had blown in and mud was covering everything.   We think a gofer had dug down around the foundation under my flower bed and with the rain it filled up and collapsed the wall.   So in the front of my house I now have a very large,  very deep hole.

 

Kind of looks like brownie mix doesn't it,

           You can see the water level on the wall in the last shot and all the mud in the 2 above.   Oh, and the wet smell,  my asthma was going crazy.   Plus we are going to have to worry about mold.

Thank goodness I keep most things I store down there in plastic tubs.   I do it because of spiders and it is a damp ole basement and that saved all my quilts and Christmas decorations.   About 500 dollars worth of books,  I read a lot, were ruined,  all of Ricks magazines,  some things my son's stored down there and some of Ricks projects.

    So here I sit with my broken arm and my 2 pound lifting limit,  a husband who is running a 101 fever and hasn't left his bed for more then a hour in 2 days and this huge mess.   I called my oldest son, the newlywed and started to cry.

  I always cry at the beginning of an emergency and then get down to business.  Once I get that out of the way I am a take charge type of person.   Both my son's left work early and my new lovely DIL came over and we started moving things out and throwing things away.  

     Since we are having major floods in 3 states I spent hours on the phone trying to find a dumpster,  a storage pod,  a contractor and getting in touch with my insurance man.   Everyone is booked for weeks.   I did finally get the dumpster,  the storage pod and a contractor who can start in a couple of weeks lined up to repair the damage.   He said we have to clear up the entire basement, duh, before he starts.   The insurance people said I am not covered for floods.   Is rain considered a flood?  I live on one of the highest hill in my town,  I am miles away from the river.  Now why would I have flood insurance.   I pay all this insurance and they never want to cover anything.

     Yesterday Rick was finally feeling better and we were both up in the wee hours cleaning and moving things.   Rick has a huge amount of tools and wood, screws, nails, wiring, saws, etc.... down there.  Neat and organized he is not.  Then the insurance company tells us were weren't suppose to toss anything until they had looked at all the damage!   What, we were suppose to leave all that wet mess down there to mold and smell to high heaven when they said it would be a few days before they could come assess it?  And it isn't like they are going to cover anything anyway.   I am definitely getting a different insurance company when I am done with this mess.

     So in the next few weeks I will be getting new gutters put on,  the basement fixed and new cement driveway and maybe patio.   All my stash I have been saving for years for my retirement is going to have to be used.  But thank goodness I live simply and have a stash I can count on.  As long as this is the last disaster for awhile.  I think we really need a break here.   And I really need to get back to work and start earning some money again.  I hope that stupid gofer is buried under that huge pile of mud.

The Newlyweds.

          My son is married to the beautiful and so sweet Jessica.   We are so happy as she is sweet, and calm, and so good for my son.