Whats on Your Bed?

I love monochrome. There are 4 shades of burgundy on our bed. the spread that matches the valance weighs 800 pounds and is stored away. I got tired of fighting it.  The subject matter today is PILLOWS! Bob makes fun of me every night when we go to bed. (shades caused by 2 sets each King, Queen, Regular Pillow cases bought at various times)

What's on your bed,

What's under your head?

If your bed was seen,

what's your color scheme?

This KING bed has Two Sheets, Eight Pillows and Eight pillow cases. One oh so soft fleece blanket, very thin and clingy and easy to flap in the air...

Bob owns ONE pillow!

The rest are MINE

Two KING Prop Up Behind the Back Pillows (watch TV, read, laptop)

Two under the head, the black one goes on top of the flattest bed pillow, the 2 together make it the just the right height. (on my back sleep)

Two  for under arms, under knee for lying on my side to sleep.

Number 7 is the travel pillow in black n white polka dots. (under head to do leg exercise on end of bed, hold my kindle on tummy while reclining etc)

The laughing and teasing from Bob is the routine I go through each night when he turns the light off.
2 Kings thrown on chair, 2 under my head, one under knees first, the one under arms.. It is a sight.

Lets hear about your bed.....

The Purple Tree And the Blue house

This gorgeous purple tree is about 1/2 mile from our home, we have walked past it every day for 10 months, since Oct 1st last year.  We have never seen it without blooms. I have no idea what it is and it is the only one we have seen. Nature Friday, City life style

UPDATE: from Anni and Yamini, in comments below. The tree is Lasiandra Grandiflora or Glory tree.
Both names fit... it is indeed a Glorious tree

This home is beautiful, as is the yard. The washed out effect of the yard and sky was caused by 6:45 am time, the sun was not up over the trees. it is even more stunning in bright sunshine. The color of the blue is about 10 shades lighter than it looks in these photos.

This is the house from 2012 on Google Earth. The owners bought the house  in 2015 when it looked like this, paint and landscaping and a totally different look. They are really nice people and have a beautiful Big Cat. no photos of the cat.

google maps 2012 photo

Memory Jogging through Wal-Mart

KAT on a beach towel reminds me of Kat and Cecila on Downhome in NC

All Photos taken by cell phone in Wal-Mart while shopping for weekly supplies. Under each photo is the person I thought of when I took the photo.

Linda on Linda's Life Journal

Linda Chapman and My Mother, 2 peas in a pod

Last but not least, My Restroom Mirror Shots reminded me of half a dozen of YOU that are reading this post. NOTE: top left I was praying for a better photo and the guts to post this😊

Alerts! Warnings! Etc Etc

We received this email this week from the FAA because Bob operates planes and drones and we live in a No Fly Zone for 5 Airports and an Air Force Base. He has to register his flying machines and post his number on each plane/drone

We receive emails when he is not allowed to fly.

this is an excerpt from the long email... I underline the important part for those of you who don't want to read the email....
Operating a drone that has a dangerous weapon attached to it is a violation of Section 363 of the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act enacted Oct. 5, 2018. Operators are subject to civil penalties up to $25,000 for each violation, unless the operator has received specific authorization from the Administrator of the FAA to conduct the operation. “Dangerous Weapon” means any item that is used for, or is readily capable of, causing death or serious bodily injury.

This photo was at the end... First thought was who would do this? 2nd thought is are we idiots? Who would NOT KNOW it is against the law to attach a weapon to a drone.

Bob's first words after  I read this to him and showed him the photo, was, Oh I have seen this done, and I know how to do it and could if I wanted to... OMW at least he closed with why would I and Who would do this?

consider yourself warned people! It is Against The Law to Weaponize a Drone...

I just remembered a scene from a Bruce Willis movie with a machine gun shooting in the windows of a high rise.  I assume they had previous authorization! Also, I am pretty sure there was one in a Jason Bourne movie... 

ALERT!  the above is a spam notice from a bank, I have received 5 of these in the past couple of weeks. All were banks I have never used. Below is from Spectrum, that is our cable company.
THEY ARE SPAM and NOT TRUE. Delete, Delete and do not contact them. NEVER CLICK ON A LINK. if you are concerned go to the web site and log in or call the company...

Alert!
I have recived

Shopping In Sunshine!

The sun was out on a dry cloudless morning, but later it waned...

A lot of shady characters are waiting for their day in the sun....  

Are twin brothers called sunsets?

Three weeks of rain and Our Florida Sunshine is back.... So is our backyard Jungle... YAY! I am giddy with the joy of it all. Shopping in the Sun is so much better.

Beta PicMonky Practice

PicMonkey sends emails when they add something new. I received this tutorial stating they now have free stock photos, to use as we pleas.  I used one of their templates, and the new stock photo I chose was the rose. I customized to my taste.

First creation, I was not happy, and created the one above.

Below is the template I customized.

Below is where the photos are found in Beta PicMonkey for those who use it or want to try it free. New Beat only works well on newer computers and cell phones. Will not work on EDGE. I use Chrome and my laptop.  I do this type of thing because I love to learn new things and this is my recreation ...

What, Where, Why?

 What is this?

 Now can you tell what it is?

It is on the side of the fridge with my timers. Can you guess why?

For 30 years, Our coffee cups have lived on a platter beside the coffee pot. To catch the spills for easy cleanup.

Each morning Bob removes his cup and places over by the stove, because the light is on. He does this because he can't see the sugar going in his cup or the coffee when it gets to the top. It is to DARK on the platter.

Nevermind, he doesn't need glasses, or so he says, I can see the cups fine. AnyHOO..

Yes, we do have an overhead light. No he will not turn it on.

I looked for the little touch me stick up lights to put above the cups, under the counter for him to TOUCH, and leave the cup where it belongs.

Thus having sugar/coffee spills only in the spill platter.

$9.97 was the price, right next to it were these little hanging lights, $2.47 each. Magnet or hanger, my choice.

One for the fridge

One for the water heater, next to the washer in order for me to see the 87 buttons on the dashboard. 

Two Lights for half the cost of ONE..

Old Age IS....

Old age is, Well... exhausting.   We start out exhausted, because we are ummm… OLD.

Added to the Old thing, we get even more exhausted running back to the store to get the potato that was not on the list to go with the Steak and salad that was on the list. The reason we forgot the potato is we did nor remember to put it on the list.  And even if it was on the list, it might have happened anyway.

 Now add a trip to return what we picked up that we thought was one thing and turns out to be another...  They keep changing the familiar packages which flips a switch on our memory cells.

 Yet another trip to Publix, to pick up prescriptions and having parked within spitting distance of CVS, which is the ONLY STORE in town that sells the nose drops my husband can't live without, I drive home without the nose drops...

I say I say! its Exhausting!   If you wondered why the raining on traffic photo above, it is to say while all this is happening it is raining. Can you say Rain and Traffic? Yes! Seniors do take photos through the windshield..

YouTube? or Not YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-wPoSeFgJY

I was propped in bed, laptop on lap, watching a woman ironing a pair of jeans. I thought, I wish I could wear that size jeans, I wish I had the money to afford those jeans, and why am I watching her iron jeans?  I looked down and realized the video had been viewed, 1,688, 432 times.

This sent my Mad Mind off on a thinking tangent...

I have watched people fold towels, unbox a new camera, dance, sing, and tons of tutorials on just about anything. My brother repaired his washer by watching a tutorial on YouTube. My Baby Brother is 71 today. Happy Birthday David..

I love YouTube.

Do you use YouTube? if so what do you view? How do you use it?

We love to watch So You think you can Dance and World of Dance, and can find nothing on TV we want to watch. If there is a dance I love, I find it on YouTube and watch again.

I went to Prime and added about 10 Dance Movies this week. The first was Fame. We loved it. Next was High Strung.... the dance at the end of that movie is HERE  and above photo on YouTube... on the big screen TV it gave me goose bumps. Not everyone will like it.
                                          What do you like to watch on YouTube?

Sheetrock Down!

Friday at 5:30 am, and was greeted by this sight.



I turned and yelled in the door. COME HERE! Sheetrock is Down. During the storm filled night, a whole sheet fell from the garage ceiling onto the washer/dryer. Nothing was damaged but what a mess.  It seems when they named it Sheetrock, they meant it is literally a sheet of rock. The thing weighed at least 100 pounds.

As we worked for over an hour cleaning up the mess, we tried to figure out why it just fell. no leaks nothing wrong, it just fell.

Bob and I stood it on end, he held the back side 2 inches off the ground, I could not lift my end, but was able to drag it out to the curb, leaving a long white mark on the driveway. We broke it up and put the pieces in the big trash receptacle.

With brush and dust pan, I cleaned off washer/dryer/water heater and resorted to a paint brush to get the stuff out of the small spaces while bob swept the floors.

All day long we talked about WHY?

2 days later I remembered The 180 pound Plumber on the roof with the 100 pound Snake and that the snake was stuck and for over an hour he rattled the house and foundation AND roof trying to get it out.

At least now we know WHY...

below the red shape over the washer is the vent pipe to washer, the one in the corner is to the drains and the one the snake was Stuck In...Imagine a giant blender shaking the roof and foundations and there you have the answer....

On the good news side. we found it when I went out to put poop in my car.. 

Just so you know, Big Boy had a Vet appointment at 9 am which requires a SAMPLE to be tested and since in the past I have been known to Leave It On the Counter, I wanted to put it in the car

Yes! it was sealed in a baggie. I did remember that.

PS.. I know I need to shorten my posts verbiage... it is just not the same.

Garage sheetrock fell on washer/dryer

Made a huge heavy mess

We cleaned it up

Nothing was damaged, Roof is fine.

Caused by shake, rattle and roll of Plumbers Snake 3 days before.

Best Seller?

While emailing with Ann of SnapEditScrap, she said her Wal-Mart is about 20 miles away. I said we have 5 Wal-Marts with in 8 miles. Then I checked and found we have EIGHT Wal-Marts with in 22 miles of our front door. Isn't this crazy?

Do you think I can find all the exits in all these stores?

 Here is my plan.... I will check out Home Depot, YMCA, Culvers, Salems, Hungry Howie's and the church where my TOPS meeting is. Make a map of exits and start a Book Of Exits....  I am doing these first because it is where I GO. Then I will start with the BUSY places and Voila! a Best Seller of

 Exits You May Need to Know before you go...will be on the front cover...

Can you come up with a better name? I am calling it  Know Your Exits!  Help me out please with the name.

Rainbow

Driving home from Home Depot, with 25 pounds of D.E. Dirt that cost me $25.00, I drove right under this rainbow.

I said, Silly Rainbow, your pot of gold is in my back seat, not on my house.

I turned left and right and left again and got out of the car and the silly rainbow was NOT on my house. No pot of gold to replenish what I spent for our pool. It was on my neighbors house.

not to bad for a cheap cell phone pic

Amygdala was hi-jacked.

Photo found on Google Images, not mine photographer unknown

Amygdala... the part of the brain that process emotions, positive and negative and is better known for its role in processing fearful and anxious emotions...… There are two of them amygdalas, not emotions), and I MAY have 3 or 4...JUST SAYIN

This small part of my brain processes my phobias and fears that have been with me since I was 2 years old. My Phobias and I are best friends. Claustrophobia is one. Tight spaces, elevators, dark small rooms, closets and even if someone holds my arms tight so I can't move.

 Research shows by age 25 adults think with the prefrontal lobe, the rational one.

Evidently My brain is till a teenager and thinks with the Amygdala...

Recently I went with a friend to visit a friend, 4 floors of condos. 

Enter Lobby door,

 push 3 buttons,

 phone rings, 

owner pushes button.

 I have seen this in movies, but have never 

Stepped out, looked both ways and see the hall like above,

 stretching in either direction.

We need the 3rd floor.

The elevator door opens to A Tiny Square Box, that might hold 4 people, packed tightly. I hold my breath. It opens on 3rd floor and my Amygdala  is hijacked, a mild sense of panic that I try to hide from my friend, who is tough, she is an army veteran and has no idea what Amygdala Brain Is.

We step off, I look both ways and SEE the Same 2 halls.

 If you have guessed the condo we need is 

THE LAST ONE at the end of the hall, you are right

. She takes off walking fast, I keep up in case I need protection.

I manage to walk without panting, and we step inside this gorgeous condo with sweeping views out glass doors.  I should be feeling better, but as we sit down I realize there is ONLY ONE WAY OUT.

I sit at the table and stare at the kitchen stove and think What if it catches fire. The stove wasn't even ON...
I wonder in my head if they have a fire ladder and where they keep it if they do.  A knife to cut the screen?
(today I am not worried about serial killers coming in the ONLY Door, because there are 3 adult women, 2 teenage girls and a hubby)

Have you ever lived like this?   Would you?

Keep in mind, The only motel I will stay in is ground floor, park in front of the door and it must have front door and either back door or a big window....MUST HAVE at least 2 Exits.

My research showed, ALL the fearful emotions are in that one tiny little part of the brain, the list can be limitless. OH NO! there might be MORE than what I have thought of?

AT LEAST NOW I KNOW THE REASON I HAVE PHOBIAS. MY BRAIN NEVER GREW UP PAST AGE 25, WHICH WAS FIFITY YEARS AGO....you know the part that would not let my hand or foot hang off the bed for fear something would grab it.

do you? woudl you?

If you have Windows 10, Do you get these photos when you boot up? If so do you wait until it gives you

This in the top right corner and click on I like it or Not a Fan? I love these photos. When this one popped up, my first question was

After discussing with myself the person is an idiot, I went to the other corner and clicked see more..
WOW OH WOW... I have often wondered why anyone would visit Iceland. Now I know and you can to if you click HERE..  I may have spent about  an hour visiting this beautiful country...

A Plumber's Apprentice

Photo snipped from FB page of our new Plumber

You may have read Big Boy's story of his new Best Friend the Plumber Guy HERE on FourpawsEtc.

I will state here, he is the best Plumber we have ever used, and there have been 6 in 30 years... This story is not about him, that was told on Fourpawsetc.

This is MY story... I am now officially unofficially  a Plumbers Apprentice.

Mike works alone. I stood and watched every move he made under the kitchen sink. No, it is not that I did not trust him, I might have been TALKING... He loved to talk to... YAY!

The thingy that is a snake, growled and growled and growled and it would NOT break through. Sink would not drain. I say, I am sure it is ROOTS, it was 9 years ago.

He stands up and says Can you show me the vent on the roof? I say sure, I watched the other plumber 9 years ago, I even know which one it is. (Bob is watching TV)


HA HA! little did he know. this is a list of all I did for him in the 2 hours it took to break through the clog.
Pointed out 3 vents on roof
Followed him out to front, watched him back his van under the garage overhang, watched as he took a 100 pound grinder twister thing up on van roof, watched as he lifted it on to roof and stood up on van roof and stepped on to our roof (can you believe he works without a ladder)

Twice I handed him a flashlight.. SEE? told you I helped.

I quickly ran through the  house and into back yard to watch him run it down through the vent.
He assigned me the job of going in the house and filling both sides of the sink to the top, and watch it and let him know when it broke loose and emptied. (do you think my yada yada was on his nerves?)

I watched and waited, it sounded like there was an earthquake in and under the house. IT Did NOT Work. I ran outside and said to the man on the roof in bright sun that was 93 degrees in the shade with heat index of 111, it is not draining.

As the sweat ran off in rivulets, He said I KNOW! it is touching something that will not move... this went on for about 40 minutes, I ran in and out.

I told him once again it is roots. he said I think it is a collapsed pipe, it is harder than roots.
I offered water which he took after I sat in on the bumper of his van and he climbed down to get it.

I am smart but how to get a glass of water up on a roof was beyond me.

He climbs back up, and more earthquake sounds. I hear a WORD! he doesn't know I have the hearing of a dog. I go out and he says the snake is stuck, I can't get it out, and this is a brand new machine. I heard the panic in his voice that I was feeling.

I return inside, we listen to the grinding, he is yanking on it trying to get it out. I prayed over and over for the Lord to loosen that snake as I sat going over the list of what we would do if the hundred pound THING could not break lose.

He told me after it was over that he was thinking the same thoughts. that he never had one get stuck.

Suddenly IT BROKE LOOSE and it was ROOTS lots of roots.. the machine was FREED... the sink drained. I said I told you it was roots, just like last time.  This was not my first rodeo job as plumber assistant. I DID Not say that but thought it.

I came in to change into something cooler because working as an apprentice was really hot out there.
As I changed clothes I heard him shout my name. I panicked, thought he had fallen or had a heat stroke and I ran through the living room saying to TV man, did you hear him shout? HA ON THAT

I went out and he said YOU HEARD ME?  I thought I was going to have to climb down. He needed the hose, I handed it up and WATCHED as he poured root killer that we already had, down the vent and flushed with water. something called copper sulphate that the other plumber told us to use but Bob never did.

He climbed down and I found him sitting on his bumper with head in hands and looking like heat stroke. I said come in the AC and sit down and drink more water, he said I have gator aid and came in and sat at the breakfast bar.
WHOO boy! Bob came over and we had a Real Good Time because he and Bob are from the same place, within 50 miles or each other.
HE COULD NEVER HAVE DONE THE JOB WITHOUT ME... Right?  He did not pay me when I paid him but he did give a 20 dollar discount for Cash... and it was half what we paid the other plumber... he is a keeper... I put FIVE STARS by his name in our address book...
JUST SO YOU KNOW! HAVE PLUMBERS LICENSE WILL TRAVEL.....

MadSnapper Saturday TALE part 2

THIS POST continued from Prior Post HERE.

If you have never smelled boiling vinegar mixed with Kerosene, you have not missed a thing. The man who complained bitterly of the smell of vinegar, had come in from the garage, sat down at the breakfast bar, spread a rag, and had the carburetor from the weed Wacker in PIECES, spread all over the rag.

He brought a lamp, set it up right in front of the SINK and ME the MADsnapper, close enough for me to lean forward and touch him.

All this WHILE I was slicing fruit and placing in a container. Instead of leaning forward to smack him upside the head, I grabbed my cell phone and said KIMCHEE, which makes it take a photo.

He said WHAT ARE YOU DOING?   Really???   What are YOU DOING? is the question.

PS will keep you posted on how the fruit taste this week... I keep the fruit for fruit kabob snacks.

MadSnapper Saturday TALE

Our Saturday is always a busy one, we do the floors, I go to WM for weekly supplies while the sheets from the bed are drying, they go in the washer at 5 AM when we get up. In the dryer before I back out of the garage.  Bob takes Big for his walk and watches TV..

This Saturday started early, I woke to the sound of a KNOCK! Knock! Knock! 3 times and thought what NOW?  I eased down the hall just in case the serial killer was already in the house trying to wake me up in order to get me to creep walk down the hall. 😜

The noise was coming from the kitchen, not the front door.

Imagine my surprise as I rounded the corner into the living room and it was the coffee maker that had been on The List for a vinegar cleanse for a week.

The racket would raise the dead, but of course Bob with hearing aids out would

A. not know if it was a serial killer. B. not hear the knocking noise and C. would not care either way.

 Said list was:
Run Vinegar through pot...  (not necessary to write which pot, but that might change soon)
Sheets Back on Bed
Boil Big's Weekly supply of eggs (he gets one a day)

As I put away the last of the supplies  I added to the list, Slice Strawberries, Chop Pineapple, Wash Grapes

Poured my last cup of coffee to clear the pot, added the vinegar and as the smell wafted through the house, causing the coffee to taste like vinegar, I put the eggs on to boil, started to hit the computer for emails and realized I am not allowed to leave the kitchen while the stove on... (not that I have ever boiled the water out of the eggs)

Deciding to do the kitchen list first while eggs boiled, I used the sprayer to clean the strawberries and grapes and suddenly smelled  KEROSENE....   to be continued

Guessing Game

The towel draped over the back of the sofa, says Kitchen Closed, Lets Eat Out... In the distant past it hung on the wall in the kitchen. Due to distant past, it is so faded it is hard to read. Can you guess why it is draped on the back of the living room sofa?

Scroll Down for answer

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It is to remind me a load of towels is washing in the washer! 

NOT that I have ever forgotten and left them in washer WET until they soured in the heat and humidty.

The reminder I use the most, is the laundry basket on the bed, that is on the path to the potty. NO chance of missing that one...

What Reminders do you use?

My Walmart Mission

I drove to Wal-Mart Wed morning to meet my Friend Sue, treasurer of TOPS. Meet Up in grocery side entrance at 10:15.

I had to return something, and chose to go early. After customer service, I decided to walk the outer perimeter of the store. Exercise was part of my Mission, Can you guess what the other mission was?

Think hard, remember my Phobias and Fears...…… you should know by now...…

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Have you guessed? 

I wanted to find the EXITS! after the week end of News, I said to Bob, where are the exits in our Wal-Mart. Neither of us knew. 

You will be happy to know that I located 17 exits, 19 if you count the two cubbies where the baskets are stored, the space at the back where they push them inside.

For 15 minutes I walked the store, peering down every aisle I came to, staring at every EXIT sign, marking them in my memory bank. 

I then paid for the one item, put it in a bag and went in the rest room to you know what.

I go to the proposed meeting place and sit next to a man eating hash browns. THE SMELL WAS KILING me.

I said do you think we are safe sitting here? he said I hope so and moved away from me.

Sue was late, I had to wait 20 minutes. I paced and sat, went out and peered at the parking lot, Stood by the door peering out. It was drizzling rain and I realized Wal-Mart has no over hang. Who Knew?  I Looked at all the GAMES in the nook, in other words, HOVEREING and PEERING..

It never once occurred to me what I must have LOOKED LIKE on the hidden cameras.

Sue came, we walked to her car to transfer things to a basket to put in my car and while telling her about the exits, I notice a police car parked 20 feet from me, as in the photo above.

I said OMG Sue, he has been watching me HOVER and what about the cameras in side?

She was happy to know the exits I found because she said to me.

LOOK at me. I look Hispanic! She is full blooded Italian and an immigrant.

I said OH NO.. lets make a name tag that says I am Italian!

IF they come knocking on my door can Bob call you for donations for bail money? How long do they keep those recordings?

Clathrus ruber mushroom

Clathrus ruber mushroom, of the Stinkhorn Mushroom family. A.K.A. (also know as) basket stinkhorn, red cage mushroom, latticed stinkhorn.
I DID NOT TOUCH it.... It STINKS, it was covered in gnats and ants. soft and squishy about 3 to 4 inches long.
NOTE: the stink draws the bugs, the bugs swarm it and travel afar spreading the spores. OH NO! I don't want a yard full...



I bent over to pick up the tiny avocado, to keep it from being scarfed down by Big Boy, and said out LOUD.. What is this?

I thought someone had thrown a toy or a piece of fruit in the yard, then  I realized it was GROWING I went to get the tiny shovel and dug it up.... When Bob wanted to know what I was doing, I showed him the ugly but beautiful basket shaped mushroom. Neither of us have ever seen one.

Do a search for Clathrus ruber mushroom and you get THESE PHOTOS not mine. Wikipedia is HERE

I made the good choice of not touching it and dumped it in the poop bag that hangs on the fence and said to Leonard Lizard, I hope the bugs on this thing don't kill you.... It was covered in ants and gnats. They love bugs... research found it is poisonous, my apologies to the Lizards that dine on the Poop Bag Buffet.  (in case you are wondering, yes we do have indoor plumbing, the bag is to pick up dog poop so we don't smell like a stinkhorn when we step in it) my niece pays big bucks for a service to come each week and pick hers up. Just so you know.

I used my cell phone to take the pic, my hand was trembling and i could not see the screen. OOPS! but I like it.

Joining LLB in my Backyard for Nature Friday