I use to be able to do….

I use to be able to do….

I use to hop… like in hopscotch..  in school and the play ground and if you are long time reader, you know I found out about 2 years ago.. I CAN’T..  My great grandson who was in kindergarten at the time..  was doing it..  So I drew with chalk, a diagram out on my walk way..   Then I went to show him how..I stood there at the head of it.. NOTHING.. NOTHING AT ALL. And no I could not just jump.  NOT even over the lines in the walk way..  HOW CAN I NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT? I KNEW HOW.  But could not get my body to lift up for a hop.  This baffled my mind.  I can’t do it… anymore…

When ever my husband (anyone of them 3) did a job for someone else, I would help.  I could lift pretty good. After all I lifted up 60 pound bales of hay on a regular basis  and threw them up on the trailer or truck.   I could life up a head from an engine and walk with it, without much trouble.  I have carried boxes when moving.. or when helping other move.. I did that.. I can’t barely,  lift anything over 10 pounds now, and walk very far with it at all.  It is heart breaking for me, as I was proud to help others. And especially my townie girlfriends.. who did not hay as a kid. I was proud of it..  and giggled when it was a guy…  I COULD DO THAT… I CAN’T ANY MORE…  Even groceries can be a problem with me. Bought a 15 pound watermelon today.. Barely got  it into my basket.. and then in to the trunk of the car.. and then to carry it to the garage to put it in the refrigerator.

Any project done by the family.. I was in the mix of it.. I was a very bad supervisor as I was a go getter..  I would work hard and fast.. get this project done today if possible..  push, push push.. and being the first one in line to get it done. …  Now I don’t even go out to try. I don’t have the umped to do it.. I don’t have the ambition to do it,  I just don’t have it .. in me anymore..  So I stay our of the way.. and let others do it..  I JUST CAN’T DO IT… ANYMORE..

What upsets me most is.. I was still doing a good share of this just two years ago… at 82 I was still able to help…  What went wrong? I do have trouble with my legs.. Don’t know what is causing it.. and mri and xrays don’t seem to be able to understand why they are painful.   If I know I am going to have to walk any distance, I get out the aspirins, Iproben or the new one I found that helps call legs and back pain..  Even if  I have the GGboys, I take the pills to make it thru it.  I have tried all kinds of rubs  even CBD… only takes it down a tinge …

It is not easy for a DOER.. to sit and watch others do it.. So I stay home.. and fiddle around here doing small stuff.. 

So if you are doing well, KEEP DOING..  I don’t care what it is.. do it.. lift it.. while you can.

I don’t sit around .. I am busy doing something.. just it is light now.. and not for a long time before I have to sit..  all I have to do is sit for about 2 minutes then I am up going..  if it is down on my knees pulling weeds.. I am definite in there doing it.. for a long time. but stand up.. NOTHING.. 

Take care my friends..  you are concern about 50 or even 60’s nah.. even 70 is great…. But 80 is miserable to find out you are doing less than you were use to doing.

 

 

 

 

I forgot…NO, you don’t understand …I FORGOT!!!

I forgot…NO, you don’t understand …I FORGOT!!!

I didn’t forget where I put something.  .. I did not forget where I was going when I went in a room…. THOSE I have done for years.. somewhere in my 50’s, those started..   But I gave my word I would do something..  MY WORD.. means a LOT..  I take it very seriously..  But I found out today, I not only forgot something to day, but I forgot something I didn’t do in March!!  Something that I do every year when my neighbor comes home from their get away from winter.   The next day.. I am at their house.. or at least sending the King down to their house… to return their snow money.  This past winter, we did not use any of it.  See we watch their house.. and if it snows so much that their roof needs to be shoveled.. we call someone and we pay them with the money given to us by the neighbor before they left.. I FORGOT to do that.. And today she asked me if I gave it to her..  IT HIT ME LIKE A TON OF BRICKS.  And I felt horrible.. as I went and looked and no I had not!!   She wasn’t bothered by it..  she just could remember if I did or not..  I DID NOT..  To make this worse and it started the DID YOU FORGET.. business… I have been helping them pick their blueberries.. I give my word, I will be there at 7:30am.. and I am.. BUT NOT TODAY…. I was talking to my daughter about something.. then it hit me.. OH MY GOD… I FORGOT…  So I called her right away and apologized.. Which after a bit of convincing me it wasn’t that big of a deal…  she said… by the way did you?         I FEEL LIKE CRAP!!  I GAVE MY WORD!! MY WORD MEAN A LOT.. well, it use to..   Told her if I am more than 10 minutes late..CALL ME.. 

Now I got to figure out how to do a better job of remembering..  I already put sticky notes on my bathroom mirror.. Wonder if those memory pills they advertise on tv work?

 

Manners never go out of style.

Manners never go out of style.

I had the GGboys yesterday..  and we were doing things around the yard and then inside..  We were coloring pictures.. The boys were making their own.  I have a cheap design coloring book.  I call it a pablum book,  you know, when you can do something with out thinking..

When one of the boys decide to share a color with the other.. I asked the receiver .. what do you say..  He looks at me for a minute and then he said.. Oh, thank you..  I told him good..  then I turn to the other one… and said.. and what do you say?  He just looked at me..  I said.. how about “you welcome”..  So he said it.  This went on several times over borrowed colors.. to getting water for one of the boys..   Then out of the blue I said.. you know..  when young boys say thank you and you welcome..  grown ups think that is pretty special that you say that..  As not many say that anymore. It is the polite thing to do.. The oldest said.. yea, Mom has us say thank you to others..   I said how about to each other..  He looked at me, like I was crazy..  I said.. well, when you do something nice for someone..  don’t you like it when the person tells you thank you/? He said.. yea, I guess I do.   I told him. Being polite is a nice way of being nice to others.  Let’s them know you appreciate what they did for you..  So off and on thru the rest of the art time.. I would hear one say to the other as a marker flew by me.. THANK YOU……  YOU WELCOME… and I smiled..

Manners never go out of style.. and we as the older generation need to let them know that.

HELLO … GOOD BYE.. JULY

HELLO … GOOD BYE.. JULY

Wow, here we go.. on the downhill side of 2024…9 days left of July making it only 4 more months of the year..   I know we have a month of temper heat of practicing for HELL, left.. but with the weather we are having.. who knows what it will be.

But will say it is a scary 4 months left..  Some where soon there is the Democratic Convention… and that is a mess.. The powers that be in that party are not so sure they want to stick with Joe.. and if they decide to not go with him.. WHO are they going to find crazy enough to put up against the massive snowball of hell called Trump..   Now remember I have no horse in this election.. I AM NOT A DEMOCRAT… AND SURELY NOT A REPUBLICAN EITHER..   Neither of those two do I want in the White House. But what do I know..    the 300,000 suppose citizens of the USA.. are either crazy about one or the other.   But I do like that Trump did not find another old dog to go the route with him. His running mate who use to hate him, decided he would go with it at the age of 39.   But got to have someone better than Cook  OR wait for God to do it.. to get to see what Vance can do.  So we all just sit here and watch…  Is anyone handing out popcorn while we watch?

 

Only in America… or the Ugly American…

Only in America… or the Ugly American…

Is it only in American that citizens.. every day citizens,, not military, not jungle fighters, not gangs…   I am talking about the every day Joe or Jill that goes to work each day.. 

Is it only us..  who get feed up..  angry,  disgusted or mad at someone about their opinions, or way of life, or what ever that sets these people off….  Grabs a gun and goes and kills someone.  Kills them because they are so ticked off at their way of life, what they said, what they think, how they treated them..  you just get a gun and kill them.. and while you are at it . kill others with them.  At the work place,  in a hotel.. looking down at a bunch of people who are listen to music…  in a grocery store.. in a church… in a school?

Are we the only mentally challenged that we can’t figure out how to talk to some one.. or even ignoring that person?  Just because someone said something to you.. just because you don’t like their politics?   ARE WE THE ONLY MENTALLY OFF BALANCE? TO THINK THE BEST THING IS TO KILL?

Now maybe I don’t read the papers enough..  don’t read on line enough, read about over seas, be it Europe, Asia, the mid East? England, Ireland and etc..   but I don’t recall someone just grapping a gun to kill people just out of anger. 

Kill for countries. Like Russia to grab land..  Kill because they don’t like their dictator, Or one religion against another.. But just one individual against another..   even ones they know thru the media but have no clue what or who they really are.  Just because they disagree.   

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH US CITIZENS.. THE SAD THING IS..  THESES ARE 8% OF THE COUNTRY… the rest are good people.. they disagree with you, but they walk off, because you aren’t worth arguing with..  or might even tell their own side, but let you have your side too…  that is who the REAL AMERICANS ARE..  but they are not the ones the media shows the world..  which make or encourages more  to become like the loud obnoxious ones.

More and more I am glad (I think) won’t be around to see this mess.. the destroying of America..   But I fear for my grand children.. and especially my great grandchildren.  Who may never know what it is like to walk down a country road barefooted.  To listen to the birds..  to hear the wind whip thru the trees.. To trust..  to trust anyone..  I guess I grew up and raised my kids just in time to see the good life. 

AND WE THOUGHT THE SLAVES WERE IN THE SOUTH..

AND WE THOUGHT THE SLAVES WERE IN THE SOUTH..

While searching for some information on something else, I came across this ..  Being I was born and raised in the Newport, R.I. area, it was of interest to me..   As all the time growing up.. I did not ever hear of this..    I heard there was a rich man’s house that was near the waterfront of the bay… which there was a tunnel under ground to the house and buildings he had. Used by rum runners… to go to the man’s property without notice.  I did hear something about it later in life..  That it was the tunnel to bring in slaves,  to take out rum.  But in my time of living there, I never saw the tunnel opening.. Even tho Mom and Dad had a boat. But we rarely went up bay, we went out towards the ocean and over to Jamestown.   Anyway..  like my title says… WE THOUGHT SLAVES WERE IN THE SOUTH..

So read this and see what you think..  maybe google it. I did. 

 

Slave trade[edit]

Newport was a major center of the slave trade in colonial and early America, active in the "triangle trade" in which slave-produced sugar and molasses from the Caribbean were carried to Rhode Island and distilled into rum that was then carried to West Africa and exchanged for captives. In 1764, Rhode Island had about 30 rum distilleries, 22 in Newport alone.

Slaves were trafficked illegally into Rhode Island, breaking a 1787 law prohibiting residents of the state from trading in slaves. Slave traders were also breaking federal statutes of 1794 and 1800 barring Americans from carrying slaves to ports outside the United States, as well as the 1807 Congressional act abolishing the transatlantic slave trade.

A few Rhode Island families made substantial fortunes in the trade. William and Samuel Vernon were Newport merchants who later played an important role in financing the creation of the United States Navy; they sponsored 30 African slaving ventures. However, it was the DeWolfs of Bristol, Rhode Island, and most notably James De Wolf, who were the largest slave-trading family in America, mounting more than 80 transatlantic voyages, most of them illegal. The Rhode Island slave trade was broadly based. Seven hundred Rhode Islanders owned or captained slave ships, most of whom were substantial merchants, though many were ordinary shopkeepers and tradesmen who purchased shares in slaving voyages.^[17]

Newport was inhabited by a small group of abolitionists and free blacks. Reverend Samuel Hopkins, minister at Newport's First Congregational Church, has been called "America's first abolitionist".^[18] Among subscribers to Hopkins' writings were 17 free black citizens, most of whom lived in Newport.^[18] This community of freemen, including Newport Gardner, founded the Free African Union Society in 1780, the first African mutual aid society in America.^[19]

 

Let me tell you now, incase I am not around…

Let me tell you now, incase I am not around…

Everyone worries about getting older…But let me tell you how it really is..

When you are from 0 to 30..  it is the usual stuff.. and no one really worries about those ages..  even 40’s and 50’s.. but 60’s seem to scare the hell out of most…  It is easy..

50’s is like being 20 accept you have a brain… yes you thought so at 20.. but you really didn’t… other wise you wouldn’t have done the dumb things you did..   At 50, you know better.. but you know how not to endanger yourself for the most part.. because you actually thought it out.   You might still do it.. but with less danger.

At 60’s You find out you can really say the things you want to say and people mostly will still be your friend. And if they don’t.. by this time you don’t care.. It isn’t you try to be mean..  you might soften it a bit.. but you will say it like you think it..

At 70’s is so fine, you are starting head into retirement IF YOU WANT TO..  IF you are lucky and I was… you can still do a heck of a lot of what you want to do..  As physically you are still pretty darn active… 

80’s is the pits… AND IT IS HELL TO GET OLD… you can still get around .. but it is a lot slower, your strength is in the toilet.. and you end up asking for help..  and some times you have to pull the “I’m 80 now, you know  card…   lol..  enjoy yourself.. 

Oh, yea… your patience’s with stupid people went in the toilet too.

Family … we are family…

Family … we are family…

Had the pleasure of having number 3 son and his family visit us for the 4^th of July. They have 4 children.. ranging from 11 to 26, I think?

It was a great time for us .. for sure.. and it also was for my local daughter and granddaughter with her sons.

It started out with a simple cook out, on the night they arrived.

On the next day  was a bar-b-que at our house… there was a beach day the next day …followed by pizza with a pre birthday for the GGboys. And then the final morning,  a good bye breakfast with them all.. except the granddaughter and GGboys.. as we did it pretty early, so they could get on the road back home.. 8 hours away.. 

When you get older, you really appreciate the kids coming to you, instead of all the traveling for us.. 

Life keeps changing…

Life keeps changing…

Tomorrow is the 4^th of July… One of my pass favorite holidays.. better than Christmas, and Thanksgiving or my birthday…  I love it because I love parades… I love fireworks… and of course a bar-b-q, as well.

But this year.. I am only half hearted into it.  Not going to the parade as my legs can’t take the walking anymore.  I always got there an hour before it started.. Be it the one in Sandpoint, which is the bigger of the two..  Or Clark Fork, which is a sweet old down home town of a parade. And smaller.   I have taken my camera to both of them..  Alternating each year. And then I would post them on my Facebook, so who ever didn’t get a chance to go, could see what there was in the parade.  But this year, my heart isn’t in it.

We are going to have a bar-b-q at our house.  But that is mostly because one of my sons and his family are coming up for the holiday..  So we are having the old fashion type. And I am looking forward to that. Already started some of the prep work.   4^th of July bar-b-que is like Thanksgiving.. there is a few prep work that need to be done a day or two before.. And then the morning of.. it is put the meat on.. And finish the prep work.   We will have his family of six.. They are my youngest grandchildren.  From 11 to 24 (I think). This year is extra special.. as I almost lost this son just a month and half ago, to a heart condition.. He is bouncing back.. he had similar trouble 3 years ago..  Being I have already lost one daughter to heart problems..  this hit home.  His family and us, are so very grateful that it turn out well.

They will probably leave in the early evening to go see the fireworks or maybe they will set off their own, rather than fight the crowd.   Me? Not so much..  It just doesn’t seem the same.. All the fireworks that I have gone to over the years… last 30 to 45 minutes. The last time we went to town, and waited with the crowd for 3 hours… for it to start.  It is at the beach.. which means no parking for the fireworks.  So it is park in town and walk down to the beach. So lacking for space to sit for those who show up late.  We use to have a back road we could sit at and see the show… But that back road has filled up with private homes.. blocking the view and not happy about strangers in their neighborhood.  Anyway, the time we went down to the beach.. like I said a 3 hour wait for it to get dark enough.. We got there and it was 7pm..  they did not start the fireworks until 10pm.  I know because I had looked at my watch to see what time they finally started..  But the worse of it was… it was OVER.. and I looked at my watch…  11 minutes after 10…  3 hours for a 11 minute show.. I was done.. so done..  So no more fireworks.

So 4^th of July isn’t what it use to be.  Also the best part of parades in the past was the marching bands… and there aren’t hardly any of those anymore.. if they in fact do have one.   Sad..  guess I am just getting too old for parades anymore.

It is that time of the year again.. school reunions..

It is that time of the year again.. school reunions..

We get a yearly notice for joining the class reunion for our school, no matter what year it is.. I think it is called “for all years”.. No wait, I see they changed it.. it is for all those who graduated 50 + years ago.  So while this year is not OUR year..for the 5 or 0…we are still invited to join.  Probably because there isn’t enough for each class to have much of a showing.. Some died, some are disabled, and some just don’t go to them..  I am more of the last bunch. But also I live in Idaho.. and the school is in Rhode Island. 

The school I graduated from.. is now a  middle school. They moved the high school into a new building about 4 miles away. And not that building they figure is too old and they are trying to decide to savage the good parts.. or just build a new one..  See it was the class of 1958 that graduated first from that new building.  Our class of 1957 was the last class of the ancient school that even my parents went to.. and it was old when they went.

There is 3 more years before we get to really celebrate.. and that will be 70^th year reunion.

I wish they would have the head of the group have a booklet of WHERE ARE THEY NOW.. so we can see who is still with us. I would guess with ours being 68 years this year.. there aren’t a heck of a lot of us left.  The average age being 85. I was a young one.. I graduated at the age of 17… just barely 17.. two months before. Where most of my class mates turn 18.  

There is probable about 4 or 5 of 1956.. and older.. and ours is probably has maybe 10 at most. 

There is so little of us.. that they have throw us in with the Catholic church schools.  I don’t know if they are still running or not.  I should google it.   St. Catherine’s for girls.. and DeLaSalle for boys.. Ours was and still is Roger’s High School.   Oh and the dinner is $35 a piece..  and for me and mine?  Well, you have the plane ticket from coast to coast..  then the hotel, then food, and rental car..  Pretty expensive for me..   I will pass.