Hump Day

Fleta brought Astrid Aunt Helen’s crocheted rug. She placed it in the front entry. Her house is decorated vintage country. Helen wanted to make a rug and I gave her a big hook and helped her get started. She used some white sheets but dyed them. After she mastered this one, she made a big one for her dining room. 

Greta played volleyball last evening where I went to high school. She’s making a strong hit at the net in the picture. It was videoed and I got to watch her play. She had a great game and they won. She’s on Jr. Varsity, only a sophomore. Greta's a great athlete. This reminded me of my high school years. There were no sports for girls….none. Long before my time a girl on a team got pregnant and they blamed that on sports. Boys had sports and we had none. Title 9 corrected that but we are moving backwards again. 

Ada will not be playing many sports I don’t think. The PE teacher said for the class to run a certain amount of laps. Ada told him she couldn’t run as her leg hurt. She said she had “growing pains”. He said run one. She ran and fell down and bloodied both knees. She came home walking stiff legged wearing two big band aides. The picture of Ada is by the gym for my old high school. It’s new. We used one of the old WPA built gyms.

I grabbed my stick before 7 and walked my minutes. Since last September when I sprayed Pop’s Pond and injured my knee, I’ve been unable to take my morning walks. I’m not as fast as I once was and I have to carry a stick along but being in God’s garden again is invigorating! This morning finally felt like fall.

The star of my ambling along was the Goldenrod. I spied Boneset and Blue mist too.  Goldenrod flowers are a magnet for flies, beetles, wasps and butterflies. Goldfinches and sparrows love goldenrod seeds. Cattle and horses aren’t fond of it. Pioneers used it as a yellow dye. It’s pollinated by insects and does NOT cause hay fever. The pollen does float through the air…that’s ragweed. Goldenrod contains latex. During World War I the price of rubber soared and Henry Ford asked his friend Thomas Edison to see if any native plants could be used as a source of rubber. Of the plants Edison tested, he found several goldenrod species contained latex compounds. One species had over 6 percent in the leaves. But synthetic rubber was produced in the lab and both Ford and Edison passed during World War II, so nothing ever came of making rubber from goldenrod. There’s a multitude of other medicinal and health uses. It acts as a mild diuretic and astringent to help flush the kidneys and bladder, supporting recovery from minor urinary tract infections or passing small stones. Goldenrod can dry up excess mucus, easing symptoms from seasonal hay fever, sinusitis, and postnasal drip. When applied topically as a wash, poultice, or infused oil to soothe skin irritations and minor cuts. Herbal teas and tinctures are made from the yellow flowers. Seeping the leaves fresh or dried creates Goldenrod Tea and soaking them in alcohol makes Goldenrod Tincture.

After I finished walking, I used my dolly and put rocks around the Lantana astrid gifted me forMother’s Day. I’ve moved it in ground but I couldn’t get the hole I planted it in very deep. I’m going to build up around it with mulch and donkey poop when winter gets closer. I filled in behind it with monkey grass. The rocks were big but I was extremely careful and my knee didn’t twist out of place.

I weed eated around several areas. I can’t get close with my mower. My mower is diesel and I need some. I’m trying to let the price drop but it’s going up instead. 

Heart Doc today at 1:30. 🤞

Tuesday

If anyone can mess up a sure thing, it’s me! An Amish group in Dardanelle buy a load of apples. You place an order and pick up when delivered. Laura ordered a bushel of Honey Crisps. Hers were great. I decided to try Jonagold. They’re a cross between yellow delicous and Jonathan. The entire bushel was mellow. Most just mushy. I sent some to Erin and Fleta took a few. You heard the phrase when life throws you lemons make lemonade. Well, when you buy mushy apples make applesauce. I spent much of yesterday making applesauce. I have enough in the fridge for one more batch. 

It’s really not hard to make applesauce and there isn’t much waste. You don’t have to peel the apples. You just quarter them and cook them, then run them through a collander. They were plenty sweet. No sugar added. I put them in cool whip containers and froze them excepting a quart I kept out for me and a quart I gave to Laura. I like applesauce on top of a slice of cinnamon toast for breakfast. Below is all was left of the apples after the collander process. Just a cool whip bowl!

Siggie is getting ready for winter. She bought these plant stands at a second hand store and repainted them. They turned out nice. She’s thinking ahead. She’ll have to bring her plants in or trash them.

I got my heart echo gram results. No blockages or valve problems. Just an aging heart. Nothing bad really showed. I go see Dr Rasool tomorrow and hopefully he’ll tell me why my heart was having “racing” episodes. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, praying, and looking for a rabbits foot! Ha, what will be, will be!
 

New week

We got a sprinkle of rain! Thankful for what we get! The air is cooler so I grabbed my hiking stick and walked in Galla Meadow.  My Spider Surprise Lilies are blooming. I notice the Hummingbirds love them.❤️  I can’t walk fast so I walk for time not distance.

Saw this in the pasture. It’s False Foxglove. It’s not digitalis is why it’s called false. Can’t be used as heart medicine.

This little daisy was blooming near an above ground Black gum root. Is Fleabane a bane to fleas. Well, maybe but it may be just an old tale.

 Galla Lake is low. I saw geese taking off as it’s a stopover hostel for geese on their long migration.

Sunday

Fleta left for Coin before 8:00. It was great having her. 

Fleta delivered a box to Erin and Ada. Free delivery. I sent Ada pumpkin and apple coasters and her Dolly Parton dress. I bought a bushel of apples so I sent Erin apples and eggs.

Coasters for Ada

Ada’s Saturday library run is an exercise in strength. She checks out so many books she can barely tote them back.

 

Saturday

I tried making  cinnamon rolls for our breakfast like Helen did, but I told Fleta not to be expecting them each visit. The rolls weren’t as good as sister’s! Oh, well, it’s the thought.  I  taking her for a steak today. She’ll go home in the morning.

Sigrid and Logan E came to see me. I bought a little shelf from Amazon for my bathroom. Logan put it together for me. 

I’m trying to walk for exercise two days each week. Other days I ride my therapy bike. I have to use a hiking stick but I’m doing it. It’s hot still. I am trying to go before7:30. I. Walking for time not distance because my speed is sloooow.

The two horses and Johnny were grazing. The sight of them is calming.

Friday

Sister got here about noon. I fixed meatloaf, baked potatoes, corn on the cob and a salad. Too much work. I especially hated cleaning the pan I cooked the meatloaf in. I put in on a rack so it was two pans. It wasn’t worth it. She brought a watermelon. I’m thinking that can be supper.

I took everything off my bed and washed it. I even washed my Grandma Gertrude Powell quilt and hung it on my clothesline Laura redid for me. I’d had the quilt over 50 years and never used it. I decided the last years of my life, I’d enjoy it and I am. Grandma made it for me in 1968 for my High School graduation gift.

Picture is Aunt Una Powell on right and Grandma 1956. Both widows! They married brothers and they were cousins, not first cousins but kin. They lived across the street from one another for many years!

Aunt Una Powell and Grandma in 1956.

Ada got the Goblin math award again. Greta had volleyball so Erin fixed her a hamburger after school. Greta’s team won and she won the last game with her serve. Ada has no interest in sports. She reads during the game. She’d like to run around but Erin makes her sit with her.

 

Thursday

 

Laura got new glasses. Her eyes haven’t changed. I need to make my appointment to have mine checked. It’s usually months ahead before I can get in.

I made astrid 4 pumpkin coasters. Now I’m making Sigrid 4. I bought new yarn because I wanted all cotton for them. I’ll just keep making them til I use up the orange.

Yesterday I mowed and today I weed whacked. Today was harder. At least while mowing I’m riding along. It took an hour. I checked the temperature when I came in at noon. It was 92 but said it feels like 97. I believe it.

Fleta is coming tomorrow to stay 2 nights with me. Makes me happy.

September 16

I mowed my yard. It was really hot and dust and debris blew on me, but it’s done. Last time I mowed was August 15. There were lots of leaves covering the grass so it was a chore. A lot of them got chopped up but there’s still a lot and more will fall.

I moved my lantana to the ground. I hope it survive the winter. I used a pick to dig the hole and it was still hard to dig. It’s isn’t down but about 6 inches. I will mulch it thick . I’m watering it twice a day. 

I cleaned all the mess off the concrete pad for the well. I have city water. Larry used it for the gardening. But the electric line was used for another thing that needed 220. So I had to get all the pipes, air tanks, a big stack of concrete blocks. I have a bucket over the well casing but hope to find something that’ll work better.

At 11:00 today I went to the local hospital for my echo cardiogram test. It took quite a while. Next Wednesday Dr. Rasool will let me know what it showed. The technician said she bet I have A Fib. I’ll be glad to know what it is.

I took my walk here this morning. It was hot but I completed it. I had to take a shower after I walked then another after I mowed. It was 99 yesterday and forecast says 95 today. We’ll go from this to cold probably.

 

Fifteenth

I have another squirrel cleaning up under the bird feeders. I hope he doesn’t start climbing the pole and draining the feeder. I don’t like trapping and moving squirrels but I’m feeding birds not squirrels!

Yesterday the Varsity Volleyball team did a greet with the kindergartners at Harrison. The coach moved Greta to varsity a few weeks back. Greta is the tall girl with long dark hair.

Ada’s second grade picture is here. I am glad her missing tooth shows, she had to wear a hair bow and the one that matched broke. She insisted and wore the pink one. It makes the picture even more special. On Sunday morning Ada always wants to wear a dress. No skirts for church just dresses. She made a loud announcement last Sunday about her new pink boots. Greta never says two words. Ada is vocal. Every child is different!

I follow Ada’s class at school. Today there’s a picture of her. The students were doing stations in math. 

I may try these. I’ll check my colors. I may have to get some yarn.

 

September Half Over

Astrid has the new table runner in place. I think it’ll work til Christmas season.

Month is half gone. Time whizzes by. Still hot but not super heat below 95. 

Ada got to wear her new pink boots to church. She’s always reading. I can’t read when riding in the car. Greta drove to church. In a month and half, she can drive without an older driver in the car.

Sigrid came for the weekend because Logan E had drill. It’s usually at Fort Smith. Many of her friends are getting married. She attended a wedding shower while here. She came over to say hello to me. She’s back at classes today. She made a B on a test last week and was disappointed. B’s are okay is my thinking. Sigrid is serious about school.