Last Friday, B and I went to the UP Steam & Gas Engine Show at the Escanaba State Fair Grounds. It is primarily a show to display steam & gas engines, tractors, etc. However, they do have a large number of rummage sale and craft sale tables which we were more interested in. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and it rained and rained and rained. The outside vendors covered all their items with tarp for protection which made shopping difficult and since we were not expecting a downpour, B and I looked and felt like drowned rats. Needless to say, we left very quickly.
As we were already in Escanaba, we went to Hobby Lobby. I found some fall placemats as well as an autumn themed tablecloth. We also picked up some jigsaw puzzles on sale as we do these during the cold winter months when we are stuck in the house. I picked up some heavy duty thread and needles as well as some outdoor fabric as I need to make a new awning for the swing on our deck. The stores do not sell the type of awning we have on our swing anymore so I need to make a new one. B picked up some spray paint as well as some touch up paint for a couple of projects he has been doing this summer.
Labor day weekend was very quiet which we enjoyed very much.
Sunday, I started putting together supplies for my winter projects that I work on during the cold months when I prefer to be in the house (I am not a winter person). My winter project box included crocheting supplies, needlepoint supplies, sewing supplies, jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, coloring books & markers (my mom loved to color in our coloring books when I was a kid and she continued doing that until she passed. She said it was a great stress reliever & I agree), genealogy, etc.
Monday, we received a tape recorded call from AT&T saying they had not received our August phone bill payment. I was quite certain that I had paid it and that it already had gone thru my bank. I phoned the AT&T number to talk to someone about the problem (I hate talking to 800 numbers-press 1, press 2, etc.) After talking to 2 different people, who all said that my payment had already been posted on my file but they couldn't tell me why I was still getting taped recorded calls, I finally spoke to a third person who said that it was a glitch in the system for other AT&T customers in my area and that I should disregard the taped messages because my bill was paid. This was a good thing to occur on Labor Day as it was laborious to get this settled.
Tuesday, B was very unhappy that his riding lawnmower had decided to die. After working on it most of the day from which I could hear "colorful" language coming from the garage, he announced that he was going to try and get it fixed in the spring. If not, he will have to get a new one.
Friday, we paid our township taxes, made a small deposit into emergency fund with refund checks, picked up my new glasses, paid the tree cutting bill, went to Meijers for a prescription refill, new dishpan and a few groceries, then to the library for their used book sale where I picked up 3 books for $4 and then B took me to lunch.
9/11....Do you remember what you were doing on that day 25 years ago when you heard the news?
I was teaching in second grade when I was called to the office to take a phone call from B. He told me the Pentagon was on fire. I hung up and told my principal what he had said. A little while later, she went to each of our classrooms and told us the news. She asked us to continue our day as normally as possible and leave the parents to tell the children what they wanted them to know. That was a hard teaching day trying to be normal and still wanting to know what was happening. I remember watching the news that evening and crying as I watched what had unfolded.
One final note; IMO I find it very disrespectful to everyone who was affected by the events on 9/11 that some politicians need to use the memorials of that dark day to promote their own election agenda. I am speaking of only one whose name does not deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as all of those heroes.
