The first full week of August was filled with ups and downs.

Monday: 
First, I took the change that B and I accumulated since January to our credit union to be deposited in our emergency account.  I miss the days when you handed the change to the clerk and they ran it thru the machine.  I went in with this huge bag full, the clerk said just go over to the machine, push the button and you can do it yourself.  I looked at her and the machine thoroughly confused.  A nice woman customer came over to me and said, "I'll help you."  I was very grateful to her and told her so.  Customer service is not what it used to be.
 
Next, B and I went to the library. I picked up 6 books. B laughed and said I would have these read by next week.  He isn't wrong.  A fun thing is that the librarian is a former teacher.  It seems she and I were student teachers at the same school over 30 years ago  Wow!
      
Finally, B took me to lunch at Applebees.  Nice day!

Tuesday: 
B worked on the side lawn which had been dug up by skunks looking for bugs.  We saw the 3 little baby skunks running into the woods in the morning and then saw the destruction in the side yard.  B went out in the afternoon to work on it but said it will turn out to be the same the next morning as they come out after dark.

Wednesday: 
B and I went grocery shopping.  Because we have been using the pantry and freezer quite a bit, we have been finding our grocery bill has gone down considerably.  The pantry and freezer were started during covid--an upside to the pandemic.      

Thursday:
We went to a farmer's market in L'Anse, MI which is only an hour away from us.  It made for a beautiful ride as the weather was perfect and we were able to pick up some good produce.  We got tomatoes, grapes, cucumbers, carrots & celery as well as a homemade loaf of sourdough bread.

Another half hour after that and we went to lunch at a drive-in in Baraga, MI.  It's the kind of drive-in that was around in the 50s. You stay in your car and they put the tray on the window, homemade root beer in frosty mugs and super flavorful hamburgers.  The only thing missing was the car hops on roller skates.  I am so dating myself with that reference.

Friday:
A trip to the Post Office to mail in the last of bills for July and then to the cleaners to pick up a jacket that was very stained.

Saturday:
I am not sure how I managed to do it but I pulled a muscle on the left side of my chest and boy, does it hurt. Moving is a trial and I hate being unable to do anything but sit in a chair.

We woke up Saturday morning and saw feathers all over the deck and in one of the feeders. No little body but we think that a hawk killed a bird at the feeder while we slept.  There has been a hawk hanging around the woods by the house lately.  We have seen hawks in the past but this is something we have never seen.  If it happens again, B says we will take the feeders down for awhile until the hawk gets the message and goes away.
      
Sunday:
I am still in pain over pulled muscle but I am forcing myself to get up and move and do some small things that don't require a lot of bending.

Our oldest son called and told us that he and our dil and grandpuppy had to evacuate their home on Saturday because of the Bug fire in Nevada. They were staying at friends' house. We were so worried about them especially after we saw some of the videos posted on the fire on facebook. However, he messaged us later in the evening to say that although the fire is still going strong, the officials say it is contained where they live and they could go home. 

How was your first full week of August? Up and down too?
 
 

Hello July!

 June was a month of ups and downs which is why I have not written for a while. 

The biggest upset this month was that my brother in law, B's older brother passed away.  Which now makes B the last of the generation to be hanging in there as his sister died about 5 years ago.  It seems as we get older the generations in the family gets smaller as members pass away.  This is the reason I try to share memories with my children so that the stories will not get lost as time passes.

DOWNS:  

The fuel pump went on our car in the Lowe's parking lot.  The upside was my youngest son works very close to there at a car dealership so he was able to come over, pick us up and get a tow truck out there, get the car to his shop and get the fuel pump replaced in one day.

My washing machine decided to die in the middle of laundry and after B spent a number of days trying to repair it himself, we had to call a repairman.  We were worried we might have to get a new one but it turned out to be a broken plastic part which was easily replaced. The cost of the repair was not as bad as we thought.  Much cheaper than buying a new one.

It seems our toilet needs to be replaced which will be another expense with a plumber. We already purchased the toilet as Lowe's was having them on sale.  Since we have to replace the toilet, we decided to replace the flooring as well.

The carpet in the guest room is smelling like cat since that is where we usually keep the litter box, so we need to replace that.  B says we will look for a remnant of the right size and he can put it in.  He put this one in about 15 years ago himself and the carpet strips are still around the walls in the room.

       
UPS:  

My oldest son came for a visit.  Unfortunately my dil could not come, she is studying for her Masters and taking classes for that this summer. They live in Nevada so visits are usually once a year.  Although a short visit, we had a great time and were sad to say goodbye.  I always tell myself I will not cry when he leaves but I always do.

My youngest son, who was gifted with rotten teeth from childhood by the genes in my family, was able to get upper dentures.  He looks great and he is very happy especially as he had to wait a week and a half to eat again.

B and I ran away from home for a couple of days to celebrate our 52nd wedding anniversary.  No place really special but one where we enjoy ourselves.  The weather cooperated and the new hotel we stayed at was wonderful.

Speaking of weather, the weather in the Upper Peninsula is starting to turn into summer and I am thrilled.  It's about time.  We have had some extremely hot days as well as humid ones but I never complain about the heat or humidity because I know that in a few short months, that icky white stuff will be here along with the freezing cold.