Fun on the Deck

Word of the Day

Tractionate - The act by which a creature without apparent feet will move from place to place, such as with a snail; this only applies to creatures that can move across walls and/or upside down. Note: Snakes don't tractionate - they slither.

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No sooner than my friends arrived on Saturday, I succumbed to a cold, gifted to me either by my sister, BW Babe, or Ma. At this point, it doesn't make a difference. Nasty stuff. However, with the help of added supplements, LOTS of water, plenty of anti-viral tissues, and cutting back on too many strenuous activities, I muscled on and my friends were VERY understanding.

While my friends were here (BFF1, Mr. Fix-it, and Le Chimiste), we took some short hikes, enjoyed spending a great deal of time out on the deck, picked raspberries and watched three Transformer DVD's that BFF1 and Mr. Fix-it's daughter, Le Chimiste hadn't seen before. And then, of course, we had to all go out and watch the Perseus meteor shower on the last night while they were here. It was a bit cold but the bugs stayed away due to the new Stinger (a bug zapper) that Mr. Fix-it installed for me out on the deck. Works great...along with the tennis racket-like bug zapper that takes out even the biggest bumble bee. Fun times. We got a few giggles out of that little toy.

While Mr. Fix-it was here, he took on lots of the To Do items from my list. After I purchased a new chain for our chain-saw and more oil and gas, he easily took care of the huge oak tree (double trunk). It had fallen this spring and while not actually blocking my driveway, would have given the snowplow people an excuse not to plow my driveway this coming winter. Then, he put up two new shelves in the garage and then helped move almost everything that remained sitting on the floor (bushel baskets, coolers, gardening supplies, etc.) onto the shelves and off the floor. Nice! My garage is looking WONDERFUL! He found a plug to cover the hole in the control panel of the boat left by the repair people because I was afraid the mice would find it too tempting. And, he installed The Stingerwhere it should take care of invading mosquitoes out on my deck. We didn't get too much of a chance to give it a workout but I didn't notice any mosquitoes while we were out watching the meteor shower. That's a good sign...right?

My friends left on Tuesday morning and I'll miss them. I gave Le Chimiste some preserved lemons and a Moroccan Chicken recipe that she seems eager to try and she gave me some stinky cheese that is incredibly tasty...despite the smell. I know I'll be seeing BFF1 and Mr. Fix-it this fall when I get back to Arizona, but I'm not sure when I'll be seeing Le Chimiste again. I hope she'll keep in touch.

With the departure of my friends, it's back to reality here. Reality with a cold. Laundry still needs doing. Garbage doesn't take itself out. Mail doesn't come hand-delivered to my door. Plants need to be watered. Bird-feeders need filling. And, Kylee keeps shedding. I did make myself a bit of home cure for my cold and I can feel the cold germs dying as I write this. There's nothing like Hot and Sour Soup when it comes to curing the common cold and even the uncommon cold. I made a huge batch of Hot and Sour Chicken Soup yesterday which I'll be enjoying for the next few days. Yum! I'm feeling better already. I took care of a small HOA problem for my folks' home in Nevada that is being rented out and I ordered propane for the tank out back. They already came out and delivered it.

And now? I'd better get downstairs and remake the beds with the sheets I washed yesterday. #1 Son and #1 DIL are coming this weekend.

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Random Quote of the Day

There is no need to go to India or anywhere else to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence right in your room, your garden or even your bathtub.

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross