10-15-10. Again I will try to write this. I wrote it once, but was in a hurry and didn’t do a very good job. I probably won’t this time either. I have an appointment in Tipton at 11:15 and it’s almost 10:00 and I haven’t started to get ready yet. There’s always somewhere I have to go, but I am glad I’m still able to get out and go.
I want to say happy birthday to my brother, and also to friends, Fred and Kathye Clark. Her birthday was last month and his birthday this month and to anyone else who has October birthdays. A lot of times I make out cards and then forget to send them. I had a card here for Kathye for two or three years and kept forgetting to send it. I would run across it once in awhile, but not at the right time to send it. I finally mailed it last month. The bad thing is that I’ve got one of those books that has pockets for each month of the year to put the cards in for different people for each month of the year. I’m going to try to remember to start using it again. I ran across a card last week that I thought I’d mailed to Frank Dee. That was Tuesday (this week instead of last) and we were going to the Cities that day so I took it with me. Walt planned to call Dee the night before and tell him we would be in town and make plans to see him somewhere. But alas, he fell asleep and didn’t call. Then the next morning we were in a rush (as usual) and didn’t call. When we got up the first stop was the barbershop. Walt usually gets right in and back out in no time, but this time he was busy and it took longer. Then the next stop was Walt’s house to get his mail. Walt’s bank is real close to Wal-Mart so I told him that while he looked at his mail I would go in Wal-Mart and use the restroom because I was running four minutes late getting ready to leave and he said, “We’re running late?” So I just went on out the door while I was in Wal-Mart I thought of something I needed and grabbed that and a couple more things right by it. But wouldn’t you know they only had three lines open at the checkout and a line of people in each one. So I went all the way to the last one because it was a fast lane and fewer people there. But as usual I picked the slowest one. It never fails. By then a line had formed behind me. I won’t go through all the details of how the checkout girl did with the customers ahead of me, but it was like she was trying to work as slow as she could. Then I saw Walt standing over by the wall waiting on me so I really got stressed. I had told him I would just go in and use the restroom and right back out. We were supposed to meet Rob and Sharon at Hy-Vee for lunch. So Walt went to the bank and then called them and they were already at the Hy-Vee waiting on us. We had a wonderful visit with them as usual I’m talking when I should be eating and so I’m always the last one to get through. Sharon said when we’re there next month she is going to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for us. She said it was going to be early, but she wants to do it. That’s nice of her. She and Rob know all the problems I have with my sensitive stomachsand certain foods.I can’t eat and they are always so understanding about it and gracious to where I’m not feeling bad about it or guilty or anything. I never had liked to eat with others at their home, because I have to say, “I can’t eat this,” and “I can’t eat that.” And a lot of the time they act like they’re insulted and it really makes me feel bad, but with Rob and Sharon I’ve never had that. They’re good cooks too. Two very smart (knowledgable) people and I love them. They accepted me with open arms right from the start. Rob has told me many times how glad he is that his dad and me got together. Now back to yesterday, after we ate lunch we did a couple of things in Hy-Vee and went back to the car and was getting ready to call Dee and he called us. He didn’t know we were in town and was going to thank us for a card and pictures I had sent to him. He said he was getting ready to go to Genesco, Illinois to see his sister, Cora, and her husband, Ron. They were expecting him so we told him to go on and we would come by and leave his other cards we had for him at his house. So he did and we did and then we headed for home, along the way we stopped at Wilton (seven miles from here) and I paid my light bill, then we stopped at Dollar General there and bought a few things, then on home. Then after we got home we were so tired we didn’t do much of anything. I had taken pictures of the fall colors so I printed some of them, but they didn’t turn out good because I took them through the car window and of course there were reflections in them and the glare from the sun.
The farmer picked his corn in the field right by here and now the bugs are so bad we can’t even stand to sit outside and I really miss that. The landlord said those little spotted beatles were brought over here from Japan to eat little tiny white mites that get on the soybean crops. They sure are pests and so many of them and they bite too. We sprayed them and the box eldersbugs for two or three days outside on the house and porch. I hung fly strips along the front of the porch and they are just covered in bugs and mosquitoes and the big problem we have right now is those little tiny black bugs you can’t even see. Most come from the field too. They just get all over us and bite hard. Now I’m trying to think of a way to get rid of those. It’s been setting records here for warm weather this time of year so I want to sit out all I can before it turns cold. The mosquitoes are worse than I’ve ever seen them. I never noticed them until the swallows and bats left. Now they’re thick. I sprayed inside the garage yesterday because they were all over the sides and ceiling. This is Wednesday and we plan to make our usual trip to Muscatine, but going to start later than usual so we don’t have to rush around so much getting ready. We have several stores to shop in for different things we need and of course we want to eat with those sweet “granddaughters” of ours. Anita might meet us again, but I’m not sure. We’re going to try to find something to help get rid of the bugs. I don’t know if that’s possible, but we’ll keep trying. As warm as it’s been the flowers are still blooming. Two days ago it was eighty-nine degrees for the high. I’ve been using SSS for those teeny black bugs and it helps a lot, but they still manage to find little places I’ve missed and then they bite.
Speaking of granddaughters, Walt talked to Candi on her birthday a few days ago and she said they went to Chicago to celebrate both their birthdays. His mom met them there and while they were in the big Shedd’s Aquarium Jarred purposed to her. His mom was there too and filmed it. So congrats to them. They haven’t set a date yet. She wants to finish all her college classes first. Of course, that really keeps her busy right now with her classes and work too.
Last week there was a big tom turkey standing out here in a little mud puddle every day. He just stood there all day and never moved except to drink some water once in awhile. It was really odd. Now this week we haven’t seen him at all. We usually see them in a flock, but he was alone the whole time. He was really big and looked sorta scary. We saw a really pretty pheasant a couple of days ago. He was just on the other side of the fence. The first one I’ve seen for a long time
Walt says to tell you the farmers have been “pickin’ and grinnin’” their corn and beans for a few days now. It’s always good to see the corn and beans in the fields when they’re pretty and green, but often they turn brown and its good to see them picked. Well here I am starting to doze off so I better stop and get ready to go.
Bye, bye for now.
