On My Mind

A little thing which makes me simile: some weeks ago, I petted a dog on my way to my office. The next day he came to me again… now I met them (2dogs and their human) nearly every morning. When they see me they rush to me very joyfully. One morning the owner introduced himself, so now when we meet we stop to say good morning. Yesterday, I asked him how long it takes him to walk the dogs if they act like this with all the people they meet… he says they act like this only with me. According to him they consider me (and I guess my colleague with whom I very often walk to our work place) like part of the family…
I may sound childish but being greeted so joyfully really gives me a good start on my way to work.

Now I'm heading out for my walk 🤣

It isn't sunny but the temps are above freezing and feels like time for my annual poetry recitation (especially for those of you who haven't suffered through it before)....

[in Just-]
By E. E. Cummings

in Just-
spring         when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman

whistles         far         and wee

and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer
old balloonman whistles
far         and            wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it's
spring
and

         the

                  goat-footed

balloonMan         whistles
far
and
wee

cw - I have no doubt about that!

glad - it doesn't say anything about how fast - or not - the house will sell or for what, but at least the plan is moving forward. I want to be out of the house after I list it. There is no way I can haul the cat out for showings, and I just don't want to go through that process. Then I can get on with settling into the condo and wait for a buyer for here. Average time on market is about 3 months. Taking your house off the market while you make improvements makes sense.

Golden, wonderful news! But, I am envious. Good luck with the move. Mine is estimated to be 7K as well. How wonderful to be at that point!

I just took my house off the market after a year. Will work on yard stuff before I list it again.

We used to say old farmers want to die with their boots on Golden.

Well, the move has started.

R did lots of work. Though there is some still to be completed, the house is looking fresher.

When we went to p/u the van, which we thought was a cargo van, it turned out to be a cube van. Over dinner R looked around and said

"How much are they charging you to move?"

I said, "$7000".

"There's not $7000 worth of work here. I'll do it."

This man is 71, albeit a few fit 71 year old who is still wrangling horses, has a torn rotator cuff, a torn muscle under his shoulder blade, is waiting for prostate cancer surgery and also knee replacement surgery- and he wants to do the move himself - with a friend then other end and sil and dgs this end.

Okay!!!

I knew better than to argue with him. He is also stubborn.

Yesterday morning he loaded up the van with lighter items and I sent him on his way with one box of frozen items - his fave turkey necks/sauerkraut meal and other frozen foods, and one box of fresh (apples, oranges, cheese, pumpkin bread etc, a roast pork meal and so on) for the trip.

The flooring in the condo is not quite finished and there is sawdust everywhere, so I was told. We agreed he will get a cleaning service for that.

He'll come again up at some point, soon I hope, and finish the repairs and take down another load of furniture and then a final trip should do it. Somewhere in the middle of this he will have the first booked surgery. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but I know he has it figured out.

In case you are wondering, this is the man who, during a carpentry job, fell from one floor to another b/c someone removed the plywood covering a hole in the floor, broke his pelvis in 4 places, drove himself to his parents home for help, went into shock so his mother, as she told me, thought she would never see him alive again, was in hospital for weeks and told he may never walk again, but could only think of getting back up on a horse. Within the year, he did. He refused painkillers (actually hid them under the mattress) and told the nurses not to move him in bed as he could feel his broken pelvic bones grating against one another.

It reminds me of a story about when I was visiting ex in hospital after his gall bladder surgery many, many years ago. In a bed across from him was an old farmer, yellow as buttercups. He had fallen off his tractor and it ran over him, injured some vital organs and broke a leg, but he was very much alive. A nurse came to his bedside and instructed him to cough. I'll never forget this large gnarled, old, saffron yellow, with arthritic knuckles, but still strong hand reaching up for the triangle suspended from the frame over his bed, grasping it and hauling him more upright while he coughed as ordered. The man had to be in serious pain, but he did what he had to do. My money was on a good recovery for him. These aging farmers are tough as an old boots.

Anyway, I know R has a plan for the moving, and it will get done. Rocky and I had a very quiet day after he left. She needed some extra cuddling after the busy-ness of the past few days. I need to tidy up from all the activity and see if I can further reduce my belongings.

After R voiced his intention to do the move, I called dd and asked for help. She assured me they will do all they can. She has moved many times and will help me with the packing. Sil and dgs will help with the moving, and she has a friend I can hire to do the cleaning.

Dang, I swore I wouldn't pack my stuff again. Teaches a person not to swear!!! But it will save a few bucks. Less than 10 years ago I packed up other's two bedroom apartment in a day, I guess I can do it.

So it is happening, not according to my plan, but I know God has a plan and it will work out His way and for the best. Hard to believe it is finally underway.

Pickle ball and noise complaints for outdoor courts.

golden23,
Yup . No regrets on eloping . 😁

way - my mother was like that. She had Borderline Personality Disorder with narcissism, Everything was always about her. My wedding colours had to be what suited her and everyone else was supposed to fit in. Whatever!!! 🙄Eloping was a good idea.

The fact that there's a highway to Hell and only a stairway to Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers.

Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance....the five stages of waking up in the morning. :)

There is more !!
MIL criticized me for not being involved in my son’s wedding guest list . It was during COVID and it had to be cut down to 40 people total . State rules at the time .

I told her it’s not my party to plan !!
She kept insisting certain relatives had to be added back on the list . I finally told her “ I’m not the kind of mother who interferes . I just show up when and where I’m told . “

Now my daughter hasn’t set a wedding date yet and she doesn’t want grandma to know until the last minute possible .

@Way

Good for you not letting your MIL run your day.
My mother ruined my first wedding. All that was expected of her and my father was just show up and have a good time. My in-laws paid for it and they didn't even ask my parents for a cent. My father gave us some money and enjoyed himself. My mother gave us nothing but compaints because she wasn't running it.
My second wedding was nice and expensive. My in-laws and husband paid for it. My mother wasn't even invited. She would have ruined it so she was best left at home.

Way,

Oh my gosh, your MIL is a piece of work!

My husband’s grandmother told me when I was dating her grandson that she EXPECTED me to attend her Sunday dinner every week!

I politely told her, “Nope, not going to happen!”

She didn’t like it but had no choice but to accept it. We went to her ‘Sunday dinners’ when we chose to and no more than that.

I was grateful to my MIL for warning me about her mother’s abrasive personality and she told me not to allow her to run all over me like a steamroller.

Good for you for eloping! That put an end to your MIL trying to run the show.

Gersun, I may have the worst MIL . She wanted to plan our whole wedding. When she wasn’t getting things her way, she said that she and FIL weren’t coming and that she told her whole side of the family not to come ( which was probably an empty threat ).

No way ! Wasn’t starting off our marriage with her in control . We canceled everything without telling her . We eloped 3 months early and told her about a month later. We told her she was the reason we canceled .

Then she had the nerve to ask if I was pregnant. And she still acts like we robbed her of going to her son’s wedding . She is a piece of work.

@Gersun

"Too freaking bad". You're speaking my language now. Good for you!

Gershun,

Amen to, Too freakin bad! Love your attitude!

I was fortunate to have a wonderful mother in law but her mother (my grandmother in law) was truly a despicable woman. She interfered in everyone else’s lives. We learned to simply ignore her foolishness.

Way,

I don’t go to them. I am simply not interested in going. My husband doesn’t go either.

I stay in touch with some friends that I have known since kindergarten, but have never had any desire to participate in school reunions.

I respect that some people enjoy their reunions but some people find them a boring experience or just a place where people enjoy gossiping about their old classmates.

My MIL doesn't like the changes I've helped make with my hubs appearance either.

You know what I say to that? Too Freakin Bad!

Need,

We went to our 10 year reunion. I hated it. Recently DH said our 40th is coming.

Way,

Do you attend high school reunions? People either love or hate them!

Way,

That’s a great thought! LOL 😆 I wonder if he is bald now!

Your MIL sounds like she was a bit over involved in her son’s life. Geeeez, and had bad taste too!

Well, you fixed that problem! Good for you.

Need
Lol.
I wonder if he’s bald now , he wouldn’t be turning the mirror to brush his hair anymore!! 😜

I’ve been with DH since we were almost 18. At first we were only supposed to go to senior prom together . It’s been the longest prom ever , 40 years . ( Almost 36 of them married ).

Soon after we started “ dating”, he went to Mexico with his parents during Easter break from school. He came home with the most hideous boots that his mother helped pick out. I would not let him wear them out with me.

His mother bought all his clothes and I HATED them . And she bought his pants too tight 😬😬. She thought and bragged that she had DH looking so stylish .

So after we started dating, I would go clothes shopping with DH when he needed to replace worn clothing . Slowly, most of his wardrobe was replaced . His mother did not like his new clothes . I think she got offended that we changed his style . But too bad , he was too old to have his mother pick out his clothes . But then again she is the ultimate control freak .

To this day she eyes us up and down to see what we are wearing .🙄

I wonder if young girls place more emphasis on their appearance than boys. Some boys are worse than young girls and pay close attention to their appearance.

My very first serious boyfriend was extremely vain. Oh, he was a handsome guy but I got sick of how often he combed his hair!

We would go to the movies on the weekends.

When we got there I would want to touch up my makeup before getting out of the car.

He would see me putting on my lipgloss and would abruptly turn the rear view mirror towards him so he could comb his hair! LOL

Way,

I am glad that you and your sister were able to find some comic relief during this difficult time.

Wishing you and your sister peace. Sending you many hugs.

Thank you all for the humorous bra tales.
The chuckles were good therapy .
Just got home . Have been going to the hospital to sit with my sister and best friend. She is in hospice. When she was awake , I read her the bra posts. She appreciated them.

Lol @ Llama.

I guess I'll stop waiting then?

I'll just have to be content to be a member of the itty bitty titty club. :)

I have a friend who had breasts reduction surgery because she had awful back pain, plus her bra straps would dig into her shoulders.

So, having big boobs isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be!

Gershun: I got you beat at 76 years old and still waiting!😭