A High Gas Bill, A Cold Kitty, and Etiquette
I thought this was a pretty night sky the other evening.
We had some good solid rain on Sat night - I enjoyed it. I've been keeping the house quite cool after getting my PG&E bill - It went up $163 in one month. Plus my electric bill went up by $90. I'm turning the heat off at night - throwing an extra blanket on the bed - and keeping the house at 67 during the day. It's not so bad, once you get used to it and I sleep better in cold temps anyway - although I do seem to be aching more. In the evening, I microwave a heating gel pack and place it under the blanket when I am sitting on the sofa and it really helps.
Of course, Susie really knows how to keep warm. She covers her little face and nose. She has been laying very close to me at night in bed and one night she wanted under the covers. During the day, she gets in between the covers on the bed - and the bed has been made - So you go in, and see this "lump" on the bed. The other day, she stayed there all day.
I'm always grateful when my dear husband helps out with the dishwasher - I've been noticing that the smaller salad forks (as well as the teaspoons) are always with the bigger ones in the silverware drawer. All piled up on top of each other. I finally asked him about it and he says he can't tell the difference. and,
"Why do we have so many forks and spoons?"
I showed him, there was a difference in size. He wasn't impressed.
"Why do we have to have those little forks anyway?"
I told him, one is a salad fork and the other is a dinner fork. He doesn't get it.
Am I the only one who uses the smaller fork for a salad?
My mom was very big on etiquette at the table, with the napkin on her lap, no elbows on the table, the dinner plate, the salad plate - cup and saucer, etc. So I picked it up from her, from a young age by setting the table. I don't recall her ever actually sitting me down to teach me.
I don't think younger people even know about table etiquette anymore and I've noticed. Sometimes I feel like I am a dinosaur. All the things I was taught or picked up on as a child, are of no use anymore.
I could put away half of the forks since they never get used by anyone except for me. Makes it easy on the husband when putting it all away.
Here's one: Cloth napkins, paper napkins, or a paper towel?
I prefer cloth napkins for special dinners but for day-to-day, I tear off a piece of paper towel and use that as my napkin.
My New Bible Study
Ran into a neighbor today
Living on the Outskirts
What a beautiful day this first of February is. It's been cold - we're only getting up to maybe 56 during the day but it's been sunny and no wind. It is cold in the shade so I stay in the sunshine. It gets down to the '30s at night. Our lower pond, has a thin layer of ice on it, in the mornings.
The sidewalk that goes, to no where
I live on the outskirts of town - If I want restaurants and shops, I go to the areas in my town where that is provided. I've noticed, that after 15 years of living here - my town is starting to grow up - get big. Just this week, they introduced parking meters downtown. The community is not happy about it.
We have new homes sprouting up - new businesses going in and the focus of this town is toward young adults. They're building skate parks, and fancy bike lanes and everything is geared toward the youth.
That's fine - change is inevitable.
But you do start to notice, that there are a lot of "takeaways" and they take away from the seniors. Like we used to have a bus stop back here. It's gone now. Probably because those electric scooters are everywhere - even back where we are at.
Yep, things are changing.
Sprinkled throughout my area are older mobile homes on the property - small wooden framed houses - where the occupants are old now - some have died and people are buying up their properties as well, as larger property investors who want to build more subdivisions. We still have a few farms and ranches - people have goats and Alpacas.
When you walk out of my subdivision, there used to be no sidewalks. I've noticed they have started putting them in - but only on one side of the road. So you zig and zag as you walk, crossing the street if you want to stay on a sidewalk.
Sometimes they have a sidewalk that goes nowhere and doesn't connect - like an afterthought. Like the first photo.
Here's a flock of Canadian geese out for their morning stroll.
Across from the turkeys, is a new development that is going up - No model homes yet but I did walk over to take a peak.
Just your typical track-type house - in a small cul de sac.
Boy, whoever was in this house working was rocking out. The music was LOUD.
Right across on the other side of that loud house, is this property. I'm sure a thorn in the side of the developer who probably wanted his land to build more houses.
This is on the other side of that pond, I visited yesterday. In good years, the water from the pond covers this green wooded area. We still need more rain.
I'm happy the waterfowl is back - and flourishing.
Such a nice morning with the sun shining through the cedar tree in my front yard.
And another Daffodil pokes her head up to say, welcome home.
Yesterday, I texted Navy at work and asked him if he would drop by the house after he got off. And he did. I haven't seen him since Christmas and I just wanted to touch base with him...you know, get a hug from my kid!
He stayed a couple of hours and we caught up - It was nice.
Today I paid most of the bills with the exception of a couple of websites I could not get on - they are having "difficulties" so I will go back to that tomorrow. I like to get all my bills knocked out at once.
I did some laundry - and I baked a loaf of banana bread. It smells good and will taste even better!
Take Care,
Debby
February
Twice the distance
Three fewer days
The second overall
Two-twelfths of the year
Ten more to go
This month of cold
They wait
Their spring may arrive
Unknown
My morning walk
- Paint the picket fence
- Paint the trim on the house
- paver patio in the front yard under the window
- continue the paver patio in the back yard to slowly eliminate a good portion of the lawn.
- The back fence where we now have a cash envelope we are putting money.
Windy weather
For the last couple of days and especially yesterday and last night, we have had some major wind and gusts. Over 100 mph on Mt Shasta and some clocked the winds around here at close to 80 mph with gusts. Sounded like a plane landing at times. We had to take everything down in the yard, bird feeders, chimes, wall art, and anything that could be a projectile in this wind. The back fence held - both our side and the neighbors have it propped up really well.
I don't like the wind. I am thankful this wasn't in our dry summer with 105+ degrees - that is how fires spread. That is what really scares me. Makes me dread summer and what is to come.
Foodie rode his electric bike home during this wind and said he almost fell twice. I keep telling him to let me know and I will drive over in the van to pick him up - it's no trouble at all and he works close by he doesn't like to bother us. Grrrrr.
Saturday we drove down to Red Bluff to just look around at their shops. I love this historic western town about 30 minutes south of us. They have some really cute shops. We had lunch in a saloon - really good hamburgers. It was nice to get away, and I was planning to take some photos of the Victorian homes but my husband's back started really bothering him, to where he could hardly walk. We both have ruptured discs and as we age, our backs just give out now and then. I think it is the weather - Last week we had mild temps but very cold at night and in the mornings.
Anyway, so I drove home very carefully, so as to not cause any jarring...He's better today but still needs to watch it. He wanted to mow the lawns, and I told him not to, in this wind. He'd be just fighting it. He doesn't know how to relax like me. He's always on the move.
This morning I did some financial chores - activating new credit cards that we never use but keep around, just in case. - and cutting up the old ones. I uploaded Laydees' latest Vet bills to the Insurance company and filled out a fraud report to the bank over those fraudulent charges last month. It amounts to $263.63.
I'm looking forward to a new month - how about you?
Take Care
Debby
Good News, Dry cleaning and Photo Discs
Source: Mike Krueger
This is what a Sierra snowpack of over 200% of the average for this time of year looks like from the sky.
Today, Good News from the State Water Resources:
“We are pleased that we can increase the allocation now and provide more water to local water agencies,” said Karla Nemeth, director of the state Department of Water Resources.
Today was another mild day - 70 degrees- but it sometimes felt warmer. I even turned on the AC in the car. I have the front door open, and all the windows. I've got a Vegetable Lasengna in the oven so that it heats up the house but once the sun sets behind those mountains it gets cold. More rain in a few days but just regular rain - not the three back-to-back atmospheric rivers that we had a month ago.
I am fighting the urge to start gardening...
WHEN DID DRY CLEANING BECOME SO EXPENSIVE?
We rarely dry clean - because we don't wear heavy coats that much during the winter. I do have one wool coat that I've had for 25 years and it is still in excellent condition. I paid $10 at the Goodwill in the bay area - It's an Ann Taylor. I dry clean that if I have worn it a lot. This year I've only worn it once.
I wore this raincoat a lot this past month. It belonged to my mom and it must be ancient. It had a stain on it so I took it in. With what I shelled out, for this raincoat alone, I'm pleased they got the stain out. They no longer guarantee stain removal. I got lucky!
The last time I dry cleaned it was like $11- a couple of years ago. The owner told me, they can no longer use waterproofing because the State of California outlawed it last year - it's a carcinogen. I could go to the sporting goods store and buy a natural repellant and spray it on the coat. I'll take my chances and wash it from now on. Seems my mom always dry-cleaned it so I just did the same. I think she had this coat when I was a teenager - that is how OLD this is.
He's behind the coach - looks like he is touching his ear.
So I sent them to him and he was pleased.
Those were good times. Climbing up those bleacher seats I surely couldn't do today. I'd be afraid I'd lose my balance and fall. Then sitting there without a solid back - no wonder I have lower back issues.
But they were the best of days!
I hope today has been the best day for you.
Later -
Debby
Less is MORE.
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