Mitch, Bahia and Matt

Mitch, Bahia and Matt didn't get here until early Saturday morning, it was almost and all-nighter for them.  So they were really tired on Saturday.  I really like Bahia, such a lovely girl, she and Mitch seem to enjoy one another's company so much, I am glad they have found one another.


They went to Rec 1 and Rec 2 in the afternoon and Mitch bought me the rest of the things I needed for supper.  We had Karen Price's Chicken Enchilada outside with muffins and they really liked it.

Sunday I fixed them my gluten free waffles, scrambled eggs and bacon and then Matt and Mitch started on the wood and got quite a lot done.  They went fishing and brought back a Buffalo Chips Pizza, two, in fact and I had my quarter of Jalapeno Popper.  So good. I also had a loooong nap, I get so tired, especially my feet.


 Bahia showed the boys she could chop would, too!

Sadie loved having Bruce here.  Bruce gets really nervous when the boys are gone.  For awhile she sat on the side of the house watching for them, then the front of the house, then inside at the door, looking for them. He was so excited when they finally came home.  I suppose he thought they had left him.

Anyway they had to get out of here by late morning so we never did have out taco meal.  I finished the day watching Park and Recreation.  I don't know why I did not watch it when it was on...I did not realize who Amy Poehler was and how funny she was.  It was very enjoyable, Mitch got me on to it.

I so enjoyed having the boys and Bahia here, Mitch found his Magic Cards, surprisingly enough, they do not have much left around here but they were in a backpack.

Now That is Just Mean...

Yesterday I had the infection in my mouth again!  Come to find out Nasacort which I have been using while working in the pine trees can kill the good bacteria as well and make you vulnerable for infection...and as Dr Tonya says,  my immune system is not working too well.

But I had given up on Golden 1 coming through and I thought it was strange they did not at least let me know but...anyone as I went off to the Walk-in Clinic I retrieved my mail and there were two letters from Golden 1 and one said I had been approved for a $10,000 loan.  Wow, that is great, I will have a payment of about $212 and the water heater would be paid for and all my cards paid off.  A good start again!!!  I was elated.

By the time I got back from Chester it was too late to call.... so in the morning...I finally figured out how to get a person...not easy on their answer call...certainly not the way I remember it when I was working in Sacramento and used them all the time.

Anyway I finally got a person and she looked my loan number up and then asked, "Would you like to sign on-line or go down to the Susanville Branch?"  Wow again, sign on line, and that is it...how simple.

Then, oh, wait a minute she says...there was a note added on the 27th and they will not count any your other income because it is not on a tax return...you will need to get a co-applicant.

Whaaat...not that is just mean, to get me all excited and think I have money and then bring me way down with that.  I don't have a co-applicant...I would rather have not heard anything at all.  So depressing.

Now I Know...

What it feels like to be the one wanting answers.  When I worked as a loan officer for so many years my time was always well used and there was always so much to do and I tried to get answers for people as fast as I could but...

To the one waiting for answers it feels like they just don't care.  I stopped in to the Golden 1 on Saturday to deposit some money and thought I would talk to the manager about my chances to get a personal loan to pay off that expensive water heater and some high interest charge cards at the same time.  She was so empathetic and taking notes all over a little piece of paper.  She thought they would call me around 12:15 when I had driven back home with my groceries.  I didn't get a call so you imagine all kinds of scenarios and I had pretty much decided it was not going to be.

Then today I get a call from the loan officer and she started chatting as if I would know they were working really hard on this and she said we can loan you this much, will that work?  I was thrilled to think they had gotten to that point already without even asking me any other questions.  Then she said, "We will need a copy of the last two years tax returns."  "Oh, I don't need to file any more according to my accountant." I said.  "And it is a Family Note and I would not put it on my tax returns anyway, but I can show the spread sheets from my computer and bank statements with matching deposits.  She sounded disappointed and then said,  "Oh, wait, Kareen said she has another idea."  (Kareen is the manager)

And no call back... I know they hate to work with bank statements, etc. and just keep it simple  and not get creative so I understand,  but now I know how it feels to wait for that call...

And now I remember how much I hated working in the loan business.  I used to threaten to write a book called, "Everything I Never Wanted to Know About the Loan Business"!!!

So, if wishes came true, what would I have wanted to do with my life...well, of course, I always wanted to be a blues singer...but I can't even carry a tune.

Time to listen to a book about someone else's life, mine is not so great right now.  Although Will said he would look at my leaf blower and see if he can save it, and he said my grandsons could use his log splitter this weekend if they want to, and he suggested what to do about those carpenter ants I keep seeing.  Will is a nice neighbor.

My brother Dave this weekend said he gets more help from his neighbors than his Mormon leaders who live on the same block.  "Mormons are too busy being Mormons to be of  much help, but my other neighbors are great. "  Dave turned 89 Saturday and he does most everything inside and out for he and his wife Dorothy.  He said the young guy across the street volunteered to clean out his gutters and had it done in no time.  Yes, neighbors can be very nice...

The Water Heater

I must say my water heater is beautiful and has all kinds of attachments for safety and drainage and venting...and no matches, state of the art, and much safer than my other one.  They were here from 8 to 4:30 sawing pipes, welding, etc etc and the water ( if need be) would go down a pipe and out the house onto the dirt!!  And I don't have to worry about it exploding. So all in all it is a very good thing for me.  If I leave for any length of time I just turn it to pilot and no matches and crawling on the floor to light it when I come back.  But it did cost even more than the estimate so I begged for four months and he finallygave it to me.  So humiliating, but... However I tracked down the ad that said I got 50 free gallons of propane and 2 years free rental on the tank so I have a full tank for a little over a $100 and that is amazing.  Sue found the ad in her newsletter and texted it to me!!!

Yesterday I really got a lot of work down on the back, I now have 33 bags of waste and I have been putting out two a week since I got here and there is 30 more piles of waste to pick up.  There is a huge pile of great branches to chop and about 3 x 8 pile of logs to split.  The drier the trees the more branches fall off I guess and the trees that were felled are quite dry so I will have lots of twigs and hopefully by winter the logs will be split and dry enough to burn.

Anyway James sent some money, yea, so I am off to Walmart;s this morning.  It is so calm and lovely and no hot or windy, perfect weather and the lilies are starting to bloom so great time to be in Lake Almanor.

Stop the World, I Want to Get Off

The Ferrellgas came this morning and installed the new tank.  I chatted with the young man who had severe burns from an explosion two years ago when he was exchanging a tank and a spark somehow ignited the tank, burned him and the house but the owners got out.  He looked really good, has one more surgery to replace skin on both arms, they may use pigskin, he says.  Marvelous attitude about the whole thing, but he has this nerve damage that is a constant pain and that is why the surgery is needed.  Still it is most amazing what they can do now days.  He looked great.

Meanwhile the water heater is still being installed.  When I told the Ferrellgas how much it was going to cost, he rolled his eyes,  "For a water heater? I will never recommend them again, I am so sorry." "He says it is very complicated with propane as opposed to natural gas or electric.." I said.  They have been here almost four hours and it is not completed so I guess it is complicated.  It may cost even more than they estimated.  Certain things that were not there before...etc.  Maybe that is why it went bad?  At any rate, life goes on, I can't afford it but I have to have it so what do you do...I am living too long, that is all there is to it.  Stop the World, I Need to Get Off...

Super Hero in the way of a Serviceman to the Rescue!

I have been back from Marilyn's and another month in San Diego for almost three months now and have not written in here.  Just let me say I have been working hard...and Today I am feeling very grateful and weepy at the same time.

Last week I decided I should make the change to Ferrell's Gas as it will be cheaper.  This morning a guy from Ferrell's came and as we walked down the hall to check out the furnace register I said, "Hey, you're a smart guy, could you look at my water heater and see what is going on."  He took one look and exclaimed, "You are very fortunate your house has not burned down!" That is when I became weepy.  (There was black soot all over and he turned it off immediately and said the controls were burned out and it cannot be turned on again.)  Why didn't I address this sooner? I looked at it the other day, but my mind did not process to call a plumber and take care of this!!!)

Such a nice guy, I was having a melt down, (Thank you Lord for watching over me!) He began calling plumbers to no avail, plus I would need to buy the heater in Susanville, Reno, or Chico and get it up here....and finally he said I could use the one in town but he hated to see me taken as they are very expensive but they would have the tank and could install it!!!!  Today, maybe? He talked to them to get a quote and he had to take a picture and send them first.  (Mind you, this is not his job, he is just being super kind  because I appeared so helpless!)

When the quote came in, I really became weepy...me. Janet who never cries.  So expensive.  I had called Linda to see if she remembered seeing any of this burned soot and she said NO but she did sweep up some black stuff (burned stuff?, or what).  I asked the plumbing company if they could take payments and the lady asked if I could three--on a charge card I said? Yes, OK.  They can't come till tomorrow and Ferrell's will come after them.

I also had to have three trees cut down.  Evidently the drought has affected the trees (this is an old forest I live in so they say)  They were grateful for the work and would charge only $300--and cut it in logs and stack it.  What a deal, two summers ago I paid $1100 for three and didn't even keep the wood.  My nice neighbor across the street was looking out for me, too.  He found a good deal for his five trees and sent them over to me!!!

About 2 pm yesterday I heard a light knock on the door, I had been napping and just woke up.  I asked if he had come to cut the trees and he said they were already done!!  I had slept through it all.  Did not hear a sound...anyway they were very thankful for the work and the check...no shopping till July, Janet...

Anyway I have been feeling especially vulnerable lately and not too physically well and yes, always needing money since James is having his problems which affect me.  Anyway I always think to myself as I say my prayers, the Lord knows my problems and will send help if I am really in trouble. Well, today he sent help in the way of a super nice service man who has probably saved a big fire in my house.  I said, "And you saved my life, too,"  He said he would not go so far as to say that, but defintely the house...

Linda and Maria at My House!!!

Linda and Maria came up in Maria's car last Sunday!  Maria was here part of the time and spent other time with Matt, Mitch and their girl friends in Tahoe.  It was wonderful having them here and they also helped me a lot.

Before Maria went down to Tahoe, she and Linda had bagged all the rest of the yard which I was never able to finish!  Then they cleaned out the garage and we accumulated a car full of Thrift items. Linda and I took them to the Thrift.  Maria also found a lot of things of her to throw away!

While Linda was here we (mostly her) put up the new blinds in the two bedrooms.  At last we can open and shut the blinds again.

Then we found some paint from when the house was originally built I guess and Linda painted the hallway, part of the entry way and a couple walls in each bedroom, that finished the paint.  She also painted the trim on the garage door.  And then she stained the front deck and steps!!!  Wow, really appreciated all her work.

Finally we made trips to the dump and disposed of all the bags of waste and lots of trash from the garage cleanup.  What a lot of things we accomplished while they were here.

Maria and Linda are both such beautiful, smart, loving ladies who are so giving and kind to me. Such

wonderful daughters, I am fortunate indeed!

For my part, I did try to feed them well while they were here.  Except I have very little sweets around and Linda had to munch on the marshmallows to satisfy her sweet tooth.

Me with no make up or hair combed!!!  Thus the sunglasses.

Bird Watching

I missed the launch of the baby birds, must have happened on eve of Thursday.  For two days or so the baby birds were sticking their heads out and looking all around and then it was just one bird, and finally none...darn.  Hope they survived.  How to clean the birdhouse???   I read you should do that every year but it is nailed down...

The Birds

Today there were six birds, the two really blue ones I thought might be the new babies and then there was another one added to the mix and the father was chasing him but they all settled on the line again and there was still one more in the house.  So are these the new children or just friends?  So confusing but fascinating.  They surely like Matt's bird house, it is a big one, but how can I ever get it cleaned out???  They will have to do that themselves.

The Beat Up and The Survivors

I have spent the last three days doing clean up, today I am taking a rest and will have to finish bagging another day.  The raking and branch gathering is done.  Many need chopping though.  Still lots of bags today.  Have only four done!

The hardest part was getting all the dirt and mud off of the patio.  I used the hoe (scraping sound) when neighbors were off boating and then the weeder in between the rocks, lots of broom and raking and till finially it was clean enough to put new sand.  I had asked Maryanne to buy play sand from Lowes which was on sale but all she could find was the utility sand.  I am glad because the utility sand almost cements them together and its much more stable and no slipping on the fine sand.  So, lesson learned, do not use the fine sand.  It also has more texture and a darker color between the rocks. Good job, Janet!  Oh, yes, I also used the blower and it worked very well to get rid of some of that mud!

Day after Storm, picnic table is all pitted also

Now

The Beat Up

The Survivors

Of course, it was just a few flowers for me but I thought about the pioneer ancestors who the hail and drought meant whether they ate or not...

My Life Today

So I notice a San Paulo charge of 33 cents on my charge card and six days later a credit of 32 cents. What would you think?  I thought, aha, someone is testing my card and may charge more the next time since it worked.

However, the credit card employee online says it just means that a merchant made a mistake when hand inputting a number on a card and corrects it when it is noticed.  The penny difference is because of currency differences.  What?????

The fraud unit did not consider it significant enough to be fraud so....I lose a penny!!!

Strange world we live in, like many others of the 40s and 50s I often yearn for the simple life of yesteryear.

Other than that, the cleanup is going better than expected.  It is because of the dampness of the area you can rake the branches, etc up fairly easy without a lot of other dirt etc.  The hard part for me is the gathering of the piles.  I could hire someone to take it to the Chester landfill or I can bag it and let it go for free one bag a week, so that is probably what I will do.

The real problem is getting all the dirt out of my sand river rock patio, that does take time.   I can't scrape it when neighbors are home so it is going slowly and it is hard work to push away all the collected dirt around the edges, very hard work.  Where is a good man when you need one? Then I have to clean the dirt out of individual openings.  It would be good if I redid certain low area but that is way too much work.

Thankfully Maryanne was in Chico yesterday and bought me cheaper sand than I can get here, so hopefully by the end of the week, the work will be done.  So far I have raked most all of the yard and blown the front drive and deck and do not feel too bad.  My health regime must be working.

Sunday we had a chapel overflowing.  It is fun to have all the visitors in the summer.  And especially on Fast Day we can hear their stories.  Lots of great testimonies, mostly from men.  Kathy gave an especially great lesson, she is a gifted teacher though her husband says she always worries about it.

Margaret say her husband is doing well, riding his exercise bike and up on the v machine which she says helps him so much.  She is able to walk him around quite well by holding on to his belt.  Bless her heart, I know she is not getting too much help but she is a saint and never complains.

My rest from raking etc is to come in and work on a puzzle while resting.  It is another hard one so quite a challenge.

I talked to Jeanne and she sounds very good, spent the day and night with Brian and Norma in Midway and Jenny and her children were there so really enjoyed it.  She is very healthy with no physical problems.  Marilyn continues to struggle with Arky's anemic condition and has to go in to the hospital for transfusions.  It is hard for her.  Carole and family are at the cabin so haven't heard about her 4th.  I enjoy seeing Keira and Eden on Instagram and You Tube and Kristi had uploaded some new videos, too.  So fun to watch.  She and Mike had a wonderful trip in Costa Rica it looked like, so adventurous!!!

Last week we saw the movie "Max" which was so good.  Wonderful to have such a smart dog.  Sadie is so cute and sweet and smart.  When the dog and neighbor start their walk the dog usually runs over here and Sadie cries to go out, she won't bark, just cries.  I let her out and zooms off.  I notice she never jumps on my neighbor but just stands beside him for a minute before getting greeted and running off with her friend.  After their walk she comes right back.  Good dog.

The birds are still going in and out of their house but today I saw two cute smaller birds on the run line.  Were they the babies emerged?  I can';t tell!!!

Unfortunately the swimming area at Rec 1 is contaminated from the storm and they don't know when it will be ok to swim in the lake there.  Boo hoo...

Two more days to being able to wash again!!!!  What next will go wrong, sooner or later the water heater will give I am afraid...hope the roof doesn't leak and of course, there is the tile on the kitchen conter that gets worse and worse.   So many things that can go wrong...

In the meantime I love being able to listen good music at any time in so many ways...

After the Storm

A few made it through the storm..

I think I will wait till all the debris in the yard dries and then blow as much as I can to the side like I did when we had massive needle fall.

How to clean the river rock patio?  Clean the mud or wait till it is dirt?

I think the storm probably cleaned off the hammock better than I could have....all the sticky sap and dirt...now to just brush it off!

Happy to see mother bird saw it through the storm....

Flash Flooding and Hail on July 3

"Yesterday was just awful"--from ANNIE which I watched yesterday and I was in the middle of "Days of Thunder" when it started thundering and lightening and raining hard and then hailing violently and mud was rushing to the patio and down both sides of the yard and I was like a crazy person trying to decide whether it was safe and trying to take pictures and the wi fi on my phone wasn't working and I could not reach anyone.

I finally reached Maryanne and the rain had not hit Chester yet and she was on her bicycle when it did.  I did not realize my phone was not working right.  She could not get me back till a little later but she had not heard about the flood warning either.

I have never seen the water flood quite so violently and fast.  I had seen a note earlier about a flood watch in Plumas County and I discounted it as how could it flood where  I was?  Now I know.  I ruined a lot of pix trying to take them through the window or screen as it was too scary to open the door.

What a mess.  All my plants pretty much ruined, for the moment anyone, if not the whole summer. The lilies were just ready to bloom, bloom, bloom, now it is a lot on the ground.



The yard was looking it's best in years and now is just a big mess to rake up.  What a bummer, life is not fair, I was keeping it up and it was so clean,  but I am safe, so that is what is important right, yeah right.  Scared to death for a few moments though.


I thought the windows were going to break for sure and the roof sounded like it could come through.  Just glad the damage was all in the yard and in the plants, there goes a few bucks down the tubes or I should say street...

Sadie is Looking Fine and Lily Time

Sadie gets groomed at "Kritter Klips" in Susanville and is looking so fine.  I should keep it up!  Last week when the Hardys were here there was this sticky sap coming down and Sadie would run off to play with her friends and come back with needles and dirt stuck to her, I gave her three baths so now she has to stay on her leash, at least until the sap is gone!

Love Lily time!

Oh, No, Not the Washer!!!

So as soon as the Hardys leave I start washing and what?, water on the floor, all around the washer and dryer?

After draining the tub and hanging very wet towels on Sadie's runline (it is hot and they will dry fast) I start cleaning out all the stuff on each side of the appliances and then clean everything in there.

Through detective work I determine the washer is leaking from the tub and not the hose and make the executive decision it is better to replace the 16 year old machine than pay $200 for repair especially when I see Sears has a 40% off the machine my size and it is only $299!!

Negotiations on line and a good deal is made but cannot install till July 9th--yes they gave me more off to quit trying to get it sooner and be happy.  Yea, but...no washer for two weeks!!!!

It's always something, can't life ever just coast along without something going wrong?...plus I didn't send my brother Dave (who I called yesterday and wished a happy birthday) or James, whose birthday is tomorrow or Linda, whose birthday is Sunday birthday cards.  What is happening to me???  Where is my mind???  What ekse have I forgotten to do?

The Hardys are Here!!

James called early Sunday the 21 and said they were in Yuba City and would be coming straight to church and how to get there.  They had sent some pictures from their trip up the coast earlier.

He had a meeting in San Jose on Saturday and talked about coming late.  I told Camber it was a very dark road and there had been a lot of deer hit and they should wait till morning but they stayed at a little motel on  the way.


Anyway they got there just as the first song was started and we left after Sacrament Meeting and talking to a Jean, Ann, Maryanne and Ron.  I put chicken enchiladas in the oven and the vacation began.

 

Jimmy got in a lot of computer time while he was here.  This is how we saw him most of the time except when gone or playing games.

They rented a boat a couple of days

 

Jacob fixed one of the skateboards and got a few runs in down the street.

Lea liked listening to her music and watching movies in her room part of the time and the hammock is always fun.

It was so fun having them here.  They boated twice, played golf, and played a lot of monopoly, chinese checkers and cards.

Even Lea and Kelsi played golf.

James was getting up early every morning and doing business calls on the hammock.  One day he accidently broke one of the supports.  Without missing a moment on the phone he finds a board and tools in the garage and fixes it still talking on the phone.  How does he do that?

Jacob did some cutting of weeds and Lea collected a lot of the branches in the wagon.

And here is where Jimmy was a good part of the time!

 James had a meeting Thursday night in San Jose so they left in the morning and headed to visit friends in Reno and then on to San Jose.  So glad they could come after nine years!!  The children all wrote in my book about the good food and fun they had had!