Sunday

John and I went to the Farmer's Market in Madison last weekend. Probably my favorite overnight trip. The pool at the hotel was delightfully cold, and the hot tub delightfully warm, lol, and popping from one to the other felt great. I commented to John that the breakfast at the hotel was unusual in that there was no plate of pastries or mini muffins like we usually see at the hotel breakfasts. Not that I eat much of that stuff! lol There was scrambled eggs, local sausage (wow was that good), and taters. Tasty stuff. And the city is filled with active, outdoorsy people. They are everywhere!

Rockford, on the way home, was in stark contrast to Madison! We went to an estate sale.

I would have to say the person who lived in that house was a hoarder. But it was like she was a hoarder up til like 20 years ago, then stopped. But she never got rid of anything. I've never seen so much stuff. And we were there on the fourth day of  the sale! The house was very clean and nice though, I don't want to badmouth anybody. All those dolls staring at me was rather disconcerting though, but to each his/her own! It makes me think about what I have and how much I need though, and the thought of one of these estate sales where people just go through your home and drawers and closets, well it kind of freaks me out!  I scored some 70's towels, and some lovely pillowcases, all brand new. I'm pretty sure we had some of these patterns on the farm when I was a kid. Remember that one laundry detergent that came with a towel all rolled up on it! LOL Memories! I can almost smell that detergent and feel that powdery feeling of that rolled up towel!

So pretty!

Bernie is all the time asking what day it is. You can kind of tell when Mom is tired and when Dad has been asking that question all day. So I decided to look on line and see if I could find something to help. I found lots of clocks that had the day but they abbreviated the day, and that could confuse the Bern. Then I found a dementia calendar . . .

Bernie by his new dementia calendar.

Bernie likes his new calendar!

Bernie: "Who got that for me? I love that! It's nice! Is is right?"

LOL  He does love it and it has helped a lot. Now it is kind of fun to ask Bernie what day it is! Maybe I just have a weird sense of humor!

We took a ride over to John's today for a delicious cod dinner, homemade bread, fried green tomatoes, zucchini, and shitakes. It was spectacular! Goodbye fried green tomatoes! See you next year . . . boo hoooooo.

I leave you with photos of Farmer's Market goodness . . .

I can't believe it is nearly October already! Where did the summer go?

Kay

Is it really September already!?

I started this post a couple of weeks ago, and it was so boring I just saved it as a draft  . . .  and it is still pretty boring!

School starts and it gets hot! All the more reason school should start later.

Bernie's bowels are in an uproar. He's going to the doc to get checked out Wednesday.

Did some yard work last Friday, trimmed some bushes and some growth along driveway. Had a terrible allergic reaction, eyes nearly swollen shut, face blotchy all over. I looked a fright people. Got some prednisone, had to take some benadryl and some zyrtek, and doing better now. I can't do any more yard work, woo hoo!  I'm sure there is a more definitive reason for my allergy, but I prefer to just steer clear of the yard work. Who wouldn't!? lol

BOOOOOO! This is my much improved eye area. And my second selfie! I felt kind of like the dog on Little Rascals. I had to call in sick for two days, and I got some looks the day I went back! I guess just  because it was looking better to me, it still looked pretty nasty! lol Nothing like a scarlet rash to show off my pale (deathly white) complexion! I looked like I got in a fight and lost  . . not that that would ever happen! LOL I was pretty miserable for a few days.

Now I'm back to present day, September 7, 2014 . . .

My rash is pretty much gone. There are still a couple stubborn spots. Or hell they could be age spots or zits. Who knows? I'm going to go with the rash.  Man, do I sweat after I finish a round of prednisone. That hot spell last week nearly did me in. I was sweating at the drop of a hat. Or hell it could be hot flashes I guess. I'm going to go with the prednisone thing.  I'm not good on prednisone. Temper temper temper! Is that why they call it 'roid rage?

Beautiful weather!  It's going to be in the 50's tonight! What a change from that miserable heat last week! So glad the humidity is gone.

Bernie got some medicine for his bowels. I had already been pre-warned by my friends that old people worry about their bowels (thanks Mar!), so I kind of knew it was coming. 

Bernie commented on our ride the other night, "Well well well, brother and sister sitting down at the river!" LOL  It was cute. Of course I was his sister, Norene.

I went to John's this weekend. I had fun at the Kroger mega-sale. Gosh I'm old! I did sneak out last night and get some Blue Moon Wheat Grass Ale. It was 1.2 miles to the little market round the corner by John's house. It was delicious. I'm getting all frou frou I guess. What the hell!? Miller Lite is probably missing me. Telefon is a good movie. I did not like The Possession of Michael King. We had just turned off the air and opened the windows and it was dark, and maybe there was evil lurking out there, and John kept getting startled and jumpy and he yelled  and was scaring me. It was almost bed time and I got the heebie jeebies and we had to turn it off. I do not recommend that movie! No no no! No! Telefon is a good movie, I recommend that one.  The 70's movies have really aged well. Not so much for the 2014 movies. John made the evil sound today while I was in the kitchen but I didn't fall for it! In fact he sounded like a person with allergies clearing his throat. Why that sound would scare someone in the dark I do not know!

I had to laugh at the start of one 70's movie, The Evictors, when at the beginning of the film I read that it was based on true events. That was followed up by the any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is just a coincidence language. What!? lol

Dad and I have been checking on a pheasant family on our nightly rides. The little guys were so short you couldn't seem them following their mum, you could just see the grass moving behind her. We missed them for a few rides and finally saw them again tonight and they are above the grass and beautiful! I was admiring them and Bernie says . . . "Somebody will shoot them and have a nice dinner." Sigh.

I can't tell you how many times Bernie and I have had this conversation, or some derivative thereof, during a ride, and after Bernie has admired the crops:

Bernie: "I want to come out here when they are combining . . . if I'm still around."  Bernie says this with a cute, rueful grin.
Kay/Norene: "Sure! That sounds exciting! Tell you what, if you are not alive, we'll skip it!" Chuckles from the Bern, giggles from Kay/Norene.

We have had that conversation hundreds of times!

Then the other night this is what happened:

Bernie: "Can we come out and see them combining?"
Kay/Norene: "Sure Bernie, but if you are still alive and kicking!"
Waiting for chuckles . . .
Bernie (very seriously): "That's not funny! I'm ready to go home now!"

What a hoot. I guess I'm only allowed to make my joke if Bernie opens the door with the "if I'm stll alive/around" disclaimer!

Mom and Dad go for a ride in the afternoons, and they come by work so I can wave at Dad out the window.  Well bad luck last week. Mom was about to turn the corner and some lady backed into her. No injuries, except to the car, $3080 in damages and 9 days in the shop. No fault of mom's, but what a pain in the arse. Hasn't been repaired yet, it is driveable, so it could be worse.

I leave you with my latest series, "Cats in Bags" . . .

 Kathleen :)