May 14, 2020 - Msg 114430: Maude, sounds like you got a LOT on your plate, and I ain’t talking pot & strawberry 🥧 pies. Hang in there!...

G-F
May 14, 2020 - Msg 114431: SHAZZAM...I’ll sweep my way out....Have a Good Day Y’all......
May 14, 2020 - Msg 114432: Good morning, Porch!

Hey, just wanted to ask, any of you know what that big, bright thing is in the sky? Kinda yellow, gives light to everything. Haven't seen it in quite awhile. ;)

Maude - Have to admit I've never heard a funeral home have a "call of convenience." Is that because of the virus? A way to thin people out thru time? I know a wake is usually two hours or so and people bunch up due to a short time to pay repsects.

GF - Was that your sweep? Hope you were careful and didnt get any dust down in your larynx. Well, you can always use that honey and water that Tex Ritter and Ferlin Husky use.

Gettin' a break weather wise today with *80 and sunshine. BUT...we are supposed to get hammered over the weekend. From late tonight thru Sunday, our percentages are like 80%, 90%, 90%, 80%, 90%. with some t-storms. I need to get in touch with Andy or Barney and see if I can borrow one of their rain coats!

Ok, folks...y'all have a great day! Stay safe and healthy!

John Masters
May 14, 2020 - Msg 114433: Morning all.

Maudie, Prayers for you and your family as you deal with all you have got to deal with right now. I know how challenging that is.

I didn't mention it but last week I was notified that a former co-worker of mine had passed away. I don't do him justice calling him a former co-worker. He was a dear friend and a mentor to me. I always called him the big brother I never had. Although he was about 15 years older than me, he was young at heart and so much fun to be around. He retired back in 2002 and I missed him dearly. He taught me much when I hired on with the company, both technical stuff and also the culture of how the company operated. Each company has different ways of doing things and he coached me well in that regard. I have been e-mailing his Daughter in law who I know some. She also works for the same company and is such a sweet gal. I will miss him a lot.

GF, Fine job sweeping my friend. Do you do windows? lol

Cool and overcast here today. Feels kind of nice. We are supposed to be near 90 by Sunday.

Happy Birthday to MDC's truck. Got her all serviced and cleaned up good. Did you name her yet? I think I have said before my Jeep Liberty is "Libbie" and my Tacoma is "Tommy". Folks tease me giving my truck a guys name, but he is a 4wd, off road package tough guy. He deserves a manly name, don't you reckon? :)

Well off to get some work done. Been trying to get all my insur@nce kicked over to Medicare this month. Not easy.

Asa
May 14, 2020 - Msg 114434: Nice and breezy round here a great day for a bottle of pop and a licorice whip.
May 15, 2020 - Msg 114435: ASA--be sure to get a good medicare supplement plan! Sure glad I had one for both my hip op and heart operation!
No name yet on the truck. It's still too new if you know what I mean. Maybe, in a few years, when the bed has some dings and scratches, I'll come up with something. ha
I had lunch at a Micky D's today. Every other table was marked off, and everyone was careful, but good to see things getting back.
Maude, my prayers are for you and your clients.
And thanks for the lunch vittles. It sure beats
three vienna sausages smothered in a heavy sauce. :)
PRAYERS,
MDC
May 15, 2020 - Msg 114436:

OH JOHN, glad your post ending with at least a bit of sunshine! :)


May 15, 2020 - Msg 114437: Good morning, Porch

Well, to say we've had a bad 2020, outside of the COVID problem, is an understatement. I found out that my aunt Darlene, who used to be married to me uncle Ed (my Dad's brother), passed away last November. After she divorced my uncle, she stayed in touch with and still saw some of the family at church functions, etc. Then she kinda disappeared. My cousins didnt really tell us where she went to and what she was up to. That part of our family kinda drifted. She continued to live in the house that she and my uncle had when they were married. Recently, my other uncle Chet (my dad's other brother) drove by the house and said it didnt look quite the same and he wondered if Darlene still lived there. We never knew she had went to the aforementioned nursing home. She died November of last year.
NOW. this morning, we find out my great aunt, my mother's grandmother, passed away at home at 4am. She was in bad health and passing rather quickly into Alzheimer's. She still knew names and faces, but would get confused a lot.
So, in seven months, we've lost our cat, my 2nd cousin, my mother's aunt and my aunt and my wife' grandmother. Four of those deaths being in four and a half months. The extended news of my aunt's and my mother's grandmother's death is that it signifies the end of two different families. The last two are the last of their parent's children
Appropriately, for this post, it's raining here again! Lots more rain coming today, tonight and tomorrow.

MDC - There goes the sunshine.

Sorry to post such an unhappy entry here. But man, I wish 2020 would just get up and get outta here!

Have a great day, folks! Take care and stay safe!

John Masters

May 15, 2020 - Msg 114438: Good morning, porch! Cloudy and gray here, but it just doesn't feel like it will rain. Now watch, we'll get a toad-strangler in a little while! I'm not much of a weather "prognosticator."

I've been having trouble with my vision for the past month or so. My near vision is great, I can thread a needle easily, but my distance vision has just gone to pot. I can't even read the menu on my TV screen, or read the closed captions. My chair is about 15 feet or so from the TV, and the print is just a blur. I can't read a road sign or a highway marker either, until I'm almost right under them! So I saw the ophthalmologist yesterday, and thank God, apparently it's caused by several reversible things. I had a little infection in one eye, probably caused by using some ancient mascara that should have been trashed long ago. An antibiotic eyedrop cleared that up, but the doc thinks my eye reacted to the medication! She told me to stop using them. She also flushed the tear ducts in both eyes (a strange sensation, but not painful) and put me on Zaditor, an OTC drop for possible allergies. It may be my hopeful imagination, but it seems to me there is some improvement already this morning. I can see to drive well enough, but I'd better know where I'm going, because I can't read the signs! No problem, Tillie knows the way to most of the places I would go. (heehee) Anyway, I'll be glad when this is fixed. I've grown quite accustomed to the 20/20 vision my lens implants gave me about 12 years ago.

My next-door neighbor is putting up a new fence between our houses. I don't think it was needed, just a few slats replaced would have fixed it, but she wanted a new fence. They just bought the house about two years ago. Anyway, she asked me to pay half of the section that's common to our yards, and I gently refused. I had that fence done myself about 12 years ago, all cedar pickets, and it's not in bad shape. Also, I told her she could use the existing poles, which are metal and set in concrete. Not moving, not an inch! I paid the whole thing back then, and turned the smooth face toward that yard, because the house has a large patio and a pool, and I knew it would look nicer for them. I have eleagnus shrubs on my side, kept sheared flat against the fence, so the fence isn't even seen from my side. All you see is greenery. I truly can't afford to pay half of that 70 ft run of fence, especially when it's not necessary. It would probably cost me nearly $1k, if she uses cedar, and I really hope she does. If she uses "white wood", the fence will last about three years, and fall apart. Anyway, she has accepted my refusal. I'm watching, and if she uses cedar, and they do a decent job, I may give her about $300 when it's all done. So far, they're doing a good job of releasing my shrubbery where it's wired to the fence, and have been careful not to damage anything. I get along well with the neighbor, she's a nice enough person, and I don't want anything but good relations with her and all my neighbors. So, I think we'll be okay, especially if I toss a little into the pot when all is said and done.

Trinket is coming along nicely. We're starting to develop those little routine things, such as Toye
Starr and I had. At night, when I say "let's go to bed", she hops out of my lap, and runs back to the bedroom. She gets a drink of water, (no, not out of the commode, she has a bowl back there) and then goes to her potty box. If she needs to go, she does. If she doesn't, she just stands in the box! Then when I finish my routine, and say "let's go to bed" again, she runs and gets into her little cuddlebed in the bathroom (she has one in every room we use) and waits for me to pick her up and put her on the bed. She's too little to jump up there. We might be standing right beside the bed, but when I say the magic phrase, she runs and gets in her cuddlebed and waits for me to pick her up. Toye Starr had a chosen spot right by the foot of the bed, and would go stand there and wait for me, facing away from me, so I could pick her up easily. As soon as my hand was beneath her belly, she would give a little jump, apparently thinking she was helping me to lift her 4.5 lbs. They are such creatures of habit, and they are so precious.

Well, guess I'll go get something to eat. I bought some red cherries at Kroger yesterday, and they are huge, firm and quite sweet for red cherries. Almost as good as the dark sweet cherries, which I could eat by the pound! A bowl full of those, and a couple of slices of good cheese, and that's a breakfast fit for a queen!

Stay home if you can, stay safe, and wash your hands. Blessings! --Romeena
May 15, 2020 - Msg 114439: Good grief, John Masters! Your family really has been hammered. Sometimes it just seems like more than we can handle. I know full well what that feels like. I lost my husband in 1996, my mother in 1999, my newborn grandson in 2002 and my father in 2003. Along the way, I lost a cousin, an aunt and an uncle. Had it not been for my faith, I don't know what I would have done. Here's a link to a song that helped me a lot, and the tag line of the song became my motto during those years. Maybe it can do the same for you: https://tinyurl.com/ycn3ovkf.

Prayers for you and yours, and peace be unto you, John. --Romeena


May 15, 2020 - Msg 114440: Thanks Romeena. I very much appreciate that.

On a lighter note....uh, anyone know when the gold truck's due to go by the porch?

John Masters
May 16, 2020 - Msg 114441:

Can't go wrong with the Gaithers! :) mdc


May 16, 2020 - Msg 114442: Afternoon, Porch

Well, went and got some calzone and cheese sticks with the wife and went to a nice park to eat it. Was nice getting out and enjoying the sunny, but partly cloudy, weather. People hit Stockton Lake HARD! Many, many, many boaters. One big parking lot of the lake looked like a Tracker boat factory lot where they roll out the new boats. Almost every parking spot taken!
Looked like people were social distancing with strangers. Meaning their were couple and groups, but staying away from each other.

Rain forecast has steadily decreased since yesterday. From 100% now down to 70%. Heard a weather warning over the radio, you know the three beeps and the robotic voice says the warnings, that gave some serious flooding warnings down close to Branson. Said creeks and waterways were out of their banks, washing over roads and highways. Never heard one of those National Weather Service three beep warnings describe a flood issue.

Hope you all are safe and enjoying your Saturday. Take care!

John Masters
May 16, 2020 - Msg 114443: Meaning THERE were couples....^^^

JM
May 16, 2020 - Msg 114444: Hey all,

MDC, saw you asked about my water heater a ways back. Yes, I did get a new one and it is still perking along. Did I tell you that a while after that, I needed to get a new furnace as well? That wasn't a big surprise since our old one was so old I couldn't even find much about it on the web. I was hoping the new furnace would solve the "hot upstairs" situation we've had to deal with in the summer(and cooler in the winter), and it has helped a little, but the vents just don't blow enough cold up there. Maybe there is a mouse family living in our vents, too.

Well, our gracious Governor has lifted our lockdown. Just kidding, actually the WI Supreme Court did that. And the Governor is having a snit fit about it. But wow, I was amazed at the increase in traffic just because of that. I was like, have ALL these people just been sitting in their houses this whole time and never going anywhere, even if just for a drive?

Noah and I have been biking everywhere. He has even had a couple spills, but nothing major, thankfully.

Oh, speaking of conniption fits, I am having one right now. For the past week, I haven't been able to turn into my favorite tv station, MeTV. I am just not getting any signal for it, and right in the middle of MAYberry month, too! We were getting some PSA's on that channel saying that in June we would have to rescan our tv's to get the channel in, but that's not until June! I rescanned anyway just to see, and managed to get in a bunch of other channels that I haven't had in a while, but none that I want, like PBS. I get like four of them suckers now.
Anyway, I am at a loss as to why I don't get MeTV or a couple other stations next to them anymore. Sometimes the neighbor's tree would interfere a little when it would start to grow leaves, like it is now, but the disruption never lasted that long before I would start getting signal again. I do wonder if there is a 5G tower up somewhere between my house and the stations that is causing this, but I don't know for sure or even if that would cause interference anyway. It took this disruption to discover how much I watch MeTV, and I miss it because it is a really good station. I am getting tired of watching Murphy Brown(when I can stomach it) and It's A Living on AntennaTV, the only other classic tv channel that I get.
I realize that this is not the biggest problem one could have right now, but it is annoying. Especially, like I said, during Mayberry month.

Well, better get going. Be well all.

-Sterling Holobyte
May 17, 2020 - Msg 114445: Just checking in to say we are not sick. Hope all of you are well.

Its been a trying week and don't want to get into details out of respect for others but please continue to pray for Erin. We have had some very difficult trials.

Blessing and health to all my porch family,
Boo
May 17, 2020 - Msg 114446: Good morning, porch! All are well here, even Trinket, though she is on my naughty list. If she doesn't quit getting the mail that misses the basket, and making confetti..... Yesterday, she got the envelope containing my car insur@nce verification slips, and shredded them. I could probably get my agent to have them re-sent, but I managed to tape 11 little pieces of paper together, it's readable, and I'm just going to carry that! I figure if I get stopped (I never do, haven't had a ticket since 1974) I'll produce that taped-together thing, and the officer might find it funny enough to let me go! Actually, I guess you don't even have to show those anymore, they can go online in their car and check it!

I'm waiting for time to head for the church! We're having another drive-in service, and I'm really looking forward to it. Social distancing will be observed, but we can wave at each other through the windows, and maybe even talk from car to car. I'm planning to get there at least 30 minutes early, and park on the front row, I hope. That will still put me about 40-50 feet from where the pastor will be, and with my current vision, he'll be pretty blurry, but any further away and I wouldn't be able to recognize him at all. I'll be happy when this clears up. The doc can't prescribe distance correction glasses, because the current focus isn't stable. It changes from moment to moment. Weird.

Sterling, I watch MeTV also! And FeTV. Anything that offers old re-runs, from the days when TV was clean, fun and entertaining, as opposed to negative, violent, and offensive. Some of the stuff they run these days just turns my stomach, and I do not watch it! I have DISH network, have had it for years, and they do a pretty good job of putting channel packages together, where you can eliminate a lot of the offensive stuff, and zero in on what you like. In addition to the re-run channels, I have all the Hallmark channels, and the NatGeo channels as well. I watch a lot of the nature shows and the zoo documentaries, and the veterinarian shows. Love The Incredible Dr. Pol! That old boy is amazing! Nearly 80, and wrestles those cranky young 1000 lb bulls and turns them into steers with such practiced ease. Then he goes back to the office and fixes a broken leg on a little one-pound kitten! He is smart, kind, upbeat and funny, and I really enjoy his show.

Well, better get moving. I'm taking Trinket with me, so I need to get her into her little halter/dress so I can have a leash on her. She looks so cute in that little outfit. She has really made a pretty little dog. Bigger than I wanted, but that's probably a good thing these days. At least I won't squish her if I trip over her. I just wish she'd stop biting my toes, though.

Boo, check your email a little later. Blessings, everyone! --Romeena
May 17, 2020 - Msg 114447: "Farther" away, not "further." I know better than that! --Romeena
May 17, 2020 - Msg 114448: Morning, Porch

There is sun again! Whaddya know about that?!

Sterling - We used to get MeTV and AntennaTV. Enjoyed some of the ol' classics. Now, we have Prime Video. That's how I've been watching Rifleman and have just started Bewitched from the very beginning. Prime Video also has some great old movies. Right now they're having a run on John Wayne! Alamo, Sone of Katie Elder, Rio Bravo! Good, good stuff!

Boo - Hate to hear about your week. So sorry to hear about Erin. I wish I could snap my fingers and made things better for all of you.

Romeena - Your mail missing the basket story made me giggle.

Lots of housework chores to do today! Guess...I...better...get...after...them.
Can you tell I'm not real enthused to do so?! ;)

Have a great Sunday, everyone!

Good Sabbath and stay safe!
John Masters
May 17, 2020 - Msg 114449: Romeena, I have two bins of documents that need shredded, does Trinket work by the job or by the hour?

Maude you getting anxious for the Meet-Up? I KNOW I’m ready right now!..Possum you going to make it this year?

G-F

May 17, 2020 - Msg 114450: Good evening, porch. Trinket and I went to church this morning, and guess what? No one bothered us! Apparently, judging from this information that came in an email from CitizenGo (the petition folks), we were lucky:

" Louisville Mayor bans drive-in Easter services.

Police arrest Florida pastor Rodney Howard-Browne

Christians were fined for attending a drive-in church in Mississippi

Court lets Kentucky Governor ban in-church services.

California County threatens to jail worship team for streaming worship. (Why????) -R.

Mayor starts a registry of church attendees

New York Mayor threatens the entire Jewish community after a funeral…"

The petition seeker states that this information was drawn from news items found online. I haven't verified them, but they don't surprise me.

If these things are true, folks, we're in trouble. The choke-hold on religious activities gets tighter and tighter. Right here in Dallas recently, a Jewish community was threatened with legal action for holding services in somebody's living room. A disgruntled neighbor reported it and the city told the worshipers to stop, that they were violating a city ordinance. There were fewer than ten people attending the little neighborhood service. We have twelve women at our bunco party every month, I'm sure we must be violating something, somewhere! And, horror of horrors, we ask God's blessing on the food we're about to share, and we pray for the needs of those of us who are there, and the families. That must just really offend someone, somewhere - never mind that we can't be seen or heard outside the home where we're meeting. It's getting scary, friends. I read the other day where a man received a restraining order, because he mentioned to someone that he would pray for them. What are they afraid of?

When Eloise and I were in Mongolia, I allowed a sweet and earnest 9 yr old girl to tie a little blue ribbon around my wrist. She told me it would encourage Buddha to look after me! I thanked her, and told her God was watching over me, but if it made her feel better to give me the ribbon, I would wear it, and would pray for her when I looked at it. She smiled, and was so pleased. I wasn't about to refuse her gift. So, why does the secular community think they have to be offended when someone prays for them? If they don't believe, what harm do they think can come from someone's prayer? I just don't understand it.

I know this - I felt quite blessed, sitting there in my car, with Trinket beside me, and hearing the music over my radio, and then the pastor's very powerful message. I wonder how long we will be allowed to do things like that? I think it speaks well for our little town, that the powers-that-be would not consider interrupting a service that was well within the current safety guidelines. I think they would know that they would have an uprising on their hands.

I also believe this - if the election in November goes the wrong way, that sort of overreach by government, large and small, will continue and will escalate. Someday, we may find ourselves meeting secretly in homes, while our churches are boarded up. It has happened in countries around the world, and it can happen here.

No moulage intended here. I'm just worried about my country, and the environment my grandchildren will have to live in. Pray for America! Blessings, friends. --Romeena
May 17, 2020 - Msg 114451: Well, I just did what I should have done in the first place, and chased down each of those points listed above. What I found was that the second one, about the Florida pastor, was correct, and should have been done. He openly defied the temporary safety policies, and continued to hold his services in his packed venue. He should not have done that, and the action taken seems appropriate to me.

The rest of the points are mostly true, and appear to me to be violations of people's rights, not the intent of the current policies. Some of them smack of the personality and personal prejudices of the individual who orders the action. A good example would be the action taken against a Jewish funeral, for having more than the allowed number of people, and possibly not holding to the social distance of 6 ft. Meantime, in the same city, people thronged Times Square and other large sites, shoulder to shoulder, to watch the flyover, and some were not wearing masks. No one seemed to mind that.

If you want to follow up on any of this, just copy those points, and paste them into your search engine, and you'll find an abundance of information. One thing you'll find is that the Trump administration's Justice Department has jumped into the case where Christians were fined $500 each for attending a drive-in service, such as I attended today. The case is going to court, and if there is any justice these days, the fines will be rescinded. Let's hope so.

Blessings! --Romeena
May 17, 2020 - Msg 114452:

STERLING--Here's what you do to get a better ME-TV signal...go outside, and stand on the west side of your house, stand on your left foot with your right hand in the air holding a roll of tinfoil, and then turn slightly to the right. The reception will be perfect... (At least that's what my wife tells me!) haha I couldn't resist! :)
ASA--have you had to mow your lawn yet? If Helen is your snowblower, what do you call
your riding mower?
BOO--my prayers continue for your family. May you feel the hug of Jesus. :)
JOHN--I hope you weren't vacuuming at 2 in the morning! :)
GF--when and where is the meet up this year?
RO--some of what you mention is prophesied, as
these are indeed strange times. However, we "had church" today.
Every other pew was roped off, and we sat 6 feet apart. One quarter of normal capacity, but they added two additional services. Pews were sprayed after each one. It went very well. One of our Bible readings today really hit the target..1Peter 3:15-16-"Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope; but do so with gentleness and reverence."
AZ governor said "let's open with caution and common sense."
Oh, I just have to post this for you for a little jocularity...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26pQNKEOXjo
We had such fun back in those days!
Good Sabbath to all. POSSUM, SPOTTY, FRANKIE and ALL, hope all is well.
MDC
May 17, 2020 - Msg 114453: Here Ya Go MDC...8th Annual Mayberry Meet-up July 17-19, 2020. Hey Folks, You are invited to visit Mt. Airy, NC at the Mayberry Motor Inn the weekend of 17-19 (Friday-Sunday) July 2020...

G-F
May 17, 2020 - Msg 114454: Prayers for John Masters-so sorry about all of your losses. Prayers for Boo as well- God Bless Erin.
Hey to all the Porchsters and hope that everyone is well.Take care!

******************
possum under a rock
May 18, 2020 - Msg 114455: Ummm, I'll have to try that, MDC! Lol!

Romeena, our church had one drive-in service after weeks of having internet ones, and after the governor's orders were deemed unconstitutional. Then this Sunday they started having people inside. They have rearranged the seats to allow more space, and also had some people view the service in the fellowship hall. Kind of surprised me because our Pastor is undergoing treatment for cancer, but he is definitely strong in the Lord and is doing great.

John Masters, yep, we have Prime Video as well. But I still miss MeTV. It had gotten sort of like a tradition some of the shows I had watched, and it is nice to just leave the tv going and not having to select the shows, you know what I mean?(Though I have watched some Rifleman episodes on Prime)

Hope everyone is well and has a good night.

-Sterling Holobyte


May 18, 2020 - Msg 114456: Good morning, Porch

Cloudy, cool and breezy on my end of the porch. Nice, but a bit crisp.

Romeena - I have been trying to be open minded about all of these lockdowns. There are a lot of politicians and police going WAY overboard on all of this and it's uncalled for. There is also a lot of hypocrisy, such as your Times Square example. I try to be open minded to our governments, from Federal down to local, as we have never dealt with anything like this before and I think there was a WHOLE lot of orders set without really thinking them through! It seems like some of it was almost done on the fly.

MDC - No. No vacuuming at 2am. But the wife was a bit steamed when I was out cutting wood in the driveway! See, I wasnt very sleepy. She knew I hadn't worked that day. ;)

possum - Thank you! I appreciate the sentiment.

Sterling - Yes, yes...again, yes! Sometimes I hate having to select everything too. I may be a little weird, but I liked having the TV going in the background without worrying about it ending. Ya' know, when you have to do a quick chore or just putter around the house. I liked the TV being background filler.

Ok, that about does it here for now. Morning chores are a callin'. Hey to SPOT, Frankie, GF, Boo, Asa and everyone else that had the number 44.

Stay safe, folks!
John Masters


May 18, 2020 - Msg 114457: Good morning, porch! Absolutely beautiful day here today. Clear skies, bright sun, very light breeze, critter traffic at a high level - my kind of day!

Our pastor has announced plans for a return to worship in our sanctuary on May 31. Instead of our usual 10:45 service, with the Spanish language service following at noon, we will have three services. Our 10:45 service will become two, with one at 8:15, and the Spanish service at 12. The sermons will all be the same. Social distancing will be arranged. We're trying to be as safe as possible, and I plan to be there! I really hope we don't have some overly-ambitious city official try to cause trouble. Our new pastor is a smart, feisty young man, he would make a tough adversary, and the membership is behind him.

I have a situation with my neighbor, the one who is putting in the fence, and I'm wrestling with how to deal with it. She's a nice person, a fellow Christian, opens her home to stray people now and then, and I like her. She accepted my refusal to pay half of the fence, as I've mentioned before. Again I say, if it had needed replacement, I would have shared, but it didn't. Some inexpensive repair would have sufficed nicely. Ted (my handyman friend) looked at it and said he could put it right for about $200. Still, I want to be a good neighbor, and I may kick in a little when all is said and done. The problem is, her pool has a leak around one of the underwater lights, the water follows a conduit underground, and surfaces right next to the fence where there is an electrical connection. I have a 20 ft long flowerbed along that fence on my side, and it's under about an inch of water all the time! It's a raised bed, supported by small boulders, and flanked on each end by spike junipers, about 25 ft tall. Over the last year, I've lost a stand of irises, some lilies, a rose bush that survived the viral rose rosette epidemic, and some clematis vines. The roots just rot off, due to standing in water. The neighbor inherited the problem when they bought the house, and she keeps saying she's going to fix it, but never does. Now one of the junipers is looking sickly, and that is not going to make me happy. Those trees have been there for 15 years. Sometimes the water goes over and through the boulder wall, and then I have three inches of water on the ground. Grass has drowned and died. It got a little better when they had someone try to caulk around the faulty light, and the water decreased somewhat, but now it's as bad as ever. She is well aware of the problem, as we have discussed it while standing beside the little "pond" it has created, but still nothing happens. She said she fears how expensive it will be to fix, and I understand that, but still she is putting in that silly fence! She's even putting a base of concrete blocks down, so that the fence slats won't be sitting in water and rotting off! I really don't know what to do, I don't want to have any disagreement with her, but it's a problem. Maybe I'll just plant some huge elephant ear bulbs and some bog irises in that bed. They will draw up an unbelievable amount of water, and they like wet conditions. Hmmm. That's a thought.

At our house in San Antonio, we had an a/c condensation drain that exited the foundation on one side of the house, and there was a muddy bog, about ten feet in diameter there, all the time. Not a particularly good design, but it was what it was. My creative husband got a wheelbarrow and shovel, and dug most of that mud out to about 15 inches deep, found it a new home, and brought in a load of sand. He mixed the sand with the remaining mud, and planted elephant ears! Result: you could walk through the area without sinking in slimy mud (the sand would stay dry on the surface) and the elephant ears were spectacular. They grew up past the eaves of the house, and the "ears" were enormous. They were on the west side of the house, the brick wall behind them caught the afternoon sun and warmed up, then slowly released the heat at night, so the plants even survived the winters, which aren't all that cold in SA anyway. It just might work here, only they will freeze down in our colder winters, but will come back.

Well, Eddie will be here shortly, I'm not dressed yet, and need to go to the bank for some cash to pay him. Better get moving. I'll take Trinket with me. I try to expose her to different experiences whenever I can, it makes her more sociable. However, if she gets any more "sociable" I'm not sure the world is ready for her! Sweet, busy, annoying, sweet, loving, destructive, sweet little thing! If she chews up one more piece of mail......

Blessings, everyone! --Romeena
May 18, 2020 - Msg 114458: Some sad news for Classic TV fans- Ken Osmond, who so wonderfully portrayed the wise-cracking Eddie Haskell on "Leave It To Beaver" has passed at the age of 76.

Rest in Peace, "Eddie Haskell"- you brought us so many laughs!

***********
possum u.a.r.
May 18, 2020 - Msg 114459: I saw that, possum.

And may I say....that I was just telling the Porch friends here how pleasant it would be take in a church social. My that's a lovely shirt your wearing, possum.

RIP Eddie!

John Masters
May 18, 2020 - Msg 114460: Eddie Haskell is probably saying to St. Peter at the pearly Gates....Good Evening Mr. Peter, and how are you doing today? Those gates are so shiny...In the voice just like he used to use on June Cleaver. I think I read somewhere he became a LA cop after his acting days...

Am I right Poor Horatio?...G-F
May 18, 2020 - Msg 114461: Got your email, Romeena..sent you one back.

Thank you all for the prayers and encouraging words. We will get through this.

Boo
May 18, 2020 - Msg 114462: Boo, so sorry to read you are asking prayers for your Erin. I will offer some for whatever is troubling her.

Romeena, I just had a thought about your mail shredding problem. Why not try sending some mail to Trinket that contains something that tastes awful? Do it on multiple occasions until she associates mail with a bad taste.

G-F, you are correct about Ken Osmond, aka Eddie Haskell. He served 18 years as a Los Angeles Police officer (mostly on motorcycles) until he was shot three times by a suspected car thief. That required him to be medically retired before his 20 years. Supposedly, he made some wise real estate investments that provided him and his family with a very good retirement income. He had been married over 50 years to his wife and raised two sons.
A funny fact about Ken Osmond occurred when he decided to become a police officer after Leave It To Beaver was cancelled. So many of us have being over weight problems to deal with. Well Ken had an under weight problem to meet the minimum standards to become a police officer. He did it by drinking milk shakes. Gosh, I miss milk shakes.

from Poor Horatio
May 18, 2020 - Msg 114463: I hope that car thief who shot Ken Osmond is still sitting in prison somewhere, wishing he had gone to a movie instead of car-thieving that day. --Romeena

May 18, 2020 - Msg 114464: Oh, and PH, that's an interesting idea. I may just give that a try! --Romeena
May 18, 2020 - Msg 114465: Romeena, Albert Cunningham was the suspected car thief who had shot Ken Osmond in 1980. Ken was on a motorcycle patrol with another police officer when they recognized the stolen vehicle. Although some news reports claim that Ken was shot five times, Ken remembers being shot only three times. Either way, all but one of the bullets were stopped by the bullet proof vest that Ken was wearing and only one bullet was deflected by Ken's belt buckle. The bullet impacts had enough force to stun and knock Officer Osmond to the ground resulting in Officer Osmond being flat on his back and could not move. The shooter Cunningham then walked up to Officer Osmond apparently to finish him off. But Ken's partner jumped the gunman and disarmed him.
Although none of the bullets penetrated Ken's body, he developed clinical depression as well as physical and emotional complications afterwards that eventually forced him to take a medical leave and then a medical retirement in 1988.
At the time of this incident, the shooter Albert Cunningham was on parole for killing his girlfriend. Cunningham served three years in prison for shooting Officer Ken Osmond. Two months after he was released from prison, Cunningham murdered a civilian in an attempted robbery. This time he was sentenced to death at a California prison. Cunningham has since filed multiple appeals that have delayed his execution. Then in 2019, the California governor issued a temporary moratorium on executions.

from Poor Horatio
May 19, 2020 - Msg 114466:

PH--you mean Ken Osmond didnt just wear a whistle with a heavy chain! ha! I liked the way he would call Beaver a little squirt! RIP Eddie.

RO--this might not work, but what if you invited your neighbor over and said
"up front" that you wpould be willing to contribute $300 to fixing the water leak issue. Since she doesnt know at this point that you were going to do anything, it might sound very positive to her. Just a thought.
Have a nice evening.
Prayers,
MDC
May 19, 2020 - Msg 114467: Morning, Folks

Well, kinda quiet here. Just a plain ol' cloudy day. Supposed to see *68 today with a light wind.

Is it me or are we losing a LOT of celebrities?! Harold Reid of the Statler Bros., Little Richard, Don Shula, Ken Osmond, Kobe Bryant, Fred Willard, Kenny Rogers, etc., etc. I have always heard that legend or myth that stars/celebrities die in threes, but this is ridiculous. I'm not making light of all the deaths from COVID, but I dont ever remember a run of celebrity deaths like this.

Not much happening on my end of the porch. Better git to those chores. Y'all have a safe and happy day! And remember...if someone digs you, you be sure and dig 'em back!

John Masters
May 19, 2020 - Msg 114468: MDC, when candidates like Ken Osmond take the physical to join a police department, they are usually wearing just a T shirt, shorts and socks. So Barney's method with the whistle and heavy chain would not qualify as being acceptable.

John Master, although it seems like we are losing a lot of celebrities recently, that is not true. Over at YouTube, some people post all celebrities who have died for each month as well for each year. Check it out. Two examples include https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_i3dxSB0Ts and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AmrXt2unzg

from Poor Horatio
May 20, 2020 - Msg 114469:

ASA--I saw 'nurse Mary' Julie Adams (along with James Franciscus) on a Hitch episode a few nights ago. She was DEFINITELY better than a mule's nose! haha!
RO--Besides my suggestion above regarding your neighbor,
one other thing I thought of is a highly advertized "Flex-Seal." It can supposedly be applied even UNDER water!
Maybe they could try that around the light fixture.
Otherwise, it seems like a real electrical hazard as well!
https://www.flexsealproducts.com/
Most hardware stores carry it.

All for now!
MDC :)
May 20, 2020 - Msg 114470: OH PH, so true! :)
May 20, 2020 - Msg 114471: Morning all.

MDC, I saw that episode on Alfred too. Yep, Julie Adams was a very beautiful woman indeed. Did you also notice who the lady who sold them the house was? One of the Morrison sisters. The one who loved the smell of witch hazel. I liked your TAGS reference concerning the heavy chain. It's always fun to bring TAGS stuff into the conversation. Now, concerning your trucks name. I'm stressing over it buddy. You really need to give it a name. It's gonna feel like an outcast if you don't. :)
BTW, You asked about a name for my riding mower. She is a Snapper, fairly new, and has been very reliable for me. So I named her Peggy. Always starts right up, purrs like a kitten, but can have a little "SNAP" in her if provoked. Peggy had that in her. Sweetly disposed, but could push back if need be.

John Masters, Jerry Stiller also just passed recently. I liked him in King of Queens.
I heard yesterday that John Glenns wife passed away from complications of the virus. Sad, but she was 100 I think I heard, so she had a good long life.

Romeena, I was going to suggest something along the lines of MDC's thought. If you were going to give her some money for the fence anyway, maybe just do it now as a gesture of good will. That would set up a good foundation for approaching her later about fixing her leak. I would think her water bill would be causing her concern for that matter. And you might suggest to her that if left unrepaired, the leak has the potential of doing damage to the integrity of the entire pool. A small water leak can do a lot of damage over time.

Still waiting for the rain they say is supposed to come later this morning. But it's going to have to hurry up. Sunny and mostly clear right now. It did cool down nicely.

We are getting some groceries delivered today. Things are slowly getting back to normal here. I am trying to be mindful of going out and bringing something home to Debbie. She is very high risk with a very compromised immune system. But I sure do miss spending time with my Grandkids.

Well best run a vacuum over the carpet. Debbies home health nurse comes on Wednesdays to change out her I.V. port thing and I don't want her to think ill of me.

Prayers for all.

Asa


May 20, 2020 - Msg 114472: Yes Asa, Ohio has lost another National Treasure. John & Annie Glen were Ohio royalty. My Nephew is a U.S. Marshal and had the HONOR of providing security for both of them several times over the years, he always said how nice and kind they both were, ESPECIALLY Annie....

I do have to tell one short story for you Astronaut enthusiasts. My Nephew was a big fan of John Glenn, he always said he’d like to have a autographed picture of him and his Mercury capsule. Well, in his business he is in that is a BIG NO-NO. But word had gotten back to John some how and later that night when Brian got back to his room after a day of work providing security for him, there on his pillow was a autographed picture with him and his Friendship 7 Capsule!..

WHAT A CLASS ACT!.....True Story!

G-F
May 20, 2020 - Msg 114473: That is a wonderful story GF. Thanks for sharing it. Every documentary I have seen (and I have seen tons of them) that has John Glenn in them, he always looks, sounds, and appears to be a very genuine and humble man. So glad that he and Annie are reunited.

Asa
May 20, 2020 - Msg 114474: Good Wednesday porch

I wanted to let you folks know that My Mom passed away this morning about 8:30 am. She was 89 years old. She had taken a fall in her bedroom this past Monday and broke her femur bone up next to her hip. We took her to the ER which admitted her and also discovered she had a UTI which resulted in her becoming septic. She just went down hill from there. My son, myself and my brother were there with her when she passed which is a blessing to her and us.

I would appreciate your prayers as work through the next few days

Thanks so much
Jo Ann aka Big Maude