What Happened Next?

 We got things under control, somewhat...

After paying more that $300 each for four keys...

Mr. K got his car inspected...

He still had to park it in the driveway because Kia issued a recall for some fire danger,

but they didn't know when or even if they would fix it.

I didn't care, I LOVED parking in the center of the garage.

Suddenly, Mr. K realized his car was 5 years old.  He said he never keeps a car longer than 5 years...

I just shook my head...I've had cars that were 21+ years old and they were just fine!

I told him that if he was going out to buy a SUV, I'd like one with third row seating...

After all, our family was growing!

My wish was his command.

In two weeks, we racked up 1800 miles when it started acting crazy.

Mr. K called the dealer.  They offered him a service appointment three weeks away.

Furious, he called Kia and they told him to go to any Kia dealer, so he did.

A week later, they told him they had to replace the transmission cooler or something like that.

He asked for a loaner and they told him they had none.  He had to go across the street and rent one.

So he did...

The only car they had was a Mitsubishi Mirage...

I said it was more like a miracle (that he could get in it).

A week after that, they told him the part was in transit. Then they didn't know...

Again, he asked for a loaner...they had none so he called the rental company and they did get him a bit bigger car...

Finally, the part came in!

It did not fix the problem, they said they would have to replace the transmission but really didn't know when they would get one.

A few days later, I got in my car and it said that my key was not in range.

I knew it was, so I tried again and it started, very slowly.

I backed out of the garage, put the top down and went to the convenience store.

When I went to drive home, my car wouldn't start!

Two really nice guys, one weighing 300+ pounds and carrying a chihuahua, tried to jump my battery.

No go.

Now, you realize that in our house, crap comes in twos, right?  

I called Mr. K and he came over and called AAA.  After a 20 minute phone call, they told him a tow truck would be there in 25 minutes.

We sat inside, eating convenience store food when I looked out.

It was raining!!!!!

I ran out, not sure what I was going to do, but just before I was soaked, the tow truck pulled in.

he got my car started and I was able to put the top up...

I drove home.

Long story short, my battery died...had to get a new one!

Good news, the Kia dealer gave Mr. K a loaner, it's even nicer than the one we bought! 

They have had the car for 35+ days.

Kia never responds to us.  So far, it was $2700 to rent the car.

One last thought...He bought the Kia  because of the great warranty.  10 years or 100,000 miles.  Wonder if they are waiting out the ten years?

I'll be back soon!  Promise

She said her name is Grandma Jan

Corgi Day?

 This morning my newsfeed announced that it was National Welch Corgi Day.

I begrudgingly thought it was only appropriate to honor Miss Shirley...

But then I saw that International Corgi Day was scheduled for June 4, 2021...

What the heck, another day to honor her?

I did find yet another day, 

International Corgi Day is April 20!

Shirley said it's going to be a big celebration so she's cleaning house...

And getting supplies...

It's going to be a big one!

Which is making Winnie rather disgruntled...

How about that?!?

One whole post without photos of grandkids!

Think again!

~sigh~

Grandma life!

Scraps of Life...

 Just some bits of this and that from the past week...

Photos the kids shared, things I did...

Places my brain went...

First off, I'm in up to my wazoo with my mom's estate.

So many things to do, questions to ask, STUFF to deal with.

I remember that for the past ten years, each time I visited my mother  she tried to give me things out of her house.  I usually refused, saying I had more than enough STUFF at my house already.

Now I see that it would have been easier to take the contents of her house piece by piece than to deal with the whole mess at once!

I'm learning...look out kids!

It's been difficult working on the legal stuff.  I've known my attorney for for than 55 years.

He was a fuss budget in junior high and has only gotten worse.  We're both old and cranky.

I think he should have retired years ago...just kidding, Stephen!

Of course, there was my Tuesday dinner with Locklan.  Wouldn't miss it for anything.

I try to find something to play while we're waiting for our dinners.

This week it was dominoes!

He loved it and took the tiles home to play with his mom.  

He claimed he usually won but occasionally Teagan won.

Yesterday afternoon, the kids stopped by for an afternoon visit.

Within minutes, they gathered furniture from every room to set up their theater.

They took turns as master of ceremony and performing.

Teagan danced, Locklan sang.  The big problem was that when Teagan was Master of Ceremony, she would introduce herself, introduce the performers and thank everyone for coming.

That included going out and hugging everyone in the audience which included 3 bears, 2 cabbage patch dolls and a few stuffed animals.

She's amazing...

We had fun but I was beat after all that excitement!

I was happy to see Andy helping put my house back in order!

Tony sent me this...

Brothers having lunch?

Last night, he shared this...

I think they like him!

Wow!  That was a week!

Next week I get my second covoid injection, Mr. K has had both of his...

And (grandma) life goes on!

~SIGH~

Let's Clean Up!

 I know that I have so much to talk about

but I'm still playing 'catch up' after being out of commission for all that time...

But I want to keep in touch, and I want to share my family...

Now I don't know if you know, but I'm a Norwex junkie!

Just before Ashley was going back to work and I was going to watch Locklan

My neighbor introduced me to the products that would clean your house with just water...

No Chemicals!

I fell in love.  I had a crawling baby...I didn't want chemicals on the floors!

It took a while, but little by little Ashley fell in love with them too.

She's now a consultant, which means we own at least one of everything they sell...

But seriously, after 5 years...

She posted these photos...

Now I don't know about you, but if I found a 'magic' cloth that would make my kids want to clean...

I'd buy two!

Seriously...

My boys were very helpful around the house.

Once, when my dad was in the hospital, his pastor said the would stop at the house for coffee.

Before leaving for the hospital, I wrote a note for the boys...

"Pastor Jeff coming.  Please do not leave your dishes in the sink."

That afternoon I came home to find the sink full of shoes and the dirty dishes on the floor beside the back door...

Kids...and you were wondering why I stopped at 4?

Okay, time to get busy...

Love to all...

I Missed You Guys!

 I know it looks like I dropped off the face of the earth...

I did not.

So much going on, from Mama Drama (issues with my mom)

to getting really sick and chalking it up to stress (it was not)

to fearing Covoid (I was tested negative)...

My life was almost normal for a bit, and yesterday was one of the high spots.

Remember this day?

            Henry's big announcement?

Yesterday was even more exciting...

Remember this?

When Tony hit that golf ball that revealed Henry.

Since Henry loves to golf, yesterday he got to hit the gender reveal ball...

Yes, Henry's brother will be here in March.

Needing a nap, talk to you later.

Love ya!

 

A Pillow, A Clapper, Alexa and a Pressure Washer...

I'm a bad sleeper!

Getting things together for a good night's sleep has taken me two years!

I need white noise but do not want to hear it before I am ready to sleep.

Alexa to the rescue!!!

I like to sleep on my side but don't want to wake up with a crooked neck.

Side-sleeper pillow to the rescue!

(It did come with the travel pillow that I will probably never use)

My last problem was that I like to sleep on my right side, facing away from my night stand.

More often than not, instead of rolling over to turn off the light after I read a bit, 

I would fall asleep with the light on!

A few days ago, I remembered that my mom bought my dad a clapper 20 years ago.  

I wondered if they still sold them...

Amazon, I love you!

I have been sleeping in what I consider a perfect storm...

I even slept in today!  

That never happens.  Usually, for one or many reasons, I force myself to stay in bed until 5AM.

Now, if you are wondering if I took the pressure washer to bed...

NO!  these guys,

Came this morning and our house exterior is sparkling clean!

I'm a well-rested happy camper!

Busy!

 So much happening.  Not today, but in the next few weeks.

Tomorrow the guy is going to come and pressure wash our house.

He will be there at 9AM so we have to move everything off the patio.

Easy for someone half our ages, time consuming for us.

Yesterday the guy from Bright Covers came to double check all measurements

for our new awning.  I'm so excited.  Can't wait to see that Sunsetter gone.  

I have hated that thing since half way through the first year!

Yesterday morning I got a call from Locklan.  

He wanted to tell me that he didn't feel like going to school.

A few minutes of pep talking and he was fine.

Yesterday Teagan had her first Kindermusik class.  She loved it!

She called it school and danced around the house to show us what she could do now.

She stayed with us while Ashley ran errands.

She's a hoot.  She kept putting a pair of pants on her head and shouting, "Can you hear me?"

I rode with Ashley to pick up Locklan after school.

Locklan was so happy to see me.

Ashley dropped Locklan and me off at my house.

Locklan and I had a dinner date.

We went to his favorite restaurant, the Chop Shop

 so he could get macaroni and cheese with bacon.

I didn't realize he was such a flirt.

This restaurant has an open kitchen and we were seated next to the dividing wall.

He asked servers what their names were,

Told one that he really liked her hair 

and commented that one of the cooks with long hair and earrings was a guy!

All that chattering and he managed to join the clean plate club!

I have such fun with this guy.  We're going to do this more often.

On the home front, Mr.K managed to make a burger and not burn the house down...

And I slept good last night!

Stay safe!

Tuesday?

 Normally my Tuesdays are busy and tidy.  

First thing, the lawn guys come and do magic on our (probably never recovering) lawn.

Then, about when they are pulling out, the cleaning crew shows up.

I spend the time while they are zipping around downstairs, right up here, either at my sewing machine or my computer.  Again, very tidy timing

Then, at precisely 1:00, every other week, I head to the nail salon to have my claws primped.

Dinner is usually something simple and then by 8:30 or so, I facetime with Henry and fall asleep.

All neat and tidy!

Yesterday, the lawn guys came...they were here 21 minutes and when they left, the lawn looked presentable.

When they got here, I headed up to piece some quilt blocks.  I found some Halloween fabric in my stash over the weekend.

I chain pieced the whole time they were here...

without bobbin thread.😠

Then the cleaning crew called.  While I was on the phone with them, Mr. K let the dogs out.

They cleaners would be late, They always get here by 9:15,

They weren't going to be here until 1:30!

Then pandemonium struck...

They guys came to fertilize the lawn.  Coop up the dogs.

I headed up to fill the bobbin.

I got ready to head out for my nail appointment.

I reminded Mr.K of two things.

1.  I had two prescriptions that needed picked up

2.  Instacart was delivering groceries between 3 and 5.

I double checked my appoinment card.  Yes, it was my usual 1:00 time.

I got to the nail salon and Kimmy, my gal, looked confused.

Yes, I had a 1:00 but she forgot to put it in the book.  Could I come back at 2:30.

It's times like this that I am thankful that I never leave home without my Kindle!

I did wander into Michaels for a spool of fall ribbon.  The first I have been in a store since March.

I spent $40.

Called Mr. K and suggested we eat out.  He agreed.  I was starving!

Nails done, I stopped in to see Teagan and Locklan for a few minutes,

we made arrangements for me to spend time with the kids today.

Got home, Mr. K had lined the groceries up on the counter.

I made coffee and sat down to read the paper.  It was now 5:30.

I asked about my prescriptions.  Mr. K looked at me as if I had grown another head.

He jumped up and headed out the door.  He forgot.

We finally got to the restaurant at 7:15.

ZZZZzzzzzzzzz  by time I got home...

Got to face time with Henry...

Henry, like his father, is obsessed with golf.

Keep in mind, Henry is 20 months old...

And this is what he does when he is not doing this...

Yes, he's at the driving range.  He's using one of Tony's clubs that Tony cut down to size.

I do have the cutest video, but can't get it to upload!

Okay, it's 5:53 AM and I have a 6:AM limit.  Time to get things done..

Here's hoping for a calmer day for me...

And a great one for you!

Can't Believe I Said That!

 I just walked up to my office/sewing room...

I just had an upsetting conversation with Mr.K.

I said something to him that I never wanted to say.

I said, "I'm freezing!"

It's close to noon and it's only 61 degrees.

I'm getting ready to go out for a manicure.

In a way, I'm pretty excited...it's hoodie season.

By the way, I sewed for 20 minutes, chain piecing all the way...

With no bobbin thread.😠

On Saturday evening, we took a boat ride.

Tony took these...

I love them, hope you enjoy them.

Mask up, y'all!

What a weekend!

I thought this would be a nice, easy weekend

Ashley was out of town, Andy had other plans...

Tony and Mindy and Henry decided to come to camp.  

Later that day, we got a text from Mark's brother, wondering if we were going to be at camp on Saturday.

They sent a few hints...

And on Saturday, they came up to take us for a ride!

What a great boat!

Henry liked that he could move around more than he could on our boat...

until he got tired...

Finally, he fell asleep on Dada's lap.

We certainly hope that Mike and Michelle invite us to go for another ride!

After Mike and Michelle left, we settled down for some 

serious Camp Manfreding, if that is a word...

Tony took Henry out on the kayak to get to the other side of the river to throw rocks and wade, 

we had a good dinner and a slow and easy boat ride!

On Sunday, by time Mr. K and I got to camp, Andy  and kids were already there, along with Tony.  Mindy and Henry would join us after Henry's nap.

Tony and Andy decided to take the kids across the river to (of course) throw rocks and wade.

Of course, Tony had to ride the kayak down the hill into the water.

It's tradition!

Teagan was ready to go!

After dinner, we decided to take a ride up river...

The guys threw in the anchor, donned life jackets and jumped in!

Teagan always wants to do what the guys do.

and she usually does!

There is a rope swing upriver from us.

It's been there since before we moved in, 11 years ago.

Of course, the guys have to take a turn or two.

Andy went first!

Then Tony...

And then Locklan wanted a turn.

Suddenly Teagan decided she wanted on!

And of course, Daddy and Uncle Tony made it happen!

Where was Henry while all this was going on?

At first he seemed interested...

Then he decided he'd rather play with Mama's phone!

Just wait until next year!

By time we got back to camp, the kids were so tired that they let Andy photograph them.

What a day!

We're so blessed that although we are staying safe, we can still spend time with family.

How about you?