After the Fall, the Sequel

First, don't panic!!!!! Yesterday, I was watering in the backyard.  The dogs were with me - it was so nice.  I come inside and meet Mom in the kitchen.  And she asks me where I have been.  Because, as she pours herself a glass of wine in a GLASS, she tells me that she fell in the library.  She fell, because she dropped her glasses and as she leaned over, she fell against the dresser or something.  And, she couldn't get back up.  (Yes, the commercial is running through my head!)

She couldn't pull herself up on the chair.  So, she called me on the phone.  Which was upstairs, in my room.  So, I was no help.  So, she says she scooted herself over to the stairs and pulled herself up.  And came into the kitchen to get a glass of wine and a pain pill.  Which is where I came in.  Luckily, no blood, no broken bones.   

Do you know that I used the word "she" 14 times in two paragraphs?  I don't think that is the most correct way to write.  I will work on that problem. 

Enjoy the end of August!
Love, Leslie

After

Wow!  So much time has elapsed.  Lori was here for a short week and she stayed with Amy and made her rounds of visits to Nancy and Mom.  I invited the Hankins and the Turmans over to dinner on Thursday evening and we had so much fun. But prior to the soiree, Lori and Amy came over to help get ready.
Amy was hooking up the NEW cable boxes and new router that came with them - which meant everything had to be reprogrammed - ipads, kindles, computers.......what an enormous pain in the neck.  I still wonder why everything has to be so difficult?  Amy is a genus and got everything up and running.

Too bad I don't have video - the language was impressive.  Somehow, @#$%&&***^%$$##mfer@#$%%^^^ doesn't quite describe it.

 Mom decided she wanted the risers on the front steps washed.  Who does that?  I was planning on painting them, but not on the day of the dinner.  But, Lori goes out with a basin of soap and water and a rag and cleans them off.  

Here is Lori doing her pre-party labor.  It really does look good. 
 

Mom also kept harping that she wanted shrimp, and I said we had way too much food.  As you can tell, I was not the good daughter.
We had lasagna, garlic bread, antipasto and brownies with ice cream for dessert.  Way too much food, or not enough people invited.  That might be it.  So next time - I am inviting four more people.  But there was alot of laughter and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.
Amy did make a general announcement about what was going on and EVERYONE is supportive of her - which is the way it should be.
I drove Lori to meet Jim in Alexandria and it took so long!  Traffic was terrible.  But on the way home, I decided to go up Telegraph and not VanDorne.  That was inspired! Because it was quick!  Lori and Jim got hammered with traffic, so now we will meet in Bowie and they will go home on 301.  95 South is too horrible prior to Richmond.
Everyone is talking about college football - ready for Navy and Duke to start.  Jim is disappointed that Navy and Duke don't play this year - they really need to - it would be such fun. 
I just spoke to Lori - she and Jim are working in their garage today. 

Lori didn't take a BEFORE picture, so I got this picture of some poor soul's garage.  She has promised AFTER pictures!  So, get with it!!!!!!!!

Nancy painted her downstairs bathroom and it is fabulous - it is a pretty soft gray color.  All the Latin quotes are gone, it is very sophisticated.  Now she is redoing her columns.  I need to follow their act and get busy on the library.  But, first, I need a nap.

Enjoy!
Love, Leslie

The Curse of the Fence

We have lived in this house for over 25 years.  Mmmm, maybe not that long.  Since Amy's 30th Reunion from the Naval Academy is this September...had she been out 5 years when we came here?  This gets confusing.  Well, no matter.  We have been in the house for over 20 years and we have never had a problem with the fence. 

If the dogs wouldn't chase everything, maybe we could forgo the fence.

Yesterday, we had a huge rain storm.  I am not sure it was predicted ~ and a summer rain storm that lasted all day?  Anyhow, some places got 14 inches of rain.  We got about 4.  That is a lot of water.  And, it was a soft calm rain.  No wind, nothing major.  And, a tree fell on the fence. In the same place as the first time.  That is 3 times this summer the fence has been knocked down.  I do hope that is the charm!  Long Fence is going to be our new BFF's!!!!!

And, did you know that message and massage can be confusing on text messages?  But funny.

It is hard to believe that here it is, the middle of August.  The Orioles are in first place in the East.  The Redskins had their first pre-season game last week and pulverized the Patriots. And, all the sports news guys are saying good things about the team.  It would make Dad very happy!

Also, the other day I was doing yard work and while I was taking a break, sitting on a camp chair in the garage, I was talking to Amy on the telephone and I saw a smallish snake, about 18 inches long, gliding across the driveway about 3 feet from me.  It moved along going towards the French peoples house next door.  I wish I had my camera.  Then, I finished my conversation with Amy and went to move the hose and put it away and almost walked on top of a BIG black snake!  That was a big surprise!  He was easily 3+ feet and not skinny!  I let him go on his way too.  I hadn't seen any snakes all summer and whammo. And, still no camera.  

Enough rambling.  More Later.
Love, Leslie

PS ~ I know you can't tell, but I am writing this on the new computer.  This is really for Amy's benefit.

Ongoing Battles with Verizon and Microsoft

Amy says that every time she comes over to the house, Mom asks her to "fix" her computer, ipad, whatever.  So, yesterday she comes over and has to fix Mom's printer which no longer prints.  It is wireless and for some reason, the connection to her laptop (which is two inches away) disconnects.  What happened to the just hook it up together and it works ~ the plug it in method?  Is that gone?  

Then Amy wants to hook up my new laptop to the new printer upstairs ~ yes, it has been that long since I got it and have not used it.  So, up we go.  It is not easy and Amy has the most colorful language that she only uses with me, since it makes me laugh.  But, she is successful and the laptop and printer now speak to each other.

Then last night, as the Oriole game got started I decided to download a new security package to the new lap top.  I have done this process many times.  But tonight ~ no.  I finally got a lovely girl somewhere in Asia to take control of my laptop and download the program.  It took her an hour and added to the hour and a half that I worked on it.....I missed the Orioles 12-2 victory over the Cardinals!!!!!!! Why has this stuff gotten so complicated???????????

Verizon, verizon.  I had to contact them because they decided that our wireless bill (that was due on August 10th) needed to be paid on August 8th, because there is a mysterious $100.00 late payment.  I track Mom's bills paid and I have a monthly conversation with Verizon and we still have issues.  Now the dvr package isn't working ~ if she didn't like televison so much, I would cut it all off.  Music is better.  Calming.  Happy.  No commercials.  And plus, I like to listen to baseball on the radio.  (Win win for me.)

And, apologies to all ~ I went down for the count for a couple of days and it has taken a week to recover.  I am still not 100%, but getting there.  I need a nap every day, though, and that is not normal.  Since it is Saturday, I am going to accommodate my nap desire.

Oh yes, I bought a lovely book ~ Iphone for Senior Dummies ~ so I could figure out Mom's iphone.  It might help. 

Enjoy your day!
Love, Leslie

The Grocery Store and Other Myths

We have a surprise today.  Holly called and said that her mother was coming to Annapolis for a visit.  And she wanted to get together.  Great!  Well, they were supposed to come yesterday, but got caught in a massive traffic jam on the beltway ~ they are driving over from Reston, VA. So after hours in the car with grandbabies, they managed to turn around and go back to Reston.  Holly was driving to Reston this morning to pick up her Mom, no grandbabies.  I offered wine, gin and tonics and shrimp to provide needed pick- me -ups to continue to Annapolis.  I get the feeling that driving to Reston and back is like the trek to the great West via the Donner Pass. 

Anyway, it will be nice for Mom to visit with Diane Stevenson.

And, we are going to the grocery store.  I cannot wait.  Mom wrote a list - I think she has a basic list that she uses whether she needs onions or not.  Onions are on the list.  We have five pounds of them in the wire/metal stand that is now in the kitchen - I will take a picture.  It is a hazard.  Someone is going to trip over it.  I just hope it is not me.

Ok ~ sorry I did not get this out in a timely manner.  I started it Friday and today is Monday.  I have been not feeling well ~ I have vertigo and it is miserable.  I have been flat on my back for two days with my two fur coats lying as close as they can get.  

Amy has been fantastic and coming over to take the dogs out and to throw the toy for Bennett. And she is going to take mom out.  Win Win for everyone.

And, Mom LOVED the visit with Diane Stevenson!  We all ended up at Kilarney House for dinner ~ lots of wine, lots of laughter ~ it was terrific.  I even told them I would drive mom to Williamsburg to visit Diane.  I do love a roadtrip!

Hopefully, I will get rid of this vertigo and get back to normal.  
~Leslie