Fri-Yay

One of our biggest jobs we tackled on Roy's staycation was pulling out the refrigerator and cleaning and vacuuming the coils. I had done the best I could which had helped the cooling situation but with Roy tackling the big job and his attention to detail, the difference was night and day. Good thing I had bought some small brushes for cleaning metal straws because that got into the nooks and crannys. Recommended to do twice a year and that made Roy so happy, happy, joy, joy.

I have been working on a short story...still too short to write about here. I have taken a few writing courses over the years as well as belonging to a book group that critiqued my writing style. Fiction is not my strong suit, so it is a challenge. It is not a story about cats.

While Roy and I made peach butter and strawberry freezer jam, we realized that the kitchen wasn't meant for two people. Normally, that would be wonderful news to me but here of late, because of the lock down, I find myself preparing meals in the kitchen. Meals that go beyond warming something up in the microwave. We've never had enough counter space nor storage space. We have tossed around the idea of expanding the kitchen and that idea tossed up to number one taking over redoing our en-suite bathroom. Roy watched a lot of Home Town with me and we began to put together ideas of what we would want. One thing we both agree on, is leaving the wall between the kitchen and living room. But we would take the archway out of the now dinning room to open that up. That way we could have a long island for counter space as well as an eat in bar. We have that in our Katy home and we really like that, along with electrical outlets and more storage. So it is good to be thinking on these things.

Another change of heart...well, it isn't that big of change but I ordered some boots to wear when gardening or doing farm work. No farm work in the mix but yesterday as I was slip sliding away while trying to cut down weeds, the thought came to me I should have muck boots or something. So while the color choices weren't that great for my size, found some on sale and ordered them. Why am I humming the Green Acres tune? Not only have I ordered boots but now while on sale, I have ordered two pairs of gardening pants...cool, wicking fabric and lots of pockets and they'll compliment the new boots. I need to talk to Mike the Mower Man. Rumor has it, he has a tiller and there are a couple of flowerbeds dancing around in my head. This much is sure, it is too hot to work outside now. Looking to fall plantings for spring flowers.

Finished Upstairs at the White House and moved right into Lake of the Ozarks, a memoir. Never been there but it reminds me a bit of back in the day Branson. The author worked in the summers at a hotel his aunt and uncle owned. We are probably close to the same age and he grew up in central Illinois. It is a humorous look at a vanishing America, cheap kitschy souvenirs and easily entertained amusements  ...but once I got into it, I thought maybe there could be some trigger points from the nightmarish trip and trips to Branson Missouri with my father. Both my brother and I shudder when someone mentions Branson. Oh, my mother was there but it is always the father issue in our most horrible, not beloved but now kind of laughable adventures with father. One Christmas, Dad suggested that we all go to Branson, his treat. My brother and I nervously exchanged glances...we didn't answer right then cause it was presented more as a statement, not a question to us. Doug and I were able to have a short conversation first to affirm that neither one of us wanted to participate and who was going to address this with father. I had the least to lose, so I breached the subject by first telling him what a generous offer but Roy and I would have to decline. You'll understand my next statement by telling this, my father picked hotels that were cheap. He and my mom would sleep in their clothes with their wallets under their pillows. He stacked furniture to barricade the door at night. So, when I told him Roy and I traveled at a different level than he and mom and it just wouldn't work, he took it well but then looked at Doug, uh, same thing...  Branson was also a part of the "Big Gulp Trip" that Roy and I took many, many years ago.