Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Smells

This has been the week of smells! Last Wednesday night as I was ready to go to Thanksgiving Eve service at church and was set to open the porch door, I saw a skunk. It was right there in front of me by the light pole. I didn't know what to do, if I opened the door and went out would it be scared and spray me? Bill kept saying if I shoot it, it will smell. Know what? It did. He shot it by standing on the porch just inside the door. After the 3rd shot, it lay dead--well the first shot missed but he got it finally with the other two. I left for church; the inside of the car smelling like skunk. Even when I left church to go home. Bill didn't want to carry the skunk away so it layed there until we got home from Thanksgiving dinner. The smell didn't come into the house, but the minute you opened the door--yuk! Finally I convined him he had to get rid of it. The sidewalk where he died smelled until Sunday. Phew!

Today it is the smell of fresh paint that I noticed when I got up. Mike Elijah and his painting partner came yesterday and painted the bathroom and kitchen. Only took a few hours, I guess. I was at school and when I got home it was all done. Now I have the curtains washed and ironed, floor mopped, all the woodwork was washed prior to painting. Now if it would just stay clean!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Cheryl

This past week has been a busy, fun one. Cheryl came Tuesday evening; Bill, Grandma and I got to meet her at the airport. Hopefully she has had a good time while here and saw and did everything she wanted to. Tomorrow morning, very early, she leaves again. The week goes so fast.

Plans for painting the kitchen and bathroom are going well. Mike said he could paint the Monday after Thanksgiving so I've been busy removing things from walls and washing walls. I can't wait for that to get done. The bedroom will have to wait until it can get a couple skim coats. But like Neal says, who cares if the bedroom is painted, you sleep with your eyes closed!

Hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving. We do have a lot to be thankful for. I hope everyone has looked a Vanessa's face book page and seen the video of Caleb graduating from sniper school.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Wallpaper

I've been taking wallpaper off my bedroom this past week. I will NEVER EVER put wallpaper on any wall. The top layer of the paper came off fairly easy, mainly because the seams have been loose for years anyway. The bottom layer came off ok with a squirt of fabric softner in water. That was on my old plaster walls. But the wallpaper on the closet walls which we built years ago didn't want to come off. Bill's nephew Mike is going to paint for me and he recommended DIF. You spray that on after scoring the wallpaper. Well, there is some wallboard missing now too. The plaster walls are rough--Neal says he can put a couple coats of skim (whatever?) on the walls, do you suppose that works on wallboard too? Otherwise I have a mess! Mike is a professional painter and I want the bathroom, kitchen and bedroom painted before Christmas. He thought he could get it done. I hope so. At least the bathroom and kitchen. Nobody is going to see the bedroom anyway.

Yesterday the search committee hosted a potluck after church to get the congregation's opinion on some of the questions on our church profile. We had almost 60 people stay for the question and answer session and we consider it a success. Next meeting Thursday night.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Veterans Day

We have a couple things to do on Veterans Day--there is a program at the North Cedar Middle School in the morning and the Legion is having a supper that night, a potluck so I have some cooking to do. The school program is always nice; they ask the Veterans to come up front and then all the kids are to shake their hands and tell them "thank you for your service". I don't know what the kids get out of it but it is nice for the Veterans.

Election Day was long and busy. We had 460 voters at our precinct. There were 6 of us working and we all were surprised at how many of voters we did NOT know. More people are moving in and out of our little town. We worked from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. A fun day even though we didn't have time to eat the snacks that we all brought to share. Barely had time for a bathroom break!

Went to the Lutheran church for a turkey supper last night. Turkey, dressing, the whole bit plus a salad bar and pie! Good stuff. Friday night was the first Legion fish fry this fall. The fish compares to Bluff Lake and you don't have to wait. Next one is first Friday in December. Thursday night we went to the Legion for tacos before my search committee meeting. Enough of eating already!

Monday, November 1, 2010

Election Day

Won't we all be glad when election day is over? I have received so many phone calls, the last from Mitt Romney and the other day one from Pat Boone! For you youngens' he is a famous singer from back in the day and he was calling "older" Iowans. Why did he call me?