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!

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.

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.

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!

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?

2 Months till Christmas

I'm not the least ready for Christmas so we will not talk about that anymore.

An interesting week as you all know. I remember now that hospital sitting is hard work. The best thing is Mother found out her heart is fine and that she has to take pain meds to keep her arthritis pain under control. Also found out that the life line works and she will use it if need be. All the nurses and doctors, first responders and ambulance people were great. Hope this week is more "normal".

Today is school, tomorrow Mother's dr. appt at 10:30 and I have an appt in the afternoon to see about getting my quilt machine quilted and choir practice in the evening; Wednesday is library and at night I am going to a class that Aaron Horman is teaching on FaceBook and Twitter. Looking forward to that. Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks!

Also looking forward to election next week. Then we won't have to listen to all the political ads. I work at the polls so it is a long day--from 6:00 AM to 9:30 or so PM. Hopefully lots of people come in to make the day go fast!

Harvest complete

We finished the harvest on Thursday. Thank God for no breakdowns and no combine fires. More thankful than ever because last night on the way to Tipton we saw a combine burning in the field. It was just 3 miles west of us and the combine was ablaze when we went by; fire engines there already. Made me really thankful we were done with no trouble. This combine is owned by a farmer with lots of acres; hopefully they will get a loaner and get the corn in the bin.

Wonderful trip yesterday to Ames to see all the Kibbes and Lynne too. What a sweet family and of course getting to hold Noelle was nice too. Laura is truly Martha Stewart! Thanks to Sherrie for driving.

Tonight is the silly supper at Circle. When I get home from volunteering at school this afternoon I have to pack up and head back to Lowden to church. Busy day.