Tag Archives: Life

Banishing the darkness.

I have previously shared photos of the exterior of The Cabin. However, I’m posting a new photo below because we have made a few changes. No more green shutters! The shutters are now blue and I love them. (Kenn chose the yellow for the front door, so I got to choose the color for the shutters.)

Wow. We really need to trim the holly.😬

What you haven’t seen until now is the interior. The living area is a “great room” with a lofted ceiling. The walls of the living area are a dark wood as are two of the bathrooms; the bedrooms and one bath have sheet rock walls. However, even in the rooms with traditional walls, the doors, door frames, window frames, and base boards are stained a dark brown. The wood walls are perfect for decorating. Want to hang a picture? Just grab a hammer and nail. Not the right place? Just yank the nail out. There’s no need to patch the nail hole, no one will ever see it. However, all of the brown makes the house DARK.

We have a wall of shutters (dark brown, of course) between the living and dining areas that cover sliding glass doors. When we’re home during the day, we open one side of the shutters to let in more light, and the cats enjoy watching the world go by. Then night falls and the shutters are closed. This is when I turn on almost every light on the main level: the kitchen light, the dining room light, and the three hallway lights. Occasionally, even all of these lights leave me feeling like I’m sitting in the dark.

I have to admit that even feeling like I was living in a cave, it took me far too long to actually check the fixtures for burnt out bulbs. LED lights are bright and all that, but I miss incandescent bulbs. Flip the switch and and incandescent bulb would fail with an audible pop and one last dramatic flare of light; there was no doubt that the bulb needed to be replaced. LED bulbs just quietly fail and it seems to take a while for the failure to register with me. In addition to replacing failed bulbs, I replaced the yellow-tinted “daylight” bulbs with the brighter “bright white” bulbs. This small change made a noticeable difference.

A couple of weeks ago, I was once again replacing burnt out bulbs when I told Kenn that I wanted to replace one of the hall fixtures; it was a smaller one-bulb fixture with a translucent globe so it really wasn’t providing a lot of light. Kenn agreed and said he wanted a light that would actually illuminate the interior of the hall closets. So, we made a trip to Lowe’s and bought a replacement fixture that not only matches the other two, but has a clear globe. The new fixture produces such bright light that Kenn says he feels like there’s a spotlight shining on him whenever he is in that area. Sounds to me like Mission Accomplished!

On of my future goals is to replace the sliding glass doors with French doors thereby getting rid of the dark wall o’ shutters. Not only will that provide more natural light during the day, but I will no longer have to dust the bloody shutters which is one of my least favorite chores.🙌

Are there any changes you would make to your home?

Welcome, September!

It’s hard for me to chose a favorite anything, but September is the exception. September is easily my favorite month. September not only marks the autumn equinox, but, for me, it is a month of hope.

I cheated. This is actually an October picture.

August in the South is miserable. The temperature and humidity say “hold my beer” and proceed to see just how miserable they can make us. Then, when we are at our wits’ end, September eases onto the scene and says, “I’m here. Everything is going to be okay.” There are no drastic changes, but there are glimmers of hope. We don’t get a lot of colorful leaves, but September means they do start to fall. Occasionally, we will have a day in the 80s instead of the 90s, or an evening/night that is on the cooler side. Just a few hints to let us know that change is coming. (Kenn is doing yard work today and just came in and said, “It’s hot today, but every now and then I feel a cool breeze. Fall is coming.”)

So, welcome September! It’s good to see you again.

We are family.

We have had family photos made every couple of years since our boys were young. I wanted to document the growth and changes in our family, and I also wanted the boys to have something to remember me by. When it came to candid family photos, I was always the one taking the photos; I was rarely in any of them. I once told Kenn that if anything happened to me, the boys wouldn’t remember what I looked like.

As the boys grew, our family did as well. Our first daughter-in-law joined our family photos when she and our eldest got engaged. Our youngest son’s long-term girlfriend soon joined our photos as well. As far as I’m concerned, if you date one of our sons, you’re family! When you get engaged to or marry one of our boys, you’re stuck with us for life. (Fortunately, our daughters-in-law like us, LOL.) Of course, this did make things a little awkward when our youngest son’s relationship ended on less than amiable terms. This was also about the time our eldest and his family moved to South Carolina, which made getting the whole crew together for photos a little more difficult. Until recently, our last family photos were taken in December 2019.

However, the photographer our OG daughter-in-law uses for their family photos was going to be in Atlanta the weekend of Mother’s Day 2026 and Atlanta is a good halfway point for all of us. So, we all met in Piedmont Park for an updated photo shoot.

Our family has gained several new members in the past six and a half years. The twins (the tiny people in the front row) were born in 2022. Our youngest son began a new relationship in 2020(ish) and we’re thrilled to have his now-wife as a part of our family photos for the first time. Actually, there is one family member not visible in the photos. Our youngest son and daughter-in-law (in pink/pink and blue on the right side of the picture) are expecting their first child (a girl) due in November.

I have to admit, when I first looked at this photo, I had a moment of… existential affirmation, maybe? Or maybe it was just a Bill and Ted “whoa” moment. For a moment I was just blown away by the fact that Kenn and I, the couple who’s marriage got off to such a rocky start, created this family. Now, we will literally live on in the DNA of our sons, their children, and their children for future generations innumerable. Also, I’ll be one of the people future generations are searching for when they are trying to figure out where their baby’s red hair came from, LOL.

How often do you have family photos taken?

Welcome to Spider Gulch!

This time of year we go from living in The Cabin to living in The Cabin in Spider Gulch without even moving. Spider season hits pretty much overnight. The spiders that “grace” us with their presence every year are Golden Orb Weavers and, they are EVERYWHERE. Female Golden Orb Weavers are more colorful than the males and are a great deal larger than the males. The females build large webs and there are usually a few small brown males living in the webs. (Apparently this keeps them from getting eaten.🤷‍♀️)

I didn’t know until this year that the females actually molt as they grow. Now, I didn’t learn this fact from researching Golden Orb Weavers; I learned it from Kenn’s daily Spider Update. “Ooooh. The spider outside the kitchen window (or bay window, or sliding glass door, or wherever) has molted again. She’s really getting big!” I shuddered just typing that. I have never been a fan of spiders; something about those eight legs just creeps me out. I have not witnessed the evidence of the molting, nor do I need to. Ick. Just ick.

Since the spiders are everywhere, we really have to watch where we’re going. The first person through the front door in the mornings needs to look carefully before leaving because there is a high probability that a web has been spun across the doorway overnight. Failure to check before exiting may result in a face full of web and/or spider. They also like to spin webs across the base of the staircase leading to the carport; I just take the long way around from the front of the deck in a effort to avoid webs. If one of these spiders gets on me, I will just expire on the spot. So, if I disappear, you know what happened,🕷️🕸️

On a completely unrelated note, we also have a plethora of tiny toads this year. Making it safely through the spider gauntlet to reach the carport means watching our step so we don’t crush baby toads.

Can you find the toad?

I enjoy living in a rural setting, surrounded by wildlife; I’m just not a fan of arachnids. So, do you have spider season where you live?

Love is…

Love is… a lot of things. Love can be demonstrated through big, extravagant actions, but I tend to think that the small, quiet actions can often speak the loudest. Why? Because those small things show how well we know our partner, how well we see the little things that make their heart happy. Before I get into the heart of this post, you need to know a few things about Kenn and me: when it comes to music, our tastes are very similar – until they’re not. I like John Mellencamp; Kenn does not. Kenn loves Sting while Sting is the musical equivalent of nails on a chalkboard to me. I like what I call “fun” music. (Think Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham! and Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off.) I’m also old enough to have lived through disco and am not ashamed to say that I like it.

Kenn’s former guitar teacher provided him with a musical library on CD; it covered a wide range of decades and genres. On a recent trip to South Carolina to visit the kids, Kenn pulled up his library and said he had created a playlist for me; he set it to “shuffle” and hit play. I knew he had nailed it with the first song. As the music played, every couple of songs I pulled up the notepad on my phone and scribbled some notes. Kenn eventually asked what I was doing and I told him that I was making a list of all of the songs. When he asked why, I told him “because I want to remember; this is one of the sweetest things you’ve done for me.” I think he was surprised I felt that way, but I stand by my statement.

The songs on the playlist are (in the order they played):

  • YMCA by the Village People. Kenn does not share my love of the Village People, but he grinned as he drove while I did the arm motions for the song.
  • Annie’s Song by John Denver (IMO there are two singers who make singing seem effortless. One is John Denver, the other is Karen Carpenter.)
  • Somebody to Love by Queen
  • Disco Inferno by The Trammps
  • More Than A Woman by the Bee Gees
  • Wild Montana Skies by John Denver
  • That’s the Way (I Like It) by KC and the Sunshine Band
  • Killer Queen by Queen
  • Trying to Get The Feeling Again by Barry Manilow
  • Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen
  • Can’t Smile Without You by Barry Manilow
  • Open Arms by Journey
  • All Out of Love by Air Supply
  • I’m Sorry by John Denver
  • Calypso by John Denver
  • In the Navy by the Village People
  • Looks Like We Made It by Barry Manilow
  • Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees
  • Lost in Love by Air Supply
  • How Deep is Your Love by the Bee Gees
  • Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
  • Making Love Out of Nothing at All by Air Supply
  • Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen (My favorite Queen song)
  • Back Home Again by John Denver
  • Another One Bites the Dust by Queen
  • It’s a Miracle by Barry Manilow
  • Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey
  • Still the One by Orleans (This is “our song.”)
  • Saturday Night by the Bay City Rollers (In my early teens I was a die-hard Roller fan. The walls of my room were covered with BCR posters.)
  • Mandy by Barry Manilow
  • Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) by Looking Glass
  • Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen
  • Daybreak by Barry Manilow
  • You’re My Best Friend by Queen
  • Get Down Tonight by KC and the Sunshine Band
  • (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty by KC and the Sunshine Band
  • Evil Woman by Elecric Light Orchestra
  • I’m Your Boogie Man by KC and the Sunshine Band
  • We Will Rock You by Queen
  • Even Now by Barry Manilow
  • Who’s Crying Now by Journey

We discussed the list and I told him he could remove Disco Inferno, but that there are a few artists I’d like to have added such as the Carpenters and the Eagles. We also agreed that Elton John and more ELO would be good. Then I told him that I’m indifferent to the Bee Gees; I don’t hate them, but I don’t go out of the way to listen to them either. I told him that I wasn’t sure why he had recently decided that I’m a big Bee Gees fan. He just looked at me in stunned silence and finally managed to say, “It’s not just recently. I’ve always thought you like the Bee Gees.” Nope.

Originally this post would have ended here. However, Kenn came home from an estate sale last weekend with these gems for me.🥰

I will be investing in some album frames so I can hang them on the wall in my game room. Side note: I did not know until I read the album covers that the Village People had recorded Just A Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody so I looked it up. David Lee Roth did it better.🤷‍♀️

What is your favorite type of music?

Why didn’t we do this sooner?

“Keeping up with the Joneses” has never been important to us. We may not have the latest and greatest gizmo or doodad and we’re okay with that. (As former IT people, we will never use Alexa or Google voice-activated devices.) When we do get some sort of new-to-us bells and whistles we’re a bit like kids with a new toy.

When we purchased Ruby, The Big Red Truck, we were excited to have a back-up/rear view camera and heated seats. (I thought heated seats were stupid until I actually tried them.) I particularly love having lane assist; Kenn hates the lane assist because it beeps at him all the time. (He tends to “wander” while he drives.) Daisy, our Subaru Outback, added a heated steering wheel, heated side-view mirrors, heated and cooling seats, and push-button start.

No longer needing a key to drive was a game changer – and not always in a positive way. Leaving home wasn’t a problem – lock the front door, drop my keys in my purse, and go about my day. Returning home never went as smoothly. Push the button to turn off Daisy, lock the car, and head to the house – usually with my hands/arms full – only to realize that I needed my keys, which were still in my purse. Getting my keys out entailed juggling whatever I was carrying while getting my purse open and digging my keys out. It didn’t help that I am one of those people who insists on carrying everything in one trip.

Our son and daughter-in-law installed an electronic combination lock on their house and it made a world of difference when we were helping them move. We didn’t need a physical key and if they weren’t home, we didn’t need to wait on them, we could just use the combination to get in. I decided we needed to make the switch as well. But, Kenn doesn’t adjust to change as easily as I do so I have to open a topic of discussion, such as switching locks, and give him time to think on it for a while. (Or to decide it was his idea.🙄) The idea grew on Kenn and we did our research and decided on a Kwikset brand lock. We’ve used Kwikset door knobs and keyed locks for years and didn’t see any need to change from a good thing.

I love this thing!

The change has been wonderful! We can create different combinations for different people and the app lets us know who is unlocking/locking the door. I’m thrilled that I no longer have to leave a physical key outside for the pet-sitter when we travel. We also have the added capability of locking/unlocking the door via the Kwikset app. We should have done this ages ago!

Do you use keyed locks or electronic one? Do you carry everything in one trip?

Recall Limbo

Much like home ownership, vehicle ownership comes with its share of routine maintenance and periodic not-so-routine maintenance. Unlike home ownership, vehicle ownership also comes with occasional recalls. Recall issues can range from wow-we-need-to-fix-this-yesterday to meh-why-bother. (We never did take our Toyota Highlander in to have the carpet clips replaced.) Ruby, our 2018 Toyota Tundra, has introduced us to a new “category” of recall – they type that sends you into a rather nonsensical limbo.

Over the past couple of months, we’ve received three or four notices that we we need to call and schedule a recall service on our Tundra. However, the notice provides no information a to what the recall is for. Since Kenn now uses the Tundra as his primary vehicle, I nudged him into calling the dealership to find out more about the recall and scheduling the service. This is where the “fun” began.

Kenn called the dealership and gave them the Tundra’s VIN number. After an extended delay, the service manager said that their system couldn’t locate that VIN. Kenn pointed out that some Toyota database somewhere recognizes the VIN since we keep getting the recall notices. The service manager promised to keep researching the issue and would let us know what she found. True to her word, the service manager called a few days later to report that she had learned that the VIN number is Canadian. Who knew that our truck is an immigrant?

Image from depositphotos.com

Now that we know our truck originated in Canada, we can get it scheduled for the recall service, right? Wrong. Another day, another call. The service manager has learned that there is an outstanding recall associated with our vehicle. So, did she finally locate our vehicle in their system? No. The service manager found the information about the recall by searching for the VIN on CARFAX.🤦‍♀️ Seriously, I can’t make this stuff up.

At some point, Kenn was able to learn that the recall has something to do with the halogen headlights, but we still haven’t been able to schedule anything with the dealership and are once again waiting on another call. At this point, Kenn is going to see if he can schedule the service via Toyota’s national website.

As a former IT person, I’m baffled as to how a service manager at a local Toyota dealership can’t log into some sort of over-arching Toyota database and see any/all information on any Toyota vehicle. I’m beginning to hum the Jeopardy theme any time this topic comes up.

Wish us luck as we attempt to navigate the most convoluted recall process ever. At this rate, it might be easier to agree on what color we want to paint our shutters and deck. Then again, maybe not. Maybe that will be the topic for my next post…

Well, that escalated quickly.

To put it bluntly, my teeth suck. I got my first fillings at age seven and now sport twelve crowns, several fillings, and have had three root canals. I have probably had $20,000 worth of dental work over the years. My teeth have been holding their own for a while or, at least they were until I went to the dentist last week.

Last Tuesday, I went to the dentist for my six month cleaning. I was expecting to be told one of my lower crowns needed to be replaced; the dentist has been keeping an eye on one for a while. However, that is not what happened. While the hygienist was cleaning my teeth with those wonderful little pointy hooks, one of my crowns came off – and it was not the one the dentist was worried about. After cleaning up the nub of tooth under the crown, the dentist determined that it has a “poor prognosis.” In other words, that little nub of tooth will no longer support a crown and needs to be removed. This left me with two options: a bridge or an implant. A bridge would entail crowning the two teeth to either side of the bad tooth while an implant would replace it. I elected to move forward with the implant. The teeth to either side of the bad one are currently healthy and I don’t want to have them crowned unnecessarily.

The dentist referred me to a periodontist and even called and scheduled my consultation appointment for May 4th. However, the periodontist called later with a cancellation so I actually got in the next day. While the periodontist was looking at my x-rays he said, “I guess the dentist told you that you need a root canal on this other tooth.” No. No, she did not. After a call to my dentist, the periodontist’s office called the endodontist and I have an appointment with her on May 22nd.

Image from depositphotos.com

The periodontist will remove the remains of my tooth and insert the implant the same day. However, it will require four to five months of healing before a new crown can be placed on the implant. Since the tooth being replaced is a front tooth, I will receive an Essix clear retainer that will contain a “tooth” to hide the fact that mine is missing. The day after my consultation with the periodontist I had to go back to his office for a scan that will be used to create my retainer. Once that was done, my procedure was scheduled for 9am on May 21st.

Of course, this means I have an periodontist appointment on May 21st and an endodontist appointment on May 22nd. I’ll be making a call to the endodontist this week to find out if my appointment on the 22nd is for a consultation or the actual root canal. If it’s the latter, that appointment will get rescheduled. There is no way I’m have two dental procedures back-to-back.

So, yeah. I went in for a cleaning and wound up needing an implant and a root canal. Good times. What’s new with you?