DD 11/25

Good Monday Morning!

I’ve just received my 5.18am morning missive from SWMBO.  I’m presuming everyone is familiar with the acronym?  Please ask for clarification if not!

Anyway, from the fingers of Carlene, her wacko thought of the morning (her words, not mine) are as follows….

The songs written by a guy Tom Lehrer, I believe he was from MIT and wrote some pretty damn clever words, some of them very true about today.

Well who am I not to rise to a challenge and take a wander down the path of musical satire?

On further investigation, I see exactly why Lehrer resonates with Carlene.  Not only are his lyrics humorous, exceptionally clever and set to show tune style music but he was also a mathematician and his analytical skills combine with his musical skill to create songs that are truly unique and memorable.

At the ripe age of 82, Lehrer was approached by the rapper 2 Chainz to request permission to sample his song, ‘The Old Dope Peddler’, on one of his rap songs.  The prevailing Lehrer responded such, ‘I grant you m************ permission to do this.  Please give my regards to Mr Chainz, or may I call him 2?’  I bet that amused and surprised the rapper.  Also provided a very important lesson in life, age is but a number that neither defines us, hold us back or renders us irrelevant!  It’s the body parts that haven’t received the memo!

Onwards and upwards with a touch of the circular route!

dd 11/23

 Ain't dead yet!  Still in pain.  Going to rehab for real this time!

 

1 20.

Elizabeth's telephone this morning promised rain today 88% and it also commented that there might be the first snow of the season that's according to Elizabeth's telephone and then tomorrow Friday it's 97% rain and it didn't say anything about the white stuff...

This morning's job is at hunt rehab... we go there on a fairly regular basis I I don't know whether it's weekly or biweekly or whatever but it's regular and the the staff are all repeats but the people in wheelchairs so it seems to vary on a daily basis so this morning I have someone to drive me and I've forgotten who and our appointment is at 10:00 there with the the dogs... however... that's pretty close to Middleton and they have in Middleton I am told in underground fire I've been hearing about this for about two weeks and lately Elizabeth has taken pictures of it's not just below ground although it seems to be traveling that way so after we get through hunt I wanna drive around Middleton and see whether I can figure out what's going on and is anybody paying attention and what do you do if it is underground.. I thought fires needed oxygen apparently it's making its own or something I don't know I do know about Centralia that city in Pennsylvania which is now totally devoid of population because of an underground fire in Pennsylvania in Pennsylvania I assumed it was coal that was burning I'm not aware of any coal in Middleton but I I do want to drive around and see what's going on if anything.

Jeanine is barreling northward with her new Airstream-- I hadn't thought about it but apparently airstreams are all bumper pull  somehow I had assumed with the size of it it would be a fifth wheel ... she has to stop in akin  to clean up the the trees that got knocked over in the last hurricane before she starts northward again but apparently she's totally enjoying the Airstream.

Here's the results of Fiona at the dressage competition in Paris she started out I think with one of our dogs I think Elvis maybe I had a picture of her crossing a stream stepping on the rocks ---not something often attempted by someone with her capabilities with our dog.. but then again she's gone on to dosage and done beautifully ---congratulations

 Dd

We have a huge bunch of shirts to be mailed out today  I shudder to think what the postage is going to be but they'll be in the mail

Because jeanine made the deal with the shirt guy with his unclaimed shirts we have a bit of an odd collection of sizes which we eventually will use but in the meantime if anybody wants a small by all means speak up and.

We have Brentwood daycare to do today and our planning down the drive at 9:15 yes that's right And Judy is gone for a quick run to the post office we'll see if she can get some of them in the mail the post the people at the post office hate to see us coming ohh she's back post office opens at 9:00 so that's OK OK so she's back. and I better get ready to go...

 

we'll have to forego any brilliant discussions feel I'm a little more alert

dd 11 18

Morning Carlene - 

As promised, here is a write up on our visit. Feel free to use as a Doggie Daily. I still owe you one for the newspaper - I will get it to you, I promise. Have a good day, Lisa Stevens

Carlene suggested I write up the trip my husband Bob and I recently made to the farm. Here goes…..

We arrived at the farm on a Sunday afternoon. Pulling into the driveway that first time was a surreal experience as one of the GW’s had told me it would be. Seeing firsthand what we have seen only on camera and read about in the DD made all the pieces fall into place. Bud was visiting Carlene as we entered her cabin so we started off with a bonus in meeting them both. Before long Elizabeth and Nick came in and we got a chance to meet them and make a plan for the following day. After a bit more conversation with Carlene, we wandered about the farm taking in the sights and sounds and meeting the animals. A lovely volunteer named Julie was there with her son and they had a few of the animals out for a munch on the grass by the swings.  We chatted with her and explained we were there to visit and I had been the lucky winner who named Angus. She was kind enough to bring him and Harley out for us to meet and I got a chance to give him some pats and cuddles. Later in the week I had a little talk with him about his bright future at the farm, about his name, and how special he was to so many.

The next day was Veteran’s Day and people in the community were out and about honoring America’s veterans so there was no Community Outreach job for Goldy’s Farm. We spent part of the day on the farm getting a more in depth overview from Elizabeth and then she took us to the Topsfield Co-op where we picked up some equine treats. I had been ordering Mare and Foal feed from here for Harley so it was nice to see it in person. From there she took us to Meredith for more overview, a meet and greet with the herd there and we handed out treats. We joined Carlene and Elizabeth for Mail Chat that evening and made plans to join the outreach visits for the next few days.

There were visits scheduled each day for the rest of the week and we went on 3 of 4 - each visit this week was with dogs only. We jumped right in helping pass out treats in frying pans and answering questions about the farm and the dogs. The first visit of the week also had Janine and Wanda join in. She had the crowd clapping and cheering at Wanda and Penny in the center of the circle doing roll overs.  Bob brought in the Yuppy Puppy and as Carlene got Larkey and Sizzle in a down stay, Penny operated the Yuppy Puppy (a repurposed gum ball machine mounted on a wooden frame) with her nose getting a handful of kibble with each nudge of the bone shaped handle. Larkey got a turn next and Sizzle decided she had had enough and was ready to go home. A version of this was repeated - except for the Yuppy Puppy - the next several days and at the end of the week smiles and joy had been provided to about 150 people. A job very well done!

I helped Carlene do Mail Chat the rest of the week giving Elizabeth some time to implement a new feeding program at Meredith a little earlier in the evening than if she had to be at MC too. Bob worked on finishing a wall in the new chicken house in anticipation of getting the chickens moved for winter. New, sturdy wire mesh was installed sandwiched between 2x4s top, bottom and sides along the bottom half of the outer wall. Plywood sheets are there to attach for the winter to keep snow from drifting in the bottom leaving the top exposed to air flow.  More work needs to be done before it’s ready, but we were happy to leave a permanent addition to the farm with what did get done.

The first day there I got a chance to dye monkey fists. Three pans of different dye colors were ready for me to dip, dye, then rinse and set to dry - about two dozen monkey fists in all. Another afternoon Carlene got the sous vide set up with a steak for her dinner - and one for Nick too. We settled on 130 degrees for an optimal doneness temperature and before MC that day, I did a quick sear on the steak. Carlene approved and said it was delicious! One last experience we needed to have was learning how to splice rope. After MC on Friday, Carlene tried to teach us how to splice the bits of rope left over from making monkey fists. While we didn’t quite get it, we got the idea. Carlene gave us some rope to take home and use as practice but unfortunately we left it in the cabin as we were saying our goodbyes and getting our coats on. We will find some rope at home and hopefully perfect the technique to make Carlene proud. 

 

We left the farm for the last time with hearts filled, bodies tired and with excitement for a visit again in the future as Goldy’s continues to transform into its new mission. 

Until then - Lisa and Bob Stevens

 

 

Dd 11 17.

I had a lot of people tell me about the clocks that tell you what day it is apparently my problem is not unique especially when you don't have to go to work ---work regulates your life in more ways than one..

Apparently Carly has a stomach bug so Elizabeth came and did the honors with my dogs and me... and notice my refrigerator doesn't really have any pickings in it... so she said when she gets through with Meredith we could address that problem.. a loaf of bread would be a start I could have peanut butter and Jelly for a long time... I did get fried clams yesterday and then I did enjoy them to a degree but I didn't really taste them I think that's part of the age bit or whatever else is going on ..  There's always those ice cream cones in the freezer I'm not starving... Although I do notice late in the day I just don't have the energy to deal with boiling spaghetti ohh whatever so I can see where old people lose weight unless somebody puts weight on them weights on them is that a word ohh my..

Now watching and they and the yuppie puppy I realize I don't even have to go to the nursing homes to entertain everybody if I get that yuppie puppy into the middle of there room for all these people to watch I am sure that penny would be happy to entertain them for the next 45 minutes without me there/// I can't believe the that machined is still functioning so well but it is.. the new plastic ones don't hold a candle to the old one.

OK jlaine is on her way driving toward Florida--I don't know exactly where but she is trying to locate an Airstream trailer which she hopes to bring back with her to Massachusetts..  apparently the one trailer we do have is now full of shirts in various stages of sending them out.. the airstreams have a very good reputation so hopefully we will enjoy being the owner of one. 

Our whole existence is an outside one so for me as long as there's a place I can get into where it's warm I'm really not terribly fussy.  if the accommodations have a dining room table..  some Times.. Warm is only the front seat of my car which is fine... And in some cases my car has had a decent stereo with a comfortable chair and a heater I don't need an awful lot more than that. (except at meal tim e)

dd 11 16

I have a pill taking problem... Judy does a fantastic job keeping them all straight in the little boxes for morning noon and night..  but every once in a while I notice a pill that's missing get out of here that was to larkey And the missing pill  

is sometimes found in front of the pellet  heater or such ... The problem is not any inconsistency and Judy is very carefully placing the multitude of pills and the right little square..   it is the fact that those damn little squares open and closed too easily so it's just too easy for a pill to get lost.. if anybody is even handling that pill container...  Judy solution was to keep the container in her huge pill box Across the room from me and that just is not going to work because I would forget to take them entirely... 

I was alerted to the problem when I woke up at 2:00 AM and my phone  Told me it was Friday and my pill box told me I had not taken Friday night's pills so I swig them down.. only to find out there wasn't quite Friday yet..   so now I have some of Fridays  pills in me.... And somebody's gonna figure out that I did it wrong. I just knew it... problem was at the tender age of 87 at 2:00 in the morning I felt I was entitled to decide what day it was and I'd figure out what to do some other time.... "The whole thing got very complicated when Judy quite rightly   decided that I shouldn't have the pills in quite such easy reach... especially if I don't know what day it is.. while not knowing what day it is is an ongoing problem and has nothing to do with being 87 however assumptions are always made

And truly if I didn't know what day it was as a permanent thing Judy would have been right to take the pills away from me... however not knowing the day is an ongoing problem which is overridden by the fact that I tend to forget them entirely...  so to sum it all up---I am still 87-- I still don't know what day it is and the only way I can tell if I've taken my pills as if the little box is empty---- it is absolutely pointless to ask me if I've taken the pills because I always would say yes because I always remember taking those two black pills that are the size that you would feed a horse---so choking them down twice a day is a memorable experience .

so I think the best solution still is to visually check to see what's out-of-the-box

 And have my phone pop up a constant message “now stop and think” instead of the usual message which is.. 

”. your Verizon bill is overdue and you're going to be disconnected”

p,s,   yesterdays visit in rockport was a huge success at a day care center  which had not only the walking day care but what ammounts to a rolling bed...for about a dozen :?residents?   total people seen was over 54...