Beth Marie's Little Bitty Space

copyright ~ Julie Larson

I love this cartoon.  People, people!  Julie Larson is a genius.  I think her cartoons are awesome.

I am just home from workout and I didn’t want to go again today but I forced myself and did the whole workout.  The only thing that I have done differently the past 6 months is work with the fixed weights so the doctor and I agreed that is a factor in my better lab results.  It is truly amazing what exercise can do for your health.  If you can’t do anything else, just get out and walk.

And…guess what?  The sun is shining for the first time in 5 days.  I can’t believe it.  This afternoon I will have to get the rake out and tackle the beans.

I hope you all have a great weekend. 

Beth

just rollin’ along, singin’ a song.  I am just home from my doctor appointment with the good looking kidney specialist.  He kind of smiled today, a bit like Sheldon on the Big Bang Theory (love that show by the way)!  Several of my counts were  abnormal but the really important one had come down 4 points since lab work done last June.  The doctor was happy and so was I.  He is a very thorough doctor and before I left he called me honey and said he would see me in a year!!!!  Now, I have been going to this doctor for over 10 years and he has never smiled once and definitely never called me honey.  Made my day I tell ya! 

I stopped by Meijer and picked up a turkey and the rest of the stuff I need for my Thanksgiving dinner.  We are having it on Saturday after Thanksgiving and I have a ham and a 10 lb turkey.  Of course it is not Thanksgiving without green bean casserole.  I love that stuff and I only have it once a year.  My daughter is bringing pineapple upside down cake, salad and hot rolls.

After Meijer I stopped by Cheddars and had chicken tenders, broccoli cheese casserole and cole slaw.  I brought 5 chicken tenders home.  They were huge today.  I have never had chicken tenders any place else that is as good as Cheddars.

Still raining here today.  I have hopes for a brighter tomorrow.

and it is a good one.  Why in the world do the big, heavy, sweaty guys use the fixed weight machines right before I am ready to use them.  Yuck!!!  I don’t seem to mind so much when the young good looking sweaty guys use the machines right before me.  LOL  I wonder why that is??  One of the mysteries of life. 

I am just home from workout and for some reason today it  pooped me out.  I persevered though and did my full workout like a good little lady.  Then I had several errands to run.  Tomorrow will be a busy day as I have an appointment with my best looking doctor.  Unfortunately he rarely smiles and tends to be a bit on the grouchy side. 

Wishing our friend Toodie a happy birthday.  Toodie, eat a piece of cake for me with lots of frosting and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Never watch the Bucket List on your birthday.  It is too sad.  I remember when I watched it I cried a bucket of tears.

Gotta go now as it is about time for The Young and the Restless.  Only an act of God or a doctor appt make me miss it.  Then I have to watch it on the Soap Channel.

Beth 

and I wish I could be in Hawaii.

I doubt it will happen in this lifetime though so I live vicariously through the photos that Bill and Karen sent me from their trip. Perhaps I will be reincarnated as a bird of paradise pictured below.

I had my raincoat, and shoes on and was all ready to head for the post office and on to the grocery store.  Nuhuh, no way am I going out in that pouring rain.  I have all day long to get to town.  I am hoping it lets up some in a few hours.

Whenever it does clear off I have a solid blanket of beans on the ground.  At least several thousand dollars worth.  I even bought a new rake a few days ago so I have something to look forward to. 

I hope you are all having a great week.  It has been solid rain here for the last 3 days with at least one more day to follow.  I shudder to think how many inches of snow that would have been as we have already had almost 4 inches since Sunday.  Look for the price of all corn and soybean products to go up.

Hugs 

Beth

Yes, life is short and I am trying to psyche (sp?) myself into remembering it.  Many things going on in my life right now. 

I think you might remember my cousin (in Michigan) Audrey’s grandson Nate.  The poor little fellow has had heart problems since birth.   He was due to have a heart cath and it was discovered he had pneumonia.  He is recovering from that and the heart cath has been rescheduled.  Please remember this brave little guy in your prayers.

I have several more doctor appointments facing me this month and next.  I am sure not looking forward to that.  I am praying the weather holds out with no ice or snow.  I 57 is bad enough when the roads are clear.  My last appt this month is the day before Thanksgiving.  How bad do you think the traffic will be that day??  Anyone wanting to come along and go with me is welcome.

It is pouring rain this morning and is very windy with a temp of 42.  I will make myself go out in it after a bit to go to the post office and to workout.  Then I think that will be it outdoors for today, barring an emergency.  Well, I might be persuaded to go to the library if a good book comes in for me. 

Enough gloomy thoughts for today.  So now Ms Toodie, I am looking on the sunny  side of life.

Hugs and

Beth

  Beth

'If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy .
'And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity.'
'If you woke up this morning with more health than illness .... you are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day .'
'If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 700 million people in the world.'
'If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world. '
'If your parents are still alive and still married...you are very rare .'
'If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair.'
Ok, what now? How can I start? If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

Have a good day and don’t forget to count your blessings.

and I say that because I went south on 57 this morning and returned home safe.  I saw the fuzz writing a good morning note to some unlucky speeder.  I noticed 2 farmers in the fields picking corn.  There were still a lot of corn and soybean fields that were untouched..  Very unusual for mid November. 

Yesterday I went with friends to O’Charleys in my big city.  Loaded potato soup and half a club sandwich with their yeast rolls that are delicious.  I really do prefer Cheddars though.  It was nice though to get out and enjoy the bright sunshine and temps in the mid 50s.  Today is a carbon copy of yesterday and I am enjoying it tremendously.

I received a DVD from my brother and sister in law with over 700 pictures of their trip to Hawaii.  I haven’t even begun to look at them all.

This one is the sky taken out of the airplane window.  I think it is cool  I am not fond of flying so this is as close as I want to be to this view of the sky.

This looks like fun.

I hope you all have a great weekend.  Stay safe and be happy.

to my brother Bill.

You really looked tough in this picture.  ‘Nam was a tough place to be, but you were tougher.

Your first picture taken when you joined the Air Force.  You were just a kid not yet out of high school.

Karen, Bill, Beth

Hey little bro, I remember the day you were born.  I was 8 years old and I wasn’t very excited to see you.  It just meant more work for me and for Rae and Ebby. We had to take care of you because mom was so busy just keeping the household together.  Despite everything you turned out pretty good.  Despite everything, yes, because Rae and I weren’t old enough to take good care of you so we did misplace you every now and then and you did get dropped a time or two.  LOL

Now you have Karen to take care of you and for that I am thankful.

Love ya little bro.  Happy Birthday!!  I hope you have a zillion more.

Love 

Your sister Beth

Prayer for Veterans Day

We ask for blessings on all those who have served their country in the armed forces.
We ask for healing for the veterans who have been wounded, in body and soul, in conflicts around the globe.
We pray especially for the young men and women, in the thousands, who are coming home from Afghanistan with injured bodies and traumatized spirits.
Bring solace to them, Oh Lord; may we pray for them when they cannot pray.
We ask for, echoing John Paul II, an end to wars and the dawning of a new era of peace,
As a way to honor all the veterans of past wars.
Have mercy on all our veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq,
Bring peace to their hearts and peace to the regions they fought in.
Bless all the soldiers who served in non-combative posts;
May their calling to service continue in their lives in many positive ways.
Give us all the creative vision to see a world which, grown weary with fighting,
Moves to affirming the life of every human being and so moves beyond war.
Hear our prayer, Oh Prince of Peace, hear our prayer.

****************************************************************************************************************************************

I found this on the internet and there was no credit given.  I think it is the perfect prayer.  Thank you to the author.  I wish I had your name so I could give you credit.

My personal thanks and gratitude to all of our veterans.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  Thank you to my Jim and to my brothers, Ruben, Bob and Bill.  May God Bless you all.

and nothings’ shaking’ but the leaves on the trees (and the beans).  It is windy and very dark outside, maybe some rain today.

I had another profitable run to our little local IGA store:  3 boxes of Chex cereal, 4 packets of Chex seasoning mix, 4 lb bag of sugar, 5 lb bag of flour, 1 box of Betty Crocker potatoes, 3/4 lb bag of pecans, 2 lbs of bananas, 2 lb bag of brown sugar, 2 cans of carnation milk, and  1 can of tuna for a total of $16.41.  I guess you can tell I am stocking up for my holiday baking.  I will be making Chex mix for my son as he loves it.  I also have real butter for it.  Oh shoot, I forgot the pretzels. 

For some reason I am not in the mood to do anything today.  I even skipped my cardio workout for today and the beans are still laying on the ground.  I think I will wait a few more days and get my little friend Annie to come and give me a hand.  I am sure she could use some more Christmas money.

I am still plowing  my way through the book I am reading.  It is getting  better as it moves along.

One bright note for tonight.  This is NCIS night.

Beth 

and I have been out and about already this morning.  First to the post office, then to get my hair cut, then to workout and finally out to pay my water softener bill.  I love having bills that I can pay in town.  This is such a small town that I only live blocks away from everything.

My beautician works out at 6AM every day.  She told me I should start working out then because that is when the fun happens.  One of the doctors in town and one of the lawyers are really wimps when they workout.  Of course they can afford the personal trainer.  She told me that they holler and complain all of the while they are exercising.  Don’tcha just love beauty parlor gossip??  It is always told in fun and never anything malicious.  However, even to see the fun, I have no intention of going to workout at 6 in the morning.

My yard is covered with beans again.  If the bugs aren’t too bad this afternoon I may go out and take care of that, by raking this time as my lawnmower needs gas and I really don’t want to buy anymore to store over the winter.  The squirrels are really enjoying the beans so maybe I should wait a day or two. 

Beth 

the lady bug beetles or whatever they are called are so thick   I didn’t venture outside this afternoon.  It is impossible to keep them out of the house.  The minute you walk outside they are all over you.  We have had  a couple of hard freezes and I thought that would take care of them, but no, every time the sun comes out they come back to life again.  Oh well, I will probably be wishing for this kind of day, lady bugs and all in another month or two.

I had a first happen today.  My new neighbor brought me my lunch, a delicious casserole portion and some French bread.  Usually I am the one giving.  I was really touched.

I can’t seem to get interested in my new book.  I don’t think it is nearly as good as Lisa Jackson’s previous books.  Or maybe I am just getting pickier as the years pass.

My sister is going with my niece Dee and her husband to Johns Hopkins for a follow up appointment regarding the liver transplant that my niece is needing.  They are leaving Tuesday morning.  We welcome all good thoughts and prayers for them for a safe trip and for good news from the doctor visit. 

I hope this new week is a good one for us all. 

and I am thoroughly enjoying it as I know it won’t be long till the snow flies.  I am ready for that.  I filled a 5 gallon plastic bucket with a lid, full of ice melt and it is ready on my back porch.

I have the vacuum out and I have finished everything but the kitchen.  I had to stop and fix some spaghetti with meat sauce for my lunch.  It was good but now I don’t want anymore for a while.  After my lunch digests I will finish the kitchen, mop the floor and clean up my mess from cooking.

My new neighbors are busy as beavers today working in the back yard.  I visited with them for a few minutes and they seem very nice.  They have removed the clothesline and are cutting down the apple tree.  That is good because the apples don’t taste good and the squirrels get them and bring them on to my back porch to eat.  They wanted me to have their telephone number in case I needed anything this winter.  I was very impressed.  I met the dogs and they are very well behaved.

I have been reminded of a lesson I learned long ago; never judge a book by its cover.

Time for me to get off my bottom end and finish cleaning so that I can sit down with the new Lisa Jackson book I got at the library this morning.

I am sitting in my favorite recliner in the living room watching The Young and the Restless in glorious High definition and lo and behold, I hear the sound of a lawnmower.  I wait patiently for the next commercial and then hop up to peek out my front window thinking, oh boy, maybe my new neighbors are mowing.  WRONG!!!  It is my neighbor across the street on the corner who has been a dear friend since my children were small.  She is mowing her granddaughter’s yard next door to me and she also mowed all of my front yard.  I was going to go out and do that this afternoon.  The beans are gone for today anyway, mowed to smithereens by Jo on her gigantic lawn mower that can mow in circles.  Now I have to bake something for her. 

I have been to workout and was face to face with our local celebrity monster truck driver.  He has really slimmed down since he is working out and is a very good looking young man.  Now I have two days off from working out so I guess I had better give my house a workout as it sure needs it.

I have no reason at all to post this picture except I want to because I love it.  It is my grandmother, grandfather, my mother standing and my Aunt Mabel being held.  It just makes me feel good when I look at this picture.

On that happy note I will close till tomorrow or whenever.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Hugs and

Beth

This morning at my doctor visit the young man who took my temp and blood pressure asked me how I got muscles in my arms.  I told him it was from working out and lifting the fixed weights.  He was amazed and told me that none of his ‘older’ patients had muscles.  I thought that was a very nice compliment and I was really enjoying it until I remembered he said older.  That took me down a peg or two.   LOL  I also had lab work done for my next doctor appointment which is on the 19th.  I also got a tetanus shot. This month and next are filled with doctor appointments for me.

Traffic was very heavy on the interstate this morning.  As I was coming home one young gal in a pretty old car passed me going he** bent for leather. Then as she had just passed she suddenly slammed on her brakes just a ways in front of me.  I am sure glad He was holding my right hand.  (Thank you Carole)  I was able to put on my brakes to avoid hitting her.  I am sure the car behind me was thrilled too.

Anyway, before I started home I swung across the street and ate at the Hometown Buffet.  I had chicken, cornbread dressing, cole slaw and some peach cobbler.  I also shopped at Meijer and got a ham on the off chance that any of my family come to see me over Thanksgiving.  At this point, it looks like I will be alone, so stop by as I also bought a frozen Marie Callender pecan pie.

Gotta go as my house looks like a tornado hit it.  The kitchen table is filled with groceries.  I didn’t get that apple pie made but I definitely want some now that Musicman mentioned it so I think I will do that tomorrow after workout.

Have a great weekend.

Hugs,

Beth

and since I ranted yesterday I have nothing to rant about this morning.  I probably will tomorrow as I have  a doctor appointment which means a 60 mile round trip down the dreaded interstate.  I am always in a ranting mood when I get off  57 and after a doctor appointment.

I had to laugh when a blogging friend jokingly said he thought that Americans have fresh baked apple pie every day.  Heck no, since they invented Marie Callender I rarely bake a pie.  Oh, you know, I used to bake a coconut cream pie quite a bit because it was my neighbor’s favorite pie and he was always doing something for me.  Since he and Sandi moved I haven’t made a pie, period.  Move away from me, lose my coconut cream pies, that’s the price you pay.   LOL  Plus, you can’t beat the pies from Sam’s Club.  They are gigantic and the prices are very reasonable.

I have been to workout and it wasn’t stinky in there this morning.  It is really quite fun just to observe the people at workout the same time I am.  There are 2 gals that are a quite few years older than me.  One walks the treadmill for 30 minutes 3 times a week,  Then she picks up her cane and leaves.  She is a real sweetie and I love to visit with her.  Then there is a young man who does 4 miles running on the treadmill.  He is 27, still living at home with his parents and working a part time job at a store in the mall in my big city.  He is so cute and fun to talk to but not much of a life from what I can ascertain.  There is one guy that has tats on all exposed body parts. Most of the tats are of ILLINI and a couple of Chief Illinwek.  Of course you have no idea what I am talking about if you don’t follow University of Illinois football (which I don’t but Jim did).

Wow, I have really rattled on this morning and for some reason I am in the mood to make an apple pie.  ;-)

Hugs,

Beth

sunshiny day…and I have been out and got my running all done for the day.  Post office, no mail, not even junk mail; cable TV office, HBO still not working properly.  Little local grocery store where I ran into Jim’s nephew’s old fiancée that he was was engaged to right after they both graduated from high school.  She was so glad to see me she gave me a big hug.  Don’t you just love small towns. 

Big savings at the grocery store today, Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats (my favorite cereal), a gallon of milk, 2 bags of Halls sugar free cough drops, 2 Healthy Choice TV dinners, 1 lb of butter and Green Giant 4pack single serving veggies all for $10.92 with coupons and senior discount.  And now you ask, what are you going to do with the butter??  LOL  Well it is the time of the year for goodie baking.  Anyone interested in coupons, go to www.coupons.com.  There is always a few coupons there that I can use.

I mowed the beans in my front yard on Sunday afternoon and now the yard is covered with beans again plus leaves from my new neighbors trees.  They have neither mowed or raked since they moved in.  They seem like nice people but not the type that gives a tiddleypoop what their yard looks like.  Sandi was so particular with her yard and her flowers and now nobody cares.  Oh well, that is life.  It does make it harder for me cleaning up after them.

EEK!!  I have done a big rant and this is only Tuesday.

I hope ‘we’ are all having a good week.

When will we finish harvest? 

For some area farmers, the question is when will we start harvest, let alone finish it!  Almost continuous rain since April has made a “challenging harvest’ an understatement.  Last Monday’s U. S. Dept of Agriculture reports indicate nearly 10.4 billion bushels of corn and 1.82 billion bushels of soybeans are awaiting harvest.

In Illinois, we are 14% corn harvested compared with a 77% average.  For soybeans, 33% is harvested with an 86% average.  This means that each day the crops are still in the fields means greater deterioration of the crop.

I just hate to read this kind of news in the paper.  My heart goes out to the farmers who have suffered this year because of the excessive rainfall.  It is too bad we can’t send some of the rain to Australia where it has been badly needed.  Oh well, that is just the way it is.  Usually we have a dry hot summer.  This year it has been neither dry or hot.  I think our actual 90 degree days amounted to 2 and that was in the month of June.  Normal would be 18 – 20 days for the month of August alone.

It is a beautiful sunshiny day which started out at 32 degrees and is up to 50 right now.  As soon as I get my lunch digested I may go out and tackle the beans.  Tackle being the operative word. 

I have put the Halloween candy away in hopes that I will forget where I put it. 

and I wanted to take a picture to show you but by the time I got the camera out on my back porch it was cloudy again.

You can tell my neighbors on the corner have a little girl in addition to the 2 mini pins.

Here you can see that the gray squirrels have cross bred with the red squirrel.  I now have red squirrels, grey squirrels and the cross breed, gray with a red stripe down the middle of the back.

They all love to eat my expensive beans but they give me a mess instead of $12 a lb for them.  It is kind of cute how they put their tail up over their back to protect them when it is raining.

And to finish off…

Top 10 signs you’re too old to trick or treat.

• You get winded from knocking on the door.
• You have to have a kid chew the candy for you.
• You ask for high-fiber candy only.
• When someone drops a candy bar in your bag you lose your balance and fall over.
• People say “Great mask” and you are not wearing a mask.
• When the door opens you yell “Trick or…” and can’t remember the rest.
• By the end of the night you have a bag full of restraining orders.
• You have to carefully choose a costume that won’t dislodge your hairpiece.
• You’re the only Power Ranger in the neighborhood with a walker.
• You avoid going to houses where your ex-wives live.

That said, have a great weekend and don’t overeat on the treats.

Beth