12 Oakdale

I bought a new turtle food which recommended feeding 1% to 4% body weight per day. Using the kitchen scales and turning them on their backs in a stainless steel bowl, William came in at 17.8 ounces, Robert at 11. While I was at it, and using our bathroom scales, Grace is a sleek 9 pounds, while I am a fluffy 166. William of course loves the new routine and has gobbled this new food right down. Robert is more reluctant to try it, but I assume will come around. He now comes charging at me whenever I near their pen. Gracie continues to eat 3/4 of the dried food we give her and some of the scraps Grant puts in her bowl.  Me? I’m with William. So to that end, I asked AI to devise meal plans for Grant and me that are lighter summer dinners heavy-ish on protein (all over news that old people don’t eat enough protein), flavor rich for Grant and textured for me, with the goal of our loosing about a half pound per week. Some vegetarian, some not. AI’s first results were pretty good. We liked...

With the help of Gracie, I painted two walls in the living room (Sherman Williams Soft Green). Two coats on one wall Wednesday; 2 coats on the second wall Thursday. She inspected the paint, thought about climbing the step-stool with me, and attacked my brush when I was cutting in the baseboard. She was uninvited after that. Only one small painted paw print to wipe up, but I could imagine disaster. Still such a curious kitty. After I’d offloaded the bookcase, we scooted it out of the way to the hall, then shoved the rest of the furniture to the west end of the living room. Today it all gets put back without my culling any of the stuff I longer need or want. I don’t have the time right now. I’m in a frenzy to get the house and yard in as much order as possible before our Rocky Mountaineer trip in June. Two days after we get home, we host Grant’s 80th birthday party. Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. When our new living room furniture arrives, the living room is ready. Yesterday, Grant ...

Dang, I was working on my garden, wearing old Berkies which, yes, I know are not the best for yard work. I tripped, then, as I stumbled, caught my middle right toe on the steel milk crate I use as a stool. Now my toe is listing to the right and hurts like the bejesus. I guess today will be sit with my foot up and do paperwork. I’ve finished all the address changes and contact updates for credit cards and bank accounts. All fairly easy online. Crossing my fingers my telephone call last Friday to Social Security will have all the government computers lined up to let me change Medicare, car registration, driver license, etc. Yvonne said to wait 24 hours, but I don’t know if the machines work weekends. Two Beds Finished   I had hoped to finish my vegetable garden this week. So far, I have two beds seeded with marigolds, okra, and eggplant. Grant wanted to know what kind of eggplant I chose. The available ones. Everyone is planting Victory Gardens, so people like me, late to the s...