I'm back

I'm back from my vacation on Sanibel Island with my sister.  A week is not enough.  Next year, maybe, we'll do two weeks.  Up at the crack of dawn to go walk the beach and find those shells one just has to have.  Fighting conks, shark's eye, murex, scallop, janonia (if only).  Big, small collect 'em all.  Now what to do with them once they arrive in that oh so carefully packed box (I would never try to bring them home in my suitcase).  Guess they'll join the ones I sent home two years ago that are still in their box.  I'll come up with an idea one of these days.....sigh.
One of the advantages of getting up and walking the beach is....exercise.  My legs did protest those 3 miles I walked on the sand every day.  I'm still feeling it.  I'm going to have to come up with way to keep those calf muscles up to doing it again next year (I hope).  Maybe stairs?  I do have those here.  Plus I could (on nice days) walk down to the vegetable stand and back.  That's 3 miles.  Couldn't hurt.   All I have to do is DO IT!  Not today, though, it's raining.  Guess I'll do some cleaning then sew.
Y'all have a good day and remember:  he who hesitates may just be trying to make up his mind.

I'm off!

I'm off!  To Florida, that is.  See ya!

A passing

Received a phone call very early this morning.  It was my ex's wife to let me know that my ex had passed away at midnight.  The cancer must have been very aggressive and fast since my daughter only learned about him being in the hospital about a week ago.  Apparently it was a melanoma on his liver.  I don't know the whole of it but will probably learn at some point.  While I am sad for my son and daughter on their loss, it isn't as though he was close to them.  In fact, they hardly ever heard from him or his wife.  My daughter is the one who made the effort to keep in touch.  It's a shame, really.
I'll be here for them if they need me.

Heading South

This Saturday my sister and I are meeting up at the airport and flying to FL.  Ft. Meyers to be exact.  There we are renting a car and heading to Sanibel Island for 6 days.  We're both tired of the weather we've been having and are looking forward to warmth and sunshine.  We've rented a condo before and I do believe this may become a yearly thing.  We'll be walking the beach at low tide looking for shells (although I have no idea what I'll be doing with what I find).  I still have the ones I found two years ago in the box I shipped them home in.
My sister and I have never really been close.  She is 11 years younger and our lives didn't cross much over the years.  Only in the past few years have we begun to communicate more and try to be together at least once a year.  Guess we both realize that we're getting older and, now that our families have grown, it would be nice to get to know each other better.  Same with my brother.  We communicate more now than in the past.
It's a shame, really, that we were so far apart for so long.

I had a good time at the Pigeon Forge Quiltfest.  Learned a lot of new stuff.  Came home to find out that J now has until 4/2 to get his shit together.  I have also found out that while daughter was away he was drinking and smoking pot which he is not supposed to be doing.  He has accused my daughter of lying to him about when she was going to be home (she didn't) causing her to hasten her trip home.  He bitched about things about the house but never offered to help remedy what he bitched about.  Saw that his Facebook account was closed because of his using a fake name (don't think he's allowed to use Facebook because of his past conviction as a sex offender).  Guess I'm going to have to draw a solid line and let daughter know that either he is out or she can find another place to live.  It's time for him to start taking responsibility for himself instead of making others kowtow and do everything for him.  And if he ends up homeless or back in jail so be it.

Can't do this anymore

I can't do this anymore.  First she says it's over.  Then she lets him stay.  He blames her for every wrong 'though it isn't her fault but his.  He wants her to do everything for him.  He's supposed to find a job but he isn't looking.  He's supposed to go to counseling but he isn't.  He's supposed to find a residential halfway house but he isn't looking.  He's waiting for her to come back from a trip so she can do all that for him.  He's angry that she even took the trip even though she told him about it way in advance.  He says she planned it on purpose that she would leave the day after he got out.  He's probably drinking even though he isn't supposed to.  He's probably fishing on the 'net for sex.  He has until the 28th to get everything done but probably won't.  I can only hope the judge will throw the book at him and make him serve out the rest of his sentence.  He's poison only she doesn't see it.  She says she let him stay at the house after he got out because otherwise he would be homeless.  Let him call his "friends" and stay with them.  Oh, that's right, they aren't returning his calls.  Gee, I wonder why.  She says that after the 15 days are up he's going to have to leave.  I can only pray that she stands firm on it, otherwise a choice will have to be made.  I just wish he would disappear from her life.
Okay, the rant is over.....temporarily.  I'm going away for a week to enjoy the company of friends and learn some new quilting stuff.  Then two more weeks and I get to spend a week with my sister in FL. After that I'm home for the summer.  Maybe I can take my frustrations out in the garden.

Van is moving

My daughter's van has finally reached the end of it's road.  Repairs are no longer feasible or affordable so.....tomorrow she is bringing it up here and parking it and taking my van home.  I'm giving her the title and have advised her that she'd best take good care of it 'cause that is the only vehicle she'll have for some time.  I had a new engine put in it (cheaper than buying a new vehicle).  They don't make Astro vans anymore #@*&%$.  She needs a vehicle that will tow her cargo trailer to the various events she goes to.  The Astro van has been the best investment I've made in the way of vehicles.  People who own them will keep them until forever if they can.  I think the reason they're so good is that the body is built on a truck chassis.
You may wonder why I'm doing this.  No, I'm not rich.  My daughter is unable to work out in the normal world as she suffers from depression, mild acrophobia, agoraphobia, lives alone with two children, and has been denied by Social Security.  I could go on but I won't, I've revealed too much as it is.  Suffice it to say that she depends on me.  No, I don't want her living with me.  I prefer my solitary surroundings and quiet.  I love the kids but they'd drive me nuts.
I kind of hate to give up the van but don't use it much anymore anyway.  It has about 290+ miles on it and still runs like a dream.  I replaced the engine because that way it will run like "new" and I couldn't afford a new vehicle.  Also the repairs on the old engine would have mounted up considerably.  Further, it has a tow package which daughter needs.
K is quite attached to "Rosie" (her van) and wants to let her kids play in it, camp in it, maybe make a planter out of it.  We'll see.  I don't relish the idea of a vehicle rusting out in my yard.  It may take some time but I will convince her that "Rosie" needs to go to the junk yard.
You may not understand but it is what it is.