Contrary1'$ Money Musings

As I write, there are sounds of drills, saws and lumber being manipulated into the greatest raised garden bed I could have ever imagined. (my version was sort of stacking the largest timbers out back, and hoping I could pound something into the ground on the outside to keep them from coming apart)

My latest Craigs list friend has designed the planter and is starting the assembly of it this evening. In exchange, he is taking lumber from the many stacks out back to construct a small tool shed at his place, just 10 minutes away.

I have had so many more success stories from Craigs list connections, in fact....I can't really think of any negatives. What a great resource!

The frosting on the cake this evening is when this young man began telling my mom about a tradition/ceremony.....not sure what the word was he used, but it was about this week, in Japan. Spirits of ancestors visit I think?? He is difficult for me to understand, because my Japanese is ZERO. Anyway, I think the deal is he is thrilled to be using my dads wood, especially this week.....and to be making something for my mom with dads supplies. Apparently very good for family he says. I don't get the details, but I'm not questioning it!

I do know it feels great to be using some of what my dad spent decades salvaging. The alternative would be to just junk everything if/when the property is sold. That would make me way too sad.......so we're going to continue with my new friend Shin and see how much of this lumber he can use.

On other fronts here.......I did get my walk in today; around Greenlake. What a great day to be outdoors! Stopped on the way home to get gas (using moms car for most of my errands these days, so gas is a different deal for a mazda compared to my van!), and picked up a spreader for the lawn here. I've not done city type lawn care for years; leaving the lawn to the chickens, goat and the occasional equine escapee. There are sacks and sacks of product in the garage for the lawn, but no spreader.......so now I'm in business. Going to discourage some bugs first, then see if I can make a trade and get the moss out and let some real grass grow.

Each task here is connected to a couple others.......if I get the lawn stuff out of the garage, there will be room to move the freezer up from the basement so mom can get to it herself. It will be easier to unload from the car too. If I can get the freezer out of the basement, I will be a bit closer to clearing out a space to start painting the walls and getting a sheetrock ceiling installed. Way too many jobs to think about. Will go back to just tackling one at a time!

I've got to take a break from the constant gardening chores here. Not much weeding to be done due to the heavy layer of compost spread everywhere.

Deadheading takes a few minutes in each garden bed; picking off the old spent blooms keeps the plant in top shape and it will usually kick out more blossoms this way.

Regular watering.......but not as much as mom has been used to. Again, because of the heavy layer of compost; holds the moisture longer.

Then there is the harvesting bit. Broccoli; more than we can use by ourselves. Need to come up with someone who would like a bunch & soon! Apples from 5 trees. Zuchinni coming at the rate of one a day right now. (so far keeping up with them) And, the first cucumber picked and ready to use for tonights dinner. The rhubarb is up to date; just chopped it and tossed it in the freezer for later use. So much all at the same time....wouldn't it be great for this to last longer??

And, lastly.........I took out the new hedge trimmer again and attacked the front of another 40 year old shrub by the house. Gutsy enough to do one right out in the open where people can see I don't know what I'm doing yet! So far, not too bad. Have no idea how to trim the back side of it, as it is right next to a window well into the basement. Just an accident waiting for me I fear! The ground is only sand so there isn't much in the way of solid ground either. The sand has been sifting out through the rockery for 40 years, leaving some areas that look like ground, but are just full of empty spaces underground. Yep, another accident just waiting for me.

So, the shrub by the house has a bit of a reprieve while I dream up how to balance myself in exactly no space & trim this guy back to what could be called 'shrub size'.

Yes, we did manage to go out to dinner for 99 cents. Sort of. Of course, it meant I had to go inside a casino! Totally out of my comfort zone here....

Took mom & her twin to a tribal casino for a late lunch/early dinner & we all used the 99 cent menu. Totally yummy was the review all round! I had salmon fish & chips and a strawberry shortcake for dessert; had to be the best one I've had .....ever.

After our meal, the twins spent time (and money) playing games while I sat & waited. (should have brought my knitting) A fun day & budget minded at least on my part. Never have been a gambler & today was the first time my mom hasn't actually shoved a ticket at me and told me to Spend It!.

We tried like everything to watch a DVD from the retirement community we are all pondering. Can't get the machine to go. Not sure what the problem is, I'm used to my set up with the DVD in the TV and it's just a one button deal. This one is a bit older & no matter what combo I tried, nothing. Because of moms moves lately, no book could be located either.......and by then, we didn't care if we saw the advertising blurb. We're just going to go & see it for ourselves.

I've been babying my knee, somehow I've tweaked it about a week ago & it has HURT. Tonight is the first night I think I'll be able to sleep without it waking me up. Just in time for a walk around Greenlake this week. Meeting a friend for a visit & a walk & was hoping I didn't have to limp all the way around! Will give it a go tomorrow & take a practice walk!

I don't seem to have any true spare time these days. Moving to moms has saved the driving time between places (except for once every 2 weeks when I head to the old house)........but the rest of life seems to have gone into overdrive.

Maybe it's summer that makes it feel like that to me? Trying to keep up with the harvest from 2 veggie gardens perhaps?

Maybe it's how far behind moms place had fallen........Everything needs work here.

A battery powered hedge trimmer arrived yesterday & I got a pretty good workout today while taming the evergreen shrubs in the front yard. Very helpful tool; saved lots of time and for the first time out, the bushes look WAY better than before. I was worried I might butcher them, but I'm ready to take on the row of bushes along the driveway now.

Forced myself to the sewing room and finished another of the tops for my barter customer. Hoping to get to the last couple items tomorrow and arrange a fitting on Thurs. It will feel great to have this commitment completed.

Completed a Pinecone survey today, first one in a long time for me. It sounded like it was a product testing event too, so perhaps there will be some fun mail soon.

And, a book of my dads sold today. A pristine condition math book of all things. Hopefully, the rest will start moving soon & I'll be making a path to the post office! I didn't list anything that wasn't going to be worth the time & gas, so most sales will be over $25.00 and there are a couple that are in the 80-100 dollar range. Who knew dads books were more than just 'dads books'?? Because of his addiction to books, I can hardly buy a book. I need to really, really need it before I'll buy it to keep. Would much rather get it on loan from the library.

And, finally..........the Tax Update. We have got moms 2004 taxes done, both for the trust and for her. I've rounded up most of the paperwork for 2005 now, just waiting for a few things to come in the mail & we'll be ready to turn all that in. 2006 is close to being ready and heck, we'll even be in time since she has had an extension on this year for some reason. In the process of looking for all the right papers & numbers I've been re vamping her filing system. 2007 taxes should be a walk in the park come January. (no extensions either!!)

Can't even say I've been crazy busy here at moms........not sure what the deal is. Perhaps it is the slower pace, with very little of interest going on??

Spending time reading up on the 2 health care plans for mom, we need to make a decision asap, as she has meds to buy and wants to get her eyeglasses updated. I know which way I'd go, but still operating in the mode that lets her choose.

We are now eating veggies & salads out of the garden here at moms. I still bring produce from the garden at the old place, so often times dinner consists of 3 veggies and a salad. Love dinners like that!

Mom just had to run through Costco again today (think this is twice in 7 days), can't even remember why she had to go. It's her money, so all I do is drive and unload groceries. I am drawing the line at her purchasing things I can make better from scratch. Have no idea when she got so lazy! This weeks addition is homemade salad dressings from now on. Just couldn't see putting bottled dressings on a salad we picked!

Listed a couple hundred books of my dads onto Amazon.com. Gave away at least that many on freecycle this week too. The progress on the book situation is such that you can't even notice any difference. Very depressing.
Now, I'm just hoping there are people out there wanting some of these obscure books of dads. I just wish I was interested in some of them, but most are horrid accounts of wars of some kind. Not my kind of read.

It's been too hot to walk here.....hoping the cool down this evening holds out and I can get back outside tomorrow morning & get to moving. Miss my walking & am still searching for a local walking partner. I do so much better with someone to meet. My current person can only walk 20-30 minutes & I'm needing an hour at least. Will keep searching and walking alone when I can muster the enthusiasm.

After months of not hearing from a Bzz campaign, I got accepted for one today. Details after I get my kit in the mail.

Moms twin is here for a few days, taking a break from her caregiving role with her SO (who has terminal cancer) The mood here is OK, but lots of talk about how we need to live life to it's fullest all the time.

We made tentative plans to take a day trip to view a planned retirement community all 3 of us have been interested in. It would seem to be so easy to have both of them in the same place.......thinking selfishly here. I've been thinking about how easy it would be not to have the rentals & when we checked on the prices of these new homes today we were all pleasantly surprised at the costs. Way lower than we're used to in our respective areas.

No spending, but lots of cooking. I'm pooped and ready to talk of anything but cancer, pain and dying. This will feel like a looonnggg week end by tomorrow night.

I've been to Costco more times in the last 2 months than I have been in the last 20 years. Mom is a shopping fanatic; as are all the other shoppers I saw at Costco.

We supposedly went for a chicken. A cooked chicken for dinner tonight. We got that, but "picked up" about $70.00 of things we just had to have. I couldn't believe the things people were buying...

Mom is still talking about moving to a beach, which would most likely take us to a part of the state without a Costco quite so close. She was talking about how I'd have to get used to not being able to just run out and get whatever. I reminded her that was herself she was talking about, that I was used to not shopping at all! I would really love being further out; am carefully lobbying for a smaller community than the one we're in.

Other details: Had the Craigslist sewing customer/barter person here this
AM. Everything fit, delivered one more item with only 3 to go now. Will take the items to her in 2 weeks & guess where she lives? Near one of the beach houses on our list to see.! We'll make a day of it & see what mom thinks.

Did spend some money today on vitamins and supplements. I'm a firm believer in them & order online so I feel like I get the best deal possible.

Also paid for a new water heater for another rental. Gads, July has been a pricey month. Things like the pump and the hot water tank make me weigh the plus/minus bit of the rentals. I've had them to use for my retirement, as my job had no retirement plan..... Now, I'd really like to not be thinking about repairs & such all the time. Fortunately, I don't need to decide anything right away. Food for thought.

Made last payment for extreme dental work too. Can't wait to get this all finished up. Sounds like everything is on schedule with original plan, will perhaps be done by the end of Sept.

I'd better put the checkbook away & hold the line for a bit now!

I'm going to have to work on this one. I do believe city water is going to come out the winner..........and I'd wish I was paying a monthly bill, no matter how high.

The well repair/plumber people were here yesterday, after the house was without water for 5 days. The parts were checked in order of least to most important.......and of course, it was the entire pump that had blown out. So hoping it was going to be some stupid breaker box snafoo........but no.

With all the innards of the pump strung out on the driveway, they began to put the new set up back down in the ground. Pretty simple system actually, but way more than I was going to tackle. HA!

A mere $4600 and change later, we have water. Since there is no city water here, this is my only option, but wow, what I'd give to be complaining about a water bill monthly at this point.

Fortunately, there is an ER fund here and the check was written and we're all taken care of. Can't say enough for putting money aside, especially if you're a homeowner. Homes do just suck up money!

We splurged today and went to our little towns garden tour. Six gardens for $15.00. Not a bargain by any means.

We did get a few ideas and mom realized her new gardens could hold their own in a few years.....there were things she saw and realized hers' were just the baby version. Several of the gardens had live music which was a treat, but it still didn't seem like it was a good value for the money spent. (I'm spoiled with the garden tours from my little farm town; more manure = better flowers I guess!!)

We had a coupon from the entertainment book for a 2 for one lunch at a new Thai place, so we finished off our day with that. Very yummy!

Even the rain held off while we did all this today which was good. Only one garden was tough to navigate due to it being so wet, the others were OK.

Tonight I've got another hobby woodworker showing up with helpers....and I'm giving them a van load of dry wood for turning or carving. All this is stored in this basement, making cleaning the space up impossible. Can't wait to see the difference after this evenings load!!!

Heading for my old house tomorrow, to check on the water/pump situation. Apparently still no water & the electrician friend said it was out of his league, we need a well person. Not wanting to pay week end rates, we decided to "camp" until Monday. Hauling water in from the rain barrels is not the easiest, but the water is on the property, so it could be worse.
I can feel a lesson in wells & pumps coming on!

I've been blessed with two moms. Not two people who have acted like my mom, but mom and her identical twin. Two of almost exactly the same person. Very few people can tell them apart.....and as little kids, there are stories of us not knowing which was which....and yes, they did tease us.

My 'other' mom has been widowed for decades and has had a SO for the past 20 years or so. This gentleman has just been diagnosed with inoperable cancer with months left to live. My aunt has expressed how she will in no way be able to continue to live in her current home, or in that community when her SO dies.

Mom is on the phone now, and the subject has come up about the possibility of all 3 of us moving somewhere together. Hmmmm
It could work. I would love to be somewhere other than this house, it is OK, but not my choice of areas or house or just about anything.

Mom also found a home today that is right on the beach (now this makes 2 of them she is interested in seeing) but this new one only has 2 bedrooms. I can hear her wheels turning as she tries to come up with a solution for her twin as well as satisfy her wish to live right on the beach. I'm willing to just go along for the ride!

On the financial front......no spending today, just a trip to the beach between showers so we could watch some amazing kite flying and let my week end young man watch the waves (his favorite activity).

I've been finding out little things since I moved to moms.......like the cancelled health coverage, because she had signed herself up for two of them. Well, todays news topped that one for sure.

Mom asked me to help her find her last check register so she could wrap up her income tax stuff (for 06...and yes, she had an extension). I assumed she was working on the 06 taxes and even tho numbers aren't my gift....not even close...I offered to assist in getting things ready for her tax preparer. I suggested her check register that was missing might be the one in her check book and Bingo! it was the one. We gathered the numbers she needed re; rentals & repairs and I thought perhaps we were done.

Oh, no.......not quite. Mom then says to me "you thought that was bad? There's more!" Seems she hadn't filed her tax forms since 03. (keep in mind, she doesn't think she has ever filed for the trust, which was put into place in 2000)

I suggested we just gather up her paperwork & head to the tax guy...which we did.....and yikes, did I ever get a stress headache there. (and during that meeting, a tenant called & the pump has apparently gone out, or dry or whatever.....the result is no water)

The good news is: the trust did file taxes up until 2003 when mom just stopped going in for the tax appointments. And, she has enough stored up tax credits the sale of some property in 2004 didn't even generate enough income to offset that, so no capitol gains tax there.

The bad news is: the sale of a big chunk of property in 2005 will have capitol gains tax on it, plus interest since the due date. She has the funds, but was under the impression she could sell what she wanted without the tax. Pretty sure it will take awhile until this new info sinks in.

I'm almost scared to get up in the morning, for what I'll uncover here! Between the taxes, the medical plan snafuu, and the lack of upkeep on the house here.......there is enough work for a troop of people. And, now I get to do another plumbing task on top of this......I'm so over the top with little pesky details from all this I'm truly looking forward to going in for my last oral surgery appointment next week. I've scheduled a couple days in town at a lovely hotel & will recouperate there while trying to forget all about pumps, rentals and missed tax deadlines.

I know things will all work out, but wow, I'm amazed mom was holding together as good as she was with all this happening around her. No question about IF I'm moving, it is just about how quick I can get things back & under control here.

Hoping a nights sleep and a fresh new day makes a difference in my outlook (and a phone call from the tenant, or a plumber I've called wouldn't hurt.....here again, it is a plumbing difficulty on a Friday night!)

Since I'm out of commission most of next week, we'll tackle moms issues the end of next week. Mine.......I'll keep trying to get a plumber, or is it really an electrician one needs for the pump, out to the 'ranch'. And, I'll pray it is just a low water situation and it will magically be flowing freely by morning.

That's the name of the new yarn I just received in the mail. And, the best part is I didn't pay for it!!! I was chosen to be a test knitter for a new yarn from Knit One, Crochet Too.



I've got one sock already on the needles as you can see from the picture. Yummy yarn. (no one but another knitter will understand how yarn can be 'yummy') The colors are perfect, couldn't have chosen better myself. The yarn is a superwash Merino wool (which means it's washable) with a tad of nylon and an even smaller amount of elastic. Should make up into great socks. (which I get to keep)

Doesn't get much better than this for a knitter!

I had an email last week, inquiring if I would ever be interested in taking on another young person as a long range sort of thing... In our area, this is called Companion Care, what I retired from a year ago June.

Anyway, today the "packet" arrived in the mail, with a contract all ready for me to sign and an envelope to return it in! Gads, a tad presumptuous I think.

I was pretty sure it wasn't going to turn out to be anything, as it took so long for info to get to me and now that it has, I'm totally unsure of what to do.

I did run the email past my mom, so she is in the loop. She wouldn't be licensed, but the house would, and I would. Depending on the person, mom would be fine with it she said. (neither of us is willing to go the autistic route again)

I need to read the packet in the daylight & when I'm not tired....as it seems like a definate NO tonight. This kid is just 21, still in high school and has "eloped" 7 times from his previous foster home. (can't wait to see who filled out the form here & ask them about all the spouses!!) They must mean runaway??? And, my policy has been to not take runaways back. Leave my place & you're out. With a kid that is delayed however, I just don't know.

This would certainly up the income here, from nothing to a whole bunch. That would be nice.
Having this sort of placement here in this house, in this neighborhood has the potential to really cause havoc. Moms neighbors all have "help". (for everything!)
Mom has been hinting around to get licensed and have babies here, temporary sort of placements......but babies none the less. (I'm not fond of little kids, so I haven't pursued that with much gusto)

Teens are more my style. Will call tomorrow and at least set up a meeting with this gentleman before spending anymore time weighing pros & cons. Just laying eyes on him might make my decision for me.

The rest of the day has been interesting too.........the mail also brought a denial letter from moms health plan. Apparently she has signed up for another plan and was turned down from her primary one. I've spent so much time on the phone my ears wore out. Tried on line, but the websites weren't helpful, just basic info.... Have details from both plans coming in the mail, will come up with one plan before August.

The little details like the health plan make me realize I needed to be asking more questions of mom alot sooner. So far, nothing is horribly serious, (but the income tax bit for the trust is a little scary) and we're making progress....but I no longer assume mom has everything in order.

Can't wait til morning. I'm going walking again (have been lazy while it's been so blinking hot here), and everything always looks clearer to me in the mornings.

I continue to chip away at my new task of clearing out my parents house.....not totally clearing it out, just the parts mom gives the go ahead on.

Today was a carnival here........craigs list folks, freecycle folks, both the door bell and the phone ringing non stop. (the chihauhau went a little nuts)

When my son arrived for a visit, he kindly carried up the 4 boxes of National Geographic magazines of my dads. We had used them for school reports as well as general reading material in the house for all the years I can remember. It was odd to see them all head to a new home. (still can't believe someone WANTED them all....the collection went back to 1952 and up through 2000)

As I'm finding all these collections new homes, I am continually tightening up my list of what is important to me. Boxes of magazines.....absolutely not. Do I want to "collect" anything? I don't think so. Interesting thoughts as I wade through the stuff here. Things important enough to build custom book cases to fit the collection of Natl Geographics for heavens sake. (also a custom book case for the Readers Digest books)

I knew my dad was an odd duck, but I'm getting an even closer picture of him by going through all his things. Pretty darned sure I don't want anyone going through my things after I die.....most likely that is why I'm able to trim down my trappings these days.

No spending today, ate fresh veggies & salads from the garden. Feel quite productive this evening as I realize what a mountain of stuff I moved out of here today; the 50 years of magazines, 2 rockers, a coffee table, an old table top game set up, a home made balance beam and a 1962 set of World Book Encyclopedias! TA DA!

I can probably count the hours I've been alone the last couple of decades on my fingers. Seriously, I would think I had squeezed an hour or two out of the schedule to be alone......I'd shut the door as the last kid left for a home visit or something.........and someone would drive in. Five minutes by myself; Max.

Well, this week end my mom headed to her twin sisters place for 3 days. I'm like a kid with all new toys. I really have no idea how to use up all this ME time. (but I'm a quick learner) I've been more than busy and have loved having the house to myself.

Picked up some freecycle plants this AM, St Johns Wort.....which I've never grown. Actually, would never have recognized it before today. Nice plant, makes a terrific ground cover, but it has yellow flowers & I just can't do yellow in my garden. So, this will be banished to the back 40, where it can just grow to it's hearts content and cover as much ground as it wants. Also picked up a piece of carpet (really did think it was a room size rug, but no...) and not sure what to do with it now. I have a van full of carpet!

Took advantage of not having mom here and have had a virtual parade of freecyclers and craigs listers here for all sorts of junk. Made progress in the yard, basement and the garage. Pretty sure mom won't even notice what's missing....and took care to not get rid of anything I know she is still attached to.

I had waited til today to get a really cheap haircut, with a coupon that began today....only to find out the shop was giving that cheap price to everyone. Wow, were they busy. $5.00 for a haircut and I love it. For being cheap and for being a truly good cut. They also gave out gift cards for $5.00 off the next haircut, a coupon for a family members cut and a great tube of lip gloss. It was a good way to start my morning!

As of tonight........my time alone is almost up. My son called & is coming tomorrow for a visit & to help (I have his list all ready!) So, after my morning coffee, it will be back to normal here. After living with so many people for so many years, I don't think I'll ever get enough time by myself. Odd, I know...........

Gads, the difference 20 or 25 degrees makes! We were flirting with 100 degrees yesterday (outside...actually no idea what the temp was inside) and today we're at a balmy, breezy 80 & on the way to an expected 75 for overnight.

I can breathe again. There really isn't any air left at 100 degrees I don't think. Being from WA state here, no one has A/C that I know of. Not even the ones that sit in a window. So, there is no expense to this heat that I can think of. One blessing I guess. (can't think of any other positive to it)

We ate at home, since leaving the house would require movement of some sort.....and there was no way I was going to do that. So, we were frugal but HOT. Thank goodness I didn't have anything I had to do. Saved any errands for tomorrow!

Have several freecycle items I get to go pick up tomorrow; convinced people it would be better after the heatwave here. An almost new area rug, which I'm hoping will work in our living room. (need to replace something of moms that is slippery & terribly dangerous here) Also have a couple starts of new to me ground covers to pick up and get in the garden.

Made plans for my oral surgery days; which is coming right up. Supposedly this will be the last big appointment which puts the whole thing done prior to August which was the original date I was told. Nice. One of my 2007 goals almost wrapped up. (will need to dig out my list of the other goals as I can't remember anything but walking regularly) So, the 2 I can remember, I'm doing.

Moms birthday today........we did it pretty low key, as that was what she wanted. Her twins S.O. just found out he has inoperable cancer so the mood here is less than lively. Lots of phone calls between the twins. I do hope I'm as interested in life when I turn 85 as my mom is. What an incredible woman I have as a role model.

We did have a "finance" meeting this evening with the #1 grandson. He is the mortgage person who was tweaking the credit report/score for his mom....and then he will be buying the house from my mom ....this gets really complicated. Anyway, the house is in my moms trust, and there is now differing info coming from the accountant & attorney. Just hate this stuff. We're putting it all on hold until next week; must get the birthday weekend wrapped up first. So, house sale/transfer will have to wait.

Totally looking forward to sleeping all night in a much cooler house!

Remember the new rose bushes I planted in moms garden? Well, along with the bushes, I now have a mold problem. The dusty white stuff on the tops of the leaves sort of problem.

Not one to head to the garden store to purchase a chemical product to get this condition in check, I began to research and experiment.

Seems that regular old baking soda from your pantry is the ticket to clear up the mold. I found two "recipes" and can give results on one at this point.

Recipe #1: 3 t. soda
1 t. dish soap
1 gal. water
Mix and put in a spray bottle. Spray every 7-10 days throughout the growing season.

Recipe #2: 1 t vegetable oil
1 gal unchlorinated water
1 t plain listerine
1 t dish soap
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 T vinegar
Mix and put in a spray bottle. Spray every 7-10 days throughout the growing season.

I've been using Recipe #1, since I wasn't about to go buy mouthwash for a tablespoon of it....and I wasn't going to buy water either.

The spray has certainly kept roses from getting worse and I do believe they are making progress towards being healthy bushes.

I've had roses before and never had a disease problem, so this caught me by surprise. Supposedly, it can come from the shock of being transplanted, poor soil or poor circulation and of course, watering over the top of the bush. I've added better soil, we are now watering with the soaker hose from freecycle and I'm trimming out some of the leaves to open up the bush for better circulation. Since mom actually paid for these bushes, I'm on a mission to see they all survive........and thrive.

I'll keep posting the progress, hoping I can get these bushes on track without spending any money. All suggestions welcome!!

I know it is hotter somewhere in the world, but for this Pacific Northwesterner, anything over 72 makes me tired and just a tad cranky. We've hit 90 something today and are supposed to be flirting with 100 tomorrow. I think I'll get more work done in the basement, as it's still cool down there.

Tenant brought the rent money today...late, but it is now here. I walked a bit this AM, but just couldn't get past 30 minutes with it warming up.

No other spending today.....and didn't accomplish much at all. Heat makes me more than lazy.

I did unpack a soaker hose I had picked up last year some time from freecycle.....and I found the end cap I had to buy to make it functional. Hooked it up here and wow, is it going to be nice. I've never had one of these fancy black things. You sort of bury it in the garden, so it doesn't show and then it does all the watering for you. Now I'm really on my way to being a lazy gardener, not just a frugal one!

Busy and busier. My days just seem to be flying by.....

The empty house is still empty. Haven't paid the electrician yet, he hasn't asked for money and he isn't done. My favorite way to work with sub contractors. Still hashing out the plans as to renting commercial or residential; mom is having trouble making up her mind & the potential commercial tenant is chomping at the bit.

My funds came through from the re fi, and are in my account to finish paying for my dental work.......which is coming up pretty quickly (later this month, I do think it is the last surgery required)

My bartered deal on the salvaged lumber in the back 40 is working out well. One gentleman is clearing up the mess created by the grandsons when they rented the place for a few years in exchange for lumber to build his woodshed and the other young man is going to make my moms raised planter/bench event for us in trade for his lumber for a tool shed. Both of them have given us their address so I can take mom by their places to see what my dads collection of lumber has created. Nice touch I think.

Yesterday brought some not so nice news (if it is really news) about my son in law person. His wife was one of my foster kiddos for at least a decade & I know her like a book. She is great with money, has always been and I trust her with anything & anyone. Since I have been a foster parent for decades, I always told everyone I knew & came into contact with.......I needed everyones help & their eyes & ears to keep my kids on track. I used to call all these people my "little birdies" .....I know, how dorky...but my mother did the same thing with us & it seemed to work. People would let me know when they had seen one of my kids, anything.........it was the best help in keeping track of 6 teens! Well.......one of my old, good track record birds called yesterday & told me she had been in contact with son in law person & had some concerns. He had offered to help sell a business for them (odd since he isn't a realtor) and continued to say he needed funds to make this deal happen. (big funds......over $10,000) He went on to say he was 3 months behind on house payments & things were headed to foreclosure if he didn't get an advance from these people. They paid him. I know.....way too many things wrong with this scenario. But, the deal is he now won't answer email or phone calls & they are sure they have lost their money. (yes, they did have a contract)

I tried to contact my foster dtr today & got son in law person. Not knowing just what to say I just told him I had a feeling something wasn't right in their lives.......but, he told me thanks for my concern, he appreciated that, but things were fine. Then, he said he couldn't talk and would call me back. ( he hasn't) I'm going to wait until tomorrow and try reaching my little gal. Not sure what I'll say then either, but foreclosure.....her....????? No way. Not a chance. She has been paying 2X a month to pay off her mortgage early....she would not let something that important slip up. Plus, she is working and has an income enough to cover all their expenses without his new business income. Hmmm??? Very odd indeed.

No money spent today.......or for the last few days. Heading out tonight (after the sun goes down and it cools off) to get some plants from a freecycle buddy. I realized I'm now on my 3rd garden done with primarily free plants. It can be done. This stage isn't pretty, as everything is so tiny and all transplants........but, just wait til spring!!! (famous last words from a true gardener, huh?)

I've met and walked with my new walking buddy this morning. Felt great to get back to that. I was truly determined, as most of the streets in this little town were blocked off for the annual parade. I had no idea things would come to a screeching halt in the morning for a parade that started at 1PM. So, after much driving to find a way to get even halfway close to the walking track we were to meet at.......I made it there only a few minutes late. We walked through town, as the track was already closed for some sort of holiday activity. (teach me to not read the little weekly paper!)

We're meeting again tomorrow....feels good already. She only walks 30 minutes, so I'll have to get there earlier & get 30 in on my own.

I've got a full day of freecycle pick ups tomorrow. Since the water problem in the basement has been resolved, I've been able to work down there finding other 'treasures' that need to head to new homes. On this note........anyone have an idea as to how to get rid of old books? The kind without barcodes, way before those... Dad has at least 1000 books all boxed up; mostly hardbacks and all in great shape. I've no clue how to move these out of here & most of his collection is pretty odd. I'm not going to be reading them, especially the ones not written in English.

Going to go plug my ears & try to sleep. I'm really not enjoying the illegal fireworks people are setting off around here. I'm a party pooper on the 4th. Between hating to see so much money just get blown up and worrying about things like how dry the shakes are on the roof.....I'm thrilled when the day is truly over. My dog will be glad too!

Yes, that is what the plumber charged for our repair. While it sounds like a ton to me for 20 minutes work, there was no way I was going to tackle this project myself.......and going without water in the kitchen and no dishwasher wasn't making life a party here on a day to day basis.

So, the bill sounded terrific to both mom & I. Gladly would have paid twice that (maybe more??)

I was glad we had found the leak first and I did learn lots by watching the guy work. And, yes, I asked a bunch of questions. Enough questions I'm pretty sure I could do the repair myself if necessary. And, no, this man didn't suggest we needed to re do the plumbing (although I do know that is in the cards fairly soon.... or some other option like selling this place and letting someone rebuild on the foundation.)

My son visited today, it's been ages since I've seen him. He had said he had a car (been ages since he's been in a position to own one) and I'm happy to report it wasn't a new car. Was going to have to disown him if he bought new. He even made himself useful by carrying a couple van loads of donated stuff and trash for the dump run up to the garage. Plus he followed me to the recycle part of our local dump and lifted the dead TV out of my van for me. We did have to pay to dispose of this giant (which didn't belong to anyone currently living here), but it needed to be gone, & we had no other option.

A good day. Productive and fairly low cost, all things considered. And, we have water in the kitchen!

I'm hoping the plumber calls tomorrow with a free day....and I'm hoping like crazy he will replace the intersection of pipe that is leaking.

I do know he should at least investigate the status of the other pipes, as this house was built with copper & all of that should have gone belly up about 10 years ago. Running water on a prayer here~

I spent some time looking into replacing the plumbing & I would rather take a group of disturbed teenagers on a vacation to another country than be here with my mom when someone starts taking out walls, floors, etc to replace the pipes. Yikes, it sounds dreadful, awful and a trip out of the country might be in order.

The other option sounds good, but the only explanations I can find are from the companies doing the technique....so, I'm a tad distrustful. Forcing a coating material through the pipes, coating all the insides, making the existing pipes virtually new & able to withstand anything. Hmmm. Sounds way too good to be true. No need to make holes in walls, nothing. Just access to the pipes in a few places, depending on the layout of the house. The goo goes around corners, wherever the plumbing goes.

Spent my first Sunday not going to the food bank to work........just laying around. Had a new book to read, so I spent most of the day on the patio reading and watching the plants grow. Oh, and I moved the hose every once in awhile! I did get up to mow the back 40 too....so it wasn't a totally wasted day.

The electrician spent a half day at the vacant house, has one more full day to go he says......plan to be there tomorrow to meet with him and see how the little house is shaping up.

Spent no money today......we're beginning our experiment to see if we can go the month of July without buying groceries. Mom did ask if she could get milk during the month (like she needs to ask me!) but we agreed, milk would be it. Our goal is to make a dent on her HUGE pantry of items, as well as work on the 2 freezers full of food.

We found it. Water leaking from the outgoing pipes from the kitchen. Of course, it's inside the wall, behind the cabinets........but we found it. The call has been made to the plumber, hoping for an appointment on Monday. No way I'm paying week end rates....week day rates will probably be plenty!

So, we're "camping" here. No dishwasher and no water in the kitchen sinks. Slightly inconvenient, but truly...we're not that bad off. In the next room there is a laundry sink, so we've just moved our little dishwashing center in there. The cupboards have been emptied on the outside wall, in preparation for the plumber and to help dry out the place. No idea how long water has been sitting in there. By the looks of the wood inside the cabinets; a loooong time.

We had to have the plumber back to the apartment this AM, as the tenant emailed and said things weren't "put back right & there was a leak". Bless said plumbers heart, he tightened up everything (at a sink we didn't touch yesterday) and all is dry now.......with no charge for today. Will definately put this guys business card on file!!

Since we were already in town, we were right on time for the farmers market. Spent a bit on a pound of Rainier cherries. Taste like summer! Well worth the expense. Then, in an effort to hold the line on washing dishes, we went out to breakfast. No coupon. Just out to breakfast. Was fun, great food and a nice break from all the plumbing stuff we've been dealing with.

Freecycled a van load of pre school type toys & play equipment this evening. Made more room in the basement, made a couple little kids wildly happy and I didn't have to do a thing.

Listed another stack of books from dads stash on Amazon.com. His are fairly interesting so they might tweak someones interest. I can't even guess yet how many books are in this house. Easily in the thousands. Selling a couple a week isn't going to make much of a dent is it??

Can't believe how good it feels to just know where the water was coming from. This does, however, bring up a pesky decision. The pipes here are the old copper ones, and they have been here since the early 60's. I've been reading and asking tons of questions, as this is the first house I've lived in where the plumbing is wearing out. Seems to re plumb the place is a nasty solution....and there is a new deal out there, something about blowing a coating on the inside of all the existing plumbing?? Anyone heard of this? The benefit is it can be done without cutting holes in all the walls, etc. (can't imagine that project!!)

I'm sure I'll dream of pipes and water again tonight.......at least I know the problem area & have stopped the source of the leak.

Zipped downstairs today to get the punch supplies from the freezer and checked "The Wall" just to see if it was dry.......and no. All the old water drip lines on the wall were dripping new water. Yuk.

This tosses my theory about the garbage disposal out the window, since we haven't used it since it leaked when we did. This AM it was the dishwasher and the right hand sink in the kitchen....and the leak. Just the dishwasher last week, no leak. And, no water whatsoever upstairs around the sink area. Heck, none in the kitchen.
Once we get the plumber at the apartment tomorrow, we put this job on the list to be fixed. Still no emergency, but a definate must be fixed sort of problem.

I'm noticing mom isn't at all concerned about maintaining this home (or any of the others she owns). Not sure why. Dad was always the one that kept track of things, even tho mom helped and handled any rentals. She would rather not know about the water downstairs.....even tho she does KNOW how water damages anything it comes into contact with.

I've been the only one taking care of my homes for decades, so I'm used to watching for 'stuff that needs doing' as I call all these jobs. I even opened the conversation with mom last night about wondering when to stop putting big money into this home and just do the hold the line repairs. If she ever does sell this house, any new owner would level it and re build on the existing foundation. Or, at the very least, gut it and add a 2nd story. So, it seems to be excessive to put a new roof on (which the house will be needing) or make any big changes.

I have had a stay at home, no spend, no work (almost) sort of day. Moms bridge buddies are here having a great day of it... I did all the last minute cleaning and straightening up this AM and made a dessert for her to serve then have been enjoying a day of just playing around in the sewing room and here on the PC.

Moms bank called & said the funds were being deposited into her account from the bond she had bought earlier this month. The bank found another buyer for the entire order, so mom got all the money back. She thinks she should not invest these funds now and use it for the projects on this house. I guess this is where the conversation started yesterday; I'm just not sure the money would be well spent here. We are certainly making do here, although there are some things it would be nice to update.

This house is in a very well to do neighborhood.....although neighborhood is not the right term. There are houses along this one road, no one knows anyone, no one speaks really. Almost everyone has 'staff' and I'm the only person I know who mows the lawn themself. So, the property is worth more without the house almost! And, mom has a large enough piece she could build & sell the back half....which I think is a better idea in the long run.

This would cut the work in half here (which I'm totally in favor of). She could either move to the new house, or fix up this one. Or, sell the new, lease this and move to the beach house of her dreams. I like that option too.

Heard from the financial planner/accountant and attorney. The decedants trust was funded when dad died, and has the tax number. But, for some reason moms accountant never had her file the taxes on that trust. They all are saying it's no problem.....but, I'm guessing there probably are a few since it's been 7 years with no filing.
I'm sure learning lots...it seems like no day goes by without another huge thing coming into view here. Property, tenants, trusts, investments; all needing attention. No question why I moved over here anymore, that part is certain!

Yes, this AM on one of my many treks down to the basement......I flipped the light switch and made a quick check of The Wall...... A small trickle of water and a crack in the wall with a drop or two; plus about an eighth of a cup of water on the floor. Hmmm.
Think the culprit is the garbage disposal after all the checking and re checking. Not a typical leak at the disposer however, but something to do with either the incoming water, or the drain behind the kitchen wall. The water is pooling upstairs in the dead space below the undersink cabinet or behind the cabinet. Yuk. Makes it almost impossible to get to.....but, easier now to tell a plumber what is leaking. Our version of taking care of this right now, is to not use the disposer! Temporary fix, but right now, that works.

Borrowed moms car for an errand to the title co, to sign for the re fi. Money will be wire transferred to my acct soon; actually forgot what day they said.
Took the car to the auto parts store, to pick up a tail light bulb, as we have one burned out. I thought I could get someone to show me how to replace said light since I couldn't seem to get to it on my own. (hate to be stupid, but the car must have been built around the light) No one at the store could get to the bulb either! So, it's a trip to a dealership for a lightbulb. I prefer vehicles where I can do at least the minor stuff.

Spent the last 48 hours cleaning and gardening so the house & yard look spic & span for moms bridge day tomorrow. Whipped out a bridge table cover too now that I'm here & understand just what she was needing. (from fabric I bartered for) Looks pretty good if I do say so....and the make shift sewing room worked too. I'm obviously too pooped to be writing....just tried to re read this paragraph and it doesn't even make sense to me! Off to bed!

This was a new one for me, however it was explained to us as something being done "all the time" in the mortage business.

Mom was asked to add a family member on to 3 of her high limit cc acounts (all at zero balances) just long enough for the credit reporting companies to add the family persons name & account. This makes the credit of the person in question broad, or varied they explained. As soon as the report is noted, mom can take the person off the accounts. (which she will do) So, there is to be no risk to her.......she feels like she is helping in a family situation and I am just going to watch.

I'm not a betting person, but I'm willing to put money on this family person not being able to maintain a mortage .....if it happens in the first place. Buying isn't always a good choice for some. Although continued renting isn't a great option either, it seems to have so much less risk in this situation.

I'm grateful I don't need someone to work the system as it was explained to us.

Plumbing Update: None. No info. Nothing. Basement floor & wall are still dry. Just too frustrating not knowing how it got so wet, and obviously many times before. Mom said this AM "It's a good day if we don't see water".......I feel just the opposite. I think it is just nasty I can't come up with the problem! Wish I could see some water & nail down where it came from & when!

Historic Happening Here: I turned down money. Yep. Found 3 gentlemen to divide up the first round of cured wood dad had been saving to turn or carve. One of them asked what I was selling it for, and I turned it down. Dad would have shared before selling.....so that is what we did all day again today. There are 3 pretty excited woodworkers here in the Pacific NW tonight!

I'm exhausted.

The autistic young man showed up for a visit today around 3PM and I feel like I've run a marathon.

We started with compost moving......and got the new garden completely done. (still have more compost to move, will think creatively tonight so I have a solution when he gets up in the AM)
After dinner, he helped me load up a walk behind mower & we took off for the empty rental. He mowed the place, and for anyone who might have been watching us.......I hope they figured it out. My young man mows; just where he wants to mow. And he loves it. Looks like he has won the lottery while he is working. Had the mower on FAST and was just trotting along all over the yard. I had a hard time getting him to do the whole yard. When he finished, the place did look better than when we arrived, but it was an odd bit of mowing to say the least. He moved a roll of new vinyl into the garage too......so we're ready for the kitchen floor man to arrive ..whenever we get that going.

Back home, we set up a ramp thing my dad had constructed years ago, as a way to move things in and out of the basement without having to go inside and down the stairs repeatedly. Sort of a slide that hooks to the window well and drops off into the rec room. (otherwise known as the storage area) I passed 20 something pieces of dried wood my dad had saved from the 70's up to the ramp thing and my strapping young man picked them up and moved them into the garage. Whew. I was beat and he was laughing hysterically by this point. I'm so grateful for the help but he doesn't even understand that part.....he just had a ball.

Tomorrow a couple more local woodworkers are to arrive & we'll divide up the wood chunks. These are all set for people to either carve or turn them on a lathe. Dad would be thrilled to know the wood was not being used for firewood and mom is pleased I'm locating folks that seem to understand a 'good chunk of wood'.

Resting up tonight.....hoping I can sort of keep up with tomorrows day. Autistic kiddo is sleeping over & we're getting up at 6AM in order to watch Mr Rogers together (his best hero....and no, he doesn't know the man is dead) Then, a big home made breakfast and back to the compost moving outside.

There was so much more this kid did today, now that I think about it. He couldn't have got my mower in the van until he unloaded said van....and hauled everything down into that basement. And those things wouldn't have fit in the basement until he hauled the stuff for the dump up to the garage......

What a day...and just think, we're doing a repeat of most of it tomorrow!!!

Still no answers re; the water issue in the basement here at moms. Yuk. The fan has almost dried out the floor, except for under the freezer. And, before you think it....no, the water didn't come from the freezer. It is empty and unplugged.

Every time water runs upstairs for any reason, or it rains, I'm dashing (well....more like dragging myself) downstairs. Still nothing. Very frustrating.

Did the last food bank/gleaner run this AM, as I'm too far away from the facility with the new move. Stopped at the old house & mowed the lawns, met with a tenant, picked the veggies & flowers and gathered eggs.

In between appointments, mom & I did the breakfast out deal again....nice little local restaurant, but almost $20.00 for breakfast. We had a good time, and the rest was great before we hit the rest of the days tasks.

The evening was spent dealing with the produce from the garden and putting the plants I had brought from the other house into the ground. I've got one VERY overgrown garden and one brand new garden. Neither is very attractive!

Found a plumber referral from a friend, so will be calling him in the AM to schedule the appointment ......no not for this place........but for the rental. Still trying to get that guys drains to all work at the same time. I got each drain to at least drain....but, the bathroom sink is pretty slow. Not OK to leave it this way, so that guy gets the plumber first. If we like him, we might let him have a go at our mystery water situation here at moms. I'd sure like to be able to figure it out first, so I wasn't paying plumbers wages to scope out the situation.

Still freecycling every chance I get, and every time mom gives the nod to get rid of something. Todays new event was the wood chunks dad had drying in the basement. (all up on rails, so nothing got wet) I've found a couple wood workers who are interested, so hoping I can clear out the maple chunks this week. I feel like I'm trying to set up the sewing room in a combination storage unit/garage sort of space. Not pleasant!!

Must go to bed......gearing up for a visit from autistic young man tomorrow. We're attempting to clear the remainder of the pile of compost tomorrow (weather permitting) and then have him stay overnight. I'll be dragging by Tuesday!

Is there some sort of Rule of the Universe that makes all plumbing events happen between Friday at 5:30PM and Monday at 9:00AM?? (with extra bonus points if a holiday falls on that week end too??)

I went downstairs here at moms house this morning (can no longer even remember why I went down) to find water on the basement floor coming from under a freezer that is no longer plugged in or being used. Discovered water trickling down the outside wall & could see where it had been doing so over time. (like maybe years??)

There is so much stuff in this basement it is impossible to get to the problem area without moving things........so that became the first job. Trash bags, buckets, rags........all hauled downstairs only to discover we had another layer to the problems in the basement.

Most of the stuff that needed to be moved isn't my moms. It belongs to the other dtr & her kids. Lots of stuff. Nothing of real value, nothing they are willing to come get; but mom won't get rid of it without their go ahead...at least until today.

9 big garbage sacks (the clear kind) were full of llama fleeces. My sister persons; as she was going to clean them, learn to spin and make these up into yarn to knit socks with. Not any more. They are at the dump. I can't tell you how many, nor what kind, of critters that were breeding their own little world in all these sacks. YUK. Think slightly damp animal fur.......infested with thousands of bugs squirming and flying around. We re bagged them and hauled them out to the yard.......then into the van and off to the dump. A great use of $17.00 in our opinion. You should have seen the attendant when he asked what we were dumping. I'm certain no one else had ever dumped llama fleeces.

Now, I'm trying to pinpoint where the slow leak is coming from. Can't see it anywhere. Have a couple possibilities, but want to narrow it down before having a plumber in here this coming week so I'm not paying them to search out the problem.

Most of the cupboards upstairs that cover the most likely problem area have backs that come off, so I'm cleaning cupboards and removing all the backs. So far, dry & dusty/cobwebby. Each time I get into a new area & find it dry, the mystery deepens.

I go downstairs anytime we use water anywhere upstairs & can't see the trickle on the wall yet. We're expecting rain tonight & tomorrow.....thinking maybe it is a clogged outside drain that is allowing water to pool underground near the foundation?? Not likely, as you can see the subfloor is wet so it is definately inside the house in my opinion and not coming from under a 6' eave and uphill under a concrete porch the length of the home.

The downstairs was looking so much better with the sewing room getting organized.......now it is a shambles and damp to boot. I have a fan running and windows open so that is helping dry the cement out.

Upstairs is looking like we're moving or something......cupboards open and emptied into boxes; sitting around everywhere in the kitchen.

I hate mysteries. Especially when they involve water where it isn't supposed to be. And, of course......over a week end where I can't even start to resolve this. (way too cheap to pay week end rates when we aren't in crisis mode)

Been working all the waking hours here.
Making slow but steady progress, clearing out space for my odd collection of things I move over to moms every week end. Things I can't live without, things I won't live without and not much else.

Freecycling things as soon as my mom breathes anything about letting me get rid of something. The neighbors must wonder....if they even notice. Mom lives in an area of homes where I would bet no one freecycles or re uses or anything similar. And, yes, I do feel quite out of place here!

We've been out somewhere every day for what seems like weeks. In my other life, I would go weeks without going anywhere. What a switch. Not sure yet which I prefer.......most likely a decent combination of the two.

The rental issue is still not resolved. The potential tenant came back to the table wanting to know more about the 2 items I couldn't say yes to. Specifically, what percent the increase would be after the 2 year lease.....and what we would charge if he were to add other businesses in the bldg. Of course, I don't know those answers.

The biggie was the bond issue of moms. We did get that sale reversed. Had no idea you could do that......but we did. The firm sold it to other clients & mom has her funds back. In this whole deal, she met with the financial mgr from another firm (where she has had funds for decades) and the one where she & dad had first learned about living trusts. After only minutes of this meeting, I knew we were in deep doo doo. After one person dies, there needed to be a decedents trust set up and funded. This gets a tax ID number & pays income tax separately. Well, can you say no, to all of that? Mom hasn't had any of this done. Should have been accomplished 7 years ago. Much scurrying and phoning going on to see if we can play a grand game of catch up here.
Also found out there are probably no properties in the right branch of this trust, the branch that will eliminate probate, and decrease the estate taxes. Of course, all this needed to be done 7 years ago too.

My brain is tired from all the meetings and my back is tired from all the gardening. At least I can see progress in the gardens! Even worked a deal with the neighbor kid; he needed to borrow my mower & I got him to start my edger! Things are looking tidier after running that around the beds.

Crossing fingers that Monday brings a round of phone calls and no further road blocks re; the trust/will/funding issues. Biggest issue I want to deal with is 'do iris require full sun or filtered sun??'