Saturday-3:45pm

Been a long time.

The jackrabbits are slowly turning dark again. 

I actually emptied the bird feeder and have it set to go out to garage for the summer.  The grackles are back...along with an assortment of small dark little birds...some of which are half the size of the house sparrows that stay the winter.  

Been hearing the geese passing through for many weeks...and what have I been doing?  Not much at all.  Been sick.  First I had a cold for over a week and then I caught a stomach flu that lasted over two weeks...finally slowly on the mend the last couple days.  Which means I had to cancel twice on the eye exam.  After the second time I just told them I'd call when I was well enough to make it...hopefully this coming week (Tues or Weds).  Facebook was kind enough to inform me that I was sick last year on my birthday, too--LOL!

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On March 25th, when my cold was better and right before I came down with the flu, McFamily and Aaron came over to install the shelves in my pantry and bathroom that you may remember Leah had mentioned would be a great addition back when I moved in.  Well, she dropped them off on the 24th--whoohoo!!  Happy birthday to me!!

Before pics:

Could use extra shelves on the right hand side of the pantry--and an extra brace on that bottom shelf they forgot to install. 

An extra shelf up high on the other side for things not used often... 

...and the same high up in the bathroom over the washer and dryer. 

Leah, Dagan, and Aaron worked on installing the shelves while Ian and I watched Finding Nemo.  (Don't I have it good!)

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After pics: 

Two extra shelves on the right hand side of the pantry--and an extra brace on the bottom shelf. 

Another shelf up high on the left hand side. 

And another high shelf in the bathroom.

And I bet those shelves don't bend for you when you look at them--LOL!  They do for me--in the pictures and in real life.  Freaky!  Yup--still dealing with the double vision and all the rest.  Hope all that will be resolved soon!  Very soon!

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Things were kind of shifted about for installation.  I came down with the flu the next day after the shelves went in...so it took me almost a week just to move this stuff off my counter and stick it just anywhere in the pantry. 

The bathroom stuff...well, it is still stacked on my bedroom floor.  I decided that blogging won out on the priority list today, too--LOL! 

Meanwhile--I had thought I was better for a couple of days--no temp (but it returned)--so Leah made it over on a Thursday night for crafts.  She's doing everything because I cannot see to do any detail work--blurry and things moving about on me--LOL!  So, Leah has been working on the pattern pieces for us to make more ladies pads and panty liners.  First we draw around them and then go back and cut out all the pieces. 

We have quite a ways to go since I've had to cancel craft nights, too.  I just hope I didn't give this awful flu to any of them!  So far so good.

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I got four Amazon gift cards for my birthday from generous people (you know who you are!!)--so I was able to order this Tonic guillotine cutter (easier on my wrists and hands)... 

...and a couple more of the caddies!!  You can see that first one I purchased off in the background there on the left.

We LOVE them and they are so easy to move about with that big handle.  Can stack and clip them together if you want to, also.  So those are my Amazon birthday presents for 2017--whoohoo!  Thank you so much!!  These are both so helpful for my weakening arms and wrists (and occasional arthritic thumb acting up now, too)--LOL!

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Want to thank everyone who has hand-written me letters and cards.  Handwriting is still easier to read for me than print of any kind and handwriting via muscle memory is easier than typing (and one thing I can pull off without being able to see clearly--LOL!).  I can read nice long emails or blogs on Mr. Rusty because Leah showed me how to enlarge the print really big...but it is still easier for me to hand write back.  Hopefully this will all change pretty soon.  If I can get in for the exam finally this coming week I should get my glasses within about a week after that...of course, then my eye doctor warned me not to give up on the new glasses for a few weeks to a month because it will be a big adjustment for my eyes.  *sigh*  BUT--I can finally see a light at the end of this long, blurry, warping tunnel!  :) :)

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This is why I haven't been around much lately.  Easier still for me to enlarge the pages and read than to type...so I have mostly read blogs...but have managed to toss out comments here and there.  I still have emails I haven't responded to yet.  Sorry.  Just the way things are lately.  :(

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I recently binge-watched the new season of Better Call Saul (one of my favorites now!) and Grace and Frankie.  Been peeking for a few weeks at April the giraffe's live feed to see if she's had her baby.  (Should be pretty soon.)  Now that I'm finally on the mend it won't be too long and I'll be able to begin reorganizing the pantry and bathroom shelves.  ;)  Not sure when I'll pop back in, but hopefully there will be no relapse or catching anything else (my immune system seems to have crashed since the surgeries) and life will get back to normal here pretty soon.  Whew!  What a year!  

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Thanks to everyone who stopped by, wished me well, or even had a passing kind thought.  I appreciate it all--you all.  Blessings!!  :) :)

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"Can you see the holiness in those things you take for granted--a paved road or a washing machine?  If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul."

Rabbi Harold Kushner