Doctor appointment 05.31.18

               Isn’t that a great way to end one of the hottest May months here in Texas? I have scheduled an appointment for this morning. I have a problem with my lip swelling. To me, the untrained doctor, this would indicate I am allergic to something. I have no idea what I would be allergic to, so I have decided to go to a trained doctor. Yes, there is a co-pay and being on a fixed income I will have trouble coming up with the funding.

               This doctor co-pay expense, may cause real problems later, as we have agreed to have a sprinkler system put in at the Ford Homestead. The work is supposed to be done next week, but this $15.00 co-pay will take necessary funding from our meager bank account. Donations should be sent quickly as we need the money by Monday.

               No we will not be able to have the entire yard sprinkled, as we are still on a fixed income. Before you ask, we are having the front yard, the north side of the house, and across the back of the home about 30 feet from the back of the house covered.

 

               Something stinks! Tres is sleeping under my desk, and I believe he may have just passed gas. 

 

               I know you did not ask, but I did get the Ford’s ole office cleaned yesterday. It took about 5 hours off and on the project, as I did have the grandees here and I did need to stop occasionally to interface with them. The new fan with filters is now installed. It seems to be working as expected, but it is less forceful than the previous fan. Tres has not objected yet so I guess we will keep it.

               I even ran the air conditioner, the unit in my office, (not the new air conditioning hole house system), during my cleaning efforts yesterday. I was in and out of the door to the garage so many times that the office was very hot. Yes I know, “My presence in any room makes it hot”, you don’t need to remind me.

 

               Well I guess that is it for now have a great day!

 

Saturday prediction is for 101 degrees, if so a record for that day!

 

Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Trash cart full 05.30.18

               The photo below is not one I have taken, it is a down loaded photo. Being elderly, I sometimes forget to take a photo, of the before, “Back breaking project”. Taking a photo after a back breaking project seems a little useless. So, I have taken a photo after, yep, “I am useless!” You got to be something!

               This is what happened yesterday. I went outside to remove some prickly pear cactus, and I forgot to take a before photo.

               It was a hot windless day in July, I mean May (it just felt like July), with the temp reaching 97 degrees during the day, with a humidity level of 114%, (everything is bigger in Texas) when I decided to remove said cactus.

               Many years ago, shortly after we first moved in to the Homestead (the year was 1979) we felt that we should plant some cactus in a flower bed. Now that we were in Texas we felt, for some dumb reason, that having some of this invasive plant in our yard would be a good idea.

               Over the years we have learned that getting rid of this plant is rather difficult. Several times over the years I have tried to remove the plant. Several times over the years this plant has grown back. The main problem has been, when someone drops something into the plant, it is difficult to remove the item without getting an unknown number of stickers in your body. These stickers are various sizes, some are easy to see, while you need a magnifying glass to see others.

               In the past the neighbor kids were teenagers, and they occasionally had items accidently go into the cactus plant. I should state, “Removing the item from the plant is not the only problem”. Allow me to explain. At one time the teenager’s basketball went into the cactus. They carefully removed said basketball and found that it had the stickers in it. These boys were observed trying to remove the stickers from the ball with a pair of plyers.

               I had found base balls and other items in the cactus that, once in the actus, there was no attempt to remove the item. 

               We now have young kids living next to us and we do not want them to be hurt by the plant. We don’t want them to try and get a toy out of the plant so I have removed it again. I used tools with long handles not allowing any of the softer materials like rubber handles, to come in contact with the cactus. I had taken the trash cart to the flower bed and began removing the plant. I have half of the trash cart filled with this cactus.

               Let’s hope the cactus does not come back. I have taken a photo, but it is an after photo without the before photo, sorry!   Click to exaggerate!

               I hope you can visualize this prickly pear cactus with its twisted body, part of which was underground, and parts that were dead, but most of which was waiting to attack any mammal within reach. 

               On a totally different subject, I have to clean this office area today. I sit here at my desk by the door to the garage, which is often left open in decent weather, allowing dust, pollen, and the occasional wasp in. The cats and dog like to hang out in here. I don’t like to run the air conditioner unless it is very hot so I keep a fan at floor level running most of the time. The fan has a tendency to move dust, and hair all around the room. Did I say, Tres enjoys lying in front of the fan, and as the fan blows over his hairy body, the lose hair flies around the room.  In an effort to reduce the dust and hair problems I have ordered a fan that has three filters. I am hoping to clean the room and then allow the fan to reduce the amount of dust and hair in the air.

               The new fan with filters is supposed to be out for delivery so I need to get to work cleaning!

May your day be dust free!

Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Holidays are for those who 05.29.18

               It seems to us here at the Ford Homestead, “Holidays are for those who work outside the home”, in other words those who work for compensation (aka pay).

               Today is Tuesday and the holiday is over. I hope you and your family enjoyed the day off and were safe in all you didn’t do. Here at the Ford Homestead there was no time off, it was work, work, work, all day for my first wife. She had put a brisket in the oven where it stayed all night, basking in its own body fluids. That means there was some fat in the brisket which enhanced the taste of the brisket.

               The brisket is a cut of meat that is considered as a lesser cut. My present spouse is an excellent cook, and she knows how to make this brisket so tender that it falls apart when you try to place it on your plate. She puts a few onions in with the brisket which adds flavor. She also knows which spices to add to the meat, causing one (me) to go beck for seconds. If I have been going on about this brisket, it means I liked it!

               The noon meal also had potato salad, ranch beans with jalapenos in them, a broccoli salad, and of course rolls. My wife worked at this all morning without any rest. We did stop for the noon repast. Then Donna went to work painting in one of the bed rooms and while she was working I went to town. As you can see there is no rest at the Ford Homestead.

               As my present spouse was painting, a friend arrived which caused my spouse of 49 years to stop her work. These interruptions did delayed the completion of her work, but after the friend collects some brisket and other items of food, she left, allowing my present spouse to return to her duties. I was so tired by this time, all I wanted to do was take a nap.   

               Finally, late in the afternoon my hard working spouse had finished her painting and other chores. She then went to the shower to relax for a moment, but a second friend arrived. My first wife and her friend came outside where I was setting, and we all talked for a while. After a pleasant conversation the second friend was allowed to gather some food items prior to her leaving the Homestead. Have you noticed a pattern here, gathering food items before they leave?

               At last, my first wife had some time to sit in the Ford’s ole recliner and relax. As you can see, there is continual work at the Ford Homestead.

 

After all that, I badly needed a nap!

 

Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Genuine Ford parts 05.28.18

               If someone cut my arm off, could they sell it as being genuine Ford Parts? If I were going to try and define the word, “Genuine”, I would have said, “it is something real”. I have checked with the all-knowing computer, and it defined Genuine as, “Actually having the reputed or apparent qualities or character”. What the heck does that mean? I then checked the word reputed, it is defined as, “having a good repute: reputable: being such according to reputation or general belief.”

            I get so tired of these no-it-alls defining words and expecting the rest of us to understand what they are saying. As I have stated many times in the past, they should always check with me before they publish these words and definitions.

            I am going to provide you with a definition of genuine that is exact, correct, and proper and can’t be denied. In truth, I will provide you with a photo that defines Genuine in a way that not even you, will be able to debate! Are you ready, here it comes! Click the following photo and you will enjoy!

            Stop looking at those sun glasses and observe the entire photo of this, handsome senior person. This is a Genuine Ford and all his parts have been certified as genuine.

My sweet, lovable and adoring wife bought the shirt, talk to her!

Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Would you believe 05.26.18

               As a devoted reader of these extremely interesting, and should I say more than informative articles, you have without a doubt noticed that I occasionally make comments based on my extraordinary ability to observe, and understand people and situations. Naturally, after I observe something that I know would be interesting to anyone, even those who do not read my wonderful literatures, I then proceed with commentary which is pure factual information.

               All that said, would you believe someone has commented to me, “Your blogging is nothing more than a journal that you keep, allowing others to read, and is not informative, but simply an opinionated report from the mind of someone who is close to, but not quite a genius. (I might have made those last 5 words up.) 

               The individual, who will go unnamed, but you know who you are, was a good friend for years. We did not work together, but in similar work settings. We talked mostly via phone, at least weekly, and I always thought my comments and opinions were accepted as truths or at least what I truly believed.

               This individual, seldom challenged my commentary, and I returned the favor by listening to them and not being critical, even when their points of view were often, completely wrong. Now that our relationship has nothing to do with work, in other words, this past friend no longer needs an ally in the business world, and finds it fun to critique in should I say, in a very critical manner, most if not all of my articles!

               Do you have any idea how hurtful it is to find that a person, you once considered as a best friend, now believes your reporting is nothing more than, “A journal”? I will not elaborate on how the tears came to my eyes when I read the comments from an ex-friend! Would you believe that I even considered giving up my blog, and keeping all my writings to myself?

               Then it came to me, if I stopped the blog posting, keeping all my views away from you wonderful readers, all I would have is a journal. I gave this some consideration and decided that my posting, although wonderfully written and truthfully informative, they are just my journal. My ex-friend has now been reinstated and is again a good friend!

         The above was all made up from the mind of Reverend Ford! I started off with, “Would you believe” and that is your key to know I am going to exaggerate a little, or a lot! I do however consider my blog kind of a journal and hope it is occasionally interesting. I didn’t have anything to write about so I made this up!

 

Thank you for putting up with me!

 

Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Friday the end of the 05.25.18

               I guess Friday could be the end of several things. If you are not on a fixed income and if you have a steady job with a Monday through Friday schedule, then Friday would be the end of a work week. For those of us who do not have a 5 days schedule, Friday is not the end of anything, it is just another day for a retired senior citizen to work their poor bodies to death!

               As an example, today, Friday, ¹ I must mow the yard, ² get Alex from school at noon. Then I need to leave the security of the Homestead and ³ access the bank for my meager allowance, ⁴ go to the cleaners and pick up my old clothes, ⁵ then go to the Star for a cup of coffee, then I need to ⁶ drive all the way into Waco to get a bottle of adult beverage, returning home I need to ⁷ take a nap, after the well-deserved nap I must ⁸ finish the work on a door.

               Now you see those of us who do not have a 5 day per week job, must work continuously and I haven’t even commented on walking the roads to fine the elusive aluminum cans, or helping my present spouse carry in the groceries from her vehicle. It is a tough life being retired!

               I guess I had better get up from this 10 year old computer and get started on this enormous, and may I say, partial list of my activities. 

May your day have a light schedule!

Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Thursday what to do? 05.24.18

               Completely off schedule. That statement is very true for us at the Ford Homestead. We have been off schedule for a couple weeks now and it has not stopped yet. You did not ask why we are off schedule, so I will enlighten, even though you don’t want to know the reasons.

               One reason is that school is almost over for the year, and we have made or will make, a couple schedule changes for yearend activities.

               Second reason and the largest reason is, the painting project we have undertaken here at the Homestead. It still isn’t done!

               We even had the refrigerator repairman out yesterday (yes he was a man thus the term repairman). Now that I have stalled on the subject of the “Ice Box”, we had to remove everything from the unit including the freezer portion at the bottom and the repairman found nothing wrong with the unit.

               I almost hate to say it but I am old enough to remember the ice man delivering ice (not to our house) and he wore a leather shoulder and back protector which help protect his back and shoulder from the ice blocks. Don’t ask I will explain, he used ice thongs to pick up and carry the ice over his shoulder. Would you believe that is a photo of me and the ice man when I was a children?             I wouldn’t!

               I should inject into my commentary, the reasons for being off schedule are not a problem, they just mess up the normal schedule which, I as an elderly citizen, happen to enjoy! Routines and schedules, like taking one’s nap after lunch, make a senior person’s life more stable.

               We still have work to do on the second bed room which will keep us off schedule for a few more days. We will go out to Alex’s school this afternoon for the second grades award ceremonies. This is a pleasant way to be off schedule. Tomorrow school is only half a day so we will need to get kids at noon o’clock. Again a slight change in schedules. 

               What was wrong with the fridge? That is your question? It made a noise when the compressor ran. Sometimes the noise was loud and other times it was not. The repairman thought it was a fan motor that may have ice on it. There was no ice on the fan.

               I have been messing around with an old windows phone that I use to use. In truth, I like it better than the phone I have now which is an android. The one thing the android has that I really like is the power button is on the back. With the windows phone the power button is on the side and every time I picked it up it came on. That doesn’t happen with the android.

               The old phone is not set up to make calls, but is still works off the Wi-Fi. I can find things on the internet and I can still use it for email. I can take it anywhere and use it as a camera.  I found a bunch of photos on the old phone, and I took a test photo today using the ole phone, see below.

               In the photo it appears that you can save up to $700 this weekend. Yes there is a small American Flag, and to the truly observant there are dog tags hanging near the flag. No, not tags for the dog, they are the dog tags the military personnel would ware.

               What’s in the three ring note books? They are filled with my writings, and yes I know no one reads things on paper, these writings and others are also on thumb drives and computer.

                              Well, I need to get off my normal schedule and get to work.

               Later Dude or Dudet. 

Things are nice when you stay on schedule!

Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Follow-up 05.23.18

               What, you want to know what this follow-up is following? If you had read the previous posting you would know! Come on, you must do some thinking for yourself!

 

               Have you noticed, when I am forced to work I do not write as much? Well, I have noticed! I did get the two doors removed, painted and reinstalled with new hardware. We left them open last night just in case the paint was not completely dry. It was dry to the touch and there were no problems carrying them from the garage back to their individual openings. I still need to work on one of the doors including installation of door hardware.

               School is almost out and I think all they are doing is having fun. As an example, all the Stars Test have been administered and evidently the teachers are basically shutting down for their summer, 2.5 months of vacation. Heck, if I were a teacher I would need a longer vacation than that to recover from being around the kids all day. Gabi’s class is watching a movie this morning and then going to the park for lunch and then they can goof off at the park in the afternoon. Parents and grandparents may attend.

               Alex’s second grade class has their awards ceremony on Thursday afternoon. We will go to that also and hope he gets some type award.

               Friday, is the last day of school for this year, it is a half day.

 

May your summer be filled with ____!

                        You fill in the blank, I can’t do everything for you.

Don Ford

              

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Dry or wet 05.22.18

               Silly Grandpa enjoys being silly! The other day Alex and I were on our way home from school, and as usual we were conversing. I asked what he did over the weekend. He thought for a moment then responded, we went to Nana’s house and went swimming. (Nana is the other grandmother and they have a very nice in ground swimming pool.) I asked, did you get wet when you went swimming? Alex responded, “You always get wet when you go in swimming”! I asked, “Are you saying there is no dry water”? Alex said very sternly, “There is no dry water”!

               I then stated, “Ice is made from water”. Alex agreed that ice is made from water. I paused a moment then stated, “There is Dry ice, so Dry ice must be made from Dry water”! Alex thought a second and then stated, “Dry ice is not made from Dry water, and it is made of chemicals, not water”.

               I do enjoy arguing with a second grader. I guess he will be in the third grade after this week as it is the last week of school.

 

               Different subject; we had another nice shower last evening, it was short but plentiful.

               There is a holiday coming next Monday and our weather man (yes he is a male and as such may be referred to as a weather man) has stated that Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer. He went on to say, this year it may be the official start to summer as we are expecting temperatures in the mid-90s over the weekend and through the holidays.

 

               Today I plan to finish installing this new anti-virus which there are components I like and not like. Then I need to remove, paint, add new door knobs and reinstall two closet doors. If time allows and I have had my timely nap, I will install additional door knobs to previously painted doors. Yes you are correct, it is a lot of work for a retired senior citizen. If we weren’t on a fixed income we could hire others to do this work but…

 

May your labor be rewarded, not forced!

 

Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Nothing to write about 05.21.18

               Yes it is unusual but I have nothing to write about today. This is Sunday and my first wife and I went out to the Barrel for brunch, actually it was breakfast. Our wait staff was somewhat slow but they were very busy so we tried to understand. Our wait staff (notice I did not say waitress, I can be politically correct) took our order, and a different wait staff brought our food. A couple items that had been forgotten. I was at least a third of the way through my breakfast before my glass of milk was brought to the table. We were finishing our food when our wait staff brought the bill. We asked for a cup of coffee to go. Donna finished her breakfast but the, “to go coffee”, was not forthcoming. We decided to leave without it. EXCELENT SERVICE, NOPE!

               It was raining as we left the Barrel and headed for home. I took the side road rather than getting on the interstate with all that rain and traffic. When we arrived at home I learned that we had received a little over an inch of rain today, nice!

               My wife has been painting walls and trim, I have helped paint doors and some of the trim. Today she has been replacing items back in their home locations. She has worked too hard today. I replaced a couple of the door knobs on the doors today and have several more to do along with painting more doors.  One would think replacing door knobs would be easy, but for a senior citizen who don’t really want to do the work, it is not easy! 

               I have a new security system (aka antivirus) and I have been installing and activating. I have not been able to get it installed on my, “Dumb fone”! It installs easily on the computers.

               I have been watching Cinderella as I work on the software. Sounds odd? It was better than the so-called news. Actually it is a pretty good show.

               The software has been defragging for better than an hour, I hope it soon quits.          

 

Have a wonderful day! 

 

Don Ford

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This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software. www.avg.com

Short blurps not burps 05.18.18

               A few short blurps in this posting along with a few excellent photos for your educational experience.

First, have you ever seen pecans in their infancy? Well enlarge the photo and you will see the beginning!

Second, we will see a pretty but small flower. These are found at the Ford Homestead.

Third, we see politically incorrect, white flowers.

Fourth, the following must be afraid, they are yellow!

And lastly the Alex.

               I mowed the entire yard system, trimmed the same and cleaned up the clippings all before lunch today.

               Saturday, we will be hauling off limbs from David’s home. I will try to get a photo of the new solar panels at David’s home tomorrow.

Have a nice and safe weekend.

Don Ford

Half-breed 05.17.18

               The term Half-breed, is no longer politically correct, when speaking of a mammal who has parents that are from different breeds or race! Example; a dog whose father is a Chihuahua and whose mother is a Great Dane, would in the olden days be known as a, “Half Breed”! Now days, and much more politically correct, we should say Cross Breed.

               I have a photo that I will post which could be a half breed, I mean cross breed. Would you believe I have crossed a black berry plant with another plant? See the photo and let me know what you think.

               Did you notice the difference in the leaf of the half I mean cross breed plant? Possibly you need to click on the photo to see the difference.

               Consider, if I have crossed the black berry with some marijuana, what would be the outcome! A couple black berries that allow you to relax and want to eat more black berries. We would name this new berry, “Black Mary Jo”! How much would you pay for a couple Black Mary Jo berries?

               How would we keep the birds from eating them, and what would be the effect if they do eat them? Birds, there are startup problems with all new products!

Cross breed or half breed, they will be delicious!

Don Ford  

Mother-in-law tongue 05.16.18

            In the photo below you will see what is known as, “Mother-in-law tongue”. Google it if you don’t believe me! These plants came with us from Missouri decades ago. Part of this old plant look as if they are growing properly while some parts look kind of bad. Click it or not, your choice.

 I have a question, why are they known as smart phones. Now I am not attempting to say they are not smart devices, after all, one can send and receive email, text messages, look up anything from the internet, watch TV on them, take photos and so on! My question is not why are they called smart, but why are they call phones? Who makes calls on the smart phone?

            Now that I have said that, I did see a senior citizen walking down our street yesterday talking on his smart phone. I called out to him saying, I didn’t know you could make calls on those things. Would you believe, he looked at me as if I was mentally unhinged?

Even though I may be somewhat unhinged, I would not believe that either, he actually laughed and waved to me.  

            In the above photo, did you see anything living on the mother in laws tongue? The following photo is a little closer and you may be able to see the lizard I have named Fred.    Click for a closer look at, “The Fred”! 

            The CEO here at the Ford Homestead has been continuing her project of painting, along with the forced labor of this senior person. Can you imagine being force to get on your hands and knees, and then painting the trim molding at carpet level? There are items still in the room and the amount of space for a body to crawl around in is nominal. If I could get The Alex to do this work, it would save my old body from much strain and pain.

            I was also told to order new door knobs for all the inside doors. These knobs have become ugly over the almost 4 decades of occupation here at The Ford Homestead. The installation of these door knobs should not be too difficult, but I will need to work on two of these doors in an effort to make them open and close more easily.

            I have learned to say, “Yes Mam”, and do what I am told to do! I learned a long time ago, listening, properly responding, will help me to continue being feed!

Look around and enjoy nature!

Don Ford

No concern for others 05.15.18

               The title is not about me. I thought I should clear that up before I went into this observation of unacceptable behavior.

               It was a warm humid morning in May, as we traveled in the Ford’s Chevy to the school. Gabi was her usual talkative self and I was as usual listening intently. All went well until we entered the student drop off area. We were behind a vehicle which was behind an SUV. The SUV was white and appeared to be almost new. I would estimate that one could purchase such a vehicle for 70K.

               I stopped our vehicle and observed a young man (5^th grader) exit the car in front of us. Gabi dismounted our vehicle and walked toward the door.

               At this time the female driver of the SUV, who apparently had no concern for other people who were dropping their kids off at school, dismounted the SUV and walked into the school!

               There were no vehicles behind me so I backed up a few feet, allowing the vehicle in front of me to back up and exit the drop off area, I followed.

               Why would a person park their vehicle in an area where others need to be able to drop off and drive through? There are many parking spaces just 50 feet away. This affluent female subject had no regard for others! She was obviously the north end of a south bound horse! Trashy people, well to do or poor, male or female, of any race are still just plane ole trash.

 

               Does it seem as if I observe and comment on a lot of negative actions during the morning drive?

 

Be considerate even if others aren’t, it will make you feel good!

 

Don Ford

Who cares 05.14.18

               Provocative title, wasn’t it? Well, I wanted to rant and rave about something that was on the so-called news this morning, but then I considered that I have possibly done that a little too much lately, and I do not want to leave you with the opinion that I was unhappy, upset, or a constant complainer.  

               I have decided to simply present the information as an observation of something that I see as a non-news item. It is possible that my opinions are tainted by the fact that I get up early and there is nothing else on the Boob Tube that I want to watch.

               Let us consider what the subject was, that caused me to begin my observations. This person stated that they have a list of the ten most popular names for new born. It quickly came to me that, “No one should care about a comment like that”. Why would someone who was going to be a parent need to know what the most popular names are before they can come up with a name for their child. If that soon to be new parent can’t decide for themselves what to name their child, how will they be able to make more important decisions after the child is born?

               Then I thought, some soon to be new parents might want to know what the most popular names are in an effort to not use those names, allowing their child to be different.

              

Be different, stand out, you will like it!

 

Don Ford

Now it begins 05.13.18

               Each year about this time it begins again. It is such a nice event that everyone seems happy. Even our new neighbors have commented that they would be willing to help. When I say new neighbors, I mean they are the newest to the neighborhood, as they have lived here about a year now. One year in attendance is new, when you consider the other neighbors have lived here for decades. For that one reader who has forgotten what they learned in grade school, or who never went to grade school, a decade is equal to 10 calendar years. My first wife and I have lived here for three and nine tenths decades, that’s 39 years in June. 

               I do have a couple photos, they are not the best quality as they were taken with the fords so-called smart phone. I would like to refer you to a previous posting dated 05.11.18 which may help you understand the change that has taken place. It seems amazing to me that this transformation can occur in such a short time.

               Today is Mother’s Day and yes I did get flowers for my present wife. Yes I did get her a nice card also. Although our youngest son and his family are in Fort Worth, TX visiting his wife’s family, we will go out to lunch with our oldest son and his wife. Hopefully we can get to the restaurant a little before the church crowd and get a good seat.

               Now let me get back to my original thought. As I was navigating the back 40 yesterday, I happened to walk by our main black berry patch. I was actually looking for dog poo, which is a job no one likes but everyone is happy that I do, as a large German Shepherd is capable of providing a foul order, which we and our neighbors do not like. I happened to look up from the ground and noticed there was three red berries on one of the vines.

               Yes I was happy to see this, and now we will need to observe the patch daily, as these berries ripen the birds have a tendency to want to help pick them. Evidently the birds know that the black berries have stickers, as they only pick at the easy to reach berries.

               Our new neighbor has offered to pick the berries. I feel reasonably sure that will not happen.

               Photos to follow, click to enhance your visual experience.

         

                               

May your day be filled with new beginnings!

Don Ford