Messing around 08/24/2019

            I have been working on two projects, one that my spouse of 5 decades wanted me to do, and one that I wanted to do.

            My first wife’s project was to bring the angel into the garage and remove all the lights. For your information, (I would have used the acronym FYI, but some students may not understand FYI) the angel is 7 foot tall and had I believe 800 lights on it. Each light was secured to the angel with a black wire tie, of which each had to be cut off, one at a time. That part of the grueling work is complete. We now need to paint the angel white, and apply new lights. This is the third time I have been allowed to light the angel.

            Instead of the white Christmas lights that we have used in the past, my first wife has purchased rope lights.          Lots of fun ahead!

            Then there is my project, a device to cut the grass around the sprinkler heads. As you should know, I had purchased a device to do that work, but it was short and I would need to bend over to cut the grass. I have now purchased and modified a new device. Photos to follow. 

             

Photo one is the unit after some modification. I needed to expand the opening to fit around the sprinkler. I also cut off a portion of the end making it even all the way around. 

Photo two we see the sprinkler head in front of the new device. 

Photo three, the device is around the head ready to cut the grass.

Now you see how exciting being retired can be.

              Wish you were retired? 

Always occupied with wonderfully stimulating projects; Don Ford

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Inventor extraordinaire 08/23/2019

            Being on a fixed income is not always good, or bad. I would enjoy being able to have some of the nice things that you guys, who are not on a fixed income, have. When one is on a fixed income they are allowed to dream and wish, but if they are to have, they must be inventive.      That is me, inventive!

            I do have a so-called smart phone, you know, one that they no longer make. I have wanted to be able to purchase a vinyl shock absorbing cover for this phone. I saw one on line that looked like wood grain. If only I had an extra $7.95, free shipping, I could have my dream cover.

            Being a dreamer, I decided to invent my own beautifully different cover. I should tell you, my phone has a clear vinyl shock resistant cover on it. I took a few moments to consider my situation. Suddenly, the clouds cleared, and I could see clearly. I know how to get the cover of my choice, while adhering to the strict fixed income code. I will make my own cover.

            The idea is simple enough that you could have thought of it! As the lead thinker here at the Ford Homestead, I decided to print a photo of something special. I would then cut the photo to the correct size to fit in the clear vinyl cover. I can have just about any one of a kind, personalized cover, that I want.

            My favorite granddaughter has a shirt that is aimed at me. The shirt states, “You’ve annoyed me”! It is true, I can be annoying to those around me, including grandees. I have a photo of her with the shirt on, and I will put this photo on the back of my cell phone.

                                   

Would you believe, this process is patent pending so don’t try to steal my invention. You are supposed to be looking at the cell phone with a photo of my granddaughter, not the dog laying in the floor near the dishwasher.

You are correct, I have learned to live on a fixed income!

Senior inventor and informer; Sir Don the Ford     

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Interesting 08/22/2019

            As I was meditating in the driveway of the Ford’s Homestead, or, I might have been walking home from the neighbor’s home, whatever I was doing, I saw something that caused me to take a photo.

                       

            This spectacular sight might have meant something if it was in the eastern sky. It was in the west so I assume, it may not have a biblical meaning.

Are you ready for what’s coming?

Senior person in charge of getting ready; Don Ford

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Wednesday 08/21/2019

            I took the Gabi to school this morning (second day of school) and the traffic was not nearly as bad as yesterday, possibly one half to two thirds less traffic. J

            After returning from delivering Gabi to the school I sat with my spouse of 50 years on the Ford’s swing. As we reminisced about the morning, I noticed that our cat Charlie was looking at some flowers, we call Four O’clocks, photo to follow.  Who knew cats like flowers!

                                               

            Changing the subject, the lower ice maker in the Ford’s ole fridge has not been working for I believe 4 weeks now. The repair person came today and took the old one out and put the new one in. It only took him a few minutes and he left. I came in here to type into my computer when I heard something sound as if an item fell, in the kitchen. I knew the cats were outside, so it could not be them. I decided to investigate. Arriving at the refrigerator I could hear the water running inside, I assumed it was filling the new ice maker. When the water stopped (it only runs for a few seconds) I opened the lower drawer, the ice maker had fallen it was not attached. Nice Job?

            I quickly called the fellow and he said, he would need to get some larger screws. He then said, that one of the screw holes was stripped out! I wonder, if he knew the one screw was stripped out, why he did not get the bigger screws the first time he was here.

            He came back fairly quick and inserted the new screws. That type work along with past problems is another reason I do not like his service.

Whatever you do, do it the best you can!

Senior person who does all his work the best he can, ^{most of the time}; Don Ford

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Oak trees and acorns 08/20/2019

            We have three red oak trees in the Homesteads front yard. These trees have acorns like crazy, yep I have raked them, swept them with a broom (the broom works good) and vacuumed them. It is a never ending process, starting this time of year through the time the leaves have fallen. Click on the photo below and see the groups of acorns on these small limbs.

                                              

            I have another photo (below) of limbs that I picked up from the front yard, and that was a lot of work for a senior person.

                                               

            Would you believe, we had a wind storm yesterday here in Hewitt and all these limbs were blown out of the trees here at the homestead? I had to pick each of these limbs up and carry them to the drive way. Once the yard was clear I then carried them out to the Ford’s ole trailer. I was hot and sweaty after the work was completed. Shower required!

            I have another photo taken Monday morning. This photo is taken from the roof of the Fords ole house. 

           An ole senior person was on our roof trimming the oak trees, some of the limbs were almost touching the roof and needed to be cut back. No, we did not have a wind storm, I said, “Would you believe”!

            There is no rest for the retired seniors on a fixed income!

            School starts on Tuesday here in Hewitt and we will be taking Gabi to school, and picking Gabi and Alex up each day. The bad part about this is the heat, as one waits in their vehicle at the school in the afternoon.

            I may have been wrong! The heat in the afternoon is bad but, my first wife and I drove Gabi to school today. We left the Homestead at 7:40am and we arrived back at the Homestead at 8:30am. It is about one mile from the Homestead to the Jr. High school. School starts at 8:10am and there were still hundreds of cars in line at that time. There is three grade schools and a High school within a mile of the Homestead. Does that say traffic jam? I also understand they have consolidated the Jr. High, which adds hundreds of students, to be in our way on the way to school.

            Another school situation, Alex in the 4^th grade did not want his mother to walk in with him. I guess he is becoming independent. That is tough on Mom!

First day of anything, can be challenging!

Senior problem solver; Don Ford

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Ventures 08/19/2019

            Saturday, the Ford family ventured out for a noon repast. The entire group was present and we all had a good meal, lots of enjoyable conversation. Prior to leaving the Homestead I ask Alex (youngest person in the group) where he would like to go. He replied, let’s go to the steak house. We went to the one that has a Horn in its name (I try to not advertise without pay).

            Although the food was good, the service was less than expected. The server did not seem to be interested in providing us with quick service. There was a variety of items ordered since there were eight of us eating. It took a while for the food to arrive and it basically came out for one person at a time. I estimate that it was close to five minutes from the time the first meal arrive and the last. My spouse of 5 decades received her food last. Most of us were eating, before she received her food. The food was good just not served as a group.

            After the meal, we had started for the Homestead when I decided to take a detour and drive over to a vehicle dealer, and view some of the cars. Ole senior retired people on a fixed income can look all they like, but can’t buy the nice items that the rest of humanity can. A photo to follow. 

                       

            We have thought about a convertible vehicle for some time. The idea was, after selling the bike we could have a convertible, and when you drive it with the top down, it would be somewhat like riding a bike. It would be nice, but being on a fixed income one can only dream!

            Our daughter-in-law took the time to show me how to use some of the features on Facebook. I have looked at the Facebook when someone would post something, but I have not been a person to post on Facebook. I don’t know that I will be posting but I can, if I feel the need.            

            Got to go, today is Sunday and we are heading out to brunch.

            We had brunch at the usual place and the service, if you can call it that, was less than desirable. My first wife and I sat at the table for close to 10 minutes without a server arriving. The manager was walking around and she ask if we had placed our drink order yet. We had not! She took the order and it was another 4 minutes before we received our drinks.

            Our server finally arrived and apologized saying he was new and just learning what to do. He took our order and my food arrived, it was good. I was taking a bite of my food when I started laughing. I looked at my present wife and she started laughing. She knew why I was laughing! She was the last to get her food yesterday, and it happened again today!

            I had drank my coffee and our server was nowhere to be seen. I stopped another server and asked him to ask our server to refill my coffee. I got a second cup of coffee, but it wasn’t from our server.

            I know the server is new, I left a tip, it was appropriate for the service provided.

                             

May your dreams come to fruition!

                        ^{(For that one person, Fruition, means, completion or finalization)}

Seniors on a fixed income, shouldn’t have dreams; Don Ford

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Nice quiet Birthday 08/15/2019

            Thanks to everyone who offered their condolences I mean congratulations for being a very old person. I appreciate the calls, cards, text messages, and face book posts. One friend brought a really good cake, and another friend brought me a Bloody Mary to enjoy as I sat on the Ford’s new rocker. I did get a free cold drink from the star coffee place. It was a nice and quiet birthday! J

If you did not read yesterday’s posting, (shame on you) then you should not read todays. Someone left an anonymous comment;

   ...I would have thought that it was the first anniversary of the young lad's birth...

        This person’s comment is correct, it was the anniversary of the lad’s day of        birth. But the point was that the reporter said, “Congratulations on your first        birthday”. The lads first birthday was the day he popped out of his mother.

Not much going on here at the Ford homestead today, I do need to go get a LP gas tank filled. Maybe I will get a nice day of rest, aka good nap!

May your birth anniversary be as good as mine was!

Senior very old person; Don Ford

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Birthday explained 08/14/2019

            Before you comment allow me to comment. Today is my birthday but that is not the subject of this soon to be well written article.

            This morning as with most mornings I sat on the Ford’s ole recliner with a cup of fake coffee. As I sipped the fake coffee, wishing I had a cup of real coffee, the person on the so-called local news was announcing birthdays. One of the photos was of a little person who was one year old. The reporter said, “Congratulations on your first birthday”. This reporter was either ill-educated, or he was just reading something that was written by some stupid person. If a reporter was using their brain, they could have looked at the photo of the little boy and known, it was not his first birthday.

            Different subject;

            Yesterday, my spouse of 50 years talked me into going to one of those big box stores to purchase her a new BBQ grill. (Do you know that the word for BBQ is, “Barbecue”? When was the last time you saw that word?) When we arrived at the store we learned that the grill she wanted was 50 dollars off, and my wife had a $10 coupon. We bought a grill.

            The grill was placed on a cart and pushed to where we were. We then pushed it to the check out. After paying we headed to the Ford’s ole pickup. The grill was in a large carton and it was heavy. Do you think anyone offered to help this ole senior man get the carton off the cart, and into the bed of the truck? No one offered, but I did get it loaded.

            Arriving at home I went to work assembling the grill. The instructions were perfect, they did not have words, just accurate drawings of step by step information on how to assemble the unit. My kind of instructions!

My first wife had to cook on the new grill last evening, just to verify that it worked.    It did!

            What? You say my first comment was not clear. All you need to do is think about what the news guy said. Ok, I don’t know why I even try, but I will explain.

            The kid was one year old today. (Birthdays are anniversaries of the day a person was born.) The news guy said, “Congratulations on your first birthday”. If a person is one year old, it is their second anniversary of their birthday! The first birthday was when they were born, the second anniversary of their birthday is when the have lived for one year.

 

Come on, even I understand that!

 

Senior person of understanding. Don Ford

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