Coffee and...Part 19! :-D

I got so tired of listening to my complaints before I divorced him, that it was what spurred me into action. After supporting him for ten+ years he had the nerve to ask for "maintenance", claiming he had acted in the role of "house husband". When his atty approached me at the final hearing with this bit of news, I napalmed him with the list of all the things the worthless creature didn't do; cook, clean, laundry, painting, decorating, gardening, shopping, etc ad nauseum, and told him that if he persisted, I would drop the divorce action, quit my job, leave town with no forwarding address and .....Oh, and in the process I also grabbed the guy by the front of his shirt and recited the above with my nose about 2 inches from his.

Not my usual methods of resolving a dispute, but I lost it, big time. He wasn't satisfied with getting half of the proceeds of selling the house that I bought, and paid for.....but in the end, that's what he got. .I'm only sorry he died a couple years ago, because he drank up the proceeds, and was living in a dump........You might find it takes more than a year because things pop into your head from time to time that bring up all the old baggage. However, the thought that you are now free and surviving nicely, soon makes the old stuff fade away.

Still no rain, but I thank you Julie for your generous offer. I was out for a bit this morning , pulling stray weeds and such, but it's getting reallly hot again so I came back into the AC.
Still being promised rain. DH is washing his truck. I told him to wash his commuter car and mine too to make sure we'd get at least a sprinkle. Our neighbors are having a graduation party for their daughter, and have rented a huge tent, so if we get rain, it will probably happen then.

Nice job of raising your daughter, Hap.....I'll not see the day when my kids do my laundry, being that I made them start doing their own when they got to high school, thus putting me in the running for Meanest Mother in the Entire Universe. LOL Not that I didn't have plenty of time, what with a live-in mother in law who didn't lift a finger, and two or three foster kids (mostly ex's nieces or nephews who got thrown out of their homes for delinquency)....) I was just mean! Poor kids. They kind of laugh about it now, having kids of their own and jobs, and the realization of just how much I did do.... It's nice when they are grown up and get new perspectives.


Kooger, that little thingy in Samantha's throat is the punching bag...didn't you ever watch Popeye cartoons????? LOLOL

Gonna go outside for a minute and call on my grandma's Chippewa heritage with a little rain dance....I'm desperate.

Robert...your wife is one 'lucky' lady...but I'm sure she knows that already. And as for 'male-menopause' ....uhhhh...in my case, I don't think so. LOL My DH is just one of those people who lives entirely in his own world. He's not one that shows much emotion (unless there's children involved or a big ole hunting dog ;-)). And, in his defense, I have to add that the "other" reason he gave me for taking 3 hours to get home after my urgent call about my father's demise, was that he couldn't stand the thought of seeing me 'hurting'. (That *is* the truth...but I still *needed* him there to hold my hand. :-| )

You know...there's no way that a marriage (anyone's) can last for 30 or 40 years unless there's a good portion of 'give and take' on *both sides*. After all my DH *did* survive my 'change of life.' LOL (And *that*, in itself, is a miracle! :-D)

M5...I'm still LOL'ing about how you handled that attorney. :-D That's something I'd love to have seen. (How DARE that 'ex' go and die before realizing what a gem he had in you! ;-))

~julie~

Oooops! Forgot to say..."COOL doggie door" Robert!

~julie~

Hi, Folks. This message is coming from One Very Tired Woman who helped schlepp over 70 boxes of books out of storage (while moving half the contents of the storage unit) and home today. Man, AM I EVER glad I disposed of over 2,000 before I left Asheville last year!

Here's part of the pile, plus one bookcase. We didn't have room for more bookcases and I already had two more here anyway (which is not enough, but works for now). I doubt I will get ALL these unpacked anytime soon.

M5, I sell mostly on Amazon. Inexpensive stuff goes on Half.com, and the real collector's items go on ebaY. Gonna be a real pain to unpack, sort, and then the tedium of listing ISBN#'s, edition, condition, etc. At least for Amaz. and 1/2, I don't have to also take photos.

Rob't, what kind of dog is Tinker? I had 4 cat doors in my Asheville house. One in the back door, one in the door to the basement, one in a basement window, and one into the Summer Pavillion. Finally had to keep the pet doors in the house locked to keep the strays out. So, I hung a bell off the doorknob and taught the cats to ring it to be let out. My cat still rings the bell here!

Ah Darius,.....the reverse door bell........what an idea......

But the real miracle is............how in this world did you ever train cats to do ANYTHING???? You are something.... I always thought cats as untrainable...Really untrainable.....

That's quite a pile of books...do you have to sort All of them? I how sneak books into the house for I think my DH is about really to have me committed. Wait tll he sees me going from cooking books back to gardening books....LOL Most of the gardening stuff I left up north...I don't regret for the books were for the northern gardens...Now I have to start my collection for zone 10.....yippee...

Rest now, you deserve it....

Hap

Wow Darius that is a stack and a half of books!! Bet you reread them all before you sell too.
Sarv I sympathise. That migraine thing can be the pits. I suffered for years - I think it was hormone related, cos it started when I was pregnant with no 1. They stopped after I 'lost' my ovaries 10 tears ago too. I have only had one since. They had food triggers though - chocolate was the worst, red wine and rosee if it has much colour in it, cheese is a fairly common one too. I was taking evening primrose oil for meopausal things and that set them off too, doc said it was another fairly common trigger. The other thing is dehydration - even if you don't feel thirsty, if the body needs water, it causes head aches. Its been hot and sweaty everywhere lately so that could be what set this one off for you.
Robert you do sound like an all round good egg! If I wasn't rather fond of DH, had him around for 40 years now, I might just be after you!!
After 40 years you kind of get used to the idiosynchrasies - I'm certainly not perfect either.
If you want to let off steam though this is the place to do it - we all have our moments with friends and family and need to 'blow' somewhere. Its nice to know you aren't the only one with a problem or two.
Off back to the pool its 98 here and that is too warm for working.
Carol

IT'S HOTTTTTT.....whine whine. DH finally turned on the AC - we didn't use it at all last year, but this weather is too much even for a hotty like me!!.

Man Darius - that is one load of books!! My old aunt gives me all the ones she buys (4-5 a week!!) She is really into mysteries - wish she would branch out!! I also visit my local library. I can lose myself in there for a whole day!! I never buy any books except gardening and cookbooks.

Garden tour was wonderfullllll. Visited 16 gardens in an old historic part of town. I spent as much time peeking in windows as looking at the gardens. Only one was really drop dead gorgeous. Most of the houses are inhabited by yuppies. Several of the gardens had the 'new' look - small plants etc. I can automatically tell if I love it or 'so so it' - why can't I put those views to work in my own garden. I tend to plop things here or there, with no plan - colors clash etc.

Migraine is gone- popped two excedrin and drank a diet coke. I really need to get back off of them( cokes) - with all this hot weather, I am downing several a day. Plus OD'ing on oreos...not a good combo.

Speaking of cats- ours can open the screen slider to get out, but cannot open it to get back in. He has scratched so many tiny holes in it, that one day it is gonna be just one big rip!!

Thought several times about leaving my DH, but how could I explain it to my mom- she loves DH and is always singing his praises. I never tell her what a 'turd' he is sometimes- she doesn't need to hear me whine. I'm not the easiest thing to live with either= I want things MY way (I am never wrong LOL) Been thinking about divorcing the MIL tho.... Stopped by to see her and she was dividing up pictures amongst the 9 kids. DH pile had only 3 pics, while the rest had two dozen. I didn't say a word - just thought nasty thoughts. She's a real piece....

BACK OFF GIRLS -Robert is MINE!!!! (when he's free that is)

Time to move the sprinkler....

Darius, you sure do have a lot of books! They are one of my passions too, even though space is also a problem. Have you seen the array available from Alibris.com ? They have a great selection. Tinker is a Sheltie, AKA Shetland Sheepdog. Small intelligent breed from the Shetland Islands where they were originally bred to herd sheep.

What a sweet looking dog....Tinker looks as thou smiling....yes?

What a sweet-looking dog, Robert. Thank you SO much for sharing her picture with us!

I used to post on Alibris, although not since they have grown. I have bought a few collectibles for myself off their offerings.

Hap. I NEVER thought I could teach a cat anything (and still don't), yet have managed to teach 2 cats to ring the bell to go outside. At first, I would find the cats by the door, staring as if the stare could open the door. I'd ring the bell as I opened the door. Over and over. Soon, they almost seemed to "get it" but I think it was really the first time they "rang the bell" and I opened the door that they really got the trick.

Amazing....

Darius...I used to have about three times the number of book boxes you have in that picture. I had books from day one of being married...after about 20-25 years of marriage and 15 moves, DH boxed them up one more time and took them to the dump or library...which ever was closest. LOL But we still had/have (and added to!) about the same amount since that time. Everything from Needlework/art/crafts/gardening for me to Military history/Mother Earth How to's/and gunsmithing for DH...obviously our interests run the gamet. (Oh...and our cat answers to the 'doggie' whistle. :-D Not *my* idea...but it does help keep her part of the family. LOL)

Robert...Tinker is a cutie! (Is she a 'talker'? ;-))

Carol? You *lost* your ovaries??? I certainly hope you aren't still looking for them! LOL

Sarv...glad to hear that headache eased off. DH used to get them but has managed to side step the really bad ones for years now.

Is time for a new session? It's getting a little slow to load for me.

~julie~

Ohh it's really hard to stay mad at someone who changes your oil and takes you out for breakfast and digs holes where ever you want them. I'm over the snit. (Didn't say I was going to forget the cause)

The horsetail wars are continuing. The first dose of killer chemicals didn't do much so they got another spray today. I swear the stuff smells like kerosene. Told DH if it doesn't work this time, I'm ready to set it on fire, woodchips and all. He grinned and said "Go for it". Where's my lighter???

Cats are trainable. They just need the right motivation....! My first sealpoint, Oskar Peterson (long gone over the Rainbow bridge) was very handy with his paws. He could open doors by turning the doorknob, jiggle open dresser drawers, cabinets, turn on faucets, and hunt down chocolate which he obsessed over but wasn't allowed to have. We were telling friends how clever he was,and they were saying it just wasn't possible for a cat to turn a door knob...when he decided to come in from the front porch, turned the door knob, sauntered into the room, sat down and looked at them as though to say, "See?" Talk about timing!! We still laugh about it. He never did learn to shut the door after himself though.

Nice doggie door for Tinker. I love Shelties, they are so smart and beautiful. Is the arbor done, Robert? We need a picture of the finished project. I loved the blue stain, and it will look wonderful with whatever kind of greenery you use with it. Your wife would blush to see all the nice things you say about her here, but I'll bet you tell her those nice things often. You've struck a harmonious balance...good job!!

That reminds me I need to call my oldest daughter, she babysat for her sister Thursday night, and I'm sure the hellions were disappointed that she didnt' take them back to her house. She said no way was she putting them near the new pups, after they tore up the house the last time she took them. I don't think she believed me when I told her how they behaved here until she saw it for herself. Younger daughter knows better than to ask me.

What a pile of boxes,and all full of books!!! Are you sure you aren't related to the Colliers? After filling seven book cases and storing too many boxes, I decided I couldn't keep so many, so now I only keep the ones that are valuable (to me) and sell the overflow on halfcom. I didn't know private sellers could sell on Amazon, have to check that out.

Red wine gives me a headache too, Sarv, but not a migraine. Now if you follow all our good advice, maybe you can avoid the future ones....!! The garden tour sounded interesting. I'd like to do one, but long walks would be harder on me than the heat. My DGS is just getting interested in gardening, and he's being very good about following instructions. Some new gardeners think they can just put stuff in the ground and walk away. Some old gardeners like us, (I'm definitely a Plopper) know how much ongoing and continuous care is required, as plants mature, new species follow us home, and we can't keep our hands out of the dirt.

Yesterday I went to a movie in the afternoon, and the temp here was 95*. Someone parked next to me with piles of shopping bags and a large potted ficus in their car. They weren't there when I parked, but when I came out, I saw what the heat had done to the plant, it looked like someone had dehydrated it in an oven. I can't imagine what the temperature in that car was, parked in the hot sun.

I'm going out to get Chinese food for dinner. Lots of it. Then there'll be leftovers.

M5...I'll take an egg roll and some Beef and Peppers please. Yummy! (Ohhhh that poor plant! Just imagine what would have happened to a child!)

Ok guys...here's the link to #20
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/523849/
It WORKS this time! LOL

~julie~

Are you sure?