Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,



We had another beautiful day in the Berkshires on Friday. The cold mornings, and the day warming up to the high 50’s continues today. We might even hit 60 degrees before this day is over.

While we are enjoying this great weather in the Northeast, Danielle’s parents, who live in Minnesota, are in a winter storm watch. A good portion of Minnesota will get several inches of snow. I am not sure what is going to happen in the Northeast as the precipitation moves from west to east. Our temperatures should be high enough that we will be getting rain next week, and not snow.



We finally took out the air conditioners in the last two bedrooms. You might think that this is such an easy task. Not! Visualize both closets, where I store the air conditioners, full of plastic buckets of clothes, shoes, pocket books, etc. I helped Linda as she sorted through every bucket. There were many clothing items which we are taking to “Goodwill” or to the “Salvation Army” drop off points next week. The sorting and thinning out of all the stuff in the closets isn’t even done yet, but the two air conditioners are now put away. I was so exhausted by 2 PM that I needed a nap. Linda was exhausted too, but even a hot shower didn’t make her aches and pains go away.



We went to the Shamrock with another couple for supper last evening. We were home by 8 PM. I put on my sleep wear, and headed into my “Man Cave” with all intentions of reading a book, and watching television with the volume turned down low. I proceeded to fall asleep.



Social Calendar – Linda is leaving the house today at 8:45 AM. She is picking up a friend, and they are going to go to as many Crafts Fairs as they can make it to. The biggest one takes place in Pittsfield, but there a smaller ones in many of the surrounding Berkshire towns. Linda will most likely come home exhausted, but the exhaustion will be from doing things that she likes to do. Cleaning out closets is not one of those fun activities.

I am going to take a friend to and from a doctor’s appointment, but I will be running some errands in between me assisting my friend.



The feathered and furry creatures must know that the winter is coming because they have been devouring my sunflower seed in the four bird feeders that I have in strategic locations throughout the back yard.

I have a coupon for Tractor Supply, which I can use when I purchase my seed. If I spend $25 or more, I have a ten dollar off coupon. I need to purchase some suction cup bird feeders because the ones which I have are getting very tired. Some of them have turned yellow and are cracked. They are supposed to be clear so that I can see the birds which are at the birdfeeder. Not!



I think that I am the only one engaged on Sunday. UNICO is preparing a noontime pasta dinner at the Masonic Temple in Pittsfield. We are preparing food for a noontime Special Olympics Dinner Dance. The special needs people really appreciate our efforts. The two female organizers use to prepare all the food by themselves as well as setting up for the awards, securing a D.J., setting up a dessert table, etc. They asked UNICO if they could help them out a few years ago, and we have been doing the food preparation every since. We don’t have to purchase any food because they two organizers go out and get donations from the community. Our commitment goes from about 9:30 AM to a little after 2 PM. The Masonic Lodge lets us use all their pots and pans and dishes, but we are required to clean all the utensils and the kitchen before we leave.



Sports – My Patriots play at 8:30 PM on Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Most people are thinking that the Steelers are going to beat the Patriots because the Patriots looked so awful last weekend. I am hoping that last week’s loss was just an aberration. If I am going to be able to stay up and watch the game, I will need an afternoon nap for sure.



How about the Winning Power Ball ticket being purchased at a Porn Shop in Michigan? The winning ticket was worth 128.6 million dollars. Many times when a winning ticket is purchased at a particular store, people go to that store to purchase future lottery tickets believing that the store is a lucky one. This Porn Shop owner could be very busy this weekend.



A friend of ours was telling Linda how they have been dealing with her aging parents. Her 86 year old mother and father lived in a small ranch, but they weren’t taking care of themselves that well. They couldn’t get their garbage cans out to the street. They weren’t eating well. They weren’t taking care of their house. They couldn’t take care of their property. Our friend and her husband decided that it was time to make a move. They got the parents into an assisted living place in the Berkshires. They took them to the assisted living place with her parents’ sort of kicking and dragging their feet. The parents were resisting the move.

Well, the other day their daughter calls them to ask how things are going. The mother answers the telephone and says that she can’t talk too long because it was time for another activity scheduled at the assisted living place. The daughter told her parents that they would clean up her parents’ ranch, and do some interior painting if her parents decide to return home. Well, the clean up of the ranch is for getting the parents’ home ready to be sold.



The above story is exactly what my father needs. He needs to be out of his own home which he thinks that he can manage. He needs to be in a setting where he can interact with people. The other day, he told me that he feels like a widower. On Christmas Day, it will be two full years that my mother has not been home, and my father has been coming home to an empty house. Maybe it is time for my sister and me to get my father out of his house. I hate to have my father sell his house to pay for the assisted living, but he is really struggling mentally besides the fact that his legs can just about hold him up.



Observation – I went to our Resource Recovery plant the other day to drop off some grass clippings. It is called a Resource Recovery plant because they burn the garbage from surrounding communities, and sell the energy produced from the burning of the garbage. After disposing of the clippings in a particular bin, the attendant gives me a paper saying that they are having a food drive. This coming Monday, if you drop of a bag of non perishable food items, the workers will provide either breakfast or lunch at the Resource Recovery Plant. Do you think that eating food at a place where garbage is taken to is a good idea? It is good to see that the workers want to do something good for the community, but serving food might not be the best idea for the reward of donating food. Maybe they could give us Pittsfield Residents a certificate for dropping off an item which they charge us a fee for. I might go just to drop off something, and get a free breakfast on Monday.



Well, I have to finish my morning routine, and make sure that Linda get up for her adventure today.

I did straighten out two shelves in the garage on Friday.

I still have my work bench to attack this morning after Linda leaves the house.



Have a great weekend!

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad