Enter At Your Own Risk

Finished raking and bagging the back "garden" area. Am considering crossing over the creek to the woods and maybe doing some work back there? Will see how I feel tomorrow. It's supposed to rain next week (fingers crossed!) and that would make this spring clean up more difficult. Either that or just do nothing and let it go natural.

OR...I could paint those baseboards that have been procrastinated about for weeks now. Maybe I'll just clean house instead. Pfft.
 
Yesterday was a strange day. About two years ago, I had a falling out with a friend. We had not spoken since. She called me yesterday, told me she had been fired from her job in health care (along with a co-worker) because doctors had complained that she was "too old". This supposedly occurred about the time of the falling out when she was 68. She had purchased a small RV trailer (rPod), recently found a place to park it with full hookups on private land for $850/month! and this weekend is moving into it. The rent on her current place had been raised from $800/month to $1300/month. She has no retirement plan and is living on Social Security only.

I know this person is not always truthful so I don't know if the details of what she told me are true. I think she is looking for someone to help her move; I can't do that anymore.

This is what is happening to so many people. Even though I believe many of her life-long hardships are due to poor decisions, I do feel for her. I tried helping her when we were still friends but she just kept making the same poor decisions which was the main reason for our falling out.

I will be careful not to be sucked back into the drama.
 
Yesterday, my contractor guy came over and finished putting up the fascia covers. He is fitting this work in between other things he is doing. This young man is truly amazing. In the last month, he has built a swing out of logs (the second one he has made). Very mountain home style. He also built a chicken house. He advertises them on FB Marketplace and sells them. Every time, he asks if he can place them by the road in front of my property (he lives next door) with a "for sale" sign and I always say "yes". It isn't in the way.

When he was finished with the fascia covers, he came in, I paid him and we sat and visited for about an hour. Talked about different things, yes, politics, building codes, his family (very important to him). He is sooo very nice! Over the two plus years that he has done work on this house, we have become friends. He still needs to come add two attic vents, maybe today? Not urgent. It will get done. But if more people were like him, the world would be a much better place.

The things that needed to happen to get me in this place all kind of fit together in a strange puzzle. Sometimes I believe that some higher power must have guided it. Some events were so miniscule in the scheme of things but looking back, I see that had I done something differently then, I wouldn't be here today. This puzzle is far from finished and I wonder where it leads. Will something I do or say today change where life will lead some years from now? Will it make a difference in someone else's life? IDK but it can be a bit scary thinking about it.

Onward through the fog!
 
I don't know where the good Lord is taking us but I'm glad he nudged me to pop into your thread one day. I understand what you mean about the more miniscule things. I often wonder what would've become of me had I not had the courage to move when God told me to.

Hope you have a lovely day.
 
GoodEnuff said:
... The things that needed to happen to get me in this place all kind of fit together in a strange puzzle. Sometimes I believe that some higher power must have guided it. Some events were so miniscule in the scheme of things but looking back, I see that had I done something differently then, I wouldn't be here today. This puzzle is far from finished and I wonder where it leads. Will something I do or say today change where life will lead some years from now? Will it make a difference in someone else's life? IDK but it can be a bit scary thinking about it. ...
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:) The Butterfly Effect
 
With all of the reno's going on these past months, I have been slack in my housekeeping chores. So...yesterday, I hit it hard. Now the place looks sooo much better! Still have some details to do, like dusting the blinds, but that'll be easy comparably.

No outside work done yesterday. Maybe today on those attic vents. Found a couple of recipes I want to try but need to go to grocery store for ingredients. If not today, tomorrow.

Doggie has just dropped her little ball at my feet so later.
 
Attic vents were installed yesterday so that project is now completely finished. I was planning on having some window work done but that will have to wait a while (six months?). I would like to have the fence replaced but it is okay for now, the dogs are safe and that is what's important. The next couple of months will include getting the car in for that oil leak, the homeowner's insurance comes due in May, car insurance is due in June and both dogs are overdue for their annual vet visit (which will be Monday) so no spending on house/property for now. It's a relief.

Now what to do? Hmmmm....I think today I will go out and do some work on the small front garden, which I am trying to make pretty. Some weeds are coming up so I think today I will get out there and clear those weeds (or whatever they are) out. Not a big deal. But I have never been much of a gardener so anything I do is always "iffy".

Last fall, I planted a bunch of lambs ears along one wall and those are looking really good. I also planted some lilies in a nearby area and they too are doing well. Both were transplanted from other areas of the property so I know they will grow here. The lilacs are leafing out and budding their blooms, the forsythia on the back property is in full bloom and is gorgeous; it can be seen from the house if one knows which direction to look. It's like a neon beacon. I wonder if it can be relocated to the front area without killing it? The quince bush is also bloomed and is gorgeous. It needs to be pruned back but not until the blooms are gone. So far so good.

I am itching to plant the clover seeds as a ground cover but that would be asking for trouble; certainly there will be more cold weather and snow? I keep telling myself "Don't Do It Yet!" But it is sooo tempting!
 
On my way home from a trip to town yesterday, I stopped and picked up a Subway sandwich. Haven't had food away from home for four or more years and it was soooo yummy! I may do that again soon.

Won't go into the details but there are certain things going on behind the political scenes in this state that seriously have me thinking about moving. In addition to that, my brother neighbor gave me a very nasty time yesterday and that encourages the moving idea. I refuse to put up with that kind of behavior. Spent most of the day and evening on line looking around for another place. It's rather discouraging for now.

Perhaps I should actually take a vacation away from here. Need to get the car repaired first, though. Who wants to fly these days and there are the two dogs to consider. I have two crates secured to the deck in the mini van to keep them as safe as possible while traveling. We have several appointments over the next few weeks so maybe at the beginning of May, we can take off from here. It's been a very long time since we took a road trip but I need to get away from here for a while.
 
GoodEnuff said:
On my way home from a trip to town yesterday, I stopped and picked up a Subway sandwich. Haven't had food away from home for four or more years and it was soooo yummy! I may do that again soon.

Won't go into the details but there are certain things going on behind the political scenes in this state that seriously have me thinking about moving. In addition to that, my brother neighbor gave me a very nasty time yesterday and that encourages the moving idea. I refuse to put up with that kind of behavior. Spent most of the day and evening on line looking around for another place. It's rather discouraging for now.

Perhaps I should actually take a vacation away from here. Need to get the car repaired first, though. Who wants to fly these days and there are the two dogs to consider. I have two crates secured to the deck in the mini van to keep them as safe as possible while traveling. We have several appointments over the next few weeks so maybe at the beginning of May, we can take off from here. It's been a very long time since we took a road trip but I need to get away from here for a while.
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😟 I remember you described not too long ago a confrontation with your brother. I'm sorry! I wish we could help.
 
gruntlabor said:
😟 I remember you described not too long ago a confrontation with your brother. I'm sorry! I wish we could help.
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Yes, and there was another one yesterday morning. As a result, I have resigned my position as Secretary to a non-profit, of which he is the second of three members. It's complicated but it is the Secretary position that does all of the work. The other two don't do anything. However, he has criticized everything I do (which is done strictly according to state laws) and becomes very ugly when he realizes I an right and he is wrong. He wants to undo something that I have done. This morning, he called me and wanted the contact info of the service person I had retained, according to strict codes. I gave it to him and ended the call with, "I quit," and hung up.

Late this afternoon, the third member (also the President) called and came over to very gently discuss this. I gave him the typed/signed letter of resignation. He said he and brother want to set up a meeting to discuss a way to do things. I very nicely told him they could have all the meetings they want but I would not attend. I also told him I am looking around for another home and may have this place on the market to sell in the next few months.

My resignation puts them in a tight spot since neither one of them knows how to use a computer nor the internet and it involves reports to the Secretary of State and other municipal entities. They will be lost for a while but honestly, I don't care. This is the end of a long stream of abusive behavior towards me by this brother. Everybody knows what he is like and they all tip toe around him, which I will no longer do. Done.

I need to take time to get my head straight before making any definite moves. So a trip, maybe to visit my daughter and g'kids is in order. 1100 miles to drive one way. It'll give me time to chill.
 
It's been a little difficult today. Anger has been reduced to sadness. This, too, shall pass.

Meanwhile, if/when I go visit my daughter and g'kids, I may fly (UGH!). Estimating costs: driving will be more expensive with the cost of gas (petrol to you Brits), at least two nights in hotels, meals, and four days of driving. Not to mention I wonder if my car will make it. I can get one of the neighbor girls to take care of the dogs at my house. Thinking about it.
 
GoodEnuff said:
It's been a little difficult today. Anger has been reduced to sadness. This, too, shall pass.

Meanwhile, if/when I go visit my daughter and g'kids, I may fly (UGH!). Estimating costs: driving will be more expensive with the cost of gas (petrol to you Brits), at least two nights in hotels, meals, and four days of driving. Not to mention I wonder if my car will make it. I can get one of the neighbor girls to take care of the dogs at my house. Thinking about it.
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LOL... I know you're not thinking straight currently,... but believe me when i tell you Brits know what Americans mean when they say GAS :sneaky:
 
GoodEnuff said:
It's been a little difficult today. Anger has been reduced to sadness. This, too, shall pass.

Meanwhile, if/when I go visit my daughter and g'kids, I may fly (UGH!). Estimating costs: driving will be more expensive with the cost of gas (petrol to you Brits), at least two nights in hotels, meals, and four days of driving. Not to mention I wonder if my car will make it. I can get one of the neighbor girls to take care of the dogs at my house. Thinking about it.
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sounds like you REALLY need a few days break away..I think it will do you a power of good.

You can't stop thinking about trees when you're in the middle of the woods !
 
Yesterday, I tried to help the person who is moving into her new-to-her camping trailer. What a mess, much worse than I expected. The trailer she bought is an obvious POS. My knowledge base isn't broad enough to help her with certain things (like the solar system). We dare not connect the water because it has been well below freezing the last few nights. At least I was able to get the furnace running, showed her how to do it, had her do it herself while I was there. She called me later in the evening because she couldn't get it turned back on. It was a user error; I talked her through it. Hopefully, she made it through the night okay.

She does not know the simplest things and makes little effort to learn them. Her new place had no heat, still has no water, and the sewer system is a hot mess. Yet when I arrived, rather than showing me what needed to be done with the trailer, she talked about the garden and the property and wanted to show me all of that. I told her, "Let's see all of that later and get your trailer set up." While I worked, she wandered around like a lost soul. Rather than finding solutions to her immediate housing problems, she was more concerned about the garden and going to a birthday party. ADHD??

As much as I want to help her, I know how she is. It frustrates me to no end. There is only so much I can do and with that trailer, she is in for a very hard time. I thought about having her stay with me until she gets it all together but I know her decision-making is bad and she will not do what needs to be done. I am already frustrated. Where do I draw the line to help another human being?
 
GoodEnuff said:
... As much as I want to help her, I know how she is. It frustrates me to no end. There is only so much I can do and with that trailer, she is in for a very hard time. I thought about having her stay with me until she gets it all together but I know her decision-making is bad and she will not do what needs to be done. I am already frustrated. Where do I draw the line to help another human being?
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You are a true and faithful friend, GoodEnuff. I Don't know her age, but any normal IQ is not kicking in, poor thing. She needs more help than you can give. Should you advise her to seek help from a church or charity or the authorities, do you think??
 
gruntlabor said:
You are a true and faithful friend, GoodEnuff. I Don't know her age, but any normal IQ is not kicking in, poor thing. She needs more help than you can give. Should you advise her to seek help from a church or charity or the authorities, do you think??
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I am unfamiliar with charities/churches/etc., and probably she isn't, either.

I asked her this morning, "What can I do to help you?" She said she had a "few things" to get packed. I told her I couldn't lift much but I could certainly help her pack. Okay. Set up a time to meet. As I was leaving, she called and said she hadn't eaten in two days and could we meet at a local restaurant for breakfast? Okay. I could be gone from home for only four hours because of my dogs. After some discussion, I said yes to that. An hour wasted but even though I had only coffee, I did pick up the check. Least I could do.

We went to her place, she arrived first. When I walked in the door, I was absolutely overwhelmed with how much is still there to be packed and moved. Piles of boxes and miscellaneous things everywhere. I was literally stunned. Nothing was sorted so I couldn't pack much because I didn't know what was to be kept, etc. We ended up taking about six boxes to the storage unit. That was all.

I gave up after that and came home. I feel badly that it is just too much for us and I wasn't much help. I had given her the name of a moving company that I had used and when I asked her if she had called them, she said she "couldn't remember". Which tells me she didn't call. I also told her where she could get more boxes but today is Easter and everything is closed. There really isn't much I can do with the way things are right now.

So much needs to be sorted (I dare not do that) and packed before a mover can do anything. And now, the storage unit is almost full and there is no place to put things other than outside on the ground at the site where her trailer is parked. She has no water hooked up to her trailer, no sewer either due to freezing temps for the next month, at least! I pray God sends her help.
 
@gruntlabor At your suggestion, I found online that local churches have a volunteer group that helps low income people. I gave the contact info to her. Thank you for that idea! I don't know if she will call or not. I also encouraged her to apply for low income housing before next winter. I am afraid that by then, her situation will be much worse. Winters here are very harsh and her little trailer is definitely not made for that, few are. I asked her if she planned on going back into a sticks-n-bricks down the road and she said she didn't know.

The back story to this is sooo much more than I will write here and I can't trust what I have been told. She is not a bad person but I know this can put me in a very difficult position in the future. Now I know why she contacted me after two years of nothing. Her family is obviously giving up on her, too.

And then there are her very cool dog and kittie.

Today, my doggies have a vet appointment for their annual vac's. I will concentrate on that and other things I need to do here to keep my own life on an even keel. Seeing this has made me realize, too, that moving because I don't like my neighbor brother may not be such a great idea. Doing so may be a fall into a black hole from which there will be no climbing out. This may be a light bulb moment.
 
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