Rambling On....Post Views...30,967

    This past week has been one of rain, rain, rain.  It is a good time to have a sit, snuggle in a blanket, fix a cup of tea (Yorkshire Gold my choice) and read this post as Gram G rambles on about everyday affairs. 
"Just a strummin in the rain...." (from Face Book)
    Friday I went out looking for a particular credit union not too far from my home.  I had deposited $25 with them shortly after arriving here, probably 4 years ago.  I never got back to continue banking with them.  Recently I decided to do business with them. How was I suppose to know that after a certain time with no "account activity" the account is closed and the money goes to Washington State's unclaimed monies department?  The kind lady said I might be able to reclaim the money by contacting the department.  I will if I don't forget.   
     Saturday was cloudy, but no rain.  After water aerobics, stretches and breakfast I headed to a few stores.  At one corner I caught a lovely view of Mt. Hood.  Our church was having a pot luck lunch after service on Sunday.  What to make?  It took me all week and a trip to Freddy's to decide on sausage, cheese and already made potato salad. 

I stopped at the local Dollar Tree store to look for new Sudoku books.  I like them but not enough to pay $5 a collection.   I was disappointed when there were all kinds of puzzle books but no Sudoku.  But then I saw this one lonely hard covered Hard Sudoku book.  Now if that doesn't make your heart sing, I don't know what will!  No need to skip over easy ones, medium ones and on to the more challenging ones!  They ALL(100) are "Demanding" or "Beware! Very Challenging".  Yeah! And $1.  Finding 50 cent greeting cards made for a perfect shopping trip.   
         My furnace has been making a whistling sound the past few weeks.  Saturday evening there was a loud, low pitched moan.  I thought it was time to look at the filters.  Sure enough, they were coated 3 times over.  Sunday I went back to Freddy's to get filters. Changed them when I got home.  Mr. Furnace is purring like a contented cat. Poor thing was probably suffocating.  The filters weren't past due date for changing, but I think with the damp, chilly weather and closed in house they absorbed a bunch of dust. I am thinking perhaps the dryer exhaust might need a cleaning when the weather outside is amiable.  

    Last week I signed up for "Metro Mile" car insurance.  It is designed for folks who drive less than 200 miles a week.  In the fall my current insurance jacked up its cost by $300. When I called to inquire why they said it is because there have been so many accidents in Washington.  (They were probably mistaking us for Washington DC.)  Anyway, this new insurance would bring my cost back down that $300.  One pays $35 a month and then 3.7 cents for how many miles.  It requires a device in the vehicle.  That device arrived yesterday and now I am reconsidering.  
    Monday, after 2 hour physical therapy session, I drove to the outer edges of Vancouver ( 192 street from 121st plus 2 miles

down) to the insurance agent to get a clearer understanding of house insurance on my mobile manufactured home and to inquire about earthquake coverage.  After a lengthy time of explaining everything I was satisfied and also decided to include earthquake insurance for another $120 a year.  Just in case of "the big one".   He then was quick to inquire what I have for car insurance and wanted his office lady to tell me what they have.  I mentioned the Metro-mile policy to which he responded they have something similar.  When I said I would look into it sometime, but now I hadn't eaten lunch and I was getting a bit light headed, the kind agent give me a cup of tea and a granola bar (plus the 2 tiny candies I had already consumed) and showed me to a chair to discuss car insurance.  Ends up they have something about the same cost and I don't have to plug in a little device which might require a "smart phone" app.  Since my outdated smart phone does not want to download apps there may be a problem.  Chances are the little device will be returned unopened and my insurance will be local.  Now, aren't you glad you asked about this? Another bit of info, the office lady was a lovely young person from India.  I said my dentist is from India and told her the name.  She smiled and said they were family friends.  World's not so big after all; neither is Vancouver.
      Since I was out that way and so is Kohl's and I had 20 "Kohl dollars" that had to be used in a few days I stopped in and got a good deal on a picture I wanted for my wanna be beach house.
      By the time I got home, a headache had set in. I ate some lunch and a 2 hour nap was in order.  PT days do that.  I have advanced in PT to strength building with stretch bands and weight lifting with soup cans.  Sometimes I can feel myself standing straight.   
      That evening I watched a Masterpiece Theater program I had recorded on Sunday. To Walk Invisible is a docu-movie of the Bronte sisters.  Very well done, a rather sad family life story, but intriguing how the sisters wrote their novels and poetry. 
      

    Tuesday was a great day to make beef stew.  Sometimes Gram  G needs cooking therapy.  I had a sweet potato to use and thought it might go well in a stew.  By the time it was ready the sweet potato was nowhere to be seen except for orange shreds.  Tasty stew... 
       A bit of PNW reality.  The window frame and surface above the kitchen sink became coated with mold these past weeks.  It would just keep growing until removed.  Did that today with a bleach solution. The plastic liner cracked up (couldn't keep it from laughing) so I simply threw it out. The window unit which projects out about 4 feet from the edge of the sink looks better now, but with awkward, hard work.  
     
      I've been on the phone and texting a lot making plans for our summer Schmidt gathering here in Vancouver and for a soon coming trip for me to Wisconsin, "back east" as they say out here.  Only thing west of here is 100 miles of land with a mountain range and the Pacific coast.  
       Now my thoughts turn to filing taxes, but some things one can't rush.  I am looking forward to a few coming days of sociability. And rumors of sunshine over the weekend.  Yeah!!

This has been a good 7 "rambling on" days in the life of Grandma G.

"A good name is more desirable than riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold."  (Proverbs 22:1)