I’m going to have a she shed! I’m fixing up a little shed that is on the back of our lot. When we bought the lot, the shed was full of things the previous owner had left behind and it smelled of mice droppings. We cleaned out everything but a large cabinet and a really unique, rather large shelf made from pipe and wood.

My son asked me if I had power. I told him I had all of the power over my she shed. He said, “No Mom, I meant electricity.”

It hasn’t been sheet-rocked and the floor is concrete, but the roof doesn’t leak and Kip is going to calk and repair a few places so mud daubers and other things can’t get in. He has already put electricity in and installed three neon lights he bought at the church garage sale. He has also put in two plug-ins.

My she shed reminds me of the time when I was about five and made a playhouse in the neighbors garbage shed. It only lasted until my mom said she wouldn’t come for coffee because where there is garbage there’s usually rats. I hauled my 2 little chairs back home and opened up a lemonade stand.

I have big plans for my she shed when I get it all fixed up. My biggest challenge will be to keep Kip from violating my space with any of his stuff.

I am going to set up a Beasterhop town, and keep some of my hat collection in there. I’ll have a small desk and a bookcase. We’re going to paint the concrete floor, but I’m keeping my eyes open for a round rug that’s in good shape and cheap. I bought a rotating, standing fan today for $9.00.

I have agreed to a canvas zippered garment rack that will store our winter coats. It also has a couple of shelves for boots or shoes.

The dimensions of my she shed are 10′ x 12′ so I should have enough room for me and one visitor.

Do you want to come for coffee? How about lemonade?

It still needs a little work… plus landscaping…I’ll call you.

After reading our miss Murdo Girl’s papers from yesterday and today, it appears she is learning how to rationalize a situation. The goal being to avoid trouble whenever possible. She is growing up, but she’s not going willingly. At least today, she didn’t try to use any ten dollar words like surreptitiously.

I had to start wearing nylons. It seems that when you get to the 8th grade, you’re supposed to wear them when you dress up. We went to Winner for a music contest, and that’s when some of the girls decided it was time to start wearing “hose.” I had to play a saxophone solo, and those darn nylons ruined it.

There are boys who read this. Oh well, I don’t care. They should know what we go through.

You have to wear a garter belt to hold your nylons on your leg. It is a very weird contraption. The top of the belt goes around your waist. There are four straps hanging from the belt. On the end of the straps you have doohickys. (There are four of them.) You put the top of the nylon under the bottom part of the doohicky. It has a button-like thing on it. I think they are called garters. The top garter goes on the top and buttons to the bottom garter. That’s what keeps your nylon up. The whole thing is called a garter belt. The nylons come separately.

Me without doohickys…Karen and Kim Lindquist

Right in the middle of my solo, the doohicky on the back of one leg came loose, and the nylon slipped right off, which caused the front to sag. I finally got an opportunity to glance down when the piano player who was accompanying me, had a little part that I didn’t play my saxophone to. I could see the nylon was a wrinkled mess just like Grandma’s hose (nylons) always are because they don’t make them small enough for her. Grandma wears a girdle to keep her nylons up, but it doesn’t work. Besides, you still have to deal with the doohickys attached to the girdle. (Some older ladies just roll them down over a rubber band. I wonder if that works better.) Well, at least the front doohicky on my garters never came all the way off, which was a blessing. I feared that all the doohickys would come off and I’d be standing there with my hose around my ankles.

Anyway, for the very first time in my life, I didn’t get a Superior on my solo, because I was too distracted to remember all of it. I can’t even tell people about it, because it’s going to sound like an elaborate excuse, and they’ll think the real reason is that I didn’t practice my solo enough times to memorize it better.

Mom (all the way to the left) when she was about my age…Doohicky?

It just wasn’t a good experience all around. Mom threw a hissy fit because I forgot to mention I volunteered her to take me and some other kids to the contest. I told her the day before. She said I hadn’t even told her I was playing a solo, although I’m pretty sure I did. She asked me when I practiced because she very seldom heard me.

She didn’t even care about my doohicky dilema.

Mom and I during better times

We have several friends who have been dealing with health issues recently, so I thought I would go over some tips I told you about last year when Kip was recovering from major back surgery.

I’ve learned so much since then that I have culled a few and added some that I think you will find beneficial. I’m the kind of person who likes to be helpful whenever possible.

After a three month recovery period, we headed out for a six week RV trip. I knew there would be many things we wouldn’t be able to do, but I thought it would be good for Kip to take a leisurely trip to a warmer place so he could take a break from the rehab routine.

We stopped at the beautiful Cattail State Park near Lake Havasu in Nevada. The next morning, Kip said he felt like going for a little walk. I knew we wouldn’t be going very far, but I brought his cane just in case it was needed. Please see the all important tips below.

1) Let the patient take the lead. That way they will automatically set the pace they are comfortable with. Even though you would probably speed walk, remember, this is not for you, it’s for the good of the weakened invalid.

Good a nice little walk. Oh, there’s stairs. Okay…see, I’m staying a little behind on purpose.

“DO YOU NEED THE CANE, KIP?”

2) Always wear shoes with laces

Slow down a bit Sammie and Pattie..You shouldn’t strain on your leashes. Oh shoot, “KIP, I HAVE TO TIE MY SHOE!” Good…he stopped to wait. He’s too proud to tell me he needed a break.

3) Always be the designated picture taker

“I see you! I just stopped to take a picture of this pretty plant.”

4) Watch out for danger of any kind. “Are there snakes up there? Did you see that cave? Pumas hide in caves!”

4) Be sure and stay back far enough in case a Puma flies out of a cave. That way he can’t get both of you, and I can run for help. Beat the snake with your (I mean Kip’s) cane.

I’m pretty sure that’s a mirage. I’m really thirsty. Maybe it’s the Blue Lagoon.

“I’ll just wait here until you turn around! My knee is really bothering me…and my allergies are too. I have a headache!”

I accidentally let go of Sammie and Pattie’s leashes. Oh well, they like to run free.

5) Don’t be too hard on yourself. Everybody has an injury flare up. Just look at poor Kip. He just had major back surgery. I can’t see him. I hope he’s okay.

“What are you looking at me for? I typed on your blog for a while, then I took a little cat nap.”

6) Just keep telling yourself. “The cat is fat! The cat is fat.”

We’re having pork chops. Murdo Girl is resting. She tripped over her cane and fell into a mirage.