June 25, this day in history

If you search on the net for the significance of June 25th one year ago today, you will not find the most wonderful thing that occurred on that date.

One year ago today, Robert's mother and I took him for an evaluation that started his path to learning. Last Saturday, I took all my grandchildren swimming at the community center pool in Berryville. I was delighted to hear Robert tell his sister, 'shut up!'. After waiting so long to hear him express himself, it is difficult to voice disapproval when I hear new words. But, I did tell him that was not nice.

While we were at the pool, a boy just a bit larger than Robert threw a ball and hit him in the eye. Robert was ready to do battle, but he stopped when I called his name.

Telling sister to shut up, learning to respond when your name is called. I count my blessings.

Today I

bought Hannah this little dress for 75 cents and the rest of this for me for only a little more.


Got the watermelon at W mart, but it was an ordeal getting it paid for.




Got these plastic things for the grandkids and grandpa to drink out of and eat from. They look good with Helen's plates. The stain steel dipper cup was a dollar at the junk store.

And I pulled a Helen. When I went to W Mart to get groceries this afternoon, I got in the wrong, wrong line. The cashier was severely challenged. The lady in front of me had a bunch of comps and the cashier could not get them in the register correctly. She was trying to ring up some peas that were 3 for $1. She counted the cans she had already put into the bags a half dozen times, she counted the things she had rung up a dozen times and even with help she had a terrible time getting the veggies in rung up. Then, she refused to sell the lady 2 packages of meat because she said they were family pack and they did not sell family pack. I have comped hundreds of packages of family pack meat adds. Then, the lady had 5 five pound bags of potatoes that she said were 5 for $5. She would not allow that either and had to call a supervisor to refuse the purchase. By this time, I had been in line I think about 20 minutes or so. I told the lady trying to buy the potatoes, 'next time, just get one bag of potatoes and say they are $1 each and go to a line with a teenage boy as the cashier.' The checker started explaining the rules again, and I interrupted her to say, 'I know those are the rules, but I am telling her how to get around the rules the next time.' While I was waiting, I flagged 2 or 3 people out of the line telling them they did not want this line.

When she got to my purchases, I said I did not have comps. She was still challenged. I had 6 of the plastic drinking glasses above. She could not count to six and had to run the tape and count. She asked me how many showed on the screen in front of me. I said two. She rang up another and said now how many. I said two. The screen only showed the last two items, which I knew when she asked, but she was challenged and I was tried of listening to her by now because she had started explaining about it being the end or her day and the end of her week in a jerky confused manner. She had already told the other lady that she had worked there a year. By now I am thinking 'Lady, just shut up and do your job.' But, I knew I was going to have to count my 6 $1 purchases after she finished. She knew this also and pulled out the register tape to count one last time. She even said something herself about me not having comps and she was still challenged.

When I finally got through and away from her, I went to the service desk, showed them my ticket so they would know from whence I came and said I have never done this before, but I want to complain about the incompetence of this cashier. I said she took 30 minutes to check out the lady in front of me and she could not count to six on my purchases. They wanted to know if I wanted a manager. I just said no, but you need to send her home and let her come back another day and start over. I would not have minded so much if she had not kept talking while she was trying to ring up my things. She needed to shut up, quite irritating me and concentrate on her job. I don't know if they really did anything or not, but I will remember her and next time be sure to go to a line with a teenage boy checker.

Well, maybe this was more of a half Helen. She would probably have talked to the manager.

Spinding money

Last week I bought a used table and 5 chairs at the doggie thrift store at Berryville. I like the table because it is a good sturdy table and it fits in the space I have. The top of the table needs to be refinished. I do not really like the chairs, but they are good chairs. I need to find material to recover the seats on them. I went to Harrison today and found some good upholstery material at the thrift store there for $3. It is good material and I like the color, but I don't think it is enough for all 5 chairs. It was just $3 and is a solid maroon color so I can use it for something if I do not use it on these chairs. I really would like to paint the table, but George and Lane did not like my idea of painting it pastel blue.

Anyway, while looking for material, I found these two things for 50 cents each. The big spoon says 'shorting and ice cream spoon'. It was once a pink or cooper color. I remember, when we were kids, we had one just like this. I think it may have come free in a box of oat meal.




These are the dishes I bought at the dollar store in January. I have had them packed away for my new kitchen since I did not have a place to store them. I now have them 'stored' on my new old table. I love them because they are so bright and cheerful.




This is a bowl I bought a week or two ago at one of the junk stores. I almost did not buy it because it was $2 and it has a small scratch on the rim. I have no real use for this bowl except to set it out to look pretty. I have already gotten my $2 worth from the enjoyment of seeing it looking so pretty on my new old table with my new old plastic table cloth. I gave 50 cents for the table cloth and I almost did not buy it because I really did not need it.

George and I had not eaten sitting at the table since we started 'remodeling' sometime last year. We either ate at the bar or out on the deck. It is bug season on the deck and I can not stand fighting the bugs for the first bite. We have eaten at the table several times in the last week. All in all, I am pleased with all these purchases. There was not much money involved in any of these purchases, but they have brought me pleasure.

The fact is, however, I have not saved any money by making these purchases. I have only spent money. When someone or some company tells you that you are saving money by making a purchase from them, if the thing purchased is not a life required necessity that you HAVE to have, they are feeding you a lie in order to relocate your money from your hand to their hand.

Hay, Hogs, Beans and Sunflowers

Kenneth came over today and cut the hay. Supposed to be back Wednesday to bale it.

My sunflowers are over 7 feet tall. I did not know until last year when I grew several sunflowers, but the bumble bees just love sunflowers. There are 3 or more working most of my sunflowers. I love seeing the sunflowers. Thanks to Betty for the idea of planting them in the garden.

The pigs go to the butcher tomorrow.

Pretty flowers all in a row.

I got a ice cream bucket of beans from my piece of a row yesterday. I told brother he could pick the long row tomorrow, but he came down around 4 and picked 2 ice cream buckets. He lacked about 10 feet finishing the row. I picked another bucket from that end. I have cooked mine and I am going to put them in the freezer. I know you do not have to cook them to freeze them, but that is what I wanted to do.

I am not picking the sunflowers except for some to plant next year. I have a half dozen or so that are only about 4 feet tall and the flowers are the same size as these. I am going to only save seed from the short ones for next year. I think I will plant sunflowers on the bank down by the mail boxes next year.

I have flowers everywhere all around the house. I have a flower jungle.