Punky

I awoke at 3:30 a.m. Thursday feeling like I needed to throw up. I was supposed to go with my husband to Fort Wayne after my Y Silver Sneakers class ended and I had showered. I never made it out of bed except to visit the bathroom several times.

I felt well enough around 12:30 to eat a light and fairly bland lunch, but about two hours later my stomach felt upset again. I went back to bed to sleep a few hours. 

By dinner, I managed to eat some leftover chicken/pasta casserole without any after effects. The rest of the evening I felt OK.

I learned Wednesday at Winona Literary Club that one of my key officers isn't just suffering mental confusion because of an UTI as she told me, but has been diagnosed with dementia. 

She can no longer drive so her daughter dropped her off at the meeting site. 

I have contacted the daughter and I'm working with her to have her mother write a note of resignation. I supposedly will receive it next week. Then I have to find someone to replace this officer; it was a struggle finding a nominee for this post last spring because nobody wanted to take it. I am praying I can find someone willing to serve. Then she will have to go with me to the bank to present her driver's license and sign an authorized signature card.

The person who was to give the book review October 3rd contacted the Program Committee chairwoman because the Literary Chair is gone for 3 weeks. She said she never agreed to do a report. Some misunderstanding/miscommunication there. Since I have been reading some of the new Amish fiction books I bought for Grace Village Library, I said I would do a report. I only had one week's notice, however. 

I doubt I will continue in the club once my term expires. I am burned out already and we have barely started. It is pleasant to come and be entertained and informed and have fellowship over refreshments. I haven't been in that position for several years, and this year I have about reached the breaking point. The club may not survive after this year anyway since few members are able or willing to fill positions of responsibility. The club has become a burden for me, not an enjoyable experience.

DNA Update

I received an email that Ancestry is using a new algorithm they consider more precise for DNA results. Mine did change some. The improbable Caucasus and Eastern European have been completely removed.

They lowered the British component by 10% to 63%. The Western European which was only 9% has been refined to 21% Germanic. Yes! The German ancestry in my family has been confirmed thru extensive genealogic research by my mother's cousin. I was disappointed in my initial results that showed a vague 9% Western European.

The Dutch still doesn't show. Instead I have this Scandinavian component which has now been increased and broken down to 13% Norwegian, 3% Swedish (which didn't show up last time). As I explained in my earlier post, the history of migration that came with my results did mention a large Norwegian influx into the Netherlands prior to my ancestors coming to the United States. Apparently, my father's ancestors married into some of these migrant families. 

Ancestry states that they will continue to refine results for individuals as the science changes. At least I feel like I got more for my fee than when I received the initial results since there is more specificity. 

Autumn Prelude

We are on the "good" side of Hurricane Florence. She is blocking hot steamy weather from streaming into our area. We are hot in the 80's but dry air. There is a slight breeze as well. As long as I stay out of the sun, it is pretty pleasant. But I did turn the air conditioner on this afternoon after several days of open-window fresh air. 

 The leaves continue to lose chlorophyll so that colors are appearing. Our decorative pear trees have their hard little fruits now. These are actually eaten by the deer in the coldest snowiest days of winter.

Like everything else at Costco, the mums they sell are huge.

 I have moved the geraniums under the lobelia/verbena hanging basket. I think I will probably get rid of the basket next week. My knockout roses are putting out new blooms now, too.

I had to put something away on the high closet shelf. As long as I had the step stool there, I dragged down my "wreath" for the front door.

While I was at Fort Wayne Wednesday, I did some shopping. The hot dog and soda for $1.63 including tax at Costco, was a good deal for lunch. I brought a rotisserie chicken home for supper. We are still eating that. I tried some scalloped potatoes. I bought Boudin sour dough bread. The bread made good grilled cheese sandwiches. Tomorrow we will use it for BLT sandwiches. I tucked some frozen quiche into my insulated bag. Too hot to bake now, but in a few weeks we will see if we like those.

I am stocking up on things on sale at my grocery store, too. I haven't had the Marie Callendar streusel pumpkin pie before.

Though the zucchini don't look great in the stores, I bought two to grate and freeze so I can bake zucchini bread this fall and winter.

I have deactivated my Trunk Club account. I found a nice top at Macy's which I hope to wear Wednesday when I preside over the Winona Literary Club opening meeting for 2018-2019.

This morning my husband had an errand in Silver Lake. After breakfast and this stop, we went to Maple Lane Bakery in Claypool. The little strawberry/rhubarb pie should be just the right size for us for a couple of days. The 9-inch pies are too big.

I picked up my September Bloom of the Month Thursday.

 Starting to look forward to the coming autumnal equinox. 

Second Thoughts

While my DiGiorno pizza is baking, I went out and started cutting off most of the branches of the lambsquarters. I learned it will wilt when the frost comes so won't provide a perch for the birds. The main reason to cut it back (and down later this fall) is that I read a single bush can produce 50,000 seeds. Yikes! The propagation is only thru the seeds. 

I did leave the main stalk and a few smaller sections of flowers. I am curious to see what the seeds look like and if the birds really do eat them. But the lambsquarters is going down.

An interesting tidbit totally unrelated. The Grace Village choir has been invited to sing a number at the Schuler wedding on November 15th. This is my backdoor neighbor who is marrying a lady who works at the lobby desk in Independent Living. They both lost spouses to Alzheimer's. The choir did sing at a funeral a few years ago, but a wedding is a first.