I Cannot Use A Weed Eater OR It's Alive!!

My yard in Center Point during a rain

Lilies planted in my yard at Center Point

     A weed eater weighs from 12 pounds to 25 pound, anyone should be able to use it, right, even kids. That is so very wrong! My brother gave me his old electric one 16 years ago. All I had to do was plug it in and press the button. First off I envisioned the wire cutting off my legs right above the ankles. Then I am supposed to cut it just right, so I spend my time raising and lowering because I can't control it at the right level. Oh and I don't want to talk about changing the wire (I never was able to change the wire, it kept coming off) so I threw it down, put the weed eater back into storage and used my lawnmower or pulled the weeds up by hand. 

     Last summer I bought a new Snapper, thinking surely there are new updates and it will be so much easier, especially if I buy a gas one! Well, In June of this year (I waited a year because I wanted time to think about it), I finally decided to try it. 

     I have decided it's alive, laying in storage waiting to attack me. Did you know you can't use the same gas for a weed eater that you use for your lawnmower or car? You gotta buy this small bottle of "something", then measure out exactly 1 gallon of gas ( you know how hard it is to find a useful container, I lost a good tea pitcher) and mix. Not only that, it weighed 30 pounds.

     I'm finished trying to use a weed eater! Anyone want to buy a barely used weed eater?

Retirement: I mowed My Yard, It Took Three Hours OR Out Of Shape!

My yard, August 2016

     Why do we let ourselves get out of shape? I know it's miserable! In the M. C Beaton books, Agatha Raisin, she's a single middle aged woman (50'ish), who has decided to retire. She does it in a big way; she moves from London to a small village, she pays a company to decorate her house with items she thinks will make her look good rather than stuff she likes (her first visitor says it looks like a showplace). She then buys exercise equipment to help her get into shape; indoor bicycle, a really fancy outdoor bike to ride around the country (she purchases a helmet, gloves, riding outfits, goggles, everything she feels will make her fit in(which really sets her apart).

     When, after a year of not doing my own yard work, I started back, in July of this year, it was rough! It was hot and humid; I only cut the lawn, none of that extra stuff, trimming bushes and weed eating (yeah like I'm going to weed eat, see It's Alive!). I had to take several breaks to cool off and drink water.  The first time it was exhausting, and this was just the front yard, it took me three hours and my yard isn't that big, see above picture.  I've improved since then, but it's still exhausting. When the weather cools off in the fall, I know a few bushes that are coming down!

     I'm also following Agatha Raisin's idea, setting up an exercise routine with my exercise (indoor) bike, it's too hot for riding outside. My sister-in-law has always been faithful about going to the gym and walking around the neighborhood; now I wish I had followed her example!

Won't be long till fall, then we'll have all those leaves, ugh!

Cutting The Cord!

Borrowed from "Free Pictures" HERE

     

     After not doing my lawn care for a year, I've decided to start doing it again. I chose to do this for two reasons, save on money and exercise. I don't like having to watch my pennies so close, but I don't want to go back to work either. I'm liking this retired way of life. I remember in the past talking with someone who was newly retired and their response would be "I'm so busy I don't have time to be retired"; I use to  think, "right". But I've discovered it's true. That's a story for another day.
     Back to doing my own yardwork. Thankfully my grandson cut my lawn right before he returned home, so I've only had to cut it once.  But I've put off trimming the bushes until today. I primed myself this morning; determined I got up early, quickly ate breakfast, grabbed the heavy duty extension cords and preceded to hook everything up. With gloves on I trimmed one side, then another and headed for the top, when suddenly there was a sizzle and the trimmer stopped. I tried the button to run it and the safety guard button, nothing! I thought, great, it hasn't worked in so long, plus it is old, now I'll have to buy another. I headed back to the house and had only walked a few steps when I realized I had cut the cord! Never in the years I've trimmed bushes had I done that before! I really felt out of shape! This prompted me to take a water and blogging break; inside where it's cool.
     Cutting the cord can mean a lot of things, but sometimes it's one of those "just about my day".

 By Judy Harper (To the right of this puddle is where the bushes are located)

It Took Longer Than I thought To Retire!

Kelly, Judy, Liz & Marci

     Last August I posted that I intended to retire; so it took a little longer than expected.  I worked through March 2016 before finally not returning to work. It's different than I expected. I'm not bored, I've had more invites to do stuff than I expected, to the point I'm not fulfilling the main reason for retiring, writing. 

     The first rule I'm learning is to say no, why?

          1. People hear you're retired and comment "since you're not doing anything, could you do this 

               for me, now that you have the time".

          2. "So you don't get bored, you need to become involved in doing this..."

      I'm sure people mean well, but really, I have goals and it involves having an at home work                        schedule.  Plus I've worked for 50 years and I want to enjoy eating breakfast at eight a.m. and            watch the squirrels and birds while I drink my second cup of coffee, maybe even a third; so 

         what if I sleep past five a.m. even nine a.m. Though I have a hard time about sleeping past nine.

         I feel like I've wasted most of the day, (though once, the first couple of weeks, I slept till eleven

         a. m., I couldn't believe it, and I didn't even have that "ugh" feeling. 

     The second rule is stop spending my money, do not touch my savings account! I have been sur-

prised by how fast it is going. If I'm not careful I will be back working parttime.   

     All and all, so far, I'm enjoying retirement. I'm even mowing my yard again. 

Sweetie Pie and BayBay, Best Buds!