Warmer in the Farmhouse

Just when I think things are slowing down a bit they start running out of control again!

The doctor appointment in Cincinnati was not what I anticipated it would be but it was nice to get away.  John & I went to an absolutely amazing mall with many absolutely amazing stores including a Nordstrom's which we have never seen before even though we've lived in & visited many different states.  We saw so many beautiful things in Nordstrom's.  We couldn't contain our excitement!  We kept saying to each other "Look at this!" & "Ooooo!  Look at this!"  We started laughing because I made the comment that the people around us probably thought we just walked off the farm ... which of course we did ... lol!  Truly beautiful things with truly "interesting" prices.  Nothing that us retired, fixed income folk would imagine spending but we did play the "remember when" game ... thinking back to when we both had good jobs & were the type of people who didn't bother to look at price tags.  I can hear Mary Hopkin singing "Those Were the Days" as I'm writing this   : )

Just before you head into Nordstrom's there is a jewelry store.  Don't ask me the name of this jewelry store ... I have no idea.  I was too busy trying to breathe as I lingered in front of the windows.  I am, I fear, permanently stalled in my gemology/appraisal studies but I have made it through to the point where I know a good piece of jewelry when I see one.  The pieces in the windows of this store were beyond anything I have ever seen in my life ... & I have been to a lot of jewelry stores!  One necklace really caught my eye.  Well, okay, just about everything in those windows caught my eye but this one particular necklace was an exquisite piece.  A long, sculpted oval of diamonds & tanzanites & white gold.  Something Princess Diana would have worn.  And it was on sale!!!  Country bumpkins that we are, John & I contorted ourselves in front of that particular window tying to make out the tiny price printed on the tiny tag hanging down from the clasp in back.  It was $119,500.  I'm sure that to the jewelers inside the store, as well as to the Cincinnati elite that were no doubt passing by, we must've looked like Eliza Doolittle did the first time Henry Higgins saw her.  I can almost hear them saying to themselves, "Guttersnipes!"

You may want to make a donation to the "People Without Brains" organization when you read this next paragraph.  I wrote on Sunday how on Saturday we had to turn off our furnace.  We turned it off because it started emitting a terrible burning odor & we didn't want to risk the farmhouse burning down.  I didn't want to call the furnace repair guys on the weekend & figured we would just rough it for a while.  Besides, we would be out of town Sunday & most of Monday & so we decided that we may as well wait to call them when we returned home.  I called & left a message for them when we got back on Monday & Tuesday morning they called to say they'd be here in the afternoon.  They came, they turned on the furnace, no odor.  They checked it thoroughly & found no sign that anything had been wearing or rubbing or burning.  I know we didn't imagine this horrible mechanical burning odor.  They didn't know what to make of it ... just said everything was fine & to call if the odor comes back.  I am well aware that we have 2 separate air conditioning units ... one that cools the upstairs & one that cools the downstairs.  However, I thought we only had one furnace.  John mentioned when this happened on Saturday that we could maybe just stay upstairs to keep warm.  I said no, we don't have 2 furnaces, we have 2 air conditioning units.  The furnace warms both floors.  Well, it turns out we do have 2 furnaces although it now occurs to me I should've asked more questions about this because we only see one furnace unit under the house & only change filters in that one.  Anyway, we apparently lived totally without heat for a few days when we didn't have to.  I think the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz must be a relative of mine & I must "take after" him.

I had an appointment with my doctor in Lexington this morning & will be returning to her office tomorrow & Friday as well.  I also get to make appointments with 2 other doctors & schedule a brain scan within the next month!  I'm sorry ... I know I shouldn't flaunt my medical life to those of you who don't get to visit doctors every time you turn around.  Please don't think I'm bragging & flaunting my doctor visits in your face.  I'm sure you are blessed in other ways   : )

I never went to Michael's in Cincinnati because we passed one as we drove by Frankfort which is relatively close to us.  What a surprise!  They had a nice sale going on & I was able to get some good deals on a few things!  I also picked up a few counted cross stitch patterns/kits in Lexington this morning.  Pictures of finished items are coming ... it may just take a while.  Yes, the new camera is still unopened in the box   : )

Tonight is the anniversary of the first "real" date John & I had.  He took me to a Janis Joplin concert at the Civic Arena in downtown Pittsburgh.  We saw each other at school before then & he invited me to his mother's birthday party that October but Janis was a "real" date.  After the concert, before we caught the bus home, we took a walk through Mellon Park & he gave me my first kiss.  Little did I know when we were together that night that 42 years later we would still be together ... John listening to a Sonny & Cher CD & me writing on my blog ... still enjoying kisses.  I had no idea how good life was going to get   : )