November 30, 2015. Madison, Ms. The Mills Family.

They feel like family.  In fact I may adopt John as a surrogate son.  Sunday afternoon Greta Barbour, John and the three children came over for afternoon tea.   John and the children, aged 11 to 7, had not seen the house, so the first thing we did was tour both inside and out.

Next we sat at the dining table for dessert and tea, using the good china and silver.  Greta poured while I served the goodies, which were pecan pie and cranberry cake, made by Christina.  Of course, the children ate some of both desserts and came back for more.  They were perfectly behaved children and I think they enjoyed the fancy setting.

After we finished our tea, the adults sat in the living room and talked while the children explored the outside.  Eventually they found the TV and watched football which they don't do at home.   Since moving to Mississippi, I have observed that children who are home schooled know how to look after themselves and seem to enjoy each other.  The whole time the adults talked in the living room, we heard not a peep from the children.

John was Andrew's very good friend so of course we talked about Andrew.  It was a comfortable talk, with all four of us trying to figure out what happened.  Ken and I feel fortunate to have the Mills family in our lives and we certainly enjoyed the Sunday afternoon together.

November 29, 2015. Madison, Ms. Treasures.

Yesterday Ken found boxes under our bottom deck.  I had never even gone down to that outside level and Ken had never looked at the back of the deck.  This afternoon, John and Greta Barbour and their three children came over for a cup of tea and a goodie so while they were here, Ken asked if John could pull the boxes out and inspect them.

The boxes were full of silver and pottery.  John brought them into the garage.  Most of the silver seems to be sterling but badly tarnished.  Tomorrow I will call Susan our real estate agent who will contact the seller.  The objects do not belong to me but I am wondering why they were left outside in boxes under a deck.    I might never know.  If the former owner wants the stuff they are welcome to come and get  them.  I do not need more goodies even if they turn out to be treasures.  It was fun finding these treasures hidden in our new home, but if the seller does not want them I will be forced to sort the stuff and evaluate them carefully.   No reason to be stupid even though I don't want them.

November 28, 2015. Madison, Ms. The Christmas Tree.

The trees looks so much smaller in the lot.  But when you get it home,  it seems to have grown.  My habit is to select a bigger tree, but Christina knows me,  so today she measured the room to be sure the tree would be the correct height when we brought it home.  Sure enough.  She was correct.  

This morning, Molly, Christina and I went to Lakeland Garden Shop to buy a Christmas tree.  It took us five minutes to select the tree.  Christina had decided on a 6 foot tree, so we looked at the correct row.  I of course,  thought it looked too small.   Christina selected the tree immediately and the young men trimmed the bottom and put it on the stand.  Clever Christina had brought it with us.  They also put the tree on the top of the car.    Wonderful service.

I don't know what has happened to the price of trees but the cost seems less than in the past.  I know that many people are using artificial trees so perhaps there is a glut on the market of live trees,  making the prices low.    When the tree came home and set in the corner, we three decided that we had selected the perfect tree for the space, all thanks to Christina and her measuring tape.

With such success with the tree, we decided to reward our behavior by eating lunch at our favorite Vietnamese restaurant.  We enjoyed every bite.

November 27, 2015. Madison, Ms. Christmas.

Now we set our sights on Christmas.    Our habit is always to put up Christmas decorations right after Thanksgiving.  But of course I gave most of my decorations away several years ago so I have very little to decorate the house with.  Last year I could not begin to open the few boxes I had at the condo but this year I will get them out and set them around the house.   They might look ridiculous but I will use them anyway.   For a well decorated home I will visit Christina.  I certainly will not purchase more decorations.

I am organized for Christmas this year.  The gifts for the Texas family was left with Suzanne ready to be brought out on Christmas morning.  I still have shopping for the girls here in Mississippi.  Christina's gifts are ready.  For years, Patty, who lives in Vermont, has made wreaths for me, and sent them as gifts to friends and relatives, except not in Canada.  Every year I have expanded my list.  Unfortunately, Patty omitted to send a gift card with the wreath, so only some will know the wreath has come from us.  I guess I will e mail to tell of the wreath's arrival.  Usually, Patty sends them right after Thanksgiving.  I send one to myself too and mine arrived today, and looks lovely on our front door.

Last year I sent no Christmas cards but this year I am ready to get down to business and send them out. For the first time ever we are sending a card with a picture of Ken and me on the front.  We could not find a card specific for Mississippi so instead Christina took a picture of us standing on our deck with our backs to the lake.  And it says "Merry Christmas Y'All".   We are almost ready for Christmas.

November 26, 2015. Madison, Ms. Thanksgiving.

Soon I will turn 78.  December 6 is my birthday.  I am thankful to become 78.  My sister died when she was 77.  I am two and a half years her junior and after she died at age 77, and I turned 75 that same year, I joked that I was in good health at 75, but I would need to watch out when I was 77.  I thought it was funny.   Little did I know that without modern medicine and many prayers and healing hugs from family and friends that I might not be here to turn 78.  So Thanksgiving 2015 was a special day.

I was able to do everything I enjoy on Thanksgiving Day.  The Macy's parade was spectacular.  I went for a walk with Ken in our neighborhood as the day was 70 and sunny.  The family came for dinner in the middle of the afternoon.  I talked to son David and brother David on the phone.   And I got to watch football on TV.  Turkey and football is a winning combination.  And soon I will be 78 where I will have another thanksgiving day.  Giving thanks is a wonderful thing.

November 25, 2015. Madison, Ms. Primos.

There was an element you feel on Christmas Eve where everyone is happy, just waiting for the big day to arrive.   I walked into Primos this afternoon to see at least ten people behind the counter waiting to be helpful, all primed to go home at 5:00.  I was at Primos to pick up my holiday feast.  It was 3:00, the time the food had been ordered.   The place was a buzz of activity.  Much to my surprise, everything was in order and efficient.  There was no waiting.

A lady checked the computer and handed a ticket to a young man, who walked into the kitchen and returned in one minute with a big box full of my food.  I asked if it was heavy and he said it was.  But he also told me he would carry the box to the car for me, which I appreciated.  All the people seemed delighted picking up their food.   The spirit of the season prevailed.  I noticed that many folks were picking up just deserts and left with 6 pies.  Another man carried out just a turkey.  The thing that impressed me was how many people were there picking up food.  I was only there for 5 or 10 minutes but I saw a lot of people coming and going.  And they all looked happy, especially me.  No cooking for me tomorrow.

November 24, 2015. Madison, Ms. Birthday Girl.

Today, Molly turned 8.  Becoming 8 years old is exciting for Molly,  so much so that she woke up at 5:00 in the morning, ready to get on with her birthday.  She was never able to go back to sleep, just stayed in bed and stared at the ceiling waiting for 7:00 so she could get up.   By her own recording, she had a wonderful birthday.   Just before Thanksgiving is not a time for a party with friends because so many families are already out of town so Molly did not have a traditional party yet.  But she chose to go to the place where you build a bear, accompanied by Mary Frances, who built a wonderful bear too.    Then lunch out with the other grandmother rounded out her morning.

For supper she asked to dine at Five Guys, the restaurant serving hamburgers and hot dogs, so Kate joined us and the family ate dinner at the low key place in the Renaissance.   Interesting choose I thought for an 8 year old.  The hamburgers were great, big and juicy and the french fries too.  No wonder they are doing so well all over the country.

I have always thought that gifts for children are best spread out over the whole day.  Molly opened gifts from Christina and Mary Frances first thing in the morning and she was able to play with her new goodies.  Then at noon, Linda gave Molly her gifts.  Tonight at the restaurant, Molly was excitedly waiting for her birthday dinner and also anticipating a gift from us.  While we were waiting for our food, she opened her gifts and was delighted.   We had given her an early painting of Ann Smith, one that had hung at the farm.   When Molly unwrapped the gift, she exclaimed,  "This is my favorite painting".  And I also gave her a  hand made wooden box from the Mississippi craft store, along with a sculpture of a wise owl, all items to cherish for a lifetime.   Molly was one very happy 8 year old tonight, although I am sure she was ready to go to bed after her long and happy birthday.

November 23, 2015. Madison, Ms. The Disappearing Bill.

The seller of our home, Mrs. Jones,  hired Bill to make the four pages of repairs required from the home inspection.  The listing agent knew Bill.  He worked hard and completed his tasks, just in time for settlement so we were grateful for his work.  After settlement we hired him for several jobs and he was competent.   But Ken and I always wondered why he was working as a handyman as he was well educated and had trained as a minister.  He was pleasant too.  We early noticed that he had difficulty sticking with a task so we wondered if he had ADD.   We were only in our new home for three weeks but several times I would get a text from Bill telling me he would be there at 8:00, except he would appear at 4:00 with no words of explanation.

We left for Texas at the end of April and left two tasks for Bill to complete before our return in October.  Much to our surprise, we have not seen him since we left.  I have received several phone calls with reasons for his inability to complete the tasks and several texts telling me he would be here tomorrow at 8:00, but he never appeared.  He has vanished.   Clearly he has gone off the deep end but in the meantime, we hired other people to assemble the cook top and to complete the hand rail.   And we have a new handyman, Chantes, so we are fine, but what has happened to Bill?

I am reminded of the old adage about finding something that was too good to be true only to find that they were not really true.  Bill seemed to be too good to be true.  He could do everything and anything. And he was smart.  But something was not right with Bill.  I wonder if he will ever surface?  I know that he will not work for us again, as he is too undependable.    But I would like to know what has happened to disappearing Bill.  I want the end of the story.

November 22, 2015. Madison, Ms. Lourdes.

Lourdes is the wife of our new handyman, Chantes.  They moved here from Cuba.  In one conversation with Chantes, he mentioned that his wife, Lourdes, was a good cook.  I quickly asked him if she might be interested in cooking for us.  We have agreed that Lourdes will come and cook in our kitchen  one day a week and will prepare meals that can be heated up as needed.  So far she has come twice and so far, all has been well.

Lourdes is first a person who wants to help us and she can tell we are not capable of doing our own food preparation.  Ken has been the main cook for the past 30 years and he can not do it now.   All I do now is to move food around but I do not actually cook.  So Lourdes is kind.

Lourdes is also a person who wants us to eat only healthy food.  She has already lectured me many times as to what we must be eating.  We must eat only organic food.  We must not eat red meat or ice cream or butter.  Before she comes to cook, she visits the grocery store and buys what she needs to cook this week.  And she wants us eating gluten free.   I am older than her but she lectures me as if I am her daughter.  Fortunately, her English is limited so much of what she tells me is in Spanish so I just laugh.  She has already encouraged us to buy a NutriBullet, to mix up healthy drinks, which I have used twice.  She really believes that when we eat properly, we will become strong.

Lourdes is a charming lovely lady and she is also an excellent cook.  I am delighted to find food in the fridge we can eat for our meals.  But I suspect that we will never match her standards of eating well.  But we will try our best..

November 21, 2015. Madison, Ms. The Choirs.

The choir singing before Mary Frances' on Friday was excellent.   They sang in tune and they sang with a lovely sweet sound.   Although they were a choir from a Jackson High School, they wore robes reaching to their shoes.  If I had of closed my eyes, I would have thought they came from the local Episcopal church.  What rang tilt for me was that every singer was black, including the leader.  No swinging or swaying or snapping of fingers.  No up tempo gospel songs.  They sang perfectly straight Christmas carols and they sang them very well.

The next choir, from Jackson Prep, which Mary Frances sang with,  did well too.  But their songs were  up beat and jazzy with finger snapping and chortles with lots of different rhythms.   Close your eyes and one might think this might be a black choir, but of the 22 singers, 2 were black.  It seemed to me that the choirs just switched their roles, at least temporarily.  It was fascinating to listen and to try to understand why.  Their dress of this choir was dark skirts and white blouses with a rose scarf or vest for the girls.  Very cute and trendy but definitely not a church robe.  Living in the south brings a whole lot of things to try to figure out what is happening.  The choice of songs from these two choirs was definitely not one I understand.

November 20, 2015. Madison, Ms. Television.

You must look hard but if you do, you may be rewarded.   This evening, Ken and I watched a program about the making of musical instruments in the United States.  It was called Craft making Instruments, or something like that.   Right in our midst we have talented people making beautiful instruments by hand.  We heard the steps to making a banjo and why one banjo sounds different from another.  And we watched the parts of a timpani being assembled, including the varieties of the sticks.  Fascinating.  Finally, we saw the building of a guitar.  This short program was excellent.

A couple of days ago I spotted a program called Culinary Travel.  I had neither heard nor seen it before but that day  it turned out to be about traveling and eating in winter in the Muskoka Lake area in Ontario.   Now the next time I go to the area I will know about all the good places to dine and where to eat ice cream.  As I know the area well I had fun recalling the towns and the Inns and Lodges.

Ken has made our favorite channels into the categories so when I am too weary to read or work, I am able to find interesting material on the TV.   I am surprised that a half hour here and a half hour there brings me great pleasure.

November 19, 2015. Madison, Ms. The Acapello Choir.

Fondren, a funky and charming neighborhood in Jackson, held a festival this evening.   The side streets were lined with craft booths and bake sales.  At one end of the block was Santa Clause, sitting in his carriage, waiting for the children to sit on his knee for a photo opportunity.   On the same street as Santa Clause was a building with a set of stairs.  Starting at 5:00, a different choir from Jackson schools sang. One of the choirs was the Acapello choir from Jackson Prep, the school attended by Mary Frances.  And she sings in the choir.

The choir has 22 students, 11 girls and 11 boys.  They sang beautifully.   The young lady leader is a student at one of the local Universities and she is good.  The students obviously enjoyed singing the songs which were spirited and upbeat, a mix of Christmas and secular songs.   There were at least 10 different kids singing solo parts throughout the half hour presentation, which made for great interest.  The choir sang musically and tunefully and I could hear every word.   My Mother would have enjoyed the performance as did I.

Christina, Molly and I drove Mary Frances for her meeting at 4:30.  Their time to sing was 5:30, which left the three of us to enjoy a beverage and a small taco at Baba Ganu while we waited.  It was the perfect spot.  We could enjoy our goodies while still watching for the choir to walk across the street for their performance.  Our timing was perfect.

November 18, 2015. Madison, Ms. Brad.

Brad went to school with David and Andrew.  They attended St. Andrew's Episcopal School from the 7th to the 12th grades.  They played together on the school teams.  Brad and David ran cross country in the fall when Andrew played soccer but they all played basketball together.   David played lacrosse in the spring and I think Brad ran track.  Brad is the same age as David but the group of athletes from the school all hung around together throughout the year so Brad was in and out of our house regularly.  And Brad came skiing with us a couple of times too.  He attended the weddings of both David and Andrew.  We have always considered Brad a friend.

This evening we had dinner with Brad.  He lives and works in London, England but he has a business meeting in Jackson tomorrow so he came early enough to contact us.   I give Brad a gold star for going out of his way to see the aged parents of old friends.    We love to talk to young people.  And I give Brad extra points for doing such a good job of staying in touch with his old school friends.  David always has a drink with Brad when in London.  Ken and I enjoyed visiting with him tonight even though the evening was simple.  We chatted for a bit at our home, then we, along with Christina, all went to the Yacht Club for dinner.   The only problem was the noise and the service.  They were crowded.   But we had a good time and we were delighted that Brad had come to Jackson for business and that he remembered that we lived here.  Hats off to Brad.

November 17, 2015. Madison, Ms. The Blue Jacket.

When you are as old as me, every object has a story…and a fond memory.  This morning I went walking.  Before leaving the house, I looked through the jackets hung in the kitchen closet.  I needed a jacket with pockets and I needed one that was wind proof.  But I did not want one too warm.  Yesterday the fleece jacket I wore was too hot.  We had brought jackets from the condo and the farm, so we have lots from which to select.  Right at the back of the closet I found my favorite walking jacket.  And I smiled and put it on.

Thirty years ago, I gave that jacket to Andrew for Christmas, along with lots and lots of other clothes.  He thanked me and hung it in his closet.  But he never wore it.  When he went to college, I was packing his clothes to move to our new home when I found the jacket and I took it for my own.  The jacket is cotton,  like a heavy T shirt, and it has buttons.   It is long, coming down to mid thigh on me.  The waist can be snugged in tight, as is the bottom, so in a high wind, you can keep out the cold.  And the fabric breathes, so you do not get hot.  It is a wonderful walking jacket, but it is definitely not fashionable.  Andrew never did discover I had confiscated his jacket but I had been wearing it ever since when I went walking.  I am pleased to have discovered this old friend, the blue jacket and I will wear it for my walks every day here in Mississippi.  And I will smile with the memory.

November 16, 2015. Madison, Ms. Susan Mimms.

Saturday morning Susan came over for coffee and to see the finished product of our new home.  She also brought us a gift.  Susan knows we live part time in Nova Scotia and she brought us a gift that thrilled us both.  It is a map of French settlements of North America, published in London, England in 1747, where Nova Scotia was called Acadia.  The map must be older than the magazine publication because by then the English were moving in and beginning to take over.  But there it is, bold as brass.  Acadia is printed on the map.  I have hung it here in Mississippi but perhaps we will take it to Nova Scotia.  It is a great map.

Susan is our real estate agent.  Ken was having trouble finding enough condominiums in the Internet and we asked a friend of Andrew's why the scarcity.  He told us to call Susan Mimms and gave us her number.  She attended the same church.  We met and she helped us find our condo.  She also helped Christina and Andrew buy their home and she worked with us to buy our present home.  And she sold our condo too.   She is a good agent.  And she is interested in antique maps.  She owns many and displays them at her home.  In addition, her daughters in law became interested too so Susan still combs through the antique map stores searching maps of the south and of North America.  She found ours at a map store in New Orleans.

15 years ago, Susan had cancer, a type of a blood disease.  In order to keep her mind off her disease, she became a real estate agent.  This was when she was 55.  Much to her surprise, she likes her job and is very good at it too.  She is cancer free still so she will continue to work as long as she is able.  So she and I have much in common, including an interest in antique maps.  And I do know something about a good real estate agent and how they work!!

November 15, 2015. Madison, Ms. Sunday Brunch.

The tradition is good.  Most Sunday  we meet the family at 11:15 for Brunch.   They attend early church while we are lazy.  Then we all meet for brunch.  The girls enjoy dining out and we like to see the girls dressed up.  But most importantly, we visit and we talk.

Today we learned about the initiation service for the sorority that Kate is joining.   Tomorrow, she will receive her pin and now will be officially a member.  And we talked about the dangerous place that Universities have become.  Amazing but true.

Today we enjoyed our brunch at the Thai restaurant I stumbled on last week with Doreen.   Surin of Thailand is the proper name.  It is located on Old Canton Road in Jackson.  When we arrived just after 11:00, we were the first customers but when we left at 12:30, the place was full.   They must be doing something right.  While we were there, a man in chef's jacket stopped by our table to ask about our food, which we said was great.  When we asked if he was the head cook, he told us that he is a consulting chef, who travels all over North America to evaluate menus and food taste.   Who would have thought you could make your living traveling around the country evaluating restaurants?   He is independent and has been hired by the owner of Surin of Thailand to broaden the range of food, to make the Thai food more palatable to Americans.   For instance, we ordered the special appetizer, which was a waffle with chicken and seasonings on top.  It was delicious.  The consulting chef said that it was one of the new items he had introduced to the restaurant.

I just hope the visiting consultant does not mess up the food.  It already was wonderful.

November 14, 2015. Madison, Ms. Organizing.

Yesterday I organized.  I once again looked at all the family photographs and put more out on the shelves in the TV room.  Gloria did a great job putting many photos on the shelves beside the stairs to the lower level.  People like them but most of all, I love to see them every time I walk down the stairs.

I organized a party for December 4, at Sombro, a Mexican restaurant in Ridgeland.  It is a dinner party for our Jackson friends and their children, but is actually a party to celebrate my birthday, which is on December 6.  I booked the night at the restaurant and I phoned the folks to invite them and to save the date.  But I never say a word about my birthday.  The contract is signed and the menu is ordered so we are set and ready to go.

Thanksgiving dinner will be held in our new home.  I heard that places in town will prepare the whole feast, which you pick up and reheat on the big day.   It seems lazy but I spoke to the restaurant close to us, Primo,  and I immediately drove over and ordered and paid for our dinner.   Christina and I had discussed the options and when I heard that Katy and Nelson had used the service last year from Whole Food I was sold on the idea.  I have cooked many turkeys over my life but this year, I will pick up the whole meal the day before.  They will give me directions for the re heating.  I am getting smart in my old age.

My last organizing task was to phone our agent Susan Mimms to come and see the house.  She has seen the transformation so I wanted her to see the final product.  She came this morning for coffee.  And she brought us an antique map, showing the French possessions in 1747, where Nova Scotia is labelled Acadia.  We were delighted.  I have hung it here but I may take it to Nova Scotia, where it belongs.  That was a lot of organizing for one day.

November 13, 2015. Madison, Ms. Ice Cream.

My brain was out of gear when I chose the ice cream.   I arrived home with two types of ice cream that no one liked.  But they ate it anyway.   Somehow or other, I picked up a different box of ice cream than I had looked at in the freezer because when I opened the bag at home to put them in the fridge, the flavors of ice cream were different than I had intended to bring home.  

Even I did not like the flavors of ice cream and I have never known an ice cream that I did not like.  Some ice cream I just like better.   Chocolate ice cream with donuts was one.  It was awful with chunks of dough throughout the ice cream.   The other kind was chocolate malt.  The problem with it was the small balls of malt in the ice cream.  They were hard and you felt as if your teeth might break at any moment.  And there were lots of those hard malt balls.  I will not ever bring either types home again.  But of course, as I was not paying attention the other day, I could have another lapse.  Perhaps it is called getting old.

Yesterday when Doreen and I went shopping, we were admonished by our men for Doreen to chose the ice cream.  And she did.   Butter pecan and rocky road ice cream were perfectly acceptable by all four.  Next time I shop I must be more careful.

November 12, 2015. Madison, Ms. Don and Doreen.

Doreen and Don have driven from Toronto to visit us in our new home in Mississippi.   They have been here for two weeks and two days.  We will miss them when they leave tomorrow.  They are easy guests to have in the house and they help us with tasks both large and small.  Today was a perfect example.

Don accompanied Ken a week ago when he went to have surgery to remover more of the cancer cells from near his ear.  Today once again Don drove Ken to the surgeons office to have the stitches removed.  Don is good company for Ken plus saving me time and energy.  Both Ken and I appreciate Don's efforts.

This afternoon, Doreen and I went grocery shopping to stock the freezer, fridge and pantry.  Both of us wheeled a cart, picking up goodies as we went, Doreen on one side of the store and me on the other.  Our baskets were loaded and the back seat of the truck full.  When we got home,  Doreen brought all the bags in from the truck while I put  the items away in the pantry, fridge and freezer.  We were both weary when we were finished but Ken and I are set for the rest of our time in Mississippi.  It would have taken me 30 trips to bring the grocery bags into the kitchen without the help from Doreen.

Then after we sat down for a glass of water, Doreen cooked the salmon and fried potatoes for dinner.  My contribution was the rolls and the salad, both purchased at the store.   Our dinner was pleasant and delicious, as usual, all thanks to Doreen.

We will miss their presence in our life and we will miss all their help.  Now we wish them safe travels.

November 11, 2015. Madison, Ms. Unexpected Events.

The unexpected event was delightful.  Yesterday, on the way home from seeing the Oncologist, I drove a different way, just to show Doreen another part of Jackson.  My path took me up State Street, then through Fondren, a funky little section of town much beloved by the locals.  On my right side I spotted a new restaurant, plus a parking lot and a sign that said Thai food.  It was just past noon so I quickly turned into the lot and found a handicapped spot right at the door.   The new restaurant was wonderful with excellent service and tasty food.  Doreen and I enjoyed our Pad Thai and took lunch home to the men.  We did not expect to eat lunch at this fine restaurant but we both we pleased with our decision.

Today after lunch, I called Christina to see if it would be possible for all five of us to have a pedicure when the girls finished school.   She thought it sounded delightful so within five minutes, she called to say that we had an appointment at 3:30.   When Doreen and Don arrived home from shopping, I told Doreen the good news.   And when Christina picked up both girls they hooted with glee.  For Doreen, todays pedicure was the second in her life, which was the same for Molly.  The difference is that Molly will soon be 8 while Doreen is 80.   We all five sat in a row enjoying the luxury of being pampered and knowing that it was a lovely surprise.

We have just experienced two unexpected events, both of which turned into pleasures.  We are definitely on a roll.

November 10, 2015. Madison, Ms. Argentine Ants.

One thing is true.  We have had no ants in our pants.  But we have had ants in the kitchen and in the living room and in Ken's office.  They love our iPads and computers.  Our exterminator has become our new best friend.   And we know a lot about Argentine ants.

These Argentine ants were introduced into the south just a few years ago and nothing really eats them.  They are tiny, less than a millimeter in length.  And they hate rain, so when the rain comes down, these ants search for dry spots,  so find their way indoors.   Their homes are in trees and only come out of the tree when it pours.  They do not like wet feet.

So far, the exterminator has come to our house six times in the last two weeks.   We thought we had gotten ahead of the problem but yesterday morning when the house was being washed, thousands of these tiny ants could be seen in the living room just under the windows.  We sprayed and this afternoon, our bug man came once again and sprayed both inside and out.  We are making head way.   We now see thousands rather than the millions of last week.  And if the rains will stop, these ants will stay up where they belong.

The exterminator tells us that they have never before had an infestation of these ants such as this year.  Fortunately, they do not bite and are tiny.  But I am ready to have them gone.    The exterminator is having good business but even he is ready to get them gone.  Once again, a good sense of humor is a major asset.  We are grateful for having no ants in our pants.

November 9, 2015. Madison, Ms. Grandparents Day.

Molly attends Christ Covenant School.  Last Friday, the school held an event specifically for grandparents.  Parents were not invited.   Now I have attended grandparents day before, both in Potomac for Kate and Mary Frances and in Texas for Sarah, Abigail, Allison and Samantha, and I have enjoyed every one.  Each event has been special, both for the grandparent and the child.  Molly was extremely excited to think that both grandmothers would be attending and would be visiting her class room.

I was astonished at the number of people in attendance.  The large double gym was full of tables and people.  The place was jammed.  and it was well organized.  The program moved along quickly, with each grade singing a song, with the 5th grade students giving information about the piece to be sung.  The comments were brief and the singing was spirited.   The music teacher must be good because she chose pieces that the children loved.  They obviously enjoyed their singing.  And the last piece was sung by all students.

The songs were all upbeat and jazzy, which the kids loved.  I would like to point out that Molly could sing the syncopated parts, which is not true for many students.  She must have music in her soul.  And many of the pieces could have been heard in a Salvation Army service, which was fun for me.   The other grandmother took us out for lunch, chosen by Molly.  She selected the bagel place.  It was fun and festive.  Molly loved the whole day and so did I, even though I know full well that the grandparents day is a fund raiser for the school as well as a day for public relations.  The teachers and administrators obviously work hard to help the children learn.  For that a grandmother is grateful.

November 8, 2015. Madison, Ms. The TV and Internet.

We have certainly lived without them but for two days, we went without either once again.   Starting around noon yesterday, both our TV and Internet would not work.  Ken and I decided the torrential rains were impacting the line and when I called AT&T, they agreed that the problem was with the line.   Every time I am forced to call the customer service department it takes me almost an hour, which eventually ends with an appointment with the technician coming to check our system…tomorrow.   This will be the third visit to our home.  Yesterday evening and today, we were cut off from the world.

Much to our surprise, the tech was a woman.   We enjoyed talking with her.  She is one semester away from getting her degree in IT, which she is obtaining on line.  She works full time with AT&T while she gets her education on line.  She arrived today at 4:00 and left at 5:30 for her next appointment.  Her twin sons, who are two,  are with her parents when she works in the evening.   Her course with AT&T lasted 10 weeks.  When she graduates, she will go to graduate school, again on line.   She said that it is the only way she could get her education and work full time as well as care for her children.

We were irritated with our lack of TV and Internet but now all is well.  And we were delighted to meet Constance, our new technician, who fixed our system and was cute and personable too.  She also gave me her cell phone so I no longer need to call customer service.  I asker her one question which was "Where did you get your IT training?"  And we all learned something new.

November 6, 2015. Madison, Ms. Rain. Rain. Rain.

Ever since Don and Doreen arrived on October 28 it has been raining.  Ken checks the weather forecast each morning, which predicts alternately cloudy and sunshine.  But the forecast is always wrong.  What we get is more rain.  Christina and the girls came home from Nova Scotia in mid July.  There had been no rain until we arrived October 19.  Since then, the rain has fallen on parts of every day.  It is like living in a monsoon.

The good thing is that the reservoir is filling up and the plantings are getting a well deserved drenching.   The difficulty this weekend is the PGA golf tournament being held this weekend in Jackson, sponsored by Sanderson Farms, a Mississippi institution.  It rained most of Thursday and all today.  It is pouring right now and is expected to rain all day tomorrow.  Sunday might be cloudy.  I don't expect the golfers will be able to play in this weather.

The interesting thing is that the rains have followed us around the country.  We had huge rains and flooding in Texas in the Spring and are experiencing torrential rains here in Jackson.  Fortunately we like the rain, but when visitors are here, they might like to go for a walk every now and then.   Jackson does get 52 inches of rain on average per year but neither Ken nor I have experienced this sustained rain, day after day and all night too.  Don and Doreen will just have to visit us again, when the sun might shine.  But I don't think it will happen this visit.

November 5, 2015. Madison, Ms. Baldomero Chantes.

He wants us to call him Chantes, which I fully understand.  Baldomero is quite a handful to use on a regular basis.  So everyone calls him Chantes.  He is one of the more interesting person we have met recently.

Our old handyman Bill was excellent but when we left in the Spring, we left him with three major tasks left undone.   We returned recently to find nothing done but with many text messages promising to come soon to complete the work.  For a few days we believed him but Bill seems to have disappeared so we went ahead to try to find another handyman.  That person was Chantes, a referral from our mover John and our cleaning lady Elizabeth.

Chantes is from Cuba.  He and his family emigrated in 2007.  He is 59 and thin as a rail.  He arrived in Jackson in 2009.  "Most Cubans end up in Miami", said Chantes, "But we prefer the quiet of Jackson."  He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cuba, with an advanced degree from Moscow.  When he arrived in the US, he had three tasks:  to learn English, to take the exams to obtain papers in his field and to earn a living.   Two tasks were accomplished.  He went into the construction business, working with a real estate company fixing up houses.  And he has his own business working as a handyman.   And a good handyman he is.  In addition, he is enthusiastic and reliable.

I would love to know what compelled the family to leave Cuba.  They have been to Toronto only once, when they changed planes at the airport.  One day I might get the story but at the moment, I am delighted that he has installed the pulls in the kitchen cabinets.  He has made my life easier so I am grateful for Chantes.  I suspect he will not disappear.

November 4, 2015. Madison, Ms. Workmen.

The men who come to work on our house are all young, except for the handyman, who is 59.  I think it is a good sign for the community when the skilled craftsmen are young.  The plumbers are young who work for the company we use.  They are competent and pleasant and seem to enjoy their job.  Today we had a young man arrive from the company we hired to clean the windows.  He was working by himself and cleans the windows by hand.  Unfortunately, he could not clean many of the outside windows because they are too high off the ground.  Tomorrow he will return and power wash the outside of the house.  I have yet to figure out how to get the outside windows clean.

The new fridge was delivered today.  Last week when we ordered it, at Lowes,  delivery date was three weeks, but yesterday it had arrived so this morning bright and early the store called to say it would be delivered between 8 and 10.  At 9, the doorbell rang and the fridge was there.  The old huge fridge was hauled away and the brand new freezer/fridge is now in place.   The young men had trouble removing the old fridge but they persevered and soon it was gone.  Tomorrow morning the plumber will attach the water line and we will be up and running.

Thanks to all these young competent hard working men, our house is bit by bit shaping up.  We are fortunate to have this many workers available.

November 3, 2015. Madison, Ms. An Excursion.

This morning we took a small excursion.  Don and Doreen have been here almost a week so I thought a little drive around the Reservoir was in order.  After such a long journey in the car from Toronto to Mississippi, you do not want to get back into the car for any drive, short or long, so up until today, we just drove to places around town.  But today we drove around part of the Reservoir.  We all enjoyed our small excursion.

The Natchez Trace follows right along the side of the Reservoir.   I was driving and drove the cars behind me nuts because I do not drive the speed limit.  I am seeing the sights.  We saw several Giant Egrets and bunches of little ones.  For a walk we stopped at the State wildlife management area where we usually walk out to a hut to see all the ducks.  Except today there were no ducks.  Ken and I have walked in the same place many times and always seen many more types of ducks than we can recognize.  But today there were no ducks.  In the distance we saw half a dozen egrets so we were happy.

Right at the end of the Reservoir close to home,  Ken suggested we drive right along the shore.  By then we were hungry so ate lunch at the Pelican Cove Cafe.  The windows were open right beside our table.  At the end of a pier,  not 20 feet away, was a Great Blue Heron devouring a fish he had just caught.  Then he sat and slept while we ate our delicious lunch of crawfish pasta and gumbo.  Soon we four were home for our own nap after our small but happy excursion.

November 2, 2015. Madison, Ms. Light Bulbs.

How many men does it take to change a light bulb?   In our house, the answer is three, especially one man is 82 and  another is 79.

Our breakfast room had one pot light burned out.  The ceiling is high so Ken and Don bought a long pole that holds attachments to push up and twist the light out.  We had something similar in Texas and it worked just fine.  Ken opened the package and set it up for the correct size.  Then Ken and Don tried to remove the dead bulb.  Doreen and I were listening from our secure perch in the living room, but we could hear every word.

First the pole came apart, then the part wrapped around the bulb would not budge.  Great hilarity was coming from the breakfast room.  Next Ken decided to use the suction cup of the mechanism to remove the bulb, but this time the whole end stuck to the build and would not move an inch.  By now they had two pieces attached to the bulb that was showing no signs of moving.  They decided to get the ladder.

Doreen and I were not pleased to hear of either of them going up the ladder so Doreen volunteered to climb up and remove the two parts by hand.  Even with the ladder she was unable to do anything.  More chortling and chuckling were heard.

Finally today, our new handyman Chantes installed the new bulb, which took 5 minutes.  So the answer to the question of how many men does it take to change a light bulb is really one, but it must be one under 60.  Our old guys had great fun but it needed the young one to get the job done.

November 1, 2015. Madison, Ms. Consignment Shops.

The consignment shops in the Jackson area are excellent.  There are four worth visiting.  They are large and the quality of the items for sale is high.   I can not figure out why they are so good.  Other places with much larger populations don't come close to the variety and options available here.

When Don and Doreen were coming to visit, I was checking the guest room  and discovered that, although the room was pleasant, the room had no drawers, so the four of us went shopping at the consignment shops to find a long chest or buffet to fit the space.   We fanned out into the first store and checked out all available options.  When an object seemed feasible, we called to each other to check it out.  We had fun.

The first object Ken found was a beautiful buffet, made of solid mahogany but it was too big for the guest room.  He decided it would look great in our bedroom but I was not sure it would fit.  But I found a white, long low chest perfect for the guest room, so we bought it.  Our plan was to measure, then call the owner to tell her our decision on the lovely piece.  It took us 20 minutes.

We celebrated our purchase by eating lunch at a wonderful Italian restaurant in the Renaissance.   And when we got home we measured, then bought the buffet for the bedroom.  The chests were delivered the next day and both look as if they were always in place.  we four were pleased with our shopping.