March 11, 2014 - Msg 97024: Good morning, porch! I'm running an hour late this morning. I use my cordless phone as an alarm clock, and had forgotten to change the time on it. It doesn't change automatically, but I guess I thought it did. Good thing I woke up on my own. I was just lying there, waiting for the phone to sound off, and when it didn't, I looked at a clock and realized it was almost an hour later than I thought it was. Oh well.

That little flock of cedar waxwings is in the back yard, about fifty of them, and all trying to get into a small birdbath at one time. They're such beautiful little birds. I always feel a little bit blessed when they visit my yard. They're travelers, transients. They don't settle anywhere for long. Not exactly migrating, just always on the move, within their seasonal area.

Well, got to get Toye Starr over to the groomer. I usually do her myself, but once or twice a year I take her to this very good groomer, who uses scissors to shape up her long coat. She trims the straggly hair, and gives her a clean line, and cleans her little face up a bit. Starr doesn't seem to mind going, so I'm confident that they're gentle with her.

After I drop her off, I have to pick up a friend and take her to the CPA to see and sign her tax return. She's partially disabled and doesn't drive, so just needs a ride.

Boo, good luck with the dog-bite thing. Anyone who taunts a barking dog probably isn't too bright, so don't expect that man to be terribly reasonable. If he habitually does that, you'd think he would have sense enough not to do it, or even to pass your house, if the gate was open. He was just asking for trouble, and he got it.

While I'm gone, David and Jerry are coming here to see if they can locate the source of the water leak up in my front hallway. I'm very afraid it's under the slab, and Jerry has a listening device to locate it. Right now, all I know is the carpets are wet. Very wet. Oh, mercy. That's about all I needed, but this too shall pass.

Blessings! --Romeena
March 11, 2014 - Msg 97025: It just took a second to sweep the porch, so I did it. It was already pretty clean after Floyd swept it yesterday. --Romeena
March 11, 2014 - Msg 97026: Boo, A lot of times dogs have a better feelings about people than we do, so maybe watch out more for the neighbor than the dog?

Asa, Hope your recert training goes well, thos classes can be as "dry as dust" sometimes but don't tell that to Opie or he may print it in his paper, then you may not get an "A"....

Romeena, I think my bird feeder being empty may be more from the squirrels then the birds, I caught one shimming up my Shepard's hook to get to it. Maybe I'll grease the hook with some Crisco and see if that helps, but I did put a pile of my sunflower seeds on the ground for them to eat instead.
Back to snow tomorrow we are suppose to get 5" of the stuff. I hope that's Winters final hurrah but I would bet not!

G-F......
March 11, 2014 - Msg 97027: Hi All.
G F just keep that white stuff there in your state.

TOM

March 11, 2014 - Msg 97028: I will TOM... I have had enough snow & cold how about you? I'm ready for some WARM weather from MDC...G-F
March 11, 2014 - Msg 97029: That is a good point, G-F (about the neighbor). Bruce told me that there have been a few times that he was out working in the yard when the guy was walking by and he said that even though the gate was shut and the dogs were contained, he would yell out and tell Bruce, "You better keep those dogs up!"...even though they were within the fence. Not sure what his deal is but I do think he bears watching.

Bruce feels like you do, Ro. He thinks the guy needs to use his head and maybe take a different route on his walks. I do think dogs can sense what people are like sometimes. There have been times that I have been walking past a yard with barking dogs and if I stop and speak sweetly to them they start wagging their tails and become marshmallows. My dogs obviously perceive him as a threat.

Pretty nice day here in south texas. We have been getting some light rain the past few days so the wild flowers are already popping up around her.

Boo
March 12, 2014 - Msg 97030:
Good to hear from you TOM. You missed all the excitement.
Another APB for BIG MAUDE and LUCY!
Boo--I hope all works out ok with your neighbor.
GF--how did the backflow testing go?
I heard that you may get yet another storm!
I'll box up some sunshine for ya.
AZ does NOT go on Daylight Savings because we dont want any more HOT daylight in the summertime than we already have with mountain standard time. The sun goes down a bit after 8 PM on the longest day of June 21, and that is long enough! ha
For now, I've got a nice warm cup of joe, and
about 59 degrees on my back patio as i type this.
Prayers friends,
MDC

March 12, 2014 - Msg 97031: Good evening, porch. Well, I've got a mess on my hands. Further investigation has shown that the carpet and padding is wet not only in my front hallway, but in the three bedrooms that open off that hallway! Slab leak is the first thing that comes to mind, but we have pretty much ruled that out. Yesterday about 6 pm, I shut off the ice maker, put towels over the water faucets in the house and closed the commodes, to remind me if I used one, not to flush it. Then I went to the water meter with a little Sharpie pen, and placed a tiny dot on the glass right at the end of two of the points of the red triangle in the meter. That's the one that moves whenever there is even the tiniest flow of water. When I checked it again this morning at 8 am, that triangle had not moved at all, not one hair width. Conclusion - no water at all had moved through that meter. The plumbers and the leak detection person all agree that even the tiniest leak would have registered, so I think we can conclude that there's no slab leak, or pipe leak, or any other kind of leak in the house.

Still, the carpets are wet, the wooden tack strips are sodden, so obviously water is entering somewhere. The current suspect is a combination of too much mulch in a flowerbed, which has built the grade up to the level of the weepholes in the brick, and a bowl-like depression at one corner, combined with a sprinkler head that wasn't spraying but was instead just letting the water flow down the standpipe, filling that depression. I know there's a 1 1/2" rise in the slab (the brick ledge) behind the brick wall, but enough water could eventually overcome that rise and flow out beneath the wall and into the room. Over a period of time, wicking action in the carpet pad would disperse the water everywhere. I'm pretty sure this is what has happened. I rarely go up into that part of the house, so it could just happily spread in the pad, beneath the carpet, and it wouldn't be noticed until someone stepped on it. Might not be noticed then if they were wearing shoes! We're going to dry out the area around that site, then fill that depression and see what happens. If water appears on the slab where we've pulled the carpet back, we'll know for sure.

So what are we waiting for? Ha! Perfect timing. Heather and Edwin and Trip are coming at noon tomorrow, will be here until Friday. I can't very well have all that going on while they're here. So, we've got industrial fans blowing beneath the carpet in the hall and the bedroom they'll use, and we'll make it work until Friday and the weekend. Then, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to scrap the carpet. Too much danger of mold. Will have to let everything dry out for a couple of weeks, and then consider new carpet. I don't think insur@nce will be involved. Even if they considered it an insurable situation, I have a $1600 deductible, and I don't think it will cost much more than that to re-carpet. I don't have to put top grade carpet in rooms that are used so rarely. So, if all it would mean is them paying a couple of hundred on the claim, it's not worth having a claim on the record.

Oh well. It's not a matter of life and death. I can't complain. It's annoying, but this too shall pass.

Daylight Savings Time? I love it! --Romeena
March 12, 2014 - Msg 97032: All the best to you RO.
It sounds like you've pinpointed the problem.
Sure hope that is it. Prayers for you.
BTW, I saw our Mr. Goss on a Rifleman ep yesterday.
He was the telegraph operator.
MDC
March 12, 2014 - Msg 97033: Romeena, I'm proud of you, your like a leak Detective or something you should get a badge! Water leaks are tricky things to find sometimes. At one of my Hi-rise buildings we would get a apt that would flood once or twice a year when the wind blew rain a certain way, come to find it was from the roof and not show up until it got to the 6th floor skipping floor 8 & 7 strange! I think you are on the right track, I also experienced the same scenario at one of my buildings that is on a slab but the culprit was a disconnected downspout line underground letting water into the weep hole soaking her carpet too. But don't rule out a crack in the slab too. All in all good luck in finding the problem but as you say: like last nights dinner..."This too shall pass"..

MDC, It was Asa taking the backflow test, I hope he's paying attention and staying awake. There may be some new tricks for him to learn... Yep more Winter storm warnings.. I am right on the fringe of the ice & snow, this one is coming off Lake Erie again... As for that box of sunshine, I'll even pay the postage!

G-F...
March 12, 2014 - Msg 97034: Good morning, porch! I slept like a baby last night, in spite of the roar of the fans in the front hallway. I've got a delicious-smelling stoup (that's beef and veggie soup that is so thick it's more like stew) in the crockpot, and deli beef and turkey for sandwiches in the fridge, so am ready for the kids when they get here.

Leak detective? Ha, that's funny. However, after 35 years as a nurse, it's natural for me to seek answers to problems and to think "outside the box." Slab leak does come to mind first, but I think since the meter didn't register even the tiniest flow of water on Monday night, we can rule that out. If there was even a pinpoint leak beneath the slab or anywhere else, it would have moved that little triangle, but it didn't budge. It's like it was glued down. We did run some water, and watched the triangle, just to make sure it wasn't stuck, and it spun like a top when we turned the hose on. So, as the leak-detection man told me, "if that triangle didn't move at all, then there ain't no way you've got a leak." Also, the carpet pad is very, very wet along that front wall, right at the point where I think the water was coming in. I think the water has been coming in there, and probably has done so for a very long time.

Anyway, I'm going to enjoy my kids for the next couple of days, and after they leave, we'll get back to work on it. I won't run that sprinkler zone, and have removed the hose from that faucet so no one will be using it, and no rain is expected. Therefore there should be no further water entry, unless we decide to test our theory. I'm coming to terms with the reality that the existing carpet is a goner. The pad is soaked, and will be smelling bad very soon. To try to change the pad, dry out the carpet and put it back down is silly. The carpet is now water-stained, and will also be smelly. So, I'll just bite the bullet and try to find a good sale. As I said, it's annoying, but not a matter of life or death. It's just carpet.

Well, back to my cookin' and cleanin'. It's chilly here today, but will be warming up. Supposed to get into the upper 60s. Blessings, porch! --Romeena
March 12, 2014 - Msg 97035: Happy Wednesday porch! just checking in and rocking for a minute. Hope all is well.

Raining this morning and about 52 degrees on my end of the porch. it has been warm and sunny until today and now the weather people are predicting wind advisories and temps to drop to the 30's with the wind chill in the 20's by tonight and tomorrow. Guess that is how we know it is March in Northeast Tennessee...crazy wacky weather.

Patrick and Beth are both on Spring Break this week. It has has been good extra time to spend with them. They are fun to have around. Patrick is set to graduate in May and has been accepted to graduate school to start in August. He has been given a graduate assistant position so apparently they will pay for his school and a little stipend for living expenses. He wants to use his mechanical engineering degree to work on eco cars. Hopefully his plan will work out.

Not much going on on my end of the porch, just working along and taking care of daily business.
Mr. Maude's job stress has improved a little so that is a great relief for him.

Happy the porch is back to normal! thanks to everyone who took care of the interloper problem.

Lunch menu will be: chicken salad croissants, chips, pickle spear. chocolate brownies for dessert. lemonade or tea to drink.

better get back to work.
prayers and blessings to all.
Big Maude
March 12, 2014 - Msg 97036:
Asa, my research indicates that the following US states and territories do not observe daylight savings time: Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Marianas Islands.
Also, you posted that Indiana recently adopted daylight savings time. However, when I used to live in Indiana many years ago, we had daylight savings time. I believe this was true for just a few counties in the northwest corner and a few counties in the southwest corner of the state. The rest of Indiana remained on eastern standard time all year with no daylight savings time. The northwestern counties wanted to have the same time as Chicago since many people commuted there for employment (I was one of them). And Chicago is on central standard time with daylight savings time in the summer. I'm not sure why the southwestern counties adopted daylight savings time.

Romeena, sorry to hear about your moisture problem. Hopefully it will turn out to be something not too expensive to repair. Years ago, we had water appearing in our basement apartment. It turned out we had damaged weeping tiles that needed to be replaced. That was a major project since it required digging a three foot deep ditch around the entire house.

from Poor Horatio
March 12, 2014 - Msg 97037: Good to see you, Maude. Enjoy the kids! Patrick is ready to graduate in May? Wow..already. He must be a smart cookie.

It's about 50 degrees, sunny and very windy here this morning. I like it but the wind sure is blowing the sand around.

Very sorry to hear about your leak, Ro. Just one of those hazards of being a home owner, I guess. Something always needs repair at some point.

Off to get blood drawn for routine labs.

Boo


March 12, 2014 - Msg 97038: Hi, porch. Big Maude, I just can't believe Patrick is ready to graduate. Good grief, where has the time gone? He sounds like a focused, ambitious young man, and I have no doubt he'll achieve his goals.

Ack! Poor Horatio, I sincerely hope we don't have to dig a ditch around the house! Not likely, actually. We just have to pull that layer of mulch and compost back from a stretch of exterior wall, about twelve feet long. Years ago, we actually built a little channel along that wall, to allow the sprinkler water to drain away, but over time, it has filled with leaves and become obscured, and then the guys forgot it was there and it's full of soil and mulch. Nobody's fault, these things just happen.

After the kids leave, I'll choose new carpet and ask whoever is going to install it to first come and remove all the old carpet and pad. Then I'll leave the floor bare for a month or so, just open concrete. As I've said, that area isn't used, and if someone does come, it would be family, and they can and would deal with the concrete. After I'm satisfied that everything is fully dried out, and no water has appeared from an unexpected place, I'll have the carpet people go ahead and install the new carpet. I did a little investigating last night, and it looks like I can get a decent mid-grade carpet and a good pad for the whole area for about $2k. I might even do a little better than that if I can find a good sale. I guess we'll see. A friend who used to work in a carpet mill gave me a tip. He said to never cut corners on quality of the pad. Put a top-grade pad under a mid-grade carpet, and you'll have a good "walk." Put a cheap pad under a top-grade carpet, and it will feel like cheap carpet. The pad is the key. I think he's right. The carpet that's in there now was a mid-grade, but I put a 7/8" pad under it, and it was like walking on clouds. Well, enough about my wet carpet.

Boy,is that "stoup" smelling good! It contains stew beef, onions, celery, carrots, yellow squash, zucchini, cabbage, tomatoes, and kale. You can just see the vitamins floating in it. It's very thick, I haven't added any water, and probably won't. The kids won't be here for a couple of hours yet, so I'm thinking I'm going to have a little bowl of that stuff. It just smells wonderful. I made a lot, so come on by and I'll share!

Blessings. --Romeena
March 12, 2014 - Msg 97039: That ditch around the house sounds like a good idea. Dig it a little bigger and it can be a moat to keep out the cats, and salespeople.
I actually think I have to dig some kind of a trench off the stoop from the back door, because we always have water pooling right where we have to walk. Trouble is that it is concrete so I will probably have to rent something to do it.

Boo, that is one thing that I don't like when we happen to have warmer days. The wind tends to pick up and takes away whatever warmth we might have gained from the rising temps.

Hope your routine tests turn out to be all routine, if you know what I mean. No surprises.

Romeena, that stew sounds good. Except for the cabbage. I don't think my stomach would "stomach" it. ;)

You all have a great day!



-Sterling Holobyte
March 12, 2014 - Msg 97040: Romeena, That's a smart thing letting the concrete stay open until it dries out completely and the water mystery is solved by spring rains. It will give you time to shop for carpet... Hey, Clara knows a guy out by the Interstate who will sell you carpet at 60% off retail... Wait, Wait, better not trust Clara's judgment since that cheap BEEF episode at Diamond Jims. Better to trust Angie's List? Better yet, YOUR OWN!!

G-F....
March 12, 2014 - Msg 97041: You're right, G-F. I do have my own list, too. Ted (my contractor friend who fixes things around here) knows several carpet people. Also, Jerry (Brittney's dad) owns 11 rent houses, so you can bet he has bought some carpet over the years. I have no doubt I can find a good deal somewhere. It won't be a problem to leave the concrete bare for a month or so. I want to be very sure we aren't going to have a repeat performance, and I also want to be very, very sure that everything is completely dry. I don't want to take any chances with mold.

Sterling, sorry about the cabbage bothering your stomach. Some people do have trouble tolerating it. There's not much cabbage in it, but there is some, and some kale as well. Fortunately, I have the digestion of a garbage disposal - absolutely nothing bothers me. I can eat peppers so hot they practically burst into flame, and I can eat cabbage and any other greens. I like everything - can't think of a veggie I won't eat - and nothing bothers me. I am blessed, indeed. --Romeena
March 12, 2014 - Msg 97042: Hey Folks, I'm glad to see that things are going okay so far as the porch is concerned. If y'all have any more trouble, let me know and I'll do what I can.

Romeena, I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. I can't do too much to fix that type problem. -- Floyd
March 12, 2014 - Msg 97043: Thanks Floyd...just a quick trouble check...45 mph winds moving in here in ga...may be a long night at the power company...send food...prayers...SPOT
March 13, 2014 - Msg 97044: Aw, c'mon, Floyd! Don't you know some magic keystrokes that will dry my carpets and solve the problems? Well, that's okay. I know you'd do it if you could. --Romeena
March 13, 2014 - Msg 97045:
Good evening all! Ro, it sounds like you got things going along. But what will you do with the furniture that would normally be in those areas?
MAUDIE--I knew the APB would bring you back.
I also cant believe that patrick has been away for four years, or will he graduate early?
BOO--did Sean get his car fixed yet?
FLOYD--you are a prince of a fella. Thanks
Nite honeys and dears,
MDC

March 13, 2014 - Msg 97046: It's me, It's me I'm Ernest T.
March 13, 2014 - Msg 97047: Good Morning porch. very cold and windy on my end of the porch. we even have a light dusting of snow. hard to believe it was 72 degrees on Monday!

MDC: it has actually been almost 5 years for Patrick being in college. he took that a year from classes to do a work engineering co op. we have told him to do all the school he can now while he is young, not married and has the time to commit. I know when I went back for my masters degree I had to work full time and do it part time and it was very stressful. hopefully, he will and not
March 13, 2014 - Msg 97048: oops, not sure what happened. my post posted right in the middle of a sentence. wonder what causes that?

anyway to finish my sentence. he will and not wait until he is older, married and has kids!

That APB always scares me MDC. never know when the state police will be after Big Maude.

Hope you get your carpet dried out Romeena. you have a good attitude about things and a plan so that is good. Having a plan always makes me feel better.

well gotta get this work day started.

Don't be throwing no rocks now Earnest T.

Lunch will be: potato soup with real bacon bits, shredded cheese, mexican cornbread. tea, lemonade.
brownies for dessert.

Big Maude
March 13, 2014 - Msg 97049: Good morning, porch! It's a little chilly here at 52°, but it will warm up. Sunny, no wind, lots of critters out and about. Beautiful! Heather and Edwin and Trip came in yesterday afternoon, and as I knew they would, they just rolled with the punch of the carpet mess. Their bedroom is just a little wet in one corner, their bathroom is intact, and the hallway that they have to use to get to the bathroom was dried out fairly well by the big fans. So, we're all fine.

To answer your question, MDC, the furniture will stay in the rooms while everything is drying out. Most of it sits a bit above the floor anyway, so is only wet on the "feet" of the pieces, and even that isn't bad. The pad was soggy, but the carpet stayed fairly dry unless it was stepped on. Wicking action drew the moisture through the pad, and where heavy stuff was sitting on it, it compacted the pad enough that the wicking stopped at that point. Actually, I think the only damage is going to be to the pad and carpet, and I'll just replace it after the concrete dries, and I'm sure the walls are dry and there's no more water coming in. Like I said, annoying, but that's all, Nothing that can't be fixed.

Thanks, Maudie. I learned many years ago that life is generally about as good or as bad as you make it. Lots of things happen to us that we can't control, but how we respond to it can make it worse, or make it better. Maybe we can't fix some things but we can make it better, even if only a little better. I've watched my DIL, Brittney, as she dealt with losing her middle son at birth. She was devastated, of course, but she soon adopted an attitude that helped her deal with it. She said she knows he's safe with the Father, and she'll see him again someday, and he'll be in a normal form. Now she devotes several hours each month to a support group for families with similar loss. She's a treashuh!

Well, got to get off this keyboard and go play with my grandson. We're all going to load up in a minute and go out to Dave and Brittney's for the day. So glad it's spring break week!

Blessings, porch! --Romeena
March 13, 2014 - Msg 97050: Prayers for all porchsters .MDC,SPOT .. racing at Bristol this week ,should be great action .
MAYBERRY DEPUTY
March 13, 2014 - Msg 97051: You think the cabbage in Ro's stew/soup is bad,Sterling? Boo is having a prune party over on Facebook! For real,y'all!

I told her to go ahead & start the party without me!

********************
possum under a rock
March 13, 2014 - Msg 97052: Thanks, Sterling. Hopefully all is routine.

MDC, Bruce had a guy in the body shop at work take a look at his car today but he hasn't figured an estimate yet. He looked underneath and said something about a steel piece of the frame being broken in two places, though, and that sounds expensive. The poor car was hit pretty hard. You can still see the big, black skid marks on the highway caused by the truck that ran the stop sign and hit him.

The weather was outstanding here today! Sunny and in the 60's. St. Susan, her daughter-in-law and I took Erin and St, Susan's grandkids to a zoo about an hour north of us. it is a small zoo, specializing in endangered animals. Saw some really cute monkeys, an otter, tiger, lions, exotic birds. We took the kids for a picnic in the park, too. Really nice day.

Boo
March 13, 2014 - Msg 97053: Possum...you know you want to go...just admit you have a problem and eat some prunes. ;)

Boo
March 13, 2014 - Msg 97054: MDC, I said Bruce but I meant SEAN...

Boo
March 14, 2014 - Msg 97055:
Wow, boo, a broken frame is bad, even bent frames are often "total" a car. He may want to sell it and look for something else.
MD--good to see you. Always like the bristol track. And thanks for the prayers.
Our Mavis doesnt come here anymore, but I see her on FB. She would always talk about the crowds.

RO--enjoy the relatives and let the carpet wait.
Question--how did Jesus survive a 40 day fast? He
must have drank some fluids, as he took on a regular human body. Just a thought.
MDC
March 14, 2014 - Msg 97056:
Oh, and possum, good idea to skip the prune party,
especially when you live under a rock! haha
MDC
March 14, 2014 - Msg 97057: Prunes, huh?! I think the Klingon Lt. Worf on Star Trek:The Next Generation once called prune juice "a warriors drink". Of course, that was when he was first introduced to it. He may have called it something else a couple hours later. ;)

-Sterling Holobyte
March 14, 2014 - Msg 97058: Prunes? What's wrong with prunes, I like'em but as anything else...Moderation, Moderation, Moderation..haha As Rommena always says: "This to shall pass!"....
Boo, Sounds like you had a really nice day at the Zoo.. What's a nice day? It's been so long since we had a "Nice" day around her I can't remember what that's like! We do have sunshine, it's cold but since there is no snow I guess we can consider it a "nice" day. I'm ready for a "REAL" nice day so I can get back to flea marketing, and rocking on my front porch.. Dang mosquitos!
I know TOM is ready for some nice days too.. Right TOM?

G-F....
March 14, 2014 - Msg 97059:
GF--you mean as in Gomer talkin' 'bout his date, "nice, REAL nice!" lol
MDC
March 14, 2014 - Msg 97060: You all who aren't on facebook must wonder what in the world we are talking about. Possum mentioned an old vintage ad I posted, and in the ad, the slogan is "Let's have a prune party".

I like prunes, too G-F. Especially those individually wrapped ones that come in the tube..sold by Sun Sweet. Good! As you said, though, must be eaten in moderation due to their sugar and fiber content. ;)

Boo
March 14, 2014 - Msg 97061: Good afternoon, porch! Well, my kids left about an hour ago. We had such a good time. They're just nothing but fun to have around. No trouble at all, they take care of themselves, clean up after themselves, and help me with a lot of things. I had mentioned to Heather that my clothes closet was just making me crazy, crammed full of stuff that I never wear, and things piled in the middle to the point that I couldn't even walk in. Well, she hopped up, said "come with me", and yanked that closet open and started pulling stuff out. It's now clean, neat and organized and there are about six big bags of good clothing and shoes that I would never have worn again, but that will be great for someone else. I just closed my eyes and let her have at it! I would never have tossed all that stuff on my own. I would have continued to live with a crammed-full closet, and some homeless woman would have remained in need of clothing. Shame on me! I just needed someone to give me a shove.

Tomorrow a man is coming with his helper to remove the old carpet and get it out of this house! Then we'll let it all sit for a few weeks and dry completely, and then I'll put new carpet in. Oh, I remembered something else that pretty well confirms that the water was coming in through that weephole. Last December, when all the limbs fell during that ice storm, one of them hit the gutter, directly above the area where we think the water was entering. The gutter was pulled down about four inches, and badly bent. Thus, it was leaking. That run of guttering collects the water from the whole front of the house, including the garage. That would mean that even in a light rain, gallons of water would have been pouring into that depression by the weephole I mentioned earlier. That would certainly have been enough water to soak all those rooms. I had the gutter replaced about two weeks ago. So, fixing that weephole situation should solve the problem. That will cost nothing to fix. I'm so delighted that it wasn't a leak beneath the slab. That would have been at least a thousand dollars. God is good!

Sure did have fun with my grandson. He's barely six, very smart, and VERY active. He wore Toye Starr out playing with her, and she loved every minute of it. They brought their dog, Sir Max, and he's a great dog. Very calm, gentle and loving. We all went out to Dave and Brittney's house yesterday. I have never laughed so much in my life. All of my kids, when you get two or more of them together, are just hilarious. I don't know what it is for sure, they're just funny! They all have a great sense of humor, are not afraid to laugh at themselves, and are just generally fun to be around. We all went to a Chinese buffet for lunch (great food!) and then Brittney cooked broiled chicken and rice for dinner. It was delicious. For a girl who could barely boil water when she and David married, she has become quite a good cook. Anyway, we had a great time.

Well, guess I'll go start pulling stuff out of the closets in those front bedrooms so the man can get the wet carpet out of here. Blessings, all! --Romeena
March 14, 2014 - Msg 97062: Romeena... Like I said: "Your a leak Detective" Good on Ya! Sounds to me, Case Closed!
Plus a good time with the GrandKidders Yep, It's a good day.

Maybe MDC needs to read up on "Prune Parties"? He would be a Hit at his Dad's Retirement Home... YeeHaw!....

G-F....


March 14, 2014 - Msg 97063: Boy oh boy. I leave for a few days and now you're having prune party's. Such goings on. I declare, what am I to do?

I passed my training with flying colors. YOO HOO. That is by far the toughest and most intense training I do. I have to recertify every 3 years so I am good for a while.

I'm glad your water problems were not greater Romeena. We don't see much of homes on slabs here. The combination of frost in the ground and being in earthquake country requires footings and foundations to a depth of 3 feet minimum. And it sounds like you had a wonderful visit with your family.

Boo, I hope they can repair Seans car satisfactorily. When you start talking bent and broken frames, that makes it much more challenging.

Well I am going to enjoy the weekend. One without studying, thinking, testing, or even contemplating backflow testing, cross connections, or anything to do with it. :)

Prayers for all.

Asa
March 14, 2014 - Msg 97064: Asa, What are you to do?...EMBRACE THE PRUNE!!
You passed your test... Good on Ya! You know there's so much to learn these days. It's not like the old days, water in, water out, so no water go back, Guess So!...

G-F
March 14, 2014 - Msg 97065: I say old chaps. Is this Mt. Pilot?
March 14, 2014 - Msg 97066: Sorry friend(Msg 97065), but you'll have to go a little to the Northwest to find Mayberry. Just take Hwy 43 from Mt. Pilot and you should run right into it.

G-F, if they haven't already taken it, I see another slogan Sunsweet prunes can use in your "Embrace The Prune" statement.

-Sterling Holobyte
March 14, 2014 - Msg 97067: Msg 97065, sorry, for some reason I thought you were asking about Mayberry. If you are looking for Mt. Pilot, just take Hwy 43 SouthEast from Mayberry and you will run right into it. :)

-Sterling Holobyte
March 15, 2014 - Msg 97068:
G-F--If I said that at the home, they might think that I was talking about THEM, and not the dried fruit! ha
MDC
March 15, 2014 - Msg 97069: Well, I got two closets emptied out, and then my back gave out. There are two more, and I'll just have to do them tomorrow while the men are working in the other rooms. Enough is enough. I know when to quit.

Time for a glass of tea, a cookie, or maybe some fruit, and then to bed. I'm pooped! --Romeena
March 15, 2014 - Msg 97070: Hey there Porch Pals,
How are all y'all? I've enjoyed catching up on the Archives a bit. Thank you for the APB! I'm doing pretty well. Both Bryan and I have jobs! Yay! Thank y'all for praying.

Prune party?! Haha!

Thank you Floyd for keeping the porch going. You do a great job! I like your podcast.

GF, I agree with Tom, you can keep the white stuff! Spot and I have had enough weather drama this winter!

Boo, I hope your tests went well and the dog issue is settled. What are you doing on Facebook that Possum was talking about? I'm off social media for Lent. I feel so out of the loop!

Big Maude, your children sound lovely. You've done a wonderful job.

Hey to all! It's nearly 2am so I should go to sleep.

Blessings to you and yours,
Lucy
March 15, 2014 - Msg 97071: Thanks, Lucy....Possum is talking about a vintage ad I posted on facebook that showed some children in party attire and the caption read, "Let's Have a Prune Party".

Boo
March 15, 2014 - Msg 97072: Happy Saturday porch! A beautiful sunny breezy day on my end of the porch,

I'm being kind of lazy though. Things I need to do but not much motivation for the moment.

Thanks for the kind words about my kids Lucy. They have their moments at times but overall are great young adults and good fun. Patrick has a new girlfriend (sort of). They have been good friends since kindergarten. They have been " hanging out" quite a bit over the past couple months. She is a nice young lady (her name is Daysie) . Guess we shall see where this goes.

Hope everyone has a great day!
Supper menu: meatball subs, French fries. Honey bun cake for dessert.

Prayers and blessings
Big Maude
March 15, 2014 - Msg 97073: Good afternoon, porch. Big Maude, my David had known Brittney since they were four, being brought up in the same church. They knew each other well, but really weren't close friends at all. In fact, he thought she was a little wimpy because her feelings could get hurt easily when she was a teen, and she thought he was terrible because he teased everyone. They were in their early twenties when one day they just looked at each other differently, and decided there might be somebody worth investigating, on both sides. They started dating, her sweetness and depth of character became evident, and he was smitten. She suddenly realized that his teasing was good-natured, never cruel, and that he would support the underdog, always. Once they started dating, they really clicked. They had only had a few dates when my husband passed, and David had to cancel a date with her. When he told her why, she decided to go to Fredericksburg (where we were when Dale passed, and the family had gathered at my daughter's house there) and she just showed up at Robbi's house. She was a tremendous help, gathered up all the smaller children and took them outside and played with them, told them stories and kept them out from underfoot in the house. Even through the stunned fog I was in at the time, I realized what she was doing, and knew he had found a keeper. She has not disappointed me. I love that girl! So - sometimes these "known her forever" things work out very well. There's something there that was worthy of notice, even at a very young age. Trust your son. (I love that name - Daysie! Very sweet.)

The men have been here and gone, the wet and stinking carpet is out of the house. The man removed the baseboards where we are now very sure the water was coming in. There is a moldy spot about the side of a footprint on the wall behind the baseboard. That will be scraped clean, or cut out entirely. No sign of mold anywhere else. He also drilled 1" holes in the wall behind where the base board goes, about every two feet and has big fans blowing toward those holes, to help the wall dry out inside. He was very thorough. He had some carpet samples with him, and I found one that's very much like the old carpet. It's just a shade darker, and since it won't meet any of the original carpet anywhere, it will do nicely. I just ordered it, and he'll install it whenever I'm ready. His price was great, and there's no point in me driving all over Dallas looking at carpet and confusing myself with a bunch of options. I liked what I saw, and just said - do it! I'm all about keeping things simple these days.

Well, I think I'll go sit down in the shambles that is my home at the moment, and watch a little TV. This too shall pass.

Blessings, friends. --Romeena
March 15, 2014 - Msg 97074: Uh, that's "size of a footprint" up there. Sorry. --Romeena
March 15, 2014 - Msg 97075: Maude you make a mean 'meatball sub" Good...and love the skin home fries...I will bring the sweet tea...hey Queen of our porch Miss Romeena!..hey Local lucy!..MDC,possum,SH and all...68 here at the southern end of the porch...Mavis you ever get on here much?..Bristol race at your place tomorrow...had a good NW one today...Kyle gona be touch tomorrow also...well ler me get bibed up for the sub challenge...prayers...here all night at wk....SPOT
March 15, 2014 - Msg 97076: Can Wally fix Mr. Tuckers car? It sounds like chop wheat chop wheat chop wheat pucka pucka pucka pding pding.
March 16, 2014 - Msg 97077:
Hi all. Busy Saturday today, catching chicken thieves and what-not. Sunday shall be a day of rest, maybe I'll real the funnies before church. Ya all have good one! No horsehair tradin'.
Message 97076, get right on it Monday morning.
Peayers,
MDC
March 16, 2014 - Msg 97078: So Patrick has a girlfriend named Daysie that he has known since childhood. How sweet!! Maybe by the time he finishes graduate school we will hear some wedding bells.

Went to the beach yesterday with Sean and his friends and had a very nice time. It was in the late afternoon and very few people on padre island. It was too cool, but still beautiful. Today is humid and foggy. Supposed to get a cold front by noon and it will get cold again.

Better get ready for preachin'!

Boo
March 16, 2014 - Msg 97079: Boo, Padre Island, Is that not where all the "Spring Breakers" go this time of the year? We went to Panama City Beach FL during Spring Break one time, What a mistake! It was beyond "Gone Wild"! Won't make that mistake ever again. We make sure now if we go to the ocean it's not spring break time. We used to take the kids when they were small to Myrtle Beach SC, but we waited until end of April before the season came in so we had heat but not the crowds...

G-F
March 16, 2014 - Msg 97080: Happy Sunday porch, went to Sunday school, church and then to lunch.

Mr. Maude and I had to stop by the funeral home for a visitation. A lady that lived in my neighborhood when I was growing up died on Thursday. She was 86. She was a colorful character most of her life. She had been sick for a long time. We know she is at peace now.

Please say a prayer for Patrick . He left at 2 pm traveling back
to school. He has a 3 1/2 hour drive. Not sure about those wedding bells.. Only time will tell. Daysie is in school as well but here in our area. She has a degree in cellular and molecular biology, a degree in bio chemistry and minor psychology. She is in a program now to enable her to manage a hospital lab. She is one smart girl. Not sure where this relationship will go . I trust Patrick to know what is best in his love life.

Well looks like " It's Bristol Baby" and the race is on. The rain has stopped and they have dried the track. We are about 40 minutes from the speedway so traffic has been crazy the last few days.

Supper menu will be: roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, corn casserole. Homemade rolls. Apple cobbler with ice cream. Tea, lemonade.

Prayers and blessings.
Big Maude



March 16, 2014 - Msg 97081: Just letting everyone know Patrick made it safely back to
Cookeville. Probably won 't see him til Easter.
Have a good night!
Big Maude
March 16, 2014 - Msg 97082: Wow what a meal Maude...here at work...back in a bit...SPOT

March 17, 2014 - Msg 97083:
Big Maude, glad he got back OK. And yup, funny how that traffic
increases when nascar fans hit town!
RIP David Brenner the comedian. I always liked his down home humor. Apparently he had cancer.
GF--one of his joke clip they played was "You ever notice that the same guy works at every gas station across the country..." ha
Also GF, do you remember when Mobil (I think) sold "710" oil?? Nothing to do with viscosity, it was just that the numbers spelled "OIL" upside down!
WOW, more winter for the south and east!! Will it ever be spring for you guys? Keep warm during this
winter of discontent!
Well, I bought a "new and improved" pocket hose from Walgeeens a few days ago. So far so good.
It certainly isnt for industrial use, but is lightweight and great to fill the birdbath, etc.
Finally, anyone ever notice that Mrs Wiley on tags is also Mrs Rayburn on Leave it to Beaver? :) :)
Prayers,
MDC


March 17, 2014 - Msg 97084: That's Clara Packer. She is the sister I think of Ed "Crumb" Packer. Also, Gilly Walker was a bomb expert in WWll with Group Captain Rodney Crittendon of the RAF who is Malcolm Merriweathers cousin. I think thats how it goes.
March 17, 2014 - Msg 97085:
Top o' the marnin' to ye lads and lasses!
Marnin' O'Honey, Marnin' MacDear.
McMDC here in the wee hours of Mondie marnin'.
God bless ye fine ones. Now I'll bed meself
down for a nap. :) McMDC
March 17, 2014 - Msg 97086: Happy St. Patrick's Day! Hope its a good one.

Thanks for letting us know that Patrick arrived safely, Maude.

Better get Erin off to school...


Boo
March 17, 2014 - Msg 97087: Who did Otis hit in the mouth with a leg of lamb? Was it frozen?
March 17, 2014 - Msg 97088: Happy Monday porch and Happy St. Patrick's Day porch! Hope all is well.

still trying to adjust to Daylight savings time.
It is dark at 6 am and just beginning to get daylight when I leave for work at 7:30 or so. I do like getting home and having daylight til about 7:30 though.

We had about 5 deer in my back yard last light about dusk. was sitting in my chair and looked out my bedroom window which is actually the size of a picture window. they were 5 good size deer that had cane down out of the woods that run along my back property line. Mr. Maude had out a deer block out on one of the tree stumps for them, the squirrels and the birds. they all seem to enjoy that. this time of year they critters have pretty much cleaned up all the God made food
so Mr. Maude tries to help them out at least till
Spring anyway.

well, guess I had better get back to work.

Lets have Ruben sandwiches and coleslaw for lunch in honor of St.Patrick's Day. chocolate cupcakes with green frosting for dessert. tea or green kool aid to drink.

Prayers and blessings to all
Big Maude

March 17, 2014 - Msg 97089: lol MDC, Also if you put 71077345 on your calculator and turn it upside down it spells Shell oil..ha

Goober McFife
March 17, 2014 - Msg 97090: Who say's you don't learn important things here on the porch...G-F Again

March 17, 2014 - Msg 97091:
Erin go braugh!
Well, I guess I quaffed one too many ales last night. ha
I hope spot and possum and big maude and tom and asa and GF all make it thru this latest big freeze!
Even DC is in for snow, but I guess theyve snowed us
for years! LOL,
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
McMDC

March 17, 2014 - Msg 97092: Top o' the mornin' to ye all! And a fine mornin' it is here, with clear skies, a flood of sunshine, and critters everywhere. I love it!

Goober McFife, your education was worth every penny. You always have a wee gem of information to share with us. Valuable information it is, too. Everyone needs to know how to spell Shell oil upside down. (heehee)

Maudie, that's nice of Mr. Maude to put provisions out for the wildlife. I'd be so thrilled to see deer in my back yard! A little surprised too, considering that I live in town! I'll never be blessed with deer, but I do get some surprises now and then. We have a resident possum (the wild kind, not like our dear Possum), and a raccoon ambles through now and then. Years ago, a mama skunk raised three little skunks in our tool shed out back. We didn't bother them, and they never bothered us, at least not until the night my neighbor's dog decided to challenge them. He learned a valuable lesson that night, and had to sleep on his owner's back patio for several nights, instead of in the house. As I recall, it took a lot of tomato juice and about eight baths to render him socially acceptable.

Otis hit his mother-in-law with the leg of lamb, and yes, it was frozen. Barney saw her later that day, coming out of the dentist's office. We were wondering, mystery poster, if you plan to identify yourself?

Well, got to get busy. I have huge piles of closet contents to sort through and whittle down. I'm NOT putting all that stuff back in the closets after the new carpet goes down. After 40 years in this house, you just cannot imagine what I've accumulated. It's got to go! Incredibly, most of it is Christmas stuff. I've got enough Christmas stuff to decorate four houses, and that's just ridiculous.

My kids will want some of it, but not much. They have their own. I've notified them that I'm cleaning things out, and told them if they want anything to come and get it. Not a peep have I heard. However, you just watch. After it's gone, I'll hear from them -- "Oh, you didn't get rid of (whatever). They don't have room in their houses, and don't want this stuff, but they don't want me to get rid of it, either. Grrrr.

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand. (Traditional Gaelic blessing.)

And when ye pass, may ye be in Heaven an hour before the Divil knows ye're dead! --Romeena