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Thursday, Apr. 25, 2024

7:47am EDT

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PORCH PONDERINGS

by QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham

Rated: 13+ · Book · Biographical · #2198921

Norma's Wanderings around a small section of Montana

Well, hey there!
Welcome to Roundup, Montana! If it's a nice day, we'll sit a spell on my porch and talk awhile.

"All the resources we need are in the mind.” Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th President of the United States of America.

Another quote I find interesting: "Creativity is intelligence having fun." Albert Einstein

What's on your mind today?

Signature for use by anyone nominated for a Quill Award in 2020

Signature for nominees of the 2019 Quill Awards

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Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Kåre Enga in Udon Thani

about 5 hours ago
In response to "Oscar and Tony and Grammy winner !!!"

I don't have to explain my trip back to Montana as you get the picture.

I've been stressed for so long...

I can relax at the hostel and in Seoul airport.

Need to arrange a ride home though...

I assume you'll not be available.

QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham

about 6 hours ago
In response to "Drama"

Elycia Lee ☮

Try cutting back your plants. Then try dusting them gently. They breathe through the surface of the leaves.
I found this on Google about rubber plants:
Water when the soil is almost completely dry. ...
Spray with a mister every few days, they like to keep their leaves moist.
Place in a bright room, but keep away from super sunny windows to avoid sunburn Between 15°C to 25°C is their optimum temperature.

Kåre Enga in Udon Thani

Apr 20, 2024 at 11:50am
In response to "Drama"

I should be in Missoula May 1st. Chance of 20° or 70° ... sun, rain, snow, tornadoes, earthquake, Yellowstone blowing up?

Elycia Lee ☮

Apr 20, 2024 at 11:02am
In response to "Drama"

I never overwater them, but I think I'm underwatering them. The leaves are curling. When I put them out, their leaves burn. When I wipe them, lines appear on them... I really wanna start over, but I don't know how to... My rubber plants bottom stem leaves have dropped. Only the top is growing. For one of them, their baby leaf hasn't been growing for over 6 months now... Sounds like you've got quite the green finger there.

QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham

Apr 20, 2024 at 11:00am
In response to "Drama"

QPdoll

It was good to be out and work in the garden. We were both tired after, but that's okay. Digging in dirt always helps. There is always dirt in our lives. We have to dig up through it to get to the shining world on the other side.

1 Like

QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham

Apr 20, 2024 at 10:57am
In response to "Drama"

Elycia Lee ☮

Well, if your rubber plants aren't doing well, try dusting them. Prune them. Don't overwater. I always am cutting back things. Makes people nuts. But sometimes you have to cut back the dead to to get to the living. A metaphor for lots of things in our lives.

1 Like

QPdoll

Apr 20, 2024 at 10:47am
In response to "Drama"

Drama, indeed! Glad you were able to take some stress relief time.

Elycia Lee ☮

Apr 20, 2024 at 10:44am
In response to "Drama"

I'm actually jealous that your fallback plan to stress-relief is gardening.

Can you infect some to me? Currently, all I have is an iron plant and two rubber plants. My rubber plants are not doing well. Your job does sound interesting.

1 Like

Elycia Lee ☮

Apr 11, 2024 at 5:36am
In response to "Test Results"

EMG sounds horrible. Get well soon. Hope this phase in life would pass and that you would have that quiet period that you yearn for.

1 Like

Schnujo is Late to Lannister

Apr 11, 2024 at 3:30am
In response to "Test Results"

Wow! You do have a lot going on, but I'm glad you're trying to make the best decisions you can for yourself.

I had an EMG once. Yeah, not a pleasant experience and mine yielded no new info, so that was even worse -- it was all for nothing.

I hope things improve soon! Take care of yourself!

1 Like

August 30, 2020 at 7:29pm

#991906

Time to Drag out the Winter Hats?

It is too cold to sit on the porch. I wanted to wear a winter hat when I took my mid-day walk today. But then I thought, NO! It's still August, for pity sake. Someone at hubby's church today told him it was her birthday. In year's past there has been frost

on her birthday.

Oh my! Well there is definitely a change in the weather! I couldn't sleep last night.

Tossed and turned all night. The barometer bottomed out, the moon

was full.

So we enter a new phase here in Musselshell County. We passed the magic number per the Governor. 4 active virus cases, so we are at the mask in public phase. There was a blurb on Facebook that all kids have to have a mask in school tomorrow. I have a friend that is anti-mask. She got a part-time job at the elementary school this year. Hmmm, I wonder how that will sit with her and her children. I'll wear one if required. Not happy about it, but will do it if asked.

The handyman, Scott, is here again today to work on the never-ending remodeling project. But I have to say I do see a small light at the end of the tunnel. It is faint, but it is there.

Maybe the curtain rods can go up. Maybe..........

Like I said before, weather in Montana is fleeting. Summer is a visitor. It comes for a few weeks, says hello, then before you know it, it's gone. I hardly have time to wear any warm clothes before it's time to get out the long johns again. Darn.....

But at least I can finally soon claim victory on the battle against the grasshoppers.

Queen Norma Jean

1 Like • Comment • View 1 comment

August 28, 2020 at 10:16pm

#991786

49 to 94

Well, what a wondrous cool day on the porch today. It never got much above 85 today. Tomorrow's forecast is so amusing I have to share: 49 in the morning, and 94 as a high. Ha!

There was something going around Facebook lately. Remember if you move to Montana, it will be 104 degrees in summer and -40 in winter, that is a temperature range of over a hundred degrees.

We did the museum and for once we had a visitor. From Colorado. The first visitor we had on a Friday in weeks. Hurrah! We didn't want to get fired from our volunteer job.

We came back and sat on the porch to enjoy the cool air to blaring rock country music courtesy of our neighbor. She had backed her truck up to her front door, left the truck doors open and blared the radio as loud as can be.

Whatever. At least it didn't last too long.

Then down the Avenue went a Sheriff's car

, no siren. Lights, no siren. Okay. Soon after another Sheriff's car.

Lights, no siren. Interesting. Got my attention. Well, I am a nosey sort. I didn't get my walk in today. 'I think I'll take a bike ride. See where they went.' As I take off on the bike, the ambulance goes by. Lights, no siren. I am really curious now. So I go to the high school. Seems they were all at the school. Football practice. I hope no one got hurt badly. Then I pedaled on to a corner where hubby said he was curious about a house for sale. I never did find the house, but at least got some exercise.

Now here's something you rarely hear in August. Hubby just shut the front door, which we've been leaving open all night for the cool air. 'It's getting too cool.' And yes, we live in a town where we can leave our doors open all night without fear. Just like when I was a child in Ohio. Just leave the screen doors open. Wonderful.

Queen Norma Jean

2 Like • Comment

August 27, 2020 at 10:55am

#991692

Another Norma Jean

So did you know Norma Jean was Marilyn Monroe's real name? Well, real first name anyway. I like to think I was named after her. But alas, no. I was named for one of my mother's friends.

Do you think she could have made it in this day of body shaming and body obsession? She always seems to be so oblivious to her sexuality in her movies. Innocent almost. Love that about her. But then, was it innocent? Was all that attention to her something that drove her to distraction and to her death?

Ah Marilyn Monroe. A real icon.

1 Like • Comment

August 26, 2020 at 3:25pm

#991650

Stocking Feet for the Fireman

Today the porch is cooler. A big wind

storm blew through last night. It took some heat and smoke away. It also brought a bit of rain and cooler temperatures.

Before the big blow, I walked to a Chamber of Commerce meeting. As I approached the fire department building, the siren

went off. Oh great, I thought, another fire. It's been hot and dry for a week. Fires

are not uncommon at this time of year. Grass fires mainly. And they say it's due to combines, farm machines, sparks. So I walk a bit further to see come screaming down the street four or five trucks. Our fire department is all volunteer, by the way. One guy parks and jumps out, no shoes, stocking feet, runs into the building. Another guy jumps out of his truck, leaves his blinkers on. Another parks and runs into the building. Within the space of five minutes all the crew for the one fire truck have assembled and off the truck goes, sirens blaring, down the street. More people arrive to man more trucks. I watch from across the street for a few moments then continue on my way to the meeting. As I walk I see a sheriff go screaming down the street with his sirens and lights on headed in the same direction as the fire truck. I say a quick prayer for all involved.

The Chamber meeting was uneventful. Talk of this and that, like trying to juggle cats.

We want to get the members to do something to get businesses involved in bettering the town. Well, good luck with that. A few of us want to get a new Chamber of Commerce welcome center going. Well, good luck with that.

After the meeting I walk home again, a nice walk on a warmish evening, glad I can walk safely in a small town. I say hi to a friend sitting on her front porch.

Today we did meals on wheels, as usual. Now I am getting ready to go to church then to the thrift store to volunteer. It is my busiest day of the week. Play practice is later this evening.

Life is good and busy and safe in our little corner of Montana.

3 Like • Comment • View 4 comments

August 24, 2020 at 10:06pm

#991516

A Sad Day

Today is a sad day for me. It was a year ago today that our dog passed away. I still miss my friend. Every day.

BOOK

When a friend goes away

(E)
R.I.P. Bonnie 8/24/19 1:40 PM
#2199045 by QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham

1 Like • Comment • View 1 comment

August 23, 2020 at 11:37pm

#991448

The Sisters Brothers at Book Club

We've just about recovered from our Memorial Bonnie Hike. It sure was fun, but boy, hiking 8 miles in a day can wear a person out. Good thing we walk every day. We talked about that tonight. I always have walked, since a child I've liked to be outside rather than inside. I remember walking a lot when my children were small. We only had one car, and my husband at the time, a different one from current hubby, used it when he did work. So if I wanted to go anywhere, I walked. Walked to the store, to the library, to downtown, anywhere we wanted to go during the day.

About the hike, so we went to the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness area. This is above Gardiner, beyond Jardine. Jardine was a little tiny town in the mountains that had a gold mine, then arsenic mine. It now has a scattering of homes and an outfitter that does horseback riding. This trail takes you through unspoiled pine and fir trees, over streams, past wetlands. Gorgeous wonderful backcountry area. We saw no one all day. It was perfectly quiet, except for some bird sounds. The landscape was green, so we know there had so have been quite a bit of rain recently. So we walk along, gaining elevation all the way until we come to our destination, Knox Lake. I think we find this special because hubby's mother's name was Knox. This little lake had some fish jumping in it while we ate a snack beside it. Some people one time said there were fish in it, but small ones. So we never try to fish there. The best part of the hike was turning around at the lake and knowing that you are half way out and the rest of the way is basically down hill. Of course, you go up and down some, but you end up at a lower elevation. Eventually. 3 hours later.

Today was a cooler day here in Roundup. But still a little toasty. Our worker bee came and worked on the remodeling room. It is really coming together. The other day we got the closet organizer and rug shipped to us. The floor in the room are hardwood, so we'll refinish it and use rugs. I hate carpet. We also got some curtain rods I special ordered. So things are coming together. I hope all is done before the weather gets cold.

It was book club meeting day in the park. I love it when we have a meeting. There are just a few now, but we always have a good conversation about the books we read. This time we discussed what we read over the summer. I had a list of 13 books, others had 10 or fewer, one gentleman had two. But I may have padded my list a little. I couldn't remember when I started keeping the list, so I did tell them I just kept adding to a previous list I had started. One I read that I really liked, hilarious, was 'The Sisters Brothers'. Oh my, crazy. There is evidently a movie by that name. Now I have to find it and watch it. I won't tell you anything other than it is about murder and mayhem. But in a fun way.

During the book club meeting I kept watching this young boy climb on the playground equipment. He was quite the climber, up on top of the swings, the jungle gym, back and forth, the whole time we were there, by himself. He's maybe 8 or 9. So on the way out I asked him where he lived. I thought it was close. 'I live out of town.' Hmmm. 'Where's your mom?' 'At the high school.' Hmmmm. 'Well, if she's not here before it gets dark, you go to the police station. OK?' Gosh, I hate to think someone just dropped off their child alone like that. The high school is at least 1/2 mile away from that park. Darn......

Tomorrow hubby has to go have a crown done on a tooth. Fun and games in Billings again. That means we have to take our masks with us. But here in Roundup we don't have to wear a mask if you don't want to. Our county is pretty low as far as numbers with this crazy virus. Only 6 cases, and only 1 active. Today at book club we talked about this. We think it came through here last winter. Many were sick, a teacher that is in the club said virtually the entire student body was out sick as were several teachers. His sister is local and she tested positive for antibodies. We have a friend that claims he had the virus earlier this year, he was very sick with a respiratory illness. So maybe we all were exposed and that is why? Who knows.

My sister lives in Ohio and she thinks she got it earlier this year. Her symptoms sound like it, respiratory illness and lack of taste. Crazy.

So everyone stay as safe as you can. That's all we can do until this passes. And it will.

Queen Norma Jean

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August 21, 2020 at 11:05am

#991279

The Memorial Bonnie Hike

Wednesday we made a trip to Gardiner. This has become an almost yearly event since we left the motel there. If you want to stay in a small, family owned motel with clean comfortable rooms, no bells or whistles, stay here. The room we are in has a back door to a patio overlooking the patio. I can open the back window, turn on a ceiling fan and enjoy the cool mountain air. No a/c needed here at night. Right now I hear some birds at the bird feeder, the river running below. Hubby has left early to do some fishing

in the Yellowstone River before we head back to Roundup.

http://yellowstonerivermotel.com

The Yellowstone River Motel was one of the first in Gardiner. It is family owned still to this day, and strives to not be the biggest or the fanciest, but to give you a clean room at a good price. And who really needs a nasty waffle for breakfast? Go to the grocery store in town and use the money you saved on the room and buy some breakfast food. Alright, done preaching about the chains.

The trip here was uneventful. We did have a mission on the way, though. Minwax, Sedona Red 222. This is a stain hubby needs to finish the woodwork in the current remodeling project and the next room on the first floor. Seems Minwax has redone the formula and removed this from their inventory, so you have to find the old product. None in Billings, we've looked. None in Roundup, we've looked. But we finally found probably the last quart of the elusive shade in a little Ace in Livingston, MT. Ahh, little hardware stores. A treasure.

So the trip here was nice, it was cooler by a few degrees on Wednesday. Have you ever played the license plate game? Well here are a few I wrote down: ID, IA, IL, UT, AK, NJ,SD, PA, CO, WY. But I think I will win the game with this one: MANITOBA! Ha, when is that last time you saw that license plate? And do you even know where that province is? Geography lesson here: http://www.manitoba.ca/index.html

There is extreme fire danger now. It has been very hot and very dry. There are signs along the interstate, no stopping off pavement.

As we go further West the dark clouds gather.

Then it rains

for a few miles then sun again. I see snow in the Beartooth Mountains still hanging on even into August. Nice. The Yellowstone River runs from one side of the road then to the other. Lovely river. It is the longest undammed river in the lower 48 states. Hubby can't wait to get to Gardiner and go fishing.

We finally make it to Livingston, MT. This funky little town sits on I-90 and is a gateway to Yellowstone. We stop here, where we find the elusive wood stain. We also like the food store here, Town and Country. It has a special local ketchup made in Bozeman, and a spice mix, Montana Mex made in Livingston. So some food purchases, a quick trip to a most excellent thrift store, and then a late lunch at the Rib and Chop house. After that I need my stretchy pants!

From Livingston it's an hour's drive to Gardiner. I remember the first time we drove down this stretch of highway. The Paradise Valley is the most beautiful drive ever. I was instantly in love with this area. That was many years ago and the love has only grown. Of course, there are many more people now and more coming all the time. But the mountains have not changed.

Gardiner is busy, even with the burnt out restaurants. Tourists everywhere. We love this motel, it was our home and job for eight years. We visited with the owner's daughter as we checked in. The challenges they have this year with all the Covid-19 has really knocked back the business, but they are still hanging on. Albeit by a thread, but still in the game.

Yesterday we drove to the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness trailhead. This hike is a favorite of ours, it goes to Knox Lake. Roundtrip is about 8 miles. Some maps say 6, some 7 but the trailhead says 8.2. So I call it 8. I proposed yesterday to name this our "Bonnie Commemorative Hike". We lost our dog about a year ago. She loved to hike with us and loved this particular hike with the stream crossings. We hike with a gun and bear spray. But yesterday the only wildlife we saw were one mule deer and some Clark's nutcrackers.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Clarks_Nutcracker/id

It took us about 6 hours. Not bad, considering we don't hike often any more. But boy we sure were sore when we got back to the room. But a nice soak in the bathtub helped.

So now hubby got up early and wandered down to the river. He wants to get a trout to take home. Nothing like a baked trout dinner. Excellent eating, my friends.

It rained here several times. A few thunderstorms

came through and now it's sunny and cool. It has been smoky from fires nearby. That seems to be continuing this morning.

Love the mountains, miss the mountains. Wish I still lived here, but Roundup is now my home. Time to start heading that way.

Queen Norma Jean

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August 17, 2020 at 10:29pm

#991063

Something and something called something, you know

We hit the century mark this afternoon for the first time this summer.

Yep - 100 degrees. But it was overcast, so it could have been worse. Thank goodness!

There were three red ribbon

cuttings this day. We do welcomes for new businesses in town with a group I volunteer for. We welcomed a new massage therapist, a new used car lot, and new nail salon. In this retail climate and this crazy time for every thing else that's going on, it is brave for anyone to want to start a new business, so kudos to these folks!

I am especially excited for the massage therapist. We used to go to a massage person a few times a week when we lived in Gardiner. Great alternative therapy. I have had a few injuries from a car accident and massage is about the only thing that has ever helped. So I definitely will be calling this woman.

At lunch today I spied an old cook book for pies and cakes.

I told hubby I should have used it for his birthday cake. Then I remember some frosting recipe I saw on the cooking show 'Chopped' but of course couldn't remember the name. So I said it was 'Something made with something and something and something called something, you know.' He gave me a sideways look, the 'are you nuts' look. Of course that made me think about what it really was called, so I had to get out the 'Joy of Cooking' recipe book. Well, it's 'Swiss Meringue'. A really weird frosting. Something made with something. Yep, it has a name.

I'm waiting now for the sun to go down, almost there. Once the sun goes down the temperature will drop dramatically. Then we open the doors and windows and the cool air pours in. that is our A/C for the hot daytime tomorrow.

1 Like • Comment • View 1 comment

August 16, 2020 at 10:27pm

#990987

Hot Cars

It was a hot day today. This is typical August weather here. Dry and hot.

In fact, it is perfect fire weather. Low humidity. We did have rain the other day, but no rain predicted for the near future.

Our handyman friend did come by today and install the woodwork in our remodeling project room. It is really looking nice, dark woodwork and light green walls. Now we have to come up with an idea for closet doors. Our idea has gone back and forth so many times. First one idea then another and now a third. You want the best idea because it is forever.

I just had a visit from some little friends. These boys go to my church, and their aunt lives down the street. Their birthdays were this week. They seem to have gotten some remote control cars

that they just had to show me. So they just had to run them down the sidewalk, up on my porch, ring the doorbell and show me. Fun. Since my grandchildren are so far away, Ohio and California, it is fun to have all these children in the neighborhood that have adopted me as their foster grandma.

Today it was hot, as I stated. But we noticed in our house the benefit of good insulation. 92 outside, 75 inside. And that is without A/C. So all our hard work is now paying off. But the second floor, well, that is another story. That is like living on the sun. Hot as can be. We need to tackle that in the next year or two.

Tomorrow is supposed to be hot again, but even more so. Hmmmm. At least it cools off at night. Because there is no humidity to hold the heat, the air cools off nicely. So we open the doors and windows and let in the cool air at night then close up the house during the day.

I'm just glad we irrigate the garden. We don't have to worry about watering.

Did we? When? And for how long? It's on a timer. It doesn't get the water on the leaves so it won't burn the plants. And you have to see the tomatoes.

Mercy.....Loads. And the grasshoppers

so far have only nibbled on a few. I have sacrificed the corn

to save the rest. There are some melons, some beets, some carrots that right now are safe.

So, at the first frost

, the Queen will be celebrating. You, my readers, will read it here first. The Green Kingdom will be free from the invading pests finally and will celebrate. Stay tuned. That day is coming. Soon.

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August 14, 2020 at 8:12pm

#990797

Cat, Deer, Hopper Hula

A storm came through last night. It was a great relief to get a little rain.

Our rain gauge this morning read 3/10 of an inch of rain. 'Big deal' say you in the rain soaked areas that are not the plains of Montana. Those of us in this part of the world in August say 'Thank you Jesus!'

The battle with the grasshoppers

is still on. There is a new dance hubby and I invented. The Hopper Hula. You put your foot out, stomp, your other foot out, stomp, twist your hips, stomp, repeat across the yard. Points for every little hopper you squish. The big ones are 10 points, the little ones are 20 points because they are faster and harder to see. Yes, it is pitiful.

A curious sight today from the second floor. Our garden is fenced with 8 feet of metal grating, for deer. The metal is held up with posts equally as high. As I looked out the upstairs window, I spied a yellow tabby cat crawling up one of the posts. What?!?

The cat got the top, balanced on the post, tried to walk on the metal fence, thought better of it, backed onto the post again, then jumped down to the ground outside the garden. So I got to thinking. 'Hmmm....what is it doing inside the garden? How did it get inside the garden? Who does this cat belong to?' And then later I saw more curious wildlife from my kitchen window. Nibbling on my crabapple tree were two deer, and beside them was the newest little fawn. Still with its spots. In mid-August. Hmmm. My thoughts on that as I shooed them away were that baby isn't going to make it through the winter being born this late in the year. But off they hippity hopped into someone else's yard to eat their trees and shrubs.

I did some volunteering today. The last of our backpack program recipients received their free packs for school today.

School starts here on the 19th. As far as I know, it won't be changed a whole lot. The bus schedule has been modified to allow for more room between students. Now family members have to sit together and everyone else separately. I used to sub as a bus aide. I am thinking, good luck enforcing that.

My grandson and I did a FaceTime

call last night. It was so good to see him and talk with him. He lives in California with mom, sister and brother. He attended college in Louisiana until the whole flu thing exploded. Now he's back home and working full-time, helping mom take care of expenses as he plans what to do with his life. I feel so sad for this generation that is being robbed of so much - school, jobs. But then, I think of the Vietnam era when I was younger and what that did to our country and all the young people at that time. We never recovered from that. This pickle we're in now will take some doing to set to rights, that's for sure.

Our handyman helper came by today. I think we are finally at a point where the remodeling project can continue. The wood for the baseboards and such has been stained by hubby and now can be installed. Finally! Maybe it can be put in before we go away for a few days this next week. I am so anxious for this to be done. My house looks like a home improvement store. And it is impossible to keep clean. Not that I'm complaining or anything.

Our time at the museum today was uneventful. Skunked again.

I told hubby that maybe we erect a forcefield when we go on Fridays. This is the 6th week we've been there without a visitor. Strange.

So tonight I think I will try to buy something to fit into the new closet. An organizer. I think I found one online. Now just to remember where.

Never a dull moment!

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