Thursday

It was chilly in the house when I woke up on Thursday morning. I had turned the air conditioner off the day before, but didn’t turn the heat back on. So, my oatmeal and the hot coffee not only tasted good, but warmed me up!

I forgot to mention that I saw a note stuck in my door Wednesday night. It was from a guy who said he had graduated from Bentley High in 1963 and was looking for a woman (whose name I didn’t recognize) and would I please give him a call. So, I called him from work Thursday morning. I explained I’d lived in the house for over 10 years and never heard of that name. He sounded discouraged, but thanked me for calling back and said he’d try something else (she must have lived in my house in the 1960’s, I suppose). Only after I hung up did it occur to me that I should have suggested he try Facebook or something. I also should have relayed my hard-won philosophy about never trying to go back. It never works...

I went home again at lunch, and this time straight home. I swept the maple seeds away from the patio edges and into a pile. Then I got out my electric blower and blew them all out into the grass. I figured if I just used the blower first, I’d end up with them in my raised bed and window box gardens again.

I did the same thing out front after I closed the garage door (so they wouldn’t blow in there, either.

Then I warmed up and wolfed down two bratwurst for lunch and headed back to work. I did all that at noon because it’s supposed to start raining around 4:00 PM and rain off and on until Sunday morning. I wanted to get the maple seeds off of the cement before they got wet and sticky.

I got stopped on the way home after work at Levan by another dumb, long train. So, this time I got off on Middle Belt (where the road also goes under the tracks) and got home only 10 minutes late.

It still wasn’t raining yet (but they keep saying its coming) so I got out the can of squirrel repellant. After reading the instructions, I found it’s not for vegetables, so I went and sprinkled it on the window planter, the porch rail planter and the hanging basket (all places where squirrels have dug holes – why I don’t know).

Back inside, I started the Wednesday night wash even though it’s Thursday. Then I washed my hands really well and started to work on the Orion picture display.

I loosened the screws holding the eight tabs tight to the foam backing board and removed one end of the picture wire holder. Then I took out two foam backing boards and finally the mat. Using the picture I took the night before as a guide, I attached each piece of paper to the mat with a glue stick.

Then I attached the photo as the frame maker had shown me: You put one piece of masking tape hanging over the edge and carefully move the mat just above the photo until you feel it’s centered perfectly. Then you set the mat down and press. Flip it over and add masking tape to the other three sides.

I reassembled it into the frame then. I added the two foam backing boards, repositioned the tabs and tightened the screws. Finally, I reattached the one end of the picture wire holder I had unscrewed.

I hung it up, using a level. Then I took a picture for you. Unfortunately, the flash went off and ruined it, So, I shut off the flash and tried again. I think you’d really have to come see it to appreciate it, but I’ll post it and the one I took standing on the chair when I was positioning the pieces of paper on the glass.

Just so you know what’s on the mat, starting from upper left and moving counter-clockwise: a 1937 fishing license for my Uncle Eddie (it says he is 26 years old, 5 foot 10 inches tall, weighs 150 pounds and has black hair - funny, that's not how I remember him, lol!); a 1960 bill for the summer season's trash removal ($5.00); a 1945 Fuel Oil Ration Card and stamps; an undated bid to add siding to the cottage for $950.00; a handwritten bill from 1945 for digging a 125 foot-deep well (labor and materials came to $14.31); a 1943 Fuel Oil Ration Coupon and finally a 1960 bill for a subscription to the Lake Orion Review paper for $3.00.

I made a cup of coffee (I’m drinking WAY too much coffee these days; that Keurig coffee maker is addictive!) and entered all this before I forgot it (I’m getting old). Then I went and hung up my shirts and pants.

I ate warmed up pizza for dinner (that fresh tomato and extra cheese really made that frozen pizza, I think). I watched TV for a while. It had just started raining when I went to bed at 11:00 PM.