Me, Rhonda and Novembers...

 Rhonda Pierce lives 3 hours east of me (Chicago)...and her father lives 12 hours west of me (Nebraska). Last week, she was DRIVING through Iowa, on her way to see her father in Nebraska. She'll be on Interstate-80, and she'll come within 6 miles of my house.

TIME FOR A BREAKFAST MEETING!!

I suggested the little place called Breakfast at Berries -- in LeClaire, Iowa.

We pulled into the parking lot at almost the same time.  PERFECT..!!

It's one of those artsy-fartsy quaint little places.

And most mornings -- this place is PACKED. I love the fact that no two tables or chairs are alike...

I especially like what they've done with their otherwise boring suspended ceiling...

We had our usual fast-paced, action-packed catch-up visit. Five years ago, we had our November visit in Florida --

Wow. I wonder if I'll ever be able to do that again...

The Logistics of the Actual MOVE

Man -- this job just goes ON AND ON AND ON...But I do feel like I'm gaining on it. However -- now we have those pesky holidays to consider.

And then, too -- WINTER HAS ARRIVED. ugh.

But it is what it is. And the good news is that we don't have to get out of this house on any one certain day. So, I decided to move in stages...which is also possible because our new home has sliding glass doors which open on to our patio -- with a gate directly out to the parking lot.

Once we have the go-ahead, I'll start to move in stuff. Maybe one day, I'll pack up the kitchen pots and pans, dishes, glasses, coffee cups, etc. I can get all that stuff in my car. So, that'll be the "kitchen day".

I've definitely decided to buy the VINTAGE YELLOW TABLE...and I'll use the chairs I recovered last year.

 Then, on another day, I'll pack up the  bathroom, towels, bed linens, etc.  I can easily move the tubs with our clothes (thanks to Carrie, I've now edited both my WINTER and my SUMMER wardrobes down to two tubs for each season).  

I have some nice shelves I'm hoping will fit at the end of the kitchen island.  But if they don't work there -- they might fit in the laundry room, or the den.

Well - you get the idea.

I am especially excited about my "Sewing Room Day" --  because I am going to make the Master Bedroom my new sewing studio.  The walk-in closet will be perfect for my fabric stash/Goodwill projects, etc.  I WILL HAVE A WINDOW out to the world!!  This -- after 40 years of sewing at the ass end of a pool table in my windowless basement.

Because we've not taking any appliances -- the actual moving guys won't have such a big job.  There'll be three beds, two dressers, a FABULOUS BUFFET...some swanky swivel chairs.

Carrie and I discussed the move, and she thinks if I do it right -- using vans and trucks of friends (sisters mostly) we could have most of the place set up before they move the big stuff into our new home.  So, that by the time John and I spend the night there -- it will be more or less put together.  

Hey -- a girl can dream...

Tomorrow, Deena, Ronda and I are going to Platteville, Wisconsin to PICK UP MY NEW/OLD BRIGHT YELLOW TABLE...

To review, my kitchen floor is black and white tiles laid on a diagonal.

I've decided to take the chairs I recovered last winter.

I mean -- they pretty much go with everything!!

 

So -- I decided NOT to buy the new chrome dinette set, which would have cost $3,600. Instead, I'm buying a $100 vintage table. 

Any way you look at it, that's a savings of $3,500. 

IF I KEEP SAVING MONEY LIKE THIS,  I'LL SOON BE ABLE TO AFFORD A MERCEDES -- RIGHT??

Lift Chair Special Delivery

It's taken me three posts to get to the best part of this Good Deed.

I paid Karen $50 for the chair, and we headed over to Valerie's house. I've had a key to Val's house for over 20 years...but, that key was in my car and we were driving Deena's truck.

No worries -- I've been to Val's house (to get her clothes) since she went to the nursing home -- and the front door wasn't locked (just in case she has to call 911).

Unfortunately -- when we arrived -- the front door was locked. Ugh. And I didn't have a key...

So, there was nothing left for us to do except to BREAK IN. Chad found a window that wasn't properly locked -- so WE SENT IN THE nimble 12-year old...

Deena took this picture...because I knew, one day, Val would get a kick out of this story...

Avery opened the door -- and Chad and Deena got the chair into the living room

THEN, we removed Val's old chair, and I took my little crew out for breakfast. We delivered the old chair to a local charity. 

The next day, when Valerie's son, Michael,  brought her home, he helped her into the house and she saw this wonderful new chair (the instruction pamphlet was on the seat, in its original plastic bag).  

She was in instant tears.  She said, "Oh, Mike -- you shouldn't have!  I don't want you spending your money on me!!" 

Not skipping a beat -- Mike said -- "Nothing's too good for my Mom..."

********

Mike took the credit for just a nanosecond...then, he said, "Nope...it wasn't me.  It had to be Rita."

Val's BEST GIFT ever...

So -- fast forward. Val's health has not improved. She's had several strokes -- and this summer, ended up in the hospital again. Then -- yep -- back to the nursing home.

After the complimentary Medicare stay of 21 days in skilled care -- she was sent home. Although she would have a Visiting Nurse once or twice a week, along with some home rehab and a bath aide -- I wondered how she would be able to manage on her own. She still had frequent bouts with vertigo....and FALLING was the biggest worry.

Two days before she was scheduled to get home, I was stalking the internet, looking for a "lift chair". I thought if only she had a decent chair that would help her get up...along with her snazzy new walker...the danger of falling wouldn't be so great.

Then -- Ritaluck kicked in. It's kind of a long Facebook Marketplace story -- but, I found a chair, right in Davenport, Iowa -- for sale for $50.

Hummm...the pictures looked pretty good, but considering a new chair like this could cost $500+ ... I was pretty sure $50 chair would be covered with cat hair. Probably even cat pee.

But...if the thing still works -- I could clean it -- Febreze is an amazing product -- and, worse case scenario, I could sew a slipcover for it.

Val could really, really use a lift chair....

So, with all those reservations, I enlisted my sister Deena (and her TRUCK) -- and made arrangements with the woman to pick up the chair.

Deena's son, Chad, happened to be visiting that day -- along with his 12 year old daughter, Avery.

The chair could be heavy -- and we might need the help. So, our little party of 4 set off to pick up Val's new/used lift chair....and then, deliver it to Val's house.

The woman selling the chair lived in Cross Creek Apartments. It's a fairly new complex of low income apartments.

We were pleasantly surprised by the neat landscaping and well kept buildings.

The burgundy chair looked to be in perfect condition. The seller --Karen -- said she used it to rehab after a knee replacement -- but now it just takes up too much room. Her apartment was neat as a pin -- and there wasn't a sign of cats anywhere. Karen left the chair plugged in, so we could see it all worked. And -- the instruction pamphlets WERE IN THE SIDE POCKET..!!

It WAS very heavy -- and I was glad we had Chad to help us lift it up into Deena's truck.

Now -- all we have to do is get it into Valerie's house.  SHE IS GONNA BE SO SURPRISED..!!

Valerie is MOVING...

My friend Valerie IS MOVING TO A NEW APARTMENT. 

You have noooo idea what good news this is. She's been renting the same crappy house for decades -- and it's falling down around her. (she has to unplug her toaster to charge her cellphone). I was with her on the day she moved into this place. Of course, we didn't know she'd live there for 27 years.

 

This is a post I wrote several years ago:

Val lives alone and is on disability.  Believe it or not -- there are many things I do NOT BLOG about. My sex life, for example…(you are SO MISSING that action)…. Politics is another topic I try to avoid.  Also off limits -- family or friend drama...and Good Deeds.
 

I try to do one good deed every single day...but it's only considered a good deed if I don't talk about it.

However -- this good deed was just too much fun. And, after talking it over with Val -- I decided to blog about my best Good Deed EVER...

Valerie was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when she was 28 years old. Her road through life has been a painful, uphill battle.  After her divorce, she went to college, get a good job with the government, and maintained her own home.  Her struggles were enormous, but I never met a more uncomplaining person.  Even though she's had almost 20 major surgeries -- with many joint replacements, knees, hips, an elbow, hand fusions....you name a joint in your body and SHE WORE IT OUT TWICE...

On her best day, life is a painful challenge.  Then --  several years ago, she got a septic infection and ended up in the hospital -- then a nursing home.

The worst thing was that because she had to be on major antibiotics for six months, she was unable to take her arthritis injections -- so the arthritis went nuts, and the pain was unbearable. There were many, many days when she simply could not get out of bed,  And her hands became useless -- she couldn't open a jar, type on her laptop or flush the toilet. 

So -- what could I do for my friend? She rarely leaves her house.  She stopped driving because she could no longer turn the key in her car. Also, just walking and standing is too painful.  Not to mention the fact that she's terrified because her immune system is so compromised, any odd floating germ could send her back to the hospital.  (and this was years before Covid!)

NEW SHEETS FOR HER BED..!!

Of course!! Why didn't I think of this sooner??

Although, the truth is -- GIVING Val new sheets is not an especially good gift. She would never be able to pull wet queen size cotton sheets out of her washing machine...

That's when it hit me.  I'll start a SHEET SHARING SERVICE.

Val has a Queen size bed (like me)...so all the wonderful, luxurious linens I use on my own bed will fit her bed.

The first time I made Val's bed -- I took sheets and pillowcases. I realized she could use a new mattress cover. And, as it happens (this is shocking, I know) -- I had an extra Ralph Lauren Queen cotton mattress cover. One week, I took two new bed pillows. She loved the beige French Matlaisse bed cover I put on her bed in the Spring.

When Fall arrived -- I added a flannel sheet.

Winter meant it was time for an appliqued quilt -- with a kids ice-skating scene!

For Christmas, I decorated a couple of pillowcases -- AND the hem of a top sheet. (I've never actually done this to MY OWN SHEETS..!!)

Val's bed-changing schedule is every-other week. Because she lives alone, she can sleep on ONE side for a week -- then on the OTHER side for a week.

As appreciative as Valerie has always been about my sheet service -- this summer, I gave her something else that she swears is THE BEST GIFT SHE EVER GOT.  Tomorrow -- I'm gonna blog about it...

Halloween 2021

 Last year (2020) kids couldn't even go Trick or Treating.  So, this year -- they were making up for LOST TIME...lol...  We went to Warren's Halloween Parade...

He's one of the several kids in the goofy "Skinny man" costume.

I LOVED seeing all the kids in their costumes.

Even our local bank gets into the act...they had a pumpkin decorating contest.

Jody, at the drive-thru window, was dressed like a Wolf...

So, we went inside to see the three little pigs -- and the houses they built!!

Fall has always been my favorite season...and this year, the leaves were STUNNING.

We had a lot of trick-or treaters come all at one time this year.

My favorite costume?  "The Identity Thief".  BRILLIANT, RIGHT??

My Name is Rita, and I am addicted to auctions...

So, to review -- I've had TWO auctions so far.  The linen auction, and a household auction.  And I got rid of A LOT OF STUFF.

But, in the course of all that -- I discovered online auctions.  Specifically, Dosland Auction -- which is a quick 20 minutes from my house.

Me becoming addicted to online auctions was bound to happen.  Ray Charles coulda seen it coming...

The week AFTER my sale -- Dosland posted another auction -- and there was this REALLY GREAT CHAIR...!!  I've never seen a chair like it....and it would be perfect in my new home....

I thought I might pick it up for $10 (or less). 

Initially, I had a top bid in for $15.....but, soon, there were 8 other bidders.  WHA???  I dropped out and laid back and to see what would happen.  I decided I would not go higher than $110...

I watched it go up...and up...and up....I emailed a few friends, and I was getting texts from Anne...they were all watching the various items "closing"...and I know they were rooting for me...(I think?  Or maybe they were laughing at me...)

cuz, who are we kidding?  Everybody knows my biggest problem right now is GETTING RID OF A HOUSE FULL OF STUFF...and here I was -- BIDDING ON SOMETHING TO ADD TO MY HOARD...

Ugh...

Two other bidders were bidding, and they got it up to $180.  I waited until the final minute of the sale to bid -- and bought the chair for $190.  I WAS THRILLED.

On the evening of my Sisters dinner -- I set up the NEW RUG in the basement...along with my new pink chair..!!

Also, as I've been digging through everything this last year -- this mystery light fixture turned up.

HOLY COW!!  It opens up to be a sphere... It will be the PERFECT fixture in our new place.  And I think it's been living in my basement for about 20 years...

Yesterday was Veteran's Day -- and it happened to be a Don Day.  I made sure John was wearing his submariner vest.  He ALWAYS wears his Navy hat.  It's like a billboard on his head, inviting people to talk to him and thank him for his service.  Those are good moments for him.  We went out for one of the many FREE meals.  (thank you, Pizza Ranch!).