So much happening!

Taking a break from shredding and canning sauerkraut, and thought I'd catch up a bit.

We went up into New England for a long weekend, went on a whale watch, then drove up to Freeport, ME to the L.L.Bean store. Fun! We had perfect weather for it, nice and warm and clear. The fall foliage is a little dull this year, with only a few spots showing good color.

I got my garlic planted earlier this week, and helped Dorie with canning. She's been doing beets, pickled beets, applesauce, veggie-beef soup, and grape jelly. Still lots to do, but the garden is about done for the season.

I'm close to sending my next short story collection into Kindle for publication, and will probably send Mattie's Place there as well. The new Kindle Fire looks good, and the pricing changes on the old ones are attractive as well, so I figure it's going to be a good market for me.

Back to the grind ,,, errr,,, shred!   :-)

Retired!

Lots going on, with the floods and all. So many people hurting, and so many people helping, even in the midst of their own hurts. I've heard about folks who have lost everything, but still take time helping those who are even less fortunate. One local business owner, after losing his car dealership and service station, put everything on hold, and personally went to help those of his employees who had been displaced by the floods. He maintained his payroll, and kept everyone going. "There's time enough to replace inventory and things later. Right now my employees need the help more than I do." God bless him, and others like him!

As my heading indicates, I'm now officially retired! I'd been feeling lousy the past few weeks, and finally went to the doctor, who informed me that I had walking pneumonia, and put me on an antibiotic. I decided then that I'd had enough of slinging groceries, and told my managers at Weis that I would be resigning. They didn't hold me to the customary two weeks' notice, so I cleaned out my locker and left. Feel some better now, but still fighting the remnants of the pneumonia.

Those who enjoy gardening might enjoy my garlic article, published in the last issue of Backwoods Home Magazine. You can see it online at http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/tuckey131.html

Floods!

There are lots of hurting people around here today. These are the worst floods in recent memory, more devastating even, than the 2006 flooding. We're high and dry here at home, but have friends and family who have been flooded out. Binghamton, Vestal, Endicott -- the whole Chenango/Susquehanna river valley, in fact, is inundated by flood waters dumped from tropical storm Lee when it stalled over us. We've been told to expect more, that it's not over yet. You may still be able to see the pictures at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=245296512172392&set=pu.115976508437727&type=1

Stormy Weather

Sitting here waiting for Irene to arrive, but feeling her presence already. She's reaching out and touching the arthritis. Hoping it feels better once she's passed.

We had a bit of a flap a week ago. Dorie went downstairs at around 3AM, and came running back up and woke me up, saying that the kitchen was flooded. The hot water line under the sink had come apart, and we had about two inches of water on the floor. It ran into the adjacent sewing room as well, and soaked the carpet there.
It ruined the carpet, all the base cabinets in the kitchen, and the linoleum has to be replaced as well. It's not quite all dry yet, and we're waiting to receive the estimate from the insurance adjuster on it.

Life is interesting!

Remember Hurricane Hazel? I do, way back in 1954. I wrote a poem about her a few years ago, and just posted it in her honor on the "Etcetera Page" of my website, www.howardtuckey.com.

 

What a pain!

New laptop, new OS (switching from XP pro to Windows7, new mail (can't run Outlook Express) but dunno which one to run. I have Outlook, Gmail, and Roadrunner mail, but they're all so different from OE that it's going to be a royal mash-up to get one of them running while saving all my old stuff.
May be mumbling for a while.

Wow!

A whole month gone by! Talk about busy! Been writing, gardening, working, sweating (a lot) etc etc.

Mattie's Place is doing okay, but not selling as fast as I had hoped. The follow-on book is almost ready to send in to the publisher, and I need one more short story for my "Loose Canon" collection. That's a "twilight zone" type bunch of strange short stories -- some scifi, some ghost stories, some flash fiction. I'm planning that one for the Kindle. Also for the Kindle is the futuristic (post-apocalyptic) trilogy I've been working on. The first one is in final edit mode, and may be placed on Kindle in August. I figure if I get that one out there it will give incentive to get the next one done. Especially if it sells well!  :-)

Re : Loose Canon, that's a working title. Will probably change it for pub. I woke up a couple of weeks ago with a story on my mind, and had to get up (at 3AM) and write it. That makes two in that collection that hit me that way. It's an eerie feeling -- sort of like just being a channel form wherever the story originated. No, I'm not into "channeling" -- just a figure of speech!

The garden is out there. Not doing well, but it's out there. We're getting a few tomatoes and cucumbers, but no squash yet. Garlic is nearly ready to harvest. I planted beets, more peas, and more cukes and beans. Getting ready to start the broccoli, and will put in some kale for winter harvest, and some tunips as well. .

Watch for the August/September issue of Backwoods Home Magazine -- my garlic article should be in there.

Re-Kindled!

Dorie got me another Kindle -- thank you, Honey! I promise I won't soak this one in coffee!

Reading several books right now, Laurence Leamer's King of the Night, the Life of Johnny Carson is one, along with a Dean Koontz novel, A Mid-Summer Night's Dream, Decision Points, and Demonic, by Ann Coulter. I switch between them, depending on the mood. 

Garden is spotty, at best. There are some peas ready to pick, and it's time to plant follow-on crops of beans and potatoes. The tomatoes look good, and the cukes are starting to come on strong. Weather has still been weird, but things are shaping up. Cherries were a bust again -- too much rain at the wrong time, ditto the strawberries. 

The doc wants me to take some time off my job -- says that standing at the register all day is hurting my back and legs. Can't really afford it, but will talk to mgmt about it next week.