Just Relaxing

 

Just relaxing here folks, Enjoying the fine spring weather. 

I love my backyard. This is what I've been striving for all my life. 

I'm very lucky to live in such a nice neighborhood with wonderful neighbors. After a lifetime of looking for the perfect home, I found it. Only problem is that I just run out of energy to enjoy it. 

I spend more time sleeping these days. 

This is probably my last spring. But don't cry for me Argentina (Ron says). I have the best of both worlds. Someone to love and who loves me and a wonderful home.

Have a great day everyone!

Goodby Old Friend

 

Today I sold my John Deere EZtrack 425 Zero degree turn lawn mower.

I posted it for sale this past Saturday on my NextDoor app. I got an immediate reply from a gentleman looking to buy a riding mower for his future son-in-law as a wedding gift.

He came by to look at it Saturday then left without buying it. I thought I had lost the sale, especially since I couldn't locate the manual or the grass shoot (Bill took it off because he didn't like it.)

My posting on Next Door received another inquiry wanting to know "how low can you go?" Well, not any lower than the $1, 500 asking price. I've always maintained this mower. In fact last year I spent over $800 on an overhaul and a new battery. Interesting, I also bought a new battery for my Subaru Forester that I just traded in for my new Hyundai Venue that I bought last week. The other gentleman was willing to give me $1,000. I had already decided that if I couldn't sell it for $1,500 I would just keep it for backup in case I lose Jose, the landscaper who I now have mowing my lawn at $60 a week. By the way, Jose does a great job, much better than me and faster. 

Yesterday I got a call from the man who came by Saturday again which surprised me because I thought I had lost that sale. He again inquired if I had found the manual for the mower. I sheepishly admitted I hadn't even looked for it. With my hope now renewed of selling Bill's riding mower, I decided to look for it. For over two years now, since Bill died, I've been meaning to clean out that portion of our garage. That was Bill's part of the garage. 

That's what I did yesterday afternoon, I cleaned out and reorganized everything in that part of my garage and viola! I found the manual, which included Bill's notes. I couldn't find the grass shooter though. Bill didn't like the and must have thrown it out. I decided to look through our shed this morning for it. I didn't find it. 

Bill's section of the garage reorganized. I found the manual for the mower tucked in between my mailbox covers in one the the cabinets to the left in this photo!

I called the gentleman back and told him I couldn't find that grass shooter but he could buy one (or I could) from Amazon. It cost less than fifty dollars. He said that wasn't necessary. He wanted to know when he could come over to pick up the mower. He said his future son-in-law had a trailer that he could load the mower on. 

They came by and this short video is of his (future) son-in-law taking away my beloved John Deere EZtrak 425 Zero Degree turn riding mower. I felt a pang of sadness in my heart as I video taped him driving the mower up the ramp to his trailer. I felt like I had sold a beloved pet.

On the upside though, I feel greatly relieved that I no longer have to spend at least one day a week during this spring and summer and fall season. Sometimes all the way to December first I've mowed the grass here in southern Delaware.

Over two years after Bill's death, I'm finally removing items connected to Bill with many fine memories. Next, I start selling his old jeans on eBay. That's going to be hard for me emotionally. But what has to be done, I'm finally doing. This house still will have plenty of memories of Bill even though I sell off items like our car and riding mower. I plan to end my days here in this home that we both loved so much surrounded by his memories.

Things are falling into place folks. 

Have a great day!

New Car!

 

My new wheels - a 2026 Hyundai Venue 

Good morning folks!

I haven't posted for a while because your longtime blogger here has been busy this past week.

"What have you been busy with?" asks my longtime blog followers?

Well, I bought a new car!

It was time folks.

My faithful 2010 Subaru Forester had over 101,000 miles on it. When I bought it I thought it would be my last car in this lifetime. Turns out I had one more car to go. 

My 1998 Subaru Forester - I had this car for twelve years and traded it in for a 2010 Subaru Forester that looked exactly like it - got a great trade in value!

I hated to part with my faithful Subaru Forester but it just didn't have the safety features that I need at time of my life. Especially the backup camera. I can't turn my head all the way around to make sure I'm not backing into somebody or another vehicle. I also wanted the feather with the maps easily displayed. Another safety feature I wanted was the blind spot and staying my lane warning. And one more thing, I wanted something smaller than my Forester but still a crossover SUV. Also, I couldn't afford a new Subaru Forester (this was my second one).

My 2010 Subaru Forester -tinted windows this time

Pat came up with the perfect suggestion. A Hyundai Venue. I had never seen a Hyundai Venue. I checked it out and I loved it. Especially the color, a "Mirage Green". The same color as Pat's Fiat. 

Pat and his Fiat from his visit last month. Pat comes down again in June.

I checked my local dealers and I found one and bought it! I won't go into the details here (boring) but it was the regular scenario of buying a new car. Bottom line is that I did get the trade in price that I wanted. 

Now, I think this really is my last car in this lifetime. I won't need a car when I join Bill Heaven. But for the time being, this little Hyundai Venue fits the bill perfectly!

Peaceful Moment

 

Yesterday morning I took some time out to appreciate a peaceful moment in my backyard.

All my life my goal was to have a nice house, in a nice neighborhood, with good neighbors and a big, peaceful backyard. I have that now.

This is where I will end my days. 

I have lived in many places during my eighty-four years on this planet but this is my home now. Our home in Pennsylvania, where we lived for twenty-five years,

Our home in Pennsylvania - taxes too high and homophobic neighbors

was supposed to be our final home. We had to move though because the taxes (school and property tax) got too expensive to live in Pennsylvania. Thus we joined many of our fellow residents from adjoining states like New Jersey and New York and moved to the tax friendlier environs of Delaware twenty years go.  

What I enjoy most about my home in Delaware in addition to my wonderful palace of a house is the peace and quiet.

Quiet.

Mowing Grass

 Yesterday my adjoining neighbor and I had our grass mowed together. I love the way Jose puts the professional baseball field "lines" in his finished job.

When Bill and I first moved to Delaware and Casa Tipton-Kelly's almost one acre oasis of paradise, Bill did all the mowing including our neighbor's property. We purchased one of this big monster zero degree John Deere EZturn riding mower. Bill loved to mow the grass.

Bill mowed the grass for years, once a week in season. I had it easy. Then came a time when he could no longer mow our neighbor's lawn and eventually even mow our own lawn. I learned how to use the John Deere riding mower. I too grew to love mowing our lawn. 

Then a few years ago I found I could no longer tolerate the oppressive heat and humidity of summer and mow the grass at the same time. That's when I asked Jose (who has been mowing my neighbors lawn since Bill stopped mowing it) to mow my lawn. 

Jose is an excellent landscaper/mower/gardner. No one mows and trims lawns better than Jose. I was afraid I would lose him this year because of the ICE terror campaign against Mexican and Hispanic lawn care folks. We have a lot of them here in southern coastal Delaware. In fact Georgetown his heavily populated with a Hispanic demographic from Mexico and other Central and South American countries. Thankfully Jose is still here but he's not traveling back to his home in Mexico like he used to do in the off season. I asked him once if he was documented but he only told me he's been here over thirty years. Not a direct answer so make of that what you will. 

Last year for the first time I started to use Jose on a regular basis. I couldn't afford to use his services weekly like my neighbor does but I could do every other week. He only charges $60 per mow, which is a great bargain, but still, $60 a week is more than my reduced budget can bear. I'm not working parting anymore nor do I have Bill's Social Security income to help with household expenses. 

I still like mowing my lawn but I cannot do it in the oppressive heat and humidity of summer. I just can't. Now I'm seriously considering having Jose mow my lawn full-time. He does such a great job, especially the trimming, which I don't/can't do and he does it much faster than I do. Maybe I have to take a look at my finances again. But I know one thing, I love the convenience of having someone mow my lawn and I love the way it looks after Jose is done. Those professional baseball field "lines." By the way, my neighbor has a much better view from his back deck of our adjoining lawns than I do. How did that happen?

Update Visit With VA Doctor

 

Waiting for my primary care doctor to come on line this morning

This morning I had my six month visit with my primary care doctor at the VA Outpatient Clinic in Georgetown. I was looking forward to this visit because I wanted to discuss my plans for treating the reoccurrence of my prostate cancer.

I'm happy to say he's on board with my decision not to seek further medical treatment for my prostate cancer. He did say that there are a lot more treatments that are available if I wanted to stave off the cancer or slow it down. Mainly hormone treatments which I'm not inclined to do. I've already developed man boobs. I don't need to further enhance them with accompanying hot flashes. But we shall see.

I was concerned that he would be one of those doctors who has a personal bias against patients not seeking treatment and choosing assisted suicide should the going get too ugly. He isn't. Now I have to see my urologist in June after I get my PET-SCAN. I don't know how he feels on this subject since he was ready to start treatment for me right away last December. I hesitated because I wanted to give more thought to how I wanted to go. Now that I know I will not seek any more treatment be it radiation, chemotherapy or hormone treatments. I'll just live out the rest of my life hopefully like I am doing now. 

I asked him what was his experience with other patients who were or are in the similar situation that I am in now. He told me he just had a patient this week that has similar circumstances that I have and he has also chosen not to get further treatment. He also told me that from his experience, that most men who have a reoccurrence of prostate cancer die of something else. That was also my feeling, that I will probably exit this wonderful life I've had the last eighty-four years from some other method. We even mentioned that I could walk out of his office this morning and be hit by a car. One never knows does one?

All in all, I feel so much better now that I have this other of the way. Now to live my life.

Have a great day!

Own It!

 

Me, 1958. I had too much hair! Me with "Nancy", our mail order German Shepherd dog. Yes, our family ordered her from the mail order company Montgomery Ward in the Fifties. I know, I went to the Post Office to pick her up in a crate. Thank goodness you can't order pet's through the mail now!

Back in the day I had more hair on my head than I knew what to do with it. My barber was always thinning it out. I owed my thick head of hair to my Mother who also had a heavy mane of dark brown hair.

My Mother with her thick brown mane of hair with "Nancy", our mail order German Shepard dog 1958

My father didn't, he was blonde and had thin fine hair his whole life.

My father at 19 years old

As I aged, my hair thinned out on its own. Never once didn't I consider a comb over. I think comb overs are ridiculous.  Just my personal opinion. I understand someone wanting to hang on to their hair but those comb overs are just too distracting.

Last night I was watching Luke Russert

on "The Week Night." I couldn't take my eyes off of his ridiculous comb over. Well, at least he did away with his bangs that he was using to cover his baldness. Unlike Bill Gates of Microsoft who is what seventy years old now and still trying to maintain those whimsical bangs of his youth. 

Hey guys, get over it! Own your baldness. I have two old friends who went that way and they look great with their natural hairstyle rather than trying to hang onto their youthful appearance. Even my Mom, towards the end of her life, had thinning hair. I'm again following her footsteps.

Sure, I take occasional ribbing from Pat for my "peninsula" hair style. My nephew use to make fun of me too but how that he's in his late fifties he's lost most of his blonde hair. He takes after his dad, my brother, who also has blonde hair like my father. Even my brother, lost in his MAGA world, owns his baldness. 

I bet eventually Luke Russert will own his baldness because if he continues with that ridiculous comb over, which I can't take my eyes off of, then how can I take him seriously? 

New WIFI Provider

 

When we lived in Pennsylvania, we had Verizon FIOS which was wonderful. Then we moved to Delaware. That's when the problems began.

Where I moved to Delaware (the Rehoboth Beach/Lewes area), there is only one provider. Comcast. Need I say more?

For the past twenty years I have had no choice but to use Comcast. Comcast was and continues to be notorious for poor customer service and expensive. That's the way monopolies work.

For the past couple of months my WIFI signal, while never good, deteriorated significantly. I didn't even bother calling Comcast because I knew I would get anywhere with them. This from my past experiences, which I could write a small book about. 

During the past twenty years that I have lived in Delaware I often receive and see ads about Verizon high speed Internet service. "Call to check to see if available in your area" the ads say. For the past twenty years I've been checking to see if I could get Verizon internet service in my area. Nada. Not. NO!

Last month I was so frustrated with my weak WIFI signal that kept dropping in my house I was seriously considering stopping my streaming service with Netflix because I couldn't get any movies. Then I saw another Verizon ad. It mentioned 5G. Oh! 5G, that's what I was using when my WIFI signal dropped on my iPhone. Then something clicked in my increasingly addled eighty-four year old brain, the past few years I've seen the increasing proliferation of 5G towers here where I live in coastal Delaware. Could it be? COULD IT ACTUALLY BE? 

I signed on to the internet and the Verizon website to see if their service is now available in my area. Viola! It is! And even better they were offering me all kinds of incentives to sign up with them. Actually, they didn't have to offer me any but I'm taking them anyway. The main one being instead of paying $95 a month for a weak WIFI signal, I now pay $75 a month for a stronger WIFI signal. Also, they provided a service person to install (no charge, normally $90) and a $200 Amazon gift certificate if I keep the service for two years (I will of course). Also, two WIFI extenders free of charge. 

When I called Comcast to cancel my service they offered me incentives to stay with them. No way Jose. This is what I've been waiting for twenty years, dealing with a company that actually has customer service. Competition is good. 

This morning Verizon called to inquire about my service and if I was satisfied. Actually I'm only getting one bar of three bars but that's enough and better than I was getting with Comcast's WIFI signal that I kept losing. I just got off the phone with "Sabrina". We were working on getting me two bars or more of the WIFI signal. Can you imagine Comcast working with me like that? Made you smile didn't I? Comcast customers know what I'm talking about. Know what an oxymoron is? Here, I'll give you a good example. "Comcast service." 

Sabrina and I were working on getting me more WIFI bars which required me to move the Verizon box nearer the window so it can reach the 5G tower, which, unfortunately is on the other side of my house over on Route One. Just like my heater is on the opposite side of my house so my bedroom is the last to get the heat and air conditioning. Pat's bedroom is right above the HVAC system. He gets it all. Too much in fact. But I digress.

So here we are, one of my longest blog posts in months. Hope I didn't bore you with such a mundane issue as my WIFI signal strength but this is important to me and my quality of life. Or as much of life as I have left in this world. I see my VA doctor on Wednesday and the results of my latest PSA test to see if my score has further increased. But that is a subject for another blog posting.

Have a great day everyone. This has been a great day for me!

Riding Solo Again

 

Me and Pat in Lewes March 19, 2026. Still able to get around!

Now that Pat has returned to his home in Canada, I'm slowly adjusting to living alone again here at Casa Tipton-Kelly.

Yesterday I had my grass mowed for the first time this season by my longtime local landscaper, Jose S.

With all this ICE action, I was afraid I wouldn't see Jose this year. He says he's been in the U.S. for over thirty years but I have a suspicion that he's undocumented. Usually he returns to Mexico during the winter season. He didn't this year. I understand why. 

April 1st, I was hit by two big bills. One for my six month auto insurance and the other for my home insurance. My biggest expenses at this time of my life is insurance. Health insurance, and the above  mentioned auto and home insurance all of which go up every year while my fixed income stays the same.

Tomorrow I drive down to my local VA Outpatient facility to give blood for my labs. Next week I see my longtime VA doctor. I've already informed him (via VA e-mail) that my prostate cancer has probably returned and I'm not seeking treatment. 

Since Pat left I've had several days of very mild weather where I can work outside. However, I can do only so much before I run out of steam and I have to retreat to the house to regain my strength. I love working outside. I miss those days when I could work outside all day until dark. Those days are long gone. Old age has finally caught up with me.

As I bring this brief blog posting to a close, I'm headed out to my local favorite thrift store, Restore. I always have energy to check out their latest treasures. One day, most of the items in my house will be there. 

Have a great day everyone!