SISTER SAFE AFTER FLORIDA STORM, MY DIABETES THREAT & MORE ON SQUIRREL PROBLEM....
By Olivene Godfrey
HURRICANE FRANCES: My sister, Joan, who is in bad health, has lived in West Palm Beach, FL for many years and has survived other storms. But, we were especially concerned about her before and after Frances hit the coast as Joan is on oxygen and has been very ill. She insisted on staying at her house so her son, Rex, and his wife, Annie, who live with her” battened down the hatches" and kept the house protected. Joan's twin sister, Jeanette, and her family and Barry and me, who all live in northwest Georgia, were in contact with Joan until after the electric power went out. We knew Joan's daughter, Connie, had cooked some foods and they had a Coleman cook stove and they would have food to eat.
On Sunday, Barry and I went up to Chattanooga to eat lunch at the Piccadilly Cafeteria and Barry took along his cell phone.
And while we were eating our delicious lunch, his phone rang and it was Joan calling, telling us the good news, that they all survived the storm and she said the house seemed okay but the yard " is awful". Their power was still out and she said she would send us an e-mail when the power came back on so we felt a lot better about her and family.
Now we here in Northwest Georgia are waiting for Frances's aftermath to bring us heavy rains and stormy weather.
DIABETES SCARE: I don't have a psychic bone in my body. Everything that has ever happened to me-- good or bad- has been a total surprise. Such was the case when I went to see my family doctor to discuss my recent blood work after a physical. It had always been routine and I wasn't expecting to hear that I am a border-line diabetic and would have to change my lifestyle.
Lord only knows how I am able to function in a fairly normal life with all of my ailments. I knew I was overweight and that I needed a more healthy lifestyle. The doctor gave me a blood sugar testing kit and I was stunned for a while after I left her office. As I have always done, and Barry does, too, we did some research on the diabetic died. We went grocery shopping and was surprised by the many food products that are low carb and sugar free and most are delicious. I bought a sugar substitute, "Splenda",and I can't tell it from the real thing. It would be hard for me to give up completely Coca Cola which I have loved since I was a child so I switched to Diet Coke and am getting used to it.
My number one goal is to stay on the diet, and I am determined,
and to keep my blood sugar at the proper level. Then, I hope the diet will enable me to lose weight so hopefully I will feel and look better. Wish me luck!
THOSE PESKY SQUIRRELS: Back in the spring, I wrote in this space about the problem we had with these nasty rodents being in our attic. Barry and I leaned from research and experience, that squirrels are very social animals and settle in your yard or attic as a family unit. The ones here had a good life, with our hickory tree and pear tree and other goodies in the yard with a nice shelter in the attic. They chewed through the wood around a small slit in the overhang of the house and made them a door. I've learned they can climb almost anywhere and if they are determined to get somewhere they will.
I started detesting squirrels when they destroyed our bird feeders to get the seeds before my husband died two years ago. We had enjoyed watching the large variety of birds that came to the feeders.
When we decided to close up the squirrels door to our attic, we decided to wait until a hot day in August when the weather was very hot. Barry and his friend, Larry, on a hot day recently closed up the opening with a sheet of aluminum as we knew they would chew up wood if they were determined. That night we heard noises in the attic and knew there had been some of the pesky critters still in the attic. The next morning, the ones outside were desperately trying to get their family members out. Barry and Larry opened up a vent in the overhang on the roof and let the squirrels out. Barry was afraid they would die and cause an odor in the house.
Using binoculars, Barry discovered their large nest high up a tall pine tree in the yard. He thinks he and Larry "spooked" them for a while. But, we know they will try to get back in the attic when the weather gets cold.
There are professionals who are able to solve this problem, I have heard, but they are very expensive, and I hope we don't have to hire them. I personally think that the only good squirrel is a dead one as they are vicious rodents and I think a lot of people agree with me.
See you next time.
By Olivene Godfrey
HURRICANE FRANCES: My sister, Joan, who is in bad health, has lived in West Palm Beach, FL for many years and has survived other storms. But, we were especially concerned about her before and after Frances hit the coast as Joan is on oxygen and has been very ill. She insisted on staying at her house so her son, Rex, and his wife, Annie, who live with her” battened down the hatches" and kept the house protected. Joan's twin sister, Jeanette, and her family and Barry and me, who all live in northwest Georgia, were in contact with Joan until after the electric power went out. We knew Joan's daughter, Connie, had cooked some foods and they had a Coleman cook stove and they would have food to eat.
On Sunday, Barry and I went up to Chattanooga to eat lunch at the Piccadilly Cafeteria and Barry took along his cell phone.
And while we were eating our delicious lunch, his phone rang and it was Joan calling, telling us the good news, that they all survived the storm and she said the house seemed okay but the yard " is awful". Their power was still out and she said she would send us an e-mail when the power came back on so we felt a lot better about her and family.
Now we here in Northwest Georgia are waiting for Frances's aftermath to bring us heavy rains and stormy weather.
DIABETES SCARE: I don't have a psychic bone in my body. Everything that has ever happened to me-- good or bad- has been a total surprise. Such was the case when I went to see my family doctor to discuss my recent blood work after a physical. It had always been routine and I wasn't expecting to hear that I am a border-line diabetic and would have to change my lifestyle.
Lord only knows how I am able to function in a fairly normal life with all of my ailments. I knew I was overweight and that I needed a more healthy lifestyle. The doctor gave me a blood sugar testing kit and I was stunned for a while after I left her office. As I have always done, and Barry does, too, we did some research on the diabetic died. We went grocery shopping and was surprised by the many food products that are low carb and sugar free and most are delicious. I bought a sugar substitute, "Splenda",and I can't tell it from the real thing. It would be hard for me to give up completely Coca Cola which I have loved since I was a child so I switched to Diet Coke and am getting used to it.
My number one goal is to stay on the diet, and I am determined,
and to keep my blood sugar at the proper level. Then, I hope the diet will enable me to lose weight so hopefully I will feel and look better. Wish me luck!
THOSE PESKY SQUIRRELS: Back in the spring, I wrote in this space about the problem we had with these nasty rodents being in our attic. Barry and I leaned from research and experience, that squirrels are very social animals and settle in your yard or attic as a family unit. The ones here had a good life, with our hickory tree and pear tree and other goodies in the yard with a nice shelter in the attic. They chewed through the wood around a small slit in the overhang of the house and made them a door. I've learned they can climb almost anywhere and if they are determined to get somewhere they will.
I started detesting squirrels when they destroyed our bird feeders to get the seeds before my husband died two years ago. We had enjoyed watching the large variety of birds that came to the feeders.
When we decided to close up the squirrels door to our attic, we decided to wait until a hot day in August when the weather was very hot. Barry and his friend, Larry, on a hot day recently closed up the opening with a sheet of aluminum as we knew they would chew up wood if they were determined. That night we heard noises in the attic and knew there had been some of the pesky critters still in the attic. The next morning, the ones outside were desperately trying to get their family members out. Barry and Larry opened up a vent in the overhang on the roof and let the squirrels out. Barry was afraid they would die and cause an odor in the house.
Using binoculars, Barry discovered their large nest high up a tall pine tree in the yard. He thinks he and Larry "spooked" them for a while. But, we know they will try to get back in the attic when the weather gets cold.
There are professionals who are able to solve this problem, I have heard, but they are very expensive, and I hope we don't have to hire them. I personally think that the only good squirrel is a dead one as they are vicious rodents and I think a lot of people agree with me.
See you next time.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home