Super Late

 

Just a quick update on what I been doing/done. In 2018 my family was so busy looking for a place in Idaho and we finally moved there in the fall of 2019, while still owning the big money-pit house in PA. I was a resident of Idaho until July of 2023. Our plan did not happened because of what the government did in early 2020. 

DH don't want us separated that long so we only used the house in winter, which we found out very hard because midwest states and NPW states get their snow earlier than PA. It was hard driving when the road/highway was covered with snow and hardly plowed.

We decided to sell the house after four years. The fourth year we didn't even bother driving there because of financial reason in winter. We waited until summer and empty the house (took most of the furnitures we can fit on a tow trailer) and list it for sale. Within ten days we got an offer that is feasible and in August we closed on it. 

Now we are busy looking for a tiny property in West Virginia to buy from the sale of the Idaho house. Then hopefully we can sell the PA money-pit house and get our forever house in West Virginia. Yes, no Florida plan right now. Love to move to Tennessee but DH is not too keen about it. I think it is warmer than West Virginia and the mountains is not that crazy but no. 

There are a lot more but that it's for now. 

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Welcome Us to Snowbird Community

It only taken us one vacation to Florida to finally decide to become one of the snowbirds. Children are learning at home and we can go anywhere and they can still do their learning, and DH have no work in winter months. Don't get me wrong, we love the changing season but since we can't do anything on the snow but slide, skis, plow & snow, snow mobile etc., it gets old after awhile. My family needed a change, and this is it.

We are in the process of buying a camper, because RV can't get to the land we bought down in Florida. There is no road, and needed a 4x4 to make to the area. And since we can't get there with just 2 wheel drive, we also must buy some toys (ATV & such) to get our children occupy the whole 2 & half to 3 months stay there. We also needed a generator to keep our food last longer. There is no power or phone lines either. We will be off the grid the whole time. However, we do have unlimited data (internet) on our cell phones and we can still watch Netflix and check emails.

Yes, this is going to be costly but it will be the same if we bought a house and lot. No one will occupy the said house on the majority of months we are not there. At least with a camper, we can tow it back to our house and use it if we decide to go on summer vacation somewhere in the north part of the country.

In July we are going down there to canvass on where to put our septic and well. Our camper can only hold so much of anything so, we still need those amenities. I grew up off the grid, I don't know how my family will handled this new adventure we are going to do. My idea is, if for any reason that we are not happy, that we are more stress about the whole thing, we can always go home to our snow bound first home. Trials and errors.

I think this will do some good to our children to travel, and stay away from what they are used to. Make new friends and learn new things. Well, DH and I are hoping.

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Florida Vacation

The flattest state I have been to. 😀😄 Being born in Asia I grave for warm weather. And Florida is the best for it. Love most about Florida except the hot weather in the summer & flat land. I'll keep the northeast temperature and the changing season but I am not very fond of winter. It is tolerable but not fun.

A little alligator we found while hiking (😀😁😄 if you call hiking equals walking on flat ground) @ St. Sebastian Reservation Park.

My family watching manatees takes breath. Couldn't take any pictures because they take a breather so fast.

Went to Vero Beach for the farmers market. I saw a vendor online selling young fresh (when I say fresh meaning still green, no plastic wraps around it fresh) coconuts. However, that vendor was not present that Saturday when we visit.

And the coconuts, I am so crazy about these things. Hoping to buy a lot down there and I can grow a few of these miracle coconuts. Along with guavas, bananas, dragon fruits, asian mangoes, jackfruits, sugarcanes, etc.

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Florida Vacation

Yay! finally we are going back to Florida again. Well, I didn't count the first time as vacation because we only went there for a funeral. Plus our children are much younger then. This time they can actually enjoy the sunny Florida.

Just one morning DH inform me that YDS and him decided to go on vacation. The first thing I said was, "I wanna go too." hahaha "Yes of course," all of us, he said. That was after Christmas of 2017. From then on, DH and I search for the best deal we can find for a family of six. ODS will not be going because of his job.

It was hard finding a hotel, house, apartment, condo, and resort with our family count. However, DH had an idea to look for timeshares for rent. And got lucky found one right on the beach. We don't need to drive a vehicle to get to the beach or walk and cross roads. All we have to do is go outside of the resort and the beach is right there. And we made sure the beach there will be warm enough for us northerners to soak under the sun.

Our children never been to any hotel or resort before. Only our first two children, but the second one was too tiny at nine months old when we went on vacation to my home country. We got left behind with our plane in Newark and when we got to Hawaii, there were no flights. So, we have to stay in Hawaii for 24 hours. We got a hotel and rented a car to drive around the island. We even have time to visit the Dole pineapple plantation.

Anyway, I am super excited. I can start my summer tanning early.

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Sky Watch Friday

"Sometimes all we need is some personal space and time to release, reflect, and focus on all the amazing things that we have been blessed with in life." -Unknown-

Across the driveway early this morning.

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Verdict Received

Credit to the owner of above text.

The justice system of the good old United States of America. We didn't actually went to trial about what happened to my MIL, but closed enough. Being investigated by a social worker is not a good feeling. They will question and look at you that you should be in jail by now. I can't believe teachers actually teach people to become heartless and bureaucrat.

At the same time they are telling you everything is fine in the way that you are at fault. How this people sleep at night? All I can say is "karma is a bitch." It will get you soon or later, but it will get you. And I am hoping that it is ten-folds.

Like I mentioned with my previous post about this incident, we (DH & I) were found "not guilty" of a bold accusations of neglect. So I told DH, "our turn and sue the bitches." With the answer, "we can't, they are doing their job." The regulations does not permit the tattle-tale/rs to get sued. WHOA! When they become above the law?

America at its best, ^^^ right there.

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Perfect Wife For You (part 2)

"Right is right, even if nobody does it.

Wrong is wrong, even though everyone is doing it."

Just like common law, or the law of gravity. Right is right and not even the high almighty can change it, and goes the same with wrong.

Example: My MIL have dementia, I asked her one time why she put a crumbled paper on top of her breakfast. She said, " I like it that way, it's the way it is." Who liked a crumbled paper on top of their food? With the right mind no one does, you are still eating it and you are not a goat. And NO it's not the way it is, it's totally wrong.

Lust is not the best way to get married (very wrong). You lose your interest over time. Beauty is the same, it fades away plus when you get used to looking at a pretty face, what else left, the person you didn't like. Yes, our eyes deceived us all the time. Like the song said, "look in my eyes, where the demons hide."

Marrying a Filipina doesn't mean you will find someone like me. There are many factors to consider here. Did she came from the province and not the city and vice versa? Did her parents came from conservative or liberal family? Was she taught the old ways, no ways, everyone ways of life? Does she know how to do house works? Will she be doing things the correct way, or simply doing things because she have to?

I can say that 90 percent of people I went to school with turned out to be a liberal. How the heck did I survive ten years of school with them. (It was ten when I was in school.) I can hear and see what they are doing now and I can surely say they are liberal. They accept changes like changing clothes everyday.

You can't base spending the rest of your life with someone you only slept once. Or seeing their attitude in a good day. Be a detective, watch how they react about life, about strangers, about driving, about children. In short, watch their reaction about everything. If you like what you see, then she is the one. If you don't, then it's time to move to the next one.

If you are really in-love, then make some rules that both of you can follow. DH and I have our own rules. I can't tell you what to put in your rules, make it up as you go along. Just make sure you follow  it through.

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Perfect Wife For You

"You attract people by the qualities you display, you keep them by the qualities you posses."

-Unknown-

"You don't attract what you want, you attract what YOU ARE."

-Dr. Wayne Dyer-

A friend of my husband that he knew for a long time have no problem finding someone. However, finding someone to be with him for the rest of his life is another story. I have said the same thing when my ex-grandmother in law asked me if I found someone yet to replace her grandson. I told her, "I found many, but I am waiting for the one who wants to stay and commit,"

I waited for the one I "wanted" (maybe I showed what I really am) and yes, he came along. I have to change a lot to keep the one I wanted. He does follow the "golden rule" and change myself for him. After fifteen years I can say that we grew closer in our ways and almost always knew each other thoughts about certain things.

He does brag about me to everyone he knew and they are jealous saying how lucky he is, and they wished they found someone like me. NO, it doesn't work that way. If one of them found me first, I don't think I will like any of them. However, most of the time I think I'm still lacking many qualities of what he brags about. I am not perfect and I am not trying to be one. If I don't feel good I don't do anything productive but still taking care of our children and MIL. I don't clean the house everyday, and I don't always cook lunch or dinner. And he's fine with it, I do not hear any complaint from him.

I can wear what I want, I did not grow up wearing anything provocative, he doesn't have to worry about it. I can spend money whenever I want. No, I don't spend it buying make-up, jewelry, perfumes, and name brand items. And I never spend carelessly. I have to make sure we have money for food and bills first. He always say, if he married someone like him, they will never have any money left in their bank account. So, I'm glad for that.

He tells me if he doesn't like what I did. He "nip it in the bud" right away. That's fine with me. This by the way has nothing to do with shopping, spending money or doing my sahm duty. This have something to do on how I deal with other people.

So, let's get back to my topic.

You don't look for a perfect wife qualities, you have to mold her just the way you like your wife to be. Make sure they like to be mold. Of course if she can't, time to let her go and find someone else. In my opinion your relationship will never get better. If you notice something she does that you don't like, tell her right away. If she didn't like what you said and she don't want to correct it, it's a problem. This works both ways.

DH friend wants the all American sexy, blonde, beautiful, and big breast type. She is a perfect ten outside, how about inside? Also, don't settle for what is around you. Expand your search, the one you are looking for might be somewhere else and just waiting for what you can offer. Get to know her better, not just what they are showing you, try deeper. But then again everyone is different. I can't tell you what sign to look for. There are many things that bothers DH and I in this world. Others might not even care about them.

I told him about one of my friend at a social network, but he never bother knowing her better. So, she is not his type but she is a wife material. Love might not be at first sight but love can grow between two people if they talk enough and knowing what each other liked.

Part 2, I will talk about having strong and solid opinion to right and wrong.

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Sky Watch Friday/LATSOF in Malta

A much credit to my dear friend Izzy for the pictures. Thank you so much. This is the cheapest way for me to travel places. With a friend like you. Muito obrigada.

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Much Worst

This is my MIL who has dementia since 2012 from what my late PIL told us. I bet she had it longer than that. Our house now is big and like I mention before they live or using 1/6 of the house. That is our in law apartment.

Most of the decoration my PIL left are gone. Broken or she packed it and hidden somewhere. The cushions of the couch smells because she doesn't use her bedroom anymore. Since around the end of February, I think.

I put pull-ups on her now because most of the time she can't remember where the bathroom is. Or if she remembers she doesn't sit correctly and her pee runs downs on her pant legs. Sometimes she sits on one of the plastic chairs around her dining table, pull her pants and pee sitting on the chair while her socks get wet.

Most of the time she wears her pee soak pants and refuses to change them, saying "I like them wet." Then when she finally decide to change she will complain that her bottom hurts. Number is a problem now too. When she can't find the bathroom or cant remember, she just pull her pants down anywhere and do her business. Yuck! so disgusting and the smell. However, I am thankful that her bowel is hard. It's much worst when it's soft, I think. I change her clothes once a day now.

I never let her in my side of the house anymore. It's less stress for me to keep telling her that my side is my side. It doesn't get recorded in her brain anymore. I bring her food in her side. That is another problem with the dishes. When I forget to take the dishes she used, I will be looking everywhere for them.

Sleeping pattern is next to none. I don't think she even sleeps except for once in a blue moon thing. I noticed that she goes to sleeping frenzy for two days. The first day I worry because she hardly get up from the couch (me watching the 2 web cams (FI9821E & GV-FER521) she have from my pc). When she gets up, she falls all over looking like a baby learning to walk. And that goes on until the second day.

The fascination with lock doors also intrigue me. She will come out of her apartment and grab/twist/knock uncontrollably at my door. Instead of looking for who ever she is looking for in all sides and bedrooms of her apartment, she rather bother someone else.

She packs everything, did I say that already. Paper towel that hangs by the kitchen sink is always empty because she rips them and hide all the folded paper towel. The same thing with toilet paper. Then when she needs something, she doesn't know where to get them.

Another fascination are papers, I guess that goes with paper towel and toilet papers. Anything papers she will fold and carry every where. Oh yeah, some of those paper towel and toilet paper ends up in our front porch. Every morning it looks like cat and dog had a fight there with all the torn papers. Even the one she used to wipe her bottom with.

Medicine is another battle I have to argue with her everyday depending on what mood she was in. She takes two pills, one for being psychotic and one for being diabetic. I can say 99% of the time the first one get taken with no problem. The latter one she always have problem with. All the "why" questions and throwing it out.

DH told me, well if she doesn't want it, then don't give it to her. Let her diabetic attack.

Now that is getting colder outside I turned on her heat. However, her door cannot stay shut because she is very nosy, so all the heat goes up and out to our attic which by the way is very open. Every noise she hers, she needs to check the front door, and sometimes by doing so she forgets which door goes back to where she was. She hang out in our foyer until she gets tired and finally decide that the open door is where she should go.

We have a caregiver comes in twice a week to give her a shower. She gives them such a hard time but settle down as soon as the water hit her body. She naps while they are drying her hair or maybe she only pretends to nap. Who knows.

This week actually is the worst so far. While I was typing this she came out of the bathroom bottom naked again. I just put pants on her this morning before breakfast, now she wets her clean pants again. I'm not sure if her pull up is wet. I'll find out as soon as I get there. Ta-ta-for-now, time to put pull up and pants to my old baby MIL. Here goes the yelling again because she doesn't listen or somehow does not hear very well. I don't know which one, I'm not a doctor.

ETA: 10 minutes later....She was pleasant, she put the pull up with only question, no high pitch voice of disapproval.

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Norway (LATSOF/SkyWatch Friday)

Isabelle, I love all the photos you share with us. Thank you so much.

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Forsythia (Monday Mellow Yellow)

I love Forsythia in spring, the reason you can see below. According to the expert, YELLOW is the color of happiness and optimism, of enlightenment and creativity (without thinking, I painted my children's classroom yellow, now I know), sunshine and spring. I will not add the cons for this color because I like to associate myself with only positive vibes :D.

These are taken at the property line, hedges that we own. This was taken by my LG G2 cell phone, however, with the Canon camera I can never get a close-up pictures of anything, or maybe I don't know how to use it. I will never know because I gave it back to my son. I'm happy with my camera phone.

Have a great MEMORIAL DAY everyone!

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April is Almost Over

Have you notice that the days, weeks, months, and years goes faster as soon as you hit the big 40? I know right? I tried updating my writings while my children are doing their lessons and I only had one post in March. What was I doing the rest of the March while my children are doing their lessons. Geez!

The last two weeks of March I feel ill. I'm not really sure what I got because even the doctors cannot determined. I had cough, sore dry throat, and fever. I woke up from my nap feeling achy and I even went to get some grocery thinking it will go away by itself. As soon as I get back from the grocery store, that was it. I was bound to bed for the whole 2 weeks. Our children enjoyed their unexpected early spring unschooling vacation. Lucky for me, DH was still home.

DH never liked the house works. Everyone feed themselves, except for his mother whom does not have any brain left. Every time I hear him yelling at his mother, I feel more ill. I usually cook everything for her, and DH does the socializing with her. However, he can't cook and socialize...hahaha. Anyway, I feel better now except for this cough that I get every now and then. A very dry cough that will not go away unless I cough my eyes out. It happens about twice a day.

FIL papers works are still not final. MIL is still staying with us, she's like a two years old with a body of an old lady who lies 99.9 percent of a time. I think she lives to lie her whole life. Anyway, I'm not a psychology, just my own observation. We put in a door to our side of the house, now she is separated from us. She still play with the doorknob trying to force open the door. Any door that are close she need to get into, and every place she is not allowed she need to be there.

She goes outside in the middle of the night, turning on all the light switch she can find and dragging all she can from her apartment and put them in our vehicles. We have three vehicles park outside the house. She can hardly walk and once in a while I will get awaken by her screaming because she step wrong and fallen, trying to move by crawling until she can hold on to something and pick herself up. I kept telling DH to lock her door at night, but he is very much against not letting her mother out of the house. "Ok then, my mouth is shut when something bad happen to her outside, when your sister with the POA ask," I told DH.

Our house got appraised, well actually let me re-phrase that. A realtor agent came to our house to find out the value of our house for the inheritance tax to get paid. It was done before I got sick in March. It's been over a month now and she never got back to us, yet. How long exactly to figure out how much a house worth? Just base it on what you see, not what you think is the possibility if everything is 100 percent. The cost of the house on the day we purchase it play a big rule on determining the worth of the house, don't you think?

These mambo-jumbo paper works when someone passed making my brain hurts. DH and I are already making lists for our children to make it easy for them when we pass. We actually wanted to put the house on their names when we bought it, but the lawyer said no, because they are still underage. I think that was a good idea, plus they don't have to pay inheritance tax on it. However, that might be the same reason why we were not allowed to put it on their names, "the tax." Who knows, I don't work for the bar association.

Enough of these headache, you readers have a great weekend. I will be if I can get a nice rest.

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More White Stuff On Monday?

Wow, talk about not having enough in the past years and now snow keep on coming in the month of February to March. This is way too much snow in a very short time, in my opinion. However, this is only PA. I wonder how much northern states and country gets. Though, I still prepare to live in the tropic, where I can grow vegetables all year long when the typhoon is not in season :D.

One of our neighbor knocked at our door while I was out yesterday. Well, actually not knocked. but came straight in, and peeked in our inside door. I was like, "REALLY!" I thought since we've been here for a year that they already knew that we are a private residence. The building was a commercial property when we bought it and turned into private residence because we are not running business here.

Anyway, an older than us man asked DH if he can plow his driveway. Well, DH and I checked it out, but the looks of it, his driveway has never seen a plow since the very first snow. Their driveway is very steep and narrow. There is a turn in the middle but DH plow truck is way too big and heavy, the truck just spins in four wheel drive. The truck probably softened it a bit, but we turned away not helping him. DH felt bad, because he understand why the man did what he did. He don't want to pay someone to plow because he own a four wheel drive SUV, just like his late father (may his soul rest in peace).

He stopped again today and gave DH his one unused tire. Now DH feel more bad, because on Monday more snow is in the forecast, and he will be able to do anything. His driveway is beyond plow. I think shoveling it little by little will do the trick. A very long driveway shovel by hand will take forever. He got out today, so he's not having problem going up and down his driveway. We can always pick him up from the bottom of his driveway and drive to grocery store if he needs to do so.

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DH Spoiled Them

When our children was in the single digits DH bought a 4 wheeler for them, and yes they enjoyed it. While DH and I switched holding a rope behind them.

Well, this year DH got them this. Before this, he actually wanted to get them a tiny motorcycle. I said no, plus at that time toy fund was none existence.

There is something wrong with the breaking system and we don't let the children drive it alone. At above picture, DH was riding behind until we fix the problem.

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Over Heard

Going up and down in my new house I passed my inlaws door to their apartment and they like to sit on their small dining table. And yes, FIL had to speak louder for MIL to comprehend what he is saying or maybe she also have a selective deafness. Who knows.

I think she asked why I ignore her because while working with YDS lessons today she came to our classroom and mumble something about what happened that I change or why she change. That she done something wrong and everyone are mad. Yup, selective Alzheimer. She remembers things that are not important, and forgets those that are.

FIL told her that people gets irritated when she...I did not hear the rest because I don't want to eaves drop on them. Yes, I am still mad at her for lying to the mail lady last week. I refused to have conversation with her because I know she will never change. She grow up nasty as she is right now. So, why should I waste my time talking to her and in return she will call me names, and tell a complete stranger that I wanted to kill her.

Yes, I wanted to kill her because she is a bitch, uber liar, hypocrite, she always thinks that the world revolve around her, an actress, and puts everyone down. Yes, there are times that she is very nice. However, do I really enjoy those times knowing she is a bitch. No way! You are bitch to me, I will return the favor.

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She's Gonna Kill Me

The exact word my mail lady told me.

Let's start at the beginning. YDS came to my desk after allowing him to play outside. I can see him through my window, plus I was also watching "house hunter international." He let me know that grandma is talking to someone outside.

I jumped out of my seat and continue on outside not knowing who she is talking to. I saw a blue vehicle and knew right away it is our mail lady. I wave to her, and she came out of the vehicle and gave me my package, while telling me, "she said you gonna kill her."

I wasn't amused and I told her, I apologized,  she got Alzheimer and crazy. When she did not left right away I called the trouble maker telling her to let the mail lady go because she is working.

I confronted her being a jerk, and ask her if I hurt her. I also told her if she doesn't stop making troubles she will end up in a mental hospital and get bit up by the staff for giving troubles. She said it doesn't matter, her father will pick her up. I said, "good! and while you wait stop being nasty! I could have choke her in front of the mail lady.

Her story started when she talked to me after breakfast about going to Brooklyn. I told her she don't know anyone there and their house was sold a long time ago. She kept on insisting that her parents are still alive and she needed someone to go with her. Now, all of a sudden she needed a driver. She got mad at me because I kept telling her NO!

For a pay back, she tells everyone that I am trying to kill her, rather I am killing her. I will not be surprise if she tried to hit her arms or legs on something, to make it look like someone tried to force her of hit her on those body parts.

Yup, I told you. Mental hospital is looking great while this was happening. The whole time this was happening, my FIL (her husband) was sleeping. The next time she talks to me, I will say, "don't talk to me, you will accused me of things I haven't done again, GO AWAY! I am sick playing the game with her.

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Wordless/Wordful Wednesday

“I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.” -Thomas Jefferson-

"Sometimes all we need is some personal space and time to release, reflect, and focus on all the amazing things that we have been blessed with in life." -Unknown-

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain-

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What Am I, Your Friend?

With a tone....ha ha ha That is what I told DH when every time he kissed me like we are only acquaintance. Come'on, really? If I wanted a kiss like that, all I have to do is meet some friends and have lunch or coffee.

Then he told me, "You better not be kissing anyone like that." He meant the way he kissed me. Well, isn't American custom to kiss and hug just the way he did, during a greeting?

Anyway, I want my own DH to kiss me wet & wild. I'm not getting any younger and I wanted to savour every minute of it, don't you? Most of the time when I tease him about it, he can't concentrate and gives me the giggle laugh instead. A peck (barely touch each other lip) on the lip is not the way husband & wife should kiss in my opinion.

By insisting he should kiss me the way I want, I always put a smile on his face and that makes me happy.

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Wordless/Wordful Wednesday

This was taken almost two weeks ago. We are having some warmer temperature since then and that driveway is kinda muddy at this time. Being smaller than average americans, the pile of snow we had at the side of our driveway covered me with no problem, after shoveling these white stuff. We only have a lawn mower type plow and the plow cannot push the snow on the top of already there pile. So, shoveling was the only option, or buy a a very expensive truck with plow already attached.

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