Category: Trella Diaries

Thursday, April 2, 2009
75° sunny
Planted Homestead & Brandywine tomato seeds – orange peppers – basil & flat parsley.
Made copies of the cards in my wallet – put one copy in top drawer of safe in black folder with bank.
Paid 6 mo. car insurance to Nationwide $497

Wednesday, April 1, 2009
60° sunny
Nick Skidmore, aerial photographer from Geauga County at my door with view of Terradise on Nov 3, 2008 – Framed photo to add to my collection – one in 1965 – one in 70’s – $75 in 1965 – $250 in 2009 – He photographed birds on dogwood from chair on deck & of me daubing shortening of tree. Renaissance man – restored building in Geauga village, carves cones from found tree limbs. Showed me his album of 8 ½ x 11 photos – birds – scenes, family – has a website to show them. Was here about 2 hrs & headed over to Terradise Nature Preserve. As Nick left I said ‘This may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship’ He said yes, you do the writing and I’ll furnish the photos.
Dave Matyak here from 2:30 to 4:30 – He worked on ramp area – removed two rr ties & the boards along flower bed by pool. Suggests we use bricks from former walk to lay over present brick brick walk to bring it high enough to shed water – There is enough bricks.
Saw bloodroot blooming but no trillium up The little bulbs under clump of trees at foot of steps have increased – bloom face up – spring beauties on hill & into woods opened. I cleared leaves & hosta foliage from lowest terrace. Dave cleared debris from outlet pipe on pond & raked some of the duck week that is back – But stopped because 2 yr frog tadpoles were hopping through it.

Monday, March 2, 2009
Norm Fogt’s funeral 11:30 at Emmanuel Lutheran
Tomorrow to Green Camp
Left golf cart tire at John Deere & then to Emmanuel Lutheran Church. David met me in parking lot – So good to have an escort. Talked to Dick Wade in elevator – Open casket in foyer – DOnnar Ruth so gracious – also Vicki Sue who went to Harding with David. Long church service – Gale sat with us – Jack Bull only other MCHS there. To cemetery – Drove by graves of family.
Banquet spread of food, Sat with 3 of Norm’s sisters – a family of 9 – 7 living.
To Boyd’s where David had some work. Had noted year of death not on Geo. Sifrit’s monument so David asked Boyd’s to check & see if Geo prepaid – no – they called Howie Bates & David talked to him about it. He left for Cinci about 2:30 – playing tonight with Bob Hinklin’s Big Band.
Picked up tire at John Deere – $36! Difficult to remove from rim – so labor charge for ½ hr.
Sent info on Board Membership seminar to Gale. She (& I) signed up for Wed. class.
Email from Kathi – water system problems outdoors & Bob working on it despite bronchitis.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009
50° sunny AM
Email from Jim Carpenter that he would be here at 12:30 to work but he arrived about 11:30 – we repotted the Christmas Cacti that had 5 plants ina 4 in. pot – and one is full of buds. Sifted and added peat & composed cow manure to the compost soil in potting bench ready for potting.
Then finished raking & sweeping patio & adjacent beds – Leaves to compost – 1:30 at computer room I gave Jim my former Olympus & Sony digital cameras & installation discs – not workikng but he collects cameras. His $500 one is lost.
Has a herniated disc in his spine & painful to even stoop over $30 [?]
Wrote a letter to Bill Laidlaw – OHS executive director to thank for my life time membership in Ohio Historical Society & ask about Ray’s lepidoptera collection give in 1979. Sent Ed Thomas Dispatch column about it. Sent picture of Byron & Marcie Smith to Nancy Smith Harris.

Monday, March 30, 2009
32-49° sunny
Skiff of snow on deck & steps to river – Deer hoof prints in it.
TO Marion – Took the post of lycoris bulbs to Marcia Eblen on Oak St. & left vby garage.
To Ohio State Bank – chased refund on maintenance contract on 2005 Prious $25 & $200 for current expenses.
To Meijer – Actonal prescription – Osteoporosis prevention – Got packes of seed for tomatoes, herbs & mixed green & bag of seed starter & a large sunhat with chin cord $9.
Left chicken breasts cooking in crock pot & they were done when i got home – Had supper ready for Gale at 5:”30 – over $1,000 receipts – Too tired to take a golf cart tour but showed her the new ramp from guest bedroom window – She hadn’t seen my picture quilt.

Call from Lawyer Nagel of Columbus – He represents the heirs not mentioned in Mary Kay Mills will that are suing the estate – wanted to know character of Mary May – I told him ‘sweet’. I think the heirs are from Ralph Mills her husband. She left her estate to Larry Anderson who looked after her.

Sunday, March 29, 2009
45° sunny windy cloudy few snowflakes
Write my autobiography for the 425 Ballentine Ave years & sent it to David & Kathi.
Too cold to dig more daffs in grassy areas – windy & some snow flakes by evening.
Email from Kati asking if economy crash affected my income. Reassured her that my Social Security ($2,000 a mo.) & an annuity ($900 a month) was not affected

About 9:00 PM the electricity went off – lights blinked several times & then quit. Odd thing – the yard light & house lights at Murphy’s down the road were on and the pole lights at Wood Valley. Stumbled to bed & tried to sleep – several times lights blinked & finally about 2:00 AM they stayed on!

Saturday, March 28, 2009
David to Marion to buy new work shoes – Didn’t find the ones in the garage! – After breakfast took a golf cart trip to assess work needed. He cleared the path along the river where big tree was across & finished the pick up of limbs. Jed arrived in time to help remove plastic from greenhouse & store in shed. They both labored over removing the railroad tiles on the steps by greenhouse. Brought landscape timbers stored across the road to use as sides of new ramp when they hauled rooted rr ties to burn pile. Removed & stacked bricks from the walk and graded area into a ramp. Meanwhile i raked leaves from beds & Jed hauld them to compost opile. I work in greenhouse cutting off frozen stalks. Hated to lose the huge jade plant that Wayne Crum brought years ago. Also the cacti from Rocky’s collection. Dumped dirt from the pots along side of timbers edging ramp. I raked leaves under patio furniture & Jed cut off the plume grass & tall coreoposis by pool. Picked a daff blooming by greenhouse. David left about 5:00 – Jed & Miette stayed for supper of salmon cakes, sweet potatoes & veggie dip. Put on my school teacher outfit & we went to HH for Jed to see what we need to upgrade computer programs in Resource Center & electrical connection of computer in media room. I didn’t stay to participate – too worn out.

Friday, March 27, 2009
Daniel Salceda (11), Jeremy Gilpin (12) & Tristan Holloway (12) of Caledonia Boy Scout Troop 86* dropped off by Mrs. Gilpen to help at Terradise. I drove tractor pulling red card & pointed for pickup – Filled 5 times & now Terradise is acceptable for visitors and for the spring wildflowers. Daniel about 3’ high was amazing – saw things to do that I hadn’t suggested. Tristan also good worker but Jeremy mostly carried the rak that he used to rake chestnut burs in a heap.
They also cleaned under the white pine branches & cones to pile across rd. Had sodas & strawberries for them in gazebo. Picked up about 12 – gave the boys free tickets to HH & Troop 86* a check for $50 – Mrs. Gilpin said call her for more help.
Night at Heritage Hall
Napped and checked email – to HH about 6:30 & things already buzzing – Gale prepared the booklet – Great job & I had presenters & the crew sign autographs. Got acquainted with Doug SMith as Philip Malo & Malone as Pres. McKinley. Both descended from who hey portrayed. Valenda Mackay finished getting autographs in my program book- helped me to car.

[*probably Troop 68]

Thursday, March 26, 2009
54° sunny PM
Royce cleaning – to Le Salon at 1:15 for shampoo & blow dry $15 – Promised Marcia the Lycoris bulbs I dug. Stopped at H Hall to check that books were available for sale during ‘Night at Heritage Hall’.
Shopped at Aldi’s $52 – To Meijer to pay credit card – Bought 81 aspirin low dose & birthday card for thad – $5.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Rainy .3 in.
Dan Sheridan here for 1:00 to 2:15. I gave him info I compiled on historical sites in Claridon Twp. 2 pgs.*
Then I realized the column he will write for the Marion Star wouldn’t be just about history – one column on whole County. Gave him a copy of the Historical Marker in Marion Co. – another column. I invited his bike club to Claridon Prairie tour & John Knickle’s Industry Along Whetstone.
David Matyak arrived as Dan was leaving – we worked in garage mixing compost – bagged cow manure – peat moss – Then I potted up the daffs I had dug & he put them in greenhouse.
Did a laundry – Finished off the spaghetti for my supper.
Male mallard on pond & river. Pr of wood ducks swimming up river.

[*https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQLMPrMmFqbJgdfTUDnlSRQi5I59GkQL/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108857801726514972817&rtpof=true&sd=true