Week 22 - Memorial Day

This weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer in the U.S. More importantly, it marks our celebration of Memorial Day. A time to thank all those military men and women who gave the ultimate, who served their country with courage and dedication and guaranteed the freedoms we enjoy.  A time to thank those who continue to serve.  

The air is filled with the smell of burning charcoal and grilling meat, the sound of laughter, family camaraderie and gratefulness.  

Mom is settling in...she saw her new doctor on Tuesday and was quite impressed.  John and I have been going to Dr. Replogle for quite some time so we are really glad to keep the good doctor 'in the family'.  

I hurt my back sometime during the week...no idea how I hurt it.  Had to call my doctor on Friday and beg some pain meds...thank goodness I described my symptoms adequately so she could arrange some wonderful pain medication....I have 4 days off so that should be time to get me back on track and pain-free.

Not much to tell you this week.  Thanks for stopping by. 

Week 21 - They're Full of Cr*p!

 The other day I left work and started down the 1 mile gravel road to our house...this truck was in front of me.  The truck was a septic removal company...and they stopped at the house across the road from us. Sometimes, even the little things tickle my funny bone!

We've had tons of rain this last week.  While it wasn't enough to get us out of the the so-called drought, it was enough to start the greening of the property.  Here is a shot I took of the front of the house.

And off the back deck, looking at our woods.  Everything is so green and clean. 

We are expecting another week of rain so that will raise our water tables a bit. I don't know if it will be enough to get us totally out of the drought, but any amount of water will certainly help.  

Thanks for stopping by.

Week 20 - Mother's Day Week

Last Sunday was Mother's Day here in the U.S.  I received flowers and a card from Mr. Wonderful, a call from Utah with everyone saying Happy Mother's Day at once along with a gift card to Amazon (my favorite shopping!), and my own Mother arrived to begin her new adventure as a member of this crazy household!  We picked her up at the airport and took her to lunch and then came home to begin putting her furniture where she wants it and bringing in boxes so she could unpack.  We all know there will be adjustments - let's face it, she has lived alone for 23 years and we've lived just by ourselves for almost 20 years...but we are all committed to making this work.  Mom and I have had some fabulous conversations and we are all finding our feet in this new arrangement.

One thing that has changed is that John and I decided that we would no longer have meal times at Whenever O'clock.  We all need to have nutritious, timely meals and with John working till 5:30 and then a 45 minute commute to home, it falls to me if we are going to have meals before 8 P.M.  Along with that, it occurred to me that one reason I hate cooking is that I don't have a lot of imagination when put on the spot for making a meal.  If I were to make up a meal plan for the week, that might help with getting things done.  So for the last week, I've been doing the cooking. I'm surprising myself with the meals I'm making.  One day we had a new casserole made in a skillet, yesterday we had Parmesan crusted baked pork chops.  I also made a cinnamon spice apple pie and pretzel rolls for dinner.  Those pretzel rolls came from a mix but they were awesome yummy! Looky!

My To-Do list is extra lengthy today so I will close this with telling you all how much I appreciate you spending time reading my paltry efforts to be entertaining.  I so appreciate your comments.  

Thanks for stopping by.

Week 19 - A New Adventure Begins

I think I told you earlier that my Mom is coming to live with us....we've looked forward to this for so very long!  She sold her home in record time and was able (with the help of both my brothers and sisters-in-law) to pack up all the belongings she wanted to bring with her.  Unfortunately, she got ill and the doctor grounded her for a week so she wasn't able to fly here last week.  She stayed with my brother and his wife to recuperate and she was cleared to fly for today!  In the meantime, her belongings left Arizona and made their way to southwest Missouri in record time.  The trailer was delivered to our house this past Thursday evening and John spent several hours Friday, unloading all he could by himself.  Yesterday our friend came over and helped him unload the last 3 items...everything is staged in the garage awaiting Mom's decisions as to where she wants her stuff. 

We went to the airport this morning and picked her up....she is now relaxing in a comfy chair and we've placed most of her furniture to her liking.  Some of her boxes need unpacking but that can happen as and how she wants to do that.  

Now when folks ask her where she lives, she can say Missouri!

Those tragic wildfires in western Canada are starting to impact southwestern Missouri...we have a yellow alert for air quality today and tomorrow expect a red alert. So hoping they get some rain soon...enough to help quash those fires.

Well, more next week.  Thanks for stopping by.

Week 18 - In Which there is Rain, and Hail, and Sunshine, and Flowers

The other day I heard sounds on the roof and went to look out the back deck windows...here's what I saw. Mind you, the weather-readers had been predicting rain (actually, they had been predicting SEVERE weather which, as usual, turned out to be rain and a bit of wind) so I was expecting to see rain...but the amount of rain I saw was truly amazing.  I'm told there was over an inch of rain in less than 45 minutes.  

  See that white spec just a bit south and west of the middle of the picture?  That is hail.  It's about the size of a chickpea. Mix rain and hail and wind and you have a very noisy few minutes!  The farmers were so pleased with this storm cause we need moisture for the crops and the hayfields.  That was Monday...and today is just a bright, sunny day.  John is mowing and I am enjoying looking out my front windows...why, you ask?

 On Friday, once I got off work, John picked me up and we drove down south to a wonderful nursery to pick out flower baskets for the front porch.  I went along for color expertise.  I picked some really unusual ones this year.  The first one is filled with Black Petunias...truly black in color...and they are magnificent!  We even bought a couple of 4 inch pots of the black ones to put in a planter for the porch.  This basket is not depressing at all...truly wonderful.

 This one is Ivy Geranium. It will form a vine and is really striking in person. And just to the right, you can see part of the third basket with small purple and butter yellow striped petunias paired with large peach petunias....again, quite nice to look at.

 I've always loved the look of dahlias..and this one called to me.  It's named Hawaii.  The blossom is only about 2 1/2 inches across.  John planted it between my lavender plant and the bee balm in the front garden.  Anxious to see if it survives and thrives.

 As I told you earlier, we picked up some bedding plants to make a big pot for the front porch...there are black petunias as well as white ones, orange geraniums, and yellow marigolds...we used a 20 inch pot and John cut up a pool noodle to fill the pot about 1/2 way - that helps with drainage and also eliminates weight from using soil in the entire pot!  Pretty, huh?

 And, with the sunshine out, I looked out into the field and saw all the calves taking their afternoon naps!  From left to right you have Rosie, Belle, and Beast...just too cute for words!

Mom's move to us has been slightly delayed...her house closed on Thursday. And her household goods that she's bringing left Arizona on their way to Missouri on Thursday as well.  Mom was supposed to fly here today but she got a bit of a pulmonary issue that started a week or so ago and progressed to the point that her doctor grounded her for at least a week.  So she is with one of my brothers and his wife and is following doctor's orders of bed rest and breathing treatments in the hope that he will clear her to fly when he sees her again on Tuesday.  We can re-arrange her travels then.  

To all my friends and followers in the UK and OZ, I want to wish you a Happy Mothering Day!  Hugs from America!!!

Thanks for stopping by.