Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend is just about over and what we all think of as the summer season has begun. It's been a quiet weekend for us, but a good one. Because he's been fighting pneumonia Tim took the entire three days off and while we got some things done, he was also able to get a good bit of rest.

The weekend got off to a wet start with nearly 3 inches of rain over Friday evening and Saturday morning. It tapered off by lunch time on Saturday and we saw a little bit of sun late in the day. I picked up Chinese take-out for supper on Friday so Tim could eat early, take his cough medicine with codeine and go to bed. 

Saturday morning we went to a small local market that has very good meats at very reasonable prices. We wanted to find something to do on the grill for Memorial Day. We finally settled on some good pork chops and chicken breasts, legs, and thighs. Just that little bit of activity wiped Tim out and he crashed on the sofa when we got home. Since it was so wet outside I puttered inside, doing some laundry, watching TV, and not much else while he slept. By late afternoon it was dry enough to do a little work outside. I worked on the planting and Tim worked on the pool. He also glued together the glass pieces I bought at the thrift store to make a birdbath. We went to a nearby ice cream stand for supper...Philly cheesesteak sandwich for Tim and a hotdog for me. We both had fries. We weren't hungry after that, but brought some ice cream sandwiches home for the freezer.

I stayed home from church on Sunday. Tim was feeling a little better and wanted to work outside and knowing his tendency to overdo, I felt like I needed to be around. He continued working on the pool and both Colton and Leah came over to hangout for a while so they helped us. Colt did a great job helping Tim put up the little fence in the garden area while Leah and I continued to work on it. I have been letting her lead the way to encourage her interest in gardening. It's what I'd have to call kitschy (or possibly tacky) but she's tickled with it so I don't care. It's finished now except for getting some mulch...and there is room to add more flowers or "things" if we want to.

It got so hot Sunday afternoon that we took a break and came into the AC for a while. Tim continued watching Narcos on Netflix. I am not a fan so I read some in this book I got from a stack my stepdad is getting ready to donate to the library's used book sale. It actually has a little bio for each person as well as the information on their death and where they are buried and I've found it interesting. I knew Fred Rogers was buried in the same cemetery my dad is, but never knew where and now I do...they are actually "neighbors." 

In the evening, Tim unloaded some wood he brought home at our daughter's home and Colton and Leah had a good time hauling and stacking it. As you can see, Leah had her own method of getting the job done. Actually, she just got frustrated with her flimsy plastic wheelbarrow flopping over when she tried to push it. The reward for their hard work was a bonfire with s'mores! Even my mom and stepdad came out for the fire. It was a good night, but ended with a bit of a scare when Leah lost her balance and fell by the fire. She put her arms out to break her fall and grabbed onto a piece of wood that was burning. Thankfully, it scared her more than anything and we treated it with the good burn cream Megan got from the doctor when she had a severe sunburn last year.

Today was HOT, but we cooked out and picnicked under my mom's big Catalpa tree and little pavilion so it wasn't too bad. We had pork chops, chicken, potatoes and onions done on the grill, corn on the cob, deviled eggs, watermelon, brownies, and cupcakes. It was all yummy! We sat and talked while the kiddos played and when it got really hot this afternoon we packed it up and retreated into the AC. 

When did this boy get so tall and handsome?

Mom and my stepdad went into their house as he doesn't go out or socialize too much these days. Our daughter and s-i-l decided to go for a ride on the Harley so Colton and Leah stayed with us. I put a movie on and Leah was asleep on my lap within minutes. Pappy and I dozed a little, too, but just because we were hot and tired. Tim was actually a lot better today and didn't cough too much. Colton was the only one who stayed awake. Once everyone woke up we took the kids for ice cream and when we got back, their mommy and daddy were home and ready for them.

Leah and Daisy snoozing on my lap. You can see the light burn
marks on her arm from her close encounter with the fire.

Our daughter and s-i-l stopped at Buttermilk Falls
when they were out on the bike. The falls used to belong
to Fred Roger's grandparents. The family donated it to
the state for a park.

Son-in-law Cody behind the falls.

At some point in the weekend, Daisy and Jasper started doing this. It's more Jasper's idea than Daisy's. She just puts up with it. Mostly.

And now it's midnight, so this girl needs to get to bed! I hope you had a good weekend and wish you a blessed week!

Sunday Stealing: Love Me Some Surveys

Thanks to Bev for finding the Sunday Stealing questions each week!

Stolen from Love Me Some Surveys

1. Who was the last attractive person you saw?  My husband, right before he headed off to bed.

2. Do you have a tattoo? If not, are you going to get one?  I have one. I'm not opposed to getting another, but have no plans.

3. Have you smoked a cigarette in the last 24 hours?  No

4. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?  Yikes, loaded question! The short and simple answer is yes...but I don't believe that means the consequences of everyone's actions should be removed.

5. What is your favorite number?  9

6. What time did you go to sleep last night?  Around 12:30, I think.

7. Are you one of those people that always answer their phones?  Nope

8. If you died today would your life be complete?  In the literal sense, of course, it doesn't get much more complete than dead. As for how I'd feel about the whole business, I'm okay with death. I am a person of faith and I know where I will be after death. However, from an emotional point of view, I'd have to say no because there are a few unsettled things I'd have regrets about.

9. If you are being extremely quiet, what does that mean?  Run.

10. Do you know what high school your dad went to?  The same one I did.

11. Last time you had butterflies in your stomach?  I don't remember.

12. Where is your cell phone?  Plugged into the charger right beside me.

13.  What is the nearest purple thing to you?  The pajamas I'm wearing (it's Saturday night).

14. When did you last step outside?  What were you doing?  It was a couple of hours ago. I was walking through the yard to my mom's house.

15. What is the last thing you watched on TV?  Expedition Unknown

Saturday 9: America, the Beautiful

Saturday 9: America, the Beautiful (1987)

Unfamiliar with Barbra Streisand's recording of this tune? Hear it here.

Memorial Day is the federal holiday designated to honor American service people who died in battle. 

1) Memorial Day was introduced after the Civil War. War memorials, as well as graves of veterans, are to be decorated with flags and flowers this weekend in a show appreciation. Is there a war memorial in your neighborhood?  No, not in mine, but there are probably 3 or 4 in other neighborhoods no more than half a mile away.

2) Here at Saturday 9, we regard everyone who served -- veterans and active military -- as heroes. Have you, or has anyone in your family, worn the uniform of our armed forces? We want to hear about them.  My dad served in the Army. My uncle and my husband served in the Marines. My brother-in-law was a SeaBee. We have a brother-in-law who served in the Army National Guard and saw two tours of duty in Iraq and three in Afghanistan. We have a nephew who is currently in the Army National Guard. He has done a tour in Afghanistan. Since meeting my biological father, I've learned my 3x-great grandfather served in the Union Army and died on the battlefield at Shiloh. There was also a cousin who served in Vietnam (I don't know what branch of the military) whose name is on the wall in D.C. He was the first young man from our county to die in Vietnam.

3) Memorial Day is the traditional kick off of the summer season. Have you packed away your winter clothes yet? Yes! I am proud of myself. I did that two or three weeks ago. Normally, I'd get it done about halfway through June if I was lucky.

4) What's your favorite picnic food?  We make foil packets of sliced potatoes and onions with salt, pepper and butter that we throw on the grill. Sooo good!

5) As you answer these questions, is there a fan or an air conditioner cooling your room?  Yes. The AC was on earlier and though it isn't hot, I have a fan on to circulate the air. I hate stale, still air.

6) Lyricist Katharine L. Bates said she was inspired to write "America, the Beautiful" after a trip to Pike's Peak. What's the most beautiful spot in America that you have ever visited?  I don't think I could choose just one. I have found everywhere I've been beautiful in its own way.

7) Though we're talking summer this morning, Santa is going to get a shoutout. Before "America, the Beautiful" was published, Katharine L. Bates wrote a poem called, "Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh" which is remembered for introducing Santa's wife, Mrs. Claus. Share a fond memory of the 2021 holiday season.  I can't think of any "big" moment, but it was a good one. We were healthy, my mom and stepdad joined us rather than staying isolated, and the grandchildren were at just the right ages to be so excited and so much fun.

8) This week's featured artist, Barbra Streisand, sang "America, the Beautiful" during a benefit concert. She admitted to James Corden that she suffers from stage fright and before she performs, she prays, "Let go, let God." What's something that scares you, but that you do anyway?  Speaking in front of groups.

9) Question for a weekend when many of us will sleep in: Are you a morning person?  Not really, I guess. Left alone for long enough my sleep pattern usually shifts to staying up late...but then again, I don't really sleep in all that late, either. 7:00 is late for me. That said, I can be up and functioning at full-speed at nearly any time of the day. I'd say early afternoon is my slump time. 

A Hot Mess of Friday Thoughts

I've been quiet this week. Taking and processing the things in the news, I guess, and there has been a lot to process, hasn't there? If you keep your eyes on everything that's going on in the world it is easy to slip into negative thinking and feel overwhelmed and stressed by it. 

It's times like these that I am glad I have placed my hope in Jesus Christ and no matter what is going on in this world, I know that God Almighty is in control. I like using that specific name for God. Almighty means "having complete power, omnipotent, all-powerful, supreme, invincible, unconquerable." That is my God. He is big. He is powerful. He can't be beaten. He rules over all. He is a faithful God, He never fails to do what He promises. It may not be in my timing or the way I think I want it, but it will be at the perfect time in the perfect way. And He is personal. He loves me, little, insignificant in the scheme of the universe me. He loves you, too, and He has since before you were born, before the world existed even.

Keeping the absolute truth of God in mind in these times makes it easier to still be thankful and though I am a day late, I still want to link up with Rebecca Jo @ Knit By God's Hand for Thankful Thursday.

Things I am thankful for today...

** Knowing I can talk directly to God and that He hears my prayers.

** All of my family that has been fighting illness finally saw their doctors and got treatment this week. Tim has a touch of pneumonia, Megan has a sinus infection and both ears are infected, her husband also has a touch of pneumonia.

** Considering how awful Tim's cough has been I'm thankful the pneumonia was caught early. I can't imagine how bad it would have been had it had more time.

** I've remained healthy with all those germs swirling around me!

** I'm thankful that my friend Angel's (she's one of my former clients) family wants me to continue meeting her twice a month even though the agency finally found her another companion. 

** Colton graduated from preschool and will be heading off to kindergarten in August. 

There was some drama two days before the end of the year between a mother, a teacher, and a local police officer. I hate to say it, but the mother was off the rails and reacted badly and waaaay out of proportion to being asked to move her vehicle. She even returned to the school to rail at the officer and school staff. She also posted on Facebook, ripping into the staff and the other parents who didn't come to her defense, going so far as to say to the other mothers that she "hoped to God their daughters don't grow up to be like them."

Because of her actions, the school cancelled the little graduation ceremony that was supposed to take place yesterday. All because she was asked to move her vehicle. Crazy.

** Lots of time with my granddaughter, Leah. She is such a joy and she loves spending time with me. 

Lately she has enjoyed walking around and looking at all the pretty flowers blooming in our neighborhood. Of all my four grandchildren, she is the only one to show interest in learning the appreciation and enjoyment of nature my grandmother taught me. Funny since her momma was definitely in the "not interested" camp when she was little.

Yesterday I had Leah most of the day and we went to the garden center together. We walked around with her pointing out the different flowers and colors and at each one insisting, "Smell it, Nanny." We picked out bright pink petunias and a mix of white petunias and red petunias with white stripes. We also picked out several packets of sunflower seeds to plant around my deck. We saved a few of each for her to plant at home. If they all grow it should be quite a show. She chose 4 varieties: little yellow ones that are only 2' tall; autumn colored ones (reds and oranges with gold) that should be 5-7' tall; a golden mammoth variety that grows to 12'; and another large variety that is a pale yellow and grows up to 15'!

** Jasper finally seems to be slowing down and mellowing out. The wild and crazy times are just a now and then thing rather than an all day, every day thing.

** I'm also thankful, that in addition to growing into the large size of a Maine Coon cat, Jasper has retained all his fluffiness and his beautiful mane. Megan's cat, who is a brother from an earlier litter, has the size but has lost all his fluffiness and looks like a regular cat, albeit a BIG one. The one our son-in-law's parents have is Jasper's brother from the same litter and he is much smaller and now Megan reports he is losing his fluffiness.

** As we begin the Memorial Day weekend and the start of the summer season, I am especially thankful for all the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect our way of life and ensure that freedom rings out across this land.

** For all of you who come to visit my blog and have become friends. We may never meet face to face, but you are friends who are loved and appreciated.

Now, since it's Friday...

Some things I like:

• Hearing a lot more conversation, as opposed to screaming and posturing, following the tragedy in Texas. People seem to be waking up to the fact that we need to work together and change a lot of things, not just one thing.
• Switching to lighter, summer meals.
• Sitting on the porch, enjoying my flowers and my family.

• 
  
  
  
• Bare feet or flip-flops (I wear Vionics flip-flops so lots of arch support).
• A perfectly grilled steak. My dad made the best ones!

Some things I don't like:

• When people are so set in their views that we can't even have an honest discussion that doesn't devolve into angry shouting and insults. Just hear each other out, for crying out loud. It's called respect. We used to give it to each other.
• Paying higher prices for groceries...and having them go bad very quickly because they are already old when they get to the store (I assume).
• Paying higher prices for a favorite food, having it be a yet smaller size, and then being disappointed because it's not the same as it was because the seller can't get the same ingredients or has to use inferior ingredients to keep the cost down.
• All the extra commercials some of the streaming services we subscribe to (or maybe it's Roku?) are adding. It seems like on some of them there's a commercial break every 5 minutes.

Wishing you all a happy, safe, and blessed Memorial Day weekend!

Simple Woman's Daybook

 It's a Simple Woman's Daybook kind of day.

For today...

The Weather

A good steady rain moved in yesterday evening and cool things off from our weekend highs of 90 degrees or more. It's a cool 63 degrees today with clouds. Showers are possible, but we haven't seen any.

The tree that needs to come down, but it shows 
how gray and dreary the day is. Since we will be
opening the pool this week, the tree will survive
another summer, but once the pool is closed again...

Looking Out My Window

The world has really turned green in the last week. All of the trees, with the exception of the Catalpas are fully leafed out. The Catalpas are always the last to get their leaves and the last to drop them in the fall. The azaleas are nearly done, but the rhododendrons are stepping up and are incredible this year. My mom's neighbor has a huge one covered with vivid RED blooms! So pretty and unusual next to all the lavender and white. And the peonies are starting to bloom.

My neighbor's red rhody.

Mom's beautiful Peonies.

In the Garden

I can't really call it a garden. We've given up on that after several not so great years. What I do have is pots of tomatoes and peppers on the deck and one large hanging basket with a patio tomato and a cucumber bush trailing down. I planted those and my flower pots this weekend. I only have my two large pots, one smaller one, and a hanging basket this year. I usually have more, but just what I've mentioned, along with 3 bags of soil, added up to nearly $200! I do have some sunflower seeds to plant and I need to get at the end of the house where several volunteer Rose of Sharon bushes are growing up through the roses, tiger lilies, and yucca. If we can get them out with the roots intact I will plant a row of them elsewhere in the yard, perhaps as a screen (when they grow quite a bit) near the pool. The roses need the dead bits pruned away.

Patio tomato and cucumber basket.

My pretty red, white, and blue(ish) basket.

Peppers. Two green bell's and one sweet banana pepper.

Tomatoes

I have two big pots planted exactly the same.

Sweet, sunny marigolds.

Our deck. It was more enjoyable when the bigCatalpa tree covered the whole
thing with shade. However, a big mess with mildew in the best of times
and totally gross once the tree got Catalpa worms.
Do you have any idea just how much caterpillars poop???

The mess of Yucca, lilies, and roses all ingrown by
Rose of Sharon bushes. I hope I can dig them out
with roots in tact (the RoS's that is) and replant.

One perfect pink rose.

Our badly overgrown apple tree. It's a pretty tree, but rather useless to us. It's an early,
 yellow apple so the fruit has very thin skin and we are lucky to get even a 
taste of them because they draw ever bee, wasp, hornet, yellowjacket,
and other stinging bug you can (oh, and those draw skunks, groundhogs, and deer) think of
and THEY get to enjoy the fruit. A few years ago
 we did have a man stop and ask if he could gather the chewed up apples on
the ground and we said he could. He raises deer and feeds  them to the deer.
He let us come out and bring Colton to see them.

I don't think apples will be a big problem this year. I only
found a few little green ones. I think the frost took care of them.

I'm Thinking

About the bug that's been hitting all of us eventually. I had it in March. It

wasn't Covid, but it left me with no energy and a cough that wouldn't quit.

It lasted a good three weeks. Colton had it last month. Again, not Covid, 

but an ear infection and sinus infection. He's still stuffed up but it could be

allergies. Leah's been congested for a couple of weeks, but is fine other-

wise. So, allergies? Our son-in-law had what I had several weeks ago. He

still hasn't shaken the cough and hasn't seen a doctor. Tim got hit this weekend.

Not Covid, but a low grade fever and severe body aches on Saturday along

with congestion. The aches were mostly gone on Sunday and today he feels

nearly normal. Now Megan has it. Severe achiness yesterday and congestion.

No aches today, but still congestion. Whatever it is, at least it seems to be quick.

In the Kitchen

Not much. Tim hasn't felt like eating much so I've just eaten whatever all

weekend. Other than that, we've been doing some grilling and last night we

did have the frozen fish and chips dinners I'd picked up at Aldi's back during

Lent. They each had one very large beer-battered cod filet and fries.

They were really good! I know the coating is bad for you, but it got so

nice and crispy. YUM! Not sure yet what tonight will see on the table.

This Week 

Nothing much. This wonderful inflation we're facing has us pretty much

sticking close to home and being happy with it. It is Colton's last week of

school and if his daddy doesn't feel like going then I get to go to the

little ceremony they're having Thursday at the school for the kiddos who

are moving up to kindergarten next year. I picked him up today

and he had a big bag of toys and craft supplies they gave to all the

kids who are moving up. 

Sunday Stealing: Fewer than 5000 Questions

Thanks goes to our host, Bev Sykes of the blog "Funny the World" for today's meme. Welcome to Sunday Stealing.  Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

 

 

Fewer than 5000 questions

 

 

 

 

1. Who do you take for granted?  I hope no one, but in all honesty, probably the people who are in the background of my life keeping things running smoothly...the mailperson, the garbage men, utility workers, cashiers, etc. I am polite and even friendly with them, but most of the time I do just assume they're going to be there doing their job.

2. Short, knee, or ankle skirts?  Knee or ankle. I don't really like wearing dresses, but if I must it will be at least knee length.

3. Do you wear a hat?  Only in the winter. If I'm shoveling snow. In a blizzard.

4. Who's your favorite cartoon character?  Oh boy...I loved Looney Toons and Scooby-Do when I was a kid. Nickelodeon was just getting going when my kids were growing up and I loved Rocko's Modern Life and now that I'm watching a new generation of toons with my grandchildren I find that I really like the Puppy Dog Pals and Disney's new crop of strong princesses...Moana, Elsa and Anna, Rapunzel, and most recently, Mirabelle of Encanto.

5. Does break dancing impress you?  That they can do what they do physically, yes, that impresses me. It's not a style of dance I particularly enjoy watching, but dancers are such amazing athletes.

6. Are you a miracle?  I am and so are you. We are all miracles!

7. Have you ever eaten tofu?  Yes, and I am not particularly a fan.

8. Does the moon have an effect on your mood?  I don't think it affects my mood, particularly, but I know from driving a school bus and working in the memory care unit of a nursing home, it definitely affects some people. I'm sure most healthcare workers, teachers, and such would agree. It makes sense to me. The moon's pull affects the ocean tides so I don't see why it wouldn't do anything to us when we're supposed to be something like 75% water.

9. Many people will say that the Harry Potter books are pure fluff with no literary value. Do you agree?  Absolutely not! I'm all for any book (unless it's absolute filth) that encourages children to read.

10. What are you doing next Wednesday?  Possibly having dinner with some girlfriends to "celebrate" one's divorce going through.

11. Why do so many people think Elvis is still alive?  Bigfoot and the aliens are spreading rumors?

12. Are your hands cold?  Not at the moment. It was 90 degrees today (Saturday). Ask me in January and they will be like blocks of ice.
               
13. Have you ever given blood?  Yes, a couple of times, but the last time it went so slowly that they told me I probably shouldn't bother doing so again.

14. What SCI-fi books do you read?  None. It's not a genre I particularly like.

15. Have you ever belonged to a sorority or a fraternity?  Yes. I joined Kappa Delta Sorority in college.

Saturday 9: River of No Return

It is going to be a hot one with the temperature hovering right around 90 and lots of work waiting to be done out in the yard. So, what better way to begin the day than with the coolest meme around, the Saturday 9? Thanks, as always, to Sam for the music and questions!

Saturday 9: River of No Return (1954)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Marilyn Monroe performed this song in the 1954 western, River of No Return. In the movie (and at the beginning of this clip) she wears jeans. The wardrobe mistress bought the jeans off the rack at JC Penney's. Yet because of their connection to Marilyn, they are valuable memorabilia. Designer Tommy Hilfiger bought them for a reported $75,000 and today they hang in the closet of Britney Spears. Do you ever shop at thrift stores or websites for second-hand or vintage clothes?  I look at thrift stores and estate sales and have limited luck. Not sure why, but this area doesn't seem to have the same high quality items I see others online finding in thrift stores.  

2) In this song, she sounds melancholy as she recalls a lover who has gone. We hope this morning you're feeling more chipper than Marilyn. In one word, describe your mood.  Motivated!

3) In real life, Marilyn's love life was sailing along. During the filming of this movie, her famous boyfriend, Joe DiMaggio, visited her on location in Canada and they were married by the time the movie was released. Joltin' Joe was of course one of baseball's greats. How is your baseball team doing this season?  I have no idea, I don't follow baseball.

4) It was during her romance with Joe that Marilyn learned to cook. She enjoyed preparing Thanksgiving stuffing from scratch. Do you have a favorite recipe to share?  Sure! Here's my favorite zucchini bread recipe.

Pineapple-Blueberry-Zucchini Bread

3 eggs. 

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar. 

1.5 tsp. Baking soda

1 cup oil. 

1 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Vanilla. 

1 tsp. Baking powder

1 cup drained, crushed pineapple 

2 cups grated zucchini 

1-2 cups blueberries (to your liking)

Mix all ingredients. 

Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Makes 2 loaves. Freezes well also.

5) Over her lifetime, Marilyn had 43 different addresses. She was always a renter until February 1962, when she bought her final home in Brentwood. If you're a renter, do you ever wish you owned? If you're an owner, do you ever think you'd be happier as a renter?  Most of the time I'm glad we own our home, but there are times when I think it would be a lot less hassle to rent...like tax time, when something breaks, or there's storm damage. Then I see the astronomical rents being charged for places that aren't that great...and I'm glad to be where I am again.

 

6) Marilyn tended to her famous alabaster complexion with Nivea, which is still available at drugstores today. What's the last thing you purchased at a drugstore? Was it medication? Food or snacks? Health and beauty? Something else?  Cold medicine for the grandchildren.

 

7) Her signature scent was Chanel No. 5. What fragrance do you wear most often?  I can't handle perfumes. They give me a sinus headache...especially if they are florals. I can't handle anything floral. Most of the time I wear a fruity scented body spray. It's lighter and the fruit scent doesn't bother me. My favorite is Calgon's Tropical Pineapple, but it's hard to find these days. I also buy from Bath & Body Works and I recently discovered a line of scents at Walmart called "Choose Your Happy" and has different scents that are supposed to smell like the weekend, the beach, etc. I like a couple of those.

8) The year Marilyn's recording was released, John Travolta was born. What's your favorite John Travolta movie?  So many good ones to choose from, but it's the musicals for the win with me. It's a pretty close call between Grease and Hairspray.

9) Random question: What happened to your first car? (Sold Traded in? Still in your garage?)  My first car was the first car Tim and I bought together. We traded it for a pickup truck back in the 80's.

Top 3's and Likes & Dislikes

I stole the first part of today's post from Rebecca Jo.

Three things that make a lot of sense to me.

1. The truth of the gospel of Jesus.
2. Taking care of our own citizens before sending our money and resources to other places.
3. The value of having extended family nearby.

Three things that do not make sense to me

1. The hate and closed mindedness that flows from both the left and the right.
2. Asking someone for help/advice, then refusing to listen.
3. Tik Tok

Three things I’d like to explore 

1. Greece
2. The Library of Congress
3. The Smithsonian (all the buildings)

Three things I have no interest in 

1. Nascar 
2. Celebrity gossip
3. Hearing how great someone thinks they are.

Three things I have more than enough of but always want to buy

1. Books/journals
2. Pens and markers
3. Purses

Three things I am always in search of

1. Shoes that fit, give good support, and are actually cute.
2. Jeans/shorts/leggings...and type of bottom that fits right.
3. Bargains

Things I've recently checked off of my To Do list

1. Mammogram 
2. Get back on track with weight loss doctor.
3. Got the Poodle groomed.

Things I have had on my To Do list forever

1. Clean out my office and organize it.
2. Clean out the useless corner cabinet in the kitchen (runs back along side the stove and it's impossible to see what's in it or even reach most of it because the door doesn't open all the way).
3. Clean the windows.

And now for some likes and dislikes.

I like...

...having most of my immediate family nearby...

...freezer pops on the deck with the grands...

...movie afternoons on a hot day with the shades drawn and the AC on...

...nice people who build others up...

...that my granddaughter and I "get" each other...

...getting an ice cream treat at the drive-in with my hubby...

...watching my grandchildren play barefoot and carefree in the yard...

...the feel of the grass on my toes...

...the smell of freshly cut grass...

...blooming spring flowers...

I dislike...

...jumping from early spring straight into heat and humidity...

...my mom's need to put others down (strangers, family, friends...it doesn't matter...today my daughter told her she'd lost 9 lbs. and Mom looked her up and down and said, "Where? Did you get a haircut?")...

...wood bees (we have an infestation)...

...the current economy, supply shortages, inflation, and fuel prices...

...waiting for the next season of my favorite shows...

...the bugs that come with warm weather...

...my refrigerator...

Thankful Thursday

Wow, time is flying and here we are back again for Thankful Thursday with Rebecca Jo @ Knit By God's Hand. 

This week I am thankful...

** after a lifetime of struggling with health issues, being told it was all in her head, my daughter finally has a diagnosis that explains everything. Fibromyalgia. She's being referred to a pain management doctor who specializes in fibromyalgia. Praying this is the step that will finally allow her to live a more normal life.

** Colton also saw the doctor this week because he's been having a rough time at home and at school. Anytime he's away from home he repeats over and over, "I want to go home." ADHD is strongly suspected, but they won't definitely diagnose it until he has started kindergarten. Anxiety is confirmed. They have been referred to a family counselor, probably a good thing because I'm sure his mama's own anxiety and depression affect him, as do his daddy's silence and recent depression over the loss of his brother. Then there was all the upheaval that brought and the sudden insertion of a cousin into the family dynamics and the just as sudden withdrawal. I suspect he is feeling more than a little confused, scared, bewildered, and insecure. That mom and dad discuss everything within his hearing probably doesn't help. Tim and I are very relieved and thankful they are going to get some help.

** I saw my diet doctor for the first time in a year this week and am on getting back on track. Since I had so much trouble with Ozempic, they are going to try me on another medicine in the same class and hope I get the same weight loss results I had with Ozempic. I hope so. Ozempic was a game changer, but the world class constipation was not a side effect I could live with.

** We're enjoying a few cooler days (60's with nighttime lows in the 40's) before the weekend gets here with high temperatures expected to reach into the 90's! Ugh. That is too hot for me. I will be found lying on the floor in front of the air conditioner for most of it, I am sure.

** A great day with my little partner in crime. She is a girl after my own heart...fierce; independent; adventurous; strong; sweet and tender (when she wants to be); a tomboy who picks up bugs, tells poop jokes and paints her nails; and is uproariously funny!

** A surprise visit from my cousin's daughter and her family on Sunday. I haven't seen or heard from my cousin since the day we buried his mother. I haven't heard from his brother, either. I think they have written me and my mom off since she is remarried and I was adopted by my dad, so not a blood relative. I am not heartbroken. Neither of them are someone I want to spend time with. I was closer in age to the older one's children and that was one of the cousins who came to visit. Anyway...we had a great time catching up, laughing, and watching her kids play with my grandchildren while we enjoyed the first cookout of the year.

** I finally started Priscilla Shirer's bible study of Elijah and it is promising to be fantastic. I look forward to sitting down with it every morning to start my day.

** for all of you! 

Mid-May Monday Morning Daybook

I haven't done a Simple Woman's Daybook post in quite a while. It really isn't much different than Currently, but the questions are a little bit different so I thought I'd switch it up this week.

For today...

Looking out my window...it's a gray morning and growing grayer as rain and storms push this way. Most trees are finally completely leafed out. The Catalpas are the lone holdout. Azaleas, Rhododendrons, and Peonies are blooming. Lilacs were a bust this year. The temperature is in the 60's and will remain there all day.

I am thinking about...tomorrow's elections here in Pennsylvania. The pundits are all buzzing about it this morning, wondering which way we will go. Will we remain under liberal leadership or vote in the conservatives. I have my own hopes and am praying about it all, that God's plan will prevail.

Also about the economy and rising prices, shortages, and such. (Aren't we all?) I'm thinking in terms of what I can do to save money or make a little extra, without actually having to return to work...at least until after our vacation in September. I am looking into a few online things that could possible add a few hundred dollars in income per month. 

I am thankful...for a great visit yesterday by one of my younger cousins (actually the daughter of my first cousin so I guess that makes her my first cousin, once removed...I think) and her family. We had a cookout at our daughter's home since they have kids of similar ages. I don't get to see her very often and it will be even less soon as she and her family are getting ready to set off on the adventure of a lifetime. They've sold their home, SUV, and most of their belongings in order to buy a HUGE 5th-wheel trailer and pickup truck. They got new jobs that they can do online from anywhere and they plan to travel where the mood takes them and eventually end up in Florida (at least for a time) as my cousin's job is as a travel agent specializing in all things Disney. She is also working on her master's degree in mass media marketing. Her husband is a life insurance broker, but is also a pretty handy guy so he can always make extra picking up side jobs here or there. I'm proud of them for making their dreams come true and doing life exactly the way they want to.

The kiddos all had fun playing together even though they'd never met before. Since my cousin's family will be in the area for another month or so, there are plans to get the kids together again.

Mackenzie is great with little ones and Leah sure adored
her bigger cousin and followed her everywhere.

Colton and Bryce are very close in age and were fast
friends, united against the girls when it came to their
"clubhouse" which is actually Leah's playhouse.

One of my favorite things...a rainy day, listening to the patter of the rain on the roof and the harder sounding splats against the windows, and even the rumbling thunder and flashing lightning.

I am wearing...Ha! Being a lazy bum this morning and I am still in my pj's. They are traditionally styled with a button-down, collared top and cropped pants. They are black with lavender, pink, and coral colored flowers.

I am listening to...Fox News' interview with Melania Trump. Whoa! And lots of loud rumbling thunder. BOOM!

I am in awe of...God's creation. Did you stay up to watch the lunar eclipse last night? I was excited because we usually miss anything in the skies thanks to cloud cover. Last night there were some clouds, but they moved out in time for the show. I didn't stay up for all of it, but it was still amazing. I borrowed this photo from a local Facebook friend.

I am ready to (or fixin' to for my southern friends)...sell my cat to the gypsies! He is in one of his "moods" today where he gets into absolutely EVERYTHING! When I finish here my next job is cleaning up the mess he made in the kitchen by knocking a potted cactus off the window sill above the sink. There is dirt all over the window sill, the counter, and all through the sink and the dishes in the dishpan. Grrrr. I also have to repot the poor cactus and hope it lives. 

In the kitchen...nothing's going on today other than cleaning. There are lots of leftovers from yesterday's cookout with my cousin's family. There is taco salad, potato salad, jello salad, baked beans, hotdogs, hamburgers, and kielbasa.

Happening today...not much other than an appointment with the weight loss doctor this afternoon.

A quote to share...in light of this weekend's mass shootings and the ongoing arguments about abortion, this seems an appropriate reminder for all of us.