Monday, April 30, 2007

Day Trip


We went here today. I took my mom, dad and cousin to see the irises at my friend's home. There are now 80,000 irises and that does not include the daylillies. It's a sight to behold, but I forgot to take my camera. I'm exhausted and all I did was drive the hour over there, drive my mom around on a golf cart while there, and drive home. It took most of the day.

Friday, April 27, 2007

Canine Intuition!


Full GARDEN mode!






I went to pick Mom some turnip greens this morning. We do not allow her to bend over because she will fall face first in the dirt. She wanted to help, but I just couldn't let her do that. While I was there I found some turnips and some potatoes that were ready. My brother and I both did some plowing with the tillers, he with the big one, and me with the small one. We got some more ground ready to plant. My dad is so excited about the garden this year and it is beautiful, if I must say so myself. I cannot wait to feast on fresh vegies, which will start tomorrow. Mom is cooking the turnip greens, turnips and potatoes tomorrow.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Computer Illiterate!


I spent the entire morning going through all these steps to make IE7 let me log in to my Metlife IRA account. Nothing worked. I can't even use Firefox to log in. Finally, I uninstalled, yet again, IE7, and can now access my account. It's just crazy and so am I! I guess I'll just stick with IE6, especially since the stock market is doing so well right now. I have to see every day what my account has done that day. It's another one of my obsessions!!

7 Deadly Sins


I confess.....I am guilty of one of the seven the past two days....slothfulness! Tuesday, I was so worthless. Monday night I took 2 tylenol PM's and Tuesday the residual effect was evident until about noon. By then, I just didn't care. I never got out of my sleeping attire or made my bed. That's the first time since I moved here that I didn't make my bed.

Yesterday we were scheduled to go see the 80,000 Louisiana Irises at my friend's estate on Caddo Lake. The storms came and beat the flowers to death. We have about another week of bloom time, so we will try to get there during that window. It is a sight to behold!

Monday, April 23, 2007

OCD..Obsessive Compulsive Disorder


That would be me! I don't know why I am so anal about having things clean. I bought a Bissel Steam Mop for my ceramic tile floors and today I worked them over. That thing worked great. I am so very impressed. Next, I am going to take it to my mom's and clean her kitchen floor.
I told my cousin, the bluebird expert, about losing my babies to some animal. She said it would be either a raccoon or a black snake. This is why the houses must be mounted on a metal pole with a predator guard below the box. I took the box down because I cannot bear to feed more predators my next babies. The two parents are still hanging around out there and yesterday, I saw the male look inside the box again. It just kills me, so I'm not setting myself up for that again. They will just have to build somewhere else.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Green Acres


Sing along with me......Green Acres is the place to be...Green acres is the place for me!!! I woke up this morning all refreshed and ready to go, so I went to Mom and Dad's and did some tilling....actually, a lot of tilling! Then I just had to mow my own yard. It was deep! I got that done and the edging and the blowing and the watering! I'm feeling relatively caught up now. I still have some caladiums to plant, which I will get done next week. It's time to buy some hanging baskets, so I will do that next week as well. Things are shaping up around here and that makes me happy.

I didn't eat breakfast or lunch and I am too tired to cook or go for take out, so I did the worst thing possible......broke out the deep fryer and fried potatoes and onions....real potatoes...I don't do frozen! That's it...I know it's WRONG and I don't CARE!

Friday, April 20, 2007

Really, Really TIRED!

This week has taken its toll on me finally. Four days were spent going to funeral homes and funerals. After I got back from my aunt's funeral today, I just crawled up on my bed and went to sleep. When I went outside after my nap, I looked in my bluebird box and the babies were gone. They were too young to fly away, so something got them. I saw some little feathers on the ground. That made me sad. Now I'm thinking about just taking the box down. Last year there were two clutches hatched from that box....8 babies, but since some animal has found it I don't want to take the chance of once again losing my babies. I'm not hatching bluebirds for a raccoon or some other animal's lunch. On top of that, my hummers are gone. I haven't seen any this week. On a happier note, I have a big, beautiful rose blooming. I was going to cut my very first full size rose and take it to my mom, but I just can't cut it. Sad






Thursday, April 19, 2007

AAWWWW!


As I was walking around in the backyard, I found a dead bluebird. I hope it is not the mother of my babies. I don't know what happened to it. It wasn't killed by a varmit. It was in tact and not something's lunch. The male bird does feed the birds as well, but the babies need their mommy, too!

IE 7 Finally!


Once again I downloaded IE 7 and had the same problem with it that I had before when I gave up and uninstalled it. This time I went to a message board and posted the problem. Had an answer momentarily on there, did what he said, and voila.....it's fixed! I love message boards. There is always someone who knows the answer. Now I just have to get used to the new browser. I have Mozilla also, so I have a choice.

I spent 2 hours at the funeral home tonight. Too damn long to stand in dress shoes. Now my feet hurt and I have to wear dress shoes again tomorrow. I'm ready for a break from dress shoes and funerals. I'm running out of funeral type clothes!!

Blooms......WooooHooooo!


I was greeted this morning ,on my usual walk around the grounds ,to my very first rose blooms! This one is actually lavender, but the picture doesn't do it justice. It's beautiful!

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Two down...hopefully, none to go!


My aunt died last night. I just returned from the funeral of my friend's mom. Tomorrow night will be family visitation at the funeral home and Friday will be the funeral. These two were ready to go. Now.....we all need a break!

Big Shocker!

You know the Bible 82%!
 

Wow! You are truly a student of the Bible! Some of the questions were difficult, but they didn't slow you down! You know the books, the characters, the events . . . Very impressive!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
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Tuesday, April 17, 2007

One down...one to go...


My friend's mother died yesterday. I have just returned from the funeral home with my entire family. Her daughter and I were best friends in high school and went to college together before we parted. She moved to New England and I moved further south. We have always semi kept in touch.....much moreso in recent years. She has now moved back to this area and we are about an hour apart now. I spent a lot of time at her house in high school and she spent a lot of time at mine.


My aunt cannot possibly live much longer. She has had no food or drink in 9 days and is just semi conscious sometimes. I have chosen not to go see her in that state.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Slacker days are over



Tomorrow my cousin is going home to Virginia, so I guess I'll have to get back to work. I'm sure the garden needs my attention and my yard certainly needs mowing. Today we went to lunch again, then went on a mission to find her some colored cowboy hats. We struck out completely...even at the western wear store. She isn't a cowboy, but she does like to wear hats. She had an extra day here because she flies free due to her daughter being a flight attendant and all flights were booked to capacity because of the many cancelled flights this weekend.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Beautiful Day

We had that weather slide through here that is now wreaking havoc on the East Coast, but today has been glorious. Last night we had a night out with the cousins and all ate dinner at a local restaurant. Today a couple of friends came to get me and we went to the Tastes of Minden which is a fundraiser for the Chamber of Commerce. It was good and we had lots of tastes of various concoctions. After a nap, I went to find my cousin who is visiting from Virginia and we went to Shreveport to a restaurant I had heard about as being a hang out for the celebrities who come to town to make movies here. It was excellent.

Tonight on If These Walls Could Talk, the HGTV show, a home here in Minden is being showcased. The owners are some of the first people I met when I moved here. They are both in my Sunday School class. I am looking forward to climbing up in my bed and watching that and chilling out for the rest of the evening. It's all good!
PJs





Saturday, April 14, 2007

Where have I been?


I don't know! Nothing has happened that deserves recognition here. Relatives are visiting from Virginia, but they will all be gone tomorrow. My best friend from high school called last night to tell me that she had brought her mother home and called in Hospice. They give her about a week to live. Also, my aunt is hanging on by a thread and really ready to go. God works on His schedule....not ours...even though we would like for both of them to be out of their misery.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Humor me....please!


I need to rant! I am sort of anal about my hose nozzles, which means I buy the expensive ones ($10). Last year I bought 3 and they all failed. That was my fault because I didn't know to take them in for the winter. Sooooo......a few weeks ago I bought yet another expensive one. Today as I was cleaning under my lawn mower the nozzle started leaking everywhere spraying water all over me. I took the sucker apart 3 times and can find nothing wrong, but it still sprays water everywhere except where it is supposed to. I have searched for my receipt to no avail, so I guess I won't be returning it! Just for the record....it was MADE IN CHINA!!!!

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Muffin Top


I learned the official term for this disgusting look.

Nothing more...nothing less...


than pure unadulterated LAZINESS! That's been me for about three days. I don't even know why. Well, today I awoke to rain and dreariness and it's been that way all day. I did go out and get the paper, but I put the garage door back down and just hunkered down being lazy. Yesterday was just too cold and I am so stubborn and refuse to turn the heat on in April. I have already extinguised the pilot light on the fireplace, so that wasn't an option. My solution was to just stay under my electric blanket on my bed!! Worked for me!!

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Friday, April 06, 2007

Wild Turkey!!!



When I think of wild turkey this is what comes to mind. It was my drink of choice in my college days and a few years after until I discovered Crown Royal. These days I rarely touch either of them. I'm just not the party animal I used to be.




This morning my brother killed a wild turkey. It is supposed to be the ultimate nab for a hunter. We'll be chowing down on him pretty soon, I'm hoping!! It's the first one he has ever killed and he was excited. My dad was so excited for him that he called me and told me about my brother's conquest.All I could think about was the Wild Turkey I used to drink!! How sick is that!!

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Quiz for you!


QUIZ You gotta take this quiz!


Time to plant caladiums

I planted 92 Carolyn Wharton caladiums today. Last year I planted a different variety and my landscaper friend told me that Carolyn Wharton's could handle the heat better. He goes by my house several times a day and he keeps me informed about my yard. Last year he noticed when my caladiums started to struggle and suffer through the heat and recommended a couple of varieties for me to try. Although they were beautiful last year and the color matched my house, I'm hoping for a different look this year. I like to change things up especially since I get so many comments about my yard. I feel like people are expecting excellence so I try to deliver. It's hard work, but I enjoy it immensely. Today was a very cool day reaching only the 60's, so it was easy to work outside. I even got the front yard all manicured. I gave out before I got to the back yard, but the rest of the week is going to be cool, so it will get done tomorrow.

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Lipitor...NO...not so much!

Doctor I got my blood work back and his office called me and wanted to put me on Lipitor because of elevated cholesterol. When I asked how elevated? their answer was 208! I defy anyone to find me someone of my age with a lower number than that. It has been between 201 and 218 for about 15 years and before then, it was higher! I just don't want to get locked into taking yet another drug. I hate taking meds. I already take blood pressure, thyroid, and diabetes meds. If I started that med, I would be taking it the rest of my life. My answer to him NO! I don't think so!





Planting groceries...


I love me some fresh vegies and I am really getting into this gardening thing. Last year my dad was always telling us (my brother and me) what to do and how to do it. This year he has kind of backed off. In the past, he has just let the weeds and grass take over the garden. I, on the other hand, can not stand that. I have been tilling between the rows and today I hoed all the weeds and grass out as well. My brother came and helped me and we have a clean garden with cottonseed mulch around all the potatoes, tomatoes, onions, beets and carrots. We also got more corn plus peas, beans and sunflowers planted. My friend brought us a truckload of that mulch on Saturday. I can't wait for things to start getting ready to eat!!

By noon I was worn completely out, but I came home for about an hour and rested before going to Bossier to Home Depot and by this awesome cafe for some strawberry pie. Don't hate!

Monday, April 02, 2007

Finally!


I finally made it to one of my bud's baseball games. The weather was perfect for baseball and I had time to rest after my adventures as Farmer Brown this morning. I tilled the garden again and planted a few things. Enough to make me tired! I'm such a wuss!

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Whirlwind Weekend!



I'm glad the weekend is over. I need a rest. Yesterday my best friend from high school came to Mom and Dad's, so I went to meet her there. Before she got there, I went to the new church building and helped with the last minute cleaning details (windows). Today my friend came back to go to their church, so I went to church there this morning as well. She then took us all out to lunch before returning to go to the building dedication today. Her father was ordained as a minister in that church and she lived in Massachusettes for many, many years. She has returned to Louisiana and built a huge plantation style home on a lake. My brother was the chairman of the building committee, so he had a part on the program. My dad had a part on the program just because he's 85 and he told the preacher he wanted to say a few words. He spoke from his heart and did a wonderful job. He made me proud. I gathered up all Mom's left over cookies from the event and got her and Dad settled back at home. Now I am going to eat cookies and rest! Having heels on ALL DAY LONG is just TOO MUCH!