Change of priorities!

Now that it is officially (at least temperature wise) summer, my spending priorities have changed. During the cool months, all I could think of was putting in an acrylic floor in the garage and built in cabinetry. Yesterday my mind changed and a sprinkler system moved to the top of the heap. My house is the only one in the neighborhood that does not have one, so I have to drag sprinklers and hoses all over. It's not hard, but I just like the way the sprinkler system keeps it looking beautiful.

Perfecto!

The weather here was perfect today for working outside, so I took full advantage of it and took care of my yard. It won't be long before I cannot do it all at one time even though it is a small yard because it will just be too hot. Today I was able to do all the mowing, all the edging, and blow everything off without taking a rest. Right now everything is pristine and perfect...just the  way I like it. My caladiums are coming up and they are always very pretty, so I am looking forward to their showing off in a few weeks.

Yesterday, after lunch with the ladies, I went to check on the garden and dig a few potatoes for me and my mom. The mosquitoes were so bad that I couldn't stay out there, but I took a can of yard guard and sprayed all in the berry plants and my mom and I were able to pick the berries without being bitten once. That stuff is awesome, so I'll be buying more of it to use every time I   go to work in the garden. Our berries are planted along a fence, so picking them is easy and doesn't require much bending over. I hate spraying OFF all over me, but I still do it.i guess it's better than West Nile Fever!

Tonight I went to dinner with my bro and sis-in-law...fried pickles and boiled shrimp!! Woohoo! Fried pickles are a new gastric discovery for me and I love them at this restaurant.

OMG!

My mom had to be at the hospital for a carotid ultra sound this morning. That's usually no problem because it's our local hospital here in my town. Easy in...easy out! NOT TODAY! There were at least 15 residents from a couple of mental health homes there today all getting blood work done. They were all over the place...totally unable to sit down and be quiet! Those assistants that work with them are saints. I could never do it!

Problem solved!

Finally figured out that if gladiolus bulbs are planted under hydrangeas in the winter when there are no leaves on them, they will force themselves through the hydrangeas and the hydrangea holds the top heavy blooms up. I can't take credit for matching up the colors, but they match the hydrangeas exactly....both the pink and the purple!

I'm sorry..I couldn't help myself!

Remember those berries I picked yesterday? They magically turned into this!

Productive day already!

This was my harvest this morning. Lots of berries that my dad set out last year. They are bearing thousands of berries. The only problem is fighting the mosquitoes while trying to pick them. I sprayed down with off, but I didn't put it on my face, so the face was their target. These berries will turn into a cobbler before nightfall. I already ate fresh squash today that my mom cooked, but I may eat it again tonight. It's so good. The cucumber is the first one. I get to eat it because I am the only one that really likes cukes! I love them with Italian dressing.

These flowers are from my yard. I planted them a couple of years ago and gave up on them because of thrips, but they keep coming up each year. This year when they started to get buds, I started spraying and they are beautiful now.

Remember the REASON

Many thanks to all you vets out there. I am grateful for your service!

Party last night and party this afternoon, so I am through with the socializing for the weekend. Time to crawl back under my rock!

I love my mom!

Nothing bothers me more than to see my mom getting that elderly confusion. She was such a smart woman and was the one who kept us all straightened out on everything. Yesterday, she called me to tell me about hers and Dad's trip to the doctor. She was fine, but he had a vitamin D deficiency and would I go pick up his prescription for vitamin D. When I went to pick it up, they didn't have one for him, but they had one for her. It was Vitamin D. I stopped by the doctor's office and asked the nurse who really had the vitamin deficiency. Turns out it was her and the prescription was called in correctly! I'm glad I checked up on the discrepancy. I'm afraid that will be more the norm as time goes on. It makes me very sad to see her making mental mistakes....it's sooooo not like her!!!

I remember when...

all one had to do to watch TV was turn it on!!!! Don't misread me! I love technology, but sometimes it is just enough to make me crazy!! Last night after 12, my cable carrier downloaded a new guide for those using DVR's.....that would be me! All their info promised that I would not have to do anything...well, OK! That's how I like it ...nice and simple! But NO, my TV didn't work after the download and, of course, before it was all over I had clicked every button on everything. Next thing I knew, there was a screen that required a password! Parental blocks.....I never have used that and don't have a password. The screen was stuck. It would not go away no matter what I did. I jacked around with the thing until after 3 A.M. doing google searches trying to solve the problem to no avail. This morning I started making calls to the Geek Squad, since the TV is a Best Buy product. Someone there told me that if I would unplug the TV for a few minutes, it would re-set when I plugged it back in! Are you kidding me!!!! What a dork I am! It worked.

Our awesome teens!

God's handiwork!

These hydrangeas really are a deep purple. Just beautiful. I love purple!

 Once again I spent the morning in my yard just doing whatever I could find to do...mostly using the electric trimmer on the rest of the azaleas. My yard is looking good right now. If everyday was like this one, a weed would never make it out of the ground in my yard because I would pull it up as soon as I saw it.

What to do!!!!

My cable provider had advised me that they will be re-setting some stuff on Thursday and all my saved settings and programs are going to be erased on my DVR! Here's my dilemma...Which ones to watch. I have all these movies waiting for a rainy day.

• Wild Hogs
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• The Antichrist (documentary) (AKA Barack Obama)
  
• Tin Cup
• The Devil Wears Prada
• A Farewell to Arms
• Fatal Attraction
• Raising Arizona
• I Am Sam
• Montana Sky

Of course, some of these I have seen before but wanted to see again. What to do! Any suggestions? I started The Devil Wears Prada last night and fell asleep. I guess it really doesn't matter which one I choose because I always fall asleep!

Perfect day!

Today was one of those days that I was looking for stuff to do outside because it is such a perfect day. Started off at the garden planting some more squash and planting my row of flower seeds by the sunflowers. Also, dug a few potatoes and onions to bring home with me and now I am stuffed.Check out lunch. Squash and new potatoes that were growing this morning!

When I got home, I didn't even go inside, but went right to mowing my yard. I had tried to mow Dad's yard, but there was some issue with the lawn mower that was not making me happy. I stopped by my brother's and told him I had to stop mowing because it was cutting crazy. His wife called me a few minutes ago laughing and told me he had put one of the blades upside down on Dad's riding mower. Wow! What a difference that made. Now he is at their house mowing their yard!

Welcome, Monday!

Looking forward to working in the garden tomorrow. Temp is predicted to be 50 tomorrow morning. Not good for growing vegetables, but good for me to get the weeds out of the garden. I will get my zinnias planted tomorrow. Also, going to plant some more squash and cucumbers. So far, I have only eaten new potatoes at my mom's and my brother's. Tomorrow, I am digging some to bring home with me. YUM! I love new potatoes.

Good day on the farm!

Finally, I was able to start the tiller (without having to call my brother), and till more of the garden. It was really hard work because it was still sort of wet and the tires don't help much with the self propelling! I got a lot done, but I am worn to a frazzel! Four more rows of corn are planted, okra is planted, and peas are planted. Dad had already planted the okra before I got there. My brother had started the tiller for him and he prepared one row before giving out. He cannot see well enough to plant, so there is no telling how the okra is planted. Bless his little heart though...he tries so hard.

Mom's pastor had brought her kale this morning, so she cooked kale and hot water cornbread for lunch. It was good. I never ate kale before, but it tasted just like turnip greens. Good!

Tonight we are going to eat catfish. Tomorrow I will be free and not obligated to anyone. Woohoo! It is supposed to rain again tomorrow, so that's why I was adamant about getting stuff in the ground today. The only thing I didn't get planted was my row of zinnias. We have sunflowers planted and I have a row all prepared for zinnias, but I ran out of steam!!!!

Guilt trip!

Very dear friends of the family have a son graduating tonight and he is valedictorian. I vowed many years ago that I would never go to another graduation. They are just so boring for everyone except the graduates and their families. Even my mom and dad, who are Big Mama and Paw Paw to this young man, are going. My brother is taking them because they wanted to go. I sent him a $50 bill. I hope that will suffice for my not attending his big night and hearing his valedictory address!!! I am, however, feeling guilty right about now!

I hate lizards!

OK...I'm a big ol' baby and I admit it, but I have lived here in a new home, on new ground, for 3+ years and I had my first lizard today.  Operative word here is HAD! He was in a window in my garage. I sprayed that little sucker with wasp spray trying to drown him. He thought it was a spa, I guess....unfazed! Finally, I got the broom and killed him. He's dead...but still on the window sill. I don't want to touch him! I can't help it...it's a phobia that also includes snakes and most anything that can move faster than me! These days....that's practically every living thing!! I know it's irrational so leave me alone!!!

Sweet day on the farm!

Mom cooked the potatoes, cornbread, and squash. I cooked the pork, which I did NOT like. It was one of those already seasoned ones from Sam's, but it had way too much garlic for my taste. In fact, I am throwing the rest of it away because I REALLY don't like it. After lunch my dad, my brother and I planted some sweet potatoes. My brother ordered 4 different varieties, so this is his project. It's still too wet to till the soil and plant the okra, but we did start to soak the okra seeds today, so we will be able to plant it later this week. No more rain is predicted.

WooHoo!

Worked in my WET yard today with the electric trimmer working over the azaleas. Didn't get finished because I kept switching to other jobs....perhaps a touch of ADD!!!!!! I'll finish it this week because I don't like unfinished projects.....ADD or obsessive compulsive!!!!

Tomorrow is the only day we can have lunch at Mom's, so I went to her house and dug some new potatoes out of the mud. My brother had already picked some squash. I have a pork loin marinating that I will cook tomorrow morning to take for lunch. Fresh vegies! YUM! The first ones from our garden. We still have more corn to plant and peas and okra, but it is still too wet to run the tiller. Brother has his sweet potatoes ready to plant as well. Have I mentioned how much I love growing my own vegies and especially how much I love eating them???????

Happy Mother's Day!

I went to my mom's church this morning to be with her on Mother's Day. It is painfully evident that very few more opportunities will be available for me to be with her on Mother's Day. She is so loved. Everyone in that church came and gave her a hug and told her Happy Mother's Day. She was the oldest mom there at age 84.

Good times revisited!

I got the coolest thing in the mail today. For several months now, I have been addicted to Facebook. Most of my friends on there are former students, but I have also re-connected with some college pals. One of them sent me a DVD that he had made from old 8mm film of us back when we were 21 and CRAZY! Of course, there is no sound and it is fuzzy, but so very interesting. Some of the people I don't even remember, but there  is some footage of when we were at Louisiana Tech and after we all moved to Lake Charles together and started our careers together. Good times!

Busy day!

The day was filled with familial duties, but it would have been a good day to catch up in my yard. Didn't happen. Had to take my mom to dinner on the grounds at the cemetery where all her family is and where the rest of us will be. I'm thinking that this will be a custom that I abandon after she is gone. I actually don't know anybody there and today even she didn't know many of them. The custom used to be that everyone would bring their hoes and rakes and clean the cemetery twice a year. Well, now it is all mowed, but people still come and bring a covered dish and flowers and eat together. It was fun when I was a kid...now....not so much!

My aunt turned 93 today and I didn't even make it get a piece of her birthday cake. I did see her yesterday though.

Tonight I went with the fam to eat catfish, so I have done the family thing all day.

Why oh why?

Sometimes you just gotta wonder what the hell were they thinking!!!!

Finally!

Today I believe I turned the corner on this sickness. I was able to keep some chicken noodle soup down and some ice cream. I even took a drive down to the garden to look it over and managed to spray the potatoes and turnip greens and pick a few radishes. I believe that next week we will be eating some potatoes and squash. YUM! Of course, as hungry as I am, everything sounds good to me right now. I'm off to lie down again...no energy!

I am HUNGRY!

This is day 2 that I have not been able to keep even one bite of food down and I am starving. I don't feel bad, but I have zero energy. I guess that could be because I have had no nourishment since Monday. All I have done is stay on my bed and watch TV. Last night I met my family at DQ and ate part of a chicken strip. It came up as soon as I got home. There is no way to know if anything will stay put without just trying it. I am getting tired and sore from losing everything I try. I guess I'll just give up!

Free to be me!

While I had only 3 inches of rain Saturday and Sunday, my parents had 6 inches and that's where our vegetable garden is. This will put our gardening on hold for several days until it dries up enough to run the tiller. My brother has ordered sweet potatoes to plant. This will be a new crop for our garden. We also need to plant okra and peas and lots more corn. I have nothing on my calendar this week, so I am free to do whatevah!!!!

Why?

Why would the people of Minnesota want this as their Senator?

Ooops!

Yesterday our Krewe had a pig roast, also known as a Cochon de Lait, and a golf tournament as a fund raiser. Just as we were kicking off the Cochon de Lait and awarding golf prizes, the heavens opened up and the floods came. It was brutal. As soon as I ate and the DJ started playing, I was out of there because..seriously, why would I want to watch other people dance? My car was blocked in, so I tried to go through some trees and get out. Unfortunately, the grounds don't have much parking space, so we were all over the place and it all turned to mud. I got stuck. Fortunately, a young man who works at the golf course, had a jeep with a wench. Keep in mind that it was still pouring down rain. Both that young man and and I got soaked. He finally got it out, but it took 3 tries. I tried to pay him, but he refused to accept it. What a nice young man! I would have felt better if he would have taken it.