Perhaps it is the Cheech and Chong variety that I need. After two unproductive trips to Bossier today, the grass still had not arrived from the farm in Arkansas. It is due to arrive tonight, so I guess I will try again tomorrow. I am trying to not drive so much and burn so much gas, but this week that all went "up in smoke" ha, ha....anyone catch the pun here???
Not the kind you smoke, but some green centipede! Finally, I found a place that will sell me as many squares as I need instead of a truck load! Tomorrow I am going to get a few squares to fill in some spots (like the whole side yard) where the landscapers did not sod. Why would they not sod the entire yard? Saving pennies, I suppose, but now I am not pleased without having the same grass everywhere. I have not been able to get any grass seeds to come up in that area. It's not a big area and I don't have to cover the entire area because I hope the grass will spread from the squares. If not, I guess I'll just buy more as if I have an endless flow of money! NOT!!!
I received an invitation to the 5th annual Cochan de Lait by the Krewe des Ambassadeurs. Huh?? Of course, being the Texan that I am I had to look that up. Turns out it's a pig roast. Ok...sounds good to me, within a stone's throw from my brother's lake house. The lady I bought my house from came to pick me up and off we went to partake of the pig that had been roasting since 4 A.M. Turns out it was great fun and I met lots of nice people. Not sure yet if I want to join the Krewe, but I am mulling it over.
Twice in the past week, strangers have knocked on my door and I opened it right up. Now I know that goes against everything that I know to do for safety. I tend to think everyone is good and always give them the benefit of the doubt. The doubt is always there and may some day rear its ugly head. I have an innate desire to help people who need help. The first gentleman took a wrong turn off the interstate and needed help to get back to it. I am 5 miles from the interstate, so I was certainly skeptical. I gave him directions and never saw him again. Did I just luck out? Today someone knocked on one of the doors that comes inside from the garage. I opened the door to find a young woman there who needed to use my phone. I thought everyone on earth had a cell phone. Of course, I invited her in after I saw her car pulled in the vacant lot next to mine with the hood up and other people in it including small children. A belt had broken on the car and her brother needed help to fix it, but got no help from the phone call. I then took him to an auto parts store to get the belt he needed, offered the others in the car my outside chairs and a place to sit in the shade while we went to the store. That one turned out OK,too, but I wonder when my luck will run out!!! I grew up in an age where people could, in general, be trusted much more so than today. OK..bring it on...I know a few people are going to give me some grief about this. :)
I am not a mother so I have not experienced the type of love that a mother has for her children. It is, of course, the strongest type of love there is and I'm sorry that I did not get to feel this kind of love. Each day I am more aware of how blessed I have been to have my mother for as long as I have. I get tears in my eyes just thinking of not having her anymore, but the reality is that I won't have her much longer. The past few years I have been able to spend more time with her and I am grateful for that. Everyone tells me that I look just like her. To me that is a high compliment. I hope I act like her as well. Spend as much time with your own mother as you can so you won't have regrets when she is no longer here.
This week has been sort of a blur. I just don't feel well and for me that is very unusual. My throat is scratchy and there's some annoying coughing. It's an inbetween stage of being well and being sick.....just yucky. I would rather go ahead and be sick and get it over with than to just drag on in this state and not be either well or sick. I slept in until about 9:30, then had to go pick up a corsage, then go get my mom and take her to the cemetery for their dinner on the grounds day. She is just so feeble, but she still wants to do all the things she used to do. This time she could not walk out in the cemetery to where her family is buried. I had to take the flowers and put them on the monument. I'm going back to bed and that is just such a shame because this is one gorgeous day....not too hot and excellent for outside yard projects. Not happening today though!
All the festivities for my aunt's 90th birthday are over and there were lots of them! All her grandchildren came and almost all her great grandchildren. I think we wore her out dragging her around to so many places. She is my dad's sister and I am her only niece. We all went out to eat on Saturday night, then all went to church together on Sunday and to lunch together on Sunday. We all got t-shirts with her picture on them and wore them to the main event last night at my brother's lake house. It was all great fun and I had my first overnight guests in my new home. Here's the honoree.
Stolen from here. Great idea! I am a Bush supporter, but I am sick of all the illegals that he refuses to deal with. Print these out and send them to the RNC at 310 First St,SE; Washington,D.C 20003
Since Saturday was a rain drenched day....2.2 inches for me...I just vegetated at home being lazy. I did a lot of work on Friday building new raised flower beds, but purposefully did not plant the flats of annuals that I bought because I knew the rains were coming and would beat them to death. Yesterday I planted some annuals in the new bed around the tree, but I still haven't done the planting in the much bigger bed. Today I went to Mom and Dad's and cut back all of her azaleas. Protocol says that they need to be pruned right after the blooming season. Hers are huge and it was a hard job. After that I mowed all their yard, which, as I have said before, takes a long, long time even on a riding mower. I was there from 8:30 until 2:00. A few minutes of that time I was in the pasture with my brother where he mowed a spot of centipede grass. We cut some sod squares of that which are still in my car because I am too exhausted to put it in the yard where it needs to be. Tomorrow I will have a boatload of yardwork to do, but it will all be in my yard.
I was invited by the lady who built my house to her home for a deck lunch today to meet some new people. When I first walked out to the deck, I was alarmed because they were soooooo quiet! That didn't last long. They were a fun group, but, of course, I don't remember any of their names. I knew one person besides the hostess. Have already been invited to join a Krewe, which is just a social group disguised as Mardi Gras festivities.. Sounds like it may be fun, but I neglected to find out how much the membership fee is!
One would think that getting a shepherd's hook into the ground wouldn't be a big deal. Well, not so here on my little bit of ground. I pounded this thing with a huge sledge hammer until I got most of it in the ground and broke off the top of it. It still isn't all the way in. I am doing everything I know to do to soften up the clay. I have researched it on the internet, but anything more than a few (4 maybe) inches isn't going anywhere. I'm open for suggestions!
Observe the Texas photos. They look crooked here, but I double checked and they are not!! It isn't easy to tell, but the bluebonnets in the lower picture are in a Bluebell ice cream carton. Just another Texas touch!!
The azaleas are blooming. They are a variety that blooms late and blooms again in the fall. I love that!
We went here today. This place is on Caddo Lake north of Shreveport and belongs to my high school best friend and her husband. They still live in Massachusettes until they sell their home there and move to Louisiana. They have this beautiful plantation home on the lake waiting for them. On the property they grow native Louisiana irises and they are in bloom now. My friend and her husband are here right now so we went to see them and their flowers. Her brother lives on the property, as well as a hired grounds keeper, and sees after the irises. It is a beautiful place.
My patio just was not complete without this. I wasn't even looking for patio furniture when I spotted this and knew it was the one. It is aluminum and will last forever. The cushions can be changed periodically to break the monotony. It's sturdy and easily cleaned, which makes it perfect for me. Come on by for a drink on the patio now that I have a place for you to sit!!!
I went to a golf course today for the first time in many, many months....before Hurricane Rita. As I was on hole #4, a man came up behind and asked to play with me since he was alone and so was I. It was my first time on that golf course and he was very knowledgeable. We played 18 holes and then went back to his home where we sat on his front porch with his wife and had a drink. That is such a Southern thing to do....a perfect stranger...and I am following him home for a drink. He lives on a street that I go down a lot....a street in old Minden...It is the house he grew up in and he is 78 years old. After many years in New Orleans, he and his wife came home to this old house, updated it, and now have cocktails every day at 5 on the veranda!! Here's to new friends in a new town!!
I was an early riser this morning....not an every day occurrence...ate breakfast, and got busy outside. Yesterday I discovered that the hard stuff around the edge of my foundation is not concrete, but mortar from sloppy bricklayers. I also found out that I can break it up and move it out so that's what I did. Now I will be able to get stuff to grow up next to the foundation. After I finished that, I went to work with the power washer trying to get the red clay off my driveway. Tough stuff to deal with. I also washed the eaves of the house where red dust had settled. I didn't finish that, but I quit and went to Mom and Dad's to cut me some centipede sod out of their pasture. That turned out not to be so easy, so I gave up and mowed the rest of their yard that I didn't finish last Friday. Also planted some flowers for Mom. She had picked the first turnip greens that I had planted a few weeks ago and tomorrow she is cooking them. Yes, I'm going back for the turnip greens!! Now I am just tired!!!!
On this date 65 years ago Vernita Irene Stewart,16, and Samuel Lloyd Beatty,19, eloped. Tonight we had a little party for them to celebrate the event.
Check out the cake. It's a Wal-Mart creation!!!
This is my brother and sister-in-law's lake house where we held the party. We will have a big honkin' party on their 70th anniversary!!!!
Tonight was downright scary. The storms came through and pounded my new house with marble size hail. In Orange, Texas, this would have never happened. Even if it had, I didn't own my home and didn't really care. Whoa! Big difference now!!! The stones were hitting the windows so hard that my brother could hear them through the phone. He lives 13 miles south of me and he got nothing. I called and warned them what was coming so they could get all the cars under something, but they didn't even get any rain. I got all my flowers in, except the azaleas, moments before the hail came. I guess I'll see tomorrow if the buds were knocked off my azaleas. I hope not. I have been looking every day at them just waiting for them all to open and they are just starting to do so. The hailstones in the picture are on my covered patio which has outdoor carpet on it.
This morning I went to help dad plant the garden. He can only do a little at a time and he doesn't trust me to do it right by myself, so we got sunflowers and corn planted. I ran the tiller and made the rows and he planted the seeds with his little rolling planter. He was totally exhausted, so I came home and planted 93 caladium bulbs in my yard. Then I put together a power washer, which I had bought before I moved. My cousin came by on his Harley and chatted for a while in the yard, then my brother and sister-in-law came to put up the last blind for me. In between all that I cooked stuffed pork chop with potatoes and ate dinner!!!
Wow! I'm tired! 
I made my first weekender back to Texas....College Station...to be exact to attend a wedding. It was an outside wedding in a quaint setting and very beautiful. Lots of people from my former hometown were there and I enjoyed getting to visit with them. Also, saw lots of my former students and had a great time with them. All is well...........
So as not to be carted off to a Louisiana jail, I complied with the law today and got my Louisiana Driver's License and my Louisiana License plate. The only remnant of Texas, other than in my heart, is my car insurance. I spent a long time today trying to get it switched over, but didn't quite make it happen due to their computer malfunction and an imcompetent computer operator. I think I'll wait until after my trip to College Station this weekend to change the tags.........I'm hanging on for dear life!!!!!
No, I am not a turncoat and did not become an LSU fan since moving to Louisiana, especially if they are playing Texas or Texas A&M. I have said it before and I'll say it again..... I have the best friends in the world. These beautiful flowers are compliments of my friend, Janis, in Austin in honor of my moving to my new home. I love me some purple and I love these flowers and I love Janis. Thanks, Sweetie!
It was just perfect as far as weather and working outside went. I went to Mom and Dad's Saturday morning and worked in their yard. Got all the mowing done for the first time this season and all Mom's flower pots ready for her to plant her masterpieces. She has a talent for making beautiful living baskets of flowers. When I finished at their house, I came back to mine and did the same thing. Big difference in the sizes of the yards. It takes me hours to do theirs on a riding lawn mower and not nearly that long to do mine with a push mower. I even had a little sunburn on my face after Saturday even though it was sweatshirt cool most of the day.
One must nearly have an unlimited flow of money to move to another state. The topper and a HUGE surprise to me is that to transfer my car to Louisiana tags is going to cost more than $500. WTF. Seems that they would want to welcome new residents. Hell of a way to do it if you ask me......but, hey, no one asked me!!! Turns out I am already breaking all their laws here. I had 30 days to transfer my car and driver's license. Who knew? I have been here longer than 30 days, so already I am in violation of the law. GEEEZZZ!!! Well, this is the first thing that caused me any stress and I must admit, it didn't cause much. I am too happy for the little things to bother me. However, that $500 would buy a nice patio set.
I am very happy when I have a project that is house related to work on. Today this was my project. I am happy with the way it helps me be organized. Now when I need my hammer, I know exactly where it is :)
Even though it never got out of the 40's today, I was in the yard fighting my demons, also known as weeds.
"Married at the age of four, an Afghan girl was subjected to years of beatings and torture, finally escaping to discover that within all the world's cruelty, there is also some kindness. " Please read this story and send a note to this girl. This is why we obliterated the Taliban.
This area has needed rain for a long time. Even the lakes were drying up, but the past 3 days have alleviated many problems associated with drought. The one thing it didn't do was soften up my ground around the house enough to stick my hanging basket pole into the ground. I did get it in with the use of a very heavy hammer.....like a mini-sledge hammer...,but not where I actually wanted it. My brother was afraid to keep trying to put it where I wanted for fear of hitting underground conduits. Electricity is underground, but we don't know where. I had 6 inches of rain in my gauge since Friday.
My mother was in desperate need of groceries, so I went to get her and brought her back to Minden to the grocery store. My brother had been by earlier and I told him she was planning to drive to the grocery store. He and I agreed that we would prefer that she not drive in the rain, so I went to handle that potential problem. You know how you sometimes get annoyed at people who block the aisles in the store and are oblivious to others???? Well, I don't any more because that person is now my MOM!!
I have always wished I had a yard so I could grow flowers and tomatoes. Now that I do...although it is too hard to dig in right now....I have visions of what things will look like planted in various places. This week I started the process of applying stuff that is supposed to soften up the clay. This weekend is rain, rain, rain, so that will help, I hope. Anyway, the flower beds in front of the house are raised and filled with good soil, so today I ordered 100 caladium bulbs that I will line the beds with. These are the ones I ordered.
On Thursday I took Mom for her regular cardiologist appointment. She got a good report and doesn't have to go back for 6 months. Her heart beat had a fairly good rhythm and her pulse and blood pressure were good. I am so thankful for that. On the other hand, she has really deteriorated mentally and she now walks like a little old lady with her cane. Of course, it is my brother and I who insists that she use the cane because of her tendency to fall. Her mind is nowhere near as sharp as it used to be and this has just happened since her bypass surgery. Her mind was her greatest asset. She was very smart. She still does her crossword puzzle every day, but it takes much longer and she doesn't always get them all filled in.
This place is very helpful in showing sex offenders near your home. Check it out. It even has a map showing where your home is and where the offenders home is.
Do you see this little gizmo right here? Looks simple, huh? It took me two....count them....two freakin' hours and lots of sweat and choice words to put it together. I swore a long time ago that I would never buy another thing that had to be put together. I must have had a brain fart and forgot!!
I called my dad today after the storms and asked him if he wanted to go to Home Depot with me. He gets so tired of sitting home unable to do much. It doesn't bother Mom to sit at home. She is perfectly happy there reading a book and sometimes I know she needs a break from him. He watches over her very closely so afraid that she will fall. I went and picked him and his truck up and off we went. I bought a lawn mower. Yesterday I bought a weed eater and a hoe, so I am ready to tackle the yard. There's just one problem. The ground is clay. It is so hard that I can't even get the pole in the ground that I hang my hanging baskets on. I bought a mini-sledge hammer and I still couldn't get it in the ground. I'll get my brother to try when he gets back from Branson. I hope I pick the right place to put it because it will be there to stay!!!
During a recent visit to a restaurant in Shreveport, someone relieved me of the center cap of my wheel. These are rare wheels and very hard to find. I looked several places before finding one through the internet. All I am missing is the 7" center cap......do you hear me....7" of metal. I can't find a new one at all, but a good used one is $35. I am ordering 2 just in case some jerk does this to me again. I love my shiny wheels. I don't know if I'll be going back to that restaurant. It was in the middle of the afternoon and the perpetrator even left me a Burger King cup on the ground by my car. What a gent!!!!
I spent the morning in the recliner, but I did manage to get my act together and get more stuff done this afternoon. I emptied the last box in the garage except the 3 that are going to Goodwill soon. The lady I bought the house from was next door today working, so I went over to make a suggestion for her next houses. There is not enough distance in the walk in closet in the master bedroom between the the rods and the bottom shelves and the rods and the floor. My clothes all touch the shelf or the floor. I made the suggestion that she put a little more distance between them in her next houses. She said she would have the carpenters come in and fix mine for me. I wasn't suggesting that she do that, but she volunteered and I am glad. If it stays like it is, my clothes will always be wrinkled and right now I don't even own an ironing board.
Ok...I am officially a farmer and a gardener now. I worked all morning trying to make my yard pretty. Dad brought an old rickety lawn mower here for me to try. It failed....well, I did get the front yard mowed, but the thing was backfiring so much that it sounded like the 4th of July. I gave up without doing the back yard. I think a new lawn mower is in my future.
Then I went to Dad's to help him garden. He thinks he can still do it, but when he tries he just ca
n't do it. I tilled the garden and planted some tomatoes, radishes, turnip greens and potatoes. And yes, I am the one who will be eating heartily from the fresh veggies. You will wish you were here this summer when I am eating the produce! When I finished there, I came back to my yard and ran over the yard with the spreader broadcasting fireant killer and weed and feed. Then it all had to be watered in. I'm learning!!!
When I finished that, I cleaned up and went to the hospital to see my cousin, then came home, made dinner, ate, and now I am tired!
