A New Addition

I picked up the mini computer today and played with it some this afternoon.  Everything that I tried works so far except I couldn't get on the internet.  There was always a pop up message that stopped the process.  When I got home I finally got on manually by bypassing the computer to go directly via the router.  So, I finally got on the internet and read a few websites.  As time passes, I'll use it a bit more and who knows, maybe Sweetz will finally get interested in the internet. Yeah, right.  

Today I had lunch with Tanya, a friend from where I used to work.  I picked her up and off we went to a local restaurant to enjoy some good food and catch-up time.  Another employee arrived the same time so sat with us and we enjoyed some serious and fun conversation.  While out I saw another former co-worker who is making plans to retire so I heard her news and plans for the future. 

Not sure what we're doing tomorrow, but hopefully it will be relaxing and fun. I can hear thunder coming closer, so looks like we will be experiencing a thunder boomer kind of night.  Yawn yawn...I need to be heading to bed.  First, the toothbrush and jams, then one final yawn upon the pillow.  ZZZZZZs are acoming.  Hope the storm is a quiet one, so I can sleep...  

Angel Wings

It's hard to believe, but Sweetzy has developed another cold!!  Wish he felt better.  But fortunately, I feel great and will attempt to stay away from him and his nasty germs.  He hasn't been sick in years and all of a sudden he comes down with yet another cold.  I did say I didn't want it, right?  He's been sent to bed...but he isn't happy about that and already popped up once to wander the house and even went to get the mail.  Why doesn't he stay in bed so he can get better?!

His tick bite is much improved and for that I'm glad. He received one of his lab results back today from the doctor - his Lyme test was negative.  That's good news - one less worry.  His back looks much lighter and this morning he completed his regimen of antibiotics.  Life is good - well, except for his cold.

As an angel food cake baked in the oven, I cleaned up the kitchen and started lunch - or lupper - in our case today.

After gathering some lettuce, carrots, spring onions, and chives -along with a sprig of oregano, I threw together a salad with some other salad makings, which was delicious topped with homemade poppy seed dressing.  It's definitely salad time! 

I experimented with some pork chops, adding two large wedges of lemon and other goodies in the pressure cooker which turned out uniquely delicious and super quick. The meal was rounded off with a serving of potatoes.  Yummmy in the tummy.  Maybe I should write my own cookbook!  Yeah, and maybe I could get rich and famous - and then be part of the 1% and pay huge amounts in taxes... 

Planning Stage

I need to get a couple of gifts for friends.  Soooo, I decided I'd try my hand at making something for them.  I searched online and found some interesting ideas.  Hope I catch the spark and get something made soooon.  Not much time left.  Tick, tick, tick  And maybe, oh maybe while I am at it I can catch the bug that gets me to want to clean my craft room.   Well, that might be a stretch...   

And Mother's Day is quickly approaching.  I usually do something special with mom but I am just as quickly running out of ideas.  Surely, some great ideas will jump into my brain soon.  She appreciates the special attention and I enjoy doing things for her. 

 

Phlebotomist

Some things seem greater than life while others seem to dwarf with time. It's good to experience both to keep things on track.

Today I had routine blood work drawn and had a few other tests, everything seemed ok but will have to wait for the results of the blood tests.  Wow, I'll probably have to follow another healthy eating pattern.  Wonder how long that will last?  hehe  I know it's not funny, but at least I can snicker about it today.  Now, when I see the results, I may have another set of thoughts.  Ugh, sigh.

I saw some people I knew and it was great to catch up and get hugs from some special people.  Sweetz and I had evening time by the fire pit tonight.  It was nice.  And the roasted marshmallows were a special treat.  We talked about going camping for a week in early May.  Nice to have some plans in the works.  :) 

Italian For The Day

We piddled around the place this morning with this and that but eventually got ready to head down the road to meet our son near Oak Ridge for lunch.  He works someplace near Elizabeth's Italian eatery and it's convenient for him to join us there.  It's a neat little place with attention paid to each customer.  Since it was my  birthday celebration, he paid for my meal plus I got a gift from him too.  Nice to be remembered. 

There was a special on the menu today of penne pasta, ham, and peas in Alfredo sauce.  It came with some great chewy bread.  Yumm.  We each ordered something different and they all looked delicious.  After some time chatting around the table, we let Brian get back to work while Sweetz, mom, and I checked out a consignment shop and also Tractor Supply.  Walking around was indeed the best part after stuffing ourselves to the gills with our great lunch choices.  

With the garden season gearing up, I thought it would be good if I bought another dozen each of quart and pint jars.  Might need to be prepared in case we have a bumper crop.  Our little garden is small but provides enough to keep us and mom with veggies to eat most days. It's a bonus that they are so delicious fresh from the garden. We didn't forget the katz either, so they have a supply of cat food for the next few weeks.  We drove in our driveway about 4pm and realized we had made a day of it! 

Tomorrow, I'm to get some lab work so I'll be stuck a few times before enough of the red stuff will come out.  Ouch.  I was to have breakfast with a friend afterward, but she has a conflict so I'll be on my own.  After fasting for the early bloodletting, I'm sure I'll be heading to the egg and sausage bar as soon as my feet will get me there.  Certainly wouldn't want to be dizzy and weak!!  And while I'm near civilization, I'll probably find a shop or two before I head home. 

Corn And Chicken

I've been chatting with mom on the phone this morning.  She had watched Paula Deen on TV yesterday and wanted me to find a couple of the recipes online.  So, while she was on the phone with me, I found them. (Gotta love the speaker phone option!) She wanted the chicken recipe and also one for corn spoon bread.  I printed out copies of both for her and decided while in the printing mode, I'd print myself a set of the recipes too.  Not sure that corn spoon bread is something we'd like, but the chicken  recipe sounds good.  Although after looking the recipes over, I've about decided they are similar to others I've tried.  Of course, I might have to substitute some ingredients - specifically to reduce the amount of butter and cream since Paula is usually heavy into the high-fat ingredients. 

Mom wants to eat lunch out somewhere today, so I'll give her the two recipes when I see her.  Mom, Sweetz, and I will meet our son for lunch tomorrow - seems he wants to celebrate my birthday again.  I can do that!!!  As a volunteer, I get some free labs, so Thursday I'm to meet a fellow volunteer for some bloodletting.  She has great veins, although mine are small and like to hide so she'll be finished before me.  We're to head out afterward for breakfast (since we'll be fasting for the tests).  

Sweetz and I attended the wedding shower Sunday for the pastor's daughter and they got lots of nice gifts.  They should be well set for  beginning housekeeping in a couple of months.  I understand the groom inherited his grandparents' country home, so the couple is fixing it up.  How nice to have a home to start your  marriage. We don't know how to relate to not having mortgage payments! 

We've had rainy days recently so it's nice to see the sun this morning.  A bit more warmth and I'll be even happier.  But warm days will return and then we'll all be grumbling about the heat! 

Sweetz and I went to see the doc yesterday about his tick bite.  I just wanted someone else to see it and get a prescription for antibiotics.  The doc was busy so Sweetz was seen by a new nurse practitioner.  Guess that's the way the offices are having to fill the shortage of physicians.  She seemed rather young and inexperienced and had to leave the room a hundred times to consult with someone.  The office nurse and also the physician walked her through the steps (I could overhear the whispered conversations outside the door).  I knew the steps to be taken and she finally did them with the assistance of the office workers, so all was done correctly......... although ....... slooooowly.  Nope, I never said anything, just observed.  They have to learn on someone and it was ok that it was us yesterday with something simple like the tick bite. Sweetz is taking his oral antibiotics and now I'm hopeful he will be fine in a week or so.  There were alot of walkers, canes, and oxygen tanks coming and going from the waiting room.  Will that be one of us in a few years??? 





  

Saturday Musings

I checked with mom this morning to see what her plans were and she was free from any commitments so I ran by her house to pick her up.  She asked me to check a few places on the back first to see if they were ticks.  Nope.  And was she ever relieved.  She was just sure she had two ticks embedded. 

My SIL sent a CD of Wayne's funeral so we listened to it.  The volume was extremely low so mom had trouble hearing the words.  Wish I could figure out how to get the volume higher.  And yes, I turned up the volume on the computer and that didn't help much.  I cried throughout the tape but it was still sweet to hear all the music and the sweet comments.

We went to lunch at a local pizza joint and we both had one of their specials:  homemade chicken salad pita.  Ever so good and different.  Then off we went to run some errands one of which for me was to get some books from the library.  I'm extremely pleased to have five decent novels at my disposal.  Not sure which one I will read first. 

We're invited to a bridal shower tomorrow, so I stopped by Tena's Place and bought a pretty tray with mother-of-pearl inlay around the edge.  Looks like a million bucks!  And Tena even wrapped it for me.  I do need to make a card, but that's easy peasy.  She held the pounded metal jewelry class this past Monday and I missed it again!  She's not sure she will do that particular class again, but reminded me that I could drop in anytime during the day and she'd show me how to do it and I could make one right in her activity center.  Ummm, I really should, that would be so much fun to learn a new craft.  I also bought a package of Sculpey clay today.  Since I've seen some neat videos of hand-crafted jewelry, I think I'll try my hand at that next week. 

This morning I made a pot of ham and bean soup and it simmered for hours while I was gone today.  Sweetz and I had a bowl for supper and it was sooooo goooood.  Yum Yum  I've been reading some full-time RV blogs and dreaming yet again of a long trip west.  Wish I could get the blocks out from underneath my Sweetz's feet.  Wonder if mom would like to go with me instead...

Van To Man

8am:
A guy is coming to buy one of our vans this morning at 9am so yesterday we cleaned it inside and out.  Lots of work but it looks good.  The man said he wrecked his van the other day so is happy to have found this one at a reasonable price. 

Then Sweetz washed my car and another van.

10pm:  We were ready when VanMan arrived this morning.  He got it up on a car hauler and off he went down the road smiling all the way.  There was so sadness here as it was time to let her go since she was generally just stealing driveway space.

This last picture was taken with my smartphone and I had not a clue how to get the pictures off of it.  After reading some how-to's on the internet, I found the teensy memory card and got it in an adapter and saved the pictures to the computer.  There's no danger I will ever become a techno whiz, but it was nice to be able to figure  how to use the pictures.  I also used some of my older photos as ID photos...so I'll see pictures when these people call instead of phone number/name.  A little learning can be fun but certainly don't want to over-tax my senior brain...

I WAS going to make an angel food cake tonight (it's a mix, don't get overly excited!!), but here I sit at a laptop.  Since I picked a bowl of strawberries from our garden this afternoon, it would be nice to use for strawberry shortcake!  Yum!  

I did finish saga book #2 that Pat loaned me.  Ohhhh, it was good, but talk about taxing - what a stress to my codger brain.  Doesn't take much these days.  I prefer deeper books, not those shallow ones.  Now, I'm out of books and off to the library I must go tomorrow...

Dancing Cursors

Sweetz said something funny last night and I started laughing... only thing complicating that was that I had a mouthful of tea and my laptop was sitting in front of me.  NOT a good combination.  I spewed tea over the laptop keyboard and screen.  Oh dear.  But I grabbed my cloth placemat and dried up what I could see, then  took a damp washcloth and got up the rest.  Dear, dear, dear.  When I tried to resume my typing, the cursor was dancing all over.  A dancing cursor could be entertaining except in this instance I was no longer smiling.  I predicted there was a drop of tea under the cursor pad which was the problem.  After doing what I could using keystrokes, I decided to turn the laptop off and pray that drying out overnight would do the trick.  Yep, that did it.  I'm back in business this morning, cursor pad and all.  It would be great if all problems could be solved with nothing but time.

The weather guy has predicted some much-needed showers for us this week.  And the Lord knows we need some as our ground is drying out quickly with our recent sunny warm days.  Sweetz has our rain barrel hooked up and it fills up with the first 1/4 inch of rain.  Guess how much is predicted today?  Yep, 1/4 inch.  But hopefully, we'll get more for all the growing things.  We use the rain barrel water to water plants in the yard and garden between showers.  Nope, it isn't enough, but a little here and there works wonders.  Ummmm, maybe we should get a second (or third) rain barrel. 

I had lunch with a friend yesterday and it was good to catch up on her news.  Haven't seen her in months.  Then today, I'm having lunch with another friend from my old working days.  Then tomorrow Sweetz and I plan to attend a luncheon given by our  investment advisor.  I receive emails and calls from Kathy and she's always so upbeat with positive comments about the country's financial future.  (Insert laughter here)  I actually don't share her cheery outlook, but after all, that's her business to keep her clients hopeful and our money safely in her clutches.  We have a friend who is a financial advisor who has asked us several times about transferring our money to her company to allow her to oversee our senior years.  At least we have other options. 

I'm generally a conservative investor but had a moment a few months ago to test the stock waters on my own.  So, I withdrew some savings and invested it in a company I had been watching slowly grow.  And guess what?  The stock price started growing rapidly.  Then a couple of months later I sold my shares making a tidy profit.  Now, we're talking!  I put both the principal and profit back into my account and might try that again.  E-Traders, watch out!  There's a new kid on the block!! 

Today is trash day, so I need to get moving to get my container out to the road. And there's always a book to read.  Oh, speaking of reading, I finished the first book Pat loaned me which was really good.  And I'm deep into book #2, which has not been as pleasant to read.  This dear family has women with deep-seated mother/daughter issues which continue to the next generations (four at this time).  But there are lessons to be learned and I'm hoping before the end of this second book that these mothers are able to see solutions.  Either that, or I'll have to write book #3! 

7pm-
We've had a beautiful day here, all sunny and warm, but then clouds rolled in quickly about 5pm and they have remained except there's no rain.  The temp has dropped but that's a good thing, it's very pleasant at the moment. We decided to forgo supper and have strawberry shortcake instead.  Oh, oh, oh, soooooo delicious.  Fresh strawberries over shortcake with a touch of  whipped topping - works better than supper anytime! Sorry, no pictures...was eating too fast.  Yum yum

pale pink columbine

clematis: diameter about 8 inches

BIG bug - wonder if it bites? 

  

   

Turning Pages

A friend loaned me two books about two weeks ago, but I was deep into my own library-borrowed books to start hers.  Well, time moved on and my library books were due Friday, so off I zoomed to the place of tomes.  There was a great parking spot right in front so I claimed it then headed toward the library doors.  As an avid reader, I wanted to turn them in and refill my bag.  There's something about libraries and the smell of dusty books that hold allure.  But, I knew I needed to read these two books first. So, before I could head to the stacks, I made it out the doors before I could choose more books.  

These two books are large ones too and I don't know how many others are in the series.  The first novel has 483 pages and then there are notes and pictures that follow which aren't counted in my page number.  I just decided to check the book to see if there was a clue if there were other books in this series...and sure enough, the second book is the conclusion!!  That's good that I don't have to search for book #3 somewhere.  And it's delightful that there's a conclusion. 

So, yesterday I reluctantly picked up the nondescript book.  You know, books should have a cover that grab your interest immediately so you will have a burning desire to begin reading.  This one lacks a catchy cover so interest wasn't great to start chapter one.  It was almost like I HAD to read it to please my friend.  I'll be seeing her tomorrow and sure as shooting she will ask me if I've started the first book. 

Well, I'm well into the second half now and it's nearly all I can do to put it down.  Pat said it was good, but I haven't wanted to do anything constructive for two days.  My dear hubby gives me that pitiful look as I read and out of the corner of my eye I see him checking the fridge and cabinets for signs of a meal.  It's at this point, I quietly sigh and put down the book to quickly try to come up with an easy-fix meal...so I can get back to my reading.  Summer will be here soon and I will be up to my elbows in veggies so I think I am due some free time at this point.  I think I could say I need to rest up to conserve my energy for the fresh vegetable stage. HAHA  Not sure Sweetz sees it that way, but he doesn't say anything. 

Thank heaven, I have an understanding husband.  He knows that I am the Mistress of the House and just as importantly, someone who loves to read. 

And how am I coping with being away from my book right now????  Let's just say it is "difficult".  Excuse me while I go grab my book...

  



 

Notes

Whatz this?  No one comes through and enters a blog for me when I'm entangled in life's great messes!!? Well, actually it was not a life's great mess, but maybe I had you going there for a bit.  Just another normal week in the life of a retired geezer. 

It turned chilly yesterday and today with temps dipping near ta freezing at night.  The Sweetz One is chewing his fingernails worrying about the young and tender in his garden. I told him to go on to sleep and forget them - for there was nothing he could do to stop the frost if that's what the Good Lord deemed for this area.  Plants can be replanted.  He grumbled off and on but finally went to bed. 

Now, it's my turn to flip the lights and check the doors.  Can't be too careful these days.  Just read online yesterday that folks are stealing the copper vases and markers off grave sites now.  Obviously, for a few coins.  Yep, and that Mr. o'Bamo sez things are getting better.  Personally, I don't see it that way.  Lots of people are out of work and falling on hard times and that's not the way we Americans want to see our people live.  We're a republic and have the freedom to be a couch potato or work our way up the financial ladder.  It's up to our mind and incentive. 

I made a batch of spaghetti sauce yesterday and we finished it off today.  I used angel hair pasta and with that slow-cooked sauce piled on top, it was like food from heaven. 

Tomorrow I need to run to the library to return my book stash.  I'm thinking I'll not take any out this time - a friend of mine loaned me two of her BIG books so I'm thinking that will keep me tied up for a couple of weeks.  And if I finish these two in record time, I can always head up the road to get some from the library.  Or read some of the ones in my home library.  I even kept some of my  English Lit books from college.  Some of those classics I never read and that's on my bucket list.  All I need now is some sunny hours so I can sit on my porch and read.  Gotta get that done now before the summer garden is producing and I'm stuck over a hot canner.  Speaking of that, I need to buy another couple dozen or so jars.  Reminder to self:  jot "canning jars" on my list. 

We received the baseball schedule for the two grands yesterday.  They will need gramps and gramma out at the field cheering them on if they want an undefeated season.  Sounds like a great way to get some new pictures of them too.  Of course, they are on two different teams but surely we can get to some of their games before the heat of the summer keeps us in the shade.  Note to self:  Remember to take your hat Gramma.

Just a Day in the Park

I asked mom if she'd like to ride with me to Greensboro today to check out a few things.  There was a stop here and there - then we decided to have lunch at Mimi's.  Good place to eat and we had an efficient waitress.  We both had the combo half sandwich with a cup of soup.  And there was a side of fresh fruit.  Yummy in the tummy.

DSW was screaming my name so we headed inside to see if any shoes jumped off the racks to impress me.  One made it's way to my heart and to the cashier counter.  Mom bought two pair.  One shopper bought SIX pairs of shoes - and they were all for herself!!   

To enjoy the outdoors and walk off our yogurt and fruit treat which we bought at Red Mango, we decided to walk around in the Bicentennial Park.  It was a sunny day but definitely was breezy.

I took a few pictures of mom even though the breeze blew her hair straight up in the air.  She seldom allows me to point the camera at her, but she was cooperative today. 

I made a big batch of spaghetti sauce.  We'll have some tomorrow and I'll freeze a portion too.  It will be nice to eat this on one of the chilly late spring days that's predicted for the next two days.

It's getting late so I'm off for bed.  I'm not that tired, but sure am suffering with Heavy Eyelid Syndrome combined with huge yawns.  But I wanted to READ!!  OK, I'll try to finish my library book tomorrow.  And I'm sure I'll find something else awesomely important to do tomorrow.    

Alot Cleaner

All weekend I promised myself that MONDAY I was going to do my spring cleaning.  So, today dawned and sure to my self-promise,  I hit the cleaning supplies.  The house is now clean...well, not perfectly, but close enough to make me happy.  I'm tired too.  My back is aching- - that problem came from helping Sweetz pick up a riding lawnmower many moons ago.  He must have thought I was Mrs. Hercules, because he encouraged me to help him.  I was stupid and helped.  Duh.  Did I bend my knees for the proper lifting technique?  I don't remember, but I seriously doubt it.  He's one of those get 'er done quick type of people.  And I can't seem to slow him down much since that fateful day. 

Mom came mid cleaning spree today so I stopped and visited and we hit a little restaurant for lunch and more chat time.  Sometimes you just have to spend some mother/daughter time - even mid spring cleaning.  Ahhh, but I digress...came home and completed the cleaning.  I had furniture moved away from the walls and sitting in the middle of the floor.  Things HAD to be finished or we'd be sleeping at the local motel. 

Speaking of sleeping, I actually hung our sheets on the clothesline today.  Talk about simplicity.  And talk about fresh-smelling!  The sheets are now back on our bed  - and with the smell of outdoors and flowers and spring and sunny days all rolled up into one delicious scent. 

I've been asked to photograph a wedding this July.  I've spent some time looking at wedding photos to see if I can get some ideas.  But even after viewing some wedding photos, I know it is really a matter of capturing the natural moment of two people in love who only have eyes for each other.  I don't know these people so the magic will happen before my eyes.  I've requested the name of the venue so I can do a bit of planning.  But JULY!!??!!  - REALLY!!  Everyone will be sweating.  And it's an afternoon wedding.  Would you believe 2pm!!!  Like prime heat wave moment!  OK, maybe the magic will happen inside an air-conditioned church and we will all be comfortable.  One can hope...

Mom and I went by the cemetery to put fresh spring flowers on dad's grave.  We chose white calla lilies and they look so perky  and scream "spring".  I visited the grave of our friend who was buried last Monday - sweet lady.  The flowers were spread across her grave in their week-old lifeless state.  I felt like picking them all up but knew it wasn't my place.  But I will remember her as the sweet person she was: alive, and smiling, and showing love to everyone she met.

    

 

A Little Down

It's been a rough week so I'm a little down right now.  Things are sometimes lost, sometimes we can't move forward, plans are shifted, and people are not always kind.  But life continues and another day dawns and there will be kindnesses and hope in new places.  I'll survive, after all, it's just another curve to go around. 

Happy Easter to all as we celebrate Christ's resurrection and our promise of eternal life with Him. 

Losses Of A Personal Kind

We've had all sorts of weather yesterday and today.  Rain, hail, sun, overcast skies.  That's ok, it's spring and the summer hasn't really arrived in all of her hot splendor yet.  I'll take the cooler days - the heat of July and August will arrive soon enough. 

Sweetz and I went to the grocery store this morning and in addition to our own groceries, we picked up a tray of sandwiches and another tray of veggies with dip.  Both looked scrumptious.  We stopped by Steve's house to visit a bit with him and the family.  So sorry for his wife's death - she suffered with cancer for several years and she will be missed.  He was out walking the dogs but we visited with their pastor as well as Stevie and his wife while we waited. We always called him Little Stevie but he's an adult now  so I thought it was time to drop the "Little".   

Since the rain stopped, I loaded a big bag of hostas a friend wanted and drove over to deliver them.  She wasn't home, so I left them on her back deck. 

Our cabinet of canned goods is a total mess - I can't find anything in there without stirring and poking.  Seems like it's past time to do a bit of organization.  Sweetz said he'd let me do that.  Thanks Honey!  

We saw a neat sign last week that spelled out "Garden" at Cracker Barrel which was made with odd plumbing gadgets fastened to an old board.  We thought it was so cute, but my Sweetz didn't want to fork out the $30 for something he would enjoy making himself.  You have five guesses as to what he's making now?  Yep, he just showed me the word.  It's made with different "stuff" he found in his workshop.  It's pretty cute.  He stained a piece wood to mount the "letters" on so it will be a couple of days before he can finish it.  That stain will take DAYS to dry in this rainy weather. 

We're to have cooler days for the next few days - might be time to handle some indoor tasks.  There are always several on my to-do list.  My floors are a mess.  And the dust on the furniture is getting thick enough to be useful for notes and grocery lists.  Where does my time go?  Reminds me, I need to pop my ham in the oven so it can be baking.  Easter is coming and maybe I should dye some Easter eggs for fun. Maybe Sweetz and I can have a egg hunt.  If we hide the eggs today, surely we geezers will have forgotten where they are by Sunday!  

There's an outdoor Easter Sunrise Service at our church on Sunday - starts at 7am.  I'm figuring with these temps that are expected I may have to wear my winter coat over my Easter finery.  Brrr.  There's a big breakfast afterwards, sounds like good eating to me.  I'm doing pretty well with my healthier eating pattern...I've lost 7 pounds and I'm proud of each one but it sure takes discipline to be successful.  They pop off fairly quickly at the beginning of a diet but have a tendency to be sluggish after that.  I only have a thousand more to go... 

Hiding Places

Today ran through the hours on the clock faster than I could see the second hand move.  zip zip zip.  That's ok, I like days faster than I do the slow ones.  What am I saying!!! Days are never slow - at least for the past two years.  Awesome!  And as the youth say "Epic!" 

I helped a neighbor today and she gave me some of her cookies in exchange.  You don't do things for rewards but it was nice of her to thank me.  I'm doing low carb though, so Sweetz will be the one to eat them.  DRAT.  I may have to hide them in the freezer - especially in a lima beans carton - that way he'll never open them!!! 

Seems when I added up my calories for today, I haven't eaten enough.  I mean it's LOW.  OK, decided to head to the kitchen and fix some sausage and eggs since I knew I was hungry.  Isn't it nice to find out that you need to EAT!! 

My little basil plants survived our trip to the beach last week, in fact they are doing great.  So, today I decided they were big enough to plant in separate little pots.  That way, I can transplant them into the garden or herb garden when they get a bit larger.  Thought they were too small to do it today.  I did transplant two into a planter just to have them close for easy snipping.  I still have 10 more plants which I started from seeds late this winter.  They must have been blessed by the Master Gardener to be doing this well from seeds. 

OK, my sausage is getting brown and my stomach is still growling. Time for my little snack to hold me down til breakfast.  Have a good one.   

Her Reward

A friend of ours from our previous church died last week while we were away on our trip.  We've known her and her late husband for many many years.  Her husband died seven years ago (seems like two years ago) but she missed him so.  Now they are together and she has received her rewards for her life on this planet.  She was a special lady and a mentor to many younger women.  She will be missed. 

Just One Candle

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood.  Speaking of neighbors, I went over and visited with one of my neighbors this afternoon and then she called me twice after I got home.  She must really LUV ME!! 

Church was great and lunch with friends afterwards was special too.  Since last week was my birthday, they told the waiter before we arrived and he brought a slice of lemon meringue pie complete with a candle and the staff sang Happy Birthday after we finished our meal.  There were lots of people in the restaurant that we knew and many waved and came over to wish me congratulations.  Aint that sweeeeeet! And I got several gifts too.  Thanks friends!

A lady we knew for years died a couple of days ago and we're going to the funeral tomorrow.  Sad when people die, but her husband died a couple of years ago and she has been sad and lonely ever since. Then one of my neighbors was just put in the Hospice Home near us.  Wow, that's sad, but she has really been a fighter of her cancer for several years.  I'll go see her this week.  Lots of sadness in the neighborhood. 

Another neighbor came by and visited with his wife and that was real special.  They are such sweet people.  They've had some medical issues in the past year, but I do believe they both have licked their problems and they do enjoy living life to the fullest.