Warm Wednesday

It was definitely warmer today...actually got to 75 today...quite nice. I won't be able to say that no rain drops fell, as a little while ago we had a quick shower. Woody and Graham walked to Graham's orthodontist appointment this morning (and, of course, they walked back home!). Before they got back, the phone rang and it was the dermatologist's office. I didn't get to the phone in time so they just left a message for Woody to call back. He did call back when he got home. The pathologist report shows that the place removed from Woody's nose was basal cell carcinoma--the most common form of skin cancer. This has nothing to do with his melanoma. He will go back in a couple of weeks and they will cut a bit deeper to get down to "good" tissue. I had school with Elijah, Esther, Joy, and Graham. Joy's science lessons are currently about birds. Today she studied about blue jays...after she finished her lesson, we cleaned up the hummingbird feeder and filled it with new hummingbird food. After we got it hung, we looked out at one of the bushes on the other side of our driveway and there was a blue jay. She was excited and watched it after it flew into the neighbor's front yard. Tonight's blog photo is of a mockingbird, TN's state bird. Joy will study mockingbirds soon...plenty of those around! Esther and Elijah got Woody to walk around the yard looking for snake holes!!! They also showed me some new flowers that are in bloom. Graham worked hard on an English lesson...brought back memories for me...diagramming sentences!!! Something that I really enjoyed when I did it back in my school days...but also something that I have pretty much totally forgotten how to do! Graham showed me how and helped to refresh my memory! After I ate lunch, I headed to the church library. We continued to work on inventory...more than half-way through our fiction section. Slowly but surely eating through the "elephant" of a job! Only one way to eat an elephant...one bite at a time!!!! Woody continues to work in our yard...definitely an on going job. He did some mowing today.

Sunny Tuesday!

This is the first day, in I don't know how long, that I don't think that even a drop of rain has fallen. It was a bit foggy over night and early this morning...so probably a bit of moisture did get squeezed out of the atmosphere, but during daylight hours it was nice to see the sun and no rain drops! I had three students (Graham, Abigail and Joy) arrive around 9am and stay till noon...we alternated lessons between the three of them and really accomplished quite a bit. Usually on Tuesday Elijah and Esther come after lunch for their school time, but after lunch today they got involved with family fun/work...gardening and once-a-month cooking...so no school for them today. Woody left a while ago to walk to the prayer room at church.

Rain, Rain, and MORE Rain!

It is certainly soggy underfoot! We seem to be caught in the middle of a low pressure area that just can't move out! We have had several periods of sunshine today, but we have also had our share of showers. I had school with Elijah, Esther, and Joy. Then I headed to the church library to process a couple of books that I had promised to one of our patrons to take on her trip. I got that done and then headed to Janie's to get some thread and also find some fabric for a dress for Abigail. Woody went next door for a short time to take care of the children while their parents returned tables that they had used for their yard sale. He, then, went for a four-mile walk. He managed to find one of the dry times to walk. It hasn't been easy to find dry times to take walks over the last few days.

Soggy Saturday!

Raindrops keep falling on our heads! Today was ANOTHER rainy day. The yard sale turned into a garage sale. The hardy yard salers didn't let a little rain stop them from seeking treasures...though not as many treasure hunters today as yesterday. They had a lot stop at the sale today to pick up the professionally smoked Boston Butt's that they had preordered. These Boston Butts were part of Nathan and Kathy's fund raiser for their mission trip to Uganda. Graham brought the one we had ordered over and I immediately started pulling it while it was hot...that way the meat separated from the fat quite easily. It took me a while to pull it all...we enjoyed barbecue sandwiches at lunch...YUM!!!!! Just as I was finished pulling the pork and my hands were still nice and greasy, Nathan came over with a "special delivery"...little Isaac. He was needing some Grammy and Goosey attention! Woody was out running an errand at that time, but came home in time for some play time with Isaac. Woody did the rest of our weekly grocery shopping today and ran a couple of errands. He didn't walk today...too wet. After lunch, I was about done in...again! So I took a long nap...again! Part of my "problem" at the moment is that there is a low pressure area that is hovering right over us and low pressure systems and I don't get along the best...as in they mean lots of EXTRA aches and pains for me. So it is just as well for me to flop in the recliner with the nice soft fleece throw and "escape" into warmth and sleep! We have both gotten in some reading time today. I finished another e-book and am about to finish another book from the church library. The weather has turned quite chilly again...it just barely made it into the 60's today and is 43 right now. Wonder which Middle TN winter this is! I've lost track of the winters...Blackberry? Locust? Know that it isn't Dogwood Winter as they have already bloomed. There is also Redbud Winter...they have already bloomed. Here is a new one for me... Whippoorwill Winter...oh, and, here is another that I hadn't heard of...Linsey-Woolsey Britches Winter! According to folklore Whippoorwill Winter is the last cold snap and that it is a herald that warmer days are coming to stay. It is when the whippoorwills begin their migration back from Mexico. There...a little folklore for you. I'm hoping that the whippoorwills are in the area and that this is the last really cold snap this Spring!

Fun and Games!?!

It has been quite a busy day between the two neighbor houses (ours and Nathan and Kathy's). The yard sale kept everyone busy. Woody checked in with the yard sale folk to see if he was needed to take care of Isaac...at that time Isaac was doing fine in his stroller. Since he wasn't needed for Isaac, Woody left and walked eight miles. Shortly after he left, Isaac started to want to get out of the stroller so Nathan brought him over to our house. He and I played for a while and it wasn't long till he was joined by Esther and Elijah. So we played and periodically checked on how things were going at the yard sale. It ended up being quite a good day for a yard sale...the predicted rain held off till after everything was put away for the night. They put things in the garage as it is supposed to be a very rainy day tomorrow. So tomorrow the yard sale will probably become a garage sale! They sold LOTS today...most all their large items sold and have been picked up. I helped pack up the toys at the end of today's sale. Woody helped take care of Isaac and did some yard work. He also did some grocery shopping for us and ran an errand or two this afternoon. I'm so tired that I'm falling asleep as I type this...so it may make no sense. Guess I'd better quit! Woody's big find of the day...a very popular find with the grandchildren...a box turtle! Esther and Elijah have especially enjoyed watching it. Isaac was quite interested in such a strange creature, too.

Do You Brake for Yard Sales?

If you are a "yard saler" and live in the Tullahoma area, you need to head over to Nathan and Kathy's tomorrow or Saturday. They have been out collecting items from families all over the area today...yesterday and days prior. Also folk have been dropping items off at their house for several weeks now. Lots and lots of STUFF!!!! Something for everyone...I'm sure! I spent the afternoon cleaning out some of my cabinets seeing if there was anything in them that I needed/wanted to get rid of and did find several items to donate and have cleaner cabinets now, too. I brought in our garden kneeling bench, but it was still hard on these messed up knees to get into those lower cabinets. I have just gone through some of my fabric...figured that these odds and ends of fabrics might benefit a quilter...and it frees up a bit more space in my scrap fabric bins! Woody has mowed, raked and in general worked in our back yard today. He also went on a four-mile walk this afternoon. Graham and Joy helped me pull stuff out of my cabinets...that was funny. They enjoyed playing with what they found and were a great help to me in pulling out stuff that was in the back of the cabinets. They had fun with the various candle holders that I have...they hunted around for candles to put in them, pretended that the lights had gone out and then pretended to light the candles. They wore cornucopias around on their heads and/or used them as horns! Just never know what will trigger their imaginations or what they will think up to do! This morning I did have school with Elijah, Esther, and Joy. They were pretty anxious to get back to helping with yard sale preparations! The children helped make signs to post around guiding folk to their yard sale. The reason they are having this yard sale is to raise money for a mission trip to Africa that their whole family plans to take in the fall. Woody's big event of the day was the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast held at our church this morning. From what I understand around 200 people attended. Woody was one of the food servers.

It's May! It's May!

May begins with a major project completed next door! Graham's fifth grade shop project is complete! Their bicycles are all stored away. It has been a good project for both Graham and his daddy...both learned a lot. Woody mowed this morning. Then we both took care of the five older kids while Nathan and Kathy took Isaac to apply for his passport. They are getting ready for a mission trip to Africa in the fall. This weekend is their yard sale raising money for their mission trip...busy times next door! I had some school with Elijah, Esther, Joy, and Abigail. After lunch I headed to the church library for our weekly work session. I came home and worked on our supper. While I was fixing supper, Woody went on a four-mile walk...being careful of his knee. I napped after supper. Woody is watching a DVD and has the heating pad on his knee.