One Down...

 One garden bed down since Woody got the mulch delivered. You can still see the size of the mulch pile at the back of the third photo.

Woody was very close to finished when I snapped this picture out the guest bedroom window.  I'm not sure that the pictures do the garden justice as to its size...it is very large...it wraps around the front of the house from the steps and up to the garage on the side of the house.  Lots of little weeds have been taken out of this garden...lots of hours of hot work for Woody.  It really looks great and I know that Woody is glad to be finished with this one!

Besides weeding and mulching today, Woody did our grocery shopping and ran errands with his friend who needs transportation in order to be able to do errands. That took up several hours of Woody's morning.  Then he concentrated on finishing the mulching of this garden. This afternoon, he managed to find time to make up some of the Apple Zucchini bread that is kidney friendly.

I worked a little more on the PDF file that I "thought" was finished.  When I read it through one more time this morning I found a couple of words that were words but weren't the words that I meant to be in the file.  I fixed those.  Then the head or our sewing club approved them and I posted them to the files in our club's Facebook page.  So one more done and out there for others to have access to.  I have the photos for the next one ready once I take notes on the video and then start writing.

I have also been reading.  The book that I checked out last week is due tomorrow and I still have 200 pages to read!  I have read a little over 300...it is a long book and I'm not finding it a very fast read...lots of characters and lots of plots and subplots and lots of action.  I am enjoying it, but I don't like the fact that I have a time limit facing me!  If I don't get it read I will just add my name back on the list and wait for it to be my turn again!

Look who took over my sewing chair this afternoon!  I did start work on one of Esther's birthday presents, but luckily didn't need my machine since Peaches has decided that it is a place she likes to sleep.  (I really would have booted her if I had been ready for the machine but I'm not at the sewing point yet!)  Esther is due back from camp tomorrow.  I have a feeling that Peaches will be more content at her house once her mommy is home!  But I will say that she is liking it over here pretty well!  She enjoys taking her afternoon naps in air conditioning!

Her Majesty Princess Peaches
on her royal sewing throne!

Woody and I are both settling in for the evening with our books...Woody just doesn't have the time crunch on him!  He has already read this book, so if I do manage to get it read before the deadline of tomorrow evening, then we will have both gotten a 512 page book read in 7 days (really if I drop it off on Sunday morning before going to church it will be in on time...as long as it is in before it opens on Sunday afternoon!).  Guess I had better go and find out what happens next...I left a young lady sneaking up on the President with plans to assassinate him...the President has already foiled an attempt by her once earlier in this book...bet she is VERY determined to succeed this time!

Remembered This Evening!

I actually remembered to blog early in the evening tonight!  It hasn't been quite as busy a day...so perhaps my mind wasn't going in a million directions.  I woke up early so started working on the next PDF file for my sewing club...mainly got all the pictures together and printed them out so I can choose which ones I need to use.  We've been doing a lot of printing lately.  Yesterday Woody had me change the black cartridge and this morning before I could print out the pictures for the file, I had to change all the colored cartridges...good job done for a while...rarely do I end up changing all of them at the same time.  Now I just have to watch and be sure to order as I used the last we had on hand. I will be watching for a sale of the ones we use.  I usually order them online and every so often they have a good sale...then I stock up.

Woody has pretty much had an uninterrupted day today to mulch.  He has stayed at it most of the day with just a break every now and then. I worked on putting embroidery thread away that I got out to make Isaac's "girlfriend" a personalized scrunchy.  I'm getting everything ready to get started sewing Esther's birthday present.  The fabrics came today.  I spent some time getting it ready to put in the washer.  One piece is in the drier and two other pieces are in the washer.  After I blog I will go get the one that is dry along with the other things that I washed with it and then transfer what's in the washer to the drier.  I'm pleased with the fabric.  According to the tracking information the hand embroidery thread is supposed to be here before 8pm...but I'm not holding my breath!  I still haven't heard anything more about my light box that got sent back to the sender before it got to me.

I did hear back from the contractor that I got in touch with about redoing our kitchen.  He is supposed to call me back and make an appointment sometime in the near future...but kitchen renovations probably won't get underway till after the first of the year.

We are both settled in for the evening.  Woody is downstairs reading and watching TV.  I think that he has already done all his crossword puzzles today.  I think that I will do a little more toward getting ready to sew.  Next step...head to the drier!

Oops! Almost Forgot to Blog!

I guess I can blame almost forgetting to blog on my new "job!"  The "job" that I write PDF files for my sewing club.  The one that I wrote today was a bit of a struggle and about blog time is when I started having the biggest struggles because I was finishing it up and that is often when problems arise!  It has been sent to the club's head for her approval...my writing duties are behind me unless she finds something that she wants me to change!

I think that Woody started out the morning mulching gardens...a slow and tedious process! He walked to the local farmer's market this morning and bought a big bag of corn.  He said that it was rather heavy for his trek home!  I got up and decided that it was time to finish this latest PDF file so worked on it some this morning.  After lunch, I went to the library.  Donna and I again got more books ready to check out.  Woody was gone when I got home.  He had an appointment (non-doctor this time!) in town and had gone to that.  I came in and rested a little, read a little and then got busy on writing my file again.  Woody went to church for a Bible study after supper.  I continued on my quest to finish with the file.

I was sad to learn today that the package that I was expecting had been sent back to the sender due to osme problem so I didn't get my light box today.  I was a bit disappointed...but if it had come, I might not have finished the file for my sewing club...so it may have been a good thing.  The other two orders are due to arrive in the mail tomorrow...hoping that nothing has delayed them or turned them back.  I got notification that the light box would either be replaced or my money refunded.  Now I'm wondering which!  Oh, well...such is life!

Cheryl, my sister, just emailed me that I forgot something else!  That I forgot to wish our oldest grandson a BIG happy birthday!  I didn't forget that it was his birthday...did wish him a happy birthday earlier today...so guess I'm not totally in the dog house!  And, he turned an amazing age--21--I can hardly believe it!  Happy 21st birthday, Alex!!!!!

Look Who Visited Today!

We have had quite a day!  Busy! Busy! Busy!  The day started out with a call a little before 7:30am that our repairman was on his way...and, within a couple of minutes he was here.  He only worked on refrigerators...and a little after 8am he had it fixed.  Woody headed outside with phone in hand so he could answer if our washer repairman called.  I headed in to get ready to go to breakfast with friends.  We had a nice breakfast eating and catching up with each other.  When I got home this little girl was waiting on our front porch and "asked" to come in for a while!  She is missing her mistress.  Esther is at a camp again. Woody had brushed her really well the other day and I decided that she could come in.  She has been shedding so badly that I haven't really wanted her in the house.  I guess that she enjoyed her afternoon in air conditioning...hope that I didn't spoil her too much!  She napped and bathed on my lap for quite a while this afternoon.  She was pretty happy. I read.  Woody has finished the book that we got on Saturday so I have started reading it.  It is a pretty long book and it doesn't read quite as fast as some of the books that we usually read by this author (James Patterson).  We think that combining authors that the two together became a bit wordier and thus write longer chapters! The other author is former President Clinton...so between the two of them there are more words and longer chapters.

Woody didn't head off to the prayer room at church as soon as he usually does on Tuesday.  Mainly because the 2nd repairman didn't get here till 4:45pm...but he didn't take too long.  Pretty much as soon as the repairman left, Woody headed off to the prayer room.  So the repairmen who were supposed to be here between 8am and 5pm...one a half hour earlier than the 8am time and one barely squeaked in under the 5pm time!  But both are fixed! I'm running a small load at the moment to make sure that the washer really is working.  Woody is still at the prayer room.  I guess I will go downstairs and check on the washer.  I will say that today was once again quite busy...except when Peaches pinned me down for a quiet time this afternoon!

Hopping Right Along!

Do you think that this bunny is checking us out?!?  I took this bunny some years ago when Woody was checked into National Institutes of Health for his three-week stay of various procedures for his melanoma and I was staying at the lodge provided for spouses and families of long-term in-patients.  I have a feeling that I have posted him before but it seemed appropriate for all the hopping around that we did today.

I can't even think of what happened first.  I guess that Woody went to Life Care to have Bible study and then visit with some of the residents.  Shortly after he left I headed to downtown Tullahoma...about a five minute drive...we are such a big town!  I finally got everything together including my thoughts and went to engage a contractor, at least in conversation, about redoing our kitchen.  I got there and walked into the showroom and the lady there seemed surprised to see me.  Come to find out they are only open on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  But, since I was there, she let me fill out the paper with my name, phone number, address, and what I wanted done so she could give it to the owner.  He will contact us.  She did say that he was pretty booked till the end of the year.  But that is okay...we're not really on a time frame.  I would just like to be alive and able to enjoy it when it is finished!

Woody had stopped at our pharmacy on his way home from Life Care and found out that one of his prescriptions had no refills so they needed to phone it in.  He came home and told me to expect a call from the pharmacy when they got the go-ahead from the doctor and they had it filled.  Well, we did get a call, but not the one that we expected.  The pharmacy called to say that they had gotten a fax from the doctor's officer that Woody was not one of their patients!!!!  So I took it upon myself to call the doctor's office and see what was going on.  They claimed that he had never been to their office.  Not correct information!  He doesn't go all that often since he is seen by so many specialists and they keep a watch on his medications, blood pressure, etc.  I finally convinced them that he had most definitely been to their office and their office where it currently is located.  I got transferred to the doctor's assistant and/or nurse.  She kept looking, but said that there were no records.  I asked her where all the reports from Vanderbilt and his nephrologist were going. This doctor had sent in a referral to the nephrologist a while back...so at that time they still had his records! Anyway, she finally checked more closely and found out that some how...they don't know how or why nor do we...but he had two files.  Supposedly as soon as we hung up she got rid of the empty file!  The doctor wouldn't fill his prescription without seeing him so a hasty appointment was made since he was totally out of this blood pressure medicine.  He got a 3:45pm appointment...so left at 2:30 and got home around 5:30pm...but he had his medicine in hand as the pharmacy had gotten a fax from the doctor and had it ready for him by the time he pulled back into town.  I was working on supper when he got home.  He ate a quick supper and then headed out the door for the Furnace Room Prayer meeting at church.

I neglected to mention on Saturday that we had a washing machine problem.  I was doing a load of clothes and when I went to transfer them into the drier...the water was still in the machine.  Oops...it wouldn't spin nor go through the rinse cycle.  I wrung them out some and then Woody helped me get them next door to put them through a rinse and spin cycle and then I carried them back home to our drier.  While all that was happening, Woody was slowly but surely dipping water out of the washer...it took lots of dips to get it drained!  We also have a refrigerator problem so called a repairman for both.  He is supposed to be here between 8am and 5pm tomorrow.  Well, the last time he arrived around 7am...well before his 8am scheduled time, so I wanted to be ready for him.  I have taken everything out of the laundry room...brooms, wastebasket, cleared off the top of the drier, etc. And, I have gotten the refrigerator ready...magnets off, things cleared away.  So I think that we are ready for him whenever he arrives.  I will be glad to have both working correctly again.  The refrigerator is working...just has a problem with a drain that must be frozen up and the water is collecting in the bottom of the freezer...which means that it freezes there and I have to chip it out periodically...will be very glad not to have to get down on my hands and knees to do that job!

And, I think that brings our day to a close...at least things should calm down and quiet should set in for the rest of the evening!  I don't know about Woody, but this day has just about worn me out!

Upon Closer Inspection!

 I never know where a title for the blog will come from...some evenings I never get a good idea.  Tonight when I was deciding on which picture to use of the flowers that are blooming in our little triangular garden that surrounds our mailbox, I realized that I had several views...a lot of flowers, a few flowers, and a visitor on one of the flowers (the one that gets you close enough to inspect just exactly what is also in the photo besides the flowers.  These Black-Eyed Susans are just so pretty this year...wondering if it is all the rain that we have had...but on closer inspection you can tell that they have been enjoyed by insects as their petals aren't as perfect as they seem in the top picture.  There is a visitor on one of the flowers in the middle picture, but the bottom gives you a closer look at something that is attracted to these flowers, but I don't think it is what is eating the petals.  I have a feeling that the top picture probably has a lot of visitors on the flowers...but we are just not close enough to see!  I'm sure that there is a life lesson in that, but I am too lazy to try to find one at the moment!!!

Woody's walk this morning was to the library and back.  Later in the day we made another trip to the library, as I got a call from them late in the afternoon that they had a book I had requested.  I knew that this book was one that both Woody and I wanted to read.  I had to check it out since I had requested it so we both took a little drive to go get it.  Woody was just about to finish a book that he had so was glad to get this one as he hadn't found the greatest books to read this morning.  We are going to have to hustle on this book for both of us to get it read in the seven-days we have to read it.  If only one of us gets to finish it, we will just put our name back on the waiting list and wait our turn once again.  I still have several books that I am in the midst of so I'm not really anxious to start another one!

Woody has worked out in the yard some today mulching and mowing.  We didn't get any rain last night during the storms.  I did hear in the middle of the night when the wind picked up, but that was all that we got from the bad storms that passed through TN yesterday.

I did get my sewing orders all placed so I have fabrics coming, buttons, sewing thread, hand embroidery thread, and a couple of new items to make my sewing easier.  One I am really looking forward to especially--a light box to help me when I have to trace patterns...in this dress to help me transfer the embroidery pattern onto the bodice of the dress. I had been wanting one, but kept putting it off and then this one blouse that I am going to make suggested you use one because it was going to be hard to see through the fabric.  So I decided the time was right!  Now I just have to wait for three orders from three different places to arrive so I can get busy on Esther's birthday presents.  I have some extra time to sew at the moment, but will have to patiently wait and then try to fit sewing into busier times.  I'm pretty sure that I will have to give  promises to Esther.  I "might" be able to finish the one that doesn't have all the embroidery on it before her big day, but, again, it all depends when all these packages arrive!  I am going to find all pattern pieces that I need and have that part ready when everything does arrive.  I did do a little sewing today.  I worked on what I have decided is going to be a Christmas present.  What I did today I am pleased with so I think that it is going to work...I'm making this item by trying to make it look like something that I was gifted with.  The one given to me was made entirely in the hoop with a machine embroidered design.  I have done the machine embroidered design and am making the rest of it on the regular machine...but so far it looks like it is going to work.

Progress!

As you can see, Woody is making progress on spreading mulch on the gardens.  I took this yesterday and today it is even farther along...last I looked he was almost down to the driveway.  This is a tedious job as he has to weed and then spread the mulch.  He has also been attempting to pull leaves out from under a very large Nandina bush...definitely not an easy task!

Woody did our weekly grocery shopping and then after he brought our groceries home for me to put away, he took off again to run an errand with his friend who has no transportation. Later in the day Woody did some cooking.  He made his slaw recipe (really yours, Connie) and he also made green beans to go with our supper.  He skinned some chicken breasts and I deboned them and put them in the freezer.

I worked some more on the next PDF file for my sewing club.  I think that I accomplished the first couple steps before taking notes on the video to transcribe into step-by-step directions which will eventually be placed next to pictures to both show and tell how to do a specific sewing technique.  I also continued to try to make decisions on the sewing that I would like to make for Esther for her birthday.  I checked some more websites and also called our local quilt store to see if they had one of the fabrics called for.  They do have that specific fabric, but do not have the color that I was looking for.  So now to decide if I order the exact thing called for from a different website or order a substitute from the website that has the other things that I need.  To be continued about final decisions...