EZ's Eleven!

Elijah Zion also known sometimes as "EZ" turned 11 today! Happy Birthday, Elijah!

He had one of Abigail's fancy cake/cheesecakes...this one a strawberry cake/blueberry swirl cheesecake. Very yummy!

Goosey (Woody) and I had to give him a promise as our gift didn't make it in time...supposed to be in the mail tomorrow!

Elijah has also been known as "Danger!" And, this gift from his daddy makes me think "DANGER!" I guess Nathan has plans for a new act in their program? Elijah received some throwing axes and also throwing knives! GULP!!!

I think that Elijah has had a fun day. It started out with waffles and ice cream, a family birthday tradition, for breakfast. He chose to go to Taco Bell for lunch. And, homemade pizza was in the plans for supper. The birthday child gets to plan the meals for the day on their birthday. Also, he got another treat for the first time ever, he got the school day off for his birthday and got to have extra screen time. They started their school year yesterday...the first time that they had been in school on his birthday. Happy, happy birthday, to our sweet Elijah!

Can You Solve This?

The above problem showed up on Facebook this morning and for some reason I decided that I would see if Woody could solve it. It took both of us...me for the tricky details that are within the problem and then Woody to actually solve it. We won't say how many wrong answers we gave before we finally got it right! But let's say that it did take up some of our "spare" time today! After he got it solved, I still had to have him explain it to me! I am not nor have I ever been a lover of math. But he is a mathematician so figured that between the two of us...and finally we did get it solved. After solving it, I was to post the same problem on my Facebook "page." Which I did and have been having to tell folk all afternoon that they got it wrong...so far only 6 have gotten the answer right...Melany even got in on it...we have had a couple of phone conversations over it! Was it worth spending all that time on...well...probably not, but it was a different way to spend the day! Woody headed off to have labs done for his upcoming appointment with his nephrologist. When he got home, he spent time doing some weeding along the road edge of the garden we share with Nathan and Kathy and family. He can sit on the railroad ties that are stacked on the front of that garden. It was pretty hot outside today. I watered and did some deadheading on the plants that are on our patio slab. And, emptied the compost bucket a couple of times...that was enough outside time for me! I finished another book this afternoon...needed to read to soothe my brain after all that mathematical thinking from this morning! We had an enjoyable, though quiet, fourth weekend. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Blessings

Happy 4th of July from Woody & Lois

'Twas the Night Before the 4th

It feels like summer is here...quite warm and humid today and no rain.  Elijah got another squirrel today!  So new count is 39!  I checked with him a few minutes ago to make sure that I had the count right!

We spent time with Nathan on the front porch today.  He was doing some filming for a video he is doing for a church camp.  That is the way they have been hired this summer...to do videos for churches and camps.  He was talking about traps and using the squirrel as an example for his mini-sermon.  I gave him some still pictures of the squirrels raiding our feeders and he has worked them into the video with voice overs.  I guess lots of folk are having to get creative with what they do for a living!  They do have an in-person gig coming up in a week or so..at an outdoors church event.

Wondering how schools are going to be handled this year.  Our neighbor grandchildren will continue as usual due to homeschooling.  Graham registered for on campus classes at Motlow...at this point three of those have turned into online classes.  Melany teaches in Rutherford County (Murfreesboro, TN) and she is waiting to hear how her school is going to handle the new school year.  Her doctor told her that she would need to wear a mask whether it is required or not.  She has Crohn's and is on an immunosuppressant drug.  She has two masks that I made.  Might need to make her some more!

I decided that I want some potato salad for 4th of July so am going to put it together after I publish tonight's blog.  Woody can't eat it...so when it comes to making something just for me it is easy to put it off...but this time I think that I will make it.  I'm making a recipe that Melany shared with me several yeRs back: Lime and Thyme Potato Salad.  It is very refreshing...different than my usual potato salad. It isn't Woody's favorite so he won't be sad that he can't eat it!

Have a great 4th!
Be safe!
Be well!
Be cautious!

Squirrel Count has Increased

 I think this squirrel may be asking, "Where'd everyone go?!"  I forgot to give a count last night, but yesterday Elijah and his dad hauled off number 35...today's count is at 38 (I think! Elijah keeps track better than the rest of us!  Two were caught this morning.  While they awaited their relocation, two of their friends visited them.  There seems to be an endless number of these rascals!  There's one thing for sure...their numbers are helping a ten-year-old (soon to be 11) boy have a profitable summer!

Woody slept better last night so has had a better day.  But he still has stayed pretty close to his recliner...reading, working crossword puzzles, and watching some TV.  I slept well, till I woke up at 4am...so my day has been long and I haven't felt the greatest.  But I did manage to use the peaches that I bought at the store last week and also some of the blueberries from Nathan and Kathy and family's blueberry bushes and put together a peach/blueberry cobbler...quite tasty!  The only problem with the dessert is that Woody wished, again, for ice cream which he can't have.  He was told the other day that when he is on dialysis he will be able to have that ice cream once again.  Still doesn't make us jump up and down and get all excited about starting dialysis...just something that will be a positive when he does start!  He will be able to go back to almost normal rating.  He was told that he may have to eat extra things that have potassium in them because potassium tends to be leached from the body during this type of dialysis.  He will be glad to eat bananas, dark green veggies, watermelon, and other things that he can't have at the moment due to their high potassium.

This afternoon, Abigail came over to check out the Montessori equipment that I have. She plans to use it at her house, as she has been asked to give lessons to several preschoolers from our church.  We went over equipment talked some about how she will fill up the time that she has with them a couple of days a week.  A new venture for our Abigail! She left to go make some cheesecakes...another of her ventures!  She cleans houses, too!  She's the best kitchen cleaner around!

Nathan and Joseph were on the front porch bird watching, when Abigail and I went out the front door after her Montessori "session" with me.  They were trying out the binoculars that they gave Goosey (Woody) for Father's Day.  Our front porch is really enjoyed by both out families...it's like an extension of our house...another room...a sitting room!

Be safe!
Be well!
Be cautious!

And, BOOM! It's July!

Sometimes the Tennessee greenery seems to take over.  I'm not sure if this is kudzu or something else outlining the roof.  Woody says that if it is kudzu that he would expect it to be overtaking the whole barn!

Today being Wednesday, I had our weekly "library" phone chat with Donna.  We caught up with other.  I had several other phone calls, too.  So it was sort of a phone day for me.  I also worked a little in the sewing room...still searching out a design that I want to use on a t-shirt.  I have been enjoying sewing videos that Janome, my sewing machine brand, have been posting daily.  I usually learn at least one thing from each video.

Woody had a bit of a slow start to his day since he didn't sleep well last night.  He has read most of the day with a crossword puzzle fit in here and there and a TV program or two.  He did really enjoy supper...spaghetti and meatballs.  It did taste good, but now I have to face a very messy kitchen!

Be safe!
Be well!
Be cautious!