Sleepy Saturday

Well, at least for me and for Kathy it has been a sleepy day. Kathy didn't get back to the house till 2:30am. I did doze in their recliner so I got more sleep than she! They did have fun and were excited about the outcome of the game that went into extra innings. The Cardinals won. They stayed to see the fireworks afterward. I haven't taken a nap, but have about dozed off several times. I haven't accomplished much of anything today...well, I will take that back...I did finally get us hotel reservations at the NIH rates for the two nights that we will be in Bethesda. I didn't get them at our favorite hotel...but this one is very nice...a suite...but it's just not quite as close and it doesn't have as convenient a shuttle service as the other. We will probably park our car at the hotel this time. We pass this hotel before we get to the other one. I will still try the next couple of days to get a room at the one we prefer...just in case someone cancels from one of the rooms that they will give NIH rates for. The "reservation girl" I talked to was very nice and explained that the regular rooms were all taken and that the only floor left was the concierge floor (I didn't tell her that we had gotten to stay on that floor before for the NIH rate...we got that the time that they forgot to have the room made up feather-free.) and the rate for that floor is even higher than their normal rates. Anyway...we have a place to lay our heads after a long day of driving.

Woody made a trip to the grocery store and got gas in the car and the gas can early this morning. Then later in the morning he went to the library. He has mowed and done a little weeding. Abigail, Joy, and Esther came over this afternoon and stayed a while when Elijah went down for his nap...Kathy decided that was a good time for her to take a power nap. While they were napping and the girls were playing, Nathan and Graham came home from their camping trip. Graham and Nathan joined us for a while. It sounds like they had a fun time camping. At the moment Woody is watching the kids while Kathy and Nathan go gather up some things from friends for a yard sale that Nathan and Kathy are planning for this coming Friday and Saturday. I'm sitting over here in the quiet wondering how much longer I can stay awake!

Tonight's blog picture was taken on one of our walks earlier in the week.

Watchin' for BIG Trucks!

This morning I got up when Woody did so I could get a glimpse or two of the royal wedding...I wanted to see the British fashion statements...especially the hats!

Woody went to the Credit Union and the grocery store. Graham and Elijah came over to play for a while after Graham got his school work finished. Graham was pretty excited about their camping trip. Woody mowed and planted the last of the seeds in the garden. He also did some weeding. I continued on my cleaning spree...accomplished a little more. A while after lunch, Nathan brought Elijah over for his nap. I had a mid afternoon appointment for my 6-month check-in with my neurologist. Not long after I got back, Elijah woke up from his nap. After he was fully awake Goosey suggested that they go out and look for BIG trucks. So they sat in the lawn chairs in the back yard and watched the traffic go by on the street behind our house. We ate supper and he and Goosey went back outside for a while. Elijah came back in telling me that he needed his diaper changed which I did and then came up here to blog. Elijah is starting to wind down...ready for his blankie and pacie. We will go over to their house to put him to bed and then one of us will stay over there till Kathy and the girls come back in the wee hours.

Calm After the Storm

What a difference a day makes! Today, everything is calm...at least here...not so in other parts of our state and so many others that have been affected by yesterday's storms...especially Alabama. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have lost loved ones and no longer have homes or businesses.

Woody walked to the Post Office this morning to mail something for me and on the way home he stopped and bought some tomatoes at the fruit market. Woody talked Nathan into changing the oil in the car that we will be taking to Maryland next week. While Nathan was doing that Graham came over to our house and finished up his school work. Kathy and the girls had gone on a girls trip and Graham needed someone to give him his spelling test. Woody gave Graham his spelling test. In a little while Elijah joined Graham in the house. He came in to play with cars and "BIG TRUCKS." When it got to be lunch time, I invited the neighbor boys to have lunch with us. After lunch they headed back to their house to do some things to get ready for a camp out. Nathan and Graham are going on a church Father and Son camping trip tomorrow. Elijah will be staying with us starting mid afternoon tomorrow till his mom and the girls return late tomorrow night.

I decided that I would clean today. I didn't get as much done as I wanted to, but it is a start. I've also done several loads of wash. Graham came over and helped me dead-head the plants in the garden. Graham also vacuumed our stairs for me. Woody did some weeding in one of the flower beds and he also raked preparing the front yard for mowing. Though he hadn't planned to mow today, he did end up mowing the front yard. Graham challenged Goosey to a game of Scrabble on the computer. They played Scrabble while I was fixing supper. Graham stayed and ate with us. We had Rosemary Chicken...flavored with fresh rosemary and lemon thyme that we are growing.

I did try again to get hotel reservations...still can't get NIH rates...so will try again tomorrow!

2.09 inches and rain's still falling!

What a day! My day started out with a "rude awakening." It started with Woody saying that I needed to get up and come downstairs...the tornado siren was going off...it was 6am! Woody had been up since 5am and had been watching all the weather warnings on TV. The weather forecasters had been at it since 3am when the storms started happening in Alabama. And, they have been at it nonstop the rest of the day. There's no telling how many tornadoes have gone through the Alabama and TN area today. I talked to a friend who lives just a few miles away from us. She was too close for comfort to the one we were warned about at 6am...she has been without power ever since and another friend who lives on that same road has a tree down precariously close to her house. The street behind them is said to look like a war zone...I don't know if that just means trees down or if there is damage to homes. Another of my friends who is visiting in Alabama is in one of the cities that has tornadic damage. Nathan and Kathy and family were traveling back from southern Mississippi today...they managed to find the right windows to travel through, but they did see tornado damage along their route...both trees down and damaged buildings. Melany, Erin, and Alex's schools let out early due to bad storms in the Murfreesboro, TN area. As I type the siren is going off here once again! It has been a long day!

We did find a window and went for a walk this morning...not quite a big enough window as it started to rain on us on our way back and there were a few rumbles in the distance. We covered the last part of the walk at a faster clip than normal for me! Tonight's blog picture shows one of the roses on my new rose bush...showing the raindrops after the morning rains. I did get my hair cut today and made a stop at WalMart on the way home before it got to raining hard again. Then this afternoon, we found another window and went to the Credit Union for me to have a notary witness my signature. Then the rest of the day we have stayed home keeping an eye on the sky...and the TV...and the computer! I'm ready for this bad weather day to be behind us! At the moment (7pm) it is lighter outside than it was at 5pm when it looked about like it was night! As you can see by tonight's blog title we have had a LOT of rain since 5am. So far we haven't been blown away! The Huntsville station that we are watching has been broadcasting constant tornadic activity for 16 hours! And, it isn't over yet...tornadoes just keep forming!

LIFE = A Balancing Act!

This little toad was caught by a couple of our grandchildren yesterday. I wonder what the little critters think when they are captured by these little hands! Yesterday Joy and Elijah put this toad in this bucket. When Abigail and I were heading into their house, this is where we found him...balancing on the edge. He was facing toward the door. Kathy said that if the toad jumped into the house I had to catch him! Not me! We moved in quickly! When I came out little toad had managed to turn himself around...at least not facing the door. He was still hanging on for dear life (probably wondering what he had done to get into this predicament!). When next I passed, he was gone...escaped! Toads and frogs...BEWARE...if you jump into our neighbor's yard or even in ours...there are lots of little hands to catch and release and watch frog and toad jumps and feigns!

We have had a fair share of rain today (.64")...made our new plants very happy...not too much at this point. We are due for more severe storms during the night and tomorrow. They predict that conditions are "right" for tornadoes...hope that the meteorologists are wrong.

After the rains, Woody took advantage of the wet earth and did some weeding in the gardens. He is trying to rid our garden of the violets that continue to pop up...so he is digging down to get the rhizomes. He walked to the prayer room late this afternoon. He has read and worked on a crossword puzzle.

I went to my favorite sewing store and got several suggestions as to what to do to get Nathan and Kathy's sewing machine (my old machine) running again. And...SUCCESS!!!! When I left this afternoon it was sewing once again. I have tried to get reservations at the hotel in Bethesda, MD...but today's operator couldn't find the NIH rates for the hotel so I will try again tomorrow.

One Year Ago

One year ago this date we were on the road for Woody's first visit to NIH. A lot has happened in that year. Last night I went back and read back over the blogs from this time last year and on into the summer when he underwent his TIL (Tumor Infiltrating Leukocytes) protocol. I'm glad that we are at this point in the protocol and that it isn't a year ago and just starting! We will be going back for his next CT scans and MRI (May 4th) and to see the research doctors (May 5). I'll hopefully be all packed at this time next week. Guess it is time to make hotel reservations...a task that I dislike immensely!

Woody went for a six-mile walk early this morning. Then he worked on one of the neighbor's gardens taking leaves out of the rocks. He walked to the library, barber shop, and the drugstore this afternoon. He also worked on mowing our yard. He has just gotten home from Monday night prayer meeting.

I guess it is time to concentrate on the library for me...finally have a date for the renovation...the third week in May. I still can't imagine how we will get everything out of the library (and not have the books! I ordered two new shelving units today. So I guess "things" are underway?

Update on the new plants...still alive!

Resurrection Day 2011

It has been a beautiful Resurrection Day. Woody got up earlier than I did (not unusual for him to do so!) and went to First Baptist's sunrise service which wasn't at sunrise...but at 7am and it was overcast. I got up after he left and got ready and went on to church to meet him for the 8:30am service...but remembered that I have had allergy problems on past Easter Sundays due to the Easter lilies...so let him know that I was there so he wouldn't be concerned and then went into the church library instead. I have come out of Easter services in the past unable to talk. I was told later that most of the time these days lilies are depollinated...but I didn't want to take a chance since I was teaching Sunday School today and needed to be able to talk and also I didn't want to do anything to kick off an allergy attack as so far this Spring my allergy meds seem to be working. Woody also taught his Sunday School class. He got home just moments before I arrived home. We both ate lunch. Nathan came over to work on our TV antenna from the inside...trying to find the location that the rotating machine needed to be put so we and they could get better reception (we share the TV antenna that is on our house). Ever since the high winds of last week we haven't gotten as good reception...so we figure that the winds turned the antenna and that now we need to get it rotated to a better position. As he was rotating it, the grandchildren started trickling in. When Nathan left, three stayed here for a while. I got a call from Kathy that they were having sewing machine problems and could I come try to trouble shoot. Their machine was mine before I got the machine that I have now...so I "should" be the one who could fix it. But try as I might, this time I wasn't able to get it working. So we got out their other machine and I got that threaded and sewing for them. Nathan was making a new crazy tie. I came back over to find Goosey snoozing and the other three watching Peter Pan...at least all was quiet on the western front and the quiet was an ok quiet this time! Goosey had been doing an experiment out of a book with Graham prior to the movie and the snoozing. Once he woke up and Peter Pan was over, the children headed home and he and I went for a short walk. We first checked on all the gardens and then walked over into the next neighborhood. Plenty for me to photograph...lots of pretty flowers blooming. I came home determined to finish the book that I am reading...but ended up napping instead. Woody has been reading and watching a bit of TV (We are getting some reception...but still not as good as it was prior to the winds.). This dogwood flower picture I took some time ago as dogwoods are past their prime at the moment. I thought that I would end tonight's blog with "The Legend of the Dogwood" and a reminder that Christ is risen...He is risen indeed!

An old and beautiful legend has it that, at the time of the crucifixion, the dogwood was comparable in size to the oak tree and other monarchs of the forest. Because of its firmness and strength it was selected as the timber for the cross, but to be put to such a cruel use greatly distressed the tree. Sensing this, the crucified Jesus in his gentle pity for the sorrow and suffering of all said to it: "Because of your sorrow and pity for My sufferings, never again will the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used as a gibbet. Henceforth it will be slender, bent and twisted and its blossoms will be in the form of a cross -- two long and two short petals. In the center of the outer edge of each petal there will be nail prints -- brown with rust and stained with red -- and in the center of the flower will be a crown of thorns, and all who see this will remember."

A Beautiful Day to Garden!

Woody got up early and worked in the yard before Melany, Wade, Erin & Alex (our garden crew!) arrived. I got up and made spaghetti sauce. When the garden crew arrived, Alex and Erin set to work removing a stump (which they accomplished...new rose bush is now where the stump once was). Wade, Melany and I headed off plant shopping...oh, my...one could really go wild when it comes to buying pretty bedding plants. We had a good time at three gardening stores and came home with quite a variety. It was time for lunch when I got home...so Melany and Wade placed plants where we would plant them and I went in to finish up lunch preparation. Erin had all the salad ingredients all cut up and ready, Woody had the water boiling for the pasta, and Erin was setting the table. We got the pasta cooking and then Erin and I set to work on our garlic cheese bread. Melany and Wade came in just as we were ready to sit down. We ate and then decided that we would plant for a while and then come in a little later for our cherry crisp and ice cream. I did a little planting and then decided that I would be better used if I went around and took the plants out of the containers and put them back in the spot where a hole needed to be dug. Melany and Wade did most of the digging and putting them in the ground. Just as we were finishing up the garden that we share with our neighbors (Nathan, Kathy & family), Erin rang the bell telling us that our dessert was ready. Wade stayed out and gave the new plants a drink before he came in for his dessert. After dessert we went back and finished planting in two other gardens and put some kitchen herbs in the barrels on the back patio and planted a pretty geranium and ivy in a pot that goes on the table on the front porch. Lots of work accomplished today. While we were away shopping for plants Erin and Alex also moved the last of trunk of a tree that had fallen while I was in AZ...heavy work. Woody told us that Alex had done enough work today for a week! Everyone worked hard today! The gardens are beautiful...now to watch all these small plants grow bigger! Here's hoping that we can keep them alive. We try hard, but Woody and I are not known for our green thumbs! I watered them again this evening...all looked happy when I came inside!

We were relaxing on the front porch after finishing the gardens when the neighbors returned (convenient timing?) from a ministry in Murfreesboro (Melany and Wade's hometown). I was glad that they got home before Melany and family went home. After visiting for a while and before Melany and family left, we took one more walk around the house to look at all the gardens. Tonight's picture is of a new flower in the garden...one we haven't had before...a wishbone flower.

Woody told me today that I neglected to tell in last night's blog that he had taken a ten-mile walk early yesterday morning. I neglected to tell because I didn't know. He said that I didn't know because I was sleeping! Sounds like a good reason to me!

Garden Guardian!

I'll bet everyone wishes to have one of these sitting at the side of their garden to scare away the critters that might be interested in munching on the plants. Storm seems to be taking his job seriously..."standing" at attention!

I awoke hearing giggling children...they were outside helping their mommy prepare a garden for flowers and also waiting for their daddy to hide eggs in their back yard. They had a fun hunt...finding all sorts of things in their plastic eggs...jelly beans, promise notes (date with Mom, date with Dad, roller skating, Imagination station, Science center, etc.), and also some quarters and dimes. Elijah was more interested in the jelly beans (and his note for extra stories) than in the money...so he traded Graham some jelly beans for the money that he found. The ones who got the date with their daddy went to a yardsale with him to see if they could spend the quarters that they got in their eggs! After all the excitement, Kathy and Nathan gathered up the kids minus Abigail and Graham and went flower shopping for their front garden. Abigail went grocery shopping with Goosey and Graham came over here and built a robot with his K'nex.

Woody has spent a lot of his spare moments in his gardens. He has put out a LOT of tomato and pepper plants...he claims that he planted so many as he figures that he will lose several to birds, etc. But with the garden guardian maybe he won't lose too many...and then if all these plants do produce lots of tomatoes and green peppers I'm not sure what we will do with all of them...but we should have enough for us and for the neighbors...and...(We just hope to have at least a few! Our gardening "luck" isn't always the best...but Woody does try hard and enjoys trying!) While I was out looking at what Woody had planted so far this morning, a dear friend and one of her granddaughters stopped by with cherry crisp...and we had been trying to decide what we would have for dessert tomorrow when Melany, Wade, Erin and Alex come!

I have been catching up on my wash today and getting ready for Melany and family to come tomorrow. I actually got my suitcase unpacked and returned to Nathan and Kathy today (it "only" took me a week) I enjoyed the front porch for a while after lunch...I read a bit, watched a "gun battle" with some of the teenagers in the neighborhood, watched the grandchildren run around our yards, and read some more in my book. I made two gelatin salads this afternoon (one for tomorrow and one for the neighbors). Later in the afternoon I took a nap. Then this evening we went over to Nathan and Kathy's for supper...yummy Texmex chicken! For dessert the girls had a "cookie (cake) walk" all planned out...we walked in a circle and when the music stopped then a number was called out and if it was ours we got an Eskimo cookie that the girls had made this afternoon! Fun time!

A flower gardening day planned for tomorrow with Melany, Wade, Erin and Alex!

Goin' on a Plant Hunt!

Woody and I both woke up early. I went to bed earlier than usual last night and then kept waking up every couple of hours thinking that surely the night was over...I think perhaps I'm only meant to get snatches of sleep at a time! I got up and worked some more on getting things straightened up in the sewing room...mainly sorting through several stacks of things that occurred when I cleared off one area and just stacked things a little higher in another area...trying to lower the stacks and eliminate a few! Woody wrote some notes of encouragement to a young lady who is going on a mission trip. He suggested that we go check out plants at several places in town and go to the Credit Union. So we headed out a little after nine and had fun looking at plants. We started at Lowes and then worked our way back through town stopping at stores that have plants. We were not going to buy any...just scout out what stores have what and then Melany and I are supposed to go buy plants on Saturday when she and family come to help us with the gardens. Well...we didn't quite live up to not buying anything! Woody bought tomato and green pepper plants and I bought snapdragons and three hanging baskets. We had fun looking and buying! We didn't get back home till lunch time. I sat on the front porch and read and took pictures this afternoon. Friends stopped by when they saw me on the front porch and we visited for a while. Woody has read and watched some TV and followed his baseball team's game on the computer.

Beautiful Spring Wednesday

Storms blew through in the early morning hours and we ended up with a nice overcast day. We got about a half an inch of rain before it was over. Woody and I took a walk in the early afternoon and it was very pleasant...lots of pretty trees, flowers, etc. in bloom. Woody took advantage of the rain and did some weeding...the pesky violets (which I love) have resurfaced after they tried to rid the front garden of them when I was away. We sat on the front porch for a while trying to catch the bluebirds coming and going from their homes. But today wasn't the day for me to get a very good picture of our bluebirds. We also saw a pretty streak of yellow fly by...a goldfinch. Hope to see more of them...they are such a pretty bird. A dear friend brought us a delicious gelatin salad this morning. We have both read some. Woody went to his Experiencing God class tonight.

Breezy Tuesday

Woody has been working off and on all day on the new garden bed (well, improved garden bed) in the back yard. He and Esther put the final touches on it this afternoon. We have had this bed for a while, but while I was in AZ they enlarged it and put new railroad ties around it...they dug out all the grass, weeds ,etc. and loosened up the dirt (kids playing in it were definitely a help with doing that!) and now Woody has put new dirt from our compost pile on it. He told me that it was ready to use...he told me that he was going out to plant some seeds...so I think that he may have planted them in this garden. He walked to the prayer room at church about an hour ago. He also planned to stop by the Post Office either on the way there or the way home to mail a few letters. I'm still trying to settle back into a routine. I ran an errand this morning. Then Woody and I composed a letter to Mother's financial folk and I also wrote some other notes this afternoon. Graham came over to read with Woody and then they started in on some experiments in the book they got to reading. I went next door to take the girls measurements so I can prepare to make the dresses that I had planned to make prior to my unexpected trip to AZ. Abigail and Joy came over when I came back and we read stories for a while. Then the three big kids left for gymnastics and Esther came over. She watched PBS for a little while and then decided to go play in the dirt with Goosey. After Woody left for the prayer room, I decided to sit on the front porch and read for a little while...quite pleasant out there this evening. It is warming up again and that fact is obvious in our upstairs. I came up to move the pictures from my camera to the computer and then choose which I would use on the blog tonight...well, the next thing I knew I had dozed off...warmth of the room, I think...plus I'm still tired from the trip.

Grammy's Home!

This morning I saw the five neighbor grandkids for the first time in over three weeks. They were glad that a couple of them were here at the house at the right time. Our (and their) deacon brought a cake to us. We told the ones here that they could come back after lunch for a piece...they were nice and brought all their siblings and their parents over for a yummy dessert...the first one to get their cake sat down on the floor so the rest followed suit. Yummy cake...it was enjoyed by all. Then Graham and Abigail stayed over and built with K'nex...ummmmmmmm...lower picture shows a K'nex explosion in our living room!

Woody has done a lot of yardwork today (played in the dirt according to him). We had a front porch meeting this morning with our financial advisor...we sat out in the rocking chairs on the front porch and talked. I guess that tells you how nice our weather was today. The children were in and out during the day. This evening three dear friends provided us with a wonderful dinner and gave me a Knock Out Rose bush to plant as a remembrance of my mother. We have such thoughtful friends...good cooks too!

Dogwood Walk

Woody and I both got up early. We went to the 8:30am church service and then we both went to Sunday School. Woody taught his 6th grade boys' class. We came home and had our corned beef and cabbage meal for lunch. Then we headed out on a walk to look at all the beautiful dogwoods that are in bloom in our neighborhood and the next neighborhood over. I'm guessing that this is what is considered "Dogwood Winter" around here. With Spring comes spells of warm weather and then cooler...sort of back and forth roller coaster till it finally warms up till Fall. When we have a cool snap, it is called "a winter" with the name of whatever is blooming tagged onto the word "winter." We have redbud, blackberry, dogwood, etc. winters...there are about six of them that are referrred to as Spring progresses. This morning we woke up to temperatures hovering around freezing, but by the time that we walked it was in the 70's...perfect day for a walk. And, the dogwoods and other spring bloomers were really beautiful on our walk. I had really intended to do a collage of our walk today, but I ended up blogging later than I planned and didn't want to take the time to "mess" with a lot of pictures at this time...so will share them over the days to come when I don't have a picture of a daily activity to post! After our walk, I headed straight up to flop on our bed...my back was hurting and I was just plain tired...I looked through the pictures on my camera and just about didn't make it the whole way through them before I fell asleep. I slept for a while and then talked with a friend on the phone and then read the rest of a chapter in my book and then fell back to sleep. Woody also planned to take a nap after our walk...he popped in a library DVD (these often put him to sleep), but the DVD ended being so good that he didn't take his planned nap. I knew when Woody went to church...and planned to get up shortly after...but...when I next woke up it was after time to blog. Perhaps I have made up for some lost sleep! Woody went to "Experiencing God, the Musical" at church tonight. He is now home eating a late supper and watching TV (or perhaps a DVD) and will probably do some reading before the evening is over.

Neighbors

Here's a picture of our "shared garden" that Woody and the neighbors worked so hard on while I was gone. They had railroad ties delivered and then Nathan moved them using a dolley! Hopefully his back is ok! Then at a later time Nathan and a friend brought in a couple pickup truck loads of soil to fill in behind the railroad ties. This garden has always sloped down to the ground and in hard rains soil, mulch and plants get washed out into the street. They transplanted the plants that we had already growing in the garden and got rid of a few that we had been wanting to get rid of and then mulched it all. Nathan and the kids repaired the birdhouses...the girls repainted them too. There are already blue birds living in the birdhouses. The hope is that eventually we will have creeping flox spilling over the railroad ties...time will tell! We're waiting for Melany and family to come and give us some more hints about what this garden needs. These pictures show how close our houses are...not many can say that they live this close to their children and grandchildren! It has been really chilly here today...just in the 50's with quite a brisk wind. I'm feeling the weather change...I'm not moving very fast today. This morning I walked around the yard with Woody to see all the work that he and the neighbors had done while I was away...lots...everything is looking good! Woody picked up some sticks that had come down in the last rain. Then he went to the church to hand back in the extra packets that he had left over after all his visits around town. Then he went to the library and ran a few errands. I cooked corned beef and cabbage...we'll have it on April 17th rather than March 17th! So dinner is all cooked for tomorrow. One of our friends brought taco soup and fixings for supper tonight...enough for lunch tomorrow...and I had an email from friends who are bringing supper on Monday...looks like we are all set for eating for a while! I ran a couple of errands today and have started to unpack. Woody has read, watched basketball, rested his eyes, and watched a bit of TV this afternoon and evening.

Winging My Way Home!

Here's a view from my window early this morning! I ended up with a window seat and enjoyed trying to capture some views looking down on God's beautiful earth. Considering all the weather threats that the day held, my flight was fairly calm. The pilot explained that they were changing their regular route which flies over Oklahoma and Arkansas and flying a more northerly route trying to avoid as many of the storms as they could. He told us that if we needed to get up to be sure to do so during the first half of our approximately four long journey, as the last half could be a bit bumpy. We did have a few bumps along the way...but nothing like I expected. We felt the weather coming into Nashville the most as the winds were quite strong at that time and it was raining in Nashville...once we got below the clouds. Most of the journey I had tiny ice crystals on the lower portion of my window. Really all in all...not a bad day to fly. I got up this morning at 4am AZ time (6am TN) and was picked up by a shuttle to take me to the airport. The shuttle arrived early...just as I finished zipping my suitcase! My flight left at 7:15am AZ time (9:15 TN) and arrived in Nashville at 12:30pm TN time. It has been a long day...with not a lot of sleep last night. It is so good to be home. I about talked Woody's ear off on the way home! Then not long after I got home tiredness overtook me...I held off for a while, but did end up taking a fairly long nap...and I figure that I will still be able to sleep tonight. After we got home, Woody went to the library to pick up a copy of the book that I had been reading in AZ. I had taken down the page number of where I got to in the book...but the only copy our library had at this time was large print...so different page numbering...but it didn't take me long to find where I was. I managed to read a page or two before I couldn't hold my eyes open any longer. It has rained just about all day here. We have gotten close to 1 1/2 inches of rain today...a good soaking rain. I haven't gotten to look around too much outside since I got home due to it raining so much...but the front garden that Woody and the neighbors have worked so hard on while I was gone looks wonderful. I will check out the backyard tomorrow! Everything is so green here and the dogwoods are blooming. It is definitely chillier here than in AZ...cooler temps seem to follow me! It only got into the 60's here today. It wasn't long after I got home that I put on a sweatshirt and when I took my nap I snuggled under a fleece throw. I am really tired...hopefully I can catch up on my sleep over the next couple of days. After tonight, I'll try to get back to blogging around 7pm TN time...guess I'm still on AZ time tonight! Part of the reason that I'm blogging late tonight was looking at the pictures that I took today and trying to decide which one to share. Good to be home!

And...what kind of a day did you have?!

Our day got off to an interesting start. I got up and decided that I would cook eggs for deviled eggs for out cook out that we had planned for tonight. I bring the eggs to a boil and then remove them from the heat and put the cover on for 20 minutes. We had an appointment at 10am so when Cheryl came in from taking Corbin to school I left her in charge while I took a shower and got dressed. I chose the pan...and when I did I had this inkling that Cheryl had had problems with it in the past when you put the lid on...the lid suctions on and it is very hard to get it off. Well, when it started boiling, Cheryl did as she was supposed to do...took the pan off the heat and put the lid on...well, 20 minutes later we went to take the lid off to put them in ice water...and guess what...lid was suctioned on and we couldn't get it off. We left it and went to our meeting and then the grocery store and then came home to try some more...never did come off...till we were having our cookout and with quite a few efforts from grandchildren and adults...but when the lid finally did come off...pretty much ruining the pan...there was quite a smell according my little niece and nephew! Eggs and pan have been thrown away!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say...no deviled eggs at our cook out. The cook out was successful despite lack of deviled eggs. I logged onto the computer this morning 24 hours prior to my flight so I can get my boarding pass. Cheryl doesn't have a printer and we were going to get them printed on a friend's printer...well...they wouldn't send...then when they did send the information wasn't there. So...I'm going to go to the airport without a ticket or a boarding pass...another adventure. I know that this has to have happened to others...printer malfunction shall be my excuse! I do have all the information that is on the boarding pass that is on my passport (portable external drive). We did have success at the bank in getting a savings account closed...at first we had been told that this would be very difficult...but in the end was handled quite easily on our third try (third trip to the bank and third person at the bank that we had dealt with)! We have had a little more information on other business that we needed to get taken care of before I leave (5am) in the morning. I "think" that the rest of what needs to be done I can take care of in TN and Cheryl can take care of in AZ. Woody worked in the yard...mainly mulching until it got too hot and then he came in and watched a DVD movie. He's been a big help to me in dealing with some of the stresses of "taking care of business!" I'll be heading out in the morning. I have arranged for a shuttle to pick me up in the morning (4:50am!). My flight leaves at 7:15 AZ time and I will arrive in Nashville at 12:30pm TN time. Woody told me not to leave if he isn't there when I get there! Well, back to finish my packing! Tomorrow night...the good Lord willin' I'll be blogging from Tullahoma.

Old MacDonald Had a Farm!

Cheryl and I went on Julianna's farm field trip. It was several blocks from her school and we all walked. It was a beautiful day for it and it was a beautiful place...a country haven in the city! Julianna's favorite thing was holding the baby chicks. There were chickens, goats, sheep, bunnies...the children got to dig in the dirt and plant seeds and pick sweet peas and also pick veggies and oranges and grapefruit. It was Julianna's day to go to chapel at the end of her preschool so Cheryl and I sat in on that too. Then we came home and found the message that the death certificates were here so Cheryl went to pick them up while Julianna and I stayed home. The death certificates came at just the right time...just before I left. We had one meeting scheduled this afternoon and then went to the bank to give them a death certificate. Trying to "take care of business"...we still have more to do tomorrow...nothing seems to be easy...take one thing needed and "they" need something else. After tomorrow they will have to deal with me long distance! Woody has mulched some more today. He also did some more walking around his assigned neighborhoods putting door hangers on doors. He was on stand-by in case I had any questions during the meeting we had today! A tiring/wearing day on our end at least!

Play Ball!

We just had a fun time at the ball park watching Corbin's Little League game. I had fun taking pictures of Corbin through the fence...interesting that the camera can focus beyond the fence. Last night we did manage to get the sides of the chair reupholstered...I posted a picture of the final results at the end of yesterday's blog after we got finished. Really does look pretty good for two people who didn't totally know what we were doing! So far Sasha hasn't scratched it (that we know of). Julianna says that I sleep a lot...it seems that is what happens when I sit down...guess she noticed. Part of the time I am reading...and that might look like I'm sleeping (an excuse if I need one!). Woody did quite a bit of mulching today. He also did some of the walking through the neighborhoods that he has been assigned to leave invitations to our Easter service and also to the Experiencing God musical that our choir is going to perform this Sunday evening. Tomorrow I may be singing "Old MacDonald." Off on Julianna's field trip manana...a walking field trip...stay tuned for details in tomorrow's blog! I'll probably really be sleepy tomorrow afternoon and we have an important meeting in the afternoon...hope that I don't fall asleep in the middle of it!

The Culprit!

Now do you think that this "sweet" kitty could possibly do anything wrong?! Well.....

...the above is evidence of what she did while Cheryl was spending so much time with Mother in the hospital. Cheryl realized that she had forgotten to cover the chair with the plastic cover and...this is what Sasha (the cat) did in her frustration of being left alone so much! Well, today Cheryl and I tried to find some fabric to cover at least the sides of the chair. I have made a pattern and after I blog, we will see what we can do with the fabric that we found today. Last night I did write several thank yous after I blogged...a task that we are both working on. Today we ran a couple of errands that marked several things off a list of "to-dos." We are both sort of dragging.

I talked to Woody several times today...once to remind him to take my sewing machine in for her "spa treatment" (a scheduled cleaning). Woody said that he raked, mulched, and mowed today. He also babysat for a short time for the five little neighbor grandchildren. This evening he went to the Monday night prayer meeting at church. Storms had been predicted to arrive this afternoon, but they held off till he was returning home after the prayer meeting. He said that it was raining so hard it was difficult to see to drive. The last time that I talked to him the rain had started up once again and he was hearing thunder rumbling in the distance. He told me that our house is now known as "Goosey's house" rather than "Grammy's house!"

Well, off to try to cover up the kitty's crime!

What do you think? Here's what the side of the chair looks like several hours later.

Beautiful Sunday

Once again we have had a wonderful day with below normal temps. It never got out of the 60's...where as Tullahoma got to around 90 today. Woody went to church and taught his Sunday School class. When he got home, he went on his three-mile walk circuit. He went to the evening church service. Last night Cheryl and I went through Mother's clothes and then today took them to GoodWill. We also went to the grocery store...not a trek that we have taken too often since I have been here (unusual for us...often a daily trek when I have been here for past visits). We definitely aren't in the "new normal' yet. We have had food brought to us so we aren't starving! We have just made quick stops for milk, etc. Plus we just haven't felt like doing a lot of cooking...so have eaten out a lot more than I am used to doing! One of Cheryl's friends stopped by today with a banana cream pie...yum! We visited for a while. All the errands today were done in the truck. Cheryl's car is now sitting in her driveway...window all fixed and the car all clean...looks like a new car. I took a nap this afternoon. I'm not sure if we will try to complete another task or not tonight...we may take the night off...we are both tired. I talked with a friend from home this evening and have another call to return...I had turned my phone to vibrate when we were at the library the other day and I didn't hear or feel my cell phone ring. Tonight's blog picture is Cheryl's grandchildren's favorite bunny, Strawberry.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Rainy, chilly day...it only got to 55F today here in the Valley of the Sun! And, Woody reported in that it got to 89F in Middle TN today...a bit of a reversal in temps! And, to think that I sent home most of my clothes for cooler weather with Melany! I did keep several long sleeved tops...so I won't freeze! I awoke to rain this morning and a little while ago it rained again...we even got a little hail (pea-sized). I understand the next town over had the ground covered with hail. I'm sure that folk in the area were a bit gun shy when they heard the hail. A couple of months ago they had really bad hail that caused a lot of damage...I'm seeing lots of cars with hail damage and also there was a lot of roof damage and broken out windows. Glad that we just got small hail and not a lot today! My sister and I stopped at one of Mother's friends today to return some things. After we visited for a little while, we went on to see another friend and see her condo that she has recently remodeled...very nice! I'm envying the amount of storage that she has...beautiful custom shelving. After we got the tour of her condo, the three of us went out for brunch. On the way home we stopped at Lowe's to look at several things...and then we headed on home...it was warm in the car when we got back in so Cheryl rolled down her window about two inches...when oops...the window continued to go down on its own and didn't/wouldn't come back up! We took it to a good friend of hers and he is working on getting it fixed...we drove back home in his truck...our big adventure of the day. Now we are trying to decide what to do tonight...to try to get things in "order." Last night we undid the picture memory board and got the pictures back in their proper albums, etc. So once again you can see Cheryl's dining room table...a good job done. I have read a little more on the 500 page book that I got from the library the other day. I did check to see if the library at home has this book and it does...that way I'm not under any pressure to complete it here. Woody took a very loooooong walk today. He took an area of town to do a "Prayer Walk" that people in our church are participating in. He walked from 9:30am to about 2:30pm...he said that he got a bit of sun (which, of course, he isn't supposed to get due to his melanoma). He also did some more mulching and he went to the library. I forgot to mention yesterday that Woody and Abigail made supper for the neighbors (Nathan and Kathy and family) last night. Well, off to see if we can get another task completed tonight before we go to bed. Tonight's picture is all the birdies gathering after the rain for their supper...quite a gathering of neighborhood birds. At the moment the sounds of birdies is being drowned out by the sounds of the Jazz Fest that is happening in the downtown area...close enough (just a couple of blocks away) that we can hear it from here...we'll "listen" from here and keep dry and warm...Christmas lights drew me to the downtown area at Thanksgiving...this music doesn't!

Lazy AZ Day

I don't know what happened with yesterday's blog...I posted a collage and it posted when I posted the blog last night...then later when I opened up the blog site the collage was no longer there. I had also posted a picture of a chicken that I took yesterday...so all the more reason to title it a "fowl day!" Oh, well...good intentions. So in the end I just posted the peacock and peahen pictures. Today's picture I also took yesterday when we picked up Corbin at the end of his school day. I thought that it was so cute...brother and sister being very good friends for at least a moment or two!

Today has been a lazy day for me...I ended up dozing off this afternoon for an hour or more...guess "something" has caught up with me! Cheryl and I picked up Julianna at preschool today and then stopped at a playground on our way home. It is really pretty today...around 70F according to Weatherbug...breezy and cool...it is supposed to rain tonight and barely get to 70F tomorrow...a bit chilly for AZ! (And, to think that I sent most of my clothes for cooler weather back home with Melany...glad that I kept a couple of long sleeved things!) Julianna and I stayed home when Cheryl picked up Corbin today...I read my book and Julianna watched TV and looked at books.

Woody grocery shopped today and did more yardwork. He's not sure about how his sinus infection is...he's waiting to see how it is when he finishes his second prescription.

A BIG Happy Birthday to Melany...I won't tell how old she is...mainly because it makes me feel so old to think that she could possibly be that old!!!!!!!!!!

A Fowl Day!

Another one of the posts that it won't let me align to the left...oh, well... Today, Cheryl, Julianna and I went to the library and you can't imagine all the peacocks and peahens that we saw...but of course I didn't take my camera...so we left a bit early to pick up Corbin at school and stopped back by the library to see if I might still get a peacock picture or two. There weren't as many around, but this one fella was quite interested in his reflection in the car...he was pecking at it...well, really hammering at this car...I'm sure that there must have been dents in it by the time he was through and he didn't mind several people who were trying to get him away. He has quite a loud call and his little lady friends came strutting along when he called! The library has quite a time with the peacocks...we saw why this afternoon! He was pretty though!

I talked to Woody a couple of times today...I managed to catch him on his breaks from doing yardwork. He did tell me that he thought that his sinus infection might be coming back now that he had finished one of his medications. He also thinks that one or a combination of the medications raised his blood pressure. I'm guessing that there will be another call into the doctor.

A little more normalcy for me...I got several books from the library...I haven't read since flying out here on the plane...so back into a reading mode...perhaps.

The New Normal?

Sorry about not posting yesterday...but when the time came...thoughts and fingers just wouldn't post! Cheryl, Melany and I struggled through the afternoon to keep awake...Julianna (4) saw to it that one or another of us was "sort of" awake. Melany left dark and early this morning. Her flight left Phoenix at 6am and she agreed to taking one of the shuttle services to the airport...they picked her up a little before 4am! Cheryl and I went back to sleep for a couple of hours. Then our day started once again. Melany called in the afternoon and was safely back in TN. We're glad that she came and also glad that she is safely back at home. Corbin was sick today so he stayed with us. Julianna went to her preschool. So we are slowly getting back into the "new normal" out here in AZ...the words Cheryl uses with her grandchildren when she refers to the changes ahead. I have talked to Woody a couple of times today...mostly about when I'll be coming home and about several other decisions that may need to be made before I leave. I did make reservations to fly home...if all goes as planned, I will be heading back to TN on April 15. Now if death certificates will just be issued, as we were told at the bank today that I had to be present to sign something...very confusing! Woody continues to work in the yard mulching, etc. Tonight he has gone to his Experiencing God class at church. I will say that we don't seem to be as wiped out today as we were yesterday...a good thing. My prescriptions that Woody picked up and then mailed on Monday arrived today so all's well with my medications. Over the last couple of days I have talked with several of my Tullahoma friends. One of Cheryl's friends is bringing supper over to us tonight. I awoke to my elbows hurting and other aches that indicate a weather change (not the norm for me in AZ..usually my aches pretty much stay in TN). It has been overcast today and very pleasant...in the lower 80's. I sat out on my sister's back porch and watched the children play and took a few pictures (ahh it really is getting a bit back to normal!) It is now sprinkling a little...so I will be able to say that I saw it rain while in AZ and that my aches told me that this weather change was coming!

Too Tired to Blog!

A Beautiful Day!

This morning Cheryl, Melany, Rachel and I went to the graveside service. It was a beautiful morning and a very nice service. We came back home to await the time to go to the church for the memorial service. It was so good to see so many friends and family at the service. We visited before and after the service. Lots of good memories all around...a very nice service celebrating Mother's life. (I'm very glad that it is behind us!) I talked to Woody this evening to make sure that they hadn't blown away...bad storms in the area today. He said that the rain gauge had measured 1.82" at that point. He woke up really early...he thinks that his medications are counter-acting each other so he isn't as sleepy as the meds indicated. He phoned in a couple of prescriptions for me, picked them up and got them into the mail before the storms hit. He also managed to do quite a bit of mulching before the rain arrived. He ate supper with the neighbors. They made homemade pasta to have with their spaghetti sauce. Then this evening he went to Monday night prayer meeting and visitation. Tonight's picture is the stained glass window at the front of the church...it becomes more and more beautiful as the afternoon sun comes through...really cast lovely colors on Mother's service. I took this picture ten years ago at the time of my niece's wedding. My camera hasn't gotten much of a work-out this trip...wonder why!

Does Tomorrow Ever Come?

Here's another view of the steeple...do you know what the strange spiky things are? I didn't...I thought that they were for security...my sister just informed that I was wrong...they are to keep the pigeons from roosting...guess you learn something everyday! The reason that I thought security was that the church had a break in and the person broke out their beautiful stained glass windows...so sad...but they have been replaced and are as beautiful as ever. The windows will be a bright spot for me for tomorrow! I have just about decided that tomorrow will never come...and I guess when I wake up it won't be tomorrow but "today!" Whatever it is I will be glad that it is finally here and that tomorrow at this time "things" will be behind us. Today we have gotten the memory board all finished. Melany and Rachel bought some beautiful flowers and have made several wonderful arrangements...so nice to have such a talented daughter and niece! Cheryl, Melany and I did a bit more shopping today. Then this evening Melany took Cheryl, Rachel, Corbin, Julianna, and me out for dinner. We went to an Italian restaurant...I had my favorite Eggplant Parmesan...half of it came home with me...comfort food for after the funeral tomorrow night? We will all be so glad when it is tomorrow evening! As soon as I blog, I'm heading off to iron clothes for us to wear tomorrow. Woody went to the early service at church and then taught his Sunday School class. When I called this morning (well, afternoon in TN), Woody said that he was studying his Sunday School lesson...a bit late...don't you think? He was studying next week's lesson...not today's. Before he went to the monthly deacon's meeting, he made cookies for the reception for the new deacons that were ordained today. When he came home from the meeting, he went on his three mile walk route. I am sure that he went to church this evening and then to the fellowship following the evening service. In the morning we will have a private graveside service and then at 3pm we will have Mother's memorial service.

Slow Process!

Tonight's picture is the reflection of the steeple of the church where I went when I was a child... where we will have Mother's memorial service on Monday (will Monday ever come?). This has been the longest week! Melany arrived around 1pm today. Cheryl and I turned the job of making the memory board over to Melany and Rachel...so they went through the pictures and have them arranged. Now to get them adhered to the board! Cheryl and I went to view Mother. Then Cheryl and I went shopping! (Guess I should explain that we went shopping for shoes for the funeral to make it not sound quite so flippant!!!) We both found shoes. I was successful in getting Mother's obituary submitted as it was in the paper today. The minister for Mother's service stopped by to have us proof the bulletin for the service. There was a lot less to do today so maybe things are winding down. Woody said that his new medication really made him sleep soundly...for about three hours and then he woke up and couldn't get back to sleep so he went on one of his loooooong walks...to the movie theater and back. He ran several errands and went to the library. He took lunch over to the neighbors again today (he had enough of everything from yesterday's lunch (except for strawberries and Elijah REALLY loved those yesterday...so none left...so he went to the store to get some more...he said that Elijah didn't eat quite as many today!) He worked in the yard. He said that it was a really pretty day in TN today. (Another hot one here in AZ...but not as hot as yesterday...but still DRY HEAT! Winds are supposed to blow in some slightly cooler temps here...only supposed to be in the 80's by Monday.)

Dry Heat!

Rather warm here in the Valley of the Sun today...record breaking heat...at the moment it is 99F. But as "they" say it is DRY heat! We ran several errands and I can attest to the fact that it is hot! We are still getting everything ready for Monday's services. We have made more phone calls...written more lists of what to do...have crossed several things off the "daily-to-do" lists...some of those items that didn't get done will be moved to tomorrow's list! Hopefully her obituary notice will run in tomorrow's paper...had several blips in getting that submitted...caused a few frustrating moments for me...they gave us the wrong email address...once I had the correct email address then they received it...imagine that! This morning after my sister took the children to school, she, Rachel and I went out for breakfast...a bit of a respite. We have been going through pictures finding pictures of Mother and the family to put on a "memory board" for the memorial service. We think the reception for after the service has been put in proper hands. We have found our songs for the service and are in contact with the pianist/organist...so I guess we are in good shape in the planning process. We will have two more hands to assist in the planning tomorrow, after Melany arrives. She is due in a little after noon. I talked to Woody after he went to the doctor. He does have a sinus infection. Our doctor had to call Woody's NIH doctor to get medication approved. She also had him get x-rays of his sinuses...so he spent several hours at our local hospital waiting. He provided supper for the neighbors (he stopped at a barbeque place on the way home from McMinnville (location of our Dr.). When I called him, he was planning to go outside and mulch for a while. It is still pretty chilly in TN. The doctor called to make sure that Woody knew that the medicine had been approved and called into the pharmacy. I hope that this helps Woody quickly. He has been having problems for a while...problems that he thought were TMJ...but the dentist is the one who said that it was his sinuses and he was right! Hopefully he is now on the road to getting rid of the pains in his head.