June Endings

It doesn't seem possible that this is the last day of June! Today's photo shows yesterday's early morning fog. It was a rather warm day today...but tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter...guess that is what we should expect for July.

Woody got up early...well, really I awakened both Woody and myself quite early this morning with bad leg cramps...down the front of my lower legs and the one on the left leg involved the top of my foot too...ouch. I guess we both got back to sleep...at least I did and ended up sleeping later than I meant to...that seems to always happen to me when I wake up and then go back to sleep. Woody walked 12 miles early this morning. Later in the morning he went to get a haircut. His yard work today consisted of getting a good start on putting dirt in our new barrel planter. I went off gallivanting with friends today. We went out to eat at a tea room and then checked out a couple of antique shops. After I got back into town, I headed out to complete birthday shopping for Elijah. Woody did our weekend grocery shopping this afternoon...guess he got a jump on the 4th of July food shoppers! While he was gone to the grocery store I tried once again to get reservations at the hotel that we prefer in Bethesda and was successful! So made reservations there and had them cancel the reservations at the other hotel. Joy invited us over to eat supper with them. At the moment Woody is reading and watching TV and I plan to embroider with my sewing machine. That about sums up the last day of June for us!

Future Super Model?!

Here's Esther-Noel Rose in her new dress. This afternoon she came over to try it on and then have a modeling session. She chose the poses that she wanted to do and then asked to see every picture on the camera after I snapped them! I'm happy to have her dress completed and she's glad to have her dress. She loved posing for pictures in her new dress...spinning, sliding, flipping over, standing, sitting, and all the while looking at me with those big beautiful brown eyes!

Woody got up early and went on about a four-mile walk. It was a bit cooler today with a breeze and a bit lower humidity...just a tease...as it is supposed to get hotter each day for a while...mid 90's shortly. It was foggy this morning so I went out for a while and tried to capture a few pictures in the fog. I went to work for a couple of hours in the church library this morning. Woody did some yardwork...weeding, drilling a hole in the bottom of a planter barrel and picking up sticks. I have been picking up the sewing mess from Esther's dress...getting ready to make the next mess with my next sewing project. We have both done some reading. I made our cucumber jello salad and also a blackberry cobbler. Nathan and Kathy and children went blackberry picking last night and shared with us! Yum!

I'm late blogging as I couldn't get an internet connection.

No Rhyme Nor Reason...

No rhyme nor reason for tonight's blog picture...just started looking through my "archives" for a picture and came across this one in my miscellaneous folder and thought that I hadn't posted anything like this before so decided to use it. One day some time back when Woody and I took one of our walks we walked out in a field and these flew over in formation...probably an air show at Tullahoma's air field that day.

Today started out quite wet. We had a lot of rain in the early hours and some thunder boomers. We ended up getting 1.33 inches of rain! More drinks for the flowers and vegetables and trees and bushes! Woody got up early and read. He ran an errand in the late morning...went to the Credit Union and then on to the grocery store. He needed an ingredient for his Peasant Salad ("Soggy Bread Salad") and he also picked up a couple of this weeks grocery sale items. Then he came home and made Peasant Salad. I got up and started in on Esther's dress...putting in the sleeves. I only got started an there was a "tap-tap" on our front door. It was Joy, Esther, and Elijah. They were bringing us cucumbers from their garden. Joy planted the seeds for the cucumbers and they are quite prolific. They came in for a little while. Esther went home, but Joy and Elijah stayed a while longer. Joy decided that she wanted stories. She went upstairs and got some of our books that I "once upon a time" read to her daddy and her Aunt Melany when they were little. I think that I ended up reading seven of them before they got the call home for lunch...well, Elijah decided that he wanted to go home before we finished reading so he headed over to his mommy who was waiting on their front porch for him. After Joy went home, I went back to work on Esther's dress and have worked on it most of the rest of the day. I was determined that I would have the buttons all sewn on before blogging and I met that goal...that means the only things left to sew are the hem and perhaps a snap, The hem has been pinned up and basted around the bottom and top of it, and pressed...so really the only thing left is the hand hem stitching. Perhaps I will get a few pictures of it on the model tomorrow! A little after supper I got sleepy so flopped down and read and rested my eyes for a few minutes. I guess while I rested Woody headed off to walk to church for his time in the prayer room.

Happy Day!

I thought that these petunias look happy...so thought that they would be a good picture for tonight's blog title! Let's see reasons for being happy today...the gardens are doing so well...five good buttonholes down the back of Esther's dress...thus getting closer to finishing her dress...just managed to get a reservation in Bethesda, MD for next week at the NIH rate on the first try (prefer another hotel...so will keep trying...but at least have a place to lay our heads whether or not I get the one that is closer, has a shuttle to NIH, and has a bit better rate)...made Burrito Pie for our supper (am looking forward to a square when I get finished blogging...must be in a Mexican food mood...tacos yesterday, burrito pie today)...had enough to make one to go in the freezer...and am happy that the neighbors completed their once a month cooking...they put 96 meals into their freezer at a cost of around $6 per meal (pretty good for a family of seven!)...know that they are happy to have that work behind them...they celebrated finishing their cooking by going swimming...so both Dorrell households have had a happy day!

Woody got up early and went for a four-mile walk. I slept in for a while this morning and when I got up we had two little munchkins (Esther & Elijah) over here playing with Goosey. Abigail came over for a while and did some art work and to play and watch a bit of PBS. Woody has read, watched TV, and rested this afternoon. He is at church right now for Monday night prayer meeting.

Prankster In Our Midst!

This afternoon we had a surprise visitor and her daddy. She went in giggling to see Goosey. She got up close to him and squirted this blue ink all over his shirt...not sure what Goosey thought at first! Now who would even consider such a thing?

Here's the culprit! Abigail and three of her siblings went to a birthday party this afternoon and this was one of her party favors (she's the only one that got this particular party favor in her family)! Great fun! And, by the way it did disappear after a while.

Woody and I went to the early service at church this morning. After church we each taught our respective Sunday School classes. After we got home, I made tacos for our lunch. Woody worked on a cross word puzzle and read and watched TV this afternoon. I watched a little TV and then came upstairs and read. I did go outside and deadhead a few of our flowers...I hadn't been able to do that due to all the rain that we have had lately. While I was out there I started hearing thunder so headed inside when the sky started turning black! We had a pretty hard rain. We got .34 of an inch of rain. After it was over I went out and continued my deadheading job. The flowers do look better now. They are really enjoying all the rain that we have been getting...they are doing very well (in spite of our black thumbs!). I decided to take the day off from sewing, I have been reading instead. Woody went to the evening service at church.

Celebration!

Woody and I were invited next door for dessert this evening...homemade frozen custard. Yum! The celebration was earmarking the day that the three girls each graduated to larger bikes...fun to have lots of reasons to celebrate! We like these celebrations. Abigail had let me in on the secret celebration earlier this afternoon, but we kept it secret from Goosey and her siblings till it was time for the celebration!

Elijah thought that it was good to the last drop! They are in the midst of doing their "once-a-month-cooking." We have benefited from their cooking...I brought home some liquid gold (chicken broth). We have used up ours and I'm glad not to have to stew a chicken to get this liquid gold to add to our freezer! I'm not sure how many pounds of chicken Kathy is in the midst of deboning...but she isn't sure if she will get her hands clean enough this evening to be able to knit!

Woody got up early this morning and walked. Then a bit later he went to the grocery store. After the grocery shopping, he walked to the library. He has read, made tuna salad for our lunch, watched DVDs, watched some baseball, read to Elijah, and is in the process of proof reading some material that Nathan is planning to publish. I have gone back and forth between sewing, preparing the Sunday School lesson, and reading (I haven't been real successful at this multitasking as I haven't completed any of these!). I did run an errand early this afternoon...I realized that my source for thread, buttons and a couple of other sewing supplies that I needed was going to be closed next week...so I high-tailed it down there just prior to them closing and got the things that I "thought" that I might need while they are away on a much deserved vacation...things that I might need for Abigail's dress, that is, if I ever get Esther's completed! Esther's dress is starting to look like a dress...backs and front are together and now I'm completing the neck edge.

More Of The Same

It has pretty much been a same ol', same ol' day for us. Woody got up early and walked his eight-mile route. He ran errands, read, worked puzzles, watched TV, read to some of the grandchildren, etc. I planned to spend most of the day sewing Esther's dress, but the weather had other plans for me...so I worked on my Sunday School lesson till after the storms rolled through. I did manage to get in some sewing...her little dress now has 28 little 1/4 inch tucks on the front and the back...getting closer to the point to actually start putting all the parts together. The grandchildren have been in and out today. Graham and Joy invented some guns with their K'nex and later Abigail joined them in their endeavor. Graham managed to make his shoot arrows (he calls his a "cross bow gun")...he even invented some K'nex safety glasses to wear when shooting said guns! At one point there was an art school in one part of the house and in another part a shoot-off. They enjoyed entertaining themselves on a rainy, thundery day at Grammy and Goosey's. We got another 1/2 inch of rain today. That brings us to around 3 inches in 4 days.

Remembering

Do you ever wish that you could go back in time? Most of the time I am pretty content right where I am...but I really would like to go back to this day ten years ago. We were all together as a family for my niece Rachel and now nephew Trent's wedding. Woody and I had gone out to AZ about two weeks prior and had the fun of the last minute preparations. Melany, Wade, Erin, and Alex and Kathy and Nathan came out several days before the wedding. Note we only had two grandchildren then...but unbeknownst to us at the time (though Kathy was feeling really tired while in AZ) Graham would make his appearance about 8 months later...so in reality he was there too! It was just a super nice reunion time while we all celebrated with Rachel and Trent. Erin (almost 8) was the flower girl and Alex (almost 4) was the ring bearer. I made Erin and Alex's garb for the wedding. When Alex first tried his little outfit on (above picture on the bottom), he said, "Ah look like a gull (meaning girl)!" We told sweet Erin not to sit down in her flower girl dress till after the wedding and she complied (stood for hours!)...about a half hour after the wedding was over she asked if she could sit down! About the picture at the top of Alex hugging my father...Alex ran up to him saying, "hi, GG's Daddy!" "GG" (stands for Great Gramma) is what the grandchildren called my mother...that brought a laugh to have Alex call Daddy "Mother's Father"...of all people...Daddy...the person who never claimed to be over 29! Alex isn't in the family picture in the bottom left corner because he fell asleep before the end of the wedding ceremony--we put him down for the rest of his nap on the couch in the fellowship hall where the reception was held. It was a beautiful wedding and we have lots of very good memories about the time spent together. I have been wishing today, as I looked through pictures, that I still had my mother and father to spend time with. Then there is also a sort of comeuppance when I stop to think...that now...I am the oldest living member of my family!!!!!!!!!

Besides today being Rachel and Trent's 10th anniversary, it is the 6th anniversary of Daddy's death...so we have the bitter and the sweet to remember today! So I have featured wedding moments and a couple of pictures of my father in tonight's blog collage. I can definitely say that I know where I was ten years and six years ago today...no question...in AZ.

Woody got up early and went for about a four-mile walk . We have had a day of almost no rain...we did get about two hundredths of an inch sometime after midnight...but the rest of the day has been rainless. Woody walked around the yard and picked up sticks that had fallen over the last couple of days of storms (Oh, Alex, where are you when we need you???!!!! Alex just "loves" to pick up sticks! (not!)). This afternoon Woody walked to the library and made a stop at the drugstore to pick up two prescriptions. He has read and watched some TV and rested. I have spent most of the day working on two little sleeves for Esther's dress...lots of basting and gathering and stitching different layers of eyelet, piping, etc. Abigail doesn't understand why it is taking me so long. This afternoon the children spent some time over here. Abigail and I started planning a sewing project for her new baby brother or sister. Several of the childern decided to get out some of the school equipment and there was some K'nex building going on as well as several art projects.

Happy 10th, Rachel and Trent!

Same Song Second Verse!

It has been another stormy, rainy day here in Middle TN. The storms started coming through fairly early this morning and have continued rolling through the rest of the day. At the moment it is only in the mid 70's...but 96% humidity...you can imagine what that might be like...that is if you don't live here...those who live here don't have to imagine they KNOW what it is like. I got out of the car to go into church a while ago and my glasses fogged up! Yesterday we got about 1 1/4" of rain and today we have gotten another 1 1/4"! Either we have very happy plants...or plants with very soggy roots! At one point today our yard was just one big puddle. I had plans for today...but with all the rain I changed them...decided to stay at home and stay dry and work some more on Esther's dress. It is cut out and I'm ready to start sewing...that is if thunder and lightning stay away (I don't run/plug in my machines when there is lightning in the area.). Woody did manage to get in a four-mile walk early this morning before the rains got here. He has also read and watched some TV and rested. Nathan and Elijah came over for a little while this morning. Elijah got a sneak peek at his quilted play mat (It's a town scene with roads for him to play with his Matchbox/HotWheels cars and BIG TRUCKS on.). Joy came over this afternoon. She played for a while, did a bit of art work, and then Woody read her a story or two before he fell asleep and she went home! I looked at radar and headed to the church between rain storms...I had four things that I needed to do...did them and came back home just as the next storm was arriving. I think that the storms have left us for a while at least...we seem to be socked into a rather rainy pattern. I think that more showers are predicted for tomorrow.

Welcome Summer!

We welcomed in summer today...and this is the way summer welcomed us! We have had a couple of summer storms blow through today.

Woody woke up super early this morning and at some point I realized that he was awake earlier than usual and that woke me up. I ended up reading for quite a while and then went back to sleep. Woody also read and at a point went to sleep in his recliner downstairs. I guess due to the fact that the day has been sort of dark and gloomy, I haven't felt like doing much. I have read, fixed us Caprice salads for lunch, read some more, took a few storm pictures out our new windows, read some more in one of the photography books...a lazy summer day. Since I am finished with Elijah's birthday present, I'm getting ready to start on Esther's dress...so far have just pressed the fabric. Woody has read today, too. He finished a book a few minutes ago...his tall stack of books to read is dwindling! I am blogging early today as I am going to go out to eat with my Sunday School class this evening. Woody plans to walk to the prayer room at church and will fend for himself for supper this evening. Our next storm has arrived...raining hard and thundering...I just looked at radar and it looks like we are in a storm line that will provide us rain for a while this afternoon...summer's welcome!

Do You See What I See?

I had several pictures earmarked as possible blog pictures. When I opened up this one, I couldn't figure out why I had chosen it...then I saw the red amongst the lilies and greenery and remembered that I had caught a cardinal hiding in amongst the lilies. Another little friend enjoying the garden.

Woody got up early and took a walk. He ran an errand while he walked today...took back some books to the library for a friend. He likes a purpose for his walks so was glad to be asked to return these books. Mid-morning Woody and I went to the church to check on the status of a cabinet that is to be made for the church library...still at the top of the priority list...but not started yet. We came home and Woody made us salads for lunch. After lunch, I got busy on the quilted play mat that I'm making for Elijah for his birthday. It is close to finished...so it looks like it will definitely be ready for his birthday the first week of July. After I finished doing the quilting I flopped on the bed for a little while and read to revive before it was time to cook supper. I was making chicken for a meal for a Sunday School class member so we made enough for us too. I also made a new mushroom recipe for our supper..."Balsamic Mushrooms" from a Martha Stewart cookbook. They are very yummy and easy to make! Woody helped me do some of the food preparation...he skinned and boned the chicken and also cleaned the mushrooms and quartered them while I prepared the crumbs, etc. for the chicken and got the chicken cooking. Woody delivered the chicken (Jamie Oliver's Crunchy Garlic Chicken...the recipe that Alex found while he was here...we have really enjoyed this recipe) to the family on his way to Monday night prayer meeting at church.

And, sat down beside her...

Look what I sat down beside the other day when I was weeding and deadheading...a little garden friend!

Woody got up early and walked eight miles. We went to the early church service and then to Sunday School. Woody taught his class. We came home to have a low-key Father's Day. Nathan and family are away and Melany and her family went to Wade's parents'. We have watched a bit of TV (I found another retro show..."Gidget" and watched two episodes of that starring a very young Sally Field). Woody read and at a point took a nap and has watched some more TV this evening...I even watched a little of "60 Minutes" with him. Earlier this afternoon, I went upstairs to read, but ended up studying my new camera manual...dozed for a few minutes and then talked to family and friends on the phone. At the moment, Woody is working on a way to store our garlic.

Saturated Saturday

Saturated both with water and activities...Woody walked early this morning and worked in the yard and ran a few errands today. After I got up we got out the paint and painted the quarter round on our bedroom window. It had gotten broken while the new window was put in and one of the window workers fixed it on Thursday when they came to finish Nathan and Kathy's windows. After we got the painting done, Woody and I went to the library. I got a stack of books so I'm a happy camper...I was out of library reading material...except for a couple of photography books. Now I have some mysteries, a couple more photography books and a novel...should keep me busy for a while! We came home and had lunch. Woody watched one of the DVDs that he got at the library and I made a new recipe, "Dill Yeast Bread." It is the first time that I had used our fresh dill (used it before the caterpillars ate it all). The bread is quite good...very hearty! Graham was over here when it came out of the oven and got the second piece...Woody got the first (the heel). We had some strong thunder storms this afternoon. We got eight tenths of an inch of rain so the flowers and other plants are happy. Woody has read and watched DVDs from the library this evening...and, I think, has dozed a couple of times. I know that I dozed...once while I was waiting for the bread to rise (I had the timer with me so I wouldn't sleep too long) and then after the bread came out I was reading in the recliner in our bedroom...and the next thing I knew it was time for supper. The paint is still a bit tacky so I'm waiting a bit longer to hang the curtains back up. It's been a busy Saturday.

The pictures tonight are from FBC, Tullahoma's finale for VBS that took place last night. It was a fun "Big Apple" night for them. Graham was excited that he had gotten to get inside a limo...he told me all about it this afternoon.

Friday Finale

The evening routine was changed and I just about forgot to blog. Today was the last day of Vacation Bible School and the finale was this evening. Woody and I went to see four of the five perform a song or two and a musical. I attempted to take pictures, but it was difficult in the room we were in with the number of people there! The kids did a great job...the grade school children performed a musical...very well done...good job Graham and Abigail! And the preschool children sang several songs...good job Joy and Esther!

Woody got up early and walked and then worked in the yard. Tonight's picture is proof that he does work in the gardens! I snapped this picture through one of new upstairs' windows the other day. Woody went to the grocery store this morning. We ate lunch with Nathan and Kathy...Woody's Father's Day lunch. After lunch Woody, Nathan, Abigail, and I ran a few errands. Woody made "Peasant Salad" (otherwise known by Nathan as "Soggy Bread Salad"). After we got home from our errands, at one point or another, Abigail, Joy, Esther, and Graham all spent some time over here. Shortly after they left we headed off to pick up some tomatoes at the local fruit market and then headed to church for the VBS program. We got home and sat down in front of the TV ("Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution") and that got my attention away from thinking about blogging. Since we have made several of his recipes we have been interested in his TV show. This afternoon, I began getting the fabric pieces ready for Elijah's quilted play mat. Graham enjoyed checking out the town and roads on the printed fabric panel that makes up the top of it...he thinks that he will have fun playing with it with Elijah. I took lots of pictures and movie clips during the program tonight, but haven't had time to check out what (if anything) I got. All the kids got to get into a real limo on one side and then get out on the other onto a red carpet with the crowd cheering. It was fun for the kids...the theme this year centered around New York City...our grandchildren had a blast this week and this was the second time (in two weeks) that they had been to a Bible School with this theme! This year FBC, Tullahoma, once again, had an extremely creative VBS team...once again topped themselves...what is in store for next year?! Guess we should let them rest for a bit before they start planning!

Ta-da Thursday!

Yeah! Joy's dress is complete and fits her and best of all has good twirl-ability! Guess it was worth all the headaches while assembling it! Now on to a dress for Esther and also must get to work on Elijah's 2nd birthday gift...his big day is getting closer. Woody got up early and went for a walk. He also took a walk to our pharmacy to pick up a couple of prescriptions for me while I cooked our supper. I did a little gardening...deadheaded after yesterday's rain. Woody did some work in the yard also. He also washed the mildew and dirt off our back door...it now looks like a new door and blends in well with the siding and the new windows! I now have to rewash the the backdoor windows, but guess it is worth it to have the door cleaned! I spent a good part of the morning and the afternoon completing Joy's dress. Woody or I one are going next door in a few minutes to sit in the house while the parents go to the library for a while this evening. They are putting the children to bed as I type this. Woody has read today. He just finished a book. I'm off to clean up my sewing mess so I can begin another one.

Wednesday Weather

Today we finally have gotten some much needed rain. The last time that I looked at the rain gauge it had rained about a half an inch. I'm too lazy to go down and see what the latest total is! Woody got up and went on a walk. After I got up I joined him outside and we worked some in the yard...mainly working on trying to rescue one of our hanging baskets. We walked around checking the gardens...we now have a very small yellow squash. After that I came in and started working on Joy's dress again...it is still giving me problems. I took a break when the storm started rolling in and cooked us some hamburgers and then we ate supper and watched the news. I came back up to sew some more, but the thunder started rumbling again. We had all five grandchildren over here at one time or another today. Elijah even took his nap over here. The girls did art projects and played dolls. Graham looked on the computer for some items he wants. Then he started looking at clips of really big K'nex roller coasters (so big that they were made outside) and then he ended up looking at short movie clips of real roller coasters. He has loved roller coasters since he was very small. Woody has read and rested and visited with the grandchildren this afternoon. This morning he took the car to get a tire fixed.

Discovery & Disclosure

Look what we discovered eating our dill today. I'm not sure what wonderful moth or butterfly they would have turned into...but they were removed from our dill. There was another type of caterpillar on the dill also...guess they find it tasty. We are planning on making dill bread...don't want to give up too much of it to critters!

Woody and I worked in the gardens some this morning. Woody watered and did some weeding. I weeded and deadheaded. We got a very small amount of rain today. It has really been hot and dry...but today we got a break and it was really nice out. I came back in from the gardens and started in sewing. I had good intentions...but...I shortly found out that a sewing saying is definitely true = "As you sew, so shall you rip." I did a lot of "frog stitching" today (rip-it, rip-it)...that is to say I took out about as many stitches as I put in. The biggest problem was that the seams that I had to take out...were first sewn with a straight stitch, then serged, then top stitched and then rick rack was sewn over the seam...that adds up to four things that had to be taken out of each seam that had to be redone...and I had made the mistake on two seams. Not the easiest stitching to pick out either...but all is out and I am now doing it all again...hopefully correctly this time. I am making a pattern from my sewing magazine from Finland...and some of the directions are about as clear as mud till after you make your mistake...or that is what I found out today...makes a lot more sense now. So I will trudge on till the next mistake. Joy will probably be in the next size at the rate I'm making mistakes!

After lunch, we had a knock on the door and Nathan, Kathy and family all came in with big grins on their faces. They all came into the family room and Nathan asked us if we would be able to babysit in the middle of January or perhaps the week before. I immediately started trying to figure out if that was a time that we would be going to NIH. I figured that they were planning a mission trip. And, all of a sudden three-year-old Esther pipes up with, "because Mommy's going to have a baby!" At that point I clued in as to why they might need us to babysit then...a due date! The girl siblings are wishing for a girl and the boy siblings are wishing for a boy, of course! If they have a boy it will make the count even...three of each. The girls don't care about it being even...they just want a girl! I think that the parents and grandparents pretty much agree...we just want him/her to be healthy!

After that announcement I went back to sewing and shortly discovered my mistakes. Woody walked to the Post Office to mail a package to Ireland for me. I still have a piece of camera equipment that I ordered a while back that isn't working correctly with my camera. I am dealing with the company who made it and they have asked me to mail it back to them rather than back to the place that I bought it. After he got the package mailed, then he went on to church for his time in the prayer room. Not long after he got home, we got a phone call from next door saying that it was time to come over to enjoy a celebration dessert with them. The children are so excited about being big brothers and sisters again...and for the first time for Elijah. They were going around telling what they would do to help when the new baby comes. Kathy recorded it! So we're going to be grandparents to eight ranging from 18 years down to newborn come mid-January 2012! And, six of those will live right next door to us! After disclosing the news and they were leaving, Nathan did ask if we now planned to put a "for sale" sign in our yard!!!!

A Snipper and A Stripper!

There should be a story behind tonight's blog title...right? Well, this afternoon Graham and Abigail were given the job of harvesting some of our basil bed. Graham was "the snipper" and Abigail was "the stripper." Graham cut down and harvested the stalks of basil and Abigail stripped the leaves off the stalks. The laundry basket contains the stalks after the leaves had been stripped off. The ice cream tub has the basil leaves in it and the pile in front of Abigail was the task ahead of her. I think that she ended up getting some help from others in her family! They are going to use their dehydrator to dry the basil so both our households will have a fresh supply of dried basil. Woody and I have been using a lot of fresh basil lately in recipes. Basil is one thing that we seem to be able to grow. Later in the afternoon Graham came over to build with K'nex and when he came in the door he smelled like someone at his house had been cooking Italian! Joy also joined us for a while and she happily played with the dolls and did what she terms "a craft" (made pictures using various mediums she found in the school room) and then later joined her brother and built with K'nex bricks for a while. Esther and Abigail came over for a very short stay.

Woody got up early and took a walk. I got up ready to head down to sew, but I didn't get started right away. But I have managed to trace the pattern pieces for Joy's dress and have the dress pieces all cut out and ready to sew. I came up a little while ago and got my machines ready to sew...changed thread needles, etc. and cleared several things off the sewing cabinet. Not having sewn in a while, the process was rather tiring...so I laid down for a while to rest my back and took a short power nap. Woody did a little in the yard early this morning. We both walked around the yard to check out the various gardens. Woody fixed us chef salads for lunch...very good using some of yesterday's leftover chicken. All the grandchildren except for Elijah have come over for a visit today...they were away this past week doing a Vacation Bible School in GA. This week in the mornings the children are going to VBS here at our church. Woody has read and rested this afternoon. He has found that he takes a nap most days now that he is retired...he said that he just never knows when the nap/s will occur! I think that he is finding this a perk of retirement! Right now he is at Monday night prayer meeting at church.

Simply Sunday

This fella waddled into our path last Sunday when we were driving home from Melany and Wade's. Since he headed down a street that crossed the one that we were on, Woody followed him and then stopped when he cut across a grassy area so I could snap a couple of pictures of him before he disappeared from sight.

Today we have had a fairly quiet Sunday. We got up and went as usual to the first service at church. Then we both taught our respective Sunday School classes. When we got home we started making lunch. Woody made us each a green salad with lots of good things in it. And, I made us some Crunchy Garlic Chicken...a recipe that we tried when Erin and Alex were visiting. I missed my chef's assistant (Erin)! Woody watched a DVD that was foreign with English subtitles...in my opinion...too much work to watch movies like that...I just don't want to read the whole time that I am watching it...you miss the pictures that way! I don't think that it was Woody's favorite movie...he thinks that the library would have done better if they had bought an English speaking movie instead of this one! Woody had a deacon's meeting this afternoon. While he was at his meeting, I read and napped. I wanted to start a sewing project, but just didn't have enough energy. I have carried several things downstairs to the cutting table in preparation...but I'm not feeling that energy returning enough to get very far tonight...reading is more my speed at the moment.

Deer Fodder

This was not Woody's plan for his green pepper plants...but...he knew that it would probably happen. Note on this plant that the deer left the little green pepper at the top, but ate all the leaves. The fate of our gardening...all too often...the deer get more than we!

Woody got up early and walked about six miles. Once again he did some watering of some of our gardens...it has been just so hot and dry. He went to the library and ran errands later in the morning. I got up and got back to work on the house. The dining room was the first room that I attacked today...dusted and polished the furniture and washed and ironed an antique cutwork doily that my grandmother or perhaps her sister made. It goes in the middle of the table. I relocated the silk flowers and other items that decorate the dining room table (these had been put away while Erin and Alex were here as we ate in the dining room each night). I hadn't gotten them back out as I used the dining room table as one of the places to put curtains while the windows were being put in. I even used a special spray to clean the silk flower arrangement. So the dining room is pretty clean for the moment! After I finished in the dining room, I headed out to the front flower garden...took a few pictures and deadheaded the flowers. When I came back in, I headed into the living room. This was the room that had the most items out of place. I vacuumed really well and then started putting furniture back in its place. This included taking everything off a little book shelf that has antique books on it along with other special decorative items. I polished the little book shelf...a piece of furniture that was in my parents' first house...on the back of it the price is still there...$5.98! I have always loved this book shelf...whenever I dust it memories come back of dusting as a child. I liked to dust the open areas on the sides of the top shelf. Memories can be funny at times! After I got it all dusted and polished, I put everything back on it. Then I moved, with Woody's help, the rest of the furniture pieces back to their proper places. I also moved my sewing cutting table into the living room...with the hope to have some time to get back to sewing! I didn't polish or dust the rest of the furniture in the living room...left that for a time when I had more energy! I then came upstairs and dusted off the table in my sewing room where the laptop usually resides. I got the little table back in front of the window for a printer (one that I'm not too happy with at the moment, as it is showing an error message that I haven't been able to trouble shoot yet). And, then I got the laptop and brought it back upstairs to its place. So lots of busy work...but having the computer back in its home was pretty much the last thing that was out of place due to replacing the windows. I did sit down this afternoon and enjoyed a concert by Jackie Evanoch, a 10-year-old girl, on PBS...wow what a voice on one so young! A little after watching her concert, I decided to flop down on the bed and read for a while...well, the next thing I knew quite a bit of time had gone by...and I hadn't read many pages! Guess I needed the rest! Woody has read, worked puzzles, watched TV and library DVDs, perhaps napped a bit, etc. this afternoon...pretty much taken it easy this hot afternoon. He did cook a couple of heads of cauliflower and made a favorite of ours...Italian Cauliflower.

900

Still busy with the house and doing jobs that the windows have created. The house is getting cleaner! I finished washing the windows this afternoon. Besides doing windows today, I also cleaned up the sun porch and the laundry room (not a large area)...steam mopped the floors, then cleaned and rehung the stained glass sun catchers on the new windows. The sun porch can't be totally cleaned at the moment as we are drying our garlic harvest there. I even cleaned the windows (not new) in the back door. Decorative items got put back in the kitchen windows. I have the steam mop all ready to clean the kitchen floor next.

Woody walked 8-miles early this morning. He watered one of the gardens early this morning. He cleaned up the kitchen this afternoon...even the stove top and the stove eyes...I'm very glad to have that job done! He napped some this afternoon. He has been working a puzzle this evening. He has also read today. This afternoon we were clicking through the channels and found a channel that was running old TV shows...I had fun watching/listening to a couple of those while I was working..."Father Knows Best," "Burns and Allen"...ahhhhhh memories of childhood!

Tonight's blog title represents the number of blog posts that I have made since starting to blog 2 1/2 years ago. All I can say..."a lot of typing!" I feel so blessed with all of those who have supported us by keeping up with us through thick and thin...especially thankful for all the prayers! I'm very glad that we are where we are with Woody's treatments...and thankful for the continued shrinking of Woody's melanoma tumors...praising God for being with us and leading us down the paths He has...it's been quite a trip!

Clarity

This is the view from our new front kitchen window...a view that we have only seen dimly for many years...this window almost always had moisture built up between the panes and made looking at anything out the window almost impossible. So it is so good to once again be able to see clearly out this window. I just met my goal of the day. I told myself that I wouldn't blog till I met my goal = having all the curtains in the house hung once again...I hung the last pair at 8pm...I started this morning around 6:30am...so it has been a long day of running curtain panels around in the drier and washing windows and woodwork, rehanging the curtains, vacuuming, and putting some things back in their places. The guest room is back the way it is supposed to be. Other rooms still have a way to go to be back to normal again. I did stop working on windows long enough to fix supper. The only windows that still need to be washed are the ones in the sun porch and the one in the laundry room...no curtains on those. So hopefully the window washing task will be accomplished pretty quickly in the morning...then the task will be to get things put back. Woody got up early and took a five-mile walk...good that he is an early riser with the heat the way it has been these last days. He watered one of the gardens and went to the grocery store this morning. He has also read and helped me. At the moment he is reading and watching basketball. I'm pretty tired. I think that I'm going to go flop on my bed and read.

New Windows On The World!

Our new windows are all installed and the air conditioning is back on! The installers (4) arrived around 9:30am and left between 5:30 & 6pm. We confined ourselves to our family room...it has no outside windows...so we were out of the way of the workmen. We watched some TV and both of us read. Woody used the computer for a while. And then I used the computer and copied my pictures to a second Passport (small external hard drive) so I have them saved in two places...hopefully I won't lose them all this way if one of the passports fails. We both finished a book. Woody did walk early this morning...about five miles. After he got back we finished up getting ready for the window installers. Since the workers left I washed the windows in our bedroom...nice to be able to do both sides from inside the house. The workmen did wash them...but as Woody said...they were men and not the best window washers (they do better putting them in!). I then ran our curtains through the drier and have rehung them with Woody's help. I'll put up more curtains tomorrow...guess I'm being forced to do some Spring cleaning! I really like our new windows and am very glad that they are now closed and the air conditioning is back on!

Busy as a...

It definitely feels like we have been as busy as beavers today...we are getting ready for new windows to be installed. We got the word yesterday so today have been clearing space inside in front of all our windows and also taking down all the curtains. Every time I look around I see something else that should be moved.

Woody has done a lot in the yard today along with helping me move furniture and take down curtains. He has done some watering and also still cleaning out leaves from the side ornamental garden and mulching as he goes. It's looking good. The garage is also looking good. He has put things back in and there is actually room for a car...an unusual happening at this time of the year especially. We often make room in the winter to keep snow off of one car...but in the summer we rarely put the car in...well, once in a while when strong storms are predicted. I did cook today...got to the point that we couldn't scrounge on leftovers any longer! Woody walked to church a little while ago for his time in the prayer room. It has been another hot day here in Middle TN and not much change weather-wise on the horizon. Off to take down the next set of curtains and move a few more items out of the way.

Woody and I walked to the beaver dam near the library when we took Erin and Alex to the library the end of last week. We wanted to see if it had been repaired...the last time that we had seen it, only part of it was there. Tonight's picture shows that it once again spans the creek.

Long Time Passing!

Ha! Ha! Ha! I got a good laugh when I found this on the computer today. I had scanned in some of my old negatives a while back and found this today so played with it a bit with my software and added the sepia tone. This is the summer after fifth grade...I'm eleven. I am at Maripai Girl Scout Camp near Prescott, AZ. This was taken on my old Kodak Brownie Camera. The tent that I slept in is in the background. When we first let the sides down on the tent there were a ton of daddy long leg "spiders." You should have heard the screams...and I don't know what came over me, but I was the brave one who picked them off the sides by their legs and threw them outside (probably to crawl back in!). It was a fun time. I was forced into making new friends as the group that went from my troop all got put into the same unit...except for me. I wasn't the happiest of campers (literally) when I first found out...but it turned out fine...made new friends and really loved our unit's camp counselors...Misty and Willy. Really enjoyed the songs that we learned. One of the best things was getting a whole orange, rolling it around in my hands to get it juicy, cutting a hole in the top, and then putting in a peppermint stick and sucking the juice through it. The one thing that I didn't like was having to eat oatmeal...have never liked oatmeal...still to this day don't like oatmeal...but if it was served one had to eat most of whatever it was...and having to eat it would make me have a homesick-kind of feeling...but that only lasted through breakfast! They kept us super busy. The other thing that I really didn't care for was the horseback riding...my horse's name was Comet (but his speed didn't match his name...thank goodness!). One of the things that they warned us about first thing was what to do if our horse decided to roll...so I spent the rest of the rides worrying that mine would roll! Okay...enough with the memories!

Woody started his walk out in the fog early this morning. He walked about six miles. He has been working on cleaning the leaves out of our side ornamental garden. He also watered Nathan and Kathy's vegetable garden. He has read. He just came home from Monday night prayer meeting. I did a lot of nothing (including no cooking!)...I may have to cook tomorrow...but took another day off from cooking today. I have worked on the computer...I have run scans and defragged. I also did a little bit of sewing...mainly testing out some stitches. I also worked some with my new camera equipment...still trying to get one of the items to work properly...the company sent me something to try that arrived in the mail today from Ireland. And, I have done several loads of wash...linens from Erin and Alex's beds...haven't remade the beds yet, though. I did enjoy a cup of Canadian Maple tea that Melany and Wade brought back to me...very nice flavor! But, all-in-all I have mainly just done a lot of little piddly jobs today...sort of lazed around. One of the things that I did in the evenings while the kids were here was sort all the digital photos that I had taken over the last months and put them into their proper category folder in the computer...nice to have that job done once again...I say I will keep up with sorting them as I take them...but the big question is.........WILL I????!!!!!!

Over the River and Through the Woods to...

...the grandchildren's house we go! We headed off to church for the 8:30am service and then we all went to our respective Sunday School classes. Woody taught his class. After Sunday School, we all piled into the car and headed Murfreesboro way via the back road. The above picture is taken from the one-lane bridge. We got to Melany and Wade's a little after noon. We looked at some of Melany and Wade's Alaska pictures...Melany had a slide show set up on her laptop for us to look at...whale, glaciers, bear, sea otter, etc. We ate lunch with them and then headed on back down the road toward home. After we got home I flopped on our bed to read, but ended up going to sleep and slept for a while. After I woke up, I did read for a while. Woody has rested, read and watched TV since getting back. It is a bit quieter around here without two teenagers...and, no evening meal to prepare...we are scrounging this evening!

Busy Saturday!

Goosey had a major job planned for Erin and Alex today. A couple of days ago Goosey and Alex took the aluminum cans to the recycle place so that freed up a large place in the garage...and I guess Woody decided that it would be a good day to clean out the garage. Everything was taken out (bottom right picture), and then the sweeping, shoveling of leaves that had blown in and also a lot of dirt. Then Alex hosed the floor off as well as the driveway. The little toad in the middle on the right got interrupted from eating a giant cricket...he was the main critter found inside the garage...perhaps he was keeping the cricket population down...but he is no longer in there as Erin prodded him out with the broom handle...he was a bit reluctant to leave...he had a pretty big mouthful...his cheeks stuck out funny. I was taking a picture of a little wild flower using my tripod and one of my father's lenses when Alex was spraying off the driveway...so I snuck a picture of him. While Alex and Woody hosed, swept and shoveled off the driveway, Erin got underway with preparations for our "last supper!" Tonight we made items from Jamie Oliver's Cooking Revolution cookbook that Woody had checked out at the library. When Woody came home with this cookbook, he challenged Alex to find a recipe or two that he would like to try. He found a crispy garlic chicken recipe that he okayed and also a dessert tart. So Erin set forth to make those two items as well as a dressing to drizzle on our asparagus. In the upper right hand picture, she is making the shortbread crust for the tart. As I type, the tart and filling is cooling in the fridge. The chicken was delicious...a recipe that we voted "a keeper." I also liked the vinagrette dressing for the asparagus. What I consider to be the "picture of the day," is the bottom left...it shows the family room just prior to us eating tonight...one of the down times in the cooking as neither Erin nor I are in the kitchen. I walked to the back of the family room to show our "electronic times." Of course, I am behind a digital camera, Erin is playing a game on her computer, Alex is playing a hand-held video game and also watching the baseball game on TV with Goosey. Guess we were all happy doing what we like...in this electronics age!

Woody got up early this morning and made his neighborhood 4-mile circle. When it was still early he worked in the gardens...mulching, weeding, etc. He helped Alex take things out of the garage and then Woody put back in what has been put back in the garage. Woody enjoyed an extra-inning baseball game this afternoon and evening and he has read. I did dead-head flowers this morning, started a new book, assisted the cook, and took a few pictures. I guess it is time to go down and see if the tart is ready for us to eat a bit of dessert...special treat for their last night here! Alex and I have talked to Melany. The last that I talked with her they were waiting in the Seattle airport for their flight to Phoenix. They don't get in to Nashville till fairly late tonight. We plan to head their way after Sunday School...guess I had better motivate several teenagers to start finding all their things and gathering them together so they will be ready to load up everything in the morning before we leave for the early service.

Early Celebration!

We decided to turn tonight's supper into an early birthday celebration for Alex...a surprise party! We don't see them all that often so we figured that we would celebrate while we had him captive! His birthday isn't until the end of July...so we are ahead of schedule! We had "Breakfast for Supper" tonight. We had Sweet Potato Waffles and Quick Waffles and sausage for supper and then waffles (whichever kind one wanted) and ice cream with chocolate sauce for dessert. Woody and I made the Sweet Potato recipe and Alex made the Quick Waffle recipe (He is considered (at least by himself!) to be an expert waffle maker!). We borrowed a waffle iron from the neighbors so had two cooking waffles at the same time...which made quicker work of what I consider a long process. And, the neighbor's makes four waffles at a time. It was a fun supper to start rounding out the end of the meals for the kids' "vacation" with us...just one more main meal to go!!!!!

Woody got up early and walked his long walk to the movie theater and back (14 miles total). Erin dug our garlic, Alex vacuumed one of our cars, and later he and Erin washed the car (and soaked themselves...a good activity for a hot day!). I have been washing...trying to keep up with towels. I was just about to put a load of towels in the drier when they came in soaked and had to shower and change into dry clothes...so...another load of clothes/towels. After lunch we all went to the library. They wanted me to go along so they could get more DVDs with both Goosey's and my library card! We came home and I finished a book and took a short nap. Woody also read this afternoon and napped (though he doesn't remember napping so doesn't think that he did!). I saw him drop his book and glasses...so I'm an eye witness (though he tends to not believe me!). Erin and Alex are now watching a movie and Woody and I have come upstairs where it is quieter! Melany and Wade will dock in Seattle in the morning and then start their trip home...Seattle to Phoenix to Nashville.

Rising to the Occasion!

We have had another busy day...or so it seems to me. It has also been another hot day...high in the upper 90'sF (though our indoor/outdoor thermometer read above 100F at one point today...I figure that the outdoor thermometer was probably in the sun). Woody got up early and took a walk...trying to get ahead of the heat. The rest of us had a later start to the day. Erin had a really late start...it was hard for me to get her up this morning. Once I did get her up I found out that she wasn't feeling well. Not feeling well for her usually means that her blood sugar will fluctuate in the wrong direction. Today we had to struggle with it being low...but I "think" that we finally have it where it should be. I don't think that I will ever understand how to handle her Type I Diabetes. I surely do wish that she didn't have to deal with it daily...and has since she was in third grade. It's not easy for her to totally handle it by herself as she also has Aspergers Syndrome (a form of autism). And, those are only two of her six health problem diagnoses!!! She really handles all these in stride. I'm the one who has the most trouble handling all of them...too many for one child!

Woody did our weekly grocery shopping today...pretty good as we only bought enough to get us through the Memorial Day long weekend and we made it all the way to Thursday without a major shopping trip. We had lunch after the groceries got put away. After lunch, Erin began making the Macaroni Grill's Rosemary Bread. (That was my favorite part of tonight's meal!). Very good! At the time that the bread went into the oven, Graham invited us over to their house for a unicycle show. He, Abigail, Joy, and their cousin Jana road their unicycles for us. Then they played "Jesus Loves Me" with bells...Esther and their Mommy and Daddy joined them for that. Then we went home to take the bread out of the oven. We had a bit of a break from cooking and then the big cooking event took place...a meal to satisfy Alex (who doesn't like too many things). We had chicken fingers and thin sliced fried potatoes (both cooked in olive oil) and this time added at Alex's request...onion rings! Erin was in charge of the onion rings and I the rest. We both wondered if we would ever be finished cooking and Alex and Goosey wondered if they were ever going to get to eat! I did point out when we got to the table that it must not be the healthiest of meals...everything was pretty much one color (oh, well, we have been pretty healthy up to this point with our meals while they have been here...it's now the downhill stretch...and we can get a little less healthy)! The kitchen was an absolute mess by the time we were finished. I stuck around for a while and worked on one side of the kitchen (shortest side...but the stove side) and got it cleaned up, while Woody worked on the other loooooooooong side of the kitchen. I left him still washing dishes to come up to blog! The meal was highly approved of by Alex...he probably did away with any hunger pangs that he has had during his stay! I'm ready to flop on the bed and read for a while to rest my weary back and feet. But, I do think that we finally rose to the occasion of meeting Alex's approval with every item on the menu!

Trying to Keep Up!

I sort of feel like the older gosling in the middle...or perhaps more like the adult goose that is bringing up the rear...just trying to keep up with the group! Woody got up early and went on a walk. This was my day to get my hair cut. Just before I was going to leave to run a couple errands before my hair cut, I got a phone call from the church telling me that the two new bookcases had arrived and had been put together and were in place! So I stopped by the church on my way. After my hair cut I ran my errands...the Credit Union and WalMart. After lunch, Woody and I went to the library and filled up the new shelves with the books that had been set aside awaiting their arrival. It didn't take long to do that. By the time we got home, it was time to start supper. Erin helped some, but she was doing some preparations for tomorrow's supper. Woody went to church this evening for his Wednesday night class...a new one was started tonight...an Anne Graham Lotz study. I'm late posting as I had a problem with the internet connection...but am reconnected. Woody and Alex are watching a DVD and Erin is doing something on her computer. I have talked to Melany twice today as they had a cell phone signal where they are today. We talked just a little while ago and she was watching bald eagles fly around. They are having a really good time. Tomorrow they are going on one of the boats from "The Deadliest Catch" TV show. Should be interesting...it is off season for crabbing so they do tourist excursions. As for me...I am just trying to keep up with the oldest grandchildren and keep them fed (I am counting down the number of evening meals that we have left to cook! (3!)). Tomorrow's dinner is already planned and Erin and Alex are cooking at least one part of the meal ...they claim to be experts at it...we will see! Plus they are quite intrigued that I have the recipe for a speciality bread from Macaroni Grill that they love...so they are planning to make that bread tomorrow. We'll see...we seem to have quite an active kitchen this week! I'm going to rest for a few minutes and read a couple more pages in my book and stay out of the kitchen!