End of May!

Where or where has this month gone? Woody has taken two walks totalling about ten miles today. This morning I sewed...actually finished embellishing the vest front that I have been working on...now to move on to the other side...slow process as I am doing very little when I do sit down and sew. The sewing bug seems to have left me for the moment at least...I'm sure that I will catch it again! I'm posting early as Woody and I are heading next door in a few minutes to babysit while Nathan and Kathy go on a date. They are going to try out the new Mexican restaurant that opened in Tullahoma last week. I have been trying to figure out how to post photos to the blog when I blog using the iPad. I don't think that Google has the blog set up to accept pictures from the iPad. We plan to only take the iPad with us next week so that may mean no photos while we are gone...I'll continue to try to figure it out...surely there is a way to trick the blog to accept photos from the iPad...but so far I haven't held my mouth just right. I think that Google is pretty much just for Windows.

Last Wednesday in May

Where does the time go...it just seems like it was May Day. Woody has taken two four-mile walks today. Between walking and diet he thinks that his blood pressure is coming down. As to my efforts, we have a clean bed and I worked in the church library for a couple of hours. Once again we got quite a lot done. But all that we have done lately only proves one thing about library work...it is never done! After getting home, I flopped on the bed and read for a while and rested. I also listened to Anne of Green Gables on my iPad for a while. When you listen to a book on the ipad, you can also play Scrabble and Sudoku...multitasking at its best!

Tuesday after Memorial Day

Woody has taken three walks today for which he estimates the total to be twenty miles. I have done a load of wash that is going need to be folded when I finish here. My big accomplishment for the day is getting our hotel reservations for next week's trip to NIH...a job that I dislike doing. But today there were no hassles. I was able to get reservations at the hotel near NIH at NIH patient rates for the second night and then got the hotel in Fairfax, VA for the first night. That way we can stop for the night before we get into bad rush hour traffic on our way there and just get up early the next morning and head to NIH. And then go to the close hotel after his scans, etc. on Wednesday. I also emailed the research nurse so she can preapprove our two-night stay for the travel vouchers. This time we will have to get NIH ID's reissued as ours have expired...so it will be a bit more of a hassle getting through NIH security. It is good to have the hotel reservations made...next task will be to think about what I will need to pack. I'm wondering if we might get a shower as there are thunder rumbles in the distance and the wind has picked up. The flowers surely would like a nice drink this evening. I did deadhead and weed a little this afternoon. The gardens are still looking good. (It is now pouring...just in the time that it has taken me to down (or is up) load the photos from my camera to my laptop and choose one...the heavens have opened! Plants are probably doing a happy dance!)

Memorial Day 2012

We have had a very nice day here in Middle Tennessee. It wasn't quite as hot...really perfect for a Memorial Day picnic on Nathan and Kathy's screened in porch...got to enjoy the new fan that Nathan installed with the help of Kathy's father. For our cookout, we provided the food and Nathan cooked the meat on their grill...a good combination. We all enjoyed watermelon for dessert. The children REALLY enjoyed the watermelon! For some reason I woke up super early this morning...more than an hour before Woody. I read and later in the day finished the book. Woody took an early morning walk and then took another one this afternoon...for a total of eight miles. That about sums up our Memorial Day activities for 2012. Pretty quiet on our front today...thanks to all those who went before us to secure our freedoms so that we can enjoy days such as these with family and friends.

Day Of Rest

Well, more so a day of rest for me than Woody. He walked six miles early this morning...no snapping turtles today! Then after lunch he walked his 4-mile route and he said that it was HOT!!!!! He said that he sought shade and needs to find a shady route for these hot days. We went to the early service and then to Sunday School. Woody went intending to teach Sunday School...but no sixth-grade boys today...guess they were away for the long weekend. I have done as little as possible and stayed inside. I have read, done some things on the iPad,talked to my sister on the phone...oh, and started marinating our meat for our cookout tomorrow. After I post a picture with the blog I am going downstairs and make the cooked dressing for coleslaw for tomorrow's meal and turn the meat over in the marinade. Woody is going to slice the cabbage and grate the carrots in the food processor for the slaw. (If there are funny typos in my blogs of late...chalk it up to the iPad correcting more than just spelling...it often changes words...it seems to be trying to think for me!)

Fight with large snapping turtle...

I just wish that I had been with Woody this morning when he went on his walk! He encountered a turtle that he thought would be fun to take hone to let the children see! Well, he had found a golf club along the way and had picked it up and he used it to try to capture the turtle. They "fought" for about 15 minutes and Woody decided that he had best leave him where he found him...the only thing that he thinks he did was convince the snapping turtle not to cross the road. He said that the turtle actually snapped/bit...grabbed onto the golf club. I think that they were probably better off walking away from each other! But I do wish that I had pictures! Woody made his weekly trip to the library and then went to visit any church members who might be in the hospital. I have done a little of this and a little of that. I did some more sewing on the vest front. The children have been in and out. Woody read to Esther and Elijah for a while. Graham and Joy spent some time with me in the sewing room. The girls set up a lemonade stand and sold lemonade for a while. It was quite profitable on this hot day. I have deadheaded and watered our gardens today. Since I don't have a photo of Woody and "his" large snapping turtle, I thought that I would put a picture of Graham's robot gator that he built. It's pretty neat and snaps its jaws when something moves in front of it...like a hand or...maybe even a golf club...due to its motion sensor. It's been a nice day despite very hot temps and fairly high humidity. I mostly stayed in and enjoyed the effects of our new air conditioning units...except when I wrangled for a while with the hose! Guess you could say that this has been a day of wrangling for us...turtles and hoses...my wrangling was a bit safer than Woody's!

A Friday that has seemed like Saturday!

I don't know how many times today that I have thought it was Saturday. A little while ago woody told me that it had felt like it was Saturday to him too. Well, I guess we can look at it as having gotten an extra day this week!?! Well, whatever! We have been getting reacquainted with our neighbor grandchildren as they had been gone for about a week. Elijah went grocery shopping with Goosey (Woody) this morning. Prior to grocery shopping Woody had taken a four-mile walk. Then after he got back he took another of about a mile to deliver a wedding present. Elijah stayed and played for a while after they got back from the grocery store. He really enjoyed playing with his favorite toys in the toy closet. Abigail came over to get the mail that we had gathered for them while they were away. Then she came back and ended up helping Elijah put his toys away. Woody gave the girls a mix for whoopee pies. They made them and then invited us over to have one. They are good cooks! I did some cooking--a new recipe...a long cooking recipe...homemade marinara sauce with chicken thighs. I served that over rotini pasta...pretty tasty...the meat just fell off the bones. Isaac and I "played" together while the rest of his family went on a bike ride to visit friends who recently had a new baby. Isaac was so good and I attempted to get some pictures of him. When they got back Graham came over to our house till his supper time. It has been a pretty hot day...I believe that it got into the 90's. Nathan got the pool up and filled that we gave to Esther for her last birthday. They put it up so that the slide from their playground set goes into it. Great fun on such a hot day! Now I'm going to try not to wake up thinking that I need to get ready for church! I did remember what the date was...whether I remembered the correct day...21 years ago Melany and Wade got married...hmmmmmmmmm they got married on a Saturday...so do you suppose that is why I am confused as to what day it is this today???  Guess I am just looking for a good excuse for being confused!  Happy 21st Anniversary, Melany and Wade!

Remembering

I'm blogging early today because Woody and I are going to a cookout tonight honoring a couple who is moving away from Tullahoma. I have spent a lot of today continuing to figure out who is who in old family photos. I am posting one this evening. This is a photo from back in the 30's of the Brigham family (my mother's side of the family) including spouses and I'm not sure who all else! I have been invited to call one of my mother's first cousins...the small child at the back and sort of center (porch area). She said that she would take photo in hand, as will I have photo in hand, and she will walk me through and tell me who most everyone is. It will be nice to talk to her and have her help IDing relatives. I have been told that if you know me that you should be able to pick out my mother. My grandfather is standing in front of the door post on the left. My grandmother is seated on the second row...the one with the whitest hair on the left side of the photo. Mother was the oldest of the Brigham cousins of her generation. And, Joan, whom I will be talking to, is the youngest of the cousins of Mother's generation. Anyway, it has been fun trying to identify as many as I can on my own before calling Joan in the days ahead. I did print out an 8x10 of this photo and it printed very well. I plan to add it to the scrapbook that Mother made for me of my heritage. I have done some more sewing today...embellishing with machine stitches today...just working on one vest front at a time. But I have created a piece of fabric (out of many pieces of fabric) that is large enough to cut out one front. Woody has taken two walks today...early a 5-mile walk and then a while ago he walked his 4-mile route. We will head out the door in a little while for the cookout. I must go get the tomatoes and onions sliced that I'm taking. Looking forward to a fun time of fellowship this evening with lots of good friends.  Oh, almost forgot...we got a check in the mail today from NIH for reimbursement for our last trip...just in time to take the next one!  I'll be making reservations next week for Woody's 4-month check-in/scans.  We will be there two-weeks from today...well, if all goes as planned we will be seeing the docs two weeks from today and then be getting on the road for the first leg of our return trip. By the way this photo was taken in Massachusetts...Sutton, MA...I believe.

Wednesday

Woody walked seven miles early this morning. Then after lunch he walked to the fruitnandnvegetable market to buy tomatoes. Then this evening he walked his 4-mile route. Woody also mowed some today. He has also read some a d worked his crossword puzzle for the day and played some Scrabble with the computer. I did a little sewing before I headed off to the church library to work several hours. We completed quite a stack of books for circulation. I came home fully intending to do some more sewing,nut so far I haven't found my way back to the sewing room. I just walked around the flower gardens deadheading while I talked to Melany. It was her last day with students...so it is just about all over but the shouting for another school year for her. Erin helped her do some of the last of the year tasks today. I think that both Erin and Alex are going to help their mother tomorrow. Lots of putting away in an art room at the end of the year. This evening I was looking at Facebook and came across old photos that my mother was in as a young girl...one of my cousins (who I have never met) had posted them and tagged one of my cousins who is one of my Facebook friends...so they had popped up for me to see!  Memories! I sent a couple of the photos to my sister...she just called and said that one of the pictures of our mother looks like me...I'll have to go look again!

Tuesday

Woody got up early and walked four miles and then shortly after lunch he walked another four and then this evening he walked to the prayer room at church. I spent quite a while on the front porch enjoying the birds again today. I took lots more pictures...imagine that! I did actually sit at my sewing machine for a while this afternoon. I am well underway creating fabric for my vest...almost have enough fabric pieces sewn together  so I can cut out one of the fronts. After I sewed for a while I made a favorite soup/stew...Shangai Pork Stew. I won't be making many more soups this season, but Woody had bought a pork loin roast and I sliced most of it into pork chops, but kept a piece of it to cut up into chunks for this recipe. After getting the stew simmering and getting the pork chops wrapped for the freezer, I was about played out for the day. My back was killing me so I headed upstairs and flopped on the bed for a while. I'm now up and still able to move! I decided to blog before heading back downstairs. Tonight's blog shows a couple of our cone flowers that have just started to open. They are really tall this year...almost as tall as me. They are just so pretty and the butterflies and bees just love them. It has been a gorgeous day here in Middle Tennessee. I talked to my sister today while I was deadheading. She told me that it is VERY hot in AZ. I hear that those temps are heading our way...supposed to be well into the 90s by the end of the week. Guess I will enjoy the cooler temps while I can. We really got a good rain last night...much easier to pull weeds today!

Pickin' & Choosin'

Well,back to "normal" tonight...writing blog on iPad and then will add photo from laptop. Woody has taken three four-mile walks today...not me! I have gotten my sewing cutting table back out and ensconced in the living room and have started taking things that I will need for my project downstairs. I am working on creating crazy patch fabric for a vest for me. I have been working on it periodically for a while. I have worked two crossword puzzles and am now caught back up with my daily crossword puzzles. My latest interest is sudoku...never thought that I would like doing them since they involve numbers...which make me think of math...never a favorite subject of mine! But I am really enjoying doing sudoku on my iPad...probably enjoying doing them too much! I have just done daily chores today plus I just put in a load of clothes that didn't get done over the weekend. Woody has read and watched a DVD. He did some watering and some other yard work. I did deadhead and do a little weeding. Our garden was getting to need a good drink and at the moment God is providing it. We are in the midst of a thunderstorm that is proceeding a cold front. The temps have been very pleasant today. I did a bit of bird watching from our front porch again today. The little chickadees are enjoying both the bird feeder and the suet. Several kinds of woodpeckers are enjoying the suet, too. It's great fun to see different birds being attracted to our front yard. I'm so glad that we are getting a good rain. I know that our flowers are glad for the drink too. Well, off to pick and choose tonight's photo...hope that it adds correctly! I'm going to use a chickadee on the bird feeder that Cheryl gave us while she was here. I think that I got better chickadee pictures today, but want to use the ones that I have already worked on. I'll save the others for another blog! Never lacking for photos for the blog!

Lots of Choices!

PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF POST TONIGHT!

The blog site is giving me fits tonight. I'm about to quit while I am ahead!  I at least got the photos to post...but now they are at the bottom of the post.  When I blog from my laptop I have to do it blindly as their new format doesn't jive with my old system of doing things.  And, if I blog from my iPad I don't have the photos there.  And, tonight for some reason I am unable to get into the posting part of the blog site from the iPad.  Anyway, back to tonight's title...I have ever so many photos to choose from that I took yesterday...got lots of "good" ones.  Tonight's choice is two of the downy woodpecker.  

I did not get much sleep last night so this has been an off day.  I got up with the birds...well, that should be with Woody.  I fixed us scrambled eggs.  Then I worked on the pictures that I took yesterday...finished that job a little while ago and then had to choose which to use!  We both went to the early church service and then to Sunday School.  Woody taught his sixth-grade boys.  Then we came home and had lunch.  That is when the rest of the afternoon was pretty much lost to me...I lost it to a rather long nap...I guess making up for loss of sleep in the night.  The last I knew Woody was watching a DVD downstairs...and then I woke up and was reading and then Woody was saying goodbye as he was heading off to the evening church service.   

40 Years Ago Today...Oh My!!!!

Forty years ago yesterday I was in the hospital with a very bad kidney infection...running a 105 temp! In the wee hours of May 19th Nathan decided that it was too hot in the oven and decided to make his appearance three weeks early! He was a scrawny little thing...only 18" long and only 5 lbs., 12 oz. There is one thing baby length and future height aren't indicative of each other! Tonight's photo shows you just how old and decrepit he has become. This is one of the fun things that we "did" to Nathan two weeks ago at his surprise 40th birthday party. Woody got up very early this morning and went on a 14 mile walk. Later in the morning he walked to the library and took a side trip to a close-by grocery store on his way back. He has mowed the front lawn and done other yard work. I have been a little more productive today than I was yesterday. I cleaned the top or our stove and have done several loads of wash including changing our bed. I sat out on the front porch for quite a while and was delighted and entertained by the bird life in our front yard. I saw a chickadee, downy woodpeckers, red headed woodpecker, blue jays, hummingbirds, robins, a cardinal (he flew right onto the porch...we were both surprised!),etc. I got several pictures that I'll be sharing eventually. I did walk around our gardens and nothing seemed to be feeling too neglected from my lack of attention yesterday! We have heard thunder rumbles, but I think that the rain went to the north of us today...yesterday it passed to our south. I was going to pull the hose to the front but didn't when I heard the rumbles. Guess I should have pulled it around. If I had watered it would have probably rained! I still haven't gotten going on any sewing projects...maybe tomorrow? I will end with a BIG Happy Birthday to Nathan! I can't believe that our younger child is 40...makes me feel rather old...guess if the shoe fits...(I will admit, though, even though I am 40 years older...I feel better today than I did 40 years ago...makes a big difference not to have a 105 deg. temp.!)

Lazy Friday

At least it was a lazy day for me. I have done about as little as possible. I had wanted to get back to sewing today, but just couldn't find the energy to do it. Woody has expended much more energy than I. He has taken two walks...one early...eight miles and then later in the day to the pharmacy to pick up his prescriptions. He also did our weekly grocery shopping...I did put them away...one thing that I can claim to doing today. I have read a little and worked at some sudoku puzzles...just learned how to do them since getting the iPad. I had some simple ones...but tried the harder ones today...took a while! I also have played quite a few games of solitaire...don't ask me why...but something to do when I don't feel like doing much of anything! I have at last finished A Tale of Two Cities that I have read on my iPad. I still like reading real books better...turning real pages. Woody also has done some yard work today. I didn't even walk our gardens today...must get back to that daily habit tomorrow...have to keep up with the deadheading and weeding. I am listening to Anne of Green Gables these days...as a matter of fact listening as I type tonight's blog...multitasking since I have done so little today! I have gotten my sewing machine cabinet cleared off today...in anticipation of sewing! We did have a few rumbles of thunder about the time that I was going to get started sewing...so cleaned things up instead. That's my excuse for not sewing today...and, I'm sticking to it!

A Pea-Pickin' Good Day!

Another beautiful day here in Middle Tennessee. This morning Graham decided that it was time to pick the first of his peas. I haven't heard but they were each hoping for at least a spoonful of peas this evening! After I took the pictures of Graham picking peas, Abigail came over and read two more chapters out of a book that has a lot of facts about birds. Then I read a couple of chapters out of a book that I am reading to her. Graham came over before Abigail left and he showed her a new game app that I had added to the iPad. I got in a cooking mode and decided to cook some chicken one of our favorite ways and then freeze it so we would have it to pull out when we need it for a meal or two or... I also "pulverized" in the blender some oregano that I had had drying. Then I cut some more and got it spread out to dry. I am really enjoying having fresh herbs to cook with...but want some dried too...and our oregano, thyme, basil and parsley are doing great at the moment. I finished the one book that we will be processing for the church library and started another. I did some necessary cleaning. This afternoon I even took a short nap. Graham and Joy came over and stayed while the rest of their family left for a while. I have plans to get back to doing some sewing...tomorrow...we'll see if tomorrow comes! Woody took a seven-mile walk early this morning. He has done some yard work and did some watering. I did the daily deadheading and pulling of weeds here and there. Woody cut back several things that I wanted cut back in one of our flower gardens. He also decided to make a different type of cole slaw. He's trying to stay away from the mayo-type due to salt in mayo. So he made one with a cooked dressing instead and left out the salt. Our doctor called him today to talk about his high blood pressure...she is going to add back in another med he has taken before. This evening after supper, we both walked to the pond that is just around the corner and down the street from us. We watched the birds come in to roost for the night. I got several good pictures of red-winged blackbirds...pictures for another blog night...thought that tonight's picture needed to be of the first pea-pickin' time for Graham.

Wednesday Doings!

Woody started out the day walking 6-miles. I got up and did the crossword puzzle first thing since we don't have a school schedule for the time being. Not long after I finished the puzzle everyone from next door arrived...very excited. The news of the day??? Drum roll!!! Isaac's umbilical cord had FINALLY fallen off...and, he just a little over 4-months...don't know why it has stayed on so long...I think that he is the winner for length of time it took to fall off for their kids. The doctor intervened when Isaac went on Monday for his well check...and two days later...voila! Elijah stayed and had a short sound lesson and then he helped Goosey and me make blueberry dump cakes for dessert for lunch. When the neighbors finished lunch we took the dump cakes and ice cream over to their back porch and enjoyed the last of last year's blueberries! After lunch I headed to the church library for our weekly work day. Woody has played a lots of Scrabble today. He has also been researching about pesty garden bugs. I did my daily walk around the flower gardens doing a little weeding and deadheading. I am about finished reading a new book that was recently bought for the church library...one of the perks for a librarian...getting to be first to read some of the books...after all someone needs to make sure that they are appropriate for a church library! This one is a very enjoyable read. It's The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club. I'm almost finished reading it and will get it to the library soon to get it processed (info for FBC and other Tullahoma readers who use FBC library!).

Promotion Day!

Busy day in the Dorrell households...especially at the neighbor Dorrell's (of course what day isn't busy over there?!). Today was the end of their school year...so they are all pretty excited to be "free" for the moment! I watched their principal (Nathan) hand out appropriate certificates to each of the children. Then after they got their certificates it was announced that they were going to do something special...they were going to go to a farm to pick strawberries. (We had them pick some for us, too...tonight's photo). YUMMY! Woody has taken three walks today...early morning, then to the Post Office in the early afternoon and then just a little while ago to the prayer room. Woody is having a bit of a problem with high blood pressure...so he is trying to get it under control with more exercise and more careful eating along with the blood pressure med that he was put on after his last kidney stone.

Mid-month Monday

I can't believe that the middle of the month is just about here. Definitely time flies when you are having fun...and, even if you aren't having fun! We had some more rain this morning...so more drinks for the plants! Woody took a five-mile walk this morning. Elijah, Esther, Joy, and Abigail all had some reading time...both them having reading lessons and then being read to. Graham has spent a good part of the day over here trying to finish up his math curriculum...once he is finished with it he will be finished with his fourth grade school year. He's pretty close to finished. He came back over after supper with the goal to finish tonight.

Mothers' Day 2012

It has been a nice day...a bit rainy...but rain is what we really needed so no complaints! Woody and I headed off to the early service and then Sunday School. He taught his sixth-grade boys and I was discussion leader for my Sunday School class. After that I found Kathy and Isaac. Isaac wasn't feeling great so I took care of him during the 11am class that Nathan and Kathy are in charge of. So I got to get in some cuddle time this Mothers' Day! After we got home from church we had an easy lunch of leftovers. Nathan and family came over for a while after lunch. Woody took a walk in the drizzle. I took it easy and had a lazy afternoon. A little while ago Melany called and I talked with Erin and Alex too. Woody went to the evening church service. All-in-all...a very nice day!

"Pepper didn't want to go!"

Tonight's blog title is what Elijah told his mother when we got home from our fun afternoon. Nathan, Woody, five grandchildren and I headed over Shelbyville way midafternoon. Kathy stayed home with Isaac because he isn't feeling well. Today was the annual fund raiser for a Shelbyville crisis pregnancy center. It is held each year at a beautiful farm between Tullahoma and Shelbyville. We had yummy catfish, barbecue, chicken, and all the fixings (including hush puppies). A very good meal! At the moment I don't feel like I will need to eat for a very long time! The kids had fun playing in the jump barn, getting their faces painted, getting tattooed, riding a zip line, blowing bubbles, and riding the ponies. Pepper is the spotted pony that is riderless in the picture...and he really didn't want to go around in circles...he kept trying to stop...and kept getting in trouble by his owner! I guess Elijah was impressed by the disobedient pony since that was what he thought about first to tell his mommy! As you can see in the picture Graham, Abigail, Joy, Esther, and Elijah enjoyed their pony ride. They said that they just needed Isaac there and their family would have needed all the ponies! We took home a carry-out meal for Kathy so she is at home now enjoying her meal. Woody took an early morning seven-mile walk. Then later in the morning he walked to the library and stopped at the fruit market on the way home to get tomatoes. Woody watered some of the plants in between walks and I did some deadheading and weeding. I've about caught up with my washing. I just have one load left to transfer over to the drier and then I am done with wash for this week...good thing since this is the last day of the week! I took all the girls' dresses back next door today...all mended, pressed and ready for them to wear. Woody is playing Scrabble and I'm going to go look at the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow. Rain is supposed to be on the way...hmmmmmm I think that I hear it on the roof as I type...glad that it waited till after our fun afternoon.  Our plants will be very happy to have a good rain!

May Friday

My day got started out a bit slow as I didn't get the best night sleep due to really bad leg and foot cramps...in both legs no less. Hoping that they are a thing of the past for tonight's sleep! I drank more water today and ate a banana...and Woody read that dark chocolate would help...so had a bit of that too! No problem for the latter remedy! I have done some porch sitting today...working on the crossword puzzles that I didn't do while Cheryl was here...left the porch long enough to do some deadheading and weeding. Woody hung the bird feeder that Cheryl gave us...so far I haven't seen any birds partake, but did spot a squirrel getting close. My camera clicks scared him away. We saw a hummingbird hovering close to it before it made a pass at the hummingbird feeder. I also saw a blue jay stop to enjoy the suet feeder. I'm trying to finish a book before Woody goes to the library tomorrow. Today was another wash day...our bed linens this time. I just realized that I haven't remade the bed yet...guess that will be a job for me when I finish blogging. This evening I went next door for a fashion show...a trying on of dresses that I have made over the years.  They were trying to decide which dresses fit which girls...some are being worn by the third little girl at this point.  I brought back several to press them and get them ready to wear...one of them I am doing a bit of work on.  I had never been happy with it so I am working on "fixing" it!  There are two dresses that I have been disappointed in the way they turned out...and those two surfaced tonight...so I'm working to make at least one of them look better (at least to my eyes!). Elijah felt a bit left out so he tried on a couple of dresses too...and did a bit of twirling! Woody has walked, mowed, mulched some of our new flowers and watered. And, that just about sums up another pleasant May day in Middle Tennessee. Tonight's photo shows a sampling of the new plants in our gardens.

A two walk day

Woody took a walk this morning and another this evening. He also did some yard work...mowing and watering. I did some deadheading and Graham helped me some when he took a break from his math. Graham also decided that he wanted to grow some herbs in his garden so we did a little transplanting. Elijah had some school time as did Abigail and Joy. Esther decided to take the day off from reading. This afternoon I spent some time at the church library processing some books. I've been working on washing towels, sheets, etc...guest beds and guest bath are ready for our next guests! All the cloth napkins that we used over the last two weeks are washed and now in the drier. So I guess "things" are getting back to "normal" around here. It has been another beautiful spring day here in Middle TN.

Reality?

Woody took his daily walk in the rain this morning. The rain moved out and it turned out to be a very pretty day...though chilly. I wonder what "winter" this is. We expected our air conditioning units to be checked this morning between 8 and 10. They were here johnny-on-the-spot...right at eight. This was our first inspection since the units were installed in the Fall. Both checked out fine so we should stay cool during the hot summer months. I had several things to do before having the children come over for school. Delaying was frustrating for Elijah. He had trouble believing his daddy that my first call wasn't for him to come over. But he was happy once he got over here. The others followed in their normal Wednesday order. I mainly worked with their reading today. They are working on finishing up their curriculum for this school year. After lunch Graham came over and worked on one of his subjects in the quiet of our house. After lunch I headed off to get my hair cut and then went to the church library to work for a while. After coming home, I worked on crossword puzzles. I got behind on them while Cheryl was here. We have had supper and I think that we will both do a little bit of nothing for the rest of the evening. Tonight's picture shows what we did to Nathan's yard for his surprise 40th birthday celebration...40+ black balloons, 40 black pinwheels, presents in black bags, etc. There were also a couple of white balloons mixed in...those represented gray hairs...that was a new one for me. Wade told us about the white balloons symbol/tradition.

Normal...what's that?

Cheryl told me today that after today things could get back to normal. I guess time will tell! We loaded her luggage and Erin's into the trunk today and then the four of us climbed into the car to head to the Nashville airport. After we dropped Cheryl off at the airport, we headed back to Murfreesboro to drop Erin off at home. Alex had just arrived home from school when we pulled up to their house. We got Erin's things unloaded and visited for a few minutes and then Woody and I got back in the car and headed home. I got a call from Cheryl just about the time that we got home and she was about to board the plane. Woody headed off a little while ago to walk to the prayer room at church. I have the washer and the drier going, but pretty much plan to take it easy this evening. Tonight's blog picture shows our family as a group...a photo that we don't seem to get very often. I took this one on Saturday after we surprised Nathan for his 40th birthday. This is the "crew" that has filtered in and out through our doors over the last two weeks. Oh, and, the cat...he just thinks that he is part of the family.  He really belongs to the family across the street, but has really enjoyed our being out so much these past couple of weeks...if we are out...he shows up...so guess it is only fitting that he got in the picture!

Show Stopper!

We have had quite the day for Cheryl's last full day in Tennessee. Woody walked early this morning. Then after everyone was up and going, the neighbor grandchildren put on quite a show...juggling, unicycling, magic, guitar playing, dancing, stilt walking, AND hula hooping! The show stopper was when Grammy showed that she could still hula hoop! And, "they" made me post a picture! After that we had a picnic lunch on the screened-in porch at Nathan and Kathy's. The finale of the meal was water melon...the first that Elijah ever remembers having. Then Nathan and Kathy walked down the street to an open field to fly kites. A fun-packed day! Now it is time for Dancing with the Stars. Cheryl would prefer to watch The Voice...but "fortunately" for me our TV doesn't get NBC.

Life School

Woody got up early and walked. It started thundering while he was walking but waited to rain till he got home. He went to the early service at church Nd then taught his Sunday school class. We had a backwards lunch...went next door to have leftover birthday cake and then came home for the main course, Erin is with us so we have sSt on the front porch and talked and Erin spent some time next door with her little cousins. This evening Cheryl, Erin, Woody, and I went to the Made for Praise Children's Choir musical: Life School. A very nice treat to end the day. Graham, Abigail and Joy were in it so I had my cameras clicking in all directions. Graham was Bugs in the musical and had both a speaking part and a solo. They all did a great job. Esther sat in the balcony with us and sang along and said most of the speaking parts! They had listened to the tape so many times that their parents have requested not to hear that tape for at least month! Graham's character was named Bugs...see if  you can spot which one he is! Well, I have left my company in the kitchen making potato salad for tomorrow's cookout, I guess I'd better get back to work!

SURPRISED!!!!!

We succeeded in surprising Nathan today. We held his party a couple weeks early so he wasn't expecting it. He had local juggling gig today so while he was away his mother, his aunt, his sister, his brother-in-law, his niece and nephew, his wife and children all worked their magic! He found a banner, black balloons, and black pinwheels in his yard upon his return. Then came a round of silly presents. The mug in the picture, he bought for me when I turned 40. The mug was then passed to my sister, then Melany and now Nathan. And, who will be the next recipient!?! We all ate supper together...some of Nathan's favorites. Fun day was had by all! I have many photos of the day's festivities that I will perhaps post as he approaches the actual day that he turns the BIG 40!

A swingin' Friday!

Woody walked for an hour early this morning. Cheryl and I took the day off from gardening, but not from shopping. We made a Walmart run this afternoon. We're getting ready for Melany, Wade, Erin and Alex to join us tomorrow. Melany and Wade picked up Erin from college today and are dropping her off tomorrow to spend some time here while Cheryl is visiting. We will have some family time together tomorrow night, so Cheryl and I are gearing up to do some precooking this evening so we won't miss out on all the family festivities tomorrow by being in the kitchen! The big activity next door has been building a swing set...mission accomplished today. After supper, Cheryl, Woody and I went over to watch the new swings in use. All the children are enjoying it very much...even an adult or two tried it out. I opted out as it was too close to the end of a meal! Woody and I sat on the porch swing with Isaac...though for a little while Isaac tried out the new spot for the baby swing. So guess we're all swingers tonight!

Day of dodging raindrops

We had a bit of rain today...often just a drizzle...but enough to make our newly planted flowers happy. We planted again today...sometimes in the drizzle and sometimes when it was dry. I "think" that we are through planting...now to keep things weeded and waterweed when needed. It was good to have a bit of rain for a change. Woody walked this morning and then walked to pick up a prescription this afternoon. He has done some weeding today too. After supper Cheryl and I walked around our block and around a block in the next neighborhood. Now we are sitting on the front porch. She is talking to her daughter and I'm blogging! Now to go in and find a picture to post for tonight.

Busy! Busy!

We have had a busy day. Woody walked his four-mile route this morning. Cheryl and I sort of had a slow start...but when we got going we really got busy. Woody helped us place and plant some of the plants that we bought yesterday. This afternoon we went shopping...again for flowers and several other things. I "think" that this is the last flower run...but time will tell! It was quite hot by the time we got back home...so we waited to plant till this evening. We still have planting to do...tomorrow is another day!

VERY Special Tuesday!

Woody got up early and walked six miles...at a point Kathy discovered that he was following her and Isaac on their morning walk. Cheryl and I got up and got ready for a day of gallivanting. We did some shopping in Tullahoma and then headed on to Shelbyville. We headed first to the downtown square to find a place to eat lunch. We ate at a speciality coffee shop that serves yummy sandwiches. Cheryl had a Turkey Rachel and I had a New York reubin. We enjoyed them very much. Then we poked around in an antique store and a gift shop. Then we hopped in the car and left the square and headed off to Shelbyville's co-op. We found gifts and plants there. Looks like more planting is in our near future...like tomorrow! Whike we were away, Woody made the meatloaf for our supper. Cheryl peeled and I mashed the potatoes. And, we had leftover gelatin salad from yesterday's lunch. When we got back, Woody was gone. He had walked to the prayer room at church. We did a bit of watering of plants so they wouldn't be droopy when we plant tomorrow. Abigail came over and helped us. Then Esther and the rest of the family came over to share really good news...Esther asked Jesus to come into her heart today...the reason that it is such a special day! We celebrated with them...cake and free Frosties! We have really enjoyed the gift given to all of us at the time of Isaac's birth...free tiny Frosties this year with a purchase...tonight's treat=10 tiny Frosties for the price of a small order of fries! And, thanks, Esther for such a special reason to have a celebration!