They're Back!

As you can see by the above photos...the neighbors (Nathan and Kathy and family) are back. They have had an extended time away with Nathan being the camp pastor at a church camp for an extended two week time. The camp was in North Carolina. They also spent several days in GA doing some gigs. So they have been busy. After they got home, they went out back to check on their gardens. The photo shows the kids when they spotted me heading their way. I had a project waiting for Bob the Builder (Graham). He put together the shelves that I bought today. I'm trying to come up with a way to combat the books and other clutter that seems to accumulate. This set of shelves is for Woody. We'll see if it is enough or if I will need to get another for the other side of the window. We aren't much on buying books...we are library folk...but we still seem to accumulate them from someplace. The humidity is much lower today. It was quite pleasant out. Woody walked twelve miles this morning. Later in the morning he drove to the library and did some other errands. I also ran errands today...hadn't done that in ages...but today went to Lowes and WalMart. After I came home I continued the cleaning project in our bedroom waiting patiently for Graham to get home so I could complete my project. Now it is halted till Woody feels like going through his papers and books! Well, I do have more that I can do while I wait so I won't tap my toe too loudly! Oh, the picture above the new shelf is Melany at five and Nathan at three...I have always loved this picture. One of the few times that we took them to have their photo taken at a photo studio.

Repaired!

Woody got up and walked six miles. He said that it was very humid! And, for him to say that it is humid it must be REALLY humid! Woody did our weekly grocery shopping this morning. I have been confused all day...thinking that it is Saturday (this happens easily when one is retired!). I think the factor that has made me confused as to the day is that I got up and put the finishing touches on this week's Sunday School lesson...and that is usually a Saturday morning task when I substitute for the class. It's good to have it finished ahead of time. This afternoon I have begun to tackle cleaning our bedroom. I have had several distractions but am making headway. When I clean, it always seems that I start something and that leads to something else...that may not be in the room I'm working on...oh, well! I have all that is on my dresser on our bed so have to go back and get that all dusted and rearranged before bedtime! The last distraction is a box that contains church library information and lots of extraneous items having to do with the library...or so I thought. I found a bag of fabric scraps in the bottom of the box...it took me a while to figure out where they came from...finally remembered someone giving them to me when I was in the library (quite some time ago!). I guess I was bringing a box home that day with other things from the library and the fabric bag got put on the bottom and never got found until today! Sort of the story of my life! But I do have a handle on the church library items that I have at home. I keep the records of the current year here at home since I make orders on my computer and keep track of library memorials on our laptop...so I keep the current year's file here. I found last year's file amongst the items in the box and on top of it...so that file folder will head to the library to be filed there...that subtracts from the pile of papers here! "Things" are looking better in the back corner of our bedroom. I have things moved so I can vacuum back there. This cleaning has stirred up a bit of dust...thus a bit more sneezing and nose blowing for me. My allergy meds will be welcome when I take them tonight! I had planned to cut out a couple of things for me to sew today...but so far those plans haven't occurred. But at least with this cleaning I am accomplishing something with my day. A little after lunch today we got a call from the AC repair...they said that they were on the way and would be there in a second...well, they meant that literally...after I hung up I looked out the window and their truck was already here! Downstairs' AC is fixed and the "good news" for this AC malfunction is that the parts are under warranty. So the downstairs is cooling and dehumidifying once again...still doesn't feel right down there to me...but it takes time since it was off for quite a few days. I chose cleaning the bedroom today because it was an upstairs' cool room! I'm all for being comfortable when I'm working! It "only" got to the mid 80's here today...but humidity was really up there to make it feel close to 90. But a bit cooler than my family and friends out in hot AZ where they are anticipating above 115. Now...sometime I'll have to tell you the story of when I was visiting out in AZ and it was 122...phew! Now...that was hot...dry heat or not! My sister said that the anniversary of that day was just a few days ago and was being talked about on TV...that was a day that planes were grounded due to the heat. On that note I hope that all are able to stay cool no matter what part of the world you are living in!

On The Receiving End From NIH

Woody headed out this morning for a four-mile walk. After he returned, he received a phone call from NIH to tell him that he is scheduled for scans and clinic visit with his team in early August...so NIH is once again on our calendar. When the mail arrived, he received his prescription from NIH that he had phoned in earlier in the week. So NIH is back in our lives once again...it has been nice to not have to think about another trip for 4 1/2 months and to know that we still have more than a month till we will be on the road again heading MD way! After lunch, Woody and I headed to the library so he could get some more books to peruse...what he is looking for still eludes him! I reshelved the books that he had taken out several days ago. I came home and rested in my recliner and then headed down to the rather warm kitchen to make it even hotter. We had eggplant parmasan tonight. Woody helped in the preparation by peeling the eggplants (not my favorite task!). I have now escaped to the upstairs to the coolness. The downstairs isn't all that hot...but the kitchen definitely got hot while I was preparing dinner. It was very good to feel the cool air as I climbed the stairs. The air conditioning folk have had to order parts for the AC unit so it may be a few more days. I am so thankful that we made the decision to put in two units when we got new AC a couple of years ago...at least part of the house is comfortable! And, Woody is okay with heat and humidity since he spends so much time outside so he isn't bothered by the downstairs temp/humidity. I grew up in AZ and have never gotten used to TN humidity so I want my AC running at this time of year...both for coolness and sucking the humidity out of the house! Well, I'm off to either read (started another really good book from the church library) or perhaps cut out another pair of crop pants that I have gotten the pattern partially pinned onto the fabric. Hmmmm...reading = upstairs...cutting out = downstairs. At the moment upstairs is winning! P.S. I have no idea why the second photo is so big...I started to try to fix it, but I think fixing it is more trouble than it is worth. If you can't read it then click on it and it will come up on a separate screen.

Last Wednesday of June

Here we are in the last days of June...that means that almost half the year is over! I was reminded yesterday that Christmas was just six months away! Yikes! How did that happen? I got up this morning and headed into the sewing room and hemmed my crop pants...so that sewing project finished. Now I'm trying to decide if I'm going to make another pair of crop pants or if it is time to make a top. Woody got up and walked six miles this morning. And, then later in the morning he walked to the public library. He had planned to go with me to the church library this afternoon, but plans changed. I discovered while he was gone to the public library that the downstairs air conditioning unit didn't seem to be working properly. He called the folk who installed it and he stayed home to wait on a call from them...and ended up with them coming by to check the unit while I was still at the library. It looks like perhaps the storm Monday night or the one last week may have done some damage to the downstairs unit. At least we have the upstairs unit still working! We can retreat to the upstairs if it gets too hot downstairs. The downstairs stays a lot cooler, but I was wanting it to run this morning when I was vacuuming and that was when I realized that the fan wasn't coming on...Ialso noticed that there was more humidity downstairs than normal, too. Well, parts are being ordered and in a day or two the AC will be good as new! Phone problem was probably storm related and now the air conditioning unit...wonder what we will find next that isn't working due to storms. More storms are predicted to roll in later tonight or tomorrow...hope that we can go without losing power and/or any household electrical items!

Tuesday Trivia!

I got up and headed in to sew. I just have hems to be finished with my crop pants. I would be finished but the afternoon got in the way! I had a hair appointment and Woody needed to go to the church library. I dropped him off and got the library computers up and running (after them being down due to a power outage last night)and left him to hunt out the books he needs and I headed off to get my hair cut. Then I headed back to the church library and checked books in and out and then Woody helped me reshelve them after he finished finding the books to take home. I headed into the kitchen when we got home to work on supper--shrimp creole--yum! We have eaten supper and Woody has headed out to walk to the church for his time in the Prayer Room. Tonight's photo shows the flags around our church. I love taking pictures of the church with the flags at this time of year--I have many photos over the years--so took a few more today to add the ones that I have. Today was perfect as the wind was blowing just right! You will probably see more photos of the flags and the church before the Fourth of July passes us by for another year. The pictures give you the idea--but seeing them in person is better!

Monday Rolls Around Again!

I have spent a good part of the day sewing. I finally got my crop pants cut out over the weekend...ones that I had in the planning stages for some time. The last hangup was trying to figure out which side was the right side. I finally decided so cut them out and have been putting them together today. Woody walked six miles this morning. Just another Monday...last one in June...

Simply Saturday

This has been a very low-key day for me...I still feel like I just woke up! I have read and done a lot of nothing today...though, I had big plans...oh, well, another day! Woody walked nine miles this morning. He has spent the rest of the day reading and working on the laptop except for doing a bit of mowing.

Welcome, SUMMER!

There's more than one way to find SUMMER heat! Today the neighbor behind Nathan burned a brush pile and a pile of logs from a downed tree. It was a day to stay in for me as the smoke can really be bad for my sinuses (or anyone's!). I did sneak out and held my breath (sort of...really just did shallow breathing), while I took a couple of shots of the large "bonfires." Woody walked four miles this morning. Then he headed off to do our weekly grocery shopping. After lunch he and I headed to the church library for him to hunt some more for several elusive passages. When we were heading home, it looked like the clouds overhead could give us ANOTHER shower. And, sure enough, not long after we got home we had a brief afternoon pop-up SUMMER shower. Looks like SUMMER has arrived!

Buzzin' Right Along

Caught two buzzin' things in this photo...one in flight and one "trying" to gather pollen. The big ol' bumble bee was working these Bee Balm flowers with all he had...going from flower to flower...actually crawling into each individual almost closed bloom. It was fun to watch the process as I snapped the photos. These flowers were just about gone to seed and he wasn't gathering much pollen...but that didn't deter him! When this plant was newly bloomed I had seen same type of bee "working" these flowers and that bee was covered with pollen and the sacks on his legs were bulging with pollen...but this work session he wasn't getting much! Woody got up early this morning and walked six miles. He has spent most of the rest of the day working on the laptop. He is now at the public library continuing his search for certain quotes/publishing info. I'll bet that he wishes that he hadn't read so many books as he does this search! Once again I haven't accomplished much...but did manage to get the telephone company here to repair whatever was wrong with our phones...they seem to be working once again...they have rung twice...first time...the repairman checking to see if he had them working and second time...an animated call trying to sell us something. Let's see...I did wash the linens on our bed and remake it. I finished reading a book...started another...and continued to read an e-book. I also got my sewing table cleared off so I can cut out a pair of capris for me. I am definitely in "slow-mo" for the time being! I don't have the energy that this bee had!!!

Wednesday

I had another good night's sleep...amazing...two in a row. I first headed into the sewing room...sorting and putting away patterns that I had out for the children. And, going through leftover fabric from my last projects deciding what is to be saved and what is to be thrown away. I also did a couple of loads of wash. Woody walked five miles this morning. His walk included a stop at the fruit and vegetable market and the pharmacy. He also weeded a garden this morning. This afternoon he and I both spent four hours in the church library...Woody is looking for a couple of quotes that he has read in "some book" at "some time!" This may be like looking for a needle in a hay stack.

Tuesday

It has been an interesting day for me...slept in...and for once got a half-way decent "night's" sleep. It got my day off to a rather late start, but I have managed to get a little accomplished. I have worked in the sewing room...not sewing, but putting and/or throwing "things" away. We had MORE rain in the night...and, a little more this morning. I think that the rain has passed at least for a little while. We have definitely gotten more than our share over these last few days. Sorry that we can't share some with a drought stricken area! Woody got the kitchen all cleaned up and skinned and deboned some chicken breasts for our dinner tonight. I made a new recipe, Garlic Chicken...an easy oven-baked chicken recipe...quite good. Woody just returned from walking to and from the prayer room at church. This afternoon he went to the library and ran an errand or two. Do you see the two birds on the same stem in tonight's photo? I was attempting to get the bird on the top near the birdhouse and didn't realize that another bird was in the picture.

House Call!

I woke up super early this morning and not long after started hearing rumblings of thunder in the distance. I checked radar and thought that this particular storm was going to go to our north...and, it may have and more popped up. Anyway, Woody got up sometime between five and six and headed to the laptop to run off his daily crossword puzzle. He hadn't been in here too long when there was a tremendous thunder clap and a flash of light/loud pop...that made me jump. I didn't realize that the power had gone off because I was reading on my iPad...so the lights didn't go off for me! Well, the lights continued to stay off and we realized that street lights and lights in houses were on around us...just not ours or Nathan's...not sure about the house on the other side of Nathan's. Anyway, we finally decided that perhaps we should call and report our outage. We found out during the big ice storm of several years back that we are on a line that doesn't include many houses and we almost got overlooked at that time and were one of the last to get power turned back on on our street...so now we think about calling about an outage a bit more quickly. We were glad to have a cell phone to use to report this morning as our phones seem to be out too. At this point we haven't gotten to the bottom of the phone problem...tomorrow is another day to get that figured out. I have attempted to go through automated phone calls and internet reporting...so far to no avail. We have had one hard rain roll through after another throughout most of the day. There is no telling how many inches we have gotten...but our front and back yards looked like lakes several different times today. Woody walked to the library this afternoon and got home just before the bottom dropped out of the sky once again. It looks like more storms/rain may be coming...just what we need!!!!! Feast or famine...drought or flood! Lights or no lights...we are glad that they found the power problem...whatever it was...it didn't take long from the time they pulled up in front of our house till power was back on.

Hush Puppies!

And, I'm not telling the dogs in this photo to be quiet! I am referring to the delicious dinner that we had with friends this evening at Granny Fishes and said dinner included hush puppies! I wish that I had taken a picture of the basket filled with them...but the basket didn't stay filled long and I was having too much fun talking with friends (and, eating a hush puppy) to pull out my camera! Woody walked a total of eight miles today...some in the early morning and the rest later in the morning to the library and fruit market. He also mowed some. I'm off to work on the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow...I found out that our teacher is sick just before heading off for dinner tonight...and I'm the substitute (substitute not too prepared!).

Flag Day 2013

It has been an absolutely gorgeous day here in Middle TN. Something sucked the excess humidity and heat right out of the air overnight! I sat on the front porch for quite a while this morning enjoying a cup of tea and my camera. I took lots of pictures of a bee and a sparrow (or perhaps several sparrows...they look pretty much the same!I do know that it was the same bee, though. ) Woody was grocery shopping while I bird and bee watched and snapped. When he got home, I put away the groceries. I have read a little and also took a lengthy afternoon nap. Woody just left a few minutes ago for a four-mile walk.

Lazy Thursday (for me, anyway)

I have done just about as close to nothing as one could possibly do today! I did go for a short walk with Woody this morning to check to see if this flower (tonight's photo) was in bloom. Woody has seen it on his evening and early morning walks. It closes up during the heat of the day. I think that the blooms were starting to close by the time that we got there...but still pretty. We came home to see Elijah walking dejectedly back towards his house. He was disappointed that he come over to our house to find us gone! We did get his attention...Goosey (Woody) honking (as in a goose noise) and me calling his name. He finally heard us over the sound of wind in the trees and turned around and happily retraced his steps. Abigail and Graham came over and were both in need of some church library books so the three of us headed off to check some out. After that, I did just about nothing for the rest of the day. Woody did get in a little mowing before a storm blew through this afternoon. He waited to take his walk till this evening and just left for a four-mile walk.

Another Hot June Day!

Another day that has seen the 90's. From what "they" say the heat index is what can get you...the humidity makes it feel much warmer than it is. Right now it is 88, according to Weather Bug, but the heat index (feels like temp) is 96. I did venture out today to go work in the church library. The main thing that I noticed was that it took the car a lot longer to be affected by the AC on my way home. Woody walked 8 miles in the early hours...smart plan to avoid the heat and sun! We made connection with the NIH appointment maker today so I guess that our next trip is "being planned." Last I checked we hadn't heard back so still don't know the days. That six month respite is certainly going by quickly!

Tuesday (I think!)

Since school is officially over for the summer, I'm not sure what day it is! It has been a hot day here in Middle TN...edged close to 90. It seems like we go from one extreme to another! But...at least it wasn't raining! I never stepped outside today so I haven't felt the warmer temps. I continued to rest my foot today...but it is MUCH better. I did more reading...finished another book. Woody walked to the fruit/veggie market and the pharmacy after lunch. Earlier this evening he walked to the prayer room at church and is still there. We had tacos for supper...something that we hadn't had in ages. Graham came over a little while ago to tell me about their day. They performed at a VBS in Huntsville, AL this morning and then this afternoon spent time at the Space and Rocket Center. There is a new Black Hole exhibit at the Space and Rocket Center that really intrigued Graham.

June Is Bustin' Out All Over!

The day/tiger lilies are pretty much in full bloom...definitely a "June thing" here in Middle TN! Woody got up early and walked seven miles. I think that he got a bit wet as a shower or two passed over in the early hours. I know that he had to have left quite early as I woke up before five and he was already gone. Since I couldn't get back to sleep, I read and finished up a book and started another one. Once again I seem to have a problem with one of my feet...just as I was starting to be able to take walks once again! Oh, well...part of getting older?!? It seems to be knees, feet, or back causing a problem these days! So I have "tried" to stay off my feet at least part of the day. I have managed to do several loads of wash and have gotten part of them put away. Woody has done a lot of waiting on me. I "had" a lot of plans that I "was going" to do today...so much for plans! At least I have a lot of good reading on hand to keep me occupied while I sit around! Graham came over this afternoon to make some more K'nex creations. He and his family were at VBS at our church this morning either attending or working. Elijah also came over and he and I (mostly me) made a helicopter out of K'nex. He was glad when it was completed so he could fly it over to his house.

Pleasant June Saturday

Woody got up early and walked eight miles. Later in the morning he walked to the library and a near-by grocery store. So all totaled he walked about ten miles. He went next door and watched five of the six neighbor grands for a little while this afternoon. Graham spent time over here building with K'nex and reading. My day seems to have passed by rather quickly as I did "a little of this" and "a little of that." A little...picture taking, reading, sewing, K'nex building, oregano processing, and parsley harvesting. Tonight's photo shows a few of the steps of processing our homegrown oregano after it has dried for a week or so. My oregano container has been replenished. I have been drying herbs on our baking racks...works very well. After I finished with the oregano, I snipped some of our parsley and have it on the racks drying. In a week or so I will go through the same process with it as I did with our oregano today. Graham opted out of water fun in their backyard, but the rest of them had a grand time and I got several photos without getting wet!

On the Road Again!

On the road again to another doctor appointment for Woody...this one to remove the stitches from the place that they removed the basal cell carcinoma two weeks ago. He also had another place biopsied to make sure that it wasn't cancer. We traveled back roads both coming and going. Tonight's photo shows the one lane bridge that we cross. It was obvious that it had been under water recently...some time in the last two weeks! The bridge had dried mud on it and there were a couple of quite large logs...as in a tree or two that had obviously been swept over the road when the river had flowed over. Woody got a call after we got back saying that the lab report on the biopsy of two weeks ago showed that they had clear margins around what they had removed...not sure why they didn't tell him while he was there...or why he didn't ask! After we got back Woody did our weekly grocery shopping. Tonight is family night at the VBS that the grandchildren are attending so I'm on the way over their house to put Isaac to bed while Kathy, Nathan and Elijah go to join the children for the end of VBS celebration.

Thursday

Woody walked four miles and then later ran errands in the car...hair cut, vegetable market, Credit Union, and got the tires rotated. I had my last official day of school for this school year (I think!). I will continue to have the children read to me/us when they aren't on the road. Graham and Elijah spent a good part of the afternoon over here building with K'nex...Grammy was a bit involved in that! I made Eggplant Parmesan for our supper. I spent a few minutes with Elijah and Isaac while Kathy took a passel of her kids and others to VBS. It has been a busy day. I'm heading to the rocking chair downstairs to rest!

Another one!

It has been another rainy day here in Middle TN. Woody walked early before the rains hit too hard...it rumbled thunder while he was out and sprinkled on him a bit. But the bottom waited to fall out till he got home. Elijah arrived more than an hour early for school this morning! I think that he wanted to build with K'nex more than he wanted to do school. He made a cute little green snake and I made an insect with his K'nex and he also read some words using the movable alphabet. Then Esther came over and read several stories to me and I to her. Woody had his adventure of the day helping me get children back and forth between our houses for their school times when it was raining. He got a bit wet! I stayed dry as I stayed home and waited on the children! Graham was pretty excited...he finished his English over here...his last subject for his fifth grade year! Then he built. All the children are all winding down and about to finish their school year. After lunch, Abigail came over to read a story to me...she only has four more stories in her book. After Abigail read, I headed off to the church library. We opened up several cans of worms...enough to give us both a headache! But we did manage to complete a task so that made up for discovering some other work that we thought was finished but is not! Besides a headache we had some good laughs...which pretty much cancelled out the headache! On the way home, I stopped at the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions for Woody and me. Then I came home to put together a rice, ham, broccoli concoction that I made up as I went along. Woody made a zucchini and yellow squash casserole.

Word of the Day: Pneumatic!

Woody and I started out our day very early...at least very early for me. I "thought" that I was going to get a really good night's sleep for a change...but I awoke early and couldn't get back to sleep. Woody usually gets up early so today wasn't much different than any other day. I had school with Abigail, Graham, and Joy this morning and then this afternoon had a short reading time with Elijah and Esther. Graham came back over this afternoon once he got all his school work done. He finished his robot that he started yesterday with K'nex and then started in on the new building sets. He decided to figure out the kit that uses pneumatics. I pointed out the strange spelling of "pneumatic" to him. He did lots of learning while playing this afternoon. Elijah has become interested in building with K'nex. He was so excited to find a motor in the new set of K'nex. So today he and I (well, mostly me) made a ferris wheel that goes around due to a wind-up motor. He was very happy. Also, Graham helped him adapt the space shuttle he built yesterday to have wheels. He went home a happy camper with his two new "builds" that move! Woody left a little while ago to walk to the prayer room at church.

Beautiful June Monday

Tonight's photo shows Isaac being dedicated during yesterday's parent/child dedication service at First Baptist, Tullahoma. It has been a beautiful day here in Middle TN...a slight breeze, mild temperatures, and fairly low humidity (for us). I had school with Elijah, Esther, and Joy. Joy's science unit is about birds. One of her activities was to take a bird walk. She and I walked around the block and were surprised as to how many birds we saw...cardinals, sparrows, robins, blue birds, blue jays, starlings, maybe a house finch, a mocking bird, and the best...a red headed woodpecker. When I showed her the mocking bird, Joy said "Oh, TN's state bird!" Graham, Elijah and Esther came over for a while this afternoon. Graham played chess with Goosey (Woody). The other two watched for a while and then got out a game or two of their own...Candy Land...a bit more their speed! After games, they decided to do some building with K'nex. While they were doing that, friends of ours stopped by with MORE building sets! Graham's eyes, especially, got pretty big and I could see building plans forming inside his head!!! He did abandon his K'nex build for one of the new sets and made an Erector Set race car before he headed home for supper. I'm sure that the K'nex robot will be finished another day! Woody walked seven miles early this morning and did a little gardening which included harvesting some lettuce. He just ate some of the lettuce on his dinner salad. We shared a ham and mushroom omelet that was made with fresh chives and thyme from our herb gardens. Pretty tasty.

It's June...already!

Well, June has arrived. I just realized that I haven't changed my calendars to June. I have been busy sewing and haven't done much else today. I actually started and finished something today...a tank top for Joy. She was over here when I traced the pattern and then I basted the pattern material together to see if it would fit her. Seemed like it would so I went with it from there. Woody went to the library and to the grocery store this morning. He did a bit of yard work (planted a petunia!). He walked seven miles this morning. Well, I'm off to turn calendar pages and finish working on the Sunday School lesson I'm teaching tomorrow.