Walkin' In The Rain!

When Woody set out on his walk this morning, it wasn't raining...but not long after he left there came a downpour. The good thing was that he took an umbrella with him. I continued with my sewing this morning. Then after lunch I headed to the church library to work for a couple of hours. Sometime while I was at church Woody went to the grocery store. When I left church, instead of heading home, I set out to run some errands. One of my purchases was a new iron...I have been attempting to sew with a dry iron and a press cloth. I'm happy to have a steam iron once again! When I got home, I was too tired to cook supper. So I went upstairs to rest a bit. Rested a bit longer than I had planned. So our supper was a bit later than usual. I think that I will have Esther's present made in time for her 1pm party tomorrow! I'm off to press something pink!

A Youth! Yikes!

As of Sunday Graham became a part of the youth department at our church--6th grade through 12th grade. Oh, my...how could have this happened so quickly? He and his 6th grade Sunday School teacher hit it off right away. I guess that is what you would expect since he got Goosey (Woody) for one of his teachers! And, as you can see by tonight's photo, he seems to have developed an interest in learning to play drums! He has his own corner at his house and has spent a lot of time getting them set up and is using DVD's and other computer aids to help him learn. So far I haven't heard the beat come between our two houses! Just wait, you say?!?! Woody left a while ago to walk to the prayer room at church. He ran a couple of errands earlier today, too. I got up and decided that today was the day to make some more NIH plans. So got busy and booked a hotel room for our second night away. I have to call directly and make reservations with the actual hotel rather than booking online, if I want to be sure to get a receipt when we check out. They will not give a receipt if I happen to make the reservation through one of the discount places online. We had a terrible time one time getting proof that we had checked out...go figure! I didn't realize that time that I had gotten into one of those sites since I started out at their website...must have clicked on something that I didn't realize. Anyway, they said in the future to call their hotel directly. I always dread doing that as there are times when the person on the other end of the line is very hard to understand (if you know what I mean). Well, today I could understand them, but they had trouble understanding me. I'm having a bit of trouble learning how to use my new cell phone...hard to teach an old dog new tricks! I guess that you need to hold this one a bit differently and I haven't discovered just how yet! Anyway, after a few "can you hear me nows" and a few laughs, I finally got the reservation made. So we have a place to rest our heads both Monday (Williamsburg historic home) and Tuesday (Fairfax, VA). I make the next reservation when it is less than a week till we are at the hotel as that is the only way that I have found out that you can get the NIH rate...so that reservation experience is still ahead of me. I also emailed Woody's research team's nurse to have her get some paperwork ready for us to expedite things when we are there. So NIH plans are well underway. After all this, I finally got around to doing some secret sewing till lunch time. After lunch I headed off to run a couple errands and get my hair cut. Then I came back to play a bit with several of the neighbor children and then it was back to sewing. The birthday secret sewing project is coming along. I think that it is feasible that it will be completed in time for Esther's party on Thursday. Time will tell!

Tradition!

Here's Isaac with Goosey (Woody). And, a tradition is being carried out...Goosey reading/chanting/"singing" Old MacDonald while reading our Old MacDonald Had a Farm book. This book has survived lots of grandchildren...I think that we got it when Alex (just turned 16) was small. Isaac seems to like it as well as his cousins and siblings! This is the book that the grandchildren have brought to Goosey to read for years. At this age they love to listen to all the sounds that the animals, tractor,people, etc. make...plus look and search for things on the pages. Goosey and Isaac are making the sound of a tractor while they look at this page. Wonder if the book will survive one more (Yes, that's a hint!)!?! Today has been a sewing day for me. The birthday surprise is progressing nicely. I put it aside to make supper and I'm not sure that I am up to picking it up again tonight. These days I wish for the good ol' days when I could sew (or whatever I wanted to do) for hours and hours! But, alas, those days seem to be over for me...my old back just won't let me. It has been a lovely day...almost fall-like. It actually got down to the upper 50's over night and never got out of the 70's today...certainly doesn't seem like the end of July! Woody walked four miles this afternoon and he mowed some. Elijah played over here for a while this afternoon. He was here when I started our supper. He was in the mood to play store. He had the toy cash register out and wanted me to play so I bought the food that I needed for tonight's pasta sauce! He was happy and I was able to get supper ready while he played...a win-win situation!He also loves to use our onion chopper so I got some work out of him too! Kathy was over when Elijah had the cash register out and he told her that he wanted to take her to Red Lobster. I asked him what he would order and he thought a minute and then said "crab arms!" (A favorite of his family is crab legs...but in the mind and out of the mouth of a 4-year-old...legs on a crab aren't real distinguishable from arms!) He keeps us smiling, as do all of them!

Saturday Secrets?

Not a lot doing for me today...pretty laid back! Woody's walk today was to and from the library and he did some mowing. I "attempted" the next part of the secret sewing project for Esther's birthday. I locked the door for a while this morning...so I wouldn't be surprised by any little munchkins as I was downstairs cutting out. I would cut out a piece and "run" upstairs to put that piece in the guest room and make sure that the bedroom door was closed behind me! I had completed cutting out one of the fabrics and was starting on the second when Joy and Isaac showed up returning something. So I quickly shoved it under the sewing table as it is the type of fabric that will attract a little girl's attention. I am trying to keep it a secret from all the children as I know how hard a secret is to keep! I don't want to give them a clue that I am making something for Esther as then the guessing would begin and I think that the first part of the secret sewing mission might be guessed since Esther has asked for it. So when they were occupied with Woody I swooped up that fabric from under the sewing table and put it into the guest room with the rest of the secret project. So sewing has stopped for the day. I thought that I had all the secret sewing fabric hidden away...even to the last scrap...but a minute ago Abigail picked up a piece and asked me what it was. I just told her that I was practicing stitches on that fabric...totally the truth! Funny how shiny pink fabric attracts a little girls attention. Esther came in and found the pattern for the first secret project...she asked me when I would make it...and I told her that I would see after I finished the project I am working on...so far...none are the wiser...at least I don't think they are! Hard to keep secrets around here! I did complete sorting photos for June today...so am just behind in sorting the photos for this month...if I hurry I will be caught up with sorting before July is over! The other night when I couldn't sleep I got up and started on the sorting job and finished the photos taken with my new camera...today I completed sorting the ones taken with my other two cameras! And, I have deleted lots...but still have lots...probably they need to be gone through again and delete some more!

Final July Friday!

Woody got up early and walked six miles. Later in the morning he did our grocery shopping and then this afternoon he did a bit of mowing and also ran an errand. I have spent most of the day sewing. One secret sewing mission is completed. I have started the preliminary steps for the second secret sewing project for Esther's birthday. I fell asleep reading last night and woke up this morning with the book laying on me. So I went back to reading and completed the book...that I had planned to finish last night. Sewing and reading...about sum up my day! I'm sure that I can also add reading onto Woody's list of things done today...very rare is the day that we both don't get in at least some reading!

Killing Two Birds (or more) With One Stone!

We were on the road "again" early this morning for Murfreesboro...a rather crisp morning! This time the dermotologist was checking Woody more closely to see if there were any suspicious spots...more than they had already removed recently. They did do a scraping or two to have checked in the lab and then froze off several places. Once again...a very efficient doctor office experience...called in by the nurse five minutes before his appointment time and was out in less than 30 minutes...even with having several procedures done. We headed to Melany's after the appointment...to drop something off and to pick up our new cell phone...something new for these old dogs (mainly me) to learn! After picking up the new phone, we headed to the Sprint store to have them put our phone numbers from the old phone into the new one. And, then, "since" we were right next door to Hobby Lobby...we headed in there for me to get a few things for my secret sewing project for Esther's birthday...secret sewing project just got a bit bigger and more ambitious! After our Hobby Lobby experience, we headed back to Melany's as we had forgotten to drop something off that she had asked for. Then we came on home. Woody made tuna salad for our lunch. I ate...then sat to recoup after the trip...and didn't know much of anything else for the rest of the afternoon except for a couple of phone calls. Being awakened to answer a new phone is an interesting situation! Our other phone was the "flip-style" and this one isn't...so in my "sleeping fog" I tried to answer it by opening the phone per usual (at least my per usual!) I ended up having to call back both the phone calls that I received this afternoon since I couldn't find the button fast enough to answer! I guess in time I will learn...but the question is how much time! I have had the original phone for 4 1/2 years...old habits die hard! Woody went for a walk this evening. He returned a little while ago. I have had trouble getting logged in to be able to blog...patience was wearing thin when it finally worked! I have serged edges of fabric while waiting! Now to head to the washer to get the fabric we bought today ready to become something magical (I hope) for Esther!!!!! Wishing our oldest grandson, Alex, a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY on this his sixteenth birthday...my how time does fly!

What-A-Wednesday!

My day started off at a run and just a while ago settled down enough for me to sit down...and, sit down I did and what did I do...but drift off to sleep! Abigail requested that I take her to her orthodontist appointment this morning. It was a really quick appointment...just an adjustment to the wire on her retainer to make room for a tooth that is coming in. Abigail came to our house to wait on her parents and siblings as they had bicycled to the Wednesday Farmer's Market. She finished reading the book that she took to the dentist office. Then she headed home when we saw them cycle past our house. I headed upstairs and did a little secret sewing till it was time for Woody and me to head next door to take care of the six while their parents went to an appointment. Esther helped me fix lunch...she is a good peanut butter spreader! I spread jelly. All settled in for lunch. After lunch, Isaac went down for his nap...in his big boy bed...looks like he has given up his crib quite easily. Not long after he went down, the parents returned and I headed home to get ready to go to church to work in the library. We had a good work afternoon and got a lot done in the library. We are getting closer and closer to finishing the inventory. Always something to do in there...never lack for something to do! I am thankful for good library workers. I brought some books home for Woody to peruse...he is still hunting an allusive passage. After supper I sat...and...that's about all I remember till it was time to blog...no reading or watching something on my iPad as I had planned! I guess the day wore me out! And, tomorrow will be another busy day...more about that tomorrow evening!

"Better Take My Picture Then!"

Another day has come and just about gone. I have done secret sewing for Esther's birthday most of the day. I have sort of holed up in our bedroom...in case she came over...that way it wouldn't be right out in the open! I got it cut out and then have done some sewing...some handwork and then slip into the sewing room and use the machine or serger for short spurts. She did come over a little before supper, but I was downstairs fixing supper and Woody came downstairs so she didn't go upstairs. It's starting to be recognizable...so if she should see it the cat would be out of the bag. Elijah was in and out a lot of the day. He has an old non-working cell phone that he wanted me to charge for him...it uses the same size plug-in that our cell phone. He was so excited that it was charging. I told him how to tell when it was charged. He asked if when the bars filled up the little rectangle if that meant it was 100%! I told him that was right and how did he know that. He said that he had learned it. He stayed for a while and I was telling that I had missed him while they had been gone the last couple of weeks. He said that he had missed us too. Shortly after that he decided that he was going to head home...he was tired of watching the phone charge, I guess! Anyway, I told him that I would miss him. He said, "Well, you better take my picture then!" As Art Linkletter used to say, "Kids say the darndest things!" Woody has just returned from walking to and from the church for his time in the prayer room. It rained this morning, but it did turn out to be a sunny afternoon.

Monday...All Day!

It has been a good...though a bit rainy...day. Woody went for a four mile walk this morning...managed to stay dry the whole walk. Later he planted with Graham, read to Esther, and played Break the Ice with Elijah. Elijah won Break the Ice...by default...Goosey skipped his turn (knowing what would happen!) and when the ice fell when Elijah played, Elijah declared that he (Elijah) was the winner because you can't skip your turn! After lunch he got his hair cut. I am getting underway for a secret sewing birthday project for Esther...so spent some time planning the project. Now to see if it is possible to keep it secret!!!!! The two older girls were over here this morning and asked about the fabric that I was pressing, but somehow they became focused on something else and their questions went in a different direction. I took tonight's photos yesterday. The little guy pictured below posed nicely on one of the petals...he was really tiny. My point and shoot camera captured him quite well. The top picture I was trying out the manual focus on my newest camera. I was pleased with the way both of them turned out. I have been reading a lot of e-book photography books that I check out from the R.E.A.D.S program at our public library. I still prefer to have a book in hand...but it is nice to be able to read some books that our library doesn't have. I feel "empowered" when I run out of books to read late at night and can go to this site and check out something to fill in the gap till I can get back to our public library or the church library. The main thing about me...I just love to read! As does Woody, he has been reading a library from our church library that I read before him...one of the Randy Singer "lawyer thriller's" that vie right up there with John Grisham's.

Smooth Sailing Saturday

Woody got up early and walked eight miles. Later in the morning he went to the public library and also ran a couple of errands. He drew me into watching a DVD this afternoon...Nancy Drew. I used to love to read Nancy Drew mysteries when growing up. This movie definitely was a different take on Nancy Drew...but I enjoyed it. I did some hemming while watching it. We have both read. I made a recipe from the past for supper tonight...Hamburger Stroganoff. We hadn't had this recipe in years...of course I made several changes...such as using much leaner beef than years ago and also making my own cream of mushroom soup. It really was tasty. A recipe that I plan to add to my recipe app so it will be at my finger tips...rather way up on top of a high shelf with cookbooks that we rarely use.

Friday Flutterby!

Once again we have butterflies in our butterfly flower garden. I guess that they are later this year due to all the rain plus cooler than normal temps in the spring. But they seem to be back...once again just about every time that I look out the kitchen window I see butterflies fluttering around. I spent some time outside again capturing a few of them. Tonight's photo is a spice bush swallowtail. This poor guy was pretty beat up...I think that he had come in contact with a bird's beak (or two). But as you can see he is still pretty...taken from the right angle! I used a filter in my photo software to make it look like a painting. This effect will probably only show if you click on it and enlarge it. Woody got up early and walked six miles. Later in the morning he did our weekly grocery shopping. I finished the crop pants that I had been working on. I'm now contemplating which pattern to use to make a shirt for me. While thinking about this, I have started a mending/repair job that has been hanging on the sewing room door for quite a while (mending/repairing ranks pretty low on my to-do sewing list...definitely not my favorite part of sewing). We had leftover marinara sauce with linguine (Woody prepared the linguine). That about sums up our day at this point...nothing too out of the ordinary!

Jackpot!

I hit the jackpot when I went outside a little while ago to take some pictures of butterflies. While I was getting the tiger swallowtail butterfly pictures, I kept hearing a funny little noise. Well, that noise came from two hummingbirds. So I managed to stalk them a bit and actually came away with a pretty good picture or two...about the best that I have ever gotten of a hummingbird in flight. I put in the second picture of the hummingbird because you can see its little beak so well getting nectar from the wee, tiny flower on the butterfly bush flower cluster. I was also pleased at getting some good butterfly pictures. Tonight the two butterflies just seemed to be floating through the air around the flowers. I had gotten the pictures of the hummingbirds and was heading back inside because I was being eaten up so badly by mosquitoes, but looked back and saw the sun hitting the butterfly just right. I could see right through its wings and see the flowers behind its wings. Really shows how delicate butterflies are. Another jackpot for my day is that I actually found some time to sew this morning. Then I headed out to meet friends for lunch...that definitely put gold in my jackpot! We had such a good time talking, catching up with each other, and doing a lot of laughing! After I got home I sewed for a little while longer till I just knew that it was time to go rest and read for a while. I actually stayed awake. Woody got up this morning and walked six miles. He has stayed in and stayed cool the rest of the day...reading, working on the computer, etc.

Another Nostalgic Day!

Woody got up and walked six miles this morning. When I finally woke up (another one of those nights when I didn't get to sleep till the wee hours), I decided to continue scanning old photographs. Tonight's shows my mother, sister and me as we were getting ready to get on the train in Phoenix heading to Massachusetts in July of 1957.It was a three day train ride! The whole trip and visit was a really fun time. Massachsetts was my mother's home state and we were going to see mother's sister and family as well as my grandfather and various and sundry other aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. It was a fun time...in my memory...which is being helped by the photos! To this day I love trains! It was wonderful to see our country...almost from coast to coast! We started in Phoenix and then during our visit we did go to the beach in New Hampshire. Ahhhhh...for the good ol' days!!!! I worked in the library this afternoon, then stopped at Janie's Sewing Center to pick up some interfacing I needed (but really that was just a good reason to visit!). Then I came home and made marinara sauce and cooked linguine. After we ate, I was about done in...so came up to rest my back in the recliner...and you guessed it...I fell asleep...reason that I am a bit late blogging tonight! Perhaps being a bit nostalgic...since it is my mother's birthday today...

Under the Big Top Nostalgia

I have had a bit of a nostalgic afternoon. I was looking for something in my file folders that had to do with my childhood...so far haven't found what I was looking for, but have had a lot of fun with what I did find! I decided to scan the photos of the last Phoenix performance of The Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus under the Big Top. These were taken September 21,1955. And, the last performance under the Big Top was February 17, 1956 in Pittsburgh, PA. Just my father and I went as my sister was only six months old so she and Mother stayed home. My father and I also went into Phoenix when the circus train arrived and we watched them put up the tents. By the way I still have the ticket stubs and the cost of our tickets were $1 each...times and prices have definitely changed!!! I wonder what I'm eating! Woody walked four miles this morning and did some mowing.

Mid-July Monday

Seems just like yesterday that it was the middle of June and here it is the middle of July! Time does fly these days! Does that mean that I'm having fun...or getting old?!?! Probably some of both! Woody got up and walked ten miles this morning. Later in the day he did some mowing. I have spent some time in the sewing room and also have done some wash. Since making the Williamsburg reservation, I have been going over past trips...looking at photos that I took and also looking through the guidebooks...going back in history...doing some 1770's dreaming...and thinking of photos that I want to get this time. I have spent some more time studying my camera...rereading the manual, figuring out settings, etc. And, I am still in a reading mode...only problem today is that when I sat down to read this afternoon, I fell asleep! Falling asleep isn't going to get the book finished...this is the seven-day book that Woody and both plan to read in that 7 days. He has finished it. I'm probably close to half-way. Barring too many naps I'm sure that I will be able to get it finished before it is due later in the week!

Plans Coming Along!

At least the plans for the first 1 1/2-1 3/4 days of our trip--the part of the trip that I am most looking forward to! I just finalized our reservations for our night's stay in Williamsburg. I am really excited. I have had a lot of experiences in Williamsburg, but have never stayed in one of the historical homes. And, I just made a reservation to do just that! I am very excited to say the least. Tonight's photo is a scan of a picture that I took of the chimney line/roof lines of some of the historic homes on the trip that I made in December 1999 at the time of the Grand Illumination. I was working at that time at the preschool Montessori here in town. The owner of the school's daughter went to college at William and Mary and we always said that we would go visit her while she was there. And, early in December 1999 she and I did just that. It was at the time when all the Colonial homes have their doors decorated plus being their Grand Illumination time. We took a tour of homes...so got to go into some of the private residences in the historical area...something that I had always wanted to do. At that time I purchased a Patriot's Pass that is good for admission for a year. So in 2000, Woody and I went back. The BEST of my experiences that trip was that we got to go to the Dewitt-Wallace Museum and see the needlework samplers...this was a private tour...just for Woody and me...our museum docent opened the drawers that the samplers are stored in so I could see. What an experience! And, that was the last time that we had been. It was before me having a digital camera...much less the kind of cameras that I have today. So I have been wishing to go back to be able to take pictures with my digital cameras. My first trip to Williamsburg was back in 1981 when we took the children. That was a wonderful trip too. The kids were just the perfect age (9 and 11) to be able to enjoy all the things that Williamsburg had for children at that time. Woody doesn't quite understand why I want to keep going back when there is so much of our country that we haven't seen...but Williamsburg definitely keeps calling me back. Tonight's photo is a scan of one of the photos that I took in Dec. 1999--it is one of my rejects that didn't make it into the scrapbook, but it shows the type of photos that I like to take at Williamsburg: architectural features, gardens, of course the historical characters who wander the streets, etc. We will see what my camera can capture in the few hours that we will be there. It is a lengthy drive...but I am hoping that we will make it before dark so we can wander the colonial streets in the evening...then get up the next morning and take pictures to my heart's content till we need to be on our way. I got out my Williamsburg guidebooks from 1981 and 1999 and poured over them today...getting my head back into the 18th century!!! Woody had a pretty normal Saturday for him. He got up and walked six miles. Later in the morning he went to the library and ran an errand. And, he has done some mowing.

Friday

Woody got up early and went for a six-mile walk. Later in the morning he did our weekly grocery shopping. I helped put the groceries away. Part of the morning I surfed the internet looking at places to stay in Williamsburg, VA. On our upcoming trip to NIH we plan to leave a day early and drive to Williamsburg. I want to go to take photos...haven't been to Williamsburg since I have had my interchangeable lens cameras. Plus I just LOVE Williamsburg...so would look for any reason to revisit! We will spend part of the day in Williamsburg and then head towards Fairfax, VA and spend the night and then head on to Bethesda, MD and NIH the next day. So planning for the next "NIH trip" is underway...just haven't made any final decisions yet as to where we'll stay. After yesterday's busy day I have had a lazy day. I've done a lot or reading again today. Woody has had a more active day than I! He also mowed the front yard.

Busy Thursday

We headed out quite early...before 7am...to head to Murfreesboro for Woody to have another skin cancer taken off his nose. This one was squamish cell...very superficial...pretty much all she had to do was scrape it off. This appointment was all done in a very timely manner. When we left we headed in the direction of Melany, Wade, Erin and Alex's. We wanted to drop off Alex's birthday present...early for a change! He will be sixteen in a couple of weeks...my...time does fly! We handed the gift to Erin (Alex was helping at a church day camp and Melany was at her college class) and then headed back to Tullahoma. This time we traveled the interstate both ways...on the way to Murfreesboro as we couldn't be sure of road conditions on the back roads after last night's storms. We didn't want to get delayed since we had an appointment. Then on the way home we had a couple of errands to run in Manchester so again used the interstate. As you can see in one of tonight's photos it was a bit foggy on the way there. With all the rain lately...fog is the norm in the early morning hours. We made a stop at the Manchester public library (a part of our counties public library system so we can use either the library in Tullahoma or Manchester). We both found books that we wanted to read. Then we stopped and got the tag renewed for one of our cars. And, before getting all the way home, we stopped at the fruit and vegetable stand for tomatoes. The owner told Woody that a big tree had fallen in a yard across the road from the back of our back yard and Nathan and Kathy's lot. So we came home to check that out. It is hard to see in the pictures just how big this tree is...but a very large oak tree. I know that the people who live in the house on that property had to be so thankful for the direction that the tree chose to fall! It did land partly across their driveway, but didn't touch their cars or house. This tree fell around 7:30 this morning...we would have probably heard the boom as it landed if we had been at home. It has rained so much lately that old top heavy trees like this one sometimes just uproot and fall. And, last night we had a couple of storms rumble through...one had rather high winds as noted by all branches/limbs down in yards and streets...so though it didn't fall last night...last night's rains and winds may have been this tree's "last straw!" By the time I got the photos taken of the tree and checked out our gardens, it was just about lunch time. After lunch I was ready for a rest...so settled in with the book that I had gotten at the library as did Woody with the book he got. I dozed a bit too. Late afternoon we headed over to one of the funeral homes in town for the visitation of one of our friend's mother. On our way home we stopped and got a summer treat supper...DQ Blizzards. They pulled us in again with one of their buy one get one free coupons! After that I got lost in reading my book again...and just realized a little while ago that it was time to blog and needed to download (or is it upload?) my photos from my cameras. So did that, chose blog photos, and have now written a bit of drivel...so now...back to my reading!

Scarcer Than Hen's Teeth!

Butterflies seem to be far and few between this year. It used to be that any time that I looked out into our garden that has butterfly bushes that I would see one or several. This one is the first that I had seen when I had my camera with me. I snapped quickly and was glad that I did as he flitted off very quickly. I did see another butterfly in the garden when I was walking by today...so maybe if it would get sunnier and less rainy more would come. Time will tell. Woody walked six miles today. He also mowed till he was driven inside by rain. I got caught unexpectedly in the same rain as I was coming out of the church library this afternoon after working a couple of hours. It had just started and it was raining giant rain drops. It rained pretty hard for a short time on my way home and then stopped. But boy was the steam rising off of the pavement.

Beautiful Summer Day In Middle TN

Note that I said "Summer" day in the blog title. Definitely the temperatures qualified it as a summer day! Our thermometer said that it got to 88 and WeatherBug said that it got to 90. I noticed the heat when standing in the WalMart parking lot loading things into the car. But even though the temperatures are rising...everything is just so green...so when driving through our Middle TN countryside with the air conditioning blowing...the outside temps are forgotten as one delights in the beautiful green countryside. You can really tell that we have had tons of rain. And, the lakes are just filled to the brim. Seeing one of the lakes today reminded me of how low it was in years past when we were suffering from drought...seems that it is either feast or famine/drought or flood! Woody left a little while ago to walk to the prayer room at church. I have had a busy afternoon running here and there with a friend...so I am ready for my recliner and a good book...I hope that I stay awake to read it (I missed my afternoon nap!)!

A Drier Day...For A Change!

Woody worked in the yard quite a bit today...picking up fallen limbs, harvesting the garlic (tonight's photo), and weeding. Nice to have a day that allows some work to be done outside. I saw a statistic today about our June rainfall...record breaking...12.65 inches of rain in the month of June!!!!! And, we have already had lots this first week in July. Woody did errands while he walked three miles today...nearby grocery store, vegetable fruit market, pharmacy. I made our Mediterranean Tuna Salad this morning...some for us and some to share with a friend who just had double knee replacement. The rest of the day I have sort of taken it easy...read and just lolled around! I did take some pictures in the yard today that I will perhaps share in the days to come...unless I get better ones to share between now and then! Oh, one thing that all that rain has produced...mosquitoes!!!!!!! Not a good byproduct of the rain!!!! I came inside from photo session with very itchy legs. Woody was really struggling to swat them away as he weeded, etc.

How Wet Is It?

As you can see by tonight's photo, it is so wet that even the insects that love water are clinging to the screens on the windows begging to come in where it is dry! It has rained off again,on again for a good part of the day. Woody walked four miles today...the whole time in the rain. He stopped by the pharmacy to pick up one of my prescriptions on his way home. Earlier in the day he went to the library and grocery stores and the fruit/vegetable market. I have stayed in and stayed dry. The grandchildren came over this afternoon telling about their latest adventures...this time in GA. They met up with Kathy's parents and siblings and nieces and nephews...for a total of 23 big and little people! Sounds like they had a grand time...despite the rain. Kathy and her three siblings all had babies in 2003...so this was a joint celebration for these four cousins' tenth birthdays that will be occurring throughout this year. Abigail (10 this October) shared birthday cupcakes with us upon their return...so guess we were part of the celebration, too!

July...Really?!?

Looking at yesterday's and today's temperatures you wouldn't know that it is July! Yesterday the thermometer that you see in this photo didn't reach 70 degrees and tonight's photo shows you what the temperature is right now and the hi and low for the day. But I guess we aren't to get used to these temperatures as I hear that it is supposed to be heading back to hot and steamy in not too many days. We definitely have the moisture to produce steam if the temps rise! Today hasn't been as rainy as yesterday...but it has rained off and on. Woody woke up to rain this morning so postponed his walk till later in the morning. He headed off on his four-mile walk when he thought that the radar showed that it wouldn't rain for a while...but before he got back it started raining again. At the moment it is drizzling. I have had a lazy day. I washed the table cloth and napkins from yesterday's festivities and cleaned my vacuum's filter! I told myself that after I finished cleaning this week that I would clean the filter as it was one of those overdue jobs. It is one of those things that I tend to put off just in case I might need the vacuum since I can't use it again till the filter dries. There are many days that I don't use the vacuum...but finding just the right one to wash the filter seems to evade me at times...either I don't think about doing it or I think that I might need it before the filter dries! Anyway...filter is washed and drying...so that job done. I have done a lot of reading today. I finished the church library book that I had been reading and then checked out an e-book from our public library and have already read half of that. It has been one of those dreary days that makes for a good reading day...Woody has been reading too...he started the church library book that I just finished.

Rainy 4th!

We have had rain, rain, and more rain! Woody got up and walked four miles...2/3 of it dry and the last 1/3 raining. We had a nice visit with Melany, Wade, Erin and Alex. They had lunch here and then we visited till late afternoon. They headed home hoping to at least have part of their journey back to Murfreesboro dry. Happy 237th birthday, USA!

July Showers/Storms

I thought that it was supposed to be April showers...but, for us in Middle TN, we just keep having showers no matter the month! We are supposed to get quite a bit of rain between now and the weekend. It rained on Woody when he went for his ten-mile walk early this morning. He wasn't expecting rain so didn't carry an umbrella. Shortly after I got home from the library late this afternoon we had a downpour for a few minutes and I think that I am hearing rain on the roof again. I don't think that it will be a very good day for fireworks in much of the southeast tomorrow. There's one thing...things are very green this July...no drought...yet, anyway! It seems like lately it is either drought or flood! At the moment we are under a flood watch (meaning that conditions are right for flooding)until Friday sometime. I'll bet that at a point in the next several days that the low one-way bridge that we travel on the back roads to Murfreesboro will be under water. Woody didn't get much sleep last night. Before midnight he woke up and realized that he had the symptoms of another kidney stone. Late in the morning, he said that he had quit hurting...so he has either passed the stone or it isn't moving. Last I checked (supper time) he was still doing okay. I came upstairs to rest my back after supper and just about immediately fell asleep. Now, hopefully, I'm awake enough to blog and then get on with what I had planned to do around the house. The day is getting away from me!

Celebrate!

And, celebrate we did, today! Elijah got up wanting lunch for breakfast so he could have his party! Tonight's photo shows him seeing his "Candy Train Cake." Elijah loves candy so this was right up his alley! Woody got up early and went for a walk...I'm not sure how long a walk...but I'm guessing at least 8 miles by the length of time that he was away. I woke up not feeling well...a bout with nausea...not pleasant...but got over it by the time it was party time. I was very thankful that the girls and I (and Woody) had done most of the cooking yesterday. I turned the making of the deviled eggs over to Abigail and her helpers (I understand that she even got some help from Isaac (1) when her back was turned!). They are good cooks! I subtracted one item from the menu that I just didn't feel up to fixing or instructing someone else how to fix it. We may have that item on Thursday when Melany, Wade, Erin and Alex come for the 4th. Nathan cooked the hamburgers and hotdogs on their grill. So we had quite a feast. Elijah opted to open his gifts prior to cake and ice cream. And, after cake and ice cream the children played a game of "pin the cake on the table" designed by the girls. A fun celebration in anticipation of Elijah turning four! Elijah came over a little while ago and expressed to me what a fun time his birthday had been. We also built a little with K'nex. Woody left a while ago walking to the church prayer room. Oh, I have to add one more photo...

July Is Here!

I think that all calendars have been turned to July. July has started out quite busy. The six grands stayed over here for a short time while Kathy and Nathan took their camper to have something checked. Isaac had fun sliding and building and/or knocking down towers built with my grandfather's blocks. Joy and Graham decided to build with K'nex Bricks and made several emergency vehicles and Graham helped Elijah build with "his" K'nex set. Abigail and Esther helped me cook. We are getting ready for celebrating Elijah's fourth birthday a bit early as that is the only way to fit it into their busy schedule. So we will be celebrating his birthday tomorrow...along with celebrating The Fourth with them. Abigail helped me get the beans ready for making my mother's recipe for Boston Baked Beans. They have soaked all day and are now simmering on top of the stove. I will put them the rest of the way together later this evening and then let them cook all night in a very slow oven. Then we hard-cooked eggs and Abigail and Esther helped me peel them. Then we made some macaroni and cheese. The photo shows Woody and Abigail grinding the meat for the hamburgers...quite serious work and not easy. Abigail (and the others) had to head home for lunch and I ended up being Goosey's helper. After lunch I headed to the church to process some books...that took a while. While I was away, Goosey went next door to watch the children for a few minutes. After I got home, Goosey and Abigail went to the grocery store to pick up several items that we need for tomorrow's cookout. A little while ago, Abigail brought the corn that she and Goosey had bought back over here...all shucked...I think that she talked her sisters into helping her a bit! At the moment I am ready to just sit till it is time to put the beans together. I'm tired...pretty busy/active first day of July here in the two Dorrell households!