UPDATE

UPDATE

Ok. I’ve had folks checking up on me and asking for updates… so here it is.

Thank you for your concern.  It is appreciated.  =:]

Life has been busy recently. 

On the good end… my amazing daughter, Bear…

Who took her final test for nursing school on the afternoon of Aug.6^th

And gave me my newest granddaughter in the early hours of

Aug. 7^th…

And then…

Graduated from nursing school on Aug 24^th!

 The Bear

I am so very proud of Bear.

To top it off, her doctor offered her a job in his clinic…

After taking some baby time.

Now that’s the way to work it!

Here are some pics of the event...

 Avery Rebecca

 Proud big brother.

 Turkey, G'pa Fuzzy and Avery

(The cigar is out!  I swear it !)

 Turkey lost his tooth in the parking lot.

Olivia dancing... she knows how to celebrate!

Squeaky was living with us and helping out with Randy.

But he was offered a job with Xerox…

As one of the tech people for their line of smart phone products.

And has moved north again to take advantage of that.

I’m pretty proud of him too.

That brings us to Randy and myself.

We took a trip up to DPH to watch the Bear graduate

And meet Avery Rebecca.

I fell deeply in love with her, sigh.

Spending time with her proud big brother was fun too.

So much happiness there that it was hard to come home.

But home we came.

Roxy was crazy happy to see us.

You’d think that we had been gone for a week

Instead of over night.

I had a last “day off” of doing laundry,

Making lunches for myself and Randy for the week.

I snore.

Very loudly, I am told.

So we have opted to use separate bedrooms for sleeping…

Now that Squeaky is gone and one opened up.

I never thought that I would like that arrangement.

But its a lot like when I was a kid and finally got my own room…

I do like the freedom of sleeping however I like…

Including sprawled out kitty-corner if I wish.

I can have the air conditioner or fan on as long as I like and not have to

Worry about Randy getting grumpy about being cold.

I love to be cold when I sleep.

I can watch whatever show I want and not have to consult

The man who doesn’t like most of my shows.

So that was a nice surprise.

Otherwise…

We wait.

I am waiting to be old enough to retire.

So that I can be home to help the man.

We are still waiting for disability to be determined.

It should be a “Duh” sort of decision.

His doctors all say he cannot work,

Cannot drive.

So we wait.

I’d much rather be proactive about it.

Waiting is no fun.

  But I am good at it.

=:]

I had a bright idea...

 I had a bright idea.

It was a simple idea really.

One I often have this time of year.

Add to my garden's evolution.

Those three masses of day lilies sit on one side of a "mound".

I was recently told by my MIL that said mound was made of loam.

"Rich, friable (crumbly) soil with nearly equal parts of sand and silt, and somewhat less clay."

It seemed easy enough to get in there and dig some holes in that rich crumbly soil.

Pop in some nice perennials and wha-lah!

Lovely flowers.

 

It seems that loam, 

when ignored for years under weed fabric

and bark dust...

bakes into a hard rocky adobe like material.

Naturally, I attacked it with my toy shovel.

 Yes, the kind of toy garden shovel you buy a six year old to use while helping in the garden.

I like them.

The handle is not too long...

I am short.

The area that a toy shovel digs out is the size of a 6" plant pot.

A shovel full of dirt is not very heavy.

I will not bore  you with the details of the day's effort.

5 holes were dug...

5 plants

(3 Shasta Daisy, 1 English lavender and 1 Coreopsis)

were successfully installed into the ground.

It took me 

ALL DAY LONG.

There were some amusing moments. 

Recently Randy bought me two "Pocket Hoses".

These are a marvelous invention!

They expand in length as the hose fills.

Cool beans!

This not only amuses you to watch,

but makes for a nice, light weight hose.

 

 

I decided to help the soil loosen by setting up a sprinkler.

I unscrewed the nozzle and attached the little metal star shaped sprinkler head.

I carefully dropped the sprinkler upside down and ran to turn on the hose.

The hose did not expand the way it does with a nozzle.

Too little pressure.

Fine.

I got my second hose and attached the 2 so that they would reach the area I needed watered.

Once more I dropped the sprinkler upside down and ran to turn on the water.

Success!

I hurried over to flip the sprinkler over and it went insane!

It was like holding onto a frantic snake that sprayed water.

By the time I got the darned thing on the ground where I wanted it...

I was soaked.

I was soaked again later when I needed to move it.

At least they helped to keep me cool as I amended the soil, 

weeded and shoveled bark dust around.

I am telling myself that I know Shasta Daisy 

and that these three little bunches

will indeed become lovely large plantings...

until they blend together for one large mass.

Right?  Right?

Right?

 

 

Tomorrow I have more to plant.

Sigh.

Another Lavender, 2 Blanket Flower, 4 Black Eyed Suzies

and a big Sweet William.

More of my "bright idea".

I will say this for gardening.

It is something I can lose myself in entirely.

Put on my MP3 and get lost as I pull or dig or snip.

Best of all...

at the end of my day,

I sleep like a rock and wake refreshed.

Oh.

I got a sunburn too.

Haven't had one of those for a long time.

Fortunately I am one of the lucky who turn tan overnight.

I hope you all are having a great weekend.

The SSS posts made me hungry.

But then, most things do.

=:]

 

THROW THE DUCK!

Someone never tires of the game "Throw the Duck!"

In fact, if you are busy weeding or some sort of outside activity...

unavailable to throw the duck...

Roxie will throw the duck herself and then chase it.

But only if you are in the yard and giving applause.

Tomorrow is my return to work.

I actually got primo hours.

When I walked in to be "re-activated"

I got a hug from my shift manager who told me how glad he was to have me back.

Nice.

I am told that things did not go as smoothly as they do when I am there.

Um... how about a raise?

I'm pretty much ready.

The man is well stocked with food he likes.

I made myself a big pot of red beans and rice.

One of my favorite dishes that happens to be cheap and will feed me all week.

(Buying food at work is a budget killer.)

The hardest part will be getting up early again.

Funny how the sleep time creeps later and later when you don't have to be anywhere.

Or

Getting my feet used to standing on them all day long again.

I must admit to some excitement.

I have not been out much since Randy's stroke.

My time has revolved almost completely around him...

because I wanted it to.

Squeaky can and has watched out for him and he will do so daily now.

Gotta keep the man safe!

My work life, 

suck as it does,

 is mine.

We all need our time in pursuit of separate experiences.

That gives us something to talk about.

Removes boredom.

Opens doors.

Gets us OUT.

And I am sure that the man is ready for a bit more...

 eh-hem!

"silence".

hee hee

Have a glorious Monday!

I know... meh Monday.

But each day is a gift,

 may as well open it with gratitude.

=:]