For Today - June 27, 2010 - Sunday

Outside My Window. . .Hot & sunny.

The potting bench area is all nice & tidy. I spent all yesterday making sense of all the clay pots, enamel pots & pans & signs...although I haven't yet hung the signs as I'm concerned the area might look too busy. But the area looks much neater, that's for sure.

I Am Hearing . . .Country/western music coming from the living room TV. No one is in there watching. . . . I have no idea what the show is. . . but there is a definite C/W twang going on in there!

I Am Wearing . . .pink nightgown. I wrenched my back yesterday, hauling yard *stuff*, including a few concrete pieces & I've been very extremely lazy today, not bothering to get dressed.

I Am Thinking . . . I need to wash dishes. We don't have a dish washer & since my back is feeling better this afternoon, I really ought to go do them. They're not going to wash themselves & no one else is going to wash them, that's for sure!

I Am Wondering . . .why a person would think that just because a woman is a keeper at home (Titus2: 4-5), that person doesn't have a life. And odd position for a Christian person to have, in my opinion.

I Am Grateful. . . my hubby picked up my little bottle of Pan-Away & gave me a short back massage w/just 3-4 drops & wow, I sure do feel a lot better. And I didn't have to take any Tylenol, or any ibuprofen products. I realize this may not always be the case - but I am grateful the Essential Oil plus an old fashioned soak in Epsom salt have given significant relief.

From The Kitchen . . . sausage kolaches. We cleaned out the freezer & found a package. Hubby is happy.

I Am Going. . . to clean the kitchen.

I Am (still) Reading . . . There's no way to change this up - - - I have much to learn & will continue reading "Essential Oils Desk Reference"

I Am Hoping. . .back continues to feel A-okay.

Around The House . . . floors desperately need sweeping/vacuuming.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .no pain!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I seldom, if ever, take medication. If I die or complicate a physical ailment it will be because of what I chose not to do. So far my choices have proven, over time, to be for the better. This may not always be true. . . . but for now it is.

Today's Photo. . . .How can daisies look so fresh in this horrible heat???? Today's predicted high is 97 degrees & with the heat index will feel well over 100!!!!

For Today - June 25, 2010 - Friday

Outside My Window. . .It's once again very, very warm. The hydrangeas are nice & perky because we got a good amount of rain Wednesday night & Thursday.

I Am Hearing . . .Cars - but let me tell you about last night. It was dark after we came home from having dinner w/dear daughter & her dear hubby. Oh. My. The cicadas & crickets & maybe some bullfrogs were so very, very loud! We had to yell to one another while outside in order to be heard!

I Am Wearing . . .chambray shirt & white Capri pants. Barefoot w/pale pink polish.

I Am Thinking . . . about that owl that was in the tree Wednesday. A huge owl, which I think was a screech owl. He watched hubby burn trash & watched me putter around the potting bench.

I Am Wondering . . .if we're gonna' get more rain. It's very overcast & we certainly can use it.

I Am Grateful. . . to have spent last evening w/daughter & her hubby. We had a nice meal at Jalepeno Tree & a very nice visit too.

From The Kitchen . . . apricots & grapes waiting to be eaten.

I Am Going. . . to be lazy tonight.

I Am (still) Reading . . . "Essential Oils Desk Reference" Nope - I don't think I'll ever get finished with it!

I Am Hoping. . .hubby will soon be home.

Around The House . . . contented me & contented Shiloh.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .contentment.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I seldom, if ever, wear dresses or skirts.

Today's Photo... Self portrait.

For Today - June 18, 2010 - Friday

Outside My Window. . .It's warmed up nicely! LOL This is my husband's traditional summer-time response to weather discussions, "It's warmed up nicely". . . . no matter if it's 100 degrees - that's his response!

I Am Hearing . . .A couple of birds chirping & the A/C humming. They are very vocal for me to hear them through closed windows!

I Am Wearing . . .a blue chambray nightshirt.

I Am Thinking . . . I need to feed the dogs. I have two extra as my daughter & her hubby are off celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary. It's a bit of a juggling act as 2 of the dogs are real chow hounds & the other is a real *diner* - - - taking her sweet time!

I Am Wondering . . .how yesterday's elderly gentleman is doing.

Since I was going to the nearby town, I decided to pay a bill in person instead of mailing, seeing as how we're friends with the ophthalmologist. A very elderly man was laying flat on his back at the back of his SUV with his HoverRound chair partly in/partly out of the vehicle. He was conscious, but looked to be in pretty bad shape. I told him I'd get help & I ran inside declaring there was an elderly gentleman needing help - & I told Lee, from the optical department, to go try to help; the receptionists got in touch with another male employee & I ran to the back to get a bottle of cold water.

The employees said he'd left the building quite some time ago, but no one knew for sure how long.

Anyway - the men got him in the passenger side of the car & his wife, who was getting her eyes checked, came out & I guess they were going home. Or maybe to the ER? I don't know.

I am wondering if he is okay. Even 5 minutes on the pavement in the heat can do horrible things to one's health!

I Am Grateful. . . that I was there yesterday. Most of the time we don't see the reasoning behind changes in our schedule, etc., but it was very clear why I decided to pay in person.

From The Kitchen . . . fresh produce: organic broccoli, cabbage, lettuces, onions, apricots, strawberries & cherries. Mmmmm.

I Am Going. . . to feed the dogs, get dressed, wash laundry & clean the floors.

I Am (still) Reading . . . "Essential Oils Desk Reference"

I Am Hoping. . .my daughter & her hubby are having a very special 5th anniversary celebration.

Around The House . . . are nice smells!

One Of My Favorite Things . . .fresh flowers in the house.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . A post from my other blogs was featured here at The Stir

Today's Photo... Click here to read about David & Amanda. 5 years ago today!Photo by Donna Cummings

For Today - June 16, 2010 - Wednesday

Outside My Window. . .See yesterday's post. And the day before. It will most likely remain *ditto* all summer long ;)

I Am Hearing . . .A bird, high in the trees, calling. No one is calling back. But he is persistent!

I Am Wearing . . .khaki shorts & brown tee-shirt. And those bare feet!

I Am Thinking . . . I need to get off the computer & rehang a picture in the Nature Room. And maybe wash a load of clothes.

I Am Wondering . . .how boring it must be to be weatherman in east TX during the summer. Nothing much ever changes . . . unless there's a hurricane in the Gulf.

I Am Grateful. . . that supper is all taken care of!

From The Kitchen . . . and supper is all taken care of because the pot roast is in the crock-pot. Mmmm - smells so good!

I Am Going. . . piddle in the Nature Room & continue reading. . . .

I Am (still) Reading . . . "Essential Oils Desk Reference" Do you know there's documented research that some essential oils are better at curing a staph infection than some antibiotics? Fascinating reading!

I Am Hoping. . .to hear soon from our youngest son. It's been a while. And I miss him. Yes, this is the same as yesterday.

Around The House . . . are nice smells!

One Of My Favorite Things . . .is the solid, loving relationships my married children have with their spouses.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I dislike the term *mate* when referring to ones spouse. I know it's PC - but I much prefer spouse. *Mate* makes me think of dogs.

Today's Photo. . . a corner of the Nature Room.

For Today - June 15, 2010 - Tuesday

Outside My Window. . .Are blooming hydrangeas & Black-eyed Susans. It's warm & muggy, a rather typical east Texas June morning. Yes, this is exactly what I posted yesterday. . . I can most likely cut & paste this for the rest of the Summer!

And speaking of the hydrangeas - they are looking rather wilted - I need to go out & water them. They would love some rain!

I Am Hearing . . .I live in Texas & like most Texans this time of year, am listening to the air conditioner humming. The opened windows of Spring are a thing of the past. Of course it's not officially yet Summer. But temperature-wise, it most definitely is!

I Am Wearing . . .white cargo pants w/turquoise t-shirt. And bare feet with nails needing a fresh paint job! Just to let you know - I buy clothes in multiples. If something fits & the price is right, I buy at least one more. So - - - these are not the same pair of white cargo pants! Last year I found the perfect t-shirt for me, from JC Penney. And lucky, lucky me - they're on sale! I bought two of every color that I wear!

I Am Thinking . . . I need to make a trip into town today, even though I didn't have any plans to do so. Hubby has the infuriating habit of paying the utility bills on their due date. In person. Today is the day. He is already at work. Don't ask me why he insists on doing it this way - he has no answer. It is just his quirky ways of doing things!

I Am Wondering . . .How the neighboring cowboy is doing today.

Derek, 23, works the cattle for Steve, & he came by the cabin yesterday morning asking my assistance. He had gotten his boss's pickup stuck near the creek & wanted me to pull him out! I explained that my Nissan Quest wasn't made for pulling & towing, but I offered him the use of the phone and some boards to put beneath the wheels to get some traction.

A bit later he came back to let me know the boards didn't work, so I offered to drive him to his bosses house (just a few miles away) so he could get his truck to pull out the boss's truck.

All should be well. . . . right?

After a while, he came back to the house, all embarrassed because *his* truck had run out of diesel while driving down to the creek! So, I offered to take him into town to buy some diesel, but he explained that unlike a gas engine (where all you have to do is add some fuel) there is more to the diesel engine because you have to *prime* it first.

And then he kept standing on the porch. Just shuffling from one foot to the other. Looking at me. Looking to me. It was then I realized he was expecting me to solve the problem for him. He was looking to me as if I were his mother - - - & I was going to make all things better. Hmmm. What to do?

Call my hubby - that's what! He suggested I take Derek up the road to a farm that has lots of goats, cattle, an emu & lots, & lots of tractors & farm equipment. I don't know the people who live there. Hubby doesn't really know them, either. But that's what good-hearted people do: help one another. So - that's what we did.

And of course no one answered the door. And of course they were cutting hay in a field far from the house. And so we waved & made a ruckus & carried on & the man in his air-conditioned tractor drove up to us & after explaining Derek's situation, got jumped into his truck met us at the gate to the pasture with the stuck truck. Oh. And left his air-conditioned tractor running!?

So - I'm wondering if Derek will have a better day today. Yesterday was a real M O N D A Y for him!

I Am Grateful. . . that hubby came by on his way to a job to go pay the bills himself. I guess he thought about our little saying, "Do you want it done? Or do you want it done your way?" And if it has to be done a particular way, then that person has to do it him/herself.

Don't get me wrong - I'm willing to pay those bills. After all, I pay all the other bills - but not in person on the day they are due!

From The Kitchen . . . is Earl Gray tea & cinnamon toast.

I Am Going. . . to hang a couple of pictures & scrub down the main bathroom. . . which is very, very small. It won't take long at all!

I Am (still) Reading . . . "Essential Oils Desk Reference" Yeah - I'm that geeky! But since we don't use pharmaceuticals - essential oils, vitamins, herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture, etc., are our first line of medicine.

I Am Hoping. . .to hear soon from our youngest son. It's been a while. And I miss him.

Around The House . . . there are still pictures & mirrors to hang & I'm ready to hang some of them today.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .is my very good health. And the very good health of my hubby. We are blessed & we know it full well!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I'm participating in a flickr group of submitting a self-portrait a week. For 52 weeks. I don't like having my picture taken. This is a stretch for me.

Today's Photo. . . this week's SP...I've been told it's *dreamy*! :)

For Today - June 14, 2010 - Monday

Outside My Window. . .Are blooming hydrangeas & Black-eyed Susans. It's warm & muggy, a rather typical east Texas June morning.

I Am Hearing . . .The A/C humming, some birds chirping outside & that's about it. It's a very quiet morning, isn't it?

I Am Wearing . . .white cargo pants w/brown t-shirt. And bare feet w/nicely polished toenails! :)

I Am Thinking . . . I need to update my blogs, tweak a couple of photos taken yesterday & tidy up around the house.

I Am Wondering . . .How did my youngest grandson get to be 10 years old! Happy birthday, JSS!!!!

I Am Grateful. . . for this past weekend! Hubby went on a Boy Scout camp-out with our youngest grandson; I got to spend time with my grand daughters (ages 16 & almost 8); oldest grandson got all registered for college; & we got to make it back home & have a small birthday dinner for my awesome 89 year old mom!

Oh! I forgot to mention - the FEMA money for GS finally came in!!! Very, very grateful -

From The Kitchen . . . It's all clean although there is the lingering aroma of fried chicken from yesterday's birthday dinner! I hadn't made fried chicken in decades! I'm so glad it's like riding a bicycle - - - one doesn't forget!

Oh - and there are lots of pancakes in the freezer as I quadrupled the recipe & now we have our own stash of *fast food* hidden away in the freezer!

I Am Going. . . to do some laundry, paperwork & plan out my week.

I Am Reading . . . "Essential Oils Desk Reference" Yeah - I'm that geeky! But since we don't use pharmaceuticals - essential oils, vitamins, herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture, etc., are our first line of medicine.

I Am Hoping. . .to do paperwork for my mom & Good Samaritan.

Around The House . . . There's some laundry to fold, floors to sweep & furniture to dust. I may (or may not) hang come pics in the dining room.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .is my husband reaching for me in his sleep. :)

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I've been married 2/3 of my life. Yeah! It's a real good thing!

Today's Photos . . .pix from mama's birthday. Mama, my daughter, her hubby & my hubby - the one who still reaches for me in his sleep :)

Mosaic Monday @
http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2010/06/mosaic-monday-summer-bouquet.html

Just for Today

Just for Today - go here to read what's up w/me

Wahhhhhhhh!

For Today - June 10, 2010 - Thursday

Outside My Window. . .It is raining. It's been raining off & on for over 24 hours. Blessed rain. We really needed it.

I Am Hearing . . .Rain on the metal roof & thunder in the distance; Shiloh, the pony-sized Golden Retriever snoring; the A/C humming & the clicking of the keyboard as I type.

I Am Wearing . . .khaki cargo pants w/brown t-shirt. And bare feet w/nicely polished toenails! :)

I Am Thinking . . . that because of all the rain, I'm in a rather lazy mood.

I Am Wondering . . .How my son-in-law's sweet Tansy is doing? She is a sweetheart of a Golden Retriever who had a huge mass removed on Monday. It appeared very rapidly & increased in size very quickly. In a week's time it was about 6" in diameter & the vet had to remove some muscle tissue to get all of the tumor.

I Am Grateful. . . that my daughter just called with a Tansy update. How's that for being serendipitous? Perfect, perfect timing.

And I can hardly beleive it. The tumor is NOT cancerous! It's necrotic lipoma. Apparently it grew & died very quickly, but no cancer! The vet hadn't heard of this before. Well - let me tell you there is much rejoicing is going on here in front of the computer. My daughter's pets are her children. . . for the time being . . . & even though life is filled with sorrow & they will have their share of it. . . I'm glad today is not the day.

From The Kitchen . . . watermelon.

I Am Going. . . to be lazy today.

I Am Reading . . . blogs of very creative women.

I Am Hoping. . .to make pancakes & vegetarian sausage links for supper tonight.

Around The House . . . There's an Amazon box on the dining room table w/hubby's Father's Day gift & a package from JCP w/my favorite 3/4 length, v-neck t-shirts in the living room. While I despise, abhor & loathe shopping in real life - I love online shopping!

One Of My Favorite Things . . .good news!

Today's Photo. . .a mosaic of my first geocache which was only 6/10 mile from the house!

For Today - June 1, 2010 - Tuesday

Outside My Window. . .It is hot & sunny! Hydrangeas are blooming and so are gardenias, although not many at all.

I Am Hearing . . .a car drive by. . . & the A/C humming.

I Am Wearing . . .white capris, red blouse, black flip/flops.

I Am Thinking . . . that it's not yet officially summer & the predicted high is 96! What's up w/that????

I Am Wondering . . .Why, back in March/April, so many people were complaining about the cold & wondering if summer would ever get here? It's here! At least the heat is, although the season is not!

I Am Grateful. . . I got to stay home today. Well, one quick trip into town doesn't really count, does it? And dil & kidlets made it safely back home.

From The Kitchen . . . leftovers!

I Am Going. . . to do a load of clothes & maybe paint the corner cabinet in the Nature Room.

I Am Reading . . . about geocaching here. Can you believe it? There's caches w/in a mile from the cabin!

I Am Hoping. . .to walk to one of the caches this evening.

Around The House . . . Laundry needing to be done & of course the floors need sweeping. And it wouldn't hurt to give the bathroom a swish & a swipe.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .a day at home. I know no other way to be a "keeper @ home" than to spend a lot of time here, tending to it.

Today's Photo. . . Mama, yesterday at AME's house, loving on Frankie