For Today - August 2, 2010 - Monday

Outside My Window. . .It's sunny, without a cloud in the sky. At 10:30 it's almost 90 degrees. It's hard to keep the hydrangeas & azaleas from wilting. :( In the evening there are bats & cicadas. And Owen the owl. He even accompanied Shiloh & me on our morning walk one day. . . :)

I Am Hearing . . .Cicadas.

I Am Wearing . . .blue chambray nightshirt.

I Am Thinking . . . that I very much miss my flowers from the old house. There were lots of aromatic Antique Roses, Sunflowers, Black-eyed Susans, Cannas, Yarrow, Buddleaia, & Milkweed.

And there was the blooming Vitex, always full, so very full, of feral honey bees. The sound of their humming was reassuring. I'm grateful I took a couple of naps beneath those trees. I wish there were photos.

It goes without saying I miss the Buick-sized Rosemary. And the mint & figs.

And the small kitchen garden that gave us plenty of tomatoes, peppers, & basil this time of year.

I miss the yard a lot.

I don't know how to grow anything in this yard. There's an awful lot of shade - - - and we don't know a thing about this soil. It is foreign soil to us.

We knew the other soil. It was full of vitality. We composted & mulched & layered & fed it good healthy stuff. It was alive with earthworms. It was alive.

We don't know this soil. We have lots to learn about it.Last year's summer bouquet

I Am Wondering . . .how long it will take to be at home with this spot of land? The house feels like home, although I think we should have gone with my initial idea of painting all the interior white. I think this house can do white. Maybe it's because of all the surrounding trees? I don't know - - - but I'm guessing when it's time to repaint we'll repaint a lot of it white.

I'm also wondering if the exterior would be better off white? Right now it's red. I'm thinking white with black trim.

I Am Grateful. . . for 41 years of marriage. We've had ups and downs, joys and sorrows, good times and not-so-good times. But I am his. And he is mine.

And I wouldn't change that for anything.

From The Kitchen . . . the refrigerator is full of fruit & veggies, although none of it grown my us. That seems strange to me - to have to buy/trade every last morsel that goes into our mouths. This is not how it's suppose to be!

I Am Reading . . . nada

I Am Hoping. . .to edit a few more pix for Samantha & burn her a CD of them.

Around The House . . . A store-bought bouquet. How strange it seems...almost some type of alien. I've always told hubby he doesn't need to buy me flowers for any special occasion because I have plenty outside. Now that I don't. . . . he bought me a bouquet. And while I very much appreciate the gesture. . . . they're are not nearly as beautiful as the homegrown variety!

One Of My Favorites. . . My husband!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I seldom lack inspiration . . . . it's motivation I run short of!

About Today's Photo. . . Wedding day 1969.

For Today - July 19, 2010 - Monday

Outside My Window. . .it's partly sunny. Squirrels are playing in the trees & are running on the fences.

And a snake is underneath house. Apparently one did not get the memo that don't want any snakes near the house. There was one 2' - 3' long sunning on a shelf near the kitchen steps. He was fairly skinny, and dark. He was lumpy so I'm guessing he had been snacking on skinks? I showed him mercy & merely attempted to sweep him off but he didn't cooperate as he simply crawled down a shelf support & then went underneath the house. There is at least one snake under my house. I am not happy about that.

Snakes never were very good at following rules, were they?

I Am Hearing . . .A Jim Palmer podcast & the water hitting the house from the water sprinkler. I have one of those old-fashioned ones made of brass, with 3 or 4 *arms* that spin around, slinging out water. I like the sound.

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

I Am Thinking . . . I need to call my snake friend who lives in the country & isn't one bit scared of snakes. I need her advice about keeping them out from underneath the house.

I Am Wondering . . .if there is any possible way that snake can get into the house? I wish they would just stay on the ground. Then all I'd have to concern myself with would be grass & leaves. I don't like the idea they can climb. They can climb anything. At the other house we had one who climbed the brick wall & onto the glass window. I really was buggered up over that!

I Am Grateful. . . that God is a God of love, not of fear, regardless of what "religionanity" may say.

From The Kitchen . . . oddly enough, a pot of chicken and rice soup. You see, there was leftover chicken & chicken bones. And leftover rice. And since I had onion & carrots, etc, it was just too easy to make soup. Never mind it's 108 w/the heat index!

I Am Reading . . . an email from an online friend who is a fabulous photographer. I contacted her about an upcoming photo shoot, asking her advice & she was gracious enough to share her experiences with me. You can see some of her photos here. . . .

I Am Hoping. . .to learn more and more about my camera & develop the skills to take great photos.

Around The House . . . folded laundry to put away & a bit of a mess in the Nature Room. I changed a few things. . . & need to get rid of what I'm not going to use or find a place for it.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .is Love. Not fear. Not *should*. Not a religious *to do* list. But Love. God is love.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I plan to roast a turkey this week! My daughter has been storing one in her freezer for us & it's time for it to turn into a bunch of meals. This is part of my goal to not spend any grocery money this week.

About Today's Photo. . . a detail of the water sprinkler. I thought it appropriate since it also resembles a snake!

For Today - July 8, 2010 - Thursday

Outside My Window. . .it's sunny right now. Of course that may change at any moment as we've been having the wettest June/July I can remember! Thy hydrangeas & azaleas are very happy with this turn in the weather.

I Am Hearing . . .the A/C. It's the middle of the day & is necessary to have it on.

I Am Wearing . . .khaki shorts, blue chambray shirt & walking shoes.

I Am Thinking . . . I need to move more stuff around.

I Am Wondering . . .if I'm gonna' want to move the armoire into the Nature Room. I won't do it this week. . . maybe next week? Once I empty it & put it on sliders, I really think I could move it by myself but hubby said no . . . So I'll live w/the rearranged dining room through the weekend & then decide.

I Am Grateful. . . for Young Living therapeutic grade essential oils & supplements. As you may know, I have osteoporosis & do not take any of the drugs for it. I take plenty of supplements though & have added a couple of items from Young Living. I moved the dining room table yesterday (twice!), the overstuffed chairs (also twice) and a second table into the Nature Room & woke up this morning with no pain.

I am grateful.

From The Kitchen . . . same as yesterday, only not as much meat since Amanda & her hubby came for a delightful visit & dinner last night. You can go to her blog & read about our Independence Day festivities. . . . just scroll down a bit & you'll find several entries about our wonderful weekend!

I Am Going. . . to move some stuff out of the dining room. There's one little area I'm not too certain about what to do & it will be easier to get the visual distraction out of here!

I Am (still) Reading . . . You know what it is: "Essential Oils Desk Reference". I have much to learn! In fact, if you sign up w/me, you'll get a free copy ($39.99 - 49.99) value, depending on where you buy it!

I Am Hoping. . .to finally get the dining room the way I like it!

Around The House . . . hmmm - today it's just a house. There's nothing spectacularly tidy nor messy about it. I guess if you came over you could tell I'm rearranging stuff . . . but nothing special about it.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .is helping people find vitality & health! If you have skype, I can have someone much more knowledgeable than myself answer your questions regarding your particular health issues!

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I've drank almost no caffeine for several months!

About Today's Photo. . . one of my favorite pix from the weekend.

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.

Ronald Reagan
40th president of US (1911 - 2004)

For Today - July 6, 2010

Outside My Window. . .Very, very warm & sunny & muggy. We had rain off & all all weekend. . . . and we need it! We always need rain in the summer. We seldom have rain in the summer, so I dare not fuss about it.

It worked out very well, though. When we had outside activities or traveling to do, there was no rain. And it mostly rained when we were inside or sleeping, etc.

Sitting on the porch was a pleasure except for those darn mosquitoes that much have hatched from all the rain? I'm going to have to find a non-toxic way to get rid of them! But I think I may have some help as my oldest grand daughter was the first to discover we have bats around the house! They were flying around the mercury vapor light that's in the driveway. Without it would make it very difficult to find the house in the dark or to get from the car to the porch, so we leave it here. . . . It might be a good thing - attracting food for the bats!

I think I wrote about that big old owl w/in the last week & he was out front too. I haven't identified him, but he is big: I'm guessing 18 -24" tall! I hope he's not planning to eat the bats!? After all, they are small mammals!

I Am Hearing . . .Crickets & cicadas.

I Am Wearing . . .white capris & blue shirt.

I Am Thinking . . . I need to mop floors.

I Am Wondering . . .if I will actually get around to mopping floors. . . . it's hard to get back into the swing of things.

I Am Grateful. . . for the wonderful weekend full of family & activities

for small town parades

and firemen competitions

for the pulled pork being such a big hit

for going geocaching

for big (there were 12 of us) get together w/my mom @ assisted living facility. They put out a great spread of wonderful food!

for daughter's neighbors inviting us over for big firework show @ their house. It was the biggest private fireworks show I've ever been to!

for grandkids fishing

for Apple to Apple game

for James Bond movie

for fireworks @ home

and the poppers too

for bats in my yard

& the owl, too

for my family getting safely back home.

For my hubby. When everyone is gone & the house is empty - I'm glad he's here to listen to the quiet with me.

From The Kitchen . . . lots of grilled meat & a watermelon.

I Am Going. . . to catch up on reading blogs & tidy house; move two pieces of furniture & two rugs; & mop floors.

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. . .to make steady progress

Around The House . . . the evidence of a houseful of people having been here. And I love it!

One Of My Favorite Things . . .family get togethers.

Something You May Not Know About Me. . . I have almost always in the past used real china, glasses, silverware & cloth napkins. It's been an idiosyncrasy of mine. But not this weekend. . . . not for the big meals. Oh breakfast did get eaten from real bowls - but the other meals were from paper plates, plastic cups & forks & paper napkins! Scandalous!

Today's Photo. . . .the last of the sparklers - - - the last of the fireworks - - - the last of the holiday.

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

For Today - May 31, 2010 - Monday

Outside My Window. . .The sun is shining, the birds are singing & the porch is ready for breakfast to be served!

I Am Hearing . . .Shiloh crunching his chew bone! And birds chirping outside & an occasional car driving by.

I Am Wearing . . .pink gown & slippers

I Am Thinking . . . that we have the *perfect* name for the separate guest room/bath. Youngest grandson proclaimed "This is the smallest hotel room I've ever seen". Youngest grand daughter noticed "And the ceiling is shaped like an 'L'".

My dearest hubby & EOS said it simultaneously, & it shall now & forever be known as. . . . .

L'Hotel

I like that!

I Am Wondering . . . When the rest of the family will be getting up.

I Am Grateful. . . that EOS & some of the grandkids are here for the weekend! What joy! AND I'm glad my daughter is no longer in such intense pain!

And the men & women who helped make & keep my country, and me, free.

It is the VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN,
not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN who
salutes the Flag,

It is the VETERAN
who serves under the Flag,

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON
THEM.

From The Kitchen . . . Lots of fruit & fruity dip. . . .and tea.

I Am Going. . . to get dressed, put on makeup & go wake up my grandkids if they're still asleep in L'Hotel!

I Am Reading . . . nada

I Am Hoping. . .for a safe, relaxed, family-filled Memorial Day. And shrimp. :)

Around The House . . . Tell tale signs of kidlets being here: little shoes, puzzles, a doll, crayons, cards, etc. Pretty, pretty sights. . .. every one is a still-life that touches my heart. Quick! I need to grab the camera!

One Of My Favorite Things . . .is spending time w/me family.

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I used to have thick hair. Thick and curly.

Today's Photo. . . Front porch taken in Jacson, MS, some years ago.

For Today - May 19, 2010 - Wednesday

Outside My Window. . .The sun keeps peeking out from clouds . . . . going in and out. . . in and out. Hydrangeas are blooming!!!!!

I Am Hearing . . .Birds chirping, clock ticking & what sounds like crickets.

I Am Wearing . . .white capris, orange t-shirt & walking shoes.

I Am Thinking . . . That I need to finish the *center hall*, *mirror room*, *green room*. Heck - I'm thinking we need to decide on a name for that room!

I Am Wondering . . . how much longer my daughter will suffer with pain.

I Am Grateful. . . that it appears she's going to be okay.

From The Kitchen . . . Dishes waiting to be put away; and portobello mushrooms waiting to become lunch. And pork chops waiting to become dinner!

I Am Going. . . to continue going through *stuff*. Stuff, stuff & more stuff.

I Am Reading . . . decorating blogs.

I Am Hoping. . .mama's aching tooth doesn't result in lots of expensive work.

Around The House . . . The nature table is finished; bed is made; floors are clean. There's the air of quiet domesticity.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .having my family healthy!

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I hve an 18 year old grandson who has successfully graduated homeschool highschool!

Today's Photo. . . JDS @ graduation

For Today - May 10, 2010 - Monday

Outside My Window. . .It is very, very humid. And breezy.

I Am Hearing . . .Birds chirping, clock ticking & wind blowing through the trees.

I Am Wearing . . .chenille robe & pink scarf around neck.

I Am Thinking . . . I need to hurry & get dressed!

I Am Wondering . . . If Good Samaritan will get any funding from United Way.

I Am Grateful. . . that the cheese cake turned out well. You can read about it here.

From The Kitchen . . . Nothing. No food prep going on. No dishes to wash. Nothing. Although I should fix something for breakfast!

I Am Going. . . to make a trip into town today.

I Am Reading . . . nothing.

I Am Hoping. . .The meeting with United Way goes well.

Around The House . . . Dog hair. Shiloh really needs a haircut.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .A family get together!

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I can't think of anything. I'm not particulary mysterious or coy.

Today's Photo. . . 3 generations. . . Mother's Day, May 9, 2010.

For Today - May 8, 2010 - Saturday

Outside My Window. . .Washer & dryer off the porch! Hubby making new attic door.

I Am Hearing . . ."It's 5 o'clock Somewhere" by Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffet. And now "Chattahoochee" by Alan Jackson. "Small Town Southern Man" , "She Don't Know She's Beautiful", "Pop A Top Again", "Midnight in Montgomery" - all by AJ.

And birds outside.

I Am Wearing . . .khaki cargo pants w/denim shirt & walking shoes. Oh, and an apron.

I Am Thinking . . . It's 3:25 & I need to eat lunch.

I Am Wondering . . . If Cayla is going to have her baby tomorrow? Wouldn't that be cool? She got married on our anniversary - - - & may have her little girl tomorrow, May 9, Mother's Day. The same as my daughter. That would be so cool!

I Am Grateful. . . an oven that bakes evenly. Here's hoping the homemade cheesecake turns out! It's the first I've ever made from scratch. Amanda requested it for her birthday cake. We'll see!

From The Kitchen . . . Homemade cheesecake in the oven & dirty dishes in the sink.

I Am Going. . . to wash those dishes!

I Am Reading . . . a photography book about exposure.

I Am Hoping. . .The cheesecake turns out!

Around The House . . . Laundry done. Floors swept & vacuumed. Birthday gifts for tomorrow. Cards, too!

One Of My Favorite Things . . .A sunny, cool day with the windows open. Hubby piddling outside. Me cooking inside. Going back and forth. Listening to music.

That's more than one, isn't it? No, not really - it's one perfect day!

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I don't watch Friday night TV.

Today's Photo. . . Playing around w/a favorite blouse & camera settings.

For Today - April 7, 2010 - Friday

Outside My Window. . .Warm & breezy. Kinda' balmy-feeling. The breeze is nice

I Am Hearing . . .Birds chirping & wind blowing through the trees.

I Am Wearing . . .shorts & t-shirt

I Am Thinking . . . My friend Linda W. is one mighty strong, feisty woman.

I Am Wondering . . . How long her husband will live. He's been sick for a very long time. The nurses are guessing he'll be gone before Father's Day. It's gotta' be tough for all of them. Especially their 17 year old son.

I Am Grateful. . . for the long, long chat with Linda. It was fun talking about the old days.

I'm also grateful that mama's flowers arrived on time. And looking good. After bad experiences with other florists, I am happy to say that the two times I've used proflowers.com have been wonderful! Beautiful flowers - just what I ordered & delivered when they said they would be delivered! Yay!

From The Kitchen . . . All the fixins' for a homemade NY cheesecake.

DD was born on Mother's Day & her birthday falls on it again this year. Her hubby is grilling steaks & I offered to make her a birthday cake. She asked for cheesecake, so I have all the stuff in the kitchen to make one tomorrow. I hope it turns out to be all she's hoping it to be. And I hope I remember to take pix of it!

I Am Going. . . to lay down for a while. I have a light case of Poison Ivy & I want it to stay that way. I'm starting to get hot. I need to lie down & cool off.

I Am Reading . . . nada

I Am Hoping. . .The poison ivy doesn't get any worse. I'm really sensitive to it & usually get sick: vomiting & running a fever. Here's hoping this is & will remain a very light case.

Around The House . . . Nothing special.

One Of My Favorite Things . . .A lazy day.

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I earned my gray hair.

About Today's Photo . . (Click on photo).

For Today - May 3, 2010 - Monday

Outside My Window. . .Hydrangeas almost ready to bloom. And fragrant honeysuckle. And a mighty fine crop of poison ivy :(

I Am Hearing . . .Baby birds chirping.

I Am Wearing . . .Cargo pants, t-shirt & walking shoes.

I Am Thinking . . . Shiloh needs to go pee more often. My cousin said that dog urine deters snakes. I guess I'll quit fussing at Shiloh for peeing in the flower beds!

I Am Wondering . . . About this morning. I woke up at 3 & got up for a while, but then went back to bed. I don't know what time it was but it became a rather magical time. There had been a bird singing. I don't know for certain what it was, but some night-time singing bird. There was a light breeze. Just a gentle time of night.

And then n o t h i n g. I mean not a sound. No bird chirping. No coyote howling. No dogs barking. No possums walking on the porch. Nothing crunching on the leaves. No car in the distance. Not a sound. Not a breeze. Just stillness. Complete. Total. Magical. Quiet stillness.

Is there a special time between night & morning? Is there a shift change within nature? It was amazing.

I fell back to sleep & woke up later to the sound of a multitude of birds chirping, singing, calling & greeting. And it too was magical. But in the wee hours of the morning I experienced for the first time in the cabin, the magic of silence.

I Am Grateful. . . for yesterday's mini family reunion.

From The Kitchen . . . Leftovers!

I Am Going. . . walking. I need to get back into the habit of walking.

I Am Reading . . . everything at Junk Sophisticate. What a creative lady!

I Am Hoping. . .The snakes & I can live amicably together.

Around The House . . . Nothing special.

One Of My Favorite Things . . . Volunteering at Good Samaritan. The other volunteers are inspiring people. They are what's best about the little town.

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I can't think of a thing!

Today's Photo . . . Even though we are prime habitat for snakes, we didn't find any. We did, however, find this little lady hiding beneath some boards.

For Today - May 1, 2010 - Saturday

Outside My Window. . .It is just beginning to get light. It is very muggy & has been threatening to rain for 24 hours. But still no rain. Just stillness & mugginess.

The azaleas are through blooming for now.

The honeysuckle outside the kitchen window is just beginning to bloom. Sweet honeysuckle fragrance is hanging in the warm, muggy air. Sounds like the beginnings of a novel that takes place in the South! :)

I Am Hearing . . .Woodland birds waking up. I wish I was better at identifying them by their sound. There is a very large variety greeting one another. And me.

I Am Wearing . . .Shorts, t-shirt & sox.

I Am Thinking . . .I really am going to like the porch, once it's done. 2/3 is painted. . . just waiting for Mark to come get the appliances from one end. Hopefully he can get them this weekend or next. He's the one who lost everything in a house fire & is having a hard time finding financing for a new home :(

Once the last of it is painted we can move stuff out of the guest room, storing it where the appliances are now, & get to work in the guest room! The ceiling & inside of the closet are painted, but the walls & trim have been patiently waiting.

I Am Wondering . . . If the little dog got homesick & went back to her pack. She ate some of the canned dog food . . . then hung around for another day, staying away from the cabin. She would look happy when we went to her. Her eyes were bright, ears & tail perky, but she no longer came on the porch or around us. Mama thinks she got homesick for her family. Maybe so. . . we haven't seen her since last Tuesday.

I Am Grateful. . . hubby had no objection to me buying a different color for the porch ceiling. Martha Stewart's "Porch Ceiling Blue" - C26 is SO much better. Perfect!

From The Kitchen . . . Stuff for tomorrow's lunch. My cousin, the Snake Expert is coming over tomorrow, bringing his wife & daughter with him for a snake hunt! We have no desire to eradicate all snakes from the property as we appreciate & respect them for the contribution they make to all our lives. But I don't want them in the attic (although Clint says that 70% of Texas homes have/had snakes there), beneath the house, on the porch or in the house! Our landscaping plans can best be called, "State Park" style. Which means we'll remove the brush/underbrush nearest the cabin, but leave a lot of it around the perimeter. It means lots of gravel pathways, some edged w/fallen logs. It means mulching the beds with leaf mulch. It means an almost perfect habitat for snakes! I just don't want to be surprised by them.

I Am Going. . . to do some laundry, clean house & piddle in the yard & on the porch.

I Am Reading . . . nada

I Am Hoping. . .that it rains. It's been too, too muggy.

Around The House . . . Pretty much the same as last time as I spent the time painting instead of hanging & sorting, etc.

One Of My Favorite Things . . . A family gathering & the anticipation!

Something You May Not Know About Me . . . I got my hair cut. Short. Real short. The shortest I've ever had it. I think I like it. . . just hoping I can get it to spike the way I want it to! I like spiky hair.

Today's Photo . . . Blankets Wrap You In Warmth, Quilts Wrap You In Love Top quilt made for me from my dearest of friends Debby. Middle quilt given to me for my 50th birthday. Bottom quilt made by my maternal grandmother for my parent' wedding. they would have been married 68 years this August.