Family Project

Yesterday was busy, busy, busy,---"boys" spent 2 hours at the groomer (yea!), Jake transported the patio furniture home for me and Keith put it all together (also, helped me chase the runaway white monster dog), boxes by the curb to be picked up by trashman today, and chairs ready to sit in and read. Really comfortable---still re-arranging them to put in the "perfect spot."

Lots of family in VA this week, getting travel pics, and hearing about ice cream runs---why am I not there? Family and ice cream----It just doesn't get much better than that.

Mass this AM, volunteering at the rectory---home to read and relax. Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Pics, pics, pics

Was out in the yard yesterday and saw the most beautiful butterfly (Great Spangled Fritilary-plz double click for great details) on the Liatris. Grabbed the camera and got some wonderful shots as I chased it around the backyard (call it another certifiable incident for Ma--now resorting to chasing butterflies).

Sitting out on the deck every AM and evening--tomorrow will have some AM moon pics. Get up so early in the AM and the moon is still up in the west sky---just had to try and capture it to share with you.

Mass this AM, volunteered at the rectory, trip to the grocery store, and boys to groomer this afternoon. Still have family members traveling--pray for their safe returns to their homes. Stay healthy, be safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Goings on

Off to St James Church in Augusta today for a 21st anniversary get together of KS Harvest House (the old folks meeting). The Bishop will celebrate Mass, will have lunch, then home safely and out of the heat. (Thanks Kevin for taking care of the "boys."

Woke up to a beautiful 67 degree morning. Had all the windows open, watered all the pots of flowers, and read on the back deck. Stay cool, healthy, and in touch. Some family members still traveling, some "home", some heading for the beach/camping, and some just enjoying the phone calls (that would be moi).

Pic of Gold Bar grass (some of what I ordered last year). Really a great grass--(suggest a double click to get better details).

Love, Mom

Day Off

Enjoy the Zinnia.

Taking the day off.

You know what you need to do.

Love, Mom

Lily and Lantana

Treating you to flower pics--Rose Lily bloomed this AM and Lantana is coming into its own w/the warm weather.

Mass, mowing this AM and Music Theater this afternoon. Call it a 3 M Day.

Have a calendar w/great quotes: Martha Washington said, " I am determined to be cheerful and happy whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition." WOW!

Have a great weekend, stay cool, healthy, safe, and in touch.

Love, Mom

Stuff

Up early this AM, coffee on the back deck, Mass, ran errands, planning on yard work, trying to stay cool, nap, and some reading before the day is over.

Music Theater this weekend---Smokey Joe's Cafe--and trying to stay cool. Families still traveling--keep them in you thoughts and prayers for safe travels. Keep yourselves healthy, safe, and in touch.

Love, Mom

Gotta

Worked out in the yard until 9:00pm last night. Now have a dappled willow that is 2 feet shorter and can now see nicely over the rail of the front porch. No more kale in the pots---pulled all of them up and replaced them w/different kinds of sun coleus. Plants are on sale all over the city--gotta have em---gotta have em! Gotta stop--gotta stop!!!

Back from Mass---cooler this AM, planting, weeding, mowing, watering and possibly a movie, reading, nap later today. Oh, Gee----to try to fit in all this stuff in a day/week is a real challenge.

Stay healthy, safe and keep in touch. Family headed in all directions. Keep them all in your thoughts/prayers for good times, safe trips and happy returns home.

Love, Mom

Today

Mass this AM, volunteered at rectory, visited w/grandson, off to run errands before it gets too hot, and make it back in time to take a short nap this afternoon. Supposed to rain today----soooo---where is the rain???? Will drag hoses around again later today to keep the flowers from roasting in the heat.

Keep healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Teeth polished and shined

Enough teeth cleaning done to last another 6 months. My teeth are so shiny. I have to watch the grinning. Don't want to blind anyone with the glare from the enamel.

Mass this AM, volunteered at rectory, stopped by the car wash, and now working inside and outside----too hot to be out too long. Pulling hoses around to keep the flowers from burning up on the 100+ day.

Heard from the TX grandparents yesterday---fun is being had by all.

Stay cool, healthy, safe, and keep in touch.
Love, Mom

Dentist today

Major event---teeth cleaning scheduled today @ 1:00pm. Would rather be anywhere other than in a dental chair. Wah, wah, wah!

Mass this AM, had nice visit w/out of town company, and planning on making a shade screen for the back porch before the day is over. Blah, blah, blah!

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch. Rah, rah, rah!

Love, Mom

Day Off

Have a day of rest---I certainly plan to do the same as you stay healthy, safe, and in touch.

Happy Father's Day to my sons, in-law sons, grandsons...
Love, Mom

Rowdy Rules

For the ones of you who say my "boys" are not working for their keep---take it back -- take it back. Saw mole activity in the yard yesterday afternoon---no sooner got the spade in hand, the hose w/water running in the tunnel when Rowdy did his tunnel nose dive and came up w/the mole---less than 5 minutes. Think I may now rate timing of the catch instead of quanity caught. He is even getting better at dropping it so I can "spade" the mole and do the field pitch. Lots of excitement going on here.

Off to Mass, run errands, get gas can filled, mow the lawn, possibly work in a nap before visiting w/out of town friends this evening. Ask you to stay healthy, be safe and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Nuttin' New

Mass this AM, ran errands, and getting stuff done before it heats up today. Backyard project moving along nicely. Enjoying sitting out in the evening, having a glass of wine/kool-ade and reading/watching the night sky w/the pup posse.

Plans for a busy weekend. Mass, breakfast w/friend, mow the lawn/yard work Sat. AM, visit w/out of town friends in the evening and chill out on Sunday. Stuff, stuff, stuff---that would be me.

Stay healthy, be safe, and keep in touch---HB to you, HB to you----last BD for the month, swan song for June!

Love, Mom

Shrubs, Bugs, and "Boys"

Up and going early this AM to get ahead of the heat--trimmed front yard shrubs, pulled weeds/grass from the East walkway (in progress) area, visited w/neighbors who were walking their dogs, and am now showered, cooled down and ready to do in house stuff. The "boys" have supervised the AM yard project and been underfoot the entire morning. Really thinning out/trimming back and removing old plants from flower garden. Everything had really become overgrown---lush but overgrown. (Enjoy the Kale pic---this will be my last year to have Kale---too much maintenance to keep caterpillars and worms from shredding the leaves.)

Plan to go to Mass this noon or evening. Expecting more work to be done today and tomorrow on the backyard "project." Also, looking forward to nap---supposed to be 95+ today w/high humidity.

Have a BD boy tomorrow so keep in touch and you will know who it is. Also, stay healthy and be safe.

Love, Mom

Thinking and Thanking

Time out to do some thinking and thanking.

Thinking about families and how blessed to be joined by the special people that make up mine.

Thinking about grandparents making that across-the-country vacation trip with grandchildren.

Thinking about seeing, visiting w/children, grandchildren, and great grand children and feeling very blessed to be a part of all their lives no matter how busy, no matter the geographic distance. Thanksgiving is in order and given for each and everyone one of you, you, you...

Okay, here is a plant pic to go with all the above. The Coleus are wonderful this year---loving all the rain. Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Millet

How about some millet seeds? These are absolutely beautiful plants and a guaranteed choice to replant next year. Great transition plant---looks different each day. The seeds look like beaded jewelry (would recommend a double click to fully appreciate).

Worked in yard most of yesterday and plan to do same today.

Stay healthy, be safe, and keep in touch.
Love, Mom

Ma

Back from Mass, planning on running errands, working in the yard/flowers between rain. Nice and cool here today though overcast. (How about this Hosta?---the rain says GROW and it grew.)

We have a LaCrosse champion in the family---keep in touch and you will know who!!!

Please stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Stuff

(More lilies---enjoy).

Back from Mass, breakfast w/friend, stopped by hardware store to buy more grill supplies, (cover and vegetable/fish grill topper grate), then grocery store to get some veggies/fruit to grill...I have the grill bug. Will marinate today/prepare---grill tomorrow. This will all happen after I return from Music Theater (Gypsy)--maybe, maybe not.

Stay healthy, be safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Days

Back from Mass, back from Vet w/Buster (6 months routine checkup), and ready to work some more on the backyard project. Yes, still working on the backyard project----but it is coming along nicely and I am pleased w/it.

Really looking forward to beginning of Music Theater (Gypsy) tomorrow afternoon. Perfect time of the year to be in doors where it is cool, relaxing, and listening/watching a good production. Will go to Mass in AM, breakfast w/friend, pick up around the house a bit and be OTD and DTR by 12:30pm. (Treating you to another Asiatic lily pic--enjoy!)

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Today

Backyard project will hopefully be completed by tomorrow, if not may require one more day at the most. Really enjoying the work in progress project.

Back from Mass, friend came by to pick up my lawn mower for maintenance (mowed yesterday evening so I would not have to rent a thrasher if mower in shop for a couple of days---rain sure makes it difficult to get necessary yard work done), finally getting mulch dispersed throughout flower garden...(promised there would an Asiatic lily today---enjoy).

Stay healthy, be safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Rainy Days...

Enjoying the coolness of another sporadic rainy day. May even apply the cypress mulch---may not.

So exciting to learn a new skill---I feel like a grill queen (one night only). The (marinated) chicken was great, nice char marks, perfectly cooked --- YES!!! Planning to move on to pork chops, fish, and vegetables---so easy. This may create major image issue.

Vines (sweet autumn clematis and lace vine) are growing and finally climbing over the arbor. Like watching a pot boil though----does not do it fast enough. Tomorrow will treat you to some pics of blooming Asiatic lilies.

Stay healthy, be safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Busy Day and Weber

Lots in the works for today: Mass, volunteer at rectory, run errands, read, and grill chicken on the new Weber grill this evening. It is absolutely the cutest little grill, well made, and is on a small wheeled stand so I can easily move it after using it. The neighbors grill almost every evening meal and my mouth waters when the aroma hits the air---hopefully, I will be as skilled w/my grilling---this is new to me---Pop was the grill king. Am sure I am providing a thought---"there I knew she could do that and all these years..."

Worked out in the yard most of yesterday, weeded, trimmed, thinned out overgrowth in between rain showers and opted to defer lunch for a 2 hour nap in the afternoon. Loved the cool, though humid day.

Miss our company---the "boys" do too. Wayne could not occupy a chair w/o the furry guys.

Stay healthy, be safe, and keep in touch. (Know it's a little blurry--the pic is for content-not quality--seeing that I am using a different digit to take pics).

Love, Mom

Great Weekend

How much fun this weekend!

• Great time spent w/family.
• TX family on way back home.
• Worked in the yard most of the today, read, and took a nap with the "boys."

That's it for me today. Hope your day was great. Stay healthy, be safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Day(s) Off & Short and Sweet

Family safely in town! Plan on being off the computer and just enjoying the company. Be back on line Monday or Tuesday.

Take care, stay healthy, be safe, and keep in touch.
Love, Mom

Excited

Went to Mass this AM, came home to get painting clothes and back to the rectory for a day of painting. Excited for TX family to arrive later tthis evening for a few days visit. That's my day.

Hope your day goes well---stay healthy, be safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Blah, Blah, Blah

Volunteered at rectory most of yesterday---stripping wallpaper and helping get ready to paint the walls of hallway and office. Nice group of people working together. Had supper w/friend, watched some TV in the evening, read, loved on the "boys" and was in bed by 10:30pm. (Astilbe and Hosta's to start your day---compliments of the shade garden).

Off to Mass this AM and back to tearing off more wallpaper at the rectory. Will pray the wallpaper tearing fairy (Is there such a thing???) came in during the night and finished the room I was assigned to. We'll see.

Again, be in touch---June birthday's are filling the calendar---Expect singing---lots of singing---It's what I do---sing, sing, sing....can't dance just sing----come to think of it---can't sing either---so back to the wallpaper tearing.

Stay healthy, be safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Ode to the Daisy(s)

Survivor! Most of the Gerbera Daisy's have hung their heads and wilted into nothing. The ones that remain have done well. Really strange. Stopped by yesterday to visit w/greenhouse owner---he also thought it was strange and told me to pick out some replacement plants. That's what I love about shopping local. Have shopped their for years and will continue to do so.

Busy day--Off to Mass, volunteering most of the day at the rectory, running some errands, and putting the replacement plants in the soil before sunset.

Stay healthy, be safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Stuff

Spent a lazy day yesterday, took AM pics (sweet pea vine, Hawthorne seedling, Jacobs Ladder, Fern, Sweet Autumn Clematis, Hostas, Yew, rocks, and bags of mulch), went to Mass, picked up some items at the grocery store, worked a little in the flowers, nice visit and great supper w/Keith's family (Taylor was working--missed ya Bud), visited w/family on the phone, read, played w/the "boys", and went to bed...Want all of you to be aware of my infatuation for this trivial life style I celebrate. Never realized it would work to just let it roll and not constantly have each second planned. Kind of liking this groove.

That being said, off to Mass this AM, volunteer at the rectory, stop by the greenhouse, mow/edge the lawn, spread out the above mulch, and "chill" out this PM--supposed to be in the 90's today.

Put on your list to stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom