Chasing Butterflies

The Liatris and other plants are blooming and the swallow tail butterflies are all over them. (Camera time). Kind of like a convention---the word must be out. I am watering almost daily to stay ahead of the heat and keep the flowers/shrubs hydrated---was 105 degrees yesterday.  So fun (even in 96 degree temp) to sit on back deck at night and watch the fire flies in the back field.

Off to Mass, volunteer at the school all day, w/interval breaks to come home and let out the guard dogs. Last day to volunteer at school until enrollment the first 2 weeks of August. Keeps me off the streets and out of the heat.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Blah, Blah, Blah

Last week:
Daily Mass, volunteered most of week at school/Church, mowing, mowing, mowing, watering, watering, watering, weeding, weeding, weeding, carried off broken tree limbs---Whew!----What a week!

This week:
Mass this AM, then more of the above w/o tree limb breakage/removal. Volunteering at school ends on the 30th--then resumes the first of August.

Watching hummingbirds flitter through the sprinklers, sip at the feeder (thanks VA Ashpoles), butterflies finding places on plants to lay their eggs----just fun to sit out on the back deck, read, snuggle w/the "boys", read and just catch the scene.

Stay healthy, stay safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Wind storm, River Birch tree limb broken

Recovering from last night's wind, hail, rain storm...lost a sizeable branch/limb from the River Birch in the backyard. Borrowed the neighbor's extension electric chain saw, called my handyman/carpenter, had the branch down and limb groomed by 8:50am this AM. Call and it is done. Nice!

Went to Mass at 7:30am, volunteered at rectory and am having lunch w/Aunt Joan today. Plan to mow,  attend a 4:00pm meeting, and then chill this evening.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Maintenance and Repair Day

Car to Haven, KS early this AM for routine maintenance (good checkup--it will outlast me). Fun (?) driving w/wind blowing 40 to 50 MPH. This must be KS. Washing machine repairman coming today (between 1:00pm and 5:00pm) to replace the computer panel-- (AKA F1 recall error code problem).

Ready to grill this afternoon (if wind settles down). Took the grill apart Saturday, cleaned all parts----It works!!!! Have pork chops marinating, mouth watering, can already taste them. Fixed Tabouli yesterday. Am becoming quite the domestic----just try to stay busy, enjoying fixing/tasting different  dishes---thanks to recipe sharing. Keep em' coming LJ.

Went to Mass yesterday AM, stopped by QuikShop, picked up a newspaper, went through the carwash, took a 2+ hour nap (at home), then topped the day off w/homemade ice cream at Keith and Becky's. Yummmm!

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

One Less Mole at Ma's

Today's List of To Do's:

• Mass this AM.
• Eye Dr. appt.
• Take more Lilly pics.
• Sighted new mole tunnel.
• Flood mole tunnel.
• Mole on the move and surfaces for air.
• Mole scooped up w/Ma's trusty shovel/spade technique.
• Mole suffered broken neck--thanks to Ma's cervical shovel/spade maneuver.
• Mole tossed into back field w/greater arc and distance than the last two.
• Go Ma Go!!!!

Please keep healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Flowers and Ma

Busy Day:

• Mass this AM.
• Run a few errands. 
• Cover a Holy Hour at the Chapel.
• Volunteer at SLC this afternoon to set up for the Priest's retreat evening banquet.




• Then home to chill this evening w/the 3 Dogmingos, putz in the flowers and sit out on the back deck. Not enough hours in the day.

Please stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Just Stuff

Wonderful cool morning. Off to Mass at 7:00am, picked up some groceries on the way home and worked in the yard until now. Mowed yesterday evening (mowing aprrox. every 3 days----if I wait more than 3 days it is more like harvesting than mowing). Weeded, tied up arbor vines, watered all the pots, and now am inside and thinking about a nap.

Ready for more pics: Gerber daisys, stone path from corner of house to shade garden/arbor area + 2 dogs.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Flowers and Ma

The sprinkler system has been great. All I need to do is weed, mow, and take pics of the flowers. Have to restrain myself----will be out in the yard, notice another bloom or change and have to capture it on camera. It's called camera putzing. Remember that---I shall be known as the camera putzer one day. (Featured Today: Sweet Pea, Gazanias, and Lillies)

Off to Mass, volunteer at rectory this AM, then dentist this PM for teeth cleaning. Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Alas, Poor Myrtle

Tried to wait out the Crepe Myrtle (tree/shrub in front yard)---no blooms, limbs were dried, and easily broke off. Gave up on it and took drastic action this AM. There are shoots coming from the underground. Thanks to my alligator chain saw (thanks Kat!)  it took only minutes to trim. Thanks to my trash man the debris will be removed from driveway by Wednesday. (Note, the green on the debris is not Crepe Myrtle---it is remnant limbs from the Red Tip that I trimmed last week.)

Mass this AM. Have a busy week ahead, Church Potluck mid week, volunteering at rectory, volunteering at SLC, repairman coming for washing machine, sprinkler guy coming to readjust a stubborn sprinkler head, getting an estimate on replacing the daylight window covers, dental and eye checkup appts.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Another Day at Ma's

Mass this AM, volunteered at rectory, stopped by grocery store and now home make a weekend putz list. Excited about going to Music Theater ( Music Man) tomorrow. Dogs barking--deer in back field--think I might re-group and run some errands----so I'm OTD and DTR.

Stay healthy, safe, and in touch.

Love, Mom

Today

Mass this AM, followed by trip to grocery store, then home to do lawn edging and some shrub rejuvenation. Having intermittent rain showers throughout the day---nice. 

Pics of eggplant, Buster (the other 2 were uncooperative to do group pic), and millet blooms: The birds love the millet and my mouth is watering for some eggplant. Hoping to try making some marinated  (farm market) eggplant this summer. Isn't Buster just the cutest Prince of a "dog?"

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch. (Happy Birthday, Jan!!!!)

Love, Mom

"Operator, Say Operator" (private joke) still rings in my ears

Mass this AM, volunteered at rectory, baking cookies to take to Church event this evening then home to chill. Is chilling possible in triple digit weather?

"Buds" are in fine form from yesterday's grooming. Really mellow today---nice.

Pics (eggplant and "Buds") to be taken and featured in tomorrow's blog.

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

Love, Mom

Hot and Humid

So early in the year to have such warm/humid weather. I am over-riding the auto sprinkler system to water auto and as needed.  A/C has beeen on most of the month (7 whole days---whopeee) to make it more tolerable--mostly because of the humidity. Supposed to be up in the 100's again today.

Plan Mass this AM, volunteer short time at rectory then home to meet appliance repair man to have him take a look at my "ill" washing machine. Always something in the works----or is it not in the works (as in not working). "Boys" are going to the groomer at noon.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Ma, Moles, and Mowing

Mass this AM, ran errands/grocery shopping, mowed, mole activity noted in front yard---Finished the mowing in the front, caught the mole and did a much improved mole toss into the back field. Who needs PT for strengthening when you can toss moles? The "buds" were unavailable for this catch due to it being in the front yard. This brings the score to: Ma 2, Mole 0. (Pics: same lillies--just more blooms. Mole on spade).

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love,
Mom

Lilies and Herbs

The buds on all the lilies are getting ready to pop open---captured 3 in bloom this AM and should have you sick of lilies before the month is over. They are such a welcome site. Take a tour of the flowers/herbs each AM and always surprised by the daily changes. Luvin' the herbs. Will need to begin watering the flowers each evening w/the warmer/windy temperatures. The lawn is filling in nicely w/the sprinkler system,  does well w/2 day/week watering, and will need to start mowing 2 times/week.

Mass this AM,  Lots going on w/our family today--birthdays, surgeries, travels...Keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers. Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Prattle On

Off to Mass this AM, pick up some groceries then volunteer most of afternoon at SLC helping set up for an evening banquet. Woke up to mid 70's, birds singing, dogs sluggish--nice...They will enjoy their day of leisure protecting the home front in my absence. They stave off uninvited guests by their vicious or would it be better to say incessant barking---pick one---I love them too much to diss the little guys---at least this morning. Gee, with an attitude like that looks like I may be headed for a great or an unrealistic day.

Okay, enough prattling---Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch. 

Love, Mom

YES YES YES...

Mass this AM then home to continue my mole observation mission and.....finally got the mole. Lots of water into the tunnel, watched the plants move and then went in for the kill and toss. The boys have become worthless mole hunters----think it might have been a Pop thing. They would have done anything to impress him. I would recommend a double-double click on the pic to see the reposed mole. No neva, margin irregulrities about this one----he no longer moves. I noted that my mole toss was not the best and am glad I wasn't being graded for the first of the season (and hopefully only one this year) mole toss.

Will spend some time this evening putting the flower garden back in order---lots of self induced water errosion, holes, etc---too wet to do much until later in the day. Will add that to my list of mindless tasks that have become my life----because I am finding out I am getting better and better at mindless tasks. 

Have to feature this beautiful Hydeangea----just as lovely as the day it arrived and note the new leaves on the bottom.  Kind of takes the tragedy off the mole story to add a little beauty to this otherwise morbid blog.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom