Wednesday, June 29, 2011

A Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...its cloudy, 76 °F, (24 °C), but is expected to reach 91 today...I can see Finch feeding on the Thistle and lots of pretty red flowers.
Hearing...the washing machine
I am thinking...about all the chores that need to be done before I can create anything
Feeling thankful for...the phone conversations with my son(he's returning to foreign soil today after his R&R).....the fun I had with Daughter and Granddaughter on our annual trip....Honey Bear's garden(we're getting tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, onions and potatoes now)....answered prayers....and God's plan for our lives...the people who have offered to help Daughter move....members of my club who are also my friends(always there to do what is necessary to make projects run smoothly)
I am remembering...seeing the Princess model clothes she was shopping for school clothes at Justice...they were having a 40% off sale
Creating this...(sorry, no pictures)....an uncluttered house.....presents to send with my Sack....finishing some UFOs and starting July's TTS blocks....
I am currently reading...Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
One year ago today...It was hot and dry....Honey Bear and I had gone on a tour with our Garden to a winery....my sister was planning to visit...we were enjoying fresh veggies from the garden....praying for rain....working on scrapbooks and Gardener's Journal
I am hoping...to have the house straightened and some laundry done before the end of the day.....to hang a few pictures in the guest room and freshen the room for my sister's visit next week.
On my mind...how today seems like Monday since its my first day home this week.
Noticing that...'time changes everything, life must go on'......some of the references in this novel I'm reading about the Jacobite uprisings mirrors what I've read in the Garabaldon books.
Pondering these words...'(You) have examined my heart and  know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away. You chart a path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You both precede and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to know.' Psalm 139:..1-6
From the kitchen...fresh veggies(see feeling thankful for)....
Around the house...clutter from the weekend and my trip...wondering whether to put my bunting up on the front porch before the weekend..I didn't do it when I put out my patriotic decor earlier this summer.....thinking about what to have for a 4th of July meal..
I am praying for...the closing of Rick's refinance of the house to happen soon so Daughter can close on her house.....praying for a stress free move for her...praying for the grandchildren....praying for son's safe journey  back....
A few plans for the week...finish housekeeping chores...mail package....maybe take the Princess and Wonder Boy out for lunch...shop for a few groceries
One of my favorite things...Spending time with my girls
From my picture file...
This is a mug that my Daughter gave me for my Birthday in May.



Monday, June 27, 2011

Meet Me On Monday

Welcome to the 50th edition of 
"Meet Me On Monday!"
 
Every Sunday Never Growing Old will post five get to know you  questions that you can copy and paste into your own Monday post and we  can all learn a little more about each and every one of us!!
Looks like Java is still on her vacation.
Lucky for us, she has prepared for MOM
while she is gone.
Questions:

1.  What is your favorite food?
that's hard to answer because I have a favorite at most of the restaurants we frequent....I will say that like Java, I love pizza and have it once a week...I also like chicken.....but I love fish, too.
2.  What color scheme is your bedroom?
Red and gold
3.  Do you carry a donor card?
No, but I have a notation on my driver's license.
4.  In your opinion, is the glass half empty or half full?
half full
5.  Vanilla or Chocolate?
Chocolate!
Well, there you have my Monday post. Its time for the girls' annual camping trip. We're off to Nashville this morning for some relaxing at a hotel and shopping at the mall.
We had a wonderful weekend. Saturday, we drove 60 miles south to the town where Honey Bear grew up. We visited my Aunt Kat and his Aunt Doris who happen to be in the same assisted living facility. Now, that might seem like a coincidence except that there arent' that many facilities like this one in this small town. Also, these two ladies are from the same community and the same church. In fact, my cousin, Aunt Kat's son introduced me to Honey Bear many, many years ago.
After our visit with them, we went to a local restaurant where my Mother's family were meeting for dinner. This time there were over 40 of us. I love that we're doing this several times a year. I get to spend time with cousins and catch up on the families of my Mother's siblings. She was the oldest of 7 children. Some of her cousins also attend these gatherings.
I hope your week is getting off to a good start.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Funny Friday

Hello everyone(bears, too)
Wil here
with my Funny Friday post.
A couple of weeks back I
mentioned a creature with White
curling hair
and
 a nose that smelled 
everything.
Well some of you guessed
what it might be.
Mama says its her
grandpuppy.
Whatever that means.
I finally have a photo of him.
Whenever he makes an appearance 
the rest of us fur babies
disappear
especially Smokey
the 4 legged fur baby
who likes to hog Mama's lap.
Oh, and this creature with
the white curling hair
chews everything in sight

Smokey's mice and even
furry feet like mine
so we give him plenty
of space.
Oh, and his name is
Yoshi.
More later...

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

A Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...its wet and 73 °F, (23 °C)...we had a lot of rain in the last 3 hours and it cooled things off from the 97 degrees that it was earlier..the flowers have taken a beating...I was supposed to water the earth boxes this afternoon(they don't get watered much from rain)but I've decided to do it first thing in the morning.
Hearing...Darma and Greg on the TV
I am thinking...another day has gone by without any work in the studio...
Feeling thankful for...the rain of the last few days after 3 weeks of drought...my son being safely on US soil for his R&R....
I am remembering...the meeting I attended this morning...we're having a county wide event to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11 by hosting a card making workshop. The cards will be sent to our service men and women to send home....we are planning to make 911 cards.....today we met and made assignments to ask businesses for donations....we also put together 100 kits. We have to assemble many more before our event.
Creating this...nothing at the moment as I'm trying to stay off my feet until my knee heals...I need to trace off some more embroidery blocks but after the workshop and waiting to see the Dr, I needed to prop my knee up for a while....I got some new fabric and plan several projects to start when I have an uninterrupted day at home.
I am currently reading...nothing, I finished Diane Mott Davidson's Fatally Flaky this afternoon and haven't started anything else..but I have books on the Kindle and hard copies also so I'll be starting another one at bedtime.
One year ago today...We had eaten our first ripe tomato from the garden..I was working on the genealogy scrapbooks..I was reading Summer at Tiffany's...getting ready for my Sister's visit and looking forward to 'the girl's camping trip'.
I am hoping...to do the prep work for those new projects this week...
On my mind...what to have for dinner
Noticing that...the bird feeders are empty
Pondering these words...“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.”Tennyson
From the kitchen...that's what I'm wondering..something good, I hope.
Around the house...its calm and quiet...and cool, thank you, Lord.
I am praying for...my family
A few plans for the week...tomorrow I am going over to Daughter's to help with some preliminary packing...need to go to the bank and the grocery store before the end of the week......a family gathering on Saturday at a catfish restaurant.
One of my favorite things...Summer rain
From my picture file...

Benches seen in Hartselle, Alabama


As always I am giving credit to Peggy at The Simple Woman.


*update: went to the Dr today with my knee, concerned that it still had pain and a puffy knot. I was given a couple of shots. He was concerned about infection so gave me an antibiotic. Hopefully it will be much improved by Thursday. I was advised to stay off of it as much as possible.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Meet Me On Monday

Welcome to the 49th edition of 
"Meet Me On Monday!"



Java is off on a vacation in Mexico, lucky girl, but she has arranged for us to continue with our Monday blog hop 
in her absence. Wasn't that sweet of her.
Questions:

1.  What feature of the opposite sex do you notice first? their smile
2.  Do you talk to yourself? yes and I fuss at myself too
3.  What is your current relationship status? married 44 years
4.  Do you have a garden? technically it is Honey Bear's garden but he lets me water it and pick the vegetables. 
5.  What is your favorite licorice flavor? Absolutely none!!

Well that was short and sweet. If you're wondering, my knee is much improved, the swelling has gone down but there is still a puffed up area where the blood collected. It isn't very painful now.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Funny Friday

Good morning, everybear
Wil here with my Funny Friday
post.
Mama is sitting with her knee propped 
up on pillows after her fall
yesterday. It looks much better
today than it did last night.
She went on a field trip with 
8 or 9 friends to a nearby
town, Hartselle.
They have lots of antique shops
there, whatever that is.
she said she saw lots of furry 
friends but didn't bring any home.

They had lunch at Freight House, a building that began its life as a train depot. The 
building has lots of character.
Silly Mama, left her camera at
home so she took these few 
with her cell phone.
Me and my Bear Buddies are watching
water fall from the sky...
Mama says its rain
but it has been so long since
we had any that we forgot 
what it looked like.
Mama says she's going to start
taking one of us with her on her
adventures and make photos to
share here like the ones of our
friend, Sebastian over at Bearbits.
I hope she picks me but I imagine 
she'll choose someone a bit smaller
so they won't be quite 
as conspicuous.
Hello to Prudence and Sissy over
at The Bears blog, they are off 
at camp on an adventure. I
wish I'd made them promise
to write while they were away.
Today we met D.B. at their Blog and heard
his amazing story. 
And I mustn't forget the furbunnies
Thanks to all of you who read
my Friday posts and leave me comments.
It makes me feel like you're
giving me a big bear hug. 
Wil
:0)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Wednesday HodgePodge/Outdoor Wednesday

Traveling into the Wednesday Hodgepodge-Vol 31

1. What is one thing on your bucket list? If you don't have one let's pretend you do. 
I don't really have one....I suppose if the doc said I had a year to live there would be things I'd want to do, though....I'd spend some time with my son and his family....maybe take that road trip up the east coast in the Autumn and the Alaskan Cruise. I guess money is a factor when it comes to doing the things on my wish list.
2. What makes a good dad? Patience is what comes to mind first....I think of my own Daddy and I think he was special. I always felt his love for me....He enjoyed being with us at any age....and was very tenderhearted.
3. Are you afraid of insects? Which ones? Not really as long as they respect my space...I don't like big spiders...and I certainly don't won't to be stung by bees, wasps, hornets or yellow jackets.
4. We're barbecuing...what's on the grill at your house?Most often its hamburgers and hot dogs....although when the power was off, we cooked just about everything on the grill.
5. Do you believe playing is more important than winning?Yes, the fun of the game and friendly competition...there are some in our family who really come undone when they lose....and are annoying when they win, too...
6. Do you tan? Use self tanners? Visit tanning salons? See your dermatologist at least once a year? Yes, because of the medication I take, I tan very easily after I turn red and splotchy.....I've used the self tanners and I admit to visiting a tanning salon years and years ago before we knew so much about skin cancer...No, I don't visit a dermatologist.
7. Five years ago I would never imagine that today I would... be spending only weekends with Honey Bear....at one time, I thought I'd live in Memphis until he retired and I thought about how much time I was missing with Wonder Boy and the Princess although I saw them once a month except in Winter....when we bought this house, we thought he would be able to retire because our investments were doing so well and then the bottom fell out of the economy so now we're living apart during the week...
8. Insert your own random thought here.
In the summertime when all the leaves and trees are green and the red birds sing.....anyone remember that song?
I'm not a big fan of summer...don't like vacations on the beach when its so hot...don't like to sweat....don't like Flies, Ants, Bees, Mosquitoes, etc......most outdoor activities this time of year do not appeal to me...I do, however, like the fresh veggies, especially tomatoes...I like visiting the Farmers Market....I enjoy seeing the parents with the baby birds in our yard.....I like having the grandchildren visit and spending special time with them when they're not in school....and I like seeing flowers in bloom.....I love air conditioning and I still remember summers without it so I can really appreciate it.....
The Bible says to everything there is a season so I know Summer has its place and it is part of God's plan. Today, I'm praying for rain and a break from the heat...
For Outdoor Wednesday, I'm showing our porch and pond area in the backyard.







I'm joining Joyce for Wednesday Hodgepodge and Susan for Outdoor Wednesday.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

A Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window....the sun is shinning and it is still hot and dry....I can see the Geraniums and the Mandevilla are in full bloom...the Butterfly Bush is putting on smaller blooms because of the drought.....we've hung the hummingbird feeder where I can see it now that we have a baffle to keep the Squirrels away..a goldfinch just landed on that pole, no Hummingbirds...there is a slight breeze blowing...its 84 °F, (29 °C) already and its only 10 AM.
Hearing...Smokey trying to root under my afghan...the dishwasher running and the AC
I am thinking...it is about time for me to call the Princess to see if she's ready to come over for the day
Feeling thankful for...the oven being repaired and not having to be replaced...each step in the process being completed so that Daughter can move into her own place....(the divorce was final yesterday...we're waiting on the refinance of their home so she can get her money out..then closing)....the kind folks at church who've offered to help her move....the weight I lost last week
I am remembering...the weekend and quality time spent with Honey Bear
Creating this...

Patriotic pillowcases for the Veteran's Hospital...

 Blocks for the Tis the Season quilt and wall hanging.

Aprons to hold drainage bags of breast cancer patients..
I am currently reading...The Teaberry Strangler by Laura Childs....I slipped into Books-a-Million on Friday and picked up some bargain books(this is one).
One year ago today...I wasn't posting much...too busy with other things....it was hot then too and little rain...guess this is normal for this time of year but so hard to take after the nice Spring rains and cooler temperatures.
I am hoping...to get some work done in the studio this week...I have several projects going on at once.
On my mind...finishing up here so that I can get dressed and go get the Princess....put a load of clothes in the washer and dryer.
Noticing that...its cooler in here since I opened the quest room door(we keep the vents shut in there and the door closed but yesterday I walked on the treadmill and just left the door open)
Pondering these words...Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. - Proverbs 4:23
From the kitchen...Whole Wheat Cinnamon Swirl toast with I can't believe its not butter spray for Breakfast with my coffee....the kitchen is clean because I did that before I turned on the computer......lots of fruits and vegetables...got my first cucumber yesterday from the garden and should have squash by the weekend.
Around the house...things are mostly tidy with a few loose ends to sort out....laundry to do, maybe a few pieces to iron.
I am praying for...Abbey, Denise(ShortyBear), my sister, Daughter, Son in Afg, the little girl mentioned at club meeting who has cancer, Honey Bear...others
A few plans for the week...sharing a couple of days with the Princess..taking her to the doctor this afternoon....field trip on Thursday...quiet days at home
One of my favorite things...visiting your blogs to see what you're up to......
From my picture file...
He thinks we can't see him.

I'm looking for a Bible study online....can anyone help me find one.

I have been so frustrated because I can't use my printer as a scanner...since I got the computer, the printer is networked and prints fine but I can't get the software for scanning to load...

Hope you have a blessed week.
As always, I am linking to Peggy's Daybook page.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Meet Me On Monday

Welcome to the 48th edition of 
"Meet Me On Monday!"

Questions:

1.  What is your favorite yogurt flavor?I prefer Peach or Vanilla but sometimes eat Blueberry or Cherry. I also like the plain with some Raisin Bran Crunch on top for breakfast or on top of fruit salad.
2.  Ankle or knee socks? and on the same theme, white socks or coloured??In the Summertime, I wear ankle(sport socks)that are white when I'm walking....In the wintertime I usually wear colored socks that sorta match my pants, although I do like to wear wacky ones sometimes and always wear socks on Holidays like Halloween or St. Patrick's Day that match the theme....the only time I wear knee socks is with boots under a skirt in the Winter.
3.  How is the weather right now?Hot, Hot,****Hot as Robin Williams said in Good Morning, Vietnam.......and very dry...no rain for 3 weeks.
4.  Are you a fast typer?yes, very fast but I haven't timed myself.
5.  Red or White Wine?I usually prefer White but occasionally I'll drink red. I think it is better for me, health wise.
There you have my answers...to see how other people answered the same questions, hop over to Java's place.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Funny Friday

Hi All,
Wil here
Can you believe its Friday
already?
I've hardly seen Mama all
week. She's been so 
busy.
And it has been so hot
outside. Not that I've been outside
myself but I've heard rumors.
I can see the grass in the backyard
is very dry. We need some rain.
Speaking of hot, if it wasn't
for AC, I'd have to become
a Polar Bear and live in the
water to stay cool...sometimes
its such a bother to wear a 
fur coat all the time.
*Please stop by and visit my friends 
at The Bear's Blog..its their 
blogaversary and they're 
having a give away.
Happy Weekend everyone.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Wednesday HodgePodge/Outdoor Wednesday

If its Wednesday, then this must be where I link my post with Joyce at From This Side of the Pond and with Susan at A Southern Daydreamer.
The house on the corner
always has such neat 'stuff ' in the yard.

 Oak Leaf Hydrangea and Gerbera Daisy
 I thought these Petunias' being one color and planted like this, were pretty.
There was an identical planter on the other side of the mailbox.
 Queen Anne's Lace
I know this is a wildflower but I've always found them pretty.


*************************************************************
Volume 30
1. Do you and your family enjoy camping? What do you enjoy the most/like the least about family camping? When was the last time you camped?
Although, there has been some camping during our marriage, we didn't camp once the children were school age.....Honey Bear and I joined my parents on camping trips twice after our children were out of the nest. It was at an AOK Campground in Trenton, Georgia in October where they had all sorts of activities going on like games, costume contests, Pancake breakfasts, and the campsite decorated for Halloween, the kids went trick or treating.
2. Did you attend a summer camp as a kid? Is that a happy or not so happy memory?
No, my parents could not afford something like that. Besides we had too much work to do in the summer with the garden and all.
3. Over the course of your life, what have you probably spent more time pondering than anything else?
why are some blessed to be parents who abuse and neglect their children while other loving couples remain childless


4. Which of the seven natural wonders of the world would you most like to see? There are many lists of wonders but this is the standard natural wonder list-Mount Everest, The Great Barrier Reef, The Grand Canyon, Victoria Falls, The Harbor of Rio de Janerio, Paricutan Volcano and The Northern Lights.
None of these have ever been high on my list of things I"d most like to see
5. What was your first real job?
What constitutes a real job? Picking cotton was the earliest job I got paid for, I suppose....I did Baby sitting and ironing for the public as a young teen...then I worked in our local burger hangout where they had a plate lunch type Sunday dinner at noon.
6. Lemonade or sweet tea...which do you prefer on a hot summer day?
Neither, actually prefer my tea unsweetened...and ice water is what I usually drink.
7. What is something that always brings a smile to your face?
Babies....
8. Insert your own random thought here-
Do your children attend VBS in the Summer? This used to be something we did every year. I taught many years. My children attended until they were pre-teens. But my grandchildren don't. I wonder if it isn't as much fun as it used to be. I'd like to hear from you on this.