Calm Sunday

Sunny and calm in Mayberry this morning.

I plan to spend the afternoon parked on this porch with a book and a tall glass of iced tea. Until wine thirty.

Who wants to join me?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Daddy’s little helper

 

I love my yard boys!  This little kid can’t wait to grow up and drive the tractor alone, bless his little heart. 

Shortly after this photo was taken, one of the back wheels on the mower section fell off.  That means: find the wheel, find the pin; put it back together again.  Hey, that rhymes! 

Fixing goes along with mowing, my young man!  Just ask Grumps…who had an oil leak on his piece of equipment.

Jason and Will are back to mowing now.  And sweating.  That mowing business is sweaty business.  Manly business.  Boys bonding.  Love it!

And Alex?  He and a bud are on the dock fishing.

Have I mentioned that I love living next door to these kids, short and tall?

Blessed.  I am.  And now the grass is cut.  Thanks, boys!

Life is good in the ‘hood, y’all!  Have yourselves a ginger peachy day.

Mom on call

This was my morning buddy, the beautiful Miss Jesse.



Along with one wee boy, then a second one.

The kids had a Nana scare late last night, so I went over in my robe and sleep tee and spent the night next door.

Will thought it was funny that I came over in my jammies, but he said nobody could see me. That's right. We don't have anyone near enough to see, and I wouldn't care anyway.

Nana is alert this morning, so I am now off duty. The hubby of a BSP sista is being interred in a military ceremony this afternoon, so Joy, Joan and I will attend.

MM is off mowing...still...but in a different location. And he had an oil leak yesterday that he finally found and will be fixing today. Never dull with equipment...or kiddos...or kitties.

That's our Friday in Mayberry, where the sun is shining.

Life is good, y'all! Spend it wisely and spread the smiles.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

High flyers

 

Love these happy smiles.  The boys and Amy got to go up for a free helicopter ride Saturday.

These boys don’t know how blessed they are, but that is typical of most all kids. 

Their Nana is losing her fight with cancer, so Amy and Jason are under a lot of stress…quite an understatement…but still trying to maintain balance with the boys and work, while helping with Nana.  The kids are asking good questions, and getting honest answers.  Life is very real.

We are all thankful for help from family and friends right now.  Everyone is helping in so many ways.  We are truly blessed with goodness and mercy.  Except for that wicked cancer.  It has now gotten painful for Nana, and none of us want her to suffer.

Hug your family and friends while you can.  Life is precious!

Tuesday in Mayberry

Well, this was yesterday. Macey played with the boys at the park, then all three enjoyed throwing rocks in the water. And across the water. I love watching them and hearing their laughter. These cousins love each other very much. So do I.

So this morning I spied a tuxedo kitty just outside our dining room window. He/she ran off when I opened the door for my photo:



I won't hurt you, kitty kitty. Where were our two? Snoozing inside in the A/C that I broke down and turned on yesterday.

We needed to cool down and dry out the house after the recent abundance of rain, not that i am complaining about the rain. I can hear the power meter going on overdrive, and don't look forward to the next power bill, but what ya gonna do??? Mold is not a good thing.

MM will appreciate the coolness after another day of mowing. Bless his heart.

It's just another day in paradise, doing normal stuff here at the fun factory...where life is good!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The great escape mystery solved

I close off the kitty door to keep the kitties inside overnight.  To be safe, right?  Our Houdini figured out a way to escape confinement. 

Several times after closing said door, KC has appeared on the deck.  How’d that happen???

I looked at all windows and screens.  Nothing seemed amiss.  The boy still escaped.

Next, I FELT the bottom of every stinking screen in the house, and discovered his customized escape route.  Now we know how he was able to be outside at 3 AM and get injured:

http://youtu.be/D3jSnAsFFNs

MM, your honey-do list just got longer.  The glass door AND the kitty door both have to be shut, Mr. KC.  Mom rules!  Mom doesn’t want another injured kitty nor another vet bill, thankyouverymuch.

Have yourselves a ginger peachy Monday, y’all!  It’s just another day in Mayberry.

Holy humor

There was a very  gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible  to her brother in another part of the  country.

"Is there anything breakable in here?"  asked the postal clerk.

"Only the Ten Commandments." answered the  lady.

So the land sale went well yesterday.  At least half of the lots were sold on the 200 acres, so the owner is pretty happy.  MM is sleeping in this morning, at last.  He has had entirely TOO many early mornings and late nights out there working.  He still has more mowing and brush piling and burning to do out there, but today is a day of much-earned rest…finally!This is a shot of the lodge while it was still in the staging stage on Friday.  Check out the moose…and that heavy cedar table:

And a peak at a cleared area by one of the lazy creeks on the property:

Thanks, Mowing Man, for mowing our yard yesterday.  That was small potatoes, compared to what you’ve been mowing recently!

Um, I think my honey-do list is next, right?!

Life is good, y’all!

Sweet peeps

Father’s Day celebration (again) for marvelous Maytag Man, minus 4 munchkins.  No wonder it was so quiet!  Hey, Logan, why are you hiding?
So after a long day of going here and there and doing stuff yesterday, I plopped myself down in the massage chair, put a throw pillow on my lap, and put the iPad on it to catch up on emails while getting a back massage.  Missy promptly joined me (note to visitors:  she expects to sit in the lap of anyone using the massage chair) and settled herself down on the pillow, never mind that I had to move the iPad to make room for her.  It was expected.
KC was out lounging on the deck, but at the first crack of a thunder bumper, he ran inside…and by the second loud noise, he jumped up and moved Missy over to make room for his not-so-dainty hiney.  I have two fraidy cats, for sure:

Deal with it…they say.  And so I did.  Bless their loveable hearts.
Today is the big land sale where Mowing Man has been working, putting in 10-12 hours of work these past few weeks.  Hopefully he will be able to sleep in tomorrow and get some much-needed rest.  He said he has lost 15 pounds.  What a diet!
That’s life in Mayberry, y’all!

Family jewels

Faith being one of five gals…and off enjoying a camping “staycation” and being unable to show off the “family jewels” to all their family and friends…posted this photo on FB:

Lucky me got to see this on her hand last evening.  And hug the future Mr. and Mrs. and Junior Miss.  I should have gotten a photo of the necklace Brian gave to lil Haley when he proposed to her…FIRST!  It is a sweet, small cross of diamonds with her mom’s birthstone on the back of it.  Precious!  Our guy did good in the bling department (and in picking a good woman).

Most of the rest of the clan were there for the cookout.  Yum.  MM and Logan laugh at Haley and me when we call each other before going anywhere together.  We didn’t call yesterday…and we both showed up in pink, denim, and tan sneakers.  Sheesh.

It happens all.the.time.  We’ve learned to live with this problem.  And laugh.  A lot.

Welcome to the family, Faith.  You are a brave woman.  Faith was also wearing a (bright) pink shirt.  She fits right in.

Life is good in the GA Alps, y’all, filled with happy smiles! 

They both said YES!!!

Our family is increasing by two, and we couldn’t be happier!  Love these gals bunches.

And we love this very lucky guy:

Welcome to the family, Faith and lil Haley…your lives will never be dull, that is for sure.

BTW, does proposing in an Airstream make y’all trailer trash?  Just wondering.  Brian, you are definitely getting yourself a good woman!

Life is VERY good, y’all!!!  Let’s celebrate!

Hero is gone

Joy's dad, Roger Howell, Jr., got his final wings last night at age 92.

I know wife Lois was singing him home, and greeting him at heaven's door.

You fought the good fight, and will be missed by everyone who was blessed to know you, most especially missed by your children and grandchildren.

And me...your "Sandy Dandy" is already feeling your absence.

RIP, sweet Jolly Roger. Your mission is complete.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Weekend wrap up

Sweet Bee met MM and me (and a bunch of the classmates) at fabulous John G’s for lunch on Saturday. Then she introduced us gals to an outlet store nearby!  That rocked…for some.  I will definitely go back shopping…without MM…next winter.  Good quality at good prices---my kind of shopping!  Who needs retail?

The dinner cruise was outstanding.  We actually motored S to Boca, rather than N to fancy Palm Beach, but that was even better, since MM and I were less familiar with that territory.  The food was good (no rubber chicken), the DJ was good, and the company was GREAT.

We enjoyed a leisure breakfast with the gang at the hotel, said our “so long” to everyone, then headed to the airport for the  4 hour flight home.

We were definitely IFR intermittently, but MM is a great pilot.  With his trusty copilot, we make a good flying team.

Amy invited us over for dinner on their deck.  Loved that…steak, salmon and all the trimmings!  Not to mention the SWEET company…

And we had two furbabies mighty happy to have us back home…and happy Father’s Day wishes to MM from both of the other kiddos.

The end.

Dontcha love happy endings?  I sure do.

Life is good, y’all…except for the scare of seeing a fox run across the yard just now, knowing KC is outside!

I ran out front yelling for my boy, figuring that would at least scare off the fox.  No KC in sight, but I heard a meow from behind the door.  He was thankfully back inside!

Another happy ending.

Happy Father's Day!

Maytag Man, we sure had some cuties. Get us back to Mayberry safely so we can see them all later. Clear skies ahead!

Happy Father's Day to ALL fathers!

Life is good, y'all!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Luxury dinner cruise!

 

Welcome aboard the Lady Atlantic!

This is where the class will be eating and cruising tonight.  Not too shabby, right?!

We shall see how the “other half” lives, check them out over in Palm Beach as we float by…eating, listening to music, and enjoying excellent company.

Ahh, the good life.  I could get spoiled with this luxury…at least for awhile.  No-thank-you to the expensive maintenance, cost of crew (not to mention the purchase price) of one of these babies.  We’ll settle for the occasional pampering.

Speaking of, there might be a “real” cruise—or two—in our future.

Our Saturday will be fantastic.  I hope yours is, too!

Up, up and away!

Loaded. Check.

Preflight done. Check

Hangar door shut. Check.

Ready to crank 'er up and head south!

Life is good, yall!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Marketing strategy and other stuff

Wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy - As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.

That is sooo true.  I wanted to replace a tube of lipstick that I liked.  Guys can stop reading NOW.  You gals know how hard it is to find and KEEP a shade that works.  When the tube is on its last application and you dutifully try to find the exact shade, it is nowhere available.  Something "better" has replaced it.  Right...NOT.  This applies to many products.  What are they thinking???

I feel better now.

So yesterday I needed the dishpan from the cabinet under the laundry room sink, and discovered it almost full of water, which majorly splashed out when I grabbed it!  Emptying and cleaning everything was so not on the agenda, but that is what had to be done.  I have a lot of vases stored under there; they all needed to be washed.  Nice paper and plastic bags had to be tossed. A big wet MESS...but no more!

And MM doesn't have the time or energy to deal with it right now.  The dishpan is empty and back under the drain, and I'll try not to use the sink.    MM's got himself a good, and understanding, woman!

So what is going on and where are we going, you ask.  Well, we are flying to W Palm Beach to attend MM's class reunion!  The weather is looking good for tomorrow, the kitty sitter is lined up, and we are excited about seeing lots of "old" friends.

Now I need to pack, but first...I have a lunch date with two wee boys.

Life is never dull in Mayberry, y'all!

Hump Day

Missy is longing to go out. Mean mom won't let her...or KC go out and play. They have been stalking each other, then chasing; repeating. And repeating. I'm ready for them to go out, but they can't.

So today is laundry day; tomorrow is pack day for a wee trip. Details later.

But first, there is always that!, I have to procure tents for a fare at church next month, since I did such a good job in obtaining them last time. Two down; two to go.

My assistants are circling, ready to head upstairs to the office.

Lucky me.

Today threatens to be a hawt one. What happened to spring, ppl?

Life is good on this Hump Day. Have yourselves a ginger peachy day, y'all! The kitties and I sure will, even though we can't go out and play.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Chick-less in Mayberry

Sad, but true. Mama and papa mallard have been back to the pond for the past few days. No chicks in tow. We are sad. No new ducky duckies to expect next spring to produce new generations of mallards who repeat the process. Nature can be sooo cruel.

Maintenance Man has been at the shop repairing a mower or two for the past few days. He said he watched our resident fox yesterday sitting in the driveway next to the shop, just grooming himself and snapping at an annoying fly. That would be the part of the driveway TOO near the house, dang it. I want him/her to go into the woods...there are literally miles of woods beyond us, but no, this critter chooses to stay close by. Is this what KC tangled with? No way are my babies going outside any time soon. No sirree.

So today is hair cut day, along with a few chores. Excitement. We has it.

Life is good, despite being chick-less. I can hope for fox-less.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Rainy Mayberry Monday

Our boy is watching the rain coming down, wishing he could escape the house. Not yet, my boy. He is healing well, but not going outside until next week. Period.

I might have accidentally bought this scarf at the Scottish Festival. Lots of Irish folks actually have Scottish heritage, and I like blue, so OK, I did buy this wee scarf:



I will proudly wear my very own tartan next year and fit right in the crowd, although I need to learn how to make that cute rosette the gals do to it. I'm sure Mr. Google can help with that. I was told it requires three folds and a rubber band. Check. I can learn how.

This rainy day would be a good time to do a little more genealogy research, in my relaxing clothes. Nothing needing doing in town today...yep, research and a good book, snuggled with a kitty or two. Great plan, but Missy didn't get the memo. She just jumped up to the top of the upper kitchen cabinets. Silly girl. Maybe she heard some thunder bumpers in the distance and wants to hide.

Have yourselves a ginger peachy day! I sure will.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Scottish Festival stuff

Plaids and kilts galore at the Scottish Games and Festival yesterday, but no Jamie Fraser in sight anywhere. Bugger. There was plenty of food, bagpipes, music, vendors and people everywhere. I ran into Joy and her cousin Christy for a brief chat.

I searched the vendors, looking for a Hamilton sash to purchase as nod to my possible Scottish connection, but only found an Ancient plaid, which is too orange for my liking so I resisted buying. This vibrant Modern plaid is much prettier and would have come home with me:



So I shall keep searching. Hmm, I notice there is a similarity between the Hamilton and Fraser tartans...

I wound up helping for awhile in the admissions booth with some friends before heading home. It felt good to prop up my feet...and begin a new book.

Later, MM and I met our camping club for pizza, then took them all out for a sunset boat ride.

Today promises to be another great day in paradise. How are you spending your day? I am going to a bridal shower.

Life is good, y'all!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friday in Mayberry

Poor KC is longing to go outside...and so he did. The turkey.

As I was coming inside from the deck, he managed to squeeze between my leg and the door for a sneaky escape, but I was faster than he was and got him before he could made a clean exit off to the yard. He is putting his injured leg down! And his fever seems to be gone. Progress! Yay! But indoors he stays. For now. It's raining, so he doesn't need to go out and play anyway.

I am helping friend Maryan's daughter clean out Maryan's garage this morning. Her car got sold yesterday, so the STUFF needs to be cleared out ahead of the coming termite treatment. Round 1...of a few rounds of sorting and throwing away and giving away. That basement will be a MAJOR project...for another day.

Begin cleaning out your stuff now, people! I am...slowly.

Have yourselves a ginger peachy day, rain or shine!







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sweet KC

Back home from seeing the vet, and lightening the wallet a bunch. KC endured the leg shave (two wounds), then an Epsom's salt soaking and an antibiotic injection. They were amazed at what a good boy he was...no surprise to me. He IS a good boy!

We have no idea what he tangled with, but there is a bit of an infection because he has a fever. One wound is right at the joint, which is why he doesn't want to put weight on it.

I have to give him oral meds, soak his leg 3X/day, and take his temp (won't that be fun) and call the office with an update on Friday. If the temp has come down, he won't have to go in. He needs to be weight bearing by Tuesday, or he goes back in.

That boy is grounded--NO going outside...at least till healed. Dr. Mom will be busy.

We are now down to 3 mallard chicks and not happy about that. Nature can be cruel, that is for sure.

Amy and I will be cleaning the pontoon boat this afternoon, trying to get ahead of the expected rain.

Whoever wants to join our funfest, come on.

Life is good, y'all!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Mayberry Zoo

Amy just texted me that mama mallard is introducing her 4 chicks to the pond! Exciting news that we have a new generation of mallards to visit us. We weren't sure if either of the two pairs had produced any eggs, so now we know.



Sweet!

Not so sweet was the 3a cat cry heard outside our bedroom window. MM ran outside, but didn't see anything. KC, who I thought to be SAFELY inside, was not. He limped in when I opened the sunroom door this morning. And no MM to help with a diagnosis.



His left leg is a bit swollen and tender. He gave a MEOW when I moved it, but it wasn't a huge howl. He ate and is sleeping, so I will check him again when he gets up. Maybe KC will now know why mom wants him inside when it gets dark! Or not. A trip to the vet may be in his future.

Life is never dull at the Mayberry zoo, y'all!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Birthday fun!

Five years ago:

And now such a big boy!

We had outside bouncing:

Inside bouncing:

Some swinging:

Good food:

And cake!

Plus a pile of presents.

Blessed boy.  Lucky us, we get to literally watch him growing up…daily.  He is a delight!

I get to take both boys to the library for story time this morning.    That’s just what I want to do this overcast Monday morning…read and play with my sweet boys.

Life is good, y’all!

Soggy Sunday

Rain, lightening and thundering all night long...hopefully it is all finished now. A certain wee boy has a big bounce house to enjoy with friends and cousins today. Will turns 5...and there will be cake, giggles, chaos, and an abundance of little-kid fun. With a little mud thrown in, no doubt.

Photos tomorrow. Come on sunshine! We need you!!!

Have yourselves a ginger peachy day, y'all! We sure will, despite the weather.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Saturday in Mayberry

Every time I got up from my chair yesterday, this is what I found:




And when I would sit to work, KC wanted lap time and head rubs:



He finally decided he had no choice but to warm dad's chair:




All this, and he should have been outside in the great weather, doing something worthwhile, like Alex:



See those pesky vines? They have now been clipped. And I am sporting a bandage in my R thumb. Ouch-a!

MM is out mowing again today on his paying job. This will continue for about 3 more weeks--big job! And I am heading over the mountain to a memorial service.

It is just another blessed day in paradise, where life is good!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone