This Machine Is As Slow As I Am

This morning I woke up very early and just couldn't open my eyes.  Allergies plus the fans blowing do a number on dry eye syndrome.  After eye drops and a  quick trip outside to hang the bird feeder and feed the feral cat, I came back in and just don't feel like doing a thing.

I have a new computer and it's like learning Chinese.  Windows 7, and so different than my last.  Being without a computer left me feeling lost but I did a good job of planting and then watching the flowers die from all the rain.  Some have survived and they are the ones in pots.  Those I planted in the ground somehow disappeared.  There sure are a lot of little half dollar sized holes where the plants once were.

My roses were doing beautifully and yesterday while writing my aunt about them, I happened to glance outside to admire them once more with the sun shining on them and there was a deer, without a care in the world, wolfing down my roses.  He cleared a good 12 foot path and the climbers are eaten to nub. Now I love my critters but enough is enough.  Later I checked my roses on the side of the house and they too were gone.  I'm glad I took my high blood pressure pill!

We are now getting bombarded with skunks and no longer do I think them cute. The day before yesterday I opened the patio door and went outside without a thought in my head of danger.  Two skunks were on the patio.  One I saw and didn't worry about, but the one slinking along the stone wall hauled off and let loose.  Thank God I was out of range.  His scent filled the house and for a few hours we had burning eyes and my chest hurt from trying to hold my breath.

The two raccoons that have been climbing the poles to get to the feeders I have now outfoxed.  After a night of their fighting and hellacious racket, I decided to take down all the feeders and just use one, the smaller one.  I also took down my large set of chimes, bought out west and a delight when the wind blows.  Now I take down the one bird feeder at dusk and put it in the bin with the feed.  I'm waiting for them to try to out smart me again by getting the lid off the birdseed bin.  Country living, I truly love it but at the moment am disappointed in my rascally critters.

Have a great day!

Hugs

Shoot, It's Raining Again!

Okay, now this is the 4th time I've tried to post this morning and I'm getting mighty vexed.  Has the rain screwed up my computer, is there gremlins at work or is it just me??

I should remember word by word what I last wrote but the mind is a bit soggy from all the water pouring forth from the sky.  I can just feel the mold growing on me as I sit here.  By the time I'm done I will look like the Swamp Man with all the long green vines hanging from his body.  I think you call it the Creeping Crud.

Yesterday we were deluged by a wonderful snowfall from the Cottonwood trees.  It seems we live in the valley of Cottonwoods and to see all the white fuzz drifting from the tree tops as if on a wave of sea foam was a delightful sight.  Fuzz was all over the place and it was wreaking havoc on my nose.  Sneeze after sneeze, but I didn't want to miss it so I stayed out and arranged my planters on the wall while the fuzz landed among the flowers.  The whole thing lasted a few hours and then was suddenly gone.  We were mystified until I telephoned the college nearby and asked what was going on.  Interesting and amazing information.  I'm glad I didn't miss the show. It just proved that I am never too old to learn new things.  Now if only I could remember them...

Hopefully my mood will change from that little critter above and I can enjoy the day, rain or shine.  As long as there is no thunder and lightening to go along with the rain, I will be a happy camper.

Have a great day and remember to reach out and touch someone.  I know we all have a person who looks forward to hearing or seeing from  us. 

Hugs

Do I Dare

try to write something this morning that makes sense on so little sleep the past few nights? 

With all this rain, my grandson had to use his new bike to get back and forth to work.  He tried driving his truck but with two breakdowns in one night and his granddad having to go out at 3 a.m.in the pouring rain to help him make it home was something we thought we wouldn't have to go through anymore since our sons are now grown and have sons of their own.

Once I heard the vehicles pull into the driveway after a few hours, I didn't even wait to ask, I just rolled over, put the pillow over my head and aimed for sleep.  Sometimes it's best not to ask questions. Suffice it to say they were like drowned rats and not too happy.

Yesterday when driving to an appointment to have my neck and back cracked, the 'Service Engine Light Soon' came on again and hubby said, "Keep driving."  Well, I did and now the car smells to high heaven.  We burned something up but the car is so old and we (not me), have put so much work and replacement parts into it, that hubby thinks we will just drive it into the ground and then use our other old car waiting in the wings for just such an occasion.  We seem to have too many old cars in our driveway to suit me.  All 1997 Chevy's, and lord help me if I should say anything bad about our vehicles in front of hubby or son.  They seem to think Chevys are tops! Son's is the same year plus grandson's.  No wonder they are always breaking down. Oops, that's downing the vehicles.

Last night I was up until 3:20 this morning trying to clean out my computer.  I had started it at 7:30 after getting home from grocery shopping.  No more accepting emails with attachments for me.  Of course it could have been from the power losses and lightening strikes or whatever happens in the great somewhere that caused it.  My computer just refused to do the security scans.  This morning it is working fine and the scans went perfectly. BIG sigh of relief.

Well, I really didn't expect to get this far but since I have, I think I will close for the day and go back to bed.  More rain today so I won't miss anything exciting. Wishing you all a better day than yesterday and maybe there will be sunshine for us tomorrow. I did say maybe.

Hugs

Well, I Did Ask For Rain

What a week!  I planted all my flowers and now they are drowning from rain.  It doesn't look like it will let up anytime soon either.  This morning, between raindrops, I scurried out and pulled all my planters off the stone wall and set them closer to the house under the overhang.  I didn't want them to get root rot and die.  Root rot.  Say that quickly 3 times.  Faster.  Yep, I got the same result. Now I need to pop two Aleve and hope it helps my back.  Water logged planters are heavy!!

This little pretty above was given to me by a friend and I just love her.  Especially her rain bonnet.  All our critters are quickly darting about except for the birds.  That's because the squirrels have raided the feeders, now one is broken and the others need refilling.  During a dry spell this morning I will dart out and fill them.  At the moment the birds are stealing from the feral cats' dish. They look like little dive bombers as they quickly take turns stealing the coveted goodies.

I must remember to buy cheaper cat food for outside critters. It's getting to the point that the queen (inside cat and royal highness) is getting finicky so the feral cats are eating Fancy Feast beef and gravy plus the dry cat food.  Little Miss Priss just doesn't like it at all for some reason.  Naturally that is the kind I bought the most of.  She is also turning up her nose at her Deli Cat dry food.  Hmmm, she does eat cantaloupe (no kidding) and also enjoys the inside of the banana peel.  I wonder if she is going vegan on me.

The skunks, yes we have four and that's quite enough, continue to come to the cats dish to clean out whatever is left.  They nudge the bowl until it tips over and then they dine from the patio.  The two raccoons come to visit often also but they actually run away when I go out to shoo them off.  We also have one opossum and after seeing it up close and often, they really aren't all that ugly.

Well, that's it for today.  There's nothing exciting to write about anyway, and you certainly don't want to read about my aches and pains, and how some serious side effects from a medication has laid me low the past few days.  I've been a real harridan and to save my marriage and my mind, have gone off Sevella, prescribed for Fibromyalgia and arthritis pain. 

I send you good wishes for the additional rainy days to come.  It looks as if we'll be socked in for quite a while.  Thankfully we are not suffering the flooding and loss many of our states are facing.  God bless them and protect them.  My heart goes out to them for all they have lost and will continue to lose.  It seems as if our heavens are angry with Mother Earth. Do you not feel the same?

Good thoughts and hugs to you.  

I Wrote a Post This Morning

But somehow it disappeared on me.  I looked and looked and noticed the post I wrote yesterday also was gone.  Since my photo was of this old cemetery, do you think spirits might be the guilty party?

I never did get anything done today.  I went out to make up my last three planters but the pollen was so heavy and made it so hard to breathe that I used common sense and came inside and kept my windows closed.

When we first moved here 35 years ago, this cemetery was a favorite place to go.  It was wonderful to sit down cross legged in the sweet smelling grass and read or write a short poem.  My children and I would wander among the very old head stones and read the names and dates.  We even found one belonging to a horse, well loved evidently because there was a tribute for him also.  How unusual I thought, but my sons thought it was neat and would tell everyone how they found a horse cemetery.

Tomorrow it will rain and I can finally get my planting done.  Maybe the mosquitoes will have pity on me but if not, I will be well covered in bug spray. After I will come inside and take a nice warm shower.  Anything to help the old bones and aches and pains.

Have a wonderful day, what is left of it.

Hugs

Off To A Bad Start

I really tried to get here yesterday but I had so many flowers to plant and only so much oomph.  The flowers won out but not without some regretful moments due to my failure to realize the pitfalls.

For instance, I forgot how much those bags of soil weight when you have to heft 40 pounds of dead weight and empty them into a large wheel barrel.  Out of 8 bags, I managed to open and pour out 5 of them.  No longer will I fall for the Potting Soil as it was wet and like mud!

I have 3 nice planter boxes on the stone wall and yes, I do like color but at what price?  Enough to make me do it again this afternoon.  I just forgot that all the muscles in the body are somehow connected and wonder why the cords in the back of my neck are so sore along with chest muscles and backache.  Two Aleve last night after coming in the house and then I was out like a light.  This morning I was out there again but so were the mosquitoes so will attempt it after the sun is out for awhile. That excuse sounds good enough to me so I'll stick by it. Also hubby will be up and can help me lift the heavier planters once I get them set.

The picture window above shows all our snow from this past winter in the background.  I'm so thankful that has passed.  We were up to our buns in snow this year and such a cold spring too.  One thing is for sure, we can never count on our New England weather.  The colorful items here and there are my crystals, coral, shells, gemstones, old bottles and whatever else happened to catch my fancy.  Even rocks, and there are many of them.  Most I brought home from Colorado and Arizona hidden in bags.  Hubby said no more rocks so I had to hide them in shopping bags from shops I had made purchases from. Sneaky, but they were just too hard to resist.

The sun is now out.  Glory!  Now I have no excuse not to get back to my planting.  I can see an early bed time coming again.

Have fun in the sun and remember to smile a lot.  Frowns just cause wrinkles and there's no way to hide them at my age. :(

Hugs

Cloudy, Cool and Rain Soon

This worn out critter seems to be my twin this morning.  No sleep, trying to keep my eyes open and my legs steady.  I have already walked into walls this morning so am looking forward to an adventurous day.  Anything can happen!

I mashed up fresh strawberries and bought a delicious butter pound cake last night.  We are going to visit my Aunt today and take her out for brunch.  I figured we could have the strawberry shortcake for dessert when we get back to her house.  I just have to make a quick stop to buy the whipping cream. I will be very careful not to walk into any doors or displays in the grocery store.  This imbalance goes along with the allergies and hopefully once it rains the pollen will go down a bit.

It really is a sad looking day out there today.  I'll have to make sure I take a very quick cat nap when I get off the computer, even if it's an hour I'm sure it will help.  I just feel like Gumby, you have to move my legs in order for me to go forward and hold on tight so I don't fall over.  My aunt is going to be sooo proud of me if I do something to embarrass her at  her favorite eating spot.

Well, the shower calls and I have to dig out my best looking sweats to wear.  It's cold out there and damp too, so the old bones don't like it. Maybe tomorrow will be much better and I can make up all my planters.  That will make me smile! 

I'm wishing everyone a sunny day even though the sun is nowhere to be seen.  It's inside that counts and mine is telling me I'm going to have a great day no matter what the weather.

Hugs

The After Effects of Mother's Day

Good morning, and a beautiful morning it is.

When I sit down to write in my blog, I have no idea of what I'm going to say and what comes out is just by chance.  However, this morning with my face all swollen and my jowls hanging, eyes about to bug out, I feel like Miss Piggy.

Yesterday, for Mother's Day, my hubby took me shopping for plants to make my flower boxes for the stone wall which is the only place I can now reach in order to water and care for the soon to be flowers.  We went to 4 different places, buying here and there as certain beauties caught my fancy.  Jacob's Ladder was one I had never seen before and is a perennial so I bought three just in case one or more died on me. I hope I still have my green thumb though because buying plants and flowers can be expensive.  And then there's the cost of the soil!

I had asked my son to buy me 'dirt' for my planters for Mother's Day.  On that day I was looking forward to enjoying putting my hands in the warm soil and getting busy on my planting.  Well, he and his wife bought me a beautiful flower arrangement, a sunflower flag to put on my house, and yes, two bags of soil.  He said there was no way he was going to just buy me dirt because when the guys at work asked him what he bought his mom, he would have been embarrassed to say 'dirt'!  LOL, I do love that man I gave birth to, but sometimes he just has me in stitches with laughter.

To finish what I started, hubby and I came home with plants galore and more 'dirt'.  This morning I am paying for it because I forgot to take my allergy pill.  Now I look like a real beauty,  eyes are swollen and so scratchy that I have decided to just bring all the plants and planters out of the car and leave them for a few days, although I'm just itching to get started.  To be sure I won't miss taking my allergy pill this morning!

Now I must get busy on all the paper work I have waiting for me.  Years and years of hospital bills, records that were important at the time, and I've gone back to year 1992 so far.  So the flowers will wait and maybe I can unearth my kitchen table again so we can finally eat off it, and also put my lovely flower arrangement in the middle to add some color. I so long for that to be accomplished.

Wishing you a beautiful day.  May you know laughter and love.

Hugs

Today Is Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day.  It is a beautiful sunny day, and perfect for taking Moms out for breakfast or to pick plants to make up their flower boxes to enjoy throughout the spring, summer and maybe fall if we're lucky.
I haven't had my mom for over 30 years, but my special mom, pictured here, is the aunt who helped raise me and who I went to whenever I was hurting or just needed some hugs and love. My Aunt Ethel, being celebrated by one of her daughters.  A very loving and caring daughter I should add.

Today just seemed to be the day I started a new year with my focus on all my blessings and those that I had for just a little while but were blessings none the less.  Everything we go through, good and bad, helps us to grow.  In wisdom, in love, and with a deeper understanding of how real life is.

So today I count my blessing and honor you my sweet Auntie.  You have been my anchor and you have helped shape who I am today.  Because of you I have always had a constant in my life.  Your love has been there for me through most of my storms and also in my happiness.  I love you very much and have always known that you love me. 

Hugs from your niece. The one who sang all her wants to you and you had to sing back to me in turn.  I smile when I remember that and those special chocolate birthday cakes you made for me with the boiled icing, like eating melted marshmallows.  You are the best aunt anyone could wish for.  Happy Mother's Day. You have my heart and each day you are in my life is a special gift which I cherish.

I hope those of you who still have your Mom will tell her how you feel about her before it's too late.  It's far better to speak your words of thanks and love now rather than hold them in and live with regret.  I'm so thankful I showed my love for my mom and don't have to live with that hurt and guilt in my heart like so many I know.

All you moms out there, enjoy your special day.  Today you are Queen!

Hugs