I meant to get out to work on the gardens at the entrance to the house this morning. We have had a phenomenal growing season, despite the fact that storms have been few and far between, and it’s quite a jumble of incredible plants and more incredible weeds.
Unfortunately, we are still in the grasp of a major heat wave. I think I heard that we were at least 20 degrees above normal yesterday, and the heat has been here for several days. We’re supposed to get rain early in the coming week, followed by more realistic temperatures….in the upper sixties. So, I’m sure that I will be doing a LOT of gardening in the next three weeks. By the end of the month it’s time to put the gardens to bed for the winter.
I suspect the family of chipmunks that has made it’s home in my mulch pile is going to be TICKED!! I’ll be using part of that pile on the front garden, around the new redbud, and more of it on the fern bed and herb garden. There goes their new condo! I bet I’ll find black walnuts buried in the mulch.
Well, I’ve stalled as much as I can. I have to go to the grocery store. Normally, it wouldn’t be an issue, but this is Sunday. The entire world will be there by now. Have a good day, all! I’m off and running!
Baby Up Date
Our new granddaughter is still at the hospital. The kids hope that she will be coming home early this coming week. DH’s daughter sent us the link below to explain why the doctors have kept the baby this past week. She has an enterovirus.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/enterovirus/non-polio_entero.htm
When the doctors release her, the baby will have to visit for developmental tests during the following month. Given what they know about enteroviruses, I’d rather the doctors be aggressive about her care. Of course, we’re hoping for the best, and that we will have a story to tell about the scare that turned out to be nothing. Your prayers are welcomed. *S*
Follow Up
Dear Husband called to tell me that the Truck Service had found him, and brought just the tire he needed. He chose to leave the interstate and make his way home on surface roads. When he got close to home, he called again. I pulled on shoes and socks, and a long-sleeved t-shirt jacket to protect my arms from the mosquitoes. I grabbed a flashlight and headed down the driveway. We both made it to the end of the driveway at the same time.
As he was backing the boat into the drive, a car coming up behind him turned on his brights, to light the area. It didn’t help a great deal, but I thought it was kind of the driver to give it a try. DH had the boat into the driveway within two minutes, and then things went much slower.
DH drives a truck with a 14 foot stake bed. He’s VERY talented at backing it up with loads like equipment trailers, cement mixers or boats attached, but backing up our driveway in the dark is exceptionally difficult. The driveway is more than 250 feet long, and has a bend in it. That alone is difficult, but at the bend there are trees right next to the drive on either side. DH told me he was trying to miss the west tree…and pointed out the scrapes, just about at boat level, and admitted that he’d had some close calls over the years. Now add darkness to the mix, and you can imagine how difficult things were. He actually had the boat in the perfect position when he stopped. Unfortunately, the truck has to be in the perfect position, too, and it wasn’t.
Please make note in your Day Timers: I am going to praise my husband!
Dear Husband had the sense to turn off the motor, leave the truck, and lock it up for the night. He left it standing on the drive, and came in to have some supper. He finished the move this morning, all by himself. The Arr!! is settled in for the winter. Over the next week or so, DH will off load food, sails, cushions, and anything that might suffer from mildew. I really think he’s trying to make it less inviting for the raccoons! *G*
As my sister might say….”Home again, Home again…..”
My boat widowhood is coming to a close for 2007.
Baby News
It’s been a stressful week. Our newest granddaughter developed a fever and was moved to NICU. Her fever spiked at 104 and it took several days to bring her back down to normal. The doctors believe that she may have picked up a virus that hit her family just before she was delivered. They’re keeping her for a few more days, just to be sure that she’ll go home healthy.
My step-daughter is recovering nicely. The docs let her go home Wednesday, but they travel back to the hospital each day to feed and visit with our newcomer.
I’m looking forward to a little more baby holding. I need to practice my lullabies. This is the first of three babies due within the next six months. There must be something in the water…
Woe is Me…..and DH…..
I was expecting my boat widowhood to end today. Dear Husband took the trailer to the boat yard last night in preparation for the homecoming. He spent the night on the boat, a last hurrah for the season, and motored to the boat yard early this morning.
He’d said that maybe 17 boats were ahead of him waiting to be lifted out. I didn’t expect him to come home early today. A little after 4:00 he called to tell me that he was on one of the major Chicago tollways with a flat tire on the trailer.
It’s VERY difficult to help long distance! I went to the computer and began searching in whitepages.com. A friend also searched, and sent me a more helpful search through MSN, where I found a 24 hour truck service. The problem is, the trailer has smaller tires than most trucks.
One of my family members works for the county sheriff’s office, and he called the state troupers and asked to have a patrol car check the situation. Our problem is that the tire shops are closed for the night, and that boat and trailer will not be moving without a new tire.
We hope that the truck service is going to come through for us, otherwise, Dear Husband will have to separate the truck and trailer and leave the boat at the side of the road, a thought I don’t want to entertain!
I’m going to go search for all night tire dealers, now. With any luck I’ll get my husband back for the winter, soon.
It Looks Like Fall
FINALLY! We’re having one day that looks like Fall. Clouds moved in yesterday, and late last night a line of storms came through. It rained pretty heavily. We needed the rain. Everything was dry and sere.
Today, it’s overcast, and there’s a little bit of wind. Leaves are falling and a carpet of yellow and brown is starting to build up.
I know…..I think of Fall days as being sunny, and crisp. We all watch for the beautiful color changes, and enjoy the pumpkins and taffy apples. But, this is the other look to Fall, where the trees and shrubs are storing up moisture to hold them through the winter.
I’m going to spend the day in the office, catching up on filing and paperwork. I plan to make a pot of tea, and plug in the mug warmer to keep it hot. Elegante Mother and I put a pot roast in the Crockpot. Dinner will be an easy fix, and Dear Husband will get the roast beef hash he has come to enjoy, later this week.
I hope you’re all having a great day!
Yeeeeeeeeeeeee HAWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!
I am SO pleased to tell you that we are grandparents for the third time!
Dear Husband’s only daughter gave birth late Saturday night, September 29. She and her husband have a three and a half year old girl, and the new baby is also a girl. The kids are still trying to decide what her name will be. They have a penchant for actress names from 1980 and earlier
Our little newcomer weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces at birth, and is 19.5 inches long. Mom and baby are both doing well and expect to be home soon.
The nicest thing about being a grandmother is that you get to spoil babies! *G*
Chicago Trip
My-Sister-The-Nurse had a birthday in July. Her daughters and daughters-in-law decided to plan a trip to Chicago to see the musical “Wicked,” and go out to dinner. Unfortunately, one of her daughters was unable to attend, but the ticket was given to one of our nieces, and, one of MSTN’s friends, her oldest granddaughter and I, were invited to participate, too.
We took two cars, and met at the theater. It was astonishing to see our group file in and take our seats! There were eight of us. Most of us had seen the performance at least once, and knew what to expect, but it was fun to see the show through the eyes of those experiencing it for the first time.
After the curtain calls, we walked five blocks to the restaurant where we had planned to eat. They don’t take reservations, but we were there within five minutes of the time they opened, so we thought it wouldn’t be a problem to get in. WRONG! We could see that the bar area was filled, but none of the seats in the restaurant, not even those out on the sidewalk were filled. We were told there would be a two and a half hour wait to be seated. It might have been better if they had simply said….”The entire restaurant has been booked for a party for the next 150 minutes.
We wandered around for a couple of minutes before someone said the magic word: Italian. We were one block away from “Ballo,” a restaurant in the Rosebud chain. We trouped in, and were seated right away. I ordered a dish made with penne, a creamy tomato sauce, lobster, and shrimp. YUM!!!!!! I brought half of it home, and it will be lunch tomorrow. There’s something wonderful about a table full of women, talking, drinking wine, and eating heavenly food, especially when you are related to all the women!
I had an incredible time, and I hope we do this again. I haven’t been getting out much lately, and I miss social time with family and friends.
This was a winner, girls! Congratulations on a great day!
44% Nerdy
I borrowed this from Bogie, who borrowed it from Drumwaster. I figured I was mid-nerdy. I don’t have much math in my background, but I did like school. I don’t understand the innards of my computer, but I really enjoy using it. AND, bed-time on Friday night is 10:00….an hour later than the rest of the week. Nerdy, huh??
Floaters
I’ve heard people talk about “floaters” for some time. I always thought they were talking about the little see-through spots that you occasionally see crossing your eye that are about the size of a pin-head or less. I was wrong.
Monday, I got my first floater. I thought there was a fly buzzing around me while I was getting dressed, but I realized that the fly moved in the same direction my right eye moved. I did some research at the computer to pin down what was happening, and then made a call to the optometrist. The receptionist confirmed my suspicions, and told me that I didn’t need to see the doctor unless I began to get flashes of light inside my eye.
I passed on seeing the doc, and Monday evening I began seeing those flashes.
I’ve been a bit scared about all of this, but my eye doctor is really superb. The nurse took “pictures” of the back of the interior of my eye, and Doc K. showed them to me. My eye is just aging. The vitreous sac is partially detached from the wall of my eye, and a change in the consistency of the contents has caused the floater. Doc says I should be able to see well, and that the floater might possibly sink, in time. The flashes I have seen are due to the vitreous sac bouncing off the back of the eye, when I change positions. When I sit up, and then stand up, in the morning, or if I bend over to tie my shoe, I’ll see them.
Should the flashes come more frequently, or if I develop a black spot in my vision, I need to see Doc K. again, but otherwise, it’s business as usual.
I’m not delighted with the changes in my body as I age, but Dear Husband has a point when he says the alternative (not aging) is not too pretty . Elegante Mother has a sweatshirt that says “Old Age is NOT for SISSIES!” I guess I better buck up!