Well it finally stopped raining today and my daughter-in-law Debra came up to work on the berm.

Debra started to clean it out

The other end  being  cleaned.

She filled one tractor trailer full of debris which I dumped on the burn pile out back.  She said the weeds weren’t bad but the grass was hard to remove.  I had bought more Snapdragons and Cosmos to be planted.

Debra, after working most of the day of the day in chilly weather accomplished these results.

The East end of the berm.

The West end

Side view from the front door.

She did a beautiful job and I don’t know how to thank her enough.

While she was working there I managed to get a little done with the vegetables in back.

The barrels under the edge of the deck.

I needed to weedwhip the tall grass around them but did only six of them today.  I cleaned the weeds and grass out ot the inside of the barrels and added compost to them.  Next it was planting a small amount of the vegetables.  2 Roma tomatoes, 1 Beefsteak, 1Big Boy, 2 green pepper, 4 cucumber plants, and 2 rhubarb plants.  These were spread over 6 barrels with a marigold in each.

That is all for now

Not being much of a gardener I’ll see how they do.

Out front near the berm

The Viburnum is blooming again.  So that work certanly improves the looks of the the old homestead. Hope your outside work is going well too.

Last Friday I called Bud my fix it man with a list of things I needed done.  I had enough money saved to pay for most of it right away and figured I could have him come back for the rest.

Monday he came out and we went over the list.

1. Put the cabinet door under the sink back on. ( He did that right away.)

On Tuesday he started early and added other things we found.

2. Level the kitchen stove  (He did on Tuesday).

3. Lower the cuphooks on the outside face boards so I could use a hook and pole to hang the Christmas lights without a ladder. ( He did this also on Tuesday.)

4. Fix the facing strip on the bathroom cabinet door.  (This fix Tuesday)

5. Redo the step to the deck on the kitchen side to make it easier to climb.  (I’ll come back to #5 )

6.Hang the lighted stars in the cupola windows.  ( He also opened those five windows for me and redirected the overhead fan)

7. See if a door closer would work in the French door screen door. ( Door closer won’t work.)

He check a leak in the food room ceiling and found a shut off valve failure so he got the parts and fixed it.

He took a shovel dug out the dirt under the swing, to level it, then stacked patio blocks under the legs until it was high enough for me to get out of it comfotably. I no longer have to pretend I am a stone in a sling shot.

Back to # 5.

Step was lifted.

But he noticed when I went to climb it I had to grab the railing any way. So we found a piece of the railing in the garage and he said he could make a handrail for me.  He got the needed materials Tuesday night and this morning after it stopped raining he built this.

Done this morning.

I found a post cap from when we replaced the two end post with solar lights so all I need  to do is paint the post.

Now as you can tell alot of this had to be done because I’m not as spry as I used to be and having someone like Bud who had me try every fix to make sure it was going to work as he went along was worth it.

Up at 6:30 this morning making a total of 5 1/2 hours sleep but surprisingly I feel pretty good.  I really needed to shower because the mowing yesterday left a few seeds, dust, and maybe even a few little creatures on me.

All the way to the trees!

Yep I finished off all 2+ acres yesterday and then came in and took a pain pill because I knew that the twisting, jolting, and turning was going to get to me.  Now if I had the stamina I would be out there this morning with the lawn sweeper.  The operative word being ‘if’. But I still have a lot to do otherwise.  I need to get rid of the bushes that grow at the base of a few of the trees out back.  There are several spots all around the property that look like this and worse.

Long grass

It is on the inclines, under bushes, under the swing, along the driveway, and in the ditches.  These are places where I can’t use the tractor so I will weed wack instead.  (But not today–arms are still a little sore.)

I checked the big thermometer on the porch and it reads a happy 70 degrees.  The sun promises a rise in temperature quickly.

I’m not sure what I will do today but tomorrow Brandy goes to Doggy Depot for a much needed hair cut. and bath.

Wednesday I think I’ll start prepping the garden barrels for vegetables.  I know I need Beefsteak (or the equivent) tomatoes, cukes, peppers, and Roma tomatoes.  I don’t know If any thing else will be planted or not but I hate to see the barrels empty after we put so much work into them originally.

Thursday is my appointment with Dr. Hemming.  I have to get the left shoulder replaced so It might as well be now.  I’ll have more on that after I see him.

That is it for today.  Have a great week and let me know what your up to!!!!!

Les and Anne were up yesterday.  He waved his magic wand and my machine was immediately ( well not quite that fast) better.  He then looked at Jay’s computer to try and determine what short of some big money we could do to improve it’s performance.  He said one of the things Jay needed he might have at home spare.  If not he will order it and then come out and put it in later.  Thank you magic man.

My visitors brought me this for Mother’s day.

Different plants in a planter.

This is lovely but does present a problem as to how to separate it, repot, and not lose any of it.  But I’ll work on that.

Jay made Chicken Enchiladas for our dinner yesterday and as usual they were very tasty.  This is a dish I nag him to make because he does it so well.  We had fresh strawberries, corn, garlic toast, cottage cheese, peach jello, and chocolate cake (which went begginig  too much dinner).

I had started mowing before the company got here and had finished half the front yard.  I will work on the other half later today.

I finished Mitch Albom’s The Time Keeper  (a good read) on Thursday when I was at the doctor’s office for the runny nose, raspy cough, and headache that Jay brought home to me from dialysis Wednesday.  He is like a kindergardener always bringing things home but he said that at least I didn’t have to hang it on the fridge!

Friday I started J.K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy which is of course set in England and involved a change in mindset but I’m making the transition.  I think I’m going to like it.  Reading is a way to pass the time when the TV and computer are not attractive, physical duties are out of the question, and yet I must find a way to pass the time until I can lay my head on that pillow and lose the daily cares.

Well it is already in the 60s and it is almost 9:30 am so I think the outside wins my attention right now.

Flowers from last year are back on the berm.

So the Sunday chores will be done later today and I will breathe the outside this morning.   Take care and keep in touch.

I have just closed the book on another good novel.  Some 849 pages have past In front of my eyes and over half of them in the last three days.

Stephen King’s 11-22-63

It presented the idea that with time travel a man could have prevented the death of a President.  But it also showed what that change in history did to  ruin life as we know it.  Fascinating, thought provoking, and well worth the read.

Unfortunately the lap robe took a backseat to this.

Not much done.

This is not to mention the household chores that I let slide during this time.  But I will get caught up !

I’m on early because I’m going to the hoop this 30 degree morning.  I invited my friend  Edna over yesterday to finish off the lasagna.  I added some mixed vegetable to the menu and garlic bread.  We ended the meal with a combination of a small piece of apple pie and one of the checker board cake Cindy had brought the day before.  The rest of the cake is in the freezer. I will divide it into servings and seal two to a package for a treat later on.

I wanted to show you a few more pictures of new blossoms.

top of the crab apple tree.

It is lovely in bloom but the fruit is not good.  Seeing  it’s beauty will assure a few more years of life.

buds on lilac bush #1

blooms on bush #2

The bushes were planted a year apart.  Both are a little over knee high.  I hope eventually to see both at my shoulder one day.

The berm has flowers but needs the TLC of my daughter in law Debra to bring it to beauty. She will be up soon to bring it around.

Les had car trouble so he didn’t get up last weekend to look at my computer but he said this coming week end to expect him.  Meanwhile I have called him a couple of times to help me with problems I have encountered on Jay’s machine.  As you can see he graciously did.

Well Jay Is up, dressed,  eaten and now he wants his machine  for an hour or so before leaving for dialysis so I’ll say so long for now.  Have a great week!

I sat this morning thinking about Mother’s Day.  This is my 78th one.  Now granted I have been a mother for only about 51 of them but have lived for the 78.  It seems difficult to believe that I have been committed to such an important position that long.  I have to stop and wonder if I’ve have done a good enough job.

But enough of the daydreaming. I really want to share yesterday with you.  My daughter Cindy was able to spend the day with me and brought some surprises with her.

There were flowers

It was a checker board cake.  Also a special surprise that I thought were cupcakes.

Something special

Strawberries dipped in chocolate.

I made lasagna for dinner and  onion and cucumbers in sour cream

dinner

After Jay went in for a nap and Cindy and I played rummy.

Guess who won.

I will close for now because I have company coming.

Been a couple of days since our visit..  My CPU has decided to not blink it’s pretty little red light at me so I am at Jay’s machine today.  Les is going to come up this weekend to try and find the problem.

Yesterday I took Jay over to the hospital for his stress test and Echo.  I decided that hauling the Stephen King novel 11/22/63 (849 pages) was more than I wanted to lug around so I took Mitch Albom’s The Time Keeper instead.  It is only 224 pages and fits in my purse.  I’m on page 107 today.

It is raining so I will work on the lap robe today but I did want to get these pictures up for you.

The Quince Bush

This started blooming in earnest two days ago.

The Sand Cherry is also in bloom.

Behind them is the Red Maple tree.

So the color is finally coming to the yard.  I love this time of year.

Have a great weekend and enjoy what life offers.

At 10:30 this morning after the Schwans man left I decided it was time to go back outside and work for a while.  ! had taken pictures of the tulips Friday.

That yellow fellow slipped in!

more

That is all for right now but should be a few more coming along soon.

My next job was to work on the roots from the two bushes on either side of the front door.

the right side

the left side

I still have a lot of digging to do before I get these roots out but this was this was today’s progress.

Two trailer loads of —

–dead branches that I cut from the Snowball and the Sand Cherry Bush but this came at a price.

The right arm

The left arm

I may have thick head but I sure am thin skinned.  The least little thing causes welts and punctures.  But such is life when a person gets old.

When I was putting the tractor away I stopped to check on the nest under the deck.  Momma bird flew off as I was getting ready to take a picture so this is all I got.

When they hatch I’ll try to catch a better shot!

On a lighter side I finally arrived in the ‘social life’ of my community.  I got invited to a candle party. (It has been over 13 years since I attended anything like this.)  My hostess was my mail carrier and Edna, my first carrier, when I moved up here attended with me.

Edna with the display of goodies!

it is another warm, sun shiny day but my get up and go got up and went so I think a couple of hours at the hoop and then I’ll try to get supper under control.   Have a good day!

Yesterday I mowed the yard.  Now an explanation of the difference between a lawn and a yard.

A lawn

A yard

A yard has a lot of little yellow flowers, a few gopher holes, some dandelions, some  uneven  spots, and a few bare ones. That is why I have a yard!!

I mentioned the Grape Hyacinths.

These are under the Quince bush but are scattered down the hill.  Unfortunately when I mow they get cut short in life.

The Quince –

–Is beginning to leaf and show buds now.  It will soon be in full bloom.

The Sand Cherry—

–by the deck is also coming alive.  It does need a bit of pruning

Columbine

A nice bunch of Columbine is coming up near the kitchen door and should give a bit of color to the area soon.

I started to bring up the swing pad, chairs and the umbrella today.

In the bed of the pickup.

This is what Jay calls our freight elevator.  Things that need to come from the basement find their way to the truck.

The umbrella was first to go on the deck.

Now this presented a problem for me because I can’t get down on the floor to tighten the post holder.  So I got a low chair from the kitchen, a pair of channel locks from the garage and managed to reach under the table and tighten the thumb screw.

The chairs

Next I washed down the chairs and put them up on the deck.  They do need a new paint job but I’m not up to that right now.

Done

So there you have it.  The first part of summer is in place.

Jay helped me add some blocks under the legs of the yard swing yesterday and I tied the seat pad on in place today.

The barbecue grill is in the garage waiting to come up next and  also some yard decorations.  I’m getting done a bit at a time.

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