————-but no camera for some of them! 

Let’s start with a confession.  That beautiful cake you saw in the last post was from a past birthday.  I hadn’t made Jay’s cake yet.  The one I did finally make looked like crap but tasted real good.   

The goings on today included a visit from a very surprised Doe who popped through the trees onto our driveway and then bolted back the way she came.  Next a squirrel climbed down from the Catalpa tree in the front yard and took off for the road. 

This tree was in the way of three larger trees that we finally had cut down.  So now it is just starting to grow limbs on the side that was hampered by the larger trees that were near it. 

Our other visitor was a chipmunk that came out of the woods, ran across the yard between the Crab Apple tree and the Quince bush into the back driveway.

But our wildest visitors were son, Les, and daughter-in-law, Anne, who came to see the birthday boy. 

As is his custom Les checked Jay’s computer. Then he really believed my brain damaged story and installed my Printshop 23 program for me.  (Thank you Son).

After a lunch and some conversation he and Anne left for home and Jay and I are ready for a short siesta.

See you later!

Yes indeed hubby is 68 big ones today.  It is what he called a big thank you to Dr. Hukill for reaching this milestone.  It is what I call more time to bicker with, joke to, smile at, achieve with, and love.  So I proudly say Happy Birthday Mr. Albert J. Axsom.  (Jay)  I’m looking to celebrate many more with you.
With love from your sometimes nagging, a little hefty, but very happy spouse!

It seems they are every where! 

Brandy and I spotted a baby bunny running across the drive into the woods today.  What an unexpected treat.  Also the Orioles are still visiting the Hummingbird feeder. 

It is 63 degrees outside, overcast, with showers expected. 

The wild things as bushes and up close!

They eventually will fade away until Spring time comes again.  But, oh, what joy they have brought to me this year.

I set up a chart last night to keep track of when and what kind of eye drops Jay has to have.  It seems to be working out well.  The Doctor yesterday said the operation seems to have turned out better than he expected.  We will return in a week, and if all is going well again, in a month.  During the second duration Jay will return to Dr. Ross’ office also. 

Well another day passes and I sit and think about all the many troubles others are facing right now and feel grateful that ours are small. 

Take care everyone.  See you soon!

Yes indeed it is 4:30 am and I am at my desk wondering why.  I had created this post last night and all that appeared was the title.  As I typed it out this picture wouldn’t upload, that part didn’t want to preview, and generally it felt like a dud.  When I finally did get the message that the post had been submitted I breathed a big sigh of relief, only to find my post only contained a title.  That was it for me,so I folded my tent, and trotted off the bed.

I’m up now because I woke up coughing and scratching.  When I was out, in the back part of the property, trimming away vines from the base of the trees out there, over the weekend I got bit on the neck and my right leg.  Now I go through this every year and you would think I would know better by now.  But no I have to try and clean things up a bit before the undergrowth gets out of hand.  So now, as in past years, I am paying for my frivolity.  I have the creams to control it and it will eventually clear up.  But right now it is the devil to live with.

OK lets catch up a bit here.  Monday we had company.

Jeanie, my brother Gene’s significant other before he died, came for a visit.  So, as is our custom. Jay and I pored over the ‘have to try recipes’ for a suitable brunch.  With Jay creating and me assisting the results were a great omelet, sausage links, Texas toast, and a sugar, cinnamon, and butter coffee cake.  After, we visited for a while to catch up on the goings on in our lives since our last time together.  A really nice time before she had to leave. 

Yesterday was the trip to Henry Ford hospital in West Bloomfield, Michigan for the operation on Jay’s left eye to remove a cataract, correct the pressure, and treat the glaucoma.  The operation went well but it will be a few weeks before the pressure will stabilize.  Today it is back down to Henry Ford hospital in Detroit, Michigan for his post op exam.  Having traveled to both locations we have decided that even though the downtown location is 40 miles longer, round trip, it is easier to drive.  So Detroit it is from now on when we have to see this doctor.

To tie up this post and sneak back to bed for a bit longer may I present the latest flowers from the berm out front of the dome.

I hope your weekend was a pleasant one.  I’ll have time later this morning to visit your blogs.  See you then, scratching and smiling away!

Well I got my lesson in new tractor driving this afternoon and proceeded to mow most of the yard while Jay worked on shredding branches.  The ability to mow when backing up is really handy and I’m sure I should be a pro after another practice or two. 

While out in back I spied this Killdeer trying to lead me away from her nest.  Using the old ‘my wing is broken so you can catch me’ trick but I had already spotted the nest and mowed around it.  The next pass through I got this picture. 

She settled on her nest after I made a couple more passes.  I guess she realized I wasn’t going to hurt her or her eggs.

When I got up near the dome I took these pictures of new arrivals.

I did find one Morel in our front yard but I didn’t pick it yet. 

When my mowing was through I came in and took a shower to get the dust, leaves, and seeds off my person. 

I guess that is all for today—I’m going to rest a while.  See Yah!

This picture seemed an appropriate example of the last few days.  The visit to Dr. Ross last week called a new condition into play.  Jay has developed glaucoma in his left eye.  This brought about the setting up of the surgery for this coming Tuesday morning. 

Brandy went to Doggy Depot yesterday and came home all gussied up and I take Jay today to visit Shawn for his haircut. 

The weather was beautiful a couple of days ago and I had windows open throughout the dome.  But yesterday when it got a little cooler the windows shut like the mouth on a lemon eater!  It is not looking real swift this morning and I forgot to check the paper for today’s forecast so I don’t know what Mother Nature has for me today. 

I forgot to tell you Rhea, my neighbor behind us, brought us some morel mushrooms from her property and Jay made a scrambled egg dish with them.  It was good but personally I didn’t see the big deal that people make over them.  I guess my taste is all in my mouth as hubby says!

The Snowball bush is now in full bloom and my yard in looking like it needs to go to Doggy Depot also.  But Jay has promised that as soon as we get back home this morning he will crank up the new mower, cut some grass, and even give me a lesson in driving it so I can cut later when he is tied up with something else, if it don’t rain.  No it is not the John Deere and has a few more options that I have to learn about. 

Tomorrow and Monday are our two stay home days and nothing is really planned for—that I like! 

Enjoy your holiday weekend, but remember what it represents!  See you soon!

When I worked at Michigan Bell Telephone company many years ago we called the art of doing two things at once overlapping.  Any old telephone operator would recognize that word immediately.  In this day and age the word has been changed to multitasking.  As I sat in the swing with Brandy yesterday this fact came sneaking into my poor old noggin.  I was crocheting Les’ afghan and rocking Brandy on the swing at the same time.  Actually I was breathing fresh air also but I’m not sure if that counts.

Somewhere in my boxes is this a picture taken of me working at a sewing machine with a bird on my shoulder and one of my grand kids (Courtney I believe) tummy down laying across my knees as I rocked her back and forth.  I used to rock my kids that way as I played pinochle with hubby and friends.  So as you can figure out multitasking or overlapping has been a part of my life for years.  I’m sure that if you thought about you have also mastered that art. 

Today our search for a specialist in glaucoma led us to the big city of Detroit, Michigan.  We ended up at Henry Ford Hospital.  I have had several acquaintances that have been treated at this hospital but I have never been inside it myself. A 147.18 mile round trip that resulted in finding a doctor who is going to do the surgery to help correct a potentially dangerous situation was the results.  The good news is that he has another office a bit closer to our home and an opening next Monday to operate on Jay’s left eye instead of waiting a couple of weeks.  It was Dr. Ross who found this doctor for us and we will continue seeing her during this time also. 

  So as age marches us on, each hill encountered is climbed and we wait for the next challenge that life is going to hand us.  Confident that we have more love and caring to give before the game is called on account of darkness!

The Snowball bush now has clumps of green soon to be white on it.  While the Crab Apple has lost it’s blossoms to the wind.  My other two bushes still have blossoms but they too are starting to move on to the next stage of Spring.  There are still flowers in the beds around the dome and iris type buds are appearing on the berm.  I hope to get a couple of lilac bushes started soon.  I’ll pick them up when Jay goes for tomato and pepper plants at McDaniel’s.

As to my outside feathered visitors, the Oriole still insists that the Hummingbird nectar is the best.

This of course gives me another chance to get a better picture of it.  But the Oriole feeder is not being neglected because I see a small woodpecker visiting it daily.  I must remember my camera every time I go outside.  Jay said that the Your Ride driver that picked him up Friday saw a Humming bird at the feeder.  Still haven’t caught one of those yet this year. I also missed a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak that stopped to rest on the deck railing.

This Monday and then again yesterday found us at Dr. Ross’ office.  Jay has developed a serious problem with his left eye.  With no vision in it since childhood it is difficult for him to determine when something is wrong.  He will visit a Glaucoma specialist as soon as the appointment is set up and also continue to see Dr. Ross to determine if the Avastin injection is helping. 

Well the mail brought me funny Mother’s day cards from my eldest son and also from Michael and Dar.  I also received Deluxe Printshop 23 on Friday from the Ann Arbor Jenkins clan.  It seems when Les was programming my new computer he discovered I had Printshop 10 to install.  He asked if I knew how many updates there have been since then.  I of course didn’t because it is not a priority any longer.  Anyway I have it now, thank you children, but upon opening the box and seeing the what looked like a ten volume manual I chickened out and set it aside.  Things like uninstalling 10, choosing what out of 23 I wanted to use, and then installing that just turned my ability to master the project to a chicken turd!!!  Yes I will cry brain damage to Les and he will make it all better! 

Truth be known I had typed a post last night but the internet provider must have felt it to be a ‘poor me’ post and wouldn’t let me send it.  I’m kinda glad that happened because I don’t like downers.  The world is full of downers right now and I don’t need to add to the pile. 

  Get better soon brother—Daniel, DoF, Cindy, and Edna’s hubby Bob because we need you up and about! 

See you soon everyone and don’t forget to laugh!

Starting with the Sand Cherry bush!

It is now in full blossom and the wind today is trying to defrock it.  It is down to it’s seventh veil as Jay said. 

It was thunder and lightening last night but I didn’t realize it until two front paws, of a very nervous Brandy, clawed the side of the bed and woke me.  I got up thinking she had to (as we say) go potty.  I put on my slippers and headed for the door to get her leash.  She didn’t come into the room but Molly did so I opened the door and was greeted a flash of lightening with thunder to follow.  Now I understood.  I tried sitting on the sofa and turning on the TV so I could sit up with Brandy for a while.  Do you that at 4 am in the morning out of 100 channels only about three are not paid programming?  I gave up and went back to bed .  But Brandy slept on the floor near my head instead of behind my knees on top the covers. 

This morning as Brandy and I sat on the swing watching the trees dancing in the wind a slight lull brought two visitors to the Hummingbird feeder. The first was a Hummer but I couldn’t get close enough for a picture.

. 

The second was this Oriole which insists on ignoring it’s feeder for the Hummingbird nectar.

Next subject is on the only thing we grow for canning.

Yep it is rhubarb.  Our very first stalks for this year.  We have more to come from this plant but our other two haven’t started ripening yet.  I ask my canning master, Jay, to pull the stalks, then I cleaned, sliced, blanched, cooled in ice water, and bagged them up for freezing.

Here it is 1 lb. and 3/4ozs. ready for the jam, chutney, or sauce that we make each year. 

Now the ultimate in ‘bird walking ’ as Silverfox says!  This was the car of my dreams for years.  I said when I made management with Bell Telephone I was going to buy one. 

I owned one similar to this but not a convertible.  But alas it was not to be and I survived.  In fact marrying Jay converted me to the Chevy line.

I called the office of the salt company to commend my delivery man this morning and they gave me an E-mail address to reach the manager.  I sent a message to him because both Silverfox and Cindy suggested that it would be appropriate.  See I pay attention sometimes!

Now the wind is still blowing but my thermometer reads a wonderful 70 degrees so I’m happy.  Take care and I’ll be back!

The two plants to the right are Scheffleras.  The first one belonged to my Mom who died in 1992.  I had gotten it from her a few years before that.  The other one, which is the same age, is mine.  The difference in their shapes is because I tried to train mine to grow as a tree.  When that idea failed I just let it go.  Both these plants spend the winter in the dining/living room in the dome.  Each mid Spring we get the furniture dolly out and move them to the deck.  They remain there into the Fall.  However I have placed them out too early or left them there until late in the Fall and the leaves have withered and dropped.  But they survive to delight me once again. 

The Holly bush that Micheal and Darlene gave me is sitting on my counter waiting for me to decide where it will reside in the great outdoors.

The Clematis that daughter-in law, Debra, started for me will remain in the pot on the deck a little longer.  Then it also will be planted in one of the gardens. 

My flowers in the Northeast and Southeast beds are coming along great.  The Bleeding Heart and the Tulips are a joy to behold. 

I need to play “Where Is Waldo?” to spot Brandy in one of those gardens.

The Red Maple that sits beside the back driveway on the turn to go into the garage is also in full leaf.

I must digress a bit to tell you about a kind young man who delivered the softener salt yesterday.  I met him at the door and requested that he take it down the back drive to the garage where I would open the door.  I expected him to drive down so I took it a little slower going downstairs.  When I opened the garage door there he stood with the bag on his shoulder smiling at me.  I tried to apologize for the delay but he said not to worry.  I grabbed a jar of Cabbage Relish to give him explaining what it was made of and what he could use it in.  He was surprised that we canned so I showed him the food room.  He also ended up with a jar of Amaretto Peaches and a small jar of Cranberry-maple Chutney.  As we walked back up the side of the hill he offered me his arm to help me.  I thanked him and he thanked me then left.  A little while later I took Brandy out and found my garbage cart at the top of my drive.  He had walked it the two hundred feet back up before he left.  I knew that because the driveway alarm had sounded only once when the truck left.  A kindness rewarded with a kindness—don’t you love it?