While I was down taking Richard to the doctor on Wednesday Bud, our carpenter was working on the floor.

Carpet pulling up in front of the French doors.

Tacky looking all the way across.

The damage in front of the doors made it difficult to open and close them.  I had been trying to find a solution for some time without having to replace the carpeting.   ( Big bucks I don’t have).  Bud and I had discussed tile in that area but I decided using flooring would be best.  That way if I wanted to recarpet later I could remove the flooring.  The area is seven by four feet

Problem solved and an attractive fix.

I grabbed a picture of Molly on the Cat Shelf also!

Ah the great outdoors from indoors!

This morning was my doctor appointment and all went well.  A couple of followup things scheduled in the next few months but other than blood pressure concerns things were good.  Tomorrow is the DDS.

So that concludes More Fixing Up for now!

My Son, Wes and daughter- in- law  came up on Sunday so Debra could work on my berm.

The Wast End.

The East End

This is what she had to start with.  Overgrown with grass and weeds. The plants were buried in the debris.  Not a pretty sight and a very big job.  I tried to help but the knees and back were not co-operating so I got things like ice water, and items she needed.

She sent Wes, who was not feeling well, and me to the store with a list of things to buy like peat moss, plastic edging, and plants.    We wandered the aisles of three different stores before we were through.  When we got separated I was having trouble finding him.  The only person I could see, at the other end of the row, was this handsome, silver haired, fellow walking around.  Then it suddenly dawn on me that was MY KID!  It is kinda of sad when a mom discovered her children are aging just like her.

After a few hours we were back with the list all crossed off but I must admit I couldn’t done it without Wes to figure amounts needed and what to substitute.  I’m not and never have been a gardener.  If you can’t dig a hole and kick the plants into it I can’t do it with any flair.  Debra had made a lot of progress in cleaning the area out.  But it was decided after a late lunch they would head home and she would return on Monday morning.

Debra Working

So for two days this is how I saw Debra.  She meticulously cleaned the area, set up the edging, then laid the peat moss and  fertilizer on it.   She carefully leveled out trouble spots and visualized every inch of the garden as she started planting.  As she worked Jasmine, my grand daughter,  mowed a lot of  the yard on Grandpa’s new tractor, as she called it.

A bit of extra help!

Her Mom continued to work on the berm until around 7:30 that night.  That was about 9 1/2 hour of work that day with only mini breaks an time for pizza some where around 4 or 4:30.  But this is the culmination of all her labor.

The whole thing

This is now the West End

She placed Rocket Snap Dragons in multiple colors around the bird bath with White Irises from last year next.

The East end now.

There is ground cover plants, of which I know little, grasses in the ground and in the planter.   The rock behind the purple clump of Phlox is from her garden.   Jasmine had brought it up with her. Debra planted Cosmos all through area  that will bloom in different colors and grow quite tall also.

As Debra planted she talked to each plant encouraging it to grow in it’s new home.  She told me to talk to them also when I walked around with Brandy or took time to water them.

This is indeed a beautiful project by a very caring and talented lady, not only my daughter-in-law  but my friend.  Thank you sincerely, Debra!

Flowers and candy from my psuedo daughter and son.

This is my Mother’s Day gift from Darlene and Michael.  I bought self watering pots for the violets that afternoon.  I will be transplanting them today.    Even if they are not blood you sometimes have children who adopt you instead of the other way around.  I thank you both for the lovely surprise.

Borrowed from I can't remember where!

Anyone who has ever been one understands this picture.  My tribute to you on our day!

A gray, rainy, 40 degrees with a pretty good wind is the type of morning that greeted Brandy and me as we stepped outside.  Yesterday was almost the same with thunder and lightening last night.  Poor Bandy sat beside me on the sofa, wrapped in a light blanket shivering.   Jay came in from dialysis worn out due to problems with cramps so the day was not a good one.

His visit to Dr. Ross’ office, on Thursday,  did reveal a slight improvement in the eye problems but he will still need the injection in a couple of weeks. So we will continue the regiment of drops until the next appointment.

The downturn in weather came just in time because I was about to put my two large plants out on the deck for the summer.  I have made that mistake a few times in the past and have had to watch them fight to get their leaves back.  Some where I have the name of the plants but they have come to be the umbrella plants in this old gal’s mind and I really don’t care about the proper name.  It is like the bush in the front yard.

My Snowball Bush!

It has just starting to bloom as the last petals from the Crab Apple fall to the ground because of the wind.  You see things you need to remember can get very simple when the mind  is busy trying to hold on to important facts in one’s life.

I’m on the last 100 pages of Richard Dawkins’ The Greatest Show On Earth but I didn’t feel like hauling it to the appointment on Thursday so I took a paperback instead.  I selected Wally Lamb’s She’s Come Undone. I got as far as page 54  but will take it with me on the Wednesday through Friday round of appointments.  It is a good to go to fiction for a change.  But I will read the rest of Dawkins at home.

Sadly my embroidery project has laid abandoned on the dining room table for quite a while now and if I don’t pick it back up soon it will get shoved back in the closet again.   I think the anxiety of having the physical on this Thursday has seemed to occupy most of my thoughts these last couple of weeks.  Not that I suspect something is seriously wrong but changes in my body’s behavior seem to be a signal.  It is probably that this old fart is getting older  yet.  But maybe I will have some answers  soon.

Now if I sound down –I’m really not!  The gray days seem to pull at me is all.  Soon I’ll be bitching about the heat.  Speaking of being up a Mother’s day card from my eldest tickled me the other day.

Wes' card

In side was the message– Smile, Wave, Don’t take any crap.  On the back it said I’m the Queen, Dammit!   I love it!!!!

Les' card (& Anne)

Inside   …surrounded by 364 days of reality.  Enjoy it while you can.

As you can see both my sons are very sentimental about their mother!!!!!

Speaking of which don’t forget your Mother on Mother’s day and if she is no longer with you take a moment to remember all the good things she did!

Where to start on this fine May evening!   First the birthday balloon is finally falling.

Was up for 10 weeks and two days.

That is quite a while to fly in my dining room.  But alas all good things must come to an end!

Next Molly!

Don't Need no 'steenking' cat shelf in my window!!

But Jay put one up anyway so we will know where to look for her.

My lamp!

You are looking at a lamp I fell in love with many years ago.  I saw it at  the J. L. Hudson store ( Macy’s now) in Waterford, Michigan.  I very seldom shopped at Hudsons  because it was definitely out of my price range.  I would visit the store to look at the lamp but couldn’t bring myself to open my purse.  One day I could not walk away any longer.

This base was so lovely to me.

I brought it home with me and when I moved up here I put on a bookcase in the loft area.  It stayed there for roughly 10 years.  The other day the lamp in the bay window gave up the ghost so  I brought my beautiful lamp downstairs to replace it.  Every time I walk by it now I remember how much I wanted it so long ago and I smile because it is still with me.  Guess that is why we age –it brings happy memories back!

The flowers of the Quince bush

It is 62 degrees with a gentle rain falling this morning.  Yesterday, in the evening, the wind began to take the blossoms off the Crab Apple tree so the petals are starting the cover the driveway and the yard.  I will miss that beautiful pink/purple sight when I look out my kitchen window.

I took Brandy back to Dr. Buck yesterday morning and received the news she had ‘picked up a bug’.  The doctor gave me two types of pills and instructions on how to thin her food with rice until she is better.  Now that all sounded great but how do you get three pills a day into a dog that will separate them from anything you wrap them in and spit them out?  As of right now I have gotten a half of one of them in her and will be throwing out one mixed in her food.   Not an economical way to use part of $148. bill.

We were busy yesterday after Jay got the wheels back on the little trailer and hooked it behind the lawn tractor.   That 13 item list on the fridge was noticeably reduced.  Jay hauled four small trailer loads of branches, twigs, and  vines, I had picked up, to the pile  out back.  I removed the tangles from the bottom of the trees in the back of the yard, clean out the mess from the lily patch at the base of the trees in the side yard, and started to trim some of the low branches on the firs.   That will have to be completed with the small “gator” chain saw.

The gas bottle for the grill is up on the porch waiting for the grill itself.  This Momma is waiting for it too because that will mean ‘ brats grilled in beer’ with a bit of potato salad on the side.

The hinge for the screen door that goes on the French door arrived in the mail yesterday and with a bit of luck Richie will get it installed the first of this week.

This week Jay goes to have one eye treated and the other checked at Dr. Ross’ office but otherwise things look pretty clear.   Next week however I have to take our friend,Richard, in on Wednesday to Lake Orion to have  cataract  surgery.  Thursday is my physical with Dr. Hukill and Friday my appointment for a check up with the DDS. It plans to be a busy week.

So for me it is fix it up what does your week look like?

Grand daughter Jasmine is 19 today!

A big Happy Birthday Jazz!