Red Maple

The maple is back in all it’s glory in the back yard!

The Viburnum

I know it as the Snow ball bush, in the front yard, is also in full bloom.

Next the Berm!

Debra Working In The Berm

Monday morning before 10 am Wes’ wife, Debra , was up to clean up the berm in the front yard.  She worked until after 5 pm, that afternoon, removing two small trailers full of debris and planting additional flowers.  The results are as follows.

The West end of the berm.

The Middle

The East end.

The new flowers are yellow Snapdragons that join the ones that came back up from last year.  Also a new batch of Cosmos to fill out the space.  All in all a beautiful job, very well done, and much appreciated by an old broad that can’t tell a flower from a weed!  Thank you D-I-L of mine!!!!!

All I managed to do was drive the tractor, empty the trailer out back on the pile, bring up the hose reel from the basement, and hook up the hose so she could water when she was done.

Jay watered the berm this morning and I will water it tonight because Debra said to.  I still have to try weed whacking in the extension gardens because that they are getting  overgrown.  I don’t known how the shoulder is going to take that but I at least have to try.

After therapy this morning, with Jay’s help, we managed to get the umbrella and chairs out of the basement and up on the deck to be used with patio table.

Shade and a breeze!

I just spent an hour and a half out here reading a Deaver novel and shoving White Cheese Popcorn in my mouth.  That minus what I spilled on the floor that was enough to feed half the birds in the neighborhood! What a delightful way to spend the morning!

Plus I had company!

Frog or toad? Beats me!

At least he didn’t interrupt my reading!

Just got a call that my other hearing aid is back in so it is down tomorrow to pick it up.  That is good then I can hear what Spirit is saying again!

Rhubarb

Yesterday after therapy and a shopping trip I stopped at my favorite place south of us on M15 and picked up 10 lbs. of fresh rhubarb.  I brought it home cleaned it, chopped it up, put in baggies,  and into the freezer to wait for the strawberries and blueberries to come in.  I’ll probably buy 20 or more lbs. over the next few weeks until I know I have a sufficient  amount for all my canning needs.

I have been spoiling myself the last few weeks –buying flowers for the dining room table.

Latest bouquet

I figure what the heck if I don’t spend over $6.00 it is worth the pleasure it brings me after the therapy sessions to see them sitting on the table when I walk in!

A moment out to say –Michael, you better be getting better!
Also a birthday wish for Jay’s sister Marilyn who will be another year older this coming week.  Like a good sister-in-law I’m not telling you her age!

I’m hoping to hear from Sterling Hearing Center next week that the fit for the aid for my right ear has been corrected.  I sure do miss it!

Also I will soon see my surgeon and find out if I’m progressing satisfactorily with the shoulder.

To all the Mothers out there I hope you enjoy your day—you deserve it!

Well this early morning rising has me looking for a small siesta so I’m going to go find it!

Yesterday Cindy drove me down to Pontiac,MI. for the next appointment at Sterling Hearing  which was to learn how to clean and care for my hearing aids.  Unfortunately the left ear was being irritated on the rim of the fold of the ear  because  because the fit was too tight.  So they took another impression of the ear  (yep green goo again) and I had to leave the hearing with them so it could be refitted in the new (skin? shell? what ever they call it).  But right ear is working well and unless I have a balance problem I’ll continue to wear that aid.  Hopefully the left aid will be fixed in a week.

Well Frank Is finished unless I want to put a border on it.

Big enough to cover the top of my Queen size bed!

I think the crochet bug is satisfied for now.  I think a bit of novel reading and maybe a little outside work is in order.

Jay is mowing again today so the yard is looking better.

What we call the back forty!

2.5+ acres is quite a bit to mow!

Debra has been delayed in coming up to work in the berm but that is fine because it ain’t going no where!!!  I did manage to get one of my gazing balls up.

One out and one to go!

I put it on the deck so I can enjoy it instead of in one of the gardens out front.  The other one may go in the berm area.

Well Jay just came in for something to drink so I’m going to try my hand at the mowing.  Have a great day!

I have to bring the Humming bird feeder up and get it filled because it is time for them to show up.  Both my birdhouses at the back of the yard have tenants now but I can’t tell what they are.

One of my caregivers has been in the hospital the last few days and I just spoke to him on the phone when he was in the car going home.  Get well quick Michael!

Monday Cindy is going with me to Sterling Hearing Center for a check up.  I will also get lessons on how to clean the hearing aids.  I have a couple of questions I need answers on also.

Two days of warm weather but last night was a pretty heavy rainstorm.  Poor Brandy was shivering and we thought hiding.  It turned out she followed Jay out when he went to roll up the truck windows.  We finally found her huddled on the porch by the door as the rain, thunder, and lightening continued.  We were so lucky she didn’t panic and run off.

Therapy is still painful of course but I can see little improvements in the use of my right arm.  I found my 2.5 pound dumb bells this afternoon so I will add them to my home exercise routine.

I hear frogs from the pound out back this evening.  The other night it was what Jay calls peepers!

My Spirit, our African Gray,  Is talking more every day.  Of course he has been right along but I couldn’t hear him well enough to understand until now.

Well I think I’ll take some time to work on Frank a while.  Have a great week end!!!!

Grand daughter

A very Happy Birthday to Jasmine the May Day Girl.  May you have many, many more!   Love Gram and Grandpa!

Great for potting!

Well if you spill some soil it brushes right out on the ground.  It is definitely the right height to stand at. You can move it by shifting into first and find another place to park!  My Christmas Cactus had outgrown their pots and were becoming root bound.  The Primrose was still in the cardboard container it came in .   So I bought larger containers for the cactus and used one of their containers for the Primrose.

In the bay window!

A few more pictures of the outdoor flowers.

I spent some time out pulling dead stems and leaves in the berm also. It is in pretty rough shape and I’m somewhat hampered with this shoulder to do anything about it

Some of the ground cover from last year is blooming again.

But basically it is a mess.

Maybe I can try a bit more cleaning up as I progress.

Peonies

Both of the Peony plants are now in the bud stage so things are moving along.

How are your lowers progressing–let me know!

A Happy Young Lady

She gradated from Grand Valley College this last Friday.  A proud Mom and Dad attended the ceremony.  We send our best wishes for a successful new beginning.

A New novel.

Amazon is forever notifying me of offerings of up and coming products but I couldn’t remember if I had signed up for this one or not.  But that wasn’t a problem because I will definitely keep it.

But the package from yesterday was a different situation.  I know I hadn’t ordered this.  There was no note saying who sent it only the company name.  I had a comment on my friend Pamela’s blog about the item.  Also my friend Darlene reads both our blogs so either one of them could be my benefactor or it could be some one else.

A beautiful surprise!

It is an apron with flowers and birds on it.  I haven’t owned an apron in years.  I was always getting my belly  messy or wet when I worked in the kitchen.  Well now this gift will hang on a rack in the kitchen within easy reach and will definitely get used.   Thank you whoever you are for thinking of me!!!!

The other day I felt the need to treat myself so…

$5.99 worth of happiness ( I didn't do roses!)

Some times you just got to do a little extra to make up for the trying things in life.

The new ears brought me great delight the other day.  When I heard Spirit (my African gray) say,  “Where’s the Brandy?” I knew he talked but haven’t been able to make out anything he said.  Also to hear my 25 year service clock chime all the notes on the hour, quarters, and half is a real delight.  I can now quote my sister-in-law Peggy who said, Twenty Five long years ” every time it chimed!

Frank is back!

I pulled Frank out of the bedroom closet yesterday morning and worked on it all day.  I can hold the yarn in my right hand with little or no discomfort so I’ll be adding rows regularly now.

Therapy is still three times a week for 2 1/2 hours plus six exercises to do at home on the off days so that takes a chunk out of my week .  But I will keep on trying to improve the movement in that arm and shoulder.

Crab apple Tree

The blossoms are starting to fail on the crab apple tree and a little sadness is creeping in on my world outside.  But each passing day is reaching forward to the next new thing that changes  Spring into Summer.

I have a problem getting a picture of Les and Anne together so this is the next best thing.

Happy couple and daughter!

I am remiss in not wishing my son Les and his lovely Anne a Happy Anniversary on time.  But this does not cancel my wish that you will have many more!

Well I must make lunch because Jay will be home from dialysis soon.  Have a great week and we will visit soon.

After a long period of time with having people saying speak up you know she can’t hear you.  Or not understanding what was being said so I misinterpreted meanings, sometimes got angry with the person who was speaking to me, a session with not hearing the phone ring added to the confusion so I finally saw my ear doctor who urged me to see an Audiologist.

Tests showed I had lost significant loss in both ears and that one was too damaged to bring it back to full hearing.  So begins my tale.

Green Goo

On the second round of tests and a decision that It had to be a go ahead situation I had the foam rubber, with strings attached , and covered in the infamous green goo placed in my ears to make a mold for the forming of hearing aids I was going to receive.

Of course I balk at the price.  Trying to think of all the things that this kind of money could be used for.  But in the end I knew that the situation wasn’t going to get any better so I had better salvage what bit of hearing  I had left.

I looked like I was on a battery charger.

This was my latest visit when the hearing aids were adjusted to the correct level to bring the hearing in my left ear up to 76% and in my right to 100%.  The battery were then put in and the hearing aids went into my ears.  I was amazed at the difference.

New haircut and new ears not a bad deal!

The volume on the TV went from 45-50 down to 21.  I heard the words my African Grey was saying for the first time ever. I find my poor hubby is still yelling when he speaks to me but I understand now why.  I am bound and determine to wear these aids at least the minimum of 8 hours a day as directed.  (Cost dictates the use).

Had I had these aids made before the damaged got so severe the cost would have been less.  I can only urge you to have your hearing checked and corrected before it is too late.

If you say CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?  I can reply you bet your sweet bippy I can  and it is worth it!!!!