Yard Facelift...

When My Sweety and I moved onto our place we had a vision of a yard full of green grass, colorful flower beds, full shade trees, and a place we would call home for a long time.  While working my fingers to the bone {with the help of my mother}, making a house a home; there were plenty of starts and stops for us.  A visit from Tropical Storm Debby put plenty on hold.  A visit to Virgina to meet my newest grand baby Jaycee and Daughter in Law Jamie, put home projects on home.  The injury to my right arm hindered plenty for us.  Then I took a trip to Chattanooga Tennessee ad brought my sister and niece back home. 

Once my sister was settled here, everything started to fall back into place.  It was back to the yard grind stone, and once again our vision took off.  Here is what we have been up too...

Because our dogs Tesla and Thorn find the best shade and the coolest place under our house, my sister and I had to put up a barrier point for them.  In short, we had to keep them from getting under the house, in order to keep them from stomping all over the Garden area.  This is where we knew we could fake them out.  See, our whole property is set up with an electric fence for the dogs.  Therefore, the equipment for an electric fence had to be put around the skirting of the house. 

Then edging design had to be placed.  The edging had to be moved, and removed, and moved a third time; until we had it just where we wanted it.  I could not wait to cover up the path way our dogs made in the yard.  See it there, from them walking in the same spot over and over again?  UGH.  Dogs.  So now we had the electric fence up, and the edging design down.  We were on a roll.

This picture just doesn't seem to do justice to the area.  Once we had it to this point.  My sister, and I moved plants into the area.  Trying to pin point where everything would go, and hoping there would be room to purchase more.

Man oh man did we have fun purchasing more plants.  Just what we wanted to, plants with color and height.  We started our plant shopping trip at Big Top Flea Market.  There wasn't a whole bunch there to get, so we finished our plant trip at Home Depot.  I think I could have bought a whole bunch of stuff, but my heart was racing with the thought of the amount of money we were spending.

When we got all the plants where we wanted them.  We called it a night.  It was so hot at Bit Top Flea Market, and standing in the garden center at Home Depot wasn't any better.  We were wore out. 

There was still the chore of tilling the soil and adding cow manure, then digging the finial resting place for all the plants.  Sounds simple right? 

Nope!!

My sweety wanted a rain barrel and my sister thought it was a good Idea, so did my mother soar that matter.  I however was against it.  I wasn't sure how it was going to look first of all, and second {and more importantly} it would attract frogs.  I lost as you can see, but when it all came together; the rain barrel make the garden look put together. 

Let me tell you about tilling the soil.  First we had to pull up the grass and weeds in the whole area, but we did this with shovels and rakes.  Than we used this thing my sweety picked up from his brother Georges house.  It has twisted blades on it and ran off of human power.  Yeah.  Force it in the ground and twist.  Boy were our arms sore.  Then we added the cow manure, and used the twisted thingy again to mix it in real good. 

The front garden looks wonderful!!!  Just take a look for yourself...

 



Looks great right?  Yeah.  I think so too. 

Lord, please 

PLEASE  

don't let me kill the garden.

Southward Travel....

I love traveling.  Like I haven't said that a time or two.  There was this day last week when my Sweetie asked "want to come with me?"

It was one of the best days ever! 

My Sweetie is busy from morning until midnight.  Well, getting home at 11:30pm is close enough to midnight for me!  So when I had the chance to see him in action, and take in the sights, I jumped right on it.

On this day, which was two days after Tropical Storm Issac passed through, our travels took us to Fort Meyers...

The sky over Venice, Florida...

Storm Baking...

During our latest Florida Tropical Storm, Issac, I did three things.....

Bake my mother and brothers a wonderful Chocolate cake....

 

 



Baked my sister Marry Ann, and my niece Christina a; not so Chocolate cake...

 

 



And baked a Super Good Chocolate cake for my sweety and myself.

 

 

Outside of not having a Hurricane all together, I couldn't think of a better way to spend our time worrying.  Don't they look Yummy?

 

 



While the storm as missed Florida, please keep those whom are in the path of Issac; in your thoughts and prayers...

A Walk down School Day Lane...

I will never forget when my children started school.  My eldest daughter climbed on the bus, and I followed it all the way to the school parking lot, crying my eyes out.  My son's first day was filled with tears as well, except we were crying together.. me more vocal than him.  My youngest daughter went with the flow, like it was no big deal which crushed me; so I waited outside the classroom door just in case she decided she needed me.  She didn't and I found myself driving home crying once more.

This time around is different, my children are all grown and, now I watch my grandchildren attend their first day of school through photos. 

It is heartbreaking.

For me that is.

This is my grandson Garrett, the taller one that is.  Garrett started the sixth grade this year.  I could not be more proud of being a Nana as I am looking at this picture.  Eli, the shorter one, is Garretts younger brother.  Eli isn't starting any type of school yet, but he didn't want to be left out of the photo.

This is Jayla, the taller one, and Arianna.  They both are ready for their first day.  Jayla is now in the first grade.  Look at that smile! Could she be anymore proud of herself?  Upon entering her class room, from what my daughter said, Jayla was shy and a little unsure of herself.  But there were no tears.  Arianna started Headstart this year, and she was all too happy to walk into her new school.  Not a single tear formed in her eye.  In fact, my daughter said "I want to pinch her and make her cry, so I could hold and comfort her". 

Hardest part about being a parent, is seeing when your children let go.

This is Jaycee.  She is currently my youngest grandbaby.  Now she isn't starting school yet,  Thank you Jesus, but she is sitting up by herself, and pulling herself up on things, and even starting to feed herself.  She is growing too fast.  Just like my other grandchildren.

This year, I am going to ask Santa, to put my family under my Christmas Tree.  To have all my children, son and daughter in law, and grand children under one roof.  The thought of listening to them all parenting their children, laughing at memories, sharing ideas... Warms my heart.

Have a wonderful week everyone..

A New Physician...

Last week I broke down and found a physician office here in florida.  I had been getting my refills from my Texas physician.  I hate change.  But last week, I ran out of my blood pressure medication and dind't have anymore refills.  I hate when my medication gets to that point, because I know a visit to my Dr is in order; and I hate bad news.  I count on it, emotionally prepare myself for it; and drive myself {and everyone else} worrying about what may or may not be. 

Being in Florida, I couldn't very well make an appointment to see my physician in Texas.  So I sought out a female physician close to my house.  I hit the jackpot.  She made me feel more like a friend, than a patient.  The visit didn't have the cold off limits feeling to it, she was down to earth and gave me more information that any other physician I have ever seen. 

Here is what I learned from the EKG I had during my visit...

 
The peeks going upward, is the top number of my blood pressure.  The peeks goig downward, are the bottom number of my blood pressure.  The small peeks in between each upward and downward peek, is my pluse. 

Following me so far?

At the time of my EKG my pulse was 93, while relaxing and laying down.  The physician said that with the medication I am currently taking; both my pluse rate and blood pressure should have been under control years ago.  Haven't heard that before.  Right?

But Of course, it's not.

I really loved the physician.  So taking her health points and suggestions was easy.  What wasn't so easy, is when she told me I was headed for a stroke.  Not that I haven't heard those words quite often this year, but I really thought I was doing better with keeping myself stress free and watching what I ate.  Just seems like I am fighting an up hill battle, and there isn't an end to it.

So, I am now on another brand of blood pressure medication, twice the dose of what I was on.   I am keeping tabs on my pluse rate, because a racing heart at rest is an accident waiting to happen, and there is lab work to schedule.  As you can see, I have had a full plate, but I am working on scraping that plate clean.

Let me tell you this.  Nothing should be more important than your own health.  Start now.  Take care of you, before you find yourself trying to turn the health clock backward. 

Little Storm of Mine...

OH Dear Little Storm of Mine... 

I can see you forming...

Feel the cool breeze around you...

Hear the Thunderest demands you are bellowing out...

Even see the electric force flashing outward as you seem to be racing toward me...

Yet you failed to make it across the street; to my house.







Until next time.

Dear Little Storm of Mine.

Until Next Time.

Flip Flop Tan and so much more..

  It has been a long time since we last talked.  I'm real sorry about that.  There has just been so much going on here at the home front.  I know.  That isn't a very good excuse, but I am hoping for much forgiveness.

  Now that my sister is settled in and doing so much better, and my health issues are being addressed, I can get back to doing what I love best.  Talking to all of you.

  It was back to yard work and getting our house into tip top shape.  Living in Florida goes hand in hand with owning flip flops.  You really must get a wide selection of Flip Flops.  Fun summer and spring colors.  Hmmm, Back to what I was saying.  As a result, I was blessed with a wonderful Flip Flop tan.  Not only did I enjoy my suntan, but my niece Christina assisted in keeping me from having a hot head with some wonderful Summer braids.

  It felt so good having my hair put up in braids, and it was so much cooler.  Florida heat is killer!Along with self relaxation, came making over our living room.  While my sisters eldest daughter, Patricia, was here; she assisted us with adding curtains to our living room. 

  Does't the living room look just divine, it's staying so much cooler in the house.  Did I mention that I love a very very cold living space?  The colder, the better in my eyes.  I mean, you can always add clothing to keep warm, but you can't take off enough to keep cool.

 While we had Patricia, we needed to stock my sisters very empty deep freeze, so we took a trip to My favorite market; the Village Meat & Market.  It is the only place where we get our meat.  I could not have been more pleased with the selection of our T Bones and Rib-eyes.  Just heavenly.

 Aren't those T-Bones just lovely?

 The Rib-eyes here, were thick enough to make two meals out of one.  Have I told you that my first date with my sweety, was a Rib-eye meal?  As you can guess, every chance we are able to recreate that meal here at home; we do.

 I would recommend to everyone and anyone who is in the area, stop and check out Village Meat & Market.  They are wonderful, their meats are out of this world, plus they will even cut or slice your meat the way you want it; while you wait.  Who could ask for more in a butcher?

 So, this is just a small portion of what has been going on the past few weeks.  A screen door was made.  Planting has been going on.  Two birthday parties, and a trip to a new physician.  All that is still yet to come.  I have really missed talking to you, and I can not wait to tell you about the rest.  Until then though, have  wonderful evening.