May 29, 2013 Reflections

Today's word: reflection

I suppose I could reflect on something for today, but we got rain and hail this morning.  And I like the reflection of the deck railing in the water and hail on the deck.

This put a damper on the plans for today.  Instead of finishing the second stall, and making a couple of trips over to the 80 (really 40) to fill the dumpster, I only made one trip.  And Gabe's riding lesson was iffy, since we were working in between rain showers.  But we got it done.

I posted a picture of Gabe on Squirt, one of our horses, on facebook.  I got over there, thinking I would use my point and shoot camers, but lo, the batteries were dead.  That left the photographer with only the iPhone.  Talk about unprepared.  I'll do better tomorrow.  Maybe I can get his huge smile when the horse starts loping.

He's more than ready to go back.  Horses, and more horses to ride.  And maybe working cows by the end of the summer.

May 28, 2013 Pink

Today's word: Pink

As in pink pajamas.

Oh, I wear my pink pajamas in the summer when it's hot.
I wear my outing flannels in the winter when it's not.
But sometimes in the spring, and sometimes in the fall,
I jump between the sheets with nothing on at all!

I may not remember what I did yesterday, or what I was looking for in another room, but for some reason I remember that little ditty that I think my brothers brought home from Boy Scout camp over 50 years ago!

I think the tune is the same as the battle hymn of the republic--I can hear it in my head!

May 27, 2013 Ordinary beauty

Today's topic: ordinary beauty

A couple of years ago, Clyde went on the back deck and looked down.  He saw many, many butterflies eating from the dandelion flowers.  Now Clyde likes dandelions.

As the keeper of the grass (what we have of it), I'm not partial to dandelions.  They crowd out the grass, so I am constantly digging them up.  Unfortunately, it appears to be a losing battle.

These are some of our more robust dandelion plants.  And yes, they are pretty yellow flowers.

However, the seeds, while pretty amazing, spread over everything, and just make more plants.  I don't let the kids pick these because they like to blow them, and I'm not into seeding the entire yard with dandelions!

So, they can be beautiful.  They are ordinary, after all everyone has some.  And they do attract butterflies sometimes.

May 20-21, 2013

Monday's word was real. Tuesday's word is curious

Yesterday was Clyde's birthday.  He hit the big 6-0.  Two seconds before I took this picture at the end of the day, he was asleep....almost snoring and it was only 7:30 pm.

It sure is curious how us old fogies can barely stay awake longer than all these young'uns.  But the minute D is asleep, we head for bed.

This is one of the lilies that Ed and Rachel sent for mother's day.  These flowers have lasted almost two weeks.  They decorated the counter for Clyde's birthday party.

I have added another kid for the week.  Gabe is here.  He is going to stay with us three and a half days every week for the summer.  He is going to help around the barn and yard, learn to ride a big horse, and generally have fun.  He is getting so big!

Today's topic: Currently reading

I have these six books checked our from the library.  I have three weeks to finish all of them, or I have to put them on hold again.  Unless I get lucky, and the wait list is down to nothing and I can just renew them.

I have one overdue book to take back that I finished this week--an Amanda Quick novel that is fluffy reading.  I also finished "The Flipside of Feminism" last week.  I do manage to get the non-fiction in with the fiction.

I have a must read book that is waiting for me at the library that I have to pick up this week or they will pull it and give it to someone else.

I have a choice.  I can either put the books on hold and check them out of the library, or I can buy the books.  Given that I have six to read, and just finished two, buying isn't an option.  It would cost too much money.

Unfortunately, putting books on hold at the library, even if they are spaced out on the waiting lists, is no guarantee that they won't all be available at the same time.  So sometimes I have a lot to read, and sometimes I have nothing to read!

May 18, 2013 Makes my heart sing

Today's word: Makes my heart sing

This is what I got in the mail today from Grand Junction.  It says "I love my grandma".

I sure do love my Cordelia!

May 15, 2013 good

Todays word: Good
Yesterday's word: Favorite

 I am not sure if having artistic granddaughters is a particularly good thing. They tend to draw what they see. My profile picture on Facebook was drawn by Molly a year or so ago.

Now I find this one drawn by Cordelia when they were here in March.

Notice that she has made me with blonde hair, and put me in a crop top and shorts (both yellow, which incidently is my favorite color) and in knee high black high heeled boots.  I do not think I have ever even owned a pair!  But she did write "Make me smile" on the shirt.

I like that she then drew herself in blue next to me.

I suppose I can really be grateful that she didn't write about me, after seeing some of her writing about her family!  If a picture is worth a dozen words, I guess she did!

May 13, 2013 Wander and Trinket

Today's word: wander Yesterday's word: trinket

 But first, the flowers that Ed and Rachel sent me bloomed!
And they still look great!

Trinket.  This is my latest trinket.  It's a medical alert necklace.  I have this because I take coumidin.  I have a bracelet too.  Just in case......

And yesterday, I decided to wander through Home Depot's garden section.  These are just some of the flowers we bought.  They will all go into pots, and decorate the patio for the summer.  I like that I can grow flowers here.  That was a nearly impossible task when I lived in Phoenix, it was so hot.  Here I can even get house plants to grow....usually.

Now all Clyde has to do is get these potted.  Yes, he's my secret to successful gardening!

May 11, 2013 9 to 5

Today's topic is: 9 to 5.

 How that applies to Saturday, I'll never know.
 Sounds more like a work day doesn't it?

So, since I was well out of the house by 9 this morning for a meeting and grocery shopping, my breakfast will have to suffice for the 9 part of this.  Hot tea and leftover pizza.  What?  You've never done this?!?!  Boy are you missing out.  It's everything you need for a good breakfast!

But I bet y'all can identify with the 5 part of the day!  Just have to remember that it's 5 o'clock somewhere, if it's not where you are.  I did, however, leave out the burned pizza that Clyde fixed for dinner (he has been listening to that ever since he managed to burn a perfectly good Papa Murphy's pizza tonight!).

Next weekend is Clyde's 5th or 6th annual surprise party (that he throws for himself every year).  If you're in the area, stop on by.  Food and booze makes for a great day.  If you're in the mood, bring something to share.  We'll have the margaritas and beer!

May 9, 2013 Off topic

Today's word: what is it

Since I did that a couple of days ago for mysterious, I'm off topic for today.

The answers were:  A pinecone, B pine needles, C a feather, D pine bark, and E bananas, where the bunch all comes together.

Today I have pretty flowers from Ed and Rachel for Mother's Day.  Thank you so much!  They make me feel appreciated and I'm grateful for both of you and for Cordelia and Wyatt.

And my mother sent me more of her lace collection for doll clothes, and the leftovers from the Sunbonnet Sue and Overall Sam kids quilts that she has made in the past. 

I was so hoping for several finished blocks, because these have to be a royal pain to make, but there was only this one.  Lots of gingham squares, and the patterns she uses, but only one finished block.  Now how do I make a baby quilt out of one block????  

May 7, 2013 Mysterious

Today's word: mysterious:

I'm not good at mysteries, so I've created some puzzles for you.  Identify what these pictures are of.

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

And, as a sign of the times, we have a pasque flower.  I haven't seen one of these is a couple of years, but here it is, a little late for Easter.

And here's another picture of my ONE daffodil!  There were deer down below last night, and I was afraid that one of them would come up and eat my pretty flower.

I should plant some tulips, but those I know the deer eat.  One day I have all these nice tulip blooms, and the next they are all mowed off just below the bloom.

May 5, 2013 A sign of the times

Today's topic: A sign of the times

 And clearly, we in Colorado are starting to see some signs of spring:

 My solitary daffodil (there are other plants, but only the one flower which is 100% better than last year!).

The lilac bush:

The mint:  I don't know if it's the peppermint or the chocolate mint:

The rhubarb (it grows like a weed!).

And lastly, the dandelion.  And yes it does grow like a weed up here.  I already have to start pullilng this in the backyard again.  But thankfully, there aren't as many as last year, yet!

And only rain in the forecast for the next week.  Maybe some more things will come up.

May 4, 2013 Sport

Today's word: sport

This is a sequence of one of Rosie's favorite sports: Fetch

Obviously, I wasn't taking the pictures, but you get the idea.  And she will play fetch for a while, chasing balls, toys or sticks.

May 3, 2013 Quirky

Today's word is quirky.

The three fosters that we have staying here are 6, 5, and 3.  Their mother grew up down the street from where we live.  Since we are the closest thing she has to family, we're keeping the kids.  Thankfully they do go to school and day care now during the day.

They also have quirky hair.  This is the oldest, Isis.  She has long blonde hair that takes the dye really well.  So she has bands of black, purple, pink and blue in her hair.  It looks really cool in braids because of all the colors.

The next one is Demetrick.  He has dark hair, so you can't really see the blue in it.  But he also has a mohawk.  Not sure I am really thrilled with it, but he likes it just fine and now he is letting the very back grow so he can have a ponytail also.

The last is Luna.  She has fine hair with some curl in it, and it doesn't take the color as well (or maybe she doesn't sit still for it to be applied).  She has pink in some of her hair.

I'm not really sure about this, but it is cute.  And I'm thinking that if they had had this stuff when Bekka was small, with her white blonde hair, I could have had a lot of fun coloring it!

May 2, 2013 Nature

Today's word is nature.

 But I have other pictures to share that I found on the camera.

This first one is my clean patio (clean before the snow that is.). I'm ready to sit out there with a book and a glass of iced tea:

This next one, well, I was too late.  The sun was coming up, and lit the stained glass with a reddish/pinkish glow.  By the time I got to the camera, the sun was too high, and all I got was the white light under the cloudy skies.  Guess I have to move faster, cause the sun does!

This is a nature photo for today.  It's my woodpile, with snow.  The one I piled up next to the driveway so Clyde wouldn't have to wade through snow to get wood for the stove.  And he didn't even light the stove once all winter!  Maybe next year.

This one is of all the pine cones that I threw on the slash pile last summer.  I didn't make it to the slash place, so the pile is getting bigger and I have to make it there this summer.  After I cut branches off the down trees.

This is Black and White, the cat, all purring and rubbing on the trailer in the sun.  And yes, the cat's name is Black and White.

And lastly, here's poor Rosie, looking in the window, pleading to come in.  Doesn't it just look like she's thinking "please don't make me stay out here by myself".

Clyde has a sinus infection and he's going to the doctor tomorrow.  It's about time, he's been hacking for two weeks now.  Just try sleeping while he's hacking.  It's impossible.

May 1, 2013 Whiteout

I don't know the word for today, but this is my word for today: Whiteout!

This was the drive home at 3:30pm today. I only did one donut, and I didn't end up in the ditch. (Thank goodness they widened that part of the road!)

Through the windshield:

Out the side window:

I'm thinking that the school district up here will have at least a two hour delay tomorrow, but I've been informed that if they were, it would already be called.