Getting Back in the Swing of Things.

I am going to try and get my blogger motivation back up and running. I have lost it along the way and my family has informed me they don't think I should quit, so here I am jumping back in. It is a bit hard to write these days when the world is such a terrible mess, but maybe that means I need to all the more. I can't do much beyond give and PRAY for the world, but I can keep a distraction going over here on the Homefront.

I was at the doctor's office a couple of weeks ago and I could hear through the paper thin walls at one particular conversation he was having with a gentleman about depression. I think all that isolation time and now war talk has more than a few just losing hope. I think my visit was a good interruption for the poor doctor in his day. I had great bloodwork results and no problems. I think he was pleased to walk into a room where he didn't have to do much but just say hello and howdy do. However, today my allergies have wiped me out. I woke up so congested. Fortunately I had some good medicine from a previous visit to an online doctor, so I am better this evening. I need to bounce back as I am keeping Tucker tomorrow. His daycare has a teacher workday. Tucker has high expectations for a visit to Mimi's house. He gave me a list of foods to have on hand Friday evening. There is no way he can eat his entire list but it is all in the pantry for his selecting tomorrow.

Jeff was on spring break last week....

My week turned out to be not my own. IT was guided by everyone else, but it all turned out well. We made it to the Auburn house, but it was more of a work trip that I had hoped. We took two beds (not mattresses) to exchange and I can adamantly tell you I am over moving furniture. I told Jeff that I am officially too old for that! I was sore in far too many places upon our finishing.

The beds were from Danny's house. Both were way better than the two we had in two of the rooms there. I was able to use the wood from them, but not the mattresses. He was a smoker and they were just awful. Now for the bedroom downstairs we were able to just use the mattresses we had. Both were queens so all was good. 

The second bedroom upstairs was a full or double bed and we had wanted to change it out anyway. We bought a box spring from Sam's and also tried out one of those mattresses that are a mattress in a box. Just let me tell you they are not any lighter because they come in a box! So with moving one down the stairs and a new one up the stairs I was completely pooped. I took a picture of the one upstairs, but failed to remember the one downstairs.

This will be a lot more comfortable for the couple who has to sleep in here. A full is quite small compared to a double and just think...I remember when that was the bed most people had when I was a kid.

A blogger must remember to take photos.

Mother went with us this time. It was her 87th birthday while we were there, so we went to eat at Outback on that day. She ate well. Hip hip hooray. She didn't feel too well as the allergies were bugging her, but all in all she did well.

When we got back we did a little bit of yard work. Jeff took off for the whole week. Lindsay didn't so I had to keep the kids on some of the days. She worked half days so I got a wee bit of a break.

Tucker helped PaPa plant the orange tree that we have been talking about planting for two years. 

I told him he was 3 and the tree was as tall as he was. We would have to see if was as tall as him when he was 4. Either way, we will have to watch them both grow.

I thought you might like to see the next picture. The blur is Gus getting out some energy.

PaPa helped feed Palmer.

I told Jeff it was time to go ahead and set a date for retirement. I have set one for him of next June...not this coming one but the next. I think it is time. We will see what he says.

Mimi got her picture too.

Jeff, Paul Allen and Katie went fishing on Friday to a place called Basin Bayou to the north of the bay, hence the different trees.

The live oak tree leaf drop has begun here along the coast. It is fall in the spring with those trees.

March definitely has lived up to its mantra of being a windy month. My poor fern downstairs has been on its side more this month that it has been upright.

I am hoping it will go out like a lamb and bring on those gorgeous April and May days I love. All of my day lilies are above ground with tiny buds starting to appear. Spring is showing up here and I am ready. I spend as much time outside this time of year as I can. We had our first supper meal yesterday on the deck. Hoping to make that a daily occasion if the weather is cooperating. 

I have much outside work to do but it will get done. I am not going to rush it. I am spending my days doing chores, loving on the grandkids, reading, a little stitching, and just soaking up every good blessing in this crazy time. I think I am more aware than ever to give thanks to God for all my blessings. Life can change at anytime.

I am going to try and get back on here at least once a week. 

Sandy

Spring!

Tomorrow is the first day of spring to some people. I am beyond excited about that idea, but the truth is I adhere to meteorological dates for spring and summer and astronomical dates for fall and winter. You can easily see which seasons I like most with this view of the starting dates. 

I had hoped I would have that "little" heron all stitched by this day. That didn't happen. Here's my progress.

He is going to be a winner when I finish his tail feathers. I did get his beautiful neck and head all done. There is also an over one dragonfly started over to the left. All of it is a distraction to those grays of the tail feathers. I have no explanation as to why they are so hard other than I am off a little bit and am not frogging it. I am going to plow forward and the grays all run together so I have to do little bits of it at a time. 

Hence, I am not giving it a timeline to be finished anymore. I want to enjoy it and it not be a chore. What will be will be!!!

I have so many other things I want to stitch on, so no rules for me. I am too old for all those rules.

The past few weeks have been tough and busy so no blogging has taken place. I lost my friend, Kim. Her funeral was this week and that just took all my emotions to write with it out the door. I still can't even write a tribute to her. 

We have cleared Danny's house and are just waiting on the cleaning people to do their thing and then we list it. It is hard to get anyone to do anything these days. I think Jeff and I have determined we have checked almost all things off the list except those of the house and then closing out the bank account. I got his taxes ready to send to his accountant this week and everything has been donated, sold, or turned off. I think that is incredible that most has been done in less than a month. Danny gets credit for having his house in order so to speak. 

I am still working on trying to get mine more in order. I have been brutal in this round of getting rid of stuff. I think the Goodwill people must wonder. It feels really good to get rid of things. It has taken me a long time to get there.

The one thing I did keep of Danny's was his stereo that had a turntable. I put it downstairs where we had one that I took to donation. I have had the most fun going down and listening to my old 45s mostly and some albums. Tucker enjoyed the old stories where it dings to turn the page. I did keep about a dozen books to read. I will pass them on as I read them though.

Jeff and I are going to take off a few days at the beginning of this week to go to the Auburn house. It is spring break in our school district. Lindsay and her family have traveled to visit with Tyler's family, so I have the first part of the week with no kiddos. Paul Allen and Katie are getting the baby room ready. Things are starting to look cute in there too.

I haven't much to say other than I have just been busy. 

Palmer and I have fun days together. He is army crawling everywhere. He is so close with the full on knee crawling. I had to take the walker away from him because he was too fast with it and he is like a bull in a china shop with it. He is quite a bit more rambunctious than Tucker was. He loves stroller rides and I love getting out with him.

When we return from Auburn I hope to spend the end of the week getting some outdoor chores done. I am ready to see everything in full bloom. The azaleas popped out a bit too early this year and got bit by the cold spell that dipped down too far south. They won't have a banner year in my neighborhood, but everything else is budding and looking like they are daring anymore cold weather to stick its nose in down here.

This "no rules" girl is signing off for a few days.