new camera

Today I went to Fleet Farm and got 2 more solar lights for the front yard.... I got 2 because that was all that was left and I suppose they will come out with some different ones next season... They are puter and metal ones. Now we have 5 .... guess thats enough anyway... gotta go and check to see if they are all lit.... hope so because I don't feel like taking any back.... THEY ALL ARE AND LOOKING BETTER THAN I EXPECTED thats good.
   I played around with my new camera again today and got it to do more things and even put the dvd on the tv... all by myself. Last night Gary told me a couple of things and made it a little easier.... now I have to figure out how to delete pictures and finish off a tape to play it on the dvd player.... I also have to learn a few things about taking videos because I got dizzy watching part of the picture.... not the cameras fault as it was much steadier than I ever imagined... I just was moving it up and down and around and around..... I will get better.
Our son called today and said he will be coming home in 2 weeks... that will be so nice! He will be going fishing with Leo and also golfing with him and some of his brothers I suspect.... I will have a reason to do a little cooking too... It will be nice to have him here again. We sure do miss him. He just got a new job at Sea World and is now supervisor in the Bud store.... they test beer there and sell all kinds of Bud articles. I was there when we were in Florida and its such a nice neat and clean place.... Mike likes that and will take pride in keeping it that way. Thats why he got that job, because they know he likes things neat and clean and is a good worker... We brought him up good. Just wish he was living here in Green Bay..... but thats not to be so it will be nice having him home for awhile. 10 days I guess.
  Tomorrow is supposed to be another nice day... I should go out and spread the mulch I got a long time ago and maybe do something fun.... don't know what yet though.
Hope you have a nice week end, Sandra

Cool weather makes me sleepy

I didn't do much but a lot of small stuff today and I am so ooooo sleepy tonight. Guess its the weather. We have gotten some really cool days but starting tomorrow it will get into the 70's again and by next week maybe even 80 or so he says... I turned the heat on yesterday to take the dampness and chill out of the house. I can hardly believe it.
Today we went shopping for juice glasses. I finally found a set at K Mart ( Martha Stewart) Good ole Martha. We have been using our 4 little juice glasses a lot lately... They measure juice and milk etc without getting out a measuring cup. I need to measure as I am watchin what I eat lately. So far its working, not fast but its coming off. We found a few other odds and ends while there... you know a watch battery and other batteries as they were there in the aisle and we needed some  for a pumpkin light I just had to have.  :) The other day I found a battery operated pumpkin carver I had to have too... gotta put some fun in it I say.
After shopping we stopped at Krolls for a hamburger and some iced tea and Leo had chili and coffee.... it was very good!  then I took the dog for a walk and stopped and talked to a neighbor for awhile and when I came home my new video camera came so I have been trying to figure that one out.... I don't like the first days of new things but I think I will really really like this little digital one... has a wonderful zoom too... now I have to go somewhere I guess don't I.... I will start with the holidays and just take regular videos... it also takes regular digital but don't really know yet how that works....Its a nice small one that fits just right in my hand... I sure hope I learn it all. Has a great big book with it and if I get through all of that and remember it I will consider myself a genius, LOL Wish me luck.
So thats about it for today. I just figured I should write something so you know I am still alive and kicking, Sandra

The Mums are blooming

The mums are in bloom and summer is winding down. I think I could have used some more lazy days but I'm ready. Fall is a beautiful time of the year and I can wear extra clothes to hide the pounds I gained this summer... lol I gained 10 pounds because it was too hot to do much of anything. I have lost 6 so far though and am on a roll..... haha  I hope I can lose more than the 10 though, always good for me to lose a little more as I have a lot extra from other years. We shall see and I will keep you informed Iam sure as its always on my mind.... thats a song title isn't it? :) I am in a silly mood today......
   We are having a beautiful day today, high of 73 with the sun shinning. Nice day to pick out a pumpkin or decorate the yard or something like that. So far I had a good breakfast and did a load of laundry that was left over from yesterday... towels. Tomorrow is suppose to be a rainy type of a day and 10 degreees cooler I guess, so I think I will enjoy this one more. If I do any decorating for fall I will take some pictures. Leo went fishing already and is home eating his breakfast.... I was looking at those big blow up halloween decorations and am thinking about getting one. Do you think someone will steal it like they did last year when they took my Christmas one? Maybe if I put it closer to the porch? We do have the sensor light on the porch now so maybe that will help.... I wonder?????  I really think it would be fun to have one for Halloween. I sure liked that snowman waving to the cars that went by. I guess someone else really liked it too. Maybe if they didn't sell out so fast at the store there would be more to go around and people wouldn't go around steeling them... I will think about it some before I get one.... what do you think?????
Hope you are having a nice fall day, Sandra

First Day of FAll

HAPPY  FALL

Hope we all have a wonderful fall this year! I think I will no matter what...... no matter what!

The tree still smells bad................. :) don't know what to do anymore. All I can say its a good thing I don't have to smell it all day and night as its in the living room and I don't have to go there if I choose not to ...... I CHOOSE NOT TOO. It's close to the front door so as soon as Leo finishes that door I will leave it open and maybe the fresh air will change something..... otherwise I will just have to wait untill the some leaves fall and it grows new ones.... or that stuff wears off. Wonder how long that will be. Anyone have any ideas for me?

I have a cousin Joe who lives in Houston with his family and my Aunt Jean.  Don't know his address so all we can do is pray that all is well with them... it wouldn't be fun for them to leave the city in that terrible traffic. I don't understand it.... why aren't there other ways out of a city like that? or are all the roads that crowded????? My stinkie little tree doesn't matter at all compared to their plight does it.

Hope you are having a nice day.... its a rainy sort of day here but tomorrow it is supposed to be cool and sunny.... I LOVE IT. Sandra

Tree

Well the tree is in the house again. I hope it stays this time. Don't know though as I still smell something but not sure if its the dish soap or what. It is a scented soap with the sent of wildflowers and after I brought it in the cat smelled it for awhile.... wonder why? I sprayed the soap and water all over the tree and soil and then waited for awhile and then took the hose and sprayed and sprayed and sprayed again and then I kept running water through the soil. I took the stones out of the top and washed them all one by one and soaked the soil again. It must have run through at least 5 times. then I waited til it ran out and brought it in.... Leo says its ok and he can't smell anything and I said I will bring it in as its my thing to stink if it does because they both smoke... Leo outside and Gary in his room.... and you all know how smoke stinks, LOL I wonder though how long it will be before I forget about it. The weird thing is that they both smelled something last night and so did I .... we had to keep the doors shut as we figured it was coming from outside... not the porch as those windows were shut etc... Leo said it was coming from a neighbor cutting down a tree and he was using an old type of chain saw or something that must have used kerosene or something like that... I hope that is the last of that now. I thought maybe our new neighbors were burning something stinking in their wood burner stove in the basement... didn't check to see the chimney though as I didn't feel like moving anymore... was too tired. :)
Today it will be really warm--- I think the last one of the year as tomorrow its going to be 68 and that is the average for this time of year. I think I will sit on the porch this afternoon and finish reading my little book. Seems I can read better there as I don't get disturbed by the tv etc... seems at least one tv is always on around here. For sure when Leo and Gary are home. Pretty soon I will have quiet again.... when Leo is finished painting the fron door and starts to go fishing again. I'm ready  :)  Hope you are having a nice day too, Sandra

my house tree

What a day. I decided to bring in my tree from the front porch today... I brought it out on the front lawn with the rain coming down. Got it washed and watered. Then I sprayed it and kept it in the shade for an hour or so and brought it in. I sprayed it with my good organic spray that is good for everything and good for environment etc. Well after Gary came home from work he wanted to know what the odd smell was----- I thought he was talking about the candle I had burning.. but was not the case. Darn Darn Darn. It was the spray on that tree. So back out on the porch it went. Now tomorrow I will spray it with soapy water and then spray it down with the hose.... The soap should work I hope to take the spray off. The tree looks beautiful and I want it to come back into the house. I will let you know if it works... what do you think?????
  So that is what I did today besides laundry. I also let the cat out and forgot about it because I got sidetracked.... oh boy I have never done that before. I did not think he would stay out as it was raining but I was wrong. I let the dog out and he wanted to go out too even if it was raining. I also went out because the cushions on the patio chairs were getting wet and I wanted to bring them to the front porch so they wouldn't get any wetter.... did that and let the dog back in and then sat down to finally have a cup of coffee... just sat down and heard a noise outside..... it was Charlie jumping into a bush to get the birds... So out I went and got him and brought him in all dirty and wet.... I made him go down the basement and clean himself off.... he did not get a bird by the way. Then a few minutes later he came back up and ate... guess it all made him hungry.
So that was my day almost... did you have a nice day? I hope so, Sandra

Picture of the house

Finally a picture.... the sun is a little bright today but I couldn't wait. How do you like it??????? Lots of shadows today but I will be taking more pictures of my flowers and you will be seeing lots of the house then too. We Love it... the front door is not painted yet but when it is and the flowers are not hiding it any more I will take a full picture of the house.... Leo is a slow painter that is why we had someone paint the rest of the house.... I will be happy when it is all finished. So will Leo because he went fishing early this morning and caught his first Walleye of the season and he was sooooo happy.
Hope you are all having a nice Saturday, Sandra

what my birthdate means

Your birth on the 2nd day of the month adds a degree of emotion, sensitivity, and intuition to your life.
The 2 is a very social number allowing you to make friends easily and quickly.
Yet you are apt to have a rather nervous air in the company of a large group.

You have a warmhearted nature and emotional understanding that constantly seeks affection.
You are more prone than most to become depressed and moody, as emotions can turn inward and cause anxiety and mental turmoil.
It can be hard for you to bounce back to reality when depression sets in
Carlene at Horshoebend has a journal with this info in it.... don't know if I like the part of bouncing back when a depression sets in but it is true. darn. the rest is also true I think so it all evens out doesn't it? I hope.
Yesterday the painting went well and now both sides are finished and they look good. the trouble is it didn't look good with the color we wanted for the front.... looked good on paper but not the house so I decided it would be better if we painted the wood in front the same color as the sides and back. Makes sense right? well it caused a big fight ..... Leo took the paint back to have it tinted because it was just one shade different on the color swatch... they told him it couldn't be done... so he had them make it close.... well guess what, close is not good enough for me... I am sorry to say I could not be happy at all if it wasn't all the same... front sides "and" back.... Leo was not happy but he went and got 2 gallons of the right color and now Iam happy. so far, but you never know. Leo is painting the front today and he also painted the garage window and door. My neighbor came over and thought it was just beautiful, she was smiling and so happy for me she said. She knew for a few "years" now I was not happy with that ugly green. Now I hope everyone likes the burnt orange shutters, lol. I love them but our painter suggested a cocoa brown and he is probably right but its my house and I want to try that carmel orange color.... Pictures will be coming in a few days I hope. If not it all goes back to white shutters and white door.... I DON'T want brown and either does Leo. He likes the color I picked as it matches one of the bricks... :) The painter laughed and said he will never tell anyone he was the painter.... thats ok by me.
Hope everything is going your way too, Sandra

House painting

Terry came yesterday to start painting the house... It's starting to look good but now he won't be back until Wed... he said he has to finish by Sunday because he will be going out of town for a week... He is using a sprayer and its going very fast. I will put in some pictures as soon as he is finished and everything is back to normal... not sure if I want the shutters painted a different color but Leo said give it a shot and we shall see what it looks like. they will match the door I do want painted. Its a color to match some of the bricks but its not white LOL all the nieghbors seem to be painting their doors and shutters a darker color so I will too. They were black when we moved in so this will be much lighter I guess. Just wait.... you will see what Iam talking about... I think its sort of a burnt orange.... 
Saturday  I wasn't feeling well so I started a diet yesterday... I know if I lose some pounds I will feel much much much better so here I go again.... this time I want to keep it off as I am so darned tired of dieting and writing down what I eat etc... when on earth will I ever learn. Soon I hope............
Hope everyone is having a nice start to the new week. We are having warm weather for one more day and then for as far ahead as I can see it will be sunny and low 70's ~ Makes me very very happy.
Sandra

My Daughter Shari

My daughter Shari walked over today with the little one she is taking care of... She has taken care of children in her home for over 15 years now and is doing a wonderful job. She only had this little one today so she could walk over. It was nice to see them. Everyone that works and needs a sitter should have someone as nice as Shari... ya ya I'm her Mother but its the truth.
We went shopping today for a little while and then I got a money order to send to someone on Ebay because I bought a Bible story book I had when I was a child.... It was only $2 but she wanted a money order only... :) Gave me something to do today. I went to Kohls and found a little Christmas present besides a new nightgown. We had gone Sunday and I got a $10 certificate so I had to go back and spend it, LOL
My son came over today and his wife has a pretty pink shirt with a tiny tiny hole and I am supposed to work my miracle and fix it, haha... I will go to JoAnns tomorrow and get some of that fabric glue and try a dot of that on the tiny hole... actually it is a few droped stitches I believe by the button placket.... Give me an excuse to go back to JoAnns though won't it. :) I forgot to go there today.
Now I have to go into fantasy football and see if we can still change our players for the week. Gary said he has to change a player.
Hope you had a nice day, Sandra

Cleome or Spider Plant

I am now gathering seeds from the Spider plants... These are the ones that came up from last summer. They came up in the strangest places but I kept them here and it turned out just fine until they got so big they covered my other flowers ( like my new rose tree) so I cut most of them back. It seems they get taller if they come up from last year or if you plant them from small greenhouse plants. I planted a bunch from seed and they didn't get as tall but they are short and sweet and I kinda like them better .... I did plant them rather close together so that may be why too. 
 I watered my flowers in front this morning and we had the most wonderful rain than later this afternoon...a good thing because the lawn still needs it and so did the plants in back... my rain guage said we got 3 inches. They said on the news we only got an inch and a half so maybe my rain guage is wrong... don't know.
So.... now its bed time and I am tired so Goodnight, Sandra

House Painting Project

So far the house isn't getting painted.... not yet. We are just waiting for the colors we picked out to see that they are the right ones. In the meantime though Leo pressure washed the house and caulked the windows in the back and filled holes ( the ones were the screws were to hold the window box and hose winder etc. We no longer have that hose winder and the window box is worn out mostly so we will get a new one. He also had to get rid of wasps and a small nest that they started. I took all the plants away or cut back the ones that were touching the house. It is a little bigger job than I figured when I asked Terry to paint our house. I figured it would be started by now... Gary seems to think he won't be over until the weekend or if he has a day off.... time will tell won't it. At least the house is clean now and so is the patio as Leo pressure washed that too while he was at it. I guess I wrote about all this before though didn't I? Well I will probably keep it up until more gets done... Leo just caulked etc yesterday though. Oh I have to put a picture up of his new squirrel feeder too. I think it will drive the squirrel crazy. he has a little chair like our other one but this one has a sort of wheel that spins and an ear of corn fits on each spoke... 4 in all. I have to get my camera out today I guess.
So today I have to find something to do.... suppose I have lots to do if you count the everyday stuff but I want to get some project done or started today. I suppose after I have a cup of coffee etc then I will be able to get going....If the painting was done I would start on the windows but I think if I do now I would probably have to do over and once is enough, LOL 
 Hope you all have a nice day, Sandra

September already

Things are finally starting to move in New Orleans and Mississippi for all those poor people.... this should have happened a lot sooner but I think it's because we were all so stunned and its just so darned big...... isn't it a huge thing that happened... It's all so sad but there will be nice stories coming from it too.... I just feel so sorry for so many of these people.... especially the old people that didn't get any help and the people in the hospitals.... Makes you want to sob and not quit. People are starting to help now but probably just didn't know how to begin.... how on earth can one person begin to help when so many are so hurt. God help us to help all that are left.
We finally got a caravan of buses headed down there to bring some people back here .... we don't know how or what they will need but the word is out that they will need a temporary shelter and some temporary jobs are available if they can work. One man had a hundred dollars and gave it to them for a little start... everyone is helping and Iam sure this is going on in many many cities around the country.... I wonder if any will want to come to Green Bay.... just for awhile .... it does get really cold here so they won't want to stay long I bet as they like hot probably and hot you don't get here but you don't get hurricanes either. I hope we can make some happy for awhile until they can go back and start life again.... I hope they will have help when they get back then too.... it will be a long time won't it? We have Wis. national guard down there now too. Eventually we will need to get some lumber and carpenters etc down there too I think. When Mike's roof blew off his house it was at least 6 month before they could get any kind of roofer there to do the job..... and then the air vents were covered etc.... but he has a roof now.
Can't think of much else to write about because it all seems so small now.... I know it will change and I will be able to soon as people will start to get happy again and help will be given to ALL the people that have survived this terrible time, till then I hope you are safe and smiling, Sandra