Hi

It has been so nice out lately! We are truley blessed. I have been working in the yard and reading along with the house work etc. Not much going on around here lately I guess. Finally getting to know our neighbors a little more.... they are the exact opposite as Terese and Jim were~ Probably in every way possible. Today I learned they have two cats along with their Bull dog and of coarse Jim and Terese never had a pet. I guess they let the cats roam the neighborhood too.... I saw the grey one the other day and she said she had a grey one and a black persian or something like that.... too bad she lets them out in the neighborhood though. Oh and Jim always took such pride in the lawn... and this guy finally cut his today but it looks worse now... He cut it so short I wonder if he is trying to kill it or something and of coars all the clumps of grass are still there. he didn't finish so the mower is sitting where he left it this afternoon, he was on the cell phone while cutting. hehe  Leo thought he would help him last time he cut because we heard he has a bad back .... well guess what, he cut ours on the side like Leo did for him.... nice guy but Leo is not happy because he cut it way tooooo short and of coarse he left the grass lay. :) Interesting things happen when you get to learn the new neighbors habits. I told Leo to let it alone but he really thought he was helping and was going to cut his whole lawn until I told him not too.... good thing as he would have cut ours then and boy Leo would have had a fit then...:) I told him to just take care of ours and leave the neighbors alone.... now he knows why at least. They seem like very nice people though what we know of them. I was talking to her today and she said when she worked she was a dog and cat groomer. She wanted to know what kind of dogs we had though as she never saw long haired chihuahuas before. She probably didn't believe me. :) She was telling me how bad her back was because she is still emptying boxes etc... I wish those kids and that girlfriend would help her but it seems she is doing a lot for them. I guess its her job to take the garbage and recyles out to the curb and back as she has done it now for the last 3 weeks. If you saw how bent over she was you would feel sorry for her. I was coming out to take ours back in and noticed the garbage truck driver got out and helped her bring hers to the house... what a nice guy! She has a little cement dog on the porch so she can get up that step and into the house.I told her she should get someone to put a little railing there for her. I was telling her I was making that afghan and she said she couldn't do that anymore as she can't look down. I have to count my many blessings don't I? Leo can't look up either but I was talking to the neighbor accross the street that is a nurse at the cancer center in ST V's and she said he should go and get a soft neck brace to give him some relief for his neck. She also said he should go to his doctor and see if he would recommend him to go to a rehab center to learn some exercises for his neck...He said he is going to do both but so far he hasn't done anything about it. If it were me I would have done both a long time ago...He is always in pain and its hard for him to sleep. Doctor gave him pain pills but that is as far as that went. I think if Leo goes just for the neck he will get better results.
I really have to stop feeling so sorry for everyone all day or I won't ever be happy again I'm afraid.... I will keep smiling and I bet that will help won't it.... Dad says :) and I think he is right about that.
We are supposed to be getting our house painted but I don't really know when. Garys friend said he would do it as he has some time off. He also said he was going to come over with some samples of paint colors too. I don't know if I should stay home every day until he comes over or what. I don't want to pester him as he said he would do it in his spare time and get the paint at a 50% discount. Maybe it will be next year though if the weather doesn't stay warm... It's perfect to paint now but I suppose he is busy. He is looking for a house to buy and that takes up a lot of spare time too. I will let you know what happens or what doesn't happen. It's not a matter of life or death but it would be nice to have it painted as I really don't like the color it is now.... an ugly ugly green. I want it painted a pretty soft color to match the bricks in front.
So thats what I'm up to.... not much. Hope your days are more interesting, Sandra

Lazy day

Just thought I would do a little catching up today.... answering questions, doing laundry and taking a sweater back that was too BIG...LOL I just grabed the wrong size is all ~ I didn't lose any weight yet.... but I will keep trying.
There weren't or have their ever been any grapes on that grapevine behind the shed. It was good for making grapevine wreaths though but I do have anothe grapevine I can use for that in a different spot.
We went to Krolls west yesterday.... I had a hamburger and Leo had the chili. They make great chili too. Not the same as chili johns but we get heartburn from that now so we don't go anymore. If I do get hungry for it though they sell the meat part in most freezer sections at our grocery stores now.
I didn't know about the seeds from the morning glories changing colors so I will just save them with the rest to put in back on the fence or something then and buy my Heavenly Blue again next spring. Thanks for telling me, I would have been disapointed next summer.
So Now I will go and finish some laundry so I can remake the bed etc and its lunch time too.... Hope you are having a nice day... Looks like a couple of rainy ones heading our way too. Sandra

Still no new pictures

I decided to write a little just to say what  I have been doing, even though we haven't been doing much of "interest". Yesterday Leo decided to cut down the wild grapevine in back of the shed. It was growing like crazy back there and it was growing into the neighbors fence and since we want to be good neighbors and all we decided to cut it out completly this time. a few weeks ago I trimed it and it was worse then before. so he cut it back along with some ferns and things and put round up on the whole thing after. Then I helped him cut the vines to fit in the barrels and helped him with the evergreen that was growing over the shed... between the two of us we got that trimed and put in another barrel and then I said as long as you have the trimmer out how about the white birch?  We got 3 bigger branches cut and a lot of smaller ones and now it lookes a lot neater back there but still pretty. we also cut those branches up and put in another barrel and then I cut some off of the humming bird vine as it was getting hard to walk under it again. Now we have more fresh air and it's no longer a jungle back there. Trouble is Leo's neck is sore and so is my back but we will get over it. We needed the exercise! Now all I really have to do back there is cut some plants down in the bigger garden and I will be good til fall. I found out how the seeds on morning glories grow too. I have never seen that before because the heavenly blue flower so late but this year I have different colored ones that started blooming early. those seeds are in little brown balls ~ there are about 3 or 4 to each ball or maybe more as I didn't keep track. I put them in an envelope for next year. I have my eye on the heavenly blue though as they are my favorite and hope to find some seeds for them too.
Today we went to the sale at Kohls. They didn't have what I was looking for but we did find a couple of bargains.... Leo a really nice pair of golf shorts for $8 and I got a couple of nice bras and a cake pan.... one of those blue silicone Kitchen aide  ones that are able to go into the microwave or oven or freezer and dishwasher.... you just aren't supposed to use a sharp cutting tool thats all. they were on sale plus my 15% senior discount.... Then we went to Krolls for a hamburger.
So it was a nice couple of days...... hope you are enjoying your days too and hope you can get a couple of nice days as far as your weather is concerned, like we have beengetting. Its supposed to get warmer but only in the low 80's so that should be just fine.... Take care, Sandra

Nice Cool Day

It was the perfect day today so far---- I got up at 6:30 and by 7 I was in the yard trimming and pulling weeds. I had to have a sweatshirt on because it was so cool. I can hardly believe that but it's true. :) I got 2 big trash containers full to the brim after pushing them down to get more in. It is starting to look better now and pretty soon I won't have any feelings of guilt for not taking care of my flowers like I should. You should just see my tree rose. It is full of buds again. Leo was fishing so he didn't help but after lunch he did cut the lawn so all is forgiven. He is taking 4 containers and a bucket to be recycled now. Its a good feeling to know the yard looks better. I raked up some spots in the front yesterday.... the spots where we may be losing grass because we didn't water it when it was so hot. Hope we don't have to reseed but it doesn't look promising. I just raked it up a little where it looked like hay so maybe it will get some air to the roots and if not I will have to rake it harder and put some seed in those spots and make sure its watered.... hope it comes back by itself.
After working in the yard I went to the store to take back a movie ( I got the wrong one) and then picked up some groceries for making peanut butter cookies with choc chips in them..... sounds good to me but I haven't made them yet. it is a recipe I found for a cookie with both my favorites in one cookie.... very good! Now if and when I make them I will have to make sure I don't eat too many... maybe I should freeze some or give some away... can't give them to the new neighbors because every time I go to say hi to them they turn their head or pretend they don't see me..... wonder what that is all about. I guess they have only one thing on their minds yet, moving is a big thing and takes all your time and energy I think. I noticed the neighbors accross the street have more stuff in their garage now and can't put their cars in again..... The other neighbors accross the street ( the ones that moved out before selling) are taking all their carpets out of their house today. I wonder if they are going to paint every room too. It will be a nice place for someone then won't it. Actually he is there telling the kids what to do. He did take the door off so they could remove the carpeting though.... what a guy.... haha
So thats it for today. Now I think I will go and read a little because my bones are aching from all the work I did today. Not used to it anymore I guess.
Hope you are having a great day, Sandra

Beautiful day

I guess its time I took more pictures again, huh? I will but I haven't gotten anything new to take pictures of lately. We had more rain early this morning and my guage said it was another 3/4 of an inch. Iam still not complainig though as we sure did need it... The trees must even be happy now I think. In our yard it is now 4 and 1/2 inches in 2 days. Not bad.
Our new neighbors seem to be busy yet. I guess that accident he had set them back a bit and they stopped moving the things out of those big boxes. I did notice though that there was a vase of flowers on the window seat by the front window so it must be getting better.
My poor little Twinkie got a swat by Leo yesterday for barking at something under the fence so he isn't going to that side any more. I made Leo promise me not to hit him anymore though as he is so tiny he may hurt him. Now he goes back to the other side and barks at their dog. LOL Charlie got out today too but I thought he would come right back because the grass was so wet ... not a chance. he was at the fence in two shakes... he really can run when he wants to. I got him back in in a few minutes though as I suppose he really didn't like being wet. He is a good cat but when I have to carry him back in the house he is pretty heavy and its a bit awkward carrying him back in the house.
I needed some exercise today so I went out front to trim some plants and pull some out and take care of a few weeds too. It looks better already. I like doing that but the sun was beating down on me and then it wasn't fun any more. Tomorrow its going to get cool so Monday I should be able to clean up the backyard. I like doing that especially after a nice rain.
Hope you are having a Great day today, Sandra

Rain beautiful rain

It rained last night.... boy did it ever rain. We got 3 & 3/4 ". Isn't that a good thing for us that were suffering a drought. We didn't get wind or too much thunder and lightening but some close by did and I'm so sorry for that. There were 18 tornados that were spotted last night in Wisconsin. I guess 5 in our valley. One person was killed to. That is so sad. Too bad we can't just get a nice soft rain for everyone to enjoy. It is going to be in the 80's today and tomorrow but then it will only be 72 on Sunday. I guess from now on the temp. will be good for me and just hope the humidity will be lower too.
After that nice rain it should be easy to pull weeds again. I think I will wait until Monday when its cool.
I haven't had my coffee yet and really don't know what I will be doing today..... it should be a good one though and hope you have a nice day too, Sandra

Good Afternoon

Its been a good day so far. Looks like rain soon but you never know do you...... It's getting very humid and the sky is cloudy, not the rain clouds but just not blue. I went to the post office this morning because I had to mail my bills and get stamps. The last time I got stamps I got those big Disney ones and others that were big. My son said why don't you just get the regular ones with the flag ..... so I got some of the regular ones with the flag to please the men but I also got some with pretty flowers to please me... Next time I may get some big ones again, you never know. Then I went to Wal Mart for a few things. They have some bird seed there I like to get for my bigger feeders.... it has cherries in and some peanuts and sunflower seeds. Iam sure the birds just love it and probably the squirrels do too. Then I got a couple of small cans of cat food. I was reading about cats and it said cats are not like dogs as they need meat to live a good life. It said the dry cat food isn't enough for them so I will try and see if Charlie likes it and then I will cut back on his dry food. I would think the dry food I get is just fine as its probably one of the most expensive brands but this person or persons seem to know what they were talking about and I want Charlie to be healthy. My dogs get dry food but they also get food from Leo and Gary. I suggest to Gary that Pizza isn't good for them but he won't listen. I guess he figures if its good enough for him its good for the dogs..... I think that is why they are overweight but no matter how many times I tell him I am sure he still gives them some...
Now back to my new neighbors..... he and a friend unloaded the four containers that were delivered and 4 more came but in the meantime another friend came and it took them both to get the man next door into the van.... He must have hurt himself moving furniture I would guess..... I think the people that moved out did it a better way.... the "Two Men and a Truck" moved all the big things for them.... they moved boxes but they didn't have big ones, they made sure. I feel so sorry fot the guy though because if its his back I know what he is going through because that happened to Leo too and he had a hard time getting in the car to go to the hospital. Once we got to the hospital it was easier because someone came and brought him in.... Some men are so .... whats the word? maybe proud or just embarresed that it would happen that they refuse to call an ambulance. I hope he can wait until he gets more help this time. He lives with 3 women... his 2 daughters and his older mother so they probably don't do much .... Their dog hasn't bothered us with barking lately either.... Peaches and their Milo are pretty good about it but not Twinkie.... that little stinker he just heads for the fence everytime he goes out and starts to bark. Now I have to go out with them and get him to do what he is out there to do and not bark or he is back in the house. Maybe he too will learn and he will be able to stay out longer. he really really loves it outside so maybe he will figure it out soon. I think he is rather spoiled, but is not used to a dog on that side and that was their resting place etc as the other side and back have little dogs too.
I have been reading lately so have not yet finished my afghan.... Maybe tomorrow I will work on it some more. :) I worked in the yard cutting back and pulling weeds this afternoon but then it was so humid I decided to wait until the weather is better. I think I will start another book. I got 4 at the library but I think I may have read a couple of them before. thats why I like to get new books --- then I know I didn't read it yet.... I either read too many or my mind is getting bad... don't think its my mind, must be I read soooo many, LOL
Hope your day is going good, Sandra