Oh Boy , It's Wednesday.....

  A picture of the crab apples on our flowering tree. This is winter bird food, sometimes.  I see birds eat them during winter.

 The mums are overflowing their flowerbed. Now you can see what I meant about them needing to be thinned out somewhat.

 Our honeysuckle is growing again , after a very slow start in Spring.  There were some blooms on it this year, but not near as many as last summer. The hummingbirds like to visit it.
 Today is the my doctor appointment. I will just be glad to go and be done with it.  I am going to ask about my knee hurting , my blood thinners ,and my tummy med. Then hopefully I will be given good advice. LOL
   Wishing all a good day.  XO

After The Rains...

   This is the Sunday sunset. Fiery and pretty. It had rained like a monsoon just before this.

 Then we had another evening rain yesterday.  Once the storm moved on we had some wonderful clouds. This one had a strange dome. The top of this cloud looked like a smoke ring was  sitting on top.

  More billowy clouds with the sun reflecting at the top. Now I think we have had enough rain. But honestly we may have a little rain each day till Friday. The sun is shining right now and it's 9 am.
  Our lawns are growing fast from the rain and very green. I can see that the bean and corn fields are starting to turn yellow .  This month is about over. What is it, about 26 days till Autumn ? I love the colors of Autumn and the cooler temperatures. ....but I know what follows. Winter !! The older  I get the less I like it. I know some people truly love the snow and cold. I don't mind shoveling a little snow and I love the cold on my face. But that is about all. LOL.
  I want to finish up some projects I have started , just seems I have no desire to do much this week.
Hope all of you are more on the ball than I am. :):)  Let's have fun if we can. XO

Doctors....

  Have you ever made a drs.' appointment and develop another thing before you get there??? I was to go see the doctor this morning. I wanted to asked about my blood thinners. Been on them for 11 years. Last month the doctor(new) said to stop taking them...I did not stop. I thought what's one more month after 11 years , really. So I wanted to have a conversation about that. Plus my reflux meds maybe aren't working as well. Now my knee is bothering me.. A  couple years ago, I was walking up a slippery incline and slipped...it hurt then. But has come and gone since then. When I go up and down the stairs to do laundry , it will hurt a bit. Now it is lasting longer. Feels like a tendon  not the joint.
  As I was getting ready to go to see the dr. this morning...her office called and said Dr. was sick. :):) What??? So I will be going later this week. LOL.  Felt like a reprieve .
  This is the cute T-shirt I won from the lovely Japolina. She is a very fashionable mommy in Miami.
Thank you Japolina. I am wearing another shirt under it.
   Wishing everyone a good day. Let's remember all those who need a prayer today. XO

Mums...

 The mums are in bloom here.  I truly need to thin the mums . They are just taking over the front flower bed.  There's sedum and daisies also.  Actually this is pictures from last fall, but the plants are bushier this year. People say they would like some starts....but do I have to get the starts , take them to their yards and plant them too.??  Yes.  I guess I will have to do just that.
  We had more rain , yesterday evening.  Thankfully it has ended for a couple days. Well you know how those weather predictions go.
   Take care and enjoy this wonderful Sunday.  XO

We Got Rain....

   You can see how hard it was raining here. We ended up with 2 1/2 inches of rain. Thankful for the rain we needed. Also very thankful that we didn't get more.

  You can see it is starting to stand in the shop/garage  driveway. That is a low spot. The town of Hartford City, NW of here, got 11 inches of rain in a short amount of time.  Closed down  I-69 for some time.  I am so sorry for all those in that mess .
  Rain is in our forecast for the next few days, that on and off  kind. Plus a possibility of 90 degree temperature. Oh boy a sauna. :):) I will not be doing much outside.
  I have a  few  things to be getting done before autumn arrives. I feel that at times I will never catch up. Wishing you the best weekend. xo

He's Early.....

   I found this wooly worm yesterday. I think it's early don't you? Any way, I got  little stick for him to crawl on. There was no way I would pick it up. I don't know when I went from , "Hey, look what I found, to don't let it get on me." LOL

 The corn around here is starting to turn at the bottom. So Fall is so near.  When corn turns brown and dries, I am amazed at how it stands on the skinny stalk .
   We had rain all night and some lightening. It's raining today also. We have had 2 1/2 inches in two days. Hope we don't get the super downpours that some places have .
   Enjoy this day...yippee, it's Friday.  XO

Throw Back Thursday !!!!!

   These are old photos of my family. My parents, brothers and sisters.  We look more like a clan than a family. LOL In this photo, Mom , George, Charles, Tom, Miles, Mark, Steve, and Dad.  Me(Susie), Jeanie, Brenda, Pam , and Barbie.

 Sister Brenda and brother Charles are missing from this photo. It was our baby brother Steve's graduation.

Big brother George is not in this photo.  Yes, we had a big family. Lots of  hard times and lots of good times.  Our beautiful brother , Miles, is no longer with us.  But he watches over us along with our parents. I sure miss them. I miss these old fun time get togethers too. We have a reunion around the 4th of July....when we can. 
  If you have parents, hug them today or give them a call. Or your siblings. Life is short, make it sweet. XO

Sister Lunch....

  Today my sister Pam is coming out for lunch . We will watch the Young and Restless and absolutely rewrite the show. LOL We worked together for 30 years at General Motors.   We have always be very close..
   When Pam comes out, I try to fix her a meal. She is the type that will make a rut and live in it. By that I mean, she eats those "lunchables", fruit and yogurt. She is not getting  the right nutrients by any means.  She does not have to live this way, she chooses to. She never cooks for herself, that I know .
  I will make us something easy and quick, but it won't say Oscar Myer on it. :):) Hope all of you have a fun day. It is warming up big time around here.  Stay cool. XO

Junking.....

 This is some of the junk in the shop down town. I just thought I would love to go back and see how much those bakers racks cost. I would love one on   the porch. Of course I would have to tie it to the rails so it would not blow over in a storm out here. 
  Living in the country, the winds are more fierce. So I have learned to tie, nail, weigh it down, or lose it.  The first storm we had when we moved here, I found someone garden flag. It had blown from the neighbors yard.  Wind is not so good on recycling day .
  Hope you are having a pretty day. The sun is out now, but storms are being predicted for this evening.  Enjoy today. XO

Walking.....

 Last Wednesday my sister and I went walking in the park.   We have a walking path around the park, two times around is a mile.

 There is also path that takes you to the 4-H fair grounds. Along this path is the hospital, medical arts build, Doctors' offices and two nursing homes.  There's the golf course across from this path. The creek flows between the course and park path.

 My sister has one of her ladies , she used to care for at the Catholic Nursing home, living in Miller's Merry Manor. We decided while walking we would go visit with Betty.  She was on her way to the beauty shop they have there. I  thought how very nice that the nursing home takes care of their patients' hair.
  I could see that this lady had more trouble being alert since we last saw her in the Spring. It made me wonder...is she just declining from her ills, her age, or lack of enough family visits , or activities. It's is heart breaking to see.  I know that people get caught up in their lives . So much to do and seemingly not enough time.  Please, let's try to remember the lonely today. Visit some one, call them, or send them a card.....for no reason , other than to say you are thinking of them. Isn't that what we all want when it gets down  to the nitty gritty of life....to be loved and to be remembered??   XO

Emma's Chickens...

  This first photo has nothing to do with chickens. LOL. It's just one of my favorite trees. It's at our city park. The little yellow green tree is a maple  and it is next to a flowering crabapple.  I just wanted to share it.

  This is Emma's  chicken coop area. Her chicken are finally laying eggs.  I have yet to get a photo of her with the eggs.  Liz (Emma's mom) says the eggs are very small at this time.

 Not all the chickens have made it to maturity. Sam the dog has loved some of them to death.  Liz says he pets them with his big paws.   Emma is happy about her chickens.
  Emma  got a new pool this summer and that has made her pretty happy also. I like that , so she can get some exercise. She doesn't get to ride her bike much. They live on a 1/2 mile road....with  a lot of traffic.  It's sad that country roads aren't wider.  If I can get a photo of Emma with the eggs, I will post it.
 Hope everyone has a great Sunday. It rained here, on and off ,yesterday morning and stayed cloudy. Today is to be more of the same.  XO

Who Knew ????

  Do you remember these items I picked up at my sister's yard sale??  They are cast iron.

  I went to the shop yesterday, and cleaned them up. I used a file and wire brush, to get the rust off.

  I saw this cute little owl in the ads of Romantic Home magazine. As soon as I saw this I knew I was going to paint the owl I bought.

 So here is the finished painting of the owl and key. I painted them  with some paint I had here for projects.  I am thinking of nailing  them  to a back board of some kind. Then the little junk mail box that I bought early in the spring. I will put it on the porch. When I finish that, I will post another photo.
  Weather lady saying right now....maybe a gloomy day with showers here and there. So I'll be going to the food store. Hope you are having sunshine. :)  Have fun today. XO

Painting On A Quiet Day....

 I thought I would try my hand at watercolors again. This is what I painted after lunch. I have this wonderful photo reference book. It's boats, marinas and water scenes.

If you are thinking , what  orangy skies and water...here's the photo I copied. My painting isn't as dark.  I also did a craft painting today. I was going to go to town, but decided to stay home and do something I wanted to do. You know besides the laundry, sweeping and cleaning of the kitchen..which I did , also. I'll show my craft tomorrow. I'll probably paint another coat on this little work of art. LOL
 Today is the most wonderful quiet day ever. I was on the porch writing and I thought how absolutely quiet is seemed. No noise of traffic from the highway 2 miles off. No wind. No machine noises. Just the sound of the water features we have here. Sitting out in the sun  and watching butterflies. Oh yes, this is good. Hope you are having a great day. XO

The Pool.....

 This is the front of our pool building. The containers are doing so well.  My sister says the pool has closed since school already started.

  The blocks are up as if they may have a swim meet. But so are the baskets  for playing ball.

 I want to tell  about my daughters. One year , all four of my girls worked the pool.  Angie was a lifeguard, Kathy worked the admissions ticket window, Lizzy worked the concession's window selling refreshments, and Karen worked the basket window where swimmers' street clothes and shoes were stored. It was a good year for all of us. I enjoyed going by the pool and seeing my girls working there. I think they all had fun that year.  I sure hope they did.
 Wishing you a good day. The sun is shining here once again. XO

Hump Day....

 Brrr, it was cold this morning.  LOL. Well not this cold, but 52 degrees. This is one of the snows from last winter. So wet and heavy, it is making the branches of the pine tree touch the ground. Yikes, I do not want to think of that.

 It's already getting warmer since I got up at 6:00. So I may get to go for a walk with my sister around our old neighborhood. Or the park.  Got to get out and enjoy this pretty day. The sun is shiny. Oh boy !
  Hope all of you have something fun to do today. Prayers for our families and friends and all who need a hug today. XO

Is Summer Over???

 Look at my mums. They are so thick and blooming. Even the bird nest shrub is much larger than it's ever been.

 This mum is getting squeezed by the shrub.  I am scared of spiders, so I have not had the nerve to trim anything back yet.

 This is our back yard. See the dry brown leaves , they have fallen from the tulip poplar.  It's as if Fall is here , or very close.  I am not so ready to rake leaves.  Today is to be in the 60's.
  Emma, Savannah, and Skylar went to school today. They all go to the same school.  The high school, middle school and elementary are all in the same area. This will be our last year for grandparents day. It will be with Emma. Once the children reach 6th grade, they no long have a day for their grandparents to come visit. It feels sad to think about not seeing their class rooms and teachers, and some of their activities , of everyday school life. Watch for the children at the bus stops. XO

The Touring Through Blog Land Tour.....

  I have been tagged by the adorable Lynne at, Dreams on 34th Street-French Bread & Family.  Number one question: What am I working on now.  I am working on getting back into painting with my watercolors. It is something I looked forward to when I retired, then I stopped. I still want to do paintings, so I am taking a class each month. BTW this is me and my daughters.

 The second question: How does my work differ from others in the genre? I am more into the meeting people and enjoying that, than showing crafts and make-overs for my home...although I do these things.

 Number 3 question: Why do I write and or create what I do.?? I just love staying in touch with everyone. So I try to make a blog everyday . At first it was not so many posts. I am still a dinosaur when it comes to technology.  But I just keep plugging along.

This is the number 4 question: How does your writing/creating process make you feel connected to others.??  I feel by blogging as much as everyday or 3-4 times a week...I have friends I am staying in contact with. I have grown to love many of the people I have net through blogging. I have found that we have things in common... our families, our everyday happenings. Because we are people living our lives as best as we can.  We need this human contact of feelings and support.  I think when we pray on our blogs for many out there in dire need of help...we are helping.
   Thank you for visiting today and reading my input.  Hope your day is great. XO

Getting A Bouquet....

  Don't you love getting flowers for your birthday or another occasion?? This is a sweet bouquet that was made at the market. I loved this very unusual curly looking flower.

 My sister got this  for her birthday. It was from her daughter. I guess Barbie likes Reese's cups. :):)  Sure makes for a different bouquet.  Give me ideas of future groupings.
 I know you would never expect this from me....the one who loves sunshine....but I am hoping we can have some rain soon. Our lawn is suffering. It's cloudy right now, so I am hoping.  Wishing all of you a nice day with family or friends or even a good book. XO

It's Like Fall...

 I swear it feels like Fall here today.  The rose my daughter entrusted to me had 3 blooms this year. Plus I sprayed it a few times and things still snacked on it. This is the wild carrot , behind the rose..it's Queen Anne's lace.

 At least the red petunias on the porch did well. The hummingbirds buzz them about every day. The mums are blooming very fast.  I sure need to thin them out .
Went to my sister Jeanie's today and had a  good visit with sisters  Jeanie , Brenda , and Pam. We sat outside, because it's is cooler . We watched the squirrels and butterflies.  I am trying to enjoy every bit of wonderful summer . All to soon it will be gone. With school already started, it sure seems summer is going .
 Wishing everyone a great Saturday. XO

Watercolors.....

 This top photo is of what we are  to paint. The class was small. I liked that. Two school girls , and 4 women.

 This is my finished painting.  Not exactly like the picture we had as a model.  I think one of the grandkids will like it.:):) You know Savannah will, she's a bird lover.
  When I got to the library, I paid the teacher 15 dollars. She furnished paints, paper, and mat. She was open for any questions. She did give me some clues about aligning .  Next time I may take my own brushes. That will be in October. Because, in September our town has our annual Pork Festival and the library will be closed.  It was a fun time, I enjoyed the class..so I'll go back in October.
    Today, I am having a brunch with my old school class mates. We may have two this month. I am wishing all of you a great day. XO

Going To The Library.....

  Saturday  I walked past the farmers' market , on my way to the library.

  I did not go into the area, but I could see it was mostly corn . The bakers were at their normal spot on the corner. They make breads, rolls, pies, and carmel corn.

   Here's the library.... don't you love that smell. New and old books. I asked about some  watercolor classes, that were being offered.  So this afternoon will be my first class.  The classes are the 1st Thursday of every month.  I thought it would be a way for me to get back to painting. I'll show all of you what I paint. :):)
  This morning is a calm one, with few clouds. May have rain starting this evening. Enjoy your day. XO