Introductions have been made.

Last night when we came home from cub scouts Skipper had treed the neighbor's cat. This caused some worry on my behalf but introductions had to made.

The picture above, this is not a snap shot, this is a picture of the way Skipper stood most of the morning when a kitten was visible. Notice the tail? I don't think Skipper is really comfortable with the situation.

It may take time but I think the kittens will be walking all over Skipper before long!

More Pictures from the morning

Wordless Wednesday......

OK, not so wordless

Meet Echo and Sophie

SPT ~ Ice cream

july 1 sun

july 8 water

july 15 shade

july 22 grass

july 29 ice cream

Awww, the hot summer day cooled off by ice cream, what a wonderful thought. When I think of my childhood cool vanilla ice cream melting down my arms only to drip off my elbow is a frequent memory. As I grew up I lost interest in ice cream. As I lost interest in ice cream it seems that everyone else found ice cream. Have you seen the ice cream freezer at the grocery store? It goes on and on, taking up an entire isle in the store. (I wanted to take my spt there but just couldn't get the nerve to do it.) There are hundreds of kinds, types, textures, colors, flavors........... What happened to my favorite vanilla ice cream? It became about 10 different kinds of vanilla!?! BUT then I found my new friends Ben and Jerry. Need I say more?

Cherry Garcia in a small (very small) container!

to see what others thought of Ice Cream

visit Lelly's blog

Garage Sale time!

Oh, what a liberating feeling.

I'm tossing things and pricing things! I have the van filled almost to the brim. I've seen things I haven't seen in years, and haven't needed in all those years so most of it is either being priced or thrown out.

OH, it feels WONDERFUL!

I'm feeling the pressure of sorting through it all before Friday. So much Junk so little time. You know this time through it's so easy to get rid of things and I don't seem to care if I toss it or price it, stuff needs to GO!

Gotta go cool off for a while, it might feel wonderful but it's hot up there!

Blooming Monday

Today I'm borrowing a bloom from my friend Susan.

Simply because this is amazing, to me at least.

These pictures are from her Hen and chickens.

Her hens are in a flower bed where they stay all year around.

Susan tells me that there is another lady that lives on the other side of her block that has blooming Hen and chickens also. This ladies are blooming red, but at this point Susan's haven't open to a color. I hope I'm there with my camera when and if they do!

These are little chicks off of Susan's Hens. Do you think I'll ever get blooms like that? Probably not since they're in a pot. Hummmm, I'll think about where to plant them in the ground.

Past couple of days in Pictures

I wonder ......

Did Mr. Peanut ever have a planters wart?
How could Jim stay slim eating those meat sticks?
Was Dolly Madison a chubby girl with a really pretty face?
Where did Dr. Pepper go to med school?
Is Mr. Clean single?

by Dee Ann from Shoebox.com

Just How Can This be?

This morning I was folding clothes, when I came upon G's swimming trunks. He has 4 pairs, Yes, 4. I haven't purchased swim trunks for him in at least a couple of years. When I checked the sizes they were.........
5T,4T,3T and yes there was a pair that were 2T. This little boy's waist just doesn't grow! He has had these swim trunk for YEARS! I suppose I'll get him some new ones next year just simply because I don't believe that a 9 year old ought be wearing toddler swim trunks!

This isn't a big problem in the summer time because G is always in shorts UNTIL Sunday mornings when he pulls out his church pants. The last couple of Sundays I was amazed when I'd see him and his ankles were not just peeking out of his pants but were able to see out from under his pants quite clearly! When we measured him he'd grown a 1/2 inch in a month.

SPT ~ Grass

july 1 sun
july 8 water
july 15 shade
july 22 grass
july 29 ice cream

My original thought was going to be about how wonderful it feels to wiggle your toes in the grass and how one time I'd had my youngest son's doctor tell him to always wear shoes outside in the summer time. I called him on that and told him part of summer was going bare footed in the summer time. Feeling the grass in between your toes.

But then something has happened here this summer that has become more and more evident hitting it's peak this morning! My 17 year old son is a mower! He loves to mow the grass! I can't really get him to do anything else without a fight!

Earlier this summer our old mower died, we gave him the assignment of picking out a new mower THAT is what set him off. He sometimes mows the grass 2 times a week now, whether it needs it or not.

Yesterday he spent his day creating his own soccer field mowing the hay field. The rest of the yard didn't need to be mowed so he stopped with the hay field. **He even got the mower dusty so he washed it** that just cracked me up! I tried for a picture of that but he caught me before I could snap it. This morning when I got back home there he was out on the mower, mowing the rest of the grass.
Then he's planting grass to make the "soccer field" perfect!

To see what others thought of Grass

to check out Lelly's blog

Say What?

G ~ "Dad if I closed my bedroom door too much would I run out of oxygen?"
Dad ~ "Nope you'd be fine."
G ~ "So air could slip in around the door?"
Dad ~ yeah, and through the air vents."

Blooming Monday

Butterfly Bush

Remember when I planted the bush? I told you about how I'd planted several butterfly bushes in the past but they didn't survive the puppies around our house! I was just sure this plant would be fine since we didn't have any puppies. Well, Skipper loves to lay in the cool, wet mulch around the butterfly bushes! One has survived well, and there is a little bit of the other one (they're planted together). They'll both survive but it'll be next year before they look great!

Websites and blogs that interest me!

I thought I'd share a couple of the websites and blogs that I frequent.

TipNut ~ there is a HUGE variety to things here. It's amazing at just how much is there!

Shoebox ~ this blog has things that Hallmark's Shoe Box department rejects. They maybe rejects but they're funny! If you look long enough you'll recognize things I've used.

W in the grocery store?

This morning I was trying to locally get the supplies for the weekend jobs around the house. They didn't have the stuff locally so I was going to need to send W to the city for the supplies. W had spent the night with a friend so I called him so he could go before he came home (home was out of the way). When I got him on the phone, told him my plans for him, he informed me that he was on his way to the grocery store for food.

Just how can this Be?

I thought he meant breakfast food. When I told him that he should just go on to the city, he informed me that he would need to bring the food home before going to the city.

Just how can this be?

He told me that he was buying pizza rolls and they would need to be in the freezer. OK I give up, come home before going to the city.

When he comes home.........

This is just some of his bounty.

When I asked about the snacks I had purchased the stated that they were "too healthy and Mom you should try these (the Reese's cookies)". At least he's willing to share!

He has now gone to get the supplies in the city but you know he didn't put his groceries up?

Wordless Wednesday

Some picture just don't have words to fit them, those make up

Wordless Wednesday!

SPT ~ Shade

july 1 sun

july 8 water

july 15 shade

july 22 grass

july 29 ice cream

Shade is a rare and precious thing here on the prairie. At my house there is very little shade that doesn't come from the house it shelf. I live in a beautiful but wide open space.

I thought about following the dog around to see where he finds shade but then thought of how I didn't really want to go the places he goes for shade. I finally decided to go with the shade the house produces in early evening. My back deck. I have a couple of super comfy chairs there and then add my favorite read of the moment and That's the shade (THE ONLY shade) I enjoy at home.

To see what others thought of Shade go see Lelly

Blooming Monday

DayLily

Things I've learned over the past few days.......

#1 G loves going off the low dive at the pool. Not really diving but in more of pencil jump while holding his nose!
#2 the G pressure is great as he got his mother to go off the low dive. Once again not really a dive but more of the pencil jump!
#3 G weighs almost nothing thus only goes under a few inches. His mother weighing something goes WAY under!
#4 G went up the ladder for the high dive but didn't feel comfortable and climbed back down. His mother was glad there wasn't the pressure of the High dive!
#5 Saturday morning at Home Depot means you won't be alone.
#6 We (mostly me) are in the summer sleeping in mode.
#7 Sadly I have to set an alarm to make sure I get things done before getting to 9am swim lessons.
#8 School starts in less than 30 days.
#9 W's excitement for a new soccer ball is amazing.
#10 There are $130 soccer balls.
#11 W learned to appreciate my credit card rewards points (that's how and only how he got a $130 soccer ball)
#12 W has re-arrange his schedule today because the UPS man is bring the $130 soccer ball.
#13 W is having trouble finding soccer shoes to fit his feet.
#14 W has called 5 times (one hour) to give me updates on his search and make sure the UPS man hasn't arrived yet.
#15 I no longer work in the Family History Center at church
#16 I now work with the cub scouts at church
#17 We found 5 worms on the tomatoes yesterday (found them just in time not a lot of damage)
#18 G is able to chop worms up.
#19 The Weather is beautiful
#20 If I don't stop blogging I won't get anything done.

What's in a name?

I found this and thought I'd have some fun......

1. Rock Star Name: Lucy Yukon (first pet & current car)
2. Gangsta Name: Cherry Garcia Milian (fave ice cream flavor & favorite cookie)
3. "Fly" Girl/Guy Name: S Cun (First initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
4.Detective Name: Orange kitten (Favorite color, favorite animal)
5. Soap Opera Name: Yvonne Ashland (Middle name, city where you were born.)
6. Star Wars Name: SheCuRiAsh (This is a longer one- 1st 3 letters of your 1st name+1st 2 letters of your last name then 1st two letters of mother's maiden name + 1st 3 letters of town you were born in.)
7. Superhero Name: The Yellow Water (!?!) ("The"+ 2nd favorite color, favorite drink )
8. Nascar Name: Doc Paul (The first names of your grandfathers.)
9. Stripper Name: Happy Licorice (favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)
10.Witness Protection Name: Rae Paul (parents middle names)
11. TV Weather Anchor Name: Copeland Cleveland (your 5th grade teacher's last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
12. Spy Name: Spring Daisy (Your favorite holiday/season, favorite flower)
13. Cartoon Name: Blueberry Capri (Favorite Fruit, article of clothing you are wearing right now+ "ie" or "y")
14. Hippy Name: Banana Palm (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
15. Rockstar Tour Name: The reading sprinkle tour ("The"+ your favorite hobby/craft, fave weather element+"Tour" )

So what's your name?

Funny Friday!

Hump Day updates

It's summer so things are slow around here, at least for this moment!

W has been at Soccer camp several hours away. I took them (4boys altogether from our area) up on Sunday. W wanted to make sure we got there in plenty of time for them to get settled. He thought it all started at noon. We left home at the crack of dawn and arrived at 10:30. In reality check in started it at 1 and the camp started at 3! W got the time messed up but they certainly had plenty of time to get settled.

He had a great time, I didn't hear from him much. He said they played, practiced and slept soccer. He played to field which was new for him. He really likes getting out of the Goalie box and moving around. W has a quite a powerful right leg on him and can kick the ball 64 mph (yes, that's miles per hour). The ball is a dangerous weapon coming off of his foot. He said that he sprain a boys ankle with his kick. W kicked the ball, it headed for the boy, the boy jumped and the ball hit his foot and twisted it around. The boy had to be carried off the field and rested the rest of the day. Fortunetly the boy was back good as new the next day! This is minor compared to the time he kicked the ball and it hit a girl in the head! She went to the ER with a concussion.

It always good to have him back home but now the laundry starts. You know sweaty clothes after a couple of days just take on a life of their own!

G went shopping today. He had $ to burn. He got a Pokemon stuffed animal and then rented a Pokemon game from blockbuster.

G and I watched a movie from the Red Box (LOVE the Red Box). Spiderwick was great, it has adventure, spookiness and wholesome! I'm glad we watched in the day light! G says that he could have watched in the dark but I'm not so sure!

SPT ~ Water

july 1 sun
july 8 water
july 15 shade
july 22 grass
july 29 ice cream

As I thought about WATER I instantly thought of the sweat on my brow. Sweat from the humid air around me! It's not as romantic as a beautiful body of Crystal Blue Water but living on the prairie it's more of a reality. As I exercised last night I thought about how much I like that kind of sweat, sweat that I've worked for and not sweat that just happens because of the humid air!

Here is my watery (much more pleasant than calling it sweat) forehead.

(do you think you're getting a better picture considering I had just finished exercising??)

The water that I enjoy so much during exercising.
and then the water that is the luxury when I'm all done!

(oh, I wish my pedicure appointment was last week!)

To see what others thought of WATER go see Lelly

Blooming Monday

Over $4 for the first time!

On my way back from soccer camp I stopped to fill up the Yukon and for the first time it was over $4. Not just right at $4 but $4.06. It took $92 to fill up the 'kon. I'd like to tell you that this place wasn't close to home so I won't have to pay this again but it was right on my end of the city. $4 is here but I hope not staying!

UPDATE on Monday ~ that same gas station was down to $4.02 today! I guess I was just lucky to find it so high?

Simple Joy

Tomorrow morning (early) I leave with a car full of big ol' teen age boys for soccer camp. W doesn't have one thing packed, or one thing purchased for this trip.

So he and one of the other boys are in the city buying socks, snacks for camp and frebreeze.

There is a simple joy in me sitting at home while he's out running errands for this trip.

Happy Birthday United States of America!

What happened around our house today?

I threw things away! Well, I "freecycled" several items ~ that feels so good

We removed some miniature trees that weren't working so well

Changed the bed and hung clothes out on the line

Hubby and G went out on the ATVs to survey the newly mowed field

We laid out the new garage that we are building this fall

Went to get Fireworks

consoled the dog while the boys shot off fireworks

sprayed weeds

fixed supper of ~

BBQ burgers

Baked beans

pasta salad

tomatoes from G's plant

corn on the cob

with chilled watermelon afterwards

both boy left us for the fireworks with others.

G headed to the neighbors to play with their grandchildren

and W headed to a friend's family party.

I'm tired and it's nice to have a quiet house!

UPDATE: they may leave home but....

G came home to watch the fireworks from inside (too loud outside)

W called to tell me that his were about shoot theirs off so I'd know where to watch in the sky!

.... they still want to share with mom.

SPT ~ Sun

This is a fun program that I've watched for several months (since before I was blogging) and have really enjoyed seeing other's talent and creativity. I don't pretend to be the same category as any of them but I wanted to play along.

It will always be a challenge for me to do the "S"

in Self Portrait Tuesday (SPT) but I'll work on that.

july 1 sun
july 8 water
july 15 shade
july 22 grass

july 29 ice cream

Tonight's sunset

(Ah, the shadowy self, just the way I like it)

When I think of the Sun I think of the beautiful sunsets that happen right out of my kitchen window. I usually catch them as I'm fixing supper or cleaning up after supper.

I love living where I get to see the most beautiful sunsets. They mean a lot to me, being able to have just a quite moment of seeing nature at its best.

Last night's sunset

Thursday in Pictures

We (or maybe I should just say I) are really into this recycling. I try to take a load every week or at least every week and a half. Today was the day. Most of this is cardboard and a few plastics. It has really cut down on our trash.
you were going to get a What's for Dinner?" but all I'm going to get is the before picture because as I got ready to put this on the grill the Propane ran out. Oh well, I just rub Olive Oil, garlic powder (or salt) and Parmesan cheese all over the chicken and then grill on the top rack of the grill until done. It has a great taste. FYI ~ the chicken is now being baked in the oven. We'll see how that goes.
Has I was stepping out the door to put the chicken on the grill Skipper took off across the field. He's spotted a lone turkey! The turkey didn't fly but did slip through the fence. I heard the turkey call a few times but Skip (thankfully) came back pretty quickly empty handed.

AFter supper G started our fireworks with some Smoke Bombs and a few bottle rockets! Yes, of course the bottle rockets were shot off with ear plugs! Poor hubby was having to yell the instructions to G! I don't know who or what was louder the fireworks or the instructions!

And poor Skip hiding in the garage scared to death!

Then we headed into town to watch the firework display!

Our little town and it's traditions!

The 3th of July tradition of Fireworks!

To the Pool, To the Pool

Today was G's friend day. Once a week he gets to have a friend either over to play or out and about with us. Today we took his friend Brandon to the dollar ($2) show (saw Shrek 3) and then to the pool.

This was my first time to the swimming pool this summer. OH, I have to tell you that I got a new swim dress from QVC. I ordered it and then fretted and fretted about it. Would it fit?, would I like it once it got here?, did I spend too much money?, etc. It came in and I love it!

When I came out of the bedroom in it ~ W remarked on my 'farmer's tan" I corrected him saying that it was a 'soccer mom's' tan. (Remember the Saturday of Soccer and Sun a few weeks ago?). Now I'm a little pink on all the white places, and yes there were a few of them!

The water was a bit chilly, but being out of the water was also great. It was 88 in the sun with a gentle breeze.

Just How Can this Be?

Late this afternoon I walked past the front door and noticed, through the big door's window that the glass storm door was shattered. It was all still in the storm door until........... I pulled the big door open. The pressure from pulling the door open caused a bu-zillion pieces of shattered glass to fall inward. This is what I found when most of the pieces had fallen!

We're still not really sure how all this happened.

But it's cleaned up now and the almost long lost screen has been put into the storm door.

WOW! I was going to replace the big door this fall but now I can have both of them replaced!

Aren't I lucky!?!

Say What?

G ~ "Mom, what's that smell?"
Mom ~ "The oven was dirty so I'm cleaning it."
G~ "Good thing we don't have a pet, cuz that smell would kill a dog!"

"What is G doing?" you asked

Shooting nerf bullets at the sky lights.

He's so proud of himself!

Who are you and What did you do with W?

We got our new mower last Thursday. W (or should I call him the "Yard Man") mowed on Thursday afternoon and then got up early (early for him) to mowed today.

Today as in Tuesday.

When I mentioned to hubby that W had told me that this was what he was doing, hubby asked, "does the yard need mowing?" that was my same reaction. The answer to both of our questions is a huge "NO!"

When I asked W about why he felt the need to mow today. He said, "This mower does so much better when you mow the grass when it's shorter." So he's mowing. Oh, well. I'm sure the newness of the mower will wear off soon enough!