No Changes Here

  My end of the blogging world has not changed any. My sister's has changed somehow. Not sure when I can get down there but will be soon. I'm her computer "tech". Isn't that a hoot? 

  Things here have been pretty slow. Just plugging along. Have got a few things in the garden and flower beds. I got some hollyhocks from Susie in the ground and one of them has already bloomed. It's the small variety. The others are the tall variety. They may not bloom til next year. 

  Got a new variety of grape this year - an extra sweet one. Won't see anything from it for a year or two. The new sweet cherry tree we put out this spring didn't make it. The pear trees did but the frost got them. They'll be alright next year. "A" says I need to plant garlic underneath the peaches to keep the blight away. Guess I'll try it. Can't hurt and the spray didn't help this spring. My comfrey is coming along nicely this year. I have a few apples this year. Yay! Blackberries are blooming. Wild grapes in the front yard are too. My pink reliance grape that Betty keeps eating is hanging in there. Might get some grapes from it this year. 

  Things are going really nice here with our new roommate. He plans on staying, although as Tim said today, we may have lost him already. lol He spent the last two nights not here. He's spending a lot of time at that other place. They have hit it off to say the least. I always thought they would. It seems mutual at this point. lol  

  Got the tractor back from the repair guy. Yay! Tim has already brush hogged! 

  Got a few other odds and ends done around the place but several more things to do yet. Need to paint the shutters to go better with the roof and paint the barn trim this year. Got to put the pool up for the year. 

  We took that short ride to Eureka for lunch. Had a really good open faced turkey sandwich. Tim had a patty melt on marbled rye. We left the bikes at the pub and walked about three blocks down hill and crossed the street and walked back up to the bike. OMG! I told T the only way I could go all the way up to the other shops was to use a "jazzy". You know, one of those wheelchairs. He said the way to do it - walk down and ride the trolley back up to the top. Beautiful idea! I walk 2 miles a day but on a very level treadmill. Not a crooked sidewalk. lol 

  It's another day and I did not finish this last night. I'm really disappointed that I have not found a photo program for editing. Without pictures, blogging isn't as interesting. 

  It is a beautiful morning and going to be another diamond day! 

May 18th already!

  Goodness, time sure flies by as you get older and slower! Lol I can not get caught up on my "stuff". It will get done however long it takes me. As I tell my friends- it will be there tomorrow. Finally got my maters out, taters are up and growing a little here and there. Today we'll get the strawberries in the dirt. The guys and I have almost got the ghost town cleaned out and I'm going to put the berries there. I'll be putting the other 'maters in the blue barrels instead of the berries.
  No time...gonna be a diamond day.

Good Lord!

  It is not supposed to snow in May! Two inches on the ground yesterday morning. It won't stay of course but it's just not right. Been 70 years since it snowed in this area in May. 194 years in Arkansas. Just ridiculous. It's still raining this am a little . Maybe Monday I will drag the plants back outside and pick up some mater plants. Back in the 70's and down in the 50's at night.
  Today is my b.i.l.'s birthday party - actually this evening but I really would rather stay at home. Just don't want to get out in the cold and wet.
  It really has been nice the past few days. Other than the weather that is. Sis and a friend dropped by on the way through the area and had a short visit with them. Brandy even offered to help with the quilt for Aunt Jo. It will be another week before I can start on that project. Have to find the sewing table through a giant pile of basket making material. lol
  Not much else going on these days. Same ol' same ol but diamond days. Later

Time goes so fast

  These days, they are running together. We are getting some things taken care of slowly but surely. Still waiting on the tractor to be fixed but have a years worth of hay in the pasture and tarp-ed against the weather. Sure is a relief. The feed store guy was surprised we were able to find 56 bales this time of year that someone would let go of. Me too. I figured our hay guy would be hanging on to it in case of more drought.
  Sis and I had a fun road trip to take MomPat to the dentist this month and another road trip to Elkland to visit Aunt Jo. And one more trip to Mom's house to get more stuff out of it. If the weather finally settles down we'll try for another load. We had fun. Mom is a little more reserved these days as she loses her memories. She knows we are "friendly" and people she is happy to see but really doesn't know us. I know it's harder on my sister as she has always been closer with her but it is still hard to watch as MomPat slips away.
  I came up with an idea for a quilt for Aunt Jo and I think I have help from Kate and Lois. I'm not really sure if Kate can see my vision for it. I sent her a draft of it but that's not always transferable if you know what I mean. lol I'll send one to sis today and see what she thinks. It would be an anniversary present if we can get it started and done. Things are snowballing on me though so I'm not sure it will happen. We'll see.
  This month was my brother in law's 50th birthday. They had a really nice party for him and it was nice to see all the family (most of it anyway) And a couple of folks I hadn't seen in a long time.
  It's been a busy month of not finishing anything! lol I still have many things to do here in the house and out in the yard. Spinning wheels with this weather. lol Snow showers!? What's up with that this late in the season? Did get a few groceries bought yesterday but still need to go gt some 'mater plants. My lovely little cats pretty much killed all my seedlings. Some just didn't like the lighting. Have new baby chicks in the yard and guinea eggs in the incubator ready to hatch this week.
  Met Marge and her family in Mt V for lunch on last Saturday. Had not seen her since her and George left for the north a year ago. I know she is still adjusting to life without him.
  I've rambled on long enough and haven't said a thing......I won't proof read this or I would delete it all so you all have a diamond day! I'm gonna give it my best shot!

It's already April

  As usual the time has slipped away from me. I've tried to think of something to say, to give an update but it just didn't come.
  This last month has been pretty crappy. Just as expected for anyone when life as we know it has ended and everything has and is changing. I hate change ......but here we are.
  We did make a road trip. Sandi was able to go with us and the three of us went to Elkland to see family. It was really nice to spend the day with them. I hope we didn't wear out Jo and Gerald. I'm surprised Kate didn't call and make us leave. haha.
  We have now added almost the last of the trees to the orchard. We added a nectarine, a sweet cherry, 2 different pears and will soon replace a dead apple. I think that Betty got a hold of it last year..... That will feed almost a large family if they do well. We sprayed them earlier and hoping that the blight will stay away this year. I pruned them also. First time. Keep your fingers crossed. Maybe we'll live long enough to see the "fruits" of our labor.... HAHAHAHAHA HAHA
  I've got a few pictures to share but it's still a pain in the ass to upload them to the desktop, edit them, email to myself and save them to the laptop. I could just blog from the desktop but it's more comfortable in my chair. blah blah blah...........
  The kids are almost ready to open the lunch wagon. Hauled it to Monett yesterday. Another week or so and it'll be open. Maybe sooner. BK has touched base with the grand daughter again. She's not working so she'll be helping with the little ones and waitressing. Best I can tell anyway. Maybe she's ready to grow up. Won't hold my breath.
  The weather may actually warm up again this week. I'm so ready for it. If it ever comes down to "needing" to grow a garden I so need a green house. This starting seeds in the house just doesn't work for me. Not enough light or room and too many cats haha. More work done outside too.
  I'm done....gonna be a diamond day no matter what......
 

Yesterday...Mar 7 ..OMGosh

  was I exhausted last night! Slept 4 hrs the night before, got up before 5a.m. and sis and I had a day long road trip. Me arse was dragging for sure! It was a fun day though. We always do well. MomPat was having a good day too. Even though she was in pain with teeth problems she was in a good frame of mind. Able to keep up fairly well with a regular conversation and able to eat in a restaurant with no trouble. That's not always possible so I'd call it a very good day. I could kick Devon's butt for making the appt in Spfd though. It's quite an imposition to expect Sis to make so many trips when she could get the same caliber of care right there in Monett for possibly less money. Not to mention the wear and tear on a woman who gets more confused as the day goes on. Now she's locked into getting this work done and it will stretch out for weeks and weeks! To be a "genius" he sure is an idiot!!!! They irritate me for taking advantage of her.
  Anyway, had a fun day not matter how stupid he is.
  T got hay as planned yesterday but couldn't take the bike to Harley's as I had the come along and chain with me in the van. Maybe next week. The weather was great too. Chilly in the morning and warmed up to 62*. Gonna happen again today.
  They may be able to finish up the roof today! Just in time. Rain predicted for Sunday and Monday. It will be nice to no longer have a leaking roof and be able to replace the floors slowly but surely. The old place has been here since 1975 and past due for repairs. After all it's a mobile home and I'm surprised it's lasted this long.
  Time to prune the fruit trees and almost time to spray them. I can do the pruning ( I think) and will have T do the spraying. Not that I can't do that too but he needs to help. I will be moving a few things around in the yard this year to see if some stuff likes it better elsewhere. Grapes to get out of Betty's reach, blackberries don't like it where they are and the poor cane doesn't like it where it is either. Just ordered a sweet cherry tree, a nectarine tree, some strawberries and a few more flowers (as if I needed that).
  Gotta take a break to do my mile and half , I'll finish this up later.
  Well, it's much later (6pm) My day sure was long. The roofers didn't show until noon but Brenda and kids were here by then. She came to clean the stove out in the shop. Putting it in the trailer. I think they are coming back on Sunday to pick it up.
  The roof is on! They will be completely done tomorrow! No more drips!!!! I'm used up and still need to fix dinner. Tonight will be spaghetti. All I have the energy for. See ya'll later.

It's March

  I know you shouldn't wish for time to go by but I am. Wishing it was already spring! Time goes by too fast at this age but dang, I wish winter was shorter. The animals are getting cabin fever. Maybe they need coats and boots! lol Maybe that's why people dress their dogs in such things, so they can put them out and not worry......nope, I don't think so. They buy too many other things when they buy them coats. haha Billions of dollars spent annually on clothes for pets!!!! I don't spend $100 annually on myself!
  I need to start some seed this weekend. Should have started them last week but didn't get around to it. No surprise there. I'll start some tomatoes for sure and maybe a few other things. At the rate of meat prices and our budget looks like we may become vegetarians. Good golly it's just insane. The way things are going in our country is just plain scary. I don't think the whole SHTF thing is going to happen ......I'm not so sure that it is not happening right now. The world as we knew it is already gone. Boy, aren't I just a happy little camper this a.m. ? Never mind.
 My sweet little kittens are about 7 months old now and still just as fun to watch. They harass the dogs, sleep with the dogs and play with the dogs. The dogs are just as tolerant as they can be. Our pack is sure a funny looking one.
  Buck is doing well this winter. He's feeling good and holding his weight. I wish he could gain some more but at his age we're lucky he does so well. He's about 30 plus. He still trots around looking handsome and proud.
  It has never got above 27* and has spit snow all day. I've blown the day and now it's time to start thinking about what to do for dinner. Oh, I know, I can fix one of T's favorite meals! It's Friday so we'll have fish fillets and mac/cheese. How easy! Of course it really doesn't matter about being Friday but it's a good excuse. lol I always tease him about the fact schools always had fish sticks and mac n cheese on Friday for the Catholics. Better go Had a semi diamond day.