On the road

Jari and I are in the road with a full truck load of goodies. 

Heading to Williston North Dakota to bring these newlyweds their earthly possessions.  

So as we drive I usually grab a handful of magazines that I've not had the chance to read at home. This time it is

The only reason I subscribe to this particular magazine is that I used up airline miles for freebies.

Leisure will never describe my traveling. 

It goes more like this

However I have to admit that this particular article had me almost drooling. 

A cruise to Antarctica on the Seabourn Quest. In the land of penguins and calving glaciers. Sounds like so much fun! At the mere beginning price of $12,999 per person .... I'll probably continue filing my coffee cup in a parking lot somewhere. 

Then again ... it might give me an opportunity to taste some caviar!

the generations

It seems only a short time ago that Jari and I were holding the babies.

Time moves rather quickly and here we are

to 4 generations.

I never had this opportunity.

I lost the last of my grandparents when I was in high school.

Unfortunately, these little ones have great grandparents on the other side of the country

and time spent together is rare.

But we can enjoy every moment that comes our way.

 

Seriously.

Sometimes it sort of blows me away.

Not the fact that they're a fabulous group of sweet people who are all very dear to me.

The fact that time has brought us here.

Already.

43.52 motivational monday

A sense of curiosity is nature's original school of education.

- Smiley Blanton

Notice it is the glass below the handles that has seen the curious touch
of many little humans.

While the older generation leaves an entire different finger print behind in the
satisfaction of their curiosity.

Six men  should need no further explanation, but let's see what kind of curious things
are going on in Colorado.

42.52 motivational monday

Take your work seriously but yourself lightly.

- C.W. Metcalf

 

This past weekend was one full of blessings.

So many family in town.

Housefuls of company.

We added a daughter to our family.

We celebrated with our son as he enjoyed the most special day of his life.

We're still at it this morning.

Our weekend isn't over yet.

Some have come and gone ... others are still here.
I'll share my pitiful lack of pictures with you later this week.

 

Pappa has left but the girls did get a few rounds of SkipBo in with him on Sunday.

This is a serious past time of his.

Someone should have started keeping track of how many decks of these cards

he has gone through in his life.

It is serious business ....

 

mixed with good doses of light heartedness.

 

Linking to Gloria.





feel the love

Some of the girls had a yard sale in our front yard last Saturday.
I love going to them ... I detest having them.
The mommies were over with the babies.
I hung out with them instead.

The boys spent a few minutes getting to know each other.

Sebastian is in serious love with his feet. His toes are in his mouth more often than not.
Apparently he is also a sharing kind of boy ... not that his little cousin Wyatt could really get a hold of that big lunker foot waving in the air. It does look like he was wanting a good chomp tho'!

Isn't amazement absolutely adorable?
Like wow!

And oh my. He makes noises!

And you're okay.

I learned a new acronym from these two moms.
I was really trying to convince them to take a nap.
Seriously.
I can take care of the babies for a bit.
They wouldn't.
Apparently they are plagued with the same thing the little boys are.
FOMO
(fear of missing out)

So I took a nap instead.

It's wedding week again.
The countdown is on.
Saturday is just a few short days away.
Brock will finally be here today and right behind him ... all the other guests.
Love it!

Good thing I took that nap!

41.52 motivational monday

A ship should not ride on a single anchor,

nor a life on a single hope.

-Epictetus

   Gloria's hope is over this way.

if you know me ....

you probably could have guessed

that my home would look like this at some point.

Last Friday I actually went to Target and picked up a walker.

We needed one around here.

Jari and I went garage saling Saturday morning last weekend.

I've been reluctant to go because I really don't need anything.

Because I don't need anything, 

I end up with things I don't need!

So, I don't go often.

But, now ......

I can shop for others and it is so much fun!

I've spent many years passing those sales by that were loaded with baby stuff.

Not anymore.

Now even Papa is picking up backpack baby carriers he can't pass up.

The joy of finding and giving ...

rates right up there with chocolate and coffee.

gardening disasters

Oh my goodness.

I'm sure that successful planting of veggies in arctic climates

was a learning curve as well.

I've never planted in the desert and thought it would be easy.

My seeds (well, many of them) came up well.

And then I bought some cruddy potting soil from Home Depot.

I used one bag and saw disastrous results so the other bag

went back Saturday.

  

I had a serious crop of cukes and zucchini going on for several weeks,

until I repotted them.

I've sprayed the bugs and am really hoping that they come back around.

The flowers are surviving.

I finally caved in and drilled holes in my old containers.

I have hauled the old watering can around for quite a while,

probably 20 years or so, and have been scared to drill drain holes.

Like, why?!

I finally did it.

Love it!

So, I bought the stuff that I knew worked with the first batch

in addition to some organic potting mix that I hope is clean.

I've got a whole 'nother crop of green beans sprouting.

I am really crossing my fingers and hoping that the weather cooperates

long enough for me to make some dilly beans for Jari.

'Cause he loves dilly beans.

And he's been spraying mosquitos left and right around here.

Mosquitos!

The desert rains have provided a whole crop of those buggers.

And one of the neighbors here have a cesspool that is breeding those little things.

I'd have never believed I would have Cutter being sprayed in my back yard in the valley.

Thankfully, Home Depot had some this past weekend.

They were sold out the other week.

Its been that bad here.

Just praying that the plants can survive the the heat this week ...

next week is suppose to cool off.

40.52 motivational monday

There is a great difference between knowing a thing

and understanding it.

-Charles Kettering and T.A. Boyd

 I know that this basketball hoop is a scant 4 feet from the neighbors fence.
I know there is a window facing the fence,
and in the direct path of the trajectory of any flying object.
As of several weeks ago there are solar panels on the roof of the same house,
once again facing in the same unfortunate direction.
I know that if I should attempt to start the game of P.I.G. or anything else
that involves launching a spherical object into that net,
a whole new level of understanding would likely be achieved.

I already know the likely results.
I am fearful that the neighbors would have an understanding of a whole different sort.

Linking to Gloria

brainstorming a gazebo

Hot tubs are our world around here.

I know where to sit so the jets hit my cervical spine and feet at the same time.

Pure delish.

I'm not in there every day, but if hubby is home ...

it probably gets used more times in a week than not.

I have to tell you, I haven't been to the chiropractor in nearly several months.

And, although I really like him, that isn't a bad thing!

A while back Jari (with his trusty muscle help) hauled home a hot tub that didn't work.

Then he hauled home another one that did.

Some creative telephone poles, lumber and screen sort of made a privacy screen around it.

Functional if a bit unsightly.

Several weeks ago he found a gazebo thing 1/2 off its original price at Home Depot and brought it home.

The problem is that you can see right through the screen ... almost window pane quality.

And that just wasn't going to work.

If skinny or chunky dipping is going on ... no one else needs to see it.

We spent a Saturday putting together the new and taking down the old.

We are equal opportunity around here with his and hers ladders.

Okay. That didn't work. Off to read the instructions and try again.

This frame had some shade screen fabric wrapped around it. That came off first.

Next came the wood ....

 One careful piece at a time.

Was sort of looking like the Leaning Tower of Phoenix for a bit there.

The gazebo isn't exactly heavy in weight. Jari and I moved it over to the other side of the yard and hoisted it over the top of the hot tub. Well. I pushed. He hoisted. But you knew that.

One foreseeable problem.

Lightweight metal combined with what looks like an umbrella just waiting to catch wind.

Combine that with a storm forecasted the week it went up.

Uh oh.

So, Mr. Handsome made a deck around the spa and it is rather secure under many gallons of water. The wind may do its thing, but it won't end up in the neighbors pool.

The shade screen around the middle adds privacy.

Trust me ... you can't see a thing when its dark out and not a whole lot when it isn't.

The final little piece I wanted was a bit of a path across the rock fields.

$1.21 per piece, a bit of landscape rocking moving by dear hubby, and I got my path done.

If you're coming to visit in the next few weeks ....

I have towels!

summer was coming ....

I took this picture back in April.

It was the first day of the summer season when I brought home eggs ...

and they were sweating when they got in the house.

It was a sure sign that summer was around the bend.

 

Monday I walked out of work shortly before 5 pm and nearly sighed.
Summer is leaving.
Slowly but surely it is going.
And I could just about skip that October is finally here!