Homecoming

Kids got home from their weekend at Dave's family's home. They have a pond right in their side yard, and it's so beautiful, they all went for a swim, including Kiley for a few minutes. Melanie said she splashed and had a blast with her Daddy in the water, then she got out and played in her swimming pool. They said she didn't sleep good at night while there, but I keep telling them, she will get used to going for the weekend as she grows up.

Grandma Geri had such a good time spending time with her too. Melanie said they played a lot, and Kiley kept giggling at her everytime she would talk to her. I am so glad Geri got to spend several days with her. I am sure she misses her very much between visits. I like to encourage the kids to go as often as they can to visit, for I enjoy watching Kiley grow and learn, so I know Geri does too.

When they got here last night and Kiley saw me, she did her little "uuaa" and dived into my arms. She then did the same to Aunt Leslie, and while Leslie was holding her, she reached over and touched Grandpa's cheek and "uuaa" him too. We put her on the floor and here comes Patches running over to her, so she leaned down and with her mouth open to give the kitten a kiss, the kitten put her nose up to recieve it. Was so cute, Patches had her playmate back. Kiley got out her toys and the kitty and her played with all the little easter egg farm people and animals they each love to play with. Dave and Kiley will spend the day while Melanie works, then they will spend the evening and cook out with us for supper.

Not sure weather I will be able to go to farm and finish planting, but I will head up and water my transplants at least. Fingers still tingling even while sitting here typing, but at least my ankle isn't hurting near as much as it was. Maybe I can wear shoes today and not have to sit with it up most of the day.

Growing old and Growing pains

If only I had the energy and stamina of a 2 year old. Always on the go and eager for the next challenge. Well I am eager for the next challenge in my mind, but my body says different. Gardening went well for the first couple hours, but by noon, the sun and heat had zapped my energy and my body was refusing to cooperate. Carpel tunnel limits the full use of both hands for me.

BUT...I got all my flowers planted from my startings, added to that, I planted 2 types of parsley, lavendar, spinach, onions, and more flowers from seed. I have green beans, later lettuce and radishes left to plant, as well as some more sweet corn. Just run out of umphf to finish up with the sun beating down and the humidity rising. By 1:30, I had packed everything up, had transplantings watered, put things away and headed home to the air conditioning, and a house to rearrange and clean after the 2 and half month house guests visit.

Got home and revived by cooling down, eating lunch, and contemplating where to start for the next challenge facing me. Motivation was background noise of HGTV's home shows on remodeling and transforming inside and out.

Morning will find me going at it again, hoping for the energy and the physical part of me to get the rest of the seeds planted and the house finished up before the kids get home from there weekend visit to Dave's brother and family. I have missed little Kiley, but know she loves spending time with other Grandma, so looking forward to hearing how much fun she had from the kids, as well as holding her and asking her if she had fun and watching the sparkles in her eyes and hearing her tell me in her baby talk the things she did.

Sun, Moon and Blisters

Sun shined all day long, not a cloud in the sky. Light breeze to make sitting in the shade for breaks just a beautiful day. While gardening yesterday, I know to where gloves when using tools, such as hoe, rake, and tiller, yet somehow just the idea of being alone and enjoying the time to work in garden, well gloves were the last thing I was thinking about. Now I pay for the thoughtlessness. I will take the blister in reminder that I had a very peaceful day to myself and my music while I gardened and enjoyed the sights at the farm. Again I thanked Steve's folks for the memories and the land, recalling many times we spent in the field where now I have my garden in a corner of a piece of their former family farm. Steve and I will visit the gravesites of our parents this weekend and spend sometime reflecting on those memories and others which we hold dear in our hearts.

The moon is full these last 2 days, looking out the window it almost looks like twilight, even the trees have shadows under them looking like shade spots in the dark. I sit here and wonder how many people tonight are enjoying the moon from their own homes and if they too took a minute to stand and enjoy the view and add up a prayer and a big thank you to God for such a sight of beauty and peacefulness just staring into it.

Got quite a lot acomplished yesterday in garden, yet not as much as I had hoped to accomplish. Cousins got moved into their place this weekend, so while I had to quit for the day gardening, I come home to an empty house and after a refreshing shower and knowing Steve would be home late for he was mowing waterways at farm, I revived and was able to get my living room carpet mostly steam cleaned. When it dries now, I will be able to move the furniture to cleaned area and steam clean the rest of it, then rearrange it and put furniture back into it and get the walls and stuff cleaned. Another mental thing to ease the mind of my weird troubled brain. lol

Today will find Steve and I heading back to farm and continuing for him, the mowing which is about 3 weeks behind due to weather, and me again crawling around in the dirt playing in my garden and the only things watching while I dance to my music is the dozens of different birds flying around in the trees while I work. We even had a little humming bird visit out truck yesterday while Steve and I were talking in corner of garden. I think cause the truck is red, the little bird thought it was a mega find in a red flower. It buzzed around the tail lights back and forth for a few seconds then went in hunt of real necture into the woods. Cute though, for it was only a matter of feet from us standing there. Maybe it will come back once my flowers are blooming in the garden, it sure would be welcome to come back and hang out with me on the days when I am there to enjoy watching it. Will keep an eye out when blooms come onto flowers now. A new little friend to entertain me.

Sooo Big

Kiley stands alone now, won't be long til she will be walking. Kids left for Dave's brothers high school graduation and will stay for the weekend. Grandma has some time to work in garden and maybe sleep in on one day if I can make myself stay in bed. lol Leslie is house and dog sitting for them while they are gone. She needed the privacy and alone time. Steve and I will have house to ourselves too, as cousins will be moving this weekend into their much awaited place. Their nephew is all moved out and place is getting cleaned so they plan to start moving I think they said Saturday. So glad things are working out for them now. It was frustrating for them thinking they would be able to move in within a few weeks of relocating, then weather and time to get the nephews house ready took longer than anticipated, so that put them waiting and waiting.

I was able to work in my garden yesterday afternoon. Mentally it makes me feel better knowing I was able to get at least most of the weeds out and my veggies look great. I should be able to get the rest of my stuff planted this afternoon, as I will head up early to finish tilling and then to plant. I did find 2 more potatoes which finally came up. Total now of 3 out of the three rows I planted. So I should at least get my money back from seed potatoes. I have tons of seedlings to get into the ground that I started in house due to the rain and cool weather we had for 2 weeks, then the week and half for drying time, they are getting big and need to be free for the roots to grow strong plants. I hope to get them all into ground today and be able to sit back and watch everything grow now during the summer.

Kiley's first swim

Oh what fun we had today. Aunt Leslie bought Kiley a swimming pool earlier this spring. This weeks hot weather made it a must get out and let Kiley swim day today. So Leslie blew up the pool and added hot water to it then cooled it down with the garden hose to just the right temp for little one to be in.

So, we pulled out the brand new swim suit, and put her into her pool to play. She just loved it. She splashed and crawled around and laughed and just had so much fun entertaining Aunt Leslie and I. Of course we took more pictures than we needed, but it was just so cute watching her, it made our day. I am sure she will be in this little pool most of the summer. Aunt Leslie said she was jealous that she couldn't get in with her and play too. Maybe I will have to let her get wet with the garden hose one day.

2010 Yellow Roses (first blooming)

My yellow rose bush has bloomed for the first time this year. They are big like last year and the bush has a total of 8 roses on it. 3 have bloomed fully, the others will bloom within the next week.
My red rose bush didn't make it thru the winter. I could kick myself for not keeping the tag from this bush to know exactly what type rose bush it was.

Last year this same bush got to be over 7 foot tall and bloomed all summer long. Don't do anything special with them, just leave them be and they grow to whatever size they want. I am hoping to run across another similar rose bush this summer or next spring and buy it and plant where the old red one was. I love the color of these yellow ones so much, I think I will stay with like colors for all the green in my flower bed. Late summer, early fall, my bed will be colored with purple and white and cream color flowers, along with my bright red canna's. Can't wait to capture the colors as they bloom on the rest of my plants.

He's still got it.

Since my blogging is mostly journaling for myself, I won't be embarrassed to write this.
Yesterday I oggled Steve and got all warm inside like when we were dating and first married. After 30 years, the man still turns me on. We spent the afternoon together, just the two of us. He had to work his half day on Saturday this weekend, so I got mowers ready and loaded on trailer, charged the batteries for his cordless impact, sorted thru my "to the farm" totes, un-knotted rope and rolled it up for future ease of use, raked up more tree debri from flower bed and driveway, put tires from my truck onto trailer, then sat down with glass of tea to wait for him to get home from work.
He had his lunch, and we headed to track to mow, which is when I started watching him as we passed each other. Radio blaring from my earphones, country songs about having a sexy tractor and taking it for a ride, brought back memories of when we were first married that spring of 1980, he helped his Dad put crops in. I rode with Steve as he worked the ground, til my butt got sore from the fender, then I would sit and watch him from the bed of the truck, or take walks around the woods close to the fields to pass my time.
So today as we passed each other I again noticed the things I loved to watch him do all these years, just one of those "sigh" moments. I offered up a thank you God prayer for making Steve just for me. A prayer that I have resited many many times over the years.
Then when we were done mowing, he had to put tires on the dirt scrapper, and I got to oggle his muscles at work. I have always loved to watch his muscles when he lifted, turned, or repaired things, he has always been big and strong. The years have been very good to him, and he still has the best looking arms I have ever seen. And the power and strength of those arms I'd trust anywhere anytime for anything.
So he packed the wheel bearings with grease, and mounted the tires and the whole time my little heart just went patter patter patter and my mouth watered and I probably drooled shamelessly, so glad we were alone out there, and I oggled that man like a hussy. I often wonder if other woman are like this with their husbands, do they still after all those years find the man they married is still the man they fell in love with and why. I have seen it in the elderly, I watched it first hand in my in laws relationship, and I see it in the mirror when I think of my Steve, and I feel it when I watch my girls with Daddy and now when we have Kiley around.
Steve, til the day I die and beyond, I will always love you. Thank you again God, for making him just for me.