One of Those Days!

Ever have one of those days...it starts out wrong and you're sure it's gonna get worse. Well...here's how mine started out!!! That's a Corelle by Corning bowl...nearly unbreakable so they say! Well, put a little canned dog food in it, drop it from about three feet onto a tile floor (of course, with the dog standing close by anxiously awaiting her breakfast!)...and it shattered EVERYWHERE!!!! I even had pieces under the stove drawer, on the basement stairs, everywhere!

The second picture is to show you how big the original bowl was...small...and that's what I swept up after I'd picked up most of the pieces with dogfood on them.

I was sure the day was doomed to be a disaster...but so far, so good. It kind of "got me started" I guess! I swept the kitchen floor and vacumned it, then scrubbed it (all the while listening to Schiz growl and whine because I'd blocked her from coming in there!) Then I fed her...and since I already had the sweeper out...and the sun was shining and I could see how much cotton had built up on my window screens, I started taking screens down and running the sweeper on them. Then on the rest of the house. Decided the living room and dining room tables needed some Liquid Gold treatment. Then someone called and I needed to go run an errand, so grabbed a quick shower and headed out. Got back home in about an hour, decided to trim the bushes all around the yard...which means cleaning up the mess afterwards. Cleaned it up, still messy...so decided to mow...which is preceded by edging....which is followed by cleaning the swimming pool. Someone once told me "if it blows across the yard, it WILL blow into the pool." I thought from one side or another...NO...from ALL sides! Pool is 75 degrees today...pretty chilly...but I even managed to get in for a brief time! Then back in for my second shower of the day...and now I'm clean and sleepy!

But...so far....no more "disasters!" No, I don't really think breaking one of Schiz's bowls is a disaster.....and she really doesn't! She'd much, much rather I just put it on the floor and she'll eat it from there! Goofy Dog!

Iris Folding (Part 2)

So...here are a few more. Some of my shots are kind of bleary...but you can still see the handwork and detail. These are suitable for framing!!! They're just wonderful!

The baby carriage...she made several colors of it for me. One is yellow and she's used little yellow "stuffed feet" at the foot of the carriage! And this green one (and several of the others) has real lace trim!

The teddy bear...the smaller teddy bear "down front" is actually a stuffed "stick-on" little teddy bear....like the detail of all the folded paper and buttons/rivets wasn't enough to blow your mind!??!


Several different snowmen...they're all adorable. This one has real wooden sticks for arms. Others have little shovels or rakes or skis....really cute.

The frog she just "created" from her own pattern...isn't he something?

Double click on any photo to see details!

I know...you can tell I'm really excited about these...but they are even better "in person" I'm tellin' ya!!

I've got one Scottie dog on ebay for $3.50 + $1.00 shipping. Someone else has about a dozen different ones on there...$4.50 + $4.90 shipping....and her's aren't nearly as cute and bright and creative!!! The only problem I see with ebay is that people have to know how to go look them up. I tried to cover as many bases as I could by calling it a Iris Folding Scottie Dog Greeting Card - Blank Inside..... I didn't get Handmade in there because I didn't have enough spaces. But...If someone looks up Scottie or Dog or Card or Iris Folding they should happen upon my ad!!!! And if it's you, BID!!!!

Other than this, nothing much exciting has been happening here. Same ole, same ole. Cooler temperatures mean the pool is down to about 78 degrees...usually up to 80 by evening. And even 78 isn't horrid...just a little cool at first.

Iris Folding Greeting Cards

Gotta show ya...just gotta show ya!!!! A friend of mine makes cards...and she just recently learned this new technique!!! It's awesome! It's called "Iris Folding" and many many layers of folded paper, ribbon, whatever are used and stacked one on top of another.
I absolutely love it! When I first saw them I bought two cards. Within a half hour I called her and ordered 45 more!!! I fully intend to resell them...they are just too neat not to spread around. I've listed one on ebay but the others I'll just show around here and there I imagine (we'll see how the one on ebay does!)

The paper is folded and three dimensional. The photos just don't do justice. I took them over to Marylou's and she agreed, "You have to see them to appreciate them!"

I have "way more" than what I've photographed here...in fact, blogger didn't pick up all that I had chosen....so go look for yet another blog!

Double click on these and see more detail.

I was just looking at my plants and thought I hadn't posted an update on them lately.

The elephant ears had to be moved to the front porch as they just couldn't take all the sunshine by the little fish(less) pond in the back yard. They were fine for awhile, then one day it was hot and they developed about 4 or 5 crispy dead leaves. So they now get sunshine from about 7 am til 8 am and are in the shade the rest of the day. I understand they're "jungle" plants and don't really like a lot of sunshine. And, because they're on the front porch, more people see them and they've received a lot of nice compliments. They are really pretty I think.

And here's a couple of pictures of the cannas. They have certainly taken hold and grown like crazy! Quite a few are blooming now and the blooms are usually even taller than the 6' privacy fence. Second picture shows that much better.

I had planted 71 cannas bulbs (not all shown here) this past spring. A friend recently told me that if I'd use a post hole digger and plant them 18" deep (below the frost line) that I wouldn't need to dig them up every fall and replant them in the spring. So that's my plan for next spring....in fact, my cousin tells me she has a little bulb-planter-auger-thingee (I think that was even her exact wording!!) that I can borrow.

I had been seriously considering planting bamboo grass along the back fence line. There's a two story house behind me and I thought maybe the bamboo would block the view of the pool. But, with a little reading, I'm not at all sure I want bamboo. Several people tell me and I've read several places, that it's VERY invasive! One reference said to keep it from spreading you can dig a 3' deep trench and fill it with concrete. Helllooooooo? I don't think so! I think I've decided to live by something my dad used to say: If they haven't seen it before, they won't know what it is; and, if they have seen it before, it shouldn't scare 'em! Actually they have a pool also and I think we've all been pretty good about just not paying too much attention to what the other guys are doing!!!
My kind of neighbors!!

Well, with that in mind, I think I hear some 84 degree water calling me. Enough from me for today.....SPLASH!!!

Family Reunion / Cousins' Reunion

Last Wednesday - July 1 - was the first ever Family Reunion / Cousins' Reunion. With an already "full plate" I chose not to attend. And I'M SORRY!!!!!

Today I received these photos from my cousin, Shon. Now I just gotta tell ya...had I known I was going to have so much fun I would've made a bigger effort to get there. I must have had a lot of fun!!!!

First picture says I'm in line for lunch. The one directly under it say's I'm sitting in the shade, and the third one down is my cousin "Jimmy Dale" and me. Top right Terri (a cousin I hardly know) and I have become pretty well acquainted evidently and are sharing a beer!!! Below that I'm right where I always like to be...with a big group of guys... but alas... they're all related. First one...what a cutie!!!!!....that's my cousin Jeanne's grandson (and he looks SOOOOOO much like his aunt, Jeanne's sister Sue..it's incredible!); then Steve (who I used to hide in the closet whenever they came over because I had such a huge crush on Stevie!!); then cousin Jimmie Dale; then Jeanne's son; and John, Jeanne's husband. (And notice I've squeezed in there between Jeanne's son and John!!) Then the last shot is Steve "slippin' me the tongue"!!!!!

I notice that I seem "a little stiff". I also noticed that I'm considerably younger and CONSIDERABLY thinner than I look in the mirror!!! (Probably the fresh air and alcohol!)

Anyway.... I hear it was fantastic and I'm now really sorry that I missed out on all the fun. It would have meant about 5 or 6 hours of driving but I really regret missing out on all the fun now! I sure hope they'll plan to continue this and make it a tradition. Our family has never really gotten together (last time I remember was probably 40 years ago) except for funerals. Time to change that. A huge thanks to Shon and Becky and Richard and his wife for all they did....and please don't be burned out...'CAUSE I WANNA BE THERE NEXT YEAR!!!

Nature's Reward

Here's a photo of my first cucumber for this season...kind of odd shaped but I decided to go ahead and pick it so that it would be small and crispy and not big and full of seeds. I think most people leave their veggies "on the stem/on the vine" too long. The two little Roma tomatoes are about #8 and#9 I think. They've been wonderful. Very meaty, very little juice. And again, I like mine just barely turning to red. These two are perfect! They're smallish...usually each one is about the size of two cherry tomatoes...but that works fine for me! The cucumber is right at a foot long.

Yesterday was a pretty hectic day. My son, who moved to Hutchinson from Texas about a month ago, started having a toothache Tuesday evening. By Wednesday evening he was in true misery. Yesterday morning he looked like he was holding a golf ball in his cheek. (I really wanted a picture for my blog, but ABSOLUTELY NOT!) I called my dentist - who's in Missouri (long story!) - and we made a quick trip to Missouri. He's somewhat better today, with a couple of prescriptions and another appointment later this month to have a wisdom tooth removed.

We left Hutch about 7:30 a.m. and pulled up to the dentist's office at 12:45 p.m. Solid driving...no stops other than one very quick gas fill-up. He got right in to see the doctor...and then spent over an hour at their local Wal-Mart trying to get the rx's filled! (This would require another rant and I'm just not up for it today!). Headed back, stopped in Joplin to pick up some burgers and fries and drinks at Freddie's...eating in the car and driving down the highway...got back to Hutch at 8:00 p.m. LONG day!!! But things are better today...with a light at the end of the tunnel so to speak.

I love my little Honda Fit Sport...and my son supplied a lot of input and advice and encouragement that I should buy one...I absolutely love it. Got over 40 mpg yesterday....however, my son's no longer as fond of it. Seems that to buzz around town, run errands, it may be fine, but for a long road trip and he's about 6'4" tall, he was getting a little cramped. It does have lots of head room, but he couldn't get his legs quite as comfortable as he wanted. He thought maybe the shorter wheelbase was causing him a little carsickness....I think he had "other issues" (like a major, banging toothache caused by a lot of infection!)

And so today starts a long weekend for most people. I personally am going to stay in when it's hot, get on a floater in the pool for awhile each day if weather permits, and pretty much try to do nothing. Last night the neighborhood was full of fireworks and noise. So maybe early one morning I'll go out and mow! Ooops...didn't I say I don't have the energy for a rant today?....sorry. Hope your 4th is spent in an enjoyable way...with friends, family, or whatever/whoever pleases you. Stay safe...and don't forget to count your blessings!!