A New Dog Bed

I've already sent pictures of this to most of the people that read my blog, but just have to show the world. A friend of mine had this and their little dog was no longer around, so I bartered with her and brought it home.

I brought it in, told Schiz I had something NEW for her. I brought it upstairs, stuck her pillow in it (it's HER pillow...even though she rarely gets on it...she prefers tile floor to sleep on), patted it and told her it was hers. She immediately crawled right up in it like "No Biggie"....turned a couple of turns, and laid down and yawned.

She may never bother to get in it again, but it was just too cute to let it just sit there in the gal's garage. I just love the little milkbone cutout on the headboard and again on the footboard. If Schiz doesn't sleep in it, I'll probably stack her toys in it...she has a few thousand!

Don't bother telling me she's spoiled...she isn't...she's just special!

Another Person's Blog

I have several blogs that I read every day. This particular one is one of my favorites. And this particular day just nailed my shoes to the floor. PERFECT! Thank you, Leanne!!!

http://fromchaoscomeshappiness.blogspot.com/2011/06/from-sunshine-to-cookies-to-not-being.html

I've passed it on to several friends and as one wrote back and said, "Did YOU GET IT!?!?" Yes, I did.

So...to some people I just need to say, "Here's your cookies...choke on 'em!"

Man, I just love my friends...true friends are awesome, ya know!?!

Count your blessings...and be sure to count your friends as your blessings, for they certainly are!

One More Photo

Here's one that escaped earlier, I guess:

On a Cool Morning in June

Just look what a "mere woman" can accomplish on a cool morning in June. Got up this a.m. and decided to build a wall. Had to dig out all the old grass (the biggest part of the job) and clean the dirt really good. Then leveled it, laid the first course of bricks (they say if you get the first course right the rest will be ok), and "got 'er done!"






















That's 440 lbs. of brick, 200 lbs. of river rock, a pot with fountain grass that was rolled from the patio and lifted onto the rocks....that's 1 woman...one 66-year old woman!!! I'm proud...also dirty, stinky, sweaty, tired, and tattered.


















"Tattered?" you ask.... well...in the process carrying one of the 50 lb bags of river rock I punctured my forearm. Then when moving a little bench into my front garden spot I caught my right knee on one the those roses that I don't like (and they don't like me either!) Later, when putting a pot of springerai fern and a pot of red sweet potato vine on the bench the same rose bush caught my left knee. You guessed it!!! It's not there anymore! Don't mess with me...I'll get rid of ya! Actually I just trimmed it back....severely....and angrily.

So...anyway...I'm delighted with my new awning and my little wall. Wonder what's next?

(BTW...I also did a load of laundry, ran the dishwasher, fed the dog, and swept out the garage!!!

Not like I had to take the laundry down to the river or anything...but still...I got 'er done!!!) AND talked to two people on the telephone!!!

Update on the Awning

The awning is done...as of about 10 am today!!! I think it's great! Shades the door and by afternoon it also shades the living room window. (Click on the photos to get a better view.)















Saturday Betty and I went to Menard's in Wichita and I got the retaining wall bricks that I need to make a little wall. ($2.88 everywhere in Hutch, $1.18 at Menard's...and then they had some on sale for $.97 each!!!) My little Honda Fit looked like a lo-rider and I probably shouldn't have hauled so many, but it made it and the bricks are now in my garage. Some morning when it's cooler I'm going to start my project....a short wall (probably 4 rows high) from the post on your right to over under the window. Then I have a big pot with a purple fountain grass to sit in the arc on rocks.



Anxious to get it done!!!



Count your blessings!!! I do.

The New Awning

Here's how it started out:

A few days later, here's how it looked.

And at the end of yesterday, here's how it looks:

My builder has gone out of state for a little family vacation, but will be back Tuesday morning to put on the flashing and shingles and paint everything. I'm VERY happy with it so far.

I'm planning to build a short garden wall (those pretty, fat bricks) to the right of the front door (from this view) and already have a purple fountain grass planted in a big pot to put out there on some rocks.

My front door got VERY hot from the sunshine and it's now shady...very nice!!!!

Swedish Bikers crossing USA

A few weeks ago, my friend Carol (a serious biker herself) had mentioned meeting a couple from Sweden (and somewhere else) that were biking across the USA. Their intent was to "hike the Grand Canyon" along the way! An ambitious endeavor, to say the least.

At coffee this a.m. Carol was telling that they have a blog and later she sent me a link to it. I've spent the last hour reading it. Wow! What an adventure! And it's not done yet!

I love this photo..captioned with "It's very windy here in Kansas!"

Here's a link if you'd like to enjoy their adventure too: http://pavei.tumblr.com

Calla Lily

I'm having a gable roof put over my front door, so when a friend mentioned that she was on her way to Lowe's to buy some hostas, I said, "Take these! They're going to be in the way and have to be moved." (And...I have lots more out in the front flower bed too.) So we dug out the four "hostas" by my front door.

A few weeks have passed and the other day Betty said to me, "Come look at these hostas you gave me. I'm not so sure they're all hostas."

Sure enough...three appear to be green and white hostas, but the fourth one is this gorgeous critter. We think it's a calla lily.

She asked if I was going to want it back now...and I said, "No....but I may want a start

off of it next year!!!"

Lilies

The lilies are in full bloom now. I'm not overly wild about orange, but these are truly gorgeous! I don't think they are "day lilies"...at least not the kind of day lilies that I've had before. These have short leaves on a stem. I think these are some type of Chinese Lily. Beautiful, aren't they!?!?!

Marion Chingawassa Days

Yesterday Tami and I participated in the Marion, Kansas Chingawassa Days. We set up a booth in the city park....absolutely BEAUTIFUL city park!!! We left Hutchinson at 6 am....and were set up and ready to sell jewelry by 8 or 8:30. Slow start...a few sales, but not terrific. It started getting pretty warm. I had my pop-up tent with us, but we'd decided we were in such a shaded area we really didn't need it. We probably should have set it up!

Sales were ok...just ok! About 4pm Tami mentioned the clouds forming to the northwest. I didn't think those would come over us. At 4:30 they announced there was heavy rain and large hail in Hillsboro, 10 miles west of Marion. We loaded...FAST!!! There was a lot of cloud to ground lightning and light sprinkles and dark, dark clouds. Instead of going north a couple of miles and then west back towards McPherson, we went east to Highway 50 and south to Florence, Peabody, and into Newton. We got drenched a few times, but no hail. About Newton it all cleared up.

Here's what hurts: Originally we planned for 9am to 4pm. Then we learned that the REAL crowd doesn't show up til right before the concerts. They had two well-known bands prior to Diamond Rio playing at 9:15pm. We were about 50 yards from the stage and could have seen, heard it all! We changed our plans and decided to stay til near dark and by then most people would be at the concert. We could "load up" and then go back and enjoy the Diamond Rio concert. Then the storm moved in. Well...we left....and later Tami had a phone call and we learned it had rained hard for about 30 minutes, cleared off, and the sidewalks were "crammed with thousands of people"...."just milling around and buying stuff...waiting for the Diamond Rio concert"....ouch, ouch, ouch!!!!! Those were supposed to be OUR customers, I'm sure!

All in all...it was still a good day. We had fun...made a few sales...learned a LOT... We've decided we want to do it again next year, but we'll do it completely different! Go later..stay later..set up the pop-up, etc.

But...regardless of what WE did....that is an absolutely awesome event. It is truly a family event. They had it ALL!!! They had sumo-wrestling (big puffy suits and helmets were donned..very fun), minute-to-win-it games, heads/tails games, bed races, dinky duck races, lazer tag, Texas hold-em poker games, bingo, mariachi bands, and drum corps, and bagpipers....and MORE...lots more. Lots of booths with games for winning prizes! And all kinds of food vendors! It's a really neat event! And it's all in one of the most beautiful parks I think I've ever seen! (Wish Hutchinson would do stuff like this!!!! I know, we have Third Thursday, and it's great...but that doesn't compare for a community/family event geared intentionally toward FUN!)

Tami and I will be there again next year...hope you will be too!! It's a great event!

P.S. This is a little non-family comment.....early Saturday morning we were busy setting up and I had my back turned to the woman who loudly made this comment: "Take your top off first before you spread your legs too far!" Without turning around, I looked up at Tami and she was staring at me, trying to kill a smile, and shaking her head "NO" very discreetly. I just slowly walked toward Tami and said quietly, "Do I dare turn around and look?" We were both cracking up....they were merely setting up a pop-up tent!!!!! Well...what did YOU think!?!?!

POW!!!

Just as I was letting Schiz out late yesterday afternoon, I heard a loud POW!!! My neighbor had had company and I guess they were attempting to leave and nailed his mailbox. DUH!!!!! This used to be straight! No further comments...if you know me, you already KNOW what I'm thinking!

Bloomin' Lilies

Gotta go "google" these yet...but this morning when I got back from my little bicycle ride I had a lily in bloom. Anybody want to comment as to what KIND of lily???? :) Have a great day...and don't forget to count your blessings!!