A Week In Texas

My sister and I got back from our vacation and I had enough time to get laundry done and repack so I could go to my daughter, Kayla's house.  She needed to work and Madison was in soccer camp.  So Macie Jane, Zachary, and I spent time together.  I had some school things they helped me with and we played Batman and American Girl.
Kayla took me to a yarn shop in Farmersville.  We looked around a few shops that were cute.  We also went to Hobby Lobby and just enjoyed being together.  I really had fun with the kids and Kayla.  Madison and Steve were gone most of the time, but I will get to see more of them later this week!
On Thursday, Ken came and we went to my sister's house.  Ken got up and worked on her chimney and Janet and I met Kayla and the kids and we went blueberry picking.  We picked blueberries, it rained, we ate our picnic, we picked blackberries, it rained again, and we went home.  We had a good day, but we were tired!
Saturday, Ken worked on the chimney more and Janet and I went shopping.  I was unsuccessful at getting a swimsuit. Ken finished the chimney and we went out for steak.  It was delicious!
We got home Sunday.  I am making lists of the things that need to be done before we leave on Wednesday.  So I have been busy today, I was successful getting a swimsuit and some tennis shoes for Ken.
Tomorrow I will be packing!  I am so excited about our week in CO.

I Am Home

What an interesting week we have had!  My sister and I have spent a week on the road.  This is our yearly week together.  We had less of an agenda this year than most.  We had some spots to visit and then we let the whimsy rule us.
First, I must say that there is never a dull moment when we are together.  We talk about everything under the sun.  Sometimes it feels like we are in grade school and others we talk like grown ups.  We hit on any subject manner that is available and some that are not.  My sister is a wonderful, exciting, practical, down to earth, loving, generous, caring, spontaneous kind of girl.  She didn't let me be the only one walking out of the many quilt shops or wine shops carrying a bag.  We both found interesting frippery on our travels and we enjoyed each others excitement!

At a park in Paducah.

We had such a grand time in Paducah, KY.  It is such a neat little town.  We found lots to do and such wonderful food available.  We ate our way around Paducah, then we visited some wineries, and we shopped!  All in all a great place to visit.  We made a side trip to Patty's 1800's Settlement, there was lots to see, shop, and the eating was well an experience!

The Man of Steel in the town square.

We found out about a place called oddly enough Metropolis, where a Superman Celebration was going on.  We found out because there was a man with socks that had a cape on them.  We had to talk to him.  He and his two buddies were so nice.  They told us all about the celebration, well how could we pass that up?  We couldn't and didn't.  So much FUN in one place!

Beautiful horses!

On to St. Louis.  Grant's Farm was different than I remembered, but we enjoyed all the animals especially the Clydesdale Horses and the weather was perfect.  We stepped in a quilt shop or two and saw more of the city and we were tired.

We had a good day here!

Our final destination was Quincy, IL.  This is where our parents grew up and out aunt still lives.  She will turn 92 this weekend!  We made a visit a couple of years ago, but she is having some issues with dementia and after a fall a couple of months ago is now residing in an assisted living home.  The place is very nice and she seems very content, because she has her cat with her.We were able to spend quite a bit of time with her.  I think it was mainly for us, I am not sure she will remember our visits.  We were able to enjoy one of our all time ever since we can remember foods.  Maid Rites are in Quincy and we have been eating them all our live when we would visit.  They were a favorite of our parents and we do not miss a chance to get a couple of these loose meat sandwiches that just melt in your mouth!  Oh they are good! Two people I know each had six in a little over the day we were there!
We arrived home at my house last night and sis will go to her home today and we will pick up our daily lives and enjoy life even more, because we had some wonderful time together, but mostly because we can!

It Is A Wonderful Wednesday

Wow! It isn't even 8:00 and I have been busy.  I came downstairs and started the dryer.  I went and walked my 40 minutes.  It was a very comfortable 63 degrees to walk at 6:00 this morning.  I actually walked about a minute or two faster than I have been walking.  I walk out around the track at the airport, I walk for 20 minutes and turn around.  Usually I am back at the starting point and I have to walk around for a minute or two until the entire 40 minutes is up, but not today!
I came home and before I went in the house I weeded the flower bed by where I park.  I started out dead heading the flowers and it turned into weeding.  I am on a roll, if I can just keep moving!
I came in and got some cold water to drink and let the dog out.  Then I thought to myself this would be a good time to move the containers.  What containers you ask.  Well, several weeks ago I brought 4 tomato plants and to bell pepper plants home because I wanted Ken to make home made salsa.  He makes the best, full of flavor, but not hot or spicey!  So they have been sitting out on the patio just out of Rusty's reach.  But they don't get a lot of sun.  So I have been pondering where I could move them where they would get sun, but also out of Rusty's reach.  It hit me on the bench around the deck.  So they have been weeded and moved!  Woohoo!  Oh I am happy to report I have 5 tomatoes. I also noticed a flower on one of the pepper plants.  A couple of tomatoes are about the size of a marshmallow (not the tiny ones) and the rest are the size of tiny marshmallows.
The dryer that I started earlier is now finished.  So I hang and fold the load of colors in the dryer.  Which brings me up to this point.  A deep breath some fizzy water and I am thinking about the rest of the day.
I have quite a few things on my agenda: I need to get a few groceries and a prescription filled, I need to make some copies, I need to laminate some things, I need to pack, and I am going to lunch with the girls from school.  We are going to do a little bit of planning.  We have a new gal in our neighborhood and she hasn't heard all our great ideas we have been throwing around.  Well, we will just all get on the same page.  I need the copies to take with me, so I can shop for material, copies are patterns.  I need the laminating to take with me, so I can cut out stuff for school.  It all goes hand in hand.
Oh! I almost forgot, Ken and I went to see Chef last night.  It was a great movie.  I loved it!  The language could of been toned down.  I loved the story line.  There were so many twists and it was such a feel good movie that I left feeling happy and filled with hope that all things are indeed possible!  Go see it and enjoy the stories in it.
I think I will go clean up so I can get started on the rest of my day! Well, after I let Rusty out again!

Ken's Last Day Off

Ken's last day off.  He went to the doctor about his knee that has been hurting.  He will go to an orthopedic doctor on Monday.  Th bad news is his blood pressure is high.  His doctor gave him a blood pressure medicine and for the next month he is suppose to take his blood pressure in each arm each day.  He has to turn that in at the end of the month.
We got his medicine and went to eat lunch.
We have had a relaxing day together!  Tomorrow he goes back to work.
I got the Chick Chick Boom Boom unit all organized.  I have some laminating to do and then some cutting to do.  I am excited about next year!  Looking ahead is so much fun!!!
We had a great time in Eureka Springs.  It was nice to get away and relax.  We just had some time away from the usual.  Ken was very happy to pick up Rusty from the dog hotel.  Rusty seemed equally happy to see us.
I walked later than usual today, but because it rained I wasn't too hot.  It was only about 68 when I started.  There was a lot of water on the track.

It Is The Middle Of The Night!

Well, it is the middle of the night. We are in Eureka Springs on a little celebration getaway! I am wide awake! Ken is blissfully asleep. I was very tired and I conked out early, but he stayed up to watch tv. It really doesn't bother me, I was sound asleep for 3 hours then it started bothering me. The noise or something, I was hot, needed a drink, too much light, etc. So I decide to give up and watch with him and he turns it off! Now I have tossed and turned and I am wide awake!

Lots of Thinking!

I had a lovely walk this morning.  I saw the sun come up and then disappear into the clouds.  I was the only one I saw out at the track. During school I was walking there before school began.  Now I am still walking at 6:00 ish, but I come home and shower and change.  Last night I decided to get the sports bra out and wear it.  It has been awhile.  I forgot how difficult it is to get it off.  But the girls don't move, gotta love that part of it!   My mind was racing with ideas for school.  Ideas how to start so the year will be successful.  It is so easy to have the perfect class in the summer.  I am making headway on the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom unit I am working on.  Things will be going into the binder soon.

I have taken over the table.

My fingernails are flaking and splitting easily again.  I had this problem for about a year after I was off the chemo drugs, then it went away.  Sadly, now it is back.  I must be lacking in something in my diet, but what?  Hmm!
I have a lot to do today.  I need to do some dishes, laundry, and making up the guest rooms.  I want to sew, work on the sorority scrapbook, and organizing school stuff.  We will see what gets done.
For now, I am off to do some volunteering.

Summer is Here!

School is finally out. We missed 9 days of school. We added 20 minutes to the day beginning in March to make up 3 days and the rest we painfully made up.  I was sad to see this group go, but I could send them knowing they were prepared.  I will miss this group they were very fun and for the most part always pleasant.
So, I am continuing to walk each weekday.  I have upped my time to 40 minutes,  I don't notice a lot of difference.  I am trying to walk outside, I enjoy the breeze, but I do get hot.  I have learned that I really don't enjoy the sweating, or the actual exercising part of getting healthy.  Speaking of getting healthy, I go for another 3 month check up with my regular doctor today.  I hope he has a good report for me.
Monday I went and volunteered, Tuesday I had a home health type visit for this sister study I joined when my sister got cancer.  Then I got cancer as well, which shifted me into another study of sisters of women with cancer who got cancer.  I got to do things such as collect toenail clippings, dust samples (not hard!), urine samples, measurements, blood pressure, give blood, and get weighed.  It was laborious.
I have so many projects that I will be working on this summer, just to name a few:  my sister's quilt, sorority scrapbook (for last year), sorority yearbook(for next year), organizing units for school, and just sewing/quilting in general.  I am always doing something, but I don't seem to stay focused and on task.  Hmm!  Maybe that is why kindergarten is so natural feeling!
I am about halfway through organizing my Chicka Chicka Boom Boom unit.  I plan to use it during the first 5 weeks of school.  Along with it I think I will fit in a new unit King/Queen for a day, then for good measure I will add Brown Bear Brown Bear activities, just to add a little color!
I have to get ready for the doctor.
Toodles!