I love Monday's!

Ah...yes...popcorn and milk.  You have to be "born" into it or you probably wouldn't like it.  I have a picture of my great great grandparents, sitting around the old wood stove, eating bowls of popcorn and milk.  It was always our Sunday night supper.

Microwave popcorn does not lend itself very well, to this treat.  You need popcorn that has been popped using a big old pan on top of the stove, or one of those poppers used in the fire place.  It pops really nice with no hulls or hard kernels.

It is not at all like cereal--other than we ate it from cereal bowls.  It has salt and butter on it.  Nice and crunchy and the combo of salt and milk--yummy!!  You gobble it down so fast it hardly has time to get soggy.  Then you fill up your bowl with more.

You are usually introduced to this treat at the age of one.  No need to worry about a little one chocking on it as it is moist.

I am proud to say we are now on our 6th generation as my grandkids all love it too.  I always thought it was a German thing.  None of you have ever had it?
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I have loved Monday's for years and years and years.

When I was a school kid--living out on the farm with no close neighborhood kids to play with, weekends could get quite boring.  I loved Monday's because it meant I could go back to school and see all my friends.

When I was married, Monday's meant the hubs went back to work, the kids went to school and I had peace and quiet in the house.

After my divorce and when I got a job, weekends were lonely and boring.  Monday's meant I could go back into the office and see all my friends there.

Now--weekends around here are boring and lonely.  Usually on Monday, activity picks up.  Also, it feels like a whole new, clean and sparkling week has arrived and I can get started on projects.

Today--Monday--across the street:

taking back the temporary front steps

The inspector arrived.  He looked at everything, under the deck,

 at the deck, walked on top of the deck and left.

I guess we are A. OK.

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Surprises starting happening around here about 1:00.  Got a call from my sister--Chuck had things to return to Lowe's.  They were coming here afterwards so Chuck could cut the dead branches out of my Privet bushes.

They looked nice enough last September.

Not so nice this summer 

Most of this is young Maple or Rose of Sharon suckers

Chuck got busy and CAREFULLY, ONLY, cut out the dead branches.

 These two do have growth at the bottom

 This one, not so much

 This sad one under my bedroom window.  One little sprig, down by the ground.

 Chuck says, "They will come back.  Just hope live long enough to see it."  ha

The Fur Kids are sure going to miss, sitting on the window ledge in living room and bedroom and gazing at all the birds that used to nest and live in these bushes.  I am going to miss the one outside the bedroom window that I always felt lent me a bit of privacy.

It is nice, in that, all the old/big/dead branches are gone and now, as the bushes grow, I can just trim off the tops, with the hedge trimmers, and keep them neat and tidy.  I do like, neat and tidy!!

Neighbor Tami mentioned on FB that, "your yard looks so empty," to which I so wanted to comment, "at least it isn't cluttered with junk like yours," but of course I didn't say that.

<you know--I have come to the conclusion that I really am NOT a nice person.  Outwardly--ah yes.  But the things, in my head, I think of saying or doing--a whole different nasty woman!>

Chuck then helped me get the 2x4's laid out on the shed floor and he put all the heavy boxes back for me. I could have done it myself, but....I just stood there and sang, "It's so nice to have a man around the yard....."

A bit of weirdness about the 2x4's.  I posted that Merle had seen the shed floor and I told him that my BIL was bringing down some 2x4's to put over the rotted out places.

Unbeknownst to me, Merle hauled over four 2x4's and put them in my shed--On the floor--over the rotted out spots.  Apparently he did this on Saturday while I was inside.  He called to tell me about it on Sunday.  Hm-mm.  

"Thank you so much, but...don't you need them?  Chuck has some left from their building he was going to bring."

"Nope.  Had them stored under the trailer.  Don't need them.  Knew you did."

"Okay.  Thanks."

I strolled up to their place tonight at 6:30, to take a book to Pearl and I told them that Chuck and Susan had been out and cut back the bushes.

Pearl:  "We know.  Could hear that chain saw all over the neighborhood!  What a racket!"

Merle:  "Yup.  Kept me from taking my nap."

Judy:  "Thanks again for the 2x4's.  Chuck put them down and put back all the boxes.  I think it's going to work great."

Pearl:  "What 2x4's are you talking about?"

Judy:  "The ones Merle brought down and put in the shed."

Pearl turns to Merle:  "When did you do that?  and, why didn't you tell ME?"

Merle says nothing and just smiles.

I got that creepy feeling again, so I jumped in with, "Pearl, you knew my floor in the shed was rotted out.  I told you, right."

Pearl:  "Yes.  Your brother-in-law was bringing down some 2x4's to put in there."

Then she turns to Merle, who has buried his face in the newspaper, "How did you know the shed floor was rotted out?"

Merle:  "You musta told me."

...and I quickly turned the conversation to the Detroit Tigers losing out in the playoffs!!

She complains that Merle is so tired that he can't do very much--won't even help her make the bed or vacuum the living room anymore, but...he is hauling FOUR 2x4's down to my shed?

Yes--I know.  He is a nice, caring guy, but............

I am not liking this circus event!