Fantastically Fun Day

The high temperature today was: 75 degrees

The humidity today was:  30%

GORGEOUS!!!

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A walk about my place this morning---gardens are going by, annuals still doing good, Rose of Sharon, purple and pink, and Maggie watching Momma.

Then--I saw the most amazing thing at my bird feeder.  Something I have never seen in my 74 years.

Sorry it is a bit distorted--I had to use my zoom, which isn't very powerful.

It is a White Sparrow.  

Not an Albino because it's eyes are black and it's 

beak is yellow.

This just floored me--I am still amazed.

If any of you have ever seen one, please tell me

what you know about them.  Thanks.

Then I chased a bunch of birds out of my Hummingbird tree, headed back into the house and saw her come raging out of her nest and dive bomb a Blue Jay!  YAY for Momma.  Then I decided to move her feeder closer to her nest--tried to get it high on the branch.

Then Susan came and off we went to Bethie's.  Now--I didn't ask Bethie's permission to put these photos in this blog.  I hope it is all right.  This is a private blog, so no one knows her or where she lives to invade her privacy.  If it isn't all right Beth, please tell me and I will delete them.

Beth has a beautiful home, down a gravel road, up a private gravel road, up a steep drive.  I have loved her home forever!!!  It is on the east side of what used to be a ski club and in earlier years, we'd sit in her living room and watch the skiers.  Now, the ski club no longer exists and someone REALLY rich bought the property and put their house on top of the hill.  BUT--Beth's is a lot nicer!!

Beth put this terrace in all by herself--yes, she was in her forties, but

still a big job!!  It is covered with Myrtle and other ground covers and four hundred million Lilies of the Valley.

Down the drive we walked to meet "Audrey"--a life size doll made by a friend.

I am standing on a small hill--that is why I look so tall--honest!!

(Both Beth and Susan are like 5'2" shrimps.)

One of the walkways into the garden off the drive.

Of course, her lilies are going by also--it's that time of year.

Beth has 36 different varieties of Hosta and a lot of shade loving plants.

It was so funny, we came across a plant, blooms gone, so just looking at the leaves and Beth said, "This is a.........oh I will remember in a few minutes. and then Susan said, "Oh I know, it's ah---starts with an "L", right?"  None of  us could remember.  Finally about 10 minutes later, I yelled, "Astilbe!"  "Yes--tha'st it!  Doesn't start with an "L" does it!" Susan said.  Beth and I are 74 and Susan is only 61 and yet, not a one of could remember that dang name!!  She also has many Lenten Rose plants--lots of plant starters she can give Susan for her new garden.

I love fungi--thought this was a frog at first!!!

...another plant that I loved the leaf on--can't remember what it

was called.  Beth told us--I have forgotten already!!

Back up in the tree tops on their gazebo front porch.

Bethie is holding a Chihuahua they are fostering.

Lovable little dog that has kennel cough.

Not enough pictures taken to show Beth's gorgeous garden and yard.  So many plants I can't remember--lots of woodland plants and shade loving plants and on the other side of her drive, is a stone wall just covered in Lavender, Thyme, Yucca Lilies, ground cover.  Her place is so quiet and peaceful and lush and beautiful!!!  We had a wonderful visit!!

When we got back, I had Susan pick the sun catcher she wanted--she only took one and the one she took was one like my favorite one--kind of bumpy--she likes bumpy too.

The one between the multi-colored one and the pinkish one.

I had the most fantastic day I have had since my birthday!!!!  

Thank you so much Beth and I know we will see you again soon when Susan is ready to transplant some of your generosity in her new garden.

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So tonight, I had one of my salad's--not one I will buy again.  A Cobb Salad--it had crumbled bleu cheese, that I scraped off into the garbage pail and some slices of slimy Avocado--YUCK--that went the same place the cheese went.  The rest of it was okay--not great--but okay.  Then I had a blue berry muffin that neighbor Tami brought over--made from berries off some bushes she has planted behind her shed--it was yummy.

Then--I looked out my computer room windows and OHMYGOSH--there was Dar getting out of a 2010 silver Mazda!!!  Her Dad was with her. Sure enough--just like I told her 2 months ago, Daddy was going to buy her a car and--he did!!!  Pearl and I have wondered why he didn't because he is a millionaire and has moved here from Arizona, to live with Dar's youngest brother.  So I ran over and jumped around and squealed with her a bit and got to meet her Dad--who is 92, and her brother and SIL. I thanked her Dad and told him he had done the whole neighborhood a favor--which Dar laughed about and then I said, "Now--you owe me a ride in this new car!!!"  

So after they all left, she pulled up to the end of my drive, I jumped in her car and she drove up and down the streets here in the park.  She hasn't driven for two years and hasn't driven on the expressway for 14 years, so.....she was practicing tonight.  It was actually fun watching her as she put on her blinker light, which caused her window wipers to come on--then pulled the other lever, which caused her washer fluid to come out.  We laughed so hard.  Now--she can go and get her own damn Bigby Coffee, cigarettes, groceries--whatever!!!  No--I shouldn't have said that.  I really am happy for her. 

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So--kids--tomorrow is THE DAY!!!  I will take pictures along the way and "talk" to you as I go about the steps to drain and flush the water heater.  I know if I pretend I am talking to you--like perhaps giving a demonstration, I will be okay.  YIKES!!!

If I live through it, I will post the pix and the commentary.  

Aimlessly Wandering Around

Today's high temperature was: 68 degrees

Today's humidity was:  43%

Sunny and a nice NW breeze
Blissful

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I gotta tell ya, when I woke up this morning--it was cold in here!  56 degrees outside, with a northerly breeze coming in and 68 degrees inside.  I had to put on my jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt.

I appears that I am not going to drain and flush the water heater until Friday, LOL.  I was the hose in place on the back porch--went out and measured it this morning and cut it to length.  I don't need the hose and I certainly do not need a 75' hose.

A few weeks ago, my sister expressed a desire to visit Beth.  Bethie gave her a beautiful, old dough box for a house warming gift and Susan has it in her home and loves it.  Of course, Susan has known Beth all her life, as Beth was at our house from time to time.  In fact, I have a cute movie of Beth swinging, like a monkey, from the top of Susan's swing set.

So I e-mailed Beth to see when she had a free day.  She is busier then either of Susan and I.  We finally got a day--2 days set.  Today was the day--if something urgent came up, we'd go tomorrow.  Susan was to come here and we would go on up together, to Beth's.  I expected Susan around 1:30.

I took a shower and changed into clean clothes and set down at 1:00 to watch my Soap and wait for Susie Q.

At 1:45 I called her cell phone to see if she was near.  It went right to voice mail.  I called Beth, who was out walking the dog, and told her husband to please tell her we were going to be late.

At 2:00, I called Susan again--getting a bit worried.  I knew, if she were driving, she wouldn't answer her phone.  It went to voice mail.

At 2:30--I was getting into a tiny bit of a panic, so I called Chuck, Susan's husband.  This is the conversation:

Chuck:  "Hallo"

Me:  "Where are you and watcha doing?"

"I'm sitting at the dining room table, playing cards with Jim and Jerri.  Why?"

"Is Susan there?"

"Yeah.  She heard her phone ring and she is running around trying to find it."
        Just then I heard a deep voice in the back ground, Jim: "Tell Judy she's disturbing our card game!"
Chuck:  "Just a minute....."

Susan: "Hello--what's up?"

"We were suppose to be at Beth's at 2:00."

"Tomorrow.  Right?"

"No.  Today--Wednesday.  Remember you said we'd shoot for Wednesday.  You said you put it on your calendar."

"OH MY GOSH--I put it on my calendar all right.  I put it down for Thursday!"

    Hm-mm--senior moment and she is only sixty-one!

"Okay then.  Can we still go...tomorrow?"

"Sure.  Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"Okay--See ya tomorrow."

Then I called Beth back and told her what had happened.  She said, "That's fine.  The house won't be any cleaner or dirtier tomorrow then it is today."

GOOD GRIEF!!!  These kinds of things drive me crazy--but--ACCEPTANCE OF THINGS WE CANNOT CHANGE!!!

So, I got my jeans and old shirt back on.  Sat down and programmed names and numbers into my new cheap phone.  Then went outside to check my veggies and took a walk.  Walked down to the corner, stopped and chatted with a neighbor.  Started walking back, stopped and talked to another neighbor about her beautiful garden---stopped and talked to Pearl who was sitting at her outside table--Tami came over, talked for a bit, then she walked home with me--to look at the hummingbird's nest and finally got back inside.  Took an hour to do all that--real nice.

I just felt aimless the rest of the day.  I had a plan.  The plan fell through.  Now what to do, what to do?

My sorry little veggie garden.  Next year--Zinnias! 

I am going to let sister take some of the sun catchers, if she wants them.

I am going to keep my favorite one--the first one--the bumpy one.

Twisting and turning in evening sun

Buddy has taken to napping between the TV stand and the table

So today, I took one of my Ever Comfy cushions that did not

hold up well for me and put it back there for him.

He napped all afternoon on it--of course, knowing cats,

next week he will never go there and find another place to sneak a nap.

Hopefully lil' sis remembers tomorrow morning that we have a date.  Should be a good day AND--another excuse not to have to worry about the water heater maintenance!!!. LOL

Messing Around

Today's high temperature was:  78 degrees

Today's humidity was:  77%

Periods of rain, sun, rain, sun--breezy
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I had to postpone the water heater project today as it kept raining off and on.  I didn't want to get into having to haul in the hose and then run out and see if the water was flowing, then back in the house, while is was storming--so I am shooting for Thursday, which is suppose to be fairly cool and sunny.

I didn't get to sleep last night until almost 3:00 a.m.  Oh--I got to sleep right away, but then a dream woke me in an hour, so.........When my alarm went off, I must have hit some other buttons before I found the off button because when I woke up at 9:15, my clock said 2:15.  Kind of scared me--I thought I had slept until afternoon!!!

Then my brain woke up and I went into the kitchen and found I was all right, LOL.  GEEZ!!  Most mornings, when I first wake up, it's like I have amnesia.  I don't remember what day it is.  I don't remember even going to bed the night before.  Very weird feeling.  It only takes a minute to get aware--but for those 60 seconds, I am very confused.

Watched as a storm came through around noon--hard, hard rain--very little thunder.  I loved it--hoping it will take the humidity with it as it heads east.  The humidity was still 77%, so we better have more storms!

Got to see the presentation of the Royal Baby Boy--precious.  I thought it was nice that Kate didn't wear a tent dress--she wore a normal maternity dress, belted and it showed her pudgy tummy--just like a "normal" new Mommy.  She is so down to earth.  I pray God's blessing on that little boy forever!


Then, off to the Rich People's store for my weekly food.

Macaroni and Tuna salad, Crab salad, watermelon.

Shrimp (it was on sale), Chef's and Roman Caesar salad.

Antipasto and Cobb salad.

At least nine suppers for $36.00

Huh?  

Cake?  

Where?  

Oh---yes, a yellow loaf cake with white icing.  I have an inch of cake every night.  

Got home and another rain storm came through.

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I have to tell you guys about a weird dream I had last night.  Most dreams are weird, aren't they?

I knew I was sleeping and I heard a very loud noise.  I opened my eyes and all I saw was bright sun--it hurt my eyes.  I heard singing and I sat up and.....I was in a casket.  I turned to look and there was my Mother--dressed in her blue suit and white and blue blouse she was buried in--she looked about thirty years old, which I thought was strange because I know she didn't get that suit until she was forty-eight for their 25th anniversary.  Then I leaned forward a bit and there was Daddy, my grandma and grandpa, and my great grandparents and two other people I didn't recognize, but I knew were my great, great grandparents.

We all stood up on the ground--didn't climb up, just stood and we were on the grass.  We were all smiling and happy and hugging each other.  I quickly turned to see Fred, but he wasn't there.  His grave hadn't opened either.  I felt really sad and then all sorts of loud noises and loud singing started and I could feel something trying to pull me upward--I was scared and....I woke up, sweating.

I was kind of shaking and my heart was beating kind of fast---I got up and went to the bathroom and then to the refrigerator to get some ice water.  I sat down and noticed it was raining really hard and thundering a bit--no doubt why I heard the noise?

When I went back to bed, I laid there and tried to figure the dream out.  Did I think it was Jesus coming?  Why wouldn't Fred be there--he was much more spiritual then my Daddy.  Maybe I was concerned because Fred was cremated and I couldn't figure out how God was going to "put him back together"?  

Weird and strange for sure.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, a really loud BEEP sounded.  I just about levitated off the bed!!!  It sounded like the smoke alarm, but it only beeped once.   I got up and walked out into the kitchen again, but I didn't hear it anymore.  So--back to bed.  No wonder I didn't get to sleep until 3:00!!!

I heard it this morning and figured out it was the carbon monoxide monitor.  So I ripped it open and changed the batteries.  When I put the last battery in, the dang thing BEEPED again and startled me so I threw the thing.  I hope it still works, LOL.

Dar came home from hospital and came right over to all the gory details of what she went through during her 3 day stay.  Apparently she had a bowel blockage, OR it might be pancreatitis, OR it might be something wrong with her liver, OR maybe it was diverticulitis.....who knows.

She remembers all of it, but...she doesn't remember calling me at 6:00 on Sunday night.  She didn't believe me when I told her, so I got my phone and went through the recent calls and...there was her cell phone number and the date and time.  She really looked concerned.

"Why don't I remember that?"

"They probably had you on some strong pain killers."

"Oh.  No.  I am allergic to everything.  They can't give me anything or my heart goes into rapid beats."

"Well--they had you on Ativan and that may have clouded your memory."

"Oh.  No.  I can't take anything like that.  Why do you think they gave it to me?"

"Because, when your sister-in-law stopped in to tell me you were in hospital, I asked her how you were doing emotionally and she said, "Better, once they have her twenty milligrams of Ativan."

"Well, I never took any pills."

"No--they put it in your IV line."

"I know that I started feeling calmer after about an hour.  I thought it was God calming me down."

"It might have been--with a little help from the Ativan," ha ha.
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The cold front came through!!  So cool and breezy out--61 degrees, I opened up the windows--breeze coming from the North-West and it was so chilly feeling, I changed into my jeans and a pair of sockies!!  Love it!!

I decided to mess around a bit more tonight--seeings as how it was cool--didn't need to worry about heating up the kitchen with the oven.

When I was done, I got a paper bag out of the closet, put the remaining beads and both pans in the bag, the copper wire, along with the directions I posted yesterday on how to make them.  I am giving them to my sister tomorrow, and she can make these when her grand girls come to visit for the weekend.  I AM DONE!!!


  

Sun Catchers and Learning

Today's high temperature was:  80 degrees

Today's humidity was: 69%

Sunny--nice breeze, windows open, but a tad humid outside.

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I am sooooooooo excited about the new Royal Baby!!!  I think his parents will stay married forever, so he will have other siblings and quite a nice life.  I have always felt a bit sorry for Prince Charles.  He was so totally in love with Camilla, but forced (some say by his Father and Uncle) to marry a woman who could give him heirs.  He did and neither he or she were ever happy.   Now, everything I read says he and Camilla are very, very happy.  The Queen has seemed to become a bit more modern, but I can certainly understand the way she acted when Diana was killed.  "We don't mourn in public!"  I understand because my family is much the same.  Stoic.  Stiff upper lip.  Get over it and get on with life.And to think---I remember seeing the Queen's Coronation--she was so young!!  She was never suppose to be Queen--her Father, never suppose to be King.  I hope this little boy has as much of a normal life as he can, but being groomed for the Throne and ALL the cameras always in his face, it will be up to his parent's to keep him sane.

I would like his name to be William Spencer something, something, to get his grandma's name in there, but he probably will be named George and called Georgie most of his life.  UGH!

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Now--as for these damn sun catchers, LOL.  More experimentation and I find that you have to use--the same kind of beads.  You cannot use Pony beads and then Sparkly beads.  The Sparkly beads do not melt at the same temp or time as the Pony Beads.  You can however, use Pony beads and the larger translucent beads.

The sun catcher I made for Pearl--I remade today.  She wanted clear, gold and flecks of black.  The flecks of black were Sprakly beads--they did not melt and turned out to be dots of black.   The one I made today, was all Pony beads and the Sprakly black beads, I put inside a dishcloth and smashed to bits and it looked a lot better.  Pearl was happy with it--I gave her both of them because I have no use for them.

Apparently, I didn't take the lesson to heart, because I decided to make a clear, pink and rose big one.  I used clear and rose translucent Pony beads and the Sparkly pink ones and.......................

The Sprakly pink beads did not melt!!

I will give the box of Sprakly beads to Pammie to give to

grand daughter, Elise for making bracelets and whatever.

Jean had a question about the pans.  I said not to use a Teflon coated one.

This is the old cake pan I used for some of the first ones.

As you can see, it discolored it AND left a discoloration

on the sun catchers.

So--when I went to Wal-Mart to get more beads,

I picked this cake pan up and the Texas Size muffin pan.

It is made by Baker's Secret.  I don't know what it is made

of, but the whole pan is the same material and it works

like a dream!!!

This is still my favorite one.  

The first one I made with the larger translucent 

plastic beads --that turned out bumpy.

I haven't been able to replicate it,

but I will try--one more time, then--

that's it for sun catchers!!!

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Well kids--it is time!  I haven't used hot water in a couple of days, so, this morning when I took my shower, I must have drained it, because when the flame came on, I heard such a racket of lime and calcium clumps popping and bouncing around on the burner plate that it scared me!  It isn't that I need to drain and flush the hot water heater, it is now that I HAVE to drain and flush the hot water heater.

Today, I took my old rubber hose out of the hose reel and dragged it up to the front porch.  Tomorrow morning, I will empty my closet, hook up that hose and see what happens.  

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My gardens are fast "going by" as they say.  All I have blooming for the rest of the summer will be Cone Flowers and Rudbeckia.  The lilies are just about gone.  Of course I do have my annuals in the pots and that will help keep it a bit bright--but it is nearly August!  I cannot believe it.  We wait through March--April--watching and looking for some green little sprig of something growing in our gardens.  In May, the spring bulbs are glorious and then the pots and containers are ready to be planted.  Then here are the Peonies and Iris--then the Lilies and then.........................geez!  It seems to go by so fast!!  

Today, I watered, as we didn't get any rain last night--they got quite a bit about 15 miles south of here.  My Grape tomatoes are wonderful, however, my regular tomatoes are small and I don't know if I bought the wrong kind of if they just don't like the location, the dirt, who knows.  My cucumber vine is up and with flowers, but I don't think I will get any cucs before the frost.  I think, next year, I will just throw a whole bunch of wildflower seeds in that planter and see what happens.  I might get a nice bouquet out of it.  Wait--Zinnia's--they would work!!  I use to love Zinnia's.  (Gotta write that down in my garden journal for next year or---next year I will have forgotten.)  The optimism of gardeners and farmers; There is always next year!!!

Next year--none of this nonsense of "we aren't selling Impatiens this year because last year they had a mold disease. (Here, try these, they look the same.  Of course they will die and we won't give you your money back, so here, buy these larger variety--of course, they will get a leaf disease and will not be like you want, but....come back next year.")  

Wal-Mart sold Impatiens and I noticed the ones my neighbors bought are beautiful--so POOH--to the fancy, pricey garden store/nursery across the road. 

Okay--my final say on Sun Catcher!  

I do not like the Pony Beads--yes they are translucent, BUT

they appear to be dull--I would however use them for the

small sun catchers.

If I buy any more--these are the ones I would buy.  

They are also translucent, BUT they appear to be  more faceted

so when melted, they appear to shine much better AND

there are blue beads in this mix.

These are the Sparkle Beads--the ones with the glitter in them

don't want to melt very well.  The ones without the glitter,

were pretty good.

Sun Catcher Tutorial

I was going to title this, "How To Make A Sun Catcher", but then "tutorial" sounded so--I don't know--intelligent?  Like I know what I'm doing?  Still experimenting--that's what I'm doing.

DO NOT use a Teflon coated pan.

Put in ONE layer--if you put in more, they are bumpy--unless you want bumpy.

Make sure the beads around the edges are flat or they will bake into hard, sharp edges and you can get cut.  I know this how?  OUCH!

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

There is a tiny smell of the plastic, while it is baking, but I didn't find it offensive and my oven is only 3 feet away from my recliner.

Also--through experimentation, after 20 minutes, on the large ones, I turned off the oven, but let them sit in there for another 10 minutes.

Take them out, let them cool--at least 20 minutes, flip over and out they pop!

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The pix on the left is the recipe from Face Book.

The one on the right is my first attempt--it turned out bumpy

This is another one I made on Friday.  At first I didn't like it, but now I do.

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I decided to make some smaller ones. 

Baker's Secret Texas Size Muffin Pan

I got these translucent Pony Beads at Wal-Mart.

However, there are no blue beads so...

I got this box too, which has blue beads and larger sized beads.

These are what they look like after baking.

Can you see where I put little balls of aluminum foil--I don't 

have a drill, so these worked great to make holes for the wire

dig them out with an awl or the point of a paring knife.

I used 26 gauge copper wire, but you can also use

jewelry filament.  I put extra unbaked beads in between

When I was done, I took it up to Pearl's and she really liked it.  Her hubby went right out and hung it from the overhang of their porch.  They look really great when the sun catches.  I have one similar to this hanging from a tree branch in my front yard.

Pearl came down a bit later and wanted to know if I would make her a big one.  Clear, with a bit of gold and some black specks.  Here it is ready to bake.    Another thing I found out--place the beads "flat" with their holes up.  If they are on their sides, they will tend to turn out bumpy when they are baked.

Unless of course, you want bumpy.

Baker's Secret 8" cake pan

I'm not fond of it, but it's the color's she wanted.  Hope she likes it.

My next attempt will be one for my sister with blue, green, and purple AND I will make it kind of bumpy. Because, I like the kind of bumpy ones best!!!

Here is a tutorial on you tube.  Personally?  I think mine turned out much better.  In theirs, you could still see the shape of the bead.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYcZLr1SpQU