Hola from Texas!

It's HOT here and everyone drives too fast, but I've enjoyed my short visit with Tonita and Daniel. Minor car repair done this morning so I'm sure to have AC tomorrow on my drive home. Clearance clothing shopping achieved at the mall, along with a quick tour of some interesting places in town.
Tomorrow I'll go home - a long day of driving by myself and I'll be glad to get home and snuggle my kitties (and maybe my honey!). :o)

Late bloomer

Last weekend I walked out the back door and smelled something WONDERFUL. I knew it was a flower, but wondered what had bloomed? Down the stairs and around the corner were these gorgeous lilies, sending their sweet fragrance far and wide. Even though I've had this garden for several years, I never cease to be amazed at the beauty of Creation!

Sweet corn season

Like many rural Nebraskans, we have access to a boatload of free sweet corn this time of year. It is at it's peak of ripeness and sweetness right now, and we seem to have it for at least one meal each day. It's been many years since I had enough at one time to freeze it, but that is the project for tomorrow. Today we picked in the sunshine, with a nice breeze blowing. The kids had a great time. This evening we shucked it - that wasn't perhaps the most fun thing for them, but they were troopers and we got it done. Abbie didn't care for the little caterpillars we found periodically, and I remember being a bit squeamish about them when I was a child.

Tomorrow we blanche, cool, cut, bag, and freeze it. Next winter we will be very glad we did. The taste will take me back, not only to the midsummer months we're experiencing right now, but to my childhood. I learned how to "do" corn with my mom many years ago. I hope when Ben and Abbie get to eat some of their corn this winter, they will remember a fun trip to my house (Ben just asked me if we ever get to have a "Corn Festival" around here. "That would be like Heaven to me, smothered in butter and salt!" - he really just said that! :o)

Welcome Ben & Abbie

We have visitors from Texas this week. Tonita's youngest two, Benjamin and Abigail are visiting and we have lots of plans! Weeding the garden, cleaning the garage, painting trim - oh, wait, they're on vacation. Maybe we should swim, fish, play with Randy's kids, go to the movies, and go to the zoo instead. :o)

Happy Birthday wishes

To Grandma Regier - today she turned 89 years old. I joined Aunt Jan, Uncle Wendell, and Aunt LaVerna at the nursing home for the monthly birthday party for the residents. I took her a bag of chocolates. :o) Not sure she ever figured out who I was, but it was nice to be with her today.
I do not know how old she was when this photo was taken, but she sure was a cutie in her day!

And to my brother Alan - didn't forget you! Not sure if I should post how old you are... :o)

My flamingo family

They are healthy and having a great summer. If you drive by, give them a wave! :o)

Bird flu hits trailer park

So sad...

Am I a pirate?

Oh yeah, baby!

We saw Pirates 2 today. Though not as good as the first movie, in my opinion, Johnny Depp makes any movie worth sitting through for 2 1/2 hours!

Okay, Orlando was pretty hot, too.

This movie was much less believable than the first, but leaves some glaring unanswered questions sure to be answered in the next installment.

Nick tells me the third "Pirates" is due to be released next Memorial Day. I'm counting down already. Yeah, I must be a pirate...

On this day in history...

Answer:
P. T. Barnum
Huey Lewis
Dolly the Sheep

Question:
Who shares a birthday with me (but that's all I have in common with them)?

Yes, I'm shamelessly flaunting my birthday here because I can. A low-key day, though I enjoyed a fun lunch at Applebee's with my friend Barb, where we got lots of free food. Then Greg took me there again for supper where I enjoyed lots of Sangria!

As far as how old I am, I can only say that some days I feel 90, some days I feel 17, so partway between them is just about right!

A better day than yesterday - even besides being my birthay. Got a new vacuum cleaner that I LOVE. I like to vacuum and Greg hates when I do because I can often go for 30 or 45 minutes, easy. It's a good time to think or not, and you can see results as you do it.

The bed is dry and put back together. The cap on the air release valve was loose - that was our leak. It hadn't been leaking but just a few days - thank goodness I noticed it before it was worse.

Greg pounded the garage door back into semi-acceptable shape. The opener mechanism came undone and fell onto the door as it was opening, putting some major dents in it. We think he can bolt it back up.

Still haven't moved or looked at the washer - I've been promised that will happen tomorrow.

Thought we had Greg's birth certificate, but found out today we need to get it. Gotta love the internet - it's ordered and will be here within two weeks. Whew - the cruise is only five weeks away and I was afraid he'd have to make a quick trip to Texas to get it in time.

The last of the interior trim is down (I've been working on that for weeks), so painting can commence tomorrow - except we're going to see "Pirates of the Caribbean" at Noon, so not much will get done. (That's one of the perks of me working at the theater - we get to see the movies before the general public.)

I'm off to watch a movie (love Netflix!) and snuggle into my real bed - now that's a great birthday treat!

Gloom, despair, and agony on me...

Today is not even half over and I'm calling it "the bad luck day". The washing machine is leaking, the vacuum bit the dust, Greg's garage door is broken, and about half an hour ago I discovered that the waterbed was leaking. All of this while we're pulling interior trim off and getting ready to paint, so the house is a shambles anyway... I just laid on the bedroom floor and laughed.
Randy told me there are three good things about today:
1. I don't have the twins running around.
2. Greg is home to help.
3. I don't have to go to work and deal with that stress while dealing with this stress.
Greg said "at least neither of the vehicles has blown up". (Tempting fate, are we?!)
Donna (my next-door neighbor) offered me a garden tour to ease my mind for a few minutes. I think flower therapy was just what I needed. :o)

family ties in a small world

We just returned home from Kansas where we celebrated the wedding of Cousin Jesse's son, Justin, and his lovely new bride, Amanda. We drove with Randy, Leslie, and Wyatt, and had a very nice weekend. Found the church with an hour to spare, but the hot Kansas wind made it uncomfortable to let Wyatt have some "running" time outside, so we hung out in the church foyer for awhile. It was SO GOOD to see Jess and Steph again and we were very glad we went.

The wedding was lovely and now Jess and Steph are IN-LAWS! :o)

I hadn't seen Aunt Bobbie in probably 15 years and we had a nice chat. She hasn't changed at all.

We also had a man come over to our table to meet us because his last name is Regier. Don't know if we're related at all, but we commented on what a small world it is. Then we started chatting with the other people at our table and found out that he's originally from Orange City, Iowa, which is where Angela is from. He didn't know Ang's parents, but has been in their store.

Our weekend spent with family went quickly, but with lots of hugs and maybe a tear or two. :o)

I enjoy my extended family so much, but we don't get to spend enough time together. Guess I'll have to work on that...

The photo is Randy and Jesse talking motorcycles - of course. :o)