All cleaned up . . .

My very own Live Oak. This is so exciting. I hope it will thrive. I planted the acorn last Fall after we returned from our southern family's home. I picked some acorns when we went to Live Oak Gardens Jefferson Island, LA.

Went to Backus for the rehab session this morning and got complimented on my form with the medicine ball! Pretty neat. Stopped for a quick cup of French Roast with youngest sister-in-law. Stopped on the way back home to buy a metal watering can for $33. Yikes, that is so outrageous but the darned $6 plastic cans' spouts are always breaking. For $5 more I bought an extra sprinkle spout! It actually fits on one of the plastic watering cans so I guess I got a bargain! I was so full of pep stopped at Big Y too and when I got home fed Puppy's Pop and his kid brother some ham sandwiches with horseradish mustard for lunch and . . . I'm not done yet . . . I cleaned the house. A pretty good days work. Tomorrow I'll be off to lunch duty and most likely some swimming time!

Quote: Stranger, if thou hast learned a truth which needs no school of long experience, that the world is full of guilt and misery, and hast seen enough of all its sorrows, crimes and cares to tire thee of it, enter this wild wood and view the haunts of Nature. The calm shade shall bring a kindred calm, and the sweet breeze that makes the green leaves dance shall waft a balm to thy sick heart. __Bryant

Memorial Day 2012

Why has this become difficult ? ? ?

Brought the flowers to the cemetery this morning and found it very difficult to be there. That's unusual. I didn't even walk around to all of the friends, cousins, aunts and uncles. Just managed to see two Caron plots and Mémé and Pépé Bonnin. Took a ride to Wauregan and will go back there after Mass to bring flowers for Agnès. Also visited my great Mémé and Pépé in Wauregan. Will have to get Puppy's Pop to bring me to see Gram. I think that living in this old house keeps the old people close. That I like. It is always comforting to come home and feel that the house has missed us. Well, enough nostalgia.

Had a good time with the Kiddo Friday and Saturday. I was with him in Groton last night because his parents went to see Jeff Dunham. The Kiddo did explain to me all the neat things he did with Grampa when he was here and added, " You know, Mémé , he's the best Grampa." I thought that was pretty cool. They made a dragster kit and he was allowed to spray paint. They're also working on a control line plane and Kiddo can't wait to paint it next weekend.

Quote: Life is the childhood of our immortality. ___Goethe

Just plain old tired today . . .

Still at the railroad museum in York, UK.

Six extra hours of hanging around airports will leave a body pooped. We got home from our southern sojourn at around 1 o'clock this morning. Slept until 7:30 but I'm dragging. Puppy's Pop must be super pooped out as it took him over three hours to tame the lawn! Everything looks so green and beautiful. I went to see my master gardener today and she gave me four beautiful tomato plants. I'll get the rest of the seeds I need Saturday or Sunday and plant the entire small garden we'll have this year. Uncle Curly wouldn't believe I could get so lazy. He used to put so much time and effort into our garden. It must have been at least ten times the size I'll plant this year. We'll have tomatoes, cucumbers, crook neck squash, Swiss Chard and pumpkins. Although, I may skip the pumpkins because Puppy's Pop's Sterling sister told me she's planting enough to have jack o lanterns to give away. I may take her up on the offer. My laziness knows no bounds.

Decided to skip the rehab exercises at Backus for this week. I did work out with the WiiFit so I should be fine. Tomorrow I'll get back to my school routine. Looking forward to seeing our Kiddo and the bunch.

Quote: The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love. ___Wordsworth

False River . . .

Had lunch with family and friends at Satterfield's Restaurant in New Roads, Pointe Coupée. It was such a leisurely lunch I had time to sip down two Margaritas! The restaurant is somewhat unusual because it is located on False River lake an oxbow lake about ten miles long. It was at one time a part of the Mississippi River but in the 1700's the river managed to break through another channel and the lake was born. The homes around the lake are very beautiful and have a surprising amount of land along the water front. It is a Fisherman's paradise.

M. completed her second 1000 piece puzzle in a week! Yikes, I thought I was obsessed. I don't think I even worked two hours helping out with the second puzzle which we were not going to tackle. Who knows what will be awaiting when we return for our Fall visit! Will be leaving shortly for a trip to Zachary to get things set up for the June 2 graduation party which will be held in this most hospitable southern home. We'll also pick up the fixings for supper: a shrimp chowder, I think. Every trip brings us something new.

Sullivan's Steak House . . .

The last time I had lamb chops that were as magnificent Puppy's Pop and I were in a small medieval village in England. Last night we took son and daughter-in-law to Sullivan's in Baton Rouge and I was in heaven. The escargots son and I shared were excellent and the lamb chops brought back sweet thoughts of English daughter and her friend. Sullivan's reminded Puppy's Pop and me of the dinner we had in Leeds, England with G.'s parents in a very upscale Indian restaurant on a Saturday night. I'm starting to sound like Proust and his Madeleines! My memories are so vivid, warming, and downright deliciously comfortable.

We were celebrating southern daughter's BS in Business from the University of Phoenix. We had made arrangements to come for our Spring journey before we knew the date of the June 2 commencement exercises at the Baton Rouge River Center so we started the celebrating early! Today we shall take a drive to New Road, LA so I can continue my wide eyed marveling at the beauty of our southern family's home.

Cooling down . . .

The 1000 piece Twilight Time is complete. M. finished it this afternoon. She's pushes hard. It was completed in four days! We're not going to start Evening Rendezvous. It is pretty much shades of green and brown. I personally need bright, clear, crisp colors. I'll probably get whooped three straight in cribbage again tonight!

Went shopping yesterday for southern daughter's graduation present, a gold ring with tiny diamonds. Very nice. Also went to Barnes and Noble our favorite haunt after we had donuts and honey buns at Mikey's. It's a hole in the wall place but the donuts are hot and fresh.

Puppy's Pop and G. were out early this morning to get in some flying before the heat set in. When he returned we drove to F.S. Williams Store Red Boot Deli in Clinton, LA. I wish I had remembered the camera. The deli is in a building dating to 1830 right on Main Street. It is only open from 10:00 to 2:00 Monday through Friday. The sandwiches are so fresh. They bake the bread at the store and it is scrumdilyicious! I ate half a Manship's Muffaletta down to the very last crumb. Even had a real cowboy with his spurs and monster belt buckle eating lunch at the next table.

Phew . . .

Darn if this southern family doesn't have all the workout

equipment I need to keep up the Backus exercise program. I donned the heart monitor, did my warm ups and weights before getting on the Nordic Track for 25 minutes. Backus nurses would be proud of me!

Puppy's Pop and I went to breakfast and picked up the Advocate, Baton Rouge's excellent daily. He is now off flying at Bayou Park in East Baton Rouge with his friend G. Southern daughter and I worked on her rose and rock garden by the bay window yesterday. It looks very nice. We've started a 1000 piece puzzle, Twilight Time! After I relax on the porch swing and read the paper I may have to work on the puzzle or take the puppies out!

Oh, oh, here comes M and she's got the puzzle mania look!

And the blahs are gone . . .

We had excellent flights to Baton Rouge. As we were walking out of the terminal I saw the perfect t-shirt for middle child! I shall get it when we take our return flight. We always have some time to spare. Big Kiddo was waiting for us and Puppy's Pop was moving too fast for me to even suggest a quick stop at the tourist trap!

Excuse me. I've been summoned.

Okay we're back! And I'm feelin' fine. Just had my Waffle House fix: pékahn waffle, crisp bacon and high test coffee. Now big Kiddo and wife are off to Lowe's for garden supplies and Puppy's Pop and I will be off to pick up my Sunday paper and a few odds and ends.

Blah . . .

Youngest's indoor harvest. The grandplantlets survived the move and are now at home in the conservatory!

Another grey, rainy, coolish day. The only bright spots may be the kiddos at lunch duty, lunch at Richoni's and after school homework! If the sun manages to come out it will be nice. I seem to need sunshine on a daily basis to keep me peppy! I must admit that the change in blood pressure medication from 25 mg to 37 1/2 is a real downer. So I called the doctor's office just now to let them know I'm going back to the 25 mg. It's amazing what pills can do. I figure I'll be back to whatever normal is by suppertime.

Just about organized for our journey to southern climes. Looking forward to spending time sitting on the porch swing, going out to Sammy's for a muffaletta and easy conversation. Pleasant thoughts!

Quote: Thoughtful, disciplined, intended inaction. __John Randolph

Fighting Gremlins . . .

Now that was fun. After breakfast at Zip's we came back home, packed up the El Camino and headed to the Yankee Flyers' Field. A combat flying contest broke out around 10:30 and that was just a lot of fun. Each remote control flying Gremlin, really a flying foam wing, is launched by hand dragging a 20' crepe paper streamer on a twenty foot string. The two contestants have 3 minutes to cut their adversary's streamer. If neither one loses a streamer, or part of one, on landing, the one closest to a chosen center point wins. These planes have no landing gear so they just kinda kerplop. It's fun for the guys flying and a great spectator sport. They have their little club house up and running so there was fresh coffee, dessert, water, hot dogs and hamburgers. Puppy's Pop bought a $2 raffle ticket and won a Gremlin! Nice guy that he is he had them call another name because he really wouldn't use it. I think I would like to fly aerial combat! That was so cool!

Kiddo's First Communion went off yesterday with out a hitch. It was very nice and all 32 kids looked angelic! We had a nice lunch at the Groton Motor Inn before heading back to Moosup where I inhaled a Rule Britannia (Lemoncello and Cranberry, remember?) For many and various reasons it had been an odd somewhat stressful couple of days. I am now beautifully, unwound and relaxed!

Quote: Reflection is a flower of the mind, giving out wholesome fragrance; but revery is the same flower, when rank and running to seed. __Tupper

Sold for $175 . .

Yuppers, sold The Fiery Cross audio CD's for $175 on Amazon. Now I can afford to order the last set in the Outlander series. Yay! Of course Amazon is keeping about $23 and they only gave me $4 for shipping which actually cost $14 for priority but what the heck still a pretty good deal.

Just returned from Backus where in addition to the biking and weight lifting Jeff added using a medicine ball. That's pretty neat. It was their lightest ball and I just did figure eights. I also stopped at West End Medical for new bras that don't hurt my shoulder (rotator cuff?) and found some really neat tank tops with bras that fit right into the top itself, like a bathing suit. I'm batting 1.000 today. Puppy's Pop is going to take me to Java Jive for lunch. And he rototilled the garden! Woot!

Spent time with Kiddo last evening and creamed him at hallway soccer twice but we played an old Roman strategy game called Tabula and he wiped me out. You each have 15 stones that you must get on a board and then bear them off before the other guy. He was very good at blocking me. The dice and board are all marked with Roman numerals. I had to leave the game at his house because he plans on beating up on me again Friday night. I will not bring him home to Moosup because he will be making his First Communion Saturday morning at 10 o'clock. His Mom will get home early from Richoni's so they'll get a good night's rest. Grampa and I will go out to dinner with his family and his Dad's mother after the ceremony.

Quote: Genius is only a superior power of seeing. ___Ruskin