Your Cliche is Calling

If you expect a rainbow...

then you have to learn to put up with a little rain.

I've had a bit of trouble expressing myself lately, so I have resorted to cliches.

A Dose Of Reality

We've been getting a lot of rain and thunderstorms here lately.

It's all we can do to keep up with the yard and flowerbeds.

There are times, I think we are fighting a losing battle.
I went planting-crazy a few years back and now everything is everywhere!

It's so hard to stay inside and study when you look out the window
and there is so much that needs to be done--everything is calling your name.

The city-girl daughter has encouraged me to "get my inner geek on."
I've been working at it. I've been cramming for the big certification test on Tuesday for 2 or 3 days now. Studying makes me a bit crazy. I can only take so much of it and then I must drastically change gears.

So yesterday, I decided to take the day off from the books to do some much-needed spring cleaning. I cleaned out from under the deck where I store all my gardening stuff.

I worked in the humidity (in the shade) until my hair was soaking wet--about three times.


Then I stepped into the cool of the basement to clean and re-organize the area that houses all my gardening chemicals and birdfeeders.


I drank Gatorade and lots of water, but this post-menopausal body just doesn't seem to care. I fell out just before dark after a shower and 2 glasses of wine.

Learning To Ride The Waves

Day--what is it?-- on NaBloPo Mo? I don't even know and what does it matter really?

I have slacked off posting because I run out of time--every single day! But I will share with my followers, that life is working right now. So I am reveling in that fact alone. Nothing else matters, now does it?

I m finishing school in just four short weeks ( I have 7 hours to go before graduation)--but the absolute best part is that the city-girl daughter is finishing her first semester and she has already registered for the spring semester.

I am so happy and so very, very proud of what she has accomplished.

Life is, indeed, grand.

More later.

The Cat's Meow

Every time I remove my camera from its bag, Jess' cat, Lena, tries to get in the bag.

Of course, she tries to climb in my open purse as well--and my purse is really not big enough to accommodate her either.

I'm thinking she senses the move and doesn't want to be left behind.

Well, she's coming. Lena will be the backseat driver for our two day journey and can give us directions from the safety of her carrier.

I just hope she's not too opinionated.

Learning to Work With Mother Nature

The Georgia Collards have bloomed and gone to seed.
Pop noticed all the honeybees when he and Momo came to visit on Sunday.

They're so tall and the blooms are pretty...
but they've taken over the garden.

JB got this photo of me trying to do some damage to the crop.

Neighbors have enjoyed 4-5 pound bags for some time.
I started cooking to start freezing some yesterday--6 quarts!
I have a feeling I will be having collards for a while.

But I have plans for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and peas...

In Sickness And In Health

The wind has shifted and is gusting from the north. Nothing or no one wants to be outside longer than absolutely necessary.

I've been dressing in layers and trying to keep my chest covered. JB apparently comes from tougher stock, because he seldom sees the need for a coat--but that's a man thing.

Nonetheless, he became ill on Sunday afternoon. Since then, the living room has become a sickroom.

He went 24 hours or better with nothing but juice. You know something is desperately wrong when the man of the house has no appetite.

I have stocked the frig with the all the essentials. I tempted him with his favorite foods, to no avail. I did this in an effort to get him to eat... something...anything.

I phoned him as I was leaving school Monday to check for requests. Tomato soup and orange sherbet is what he wanted. He began nibbling on Monday evening.

I have encouraged him to rest and allow his body time to mend. My efforts to make him comfortable have, for the most part, been appreciated. The times he has become exceedingly grumpy, I slipped off to work on homework. As I struggled through frames and animation for my Web Design class, I could hear the beeping of the digital thermometer as he checked his temperature.

His temp has ranged from 100 to almost 102, but he has repeatedly refused a wet washcloth for this forehead. I don't know if this actually helps, but Momo always did it for me when I was sick as a kid.

A couple of evenings, I have taken a place at his feet on the couch and watched bad movies well into the night. Inevitably, as the night grew longer, I would look over and catch him snoozing. But the moment I tried to slip off to bed, he'd awaken and ask me to stay.

Today, we have a breakthrough! As I am posting, JB has driven himself to the local store. I'm taking that as a sign that he feels much better.

I hope so... because now I am beginning to feel ill.

How Much Is Enough?

I baked the better part of the day yesterday
and then finished up two more sewing projects.

I had really hoped to get the last package to Texas in the mail before 5 pm yesterday (today is the absolute last day for priority mail!).
I underestimated the size of the box and will have to repack this morning to get all the "stuff" in a larger box. Why is it that I keep finding things to put in there?

I'm feeling like my tumbling Santas...
a little of standing on my head,
followed by a few flips,
and then maybe a well-timed break.

Studies in Human Behavior

I had a truly marvelous day yesterday.

I attended my last math class for the semester (final is tomorrow at 8 am) and then zipped over to Dr. Biology's office to see how I made out on the last test.

He told me I had made the highest score in the class. After a scolding from me for his insensitive teasing, he allowed me to view his online gradebook. (98.44 baby!)

Since I was feeling so large, I went on to test out of Algebra II. Thirty minutes later, I realized I wasn't that large. I lacked 13 points of reaching my desired goal. But... I can try again later.

When I arrived home, I found that we were DSL ready. I really wish this had been available all semester when I was suffering through intermittent satellite service! But, at least we have it NOW.

While I installed DSL, JB tinkered with his latest project...
Any project JB is working on ends up right in the middle of the living room
and this piece is no exception.

The weather was spring-like
and Haji kept waiting for me to come outside to play.

Instead, I worked on last-minute Christmas cards for JB's clients...

And visited on the phone with my little friend down the road
about our Friday Night Get Togethers.
She's taken on a Friday evening job, so we need to adjust our schedules.
She suggested Thursday, but then we settled on Sunday afternoons instead!

The topic then changed to thoughts of Christmas.
She mentioned a wreath she made of wasps' nests and okra--
as if this was the most natural thing in the world.


Today, it's studying for finals with a little Christmas preparation thrown in--
and maybe some baking...

The Grand Finale

The stirring continued well into the night.

Finally! We sealed the last jar a little after 2:00 am this morning.

The final yield? A little over 43 gallons.

And I crawled into bed closer to 3:00 am,
and fell asleep to the "popping" sound of 85 million jars as they sealed.

Guess Who's Going To School?

I'm entering the last phase of the semester.

This is the part where I frantically re-read each course syllabus to see how many tests and how many assignments so I can figure out how much is left to do.

I also read to see what each assignment and test is weighted and calculate my average, so far. Based on that number and what's left, I figure out what I need to maintain or improve my grade.

And registration for spring starts the 9th, I think. I looked online today and some classes are full already. How is that possible?
I looked for the classes I need to take, and some of them aren't even offered next semester! I guess I should go visit with an adviser and see if substitutions are allowed.

Oh, and Miss Jessica is packing up their things and saying good-bye to Texas. She's moving to Virginia and going back to school.

I Hope Today Smells Better

This fabulous frock I had put together in June was completed the evening prior to my trip to Texas. Needless to say, it stayed.
JB had helped me pin so the princess seams would be more form-fitting. The dress was photographed before I had completed the handkerchief hemline and flutter-style cap sleeves.

My youngest daughter, Jeni, spotted the dress in my suitcase and thought it quite lovely so, I gave it to her. She's 21 and it looked beautiful on her. I tried to photograph her, but she dodged me. (Miss Jessica compares me to the paparazzi and often warns potential subjects.)

I have sewed for the girls since they were very small.

I made bathing suits and bikinis for them when they were little girls and needed so many.
The backyard in this picture is the same one I visited during my trip. Of course now it belongs to the nurse and the trees are much bigger.

Ready for a new sewing project, I went to a yard sale Friday and scarfed up some marvelous vintage fabric. LOTS of fabric actually... about 5 washing machine loads.

Once I got it home, the old musty smell crept into the farthest corners of my home. I have washed and dried every single piece of fabric and Febreezed the house repeatedly. The last lot of fabric is soaking in a solution of vinegar and baking soda now.

The culprit may very well be this piece of fabric. It's wild isn't it?

I found it in a plastic bag with this pattern, dated 1973. The dress was all cut out so I had to sew it up. It, too, is now soaking in the baking soda and vinegar.