We Celebrated “Green!”

How did you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

If you’re like most, you probably had some corned beef and cabbage, some ale, maybe even some awesome decorations adorned your surrounding. You would think as often as we go a bit overboard on some of our celebrations, St. Patrick's Day would be included. It hasn’t really been a call for one yet. I’m not saying it won’t ever happen, just hasn’t yet. Though we have a friends whose birthday is the 17th, there was a time…so one never knows what the future holds.

For a couple years our son would march in the parade…



…but the Big “C” changed that. This was 2011 and just a month before he began his journey. Knowing the pain he was having, his determination to fulfill a commitment, he managed to walk the whole way.

Of course we have styled the green before as well…

                         
                         

But this year, we just hung out.

Saturday we went out garage sailing (sales). I had seen a few places that might have items we could use for furnishing the guest house. I don’t remember without looking back if I mentioned our guest house was going through a transformation. Our other son put up walls, widened a doorway, made a hallway (with hall closet), and 2 bedrooms. Watch for it’s revealing later this year (hopefully) with before and after pictures of course.

Our search didn’t produce any results for that list but we did find….



For $35 this king head and foot board for our room. Not being a fan of the shiny gold, we bought products on our way to hopefully make it look something like this….

         

Or something like this if we mess up and have to paint over our mistake…



Either look, or something in between, will work just fine. Since it really isn’t an antique, I won’t stress over it to much. I won't be using the foot board, so we/me/he will practice on it first. I plan to use it in my garden as a trellis and assures the head board has a better chance of coming out as we hope. Another before and after for later, but hopefully this one will be completed in the very near future.

While at Home Depot, we also picked up more dirt and more vegetables. I love when hubby goes with me. He always finds things he says I need. So I agree I need, but know I could make do without, (on most things that it) but since he is offering to buy it for me, sure I can use it, thanks bunches babe.

To think one can get excited about plant labels and seeding boxes. I have always just used popsicle sticks and flat tray from the nursery. Oh and he bought asparagus. I didn’t tell him till later it will be a couple years before we get to eat any.

On our way home, wouldn’t you know it, a service call comes in. No problem. Our customers are our life. I don’t mind tagging along most times and since this one was out at Hidden Shores, this was one of those times. It’s a nice drive, well not too scenic, but enough and allows for conversation along the way. It’s been a while since I have been out that way and I love seeing the changes.

Fortunately there was nothing wrong with the machine. It was FULL of…

 

…which means it won’t accept anymore. Definitely we found our pot of gold!

 

With sailing over, service completed, it didn’t leave much day to tackle the garden.

Sunday hubby went up to meet the worker and his helper at the rental. Plan was to get them lined out and then back home. Actually hubby’s plan was for them to work Saturday. (flexible as we are, we just switched) Already not happy the work was rescheduled to Sunday, when he got up there the guy displayed more lack of respect and it was one of those enough is enough moments, and he fired him. Yes, FIRED! Not something we usually do. I don’t mind they quit if we don’t fit, but do not ever like having to fire someone. I must say I am not surprised. We LOVE to help people. Tend to pay out more then needed at times, but always with good intentions. After a while, it seems to bite us in the butt with some. That old saying, “You only get what you paid for”, comes to mind. What about you work for what you are paid. Amazingly, hubby was able to get done in 3 hours what this guy claimed would take him and a helper all day! He even had the nerve to call back later that day to apologize. Can you believe he called my hubby a Jew? My hubby a Jew! Apology accepted but we still don’t need your type of work.

Once he got back home, we reviewed our plan of attack on the garden when “Bug” called wanting to come over for a visit. “It would be a working visit”, I said, “but your welcome to help in the garden.”





     Before











With harvest tucked away, it was time to move in some supplies…

                     

The tires will become our potato planters.               

  Buddy loved visiting with the neighbors horse.











The forklift was needed to bring up brick and of course he needed help!




Of course while the adults continued to work, the kids needed to cool off. Ok, we did sit and take breaks just to watch these 3. Their the best distraction!

                    

Even the dogs had fun!

                        

 

This little Buddy is not afraid of the big dogs at all!

 

         

And by the end of the day, we had 2 planters added at the gazebo, ready for soil and plants.


                           

        After











A BIG truck should be delivering the under-bed for the gazebo sometime this week or next. I have flagstone left over from the pool deck and will lay it out within the space, filling in the spaces between with crushed granite and cement. Once in place, you sprinkle down with water the granite with cement in it and when it dries it dries firm like concrete but with a crushed granite look. I’ve been making these kind of walks in my garden for 30 years. We redid the walk around the pool last year at a cost of $34. I’ll bet I get the floor in the gazebo for less then that if not half.

    

A very “Green” St. Patty’s Day for this Journey Through LIFE!

Spring on Unusual Egg Hunts?

I mean Bring On!

I’m not really sure what it is!

Spring one day

Then winter the next.

Back to winter, then back to spring again, all in a matter of weeks, not month’s. Then summer decides to join the party!

It’s got plants and animals all mixed up as well!

Back in January we found one of the neighbors turkey’s had nested in the corner of our yard and our other neighbors yard.

      

According to the information I found online it should have taken about 28 days. 

Laying generally begins in late March to early April through most of the country. Turkeys usually nest in areas (old fields, cutovers, pine forests, stream edges) with a well-developed under story that provides some bushy/vine concealment. One egg is laid daily until a clutch averaging 9 to 11 eggs is completed. Incubation takes 28 days, and all poults hatch within a 24-hour period.

That insert was for wild turkey’s which isn’t what these guys really are. We’ll call them domesticated, free range, community (3 home) turkeys. But I imagine it doesn’t matter really.

Well, here she is 30 days later. Nothing!. Every day we go check on her and tell her she had them to earlier. Just days after is when it turned wintered on us. Freezing in the desert is becoming more common and for a few days temperature’s got too low for eggs to be out in. Hubby laughed, cause if there was a way I could have ran a light for added warmth, it would have been done. But she picked a spot that wasn’t possible of doing. So we just wait.

 

March 9th – Still no babies!

 

 

 

 

Then yesterday when I left to do my motherly duties, I saw one of the other lady turkey’s acting strangely next to the carport. Not uncommon for them to fluff when walked up on when I wanted a picture of her odd behavior.

    

Heat stroke? After all it was 90 out.

Seeing her hunker down in some shade behind the “Grands” hotwheels, I left. Maybe she did just need to cool off. When I got back she wasn’t there and just went about things. After hubby got home and I told him about how funny she was being, we both began to wonder why she was hanging out there. Lately they all have been playing around that area for a while.

    

So a light bulb went off!

I’ll bet…and sure enough…

    

She laid 11 eggs right there! Now what do I do?

This morning as I was walking about, looking things over, I think I could have one of the men take 3 pallets, secure them together, forming a fence she will still be able to get in and out off while offering some protection, while she’s off doing what mother turkeys do. Not the most attractive thing to have right at the beginning of ones drive but we’ll make do and see how it unfolds. The “Grands” will want to ride their things next time over so something has to be done.

Quite an unusual egg hunt don’t you think. Did I tell you our handy guy, while repairing the roof Bug prepped, found an egg up there too?

Come Easter I wonder if the “Grands” will find others we haven’t!

Oh what a springing dinging time on Our Journey Through LIFE!

A Time To…

 

Celebrate!

A new Pope.

Though not a practicing Catholic, the religion was my foundation for just over 30 years.

As I was writing this post, the ticker across the TV  announced there is a new Pope.

So I stopped writing and tuned in…

“Habemus Papam” meaning “We have a new Pope”

Jorge Mario Bergoglio,

(born December 17, 1936)

Is the current pope of the Roman Catholic Church, elected on March 13, 2013, and taking the regnal name of Francis. Prior to his election, he served as an Argentine cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He has served as the Archbishop of Buenos Aires since 1998. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 2001.Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio

I love the name he chose. I had an Uncle Frank and loved his spirit. Francis was a name and/or a surname throughout many generations of our family. A very strong name.

“Frances rebuild my church”

It is also A Time To…

Celebrate Spring!

Besides Christmas, Easter and all it brings is in a tie for my favorite time of year. Second would be Halloween/Harvest time. And if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you have already seen all our spring color before. No doubt this year will bring the same.

Before I get onto how spring has sprung around here, I want to share one of those awe moments…

Twice a week I have the opportunity to drive my son to his office. I have come to really enjoy these drives. Sometimes it is just quite, like we both have nothing to say and it’s ok. Then other days we can get into some deep conversations. Even when we don’t totally agree on a certain issue, I love that we respect each others.

“When I was a child, I use to speak like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” (1Cor. 13:11)

I’m reminded of the days when I would drive my kids to school, though just blocks away and surely walking distance, it was more for the conversations, the time together, that I recall. I love talking to my children, and now my grandchildren during a drive. First, they a seated and unable to get up and run off. Rather hear or not, the words are spoken, some will take seed and grow. Other’s might become wildflower seeds, kind a flying around for a bit until they take seed and start to grow when you least expect them.

How is not nurturing your child like that of a garden. Plant and sow some of the most wonderful things, then nurture and love and watch them grow.

So spring has sprung and not at all as I had hope for in my actual garden. (still a work in progress)

But it has surely in the garden of my family. I have witnessed the growth God had planned.

Jeremiah 29:11 (my daughters favorite verse since she was probably 12 or so).

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I LOVED my 30’s! (1987-97). With all things learned from my twenties, applying them to my 30’s, it was one of the best decades of my life. Those years brought a tremendous amount of spiritual growth from some pretty darn, no down right awful situation's. Even with those clouds, we found the sunshine! We were able to embrace and enjoy so many moments that nothing would ever be able to tarnish or destroy it. Praise God!

My children were awesome and brought a daily dose of excitement, intrigue, adventure, even some really crazy times, you know those hair pulling, close your eyes and say a prayer for patience moments, but we were a family. A recovered family with dreams and goals and a journey that was, oh going to be so awesome. Album after album documents almost each and every moment of it. Sure our forties were flirty and fun. The kids were even more. And the fifties have been kinda nifty, but those thirties, of roller coasters, hikes, camp outs, bike rides, boat rides and car drives that included so many conversations, will always hold a special place in my heart.

So today as I drove home after dropping him off, the conversation along our way was replayed in my mind, bringing about the days of when. Those days are coming around full circle and now I get to have them with grandchildren and adult children. Planting more seeds. All will be added to the memory book of praises to God for continually guiding us along the way.

“Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.” (Psalms 130:7)

A Time To…

Celebrate the circle of life!

Not only conversations, but activities.

Our twins played trombone from grammar school through high school. We have been to just as many concerts and band reviews as parents of the football players had been to games and rallies. When the “Grand” Bug decided he wanted to play an instrument upon entering the 5th grade, he picked his uncles trombones.

Last evening we were back at the Junior High our boys went to for our grandsons concert.

Counting our blessing along Our Journey Through Life!

This Little Light of Mine...

I'm gonna let it shine...

 

 

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

 

That is what is forcasted for this week. SUNSHINE!

Am I the only one excited that it is going to be in the 90's by Wednesday.

 

 



Perfect weather for continued planting and cleaning up after winter. Her winds and rains left behind more then we wanted but nothing a sprayer of round-up won't handle. However I'm finding myself protecting some of the flowering weeds, mainly for the color until things get going. Besides they are just wild flowers, kinda like me, hehe. I will yank them virsus round-up though since I want other things to grow in their place. He best keep that stuff away, and I mean far away from my gardening areas.

So off I go, outside to suck up some more sun, and get my outside living on!

 

Driver’s, Start, Your, Engines!

Yep, it’s that time of year!

Did you watch the Daytona? If you didn’t you probably heard about or saw on the news that horrific wreck in the Nationwide series. Amazing and thankful more weren’t hurt.

Your might remember the 2011 race was to be the last time we have go to the race in Phoenix. Since the schedule change with it becoming the 2nd race of the season, it no longer worked for us. The handicap seating on the 4th level of the stands is open on the back allowing wind to whip right through you. I just can’t do that cold stuff anymore. Plus the only way to not wait in a line for an hour to get down is to leave around 10 laps to go. Talk about sacrifices! Also by checking off this race it allows us to go to other tracks. So last year we did the Vegas race instead.

Well guess what, we did Phoenix again. This time a bit different but similar to how we use to back when we became season ticket holders in 1996, on the start/finish line. However it did require logistics. With a phone call and the help of a lovely rep we found seats that met my needs. Another thing it was our 35th wedding anniversary weekend! Not at all as I had dreamed but realized our relationship began with racing, has included racing throughout it’s 38 year journey,so why not? Plus Jimmie Johnson was going to drive both Nationwide and Sprint Cup cars. Since I have been pushing my limits, decided I could walk up the few steps so to not be cold. We were given permission to park my chair under the stands and up I went. (that is not me walking up those steps, I’m at my seat). The only minor problem I had was the hand rail (which is actually a fence), stopped before the top. So to allow even more independence, for the fall race I will bring a cane.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were surprised by 4 “Grands” on Friday. Only for dinner and a stroll around the block after, but it was so wonderful. I just love Momma “K” and how well she nurtures these children. I love the growth they have achieved and how well they help each other. They are truly a family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Nationwide race on Saturday was hot and I don’t mean the cars on the track! Wouldn’t ya know it and yes, there was a moment that we wondered if our old seats wouldn’t have worked? NAY! The elevator problem alone ended that question. And it wasn’t really that hot, only 80 and the breeze kept it manageable. Along with sun screen, jacket for shade and ice packs!

All worth it to be right where the action is! Here, I’ll show you where our old seats were…

They served their purpose but it’s time to move on. Just because some end up with disabilities that creates limits, doesn’t mean ya miss out, ya just find a way and that’s how we roll!

Kyle Bush won the Nationwide race and my first time in 10 years that I could watch it all!

Sunday during Sprint Cup I even got to watch driver introductions. Ok, I have actually been on the other side of the fence and many times had the opportunity to give them a high 5 as they walked by, but not from my seat or without the help of the big screen or the Fanview for a long time.

Back In 2009…

 

 

 

 

 

 

(These last two pictures were on the cover of the NASCAR magazine. That’s me in the directors chair)

So to be back where it all started for us was a blessing. The excitement, the fans, the racing, from down in front was wonderful!

Chalk up another awesome experience at the races for Our Journey Through LIFE!!