Hanging around and the clogged bathtub drain

The professor told me he wanted to clean the gutters on the house.  I told him since it had rained so much and the ground was soft it would be a good idea to do it when I could spot for him.  I didn't want the ladder legs to sink into the ground and throw him off.


Yesterday morning I had got up early and then went back to bed.  I was awakened by some clattering on the bedroom walls and ceiling and simultaneously an 80 lb dog jumped up on the bed, apparently scared by the noise.  I flew up and saw a pair of bony bow legs with knobby knees hanging in front of the windows, the ladder was there and cock-eyed.  I ran to the front door and threw it open and yelled are you okay as the Professor clung to the eaves of the house.  The leg of the ladder had sunk into the ground!  Imagine that.  The Professor climbed down the ladder with a long stick, a garden trowel and a hose in his hands.  Geez, I wonder why no one warned him that it was dangerous to put the ladder on soft ground.

This morning Professor tells me he is going to wash some of his clothes by hand.  I am in the bedroom making the bed and getting ready for work.  I hear, bang, bang, suck, bang, bang, suck....

"What's going on it there?"  He says, "the bathtub is plugged!"  I say "that's funny, I had no problems when I took a shower last night...is the drain closure lever to the open position?"  "Yes!"

I walk into the bathroom and flip the lever down and the water instantly drains.  He looks at me and asks me why I closed it last night.  I told him I didn't touch it but his banging around with the bucket must have knocked it to closed.  "Oh-h-h!!" and he smirks.  I asked him if he never used a bath tub before and he said they didn't have bath tubs in Guyana!  They use showers!

So there you have it gentle readers, a travelling tip for those who want to visit the Caribbean country of Guyana!  They have NO bathtubs there!  God Bless us Everyone!

A visit in the woods

I am starting out with a beautiful picture I took of the pond at Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center.  I post a link of my blog to my Facebook page so having a pretty picture posted with it piques interest.

This is our empty Robin's nest.  All 3 of our babies have fledged and I hoped I might see a hide or feather of one of them but I haven't.  I want to keep the nest, wouldn't it look cool in the kitchen up on the wall near the ceiling with a little bird perched on it. 

My neighbor's peonies are just gorgeous.  I have seen several bushes of them around town of various colors.  They smell like heaven. 

My tomato starts, all 47 of them are repotted in their own little personal peat pot.  A couple of ladies at work are interested in a couple of plants and so I will share the bounty with them. 

Our new umbrella which did not receive any use today because the sun was selfish again today and would not show itself.

The Professor and I went to the Burr Oak Woods Conservation  Center in Blue Springs.  I had never been there before.  Outside the center they had a butterfly garden with the plants and flowers notated, which was really cool.  There was the lovely pond also as pictured above. 

This is the flower which I really loved the Horsemint Bee Balm.  It was so delicate looking and the subtle beautiful color was just enchanting. 

This is a Columbine flower.  I loved the color and it seemed to grow wild out in the wooded areas. 

In the center they had many displays about natural things, wild life, history and native displays.  One display was a maple tree that sprouted in 1835 and cut in 1983.  It showed all the tree rings and had notated years such as the beginning of the civil war, when the first car was manufactured and it really gave you a sense of the life of that tree and what it may have witnessed.  I could outstretched both arms and I would not have embraced even half of that tree diameter.  They also had set up outside large windows and bird feeders that attract local wildlife.  There were the squirrels which are such clowns, the above, INSIDE the feeder.

 The above squirrel a high wire artist.

This wild turkey was scratching around on the ground and would occasionally stretch it's head up to take seed out of the bird feeders.

These are beautiful indigo buntings, the picture is blurry but their color is amazing and beautiful. 

American goldfinches also visited while we were there.

There is a paved half mile path that winds through the wooded areas.  It was so peaceful and serene.  One could picture what Missouri looked like 300 years ago! 

Trees and plants were identified which was so cool.  This is a shagbark hickory.  I was excited by the bark. 

You can see the Professor in the center of the picture.  The plants, trees and shrubs are quite thick in places.  He is about 30 feet away down a curvy path. 

Overlooking a dry creek bed was a wooden overlook and the layers of rock were even beautiful. 

I felt like I had walked into another time and place. 

I nicknamed this tree the "elbow" tree.  It didn't appear to have any branches removed, it appears to have grown this way. 

I think these were primroses.  They were growing right at the edge of the path.

Professor and I really enjoyed our stay that Burr Oaks.  I could feel God in every step I took and every living thing that I saw.  This was my Garden of Eden today.  God Bless Us Everyone.

Tinkling and the well adjusted adult

And I announce, "It's tinkle time."  I put myself into Aux 2, break, so no calls come to my extension while I am away from my desk at work.


The young man next to me that we shall call "Schwartzendangle" to protect his anonymity who is but a mere babe in the woods at 29 years of age, looks at me quizzically "Tinkle?" 


"Yes, Schwartzendangle...tinkle...to relieve oneself when one has a full bladder!"


Schwartzendangle replies, "I don't hang with anyone who tinkles!"


"Really?  How do the individuals you hang with relieve themselves?"


His answer, "They take a leak."


Now Schwartzendangle loves sports, and right now he is following our hometown favorite, the Kansas City Royals.  That being said and wanting to really make tinkling personal in his case I try to bring a baseball analogy to this adult discussion.  "So your mother never encouraged you as a toddler to go tinkle in the big boy potty?"  and I try to pretend to be his mother "Let's go tinkle big boy" followed by a clap clap, like the baseball chant!


"No!!!"


"Did she ever devise a tinkle in the big boy potty batting average?  Take the total amount of tinkle times and divide it by the successful times you made tinkle in the potty instead of your pants?"


"No-o-o-o!"


"Well Schwartzendangle perhaps that is why you aren't as well adjusted as I am!  I know how to tinkle properly and I don't leak!"


Yes gentle readers, this is the type of adult conversations that go on in all work places now a days.  And to be quite honest back in my toddler days, Mom really knew how to make potty training fun!


Gentle readers may your day be filled with good things.  God Bless us Everyone

Cause of death...Marmite

It was a nice weekend even though the sun was selfish and never appeared for even a moment.  Yes here is a picture of my tomato seedlings this morning!  I added more water and twist tied the top and it is sitting out in the sunshine in the backyard. 

I am up and showered and was outside to enjoy the sun and watch the girlz trip around the yard doing what I call perimeter patrol.  We have to see what interlopers have encroached on our territory during the evening.  It is mostly Rose, my Britney who has always had her nose to the ground.  She followed a scent that seemed to end at the fence but she smelled up the fence and then let out a bark.  A squirrel must have gone over the fence.  April just trips after Rose, almost emulating her.  Rose is a dog's dog! April is just, well...April!

When I was going thru the spare bedroom I found this piece that I finished some time ago.  It was a free design.  It was done by the designer in one color.  I found I liked it much better with different colors. 

Last evening after my nap I actually stitched!  I hadn't stitched since the Professor came at the beginning of April, so it was a real treat.  Professor has over taken my happy chair so I set up on the sofa with my Ott light and I watched television and just enjoyed.

Death was narrowly averted last night.  I was sitting minding my own business when the Professor decided to shove a spoon full of this nasty crap between me and my stitching.  I told him to get that spoon full of vileness away from my stitching and if any got on my stitching he would be finding himself stiff as a board up at Langsford funeral home.  He laughed rather nervously as he saw the serious look on my face. 

My poke cake turned out well.  I thought it was delicious.  The professor looked at me and told me he thought the lemon one I made previously was better.  I would say he doesn't have good taste, but he did pick me.

Gentle readers I pray that your week will be lovely and filled with all that is good!  God Bless us Everyone.

Saturday, starring our girl Rose with a special appearance from the Professor!

Our day at the Lilac Thicket consisted of naps, Saturdays can be so exhausting.

Then it was time for a walk for our plump, elderly Rose.  But we first had to take a picture of our baby Robins.

We have 3 baby robins filling up the nest.

And here we bid a farewell to the Professor and our Rosie with the cute swinging rear end.

So April and I wait and amuse ourselves taking pictures of many things.

Here is Mama Robin feeding her babies.  This task lasted all day, dawn to dusk.  Talk about someone needing a nap!

Our Robin babies are SO big they just don't really fit in the nest anymore.

Here we spot the Professor and God bless him he is so patient.

And even closer...

Every house on the way back our Rose has to sit and rest, the Professor patiently waits.  Oh except for when Rose spotted a total stranger and had to run over and tell her how wonderful it was that the stranger came out of her house just in honor of Rose's visit.

 

Here we are closer to home!  We finally spot Mommy yelling encouragement and snapping pictures.

Almost home, one more house to go! 

The little Britney with the hug heart is almost home. 

Joyous reunion, April is so thrilled her Rose has survived her ordeal! 

Finally she gets rid of that blasted leash, she doesn't understand why she can't just have an invisible leash.

And now the break dance begins.  We spin this way... 

we curl that way and... 

finally we look up hoping a talent scout camera from American Idol has spotted our performance. 

These are my tomato seedlings this morning.  There are in excess of 25 little starts!  The Professor made a bloody ill comment "I don't know why you are getting SO excited about those plants."  Well Professor, it will be a cold day in hell before you get to taste one of my heirloom tomatoes!

Let's hope Sunday here is just as delightful as Saturday.  God Bless us Everyone!

The Pot, the Dot and Blessings A Lot!

Good morning my gentle readers.  I am doing my last 2 hours of overtime for hopefully a long time to come.  I feel very blessed that my employer has so much overtime to offer which in turn will help me financially get caught up.  It was VERY difficult to roll out of bed and leave my sweet, darling Professor sleeping like the wonderful prince he is.

Thanks to one of my sweetest and dearest friends, Hip Hop Dot had seen the beautiful afghan pictured in the previous post.  It is called Bavarian Crochet and the leaflet is offered by Annie's Attic.  And what is more surprising Hip Hop Dot thinks she has the leaflet.   

I came across the most delightful blog this morning.  I was viewing some new submissions at "The Worlds Greatest Collection of Smalls" and I saw lovely pieces of work. I followed a link to the stitcher's blog.  It's called Between Crosses With Nina, http://xszemkozt.blogspot.com/ .  Wow what a wonderful stitcher and she dyes her own lace, floss and rick rack and sells it.  I am in love with the products she makes.  The colors are very muted and vintage.  I would love to purchase some and may in time.  She also has a friend who makes her own buttons, which are pictured above and I love the heart buttons at the top that have the roses in them.  I tried to follow the link but couldn't get there at work. I will have to try again when I get home.  Please check out her blog, I think you will be just as enchanted with her work as I am.

I had seen this crochet stitch featured on Craft Gossip and thought it might be what was used in the afghan, but upon consultation with my crochet guru (Hip Hop Dot) it wasn't. I still think it is very pretty and it is called the Shell Star or Star Shell stitch. 

There is chicken thawing at the Lilac Thicket, I plan on making some chicken and rice in the crock pot.  Also I am going to make one of those Jello poke cakes for my sweet sleeping prince.  I am so jazzed too because I now have FIVE tomato seedlings poking up!  Wow, I can taste those tomatoes now....yummy!

Professor has become enamoured with my favorite thrift shop, you know the one.  Yesterday he came home with some place mats, a doll in a red gingham check dress, 2 birds figurines and a ceramic jello mold to hang on the wall.  God bless him, he wants to redo the whole house to wipe away all bad memories I have of my previous marriage.  I mean really gentle readers he wants to be my knight in shining armour, how wonderful is that?

Well besides my crock pot meal and cake to make, I will take the Professor to church and then do some grocerying before I pick him up at noon.  Gasoline is needed and I am so thankfully that the residents of our Lilac Thicket have such an economically vehicle to use when we do venture out into the big bad world.

There, there, I hear the sniffling again as my fine, faithful readers you know I am about to end this boring missive!  Stay happy, stay peaceful, stay blessed!

Professor Homekeeper's Terrorist Tactics on TAPS and Puppy Toes

Yes it finally happened.  It's hard to tell from this pic but 2 tomato plants have officially broken the dirt.  I am so excited!  I put them in a clear plastic bag and set them outside hoping to create a greenhouse effect so a few more plants will sprout.  I will keep you informed of my gardening endeavor!

I did not work any overtime today and it was so nice to sleep in.  The Professor shut the bedroom door so that any noise would be cut down on.  He is very sweet and thoughtful. I told him the title of my blog entry yesterday and he promptly called me a terrorist.  Moments later he sternly threatened April if she didn't stop growling at him.  I reminded him that HE was the terrorist, threatening poor little puppies huddled under the dining room table. 

He swept the front room floor and then took the scatter rugs out to the garage to shake them out.  I asked him why didn't he take them out the front door to shake out so that the dogs wouldn't track in what he just shook out.  He thought that a good idea.  He has been applying some Pledge wood floor treatment trying to perk up the wood floors in the front room.  It seems to be doing a good job as the floors really do look better.  He then went out to do some gardening in the front yard.  When I left for work he was happily sweeping off the front walk way.  Rose, his new love interest was laying in the middle of the yard supervising his work with a great deal of joy.  She hardly gave me a glance as I walked to the car.  I think she is still miffed with me for explaining the correlation between snacks and her big butt to the Professor.

Oh yes Professor had cooked up some BBQ chicken last evening and he had it sitting out for me when I got home.  It was very good.  It had been a long time since I enjoyed it.  Too bad there wasn't any of my yummy potato salad to go with the yummy chickie pooh. 

The Professor doesn't enjoy my Ghost Hunter program and I have to commandeer the remote on Wednesday evenings to see it.  He says it gives him the "creeps".  I find this amusing considering the bloody, violent, shoot 'em up movies he watches.  So, I am sitting at the table with my laptop listening and watching the TAPS team investigate.  Professor is sitting in my happy chair with his laptop open and his headset on listening to music.  I hear the music very lightly but I glance over at the tv every bit.  He blurts out that I am not even paying attention to the tv, now this comes from a man I walked into the home to find wearing ear phones to the laptop, the radio on and the tv blaring.  I didn't tell him it was a repeat, I made him suffer through a hour of Ghost Hunters before I relinquished my iron fist clamped on the remote.  I don't think it is too much to ask for 1 hour of tv a week, do you?

The Professor was highly amused when he was listening to the theme from the movie "Ghostbusters" and he would yell "Ghostbusters" in the chorus as my program was on.  Yes dear, very clever!  I get it!

You know gentle readers, my life has never been filled with so much joy and delight.  The Professor brings that and so much more into my formerly solitary and quiet life.  At night when he is sleeping and quiet, I say a prayer, thanking the Lord for sending me such a wonderful man.  I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him and in turn bore you half to death with his antics.