Turtle # 7

Yep, I checked her markings and this little girl is not one of the previous turtles I have photographed so she is the 7th I have found in my yard---the 5th within the past month. 

I am super sleepy...fireworks started popping in my neigbhorhood, terrifying one of my dogs and annoying my other one and the beagle that is currently visiting us.  Since I have not been babysitting ths week I have read most of the night and slept most of the day, although I have a 100 things to do, at least, before Tues.

And my laptop died.  I will be using my daughter's until  can save up for one. Posts here my be few and far between.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Cute Little Coasters

My friend, Jimmie, recently visited her family and came back with some coasters someone made---her Grandma I think.  Anyway, I think they are just the cutest little things.  My granddaughter has a little pink tea set and she has been carrying these coasters around like they are pot holders for her teapot.  If I had a sewing machine I think I could figure out how to make them.  The strips of fabric are folded over strips overlapped...the only stitching is the seam of the square. 

It's a Little Girl! Turtle # 6

little girl who visited us on 7-1-2012

My daughter, Casey and granddog, Andy have come to live with me for a month.  She is moving to a brand new apartment and construction is running about 4 weeks behind schedule.  She had already given notice at her old apartment so she put her furniture in storage at her dad's big barn and she and Andy will hang out here for July.  He plays real well with my dogs and they are always glad to have him come play.  Me too.  Anyway, last night Andy was outside barking up a storm and when Casey checked on him he had discovered a turtle in the one part of my yard with tall grass.  She is a little girl, I am almost positive.  She is a fiesty little thing.  The other turtles that have visited me would draw into their shells but not her! well, she is in this photo because all 3 dogs were barking up a storm but after we got her in the garden away from the dogs she didn't seem afraid of me and Casey.  She is ready to take on the world.  She is fast too.  Casey got the shovel to scoop her up and move her out of the dogs' yard and she tried to crawl off the end of the shovel as soon as Casey scooped her up.  Casey didn't have time to make it to the lower 4 ft portion of fence to set her over gently so she took her to the garden instead.  Miss Fiesty Pants took off across the garden area for all she was worth! That turtle could scoot pretty darn fast.  I know she is a different one because she is slightly smaller, has three distinct ridges across her shell that break up the solid yellow line down her back, and because she is the first turtle to let me see her little tail...it appeared to be wagging as she ran across the garden.  I have never seen a turtle moved so fast!

Miss Fiesty Pants 7-1-2012

Three Tuesday Tidbits

1. Remember on my old blog when I posted about Steve Job's last words?  If not then go to my old blog,  www.incarolsworld.blogspot.com and read about it because it was pretty cool.  It is the post on November 1, 2011.  Anyway, I was thinking about that and wanted to call my friend Debbie's husband Wayne and tell him about that if he had not heard it.  I thought it might bring him some comfort.  She passed away ... oh my gosh, was that just day before yesterday.  The 2 weeks since she had her stroke have seem like lasting a year or something.  Anyway, I called his cell and it immediately went to voice mail like he might have turned off his cell.  At the hospital he had her cell phone with him so I called that number.  It rang a few times and went to voice mail ... except then the greeting started.  It was my friend, my friend that died, it was her voice on the recorded greeting.  Well, it was her phone so of course it was her voice on the recording, I should have expected it since I have heard it a million times, but tonight it was a shock.  I know that recording will be a treasure to her husband, but tonight it was a real shock to me.  I was not prepared to hear her voice.  I really was not prepared to hear her voice.  And you know how you get a song "stuck in your head?"  All day I have been humming, singing, thinking about the song she wants played at her funeral, The Spirit in the Sky.  I can't get it out of my head.  Luckily, I like it too. 
2. 
   My granddaughter was in the middle of eating her lunch when my daughter came in, took off her shoes and got ready to babysit her niece for the rest of the day.  Taylor evidently decided she suddenly needed to wear her aunt's shoes, and she proceeded to walk very well in them across the room, holding white cheese in one hand, cheddar cheese in the other, and the white blobs on her face and bib -- that is cottage cheese.  Need I say she loves cheese? 

3. 

   see the black seed nestled
    in tiny green leaves?
   This is also what 4 o'clocks look
   like with the blooms closed

I love my 4 o'clocks.  In the evening they smell so good.  If I can keep them alive in this heat --today was 106 -- they will attract butterflies and hummingbirds.  I also love to hunt for the seeds.  As far as flower seeds go they are huge.  They are nestled in green leaves though and even being big black seeds in the pale green leaves they are easy to overlook.  It reminds me of hunting for Easter eggs.  I just love to hunt for them.  I usually find about 20 a day on the few large bushes I have.  It calms me, somehow, looking through the leaves for the seeds.  It is a joy to find them, realizing each little seed holds who knows how many blooms in it that will in turn produce seeds.  This year I have been planting them as soon as I harvest them in the hopes that my fence will be lined with them by next month.  This is what they look like:

blooms opened up

 

    

seeds I harvested tonight

and the smell?  Sweet, delicious, homey. 

I Wish I Lived In a World Where Ugliness Didn't Exist

        On my former blog I think I wrote about my phone number.  I have grandkids and when it recently came to pass that I wanted to change cell phone companies I chose not to keep my old number but pick a new one that I thought would be super easy for my grandkids to remember.   The Clear employee read me off a list of easy sounding numbers available. Of the 7 digit phone number only 2 numbers and 1 zero at the end are involved.  Perfect, I thought.  Things were fine until I got my new phone charged up and running and I received the first text.  It was something pretty close to this, I think exactly -- "I saw your ad on the internet and I am really interested.  Do you have any recent photos?"  I was appalled but my daughter said oh mom, the people who formerly had this number were probably just selling a piece of furniture on Craigslist or something.  Yeah, they were selling something all right.  I have lost track of how many texts and voice mails I have received "in response to the 'net ad" for massages.  Go figure.... it is only men apparently that need these "massages." Sometimes they need a massage at 3 a.m.  My cell phone is the only phone I have.  If I get a call from some number I do not know I just don't answer it.  I don't respond to the voice mails or texts although I jokingly have said to my family "maybe for fun and profit I could think about ...nooo, I can't even joke about that." My niece jokingly said that might be a good way to pay off my mortgage!  I have had the phone number about 2 or 3 months now and the calls have all but stopped, except for an occassional odd call, and then two people.  One is hispanic and possibly only speaks Spanish.  He calls maybe 3 times a day, sometimes 6.  At first I didn't answer his calls because  I didn't recognize the number but now I know it is him, since he always leaves a voice message -- either in Spanish or just heavy breathing.  I ignore him and I don't let it bother me.  Believe me, I have other things to worry over.  I finally started answering when he called to tell him he had the wrong number.  He either does not, or pretends to not understand English.  Even when I answer and say you have the wrong number he will imediately call back. Whatever.  Last week I told him if you ever call this number again I am going to turn your phone number over to the police, thinking even if, and it is a big if, he does not understand English I bet he understands the word "police."  He still calls.  I am just going to go to the Clear Kiosk sometime and find out how to block his number.  The second guy (I am assuming it is a male) sends texts.  A phone number appears along with this ... myskinismysin ... instead of a name.  Not anyone I know, or want to know. I have always ignored him and just deleted them but yesterday I let it bother me.  Yesterday was the day my friend died.  My friend of 50 years.  My friend who died at least 30 years too early.  Yesterday when we were waiting for Drs to take my brain dead friend off the life support keeping her body working until they could harvest the organs she donated. Yesterday that jerk texted me "who got killed."  I have no idea what he was talking about but I did not need to receive that text yesterday.  I will get his number blocked too.  His number shows up --until I can get it blocked do you think I should call him or text him back rather than ignore him?

       The next bit of ugliness/stupidity is really scarey.  I live right off of a highway.  DOT is tearing down some old overpass bridges and replacing them.  They are almost done with one less than a half a mile south of my house.  Now they have started removing the old bridge about a mile north of my house.  Here is the first line in an article I read in my paper yesterday ... "State highway officials are seeking the public’s help to find who’s responsible for rearranging traffic barriers meant to keep motorists from plunging off a north Amarillo bridge that is under construction."  Unbelievable.  From what I heard on the tv news evidently for the past three nights in a row in the wee hours of the morning someone moved barriers to keep people from driving off a demolished bridge and moved the barriers to block the lane you are suppose to drive down.  http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2012-06-25/someone-moving-traffic-barriers-amarillo-bridge-project-state-says-bobby Again, all I can say is unbelievable.  I hope they catch them.
    And then the brats on the school bus.  In case you missed it, Karen Klein, a 68 year old widowed bus monitor in New York was bullied by a group of middle school kids on a school bus.  They were filmed for over ten minutes profainly taunting and bullying this woman because of her weight, appearance, hearing aides, and for appearing to be poor.  I saw a small portion of it.  It was vulgar, disgusting, horrifying.  Their words were nothing but hateful.  They poked her with books,  grabbed the flabby part of her upper arm.  One kid said she was so ugly and fat that if she had kids they should kill themselves.  She cried.  Her son committed suicide about 10 years ago.  The child that filmed it posted it on his facebook and millions saw it. A Toronto nutritionist who doesn't know Mrs. Klein but felt like he should do something started up a fundraising campaign with the hope of raising $5,000 to send her on a vacation. He says today that the campaign has raised more than $650,000 since last week.  A few of the children have sent her "notes of apology." None have apologized in person.  Here is what my favorite local journalist had to say  http://amarillo.com/blog-post/jon-mark-beilue/2012-06-25/little-jerks-apologize-what-thats-worth
 (and I apologize if there are typos in my blog --- my computer is on its' last leg evidently and skipping keystrokes, plus spellcheck won't work today)

My Friend Passed Away Today

My friend of 50 years, much like a sister to me, passed away today.  She had another stroke.  Because of my religious beliefs I know that she is in a better place.  She is no longer in any pain.  She is reunited with people she loves.  She is more than ok.  She would not want us to cry, but at the hospital I did and her husband did, and I am sure her sister and niece did too when they got the phone call.  It just seems weird.  One minute you are fine and in the blink of an eye something can happen and life changes.  After her first stroke she was not able to swallow.  Just yesterday at the hospital when we were trying to wake her up to see if she could possibly swallow some lemon ice for the therapist I told her "remember how we have spent 100's of hours talking on the phone ... you have to get better so we can do that again."  I also told her remember how many times we have gone just driving around, drinking Dr Pepper from Sonic, and listening to the radio, swaping every secret thought we either had ever had?  We have got to go driving around, and to do that you have got to get better.   Well, it will be a while until she and I get to do that.  The 11 days she was in the hospital I know she never recognized me.  Because she had not made any progress the hospital was going to discharge her soon and told her husband he would need to put her in a nursing home.  I know for a fact, from our hours of talking about things, that she never, ever wanted to be in a nursing home.  Maybe she heard that and decided nope, not going to a nursing home. Her husband told me today when I asked what he was plannng for a service  that  there were some songs she would have want played.  She loved Elvis.  He was going to have think about what  gospel song of his she would have wanted.  He knew for certain she wanted the song Spirit in the Sky to be played.  A song from our high school days.  It was written in 1969, I think.  Here it is ....

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPPlGFh6OpQ

Thursday Things

At the library my grandkids
received spy disquises as one of the summer reading program prizes ... mustaches and sunglasses.  Taylor loves the mustache and has worn hers off and on for days. 
     My granddaughter is talking more and more.  Today I was washing her dishes, sippy cups and little forks, etc and she brought me her tea set dishes and said "wash this."  Well, okey dokey.  This week her favorite word is "mine."  She loves to share food, wants to feed us bites all the time.  Today she tried to feed my daughter a potato chip and when my daughter said "no thank you" Taylor said "pleeeease?"  We had never heard her say please before. 
    The wind has been blowing fiercely.  My grandson, in the red shirt, is almost twelve.  We were having pizza for supper and I have to have a fountain coke with pizza so we went to the closest convenience store for a coke.  My grandson sat his 32 oz drink (obviously WE don't live in New York City) ... anyway, het sat his drink down on the counter right in front of me and it sat there a second before it just tumbled off the counter.   The convenience store people were super nice, my grandson was super embarrassed and I was super sticky.  He fixed another drink and we came home.  I just have regular "trailer house" steps ... not the best situation but it is what I have.  The wind was blowing like crazy and actually blew the screen door back, hitting my grandson and between the door and the wind he went flying off the top step.  I mean really, blew him off, right on his bottom about 4 feet away from the steps. Last year the wind caught the door and ripped the chain and the door return thingy off the door and I haven't replaced it because it would just get ripped off again.  The wind catches that door daily.  At 11 yrs old getting blown off the porch is embarrassing (to him). Oh. And he was holding his 32 oz drink which hit the ground, the styrofoam cup burst and he was again super embarrassed, super sticky and his pride bruised.  He and I drove back to the convenience store.  Right before we headed out for the cokes & pizza he had taken my dogs' crate outside to wash for me.  The bottom tray is pretty hefty metal.  It WAS totally flat when he washed it but the strong wind hit it while it was drying and now it looks like this ....  

When the wind was not blowing my daughter and I took my granddaughter to a park ... she loves to swing.

         For lunch I made my favorite sandwich ....  a lot of crispy Oscar Meyer already cooked bacon that you zap in the microwave for 30 seconds crumbled into a bowl with grated cheddar cheese and mixed with Miracle Whip until you make a spread and put on really fresh, soft white bread.  Yum! I finished a book, Cast On, Kill Off by Maggie Sefton that I really enjoyed, even though I figured out "who did it" right off the bat and I hate that.  We had a wonderfully cool day today -- in the 80's so I got outside and pulled some weeds but the entire weekend is going to be 98 to 100.  Ugh ...
            I have a friend I met 50 years ago. I went to an elementary school that was mostly hispanic. I was always the only white girl in my class until Debbie came to my school. We became best friends. She had a stroke last week. I went to the hospital to see her today. Not a happy time.

Can You Believe Turtle # 5?



Guy  # 5

My grandsons came to spend the day with me today.  I got out the laptop and showed them the pictures of my various turtle friends.  My grandsons live wayyy out in the country ... like, they have to get on the bus an hour and 15 minutes before school starts out in the country.  I asked if they see box turtles all the time.  No, they haven't ever seen one out there.  Hmmm.  Then my older grandson got up to let the dogs out into the front yard and said "Grandma, your turtle is back!"  No, this is a different one.  He has a big crack in his shell up near his head.  Definitely a different one than I photographed before. He has orange spots on his legs, although not as many as turtle # 3, so I guess he is another male visitor.  Of the three turtles I have seen this year, and who knows if there have been more that I just didn't see in the yard, they have all shown up in the past 12 days.  Just call me the turtle whisperer, I guess. 

Tim's Place in Albuquerque, NM

I am sitting here watching the CBS Evening News and just saw such an inspiring story! Tim Harris is a young man born with Down Syndrome. He was born to goodly parents who wanted him to be as successful in life as his brothers and able to take care of himself when they are gone. They have helped him accomplish many things in his 25 years. He has won many medals with Special Olympics, graduated from high school, attended Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell where he received certificates in food service and office skills, lives on his own, and last year his parents helped him open his own restaurant, Tim's Place: Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Hugs, at 8050 Academy NE in Albuquerque, NM. He is the hug giver and has a hug counter in the restaurant (today's official count ~ 18,561 hugs served). If I could eat lunch there I would have his Out to Lunch Shredded Beef Burrito served with papitas and calabacitas, garnished with lettuce, tomato, hugged with red or green chile. Sounds good to me! As far as his parents know, Tim is the only person with Down Syndrome that owns and operates their own restaurant. Tim says his heroes are his parents. Here is the link ... http://timsplaceabq.com Not only was his story featured on the CBS Evening News but also in the May 21, 2012 issue of People Magazine. I will have to go to the library and ask to see the issue.

Totally Delightful Books

I want to suggest a series of books for all grandmas to read. (Or adults, being a grandma is not a requirement.)  This month I checked out a book for my grandsons to read and I read it as well.  It is just delightful.  How many books have you read recently that you could say are just delightful?  The 3 titles I especially enjoy re-reading are written by Richard Peck. The Washington Post described him as the best living American author for young adults. I would say Amen - well, at least one of the best.  He is the first children's author to have been awarded a National Humanities Medal.  The delightful books I want to recommend to you to read even if you are an adult are these three: A Long Way From Chicago (Newbery Honor winner), it's sequel A Year Down Yonder (Newbery Medal winner),  and a companion book (the one I read this week) A Season of Gifts.  Just delightful (I can't say that enough). You will find in it the youth chapter book section at your library but I think you really have to be my age (50's) to thoroughly love these books.  The main characters are a grandma and a 15 year old girl in the first two.  In the companion book the same grandma is the neighbor of the new preacher and his family. If you like heartwarming, down home, humorous, insightful, coming of age, reminds me of The Worst Best Christmas Pageant Ever story, make-you-smile-for-days books then read these --- even if they do come from the youth section.  And of course, if you have not ever read The Worst Best Christmas Pageant Ever then get it while you are at the library too!

We've Had Rain!

I just have a few white blooms

I found yellow 4 o'clock  seeds last year

Morning Glories are just coming up

We have had rain this week and my 4 o'clocks have appreciated it.  I know I am grateful for it --- there is a world of difference between rain and water out of the hose when it comes to my yard.  It has been wonderful for my older morning glories  -- and I think they grew an inch just in past two days that we have had rain -- but the ones just coming up looked drowned.  We will see what happens with them.

most of my 4 o'clocks are pink

I don't remember having red blooms before. 

Cousins Just Chillin'

Today I am grateful that:

• My grandchildren have each other.  I grew up without cousins my age, or any, of any age, that I knew at all. People with extended families -- they are the lucky ones.  These cousins love each other :)
• That my grandson found this K'Nex roller coaster kit at a thrift store for the amazing price of $6. (retail is more like $50)
• That my granddaughter did not tear the roller coaster down, or even attempt to, after they got it built! She is an angel.  My grandsons are angels too. They allowed her to stick some extra pieces on it.

Some Good News For Fighters of Forest Fires in New Mexico

So far the Little Bear fire has burned over 37,000 acres of the Lincoln National Forest and burned at least 224 homes.  As of tonight, I think this is day 6 of the fire, it is about 35% contained.  My niece is somehow, thankfully, one of the lucky ones and her home is not only unharmed but she was allowed to go back home about 4 days after being evacuated.  The greatest thing so far is no one has been seriously injured.  The second greatest thing re: the two wildfires in NM this month is that 

President Obama  signed a bill into law Wednesday that cuts the red tape for fighting those wildfires. It will allow the forest service to waive a 30 day waiting period and buy seven new air tankers to dump suppressants on fires in the west. The forest service is upping its existing fleet to 17.... according to this article http://www.krqe.com/dpp/weather/wildfires/crews-attack-little-bear-fire-from-all-angles  In my book there is no braver person than any fire fighter, and anything that helps with these terrifying wildfires is just pretty darn good news. The wildfires have just been horrible but there are few things to be grateful for ... additional planes, homes that were untouched, and a caring community to aide those 500 or so still in shelters or with friends in Ruidoso, NM and don't have any news yet of the status of their homes.

Butterfly Bush

I have wanted a Butterfly Bush for years and I have planted I don't know how many but have never succeeded in growing one.  I was surprised this week when a shrub bloomed at my son's house - a beautiful lilac colored butterfly bush.  Here I have babied the plants I have brought home and planted only to have them die, and my son pretty much ignores the shrubs along their house and they grow like crazy. This bush is just loaded with blooms. So pretty -- photo does not do it justice.  Since mine have never actually lived after I planted them I didn't realize this is what the shrub was until it bloomed.  That is my grandbaby, who is waving at her aunt who pulled up to the curb behind me as I was taking the photo.

The Grass is Always Greener....or Two Turtles in Two Weeks???

this week

this week

I went out tonight to check on my morning glories and good grief, here is a TURTLE! The 4th one.  See this turtle? He showed up inside my front yard fence today....exactly where the last turtle was, exactly, when I picked him up with a shovel last week and set him over the fence so he could be free.  He is sitting in front of a 6 ft fence ...  I carried him over to another part of my property where the fence is only 4 ft and I could easily set him over ... if this is the same turtle.  His shell is much duller than last week but we had rain and that could have made him dirty looking.  By looking at him I decided he was a smaller turtle, although male, because I could see orange spots on his legs.  I barely got to see them because he kept his legs in his shell most of the time and when I did see them they weren't the vibrant orange of the other one.  Maybe they were just dirty today.  Like I said, he didn't extend his legs but once while I was watching, although he did extend his head really far once --- whoa! What a long neck!  He wouldn't let me get a photo while his neck was extended though.  You can see he is looking out of the fence like he wants out so I picked him up again (with that shovel --- I'm not touching them!) and set him out of my yard, just like last week.

last week

So here is last week's turtle, pictured above & below this text--- do you think it is the same one?  I am not sure how they get in my yard since my entire property is fenced in with chain link fence.  And why would the turtles, all of them, be in the same small front yard out of the entire property, and in the yard where the dogs play.  I wonder if they hatch out in my yard as when we first moved in we found white golf ball looking eggs in this part of the yard and the 2nd year we lived here we found more golf ball looking eggs about 6 feet away from the spot where we saw the first batch.  Both were partially buried and we didn't know what they were.  (I was just hoping they weren't rattle snakes!!!)

last week

this week

  I'm thinking it may not be the same turtle.  On today's turtle see the center line and at the tail end there is a rectangular box? 

I don't recall that on last weeks' turtle.  I could have just not noticed and can't see it in the photo though.  No, I think it IS a different turtle.  I don't think the yellow markings are the same either.  This turtle pictured above, was tonight's turtle.  Right after I took this photo I scooped him up in the shovel and put him over the fence.  Just like last week.  I went back later to check on him and he had crawled from where I set him back around the corner of the fence almost back to this spot....and now seemed to be looking towards the fence like he might want to get IN.  I just left him outside of the fence.  Maybe he thinks the grass is greener on the other side, and then he gets over there and changes his mind. (not that there is a lot of grass for him to see)

Please Don't

Please don't text and drive, talk on your cell and drive, drink and drive, eat and drive, put on make-up and drive, turn around and talk to the kids in the back seat while you continue to drive .... well the list could go on and on and on.  Yesterday in my town a husband & father of young children was riding a bicycle out on a street just outside of town with a group of people training for a triathlon when he was struck by a car and killed.  This was a long stretch of paved 2-lane out in the country, not a high traffic street. The 20 year old driver was allegedly texting and driving, drifting across his lane, and the next, to accidentally strike the man on the other side of the street.  Same thing happened to another man in January.  Same thing happened to a woman last year.  I feel horrible for this man's family, his co-worker and friends who were riding with him and watched him die, and for the young man who hit him.  That 20 year old will have a long time to not be able to forget the sight of that man as he hit his car windshield and flew over the car. The sight and sounds of getting out of his car and witnessing the man die with his friends around him as they waited for an ambulance. My college student son loves to ride his bicycle to work, shopping, to visit his friends, all over -- for the exercise, for the joy of riding, to save gas money.  He has lights, wears a helmet, etc but still I worry every day knowing that he is riding around town.  As we know too well a helmet doesn't always save you when a car hits you.  I don't want anyone I know to be killed while riding a bike.  I don't want anyone I know to be the one not giving their total attention to driving and do the killing.  I am just as guilty as anyone.  Anyone who drives is just as guilty.  A friend of mine lost her life when she glanced down to change a CD and ending up rolling her car. Let's all just decide when we put the key in the ignition that we will do anything we need to do before we turn the key, and once we turn the key let's all decide to give driving our full attention.  Please.  

Some Things On My Mind This Sunday

1. My niece who lives in a canyon close to Ruidoso, NM --  a canyon currently on fire, along with the mountain and forest.  The Little Bear Fire had burned 1,000 acres when the police knocked on her door before sunrise on Saturday to tell them to evacuate.  Today it is still burning at zero containment and has covered more than 26,000 acres.  My thoughts and prayers have been with all of the people who live and work in the area.  I hope they all have homes to go back to.  In reality I know they are estimating 25-30 homes are gone. 
2. The heat.  It reached 100 degrees here today. I am so not looking forward to months of hot weather again.  If my grandchildren did not live here and if I had the means I would move somewhere cooler.  Like in the mountains.  Oh.  I have wanted to live in Ruidoso ever since I visited there on a FHA convention in 9th grade (1969).  Obviously living in the mountains has its disadvantages as well, like forest fires.  And FHA???  I would guess that organization no longer is around.  Back in the old days when I was a kid in a small town in NM girls belonged to a club ... FHA ... Future Homemakers of America.  We learned to bake cookies and sew aprons.  Boys belonged to FFA ...Future Farmers of America.  They learned about running the farm.  The clubs, at that time, were gender specific although FFA eventually woke up and realized girls grow up to do plenty on the farm and allowed girls in their organization. Oh yeah, I was thinking about the heat.  100 degrees today. Sorry, my mind just wanders around like that.  My daughter came and watered the morning glories for me because they looked really pitiful. Already about to curl up and die. Today's temperature just about killed them since they are tender two inch babies.  I drenched them Friday night but missed watering on Saturday evening because I was sick as I could be. 
3. I was thinking about being sick as I could be because I caught a virus, the nasty kind, and threw up so much Friday night/Saturday (aren't you glad you found this blog??) that I think I pulled every muscle in my torso and it is really, seriously, horribly excruciatingly painful to breathe, talk, laugh or move still today.  Pour Zoe, my blond dog, would go to the bathroom with me and whine loudly in sympathy for me. Or, as I told my sister, that or she was whining because I was keeping her awake all night long.   And eating? I am afraid to.  On the upside, I lost about 5 pounds.
4. How blessed I am to have a home.  Where I live a "tent city" was done away with this week.  It had been there a long time, a couple of years at least. Roughly 50 people, including numerous women in their golden years (I don't know their ages but they were interviewed by the news stations and appeared to be in their 50's or so like me), living in very small tents under a bridge.  Yes, actually under a bridge, down by the railroad tracks.  The city decided to pass a law banning public camping between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. I know many of the pros and cons of the ordinance that was passed making it illegal...I wasn't thinking about if it were a good law or a sad law but I was thinking oh Lord, if I had not had the job I held for 20 years thus having a small retirement check, and if I had not had good Dr's and therapists to help me get SS Disability based on their reports, and if I did not have my adult kids, it could SO easily be me living in a tent under a bridge...if I were lucky enough to have a tent and someone to help me put it up because I am seriously challenged at putting things together.  I cried when I read that someone went down there and asked what could they do to help and a woman my age simply asked if they could help her get a can of mace because the entire time she had lived there she felt safe with this makeshift family, and she didn't know where she would end up but knew she probably would not feel safe. 
5. The tent city issue made me think about this woman I spoke with and smiled at a lot for years but I never knew her name.  For 18 years I worked at the downtown library just a few blocks from this tent city and a homeless shelter that remained full all the time.  There was this woman who would spend her days in the library.  She was among the dozen or so "regulars" who were obviously homeless people and stayed with us in the library from our 9 a.m. opening until time for the evening meal at the homeless shelter. They enjoyed our heating or A/C and never caused a problem.  Now there were some that caused problems but that is another story.   Back to this lady.  I always thought of her as Ruby because if it were winter, and lots of times even in the summer, she wore a ruby red wool coat. She was just as pleasant as she could be.  Clean. Polite. Kept to herself. Never caused a fuss. Well dressed. Groomed (although the wig she wore had seen better days (and a long time ago).  Had a nice purse, always stuffed, I suspect with all her belongings.  I'm guessing in her late 40's or 50's. She often sat at a table maybe 25 feet from my desk and I would go by and say hi, how are you doing, smile... that kind of thing.  Mostly I just left her alone and did not disturb her because she was holding parent/teacher conferences.   She would sit at that table, day after day and very quietly, but out loud, hold parent/teacher conferences with people I could not see.  She could see them, she would be looking them in the eye, I am sure, because she was obviously talking to "someone" when she was not glancing down at her spiral notebook.  She must have come every day for 4 or 5 years and then we never saw her again.  I have always wondered what happened to Ruby.  I hope she is with her family.  During the time that she was with us I attended a "Parents of Bipolar Children" group and found out that she must be the sister of a woman who came to the group one day.  She told us her sister had taught school for years and years, then her mental illness became really bad and she lost her job, her home, was living on the street and had been for a long time.  In her handicapped mind she felt her family was somehow trying to harm her and wouldn't let them take her home, although they would have gladly. The sister said she brought her clothes and money for food, that kind of thing when she could catch her sister on a rare "good" day when she would allow her to talk to her. 
6. I guess mostly I have been thinking about homes. People with them, people without them, people who wonder if the wildfires have taken theirs.

Adios and Vaya Con Dios

The turtle is gone.  I have a garden area fenced off that I don't allow the dogs in---and I just CALL it the garden area, I have never successfully grown a garden in there, but someday----anyway, I planned to move him there from my front yard and let him live with us but he had different ideas.  Friday night when I went out to water the morning glories he was trying to get through the chain link fence into the vacant lot next to me.  He had his head and one of his front legs through an opening at the bottom....he is smaller than last year's turtle....and he seemed determined to leave so I got the shovel out, picked him up and set him over the fence.  Maybe he has a wife and family to get to.  Since I live about 130 ft from a highway I worry about him and hopes he takes off south to pasture behind me and then west to the creek area.  He would probably love it by the little creek and in the shade of the trees the grow along the banks.  The water comes from a small lake (big pond is more accurate but here in my part of TX where it is dry as popcorn & water is scarce we use the term "lake" for anything bigger than a mud puddle) at a park a mile or so down the road.  If I had been brave ...I am not a reptile person....I would have put him in a box and drove him to that lake but then kids in the park might have messed with him too.  A ways down the road in that pasture live goats, sheep, cattle, and horses.  I think the turtle might do better with them rather than the pit bull and doberman that live next door to me so I hope he doesn't go in that direction.  My friend told me the orange indicates he was a boy ornamental box turtle.  He was really beautiful.  The photo does not do him justice ... his orange spots were like jewels they were so vibrant.

Shirley MacLaine & a Bizzare Texas Story

A real life murder has been made into a comedy film.  Yes, you read that correctly .... a comedy film.  http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2012-06-03/small-town-murder-becomes-hollywood-tragi-comedy  <------ Texas has plenty of oh-my-goodness-who-woulda-thunk stories and this is one of them.  A bizarre true story and I hear the movie has stayed true to the facts.   And yes, murder is horrible, tragic, sinful, painful for those left behind but you know what ... life is just a juggle of tragic, happy, bizzarre, funny, humorous, sad, frustrating experiences and humor is always present in just about any situation. I know it isn't funny to her family.  I just want to see the movie, heard it was a hoot, and thought you might like to see a movie that is a hoot too!  And this is just a bizarre story.  You will have to click on the link to read the story since this professional writer can describe the scenario so much better than I can.  This article, written by her nephew, is even better, so I suggest read them both please ... http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/magazine/how-my-aunt-marge-ended-up-in-the-deep-freeze.html?_r=1 After reading the various articles in our newspaper & the New York Times, and the comments on rotten tomato http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bernie_2011/  (plus remembering when this actually took place) I can hardly wait to see it.  Evidently it comes out on DVD in late August, rated pg 13,  so I am marking my calendar and hoping Redbox or the library has it available.  That Shirley MacLaine plays the woman who was murdered  and Matthew McConaughey is the DA is just the icing on the cake for me.

Whenever a Child Is Born So Is a Grandma

Four days a week I babysit my granddaughter who just turned 18 months old.  I can't think of anything I would rather do than get to help raise this baby. I felt the same way when I was able to see my grandsons every day from the time they were born until they started school.  Now that they are older I don't get to see them as often as I would like, but they are just a joy when we do get to be together.   I am one of the most blessed people on earth and so very grateful for these children.  One of the best perks is reliving the simple joy of putting a basket on your head, feeding ducks, playing with playdoh and getting sticky kisses.

.

My Furry Babies

before

after

My daughter pointed out that once again it is hard to tell which end is which of our little dog. Gracie is a schnauzer, a sweet little pound puppy baby.  I think she might be 3 or 4 years old.  She went to the groomer today ~ she cleans up real well!  I am so glad we found her at the pound before she was put down.  I have had her for 2 years and have never regretted adopting her.  When you need some unconditional love check out the dogs and cats at your local pound.  I'm grateful for these dogs.  They keep me company when I am alone, comfort me when the agoraphobia keeps me from leaving the house and having fun times with friends like I wish I could do, and when my Max Schnauzer died in December I am grateful that I had these dogs so I wasn't left totally alone.  Max was like a child, spouse, loyal companion & best friend rolled into one to me.  These dogs aren't like that, yet, but they are  my good dogs and take care of me.

This is Zoe Marley Schneagle, my 1/2 schnauzer, 1/2 beagle.
This post has nothing to do with her ~ she
just wanted her picture taken too! I don't
know what my dogs think happens when
I get my camera out but they get excited
and pose.

This is the last picture taken of Max ... that is my wonderful grandson, Travis that Max is hugging (in the clown wig - just because he saw it in my closet - and I was going to send it to Goodwill and he decided he needed it) ... two of the wonderful guys I've gratefully had in my life!

Just Visitin'

June 2012
this year's turtle - photo taken about 2 feet from where
 I took the picture of last year's turtle.

October 2011

Look who showed up in my yard today!  I don't know much about box turtles but we have had a turtle show up every late spring/ summer/fall since we moved here in the fall of 2009.  Last fall I got a shovel and placed the turtle over my front fence so my dogs would not bother it. The year before my son put one over the back fence.  So this is our 3rd.  I have not put him over the fence and away from the dogs yet.  I saw him in 3 different spots in my yard and then I couldn't find him.  I failed to take a picture of that first turtle.  I don't believe this turtle is the same one that visited us last year.  The orange spots on the legs of this one are very vivid and I don't remember that from last  year.  Well, it took forever but I went back and found the photo of last year's turtle...same sort of markings on the shell but without those bright orange spots.  Maybe one is the mom and one is the son????

The Morning Glories Are Coming Up!

I am determined to keep these Heavenly Blues alive this year. I have them coming up along 190 feet of chain link fence facing the front of my property and along the side facing a busy street.  The first year I lived here I just had them along the front but they were absolutely beautiful.  Last year the intense heat we suffered here just burned them up before they got large enough to bloom.  My theory is that if I can get them to grow this year they will reseed themselves and keep coming up forever.  I should have planted them about 6 weeks before I did but it just didn't get done.  I buy my seeds in bulk at a garden center.  I didn't count them but for $1.49 a scoop you get a lot of seeds.  The garden center is about 20 miles from my home so when I saw some packages of Morning Glory seeds at a store I picked up 8 packages, thinking I would save some gas and not drive back out to my favorite garden center.  LOL!  When I opened one of these packages there was a total of THREE seeds in there!  3!!!  Out of the 8 packages the seed count varied from 3 to 14, with a total of 70 seeds between the 8 packages.    I also have lined my fence with 4 o'clocks this year.  The last 2 years I have had them by my front door and they smelled so good when the blooms opened. They thrived in the heat last summer when every other flower I had just curled up and died.  The 4 o'clocks reseeded themselves by my door and have started to bloom. 

 

Reading, and Helping to Create Readers, Is Important To Me

For this grandma summer begins by taking the kids to enroll in the library's summer reading program.  I participated in my first summer reading program 52 years ago when I was 6.  When my children came along I always enrolled them and then when I was 36 I received one of the biggest blessings of my life ~ a position in the children's department of a wonderful library where I was involved in every aspect of the summer reading program for 18 years. To be able to be one of the people responsible for developing the game pieces, special events, prizes, story times and virtually everything else with our library's summer reading program was just some of the most rewarding times of my life! I enjoyed it immensely. I am so grateful for libraries, and the years I was allowed to work in one, and for grandchildren to whom I gladly pass on the love of reading.  

First Post

Hi Y'all!  I am:

• An empty nester, baby boomer. I will be 60 in 2014, and I am surprised, how did that happen? I feel 30
• mom of adults - 2 boys & 2 girls, and 2 dogs, a black schnauzer - Gracie and blonde 1/2 schnauzer & 1/2 beagle - Zoe
• Grandma to 1 girl, 2 boys and 1 grand-dog beagle, Andy & 1 grand-dog, Reuger, who is 1/4 wolf
• Retired from twenty years as a library employee ... 18 yrs as a children's librarian
• A reader, it is what I do.  I have had a book in my hand from the time I learned to read
• A Mormon, currently not attending because of my illnesses, but wish I could be
• Suffer with agoraphobia, bipolar, anxiety, panic attacks. I don't like it but it is a part of who I am. Other than that I am a pretty darn happy, smart, compassionate, normal person.
• Frugal & financially challenged but I am sure, given the chance, I would make a really good millionaire :)
• Love to watch Harry's Law, Mentalist, 48 Hours, Dateline, Modern Family, Big Bang Theory, CSI, Jeopardy!
• I like to read cozy mysteries, biographies, nonfiction, & novels if they don't have a lot of explicit stuff ... some things I like left to my imagination!
• Overweight (but losing lbs .... some days), hearing impaired,  plain Jane as a mud fence but really healthy other than that pesky mental illness thing :)
• Addicted to Pinterest, Dr Pepper, ice cream, warm cookies
• Happy ... pretty much, content ... mostly, blessed .... awesomely
• I live in Texas, where it is hot, dry & has beautiful sunsets, in a single wide trailer in tornado alley. It will never happen but I really want to live in New Mexico, where I was born, in an Earthship. No, I wasn't born in an Earthship, I would like to live in one....They are a type of "green" earth bermed house.  In case you are not familiar with earthships read about them here  ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthship

and this blog is called At The Morning Glory House because I love Heavenly Blue Morning Glories and have planted them along my fence.  The first year I lived here in my current home my morning glories were beautiful.  The second year the worst summer heat in Texas history burned them up.  This week I planted hundreds of

seeds so give me a month and we will see how they are doing.  If you want to know what it is like to live with agoraphobia, or a panic attacks, or mental illness you can read bits about my experience with that on my previous blog ..... www.incarolsworld.blogspot.com    (why I'm no longer blogging there is because I couldn't get some things to work.  It mostly covers 2 years, off and on, while recovering from a mental breakdown and a hospital stay in the kind of hospital normal people fear going to, but for many of us we don't want to leave...the real world is scary)

      So ... I will share who knows what ... life,  thoughts, maybe a recipe (like I cook anymore), some article I see, whatever goes through this grandma's mind :)

      And here is what I want to share today since it is Memorial Day Weekend and I have a deep admiration for American soldiers.... 

      I am really impressed by these men ...  not for their musical or acting ability ... although I enjoy their talents, but for what they do for soldiers.  Tim McGraw is giving away 25 mortgage-free houses - one for each stop on his upcoming "Brothers of the Sun" tour with Kenny Chesney, to wounded or needy service members.  You can read about that here:
http://www.examiner.com/article/tim-mcgraw-building-homes-for-us-veterans. Kenny Chesney is also well known for his charitable work.  I am sure most celebrities have charitable foundations....these are just the ones I read about in regard to building homes for injured soldiers this week.

        I loved Gary Sinese's show (and sorry to hear CSI:NY has been canceled).  Mr Sinese was awarded the United States of America Presidential Citizens Medal in 2008 for his work with the USO and Operation Iraqi Children. The Presidential Citizens Medal is one of the highest honors the President can confer upon a civilian, second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom.   
 http://www.garysinisefoundation.org/about  He is part of the Lt. Dan Band (named after the wounded Vet, Lt. Dan, that he played in the movie Forrest Gump) that plays around the country to raise money for injured veterans. This summer his foundation will build a smart home to meet the needs for an injured veteran in each city they play.  Good job, guys, pretty awesome!

    Thank you for stopping by, come back  ....  I would love to hear from you :)