Phew!

Just had a few minutes to drop a note. I want to say thank you again for the gorgeous bag and hanging. It was just the most adorable thing and I can't wait to take it over to the park to help carry stuff for Faye (and me!). I think the biggest overall hit is the treat flinger. I laughed myself silly at Kevin and Faye last night as Kevin was shooting Faye's treats in the air thinking she'd learn to catch them in mid-air. I think all she learned last night was how to dodge them gracefully. I do know it made a grown made giggle.

No other news at the moment but later today I'll get some pics up. We're off to do something today. Not sure what just yet but as the weather is just totally gorgeous, we'll find something I'm sure.

Wednesday whine

There was some unknown difficulty in my getting Part I,II, and IV of the book. Part III always came through fine, so Debs mailed a CD of the book to me yesteday. She said this is the first time anything like this has ever happened in several years of doing this and I believe her. She is always very prompt to return calls and emails and is very nice on the phone, so I know I will get the CD. The part III looks very good.

I am taking Bridget tomorrow to have her nails clipped before class tomorrow night and Molly to be groomed. We have cut our daily walks to just the morning, because it is just too hot until dark and we do not want to be out after dark.

I would love the receipe. I love dill and potatoes, so I know I will like it.

I met a friend in Plano yesterday for lunch at a tea room and I am hooking up with Diane and we are off to McKinney to meet Roxanne who owned our favorite quilt shop that recently closed its doors as her husband's cancer returned. We are taking her to my very favorite tea room , which is the one that I wanted to take you too, but as you know we ran out of time.

I mailed the box and check to you yesterday and you should get it this week or Monday for sure.

I am so far behind in weeding that I feel defeated. It is so hot to work in the yard anytime but very early and that is when we walk. I do not want to deprive the dogs, Nancy or myself of the walking as it is so good for us all. Molly is doing better all the time. Bridget is finally beginning to put on some much needed pounds, but is still too thin I think.

It is very overcast today, but I do not think we are in for any rain, so I went a head and watered this morning.

I did finally get my letter that said a check is coming. The big decision is dental work or utility bill????

Time to dash off

Monday!

I tried out another new recipe this weekend for dilled potato salad. If you're interested, I'll post it. I served it warm the first night and it was great. It was also great cold the next day. Kev grilled up some salmon to go with it and highly recommended. It's not what a good Texas girl would call "Potato Salad" but it was awfully good.

Did you get your dog book? She had an interesting web site. I looked around for a bit and plan to go back to read some more.

No other real news. We dithered in the usual weekend way and I did some heavy cleaning yesterday. The weather continues to be lovely with highs in the mid to high - 80s though it's fairly humid for this time of the year.

Ick!

And I was feeling sorry for myself that I had to have a root planing done on July 7th. I think you win the dentist "ook!" award. I know exactly how you feel about carpet and flooring. Mine is driving me to distraction and yours is in a LOT better shape than mine but things just keep coming up that pushes it back a few more months. Oh well, I guess that'll just make it all the more fun when we do finally get it.

You can scratch one catnip off that list. I went out yesterday and discovered the catnip was just gone. No chewed plant, no plant debris evidence---just flat out gone. I suppose some member of the feline community decided to get a heads up on his/her bretheren.

Going to plant some Blue Lake bush green beans this weekend. It may be too late but what the hey...worst that can happen is nothing happens.

A friend sent me a link to the cutest beehive cake pan from Williams-Sonoma and the link to a recipe.

Cake Pan
Honey Lemon Cake Recipe

I thought that was the cutest thing. Not sure I've decided to spend $30 on the cake pan but I may. It's just too adorable for words! The cake sounds scrumptious too.

We haven't seen our rebate check either but both of our SSNs end in high numbers--63 and 83. I suspect that we're getting a paper check and not direct deposit and those are on a much later payment schedule.

Last two SSN digits:	Payments will be mailed no later than (and received a few days after):
00 through 09	May 16
10 through 18	May 23
19 through 25	May 30
26 through 38	June 6
39 through 51	June 13
52 through 63	June 20
64 through 75	June 27
76 through 87	July 4
88 through 99	July 11

al Farm Report

Mercy, you two have been busy! Can some chickens be far behind??? I grew cantaloupe one year and loved every delicious bite. I look forward to the pictures.

The dentist informed me that I need to replace a crown in the coming months and fill in some gaps at the top of several teeth. Sheesh, the carpet and tile replacement just got shoved back several more months. I can just imagine that folks will be thinking "Why doesn't she do anything about these nasty floors" Oh well, let them think what they will. I can have a dazzling smile as I listen to the speculations. HA

Nearly all my friends have received their tax incentive, but I have not heard a word. I hope that I am on the list to get one. Have you all gotten yours?

I do not have much news to share unfortunately, so guess I will get up from the computer and get busy.

Have Ben-Gay, Will Share!

35 bags of top soil, 20 bags of mushroom compost, 2 bags of peat humus, 8 bags of cotton boll compost, 3 tomato plants, some marigolds, 2 bell pepper plants, a rosemary, two basils, a greek thyme, a package of Contender bush bean seeds, a bee balm, one catnip plant, one cantalope and two echinacea plants later, the Denton's have a new vegetable bed. Woof! It's not much to look out now but hopefully in 60-80 days, we'll have fresh produce. There's still lots of room left for a few more additions but it may have to wait until it's time to plant some fall crops. (Hah! Crops. Farmer Jones has nothing on me!)

Kevin objected to the cantalope believing it will grow to strangle us in our beds but I don't care. I wanted to try one. If it will quit raining long enough, I'll get a picture posted so you can see it in all it's dirt glory.

I'm sure glad you're doing the walking regime. It's good for you and your flexibility and a lot more fun than a treadmill. Just be careful in this heat and don't overdo. I'm also delighted to hear that you're gonna get some pepper spray. I don't think they're super cheap but it's a good insurance policy.

We had glorious wonderful days this weekend and absolute frog strangler storms every night--including one 20 minute hail storm last night that sounded like an entire company of dwarven clog dancers on the roof. I guess I can't complain about the rain since it's kept things very clear and cool around these parts but we could use a little dry time. I'm sure those poor folks in Iowa and Nebraska would appreciate it as well.

Gigggling

I got a lot of amusement from your story about the mystery plant. Welcome to the "surely I am not losing my grip" club. I bet it turns out to be a SPECTACULAR plant and everything will come rushing back about the details of its purchase.

I am worn to a frazzle and it is not even 10 o'clock yet. These two a day hour long walks have me sore in places I had forgotten that I had. Today we ran into a large off-leash dog and it is sending Nancy to Academy to buy us both pepper spray. She was going to her daughter's house that is close to Academy anyway and offered to pick it up for us both.

I have been sewing and watering since I got home and now must go to the grocery store. I would be taking a short nap, but it is my turn to bring snacks to Sunday School tomorrow, so I guess I will do the other shopping while I am there. Next year we are doing snacks only on the first Sunday of the month. Yea, to that as that means that your turn does not roll around so quickly. Guess I had better dash and get to it. Enjoy the rest of the week end.

Hmmmm

I had one of those moments in the garden last night. Faye and I were taking our evening stroll around the beds, her making sure nothing strange had hidden in the bushes and me doing my usual bend and weed routine. Tucked amongst the daylilies was a tall 3' rather scraggly looking plant that looked out of place. "Ahhah!", I pounced and after some serious tugging, it pulled free from the soil. At that point, I noticed it had a root ball that definitely showed signs it had been in a container at some point in time. So, apparently I planted this ratty specimen on purpose. I have no memory of doing so and absolutely no idea what this plant is.

I somewhat sheepishly replanted it in one of my holding beds (I call them holding beds because it sounds better than "no idea what I should do to make this bed look really cool" bed.) and figure I'll see what it matures into and where it should wind up as a permanent home. I guess landscaping by surprise plant is as good a method as any.

Thank You, Thank You

I received your generous gift and I thank you and Kevin so much. I loved the card and giggled several times as I read, and reread it. I do not know what I will spend the gift on, but more than likely it will go into some yard project. I have many of those!!

Where did you find mushroom compost? I always see garden shows recommend it, but have never seen it in the stores.

Bridget is not well again. She has diaharrea and did not eat last night or this morning. I really did not offer her a dish of food this morning, but bites from my hand which she refused. I am concerned and hope that it is something that she ate in the yard and that this is not some continuning problem I have medicine left over from the last spell, which I gave her. If she worsens I will take her to the vet, but hate to drag her up there as they do not seem to be able to do much more than I can do (since I already have the meds from the last flare up). I just hate it when a poor animal is ill, as they cannot tell you what they want. She is sleeping now, which is most likely the best thing.

I am sorry to hear that you were rained out, but know the plants loved the mositure and it will have compacted the soil nicely in your new bed and eliminated the unwanted air pockets for you, so that is a good thing. I switched the dogwood that I bought when you were here and the rose of sharon. These last two days of cooler weather and rain will help them both survive the move I hope. If I had not moved them, the dogwood would have died for sure, as it was looking pretty pitiful.

Had a great birthday day with my friend Diane yesterday, but we got drenched twice from downpours. What an adventure we had, wish you had been with us.

I have the laundry going but need to get busy on some housework and I hope to make the sewing room today.

Glug Glug!

We had another storm move through last night with about an inch of rain in less than an hour. The plants are grateful I think and its saved me lugging hoses around but sheesh, I think we're going to grow moss if it doesn't dry out a little bit.

We got 25 bags of soil, 8 bags of mushroom compost and two large bags of peat moss into the new veggie bed---and realized we need just about that same amount again to actually fill it. Pants. I hope I can get Kevin to help me go get the rest of the dirt soon since it's supposed to rain again Friday and I'd like to have some of the plants in by then. Those better be some darn good tomatoes!

Something interesting I found today. The most underdeveloped area of land in the world and yet:

The Giant Week of Zzzzzzs

I truly have no news worth posting. I haven't done anything this week except buy a new area rug for underneath my dining room table and a new Quickfire hydrangea. Massive yawns!

But I wanted you to know that I read every day and I'm still here!

Wednesday already

I took the girls for their walk this morning at 7:30 and the wind was really blowing. Even so we were all glowing nicely by the time I got home due to the high humidity. Thank goodness for the wind or we would all be steamed.

I have today and tomorrow until puppy class free and I am elated. This has been a busy week and next week is too. As you know I am not fond of having a committment every single day.

My exciting news for the day is that everything is done around the house except cleaning the bathrooms, so I get to sew some today. How dull is that???

Tried leaving both dogs in the garden room with the gate up. It worked like a champ. I slept through the night and awoke to clean house everywhere. Thank you for a great suggestion. I put one of the crates back in the garden room, so Molly has the couch and Bridget has her crate and she made use of the doggie dog instead of my floors. This might actually be the key to getting her house trained.

My hycinath beans are getting pretty big, but no blooms as yet. My rose of sharon trees are blooming as are my daylilies, gernaniums, Asian lillies, lavender, cannas, red sage and coreopis, so the back yard still looks pretty good.

I need to get busy in the sewing room, but send my best as always.