Day One Hundred Sixty Six 2013

EVER LOVIN’ SATURDAY!

My Hydrangea bushes are full of beautiful blooms. They are one of my favorite summertime things. I read in a magazine about this photographer who uses things like screens, cheesecloth, and pantyhose over her lens as filters to get different effects, which intrigued me, so I gave it a shot. I stretched one of my knee high hose over my lens and this is the results. I think it’s pretty cool.

Grandson Knox and his momma Kelly are here to visit. He loves eating Mulberries right off the tree.

“Mmmmmm!”

It was a gorgeous evening to visit Dogwood Park and run around in the fountain.

Grandson Elijah, his momma Holly and sister Shelby joined us and had fun chasing each other through the water spouts.

The water is cold, but the kids didn’t seem to mind.

Peeps in Dogwood Park: grandson Knox, daughter Holly, grandson Elijah, hubby Neil, granddaughter Shelby, and daughter Kelly. And then home again to eat Krispy Kremes! [Thanks, Kelly!] Happy Saturday, everyone!

Day One Hundred Sixty Five 2013

FLAG DAY

You’re a grand old flag
You’re a high flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave
You’re the emblem of
The land I love
The home of the free and the brave         

Every heart beats true
‘Neath the red white and blue
Where there’s never a boast or brag
Should old acquaintance be forgot
Keep your eye on the grand old flag
The grand old flag

In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened on that day in 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_Day_(United_States)

The national flag of the United States of America, often simply referred to as the American flag, consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton (referred to specifically as the "union") bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of the United States of America and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain and became the first states in the Union. Nicknames for the flag include the "Stars and Stripes", "Old Glory", and "The Star-Spangled Banner."   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States

Happy Flag Day, America!  Happy TGIF, everyone!

Day One Hundred Sixty Four 2013

I love Autumn more than any other season, but even I recoiled at the sight of all these scarecrow people dressed in Fall colors right here smack dab in the middle of June in Hobby Lobby this afternoon. For the love of Pete, it’s not even Summer yet! On the other side of the aisle was Fourth of July decorations. That I can deal with. I wandered into a far corner of the store where the first hints of Christmas can be found. Thank goodness, you don’t have to look at it yet. Probably not until July anyway. Time flies by fast enough, folks, without having to see all the seasons flash before my eyes all at the same time. Tomorrow is Flag Day [June 14], by the way. Now there’s a decoration I can live with all year long.

Day One Hundred Sixty Three 2013

“If I never met you, I wouldn't like you. If I didn't like you, I wouldn't love you. If I didn't love you, I wouldn't miss you. But I did, I do, and I will.” ~unknown

These two have been next door neighbors and best buds for the past two years or so. Grandson Elijah and his friend Anthony have had some great times playing together. Elijah’s dad has said that Anthony is at their house so much of the time that he should declare Anthony a dependent on his tax return. Elijah’s mom says they’ve been together so much that they’re more like brothers than friends ~ and they fight like brothers. Today is their last day to play together. Anthony is moving out of state tomorrow. Elijah says they can talk to each other with Face Time. I hope they do. I hope they stay in touch. Good friends are hard to find and harder to let go. I know they’ll miss each other terribly. Bye, ‘Anfony’, we’ll miss you!

Day One Hundred Sixty Two 2013

Lunch Bunch Peeps in Dogwood Park today: niece Julia, hubby Neil, sister Ann, sister Jane and brother Ken. Missing from this picture are niece Sarah who came and ate and had to leave, and nephew Chris who didn’t make it at all because he forgot and was tied up at work and couldn’t have made it anyway even if he had remembered. We always enjoy getting together, no matter who’s there. Thankful for the shade and the nice breeze. Don’t they look like they’re having fun?

Day One Hundred Sixty One 2013

The Better To See You …

Time for the annual eye and vision checkup. Neil and I have a most excellent eye doctor. The older my eyes get, the more I appreciate him, and the more I’m thankful for insurance that pays for these exams and glasses/lenses. This is our year to get new frames if we want them. Since my prescription hasn’t changed much since last year, I’m sticking with my current frames, but I did opt to get some prescription sunglasses, which I think I’m going to enjoy. [The lenses are polarized, which makes an amazing difference in blocking out glare~I’m so excited to get these]. Neil had to have new frames since his rimless were beat  to death. Over all, our old eyeballs are in pretty good shape~certainly a blessing and something precious to be thankful for.

Day One Hundred Sixty 2013

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”   Genesis 9:13  New International Version (©2011)


Awesome [double] rainbow this evening as the setting sun shone through the falling rain. My little cell phone camera couldn’t capture the whole width of it. Would love to have had a wide angle lens for this. Neil and I stood in the rain in the Subway parking lot, gaping at it. Pretty cool.

Day One Hundred Fifty Nine 2013

Geraniums are one of my favorite summer flowers. I bought some today. Different shades of pink. No red. Red flowers irritate me for some reason. Besides, the plant guy didn’t have any red geraniums. Now I need to pot them, but that requires potting soil, which I don’t have. It’s always something, isn’t it?

Day One Hundred Fifty Eight 2013

It’s National Doughnut Day! Neil and I honored this special day by eating doughnuts. Not only that, but it’s also Friday! Life is good. Happy TGIF, y’all! Have yourself a delicious doughnut.

Day One Hundred Fifty Seven 2013

June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which “we will accept nothing less than full victory.” More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end on June 6, the Allies gained a foot- hold in Normandy. The D-Day cost was high -more than 9,000 Allied Soldiers were killed or wounded -- but more than 100,000 Soldiers began the march across Europe to defeat Hitler.
The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and required extensive planning. Prior to D-Day, the Allies conducted a large-scale deception campaign designed to mislead the Germans about the intended invasion target. By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the following spring the Allies had defeated the Germans. The Normandy landings have been called the beginning of the end of war in Europe.
http://www.army.mil/d-day/slideshow.html
http://www.army.mil/d-day/resources.html
http://www.history.com/topics/d-day

Day One Hundred Fifty Six 2013

The Mulberry tree in my back yard is loaded with ripening berries. They are so sweet. The grandkids [and kids] love them. One of these days, I’m going to make a pie with them. Better yet, a cobbler. [They're good for you, too.]

Day One Hundred Fifty Five 2013

Randomness

This hasn’t happened in a long time ~ Grandson Knox fell asleep in my lap on the front porch swing this afternoon while his momma and daddy packed up to head back home. Miss you, little boy.

All life is a journey, not a home; it is a road, not the country; and those transient enjoyments which you have in this life, lawful in their way,—those incidental and evanescent pleasures which you may sip,—are not home; they are little inns only upon the road-side of life, where you are refreshed for a moment, that you may take again the pilgrim-staff and journey on, seeking what is still before you—the rest that remaineth for the people of God.
~from an 1855 religious text by Rev. John Cumming

Pink day lilies in Solaris color setting on cell phone camera ~ they are laying on the ground under a red maple tree, trying to crawl their way into some sunshine.
Happy June 4th, y’all!

Day One Hundred Fifty Four 2013

Daughter Kelly and son in law Kerry treated Neil and me to a fabulous dinner at House of Thai this evening here in our little town. This restaurant has been here forever, and we’ve heard the food is delicious, but we have become set- in- our- ways old fogies who never try anything new. Neil and I had no idea what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised by how wonderful the food is. I enjoyed the Avocado Shrimp [with onions, asparagus and almonds with rice]. I’m sure a return visit is in order in the near future. Thanks, Kelly and Kerry, for encouraging us to step outside our little box and try something totally different.

Day One Hundred Fifty Three 2013

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Summer When……

…..your face is covered in mac n cheese at Cracker Barrel for supper………

…...you go for an evening stroll with your momma, grandpa, and granny around the block……..

…..you see the Red White And Blue on display on a neighborhood front porch. [Flag Day is June 14]………….

Mark 8:36  [KJV]   For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

…..the air is filled with the scent of honeysuckle and magnolia……..

……sunsets come later and later……..

…..you want to go just a little bit further down the road before you head home…….

…..lightning bugs flash around the yard……..

…..there is no limit to the bubbles you can blow…….Summer is coming fast [summer solstice begins June 21 at 1:04 a.m. EDT]. But it may as well already be here.

Day One Hundred Fifty Two

When grandparents enter the door, discipline flies out the window.  ~Ogden Nash

Day One Hundred Fifty One 2013

KNOX GETS HIS FIRST HAIRCUT ~ ELIJAH GETS A MOHAWK

Everywhere he goes, people say, “What a cute little girl!” Even when he’s wearing obviously male clothing~like dinosaur or super hero shirts. Grandson Knox will be 18 months old June 2. His hair has grown long and sometimes wild, so his mom decided [reluctantly] it was time to cut those pretty curls.

Our long time friend and local barber, Russell, did the honors. Knox sat in his grandpa’s lap and got to wear the puppy-decorated cape.

Major dislike for the barber began when Russell wet Knox’s hair and started cutting.

At first he was resigned to the situation. Can you see that teardrop on his sad little face?

Curl after curl came off. His mom saved every one that could be saved.

Then full blown rebellion set in when the barber turned on the buzz clipper.

When the deed was done, his hair was shorter, the tears dried up, and he totally enjoyed the sucker Russell gave him. Now he looks like a little boy. Those curls will most likely grow back. As it turns out, he’s naturally got curl to his hair.

Grandson Elijah was also ready for a haircut. His mom thought he should try a Mohawk. At first, he rebelled against that idea.

The more he thought about it, the more he figured he might like it. So Russell went to work shaping and clipping.

Elijah was a bit unsure during the whole process.

Russell put some styling product in it, blew it dry and made it stand up.

He ended up liking his cut. I think it looks kind of edgy and pretty cool.

Great job, Barber Russell! And I’m so glad Neil and I got to witness this historic appearance-changing occasion. It’s T G I F, y’all! Hope yours was historic.

Day One Hundred Fifty 2013

Back To Normal…………

Life can be pretty amazing. I mean, this morning, Neil and I were in Las Vegas, Nevada, saying so long to that crazy but fun alien planet, and this afternoon, we were back in our home town, sitting on the bleachers at the ball park with daughters Holly and Kelly and granddaughter Shelby and grandson Knox, watching grandson Elijah play his last T Ball game of the season. We are blessed. Life is good. Life is back to normal.