GOING-GOING-GONE A Quick Post

Wisconsin really has some of the most 

beautiful sunsets.

We are lucky enough to see it 

disappear into the water.

The little kids think it SINKS
into the water and I make a
sizzling sound with my mouth
as if the water is being touched
by the sun---szzzzzzzzt.
Yep-these kids are gonna grow 
up warped.

What's hiding behind that tree?

I move to the right a bit for a better view.

GOING

GOING---

GOING (yep-one extra going-couldn't resist)

GONE!!!

Doesn't the sky look like it is on fire?

Sssssssshhhhhhhh-

All is quiet and calm-

Or IS it?

How about a little

TROPICAL TREAT, boys?

It'll help you sleep

Is it safe to give a Mai Tai to a kid in a baby bottle?

Just kidding MOM- I would NEVER do that-

or would I?

Rain Rain Go Away I Want These Boys To Go Out To Play

If you read my blog yesterday you know I have

TWO LITTLE GUYS

spending a couple of days with us while Mom works.

We woke up to this...

Can you see the line of rain coming across the bay?

It whips up the water as it hits the shore.

Yep- It is an INSIDE kind of day.

Breakfast has been served---Now---

What to do - What to do - What to do?

Puzzles, and lacing cards and movies, Oh My!

Some spelling cards:

What do you mean you can't spell C-A-T?

You're over a year old already.

Then it's time for snacks

And drinks all around.

Milk for the Kids:

And for me-

Oh- Wait- I don't drink!

Glance at the clock...

Huh?  It's only 

8:30 AM???? WHAT????

Only 4-1/2 hours until nap time!

See you then-if I make it that long!

My Son Is Having An Affair

Well, don't come here if you don't want

to know everything about our family.

I know this is not something that

most people would talk about in Blogland.

My son has a beautiful wife and their little

CJK is just darling.

I would never imagined that my son would

have a love affair

but - it's true.

Friday night he called me

and asked ME to drive him to Milwaukee

to meet HER.

I was surprised but when he offered to buy me a

STARBUCKS coffee,

I decided I would go.

Me:  Does your wife know? 

Son: Well, she has an idea but she doesn't

really know for sure that I am going

to bring her home to meet the family today.

Me: What's she like?

Son: Mom- She's got a body that just won't quit.

She is smooth and sleek and I  can handle her

in any situation.

Me: Hmmmm! Well.......I'm anxious to meet her.

Son: You won't be disappointed, Mom.

She's a beauty.

AND SO SHE IS!

And-she is as sweet inside as she is outside.

As much as I love the other girl in his life

I have already found a special spot for this one, too...

and I don't even know her name.

I may be a little scarce for  the next day or two.
I have two sweet little boys staying with me
while their Mom works.
I'll visit when I can!

LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE

SweetCheeks and her sisters are NOT ALLOWED
to call anyone names.

However, SweetCheeks has a way of getting her

message across WITHOUT calling names.

SweetCheeks:  Nana!  SOME people tell lies!

Me:  Who told you a lie?

SCheeks:  Well, SOMEONE did.

She is still smiling telling me about it.

Me:Ummm...WHO lied to you? 

My disgust is evident as I think about someone lying to this child.

She gives ME the stinky eye.

SCheeks:  YOU did, Nana.  It was YOU!

Me:  Me?  WHAT?  What did I lie to you about?

SCheeks:  Well, you said if I made a face like this

and someone hit me on the back my face would

FREEZE THIS WAY!

 SCheeks:  SO - I made this face and Ria

pounded me on the back and my face

DIDN'T freeze that way so that means that 

YOU LIED!

Me:  It was a JOKE, SweetCheeks!

SCheeks::  Well, it wasn't funny- It hurt when

Ria punched me in the back,

Me:  No- Not that part- I meant when I 

TOLD YOU YOUR FACE WOULD FREEZE

THAT was a JOKE.

SCheeks!  Well, THAT wasn't funny either!!

(Hope that pout doesn't freeze)

I hate when my jokes 

BACKFIRE on me.....
and WHY are my legs starting
to burn?!

An Update And Request For More Prayers

A few weeks ago I asked for prayer

for my blogging friend,

Beth Marie.

You can read that here.

I want to give you an update

and a request to please keep praying for her.

She is in excruciating pain

and still has a ways to go with her treatment.

Here is a copy of her last post.

Life in a hospital room…

with radiation is not pleasant.   To begin with I  have these lead wires going up underneath my chin into my mouth.  There is a ball of radiation (somewhat like an over size BB that has been planted in the base of my tongue someway.  I don’t even want to know how.  I am praying all of the while that it is securely attached someway and I am not going to swallow it.  

Add the wires that are delivering the radiation to the right side and back of my tongue, then to top it off the guard that the dentist made which is protecting my teeth and jawbone and seems to be cutting my mouth to shreds.  I am not exaggerating one bit when I say that the pain is excruciating. 

One night I was just lying in my hospital bed punching the morphine pump and trying to think to say my prayers before I drifted off a bit.  I couldn’t for the life of me think what I needed to pray about.

When you have radiation like I did your room is considered contaminated.  There is a bag of protective footwear hanging on the outside door knob.  As you go into the room there is a protective radiation guard that the nurses stay behind when they come in the room.  You soon learn to separate the dedicated oncology nurses from the rest,  The ‘rest’ tiptoe in your room and ask '” is there anything you need dear” and hurry out quickly before you get a chance to answer.

All trays, garbage, etc. pile up inside your room and even though the radiation aide declares they are safe to be moved they are still in the room when I leave a few days later.  (More to follow.)

I hope this week is going well for you all.  I am determined to feel better and I keep praying for that.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Please leave a comment for her here so she can read it.

Thanks so much- Let's pray her through this!

Sunday blessings to all of you.

Cleaning Up The MESS In The Basement

Start Drooling!

click on photo for link
Don't you love it?
Me!Too!
Too bad it belongs to someone else.
Let's talk reality here!

Our basement is divided into three sections.

One side is a media room and gathering place.

I will show you that another time.

Another section is a small kitchenette

created from the materials from 

 the old kitchen when we remodeled this house.

  This hangs above the old kitchen sink.

The door reflected in the mirror opens to

the utility room holding furnace and water heater.

Now the THIRD space is the one I always hide.

But I am coming clean here.

It's been a MESS down there.

Seriously.

I just couldn't take it another minute.

After lunch I headed down and opened the doors to 

THIS.

Disheartening, huh?

Whenever I ask SOMEONE who shall remain nameless MyHero

to carry something downstairs for me 

it gets DUMPED 

on the floor just inside the door.

Some day I am gonna just dump 

his underwear on the floor

after doing laundry just for fun.

Well, I have HAD ENOUGH so

I start sorting and cleaning and storing.

 I had the bright idea to screen things off.

I whipped up some drop cloth curtains 

and strung them from the rafters to create "rooms".

Behind this curtain is another area screened off for

Christmas stuff.  I don't DARE tell you how many

Christmas totes I have back here.

You would think I was lying anyway.

Oh- SO much better.

The sailboat curtains screens off the paint section.

Remember this is the unfinished part of the basement.

Not perfect but so much better.

Whew- What a lot of work.
I climb the steps feeling tired but relieved 

that the job is done.

I get a Diet Coke and head out the back door to

gaze at the water glad that there are no more

messes hanging over my head.

Or are there?

What the......................?????

Sweet Summer Sights And Smiles And Sighs

I don't know about you but I can't believe that 

SUMMER IS ALMOST OVER.

Long before Pinterest I saved images

the old fashioned way in loose leaf notebooks.

I have hundreds-maybe thousands of images-

all categorized (it's a sickness)

If any of these are your images

let me know and I will gladly  give you credit.

What does late summer look like to me?

The leaves and grass are still green but the 

wheat fields are ready to harvest-

golden and ripe.

The hay is baled and will be used for feed

when winter's blanket covers the frozen tundra.

You see a butterfly here and there.

They move languidly and know there is

not much summer time left for them.

Farmers Markets are full of bountiful harvests.

I do remember this image is from Bucks Co, PA.

Close to my old home.

Summer days play out quickly.

They leave us with shorter days and cooler nights.

Nights that are perfect for a bonfire.

Schools throw their doors open to welcome

students back.

SweetCheeks is going off to first grade.

Last year she had a 

WONDERFUL TEACHER

I'm hope she is, once again, the

Apple of her teacher's eye.

And NOT THIS kind of apple!

Nope- I hope she is THIS kind of apple

Bright and sweet and just a little nutty!

God bless our teachers as they

go back to school and shape our

children's lives.

I'm not quite ready for Fall yet.

Nope!  I am holding onto summer

just a bit longer.

Just a few more warm, balmy days.

Just a few more sweet mornings

drinking coffee on the porch.

Just a few more days.....

How about you?

Are you ready for Fall?

A SMILE or a SIGH?

Sweet Cheeks Recipe For Octopus For Children

Yes- I know.

It is hard to believe that a 6 year old

could have developed a taste for  Octopus-

but- it's true.

When I first started blogging I did a post

about this but I think it is time to

do an updated version.

IF the littles in your life have

NEVER EATEN OCTOPUS

you are going to be surprised

at how quickly they embrace this recipe.

Now- These are NOT your typical Octopuses.

No Indeedy.

SweetCheeks says these are Wisconsin octopuses.

Here they are in their "live" state.

First you must filet them.

They do NOT like this.

The picture is blurry because they kept trying to 

wiggle and get away.

Unlike regular Octopuses, Wisconsin octopuses only have FOUR tentacles.

Here they are-filleted and ready to be nuked.

I close my ears so I don't hear the screams.

 Oh- No!  It's the HOT PLACE for us!

Here they are-

As you can see there is a bloody discharge from

eyes and mouth-not pretty.

Meanwhile,

We have been collecting macaroni shells

and boiling the germs out of them.

We have also collected  and steamed seaweed broccoli.

And here, my friends, lies

poor Olly Octopus.

Slated for the dinner table.

We fondly call this

Octopus On The Rocks.

Now I ask you- Does this look like

The Cat That Ate The Canary?

The Kid That Ate The Octopus?

Pop by tomorrow.

You never know WHAT is gonna happen here.

We might do something REALLY wild and crazy!

Tuesday Was NOT My Day On The Bay

The day started off beautifully,

A cup of hot coffee to sip.

Sitting on my back stoop off the kitchen

watching the sun come up from behind

the house and lighting the trees and 

bay in front of me.

The cloud covers the sun for a moment.

A new boat appears and seems

to be scouting the area for fish.

I have not seen a boat this size

this close to shore in the time

we have lived here.

Look at all the birds following it.

It has been a long few days

and I decide to take a drive to the other shore-

the Lake Michigan side.

I leave the house and

start driving.
Now - these are the things that
NOBODY EVER talks about
on their blog so you might want
to quit reading here and come
back tomorrow.
Still here are you?
Okay- You can't say I didn't 
warn you.
-continuing-
I am driving along.

Uh-Oh- Wait!

I have to make a stop!

Back in the car -off I go.

Ummm...Uh-Oh-

I have to make another stop!

At least this time I know no one is 

peeking over from the next stall.

Now I make one last stop before I head for home.

This is my new best friend.

Ever heard of someone having a

crappy day?

Yeah?

Now I know what that really means!

sorry for the crappy post

It'll be much better tomorrow,

I promise!