Rain and more rain

Yes, we have been getting lots of rain in the last week, after having a very dry year last year. We have gotten a little more than 6" locally in the last couple of days, according to a nearby farmer's rain gauge. The official amount was listed at 3 1/2+". That is a big difference! Lots of people pumping water out of their basements and it is sad for those who have finished basements as so many do today. We have a 70% chance of a large amount of rain again tonight and tomorrow, and still a chance for the next day or two. We have also had dense fog the past two nights so things are a bit sticky today.

I am not spending much time on the computer right now so my posts are going to be few and far between at times. I am devoting most of my time working on the last two Bible study lessons of the Covenant study we are doing. We are taking a break for the summer but I do want to get these last two finished so I can put it all away for the summer. I just have the last lesson left now as I finished typing up the first of the two. I get truly blessed all over again when I type them up. I took this study twice before as a student, and now am teaching it, and being reminded of all the things I have forgotten over the years since last taking it. If anyone reading this would like to take it, I will be more than happy to tell you where to get the study book, plus send you copies of the information I have to go with it.

I was looking at my bare pots on the patio and reminded of the seeds I started in late winter and the little pot garden I had. I did none of that this year. I just could not get excited about it , especially with the late, cold, snow and icy spring we had for one thing. And I just don't have the energy to work at it. I haven't even bought any bedding plants for flowers yet. I might just end up moving the bare dirt filled pots to the garage and out of sight for this year, unless someone wants to volunteer filling them for me. ☺

I plan to spend a lot of time decluttering this summer as well. I need to work on paper clutter for the most part, but I know there are some clothes in the closet that I haven't work for a long time and should move out to another home.

I have kept busy knitting caps for Goodwill again, while watching my favorite TV shows. I am getting down to the bottom of the can of yarn, so once that is gone I will move onto something else. I do have a couple of sewing projects that I had planned several months ago so might be so moved to start on them.

I am sorry I have no pictures to add here. I just have not been taking any. I should have taken one of the cans of Pillsbury Grands biscuits, caramel rolls and Cinnabon rolls that I bought last week. I went to the local store, which I don't go to very often as their regular prices are quite high. Loss leaders are often quite good, and I sometimes go there when I only need milk and bread and it doesn't pay to drive to the cheaper stores. This time I found a basket sitting in the open dairy case and it was full of the cans of biscuits and rolls for $1.50 each. I took most of them! I had recently read on a blog that they can be frozen right in the can so how lucky to find them on clearance! They were going to expire in a couple of days, so I baked one can of biscuits and one of caramel rolls, then froze the rest. This store's regular price for them is close to $4 each. I think WM has them for around $3.69 the last I looked. So I think I got a pretty good deal - providing they really do freeze well.

Speaking of bargains and money, I am still waffling between buying things I really want, or continue living without so that I can stay as close to my budget and income as possible. Notice I said 'want'. I can live without these things, but at age 70, how many years do I have left? So why not enjoy what I can? But if I do that, what if I live longer than expected and I run out of money? Did I ever mention that I hate making decisions??

So, should I end on this note, or should I find something else to write about? ☺ I have made my decision and am going to go play Mahjongg Dark Dimensions so I don't have to think so hard. I am tired of thinking. That takes energy and I don't have any left.

View From My Window

Peter Cottontail was here for a visit.

Felix watching Peter.

 

I noticed Felix was looking at something very intently below the window, so naturally curiosity also got me and had to get up and look. Peter did not move so much as a whisker or blink an eye for many minutes. Then Felix climbed into the window and lay there to watch at leisure. I finally saw Peter chew a time or two, but the head never moved, nor eye blinked, nor a twitch of an ear. Amazing how long they can sit there frozen in place.

 

This is one of two bunnies that I saw playing together earlier. It seems to me that they both have lighter fur than the usual cottontail. I wonder if they get lighter fur for winter and since we had such a cold spring, they haven't gotten their summer fur yet?

 

By the looks of that tape on the hole in the screen, I think I better get a new piece when I wash windows. This one is pretty dirty. You aren't able to see it in the picture but there are several small holes in the screen, and that is because last year a cat outside decided to jump up on the screen in the middle of the night, and then climbed up the screen with his/her sharp claws. Felix was sitting in the window watching him at the time, so maybe he didn't realize there was a screen there? Felix never flinched or said a word the whole time.

It has been awhile

It has been awhile since I sat down to chat with you all. It has been a combination of busy, and being tired. Last week was not one I want to see for long while.

I already made mention of the wedding I attended a week ago Saturday. The next day I had a funeral visitation to go to as my brother-in-law had passed away. He was the groom's grandpa. Then Monday was the funeral. Lot of visiting with family and friends. The next day my friend called me to say that a grand-nephew of my husband's first wife had committed suicide. He was 53, never was married. I guess he was very depressed on several issues. It was a total shock to everyone. He sometimes came to visit wit my husband and I got to know him fairly well. I probably should have gone to the funeral this past Friday, but I was still worn out from all the previous weekend activities. I could should have gone to another funeral - the father of a friend from church - on Saturday. Three funerals within 6 days. They say things come in threes, so I think we are done for awhile.

It was actually a good thing I stayed home Friday as a man from church stopped and asked to pick up my lawn mower and he would service it as well as sharpen the blade! It seems God keeps nudging people and telling them what I need, since I had been thinking (and only thinking) I should find someone to sharpen that blade. I don't think it has ever been done. When he brought it back he said it needed sharpening really bad. Then, at 5 pm one of the boys this friend had hired to do my mowing showed up to see where he is to mow, find the mower, etc. Half hour later he came back and mowed. PTL! All this is proof that when you trust God completely, He provides and fills your needs.

My oldest daughter called a few days ago, and we talked for 2 hours and 20 minutes! It was a very fruitful talk, and am pleased to find out she is doing a Bible study. That is another answer to prayer. She also said she was decluttering, getting rid of lots of 'stuff', and currently working on shredding a bunch of papers. That spurred me on to finish the job I started months ago. So the last few days I have been sorting papers and doing some shredding. I have some that need to be filed, and a bag full that will be recycled. Not done yet, but on my way! I will probably go through some of it again and close my eyes and toss some more, but want to get this initial run finished for now.

We have had one HOT day today - way above normal. It got to 100 for a short time this afternoon. It was 106F just 50 miles south of us. Not humid thought, so that is good, except for the fire danger. I closed up the windows that had been open all night, and the house stayed comfortable without turning on the AC. Tomorrow - back in the upper 70s I think. As Tracey said on FB, Mother Nature is having hot flashes. LOL

Wedding Bells

 

I attended the wedding of a grand-nephew Saturday. This is the counted cross stitch picture that I made as their gift. It is hard to tell in the picture but there are several crystal clear beads scattered all over, including what look like white blobs on either side of the word 'love'. I am disappointed they don't really show up that much even when seeing it in person. The blobs are in heart shapes and the smaller blobs represent grape clusters on the vine. There are gold filament threads mixed with regular floss in the heart and bands of the bells. And there are other kinds of glittery filaments in the bell outlines. That filament thread is a pain to work with! I finally got used to it about the time I was done with that part. I most certainly would not advise beginners to attempt that.

 

I wasn't sure I would be able to find a ready made frame for it as it is not the usual size. It is 10x13. But I did find a limited selection in Walmart. The first one I settled on was a bit more expensive than I wanted to spend, but after leaving the frame aisle, and as I was heading for the grocery department, there was a display of inexpensive frames - all the same price no matter what size. And there were at least 2 styles in the size I needed! I thought this one was the nicest one of them all, even the more expensive one.

 

In my procrastination mode, I did not get it framed until the morning of the wedding, which was at 3 pm. So after I had finished with the framing I very neatly wrapped it, and went about getting myself ready for the day. Then . . . I realized I forgot to take a picture of it! Oh, no! I was able to carefully reopen one end and pull it out, then barely getting it back in the wrapping and retaped. It really takes a lot of effort for me to remember to get pictures for this blog! Of course, procrastination does not help. Can old people change old habits? I hope so, but so far it hasn't happened.

 

At the reception gift table I noticed there were quite a few gifts about the same size as mine, and just as thin, so probably pictures. I hope there weren't others that found the same stitch kit that I did!

 

The wedding itself was simple and nice and had a western theme. That seems to be most popular right now. The guest 'book' was like an unpainted old barn door and people wrote their names on it with Sharpies. It is a cute idea, but where is it going to go? They will need a large wall to hang it on, and after you get tired of looking at it, it can't be put on a shelf or in a drawer. But that is this old lady's opinion. All in all it was a pleasant and fun day, and may the bride and groom have a peaceful and happy life forever.

Another May Day Surprise

These goodies arrived on May 1 as a May Day 'basket'. It was delivered to my door by some friends and was a really nice surprise, especially after all the snow we also got that day. She gave me the fruit to counterbalance the sweets. ;o) On the plate are slices of pumpkin bread, frosted brownies (with nuts on top - my favorite!) and fudge. There was more on the place but I ate  devoured one of each before I thought to take pictures. They were all delicious! The pumpkin bread was nice and moist too. Yum! Needless to say, it didn't last long.  I am a bit late in posting this as I have been very busy working on the Bible lesson that we did this morning.

May Day 2013. . . . no. . . Mayday! Mayday!

This is what we woke up to this morning.

You might be thinking I am recycling pictures, but no, this was taken this morning at 8 am - May 1. May Day. Instead of finding candy or flowers by our door, we find this. We have between 4 to 5" by now. It is heavy, wet snow since the temperature is around 34 F. As I am writing this, just now the snow has let up quite a bit, but still coming down, and it is 10:45 am. We are in a winter weather advisory until 4 am tomorrow morning so there will be more coming. Streets are slushy since they are still a bit warm from the last few days of 70 and 80 degree weather. I cannot remember another April with several inches of snow every week of the month, and now, May 1, with a chance of rain/snow again this weekend. I think the world has turned upside down. After all, the southern hemisphere is having fall going into winter right now. But. . . . we, in the northern hemisphere, are the ones having winter weather instead of spring.

Every year about the second weekend of May, Orange City, Iowa - a town 16 miles away - has a big Tulip Festival. The town is very big on the Dutch heritage of this area, and the festival brings people from all over to see the parades and the hundreds (maybe thousands) of tulips blooming all over the town. This year they are getting worried the tulips won't be in bloom in time. Last year they were concerned the tulips would be all done blooming by the time of the festival because we had such an early spring. And most tulips were done by then, except for some late bloomers. I have just a few tulips very close to the house foundation and they are only up a couple of inches high yet. I would go out and take a picture of them, but I am not tripping through that wet snow.