Do You Ever Wish You Could Write Parking Tickets?

I love the police and am in awe at the sacrifice they face everyday when they are just doing their job ... but really?

Note the Shipping Price

I was on Amazon looking for a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe for my grandsons birthday. I found one that was about $5-$10 less than the others, so I clicked on it.

Note the shipping price ... $134.24!!! Needless to say, I did not buy that one!

New Tile to Replace the New Tile

(This is the inside project I finished on my very productive Friday.) Back in February I took down the old tile on the back wall of the hall bathtub and replaced with different tile. At first, I loved it, but the longer I've lived with it, the less I liked it. It was my first attempt at laying tile, and I didn't do a stellar job. You can't see it in pictures, but there were a lot of "mistakes". My initial pride turned into loathing as I looked at my gaffes ... every ... single ... day.

So, despite the expense and labor, I reluctantly replaced the tile ... again ... and I'm so glad I did! This time, it's as perfect as an amateur can make it. And this time, I don't have to worry about others seeing it up close and thinking, "Hmmmm. I think she should have hired a professional." Maybe no one would have ever noticed, but the mistakes stood out to me like red pen from a teacher circling my incorrect answers on a test.

And I'm for done, done, done. I am NOT replacing this tile again! I don't think I will, but if I ever have the notion to replace it, I'm going to sit myself down and have a stern conversation with me. If that doesn't work, I'll send myself to time-out and/or I'll be grounded ... for however long it takes to get the notion of changing this tile out of my head!

Busy, Productive Day Yesterday

Now that it's summer, I can work whatever hours I want ... just as long as I get my forty hours in. So, I've been going in really early, working ten hours, and I still get home in the early afternoon. AND, I get a three-day weekend all summer!. I took advantage of those afternoon hours and did a lot of work in the yard, but yesterday I tackled one of the bigger jobs.

A couple weekends ago I bought edging stones, landscape fabric, and had a bunch of mulch delivered. I was short on the edging, so I ran to Menard's for more after  my morning coffee yesterday, then headed home to get to work on the play area. I got the edging around the swing set, laid the landscape fabric, then added the mulch. I was so happy to get it done!

I ordered a sandbox turtle and a water station for the kiddo's, too, but those won't be delivered until next week. I am SO grateful to have fleet of ride-on toys, a pool (not set up yet), a toddler basketball hoop, t-ball set, bubbles, bubble mowers, balls, and a slew of other toys for the the little ones to play with when they come over. The older three are at the age where they need to be outside to run and play and explore ... and I'm more than happy to indulge them.

As I got to work outside yesterday, I thought about calling Davy to see if he wanted to come spend the day with me and help me get the play area done. A year after his death, I'm still reaching for the phone to call him. But I know he was there, watching and smiling from Heaven as I toiled away in the hot sun for his babies.

Getting the play area done wasn't intellectually difficult, but it was heavy, back-breaking work ... and but it was hot! Bending over, stooping, carrying a lot of weight, etc., took it's toll on me yesterday! (I am most definitely NOT sixteen anymore!) When I was done outside, my hands were black from the mulch, I was soaking with sweat, and my back, neck, and hips were screaming ... but after shower and a couple of ibuprofen, I felt brand new ... so I filled the hummingbird feeder (yet again!), watered the flowers, then began tackling a big project inside. I can't wait to get it completely finished ... and it's pretty close! Once it's done, I'll share the photo's.

All my grandbabies will be over in a few hours. It's supposed to rain and/or storm most of the day, but I'm hoping the weather cooperates and we can go outside and play at least part of the day. I LOVE the smiles on their sweet little faces as they fly around the backyard 😊

Laying the edging ...

Then the landscape fabric ...

Then the mulch (never mind that the edging stones don't line up at that one corner ... a sandbox is going there) ...

Here's what it will look like(ish) with the sandbox ...

I'll probably put the water station on the patio, where I can put the umbrella up and protect them from the sun ... and it's closer to the water source. I'm sure I'll be hauling water to the turtle so that they can make sand castles and form the sand into sea creatures with their molds. (The kenetic sand has spoiled them!)

The older two have been begging me to take them to the beach, and I plan to, but not until all of the babies can enjoy the sand and surf. It would be so fun to rent a beach house or condo with my little family for a week, but it won't be this year ... a newborn and a pregnant daughter would make the beach life less than optimal ... and I think my daughter-in-law would freak out if I suggested taking the kids to the ocean this summer!

I got several projects done this past week inside and outside ... but I'll save those "reveals" for later. As for now, I need top sweep and mop my floors! My life probably looks mindlessly boring to other people, but I fill my life with what makes me happy ... and what makes me happy is working in my yard and around my house ... and spending time with the people I love. In the end, that's all that really matters, isn't it?

A Birthday Celebration (of sorts) for Davy

I've been working in the yard a lot lately (thanks for the humidity, Lord!) The girls and I are having a cookout and bonfire in on the 22nd of June in Davy's memory. Davy was ALWAYS down for a cookout, and he'd sit out at the fireplace sipping beer and laughing with his friends until the wee hours of the morning. We're honoring our brother and son by doing some of the simple things he loved the most. (Skateboarding was out of the question, but I can eat and sit in a chair and watch a fire!)

I've got the fireplace ready to go, and a friend has graciously offered wood for the bonfire. The swing set is up for the little ones to fly around on, and I've completed most, okay … half to two-thirds ... of the major yard projects I gave myself this year.

June 22nd will be a bittersweet day, but we are going to focus on the 24 years we got to spend with Davy … not the years that were taken away from us.

Davy could be a handful, but he had a huge, kind heart, and was always making us laugh. He was so funny! The 22nd will be a day for us to thank the Lord for giving us Davy for the short time He did. We all wish Davy's time on earth was MUCH longer, but we're thankful for the years we had together.

Vectren Commercials

Does the sheer volume of Vectren commercials bother anyone else? All they show is how much updating they are doing, which is completely unnecessary. We can see the trucks all over the city and county. We know they are doing a lot of work ... but so is Waterworks, and they don't spend a boatload of money patting themselves on the back! They send road closure information to the television stations and the newspaper, and they inform us where water and sewer repairs and upgrades are taking place.

I don't know how much Vectren spends on advertising, but going by how expensive print advertising is, I can only guess they are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of the money we pay for electricity for them to make elaborate commercials telling us what we already know ... and what the television stations and newspapers would do for free.

A blurb on their website, daily Tweets and Facebook posts would do the exact same thing and cost them NOTHING ... they already have people on staff whose job is is to do those things!

Their commercials are 100% wasted money. They are the only energy provider here. We are captive customers with no other choice. I'd much rather that they would follow the example of Waterworks and use free advertising. It's bad enough that they built a new headquarters building, on the riverfront with a balcony for executives and their guests to watch fireworks, air shows, hydroplane races, etc ... on what is arguably some of the most expensive land in the County ... and then they take the money we pay for "energy" and spend it on unnecessary, expensive commercials bragging about what a wonderful job they are doing. STOP!

Just use our hard-earned money to provide us gas and electricity. That's ALL we want to pay for ... and it's all we should HAVE to pay for.

They Built a Park!

Thing 2's generous, selfless husband (on his birthday, no less!) and his parents put together the swing set I bought a year and a half ago. The weather was gorgeous! The temperature was perfect, the humidity was low, and a light breeze kept us all cool and comfortable.

 

When the babies mom came to get them, Sweet Pea ran up to her Nana and said, "They built a park!"

All four babies were as good as gold. I am so grateful to have the swing set up so that the babies can run and play in the backyard. They were getting way too big to be cooped up in my living room!

For lunch I grilled hot dogs and chicken with lots of sides. Thing 1's son pooped out just as lunch began and took a long nap, but Super Why and Sweet Pea held in there, and sweet baby E spent the day napping on my daughter's chest, sitting on my lap, or in her little vibrating lounger enjoying the breeze and watching all the activity.

It was a really, really good day😊

Mystery Solved

For years (and years and years), I've heard what sounded like monkeys in the rain forest. Today as I was opening my curtains after getting out of bed, I saw a woodpecker pecking on a tree. It stopped, leaned back, and screamed like a monkey in the rain forest.

Mystery solved and I can quit wondering where the monkeys are! lol

Happy Memorial Day!

As you are grilling out, swimming, or doing whatever it is your family and friends have planned for today, don't forget to take a moment to thank the Veteran's that gave their life to give us the privilege to do whatever we want, today and always. I know it sounds cliche, but freedom isn't free. It has been, and continues to be bought and paid for by the blood of patriots.

To the families who lost loved ones, my heart goes out to you ... but know that your loved one died for the noblest of causes. I'm sorry for your loss. I know those words don't take the sting out, but know that there are millions of people grateful for what they have done for us. I understand if you are justifiably sad, and probably angry ... but you should also be very proud.

Flattery Will Get You Everywhere :)

A friend I went to grade school and high school with posted a picture on Facebook of her, her husband, and their beautiful dog riding on the ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke Island. I LOVE Ocracoke, so I HAD to replay. Here's our conversation ...

I am SO flattered that MY books is on a summer reading list!!!!! Pretty cool, huh?!!!!!