Up to my eyeballs.

  This post was from May 25.  However, I put it in  draft instead of publish.  So what the heck.  I am going to publish it now.  Heavy rains throughout the night with vivid lightening and loud thunder, all of which I slept through.  This morning  I was keeping a close eye on the newly fledged baby blue birds.  Four fat and fluffy little blue birds leaped (or fell) from the birdhouse into the flower garden.   They had a treacherous journey through the flower bed, around the water feature and up the drive to reach the safely of tall grass in the neighbor's lot.   Two were still in the grass at 5 pm.  I hope they figure out how to fly before the coming thunderstorms drown them tonight.    The Husband  picked our small strawberry patch this morning.     We have had enough berries in the past week to eat  two strawberry shortcakes.  Yum. Today, he picked two 4 quart buckets full.   So I froze two one gallon vacuum sealed bags of halved berries(although I am sure they did not hold a gallon)  With the remaining  berries, I made two batches of strawberry jam.   I took four still warm jars to my quilting girls.  We  five get together once a month to catch up on the news of one another and share in some sisterhood.   Great gals and I love them dearly.  It was nice to share the bounty with them.   The past two weeks I have been busy planting the flower beds.  The peonies are blooming now.   They smell so lovely.  Between work and the yard/garden  I have had little time for the computer and reading blogs.  Rainy days are always nice for catch up time.  

6 week update

And how fast the time flew.  After the prom, I have been gardening between the rains.  I have all the beautiful flower beds planted.  I had them all weeded at one point.  Now I need to weed again.  The colors are gorgeous this year because we have had so many nice rains.   No need for extra watering.   I also had a bumper crop of strawberries and asparagus.  I made several recipes of strawberry jam, froze strawberries, gave away 5 quart buckets full of strawberries, took strawberries to every carry in event, and ate more that I ever wanted.    It was a bountiful year.  Our little patch has never produced so many large berries before.   It was wonderful.  And now I am glad that season is done.   The husband has enlarged the garden.   We have a 15 ft  x 30 garden.  And now we have a 16 by 16 foot area with the vining plants.   Not a good year for bean and corn plantings.  He has had to replant twice due to all the nice rain that has made the flowers so wonderful.  He plants and cares for the garden  I do the flowers and herbs.  Together we pick and preserve-either freeze, can, or dehydrate the produce.   Since I work full time I am most appreciative of his help.   Our neighbors like to stop in and view the yard and the progress of the garden.  I think because they know they will share in the bounty when we have more than we can eat.   
  So the spring rush is over and I can settle down into the summer routine.   I have purchased the new EQ7 upgrade, which I installed today.  I hope tomorrow I might be able to spend some time playing with it.  I do enjoy designing my quilts on this program.   I did spend Wednesday with my Quilting friends.  We had a road trip to a nearby town to shop for fabric, eat lunch, talk and laugh.  We  have a grand time together.  I also went to the Missouri River Quilt Guild quilt show last Sunday.  Very impressive.  Many beautiful quilts.  Seemed to be a very good attendance.
    Now that I am caught up on the outside work, I hope to be a more faithful blogger.  

Floods and Prom

This was the big weekend for #2 Granddaughter.  She looked beautiful as she sloshed through the mud and water while holding her gown up to her knees.  It must have rained at least 5 inches yesterday in Northeast, Missouri.  There is standing water every where.   All the little creeks, small rivers, drainage ditches and some fields were flooded as I drove South toward home today- in the rain.  A little rain did not deter the determined high schoolers from enjoying the party.  The Granddaughter arrived safely back home at about 0530 this morning and was sleeping when I left for home.   So all the drama and angst was worth the final smiles and thrill of Prom.   The end of another school year on her way to "real life".  I had forgotten my camera which necessitated a quick trip to the local Walmart for a cheap camera to record the big events of the night.   While at  my daughters home for the Prom we celebrated the #2 grandson's 15th birthday.   His is moody and sullen these days.  He has arrived at the " I am smarter than my parents and just about everyone else alive" age.  I hope he comes out of the "black hole of teenager" alive and a better person on the other side
  I, meanwhile had a chance to attend a small quilt show in Keokuk Iowa with my mother on Saturday afternoon.  I was very nice.   I also enjoyed the day events of preparing for the prom.   I think it was a success and everyone there is exhausted and resting today.   Glad to be home again.  Tonight- a movie and the couch.   Work again tomorrow.  For those of you with Face  Book- hop on over to my Facebook page and view the Prom photos.  Cheers

Long week

As always, the week has flown by.  I have worked many hours or overtime in the last 10 days.  Needless to say I was very tired this weekend.  I was lazy and did not get up for Sunday School.  I stayed home and drank my coffee and read a bit.  Then off to church.   I fixed a lovely crock pot luch of roast beef and carrots.  Then finished the meal with mashed potatos, gravy, homemade egg noodles, and rolls.  I should have stemmed some of the prolific asparagus we are harvesting, but did not.  I did manage to weed two flower beds and transplant a couple of Columbine.   My muscles were complaining so I stopped with the weeding.  I will resume that task on Wednesday.   I think that this time of year in Missouri is the most beautiful.  The redbuds are nearly done blooming.  The hawthorne and dogwood are pretty.  The grass is brilliant green and the dandelions are bright yellow.  The days are warm with low humidity. The nights are very cool and crisp.  My favorite time of the year.Yesterday, I met with some friends for lunch at the Lake of the Ozarks.  There is a tea room called the Yankee Peddler there.  We met there and had a great time catching up.  Lovely to see the 4 friends again.    Looking forward to next weekend when I will travel up north to visit the grand children and their mother again.  It will be prom weekend and we will see the dress and the hair in all of its' glory.   I wish to seen condolances out to my two friends who lost family memeber this week.  God be with you and with all who read my life in Mid Missouri.  Thanks for stopping by.  Come again soon.

Bleeding Heart

I came back from the trip to Northeast MO to find my bleeding heart all abloom. I had to share with you all.  We had a lovely Easter spending the night and coloring eggs with the youngest grandson.  Then Grandpa took the boys fishing.   Nice windy, warm Saturday for that.   Today we went to church with Husbands father and Mother.  However, we did not arrive early enough.  The Church was full to over flowing, so we had to sit all around where ever there was space for two or three of us.   We saw and visited with many old friends.  So nice.   Then off to my Brothers for Easter dinner with my family.  We had not all been together since Christmas.  My folks just returned from spending the winter in Texas, so it was good to all be together.   Then home tonight to find storm warnings, chance for more rain and my beautiful Bleeding heart.  Hope everyone has enjoyed their Easter day.    

Anniversery

When I was quite young,my grandfather told me "time flies by".  People frequently say "where did the time go?".  As a younger mother of two toddlers, I remember thinking, the days and weeks went so slowly and the time would never come for the children to grow older and more independent.   Where did the time go?  The handsome young man, with the very smart "65 Ford Farlaine has become the older man sitting in his recliner watching reruns on the Western Channel.  If someone had told me, so long ago, that 38 years later I would be going to bed at 930 at night insteady of midnight,  I never would have believed them.  That a big date night for us would be going grocery shopping, or eating an early dinner out and being home on the couch by 630pm, I would have laughed.   Our 38th anniversery was March 26.  We are older, I hope wiser and just amazed at how fast life has passed.  We went shopping for some Easter clothes for the Man of the House, picked up some pet supplies, ate an early dinner out and made it back home by 5 pm.   Funny how time changes your priorities and desires.   Fun comes in many forms, none as wild or exciting as we once dreamed them to be.  Happiness and contentment comes in little intimate moments of every day life.  Shared in simple ways.  We are  grateful for each other, our good health, our children and grandchildren, our parents, our wonderful church home, our faith in God and the free nation we live in.    God bless our soldiers, protect our friends and family and help those who are in need  whatever that need may be.   God bless each of you as you read this journey in my Mid Missouri Life.