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Saturday, July 31, 2010

Not much new...


When Friday at work ended, I was kinda tired from getting up so early all week, but I took an hour nap before we went out to eat...just down the road, to our fav Mexican place. Thank God it is so close, as it has become our favorite type of food, it seems. I had a vegetarian dish of spinach enchiladas and black beans and rice on the side. The beans were too salty, so I did not eat them, and I only had a few bites of the rice since it was so carbilicious!!! Oh, I made a new word...LOL.

Remember those bromeliads I had found along the road and picked up for free? I stuck them up under the hibiscus on the lower branches along the ground, and they are happy! Hubby and I went over to Lowes this evening to find a new one to tuck in, and they didn't have the type I wanted. I need to research them because there are so many types, but I want a smaller type but with the firmer leaf (not the leafy leaf, if you know what I am talking about)! I believe they are called Neoregelias...you can see some HERE. I love all the pink ones!!!

Today my friend and I went to a housewarming for a gal at work who I have worked with for the last 20 years, off and on. She just got her first house, and I am so happy for her! She had been registered at Target, and had picked all different colors of towels and hand towels, and a multicolored pack of 12 washcloths. My friend and I had gone to Target and tried to peice together all the towels on her list, and it semed like none of it went together...well, when we saw the multipack of washcloths all in bright cheery colors, we knew we had to match them, so we got a matching colored towel and hand towel for each color of the washcloths. They were beautiful. We decided to pack them in a laundry basket, and they had a black one which really showcased all of the bright and white colors so nicely. We threw a card on top with a curly ribbon bow in the same bright colors of the towels, and I thought it was just a wonderful gift, and just such a pretty presentation!

This evening we picked up the grandkids, and have been playing, and of course, Donovan and I had to do a little painting in our otherwise trash financial books, ...the one above is the one I painted, and then daughter came along and really took it up a notch by adding the bugs! Suddenly it was complete! Thanks Carolyn!!!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

"Financial dream journal" pages 2 and 3 done!

Well, I couldn't go to sleep until I stayed up to complete my new journal's page 2. The country page!!! It was fun...I painted the background page a sort of tan color, with two shades of orange circles all around...then added my magazine cut outs.

It features a lovely home, an antique clock, a sweet old boy horse, strawberries vining across the page, and best of all, some aloes in full bloom!!!
So fun and relaxing...a real "nobody cares how it turns out" kind of carefree attitude had by ME! Yeah! When I finally finished it around 12:30am, I knew my time was up, and I simply had to close my eyes for my 5am wake up call!!! :)

Tonight I did the adjoining page, which stated out to be a "city" page, but it sort of drifted. You see "Paradise" under the moon, stars, skies, and a sweeping tree, under the sun and clear skies, with love unfolding below.

Another fun time had by ME! I might be able to get to bed by 10:30pm tonight...all I have left is to clean up the kitchen, finish the laundry, lay out my clothes for tomorow, and hit the hay!
Sleep tight everyone! xoxo- Julie

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

An art adventure after work today!!!

Yesterday, when I checked the mail, I had recieved two of these thin papered books (literally) from investment places, that they send out routinely and everyone throws in the trash, cause you can't read the jargon! I decided right then and there that I would try painting the pages with acrylics and then doing whatever I wanted to do artistically. Here is the book when it arrived:

And here it is after I painted the front page, and cut out stuff from magazines, and did a sort of collage-y thing. It was so relaxing, just freeing my mind and allowing myself the freedom of creating whatever I wished! I gave the other book to Donovan, and he started painting his too, but quickly lost interest.

Here is a little drawing I did when we went on a day trip and stopped at a really great Ale House restaurant. I had a Sharpie with me...(NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT ONE)!!!!!! LOL. It was fun to do, and I am kinda attached to this little drawing for some reason, I can't bear to throw it away...maybe now that I have it on the blog, I can part with it!

Had a good day at work, got my name badge, my security badge, to be able to enter the call center, the parking garage, and the building. I got my computer passwords, and got my direct deposit set up! When I got home, the kids had been very good for my daughter all day, in good moods, and shortly they all left to go swimming at the kids house...so Grandma Julie got a little quiet time, and made dinner. Now I've got my feet up, and will rest till America's Got Talent comes on, and after thet it is bedtime again so I can rise again at 5am!
xoxo- Julie

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Good first day at work!



Hello! Getting up at 5am isn't too fun, but, hey, I had done it for 20 years prior...kinda back a few years in my life...so what the heck! I was oriented to my job from 5:45am-11:45am, then went to lunch, then to my employee physical and drug testing bit. They fingerprinted me, and quite frankly, I'm not sure if there was anything else they could have done to me, except check if I glow in the dark!!! After that I had to go to my police station for a second fingerprinting to get a license in another state, and then to get gas for the car. It was 4:30pm before I got home. I changed my clothes, got a glass of iced tea, took the grands for a walk and a little play and we watched a movie...then dropped them of at home. Hubby, daughter and I went out to eat to celebrate my new job, and then we came home, watched America's Got Talent, I wrote a letter to my cousin, and have visited blogs, talked to my Mom and my friend on the phone, watered the garden, and now it is 12:30am, and I have to get up again at 5am, so will now take my weary bones to bed!
Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!!!
xoxo- Julie

Monday, July 26, 2010

An evening walk through the yard...

I took the camera for a stroll through the yard at around 7pm this evening, and here is some of what I "saw"...


Okra getting started...

3 shots of gloriosa lily plants coming out everywhere...but still no blooms! They are the thin green things with tendrils...



My secret hideaway...I need to put a bench out here amongst the trees...

I pointed up and got a shot of this quite messy palm tree in the backyard, with clear blue sky peeking through...


Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone!
xoxo- Julie

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Happy Cactus Monday!!! I'm here!!!!


I did it! I sat myself down this evening freehanded a picture from a book called "Bringing The Outdoors In", by Peter Loewer. I added some color with my Mr. Sketch Pens and detail with my purple Sharpie ultra fine pen. It is a fantasy orchid cactus. I love how the stamen hang gracefully downward. I also really love epiphyllum stems! They are so cool looking...especially when wrapped around a tree!

We took grandson Donovan with us today for a little day trip, on my husbands last day of staycation! We first drove to Stuart, Florida and ate lunch at Cracker Barrel. Afterward, the two boys played some good old checkers together!

We did some country driving, tried to go to the Energy Encounter on Hutchinson Island at the Nuclear Power Plant, but found it is only open weekdays. Then we drove to the Treasure Coast Mall to stretch our legs, and was so pleased to find a Borders bookstore! Ours went out a few years ago, sadly. I really miss it. Then we walked the mall, and I snapped a few piocs of Donovan posing with some of the little favorite TV character rides there. It was a fun day.





I start my new job on Tuesday. My orientation to the company isn't until Aug 2, but my training for the actual job will start in 2 days! They wanted me to start tomorrow, but I already had some appointments, so Tuesday was OK. My friend, who went to NY for a week, will be so surprised that I found, got and started work already since she left! I haven't talked to her because I just wanted her to have fun with her friend there, and I can surprise her when she gets back home. I need to go buy a few items of clothing for work tomorrow too. I've been off 7 months, and really need to freshen up the wardrobe!

Happy Cactus Monday everyone!!!
xoxo- Julie

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Birdy doodle, a real birdy, and an alligator snapping turtle!


Grandson Donovan and I were doing some fun art tonight, and I drew out two parrots on the front of an old Your Big Backyard ( a kids magazine done by National Wildlife), and colored them in with pastels. I gave them talking bubbles, and Donovan told me what to have them each saying! So sweet. The pic below is the same sketch with the addition of the lightsaber he drew, colored and cut out to attach! Of course, that immediately made me fall in love with the whole thing...LOL.

Here is a little cute dove that was standing on the back of one of my chairs in the back yard. Awe. The white thing in the grass is the wings to a large styrofoam airplane we fly around from time to time! :)

Last but not least, my hubby, daughter, Donovan and I drove down to the Ft. Lauderdale Science Museum today...they brought out a few live animals to show, and one was an alligator snapping turtle! These things are something else...big thick heavily armored shell, with multiple spikes coming off his neck and head, and this guy NEVER closed his mouth the whole time he was out there...looked like he was ready to snap at someone or thing at any given moment! It was really something to see, and I doubt I had ever seen one before! Sorry about the horrid picture quality, as I only had the darn cell phone!

Here is a better pic and information on these amazing turtles, provided by Wikipedia.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Mid-century chair?


My Mom and I were leaving the neighborhood one day, and a man was putting this chair out by the road. He was moving, and couldn't take it with him.
He told us we could take it, and also gave us the matching foot stool.
My Mom, the upholsterer, made it new cushion covers! She picked a beautiful floral patterned fabric. As you can see, you can change it's degree of recline in the back by moving a long peice of wood to different positions.
I have always felt it was probably crafted in the 50's. Maybe 60's. Does anyone have a good guess, or idea? It is just the best little chair (it sits close to the ground). Don't you just love these WIDE arms??? They come in handy while watching TV while eating! Donovan loves it cause he can have his mac n cheese while watching Spongebob Squarepants!!!

We have had the pleasure of loving it for the past 6 years or so!

We have to do something for all of us...the whole country!

What do you guys think of a single payor system of healthcare? Like put everyone on Medicare and le the government run it? Do you think it is fair that poor or low income, or even people who work that don't have the luxury of (f-ing) insurance, can't have healthcare??? What the -----????? I've always had insurance. I'm a lucky one. Yes...VERY LUCKY. If I didn't I couldn't afford my medication or pay for doctor visits, or any tests I might need. My teeth would ROT THE ---- out of my head...and guess what...nobody would give a care! If you think it is easy to get any kind of help...even here in Palm Beach County, freakin Florida...you are wrong!!! You will be out on the street...homeless, in a drop of a hat...unless you have someone to REALLY help you. I am learning this all first hand. It is sickening! It makes me want to vomit and cry all the time. Watch it happen to someone you love...it is not good. It's terrible...REALLY terrble.

Normally I don't talk about negative or political stuff on my blog, but I just wonder what you all think we, as Americans should do. I despise the rich buying, buying, buying...why??? Because they are fortunate to have been able to go to college, or be in a weathy family. Not everyone is able to do that, obviously. We need all people, at all levels, to accomplish all of the jobs we need done here in this county. We, the fortunate, enjoy all the laboring of those who are stuck in this lower trap! BUT...do we care??? God, we should...we REALLY should.

I believe a single payor system for healthcare would benefit us all...do we love one another, or do we just look the other way?????

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Donovan's last zinnias and Stolen cuttings!


These are the last two zinnias that I believe can possibly come from Donovan's pot! These are on the tallest stem (about 4.5 ft. high)!!! The color is lovely! So soft and muted. I think they are my favorite of all. Worth waiting for!

Below is a pic of some coleus I stole today from a shopping center. These are very pretty, but I had seen some down the way farther, that were even frillier and with more color. It was so hot, I couldn't bring myself to walk back down to get them. We had the kids there, where the movie theater was, and neither of them could sit for the movie we went to. An American Girl movie about a gal named Kit, who was raised during the Great Depression. My Mom went along and she and my daughter got to watch the whole thing, while I wandered around outside with the kids! They said it was so nice, rated G...just a very sweet movie. I will rent it one day for myself!!!

Does anybody want to paint these???

Is tomorrow really already Friday??? My gosh time flies! Hey, I found out that I type 39 wpm with an online typing test! Better than I thought. I basically use the two finger method, and I have to look!!! LOL. Sad. I needed a 35 wpm to get the job, so yeah!!!

This is my hubbys last few days off for a vacation week, and we are looking at a lot of rain with this tropical depression off coast. We thought we would try and do an overnight trip somewhere with grandson, but now not sure...may be not worth it with all the rain. We shall see.

Have a wonderful Friday everyone! xoxo- Julie

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The job's official!

I got the call with the offer of the job at 8:30am this morning, and I accepted. So it's offically official! Yeah! My first day of orientation is August 2. I am happy, because the call center is closed ever day from 12pm-4pm, so during that time I will never be working, and I can pick up my grandson from school and get him home and situated before every having to go in (or I will have already gotten off by 12 noon! This is a dream come true! Thank God!

You should see the difference in the okra plants I planted in the orange Lowes buckets that are in partial shade, and the ones planted in the earth on my little garden plot! The ones in the ground are teeney compared to the ones in the buckets! The bucket ones are 6 inches high, healthy looking large leaves, and ones in the ground are about 1.5 inches high and smalllll leaves. I think I will leave everything where it is, because I wanted to move the bucket ones to the ground, but now I am afraid to. I wouldn't be surprised if I lose all of the ground ones! How iritating!!!

Then I was tempted to plant papayas in the ground plot, but after eating one tonight, I have decideed that papaya is so mild it really doesn't taste like anything! It is full of good things for you, so I eat it, if one is GIVEN to me, but I cannot decided what this fruit is really supposed to taste like! It's just strange. Do you like it??? What does it taste like to you???

Today I accompanied my husband to the dermatologist (all was well), and I had my teeth cleaned. That is always a nice feeling.

Tomorrow we are going to see an American Girl movie...about Kit, who grew up during the Great Depression. My Mom is going with daughter, myself and the grands. They are showing free movies every Tues, Wed, and Thurs mornings at our theater here. They sure make their money selling popcorn and drinks! I bought 3 small sodas, and 2small bags of popcorn and it cost 23 dollars last week! Good grief! This week we will have a different strategy! Going out to lunch afterward, and adding Hubby to the mix!

Well, it has been a busy day and I am ready for sleep! Best wishes to you all...
xoxo- Julie

Ants and aphids...



First, just let me say thanks for all your congratulations on my new job. I sure hope it pans out to be perfect...I am always looking for the perfect job!!!

Now, as for why you always see ants around aphids.....I never knew the reason why...I thought the ants wanted to eat them, but oh no...that's not why.......read this if you want to know! Warning! It's gross!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

I got the job!

At least I think so! LOL. The gal that interviewed me said that personnel will call me next. It will be a per diem position, in other words I will be working when they need me, but she guarantees 30-40 or more hours a week! I will be learning something new (telephone triage), and possibly be able to work in this area up to retirement age...only another 14 years!!!!! Yikes!!! Thanks for all your good thoughts and prayers...they worked!!!
Interview today at 3pm EST...fingers crossed.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Sunday fun!


Late Saturday evening I got my new alphalfa seeds in a jar and began the process of sprouting. They will be ready in a week.

We had the grandkids today and they have ended up spending the night. Donovan and I collected leaves from the backyard, and did some leaf rubbings. They turned out kinda neat, I think! This is the best summertime activity...quickly go out in the scalding heat, gather a few leaves as quickly as humanly possible, and run back in to the air conditioned table with your nice cold iced tea to do some artwork! Make this part last as long as possible!! LOL.



Here are the two sweet sugar pies, Donovan and Emily, playing in the shade of the back yard later in the day.


After we played Toy Story Operation, bounced on the bed and couch, watched videos, etc, we all went up to Arby's for dinner and then went to Walmart to have a look around. Donovan got a new Star Wars backpack! Nothing like being stylin on your first day of Kindergarten!!!
xoxo- Julie

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Doozey says hi, and job update...

Hi on Saturday evening! I was finally able to take the test they sent me for the job I had applied for! It was a really funny test! The first page asks you what you think people expect you to be like (ie: nice, calm, friendly, charitable), and you check off words that you feel fit that. Then, the second page are the same words that you check off as ones you feel you are! I wonder if they can actually tell anything from what seems like psycho-babble. It is used around the world in many countries by different companies, and in 60 different languages, it said, at the end. Hmmmm...well, I find it all interesting anyway!!! :)

I had gone out shopping with my Mom and daughter this afternoon, and got home about 4:30pm, and hubby said I had gotten a call from them (on Saturday)??? Wowzers! I called her back, but she was not at her desk, so I left a message. I sure hope it is to say "Welcome, and, BTW, can you come for orientation on Monday"??? LOL.

I need to stay calm, because they could be calling to tell me I don't fit the qualifications (they are looking for someone bilingual, which I am not). But they did say PREFER bilingual....to me that means, they would still consider someone who is not. So, I am sitting by the phone, waiting. If she doesn't call me this evening, I will call her back and give her my cell phone, which is in my pocket every minute of every day.

To help me stay calm, is my sidekick, the ever cute and adorable, DOOZEY GIRL!!!!!

Oh, and , BTW, have I told you how we are having a Mango-fest here, every darn day??? My cousin (4 doors down), and my neighbor (2 doors down)have trees. Neither of these folks or families of these folks, eat mangoes! They let me get all their fruit, which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! I cut it all up and keep it cold in the fridge, and BAM, it is just waiting for you to come and get it, and put it on ice cream, eat it plain, squirt it with whipped cream, or put it in a smoothie! Lawsy, I am having fun with my mango!!! They are really just starting to fall out of the trees now though, and I feel in a month I will be sick of it. It seems all of this stuff that grows so well in the south (ie: mango, guavas, okra, black eyed peas, and collards) are all things that maybe a lot of people don't really care for. I am searching for any good okra recipes I can use when my crops come rolling in! I should have quite a haul, since I just read that the average family would be fine with 4 okra plants, and I have 31. My Mom has 26! I think we are gonna be in trouble! I see some pickling in my future!!!

Keep your fingers crossed, still, for the job to come through! xoxo- Julie

Friday, July 16, 2010

Hi everyone!

I've been playing around with Krazydad's Kaleidoscope Maker again. It is 2am and I can't sleep! I tried to get a JPG made of mine, but it is not working properly, so no pic. Sorry. :)

Spent the day shopping with Mom, then came home around dinner time and my friend called, so she came over for dinner. She brought some snacks...brie cheese, and roasted red pepper and pine nut hummus and Wheat Thins, and some interesting beer. It was made by Kona Brewing Co., and called Wailua. It is a wheat ale brewed with passion fruit! It has just a hint of the passionfruit coming through. A limited release beer. If you can find it, give it a try. Here is the website if you want to check it out, all the way from Hawaii, which is a big long way from Florida! There is a cute little lizard climbing on the bottle, and I must tell you that my fav color of all time is the color they used on the cap! That alone makes this my fav beer, even though I rarely ever drink anything alcoholic. They knew what they were doing marketing to me, hee, hee hee. Anyway, I am sorry it is limited release now, because by the time I ever drink again, it will be gone! I am saving my cap!

Had salad bar for lunch. Made a vegetable cut-up skillet tonight. This is where I cut up eggplant, onion, red and banana peppers, yellow squash (large chop) and put a little Herbs de Province, olive oil and a tiny bit of butter and a little water to steam, and cover and cook (in a cast iron skillet) till soft. I stir it on occasion too, to blend all the flavors. That mixture is devine, and really great with rice. I made a Rice A Roni Teriyaki flavor and also carmelized a Kielbasa to add in. The vegetable part was the real life of the party though!!

Did I tell you that I have become a real Rice A Roni fan??? It's true! LOL. I never had it until the past few months and now I love them all, but especially the whole grain ones! So quick and easy. With the addition of my vegie skillet, it can't be any easier, faster or more colorful. I love a quick and easy to make dinner.

I haven't cleaned up and planted my new found Bromeliads yet. I can't avoid it though with them staring me in the face right outside my front door! Tomorrow, tomorrow, there's always tomorrow!!! :)

I applied for a job and have recieved the next step in e-mail to take a test of some sort, but the site is down right now, so must go back later. I am really hoping I get this job...the hours are M-F 6am-12 noon. How cool would that be??? I really need this. I would be able to then pick up my grandson from school and watch him till his parents got home. Still be home with hubby and daughter in the evening and sleep with Doozey at night (LOL...she would really miss me)...since I would not be working night shift somewhere. I feel like I am too old for it. We shall see, but I am seriously praying this job happens for me!

Wish me luck! You'll be the first to know if it happens!!!
xoxo- Julie

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

EDM # 5 by daughter, and new bromeliads!!!

I think I may have decided (at least in my mind) what makes a real artist! You can tell me if I am wrong...I may be completely wrong, and I hope I am cause then I could call myself one! My daughter has the ability to draw from her own mind. I have to be looking at something. I feel if I really was a true artist I would be able to do this! Anyway, I just wanted to show you her version of EDM #5 (Draw a bed), which she sat down and drew out in a few minutes...right out of her own brain. I am truly jealous of that ability!

Ain't that something??? Now I know many of you have this ability, and you are just SOOOOOO GOOOOD in my book!!!

Last night Mom and I had gone driving around specifically to look for rental houses for a certain someone I know, and we found these 4 bromeliads that someone had set out by the road for pick up. There are three in the pot on the left. I was thrilled because 3 of them have pink tips! Do you think there is any way I could have left them there??? Not a chance! This is how they look now, and I will take pics once I get them planted. I believe I may have found the perfect shady area where I can see them every day. Right up under one edge of my hibiscus hedge by my front door. They would also kind of hide the lower limbs and roots of the hibiscus (it's kind of a more open area down there). What more could I ask? YEAHHH!!!


Monday, July 12, 2010

Emily hiding, and EDM #5-Draw your bed!

My granddaughter, Emily, was found in a newly discovered hiding place tonight. I never use this corner cabinet in the kitchen...and she loves it!!! So cute! Oh...sorry it is sideways...I have no idea how to fix it!


EDM (Every Day Matters) #5 is to draw your bed. Well, my beds are all very uninspiring, so I thought I would look for outside inspiration! I found this lovely sort of lounge set that is actually outdoor furniture, and in the ad, is shown by a body of water on a deck! Now, I thought...THAT is the bed of my dreams!!! LOL! Anyway, I drew it, and it was a lot of fun! My grandson, Donovan said he would like that because someone else could sleep in there with him! How true!!! It's like a little nest! I am in love with the color of it too!!! Gorgeous!

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Cactus Monday and tamales!

This morning I was looking at They Cook and Draw, and saw the latest entry was for Humitas which look like tamales to me. My daughter loves tamales, and I had never even considered making them before, but somehow this drawing inspired me to watch YouTube videos on the subject, and I became VERY CONFIDANT that I could do it! I even ground up fresh corn to make them! Below is a pic of the big pot I used to steam them, and one site had suggested putting the corn cobs in the bottom of the pot (once they were stripped of the corn) to use to elevate the wrapped tamales so they would not be in the water, but just steam. I thought this was genius, so I had to do it. It worked out very well...allowed about an inch of water in bottom of pan, which was perfect. Of course, if you have a steaming pan that would be perfect. This photo doesn't even look like the were stipped yet, but they actually were!!! They are just corn cobs.

I put the corn from about 7 ears into my VitaMix and some oil (not much), and a little salt, and ground it to a puree. It was kinda wet, so we drained it in cheesecloth over a bowl for a few hours...but later we ended up adding some masa flour anyway to get it to the right consistency. I think if I did it all again, I would just make the mixture with masa meal (corn flour), and then you can just mix it to the right thickness right from the get go. Then we made a vegetable mixture and a meat mixture for the insides of the tamales. I cut and cleaned all my corn husks (taken off the cobs) and soaked them for 30 minutes so they would be easier to bend. Then formed the little pockets of masa with one of our mixtures inside, and rolled it up like a burrito in the corn husk. We had to use toothpicks to hold them closed since the husks were still not so pliable. The pic below was taken after the steaming was completed (about 30 minutes).

No one was more surprised that I was at the fact that they held together and were not mush in the end!!! It actually worked!!! Yeah! Below is the finished product. As you can see, the corn husks were just too narrow to get a good closure on the top (some did well, but others did not)...but all in all they were a hot with qll the family. My DIL, husband, daughter and Mom all liked them. That was a fun project, and I think now, after having done it once, I could definately streamline the process and do even better. I want to find an alternative wrapper to steam them in so I can make somewhat larger ones.

My hubby made a beans and rice to go with them. Oh, and the white stuff you see is a Mexican white cheese we laid inside the vegetable ones!

Also first thing this morning, I took a chair outside and sat in front of my front garden and sketched my prickly pear, for your visual delight on Cactus Monday. I am posting this early, so some of you may view it tonight (still Sunday)...but I wanted to get it out here on the blog so I can run and do some errands first thing in the morning.

Tomorrow we are keeping the grandkids for my son and his wifes 6th year anniversary! Time sure flies! They will spend the night, so the kids can go out and not have to worry about them and get a good nights sleep. Well needed, I'm sure!

Happy Cactus Monday everyone!!!
Julie

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Hibiscus hope and a pretty kitty!

This morning I had to trim my hibiscus and lantana bushes...sadly they were blooming away and I had to cut all of the great show off of them!!! I had a whole section hanging down from the front of the bibiscus bush that HAD to be trimmed or I would have had to have tied the thing up to keep it from cracking off from weight. I figure they will all be blooming out again in a few weeks, so no big deal, really.

I brought in a lot of the cut blooms and stuck them into my never brought down Christmas tree that has been left up as a symbol of hope for the world. I call my tree a new name now...HIBISCUS HOPE!!! The lights are still on it, but were turned off for the pic. It is sitting over there glowing at me right now and so much prettier with her lights on!

Our new Petsmart opened today, so we stoppd in for a look-see. Lovely store! Lovely animals for sale, and lovely people working there! Doozey got a new scarf to wear! She is saying, OH GOSH, DO I HAVE TO HAVE MY PICTURE TAKEN, MOM?????

When we were about to leave, we saw the most beautiful cat...a Himalayan! His name was Bentley, and we spent quite a little while visiting with him! So fluffy and soft...big blue eyes...just a real beauty! Reminded me of Judi's cat, Abby over at Cranberry Blossoms, except that Abby is a Persian X, and she is, of course a different color. Did you know that a Himalayan is a cross between a Persian and a Siamese? I didn't. Lovely!!!

Hello handsome!!!

The grandkids went down to their other grandparents house today, so this makes 3 days I haven't seen them, and I am suffering withdrawl. I love those little cutie pies!!! Hope ya'll have a fun Sunday!!!