I took advantage of the extra day off on my weekend -- which for me was Saturday -- and did a bit of work around the house. I did NOT buy any new plants this weekend. I am still working on the last bunch. We had a thundershower today that was perfect for a bit of water on all the new stuff.
Bob made some steaks for our dinner tonight and Cass, Alex, and Adam joined us. Then Bob & I went to a movie -- The Wild Hogs movie.
When I told Alex good-bye, I said it was nice they had joined us for a Memorial Day picnic meal. He told me Memorial Day is the day you remember the people who have died. I looked at Cass, and she gave me a look as if to say "didn't you know that?" But then she explained that Alex had asked her about all the flowers and people that he had seen at the cemetery as they drove by.
Yes, Memorial Day is a day for remembering. We don't do the remembering in our family the traditional way I guess. But we do remember.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
I Thought We Lost Milo Today
Milo is the cat. Of course, what else would be named Milo. We are his people. He is nearly 17 years old. He spends most of his time sleeping or just watching Adam do whatever Adam is doing. I have told Adam he can't move out as long as Milo is alive, because sometimes Milo walks around the house crying while searching for Adam. His crying is annoying.
Milo does allow time for bonding with us, though. He sits on Bob's lap every evening while he is watching TV. I am surprised the dog allows this. Maggie, the dog, spends her time watching Bob, but that's another story. My time with Milo is any morning that Adam gets up before me. When I hear Adam turn on the shower, the next sound will be Milo pushing open the bedroom door and slipping in if the dog is out. He jumps up to walk on me and lets me pet him and scratch his head. I can't hide my face under the sheet to muffle the purring or avoid the face rub. He will paw at it or try to get under it. When I do get out of bed, we go the kitchen and get Milo's breakfast. I have to serve this in the sewing room, so I can exit and close the baby gate that keeps Maggie away while he eats. When he's done, he walks through the baby gate and Maggie dances around trying to convince someone to let her in the room to finish the breakfast. Again -- I guess that's Maggies story. But Milo goes along with it and always leaves some for Maggie.
I think the rest of Milo's day is spent napping in various favorite spots around the house. If one would like to find the most recent favorite spot, all one would need to do is put on a pair of dark slacks and start sitting around the house. At some point, someone would ( or should anyway) stop one and say "what's all over your pants?" It would be red tabby cat hair, of course. One would have found the spot.
Years ago Milo would chae a rabbit's foot when we tossed it for him. For a while he would fetch it and bring it back to be tossed again. Then it seemed to occur to him that wasn't a proper cat game, so he stopped bringing it back.
He still seems to enjoy watching Adam toss and retrieve the rabbit's foot himself.
Milo knew right away that whatever was in the bundle Cassie brought home almost 5 years ago, was gonna be trouble. He sat across the living room and hissed at the baby blanket that held baby Alex. He had that figured right, and for most of the past few years has managed to keep out of sight and reach of Alex. But he has gotten to be a heavy sleeper and a bit slower, so now and then
Alex does sneak up on him and carries him around. Milo will hang over Alex's arms with a look of helplessness, and Alex's eyes will be wide and bright and very proud that he has outsmarted the cat. It reminds me of a Kodak moment I wish I had on film -- we were in the pet store in the Westroads and Adam was
Alex's age, when he had the little orange tabby kitten hanging from his little hands, saying, "Mommy, I want us to get this one." Our little kitten hung there with that same look of "I'm gonna need help, here."
Well this morning, Milo did not come into my room. I wasn't bothered at first, but when I got downstairs and Bob asked if had seen the cat, I sensed something was wrong. We called and made our own cat sounds and searched every favorite spot we knew of and did it all again. I stood outside and called for him and looked in street hoping I wouldn't find him there. But I was becoming pretty convinced that he had got out somehow the night before and become frightened by the thunderstorm and ran wildly until he was lost. I was about to phone Adam and question him about where and when he had last seen him.
Then I heard Bob talking to someone upstairs. Since he and I were the only humans in the house, I knew he must have found Milo. Yes, there he was -- he had created a new sleeping spot in the corner of Adam's closet. I had walked by him at least twice in my search for him, and my calling hadn't awakened him.
He must be losing some hearing and sleeping even sounder. He woke up real slow, so we kept on eye on him for the day, just in case he was getting sick. But all seems fine.
He is a good cat. I am glad we still have him.
Milo does allow time for bonding with us, though. He sits on Bob's lap every evening while he is watching TV. I am surprised the dog allows this. Maggie, the dog, spends her time watching Bob, but that's another story. My time with Milo is any morning that Adam gets up before me. When I hear Adam turn on the shower, the next sound will be Milo pushing open the bedroom door and slipping in if the dog is out. He jumps up to walk on me and lets me pet him and scratch his head. I can't hide my face under the sheet to muffle the purring or avoid the face rub. He will paw at it or try to get under it. When I do get out of bed, we go the kitchen and get Milo's breakfast. I have to serve this in the sewing room, so I can exit and close the baby gate that keeps Maggie away while he eats. When he's done, he walks through the baby gate and Maggie dances around trying to convince someone to let her in the room to finish the breakfast. Again -- I guess that's Maggies story. But Milo goes along with it and always leaves some for Maggie.
I think the rest of Milo's day is spent napping in various favorite spots around the house. If one would like to find the most recent favorite spot, all one would need to do is put on a pair of dark slacks and start sitting around the house. At some point, someone would ( or should anyway) stop one and say "what's all over your pants?" It would be red tabby cat hair, of course. One would have found the spot.
Years ago Milo would chae a rabbit's foot when we tossed it for him. For a while he would fetch it and bring it back to be tossed again. Then it seemed to occur to him that wasn't a proper cat game, so he stopped bringing it back.
He still seems to enjoy watching Adam toss and retrieve the rabbit's foot himself.
Milo knew right away that whatever was in the bundle Cassie brought home almost 5 years ago, was gonna be trouble. He sat across the living room and hissed at the baby blanket that held baby Alex. He had that figured right, and for most of the past few years has managed to keep out of sight and reach of Alex. But he has gotten to be a heavy sleeper and a bit slower, so now and then
Alex does sneak up on him and carries him around. Milo will hang over Alex's arms with a look of helplessness, and Alex's eyes will be wide and bright and very proud that he has outsmarted the cat. It reminds me of a Kodak moment I wish I had on film -- we were in the pet store in the Westroads and Adam was
Alex's age, when he had the little orange tabby kitten hanging from his little hands, saying, "Mommy, I want us to get this one." Our little kitten hung there with that same look of "I'm gonna need help, here."
Well this morning, Milo did not come into my room. I wasn't bothered at first, but when I got downstairs and Bob asked if had seen the cat, I sensed something was wrong. We called and made our own cat sounds and searched every favorite spot we knew of and did it all again. I stood outside and called for him and looked in street hoping I wouldn't find him there. But I was becoming pretty convinced that he had got out somehow the night before and become frightened by the thunderstorm and ran wildly until he was lost. I was about to phone Adam and question him about where and when he had last seen him.
Then I heard Bob talking to someone upstairs. Since he and I were the only humans in the house, I knew he must have found Milo. Yes, there he was -- he had created a new sleeping spot in the corner of Adam's closet. I had walked by him at least twice in my search for him, and my calling hadn't awakened him.
He must be losing some hearing and sleeping even sounder. He woke up real slow, so we kept on eye on him for the day, just in case he was getting sick. But all seems fine.
He is a good cat. I am glad we still have him.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Gardening, Too
Yes -- I have been diggin in the dirt around here, too. You don't even want to know about all the plants I am finding and putting out in the hot sun. Or really I just can't remember all the names right now. So far they are surviving. And a good rain for them tonight.
And Adam brought the biggest hanging basket you can imagine from the flower shop for Mother's Day. We really can't figure out where we might hang it. It is so heavy, it may have to become the focal point on the front porch.
Also for M-Day -- we had a mid afternoon lunch at a new place -- Granite City.
The kids got me a gift card from a camera store. Cool, huh? I believe they think I should enter the digital age. They are probably right. I have boxes and books of photos galore, and Bob just comes home, sits at the computer, and edits his photos the same day. I have a new screen depicting a bird or tree or something in nature every time I sit down here. Anyway -- back to M-Day --we also did a couple of Estate Sales as is our usual Sunday routine. And I found something big this week -- a kitchen island/serving stand. it's neat.
I am working on my lists like you all have posted -- and I do know what the phrase is that I over use --- "Really?" or "Really!" or "really now?"
And Adam brought the biggest hanging basket you can imagine from the flower shop for Mother's Day. We really can't figure out where we might hang it. It is so heavy, it may have to become the focal point on the front porch.
Also for M-Day -- we had a mid afternoon lunch at a new place -- Granite City.
The kids got me a gift card from a camera store. Cool, huh? I believe they think I should enter the digital age. They are probably right. I have boxes and books of photos galore, and Bob just comes home, sits at the computer, and edits his photos the same day. I have a new screen depicting a bird or tree or something in nature every time I sit down here. Anyway -- back to M-Day --we also did a couple of Estate Sales as is our usual Sunday routine. And I found something big this week -- a kitchen island/serving stand. it's neat.
I am working on my lists like you all have posted -- and I do know what the phrase is that I over use --- "Really?" or "Really!" or "really now?"
Friday, May 4, 2007
For This Weekend
I took a day this week to do some gardening -- got lots of plants put out and moved some that were in the wrong places. That was on Wednesday -- we went to our local cafe for dinner and a quick run to the discount store. Well while I was there, I bought about a dozen more plants. Of course i did not have time to put those plants out, so thought about getting up early and doing it Thursday AM. Like I can do anything early in the day. Well it started raining. and it is predicted to do a lot of raining these next few days. So when I got home from work tonight with one hour of daylight left and no rain -- I planted and dug around in a lot of mud. And I dug in the dark to get as many of those plants in as I could before the rain starts again overnight. I wonder what they look like out there now. I guess I'll see in the morning.
The same sort of thing happened to me last fall, as I ordered bulbs from the Holland catalog and they arrived right on time to get planted before the ground froze. I was working a lot of overtime -- enough to think spending $90. on bulbs was a smart thing. Well in the Fall, working overtime is working all the daylight hours. I had to get those bulbs in. -- $90. worth of bulbs could not be wasted. I was out digging around until after dark one night with those bulbs.
Now along comes our early spring -- so warm and things are greening up so fast and yes -- up come little shoots from my precious bulbs. It gets warmer -- the little shoots get bigger and then . . . . record low temps for 10 days. . . what's up with that?
I am not about to let my first tulips -- imported from Holland and planted in the dark, cold fall night --- and (overtime is harder to come by now) costing $90. ----- let my first tulips die before I even get a glimpse of a bloom. No, that can't happen. So every night we ( Bob is helping me now -- I told him about the $90.) cover our little tulip plants with old towels. And it works!! I had wonderful tulips. Some great colors and some stately black and white ones.
Well, I am hoping these weather people are right about this weekend, and my new plants get plenty of nice rain, and since May 5 is our official last frost date,
I will not have to be out covering my new plants this spring anymore.
Thank you for listening.
The same sort of thing happened to me last fall, as I ordered bulbs from the Holland catalog and they arrived right on time to get planted before the ground froze. I was working a lot of overtime -- enough to think spending $90. on bulbs was a smart thing. Well in the Fall, working overtime is working all the daylight hours. I had to get those bulbs in. -- $90. worth of bulbs could not be wasted. I was out digging around until after dark one night with those bulbs.
Now along comes our early spring -- so warm and things are greening up so fast and yes -- up come little shoots from my precious bulbs. It gets warmer -- the little shoots get bigger and then . . . . record low temps for 10 days. . . what's up with that?
I am not about to let my first tulips -- imported from Holland and planted in the dark, cold fall night --- and (overtime is harder to come by now) costing $90. ----- let my first tulips die before I even get a glimpse of a bloom. No, that can't happen. So every night we ( Bob is helping me now -- I told him about the $90.) cover our little tulip plants with old towels. And it works!! I had wonderful tulips. Some great colors and some stately black and white ones.
Well, I am hoping these weather people are right about this weekend, and my new plants get plenty of nice rain, and since May 5 is our official last frost date,
I will not have to be out covering my new plants this spring anymore.
Thank you for listening.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
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