Bits and Pieces continues...

newsflash: Upon arriving at Curves on Wednesday morning, the first words out of Mindy's mouth were: "I went grocery shopping for the first time in 4 months. I have the best lunch---turkey wrap, red pepper hummus with 3 veggies and dark chocolate covered raisins." I'm not surprised---she eats breakfast here and packs her lunch. Add to that, dinners I make, she doesn't have to shop much. Still, it was pretty funny that at 6 a.m. she was all excited about her food. That's my girl!

Today, she was all excited because she got a check for $85.00 from the gas company for being a "good bill payer." Never mind the fact that it was actually her money---they just sent her deposit back. I think she shares my way of thinking about money---doesn't really matter where it comes from. I can remember when I was waaaayy younger feeling all "rich" when all I actually did was return something.

On the flip side, Steph received a check for $289 from her doctor. She thought she had overpaid or something and was excited for that surprise bonus. Before she could even get the check to the bank, she got a letter the next day saying it was a mistake and she actually "owed" money. Bummer.

Steph has the same problem I do about books. She cannot go a single day without one. She forgot to take her book club books home with her from here. She did not want to start something else because she wouldn't have time to finish that along with the book club books. So instead, she opted for the History of St. Cecilia Academy---coffee table book. It's HUGE! I can see her reading in bed with that humongous book propped up. She said that book would be one where she could just read a chapter or two and put it down. She's such a "geek." Sandy and Mindy were not very happy that Steph requested that book for Christmas last year. It was produced in honor of the 150th anniversary of SCA. Of course, I would buy it for all three of them. Sandy and Mindy felt like she wasted one of "their" gifts for them. She's the only one that actually liked SCA and she didn't even graduate from there!

When I got home from Curves yesterday morning, I told Butch that I needed 45 minutes to an hour of his time by Friday. I've found that if I just warn him and tell him a "by" time, it works out best. That way, I don't expect him to drop everything right that second (which is what I really want---him to be at my beck and call). Anyway, Mindy thought it was funny that he responded, "okay, that will be $300."---his going rate. I'm kind of thinking it might be worth it if he has to just do what I say. Seems to me if I pay, he can't argue with me. I have those couple of new mirrors to be hung which requires a little moving around of some others. He's really not going to want to do it. I'll be hearing, "don't you think you have enough? what's with all the mirrors? this whole wall is going to cave in." Typical remarks when he doesn't want to do something. But on the other hand, he's been so accommodating since our England trip. Yesterday, he hauled off the old cushions that were all disgusting from mildew, filled my gas tank, washed my car and darn-near detailed the inside. Just love 'im!

Here's Morgan and her really, really, really nice boyfriend, Carson here for our regular Friday "happy hour." He's got the sweet deal. We pay him $100 a month to pick up his girlfriend! It's totally worth it to me to not have my schedule revolve around her school schedule. Today, I have to pick her up because she has an orthodontist appointment. I'll just dock him 5 bucks next month! Again, I'm just so "honored" that they don't mind hanging out with us. I never had any thought of taking my boyfriends over to hang out with the grandparents. I need to schedule a poker game soon.

Why is it that when the flower season is just about over---or at least I'm over it---that some flowers look the best? I have one of these on either side of the front door. Angel wing begonia---the best it's ever looked---and now it's time to pull it out to put in the fall planting.

These are the cool milk bottles that I got in MO in August. My plan was to keep them on the refrigerator and use them for flowers as a centerpiece. Well, that didn't work. They rattled so badly whenever you even walked by the refrigerator, that I knew I couldn't live with them there. I was "whining" via email to Jeanne and Janet. Jeanne said "put 'em on the front porch." So I did. I do everything she tells me to do.  They look great right here. She also solved the mystery of those robin eggs and what looked like dirt. She gave me those---I happened to have the little bird's nest. The "dirt-like" stuff were actually cleome seeds. I had them when we first moved here. I managed to kill them. She has tons. I don't remember if hers are from my seeds. That would be kind of cool---take the seeds to St. Louis and then they return to Nashville. They are self-seeders and spread really fast. I'm looking forward to seeing them again next year. The common name is "grandfather's whiskers."

Love my blue porch ceilings. Ever since seeing them in New Orleans and learning that they keep the bugs and birds from building nests, I knew I wanted to give it a try. Then I started noticing all the blue ceilings around here too. When we went to Mackinac Island a few years ago, the Grand Hotel had the largest porch I've ever seen. Their ceilings were blue too---to keep the birds away. It really works. We've had a problem with the doves building nests upstairs and the awful mess they make. The blue ceiling has totally taken care of that. On the other hand, we still have a robin that builds a nest in the wall planter every year. The birds actually make it, but not always my plant.

We've also moved the swing from upstairs to down. It's on the other side of the porch. Still waiting on my new front doors and then everything will be complete. More pictures then.

My friend, Linda brought this layout to show me. This is a class layout that I designed several years ago. She was describing it to me and I couldn't remember it. She finally got photos on it. I remembered it once I saw it, but I didn't have the heart to tell her that she worked the page completely upside down. the left hand page should be rotated so the stripe is on the outside. Same goes for the other side. Basically, the solid blue bottoms should meet in the middle. It still looks good like this.

That's it for now.