A place to share my goofy life through stories about my mishaps, recipes, decorating and everything in between as I try to find my way again...all with a smile = )
Today I ran a few errands in town and heard a song on the radio that made me smile. About 10 years ago (wow does time fly!) my daughter and her friends dedicated this particular song to me and whenever I hear it, I can't help but get a smile on my face and remember those times. Anyway, instead of singing "Stacy's Mom" the girls would sing "Bonnie's mom" haha..
Stacy's Mom by Fountain's of Wayne...
So, of course today I updated some of my music uploads and found many more songs that make me think of summer.........
Can't have some without Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett
Kokomo by the Beach Boys!
Doobie Brothers - "Listen to the Music"
Lightnin' Strikes - Lou Christie
"There's a Kind of Hush" ~ Herman's Hermits
"Sister Golden Hair" ~ America
"Incense and Peppermints" ~ Strawberry Alarm Clock
"Feels Like the First Time" ~ Foreigner
"Hang on Sloopy" (though I always thought it was SNOOPY so it was hard for me to find on YouTube hahaha) ~ The McCoys
"Tears of a Clown" ~ Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
"My Sweet Lord" ~ George Harrison
"She'd Rather be With Me" ~ the Turtles
"Young Girl" ~ Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
"In the Year 2525" ~ Zager & Evans
"Still the One" ~ Orleans
OKAY, I could do this all day.........hope you enjoy these songs that have been put on my summer playlist~ = )
Today is FLAG DAY! When Toby and I went on our walk this morning (Joey went too, but I carried her most the way - ha) it was so neat to see my neighbors with their flags waving - either on their flag poles, stuck in the ground near the road or sidewalks, or with banners draped across their front porches (like I did).
Today I worked on and completed a small landscape project in the side yard under my dining room window. I tilled, dug a trench and put in concrete edgers, planted some flowers, (I already had put in my canna and gladiola bulbs) and put down 3 big bags of red mulch (I love the red mulch with my maroon house shutters). Anyway, I'm pooped and will download the pictures of my completed project later! (I'm too old for this manual labor!)
Today I worked on my tile project in the basement bathroom again. What a slow process. I'm glad to say Tile is all up on the walls and the ceiling of the shower, so today it was time to grout. Here are a couple of pictures of how the tile looks with the grout on it!
Grouting in progress photo...meticulous work getting it in around and between all those little squares!
And...this is what it looks like with the grout in place! I'm quite pleased with it!
While my daugher is off in Arizona house sitting, I am babysitting her little dog. She has a little 3.5 pound Yorkie and next to my 100 pound golden doodle she is a tiny, tiny thing. She is all spunk though! She loves to sit out on the screened in porch and bark at birds and, despite her size, she thinks she is a "great hunter" and loves to wait and chase ground squirrels that run out from the cobblestone walls in the back yard.
My dog, Toby, was happily chewing on his rawhide bone and Joey comes up to him and grabs it. It was so funny! Toby didn't quite know what to do, so he just held on while she tugged and tugged on it. Finally, Toby let her have it because he is a very good host. = )
Joey is all tuckered out after tugging on the bone and stretches out with a smile on her face.
Babysitting your children's pets so THEY can go on vacation = Summer!
WOW! I got behind again! I am writing down my posts, but in the evenings, instead of getting on here and posting them, I am finding I am sitting on the porch reading books instead!!
Speaking of porches.......what would summer be if it weren't for lazy days swaying on a porch swing and enjoying the beautiful weather? I have two porches and I love them both. I spend most of my time on my back, screened in porch. I love to sit out there and read, take naps, and even watch summer storms roll in my way from the west.
I thought I'd share some pictures of my favorite porches.......
I love the wicker furniture and the awnings on this orch. What a nice big, relaxed seating area!
WOW! Look at the wrap around porch on this house! I like the side entrance to the house and yard and of course the beautiful stone work. This is so pretty!
In my humble opinion, no home is complete without a porch swing! This looks so inviting (why don't my porch swings look this pretty?
I really like this porch - it's more like a living area. I love the ceiling fans and am so glad that I put fans on my porches. I also like the narrow "buffet" table and the painting above it - people have such neat ideas!!
This is a pretty "patriotic porch"....another summer "must"
And THIS is my screened in back porch on the back of the house! It is a little bare, but you can see I have wicker chairs and lighting for reading. Underneath I have my porch swings. Once I dress it up a little I will share more pictures!
This is my June 9th post. I'm catching up!! Today I spent the day working in the back of the yard. I'm having a very frustrating time getting my pool water to clear up! But since we've been working on the basement and my daughter moved home, the back of the house and patio areas have been a MESS. I swept and hosed off the patios and put together a storage box for the pool supplies. Then, I decided I deserved a break and finished reading the book I've been working on while floating in the pool.
This is when I decided it was time to take a break and get into the pool!!
ARGH!! I was trying to drag pool chems to my new storage box! : (
This is my view from my floaty : )
This is Toby giving me that, "you're going to get sunburned, mom!" look.
And this is me thinking, "I should have listened to the dog!" OUCH!
This is actually my June 8th post. I am trying to catch up a little this morning! June 8th is always a melancholy day for me. It would have been my husband's birthday, and it was on this day that we placed his ashes in Grant Lake, Minn. four years ago. I still can't believe it's been that long - sometims it feels like he's still just in the next room...and yet, others it feels like it's been decades since I've heard his laugh. I wasn't sad today - just filled with many memories of fun, stories, laughs and hugs of my most favorite person in the whole wide world that I will miss forever!
I ran some errands today and cleaned the inside of the house -which needed it! I did manage to go take some pictures of my flowers and will share them with you........
This is a random sunflower seed that a little bird planted in the back yard for me! I love summer's surprises!!
These are called "miniature hollyhocks" I planted them from seeds 2 years ago and they have taken over my garden!! I actually really thinned them out this year. They were getting...well, not so miniature! They are so pretty though!
Of course toby had to get in the picture-taking haha These are some black-eyed susans that need to be thinned out, too. As you can see when they get so full like they are the flowers get smaller and they just aren't as pretty. Toby doesn't mind though!
Boy, I'm behind on these posts again - argh!! This post is actually for June 7th - the 11th day of summer - wow! I'm even confusing myself here!! Today I worked on an ongoing project in the basement - tiling around the shower! Here are some pictures to let you see the progress...PLEASE don't look at my mess-I am a messy DIYourself-er!! My mom always says, "boy you sure get into your work!" ha
So, the entire basement finishing project will be in my "home projects" tab some day when I get the pictures organized. I wanted something to jazz up the shower a little and decided to put blue glass tiles around it. I've tiled before (nothing like this, though) so I thought it wouldn't be a bit deal - I could do it....here is the before (Oh, and I'm not sure I'm in love with the blue I chose for the walls...may have to change that - I wanted something a little lighter).
BEFORE....
Here we are, just a regular shower. I've taped up some plastic to protect the shower as I worked...as you can see the ceiling over the shower has not been put in yet....
Here I am - tiling away! At this point I was SUPER pleased with the progress I was making AND the look of the tile -YAY
Look at me go!! I could do this for a living, right?
At this point I'm getting tired and for some reason I had a much more difficult time with the back here - I realized that the "wall" there is not square...argh...I didn't want to cut tile!
And.....This is when I fell! Yep, I went to step off the ladder, hit the kick plate of the shower and slid off of it and down I go-with the ladder. I decided now was the time to take a break and quit.
Stay tuned for the finished project....if I ever decide to trust that dang-dong ladder again!! OUCH!!
To celebrate the 10th day of summer - wow is time going fast - I had a wonderful massage at Senara Spa! I haven't ever gone in the evening before, but I think it is the best way to go! My appointment was at 6:45 and I did a 55 min. massage. By the time I got home I was so relaxed and didn't have to do anything but relax some more before going to bed. And, boy did I sleep well! WOW! If you haven't ever had a massage - you are really missing out. My health insurance actually has approved my getting theraputic massages through my chiropractor, so I'm lucky that I only have to pay a co-pay for them. If you are plagued by constant achiness, neck pain, etc. - I'd check out your health insurance-it never hurts!
I do have to tell you something funny. I have been reading the book 50 Shades of Gray and when the person giving me the massage said, "Boy, you are really tight right here." I could not help myself and said, "That's what HE said." hahaha I really got a kick out of myself! However, I didn't hear anyone else in the room laughing. haha
Doesn't that look soooo relaxing? (NO that isn't me in the picture!) ha
My FAVORITE is the hot stone massage - WOWZERS!!
Yesterday I did ask them to spend a little extra time on my feet and ankles - SOOO glad I did!
If you are ever in the Peoria, Il area - you must try out Senara! The staff is wonderful, they offer chiropractic care, massages, acupuncture, yoga, personal training, a full and glamourous spa, physical therapy and nutrition services! It's wonderful! Here is their website - check it out!
Today I officially prepared for summer! I got a much needed, much enjoyed PEDICURE! I must admit that my favorite part of a pedicure is those wonderful chairs you sit in and get massaged. I sooo want one of those for my living room! The problem would be that I would never leave the house again! ha There was this one place I used to go get my nails done and they had this little close-sized room with a gigantic very cool chair in it to wax eyebrows. Sometimes, after getting my feet done, I'd ask to go sit in that chair (it massaged legs too!) and I'd fall asleep. They'd let me sit in there and sleep in their massage chair. ha
The weather was BEAUTIFUL today! I started a landscape project, that I will finish up and share with you later, but instead of working too hard on it, I decided to play with the dog for most of the day. If you know me at all, you know how much I love my dog, Toby. He is a GIANT goldendoodle who quickly melts the heart of anyone who gets to know him because he is so smart (there is literally not a door he can't open, or a door knob he can't unassemble and take off a door) and sweet (he is always carrying around a stuffed bear...he's even managed to bark with it in his mouth! Here is this great big dog bounding towards you with a big-boy deep bark and....a teddy bear in his mouth. He's clumsy and goofy, snores in his sleep and is just my very best friend.
There's my baby...this time he has a stuffed cat in his mouth!
Now, if you look real closely at this picture, that green thing on his left arm, is NOT part of the hosta he is using for a pillow...it is a BABY BIRD! This little baby bird could not fly yet and was hopping around in all the hostas and Toby let that baby bird hop all over him and he took a break from playing in the yard with me.
Sometimes Toby and my daughter Bonnie share the same bear when they sleep. He is a "snuggle doodle" that's for sure! (Bonnie's bear, "Bear Baby" is literally as old as she is and she had gone to college, vacations, and all over with Bonnie). Toby knows how important bears are to people, so he loves Bear Baby too.
This is Toby's favorite pose after a long day of playing! He is my goofy doodle! LOVE HIM!
It was a dreary day today, so I decided to haul my daughter with me to go watch a matinee. I have not dared to go to a movie by myself yet (since my hubby passed away), even though that IS on my bucket list of things to do this summer. Anyway, there looks like there are some good movies coming out later this summer. We decided to go see, "What to Expect When You're Expecting". It was "okay", but if I had to rate it, I'd give it a C+; which is surprising with the great cast it has in it (Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz (not a big Cameron fan), Chris Rock, Dennis Quaid). I think I expected it to be more funny. The most I laughed was about Chris Rock's little boy who kept falling down-kind of as a comic relief in the background of scenes. ha. Oh, that probably isn't really true - I did laugh at more things! It is a good movie for an afternoon to do nothing with - but I'd probably wait for the dvd.
Have you been to any movies lately? What would you suggest for another rainy summer afternoon? Let me know!
Today was graduation day for our school and my heart is proud of all the kiddos and their accomplishments - those for which learning and school is fun and "easy", and especially for those that have struggled every step of the climb, made many mis-steps and back steps (and side steps and circle steps) along the way. Congratulations to all of the graduates....their parents and everyone else who supported them along the way. I hope you all keep reaching for your dreams!
A couple pictures from RHS graduation - shared by my friend on her Facebook page!
Look at those bright, eager, RELIEVED faces! NEW HOPE = SUMMER! : )
One of my favorite things to do over the summer is read! Because I don't have much time during the winter months to read -other than to prepare for lessons, etc. I savor my time on the front porch, on a pool float, on the hammock, on car rides, etc. to READ!
My reading list for this summer so far includes.....
House Rules by Jodi Picoult... I love everything Picoult!
Fifty Shades of Gray by E L James....Yes, Yes, I am going to go "there" LOL
Fifty Shades Darker by E L James.....You can't read one and not the other, right?
Fifty Shades Freed by E L James..........and the last one in the trilogy.
I also found this FANTABULOUS website that you put in a book that you really enjoyed and it will match it to other books that you should like! I will try it out when I finish these and add to my list! Check out this site yourself if you're looking for a "good book to read" this summer!
Today was the last day for teachers~~we had a wonderful breakfast and said goodbye to faculty that will be retiring. We cleaned out our rooms, loaded up our cars, turned in our grades, keys, etc. and were set free to rejuvenate and relax and prepare for next fall.
I came home, cleaned my house and took a nap.................on my hammock (at least until it decided to rain!) .....Again see that mess by my fence over there?? ARGH - must get rid of it!
Here is Toby sharing some down time near the hammock!
WOW! School is not out for us yet and I tell you today it seemed the drama and stress was running on over load! Tentative schedules came out and the hallways felt so tense! I am a big whiner, but one thing I've never gotten upset about has been my teaching schedule or classroom assignment. Don't get me wrong, I don't like change and I'm not above mentioning at lunch that I think they're going to move me again, etc., but, I just don't get angry or bitter about it. THANK GOODNESS because there is so much change going on that I'd be a mess. I feel so bad for my fellow teachers who are very upset about the changes that are being made - that effect them much more than they do me (which is probably why I'm not upset-duh!) It just makes me feel unsettled for them - and helpless too.
We have one more day left..........one. more. day. Then, we can all enjoy a much earned, much needed, much deserved break (of course filled with professional development, lesson planning for next year, etc). BUT, we now have the option of doing it.......oh, I don't know....by the pool?
HOLD ON MY FRIENDS.............We're going to make it.........Close your eyes and say to yourself...
May 29th ~ So, today I went outside to sweep off the patios (it's an every day ongoing process-I have WAY too many trees) and found this very unusual WHITE toad....isn't he cute?
Do toads change colors depending on what they are near? I may have to google this!
Okay, so I took a powder on the May posts - haha I'm sooo random with my intentions! I've decided that I will change my posts to 100 days of summer and try to post something that represents each day of summer - beginning with Memorial Day weekend and continuing until Labor Day Weekend! My posts will include the normal stuff and hopefully some much need-to-be-finished-projects, some fun foods and fun times too!
Day 1~ Memorial Day
Memorial Day Weekend is always a fun time to prepare for the summer ahead! It's a lot of work to get the pool and patios ready - and it is always an ongoing process, but we are getting there! Below are some pictures of the pool!
I really like the coastal look and LOVE adirondack chairs. I need to figure out what to do with the area next to the fencing though - WAY too much maintenance! Any suggestions?
Volleyball Net is up and ready for some Memorial Day fun! YAY!
Checking to make sure the pool lights work! YAY! We're good to go!
And, finally, Toby, our Lifeguard, checking the water for us to make sure it's ready for some fun! He says it is!
