I was going to post something serious before I took this picture of ducks swimming in our pond this morning. They aren't really afraid of me, they just kept a cautious distance between us. I really should not be so tickled by their presence. I am pretty sure they are responsible for the disappearance of my koi from the pond. We are going to redo the pond later this spring and provide more hiding places for my fish. In the meantime, I will enjoy the ducks.

This is for the "Blue" color challenge. The grape hyacinth aren't technically blue, but I liked these best of all the shots I took this morning. These plants used to be all clumped neatly together, but now they grow wild all over the yard, which I like even better.

The Kitchen Sink

This weeks challenge was a picture of your kitchen window sill. This includes my kitchen sink. What actually would be more telling with this photo would be all the junk I removed from my little shelf to take this photo, than what you see in the picture. I think the learning tool from this exercise was composition. I took a set of pictures in the evening when it was dark outside, and then this set this morning. The scene of my yard through the window was what I had in mind. My windowsill itself is quite prosaic. Lucky Bamboo, jars, measuring spoons, nothing unusual. But it is my sink and no one else's.

The photo is of my new handbag and Palm next to my old handbag and planner. The difference in size and weight is amazing. However, my brilliance at getting this post right leave a lot to be desired. I am just amazed at all I can do with the PDA. I put my entire grocery list in it today for shopping. It worked just as good as a paper list. I spent a lot of time entering prices, so I will have a reference when I go to the commissary again. I really am glad Ray got it for me.

The Start of Something New

 

Lazy Saturday

This has been a good day. I haven't done much, we went out and bought Ray a Rototiller for a belated birthday gift. I had been going to buy him a golf club, but he wanted the tiller more. I am here to serve. He is out digging up the garden. We are going to do some major redesigning of the garden space this year. That means I will have to have my annual gardening frenzy weekend in the next week or two. I go out and get the garden planted, spend lots of money, and then we just have to water and weed the rest of the year.

I have been putting stuff into my Palm the last several days. Every day I learn a new trick. If I had known how great it would be, I should have had one sooner. But this was one of those times that Ray knew what I should have more than I did. There are many benefits to have been married as long as we have and this is one of them.

I am going to get my last Secret Neighbor package put together tonight. Secret Neighbor is a fun swap. I get things that I would never have bought for myself. I really like my Monthly club too. Always an excuse to spend money when you are a scrapper.

This is for Marcel...

The best thing happened to me today. I went to Scraplove this afternoon, and there was a private message for me. It was from one of our exchange students; Marcel. He stayed with us in 2001. Somehow he found me there, I know that you can usually find people, but to have it happen to you is really different. Marcel is from Germany and is going to the university there.

Anyway, I am all excited about hearing from him. All of our students were great and do good things when they go home. I love to hear that.

My Birthday Gift

Ray gave me a Palm for my Birthday. I have been doing things with it all afternoon. There is so much to put in the machine, I have already put photos in. I will be able to stop carrying my planner when I get it all set up. Then I will be five pounds lighter.

Check out my Slide Show!

Here is my red challenge. This is our coffee pot. We got it at Christmas. it makes good coffee which is vital in the mornings at this house.

What happens to Peeps after a not so good day

There used to be three sleeves of peeps in this package. I came home and devoured five of those pink little guys just like that. I did offer one to Ray, but he shook his head and said he didn't really like Peeps. (I knew that :). More for me...

It was one of those days today

Today did not go well at all. I walked in the door at work this morning to the sound of running water. We don't have a fountain, but we did have a small waterfall in the center of the office. There had been a number of leaks about a month ago and roofers had supposedly fixed the leaks. That was definitely not the case. We were hauling water out in bucket, garbage cans and wheel barrows. The management company guy finally showed up, and go some restoration people in. The water was sucked up, but it is still dripping. We were brave and soldiered on through, but all our paper is moist.
Then to top it off, I have loan problems, but that is pretty minor, since it happens all over the time.
I really would like to retire.

Corner Photo Challenge

Here is my corner. It is in our family room and includes the fireplace which is one of the reasons we bought this house twenty seven years ago. A number of large trees have died over the years to keep that spot hot. The wall over the couch has some of my Frankoma pottery on there. there is a barbed wire cactus I bought years ago in Guymon, Oklahoma. The framed document is a deed dated September 5, 1916. My grandfather had made the Cherokee Strip Run years earlier, and this deed was for additional land to add to the original property. I spent a lot of great times on that farm when I was a child and I was tickled to be able to have this deed.

I am too old to be a blogger groupie, but I asked to have Afghanistan without a Clue linked here. If you haven't read it and would like to know what it is like for military people in Afghanistan and how they are interacting with the local Afghans go read it now. Captain Traversa and his crew tell stories that make you feel like you are there.
Anyway, I asked and he said sure. Then he mentioned this blog on his site. I am honored and embarrassed that he mentioned me. He has a fantastic blog, and I just am a little getting older lady in Haysville, who wants to post photos and write a little. Anyway, if you actually came over to look here, thanks, but there probably isn't anything here you want to see. I am sort of sorry that I am not that talented though.

Another Day, another Birthday Party

If being 60 didn't sound so old, I wouldn't mind reaching this milestone. I had told Ray I didn't want anything done at church like he has in the past. Instead, he took that to mean that he could have a party for family here at the house. In my crotchety old woman mode, all I thought I wanted to do was go out to eat on Wednesday, but now that I have been exposed to all the festivities, I am ready to party some more.
Ray bought a beautiful, but expensive cake at Walmart. Cream filled with fresh strawberries. I cooked up the mix and we are having homemade vanilla custard ice cream too. Ray is cooking hamburgers for the first cook out of the year. All the way around pretty good.
I would like it best if Andrew was here, but that can't be. I have to hand it to my parents, they never said a word about missing us when Ray was on active duty for all those years and we were gone on birthdays and other events. Some things just come with age, and I guess I am finally learning that too.

My Diva Day out

I had the greatest day today. My friends Toni, Sharon and JoEtta took me to Anthony for a Diva Day Out. Anthony is a small town about an hour south of Wichita. The town has a program where women (I suppose men could do it too) go down and visit for a day. There is a little house which is beautifully decorated where you have lunch, then you get a bag and go shopping. There are a number of nice boutique stores there and we obliged them by spending money which is what the ladies who operate the progrm admit was the purpose of getting us there. But it is so much fun spending the day with your friends. I feel really lucky to have friends like these ladies.

Welcome to my Blog

Well, here I am. Writing for anyone who would want to read it. I scrapbook for a hobby and journaling is important. But it is also the hardest part for me to do and for a lot of other people. Writing on a daily basis can help the flow of words as well as keeping ideas for journaling available.