saturday

We eventually settled in and had a nice time camping.
It started off a little crazy.
We had everything packed and ready to go but the car battery was
dead!
While setting up the camper I couldn't get the brace that supports one side of the camper to fit
where it's supposed to fit. It was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole while also supporting that side of the camper on my back. I fought with it for about an hour. It was so hot. I was sweaty, frustrated beyond words, and straight up pissed off.  Then the door that's supposed to be an easy drop down from the ceiling into the door frame would not fit in the  frame. We tried every which way but could not get the door to fit. We were so frustrated. We cursed, yelled, yelled at each other, almost quit the whole darn trip, then finally gave up...
 I ended up hanging a yoga mat we had in the camper, in the doorway. It was a perfect fit even if it looked like the Clampetts owned the camper!
 All the while trying to set up the camper I looked for my sunglasses. I couldn't find them anywhere. I wore them there but couldn't find them.
At one point I just screamed FUCK and thought to myself how much I hate camping and how much I hate some of the things happening in my life right now.......and I had myself a huge pity party in my head..............................then I got over myself, and boyfriend got over his self................and as the sun set, and the fire crackled, we relaxed. As I looked up to check out the sky I glanced at the top of the camper and there sat my glasses!

I found this little rock near our camp site. It made me feel a little better. Thank u to whoever left it there for someone to find!

 My baby.

sunday

We're packing our little camper and heading  to the lake for a few days of fishing, camp fires, and nature!    :O)

friday

Boyfriend is home after a 2 week stay in Colorado to
see his family.
He spent a little time in the hospital while there due to a couple of fainting episodes......
We went to his doctor the morning after he came home.
All is OK for now!!
It's good to have him home!

Nothing much going on.........I took the time while boyfriend was gone to re-new my CPR certification. I'd been putting it off...............then HR reminded me. :O)~

We wear ugly tan uniforms at work. They're the ugliest uniforms I've ever seen. The material is thin and cheap looking, and the color makes everyone look pale and washed out. I used to hate when I worked full time  having to get out of bed everyday and put on the ugliest clothing in the world. It's kind of depressing.
Recently it's been decided that the nursing staff will wear a new uniform color. After many years the tans will be ditched for grey.
I hate the tan ones so much that grey sounds better. The new uniforms are supposed to be better material and.
better made.
I can't help but wonder if the second hand woman in charge of our company, the one who decides what we will wear, if maybe her picking the ugliest colors in the world for us to wear is an expression of hostility she feels for us.
 I mean of all the different colors she could choose from and she picks a pale tan and now grey. WTF

monday

I had my family over yesterday for a grill out.
I prepped food and cleaned all morning long.

By the time everyone arrived here the temperature outside
was 90 something and the humidity was even higher. It was uncomfortable outside plus I was tired and not really in the mood for company.

I just wanted the grill out to be over with so I could take my bra and shoes off ( I would never wear either of those things if society didn't dictate that I should) and be inside the comfort of my air conditioned house.

friday

I worked a 12 hour shift today. It was busy but not over whelming.
It felt good to see some of my work friends again.
It felt good to be out of this house.
Some of the time I feel isolated from the rest of the world.

I watched "Into The Wild" yesterday.
I cried. It's a sad story. I read the book so I had to see the movie...........middle son loves the story........even had a picture of the bus tattooed on his back.
 Luckily my sister called just after the show ended and asked me if I wanted to go out for lunch with her.
It seems like forever since we hung out together. I was thrilled to go! I couldn't stand the thought of being in this house all day.....plus I wanted to catch up with her....
 After lunch we drove past our old stomping grounds.....and we caught up....connected.......it was fun!

monday

I've been getting little notes, postcards, and newspaper articles via the US mail from my dad for at least 30 years. (He lives 5 minutes away from me.)
I like that he takes the time to mail these things to me. I've been saving these notes, clippings, and post cards for as long as I've been getting them.
He usually writes a note in the margins (I especially like when he curses. It just makes me laugh! Because he's being him!)  and will underline all the important stuff. This is the latest mail from him.

i love him

sunday

I got up early yesterday so I could watch the royal wedding.
I loved  one of the little boys who held Megans' veil. He was smiling like it was Christmas morning. He had this huge gap between his teeth and he had alfalfa hair. I mean he was so freakin cute! You couldn't help but smile when you looked at him.
I loved the song and music played while Megan walked down the isle.........and the emotion on her mothers face, and then on Prince Harry's face as they watched her walk down the isle..
Harry and Megan looked genuinely happy. Very sweet.....

wed

I had a nice Mother's Day.
I got up early and went to the cemetery to place flowers on
my moms and my mother-in-laws grave.
Dad must have beat me to moms because there were pretty red flowers
there.

Oldest son and daughter visited. They hung out with me and boyfriend
on the deck. We grilled, and chit chatted. It was nice! Daughter gave me a fall wreath for the front door. She had a friend make it. It's very pretty! Son gave me a gift card and a rose. Sweet!
Middle son was in Myrtle Beach golfing. He texted me a I love you, and a Happy Mother's Day. :O)

I've been organizing all the family photos. I want them in good order for my kids when I die. You know? So  I'm working and thinking "man I miss my mom." Son was in the room with me. I looked at  him and told him I missed grandma. We talked about her for a sec and then I continued on with my work. I pulled a picture out of my box and it was a picture of my mom. It was a picture of her at her and dads place in the Keys. She must have mailed it to me at some point while her and dad were away.
 Written on the picture was a note to me from mom. It said "Sis, I miss you! Love MeMe"
It made me smile. I felt like she was responding to me.

Boyfriend is in Colorado visiting family.
I m afraid to fly so I didn't go.
I worry about him while he is gone but I know
spending time with his sons and siblings will be good for him.

flowers (my favorite flower) from boyfriend on Mother's Day

saturday

 he's such a stink!

our little garden. hopefully the wire will keep the deer from eating it. we also have a couple of pots on the shelter and a large one on the side porch. so fingers crossed that everything grows!

Our little homeless shelter for  cats in the neighborhood. The city will pick up stray cats, neuter/spay them then return them to the neighborhood where captured. We have 1 cat that I know of who uses the shelter. He's a cute little male grey cat.

I transplanted some Lilies for daughter to take home with her if she wants them!

monday

Our Derby party/grill out was fun!
Boyfriend picked the 6&7 horse to win and place, or something like that bet. I think he won 68 bucks and some change!
 I didn't win a darn thing! lol Maybe next time.

Those horses, the thoroughbreds are so beautiful!

saturday

The Kentucky Derby is today!
It's one of my favorite sporting events.
I'm having friends/family over for a grill out and to watch the race.

My picks to win the derby:

Bolt D Oro
Mendelssohn
My boy Jack
Good Magic or Magnum Moon (I haven't decided yet!)

They have 20 horses running. It's supposed to rain in Louisville. The field will be wet and crowded. Lots of great horses running. It should be an exciting race!

tuesday

yesterday was sunny and warm.
i think it hit 70 but because it was so sunny it felt warmer.
we grilled out.
the cats love when we grill. they love when we
spend time outside with them no matter what we are doing. they really are like
children.
i grilled corn on the cob and bratwurst with sauerkraut and onion.
it was delicious.

today will be another sunny day. it's supposed to hit 80.
i mean how can you not feel good after spending a day like today outside?
and that's my plan, to spend the day outside working on the yard and on my little gardens.
i bought some seeds yesterday.
i got some cucumber seeds.
i eat a whole cucumber almost everyday. i slice it. add some salt and pepper and a little salad dressing. it's usually what i snack on at night.
so yes, i bought some cucumber seeds, kentucky green bean seeds (i love a big pot of green beans), sunflower seeds ( like daisies, sunflowers are happy flowers.), green bell peppers, tomatoes, and watermelon seeds.
i'm excited to grow all of this good stuff!
hopefully i can keep the deer and raccoons away!

thursday

I read a handful of blogs.
I seldom comment (though I do more often than I used to!) even though
I really want to some of the time.
A couple of days ago I read a blog post
written by an older  woman.
Her heart was broken and hurting because her daughter left town without stopping to tell her good-bye like she said she would do. The daughter will be gone for a couple of years. The mom waited on her daughter all day and was crushed when she discovered her daughter left without saying good-bye.. She wrote about how she had cried all day.
My heart ached for her.
 I could not believe a daughter could be so thoughtless when it came to her mother. I told boyfriend all about her blog post. He was pissed! lol.
Yesterday I read her blog and she seems to be feeling a lot better....has accepted/come to terms with what happened......she even got herself a hair cut that looks so good.
I'm so happy that she had a good day! (I know I'm  a dork!)

East Area Rapist/ Golden State Killer has been caught! He's responsible for 51 rapes and 12 murders from the 1970's and 1980's. He's a monster and I'm thrilled that he is in jail!

tuesday

I stayed the night with daughter this past Saturday.
We painted wine bottles while we listened to and sang along with  all of our favorite country music. We cooked steaks and shrimp for dinner, and we chit chatted. It was a very pleasant night!















                                                                                                                    "little man"

friday

Boyfriend will have minor oral surgery today to remove 2 small growths in his mouth. Neither area is cancer. We should be in and out in under an hour. Then we are headed to the store to buy some chicken wire to put up around our little gardens to hopefully keep the raccoons and deer out of our stuff!
 The little bastards ate all of my Tulips, again! lol

While going to the cancer center for chemo, and then again for other medications we noted that people would leave baskets of vegetables from their gardens in the waiting room. It was free to patients and their families. Having cancer treatments is very expensive. An example is the cost of just the radiation. Boyfriend had 30 treatments. Each treatment is 600 bucks. Luckily the insurance paid all but 45 bucks a treatment. But paying 45 dollars a day for 30 days adds up especially when you have hospital bills from testing, surgeries, chemotherapy, and then other medications.......not to mention costs of all the other (pulmonologist, oncologist, surgeon, family practice, and radiologist),  doctor visits.
So  to go into a waiting lounge and see that someone from the community is so caring/thoughtful to bring veggies from their gardens to share with people who might be struggling financially, and might be choosing between medications and food, but who need to be eating a healthy diet, is the sweetest gesture in the world to me. (Not to mention the new little blankets they leave so patients can have their own little chemo blanket, and all of the books donated so patients and families can pass the time during treatments and after treatments while at home, reading if they choose to.)
Boyfriend and I hope that our little garden is fruitful enough this year that we will be able to take a basket of veggies or more to the cancer center. Right?
We will also be delivering books. I was always so grateful for all of the books.