Serene Sunday with Summer Birthday

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

In Hilo, Hawaii.

Thunderstorms when we woke up at 6 but by 7 the rain had stopped and I got some great shots of arriving. There will rain throughout the day (it rains here 300+ days a year.) Today is the helicopter ride. I'm nervous but sort-of looking forward to it. Will pack up our day pack now and maybe explore town since we have a couple of hours until the tour.

[Sunny]

Happy Birthday Lisa. Wishing you felt better and hope you will be celebrating on a better day!

Kathryn, enjoy your helicopter ride. I think it will be awesome!

Cathy, so sad that your area lost so many trees. I'm sure it will take a long, long time to recover.

Nancy, sorry you lost a branch from your apple tree, too. Our oak tree is full grown and huge. There are dead branches holding on just waiting for the chance to fall. Every time we have a storm with lots of wind we lose some. I'm glad you were able to reach it.

Harriet, that's too bad the notary's mistake will cost extra time and money.

Dfam#2 will be here in a little while. Our dgd18 will be 19 yrs old on the 17. Her gift is wrapped and card is signed. We will have cake and ice cream for dessert. In fact --- they are here now! See you all later!

[Ivy]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LISAB!

It's 1:11 p.m., I'm getting such a late start today! We watched "Die Hard 5," On Demand last night, then some of SNL and crawled into bed at 1 a.m. It always throws me off, Sat. p.m. I turned off my dawn simulator at 7 a.m. and slept until what I thought was 9:30 a.m., but it was 10 a.m. I needed to write DD a letter to return with her ghost book on Seattle haunts and I wrote a L. L. and enclosed a photo from on-line of my b-day sweater, from DH to me.

Next up, is a flower to crochet, for DGD's hat, to attach to an underneath flower, in contrasting color. After it's sewn on, I'll sew a silk flower very securely inside the holes of both flowers. The 3 hats I've done are as though a hat designer made them. I'm so proud of my work. Little DGD will look so adorable in them. ♥ She has a larger head, so had to make children's sizes.

We had terrible T-storms, high winds, lights/power blinking on and off yesterday afternoon-evening. I kept the laptop off most of the time, but I had written out a very long ta-da list, to share with you all here, but wasn't on-line, so I am just happy with myself I did a lot yesterday and the man point is I was productive and I guess I need not post every solitary item on my list EVERY day.

Knowing it's been done is satisfying, and YOU, ALL HERE, are so motivating! When I read Helia's posts, I'm blown away at how productive she is and the list doesn't stop there! It's Elizabeth, Booksaver, Kathryn in Canada, Harriet, and ALL of you are doing such interesting things, fun things, and do so much! I don't know how you get it all done. I so enjoy your posts and coming to these pages to get motivated and inspired, to laugh, smile, and be pleasantly entertained.

And the FOCUS plans are so Very Helpful! It was the porch and entry this past week and "guess who" is having company on Wednesday? ME! The entry/porch area are just about done. I need to dust a plant stand, DH will mop the tile, and do more on the porch. My plans after that, are to make a Conga list, for the rooms our company will be seeing, and I'll start today, which gives me 3.5 days. A good friend and her DH are coming. I'm going to bake a Dump Cake.

Oh, by the way.... DH cooks our dinners. We each cook our own breakfasts/lunches. And last night, I did a dish, I rarely cook dinners, it was tater tot casserole, my baking pan was too large, so everything spread out and didn't meld together nicely, and we had to smother our dinner in ketchup and after eating, I felt sick, DH didn't finish his.... And after the baking pan had cooled, DH "DUMPED" the dump dish in the GARBAGE! So much for dump dish main dishes. I have a lovely cookbook full of awesome dump desserts though. Cobblers, crisps,cakes, brownies/blondies, cakes, etc.. I will be counting WW points from the 20th on, so will use dump desserts for special occasions and earn my activity points to be able to count my dessert within range.

I just looked at the clock! I need to run and eat lunch. I had a super low-low peak flow meter reading late last night, needed to use my rescue inhaler, so was shaky last night, felt not so hot, but am fine this a.m. Just slow to move. Sorry this is so long, I KNOW I'm rambling, so I'll end for now.

WAVING TO EVERYONE! HAVE A GREAT SUNDAY! I appreciate all of you as being such great motivators!

[DeeClutter]

I'm so late checking in.

Happy Birthday, Lisa B. That's one of the major reasons I'm logging on. Remembered it's your special day and wanted to get here before it was gone.

Dh and dd have gone to the blueberry farm of the parents of one of her students. They have to be 'dead-headed' at the end of the season OR all the berries picked. So they called dd yesterday to see if she wants to pick all she wants -free. Yummy with milk or on cereal or in pancakes!

I finally got everything off to the north for our annual report -which was passed out today. Our annual meeting is next Sunday and I'll "be there" via S kype. today's technology............

Made a reservation this morning for dh. He'll be flying home a week from Wed (the 22nd). Calling his Dr's office in the morning to get him an appointment, hopefully the 23rd. Should be able to IF the Dr will be in and he definitely wants to see this particular Dr. Then we'll also ask for the Dr to call dh to see if he can start moving things to request the particular test he wants dh to have. Know that will probably take some time so we'll see...... Keeping my fingers crossed that it won't be a long time between. Only made a one-way reservation as I'm not at all sure when/if he'll be coming back down. Ticket was $110 but he will have to pay for a checked bag so figuring $135 all together.

I am just plain cold today. Thermometer says it's over 70 in here but it sure doesn't feel it.

[Nancy]

Ivy sorry about the dump dish.

I am SO glad I did the yard work this morning bc it is raining out now.

I picked up the carport and and yard after the wind storm. It looks better now. The hens always like it when I am out working in the yd. I thought the wind might have stressed them wondered if it would effect the egg count but we got a doz. Today.

They all slept in the coop bc of the winds. They took cover with stuff blowing and banging around. Usually only a few are in the coop new 4 ones, and 3 others.

[lucylee]

Happy birthday to LisaB!!!

Serenity... Well, I guess I've had some. Took a 90 minute nap. Also went to church and visited dmom -- GREAT visit -- I already told about it in J&C. * whew * MAYBE there IS going to be a light at the end of the tunnel. And MAYBE it ISN'T a train...

Thought we'd be babysitting all afternoon, but ds called this morning and said ddil was not going to accompany him on day trip after all... so that allowed for a little more serenity around here.

BEAUTIFUL day here, and warmer temps... but snow flurries predicted for Tuesday night... so it's like the old saying goes: If you don't like the weather here, wait -- it'll change.
* sigh *

(((Harriet))) for the notary's mistake. SOOO annoying. YOU should not have to pay for extra lawyer's time.

So glad to see Sadie checking in, even if you are a bit bruised! Hope the pain gets less and less every day!!!

(((Cathy)))

Sounds beautiful, even with thunderstorms, Kathryn!

Waving to Nancy... Sunny... and EVERYONE ELSE!!!

Ivy -- the hats sound so cute!!!

(((Dee & Mr. Dee))) -- praying all goes well with upcoming tests!

My accomplishment yesterday was to get all photos downloaded from phone and camera to computer. Now I need to upload them to Wmart or Snpfish or something and get them printed. Ooohhh... haven't done this since October, I think, so... ugh. Gonna be quite a batch of photos and will take quite a while to do on my computer. But I do not like having pictures in digital form only. I have to have actual photos I can hold in my hand.

Today -- besides church and dmom -- I have also done almost all the laundry from trip and days since. Boy. That's another ugh. I think our dirty clothes multiplied at night in the garment bags in the car. Glad to have them clean & hanging to dry now, even if they aren't ironed & put away.

Tonight, dh & I will go to dmil's and then I think we're going to a movie. We got way behind on our movies while we were traveling...

[Twins' Mom]

Has been a good day here. I slept until almost 9 a.m. and read the paper, then dressed and some a.m. routine done and walked ddogs and then dh and I went to Publix for groceries. Came home and unloaded and had lunch, then went to Costco for loooooong walk through and more groceries/things to eat.

It's a gorgeous day here - we ended up next door talking in sunshine with dneighbors and their ddogs for a couple of hours. Came home when sun dropped below the mountains and temp started dropping. We have a Costco deep dish pizza in oven for our supper.

I think I'm going to go ahead and walk ddogs next while pizza is baking.

Echoing Lucylee...

BEAUTIFUL day here, and warmer temps..

[Ivy]

I finished the last hat. I was very concerned about sewing on a lavender silk rose in the center of 2 crocheted flat flowers in contrasting colors, because babies put things in their mouth. Once I'd sewed on the smaller flat flower or it's larger flower, the hole left was too small, too cumbersome even to think about getting a silk rose sewed into it. It's a good idea it didn't work out. What I did instead, was reinforce stitched around the top flower hole, leaving the petals free to bend up, thus giving it a more 3-D look. So cute! Am writing Ddil a letter now, have been picking up my hat-making "messes" and less clutter = a peaceful and calm mind.

Oh, (((Harriet)))! Sorry about that situation arising, too!

(((Sadie))), Nice to hear from you again. Heal soon and Get Well Soon and up to speed. You're in our prayers and thoughts.

(((CathyS)))

(((Dee & Mr. Dee))), May the tests go well, that you get some answers and good conclusions, which help a LOT!

LucyLee, Glad you're having a beautiful weather day!

Nancy, That's a great # of eggs for this time of year! We had a terrible wind-T-storm-rains yesterday, too. Sorry about your apple tree branch, too.

I'm ready to go s2s. Had a later lunch, been later all day, got DD's letter/mailer/book return ready to mail and am working on DIL's mailer letter with 3 lovely little gdg hats. Can't get in the "mood" to write today. Am in an exciting part of the story, have cleaning for BFF & her DH's visit Wed., so can't concentrate on plotting anymore. Will clean today, plot tomorrow. Also, need to read over guidelines again to see about deadline dates for children's magazines, adult poem/card site, and "Chicken Soup for the Soul." Finding some rejected-from-Australia stories, can re-do for "Woman's World" Magazine, too. Just trying to stay in the game, keep busy and productive.

Waving hello to one and all!

[Harriet]

Sadie it is wonderful to hear from you and know you are healing. As long as it is a cozy rock! (((hugs!)))

Mr. Harmony, Mr. DeeClutter and Ken in Canada may be interested in a new development here, since they are Dads and have met dd15 ... ... Dd got her hair cut. Off. Slightly more than "Pixie", I'd say, so, her ddad is trying not to have a complete faint-away (smile) and see this as a philosophical, learning moment for both of them. (Yes, he knew it was coming. She took off a few inches at a time several weeks apart, before this, to let him get used to it.) Here's the photo she showed the stylist. Enough length all through the back that it doesn't look too boyish from behind. She's delighted with it. Eyes turn VERY blue with this cut, I'll have to say.

[DeeClutter]

Oh, she has to be stunning! Mr Dee was a bit astounded but smiling for her, Me too. Just plain proud of that girl. Truly consider ourselves
'aunt & uncle'.