July Jewels

[Lavande]

Good Sunday morning friends

I actually see sunshine - yay!!
We could hear lots of fireworks around the area last evening but couldn't see anything, oh well.

Welcome back Cyn, glad your week away was good & doggie is OK.
I hope your day goes as well as possible. I have to be honest - I do not miss working with elderly clients. They can be as exhausting as working with pre-schoolers sometimes. Good luck today.

I am already at work getting food prepped for today's cookout. I need to fill up the kiddie pool too

Greetings Dil, Star, Pauly & Papmom. Wishing everyone a wonderful AF Sunday!

Lav

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

I am glad I can go back to work today and REST! Haha. Busy weekend, lots of fun, it has been such a great summer so far. Especially compared to last year with all the changes. I am grateful.

Lav, hope you had a wonderful day.?

Cyn, wow, you are one busy lady. Take care.

Pauly, how are you doing?

Pap, hello, hello. Bet you were busy over the weekend!

Have a good Monday.

[Lavande]

Good morning Star & everyone!

Yep, had a nice time yesterday but was tired after all the work.
I am going to try to reserve some energy today because I will be watching my grandsons all day tomorrow. I'll consider taking a nap after I go to Curves today, ha ha!

Glad you enjoyed your weekend Star. Family time is the best! Have a good 'rest' at work today.

Greetings to Dill, Cyn, Pauly & Papmom. Hope everyone is in good shape & ready for a good week.

Looks like this week is all about heat, humidity & T storms - oh well.
Wishing everyone a wonderful AF Monday.

Lav

[paulywogg]

Morning friends, sounds like everyone had a nice weekend Snoop,I'm with you on being ready to get back to work 3 days off in a row throws me off,Lav,humid/stormy for us too,hate July cuz of the monsoon season, it clouds up but only rains hard and heavy sometimes, hello Dill,PP,Tree,let's all have a nice Monday

[dill]

Hello AF friends, It's been really busy here and doesn't look to be slowing down. We're going to pick up the gkids and will have them for the next few days. Meanwhile the garden is demanding attention. I picked a load of sugar snap peas yesterday and this morning I blanched and froze them. I'm not a fan of frozen veggies but it was that or let them go to waste. We'll have plenty of peas for the winter! There are still more to be picked.

I'm sorry this one is brief, but I have to get on the road. Have a great af Monday everyone!

[SnoopyC]

Good morning all...

Lav, love this summer weather, hot, humid, rainy, then sunny. I love the smells and the intense green. The weeds not so much. It won't last long enough for me, I really like how easy it is to get around, light summer clothes to wear, and air conditioning. Last night after work I grilled out brats, made sweet potato fries and it was more than enough, and easy to do. I was really thinking about my old house and missing it, the big yard, all the trees, but realize that I have to make do with the new reality, living in a city, smaller yard, and just enjoy that too. I did a nice landscaping job out back and really enjoy the flowers and points of interest. I will try to take a picture soon and get it on my computer. I want to make some changes in my life and some are new interests, like pictures. Sounds like you are enjoying your summer too.

Dill, you are enjoying your family, grandkids and freetime. Good to hear. I read a great booksuggested by NoSugar I think. It is called Being Mortal, by Atul Gwande, and it is about medical care and growing older. It taught me alot at a time I am thinking about my Dad and the poor care he is receiving, and the suffering he is going through due to uncaring and untrained doctors. I wish someone else would read it so we could discuss. Think about it.

Pauly, there is something to be said about routine. I like my job although not all the time. Right now I am not busy, and it makes for long days, but once fall hits, I will be busy enough. The ebb and flow of any job, I guess. I am thinking I enjoy each day more if I am mindful and grateful. I need to make it a habit.

OK, off to get ready for work. Have a good one.

[treegirl]

Morning all -

Sounds like gratitude all around - how great. Star, that book sounds terrific - just the sort of thing that I like - I'll look for it. Another book that might help you right now is 'The Grace in Dying', a beautiful book written by a hospice nurse. It was very helpful to me with my Dad's journey. Thinking of you and your family, and sending strength.

Lav - good luck with the boys today! Hope you got that nap in.

Dill - good luck with your house-ful! The snap peas sound great; but that's just the way, right, they have their own schedule and we just have to adjust! I'm relieved that I have nothing to harvest except a few tomatoes when they ripen - I can't even get out to the yard to weed at the moment.

Pauly - hope you find your work routine 'vibe' again. I remember the monsoons - kind of scary! Take care in the flooding.

Pap - hope you are well.

Off to NYC today; this will be a long one, but hopefully will get a lot done. I'm doing other projects on my computer on the train - I don't like hauling my laptop, but the relative quiet on the train is a good thing!

Wishing all a great AF day -

[Lavande]

Good Tuesday morning friends!

Hot, humid & looking like rain again, oh well.
Maybe it won't be a total washout so I can get the boys outside for a while. They haven't even gotten here yet & I'm already anticipating excessive noise levels, ha ha!!

Dill, hope your time with the grandkids goes well, good luck.
Yesterday I brought in 4 cucumbers & a green pepper. Little by little the gardens give

Star, hope you have a good day at work. I'll have to look into that book, I think I read something about it somewhere along the line. I'd love to see a pic of your new yard!

Cyn, wishing you a good day in NYC!
You have been a busy bee this summer

Pauly, I hope you have a good day as well. Think about me watching two crazy little boys, ha ha!!!

Have a wonderful AF Tuesday everyone!

Lav

[dill]

Hello AF friends, you all sound well.

Star, I'm glad you love summer so much! I guess I don't think about it so much but you are right about it being so easy to come and go when the weather is nice! I will look for the book you mentioned and let you know what I think. Getting time to read may be a problem tho!

Cyn, I'm going to make a note of the book you mentioned too. It sounds like a valuable resource. And as for the garden, it is becoming a source of resentment for me actually. I have told Mr. D in the past that I'm not interested in harvesting and keeping produce anymore. It's too much work. But every spring he gets carried away putting out his garden. Then at picking time he seems to think I'm supposed to be enthused. I never act enthused, believe me! Next year when he asks me what he should put in the garden I'll have to tell him to plant whatever he likes but not to count on me to help. He'll pout about it, I'm sure, but truly, I don't need the work!

Lav, The kids have been great fun but I am tired. I have had to have them 24/7 for 2 days now because my son is feeling unwell and needs to rest. It's wearing me down, picking veggies and wrangling grandkids!

Pauly, how are things going in your corner of the world?

Have a peaceful AF Tuesday evening everyone.

[Lavande]

Dill, it was 10 pm before I got the kids out of here once again. I understand how tired you are, believe me :hug:
I enjoy a small bit of gardening but I also refuse to get into all the canning & preserving too. I have moaned about that for YEARS as well. They just never listen, ha ha! If I am told one more time about his grandmother's canning skills I am going to pull out all my hair ~ or maybe his

Wishing a peaceful night for all!
I am watching the kids again tomorrow morning but just until my sons arrives from his 24 hr shift. Good

[SnoopyC]

Ladies, good morning...

It's the 20 teens, I think the men need to learn to can, then if they want canned and preserved produce, they can do it! Who is to say the women have to do all that? I remember my grandma canning tomatoes, and other veggies, sweating like nobodies business. Was it cheaper back than to do that than buy buy canned goods?

Dill, I am concerned for next week as I have my grandson for two straight days while my husband works. How will I entertain him all day? I am hoping my son can come down buy not sure. Yikes. We really got the rain, flood warnings and it took me forever to get home from work. The roads were flowing with water. Whew.

Cyn, I already downloaded that book, will start reading it soon. My dad has surgery today, it is insane. They took a healthy man and turned him into an invalid, all in the name of prolonging his life, which is now a miserable one. You sound so busy, but happy too. I can tell you love what you do, write and organize. Good for you.

Lav, hope you find time for Curves. I am still trying to find time to exercise. I am usually just not in the mood before 7 am.

Hello to Pauly.

Have a good one.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends!

I certainly have no desire to spend my life sweating over a hot stove canning veggies, ha ha!! Not happening here!!!

Star, the little ones are fairly easy to distract - just introduce a 'new' toy they haven't seen for a few hours
I found the little ones responded well to music too. It's fun to pick them up & dance, they love that.

I am watching my grandsons again today but for just a few hours.
The younger one was a serious grump yesterday & resorted to name calling. Not sure where he picked up that habit but I'm not having any of it for sure! My mother's words 'don't bite the hand that feeds you' helped get me through the day with him. oh boy.

Wishing everyone a great AF Wednesday!

Lav

[paulywogg]

Morning friends,good luck Lav,most of the time I treasure my Louie watching days but there are some days when I wish a parent would show up early, which brings up another point,Kell and her bf are having troubles and she may hafta move back home,I just worry about this, Louie and the stairs, feeling overwhelmed, never getting a break,makes me feel bad cuz I'll defo help her if they split but I just have concerns too,I don't think they should stay together for Louie though if they constantly fight!! Kids brains are developing so rapidly, I don't want him growing up in a irritating environment, knew this was coming though, Kell met this guy in her partying days so he's basically a drinkin buddy gone baby daddy,ugh,see what develops,hope everyone is well,let's have a peaceful Wednesday please

[treegirl]

Quick hello again today - I have to get ready for the train once again. Darn, I have a lot to say about all that's going on, but it will have to wait!

Good luck with all the grandkid sitting - whew, that would totally wear me out.

Just arranged for dog care to come and check on my girl dog - she had a big coughing spell in the night, and there was some blood in the phlegm (sorry - TMI). I'm off to NY, HB has and appt and meeting so he'll be gone for part of the day, and dinner out for him as well. She's looking pretty punk, so I got the dog sitter to come check in on her in the afternoon. Cross fingers.....

OK I'm off - take care all. Star, so glad you got home safely - big floods here too, I'm hoping the train tracks don't flood!

[treegirl]

X-post, Pauly! Good luck with all the family stuff -