Oh My! It's July!

I know the official start of Summer was just a few weeks ago but it seems like it's flying by and like I said,  "Oh my, it's July!"  Not just July but almost July 4th...tomorrow anyway!  I just got home from Chicago this afternoon. I spent last week helping my sister as she's recovering from her open heart surgery.  This one has kicked her butt more than all the other things she's gone through but like the trouper she is, she's doing good and I think this next week will be her feeling more like me week.  Her kids and grandkids have been a huge support and help since this journey began and will continue to do so along the way.  Midge put in a pool in May and her family is there every day cleaning it and maintaining it so the kids can enjoy it this summer. It will be a bit before Midge will be able to use it but she enjoys seeing the kiddos having fun.

This is Ella. That's her brother Parker on the other side of the pool. Ella is a huge help with my sister's dog, Hope. Hope and Ella are so bonded it's almost like Hope is Ella's dog living with Midge! Hope will miss her buddy as Ella is going to Tennessee for 10 days to spend time at a farm/horse ranch. She's animal crazy and so in love with horses. This opportunity came up from friends of her parents so I'm really happy for her and I know she'll enjoy the experience.  Ella and I walked Hope and Annabelle almost every day and we went down to the park by the house. I remember playing there as a kiddo growing up in the neighborhood but it wasn't a manicured, playground fun spot.  It was a wooded area that had weeping willows that had us calling the spot, "Witches Willow".  Many a fun summer was spent exploring there and spinning tales to scare the younger kids.  My neighborhood was filled with kiddos and we were able to play in the streets making hop scotch games or finding an open field for a quick game of baseball.  Now there are lots of kids but you only see them from the safety of their yards, behind fences.  I do enjoy hearing the laughter coming from the neighbors but I think my childhood was more carefree and enjoyable using our imaginations for fun and roaming free.  

Hope with Ella, Parker, and Conner.

Best buddies forever! Did you ever have a pet that was your soul mate?  

The week went by fast and the ride home today was thankfully uneventful.  It was good to get home to Jack and tomorrow a few of the kids will be by for the 4th to cookout and hang out.  Plus the guys are going to help move some desks that we're getting rid of.  We're getting new windows on Thursday and Friday this week and needed to move furniture out of the way of the windows so it was a good time to make some furniture changes.  Sorry guys for making you work a little on a holiday! I promise you won't have to do it on Christmas, but I can't guarantee Halloween! Ha!  Even though we're having a quiet celebration tomorrow I do love this day and enjoy decorating in red, white, and blue and I leave it up all Summer.

Uncle Sam here has been with us for over 25yrs.  I love it! 

Kitchen fireplace gets a patriotic spruce up.

Salt and pepper shakers are used for decoration...so cute.

A few signs to brighten up a shelf.  

My dining room buffet just needs a little something to make it say July 4th...

A patriotic cake plate perhaps would do the trick...if I would put something yummy on it of course!

Finally, my back door decor says it all...God Bless America!  Have a lovely holiday tomorrow everyone and Happy Canada Day to my Canadian friends today!  Be safe and be thankful for this wonderful country we live in!

 

A Quick Sister Update

Thank you everyone for all your good thoughts and prayers for my sister, Midge.  She had her surgery last week on Friday and this past week she was able to come home on Wednesday!  She's very tired of course but says she doesn't have much pain.  So I'm heading out tomorrow to spend the week with her and help where I can. I'm so relieved this part of her journey is done and now she can spend time this summer recouping.  

 Looking good heading home on Wednesday.  Her dog, Hope, has been boarded for the last 10 days and she will come home tomorrow.  I know that will be a happy reunion!  Thanks again everyone!

A Day Of Light

 The Summer solstice has arrived and many will say this is the longest day. However, there is and always will be only 24 hours in a day but the light of today will last the longest of all year. As of now it will slowly start to go toward the shortest day.  We won't speak of that now but enjoy this first day of Summer to the fullest. I know here in Ohio we're going to be very hot...95de.  Coming off of the past lovely weekend of cool temps it will be a bit hard to take. But the pools will be packed and the kids don't care if it's hot so bring on the lemonade and the shady spot to sit and enjoy a BBQ dinner. Later I hope you can see a night sky of stars and maybe even find an ice cream cone to savor. Since our electric is now back on we can also enjoy some A/C!  To start our long day Annabelle and I took a nice walk on the shady side of the street down our little country road.

The heat hasn't arrived yet so this walk was lovely.

If  Annabelle could talk she would agree.

A quick stop to smell each pine cone.  Anyone need some for crafts?  We have plenty!  Last night Jack and I worked on cutting up the locust tree that fell during the storm. These trees are all eventually getting cut down but God did a few for us already.  The stumps left behind just need the talent of a wood carver to make them into something fun and interesting.

Could this turn into a dragon?  Perhaps a horse? Beware of the foliage around the base. Yeppers, it's poison ivy.  I wish I had a nickel for every poison ivy or thistle plant here at the Pines. I'd be the richest gal in town!

This is the one from last week's storm. It's a blank slate ready to be made into a bear or maybe a knight in shining armor to go slay the dragon!  When the rest of the trees come down we could have a fun path of weird or I would say again, interesting,  sculptures. Our own little Stonehenge? Go and enjoy this day of light.  Go visit Stonehenge...I think they do something "interesting" there today! Happy Summer!

The Amish Life

 Perhaps you were thinking I would have lots of photos of Amish buggies or cute Amish kiddos or farms today.  Nope, just thanking God that I'm "English" as the Amish say.  I love electric lights,  A/C, and Dateline.  This week as I previously posted we had bad thunder storms on Monday night and I found out, 3 tornadoes.  Our power was out until yesterday morning when the lights were back up and I could flush the toilet without buckets of water.  Baths were taken with water in jugs that we left out in the sun all day so it was at least warm! No, we don't have a generator. It's now on the list. We did lose all the food in the freezer and fridge. Our son Phil took some meat I had just purchased and had some room in his freezer for it. So now I have the cleanest fridge in town and the freezer in the garage will get it's super duper clean out tomorrow.  Supplies have been rebought and we have the "survivor" stories to tell. We slept in our very cool basement. It's a refinished one and comfy but of course no TV to enjoy while we sit in candle light! We have had a few  power outages in the past but this was a long one and as in previous outages I found out I do look better in candlelight, can get used to eating out and not doing dishes, my hair air dries OK, and I can put makeup on in dim light as good as in good light.  Well, at least I hoped it looked OK! We charged our phones and got water at Jack's office.  I only had to work one day last week so it gave me time to be home and do nothing but read and watch the rain and feel the humidity curl my air dried hair.  So all in all it wasn't too bad...heck, who am I kidding?!! It  sucked but what can you do.  Just be glad my last name isn't Yoder and the only horse power is my SUV.   I did keep in contact with my family in Chicago as my sister had her open heart surgery on Friday.  She's having a few issues but so far it's going as expected. Fingers crossed that nothing will stop her from getting out of there and feeling better.

Hang in there Sis! We're all praying for you and keep that thumb up!  Also before I go I want to wish all the Dads out there and those in my family a Happy Father's Day! I usually do a post about them but I think I'll just let them know that I think they all are amazing! Love and peace out!

Tornado Season

 We had some pretty terrific storms rip through our area early this morning.  I guess 2 tornadoes 🌪 had their way with Ashland county.  The lightening was crazy! Constant flashing and loud, house shaking booms! Poor Annabelle was shaking and unsure what was happening.  We lost power around 1am and are still in the dark tonight.  Not sure when power will be restored but temps tomorrow are supposed to be 97de and humid. We're missing our A/C!  Thankfully we only lost one tree and no house damage.  Or next door neighbor lost 2 trees and found them in their bathroom!  Trees on our road hit power lines like our elderly neighbors tree  across the street.

You have to look close but the wires are in there! Hopefully we'll get power back by tomorrow.  My freezer and fridge food could be a total loss if we don't. Wish us luck!

Time Keeps On Ticking

 Yeppers, June has arrived.  You cannot stop time no matter how you try and the only reprieve is when we turn the clocks back in the Fall and that may not happen anymore.  Time will tell I guess!  We've been blessed with some pretty darn nice weather this first week of June.  Over the weekend we attended a wedding and a couple of graduation parties that I know the families were happy it was nice weather.  My Daughter-in-law's daughter, Megan, got married to her long time boyfriend, Landen.  Megan asked my son to do the wedding ceremony so Jackie got his official license to legally hitch the two!

He did a great job and even got a little teary eyed.  Even though he married Evelyn when Megan was a teen, he loves her as much as his own kiddos.  I loved at the end when he said, "By the power vested in me by the State of Ohio...and the internet...I pronounce you man and wife"...to cute and funny!

My Grandsons, Anthony (the tall one!) and his brother Cameron (who's growing like a weed!) were also in the wedding. Megan wanted to include as many family members as she could to join in the fun.

Mandy looked very cute as a bride's maid.  If you remember she's Evelyn's cousin and her parents passed away and Jack and Evelyn are raising her.

Jack and Evelyn...it was a lovely outdoor wedding and I think now they can relax and enjoy the rest of the summer.

Summer and Damien

Jonathan and Driana....I can't believe how fast time has flown and these Grandbabies are now married, (Jonathan an Dri) graduated college, working as real adults, and living a life away on their own. I watched it happen with my own kids but seeing the Grands go that way really hits home that we're getting old!

Yaya and Paw Paw

Jackie, Megan and Evelyn

The wedding party...whew, what a group!

I'll end this time capsule with Annabelle. She's been with almost 5 months and in that time she's become a fun member of the family and has claimed Whispering Pines as her kingdom!  Enjoy the day and don't let time go by so quick we forget to enjoy each moment.  

May Endings

As we come to the close of this month I would be remiss if I didn't mention the tragedy of this past week. All those beautiful children and their brave teachers. Victims of another mass shooting. We could go on and on about why, how, what, and also give many opinions of the reasons these keep happening.  I have no answers and I'm sure many of you don't either.  So maybe the only thing now is to keep all those families in our prayers and take the time to hug our kids and appreciate each day we have to be together as families. This weekend will bring many together to cook out, party, enjoy the Summer weather, and hopefully also take time to remember our brave men and women who gave their lives for our freedoms.  We need to be the kind of citizens worthy of a free nation.  Thank you to all who have served, and are serving to keep these freedoms for us.  Our little town always has a nice Memorial Day parade and ceremony at the cemetery.  For Jack and I we usually spend this weekend planting our vegetable garden and if the weather permits, the flower gardens will get planted and weeded.  Maybe a cookout? Not sure yet but I'm enjoying my 5 day weekend.  I only worked 2 days this past week and I now enjoy my days off again!  Going back to work has been interesting, fun at times, and also a test of my skills and energy levels! When I hear my much younger coworkers say they are tired, I don't feel too bad!  We've had a weird mixture of weather during this month...cool, wet, hot and humid here and there, but at least no snow! So as May ends I will enjoy the weekend but also remember that my Mom passed away 2 years ago on May 29th.  I think of her each day and miss talking to her and getting together to celebrate her birthday which was May 17th.  So goodbye month of May.  It was a month dreamed about in the cold of winter. The beautiful flowers and smells of Spring are so welcomed as we start to change seasons in a few weeks.

Azaleas, rhododendrons, snowball bush, and dwarf lilacs fill the air outdoors with beautiful fragrance and also inside the house as I cut some for bouquets!

Every room needs some beauty.

One of the doctors at the hospital gave me one of  his iris bulbs a few years ago and they are looking lovely still! Thanks Liggy!

We removed plantings in front of the deck that had gotten a little out of control. I'm filling in this space with other perennials that won't overtake the spot.

Our neighbors had their alpaca sheared and I think they look like little aliens! Well, that's it from Whispering Pines.  Enjoy this weekend and be safe!  God Bless America!