Monday on a dime...

Spent most of today doing housework, with a little outside work thrown in for good measure. I vacuumed and shampooed the living room carpet and rearranged the furniture. I think I like the way it looks...better, 'cause it nearly killed my husband moving that hideabed across the room! lol... I did laundry too, and cleaned the chicken coop and glued Frank and the Fairy back together again. (That would be my garden statues of St Francis of Asissi and the garden Fairy, both of whom were damaged in a storm last year. ) Frank lost his head, luckily all in one piece. The garden fairy lost an arm that was holding a scalloped dish up to her lips. A little super glue and all's well with the world.

I woke up thinking that I'd better get a few things done before my dr appointment on Wednesday, just in case they decide to fix this knee faster than I expect. The recovery time is a couple of weeks at least, and I needed to get the carpet cleaned. I started out with a nice long list and got everything done on it except a couple of items... tonight my leg is hurting like crazy.

It's been a long day....I have a sick puppy and a missing kitty and probably all will be well in the morning. I am tired and going to bed.

Thank goodness tomorrow is another day, and I get a second chance at making it count.

Blessings all around...if we just stay aware and in the present!


Namaste.

Sunday Funday

Ahhhhhhhh.......another weekend over and done. Home late (like 11:30PM) from a particularly good birthday meeting where my sponsee with 6 months didn't show (fell asleep and didn't wake up until half an hour before the meeting was over) and my dear friend celebrated 10 years. There was cake and tears and lots and lots of love. My friend's sponsor died about a year ago of brain cancer, and one guy there tonight gave him the 10 year coin that his deceased sponsor had given HIM...another (one of his sponsees) gave him an AA ring that belonged to the deceased sponsor. It was a beautiful thing to behold...

Funny how I have about a gazillion pictures on my computer and I'm recycling them already. And somehow I KNOW I haven't posted a gazillion times...lol

I'm feeling very grateful tonight. One of my ex-sponsees who left me for another (lol) and then relapsed is back with 30 days (thru her church, but "somehting is missing") and sent a message to me tonight thru another woman that she loves me and misses me and wants to come see me. I am so glad to hear that she is back....I'll call her tomorrow. Looks like we're having a 4th of July BBQ for all the homeless and wayward alcoholics who have no where else to go and think that I operate a summer camp for them ...LMAO....And you know how much I hate a good party....Seriously, it will be a blast and I've already informed them that I'll provide the place and they all have to provide the food. They're all jumping up and down and hollering "YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!"

I'm so grateful that when I was new, there were people around who took us newcomers by the hand and said ...Come on--here's how you have fun without drinking! We had spaghetti dinners and bbq's and bonfires at the beach and sock hops, for crying out loud. We had walks in the woods and weenie roasts. We learned to take other new people by the hand and say Hey! Here's how WE have fun without drinking!!

I can't tell you the warm and fuzzy feelings I get when I overhear a newcomer saying, "Wow, we went to Annie and Pat's for a cookout, and it was SOOOooooooo great!!!!!" When I look around the living room or the backyard and I watch people learning to talk to each other and smiling and not wanting to go home. It's such a blessing...to be able to live like this and do these things and mean them and be happy about being able to do them.

God's got a deal for drunks that don't drink....


Namaste.

A Sultry Saturday....

Squash




Aha....It's a sultry and hot Saturday...this weather tries to let up some, but can't quite manage. Tonight there is sheet lightning in the distance, but the chance of rain is only about 30%. Not enough...and I suppose I'll have to be out in the early morning, carrying a bucket and watering my incredibly thirsty flowers. Checked on the garden this evening...most of the bigger veggies are doing well, but some of the smaller ones are feeling the dry...

Thought I'd write in blue. Just because I can. lol The dishes are done and the animals are fed and the doggies are outside for their final rush before bedtime. I think I'd maybe like a larger font though. Not that any of this really matters in the Great Cosmic Scheme of Things. The miracle is that I'm writing at all.

I have been incredibly busy the past few days. And I am exhausted and trying to catch up on my rest, futile an act though it is. I heard 2-- 4th and 5th Steps in 2 days. That was emotionally exhausting for me, for some reason. I had a young woman and her 13 year old son here for 2 days. I have had planting to do and holes to dig. And it has been outrageously hot here, with threatening heat indexes. And then there is, of course, the housekeeping and the animals and the rest of my lovely tangled life as well.

I remain, naturally, especially blessed to have a full and frantic life...complete with lots of people and animals and stuff to do all the time. I am suffering with this knee...I have full empathy for dear Una...until you've had this problem, you have no idea just how painful it is. I am limping terribly and in constant pain now. It hurts to sit and drive and get up out of a chair. I'm trying to keep the swelling down by keeping it elevated as much as I can. I have a doctor appointment on Wednesday to get a referral to a guy who can fix it.

My beloved is helping me as much as he can. Today we went to a matinee to see a new Sandra Bullock movie...sweet and funny. Then we came home and had breakfast for supper, since neither of us really very hungry, we just had eggs and toast. Beautiful orange large yolked brown eggs from my chickens and a wonderful 8 grain bread, toasted to perfection.

Everywhere I look, I see the elegant blessings of a sober life. Filled to the brim with love and laughter and service and joy. A life I could never have imagined for myself. A life that is the gift of taking some simple steps and staying away from the drink, one day at a time.

....and
"holy is the place I stand
to give whatever small good I can
and the empty page and the open book
redemption everywhere I look
unknowingly we slow our pace
in the shade of unexpected grace
and with grateful smiles and sad lament
as holy as a day is spent.
and morning light sings providence
as holy as a day is spent."
(--Carrie Newcomer)

Namaste.

Wicked Good Wednesday

Blazer and Merlin...taking a break.

Had an interesting day today and will keep this short and sweet. Kittens had the devil in them, puppies were racing around in high gear most of the day, and I had a frustrating moment or two. But the good news is this:

*Never once thought about drinking
*Felt especially blessed several times throughout the day
*Made a doctors appointment about my knee
*Got to chat with several sober drunks
*Got to help with a 4th step
*Ate some more Good&Plentys :)
*Got to read for awhile this afternoon with my leg propped up on 2 pillows
*Got to be used by God to reunite a mother and her youngest son...even if only for a couple of days



Life is good.


Namaste.

Twoderful Tuesday

Busy busy today. Tried to get outside and do my digging before it got too hot, but alas...it was already hot when I woke up. I planted 4 beautiful cone flowers around the birdbath in the front yard, 2 pink, 2 white. I moved the birdbath a tad...forgot how heavy that darn thing is. I also planted the pine tree out near the woodpile along the tree line. And I got 6 sweet banana peppers in the ground. By this time it was 11:30 and I was about to pass out, it was only about 92 degrees, but the heat index was 102. Then I moved inside, for the air conditioned part of our program. lol I showered and washed my hair and then took a break before beginning on my "LIST". I accomplished more than I thought I would, because I was feeling pretty wonkey from all that sun. More than once I thought of napping, believe me.

Made a lovely pasta/chicken salad for supper because I couldn't bare to even think of eating anything hot. I grilled the chicken and then cut it up into the farfalle pasta with a bunch of spices and parmesan cheese, as well as red peppers and carrots and snow peas and onions. Mixed it up with some mayonnaise and threw it into the fridge. Then I made a Waldorf salad too. I just ate a small bowl of that...ooohhhh is it good. I've been craving it for a week.

I have overnight guests again, sleeping in the spare room. One of my sponsees and her 13 year old son. They've just retired for the night, and so the house is quiet again.

Had a wonderful conversation with a friend today, reminding me that life is precious and good, and there is so much more to wealth than money. Something we probably all need reminding about, from time to time. I came away from that phone call feeling especially blessed.

BTW--Butterburgers are a trademark of a Wisconsin company called Culver's. They make a mean frozen custard as well as the yummy butterburgers. I'm not sure if the name comes from the buns being buttered and toasted, or if they actually put a slice of butter in the middle if each hand pattied burger. (That may sound a little weird to you, but it's an old tried and true restraunt trick). Try it sometime, you'll be amazed by the rich change in flavor.

Okay, my head is starting to hurt. Must be time to get off the computer.

Namaste.

Middlin' Monday

It was one of THOSE days around the old homestead. Up at 5 to whisk that darling boy off to work so I could keep the car. I needed to get some groceries, veggies mainly, for juicing. And critter chow. I got home and did a few little things outside while it was still cool enough to breathe. (It was already 80 degrees by 8 AM !!!) You could feel the humidity rising. Then I hustled myself indoors and started on some things like my grocery list, the laundry, the catboxes, the food bowls 2 for dogs, water and food...and 2 for cats water and food... and read some emails and the like while I waited for it to be late enough for the store to open. Then I was off to Edwardsville, where the fun places like Aldi's and Home Depot and Culvers are found. Because I was out of juice for my normal breakfast (hence having to get the veggies), I just had coffee. BY the time I was out of the grocery store, I was starving and feeling a little goofy, so I decided a nice Culver's Butterburger was just the ticket. There just happened to be one right by the Home Depot. (Are you following my logic here??...sheesh....) I have been doing rather well at cleaning up this toxic waste dump of a life of mine, and so I'm going to have a freaking BUTTERBURGER for breakfast!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man, was it ever good. We don't eat red meat at home anymore, but do occasionally have a burger or a nice steak out...rarely more than once every couple of months though. I polished that baby off (in my defense I did get the small regular burger...) and felt so good I went to Home Depot and bought some gorgeous coneflowers , 2 pink ones and 2 white ones. I'm trying to decide the best place to plant them...have some ideas and I'll photograph them tomorrow so y'all can have a look see...

Anyway, then I came home and finished the laundry, made about 7 quarts of juice, cleaned up all that mess and started supper. Before I could click my heels 3 times, it was time to get that darling boy from work. We had a lovely supper of apple glazed pork (ribs) . It's a great recipe I got from a low carb cookbook, and I jazz it up some and it's to die for. Add a little corn on the cob and some greens and VOILA! it's a meal.

Tonight we went through a box of old cassettes that has been in the garage forever (every garage we've had!) lol There are lots of speaker tapes and the Big Book on tape, as well as lots of music, some wonderful (Uncle Bonsai. Romanovsky and Phillips.) Some classic (Ray Charles, Tina Turner) Some awesome (Natalie Merchant. Indigo Girls). We played some of the more fun stuff (Uncle Bonsai). If you have never heard them, you need to find them and listen...they're freaking hysterical and wayyyy talented.

Now, everyone's asleep and the dishes are done and the lunch is made and the catboxes are cleaned[again] and the critters are watered and fed. The kittens have been hell on wheels all day today, so it's a nice change for them to be sleeping, so cute and innocent.

All's well in the world...I have a box of Good&Plenty to keep me company through the long night. (Black Licorice is my downfall...I love this stuff. I especially like the kookaburra soft black licorice and I can't find it anywhere anymore. Good&Plenty is the second best. Don't try to tell me anything about red licorice--Pfffftttt! ) LOL

A good productive day. Wearing a brace on my knee and cannot decide if it's helping or not. The pain is getting bad, and I guess I'm going to have to bite the bullet and make a doctors appointment. Fell down the stairs 10 years ago and had an arthroscopy to repair the torn miniscus. They said it would be good for 10 years...and here we are. Sigh...I'm just getting the colonoscopy paid off!! :~0

Alrighty then...back to my emails and readings. My whole day was a study in gratitude....'Nuff said!


Namaste.

Sundays Summer Solstice

Just home from the summer solstice celebration out at the La Vista Ecological Institute. It was lovely, as usual. There were incredible desserts brought by everyone as part of a potluck..and one of the most gorgeous Trifles I have ever seen. Me??-I brought a watermelon. lol

We spent most of the morning, early afternoon working in the yard. Mowing (finally dry enough and cool enough)...well, sort of cool enough. The temps were about 89 with a heat index of ONLY 97.... It had to be done, as the grass was up to middle of my leg. I mowed the front and part of the side, and my wonderful husband mowed the back and the other half of the side. We make a great team. I pulled weeds from flowerbeds too and he worked on the picnic table he's building me. Then we cleaned up and set out to have dinner at the Dead Lobster *grin, where we dined on broiled fish and shrimpies and scallops. AND those wonderful cheese biscuits. man, I love those things!! Then it was off to gas up the car across the river, where gas prices are always at least 20 cents a gallon cheaper than they are over here. Then we went up to the Oblate for the solstice celebration. It was a grand time altogether.

It's nice and cool here in the house with the air on...so humid and muggy outside tonight. I have to get up early and take himself to work so I can keep the car in the morning. I'm winding down, thankfully, and should be fast asleep in just a few minutes.

My gratitude list for tonight is short and sweet:

* My husband, who loves me always, no matter what
* My friends who tolerate more than anyone should have to from me
* My Creator, who continually puts the most amazing people in my path
* My gardens, my home, my pets and my sober world
* My blogs, that give me joy and an eye to the outside world



Namaste.

Saturday at the races...

This is a shot from yesterday, across the back part of the gardens and down to the pond. It was an excruciatingly hot day, and thankfully the storms rolled in last night and cooled things off some. The heat index was only 103...

The gardens are going to be my life before long, lol, at least for a couple of months. It looks like we'll be having a bountiful harvest. The squash are blooming now too. The corn got a little laid down by the rains and winds last night, but I think they'll recover alright.

The computer was unplugged last night because of the lightning and so I didn't get a chance to even come online after getting home from the meeting. It was good meeting, all in all. Took a couple of newcomers and then home again.

Feeling blessed today, even though things aren't perfect in my life and lots of little issues are bobbing around. But it's all small stuff, and as long as I don't sweat the small stuff, I'll be alright. I did have a moment today, I must admit. But I went in the other room and sat there talking to my Creator for a little bit and things came back into perspective. I'm especially grateful that I have that in my life today. The ability and the capability to hand things over when I finally realize it's too much for me to handle on my own.

Especially blessed to be:
*Sober
*Healthy
*Loved
*Breathing
*Spiritual, in a Howdy Doody kind of a way
*On good terms with almost everyone I know
*F-L-E-X-I-B-L-E (*wink)
*Relatively calm in the face of annoying everyday stuff


Gratitude is a gift I choose every day. It has changed my life, practicing an attitude of gratitude, and I hope I never forget that.

Creator and I are having some kind of fun today!!!!!


Namaste.

Whimsical Wednesday

Oh....I am in the post party doldrums this evening!!

It was very hot today and tonight is cooling down some, thankfully. The air is on, of course, but it still hangs pretty heavy out there.

I haven't cleaned up the supper dishes yet, nor made hubby's lunch. Our water system is down [again] and I did take a nice long scrub-a-dub a bit ago, so I am feeling a bit better. It's a pain...but the construction on the water lines is set to begin this week. So, I can make it through one more time. Hubby tried to fix the darn thing to no avail tonight... but it was so hot I called him in and said "Let it go". We'll manage like we always do...

My friend left today about 12:30. I miss him terribly, but must [guiltily] admit, it's nice to have the house to myself again. It's amazing how much you get used to being alone and how much you miss it...even when you love the person sharing your space. lol xoxoxoxo((Paxaa)))
Hope your trip home was uneventful and restful and you're settled in and enjoying a late snack. Caylee and Lucy keep looking for you!!

Just off the phone with 2 sponslings in a row...one worried because she got so fed up with the "BS at this meeting" she had to leave. The other just chattering away. Amazing...

Having lunch with my SIL tomorrow at the lovely Klingel House Tea Room. Will be good to have some time with just her and me. I have a couple of other errands to run, then pick up hubby, drop him off at home and then go to my womens meeting. Picking up another sponsling and then spending an hour or so after the meeting with her to go through the second step.

Life in AA just keeps getting better and better...in spite of me. I am especially blessed:

*To have women who really want to get sober in my life
*To know sober people all over the world!
*To be able to experience the emotions I have today
*To have a stable marriage
*To have friends with stable marriages
*To have just had a grand weekend, full of love and laughter
*To be looking forward to a nice quiet weekend coming


I'd best be getting to the chores...it will soon be late!!


Namaste.

Mnday's child is full of it...

Wowsa. The grand event is finally over and I am in the recuperating mode.

My pal from Canada is here for one more day and will leave on Wednesday morning. Then things will really get back to normal around here...

I went to a meeting tonight and got home late as I had to stop and pick up catfood. I picked up 2 newcomers to take along and even brought one home with me. Just finished my evening chores...scooping litter boxes, feeding fish and watering dogs and cats, making hubby's lunch, and generally straightening up. It's nearly 1 Am and I'm pooped.

The weather alert keeps going off, sending the sounds of roaring thunder crashing through my speakers.

Tonight I am grateful for :

* Celebrating 19 years of continuous sobriety, ODAAT, last Friday the 12th
* Friends
* Getting to read the Twilight series that my grandson got me hooked on
* My dogs and cats
* Bloggers
* A wonderful spaghetti dinner with foccacia and salad
* The best husband in the whole wide world
* Having a sponsee out in my studio apartment, and watching her wake up to sobriety
* My relationship with my Creator


Time for this tired blogger to hit the hay....

Namaste.

Heavens!!!! It's Tuesday!

LOL...I feel like a cartoon character in a time warp!

I have decided to start writing this blog earlier in the day from now on. I have been so tired I keep falling asleep in front of the computer and not blogging here!!!

We had our family reunion over the weekend. We hold it every year down at Rend Lake, which is a very nice Army Corp of Engineers creation about 2 hours south of us. My immediate branch of the family goes down on Thursday late or Friday and camps every year for the weekend. Most of our family (my dads side) all live down that way, so they all come on Sunday for a big potluck/reunion at noon. Some of them will filter in and out throughout the weekend and sit around campfires and go fishing and stuff. It's always a delightful time, no matter what. All the years I lived away from here, I really missed it. I made it once or twice, but rarely. The funny part is, I was the one who started it all up again, having everyone out to my house at the farm. It always was my grandma who pulled these things together, and when she died (I was 12) it all stopped happening. So, when I was about 19, I had the brilliant idea that we should all get back in the habit of getting together once a year at least. I got the ball rolling, and then I moved to California. lol

When I was a small kid, everyone would converge on my grandmother at least a couple of Sundays a month. She was always tickled to death (I think) to have all the grandkids there...about 17 or so of us at the time. The adults would sit around on the porch-men in their shirtsleeves, women in summer dresses-smoking cigarrettes and drinking iced tea, while the kids ran and played with cousins and wreaked holy havoc. Hiding under the giant gooseberry bushes behind the house, locking the younger ones in the old outhouse. Just having fun. And grandma would cook and cook and cook. Of course, all the daughter-in-laws would be in there helping her, while her own daughters would sit around laughing and smoking. (Some things never change). lol Fried chicken and rabbit and squirrel, and biscuits (with sweet butter) and gigantic bowls of mashed potatoes and the requisite gravy, and green beans. Cole slaw and corn on the cob that she would make the kids pick from her garden and husk out by the fence. Cherry and peach and strawberry rhubarb pies. When everything was almost ready, the men would set up sawhorses with a couple of old doors on them. She would cover them with tablecloths and everyone would carry out all the chairs in the house. And we'd have the feast of a lifetime. She was the best cook I have ever met...or at least it seemed like it to this gangly little kid who could eat more than 3 firemen. lol Everything tasted better at Grandmas House.

So anyway, the reunion was a bit smaller this year. We lost 2 relatives the past year, and there was a wedding in that same family, so most of them didn't make it. Next year though, there will be at least one new addition to the family, and is the poor girl can take the pressure, she'll become part of the madness in no time. lol But it was a good time, and my brother from Georgia was there with his new motorhome and wife and her mother and youngest son. His 3 boys from his first marriage were also there, one with his wife and 3 kids. His new wife is an old southern cook from way back, and runs a restraunt, and she put on a feast Saturday night that almost killed me. A low country boil (which, of course most of my family had never heard of) and must have fried about 30 pounds of fish and hushpuppies as well. It was all spectacular.

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful crazy dysfunctional family. They are always there if anyone needs anything. They are funny and loving and I am just so blessed that they are mine. Haven't always thought so...sometimes they were annoying [to me] and sometimes they were too crazy [for me] and sometimes I just flat didn't want to be bothered with them. I am not particularly proud of myself, but that's what being a drunk does to me. Since I got sober (19 years ago this coming Friday), I have made my amends and am living amends and am loving them all with everything I've got. And today, I am one lucky duck.

I have lawns to mow today, because it's supposed to rain tomorrow. The grass is getting high. One of my sponsees and her SO are coming tomorrow afternoon to help me with some stuff...he offered to mow, but I just looked at the weather report. So instead I have plenty of other things I can find for him to do. They are so funny and he is an absolute doll. (With carpentry skills!--How good is God? lol My husband is his sponsor!)

She is going to court this morning, clearing up wreckage. I'm saying a little prayer for her and hoping that all turns out exactly the way it is supposed to. I went to their house yesterday and we talked about it a long time. I reminded her that, one way or another, after today this won't be hanging over her head anymore. It will be taken care of,. and she can get on with her life.

Hoping for a call immediately afterwards. I'll be glad it's done too. :)

Here I go...looking at the world through my blessings colored glasses. Hope your day is touched by grace and guided by goodness.



Namaste.

Wild Wednesday

I love this Native Blessing. Especially that first line...May the winds of heaven blow softly upon your house...

Just home from a speaker meeting. Picked up a sponsee who has been AWOL since the birth of her first baby. I hope she'll latch back on and get herself back on track. We talked about trying to find the middle always. In my own life, I have found myself swinging from one extreme to the other in most things. It isn't easy to find the middle road when we're trying to juggle work and family and AA and whatever else life decides to throw our way. Part of the thrill of living is always, I think, trying to stay the course and find that safe and comfortable path down the middle. It's always about balance, my first sponsor used to say. I find this to be true.

After spending a fair amount of time this past few weeks with some very young 30'ish women, I'm grateful I am closing in on 60. lol There's a remarkable amount of freedom that comes with age. I am ever aware as well, of how childish and selfish alcoholic women can be. I know I was the same when I got here at 37 years old. Drunkenness takes away any choices we have to be responsible and sensible and reliable. When I think back about the last couple of years of my drinking, I am amazed at the way I behaved. Amazed at the way alcohol took every bit of decency I had left. Every bit of self respect. Every bit of consideration and compassion.

What a blessing to be sober in this time of life. What a blessing to have stayed sober long enough to regain all the important things I had lost. To have my family back, my life back, my love back.

How much does my Creator love me? I see it in every sunrise, every rainbow, every babys smile. How much does AA love me? I see it in every meeting, every Step, every prayer.

I think of all the ways things could have gone differently and badly. I see God's hand in it everywhere. Tonight I am feeling especially blessed. My 10th step helps me to look over the day, and know what I have to do to be a better person tomorrow than I was today. You people have given me a blueprint for living...Trust god, whatever you believe God to be. Clean House, clear away the wreckage of your past. Help others, and live a life that will surpass all your wildest dreams, where you will once again feel useful and learn the plans that your Creator has for you. Pretty big promises for useless drunks. But they happen in our lives and we get to share the wonder of sobriety with people just like us, looking for a new way to live.

I'm ready for bed. Busy day tomorrow, women's meeting speaker/potluck and I have to have the sloppy joes and hotdogs and lemonade there in the late afternoon, then go back north and pick up hubby from work. And of course, there's sponslings and pets and heaven only knows what tucked in here and there. And I can handle it all, because today I'm sober. A sober woman.

It's all a freaking miracle for a drunk like me.

God's got a deal for drunks that don't drink.

Namaste.

First Tuesday in June

Today is my baby brothers birthday. He's old now. LOL

This is the kid that was always my favorite. I was 9, I guess, when he was born. I was the little mama that crried him around and fed him and bathed him and changed his poopy diapers. I cried when he got his first haircut. I taught him how to ride a bicycle and how to fish and how to play hopscotch. He will always be my favorite and there's nothing that can be done about it. lol (I feel safe enough saying this here since none of my family reads my blogs. lol)

It's storming to beat the band here , since late afternoon. I'll probably lose my signal at some point again...it's been iffy and I've had the old 'puter unplugged most of the day. It was 87 degrees and humid and hot as H-E-Double Hockeysticks this afternoon. Suddenly it clouded up and started raining and then temperature dropped to about 70 and it started hailing...that only lasted for a minute, but man, was it pouring !

Had a scarey experience with my car today. Took it for an oil change and apparently they overfilled it somehow and after I had driven less than a mile from the place it started bogging down and losing power and white smoke was billowing out the back of it! I thought my engine was blowing up! I pulled over on the side of the road and called the Speed Lube guys and told them and they said--Stay put. Don't turn the engine off. We'll be right there.

They showed up topute suite! Looked at it and said-Did the oil light come on? No. Did it overheat? No. They follwed me back to the shop and put it on the thingy and finally let some oil out of it. Looked at my owners manual. Explained to me that they'ree not sure how this happened, but too much oil causes a sensor to initiate a major power reduction. The smoke must have been the oil leaking out frojm overflow and hitting the hot crankcase (or something like that). They then drove my little red car down the road and made sure it was okay. It was. They promptly apologized and refunded my money and even put a free bottle of fuel injector cleaner in, in case this had fouled the plugs or injectors.

Now THAT is customer service.

And that is why I keep going to same place to have my oil changed for 4 years now.


Well, it's thundering again and starting to lightning so I guess
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Wednesday morning.

LOL The power went out and I'm grateful for the saving mode on these blog sites! lol

It made for an evening of reading an Iris Johansson novel by lamplight. It's all good.

Blessed to be able to post and use the computer again this morning.

Namaste.

MOnday MOnday

Ai yi yi...I am constantly amazed at the way the time passes so differently in the winter and the summer. Cold seems to slow the clock to a crawl. Sun speeds it up. lol

It was a wicked busy weekend. Saturday we worked in the yard and recuperated from Friday. Sunday we went to dinner at a friends house, with 4 other friends in attendance as well. It was delightful. Just no other word for it. Arrived there at 2PM and didn't leave until 8:30. By the time we got home we were shot. lol

This morning himself was off to work and I was up early to get a head start on the mowing. The temperatures hit a whopping 92 today. I finished the front and side yards by 11, and it was already about 89 by then. Took a bit of a break, didn't feel too bad, so I started in on some yucky chores that needed doing. Cleaned out the chicken coop and scrubbed the floors down with a bleach and water solution. That's a chore all by itself. I cleaned all the serving dishes (waterer, feed trough) and sat them out in the sun to dry while I finished the coop. WITH MY LEATHER GLOVES ON, I put fresh straw in and had it all sparkly. (Did not, BTW, see another snake). lol

Then I filled all the bird feeders, hunmmingbird feeders too, as I had made fresh sugar water for them this morning. The feeders were completely empty, so they came in the house, got washed up and refilled.

I walked out to the road to fetch the garbage can, and it was reeking to high heaven, so I put some soapy water in it and scrubbed away. It took a bit, but it was finally clean and odor free, so I sat it out in the sun to sanitize as well.

I started mulching the gardens with straw, especially the squash and pumpkins and tomatoes. Got started on the potatoes, but suddenly got a little dizzy, and realized I was seriously overheated. I'd made sure to drink planty of water today, but made my way inside the house and took the rest of the day off. lol

BBQ'd some pork steaks for dinner outside on the grill, served 'em up with leftover potato salad that I took to dinner Sunday and made a nice little salad of onions and cucumbers with vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper on them.

This day is over and I am tired. Getting off to bed and some sleep before taking hubby to work in the morning at 6. It was a good productive day, and I am feeling especially blessed to be able to do what I can do today.

Also got a call from a long lost sponsee this afternoon, and it was so good to hear from her. The pain finally got bad enough for her, and she called and we're going to a meeting Wednesday night. God is good.

Namaste.