Housework or weeding?

What to do, what to do. Andy wants to do housework, I want to weed. We usually work together so I hate to go our separate ways. Working with him makes the time go fast and the work get done so quickly. Maybe there's time for both...cleaning and weeding!

Jon sees the oncologist today...tomorrow, his surgery/biopsies. Pray for us.

I'm weak in the knees from the rain yesterday. 2 reasons! 1.) I love it when it rains and 2.) it effects my joints. We got a whole 2/10ths of an inch. But at least we got something. It filled my rain barrel and rejuvenated my roses. Can't ask much more from rain or a bunch of funky looking clouds, can ya?

Okay, Andy and I compromised and did almost nothing! Andy did a bit of laundry while I cleaned out my drawers. Well, not MY drawers but the drawers of my mom's old secretary desk. I had to get rid of some old bills ...some were from 2004!! Gosh, it's awful being a pack rat! Not so awful sometimes, either. I found a couple cool old things that I'll keep...one was a recipe for a sort of quiche. I'm saving it to try! I can't remember if I've tried it before or not...so I'm not sure it's good... let that be a warning to you!

Impossible Garden Pie
Serves 6

Chopped veggies: zucchini, tomato w/seeds removed, sweet onion, green pepper, asparagus. In amounts you like. All are optional or replaceable with something else.
1/3 C. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 oz. chopped cooked chicken meat (optional)

Mix together:
1 C. skim milk
1/2 C. + 1 T. Bisquick
4 egg whites
1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

Put veggies in a sprayed 9" pie pan
Pour liquid over veggies

Bake 400° for about 35 minutes or until golden brown.

The other find was a framed picture (well 4 pictures in one frame) of my son and his kids on Father's Day 2004. Just before all hell broke loose in his life (ugly...make that BUTTUGLY divorce... thanx to wicked ex-DIL...make that BUTTWICKED ex-DIL!!). He looked so fat and sassy and the kids look so sweet and young. I cried when I saw it. He's been thru such hell and it was a hell of someone else's making. I'm convinced that the problems with his health he has now are at least 80% stress-caused and 80% of that was caused by her wicked ugliness. But that's enough about her and enough skin-crawling memories for now.

Oh well, onward and upward.

I've got to pay bills and get them mailed. Being away a week sorta kicks timely matters in the butt! Since I need my water, electricity and car insurance, I better get it all done today!! Does anyone else hateHateHATE having to do bills? I'm not stingy ... it's not that I don't like to spend money, it's just the time and the tedium!

Ms. Veronica told me about a book that she recommended for my GrandKiddies. It's called "Magic by the Lake" by Edward Eager. I'd rather be reading that! In fact, I think I will do that this afternoon. I want to read it to myself before I read it to the GK's. Sounds right up our alley! A magic turtle and everything! How cool is that? The kids had two turtles while we were at the cabin..a large western painted guy and a tiny snapping turtle. This is Rebecca with the painted one.



I love horses. I had horses for over 30 years in another life but time and money became elusive and I had to give them up. Lynn recommended a horsey book called "Chosen by a Horse" by Susan Richards. That's another book on my shelf waiting to be savored. I don't want to cry tho, so I'm sorta holding off on this one for now, it looks like a tear-jerker.

Speaking of tear-jerkers reminds me of jerk which reminds me of Jamaica. Wow, was that a stretch! Talk about lateral thinking! Have you ever been there? Jamaica, that is. I loved it there, the scenery and landscape is amazing. The sea is crystal turquoise blue and clear as a proverbial bell. The food is pretty interesting, I love spicy hot jerk! The thing I didn't like about Jamaica was the way the Rastas beg and plead and try to sell you everything from drugs to sex to rock and roll, all the time, no matter where you are. I don't mean that to sound mean...I mean it that they are poor and they think all Americans are rich. Well, when I was there, I wasn't rich. Not by a long shot. It took every penny I saved for a few years to get there and I was on a tight budget! When I got a chance to talk to some of the people, I loved them, when they weren't trying to get my money (that I didn't have). I love their Jamaican patois. I almost got to where I could understand it before we left. I know being poor can drive humans to the brink of pride. I hate poorness. I've been there. But I didn't try to sell stuff to people that didn't want it.

I also loved Cozumel. Andy and I went there in 2004 with 4 other couples. The people there are so cool. They are proud and happy. I don't know if they are poor or not, they seem to lead rich lives. Not rich as in money, but rich as in happiness. Cozumel is amazing too. The same turquoise water, the gorgeous vistas, and the WILD SIDE! OMG, if you ever go there you must take a dune buggy tour around to the wild side of the island! It was so much fun we're still laughing! Andy drove our dune buggy and loved it...it was NASCAR in miniature! The sandy path we drove on once we got to the leeward side of the island was so rustic and there weren't any houses to speak of, well a few but they were little shanties. We saw wildlife...mostly iguanas. We stopped at a beautiful beach and the guides made us a great lunch of pico de gallo and avocado chicken salad. Then we donned our snorkel gear and they took us out into the wild waves to look for sea turtles (we saw some) sting rays(we saw some) and a rainbow of tropical fish in the wild (WOW!). Those two cute Mexican boys were shocked that all us fat old Illinois ladies could keep up with them in the water. We swam quite a ways and the water was pretty rough. It was something I'll never forget. Andy and a couple of the other guys didn't go in the water, not being the best swimmers and all. I'm glad Andy didn't go in, I would have had to rescue him!

The Wild Side


The cute Mexican boys (can't remember their names, I'll fill them in when I think of them)



Well, that's enough for today. I have to get in the shower and prepare to take Jon to the doc.

Bless anyone who is reading this. And bless the horse you rode in on!

A thought for the day..."A bad day in the Caribbean is better than a good day at work!"