I wanna help.....please Grandma Marlys

"Ok Ethan, you can prepare the soil to plant bulbs so I can see them out the kitchen window in the Spring". (I figured that was the least danger he could do with a shovel and, since he was the only one helping me today, the most he could do that would help too!)

He was to 'spade the dirt' 'just turn it over and take out any weeds you see'. I showed him how and he understood. Then, I went to the end of the house to move the Iris back from the sidewalk. After a very few minutes I decided to get the camera and take a picture.....he was sooooo proud! And, the hole he dug was big....do you remember me saying I wanted a hole.....that is when I decided that putting a shovel in male hands, no matter what their age, can only mean you will probably have to redo the project. But, this Grandma knew that she was only giving him busy work and he did a fine job filling in the hole and proceeding down the fence with the rest of the digging. Only thing is, after another 7 or 8 minutes, he was tired! BIG suprise there.....

Hey, get away from my trunk.......

Here are the crocus waiting to be covered......

And here is today's finished project (those are oak leaves serving as mulch...and they make a cool way to decorate too. Later this week I will plant the rest of the bulbs and 'mulch' some more.)

I spent most of my day planting flower bulbs at Aaron's. I had company during my stint at Aaron's....well, not helping me but helping himself! Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture....but let me tell you what went down: there was a squirrel, a very healthy looking squirrel, up on his hind legs reaching up into my trunk where the bulbs were sitting. I yelled 'hey'; he got down but just stood there looking at me. Not until I started toward him did he take off! But he only went as far as Aaron's mailbox where he sat looking at me again. Brasin' brat anyway!

So I went back to planting and as I covered the bulbs I got to thinking......what if he digs them up....brasin' brat. When I told Karen and Aaron, they assured me 'squirrels don't dig'. I was convinced they were right until I remembered a squirrel in Adrian who dug holes in my flower boxes and buried black walnuts in the dirt.....nice try you guys! Somebody better keep that squirrel at bay or I'm getting a sign, 'No squirrels allowed'.......I just hope he can read!

No Trick or Treaters.....BOO HOO

Jorden, Ethan, Stephen

They 'carved' these pumpkins: Ethan, Jorden, Stephen

I 'decked out' the deck

'Storm Trooper' Ethan

Well, there were a couple Ninga's and a trooper from StarWars but they live here from time to time. Apparently, the same reason that I was able to buy this house is the reason nobody comes when October 31st rolls around....it's rural.....too rural for little ghosts and goblins. I am enjoying the pictures though!

Picture this!

Here it is! (and most of the land too). Aaron's house is through that 'dark spot' between the right end of the house and the swing set....sort of. I will have more pictures when I get back from vacation. Don't you just love it!

Well, It's Official.....and Very Moving.....

or so nearly so that Aaron has cut a hole in the fence!

We are going to be 'backyard neighbors' in Michigan Center, Michigan. (Isn't that everybody's dream come true!) I am closing on a property with house on Monday, August 31st 2009 that is located adjacent to Aaron's house with property.....he's is at 221 Tipperary and I am at 210 Venice. A portion of our backyards butt up against each other and it lays out like this: I have more yard than house......Aaron has more house than yard. Together they are perfect, and all a part of the bigger plan to own the entire block.....giggles!

I will post pictures next time.

This is IKE

This post is for Molly. Molly, this is Ike. I don't know what kind he is, how old he is, or where he got his name. I do know that he only pays attention to chickens....that's why he has been exciled to Aaron's.

That's NOT a Boo-boo, that's dirt!

That's what Denver said earlier today when we were comparing 'boo-boos'. You couldn't even see his (which he giggled about) and mine is a bruse from having blood drawn (actually, she did not get any blood from this site but sure left her mark)!

Mom says: "I like this 'clunker law'!"

Mom has been talking about getting a different car for some time (the JIMMY has left her beside the road more than once....and twice I was with her. This particular time we were going to the cemetery. Do you see the irony). So, talking turned to looking, and that has turned to buying (looks like it was worth waiting for that 'clunker law'). Now she can feel confident (and me too) whenever she wants to 'Escape'......giggles. Check it out!

Is it cake yet?

Keep an eye on the mail Molly. Cake and frosting should be arriving soon (that is if the postal people let it leave Adrian. Somebody was having a birthday and thought it would be perfect!) Ejoy and happy belated birthday.......

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

Well, it was more like 'I want to go to the 'play park'' for the kids.  But for me, I was there to see Devin play ball.  Here are some pics (Devin's number is 5, Scott coaches from the field, Amanda from the backstop, Denver from the dugout):  

Where Has the Time Gone?

I thought I was going to get to blog tonight but it's getting late and I have to work a split shift tomorrow (9AM to 3:30PM and 8:30PM to 10PM) so I can attend Angelica's Spring Choir Concert - and to make sure we have all the coverage we need at the CSD.  So, all you get is a picture of the moon, well half of it, over the big pines at Aaron's.  This was taken Saturday evening.

Garage Sale

The first of many over the next two years. I am getting some things around but not so anybody else would notice. I know that I am removing items from my storage unit because when I open the door now, nothing falls out ......and that a real PLUS! We are planning to run the sale in front of the garage, at Mom's, on M5o, over the Memorial Day weekend. There will be a few households contributing and I believe we are planning to just have fun! I am off for the three days only; AND, I am NOT OnCall. That alone promises to make the time fun, in and of itself!

Kim will be here on the 22nd so we won't be in his way as he 'does his thing' to Mom's house. Maybe I will get to see my son too!

Mother's Day in Michigan

Here are some of the pictures taken of Mother's in Michigan on their special day.........

Two of these last three pictures were taken by these two little boys......can you tell which one Denver took (I kept saying 'he's got his fingers over the lens')

We had a great day!

Cinco de Mayo Day Heureux!

Translated from Happy Cinco de Mayo Day!  

And, Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation says it's:  A celebration among Mexican communities in Mexico and North America marking the Mexican defeat of French troops at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. May 5.   [Spanish for "5th of May"]  So, on with the celebration........

It started last night when I realized that I did not bring my clean clothes from Mom's.  I did a quick assessment and remembered that I had nothing at the apartment suitable for work, so I made a couple phone calls.....first to let Mom know I was coming after work; and second to let Amanda know to turn off the light I wasn't going to need it.  Ok, so now I just have to wait out the 40 plus minutes until my shift was over.  I scurry around making sure everything is working properly and begin to finish up the documents I was working on to be able to get out on time.  Then at 2 minutes to 10, the phone rings.  The person on the other end identifies herself and asks me if I was getting ready to leave.  'Yes' I say with a smile in my voice anticipating this was a locked account.  'Good', she says, 'I'm glad I caught you'!  Forty minutes later I was off the phone and shutting down to leave.  I blame that call on the fact that I told Mom it looked like I would be getting out on time.....silly me!  Anyway, I got to Mom's just before 11 PM and all was well!  

Enjoy your day!

Note to Mom......with Love

Well Mother, as usual I am running behind on Monday morning.....the weekend is always so short.

The cat and I did our best to put things back where they should be.  But, the cat's memory isn't what it used to be and trying to remember from Friday night to Monday morning is a challenge....all in all, she did her best!

The empty chip bag on the kitchen counter is so you can see they were Michigan made.....where they were Michigan made is the really cool part....so read the back of the bag.  The check is for Shaklee, gas, and stuff....if it's too little or too much we will have to take up another time.  There, once again, is more food in the refrig than was there when you left.  Some of it I had to bring back from Aaron's because he just wasn't going to use it up before Wednesday.  It was all on sale so fresh dates are always a factor.  There is pineapple juice in the cupboard too, as I needed some for a recipe I made for Aaron on Sunday.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!  I will see you soon (probably sooner than usual) and will let you know after I see what is going on in Adrian (work, Yoga, weather, apartment, and storage).

I'll Finish Next Weekend and Do Some Planting Too

The palm of my right hand is swollen and there are still more weeds to go!

I quit for the weekend and headed back to Mom's to get something else done......that's a joke.  I feel asleep shortly after I got back and just woke up to turn off the lights and the TV. 

Before I got to Aaron's today he called me and told me he had something I could do that was easier than pulling weeds......I laughed and said ' Ya, but I will still have to pull the weeds when I am done...right?'  And, I did......after I drove to Town and Country (corner of 12 and 127) to exchange the gasket for his bike.  

There are still a few weeds to go and I will do those next weekend.  (They are in where I transplanted the Lilly of the Valley last fall and I want those to get a better start before I remove the weeds.  At the beginning stages, they look alike....don't want to remove the wrong ones!)  In the meantime, Aaron wants ornamental grasses planted in this section and I will look for some this week.  I did plant four bulbs I picked up so there will be some color....only thing is, he is leaving Wednesday and I won't be back until Saturday so neither one of us will probably get to see them bloom.....guess the neighbor across the street will have the pleasure.....(smile and sigh).

A Cell Phone that Exhibits Freudian Tendencies?

One might think so as you read this:
I got a two-way call at 2:46 AM this morning. I have gotten them before and I don't reconize the number and just let it go. But this time it was Aaron, so I answered it. He said, 'Ya? That sounded like a question, so I said, 'Did you call me or did I call you? It's this cell phone. I have noticed that when it gets to 'low battery' sometimes it calls you.'  he said.  We said our good nights and get off the phone.

As I am getting snuggled back to bed, I can't help but think of how cool it is that his phone 'reaches out' when it gets low on energy.....kind of like little children wanting to be snuggled.  As I once more drifted off to sleep, I kept thinking 'ET, phone home....ET, phone home......'  On one level it's creepy; but on that 'motherly level', it is SO cool!

Tell Me, Is Gardening Considered Yoga?

You might think so if you too are a beginner.  As I sit or stand while gardening at Aaron's, I am reminded of the positions of Yoga.....(actually, I am reminded of how difficult it is to get THIS body into the positions of Yoga....giggles).  It is very soothing...except when these weeds with roots to China are so stubborn that I have to use a yell to get them out (and then part of the root stays in the ground to plague me again later this Summer....hi ya!)...anyway, where was I?  Soothing, quiet......there are no signs of family, friends, or neighbors........I think they are all afraid I will put them to work!

All I want is to get this one spot cleared out as it is probably the only area that won't be rearranged (as soil will soon be moved around in the name of landscaping) and where I have transplanted some of the flowering plants Aaron 'inherited' when he bought this place.

Aaah, yes.....I am sure gardening is some form of Yoga....if only in MY mind.

Decision: Regrowing after Harvest

It is getting time for me to 'harvest' my hair again. And, since I plan to get it cut short, I started looking for information how to grow it long.....FAST. But, as with all good things, it takes time and patience. I found this site and just enjoyed how she presents the process. I thought you might too........(the remarks she makes about herself and her husband are a riot!)

http://www.longlocks.com/how-to-grow-long-hair.htm

Decision: So Then....It's REALLY Old.......

As I helped Ethan get buckled in my car today he asked me what that 'thing' on his seatbelt was. I told him it was to help keep the belt from rubbing his neck. Then I told him that I had bought it for his sister when she was littler than him. I walked around the car and got in the driver's seat. As I buckled my own seatbelt, Ethan said: so then, it's really old?

Lord boy, if you think Angelica is old, what on earth do you think about the rest of us! What a kid!

Decision: Update: Going Hatless........

Mom went to church 'hatless' this morning and reports that it was a rousing success!

Audra met Mom at the door and asked her to usher with Uncle Jim, Uncle Dave, and her.....pretty cool.

Jim P. told her she was beautiful!  Charlie S. told her she was beautiful!   Others told her she looks wonderful and so on and so forth.  I say, 'Indeed you do Mother!'

Look over the pictures below and let's hear what the rest of you think.  Her hair is coming in very quickly and she is even considering 'spiking' it like Amanda.....now wouldn't that be a hoot!

Decision: Aaaaah.....To Go Hatless!

As the weather has gotten warmer, so has wearing hats! Today we visited Aaron's place and Mom went 'hatless' Here are some pics of her and Aaron (I took him a storage cabinet, still in the original box, that he found a use for immediately. One more thing I won't have to store!)

Decision: Better give that GOOSE a much deserved nap!

......cause, this is what I found on the USPS Tracking Website:

Your item was processed and left our SEATTLE, WA 98158 facility on April 25, 2009. (News at 11.... just kidding about that part)

......that would mean it did a heck of a lot of flying (up hill, no less) yesterday and last night......FLY AWAY HOME!

Decision: Hey Bob.......Marlys here......

What's your favorite Mother GOOSE Rhyme? Or, your favorite kid game: Duck, Duck, GOOSE? How about your favorite Christmas Carole: "Christmas is coming, the GOOSE is getting fat......."? Might be that your favorite character from 'Top Gun' is Anthony Edwards as Lt. JG Nick 'GOOSE' Bradshaw?

'GOOSE-golly', Miss Molly, this sounds like an Aflec commercial (with bubble wrap instead of feathers)!

Whatever the case, the 'case' is on it's way.....GOOSEY, GOOSEY GANDER , whither shall I wander?.........Upstairs and downstairs.........and at your door by 3 PM Monday (signature required...so you might have to pick it up at the post office instead)!

Decision: Waving of a 'Magic Wand' in Michigan Evokes 'A Miracle' in Kentucky

Well, maybe not quite; but so close I am glowing from the light!
Tonight, for the first time in a long time, I actually felt that what I know from my nearly 26 years with the same company is still useful.
It was a medium busy night; I had lots to do and not too many calls or email so that I should be able to get done on time. Then, at 9:18 PM I received a ROBOT page that TAP09 was in MSGW (Message Wait). Rats, this happened on Monday night too! I called Zach, left a message, and headed for the Computer Room to check it out. Tape Drive was SEQ dONE not SEQ Ready.....that's a problem. Before I fiddled with any of the buttons I decided to call Zach again....this time he answered. We discussed the situation, got the tape seated and SEQ Ready....I answered the message and it took off. Whew! Looks like I'll get out on time after all.
NOT SO FAST! I still had two more desktop computers to ghost and needed to get to a stopping point with the accounts I was creating. So, just like anytime when you are busy, I had to head for the restroom before I took on the last 20 minutes of my shift.....giggles. I had put the phone on standby and returned to find a queue call holding for 2:14 min/sec. I took a deep breath and answered the call. It was one of the plant people from Mt. Sterling and he needed more than an account unlock. I listened as he explained that he needed to find a way to get the JDE/OW order numbers that were on the load he had just completed on the AS400 so he could invoice and have the paperwork ready for tomorrow morning. The load was bound for Canada and it couldn't cross the border without these printed documents and he didn't realize that he hadn't taken print screens of them and they were gone from the 400 so.........now he was in a pickle. When he stopped to draw a breath I told him that I knew exactly what he was talking about because when I started working here (that 26 years ago end of May) I worked in traffic creating, releasing, and assigning loads for our truck fleet, common carriers, AND to Canada. He heaved a big sigh of relief and we started going over what information he did have that we could use to find the information he needed.
LONG story short, just before we got off the phone he told me he was glad I was the one who answered and that I was a miracle worker! Tonight, that was just what I needed to hear......sigh.

Decision: Catch as catch can.......

......and, when I catch my breath, I'll catch up on this blog! Right now I need to fold my last load of clothes and get to bed.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Decision: You Want Me to WHAT?

That was the look I got from Denver today when.....well, let me start from the beginning:
I was moving some stuff around today and had pulled out this chair......some of you know the one I am talking about, Uncle John made it. Anyway, Denver wanted to know what it was and when I told him it was a chair you could tell he thought that I didn't understand the question (giggles).
While I went about my business, he managed to pull the chair apart (you remember how one piece stores inside the other). When I returned to the living room he told me that he 'broke it'. I smiled and said 'Oh, no!.....well, let me see if I can fix it.' Then I sat there looking puzzled (I'd say it was for effect only, but I really was puzzled!). You see, I have trained myself to put that chair together 'swiftly', without thinking, because if I think about it I usually can't figure it out....but of course, I didn't want Denver to know that. As luck would have it, I guessed right the first time.
OK, the chair is together now and I say to Denver....'see, Aunt Marlys fixed it. Come sit down', and I pat the seat. He looked at me, then looked at the chair, then looked back at me with that "are you crazy, Lady" look on his face....'that chair was broke; and, no amount of hocus-pocus is going to make me sit in it'.....then he says "No, Bubbie do it!" Now that is some good stuff......he won't sit in the chair himself, but it's OK to volunteer his brother! What a kid!
He went and got Devin, who sat down in the chair.....then got knocked on his butt by Denver, who quickly slipped into the seat! I couldn't believe what had just gone down....that Denver is one smart cookie! What a kid indeed!

Decision: Deadline for 2008 Taxes

The words 'dead' and 'taxes' in the same sentence....sounds appropriate!

Those of you who know me well know that I started and finished my income taxes today. It's the same every year......I like the surprise. Although, it has become rather routine.....owe Federal a third of what I get back from State. Not so anymore. I still owe Federal, but I am breaking even with State. So, I returned 308 and one half pop bottles and paid my Federal. I wonder how long before the bottles will need a storage unit of their own so I can stay even with Uncle Sam!

And, if you see my cousins, Jan and Dan, wish them Happy Anniversary. I know they were married on April 15.....but, darn if I remember the year! Anybody with a better memory....can you fill in the blanks for me????

Decision: Busy, busy, busy.......

Not much of a chance to blog right now....this is a short work week, I'm OnCall, and there are many 'special things' I need to get done besides the usual, daily grind.....(no not coffee! Still don't even like the smell of it!)
I'll get back on the birthdays and catching up when the l..o..n..g weekend rolls around.....of course, I will still be on call so might seem short, or just an extension of the work week, or...well, not what I expect when I get extra time off work. We'll see.
Later 'dudes and dudettes'!

Decision: Holy Cow, Sponge Bob, Another April Birthday!

Ok, so how about today....anybody send a birthday greeting to our favorite Bob in Alaska? This month is so busy with birthdays!

Bob, we love and miss you on your birthday and every day! (You won't have to wait for me to post a picture, just go to http://www.campside.blogspot.com/ and see what Bob and Molly have been up to.

Decision: So, Whose Birth Date is 4/6/46?

I know at least three 'Barnes kids' that should know....did you call him and wish him a Happy Birthday today?
I know I've got a picture around here somewhere.....another time I will add it.

Decision: How about the Other Side of the Family

This scanning is just so much fun! I am finding pictures of the way things used to be that just bring back some fond memories (not that I remember the day these were taken but the idea of being all together at Grandma and Grandpa Richardson's). Here are some from about 1950 of Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins at Grandma and Grandpa Richardson's. Aren't they just the cutest and best! Can you pick out who they are....do you see yourself?

Decision: Don't Even THINK About Calling Mom Monday Night.......

There was a ton of cheering going on at Calhoun's tonight and Mom lead the way! Michigan State won and will be playing in the final game against North Carolina. So, don't be calling her on the phone Monday night come game time, cause she probably won't be answering!

GO SPARTANS

Decision: More Pics from the 'Annals of Time'.....

So, who is this one? (She's the one sitting (to the left) under the Christmas Tree - First Christmas. And, (to the right) in the stroller, waving.)

Hint: today is her birthday; and so I went from being the 'only' (on the Heimerdinger side) to having a sister and a cousin within two days of each other!

Another hint: Mom tells me she was Homecoming Queen in 1967 at Clinton High School (note how she was already practicing her 'wave to the adoring crowd')

Top picture: Both of them pictured with their Dads, their first Summer at Wamplers Lake. And that other cute girl pictured with them...why this author, of course!