Yup, this is what I'm doin'...

Let me tell you what led up to this moment. This last weekend (the weekend I work) two ladies quit. Actually, one has been gone for a week and a half, so we were already short staffed before the second one walked out on Saturday. So, we've been scrambling trying to do their work in addition to our own. So, then, I was asked to come in today (My day off; I'm still exhausted after what we call "the weekend from heck"; this is the tourist season and the tourists expect SERVICE NOW!) to help catch things up. I went in for three hours, put the salad bar together (a two hour job) and made about 20 lettuce salads to sell on the shelf. Three hours in all. Then I told the boss I was going home. (She hadn't specified how long she needed me.) SO, by the time next weekend rolls around (my weekend off) I will have worked 8 days in a row (counting the short day today). Sorry, folks, but I'm not going to work my entire day off because the store can't keep enough people hired. I'm exhausted and this is physically draining work and very stressful. I tend to work as fast and hard as I can and I don't seem to have another speed, so at my age I have to crash and burn at some point. Hence, a two hour nap on the couch. Now, my whining is over. :)  On to a more pleasant topic...

A fellow gave me two tomato plants. He claimed they were Rutgers...

Hmmm...I'm thinking maybe Romas? In that case I'll have to find someone who makes tomato sauce! :)

The lettuce is growing a bit.

A morning glory is enjoying the support of this old wagon wheel. The weeds are healthy, as usual.

Another morning glory sporting tiny orange trumpets...and more weeds. I'm allowing the little shamrocks to grow because they're so cute. The other weeds I pull a little at a time. This is a very simple, no stress garden. All I can handle. :)

It's been SO windy the last few days. I keep reattaching the whirlybird's tail and it keeps blowing off! See how my mowed lawn ends in a prettyish kind of little wilderness? I do mow along the driveway and then widen out into lawn. So it doesn't look quite so wild. But I'm officially in the country, so I can get by with living in the middle of a big, grassy meadow. :)

I look forward to my sunflowers brightening up the garden! Wish I had planted two rows side-by-side so the grands could make a sunflower house out of them. Maybe next summer I'll remember to do that! :)

The weather's been so weird this year. A cold spring. Now some rain and warm days. The garden starts and stops. I'm not sure how much will actually produce, but I figure the garden and lawn mowing are just excuses for me to get outside for some fresh air. That is their raison d'etre and that's enough, right?

Now, I'm off to visit some of you and perhaps brew a cup of tea. Happy birthday to my oldest birth child, Jordan, who is 32 today! (He doesn't know where my blog is. I'm just bragging on him!) He has always loved God and wanted to serve him. Now he's the worship leader at the Open Door Church in Burleson, TX. I think he's very happy, and that makes ME happy!

 

So glad he was born. What a blessing and a joy!

Y'all have a shalom filled day, ya hear?

My last two River Scene ATC's...

I'll be sending these off tomorrow for the River Scenes swap. I really enjoyed making these and they're kind of hard to give up, but I hope somebody else likes them. :) I may have to make copies for myself!

It was a crazy weekend at the deli. Two gals quit and the rest of us just had to work harder. But we survived! Tomorrow is an early day and then Tuesday is a day off.
Y'all have a good week. Vaya con Dios!

Afternoon break...

This is what I'm doing...coffee, cookies and my favorite version of Pride and Prejudice.

Oh, I probably won't watch all four hours of P&P. Then again, I might! (Note to self: It's more like 6 hours. Watched 'em all. I should have remembered. I've only watched this maybe four times before!)

I've been to town to do errands and I weeded the garden. A beautiful day off! Hope you're enjoying your day.

Shalom, friends!

Books and a movie...

I don't mind telling you, I worked HARD today! I got to work at 7 and worked putting the salad bar together. That's a 2-3 hour job in itself. Then about 9:30 we noticed the lady who's supposed to fry chicken hadn't shown up. So, I leaped into action and began frying chicken. I did that until 1:00 when the evening shift folks showed up, at which time I delegated frying to one of them. I then hurried to finish my salad bar duties, which include refilling buckets full of food needed to do the  salad bar tomorrow, and did a ton of dishes to help the evening gals who would be short some help, too. My muscles are so sore! So, tonight I'm watching a movie and fixing myself something yummy to eat.

I've received two books in the mail in the last couple of days and I got a free movie rental because our store installed a new movie rental "box". (An employee perk.)

I started reading The Pace of a Hen today, and I'm loving it! The Big House just arrived today. Tomorrow's a day off and I have some things I need to get done, but I plan to rest as much as I can.

Pom, there is a mysterious pink envelope winging its way to your house. It has something to do with these objects.

Mysterious indeed!

 

Now to get down to some serious relaxing! Shalom, fine people. :)

Beverley Nichols anyone?

I just purchased Down the Garden Path by Beverley Nichols. I looked at the first few pages via Amazon, and I love his writing style. I had never heard of him before, but came across his name in Gladys Taber's Stillmeadow Calendar. Most of his books cost a little more than I'm used to paying, but I got the last really cheap copy of this one. He looks like a real gem of an English author! Much of his writing is fiction based on country life in England and involves a lot of gardening and such. Check him out! :)  (I have to admit, I don't usually care for the authors that GT recommends, but this one I think I'll love.)

Off to church with dear daughter and grands shortly! Hoping you all have a peaceful Sunday.

A productive Saturday...in the best kind of way!

Not productive as in working really hard, though I did take Millie the lawn mower out for a spin. That only lasted about half an hour, but I'm glad I finished up the front yard.

Millie resting in the back yard. I may yet mow some more if the weather holds.

Look who came to visit this morning! This was taken out my back door window.



Mama was a little nervous, but they stayed around for quite a while. I would freeze in place each time she looked up. She never caught on, heh, heh, heh...



I'm thinking this is her yearling buck child. He has little velvet antlers. Awwww...

So, I did my first plein air painting session! Here's what I packed to take along.

I made a little "clipboard" using a small piece of wood and a rubber band. I'm working in one of the little accordion journals and it's hard to hold onto while working! This worked pretty well.



This is what's on  the other side of my little piece of wood. It's a little vacation Bible school project my daughter made about 20 years ago. Wasn't she CUUUUUTE? It's got a coat of Mod Podge on it, so I don't think I'll hurt it. Fun to have her along!

The old vintage Pelikan paint box.



An instant lemonade container for water. The lid is deep enough to use for a separate container for brush cleaning. The cap is one my mom gave me years ago. It's from The Center in Brazosport, Texas, where she took some art classes. It's special.

Everything, including my cell phone fit into the fanny pack...just barely! I had to carry the water container.



See the pile of dead trees on the right? I was sitting under a tree just to the left of it. I could see my dad's old cabin in the woods from there. I found a old round piece of firewood to sit on.

 

I guess I can't judge the merits of plein air painting on my first try, but I found it a little uncomfortable and inconvenient! I did it sort of rustic-ly, so that may be the problem. No chair, no place to set things except on the ground. Kind of hot outside. Oh well, it was a unique experience and I'm glad I gave it a try. :)

I'm off to explore other possibilities on my day off! Y'all have fun!

Mist and rainbows...

This morning started out very foggy...

I was actually in my car headed down the driveway when I saw the scene above and had to run back in the house for my camera! :)

 

If I hadn't needed to leave early for work I might have missed all of this!

 

It's sunny out this evening. (Home from work! Weekend off!) But I looked out and saw rain falling and glistening in the sun. A large cloud was passing overhead and going east. I almost missed this!

 I'm making some little accordion fold journals. I got the idea from Cathy Johnson's YouTube videos. These are kind of small, but I'm just figuring out how to do it, so these are experimental. :)

 I'm using some of my old quilt fabric on the covers. The large book is adding some weight to compress one of the journals.

It's fun to finally think of something to do with all of this charming old material.

 

So, I'm off to make a late supper and maybe fool around with these little journals some more. I also want to work on more ATC's for the River Scenes swap. Here are the first two I made:

Hope you all have a pleasant evening. I'll probably be around to check up on you. ;)

Shalom!