Beautiful Spring Day!

Did you have a nice Easter?  We did, although it was a wet one here.  We had a change of plans and met our son for dinner late Saturday afternoon and it turned out to be a good idea as the weather was so nice and the rain moved in Easter Sunday.

I puttered around the house yesterday and decided some changes were in order.  First of all, I took out the extra leaf in our oak table and now it's just a round table.  Just a wee bit of a change sometimes makes a big difference.  

Last night was spent on the computer searching for photos to put on a memory stick so I can get some enlargements made.  I've searched for just the right pictures in the shops to put on the wall to sort of frame the tv but haven't found what I like.  So, I've decided to frame some of my own photos.  We'll see how that turns out!

Spring...a new season and a new beginning.  It always seems to me that spring heralds new beginnings more so than turning the calendar over to a new year.  Maybe it's because the new year comes while we're in the midst of winter.

Part of me is feeling the urge to clean the cobwebs and dust from the corners and perk up the house, but the other part is wanting to hop in the car and see more of spring down some country roads. 

Which would you choose on a pretty sunshiney afternoon?

A no-brainer, you say?

Me, too.  

I'll see you when I get back!

xo Cheryl

Happy Easter!

He is risen!

A blessed and happy Easter to you!

 

Love to all,

Cheryl

~comments closed today~

Names...and other things

"What's in a name?  That which we call a rose

 By any other name would smell as sweet."

~Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

My hubby went to the grocery store for me recently and when he returned he told me that a woman, and he couldn't think of her name, said to tell me hello.  He said it was Scrooge's wife.  Well, I immediately knew who he was talking about.

That started a conversation over dinner after I made sloppy joes from the hamburger he had gone to the store to purchase for me.  I have never heard Scrooge called anything but that and I'd be hard pressed to recall his real name.

We started thinking about all the folks we know in our small town with colorful nicknames.  There is Dragon and Gator also Critter, Scoop, Punky, Snooky and the funniest nickname to me was one who is now deceased but was called Cabbage.  

One of my classmates starting calling me CQ, which were my initials, in high school and it became my nickname for a few years.  Do you have a nickname?  Do tell!  

The only one in my family who has a nickname now is BG.  The "big guy" was coined by our son.  BG was also called Shorts by his uncle because even though he is 6' 2" tall, he is the shortest man in his family.  lol!  

 Wanna nut?

I'm not planning a big Easter meal this year.  We'll be working at The Project as much as we can this weekend.  BG is wanting to get back at the wiring.  We plan to meet our son for dinner Sunday if he can't get away to come in.   

Some have asked about the rental house, so for new readers The Project is my name for the rental house we bought a year and a half ago.  We found it needed a lot more work than we anticipated, the worst being the wiring nightmare my hubby found.

Many things have been ticked off the list.  The deck was mostly replaced, the bathroom completely redone, the hardwood floors (except for the "spare" room) have been stripped and varnished.  A lot of the painting is done and light fixtures replaced.  The spare room will be carpeted and a bedroom needs to have the walls sanded down.  That is the room that BG has put a new breaker box in behind the door, so we're not going to stir up dust by sanding until the wiring is done.  About 3 rooms still need painting but that won't take long, also a few other little things remain to get done.  Painting and a few little repairs need to be done on the outside, but that will keep until we have the time. 

We've had a carpenter do a little of the work, but the rest is done by us with my DIYer BG doing the majority.  Since he is still working full time and is not so...ahem...young anymore, it is taking a bit longer than we'd hoped.  It's work awhile, then take a break, then back to work again.  It's not something we need to be in a hurry for since our daughter is the one that will be living there.  She has been too busy with work writing grants and taxes and such to think about moving.  The boyfriend takes up the rest of her time.  :)

Speaking of nicknames, I'm sure the folks in our community are calling us Slowpokes.  We get asked frequently what we're doing with that house!   

Have a blessed Good Friday,

xo Cheryl

Spring Is Here!

Happy Spring!  

I want to thank each of you for your very nice comments on my birthday post.  Thank you!!  I had a wonderful birthday and getting to celebrate in Branson was the icing on the cake!  To be honest, it's been a little hard to get back into the swing of things since we got back home.  I've not yet started on the dirty laundry we brought back.  The kitties have wanted lots of attention and I've had one or the other on my lap each time I've sat down.  Stormy started off with her usual pouting which lasts only a day, then she was all about getting attention.  She makes us laugh because she does this every time we go away for a few days.

I want to show you these beautiful flowers, another birthday surprise from my handsome son who had gone shopping while I took a little nap the afternoon of my birthday.  Later that evening, we went to dinner and I wore the pretty bracelet my daughter had gotten me.  I must say that it was a special birthday and I didn't mind a bit turning 70 years young!  I only wish our daughter could have stayed longer, but she had to get back to work.

 
The photo above shows the sun coming up on our last day in Branson this trip.  I didn't want to leave, but we'll be back!  

I love spring!  The redbuds and other flowering trees were blooming all over Branson.  So pretty!  We have much the same here except the redbuds aren't open yet.  Which is a good thing as we have a freeze warning for tonight.  One of our fruit trees has blooms, so we covered it.  After a couple of chilly days, it's supposed to warm up again this week.  

 

I snapped the forsythia at The Project aka the rental house.  BG worked on the electric wiring there this weekend.  I think he may be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel...at least as far as figuring out where all the wires went to.  Now that he's traced them all down and written on his chart where each one goes, it's time to replace them with new.  

I have to make a run to the home improvement store tomorrow for some outlet boxes.  He's had to take out part of the sheetrock to get the old ones out in the living room.  It couldn't be helped, but that means some repair to the walls and repainting will be needed. 

And, it's that time to think about spring cleaning.  That may be all I do...think about it!  How about you?  Is spring cleaning on your agenda?  If I can get a couple of closets cleaned out and a couple of new blinds hung up, I'll probably call it good.  :) 

Have a nice Monday!
xo Cheryl

The Birthday Girl

Guess who is celebrating today?  

Let's have some music....listen HERE!

I love music and LOVED dancing when I

was younger.  About the only dancing I 

to do now is around my kitchen by myself.  lol! 

 

It's a gorgeous day and I have had my beautiful

family with me the last few days here in Branson

MO.  My son had the ice cream cake above waiting

 when we stopped by the hotel he was staying

in the first night.  He had work here and will be

here the next few days with us.  Our daughter and

her fella came down on Friday night for the weekend.

This was my birthday card from my sweet and beautiful

daughter.  I am so blessed to have such wonderful 

children...yes, I am!  And a great hubby, too! 

This is the scene that greeted me when I opened the 

bedroom door at the condo this morning.  My wonderful son

stayed up late and decorated after BG and I had turned 

in for the night.  

And while I sat on the deck enjoying the beautiful weather,

my son fixed breakfast for us.  Awesome!  

After eating, I enjoyed looking through the magazines

he bought for me.  What a relaxing day and I've 

thoroughly enjoyed being spoiled!  We will be going

out for dinner later.  There are so many places we love to

go, that it will be hard to choose. 

Spring has arrived here and the redbuds and other 

spring trees are blooming.  It's just beautiful and the 

weather is wonderful.  I think I might have mentioned 

the weather a few times already, but it IS just so perfect!

It's such a beautiful day to celebrate 

a birthday in Branson!  I am so blessed and thank God 

for all my 70 years and for my precious 

family that loves me.  I love each of them so much!

I am thankful, too, for all my blogging friends. 

I will keep comments open, but feel free to skip on

out without commenting as I haven't had time to do

a lot of visiting and commenting lately myself.

We'll be here a few more days and I'll catch up with

everyone when I get back home.  Take care and 

have a great week!

xo The Birthday Girl 

Ponderings and Plans

While standing at my window this morning, I was thinking how most days seem so much the same.  But, as I continued to stand watching the birds at the feeders and noting that a couple of ducks were on the pond, I realized that out my window is an ever-changing scene.  

The grass is getting greener with each passing day.  The sky may be cloudy like today, but the next might be clear and bright, or filled with fluffy clouds in a beautiful blue sky.  

The maple tree may be filled with cardinals one day, waiting their turn at the feeder or the pesky starlings may swoop in to gobble up any food they can find.  I'll open the window and clap to scare them away, but they'll fly up into the tree and wait for me to leave so they can get at the food again.

The sounds of nature are also ever changing.  I am hearing the crows cawing as they fly overhead.  I might be in the minority here, but I like hearing them.  Their cawing reminds me of my years spent on the farm where I frequently heard them.

Soon, maybe this week the weatherman says, we will start hearing again the sound of rain and thunder.  We've had some very nice spring-like days.  The nights are still cool enough to have the furnace on, but I love to open windows when I can to let fresh air into the house.  

The greening grass is not the only sign of the changing seasons.  I found this sweet little crocus in full bloom while looking around the yard.  It was a little gift to see when at first all I was noticing was the work that needed to be done.  

Hubby and I worked awhile in the yard yesterday cutting out volunteer trees and shrubs growing where they are not wanted.  We cleaned out the peony bed.  I wanted to do more, but when I first start on yard work I have learned it is wise to take it a little at a time until those unused muscles have gotten more used to the work. 

Speaking of changes....

I know I've been getting behind in blogging and commenting lately due to several things including another phone outage which means I can't get on the computer.  Someone had cut into a fiber optic cable. 

When I have had time to peek at my blog list, I've noticed several who haven't posted in quite a long time.  I always worry if something has happened to them.  Even if you haven't met the blogger, you still feel a loss when they aren't part of the blogging community any longer. 

One thing that never changes for me is my love for Branson.  It is my favorite go-to spot in all of Missouri.  I like the Lake of the Ozarks and we spent lots of weekends there when our children were young, but Branson just has something special that appeals to me more.  In spite of the traffic during the tourist season.  

Maybe it's the condo where we always stay.  It's like a home away from home to us, and it's relaxing there.  The view in the photo above from the deck is one that we'll be seeing soon.  We'll be there for around 5 days this month to celebrate my birthday.  Can't wait!  

 

This isn't a very good shot as it is so far away and it was a cloudy day too, but I just had to drive to the lake not far from us the other day to check on the bald eagle nest.  Yes!  I see that white head!  Do you see it, too? 

I ordered myself a birthday present and it should arrive tomorrow and I'm excited to get it.  Bet you can't guess what it is that I'm so anxious to get!  A new vacuum.  Yes, I can't wait to get a good vacuum.  It's a job that I have to do fairly often as I have too many kitties in the house and you know what that means.  My last vacuum isn't all that old, but it doesn't seem to be working as good as it should.  Having kitties means needing a good vacuum. 

Our plan is to get the rental house finished soon.  If BG can get the wiring figured out.  He has to get into the attic and it's hot in the summer and cold in the winter, without electricity there is only flashlights to see with.  There is also loose insulation covering the wires so that makes finding them difficult.  

He will rarely hire work done that he can do himself.  I appreciate that he likes to save money, but in this case, I wish he had hired someone to do the wiring.  I try not to say anything.  Too often.

Where did the day go?

I have worked on this post off and on all day.  My daughter was off work today and visited for awhile.  The phone has rung too many times.  Needy kitties wanted attention.  Not that they don't get it, they get plenty of attention!  I have to stop and gaze out that window in the first photo every now and then to see what's going on in the back yard and Back 6.  It's now time to fix dinner.  I have ground beef, so I think I'll go make some chili.  What's on your agenda this week?  Hope it's a good one!

xo Cheryl