Hot and Dry Here!

 My work computer system is down most of today, so i am taking a break to post this.  It is so hot and dry here, we are watering stuff about an hour or hour and a half a day just to keep our bushes, new plants and some young trees alive.  Was very dry June and July, had a couple good rains in early August and dry again.  My thoughts go out to all the people and animals affected by both the fires and the hurricanes.  What a disaster on each end o the spectrum!

One of my success stories is this cool trellis of ivy we have grown for nearly 3 years.  We started it in the spring of 2018 before we moved to this retirement house full time.

This past Friday we had a program for DH uncle who passed away early last week.  He had military funeral at the nearby national cemetary.  It was nice.  DH sister and his mom had been going through his house and papers and had moved some stuff to be salvaged out (dishes and a little furniture).  They saved the truly personal effects (keepsakes and pictures to be passed out when all the family was gathered.  After the service, we went to his house to finish this task.  His house was dark, dank and filthy.  Very sad.  Much of the trees and shrubs outside had become overgrown and an eyesore.  The cousins all split up the pictures and a couple of antiques.  He had 2 overgrown plants that i am going to take a cutting from and make a nice plant for his sister - DH mom.  SIL asked if i wanted the overgrown plants and i opted for cuttings instead.  This type of reminders make me 1)  sad because who is going to go through my stuff?  We don't have kids.  My sister?  My neice and nephew?  My SIL and her husband have no children either, she stated this weekend that she and her husband donating their estate to a charity.  Not a bad idea.  And make me feel 2)  more determined than ever to always be cleaning out and aware of my possessions.  

While DH brother was in town for the service, we played golf on Saturday.  It was HOT!  And i got off to a slow start.  Feeling hot and not hitting well.  I played with my new driver for the first time and it took a few holes to get used to it.  Then, viola!  It was really great.  I hit a few really nice drives, over 130 feet and seemed to really see progress with this driver!  Yay.  This is a picture of the many creeks running through the golf course we usually go to.  I got a 48 on the back 9, my best score every!  So happy.

We finished the show Merlin on Amazon Prime.  It was really fun and enjoyable.  We both got tired of some of the repeated plot lines and some of the gaps in reasoning some of the characters displayed, but we enjoyed the theme and the time period and characters immensely.  It is about young King Arthur of Camelot, his trusty sidekick Merlin and Gwenivere (sp?) and the Knights of the Roundtable.  I give it 7 out of 10 stars.  I just heard on the radio they are doing sometype of limited comeback show about West Wing (which is one of my very favorite shows ever) this fall re voting.  Will probably be too political for my taste, but we shall see.  We started Yellowstone last night and will enjoy catching up on that - the season 3 final episode aired this past Sunday.  It is a ranch family, father is screen legend Kevin Costner - and it started a little slow, but by 2nd episode I was hooked!  I told DH if we get to a point we cannot find something to watch this fall, we will have to designate a couple nights a week for just reading.  We have a huge collection of mystery and crime novels.  But i still seem to find several shows i want to watch, including Friday Night Lights this fall, and Homeland this winter.  

I just got a couple bags of small tomatoes for our friend who grows about 50 plants, since my work system was down - i made a 2nd batch of salsa.  I am going to take a jar to my high school friend whose step dad came home on hospice this past weekend.  She texted me.  I have a loaf of zucchine bread for her mom.  She is the gal i have distanced myself from and frankly have found it quite a relief to NOT be in daily multiple text/couple group text situations with her any longer.  She referenced the space she was giving me as i asked for.  I wanted to respond back that i did not request space, i requested RESPECT.  Maybe subliminally she took my request for respect and turned it into space.  Oh well.  I have known her since 3rd grade and love her mom and step dad.  It is sad.

My own dear grandmother is not doing great either.  She is slowing way down, unable to take care of herself daily and falling.  We have hired daily care for her and my aunt is arranging to have her moved into same building my aunt is, right next door.  

Well, my IKEA furniture should be here Friday and hopefully i will have before and after photos soon!  I haven't sold much lately or cleaned anything out.  But i will have to gear up for some fall clear out!  Here is another before and after (sort of)...

This cool round firepit area concrete was here before we moved in.  We usu store away the chairs when not in use to be able to mow around and move the water hose easily.  The firepit area had these 3 stacked concrete 'things' in a half circle around the far side of the concrete - i found them useless and inhibiting to movement.  We never sat on them.  DH didn't want me to get rid of them for some reason.  So we kept 2 of them for 6 years.  Recently i asked again if i could get rid of them and he said yes.  So a couple weeks ago i decided to surprise him while he was out of town.  Turns out i love using a sledg hammer.  I like the clean look MUCH better.  You can see all the temp fencing i have up right now trying to get some new grass to seed - its a mess.  And a lot of watering!

August is out of here

Can't believe that August is almost over.  This summer has flown by.  I guess that happens when you are really busy.  I made it through yoga class last night even though my friend, T was having leg pain and didn't make it.  She is having bad Charlie-horse type cramping pain and has for a while!  Poor T, I hope she can get some answers and find some relief.

I usually treat myself to a bought smoothie Wednesdays after I do yoga.  I make my own on Tues night and most days at noon, that is all I have - smoothie for lunch.  I am tired just thinking about tomorrow - I am going home tonight, unpack and do load of laundry, sleep in my own bed...then tomorrow I ride back up here with my sister for her to visit our granny and see aunt/uncle.  My sister is fixing up aunt/uncle with an I've-fallen-and-can't-get-up button - she works for one of these companies in neighboring state and can monitor it herself.  My granny has one too.

I noticed yesterday when looking at my granny's bank account that she has a large debit coming out of her checking - I called her to let her know we are coming noonish Friday to visit and she said we would talk about the transaction I referenced tomorrow.  I think she must have put down a deposit to move closer to her daughter and probably dreads telling me because she knows that my husband and I will do most of the work moving her - but I just want her to be happy.  She will second guess and feel like she has picked lesser of two evils - but when we moved her up here 5 years ago - who would have guessed she would arrive and fly past 100 with flying colors?!  Moving her where we did was the best choice at that time.  Moving again is part of life - we will get it done.  I will assure of all these things.  Of course, we would prefer she move south to be closer to us - but I understand she wants to be near her daughter/my aunt.  If my grandmother outlives her daughter, she will move to our state.

Anyway.  DH put together the last piece of furniture I bought - a cute white coffee table with storage.  He said it was like 25 pieces to put together.  And he discovered the drawer bottoms were missing!  UGH.  I sent an email this morning to Wayfair and supposedly they will send the missing panels.  I will let you know.

I will be back home Sat evening.  While we are up here, my sister and I are having a nice meal at our favorite shopping area in the city with a couple of my girlfriends who were planning to come down this weekend - but ended up having to cancel because T has an event Saturday with charity she is involved with.  So, I said I would come to them.  Now I dread it because I am so tired.

I think the fatigue I am feeling lately is a combination of my driving and working in the city away from DH now for the entire summer, along with some extra running around I have done because of my 2 classmates dying.  So, I am trying to get extra rest and eat well.  Limit my caffeine and junk - eat lots of colorful veggies and fruit.  Lean meat.  No sugar added smoothies.  I have about 6 more weeks and then I will have some much needed downtime. 

DH and I were thinking of going somewhere in Oct.  But I am leaning toward not doing much for Oct and Nov, I need to rest. 

I hope all of you are looking forward to a wonderful Labor Day weekend!