Meeko has a Girlfriend

Most of my friends and readers have met Meeko. He is a delight to us. He has plenty of charming personality and he thinks he's king of the household.

Well, a couple of months ago, a female dog began coming this way with her owners and she and Meeko have become fast friends.

Meet Angelina. She is a darling and she and Meeko get along great. They see each other almost every day. She is with her owner Frank in this photo and her other owner, Nancy, is taking the photos. If either Frank or Nancy doesn't come by with Angelina by the time I take Meeko out for his nightly walk, he heads directly to her place. He knows exactly where she lives and looks for her as we walk by. She is usually out in the yard and comes as soon as she knows he's there.
Nancy took this photo of the two dogs together a couple of weeks ago. They were enjoying each other's company, but Angelina, like Meeko, is a little camera shy. She kept turning her back each time Nancy aimed the camera.

Angelina and Meeko have quite a friendship going. They look forward to their time together each evening. When Angelina is in the house as we walk by, Meeko tries to figure out how to get in to her and we can hear her barking and running around trying to figure out how to get out to him. They have a close bond and enjoy each other's company. Sometimes Meeko will lay and rub his head on the grass and Angelina will jump on his head. It's hilarious to watch the two of them play together.

Not much going on here. I've been a little under the weather with arthritis pain in my knees, so wasn't upstairs today. The doctor told me she wanted me to take a two week break and rest, but that isn't really possible. Then she prescribed Celebrex, (she was a fill-in doctor, mine is on holidays) which I am allergic to because it contains aspirin. That was an experience in itself.

Take care and enjoy the weekend. Remember to take some time for yourself. ~Blessings, Mary~

Thankful Thursday

Today is Thankful Thursday. It is a day when we list the things we are thankful for. If you would like to participate, be sure to stop by Sting My Heart and pay Iris a visit. You can find all the information there.

It's been awhile since I participated in Thankful Thursday. Mostly because I've been busy and keep forgetting what day of the week it is. Here are some things I'm thankful for this week.

1. Getting the plaster and lathe out of the smallest bedroom in the rental apartment at a good price. The man who put up the gyprock also gave us a very fair price.

2. For my mother who is in fairly good health for her 81 years. She has had two mini strokes in the last 5 years and is still going strong with no negative results. She drives, helps family and is very independent.

3. For grandsons who are willing to learn about renovations and lending a helping hand. They are good boys and did a great job.

4. Food on the table, a roof over our heads, central air in the summer and heat in the winter.

5. For good neighbors who will lend a hand and expect nothing in return, though we try to return the favor whenever possible.

6. Nature. Some of my greatest joys are found in the animals and birds that frequent the area. A blue jay has been stopping by and so I put out some peanuts-in-the-shell for him to enjoy. He is a gorgeous creature. We also have raccoons and squirrels that delight us with their antics.

7. For a husband who knows how to tape and mud drywall. The job will soon be done.

For all blessings received, I am thankful. It seems there are so many positive things in the world and I try very much to focus on each of them. Remember to count your blessings and look for the silver lining in every cloud. ~Blessings, Mary~

A Movie and Learning about the Cycle of Life

We took a break from all the work again today for a couple of hours and took Brandon and Jordan to see Kung Fu Panda. They had been wanting to see it and so had hubby. Since this was $4.20 admission day for kids and adults, we decided to go.

Kung Fu Panda is the story of Po (Jack Black) a panda who works in his father's noodle shop and dreams of being a Kung Fu Master. When he hears that the Jade Castle is going to be choosing the Dragon Warrior, he makes his way to the celebration.

The Furious Five are competing for the title of Dragon Warrior when Po unwittingly puts himself in the center of the contest. He is chosen as the Dragon warrior, yet he knows absolutely no Kung Fu.

When the evil snow leopard, Tai Lung, escapes from prison, Shiftu (Dustin Hoffman) knows he has to train Po to defeat him. It's a wild old time and if you want to find out what happens in the end, you will have to take in the movie. We all enjoyed it.

In other news, my first husband's uncle passed away on Sunday. He and his wife were in a car accident last December and he has been in hospital ever since. I grew up with all of these people and before my first husband died, the deceased was my uncle by marriage, which made him Michelle's great-uncle. We decided that since the boys have never been to a funeral home, this was a good opportunity to take them. They met some family members that they hadn't seen in some time and met some they had never met before. They were very well behaved and shook hands and greeted everyone. It was a good lesson for them as there are other family members who are not well that are close to the boys. They did a great job and made Mom & this Grandma proud.

At the funeral home I met many old friends that I had not seen in some years and that was especially nice. I talked to several people I went to school with and also got to introduce Michelle and the boys to my grade one school teacher. That was also special.

Hope you are all enjoying the summer weather. It's been around 30 Celcius (90 F) here but with the humidity it seems much warmer. Last week we had beautiful weather with very little humidity and cool breezes. August is on its way and it's typically our hottest month. We shall see. Wherever you are, try to keep cool and enjoy your week. ~Blessings, Mary~

The Weekend

I enjoyed the weekend, except that my camera wouldn't work and so I didn't get any photos to post. Grrr! It is being cantankerous again. I'm not into buying a new one right now, so will have to put up with its moods.

Saturday hubby and I worked on the apartment. He put the first coat of drywall mud on and embedded the tape into it. He didn't quite get it all done, but most of it. It will take at least two more coats, maybe three. It has to be sanded between each coat. The tape has to be completely covered and then the last coat has to be feathered out to blend in with the wall. When it is all done, no one should be able to tell where the seams are. He's done this before and I can't forsee any problems.

Brandon was to come and spend Saturday afternoon and overnight with me while Jordan attended a birthday sleepover. Jordan called about 2:30 pm and said that the party had been cancelled. He wanted to come to sleep overnight as well. I told him the only way he could come was if he promised to work without complaint. He agreed.

The boys arrived at about 3:30 pm and I immediately put them to work upstairs. Brandon stripped wallpaper and Jordan swept stripped wallpaper off the bedroom floor. Now this was the room where the stucco paint had been applied over the wallpaper, so the pieces were big, stiff and awkward. Jordan swept it all into a corner with the broom and then scooped it up and put it into a garbage can. He did a great job. Brandon did a great job stripping wallpaper. Neither of the boys has ever done anything like this before and they both enjoyed it. I was very thankful for their help and so was hubby.

The boys and I went out and about after dinner, which was BBQd burgers. Of course that's always a treat for them. We went and had an ice cream cone and then stopped at the video store. We didn't get anything, as this is a new store and not to our liking. We will continue to rent games and movies from the older store. It was a great disappointment to see the way they're running the new store. Ah, times are changin'.

This morning the boys let me sleep in and I didn't get up until 9am. It seemed like the day was half over. I never sleep so late, but I guess I was tuckered out. We had breakfast and then they just played together until their parents came to get them at 1pm.

After they left, hubby suggested we drive to Port Dover for a foot long hotdog. The Arbor has been around for years and years. It is the home of Golden Glow, which is a lemonade. Hubby and I ordered hamburgers and Cherry Glow. We always enjoy eating at the arbor and you can see a photo if you click on the link above. The place has changed a lot since I was young. The food is delicious and it is not far from the beach.

After spending some time chatting with another couple from our city, we headed home. It was nice to get away for awhile and enjoy the nice lake air.

I hope you had a great weekend and enjoyed the great outdoors. Have a wonderful week. ~Blessings, Mary~

Green Thumb Sunday

It's Green Thumb Sunday, hosted by Tricia at As the Garden Grows. If you'd like to participate, just click on the link to find out how.

My front garden is in bad need of weeding and taming down. Every year the flowers above, which were given to me by my neighbor, try to take over the entire flower bed. This year is no different. These flowers, (I can't remember what they are called) are pretty, but they get very thick.
I love the blanket flowers above. They give a nice showing for a few weeks. They are once again in bloom and I'm glad that they survived our harsh winter. I was in the garden center the other day and picked up two more plants. I'm going to plant them in the side garden. That way I can harvest the seeds if I lose the ones in the front. The front of our house is very exposed to the elements, as it is in an open area and on the west side of the house.

Enjoy your Sunday and take a little time for yourself. ~Blessings, Mary~