A Bit of This... A Bit of That...

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Good morning! I've been AWOL for a couple of days. I'm just tired. To update my friends and readers, the doctor gave me some antibiotics for the ear infection so hopefully soon it will be a thing of the past.

In other news I had an appointment with the eye specialist on Wednesday and the pressures in my eyes are good. The eye drops are doing their job and I've been remembering to put them in. The threat of more laser treatments keeps me on my toes. So all is good in that area.

In renovation news, we have the plywood for the floor and the wallboard for the walls. All we need to do now is to find someone to give us a hand getting the ceiling up. I can help with the walls but am not up to holding wallboard above my head for the ceiling. We will get it done, but we are both tired. Yesterday we stripped more wallpaper and I put another coat on the entertainment center that the tenant left. It is a well made wall unit and very heavy. However, painting a black wall unit white takes lots of paint.

Yesterday was a beautiful day here. No humidity and a nice cool breeze. I wish I could have spent time outdoors, but too much to do. The side porch is still waiting to be cleaned up and the front flower bed is growing Scottish thistles, so I'm going to have to take time to clear those out.

Other than that, life goes on and things are moving slowly. We aren't killing ourselves with all the work. As Grandma used to tell me, the work will still be here long after I'm gone.

Take care and have a wonderful day. Be sure to take time out of your busy schedule to do a little something for yourself. Go for a walk to enjoy nature in all of its beauty, read a book or spend a while in your backyard watching the birds. Whatever it is you enjoy, do it. Life is to short to be hustling and bustling every minute of every day. Enjoy! ~Blessings, Mary~

A Great Nature Show

On Sunday night one of the neighbors from the next block brought her American Eskimo, Angela to see Meeko. They were playing in the yard at dusk and I happened to see the raccon watching them from the crotch of the tree at the end of our driveway. I brought it to the attention of my neighbor and then she spotted two babies climbing and playing in the very highest branches. Mama raccoon was standing guard at the crotch of the tree, as that is the only place that the babies could get down. The kits appeared to be about a month to six weeks old.

It was too dark to take a photo and I really wanted one. Well, today I was given the opportunity. The kits were climbing down the trunk of the tree this morning and I managed to get a picture. I think they escaped when Mama was sleeping because just as I took the picture, she came out of the hollow trunk and started chittering and chattering at them. She scolded them just as we would our babies if they were in danger. It didn't take them but a second to begin climbing back up the tree trunk.

I watched as Mama herded them into the hollow trunk, chittering and chattering the entire way. It was a beautiful show and great entertainment on a day when I wasn't feeling great.

Yes, the ear infection is back with a vengence. Tomorrow I go to the doctor to get a refill on my diabetic meds, so I will have him take a look at my ears and hopefully he will give me antibiotics. I've been using ear drops for about two weeks now to no avail, so I guess I really need to get them cleared up. I always wonder if the ear infections I've suffered throughout my life will one day damage my hearing. I pray not.

As for renovations, we ordered the plywood and the wallboard today and it will be delivered tomorrow afternoon. I'm hoping that once we try putting the bathroom together that it will go quickly.

I wish all my friends and readers a great week. Be sure to take time to relax and enjoy your favorite space. Get out into nature and watch the birds or participate in a favorite past time. Our lives are too fast paced and we need to have some time for ourselves. ~Blessings, Mary~

Update: Today is Faerie Day and Pea at Pea's Corner is celebrating. Please drop by and celebrate with her, get your very own faerie name and pick up a copy of this button.

When I entered my name to get my faerie name, I found I was a Columbine Faerie and that is fine by me. I love columbine, especially purple ones.

Your fairy is called Columbine Goblinweb
She is a bringer of riches and wealth.
She lives in mushroom fields and quiet meadows.
She is only seen in the mist of an early morning.
She wears lilac and purple like columbine flowers. She has gentle green wings like a butterfly.
Get your free fairy name here!



Pea has created a lovely faerie garden in her yard. Be sure to visit her. It is most delightful.

Please Pray for my Aunt

Some of you have been asking about Aunt May. I tried to call her a few days ago, but there was no answer. I figured that she must still be out of town where she goes for her radiation and chemo treatments. I left a message asking her to call me when she felt up to it. Sunday afternoon the phone rang and she and I had quite a lengthy chat about life and death.

Aunt May went through five days of radiation in the middle of June for the lump on her spine. Last week she had two rounds of chemo. Her doctors are treating her cancer aggressively, but since she has a rare blood condition, the treatments make her weak. A couple of weeks ago, she had to have iron intravenously to bring her blood count up because they would not give her chemo while it was so low. Now it is low once again, so she will have to have more iron. This is very hard on her and they are wanting her to have two transfusions as well.

Years ago Aunt May had a horrific reaction to a transfusion and the doctors at that time told her she could never have another. When she went into the hospital with her broken leg in April 2007, the doctor ordered a transfusion for her. It just happened that hubby and I went to visit just before it was started. She said she would be fine, but I could tell by her eyes that she was terrified. I told her we would stay with her and we did. Luckily, there were no adverse effects, but once again she is frightened to have these transfusions. I told her it was her choice and not to let them do anything to her that she didn't want them to do.

As we talked, she told me that the cancer is now in her head and her liver. She knows that she is dying and told me it's just a matter of time. This saddened me because she is my favorite aunt and because she has experienced many health problems her entire life.

We discussed different things and I told her that I hated to see anyone lie in bed in excruitiating pain for weeks or months. I said I would prefer they were taken home before that happened. She was quite honest with me and said, "I fear that is what the end will be like for me."

I answered, "I pray not."

Her reply was, "You better pray hard."

She also voiced her desire that she would like to pass quickly. I think that is something that we all desire, but that wish isn't always granted.

So I am asking each of you to ask God to have mercy upon my Aunt May and take her home before she has to experience such pain. Her life has been hard and she deserves to die with dignity. I will keep you updated on her condition from time to time. Thanks in advance for your prayers, love and support. ~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.

Last Tuesday, the boys and I headed out to the local garden center to buy a few flowers for my planters. I let the boys chose the plants they like. It gives them a chance to learn about gardening and they enjoy it.

It was too late to plant the flowers by the time we got back, so we decided we would plant them later in the week. Jordan said he was going on his school trip so Brandon could plant the flowers when he spent the day with me on Thursday.

First we planted the balloon flower that I bought a couple of weeks ago. It needed to be planted badly and Brandon thought it would be nice to put it beside the solar light and close to Desmerelda, my garden fairy. We gave it some fertilizer in hopes that it would have a growth spurt. It should look nice here.

Then we planted the flowers that Brandon chose for the planter he painted last year. He had never painted before and he did quite a good job. It is showing a bit of wear and we will need to give it a fresh coat of paint next year. Brandon had chosen ivy and these pretty purple flowers to go in this planter.

Above is a resin planter that the boys bought me last year. It is a boot with a bluebird and a nest with babies. Jordan chose this pretty blue flower for it.

And finally, the boot with the rabbits that I bought about four years ago. Brandon chose a mauve flower for this one because he thought it would look nice if both boots had the same kind of flowers but just a different color.

We enjoyed our time and later that evening I snapped these photos with today in mind. I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my garden ornaments. I will try to get photos of others for another time.

Enjoy your Sunday. Relax and pamper yourself a little or take a hike along a nature trail. The beauty of nature is good for the soul. ~Blessings, Mary~