Pudgeduck's Contentment

All is well in Pudgeduck's world!! Hubby caught the flower bug! What a nice surprise he left for me, hanging in a perfect spot.




The sweet peas are already 8"tall! I found a new variety (for me) that is highly scented with pale petals edged with violet. I filled in a few bare spots with them and planted a few near a trellis in another flower bed. Seems like I always find something new after all the beds are full.

I'm thinning out the nasturtium pots, and it's still hard to let go. I found another new plant for my garden, called Vitex Trifolia (Coastila Persian Lilac). The leaves will turn blue with a mauve underside and with lilac flowers during the winter. It doesn't lose the foliage and it will be a great addition to my garden!

Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts and Red Cabbage are loving their spot in the sun. Just a few radishes have come up. I know I said "never again" after the radish fiasco last year, but....The kale hasn't started sprouting yet. I'll sow more seeds in a few days and hope they will sprout! I have to have kale for my weekly soups that I'll soon start craving as the weather cools.

I cherish every moment I spend in my garden! What a wondrous life I lead to be able to spend most of my time contented, surrounded with the beauty of my garden. Something very important happens each day as each seed sprouts and the flowers bloom. As I said, all is well in Pudgeduck's World!

Store Opening Calls For Big Bang!

This celebration wasn't for my homecoming after my recent trip to North Carolina--the fireworks were for the grand opening of the first grocery store in our community! A long time coming, but with mixed feelings about the growth and changes in our area. The impressive display was equal to the July 4th celebrations in the area. They must be anticipating large profits.

Already missing North Carolina and my 'lil guy. Beautiful flowers cover most of the mail boxes in the neighborhood. We were too early for the fall colors but we did see just a hint of the red and gold on the way.

Tea is served sweetened at all the restaurants we went to in North Carolina. It took a few requests before they understood we wanted unsweetened tea! It's always fun to run into these regional differences.

All around the shopping area were beautiful Angel Trumpet plants. The cutting I got from Dee last October didn't last through the summer at my house.

I'm trying out my new camera--and not sure I will keep it. I bought it for my trip after the old one stopped working. Of course, the old one broke the day of my flight! I bought the Kodak Easy Share M580-8X. I have a month to try it out. It even has a program for fireworks! Not that I had time to adjust it for the local fireworks. They were almost over by the time I even found the camera. What's new??

Rain, Parties, and ADHD Woes

I come alive as soon as the clouds roll over the mountains. Ummm...early fall rain in the desert! Doesn't get any better!

The rain came just in time to water my newly planted bedding plants and seeds! Golf ball sized hail fell in areas close to us, and numerous autos and homes were damaged. Hail here is pretty rare. In my immediate neighborhood, we were blessed with just a great rainfall.

The new vegetables for my garden are: Pole beans, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, and China Rose Winter Radish. The radishes are nice and long so that even if a stray pest eats the tops like what happened to my last years' crop, there will be plenty under ground for me to try! At least that was my thinking in choosing the variety. I also planted kale and carrots.

And, of course, the old easy instant color: Snapdragon, Petunias, Lobelia and Alyssum bedding plants. Flower seeds planted were daisies, desert wild flowers, sweet peas and pots of nasturtiums!

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A September birthday party for my grandson's fiance-- who happens to be on the proverbial wedding day diet! She and I had one miniature cupcake.

Looks like a little wine to help forget the diet....

The biggie birthday party! Son-in-law made it to 60! Great celebration--with good food, great friends and a beautiful family!

And our favorite...Kathy's Rum cake. His fav--Strawberry Banana.

Only one more September birthday to celebrate. Ryder is one year old! Walking, saying about four words, eight teeth and the cutest smile in the whole wide world! I am so thankful to have spent the last week--and the next two weeks--with him!

One more celebration to mention--Hubby still in remission! Only blood checks and port flushing once a month until? We're hoping for a one-and-a-half to two years before more chemo. Praying for healing!

I found my glasses! They were in a strange place, put there by a strange entity to be sure. I just found them last week. I placed my order with Zinni but decided to check out a pair of reading glasses I have with a silver frame in order to compare with the new ones I had I picked out. On the floor, in a basket with another basket on top of it, and under some clothes--there they were, all folded up! I'm a "little" nuts, but not crazy! I didn't do it--I know Hubby didn't do it, so.........who????

I also found my wallet this week after losing it and cancelling my whole life, including check card and credit cards! That still doesn't make me crazy, does it? I take the Alzheimer's test often--I'm OK according to the test, and I've also had an ultrasound on my carotid artery and that's clear, but I did test positive on an ADHD test. I've always known I was a bit scatterbrained, but I don't think that progresses with age, so I don't know why I'm getting worse with these memory lapses. Just in case, I just anointed my house and I'm going to burn some sage just in case.

Mooning Glory

Full moon 9-23-10. Photo taken at 6:44 pm. Love it!

Still having Birthday parties for the month on September. For the first time ever we are scheduling two September birthday parties in October. Seems like going to work is a priority for some people! Great grandson will be here from NC to celebrate his 1st birthday! October will be as busy as September. I will have to make time for my fall planting between celebrations, visiting, and my second trip to NC! And to top that off, it's been so dang hot here that anything planted this early would surely die!

Not sure how my daughter works full time and still manages all the beautiful parties! Another one is planned for this weekend for her Hub's 60th bash!

One of my daughter's recent parties...

Staying busy is the best way to cope when our Disneyland life is imploding. More on that later. In the meantime, good news! Sister said she read that women over age 65 need not diet unless they are grossly obese, as it is hard on the body and the benefits of dieting are countered with hazards. Can't get any better than that--I'm 66!!

Chaos Contained!

I love the sunrise that greets me each morning! Every one is different. I don't ever tire of these magnificent blessings!



Good news--our remodel is finished!!! Well almost finished, but I'm not satisfied the way the draperies look. Still working on them. With all the light streaming through the windows I couldn't get a better photo.




I'm still working on them, but at least they are up!

I will have to have a painter come to change and finish the painting. The other walls are two stories high! Back to the store to find the perfect color, yet again. I will go as soon as I look into the garage cabinets for the rest of my books. I'm sure that will lead to another disaster!

The swivel rocker is not in a good place, and the color is now dated. Hard to believe white is outdated! The furniture is crowded still, although I thought that without the computer desk, I would have all the room I needed This room has always been hard for me to decorate. It opens to the kitchen, has a corner fireplace, and now, only one wall to work with. Even a professional decorator didn't offer any hope! All these insignificant decorating problems are just a way to occupy my mind, pushing away the what-ifs of Hubby's upcoming test results. Usually I just eat under stress but somehow I'm still watching carbs. His bone marrow biopsy is finished, and there's one more blood test to take before we get the news on Oct 1st.

Isn't this a pretty wreath? I found it at Target--on sale of course--Might take it back in a few days...depends on my mood at the time I guess.

By the way--still no glasses. I can't believe they haven't shown up yet. Still hoping they just appear from nowhere soon. I keep putting off getting new ones, because then they'll show up for sure.

Lost But Not Found

If I didn't have the blessings of daily drop-dead gorgeous sunrises like this one--I would think I might be hexed! I've lost my glasses again! Walked out the front door, rolled up the soaker hose, walked back to the car, and my glasses were gone off my face! Poof. Just gone. Now, tell me how that could happen? I have been searching for three days now!

Update--it's been five days now--we started looking in all the obvious places, like the fridge, trash, and then Hubby started opening drawers in the closet that hadn't been opened in years! Nothing. This bad luck with my glasses (I lost a pair, then had the bike wreck and lost another pair) must have some underlying meaning. Like, maybe I should have purchased that damned insurance! I know it is just old age but it is getting more annoying all the time. The best is when everyone says, "pay more attention!" Well, how can you pay any more attention than putting them on your face! Next time, I will start looking for them before they are lost. Yes, that's the ticket! How can I ever get ahead financially when all my money is going for replacement glasses? Good thing the sun comes up in the morning. Left to me, we'd live in darkness!

Remodel Chaos

Turr Tull coming in to check the progress of the remodel. He waits at the door, and then when he thinks it's safe, he crawls through each room.

I'm recovering from painting two walls in my family room remodeling project. We didn't plan on doing any more than break through the stairwell wall and expose the old bookcase that was there from a previous remodel. But...I went into a manic state and decided to paint the wall next to the bookcase. Then another wall, and then, why not another wall with a coordinating color? So, off to the paint store I went. As I started home after the paint store purchase I passed a fabric store. I stopped and found the perfect fabric to match the paint color. I couldn't resist! I didn't know how much fabric I needed (did I mention I don't know how to sew but I know how to use a staple gun and hemming tape, and I am good at guessing,) so I bought 10 yards of floral and one yard of stripe for the accents. I have plenty left for pillows and enough to upholster a chair! So much for good guessing!

The wall color is Dried Chamomile. The "Cinnamon Stick" color is now called "Sealing Wax"

Hubby is working hard building the area for my computer. I found some fabric baskets at Lowe's and I might use them instead of Hubby making drawers. I am trying to keep Hubby from over working and tiring too much.

We've found out doing this project that we just can't work like we used to! A terrible thing happened that drove home that point. We were in the half-size closet, trying to put the backing on the bookcase. It should have been a simple job--just nail a panel on the back shelf. We had to hold the light-weight paneling up two inches to get it in place for nailing, and we found out we couldn't do it. Had to get a crow bar to lift and hold it place. This was done by lying on the floor and using my foot to hold the crow bar, with Hubby lying on top of me trying to nail it all in place. Finally we we got it done. We were so proud! Then...we could not get up. I think it's called being "all stoved up!" After cursing our joints, old age, weak muscles, each other and wondering aloud how we got to this sad stage of life, Hubby finally managed to back out of the closet. I tried to straighten up but I was so twisted in the small space I just couldn't unbend and move! Hubby had to tie a sheet around my ankles, twist me around then pull me out! I felt like a beached whale! Once out, I straightened out and just stayed on the floor in the hallway floor for almost one-half hour. It took two days to recover!

Before the drapes were started and the walls painted, we decided to put brick on the wall above the built-ins. Back to the store to find a match to the existing fireplace bricks.

This is the confusion that I am working around in the middle of the room I'm working in. Boxes of dolls and other knick-knack collectibles are scattered everywhere. They came out of the closet we had to clear out to do the project. ADHD has kicked in full time, adding to the mess. My whole house looks like this now! While painting, I decided that the laundry room needed to be freshened up. While making the drapes I decided I needed somewhere to store the found items from the laundry room so I started to clean a shelf in my closet. On and on it goes until my whole house is in shambles. It's not a easy life!

I am so ashamed of spending so much money on all these dolls and stuff. I can't even sell them on EBay. They are a dime a dozen now. What a shame. Don't want to give them to Goodwill but don't want to store them any longer--what to do? I will try at the community yard sale next month. However, I see light at the end of the tunnel for this remodel. The surge of good feelings has started a bit as we get closer to the completed remodel Can't wait!