Easy livin'

This past week seemed a bit easier.  Well, it was stinkin hot so that means...take it easy.  Went to the library on two of the afternoons.  Ate on the patio and just stayed quiet with the fan going at 100% which I think is what really happened before ac.  Doug has all the apple wood branches burned, flowerbeds look great and am trying a new trick for the deer.  Seems that we had a ton of tree branches because of Jared's apple tree project.  so I just made a big barrier around the tomatoes and beans.  Seems to be working!  Didn't cost a cent.  Today I packed my clothes for vacation.  Whoopie!  Food is gathering on the table to be packed.  That means pancake mix and syrup with just a few more things to buy.  I think all of my jobs at church are covered.  That is more than one job for sure.  Stayed with Andrew and Noah today at their place.  Noah has once again developed a horrible cough. Some day that won't happen but it's a regular visitor again.  Tomorrow they will come here for the morning.  Took a hearing test today and no change.  That's another blessing.  The aids now are at 100%.  Love it.  Wed. I'm having lunch with a long ago student teacher Moria.  She is such a gifted teacher and was that from the first time I met her.  Carmel has a gem.  Thursday is soup kitchen and we leave for Michigan on Friday...Doug's 74th birthday.  We are getting old or at least older.  Seems it goes with living.  We make it a two day trip to Mi.   Sunday night we'll be sleeping in a tent in Copper Harbor with JB, Kimmy and the grandsons as next door neighbors.  That's a winner for sure.  The packing is beginning. 

Way to much happening.

I can't remember all of it.  Memorial service for brother-in-law Phil on the 13th.  Dinner at church and Supper at neice Beth's house. 
Brother Jim here...Jared and Kimmy here...4 huge projects completed by Jared...Apple tree bit the dust, patio power cleaned, dishwasher fixed and one more I forgot.  See...to much stuff going on.  The battle continues in the garden with the deer.  Sort of gave up on them...But...we piled tree branches over the beans and then the deer ate the tomatoes.  Can't win I guess.  So...the plan is now to pile tree branches all around the tomatoes to see if that discourages the tomato eating binge.  Flowers look good.  Things are starting to look a bit dried up.  So...started to water today.  Andrew and Noah spent the morning.  Big event was filling their little swimming pool.  Lots of fun on an extremely hot day.  Sunday afternoon I decided to work again on the ivy growing on the house.  A few weeks ago I cut all the ivy so the vines were dead so I wire brushed the entire front and back brick of the house getting a ton of little stuff off.  Woo...wore me totally out.  Monday I was NO good.  Such a bummer to experience a body that can't work hard two days in a row.  The north side of the house remains to be finished but not during our hot week of weather.  Tomorrow morning I'm working on the desk at church and Thurs. is soup kitchen day.  That's enough for this week. 

4th of July.

Once again garbage day saw three huge containers filled with stuff pulled from the flowerbeds. It's the darn ivy.  It just goes on and on.  Lots and lots of rain which brings the good with the bad.  Planted a second tomato plant.  The cantalope hit the mud, the deer are eating the beans and they even got into the corn a bit.  I decided at one point to skip the garden  but today got more deer repellent, squash seeds and I planted another row of g. beans.  Seems the seeds got wet in one of the storms so I thought what the heck.  The deer love them.  I am on a roll with sewing 30 inch square baby blankets for Kenya.  I have so much fabric gifted to me so I just keep on sewing.  My back needs a break.  Between yesterday and today I've got ten ready to go with Dr. Lemons...I think he's in Kenya right now with about 30 I made as well as others made by the ladies at Sec. Presb. Church.  I can just imagine these blankets washed and drying on a bush somewhere in the country. New mothers get one after delivery at the Mother Baby Hospital in Eldoret.  11 empty trunks are back at the Mamlin household.  SEM will probably bring 4 more when she comes in Oct.  So...I can scratch buying trunks off the to do list.  Woo, woo.  First time that's happened in I would say 15 years.  That's the Kenya news. 

Today is the 4th.  It's a none holiday for us.  Doug HATES to be in crouds so the house is where he wants to be...No people but us.  Can be sort of boring. 

Busy at church as usual.  Did two bulletin boards, one on Kenya and one with great softball pictures,  as well as a table arrangement in the west entrance.  Sat. I'm taking flowers to church for the altar on Sunday.  No one has signed up to do this.   The garden is just really exciting at this point with lots of flower options.  No soup kitchen today...Yahoo!!!!  That's about it.