A Road Trip for Jerry

I took Jerry for his very first veterinarian appointment this morning at 9:30.  When we got there, the reception desk said that we were scheduled for 9:00 but they could still take us.  I then produced the little appointment card that they gave me on Tuesday which clearly said "9:30" -- oops!  They apologized profusely for their mix-up.

Jerry was a good little kitty for the vet.  I was especially glad when the vet offered to trim his claws as part of his "new kitty" appointment.  He got a couple shots and some deworming medication.  (Lovely.)

I'm glad that Jerry has started to receive his medical care, but I think I may start writing his name as Je$$y!

Dad 99: Mowing, Baseball, Garden, Lacrosse....

(Dad had this post done this morning, but I couldn't get to it until now.  Next week I may try to dictate it into my iPhone.... There's an app for that!  --  Tracy)

Derf Here!  From the soggy, damp Northeast.  The holiday weekend weather was superb.  A better three days could not have been had!  Considering the storms in the Southeast, we were surely blessed!

Well, I have a few projects left to complete, but the damp weather is not conducive for the completion of them.  Can't mow the high grass until it dries out.  Should hire some grazing cattle to munch on the lower forty.  Also need to complete the new veggie garden on the front lawn.  Completed all the digging out and now must replace with landscape timbers and fill up with garden soil.  Then to transplanting some tomatoes, squash and cucumbers.  Hope to complete by the end of the first week in June.  Wow, that's only one week away.  Better "get a wiggle on."  Will do.

All are getting settled in after our trip to Illinois for Kelsey's graduation.  Kaelen is back in her summer home and busy working at the Clambake.  Keep those hours coming.  Must make money for senior year.  Work, work, work, Kaelen!  It will be over before you know it!  The motor home is happy to have its resident back.  We're happy to have Kaelen here working for her fourth summer.  Hard to believe she is in Maine for her fourth season.  Keep those checks depositing!!

In a few weeks sister Deb will be arriving from Florida by way of Indianapolis and Pittsburgh.  She takes a roundabout route from Florida to visit sister Jean (Indy) and friends in the Pittsburgh area.  Must get the cottage water on some day next week.  Not a tough task.  Don't want to do it in rainy weather.  Looking for a sunny day!

Saw Josh pitch five innings last Friday as he struck out ten.  He also picked a runner off first base.  Fielded two ground balls for assists. Thirteen of the fifteen outs accounted for.  The other two were a ground ball to second and a line drive to left field.  Did I mention he had two line drives for two runs-batted-in in the 6-0 win?!  He had a good game.  Called after six innings due to fog.  Josh's game yesterday was canceled due to rain.  Supposedly a make up game today of a previously postponed game.  Hope it clears up.  Has games scheduled every day the rest of the week.  Hope to make them all.  Topping off the week with a morning lacrosse tournament for Zack.  Must work this all in with other obligations.  It is a great time of year.  Must take advantage of all games!  Will do!

Daughter Deb just dropped in.  Found out where Josh's game is later today.  Plan to be there!

Getting almost lunch time.  Time to head out to buy some landscape timbers.  Must get busy on garden.  Time is of the essence!  Plan on mowing tomorrow.  Weather person said nice, sunny Thursday.  Will take advantage of the sunny day.  Mow, then kill some non-wanted grass!  Love Round-Up.

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

We had an amazing thunder and lightning storm in the middle of the night last night.

I had Facebook friends comment about how their dogs howled, their kids somehow slept through it, and how they themselves were in dire need of coffee all day....

I usually wake up when we have such storms, and last night was no exception.  Lew doesn't always wake up, but he did this time -- although I might have actually caused his waking, as I was audibly reacting to the storm.

Jerry did okay with his first thunder and lightning storm.  He was definitely paying attention... slightly alarmed, but not petrified.  Before the storm he was lying on the edge of my side of the bed.  He then moved to lying on top of my legs.  Then he ended up curled up between Lew and me.

We have a very cautious kitty!

Deck 'n' Donuts

Lew's buddy Steve brought Tony's Donuts over this morning.

We planned this Memorial Day get-together several weeks ago, hoping that we would be able to sit on our deck while eating our donuts.... And the weather cooperated.  (It was so nice today that Lew and I got another beach walk in.)

I hope that everyone had a blessed Memorial Day.

Freedom isn't free.

A Lovely Day

We had some friends over after church today.  Lew made burgers and hot dogs on the grill, and we all raided my father's garage fridge for soda.

It was a beautiful day weather-wise, so we sat on the deck while we ate.

And then we all went for a walk...

ON THE BEACH!

It was the first time Lew and I had walked on the beach this season.  What a blessing it is to live only about a mile away.  :)

When we returned from the beach, we all raided my father's garage fridge for ice cream treats.  (Thank you, Dad!)

It was a lovely day.

The End of American Idol

I have written about American Idol several times on my blog.  Lew and I have watched it since the second season, but I have been a lukewarm viewer in recent years.  (Please see my January post titled DVR Dilemma.)

I have nothing against Philip Phillips personally.  But I never thought his talent rose to the American Idol level.  He isn't a terrible singer, but he definitely isn't versatile.  As the saying goes, he is a "one trick pony."

About a month ago, I asked Lew the following:  "If Philip Phillips wins this thing, can we make a deal to never watch American Idol again?"

And Lew said, "Yes"!

Unless you live under a rock, you know that Philip Phillips did indeed win the title.  So I never have to watch another season of American Idol....

Hooray!

(Postscript:  I read that Philip Phillips will be undergoing surgery sometime this coming week, and I do wish him all the best.)

"Toot, Toot, Toot" Went the Kitty

Lew and I are enjoying our new kitty.  You know... Jerry, Lewis' cat.  (Get it?  Ha ha!)

When I brought Jerry home, I knew that he was... well, there's no delicate way to put this... gassy.

Jerry is 4 1/2 months old and he had been eating adult cat food up until this point.  So, I decided to get him some Science Diet kitten food, which he really seems to like.  Perhaps this will help with the gas problem.

My brief Internet search also revealed another source of foul gas:  worms.  (Lovely.)  I'm going to call a veterinarian sometime next week to ask about that possibility -- as well as get the timeline for kitty care.

In the meantime, when I smell something foul I will be asking Lew, "Was that you or Jerry?"

I think that Lew likes being able to blame the cat.

Poor kitty!

Dad 98: Back Home

(Wait a second... I just typed in the following!  How come nobody told me about Kaelen's technology?  LOL!  Enjoy Dad's post!  --  Tracy)

Derf Here!  A day late and a dollar short!  Nothing unusual about that.  Back in the Northeast after a successful trip to Mid-America.

First a note about last week's post from Eureka.  The writing was completed and waiting for Kim to type and send to Tracy, when granddaughter Kaelen asked me if I wanted her to take care of the typing.  However, Kaelen has an iPad and she did not do any typing.  She dictated it to the screen.  She talked and it wrote!  Technology is remarkable!  I understand nothing, just accept it.

Went out to eat in Indy with sister Jean.  Received word from Jean that she will be taking trips to the eatery with Wendy!  Good!  Go for it!

We thoroughly enjoyed Kelsey's graduation and graduation party at Kelsey's home.  It was attended by around 40-50 people.  (I should state that the home is also lived in by Kaelen, Kim, Joe, and Cocoa!)  It was a great event!  Especially seeing Kelsey's cousins in attendance from Indy.  It was great to have Gordon and Kathy Morrow attend the party.  I hope they got home not too late and were able to rise up and make work the next day.  Thanks to all who came to the party.  We talked to several acquaintances that were probably last seen at Kaelen's graduation party three years ago.  Thanks, to all who helped!  Thanks for graduating, Kelsey!  We are all relieved!  Now off to college!

Kaelen travelled back to Maine with us and has set up housekeeping in the motor home.  This is her summer apartment while working down at the Clambake.  Her fourth season!  We arrived home on Wednesday after taking two days for the trip.  Tracy agreed to allow me to switch to Thursday this week to post as we were on the road Wednesday.

We were welcomed home by a new cat, Jeremiah.  He is four months old and very nosy as he scouts about the house.  Not sure how long it will take our 15-year-old Pepper to accept the new member of the family.  Hopefully it will eventually happen!  We hope!  As of now it isn't happening!  HISS!

It is good to visit family that live afar, but it is good to get back to the comfort of home.  Back to our routine of baseball and lacrosse games.  I find it difficult to operate under the central time zone.  The only thing good about central time is the televised games are on one hour earlier.  I don't have to stay up as late for game results.  No games today as the Red Sox have the day off and the Celtics have backed themselves into a deciding game seven.  This to see if the play in the Eastern finals.  They will probably win game seven at home and then go down in defeat against Miami for the chance to play in the finals.  They have had a good year.  Better that I expected!  Getting old!  Think about it, OLD in their thirties.  What am I, then?  Ancient!! Yes!

Thought I had more to say.  I must have left it all in the Midwest.  Soooo!

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Introducing Jerry

(For those of you expecting a post from my father, please note that Derf has been postponed until Thursday.  So be sure to check back in tomorrow!)

Today I made an uncharacteristically impulsive decision, after which I sent Lew the following text message:  "I did a bad thing.  Photo to come."

I followed up the text message with this picture:

Then the phone rang.

I knew it was Lew.  I thought about not answering it, but I knew that I would have to face the music sooner or later.

"Hello," I said in my most chipper voice.

"Is that OUR cat?" my dear, sweet, understanding husband asked.

I explained to Lew that cats choose the person, so what could I do???

In all fairness to Lew, he was fine with my unilateral decision.  He had even mentioned getting a cat on several occasions.

I named the cat Jeremiah. We'll call him Jerry.

As you can see, Jerry has made himself quite at home already!

Now, if we can just get Pepper to stop hissing at him....

(Postscript:  Dad, Mom, and Kaelen arrived home this afternoon.  So our household is complete!)

Can You See This?

Yesterday's post turned out to be somewhat ironic.  I hadn't thought about the fact that I had an eye doctor appointment this morning!

I've had the same pair of bifocals for four years.  After today's checkup, I went to my friend's eyewear shop and ordered some new ones.  (Yep.  It was finally time....)

Before she told me the final cost, my friend made sure I was holding onto the counter.  I guess she didn't want me falling to the floor.

Let's just say that I hope the new glasses last a LONG while!

Intelligent People Only!

I had my day all planned, and it turned out to be completely different!  But that's okay.  I was able to spend unexpected time with some church friends this morning, and I was right where I needed -- and wanted -- to be.   :)

Now I'm trying to come up with a good blog post, and I admit that I'm drawing a bit of a blank.  So I have decided to employ the technique used in the story of The Emperor's New Clothes (by Hans Christian Andersen).

Only intelligent people will be able to read what follows:














Were you able to read the above?

(Postscript:  Okay, so that wasn't fair, I know.  But I'm tired!  Thanks for checking in.  G'nite!)

Eureka, Kelsey!

Is "Pomp and Circumstance" still played at high school graduations?

I remember how we had "marching practice" to make sure that we all were all in sync: left foot forward, feet together, right foot forward, feet together, left foot forward, feet together, right foot forward, feet together, left foot forward....

Well, you get the idea.

"Pomp and Circumstance" or not, our niece Kelsey is now a high school graduate.

Congratulations to you, Kelsey! We are proud of you and we love you very much!

Go, Horsie!

Lew and I took a late afternoon walk, timed so that we would be home in time to watch the Preakness.

I am not an expert on horse racing, nor do I watch very much of it. But each year, I do try to watch the three races that comprise the Triple Crown.

The race coverage featured a simulation in which "I'll Have Another" (the winner of the Kentucky Derby) lost by several lengths. It didn't look like the horse would have a chance, come real race time.

But horses apparently do not pay any attention to simulations (nor the betting odds, for that matter). After trailing the entire race, "I'll Have Another" led when it counted: at the finish line.

So, will we have a Triple Crown winner this year? There have been three in my lifetime: Secretariat, Seattle Slew, and Affirmed.

I'll Have Another!

A Bedtime Story

All day long I've been humming the song:

I hear the secrets that you keep,
When you're talking in your sleep.

Why's that, you ask?

Before he left for work this morning, Lew told me that I started talking in the middle of the night.

I guess that I was patting my hands around on the bed, like I was looking for something, and asking "Where is it?  Where is it?"

He thought that I was looking for the T.V. remote.

But then I sat straight up in bed and said, "I think I'm losing my mind."

And so it begins!

Our Program Pitch

Lew and I really enjoy watching "The Five" on Fox News Channel. It features five pundits sitting around a table together, talking about the hot issues of the day.

"The Five" is even aired at 5:00 p.m. -- in our time zone anyway.

Lew and I believe that we could have a successful show of our own, representing regular folks. We would want to be on location in our own living room. I think our red couch would look good on TV.

We could call our program "The Two."

What do you think, Fox News Channel? We'll give you first dibs on picking us up!

Dad 97: From Eureka, Illinois... Again!

(I love copying and pasting!  Enjoy Dad's post.  -- Tracy)

Derf Here!

Once again from the great midwest state of Illinois. Eureka, Illinois to be exact. The weather here is Summer-like! The sun shines bright in the cloudless sky. Now, all I have to do is get Kim to type this to Tracy to post on her blog site. Shouldn't be a problem as I have my ways to get done that which I wish to be completed!

It seems the distance from home to Joe and Kim's is increasing. The earth is perhaps expanding. Our trip here from the northeast was 1187.5 miles. That is up from the 1187 miles that we recorded a couple months ago. We traveled a half mile more but our travel time decreased from 20 hours to 19 hours, 15 minutes. I guess we stopped fewer times. We averaged 68 mph but our gas mileage decreased from 30 mpg to 29.5 mpg. One gets less miles per gallon with increased speed seems to be accurate. Gas prices were seen from $4.02 per gallon down to 3.59 per gallon. Oh, for the good old days when it was about half of this cost. I remember gas at $.18-$.25 per gallon. I doubt that we see that again, ever! What do you think?

Planning a trip to Indianapolis on Thursday to visit sister Jean as she recovers from colon cancer. Will find out today what follow-up treatment is necessary. The trip to Indy just seems to be part of our Midwest trips lately. We're fortunate that we have family so close in the area. Would be better if all were closer to MAINE!!! We live with it. Lucky to visit as much as we do. It does get tougher as 'old' age is creeping up on us. Maybe not 'creeping' but advancing rather quickly!

A highlight of yesterday was the choir at 809 S. Main street. We sang (via Skype) happy birthday to Joe's dad in Maine (George!). Technology is something, isn't it? The choir was in fine voice as it was led by Joe, using his well developed directing skills.

Speaking of technology, I Facebooked with Deb and Tracy over the past couple days and found out that I am missing 2 band concerts, 3 baseball games and a Saturday morning of lacrosse this week. Keep the games coming as we will be back next week to observe all contests.

We ate out on Mother's Day at a local restaurant. Thoroughly enjoyable. We have plans to eat at a local take out snack bar and ice cream place called the 'Dugout'. Kelsey works there and will be there for the summer. I am not sure if we are allowed in the parking lot as I saw a sign that said "Parking for Cubs fans only!" We'll take our chances, I guess. Still we'll be loyal to the Red Sox!

We're looking forward to graduation on Sunday and then the trip home begins. Hopefully the weather remains calm! A nice sunny Sunday would be appreciated. Just a casual request! Are You listening?

I'll be reporting from the great Northeast once again next week sooo….

Until Next Time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

The PB & J Incident

Several weeks ago, a church friend dropped in to see us one night.  When we learned that he had not eaten dinner yet, Lew offered to make him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Peanut butter... Check!
Jelly... Check!
Bread... uh-oh.

There was also no bread to be found over on my parents' side of the house.

So I ended up microwaving a Lean Cuisine pizza for our friend.  Scary, I know.  (See my post "Why I Shouldn't Cook"!)

This same friend will be at our house for a meeting tonight.  He will need dinner when he gets here, and Lew has decided to make grilled cheese sandwiches.

I know what you're thinking, but rest assured....

We do have bread!

Pretending-To-Be-Ignorant Is Bliss

There was a no-hitter pitched in the Major Leagues last week.  And not too many weeks ago, a pitcher had a perfect game.

Typically what happens during such a game is that the pitcher's teammates start ignoring him as the game progresses.  They don't speak to him.  They don't sit near him.

Even the television and radio announcers try to come up with ways to avoid saying "no hits" and the like.

Nobody wants to be the jinx-er!

Baseball....  It could be renamed the "Sport of Superstition."

Mother's Day Plans

Lew's brother, Wayne, brought their mother over for a midday meal today.  To celebrate Mother's Day, the plan was to walk over to Ken's Place and get her a fish sandwich.  Lew and Wayne were to do the walking.  Verlie and I were to do the waiting back at our house.

The guys were back quite soon, reporting that the line of people waiting to order was going out the door!

Plan B:  Same as Plan A, except the fish sandwich would be purchased at Bayley's Seafood Restaurant.  Lew and Wayne left the house a second time, although this outing required a vehicle.

One hour and three minutes later (Verlie and I timed them), they finally returned with the fish sandwich.  I think Wayne got some sort of fish meal.  Lew got a hamburger.

And I got a Lean Cuisine out of the freezer.

Dessert was a homemade (by Wayne) cherry pie.  It was quite tasty.

So despite the wait, a lovely time was had by all.  But a decision has already been made regarding next year's Mother's Day....

Plan A :  Celebrate the day before!

A Problem Solved

A few months ago, Lew bought a cable that allows me to hook up my laptop to our television.  What is the name of this cable?  I don't know.  But I do know how to hook it up to my laptop so that both the video and the audio can go through the TV... which is all I care about knowing!

I'm having a meeting at my house on Tuesday night. Two of the attendees will be joining us via Skype.  And because of the "magic" cable, the folks in my living room will be able to see and hear them on my TV!  (The two folks on Skype will be together at the same location.)

But what about our two Skypers being able to see us when we talk?  (We can't all crowd around my laptop webcam.)  Solution:  Lew borrowed a video camera that plugs into a USB port.  He also borrowed a USB extension cord.  We tried it out with some friends on Skype tonight.  It worked great!  So on Tuesday night we will refer to my husband as "Lew the Cameraman."  (Thanks, Sweetie!)

Red Laser Dot

Red Laser Dot...
You can't get caught!
Play with the Kitty;
Play with the Kitty!

Support Life

I'm composing this on our way home from the annual fundraising banquet for our local crisis pregnancy center.

If there is a Christ-centered, life-affirming crisis pregnancy center near you, I encourage you to get involved!

Needed: Your prayers and your financial support.

Dad 96: The Right-Turn Theory; A Hip Story

(Maybe Lew and I will take a certain piece of furniture to the dump while my parents are in Illinois.  That would force the issue, wouldn't it?  Enjoy Dad's post!  -- Tracy)

Derf Here!  From the once again soggy, damp, and dismal Northeast.  We did have a wonderful, glorious day on Monday.  A great day for a baseball game.  Josh's team won again.  Supposed to play today.  It rained all day yesterday and through the night.  The ground is very, very damp.  Don't know if they will play or not.  If they do, I'll be there!

Spent a lot of time the last two days preparing the motor home for its summer occupant.  Got the cable hooked up.  Must finish the water and a new electric service that I'm working on.  Will be done by day's end.  Then I must vacuum it up and reposition some rugs.  So when we return from Illinois on May 22nd with Kaelen, her summer home will await her.

We will be heading to Illinois this Sunday.  One week from Sunday we'll attend Kelsey's graduation.  Also plan a trip next week to Indy to visit sister Jean and plan on going out for lunch.  That will take place on Thursday, May 17th.  Please continue your thoughts and prayers for Jean as she continues to recover from a colon cancer operation.

Jean told me she actually drove her car to the bank the other day.  The doctor said it was up to the family to decide when and if Jean should drive again.  I hear the family said her driving has always been suspect, so they agreed to free her up.  At one time in Jean's driving career she would figure out how to get from place to place with no left turns.  So, as you see, she is not the most confident driver in the world.  Using her right-turn theory does allow the fuel companies to make a few more bucks and also adds miles to her vehicle.  If it works for her, I say "Go for it."

My blog last week mentioned an x-ray and MRI that I had done on my hip.  Over the past few weeks I've been dealing with excruciating pain in my right hip.  The pain would continue down the leg.  So after several uncomfortable mornings (the pain would disappear by the afternoon), I figured out something was not right.  Well, one day as I entered our home, Spouse told me my couch had a strange shape to it.  This is where I had been sitting for years.  It was sunken in, hollowed out even!  I agreed and said I had thought about the strange seating position myself.  Well, as of last Wednesday, I jammed pillows into the hollow and stopped taking very strong pain medications.  This has allowed me to go pain-free in the mornings for the past week.  The angle at which one sits does cause discomfort.  The solution will be a new couch.  Maybe upon return from Illinois.  So, "square up" out there!

My x-rays and MRI showed nothing that caused anyone to say "hip replacement."  A little arthritis and soft tissue, but nothing of any consequence.

I've been told while driving long distances to remove my wallet from hip pocket as this can cause severe discomfort.  Luckily, I don't carry a wallet in my hip pocket.  But if YOU do, take heed to my message.

Hope to post from the Midwest next week.

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

The Results Are In

I never got around to promoting my "What Should I Learn?" poll like I intended to.  I did post the link on Facebook -- but only once.  I was just about to post it again when I said to myself, "Nah, I have enough feedback already!"

Of the four options, "Piano" and "eBay" were the most popular.  The most recent results had eBay ahead by one vote.  I personally would have voted for the piano, so....

I have decided to learn both!

Actually, I will be revisiting my knowledge of the piano.  It's been a long, long time.  A really LONG time.

And I know virtually nothing about eBay.  My intent is to sell, not buy.  :)

Thank you to all who voted, and let the learning begin!

The Sun Came Out

It was a beautiful day here in Southern Maine.  The sun actually made a nice, long -- and warm -- appearance.  I was able to take a brief walk outside this afternoon.  It felt great!

I spent some time with two wonderful friends this morning, and I had some meaningful time with family tonight.

Oh, and guess what Lew and I did for dinner?

Answer:  Pie and fry!  Oh, yeah!!!  :)

The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow

I had an interesting day.  From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows -- or pretty close to it, anyway.

The highest of highs came as a result of my wonderful circle of family and friends.  I am so thankful for the blessing that they are in my life.  And that's what I'm going to focus on for the rest of the evening.

Yes.  God is good.  All the time.

Girls' Night In

Last night four friends and I got together for some fun. We were hanging out at one of our houses (not mine) along with a total of nine kids and two dogs.

The kids did a superb job of hanging out together -- allowing us adult gals to eat too much, laugh too loud, and have way too much fun! :)

The dogs behaved pretty well, too.

I was an overnight guest, as the hostess and I had a major project to accomplish today. After a late night, we got an early start on our task. While we worked, we continued eating, laughing, and having fun.

I'm home now and ready for a good night's sleep!

A Milestone Day

Today is my cousin Wendy's birthday.

Happy Birthday to you, Wendy!

I will not say outright how old Wendy is today, but I will tell you that this is the 850th post on my blog.  The fact that I am calling that a coincidence should give you a hint as to Wendy's age.

I have seen several postings on Facebook today claiming that this is Star Wars Day:  "May the Fourth be with you!"  Clever.

(Postscript:  I wonder if I will have to explain the Star Wars reference to my father.)

What Should I Learn?

With the recent arrival (and subsequent departure) of another birthday, I decided that I should learn something new.  I wrote about this in last Friday's post.

My mother suggested that I learn how to cook a meal for Lew, but he vetoed that idea immediately.

I spent a little time brainstorming and came up with a good list to choose from.  I also asked Lew for some input, and he wasn't very helpful (other than the aforementioned veto).

I have since narrowed my list down to four options:
1)  Piano.  (I took lessons as a kid, but I haven't kept up with it for a LONG time.)
2)  eBay.  (I've never done anything on eBay.  Maybe I could sell some stuff!)
3)  World geography.  (Never really learned it.  Terrible, I know.)
4)  Morse code.  (Started learning this once, but didn't get very far.)

Glaringly absent from the above list:  learning how to yodel.  Lew didn't like that option for some reason.

I now leave it up to you, my readers, to vote on what you think I should learn.  (See the poll to the right.)  I'm going to put a link to this on Facebook, too.  I don't know how long I'll leave the poll up -- probably until I don't see many changes in the numbers.  Thanks for your input!  I will be sure to report the results.

(Postscript:  I had a couple visitors yesterday!  Emily and Eli stopped by with birthday cards, balloons, and cake!  What fun!)

Tia is holding her birthday balloons and Eli.  :)

Dad 95: A Time for Spring Projects

(Lew and I will have to discuss the sign!  Enjoy Dad's post!!  -- Tracy)

Derf Here!  From the damp, cold, clammy northeast corner of this great country.  The weather is very un-spring-like.  Too wet to mow, even!  That's not bad!  Must get yard in shape before Illinois trip for Kelsey's graduation.  Time is a-wasting!

This corner of the universe is resting a little easier today as the Red Sox had a great road trip (6-1).  As I write this they still have one more loss than wins.  However, a week ago they had six more losses than wins.  They will be just fine as the season progresses.  Pitching!  Pitching must improve!

The Celtics have regained home court advantage in their first round playoffs.  Might win the first series, but that will probably be it.  The "older" gentlemen have had a good year.  Perhaps the best they can expect.  I don't see another championship in their future.  I'd welcome one, but my hopes do not run high.  Please Rondo, control your emotions!  No more bumping referees!

Josh's baseball season has begun.  Already have had two rain outs.  Played one game and won.  Hope to attend another game tomorrow in Portland.  Weather, please cooperate.  In the near future we hope to watch Zack play lacrosse.  Still waiting for his schedule.

Went to Ace Hardware today to obtain a few spring products.  Every spring I bomb our cellar with "foggers" designed to kill all the varmints that would like to occupy our home.  It seems to work as bugs and the like are few during the summer months.

My next project will take me to the garden supply store for garden soil and plants.  I plan on using part of our front lawn as a garden for tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers.  Last summer we had a tiny plot.  I plan on a small expansion this year.  If all goes well, I'll have a garden picture available later this summer.  It will be called "Fred's Front Yard Farm!"  I might even have a sign erected.  Probably won't be able to put sign up as it would deface the property.  Just a thought.  Not a very good one, though!  I'll check with the owners on the sign.

Please, Lord, bring us some nice spring weather soon so I can complete some seasonal tasks.

This past week I had an x-ray and an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging).  This was the first MRI that I have ever had and only the second area to have been x-rayed.  So now, I have an MRI story to tell.  Way longer (time) and noisier than I thought it would be.  Painless, however!  I'll keep you posted on the reasons and results of these tests.  Nothing earth-shattering.  Actually quite boring.

Well, I must go bomb the cellar.  Sooo --

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

P.S.  A belated happy birthday to Tracy (age unreported).  Early happy birthday to "Prayer Warrior" Wendy (one year older than Tracy).

Seven Times Seven

Happy Birthday to me!

In a couple days I will be posting my "What should Tracy learn?" poll.

But in the meantime, enjoy some of my birthday cake!

(I think the SpongeBob placemat is an especially nice touch. We are very sophisticated here in our household.)