So Much To Do....... So Little Time

The weather has taken a wonderful turn and it is warm outside. Very windy, but warm. In the 70's warm. I want to mow, but the ground is still too boggy. I still feel crappy and itchy. I have pityriasis. I did a little research online and discovered that my rash is often accompanied by a general malaise and digestive distress. There is nothing to do other than what I am already doing. The article I read said that the symptoms could disappear in as little as a few days ....... or up to 8 weeks.


With all this in mind I decide to try to tackle one chore that I might be able to complete in a couple of days. Something that would give some instant gratification. Mowing is out and it is still too early to plant vegetables. There is still plenty to do inside, but I really want to be outside.

This is what the pool looks like. We have pumped the water out and this is the rain from last week. This will have to be pumped out again and all the dead leaves and other debris hauled out in a wheelbarrow. The real work will begin then with repairs and then paint.

I suppose I could start, but this won't be finished in one or even two days. Since I have already raked and cleaned the area around the fence and am planning to paint the fence this year........ and I find painting to be a somewhat soothing, if monotonous activity, I decide that I will tackle this project.

The fence is chain link and is probably as old as the pool. It is still a sturdy enclosure, though rusty in a lot of areas. I decide to paint it with Rustoleum. I tried spraying and not only will the wind whip most of my efforts away, my finger got tired. I know I can get a better trigger, but......

A friend told me that she painted a chain link fence and used a roller. She said the coverage was better with less waste. She went into great detail and demonstrated with motions. Made sense. So, out to the fence I go. Rollers and a pan, along with the THIRTY dollar gallon of paint. It is a long fence. I am looking to finish at least one side today. I open the paint and gently pour some into the pan. Gently, so as not to waste a drop. The wind kicks up a ferocious gust and literally blows the paint that is pouring out of the can away! This should have been my first omen.

Not to be easily discouraged, I proceed. Nothing can be done about the paint on the cement surround. If I try to clean it up, I will only make a bigger mess. In the back of my mind I am wondering if we can stain the cement and somehow make the black drops blend in. I carefully put some cardboard under the gate and get all ready to paint. I see some wire ties that had held a sign and carefully remove them as I imagine just how nice the fence will look when I am done. I load the roller and start rolling. Hmmmmm, not going on as easily as Sharon said it would. I am trying to remember and I am sure she said foam rollers. I am almost sure. I have paint on me, on the cardboard and even some on the fence, but really, the coverage isn't all that great.

This is what the roller looked like before I even "finished" the gate.

Perhaps I was wrong, maybe she didn't say sponge for the roller ............

As you can see, the gate don't look so great. The wind is crazy wild and I have paint in my mouth.

The roller left these little pieces on the painted surface. This is not the look I was going for. So, I give up and succumb to my general malaise. I think I will try to put some dry wall up in the kitchen now. If this doesn't turn out better, I think I will just go to bed.

It Is Here!

It is official ........ Spring is here. There are signs. Signs that cannot be ignored. No, it is not the warmer temperature or the signs of life in the budding trees or all the green shoots making their way to the surface.





The first sign of Spring in the air was that little wheeze at the end of each breath I take. The tickle in the back of my throat and the sneezing. I take my meds regularly............ but this season will not be ignored. I am keeping the "rescue inhaler" close at hand as I go about my day.





The confirmation of Spring is here in that ugly, itchy rash that covers the right side of my body. It starts out innocently enough. A little itch hither and dither. I don't even notice that I am scratching. This lasts only a day or two. Then I awake with the infamous whelps and the insane itching that makes me want to sandpaper my entire body. Happens every Spring and every Autumn. It usually follows by a day of cleaning and clipping the flower beds. Don't know which one I am allergic to, but I am.


I have slathered Benadryl cream all over the areas involved. Not to be too specific, let me just say that it begins on my right ear and into the ear canal, down my neck and everywhere in between to the back of my knee. Angry looking red whelps. Spring is here. I am nursing a hangover from the Benadryl pills I took last night, and I know that even though a chilly wind is blowing that Spring is here to stay!

Too Much Info ...... Way Too Much

My day was going along just fine. I was putting clean sheets on the bed and sorting laundry when a truck pulled up to the front of the building. I continued with my chore of the moment while listening for the bell that would announce someone entering the store. So much time passed that I went to look out the window twice. A man was talking on his cell phone and sipping coffee. The driver's door was open and he had one leg on the ground, so I kind of figured he would be coming in eventually.


He did come in and when asked if I could help him, he said he just wanted to know the rates. The rates; well, they depend on what your particular needs are. I hand him a brochure with the rates listed and ask what his electric needs are and how long he will need a site. Since he hasn't got an RV with him I am assuming he is looking for a long-term spot and I am right. He is a pipe-line worker, an inspector that will stay until the "clean-up" crew leaves. All the information I need. I give him the monthly rates and he keeps talking.


He is staying at a campground near the office that he reports to every day and says that he is just looking for a change, that his job will only last another 4 months or so. He goes on to tell me that he is looking at other campgrounds in the area and how awful one of my competitors' campground is and that it is way too expensive and that the park is really unkempt. I listen politely, longing to get started on my laundry so I can fish painting my kitchen cabinets. I nod and murmur appropriately and he keeps talking. Tells me he really likes the campground he is staying in. It is really nice and is so close to his work. I wonder (to myself) why he wants to move and continue listening.


I didn't ask, but he chose to confide that he needs to leave his current location because the campground owners wife is spending too much time at his site. She likes to talk to him and they sometimes talk until almost midnight. He tells me this is creating a "problem" with the woman's husband. Twice I say that I hope he considers my park when making his decision and to have a nice day. He keeps confiding his life story. I will summarize........... He is love with the woman and she loves him. Her husband abuses her and they have been married for 4 years. This is her second marriage. She is independently wealthy and holds a masters degree and wants to move to Montana with him and teach at a college. She won't leave her husband. He really loves her and doesn't know what she sees in him. This happens to him all the time, he doesn't know why, but women are just attracted to him. I am standing and listening and wishing he will leave, so I take this opportunity to inject a comment, "I don't want to burst your bubble, but I feel the need to tell you that I am not attracted to you in the least." He keeps talking, proclaiming his love for this woman and wondering what she sees in an old pipe-liner like him.



The birthday boy had gone to fill a prescription and run a couple of errands, so I was alone. Never felt uneasy; just a little annoyed and appalled. Thank the goodness the phone rang and I bid him a good day again. I talked to a recording and pretended to take a reservation so that he would leave!

Happy Birthday, Love of my Life!

I was going to include a picture of the extravagant cake that I was going to present to him. There won't be that cake today, though. After his trip to the dentist yesterday he might get jello and soft scrambled eggs.


He spent the day in a haze of pain killers yesterday. He doesn't remember much about it. He took the tranquilizer before leaving yesterday morning and then was treated to nitrous sedation during the procedure. He was one goofy fellow when I put him in the car and brought him home. Two teeth had to be removed and there were stitches involved. The stitches come out next week. Due to previous dealings with the manager of his work, I detoured by there on the way home, so that she could see for herself that he was indeed incapable of working a shift. He looked pretty pathetic and with my help went in (he has no recollection of this). She took one look at him and said that he should have made arrangements to have the shift covered. He honestly thought that he would be able to work. The tooth that had previously had the root canal and other work had to be cut out and the effects of the sedation, combined with the pain kept him in bed until this morning. The real irony here is that due to an accident the station had no power and wasn't even open! They had a full staff there, though. The transformer and the line from it has to be replaced and I would be surprised if they even had it up and running last night. If she just wanted warm bodies, I suppose they could have set a cot up some where and let him drool and snore there..........



But today, the birthday boy is pretty chipper. He is allowed his beloved diet coke today and is driving through the park as I write. I already gave him his present awhile back. I got him a chain saw sharpener! He loves it. He loves it so much that he has already sharpened one of the blades to death. It has since been replaced and is ready to saw all the logs he hauled in last week. I don't know that is is up to that today and if he decides to try ........ he will be stopped.


I am off now to get the jello going and maybe a little one layer chocolate cake........ no bacon with those eggs. Soon as he can chew I will make that cake and post the picture. He reads this, so I won't ruin his surprise, but the cake will be a combination of his favorites. A concoction that only someone who loves him could create!!

The Sun Does Shine!

I woke early and saw the light peeking through the curtains. What is this light my eyes behold? The sun!! The song lyrics 'it's a beautiful morning, I think I'll go outside for awhile ........ and just smile' are running through my mind as I sip my scalding hot coffee.


It will have to wait until I get back from the dentist. Not me this time. Love of my life has to have two teeth extracted. We both made the mistake of seeking dental care locally when we first got dental insurance. We both had root canals and crowns at the hands of the local dentist. After a whole 10 months of pain I finally had to have the tooth removed. It was a traumatic event for me with only Novocaine to numb my jaw. He yanked and pulled and twisted and finally broke the crown off, then had trouble getting a good grip on the remaining tooth. I was gripping the chair with every fiber of my being and the next day even my butt muscles hurt. Not to mention the gaping hole in my mouth.


Today I will drive my mildly sedated husband to our new dentist to have the broken tooth and the tooth crowned by local dentist extracted. This is the same man that had his wisdom teeth extracted with nothing more than Novocaine. Afterwards he went back to work. But today he will go in a fine drug induced haze and be escorted by me. Did I tell you I love my new dentist?


I am off now to act as chauffeur. Not before I watched the footage of the car trapped in the bumper of the semi on the Today show. Great ......... I am getting on the interstate now. The one with all the heavy truck traffic ..........

Say It Ain't So!!!!!!

I was outside all afternoon. It was glorious. Look at the buds on my maple tree. The sky was so blue and a gentle wind was blowing......... pollen up my nose. But I didn't care. Really. I was so happy to be outside.

Did I get too close? Blurry, I know. But the daylillies are pushing up to the surface.

My two lips are smiling over the tulip bulbs that are coming up.

The sedum is happy that the sun is shining down and it is over 60 degrees. This sedum is known locally as "live forever". It is true. I haven't managed to kill it.

The strawberry plants are thriving and I should have a good crop this year.


This is what the roads look like. This is one that is relatively good shape. Wet. Everything is still wet. When I walk across the grass it makes sucking noises and water seeps up around my shoes.


Here comes my man on his tractor to begin his adventure in filling potholes.

So we spend the day happily repairing all that winter has done. I got most of the area around the pool weeded and cleaned up. Some of my gardens are looking a little sad, the ground is too wet and I have found some bulbs and plants dead and rotting. I have sneezed enough for one day and come in to get our supper on the stove. Turn on the news to hear the weather ...............

The forecast is for SNOW tomorrow. Snow, in fact any precipitation is exactly what we do not need! Nothing can be done about it, I suppose I should just go back out and enjoy the sun until it is gone.

Just Ducky

While waiting for the fog to burn off so that I can go out and play in the dirt I was catching up on my reading in the Land of Blog. Over at Casa Hice there were geese!! A little video to watch and the sound of honking roused my fur babies out of their nap. Took me back in time .........


We lived in Albany, Georgia, many, many years ago when my children were in elementary and middle school. One year was memorable ....... I think I will call it the year of the duck. Jeff and Jill were in middle school, with a duck pond close by. We lived within walking distance, although they would no doubt disagree with me on that.


Jill's science class took on the project of hatching ducks that year. I am sure that the eggs were harvested at the infamous duck pond mentioned earlier. I was vaguely aware of this endeavor as we would hear talk around the dinner table of school happenings. I was working at a fabric store during this time. I started part-time for the discount on my purchases and eventually became the manager, then a district manager; but that is another story. Like all working moms, my day off was devoted to house cleaning.


One particular day I was tackling Jeff's room. Actually his room was the easiest to do normally. This day I was pulling the sheets off his bed ........... his water bed. (Hey, it was the 80's!!) I noticed that the sheets felt really warm as I grabbed them and started pulling. Puzzled, I checked the thermostat and noted that he had it on the highest temp. I fixed that and made a mental note to tell him later and ask why he wanted it so high. As I pulled the sheets and pillows I discovered the reason ............


A duck egg. In the bed. In the hot bed, under a pillow. He was going to try to hatch a duck. He was no doubt sleeping on top of the comforter, careful not to disturb his treasure, sweating all night. He had risked being chased and bitten by a duck to grab this egg. This egg that his mom disposed of unceremoniously. All I could think was the egg rotting and cracking in the bed. I did admire his ingenuity while I was tossing out his treasure, in a house that already housed too many pets.


Ironically, when Jill's class witnessed the ducklings break out of their shells and make their debut into the world she volunteered to take one home. She named him Howard and he was, without doubt, the meanest animal in our unlikely menagerie of pets. He loved her, but would chase and bite anyone else. The poor meter reader was always under attack at our house. He was initially scared of our St. Bernard, Nicholas (yes, his name was St. Nicholas and was a Christmas present to the kids). Little did he know that he would eventually be bitten by a duck and chased by a guinea pig named Harriet.

Cans, Trashcans, and Bulbs Arising

The current weather has left me uninspired. Dreary is the only word to describe the day. All weekend it rained. A steady miserable drizzle of rain. Just enough to keep you indoors. Wasn't that cold ..... unless you got wet. I have plenty of indoor projects, but I want to go outside!!!!


The sun peeked out at times today and I was able to pull some weeds and clean some flower beds and .......... I saw some of my bulbs poking up through the ground!!!!! I am excited to see my garden come alive. The phone beckoned and I had to go inside and take some reservations. By the time I finished the sun was hiding and it has been dull and dreary since. I can smell rain in the air and the forecast has promised two days of it.


Not to be confined, I went back out side and proceeded to empty trashcans that have thawed. I donned my gloves and separated the cans that can be recycled before dumping the contents into the dumpster. It is a nasty job, but I almost filled a huge contractors bag that will fit a 45 gallon can. We have recycle containers throughout the park, but ............. I suppose when you are "vacationing" it seems like too much trouble. I just hate to fill the dumpster with things that can be recycled. Not that I am the Green Queen so much as I am .............. cheap. I installed a larger dumpster last year to accommodate all the pipeline families living here, now that they are gone I want to take advantage of the size and pay for fewer pick-ups.


Everything is strangely "on schedule". I am almost afraid to relax, though. We are almost finished replacing all the broken water lines (when I say we, I mean He Who Plumbs). The most I actually do to help with this is turn the water main on and off for him. But, I have projects of my own to accomplish and they seem to be going smoothly. The new food bar area in the store has been painted and installed and is ready to receive the microwave and popcorn machine. I have reviewed four different mini golf manufacturers and chosen the one I want to install. I am hoping to have it in place by May 1, but will settle for having it up and going by Memorial Day. We always have the pool ready by that weekend and we have some major repairs and painting to do this year. It is being drained as I write. Drained into the wet and soggy ground that is slow to drain............



While the pool drains and all the water pipes are working, He Who Plumbs will transform into He Who Plows and start rebuilding the roads. Tons of gravel will soon start to appear and the sound of the tractor will be a constant hum. I will be scrubbing and cleaning the bathrooms and painting the laundry facility. A new deck is to be constructed near the pool to hold the ginormous picnic table I found this weekend. This will be where you enjoy a snack or a smoke. This year I am banning food, drink and cigarettes in the pool area. Hopefully this will eliminate fun things like hours spent skimming tobacco out of the pool because some one thought the skimmer baskets would be a good place to dispose of their cigarette.........


Times a wastin', so I am off to apply a second coat of paint.

Novacaine....Revisited

Ironically, my very first post was about Novocaine. Yesterday I spent three hours in the dentist's chair. My mouth was hinged open wide for at least two and a half of those hours. Today I have an earache and my jaw hurts. I am in a foggy haze as I drink coffee and wait for the allergy meds to hit me.


I arrived bright and early at the dentist office with a smile on my face and a list in my pocket of things to pick up on my way home. I wasn't looking forward to the needle, but wasn't dreading it either. When I was 14 I lost two molars. The dentist my mother took me to shoved a bite block in my mouth and proceeded to try to numb the area around the abscessed tooth and yanked it out. He kept a running conversation with himself and laughed like a maniac as he presented the offensive tooth to me as a souvenir. As a result I am always anxious when I go to the dentist and especially so when I visit one for the very first time. My current dentist is all about alleviating anxiety and the comfort of his patient. So, while I am not thrilled about going, I am not in a cold sweat with anticipation...........



Yesterday began benignly enough as I eased myself into the comfy chair that was lined with a vibrating back massager. After the assistant chained the paper bib around my neck, another assistant arrived with a pre-heated neck pillow and asked if I would like a blanket. So I was all in my happy place when the big guy arrived to numb the chosen area. First he applied the surface number as he talked about what "we" would accomplish on this visit. Then he inserted the needle and I waited to feel the heavy numbness start. Instead, I felt a chill as my heart began to pound rapidly. The chill was followed by a rush of warmth and my heart felt like it was in my throat pounding erratically. I could actually see it beating as my eyes felt like they were bouncing in the sockets in sync with the rhythm. I was light headed, at one point I thought I might lose consciousness. Never had this happen before and don't ever want to experience it again. It only lasted a matter of seconds and left almost as quickly as it came. I was left a little shaky, but okay. The biggest insult was that it did not numb my jaw! Another injection of a different anesthetic was needed to proceed.


Three hours and over $1000 later I arose from the chair and went on my way. I didn't feel particularly good, but wasn't willing to simply drive home without completing my mission. I wondered through WalMart gathering supplies and what not and then drove home. Unloading the car was exhausting and even though I sat down and rested a bit I still felt crappy. I have three more mercury fillings to be removed and replaced. The fillings that came out yesterday were the oldest ones. They had expanded with age and cracked the teeth, requiring an overlay on one tooth. Hopefully we will remove the others before they damage any more teeth.


Today I am sore, but I now have to accomplish today's list as well as finish what I didn't do yesterday. It has occurred to me lately that I am not as young as I used to be! Profound, I know.

Spring Madness

Time is of the essence here at the campground. The snow has thawed and the race is on...........


This is without doubt the busiest time of the year. This is when we fix everything that has broken during the winter and get the park ready for the upcoming season. We will start having campers this month. Already have reservations for said campers. In addition to being outside and helping........ I also need to be with the phone to take reservations.


With daylight savings time about to begin, I will be going to bed early and rising equally early. I stacked firewood all weekend and readied my garden beds to receive seed and plants. Yes, spring has sprung here in my life and so begins another season. I won't be posting with any regularity. Comments on my favorite blogs will be few, but I will be reading.......... I take my laptop to bed instead of a book!


I am quite certain that material too good to ignore will be presenting itself as he who plumbs is getting the pool ready for a new paint job, so stayed tuned, my friends.....

Girls Night Out

On Thursday night my daughter-in-law hired a sitter and all the big girls went out to eat. We went to a place in Stillwater called Marx. The food was fabulous. Even the trip to the ladies room was fun. Check out the "sink".

Where is the sink? It is that slab of granite tilted toward the "drain". I am so glad Diane told me to take my camera with me! Not a stranger there, that is granddaughter, Kenzie.

Kenzie is big sister to the three little ones I was watching.

We were clicking away with our cameras. I really like the green wall. The "sink" was outside the bathrooms between the men's and women's and a two-way mirror from the kitchen overlooks it. I imagine the staff gets a big kick out of watching the patrons try to figure out how to wash their hands.

Two way mirrors on the stall doors, too!

Layla was included with all of us older girls in this adventure. She found the bathroom to be as fun as the rest of us.

Kenzie is 19 and technically falls into the "angst" category. She was at odds with her mom, but we were sitting in a round booth and had no choice once we all sat down! This is Diane, the best daughter-in-law ever! I have truly been blessed with wonderful in-law children.

Love these smiling faces!

Here we are, the seven of us. A very nice gentleman offered to take this shot of our group. From the left is my daughter, Jill, her daughter, Layla, me, Kenzie, Diane, her mom, Barb, and my daughter, Adrienne.

Back to the sink. I bet them all that the minute I let he who plumbs see the pictures he would want to make one just like it. Wish I had bet some big money ........ cause I was right!

Teenage Angst

While I was off duty with watching the three little girls, I went to my daughter's house for dinner and fun with her family. This is my son-in-law sitting in his daughter's lap. He is my favorite son-in-law! Layla is my favorite nine year old granddaughter!

She is sweet and helpful, and an absolute joy to be around. Lovely and creative, like her mom.

I really wanted a family photo, but not everyone would cooperate.

Here is my grand-dog, Georgie. She is 6 months old and already weighs 92 lbs! She has no idea how big she is!

She is very loyal .......... even to my grandson, Gage. Gage is a teenager. He will soon be 15 and his life is full of teenage angst. Remember those years? Every simple thing was complicated and nobody understood you. Well, except for Georgie. He is such a handsome young man when he smiles. I did get some smiles before I left, but didn't have camera in hand.

He doesn't read my blog and I could have put the really funny picture of me and him in here, but I love him and don't want to tempt fate. Teen years don't last forever. Thank goodness!

Big Sister

She is ready for sleep with her new buddy Mr. Sock Monkey!

It was a little hard to get a picture of Maya alone. Jada sees the camera and manages to put herself in the picture whenever possible. All set for bed on the first night with Gramma. I confess that we tricked Jada so that Maya could sleep with me!

She was "helping" cousin Gavin with the big snow ball. This is how I like to help .......... watching, lounging and giving instructions.

Just hanging out and watching.

Holding baby sister. Maya is the quiet one....... or the quieter one. A little sneaky, too. She is a Daddy's girl and the only time we had a conversation we were in bed in the dark. Pillow talk? She rambled on and on about her friends and school and what she was going to do.

She wants a cheer leader costume. We went online and found a pattern and discussed colors. Finally she asked, "What does a cheerleader do?" I told her they lead the crowds in cheering for a particular team and sport. She just liked the costume and has no plans to actually cheer......... The last thing she told me before I left was to not forget that she needs that costume by October. I think I can handle that!