Tuesdays

Well, the Durango has a cracked radiator - and with any luck I should have it back tomorrow -and be a whole lot poorer in the process ($575). Ouch. I called our insurance company - and if I knew who owned the dog, I could turn it in to insurance - but since I don't know who owned him, I can't. And I'm thinking I don't want a claim on our insurance where they will only pay about 1/2 of the bill due to our deductible.

I did go back yesterday afternoon and knocked on some more doors and drove around - no one is claiming him. I am assuming he is fine as he got up and ran off.

Pig walking is a real challenge. I'm still working on getting a good video - it is very hard to hold the camera steady when you are rolling on the ground laughing your head off. Even harder when the girl who is supposed to be driving them is running around laughing cause they follow her everywhere. Oh well - she is having a blast doing this. And we are definitely making this fun for her.

Saturday Todd had to work late (7:30 late) so the kids and I packed up and went to the in-laws for dinner and to do some swimming.

Sunday we spent helping a friend bale hay. If we both could help him move round bales around, he will come custom bale our hay at no cost to us. Of course, Tyler figured out real quick he could drive the tractor, so Jessie and I didn't have to work very hard at all.

See you later,

Kris

Monday

The morning did not start out as I intended:)

As I was driving through West Salem to pick up the babysitter, a dog ran out right in front of me. A big black lab. And I rolled it.

I stopped, followed the dog (who seems to be fine) knocked on a couple doors - no one is claiming the dog. I check out the tires on my durango and the whole front end - all are fine so I drive on my merry little way.

12 miles later, the check guages light comes on. 1 mile later, the temperature gauge is up in the EXTREMELY HOT area.

I pull over on 71, call Todd - he's at work 35 miles away in his sprayer. I call the garage right across the street from where I work. They in turn call a towing service for me.

I wait.

30 min. later - 2 tow trucks show up. 1 dispatched to tow me in, 1 who happened to be driving by. After a little finangling, I ride in in the first tow truck, the second tow truck (which was a flatbed) is behind us with my Durango.

They think I have either a hole in the radiator or a loose hose. Lovely.

I made it to work only an hour late, with a loaner vehicle to use until mine is up and running. Which will hopefully be today yet but if not....at least I can get where I'm going. Although I felt pretty funny driving the loaner up the road 500 feet and parking it for the day - maybe I should have walked - would have been good exercise except for the shoes I have on.

I would have taken pictures of the two tow trucks and my durango, but Interstate 71 was super busy, and I didn't want them thinking I was really wierd.....

Kris

Flowers Round Here

Just a few of my favorite flowers!

This rose, Todd brought me when Jessie was 1 1/2 for mother's day. I love it - it smells so wonderful! I think this year it has finally recovered. We've moved the poor thing 5 times since we put the addition on the house in 2003, and every year up until now, it's looked pitiful by this point in the year.

This rose I brought myself for Mother's Day the year Tyler was born - we thought it had died last spring, dug most of it out but a little sprig came back. Now I take much better care of it.

I love the pink coral bells, yellow yarrow and the valerian together. Too bad the yarrow and the valerian keep multiplying faster than rabbits and try to overtake my flowerbeds.

These iris - I just love the color. In real life they are a royal purple color (think King's robes).

We've been busy here - I'll be back later!
Kris

School Trip for Andrew

A good blog buddy, Kristie, is starting an online yard sale. Her son, Andrew, has a fantastic opportunity to go on a 9 day trip to Paris (among other places) and they need to raise a significant sum of money for his trip.

If you are interested in supporting this cause - go here.

I get such a kick out of reading about her life - maybe because we are both so close in age, enjoy many of the same things.....

Anyhow, Todd may be in trouble with online yard sales starting up (although he is always telling me that he would prefer me to shop at yardsales:) I'm just following his wishes, right????

Kris

I never thought it would come to this

Yes, we have to weigh the pig's feed morning and night. Apparently that is what happens when: a) you buy pigs that are about 20 lbs. to big for your county fair to begin with; b) the person who feeds them cannot stand to think that they may go hungry, and so for the first 3 weeks you have them feeds them constantly (guilty as charged here...); and c) I think these pigs are genetically disposed to gaining weight at alarming rates - they could probably eat dirt and gain several pounds a day.

Jessie's 4-H advisor is coming over tonight if the weather cooperates to teach her how to walk these pigs - so I'm going to be taking LOTS of pictures and videos.

And last night, the chickens got out. So they may become modified free range chickens if they keep this up. Although we have a real coyote/wild dog/hawk problem so I'm not sure how that will all work out.

1 more corner to go on my table topper - I'm having to make up mesurements as I go along (and then I forget to write them down for the next corner and have to start all over again). Pictures to come....

Kris

Well THAT backfired on me

I have issues....with toys being left all over the house. And dirty clothes not put in the laundry baskets in everyone's bedroom closets specifically for dirty clothes.

And last Thursday I had had it.

So I gathered up all the toys, the clothes, everything laying around and stacked it all up. They can't have it back until they show me they can pick up their toys. They said they needed all those toys. Oh yea? Tell me one toy that was laying on your bedroom floor.... they couldn't tell me a single one.

This is actually 2 days worth of toys (apparently they didn't take me seriously on Thursday, and we went through the same song and dance on Friday). And yes, that is Jessie's desk chair for in her room. Hey, if it is left out in the middle of the kitchen, she must not need it. And 2 loads of laundry that I picked up off their bedroom and bathroom floors.

Tonight, I tell them if they want their stuff back, they can have it back, if they put it ALL away as they take it out of the box, clothes included.

What do they BOTH do? Pick out what they want, and tell me I can get rid of the rest. They realized they don't really need it.......

What is wrong with this picture?

Guess I really am having a garage sale on Friday and Saturday of this week:)

Make it your own

I FINALLY got some fun sewing time in last night. Never mind the kids were on a tear while I was sewing but.....by that point in time they were Todd's problem, not mine.

And wouldn't you believe - I should pay attention to the directions better. I cut my center squares the wrong size, which made the outer squares not fit right when I went to put them together.

Rather than start over, I added a border in the center. Who knows how far off the pattern I will have to go to get all my pieces to line up.

Looking at it now, the light fabric was probably not the best choice for the border but.....it's on and I am not ripping it apart.

And yes that is just a sneak peak of it. I'll show more after tonight if I get the top entirely done. It's raining cats and dogs here, so that should not be a problem.

Have a great day

Kris