IT'S BEEN A SHORT SUMMER HERE!

I could feel fall in the air this morning when I went outside. It seems like summer has come and is almost gone in a very short time this year.

My flowers are beginning to look sort of ragged around the edges.

I planted a lot of new stuff this summer after having several big trees cut down. I now have sun in the backyard. Most of my plants in the front have to be shade plants such as impatients, hostas, vines and ferns like in the pot in the photo.

I planted a small double knockout rose bush about a month ago and it is full of blooms and has grown since it was put in the ground. I can't wait to see what it does next year.

The hen and chicks pot on the left has a succulent that I bought not long ago. It has put out this long tenacle that seems to be reaching for the sky. If anyone knows if this is going to bloom or seed or keep growing straight up or what, please let me know in a comment. I may need to put it in a bigger pot. I don't know if I need to bring it in for the winter either.

I finally got some mint and herbs started in my yard this year in several places and planted two crepe myrtle bushes near the back fence.

My impatients flourished with all the shade. The pot on the right sits on the front porch of my home.

I sit here on the concrete bench and rest for a spell when working in the yard.

The hanging baskets are overflowing with impatients, too.

I plan to grow some garden stuff next year and have lots of new flowers in my backyard.

Soon, the leaves will be falling and Bob and I will start our yearly raking and mulching. I won't have nearly as many this year but still enough to keep us pretty busy with the trees that are remaining.

I love fall and the cool, crisp, days and evenings but always feel sad when summer ends!

Do you have a favorite season of the year?

DO YOU NEED WASHING?

A friend of mine sent me this. I love it. This is something we all need to stop and think about.

A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence.

It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Target.

We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall.. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in "Mom let's run through the rain," she said."What?" Mom asked."Lets run through the rain!" She repeated."No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain,""We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said."No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!

"The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes..Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith."Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said..Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars..And yes, I did. I ran.. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories...So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday..To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

This brought back memories of one rainy afternoon about fifteen years ago when a friend and I walked about three miles in a warm, summer afternoon's rain. We were soaked to the skin but it was one of the most exhilarating and fun things I have ever done.

Do you have memories of walking in the rain???

A SHORT TRIP TO VIVAY!

Bob and I decided to take a short trip this week just to get away for a few days. The weather here has been beautiful and in the high 70s and low 80s. We decided to drive up to Vevay, Indiana. Vevay is a small town that is trying to build up its tourist trade. It sits right on the river and the whole town is a mile long with only one stoplight. The drive is about an hour and a half from my house. I was ready to go somewhere after two straight weeks of rain, rain, rain!

We had breakfast in a small restaurant on Main Street where everyone knew everyone else in there and a full breakfast cost all of $3.50. There was one waitress and the lady cooking looked to be in her 80s. The food was great.

After breakfast, we ventured out to walk around the town and see the sights.

The Mercantile Shop carried all handmade items from the local people.

There was a sidewalk cafe for lunch and the local radio station pipes music onto Main Street all day.

The Amish Shop featured their goods and antiques. That's Bob under the sign. The puppet in the picture was looking for a good home.

The architecture of some of the buildings was awesome and the court house was built during Civil War Days. A rose garden and Farmer's Market surround the old court house.I saw this sign posted on the side of a shop in Vevay. I could not resist taking a picture. The owners must not be fans of the Clintons! The sign says, "Hillary and Bill belong in the big house, not in the White House!" There is a wonderful Riverfront Park with a playground for children and picnic area and benches along the river where you can sit and watch the boats. I saw this race car on the playground and immediately thought of my 23 month old grandson, Thomas Wyatt. He loves the Disney movie, "Cars", and he would love playing in this one.
Bob and I watched the boats and this tugboat came down the river pushing a barge loaded with coal.

This is such a laid back little town that I felt like I was in Mayberry and Andy and Barney might appear any minute. It was the perfect place to relax, talk to local people and shop keepers and enjoy the wonderful weather.

We have decided to take several short trips or day trips in the near future. I enjoy working in the yard at home and usually if I go on a big vacation I am ready to come home in a few days so this works well for us.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy three day weekend.

AN UPDATE ON ICE STORM SITUATION

Just a quick post from a friend's computer to let everyone know that I am fine. I am back home and do have heat and electricity. I have been without cable t.v., phone, or internet for nine days and no idea of when I will get it hooked back up. They can't even give us a date. I am very lucky to have heat and electric. There are still thousands without both in our state. Yesterday, we had four more inches of snow on top of all the ice we already received. My heat pump went out during the snow storm yesterday but I do have two electric heaters and we got the heat back on this morning. The large tree in the post below this one had to come down and they took it down during the snow storm to keep it from falling on my house because we had high wind along with the snow on Tuesday. It is supposed to be ten degrees here tonight and so many without heat or electric.

Hopefully, everything will be back to normal soon. It is supposed to get above freezing tomorrow and warmer each day.

Thanks to all my blogging friends out there for all the concern and kind comments you have left for me. I hope to be back online soon and will be visiting each and everyone of you so keep the coffee hot!!! Love to all, Judy

ICE STORM 2009

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am alive but not out of the woods yet! We have been without electric, heat, phone, internet, and t.v. since Tuesday night. We have electric now but that is all. The rest is still out and we don't know how long we will have electric and heat. My cable line is laying in my yard behind my house. The electric line has a limb on it which makes me think it can go again at anytime. I am using a friend's computer to do this post.

If you click on the picture on the left that tree is beside my house. You can see where the big limb broke and fell into the pine tree on the right just skimming all the branches off the pine tree as it went down. It is above freezing today and I have limbs still in the top of trees that have to come down. They are saying the trees may come down when it thaws. Two guys are working right now cleaning up the mess in my yard.

I am very fortunate to have heat and electricity this soon. They are telling some people it may be another week or longer.

I have more pictures and will write more as soon as it is possible for me to do so.

Thanks to Rachel at Sliding through life for commenting and letting some people know what is going on here in Kentucky. There has so far been a total of 700,000 without electric. I miss you all and hope to be back online very soon. Love, Judy

Saturday in Kentucky's State Capital of Frankfort

Bob and I went to Chili's for lunch on Saturday and it was such a pretty day, we drove down to the capital grounds to look at the flowers. The rose garden was not in full bloom and did not look as good as I have seen it in previous years. Probably, due to all the wet, cold weather we are having here.

The floral clock looked beautiful as did all the hanging baskets placed around the grounds.

From 1792 to 1830, Kentucky had two buildings serve as the capitol. Both burned down.
In 1830, a new capitol was built and was in use until 1910. A bitterly contested 1899 state governor election came to a climax when Democratic claimant William Goebel was assassinated at the capitol on his way to be inaugurated. The building was replaced due to the need for a larger building for a growing state government. Today, that capitol building is a museum.
In 1904, the Kentucky General Assembly chose Frankfort (over Lexington and Louisville) as the location for the state capital and appropriated $1 million for the construction of a permanent state capitol building, to be located in southern Frankfort.
The capitol was designed by Frank Mills Andrews, a distinguished and award-winning architect. He used the Beaux-Arts style and included many classical French interior designs. The staircases, for example, are a replicas of those that appear in the Opéra Garnier in Paris.

The basement of the capitol contains a small gift shop and an underground tunnel to the neighboring Capitol Annex building. I worked in the Capitol Annex for several years when I first started my employment in state government.

The Governor's Mansion is the current home of our Governor, Steve Beshear, and his wife, Jane.

Kentucky's Governor's Mansion is one of only a handful of executive residences in the United States to be open to the public for tours. Thousands of visitors from across the Commonwealth and around the world visit the Governor's Mansion every year. Contact the Capitol tour desk to schedule a visit soon.

I think Kentucky has a beautiful capitol building and grounds.

We walked around and took some pictures and enjoyed the warm sun for a change.

On the way home, we stopped at Sonic for ice cream. We both love ice cream and I got a hot fudge cake. Bob opted for some kind of banana and ice cream concoction. It was a very nice outing on a very nice day.

Rainy Day Wednesday and Thursday, Etc., Etc.

Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day!

I think it has rained the whole month of May.

Bob is coming over today and we will pass the time playing gin rummy or eating! It seems we spend a lot of time eating when the weather is bad. We both like to read and always have a book somewhere nearby.

Yesterday, I worked in the yard but it was still muddy from the weekend rain. The tree limbs on the tall oak trees in my yard are all drooping from the weight of the water and it has poured all morning. The weatherman says more rain for here tomorrow. Everything is so green it hurts your eyes.

I am going to make some frog houses for my flower beds. I found some pictures and ideas on the internet this morning.

Concerning frog houses: Create a toad abode to shelter toads in a cool, shady part of your garden.

Dense leafy foliage close to the ground will provide cover for amphibians during the spring and summer months.

During the winter, piles of leaves provide cover for some frogs, toads and salamanders.

Let frogs and toads colonize your backyard naturally. Do not purchase frogs or toads to stock your new habitat, or move adults or even tadpoles from other wetlands to your backyard. When you have provided all that a frog or toad could want, just be patient and they will come to you.

You can use your imagination and paint coffee cans. You can also use flower pots but there must be water nearby, even if you just put some water in a container near the frog house.

You can spray paint the entire container and then paint on cute sayings like: "Toad Abode",

"Kermit's Place", "Frog Hideout", or whatever makes your house original.

A good rainy day project!

My Son Turns Forty, Lordy, Lordy

Sarah and Rob

I can't believe that my son, Charles, turned 40 on April 14. It seems like it was just a few years ago that he was a toddler like his son, Thomas Wyatt. Robbie (that is my name for Charles since his full name is Charles Robert) was born on Easter Sunday. He weighed 8 lbs. 10 oz. and had this big shock of black hair. Everyone in the hospital was talking about that hair.

I could not ask for a better son. He is one of the apples of my eye since I also have twin daughters, a daughter-in-law, and this little grandson that has stolen all our hearts. Robbie is so talented. He is the most wonderful artist and can draw anything. His paintings are just fascinating to anyone that has the pleasure of seeing them. TW is only ten months old and is captivated by his father's work. He constantly stares at the one I have on my living room wall and the ones at his house.

Thomas Wyatt

(Tater)

Besides working a fulltime job, Robbie, babysits TW every day since he works nights. That way the baby does not have to go to a sitter.

Robbie is also very smart and well read. He graduated from Eastern University and has traveled extensively in Europe and moved from Florida, to New York, to California. I am so very proud of my only son.

Being a father at 40 seems to agree with Rob. He loves TW so much and so does his wife, Sarah. They are both just wonderful parents. TW is a lucky little boy.

I babysat the "Tater" overnight this weekend. He is cutting teeth and was a little cranky but did not let that get in the way of having fun and inspecting everything at Nanna JuJu's house while mom and dad enjoyed a weekend away in Cincy visiting the art museum, shopping, relaxing, and eating at a nice restaurant.

He knows his Nanna loves him so much and we have great fun together.

Nanna sure does feel old though when she realizes her son just turned 40!

This morning Bob and I had our coffee, he took the trash out for me and left to go work on Vicky's bookcase he is building for her.

I made myself a wonderful smoothie in the blender for breakfast consisting of :

1 ripe banana

1 cup of orange juice

1 small cup of strawberry yogurt

Some frozen strawberries

This is such a cool and refreshing and healthy drink

My twins, Anne and Leigh, are the healthiest people I know. They are always eating right, exercising, running races, going to the organic foods store, dieting and basically just loving their work and life on the farm with their horses and dogs.

Leigh and Anne

Today, I plan to move all my plants and flowers back outside from their place in my kitchen where they have been waiting for frostless mornings.

I will piddle around outside with my flowers, do a little housework, and some more planting.

Bob will be back tomorrow with his truck to help me move some rocks, lay some stones to my storage building, and work on our garden.

We are planning a trip to Indiana on Friday.