I bet you didn't realize it.

I almost missed it too. The one year anniversary of this blog. That's right a year ago yesterday (I said I almost missed it) Maria, created this blog for me. I didn't even know how to set it up. She was dying for me to blog about something. So that's what I did. I just let the fingers ramble a couple of times a week.

It's not much, and at times (like now) it's even less. Sometimes it's hard trying to think of something to write about. Entertaining is hard work. Maybe that's why 3 or 4 of the blogs I follow have gone on hiatus. It's just that hot dry time of the year. There isn't much going on that's so interesting that I feel the need to tell you about.

You already know my summer is drawing to an end and I'd hate to go on and on about being off for 6 weeks and dreading going back to work. Especially when so many people get very little vacation or none at all. And I'm not really dreading going back to work. I love my job, it tends to keep my life organized. I just wish there was a way I could knit and read while I was at work.

Speaking of knitting... I started a sweater, (I just heard someone close the blog,) I hope to have it done by the end of the week. That way I won't be tempted to take it to work with me on Monday. I need to get back to the socks. Someone asked me last night how many pair I had to finish before Christmas... 5! If I leave Jeff and Jolea off the list. They'd much rather have cash from Dad. The rest of the family would probably rather have cash too, but it ain't going to happen.... get over it, you're getting some socks!




Did I mention it's been a hot and dry summer? Too many times huh? Well this is about the extent of my gardening this year. Two tiny Chili Pepines. I brought a 2 foot tall chili plant home from Michael's that had a good dozen chilies on it. Before I could get it transplanted from the pot it was in to a spot in a flowerbed, the birds or squirrels ate all the chilies! They must have eaten them, they were nowhere on the ground. Jody said he did see what he thought was a squirrel running down the street with a tiny blue flame under his tail. The little b@$#@&%$.... first they eat all the tops off the onions and dig them up. Then they dug up all my herbs and threw the plants out of the clay pots they were in, then ate holes in the bell peppers. And now this. I think we may need another cat. Next year I'll be blogging about cruel and unusual treatment of squirrels... game on you little.....


And here are the books I'm currently reading. Reading takes time away from blogging. And reading books about Yoga hoping that just looking at those pictures will transfer the benifits of yoga to my body by osmosis takes a lot out of me too. But it doesn't take the fat off my arse, so I guess I should practice what I'm reading.

I guess I should have taken pictures of the No Bake Chocolate Cookies I made yesterday, but I didn't even think to take pictures of them, see... my mind isn't on blogging. Duder will appreciate not having to find the bullets to her gun or her razorblades. I'm not going to post anything about food today. Besides they ate most of the cookies last night and what was left were taken home by Mark in a Big Gulp cup.

There are no pictures of last night.... (I just heard someone breathing a sigh of relief) just go back to the day I did post pictures of Garland, it was the same people standing in almost the same spot, probably wearing the same clothes. Only they were chowing down on cookies not brownies.

A lot has happened in a year and a lot has stayed the same. We've had battled illness and moved on to wellness. Some of us have moved out and in and back and forth, keeps life interesting. We've had jobs and changed jobs. Jody starts a contracting job tomorrow. Jolea made it to St. Thomas last night and will probably be working somewhere by Monday too. Jeff and I are still plugging along with what we have. It's all good.

(By the way... it wasn't Maria at school that set up this blog.... it was the other Maria, the Overboard around the world Maria. Thanks girl!)

It was a pretty good year in Blogdom. I can't complain.

Weird week huh?

We all know things come in threes... so we all know what I'm talking about here. Let's leave it at that and in a gazillion years from now someone reading this will have go find a laminated National Enquirer to figure out what I'm talking about. Enough said.

I bet you didn't you realize that just about this time last year was when Jody was diagnosed with Lymphoma? I heard him tell someone last night "I'm getting better everyday." That was one of the best things I'd heard in a year. He can sometimes be a pretty melancholy guy.

As we were marking the end of that year, my cousin whom I grew up with back in Odessa was having surgery to remove a malignant tumor in her abdomen. It has been 5 years since she had ended her year of treatment for Ovarian Cancer. She had been doing very well and then began having weird symptoms, pain and discomfort and then the blood counts going up. They found a tumor in one of her Lymph nodes and were able to get 98% of it with the surgery, she'll have to endure 8 rounds of chemo beginning in a few weeks. Hang in there Elga-hay (pig Latin, figure it out)!

As I was talking to Helga last Sunday evening, she told me that one of her daughter's friend's was diagnosed with Lymphoma, he is in his early 30s. It was in his sinuses. His ENT had mentioned doing a biopsy after the guy had gone through many different treatments for severe sinus problems, treatments like polyp removal and stuff. They were going it to Roto-rooter (as my dad would call it) his sinuses and the ENT said "while we're up there we're going to do a biopsy, I read a study in a Medical Journal of a guy who had Lymphoma in his sinuses." Yeah! Just like Jody's. That study probably was Jody's! Hey! Can he get some royalties on that?

Then one of my first emails this morning was from Jolea, "Mom Jessica's husband was just told he has Lymphoma!" (I'm going to freak out if it's in his sinuses.) All I can say to these people who are about to go through this is to tell yourself, that in a year you'll say "I'm getting better everyday!"

Wednesday was not a good day for me (I don't think it was a good day for many people, but that's beside the point), must have been hormones or something. I'd only had a week out of school and I was ready to go find a job. I'd finished (except for closing the toes) one pair of socks, started a couple of other pairs, trying to figure out what to knit next. Read a book, gone through Jolea's kitchen crap, and divided it into 3 groups. Keep, donate, sell. Anyway.... I wasn't looking forward to spending another 5 weeks cooped up in the house doing nothing. I was VERY moody. The 100+ heat outside tends to put a damper on things. So I went to the Library Thursday morning. These were a couple of my selections, I won't bother you with the knitting books right now.

The one on the right is a book that I should have read a year or so ago, maybe two years ago. Any Knitting Fiend such as myself has probably read it time and time again. It's about a woman (a 2 time cancer survivor)who opens a yarn store. I would love to open a yarn store.....

The book on the right is the book I was reading time and time again when I wasn't knitting for the past two summers. It's a book I will be reading for the 4th or 5th time. It's about a couple who sail from Canada through the Caribbean and back. It's my vacation in a paperback. I couldn't find my personal copy so I had to go borrow it from the library. I'm sure I'll find it in some bag of unfinished winter sweater knitting as soon as I finish all these socks. (Michael called, he doesn't have it.)

I sorted my sock yarns (Meerkat Heather, which color do you prefer? Jane, do you have a preference?) and I packed my bag to take to the Ranch, when we leave on Wednesday.










Maybe this heat wave will break while we're gone.

Did I mention Jody has a job interview on Friday? He'll not be going with us to the Ranch. Just Jeff and I and maybe one of his friends (who better be skinny enough to sit in the little compartment behind the seats in Jody's truck.) It'll be a nice diversion from the heat and humidity.... we'll trade for oppressive heat and wind that feels like the Devil is breathing down your back. A good time will be had by all I'm sure of it.

Coming soon... Saturday night pictures from the Square. That is if my attempt at taking pictures at night works out. I'm still learning how to use the camera.

Whew, it's hot out here!

It's not even 8:30 and my thermometer is reading 89 degrees! Yeah I guess summer is here in Texas. Wait... it's not even official yet. We are supposed to be over 100 degrees everyday for the next 7 days. Oh glory! I'm going to call Rosie today and we'll start walking in the pool.

My fan... it's how I survive out here until 10 AM. Yeah, I'm resourceful.... if I had a way to thatch a roof on this deck, don't think I wouldn't do it!
And I have to drink my coffee iced and with a straw to suck it down fast before the ice melts.

I'm almost done with Nita's Christmas present. If I can manage to knit one pair of socks per week while I'm out of school this summer, then I may get all my Christmas presents done by Thanksgiving. Although I started these weeks ago, I didn't officially start them until the middle of last week. I FROGGED them a few times. All I have left is to let her try them on for a final fitting. They fit me fine (7 1/2) but she may want a little shrink room in case they end up in the dryer a time or two. I'm down to the mindless part on the right one, no more decreases. I'll finish this off tonight watching TV.

I also completed one of my summer goals yesterday. I read one, I guess you'd call it a self help book. It was a quick book to read. I now know that I'm a "Scurry", I'm all for change once someone has decided it's the thing to do. I love change! Change it good, change is progress.

Now for the fun book to read.... I haven't found it yet. I need something that doesn't make me think much or analyze myself.... an adventure book perhaps. I hope Michael has my book "An Embarrassment of Mangoes" I think I loaned it to him. (Michael... if you don't have it let me know... I need to go get another copy ASAP)

Plans have changed, but possibly for the good. Jody has a job interview!!! But it's on July 3rd.... so that means I'll go to the Ranch by myself, or maybe with Jeff. Jeff's business is slow, they can get off anytime they want, without pay. Then perhaps Jody will drive out to meet us. Perhaps..... He's not a Scurry.

On the Jolea front, she's either leaving Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow or Saturday. Hit the Gulf Stream and straight shot to NYC. At least that's what she told us last. Still no phone and no camera.

I'm dripping sweat on the keyboard... time to go in! Have a good down-hill side of the week. Lordy I'm bored.