Mother's Day, Birds, Gardening... All Things Spring

 Hi everyone,

 

It's been a busy week and I've really gotten a lot done. I always feel so good when that happens! With our Disneyland trip coming up in July we're all trying to walk more and build up endurance. Sharaya and I did laps around the path at a park just a couple blocks from our house. We've had gorgeous weather this week - sunny with temps pushing 80. Beth didn't want to come with us (she had gone bowling that day and bowled two games, so she just walked up and down our street.) And I was okay with that. I was glad she was willing to do that!

 

Hickman Park

 

 Just a couple days after I wrote the post about the bird's nest I noticed the eggs were gone. That's the first time that's happened. I don't know what animal got to them - the nest doesn't seem to be disturbed - but all the eggs are gone. Usually we see mom and dad sitting on the nest, they fly past us as we open the door, and they hadn't been doing that. So one day I peeked in. 😔 They haven't been back to tear apart the nest so I plan to just leave it there. Maybe they'll mate again??

 

I bought some geraniums and marigolds at Home Depot and spent Wednesday afternoon planting them all. I do love color in my yard. I don't have a green thumb, but I try hard. 😊 

 

This Monday, May 13 is the anniversary of the day my mom died. I realized the other day it's been 19 years. That just seems crazy that it's been that long. She and my dad got married when she was 16 (it was a way out of her abusive home) so she didn't graduate from high school. After all her kids were in school she went to night school and got her diploma. 

 

Us at Disneyland. I think I was in the 4th-5th grade.

And a few years later, me and my girls at Disneyland. 

Back when I was the tallest. 😁

 

While I've been writing this the washing machine began thumping so I paused it, then re-adjusted all the towels and started it back up again, wrote a little more, then made some iced tea... now it's 11:30 and the outside is calling me! 

 

It's good to be catching up with all of you again. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and a blessed Mother's Day.

What's Been Happening

So many things going on around here lately. I'll try to keep them short so I can get everything in. 😊

Diana and Peter bought Adelaide a water table and she loves playing in it! That girl has such a happy heart.

Sharaya sent us this picture of some crepes that my granddaughter Allison (14) made! We all decided we want her to make them for us when we're all together this summer!

The Junkos are expanding their family this spring. Built a great nest in the wreath on our porch again and have 4 tiny eggs!

Beth had a party at the bowling alley today. They have them about once a month and last night she and I were up until 10:00 dipping these pretzels. The leaders keep asking everyone to bring 'healthy' desserts and this was the easiest thing I could think of that didn't need to be refrigerated and would travel well on a bus.

I've been talking to her about the kinds of foods she eats. I truly believe she's addicted to sugar. Every single week she buys a large bag of marshmallows, the family share size of m&ms, two big bags of red vines, pop tarts, chocolate... she gets angry when I ask her to put something back. She's gotten so heavy and I'm concerned not only about her health, but also her stamina when we go to Disneyland this summer. I talked with her last week and told her my concerns, then asked her if I could help her learn to eat healthier. She said yes. I asked her, "If we're at the grocery store and you put something in your cart that isn't healthy, will you get mad if I put it back?" "No." So... a couple days later we're at the store, I put a small veggie tray in the cart and she did too. She put in orange juice, fresh fruit... and no junk food! I told her it's not Friday (we have a 'junk food Friday' tradition that has gotten way out of hand) so none today. I checked out first and I happen to see her put a candy bar on the conveyor belt. I told her again we weren't buying junk food today and I put it back. She was NOT happy! Walked about 20 feet behind me out to the car; s-l-o-w-l-y got into the car and just sat there. I asked her if she was going to get buckled, she shook her head. I said, "Okay" and I took off my belt, turned off the engine and we sat there about 30 seconds before she s-l-o-w-l-y got buckled... something has to change. For years I've tried to let her make her own decisions in life of course, with guidance and advice, (I wouldn't dare tell my other daughters what they can and cannot eat) but it's getting to a point where I'm going to step in. I'm going to try my best to teach her how to eat healthy. 

What Do They Eat?

 Hi everyone,

 

I'm spending 2-3 hours a day on the Israel book but I have just a couple more pages to fill and I'll be done. Then proofreading and hitting that Submit button! Of course, then comes the really hard part... waiting for it to come in the mail!

Meanwhile, we're going to work, doing laundry, grocery shopping and just living life. Beth cleans the preschool at our church but when they're out for the summer, I have to find other things for her to do. This week she disinfected the seats in the sanctuary and cleaned the sinks in some of the bathrooms. She's glad to be doing something different.

Remember the Junkos? The birds who build a nest in the wreath on our porch every year? well every December I switch it with a Christmas wreath. Hanging it back up this year I noticed there is a little hook in the back, so I've been hanging it upside down all these years. Not that you can really tell. Supposedly, this is right side up -

This spring the Junkos showed up and mom and dad were hanging around the porch but I never saw the nest. Until one day I noticed it in the back, near the top!

I guess that's where their scent was from years past (or however birds remember where their nests were) and built it as close to that as possible! I've been so afraid that it was going to fall off but it never did, thank goodness. And now those little babies have flown the coop. Next year I'm going to turn that wreath back around!

I planted all kinds of purple and white pansies this year. Five pots full in the front yard and they were really looking nice.

Then the bunnies appeared. And the pansies disappeared...

 

I think next year I'll plant Geraniums. Do rabbits eat Geraniums?

Neighborly, Over Average, And, They're Baaack!

Beth texted me from the bowling alley last week:

'I have a pizza and sweets to' 

'That sounds good!'

'Yeah. i got my medal and first place'

'What?!? Wow Beth! Congratulations!!'

'Thanks. i will show you and dad my medal to when I get home'

She came in the door and showed me her medal and said she also got $5. I asked if I could take a picture but she said no. A couple days later I'm reading the bowling newsletter and I see:

'The most over average last week was Ms. Beth Anderson as she saved her high game for when it counted the most and it was a terrific 146! She beat her average by a whopping 62 pins!'

Wow, there's over 100 bowlers! No wonder she got a medal and some cash! She hasn't bowled regularly for over 2 years but she's starting out hot! I took these a couple weeks ago -

For quite a while now I've watched our neighbors try to navigate a street corner that was overgrown and dangerous. I finally called the city a couple months ago and was told they've been looking at this corner for a while but haven't been able to move forward due to a power pole that was in the way. Well, this week they showed up! The other corner is much worse than this one and they're fixing them both! I love my city!

 I saw the man out there talking to the workers, he was pointing at areas of the new sidewalk; filled my heart with joy! And I'm so glad the workers got to see exactly who they were doing it for and what a difference they're making in that man's life.

 

We began seeing those old familiar signs: twigs on the porch, tiny sticks, moss, and then one day, there it was. Mrs. Junko had come back to build her nest!

 I took those pictures on Tuesday and when I checked the nest again today...

 Two tiny eggs! They should hatch and be out of the nest in just a few weeks. The Junko's have used this wreath for many years now and I look forward to seeing them every time!

Have you had any fun surprises this week?

Bark, The Junkos, and It Could Have Been Worse

 Every few years I break down and buy some bark for the yard. I brought it home the other day and put it out in the front. Shovel-full by shovel-full I kind of shook it out across my little garden area. I didn't buy enough so of course every time I'd try to rake it you could see the dirt... so I ended up on my hands and knees spreading it out with my hands. I also bought some yellow pansies and put them in the big planter. By the time I got done and cleaned everything up I was so sore! As I slowly made my way back into the house, I remembered why I don't buy bark every year!

 We all went out to LUMI Dessert Cafe on Mother's Day and I got a Berrylicious Bingsu. It's a Korean shaved iced dessert and it was really good. It was huge, I got the small and couldn't finish it. It comes with cream that you pour over it that makes it more like an ice cream texture more than just ice. It was good.

Remember the picture I showed of the nest, when you couldn't even see the eggs because it was so deep? Well, now they fill it up quite well!

Mr. and Mrs. Junko sit out on the wires watching the nest. They chirp nonstop whenever we come or go.

 Chuck texted me at work the other day to say someone had run into ours and our neighbors mailboxes. A lady had just flown in on a red-eye and was taking her kids to school when - we think - she fell asleep, drove up on the curb and smashed into the mail boxes! Thankfully no one was hurt.

Our neighbor had their box on a metal pole and that's what stopped her. If she had kept going, she might have driven into the bricks and our big trees.

I'll give her credit because she did knock on our door and she gave Chuck all of her information. She also admitted she probably shouldn't have been driving.

A Goodbye, Hilarious, and No Birds

Beth and I had a doctor's appointment this week to say goodbye to our primary care physician. We've seen Dr. T for close to 20 years! I'm sitting here thinking of all the things she's walked through with us... you guys go to the doctor, you know! 😊 Dr T is retiring so we made her a card and went in to see her. She asked Beth about Special Olympics during covid, we talked about our health of course, and we talked about our families. I had to hold back the tears as we walked back down the hallway and out of the clinic. She recommended another doctor to us, one that's there in that clinic and I know she'll be good but it won't be the same.

 

Beth got her first vaccine a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately we had to drive 45 minutes to get there! The second one is scheduled for the same place but we're hoping to get it changed to one a little closer to home. Chuck already has both his shots and he did fine, no side affects at all. And I go in for my first dose this Friday. Yep, I'm going to get it! I'm a little nervous... there's so much controversy surrounding it, but mainly it's just because I don't like needles!

 

We went out to lunch with Sharaya and Ally on Sunday and on our way home Beth was watching something on her phone and was laughing so hard! It got Chuck and I to laughing... don't know what she was watching but it was funny, whatever it was!

 

Mrs. Junko has been sitting on the nest a lot lately. I peeked in the other day and it's still just the eggs. No birds yet. You can see how deep the nest is, you have to really get on top of it to see the eggs. It's great protection!

Have you ever had to switch doctors? What was it like for you?

When is the last time you laughed really hard?