We have had wonderful weather this week--couldn't have asked for better. It is cool enough to see your breath in the mornings, a touch warm at lunch, and just right for working outdoors in the afternoons. All that is supposed to be over by tomorrow when the rain moves in with a cold air mass.
GOOD HELP IS EASY TO FIND. Monday afternoon after work I went out to trim the almond bush that had overtaken the western side of the front porch. I'll have to brag on Ben here. He was great help picking up small twigs when I asked him to. We carried off five truckloads of brush.
PETS, PETS, AND MORE PETS. Some of you who have visited us in the last two years or so will remember all of our cats. We are in a prime location to receive animals nobody wants. Our small herd started from one pregnant stray. Every time we'd have new kittens we'd put ads in the paper for free cats. Several weeks ago our wildest dream came true. Someone answered the ad, came by and said, "I'll take them all, even the pregnant one over there. I have a barn they will be happy in." So, we were out of the cat business--until Monday. If anyone wants a little white kitten...it is very patient with little boys who treat cats like rag dolls.
Speaking of animals, Mom and Aunt Mar have a pet frog. Or maybe I should say there is a little green tree frog that has two pet women. They noticed this little frog hanging out on one of the patio chairs a couple of weeks ago. They now go out and talk to it about every day. I think Aunt Mar has even been able to scratch its head. It will be interesting to see if it returns after its winter hibernation.
TRAUMA IN THE BR. On Thursday Jenna's class visited a local pumpkin patch as a field trip. They did the normal hay ride, corn maze, etc. Somewhere along the way she picked up a splinter. In getting ready for bed Vicki mentioned using a needle to get it out. As she comes into the bedroom she says something about it to me saying that "Mommy will do it in the morning." And as she prays she includes that in her prayer.
After we are done praying I say, "Let's just go to the bathroom and get that splinter out right now." Little did I know what we were in for (and to give Jenna credit, I remember being terrified when Mom would pull a splinter out of my finger at that age).
Jenna walked part of the way to the bathroom but I had to carry her the rest of the way. Funny how kids are heavier when you are taking them somewhere they don't want to go.
When Vicki is ready to begin the operation Jenna is wailing, close to hyperventilation, but she manages to say, "I-I-I w-w-want to c-c-count." We say "Ok" and she starts up, "O-o-one, t-t-two, t-t-hree, you're not c-c-counting w-w-with me!"
In unison Vicki and I say "Four." (We couldn't have done that better with practice.)
When we get to 10 we stop. Jenna says, "I-I-I want to count to twenty-y-y!" "Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen - ...."
At twenty, she buried her head in my shoulder while Vicki performed the extraction. It was funny to hear her show off her new, well earned band-aid to Ben.
NEW SHRUBS. Taking advantage of a half price sale at Lowe's we decided to put some of Pauline's landscaping in today. We got 20 of 27 bushes in with the weed control fabric around them and one truckload of mulch down. It was a great day to be out working on the project.
HI! We had a Sunday School class party tonight complete with chili (I ate the potato soup), a hay ride and a bon fire. Because he had a cough we left Nate with Pauline. When Vicki went to get him she walked in and Nate saw her and grinned really big. Vicki said an enthusiastic "Hi!" and Nate replied with his own "Hi!"
He has been very vocal this week. It's been fun for all of us.
Joe
