Louis Dean had his first of three tests scheduled by his new cardiologist on Thursday morning.
He dresses up to go to the doctor!
That's because you have to unbutton your shirt!
He came home and I was already working out on the side deck.
Upper deck is now all cleaned up and there is plenty of space for the grands to play out here!
I moved all the chairs down to form a conversation grouping on the stone patio.
By end of day, BOTH decks were cleaned up and ready for spring!!
Louis Dean and I sat at the table on the top deck sipping our wine and talking about all that we have done and all that we still need to do. I noticed him watching something over my shoulder.
Finally he said, "There is a rat behind your gardening banner on the fence."
He didn't seem perturbed about it but I don't do rats!!
Both sets of French doors were open to the soft air that seemed more like April than February!
I didn't like the notion of a RAT scurrying around here!
We don't put rat poison out as much as we used to because of the possums.
What to do?
Louis Dean said, "Go get me a hammer."
I said, "Will my small one work?"
He said, "Probably!"
Death by hammer!!!
I guess it did!!
UGH!!!!
Louis Dean is not only my handsome husband! He is my HERO!!!
Of course, I was the one to bag up the RAT and take him out to the trash!
Friday was our THIRD day to work outside!
February brought us a real gift of good weather this year.
This is not usually the case. Still, as much as I hate to see winter leave - this year it was like it never really arrived!
I think this is the first year I have really taken charge and cleaned things up for spring.
I'm not a true gardener who knows how to put the yard and flower beds to right for winter.
It's usually March before I even think about cleaning up all the fall leaves in the nooks and crannies of the garden. Not this year!
We had so much rain last spring that the old was covered up by new growth before we knew it!
I love mulch! It covers a multitude of sins dirt!
I have since set planters along the house wall. That's a new hose roller up by Louis Dean!
He also put the stone bench back where it WAS!
Not sure why he ever moved it!
It is really heavy and yet LD knows how to move it all by himself!
As I cleaned up that area, I noticed a good bit of ashes that Louis Dean had dumped there!
NOT GOOD!!! No, no, no! I told him! He says they are good for the soil but I say they are messy and ugly! NO! No, no!!
We quit work about 6:30 and let me tell you that this yard work surely counts as strenuous exercise!
Even my buttocks hurt!!!
We rested, had a glass of wine, cleaned up and ate a sandwich and then drove to Dallas for a 9:55 showing of Moana!
The kids had napped late and they were all excited! We got a grand reception when we met them at the theater! They were really wanting Granddad to come and he DID!
He is such a sport!! He would do anything for these kids!
We got home about 12:30 Saturday morning and went right to bed.
I slept until 11:00!! Louis Dean poured me a cup of coffee and when he brought it to the bedroom, he found me still asleep. Same thing the second time he brought it all reheated in the microwave.
Just as he was reheating it the THIRD time I came down the hall. Or I should say - staggered down the hall! I had slept well and long!
So! It was back to work for the fourth day outside!!
Today I concentrated on the back pond area.
This pic is behind the pond.
The cannas had died back and everything was overgrown!
My work to do was obvious!
But first I had to stop and listen to the mockingbird!
Listen to the Mockingbird!
It is our very favorite bird!
I worked so hard that I didn't stop to take pictures!
Until it was dark!
I completely cut the climbing 'seven sister' rose bush down!
It only blooms ONCE and then it grows with abandon and has awful thorns!
My sister, Nita, has true Seven Sister Roses and we want to buy and plant one like hers.
We are going to the nursery tomorrow!
I didn't last long enough to spread the mulch back there and string up more lights
That will happen tomorrow.
Tonight we watched a good movie!
It was a good reminder to live in the NOW!
Donald Sutherland is one of Louis Dean's favorite actors!
In other news.....
Our Summer Dee finally got a firm diagnosis - after 5 long months!
Surgery will be scheduled for early March and we are all so relieved!
Turned out, she has a birth defect.
There's a lot of big doctor words and I will share them as the surgery date gets closer.
For now, we are so grateful that there is an answer to the pain she has been having!
I close tonight's journal with the roses that Louis Dean brought me after I came home form my Siblings Getaway.
He is such a sweetheart!
He bought them after Valentine's Day since I would be home to enjoy them.
It was two dozen roses and we put them in the living room for several days.
He had placed them in a vase and everything.
Today I cut the stems and made several smaller arrangements.
The heart one is the larger and I put it in the foyer.
The two roses in a white vase which belonged to his beloved Ellen are by my kitchen planner.
I LIVE by this planner! If it is not written down - it simply doesn't happen!
If it IS written down - you can COUNT on it!
And there are two small vases by Louis Dean's side of the bed.
We laugh about the fun pillow that has two sides!
Tonight and Not Tonight!
Young people would probably be very surprised that old people are still romantic!
Wow, you have been major busy, I'm impressed. I am so excited to know Summer is going to get some relief from that awful back pain. I once heard Billy Graham talk about the love he shared with his wife Ruth. She was bedfast by then. He described their love as more passionate than when they were young. Not physical passion but emotional passion.
ReplyDeleteWell, I just cannot resist saying "Rats!" to this post! Ugh. Rats would really scare me. Louis Dean is your hero for sure! Such gorgeous roses. He is so romantic and thoughtful, and in love of course! I have a birth defect in my back, this is why it hurts and I am all stooped over. I was diagnosed wrongly with osteoporosis for over a year until they found what it really is. So now I am really interested in Summer's diagnosis! So the surgery will totally cure her? This is wonderful!!! Praising God for this, and for the smart doctor who finally figured it all out! I wait to find out what they will do and all the other details. The mockingbirds are so talented with all the impersonations they can do!
ReplyDeleteI am so happy for Summer, prayers for her surgery. I love the kissy face in the heart and the bird in the drop. no no no on ashes, I agree.. I once took it in my head to burn off the dead grass in our front yard so it would come back really green.. oh my.. think ashes tracked in house for weeks. I like the bench. we have a rat problem and it was solved with T-Rex trap. over the past year it has trapped 19 rats...
ReplyDeleteso easy to set I can do it but I refuse to remove the dead rats. poison is not good because not only does it get other animals they die in the walls and you don't want that. I hate killing them but they come in the garage when it rains and they eat wiring in cars..
https://www.amazon.com/Trapper-Rex-Traps-Case-12-traps/dp/B002Y5MVO2
You two have accomplished a lot!! We love mulch as well.:) So glad Summer is going to get this taken care of!! And finally, my planner rules my life as well. How do people exist without them?
ReplyDeleteLinda, I can see why you and LD don't have to join a gym....you work out all the time. I love that LD just jumped right in and smacked the crap out of the rat. LOL. Sorry but a possum is just another rat to me. :)Only bigger. So fun that you met up with the kids and watched a movie. Hooray for Summer finally finding out what is causing her pain. She had to be relieved. Blessings to all for a fun day there. xoxo,love, Susie
ReplyDeletePraise be to God for your beautiful daughter's diagnosis and relief to come. Having answers is always the best!
ReplyDeleteA rat - I would have freaked out. Did you enjoy Moana - there's a lot of hype about it down our way because of our large Polynesian communi8ty here in Auckland. Cheers
ReplyDeleteLove that you used Ellen's vase for LD's roses, brought a lump to my throat. You really honour her memory. Another busy day in the garden, you certainly know how to keep fit and do good at the same time! A rat! Think I would have died on the spot. Well done LD for dealing with it. X
ReplyDelete