The Last Few Days......

  Friday morning I did my last school drop off and the kids and I were bound and determined to be not only on time but early!

I lined their backpacks up in the hall along with my purse.

We left at 7:10 and made such good time we couldn't believe it!

Trystan said, "I can see cars moving but there's not nearly as many as when we leave later."

I had the real time displayed on my phone and they were keeping track of how early we were!

13 minutes!

I was so excited.....that I sailed right past the drive into drop off!

I had envisioned us rolling up to the curb and the helper opening the door and the kids tumbling out calling out their goodbyes.....

Instead all four started wailing, "MeeMAW!!!! You drove right past our school!!!! Now we are going to be late!!! But we weren't. Instead of 13 minutes early, they were only 11 minutes!

I did hear someone grumbling under their breath, "NOW look how far we have to walk!"

I had pulled into the church parking lot right next to the school and we walked over.

I laughed and laughed and I still laugh every time I think about this!!

Not sure the kids thought it was funny.

It was just barely 8:00 when I got back to their house.

I used the next hour or more to do my reading and praying, catch up on my Country Diary and drink two cups of coffee.

Summer came over Thursday night so she and Amber were watching a movie while I wrote personal notes to Trystan, Kailey, Harrison and Logan.

I had a word of prayer before we left for school and asked God to bless each one and when I said Amen, Harrison said, "You prayed for us in birth order!"

Yes, I did! By name, out loud and on purpose!

I left Dallas, stopping by the house to pick up Louis Dean, and we headed over to Trail Lake Nursing Home. It had been nearly a month since we had visited Lillian.

Louis Dean sang some of his 'new' old songs - mainly Ray Price - and Lillian LOVES Jim Reeves.

I listened to a few songs and then went to pick up pizzas for us.

Lillian and Margaret both told me over and over again that they do not eat much.....

well, one large pizza shared by three ladies vanished into think air!

Louis Dean ate a hamburger on the way over so he wasn't hungry.

I changed Lillian's sheets and made a Walmart run for some groceries.

They have a nice little set up with their food and I am thrilled that they actually do eat more than they did. I told them I would be back Thursday and bring lunch.

I always ask them what they are hungry for and both ladies started saying nothing at all - until all of a sudden - Lillian called out, "CHEESE MANICOTTI!"

So that's what I'll be making next week - and I am wondering if anyone has a tried and true recipe? 

I found several online that I'm considering.

I'm also going to make Ruth Ann's corn salad recipe and a watermelon salad with feta cheese and mint leaves.

It was after 10:00 when we got home and we were tired to the bone.

So tired that I spent the better part of the day in bed and so did Louis Dean.

By Sunday morning, I had recovered some but he had not......so I went to church with Amber and Mike. It was a special service celebrating the ministry of Pastor Doug.

He has recently retired due to health issues but is looking and feeling much better these days.

From church, we made a Costco run!! All of us!

Amber and Mike had been there Saturday and were leisurely doing their weekly bulk grocery shopping (the soon-to-be 7 year olds have big healthy appetites!)

An employee came up to them and said the store had closed 15 minutes ago!

Costco closes at 6:00 on SATURDAY??

They knew it closed at that time on Sunday but SATURDAY??

So they tried it again on Sunday afternoon giving them plenty of time.

Our lunch was from the Costco Cafe!

It was super busy so the kids did well entertaining themselves - and ME - while we waited for the food.

It takes a good bit of time to get groceries.

Especially when you count stopping at all the 'examples' the demonstration people give out.

That's what Trystan called the sample......'examples!'

Mike took the girls to softball practice and Amber, Harrison and I went to Target to get the rest of the things.

I had the best time! All three of us did!

Harrison got some treasured won-on-one time with his mommy and Amber and I got some time together. We looked at everything!

So nice to not be in a hurry.

Amber helped me get a few new cosmetics and I really appreciated her patience.

The blush, lip gloss were the brands and colors she uses. I read somewhere that older ladies should wear only matte eyeshadow so she found me some of that. Along with new brushes I picked up an eye liner - again - it's the kind Amber uses.

After I did my shopping, I checked out and set myself up in the Starbucks there to relax and people watch.

Amber and I had looked at jewelry and accessories and she pointed out how 'in' tassels are these days. So when I got home and noticed the new pair of gardening gloves I had picked up at Dirt Cheap - I took a pic and sent it to her. I had not noticed the tassels before.

Finally, I am up to Monday - today!

I had my yearly checkup with Dr. Abraham and it looks like everything checks out.

Blood work results will confirm but I am confident all is well.

I made my doctor laugh!

I mentioned that we lost Mother in January and when she asked, "What happened??" I said, "She DIED!" It's always a good thing to get to laugh with your doctor!

I've been going to her for over 20 years and she is the very BEST doctor I could have!

I got a pneumonia vaccine in the office and then went to the hospital pharmacy to get my first shingles vaccine. I am a wimp when it comes to needles so both times they asked me if I was okay.

They warmed my arm could be sore later but I said I'm not worried about soreness later - I'm worried about the needle NOW!

I should have paid attention.

I was in such a good mood all day long!

It was with a sad heart that I opened the dryer door and realized I had killed a gecko.

I washed a lot of fabrics from the gazebo and the poor little thing must have gone through the washer and dryer cycles. He didn't make it.

Louis Dean was, once again, my hero.

I couldn't bear to do it myself.

I meant to finish cleaning up the den after the carpets have been dried, treated and dried again.

But the only real accomplishment today was organizing this bookcase.

It holds all my Country Diaries from 1984 - 2018.

I missed getting a 2014 one and used a different book for that year. 

The one and only year I missed.

All my journals, prayer journals and sermon notes date from 1984.

My house burned in 1983 and I lost all the others....

but I have been faithful to write every day - or catch up - for the last 35 years.

I did not realize how many personal journals I had in addition to my diaries.

The vaccines have really done a number on me and I have had to go to bed yet again!

It's taken all day to do this journal entry and I have been working on it a little at a time since this morning. I hope I wake up feeling much better tomorrow!