Kids Art, Early Morning, Brunch With Lillian and Movie With Brenda....

It' been a busy few days around here.

Louis Dean decided to take the entire gazebo down and start all over.

The deck had sunk some and nothing was square so he said it was just easier to take it all down and then put it up right.

He worked all day on it Thursday right up to when we drove over to Dallas to visit with Amber.

The school art show was that evening and I really wanted to go.

The art teacher there is amazing.

All manner of art featuring all the elementary grades.

Our personal little artists!

Harrison had a stomach bug so Granddad stayed home with him.

We were home before dark and I was in bed by 11:00.

Imagine my surprise when I woke up at 4:00! As in the morning!

And as in 'awake' awake.

I thought I might as well get up and get on with things.

By 4:30, I had already made the coffee, emptied the dishwasher, started the laundry and made my breakfast which I took back to bed with me to eat.

By 5:30 I had taken out the trash and pulled weeds in the semi darkness!

I've heard morning people talk about getting so much done early in the done but I have not had much experience doing that. It was pretty cool. Probably won't be doing a lot of it but I did enjoy my 'early' morning. 

Friday was Mother's Day Brunch at the nursing home so I dressed up and was on the road before 9:00!

You should have seen Lillian's face when I came in the door!

She has never seen me there this early before!

I caught her before she went down to have her hair done so she and I had a cup of coffee together.

(Margaret had already gone down to the beauty shop.)

I brought a thermos full of hot water and three different pretty little coffee cups and matching saucers.

Lillian likes the International coffees and I had some tiny chocolate mint cookies to go with it.

I could tell she was pleased as punch by our special coffee visit.

While she had her hair done, I changed the bedding on both her bed and Margaret's.

Then I went down to help set up the private dining room for the brunch.

I had baked three kinds of Crack Cupcakes and the activities director had bought a fruit and cheese tray plus the kitchen had prepared two kinds of chicken and some tiny tacos.

It made for a special brunch for the mothers and I was glad I could be there.

There was a guest speaker and pretty decorations.

Tammy had filled small clear vases with some soft bead type colored balls to hold up stems of faux flowers.

As I was serving the food, I lifted a cover from the hot chicken pans and knocked over a couple of the glass vases. One rolled off the table and broke while the other tipped over and spilled out all the beads. When I started to try and pick them up, I discovered they were bath oil beads!

Those balls - hundreds and hundreds of them - were all about the size of my little fingernail.

They rolled under many of the tables and as the ladies rolled their wheelchairs, the balls would squish out oil.....I was so embarrassed. I ran out and found a couple of brooms and a janitor that felt sorry for me and said he would come help. In the end, we swept up what we could and then pushed the rest of them in a corner to pick up later. The party went on........

There were gifts of bling for all the mothers.

Just a little something to mark the occasion. 

After the brunch, Lillian and Margaret went back to their room while I helped clean up - it was the least I could do.

We had one more little visit over another cup of coffee.

It's amazing how special pretty cups and saucers can make it.

It was nice to see both ladies dressed up a little.

I've been worried about Lillian. She has given up wearing jewelry and make up.

That's not like her. We talked about it and I learned she's out of make up.

I'm needing to buy some new foundation myself so I will get some for her as well.

Her eyes water so I understand about not wearing eye makeup but foundations, lipstick and eyebrows should perk her right up! They do me!

After our visit I did a grocery run since I won't be here again for two weeks.

Cereal, lunch meat, cheese, bread......simple things that can make simple meals that are edible.

They both love the shrimp seafood salad I get at Walmart but this time they were totally out. I got the crab salad and a chicken salad for them.

I tend to stay longer than I intend to and it was nearly 4:00 when I left to go home.

I had a movie date with my friend, Brenda, and she was picking me up at 5:00 when she got off work.

I barely got home in time!

Meet Brenda's two sweet dogs!

They are so much fun and chock full of personality.

I loved getting to see Brenda's beautiful home and all her pretty things.

We visited a little while and then headed off to the Movie Tavern.

We were there to see a chick flick!

Without our husbands and they were so happy to get out of going.

I am so looking forward to when Brenda retires!

I love her like a sister and we are going to have so much fun when she doesn't have to work anymore.

She and Billy have big plans and will travel a lot but when she's home, I see movies and thrift store outings in our future!

This was our movie of choice and we loved it!!

It was 1:00 in the morning when I went to bed.....after getting up at 4:00 AM.

I made up for it today by sleeping in until nearly noon!

It has been a chilly rainy kind of day here with the rain leaving but the chill remained.

I liked it....other than we have a wet spot in the den over by the organ. 

I cleaned it up and put fans on it and am hoping for dry weather next week while we are at the ranch.

This evening I got out and finished cleaning up the rose beds and mulched them down.

I love mulch. It makes everything look so nice. And it makes the weeds easier to pull.

I love home days.

I did some housework and laundry. Cooked a good supper of grilled pork chops, sweet potatoes, black eyed peas and cantaloupe. 

I'm sitting in the den with Louis Dean watching a movie as I write tonight's journal entry.

Our tastes in movies are not quite the same but I enjoy spending time together.

He's been known to watch a chick flick with me and I'm watching an old western with him.