Thursday With Lillian, Work on the Deck, Imperfect Produce and a Pool Day!

Louis Dean is the heart throb of the Trail Lake Nursing Home!
Everyone smiles when they see him come in with his guitar and music stand!

Lillian is back in Hall 5 - just across from the room she and Mother shared.

Around the corner is a family room and it's a perfect place for Louis Dean to set up his music.

I love the expression on Lillian's face as Louis Dean was singing 'Back When We Were Young.'

He is such a blessing with his music.

I'm not the least bit jealous of the attention he gives her.

It makes my heart swell to realize how much joy he gives to other people just by doing what he loves to do - sing and play the guitar!

Lillian is happy in her room and with her roommate - even though they do not speak a word in the same language. Alice cries a lot but Lillian simply comforts her. So now Lillian has a ministry and one that she can do well. Lillian was a church worker all her life and this will be both a blessing and fill a need for her. She's always been a caretaker and was so good to Mother.

I hung all her pictures up and changed the sheets on her bed.

I fell last Saturday at a baby shower and did not realize how seriously I had bruised my ribs until Thursday. By the time we arrived at the nursing home I was in a good bit of pain.

With all the stretching and hammering and pulling at the sheets and making the bed - I was as much of an invalid as Lillian. Bless her heart! I had been standing on her bed to hang some photos - since I knew I would be changing the sheets - and when I finished I just laid back on her pillows and rested for a few minutes. Bruised ribs makes it hard to get out of bed so Lillian and I locked arms and she helped pull me up. By this time I wasn't sure I could even drive home but I did.

And I was in bed soon after.

Nights are hard with bruised ribs. I have never had this before.

Getting in and out of bed and turning over is truly painful.

By the time I get up in the morning, it feels like I have been run over by a truck.

I spent Friday in low key mode.

Only did routine work like paying bills, making the bed, doing laundry, emptying the dishwasher and making super simple meals.

Louis Dean worked on the gazebo deck and cleaned the rug - which I thought would be an impossible task! He had poured concrete and done so much 'damage' on that rug that the fact it looks this good is a miracle!

He's now getting things in order to start putting the gazebo back up.

I am so ready to have that pretty shady spot back!!!

This morning my neighbor, Stephanie, called to say she had a box delivered to her front porch from Imperfect Produce......and she was not home and would not be back for several days.

Bottom line - she gifted me her box so I went over and picked it up.

I sent her this photo and she said, "Woo Hoo! Cut up that kale and give it a splash of olive oil and season it with some good salts ( I did rosemary and garlic) and 'massage' it until it is all limp."

I did just that and it is delicious!!!

I was invited to join the Bells and Summer at the pool in Plano this afternoon so I made up a fresh batch of those Texas Sheet cake cookies.

This time I used a Fudge cake mix and added pecans to the frosting.

SOOOOOO good!!!

I packed up a simply bag consisting of a towel, a book, a couple of waters, some cherries and cotton candy grapes and was on my way.

It was a wonderful afternoon!!!!

Lazy River, hugs from the quads, a visit with my daughters......what's not to love??

I absolutely love just looking at Kaily!

You cannot help but smile!!!

What a sweet family they all are!

Thank you, Summer, for this photo!

As pretty as the day looked at the time she took this pic - the weather really changed within an hour or so. Summer and I stayed for awhile after the Bells left and left before the storms arrived. 

I dropped Summer off at Amber's and drove home through some seriously heavy rain.

When I pulled into the driveway - the rain had not yet arrived in earnest.

I managed to give Louis Dean a hair cut on the side deck before it started to pour!

I told him if I didn't give him a haircut - it would look like he didn't have a wife!

As I close tonight I can hear the fireworks going off in the neighborhood.....

which is against the law, actually.

But in the country - on your own property - you can shoot them off any time you want!!

Dean and Sherry bought a good supply for us to use. 

I am so itching to get back down to the ranch!

The bees are working and I want to set up a lawn chair and watch their comings and goings.

I want to visit all the critters, feed the horses and save every food scrap for the goats.

Have I said how much I love the life God has given me??

A few weeks in the city at home and with family......

and a few weeks in the country with home and family.

Every month!

City home and country home.

God is so good and so is Dean and Sherry in providing this place for us.