Starting Off a New Week!

Monday was a busy day as we wanted to get a bit more done on putting the dining room back together. As I was working in there, I went out through the sewing room to get some things I'd stored in the gazebo - and the door would only open part way. Louis Dean had propped the overhang up with a sturdy post some months back but now it really needed some very intentional repair work. And Louis Dean got right on it and worked pretty much all day using hammer and nails and that hard putty stuff with the strong man's arms on the front of the can.

He did it and the door opens now and he repaired where the wood had pulled away from the house! We will paint it when we get back from the country!

The living room was already done and it's my favorite room to sit in right now!

I think the doll cases look so good!

Everything is so clean it sparkles!

Starting with the doll case on the right......

These are Louis Dean's I Love Lucy dolls - purchased with Granddaughter Chandy in mind.

Still in the box!

The Indian doll collection.....

featuring Little Reaoma in the front and center!

The two lower shelves hold the Karate Gis - all embroidered by Ellen.

The doll case on the left has all his Little House dolls on the top shelf.

Amber and I barely got them all in there!

Then the Victorian dolls of which the one in blue velvet was Amber's - she has dark hair and blue eyes.

Finally the Oriental collection!

Louis Dean dearly loves looking at all of his 'dollies' as he calls them.

He has the papers on all the Little House ones.

We needed Monday - he to fix the back of the house and me to rest and recover.

I didn't feel well and went to bed at 7:00!

I woke up Tuesday feeling much better and we managed to pack up and get on the road by 1:30!

We had been away from the ranch for 3 weeks and 3 days!

It was so good to be back!

Sunflowers!!! 

While I love them, they are in front of the deck and block Louis Dean's view of his garden.

They may not be here much longer! 

Plus some sunflowers are growing smak dab in the middle of his garden and they will need to be removed! We weren't here 10 minutes before he was out mowing and pulling up weeds.

I went out and took a few pics......I think these are his black eyed peas.

Some kind of squash which we did not plant but apparently they blew over from Dean's garden. Win! WIN!!

I'm a bit discouraged about my gardening abilities - or lack  thereof!

I planted sunflowers around the perimeter of the garden - and they did not come up where I put them but seem to have wandered all over the places coming up here and there.

The fig tree our master gardener friend, Sheryl, gave us is looking wonderful!

Bits of wildflowers growing here and there......

I love the flowers!

Look who is here visiting!!

Roy and Ruth Ann drove down last Thursday from Breckenridge and have their RV over at Riesel in a RV Park.

Grandson Robert arrived earlier on Tuesday and is visiting with Dean and Sherry.

So we had our own mini-reunion!

Roy and Ruth Ann were going back to their RV and Louis Dean was staying at the ranch  while Dean, Sherry, Robert and I went to out Waco bee meeting.

There was a little trouble with a tire on the way so our beekeeper sister Rosie met us at the junction of Highway 31 and 84. She and I went on to Bellmead to have dinner at El Conquistador while Dean and Sherry and Robert dealt with the car trouble.

It's not a Tuesday bee meeting night without Mexican food!

Margaritas are a given!

I had lots of compliments on my hair from where I posted on Facebook and I really appreciate the kind words. I have been working through this thinning hair situation and have purchased a couple of wigs and several 'hair toppers' that I used to call 'wiglets' back in the 70's.

The wigs are hot and I tend to keep pulling them down but they do look nice. 

Probably best worn in cold weather.

I have a lace front 'topper' that works well and a couple of others I wear from time to time.

The one I'm wearing here is now my favorite.

While not a dense hairpiece, it has enough 'extra' to blend in.

It features a honeycomb base where you pull your own hair through with a crochet hook.

When it arrived I had just had my hair cut super short - all over!

I had to wait a month before I had enough hair to pull through the cap!

This was the second time I've worn it and I am loving the feeling of hair again!!

Do any of y'all follow the glamorous 97-year-old grandma named Doris?

She's Sassy Gran Doris and I have so much fun watching her!

Her grandson has made her famous!

Well, Rosie and I had a good time talking and catching up with each other before we went on to the bee meeting and met up with Dean, Sherry and Robert.

They ended up having to drive back to the ranch and getting Robert's car.

A storm blew in and Robert did a great job driving us home!

Louis Dean and I sat outside on the deck watching the storm in all its glory!

But when lightning struck first to the right and then straight down over at Mr. Jackson's place - I said it was time to go in!

So we lingered a little longer in the front room listening to the wind and the rain before calling it a night.

I do so love a good storm!!!