Lunch With Brenda and Adventures with Louis Dean!

On February 13th, Brenda and I set up our March lunch date....we plan ahead!

Since the potato soup I made yesterday was so good - I served it today along with a sandwich and some of the Maple Oat Cookies.

I think the hour with Brenda passed faster than any other hour of this day!

She had to leave before I finished telling her all the things I wanted to say!

I did tell her the saga of my morning, though, and now I will tell you.

Last night I was really tired and went to bed shortly after I wrote my journal entry.

But before I did, I was doing something at the sink and the drain was leaking - as in water was POURING out from under the sink!

Louis Dean is so wonderful and told me to go on to bed - he would fix it!

So I did and when I woke up, I noticed he had slept in the guest room. That meant he had been up late and couldn't sleep.

I slipped in there and let the cats out of their kennel before going to the kitchen.

The things from under the sink were scattered all over the place so I put them all back under the sink - and I did check first to make sure it was fixed and it was!!!  Thank you, Louis Dean!

Then I walked over to turn the coffee on - and noticed one of the heavy glass goblets I had on the table in the kitchen corner was on the floor - broken to pieces. I got a dust pan and broom and cleaned that up and then noticed dirt on the floor in front of the coffee cart.....and ashes. As in fireplace ashes. ??

I pulled the vacuum out and cleaned all that up and wiped up the floor. By this time my coffee should have been made but the water hadn't drained down through the grounds so I had to fiddle with that. When I pulled a kitchen chair out to sit down and wait - I noticed it was covered in ashes. ??

I'd already put all the cleaning things up so I had to drag it all out again.

When I went to put something back in the laundry room, I noticed a plaque that WAS on the wall was now on the floor. I finally got my coffee, gathered up my prayer things and went back to bed to do my Quiet Time. Deanie and I talked on texts for a few minutes and I told her about my morning and that I couldn't wait for Louis Dean to get up and tell me what had gone on last night!

He came in an hour or so later and I told him thank you for fixing the sink......and he said he was sorry about the broken glass. I said it was no big deal but WHY were there ASHES in the kitchen??

He said, "You really don't want to know!" and he went to get his coffee.

But it was too good to keep to himself so he came back to the bedroom and sat down and told me all about his night.

He had finally got the sink fixed and by that time he was too wired to sleep.....

so he decided to start some of his seeds in little pots. It was too chilly to work outside - now that's just an excuse because he brings dirt into his music room all the time and has a plant light in there and shelves set up like a hot house. He grabbed one of the bags of potting soil - only it wasn't! It was ashes from the firepit outside he had bagged up - using a potting soil bag. You would think he would notice that right off the bat - but he didn't.

He actually started potting up his seeds using the ashes ....but he said it just didn't feel right. You THINK??? He finally came to his senses and realized what he had done. Then he took the bag back outside by way of the kitchen French doors. That's when he stumbled and spilled some....and knocked the glass off...."Oh, I meant to pick that up!" he said.

He doesn't even know how he knocked the plaque off!

I'm not kidding, Folks! Living with Louis Dean is an adventure!!!

But I wouldn't trade him for the world!

Once he woke up good (which was much later in the day), he went outside to play work in the yard.

Yesterday after we worked in the herb garden, he said he was ready to start on a deck over in the 'Sanford and Son' area of the property. I just about had a hissy fit!!!

I said, "NO!!! We decided we would clean up this whole side of the house - both decks and patio, both ponds and behind the old dead elm.

He really is a good sport and said okay, he remembered that now.

So he went out and started on the pond.

He had already cleaned it out so now he took all the stones away and blew all the leaves before replacing the rocks in a neater manner.

While he did that, I worked in my bathroom.

I reorganized all my toiletries, hair things, lotions, and all manner of debris in there.

It took hours!

And then guess what???

The pipes were leaking in the kitchen - again!!!

Louis Dean came in and fixed them - again!

However, I am encouraged (??) because he assured me, "This time I fixed them right!!!"

Oh, mercy me!

(I'm proof reading this to Louis Dean and he says I need to mention that he HATES plumbing!)

This time he was working inside and I went outside to cut all the rose bushes back. I know! I should have done that last month. As I was working out there,  I noticed we may have lost some landscaping from the bitter cold we had. I can't remember the last time we lost hardy shrubs and bushes because of freezing temps. I'm hoping they will rally but some look deader than a doornail

It was nearly dark when I came in and started cleaning our bedroom.

Thank goodness it didn't take nearly as long as my bathroom!

I'm looking forward to pouring a glass of wine, sliding into bed and reading a new book.

Louis Dean is in the den watching Gunsmokes.

The oil diffuser scents the room.....

and I made my side of the bed comfy and reader friendly.

Louis Dean only reads in bed if he can't sleep and then he will go to the guest room.

A short update on Lonnie:

Charlie went to see him today and he is doing okay as far as his blood pressure and oxygen levels go. While he is eating and speaking, it's obvious he has some stroke related problems. He will most likely be transfered to a rehab hospital once they think he is strong enough. Make no mistake, Lonnie is still very sick and will have to work very hard to get better. We sisters will help Michele in whatever ways she needs us and we are in this for the long journey. I'm so grateful there are so many people - both friends and family - that love our brother. Thank you for your prayers.....I do not think Lonnie would still be with us had it not been for so many praying for him.

I'm really wanting to go to the country and sip my wine at the camper!! Soon.....