Cats and Sunflowers!

Our cats are loving being back in the country!

Their life is always exciting as they go from the country to the city to the Bells and over again! 

They thoroughly enjoyed exploring the air conditioned camper when we arrived and this morning they were more than ready to get out in the front room and see what they could see. 

Tabitha was at the door with pleading eyes!

"How hard can it BE for you to open that door?? 

You do it all the time!"

I found the perfect water bowl for them!

This dish is one of Ellen's (Louis Dean's beloved late wife) and I have kept it in use one way or another in her honor.  

It's held snacks, flowers and tea bags among other things and now it's a gathering water place for the kitties. Ellen was a cat lover so I think she may be smiling down at them.

Louis Dean and I had some errands to do on Tuesday.

I tried to mail out the Simple Abundance books from Irving but every day I went up to the post office, the lines were at least 20 people deep.

So I brought them down here to Mart and I was the second in line!

Ginny and Jean - your books went out yesterday and you should be getting them in your mailbox soon!

A branch of our bank is in Waco so we went there to make a deposit and then to HEB for groceries.

No matter how much food I bring - we always need something!

Eggs, bacon, milk, cat food and cat treats, fruit and sour cream and on and on.....

We got back to the ranch with just enough time to put away the food and grab a late lunch using our Subway sandwich leftovers before Dean and Sherry were at the carport picking me up for our bee meeting in Hillsboro.

We are members of two bee clubs and we love both of them.

They are so different in dynamics and personalities so we benefit from both!

I did not realize we have a lending library!

I checked out this book and have already learned some new things!

Our Texas bees are struggling with the heat and faded flowers and even lack of water.

I am praising God for every single sunflower I planted and all the ones I didn't.

That's the only flower blooming on the ranch right now except the vegetable garden with its okra and pea blooms and such.

My wild abandon of seeds may well be what gives us some summer honey!

I love bee meeting nights!

We usually do errands - as in Tractor Supply - before the meeting and then Braums after as was the case Tuesday. I treasure my time with Dean and Sherry,

We talk and catch up and it's a wonderful thing to be such good friends with my step son and Sherry.

Louis Dean and I both slept so well and so long last night!

It was after noon before I fixed 'breakfast!'

Pancakes and bacon.....

I made my own special bacon - you squirt yellow mustard on the bacon slices and sprinkle that with brown sugar before cooking it in the microwave or oven. It is delicious!

This was Tuesday's sunflower bouquet.

This is Wednesday's!

I am cutting bouquets every day from the stand that blocks Louis Dean's view from the porch/deck.

The rest of the sunflowers will remain and more will be planted as this is a really good flower for the bees and makes excellent honey!

I set up my art table and decided to do no brainer things today.

I had a tired and faded veggie and fruit arrangement and tonight I 'redeemed' it.

This is the first one....does it look like a peach to you?

I hope so,,,,,

I close tonight's journal entry with an update on my sister, Nita.

She is still seriously ill.

Last night was rough but she did rally a bit today.

I just cannot thank you all enough for your prayers, your comments, your emails, phone calls, and texts and messages. You all have been such a source of strength to me and all of our family.

We are scared and yet strong in our belief that God is with Nita.

Our sister is fighting for her life and we still can't wrap our heads around this.

What we CAN do and ARE doing is wrapping our hearts and our prayers around Nita.

Thank you for doing that with us.