Catching up on Our Last Week..... It Was a Good One!

Thursday was my one month check up for my left eye cataract surgery.

All was well and that was a good report.

Alas, I did not realize I had a cataract in my right hour.

How did I not know that?

There's an endless list of things that I don't know!

So now I'm scheduled for next Thursday.

At least both of my eyes will be the same. 

It's been a bit awkward to seeing out of one eye and the other one is blurry.

At least I now know what to expect.

Summer and I celebrated with breakfast at La Madeleine and it was wonderful!!

A mimosa and avocado toast with a side of the BEST bacon!

AND the bread, butter and jam was amazing.

Earlier in the week I treated myself to a one hour pedicure.

Every single day I try to have some 'ME' time.

Even if it's an hour outside in the morning doing my quiet time.

I realize how many opportunities I have to be 'alone.'

And I do treasure my alone time.

It's an absolute must to maintain my life as a full time caretaker.

And I am blessed that Louis Dean is an exceptional man and this demenetia/Alzheimers's disease has not changed his fundamental personality. He is still sweet and loving as well as creative in all manner of things that challenge me!

As in yesterday when the pump fittings arrived.

It was to fit the pump and make a fountain.

Which is what the one he worked on was already doing!

So, instead of putting an new pump on the one that had died....he redid the working one with a Windex can which he had cut the top off and punched holes in it and wired it up to the pump.

He wanted my approval but I insisted he put the original back in place....which he did.

Not all of his ideas work out.

We had been eating food from friends and leftovers for days and they were delicious.

I opted to do simple meals for a few days.

Cooking will resume soon.

This afternoon I had a lovely pick me up drink while watching the last episode of Fool Me Once on Netflix.

I watched I Will Find You last week.

I'm loving the films from Harlan Coben's books.

They totally keep me engaged and prove to be a good 'escape' when I need one.

I picked up my car this afternoon!

SO happy to have it back!

In other news.....

The Bell Family flew into Boston to drop Harrison at a hockey camp and then the rest of them drove on to Connecticut to a lovely home right on the water.

What a  wonderful place for a week in July!

My beautiful Amber!!

The girls had private hockey lessons in the evenings and enjoyed the fishing and paddle boarding, swimming and more during the days.

Mike is such an excellent dad!

He is a great example of a godly man.

His daughters will do well in finding someone of his character when they are looking at husband material. Not that this is something that will happen soon!

The girls learned a lot this week as did Harrison.

Together again!!

Harrison had a full time hockey workout and was truly exhausted by the end of his week.

All in all - this was a summer memory the Bell grands will always remember!

They had dinner at the oldest restaurant in Boston!

From Amber.......

Union Oyster House was celebrating its 200th anniversarywhile the country celebrates 250.

Pretty cool!

This was ChatGPT's version of what it looked like when it opened in 1826.

I close tonight's journal entry with a pic from Galveston Island.

We will be there in late September and I am counting down the days!

Life Celebrations! Both Different and Both Beautiful!

All six Bells headed to Boston on Saturday.

Hockey camp for Harrison in Boston and hocky lessons in Connecticut for the girls.

Look how grown they are!!

They will have a great week!!

Saturday was a true celebration for the life of Vernon Wendell West.

Louis Dean and I arrived and the street was lined with cars on both sides.

There was a canopy set up with grills going and chairs lined the driveway.

People were laughing and talking and smiling and there was so much joy and love even in the midst of sorrow.

I met many of my friend, Judy's, family I had not met before. Judy is to the left and her best friend is on the right.

Vernon and his wife, Debbie.

I met her through blogging and she adopted me into her family of girlfriends.

I love her and her mom like family.

She blogged for several years as Ladybug From Texas.

Debbie is a gifted photographer as well as worked side by side with her husband in their business.

To know this family is to love them and I do.

Louis Dean and I both agreed that this is the way we want to be remembered....

with love and laughter and joy and good memories.

The West family did it all right and was a tribute to a truly great man.

We had our Saturday night dinner and movie.

It's a tradition Ileeen and I started a long time ago and now Summer joins us so it's a bigger party and sometimes our friend, Shirley, joins us as well.

This is my all-time favorite movie.

I can quote nearly the entire movive by heart.

Our sweet Tabitha.

Summer brought lunch over for us on Monday.

Louis Dean was a happy camper!

He said, "LOOK! Even the hamburger is smiling!!"

In addition to lunch, Summer had researched online and ordered some Brod Bagert poetry books for him.

He was absolutely ecstatic!

We celebrated Ileen's birthday on Monday.

She has so many friends and here are some of them!

They all took her out for lunch!

Then we celebrated Monday night with dinner for her.

Ileen is such a good friend to me.

I tell her, "You make me feel normal."

And she does.....

It was a great evening.

Tuesday was an exciting day!

Muniz Tree Service arrived with a crew of five at 8:30 that morning.

They worked for three solid hours and worked magic!

They did a great job!

The canopy of both pecan trees were lifted.

We may not have a pecan crop this year as the trees may be in shock since we trimmed them out of season.

I think it was more important to get them done before storms bring down more limbs and branches.

Every time it comes a hard rain, the yard is littered with tree debris.

They even cleaned out our gutters and blew decks off AND left the yard looking better than ever!

The crew was gone by the time I left to thrift with Brenda.

I found some real treasures.

This is going to a special friend for her birthday.

I'm hoping these Sheetlock things work!

Most mornings I wake up and the sheets have come loose - on Louis Dean's side of the bed.

This candle smells delicious and has some bling in the soy wax.

Guess where I hung this sign?

YUP! Louis Dean's John Wayne style bathroom.

I scored big on the Lovery bath set and this will make a good Christmas gift for someone I know.

You can't have too many good books.

Brenda found this for me as well as a Chico's jacket that was 75% off!

To finish up my finds - a sweet lemon candle and fancy napkin rings AND a pair of classy earrings.!!

All in all it's been a good week and it's not over yet!

Thank you all for your kind words and prayers.

Some days are better than others but every single day is the day the Lord has made and we will be glad and rejoice in it!