Life is just a......

Visiting Pea's blog today I saw she had bought a nice bowl of cherries yesterday!

~~~

...funny how this blogging thing works, isn't it? You read something or see a picture on someone's blog and it sends your mind on a trip of it's own...thoughts pop up that were triggered by another's post...

OK - Pea's bowl of cherries brought to my mind immediately the old saying, 'Life is just a bowl of cherries!'

...but then I remembered ...
This...



This is a little doll my daughter Tina gave me. It's by Madame Alexander ~Mary Engelbreit's ,

'Life is Just a Chair of Bowlies!'

Very interesting artist - Mary Engelbreit!


More of my dolls and collectibles can be found HERE!



Love,

Junie

Choices...

Today I had a choice of things to do. I had 2 things high on my list -both needing my attention!

I could ,
#1, get out all my junk that I keep (mostly) enclosed together with rubber bands inside a little notebook. That is all bills and misc. mail, bank statements, medicare statements, and all those piles of offers for a better interest rate for credit cards...

And those HUGE piles of address labels for all those worthy causes! These are good causes, one and all, but I wonder, more and more, just how many address labels do they think any normal person can possibly use! I have come to the point where I often just throw the whole pack away, unopened! Oh! Don't get me wrong here! I do donate to lots of causes! I mean-obviously- they have my number! There's never a week goes by that I don't receive several of these packs of address labels and pleas for $$! I send $$ randomly and never keep track of what I send (small amounts) or to which charities! I figure they are all worthy! But for sure I can't send $$ to each one , each and every time I get the address labels!

This is probably a 'Ginga' kind of thing but I have always donated to The American Lung Association...well, that is, since I found my teenage daughter smoking (against our wishes)oh, so many decades ago! I think I felt it was a way of fighting against the harm smoking would/could do...a small measure of trying to keep my kids safe! This is one I still donate to-above all others! ...However-I couldn't possibly use all the labels I get even from this one organization! And multiply that by about a dozen more!!!

K- one more gripe then I'll move on! Magazine subscriptions that run out -and you've decided not to renew- but they keep giving you just one last chance -over and over and over...and get their prices lower and lower and lower! Sometimes offer you 3 years for the price of one! ....But who can remember details of these things? I sure can't! And it seems my mags run out a lot sooner than you'd expect-since I am always offered these fantastic deals and take them, often! Sometimes I just give it all a break and let them all go for awhile, buy my occasional magazine at full price! Less to deal with in my mailing of bills .

There's other annoyances of balancing the check book ...and realizing there's a check unaccounted for and you have no clue what it was for or for how much...

And much more...

I do not like paying bills!

~~~

OR

#2....I could do garden stuff!

That's what I did! :)

I planted all the Caladiums . (14 pots of them) And I did some weeding but still have a lot to do!

Here's some pics of my flowers!










Junie

BMW~ A new adventure...

Charles found this motorcycle that seemed like a deal he couldn't turn down! It's a BMW K X 1000 ~ It's a 1985 model and in almost mint condition, with only 16,000 miles!
So- it's a collectors item -an antique- says Charlie!

OK ~ he's good at presenting a favorable argument when he wants to buy something! :)

Truth is- I didn't mind buying it and we can enjoy it for awhile and be able to, probably, make a few bucks on it- if/when we decide to sell it!

I have not yet ridden it but I have a feeling the Victory will remain my first choice ride!
:) This bike will be a tighter fit for Charlie and me- I think- haha- smaller seats...less room between us! (or NONE!) ;) Maybe I will be safer if I'm wedged in between Charles and the back of my seat!

I AM happy C. was able to buy this! I've come to feel, as we get older, we should be able and willing to pamper ourselves with whatever little things we find to bring us moments of pleasure! We both hope to have some fun times riding this BMW! :) It may turn out it's His bike not Our bike- but if so- that will be ok.


...I indulge myself much more than I did in the past- with my music, my roses and my computer stuff and camera...and the time I spend with all of these things! Life is short so why not spend it doing what we enjoy as long as possible?


Today I have not felt well. I didn't sleep well last night and have had a headache all day today. I haven't done much of anything...did a little watering in my garden and that's about it!

Tomorrow I hope to plant all these Caladiums! These will go in the front entrance area! Will look very pretty!

~~~

Oh!! Wanna show you one more thing before I go!

Charles came in the other late afternoon, as excited as a kid...saying , "Grab your camera, I want to show you something!" It was just a couple miles from our house...It was this...

















Charles said....
"I'd love to have that guy!!" I said, "why?" He didn't have an answer ready but I bet he's working on it! ;)

As much as I want my husband to be happy I really don't want a buffalo at our place! ;(

~~~



I hope my sleep comes easier tonight.


Love,

Junie

Our Day ~5-28-07

This was our day today!

We went for a VICTORY ride!

This was the sky today... so I did a lot of looking up...being the blue sky lover that I am!


















Saw a lot of Red, White and Blue today!











Just by chance we passed by this place
and there was a dedication ceremony going on!
I got some pictures of our veterans!
We both enjoyed that!

A good day!

Junie

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day




...remember our heroes...




Junie

America the Beautiful

"America the Beautiful"

( click here )


Junie

Memorial Day Weekend

Today was a long and full day and I'm very tired ! Have a giant size headache too, so I think I will try and make an early night of it.

My sis called early this morning and asked if we wanted to meet her and her husband for breakfast. Of course we thought that a good idea. We met at Golden Corral and had a good breakfast and a good visit with them!

After a leisurely meal we went our separate ways.

Charles and I went to the Flea Market and then we searched out a few yard sales! Here are some little things I bought! Things I did not need- but -what the heck!! The little dogs I thought were cute-lol- at 25 cents each how could I walk away from them- especially the Collie! My friend Bonnie asked me to be looking for Collies...she collects them. I'll probably send the Collie to her and add all the others to my small collection of doggies!

Here's all the things I got today! It's an odd assortment of goodies, but I'm pleased with them!

BUT- I found No music! ;(






I also bought these small flags for my back yard gardens!
















Happy Memorial Day Week-End!


Junie

Visit from the 'Grands.'

Today has been a lazy day . I did NO yard work or ANY kind of work - truth be told- but that's ok!

Zach came up yesterday from Orlando to see his cousins and his aunt Tina and stayed the night at their house. This afternoon Tina and Alli came up and Zach came up in his car! Zach stayed and we had hamburgers on the grill. He'll have to be leaving soon for home!

It was good having him here, as well as Tina and Alli, for a few hours. Zach and Alli like to get into our old home movies of when they were all little and spending time here on the farm! It's all fun to watch- but a bit sad too!
Life IS bittersweet!

Zach just called me in awhile ago to see a fun one he had come across! It was the Christmas that I decided to try to tame and bring some sort of control to our opening of presents! I brought a basket in and announced that we would each open our presents ( one at a time) and FOLD our wrapping paper and put it in the basket! This was met with loud laughter all around...all caught on tape! :) If I could get that on a Youtube clip I'd post it here!

You lucky folks....I don't know how to do that! heehee

We also viewed 'Spike's Funeral' today! Spike was Zach's Hamster who died in 1997...Zach insisted he wanted Spike buried on the Farm, so it was necessary to keep the body frozen until they could make the trip up here from Orlando- a week later.

Charles narrated and filmed the whole event. The funeral service was very dignified...with those who wished, saying a few words of remembrance in Spike's honor!
I could only say that I hadn't known Spike that well... (That fact did not keep me from being misty-eyed through the whole service and doing a lot of patting my grandson's back!) Others knew him better and stories were told of many fun times shared with Spike.

At last Spike, still frosty, was covered with wildflowers from the meadow . At this point Zach sent his little cousin, Alli, into the house for one thing he had forgotten to bring out! It was a picture of Zach and Alli. This picture was tucked in among the flowers and the box lid was closed for the final time.

Zach, brave boy that he was, shoveled the dirt in himself. I think he felt it was a duty he had to fulfill!

Today the kids found the whole thing humorous. But it was sad at the time...even tho we played the event up. Still, I knew it was sad for Zach!

When it came time for Zach's family to leave for home that 1997 day- no one knew where Zach had gotten off to-since he knew they were almost ready to go!...I found him at Spike's grave site-taping his recent school picture to the wooden marker Charles (Gabbo) had made for the grave!

It's such a sweet video- bittersweet memories for us!

Here is a picture taken today of my 2 youngest grand kids - Zach and Alli!

***Tina is doing well.***

Love,

Junie

Progress

( click photos to enlarge )


OK!

Here is a progress report with my gardens! As you can see the area behind the fish pond is looking better. I fertilized those three pitiful little roses so I think they will come around !








And we finally got my birthday rose bushes planted - although still need to put mulch in this area! I outlined this bed with rocks. This is adjoining the fish pond area which Charles made and finished off with rocks.



Directly across the yard, next to the house, is 'Mom's little garden!

I left the plants that have come up from where the bird feeder was (we moved it) Will let those stay until they seed, for the birds- also there is one sunflower among the roses bushes but I want to leave it until it blooms, also!

This is that huge sunflower that came up in 'Mom's garden! It will be pretty for awhile longer, then I will remove the plant.



The last 2 photos show part of the areas we still have to clean out! But at least I have recently fertilized all of the roses and they are growing and blooming good!
(except for those 3 pitiful ones that were smothered by the weeds!)







Happy gardening, folks!






Love,

Junie Rose

all about fairies and gnomes...( a Re-run)

Fairies and gnomes- go HERE!

Gnome Lady- go HERE!


Junie Rose

Garden work

A big part of this day was spent doing garden stuff...not the fun and easy stuff but the pulling of weeds! And not little puny, easy to pull type weeds but the ones that have roots that are determined to keep that plant in the ground!

These weeds masquerade as garden flowers and seem to think they belong right there among my roses- crowding them out, in fact!

Indeed, they are attractive in their own way. Butterflies and bees
are drawn to them- making me feel a little guilty in my resolve to get rid of them...however...I did tackle the job!

Here you see a before and after picture of the worst area. (Behind the fish pond) You can see how high and dense the weeds were in the before picture . And you can barely see a couple of roses there in the after picture! But they can be saved - I promise!

Who wouldn't prefer this!






Speaking of roses-my 'Old Country Roses' tea set came a couple days ago. Charles ordered this for my Mother's Day present! SO pretty! Nothing prettier than roses-IMHO!
















I'm very tired tonight but it was worth it!
Before long we will have the back yard gardens looking grand! :)

~~~

Thanks to everyone for all your concern for my daughter, Tina.
She's doing well and expects to get back to work in about a week.



Love,

JUNIE

More 'Horse Fever'

Here are some earlier 'Horse Fever' posts!

( click )

Here

and

Here



Junie

Tina is home

Our daughter, Tina, was released from the hospital this morning but will not be able to return to work for at least another week. She will have the surgery in the next few weeks or months. We're all relieved to have this part over with. Just hope she will take it easy until she's 100% again.

~~~

The hospital was added to and remodeled in the last 4 years or so. I had not been there since Mom's last stay there over 4 years ago. While the changes were under way at that time- I had not been back since to see the finished job! I must say it is quite impressive - beautiful inside and beautifully landscaped outside. I had heard one of the Art horses had been put on display there but had never driven by to see which one it was!

Here it is:



( click to enlarge )



Here is another site that tells about our 'Horse Fever Art Project' of 2002!



Enjoy!


Love,
Junie

Update ~May 21, 2007

Good morning all,

Just a short post to let you all know how things are going...

Yesterday Tina looked better and seemed to feel better. She has no word yet on how soon she will be able to come home. I was very happy to see her looking improved from the day before! I will just have to be patient!

~~
My joking son, Chris, would say,"No, Mom, Tina is the patient!! :)

Chris used to bug his sisters , non-stop, with his jokes and weird sense of humor...to the point of them yelling," Leave me alone!" ...to which he would say..."OK- How much you need?" ;)

Here we are in 1978...Me and my teenagers!

Back row~Chris and Tina
Front~ Tammy and Mom (June)


We will be going to see our daughter in the early afternoon~ hoping and praying for some good news!

~~~

Other news around the Kellum place...

We have been sprucing up Ma-Ma's garden the past few days!

This is a stepping stone we found at a yard sale and I just had to have it for Mom's little garden! It's perfect!



Charles got the little fountain working again. (We bought this with our last Christmas gift money from Mom - so it's dear to me! She would have been pleased with what we found to buy!) He also put down some fresh mulch and I planted some Caladiums. The little bench was a gift to me a couple years ago from Tina~ to use in Ma-Ma's garden! I love it! In fact I love all of the little garden! It's right outside my kitchen-nook window! I like to have my coffee there and watch the birds! Mom would have loved it, too.















Sunflowers came up from seeds that fell from the birdfeeder ...


.


..and these are some of my roses this week!




( click any pic to enlarge )



I hope we all have a good day today!



Love,

JUNIE