Weekend Outing

This was my first full week at home and I was pretty busy with projects on the home front. By Friday night, I was ready to call it a week and enjoy some weekend fun and relaxation. . .and we did just that.

Collin and I went to Memphis on Saturday with our friends Dennis and Regina to celebrate her birthday. After getting parked a couple of blocks from Beale Street, we headed out to find lunch. We had barbecue from King's Palace and was it ever good! If you've not eaten there, I would recommend it. The food was great and the atmosphere was unique. Here we are after consuming a scrumptious meal.

After lunch, we made a quick tour through one of the local shops and headed back to Auto Zone Park for a late afternoon baseball game between the Red Birds and the Iowa Cubs. It was HOT, but fortunately we were on the second level behind home plate. We were under a deck and blocked from the sun. We were also able to get a breeze every now and then. Here we are enjoying the game.

It got a little exciting near the end and the home team pulled out a win; 6-2.

Ready to go again,

Marcia

School Is Out for Summer

Today was my official first day home. It felt wonderful. To begin the celebration, I went to get a haircut yesterday about 5. When I got home, Collin and Bryan had gone to play golf, so I immediately fixed a bowl of popcorn and a big glass of Coke. I enjoyed two movies back to back from NetFlix instant play, Perfect Picture and The Proposal, both very good--romantic comedies. It was pure bliss--chick flicks without aggravation.

This morning I slept until about 7. By 7:10, I had slipped on my shorts, brushed my teeth, and put in my contacts. I went for a mile walk. When I got back, it was coffee time on the patio in the swing. It was wonderful. After a while of just sitting, I decided I needed to be productive. Here goes my day.

Sweep the patio, move the plants, and water.

This is the entry cove from the patio into my laundry room. I think this is a very calm setting. I've adopted the peace plant and am taking care of it for a friend. It's a long story, but I think it is beautiful. The welcoming frogs on the wall was a birthday present from my mom. I like frogs and most who are close to me know that--there is a story for another day. Note in the bottom left corner the boots fill with impatiens. Those boots were Bryan's when he was about a 7th or 8th grader. His foot outgrew the boot. I come across them and had a brainstorm after seeing an idea in a gardening magazine.

Weed eat all around the house; pick up sticks and carry them off.

Many other numerous yard tasks.

It was beginning to get hot so I thought after a quick sandwich, I'd do some things in the house.

Change the sheets on two beds.

Vacuum the bedroom carpets.

Wash, dry, and put away 3 or 4 loads of laundry.

Do a little mending.

Unjam Bryan's printer.

By now it's nearly 4 and the yard needed to be mowed.

I finished up about 6 to run into town with Collin to get gas in the truck. We came home and had hamburgers from the grill and cleaned up the mess. I ran out to water and the kitchen floor still needed to be swept.

. . .and I actually didn't tell everything. There were lots of other little odd jobs in between.

Now this will be my life all summer long. I will go back to school and all my projects will not be complete. I ask myself when I work all day long in the summer how I keep up with a job all day long the other 9 months. I'm never bored. Oh how I love being at home.

Marcia

Celebrating at the River

Memorial Day seems to be the official start to summer. It's a time to think of military personnel that serve presently and to remember those veterans of past times. It's a time to remember those we love who have passed. We celebrate in a number of ways. I'm always moved by patriotic programs, music, and the display of waving flags. I put out my own decorations at home. Little country churches will always have "Decoration Day" services and the placement of new flowers in the cemeteries. This is the case where my grandparents are laid to rest, but I think it is a tradition that is swiftly fading. There are community picnics, the swimming pools open, and individual families plan family reunions, cookouts on the grill, or they make travel plans to a variety of places, or maybe to sporting events. Bryan played in a golf tournament Monday, but Collin and I headed to the river with our truck and camper.

We headed to the White River at Cotter as soon as I could get home from school Friday afternoon. Collin took the day off and he was waiting for me to get in. We traveled with our friends, Dennis and Regina. Denton's Ferry was our destination and we had a fabulous time. Friday night, we found a quaint little out-of-the-way place called Nima's Pizza. We had heard rave reviews about this tiny (and I do mean tiny) place. This was undoubtedly, the best pizza I have ever eaten. If you're at Cotter, you must look the place up and give it a try. You will NOT be disappointed. From our camp site, we had hamburgers from the grill and chicken from the smoker. Here we were enjoying dessert time; the choices were brownies, and my personal favorite, strawberry shortcake. The berries were fresh from Regina's patch and I supplied the can of Reddi-Whip. YUMMY!

There was plenty of time for fishing. This is the trout capital, you know. Regina and I found a walking trail that was great. And then, we would just sit, relax, and visit. The change of scenery was beautiful, the weather was great, and we didn't have to set an alarm to get up or look at our watch for the time. All too soon, it was time to come home.

The good news? Memorial Day signals the beginning of summer. We've got the entire season ahead for more camping.

Let the good times roll,

Marcia