The gourd that ate my house...

Some new pictures today. As I mentioned yesterday, last week's storms forced the plant down off of my living room window, there are new "chutes" working their way to the window, and last count came up with 49 gourds.

You can see the new chutes reaching for the window!

If you look close, you can see the bee in the center of the flower!

Sorting Socks

When you have three kids, some things just get neglected. Laundry can pile up in a very short time. The garage can get messy in what seems like overnight. With boys present, you must keep an eye on all toliets, I finally stationed a scrub brush caddy in each bathroom and just try to make sure there is at least a hurried swirl a day...the one bathroom they use the most is equipped with toliet bowl cleaner sitting on the back of the tank at all times! Things just get out of hand quickly and I am trying very hard to get everything back in hand.

I went on a tour of all three kids bedrooms yesterday and did the dreadful digging out from under the beds.....(picture the mr. yuk smiley face here!). After a couple of loads of laundry I pretty much came up with one and a half baskets of unmatched socks! (This includes the catch all basket that sits on top of the dryer at all times.) I spent over two hours sorting socks yesterday and am pretty sure I came up with enough pairs for everyone in this house to have a clean matching pair to wear every day for at least 5 weeks. Holy wow! The strays that were left over would make Dobby the house elf in Harry Potter a very happy little soul!

The blogging fool is back...

I have really been neglecting my blog the past few months......but apparently my dry spell has dried up, maybe all the rain helped me too!

Blueberry Festival

This weekend is the Blueberry Festival in Plymouth! I used to attend this festival every year. I absolutely loved it. I have not been for over five years now, I can only imagine how big it has gotten now.

I seriously would like to go this weekend. You don't realize what a huge, powerful statement that is for me. You see, this entire summer, since I have not really been myself healthwise, I have missed out on a lot of events that I take in every summer. I did not go to the county fair at all. I did not go to the rock concert in the park. I did not go to the country concert in the park. I barely go to Wal-Mart for very long periods of time. I truly am not sure if I am up to this particular festival and all of the walking that it entails, however, I think I am willing to give it a try, depending on the weather. If it is unbearably hot and humid, all bets are off!

If only....

The winning ticket was sold in Richmond, Indiana. My most favorite aunt lives in Richmond. I am not just saying that, she truly is my favorite aunt, she is the one who has always "got me." When I spend all of my time explaining myself to everyone, she just gets me without the explanations.

Wouldn't it be cool if she was the ticket holder? (Not that I would become one of those begger/moochers, I would truly be happy for her because she has always had things on the rough side.)

Something to think about

Zen truths
1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me alone.

2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky tire.

3. It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

4. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

5. Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.

6. Never test the depth of the water with both
feet.

7. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.

8. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

9. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

11. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

12. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

13. Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.

14. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

15. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

16. A closed mouth gathers no foot.

17. Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

18. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.

19. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.

20. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

21. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

The gourd that ate my house...

I haven't put any new pictures up for almost a week, I had to get a new battery for my camera. The storms on Thursday night knocked the plant off of my window. Well that combined with the weight of the gourds most likely. It was kind of disappointing to all of us to see it knocked away from the window. However tonight when I was out looking at it, there is a whole other part of it heading for the window! So it will be fun to watch again. I counted the gourds and there are 49! A few weeks ago a friend of mine counted 19. There are still a whole bunch of blooms coming on this plant indicating even more gourds. I am checking with the Guiness Book of World Records and getting this plant registered for my son. I don't know if it will make it or not, but it would be very exciting for him if it does.

Mind over matter

Yesterday I posted about finally getting back on the jet ski. It really was an accomplishment. As Sheri commented earlier today, I have struggled with health issues since last November actually. As recently as last week I saw yet another surgeon who is contemplating more surgery after I finish my current dosage of antibiotics. I left his office very frustrated and waited a day or so and took on a whole new attitude. Instead of waiting on the all clear from the doctors to let me start living my life again, I have decided to take on the mind over matter attitude and go forward with my life!

In the past few days I have accomplished so many things, (yes I am quite proud of myself) it just feels good to be back in the game again. I am noticing some of the more icky things the doctor told me to look out for that could indicate I will need another surgery, but at this point, I am not sure if I want to go that route. If I can continue with my mind of matter attitude and accomplish more and more each day, it seems to me I might be back to good sooner rather than later!

First Time this summer

I finally went out on the waverunner today. Like the person pictured here, I went flying. My intention was to just go out and putz around the lake.....but the kids caught up with me on the other jetskis and were making fun of me for going so slow.

I let them get their nice little head start on me and then I opened it up wide and ended up passing both of the other jetskis!!! My youngest son was riding with my daughter and he decided he wanted to ride with me because I am the best jet ski driver ever!!!

My arms are a bit sore, but it sure was fun!

Suzy Q Homemaker reporting in

My O My. My 15 yr old son has turned into the bottomless pit. I hit a point of total exasperation today when he filled a dixie cup full of peanut butter for a snack today. Yesterday he cooked three whole chicken breasts for a snack just before he was going to Grandma's for a steak dinner. I intercepted the chicken snack and think I am going to make up chicken salad with it.

We went to Aldi's and filled the cupboards with generic staples that the kids like. Then we went to Jone's in Leesburg and got the good meat and stocked up the freezer a bit. I also bought about 8 pounds of grapes and cleaned them and put them in snack bags and froze them. My kids love frozen grapes for a snack. I have to be honest, I do too. Then I bought 3 dozen ears of corn at Sweet Corn Charlies and cooked it all up and cut it off the cob and froze ten packages that will be perfect with evening meals. My grandmother used to have a similar corn cutter like the one pictured here, but I don't, I just used a knife. When I was a kid we used to put up corn like crazy, I swore I would never do it again and now look at me. Hehehe....

I know if I was a really good blogger I would have taken pictures of the grapes and the corn and put them on here for you to see, but I am shfizzled out....

What a storm early this morning....

So last night as I was entangled in one of my late night phone conversations, it started raining just a bit before 10:30, then the thunder and lightning came, once while on the phone lightning struck so close it made my phone cut out a tad bit, and a nearby car alarm was going off from the crack of thunder that followed. Probably 15 minutes later lightning struck again and took out all of the power, this time it was so loud it woke up my oldest son, (the other two sleepyheads slept right through it)! So with no power I was disconnected from my late night chat with my best friend, no problem, the conversation was switched to my cell phone - hehehe. Thank God for modern technology!

The storm raged on, the power stayed out about two hours and I was really glad that I had charged my cell phone earlier in the evening. The absolute miracle of the storm was the speakerphone option was employed by both on this on this marathon conversation and the result was we can talk much longer without our ears or wrists getting tired from the phone! So as inconvenient as the storm was, I think it may have been a blessing in disguise! Not even my daughter can hold a candle to me when it comes to marathon phone conversations!

Walking With Dinousaurs

My youngest son is going to Columbus Ohio this weekend with my sister and brother-in-law to see Walking With Dinosaurs. He is really not sure what it is all about, but it looks very awesome to me for a kid his age who is enthralled by dinosaurs. He knows so much about them, he just gives you all kinds of interesting information out of nowhere about the prehistoric creatures, I can only imagine what its going to be like trying to live with him when he returns from this show. I am so excited that he gets to go on this trip!