Our Little Slice of Heaven

I told Don the other day that I wasn't too worried about heaven because I have already been there....sort of.
When I sit in my very own special reclining porch chair and look north, this is what I see.
And you can see that Don has been busy enjoying and working in our yard.  He has made it very beautiful this spring.

The surprise flower bed has been busy surprising us with whatever decides to pop up.  And the neighborhood bird population entertains us with jolly pool parties.  They are so funny when they are bathing.

Don has cleared out all the old shrubs from in front of the porch and planted new shrubs and added flowering pots.  He has decided on pink this year, and informed the "kids" to buy me pink flowers for Mothers Day.  He believes in getting things organized!

I have already received one pink potted flower from Randy and Elaine.  He brought it when he came last Sunday from Cincinnati. AND he hadn't even gotten the message from Dad.  He just made a lucky guess at what color to buy.  It IS a beautiful planter.  I love it.

Lilacs happen to be one of my favorite flowers.  These are miniature lilac bushes which were here when we bought our house.  They were tiny, tiny when we moved in, but have grown nicely over the years.  Ahhh...
love the fragrance.

Our goose "came here to roost"  the summer that a pair of real Canadian geese decided to make our yard their home.  We enjoyed watching them, but didn't enjoy the mess they made.  Don couldn't stop laughing when Mr. Goose chased me back into the house!  I wasn't about to mess with that guy.  That next week Taylor and Don came riding back home on the riding lawn mower with the plaster goose.  They found it in someone's trash.  They thought I needed her to remember my scary goose moment.

We feel so fortunate that we get to live here in this beautiful spot, and with a lovely porch from which to enjoy our slice of heaven.

Getting To Know You

This Sunday we had a surprise visit from my niece, Karen.  Karen is the daughter of my oldest brother, Jack.
Jack passed away about a year and a half ago, and he had lived in California since the 1961.  I had not seen him in all that time.  I did see Karen when she was a tiny baby, right before they left for California.

She is a charming girl, and we all loved getting to know her.  She was here visiting her son and daughter-in-law who just this year bought a house in Carmel, Indiana.  They came along for the visit on Sunday, so we
were very happy to meet this adorable couple, and to know that we have new relatives living so close by.

Stirling and Sabrina are both professional ballet dancers.  They graduated from Butler University and danced professionally with the Maryland Ballet Dance Troupe.  Since moving to Carmel, Sabrina is teaching at the "Performers Edge" Dance school, and Stirling is a Automobile Journalist, driving and writing about cars.
They are working to create a professional ballet company in Indianapolis.
Randy, Rod, Aunt Jane, Taylor, Don and I thoroughly enjoyed the day, and we are thrilled to know these relatives.  We can't wait until we can all get together again.

Off to Cammack - For Lunch and Shoe Repair

Friday was a beautiful day, so Don and I made a two-purpose trip to Cammack.  Purpose # l was to
take a sandal to the only shoe repair shop I know of in Indiana.  It is Quinn's boot sales and shoe repair.
While Mr. Quinn resewed the sandal strip, Don and I went to Cammack Station and had our lunch!

While eating lunch three little boys and their accompanying adult came in for lunch.  They were so cute and lively that I had to take their picture as they sat on a Coca-Cola bench awaiting their order.

I asked permission before taking their picture.  It turned out that Jenny, the lady they were with, was not their mother, but their baby sitter.  And the boys are not brothers, just friends.  But they were having such a good time on their field trip.  We really enjoyed meeting Jenny and her three charges.

Thankful

It is Thursday, and a beautiful spring day.  I am allowed only a light breakfast this morning.

But, thankfully, I can start the day with my usual dose of caffeine via a large mug of delicious morning coffee.

At one o'clock I take myself and my dry mouth to the Orthopedic Hospital Surgery Center to

get a cortisone injection in my lower back, which is to help the pain caused by a herniated disc.

I must say that they have a very friendly and efficient team at work there.  They take excellent care of their patients.  Dr. Blankenship was very kind and did a wonderful job.  They roll you into surgery, put you into La La Land, and do their job.  I was up and out of their in about an hour and a half.

I really do think my back and hip are feeling much better.  I don't know if I will ever be able to go without my cane again, but I am certainly not feeling the back pain that I have been having for years when I stand for any length of time.  

And that is JUST GREAT!

An Early April Sunday

Sunshine: watery, timid, and weak.
But gentle and loving as it kisses my cheek.

,


Landscape: crunchy, brown stubble in the flower beds.
But beneath green nubbins are poking up heads.

Bird serenades:  sweet and extraordinarily at their best,
As they lure lovers to their nests.

Mr. and Mrs. Robin:  doing a courting dance
A new crop of babies will have a chance.

My vision: are there really tiny buds on the branches I see?
Or only my longing - my fantasy.

For I had come to accept a forever winter
like my old age.
As a permanent condition    - no reason to rage.

Such Fun

Thursday and Don is prepping for his planned colonoscopy that happens tomorrow.  Liquid diet or just clear broth and jello.  And you know all the rest.  I need say no more.  He is left with a very clean system.

Friday is spent getting ready to leave, having Rod pick us up, and then being at the office from about 11: 30 until 3:00.  The good part is that all went well, he is in very good shape, and need never go back for another colonoscopy, or so Dr. Nisi says, since in 10 years he will be 87!  How did that happen?

I did put beef/vegetable stew type soup in the crock pot so that lunch/supper was all ready when we arrived home.  We were both very hungry, and supper tasted very good.

Don was tired and went to bed early Friday night.

A Little Town with a Big Fast Train and a Moose

It is Wednesday, and we find ourselves with nothing special on the schedule.

I had read an entry on Matt Rust's Facebook that he and Melissa took the twins to Farmland where they had ice cream cones.  Of course, as they always do, they took an adorable picture of the adorable twins in front of the restaurant called "The Chocolate Moose", famous, I guess, for their ice cream.

Someone had left a comment that they used to work at The Chocolate Moose in Farmland, and that it was famous for the best tenderloin sandwiches EVER.

So Don and I made the trip to Farmland, a little town between Muncie and Winchester.  As a child when we drove to Muncie my brothers and I would drive our parents crazy by saying the names of the little towns in between Anderson and Muncie over and over. " Chesterfield, Daleville, Yorktown, Muncie."  Then we would proceed through the alphabet: "Besterfield, Baleville, Borktown, Buncie."  You get the picture.

On Wednesday I could envision little children driving from Muncie to Portland saying, "Parker City, Farmland, Winchester, Portland."  Over and over through the alphabet.  That was my one deep thought for the day......that is what my mental condition has come to.

Anyway, we drove to Farmland and found this rather charming little town with one main street to which have recently been added rather quaint gas-light type street lamps and a whole line of matching rural -type mail boxes lined up soldier fashion all up and down both sides of the main drag.  But the most astounding thing was the train track that ran smack dab through town crossing this main street.  Three times while we were there, very long freight trains barreled through town going full speed and blasting their horns.  Wow!  Those trains actually rattled the buildings.  That must be something for the folks of Farmland.

We did eat at the "Chocolate Moose."  It is the only restaurant, other than a pizza place, in Farmland.  It has been there forever, I think, but is quite a clean, nice place.  The tenderloin was delicious, and the chef was about my age.  Bless her heart, she had to lean on the counter as she cooked, much like I have to do in my kitchen.  Thank God I don't have to cook in a restaurant.

We completed our little trip with a stop at the one antique store in downtown Farmland, and made some tiny purchases to remind us of a fun day.