Happy May!!!

Happy Spring maybe summer........and I am glad to report that Amy and I are well!!!! My antibiotic worked and Amy is feeling so much better and the gabapentin is making her back pain very tolerable!!!!! I am seeing an Amy that I haven't seen in a couple of years!  She is on fire ~ cleaned out her closet and took out 20 black trash bags of clothes and shoes!!!!!! She is arranging to have hardwoods put into her bed room and closet and plantation shutters in the house.  She is working to get the old dining room turned into her new office. 

The computer equipment is arriving from the Trademark office

So there is a lot going on!

I have worked in the yard getting all the pots planted and new stuff into the front beds.  Luckily we had a TON of rain so everything got a great drink.  The bag yard is very soggy!

I went with Amy to Greensboro so she could get finger printed for her job and I saw a family of geese:

There was actually the two adults and 4 babies!  So cute!!!

On the way back, we stopped in Mebane and went to our favorite taco place and of course, stopped at Big Oak Restoration and bought a new red light for the back porch.  It has a flickering light bulb!!!!

And many thanks to Carole for sending me lemons from her tree and her neighbors tree!  I am already to make Jesse and Megan's wedding cakes!

All squeezed and zested and in the freezer waiting to become beautiful lemon cakes!!!

I promise to do better with this blog.  

Much love,

Leslie

It Has Been A While........

 Yes, I know it has been a while..... a long while.  Let me introduce myself in case you have forgotten your oldest sister.  Fine, you know who I am.  I just finished some little projects and thought, wait it is March.  When did I last post?  I wish I could tell you anything except I have been lazy.  So sorry!!!!

Any way, let's start.

This is Amy's newest favorite T-Shirt.  My friend who collects styrofoam at the Farmer's Market was wearing it.  

Erin Go Braugh, Peeps!!!!

A sign that Spring is coming

I got a surprise in the mail!!! I have been sending postcards every Monday to Thomas and I got a personalized one in the mail!!!!! Love it!!!!!!

And in case you never heard this story, evidently Eddy filled out Dad's birth certificate in the way she wanted naming him Hiram Peter.  But Granddad Thomas wanted Svend Erling.  Well, this charade continued until Dad got into the Naval Academy and his birth certificate did not match him, so a quick trip to the Department of Health and Svend Erling got into the Naval Academy.  Just remember genetics!!!!!  Long line of crazy here!

And you all know the story of Amy's detached retina, but just for posterity, here she is the day after surgery waiting to see the doctor.

Doesn't she look like a James Bond villain??

A Spring blooming Easter cactus

Our new ottoman that took 6 months to arrive ~ and it really opens up the room!

I am on my way to get a second blood test.  I had an episode of vertigo and Amy and Rhonda were sure I had a stroke.  I am glad to say no stroke but my red blood count was high.  I went in this morning for the second test and the young lady stuck me 4 times and once in the top of my hand and got nothing.  So the expert is coming in to try again.  And yes, I am drinking alot of water!!!!!!!

And in the world of March Madness......I am in the 94% group that had their brackets busted in the first day.  Wow.

Much love,

Leslie

Wait!!!!! It is 2024 ALREADY????????

 Here it is.....January 12, 2024.  What Happened???? It was just Christmas and whammo (word for you Carole) it is over????????????

Why is it so hard to take Christmas down and put it away?  Let's go back to Christmas.

Amy and Seabee all ready for their midnight ride.

Amy all ready to go to P.F. Changs for Christmas Eve Eve dinner

Thomas on Christmas

Maren and her familiar (see Chalupa on the left)

Amy getting me ready for a special Jeopardy category

Amy's newest fashion accessory

Putting away Christmas

As  you can tell, Amy fractured her pinky with Seabee and got a fabulous new brace.  She is doing fine, just has a bit of trouble typing.

We had Christmas breakfast with the Hardin clan and it was delicious and lots of fun!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!!!

Here is to a safe and wonderful New Year for us all!!!

Much love,

Leslie

Getting Ready for Christmas!!!!

 December is flying by!!!!! I knew this would happen.  The months just lolly gaggle around until November and then WHAM!!! It is the 19th of Christmas!!!!! Where does the time go???

But we are decorated completely!!!

The front porch

Rhonda's house

I made cookies to deliver to the Orange County Sheriff's office, the State Patrol, the Hillsborough Police Department and the fire station.  Amy drove.

Luminary night

I thought all of us readers would enjoy this tree!

Mistletoe 

My favorite gate decoration

All in all, I hope everyone is enjoying the build up and the craziness!  

Much love,

Leslie

November Needs More Days!!!!

 I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.  With the arrival of COVID three years ago, our holidays became different.  But still ok.  I do miss the wild pandemonium of Thanksgiving with all of us plus brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews....who can forget the trip to a battlefield or the new movie and then dinner at California Pizza Kitchen?  But, now travel is not big in anyone's mind and kids go off to their significant others.  I am not complaining.  We had a great Thanksgiving. We celebrated with our neighbor, Rhonda, and with a lot of food!  

Making the icing for the lemon cake (the bread for the stuffing in next to it)

Thanksgiving dinner

It was delicious!

Now, I am putting away all things Fall and getting ready to put up Christmas.  

Doesn't everyone use their bedroom as a staging arena?

I took apart these wreaths and re-put them together

Honestly, there need to be more days in November!!!!!!!

And in the world of our favorite things.....Jake is home from Dr. Fernando's rehab spa and apparently he is happy to be home ruling the roost.

Jake

And we say "Welcome" to Phoenix.  Jane got Carole to agree to opening their home to a dog that will be living her best life with Jane.

Phoenix

Phoenix is about 3 years old and was a stray in San Francisco.  Jane says she is the sweetest thing ever!!!!! Welcome to the Family!!!

So, enjoy the holiday and relax ~ everything does not have to happen before December 1st!  (That is what Amy tells me!!!)

Much love,

Leslie

It's Beginning to Look Like Fall...

 And it feels like Fall!!!!! Cooler than usual....very strange, but welcome.  We are decorating for Fall and Halloween and buying lots of candy!  My fear is that we will run out (thank you Dad!)

So I have chocolate candy, not chocolate candy and special things for the kids that can have neither.  So far, I have almost 600 pieces of candy, but I will get some more.

I love the pumpkins and the new bone.

The front of Amy's car

The front porch is decorated but since Trick or Treat is on the alley behind the house, everything gets moved to the back.  And then...............it is time to start thinking about.......Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!

But, before I jump into that craziness...here are some of the neighbors.  And one family's effort to change their decorations every day!!!!!!!!!

Look closely at this one.   It is a bit disturbing.

Our front porch

Enjoy the early coolness!

Much love,

Leslie