Memorial Day Weekend

Happy Memorial Day!!! 
I have been doing some yard work:

These are the smallest beds up against the house and they always look terrible - minimal sun, very narrow.  Just blah.  So I decided to clean them out and replace with with rocks. However, I need alot more!  Isn't that always the way?

So, I will go to Home Depot and get more rock, dirt, etc and get some stuff done.  And, voila,
8 bags of rocks later, done.  And it does look better!!!!

I have been watching the lacrosse games and I am sorry that Navy lost to Brown.  But, I am cheering for (dare I say) North Carolina.  I still like Chris Fifes who is one of their coaches.

34 years ago, it was a hot beautiful day in Statesboro, Georgia.  Remember?

Happy Anniversary!!!

Love, Leslie

Finally ~ A Way to Save Mom

We have putzed around for too long.  And after Mom got scratched AGAIN, I had a revelation.  And Amazon.com solved the problem.

An inexpensive fire screen.  A baby gate would work, but it is difficult to get a walker through and over but the fire screen is easily moved by us ~ not the dogs.  And if you notice how it is placed, the dogs cannot nudge it open.  Genius.

So now, the dogs can escape and run to mom's door and ~ be thwarted.  And there is no excitement.  Again, genius.

Love, Leslie

Present for Amy

For those of us who KNOW Amy, we know she likes to sleep in a cocoon.  And on a plane, she will cover her head completely.  Here is the almost perfect item for Amy ~ except the color.  Amy does not like pink.  So, if it ever comes out in navy, black, gray, dark green ~ perfection!  In case you want to look it up:  Baker Miller Relaxation Hoodie for $330.00.  A bit pricey.  And ugly.  But, almost perfect for Amy.

Love, Leslie

The Strangest Thing.....The Sun is OUT!!!!!

It is a gorgeous day!!!! The sun is OUT!!!!! The backyard is very soggy and half of my tomato plant order has arrived.  Next week I will be digging out the back bed and planting tomatoes and perennials.  

Mom says she was up all night, so she is catnapping right now.  I took her for her pedicure yesterday afternoon - maybe that tired her out.

This goes on all day.

Very cool moth on our screen.

The cactus is blooming!  The tiny white flowers on a long stem in the upper left.

Amy went to check on Jake and I have the back door open to the screened porch with the lacrosse game on ~ it is so nice!  

My squirrel proof bird feeder isn't working.  I am feeding the squirrels and the birds.  The dogs aren't interested in chasing the squirrel's at all.  Loki needs to work on that.

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.
Love, 
Leslie

Fireball Whiskey

I am sad to report that not much is going on.  I know.  Usually there is some kind of drama going on ~ currently, not so much.  I hope this is not foreshadowing for dire straits next week!

On the mom front, Amy took this picture yesterday.  Amy keeps Loki penned up on one side of the house ~ so when he gets out, he RUNS to Mom's room.  I believe Amy put Loki on Mom's lap, but he could have jumped there, which is not good.  But, it is a good picture of them.  Ooops.  Just found out that Mom pulled him into her lap.  Double not good.  

Mom and the little devil, Loki

 Amy discovered Fireball Whiskey shots while she was in DC for a mandatory work in-service.  No, the alcohol was not part of the workplace, it occured after dinner at a place called "Trademarks", no less.

Anyway, she liked it.  So she bought the family sized 1.75 liters and shot glasses and introduced it to the family.  Salut!!!!!!

Fireball Whiskey shots before dinner.

Normal day now at the Thomas house.  We might have to get a bigger sofa if Loki gets much bigger!

My new hummingbird feeder off the deck - hopefully the raccoon will not discover it.

On the west coast, the Williams have become total NBA fans ~ they LOVE the Golden State Warriors, and Carole has followed the Miami Heat just to watch Justise Winslow. Can you say "Duke basketball stalkers"?  That syndrome also affects the Hardins:

, 

Maren and Shane Battier

Enjoy your day!

Much love,

Leslie

Mom Update - Post Infectious Diseases Appointment

First, I would like to say that the Infectious Diseases appointment was a good experience. From the Valet Parking to going in immediately to see the doctor!  What a pleasure!  And Mom's doctor, Dr. Vivian Chu ~ a delight!!!!!

According to Dr. Chu, Mom has an atypical bacteria.  It is slow moving bacteria and she wants me to apply heat to it twice daily.  She had to take another tissue sample for culturing since the first tissue sample taken by the dermitologist "disintegrated" and could not be cultured.  Dr. Chu made sure Mom was numbed completely and was very gentle and explained everything to Mom.

Dr. Chu also said that the results would not be in until for 4 weeks, so we will find out more at our next appointment.

Love, Leslie

PS ~ I have been watching the Invictus Games on ESPN2 and they have been fantastic!
PSS ~ Did any of you know that Amy butters her bread and THEN puts it in the toaster?

Trying to Save a Turtle and Other Adventures

I had to take my car in to Clayton's car repair because of a possible puncture in my right front tire.  I was dropping off the car and Lori was picking me up.  She comes in talking about a turtle trying to cross the street - and it was 4+ lanes of busy rush hour traffic.  One of the mechanics goes running out to catch the turtle and the turtle is good sized.
Now what.
I said that I lived right next to the Eno River State Park, so I dumped out my library books out of the Class of 1952 tote bag and dropped the turtle in the bag. 
Got home and let the turtle out at the tree line, 30 feet from the edge of our back yard and fence.  Go and be free!!!!!!!

Here he is in the bottom of the bag.

Here is sort of a comparison with my shoe.

Here is the goofy turtle leaving the safety of the tree line.

I left home and had to drive to Lori's house, because in all the excitement of the turtle, I left a bag in her car.  

About 45 minutes later, I get back to the house and peek over the fence, and sure enough, the turtle is trying to get inside our fence - not leaving to be free.  Oh well, we did the best we could.

On the mom side, I got an appointment with Infectious Diseases at Duke for Mom tomorrow at 8:30am.  Not her best time in the world.  The dermitologist called and said that the cultures that they had taken and sent to the lab had "disintegrated" and the lab could not save any.  So they do not know what antibiotic will work on the bug.  So, another culture has to be taken tomorrow.  Mom will not be happy.

Time to walk the dogs.  

Love, Leslie

Happy Birthday to Maren and Amy

Yesterday we celebrated two birthdays ~ Amy and Maren's.  Both mini-me's to each other.

Maren (and Val)

Amy

I see a resemblance.  Do you? Anyway, there was shopping, cake, beer and lots of laughs, as usual.

Maren and Amy on May 1, 2016

Carolyn also was home and brought her David Robinson with her.  

We liked David - he sort of reminded me of a mix of Jesse and Bob Civilikas and he managed to hold his own with all of us, which isn't easy, and he loved the dogs.  Works for me.

On the home front, something took apart my hummingbird feeder off its stand in the back yard and TOOK the red top.  Hmmmmm.  I just ordered a new one and I guess I will be attaching it to the deck.  I hope my hummingbirds hang around.

I also repotted some plants and moved plants onto the porch and some onto the deck ~ but, thank you Mother Nature, I have to move the ones off the deck into the house because it is going to drop to 48 degrees on Thursday and Friday night.  Really?

Happy May Everyone!
Love, 
Leslie