Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Almost there

I am getting closer to being caught up with my daily photos. Maybe by tomorrow I will be. Thanks for staying with me.
Here's Billy catching at his last home game. He's really improved a lot as a catcher this season, it's fun to see.
In between baseball games I've been trying to get some things done around the house. The weather was finally nice enough for me to get outside and stain some chairs. Stain sure smells bad!


The forget-me-nots are blooming in my garden. That makes me smile.




This is Billy's team mate Luke. Luke pitching in the rain. Billy was supposed to pitch in the last half of the game. They only got one inning in before it poured and the game was canceled. No pitching for Billy. It was a muddy mess, I'm sort of glad that he didn't have to do it.





The graduation invitations that I had printed arrived...and I like them!


The apple tree is blooming at my moms. Finally blue skies. We went up to the country to celebrate Eric's dad's birthday. The clouds started moving in by supper time. We were able to take a different route home and skirted the storm. A tornado touched down in Minneapolis and did a lot of damage. Amazing what the difference of a few miles can make.




A rainy Sunday. It's making it tough to get the outdoor projects done.




Billy's last baseball game for the sophomore team. Their 2nd loss of the season. 17 wins, 2 losses. Can't feel bad about that!



I'm starting to get really worried about getting ready for Brian's graduation party. I try to focus, I try to just breath and think about him and his last days of High School....and I am trying not to panic. My list is long!



The list is long, but the lilacs are blooming. Have to stop and smell them while I can!



Golf league night with my girl friends. A brutal round of golf, but a nice dinner of frozen pizza with my golfing pals.


Funny how those last minute, really casual no muss no fuss get togethers are always the very best.

I'm slowly getting my annuals planted. Red and white this year in honor of the graduate in our school colors.




Baby steps, getting a little bit done at a time. It's a marathon, not a sprint. But I think I had better pick up the pace!



Wishing you all sunny days that are longer than your to do lists! Thanks for stopping by.




Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day

Memorial Day. A day to remember the service men and women and all that they have sacrificed for us. My dad was in the Army for a short time, then because of a bad back, he discharged for medical reasons. His letters home to my mom spoke volumes about how scary wartime is. But the men and women hold up their heads and serve.

We need to remember. And we need to be grateful. And we need to say thank you. Even though just saying thanks will never be enough.



Mid-May

Another darkish day. I was busy trying to catch up with scanning some photos to use in a slide show for Brian's gradation party. I was so busy looking at pictures that I had forgotten to take a picture until early evening. Wilting flowers on my kitchen table. Droopy and past their prime.

Sort of sums up the shape of things around here right now!


Brian packed up his camping gear and hopped on a school bus for a trip up to Brainerd and the Brainerd International Raceway. His high mileage car wasn't quite ready, but he and his team mates headed out to see how it would do. The school sent 4 cars that the kids had built to the 2 day competition.


While Brian packed, Eric and I re-layed the brick on our patio. 26'x11.5' of patio to brick. I was hurting for a few days after!


Here's Brian's car. It was the only 2-seater in the competition. It hadn't gotten painted yet, they had trouble passing inspection and didn't get out onto the track until late in the day. Finally on the track and they were off! Unfortunately so was one of the wheels. They didn't get very far before they lost a wheel. Back to the shop. There were some communication problems in the team, Brian probably learned more from that than anything else.


It was a beautiful warm day, Eric and I drove the 2 1/2 hours to get there with our friend Bob. We got to see a partial run for the car and then we drove 2 1/2 hours home. I was thankful for the time away from home.


Billy playing ball in Delano. Sliding into 2nd...he was out. Of course he claims that he slide under the tag but the umpire couldn't see it under all of the dust.


The boy is drawn to dust and dirt. Maybe it's drawn to him....like Charlie Brown's friend Pig Pen. All I know is there is always laundry to do.


But what would we be if we weren't busy? Bored? Ha!






Sunday, May 29, 2011

Second Week in May

Tulips in the rain. Have I mentioned that it's been a cold and rainy spring? Yep, I thought so.

Mother's day...coffee and a muffin in bed. Nice!


Billy pitched at his baseball game, and we had to leave to go play softball. I don't like not being there when he's playing, especially when he's pitching. He managed just fine without us. Imagine that.




The crab apple tree in my front yard started to bloom. A few weeks late.




The buds opened up overnight. Really. I love flowering trees in the spring!


Brian and I went and picked up his tuxedo for prom. He's having major second thoughts about going. Having spent $75.00 for the prom ticket, $150.00 for a tuxedo, and chipping in $35.00 for the limo means that he will be going, second thoughts or not! And he WILL have fun dang it!


I think I'll go to a baseball game and not worry about the whole prom anxiety thing for a while. My little boy is a little bit tall...have I mentioned that? Yep, thought so.


Brian came to the last part of Billy's game, in spite of the rain. Our folks were there too. Since we were all at the school, Brian took us into the shop room to show us the high mileage car he's been working on. It was so nice for everyone to see what he's been up to. I know that from this blog it looks like everything is about baseball, it's not. It's just what I happen to have the most pictures of. Brian has been busy in his senior year, getting ready to graduate.


I don't think I'll let him go. Oh...I guess I don't have a choice in that. Rats.


Prom day. Senior skip day. Friday the 13th. All the worries were for naught....as usual. Brian got dressed and headed out for pictures first and then the prom. He said he had fun and was glad that he went. Being without a date can be awkward, I think that he handled it well.


I do know one thing...he sure looked handsome in his fancy white tuxedo!


They grow up, whether their parents are ready or not.





Saturday, May 28, 2011

Finally May

It's almost June and my Blog is just hitting May. Yep, I am still trying to catch up. This picture was taken on May 1st, can you believe how stark it is?

While we were longing for warmer days, the whole family ended up with the stomach flu. First one, then the other, then all of us. It was spread out, so it wasn't food poisoning from my cooking! It hit us all a little differently, and we were all thankful that it didn't last for very long.
But it sure made me want to disinfect the whole house!


Billy recovered in time to play baseball...of course.


We recovered enough to play softball, and were treated to the most beautiful sunset over the softball field. I probably should have paid more attention to the game than the sunset...but it sure was pretty....and the camera was locked away in the car. Rats.


I took a quick trip to the farm to check on my horse, he had a nasty gash on his leg. A vet tech came and flushed it out, he got some antibiotics...and then it was wait and see. Since it's a month later I'll just say that he has healed up just fine. There is nothing like a sick child or sick animal to make a person feel truly helpless.


On a lighter note, my mom's daffodil's were blooming. Isn't this one cheery and yellow?


Another light note...it was finally warm, almost 70, and it was the first night of golf league. I hadn't played in a long time, I hadn't practiced, and I started out with a pretty good round. It makes me want to golf again.


Baseball. Again. Carrying his gear, including the catcher gear after the game with our friend Bob. They are having a good season.


My mom called me to let me know that the horses went thundering past her house...I guess Skylar's leg is feeling better. Tail up in the air running is a good sign!


The birds have been chirping like crazy for the last few days. This yellow warbler was busy, busy, busy hopping around in my maple tree. I hadn't seen one before, isn't he cute?


My work has been busier than normal, which is great, but I'm trying to get things ready for Brian's graduation party and am feeling very overwhelmed. Some days I just have to focus on checking things off my list.


If I wasn't watching baseball all of the time I might actually be able to get something done. The season is short though, and this time of our lives goes so quickly...I wouldn't want to miss it and I wouldn't want it any other way.





Look...spring is almost here! Colorful tulips in the neighbors front yard!





Taking time to enjoy the tulips, in spite of a "to do" list that is starting to scare me. :-)