~WHAT?? MORE CHANGES???~

Right!  I have spent the last hour and a half trying to download photos..only to have them disappear...oh...and that was before they turned out to be two different sizes though I only checked one size on all of them.  Yes, and I also clicked on "preview" and jumped back as it came up with a HUGE  "PREVIEW" sign stretched across the corner like the ones on MISS AMERICA!! 

So...I started over.  yep..and over again!  So..I have finally given up.  NOT that it was that great of a post...just about dolls etc...but still....WHY does it have to be so much trouble.  I had just learned to do it better (with Di's  (The Blue Ridge Gal) help, and now I am back to square one. 

I have tried to read up on how to get my Blog list back... I've been told I am following way too many blogs..so I tried to delete the ones that have stopped blogging..etc. etc.  In the process I hit a wrong button and every single blog on my side bar is GONE!  GONE!!!!   GONE!!!!!! 
So..it is nearly midnight and I have no post...no photo's posted ..no NOTHING!  What on earth did Blogger do??  I don't get it....
I'm going to bed. 

Piddle on the whole blogging thing.

Yeah..hugs to you ...(grumble, grumble, grumble, cuss, cuss, cuss!!!)
Mona

~ WELCOME TO MY WAR~

There is going to be a rumble and a roar and our little home is going to fall into a pit that those tiny little infinitesimal creatures have made.  ANTS!  I'm just waiting for it to happen.  I will probably think at first that it is just another California earthquake... 
They are coming out of every crack and crevise and potted plant, brick and stone on this property.  I have fought them for two years now. 
I put out that powder that is supposed to last for ages...HA!  They ate that stuff like it was ice cream in 105 degree heat!  Or so it seemed.  It did make them pause...but only for moments and then on they came...and...it seemed in larger numbers than ever.  It had become a battle of the wits.  I lost!  Sometimes I even gave up..in total defeat! 
They have been in the cupboards.  Gotten into, what I thought were sealed containers, crawled into my toaster...even come into my BATHROOM!  Now that is going WAY to far!!

Once I baked this gorgeous chocolate cake..from scratch.  Nice thick chocolate icing with chopped walnuts all over the top.  It was in my lovely crystal cake saver.  The next morning when I woke up...went into the kitchen...MY CAKE WAS BEING DEVOURED BY THOSE LITTLE S.O.B's and I don't cuss!! 
I grabbed the house and garden spray and sprayed completely around the lid and trapped the little suckers and cackled like the evil witch they turned me into!!! 


So..when I tried to go out and plant my new flowers..I was not in the greatest mood anyway, (which don't look to healthy any more..)  and they began to crawl up my pant legs...were on my face...even felt them crawling in my hair..but that could have been panic setting in! 

Finally in a rage of childish temper, I stormed into the garage and got out the recently bought BIG GUNS!
Yesterday and today...I sprayed, parted plants, turned pots over, pulled plants out and sprayed their roots..sprayed branches of bushes, curled hoses, turned over garden decor, sprayed around the two garden sheds, every single crack in the pavement and sidewalks..fireplace, shutters on the front windows, along all the curbing and around the complete foundation of the house and garage...and I think I made a dent.   That was yesterday...

"Yesterday, all my trouble seemed so far away...
Now I know they're here to stay..."   (sorry, that song just came to me...)

So, today, before the heat set in...I was out with my "HOME DEFENSE" cleaning up the hot spots!  Hey.  WAR IS WAR!  Then I calmly went on planting my new plants.  All was quiet on the western front. 

Just a few minutes ago while sitting here...feeling pretty good that I had everything under control...when I felt something crawling on my neck...SMACK!  Right...an ant!! 
 
Ok.  Now I'm going to use my LAST restort!  Tears.

Love and hugs,
Mona

It's little things like this that make one feel better....

~THIS HEAT...THIS TERRIBLE HEAT...

...and I thought we were so lucky! That's exactly what you get when you get all puffed up about being cool when the rest of the country is burning up! So...lets just say I deserve a bit of what I'm getting...however...

This morning we turned on the attic fan, early as usual..and it wasn't long before I asked Sweet Husband "What on earth smells so BAD!" He said..."you KNOW I can't smell anything.." and he is right. He has a bad sense of smell..so...I thought it must be coming from outside...but..certainly not from the front of the house.....and..then I remembered.

Remember I told you I hired a new gardener? He said he would be back the next morning with the mulch and some men to do the flower beds.
Well, after trying to reach him for TWO WEEKS and leaving him messages asking him to let me know if he was still going to do the flower beds... he arrived yesterday morning and dropped these off... right near our shed and right in the hottest part of the yard and near the back patio doors!

He said he would be back this morning to finish the flower beds as the men ..um...left them like this...so they couldn't be mulched. Still full of weeds...

He looked at the beds..said the men would be here THIS MORNING to finish weeding..and they would spread the mulch....and once again. Nothing! Not a phone call...nothing!


...and also the darned lawn is browning out...and...

I am desperately trying to keep these alive!! Still no gardener. Should I fire him?
Gosh I hate to do that...but he just won't communicate. I even told him that I would appreciate it if he would just let me KNOW if he couldn't come when he said he would. He looked at me blankly....and namby pamby me just let it go.

Hopefully, he will come in the morning..and finish the job so I can get my poor plants in. I bought the plants because I thought ....yeah..I know! I'm an idiot! I should have known!

My fault. I got in a hurry...I'm out there a couple of time a day watering those poor plants.

I have a question. WHY CAN'T I KEEP ALL MY DUCKS IN A ROW? Sheesh!!!
Patience has never, ever been one of my strong points. I should have waited until the beds were ready before I bought the plants! Pure and simple!!

Hugs and love,
Mona

~A COOKIE PHOTO SHOOT"..~

If God was mad at me he must have forgiven me because...
my teeth aren't hurting, Howard is getting better every day, AND....

Saturday, daughter Mary called me and asked if I wasn't too busy, would I come and taste a few of her new cookie recipe's and give her my opinion. She said her son Brock (Alex to us) was coming to do a "photo shoot" for her. She is doing the planning for a little business she is going to open.

Was I too busy to taste fresh baked cookies and give her my opinion? etc.??? I THINK NOT!

So...off I went and when I walked into her home, the smell of fresh baked goodies was enough to make a grown woman weep for joy!

This is the sight that greeted me....


Talk about overwhelming!


Um....so where do you want me to start???

Pure heaven!!
You have GOT to be kidding!!

I need to sit down....pink? Is that pink???

"Just have a seat Mom..." as she rushed by...notice the blurred picture...this girl was on the MOVE!
" I...wait....Sunflower cookies? Canna I have one... " (already I was beginning to have a slight whine in my voice! )
The photography begins. This is Brock Carter, my grandson...and Mary's oldest.
His beautiful wife, Natalia, is helping him while his mother and I look on.....

I don't know if any of you caught the Discovery channel the other night. They did a show called "Pitchmen." It was all about the men who pitch new items and inventions to the public. Grandson Brock Carter is one of the editors of that documentary. I admit to being excited when I saw his name appear in the credits! MY GRANDSON! I was so proud!

This is a wonderful big bread board!

I love the blue...and I am not really a "blue" person...but who could resist those bluebirds...( I should probably taste one....)

And the PINK! These were enough to make an old lady swoon! Yes! I said SWOON!

I DO love this kitchen! Fantastic for baking! Wish I would have had a kitchen like this with the a family of nine to cook for!

Thes are some of my favorite dishes...I have NO idea WHY my daughter won't give them to me.

I mean...I would give them to her! Well...I would!!!!

Notice she likes her silver unpolished. No use talking to her. I've tried. Yep...ah well.

div> I just keep going back to those bluebirdies!!

See the hunks of chocolate in the middle of the cookies...DO YOU SEE IT???

Chocolate cupcakes on green dishes... makes one smile all over the place! I need to chat with her about those green dishes...I probably have something she might trade for.....

LEMON cupcakes. These were SO lemony! I loved them..but only had a tiny one.....honest...

These are the lime cupcakes...and just delicious! (So...do you recognize the green cupcake stand?

Right! (I loaned it to her for Easter Sunday...lol :)

Oh...well...now.....

Close up of those Lime cupcakes...soooo yummy!
*SIGH*

*DOUBLE SIGH!*
What an afternoon! You should have been here!

Just looking...I swear...

This is so tiny...what could it hurt?

I tell you, this was an afternoon to die for! What fun! And..I went home with a load of goodies...

Love you guys!

Mona

p.s. Favorite? I just plain do NOT have one... at first I thought it was the lemon cupcakes...then I thought it was the sugar cookies...nope...I finally just gave up. All of it was wonderful! Thank GOD for daughters that bake!!

~A PROFUSE APOLOGY...AND THEN SOME..~

You cannot see the missing upper teeth in this photo, or the lower ones..but..I am determined to save the rest of my smile. This photo was taken December 2007 and it seemed a downhill slide from then on with my teeth.



Well, I went to the dentist yesterday to get my stitches removed...settled in chair with a good magazine. One I had never seen before...but it had a great story about when your parents get older...their changes of personality...etc. :(
Kinda scared me! You sweet people WILL tell me if I suddenly seem...a bit surly? Cranky? Snippy?
Judgemental? Promise me this..

So..anyway...the dentist came in gave me a SHOT and then removed my stitches..said everything looked good and now I had to wait until January to get my two teeth! Can you imagine? I had a bone graft..two in fact..so that is the reason.

He then told me that the lower three teeth could not be implanted due to loss of bone..but if I liked I could have a neat device put in that would be nearly as good.
They would put in a post and the missing teeth would SNAP in place...solid. Then he showed me a model...and how it worked. Told me to try it..I did...it didn't work. He showed me once again and this time it flew out of my hand...hit the concrete floor and all the front teeth broke off!!

I apologized...he was nice...(at least he didn't call me an clumsy idiot.) He was mumbling something about trying to glue them back when I left.
Would you believe I have to GO BACK THERE..again!
Why was I born??!!

Love and hugs,
Mona

~A VERY SHORT STORY...I PROMISE...~

Hi,
It's me! I would apologize for being so far behind in my blogging visits..no photo's, etc, but I know you understand. It hasn't even been a week yet...and it seems like three.
Lots of pain and discomfort but he is doing well. If you have time for a very short story, I have one for you.

Took him in Monday morning, checked in, pre-op done, Anesthesiologist visited, Doctor made his mark and spoke to us, said it would take about two hours. Not bad at all. I was sent to the waiting room. Waited and read an hour. Wandered around. Decided to dash home and let the dog out to go potty. Rushed back just in the nick of time.
Talked to the doctor...he talked, I nodded. He left, I asked Nice Lady if I could see Sweet Husband. Nope. Said it would be THREE HOURS before I could see him..but I disagreed. I was prepared to get on my knee's. I said..."Please..listen..I'll give you my first born child if you will just let me PEEK at him! I won't stay, I won't speak! I just WANT TO SEE HIM!!" Nice lady said "let me check with the nurse..."

She came back a few minutes later and yes..I could "peek" at him, and led me back to Recovery. He was wide awake and looked at me with this huge smile and said..."Whatever they gave me I want to take it home with me!" I kissed his hand burst into tears! Who knows why!! He looked great! The nurse jumped up and said "YOU need a hug!" and rushed around the bed and hugged me!
Is this a great world ...or what??? *smile*

We'll talk later, ok? I hear him calling me...what a GREAT sound!
Love and hugs to all of you...
Mona
P.S. By the way, my "first born child" is 54 years old! :)

~SMILE IN SPITE OF IT...RIGHT?~

It is Sunday night. Tomorrow is a big day. My precious man is going to have his left knee replaced. We are both nervous. He is seventy six (seventy seven in October) and this was a big and necessary decision. He is in constant pain and it is becoming nearly unbearable for him and effecting the way he wants to live.

Since I am nervous (almost as bad as he is) ..I will post our Saturday adventure. Nothing exciting..but what the heck, and it took our minds off Monday morning.

A couple of IB Profin and I was off with Sweet Husband to do a few garage sales on Saturday morning. The grapefruit on the side of my face has gone down...finally..and I am feeling human once again.

No great finds...but that is not the object of our treasure hunts. The object is to have fun...and we ALWAYS do. We didn't stay out long..

I do love bowls and these three were just $1.00. They still had the corrugated paper between them. Sweet!

No, I don't have any tiny babies in family right now (yet) but, I do have a couple of dolls I love to mess with..and mess with them I will with this. Price? 50 cents!! Think of the work that went into this. I guess some folks are not as sentimental as I am. Or..maybe...some folks are smarter than I am and if they don't use it...get rid of it! Ya think? *smile* (I can smile again..sorta)

Honest to pete...25 cents each. All in PERFECT shape... I need to lighten up on buying books I guess! (when piggies fly?)

A little hat? Well, yes, another weakness...sooo cute! It will go on the hook on my bedroom door....at least for now. (LOVE hats!)

A couple of movies for a quarter... I paid only a quarter for nearly everything is Saturday...and I have never seen Days Of Thunder...if I don't like it...GoodWill will get it. I guess many people have gotten rid of their video players...but not me!

This cute little glass frame...yep...a quarter...

Sockies? Just ten cents each! NEW!! Love it! Winter is coming and one must be prepared. I love sockies just like I do hats.

You will say a little prayer for Sweet Husband, won't you? Take a moment to send him a positive thought? Thanks so much! I love you for that!!

Wish us luck, ok?
Love and hugs,
Mona

~AN UNEXPECTED DAY~

This is my tiny great grand daughter..Emily. She is the first grandchild of my oldest son, Patrick and his wife Cheryl. But...this post is not about her. It was a photo I came across in my files..and I thought it was interesting. An unusual shot.

I won't be posting for awhile. I had an unusual Monday. Went to the dentist (shudder!) and thought I was just going to drop off paperwork..but...they had me scheduled for SURGERY!

I had NO idea! I imagine it was a first for some to see a grown gray haired woman begin to cry as they led her off for surgery! I had to have some teeth pulled on the upper right side of my mouth and decided to have implants instead of having to wear a partial. So...
I now have the posts in and it will be another six months before the teeth can be put in place.

In the meantime I have a grapefruit size swelling on that side of my face..on antibiotics, and Vicodin. It didn't swell for two days and this morning I woke up to a stranger in the mirror.
Not feeling so great. Stayed in bed much of the day with an upset tum.

Life. Yep...this will pass soon. I has to because Howard is scheduled for surgery this coming week... It never rains but it pours! *smile* OUCH! Hurts to smile!
I shall return!

Hugs,
Mona