are people stupid or what....?!

Ok, this could turn into a rant. But the way people drive is horrendous. We just forked over almost a thousand bucks to our local garage to completely replace my husband's clutch system---I mean clutch, pressure plate, all the way up to and including the flywheel. Why? Not because of how he drives, but because some jackass a week ago decided he was too important or whatever to wait in the construction zone like everyone else and did a u-turn, which is illegal last time I checked, on the interstate, right in front of my husband, without looking or caring that he put not just his life, but Ronnie's and everyone else in that vicinity's in danger. Ron was in the fast lane and had to downshift and then upshift so fast to keep him from hitting the dude and from getting hit himself, that his clutch and stuff ended up in pieces. Talk about pissed!!!! We both were. So next time you think of doing a u-turn on the interstate, think about what you are costing someone else, not only in terms of money, but maybe in terms of someone's life.

And when did turn signals become optional? When I took driver's ed many moon's ago, rarely did you see someone who did not use their turn signal. Now it seems like no one uses it and quite frankly, if I get one more person who gets ticked off at me b/c I get ticked at them for just shoving themselves into the lane in front of me when I had no way of reading their flipping little minds, I'm liable to go road rage. Not to the extreme in the movie, but at least a few good hits of the horn, the brights flashing at them, and maybe a good old finger gesture or two, although I really try not to use those.

And on that subject, once again, for those who regularly travel Rt 60 thru the B'ville area and the mall, ya'll know that the right lanes merge into the left at certain points. Always have, always will. So WTF with the deliberately putting yourself into the lane that ends 500 ft up the way and expecting the rest of us who were in the correct lane to begin with to just let you cram yourself in front of us at your whim? Sorry Charlie. Yeah, to avoid the inevitable crash, I will let you in, but you will get a mouthful at the same time. I've seen me do it.........Just use your brain...

And then there is the lady who, the same evening Ronnie lost his truck, I am driving from checking on him to BMS to get my kid from track practice, when, at the light in front of the grocery stores, some lady in a late model blue midsize sedan has parked herself across nearly 3 lanes of traffic---you can tell she came from the far right hand lane by the way she was aimed across the other two, just to avoid missing her turn into Kroger. Hello???There is another turn into the parking lot jsut up the way a bit, plus you can always go to the drug store and flip onto the crossroad and legally turn back around to get back to the store. Think, people, think... I know it hurts to do so, but no pain, no gain.........

flowers...

tis the season to plant flowers, falalalalalala.......

planted 25 gladiola bulbs, 25 freesia bulbs and 4 hot orange canna lily bulbs, plus mulched all around the garage, where most of the bulbs from fall and today have been planted. took pics of my beautiful tulips---the ones the deer haven't touched yet......and what remains of my purple pansies from the last couple of years.

joy of joys, my red canna lilies at the corner of the house by ben's room are coming back, as are all my hostas around the garage.

trip to local greenhouse after work today to pick up mulch and check out roses---we need to replace the one ron got me for mother's day a couple of years ago--it's dead, jim.

sorry about all the lower case--I know it drives you nuts, dad--but I just finished perusing and printing various irs forms to get taxes done--last minute as usual---and my brain is completely fried.

anyway, going to watch race with ron as I jsut gave up on trying to do flipping taxes without the help of my expert in hiding........see ya tomorrow, oh glorious wonderful expert of mine. Love you........

mom and daughter day

I had today off work so Shellie and I spent the day together. We got up about 8:30 or so and ate breakfast, then while she got dressed, I got a bath and cleaned up and we went and put my paycheck in the bank and got a couple of items from WM, then went to Goodwill to look for shorts for her brothers---struck out there---then went to lunch at O'Charley's. Food ok, but I think it is overpriced, like most places. I like the atmosphere at Logan's better. Then we went to Target and ACMoore and WVQuilt and home to start working on our sewing. We had a pretty good day. She whined a little at the end before we came home, but other than that, no problems all day. That made today a really good day. She is amazing with her insights on stuff. For a 6 yr old she is smarter than a lot of adults. I cannot wait to do it again!!!!!

making changes

changing the look of the site again--got tired of pink everywhere. Actually teh black background of my other blog is a relief sometimes.....

I also added a note with the header of each blog about how the material on each is mine. That means pictures, etc. I am really good about noting if I pull something from somewhere else, so I expect that others do so. I really prefer not to have my pics copied, those in my immediate circle of family and friends know how to obtain the pics, others have no need of them.

Anyway, it's spring and we're making a few changes and adjustments around the old homestead. Ron got out and worked on the rose bed today, as I had to work, so he arranged to have today off with the kids, as it is spring break here. He also worked on cleaning up the garage some. We have only lived here 2 yrs and I still cannot park my car in the garage. The house is not 100% but it is much more livable junkwise than it has been since we moved in. I am plotting for my next weekend off----yard sale and general cleaning out of garage and shed---boys will be back to lend their strong young teenage backs to the lifting as I cannot chance throwing my back out again.

The flowers are being plotted with care. I am already planning my trip to the local greenhouses and thinking on what I want to plant. i want the beds to go mostly perennial, but I still have so many flower pots and hanging baskets to fill, that I will still be buying a lot of annuals.

Anyway off to surf and bed...........one more flipping night shift this week...I know I volunteered to do this this week but it is still a killer.......Come on Friday............

the smell of spring

We did it!!!! We were the first in the neighborhood to mow our yard!!!!!

Nah, normally I'm not that enthused about whether the yard gets mowed or not, as long as it is done at decent intervals. But it is the first of April and we were finishing planting the last of the spring potted flowers I had gotten at my store a couple of weeks or so ago, along with the ones Ron had gotten from the church after some service or the other. That got me in the mood for cleaning off flower beds---my back is already paying for it--it will be major motrin tonight, and Ron said not to worry about taking the waste to the compost--he just drove the mower over it, and it looked so good, he went ahead and mowed the rest of the yard. Of course by tomorrow evening all but one neighbor will have mowed theirs, and that neighbor will probably have his done by the weekend.

I have so many more flowers coming back from last year than I expected. My crocuses I planted last fall are up, but the deer ate my tulips, doggone them all to Hades and back. (see Mom I do watch my words once in a while). I even have the vinca out front coming back. Of course my annuals that I had in the big planters won't come back, but I think my black eyed susans that I filched from Mom last year may come back. My goal is to plant fewer and fewer annuals each year--just some in the hanging baskets and some planters, but to have the beds entirely of perennials. Time is premium around here, but I cannot exist without flowers around the house. And I am the rare woman who would rather have them blooming outside as to have them cut and vased inside.

Oh yeah, we also added 4 rose bushes to the rose bed between the driveway and the side porch. 2 replace 2 that had died and the other two were to replace the lilies that we did not think were coming back---surprise, Ron dug one hole and found a very much living lily bulb sprouting, so he quickly reburied it, and we are hoping it's ok now. The other was toast. So we adjusted where we were putting the one bush and now the bed needs dug up around the roses, topsoiled, and mulched, and I swear I am going to fence it off to keep the kids from running thru it when they are playing their chase games--you think the teens would at least know to stay out of it!!!!

Well Ronnie just turned the tv off, which means he is toast also, so goodnight all!!! Happy spring!