Coming to you from Exciting Spring Branch

Not!  Life here is slow and uneventful.  As we stay home and avoid crowds life can be pretty boring.  We read, play games and spend time on social media.  I make cards and clean, cook and do laundry. I water and tend to my plants daily.  It's been so hot that I have to make sure they stay watered. Jim does the black tank (whoo Hoo!) and he does little chores outside like filling the bird feeders and with organization.  He does like to be tidy, whereas I'm basically a slob

Did I tell you we're going to Florida?  Right now we're aiming for October, early November.  So Jim has been doing odd chores to get ready for that.  Organizational, you know, when you sit for awhile things don't get stowed for traveling.  Anyone need a grill?  We never use it.

My goal again this year is to make 500 cards.  

25 July 2020...220 cards

Handmade Cards Because:

No one displays an email on the mantle

Or shows off a tweet on the fridge

Or saves a Facebook post in a box of treasure

Using up some scraps of paper from my last set of cards.  The pattern is called starburst ...one is upside down...I think I like it that way too

South Texas had a hurricane and we didn't get much rain here.  Good and bad, we could use some rain.  It did bring cooler temperatures this evening. 

What are you watching TV?  Today we've watched an old series, Vegas...

All is right in our world

High Temperatures and Heat Advisories

Goodness me it has been hot.  To be expected this time of year but still,  it's way to hot.  Especially when there is no place to go to cool off.  We have to wear masks when inside buildings.  Neither one of us like trying to breathe through them.  

So consequently we stay home while our AC's struggle to maintain 80 degrees in here.  If you don't move it's OK!  LOL

My plants have to be watered each day and they sure look good.  No more blooms on the tomato but two fruit are growing.  The plumerias aren't blooming but I gave them a feed and planted cucumber in one pot and summer squash in the other.  I've got the seeds so I thought I'd try growing some food.

Neither one of are is doing much.  Reading, gaming and boob tube watching.  They've improved the WiFi here so streaming a movie usually works.  We were able to watch The Black Panther yesterday and I thought it was pretty good.  On Acorn we've started watching the old Lovejoy TV series from 1986, staring Ian McShane.  Funny comedy

Of course I have daily chores and lately Jim has been helping.  My right arm is a pain in the a** but what can I do?  Just take ibuprofen and carry on.  Sure messes with all aspects of my life.  Jim has also taken care of the black tank, feeding the birds and doing small repairs.  

My goal again this year is to make 500 cards.  

16 July 2020...204 cards

Handmade Cards Because:

No one displays an email on the mantle

Or shows off a tweet on the fridge

Or saves a Facebook post in a box of treasure

Using a template from Call Me Crafty Al and Echo Park papers I made these 'pink' cards.  Have I told you pink isn't my favorite color? The white card bases are Stampin' Up!

We are starting to discuss travel plans...October is what we're shooting for.  Hopefully we can travel safely and find stops along the way to Florida

All is right in our world

Christmas in July

I was up at 0430 this morning.  Not much going on at that hour.  We do have employed neighbors and they get up and start leaving around 0630.  That's a decent hour to rise, especially if you're retired.  But 0430 is just to early!

  

Along with my morning coffee I did squeeze in some reading and card making.  I'll share those in another blog.  

Decided to make biscuits this morning.  We love them and I figured if I made them early enough the house wouldn't stay hot so long.  Our two AC's have to work hard to maintain 80 degrees in here.  There's some left over and Jim can have gravy and biscuits tomorrow for breakfast.

After breakfast I started laundry, got dressed and made the bed.  Walked to the office to mail a card.  Did the dishes when I got back.  About an hour later I had to take a nap.  Didn't sleep all that well but at least my eyes were shut and I was prone.  

I was back up around noon with no idea of what to have for lunch.  Lots of leftovers and veggies in the fridge.  So we had a salad and spaghetti.  Jim did the dishes, bless his heart.  After a bit it was his turn to take a nap.  

It's hot here...heat advisory, so we don't venture out unless we have to.  Jim drove the trash down, big box and garbage along with recyclables. Now we're just gaming, reading or you tube watching. 

My goal again this year is to make 500 cards.  

9 July 2020...196 cards

Handmade Cards Because:

No one displays an email on the mantle

Or shows off a tweet on the fridge

Or saves a Facebook post in a box of treasure

This card is a challenge card using using the colors of pink, red, yellow and green.  All Stampin' Up! except for the large Hibiscus.  That's a stamp I've had forever

This card also uses those same colors.  Those items in the right hand corner I cut out after stamping them.  Again All Stampin' Up! products

This card template from Jessica Taylor was fun to do.  Using  6 x 6 inch paper. All Stampin' Up! products

Are you ready for this?  

Christmas Cards in July!  Among card makers this is when we start on Holiday cards because as we all know the holidays sneak up on you.  Using a template from Crafty Al I used Stampin' Up! DSP, that's the red and green patterned paper along with Echo Park cut a parts.  All of this is from my stash and I now have a start on my Christmas cards.  It really didn't take long once I had all the paper cut.  I'm already using the same template to make more

All is right in our world

do you like bugs?

Goodness me, we’re a week into July.  Where does the time go?  Since the first of the month we’ve been shopping at Costco and HEB, Walmart too. We enjoyed a lunch out and celebrated Independence Day.  

How about you?  We’re you able to enjoy any local festivities for the 4th?  We didn’t venture out. Not sure if fireworks were scheduled,  but here in the sticks we did hear some noise.  Probably bottle rockets.  You can buy fireworks here. 

While at Costco I bought some pulled pork and scalloped potatoes. Along with some baked beans and corn on the cob that was our meal for the 4th, and for several days later!  I did freeze half of the pork.

I still don’t know if or when I’ll have my gallbladder removed. At this point I’m in no pain and the nausea I was experiencing has all but gone away.  There are more and more cases of Covid-19 popping up. So who knows when hospitals will have the time or space to do routine procedures.  Meanwhile my pcp isn’t seeing patients in real life only via phone.  The issue I’m having with my right arm is still unresolved.  Depending on how much I use it determines how much pain and discomfort I have. Sleeping is problematic as I can't get comfortable.  I have noticed that if I use it a lot I have numbness and pain for a couple days. You know when you hit your funny bone? That’s what happens to my arm.  

Jim has been helping with the dishes. For a lot of my chores I’m learning to use my left hand. But 70 plus years of being right handed has slowed down this learning process.

The noise has abated from the katydids. But we’re having fun with walking sticks! Almost daily there is one or two hanging around our front door.  This one had colorful green stripes and the other one bold bands.  

Sorry about the quality of the lower picture, I had to stand on our picnic table and zoom in to get the dude on our rig.

My goal again this year is to make 500 cards.  

8 July 2020...183 cards

Handmade Cards Because:

No one displays an email on the mantle

Or shows off a tweet on the fridge

Or saves a Facebook post in a box of treasure

Again, these are found projects that I finished.  How about a fall card? I’ve got a head start on Autumn cards!  Pretty sure it's mostly Echo Park with Stampin' Up! card stock

I love the look of these vintage Lavender images

Our weather is getting hotter by the day.  Reaching temperatures of 100 in the afternoon.  Our Air Conditioners stay busy trying to cool us off!  It helps when we have overcast days but that doesn't happen often.

All is right in our world