Neighborhood Doings

Last night we had our bi-monthly book club meeting. The book we read and discussed was "Raney" by Clyde Edgerton, which some found hilarious and others merely curiously written. Edgerton has written several other books as well, and if you are not familiar with his work, I suggest you give him a try. His books are perfect for summer reading; which is not to say they are lightweight, but the subject matter is not too serious (at least on the surface.) This book, his first, led to his being relieved of his teaching job at a nearby university. I read that a subsequent book was written which is about that very school. I have not read that one - but you can bet I will get to it soon!

It is quite an interesting education to get a mixture of opinions on the book during the discussion, as you discover some aspect of it that you didn't catch while reading - or a thought that another had that is perhaps opposite your opinion. We have now read five books and I hope we continue forever; it is entirely different to read and then discuss with others than it is to read alone without discussion.I heartily recommend it!

Today, four of us took lunch to my next-door neighbor, who is facing surgery on Friday. We had mushroom quiche, marinated carrots, tossed salad and fruit salad, with ice-cream-topped brownies for dessert. We stayed for three hours altogether, enjoying the company and conversation. I am indeed fortunate to have such nice neighbors. Our next get-together is a pot-luck dinner at one home, for which we will each cook a recipe from the June issue of Southern Living Magazine. It all sounds delicious (as I am a recipient of the RSVP's, I know what everyone is bringing.) My contribution will be shrimp salad served on leaves of endive. I ought to make a test recipe of it before the date of that event, but I have waited too late and don't have time now. Here's hoping it turns out well!

There is a Grinch in My Neighborhood

and I don't like it one bit.

In many ways I live in the perfect neighborhood; contained, quiet and filled with pleasant people. But a few years ago, a Grinch moved in. Although we didn't know he was a Grinch at the time,  we later learned he is the worst kind of Grinch, one who would spoil Christmas for everyone else and take great pleasure in doing it.

There had been no major controversy in the 29 years since we moved into the area, until two years ago, when some of the residents wanted to replace the  old signage at the entrance to the subdivision. Discussions arose about how to best obtain new signage; which would be considerably more elaborate and costly than the previous sign. After much discussion, some of it heated, a plan was put into place by several residents who were not officers of nor were they aligned with the Home Owner's Association. Most of us just wanted the new signs in place and for the construction to be finished - so we paid varying amounts (some more than others). After several hitches in the planning and construction, the signposts were completed early in 2010 and all was well - or so we thought.

Fast forward to today, when a group of us had gone on an outing and during lunch we discussed the lack of Christmas or Holiday decoration at our entrance. A resident offered to purchase wreaths and I offered to hang them and add festive red bows. The Grinch owns the property on the left of the entrance and we were attempting to hang a wreath on the opposite side of the street when the Grinch told us that we didn't have permission to touch the sign. He further stated that if we hung the wreath, he would remove it. The fact that we were on another person's property didn't seem to faze him. I have since obtained that homeowner's permission to hang the wreath on her side of the entrance, but we have no assurance that the Grinch won't remove it if we do.

What he said was ludicrous, from my point of view. It is a stupid problem he has created for any time of year - but especially here at Christmastime. For the life of me I cannot fathom how two or three residents, people who have spent the least amount of time living here, think they can dictate to all the rest of us - 70 households in all. And to top it all off, those three people have their houses up for sale and will be moving (the sooner the better.) I am not sure what legal leg we can stand on, but rest assured I will be trying to find out.

Any legal eagles have advice for me?

Our Fearrington Village Excursion

I am so tired of trying to figure out how to post photos and write captions. Every time my computer updates, the format and the process change. Boo.

But - here goes. My neighborhood woman's group and I went to Fearrington Village for lunch on Tuesday, at the Old Granary. The table for ten was tucked out of the way and we could talk and laugh to our heart's content. One woman bought a bottle of champagne so we could celebrate her return to the group after a long bout of illness. It was gooooood...and we were happy to have her back.

The second photo shows the exterior of the Old Granary, and the third was the view from my seat before the place filled up with the luncheon crowd. The fourth photo was my friend Pam's sandwich and the fries, served in a unique (to me) container, were to die for. I ate the chicken salad and I do believe it was the tastiest I have ever had. The sugared walnuts were exquisite!

After lunch we walked over to the small shopping area nearby. I took lots of photos, so come back tomorrow to "window shop" and drool along with me.

Our New Book Club

As some of you know, we have a very active neighborhood women's group. One of the women decided a while back that she would host the July meeting, and it would have a book club format. We were all to read the book "The Help" prior to the meeting, and bring an hors d'oeuvre or a dessert to the meeting.

About 14 of us gathered last night. I had gotten several pages of book club questions from online, and I (sort of) led the group in an informal discussion of the book, its characters and what actions influenced the outcome, etc. It was really a nice evening, and we have decided to do a separate book club that meets every three months (for now.)

When we began discussing how we would conduct the book club, and what rules we should have, several people disagreed on the book choices or had particular suggestions; such as no nonfiction books. So it was suggested that we allow the hostess of each meeting to be the one to choose the book (one that she had already read and liked) and that if anyone disagreed with the choice of the book, they could "sit out" that meeting and pick up the group with the next meeting. It was also suggested that we could put into a fishbowl the name of a book we had read and liked, and the hostess would choose one.

Do any of you have experience with a book club? How did you go about choosing the books to be read, and how did you handle dissent on the choice? Are there any other pitfalls in a book club and if so, how would you suggest it be handled?

And just for your information, the foods were excellent! Just the right number of each type of food, wines flowing, and lemonade and iced cucumber water for those who didn't imbibe (like moi, the designated driver.)

We have a new neighbor who came to last night's meeting and she is going to be a delightful addition to all our groups. She stepped right in and joined the various conversations, brought a killer appetizer and offered to host the very next meeting! How's that for joining in? We love her already!

Does he really think that sign will help sell his house?

Driving down a main road yesterday, I saw three consecutive houses for sale. Must be a whole row of assh*les, right? Would you wonder what was going on there?

Our neighborhood can go for several years with no houses available, and then POW - all of a sudden several go on the market. Four of the largest homes are for sale now and one smaller. Out of an area with only 65 or so homes, that is a lot at one time. I wonder if the recent troubles with the Home Owner's Board had anything to do with the decisions to sell. I know it didn't with one home; it is owned by a widow who needs to downsize, but the other families/duos seem ideally suited to the size of their homes - so it isn't clear why they are leaving. Do you ever get curious about things like that?

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Today is my adoptive mother's birthday; she'd be 104. She died when I was about 45, and for the next 14 years, I was "a motherless child". Then I met my birth mother and started the "getting to know you" process all over again. Now she is gone as well, and I am back to being motherless. You never get over losing your mother, do you? My adoptive mom and I didn't have the best of relationships near the end of her life, so what I miss is what it was like many decades ago. I suppose I've been thinking about her since Mother's Day came and went. I miss what could have been...and grieve for that.

In what Mr. K and I laughingly call a flower bed, I had about 10 daffodils, iris foliage (but no blooms) and one lonely/lovely tulip, pink with white edges. I went out this morning to photograph it for you and it was gone - stem and all! I guess I'll blame a rabbit, since I've been told they eat all the way down to the ground and deer only take the blooms off the top and leave the stem. It seems like they should leave it for you to enjoy if you only have one....:-/

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Last night was a planning meeting for our neighborhood women. We had to discuss our outings for the coming year. The idea was to get two women to sign up for a month; they would decide on some type of outing or event; plan it and (eventually) make everyone else aware of it. A notice was sent to all the women who live here - well the ones who have ever shown any interest in the group. It was conceivable that as many as 25+ could have shown up, but there were only eight of us. At first I was disappointed in the low turnout, but it soon became apparent that "few cooks make for good soup" and we accomplished a lot in nearly three hours. We stopped a bit for desserts and an hors d'oeuvre, too. (Blogger thinks I'm not spelling that correctly, but I AM!) Man, do we ever have some good cooks here! I think we ought to do a neighborhood cook book, but I can't seem to get anyone interested in all the detail work it would take to put one together. We also need a new neighborhood phone book, but that's a lot of work too.

I agreed to be the person who (loosely) leads the group and "facilitates the spread of information" among the women. I can already see that it will take a chunk of time to do it well. I've offered to write a password-protected blog for the women here, so there would be a central place for everyone to gather news; such as births, deaths, illnesses, upcoming meetings, etc. Since a few of our women are not computer users, that doesn't seem to be a panacea, but it's better than hand-delivery to all the mailboxes. There are a few flies in the ointment, however, so I'm not sure yet that I will be doing that blog. "It's always something", as Roseann Roseannadanna used to say.

Caroling for Kerstin

Have you ever seen a more surprised look on a woman's face?! This is my next-door neighbor Kerstin (with her husband), who had the misfortune to fall recently and break her femur. That came on the heels of a hip and shoulder replacement, so suffice it to say she has been through the mill lately.

She is in a rehabilitation hospital and on learning that she wouldn't be home for Christmas, we decided to go and sing carols to her. Planning it with the help of her husband, about nine of us went on Monday. Her room is directly across the hall from a "rec" room, and we assembled there, along with the harpist from our NC Symphony, Anita Burroughs-Price. Anita is a friend of my neighbors, and when she heard what was being planned, she asked to come along. It was incredibly generous of her, and we are all grateful, since her playing made us all sound decidedly better! As we began to sing, Bob wheeled Kerstin across the hall to hear "the carolers", without telling her who it was. The photo above shows how flabbergasted she was to see us!

Here is our group, minus your truly. Santa hats and jingle bells were requested, but not all of us wore them. It didn't matter.













This is Anita. Her small "travel harp" made it rather easy for her to come. She knew all twelve songs by heart and even embellished them quite a bit.

It was most evident that our neighbors enjoyed the caroling and we garnered a few other participants from the hall before we were finished. I had a phone call from Kerstin about 7 pm, thanking me for my part in it. She and her husband were genuinely touched and I explained that we got much more out of it than she did. It showed the true meaning of Christmas; the making time to do something good for someone else, no matter how busy we are. I hope you get a similar opportunity before the season is over. It will make your day! Now, make it a very Merry Christmas.

W.O.W.

That stands for Women of _______ (my neighborhood). As you may remember reading, we do things together all year long; with more or less participation depending on the the time of the event. Tuesday evening was the night for our annual Christmas pot-luck dinner - and we always have a good time. We had 31 woman this year, including the new owner of one house, brought by the seller to meet her new neighbors.

The food was glorious, as usual. Tenderloin that melted in your mouth, Honey-Baked Ham, and many salads, side dishes and desserts to test your will-power. My favorite was brought by our former long-time mail-carrier, Donna. She has been at our last 2-3 dinners, since she retired from the USPS. She gave us such good service for years that we all had made friends with her, so now she is an honorary WOW. Donna made a kind of egg salad. She told us that it had ten eggs, crushed saltine crackers, pimiento cheese, onion, red pepper and mayo in it - and if any of you know the recipe for this - I'd really love to have it. I could have eaten a bowlful by myself!

There are only a few homes in our neighborhood that can accommodate 30+ people for a sit-down meal, and two of the women are gracious enough to share their lovely homes with us on an alternating basis. Mr. kenju fusses every year because the men aren't included, and I always say...."How many people do you think have a home big enough to hold 60+ people for a seated meal?" Oddly, he never has an answer, but he says..."If the men had a dinner and the women weren't included, they'd be fussing up a storm." I keep telling him he should plan such a get-together and just see how many of the WOW women get mad about it. My prediction is.......... wait for it........ NONE!

The highlight of the dinner is when we do our annual ornament exchange. Each person brings a wrapped gift; an ornament for the tree or some other holiday item. Numbers are drawn out of a bowl to indicate the order in which we will choose our gifts. It is preferable to have higher numbers, since the gifts chosen by the lower numbered people can be "stolen". My number was 19.

As you may know, I collect frogs, and froggy Christmas ornaments are among my favorites. Unfortunately, there is another woman who also collects frogs, so the "stealing" can get quite heated. Last night, we barely managed to keep it in check, while daring others to steal our frogs! Early on in the choosing, our hostess picked a gift that was a darling frog ornament. I set my sights for it, of course, and when my number came up, I "stole" the frog. I hadn't had it long when the other frog collector stole it from me. Then I was allowed to choose another gift - and I could take one from the pile - or steal one. I took one from the pile, and would you believe it?? I got another frog!! I'd say that was some GOOD KARMA!! Now I feel badly about complaining in a post recently that I can't catch a break and win anything. This frog was very similar to the one I'd had in the beginning, so both of us frog collectors went home happy.

My camera stayed home on the kitchen counter, so I have no photos for you. You can smack me if you want.

Quotes of Note and Notes (no quotes)

America has been called a melting pot, but it seems better to call it a mosaic, for in it each nation, people or race which has come to its shores has been privileged to keep its individuality, contributing at the same time its share to the unified pattern of a new nation.

King Baudouin of Belgium (1930-1993)

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Good and evil grow up together and are bound in an equilibrium that cannot be sundered. The most we can do is try to tilt the equilibrium toward the good.

Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (1902-1983)

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Please tell me why I would go to the health club and sit in a 104* hot tub when the outside temp is hovering at 96*, with humidity to match?

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Last night as I drove into my driveway from the volunteer dinner, my five deer were standing at the front of my yard. As the headlights shone on them, they ambled slowly off into the woods, as though they had nary a care in the world and cars were not to be feared.

This morning I walked out on my deck and after checking the pool, I went to the back corner to look for the deer, as I do every morning. I scanned the whole side woods, but they were no where to be seen. Just then I heard a tiny noise, and scanning the woods to the back of the house, I saw all five of my deer, no more than 25 feet away, looking straight at me. I felt sort of like animals in the zoo must feel when people line up to look at them.....lol. I said good morning and talked to them a few minutes; during which they alternately grazed and stared, as if they were hanging on every word. See there, mr. kenju? I can TOO hold an audience.

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Our neighbors (almost) monthly luncheon went well today; seven of us showed up and the food and camaraderie were so good that we sat there for 2 hours, chatting and noshing. The scene was Margaux's, and we all enjoyed the food and service. We were almost the only people there. It's nice to have a forum in which to catch up with neighborhood people and doings. Our evening meetings are usually better attended, since women who work can come then. But I often prefer the smaller groups, where you can really speak to everyone and not have to fight the noise levels of the larger groups. I must say that I am grateful to live where I do and have such nice neighbors.

WOW

You've heard me mention them before - the women of my neighborhood group - known as WOW. On Tuesday, twelve of us volunteered at our local NC Food Bank. For four hours, we boxed canned goods and foods in plastic or glass containers; attempting to get a variety of items in each box.

My friend who planned the outing said there would be no heavy lifting involved, but she was either misinformed or clueless, since the bulk of it was just that. My back has been hurting (since a misguided attempt to move a file cabinet) for 2 weeks, so I decided not to pack (which also involved leaning over or squatting), but to tape up the boxes and let someone else transfer them to the pallets lined up to receive them.

Would you believe it was sort of fun? Just knowing that what we were doing was really going to help someone later on made us feel great. I wish we had counted the number of boxes we filled, taped and stacked. I think it was at least 4 pallets; which are stacked 4 deep and hold about 64 boxes.

If you have a similar food distribution group in your area, consider volunteering some time. It's a very worthwhile thing to do!

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Today is our son's 43rd birthday. I remember the day of his birth it like it was yesterday. (I wonder how many more years I'll be able to say that?) He's been a good boy and he's an even better man. Happy Birthday, son. See you tomorrow.

Blog reading and commenting will be scarce this weekend, so I'll catch you all on Monday. Be good!

Odds and ends

This is the beautiful little lake I see through the floor-to-ceiling windows when I work at my friend's flower shop. What a perk, huh? Almost makes it worthwhile to drive 23.6 miles, one way. This is home to the Canada goose I photographed last Saturday, along with 50-60 of his closest friends. I can't say I blame them.....I wouldn't mind having this in my front yard either!

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Why don't pharmacies recycle medicine containers? I am referring to pills and capsules, of course, not liquids. Surely the plastic in those is just as useful as the type in milk containers and oleo tubs. But every pharmacist I have asked says ...."We don't currently have a program for that." I think they should get a program - don't you?

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I think I'd like to buy another camera to keep beside the computer. Every time I need one to catch a photo of my cat with her nose in my shoes, my camera is downstairs in my purse - or in the car!

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Busy week, this. A funeral this morning for a neighbor, who was the Chief of Anesthesiology at a local hospital. About 500 people came, including mayors, senators and other various politicoes, doctors, neighbors, patients.....all of whom had nothing but good things to say about the man. Would that we all could take that with us to the grave.

Tomorrow, we go to our new health club for the first time, to learn the cardio circuit machines. Hopefully we will not only learn but DO, on a continuing basis. This is a state of the art facility, and we have been members of a health club wanna be. It may intimidate us......LOL.

Wednesday: the yearly mammogram. Wish me luck and benignity.

Thursday: work! for my old boss - for whom I haven't worked since January. I'm glad to be going back!

Friday: work again, and dinner with Tiff and getting to meet her mother - which ought to be/will be nice and good fun! (Tiff is always fun.) Out-of-town company (guy) coming to stay in our guestroom for the weekend. He is a friend of mr. kenju's who is coming to town for the Eleventh Annual Triangle Area Pipe Smokers Expo. (Come on down!)

Saturday: work again, and another friend (gal) coming to town to stay in my daughter's room, on her way to FL. Dinner at the Bonefish Grill.

Sunday? I think I'll stay in bed all day.....LOL!

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I have no every-two-weeks cleaning women anymore. They quit me because I mentioned that they didn't do the floors well the last time they were here. That was only the second time in five years that I complained to them. Nevermind that I haven't been happy with their cleaning for over a year, and nevermind that I kept them on because I felt sorry for them since I know they need the work so badly, and nevermind that I give them clothing and shoes, and saved my garbage for the one who had a garden and wanted my compost. They just didn't show up last week and although I left a message for one, she didn't call me back to give an explanation. Now I'll have to clean the house myself (a fate worse than death.)

What you don't know about me is that I work so I can afford cleaning women. I can stand and work with flowers all day long, but the movements that you have to do when cleaning (bending, twisting, pushing, making beds) always throw my back out of place and I am in deep misery. I hate housework, except for the once or twice a year when I get the urge to tidy up the nest and clean closets and ovens and scrub tile. But that urge doesn't come nearly often enough, and so to keep the place sanitary (moderately) and neat (sort of) I have to hire someone to do the dirty work. Wish me luck.

POST # 398: A Milestone is Reached!

I started this blog - Imagine What I'm Leaving Out - on February 8, 2007, not quite a year ago. Earlier today I noticed that it had reached 50,000 hits. I am not so naive as to think that every one of those hits stayed long enough to read anything, in fact I know they didn't. I also know that due to my failure to keep a blocking cookie in effect all the time, some of those hits were mine or mr. kenju's.

But - I am pleased as punch to have 50K and for whatever part you played in that - I thank you!

From time to time, I check the stats on my old blog - Just Ask Judy - and I am surprised to note that it is chugging right along, even without a new post since 2-9-07. As of 3:05 pm today, it had 110, 264 hits. Thanks to search engines for that. It seems that because of some posts I made with photos from emails I received, both blogs just keep garnering hits. I guess, like Martha says, that's a good thing.

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My neighborhood women had our monthly get-together tonight, and we learned how to play Bunco. It was fun; we didn't play for money, though I understand many people do. Everyone brought either an appetizer or a dessert and the hostess provided beverages. There were four tables set up and since most of us had not ever played, we had to have a practice round for show and tell. At the end of the evening, we tallied scores and I had four Buncos (three of a kind or points totalling 21 in a round). The prize for that (and I'm not sure prize is the right word) is that I have to drape black fuzzy dice on a rope over my rear view mirror and keep them there for 30 days! This, for a woman who eschews bumper stickers or window decals of any kind. Oh the shame! I think had I known that in advance, I would have *miscounted* the number.....LOL

My Great Neighborhood

Since mr. kenju came home from the hospital in September, my neighbors have been bringing food here every Thursday. The schedule was set up through November 15th, but since I was not working any of the first 3 weeks of the month, I cancelled some of them, much to mr. kenju's consternation. I felt like a fraud accepting food from people when I was fully able to cook.

Some of them refused to take no for an answer, and one woman called several weeks ago and asked if we liked chili. Answering in the affirmative, I learned that we would receive a pot of chili that night. It was wonderful; there is little better than a big bowl of chili on a cold night, with chopped onions, shredded cheese and crackers!

Last night, we were brought an excellent meal by a neighbor who should never have to feed anyone outside her home, considering that she has an invalid husband. The pork loin above is similar to what she brought, although hers was stuffed with dried apricots, which I heartily recommend. Rounding out the meal were salad with feta cheese, scalloped potatoes, steamed broccoli, rolls and ice cream. It was a feast, and we were both grateful, but mr. kenju was ecstatic. He is so tired of my cooking, since it tends to be boring, low fat and salt-free, and the same things over and over ad nauseum.

Now that Thanksgiving is coming closer, I find myself reflecting on how lucky we have been in our lives and the many people for whom I am grateful. Right near the top of the list, after my terrific family, will have to be many of my neighbors, who continually prove their compassion and friendship by selfless acts, such as these. I am truly grateful for them and surprised by them.

I was hoping I would get the opportunity to "pay it forward", although the idea that someone else would have to be sick to make that possible is not appealing. Today I learned that one of our own is in the hospital, and will definitely need help with meals after she comes home. She also has an almost invalid husband - so my ability to do something for them is coming sooner than I thought. Now, just what should I plan to cook?

Quotes of Note ~ and an Update

Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone's soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.

Jalaluddin Rumi, poet and mystic(1207-1273)

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Unless a good deed is voluntary, it has no moral significance.

Everett Dean Martin, columnist, preacher, and philosopher (1880-1941)

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Some have asked for an update on mr. kenju. He is progressing, but it is an extremely slow process. He is able to go up and down stairs now, but not without me being present. I have to carry the walker upstairs for him and then watch him come up. It really tires him out, but he has opted to do it at least once per day, so he can sleep in his king-sized bed (without a footboard) and stretch out. I have to carry all his "stuff" up and down the stairs everyday at least 2 times, but it is worth it so he can have a good night's sleep, and also have access to the computers and his office when he wants to.

We have settled into a sort of routine; the hardest days are when he goes to therapy and on the two days per week that I leave the house to work. Giving him a shower is much easier now that we have the proper equipment, but it still takes 45 minutes from start to finish. The best time to do it is before bed; he goes to bed early, so I may miss something I want to see on TV, but it must be done. He sleeps like a baby when he showers at night anyway.

I am trying to get into the habit of cooking three meals per day, and it has been years since I have done that on a regular basis. Add that to all the chores he used to do, that I now have to - and you may see why I have not been reading your posts or commenting much.

My neighbors have started bringing meals on the two days that I work outside the home, and tonight I am awaiting what will no doubt be a great meal brought by a radiologist! Last night, we got grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and Caesar salad. It was wonderful, and the best part was I didn't have to stand up and cook it! Mr. kenju is tired of chicken - it has never been his favorite meat anyway - but I have told him repeatedly he must get used to eating more of it, now that he has to have a low-fat and low-salt diet. I let him eat what he wants once a week. If he would eat fish, we could have a more varied diet, but that is a definite no-no with him. I surprised him with shrimp cocktail this week - one of his very favorite things to eat - but I only let him have 10 shrimp, and I saved the rest for another time.

Whooeee! We just got Fresh Market chickens (3), edamame succotash, strawberries and blueberries, salad, and carrot cake!! I wonder how long I can manage to get meals delivered??!!

Addendum: YES, he does deserve me! But lest you think I am a saint (as Mike said), I will admit to screaming like a banshee and letting my dissatisfactions be known as often as necessary. (Of course, I've done that for 43 years!) This situation is extremely frustrating for everyone, even our children. I don't play the martyr easily or without loudly proclaiming my role.

A Bit of Excitement

The likes of which I hope we never have again!

I was about to leave the grocery yesterday when my cell phone rang. It was Mr. kenju, who suggested that if I was on my way home, I might want to turn and go the other direction for a while. Our street (a short one with a cul-de-sac on each end) was host to 8 fire trucks and several other vehicles. Apparently, our neighbor's home was on fire, but he didn't know any details. He had tried to leave for an appointment and was turned back by a fireman who wouldn't let him through the area.

Having a car full of groceries, I was determined to get them home and into the refrigerator or freezer. This was the hottest day of the year (98*) so far, and I was not about to lose $100+ worth of food if I could help it. I drove toward home and was met by a sort-of informal roadblock two streets over. I pled my case to the block-ee and he told me to park my car and walk toward home with my perishables. Luckily I had a cooler bag I had filled, so I hoisted it over my shoulder and set out toward home, carrying two more plastic bags in the other hand. It must have been 20-25 pounds worth. I had gone one-half block when he shouted that I could drive home, but to be exceedingly careful and go slowly. I trudged back to the car, cursing under my breath.

As I passed the neighbor's home, I couldn't see fire or smoke, but she was out on the driveway with 8-10 firemen, and 5-6 cat carriers. This woman owns 8 cats. I went home and put my food away and then went to her house to see what had happened. A fan had overheated and caught fire. I don't know if it was a ceiling fan or a floor fan, but she was using it to keep the cats cool. It is a darn good thing she was at home when it happened, although I assume that if she were not home, the fan wouldn't have been on. I know I never leave home with a fan running. She had found all but one of her cats; one ran outside in all the confusion. None of her cats has ever been outdoors, so I can imagine how scared they were, especially the one who escaped. We are hoping that one finds his way back home soon.

She has a lot of smoke damage, and she may not be able to live in her house until they get all that out. She said they might have to replace some sheet rock and flooring. I feel so sorry for her. I've never experienced anything like that, but my grandparent's home burned when my mom was young, so I know how harrowing it can be. I pray that neither you or I ever have to go through anything like that.

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden ~ LOL

So, you're getting mostly tulips, azaleas and dogwoods! In the top photo, I was standing on my neighbor's porch looking across the cul-de-sac to my yard. Aren't I lucky to live next door to such pretty flowers?! My neighbor was having a party for the women who live around here, to show them her flowers, so that's why there were so many cars in the street.

They have both red and yellow tulips, but for some reason, I snapped pics of the red.

This pink dogwood stands right off their porch. It is wonderful to stand under it and shoot up into the tree. I am not a fan of the color pink, but in a dogwood it is wonderful!

More pink, tempered with white and buttercream tulips. These raised beds will hold tomatoes in a few months. Maybe if I'm good, they'll share!
This water garden is hidden from the house and the rest of the area; you can barely see it until you walk behind some taller beds of azalea. It's such a peaceful spot. They also have a gazebo, which is a good spot to sit and read, but I never see anyone in it. Maybe I'll ask to borrow it this summer.

Clicking to enlarge is a really good idea!