Without another month closer to Summer!

I don't know about you but I'm not ready for Summer yet. Winter barely made a showing here on the East coast. And Spring is here. I have crocuses up in my yard. Daffodils have broke through and are standing tall with bright sunny blossoms too!

Still on my outdoor chore to-do list is call and schedule tractor service.  Because, well, the backyard could use a once over in spots.  It would be nice to pick up the leaves the trees shed in the fall.  They didn't decompose because they weren't covered with snow for any length of time.

I have to look into getting more 4' fencing to put up so I don't have to run down pups who chase the neighborhood cats.  I know they think they must try to catch them but once the pups tree the cat(s) they look for something new to chase, investigate or worse--eat!

Then I have to cut back the hedges I didn't get to last fall.  I know at least one though I'm ripping out!  No more wild over grown bushes in my yard.  No sir-ree Bob.  Additionally, now that I know the township will take "pricker" bushes--they will be gone too.  My goal is by May to have it under control *again*.

All that work outside... should help me be prepared for Summer!  Are you ready?

Without a post topic!

Oh dear whatever will I write about tonight...?

Well, let's see I could write about attending my eighth Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet.  Or that I now have three in a Boy Scout Troop.  Or the wonderful friends I've made with so many scout families over the years. 

"Eek, a Hairy Jumping Spider!!!

Or I could write about the fact that I've seen two hairy black spiders already and it is not even March yet!  One of my son's said his favorite season was Winter because of the lack of critters.  I've not been a fan of spiders for as long as I can remember.  I know they are good for gardens and eat bugs that can do damage to many plants... it's just well, they are just creepy!

Red and Maeve relaxing last summer.

Or I could write about how my goldens are such amazing pups!  Maeve has stopped looking for me to get the balls out from under the microwave cart.  Now she moves the cart out of her own way!  And Red has too learned to move objects out of her way too.  She has learned she can use her snout to move gates away from the walls and go anywhere she wants.  I thought it was because she wanted to get to me, but apparently I am not what she wants to see.  Because sitting here with her inside the gates she tried harder to move the gate *LOL*! My girls are getting so smart!

Well back to the Sunday night chore... laundry!

Without Red!

Ok, I was all set to write a post last night and our pup Red had another plan for me. I quickly set up my webcam to snap a few pictures of her, as you can see she really isn't a puppy anymore. Red is a two-year-old "Red" Golden Retriever. Weighing in at 85 lbs doesn't stop her from living her dream as a lap dog.

When Red is bored with her sister Maeve, she comes to me and puts one foot on my leg. I moved back from the laptop to give her my full attention. She took this as her cue to get comfortable and crawled across my entire lap. Sometimes she even feels like typing herself and paws at the keyboard. As you can see Red has an intense look on her face, almost contemplating as to what she could write about.

"Hmmm, let's see I could write about those darn cats in the neighborhood who seem to escape before I can catch them. No, no, I don't want to waste my time on them. Perhaps I could write about all the socks Amy doesn't know I've stashed away for safe keeping. Ha! She thinks the washer ate them. Only I know the truth--well, now you do too.

Perhaps the number of stuffed animals I can hold in my mouth at one time would be more interesting. You would be surprised at how flexible my jaw line is. I believe my record is four! Now, my sister Maeve can only hold a tennis ball with a softball in her mouth. Funny our humans think she has impressive talents doing that! Humph! I say four stuff animals, trumps two balls any day! Don't you agree?"

Without dead batteries!

Isn't it grand to reach for something--like your cell phone, remote, or laptop--only to realize the batteries are dead. I realized more and more of the items we use daily either have a power source that must be charged on a regular basis or take AA batteries.

I guess my recommendation to any young couple who has children is to invest in batteries that you can charge when they run out of power. I know it's still not too late for us to do the same.

There is another battery I was thinking of when I started this entry tho. My battery. So that I can recharge my battery, and keep it charged... I'm going to make another life-changing-resolution. In bed by 10pm when evening activities permit. Of course I will be starting tomorrow night since it's almost 11 now.

To achieve that though, I'm going to have to succeed in finishing more laundry (yes, that dirty word again) during the quiet hours of the day. LOL! This would ensure I wouldn't have to stay up (like I am now) to dry all the clothes I'm washing or have washed; as well fold them. Because dry warm clothes laying in a basket only wrinkle. Then I would have to (gasp) IRON!

Perhaps I'll also try to take our girls (pups) outside more, since the weather seems to be in a warming pattern again. Our trouble-maker, aka Red, has taken to showing me how displeased she is that we haven't been playing outside daily.

Look for my mid-day posts starting tomorrow!

Without writer's block!

Normally I sit down and something during my long days has been the inspiration for my blog posts. Although, probably by the time I finish this post I would rename the title "Without rambling!"

Well let's see I could write about the vanilla cupcakes with vanilla and chocolate frosting I bought today at a church bake sale. They weren't plain vanilla cupcakes--they were lemon flavor and frosted with lemon frosting AND vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles in the batter frosted with chocolate frosting. How did I find out? One of the kids tried one of each and was sadly disappointed.

Or I could write about how I dislike finding a great movie and then having to suffer through the unusual-not-necessary-needed-item info-commercials and trailers for how-did-they-get-someone-to-buy-such-a-horrendous-idea-and-make-it-into-a-movie. So CHEESY some of them are--It's a wonder I can sit through them to watch the movies I love!

Or I could write about the fact that I am extremely but slowly making progress around the house... I did manage to clean out two cupboards. It's a start! And every time I open them to grab something--I stop, admire my hard work and SMILE!

Or I could write about laundry, yeah, I'm still knee-deep in dirty clothes! I want to know who boosted their reproductiveness--oh that's easy that would be my family and the pups. Perhaps the weather too!
Someday, I'll catch up.

Speaking of weather, oh my gosh... we received a cold blast of arctic freezing winds. So the snow we received--yeah we got yet another dusting--it's frozen and crunchy. But this too will pass, and melt again... the temperature is going up oh 40 or 50 degrees in a week's time.

So next Sunday, when I sit down to write I should have ample material... I mean there is always something the pups or the kids have done to supply me with a long list of topics, right? Right!

Without energetic pups!

We recently had our roof replaced. One of the stipulations of the contract was to keep all pets and children indoors and away from the workers.

Keeping our children out of harms way was the easy part--they were at school for the majority of the time frame the roofers ripped off the old shingles and installed the new roof.

However, the pups were a different challenge. Red is a curious dog, she loves to explore counter tops and tables. She steals socks, whole tissue boxes, head sets, ace bandages, baggies of food or anything else she deems interesting. For instance, a terra cotta flower pot one of the kids had decorated to look like a bunny. Red's curiosity got the better of her and she snagged it off the counter. She grabbed the fuzzy-ball-tail and it smashed into several pieces.

The loud noises that the roofers were making drew Red to the windows in the kitchen. She tried to peak under the pull shades covering the windows. I raised them slightly giving her able view of the backyard. Red bark a few times at the workers. Probably telling them, "Hey, I'm in here and I'm watching you." Maeve on the other hand headed to her kennel with ball in mouth and curled up. She was content to just hang in there.

After scolding the workers, Red decided to pester Maeve. Into the Maeve's kennel Red lumbered in and started to poke at Maeve with her snout. Maeve got up and came out. They wrestled over the ball some, then Maeve decided she had enough but this time headed into Red's kennel.

Then a most unusual thing occurred (ok, in my humble opinion)... Red gently pushed her own kennel door shut with her nose, while Maeve was still in the kennel. I began to laugh hysterically until my ribs hurt. Maeve didn't take kindly to her sister shutting her in a kennel, she jumped and came out ready for another round of wrestling on the kitchen floor.

Just watching them have fun made me forget about the constant banging for a few moments...

Without football!

Oh man did you see that game! That's what playing a sport is about. Giving it everything you got, and holding nothing back. It was intense! I enjoyed the game this year far more than the commercials.

Don't get me wrong, there were some good commercials like the M&Ms and the "missing cat" Doritos ads. But I feel for the most part I wasn't wow'd like I've been in past years.

Check back later for another post!

without needing to clean!

One thing I dread doing is cleaning...
most of the time I end up cleaning the house because company is coming!

Tonight we're having a few kids over to celebrate one of kids' birthdays.

So I must clean!

I started earlier in the week...
but work and evening activities have prevented major progress.

Now looking at the clock I realize, times ticking...

So I must clean!

without kids and dogs!

Just when I thought it was safe to grab a snack...
two pups decide they needed to go out.

Just when I thought it was safe to grab a soda to go with the snack...
three kids decide they are going to start World War X.

Just when I thought it was safe to eat the snack and sip my soda...
two pups have completed digging a hole right outside the back door
deep enough that I see clay!

Just when I thought it was safe to blog... "MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"