I'm Back...good stuff and bad...

So - took some time off and went to Island Park with family.  It was wonderful...not as cool as we had hoped, but still nicer than home.  We had granddaughters the first weekend, and that was fun most the time...  I tell ya, six year olds are not always pleasant, but at least you can sort of talk to them...

Here we are at Old Faithful... just after a meltown with the one on the left... sigh.  Ever had the embarrassment of a child screeching at the top of their lungs "Grandma! I'm sorry, I want to stay - Grandma, let me explain, Grandma..."  ugh.  I'd actually never had one of my children do this to me before, so it was a new experience.  Not pleasant.  (Not happy Bob...)  sigh.  Still love her...

Went down the river by Island Park, lovely stuff.  Didn't see a lot of animals in Yellowstone, but saw moose around our trailer/cabin, and on the river.  It was way fun.

 here's hubby

setting them up to go down.  It was an evening run, and they told me the water was almost warm.  Can't wait to try that next year...

one of my favorite sights this year in Yellowstone was the yellow covered hills nearing the north end.  Oh My!!  It's incredible.

It was sooo gorgeous.  

Only sad thing was coming home to our poor dog.  Our 'rescue' dog that we got for free about 6 or 7 years ago, has tumors and has steadily gotten worse over the past four months.  We took her to the vet and he said to prepare ourselves, that she probably wouldn't last six months.  Well...she did good for a long time, just some gradual worsening.  This past week has been a dramatic change.  She has lost soooo much weight, and barks a lot, which drives us a little batty, but it's so sad because she's mostly blind, and we think a little deaf.  We're not sure if she's barking because she can't tell if anyone is home, or just because she's not happy.  :(

I don't think she's long for the world, and we're debating on how in pain she is and if we should have her put down to put her out of her misery.  sigh.  Never thought I'd see this day...I've never had a dog before...

I was telling my daughter that it's almost like she was waiting for us to come home before getting this bad.  She's such a sweetie.

Summertime...is too short!

okay - I feel like I've just been whining this last couple of weeks.  I really didn't think I was a whiner, but if the shoe fits, sigh.  :(
First - just found out I have trigger finger...in my thumb.  How does that happen???  So...first experience with a cortisone shot.  Not quite as bad as I thought it would be...guess we'll see if it helps.

Second - been trying SOOO hard to get my book ready and submitted to Shadow Mountain.  My goal was the end of June.  Hello???  It's the middle of July, people.  UGH.  It is taking forever.  I. Will. Get. It. Done. Before. Weekend.  PERIOD.  lol

Third - weeds are over taking the garden...such as it is.  We have a neighborhood deer (we think it's the same one that was living under our porch during the winter) that comes through and eats the apple tree... :-/   and then we have some that are eating the tomato plans and zucchini and melons.  sigh.  the onions are doing good!!

Fourth - the roof isn't done.  And that's all we hear about from in-laws.  You're not finished YET?  But it's been almost two weeks...  Yeah, and need I mention my poor hubby works 10 hour days?  Then comes home, naps for an hour or so, then goes up on the roof till 9, ish... eats a very LATE dinner and then goes to bed to do it all again??  sigh.  The man's a saint.

 Then on the weekends, it's up at 6, work till it's too hot to breathe, come down and then back up as soon as it's cool enough you don't melt the soles off your shoes.  Got to love roofing in the summer...not.  But it's not like you always have a choice here, people.  Seriously.

Fifth - the apricots are ready to pick.  Anyone want some???  I really wish I liked them...  No time to make apricot jam this year...

Sixth - just to make you laugh - we finally got our cat shaved this week.  Poor thing is a long hair Siamese, and had mats and stuff...(she's an outdoor cat!!)  she looks hilarious...

But she feels so much better, she's totally forgiven us and is quite loving.  She's not normal... lol

But, the bright spot in the horizon of ALL of this whining, is I'm going to be going to my happy place soon.  Island Park!  :)  Not as hot, nice and quiet, and lovely painting atmosphere...sigh.  Can't wait.  What's your happy place??

And lastly - hope you all got your free slurpee's yesterday.  Kind a fun.  My daughters came home from running to grab theirs at the end of the day and were so disappointed in people.  They were able to get in the line before cutoff, but there were people getting their small slurpee, drinking half of it and then refilling it, letting their kids fill their own so there was a mountain of slurpee all over the drain and stuff like that.  It doesn't matter that it still costs 7-11 money... sigh.  I don't understand people sometimes.

If I'd thought of dressing up like a cow, I would totally have gone to Chick-fil-A for that, but we went and got a frozen lemonade..  ah...the best thing about summer!!

Today is pecan pie day.  If you are like me and love pecans, that's the best.  However- it's a little toooo sweet for me anymore.  So enjoy some for me...  lol

Have a great one!  Stay cool....

Heat wave....

Okay - so I know I live in the western part of the big ol' US of A, and that entails that sometimes in the summer we get hot.  But I'm not living in the southwest, dang it - it shouldn't be 103 every day!!  :(  Okay - I'm fine...I'll survive.  Mainly I'll survive because my amazing, wonderful hubby updated our air conditioning so that it actually keeps us cool!!!  It's amazing.  It's almost a little too cold on the toes - I have a vent right under my desk.  :)
We aren't freezing at night, but at least we can sleep as opposed to before...ugh.

Anyway - today is national macaroni day!! (at least according to the local paper) Everyone grab your pasta and mix it up with cheese!  What's the best way to eat it??  Yep, you got it.  Mac n cheese!  Although, I guess with chili is good too...  I'm not a big fan of macaroni salad...but I'm sure there are lots out there that are.

It's also Chocolate day!!  That's definitely in my book.

And strawberry Sundae day.  I think two of those three should go together, don't you??

well...  Anyway - realized that I hadn't written in a while.  I've been working every day on finalizing the editing of my latest project to get it submitted.  I'm behind on my goal, it was supposed to have been submitted in June...sigh.  Shadow Mountain changed some of their submitting criteria and I had to make sure it matched...

So - I'll let you know how it goes.  If they don't like it, I'll just go somewhere else.

Hope you're having an awesome summer!  Did some face painting for the 4th...lots of fun.