Triple Trouble

I just love these women!
I haven't known them long.
One is divorced.
We used to attend the same church and I'd see her from time to time but I never really got to know her beyond a smile and "hello" at most.

One is widowed.
I only met her maybe 6? months ago.

One is single.
As in, never married.
I've seen her over the last few months but never really talked to her.

I was introduced to the oldest one at the church we now attend. She had mentioned that she wanted to attend the local opry, where my daughter is a regular, but didn't want to come by herself. Hey! I get that. So I told her that we're there every week and she was welcome to join us at our table. The next Saturday she came and she's been there most every week.

She then invited the one I'd seen at our previous church and sked if it was ok for her to sit at our table. "Of course!', we told them both! "We'd love to have you!"

Those two then noticed that there was a younger girl who sat quietly by herself. She then became the third.

Somehow, these three ladies bonded and became great friends.

They have fun wherever they go. You WILL laugh when you're around them. They take me back to my high school days.

And our table? Well, we've taken to sitting at the one next to them. Theirs has gotten kind of full!

Sweeney Todd?

We put a lot of miles on the car in the last few days.
A lot.
And sometimes, you can get a little stir-crazy from too much drive time.
Then you start to get tickled over the strangest things.
Or, the strangest things can get you tickled.
In this case, it's most definitely the latter.

This is a picture of my 19-yr old taking a picture.

Look closely.
This is what we were taking a picture of:

See it?

Down in the bottom, right-hand corner?

Yeah.

That's what it says.

My 13-yr old popped off with:
"Sweeney Todd?"

Made me wonder.

Come on!

Surely you've heard of it?

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

Anni-

Anni.
She's my husband's REAL love.
She's so named by the 19-year old because she's the ANNIversary Edition.
So we call her Anni.
Now if you ask my husband, he'd tell you that he'd pick me over Anni.
I know he would say that.
I've asked him.
Numerous times.
But still, I have moments where I'm not so sure.
And I'll be the first to admit that I don't quite understand the relationship between a man and his Harley.
But I just assume it's one of the mysteries of life.
So even without understanding it, I do accept it.
But is amuses me to think about how high-maintenance Anni is.
Any time she and Guy go out, she needs a good cleaning.
Or so he says.

I just can't imagine having something that causes me much work.
Except for my kids.
And my husband.
But I do draw the line at a motorcycle.

But he seems to think Anni's worth it.
He never complains about the constant washing.
Or the drying.
Or the polishing.


Or maybe it's just his "cave time".

But he does do a good job.

He puts her to bed most every night.

We can't have her getting rained on in the night.

She might rust.

Or complain.

Or something.

But I guess he really would pick me over Anni.

Though I imagine he wouldn't be too happy at having to make such a choice.

But I'm not stupid.

I'm sure not going to test that theory.

Just in case.

Perils of Parenting

This is a big ole patch of Lantana.
It grows like a weed.
Only it isn't a weed.
Guy and I disagree on this.
I bought it and planted it because I wanted it there.
He still calls it my weed patch.
Come to think of it, my maternal grandmother called it a weed, too.
She fought it in south Florida.
In the south it's a perennial.
But anywaaaay....



For the past month, it's been a hideout.
Our hen has built quite a little nest in there.
She's been camouflaged really well.
The drake has been kind of pitiful on his own.
She only comes out twice a day for food and water.

And yesterday, I heard a little noise.

I couldn't get too close since I didn't want to upset the hen.

But I wasn't crazy.

There was a little noise.

But I had to get close enough to find an angle to see in.

Because just walking by, I couldn't see anything.

And I wouldn't have heard anything either.

Today, there's still a nest.

Only the hen isn't in it anymore.

It's been taken over by ants.

And there's no more chirping coming from the nest.

I even found a broken egg further away.

But there's good news and bad.

The good news is that one duckling did make it.

And was happily following the hen around.

The bad news?
Well, the drake has been trying to kill the duckling.

It gets kind of rough in the animal kingdom.

And the hen has to keep running him off.

But I'm guessing she just does what she has to do.

And for us humans?

We caught her and the duckling and separated them from the other critters.

Including the drake....

Because a little fellow with a face so cute just deserves a chance.

M

My "baby" is 13.
Thirteen is such an odd age.
Still a lot of little-kid goofy left-
While acquiring some of the young-lady seriousness.

In other words, she's somewhat reserved around strangers and slapstick funny around us.
And she has a really dry sense of humor.
She gets me in trouble since I sometimes get so busy laughing that I forget to tell her to behave.

She can pull out the most obscure movie lines and use them in the most interesting places.

Recently, out of the clear blue sky, she said to her 4'11", 90 pound sister (who's name is NOT Tina):
"Tina, you fat lard. Eat the food."
(Name that movie...) (Napoleon Dynamite. Tina is the llama.)

Or when we're in the car, some idiot pulls out in front of us and I have to brake harder than usual, she'll say:
"Raise your arms, Maurice; it's more fun if you raise your arms like theees..."
(Name that movie....) (Madagascar 2 - King Julian talking to Maurice)

After I stop laughing, I usually have to ask what movie it's from.

If you're with me this far, I'll give you one more example.
Imagine-
Guy driving, me next to him
Two girls in the back.
We pass a billboard.
My baby says: "Dad? Wanna go to Hooter's?".
"No", he says.
She asks him that every time we pass the billboard or the restaurant.
I said: "I'm not going to go to Hooter's and order chicken breasts."
She covered her head and said: "I'm in a Taxi. I'm in a Taxi."

She's also at the stage where she doesn't want me to take her picture. So out of respect for her wishes, I got some bad, sneaky, obscure shots.
That way she can still be incognito.

H2O

Hydration-

It's such an important thing.

It's especially important in these hot and humid southern summers...

And there's just nothing better than a big ole glass of ice water!