TIME MARCHES ON

Domestic Bliss

Hello there dear bloggy friends! It's Saturday.  I hope this week has been a good one for you and that the next week will be even better. My week has been okay. I have been having a lot of trouble with my eyes. I have Macular Degeneration and my eyes for the past few months have been wonky, at least the left one has. My retina doctor decided to change meds so this past Wednesday I had my first injection with the new medication. I do think it is better but I haven't driven yet so that will be the test.  He wants me to go to my regular ophthalmologist to have my vision tested to update my glasses. It's been 3 years. I didn't realize it had been that long! 

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I went up to the Poconos on Monday and visited with my daughter and grandboys. Judi and I went out to lunch. We drove to Wilkes Barre and ate at Cracker Barrel. I can't say that the food was that great because they are operating on a reduced menu and the Rib Eye Steak wasn't on the menu anymore. That was our favorite meal there. 

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I have been working on cleaning the house again. If I were at home all the time I would find another cleaning lady. Roger let our last one of 15 years go about a year ago now. It was while I was away and I was so upset when I found out. He doesn't like to have them come in when he isn't home. I am having a heck of a time keeping this big ole house cleaned. I have also been working on weeding and doing gardening work on the outside. 

The biggest job is getting the Ivy off the sides of the house! It is so invasive!! And destructive! I have been pulling and yanking all day. It has taken the paint off in places and grown in the spaces on the bricks. Parts of the windows upstairs are slowly being eaten up by the ivy growing up the sides of the house. I have declared war on it. I told hubby I can't stand it any longer and it has to go. I don't mind it on the front of the house but not the whole house!! He has finally agreed with me and spent a good portion of today helping me. I have also been fighting with wild raspberry plants growing around and through the rose bushes. And the weeds! Roger mows but doesn't do any other maintenance. He says he leaves it for habitat for the animals and birds. The birds like to nest in the Ivy. And, they roost in it in Winter. 

The good news is that the weather has cooled down significantly and we haven't had to turn on the air once this past week. The Rose of Sharon bushes are still beautiful and the Butterfly bushes are still pretty but fading fast. I just love this time of the year! I sit out with the dogs on the bench in the back by the old garden and enjoy the birds singing and watch Dolly and Lucy while they sniff out the animals that have visited during the night. Dolly can't see or hear much but her sniffer is still working. 

So, that about covers my week. The grandgirls are at their colleges. My son is straight out crazy busy with his Swimming Pool business and his wife is a library teacher in charge of the whole school district so that family is really busy! I have seen them once since being home! Judi homeschools her boys. She has one in high school and one in the middle school curriculum. Although she has 2 degrees so educationally she is qualified but I don't know how she does it physically with her lung disease. Her husband is very supportive but he works full time as an IT specialist and has no patience with their schooling, lol. Now that the boys are older they are very good at helping their mother and I am amazed at what a close knit family unit they are! 

So, that's an update on my life and a bit about my family. We are all well and doing okay. I wish the same for all of you. 

Through My Kitchen Window

Our dog yard is huge and has two bird bathes and a  lot of feeders. They are all old and should be replaced but not this year. Maybe next. We have lots of woodpeckers that nest and raise their young on our property and also the same with cardinals. If  you look closely you will see a flicker parent working with his offspring way at the back of the yard on the grass. Some of the photos are not the greatest but I included them because they had something to say. 

My Lucybelle is very adorable and she knows it! 

This is our stray cat, Rascal. He comes every other day to be fed. We are wondering if someone else feeds him on the off days? Regardless, we put food out every day and he has a heated cat house in the Winter so we know that he is okay. Unfortunately, he won't let us touch him. I would dearly love to have him neutered. 

And this is our resident special needs cat, Zeppe, and he just loves it now that he is an only housecat! When we adopted him we had 3 other cats and they all bullied him. He showed his displeasure and unhappiness by spraying often on the washer and dryer.  But, he was the youngest and so they eventually passed on and he is left to enjoy his old age in peace. He is very affectionate and gets along great with the dogs so all is well.