LIKE WATCHING A BOAT BEING BUILT

My little wooden oasis floating in the trees... Paul got all the flooring nailed down today and when Mike came, they screwed down the walkway boards "so she can walk out here." I'm telling you - I am one special girl having these two guys work so hard - and it is so PRETTY!  After dark, Amy and I walked out and it's like being on a small island in the midst of all the surrounding darkness.  Of course, the house lights are very near, but looking up, there is the moonlight and shadows of the leaves. The cats are just taken by the newness of it - sleep beside it, on it, walking around on the boards, inspect the sawdust.

Yesterday I decided to see if the dirt around the Japanese maple we set down in the "sandy bottom" was soft enough to dig it up and transplant it.  I dug a little here and a little there all around it and soon had the roots dug up. So nothing to do but set it out (it probably isn't the right time of year... but we'll see); and I put it near the walkway to the deck. Heather's mom Elvina is going to save me all the Piggly Wiggly sale papers this week for weed control (mulch on top). Some more cleaning, trimming, raking dead leaves from shrubs... I'm so thankful I have some "back" left to do a little yard work.  

Amy and I went to Corinth today: took a purse to the shoe shop to have straps repaired, Belk's for Fiesta plates (3 red, 1 dark, 1 light green, a rust color). Great sales (Belk's always does); she found several things and I did, too. Had to go up a jeans size... Well, there's always hope for wearing the smaller ones again - been there and done that before. But I'm sleeping better and I know that's helped my appetite. Walmart - got two more hummingbird feeders just like their favorite I already have. Rant into Brenda and Jess - so good to see Brenda - haven't seen her in several months. Amy and I split an Arby's roast beef sandwich. Meant to stop at Goodwill for a few minutes but just didn't have energy left. I got Aunt Ginny's two bags of Pillsbury Southern style biscuits (20 ct), and two for us. 

Paul's cousin's daughter (second cousin) Jo has had four surgeries in the last week the remove an old shunt and replace it. She was in serious condition over the weekend when there was a drainage problem in the temporary shunt, but after today's placement of the permanent one (4 hour surgery), she is likely to go home Wednesday. 

So I'm sufficiently wound down now and ready to go to bed. A quick hair-dry and I'm done.

They had this going fast - Paul measured, Mike cut.

More tools.

Paul said these were the steps - he was gonna nail this to the deck.

Super close-up - first lantana bloom from the ones I got from Aunt Ginny.

And at last I get to walk out onto it!! Thank you, thank you, Paul and Mike!!