LEVELING

Just before Christmas half of our back yard was a trench and over the winter it sank in several places creating holes and ponds. Monday, Paul borrowed a tiller and spent most of the day tilling up the surface and leveling it. I can't believe how much better it looked. He is amazing. All he used was this tiller, the little tractor wagon and two cinder blocks to weigh down the bed so it would level the dirt. And a rake. And stamina, patience and determination. It looks so good and I hope grass will grow this spring. He plans to sew grass seed.  That afternoon, it rained a slow rain, enough to settle everything down and give it a little moisture to seal it.

Thanksgiving Potluck

There was a lot of (lotsa) food today at the office. The pink velvet cake was well received - one of the guys said it looked as if the corner had all that cream cheese icing and he scooped it up and then saw how thick it was! I put the icing on a sheet cake, quantity was intended for a layer cake. Everything was sooo good. When there's food around there is visiting, a little relaxed atmosphere, and interesting conversation. I think we all had a hard time staying awake this afternoon. This coconut pie came from Mike's; I believe Rhonda made it, a pecan and maybe lemon - I just couldn't get around to all of them!

Paul went to the Crossroads Coalition banquet and awards ceremony tonight. It is a ten-county organization promoting economic development in Eastern Arkansas. Woodruff received the Crossroads Coalition Regional Business Pacesetter Award. Paul said he visited Woodruff's table which was represented with eight WECC employees. Paul attended as a guest of Wynne Water Utilities. (I understand that the person filming the awards for WE did not fall asleep.)

Amy had some car trouble recently and took it in for repair - her battery needed replaced, they fixed a slow leaking tire and something else, some monitor light, but I don't remember what; and it was all under warranty. Thank You, God. Really, Thank You.

Marble Day

Oscar is over pouting because I spanked him with a magazine, because he bit me, because I provoked him, because I was trying to clean off his stinky chin whiskers, because he'd eaten another animal's poo in the yard, and threw it up in his kennel. What a chain of events. That was last night. Today he is over pouting. I bathed him today, sort of cautiously, minding his sharp teeth, not that he put them into use today. Still. Last night he plunged one fang into my finger and I bled like a stuck hog. Then I soaked it in alcohol and put Neosporin on it. I guess I would have pitched a fit and bitten someone if I'd just eaten the forbidden, thrown it up and someone was trying to clean my face. Yuck. He's a dog. He had enough. He reverted. I picked up a handful of catalogs today and his tail drooped to the floor. He remembered. But we're okay now. He's clean and docile and my finger is hardly sore.

Since Tina came Thursday and did the deep cleaning for us, I did things like laundry, folding it, putting it up, changing the bed, grocery shopping, walking O, and making a recipe from The Pioneer Woman's cookbook (Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich). It's made with cube steak, cut in strips, much like a Philly Cheese sandwich, only with stockier meat. We enjoyed it. Her book is pretty, practical and sort of like holding her blog in your hands.

Sher didn't feel well today at all and asked me to tell her something to "enthuse" her. I told her she needed to let her adrenaline rest. Then she asked me to write something about her house; I think her idea is a submission to one of the cottage magazines.

Oscar and I walked to the primary school this afternoon and we went through the school field. He kicked up quite a lot of dust as I did, making his bath of the morning null and void. I brushed him when we got home.

Paul rounded up the leaves in our back yard (the front yard evidently won't grow trees) for about the second time this fall. It'll have to be done again.

All that rain just a week ago and it's so dusty!

Our neighbor Joe laid the neatest brick walk from the back of his house to his storage building - all old brick with the brick companie's names stamped on them. It's so pretty and I'm sure he'll also have it landscaped as the front of his house almost always has something blooming or changing colors.

I had to call and leave Dr B a message about a refill on my bp medicine - I won't have enough till I see him again, and it's too soon to get mine refilled. I'm taking 80 mg in a.m. and p.m. A couple of times it's been in the 130's, but not every time. It has to be consistent and that's what he wants: at least 130 (systolic). But I tolerated the 80 mg in the morning okay today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY - OCTOBER 22

"Grow old with me! The best is yet to be."

When he was 19 and I was 17, I had no idea... Well, yes, I did, because the first time I saw him, I thought, this is it! My heart was captured. But of the years ahead? No thought of "growing older." But how blessed I am.

Happy Birthday, Paul.

His dear mother is 91 today also (October 22). And I just have to turn a little deaf ear whenever I hear mother-in-law jokes or remarks because she is truly a jewel and another gift from God.

Doggie Spa

You know hair - one day it looks fine; the next it's just shaggy. Pretty much the same with my dog whose hair never stops growing. So I decided to give Oscar a haircut. But first. Paul called from Starkville at 9:44 and said it was pouring rain there; and now it's 2:57 and he isn't home, so he decided to stay and/or it stopped raining. I told him not to sit out in it. The concession area is enclosed and has tables and chairs, but I don't think it will hold that many fans at once. Or, yes it will - but standing room only. It's people-to-people getting out after a game. So after he told me it was raining, I told him I was going to give O a haircut. "You can do it in the garage; there's nothing in there but the lawn mower." (He drove his gas-saving Camaro today.) Before - Little Fluffy:

He'd already been bathed so I gathered up all my equipment - clippers, brushes, scissors - and turned the garage A/C on. Then I had to move things around a bit to get the old dishwasher cabinet out for Oscar's spa table. (We had a portable DW when we moved into this house and the innards are long gone; but the casing is on rollers and makes a great little grooming table.) Oscar doesn't mind a bit. He loves to be clipped, snipped, brushed and petted over. (By me. Everyone else from the FedEx delivery man to the mail carrier to the kids on the street knows he "snaps." I don't know how to break him.) I think I could trim and snip on him for hours and he'd just sit there. Anyway, I thought, I can get this whipped out in an hour. The first time I did this it took 3 hours. Even with the A/C, I was sweating pretty bad by the time I got through, and I don't sweat. But Oscar looked so neat and trim. He knows when he's been dolled up. Two hours later I was finally done. At least I'd shaved an hour off my original time, no pun intended. Then I had to shop-vac all that hair up and put everything back where it was supposed to be.

I wanted him to mow the yard in exchange for the great haircut, but he was thinking about Beggin' Strips.

LSU beat MS State 30-26, so they played, rain or not.

Things to Celebrate

#500 Post

It's Friday.

You, Readers, thank you, all who stop by to look at the pictures, read what I muddle through, rejoice in, cry over.

Sister Sher liked #60 of the daylily pictures I sent to her and asked if she could paint it. It is a very unusual color. That's quite a compliment from an accomplished artist, and from my little sister, who muses me, and amuses me. It does sort of have a Georgia O'Keeffe-ish look, and Sher really admires her and her art.

Number 60

Paul has been in Hot Springs since Wednesday and will be back tonight. I get to watch the "big" TV occasionally and last night I watched Benjamin Button. Unusual, based on a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Teri used to say I'd cry at a Mickey Mouse movie. This one was sad but very good. I have two more Click and New in Town, comedy and romantic comedy. The Blu Ray has been my friend so far; I haven't messed up any buttons yet. Pretty easy even for me. I'll have to check into the Red Box. Norma returned one at lunch time. Just $1 a movie, but have to have them back the next day...

A busy somewhat difficult week. Was on my feet a lot Wednesday and Thursday, but wore New Balance shoes to cushion from the hard floors. We mailed capital credit checks - about 13,000 of them. They all had to be processed, metered, posted, folded, and some stapled and mutilated (just kidding about the stapling - some did get caught in the machines occasionally, but not too horribly). Wednesday I felt like my knuckles were dragging. Thursday wasn't so bad I couldn't watch the movie, but I had everything done before I parked myself in front of the TV. Oscar cuddled a little, but he would go to bed early.

Sunday is Father's Day. I haven't bought Paul a card - yet. If I don't, if the heat keeps me inside, then Paul, thanks for being the terrific dad and husband you are. One more blessing to be thankful for.

My Celebrity

Recently Paul was interviewed for a feature story in City and Town, the magazine of the Arkansas Municipal League. Clicking on either of these links will take you to Arkansas Municipal League, then click on Publications>City and Town>May 2009 PDF. This will open the online version of C&T (have to have Adobe Reader, which can be downloaded free), then go to page 10, where the article is. (Sorry for the roundabout way to get there; I tried a direct link to the PDF but it caused all sorts of window openings.) It's a good article. Paul always does a good job on the radio program and has fun talking to Mr. Ken Bock and Mr. David Sills.

Paul's blog is www.mayorteacher.blogspot.com. My husband the writer. I was surprised when he did start his blog, and it's informative to read city updates and he tosses in some personal things as well.

All the Things He Does

I know I don't tell him often enough, but I don't know what I'd do without Paul doing errands for me in Wynne. I'd have to hire a personal assistant!

Cleaners

Vet visits

Groomer visits

Walk Oscar before dark. (Sometimes O just has to be walked!)

Unexpected trips to Amy's

Trips to church to take or pick up items

Battery for my watch

Pick up books at library

Bank (It's hard for me to hit that 7:30 opening and get to work in FC.)

Make me get up on cold mornings, or any other workday morning for that matter.

Start my vehicle so it'll be warm when I leave for work.

Washes as many loads of laundry than I do, or more.

All done with love, without complaint and with a willing spirit.

I know I am thoroughly spoiled. So the next 3 days, I have to adjust: Walk Oscar, get myself up in the mornings, do laundry. He'll be at the Municipal League convention in Little Rock.

I enjoy a little "alone" time, as I'm sure he does, and we appreciate and respect that in each other. I'm just glad it isn't any longer! I could get cranky!

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Sher is planning to come visit this weekend and will stop by the office Friday afternoon. She'll stay until Monday - she has the holiday; we don't. But we'll have two whole days together and our doggie babies can get reaquainted. Oscar and Bailey get along well to be Only Dogs. We don't have any special plans - just Be Together.

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Has been a busy, focused week at work. There were a lot of payroll changes I had to make for January - medical and life insurance (supplemental) rates changed, some changed their 125 Plan deductions... Most of these required calculations based on salary and age bracket. Glad it's once a year only. Other first of the year reports to do: wage and benefits for Alice; OSHA; W2 report to NRECA; retirement questionnaire for nondiscrimination (salary) testing. Need to contact Gary about CPR classes, start thinking about health fair, walking program. Okay - this is a herd of elephants and I know I can eat an elephant - just one bite at a time. I've eaten plenty.