April

Apr 28

Good Morning

Yesterday was a great day with the old gals. Only Beth and Diana could make it, but we did our best to have fun for those
who couldn't. Judy fell in her yard and hurt her back. Diane had an eye infection. Missed J, but NM is a far piece to
come from for lunch in AZ. Our lunch was mediocre but the sharing of our time was terrific. After lunch Diana drove us
to her new house. It is lovely. The large porches are the best part of the house. Bob was there putzing around and they
showed us their new digs and shared with us some of their ideas of things they are going to do. It is a truly lovely house
and they will turn it into a marvelous home. Our day ended too early, but then it always does with those gals. I find it
very hard to believe that we graduated that long ago.

Today will be filled with packing and a last minute trip to the store to pick up a few things.

This afternoon Rent A Techie will be out here to pick up my computer. It is still hanging up. I told them I want it fixed
and in pristine condition when I get back. They'll be delivering it the day after I get home. That will be a great day for
me. I'll get my computer back and pick up Casey at the same time.

Since I'm going on vacation, I gathered some quotes in that vein.   Some of them are pretty cute.

So, I'll be seeing you when I get back.

Prayers to those in need.

Cyber hugs and lots of love.

J
Mom
Gram

No man needs a vacation so much as the person who has just had one. - Elbert Hubbard
A good vacation is over when you begin to yearn for your work. - Morris Fishbein
A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking. - Earl Wilson
A vacation is like love - anticipated with pleasure, experienced with discomfort, and remembered with nostalgia. - Author
Unknown
A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in. - Robert Orben
Holidays are enticing only for the first week or so. After that, it is no longer such a novelty to rise late and have little to
do. - Margaret Laurence
The alternative to a vacation is to stay home and tip every third person you see. - Author Unknown
Those that say you can't take it with you never saw a car packed for a vacation trip. - Author Unknown
The rainy days a man saves for usually seem to arrive during his vacation. - Author Unknown
Vacation: a period of travel and relaxation when you take twice the clothes and half the money you need. - Unknown
Vacations prove that a life of pleasure is overrated. - Mason Cooley
Laughter is an instant vacation. - Milton Berle

Apr 27

Good Morning

Jo came out and picked up Casey. It gives me great pleasure to know how much he loves being with them. I was out in my
office and he was lying a few feet away from me when she pulled up. He recognized her car; got very excited; and went
to the door. As soon as I opened it up he went out to greet her. So Casey is now on his vacation. He will be spending the
next two weeks at Jo's Doggie Day Camp and will be loving every minute of it. Knowing how much he loves them and how
much they love him makes it much easier for me to be without him.

I got some weeding done, but I'm going to have a mess to face when I get back. Oh well, such is life. I got a few blocks
done and have them on my design wall. I think it is going to be lovely when I'm done.

Today, I'll be having lunch with the old gals. They are coming out here to see the roses and then we'll go to lunch after
that. I'm not sure where we'll go, but it never really matters. It has never been about the food. It is about taking time
out of our lives to spend with people from our yesterdays. I find it so amazing that people that did not mean so much to me
that May of 1961 could mean so very much to me now in 2009. 48 years has changed us all and yet we are still those young
unknowing girls who thought they knew so much and knew so little. We still have dreams and desires. We still are living
our lives as best we can. We are still picking them up and putting them down. I just wish they could have seen the roses
about a week to a week and a half ago. That was when the majority of them peaked. There are still some lovely ones out
there and some smells to be enjoyed. There is no perfect time to see them all. They are in their prime between the first of
April to mid May. A couple are pretty much done, some are in their prime right now and a few are just beginning. I guess
the same could be said for people. I prefer to think of myself as being in my prime plus because I know I'm not done yet.

I wish you the best of days and a day full of ordinary miracles.

Prayers to those in need.

Cyber hugs and lots of love.

J
Mom
Gram

Children need love, especially when they do not deserve it. - Harold S. Hulbert
It has been my philosophy of life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly. – Isaac Asimov
Joy shared is joy doubled. Sorrow shared is sorrow halved. - Swedish Proverb
It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him. – John Steinbeck

Apr 26

Good Morning

Yesterday was a bang up great day. It was a day of contrasts. I saved a bird whose foot was tangled up with thread and
a stick and stuck in the fence. I managed to break the stick and cut the thread off enough for him/her to get away. I had
been holding it in my gloved hand but had to turn it loose in order to get the thread cut and not hurt its foot. When it took
off, it still had some thread on its foot, so don't know if I helped it or just delayed the inevitable. Anyway, it was a
kindness performed and as of yet, I am not at war with birds. On the other end of the scale, just at dark, I eliminated
another rabbit. That culminated with me creasing a squirrel earlier, only that one got away. It is very hard to sew with all
these distractions.

I managed to get all the pieces and parts cut out and the units sewn. Now it is just a matter of putting each block
together. I got a couple of them done last night and hopefully I'll get several more done today. This is going much better
than I had hoped. I'll say one huge Hallelujah Hannah for that.

I just love the thought behind both of today's quotes.

Prayers to those in need.

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic
fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results. - Herman Melville
Do not let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do. - John Wooden

Apr 25

Good Morning

Here it is almost 8 and I am just getting up. Guess sewing does take something out of you. At least my knee got the needed
rest and is not hurting me this morning. I have figured out what affects it. I can not go down steps the right way, so I
have to go down them sideways one step at a time. This causes my right knee to twist. I was up and down the steps several
times and it seems my knee squawked. I will try to be better with it so as to not screw up my trip. My left knee is the one
that was really hurting and the turmeric really has taken care of that problem. In fact it was favoring my left knee that
has caused the problem with my right. Ah, another one of those things about getting old I am not liking. Course, like Wild
Bill said, nothing is that bad as long as you are on this side of the grass.

Today, Jo is going to come by and pick up Casey. I am going to miss him so much while I am gone. In fact that is always a
horrid negative about my vacations. I've been brushing him every morning with a new comb. It is called a FurBuster and is
the best I've ever used. It has removed lots of his undercoat and has reduced the piles of dog hair that are usually on the
floor. If you have problems with a shedding dog, I suggest you try it. It is rather odd shaped - more like a rake because
of the handle at a 90. I got it at WalMart after a client recommended it. They got theirs online.

I got one set of 4 patches done, and about a third of the second batch done. I should put a damper into that pile today.
With a little bit of luck I'll finish the 3th before I leave. It is coming along nicely. I did a mock up in my quilting program
to get kind of an overview. Nothing is the same, but I think it will turn out nice. Course, sitting for long periods makes my
knees stiff. You never hear a young person whining abut stiff joints and worn out body parts. Ah to have a young body
again... :) Might as well get that thought out of my head. I'm stuck with what I've got for as long as I'm allowed to grace
this earth.

Special prayers for those in need

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

All from Oliver Cromwell, 1599 - 1658
He who stops being better stops being good.
Not only strike while the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking.
No one rises so high as he who knows not whither he is going.
Subtlety may deceive you; integrity never will.
It is not necessary for the public to know whether I am joking or whether I am serious, just as it is not necessary for me
to know it myself.

Apr 24

Good Morning

Lots to tell this morning.

First was while Tim and his family were on a vacation in CA, their vehicle was broken into while they were at the zoo. It
was such a slick job, they didn't even notice anything wrong on the outside. When the cops got there, they explained how
the thieves are doing it now. They take one of those key less entries and just mash it until some car beeps back. Is that
awful or what? Tim has since found out that there is a gizzmo that he can buy for 350 to eliminate that problem. The
things I can remember they got was the gps, his blue tooth, and Tif's laptop. They left his radar monitor and were kind
enough to leave Tif's inhaler and allergy pills that were also in the backpack. There should be a shoot on sight order for
all thieves.

As an atta girl for me. I finished the last of the large geese units yesterday and got everything else cut. I have not subcut
the strips into the right size for the sashing, but that won't take long. I started sewing some of the 4 patches together. I
am waiting on one fabric to arrive to see if I'm going to use it or one I have. Choices are always nice.

This AM, I'm going out to get a shot of Fragrant Wave. I missed it last night and it does make a pretty white bush. The
color is breaking on one of my new floribundas, Burgundy Iceberg. My new tea, Radiant Perfume is getting close. I would
so like to see them before I leave.

I wish you the best of days and a day full of ordinary miracles.

Special prayers for those in need.

Cyber hugs and lots of love.

J
Mom
Gram

There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality, and then there are some who turn
one into the other. - Douglas Everett

Apr 23

Good Morning

In a short while I'll be heading over to get my lab work done. I meant to get it done before, but that plan was replaced by
one that made more sense - at least at the time.

I should finish up the 72 large flying geese units today. That will be a step closer to done. The last part of the block is a
simple 4 patch, but there will be 144 of them, so that will take several days. After that comes the sashing, cornerstones,
and borders. Sounds simple, but I see a couple weeks more work. I can see it in my mind. Now just to have a good
translation. :)

I was just telling Deb that I could get so much more done if I had a team of experts to tend all the others things in my life
that also must get done. That is the one thing about having an excess of money that makes me jealous. I am jealous of
being able to pay someone to do the things I'd rather not do. I would so love to be tended gently and completely. So, I
wonder what those who can never spend all their money want?

I meant to get out there and take a few more pictures of the roses. Some of them are pretty much done, some are still
wonderful, and some have yet to show their beauty. Floribundas Fragrant Wave and Sixteen Candles are now in full
bloom. Gingersnap is just about done. My four new ones are in bud. The Teas have been beaten soundly by the wind and
have lost many canes. Even Mr Lincoln lost a large cane this year and that rose usually does not. I wonder at them all from
the tiny to the large. Flowers amaze me with. They give their all to the bloom and share willingly their beauty for all of us
to behold. If people could just do the same.

I am getting pretty sick and tired of politics and politicians. Democrats and Republicans will never agree on most things. I
am so sick and tired of listening to it all. Each side believes their ideas are the best. Each side believes they have the
answer.   I believe neither is right nor wrong. I just wish they would be more willing to compromise and get on with doing
what is good for our country.

With that, I'm going to get on with my day.

Special prayers for those in need.

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and
his children smart. - H. L. Mencken
I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still
know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing. - Agatha Christie
It is only the great hearted who can be true friends. The mean and cowardly, can never know what true friendship means.
- Charles Kingsley
Love teaches even asses to dance. - French proverb
A friend is someone who dances with you in the sunlight, and walks with you in the shadows. - Anonymous

Apr 22

Good Morning

Today's quotes prove that some have long recognized the damage we have done to this earth. We are a being born and
indulged by greed. Knowing the harm we do, we will not give up our luxuries to correct it. I am just as bad as anyone. I
am not careful nor prudent when I throw things in the trash. I am wasteful. I will use chemicals to control my weeds.   I
want the perfect looking vegetables and fruit and don't think about the fertilizers and pesticides used to get them to
market. Unless you are very old or have had a garden of your own, you don't even know what a culled fruit or vegetable
looks like.   Because you want your produce shipped so it arrives fresh and good looking, the growers put a wax coating on
them to protect them in shipping. For the past several years, there has been a surge in organic produce. Many want
organic food and at the same time bitch about their short shelf life. We almost deserve what we have caused. It would be
nice to help clean up our planet at least a little for the people in the future, but I don't think we are capable of making the
rough choices that would accomplish it.

Had a great lunch with Carroll. We always do. Our friendship goes back to 1980 when we first worked together. During
the mid 80s we began having lunch at the end of tax season. Odd that we have never had lunch at any other time of the
year. He will always be someone I consider a friend, yet I know little about his life.   He has been kind to me and that is
all I need to know.

That got me to thinking, how much do you really know about those in your life? Maybe more important how much are you
willing to reveal about yourself to others? Good pondering points.

This morning I'm going to call over to the VA and see if my blood work has been ordered. If so, I'll go over there and let
them tap me. I do so hate that as my veins have always been hard to hit. Until the last year of his life, you could hit one of
Brownie's veins by tossing a needle from across the room. I was always so envious of him for that.

Best shake a leg.

Special prayers for those in need.

Cyber hugs and lots of love.

J
Mom
Gram

Let us a little permit nature to take her own way; she better understands her own affairs than we.
- Michel Eyquem de Montaigne, 1533 - 1592
Be such a man, and live such a life, that if every man were such as you, and every life a life like yours, this earth would be
God's Paradise.      - Phillips Brooks, 1835 - 1893
We have probed the earth, excavated it, burned it, ripped things from it, buried things in it.... That does not fit my
definition of a good tenant. If we were here on a month-to-month basis, we would have been evicted long ago.
- Rose Elizabeth Bird, 1936 - 1999
The Earth has a skin and that skin has diseases, one of those diseases is man.
- Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, 1844 - 1900

Apr 21

Good Morning

Yesterday was another sewing day. It didn't go as fast because I had to do some cutting as well. The most important
thing is that it is still going. One small step at a time. I have the 36 centers done. I have the 72 small flying geese units
done. I am working on the 72 large flying geese units. The most important thing is that I am liking it more and more all the
time.

I was just musing about some of the people in my life. I have a good relationship with my nieces. While I don't see any of
them as much as I'd like, they are all good people who I am grateful to have in my life. While not all of them are related
by blood or marriage, all of them are related by love. Funny when I think of them as individuals, they each are different
and I can see and appreciate those differences. They all have large hearts and gentle souls so in a quick bauble of time,
they are all identical in spirit.

Today I'll be having lunch with my old tax buddy, Carroll. We go way back to 1980 when we worked together at Block.
He had already quit smoking and was a real pain to those of us who still were. We have lunch after every tax season. It is
nice to get together and just talk. He will always be a friend and it will be good to spend a few hours together.

I'll run a few errands on the way home and then get back to my sewing.

I feel a rant coming on, but I'll just settle for some nice quotes today. I don't have time to afford myself the luxury of a
full blown rant. :)

I wish you all the joy of ordinary miracles.

Special prayers for those in need.

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

What is objectionable, what is dangerous, about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The
evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents. - Robert F. Kennedy
Tolerance is the eager and glad acceptance of the way along which others seek the truth. - Sir Walter Besant
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill

Apr 20

Good Morning

Yesterday was a good day even if I didn't get outside at all. I got a lot of sewing done and that was good.

I stopped long enough to fix me a good sirloin and some asparagus.   Most of the steak was eaten with sour cream and a
good appetite. I have enough left over for lunch today.

I am on a list where the moderator throws out a word and we are encouraged to share our thoughts about that word.
Today's word was sad. The natural flow went from sad to depression. I do not believe that you have to be depressed to
be sad, but I do believe you are truly sad when you are depressed. There are also degrees of sadness. The death of a
loved one is bound with sorrow as well as sadness.   I wonder what degree of sadness brings you to melancholy. Those
same words are defined by each of us differently, but the general thought was the same.

I am so enjoying the strawberries I got. I also had to get some more of that lemon sorbet. It is like some kind of a wild
cross among lemon pie, lemon aide, and lemon drops. Many would not like it because it is very tart. It must be good
because Casey likes it. In fact he will beg for it. Damn I love that dog.

I called Rob yesterday to ask him if he had a small table I could use to hold his sewing machine. A regular table is just
way too high for me to sew for very long. He does have one, but we'll have to share as it is also the table he uses when he
goes to market. I'm going to be taking some of my project with me and will sew a it some when I can't sleep or they are
busy. I don't think I'll be doing much sewing, but whatever I get done there will make it better for me when I get back.

I want you all to have a joyful day full of ordinary miracles.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth, and their families. Special prayers for all those that I love; for all those who make me
smile; for all those in need.

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win
it. The man who knows how will always have a job. The man who also knows why will always be his boss.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure. - Benjamin Disraeli

Apr 19

Good Morning

I slept in again this morning. If I keep doing that, I'll never get anything done. Here it is after 7:00 and I've lost at least
2 hours of my day. Maybe most sadly, I've missed the dawn. I do so enjoy that fresh new part of each day. To me it is
proof that each day I get a new chance to be the best me that I can be. It does not matter how the day ends so long as I
strive to improve myself in either small or large ways. Smugly we all would rather think we are pretty good just the way
we are. What we should be doing is to evaluate based in reality rather in the world of denial. I do agree that it is far
more comfortable to live in the world of denial, but there are no challenges to stimulate your brain.

I accomplished a mighty goal yesterday. I got my hear sheared. My God was it long. It was driving me batty. I also got
some great fruit - finally some strawberries that tasted like strawberries. I cleaned up two baskets and have been
nibbling on them ever since. Being diabetic, I haven't put sugar on them in a long time. I used to put Splenda on our
berries for shortcake with angle food cake. Now I just wash them and remove the stems and place them upside in a bowl.
It is very difficult to walk by that refrigerator; knowing what is inside; without taking a couple.

Today, I am going to work outside a bit. I checked the weather and we are going to be having an extremely hot spell for a
couple of days. It is too early to be knocking at the 100s door.

I'll also be working on a sewing project that I can not say anything about. It is going to be a surprise and a surprise has
to be guarded. Loose lips and all that. Let me just say that I got the center completed and am now spreading out. I know,
makes absolutely no sense to anyone even those who sew.

Special thought and prayers for someone who is going through a lot of medical tests. Even though I will not mention her
name, it would be wonderful to offer a prayer that the rest of her tests come out OK. Battling the unknown is always hard.

Best churn up some breakfast and get some work done, so I can get back to my sewing.

I wish you a day of ordinary miracles. Allow yourself to have a wonderful day.

Special prayers for Cleo and Beth and their families.

Cyber hugs and lots of love.

J
Mom
Gram

Faith is the bird that feels the light, and sings when the dawn is still dark. - Rabindranath Tagore
Words form the thread on which we string our experiences. - Aldous Leonard Huxley
Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother. - Khalil Gibran
When you get to the end of all the light you know and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing
that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.
- Edward Teller

Apr 18

Good Morning

Yesterday was a bang up day. I sewed most of the day.   While talking to Faye I scored a hard won hit. First time I ever
shot and talked at the same time. Took too many shells to get er done, so not prudent on my part. Still that is one more
down and God knows how many more to go.

The other day I felt like baking a loaf of bread. I went to see if I had any yeast. To say the least, it has been a while
since I've last baked bread, my yeast was dated 2004. I still find it hard to believe it has been that long. I know I
haven't baked any since Brownie died, but that means I didn't bake any bread the last two years he lived. That is still
hard for me to believe. I guess we get wrapped up in daily living and just don't recognize what we are doing. Maybe even
more important what we are missing. And to think I once baked bread weekly along with all the other goodies. I sure
would love some of my potato raised donuts. I used to make 10 to 15 dozen at a whack. A few I glazed and a few I
covered in chocolate, but the most I just sugar coated and froze in dozen bags. When we wanted some, I just took a bag
out of the freezer, put them on a cookie sheet and defrosted them in the oven. When defrosted, the sugar melted and they
were like fresh glazed. Ah the memories. I suppose you have to live a long time in order to appreciate your memories. :)

For anyone who just can't enough of Susan Boyle. Here is a link to a recording that was made in 1999 for a charity CD of
which only 1000 copies were made. Her version of Cry Me a River is breathtaking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI2DxkrgpgQ

I still find it difficult to understand why she was still an unknown 10 years later. Too bad we can't hear her voice when
she was only 25.   I'm sure it would be better and more clear, but I'm not sure we could take her being any better. That
gal has got some pipes.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth, and their families.

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

There is a big difference between recognizing a situation may be out of your control and letting it drive you out of
control. - Grant M. Bright
If you must begin then go all the way, because if you begin and quit, the unfinished business you have left behind begins
to haunt you all the time. - Chögyam Trungpa
To be upset over what you don't have is to waste what you do have. - Ken Keyes
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. - Sir Winston Churchill

Apr 17

Good Morning

I was talking to Sharon on the phone; looked out the window; and saw a coyote out in the road. It was just as calm as you
please. I haven't seen one around here in a very long time. I've heard them, but I've not seen them. Too bad it couldn't
have gotten that damn rabbit I also saw. :) It was in the wrong place, so it got a reprieve. The coyote looked to be in
pretty good shape. Some things that live in this area I do enjoy seeing.

I should take my camera out and walk around the Desert Museum. I do so enjoy that place. I should do it before it gets
too hot. Course, I hate the wind too. I think I'd rather have the heat. The Desert Museum is the only organization that I
always make a donation. The others depend totally on a whim. I need to get some good pictures of crested saguaros.
They are such a unique specimen of nature.

I did a bit of sewing yesterday. It felt so good to be behind that machine again. I also watched the Beverly Hills
Chihuahua. That was a very cute movie that kids of all ages could enjoy. We need more good clean stories without a lot of
violence. Sure there were the bag guys, but there were those good guys to come in to save the day. Having said that, the
next on my list is Whistle Blower. It is safe to say they are complete opposites. :)

I wish you a day full of ordinary miracles. I'm going to begin mine with a cup of coffee, a slice of toast, and dawn.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth, and their families.

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

If birds of a feather flock together, they don't learn enough. - Robert Half
He who has learning without imagination has feet but no wings. - Stanley Goldstein
I am always willing to learn. I do not, however, always enjoy being taught. - Winston Churchill
It is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin, barefoot, irreverence to their studies; they are not here to
worship what is known, but to question it. - Jacob Bronowski
Generally we study too much and think too little. - Henry Latham Doherty
Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. Kill nothing but time. - Motto of the Baltimore Grotto, a spelunking
society
Speak well of your enemies. After all, you made them. - Church sign

Apr 16

Good Morning

Again, I thought I was done, but I have an appointment later on this afternoon.

I ended up with one extension, but as soon as the last W-2 arrives, I'll be able to finish that one up.

I had the ham steak and sweet potato I bought for Easter last night. It turned out good and I ended up having enough ham
left over to have with my English muffin for breakfast today. I was so hungry for something last night and end up settling
for what I had. I think I was just wanting something brought to me. Ah the dream of having good meals catered, arriving
warm, and smelling divine with no effort on my part.

I got the best lemon sorbet. It was quite tart, but so refreshing. I want some good fruit. The last strawberries were not
that good. The watermelon was OK. The cantaloupe was passable. I want some grapes, but I refuse to buy any more
coming from Chili. It will be a cold day in hell before I eat anything from China. I hope I don't have to eat those words
since our government has sold our soul along with lots of pink slips to China.

Susan Boyle... This is one of the best articles I've read.
http://coyoteprime-runningcauseicantfly.blogspot.com/2009/04/story-of-susan-boyle.html

Hers is the story of the majority in this world. Those of us who are not pretty and have had to learn to live with that
knowledge know how cruel the world can be. Our world celebrates the beautiful and grudgingly allows a lowly place at
the table for the rest of us. That she is not beautiful, it was assumed that she could not sing. That she was not stylish, it
was assumed she could not sing. I shall always be grateful to her for proving the world wrong. I take great relish in
seeing her win over a sneering audience in the time it took to sing just a few notes. At least one plain looking gal made it
out of the pack. Sadly the world is still entitled by the rich and beautiful. Looks, money and position are prized above
character and substance. Susan Boyle did not change that, but for one brief moment she shook their world. Her bravery
resounded as she faced that audience and emerged a winner.

Today I challenge you to examine your view of the world and your place in this life. Develop your character. You are
stuck with whatever genes control your outside, but you can make your insides beautiful. Be the best example of living a
good life that you can. Always walk straight and tall and be proud of who you are. Challenge yourself to be the very best
you in this world. Most of all, never allow negative thinking to overpower a positive attitude.

I wish you many ordinary miracles.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth, and their families.

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

There is nothing like a dream to create the future. - Victor Hugo
A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you're fast asleep. - Disney World advertisement
A Dream is woven from thin air and nothing, Embroidered with wishes and everything, Then filled with the padding of hope
and delight. - James W. King
A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of
the world. - Oscar Wilde

Apr 15

Good Morning

I thought Carole was going to be my last client. After doing her return, we went over to Habistore. I do so love that store.
She found a perfect sink. I found the perfect dry bulletin board. It is larger than the one I had and has a better ledge.
Best of all, I paid $5. Gonga deal. We actually went over there to see if the kitchen cabinets were still there that I saw
with Jo. I had decided to buy them if they were. They were not. Carole asked if they were going to be getting in any
more cabinets. They are getting in a set of 12 today. Don't know what kind. Don't know how much. You have to stay on
top of things in order to get the really nice stuff. For everything else, you just have to be lucky. I am just thrilled with my
board. I've tried to find one and I could not find one with a nice ledge that they didn't want an arm and a leg for. $5 is
a smilingly good price. :)

A couple came by to pick up and sign their forms and I thought I was done. Got an email from a client who has been out of
the country, so she has an appt this morning.

The wind is just awful. Don't know why there can't be a happy medium. For some of those days when you'd give anything
for a little movement in the air, we'll just take some of this wind and share.

I'll be working in the yard when I finish up the return. That will be good to get outside even if it is windy. I don't like
being holed up. Course I hate the wind too. Basically it sounds just like I'm bitching about everything.

I've managed to get a little bit of ironing and cutting for my next project. I got the hemming done for Rob and Claudi on
some cheese cloth and got it mailed to them as well today.   I watched Marley and Me while doing that sewing yesterday
morning. Now that was a good movie and not a dry eye in the place. I can watch people killed in all manner of form from
the gentle to the bloody and not have it bother me. But you let an animal get hurt and I'll cry like a baby every single time.
This from the blood thirsty gal who wants to eradicate every rabbit and squirrel anywhere around me.

I am glad the season is over and hope you all had many happy returns. For those of you who have balance dues. If you
can't afford to pay all you owe, send in your return anyway. By doing so, you will have eliminated the penalty for failure
to file. The payment you can work out with them.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth, and their families.

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll understand what little chance you have of trying to change others.
- Jacob M. Braude

Apr 14

Good Morning

I slept in again this morning. That is getting to be a habit I am not liking. I miss the dawn and I do so enjoy that part of
the day.

I actually did a little bit of sewing yesterday. That felt so very good. Maybe when I start out with my act together next
year, I'll be able to sew more during tax season. That was the original plan. It just didn't happen.

This afternoon should be my last return for now. I know there are a few out there that I'll probably get later, but for
now, tax season should be pretty much over.

The other day when Jo took me out to lunch, I got a chili relleno. I hadn't had one in a very long time and it was quite
good. I decided to make me some out of canned chili. They turned out quite good. The batter would have been better had
I not rushed mixing the yolks into the whites. Oh well. In searching for a decent recipe, I came across one that I will try
later. They used fresh chili and peeled them, stuffed them with a bean mixture I would NEVER do, and baked them.
Except for the god awful idea of putting refried beans and sour cream inside a green chili, I liked the rest. I just never
thought of peeling a green chili. Goes to show you really never are too old to learn something new.

While Tim was here, I got the name of the part I need to fix my water system in my flower bed. That has to be done
before I leave. I can hardly believe I'll be in TX before much longer. I'm looking fwd to the trip. It will be so nice to
see them all again. I'll be anxious to see all the new things and the new babies top the list. Claudi sent me a picture of a
Nubian and Nigerian dwarf that were born only days apart. They are so cute side by side. Looks like David and Goliath.
A Saanen is suppose to give birth while I'm down there. I'll be going to market with Rob too. That should be fun
especially the one that is in the rose emporium.   Exciting, very exciting.

I'll be working in the yard tomorrow and the next day. It is suppose to be cooler both days and then we'll be heading for
90s. I do not like those sudden movements and neither do my roses. This morning I'll go out and pick up more dead
bodies. There is a rose I should have just picked off. It is a pretty red one. The cane was knocked over, but not
snapped, so there the poor thing is lying on the ground, but still blooming. I hate the wind. Did I say I hate the wind. :)

Best shake a leg and get moving before I lose the rest of the day.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth, and their families

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up. – Booker T. Washington

Apr 13

Good Morning

I hope you had a wonderful day full of family, life, and fun.

Saturday when Tim was leaving, we walked out on the porch and witnessed a beautiful rainbow then discovered it was a
double rainbow. While the second one did not seem complete at first glance, upon more concentration, we discovered it
was a perfect copy - lighter and more faint, but there just the same. When life gets busy, it is nice to have something so
simple touch you. Nature is a great comfort for many ills in this world.

Yesterday my day was a nothing much day, meaning I did nothing much all day long. The most important thing I did
accomplish was getting my own tax return done and filed. I'm so glad to have that out of the way. I did manage to totally
wash down my counter tops and washed the utensil containers and all the odds and ends in the kitchen. The rest of the
house can be in abysmal disarray, but as long as the kitchen is clean, I'm OK. I have never been able to cook in a kitchen
that was not clean. That is one of the things from my childhood that will remain with me forever.

I watched many hours of programs I had taped. One I had to start a couple of times before I was awake long enough to
see it. I have not taken a kick back day in a long time. Sure there were others things I should have done, but I didn't and
this morning in the cold light of day, I have some regrets about wasting most of a day. Sometimes playing is good for the
tired spirit. In some respects, I am renewed.

I have a lot of stuff to accomplish today, so best get with the program.

Special prayers for Cleo and Beth and their families.

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings. - William Blake
The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything. - William Connor Magee

Apr 12

Good Morning

Happy Easter to you and I hope the Easter Bunny was good to you.

I slept in late, but that felt good. Actually I woke up about 2 and watched Flash of Genius and then went back to sleep.
That was a very good movie about the guy who invented the intermittent windshield wiper that Ford stole out from under
him. He won the lawsuit and got some fine cash from both Ford and Chrysler. He deserved it. His marriage crumbled. He
had a nervous breakdown. His relationship with his kids was off for awhile. He fought more because it was the right
thing to do. I considered him a very brave man who would just not give up. Those kinds of people have always been my
heroes.

Did a few returns yesterday.   Saw a client who is now 39 and I did his first return when he was 17. Many of my clients
I've had a relationship with for a long time. It is always nice to see them again. Saw Tim and did a conference call with
Tif. Don't you just love modern technology. I love the aspect of that and how it affects our lives. It is always nice to see
the SM.

Got some more rain, but it was a gentle soaker so that is always good. My roses would love for this to continue for at least
two weeks. That would be something and I could also get some of those shots for real that are normally faked with a
spray bottle of water.

I started working on my return yesterday and should get it finished up today. I'm going to give it a whirl anyway. I hate
the sorting as much as anyone and had done very little.

Special prayers for Cleo and Beth and their families.

Cyber hugs to all and lots of love.

J
Mom
Gram

Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. They're what make the instrument stretch
— what makes you go beyond the norm. – Cicely Tyson
There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow.
- Orison Swett Marden

Apr 11

Good Morning

Yesterday was great. I did a tax return and then Jo came over. We got their return done and then we out to lunch. We
both really enjoyed it. After that we went over to the Habistore. I saw the most perfect set of cabinets for my kitchen.
I would love to buy those and then sell the ones I have. I'll have to decide soon.

We got some rain last night and the air smells good. I know my roses liked it.

Today I've got a couple returns to do and then I'm on my own for the weekend. Not sure where that will lead me, but I'm
game.

Best get moving and get done what I can.

Special prayers for Cleo and Beth and their families.

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital. - Aaron Levenstein
A ship ought not to be held by one anchor, nor life by a single hope. - Epictetus
I have a feeling that when my ship comes in, I'll be at the airport. - Charles Monroe Schultz

Apr 10

Good Morning

I think I finally have all the ingredients for taking care of my weeds. I will be taking back a 2 gallon container of liquid
preemergence I bought. While I can lift it just fine, I can not hold it in such a way to pour it safely. I was messing with it
yesterday just testing the waters. I was stupid in getting such a large container. The one thing I do not mess with is
chemicals. Besides that is more for larger operations with bigger containers. I got the granules and will be sprinkling
them this afternoon.

I will be busy this AM, but I'll be having lunch with Jo and am so looking fwd to that. I have no intention of eating as
much as I did when eating with Becky and David. We were all such pigs, they should have shipped us to market, but sadly,
I'm sure we would all do it again. It was so good. Buffets are deadly.

This morning as soon as it gets light, I'm going to go pick up more dead bodies. Such a shame. I am also going to be taking
some pictures with a yard stick besides some of the bushes so you can get a better idea of the size. By taking a close up
of a rose, you honestly can not tell whether it is 2 inches or 6 inches across.   I have made some management decisions this
year. Shortly after I get back from TX, I will be removing possibly three of my teas for their bad performance. One will
be my JFK. I have wanted that rose so bad. It has been with me since 1988, but I am now resigned that it is too hot here
for it to do well. I will replace it with another white rose and see what happens.   I am not thrilled with the growth of
Neptune and Heirloom. They have stayed because they are purples. I suspect they will not be here next year. I love my
roses, but if they do not do perform as they should, I know there are others out there who would like to live with me.

I am so impressed with my floribundas this year. I do wish Simply Marvelous was a larger bush, but that only means that it
can not be trimmed hardly at all.   Ebb Tide has come a long way. Gingersnap, Hot Cocoa, Black Cherry, Cherish, and
Honey Perfume are show stoppers. Sixteen Candles and Fragrant Wave are full of buds and will make their presence
known before long. The white mini is just overloaded with blooms. Some of the spectacular teas now are Just Joey, Glory
Days, and Lovers Lane. There are others that are going to be great soon. I'll be able to see them soon. A perfect day
would be me sitting at my sewing machine just whizzing along and being able to look out my window at my roses.

Best get with the program. I need to get showered and dressed before the sun comes up. Dawn belongs to me and my
roses. :) I will jealously guard and enjoy that special time of the day. I don't share that time easily.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth, and their families.

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

Everyone has his burden. What counts is how you carry it. - Merle Miller
I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be honorable, to be compassionate. It is, after all, to
matter: to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all. – Leo Rosten

Apr 9

Good Morning

I got pictures of the floribunda bushes posted. Some of them are just so lovely and just covered with blooms. I begin
each day with anticipation and eagerness to see what is out there. Along with the beauty and intoxicating smells of the
teas, there are also broken canes on the ground. It kills me to see them. I will pick them up first thing and pray that is the
end of it. That is a real negative of the teas. They throw lovely canes, but they only become unbelievably strong about
two months after the winds stop. Some of them really struggle to survive.   I love the simple beauty of the floribundas, but
the teas hold real magic for me. Any bush can have one or two flowers, but to see one just sprinkled with color touches my
soul. My roses give me much pleasure. I had to spray some of them again. I'll check them today and see if I see more that
are buggy. You know I would share a few leaves and not be that upset, but they move in on the tender buds and I can not
just sit back and allow that to happen. I'll be going to the rose emporium while in TX and am so looking forward to that
visit.

Lady luck did shine brightly on me last night and eliminated a pesky hopping foe. That it was a doe made me truly blessed.
Sooner or later I am going to thin the rabbit population down.

I was tired last night and went to bed with the quest of watching the movie, Flash of Genius. I didn't get very far into it
before I was long gone. I'll try it again tonight.

I'll be heading to Walmart quite early. I need to get some dye for my weed sprayer so I'll know where I've gone. I
should also stop by Lowes to get some pieces and parts to make a water sprayer for my flower bed. A pipe has come loose
so it is not watering the bed right. While I'm here I can just water what it misses, but that won't work while I'm gone. I
may put some sprinkling heads in there and see how that works. On second thought, I'll be pressed for time to get my
shopping done and back before my client arrives at 9, so I may have to put off the Lowes trip. I could get ready and leave
by 5, but I just don't feel that ambitious this morning. :) If I'm gone by 6:30 to 7, that will work just as good.

Well, I best get moving and get something done before it is too late to do anything.

I wish you a day full of ordinary miracles and a smile to light your face.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth, and their families

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now. - Alan Watts
Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish. - Michelangelo
Love isn't what makes the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile. - Franklin P. Jones
We are not retreating, we are advancing in another direction. - General Douglas MacArthur
The good rain, like a bad preacher, does not know when to leave off. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. - Dolly Parton

Apr 8

Good Morning

I have divided the teas into two pages and put them in alphabetical order. Some of them are blank because that rose has
not bloomed yet this year.

With a little bit of luck I'll be able to spray today. I am getting kind of spooked out because we are suppose to get rain
Fri or Sat. I do not want weeds.

I'm going to go outside and see if I can capture the beauty of another rose out there. There is always a beauty waiting to
be put in print.

I wish you a day of ordinary miracles.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth, and their families.

Cyber hugs and lots of love.

J
Mom
Gram

Nostalgia: A device that removes the ruts and potholes from memory lane. - Doug Larson

Apr 7 part 2

Hello again

I just got through taking 54 mostly good pictures of my roses. Some of them are picture perfect and will begin labeling
and posting them. I so wish you could have taken the walk with me. If I ever have money, I will have miles of walkways
with flowers of many names, but there will always be roses, roses, and more roses. Between the smell of the roses and the
chocolate plants, it is a great morning. Anyone who does not know about the chocolate plant... On a weed looking plant
comes daisy like flowers on fairly long stems. The flowers open wide in the morning and share their scent with the world.
As it gets warmer in the day, they close up. By late afternoon and evening, they are closed and you hardly smell anything.
Each morning it starts all over again. I would be happy to share the seed with anyone who wants some. Just be careful
what you ask for, because they will spread rapidly. They produce an abundance of seed and most of it grows. :) Again, I
so wish you could have walked with me. I have seen these flowers for a number of years, some go back to 1988, and yet I
am still in awe of them. I still enjoy them. I still love them.

I hope your day began as good for you as it did for me.

J
Mom
Gram

Apr 7

Good Morning

I got my new wheeled pump sprayer yesterday, but it was too windy to use it. Actually the wind died down just before
dark. I didn't do anything because I would not have had enough time to get just a small patch done. I do hate that. I am
going to try it this morning when it gets light. It would be nice if I could get a fair patch done either in the AM or after
my last client this afternoon. I know I can't wait to do some spraying as we are suppose to have some rain in a few days.

My poor roses took such a beating. I know there are more dead canes out there, but I haven't collected them yet. I just
don't feel like a funeral and that is what it feels like to me. I can see out my window that there are lots more blooms.

Last night I fixed me a nice supper of cod and asparagus. I do love both of them. I detest the way asparagus makes your
urine smell. I don't recall any other food that does that. Life is sometimes a real puzzle.

Best get with it this AM. I hope your day is productive. I wish you at least one ordinary miracle.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth, and their families.

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

Swim against the current, even a dead fish can go with the flow. - Jim Hightower
Hope is the feeling you have that the feeling you have isn't permanent. – Jean Kerr

Apr 6

Good Morning

I haven't watched a movie in just forever. In fact, I've paid Netflix for two months without watching a single movie. I
took some time off yesterday and early this AM and watched two touching movies. The Express is the true story of Ernie
Davis, the first African American to win football's Heisman Trophy. Dubbed the "Elmira Express" for his relentless drive,
Davis also lived up to the nickname off the field as he battled for racial equality. Sadly, it reminded me of Brian's Song
and Brian Piccolo.   The other was Save Me about a young gay man who's goes to Genesis House, a Christian haven for men
to get on the right path -- the straight path.   I was surprised that I enjoyed the movie as much as I did. I do not like
people to meddle in others lives under the guise of Christianity when in reality it is prejudice and discrimination wrapped
up and bundled with crosses and bibles. A loving religion never breeds hate. So I watched and thoroughly enjoyed a
movie about a guy who played football and I detest the sport and a movie about gays trying to find some peace in a world
set out to hate them for what they are rather than who they are. I can recommend both movies.

The rest of the day I fixed food. I got hamburgers mixed up and put them on cookie sheets in the freezer. I took them
out later and put them into sandwich bags and then in a larger bag. They should be quite tasty as they are closer to mini
meat loaf patties than anything else. I bought a large pkg of sirloin and put them in individual bags inside a larger bag, so
I've got steak ready to go whenever I feel like it. After than I fixed another bowl of Waldorf salad with that good
dressing. I have to get me some more of that dressing. That just makes it.

I did one tax return and then settled in to watch the country music awards. Actually I taped that while watching
something else I had already taped. I had to work on my recliner again. I got it better, but it is still not right. I'll try it
again later on this afternoon. Its days are surely numbered. I think I'll just replace that on my first totally free day
which probably won't happen this week.

Best get with the program and get some stuff done.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth, and their families.

Go out there and find you a good memory.

Cyber hugs and lots of love.

J
Mom
Gram

Think wrongly if you please, but in all cases think for yourself. – Doris Lessing
The great challenge of adulthood is holding on to your idealism after you lose your innocence. – Bruce Springsteen
The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy,
indifference, and undernourishment. - Robert Maynard Hutchins

Apr 5

Good Morning

Had a great afternoon. I got to show Becky and David my treasures in the shop. Once we finished up our tax work, we
went over to the China Olive for dinner. It is a very nice Chinese buffet. Boy did we all pig out. David wanted to steal a
poor lady's walker on the way out and have someone roll him home. I was just very grateful that I lived so close and would
not have to endure a long ride in order to get home. I had to stop by the store on the way home for some paper towels and
also picked up some sour dough English muffins for breakfast. In no time I was home, it was no time before I had the gate
closed and had stripped down to my comfy clothes.

I had a zany talk with Nikki. It had been a long time since we allowed our wit to rule and our conversation was one that
would have been hard for anyone else to keep up with us. We talked. We laughed. Mostly we touched each other's
hearts. We were not on the phone for very long, but what we shared will live with us forever. It is good when the simple
act of talking can put a smile on your face many hours or days later. That is a gift worth a king's ransom.

After that it was no time before I was in bed with every intention of watching a movie. I'll have to start it all over again
because I know I did not get into it very far before I was long gone.

After it gets light out there, I'm going to pick up the tumbleweeds stuck in the outside of the front fence. I do so hate
both the wind and what the wind brings.

My new sprayer should be here tomorrow. I have to weed around my roses. I have hesitated because it is going to be hard
grunt work. I do so wish there was an easy way to clean out the wells, but I do not know of one.    There is some grass
that needs the attention of my very strong roundup solution. I need to stop it in its tracks.

Right now I think I'm going to go back to bed and allow me to be blessed with two beginnings of the same day. :)

I wish you ordinary miracles.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth, and their families.

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

Failure can be bought on easy terms; success must be paid for in advance. - Cullen Hightower
Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. - Winston Churchill
Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. - George Smith Patton
In life you are given two ends, one to think with and the other to sit on. Your success in life depends on which end you use
most. Heads you win, tails you lose. - Conrad Burns, US Senator, Montana
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.
- Thomas Jefferson
There is a secret pride in every human heart that revolts at tyranny. You may order and drive an individual, but you cannot
make him respect you. - William Hazlitt
Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes. - Henry David Thoreau
It's easy to be independent when you've got money. But to be independent when you haven't got a thing, that's the Lord's
test. - Mahalia Jackson
We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. - Edward Roscoe Murrow

Apr 4

Good Morning

Last night I warmed up my crab legs and finished off my Waldorf salad. It was a very good supper.   I think I'll go back
to Safeway and get some more crab legs while they are still on sale. I went online to see the best way to heat them up.
They said to wrap them in a warm paper towel and nuke them for 1 to 2 minutes. 1.45 turned out to be the best for what I
had. I will for sure do that again. I did find it easier to use my kitchen shears to get off the shell.   Wouldn't you love to
meet that first brave soul who said just to rip the legs off that creature, boil them and eat the inside. Early man must have
been a lot more adventurous and much braver than most of us today.

We had just horrible wind yesterday and are suppose to have some more today. I knew there would be cane damage. It is
very hard on me to not be able to do anything about it. That just about kills me. Well maybe not as much as picking them
up this morning. Taboo lost two canes, Neptune lost one, Grand Masterpiece lost one, and Medallion lost one. I suppose I
should be grateful that the damage was no worse, but it still bothers me. At the end of each cane was a beautiful bud.
The wind burnt some of their petals, but there are still some beautiful flowers out there. The floribundas are ahead but
the teas and minis are catching up fast. Lovers Lane is a beautiful bush and those flowers have to be 5.5 and one may be
even closer to 6" across. I missed the first bloom on Great Century. It is a very young plant and the wind just shredded
the flower. I swear if I ever come into money, there will be a complete shelter for my roses to protect them from the wind
and hail, but will let the rain through.

I went outside early this morning to pick up all the debris that had blown in the front yard. I filled up my trash can even
after mashing it down a few times. It was mostly tumbleweeds. After I got that done, I took pictures before the sun
topped my mountain. I did get some good ones and will post them later. I do so love my roses.

Today I'll work on some returns and then will see Becky and David later on to do their return.

I wish you an ordinary miracle.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth, and their families.

Cyber hugs and lots of love,

J
Mom
Gram

Life is complex. Each one of us must make his own path through life. There are no self-help manuals, no formulas, no easy
answers. The right road for one is the wrong road for another ... The journey of life is not paved in blacktop; it is not
brightly lit, and it has no road signs. It is a rocky path through the wilderness. - M. Scott Peck
Recipe for success: Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and
dream while others are wishing. - William A Ward
Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.- Mark Twain

Apr 3

Good Morning

Yesterday was a bang up good day. I got my duplicate tab and registration in the mail. The tab is now on the truck plate
and the registration is in my purse. I am now legal and can be stopped. I find it hard to believe that I ordered it on the
31st and got it on the 2nd. They did good, very good.

There are many places around here for taking pictures of speeders. There is one set up on Mission between Valencia and
Irvington. There is one on Valencia just west of Camino de la Tierra. Fines and tickets are pretty high, so you best be
watching how you're driving. I used to be one of those who drove over the limit on Valencia. I have converted my driving
habit and now putt along at 40 to 45. There is now way I'm going over the 45 speed limit. People who do not leave in time
to get to their destination in time and believe that speeding is the only answer, may get a $200 ticket to prove just how
very wrong they are.

I had to go to the PO and mail out some tax returns. I had intended to come home and fix supper. I was swamped with
calls - one right after another for about two hours. That finally ended at 7. I had made a waldorf salad and decided to
just settle for that for supper. I just didn't feel like doing anything else. I did use a new salad dressing that I liked a
lot. I used a granny smith and two fugi apples, celery, golden raisins, and walnuts. I normally make a sweet mayo dressing
to go with it. While at the store I found a new dressing. It is Caroline's sweet orange poppy seed dressing. I like. It
would not be a good dressing for every salad, but it sure worked on that one.

When I got home from the PO and store, there was a client waiting for me. He didn't have an appointment, just took a
chance and came out. He had to wait while I unloaded and put away my perishables. That was another reason, my supper
was late and I ended up just doing a salad.

I am so happy with my roses. They are coming along nicely. Gingersnap is always such a showy bush and just looks
fantastic. I cut that one back much further than it has been cut back in years. It seems to have done it good. It is a
vibrant orange and just looks happy. Last year I had all my roses in my web page in alphabetical order. This year I'm just
putting the new ones at the bottom. It is easier on me and in all honesty, the order does not matter. I wish you could see
how pretty the floribunda bushes are. They are so showy. I'm not sure I have a favorite. I am so like a whore and just
love the one I'm with.

No new beasties. I've seen a couple rabbits, but they are pretty spooky. Guess the word must be out about the crazed
lady who is protecting her garden. Some of the flower seeds are coming up. I'm anxious to see what I get. The glads
were not bothered at all and are growing nice and tall. It will be good to see them finally bloom. I hope they do well. I
am so torn about going to TX and seeing Rob and family yet missing all the bloom while I'm gone. It is rather difficult to
want to be in two places at the same time. I know I'll have a good time with them. I always do. I'm just going to miss
seeing the roses at the same time cause I know I will have missed some blooms. Once gone, they are gone. Maybe the
blooms remind me of decisions and events we have in our lives. Time marches on. Things change.

I ordered me a new wheeled sprayer. I just loved my others. So sad when they break down. I suppose if I knew what I
was doing I could fix them, but I'm clueless. Since I've decided to do my own spraying, I'm going to make it as easy on
me as possible.   I'm going to mix up one batch of stuff to spray along fence row in my little sprayer. I should get it on
Monday, so that will give me enough time to get the yard sprayed before it rains. We are suppose to get rain towards the
end of next week and it must be done by then. While at the store, I looked for food dye to put in the sprayer and could
not find any. I couldn't believe that one. I will use up what I've got, but my yard could be very unusual for awhile. I
know one thing, I'm going to go my best to control my weeds. I have a few coming up now, so I'll be mixing some weed
killer in with the preemergence and killing two birds with one stone.

There is a house not far from Robby that I have admired from the first time I saw it because of its massive windows. It
sits on a hill and has a wonderful view. It is up for sale. What they are using for a living room would make such a lovely
sewing studio. Would you believe the name of the road is Rose. Such a shame to be just short several hundred thousand.:)
Ah the stuff dreams are made of.

Best get with the program. Today is going to be fuller than I thought. I wish you all at least one ordinary miracle.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth, and their families.

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

I searched through rebellion, drugs, diet, mysticism, religion, intellectualism, and much more, only to find that truth is
basically simple and feels good, clear and right. – Armando "Chick" Corea

Apr 2

Good Morning All:

I just about got all caught up.   Went shopping and filled up some of the empty spots. Anymore, I just can't stand to be
without several kinds of fruit. I will be so glad when the melons start coming in. We're getting some, but I am so hungry
for watermelon. Last year I didn't get a melon from Deming, NM. I swear they are the best. You'll know them by the
stamp with the Deming Duck on them.

After I got back from the store, I opened up my mail and had intended to pay the bills I got. I just about died when I got
my bill from Comcast. I did nothing to change anything and it went from 139 to 198. I just about died. I called them and
they said they couldn't do anything about it that I was no longer in my introductory price. I will have to dig out old
records just to see when I did what, but I've been with them for years. I am bundled with phone, tv, and high speed
cable. Had I not needed the high speed cable in order to efile returns, I would have cancelled it on the spot. As it is, I'm
going to be getting prices and options from other companies before I call back to talk to a manager. What I won't be
doing is paying 200 a month for those things and that was with a 20 discount because I'm bundled.   I may be unbundling.
I have until the 21st when it is due to figure it out.

Claudi sent me a link for a house that is for sale in their area. It is one I have loved from the first time I saw it. Oh well.
If horses were wishes, then beggars would ride.

I wish you a day of ordinary miracles.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth, and their families.

Cyber hugs and lots of love

J
Mom
Gram

Never bear more than one trouble at a time. Some people bear three kinds - all they have had, all they have now, and all
they expect to have. - Edward Everett Hale
Maturity begins when we're content to feel we're right about something without feeling the necessity to prove someone
else wrong. - Sydney J. Harris
The greatest masterpieces were once only pigments on a palette. - Henry S. Haskins
The greatest glory of a free-born people is to transmit that freedom to their children. - William Havard
The only ones who can forgive are dead; the living have no right to forget. - Chaim Herzog
Everyone leaves footprints in your memory, but the ones that leave footprints in your heart are the ones you will
truly remember. - Nicholas Sperling

Apr 1

Good Morning

Happy April Fool's Day!

I got a wonderful surprise yesterday. I was able to order my duplicate registration and tab over the phone. So I got that
taken care of for only $ 5.00. Beginning today even if I am stopped before I get it, it will be in the computer that I have
ordered the duplicate. Lets see $ 5.00 vs $ 200. I can handle that. I shall be carrying both the registration and ins in my
purse from this day fwd.   I won't be one of the ones who is going to make up the shortfall in Pima County or the City of
Tucson's budget.

Yesterday was quite the wringer in the afternoon. I was really hopping between 3 and 6:30. I'm getting too old for back
to back work. I need a slower pace. Oh well, it will be over soon and then I'll be a quilter.

Talked to Sharon yesterday and was very pleased to hear Sharon and gang will be making a visit in August. It will be good
to see them all. Sharon is driving out and some are flying because they can't be off work as long. I gathered and sent her
some of the tourist things they might want to see and do. I'm really looking fwd to it. Wish my house was going to be
done, but it won't be. Oh well, they are coming to see people not homes.

I wish everyone a wonderful day and hope no one plays too big a trick on you.

May you find several ordinary miracles.

Special prayers for Cleo, Beth and their families.

Cyber hugs and lots of lot.

J
Mom
Gram

When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made
under pressure. – Peter Marshall
The world is too dangerous for anything But truth and too small for anything but love. - William Sloan Coffin