Hi Belle, glad the water flowing all night didn't cause any damage! So how did all that mud get in your pond? What a chore that must have been to take everything out of it. I'm glad your weather is cooperating at least.

We had a couple of weeks of being in the upper 80's but this week we are back in the 100's again. DH and I did manage to edge and mow our yard the other evening--but not planning on doing much else out there until it cools off.

I've not been working on any of my painting projects as I had planned either--seems something just keeps coming up each day!

Hope Punk has had nice weather at the fair, and that she is making lots of sales.

I'm concerned that Anj hasn't been back with an update on how her DH is doing. I always worry when I don't hear anything. She has such a full plate of things going on all the time, I can't help but worry about her. ;o)

Better go check the holiday forum and then I might watch a movie with DH. Good luck with the rest of your yard work.

Luvs

Hello All,

I've missed all of you so so very much and I still have company that I'm enjoying very much. The fair is over but my work load is overwhelming at this time. Not meaning to complain, just alittle tired.

My brother wants me to get bids from several contractors and get started on his home on the lake. All it took was a trip up there with his daughter and when she got back to CA would not let it rest. The new home they will be building is over 4500sp ft and has a large pool so will not be a quick build in MT.

Belle sounds like your pond was a big chore and now your ready to tackle another big project with your porch and deck. It was great to see your orange tray. I've been wanting some popcorn balls and that made me think about them again.

Wow Luvs, I can't imagine being in the 100's. I'm having so many hot flashes or should I say tropical showers that I couldn't deal with it being that warm here. Not sure if it's just my lucky time in life or they are coming on from a little anxiety.

I'm so busy this year. I have had company from April till now, and still do. I never thought I'd see the day that I could multi task to this degree but most of the time I have just loved being with all the families.

It's great to come here and see that we have new ones posting a question or pic. Hope they will continue to stick around. I really dislike the fact I don't have enough hours in my days for all the fun things, like being here. haha I keep telling myself if I work hard enough maybe I will be able to retire sooner and then be able to play every day. It could happen next year if all works out.

Hope Anj gets back and all is well with her and her family. I am so far behind that I'll never catch up on the posts here. I need to get to bed so can be to work before 7 so I'll close for now and check back when time allows.

Thanks all, for keeping this alive.

Punk

Luv like you I am concerned about Anj, she just goes and goes. I am hoping not hearing about her Dh means that things are OK - I sure hope so! I had hoped when school was back in session she might slow down a bit.

Gosh I thought our weather was hot.....your is HOT! We are back to cooling off, down into the 70's with mid 40's at night but no rain in sight.

Our pond was cover with water during the flood and had about 3 feet of mud in the bottom. This is the third time we have removed the water and cleaned the inside, but the first time we removed all of the rocks lining the sides. I removed all of the rocks and plants around the top edge and thought we had washed all of the mud downward. Really wrong. The side rocks had mud everywhere, some of the rocks had mud behind. And believe me, this is the last time! Anymore mud stays where it is! And even with all of this work, I love my pond.

Punk....are you and Anj clones? You just keep going and going and going, do you ever have to change your batteries? I'm glad business is doing so well and that you have had so much company but maybe you could get a short vacation by visiting someone. lol....ya I know it won't happen. We had hoped to make a trip to MT his fall but ain't gonna happen. Maybe next year.

Well, the cable guy is coming today so I need to dust. I hate to dust! It take someone coming here to get the dust cloths out and in my hand and moving.

Everyone take care!

Belle

Nice to hear from you Punk, glad you are having fun, but I agree with Belle--you deserve a vacation.

Belle, I don't like to dust either--do it only when I notice that I COULD write my name in it! LOL

Luvs

Hey ya'll.....notice the time....2:30am-ish. ha Sorry I haven't been around much. Had DH home all week so you know how that goes. He's doing better, but since his was not a normal gallbladder surgery they said he'd take about 2 weeks before he could go back to work. Hope he lasts that long. I may kill him before then. ha Not used to having him home all day and feel like I'm being micro managed. He's just bored which I understand.
I've been busy between the kids and taking care of DH and all my other obligations. Got behind on my computer class homework from being at the hospital last week so had to try to play catch up this week. Had my class last night. Even more homework this week. I am hoping to get to paint today, but with DH home and the kids out of school and an ortho appt for DD....who knows if I'll ever get my little project finished. We'll keep fingers crossed.
Sounds like ya'll are all staying busy. Belle~ what a lot of work that pond is. As pretty as it is, not sure I'd want all the work it entails. DH keeps saying he is going to put in a little waterfall feature, but I'm sure it will just mean more work. ha Luvs~ I've had my heater on all week! It's been so chilly here. We've been wearing long sleeves and hoodies. Send some of that warm weather my way would ya? ha Did you enjoy working at your friends store? I think I've missed some posts somewhere. Punk~ enjoy your company. I may be having some in a few weeks. They keep changing plans so not sure still.
Anyway, ya'll have a good one. I'll hopefully get my project finished today. Wish me luck. =) ~Anj

Oh, so good to hear from you Anj. I was getting so concerned, don't think I've ever gone that long without hearing from you! Sure miss our morning conversations! ;o)

I can totally relate to the being "micro managed". Just wait until they retire and are around all the time! LOL I love my DH, but have no idea how I ever took care of the house and worked full time all those years since he thinks I need "instruction" about everything! LOL At first it was funny, but after a year of it, I sometimes get irritated with him and tell him he's welcome to do it himself if he thinks he can do it better! ;o( For the most part, I just realize that he is probably bored and pestering me is his form of "entertainment". LOL I also find that I have no routine anymore, I just sort of "go with the flow" and pretty much go along with any ideas he comes up with whether it's a movie matinee or a ride somewhere--the housework will wait for me, and I can paint or read whenever he's watching tv or something.

Yes, I enjoyed working at the little store. Had good sales that Friday, but it was pretty slow on Saturday because there was a Harvest Festival at the park in town. I did get to meet the neatest gal, she owns the store across the street and it is full of all the white furniture, lace, and roses type things that make my heart beat a little faster! She came over both days while her sister took care of her store. We talked and talked both times,about all sorts of stuff. I'll probably start going out there once in awhile to visit.

I've got to get the rest of my junk--er I mean really great stuff---rounded up and priced today for our garage sale tomorrow. I'm hoping it won't be too hot so people will be out shopping. I really don't have too much to sell, but wanted to participate with the other neighbors! ;o) (Anj, I really wish I could send some of this heat your way--I much prefer the 80's!)

I haven't been getting any projects done the past couple of weeks. I seem to go in "spurts", and get several things done, then fizzle out until the next "spurt" comes along. Can't seem to work at a slow and steady pace for nothing--just have to go with when the "mood" hits me.

You all enjoy your weekend, and Anj, see if you can manage to sleep in late one day or maybe curl up for a nice long nap while the rest of the gang watch a movie or something. Losing all that sleep is sure not good for you and will make you less productive (or even sick) in the long run!

Luvs

Good Evening All,
My company all left and so I did some decorating for Halloween today. I over did the table but didn't want to stop and iron the black tablecloth so just covered it up with leaves.LOL I can work on redoing some in the evenings this next week.

I brought all my pumpkins up on the deck this morning. Some are orange and others green. I will give several to GD so her and her daddy can carve away. I would like to paint some black, some with polka dots, etc. to decorate with but don't know if I'll get any done.

Luvs, how did your yard sale go? I love to go when alot of the neighbors are having sales. U can run from one to the other and its like a great way to get your exercise. I let the summer pass me by and now it's to late to find many yard sales here, darn.

Does the gal across the street with the white furniture with roses paint also? I need to get back to painting on my desk so I can get it out of here.

Anj, hows DH and you making out? Seems like everyone I know that has gallbladder surgery is women. Know one seems to mention this with guys but I guess it happens. What is keeping you awake during the nights or early mornings? I'm still going through the hot flashes so I have been up alot opening more windows and needing another glass of water.haha

Hope you catch up on your computer class. I need to go online and do some testing tomorrow. I no longer have help at the office so will be going in early and staying late for the fall and winter months if I can handle it.

Do you have company coming or have you heard any more? I don't think we will be entertaining company for a few months. I'm sure my family will be back for Christmas and New Years. Hope you find time to finish your project soon.

Belle is your pond looking good now? I can realate to your hard work and all of my water works are alot smaller. We ended up burining up one pump this summer from neglect. I just couldn't stay on top of everything.

Hope you do make it to MT next year and maybe we can get together. Are you still thinking you may want to move this way? Real Estate seems to be moving again now and prices are dropping.

Well best go and post a couple of pics on the Holiday forum. Punk

Morning all, quick note while I wait for the little GD to get here.

The yard sale was fun, nice to have four of us doing it at the same time. We each took turns going to see each other's "goodies". Had coffee,donuts,cookies,pizza,that we all shared too. Didn't make much however, and only sold one of my painted items. It started getting really hot around noon, so I quit around 12:30--just not worth it to me to sit out there in the heat!

Punk, I've not been to Holidays yet, so will have to go see your post. Do you use any of your painted items in your decor for the holiday?

I decorated our front patio--pretty much the same as last year--for Fall before the yard sale. I add the Halloween stuff later, then remove it and add Thanksgiving things in November. I had a couple of cutomers/neighbors at the yard sale tell me how cute my patio always looks and that they enjoy that I change it each season. Had a couple of others who wanted to look at it and wanted to know if any of it was for sale too! LOL

Well, I hope Belle got her pond all finished and can just sit back with a cool drink and enjoy it now. And I hope Anj got a good nap or a really good night's sleep so she can keep up with all the goings on at her house too.

I'll check back in here tonight. Enjoy your day.

Luvs

WoW! The gang's all here! And it sounds like everyone is still very busy.

I to have DH home all day, but rather than trying to manage everything, he just sits in his chair and of course I don't get anything done with him sitting there so I find "something" for him to do and he just looks at me and asks, "Why don't you just ask me to leave the house so you can get stuff done?" He has been retired for 19 years now so I am used to him being around but it was a big challenge in the beginning. I like my quiet time!

Our Pond....I love our pond and until the flood it was really not much work at all and all of the water lilies and other flowering plant are so beautiful and the fish become friends. After the "high water event" we though "doing this" several times would fix the problem of silt...they didn't so we did what we should have done in the first place, remove everything and start from scratch. The large rocks were the hardest. It's like building a rock wall - everything has to fit together and for some reason I do better at this than DH so I pointed at a rock and he moved it and like a little bird making her nest I would turn it 5 times and put it back the way it was the first time. It is now beautiful again but no sipping drinks...it's raining!

Luvs...don't you just love block garage sales? We used to have a 3 mile long garage sale here on our road, all of about 20 homes. It was always so much fun. Maybe it will happen again in a year or two.

Anj...how is DH doing? Much better I hope! And about your having a water feature....they are well worth the effort and if you don't have fish they are so easy. We built our pond in '04 and have had so many hours of enjoyment.

Punk, so much work and now taking on your brothers new home...and the pressure we put on ourselves when we have company, so take a vacations already!

Don't you all just love the fall season! It is my favorite time of the year as far as colors. Our tree leaves aren't very "colorful" when they change, mostly they just get yellow and drop off the trees. Thank goodness for all of the artificial stuff! And now the gourds and pumpkins look so real. Like you Luv, I start with fall and just add Halloween things and remove them and add Thanksgiving things. And with more children in the area I need to make up some crafty treats to give out even though most kids go off to town to Trick or Treat, so I drop off their goodies.

Well, we didn't get the deck and porch stained...but it is covered in hopes of a couple of dry days. So now we are putting up new insulation under the house. I don't think we will every get everything done! So our selling and moving is still on the back burner. Houses here are not selling at all, but then would you like to buy a house that flooded two years ago? Neither does anyone else. But time will help.

Off to work on the Problem Santa while DH is in town. I finally figured out that someone used acrylics over some kind of oils over acrylics...messsy! Had to use paint remover to get it all off...should have just cut a new face but I have this streak, something about being stubborn.

Take Care!

Belle

Good to hear from you Belle. Wish we were getting some of that rain--would wash off the trees and roofs and maybe cool things off a bit! We are cooler this week, down in the 80's for a few days which is a nice relief as far as I'm concerned.

So you weren't able to just sand all the goop off the santa? Gosh, wonder why someone would mix the acrylics and the oils? I'm sure he is going to look fresh and new when you finish with him. ;o)

We headed over to a senior movie matinee this morning and now are waiting to go pick up little GD from school. We're going to go get her earlier than her normal time so that she will have more time to play here with us and the dogs. We ordered a rope swing for her and it arrived today, so that will be a fun surprise for her too. ;o)

Haven't painted any today--hopefully I can do some tomorrow afternoon. Time just flies by way too fast!

Gosh, do you finally settle into sort of a routine after the guys are retired for awhile? It's been a year now for DH and we seem to be very sporadic about what we do each day! I used to get so much more done without having to work around what he wants to do--but I keep telling myself how lucky we are to have this time together and try to just go with the flow! ;o) (I succeed at this better when I DON'T have something I'd really like to get done, fixed, or cleaned up!) LOL

Luvs