Holy cow Pat! You've been an energizing busy little bee! That sounds really beautiful all put together the way you've described that. It makes it feel like a new home and I bet everything likes very inviting and now you want to go to bed, LOL* I remember about idle hands and the devil:) I haven't been doing a whole lot outside other than giving some extra water to some roses, squishing budworms, watching the toads 'meet & confer' they're good for a few laughs, pull a few weeds as I go along the front of the large garden and squirt the bedding verbena every day. How's that for a run on sentence, LOL* I have had grandkids and a SIL visiting me and staying with me almost non stop since June. My Mom and Dad will be here next Fri. The kids have worn me out... I had two grandkids staying non stop for a solid month until last Wed. one after another. No, I haven't had any time to be digging any holes, *laughing* were it even cool enough. The kids here start school on Thurs but it's bad. The 5 year old, Courtney can't go in the am Kindergarten. So the 9 year old, Brian goes to school at 8, Courtney goes at noon, then Brian is picked up at 2 and Courtney is picked up at 3pm. Oh sorry but we can't do anything about putting her in a morning class just because it's inconvenient for you. Oh you and your exwife work?? It's your problem to figure out a way to get your kids to school and get them picked up 4 different times each day. Am I ticked off?? You bet because guess who will be doing this 3 or 4 times a week..... My ex-DIL put them in school across town, grandboy used to go right around the corner which would not have been as big a deal. Sorry I had to vent and I'll take that hug Pat!!! Les

Thank you Cat Mom. Dee...I hope you find this comforting... The Journey When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a journey. A journey that will bring you more love and devotion than you have ever known, yet will also test your strength and courage.If you allow, the journey will teach you many things,about life, about yourself,and most of all,about love. You will come away changed forever, for one soul cannot touch another without leaving its mark. Along the way, you will learn much about savoring life's simple pleasures -- jumping in leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joys of puddles, and even the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears or on the belly. If you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to truly experience every element, for no rock, leaf, or log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will be overlooked, and even the very air will be inhaled, pondered, and noted as being full of valuable information. Your pace may be slower, except when heading home to the food dish, but you will become a better naturalist, having been taught by an expert in the field. Too many times we hike on automatic pilot, our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy the journey. We miss the details; the colorful mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maple snag, the hawk feather caught on a twig. Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole new world. We stop; we browse the landscape, we kick over leaves, peek in tree holes, look up, down, all around. And we learn what any dog knows that nature has created a marvelously complex world that is full of surprises, that each cycle of the seasons bring ever changing wonders, each day an essence all its own, each day a gift from God. Even from indoors you will find yourself more attuned to the world around you. You will find yourself watching: summer insects collecting on a screen; how bizarre they are; how many kinds there are or noting the flick and flash of fireflies through the dark. You will stop to observe the swirling dance of windblown leaves, or sniff the air after a rain. It does not matter that there is no objective in this; the point is in the doing, in not letting life's most important details slip by. You will find yourself doing silly things that your pet-less friends might not understand: spending thirty minutes in the grocery aisle looking for the cat food brand your feline must have, buying dog birthday treats, or driving around the block an extra time because your pet enjoys the ride. You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewie toys, bounce little rubber balls till your eyes cross and even run around the house trailing your bathrobe tie with a cat in hot pursuit, all in the name of love. Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less dark clothing and buy more lint rollers. You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse, and feel the need to explain that an old plastic shopping bag adorns your living room rug because your cat loves the crinkly sound. You will learn the true measure of love. The steadfast, undying kind that says,''It doesn't matter where we are or what we do, or how life treats us as long as we are together'' Respect this always. It is the most precious gift any living soul can give another. You will not find it often among the human race. And you will learn humility. The look in my dog's eyes often made me feel ashamed. Such joy and love at my presence. She saw not some flawed human who could be cross and stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful companion. Or maybe she saw those things and dismissed them as mere human foibles, not worth considering, and so chose to love me anyway. If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is done, you will be not just a better person, but the person your pet always knew you to be. The one they were proud to call beloved friend. I must caution you that this journey is not without pain. Like all paths of true love, the pain is part of loving. For as surely as the sun sets, one day your dear animal companion will follow a trail you cannot yet go down. And you will have to find the strength and love to let them go. A pet's time on earth is far too short, especially for those that love them. We borrow them, really, just for a while, and during these brief years they are generous enough to give us all their love every inch of their spirit and heart, until one day there is nothing left. The cat that only yesterday was a kitten is all too soon old and frail and sleeping in the sun. The young pup of boundless energy now wakes up stiff and lame, the muzzle gone to gray. Deep down we somehow always knew that this journey would end. We knew that if we gave our hearts they would be broken. But give them we must for it is all they ask in return. When the time comes, and the road curves ahead to a place we cannot see, we give one final gift and let them run on ahead, young and whole once more. ''God speed, good friend,'' we say, until our journey comes full circle and our paths cross again. And bless their souls for sharing their lives with us...and adding so much to our very existence. Author Unknown.

Neither one was in it (the show) for the right reasons. Interesting that Lorenzo Lamas felt that way about his own daughter when meeting with Matt for the first time. In this case daddy knew best. At least the bachelor was responsible for one happy couple, Trista and Ryan and their beautiful baby. matti

two coats of White Kilz Lydia...then two coats of regular white paint...it was a bear to cover...I was really procrastinating painting in there because she used a paint pen for all the drawing and I was worried even the kilz wouldn't cover it...but it did... I haven't gone back to work yet Patti...the doc just released me July 17th...so my first trip is August 7th..I CAN'T WAIT!!