Happy Saturday! At last, a reprieve from the 100F heat that plagued us all week. Everyone in my house is still sleeping, revelling in the fresh cool air. I on the other hand, am heading out to dig another section of the new daylily bed along the spite fence. I have not been able to get anything done there due to the heat, and I want the whole thing completed by September. If I haven't got it finished, I will actually pay to have the rest done. My promise to myself! It is clear to see that summer is an extremely busy time for the Idylls! All the gardens, travel, company coming, beautiful garden tours and planters.....this is the first "place" that I come to every morning, and I am never disappointed! Happy birthdays too to all that I may have missed. Nice to have you back, Marion! Large planters and raised beds are a great way to garden - fewer weeds! I hope someone has heard from Mary. Kathy you are really taking advantage of summer - so many interesting places to go! Michelle, it is hard to see the kids fly off somewhere, even if it is to follow their drems. Bug, I am sure the farm looks great, as always! How are all the chickens? I really like the green roof idea V! Woody, you are such an enabler *LOL* My Wild Horses daylily is open this morning - I now have about ten different ones for the spite bed fence. You are sure right about it being too hot to do major garden renos. Love the shed colours btw. I have been moaning about wanting a Saucy leaf for a couple of weeks. The result is a promise from DH to help me clean out the shed for a work space so I can try my hand at making one. Wasn't exactly what I had in mind *LOL* Notice no comments about the Juliejobs or the EAT program....September I guess! Lots more to say as usual, but I want to get digging before the heat! Cheers, all! Julie

My dear Jeff and Lavonne, God sure has blessed us by bringing the two of you into our lives. Thank you for such a beautiful letter to us all. I wrote a letter of thanks to Jan and Jim earlier today for having such a good son that he is willing to protect each of us from harms way. I can think of nothing any harder than to have to give your son or daughter into God's hands in a strange land. I know that God is protecting Bryon and his family. It's hard to believe how far our Nation has come in such a very short period of time. We are a young Nation compared to so many in this World, yet we are the World's leaders. When our fathers started this nation, I wonder if they thought that they were starting the stongest nation of the World. Did they know that by believing in the strenght of God, that he would make this Nation so very great? And to think, people actually want to take God out of our Nation. Out of our Nation after he has given to us the greatest stength of the World. We must all stand firm in our beliefs that with God we can do anything and without God, we are nothing. Priase to the Lord for all the men and women that are protecting our homes and Nation from evil. Thanks to all the men and women and most especially to all their families for allowing them to be away from their homes on this holiday. A very specail thanks to all of the wonderful people that I have had the pleasure to meet and now love from your great state. I feel so blessed to have met Jan and Jim and all of my wonderful friends from Tennessee. You are all so very special to David and me. I give all the Glory to God and ask for his blessing for all this holiday weekend, Mona

Just wanted to update you all!!! Mom and Dad moved a week ago Fri. to a 3 room apt. in an independent living facility. I think it's great altho I'm beginning to see the spots on the carpet and the smudges on the hallway walls. LOL But they are content, maybe a little depressed at all the changes, but the food is sooo good, people are friendly and there are activities for them to attend (watched square dancing on Weds. night). The move was horrendous. I spent a week sorting and packing what they would take; they did almost nothing but watch me run hither and thither!!! Now DH and I have spent this week boxing and carting away the remaining to our house and Salvation Army! It's been a huge job! A labor of love; they have been very appreciative. There's still a day's worth to go. I thought I had sold their lovely dining room table and chairs but the people changed their minds. I hope I don't have to bring it home--40 mi away!! I'm so afraid I'll spoil it! I have been back to visit my folks a couple times, mostly to drop something by that I think they need. I almost feel like I'm interrupting their peace and quiet altho they act very glad to see me. One day we did errands and went out for lunch, took a short drive along the river and we also went back to their house so they could see how much has been done. I did not let them linger for long, maybe 10 minutes. All but the dining room and kitchen are completely empty upstairs, but Dad's workshop and the family room still have about 10% to go. Some days I have felt like a robot, just keep putting one foot in front of another. Up and down those basement steps with another load...asking myself why I didn't accept the offers of friends to help. I know why, because I have to make the decisions of what to keep and what to take, and I am very poor at it and don't want them to see my indecisiveness. DH just bulls right thru it all and practically makes it impossible to resist keeping up with him; he's been such a brick about all this, backing me up with high praise and firm support at every turn. I am so thankful for him. So we are almost done with their house, but I have brought home half a garage full of furniture and boxes of things I want but have no where to put at this moment. More decisions, LOL It just feels great that they are somewhere that is really good for them. Their apt. seems tidier than they kept the house; they are asked to place their garbage bag outside their door each morning. That's very do-able for them, so maybe it's just the newspaper that's not piling up. No dirty dishes too. So far: aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh LOL

ok I will post it here and will also do it as todays recipe. Tomato gravy and roast 1 beef roast or round steak or similar piece of beef (I buy what is on sale) 1 chopped onion 1 chopped bell pepper 1 can diced tomato (I like the garlic and onion type) 2 or 3 chopped cloves of garlic 1 can cream of onion soup or cream of mushroom cajun seasoning, I use Tony's yellow mustard olive oil On your meat put about a tablespoon of yellow mustard and spread it on all over the meat, sprinkle it with your cajun seasoning or what ever seasoning you are using. Heat about 3 TBS of olive oil in your pot (dutch oven type) and put your meat in, sear it well on both sides to brown it some. Add your chopped onion, bell pepper and garlic, stir that around and let it start to wilt. Add your diced tomato and soup and one tomato can of water. I add a little more seasoning to that too and a little garlic salt. Stir it up to mix the ingredients. IF I have it I usually add about a teaspoon of kitchen bouquet. Kitchen Bouquet Turn the heat to about medium and let it get to a nice boil, let it cook that way for about 30 mins, then turn it down to a slow simmer and cover, cook it about an hour or so depending on how thick your meat is, I cook mine till the meat is falling apart when I stick the fork in it. If you like your gravy thick (I do) right before serving I will add 1TBS of corn starch to about a half a cup of water mix well then add to the pot and stir well, turn the heat up to a boil to help it thicken. Have a pot of cooked rice ready to go with this. Serve each plate individually put the rice on the plate then pour on a ladle of gravy and cut your meat in to servings.