The Christmas Elf......

Hi everyone.....well, just 2 more days left in 2014 and the count down begins. Do you have any plans? We stay home....I will head downstairs to watch the New Year come in on TV... I like watching the big ball drop in New York City and watch the throngs of people, then on to Chicago and LasVegas. I think this year they added one more city....Nashville??? Will have to watch and see. 

Probably will make a few snacks for us in the early evening, nothing much, cheese and crackers, bbq hot dogs, celery and carrots, pin wheels, Greek olives and whatever else I can dig up. Then JP can munch all night to his hearts content.

I re-re-decorated the tree again. The lights burned out, so I bought some new ones today at 50% off. See that little elf that Mr. Snowman is looking at????? I think the elf was the culprit....I didn't see him do it, but I think he is the reason the lights went dead....yep he was up to some mischief alright.

Doesn't he look all innocent sitting in the tree....he acts one way when I am around and then totally different when I am out of his sight....bad elf!!!! Now that the tree is redecorated in red and white.....I probably will keep it up till Valentines. I have some hearts that I can put on the little tree.....when it comes down, I will just leave the lights on and that little elf will nest there till next Christmas. I have taken down about 50% of the ornaments....that is early for me....I usually wait till around the 16th of January to take Christmas down. We'll see I just may take it all down earlier.

Well tomorrow I have an eye appointment at 11am, eyes need to be checked yearly for diabetes. I have noticed a slight difference...my right eye seems to be a bit blurry and good grief...my bifocals never work cause I still have to take my glasses off to see up close. Won't it be nice when the trumpet is sounded and Jesus takes us home....no more pain, tears and "glasses" yesssss....20-20 vision!!!

Tis' time to close this blog for tonight. I am going to try and blog one more time before the end of this year is over.....we'll see if something interesting comes up. You all take care and keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise

Relaxing with a Fire, a Water Fountain & Hot Dogs

Hi Everyone, hope your week is going great.
Last night we lite a fire in our pit. Yes, that is a "smoky joe" we are doing the fire in. One of these days we will get a real fire pit. The conditions were perfect for a fire, no breeze, ground was wet from a fresh rain. One mosquito found my ankle. Pulled out the "mosquito candles" and off they went.

Hot Dogs getting cooked up on the fire......mmmmmm.....did they smell good. Put them on a slice of pumpernickel bread, a dill pickle and "da works" dressing. Not a bad little sandwich.

I turned the fountain on for that added "relaxation sound"

So here is JP relaxing, enjoying his hot dog and watching the fire. It was a lovely night and we really must do this again. The last time was probably two years ago. 
Life is much too short to worry about the petty things of life that can drag us down. Best just to live in the moment, getting all the garbage out of our lives. Focusing on priorities, whatever that may be.

Well, so much for today's blog. Time to go walk Kylie around the block. You have a great evening and keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh.
Cheers ~ Louise

Dismantling a Water Fountain & Another Tree

A beautiful SPRING DAY on the Fox River!!!! Yay......it feels so good to experience a day like this!!!    It's been a long, long hard winter!!



This is on the Fox River, taken from Sandi's backyard.........beautiful day on April 27th, 2013!



When Sandi and Doug moved into this house, they asked if we would like this fountain. Yes! I said, I love the sound of water falling...probably I would like living near Niagara Falls too!! So on this beautiful day, we began to dismantle the water fountain along with the help of Sandi's grandson and his 3 friends. We got 2 loads of rocks, many of them were cemented together and had to be sledge hammered apart, but the boys enjoyed showing off their manliness and the walls came tumbling down!!!

Here you see JP and Doug relaxing while the 3 boys took another load of flagstone to our house. I think retirement is agreeing with both men!!!

In this picture you see all the flagstone dumped in our back yard. Now the fun begins. I think I will put the fountain in this area by the garage as the fountain will be nearest the electrical outlet. I am going to build the stone around the lining (some how). It may take me all spring and summer to finish it, but it should be good exercise moving the flagstone around. I may check some of the stores in town to see their displays before I start though and then check out prices for water pumps....not sure what I want yet, but I know I want a pump that SOUNDS like a fountain.......some fountains can sound so wimpy. So I will be listening to a few fountains, they are so relaxing!!!

I will need to get a picnic table to sit by the fountain, as we already had someone saying they would like to come over and picnic with us when the fountain is finished! Deal.....sounds like fun!!! Hot dogs and hamburgers coming up!!

Today, April 29th. We woke up to the sounds of chain saws and men cutting the tree down across the street!!! Ha....the demise of another tree!!! These trees get so big, then they become a problem....sorry to say, we have two trees needing to come down or be trimmed.
Do I hear a bid to donate the work or $$$$???
I guess the cost of this tree was $1200. The tree in back of this one, to take down was $3000-yikes!!!
I am afraid to ask what our trees might cost!! 

LOOK OUT!! Here comes a limb!!!

One of the limbs came down and hit the side walk of the neighbors house, made a big dent on their walk-way.

Well, the big, bad tree is down...not sure what they are going to do with all the chunks of wood.
 The  neighbor on the right likes to burn wood in his out-door fire place, perhaps they will keep it.
Maybe we will see lots more sun and flowers cause the neighbor on the left likes to landscape!!!

Time to close this blog, you all take care and keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh!
Recipe tomorrow, if it turns out good. Lental soup, "Jacobs Way"
Cheers ~ Louise

PS...I am not sure what is going on with the above paragraph, looks fine from here, but when I update and view blog this is what it looks like........sooooo.....I guess I will leave it. Have played and played and can't seem to fix it so, I will leave it........se' le' vee!!! That's life!!!