Garden in. CHECK!

 This morning I hoed 4 long rows and planted onion sets and green beans. Then I took a break. Had lunch. We to the pharmacy looking like I had been working hard in the sun. 

After lunch and some ibuprofen, the clouds rolled in! So perfect for yard work. 

I planted my tomato, pepper and onion plants that survived growing from a wee little seeds in my house. And I planted some carrot seeds, too. Then I planted some cucumber seeds, some spinach for the second time. The others died or were eaten. I planted lettuce seeds, a hill for watermelon and three pumpkin hills plus one butternut winter squash. 

We might have a harvest this year, but we'll probably miss it since we will be gone several days in September .  And will we have water with which to irrigate? Who knows?!

I haven't irrigated quite yet. But I'm excited! It's done! Planted! In the ground! Sprinkled with the watering can! Finally!!!

Then I went out front and planted summer squash seeds in the whisky barrel planters ( shhhh- don't tell the squash bugs!!!) AND then I  finished up by cleaning up the holly hock and spring time bulb flower bed by the noth wall in our front yard. Mike's working on the lawn and it's looking good!

If I can just keep the hungry bugs out of my peas! Grrrr. These are just a month old and yesterday most of them were looking good. Today? Half eaten. 

May 24 / May 4th

 May the fourth be with you.

Mike and I have completed the entire Star Wars triple Trilogy, plus 2.

Now we have completed Season one of The Mandalorian.

Are we time-wasters? Yes. Yes, we are. 

Driving home 5/20/2026

 Mike woke up quite early on Wednesday morning. Since he was awake and since the weather had cooled and there was snow in the mountains, he decided it might be a good idea for us to just hit the road and possibly miss traffic slow-downs and weather. So we did! I didn't even brush my teeth. Ick. We just threw on clothes, packed the truck and off we went.

 Once we were on the road, I asked Mike about his early morning decision, and one of the things he was concerned about was if there were delays because of weather or traffic, then we might not make it back in time for our play. Well, the play that we have tickets for is tomorrow, Thursday the 21st. Not Wednesday the 20th. He had his days a little bit mixed up. But I am the holder and manager of the calendar, so that's allowed. 

The clouds were moving east, out of the Denver area and blue skies were showing through at long last. 

It was an uneventful drive up and over the mountains. Those are the kind that we like, UN eventful. We met Robert and Mom at Denny's in Salina utah. We managed to wedge mom and her walker and her suitcase and her drinks into the truck. Somehow. Poor Robert. He'd pictured just the bed of our truck being piled high with stuff. But it was not. The bed of Mike's truck has a cover over it, so it looked pretty sleek and empty, but it was not. The bed was stuffed full. And the back seat was loosely stuffed full. So we just had to compact everything. And she fit! Honestly, I had forgotten that she had a walker we had to get into the truck, too! I was picturing just her and her small suitcase, and maybe a little bag. Didn't even think about a walker. When Mike and I drove out TO Illinois and Missouri, we left our two carry-on size suitcases in the bed of the truck. But there was not room for our suitcases in the bed of the truck anymore. Tight squeeze. But we did it! And we got home and dropped Mom off at Our House Assisted Living around 3:00 p.m. 

We're pretty weary from our long drive, Mike and I . But do you know what? His truck is so comfortable. Neither one of us have TB. ( Tired Butt). Considering we've been over 3,250 miles over the last 10 days, I'd say that was pretty darn good. AVG mileage-- 20.5 MPG.

And now for some lovely pictures of the drive home. Blue skies, open vistas. Sunshine.

I was seeing white lane lines skipping across my eyelids every time I closed my eyes for a day or two after getting home.

Missing birthstones

 As we were un-packing our truck on Wednesday afternoon after our long road trip, I noticed a shiny thing on the driveway-- it was part of one of my necklaces I'd just taken into the house. 

Mike had started leaf-blowing that area of the driveway to have a cleaner walkway for his sock-clad feet just before I found that little filigree tree, and I had to holler and tell him to "STOP! My necklace broke and I think the birthstone pieces are on the ground!" The very ground her was air-sweeping onto the grass! 

Ack!!!!

I ran into the house to check on the part that was inside. Sure enough, the chain and EMPTY locket was still on my hangar with my church clothes, hanging on OUTside of the garment bag. I should have zipped it up in my makeup kit, but I thought it would be okay hanging where I put it. 

I went back out to the driveway and we checked all around the truck tires before he moved it forward so we could look for 13 missing gemstones ( colored cubic zirconium or rhinestones) , one for each grandchild. We searched and looked and hunted and swept and sifted through leaf and dirt debris. . . For about 15 to 20 minutes. We found eleven of the 13! 

Amazing. Pam happened to have one emerald green stone at her house that she brought by. Now all I'm missing is one red garnet stone for our January grandbaby, Braeden. 

Whew! That was close. 

Les Miserables at Tuacahn

 Thursday night ( 5/21/2026) we went with Kim and Terri Hunter to Ivins to see "Les Miserables". Such a gorgeous venue! Beautiful story, beautifully presented. 

It was a VERY long evening. We didn't get back to their car until midnight! Of course, it was almost dark and close to 9 pm before it started. And then the wait to get OUT of the parking lot. AND the drive back to Cedar City. It might explain my headache today. 

Ah, but that music! And the company was great. We sure love our friends the Hunter's a lot! They were so kind to share with us to opportunity to buy $15 tickets to that preview performance. $15 for Tuacahn tickets? Unbelievably great bargain!!! And to drive is there and back. So fun