Is this the official end of summer when they start back to school?

J starts 8th grade today, and Mom is starting at Doane-Lincoln to finish her degree.  New clothes, new backpack, new hair highlights–all ready!!

J has to take the bus to Syracuse.  These pics were taken before the sun came up!! (Yes, they had to wake me up to do it!!)

Jemma went to a concert by Taylor Swift last night in Omaha, and got hugged by her!!!   Don’t wash, Jemma.

Tonight was the Veteran parade, and as usual, our veteran marched.  The program for them is short and sweet–a speaker, National Anthem, gun salute, and Taps.  They had a whole haywagon of WWII vets that had gone on the Washington trip.  What a thrill to see that many in one spot.

Entered some scrap pages and an album, and did alright.  Got a special award for the album, and that just made my day!!

Back to work tomorrow.  Damm, these weekends are so short!!  lol

We lucked out a little.  Had a bad storm during the night–got 3 inches of rain!!  Lots of thunder, lightning, and hail.  Trees down all around us, and we only lost a few catalpa leaves!!  Talk about lucky!

Those poor tomatoes have blight.  Hasn’t been hot enough for them.  Hope the spray helps.  Got the bacon waiting in the fridg and no tomatoes!!  lol

Hard to believe the fair is next week, and the next week school starts!  J will be an 8th grader this year and has her school stuff already.  Boy, has this summer flown by!

I’m going to date myself, but I’m listening to the music from the 50’s, and I know every word.  Brings back so many memories.  So cool to see these people able to sing their old songs again.

The moon is full tonight, and it shows at work.  All those old wives tales about babies being born in the full of the moon are true!.  Man, are we busy!! I don’t remember ever going from room to room, mom to mom and from surgery to surgery until we moved into these new digs.  Job security, that’s for sure!!  lol!

See that almost ripe REAL tomato, one with taste!  More than fresh peas and corn on the cob, I love fresh tomatoes from the garden.  Get the bacon out, BLT time!

The climbing rose is in full bloom–another flower that appears year after year with little attention.  The best kind!

If anyone is interested in an 8 foot tall plant-turned-into-a-tree, let me know.  There’s no way it’ll fit in the house this fall!

You know, when you’re driving down a 4- lane at 70 mph, you notice the crops and that’s about all.  See that the corn is “knee high by the 4th of July”, I hope to shout!  But if you look closer, and even get out of the car, as I talked Kathryn into doing, you see some wild wonders, and a few noxious weeds too!

Even some nasty musk thistles.  My husband used to work for Cass County Weed District before we were married, and spent long, hot days spraying and cutting thistles.  Even yet when I say they are pretty to look at, he cringes!  lol

Aren’t those flowers gorgeous?  And the best part?  I didn’t have to plant even one of them!!!  lol  Take a good look around your world too  for the beauty in it.

Back home after 3 days in Kearney for the 30th anual state convention for EMT’s.  Learn so much, loads of fun, lack of sleep, lots of continuing ed hours–and then back to work.  Damm, I got to learn to plan that better.  Took a few pics of the sand volleyball game, and then the battery died.  Gotta learn to plan that better too!  lol! Anyway, lots of review on trauma, some feel good classes, a great lesson in CHF vs COPD vs pneumonia  (Yeah, I know you don’t know what those letters mean, just know it was good stuff!) all crammed into 3 days.  Now if I can just retain it!!

Jemma left for camp this afternoon.  We met her in Schuyler on the way home from Kearney.  So excited!!.  This is her 3rd or 4th year there, so she has lots of friends.  They can’t have phones there, and she was STILL excited about going.  This is a chickie with her phone glued to her hand!!  lol

She and Gina got to use Grandpa’s riding lawnmower over the weekend, and I guess Jemma didn’t get her fair share, so guess what Jemma?  He says you can do ours when you get home–all 3 lots!!  Guess you’ll get lots of practice now!

Guess I’ll plug in the phone and camera, unpack and go to bed!  Good night!

I got to stay home from work today–low volume on call.  Cooked up a storm, and had lots of family and friends for supper and fireworks.  Have a different camera this year, and only managed one decent picture of fireworks.  Hope your day was great and safe!!

Independence.  Freedom.  Accountability.  All wonderful things our Constitution aids us with, and hopefully we have enough gumption to speak up when “government” would amend or take these away.  I hope your holiday is a time of reflection as well as fun.  Think what it is worth!!!  If you are in the neighborhood, supper is at 6:00 with fireworks when it is dark.  Stop by!!

Forty years ago this afternoon, Dean and I got married in Massachusetts. My brother Ray told Dean “6 months at the most”.  I remember…

–the trip to Niagara Falls and moving to Nebraska pulling that trailor his brother Bob built.  All our worldly goods!!

–living in farm houses and trailers til we build our own place

–3 wonderful kids, still yet today

–different jobs–Northern Natural Gas Co., Syracuse Hospital, Otoe County Dept of Roads, Bryan LGH Medical Center

–all those different cars for the kids!!!  (and the insurance! lol )

–working opposite shifts so we didn’t have to worry about too much day care

–confirmations, graduations, colleges

–the best man ever–honest, filled with integrity, tolerant.

Time goes so fast, doesn’t it??  Hope for many more through the years to come!

Happy Flag Day! Long may she wave as the symbol of the mightyness of America, under God.
Stepped out on the deck after the rain ended, and all the flowers were so happy about a “real drink”!


Roses, impatiens, marigolds, geraniums…
and this one lone Oklahoma blossom, just here for a few hours, but definitely cute!!