A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums  Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

 So, perhaps I should quit feeding so many walnuts to Scrawny! She is going to end up way smarter than me...or is she already?! (okay...that was my 'gift' to you streamers. I left that one WIDE open!)

I'm upset becuz it cut the titles off and doesn't show the descriptions!!!

The eastern bluffs is where we would sit to watch the fireworks sometimes.

The Happy Couple is my brother and his 'new' squeeze, Lisa. He brought her to the family picnic to mingle with us. When I found out he was bringing her I asked him if he thought she was ready for us! He just laughed. She is very nice and loves our sense of humor. I saw them walking along the bluff holding hands...which is something I have NEVER seen my brother do with any of his girlfriends. I'm thinking this one is THE KEEPER!!! I told him I really like her and she is SO much better than Scary Sherri. He said that is what EVERYONE tells him.

While home I got to visit with my Aunt Doris. Her short term memory has what I call 'reboot glitch'. We had the same conversation a couple of times...she has no idea. She is soon to be 86 this week.

My Uncle Gerald was rushed to the hospital. He lost 3 pints of blood...3 bleeding ulcers from pain meds! He is doing good now, from what I hear. He will be 91 in September.

My parents also took me out in the country to Amish land. We stopped at a bulk food store there. THEN they took me all over the county showing me the places where some of my cousins are living since we left there 4 years ago.

That lake is where my dad used to race boats. And he had a regular boat when I was young...he would steer it out beyond the breakwall...and I would ALWAYS fall asleep. Something about the rocking motion of the boat.

It was a good trip.

Just thought I'd put up a quick post to let everyone know I'm back. I'm tired. It was quite the week. So many things happened with family...good and bad. I got some good pictures of the lake, too. I am having a bit of a 'tussel' with my printer/scanner contraption that was working when I left but has decided NOT to work.

Along with the family stuff, there was the calls and emails, etc. about the house. The mortgage company, the inspector, the realtor...I don't know how ppl EVER got along without computers and printers and cell phones (you should be hearing the sarcasm right about now).

We got back rather late last night and had to meet up with the realtor at the house this early afternoon to go over some things and take pictures and measurements. Yes, there are a few bumps in the road and we even had a professional builder there to give us his take on some things. The main problem seems to be an add-on room with a crawl space with no access point and no venting...although it seems to have the heat and air conditioning vents running into it. It is a head scratcher. And since the ones that actually LIVED in the house are no longer living...their offspring don't seem to be much help in shedding light onto this puzzler.

ANYWAY...I will get back to everyone that was kind enough to leave comments. Probably tomorrow...although I have been warned about some more paperwork and a doctors appt for my daughter AND I am going to disappear at some point and go hide out at the gym.

And for those of you that tagged me...thank you...you all mean a lot to me too...and I'll get even with ya.

Someone told me that I should show some enthusiasm about the impending home ownership. I am thrilled beyond belief about it BUT I may seem rather subdued to onlookers. There is a reason for it. I am trying to enjoy the event...be happy and content with it. It is others close to me that start to unnerve me. "You have to be careful about this" "Did you do that?" "Are you sure...?" "What if...?" You get the picture.

My husband is overly anxious at getting in there and starting to do some fixing up before we move in. I just nod and block it out. After all, the inspections haven't even started! We just signed the papers on Friday! We have a kitchen to renovate and the bedrooms downstairs need new wallboard becuz they have this mold and fire resistant stuff that was not available when they did the wall finishing back when. I don't really want to get TOO into that part of it until I KNOW the house passes the inspections and we are going into the home stretch.

For now, I just want to concentrate on daily things. Like not losing track of changing my eating habits and not losing track of going to the gym or taking walks. I have my physical self to keep track of...the physical self that I haven't had time for in the last 18 years. Working out at the gym yesterday felt so GOOD. Whenever I can do more it makes me feel good. It makes me feel strong. And it always amazes me when I am doing the machine for back strengthening just how much weight I can lift with my back! The rest of my body needs to catch up!

And I want to be able to enjoy the critters in my back yard. I was watching Baby Squirrel eating like there is no tomorrow at the feeder...and there was a chipmunk on the ground underneath just stuffing its cheeks full of the corn Baby was dropping...and a crow sauntered up behind the chipmunk and poked it in the bottom! It was out of there so fast it didn't even leave a streak! Scrawny has gotten so familiar that when she sees us at the door she will come running over and you have to be careful when you open the door to give her nuts. She is so close she just about reaches out and snatches it from you OR sometimes it looks like she is ready to run inside! I am going to miss my familiar critters. I will have to make NEW critter friends when we move. These ones stay right around this little section. They won't be joining us half a mile away...which isn't far but it is out of their area.

Tomorrow we leave for the lake. I won't be back until Saturday or Sunday...haven't made up our minds, yet. Just depends on how restless we all get. Everyone have a good week!

It has only been since Friday afternoon when we got word that our offer on the house was accepted. And already my husband is driving me nuts! He is constantly talking about the things he is going to change and redo and make better. That's nice BUT...wait until the title is put in our name. Too many things can go wrong between now and then...a bad inspection...something. I don't foresee it, but I'd rather wait. The biggest thing on my mind (besides fixing up the teenager bedrooms downstairs with fresh paint and carpeting) is pulling out unwanted plants and getting plenty of iris and tulip bulbs in for next spring! Everything else will follow in due time. At least he will have something to keep him busy for a while...and out of trouble.

Since Jr. was in Indiana camping with Steven and his family, it was just the 3 of us here. We did some grilling and I made sure we roasted smushmallows , hubby and daughter sent off some roman candles in the backyard...then, when the time came, we stood in the front yard and took in the fireworks. They are always spectacular! However, I make sure to ONLY watch them on 4th of July so they are still special. Now days they set them off for all kinds of reasons...new store opening, baseball games, dedication of a new flag pole, etc. Kinda like when I was a kid going to McD's was a real treat! Now those places are EVERYWHERE and ppl go all the time. It is still a treat to MY kids cuz we just don't do the fast food thing on regular basis. Even tho there is Taco Bell across the road and McD's and Burger King across from THAT. (I will love moving away from them...and into the quiet interior of the neighborhood).

TJ's vacation got off to a foul start. I feel so sorry for Steven's family becuz if there is ANYTHING that can go wrong...it goes wrong for them. They broke down twice on the way to the camp site. The first time the battery gave out...they insisted on using one of those little plug in refrigerators in the van (even tho it was only 2 hours to the camp site!) and it was too much for the battery. They got it charged up and not too much farther down the road the van gave out again. They pushed it to a rest area and on inspection found out they threw a rod. So, one of Steven's older bro's drove there to empty out the van and get them to the camp site. TJ called me at 2 a.m. (friday a.m.) to let me know they finally made it!

But last night he was flying! The park was having a free concert along with the fireworks. He called me to 'gloat' cuz the one doing the concert was Davey Jones. sigh...I had turned my son on to The MOnkees when he was young. They were rerunning the old shows on Nick at Nite and he thot they were great! (hey...someone had to!) He called me late that night to tell me what a blast he had...and he got to shake Davey Jones' hand. He also informed me that Davey Jones is 62. WOW! Where have the years gone?

Today the three of us went to see "Hancock". I loved it! I needed tissues near the end...A-GAIN! Of course, I watched "Definitely Maybe" Thursday and needed A LOT of tissues! ANYWAY...

Next week we are going up to the lake to spend time with the extended family. I need to spend time with my Aunt Doris. I am not sure she will make it to another b-day next July. She and Uncle Harold were kind enough to let me live with them in Florida for a while. I will have to do a blog post about her sometime soon. She is an amazing woman. My mother laughed at me just a few days ago and told me that I reminded her of her sisters Wilma and Doris put together. Now THAT was a wonderful compliment! I couldn't think of two better ppl to be like...but there is a lot of my mom thrown in too.

OH! and what about the dog? The first thing my daughter said after I told her we were getting our own place (after 'yay!') was, I want a puppy! Thus...my new icon. Cuz if I got my way, I would get a Boston Terrier...and name it Erasmus. Or Fortinbras. But...it isn't all my decision.

Okay...one more post before I am off to visiting the family...we leave Tuesday.