Man I'm Tired!!!

This past weekend I was able to mow for the first time in 4 weeks. The ground for the previous 3 weeks was just too wet and my (riding) mower would bog down. Before you say "So What", I should explain that I mow 5.2 acres (at least thats what the surveyor dude told me it was once). This includes my yard, my sister's yard (her & hubby are both on disability) and the field inbetween us. In spite of the fact that it had been a fairly dry week (except for Thursday - major rain), the ground was still soft. I did get it mowed, but it still required - on several occasions - my getting off and lifting, pulling or pushing (sometimes all 3) the mower to firmer footing. I mowed for 6 to 7 hours Saturday. Then on Sunday I got up and trimmed with my big wheel weed whacker for 3 hours. Then I picked blackberries & blueberries, followed by helping someone lift and tote 4 big heavy cabinets into their truck. So as I said - I'm tired.

Even with that I finished up around 3 Sunday afternoon and (after a shower) DKB and I got on my motorcycle and rode into town for a well-deserved (sugar free) snow cone. We enjoyed them so much I purchased a chocolate shake and we took it to my mother and visited her. After we got back home DKB and I read to each other for a while. (She while I was cooking supper and me while she was knitting (crocheting? - something with needles, I'm not real sharp on this stuff).)

Backtracking a little, on Saturday night DKB and I babysat my youngest grandchild. He turned 5 months old on Saturday and he is a hoot! He loves standing up and has just started vocalizing sounds, plus he has a grin that just makes you melt. I know, I'm a little prejudiced, but he is a great kid. If you want to laugh, watch a baby suck on a mango seed (think sunflower seed expanded to the size of a hockey puck). He tentatively took a first taste and then latched on and sucked like it was a bottle. I was holding his hands while he stood and DKB was holding the seed. When she would take the seed out to turn it (for fresh juice), his mouth would pucker up like "oooh, oooh, oooh" and he would literally dive on the seed and suck for all he was worth. LOL! We told the parents about it and they were all, "Yeah he loves his fruits!"

New week and next weekend DKB and I are making an excursion to the coast. Hauling some stuff for my middle daughter and visiting my youngest son. Looking forward to it.

Everyone have a great day.

The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on

While DKB and I were gone to Moondance (May 22nd) my childhood home was gutted by a fire. Even though I haven't lived there for over 35 years and my mother sold the home 12 years ago, it still gives me pangs of regret. A lot of family history took place at that house. All my children played there at one time or another. We'll always have our memories, but it still hurts a little that the actual place will probably have to razed. Oh Well.

This past Sunday (May 31) marked 5 months until DKB and I get married. Every day I think how lucky I am to have her. I never thought I would love someone again when my wife passed away, but I have been blessed. I wish everyone could see her as I do. Her caring spirit and outgoing personality. I've kept all of our correspondence since we met and went back and read the days leading up to the "rough spot" and the days after until she came to her senses (her words). It makes me realize that that incident was really needed so that she woould realize that I was the right person for her. She makes me happy, laughs at my stupid stuff, and generally makes my life worth living. I wish everyone could find someone that makes them as happy as I am. Things are moving on as far as planning the wedding (How are those invites coming?, Debra.)

Tonight DKB gets to meet another of my childhood friends. Sonny is in town with his family, visiting from Peoria, IL. Sonny's mother still lives here is Starkville.

Everyone have a great day!

The Week in Review

Exactly one week ago (almost to the minute), DKB and I were pulling out of our driveway and departing for five days of fun in the red clay hills of western Georgia. We had been planning this little trip for months and really looking forward to it. I know that a lot of the time, the anticipation of something is such that the actual event is a bit of a letdown. This was not the case. Even with the damp weather, we had a great time. Met a lot of new friends and thoroughly enjoyed all the events that we attended. I'm already looking forward to us (hopefully) making a return trip next year. It would be great if the weather cooperated when we come back.

Now DKB and I are back to working on and cleaning the house as we get closer and closer to our wedding date (a little over 5 months from now). I just wish everyone could see how happy she makes me. She makes me smile. I went through some really dark times when my wife passed away 3 1/2 years ago. I will always love and miss my late wife and DKB understands this. But she also knows that I love her and she makes me very happy. I want her to be happy as well. Its funny how when you give up on finding someone, life has a way of saying, "Just wait a minnit!" Sighhh! My heart is so full. And while nothing is perfect - I am at peace.

Wish it would stop raining here. The grass is already almost up to my knees and the yard is still too wet to mow. Its a little frustrating, but I'll get to it eventually. All things in time.

Have a great day and may your life be filled with happiness.

Moondance Tomorrow

Tomorrow DKB and I will be leaving for the long awaited Moondance festival. We've been planning on going for several months and now its here. We are both looking forward to it. I think we both need a bit of a break from the day-to-day things going on right now.

I'm a bit of a sports nut and while I'm working right now I'm listening to the SEC baseball tournament which started this morning at 10 AM (Central), so I'm a happy camper. During football season, I will listen to high school football games from Georgia. There are 5 teams there that I have been following for about 7 or 8 years now - and most of the time they all do surprisingly well.

I'm kind of rambling, because I don't really have a lot on my mind at the moment. My minister friend emailed me the wedding ceremony that he uses so that DKB and I can tweak it and customize it for our wedding. (Which according to DKB's blog, takes place in 5 months and 11 days). It seems like a long time, but I know it will be here before we know it.

Oh well, back to work. Everyone have a great day!!

Woe - Conflicted Me!

Well, I'm doing better, but still not posting as often as I should. I drove to work this morning feeling very conflicted. I had been a widower for just over 3 years when I met DKB. From the first time we met, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. Now comes the conflicted part - I was married to my late wife for over 29 years, and loved her very much. So even though I know in my mind its not cheating - it feels that way sometimes. And perversely, since I love DKB, when I think about my first wife - I feel like I'm cheating on her. I know time will help rectify these feelings. I know that I've never cheated on anyone and as my mother told me one evening when I visited her - "You're lucky to have found 2 good women in your life". I suppose I am. I know a lot of men never find "the one", but I've done it twice. DKB and my first wife are 2 very different people, but there are things they have in common, too. Its the differences & similarities that make every day a journey of discovery and joy for me as I spend time with her.

Moondance is coming up next week and DKB and I will be enjoying it for the first time together. Hard to belive that after planning this trip for almost 4 months, that its nearly here. DKB had figured out that the last day of Moondance will be exactly halfway from the date we first met until the date of our wedding. I know that will be here before we know it too. So much to do -so much to do!!

I'm goin to wrap it up for now, but I want to close with a Mark Twain quote I heard on last night's season finale of CSI (and it is so true) : "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. "

Everyone have a great day!

I'm Trying, Y'all

I realize I've been a bit negligent about my postings the last couple of months, but I'm going to try and get back in the regular habit.

Yesterday, I was feeling a bit puny when I got off of work. I went home, took a shower, and told myself I should lie down for a few minutes - - - well, 3 hours later I woke up. I ate a bit of supper, watched some TV, and went back to bed. I feel much better today. Guess I was just worn out with all the changes going on in the household (see blog "DebrasDose" for more details).

New "Star Trek" movie prequel comes out this weekend. Looking forward to seeing it. Been a Trekkie for over 40 years, too late to stop now.

Before I leave, a haiku:

She lies there sleeping
The one who holds my heart's key
I caress her cheek.

Everyone have a great day.

My Head is Spinning

Wow! How time has flown. I can't believe its been nearly a month since I last made an entry, but it has been time well spent. The past couple of weeks Debra and Mama Mia have been a virtual whirlwind in the house - cleaning, sorting, painting. My poor head is spinning. The house is looking better and better - much better than when I was living alone and doing very little in the way of upkeep. (As DKB would say - "Typical Guy"). Hard to believe its less than 6 months now (5 mos, 26 days according to the countdown on DKB's blog) to the wedding, I went a little more low-tech and wrote a countdown on my calendar at work - so as of today its 179 days to the wedding. Seems like a long time as you go through it, but I know it will be here before you know it.

If you like 70's music like I do, I found this really neat radio station online. Its WOGL out of Philadelphia and I've been digging it while I work for a couple of days now. The music brings back some really nice memories.

This past weekend I was doing some yard work (mowing, trimming, etc.) around the house and yard and my granddaughter, Amber came over to where I was working. I was using my big-wheel trimmer to cut some tall weeds growing along the fence around my cesspool and she looks at me with these big eyes and innocently asks "What are you doing around the snapping turtle pond, PawPaw?" I caught myself before I burst out laughing, because she was so serious and told here that I was just cutting down weeds and stickers so that she wouldn't get hurt. I did get a chuckle out of it later though. At one point my late wife had even tried landscaping around the cesspool (which caused me to think of the story of lipstick on a pig) to hide what it is. At that time, I was working on putting plants around it and the sun was going down and all I could think was this would be a great title for a redneck romance novel or murder mystery- "Sunset on the Cesspool"! LOL.

Anyway - Every have a great time until I post again. I can honestly say that my life is getting better thanks to my sweetie, DKB.