April 1, 2010

• Busy, Busy, Busy Day !

  
  TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

  It was actually fairly warm this morning when I got up and that was pretty early considering I didn't get to bed until almost 2:30am.  Yeah, I know...I'm dumb for doing that since I knew the Beast would be antsy and want to get out in the yard to do more *stuff* out there.    He can be so predictable.  He gets noisier and noisier until I wake up because he's reluctant to use the mower if I am sleeping.  Sounds sweet, doesn't it?  But if he were REALLY sweet, he wouldn't be so noisy.

  Anyway, I got up before 10am and it was already 64 degrees outside.  The sun was bright and there was very little breeze.  I drank my coffee, checked my email and seriously considered opening my window in here.  That was until I went outside and realized the Annual Spreading Of The Manure had taken place on what smells like ALL the farms surrounding us.  It was gruesome because it smelled like what spoiled milk smells like when it's been spilled in your car and the car has sat in the sun, closed up for a week or so.    If you haven't experienced that, you have missed a real treat.....NOT!

  Even Chewlee said on her way home from pre-school today that the smell outside was *nasty*.  She had her nose all wrinkled up and the most awful look on her face.  It was too funny for words.

  So, I dressed rather reluctantly and made my way outside to have a cup of coffee with the Beast under the umbrella of the table there.  I had some plants that needed putting in pots and the Beast had gotten me the soil I needed to pot them.  I just wish I could remember what they are supposed to be.  I sent away for them months ago and damned if I remember what a Lincoln hybrid is.    I guess I will find out eventually.  They are small so I put them in pots to protect them and let them grow big enough so that the Beast won't cut them down by accident.  All I know is that they weren't cheap.

  I also got some more strawberries and planted those in pots.  One way or another, I am determined we will have our own fresh strawberries this year.  The ones I bought are some hybrid or other and I have to tell you this...the stem on it is THICK.    It's supposed to be more like a strawberry bush and I believe it.  One of them went into my hanging basket.  Another into a fairly large pot.  That gives me five strawberry plants and only two of them are the same type.  One is supposed to be those huge strawberries you see in the stores.  We shall see. 

  My hanging tomato plants seems to be doing well.  No blossoms on it as yet but then I didn't expect any yet.  The Beast was stalking all his trees and examining them for leaf buds, flower buds, anything to convince him that they were alive and well.  He can be such a nut at times.  I did my usual housework, which isn't much lately because we aren't doing a lot in the house.  We spend what time we are NOT on our computers outside or briefly in the kitchen.  I have to admit, we have been eating more sandwiches with the warmer weather.  Except for two nights ago when I steamed some of the snow crab the Princess brought home from Florida for us. 

  Talk about pigging out!    Baron was going nuts and the Beast was constantly having to warm him away from the plate.  The smell was so intriguing to him that you could almost see him being pulled towards it.    He was very disappointed that he got NO leftovers.

  I finally caught up with Tara and invited them over for Easter dinner.  I had already picked up the ham and a few other things.  I'm going to serve boiled/baked sweet potatoes with my home-mixed cinnamon butter.  Everyone should enjoy that for a change.  I think they are a little tired of the sweet potato casserole I have been making for years.  If they aren't, *I* am.   

  Don't ask me why I did it or what possessed me today but I took Chewlee shopping again with me to Walmart.  She loves going and started talking about getting a Barbie doll.  I told her not this time and she took it well.  She tried to get me to buy a beach ball for her to replace the one that Baron had destroyed last week but I told her I already had a blue one (that's the color she asked for) at the house for her.

  I picked up some of those fruit cups for her that have diced peaches or pears or fruit cocktail in it.  I would have gotten her the pineapple but all those were gone.  She decided she wanted the peaches.  As we walked down the aisles picking up a few things, she kept pointing at things and asking what this or that was.  If someone walked past us she had to say *Hi* and tell them she had a sucker as she held it out in front of her.  She got one for not having a single bathroom accident (if you know what I mean) all day at school.  She was so proud.  I made a fuss over that, too.  It's always good to compliment her for being a *big girl* for those things.  She likes her pull-ups better than a diaper.  She was beginning to get a rub rash on her thigh from them. 

  Anyway, we get to the checkout and, of course, Chewlee has all *her* stuff either next to her in the seat or on her lap.  That was two bottles of juice (the *Juicy* stuff), her peaches, two boxes of the snack tapioca pudding cups and a bag of Cheetos.  When I tried to get her to pass everything over to me so I could pay for it, she spread herself over it all as best she could and said *NO!!!  It's MINE!!!*  I told her I had to pay for it or the store would take it away from her.  She finally handed over everything but the Cheetos when the cashier told her that she would put it in a bag just for her.  Since the Cheetos were more an individual size, rather than family size and I had two others (one for Papa, one for Baron), we let that go and let her hang onto it.

  After I paid for everything, the cashier handed me *Chewlee's bag* of stuff and the little stinker waves her hand like a little Princess and says, *YOU carry it, Gramma!*  With all her *Hi's* and *Bye's* to everyone and telling them she had a sucker...some she even told WHY she got the sucker if they were close enough while I was selecting something from one of the shelves in the aisle.  She did make a lot of people smile and laugh, I'll say that much.

  Once we got home, she ran into my room and shut the door then came out because I hadn't come in with her.  She said, *Gramma!  Get in your room!*  I told her I had to put all the groceries away but it wouldn't take long.  That's when she remembered the peaches.  So she ran to get herself a fork (yes, I said a fork) because that's what she prefers for eating the peaches.  She actually waited patiently for me and, if I stopped, she would ask me, *Are you done?*  When I finally WAS done, then she says, *Are you forgetting my peaches?*  She ended up eating three of the little cups PLUS a big glass of juice.  She drank that like she was really thirsty.  I told her next time she's so thirsty, she should tell me because I could have gotten some water for her.  But she informed me she didn't LIKE water (that's this week, I guess).  She's ready to drink water any time if it has ice in it.    She will drink the water then eat the ice cubes, of course.  I don't care as long as she drinks the water, too.

  Well, I need to get this posted.  As it is, I'm late and I apologize for that.  Love you all and have a great day.  They say our weather will be in the 80's tomorrow...and sunny, too.  *Grin*  It got up to 75 taday and Chewlee complained it was hot.  She hasn't seen anything yet. 

  • 12:13 am
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