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Second Son and I went to my parents’ house this weekend to help Dad with a few projects. Prima Donna Daughter was at her dad’s this weekend, so SS and I went out Friday night and came back last night. We got there about 6:30pm and spent a little time outside with Dad surveying the proposed projects (digging up rocks, lining the ditch at the end of the...

A recent commenter on Another One Bites the Dust said: For parents, there are two most important things – money making and children…of course it is easier to say that we need to balance between the two…but how about the reality..? Lord knows I’ve screwed up countless times in this department as a parent. I may be more of an expert in what not...

Yes, I know I’m dating myself with that title, but I’ve been waiting 11 years for summer breezes (ok, spring breezes, because I’m not into 100 degree Oklahoma breezes, thank you very much) to make me feel fine in this house of mine, but this year, I will have them. I may even have to do a little Google-ing to see if jasmine will even grow in this...

I spent the day at my niece’s, as planned, cutting the last maple tree down, and cutting up everything we cut down yesterday. This is the ‘after’ shot: Tonight, I’m sore, particularly my arms, but happy we got that done! The willow stump will remain as is, get sealed, and we’ll see if it tries to grow back. Willows, apparently, are...

My niece finally realized she better get the damaged trees and limbs removed from her backyard before the city calls itself done picking up all the debris residents pile up on their curbs. So, she put out a call for help and Second Son and I, the most experienced with a chainsaw and cutting down trees, were elected as the main labor crew. Here’s what we had to...

I was headed back here to Barnes & Noble yesterday evening to get online for awhile and let my toes thaw out after a day of cutting up fallen tree limbs in the snow when my cell phone rang. It was my dad telling me that my mom was in an ambulance headed to the hospital with respiratory distress. Suddenly, it didn’t matter anymore that we have no power, that...

Well, I declared that back on June 21, 1981 when I was shanghaied and dumped moved here. But I was 17 at the time and had a bad attitude. And as I’ve stated before, I’ve had plenty of time to leave, so I try to keep my disparaging remarks to a minimum. But this declaration does warm my vengeful heart just a tad. So, to celebrate our newly declared status,...

Neither did I. He WAS in it, but the camera panned so quickly through the group, we didn’t actually see HIM. This is Spy Nephew who lives in Maryland and is 16 (son of Spy Sister – “Spy” because both my sister and her husband work for the NSA and can’t talk about their jobs – for real. We call them SPYS-R-US, collectively.) He...