Our garden is done...almost!

Yesterday after work my parents picked up Evan and me and we went to Coolidge. My sister Ginger and her husband Jerry had a piano they didn't want anymore. They were going to take it to the dump so we said we would give it a home. It needs to be tuned and the keys need to be cleaned but other than that it will work for now. We will probably get another piano somewhere down the line but for now this one is great. I gave it a Pledge polish bath last night and it really started to look good. We are now going to have to find a place to put it permanently. We have it in the dining room and that just wont do. We have to have a yard sale or something.
When my parents came to pick us up they dropped off the rototiller. So Evan and I woke up this morning, after sleeping in of course, and started working on the garden. We had to work on getting all the grass out of the garden. This was a chore because that section of the yard was over run by grass. We are going to have to really watch the garden and make sure we pull all the grass and weeds. We removed all the grass and weeds we could see. Evan forgot how to start the rototiller so we decided to eat lunch and then call my dad for a refresher course. We had tuna fish sandwiches and then took a break on working in the garden. I was able to get two loads of laundry done and then I was able to strip our bed and get the linens washed. I didn't get done what I needed to get done but it was still a productive day. I didn't do the dishes. I didn't clean the mattress. I didn't finish all the laundry. I am only half done on putting the linens back on our bed.
We did get our garden done. We returned to the task of getting the top soil mixed in the ground using the rototiller after we watched the Suns blasted away the Spurs. YAY! This was not as simple as we thought. We had to remember what to do with the settings on the rototiller. After a few minutes of getting it all wrong, we were finally elated to have the rototiller working properly and tilling up the land. We went over the ground once with no top soil and the tossed the soil on the ground and tilled again. We raked all the grass roots that were brought up by the tiller. Then with a spade we mapped out the rows of our garden. We have half a row of beans, one row with green onions and carrots, one row of spinach and mustard greens, one row of okra, four mounds with summer squash, yellow squash, and zucchini, and finally two large mounds with watermelon. We still have some space for something else we can put by the beans but we will have to decide what later. We need to add chicken wire around the garden so the dogs can't get in there when they are up on the top level of our backyard with Evan and me.
We can't wait to have something grow in the garden and be able to eat something we grew. Well I have to go so that I can finish making my bed so I can crawl in it and be asleep before my head hits the pillow. I am exhausted and I am sore in muscle I forgot I had. Thank God for work tomorrow. It will give me a brake for my house chores.

LONG WEEK

The week is finally at an end. I have watched as my beloved Suns have gone down in three games and are now behind in a best of seven. One more lost game and we will have to wait until next year for another chance at the title.
I worked more this week then I have in a while. I love the money but chores around the house slack off. I have loads and loads of laundry to do. I have to strip the beds and wash all the linens. Evan and I are going to vacuum and scrub our mattress. I have a sink full of dishes to do. I just have to make myself come home from work and get all of this done so weekends can be mine. Maybe one of these days I will do that.
We are still working on our garden. We are waiting for my parents rototiller so we can work the top soil into the ground. We have done some starter plants so that when the ground is ready we may already have small plants.
I was so happy it was Friday and then I had to go and ruin it by cracking a crown on tooth that had a root canal done on it about 11 years ago. Dentist appointment on Monday now. UGH!
Well tomorrow is another work day and then finally a day off on Sunday. Maybe I will just relax.

Papaw's Funeral

Today Papaw body was taken to its final resting place. I have never been to a funeral where the Honor Guard was present.
The pallbearers were members of the Honor Guard. They carried Papaw's flag covered casket to the grave site.
One man stood off to the side and saluted as the casket passed by him.Once the casket was place at the site the Honor Guard started the folding of the flag. This is an exciting thing to see. We watched closely as they carefully folded the flag with great precision. After the flag was folded a man played Taps on a bugle and at this point everyone lost it. The song was just so beautiful and so final. At some point there was a nine gun solute. I know this because there was a collective startled jump throughout the crowd. The flag was then presented to Mamaw. The Honor Guard was then finished with their ceremony and left.
Uncle Randy got up and did a beautiful and very moving Eulogy. It was a story of his Dad. A great story of a honorable and very loving man. Miranda got up and read a poem that Mamaw had written about herself and Papaw. We sang two hymns: In the Garden and How Great Thou Art. We prayed and then headed to Mamaw's house to fellowship with the family more.
After everyone had left the cemetery Lyle, Etna, Evan, and I placed roses on Papaw's casket. Etna had picked the roses off of roses bushes in her yard that are dedicated to Barry and Patty.




Back at the house we ate, drank (tea, water, lemonade, and soda), and were merry. We talked and told stories. I meet several people I had never met before. It was a very good day, in spite of the circumstances. I was able to meet Evan's Uncle Bob. I have heard stories of Uncle Bob since I met Evan. I have wanted for some time to be able to go to South Carolina to see Uncle Bob and Aunt Sandy but things haven't worked out that way. I was so excited to meet the Uncle that has been described to me as the one that most resembles Barry(looks, mannerisms, and personality). I never had the privilege to meet Barry but if he was anything like any of his brothers I would have fallen in love with him too.
Uncle Bob

Tough week....

Sorry I haven't done a post in a while. Evan and I have been busy with other things. We are trying to start a garden and have been needing to get my parents rototiller to till the dirt with the top soil we have put out on the ground. I have been trying to keep the house clean and the laundry done. I didn't realize how much laundry two people can make. It is amazing. I do four loads during the week and several on the weekends. When I change our sheets and bedspreads that takes another four to five loads (we have two beds and a dog bed).
We went to visit Evan's Papaw on Wednesday and Sunday of last week. We were having to say goodbye to a great man who had meant a lot to both of us. Papaw was slipping away from his life here on Earth to go to heaven to spend eternity and to see Barry (Evan's dad) and Patty (Evan's Aunt who passed away in the 70's) again. Papaw passed away on Wednesday, April 15th at 2:55am. He is missed already. My sister told me to just look at it as we now have another angel looking over us. Papaw reminded me of my own 94 year old grandpa who I don't get to see that often. Even though he was Evan's Papaw, I have gotten to know Papaw in the two and a half years I have known Evan and I loved him from the moment I met him. He was my Papaw too. I will really miss his hugs and his conversations. He was a great hugger and listening to his stories was always an adventure. I will always remember how he loved and cherished Mamaw. I hope in 65 years Evan and I will have as much admiration and love for each other as they did.
We went to the funeral of Seth Binette (Evan's friend from high school). Seth was only 25 and was taken away from us way to early. He was a believer so we know we will meet him again in heaven but he is still missed.
Papaw's funeral is Friday. I will be at Mamaw's house for the next couple of days so my next blog wont be for a few days. Please pray for us and Evan's family, as this is hard on everyone.

UUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!

Evan and I were on vacation two weeks ago and both of us got our internal clocks messed up. We are now both up until about 12:30 and have to wake up at 6:00(me) and 7:00(Evan). We have tried for two weeks to get back on a sleep schedule that works but we just can't force ourselves to go to bed. We are not tired! When we do get tired we fall asleep in the afternoon and then by 10:00 at night we are wide awake. For example right now it is 10:42pm and we are both sitting here wide awake. Evan is on his computer entering music for his band concert in May and I am updating my blog. I just saw a commercial for a product called flush the fat. Great late night TV. Well we have to get the dogs ready for bed and them maybe I will just go lay down and try to sleep. Maybe read a book to make myself sleepy.