Happy Easter!

Hope y'all are having a marvelous Easter! (I almost wrote Christmas...LOL).

Birdie and Evan ended up coming over for lunch so I cooked AND- Tucker and Strider had a visit from the Easter Bunny:

For those of you who voted- a million thanks!!!


For those of you who missed it----

Please go HERE and cast your vote for my cousin's grandson's band! They are the ones with the following under their picture (my cousin's grandson's name is in BOLD--he plays the bass guitar):

Cameron Daly

School Name: Chapin High School

Video Description: Cameron Daly is the lead singer of MinorEffect. Others in the band include Chad Huff, Braydon Manley, Nick Auch, and Daniel Amick. This band of 11 graders from Chapin High School have been together throughout high school writing their own lyrics and creating original songs. This youtube video is called, "What A Waste" and was filmed in the boys' jam room and on the dock at Lake Murray where they live.

Here's the LINK to their website.

Here's the video:

See y'all tomorrow for the first day of the April A-Z Challenge!

Dogs, Squirrels and The Daybook

 I just love participating in The Simple Woman's Daybook! Y'all should really check it out! There's a giveaway going on too! Peggy also has 2 brand new blogs-- The Simple Woman's Creative Journal and The Simple Woman's Kitchen and Garden that you can link up to as well!

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...the squirrels are giving the dogs a fit. Which leads to the dogs giving me a fit because I am constantly having to stop everything to let them out, and then let them back in. Then I repeat this process about 498,566 times JUST IN THE MORNING.
I am thinking...that maybe squirrels aren't as cute as I once thought.


I am thankful...for getting a heads up about an opening at the elementary school the lovelies attended and for getting the job.

In the kitchen...people (read: the husband) keep leaving their dirty dishes for me to wash. Who says there's less cleaning in an empty nest?

I am wearing...my workout clothes because I have yet to do my Synergy workout for the day. Though I did take the dogs for a walk. Where they pulled me all over the trail because they were trying to chase squirrels.

I am creating...knitted squares to be put together in a quilt. We'll see how this goes since most things look great in my head but rarely do the results even remotely resemble what was in my head. 
 
I am going...no where. Because it's too hot outside.

I am wondering...when, exactly, cooler temps are going to arrive.

I am reading...THAT book. And I will post about it at some point.

I am hoping...and praying for a long, chilly fall and cold winter!

I am looking forward to...a long, chilly fall and cold winter!
I am learning...that I am quite good at skimming through THOSE parts in THAT book.

Around the house...there is dog hair everywhere. I vacuum at least twice every day but there's still dog hair all over the place. I keep telling the lovelies that I love it when they come home but no more big, shedding dogs. And every time they come, there's a big shedding dog. Tucker is little. And he doesn't shed.

The shedder:

The non-shedder:
 

I am pondering...how to keep the squirrels out of my yard.

A favorite quote for today..."A squirrel is just a rat in a cuter outfit."

One of my favorite things...is not vacuuming up dog hair. Though I have to do it at least twice a day. (Did I already mention that?)
A few plans for the rest of the week: praying for a long, chilly fall and cold winter (SERIOUSLY- several of us are going to pray together on Friday at noon [eastern time] if y'all would like to join us!); finishing up THAT book; letting the dogs out...and then back in...and repeating all day/every day.

A peek into my day...Here's Tucker (my dog who does NOT shed) sitting on my desk where he can look out the window at the squirrels. See that look on his face? "PLEASE, can I go out and bark at the squirrels?"

What's on your agenda today?

Dog Day Afternoon and Some Chattin'

No, no. NOT the movie. Just in the backyard.

We got such a nice weather reprieve on Sunday- it felt fall-ish nearly all day long. And, when that happens, you just have to get outside and enjoy it.

So I took the dogs out and decided to have a little photo shoot- I give you my little Tucker and MrShedsAllOverThehouse- Strider--- (Just scroll on down past the pictures if you're here for Chats on the Farmhouse Porch)

Tucky doesn't always cooperate with the camera, but he did look at me a couple of times...

 Strider is a little less camera shy---

Now it's time for some Chattin' on Patrice's porch!

Questions

1. What's the last thing you baked? Gluten free, organic red cake for DoodleBug's birthday. Which was over a month ago. It's just been to dang hot to heat up the oven. But, as soon as fall gets here, LOOK OUT! The baking monster will be back in full force!
2. What's your favorite thing about fall? EVERYTHING is my favorite thing about fall! The colors, the cooler temps, football, the holidays---you name it, I LOVE it!
3. What's your favorite room in your home? My favorite room is our dining/kitchen area. It's where we spend most of our time, especially when the lovelies are home (and when they were growing up). I guess you could say it's the heart of our house.
4. Who handles bill paying in your house? It used to be me, now it's the husband. It'll change again at some point. Whenever one of us burns out on it, the other takes it until they burn out. Face it, bill paying leaves a lot to be desired.
5. Tell whatever you'd like to share with our chatting friends. I can't even begin to tell y'all how much I am looking forward to fall this year. We never got fall or winter last time around and spring lasted about a day. I'm sick of hot and I want a long, chilly fall and a cold winter. Right now, Isaac is giving us huge amounts of rain but I'd rather have that than to have another one of those things EVER come here again. We were here for Hugo in 1989 and if I never experience another one, it will be just fine with me.

Dog Day Play

Y'all know how Tucker and Strider are chasing the squirrels outside-if you missed it, you can read about it HERE.

This is what they're doing inside all day long. Every. Single. Day.

Sorry it's so dark- I never thought even once to turn on a light.

Have a great day, y'all!

Friday Fragments!

TGFFF! What doe THAT mean? Thank God For Friday Fragments! And Mrs. 4444's, of course! Just click on the button to join in the fun!

It's been an interesting week what with TWO dogs instead of my one little Tucker. But both Tuck and Strider have been such good boys. And quite busy too as you can see HERE.

We've had a good bit of rain- though probably not enough to make up for the deficit. But the garden has enjoyed it immensely! Pictures to come this weekend!

I joined a summer weight loss challenge that started on Sunday (read about that HERE). This week was all about getting back into the habit of tracking food intake. I'm using MyFitnessPal.com this time instead of livestrong.com. I think I do like myfitnesspal.com better. The only thing, so far, that I like better about livestrong.com is that they have a greater food database. That's really it though so I'm sticking with myfitnesspal.com for now.  

We went to watch DoodleBug's ultimate game last night. It's city league so it's a co-ed team. I'll leave you with some pix---

That's DoodleBug on her rear- again. But, hey! It resulted in a point for her team! 

 She looks fierce on the field, doesn't she?

Those guys are rough- but the girls keep up just fine--

Some of those guys can get some height when they go up for the disc--

But so do the girls---

DoodleBug and good friend Chloe.

Have a fantastic week-end y'all!

The Squirrels Are Screwed

So I thought...

When Birdie came home from Texas, she brought her dog, Strider. Tucker is delighted to have someone around to help with those pesky squirrels.

The squirrels come into the yard to rob the birds of their food. Tucker does not like this so he tries to protect the bird seed.

Tucker works hard at this job so it's nice to have a little bit of help from Strider.

Strider thinks that maybe he should check the birdbath...just to be sure...

"NO! They're over here in the tree!" shouts Tucker.
"Where?! Are you sure?"

 

"Yes! OVER HERE!"

 

"Ok, cause I was thinking...lalalalalalala."

" Ohhhhh lalalalalalalala..."

"Wait, what was I doing? Oh, right! There they are!"

Poor Tucky. His job is not getting any easier after all.

And I'm pretty sure the squirrels don't have any extra worries in our backyard.

Dog Days

It's SO DANG HOT outside!  Which means it's almost time for me to stay inside.  Birdie brought her dogs over this weekend and we filled up the baby pool--around here, baby pool means doggie pool!

Tucker having a nice cool drink.

Mom- that was so good!

Oh no!  I'm outta here before Charlie drinks me up!

How many dogs can fit into a baby pool?

Charlie likes to put his whole head in the water--even in his water bowl.

He was going around in circles and part of him fell out of the pool!

And then he shook all over us!

And then, he shook all over us again!

Ok, I'll pretend like I'm not paying attention and then, when Charlie grabs that mild carton, I'll chase him all over the yard!

Come on y'all!  Let's play!

Get out!  I want the whole thing!

Finally, all to myself! Put that nozzle over here please.

Charlie eating the cedar tree.

Charlie under the cedar tree.

This is what Charlie looks like after being under the deck.

Stider having a cool drink.

The kids are coming over for a Memorial Day feeding frenzy later today!  Hope y'all are all having a wonderful, fun-filled, family day!