Had breakfast out with hubby and son-still-at-home, D.  Came home and fed the pets.  Commented to said son that it looked like a good day to mow.  Commented to doggies while fixing their breakfast, "is Bubba outside mowing?"  nah -uh

 

So, I took the weed eater and started on the back yard which is tiny and mostly patio, stepping stones, and potted plants.  It is going on three weeks since said son took the weed eater to the back yard and two weeks since the front yard was mowed.  D does an excellent job....when he gets round to it.

 

I had finished as much as I was going to do because my upper arms were screaming at me to stop, when said son came out holding his cell phone.  "The weather forecast says it isn't going to rain this morning so I am going to mow. When you finish with that, I will get started on the front yard."  I indicated to him that I was done because my arms had given out and that I had already cleaned the weed eater.

 

It is a perfect morning for yard work today.  Overcast, breezy and cool.  Temperature is in the mid-70s.  Lovely.

 

*yawn*  nap time

So, I spent last week in little town gateway to the Hill Country of Texas, or once was known as the Honey Capital of the World.  I think now it is Shade Tree Capital for all its huge Live Oaks.  anyways...  took care of my father who was suffering from a sinus infection (wouldn't go see the doc) and left him feeling much better on Sunday.  Daddy will be 85 on the 25th and is not on any meds, so when he gets to not feeling as usual, we all worry.  Dad just shrugs it off as part of old age. 

 

He gets foggy brained and forgetful..... but, then so do I and I am nowhere near 80!  It took me a good half hour or so to find where I had laid the book I am currently reading.  Guess where it was?  yep, right next to this keyboard!

 

I am reading a book that caught my eye at the local library: The Covenant by Naomi Ragen.  It takes place in "terror-torn Jerusalem" when a father and his five year old daughter are taken by a branch of Hamas.  His bed ridden pregnant wife is the daughter of one of four Holocaust survivors who took an oath.  "....  All seems lost until a phone call to her grandmother in America unexpectedly revives a decades-old oath, creating a force that transcends time and place, to rescue her loved ones."  One of the women lives in Poland and sends her grandson, posing as a freelance videographer, to Jerusalem.  Another has a granddaughter married to a Saudi, member of the royal family.  The fourth woman has an exclusive club in Paris and ...   Fascinating story.  I love the way it is unfolding

 

Lunch time calls.

I wanted to rant and rave in this blog, but by the time I got down to writing...  the anger dissolved.  I am feeling torn.  My father, who is going on 84, was on my mind all weekend.  This morning when I called, he sounded groggy.  My sister was visiting him and she told me that he is congested and is walking a bit unsteady.  Daddy told me that he forgot to turn on the coffee pot and that he fell asleep in his chair while waiting for the coffee.  Poor Daddy.  I have a sister and three brothers who live in the same town as Dad, but ......   You know how it is; too busy.  Two of the brothers work nights so, yes, it is difficult to spend time with Dad during the day.  One of them stops by on his way home from work, unless he has to be at home right quick.  The other one stops by on his day (night) off.  The youngest of the three is the most volatile one and thus, undependable.  Yes, he visits with Dad daily and so does his wife...  unless....    My sister (and husband and 14 yr old son) is currently living with our mother after having to sell their house.  There is a plus to that in that she cooks and cleans for mother and is there at night.  The negative is that mother gets tired of having them around all of the time and becomes ugly to her daughter.

 

Last year and the year before I spent weeks with my father.  Now, with Beau, it is more difficult. The yard is not fenced and Beau, at 50 lbs, thinks he is still a puppy.  It was difficult then when my siblings would give me their unsolicited criticism, but I could deal with it.  When it became too much to bear, or I didn't want to hear anymore, I would head to the hills: to Garner State Park  or just drive in the hill country.  Or, head back home.

 

Now, I have 25 year old son at home.  He is waiting for the Coast Guard to say "you are enlisted and this is your ship out date"  or, whatever they say in the military.  Supposedly, he has passed all the tests.  In the meantime, he needs to be working.  He worked at McDonalds for about 5 months until he was "taken off the schedule".  He finally managed to snag an interview with Sears and is waiting to hear a "yes, you are hired and this is when you come for orientation".  He has no car (or rather his car is in a storage place in Austin) and yes, we have a city bus system which he can take.   I would like to be home to see him out the door to his job, if you get my meaning.

 

*sigh*   I will call my father later to see how he is sounding.  Maybe I will be able to head his way on Wednesday.   We (hubby and I) were going to go see him this weekend, but I wanted to be sure hubby got over his sinus infection and got plenty of rest this weekend.