It's party time in Weirdville!

Today is Weirdville's annual Garbage Day.  Oh, it's a big event around here...folks are all a-twitter about it for months ahead of time...."When is it?", "Oh, I will have to take that Friday off," "Ooooh, we have lots of garbage to put out," "Maybe we should clean out the garage." You can almost hear the buzz.

Garbage Day is when all the folks of Weirdville gather their crap that they have collected in their homes, attics, and garages for years, and then they bring it to the curb to show it off to their friends and neighbors.   In reality, the garbage company has agreed to come around and pick up whatever you have--including things they don't normally accept---but I don't think that is really the point.  Folks here just like to see who puts out more crap than they do.   And they like to see what kind of crap folks are digging out of their abodes. It's really sort of fun for them...in a sick sorta way. 

Take for example, my neighbor to the north.

 "The Burning Bush" died last summer in the drought.  That mugo pine has been dropping needles and turning to tinder with each passing day....for nearly a year.    Being that they smoke, it terrified me that their house was gonna go up in flames with a careless toss of a warm butt.  I was more terrified that their hoarderesque-type house was then gonna burn up my house along with it.

But, no.  Alas, Garbage Day lit their fire, so to speak.  They actually went out there and chopped half of it down one day--and promptly left the mess between the houses--which is their place to store stuff for years and years and years.  Sigh. Here we go again. 

Hobbes checks out the neighbors mess.

Fortunately, they gathered every ounce of strength and finished the job (somewhat) days later AND managed to get it to the curb in time for pick-up.  Oh, there are still branches between the houses-- because why would you give everything to the garbageman?  Trash is good trash--gotta save it.

This was probably the most they have done to their house in the 20+ years that we have lived here. G'ma Phyl stopped by yesterday and is still convinced they are moving (no luck, Phyl) and my other neighbor thought they dug up all of their "landscaping."  Nope...just the Burning Bush.

Hee Haw.  It's a great day in Weirdville.

Don't even ask about the Weirdville Beautification Contest they hold each summer. You don't wanna know.

Where I is....

May is work-on-the-yard time of year.  I've been busy planting pots, replacing perennials, laying mulch, skimming algae out the bottom of the pond....

you know, the neverending list of things to do out there to get it ready for summer....for the graduation party in June....it's crazy. I love having parties though--it's a great excuse to get stuff done around this place. Joe does not like my evil plans for some reason. Although he does enjoy the parties once they are in full swing.

I really love the faux forget-me-nots on the side of the house. They are the tiniest of flowers...but are the first to bloom after a long winter of no color in the garden.  I think they are my favorite flowers of Spring for that very reason.

The redbud tree in bloom.

We planted this as a wee sapling years ago.  We had it safely planted in a vegetable garden--with a tomato cage around it to keep it from getting trampled.  One winter, Joe was heard to say "I think a bird landed on it and killed it"...but 'ole Charlie Brown was wrong--here is the proof.  We've even passed on its saplings to the neighbors. 

Thank Ja for the annuals.  Instant color, instant gratification.  While I hate spending the money on something that is gonna die at the end of September, I do like that the spend their entire lives blooming and making my patio and yard look so dang lovely.

So, if you are wondering where I am these days....just look out in the back.  

Oh....guess who is keeping me company?

Semi-Wordless Wednesday

It's that time of year again.....

When you call the cat to come in after dinner and he refuses....making you look like a damn fool....running, calling, grabbing, chasing, calling again, catching.......and missing.  He is infuriatingly happy outside and adamant about not coming in.

But orange stripeys have their kryptonite....

the dinner bowl beckons.

And wins.  Every time.

Milestones, schmilestones.

It's a big year around here....

Emma just turned 18. 

Colin turns 21.

I'm turning 50 (EEEK!).

And Joe and I are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary today.  We'll be celebrating at home tonight, but in Maui come Fall.

Both kids will be away at college this year and Joe and I will be empty-nesters for the first time....unless you count the cats.

This is all proving to be too exciting for me as I've been known to get a tad weepy every now and then thinking about all this change stuff.  I'm not big on change---as you can see.   (quit snickering)  Now Joe......well.....he's done a LOT of changing, right?  He used to have....uh......hair.......blonde hair, I mean.

Even Grace is adding to the milestones--she's gonna be 16 this year.  No, we are NOT having a Sweet 16 for her.  Heck, I'm just hoping there's no surprise party planned at the vet's office this year at any time.  I already told her not to plan such things.

I can't take all this excitement.

Word to your Mutha

I'd like to thank the little people who made me what I am today......

a mother.

Greatest job I'll ever have.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you....

those who are mothers of human and/or animal kids,

those who have a mother or lost their mother.

Word to your mutha.

 

 

Goodbye, bleachers. Goodbye.

I don't care much for goodbyes and this week was full of them: Last band parent meeting. Last band banquet and concert.  It's the last of hanging with, and belonging to, a great group of band parents and kids.  What a fun ride it has been...

The band banquet is always fun...and sad...as the seniors say goodbye.  While it always tears me up watching them "will" down their band jokes and quirky band memorabilia, this year was particularly hard knowing that it was our goodbye as well.  It took all I had not to jump up there and join their group hug with Mr. P.

The concert was lovely.  Maybe it was the sentiment and emotion mixed in with the notes, but the music seemed sweeter and deeper than ever before.  It was sad to see Em playing her flute for the last time.

So, it's all said and done.  It's been a rough week of endings and goodbyes. And while we will always belong to the Shepard band family, it's gonna be tough not being there as often as we were. 

I will not, however, miss cold metal bleachers. Or wooden inside bleachers. Or bleachers of any kind. Ever.

You knew this was coming....

I only post these because it's sort of my duty.  You've learned to count on me to keep you up on this sorta stuff.

Don't be a party pooper...click on the videos, hipsters.

It starts with this:



Which naturally leads into this:





You're welcome.

(okay, now admit that you are singing "Dead giveaway...." along with me.)