It's been 17 years already???

Coming Soon to your Neighborhood: The 17 year locusts or cicadas will be making their appearance here in MD. Heard on the news that there could be
one million cicadas per square miles. Creepy!

 

photo:MDHomeandGarden.com

We keep telling our grandson Dylan that they will be making their appearance soon and that they don't bite as he is terribly upset by bugs...when we were at the zoo several weeks ago he didn't like the gnats flying by.  The last time the locusts were here, I remember them being so thick that you couldn't walk across the yard without
crunching them and for 2 weeks you could hardly hear yourself think
as their singing was so loud.

I'm with Dylan.  I'm definitely not looking forward to their visit.

Time Flys...

I can't believe it's almost May.  We have lots going on all the time and the days are just flying by.  Lou and I have been developing a new product line for the website in between making signs and blocks for orders and getting them packaged and shipped .  We also have slowly been adding a line of Southern sayings to our sign list, many of which I have always called Elsie-isms.  I heard so many them from my Mom, who heard them from her mother Elsie.  While Maryland is not truly considered a southern state...my Mom Mom had sayings that are truly southern. I have been able to get some of the sayings put on signs, photograph them and actually get them up on the website.  But I have a list with many more that I will be adding over the next few weeks.

www.countryworkshop.net

We also were able to have our darlin' grandkids with us for a couple of days.  So much fun.  How many remember Art Linkletter's Kids Say the Darndest Things?  I was getting Dylan ready for bed...he was standing on the toilet seat lid so he could easily reach the sink while he was brushing his teeth.  That made him tall enough to look me in the eye.  He very seriously said, "Mom Mom, your face isn't old like Gramps." I said, "I love you Dylan."

Singing, "It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"

We've had some gorgeous days here in our neighborhood.  One day this week the temperature was 95 degrees.  Seems that winter may actually be over.  This morning is a bit chilly but sunny and blue skies.  The next couple of days are going to be beautiful.

We had the grandchildren on Thursday, took them to the playground and to visit my Mom.  For lunch we went to the nearby Chick-fil-A because they have broiled chicken nuggets that are not breaded and Dylan has a problem with gluten so these are good for him.  I was so very impressed with the folks who work there.  Very attentive and friendly...loved the placemats brought to our table for the kids that stick to the table as I am always concerned about germs.  It is interesting that most of the employees who were on the floor interacting with the patrons were older "retired" folks.   

We've been busy working on some new products and new signs. There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in each day.  I'm heading up to the shop to package and ship some others but later I'm hoping Lou and I can get some mulch spread in the gardens and do some other things in the yard that need doin'.

Hope you all are having a beautiful day in your neighborhood!

Grandbabies and a Lost Beagle

We had a couple of busy days around here.  Lou and I had the grand babies overnight on Thursday...their parents had tickets for the Orioles Opening Day.  We also had our fuzzy granddog here.  He and Lucy just love each other so they are always happy to be together. 

It was such a beautiful day on Friday that we took the children to the Baltimore Zoo. Didn't make it through the entire zoo but the we did get to see all of the african exhibit.  I was surprised the zoo wasn't crowded as many of the schools were
closed last week for spring break.

Lou and I were couldn't believe that neither of the children fell asleep in the car before we got back to the house...but after dinner both crashed.  When their parents got here, they decided to stay here for the night too.  The house was happy to be so full.

We also had another house guest on Friday night.  On her way home from work on Friday, daughter Meagan saw a beagle trying a cross a road.  She opened the car door and he jumped in.   He had a collar but no tags.  All the local vets were already closed so she took him to an ER Animal hospital to see if he had been chipped.  He did have a chip but the one phone number wasn't working and on the other number the vet left a message but vet office wouldn't give out any of the other info except the dog's name was Jack and he was from this area. It is a privacy issue it seems.  Meagan did see a street name on the paper where the other info from the chip had been written down and she and Lou went to the street but it was a condo complex with lots of buildings.  They spoke with a man they saw walking to his car, asked if he knew the dog or its owner but he didn't.  So Jack, the sweet beagle boy, spent the night in the shop.  Meagan got a call from Jack's Mom on Saturday...but she hadn't gotten the phone message from the ER clinic...the man Lou and Meagan spoke with the night before saw the dog's owner searching the neighborhood and he told her that the ER animal hospital had Meagan's contact info. 
Jack is now back home.

So folks, if you do have your pet micro chipped, be sure the information is up to date...and maybe also have a tag with your phone number.  Jack would have been home on Friday evening if we had been given the info on the chip or if the phone numbers had been up to date.

Coffee and a Good Book

www.countryworkshop.net

We all need to take some time to have a cuppa and read a good book.
I never seem to find the time to read anymore.  I have oodles of wonderful stories stored on my Kindle just waiting for me.  Hoping when it's warmer, every morning, with that first cup of coffee, I'll read several chapters while sitting on the porch.
My real problem is that once I start a new book, I get so involved in the story that I want to keep reading until I've read every last word.

When You Plant M&M's

This year Dylan and I planted pastel M&M's, watered them
and waited to see what would grow.

We grew Peeps.

Because of the weather, the eggs for the egg hunt had to be hidden
in the house and on the porch.

Riah was happy with one egg...
but next year she'll give Dylan a run for finding eggs.