Home Again, Home Again

Jiggitty Jig.

I've never seen so many white trucks and ladders in all my day. Of course, I arranged to get the house trim painted before I left for Riverside. It was supposed to begin next week. Then I would have had time upon my return to clean the porches off, remove the screens, etc. before they began. But nooooooo. They started on Wednesday of this week. I had also called a company to come and trim the shrubs growing through the pickets in the porch before I left, and they were supposed to come last week and get that done. When I drove up from driving seven hours, that was the first thing I noticed. I just about blew a gasket. In fact, I may have actually blown one, perhaps even two. These are the same guys who planted an entire hedgerow last spring and forgot to turn the sprinkler system on. When we arrived back from spring break, every new bush was completely DEAD. This is the same team who mulched over a landscaping light which in turn started smoldering (for over two days before the fire department could find it) and could have caught the house on fire two winters back. I don't know why I still use them. Well, actually I don't. Of course, I arrived home after 4 and only had a little time to find someone before 5 to get here first thing this morning. Ya think I have the equipment to trim? Not on your life! I've tried trimming hedges. Kind of like cutting bangs. You just keep going and keep going to get them straight and end up with barely nothing! Remember in grade school when your mom would cut your bangs the day before picture day? Lord. You should see some of mine! hehe. Anyhoo, blah blah blah. Got the hedges cut, early this morning. The painters are here with a vengeance, and the other landscapers had the gall to show up! Shoot me now.

Bella was glad to make it home. We left the Nantucket-Riverside booda dome down there. She really does like it, as you can see. Dave and Abby were glad to see us, probably not so happy about seeing Bella as she terrorizes them. Poor Dave seems to be losing weight. He goes out and prowls all night--howls all night if we don't let him out. Don't know what's going on there. Me and my cats. Geesh.

Mom is doing great. Sherrie and the boys took really good care of her in my absence, as I knew they would. She was happy to see me. There's so much going on around the house, I was worried it would mess her up; another reason why I wanted to be home before they started painting. After she thought a man was in her house, I thought it may frighten her seeing all these guys all over the yard and stuff. Not fazing her in the least. I suppose you just never know with dementia. I try so hard to make things perfect for her only to drive myself insane and then she is perfectly fine without my doing anything. It was such a relief finding her so content. Now talk to me tomorrow and it may be a whole other story. Let's hope not. (This is a tin beach pail I set up before leaving Riverside--sniffle.)

I was deeply saddened by the news while away that one of the teenager's school mates which he played football with was shot and killed in Nashville last week. He would have been a senior next year. It saddens me to the core to even fathom the loss of a child. None the less being shot in what the police think was a botched robbery while he was washing his car at a car wash. It breaks my heart to think of his parents and to see the teenager having to attend a funeral of a friend at such a young age. Just rips me apart. Never take a moment with a loved one for granted. It's these hard reminders sometimes that jolt us back into appreciating each precious minute.

Think I'll go wake the boys up with a hug. Well, maybe not. It's still early (for summer time anyway). They'd probably want to kill me if I did! "MOM!"