Hot summer days

    As you can see we have had some high water in Iowa and one of our trails is under water.    As a result of all the rain and water we are being plagued with Mosquitoes.  The little blood suckers are everywhere and you have to make a mad dash to your car to prevent getting bit.   4 or 5 will get in and then you have to smack them down our they continue their feast while you drive across town.

   I usually hate putting bug spray on but I am this year.  Nasty little critters.  If it isn't the ticks it's these.

   Well the kids are gone and I am back to a quiet boring house.   I agree Misty,  I would love it if families all lived together.   I always liked having my kids here and their kids.  Big noisy chaotic mess of fun.

   Tomorrow I am going to call my doc and see if he will give me a work release for the 17 like we originally planned.   Work expects me back and that is when I thought I would be going back.  But I don't see him until the 30th.   My wrist is coming along pretty good thanks to therapy.

   I also went to a therapist about my knees.   He gave me some exercises to try and strengthen them.   The left one is still so swollen and if I overdo it they are pretty painful but I also think they are getting better.   If they continue to be a problem I may get shots in them.  I want conservative treatment if possible.

   Summer is almost over.   The time seems to have flown by.   Sad isn't it.   Soon I will be back to work and making some good money again.  Its a good thing.

    Well, take care all.

So Sad

   Tomorrow morning my grandkids take the long trip back home.    We went out tonight and had pizza and played games.  So fun.   And when I said goodbye my grandson clung to me and sobbed.   I hugged him back and sobbed also.   We don't want to be apart.   I hate that they live so far away and it might be a year until I see them again.   My granddaughter is 9 and took it better but has been moody and sad for the last 2 days.   And me.  I am sooooo sad.   I was born to be a gramma.  I already miss them so much.

Women are Angels

Woman are Angels

And when someone 

breaks our wings......

We simply continue to fly.......

On a Broomstick.............

We  are flexible like that.:-)

Friday

  I had my 2 grandkids and soon to be step grandchild spend the night the other night.   We had so much fun.   Keep up with 3 active kids is great exercise.   They are only going to be here for 6 more days so I want as much time possible.

  The morning we picked them up we went to the farmers market for fresh vegetables for supper.   The littlest one said,  I didn't know we could go grocery shopping outside.  So cute.   None of them had ever been to the farmers market so I was explaining why you should support your local growers and to buy chemical free as often as possible.   Which we did.

    Grass fed beef raised the old fashion way and sooooo good.  Free range chickens,  fresh eggs and the vegetables,  oh they were wonderful.   The youngest is a true tomato lover so we let pick the ones she wanted.   They let her taste the 3 varieties of cherry tomatoes they had,  sweet yellow,  chocolate browns or traditional cherry tomatoes.    We ended up with the best yellow tomatoes which we ate like candy off and on all day.

    I am still eating to lose weight like I did before.   No diet.   Just counting calories and trying to eat fresh and nothing out of prepackaged box.    I bought a ton of fresh strawberries,  blueberries, raspberries and banana's and froze them.   Then for breakfast I take a cup of Blue Diamond Almond milk,  toss in some blueberries, strawberries, a banana, and raspberries and have the best smoothie without all the calories and sugar of a boughten one.   It is yummy.

    For supper that night we had chicken and shrimp kabobs with fresh corn on the cob.  It was so much fun.

    Then yesterday we went to the funeral of a friend of ours.   He died from cancer he got from handling Agent Orange in the Vietnam War.   He has been fighting it for the last 10 years.   Such a great guy.   Wars are terrible things.  And the casualties keep taking place.  So that was a sad day.

      Today I am going to PT for my wrist and then the doc to get these old knees checked out.  I am hoping they can give me some exercises to fix them up without needing any surgery.   I am starting to itch to get back to work.   I want my old check back and I miss my job. 

    Well,  I am going to get ready.  I hope everyone is having a great summer.  I am.

Hello

  Not really,  I don't want my friends to be fat.  Just heavier then me, LOL.

  Hello everyone.    I am back and will pop around all the journals.   Life gets so busy this time of year.   And I have been busy with the grandchildren and PT for my wrist.   Friday I am finally seeing the doc about my knee's.    Having them both go out was the last straw.   Maybe it is the exercising I am doing.   It would help if I could ride my bike.  Oh well,  in 3 weeks I can ride again.

   Sunday RAGBRAI left from here.

  

We went out early and I got a ton of shots.   It was fun watching thousands upon thousands of bicyclists all take off.  All but me, boo hoo.   They came in all sizes and ages,  from as far away as Germany and Japan.  From Florida and California.    Ride across Iowa.  It is a good time.

I am still on the losing weight band wagon but it has slowed way down with my knees hurting so bad.   I have been doing my exercises in the pool though.  And this time of year the vegetables at the farmers market are awesome.   We have been having a feast of fresh vegetables,  in fact the kids and us are going this morning to get some for kabobs we will grill for supper tonight.

  The grandkids are here for 2 more weeks.   It has been so fun.   They are such good kids and I will miss them a lot when they leave.  I sure wish they lived closer.

Well,  I had better get ready.  We are picking up the kids early so they can go to the farmers market with us and then they are all spending the night.  4 kids,  hummm.  I haven't had to watch 4 kids for decades.  That will count as my exercise for today.   Take care all.

When Our Justice Department Fails us

   By now everyone has heard how our justice department refused to let the New Black Panthers be charged for their equal rights crimes. 

  Growing up I was proud of how far our country had come getting equal rights for women, blacks, minorities.   I always felt we should all have the same treatment provided all humans.  And we had gotten there for the most part.  Until 2009.  Until our new administration.

   Apparently now you can only charge people with a crime if they are white against a minority.   With President Bush a crime was a crime.   With this administration it is only a crime if your a "cracker".   It is perfectly OK for armed people to intimidate you at the voting booths as long as your not white.  The new KKK wears black robes.  And it is sooooo sad.   We had come so far.  We have slipped backward 50 years.  Even our Justice Department has sunk into the mud of racism.   We have to get back equal rights.  For everyone.  No matter what color,  no matter what sex.  For the future of this country.

  And now the Agriculture Dept.  admits they are also practice discrimination by not helping white farmers who are being foreclosed on.   Now there are some people who will laugh and say hows it feel to have the shoe on the other foot.   It feels like racism to me.   It feels like old times,  the bad times.  It feels wrong.   As wrong as it did not letting minorities ride on the bus or go through the front door.  It brings tears to my eyes.   Let vote this administration out of office.   Lets clean up Washington.   Lets make our country the Best place in the world to live.

  Check out this video.
  Also I don't like them changing the wording of Freedom of Religion.   Now our new President wants it to be Freedom of Worship.  What happened to the Freedom of Religion law.  Is this the beginning of ridding us of that.   I have heard the wording freedom of worship before.  I believe it was used in Russia.  We have to change this.  Is there anyone left yet who doesn't realize how bad this has gotten and how bad it going to get?

Sioux Falls Jazzfest

     We went to the Jazzfest on Friday and had a great time.   The music was great.  We saw Davina and The Vagabonds a great energetic band with great vocals and great horns.   Then next was Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave,  I love horn players and this band was sooooo good.  There were 10's of thousands of people there and the entire place was so energized.   The last performers of this night were Los Lobos which were great as usual and Trombone Shorty and his band jammed a few songs with them.   I would have loved to go to all 3 nights but it was over 100 degree's yesterday and heat and humidity that high kicks up my asthma big time.  

   Click on the links to hear a sampling of what we heard.  It was great great great.   Yesterday I took the kids to Chucky Cheese since it was way to hot to do anything else and then we came home and they played in the pool.   I have been loving having the kids here.   Keeps me busy.  

  Monday I get my stitches out.   I can't wait to get in the pool also.  It is suppose to be hot all week.  We are cleaning it today and refilling it to get ready.  

   Hope everyone is having  a great summer so far.