Volume 18 - Day 152/213, 2026 - Monday

It seems I have turned Mondays into my weekends. I used to get household chores done over the weekends, but now I get them done on Mondays. I have better things to do on my weekends! Today, I moved the plumerias onto the driveway so they get more direct sun. The plumeria that I have had for (maybe) a decade (I think more, actually) did not bloom at all last year, and I bought three more small plumerias at HEB about a month ago. They are all out on the drive now, along with the jasmines that I have started from seeds. We will see how things go, I am 100% positive I will need to be more attentive to watering with them out in the full sun. It gets REALLY hot in central Texas. The girls got their monthly pills today, right on schedule! My week just keeps getting better and better, too. The virtual class I signed up for was cancelled, nothing I did, and a meeting on Wednesday has been cancelled as well. I have a LOT of nothing to do this week, and that totally works for me. 

Volume 18 - Day 151/214, 2026 - Sunday

I went to brunch this morning with Val, Paulina and Terry. Original Pancake House, can't beat it! I can't comprehend that Terry had never been there before, all the brunches we have had there, I thought for sure he had been there. Well, he has now! On the way home, we stopped at McIntyre's Nursery, a small nursery that has been there before any of the big boxes. I got a few more geraniums and a few vincas. I didn't really want vincas, but there is not a petunia to be had in central Texas. Then it was nap time. I went back to an estate sale I had been to yesterday, there were a couple things that I liked, and everything was 50% off, but I didn't buy anything. I was tempted to stop at HEB on the way home, but I didn't do that, either. I don't have a lot on my list for tomorrow, I am going to take a one-hour virtual class, and I will need to do watering outside. We are getting to summer, so that means more watering. I spend much of my time trying to figure out if I am going forward with my trip to Africa in September. It's the ebola thing. I have about ten days to make up my mind, I may change plans and go somewhere else, and maybe go to Africa next year. Or the year after. Whatever. Callie did not have a care in the world when I took this picture of her this evening. A sleeping dog is a happy dog. I am lucky to have two happy dogs. They are going to the beautiful parlor on Thursday, so they may not be too happy with that.

Volume 18 - Day 150/215, 2026 - Saturday

Judy and I went to SEVEN estate sales this morning, and I bought a few things at at least three of them, some of it at full price. Fabulous things, that are now accessorizing various rooms in the Curious House. I think I will be going back to one of the sales tomorrow, but that is yet to be seen. After the estate sales, it was time to go down for a nap, but that didn't work as I had planned. Later on, Mike texted me that the original La Cage aux Folles was coming on at 7 o'clock, our time. Perfect! I've seen it a couple times, but always worth seeing again. Val and Paulina come over to watch with me, and, I didn't know it, but it was subtitled. Okay with me, and we all enjoyed it. The girls have been out, and now I am getting ready for Some Like it Hot! This is one of the better tv nights, and I am enjoying it a lot. Before estate sales tomorrow, I am doing brunch, and I am ready for a pancake!

Volume 18 - Day 149/216, 2026 - Friday

It's that time of year again, the time when the sun rises and casts really nice shadows of old men taking a walk in the neighborhood. I spent most of the day staying out of the way of the electricians that were here (this was the third time) making some changes inside the Curious House. Not sure what my next project will be, but I expect there will be one, eventually. The girls stayed out of the way, too, and had a play day with Val and Paulina. Then, Val, Paulina and I went to dinner, and all three of us had fried catfish. A good dinner with good friends. The rest of the evening will be spent doing little of nothing, but there will be ice cream before the night ends. Tomorrow will be estate sales, there are seven, and I think it will be just me and Judy, everyone else has other plans or commitments. Hopefully, there will be lots of treasures that I am not aware that I even need, fingers crossed!

Volume 18 - Day 148/217, 2026 - Thursday

There was not a lot going on today, of course, the day started with a walk, and then I really can't think of anything I did. I am still eating pizza from the other night, and this afternoon, I took Oliver to the airport for his trip to visit his grandparents. On the way home, I stopped at HEB where they did indeed have cottage cheese and pulled chicken. I am adding a little of these two items to their morning and evening food, just to see if they like it. They had no problems with the cottage cheese tonight, and I have no doubt that they will turn their noses up at the chicken. I need to fill in some geraniums and petunias, and I looked at HEB but did not see what I wanted, so I think I will head to Home Depot after I finish this entry to see what I can find. I have electricians coming tomorrow, and I think they will be here for most of the day, so the supplemental geraniums and petunias will give me something to do.My Apple credit card arrived today, and as soon as they said it was delivered I headed off the to cluster box to make sure. I feel whole again, and I am not planning to use that card until the first of June...just because! I took this photo of Rocky this morning, and I am keeping my eyes open for Bullwinkle. Moose and Squirrel!

Volume 18 - Day 147/218, 2026 - Wednesday

If you like thunder, lightning and rain, you should have been in bed with me overnight! A fantastic light and sound show, and a good rain, too! I emptied 1.67" of rain out of the guage at the Curious House, and that puts us at 7.66" for the month of May. Pretty Damn Good! We have virtually no rain in the seven day forecast, but we are glad for what we have received, so far. It was 63 degrees outside when I got up this morning, and that was my cue to open the windows and get some fresh air in the house. I closed them at about 1 o'clock this afternoon, so that was great. Paulina was in charge of a blood drive at her office today, and they had 30 donations, and I think that is great! I went and got cracked this afternoon, and on the way home, I stopped at Aldi for cottage cheese and pulled chicken. They apparently do not sell cottage cheese, and the pulled chicken I could find was seasoned, and I did not want seasoned. The cottage cheese and the pulled chicken was for the girls, not me. I want to use that as a little bit extra to put on their morning and evening feedings. Tomorrow I expect I will go to HEB to see what I can find. I know they have cottage cheese! I don't have much else on my calendar for tomorrow, I will be taking Oliver to the airport at 3 o'clock, he will be going to visit his grandparents in Poland for a couple weeks. This deep red flower is in a (formerly) hanging basket that I have had for at least the last four years. I don't really remember ever seeing these deep red blooms, but I think they are really pretty.

Volume 18 - Day 146/219, 2026 - Tuesday

Just more evidence that I am fiscally out of touch with reality. I hav been craving pizza, and there was an ad for a (undisclosed) pizza place in a local coupon book. I went on line to see what I wanted to order, but decided I would run some errands and go to the pizza place in person to order the pizza. I was not in a hurry, so why not. I made a stop at the bank, got gas in the little white car, and then headed to the pizza place. I ordered two (yes, two) medium, thick crust pizzas and a 16 piece cheese bread thing. $60.53. OMG! As they were picking me up off the floor, they applied some coupons to the order, and it ended up being close to $40. Still...that seems high for what I ordered. I guess if I average it out, it would come out to about $8 a day (I think I can eat on this for five days), so maybe it was not as bad as I thought. Whatever. The tree trimmers came out this morning, even though they were an hour and fifteen minutes late. They did a good job, but (maybe) they lifted the canopy a little higher than I would have like, but again, they did a good job. Apple says they have mailed me ANOTHER card, so I don't expect I will be able to leave the house again until it arrives.