Rip groom. finished The-Birthday-Party-is-Here cleaning. wrapped more presents. donated a big bag of clothing.

whatta day. finished the Christmas Snakes. did more gift wrapping. started The Birthday Party Is Here Cleaning. visited Z and Iz.

took out Z's Big Wheel. she got it to move a bit! and did 'schoolwork' and laid on her saucer swing. Kevin took an early out and worked on farm all afternoon. still watering cemetery flowers. AND. I. BROKE. THE.BARRIER. THIS. MORNING. 30 minutes. (not continuous, had a couple minutes hiding in my room afer I was startled by mailman. but 30 minutes total.) took out a link!

last but definitely not least.... Izzy's Green Velvet Mickey Mouse Elmo Christmas Snake. the green is from Katie's Madonna dance recital outfit. Mission. Accomplished.

Millie's Pink Ty Dye Princess Christmas Snake...the head is one of Grandma's worn out tshirts.

making seaglass......put this on the project list.....

the cicadas were singing and flying amuck when I took car to Kirksville for service and recall.

Miss Violet's Purple Headed Kitty Happy Birthday Christmas Snake. the purple 💜 is leftover from Zerelda's Princess Hulk dress.

Coralie's Tiger Cheetah Leopard Christmas Snake...some of the fabric came from Zerelda's outgrown clothes 💜

an email from Toyota....

Hi Kevin, it's Shelby from Kirksville Motor Company. I just realized today marks the anniversary of your 2021 Toyota Highlander purchase a few years back! How have you been? I hope your Highlander has been treating you well. I'm just curious, have you taken it on any memorable trips or adventures with the family? Looking forward to hearing from you!

a busy day! I hung out with Zerelda.

turned her swing into a princess swing

gave each other braids

we sat outside by her flowers and she told me she wanted a pet. a pet caterpillar. we helped Grandpa fix the old pump by her flowers. she watched Gabby's Playhouse while Grandma vaccumed. we put chairs out on the back porch.

Kevin took an early out and finished loading the trailer....and we sold our second load of scrap in a week. Ka-Ching!

and.....drumroll please.....my. first. tomato! not as big as Relda's first tomato, but I am pleased.

we're still watering flowers at cemeteries, Kevin is determined to leave them out the maximum time. and he treated me to our first soft serve of the season from Randys.

pea sized hail last night. today we mowed yards, lit a brush fire, and welcomed Zerelda and Izzy home.

the yard at farm is looking nice. still want Kevin to bulldoze out a couple more flower beds and let them go back to grass. and find a couple of bird houses to hang on that tree by well. and battling weeds by the barn....but all in all, it is a pretty yard.

are these the cutest thing ever????? so glad we got to visit today, Tracy ♥️

he's not my grandbaby, but I went to his birthday party. cause he's Zerelda's baby brother and she is so proud of him.

and KK's kids call me grandma...

I feel like I should make an online tutorial. at age 59, I finally figured out how to neatly wrap a box as gift holder. individually wrapped each flap, cut cardboard insert and wrap. which makes box stronger. old dogs....👵🐕

as always, realized I don't have as many gifts for 'the little girls' as I thought I did....especially ViVi and MilMil. oopsies.

this years bathtub. Zerelda has baby tomatoes! and blossoms on her pumpkins! her garden looks beautiful. very calming and peaceful location under the big trees.

thunderstorm this a.m. checked on cemetery flowers, all survived quite well.

we decorated graves tonight....and had a conversation about gravestones. we both like black, but I like the marbly brown and gray more. I don't like the red. or the gray. or screen printed images. I saw a stone for Petty. I probably shoulda married a Petty. I am, after all, about the pettiest person I know.

what I'm reading....

I've been inspired....watching reels and tiktoks of people doing cool shit.

cutting up a book and making it into a spooky library. making displays of tiny treasures. turning ordinary clothes into bohemian clothes. patchwork pillows. caftans from thrifted chenille bedspreads. turning an old thrift store miniature granddaddy clock into a circus. making tiny rooms for tiny characters. a birdcage of doll heads. cutting doll head in half and making into rooms....weird crazy creative greatness.

picked up construction trash at farm, mowed, weed-eated, and chopped/loaded scrap.

It’s the last day of school! We will now have a 5th grader, a 3rd grader, and a 1st grader (and Millie will be in preschool for one more year!)

Growing up my siblings and I often heard "Dammit, Janet" whenever dad would get frustrated with mom. I honestly think he just said it as it rhymed. 😅 Regardless mom got John a dammit doll he kept at work. I decided ALL of us (Brenda , Deb , and Janet ) need our own dolls. So when I saw these tonight I snatched them up!

I've been watching tons of Bigfoot stuff on tubi. literally TONS.

ran out of stuffing on Violets snake, so sewed Coralie and Millie's, and Izzy's head before I got bored with it.

each one is even more adorable than the last. Izzy's has velvet from Katie's Madonna dance outfit. Violet's velvet is from a Princess Hulk dress I made Zerelda. the head on Millie's snake is my old well worn tie dye t-shirt. they all have the same eyes, but positioned differently. Cora's has big cat prints from some of Zerelda's outgrown clothes. they really are like quilts. each has a story to tell. I hope the kids feel all the love put into them.

this brought tears to my eyes.

what I'm reading....Death in Glacier National Park. I did the picture on Snapchat with the cartoony vibe. which makes it pert much unreadable....

Kevin lovingly and securely placed Bigfoot in his Forever Home....unless I change my mind? but pretty sure this is where he was destined to be.

Children see magic because they look for it. - Christopher Moore. Happy Happy Happy Birthday 🎈🎈🎈 to our magical thinker, Zerelda James, the girl with an infectious giggle and a great BIG heart.

Violet is a kindergarten graduate! She is so excited to move on to first grade!

slept in. tried to understand woman with HEAVY accent on a bank fraud alert phone call. still not sure what exactly happened?

saw on FB that last weekend, a movie was being filmed on set at The Vaile, called "The Live In".

today started my latest dental crown adventure. then I joined Kevin mudboggin' (or lawnmowing, in drier weather) at the farm.

peonies in bloom out there. and iris are almost!

When I get old I don't want people thinking, "what a sweet old lady.". I want them saying, "WHAT is she up to NOW???". Happy Happy Happy Birthday 🎈🎈🎈, mom. you'll never be old to me....but you'll always be ornery.😉

Christmas Snake #1 complete. Ian's Super Mario Iguana Camo Head. used some of my grandma Grace's thread. so she helped me make a toy for her great great grandson.

Christmas Snake #2: Zerelda's JoJo Cow Insect Book. the cow print used to be my kitchen curtains.

thrift art

for Mothers Day I heard from all 3 kids. Violet and sibs videochatted with me. Melissa stopped by with a flower and a cupcake. Pepsi, Hersheys with almonds, flowers and a card from KJ.

Kevin took me to see a movie on my list....I am a Planet of the Apes nerd. and out to lunch at Blackwater. I slept in. and had cheesecake for supper. it was a perfect day.

I'm no longer down there in the trenches pregnant, puking, teething babies, up all night with sick kids, working on no sleep. working when my kids are doing something I want to go to. working on holidays. baby shots, practices, homework, sleepovers, fights with friends, trying to keep them in clothes AND shoes that fit, proms, graduations.....I'm up here on the ledge now. I made it. my kids are fighting the good fight now. I survived. you didn't have to be fit to get to this point. you just had to put your head down and keep on going, baby.

yesterday mom gave me a thread 🧵 spool holder that belonged to Grandma Grace. this thread was perfect for the snake 🐍 I'm making her great great grandson Ian for Christmas.

she's been a mom. a grandma. now a great grandma. Happy Mothers Day, mom. every year I'm a mom (and a grandma ) I appreciate you more.♥️

being a mom and grandma is my best thing. Happy Mothers Day to Koren , Taylore , and Ann . they're raising the best little people!♥️