Sugarpie Honeybun

This is our first professional portrait. We will celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary in a little over a month. When we were married, our pictures were taken by the pastor's wife with a 35 mm camera with intentions that we would have a few blown up. We have still never progressed from the proof book sized album we started with.

When we'd been married about three or four years, Wayne told me to get dressed up for a surprise date. His surprise was to take me to this photographer's studio that was upstairs from the most expensive salon in town, and her packages started at around $300. I about came unglued! You must understand. My parents bought some Olan Mills portrait a year package when I was a baby, and my momma dressed me up and made me up and marched me in annually for the portrait that had to be SO perfect, and I have issues with having my picture made. When you add in that this surprise is going to cost me at least $300, it ceases to be a pleasant surprise. Needless to say, poor Wayne never tried to get me to have pictures made again.

Our church is putting together a directory, and that entails portraits, so we dutifully had our pictures made. It turned out to be quite therapeutic for both of us in different ways. I think our marriage is better for the experience. I am happy that we have a nice picture of us that we can hang on the wall and give our parents.

These are the first eggs from our little hens we raised from chicks. It's so gratifying to see the fruition of our labors!

Another Hole In My Head

I needed a new pet like another hole in my head! Last night while I was walking the dogs, I heard a kitten crying. It sounded like it was coming from the pasture to the east of our house. Glutton for punishment that I am, I went looking. I found her in the sumacs near the cemetery that is across the road and down a bit. She's a calico. I am calling her Ornery Matisse. If I can find her a GOOD home I will probably give her away, since we already have too many critters, but I can't bear the thought of her being mistreated. She is a very sweet and snugly kitten, though quite vocal!

I've never been much of a cat person, and never thought I'd have one, but I always said if I did have one, it'd be a calico. She's just about perfect...

LeeRoy's Debut

This is the longest LeeRoy's hair has ever been. I think it's positively gorgeous, but also messy because he sheds a lot and has to be brushed frequently. The shedding is the worst. His hair is all over everything in the house. I can't stand it. Also, he is miserable in this warm weather, even though we have air conditioning. He will lay on his side with his legs spread out, and just pant. He's not his usual energetic self, either. It got this way because my old clippers were worn out, and I couldn't replace them. Then we got Twinkie, and she plays so rough that I didn't want his skin to be easily accessible. Now he's got his bluff in on her pretty good, and I am not worried about that, so it's time to get rid of the hippy dog look.

He was actually shaking and rolling in this next shot. My camera caught it so perfectly it looks like he's being still!

Being groomed is SUCH hard work! My new clippers kept getting hot, and I would have to stop and let them cool down every ten minutes or so. Once, I found him like this. I thought he looked too sweet.
When I stopped for the last time, cleaned everything up, and went and turned on the faucet to get a bath, he ran and jumped in the tub! This is a dog who usually HATES to be bathed and protests with grunts and whines the entire time. Not today! He's ready to be fresh and clean!!! I just laughed and laughed at him.

My Aquarium

After keeping goldfish for about six years, I have decided to convert my tank back to a tropical aquarium. I missed keeping kissing gouramis the most. Therefore, my tank is centered around what fish are compatible with them. I traded in my two large fancy goldfish and received store credit in the amount of $18 for them. I was thrilled! I was expecting just a few bucks. I purchased a pair of kissing gouramis, three skunk botias, and I already had a kuhli loach and a plecostimous.

As you can see, the kissing gouramis have settled in and are smooching away!

This is a rock I found in a local creek several years ago. I think it's soooo cool. When I saw it, I shouted, "It's the Venus of Willendorf!" My husband looked at me like I had grown another head. I pulled it up out of the water and showed it to him. Then I explained what the Venus of Willendorf looked like, and he laughed and said he didn't see how I got that out of that rock, but, whatever. I like it and it makes me smile.