Planted the last 5 Dahlia bulbs today.  To plant them I dug out the less than favorable dirt on the north west bed next to the house.  I dug down 6 inches, Tom hauled the dirt to his stock tank gardens and we replaced the dirt with compost from the compost pile and finished off the top with garden soil.

The rest of the bulbs, plus a few that I don't have the picture for, were planted over the last few weeks.  Now I have to wait and pray for the bulbs to come up.

As I think I have said before we have been busy with vegetable garden and I have worked on more than half of my flower beds. Only 4 more beds to work on.  Hope I get them done this year.  The beds that I have left have bind weed in them.  I have never figured out how to get rid of the bind weed.  UGH.  Is that a word?

More pictures to follow later.  As soon as I shower we are headed to Orschelyn's and Panera Bread.

 Tom tilling the garden.  It has been tilled twice by Bill's tractor.  Need to get the straw down and plant pumpkins, watermelon and cantaloupe.

My tomatoes, peppers and squash seeds at the far end of garden.  In the front of this picture is a marigold.  Marigolds usually grow really well in the garden area if the rabbits don't find them.  We have hired Steven Parker (no relation to Parkers' in Burlingame) to help with some of the gardening work this summer.  He worked on Saturday.  Leland was at our house and he helped also.
I can only work a couple of hours, with breaks and then I'm done.  But it feels really good to be working on vegetable garden and also on the flowers beds.  I didn't do much work last year and then I remembered that I spent 4 days in the hospital last year over Mother's Day weekend   I had a cyst on my kidney.  After I got out of the hospital I went to Topeka for weeks for IV infusion medication.  Every time I went to the doctor for the next 6 months I told them that I was still really tired.  And doctors told me that it would take a long time for me to feel well.  Guess I'm feeling better.  Some days I wish that I could still work like I did 20 years ago.  63 is not old but being so overweight slows me down a lot.
More garden work to do.  So hopefully more pictures.

 This is a bush that Margaret Elmore and her sister Mary gave me as a cutting probably 15 years ago.  I didn't think it was going to bloom this year.  But look at it.  Margaret and Mary called it a beauty bush.  And it is.  I've been working on gardening.  In the last week I've mostly worked on the flowers.  Still have a lot of work to do.  I've also planted 8 tomato plants in the garden the Bill Sherry kindly tilled for us this year.  It's only the middle of May but there is lots of work to do.  Gardening is always a satisfying.  Tom's inside and will be cooking our breakfast soon, we should eat by 10.  Thanks Tom.

This is the only time Leland would let me take his picture on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at the state fair in Hutchinson, KS.  This woman was allowing people to come up and pet her goat.  Leland is growing up so quickly.  Maybe Leland will want to join 4H and show goats.  We had watch goats being judged and his favorite was a black and white goat.

On the way to the fair I asked Leland what he was hoping to see.  Papa and I had already told him that there would be farm animals.  Leland told me that he wanted to see a turtle.  Of course I told him that turtles are not farm animals and that he probably wouldn't see a turtle.  The first thing that we stop to look at was the petting tent.  Low and behold the first pen held a Turtle and a kangaroo.  Wow.

We walked through the poultry, rabbit, cow, etc barns.  Ate good junk fair food.  Cotton Candy comes in a bag not on a stick.  Who knew certainly not me.

We had met Josh, Kate, Ayvah and Malachi for breakfast in Emporia and we all had a good visit at the fair.  After 4 hours I was done and we left.  Josh and his family stayed a couple more hours.

Leland taught us a knew song on the way home.  "When we all work together".  It was a song that he had learned several weeks ago at church.  We don't take him to church often enough and I was extremely impressed that he knew all the words to the song.  He likes to sing.

Life is passing by too quickly.  I need to figure out how to grab hold of what it important and let go of the things that don't matter.

Lord, forgive for when I make mistakes and help me to remember that your LOVE can carry me through every day.  cathy

Yesterday, June 16, 2017 I went to the quilt show at the Overland Park Convention Center with my sister Julie and her daughter Jennifer.  Wonderful show.  I overheard people talking about how the show gets better every year.
I hope it's not an age thing with me.  Pretty sure that it is a weight problem, anyway I digress.  I had a hard time walking around the showroom.  Pain in my feet, knees and hips keep me from fully enjoying the show.
Julie and Jennifer had a great time spending time looking through the booths.  I bought 2 patterns.  One was a Lori Smith pattern.  I love her patterns but don't think that I've every made one of her quilts.  The other pattern was a "this and that".
I'm working on the red and white blocks that Lisa Borgean posted last year.  I'm on block 19, only 6 more to go before I start the set together.  I'm using these as my leader enders.
After being sick for almost 6 weeks in April and early June I'm finally getting caught up on my blocks of the months and my gardening.  With Tim's help the flower beds are looking great.
Well, I don't have any pictures to post today.  But maybe this is a start on using this blog.
P.S.  Tim's Katy is 6 weeks pregnant.  That will truly make me a great-grandma.  Oh my.

I don't take enough pictures.  This of course was Easter Sunday at Bill & Joyce's.  The grandkids hunted eggs in the building.  They and we had a great time. 

Mom wasn't able to leave Presbyterian Manor for Easter.  She is so dependent on the lift to move her that the manor advised us not to transport her.  The last couple of weeks Mom has said that she is exercising in the rehab room so hopefully on the next holiday she can come to Burlingame.

Josh & Kate still have Ayvah and Malachi and I'm still staying with them on Mondays and Tuesdays.  Their Mom had a baby last week so the time of foster care for them should be coming to an end.

Tom's mom Rita Jane Shepard died on Good Friday, March 25, 2016.  She would have been 92 on the 27th of April.  Tom, Jeremy, Phillip, JoAnn, Joshua and I traveled to Arizona for the funeral.  3 separate cars and 3 different travel schedules.  Rita's Catholic Mass service was well attended by people who's lives she touched during her lifetime.  Tom was also allowed to talk at the end of the service.  He did a wonderful job.  Tom talked about how important relationships are.  Relationships with others and with Jesus.  

Tom & I stopped and saw Aunt Charlotte on our way home.  It had been too many years since we had stopped. 

Relationships are IMPORTANT.  It is how I get through everyday life. 

Here's hoping that I take more care in the way that I relate to others.   

Here I am again trying to figure out how to post pictures and comments.  Someplace in here I have 2 pictures that I couldn't add comments to.  Eventually I'll find them and delete them.
I had a great Christmas.  I had my doubts a few weeks ago.  I was suffering from a big funk that I didn't have the ability to get over.  Lots of prayer & lots of crying.  I think that my turning point came when I dragged the Christmas tree up from the basement on a Monday night.  The next day I was at Josh & Katie's and when I came home Tom had decorated the tree.  Thank you Tom. 
On Sunday before Christmas I contacted 3 sons to let them know that they were welcome to come to Christmas Eve service with us (Jeremy is the only one who went) and that after we got home that we would have our traditional Christmas time with them.  So thankful that all 4 sons were here.  Katie was missed by all.  Young Katy's boyfriend Bryan came & Danny was here also.  Lots of coffee was consumed.  And Leland spent special time with Uncles Jeremy & Josh playing in the living room. 
God made families and I am so thankful for mine.
If I can get them posted I have 2 pictures of gifts from Phill & JoAnn.  A Beautiful memory book of Billy.  And a picture of 1 of the 4 bricks that Phill & Leland made.  I never dreamed that Phill would become so creative.  Homemade gifts are the best.  (Note to self - today is the day to start for next year).