Hello Hibiscus!

A co-worker friend and I decided we "needed" to make a run to Schultz Nursery down the street from our office during lunch before the rain made it our way.  I really was hoping to find some succulents so I could work on my hanging baskets for the front porch...none that I needed, but we stumbled on some lovely Hibiscus bushes and both took home two!  I saw this one first, she's a Flamingo Plume...had to have the ruffles!

She looks a little coralish here, but she's just a pretty shade of pink with a lot of fluff! My friend spotted a gorgeous one called Mrs. Jimmy Spangler, and helped me sort through them to find one for me to bring home.  Mine doesn't have any open blooms to show, but she's got a dark pink egdge with an orange center...will compliment this one nicely.  Now, where to put them!

Orange Sherbert                                                               

Dark Orange

They both grow on the same tree...below is what she looked like at the end of the season lasts year. She's much larger this year, but needs to be tamed before she's ready for pictures!

This one is potted with a solid deep red one.

I saw a really cool Pitcher Plant, but at $45, they could keep it! I'll keep working with the one I have before I'm willing to spend absurd amounts of money on something I know very little about.They did have some gorgeous Kalanchoe Donkey Ears and Fangs...big ones, but I exercised self control even though they are giant compared to mine! Next week, we're going to hit Shades of Green in search of the Flame Bouginvilla...a must have for three of us in the office!

Have a great night!

Mandy

Pizza Tuesday

I'm much to predictable, I think.  This morning, I pulled fish out of the freezer and went on my way.  When I got home, I said something about not really feeling like cooking, but that I had pulled out the fish.  My husband reminded me that's it's Pizza Tuesday and asked why would I be cooking.  You don't have to tell me twice!  Now for the predictability...I ordered the usual half cheese/half pepperoni from my usual place.  When I walked in 20 minutes later, one of they guys, smiles at me with a box in his hand and asks how I'm doing.  When I realized it was my order, I quietly asked him, "Please tell me you saw me walk in and didn't recognize my car."  Fortunately, he just saw me walk in!  I'm there every Tuesday and most Friday's when the girls are home, when I call, Bonnie knows what I order just by seeing my name on the caller id...it used to just be my voice and then they went and got techy on me.  It's probably sad, but I think I'll just embrace it!  If you're ever in San Antonio, look up Pizza Italia...you won't be sorry!

The guinea girls were making a fuss, so I got out Miss Hedgie, and man does she need some work!  She is by far the most talkative little thing we've had and she's a fidgety little thing...Snowflake justs plops down and cuddles, not this one.  I gave up when Snowflake refused to quit chewing on the cage, that's her way of letting us know that she wants something and she wants it now! Maybe they miss my little one, I know I do!!

I've got to get back to my July budget or I'll never do it.  Meanwhile, we're just waiting to see what Tropical Storm/Hurricane Alex brings us.  Is it too much to ask for the rain to let up so that I can get to and from my car without getting drenched...surely not!

Have wonderful week!
Mandy

Simple Woman's Daybook - Week of June 26th

For Today...from Mandy's Daybook



Outside my window...well watered plants and grass with more rain promised!

I am thinking...that I'd really like to go to bed.

I am thankful for...a husband who doesn't complain about my Pizza Tuesday!

From the kitchen...nothing tonight, it's pizza night...probably could do some dishes though.

I am wearing... black yoga pants and a yellow shirt.

I am creating...our monthly budget for July...blah, blah!

I am going...to do nothing tonight other than read...after I do the budget, of course.

I am reading...Mother of Prevention by Lori Copeland and Max Lucado's One Year Bible.

I am hoping...that I get into a better mood, I'm a little mulligrubby at the moment.

I am hearing...my favorite weatherman telling us about Alex, the could be hurricane, who's bringing us some much needed rain.

Around the house...quiet and a lot less clutter than last week!

One of my favorite things...reading, reading and more reading!

A few plans for the rest of the week...reading, stalking my daughter on Facebook and trying to stay dry!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

You can participate in the Simple Woman's Daybook by going to the link below.

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/


Have a wonderfully delightful week!
Mandy

Quiet Equals Boring

My girls have been gone for three days now, and this is going to be a long five weeks!  It's not that I don't enjoy the break; I do, but I like noise and they make lots of it! 

They're enjoying themselves though, although they both claim to be bored at the moment! They're so used to being on the go here, that even with everything available to them there they don't "go" as much.  This morning, they both helped my dad with the horses and the little one got a kick out of how big the horses were compared to her!

My husband went fishing this weekend because my sister, who just moved to town, was supposed to stay over, but she ended up not needing to come over.  He'd already made plans and so I was looking forward to a nice quiet weekend by myself...you think I'd know myself better than that by now!  I have enjoyed having full control of the thermostat, menu and remote control, but it's so darn quiet!  My neighbor friend (our husbands are off fishing together) and I spent the day returning things that didn't work out from last weekend's shopping adventure and discussing our plants.  I decided that the Chocolate Mint that I have hanging by my front door is not going to survive the heat/sun combo if they're wilting daily this early in the summer, so I've decided to make succulent hanging baskets.  We stopped by a nursery and I got the plants for the center of each basket and some other little clumping/spreading thing that I thought I had to have!  No pictures yet, but hopefully by the end of the long weekend coming up, I'll have two new creations hanging in my door way.  Looking forward to putting them togehter!  I also made a delicious cheesecake like dessert called Sopapilla Cheesecake and took some over to my friend. 

Had some more blooms on Friday as well...

This is one of my mother's that I'm "succulent sitting".

And one of my Echeveria's blooming...love it! The only thing that bugs me is that they don't open up big and showey...they tease you!

I suppose I should call it a night...haven't even read yet today and I have no one here keeping me from it...crazy!

Mandy

Simple Woman's Daybook - Week of June 21st

For Today...from Mandy's Daybook


Outside my window... the pool is being topped off with new water.

I am thinking...there are some weird people that try out for America's Got Talent!

I am thankful for...getting to spend more time than usual with my mother this summer!

From the kitchen...a mess just begging to be cleaned up.

I am wearing... black shorts and a black/gray striped t-shirt.

I am creating...nothing at the moment, but yesterday I did put together several succulent plantings.

I am going...to check on the pool and take my bath a little early tonight.

I am reading...a book by Beverly Lewis, can't remeber the title right now, and Max Lucado's One Year Bible.

I am hoping...that I don't start crying too early when my mother and girls leave...my tears are like a waterfall, doesn't take much to get them started!

I am hearing...the water funning and crazy people on America's Got Talent.

Around the house...the same clutter from last week, only a few more "finds" added to the mix!

One of my favorite things...spending time working with my succulents and other plants.

A few plans for the rest of the week...getting my girls packed, spending time with my mother and seeing them off for their summer adventure!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...with my girls getting ready to leave, there's been much talk of staying in a hotel (they're not, but they have an obsession).  It reminded me of their first hotel stay several years ago when they were still so little!!

You can participate in the Simple Woman's Daybook by going to the link below.

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Have a wonderfully delightful week!

Mandy

Succulents Galore!

I posted the photo of all the succulents my mother picked up during her various stops from Alabama to Texas earlier...well, we (I) finally got around to potting them this afternoon.  We made a visit to a succulent nursery close by on Saturday, and I think we did really good...only brought home 7/8 plants combined!!  While the girls played in the pool with friends, my mother kept me company in the shade while I went to work! Here are my mother's...

And mine...

 

Her intent was for us to split all the ones she picked up on the way here and then we tried to find plants that had 2 in them so that we could split them as well.  Her collection grew because I kept remembering ones that  have that I intended on pulling off for her!  She "forgot" that she's driving a smaller vehicle this year, so I get to "succulent sit" these lovlies until she brings the girls back at the end of July! I've got to find more pots though for some Hen and Chicks that didn't get potted today as well as some Hawthorias that I need to get ready for my kitchen window.  I ran out of dirt too...hate it when that happens!

Tomorrow will be a little sad...the last day until they take off on their summer adventure!

Have a wonderful week!

Mandy

Happy Father's Day

Today marked my husband's 13th Father's Day and my daddy's 34th!  

This year, I slacked a bit and was the last one of my parent's four daughter's to call...I won't tell anyone, but I was just giving the others a chance to beat me at least once in their lifetime!!  I have an incredible daddy, and I thank God frequently that He chose this man and my mother to be my parents.  Growing up, he taught me many important things...how to make a number of great animal calls (monkey calls being the best), how to drive cautiously, yet at the same time quite agressive (I learned to back up in the front portion of a cemetary andy my mother hated it when he'd let me drive us all to church). Also on driving, when he says floor it...he means step on it! On the day pictured below, he accused me of going soft when I didn't get up in speed fast enough (he topped closed to 100 mph that day) on our "country tour".  I learned a love of plants and the joy of watching your hard work bloom and grow.  Most importantly, my daddy lived out, and still does, the example of how my Heavenly Father loves us...unconditionally, without any strings and just as you are! That didn't mean that he never disciplined us, but we always knew that regardless of what we did or didn't do, he loved us no less.  I've always been proud to be his Daughter #1...birth order, of course!  

My husband did what he loves to do in the summer, fish at the coast.  He was in a bay tournament with friends yesterday, and then this morning went out with his hobby buddy.  They didn't catch a thing, very few did this weekend, but he did have a great time relaxing in the heat on the water!  The girl's sent him their text messages this morning and had his cards ready when we got home.  Steaks and baked pototes were my gift...if you knew the way they used to come out and the way they'd do now, you'd understand why a non-charred steak is a great treat around here!  Now, he's trying to convice the oldest to get him some ice cream!!

Isn't he handsome!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Father's Day!

Mandy

Lazy Days of Summer

I came home at lunch today to find Tater Girl and her BFF working diligently on a puzzle...they were working on the same puzzle when I got home from work tonight.  Tater Girl loves doing puzzles and once she starts, she takes over the kitchen table for weeks at a time.  Will be buying her a card table for the front room while she's gone this summer...you never know when she'll going on a puzzle bender, and I think I need to be better prepared!

The funny faces are thanks to the Ring Pop that my "picture taker hater" popped in her mouth when I said to smile!  They had a great day between the pool and puzzles, not to mention the Rock Bank concert that Giggles put on for everyone...thankfully I just heard it through the phone!

I thought tonight would be a good as time as any to clean out the guinea girl mansion as we lovingly call it.  Snowflake enjoyed sniffing around in their little fenced in area, and Hedgie eventually got the hang of it...not before having to be thoroughly sniffed over by Barkley, one of the Sheltie boys from across the street.  They did enjoy the strawberries and grape halves that we brought out for them. They were much happier once Dottie, the cat from across the street who lives with the Sheltie boys went home...she was ready to lunge for them until she got yanked back by the neck.  She went home rather perturbed and wouldn't come close again until after they went back inside.

Snowflake graciously allowed me to trim up her toe nails...second time was much easier than the first time.  Hedgie let me do her back paws, but I got a little too close and drew a little blood...she got an extra treat for that mishap.  Both got wiped down with baby wipes and then I think they were a little too hot.  Snowflake was sprawled out like she wasn't going to make it...quite the little drama queen!

I think she was trying to nap, but I really didn't realize how warm it was until I put them back in the cage. Oops!

I love it when my mother visits...we had Cheesy Chicken waiting for us in the crock pot (one of my husband's favorites) and yeast rolls...all I had to do was put the french fries in the oven, and dinner was ready to go!  Guess she wasn't impressed with the past two night's dinners of hot dogs and pizza!  She even did the dishes...I could get spoiled very quickly! 

Mandy

Your Chariot Awaits...An Andi McConnell Mystery

I finished this book last week, but just realized that I never talked about it.  I think I found this one at my favorite Half Price Bookstore recently and am going to have to look out for more of Lorena McCourtney's work.  'Your Chariot Awaits' is the first in the Andi McConnell Mystery series.

From the back cover...In the course of one week Andi McConnell turns sixty, loses her job, breaks up with her boyfriend and receives an unezpected inheritance from an eccentric rich uncle - a sleek black stretch limousine with bulletproof windows.  She knows it's totally impractical - yet the limo has an allure that Andi can hardly resist.

A fast, fun read that had me laughing throughout! There was just enough mystery mixed in to keep it interesting to the end and enough humor to keep me giggling as I sit here and remember one scene where she chased her then ex-boyfriend from her porch to his car with a shovel that she thought was a broom! Through the various mishaps that she kept finding herself in, she was able to see how God had his hand on every situation and recognize that He was in fact, very real indeed!

Now I'm off to continue reading 'Firefly Lane'...

Happy Reading!
Mandy

Simple Woman's Daybook...Week of June 14th

For Today...from Mandy's Daybook


Outside my window... the sun is beginning to set and the heat is lifting.
I am thinking...that I need to water my plants before it gets too late.
I am thankful for...my mother is here for another week!
From the kitchen...pizza that needs to be put in the refridgerator so we can enjoy leftover's for lunch.
I am wearing... black yoga pants and a gray t-shirt, also socks because it's freezing in here!
I am creating...a pro/con list mentaly for a decision I'll have to make tomorrow.
I am going...to make it through at least one more load of laundry before calling it a night.
I am reading...'Firefly Lane' by Kristin Hanna and Max Lucado's One Year Bible.
I am hoping...that I finish the project I'm working on at work tomorrow!
I am hearing...the basketball game on tv, my youngest chatting with her friend in the front room, my oldest typing away on her laptop and my mother enjoying the game.
Around the house...clutter, add another person to the house and it's a lost cause!
One of my favorite things...curling up in my chair reading a good book.
A few plans for the rest of the week...finishing out the work week and the rest of the laundry.  My husband is going fishing, so it's just us girls...going hunting for more succulents!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...my mother and I before she left with my girls a few summers ago.

You can participate in the Simple Woman's Daybook by going to the link below.
http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Have a wonderfully simple week!
Mandy

Family Fun

While getting ready for my mother to arrive, I got side tracked (as usual) and never got the floors done downstairs.  Good thing though, as my nine year old spilt half a Dr. Pepper on the wood floors...knew there was a reason I never got to it! This weekend was a work weekend if anything.  Friday night started off with one word...FLEAS! My princess, who is seldom goes outside has been attacked by fleas.  Within the past two weeks, she's had 2 Frontline treatments and now 2 baths...she's going in tomorrow for grooming and a good flea dip as well!  I was sitting outside talking to a neighbor friend, and she found more flea poop on her ears.  After further inspection, we realized she was covered in it.  Stopped what I was doing and tortured her with a long soak in flea soap and then sprayed the yards.  This is yet another thing that I will blame on the 15 cats that live to the right of us...seriously!  Saturday we woke up and started on the pool.  It took almost all day, between the leveling and the filling process, but I think it will be well worth the labor! Again, thankful that we have great neighbors who gave up their Saturday to sweat with us.  My mother arrived with 18 succulents that she picked up on her way here from Alabama on her bathroom stops shortly after we started filling the pool. 

I think I've created a monster! Although, I will say that I think stopping at Home Depot and Lowe's instead of boring gas stations is a brilliant idea!  The pool was filled and ready for salt before we left to my company's annual picnic.  We all woke up sore and moving a little slow today...probably more due to the pool than the sand volleyball.  After the last volleyball clinic until the girls come back home, we got to enjoy the pool for a little bit this evening.  The girls had a blast, and I know that we're going to really enjoy the water as the summer heats up! Only I might have to provide the neighbors with earplugs...both girls have only one voice level and I really think the water amplifies them!

We never got to the guinea pig cage, but that can be tackled tomorrow!

Have a great week! 

Mandy 

Special Delivery!

I was delighted (that's putting it mildly) this afternoon when I checked my mail.  Expected the usual humdrum Wednesday junk mail, I was pleasantly surprised to find a little box tucked in amongst the junk mail! Julie from, A Succulent Life, had offerred to send me some of her 'Mother of Millions', Kalanchoe Daigremontiana, and today they arrived!! Want to see them???  She also included two other little succulents, but we're not sure what they are yet.  Oh...did you want to see them?

A lot of the little babies, thinking about 20 fell off in shipping, so they're now laying on the dirt just waiting to take root!  I've been looking for one of these for 2 years now, so I'm very excited to have one of my own now.  I put the other two in a pot together for now.  The larger one looks like a type of Aloe, but I'm not too familiar with the Aloe group, so I'm not sure.  Looking forward to watching them grow!

Julie,  thank you again for being so generous to share and wow are you quick!  My husband was amused and probably a little shocked that I got plants in the mail.  Needless to say, as soon as I opened them up, pots and dirt followed right behind and now they're happy on the back porch. 

To make the day better, the countdown is closing in for my mother to get here...2 1/2 days to go!  Because I know that I tend to sidetrack easy, I thought I'd get a headstart on the cleaning task...yuk! Tonight, with my girls help, we got the upstairs completely done and tomorrow will tackle the downstairs.  Times like these are when I love my little house...so thankful that it's relatively easy to keep clean and if I put my mind to it, I can have it sparkling in 3 hours!

Have a great day!

Mandy

Simple Woman's Daybook - Week of June 7th

For Today...from Mandy's Daybook

Outside my window... my Esperanza's already in full bloom.

I am thinking...that I could really use a bubble bath, only I chose to try this instead.
I am thankful for...two great girls who still enjoy grocery shopping with me.
From the kitchen...dishes that really need to be done, but that will be there tomorrow!
I am wearing... black running skirt and black t-shirt.
I am creating...nothing at the moment, have one wall left to finish painting in my oldest daughter's room.
I am going...to bed shortly, I turn into a pumpkin at 10:35!
I am reading...'Your Chariot Awaits' by Lorena McCourtney and my Bible (reading through it in a year with Max Lucado's One Year Bible)
I am hoping...that I sleep better tonight than I have been and that I have the discipline to get up when the alarm clock  goes off!
I am hearing...the sports in the background on the tv and my washer coming to the end of a cycle.
Around the house...dust and dog fur...have got to get this place cleaned up before Saturday!
One of my favorite things...a long bubble bath at the end of the day while I have my quiet time with my Bible and Jesus.
A few plans for the rest of the week...cleaning and more cleaning!  My mother is coming for a visit and while she doesn't care about the dirt, I do!
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...my baby girl several years ago, this was her first trip to the lake with Nana and Papa.

You can participate in the Simple Woman's Daybook by going to the link below.
http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Have a wonderfully simple week!
Mandy

New Succulents

Our first Saturday with no set plans was great!  My husband went to the coast to fish, so me and the girls slept in until 9:30...that in itself was awesome!!!  I decided to put rocks in the new bed that I planted under the tree in the back because the cat deterant stuff that I put down did absolutely nothing to keep the neighbors cats from doing their business.  I needed more rocks, so we made the trip to Lowes.  And if I'm going to Lowes, it's pretty much a given that I'll find something I didn't have.  Today I found a small pot of 'Firesticks'...mine didn't survive the winter and it's a must have companion for my Pencil Cactus that my neighbor gave me.  I also found a cute little Echeveria Peacockii that's fixing to bloom, a Sendeveria that's has a dark red/burgandy hugh and a 'String of Tears' Senecio Herreianus.  It looks like my String of Pearls, only they're shapped like a teardrop, they also are called String of Beans, I think. 

I didn't find the 'Mother of Millions' Kalanchoe that I've been hunting, but I did find an African Violet with curly leaves.  They're another favorite of mine, but somehow I killed all the ones I used to have and got side-tracked with the succulents.  We stopped at Milbergers and I've decided that I need to get my girls out more often...they have a chicken/rooster there and they both were shocked that a chicken/rooster was walking around a plant nursery! There's a catcus/succulent nursery in Schertz, that might have what I'm hunting, but I promised my mother that I'd wait until she gets here before going...good thing she'll be here on Saturday!!

Enjoyed watching the girls on the trampoline and then the slip and slide with friends...we've got to get a pool...it's way to hot here already, and it's only going to get worse!

Enjoy your Sunday's!

Mandy

Guinea Pig Girls

15 days ago, we brought Cocoa home so that Snowflake would not be alone since we lost Zoey in April.  She was really tiny and for whatever reason didn't make it past day 13.  Very sad, lots of tears from Tater Girl...Snowflake didn't seem to care. Took Cocoa back, which I think is extremely morbid of Petsmart...they make you return the actual animal with the receipt. Okay, so I get the whole point that a good chunk of our society is less than truthful, but really...wouldn't a good picture work just as well!  Our intention was to just get our money back and let Snowflake be a lone cavey.  So much for good intentions!  I toted the dead cavey to work with me, in a box of course, and returned her at lunch.  The guy at Petsmart Friday was really nice, much better than the jerk that I dealt with the night before, but I'm past that.  He showed me two little girls that had been there a little longer than the others, so they were a bit bigger.  I fell for the chubbby brown one that looked like a hedgehog.  He was nice enough to break the rules and hold her for me until I could come back with Tater Girl and Snowflake to make sure everyone was in agreement. Yes, I took our guinea pig to the pet store to find a friend!  Meet Hedgie...

She's about half the size of Snowflake, but big enough that she won't be tossed around when Snowflake gets in the mood to run like a wild banshee around their cage. 

Where Did the Year Go?

The plants look a lot larger than what they are, I put 5 little ones in a 6 inch pot...I like the fuller look and I happen to know that the recipient has about as much patience as I do in waiting for things to fill in. 

I walked out without my camera this morning, but this is the succulent dish that I put together yesterday for my co-worker...minus the birthday girl!

Wow...another school year has come to an end!  It's hard to believe that we;re going to have an 8th Grader in the house and that our baby girl has one year left of elementary school! I know that time flies for the kids, but I think it moves at triple time for parents, at least it does for me.  I still have vivid memories of bringing them home as itty bitty babies, so it seems impossible that they're already so big.  They're looking forward to a summer spent by the pool at Papa and Nana's house, so they have little sentiment for another school year coming to an end.  This summer is dual grandparent year...they get to spend several weeks with my parents and then we all make a trip up to visit my husband's mom.  It makes for busy summer, but they look forward to it. 

I'm having reading withdrawls, so I'm off to soak up some bubbles and get lost in a book for a bit!

Another Monday

I know today was Tuesday, but it definitely made up for having the day off yesterday and then some!  Even though I have a "desk job", I rarely sit for longer than 30 minutes at a time...I like to get up and move.  Knowing that, the 2 hour and 15 minute meeting I was forced to sit in this morning was torture!  A few minutes more and I might have passed out due to lack of food not to mention my foot kept falling asleep.  The afternoon flew after that, and I was really excited when co-worker called me on my way out the door to remind me that it was another co-worker's birthday...one who happens to have caught the "Succulent Bug", so it's only natural that I volunteered to put a succulent dish together for her.  I really tried to get out of Home Depot with just her stuff, but a tiny Hawthoria made it's way into my basket.  I'm being lazy and haven't downloaded the picture, but maybe I'll get one with her tomorrow and I can post it then. 

Tonight's going to be short, my children are acting like they escaped from the book 'Where the Wild Ones Are'...I think that's the title anyways and my dryer keeps beeping at me...

I'll leave you with a photo of one of my favorites...if you can't tell, they're ALL my favorites!

This is my 'Donkey Ear' Kalanchoe last summer.  My mother and I saw this at Rainbow Gardens last year, looked through them all to find the ones with the most babies on the leaf edges and the rest is history.  This is a great one because I get to share it with friends without mutilating my plant!