A Week (And More) in Pictures

I actually made a point of taking random pictures for a week in pictures post...and promptly forgot to do it this weekend! So a few days late, but here you are.

I bought a cute baby gift for my friend Melissa (who reads this when she can, so *waves* hi, Melissa!). Don't worry, the gift has been received and the thank-you card sent, so I can post this pic here. : ) Old Navy has some darling baby clothes. Melissa's having a boy, and I thought the koala gear was too cute for words.

I call this "Sunday Afternoon on Le Isle of La Grande Meg" You can see just where I sit, and just how happy the cats are in the Sweet Spot while Mom watches NASCAR.

This one is called, "Monday Morning Cold-Weather Run." Running leggings, hoodie, Keane scarf double-wrapped around my neck. Hair pulled back in severe ponytail.

Cali Swimmy poses with the set to his epic 15-second adventure, "Rogue Wave" after tear-down.

First, a pretty sunset out my living room window. Then a picture of the cat repellent Dad bought me in the hopes it will keep the neighborhood Tom from urinating on my front door. It smells awful, but it's organic. Whether or not its working remains to be seen.

I thought it was about time I take a picture of my ugly but oh-so-useful garden clogs, used for taking out the garbage and spreading cat repellent.

"I gots ferocious teef!" growled Harley Dude in his high-pitched voice. Actually, those things can inflict some pain, let me tell you.

For some reason, Millie loves my reusable grocery bags. With a passion. I haven't figured out why. In this pic, she's almost vertical sleeping on them.

On Wednesday evening, I hauled out my suitcase to pack for a trip to Mom and Dad's house. Harley freaked out completely, not letting me come anywhere near him and running under the bed every time I walked into the bedroom. Finally he ventured out this far, to peek in to the living room. His face here cracks me up. "Is it safe? Did she get the boxes out?"

On Thursday, I drove to Mom and Dad's, and promptly started helping them clean out the fridge and pantry. We got rid of a lot of junk foods and that night I used what we had on hand to make a very nice dinner. I cooked the ham in olive oil with onion,m garlic, the broccoli (steamed it in the microwave for a minute first), zucchini and tomatoes. Then I added the cooked pasta and the eggs, and tossed it all until the eggs were cooked. Topped each serving with a bit of Gorgonzola and Parmesan. It was delicious and we had leftovers, too!

Sunday was Dad's birthday, so we had cake on Saturday evening. Yes, it was marvelous.

On Sunday, we had brunch at High Hand Nursery, a nursery that opened a lovely restaurant that was chock-full of people. The atmosphere is gorgeous and the food delicious. I had a mimosa and enjoyed every drop.

Outside in the nursery:

 

On the way home, we stopped to look at the sheep and goats that visit Mom and Dad's neighborhood every spring and fall to graze. It's a fantastic program--the sheep are owned by local ranchers who bring them out to graze down the grasslands. It eliminates the noise and pollution of big mowers, and keeps an environmentally sensitive area pretty healthy. The sheep provide a lot of entertainment to the neighborhood, and it's a very green way of keeping the growth down (and therefore, the summer fire hazard low). We listened to them baaing and watched for a few minutes before heading home (that's pretty much their neighborhood to the left of the shot, though Mom and Dad live a mile or so in). I spent the afternoon watching NASCAR and we finished off Dad's birthday cake. 

 It's been a lovely weekend.