A Summer Teenager...

My DH found this guy today and brought him inside to me! He knows how much I like Praying Mantis. :)

I grabbed my new friend and my camera and took him outside to my flowers. I'm guessing he's a teenager because he's barely half the length of what he'll be as an adult in just another two months. Praying Mantis tend to hatch out in late May around here and depending on our Fall temps, are still active until late October. Egg sacks start getting laid in September.

Success! :)

Well, I was able to figure out how to buy, download, re-set and line up my blog with my new background!!!!!

Yes, I know it looks familiar. But now I own it and it can't disappear unless I want it to disappear! Yippee!!!

:)

Choices?...with a little bit of venting...

Did you ever feel like you are stuck between a rock and a hard place in the choices you need to make?

I have several "issues" I am stuck on.

#1) My daughter is at driver's ed right now. She will be completely done with the driving part in about 20 minutes. Driver's Ed has been fine. The class room stuff is still boring as ever. It's the driving instructor that has bothered me. My daughter has only had to drive for 6 hours.

Here are my DE Instructor issues:

*During the daily driving time, my daughter's instructor has been 10-15 minutes late each time and ended early (10 minutes) just about each time too. There have been two students in the car...so 2 hours of in the car time is really only 1 1/2 hrs of real time. I am not too worried about the driving time my daughter has received because she can't get her license until next February and I'm sure she'll drive a ton between then and now.

*The driving instructor chats on his cell phone while "teaching" his students.

*Today I received text messages from my daughter while she was first stopped at a bank in a nearby city (he had banking he needed to do) and then while stopped at a gas station (so he could get breakfast).

I feel like I need to complain to the driving school. Maybe my best solution will be to remember his name and tell my friends to NOT let their children drive with him.

I think my daughter is learning, but I expect more, better, from a teacher. In the end, I think this bothered me and NOT my daughter.

*****

#2) I have a relative who is staying with my in-laws/next door neighbors who is an alcoholic (although he doesn't admit it) and I am pretty sure I saw him taking a swig of something out at his car this morning...at 9:15. If it was water, why'd he have to come out to his car?

I went over to take dinner to my neighbors last night (my MIL fractured her pelvis four weeks ago and is using crutches to get around) and that relative definitely smelled of alcohol. And just a few nights before that he came home from "work" and was so "exhausted" he passed out on his bed at 5:30 pm. Hmmm. I wasn't over there, so I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing it wasn't exhaustion he passed out from. The problem I have is, what do I do?

We had a pretty major -personal- incident with him about six weeks ago (another story). We try to avoid him at all costs; but IMO this is stressing my relationship with my neighbors. Basically this BIL is unemployed and not trying very hard to get employed. He owns a house a few hours away, but he's been living here, with my in-laws, for the past three months...only going to his house on the weekends to mow the grass. With a friend, from his childhood days, who is finding odd jobs for him here and a mom (and silent, although opinionated, dad) who is willing to "support" him, I don't expect anything to change for my BIL.

I am happy that he has some work to do, but I am not happy that he is here. I definitely don't like the fact that he seems to be drinking and driving either or taking advantage of my in-laws (that last comment is totally my opinion!). My in-laws are 83 and soon to be 85 years-old. The 83 year-old is the one with the fractured pelvis.

And now this relative has met a girl on-line. He's supposedly heading to meet her (she lives in another state far, far away). Wow, I have a ton of opinions and stories I could share about this too. Maybe another time. Maybe not.

*****

So, since I've been writing this my daughter is now done with driver's ed (she was done 10 minutes early) and my relative has left the house next door (probably for the day).

I think I just needed to vent. I know that if it wasn't so humid and hot out I'd be off walking W instead of writing.

Anyone have any opinions they'd like to share? I'm listening.

New Background...

I see my background has disappeared!

It's set to go for good tomorrow (per thecutestblogontheblock). I am working on purchasing a "new" background.

I do hope to have this fixed soon...but, don't hold your breath. :)

Poor Army Men! and Bracelets...

On Sunday, my DH and I went to a picnic pool party at a friend's house. Our kids were invited, but being 18 and almost 16 (the other kids at the party being ages 5-12), and parents who are...well, parents...our teens opted to stay at home.

*****

When we arrived home later that evening, I found a teenage friend's car in our drive way and this "stuff" on the kitchen counter. It appears that flaming army men were targets for my son's BB gun that afternoon.

Poor Toy Army Men!

*****

Several weeks ago I found out I am a Muggle! A couple of Bushwhackers, that I rescued, told me so. They also gave me a treasure! One of their geo-caching treasures...a hematite stone macrame bracelet. :)

Winston and I had been out on a walk when we came across a pair of lost Geo-Caching hunters. They were looking for a drop spot near our house, but they probably walked about three miles from their car and weren't quite sure how to get back. Winston and I walked them to our house, I put them in my car, gave them water and took them back to where they started.

Are you familiar with Geo-Caching? I know Lisa from A Cuppa Tea With Me is! Check out the link for geo-caching above if you'd like more details. Anyone can do it! I choose not to because I just don't have time for one more thing on my calendar...but it does look and sound like fun! Maybe I should hire myself out as a guide for this area? Besides the folks that I rescued we have had two parties of people lost in the nearby woods in the past week. Winston, my DH and I DO know these woods like the backs of our hands!

Inspired by the present I received and a little shopping at a craft store, my girl child and I bought some glass beads yesterday and decided to macrame our own bracelets. Here's my creation...with the little owl of course!

My hematite geo-caching treasure

&

my Owl bracelet

My daughter is such a crafting soul that she barely asks how to do something, but she did ask me to teach her to macrame! While working last night on our bracelets she asked how I learned. Oh the 70's and my mom! Anyone else recall rolling/making beads out of magazine pages? I recall my mom making the decoupage glue from flour and water. Talk about a crafting soul! My daughter certainly takes after my mom. :)

Patriotic Nature!

House Finch

Cleome

Indigo Bunting

Silhouette

Dragonfly

cicada, frogs, dragonflies, lightning bugs

hot, steamy air

it must be summer