Happy Independance Day!!

This is one of my favorite holidays. The things that were given up for me to be able to be here to celebrate it are not lost on me. I cant imagine not having the rights I have right now. Its wonderful knowing I can say what I want, where I want and to whom I want.


You know those tools I have been bitching about layin all around the house?? They aint layin there no more. And I didnt touch them.

BR told one of the kids today to go out to my truck and get the toolbox I had bought him about a month ago (he called me special at walmart to pick it up for him). They went out and got it, and he put his tools in it. well not the 2 pound sledge hammer. Thats still in the kitchen floor. But the plyers, the screwdrivers, the wire brush, Kliens, those are in there. And is sitting under the babies swing. I fiqure he will take it to work in about 3 weeks.

We have been cleaning up around here. We have his two brothers and their wives coming over tomorrow for fireworks and BBQ. We do it every year, well twice a year. at least. But if there is firewoks involoved you can rest assured everyone will show up over here with hundreds of dollars worth and we will try to blow somethin up.

Usually his sister and her husband and kids come too. But this year they have to work. One sister in law told me not to buy fireworks, they would take care of that since I supply all the food. That was fine by me. BR is gona BBQ some ribs, and I will make tater salad and baked beans. Then we will have an apple pie. And water melon. I have 100 pounds of water melon sitting on my table right now. There are 3 of them, weighing well over 30 pounds a peice. I hope they are good. They cost a small fortune. 10 bucks a peice. I like to have died when I found out what they cost.

The kids have really been helping me the last few days. I had to clean up the yard. Br will bushhog it tomorrow. Brett helped with that. Matt was sick when we did it. We spent a few hour out there yesterday. We were just about done with all the clean up, and I was putting ant dope on a few mounds when I heard the most GOD AWFUL crash. I literly heard the tires pop. I hollered at Brett and told him to stay here, and I took off running down the hill and heading to the intersection. Its not real far. I will clock it, but I'd say at least a 1/10th of a mile. I got to the crest of the hill and saw it was indeed a wreck (with noise like that I dont know what I thought it could be...) And I hollered back to Brett to go INSIDE and call 911. tell them here was a wreck at the intersection and give them our address. When I got there a few folks where there. One was my cousin, one was BR's. I waved at one as he drove off, spoke to the other before he left. There was already someone talking to the two little old ladies in the car, and the folks that were haulin a boat were out walking around. I was speaking with the boat owner and looked up, BRett was coming down the hill. Not a big deal, except he had left Rayley at home. Both dogs will follow him, and Bow was alone with Rayley in the yard. He was in his excersaucer thingy, but you never know when she will want to share a mud pie. And he is ALWAYS hungry. Matt was asleep, he hadnt felt good. I was fixing to head home anyway, since I couldnt do anything. And all parties were talking and coherant. I didnt know the folks, and they didnt need blankets or anything else I could offer. I asked him what he was doing. He couldnt make the phone work to call 911. Cause he was steady walking AWAY from the house the whole time. My phones only work about 20 feet from the house. Not plumb down to the highway. I ran all the way back home, and as I walked up Rayley was on the phone. With BR. She was telling him "there was a loud bang, momma hollered for brett to call 899 and then took off runnin" Luckily this intersection is notorious for wrecks and so he was pretty sure he knew what happened. I am just glad that it was a holiday weekend. because lots of people were there and able to stop and render aid. Since we are rural that is not always the case. I dont even know when the wrecks happen down there for the most part. With the TV, AC, kids and other various noises I dont hear them happen. Sometimes I hear the chopper coming in cause it touches down right there, but I have never been close enough to go down there.

Once I had run all the way back home I was so wore out that I couldnt stay out in the heat no more. plus when the wreck happened I had thrown my entire bag of ant poison all over the place. I have always said that I dont run. And dont plan on it unless OJ is behind me. And there is a reason for that. I am way too old. And out of shape.

Today was mostly inside cleaning. Not just picking up. Actual CLEANING. I swear, I cleaned out the vacuum 8 times. I want a freakin DYSON so bad. SOOO bad. The 18 feet of hose that twists and turns and does dido's and turns 90 degrees 8 times is just NOT a design that works well when you have dog hair, hair clips, misc peices of paper, doll shoes, dog hair, the occasional barrett, and dirt. Why cant it just be a strait hose, 1 foot long, that goes strait to the bucket. It cant be that freakin hard.

I know parts of the vaccum that no lay person should ever know. And now my kids know cuss words that they shouldnt learn until the Juvinile delinquent teaches it to them on the playground.

Once during one of my self induced dust storms Rayley came through and informed me that "hollerin and cussin that stupid thang aint gona make it work no better, you should hug it and tell it you love it, then you need to bry you a dyson, he worked for years to come up with just the right design"

Brett was smart enough to get her out of the room before I threw the offending piece at her.

Today the boys asked me when I was going to hook up their computer. My dad had brought down his old one and its hooked up, I just have to put a keyboard on it. I told them I would do it soon, and asked why. Matt said he had heard you could get music on them. I told them it didnt matter cause they wouldnt have internet on it. Then I had to explain that all the places I go require internet. They could play a few card games and I'd get them some interactive books to put on it.

This made Matt mad, he said it wasnt fair, he wanted to email people. He said it was no better than those stupid broke cell phones I gave them, that they could only take pictures on and couldnt even send the pictures to each other. and asked me what the point was.

I asked him if he knew how old I was before I got my first computer. he just looked at me crazy.

I told him I was pregnant with him when I got my first computer. I had used them at work for years before that, but never had one at home, and never been on the net. He started whining about how that didnt matter, when I was growing up they didnt even have cell phones, or CD's.

Then Brett piped up and said "well Matt, just think, when you are pregnant with your second child you can get the internet."

That made him madder than a wet hen.

Ohhh.. and I really ticked off Brett today. The little brat was told to go and get the clothes out of the dryer. I would fold them when I got done vacumming. Well I got done and there were no clothes. So I asked. He said they wernt dry. I went and checked. Cause although they are bad about forgetting to turn on the dryer, something didnt ring true.

I went and checked. Come to find out, it was a load I had put in. and they were dry as a bone.
needless to say he then had to change over and fold or hang up 4 loads of laundry. And I told him that he owed me 5.00. I told him that is what it cost me in Electricity to run that dryer when we didnt need to. That really got his goat. He thought he was cute on th last 2 loads. He went and got his and Matts and Rayley's blankets. cause there aint no folding. I went along with it.
Then when I kissed them goodnight tonight I told him that first thing tomorrow he was to take care of the load in the dryer now, and the one I had just put in the washer.
He said that wasnt fair.. Oh well...

Bow is growing like a weed, and getting braver as the days go by. Every once in a while you will catch him standing up on his own.

I worked alot of US history into today. Just in conversation with the kids. We discussed the constitution, bill of rights and what it all means to them. I think they learned something. I know they came to the conclusion that they are very lucky to live where they do. Matt wants to know what kids do that dont get to hunt or play in the woods.



The stupid flapper I put on the toilet has an issue. It will hang up wide open if you are not careful, Its much better than the warped one, cause this one you CAN jiggle and it catches. And you dont have to do it every time. Plus the water rushes in so fast that you can hear it. But I walked in yesterday and it was running, so I jiggled it. Then I made a mental note to mention this to BR.
Then it happened again, So this time I got out of bed and fixed it. I told BR what I had to do.
Then this afternoon I went through there and BR had left out and it was rushing through and wasting water. So I took off the lid, kinda as a reminder. and so you can see that it did catch.
Then abotu 5 minutes after he left I went to put up something in the bathroom and it was running, I decided to make another mental note to mention it to BR. and went around to fix it. The lid was back on. I am not sure why the lid was back on. and whats sad is, it was messed up WITH the lid back on. I am not real sure what having th lid off was hurting. noone uses our bathroom, ever. And even if they did I wouldnt care. I'd much rather explain that I wasnt wasting 20.00 in deisel to get a 1.27 part and we were just coping in the meantime. I have to remember to mention to him that it will get hung up.


I got my first mess of purple hull peas today. OMG they were SOOO good. ANd the kids wolfed them down. And at lunch I had cut up a fresh tomatoe. I asked Matt to eat a bite. He wouldnt, so I offered him a buck. He made sure I didnt have my fingers crossed, swore I was lyin and wouldnt give it to him, wanted to know how little of a bite netted him a buck. Finally I convinced him and so He took a bite. Then ate my whole plate of maters...

I reckon I should try to remember to pay him. I really did forget. But in all honestly so did he. He wanted me to drive over to my grandfathers and get him some more. cause I didnt have any more here.

Speaking of food, I would love a little bite to eat. But, this is the cleanest my kitchen has been in a long time, I dont want to mess it up!