1st Monday of March

I woke up at 4:45 a.m. and felt completely rested.  There was no way, however, that I was going to start my day with a time that started with a 4!  I went back to sleep and had a few dreams and got up again at 7:30.  Those back-to-sleep early morning dreams can be unsettling.  I seemed to be back in my F Street house in PT again.  Every now and again, a dream takes place in that house.

Anyhow, I forced myself to get up and get moving.  Wrote a couple of letters and decided if I was going to go on my walk, I'd best get with it before I talked myself out of it like I did yesterday.  Starting out is usually pretty darn uncomfortable as my hips scream "We don't like this! Go home!"
Thankfully, though, it usually passes if I hang in there.  I walked around the neighborhood and decided to take a trail that heads to Jenni's house.  Since they cleared that lot, a trail has  been formed just to the left of all the tree stumps they left.  I was told they were going to clean out those stumps and make that lot nicer looking but I suspect that was a lie. It could be such a nice play area for all the kids around here.  Guess I'll have to put that on my to-do list when I hit the lotto.

Not that I'm playing the lotto much anymore.  I pretty much stick to Hit Five tickets.  They haven't been paying worth a darn, however, so I'm changing my system and am going to play the five numbers that were drawn on the night Jake was born.  Surely this will make me rich.  Ha Ha

Here's a couple pictures I took on my walk.  Totally boring so I may have to get in my car and go to another part of town for walking.

                          This was a tree in the middle of the walking trail I took to this morning.

This lot a house away from me (and full of scotch broom bushes) has become a four-wheel truck speedway for kids wanting to tear through the mud.  I suspect the owner of the lot (the guy who built most of the houses on  my street, including mine) is the one who had two large boulders brought in and placed at each end of the road going through the middle.  Wish he would clean up the scotch broom while he was at it!

Mary sent me the cutest picture of Jake with his "bubble" lawn mower helping dad mow the grass. It reminded me of another she sent me a few months ago when Jake loved watching dad outside.

I got this story in an email recently and thought it was worth sharing....

A famous Chinese wood carver chopped down a single tree and tirelessly worked on it for over four years to make this piece. It all started out with a simple tree trunk. The carving is based on the famous Chinese painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival. The original artwork was created over 1,000 years ago. The piece won the Guinness World Record for the longest wooden carving and measures over 40 ft 

I watched 'The Voice' last night and actually kind of liked it.  I had gotten a little weary of it 'cause I thought the judges were a tad too wrapped up in themselves.  Have to remember that just about everyone on tv is like that.  'The Good Wife' was boring.  Tonight I'll watch two hours of Downton Abbey and I know I'll be entertained.

Granddaughter Catie was flown to Utah by her dad so they could celebrate her sister's birthday.  She has two half-sisters and I'm glad they're all close.

                                                              Catie, Carol, & Audrey

Started a new book last night.  A Pulitzer Prize winner by Richard Russo called Empire Falls.  It looks pretty good.  I have a hard time sticking with a book and for some reason, it's been that way for  a couple of decades now.  I love books. I love to read.  I just can't stay focused.  I suspect the computer has contributed to that as I used to read constantly.  I'm not giving up, however.  I'm going to give a book 100 pages and if I'm not hooked by that time, I'm movin' on.

Gees, the day is half over already.  Sorta.  Think I'll fix lunch and tune in to Ancestry.com.  I finished up my g.grandfather's half siblings and now I'm going to see if I can find anything more on his full siblings.  Then I'll dig further on his children and their children.