nature – Southern Patches

Happy Monday. This past week was a bit of a crazy one. Last Monday started with our four month check up for hubby in Nashville at Vanderbilt Medical Center. That is where he had the kidney transplant and returns three times a year for his kidney checkup.

As usual we go over the day before the appointment because it is about a four hour drive each way. We used to do the drive in one day but it is just too much. So we go over the day before and have a nice dinner and stay at a hotel five minutes from the hospital. It is a little costly, because the hotel rates in Nashville always are, but we get a small discount because it is a hospital visit and they work with Vanderbilt on that. When we had the kidney surgery, several years ago, we stayed at that same hotel for more than a week until we could both go home.

We went over on Monday. I worked half a day. And then came home about 2:00 to leave for Nashville. And of course the threat of bad weather was hanging in the air. It always seems to be when we have to travel this time of year. We had been watching the incoming snow carefully and had planned to postpone the appointment if we needed to. We didn’t. The weather stayed pretty clear just cold!!!! We did run into a little snow going over but nothing on the roadway.

***This was a little rest stop about halfway to Nashville.***

We got to the hotel and had dinner. We always eat at the Commodore Club at the hotel. They have wonderful food and nightly entertainment.

We had an early morning doctor appointment on Tuesday morning and before we knew it we were headed home. Unfortunately hubby is going to have to have a couple of blood tests repeated but he will be able to do that locally.

It was back to work on Wednesday and we had snow in the forecast for us on Friday. The local weather was predicting 3-5 inches. This probably wouldn’t make most of you excited but we are in the south. We don’t know how to drive in snow. We know how to go to the grocery store and clean out all the bread and milk but we just haven’t learned how to get around in the white stuff.

I went to work on Friday morning and I knew snow was coming. No matter what the weather man, Doppler or whoever, I knew it was coming. When I was growing up my mama and daddy always taught us how to predict snow by the way the way the clouds moved together and the sky would take on a smooth gray coloring. When that happens You know snow is coming. Remember back in their day they didn’t have a weather channel to watch. Doppler Radar did not exist.

As I said I went to work. There was only about three of us there when the snow started at 9:00 AM. We called all the staff and told them not to come in. Finally everyone was gone and I was there alone. I felt confident I would be okay. I had planned to only stay a couple of hours. I had been on the phone with my husband and he said we hadn’t gotten hardly anything at home.

About an hour later he called and said I should come home. I had finished everything that had to be taken care of at work. I headed out. And let me tell you I had almost waited too late. I have an all wheel drive car but many people don’t. There were cars all over the road. It normally takes me about 20-25 minutes to get to work and back home but Friday it took me almost an hour to get home.

***Views from my office window and you can see it was really coming down.***

So we had a great snow weekend. That is after I got home safely and made sure all the loved ones were in safe and sound. Hubby was off all weekend so that worked out great. I was so lazy during my snow days. You know you’re not supposed to do anything when you have a snow day or two. We went out and took pictures and took the drone up to get some shots of the lake and other areas. I knitted and read and listened to some of my audio books. It was such a wonderful relaxing weekend. A lot of the snow has melted but it was fun while it lasted.

Some of the drone photos:

How is your week going is it cold and snowy? I know some of you, in different parts of the country, are experiencing some really nice warm sunny days. I know ours will be here before we know it. Have a wonderful week!!!!

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!!

Hello friends and happy Monday. I am stalling. I need to be packing. I am going with my sisters tomorrow on our annual Sister Trip. We always have such a great time and I love going but I absolutely hate packing. It is a short three day trip. I really don’t have to put that much thought into it. So why am I stalling and not getting to it? I have no idea. Actually I do have a couple of ideas and they are, that I don’t like making decisions, and I don’t like summer clothes and we are still having summer weather. So I guess I will have to resurrect a few summer things to wear. And here I thought those hot days were behind us. I should have known better. Wasn’t yesterday the first official day of Fall?

Can we talk for a minute about September? How is the month almost over? What is going on? It seems like it was April last week. You know, that might be a sign of aging. I have heard of these things.

I actually had a fairly slow week. I had a lot of catching up to do at work last Monday. The rest of the week was pretty much the usual things. I have slowly been adding some fall decor to my house. I don’t decorate a lot but I do love the fall colors. I didn’t do a lot of work on my projects. I did work a little on the Witches’ hat cross stitch. I guess I have been a bit lazy. I did spend some of Saturday with a good friend and two of her sisters. We had pizza and talked for about two hours. I felt like I was at Ms. Truvy’s Beauty Parlor. Steel Magnolias, If you know you know. We shared stories and solved all the world’s problems.

I finished this book, First Lie Wins, I guess that is where some of my time was spent. It was so good. It kept me guessing until the very end of the book. I had gotten it through my Libby app so I had only a few days left to finish it. Turns out I didn’t even need all of the days. I finished it about five days before it was due.

***So good you won’t be able to out it down.***

A couple of weeks ago I was driving down my road and a deer, I am pretty certain it was a deer, ran across the road right in front of my car and I hit it. Well I grazed it or it grazed my car. I screamed and looked back and it was gone. I felt so bad that it was probably injured. I felt bad because my car was injured. It wasn’t too bad, the car, but enough that you noticed it. My left front bumper is slightly out of kilter. I made my husband go back and search the area for a deer or blood or whatever, and he could find nothing. The deer in our area are abundant. When you drive down our road, you have to creep down the road because the deer will run across the road right in front of you, and there’s usually several of them. I have been planning to get a new car and I know this will hurt my trade in value. Oh well some things you just can’t prevent.

I got a picture of this guy this morning on my way to work.

***Looking so innocent. I still love them and it breaks my heart to hit one of them.***

We have been doing a lot of decorating at work for the fall season. A farm center near us had the most beautiful mums. One of the ladies at work and I loaded 25 into my car. It was a tight squeeze but we managed to get them all in.

We also bought several pumpkins and placed them around the property. We had a lot of fun. It was however over 90 degrees F and we got a little warm. I think cooler temps are expected later in the week.

So I am off to start packing. I will leave you with a picture of one of my outside baby girls. This is Izzy. She is ditzy, unpredictable, and a bit lazy. She loves mama cat and barely leaves her side. But here is a rare picture of her alone enjoying the sunshine on Saturday.