Memorial Day

Memorial Day weekend is here....It seems as though it has crept up on me...I didn't even realize it..until I discovered I had an extra day off from work this coming week!
That is all well and good...I didn't even give thought to Memorial Day until looking at that schedule! The significance of the holiday could be lost by thinking of it as just a holiday that allows for an extra day off from work! In some ways..that is what it has become for lots of people...even me! So, in retrospect...this morning I may want to expound on what the day should mean for me and all of you!
We all know someone who has served our country...and that person or persons has most likely had a positive influence on our lives...In my case, my oldest brother, who passed away in 2002 served in the Army during the Korean War. Today we are losing many young servicemen and women in Iraq..so the Memorial Day weekend will have a significance to the many grieving families of those who have sacrificed their lives fighting to end terrorism. Whatever significance Memorial Day holds for you....give reverence to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives for our freedoms...they are most deserving....we are forever indebted to them...each and every one...Remember.........and be thankful for what they did!

Thinkin' "Upward" Thoughts!

A bit ashamedly, I see I haven't been very faithful to my blog spot and I don't have anyone to blame....but me! I have been blogging quite a bit on MySpace and that could be some of the reason I have neglected this spot...but I also have been keeping pretty occupied with work lately also...
I have adjusted to the change in work schedule pretty good and tonight was the first night I have had to work in quite a while and I managed okay...I prefer the day shift now and I thought I would be really tired after working a night shift after so long of not having to..but I am pretty perky tonight! It is really quiet here tonight...my son has turned in...he was tired from working outside all day and I am waiting for my husband to get home from work..both dogs are snoozing. Josie is on the couch and I believe Kramer is hiding behind the couch.....he has a favorite spot back there where he likes to nest away from his pesky little buddy!
We got a much needed rain today and it will make the grass grow so it will be time to mow in a couple days..if not tomorrow! My rose bushes have a lot of buds on them and I can't wait for them to start blooming! This rain will hurry them up perhaps!
Sometimes, when I am at a loss for words, (which, believe me, isn't very often) I borrow a few from Barb Johnson...I have her calendar and I even was fortunate to find one of her books at a thrift store here in town...and the post that I lost several days ago contained one of her little gems from what I call the "flippy calendar".....so...here is what I lost from the other day....."While we're not really sure where heaven is, the Bible often refers to it as being above. That produces one of the "side effects" of heavenly thinking. When we're focusing on the joy we'll know in heaven, our thoughts turn heavenward.....that's upward. Our hopes rise, and life down here is more bearable." I think Barb had a handle on how to keep a positive attitude in a negative world! So, when there is gloominess all around and when we can't see much to be cheerful about....we got to send our thoughts upward, folks! Think about what lies ahead for us....after all when we think of heaven....just the word itself brings pleasant thoughts....we can imagine it to be anything we want it to be....because it will be all that when we get there!....I don't know if that made any sense to you all....but it sure sounded good to me!

Stackin' the ZZZZZZZZZ's

Here I am , back again and hoping I am a bit more successful tonight than my last attempt! I don't give up easily!
Another quiet evening at hand...my faithful friend, Josie is by my side and the other one is snoozing somewhere near I am sure..he likes a spot behind the couch where no-one can find him.
A train is rolling by...we live really close to the tracks so trains are commonplace and go by so often..most of the time I am not even aware of them.
The day was tiring and I had big plans of perhaps doing something tonight..but the further the evening progresses, the more out of the mood I am to even leave the couch, let alone the house!
I am glad that the next two days are days off from work....the place is starting to get to me!
I could very easily take a nap with Josie..that's how tired I am...and the more I think about it, I do believe that is just what I will do!....Scoot over pooch and make room for mama! See ya all in my dreams!

System Failure!

I failed at an earlier attempt to put a post on here....dang the luck! It's too late to do anything about it tonight...so I will attempt to try, try again soon.....and it was pretty good...if I do say so myself........

Still Here!

I see it has been a while since I put an entry on here..so, just to let you know I am still in the land of the living...here is a word from old ruthrap! I have had a change in scheduling at my job..the manager of the department where I work got tired of the job and just up and quit..I think she saw the "writing on the wall" and decided to split....anyhow...I work her hours...without her title and sometimes with no help!...I am a tough old bird and not afraid to work and actually work well alone..so this is no big problem for me..enough said about the work situation!
I am glad warm weather is with us, finally...and we have some flowers going on in the yard..one of my favorite rose bushes didn't make it through the winter...but I am sure my dear husband will replace it with another of the same species or one even more gorgeous!
The dogs are faring well...Kramer is due to visit the vet shortly for his annual shots...poor guy..I got my wires crossed and missed his appointment and took him two days too late...he was so excited to go bye-bye and was all worked up..for nothing...but I set him up for Monday afternoon..so we will see how he reacts for the actual real thing! I don't think a shot will phase his enthusiasm for meeting new people and going new places!
My sweet Josie is right next to me...her favorite spot when I am home...She is my faithful friend and just a sweet little pooch! Kramer and Josie are just the best doggies ever and I am so glad we have them to keep us company...Jose has found a job to his liking and our shifts don't coincide...he works the night shift and I work the day one..so having my buddies with me when he is gone keeps me from being so lonesome!
This will have to conclude my blog entry for this morning...anyone who reads ruthrap..I am grateful to have you stop and visit...have a blessed weekend and I will try to check in more often!

Trickery!

If you took note of my previous blog about Spring...you would sense that I am not ready to put go out and plant flowers....well, ready or not, my dear spouse invited me to take a trip to the store with him day before yesterday. I was tired and did not want to remove myself from my couch and was really reluctant to comply with his wishes! But, I got to thinking..how sweet, he desires my company..so I drug myself up off the couch and went along, supposedly just for the ride....
We get to the parking lot and he parks right by the lawn and garden department and precedes to tell me I can "look around" while he gets his drinking water inside the store. A light pops on in my head...."This is just a big conspiracy for me to buy flowers for the yard!" I am a bit miffed by this..because this is the furthest thought from my mind and I am not in the flower planting mood at all!
What do you do in this situation? Well, I bit my tongue, grabbed a big empty flat, and proceeded to pick out a variety of purple posies! I don't know why I picked purple this year...but it just seemed right to me...I usually pick a variety of colors...but, for this year....I am going purple.....got that yard design thing that I have to live up to!
As the evening advances....after buying the flowers and potting soil and not grumbling a whole lot....we are home and the prospect of planting looms ahead....here is where the rubber meets the road, folks, and I cut loose with the complaining and get really hostile...I am not wanting to plant those flowers at all!
But I did it anyway and made it through almost the whole flat, when my dear hubby took pity on me and finished the last few and sent me back to my couch...I think he got tired of listening to me gripe!
I know I put myself in a bad light with that little story I just told you all...but that is me...I will admit that my attitude about the flower planting gig really sucked..but I was tired ....it had been a long day and I want to do things when I am ready to do them and do not like to be coerced into doing something before I am ready...that is why I went into such a tizzy. My husband knows that about me. Sometimes, I think he puts me to the test...and the other night was one of those times! He doesn't pay any attention to my grumbles....heaven's knows....he has heard them plenty of times! I am like a thunderstorm to him...when all the lightning and crashing thunder is over....he knows the storm will pass and things will be sunny again!
I can go to my yard now, and appreciate the little flowers I planted and the ones he will plant for us....and all the grumbling will seem silly. God has a way of showing us that even when we need a little push to get things done...He will push us or send someone who will....and the end result is usually a blessing! He put my hubby on the job the other night and the end result was a blessing to both of us and our neighbors got some free entertainment listening to me be a grouch about my unwanted planting venture!

Spring's Sprung!

I am sitting here, fighting to stay awake....the department manager where I work quit her job after nine years and I got bumped up to her hours, although not the position! Funny how that works..but the position went to the department manager in the neighboring department! If that is confusing...don't concern yourself..I haven't and will carry on as usual! It is a bit hard to get used to the new schedule. I had been opening the department only two days out of the week and the rest of the week didn't have to be there until noon. Now I open five days out of the week. It will take me a while to adjust to the every morning work routine..but I will and I hope it stays the way it is..but I have found there is nothing certain in this life but death and taxes so I am not counting on anything!
My poor Josie is crying out in the yard, because she is missing me and her spot next to me on the couch..should let the poor girl in...but don't have the energy to! She really knows how to strike a nerve though..she's been yapping ever since we came in over an hour ago! Why can't she just be happy to be outside and enjoy a nice afternoon like her pal Kramer?
I am so glad to see the weather finally resemble what it should be according to the calendar! The trees are getting their leaves back to replace the ones that got frozen a few weeks ago...the grass is now green and lush and I have some baskets of flowers hanging on the old clothesline posts in the backyard...My dear hubby purchased them yesterday....he is the flower enthusiast of the two of us..left to me...it would be the middle of June before I got in the notion to buy a flower. I love flowers...and enjoy looking at all the neighbor's displays and everywhere else in town...I appreciate their handiwork in the flower department..I just don't feel the need to participate in their enthusiasm! I will leave that up to hubby! I am more into placing them in just the right spot...I guess you could refer to me as the exterior lawn designer.
I guess I'll have to go let the yapper in. She has suffered long enough..I sure hope she appreciates my kindness! As for this blog entry..it is complete and I have satisfied my yen to blog this afternoon.....be back again soon!