My "baby boy" is eighteen. I can't believe how fast this happened. It seems like only a few months ago that he was a small child. I hope that he stays with me a few more years because it seems like we haven't had much time together. Life goes by at a rapid pace! It seems like I should have taught him more, showed him more things & maybe prepared him more for the world. I have to let him go now to find his own way and make his own mistakes. The mom in me wants to shield him from the world, but I know that I can't. I guess this is the time to shove him out of the nest. I wasn't ready for this time in my life to come around so quickly! I guess this is the beginning of "empty nest" that everyone talks about. I hear so many moms talk about how they can't wait for their kids to be off on their own. I guess this is just another milestone in life. I have gotten used to retirement, maybe I will adapt to this as well.

Home Depot

I have used Home Depot for years. Like many of you, I go there for supplies, tools, parts, and things for the house. I have spent thousand of dollars there. I have bought two ride on mowers over the years and countless clippers, weed eaters and yard tools. Recently I got involved with THE HOME DEPOT HOME SERVICES. I wanted to replace the windows in my house, including the sliding glass door. I wanted double pane hurricane resistant windows - about a $7k job. The salesman was wonderful, personable, and promised me that the job would be a quality job - just the kind of service that I was used to from Home Depot. I signed a contract and we scheduled the installation for the last week in February. That was the end of my dream; the beginning of my nightmare. An argument began between me and the project manager. He told me that I would need hurricane shutters for all of the windows. I told him that the salesman told me that the hurricane plywood that I have used with "Plylox" clips through the last two hurricanes would suffice. He told me that the clips & ply were no longer approved by my building department. I disagreed and called my county building department. They told me that the plywood & clips WERE APPROVED. I informed the project manager of this and he told me that the building codes have changed and that my building inspector was wrong. From there we were at a stalemate. Home Depot said that they could sell me more expensive windows and that then the shutters would not be an issue. Playing the old "bait & switch" game. I am so disapointed in a company that I thought was reputable. Now I am stuck in a situation because I don't want to lose my deposit. They now tell me that they have ordered the windows and are ready to install them. They cannot be paid until after the building inspector approves the job. So we will see what happens. It looks like it is going to be a fight to the finish. I hope the windows that I have waited so long to get turn out perfect - or they will be doing them over & over until they are right. However the job turns out, I am through dealing with Home Depot - you will never see me in the orange store again.

My weekend

I found this photo in Google images and it reminded me not to rest my "head in my hand" when I am surfing the web and especially while reading your blogs! I get lost in your stories and spend too much time on the computer - then I have a neck ache for the rest of the day!!!



I gave Ransome a haircut yesterday. As some of you know, Airedale's don't shed! Although that sounds good, they have to get haircuts! I spent several hours with the clippers on Ransome yesterday. He was so hairy that he looked like a little bear. I probably took five pounds of hair off of him! Ransome's ears usually flop down. After the haircut it was a little breezy out and when he ran his ears stood straight up! It was funny looking!


The weather is back to beautiful. I have to get busy and let the housework go and head out for a bike ride. I am feeling good lately and I think it is due to more exercise & less sitting on my butt in front of this computer. I have vowed to at least keep up with my blog reading - even if I have nothing to blog about.


Preston had a concert band evaluation on Saturday. The band plays three songs for the judges on stage. They then go into a classroom for a "sight reading". The judge gives them a folder of music that they have never seen, they have two minutes to prepare, then they have to play it. I usually can't get a photo of Preston when he is on stage because he is in the back. Here he is on the tuba at the sight reading. They did very well. I hope he keeps up with his music after high school, but often kids never pick up an instument again!!!