I had been wanting to get rid of the ugly light fixture over the dining room table for a while now, but just hadn't found one I liked. Well, while wasting time at the Lowe's in New Albany waiting for a ball game to start, I found one that I really liked and bought it. Monday night I decided I would install it. I had installed fans before, so I figured it was about the same. I just had not installed anything on a tall vaulted ceiling! I had my P-man stand on the dining room table and "un-install" the other one while I put the new one together. Can you believe it? I guess they don't want to pay someone to put a light fixture together, so I have to do it for them. It took all 3 of us, (Jon, too!) but we got it hung and working. Looks pretty nice! Surprised Mr. Sidney when he came home from work! Today I installed a new water valve in the toilet. Isn't my life exciting? While I was in there, I saw way too much dirt in the corners so I got down on my knees and cloroxed the floor, the toilet, the shower and the sink. Stinks to high Heaven now, but it is clean!

I have been oh so busy this week. I haven't finished my "to-do" list all week. OOPS! I didn't get around to slicing up the ham today. I know that they probably needed it. I didn't get my cheese straws made either. I made a quadruple batch of chicken salad, broccoli salad and fruit salad that Sugar Mullins ordered for a "going-away" lunch for Debbie McClain who works in the chancery clerk's office. 2 batches of bread, one white and one wheat, cherry cobbler, black beans and yellow rice, cooked breakfast for a couple of people and heated up biscuits to go for 2 more. cooked 2 turkeys, took Patrick to weight lifting, went back and got him, went to Mexico for lunch and came home to work here. I'm tired. Tomorrow we are feeding a group that is in town for a funeral. I am making chicken spaghetti for them. I will also have our Baptist men for breakfast, and have to do the lunch special for the shop, which is taco salad on Thursdays. The girls started to freak and get that "deer-in-the-headlights" look, so I quickly said, Look, since we are having a huge group, I will stay late on Thursday! That relieved them immensely, (until they have to split their tips with me!!!!!) I couldn't have finished it with out Julia today. She came in at 9:00, which I know is a great sacrifice for an 18 year old to get up before noon on her summer vacation! She chopped 2 huge bags of broccoli florets, and 6 bunches of green onions for the broccoli salad and de-boned and chopped the chicken that I had boiled for chicken salad. Dayna came in at 10:30 and started washing up the dishes that we had messed up this morning. I believe that we messed up every bowl in the shop. I know I need more BIG bowls! The best one that I have actually belongs to me personally. I brought it to work, because I rarely use it at home and when I need it, I just bring it home with me. Betty has looked for another one like it, but can't find one as big. Julia passed her food safety test, so now I can leave the girls at lunch when Betty isn't around. YEA!!! One person on duty must be serve-safe certified and that person was me or Betty. Tammy is certified, but out with back problems and can only sit. The only thing about leaving them there to work together is that when you have teenage girls, you can have major drama! I will hear about it later, I'm sure! Oh well, makes for an interesting day.

I must go finish I guess. I don't know why, it'll only get dirty again!!! I kinda rather go to my sewing room and make a monkey! Yeah, I think I will do that, the dirt can wait!

Well Tomorrow starts the state championship USSSA tournament for the under 14 AA's in New Albany, MS. The boys had a practice this afternoon and hopefully will be ready to roll tomorrow! I hope so.

The summer Tigers finished up summer league play yesterday at the team camp in Grenada. They played 2 games. One against South Panola and the other against Grenada. Patrick got to play in the second game and got an out! He didn't strike out, but didn't get on base either. Oh, well, maybe next time.

The garden is producing pretty well this year so far. It has been so very dry, but I have installed 2 sprinklers in the garden, so it is keeping it going fairly well. I got a 4 hour "rain" in the garden this afternoon! I have put up 25.5 qts. of beans so far. We just picked our first red tomatoes yesterday and had tomato sandwiches. Very good. I fried some okra yesterday at lunch, along with fresh green beans, corn, cucumbers and cornbread! love some summer time veggies!

Another weekend at the ballpark. Lost the championship by 1 run. What a heart-breaker. Patrick says they aren't playing next weekend. He wasn't playing anyway because they were supposed to play in New Albany and he and Jon are going to be in Meggie and BJ's wedding next Saturday night. BJ lived with us 11 years ago when his mother kicked him out of the house because her husband didn't like him. He was a senior in high school and Lived here with us for about 2 years. Patrick was only 3 when he moved in with us. The boys loved him like a brother and He asked them both to be in his wedding. I thought it was very sweet. Patrick's first wedding! I'll have to get a picture of both my boy children dressed in their monkey suits! I'm sure they will be very handsome!

We went to "Mexico" after the ball game tonight. It was so very very good! I never tire of eating at El Cabrito. Hunter came along with us. When we got there, there were 3 more "gators" eating as well.

Last week work was kinda easy. I had no trouble keeping up with food demand. We tried a little something new last Wednesday. We made chicken Parmesan and Italian squash pie with fresh blackberry cobbler. YUM. Betty will be back one day this week- Wednesday and then be gone again for another long stretch. She is going to Milan so I need to get her the Italian phrase book that I've been in possession since January!

Elizabeth went with me last Monday to watch the Tigers play against Bayou Academy at Delta State. It was neat! Everybody got to play. Patrick played left field in the second game and got a hit. Dark brought out the mosquitoes. I guess I have lived in the hills so long, I had forgotten how big delta mosquitoes are! I told Liz that I had seen hummingbirds that weren't as large as these mosquitoes! It was fun.

Patrick has had a good time this week spending time at Hunter's house and hanging out with him after weightlifting. They went swimming a couple of days. Fun times.

It was so hot today. I know it had to have hit 100. The behind the plate umpire fell out! We had to give him a break and let the umps swap places and cool off.

It is 11:00. I guess I'll get ready to go to bed. I'm sure to have reflux if I don't go right now and take some acid reducer. It really sucks getting old!

What a great weekend!

This weekend has been so very nice. We spent all day Saturday watching Patrick play baseball, which was very nice (for me, anyway). Sunday we went to Sunday school and church and then ate a sandwich and got the boat ready to go skiing. Elizabeth came home and even behaved herself pretty well. We all skied. YES, EVEN ME~! I got up the first time on one ski. It was so fun, I couldn't believe that I got up the first time, being that it has been several years. I guess, too, that losing a few pounds really helped a lot. Jon had plans afterwards, so it was just Liz, Patrick, Sid and I! Sid grilled out some burgers and it dawned on me that even though the next day was Monday, I WAS OFF! what a great feeling! We cooked out some ribs and pork chops, made baked beans, cooked cabbage and homemade strawberry ice cream. Really did enjoy it. Liz left around 1:00 to meet her fella. Sid and I cleaned out Jon's home away from home and got it looking good. I guess 2 years in cramped quarters didn't hurt Jon too much. He didn't even damage the camper too much. It cleaned up pretty well.

It hurt going to work this morning. Not literally, though I was a little sore from the little bit of waterskiing that I did Sunday afternoon. I just didn't want to get up and go cook this morning. Tomorrow will be very busy, I'm sure. A local supervisor is on trial. Court house should be full. I guess that I will get up and go in very early, then leave to take Patrick to weight lifting at 8:00, than come back to work. Hopefully Sidney can wake up and go get him around nine. I was very tired this afternoon. I had to take a little nap, but now am feeling much better.