New Look for the Blog

I changed the blog background and added a few features on the right side. What do you think?

Farmer's Market

This picture was taken last Saturday at the Farmer's Market. I'm not in it, but thought you'd enjoy the colorful flowers! I found the picture on www.ozarksgardens.com.

Beach Bum

You're heard the phrase 'not smart enough to come in out of the rain'? That's our Tuley!

Be sure to read on down for other new posts...

Farmer's Market Flowers

My Groom is a prince. I'm sure you have noticed, but it bears repeating. I am so lucky! And the previous post goes down as my favorite ever.

Tuley took a trip to the vet this morning. For the last few days, he's been having frequent accidents in the house. First we were just really annoyed, but it soon became apparent that he was having a problem. The vet determined that he has a bladder infection caused by a change in diet. They couldn't get him to pee in a cup at the vet's office and had to catheterize him - poor guy! I guess he finally figured out what he was supposed to do, as he pottied in the back of the Discovery on the way home. He's now on medicine and will hopefully be on the mend soon! In the meantime, he gets to be limited to the uncarpeted areas of our house. Thank goodness for wood floors and Swiffer wet jet!

I went to the Greater Springfield Farmer's Market this morning to get container flowers for our backyard. Our farmer's market is the largest Class A (Growers only - no resale) market in Missouri. It is so much more fun to shop for flowers there than a big home improvement store. The growers are also the sellers at the market, so it's nice to be able to ask questions. I ran into Christina while I was there - this is one thing I love about Springfield. Even with 150,000 people, you still run into friends while you're out. We found a great jewelry maker - I'm sure she'll be a regular stop for both of us at the farmer's market. Click here to see her website.

Here are a few pictures of the newly planted farmer's market flowers and herbs. There's still an empty herb pot - I'll be looking for dill next week!


We worked on this little rock path last summer. Finally this year there is grass growing around them! I hope that it lasts through the hot summer. Hope everyone is enjoying a relaxing Memorial Day weekend!

What’s the Gallivanting Gaudy Groom been up to?

To the tune of “Beverly Hillbillies”

Well let me tell ya a story about man named Dave…
It was baby rabbit cutlets that he was beginning to crave…
And then one day he was thinking “Don’t be a fool”...
When his foxy fiancé introduced him to Raul...

--- Long dramatic pauss ---

JUST KIDDING!

I had nothing to do with the disappearance of said rabbit.

I have been repeating over and over in my very best Elmer Fud voice –
“Be verrrwe quiet; we’re unting wabbits!”

The groom’s tasks have been arduous as of late. The family of Land Rovers has changed since I last posted here. The 1988 Range Rover (formerly the Houge Rover - pictured on the left above) has gone to live with a family in Ozark. To replace the Range Rover I have bought back the Discovery. I bought the Discovery new in Nashville, TN in late 1997. I sold it to a friend in Lebanon in 2003. He in turn sold it to another fella in Marshfield. I would see the Discovery out and about from time to time. In February I approached the owner and told him that when he ever wanted to sell it, that I might be interested. Long story short… I now have my original Discovery back (pictured on the right above).

I really have done nothing wedding related except tag along to look at and approve of the Church. My one requirement of a church was that it was to have a good air conditioning system. Getting married in December hopefully has made the cooling issue a mute point. For those of you keeping score at home – I sweat… A LOT! It doesn’t even have to be hot. Sometimes if I think the person behind me in the check-out line is looking at me – I will begin to sweat. This is a great characteristic when trying to convince your football coach you are working hard. It’s not such a good thing when you’re getting married.

A milestone of sorts passed by earlier this month and the BTB did not mention it here. Seven years ago on May 6th Erin and I had our first unofficial (official) date. We went to the annual Arts Fest on Walnut Street together. When I say unofficial I must explain by saying we were really not “supposed” to be there with each other. For the sake of karma and the good kind of mojo I will not elaborate any further. We make it a point to go to Arts Fest every year and every year I fall in love all over again.

I know, I know, I know… Your saying “What the hell’s going on!” – “I didn’t tune-in for this mushy crap!”

Sorry – just had to be said.

It’s got to be getting close to Cake-Tasting:30. I’d better get off my duff and get my taste buds primed.

dd

Raul Update

Raul the Rabbit is gone. I thought he was dead, and had a little box all ready for his burial. Apparently this scared Raul into action. "That crazy lady is going to bury me alive! I should get moving!" And so he is gone.

Thank you to the man behind me at the light this morning. He didn't honk when the light turned green and I continued to sit there. He just smiled and kept dancing to his music. I saw him one other morning dropping bread to ducks on the other side of a tall chain link fence. His morning kindness is contagious.

Lake Wobegon and Tiny Bunnies

We have found a church for the wedding! Again! Since the renovations at Stone Chapel made it unavailable for the wedding, we turned to Plan B. Plan B is a beautiful old white church in Billings - Missouri, not Montana. We visited there today and really liked it. Painted on the wall in the front of the church is a Bible verse in German. I thought that was neat since David's mom's family is German as is Rev. Zahn - Christina's dad/Officiant. It felt a lot like being in Garrison Keillor's fictitious Lake Wobegon. The pastor and members made us feel really welcome and seem pretty relaxed about having a non-member wedding. I'm glad that search is over! Now we can move on to other fun things like flowers!!!

In a burst of productivity, I decided to weed in the newly mulched section of our backyard this evening. As I reached down to pluck a handful of wild violet out, something moved. I am unreasonably terrified of turtles, frogs, snakes, and most other slimy nasties. So, I jumped back fifteen feet and gave an involuntary yelp. I moved back in for a closer inspection to finish my work to find not a yucky slimy thing, but the cutest, furriest, babiest bunny I've ever seen. I ran back in for the camera and was glad to find that he had waited patiently to have his portrait done. Tuley, with his hunter/killer instinct walked away and laid down. Seems that the bunny is safe from him! I keep going back to see if he is still there. He just looks at me all bright eyed. He seems to be alone, but I've resisted the temptation to touch him although I think he'd let me. Tuley and I have decided to name him Raul. No particular reason - it just seems like a good name for him - Raul the Rogue Rabbit. Isn't he cute!!!!

David's lemon tree has a lemon!

Sh-Boom Sha-Boom

Happy Mother's Day! Today I had lunch with my mom, grandmother, and aunt at Nonna's Italian American Cafe. I had the most heavenly mushroom stuffed ravioli covered in a garlic cream sauce. No calories in that! :) After lunch, we went to see The Taffetas at the Landers Theater. The 50's music was lots of fun, and I loved their outfits! I'm rethinking the wedding dress - maybe a poodle skirt instead!

Tuley is a Mountain Goat

For the 2nd time in a year and a half, Tuley Downing has been upstairs in our house! The first time, David carried him up and back down. Both decided this was not going to be a regular occurrence. Earlier this week, I found Tuley standing with his back feet on the 4th stair from the bottom. WOW! This was the highest our neurotic beast had ever climbed! It took him about 20 minutes and lots of huffing and puffing but this morning he reached the TOP! He stood for a while in front of David's office door looking confused - as if he wasn't sure how he got there. We were worried about getting him down in time to go to work (the time he climbed to the 4th step, his dismount was what David described as a 'controlled fall'). That last sentence sounds like Tuley had to get to work, which is not the case. Although, if anyone is hiring deaf sheep dogs, I'd happily fill out his application. Moving on...luckily, he is a food whore. David lured him down step by step with a cup of food. It sure wasn't pretty to watch, but it was very funny! I hope to capture it on video next time.

The kitties weren't amused at having the large guest upstairs. Henrietta informed me of her exact feelings by pooing on the floor of their room. She seems to prefer this method of protest, as she knows it always gets my attention!

Tuley has been a tad - well, ah - delayed in his development. But finally - FINALLY - he is behaving like a real dog!

They Don't Dance Like Carmen No More

Here are a couple more Jimmy Buffett pictures! Todd took the top one with his phone at the concert. There were lots more camera phones and cameras than we've seen at previous concerts, and no one seemed to mind.

Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX was a great place for the concert. It was clean, new, and had plenty of bathrooms-this is very important! :) Pizza Hut Park holds 27,000 people for concerts - 7,000 in folding chairs on the soccer field and 20,000 in the stadium seats. We were on the second row of the permanent seating, which gave us a great view of the stage and all of the people below. I think I spent more time people-watching than watching the stage! My favorite was a man dressed as Carmen Miranda. He was a crowd favorite and had quite a conga line following him most of the time. It may have been the red bikini he was wearing!