I have almost recovered from that nasty fall last month.  I have been sleeping and moving around pretty good.  I mentioned to my dad that I sure could use a shower in the house.  (you see...he is a plumber & pipefitter)   so i know who to drop my hints to, haha.  well we got it finished a few nights ago.  Started last saturday with the son and son-in-law putting up the backerboard.  my sister and brother-in-law laid the ceramic tile on the walls and grouted.  I finished up a couple days after that.  Last nite was my first shower in this house in 20 years....Ahhhh......and my knees sure appreciate not having to get down in the tub.  We have always had only baths.
The grandsons spent the nite last nite.  We played till 9:30 (way past their bedtime)....they didn't even put up a fuss when i told them it was time for bed....they were ready ;-)  I think it took them all of about 3 minutes to fall asleep....
They slept til 8 this morning.  Their mama picked them up this evening.  They are growing and learning so fast.  Grandpa Ritzy is teaching them to say silly words.  It is too cute!!
Ritzy is going up north to spend the day in the "forest"...cutting his wood.  I hope to have a quiet relaxing day at home.  I was soooo busy this week i didn't have time to cook a meal till last night.  Picking up fast food gets old in a hurry!! and it's to darned expensive!!!
I finally got caught up on the laundry today, whew!! 
Well our garden along with most people's is a bit disappointing this year.  A cool start to the growing season, hot then cool again has not helped the veggies that need that warm weather to produce.  And the mosquitoes are horrible.  Can't even enjoy sitting out in the evening without getting "ate up" by them.  I am not terribly allergic to them cause once i shower the bite doesn't bother me any more.
It's so hard to believe that schools all around have already started.  This spring/summer seemed to go by so quickly.  
I am gonna get out of here and go enjoy what's left of this evening....Ritzywife out!!

I have been pretty busy this last month.  Watching those wonderful grandsons, activities at church and just keeping up with daily chores around the house but this last week has been interesting.  Last Saturday the son and I were at the daughters.  While there I tripped and fell flat on my face.....ouch!....I fell so hard I had the wind knocked out of me and scared my daughter.  I told her I would be ok, to just let me be for a few minutes while I got back to breathing normally.  That was the good part, the bad part is when I "hit" the floor I felt a sensation in my back and my first thought was "this is not good".  I was right, I had pulled muscles in my back and I could not even drive home.  I have not been able to lie down and sleep or make any kind of sudden move or even bathe my self since then.  Poor Ritzy has been having to help me with my bath. I can't get down in the tub ;-(
I have slowed way down on my housekeeping and baby watching.  I slept in the recliner the first few nights.  The past couple nights I have at least slept in the bed, but propped up on pillows in a semi-sitting position.  I can hardly wait until I can lay on my side again.  My spine doesn't hurt, it is the muscle on either side in the mid to lower back region that gives me fits.  Sometimes I will move just the right/wrong way and it just takes my breath.  I have been surviving on Aleve, Ben Gay & the heating pad.  It gets better each day, but I still have to "watch" it.

Ni-maw's new ride

Well I did it...............I traded in my red 2008 F-150 for this 2012 Ford Escape.  My "ni-mawmobile"...I had expected to just keep driving the truck for a while......but there was no room for 2 carseats plus Ritzy.   After discussing the matter we decided the best thing was to trade in my trusty truck for this SUV. (Can you believe it's not red?!?)  My family has been giving me a hard time about my color choices in the past because it always seemed we ended up with a red vehicle.  At one time we had 3 red trucks, a red car and a maroon car.   Now we have this one, 2 red trucks and the red car, haha.  Well, one of the red trucks might not count, it is a 1996 nissan truck that we have had forever.  Ritzy uses it to haul wood around - an oversized lawn tractor ;-).     I miss the roominess of my truck but I love my new ride.  Now I will be able to take Ritzy along with me and the grandsons :-)
YUMMY.....I had my first pan of "okra, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, squash & bacon" of the season the other night. It was heavenly.  This and BLT"s with garden fresh tomatoes are my favorite meals during the summer season. 







 I love eating out of the garden.  This year has been kind of rough on our Oklahoma gardens.  It started out colder than normal, then it turned dry and then hot.  We are lucky we are even getting anything, I guess.  Now at the end of July we are experiencing cooler than normal temps and are now under a flash flood watch until tomorrow night.  This year's weather has been really strange :-0
The grandsons spend the night with Ritzy and I tonight.  They are so fun to watch.  Their energy level is amazing.  They are just starting to "run".  They are growing so fast, we better not blink or we will miss something......
Hmm seeing that picture of the fried okra is making me hungry....think I will go warm some of that up for my lunch...............Ritzywife out................

We finally got to experience some fresh garden produce. It was delicious!! Green beans, potatoes, onion & garlic. Now to sit back and wait on the tomatoes and okra, peppers, cucumbers etc... I love eating from the garden. Nothing like it. I have been pretty busy babysitting lately. I am loving it tho. Those grandsons are a handful and they are so funny. Yesterday they learned a new word. They were both a little whiny and "Ni-maw" told them the whining was gonna stop. I said while we are at it let's learn a new word --"stop". After me saying and sounding it out about 3 times, they were both saying it, haha. I had ordered a new red wagon, it arrived but I did not have time to assemble it. The son got home and he started putting it together. The boys had spent the nite with us Sunday nite and were being picked up by their Nana pretty soon so I took them inside to feed them their supper. The son came in and was telling them he had fixed their wagon and they could ride in it after they ate. When he was finished speaking.....Braedy said "ride". Me and the son looked at each other and I asked if I just heard that word and the son said "I think so"... WOW....they are going to start repeating everything they hear now. I was getting on to Braedy because he likes to stand in his high chair. Right after correcting him, he immediately wrinkled his face and tried mocking me. It was funny and I was fighting to keep a straight face, but I told him that was not the right thing to do ;-) Calvin is always taking things from Braedy and most of the time Braedy lets him. But I think Braedy is finding out he can fight for what he wants........or get Calvin back when no one is looking, haha. While watching them the other day at their house Braedy had a little plastic golf club and Calvin was sitting on the floor. I saw this "evil" look come across Braedy's face, he grinned and whacked his brother with that club. I told him "no, Braedy that is not nice" and he did it again. Calvin has this odd look on his face wondering what the heck was going on. I tell Calvin that "brother" is not gonna take it anymore. Pretty soon Calvin walks over and gives Braedy a big hug......it was so sweet!!! We are busy with VBS at church. We are having it every Wednesday nite the months of June & July instead of the traditional 5 straight days. It is a lot easier on those working. Having a great turnout so far. It's gonna start getting hot here in Oklahoma. It's really been nice. So far I have been able to go out in the evening and sit in my swing. That will come to an end once the hot weather settles in. It's getting late and this Ni-maw is getting tired.......Ritzywife out!

Well after a slow start to our stormy season, we are catching up it seems. The past 10 days or so have been pretty wild "weather-wise" here in Oklahoma. Have had terrible destructive tornadoes south and west of us. On May 31 (which is my Dad's birthday) there was a tornado just a few miles from home. Here is the picture my son took: While we were all in the cellar, he and the son-in-law were over on the bridge taking this picture. I thought they were just outside the cellar all this time. YIKES!!! It has been a long time since we have had to use the "frady hole"... The lake is up 11 ft. above normal. Hard to believe... because just 3 months ago it was 4 ft. below normal. Wow.....what a difference a little time and a few rainstorms make here in Oklahoma!! You guessed it....my crappie fishing is over for the year. It never really got going because of the unseasonably cool spring. But, I did get enough for the freezer so I won't complain too much. Ritzy's garden is doing pretty good. We had to replant our okra. Can hardly wait to cook some of that in the future. Those grandsons have been keeping us busy and entertained. They are just too much fun to watch. We let them make and play in mud last week, they loved it!!! Got it all over themselves. Braedy had to taste it and Calvin thought he needed to sit in it, haha! I was sitting outside a couple nights ago and needed a jacket on an Oklahoma June evening.....WOW! The weather has been so strange the past few years, it's impossible to predict what it will do next.... I just called the daughter to see if the grandsons could spend the night Saturday nite and go to church with Ritzy and I Sunday morning. Saturday is their Uncle Matt's birthday. I talked to him earlier and asked what he would like me to fix for his dinner that night. Told the daughter to bring family over to eat and the grandsons could just stay with Ritzy and I. It's a go!!! I think I feel the need for a nap before starting supper...............Ritzywife out!

This Oklahoma Spring has been way too cool. My fishing has been way off. The weather warms up, then cools down, warms up, then cools down.....well, you get the picture....then the lake comes up, goes down, not good for my fishing hole....It has been so cold that Ritzy finally planted our tomatoes just a few days ago. I told him that it will probably turn off hot and dry and we will miss out on any tomatoes ;-( My flowers are finally blooming. Here is a picture of a "clematis" that has just bloomed: My lilac went kind of crazy this year not many blooms but I think it was confused. It had leafed out in January or February due to the unusual warm weather. That's Oklahoma for ya!! Those grandsons are growing like crazy... they are walking all over the place and are getting cuter by the minute ;-) Last week Ritzy had them outside and they were playing with sticks in our firepit. They were just as happy with those two sticks as they would have been with the most expensive toy money could buy, haha. Here is a picture of the guys playing outside: I have been keeping busy babysitting those two little fellas. They are at the age now where they are just a joy to watch, even tho they wear this "Ni-maw" out, haha.....It is so much fun to watch them play together, and learn every day. If one of them comes to me and wants held, the other one catches us and has to come over too. I love it!! It's about time to leave and go watch/have fun with them again for today so I had better go. Have a great day! Ritzywife out........................

This is a microwave chip maker that my mom gave me tonite, so.... around midnight before going to bed I just had to try it out. All I can say is WOW!!!! You slice the potatoes, or whatever you are making chips out of, with a mandolin slicer, dry them a bit with a paper towel, lay them on dryer and pop into microwave for about 4 minutes and that is it!!! They taste wonderful. I will be using this little gadget a lot!!! I have also been busy spending time with those two little sweetheart grandsons. Oh my goodness, they are growing. They both are walking and keeping themselves entertained. It is such a joy to watch them. I get to have them here tomorrow. Ritzy and I are spoiling them rotten, but that's the way it's supposed to be I believe, haha!!! My fishing this spring is lacking, mostly because of the low lake levels and also due to the cool weather. The past couple of weeks the lake has risen a little and if it ever warms up I will be down there trying to find a place to catch those crappie. A friend stopped by last Sunday and gave me 5 nice crappie. I cleaned them and cooked them a couple nites later. They were delicious!!!! This ni-maw had better get to bed to get rested up for those twin 1-yr old's coming tomorrow. Take care and Ritzywife out......................

One more week and those beautiful twin grandsons will be 1 year old. They are so fun to watch and play with. This year has gone by so fast. Calvin is beginning to take steps on his own, Braedy is not far behind. Calvin is starting to get a mouthful of teeth and Braedy has a few less. No more putting my finger in their mouths, haha!! They are spending the night tomorrow night since their mama and daddy are going to be busy Saturday. Looking forward to a good time with them. Here is a recent picture of those handsome boys: Well, winter tried to make a show here in our part of the state the past couple of days.....not near enough snow tho. We hardly got any and got just a little bit of freezing rain. The flowers are up and trees are starting to bud out. It looks as if we may have an early Spring like last year. My fishing hole is still dry tho, and that is not good.. Wow, I didn't know being a "Ni-maw" could keep a person so busy. I see I have neglected my writing somewhat. After supper tonite I made some fried pies, a recipe I saw on the Pioneer Woman site. I made lemon-filled ones. They were delicious!!! Now after cleaning up the kitchen, putting the laundry away and finishing up little chores, this chick is ready for bed. So that means.................Ritzywife out!