Right now, i am so frustrated with our basement... that i would sell our house if anyone offered us a mere dollar over what we paid for it.

Not sure (e:Uncutsaniflush) would agree. Poor guy is at work and has had to deal with paniced phone calls from his wife...

(e:Twisted)? You still interested? The basement floods every time it rains... and it doesn't get deep enough to use a sump pump -- it just spreads out in an even inch or two. But other than that, it's a nice house, i guess...

I haven't posted in a couple of weeks. Guess i haven't had much to say.... or much ya'll would be interested in.

The sale we just finished went well, i think. But i don't know anything about the clean up or how pleased the client was, so i could be wrong. I will say, however, that those nice people that watch kids, well, they can be aggressive when they need to be. The first day, in the morning was chaotic. And it was sad to see so many books left at the end -- until Mike thought up a solution. Instead of selling the remaining books at $5 a bag, why not sell them all for $20!

Ava's puppies are getting big. Sunday, we thought we would take them all to the park to let them breathe the fresh air. Not such a great idea. They are big enough to run now. Many thanks to the very nice two young women who came over to pet the puppies and ended up helping us keep them from running all over Bidwell Ave.!!

So, of course, i took pictures. I didn't have the chance when we were outdoors, because i was too busy keeping them from running away, but while inside, i got the chance to snap a couple....

Eating...



Falling asleep in food...



Chewing...



And being generally drowsy...

Today, at the yard sale, a grown woman stopped at the table of books out front. She said, "hey, look, someone made a book about the t.v. show!" while holding a Grey's Anatomy volume. Her companions looked embarrassed, but did not correct her.

And yes, i told that story to the lovely man, Peter, who ended up taking the book home. I had to...

If anyone is interested in not going to Taste of Buffalo tomorrow or already went, wants to see me sweat in the summer heat and wants a bargain on household bric-a-brac come on down. Well be at Heidi's Madhouse from 10am to about 4pm at 739 Elmwood hawking our wares.

OK, among all the other things i am phobic about (yeah, so i am afraid of escalators... whatcha gonna do about it, huh?), i am most scareded of bees. Anything that flies about, buzzes (*shudder*) and has the ability to sting freaks me out.

But i really needed to weed around the tomato plants today. I've been putting it off for too long. Every morning when i water the plants, i think that i just need to get in there and rip out the unwanted plants.

As the bush beside the tomatoes flowers, there seem to be more and more flying stinging things. Yesterday, i stood still ready to freak out while a big fat bee buzzed around my head. There i was, eyes scrunched together as tight as i could, making a "mmmmm" sound (sorta like your youngest did when i was cutting his hair, (e:Britian) ) ready to take off. Eventually (more like 3 seconds, even if it felt like an hour), i couldn't take it anymore. Off i ran, screaming. The neighbours probably thought i was on fire.

So, today, i went into the garden, knowing there would be flying stinging things.

I got some of the weeding done. The closer i got to the bush that is flowering, the more of a general buzz i heard. And the tighter the knot in my stomach got.

When a wasp (waaaaaaaaaay worse than bees) landed on a tomato blossom right next to my hand, that was it. Off i went. No more. I can finish tonight (i will do it with the porch light on in the dark if i have to!) or tomorrow morning.

Here are a few snaps of some of the first of our tomatoes. I am so looking forward to munching on them... they might even be worth the daily flying stinging thing traumas.







P.S. Many many thanks to my lovely and talented husband, (e:Uncutsaniflush) for figuring out why this would not publish... ah, the ) after an (e:peep) problem yet again!

Which (e:peep) drives a maroon car with a billion and one bumper stickers on the back, including an (e:strip) magnet on the right hand side of the trunk?

Well, whomever you are, i waved at you, as we were behind you on Elmwood by Albright Knox when you made a right hand turn.

In other news... thanks for the invite to lunch, (e:Ladycroft)! Good to see you and catch up!