I know, some of you don't like to read about the little girls I babysit. Well, this one is different.

Cindy came to visit on Memorial Day and brought her dog Charlie and asked if he could stay with me this weekend while she went to DC to a concert. I agreed; how much trouble could a DOG be? Well, to my surprise.....not much trouble at all.

When she brought him Friday, Anna and Savannah were still here and instead of hiding from them, he actually interacted with them. I think he likes little people who aren't much taller than he. Cindy says he doesn't like the stairs at her apartment, but he actually followed them upstairs when they followed me.

She brought a supply of dog food and doggie treats, but he munched on Tiger's food. I also noticed that the cat didn't yowl hardly any when the dog was here. Only when he heard my alarm go off this morning. I don't know if he was trying to be invisible or if was just setting a good example of how a cat should act.

Charlie loved to have his leash put on to go for a walk. After the first walk, we had a set path. Out the front door, step down over the wall to the grassy driveway, down to the swing set, sniff around there, down to the dumpster, more sniffing, then off across the bottom of the parking lot to Baugh St. There we stop to look around, see a squirrel with a green apple or a tomato in his mouth, then up the sidewalk to the corner, up the street in front of the funeral home and back to my house. Then, he wants to do it again. Since he did what I'd taken him out for in the first place, I stopped to rest in the swing and he lay down under the table and watched the cars go by.

He was very good. The only time I heard him make a sound was after he'd been on the deck for about an hour and then he stood up on his hind legs and looked in the door at me and sorta whimpered. He was telling me that it was potty time, so I put his leash on and off we went. He did his business and we circled the parking lot again and he was happy.

I have a yellow and green pillow that he rested on last time he was here and this time I went to check on him and he had his head on the pillow with one ear straight up and he was snoozing away. If I knew how, I would put it on here so you could see it cause it was really cute. All in all, we had a nice little visit and I hope Charlie remembers his visit with fond memories.

Today, Sunday, we went to see Sharon. I had told one and all that we were leaving at 9:30AM so we could be there by 12:30. Actually, if we left by 10:00AM, we would be ahead of the game. We got in the car at 5 to 10, but Tommy had forgot his game for his Gameboy so he had to run back in and get it. Then we started off up the street and Rebecca discovered she had left her sunglasses, so around the block and back here so she could run in and get them. THEN, we finally left.

We made good time going up and only had to make one bathroom stop. We actually got there a little after 12:30 and were in to see her by 1:00PM and got to stay for 2 whole hours. Coming back, we stopped at Colleen where the icecream cone is built through the lil building and then we stopped at the service station cause Tommy had to use the bathroom.

I had filled my gas tank Sat. morning and had gone to the mall, grocery store, bank and Linda's, but it was still at full when we left here. When we got back, it was still over a half tank left. That's GOOD gas mileage!!This was the first long trip I had made on my car and it was really nice. Only thing, every now and then I'd look at the speedometer and it would have crept up to 80mph. I had to really watch that.

When we got home at 6, I was amazed at the mess in my house. The sink was full of glasses (12), cups and sticky saucers. I had left Kaitlyn and Emily here, thinking they would be going to Emily's house as soon as they got dressed. Evidently, they didn't. I think they got on my computer for a while (I found evidence in my room) and then ate everything they could find that wasn't nailed down. And then they went shopping. Kaitlyn dropped Emily off at her house and then came here and went to bed. She is supposed to leave in the morning cause she has a hair appointment, but she told me not to wake her up. She said if she didn't get up in time to make it home, that she'd re-schedule for Tuesday.

Well, it was a good trip. Sharon looked really good and had a beautiful hair cut. We all had our pictures made......Tommy and Rebecca each separately and Sharon and I together. That one was one I'd destroy if it was up to me! I told the girl taking the pics that after she took mine she wouldn't have to make any more cause her camera would be broke! Oh, well.........

After being here 3 weeks and 3 days, Rebecca and Tommy left today. It was so quiet and lonesome even with a baby here that I actually cleaned Tommy's room and put all his stuff that had accumulated on the dining room table back where it belonged and took the skate boards to the basement until next time. I also went through Rebecca's room and gathered a pile of dirty laundry and a pile of Emily's clothes that she had left down here one night when she spent the night. Also, changed the beds and would have washed sheets, but ran out of washing liquid after just one load of towels. So, now I have almost clean rooms, but a hamper full of dirty clothes!

Wednesday I didn't have any lil girls to babysit, so Tommy and I spent the day together. We went to the library, but they were having some sort of reading program for Headstart and the place was full and fairly noisy. We did look upstairs(children) and downstairs (adult), but we didn't get any books. We decided that when he came back the end of July for a couple of weeks that we'd try again on a day other than Wednesday.

After that, we went to the Science Museum where we spent a couple of happy hours. They have finally just about finished their move so after going through the new building,which has a bunch of new and interesting things to do, including the room where you can capture your shadow on the wall for a few seconds, we crossed the street and went to where the whole thing used to be. The old railroad station was the original museum, but now it houses the stuff from the museum that was on the DCC campus. It also has a great collection of rocks, fossils and Indian artifacts. It even has fossilized poop from a dinosaur!

Then we went to the butterfly house and saw, in addition to the many butterflies, a mouse, a frog and a skink.

After a quick stop at the house for a sandwich and a bathroom stop, we went to the mall where he had an appointment to get his hair cut. We had received word from his aunt Ginny that he's BETTER have a crew cut before she came to get him today. We'd talked about it for two weeks and just never got around to it, but we did finally and it looked so nice. After having a head full of hair that was so long it was beginning to curl up on the ends, he looked like a different boy with a short "do". I think he liked it after he got used to it. I bought him some wax so he could spike it if he wanted to, and it looks cute when he does.

Rebecca wasn't being left out; we'd gone shopping together a couple of times and to different places and she'd gone skating and to the movies and out to eat with either Emily or Rachel and last week when Kaitlyn was here, she hung out with her, so I think she was kinda glad to have the computer, the TV and the kitchen to herself for a while.

After 2 days at Ginnys in Stoneville, they'll be going to camp at Brevard, NC for three weeks and when camp is over they'll be at Ginnys for about 3 days and then back here July 25 until August 6 and then when they go back I think their school starts that week. Anyway, Ginny is having a kid free summer!!

We had a good three weeks and if I'd been a little more solvent, it would have been even better. Seems like I spent more time at the grocery store than I usually do all summer. Them kids can eat! And drink!! And mess up clothes!!! And they aren't picky, either. If it's not moving, they'll eat it. Would you believe at least 10 cartons of icecream, 4 boxes of popsicles, one large box of Blue Bunny icecream snacks, a box of Snicker icecream bars and whatever was already in the freezer when they got here. Of course, the lil girls helped with the popsicles and the vanilla icecream. I bought numerous cartons of soft drinks and made a lot of Koolaide. I got up this morning and made more koolaide before I realized they wouldn't be here to drink it up. It's sitting there in it's entirety in the fridge. Maybe Chad and Sarah will come by and drink some.

You know, I get a lot more visits from the oher grandkids when Rebecca and Tommy are here. Tommy and Chad love to hang out together and they'll spend a couple of days here playing on the skateboard and scooter in the parking lot, Chad will spend the night and after they get tired of being here, they'll go to Chad's house for a while. Chris, the guy next door with the humongous dog, has taken them and the dog down to the Riverwalk Trail and by the skatepark. Of course, it's not ever open when they go. Seems it's only open a couple or three times a week.

Rachel actually came over and spent the night one Sat. night when Rebecca was here and went to church with us and Emily was down a few times and Kaitlyn spent a week here, so I only heard "I'm bored" once and that was when Chad had gone home, Chris wasn't home with his dog, and I was busy with the lil girls. All in all, it was a good visit and I already miss them so much!

I hadn't written since Tommy and Rebecca went back to Ginnys and then on to camp. Not because I don't have anything to write, but because when I finally got to the computer I was too tired.

Tommy and Rebecca were here for over three weeks and when they left they were headed to camp in the mountains for three weeks and when they get back this Sunday, they'll be at Ginnys for a day and a half and then will be back here until just about time for school to start.

But, back to my doings. July 8th was our Wesleyan Women conference in Roanoke, VA. My friend Margaret was to pick me up at 10 to 6 to meet the others at the church at 6AM, because the conference started at 8AM and it's about an hour and a half drive up there. I set my alarm to go off at 5AM. I took my shower and washed my hair Friday night and pressed a couple of outfits so I'd have a choice. Well, my alarm went off just when it was supposed to and I reached over and turned it off and went back to sleep. Something woke me at 25 minutes to 6 and I had 15 minutes to have my coffee, get dressed and get my stuff I was taking together. I made it.......no time to spare, tho. I got everything together and looked out the door and Margaret was pulling up. Whew!!!!!!!!

Then on July 15th, our WW group had a yardsale and hotdog lunch/supper in the fellowship hall at the church. Margaret, Ava and I went Friday evening to get the stuff laid out and priced. Nobody else showed up to help, not even the pastor!

Sat. morning we all got there at 7AM and the crowd was there before us! We didn't get much participation from the former Gethsemane church except for one couple who always help out with everything. I'm thinking that I, as director, won't be suggesting any more fundraisers. Everybody is always in favor of doing them, but the same 4 ladies and the husband of one ,do all the work. Anyway, that's another story.

I have been pretty much broke this summer. I only have Brittany to babysit, and I don't have her for the whole week. Anna's mom teaches and she's out for the summer. I won't have Anna when school starts because she'll be in kindergarten. I haven't had Savannah in two weeks.Don't know who is watching her.I had watched her and fed her ever since she was 5 weeks old. Her mom just quit bringing her....no explanation or advance notice or anything. I'm looking to make some money, if any one has any suggestions.

I do have a beautiful, new bathroom sink to sell. It's freestanding with silver legs and trim. But it's BIG........48"long by 24"wide. Also, a nice kitchen cart that could be used as an island. Wanna buy something????????

Big, black, cawing. I've seen him/her in the magnolia trees next door to me. I've seen it in the parking lot next door to me and also in the parking lot at church.

Is it the same bird? Probably not, but to the uninitiated eye, they all look the same. Big, so black they glisten, same caw-caw noise and that bird strut they do.

Today I went to the post office and guess what I saw right beside the curb? A humongous shiny, black crow eating road kill like it was a gourmet dinner! Yuck!!!