Yep, Townada was back...we'll get to that in a minute. But first let me share another one of those moments in the life of a Nana that can kind of take your breath away. I have three daughters and they were all very active through all of their school years so I am used to award ceremonies, crowns, election wins, speeches, etc. And yes, my buttons burst with pride at each of those moments. But, I'm not sure why but the pride just seems to be multiplied many times when it is a grandchild.
I have seven of those...from almost 27 to almost 14 years of age. And, they are as involved, if not more, than their moms were. And they have given me so many, many moments of button popping pride that you would think I would be used to it by now-but, I'm apparently not!
My oldest grandson is a senior in high school this year and he is not only student body president, on varsity football and lacrosse and active in about every organization he could be active in-not to mention just getting an appointment to the US Coast Guard Academy-but he is just a good kid. I know I've gone on and on about his kindnesses to everyone on this site before so I will spare you my Nana rhetoric but, when he gets recognized by someone other than his (maybe just a little biased) family, more buttons will pop!
We were at the football banquet at Trinity Catholic H.S. the other night and the players were being recognized for their abilities. Harrison is a good and faithful team member but he isn't in a position of really standing out as the quarterbacks, kickers, tackles, etc. are so I wasn't expecting anything more than his recognition for being state semi-finalists and a senior. Imagine my surprise when the final award of the evening-and perhaps the most coveted-was announced and Harrison was the honoree!
This is an award named after a very special TC alum for the path he took in his life and goes to the senior who most represents what TC stands for ON and OFF the field. And that is this kid. He is at every activity the school has...first to arrive and last to leave. He volunteers all over the county-and with a smile on his face and a handshake for everyone he meets along the way. Coach Brantley could not have chosen a better recipient for this honor. And, of course after presenting Harrison this honor he asked him if he had anything to say and was probably as shocked as I was when he grabbed that mike and started talking like he was prepared-which he wasn't. I love this kid so much and thank him for just another proud Nana moment in my journey of almost 27 fabulous years.
Coach Brantley joins the group for this photo.
And Harrison "waxes poetic". Lol
So, needless to say my Sunday evening ended on a high. Maybe that is why I woke up on Monday morning raring to go. Of course, the absolutely picture perfect weather didn't hurt. My plan was to do more raking and get as many leaves as I could out on the curb for pick-up on Tuesday morning. And that is how I started. But then either my boredom or my ADD kicked in and I was off to a second project before I was done with the leaves...and then soon another and another. I got all 6 of my trash cans eventually filled but, I must say that the millions of leaves that continued to fall as I was raking didn't help my mood! I know everyone will say why not wait until they're all down but I literally could not see any grass in my back yard and that is the view I see most often from the sunroom. The brick paths and patio were covered and the gardens were so thick with leaves that I don't think any of the small amount of rain and irrigation they are getting could even get down to the soil.
I am paying for it a bit today because one of the things I decided to do was to move all of the huge tree logs away from my fence and off to the side of the garage where they are shielded from view by a small privacy wall that also keeps my garbage cans and other wood I have stacked up out of view.
I actually decided to do this because once I was out there raking I decided that it is getting close to pressure washing time again and I need to start with the fence so I needed to get it clear.
Believe me, it took every bit of Towanda I had in me to get those heavy things moved but I did it and that always makes me happy.
We went from this:
to this:
and this:
I ended up dragging myself inside when I grabbed the clippers and started cutting back some of the freeze burned things. I lost so much last year because I did it too soon so you would think I've learned my lesson but it looks so sad out there. I did go around and most everything is showing some new growth...the jury is still out on others.
The hydrangeas don't ever seem to mind the cold and they're on their way back.
This schefflera was about 5' high and just beautiful but it took quite a hit. I am so happy to see that it still has some life. It always amazes me that no matter how cold it gets down here, the weeds are always still flourishing!
And, of course, the tea olives are right on schedule for not only beauty but their wonderful fragrance wafting across the whole yard. Pretty much my entire backyard on the side that we use the most is encompassed with these beautiful bushes.
About the only color out there right now that is available for cutting is the camellia bush, some of the azaleas and the Gerber daisies. Fingers crossed that changes soon!
And, you can probably see by the pictures above why I'm feeling the need to get started on pressure cleaning that fence. If I wasn't dog sitting again, I might be out there doing it right now! Lol
So, after that very lengthy post, I will just end with stay safe and stay tuned.
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