More Shade Stuff and Happy Birthday Dad

Dick helped me expand a shade garden in the front yard last weekend. I planted more hosta, astilbe, and lily-of-the-valley. I don't know if everything will come up because I bought cheap stuff at Wallyworld. When we went to spread the mulch Dick brought over a huge chunk of it still frozen in the tractor. I just had to wait for the chunk (below) to melt on the weed cover. Shows that stuff really holds the water and temperature. Now I wait to see what happens.


It was my Dad's 83rd birthday last Friday and he wanted to go out to dinner, so Mom, Dad, Dick and I all celebrated his birthday. It was a nice evening and a very good meal. Dick reminded him that his and Mom's birthday present came early this year. He and Mom attended a Wayne Newton concert in March, near Mom's birthday. Dad talked about that for two weeks and it broke the end-of-winter boredom. Most of his kids called within a day or so of his birthday, so he was happy.In the last couple of weeks, he has been recognized for his many years on the Baileyville School Committee, and was given a plaque. Then last week he was a guest at the St. Croix Regional Technical Center recognition dinner. The directors there also gave him a plaque, a hat and a huge cake in appreciation of his support of vocational-technical education as a member of the regional committee, which was through his membership on the school board. The automotive, truck driving, welding and building trades at that school never had a better friend, and all the programs (including the others like CNA, day care, food service and more) all have certification tests at the end of the year, so these kids go right to jobs after school. Keely has a friend working her way through college on the money she earns as a CNA. It's a good program for this area.