Summer is Ending

Hurray for weekends!! I try to cram as much fun stuff into them as possible....along with the rather mundane stuff like washing clothes and cleaning house. That makes the weekend pretty full....and pretty fast!!

Travis went to Dallas this weekend to be with his Auntie Ruth who turned 97 years young!! He said the party was really nice and Aunt Ruth seemed to enjoy herself and the friends who came to wish her a very happy birthday. He also enjoyed some visiting time with his cousin, Gerry, and wife, Clara.

I poured three inches of rain water out of the gauge this morning....a VERY welcome downpour!! It didn't add a lot to Caney Creek (which runs behind our house), but we won't complain. We'll just ask for a little more of the same stuff we had yesterday. You can almost HEAR the plants in my yard growing after that small drenching!

Granddaughter, Taylor, is here with me this weekend, and we plan to go see the play here in Wharton tonight....My Fair Lady. I saw it the first weekend and loved it. I know Taylor will find it fun and entertaining, too. The talent from our small area is just great!!!

Amelia is back at work full time now and seems to be getting stronger little by little....not fast enough to satisfy her, but forward progress is good news. Rebecca is back on the job at school after surgery on both feet. She will be teaching 1st grade for the first time, and will have some of her students from last year in her class again. Being on her feet longer at a time will be her biggest obstacle.

To all you teachers (both public and home school).....I pray that you have a wonderful year, and that you will be blessed by and a blessing for your children. Love to you all...

Catching Up

I am another year older as of yesterday. I have had lots of birthday surprises and good wishes over the past couple of days which makes me feel very blessed indeed!

Whew! The summer has flown past! Less than a month left until the teachers and kids start back to the school routine.

Amelia is doing well after her spinal surgery in May. She has started back to work at Anthropolgie in Austin. Her bosses are most understanding of her limitations and she is super excited about getting back to work with all the lovely new clothing! Matt and Amy and the girls have moved to the outskirts of Leander as Matt has a new golf coaching position there.

Rebecca had surgery in mid-July on both of her feet....bunions and hammertoes. She is doing well--hobbling in her 'pretty' shoes. The doctor told her she can drive in her neighborhood until she gets used to the shoes and pedals. We are hoping she can return to teaching later this month in tennis shoes rather than the surgery sandals. She recommends that anyone thinking about having this surgery should ask for the automatic pain med dispenser like she had. It sure made the initial week a lot more bearable!

Wish some of you would send some rain our direction and quit hogging it all. We are really dry here.

We are getting put back together after our 'tree fall' incident. The outside just needs a coat of paint, and the inside needs the storage shelves and hangers put in place. Then we will be able to clear our patio area of the clutter....hopefully thinning out the necessary from the unnecessary.

Odds & Ends

I stayed home today to babysit while Matt took Amelia to the doctor for her first checkup since the surgery. The outing was pretty hard on her, but the doctor prescribed some new medicine and physical therapy that should help her mend and gain back some flexibility. She said the doctor is still VERY pleased and impressed with the results of his surgical skills.

Our back yard is still full of shed debris, and our lawn is suffering from the broken lawnmower (getting tall very fast with the fertilizer treatment.) Our patio is temporary home to all the remaining contents of the shed. I will be very glad when we regain our peaceful lovely back yard. It was looking SO GOOD before the storm.

Avery discovered this morning that she has apparently grown recently....hard to snap the pants. After breakfast, we made a trip to WallyWorld and purchased a few summer clothes. While there, we snatched up the new Wii Music release. I have always wanted to play the handbells, and in this game, we found out that it is both fun and challenging. Even Masyn became a musical kid....she beat my score in the Maestro conducting game!!!

Past Weeks - Busy & Interesting

Let me catch you up a little bit:

We came home from the hospital on Thursday, May 21st. Amelia made the hour+ ride like a trooper....never complained, although she had both pain and nausea. I kept checking to make sure she was still conscious and thinking maybe it would be more comfortable if she weren't.

The new bed had not arrived, so Travis gave up his bed so she could be comfortable on the memory foam mattress. That was good. Matt brought the girls Friday for a weekend visit. Mother Nature paid a very windy visit to our neighborhood on Saturday and half of our tallest pecan tree fell across our shed knocking out our water well. Since MeMaw is presently doing rehab at Garden Villa nursing home, we were able to move to her house in EC where a nice new memory foam mattress was available for Amelia's pain-tender body. Aaaaahhhhh.

Matt and the girls returned to Hutto to schools and day care. Amelia and I settled into somewhat of a routine that was mostly her lying down on the bed or couch or window seat, and me trying to find snacks and food that she could take with her medication. During the week, she had her usual ups and downs with pain, and her good friend, Emily, helped her find ways to manage her pain better. On Friday, the water well was repaired, so Saturday, we packed back up and made the move back home where the new bed had finally arrived.

The new bed, even though a nice pillow top, was not memory foam. So late that evening, I made a trip to the store to purchase a memory foam topper and deeper fitted sheet. Aaaaahhhhh again. Matt and the girls had come in again, so the house was full of action. On Sunday evening, Matt and Avery returned to Hutto for the final week of school, and the two little ones stayed here with us.

Monday, June 1, I returned to work in the afternoons....thanks to a great understanding boss. I help Amelia get the girls fed and dressed, help her get a shower, and try to do a little laundry and picking up. Of course, I have to check my computer, but that has been in small doses....hence the few posts on here. Travis, Mimi, and friends have been helpful to Amelia and the girls in the afternoons until I get home.

Amelia's activities have increased and decreased as her pain level permits. Overall, she is doing amazingly well for having gone through the huge surgery. Monday she took a couple of walks around the block with the girls, but Tuesday, her body told her she had done too much and she was down most of the day. Today, she is much better, but experience has taught her to take it very slowly. We are still on the roller coaster, but the hills and dips aren't quite as dramatic as before.

Ups and Downs

This surgery experience is certainly of the roller coaster variety. Just when we think things are going good, we have another hill to climb.

It took longer than expected to get beyond the headaches. She had to have an MRI to help diagnose the problem. Seems there might have been a small leak of the spinal fluid. No matter what the cause, the treatment was the same - lie down as much as possible until the problem was gone. And that took until early Wednesday.

Wednesday was such a good day that the doctor said go home whenever she felt able. We got the ball rolling to go home Thursday morning. However, Wednesday night was not comfortable, so she opted for the more potent painkiller. By Thursday morning, her energy level was almost zero and her blood pressure would drop when she sat up or stood up. I didn't think we wanted to try to make it home like that, so we checked with the doctor. By the time he was out of surgery and came by, she was improved, so he said we could still go home if we felt like it. He said these dips are to be expected with the surgery she had.

So now we are getting ready to leave again. She is getting her dressing changed and perhaps we will make it home this time. Here's hoping....

Hospital Tales

It is Sunday evening and I am watching my taller, straighter daughter peacefully sleeping after a humdinger of a surgery.

What did we ever do before all the technology we have today? If I had been more savvy, I would have taken my computer to the hospital with me for the wait during the surgery. The hospital has wi-fi we can access with a patient password. I could have emailed updates during the day. As it was, we had to settle for hiking around to the skybridge to obtain a cell phone signal and send out brief texts during the day because we couldn't access ATT signal in the waiting room. Oh well, it was better than having to call collect from a pay phone down the hall.

When I went home today to clean up and get clothes for the rest of the stay, I grabbed my computer so I can have my entertainment and communication in the room with me. I can send updates a little faster this way....my texting is not so fast.

Amelia, as I am learning to call her, is doing well. She has a little challenge with nausea and a headache when she stands or sits, but the doctor has just ordered her to take it easy for another day or two until this passes. He said most people do not realize how difficult this surgery is. It is definitely not for wimps! Once this little hiccup passes, Amelia is ready to get on with the program. The physical therapist was amazed at how much she can already do by herself. She is determined to be able to go home in as few days as possible.

Vacation with a Purpose

Friday will begin my two-week vacation from the bank. I have a lot planned for those two weeks, but it will all revolve around daughter, Amy's, surgery. The doctor's estimate is 5 - 7 days in the hospital and months of recuperation and rehab.....although it is not really as bad as it sounds. She will be walking the day after surgery and will be plenty sore from the rib removal, but the spinal surgery itself won't be that uncomfortable for very long. Though she will have to refrain from lifting for quite some time, moving around will be something she might be doing a lot of for rehab. She is already planning to spend her weeks at our home upstairs!

While Amy is recovering, I will spend time weeding through 'stuff' in my home and trying to get rid of the extras. I hope I have enough will power to really simplify around here. Gotta get rid of some things I have been hanging on to for entirely too long!

I also want to reward my efforts with some fun things along the way.....don't want this vacation to be all work and no play! I would like to start on some digital scrapbooking and perhaps finish one of the quilts I have started.

With someone to visit with while doing these projects, I should be able to achieve most of what I am setting out to accomplish.

Happy Mother's Day

We actually began celebrating Mother's Day on Friday when a lovely flower arrangement arrived at the bank in Fulshear from Lyndsey and Kayla. Then Travis and I took Mimi to Houston for niece, Kylie Seitz', graduation from nursing school. Travis even survived the trip with me as a passenger in Houston rush hour traffic downtown!!

The celebration continued yesterday as David suggested that he and Lance take out their wives and families, and included Travis, me, and Mimi.

Travis and I took time to visit with MeMaw at Garden Villa for a while. She was watching her beloved Astros as we arrived. She is doing well, looking good, and seems to like her new surroundings. She said they aren't treating her badly with rehab....just getting her to walk some. Richard and Claudia had added a digital photo frame with lots of pictures of their family, so we went through most of them as they randomly popped up. They had even included Norris and Sallie's wedding picture. Today would have been their 66th anniversary.

We then joined the family for an enjoyable evening at Los Cucos in El Campo where we just 'camped out' for about 3 hours. I received an array of great cards from the kids and grandkids and Travis. It was relaxed fun and good visiting....and more food than I could eat, so I will make the celebration continue on to supper tonight with leftovers.

Travis and I joined our friends at Larry's for breakfast this morning for a nice fellowship. Travis had given me a gift last night that I enjoyed showing off this morning....new necklace and earring set. And the vase of roses is still beautiful.

Email and Facebook posts have dotted yesterday and today with Mother's Day greetings and wishes. I feel very loved and appreciated. Thanks to you all for a very special day.....

Barn Party

The Muegge family (the family we purchased our present home from) hosts a wonderful barn party every spring, and we are fortunate enough to be invited. The meat is furnished by the host, and guests bring the rest. Travis cooked his famous bacon-wrapped jalapenos and a pot of navy beans. I don't think the jalapenos lasted ten minutes after we put them on the serving line! He was being asked all evening for his recipe.

I know a few more of the attendees each year, but enjoy spending time with my lovely friend from El Campo, Mary Lou Birkner. We caught up on kids, grandkids, and things we enjoy. But with the first LOUD chord from the live band we knew our visiting time was over. We collected the navy beans that were left and headed for the car. We know a few more people a little better now that we have mingled in the casualness of the barn party.

If I Knew.....

Ohhhhh, if I knew which critter did the dastardly deed, I would exact the same punishment on it!

When I took Emma outside this afternoon I didn't see the Momma or Daddy Redbirds anywhere. Nor did I hear their familiar chirps. When I checked the nest, I saw it was empty. Then I saw evidence of the massacre. The poor little babies were just starting to get really fuzzy feathers. It could have been the owl....he was eyeing the Daddy yesterday and was perched just above the nest. He did fly off to a yard a couple of houses away, but he could have remembered where to come back when 'the human' was gone. Or we have lots of squirrels in the neighborhood and in our yard. I was just soooo disappointed.....I wanted to see them grow into the lovely birds like the Momma and Daddy.

Bird Watching

Emma is always ready to go outside as soon as I come home in the afternoon, so I put everything down inside and let her head for the grass. I have been taking her out on the leash most of the time so she won't wander off. She was in such a hurry this afternoon that I didn't stop her to put the leash on her. We both walked around a bit enjoying the beautiful sunshine and temperate weather. The birds (and we have lots of all kinds) were singing and flying around.

One bird was flitting near the house with his chirpy warning to stay away from HIS bush. He is a beautiful redbird whose hatchlings are in a nest in the bush. Apparently Momma bird was away gathering food. Daddy bird was doing his best to keep us distant.

I started looking around for Momma bird, I was startled to see just above us a great big OWL! Emma would have been an appetizer for this huge bird if I had not been standing there! I didn't think he would wait for me to grab my camera, but he obliged for several shots. I have never been so close to an owl before! He really was a magnificent creature!

In addition to these lovelies, I saw a red-headed woodpecker, swallows, wrens, and some I don't recognize. At other times of the year, we have tree ducks, doves, and even buzzards. Oh, and I can't forget the dozens of hummingbirds that found my red trumpet bushes this year! It's fun watching the birds when I have a little time.

It's Quiet

Just a note or two before retiring tonight.....

I came home to the dog today. And after letting her out for her break, she ran back into the house and retired to her domain where she has been the whole evening.

Travis is flying with Lance, so the house is quiet....no splattering grease, no clacking keyboard, no weather channel, no Astros commentary, no snoring.....nothing. No one to remind me that I have to get up early in the morning. Does it sound like I might miss him....just a little?

Ahhhh, the quiet.... but, you know, it was good to hear his voice on the other end of the phone a little bit ago letting me know where he would be this evening.

Baby, The Rain Must Fall

One week and 550 miles - that's what it took to almost empty the new little Jetta. We filled it up Friday evening with 13.5 gallons of diesel, and off we go again. If we get near the same mileage (almost 41 mpg) we should not need to fill again until next weekend. I can sure live with that!!!

I worked in Fulshear Saturday morning. With the frequent morning downpours, we didn't have much walk-in traffic, so I got most of my odds and ends finished. When I left for home, it began to rain again, but not too heavy.....until I got almost to East Bernard. By then, it was raining very hard, so I pulled off into a service station parking lot. I had my iPhone weather radar and watched for a slack time in the rain. I stayed in East Bernard about an hour before the rain subsided enough to allow me to continue toward home.

Once home, I had a message from Lisa to call her. It was still raining a little, and I figured I would have better reception outside anyway, so I just stayed in the car. The rains came again, and I was able to escape from the car to the house after about half an hour!

A couple of hours later...and much more rain....I ventured out to retrieve Taylor from a birthday party. The rain had quit, but the waters were still rising on some of the streets. My new little Jetta does pretty well as a boat! When Taylor and I got home, the rains came again. After another trip to and from town for a play, we saw the water in our almost-dry creek had almost reached its capacity. My guess is that we had somewhere between 8 and 12 inches of rain around our house. I know our 5 inch gauge would not have held all the rain.

Today the waters have started to recede a lot, but the creek is still full. The corn plants close to our house must have grown 6 inches overnight! Our new grass area turned much greener with all that water. Even if it was a little much packed into a short time, we are so thankful for the rain that no one is complaining!!

Easter Comings and Goings

Travis and I took the Jetta out on the road to El Campo Sunday afternoon to see who we could find at home.

We stopped at MeMaw's for a long visit and watched some of the Astros' game. We left her a container of Travis' wonderful baked beans.

From there we went to Mimi's house and visited a while. We did some computer tax adjustment and left some baked beans for her to enjoy, too.

Mimi tried out the back seat of the new car as we went to Kim's house (Lance was flying back from Augusta, GA.) Heather and Crystal showed us the new puppies - 4 chubby little darlings - half Bassett Hound and half Labrador.....interesting. Heather demonstrated her softball pitching technique. She is taking lessons so she can start pitching for her team.

We took Mimi home and stopped by Lisa's house. We were entertained by Taylor on the guitar and Casey on the drums of Rock Band. They are pretty good! David came home from the farm in time for us to enjoy a good visit. Before we left, we talked him into a demonstration of his self-designed and self-built log splitter. That is a really great machine!

We came home to a wonderful voice mail from Laure wishing us a Happy Easter. Travis called them back and talked to Laure, Tommy, and each of the kids (I had visited with Laure quite a while on Saturday.)

It was a wonderful Easter day. We spent it with family in a way we have never done before.... and I really enjoyed it.

VW Jetta for Easter

We have been talking about checking into more economical transportation for a while. I did some research and narrowed down the choices to 3 different vehicles. Since I got off work early Friday, we made a rapid trip to Houston to LOOK at the choices. We liked all of the choices, but only one REALLY made good economic sense. The salesman was very nice, gave us a test drive car, and made us a good deal, so we signed away our lovely Town and Country minivan and purchased a VW Jetta TDI (diesel).

We picked up the car this evening and drove a little farther to have supper with Rebecca and Danny. It will take a little adjustment after the years of vans and minivans, but I think I really like this little car. It is roomy, has a few bells and whistles, and handles very nicely. The really good thing is that I won't have to fill it up as often. It is supposed to get between 40 and 50 miles to the gallon. Travis is still amazed that the little car doesn't clatter like his diesel pickups. And it doesn't stink, either. The other feature that allowed us to trade off our T&C is that four people can actually ride COMFORTABLY in the car. (Becca and Danny tested it by riding behind Travis and me on the way to get supper.)

Everyone have a blessed and Happy Easter!!!

March Madness

It is hard to believe that it has been almost a month since my last post. Things have been very busy, but I can't really tell you what I have accomplished....pretty much just home-to-work-to-home.

The past four mornings have been SOOO foggy that I have been late to work every day. I wait until the fog lifts somewhat.....our bosses are really great about stressing safety over punctuality. I'll really be glad to see the sun in my eyes again!

Our out-of-town granddaughters, Kayla and Avery, have been in and out during Spring break. I wish I could have taken time off to be with them more. We miss them so much when they are gone.

Today is daughter Laure's xx birthday. Happy Birthday, Laure!!

Common Sense

We spent this afternoon listening to Rush Limbaugh, Mike Huckabee, and Glen Beck. Why don't the other media people understand what these folks seem to be able to grasp easily? Where has our good morality and common sense gone? I pray that we are able to see the day that eyes are open to truth and that our nation can return to freedom and economic common sense.

Tomorrow will be 'tax time' as a few of us will gather to prepare tax returns for 2008. Fun, fun fun!!!

Where did Spring go? Winter seems to have returned to our area......brrrrrr. I was enjoying the balmy temperatures, although we sure could use a rain. Can you believe tomorrow is already MARCH? At this rate, Christmas is just around the corner!

Clear All Around

Wow! The difference in the pictures on our televisions is incredible! Even the non-HD channels are clearer. I guess the extra expense will be worth it with the quality. I don't think there is as much eye strain, either.

I'm glad I cleaned some before the installer came. However, I didn't prepare for the extensive work he had to do, and Travis had to help him clear a path to the attic through my sewing room.....heavens!! Oh well, at least it was not someone I KNOW.

Sure was hard being inside today.....the sun was shining and the temperature was pretty pleasant. I had to be content to view it from my desk. Maybe this weekend will be nice, and I can enjoy some time in my lovely yard.

Rushing Spring

Tomorrow we take our televisions to another technological level. We received new Dishnetwork 'smart cards' in the mail the other day, so today was going to be a short task of installing them in our receivers.....right? The first one (upstairs den) went smoothly. We were checking out the channels and began to talk about upgrading to HD. However, after almost an hour of punching buttons on the remote, we gave up trying to find out HOW to upgrade.

We went to the upstairs room over the garage where the other receiver has been. It hasn't been hooked up in over a year because it was causing problems with the main receiver. Thinking this might fix it, we decided to install the new card. When we turned the receiver on, it said it was not authorized.....call this number. After finally finding a real live person and going through several unsuccessful tries to get the machine to recognize its authorization, I asked the lady (a real nice lady) how to upgrade to HD. "Oh," she said, "you have to get new receivers. And the one like you have now will not get HD downstairs....that will take an additional receiver [at an additional $$ fee]. And to DVR on both of them, you will have to pay an additional monthly fee."  

Well, long story short....we will get two new receivers for the house. We will not replace the one over the garage. That will be for movies and games only.

Since they will be coming in the morning to install the new equipment, I began cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, sorting, etc. in the bedroom to make room for the new receiver. Whew!!!! I have stirred up a lot of dust. Guess this is just a head start on Spring Cleaning. 

Odds & Ends

Today was a day to attend to numerous 'little' chores. The day started with a nice leisurely breakfast with Gus & Irene, their son Rob, and another friend, Ed. We enjoyed it so much that I decided it was too late to make the trip to Fulshear to catch up on the loose ends there, so Monday will be VERY busy for me.

I spent some time on the computer ordering some items for family members and myself that I had put off for a while. It always feels good to finally be able to check things off the 'to do' list!

My friend, Brenda, came by to sign a paper for the Quilt Club, and we had a very nice visit....long overdue.

Now it is evening. Travis is experimenting in the kitchen and doesn't seem to need my help or input, so I think I will go watch the movie I didn't watch the other day. 

After the Playday

It sure was nice to have a day off work, but it usually means playing catch up afterward.  This week was no exception. It makes the week go by very quickly as you can tell by the fact that I didn't take time to post for a few days.

Yesterday, Travis had cooked a HUGE pot of cabbage and ham for supper.  We picked up MeMaw and took her with us to Mimi's house.  Mimi had fixed her famous cornbread sticks (yummy!) and we enjoyed an evening of eating and visiting.  Mimi showed me her new computer chair that she found in Wharton for a BARGAIN price....very good deal and a very nice chair.

I think I shall go get comfy and cozy in bed and watch an old classic movie (Doris Day or Gene Kelly) until I fall asleep. That might not be very long from now, but at least I can start again where I leave off.

Blessings to all....

A Day Off

President's Day....thank you, Mr. Washington and Mr. Lincoln.  I was glad to have a day off to be able to take Mimi to shop for a new bed and new washer/dryer set.  We started out this morning at a local furniture store where we tried just about every bed they had....and many of them numerous times.  Mimi couldn't settle on one in particular, so she decided to 'sleep on it.'

At noon, we arrived in Rosenberg where the eating establishments we chose were either crowded or closed.  Settling for the old stand-by, we went to Panda Express which became crowded as we ate our meal.

Mimi had spotted Sally's Beauty Supply which jogged her memory that she needed a concentrate 'setting' stuff for her hair.  Of course, we didn't know exactly what brand, so we had to hunt.  The store was busy and it took a while for the sales lady to show us what she had.  Now you know that when a woman spends time in a store full of hair and beauty products, she isn't going to come out empty-handed.  Mimi found a couple of other items that she would be needing in the future.  I found an eyelash curler that looked like it would work without pinching my skin. (When we got home, I tried it and found it to work quite nicely, so Mimi took it home to try for herself.  Guess I will be going back to the store.)

We began our quest for the washer/dryer at Best Buy.  After a LONG time studying each brand and model, Mimi settled on a set.  However, Best Buy shot themselves in the foot.....they no longer deliver to El Campo!  We priced small television sets and phone plans before leaving the store empty-handed.  Next stop was Home Depot....not much selection there, so on to Lowe's.  They had the brand and model Mimi had selected, but we became curious about a set which seemed to have good features but was a brand we had not heard of before.....Fisher-Paykel (sp?) Long story short.....Mimi bought the unfamiliar set which is a top-load washer with the features of a front-load.  It's a little like the Cabrio, but has a two year warranty instead of one year and was less expensive.  Mimi said they had good luck when they bought one of the first Toyota cars in the country when no one had heard of them, so she is willing to give this Italian set a try.  She should get them by next weekend or mid-week of next week.

It was a GREAT day off!!!

Valentine Fun

I climbed out of bed this morning and groggily (is that a word?) made my way to the bathroom.  As I pushed the door open, I saw a black box floating in the air.....well, on first glance anyway.  I followed the string upward to a giant Valentine balloon.  I opened the black box to find a lovely necklace....a silver cross with a gold heart.  Then I spotted and read the Valentine he left on the bathroom counter.  You probably heard me laugh from wherever you are!  His card was SO funny!!  It was so pertinent to discussions we have had that I took it to breakfast this morning to show it to our friend, Gus, who also appreciated the humor!  It was something like "my love for you grows....sort of like my stomach."

Since I had instructed him NOT to indulge me with Valentine stuff, I had not stopped to get him anything.  So this evening, I had to go to the church to pick up Casey, and we made a little detour to HEB.  I needed a couple of things and Casey wanted some cough drops.  While there, I decided to see if there was anything decent left in the Valentine section.  I found an incredibly accurate Valentine that just about matched his for appropriate comedy.  I purchased an electric can opener as a gift and took them home pleased with my fortune.  He let them sit on the table unopened until after supper when I reminded him to check.  I had grown impatient with waiting for him to open them and had put batteries in the opener already.  We didn't need to open a can, so we still don't know if the opener works.  He enjoyed his card as much as I did mine.  In part it said "I have stolen the covers....criticized your driving skills....and other things....,it's time to tell you....I'm your wife, and that's what I do.  I love you."

He and Casey worked together to complete the supper for tonight....grilled flounder, grilled shrimp, sauteed mushrooms, and rice/pasta/cheese dish....all delicious.  My gift: clean up the dishes.

Praise Him, Praise Him.....God is Love!

Kind Encouragement

I have had the kindest words of encouragement as I learn to alter my blog's appearance and add to the elements. Today I have learned to change the background template and am looking for instructions on how to get the nice list of other blogs on the sidebar. Oh, and I added the cute little 'welcome' sign....just a little victory, but meaningful to me.

We missed out on the last batch of rain, so we are hoping for some real moisture with this next front. I'm glad we aren't farming any more because the weather was always a determining factor in the mood of our household. 

February is full of birthdays! Today is granddaughter Masyn's 5th birthday, and tomorrow is granddaughter Evelyn's 3rd birthday! Where have the years gone?? They have slipped by so quickly! It is impossible that daughter Lyndsey will be celebrating her 33rd birthday on the 16th!! Granddaughter Morgan will celebrate 11 years on the 27th, and daughter Rebecca will be 30 on the 28th!!

Rain, Rain, please stay around!

It looked dreary all day today, but didn't rain very much.  I came through a few showers on the way home, but we had not had much rain at all in Wharton.  The farmers could really use a soaking.

We are going to sit down to the remainder of the wonderful pork chops that Lisa and David brought us from Cooper's BBQ......yummy!  What a great surprise treat they brought back from their ski trip!

I wish I had some wonderful words of wisdom to share on this day, but I am simply glad to be home from work.  I am so disappointed in the outcome of the Senate vote today for the ridiculous bailout package.  I hope those who voted for the package will lose their elections next time around and some more rational minds will come on board.

Baby Shower

The Baby Shower was a lot of fun. We visited with family members and friends we have not seen for a while.  Nathan, Leslie, and the baby received so many nice gifts.  There sure are lots of new gadgets for parents and babies these days!

We had Taylor and Casey with us this afternoon.  Casey helped me plant some bulbs that I had in pots.  He was a little limited with his left arm in a splint, but I think he was glad to be able to dig in the dirt with permission.  Once that was done, he wanted to play the Wii.  I haven't played it in a long time, so we spent the remainder of the afternoon checking out some games we had not tried before.  Taylor wasn't feeling so swell, so she rested most of the afternoon.

I didn't even feel guilty about playing all afternoon because I did accomplish some 'flybaby' steps. I got those bulbs planted, and I took time to clean the downstairs toilets.  Hmmm...guess I didn't accomplish very much at all.  But grandkids grow up.....housework will wait.

First Blog

Well, here goes my attempt to enter the world of blogging.  

Travis and I are headed out the door to a baby shower.  Yes! A baby shower!  Our nephew, Nathan, and his wife, Leslie, are expecting their first little one in a short time.  They are being old-fashioned in that they don't want to know whether the baby is a boy or a girl until the arrival. We are glad to be included in this celebration of life!!