Nancy's Monablog

Slopes, Slop, Shepherds and Scripture

2012-01-25T14:07:00.001-06:00

The weather has settled down here in the Rancho de Five. Our little pond that is to the side of the house now looks like a lake. It will only look like a lake for a day or so and then it will go back to its normal size within the sloping banks. Ad a P to sloping and you get slop. That is something entirely different. We were fortunate not to have lots of lightning and thunder, but there were a few too many lightning flashes that seemed rather close by for my comfort. Buddy was glued to my side and never left my presence. We sat there together on the couch while I did my Revelation homework. The sound of thunder is really such a nice back drop to Revelation 13. Since Peggy lives only 2.6 miles from us and we being farther west; Peggy called to tell me when she is picking me up for choir and we discussed the weather. Weather with TV alliteration, Wicked Weather! Both of us had the coverage of the storm on in the background. It is really sad to be a reporter and nothing weather wise is happening when the anchors do the check in with you. The reporter and camera person show drains, flags barley blowing in the wind and maybe a piece of trash that floats along lazily like a summer's day to the storm drain in the curb. One day we plan to dress up as Mildred and Gertrude and run to where all the crazy rain coverage is and see if we can get interviewed. We would so look the part. We might shoot a video to send in and see if it ever makes it on the air.

I think Buddy has a bit of border cat in her. Either that or she is a frustrated Shepherd. In our guest bedroom I have some old wooded boxes and of course they are stacked in an interesting eye catching way. The top crate is open with the lid back and in it I have put some of my favorite stuffed lambs from my ubiquitous lamb collection that is all over the house. In the night time when nobody knows about it, Buddy shepherds the sheep. I wonder if she is familiar with Psalm 23 because she sits some of the sheep around her water bowl and places others around her food bowl. If it is an especially busy night, she has the sheep spaced at various intervals around the house. Sometimes she even has them sitting on the couch. I'm surprised that she is such a gentle shepherd because unlike her stuffed cats and bear, she has not ripped their faces off.

If there is one thing I'm consistent with and to my disadvantage is; having random, from all kinds of devotionals, or verses posted on Facebook or something biblically that has my interest in researching quiet times. Today a quote on Twitter got my attention in between breaking news, gentle teasing, cynical observations, sports updates and the like, there was a quote from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. "Enjoy the tempo of a God-breathed life by letting Me set the pace." Oh I so needed to read that today and also the accompanying scripture from Hebrews 13:15. My natural inclination is to set a fast pace and these past couple of years have been an up close lesson from the Lord to slow down, to stop being busy for busy sake, to stay in a moment, to know where I am in the transition process, to listen for His voice, to watch His hand and to choose joy. Another quote from today's reading; "Sit still in the Light of My Presence and receive My Peace. These quiet moments with Me transcend time, accomplishing far more than than you can imagine. Bring Me the sacrifice of your time, and watch to see how abundantly I bless you and your loved ones." I mean really, who couldn't use God's blessing and who couldn't appreciate especially God's blessing on loved ones. Most importantly the loved ones who get on your last nerve, you know those loved ones who sometime make it difficult for you to call them a loved one. And I am so sure that I sometimes, hopefully not too often, can be the one getting on every one's last nerve. Selah!

The pace of laundry is calling out to me because a pair of jeans that I want to wear to choir tonight need to be dried. Going early so Peggy can get ready for Chilly Bowl.

Once Again, Avoiding Homework

2012-01-24T15:06:00.001-06:00

It's Tuesday and once again I find myself doing everything but Revelation homework. Once I get into it, I love answering the questions or if I don't understand what the answer to the question might be, I just use a ? and maybe come back to it later. Since it is supposed to be rainy tomorrow, I hit the grocery store this morning. Since returning home, I've been busy hanging all kinds of accoutrement's in the laundry room and in my reading room. I also rearranged the mantel since a few things have been added to make the mantle all things springish. Love the red iron gate I found at K T Antiques. It is the centerpiece of the mantle. Friday afternoon kind of looked like Christmas around here. I think the UPS and Fed Ex deliveries were about 2 minutes apart. I finally found a picture for over the bed in the guest room and it was in the massive bunch of boxes sitting in front of the door.

How many of y'all are watching Downton Abbey? I missed the first season but have the DVDs to get caught up and it doesn't seem too difficult to follow coming in on the second season. Sunday night I was flipping between Downton Abbey and Mob Wives. Talk about conflicting culture. Basically, the same problems of comparison, gossip, getting along, misunderstandings, love, and talking things out take place on both shows, but the way the people of 1919 deal with these problems and the ways of 21st century language include massive bleeping out of cuss words on Mob Wives, sets itself apart from the genteel. You can't confuse the two for sure. Masterpiece Theater must balance out Mob Wives, Toddlers and Tirara and Dance Moms. We have recently discovered Cajun Pawn Stars and we've gotten a kick out of that show. Doesn't it seem like I really, really need to be doing my Revelation homework instead of discussing the fine high brow entertainment we fill the evenings with?

I find it oddly disturbing that advertisers know what I have been shopping for online and those things are running on the sides of websites reminding me of what I had been interested in at one time. Things from the Levenger catalog and from One Kings Lane website have been showing up. Williams Sonma and Pottery Barn send follow up emails to see if I am still interested in nesting tables. Yes, but I refuse to pay such high shipping and handling charges. I'll takes me chances on finding something in person.

OK, I better go and do homework.

Convoy or Erie Canal, You Be the Judge

2012-01-23T17:25:00.000-06:00

What is it with hair appointments and eye doctor appointments? Both of them seem to require a nap after the appointment. This morning I had my annual eye check up with Dr. Yankelove. No, I did not make up his name. He's a great opthomologist and the process of getting an eye exam is so organized. This time since I had a coupon for half off, I went with the MAP and limited eye dilation. That is so the way to go. My eyesight has barely changed since last year and everything is looking healthy inside my I spy with my little eye, eyes. A couple of years ago when the doctors discovered that the virus that had attacked my heart had also attacked my pancreas, that made my vision go south in a big hurry. It was as if it had changed overnight and literally it did. Since that time my vision has improved and they feel like my eyes are out of harm's way and today that was confirmed. PTL! Not having the regular type of dilation made picking out frames much easier. After the appointment I called Roy and announced boldly, that with this limited dilation, I didn't even feel that I would need a nap later in the afternoon. Ha ha ha...I was so very wrong. Usually, since my eyes are dilated, lunch is next door at Collina's. Since I was finished a little before 11, I went to Le Peep for brunch. Oh cinnamon pecan pancakes how I have missed you! Then I headed back to the prairie with a Target run on the way home.

Both morning and afternoon trips in the Ranch de Five, I feel like I have been surrounded by a mini van convoy. It was frightfully Erie. OK, I totally know I used the wrong Erie in the previous sentence. I am not trying to say that it was frightfully Erie, like on the Erie Canal, but I cannot remember and spell check isn't being very helpful in giving me the correct word. Sure I could use another similar descriptive word, but dang it, I am hung up on using Erie. Has word gotten out about my dislike of mini vans because almost everyone who drives one, thinks they are driving a Greyhound bus? Those mini vans had me boxed in. Two ahead of me, one to the side of me, thus I could not change lanes, and three mini vans behind me. I was really getting impatient with the whole slowed down, I am driving a bus mentality. In fact I sang out a few of the only words I could remember from that trucking convoy song of long ago...CONVOY! Then I got to thinking and yes, I am getting ready to go all spiritual on you, that maybe these slow moving mini vans were like some kind of guardian angels and by only going 25 mph just might be keeping me from a speeding ticket. Maybe it was just the timing of my trips. I left for the appointment right after school had started and my return trip just happened to be right before school lets out.

So to get to the point I was writing about in the first paragraph, when I got home I felt as if I had been drugged. My eyes were heavy laden and my energy level low...only thought being...must.take.nap. It was heavy sleep in nap time. I only hope I can fall asleep tonight. Those limited dilation drops and the yellow dye drop did me in. Or maybe it could have been the carb laden pancakes? I don't know, but I feel refreshed and ready to go out and eat dinner. Never mind the Target purchases that need to be put up, I will think about that tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day.

Weekly Thursday Thoughts

2012-01-19T20:08:00.001-06:00

Quiet evening out here on the prairie. Roy got home, grabbed some dinner which I opened, plated and then heated up. That counts as cooking right? It should, I went to the store, microwaved it and then presented dinner in the buffet style. Roy gobbled down dinner with a little bit of conversation. He brushed his teeth, kissed me goodbye and I'm personally glad it was in that order and has gone to his photography class. He is taking a break from the one offered by Spring Branch and is branching out in attending the one in Cinco Ranch.

Today was brunch day at Bible study. At first, I wasn't a fan of the monthly brunch but this year it is a favorite thing. There are some great cooks in our core group and we really enjoy one another's company. Our ages range from newly married to oldly marrieds. Our discussion of the antichrist and the beast from Revelation 13 was deep and interesting. So glad I had actually sat down and did the homework. This afternoon our core group leader emailed me letting me know that I hadn't missed as session yet and I believe in the fall I chose Bible study over the opening of the Nord Rack in the land of sugar.

The construction noise around here is almost deafening. So instead of coming home to sound of framing and the laying of water pipe, I decided to drive the back way over to Brookwood. It is a beautiful drive and the scenery looked like a cold, winter day but probably the look is due to the drought, not dormant trees waiting for the beginning of spring. I turned off the radio and drove in silence. Refreshing! Then I shopped a little at Brookwood and headed back home going a different, but as scenic route. The quiet soothed my soul. Really, after reading and discussing all the horrors that are coming in the Tribulation, it was a respite and a moment to be grateful to the Lord for His handiwork and the beauty of the earth.

I stayed up way too late last night. Peggy and I rode together to choir. We left a little earlier than usual because she needed to get into the costume closet at church. Some churches have a crisis closet, but we have a fun and well locked closet of fun and biblical outfits. She is working fervently on Chilly Bowl for the cast, orchestra and choir. Choir practice was awesome, maybe even amazing, amazing. The Pastor shared with us that someone in the 9:30 service had anonymously given generous funds to help with the choir mission trip in June. We rejoiced at this welcomed news. It was kind of funny that after the Pastor had shared this and left that John chose the choral arrangement of Jesus Paid it All to be the next piece we worked on. I don't even think he thought about the timing of it. After choir, Peggy met with those in Chilly Bowl and we ended the evening at church visiting with friends. Rides home after choir are much more fun with Peggy. I was so wired when I got home and couldn't settle down. So I watched the latest DVR'ed episode of Toddlers and Tiaras and then some Dance Moms for good measure. Getting up this morning, difficult and with additional time needed to fix a salad for brunch, I was a tad late for Bible study.

Yesterday was a wrap on therapist sessions of working through the process of my mother's death and some of the after shocks that accompany loss. No, I don't think a couple of hours is enough to deal with a loving lifetime of a dear mother. I'm so glad that many years ago a call and visit to Cheryl began the journey to deal with another kind of loss and so much discussion and hard work tracks had been laid down. I cannot say enough good things about going to a good, Christian therapist. She has saved my life from lots of unnecessary burdens and taking ownership of emotions and jobs that were never mine in the first place. It was a good session yesterday and we booked an appointment several months down the road if there is any dangling loose ends that haven't been resolved. After the appointment, it just seemed right to make a visit and pay my respects to the play grocery store. I headed back to the prairie after several other errands. Found a jewelery store in old Katy to get some watch batteries replaced and made a major mistake of stopping in HEB after school has let out. My goodness...it is not the place to be. It felt a little chaotic and frazzled on the aisles.

That's it. If you have made it all the way through this post, congratulations! Now if you have insomnia this week, return to this post and it should do the trick and put you right to sleep.

Random All Over Me

2012-01-17T14:33:00.001-06:00

Really, I should be doing my Bible study homework right now, but I am having a bit of difficulty into settling down to do it. I don't know why. Maybe it's because it feels like spring but it's overcast like January. It could be that my attention span of a gnat is having more trouble than usual focusing on one thing. Could this inability to focus and settle down now be attributed to all the machinery sounds coming from the green space where water pipe is being laid? Lack of sleep, maybe. Honestly it could be long ago ingrown habits about homework, wait till the last minute. I love our study of Revelation but it could just be a restlessness of procrastination and dare I say, a wind of change in the air. I don't know but I have now seriously delayed the beginning of homework for at least ten minutes with this paragraph.

Last night the Katy Bunko group I belong to came to our house to eat dinner and roll the dice. It was really a lot of fun and I spent a good portion of the day making our home a welcoming environment, read cleaning house, and preparing dinner, read picking up chicken pot pie. All throughout the day, things would distract me and they were good things but not necessary things to accomplish the work that needed to be done. Like Acts 12. My Sunday School, I mean my Sunday Bible, oops I mean my Life Bible Study teacher based most of her lesson on the beginning of this chapter. Peter gets rescued from Herod's hands when an angel comes to prison, wakes him up, tells him to get dressed, walks him through the iron gates, walks about a block with him then leaves Peter. So Peter goes to John Mark's mother's house where the church is praying for his release but they don't believe Rhoda when she tells them that Peter is at the door. Well Mary and Sue Ellen tell Mr. Grant that....oh yea, wrong Rhoda and wrong in referencing the once ever so popular Mary Tyler Moore Show. OK, back to the lesson in Acts 12, so of course I read the rest of the chapter and find it intriguing the story of Herod, Blastus, and the people of Tyre and Sidon. Later I asked my walking commentary, Roy, what he knew about those circumstances. We talked about it and later when we got home he looked up the passage with his Logo software. Not a whole lot of information there, but enough to keep my attention. Yesterday, I pulled my Net Bible off the shelf and began reading. It referenced Josephus' recording of the same incident. Pulled Joe off the shelf but couldn't figure out how to get to the reference. Maybe that was a good thing because you know Bunko group coming over that evening.

Today I have read about the Japanese mafia, Steve Martin's article on Earl Scruggs and how he changed blue grass by his mastery and new techniques in playing the banjo, and a lawsuit against Chevron while putting off homework. I've watched Paula Deen being interviewed by the NY Times and I ordered the British uncut version of Downton Abbey. Read some in depth book reviews of Southern fiction recently published and considering three of the books, yea, like I need more unread books in the house. There is laundry being done and I've been playing with the Roman shades adjusting them at different lengths because I really don't want the new neighbors to have a full view into our family room. I've yet to empty the dishwasher but I'm considering elevating that job to priority number one, well that is until after I finish this blog post.

Did you miss me? I've been watching a trailer for Hey, Boo, the story of Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird. Ironic that there is a mockingbird sitting on the fence right now? Anyway, you can see random is all over me.

One more thing and then I have to start working on my Bible study homework, well after I fold laundry and empty the dishwasher. Not going to go into much of this but I have fallen in love anew with Isaiah 55, in particular 11-13. Things to ponder and quiet to listen with a renewed ear and heart. I really want to dig into this but, Revelation 12 and 13 await me, as well as the dishwasher, laundry and I may need to play once again with those shades. Did I mention I also paid bills today? Wrote some thank you notes?

A Quiet Saturday Night

2012-01-14T20:27:00.003-06:00

It's lovely. Sitting at home on a Saturday evening. Both Roy and I are down for the count and we are fading quickly. Ah youth, where have you gone? Yesterday, I went from thing to thing to thing with very little down time in between and that caught up with me today. Since we overslept this morning, I didn't make it to the Saturday addition of choir camp. We pulled into the BWC for a later type breakfast and then made a quick Home Goods and Target run. We returned home to work on a couple of projects and then ran a few more errands. WE stopped in an antique store that I have only been to once or twice. We came away with the mother load of antique tools, at really good prices. Instead of filling the wood toolbox I found in Rosemary Beach with flowers, I decided to fill it with things that that the tool box was originally intended to be used for. Old tools in shops are usually found among other things and on the floor. So glad that Roy has good knees and can pull things out for me to view. Once all our errands were done, we arrived back home with a delicious take out pizza in hand and we have lazed around watching football games. My tiredness has not been physically but sleepily. I think I could have come back home after breakfast and gone right to sleep.

Yesterday morning I went to my dad's home. He had a couple of things he wanted to discuss and as I suspected, the topics were not new. They are things we have discussed many, many, a whole lot of times. Early on when it is noticeable that he is going to go on that same track, I interrupt and say something to the effect, you've told that to me before or you have discussed this in depth many oh so many times. He just ignores me and goes right on. It takes so much emotionally to keep the conversation on track and have some bit of productivity to it. It was really sweet that he had gone to the little bakery at the end of the street and bought us cherry turnovers. Like I really should be eating one of those things, but for the sake of family unity, I ate mine, only for the greater good.

On the way home I stopped for a few things in the land of sugar. I would have done this on Monday, but rain and the threat of more flooding cancelled those plans. Got home and had a little minute to rest and then I was out the door at 4:00 with Peggy. We were meeting friends for dinner before choir camp at church. What a totally fulfilling evening. We sang, we laughed, we shared, we worked and we did it all to glorify God. I love being back with the choir, the choir family. What joy!

I made the Christian bookstore run this week, hitting both Mardel and Lifeway. We got a Lifeway catalog in the mail which included a 30% off any regular priced Christian item in the store. So, there are non Christian things in a Lifeway store? Maybe it was a veiled reference to the new edition of the NIV, I have no clue, but the coupon struck me as rather funny. I got the last set of James audio CDs of the Beth Moore Bible study. I'm looking forward to listening to them going back and forth into Houston.

I am trying to get things cleared and cleaned for bunko Monday night. I'm hosting the Katy group.

Buddy has settled in on my lap and it is making typing rather difficult. So that's all for a Saturday night.

The Gift

2012-01-12T17:01:00.003-06:00

This morning the wind has left several gifts in our backyard, although nothing that the wind has given us is worth keeping much less re-gifting. We are happy that the wind didn't blow any of our chair cushions as gifts for our neighbors or the construction workers behind us. This has been one blustery and cold day.

I have received a wonderful gift though blown into my life by the breath of God. I actually learned of this gift a week ago yesterday but have taken the time to think, thank, ponder and rejoice at the announcement. Last Wednesday I had a cardiologist follow up appointment for the month I wore the heart monitor. The visit didn't begin as scheduled. The receptionist thought I had canceled my appointment. No way! It seems as if when one needs the wisdom and direction of a Dr that is so very difficult to get an appointment with, one wouldn't cancel. Really, those appointments are right up there with keeping appointments with my hairstylist Stevie. So, I sat there in the waiting room for two hours. In that waiting room of two hours, there seemed to be a plethora of unhappy patients. For a few minutes we were entertained by an older couple and their adult son, who had just had dental surgery. The adventures of using a cell phone had most of us laughing to ourselves and it wasn't like we were eavesdropping because all three of them must have been hard of hearing and didn't use their inside voice for conversation. There also was a man sitting close by who had to have weighed 400 pounds. His conversation with the woman accompanying him was rather sad...he kept asking her why do you think I have heart problems? She'd pat his knee and continue on with her People Magazine. A few minutes would go by and he'd ask her again, what was he doing that would cause him to have heart problems. Back in the day, I might have answered the question for him. Funny thing about waiting rooms, cardiologists in particular; everyone in there is either really ill, has been ill, wants to be ill or doing everything for prevention in being ill. The last twenty minutes of waiting came complete with a man who was hacking up both lungs and possibly his spleen. He sat one chair away from me. I had an opportunity to move without hurting his feelings, (well, if he even was concerned about being kind of leprosy-ish with his cough.) Finally, my name was called and I was escorted back to one of the patient rooms. We did the usual Inquisition and as I waited for the next usual thing, an EKG, but instead, the Dr came in. He read through my file, looked at me, and re-read the file. He began the usual regurgitation of info and then he paused for effect. He told me, my heart had shrunk. The left ventricle had gone from 5.7 to 4.2 in a rather quick fashion and a short period of time. He had last seen me in October and he said then, you look sick, you sound sick, you feel sick. In that October appointment, he had two other Doctors look at me and asked for their diagnosis. They all agreed that heart surgery would be scheduled after the first of the year. They prescribed a heart monitor to be worn for a month and re-worked my meds and sent me on my way. I wore that heart monitor during those difficult days of my mother being in the hospital, then in skilled nursing, put under hospice and then her death. Then came the weeks in-between her death and her memorial service. My heart didn't miss a beat, never raced or skipped. Because everything is looking good, he took me off one of the meds that totally messes me up. Thank you Jesus! His instructions; keep doing the things I've been doing to reduce stress, rest, exercise, and don't overly hydrate. He was truly amazed at the difference heart wise and countenance wise. I think maybe even if he so spoke this way he would have said this is truly an amazing, amazing thing. He said, somebody must want you around. I was able to share with him that my life has been saturated with prayers of the faithful. Right after Christmas I got back to better food choices and I'm slowly increasing my exercise. The only "thing" or news that wasn't great is, I'm very anemic. So, I went to my Dr today and naive thing that I can be thought, oh, she'll probably give me a B12 or B6 shot. Hahaha...no, first thing to do is get a procedure that those over 50 should have done...part of the word kind of rhymes with monopoly. Ugh...

I am so thankful to the Lord for my renewed heart, once again. Roy and I were talking about all the news and we recounted the roller coaster ride this heart adventure has been. Only 10% of my heart working and sent home to die during Hurricane Ike. Positive recovery and regained heart health. Heart slowed to 48 beats a minute, right and left side of my heart overly enlarged, told to take care of anything on my bucket list because I had about 8 months or so to live. Extreme fatigued, much of life slowed to a crawl, limited activities fearful of a heart episode. Then life slowly returned. Strength regained. Functional fitness gradually returning. Then being told of this wonderful news, heart shrinkage and no surgery. I loved what the Dr said today, your heart doesn't sound floppy anymore. God is so good! He has never abandoned me, even when I was questioning at times this round about journey that began in 2008. Funny, I knew early on at the beginning of the year that Mark 5:39-43 would be significant and theme verses for 2012. Jesus has made His way through the mourners, both real and fake, He came through the laughter and scorn and He entered the room, took her hand and told her to get up. I know I am not a little girl but sometimes on the inside I feel like one and it feels like He has made His way through the same kind of crowd that at times have accompanied me. And it doesn't hurt that in the last verse of that chapter, Jesus tells them, get something for her to eat.

Storms, Online Bill Paying and These are a Few of My Non Favorite Things

2012-01-10T17:57:00.000-06:00

I am happy to report we survived Wicked Weather, Severe Storm, and the most boring soccer, I mean football game...ever...! We root for LSU but after half time Roy paced and coached from the living room, but nothing helped the Tigers. Alabama rolled and rolled again. Geauxrolling on the river. Reading Twitter updates on the quarterback Jordon Jefferson and LSU have been quite funny. Did you know that the football team had a difficult time getting into Baton Rouge? There was a 50 yard line painted on I-10. I had a feeling LSU wouldn't win. Alabama had much more to play toward and prove but the real reason is, Baylor and the Texans won, so you couldn't expect the Trifeccta.

Yesterday morning was quite a morning. The rumbles of distant thunder didn't even do justice for the coming storms. The rain was so thick I couldn't even see the fence. Hail dropping so quickly out of the sky and I was a little fearful that the hail would break a window. The electricity stayed on through the whole ordeal, only flickering once. Of course Dish Network goes out at the drop of rain, so I followed the storm's path on the computer. Since rain has been scarce in these parts, I'm not too sure of what roads flood around here. Now you might be wondering, why would you even think about flooded streets? Because I had a hair appointment in the land of sugar at 10:00 am. A much needed haircut in the land of sugar...and the hard rain had passed, so I figured I could head on over for the haircut and then lunch with friends. I now have the answer to what roads flood and I'm ever so thankful that I didn't get close enough to the high water to do any damage to Sequisha cause if I did I would have to rename her Sequish-a.. Had to make the call and cancel my appointment. BUT...they had a 1:00 appointment and hope against hope the rain and the floods would be long gone out of town. So, of course I came home and watched flood coverage. TV was working again...and all the stations were covering this breaking news. If I could have only found one of those reporters when I was trying to get to the salon. They for sure would have interviewed me because my hair was looking oh so yea-hoo and bad. That's what gets you on the news, being a strange looking person, with bad hair and an opinion that can only be expressed in a loud, colloquial filled voice. "I done never seen no flood like uh this one...you know what I mean? Like I called the con-sta-bil office and deported the news that all the roads were done covered with water and no way to get to the 1093. You know what I'm talking about?" Once again a little after noon I made my way to the land of sugar. Success...that is until 99 an highway 90 cross. Flooded, high water, detour to 1464. I almost gave up ever finding my way to highway 6 but finally found it and was only 5 minutes late for my appointment. Good to know, I found the new Skeeter baseball stadium by going that way. Roy's bus out of downtown was running really, really late and it finally arrived, only to miss the exit to the Park and Ride. Roy emailed to see if I needed anything from downtown Katy because this guy was so off the normal route. Wicked weather and wild water can do that to you.

Bible study begins this week and we were given four weeks off and advised not to wait till the last minute to do the homework. Well, I am cramming five days of homework into an afternoon. Lots of rereading Revelation 12. We stopped right in the middle of the chapter before the break.

I am painfully trying to pull myself into the 21 century in the realm of bill paying. You know, online? I've done ok but somehow in the midst of the holidays, my mom's passing, having Roy home for nearly two weeks and disrupting my regular routine, I overlooked paying a bill, the Exxon bill. It was a whopping $46.00. I'm four days late, hey Jesus was four days late arriving at Bethany and looked what happened! Lazarus was raised from the dead. Anyway, they called me on my cell phone today but they didn't want to talk with me, they wanted to talk with Roy. That was fun telling Roy that I couldn't think of any reason why Citibank would be calling him on my cell phone. So, he called them, they told him the problem and he gave his permission for them to talk with me about the $46.00, that I actually had already paid this morning online. Loved it when they talked really fast telling me that now that I can talk to them about this account, I too am legally responsible for paying the bill. Yea, ok...do you want my confirmation number for the account that I paid this morning?...No...they wanted to know if there was any reason why Mr. Mon didn't pay the bill. Well, because his technology handicapped wife, didn't go online and pay the stupid thing. Then I did it...I didn't want to but I threw the my mother died card. Yea...shouldn't have. Anyway once the dollars post to the account I can call back and they will waive the late fee... The person I talked to was really nice over all but took that condescending tone of, "do you want us to send you a paper statement so that you and your addled brain can keep up with fiduciary responsibilities?" I politely declined that generous offer.

Roy will be happy, I fixed dinner tonight and the lovely people at Whole Foods in the land of sugar made the cornbread. I also bought a cinnamon baubka only due to the fact of a Seinfeld episode and the chocolate baubka. It is pretty good and of course I also bought it with the healthy benefit of cinnamon in mind.

First Saturday of 2012 Wrap Up

2012-01-07T17:30:00.003-06:00

It is half time of the Texans game. Really exciting but I am afraid to get too emotionally invested but I know I'll keep watching. This has been a rather exciting week and when I have time to give more thoughts to the happenings and don't have to hurry and get everything written before Roy gets home from the gym.

Mostly Roy and I rearranged the sitting room this morning. Ah the sustenance from the Black Walnut Cafe gave us extra strength. Later in the afternoon we took some stuff to Katy Christian Ministries and made our first stop of the new year at K T Antiques. I did not come away disappointed. I've been looking for old tools to artfully and artistically put in an old wooden tool carrier I found at Rosemary Beach in May. I've had flowers in it and it has sat on the dinning room table, but with spring coming I decided to go with a flowery theme for the table and the manly rustic theme for the tool box in front of the fireplace. Roy helped me today pick out some interesting tools and to start our collection. I also found another piece of stained glass, on sale. I'm thinking of hanging all the glass on the wall in the entry way over the pew. Godly theme, can't go wrong with that. I saw an old church offerening basket on a stick that I liked a lot but Roy wasn't too crazy about it. I will probably go back next week and get it.

Even though I am an old lady I was so blessed watching the Passion 2012 live stream both from the teachings and from the actions of those young college students. Wow!

I went to my first memorial service yesterday since my mom's passing. I really didn't give any thought to it affecting me, but it did. My friend's mother was just a year older than my mom and the pictures of her life contained the same kind of clothes and hairstyles that my mother wore through the years. Tears came and when Cindy sang the Andre Crouch song, To God Be the Glory, it hit me even harder. That was one of my mom's favorite songs. I had the album and she played it all day long while I was at school.

Sounds like the game might have started, so this is it for today.

Asking Questions

2012-01-03T16:16:00.001-06:00

There are so many things I need to be doing this afternoon other than writing on the blog, but there are some days I have to write in order to begin anything else around the house. Not that what I want to write is so insightful or humorous. It boils down to the fact, I like to write. Of course while I am writing I see what I hope to be workmen in our yard. Looks like they are checking where the new drainage pipes were installed. Thankfully it is in the afternoon and not in the morning because that is usually when these men suddenly appear. Morning =me playing like G.I. Joe trying to get back to the bedroom, wearing jammies, and going unnoticed. I was going to write go commando, that means something entirely different.

Our schedules returned to normal today. Roy is back in the office and well, I am left to my own devices. Today, I met Peggy and several other friends to celebrate a significant birthday for Peggy. Really all birthdays are significant but this one is a milestone. We met at Las Alameda's. Las Alameda's is into you having a dinning experience. You only go there if you have time because they give you plenty o time before ordering and before getting the check. On the way home I saw a duck fly across CR Blvd. Seen them eat and waddle out here but never fly. I can't believe out here in the land of perceived entitlement, there still is a dead possum to the side of the road, been there for about two weeks and a newly deceased skunk. HOA clear those two things and then we can count my plants.

I'm in my predustination mode because Crisella comes tomorrow. Going through and doing the post Christmas pick up. Also making sure we got everything on the cleaning product list. Some are on the naughty list others on the nice list, we are on the buying the correct cleaning products list.

I'm beginning to realize I don't ask myself enough questions. No, the better phrasing of that would be I don't ask myself enough of the important questions...you know thought provoking, life changing questions. A friend was asking me questions from a Start the New Year list she found on the Internet. Questions like, What's the one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God? What book, in addition to the Bible, do you most want to read this year? What one biblical doctrine do you most want to understand better this year and what will you do about it? What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year? I jokingly answered the last question about prayer with the response that I would actually really pray this year. As for the book question, I have so many books I want to read there isn't any way to narrow it down to one book. As for the biblical doctrine, I have to admit I am pretty lame in the biblical doctrine department. See my predustination comment in the previous paragraph. Now for the one thing to increase my enjoyment of God, guess my answer would be to know His Word better so I can hear His voice clearly. Normally the questions I am asking myself usually have to do with whether I should keep my hair curly and at this length or should I go with a shorter cut. Another question I'm asking is about all these people who announce they are going off Facebook or Twitter for a weekend or some other short period of time. Why are they announcing this? Why can't they be gone for a weekend or several days and let us realize we miss their comments or observations? Sometimes people make a big deal announcement about FB or Twitter and give all kinds of spiritual reasons for abstaining and I think maybe since they are fasting from social media, they should do like the Bible says about how to go about everyday life when you are fasting...you know don't let others know or going around all hang faced and piously, with shortened breath announcing..."I.m fasting for the Lord." In no way am I writing about called fasts by groups or churches, I'm talking about the individual giving notice of their sabbatical from social media. Well, I guess I just answered my own question...of why I don't think about deep questions. Sometimes I need more time than is alloted to answer or maybe I realize I haven't been thinking on these things or the obvious, I'm thinking about stuff that doesn't matter.

Maybe I'm not answering tough questions because a lot of my time is taken up in recuperating from someone who drains the life out of me. I came home to an energy draining phone message. Now I need to take the time to create a cleverly crafted response that will not put them on the defensive or make them retreat to their first choice of reaction, playing the victim.

For some reason since we are back to normal schedules Roy thinks that maybe I should have dinner fixed tonight. Oh dear, maybe I should ask him if I can ease back into that habit that I sometimes practice on a hit or miss basis. Hmm...maybe I should ask myself some questions about this.

A Beautiful Day in Five Ranch

2012-01-02T17:40:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow we get back to our regularly scheduled lives. It has been fun having Roy around here for almost two weeks. We have tackled, maybe that should be he has tackled quite a few projects and he has worked really hard on his website. We've stayed up late, watched lots of old movies, cheered football teams to victory and have eaten lunch out just about every day. Lots of in depth discussions and a lot of silly talk...well as silly talk as Roy is going to get. It has been fun, but I think he is ready to get back to the office and I am ready to have my mornings back. As I have stated before I am not too much of a morning person and well Roy is the eternal optimist the moment his eyes open and his feet hit the floor.

Today we got all the new Christmas stuff up in the attic, fed the roses and got the sprinkler system back on a regular schedule. Last week David Weekley sent out guys to work on some drainage issues we were having in our side yard and to fill a small sink hole in the back yard. Roy called the HOA to tell them they have water issues in the green space that is next to us. They will be out tomorrow inspecting their sprinkler system and the grading or lack of grading.

We did a farewell to week day lunches at Midway Bar B Que today. Roy loves their food. I get the stuffed baked potato and it is quite tasty. Afterwards, we got Roy's camera and headed over to Spring Lake to take pictures. It was a tad cold once the wind began to blow and if you found yourselves in the shade. I did a little walking while Roy took pics. I didn't want to get too far and then find myself not having the energy to get back. It was a beautiful day.

First Post of 2012 Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T15:08:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! If I made New Year resolutions, I would have already broken about 4 or 5 of them by 10:00 this morning.

Our new year eve was rather dull and unexciting, but by the sound of it, many neighbors were having a loud and booming time. After living in Houston for so many years where fireworks are banned, it sounded like the demilitarized zone here instead of where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet When the wind comes right behind the rain....yeah...oops, too much Oklahoma influence from Friday night. There is one empty lot behind our home and I think it was a major launching pad for the banned flared and rocket on a stick fireworks. I could hear the dirt being blown up against the fence. There were several other launching pads in the neighborhood on down the way. The noise scared Buddy and I was happy I didn't experience any traumatic flashbacks from our days years ago living in the hood where the noise wasn't from fireworks but guns. Guess it sounds like I am complaining but I'm not, really. It was just that we had forgotten that we now live in the land of legal fireworks. What's funny is, the fireworks were mainly shot between 7-9 pm and when midnight arrived, there were a few pops and bangs around, but nothing like I thought it would be. Guess they shot up their stash. In fact it was Roy saying it is midnight that woke me up out of a very sound sleep. Anyway, back to the exciting evening. I bet you thought I had already forgotten the beginning of the paragraph. I was on the couch reading, listening to the TV and texting with Emily, who was having just as exciting night as me. Roy worked on his website for most of the evening. So that is how we closed out 2011.

This morning Roy got up early and went to the gym. He called me a little before 8 to wake me up and then we met at Black Walnut Cafe for New Year's Day breakfast. The music tract was still for Christmas and I hoped expectantly to hear Merry Christmas Darling so I could tell CourtneyS and Linda that I heard it first for 2012. Afterwards, we headed over to Lowe's to pick up a few things. Guess you can tell from our activities this morning that we didn't go to church. Well, we played sabbatical like so many others did this morning. Right now Roy is out painting the fence, again. He is determined not to have the fence turn gray. He is doing a great job. I am going through things and getting a few things ready to take over to Katy Christian Ministries later this week. Then I stopped to write. Who knows once he stops his painting when I will get the computer back.

We have really enjoyed the outside fireplace and the fire pit during the holidays. We have roasted marshmallows and hot dogs and made s'mores. Using the fire pit makes one rather campfire-ry fragrant. We got the decorations taken down and stored in the attic on Tuesday. Next year I think we are going to rent a storage unit for decorations. In fact on Friday Roy and I decided to do some more exploring of the farm to market roads going toward Richmond/Rosenburg. We enjoyed our sight seeing tremendously and ended up at an Ace Hardware store. Now we were going in for a few loose screws...uh it would be so easy to comment more about that but I'm sticking to the story. We ended up Christmassing with Ace by buying quite a few Christmas decorations for next year that were marked down 50 to 75%. I've got the newbies stored in plastic storage boxes and waiting for Roy to take up one more box to the attic.

Thursday night I went into town and met Dena for dinner. Some years we go out and eat at a fancy place and other years we go to the same o same o places that we are familiar with. This was a Fu's Garden year, so nothing fancy. It wasn't busy and we knew that they wouldn't be pushing us out the door once we had finished eating fortune cookies. We did eat something new, well new to me and it was totally delish! Kind of funny, when paying for the meal I told the waiter to keep the change. That would have been great except he returned to our table, kind of threw the change down at me and said here is your $1.98 change. Oh my, I kept thinking that I had a $10 bill and it was a $ 5. I apologized and left him a really nice tip. We made a stop at Starbucks and then drove around looking to see if any Christmas lights had been left up in the area. I got home around 10:30 and was so happy to watch the rest of the longest and funnest bowl game, Baylor beating Washington. It was exciting and I was happy to watch other bowl games this weekend that I wasn't pulling for one particular team. That makes the games much easier to watch. Of course our next big game that we will be interested in is the Championship game and we cheer for LSU. Roy met our across the street neighbors...LSU supporters. He attended LSU but graduated from Georgia Tech. That makes 3 out of the 6 houses on our block LSU graduates and supporters.

One more day of vacation for Roy, then it is back to the routine for him. That kind of affects me because I get up earlier than I have been this past week. I will have to be up and on the road Wednesday because I have a Dr appt in the Medical Center.

Happy New Year's Day!

Mona-moments

2011-12-31T12:43:00.001-06:00

The last day of 2011. How did the year go by so quickly? 2011 will truly be a memorable year both in happiness and sadness, joy and choosing joy in adversity, and peace and holding onto peace in the midst of the storms. 2011 hasn't been such a bad year, even though we saw the passing of my mom and recently learned of the passing of a beloved uncle. 2011 began with searching for a new condo or townhouse around where we lived and developed into building a house, way out, almost to the ends of the earth or at least to 1463. 2011 held fun and good times with friends and family. 2011 was a bit of a roller coaster for me health wise and I'm just a little worse for the wear with a little added exhaustion extended in the closing of most days. Roy and I celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary in 2011. We both read a lot of good books this year and Roy became a part of the ebook generation by Christmas.

There is so much to be thankful for in 2011. We experienced God's richest and faithful new mercies. His presence and peace accompanied and held us tenderly in difficult days. And again we realized and trusted in that well worn through faith, beloved, and treasured verse, the joy of the Lord is our strength.

It wasn't a huge year of travel for us, but I did spend some memorable and restorative days in Rosemary Beach. I think this is the first year in a while that we didn't head up to Asheville for any time away. I think we just might get back on the Asheville trail in 2012.

In 2011 both Roy and I are so thankful for our friends that we do life with. It has been a blast only being 2.6 miles away from Peggy and Bill. We do impromptu dinners, pedis (well Peggy and me) and just hanging out together fun. Strange in that this is the first year in maybe 20 years that we did not do a Mildred and Gertrude performance. We had opportunities and had been asked by several churches for a show, but scheduling conflicts conflicted with our personal calendars. For years Dena was our 2.6 miles away friend and it has taken some adjusting not being so close locally since she and I did so much spur of the moment kind of stuff. You know like dinner or shopping. We've been creative in how we carve out time for dinner but maybe not so much shopping. Who knows, might be kind of a good thing. We are so thankful for our friends Emily and David and they have even hitched up their Conestoga wagon a time or two to go west and make it out here on the prairie. David and Roy...ah, two opposite yet alike peas in a pod. I am so thankful for my lifetime friends. No, not friends I have made at Lifetime gym...that would encompass me actually going to the gym for that to be accomplished. During the emotionally difficult days of my mom's passing, Mary Madeline walked with me through them and she being all the way in Georgia. Her wise words and encouragement were so welcomed and I was reminded of her wise words and encouragement to me in my freshman year of college. Her life has made a definite mark on who I am today. Alice, my good friend from Southwest Texas days and I have re-connected on FB. Her kind words this year blessed and again so grateful for the Lord making our paths to cross in and out through the years. I am thankful for my friend Beth. She came to Houston this year and our afternoon together was delightful and fun. It is like no time has passed and although, hopefully, we are a little wiser, we still feel like our friendship did in high school. I am thankful for my choir friends, church friends, Bible study friends, Facebook friends and life friends, too numerous to name, but not loved any less. We are such blessed people to have such good and wonderful friends.

This year Roy determined to be a diligent reader of the Bible and using a plan to accomplish this. Ah, Roy is a plan man. I on the other hand received repeated reminders from You Version that I was behind, no VERY behind on my daily Bible reading plan. Might not be disciplined enough to start and finish a read the Bible in a year thing, but I can say I became more aware of God and His presence in daily life. My eyes, ears and heart were attuned to see Him everyday. This Christmas season I was very determined to experience God and I come away from this season satisfied and pleased in knowing Him. I am so thankful He is in the details, even the smallest details of life.

I titled this entry Mona-moments because Roy is developing a website and Mona-moments is the domain name. Once he has all the bugs worked out and actually puts it online, he will have so many of his pictures on display for viewing and buying pleasure. I decided to use his website name because that is what the post is about, moments in our lives.

One of the more poignant moments in my life came the Sunday evening/Monday morning before my mom passed away on Tuesday November 8. That moment came in a dream. In my dream I was at the foot of the bed of my mom. Her breathing labored but her countenance peaceful. Somehow I realized she had just died and the next thing was just like out of the scene of a movie. Out of her tired and worn body, rose up a little girl that looked to be about 12 years old and it was my mom at the age of 12. Her image was one that I had seen many times in a photograph of her. She wore a pair of black Mary Jane's and white ruffled socks in the dream. In real life her family wouldn't have been able to afford such a luxury. In fact, I am just now reminded that my mom wore hand me down shoes from a cousin. The shoes never fit properly and she had to jam her foot into those shoes. Don't worry friends, I'm not going to write a song about shoes to memorialize my mother. For the rest of her life my mom had permanently bent toes from those early shoe wearing years. My mom looking and acting so young began to run around the room...but not on the floor but in the air. She ran, did flip, jumped and skipped joyously. In the dream after running about she began to climb a circular staircase that she could see but I could not. When she had almost reached the point where my ability to see her stopped, she came down a step or two and waved to me. She said don't worry, I'll be seeing you! And then I woke up. In my dazed waking moment I thought, my mom just died. She didn't at that moment but I am so thankful for the gift of that dream to me from the Lord.

That dream has reminded me of Mark 5: 40-42
⁴⁰ The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. ⁴¹ Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” ⁴² And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.

I'm feeling impressed that these verses and the ones previous and after these two verses will be my verses for 2012, for many reasons that are clear to me but I'm not going to share in my blog. And no, I didn't chose these verses because at the end of the chapter Jesus instructs them to give the little girl something to eat.

Happy and Blessed New Year Friends, Family and Readers of Monablog!

Wednesday Morning

2011-12-28T10:02:00.002-06:00

It is a quiet morning. Well, it is a quiet morning inside our home. Outdoors the sounds of construction and big trucks fill the air. Roy took his car for the dreaded required maintenance on his car. My pace has considerably slowed since it is just Buddy and me. Buddy has retreated to the bedroom for her early mid morning nap.

We almost have everything packed away in the Christmas decoration genre. When Roy gets home he'll have the fun job of putting everything back into the attic. The packing and organizing of all things Christmas kind of fell into shifts. We took a long afternoon break for lunch, errands and the grocery store, but returned to the task at hand once we returned home. I didn't realize how many ornaments my mom had given us through the years. The trusty and sturdy Crown Royal box that has held the ornaments for about 24 years retired yesterday to the recycle box.

My dad keeps finding more of my mother's clothes. Just when he thinks he has given them all away, he finds more in the deep recesses of a closet. He is overwhelmed with the amount of clothes my mom had. Actually, she was in the habit of wearing familiar things and would maybe wear a new outfit once and then put it away for "good." Not for good, like never see the light of day again although that seems to be what happened, no she put things away and would pull them out when the time of "good" came. I told my dad, she put them away for good and good never came. My grandmother did the same thing and honestly, I have that same trait sometimes. Good has come in that several ministries that help single mothers or women down on their luck in general have been on the receiving end of my mom's dressy, good clothes. They told my dad that her clothes will go a long way in helping the women dress for success when they interview for jobs. Love that my mom is still helping others even though she is with the Lord.

The call of laundry beckons. Also a light clean up around here since we have friends coming over tonight. Right now, even the outdoors is silent. Must be break time for all the construction workers because I heard the horn that plays La Cucka Rocha sound which means the roach coach has arrived. Thanks Peggy for the roach coach term...

Post Christmas Day

2011-12-27T09:42:00.001-06:00

This year I resolved that the Christmas season would slow down in our little world. I actually wore Christmas t-shirts that I usually don't remember owning until December 31. We listened to lots and lots of Christmas music, including many of the Christmas CDs we own. My spiritual focus was on the shepherds this year and I spent a lot of time thinking and pondering their lives before, during and after the angel's announcement that a savior had been born. We enjoyed our Christmas social life this year. It was one of those years that all the Christmas gifts received were a home run. For most of my adult life I have hurried through the Christmas season, counting the days until after the new year aching for the normal to resume. The hurry wasn't from the rush of the season but from my dislike of the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas day. I'm glad we did these seasonal days differently this year and just like the shepherds after worshipping the baby in a manger returned back to normal life, but they returned to life changed.

Christmas had to look differently this year. It is our first Christmas without my mother. If we tried to replicate her touch, I think we would have felt a tad bit empty with a whole lot of sadness, missing her presence. Roy and I had contemplated traveling this holiday but we instead stayed around to help my dad get through the day. We picked him up and took him to church with us. After church we ate at T. Jins for lunch. Chinese food is not a different thing for Roy and I. We usually went to Fu's Garden on Christmas night the past few years. I had given my dad several suggestions on what we could for lunch and I never even once suggested that I try cooking Christmas dinner from scratch. Too painful...for me. :) He chose Chinese food because somewhere in those Alzheimer's years with my mom, she decided she didn't like Chinese food. We were the only people that ate in at lunch. Most of their business was take out. After our delicious lunch, we drove my dad around the area on Farm to Market Roads that he had driven as a young salesman. I think he really enjoyed that. In fact, he was downright interesting telling us stories of how different stores began or history of the area we were driving through. His conversations were so refreshing since he wasn't talking about his usual repeated topics. We came back to our home for dessert and after a little while, we took my dad back home. Once Roy and I returned home I don't think either one of us budged too much off the couch for the rest of the night. I was exhausted both emotionally and physically. We finally opened our stocking stuffers to one another around 9:00 pm. That is the latest we have ever opened gifts on Christmas day. Roy loved all his stuff from the Tractor Supply store and I loved all the things he had picked out for me. Roy knows my love language of journals and pens....and books....and jewelery.

The Houston area received the much needed gift of rain over the weekend. Just a little bit of rain greened up pastures and fields around us. Since it was so cold and rainy on Christmas Eve we opted out of the 8:00 pm service and stayed home. Roy had gone on Thursday to a place right down the road a piece called Good Old Boys. They have a restaurant and a catering company. He ordered Cajun fried chicken and a cherry pie and he picked them up on Saturday. Oh my, the chicken and the pie were so good! Who knew?

I feel fortunate to be alive after braving a Target run yesterday afternoon. If we still lived in Houston there isn't any doubt in my mind that we wouldn't have made that choice. The store was busy but not as bad as I thought it would be. We got the stuff on our list and then some and we were home within the hour.

Today is putting away Christmas decorations day. Hopefully Roy will help just a little if I can pull him away from the computer and working on his website. I ain't going up in the attic...

Christmas Time Report

2011-12-23T10:18:00.000-06:00

This morning will be a quick post. Roy is working on his website but my pictures are also on this computer. So, I thought better upload some photos while he is at the grocery store and then I can use the laptop later if anything brilliant or silly comes to mind and I have this immediate need to write about it.

Roy's vacation began Wednesday. I thought it might be getting off to a dubious start when he asked me out of the blue Wednesday morning, what we spent on toilet paper cost by roll. What? I very rarely if ever price out things individually. Did he think I turn into someone else while he is at home on vacation? I posted this bit of info on Facebook and most people thought we were out of said product. Their advice, just go buy some. Nope, we have plenty but it was just a random question because Roy saw that it can be ordered from Amazon. No thanks, I like to buy it the old fashioned way. It just doesn't seem right for a delivered box of TP sitting in the courtyard outside our front door.

Wednesday evening we had some friends over to pizza and s'mores. We had a blast! I have pictures but since I am writing on borrowed time, I will not upload them to the blog just yet.

Thursday, Roy worked on a project that I have had for him since we moved. We bought a small child's roll top desk several years ago, no not in hopes of finding a child, but to use as a nightstand. But for my brilliant idea to work, we, I mean he needed to drill a whole in the back to run cords through. We started on the project and realized his drill bit wasn't big enough. So, we decided a much needed trip to Tractor Supply was in order. First thing though, we stopped and had lunch, then onto the Tractor store. Thursday evening Dena headed out west. Ate dinner before it got really crowded at Lupe's and then went to look at Christmas lights. I took her where Roy and I had gone the Friday night before. We drove through the cul de sac and then parked Sequisha to walk through and get an up close and personal look. Here are some pictures. The lights move with the music that you tune in on your car radio or one house has the music playing.

You can't tell by the picture but this Santa is two stories tall. We were calling him Scary Santa like we do for the angel in River Oaks...Scary Angel.

In all the hoopla and lights, at the end of the cul de sac, there is a little bitty manger scene where the reindeer came an worshipped. I would have made fun of that, but we have an elephant that comes to see Jesus in Celebration...so all kinds of animals, Snoopy and even Santa can surround manger scenes in yards.

This For Sale sign across the street from the houses with all the lights probably has a good story to be told. It was not decorated at all for Christmas or for celebrating the holiday season.

While I was writing this, Peggy called and asked if I wanted to meet she and Jaime for lunch. Had to hurry just a bit because I was still on jammie time. We met at Otto's and had a great lunch and a great time. This also gave me the opportunity to pick up a couple of stocking stuffers for Roy. I only had one thing and had told him I just wasn't in the mood this year to go all out. Well, I had a little reprieve and got a few things done. So, he won't have an empty stocking on Christmas morning.

We Need a Little Christmas, but It Might Not Look Like Everyone Elses

2011-12-19T17:30:00.001-06:00

The Christmas Day count down is on. Most probably it has been on for quite some time. Guess it would be more accurate to say, that the rush is on, that is if one is so inclined to do the rush thing. For the most part we are ready, that is to the extent that we are going to be involved in Christmas preparations. We have given or have gifts ready, we are seriously mulling over the idea of eating Chinese food instead of making a traditional meal for Christmas day. Don't feel sorry for our decision or lack of family or friends to go to, we like mixing it up for the holidays. A lot, not all, but a whole lot of Christmas celebration is done out of, this is what we have always done or this is how we were raised. If you are a traditional family with small children, it is really important to establish holiday traditions and take in the child-like wonder of Christmas. But, let's say, you are reading this and right now you don't fit into a traditional looking situation. It might be the year that you can't go home for Christmas or those who usually come can't for some reason. You might be single, widowed, married never had children, or just plain ol' have a horrible family situation and the holidays can feel this overpowering sense of, "hmm...you don't fit in the mold." I used to think that on Christmas day that everyone else I knew were having these fantastic, love-filled, fun-filled days, but of course I know better than that now. Please don't think I am mocking those who have their holiday traditions mapped out the moment the last of the Thanksgiving turkey has been consumed or thrown out., because I'm not. What I am writing about or to, those who don't quite feel a fit.

Roy and I have spent many a holiday with our families, well mainly my family, but the past few years he and I have ventured out of doing that and making our own holiday traditions. And here's the thing, our traditions don't necessarily come into the next year's celebration. Our tradition is this, to have joy, to be focused on the true meaning of Christmas and to have some fun while we are at it. Last year we went to the Inn on the Biltmore Estate and had a blast! We experienced a white, snowy Christmas Day during our stay. You'd think after that wonderful experience, we would head back this year...and we contemplated doing just that. When Roy and I were first married and my family opened gifts on Christmas morning, we had our tradition of going to the 11:00 pm Christmas Eve service and then coming home to hot coco and a little something to snack on and then opening our gifts for each other. Great tradition but we began to tweak it a little as the years went by. At some point we quit giving each other big Christmas gifts because in reality, we pretty much get what we want all year. So we began giving only stocking stuffer type gifts. Some years it is a total hit and other years, we may not be all that excited about doing the whole stocking stuffer kind of thing. We have the tradition, and can practice it or leave it for another year without either one of us getting unhappy. Like I said, we have tweaked things throughout the years. In the past ten years or so, there isn't anyway I can stay up till 11:00 and then go to a service, so we started going to St Martin's Episcopal church for their 9:00 pm service. You get a once a year experience of liturgical worship and the church, music and sermon are excellent. After the service, we by ourselves or with others, drive around and look at Christmas lights. This year, we have found a church here in Katy having an 8:00 pm service and we will probably go there. We will open our stocking stuffers on Christmas morning this year...Some holidays we end up at the Bains and have fun in all the craziness that is their family. There were years of quiet and subdued times as we celebrated with my parents and my mom didn't quite understand or know what was going on. We began the tradition of bringing catered or take out food over to my parent's home. I'm hoping to keep my record in tact of never having to prepare a turkey.

I have traditions with friends and every year doesn't always look the same, but we at least try to do dinner and maybe a quick look at lights. Some years it feels pretty special and we do it up right and some years we are happy to grab some time at Luby's to say Merry Christmas.

If you don't have any friends, then start being to others the kind of friend you would like to have. Don't roll out your tales of sadness that many have heard time and time again. Rejoice and be glad. Look for all kinds of ways to be a blessing.

Don't worry about fitting into the box of real or imagined Christmas celebrations. Make your own. Be happy and joyous if year to year those traditions don't look at all alike. Don't be envious of others that you imagine have the most wonderful times and traditions. Don't be depressed if you and yours aren't included in any one's Christmas celebrations. Be giving and do things for those you know and those you don't. Have a generous heart and you won't have time or the inclination to be anxious over how Christmas may look this year. Read Facebook and Twitter with a joyous attitude as others share their day. Heck, add you own take on the day but don't you dare add that semi sounding misery element in there so that others will feel sorry for you. Live above that. Go to the movies while everyone else is eating their Christmas feast. It won't be crowded and the popcorn will be fresh. Some years we put up a tree, some years we don't. This year we have some Christmas decorations out and maybe next year more will be placed in and around our home.

I've written before we've noticed by the end of Christmas Day there are a lot of cars roaming about looking for something to be open. Too much family time can cause claustrophobia. There is all that build up of expectations that begin around Thanksgiving and direct themselves toward December 25th. Then comes December 26 and many are ready for life to return to normal or the focus on New Years begins. Some December 26 can feel as if December 25th never happened.

So, Merry Christmas! Celebrate the Savior's birth. Honor Him. Love others. Don't feel bad or pressured that your celebration doesn't look like the ubiquitous celebrations both real and portrayed. Merry, Merry Christmas!

Every Day is a Holiday When I'm Christmassing With You

2011-12-17T13:51:00.001-06:00

It is hard to type when a certain cat sits in front of the computer screen. We have a touch screen, so she is wrecking havoc with progress. She is so interested in the letters coming up on the screen and she is interested in adding her own thoughts by touching her nose to the screen. Her thoughts don't make a lick of sense and aren't translating well. Buddy is also interested in me only because at this very moment something else has my attention.

Last night we explored the Christmas lights out here on the prairie. In Pin Oak, there is a cul de sac that has an awesome or even an amazing, amazing light display all set to music. Side note, this year amazing was one of the most over used words of the year. Time ran a list and of course I wasn't too amazed to see amazing on the list. The complaint, amazing is used too often on descriptions of things or events that really aren't that amazing or amazing, amazing. Truly, it really was an amazing feat. We saw some beautiful lights all around.

Greeting cards have all been sent, the Christmas rush is through...no haven't even started on Christmas cards and I try at all costs to stay out of the Christmas rush. Lights on the tree, I wish you could see, I wish it everyday...ahhhhh.... no tree=no lights, so there is nothing to see. Logs on the fire fill me with desire to see you and say, I wish you Merry Christmas...merry christmas darling....Gas fireplace so fake logs. Really logs on the fire do not fill me with desire and if you know of anyone who is filled with desire by logs on the fire, I really don't want to know. Actually the desire is to see them and to say I wish...ahhhh.... Why am I quoting MCD? Please read next paragraph.

Roy and I have had a fun morning. We did our usual breakfast at BWC. I will be a little sad once the holidays are over and their music loop will go back to normal. Whoever's music they have bought into must be huge Carpenter fans. Almost every other song is a one of the golden oldies from their Christmas albums. Roy doesn't seem to appreciate these blasts from the past and so all the fun is totally lost on him. If it weren't so early, I'd be calling CourtneyS or Linda S to sing them that old familiar melody. Maybe next year the three of us can plan to meet for breakfast at BWC and then break into song every time a Carpenter song comes on.

After breakfasting with Roy and the Carpenters, we ran a couple of errands, one of which was a "quick" trip to the Tractor Supply Store. When comparing us to the other shoppers, we don't look like we belong. In fact, after helping Roy pick out some jeans I went and sat in the car waiting for him to get everything purchased. For a quick moment of time, I thought he might have been takin' hostage by some John Deere, feed toting farmer, but alas it was only a complicated customer in line in front of Roy. From there we headed to downtown Katy for the Christmas Festival. It was really great fun. Lots of neat vendor booths, food, snow, noon arrival of Santa and well shopping...oh and a live band. They were singing Christmas songs and then the familiar rifts of House of the Rising Sun began. How odd that song would be included in a Christmas set. The tune was Rising Sun but the words were Amazing Grace. We looked at a lot of booths and bought several unique items. While Roy took the items to the car, I headed into Bill's antique store. Found some really cute fun things, one of which is a wooden candy cane about 3 feet tall...had about four people stop and ask me where I bought it as I took it to the car while Roy went and got some pizza slices from a place we have been wanting to try. One lady even tried to buy if from me.

All the construction on the new water lines is going on out on the green space. Machinery is such a lovely sound. I don't want them to hit the power lines which are near by and knock out electricity. So I'm hoping a newbie isn't working the bulldozer. Or hit the gas pipeline that runs parallel to our home. I think back in the day when all these lines were laid no one ever envisioned houses replacing the cattle grazing on the land. On 1463 the company that Roy works for just placed a huge sign by one large grouping of pipeline and above pipeline accessories. I told Roy instead of going in to the office on Fridays, he should tell him he is monitoring the pipeline from home.

Actually, now that I have had a little time out rest, maybe I should tackle one project before thinking about a Christmas party we are attending tonight. So Merry Christmas....Darlings....!

Friday Jumbled Thoughts

2011-12-16T13:12:00.001-06:00

I fell in love this morning... Well, I fell in love with a Williams and Sonoma product, Gingerbread Butter. Oh my goodness, it made my breakfast of toast a delightful experience. It is so good. I wish I had bought more than one jar, but it's probably good that I didn't. It was perfect timing because I just finished up the Sweet Potato Butter from the play grocery store. Autumnal treats are one of the things I love about this time of year. I also love using the word autumnal.

Welcome back cooler temps. Two days of nearly 80 degree weather doesn't feel very Christmasy. Christmasy should not be confused with the word Christmassing as used in the veritable and lovely song, Merry Christmas Darling.

The fear of having a mouse in the house were unfounded. I believe it was a product of my overactive imagination. In reality it is difficult to hear any popping noise in our home during the day now. Two homes are in construction behind us and on the green space cable is being laid. The sound of machinery begins around 7:30 am. Some mornings I sleep right through it. Today wasn't one of those days.

It has been rather nice not having scheduled days. I've been getting small things accomplished and have stacked up books to read in the next few weeks.

One of my favorite movies was on TCM last night, Life With Father.

We got a card today from a church here in the Katy area that actually is having Christmas Eve...the emphasis on Eve not afternoon. So we can choose from 8,9:30 or 11:00 pm services. I no longer can stay up for the 11:00, so we will probably go to one of the other choices.

If it's not raining tonight, I think we will drive around and look at Christmas lights. One of our neighbors couldn't quite decide upon a theme, so they just mixed it all up and if that is the look they were going for, mission accomplished.

There is no organization to this post. No clear line of thought. Of course there is nothing new under the sun.

A Social Yet Nerdy Post That Might Include a Mouse

2011-12-14T16:45:00.001-06:00

Already Wednesday, where has the week gone? My to do list is getting a little bit shorter by the day but the pace has been rather slow. So this is what's been going on. Saturday night I picked up Dena and we ate dinner and went to see Celebration at Houston's First Baptist Church. Dang, it was an awesome production and experience. There wasn't one time in the show where I thought, "come on, speed this up a little." The spirit, the songs and the story were so moving. Think this is Roy's ninth year to participate in Celebration. He wisely took himself out of the first act since dancing and moving to music is not in his natural or even in his spiritual giftings. He does great in the biblical portion. We hung around afterwards and we caught up with Roy and then with Peggy. Since most of the traffic had died down we had an easy egress from the parking lot. To further celebrate the season, we made a MUST stop at Chicky to get a chocolate peppermint milkshake. Then we headed over to River Oaks to make a yearly visit to scary angel. She looks a little different this year, maybe not so morose and the wreath she is holding doesn't look like some kind of sacrifice or dead thing in her hands.

Sunday morning of course was church and since Roy had Celebration shows, I met my dad at Los Tios for lunch. We headed back over to the house and he and I went through lots and lots of my mom's costume jewelery. Her most prolific jewelery buying must have been in the 80's cause we found a whole lot of that. In between the junk and the outdated were some really nice pieces...most of them gifts from Roy and me, but also some things she had held onto since being a young married. We had great moments of laughter but there were moments of tears. Especially when we came across something that my mom had worn a lot.

Monday night was Katy Bunco Christmas dinner and gift exchange. It was a whole lot of fun.

Tuesday I went to a brunch hosted by tennis friends. I really liked how they planned it. They invited friends from all areas of their lives. So there were tennis friends, bridge friends, traveling buddies, neighborhood friends and work friends. Everyone was so nice and easy to meet and talk with. Sometimes mixing of friends not unlike food groups, is an iffy proposition. Since the brunch was at the Lakes of Eldridge Parkway, I decided to take the back way. I took Westheimer Parkway through George Bush park and landed on Highway 6. It was a pleasant little drive. After brunch, I came home and crashed. I was exhausted from all the activities. This creature didn't stir too far from the couch either last night.

Speaking of creature, I might have an overactive imagination, but I keep thinking I hear sounds that I haven't heard before. Of course with all the noise going on behind us as new homes are being built, it would never dawn on me that the noise I hear could be from that sometimes. This morning Buddy and I both woke to the same sound coming from the other side of the bedroom...a popping kind of noise. Then today while eating lunch I heard a sound like someone or someTHING running into something. I thought it was Buddy, but I checked and she was fast asleep on the bed. I thought I saw one of the Roman shades moving just a bit. So being the brave one that I am, I went outside to look into that window. Didn't see anything. Buddy's food has been messed with and the bowl of M&M's hadn't been disturbed. Just on the safe side, I put the M&M's up as not to tempt anyone or anything. You know tis the season for creatures to kind someplace warm but my goodness, it is 74 degrees today. It is cooler in the house than outdoors...so get outta my house. (that is if there is some kind of small furry creature stirring, you know like a mouse)

Being the book nerd that I am, I am reading a fascinating book on historical markers in the state of Texas. Not your Alamo or battle of Gonzales type but obscure, no one knows who these people and places are...that is until you read the marker. I have had a hard time putting the book down. I like the concept of how the story is told before they reveal where the marker is located. Yes, I know, I'm a nerd.

DIY Christmas Tree

2011-12-10T13:19:00.001-06:00

I've never been a big Christmas decorator type person. I think the last time we went full out on decorations was in 2001. Since then we have placed a few decorations out for the season that were easy to pick up and put away. The period between Thanksgiving and New Years really isn't my favorite or most wonderful time of the year. The holiday season used to be harder for me to get through and some years it was the opposite of the Advent calendar's meaning. I was merely checking off the days until January when schedules and stores get back to normal. When we moved into our new home, we decided we would out source the lights for the outside of the house and we would do minimal decorations inside. Then...my mom passed away in November. With the delay of her service until the Friday after Thanksgiving and with my attention directed elsewhere, I never did get around to getting someone to hang up Christmas lights. My mom loved Christmas. She loved having her tree up before Thanksgiving and she would leave the lights on almost all the time. She could sit in front of her Christmas tree for hours and be at peace. She had Christmas decorations everywhere. When we moved to Houston my parents bought a house without a fireplace. So while I was at school and Doug was taking a nap, she made a fireplace out of construction paper and she built it in our den, complete with construction paper fire. She hung our stockings on the construction paper mantel she had crafted and we absolutely loved it. We completed the construction paper theme with construction paper chains that we made and then hanged or hung the chains throughout the kitchen and den. That year my my mom made the cutest little elves from felt, pipe cleaners and little Styrofoam balls.

In the midst of saying an earthly goodbye to my mom, Christmas decorations became a main theme of my thoughts. Roy pulled down from the attic all the boxes of Christmas things we have collected throughout the years. Over a week or so I began putting little things here and there. One thing I knew, I couldn't put up a tree. Almost everyone of our Christmas tree decorations were either made by my mom or a treasure she would pick out for us on vacations. Meanwhile, I bought an antique French pot rack from Bill Bain's antique mall in old Katy, K T Antiques. He had shown me the pot racks when he and Peggy opened up the store for Dena and I after business hours. A couple of days later I went back to see if they still had one. He had two and the other one had already sold. He had to disassemble the rack from the store window where he had different dishes on display. The shape of the rack is somewhat like a tree and I decided this would be our tree this year. I mainly had all the decorations already but added the O Holy Night blocks and the melamine plates. I really should add lights but that gives me something to aspire to next year.

Top part of tree. The big stocking that is hanging from it is one my mom made for me. She made it out of dresses she had worn as a child. I love that stocking and until we got Buddy, I kept it out all year long. Buddy is too tempted by it.

This is a closeup of the bottom half of the "tree."

Here is the side view that is a little fuzzy. Taken with the camera on my phone

Here is a full view of our skinny little tree. It was in the corner by our dinning room table but decided to bring it out by the fireplace where it is displayed a little better.

Pipes, Plants, Bon Voyage and Bible Study

2011-12-08T18:17:00.001-06:00

The past two nights have been awfully cold. I think we have had lows into the upper twenties. Since we have been condo bound for nearly 17 years, we have somewhat forgotten the drill of taking care of pipes and plants. It wasn't cold enough to worry about the pipes but plants needed a lot of focused attention. So all the geraniums are in the garage. I thought maybe I should cover the roses but it being cold, late, me in pajamas and Roy coming in late from Celebration practice, I just prayed that the Lord would put a hedge of protection around our roses, small plants and well, our hedges. Roy brought in the bougainvillea from the back patio. Wish I could put it out front but it is not an approved plant by our HOA. The other night I was awakened by a noise. At first I thought Buddy was into something but she was asleep at the end of the bed. Roy was so groggy from late night practices and full days at the office, he was of no help. He wished me bon voyage and let me go exploring a darkened house. Nothing looked a miss, but as I returned to bed I remembered when we first moved to the condo. We brought a big fern with us that had been outside on the patio. Roy was in law school, so he wasn't home when I watched a big, BIG, frog dig out of the dirt of that plant and jump into the middle of our living room. I called Cynthia C and offered her $50.00 to come and get this frog for me. She didn't like frogs either. I called Peggy and she told me to get a baggie and pick the frog up with it, turn the baggie inside out when I had retrieved the frog for easy disposal outside. That would mean an elevator ride with me screaming the whole time. I'm sure that would have gone over well. Really, you can still feel frog squishiness through a baggie. So I did the only sane thing, trapped it under the couch and waited for Roy to get home. So as I laid or lied down last night I'm thinking, what if that was a frog or even something worse that made that noise. We have seen no evidence of an unwanted intruder from the illegal plant since the other night. The next morning Roy tells me he had this dream, something about a noise and I went to check on it. Ah, sweetie, that was real life. So he offers this info, the noise was probably the heater. Where did he come up with that? This heater doesn't make any noise you can actually hear unless you are in the hallway by the laundry room.

It is rather interesting to have your husband come home with a better make up make over than you. He has help with his eye liner and foundation. . I also asked him to get hints from the make up people on creating the smokey eye look since I continually fail at achieving that make up phenomena. I told him he should man up and put on his own mascara. You can control your blinking that way and not end up with the wand in your eye. Bless his heart, he has been using old towels to take off his make up. I wonder if he ever wonders why I don't use old towels to remove mine. Well for one, I use a make up remover product and tissues. I offered my remover to him, but he's no wimp, he is scrubbing it off with elbow grease and soap. Guess you have to be a little manly if one is removing stage make up.

Today was our last Bible study in Revelation until next year. We are stopping right in the middle of chapter 12. This year we have a 4 week break and they are encouraging us to do our homework this week and not wait until the last minute. I say, why change when the last minute system has been working well for me this year. There are so many details of importance, I don't want to forget anything before our discussion time. It was large group brunch day too. It was a veritable potluck potpourri. Everything I sampled was really good. Our core group discussion time was awesome. There are about 15 of us in our group. We were in the midst of discussing spiritual warfare, when a knock on the door sounded and the assistant director came in. We were late! And to add more embarrassment to being late, we were meeting in the fellowship room and our group table was right in the middle. So it wasn't as easy as sneaking into the sanctuary for lecture time. We came in while everyone was singing Silent Night. If we had candles we could have looked like we were part of the program and process into the room, holding forth the light. So we all hurriedly made our way to a table that seats 8 and crammed 15 people around it.

I watched the season premiere of Toddlers and Tiaras. Wow, seriously some of the strangest parents ever to grace and I use that term reluctantly, the show. I miss Mackenzie. Of course I will be watching next week. It's the train wreck you can't stop watching. Dance Moms returns in January. So my quota of bad TV will be full.

Our catalog deliveries have decreased significantly this year. Even Pottery Barn doesn't seem to send out as many. It's been nice not having a mailbox stuffed full of them.

Buddy is bugging me to play go fish with her. Such a mournful cry.

Wordy Wednesday

2011-12-07T19:25:00.001-06:00

It was a dark and chilly night. The temperatures had dropped rapidly once the sun had set. The Christmas lights outside were on. The TV turned off. Fire in the fireplace and balsam and fir fragranced candles lit. Only the quiet hum of the washing machine and the dishwasher broke through the silence. It will only be a matter of time until the beeps sounding the alarm that the towels are finished and the dishes done will alarm me and I will jump at their sharp piercing sound. Buddy is meowing loudly for my attention. We just finished a rousing game of go fish. Actually, we play with a Square Bob Sponge Pants children's fishing rod. Slick paws and slick wood floors make some interesting moves while involved in the chase. Roy is at Celebration dress rehearsal, thus the absence of the TV. I like silence. Most would be surprised at the amount of silence I require and crave. I think that is to make up for the crowd in my brain and all the inside noise that results from the chaos, fleeting thoughts and general lack of attention going on inside there. I'm reflecting on the past month just a little this evening. Tomorrow, my mom will be in the presence of the Lord for a month. Bet it feels like just a moment for her, whereas time seems to go a tad slower here on earth. When the Alzheimer's really began to ravage her brain, I think we all began a process of saying a very long goodbye. No more phone calls made by her, soon no interest in participating in any kind of phone conversation. My mom focused her attention on people and things we could not see. She was continuously telling some lady that she saw behind the dresser to leave. All too soon we couldn't understand very much of what she said. She still seemed so happy to see us and even on Mother's Day I got the gift. When my mom saw me, she said my name and she smiled. I find myself thinking of her at the oddest moments. Not all are odd and a few catch me by surprise. Roy and I were watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special on Monday night. Not until the scene of Snoopy licking Lucy in the face did it dawn on me that my mom and I would watch that show every Christmas looking forward to those scenes. We knew the lines by heart but laughed each time like it was the first time we had seen it. Life continues on though. We all have resumed our normal lives and routines. Maybe not my dad. He is working through the process of living life alone and filling the hours that were consumed with care-taking with new in this start of a new chapter of life.

I had an appointment with Cheryl today. Mainly it was a follow up of how things went and what if any emotional turmoil had been extolled. The visit was full of encouragement and reminders of management. Cheryl has been a lifesaver for me. God has used her knowledge and wisdom to help me through difficult phases and to have a new view of how to live life.

The rest of the afternoon consisted of errands and trying to stay away from home so that the maid could work without any distractions from me. She is awesome and it is a pleasure to return home to a very clean home. Somehow in the course of the day I forgot to eat lunch. So I made a quick stop at Black Walnut Cafe for dinner.

Today, Roy became an owner of a NFL team. He bought a Green Bay Packer share that isn't really an investment, with no return and no vote, but it brings a happiness to Roy's life long love of rooting for the Green Bay Packers. He doesn't even remember why he started liking that team as a child but I thought it was a great emotional investment. It's like me wanting to be an Alumni by choice at Baylor. Maybe someday that will become a reality for me. And I just now noticed that both of these emotional investments wear the colors of green and gold. It's true the longer one is married to their spouse the more alike they become. Apparently that doesn't spill over into Roy suddenly experiencing and doing some of my mad dance moves and that whole math thing hasn't even had one glimmer of light in this math addled brain of mine.

In the quietness of the evening I've been reading Psalm 34. I think it is my all time favorite Psalm. "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles but the Lord comes to the rescue each time." verses 18 and 19 I'm not reading these verses because I am brokenhearted or crushed in spirit but because there are so many who find themselves in that condition, especially around the holidays. There are so many requests for generosity. But sometimes it is not the requests that should be taking our attention and money, but those who like the Christmas song says, " faithful friends who are dear to us gather near to us once more." Look around and ask the Lord to show you who of those faithful friends, who might not ever ask for help, who find themselves in this season of life not any of them ever envisioned being in might need a little attention and possibly even money...not just money but all around generosity. And don't let it be just a Christmas time thing, keep vigilant all year long.

Now after the ponderings of a quiet evening, I'm all a flutter because a new season of Toddlers and Tiaras begins tonight. I think I am going to put going to one of these pageants held in the Motel 6 in Eunice, Louisiana or in East Texas on my bucket list. I have a feeling that Dena might just tag along for the ride. I'm not too sure I could stomach staying for the whole thing, but it might be dang interesting and some very good people watching.

First Weekend of December Re-Cap

2011-12-05T08:43:00.001-06:00

A cool and overcast morning. Just the kind of morning to stay in and ease into the day. Nothing on the agenda today except maybe a quick trip to the grocery store. This morning's breakfast of choice, toast with sweet potato butter and beverage of choice, butter toffee coffee. Delicious!

Maybe I have a Nord hangover this morning. Last night was the Nord's private shopping event. Nordstrom must believe that the recession is over because they did it up big this year. The past couple of years the shopping event was toned down, no band and food rather scarce. This year the joint was jumping with music, lots of desserts, drinks (Perrier for me thank you) and with people shopping to get the 10 points to a dollar using a Nord card. Dena and I met before the event for dinner. We actually ate at Luby's. Upon hearing where we went Roy made a comment too the effect "oh how the mighty have gotten boring." We made the choice based on crowd and quiet. Of course the quiet part didn't last long when a family with an uncontrollable kid who it seems did not want to eat broccoli and personally, I don't blame the kid, sat right behind us. Luby's had friend chicken last night, so the festive occasion called for some good old fashioned comfort food. Now I need to watch it on my consumption of comfort food or I am going to find myself buying elastic waist comfort pants. We headed over to the Nord after dinner and had a short wait in line before entering the store. On every floor the shoppers were greeted with many a holiday dessert choice. My favorite was the peppermint bark and the peppermint ice cream. We met up with Lisa P a couple of times during the evening. Unfortunately, Dena and I had to cut the evening short because I had a heart episode in the sock department. I don't know if was a post tramtic stress disorder from Friday's sorting socks or what. We had done most of our shopping and since it was a school night for Dena, the early exit wasn't unwelcome. Lisa P texted me later on that she had stayed till 10 and so far Nord had done $900,0000 worth of business that night and they still had two hours to go before the midnight closing. Actually, shoppers were given two choices this year, choose the day for 10 point shopping or attend the event. I might just choose the day next year if given the option.

Two out of three college teams we root for won this weekend. The first half of the Georgia vs LSU game didn't look too good for the tigers. They got their act together in the second half which made watching the game more enjoyable. We also cheered on Baylor and their convincing win over Texas. I think reading Facebook after the game was more enjoyable than actually watching the game.

I love One Kings Lane! I've ordered several things from there and haven't been disappointed. If the shipping on their furniture wasn't so high, I would have ordered a couple of pieces for the house from them. The coat rack I ordered from them came Thrusday and I put it together Saturday. Looks good! Also assembled a lamp we ordered from gardinroad for the guest bedroom. It too looks good.

Roy had Celebration practice Friday night and Saturday morning. One night off tonight and the rest of the week will be pretty full for him. I will use the time and the cold temps to sit by the fire and have Christmas music playing in the background. Except for Wednesday evening at 9:00. The new season of Toddlers and Tirana's begins. Hopefully the new season of Dance Moms won't be too far behind.

Dinner with Friends and a Little Nature Thrown In

2011-12-02T21:08:00.001-06:00

Last night was the Women's Christmas Banquet. A really fun evening with John Bolin and Joy Harris singing and Debbie Stewart from Prestonwood Baptist speaking. She was awesome, dare I say amazing? She was funny and had depth to her talk. Emily hosted our table and she did a great job. If you love red and green glittery things and who doesn't, you would have loved her table setting. This is the after picture in the group and of course the before picture is at the top. We had a blast. There was this great moment in the evening when Joy sang snippets of Merry Christmas Darling and Bleak Mid Winter. I so wished CourtneyS was there. She and I keep count of MCD and if we are able, when we hear it call each other and sing it. I get the best of that deal. We sang that together, and maybe we shouldn't be the term to use, but one year for the staff talent show, we sang MCD with a little fun mixed in. And of course who doesn't love to belt out one of the most beloved Christmas songs, In the Bleak Mid Winter? Favorite line, snow on snow...snow on snow...

On the way home I decided to come home the long way and I saw my first coyote along the side of the road. That was exciting. When I pulled around the cul d sac and the car lights hit the green space along side our home, there were bunches and bunches of little and big rabbits. It was nature night here out on the prairie.

Peggy and I met for lunch today at the BWC. I went with grill cheese sandwich and tomato soup. It was a comfort food kind of day. Being the productive person that I am, I sorted my socks this afternoon. Really it was due to the fact that the pair of socks I had on today would not stay up.

Yesterday was pay dirt on Fed Ex and UPS deliveries. Things that had been on back order for the house and maybe a box or two from the Nord were all delivered yesterday. Roy made a nice little pile of boxes right inside our door for me. Love the lamp that I ordered. It looks great in our guest bedroom.

I am making a conscientious effort to not rush through the holidays this year. I wait too late to start playing Christmas music most years and usually late with Christmas cards. Charles Swindoll had a great message on Christmas this morning on the radio. Good word along with a Christmas devotional I am using this year.

Happy End of Hurricane Season!

2011-11-30T09:51:00.001-06:00

One way I can tell the temperatures are cooler is by Buddy's constant presence. She follows me and when I sit down, she jumps into my lap. Long ago I thought this meant she loved me. I know now it is just the fact that she is cold, but I think there might be a little cat love thrown in. She purrs and does a variation of kneading with one paw. So if it isn't love, it is being content at least on her part. I don't sit still long enough for her to nap. Really, right now I would love to go get another cup of coffee but I will sit here a few more minutes. It is also good that God made me with long arms. Since I am sitting at the desk with Buddy on my lap, the chair is back a little farther than is comfortable. Last month I finally caved and joined Family Christian Bookstore's reward program. One of the specials was a traveling coffee mug. I picked Joy to the World cause Joy to the World is not just for Christmas. Actually it was written with the second coming in mind, not the first. A little trivia thrown in. I have only used the mug for traveling from the kitchen into the study and so far it is doing a great job of holding in the heat.

Happy End of Hurricane Season! Although this year, with the drought, I think most of us would have welcomed a tropical storm but not a full blown hurricane. I had to break into our hurricane supplies for batteries to use in a wreath and for the candles in the front windows. Guess I was feeling rather confident this last week of the season. It is probably safe to eat all the snacks we stored away. Although something tells me one of us and it isn't the one writing this blog post has already been in the survivor snacks. Mental note...next hurricane season have my own stash of snacks because someone doesn't commit to storm only provisions and probably isn't going to be too good on rationing if it ever came to that.

My antique French pot rack has turned out really cute. I have found a few other decorations for it. I will take a picture soon and post it. I have my Erin Dubroc wreath hanging on the decorative apple picking ladder in the entry way. It looks awesome there. Again, a picture will be coming. I hung the stockings that my mom made and a wreath and a little quilted basket done by her hands. While going through Christmas decorations I came across a shoe box that clearly didn't belong in the decorations. I think it was one of those things in the moving process, you don't know quite what to do with something so you stick it anywhere just to get it moved. That box was full of Barbie outfits my mom had sewn. That stopped the decorating process on Saturday. I added our Christmas wreath on the front door today. Had to go and buy a bow to put on it to cover up the wreath hanger. Looks rather nice. Yep, simple and tasteful is the way we are going this year. Lots of pretty lights on the houses in our neighborhood and of course there is the one neighbor that still has all their Halloween decorations out. Now where is the HOA on that? Oh, yea, they are in my flower beds counting my plants and they have probably discovered the illegal bougainvillea in the backyard.

Hyper, Cyber Monday

2011-11-28T18:33:00.001-06:00

Roy has Celebration practice tonight. So it is just Buddy and me for the next couple of hours. It is a fireplace kind of night and for the first time, I turned on the heater for the house. We didn't explode so all is well. Last Monday Stevie was able to do my highlights and I went back today for a haircut. Afterwards I met Kathleen for lunch. Then I made a quick stop at The Nord Rack and Target. Fighting fatigue, I headed home. I've taken it easy since arriving. One thing I wanted to do today is put up the wreath on our gate. Finally found where we put the D batteries so I was able to add the red bow and hang the wreath. It looks beautiful.

We didn't make it to church yesterday and we didn't even turn on the web cast. I slept like a teenager till 10:00 am, but age reality hit once I got out of bed. We didn't even feel like going out to lunch and the take away on going out is, we could have beat all the church people to Fuddrucker's. (Roy was hungry for a hamburger) Instead, since it was so cold and windy, I made Taco Soup. It was delicious.

This morning, once again, I tried for the smokey eye look. Once again, no success. I've decided I can achieve the sunny to partly cloudy look at best. I read all the instructions and watched the video...eye makeup still looks the same. Oh well, guess the trendy make-up looks aren't for me.

Since I didn't participate in Black Friday, I participated in Cyber Monday. Found a few deals that were too hard to decline. The UPS man is going to love us.

Since Roy is at practice, I will be setting the garbage out tonight. Just went through the kitchen and got rid of all the leftovers from Friday. We had the fam to lunch after my mom's memorial service. It was a rather nice way to finish the day. All week since I knew the family was coming I would think, oh, can't wait to show_______ to Mom. Sadly, too soon I realized it would be the family but mom would be absent. Hey, she is present with the Lord, so I know she is not complaining.

My mom's service was sweet and rather different. The family arrived at the cemetery before 10:00. We were escorted to her grave site. The preacher guy asked if we had a song that our family liked to sing. Mind went blank, actually both Doug and I thought of songs, but they weren't really songs appropriate for the occasion. We decided on Amazing Grace. Can't go wrong with that song. After my dad placed my mom's ashes into the ground, we sprinkled sand on top of the vault and then watched the men fill in the square hole, can holes be square? I also know it's hip to be square...anyway, we watched in silence with a few tears shed. We went back to the chapel building and began welcoming friends. Once it was 11, we formed a line of cars and returned to the site. My brother and I said a few things about my mom. It was interesting we hit upon some of the same qualities but we both mentioned things that the other one didn't. Lisa P sang He Touched Me and John Butler said a few words. He is the preacher guy. He did something that was rather surprising and he hadn't told us he was going to do this, he ended the service by opening up the floor, but out there it would be the astro turf carpet, to anyone who wanted to say a few words about my mom. My insides did a huge jump. In reality most of the people there were my friends and most of them had never met my mom. I think my dad either made the decision for that not to begin or he misunderstood what John said. My dad stood up and thanked everyone for coming. Whew...those, is there any comment times really throw me for a loop. One should never concede control of the floor. I am happy that both Doug and I got through our prepared words without crying. I am so thankful for my friends that came to the service. It means so much to me. The cards, emails and Facebook messages have been so encouraging. God's peace and presence was there on Friday. His peace has surrounded me this past month when this journey began. I thought I would have heart monitor readings all over the place, but even in the most difficult moments and decisions, His peace and grace sustained.

Saturday and Sunday I went through all the Christmas boxes very slowly. So much of our Christmas decorations came from my mom. She either brought them home from trips or she made them. There were some tear-filled moments as I went through everything. Saturday I stopped when I found a shoe box filled with Barbie outfits that my mom had made. I decided I had looked through enough things for one day. My mom's legacy is found in the little details of life, through the things, people and events she loved.

Let Us Give Thanks For it is Right to Do So

2011-11-26T10:33:00.001-06:00

Roy was out bright and early this morning. Sequisha was due for her scheduled maintenance at the dealership. Three times in a week, she's been on I-45 south. That would have to be a record because we are rarely out that way. One of those trips was to my mother's memorial service. I'm still treasuring and pondering things in my heart on this one, so that subject will be reserved for another time and post. But, it went well. God's peace and presence surrounded us and it was a service that honored my mom, told her story and gave glory to God.

Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, we just might have started a new tradition in our household. We had a leisurely morning and around lunch time we went to the Bass Pro Shop. Yes, the outdoors person's shopping mecca and no we haven't become outdoorsy types but we did drop some $$$ there much to our surprise. Roy found a coat he can wear in cooler temps when he is out and about taking pictures. He also found Merrill boots, in his size on sale. That right there is a Thanksgiving blessing. We moseyed through the household area and found some holiday dishes that we both liked. Festive dishes featuring a pine cone motif that will do well for both Thanksgiving and Christmas... Now I know you are thinking, girl, you don't cook, you rarely have dinner parties and you don't cook. Yes, but the dishes are microwave/dishwasher safe... In fact, I think we will use them the whole month of December and not save them for special occasions. They fit with our casual lifestyle. We bought a few other things that I won't bore you with, but this was great good news; they have cinnamon glazed almonds, cashews and pecans reasonably priced. The pecans were a hit with my nieces yesterday.
The Santa and snow village they have for kids is well done. Christmas pictures with Santa are free and the activities in the area, crafts and a large area for remote controlled trucks, tractors and cars for the kids and well...some adults to play with.

After our shopping excursion we headed out to the country-side. These past few weeks on the way to Brookwood, I have seen several places I wanted Roy to take pictures of. So we grabbed his camera and spent a couple of hours driving around getting the shots. It was the perfect day to do this, weather was wonderful and the traffic was light.

I've been eyeing the abandoned railroad trussel.

This is another one I spotted that has probably been abandoned longer than the other one.

I spy with my little eye an old Hunt Retreat sign that hasn't been taken down on the road less traveled getting to Hunt Retreat.

A brand new sign with the church logo is on 359.

A picture at dusk of our house with minimal decorations

Night time with the same minimal decorations.

After our excursion to the country, we headed over to the Black Walnut Cafe for our Thanksgiving Day lunch. It was really good and it wasn't very crowded at all. We ate around 4:00, so we went at an off time.

The rest of the evening we did our last minute things to prepare for Friday. For once in our lives we rooted for A&M and we were saddened along with the real fans and supporters of A&M. Now that A&M is coming to the SEC and since we root for LSU...we probably won't be cheering them on any time soon.

Our first Thanksgiving on the prairie was good. Loved seeing families out in the afternoon riding bikes and playing at the playgrounds. Lots of family Christmas pictures were being taken around some of the scenic lakes. Roy and I are blessed by God. We are so thankful for the things we cannot see and for the things we can. We are grateful for our friends, many who feel just like family, who walk with us in joy and in sorrow. We are truly thankful this holiday.

Oops, Another Thanksgiving Week Post

2011-11-23T18:54:00.001-06:00

OK, I'm back. I thought I would at least make it to the weekend before posting again but this blog and writing are helping me cope with situations that are unbelievable. I'm going to write this again, one of these days I am going to write a book like Ellen Douglas: Truth, Four Stories I'm Finally Old Enough to Tell. Only I may have more than four stories to tell. Right now I kind of envy my mom being out of here and not having to deal with the daily dramatics that keep one so...well so prepared and on their toes.

Roy asked me last night if it would be OK to wear his dress jeans, good boots and blue blazer to the graveside service. He said he wanted to dress like Keith Moore. I don't know if he can carry off the look. I can see all my friends who operate under the proper thing to do, cringing at his choice. Who knows, I just might suggest to him that he wears his service day choice.

Today my hero, commonly known as Roy, braved the early morning cold and went to HEB to do some shopping for the after the Friday service lunch we are having at our home for family and friends. We have ordered most of our food from a local tea room but there are few side dishes we needed to add. He got back with everything on the list...well almost, he didn't get cherry tomatoes, so he is going to go back in the morning and get some...along with more Dr. Pepper Bold. He loves that drink. Meanwhile I was doing the predustination before the maid got here. Roy and I got things in order and then left to run a few errands, like pick up shirts from the cleaners. You know really fun stuff. We ate Bar B Que for lunch, went to the bank, and then went to the tea room to pick up our order. We were a little early, everything was ready but not boxed up. So we headed across the street to Bill's antique mall. Little did we know that this trip for the Friday meal would become a little more expensive. Once we got into the store, we did our usual thing there. Roy headed for the free cookies and the opportunity to visit with all the older ladies. I looked around and found a few things but hit pay dirt on my way back to the front of the store. There right before me was a circa 1900's desk with drop top in the arts and craftsman style of furniture...which I love. The vendor had just brought it in from her car, it didn't even have all the drawers in it yet. She gave me an excellent deal. So she and Roy turned it right around, took it out of the store to Sequisha and loaded it in while I paid for it and a few other fun baubles I found. We almost forgot to go back and pick up the food. I was so Proverbs 31 woman with this furniture purchase. I had almost ordered a chest from Pottery Barn this morning but decided it would be too hard to move the bed to get the extra inches it would need beside the bed. I saved Roy $700 plus.

We returned home with the food and tried to get it put up yet stay out of Crisella's hair. She was in full tilt cleaning mode. We decided not to bring in the new piece until after she left. Once we took care of the food, we headed back out the door and to Goode Company to pick up a pecan pie. If you haven't ever had a slice of their pecan pie, you need to. Love that HOV going and coming on the Katy Freeway. We made a couple other stops looking for some gift cards and then headed back home. Crisella was almost finished but we still wanted to stay out of the way, so we began working on our Christmas decorations outside. We have our two little trees up. I will have to take a picture and post it on Facebook. I got the fire pit stuff out of the garage and set it up on our versatile courtyard table. Maybe we will do S'mores in front of the fireplace this weekend. Roy and his safety moment went to the Tractor Store to get some duct tape to secure the extension cords. I think he just wanted an excuse to go to the Tractor Store to see what kind of deals they had for Black Friday. He also found out that Bass Pro Shop is open on Thanksgiving. I see a trip in our future tomorrow. On his way home he picked up a pizza for dinner. He is my hero from early morning until dinner time. :)

Tomorrow I plan to rest up for what will be an emotionally charged and emotionally draining day. My therapist encouraged me to save up the energy for Friday and then veg on Saturday. She told me I will be exhausted and I believe her. It is difficult at times to keep the energy reserves up with the daily drama and details that have hit hard in the past few days. It didn't have to be this way. Oh well...

I know that God's grace is sufficient. That grace has been carrying me for the past two weeks and I don't think God will run out of it sometime Friday morning. I am thankful I got my thoughts for Friday's service in good form and edited. Praying that I can honor my mom with them and not slobber through it. Note to self, put some tissues in your purse.

Once again I wish you a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving. Roy and I have semi planned to eat dinner out and well, that trip to Bass Pro Shop just screams Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Week Thoughts

2011-11-22T19:59:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving week. The traffic is no longer on the freeways involving a commute from home to job and back, it is in every conceivable parking lot adjacent to retail establishments. Roy is one of those Thanksgiving week vacation people. It has been fun. We've been staying up late and sleeping in. We've done things together and done our own things. Yesterday, I spent a greater part of the day in the land of sugar. Stevie was able to get me in for highlights. It actually took longer than the usual time which involves a hair cut. I'll have to back on Monday to get the cut. I went a little early to shop the Super Target, the Family Christian Bookstore and Whole Foods.

Today, we eased into the morning. We had several things to do here at the house and then we stopped by Peggy's to drop a couple of things off. What was going to be a few minutes turned into a laugh-fest, so time went by quickly. Roy finally made all the man motions to let me know he was ready to roll, so we left for our next destination...Target. We've been debating over outsourcing our Christmas lights or just use this year to decorate minimally. With everything that has been going on, our attention is somewhat divided. So today, we decided to just do some candles in the windows, a wreath on the gate and two lit Christmas trees at the gate. I didn't think there would be any of the pre-lit small trees in an urn but there was one box left. So Roy had to go back to the front of the store and get a cart. I thought it best we not get a cart at first because I can find all kinds of things to fill it. Tomorrow, while we have to be busy or gone while the maid is here, we are going to put up our Christmas decorations. Many in the neighborhood already have their lights on their homes. We did a late lunch at Lupe's and then headed over to Mardel's. Neither one of us have ever been to a Mardel store. Wow, it was really nice. Since FBC is changing to the Holman Bible next year, we were able to score two of those babies...on sale and I found a devotion book for next year. After all the fun we had, we headed home to do one more dreaded chore. Roy got in the attic and brought down a bunch of our Christmas decorations and frou frou. For someone who has not decorated their condo for Christmas in many a year, we have a lot of Christmas stuff. It's going to be difficult going through the boxes because so many of our decorations were either made or bought by my mom. We also need to re box or repack a lot of the Christmas stuff into containers that have locking lids. The locking lid containers were much easier to haul down the attic steps. That is a project to begin on tomorrow. At this point in the day we were both exhausted.

Last night I didn't fall asleep until 2:00 am. Right before I fell asleep I began to think about my mother's service on Friday and the words I need to prepare. I've been using my blog to write out memories and I needed to edit and fine tune. So many fun stories were making me giggle as I tried to lay or lie there very quietly. I thought about this antique picture my mom had of Jesus. It had been given as a gift to her great grandparents. It is just an oval picture about 6 inches in length and maybe 4 inches wide. Somehow, I don't remember how it started, but when I was there in the home while my parents were out, I would take that picture of Jesus and hide it. Sometimes my mom found Jesus in her underwear drawer. Other times, he would be waiting in her china cabinet or other places around the house. I went over there once to hide Jesus and my mom had tied the picture to the nail in the wall and requested, as if coming from the Lord, not to be moved and she quoted Psalm 1. I think my favorite hiding spot was on the switch of a living room lamp. My parents were hosting their Sunday School class party. My mom and several of her friends went into the living room and as my mom turned on the lamp, she exclaimed... I found Jesus! Her friends were wondering if she had rededicated her life or might be making a profession of faith, although they had to wonder about that. My mom explained, and showed them the picture. They all had a great laugh. Once we got the Christmas boxes in the garage, I came in and edited. My prayer is this, I can honor my mom and get through the whole thing without ugly crying, complete with snot running down my face.

Sunday evening we went to see the Houston's First Baptist Church Choir and Orchestra experience at Clear Lake Baptist Church. It was wonderful. I sat there on the second row and sang just about every song with them. Well, that is every song with the exception of the Christmas music. I don't know those songs and apparently neither did Peggy. She got through the first song OK, but when they sang the Gloria song, complete with Latin, she didn't know a word, much less when to sing. I peered around John to take a peak and watch Peggy. She and I got so tickled. I was laughing so hard, I was crying. She is singing "stop looking at me" to the Gloria tune. I knew the whole choir could see me laughing and several admitted looking over in the direction that had my attention and saw Peggy struggling with it all. They got a little tickled as well, but looked back at John directing to save themselves.

We bought wind chimes and put them out in the courtyard. Roy was concerned we would go crazy from the noise but the key is, don't hang them high. We have them on the fireplace utensil stand that came with our table and chairs. No utensils came...so we are making it useful until we find some cheap untensils. I'm really enjoying the background of the chimes this evening.

Roy has volunteered to go to HEB in the morning. Bless him. We need to pick up a few side dishes for Friday's after the service lunch we are having at the house. I ordered some chicken pot pies, salad and desserts from the Scotish ladies with the tea room. I was going to make the Paula Deen cheses biscuits again, but decided stress wise, Sister Schubert rolls were the way to go. We are also going to pick up a Goode Comapny Pecan Pie.

The page will soon be turning onto another chapter of life. Friday is the epilogue or it could be the introduction. I know God is faithful and His grace and peace have been carrying this child for the past two weeks. Happy Thanksgiving! That's in case I don't get back on the blog till Saturday.

More Mom Memories

2011-11-19T20:33:00.001-06:00

Living out near the ends of the earth reminds me of days long gone when Sundays not only included Sunday School and church, and maybe if we were lucky getting to eat out at the cafeteria or the El Patio Mexican restaurant, but most Sundays when we were younger included a Sunday afternoon drive. To my brother Doug and me, B.O.R.I.N.G! To my mom, a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. My dad would drive us all around the surrounding countryside on the Farm to Market Roads Texas is so famous for. If we were to travel those very same roads today, we'd be smack dab in the middle of First Colony, New Territory, and Cross Country Ranch. It seems like there is always a historical marker on most roads and my dad usually wanted to stop and read the marker out loud to us... But my mother would usually say, "Can't we just see it from the car? That became one of our favorite family sayings. Funny as time has gone by and my sense of adventure has lessened and my knees make it difficult at times, I find myself thinking or saying the same thing, "Can't we see it from the car?" I almost missed out on seeing the model home that won our hearts last January because I was tired and said I would wait in the car while Roy and Peggy went inside the house. So glad I changed my mind.

My mom made occasions fun. She always baked our favorite cake for our birthdays. At Easter she made a cake that looked like an Easter Bunny and she encouraged us to help her decorate it. If she baked a pie, somehow there always just happened to be extra dough. She would roll out the dough, put butter, sugar and cinnamon on it and roll it up like a jelly roll and cut the dough into bite size pieces and bake them along with the pie. My mom also had a great recipe for iced sugar cookies that we made every Christmas. Even after I was married, my mom would help me bake those cookies to give as gifts when money was tight for Roy and me.

Last Sunday when we ate Chinese food with Bill and Peggy, we all remembered eating chop suey at home, out of a can, made by Chung King. You made rice, heated up the contents of the can and put crunchy noodles on the top. For the longest time my brother Doug and I didn't like chop suey. We learned not to mix everything up but keep the rice and noodles separate from the junk we didn't like. We couldn't leave the table until our plate was clean. We'd wait till Mom got busy in the kitchen and Dad was reading the paper. Carefully, Doug and I would put the chop suey back in the serving bowl and then eat our rice and crispy noodles. No one was the wiser until much later in life, when we told Mom what we had done. She wasn't too happy to be told of this and other dinner hijinks. Doug and I were not fans of oatmeal for breakfast. Mom didn't serve it very often, but when she did, we would put up quite a fuss. We called oatmeal boo after awhile. Why, because when we'd ask what's for breakfast, she say oatmeal and we would cry boo.

My mom had a quirky side. She loved her church and her women's Sunday School class. There were several years she had a teacher that didn't talk very loud and my mom complained she could not hear her. This teacher participated in the fine Baptist tradition of giving out verses to different ones in the class to read out loud and always called on my mom. My mom never cared too much to read verses aloud. She told me once she had a dream that she was in Sunday School and the teacher asked her where they were in the reading of verses out loud . In her dream she answered, "How in the hell would I know?" My mother never cussed. I never heard her let a bad word slip. In fact the one and only time I heard her say anything that remotely would be considered a bad word is when she called me a jackass. Truth is I was probably acting like one but come on, I was in junior high and who wants to take their younger brother with them. I was going to Astro World with friends and we just might meet some cute boys! Oh one other thing that kind has to do with church and church attendance. I will never forget the Sunday lunch that mom had stayed home from church to cook and prepare for the crowd of family and friends that were coming over after church. We had all sat down, my dad sat at one end of the table, my mother at the other end (closest to the kitchen) and the rest of us were squeezed in at the table. My dad asked my mom to say the blessing...she began her prayer and in the course of praying she thanked the Lord for the good services at church that morning. In the midst of that sentence, she realized she hadn't been to the good services at church that morning, so she did a mid prayer correction and added, I wasn't there but You were,so I am sure they were good."

Friends were very important to my mom. She has had good friends all through her life. As a child I was intrigued to hear the story of my mom and her three friends who had borrowed a car and the car's brakes didn't work. So when they came close to her home, they slowed the car down as much as they could and my mom jumped out of the backseat onto the grass. I've mentioned before what a prolific letter and card sender she was. She had friends she talked on the phone with everyday and friends that she went shopping and to lunch with. One time, Roy had rented a convertible for me and I went over to take my mom on a ride. She said, let's go get Mary Jo. Mary Jo was in her robe and had curlers in her hair. As I drove the two of them they hooped and hollered like teenagers as we drove around the neighborhood and they made sure we went past all their friend's homes.

It seems to me after writing this, the acorn doesn't fall too far from the tree.

Saturdays

2011-11-19T14:11:00.001-06:00

When one is not an early riser, it is sometimes difficult to be married to one who loves the early morning wake up. Around 6:40 am I heard a noise and it awakened me from deep sleep. Silly me, I thought it was in the middle of the night and either our ice maker was working late into the night or maybe it was the noise of someone breaking in. Neither, it was Roy. What? He got up early because we had discussed going out for breakfast the night before. I asked if he would wake me up around 7:00 and finally I hit the floor at 7:15. He is taking off all of next week and already has plans to go to Life Time for early morning work outs. This schedule is going to totally throw me off.

Yesterday we went to the memorial service for my friend Patty. She was a friend from my tennis days. She was lots of fun, enthusiastic and one of the friendliest people I had ever met. Roy and I sat with her tennis friends. I was glad to have Catholic friends to the left of me and Roy, former Catholic altar boy, on the right. This way hopefully I wouldn't faux paux. Lots of standing and kneeling, singing songs that had different words to very familiar Baptist tunes, and closed communion. Only Roman Catholics could participate. It was a beautiful service, actually it was a Mass. Later on Roy commented that it was one of the sexiest dressed services he had ever gone to. I didn't notice, I was concentrating on everything that was taking place with the functionary disciplines of the service. There was a reception afterwards at the Houstonian, but we didn't go. Instead we went to the Nord to meet Dena for dinner. We all had a great time, great conversation and great food. Ah, strength will rise when we go into the Nord, we will go into the Nord. Afterwards, Dena and I perused the cosmetic and shoe departments while Roy headed over to the TVs in men's shoes.

When we left the Nord, we made a stop at the Play Grocery Store. It seemed so strange being there. I don't think I have been there since August. How are they functioning without me? Probably very well, since I only played there. We picked up a few of their holiday specials and I think our total bill came to $57.00 and some change. Everything fit into a paper bag. As we got closer to home we realized we needed to make a HEB stop and since it wasn't very crowded...we stopped. We bought about $57.00 worth of stuff and we had bags upon bags. So if you want to stretch your shopping dollar, don't go to the play grocery store.

A Man Called Peter was on TCM last night. It has been some time since I last saw it. This is a movie about Peter Marshall, a preacher from Scotland. His wife is Catherine Marshall and she wrote several books. Kind of corny but the Gospel was preached in that movie. Loved all his sermons. Kept me up past my bed time. Thus this brings us back to why I wasn't so happy about being an early riser. Lot of energy expended yesterday.

So, Roy and I went to breakfast and then he headed on into Houston for Celebration practice, a hair cut and run a couple of errands. I did some damage at Target and then went to La Centerra for a bit. I don't have anything to wear for my mom's service. I could wear what I wore to Patty's, so I found a back up outfit just in case. Also found a top I can wear to a couple of holiday lunches I've been invited to.

Just for fun here are a couple of pictures that are a blast from the past. I tried to get them in order but something must be out of order in my understanding so....

First picture-high school graduation and mom's big hair. She could only hope her daughter would tease up her hair too, but I chose the long hair hippy look.

Second picture- Easter 1956 or 57

Third picture- Mom bringing me over to meet the grandparents, I think. Could be just a load of laundry that she wanted to take care of while visiting with my grandparents.

Fourth picture- Family portrait in the early 1960's

Fifth picture- lovely 70's. Mom and me and she made the dresss.

Finally, I had to end with the coolest 8th grader around. Notice I have my camera and I am ready for any photo op.

I Stills Gots the Fog Brain Thing

2011-11-16T15:19:00.001-06:00

I still feel a little foggy brained. Think foggy brain is being prolonged because we haven't had my mother's service yet and grieving (and I'm grieved to have to use that word) has been put on a delayed pause. So we make the long march to next Friday with an interruption of Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong we are full of thankfulness that my mom is in heaven, with her right mind, free and whole but it is the unusual aspect of having to think of what we might do. Roy and I went to the zoo last Thanksgiving and Roy is hoping upon hope that we will go again this year. No one is there, of course most everything is closed but he is there to take pictures. I wrote about it here. I also have to think about the lunch after my mother's service on Friday. There is no way I will have the energy to do two meals in a short turn around period. Today I went and ordered chicken pot pie, salad and several desserts. Then we will need to fill in with some other side dishes and such. This is not in my natural or spiritual giftings to have to think about this kind of stuff and then pull it off. Thankfully, Roy is taking off next week and will be able to help me sort through all the plans and logistics.

Thank God for my therapist Cheryl. She is in the life saving business... I had an appointment with her today. Christ centered counseling at its best. Before my appointment I had about 20 minutes, so I decided to stop at Walgreen's and pick up a prescription. Fog brain here dropped my credit card on the pavement...hello wide window drawer. I had to get out of the car and believe you me there wasn't much space between the building and Sequisha, bend down, not an easy thing for me with tons of space, pick up the card and get back into the car. I was praying the whole time because you know I didn't want to get stuck.

Even after moving, the people who sent tons and tons of worthless mailings to my mother in law have caught up with our new address. We get off several mailings each month by using their postage free envelopes or emailing them and asking that her name be removed. There are days all the mail is for her. One thing I have noticed in these mailings, whether it be about money or health, it is all based on fear. Fear has to be the biggest marketing tool used against senior adults. I don't consider myself one except for any instance where it is beneficial, discounted meals or close in parking. Or the marketing is geared toward, everyone else gets __________ and you are being left out. Send me money and I will tell you in my newsletters how to get everything you have coming to you and more... it is really, really sad to read all these scare tactic letters and know there are people duped by them every day.

More fog brained things, I put my cash back in the bag that had bananas when leaving the grocery store. Thankfully, it was all there and hadn't blown out of the bag. I've been that lady that aggravates me. I have been parking Sequisha all over the place...anywhere but between the lines and I have not corrected my parking. I've just walked away thinking, they'll deal with it. Yea, big scrape on the side of the door if I don't watch out.

It is already crowded in the parking garages at The Galleria. I had to stop and pick up some gifts. People are crazy in parking garages. I of course am only crazy in how I park not in how I drive.

Maybe I should go take a little nap and listen to the sound of the fog horn sounding forth in my brain.

Monday Morning Catch Up

2011-11-14T08:32:00.001-06:00

It's an overcast morning out here on the prairie. The house behind us is ready to be bricked and another house on that block is at the really noisy stage of building. Buddy has finally settled into her early morning nap and I sit here at the computer catching up on blogs I read and answering some email. There are several items on the to do list for the day and I hope I get those taken care of this morning.

It has been a roller coaster this week. Emotions running the gamut. Crying at the strangest times. Remembering things about my mom and writing them down. I've experienced kindness and thoughtfulness from friends. Words of encouragement, flowers and expressions of love have been gratefully received. These expressions have made the week and the start of this new chapter a little less scary.

The mental fog is lifting. It is getting back into the routine of daily life. I realized I missed the nation wide emergency testing last week. Doesn't sound like I missed too much. The 11-11-11 day passed and we didn't mark it in any special way.

On Saturday Roy and I went back out to Brookwood and got some more roses and a beautiful bougainvillea. The bougainvillea is not listed on the HOA's official roster of acceptable plants, so that puppy is on the back patio. On Sunday Roy planted the roses for me and I re potted the geraniums and supervised the transferring of the bougainvillea into a planter. My mom loved her garden and worked it all the time until she couldn't remember how to do it. I am not going to plant any type of garden or do any extensive landscaping at this time, but I do feel a little closer to and honoring of my mom with these meager floral additions.

Saturday morning, instead of going out to breakfast like we normally do, Roy made pumpkin pecan pancakes. They were delicious! Later on in the day Roy started his fence project. He has already sealed the wood but he is fighting like crazy to keep the fence from turning gray. The stain Lowe's mixed up for him wasn't quite right. Too yellow. He went back and they reformulated the mixture and it is just right. Roy was so playing the Tom Sawyer bit telling me how much fun painting the fence is. Uh, yea....I will let you have all the fun Roy.

Well the day awaits and Buddy is here meowing at me for her morning snack. Ah, the little things of life.

Joy and New Mercies, They Come in the Morning

2011-11-09T10:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning I woke up early and I was fully awake when Roy called to tell me my mom had passed away. Even when you know that this news is not unexpected, I don't know if you are ever fully prepared. My dad was there with her when she made her transition from this earthly life into her inheritance and future. I sat at our island counter and bawled. The tears were a mixture of sadness, relief, and joy. I did the 2011 thing and posted her passing on Facebook. One friend texted me back the verse, joy comes in the morning. Yes! What a word, my mom had found her joy that morning. She was free from that hateful, conniving, thieving world of Alzheimer's. She was overwhelmed with joy being in the presence of her Savior and Lord. Mom was greeted and welcomed by her mom and dad, friends long gone on before her and new friends she didn't even know. Maybe she is even getting to sing a duet with one of her favorite Gospel singers, Vestal Goodman. I like what Cassi wrote, your mom and my mom are meeting for the first time and that just blessed me because Cassi means so much to me. His mercies are new every morning...and my mom experienced the greatest new mercies of the morning and of her life.

You've Made Your Bed, So Don't Lie or Lay in It.

2011-11-07T11:22:00.001-06:00

My mom has the greatest sense of humor and sense of playfulness. She was always doing something funny. One Sunday afternoon while my dad was taking a nap, she got out the fingernail polish and painted his nails on one hand. We all had a great laugh until we found out, she was out of nail polish remover. Back in the day on Sunday, NOTHING was open, no stores, nothing...so she went to the next door neighbor we had never met and asked the lady if she had any remover. My mom tends to the shy side, so this was a huge deal for her to go next door.

Mom is not a big game player and the only time she would play board games with us was when it stormed. She hated storms! She was afraid of lightning and thunder. So playing a board game with us helped her take her mind off of the weather. She never really sat down and played with us but she did help us make some great forts out of blankets. She would let my brother and I play in the sacred living room, but only if we would promise to have everything picked up before my father got home. Oh yeah, she said that a lot...wait until your father gets home. She sent me to my room a lot to think about what I had done but being ADD, my attention span on my wrongs and what I could do to make them right lasted only a few minutes. The next thing you'd know, I had stuff pulled out and I was playing or I would be reading a book. When she'd come back to my room so that I could tell her where I went wrong and apologize, she'd be a little miffed that I had gone onto other activities and hadn't given my wrong doing too much thought. When my nieces were into Barbie dolls, we were playing Barbie's one night. My parents had recently unearthed my 1960 Barbie and the girls had theirs. It was a rare occasion that my mom joined in to play. You know what playing Barbie is like, they hop around to everything, you make them talk in falsetto voices, and other than driving Barbie's car, Barbie and her friends just shop and take naps. We could tell this whole Barbie lifestyle was not sitting well with my mom. She stood up and announced that until we could play Barbie's in a way that had some focus or direction or schedule that didn't include shopping and naps, she would be back to play. That whole memory just cracks me up because maybe somewhere deep inside her she had once had more focus, direction and schedule but two kiddos and a husband sometimes messes up that whole scenario.

My mother was my first audience. I was always putting on some type of production where I played all the parts. My best thing was lip syncing to her records. She had some great records both 78 and long play. Only those above the age of 50 are going to know what I am talking about. The rule, if you used her records, you had to be very, very careful with them. Once my brother broke one of her records, so she went into his bedroom and broke one of his. I think it was Scruffy the Tugboad. My brother and I were speechless because this was so out of character for my mother. It is ironic that my mom who had great music disliked, no really hated musicals, especially Oklahoma. I would sing songs from it when I wanted to tease her or maybe even aggravate her. My mom's take on musicals, they are telling a perfectly good story and then they have to ruin everything by singing songs.

I think I get my love of writing letters and sending cards from my mom. We would go to the drug store and read the cards to one another and laugh ourselves silly. She was known for giving great birthday cards. They always fit the person. She would see a card and say, I'll get this and send it to __________ for their birthday. My mom corresponded with her mother religiously and she had childhood friends who kept up with each other through life. My mom would be so delighted when she had received a letter or card in the mail.

Even though Alzheimer's has taken so much from my mom, there is one thing she did everyday until almost the end of living in their home, she made the bed. She really didn't like an unmade bed and making the bed was one of the first things she had us do when we woke up...make that bed. To this day, rarely a day goes by that I don't make the bed. It just sets a completeness to the beginning of the day or something.

I'm not too sure about this, but I think I wasn't that pleasant to be around when I was in junior high. Seems like there was a lot of angst and tears. The battle within still wanting to be a child yet at the same time I was feeling all grown up and like all 12-14 year olds, I believed I knew quite a bit and had all the answers. Funny how as we mature most of us grow out of being a know it all. Since this back in the olden days where girls had to wear dresses or skirts every day to school, I suddenly fell in love with wearing skirts. Why? Because my mom would kiss me goodbye and watch me walk down the sidewalk, but once I was out of her sight, you got to know I was rolling that skirt at the waist band so I would be in fashion with all the other cool and yes, we were all insecure girls. I also would get my socks off to complete the total complete cool look. At the end of the school day I did the whole process in reverse so that once I arrived home, my mom would see me just as she had when I left in the morning. Years later she told me she knew I was rolling my skirts and ditching my socks. Seems like I had an inordinate amount of blisters on my feet during those years.

During junior high I had to take two semesters of home ec. I did ok in the cooking and foods semester but I did horrible in the sewing semester. I got the mumps and missed quite a bit of school that semester. Since the home ec teacher and I didn't see eye to eye, what me be a smart Alic? Anyway, she let me take the dress I was working on, probably more like butchering, home one night to complete it. Mom to the rescue. She made that dress and only made a B. Unfortunately, her daughter had forgotten to bring home the facing pieces and thus my mom made due with what fabric we had. The B came because we didn't have the required 3 inches of facing around the arm holes.

I just had this great thought...if a kiss doesn't wake her up maybe I will go over there and sing some songs from Oklahoma. Nah, I don't want her leaving this world thinking...Nancy, you and I were having a perfectly good visit...you talking and sharing your heart with me...we were remembering some of the most wonderful stories of our lives and then you have to go ruin it by singing songs.

Mom, I Need Some Help With My Hair

2011-11-06T21:11:00.001-06:00

Today was a hard day but it was a peace-filled day. We went to see my mom in her latest residence. After seeing her today, this will probably be her last earthly residence. Her next home, heaven. I was prepared knowing she would not be lively or vibrant as she was last weekend. She was asleep when we arrived and she never woke up. Her breathing labored and shallow. I sat beside her bed and told her how much I love her, what a wonderful mother she is. I thanked her for all the laughter and fun she brought to life. I thanked her for all the sacrifices she had made for my brother and me. I apologized for being disobedient, you know just sometimes, and I thanked her for raising us to love Jesus. I leaned over and kissed her on her cheek and jaw. Both times, she made a little pucker and kissy noise but never awakening. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought maybe my kiss would have the same effect on her as Prince Charmings had on Snow White or whatever Disney princess that gets awakened by a kiss. I stood there a long time looking and taking in my mother's features. She has always been a thin woman but she has lost 14 pounds in the last week. My mother would not be happy knowing that she has gone several years without a body wave in her hair. When I was a kid, my mom went every week to the Flair Beauty Salon. She got blonder from time to time and she always had a good wash, set and tease to her hair. She slept in a thing called a magic turban to keep her hair in place until the next appointment which was always on a Friday. She even slept on a silk pillow case to keep that beautiful unnatural look that all the women wore. I used to be bothered that when I grew up I would have to give up time to go to the beauty shop and get my hair done. Ah, thank goodness for the late 60's and 70's when a weekly trip to get a bea-fon-te wasn't required. She really tried to instill in me the love of a good permanent. I got the Tony permanent at home and a few salon ones in my day. Every Saturday night my mom would roll my hair on spoolies and later on pink hair curlers. A few times we even tried those curlers that had brushes in them and they hurt. She would roll my hair and then wrap a scarf around the curlers and in the morning I should have perfectly curled hair for church. Only thing, I have never been one that can sleep very still. By morning the scarf was flung on the floor and we would hunt for those curlers soon after awakening. My early hair years were just sad, but my mom never gave up on me and good hair.

My mother loves the sun, sitting by a pool getting a tan or a trip to the beach. She hated and feared getting near the water. One summer we had a pool membership to a place called Hawaiian Village. My brother and I loved the fact there was a snack bar right there by the pool because the city pools didn't let you have any food or drink near their pools. I believe I was in the second or third grade the summer we had that pool membership. My mom would sit there on the edge of the pool and tell me to be careful because she couldn't swim. There were life guards. That is the summer I taught myself to swim because you had to know how to swim to be able to go down the slide. Most days mom packed our lunches but we always got to have an ice cream bar or Popsicle from the snack bar before leaving for home. I think my mom loved that pool membership because she would take us to the pool in the mornings and by early afternoon we were beat and would take a nap when we got home. Let's just say that my brother and I were like most other siblings and could find any reason to fuss and fight with one another. When I was in high school my mom joined the YWCA and took a beginning swimming class. She didn't finish the class because they were using empty coffee cans to keep them above water and I don't believe my mother believed that two coffee cans would keep her afloat enough to learn how to swim. I loved that about my mom because she was always sympathetic when I began some class and wanted to quit after just a few times. She would let you quit, my dad would make you go in order to build character into us.

I really don't know if I can decorate for Christmas this year. It might be too difficult. Most of the ornaments we have, my mom made or she would always pick out ornaments when she and my dad would go on trips. We found the ornaments in our Christmas stockings that she had made for us when we were kids long into adulthood. Up until several years ago, she always made peanut butter cookies for my brother and gingerbread men for me. Even after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's she'd bake Christmas cookies for us but my gingerbread men became ginger snaps because she could no longer remember how to use a cookie cutter. I have one of the last gingerbread cookies she ever made for me. She did a self portrait.

Another thing my mom tried to really get me interested in was sewing. Never had the patience for it. She made my Barbie some beautiful outfits and she made me some beautiful outfits as well. Being tall in a non tall world, her sewing made slacks and pants for me so I didn't have to wear high waters. While packing things up this summer I put away some pillows and other fun things she had made for me through the years.

I'm sure I will have a few more blog posts about her. I want to remember the real and raw emotions during this time. Just for fun tomorrow I might just spray some hairspray on my hair, really nice and thick. Never learned how to tease me hair, so maybe I can just dry my hair upside down and then spray it. Yep, my mom would get a good laugh out of that and then she would try to smooth it down so at least I would be presentable.

What the Beep?

2011-11-04T17:39:00.001-05:00

Our world at the condo was kind of quiet. Our appliances were so dated. They were so 14 years ago. Never, no not once, did they ever let us know their cycle was completed. Neither our washer nor our dryer announced the clothes were done. The only way you knew the dishwasher was finished is, you could hear the TV clearly. Once the dishwasher stopped we had to be quick to turn the sound down as not to disturb any of our condo dwelling neighbors. Our microwave had a ding sound but it never repeated itself to remind us we had cooked food ready to be consumed. I faintly remember the few times we used the oven, there was a loud and obtrusive buzzer that went on with infinitude until someone rushed into the kitchen to turn the blasted thing off.

Here in Katy we have been introduced to the world of beeps. Both the washer and the dryer have a series of beeps to announce completion. Because of Roy's, Paul Revere, mishaps with the alarm system, many a time we jumped to find the remote control to shut the thing down. Now that we are veterans, the washer and dryer beeps don't quite move us the way they used to. The dishwasher beep still alarms me since we usually run it later in the evening. I used to head toward the laundry room thinking, I don't remember starting a load of laundry...but now I know, dishes are ready to be unloaded, that is if we chose to do so. Then sometimes we have the I will wait you out and use every clean dish in the dishwasher before I officially unload this thing. That doesn't happen very much, but I'm sad to report, it has happened in the past, but not the recent past. Our refrigerator beeps if the door has been left open. The microwave continues with intermittent beeps if we don't retrieve the contents in a timely manner. The oven timer beeps loudly. Yes, I have used the oven, but not as much as the microwave. The entrance doors to our house beep every time you open one.

Now, wearing a heart monitor, I beep. When I take a recording there are a series of beeps. If the monitor is full, it beeps. Or if the batteries need changing, another series of beeps. Can you imagine my surprise when I started to beep intermittently in the Hobby Lobby. Roy and I had gone to lunch and we stopped in at the ol' HB to pick up some picture hanging wire and hooks. When I beeped in the frame department, I wasn't too alarmed because it was just us. Since Roy is the faster one, he began a hurried jaunt to the check out...because there is always a line or a price check or a return gone bad. When I finally caught up to him in line, I was one continuous beep. You know like the beep in movies right before a bomb goes off? At that moment I had to decide whether to toss all modesty aside and get to that monitor to shut it off or be swarmed by HB security because they're thinking maybe I'm one of those crazed people that strap bombs to themselves. I glanced up to see the reaction and situation around me. There were some intense looks and a lot of heads scanning the area to see who the beeper was. Thank goodness there wasn't a TSA agent buying craft supplies behind me. I would have been subject to a pat down and of course after that much touching, I might have to ask for a cigarette. So as not to draw attention to myself, I calmly reached under my t-shirt and sweat shirt to unhook the monitor and get it out where I could see it. Success...so far. Then I unattached the monitor from the wires. Of course I'm standing there with a set of wires and electrodes coming out from the bottom of my sweatshirt. So I think, well maybe it was a bad connection and I reattach the wires into the monitor. Nope, beeps start up again. Quickly I rip the wires out of the monitor. It is then I decided before anyone could announce a Code 3 on register 2, to just go on out to the car. When Roy catches up to me at the car, he asks, "what the beep is going on?" Now that was pretty funny. Once I got home I found the source of my beeping. One of the electrodes had come loose and beeped to warn no readings were going on.

So that's the whole beepin' story out here on the prairie.

Stress Shows Itself in so Many Unbecoming Ways

2011-11-03T17:58:00.003-05:00

Stress is a like one of those lizards that changes color. Not like the Boy George song, but I'm comparing the continued changes and shapes stress takes on ones body. And you'll notice I had to give a description because between my misspelling and Blogger spell check, we could only come up with comedian. A couple of weeks ago a stress related rash rocked my neck, upper grandma arms and hid in the cellulite on the back of my legs. That rash was annoying. Stress manifests itself with a rapid and racing heart beat. Even at times the heart that beats to a different drummer with the regular beats and then a long pause before the beats resume. That's always a lot of fun. My latest manifestation of stress...vampire pimples. On my chin, my 57 year old chin so this should not be happening, I have too big ol' zits perfectly spaced and resemble the bite mark of a vampire... Now on Halloween night handing out candy to the little children, the look came in handy. Now that I am back to ordinary life, the vampire zits are annoying and they are annoying on so many levels.

I love all the thankful blog posts and the FB status'. I am thankful for many things, but today with the lingering vampire zits and as "twilight" hastens, I am thankful for Perricone MD tonic that dries up zits. It has taken a while, but the stuff is finally beginning to work.

I'm just hoping that any new stress related symptoms don't result in connect the dot zits or a big ol' Bozo the clown zit resting at the end of my nose.

Almost Missed It and Living Life Like a Tree

2011-11-02T16:37:00.001-05:00

Wow, I almost totally missed the Half Yearly Sale at Nordstrom. Not that I went there today, but saw it on Facebook. This is an event that normally makes it onto my calendar. Guess I have been distracted. I did get online once I got home today and got several sweet deals.

I believe in 5000 mile check ups with my therapist. It has been just over a year since I had my last one and with everything we're facing on the horizon, it seemed to be a good time to check in with Cheryl. So, I had an appointment this morning and as always, life saving and life guiding thoughts were generously poured out. She has saved my life in so many ways. I felt so encouraged when I left her office. It is said that timing is everything and the timing of my visit coincides with some drama that has reared its head today. Nothing new, no surprises, at least the drama is consistent and no curve balls are thrown in.

My mom is holding her own. She was heavily sedated last night, so this morning she wasn't able to participate in physical therapy. She needs to get up and walk. Now, I don't know if she'll be taking up her mat and walking like the guy in John 5, but she needs to get up and walk. She is still able to swallow, so that is very good news.

I wasn't too sure if I would be able to host the Phase 10 group which is formally known as the Bunco group on Monday night. I have decided to follow Jesus yes, and I have decided that I can have everyone over for dinner. It is not going to be a cool night but we can still drink hot chocky or Diet Cokes by the outdoor fireplace. I ordered the chicken pot pie today and plan to mix up a little dough in the bread maker. I am so happy to have these friends over for my first official social event.

Last week I was reading about the verse that says, the heart is deceitful above all else. Who can understand it? The commentary in my study Bible said that mind would be the better word instead of heart. Yes, that makes much more sense. The mind is so deceitful. No wonder Romans 12 tells us to renew our minds. Who can understand the twists and turns of a mind deceived? That's the whole thing about being deceived, the deceived one has no idea that they walk in duplicity.

Wisdom from the Lord

⁵ This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
who rely on human strength
and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
⁶ They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
in an uninhabited salty land.
⁷ “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
⁸ They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit.
⁹ “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?
¹⁰ But I, the Lord, search all hearts
and examine secret motives.
I give all people their due rewards,
according to what their actions deserve.”

I do not want to live as a stunted shrub in the desert, with no hope for a future. Who would want to live in an uninhabited salty land? A couple of weeks ago I bought a pendant of a large and mighty oak tree. I've been wearing that necklace a lot to remind me that if I put my hope and confidence in the Lord, I will be like a tree, planted by the river and such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green and they never stop producing fruit. Goes along with Psalm 92. This is how I desire to live.

On a comical note, I almost became Mrs. Paul Revere today. Somehow I had set the alarm while in the house and when I went to leave all the warnings were going off and counting down till the alarm would sound. Fortunately, I never had to let anyone know one if by land, two if by sea. This was my first alarm near mishap. So glad it didn't develop into anything major.

My First, My Last, My Everything

2011-11-01T10:05:00.001-05:00

It has been a long time but we experienced our first trick or treaters last night. All the kids were so cute in their costumes. Most of the kids were 5 and under, but there were a few older ones mixed in. We opened our gate, turned on the fireplace and sat outside waiting for the kiddos to come. At first we thought no one would come down our block because we are on a cul de sac and away from the main hub of the neighborhood. It took a while but finally the trick or treaters arrived.

Sunday afternoon we had our last snow cone of the season. Bahama Mama closed on October 31 and we will have to wait until April to have our next delicious treat.

As many of you know my mom has Alzheimer's. I HATE that disease. All diseases are cruel, painful and steal, but Alzheimer's steals the heart and personality and leaves the person a shell of their former selves. Mom has been in the hospital because she no longer remembers how to swallow. As we spent time with her over the weekend, she was anitmated, a little more lively and talkative. Granted, we don't understand a lot of what she says but here and there you can actually hear words. She even played a game of pulling her blankets up so that her toes were exposed. She would laugh when we covered them and waited a bit before she pulled her blankets up off her toes once again. Sunday evening she was evaluated by a hospice nurse. Monday, we had an appointment with the people from Memorial Herman Hospice. When Roy and I arrived my dad had a happiness about him, my mom could once again swallow. She passed the speech pathologists tests and had eaten quite a bit of her lunch. Of course we were so excited to learn of this news, yet we are some what apprehensive because the Alzheimer's journey is full of twists and turns, forward moving and back stepping. The Dr seemed quite satisfied that she could go to skilled nursing and so last night around 5:00, she was transferred to the place my dad has picked out. We are hopeful and we trust God. Even though I slept in today, those new mercies were there waiting and God's new mercies were waiting for my mom when she woke up. You know I have written this before, but when we sing the Doxology at church, I have to change the words from "early in the morning" to "early mid morning my song shall rise to Thee."

It is difficult seeing my full of life mother like this, but in all of this, she still has a sense of humor. I was singing a hymn to her on Saturday and she looked at me and began her way of singing, I hope. It just happened to sound like a dog howling when something hurts their ears. Hopefully, that wasn't commentary on my singing. She still knows how to give kisses.

Saturday evening I realized I had never seen my mom's hands. She kept them under the covers. My mom has always had the most beautiful hands. Always soft to the touch. Starting as a child she had me using hand lotion after every time my hands had touched water. Saturday as I was praying for my mom and dad, I asked the Lord to see my mom's hands once again. God gave me such a gift! On Sunday, we couldn't keep her hands under the covers. She held my hand and even did that little swingy thing you do when you hold hands with the ones you love. There they were those beautiful hands, with a few more age spots, but those age spots only enhanced their beauty. I always look at people's hands even though they say that the eyes are the window to the soul, I think hands tell the story of a persons kindness and gentleness.

Late Saturday afternoon, Roy and I stopped at Brookwood to buy some plants. We got two rose bushes and some geraniums. My mother has always had such a green thumb and I wanted to honor her by planting the roses in the front flower bed. HOA flower rules be danged! When we mentioned buying and planting plants to her yesterday, she had a moment that seemed to say she knew what we were talking about. I cannot tell you how many times I have thought, oh I need to call Mom and ask her about this plant or that tree.

The roller coaster will continue it's wild ride and we know that God knows every thrill to be experienced and every scary moment that will happen. His grace is sufficient. I have experienced the peace that passes all understanding. I figured since I am wearing this heart monitor for the month that this weekend my readings would be all over the place and that I would have more episodes than usual. I've not experienced one while being with my mom. I am thankful for that.

If you think of us, please continue your prayers for our family.

Cool and Monitored Days

2011-10-28T11:16:00.002-05:00

It is a beautiful morning here on the prairie. The wind is blowing from the north, it is overcast and the temps are hovering in the 50's. I'm waiting for a furniture delivery and for a grill to be delivered later on in the afternoon. I think we are at a stopping point on furnishing and little extras. We need to take a rest, save some more dollars and then start again. I'm still looking for a cabinet or some other piece of furniture to use as nightstands. I've seen a few things online, but wasn't too sure of the color or we felt it was just a little too pricey. We still need a trundle mattress and a few other comforts of home for the casita bedroom. On Thursday the two bookcases we ordered for Roy's office were delivered. They are beautiful and the fragrance of Amish wood fills the room. Last night Roy moved a few things around in his study and he unloaded the last of the boxes because the books now had someplace to go. Things are shaping up nicely.

We flipped between the World Series and the U of H/Rice game on TV last night. What an exciting baseball game. We turned it off tied in the 9th and went to sleep but when I woke up in the night I got on FB to see who had won. I like both teams but think the sway of loyalty leans towards the Cardinals. My grandfather loved the Cardinals and I spent many a Saturday rooting them on to victory with him. They were my first love in baseball.

I'm wearing a wire, so don't say anything around me that you don't want recorded. OK, it isn't that kind of deal, but I am wearing a heart monitor for the next month. My appointment with the cardiologist was extensive and time intensive. I was poked and prodded by several doctors and my heart was listened to and analyzed. Had an echo cardiogram and this one was different because not only did they do the heart thing, but also the top of my stomach. Never had that done before. So this heart monitor thing...seems like it could be a lot more advanced. I'm hooked up and when I have a heart episode, I push the record button. Then at some point I call in and by using a phone, they get the reading. Yesterday I kind of had button record fright. The one time I had a really lightheaded moment I couldn't get to the recorder in time because I was driving and I pushed the send button instead of record. I thought for sure with the ups and downs of the game last night, surely I would have something to send. This morning I had an episode, got to the button and was able to record it. So, now I just need to call it in. I didn't get as good of report as I would have liked and everything indicated that I have a few more issues than at my last check up. The Dr has a plan but I know God knows the plans for my life. I put my hope and my trust in Him.

Blood work was in order on Wednesday afternoon and I found the Lab Corp on Grand Parkway.
Easy to get to and a really nice medical building. The parking lot was jammed packed. Me thinks that medical buildings are like restaurants in Katy, not enough for the growing population.

I had to leave Bible study early yesterday because Scott and his assistant were close by in the area to deliver the bookcases. It is probably good I left early because I was extremely exhausted and fatigued. I spent the rest of the afternoon with my feet elevated. Got in a lot of reading and some Buddy in my lap time. Buddy is getting quite adventuresome with interest in the garage. She actually got into the garage yesterday and thankfully the garage door was closed. With the house door slamming behind her, she got a little skittish and wanted back into the house right away. She's also showing more interest in the front door and what lies beyond. Oh goody, she said sarcastically.

Sadly, there are some other things happening in life that I don't feel should be shared to all the world. But if you think of my mom while you are praying, you would not waste a prayer on her.

Random Thoughts, Volume 14

2011-10-25T10:29:00.001-05:00

Autumn is my very favorite time of year and living where there isn't much fall doesn't diminish my fallish feelings. One just needs to get creative in creating a short if almost nonexistent season around here. Not being the type that goes overboard on decorating for the seasons, I do have a couple of mums, gourds, and fake fall foliage in and around the house.

Last week we did experience the miracle of cooler temps. In fact we sat around the outdoor fireplace a couple of times. Friday, Dena came out in the afternoon. We had lunch and then hit a couple of the cute little shops around here. Since she hadn't seen Brookwood in a while, we made a stop out there. Came back home for a bit and Roy suggested we try Dekker's Grill in Fulshear. We got there a little before 6 and the wait was 35 minutes. It was worth the wait and honestly the weight (gain) since the menu is a cornucopia of comfort food. I know Roy would love a return trip and we'll have to go all senior citizen and go around 5:00. We're hungry but not proud people. Before going to Dekker's, we called Peggy to see if they would like to meet us there. Wasn't going to work out but we'd check in later. Peggy came over later, then Bill and his antiquing buddy. Bill offered to give us a late night shopping experience at K T Antiques. What a great time we had, well except for Peggy jamming her middle finger on the door. Bill is such a fount of knowledge when it comes to antiques. He pointed out various items and talked about the history of each one. Roy opted out of the shopping experience. Dena and I got home around 10:30. We had such a fun day.

I was worn out and on Saturday morning, I opted out of the going out to breakfast experience. Roy decided he would go to this place in old Katy and check out their breakfast. I was happy for him to do that since I imagined this place to be full of stale ciggie smoke and he mentions every time we pass the place he would like to try it. Roy said breakfast was really good, especially the grits. That man knows the way to my breakfast heart, grits. I asked if they were as good as Biltmore grits...his reply, no one does grits like the Biltmore. Selah...and amen!

Peggy and I did toesdays that afternoon. I didn't really keep up with caring for my feet like I usually do. So the pedi girl had a whole lot of extra work to do. I will do better because I don't want to be banned from the nail salon.

Sunday morning on our drive going to church, Roy and I had an interesting discussion. Actually it wasn't a discussion, it was more like Roy expressing some very relevant and deeply insightful thoughts. I mentioned an article I had read about women's ministry. The woman writing it was asking for less cupcake decorating seminars and the like. She wanted more in depth conversations about scripture. She mentioned in the article that sometimes women's ministry forgets that there is more to ministry than just to marrieds and mothers. There are others to consider, single, single mothers, women who want children but can't have them, women in the workplace etc... The author though most ministry went to the married and moms. I mentioned to Roy that when Peggy and I have done our Spring Thing, Salad Fling as Mildred and Gertrude, we get the most feedback. So many women come up to us afterwards to tell us that they have never felt like they fit into women's ministry. Back in the day, it was pretty exclusive...women's ministry. Seemed like you had to have a look, a vocabulary and come across as "having it all together." Thank goodness we have come a long way from that. Roy then said something very profound. He talked about women in the work place and that more women are executives or are major players in company decisions. He said women are more than admins and somehow the church hasn't caught up with that. He added, it was more the men in charge at churches that didn't seem to realize how many women run the show in their areas of expertise. Roy said, I feel for these women who are in high positions, there isn't any women's ministry for them. He gave an example of a woman who was the CFO of a company and she was pressured to cook the books by the CEO. She felt pressure from all sides, job and she was the bread winner for the family because her husband was unemployed. That woman is now in prison. He said that woman could have used something more than cooking or crafting or hearing from a speaker how to keep her husband happy. There isn't enough space or time to tell y'all his thoughts and concerns. I will tell you this, I have never been prouder of Roy than I was Sunday morning in the car. He expressed an insight and forward motion that many in church work don't even have vision for the difficult road ahead for women who are in positions of influence in business. Also, by writing this I am in no way saying the women's ministry at our church is not good, it is. Roy is in a unique place to see a void for an increasing and growing segment of women. He is also married to a woman who really has no interest in learning to craft or cook. If I happen to go to an event that involves these things or table decorating, it is only to see and have fun with friends. I will mention I did cook dinner last night. The move out here to the prairie has increased the frequency of meal preparation.

Sunday at church was eventful. A fire alarm went off and we all experienced a dismissal to lives of service, early. It sounds like the whole fire drill preparation in the building went smoothly. Uh, the parking lot was a whole other story. We all seem to lose some of that holiness once our feet hit the pavement of the parking lot. It was a stand still free for all. Hopefully the powers that be will extend the preparation out to the parking lots for a more efficient and better exit plan.

Tomorrow morning, I have to leave early for my appointment with the cardiologist. I'm looking forward to getting some answers and a plan for further heart improvement. They have been changing my meds and this last combination seems to have brought some relief from the extreme fatigue and low blood pressure I had been experiencing. Like the Dr said, I'm facing an ever changing new kind of normal everyday.

The rest of my Revelation homework is calling. I also hear the faint call of laundry....we'll have to see about that.

Friday Catch Up

2011-10-21T11:07:00.002-05:00

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Construction on the house next door is finished and the young couple purchasing that house closes on it today. No longer will our cul de sac be filled with various sizes of construction trucks. The new adventure of having construction in our backyard began in earnest this week. Almost every morning we are awakened by trucks making deliveries and at the dawn of first light, the hammering and sawing begin. It might be awhile before sleeping in late with quiet will be an option. I'm not complaining at all, it is just the noise of the season we find ourselves in. Once the two story home that is being built behind us has sturdy enough stairs, we're going to go in it and inspect to see how much one can see into our living room. We may have to adjust the roman shades a little.

Yesterday the maid came. She called me later in the afternoon and told me never, ever to open the windows again while there is so much dust and construction in the air. I told her I had cleaned up quite a bit of the dust and dirt that had blown in, but somehow I don't think she believed me. It was so nice to come home to a clean house yesterday afternoon. Last week Abel and the lawn guys didn't show up to cut the grass. So, we didn't know if they would show up this week. Ah, it was music to my ears to hear the sound of lawnmowers, weed eaters and leaf blowers filling the air yesterday afternoon.

I am blown away by the study of Revelation in CBS. The questions have been thought provoking and we have such a good core group, that discussion is lively, animated and dare I say it, deep. Even our bunny trails were on subject and mattered. We studied Revelation 7 this past week, the pause between the opening of the 6th and 7th seal. There is so much we don't understand, but those things that we kind of grasp are amazing and awesome. The fact that God has so much going on in the throne room, yet He personally wipes the tears from the eyes of the martyred ones. I hope my ADD doesn't make it with me in my glorified body in heaven. My goodness, there will be so much to experience and take in. The lesson was also empathic in letting us know we will all have jobs and work to do. After Bible study Peggy, Kathleen and I went to lunch at Panera Bread. That is a happening place. I don't think I have ever been there when business was at a lull.

Last night Roy and I had dinner at T Jin's. It is located next to the HEB and a grocery run was in the plans for the evening. I can't believe that I am going to say this, but their orange chicken is better than at Fu's Garden. We picked up a couple of to go menus on our way out, one for home and one for Roy's car. He passes by this place on his way home from work and can make the stop to pick up dinner. I have actually fixed dinner most nights this week. I've not branched out too much from basic stuff, but like Roy said last night, you don't hear him complaining.

Fall Has Arrived!

2011-10-18T10:12:00.001-05:00

Fall is blowing in and in a big way this morning. The wind is gusting from the North. I have gone out a couple of times to pick up trash that has blown about from our tumped over containers. The trash service just came by and picked up the recycle bin stuff. That will help.

Yesterday I went to the land of sugar to meet Lisa P for lunch. Before meeting her I stopped at the bike shop that I had visited and went all old lady in last week. I was very thankful that I felt much better yesterday than I did last Monday and because of that was able to stay on task and not drift in and out of senior adulthood. I decided on the purple bike and had them add a couple of extras. While they were doing that, I met Lisa at Post Oak Grill. We sat outside and had water side seats. Lovely. We got caught up on everything that is going on in our lives especially hers, with so many big changes. I returned to the bike shop after lunch and everything was installed and the bike was good to go.

Last night Roy and I took a ride around the neighborhood and on some of the trails to test it out. I have not ridden a girl bike in a long time and it took some getting used to. But, I feel like I do much better on this bike. Love sitting upright and the handlebars and seat have shock absorbers built in. All I need is some spiffy little bike bell or horn. I did have a small bag put on the back of the seat to hold keys and the like. Since the bike is purple and we seem to be all things LSU these days, think I will name the bike Tiger.

Sunday evening I met Dena for dinner at Escalente's. Their table side guacamole is just about the best around. She has been traveling and has been so busy, I was glad we could have dinner and get caught up on things. After eating we went over to Barnes and Noble. What a pleasant way to end a Sunday.

Friday Recap on Saturday Afternoon

2011-10-15T12:27:00.003-05:00

We are experiencing a wonderfully, cool morning out here on the prarirre. The timing couln't be better for our little street because every house on our block is either occupied, finished or only has inside work to be done. Now moved to another block, another street, another home; concrete trucks, brickers, landscapers, and the like. Last night when we pulled onto our street it had a very different feel to it. Ah, home.

I ain't gonna lie but these past two weeks have been some of the most difficult ones in recent days. It seemed my health took a nose dive in so many ways. I have been fighting off different infections and my immune system is weakened. Low blood pressure and a heart wanting to pump to the beat of a different drummer has left me quite exhausted. No stamina, low strength and no appetite. Now that is kind of a blessing in disguise, the no appetite thing but it plays into the no stamina. To be honest, there is a situation lurking in the shadows that brings a whole lot of stress. We don't have to deal with it daily but we never know when the phone call comes if it sets off a downward spiral of circumstances. It takes so much energy to deal with this person. Not only energy and patience, but they will bring up a long ago,a perceived slight or hurt that one hasn't thought about since they were 6. Well no one except maybe the stressor. The past couple of days I have begun to feel better and that is a welcomed return. Of course that happens when one has a few tests run on them and a DR appointment that will go through some options available. More importantly it is asking the Great Physician to step in and take control.

Only have one more delivery of furniture and I think we are about done for a while. This week Crate and Barrel delivered the Bedford chest and today the last shade was hung in the living room. Next week Pottery Barn will deliver the small couch for our bedroom. Of course I am keeping my eyes open for a splash of red for the living room. I may have found what I am looking for but will keep my options open.

We founds some vintage/retro amber glass lamps for the living room. They look great and they are lamps I normally wouldn't look at twice but I'm asking for eyes and spirit to see things a new. We assembled them and pronounced them good looking in the living room.

The above was Friday and now it is Saturday afternoon. What a beautiful day! Roy and I went out to breakfast and then he went into Houston for a costume fitting, a haircut and a Costco run. I came home and looked up the directions to take the back way to Brookwood. What a beautiful and relaxing drive. I only went to Brookwood for a couple of plants and I came home with so much more. How does that happen? I can't believe how much the store has expanded and all the wonderful treasures they have.

On the way home I was listening to Sirius XM radio, Enlighten. Heard a moving story about hope and experiencing God in the tough times. It was very encouraging. There is no rhyme nor reason for the cyclical aspect of the ups and downs of my strength strangling days. It can be so frustrating at times. Two weeks of absolute pain and weakness and now into day 2 of actually feeling good. Don't know but I have determined on the days I feel good, I am going to go and enjoy life and not try to save up lots and lots of energy for the really difficult times. A little manna gone bad, ey Nancy?

We are so hoping that tonight it cools off enough to sit around the fireplace outdoors.

I'm Ready for My SAS Shoes Mr. DeMille

2011-10-12T11:13:00.001-05:00

It happened yesterday, it took over like a plague, I knew what I wasdoing...yet I just couldn't stop. I remember my grandmother doing the samething at the grocery store. She'd be having a perfectly normal conversationwith a store clerk and before you could diagram it in a sentence, she'd go offsubject and begin giving details that didn't interest anyone. No One! She hadto see those faces turning indifferent. The glazed look overcoming everyone'sface. Probably the look you have on your face right now because I haven't movedon with the subject matter. After my own personal incident I should haveGoogled SAS shoes and then Google comfort clothing. No, Googling would be waytoo cool, I should have asked that nice tattooed man in the bike shop fordirections to such places in the land of sugar. That would have been completion.

My hair appointment needed to be rescheduled so I was in the land of sugarearly yesterday. How ironic that I have my old lady incident right after beingin one of the coolest salons ever. In fact, they were holding a training classwith their staff and the coolness factor had gone to the tenth power because ofthe instructors from other salons leading them in the latest techniques incolor. So you know the vibe was on. After my haircut, I went to the new NordRack that just opened and as I was leaving the Rack, I saw the bike shop myfriend Kathleen had told me about. So, I stopped. The "young man" whoassisted me was pleasant, but he didn't have need of any conversation, otherthan relating to the particular bike we were looking at. Sitting upon thatbike, in that shop, making everyone nervous due to the lack of balance on mypart, childhood memories rushed in and instead of keeping them to myself, I didit...I began telling them. Truthfully, I must tell you that I don't have verymany good childhood memories and when a good memory happens, it surprises me.You see, I began telling this backward cap wearing, tats up the arms showing,long haired nice looking rugged outdoorsman about my first bike. My first bikewas a three speed bike, but back then they were called English racers. I was inkindergarten when I was given this black, prim, proper and way too big of bike.So as I learned to ride a bike and did so on an adult sized bike. There are somany metaphors of life in that last sentence for me. So when I rode my bike Icould either stand up and pedal or sit on the seat and coast. The bike in theshop was a Raleigh; my first bike was a Raleigh. No one cares....they just wantto sell me a new bike without a lot of storytelling...yet I continued ontelling the young man more details about that first bike. Thankfully I stoppedbefore going on into the wooden blocks on the pedals story. I am blaming mebeing a chatter box old person yesterday because my body was behaving like anold person. I was racing on borrowed time and knew getting home quickly to restwas really the priority. The assurance that I was coming back with my husbandto look at the bike assuaged all his fears of being trapped with an old personagain...

I got to practice stealth reconnaissance this morning. Sitting here in theoffice working on this post and I see a parade of workmen with wheel barrelsand shovels marching through our back yard. My mission, should I decided toaccept it was to get back to our bedroom without being seen. Good thing I hadon my stealth jammies.

Youse Get to Behooving

2011-10-10T15:54:00.001-05:00

Patty and I have had interesting conversations throughout the years we have known one another. One conversation in particular had to do with her choice of college. She told me she hadn't planned on attending where she went and I asked her, so what made you change your mind. She said my uncle came to me one day, took me on a walk and told me it would behoove me to attended the family's beloved Alma mater. I must have had a strange expression on my face because she added, when an Italian man expresses, it would behoove you...you get to behooving. That was my friend Patty. We played some pretty tough tennis together but we always had the most laughs along the way. Roy and I loved it when we were invited over to her home for homemade Italian dinners and her parties were legendary. There are so many times of conversation that would be stopped with the serious warning, so serious, she would be pointing her finger at me and say, what I'm about to tell you, you take it to your grave. I'd protest, I didn't want to know anything or have knowledge of anything that I might need to take to my grave. One time she invited me to this fancy schmancy fund raising gala. She picked me up in her silver drop top Mercedes. She handed me some sunglasses that looked like they might have been owned by Jackie O and a long black thin see through scarf. She told me to put on the sunglasses, even though it was night, and wrap the scarf about my head and have it drape off my shoulder. She told me with those two items, I would fit in much better in the gala than without them. She was right.

My friend Patty died Saturday after battling mesothelioma cancer for several years. At one point we all thought she had it beat, but it came back with a vengeance. She began looking to get into experimental studies and never gave up hope.

Patricia Elaine Calamari

Date of Birth:

Monday, February 13th, 1961

Date of Death:

Saturday, October 8th, 2011

Obituary:

Calamari, Patricia Elaine of Houston, TX formerly of Glen Head, NY on October 8, 2011. Loving mother of Ross and Patrick McLauchlan. Beloved daughter of Leonora and the late Raymond Calamari Sr. Dear sister of Kathleen Daly, Barbara Calamari, and Raymond Calamari. Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Visiting Wednesday 1 – 5 and 7 – 9 pm, Whitting Funeral Home 300 Glen Cove Ave., Glen Head, NY 11545. Funeral Mass Thursday 10:00 am, St. Mary’s R. C. Church, Roslyn, NY. Interment Locust Valley Cemetery, Locust Valley, NY.

Although we only ran into each other at the Play Grocery store from time to time since I quit playing tennis, I thought and prayed for her often, I will miss her.

Wanderings and Thoughts

2011-10-08T12:11:00.001-05:00

This could be a good or bad thing, but Roy just left with a list and he's on his way to HEB via the cleaners and Lowe's. He does great with a list but he loves to free lance and he brings home all kinds of surprises. Unloading sacks today will prove quite interesting, Roy has gone to the store because physically I am having a really bad week. It has been a while since I have felt this bad. My heart keeps going out of rhythm and when that happens my energy is totally zapped. It hit me hard on Wednesday and today is the first day I've have felt like doing anything. Only because the maid came on Thursday did I go to Bible study. They gave the treasurer's report at the beginning of the lecture time. I was asking God why did He hate me? It was tough to endure that. I was going to go straight home afterwards but Peggy and Kathleen persuaded me to go with them to Lupe's. I only drank ice tea. Didn't even eat a chip or salsa. That is a very revealing look into how I am feeling. Never, well hardly ever, pass up some good chips and salsa. I came home and dropped into bed. Friday wasn't much better. That brings us to today. We got up early and went out for breakfast and then picked up a couple of things at Target. Didn't have it in me for the trifectta, HEB. The oxygen levels in my blood are down a little. It has been almost a year since my Chaka Khan procedure and I had forgotten how bad I feel when the ticker is racing and working too hard.

On Thursday night I moved into the guest room to sleep. I was restless and had a fever. I learned a lot about Buddy's nocturnal wanderings. She was all over the washer and dryer. She rested for a bit in the mud room area of the laundry room. I have never once seen her be interested in anything in the laundry room during the day, well other than her litter box. I think she has to touch everything so it becomes hers. She was not one bit happy that I had taken over the bed in the guest room. She has claimed it as her very own. I have to say, that guest room bed is one very comfortable rest.

Since I have been resting and sleeping a lot, I have learned quite a few things from the TV noise in the background. The TV is rarely on during the day when I'm at home. For a bit of time there I became like a loved one who frets over non existent health issues...a lot. They have been in remission for over 10 years from cancer but yet every time they have a hangnail, flu, ear wax...anything on a much smaller scale, they jump to the conclusion, "my cancer's back." Don't get me wrong, we are sympathetic but after several fiascoes, dramatics, and the like, when they announce "my cancer's back," we react pretty have to remain somewhat indifferent cause we used to jump right in to help and soon we found ourselves overwhelmed with unnecessary drama and some senior adult hi-jinks. So all these commercials for treatment centers, medicine and the like are rotated non stop on the commercial circuit. In a span of 48 hours I began to believe, yep, I have lymphoma. No, no make that pancreatic cancer. It could be the heartbreak of phriesis. I need lunestra. I be needing all the medicines they advertise on TV. Finally, common sense got a hold of me, shook some sense back into me and then reminded me...do you know you are sounding like your loved one? That got my attention.

That's it for today. Happy footbal weekend! Rooting for LSU today and the Texans tomorrow.

It's Beginning to Look Quite Autumnal

2011-10-05T15:26:00.002-05:00

Last night the temps began cooling down early and I thought what a great time to do a trial run of our outdoor fireplace. So after dinner we went outside, flipped the switch and all we heard was the clicking noise of electric ignition and no fire. We left it on for longer than what you'd think it would take to light. No go, so disappointed. The fireplace people come out on Friday to take a look at it. They called this afternoon asking about our non come on baby light my fireplace experience to better know how to fix the problem.

Half the workmen of the world will be at our house on Friday afternoon. Drainage engineers checking on our side yard, lighting engineer to check into the dinning room light problem, fireplace, a landscaper looking into the dead grass of the side yard and several others of which I can't remember. It is slowly but surely getting done. David Weekley Homes has been wonderful on follow up. Our builder Adam has been....dare I say it when I hardly ever do? Amazing, amazing...that's how good he is at his job. Amazing, amazing is what totally and awesome was to the 80's and 90's. 'Like' remains a constant to all generations as well as 'you know' which is not to be confused with, ya know what I'm saying...

I am getting ready for the maid to come in the morning. Think I have bought all the products on her list. So now, it is just straightening up everything and moving a bag that has set in a chair for a couple of weeks so that she doesn't know it has been sitting there unattended and un-looked after for all this time.

Dinner was delicious last night. Oh my the homemade bread was a huge hit. Now I have dough enough to make 4 more little loafs in the next two weeks. Maybe I will try to go solo tomorrow afternoon after Bible study. No, that's not a good idea, the house will be really clean. Maybe a loaf shall be prepared over the weekend.

I've been reading a book about Gone With the Wind. The book goes into great detail all that it took to be published and how Margaret Mitchell did not deal well with fame nor public speaking. I'm just about a third of being into the book and it has just now at the point where it is being released. No wonder, other than for the obvious reasons, a first edition Gone With the Wind is worth so much. Hardly any editing was done by the publisher on the first edition, trusting the author and her husband, PR guy for a railroad, had done an adequate job since everything in the process has been burdened with delays. Interesting read and as true to form, I cannot remember the title and I don't want to walk across the house to look it up.

Crate and Barrel delivers a chest next week and I called Pottery Barn checking on the couch ordered for our bedroom. Eureka! We can still be mad and one of us doesn't have to go that far to sleep on the couch. Nope, neither one of us could sleep on this small settee. PB had sent an email that they shipped on the 23 yet I haven't heard anything from the delivery company. So I was checking on it, still in process of shipping and should be in our home around Oct 20.

Today I made a stop at KT Antiques because I had seen some dried gourds there and now I have a bowl to arrange them in. The gourds are beautiful. I also picked up two pumpkin decorative pieces. Oh the living room is looking quite autumnal.

Tremendous Tuesday

2011-10-04T16:04:00.002-05:00

CourtneyS and Joesph came over this morning. They arrived bearing gifts, house warming gifts. I got a hands on in person cooking lesson from CourtneyS on making artisan bread. A little dyslexic Titus 2 going on. Oh my, the bread we (she) made is delicious! In fact after they left I snuck a little sample. With such delicious bread, supper must be prepared, so even now as I type hamburger is being defrosted for spaghetti.

When our nieces would come and spend a week with us I would have a blast with them but would tell my brother, I don't know how y'all do this day in and day out. He reminded me that Roy and I had been dropped smack dab in the middle of things, he and Nancy had time to acclimate to the attention needed and pace required. I was reminded of this again today. Joesph was so good and he and I had a blast shooting our popper gun but my energy drained quickly. I didn't even have enough to go grab some lunch with them. Buddy is still napping. Think she was undone by the fact there was someone small enough to reach her underneath the bed. What a fun way to spend a morning with friends.

This week's homework in CBS has been especially thought provoking which has morphed into a great thankfulness in the realization of what Christ has done for us. Sometimes we hear the same words and phrases so much we give a deaf spiritual ear to them. This week it is as if I have heard them anew.

Last week when I made my stop in at Pottery Barn, I brought home a beautiful reddish clay vase. In the display there at the store they had an arrangement of fall foliage that looked absolutely stunning. Only thing, I wasn't willing to pay $45.00 a stem to have some fake leaves in a jar. That is where our Saturday morning trip to Micheal's came in and I don't think we did that bad of a job. When we got home Roy just put them in the vase and went about business. They looked beautiful but price tags were still attached. Finally this morning, since CourtneyS was coming over, I decided to trim off sale tags from the vase, the fake fall foliage and some pillows on the pew. Some things just take time around here. Things that should really bother me but don't.

Finally, I found the Bed, Bath and Beyond here in East SanAntonio. It is in Katy Mill's Mall. They had sent us a welcome to the neighborhood coupon which was 20% off everything. Don't you know that I got a supply of Keirug coffee cups in for the winter. Also found a valance for over the kitchen window that compliments the roman shades of the breakfast nook and living room.

If you haven't "joined" Kings Lane, you should. Oh my, there is so many pretty things to view. I had even contemplated buying some furniture from them, but the shipping rates are way too high. I've bought a few things for around the house from them. Some of it came today. There are so many of these type of things one can join and if one doesn't have any boundaries, one could go into the poorhouse furnishing and decorating the home.

Guess I should go make dinner and bring in the trash cans. Neither one of those two chores has anything to do with the other.

Consistency

2011-10-02T19:51:00.000-05:00

Consistency is a difficult commodity to come by these days. Our minds are bombarded with different messages from the TV, podcasts, magazines, books, Nooks, Kindles and iPads. Almost everyone has some kind of opinion on how to live life. There are so many articles now about fall decorating and the trends both in furnishing a home and furnishing a wardrobe. Are military jackets in again this winter? Is gray still the rage in wall treatments? When did we trade in perfectly good words like material, drapes, floor, accent furniture and such to describe what's happening in the decorating scene, which the career formally known as decorator is now being re purposed with the title of designer. When I was right out of college I went to a church where the pastor referred to sidewalks and parking lots as artificial Terra ferma. If he were still alive, he would fit in the vernacular of today's culture. Sunday School has had yet another name change. Within the last week our church's location is now referred to as The Loop location because we now have a downtown location...which is all fine and good, love that we are going back into the city, but the branding changes and the hope of those running the show is for us, the congregation, to pick up on the lingo and mimic what we hear without really giving it another thought. Classic marketing, it works every time. So glad we have some of the best in the church world working at our church. But it is going to take some time for everyone to refer to our church as the church at the loop, CATL or if 'the' isn't used, CAL.

Wait, I didn't even intend to go into that subject. I was writing about consistency. And really, I was attempting to give a global view to the subject matter but in reality I'm really writing about consistency in bathroom fixtures. In the post modern world we can find every kind of plumbing from the basic flush it yourself, turn on the water, pump some soap, get a paper towel from the familiar dispenser or use the air hand dryer of the 20th century to the 21st century version of human identification to get the necessary products for clean hands. Toilet height is all over the place, even in the handicap bathrooms. Last night at a very popular restaurant I found myself in the stall looking down, way down to the shortest toilet I have ever seen. It should have belonged in a preschool area. I will save you from any descriptive of this 6' woman with really, really bad knees trying to maneuver into some kind of position to take advantage of the opportunity. I would have been better served just to use one of those troth like things they have in the bathrooms in the middle east. There is no consistency on whether the thing is going to flush itself or if we have to do it the old fashioned way. If a bathroom has one of those it will take care of things itself...why don't they make the whole system consistent with that theme and install faucets and soap dispensers that do the same thing. Don't even get me started on the paper towel dispensers....do you just put your hand over a light? Do you push a button to make the paper move? Do you pull on a towel and the machine does the rest, do you turn a crank? I cannot tell you how many times I have stood in front of a sink trying to get the water to run by passing my hands over the sensor just to find out you push that thing for water... Same thing for soap, sometimes you put your hand under the spout and here comes the soap, sometimes you have to pump it and many times the soap dispensers are empty. That gives me a wonderful feeling in eating establishments.

No place is immune, schools, movie theatres,and malls. Even the bathrooms at church are all over the place. Downstairs neccitariums have been updated with all the "everything takes care of itself" plumbing. Second floor, you're in a time machine and you are transported back to the vintage sinks, toilets, and soap dispensers of the 70's. Except now, the hot water has been turned off and there is only cold water to wash your hands. Again, that wonderful feeling of cleanliness washes all over me. I do miss the little stickers that used to be affixed to the second roll of toilet paper in the stalls. It said, "Conserve tithe dollars, use other roll first." I have yet to understand the logic of those instructions.

None of this is of any informational value whatsoever. It is just me venting about the state of our bathrooms, public bathrooms. Some are frustrated by all the changes coming with Facebook. Doesn't bother me, I will adjust or use Twitter more often. I would like some unity of plumbing fixtures that's all. Isn't that's what is all about at church especially? Consistency in our daily walk with the Lord and when we need to take a respite break, couldn't the fixtures be unified as well? Yep, the church at the loop; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 28 different styles of carpet throughout the building.

A Fine Morning and a LSU T-Shirt

2011-10-01T21:54:00.002-05:00

Roy took the day off on Friday. We planned to go into Houston, have breakfast, Roy getting a haircut and a trip to Costco. None of that happened because of the reaction I had to the flu shot. With Roy being home, I was able to go back to sleep and rest because the fear of the moment is workmen ringing the doorbell. So daily I am up and dressed at the crack of dawn or at least by the crack of 8:00 am. This morning we got up and went to the Black Walnut Cafe for breakfast. BWC was much more crowded than when we went a couple of Saturdays ago. Cool temps, yep the long awaited October, the break from triple digit heat had everyone rising and going this morning. More joggers and bike riders than we have seen in a long time. We were finishing up our delicious breakfast and Roy had gone back to the Coke machine where you're given choices of making all kinds of combo drinks. He did Diet Coke with Rasberry. It tasted like cough syrup to me. Anyway, I was sitting there checking Twitter when someone says to me good morning and it's a beautiful day! The gentleman speaking to me was wearing the coolest LSU game day shirt. He went on talking to me explaining he just liked to talk and he was waiting on the rest of his family to arrive. I began asking him about his t-shirt and just about then Roy returned and the two LSU alumni began talking football. Before we left I went over to their table and asked him for the .com address for the t-shirt. Got it! Ordered up some t-shirts for Roy and me. Even though I have cornered the market on t-shirts I believe one can never have enough cute and fun t-shirts. Roy is lucky that I don't feel the same way about real jewelry.

After all the rearranging of the garage last Saturday we came to the conclusion we needed to get rid of our small freezer that we had in the garage. Our refrigerator has a huge freezer much bigger than the condos and we weren't using it. So after our delicious breakfast and our quick trip to Target and the agonizing decisions on fall foliage in Michael's, we loaded up the freezer and took it over to Katy Christian Ministries along with a couple more things. When we got home we rearranged the bikes and a few other things. I think we can get Roy's car inside the garage on a more regular basis. It was only fair that we stop at the Tractor Store on our way home since Roy had so patiently bore with me at Michael's. Really, like I know what I'm doing arranging stems of fall foliage for the urn I got at Pottery Barn.

Tonight we had dinner with Bill and Peggy. We had such fun and ate way too much.

I told Roy when he got home from working out that I had ordered t-shirts and then I told him about this one:

Guess I will be ordering one more t-shirt for him. He loves it!

Finally Friday

2011-09-30T12:26:00.003-05:00

I am so glad to be back among the land of the living. I've never had a reaction to flu shots before but there is always the first time and that time was mine yesterday. On the drive home from the Dr I felt really woozy and as the evening progressed I felt worse and began running a fever, why don't we walk fevers? Anyway, it was one long rough night. First I couldn't get warm, then I got too hot and this is not to be confused with being a smoking hot wife. I was so tired but I couldn't sleep. I moved from our bed to the couch. Didn't help. But they say there is good in uncomfortable experiences...and this holds true to this story. Roy never missed me in the middle of the night and had no clue how badly I was feeling. This morning I was telling him about my nomadic night after having wicked weather earlier in the evening, always about alliteration, and I mentioned that Buddy took the opportunity at night to use the furniture as her personal nail sharpening posts. So this morning, Roy took Buddy for a mani/pedi in Fulshear. We are happy about shorter nails but Buddy doesn't seem to be appreciative at all. She is sulking under the bed.

We got rain in Katy yesterday! Lots and lots of lightning, two power interruptions and precious rain. How appropriate because when I returned home yesterday, there were guys planting a shrub and an ornamental tree in our front yard. I don't recognize what kind of ornamental tree it is but that's ok, I'm still trying to figure out the 14/15 bedding plants fiasco. We are almost compliant.

Yesterday, after Bible study I drove to the Galleria to meet some tennis friends for lunch. We lunched at the posh spot frequented by plastic surgery dilettantes, 5115. It looked like every table had at least one extreme face lift. I arrived a few minutes early, told the hostess the name the reservation was under and she escorted me to a long table of women, aging from late 20's to early 80's, most dressed in the newest collection of St John Knits and I didn't recognize one person. I told the hostess, I don't know any of those women. Can I go back and wait until someone I recognize shows up? Well the mix up came because the last name on the reservations were similar. I was thinking these women were Eva's socialite friends who were there to celebrate her birthday. It was interesting that several well heeled recognizable women came over to the table to pay homage to our friend. Actually, I had a better time than I thought I would. One of my favorite tennis partners was there. She has been fighting non Hodgkin's Lymphoma for 11 years and for the first time in all those years, she is in remission. Lunch was enjoyable but there isn't any appeal to that world anymore and it's funny I lived and died for that world for way too long. I was telling my friends about the seating faux paux that nearly happened and they all said, you should have set down there anyway and start talking to all of them, then when you saw us, just get up and move to our table. Regrets...that would have made a good story.

As of Wednesday, we have window treatments in our living room and most of our breakfast nook. Just in time because work has started on a house being built behind us. One measurement was transposed, so they'll have to return with the last shade. And guess what window? Yep, the one that set us back weeks of waiting on it to be installed. We went with Roman shades and they look beautiful. Once Roy gets back from getting his hair cut and making a HEB run, I'll have him take some pictures.

Wordfull Wednesday...Can't Do Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T11:48:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I met Cassi for lunch at our usual meeting place. I always look forward to our lunches and quick catch up on life. We move through the latest happenings and then settle in for any in depth conversation that might arise. Time goes by too quickly and she has to head back to the office. Before meeting Cassi, a stop needed to be made at The Container Store. The main reason for the stop, to buy replacement mop heads but as always there is way much more, great grammar, to peruse and place in the cart. I ran into my tennis friend Mary on one of the aisles. We don't see each other too often anymore but what a special serendipity to see her. There was a schedule to keep, so I checked out with much more than I had planned on buying and then headed over to Whole Earth for a quick look see at the selection of Flax. Not seeds or anything but the line of clothes. They have about the best selection around. Wasn't planning on that stop and once again left with more and I can't even say of what I planned for, because the Whole Earth stop was totally unplanned. After lunch with Cassi I made the obligatory stop at Pottery Barn. Originally, I had planned to go on over to Crate and Barrel but I was tired and decided to head back out west. In that little bit of time on the freeway and a Dr Pepper Bold to pick me up, I made one more unscheduled stop, Lifeway to pick up Travis Cottrell's new CD. Wouldn't you know it, I found a couple of books just sitting there waiting to be brought home.

Last night it looked like we were going to get a good drenching. The skies were dark, the lightning frequent and the weather report indicated hail. We have never put both of our cars into the garage. That is until last night. Good thing we got the garage, I say we and of course I mean Roy, got the garage a little more organized and maneuverable. With a quick rearrangement of garbage cans and bikes we were able to get both cars in...ooh, it is such a tight squeeze. Just that one act of putting the cars into the garage probably jeopardized any chance of rain falling on our yard. Only a few drops. The storms which means the rain died out before getting south of Katy. At least we know it can be done.

Late Monday night Roy had to make a run to the 24 hour pharmacy to pick up some medicine for me. Totally unplanned. I sat here and worked on the blog to keep me occupied until he returned. Once he got home and I took the meds, he went to bed, but I stayed up. You never know with stuff if you'll have a reaction or not. When I couldn't stay away any longer, I made my way to bed. This was my first trek in making my way from his study to the bedroom in total darkness. Even in the dark, you have some sense of where things are, that is if you have lived someplace long enough to remember where everything is. So I made my way very carefully but somewhere in the living room I panicked. Knowing that Roy would not be of any help if I awoke him from dead sleep, I maintained my cool and proceeded hoping not to crash into anything. I couldn't find the door way or the light switch to the bedroom entrance and somehow I found myself near the end of our bed but I couldn't feel anything, not the foot board, not the bed, nothing but air. The thought went through my mind, am I dead? Am I really touching something but can't feel it since obviously my hand is going right through it? We have an ornamental iron bed, yet we still haven't an ornamental tree in our front yard, so instead of hitting any of the iron my hand was going through the scroll work. I finally found the end of the bed when my toe hit the bed post. Not dead, yahoo!

Tomorrow I'm having lunch with several friends from tennis days. I am looking forward to seeing them but fear has crept in, that all too familiar feeling from those days, who I am, what I have and what I wear will never measure up to these tennis ladies. I am overly concerned about what to wear tomorrow...which is really stupid because even if I had that kind of money, I don't think I would wear designer clothes. Some of these friends are regularly in the society section of the newspaper. Well, there is something to be positive about, at least we can afford to buy a newspaper and see them at all the galas and fund raisers. I am trying to be ever so laid back about tomorrow's lunch and have even prayed. Maybe I should just pull out some old tennis togs...nah, I don't own tennis togs anymore.

We are still discussing Sunday's sermon by Curtis. His talk reminded me that before we moved I had started a book by Chip Ingram, Living on the Edge. The book is based on Romans 12 thus there is a whole lot on what transformation looks like. Picked it up last night and began reading. Love this quote and definition of total commitment. "Total commitment; when I come to realize what God has done for me, who He is, and what He has prepared for me in this new life (that I cannot see I eagerly abandon anything and everything to obey this fabulous, rich, rewarding eternal life He is offering. It's not a matter of renunciation but one of reevaluation."

Late Night Ramblings

2011-09-26T23:16:00.003-05:00

This afternoon I started a blog post and when I wanted to add pictures I got all kind of static. Basically I could not retrieve my work or add pictures, so the whole post was lost. It kind of bummed me out because the post was several paragraphs long.

Buddy was out of her normal routine this morning and it had me a little concerned. She was very interested in something under our bed and she was in her attack posture. The imagination began to run wild, was there something under the bed like a big bug, snake or mouse? Or could it be just one of her toys. Being a firm believer in what I don't know won't hurt me, I never investigated and spent quite a bit of time being elsewhere all day. By the afternoon, Buddy was back in her regular routine. I don't want her to bring mommy a little surprise showing off her hunting skills in the middle of the night.

Friday was work and repair men de jour. Round two will begin next Friday, at least Roy will be home. Saturday morning we went to Otto's for breakfast and afterwards walked around the farmer's market in La Centerra. With the drought, it is more like farmer's products. Only two booths actually had any kind of produce. Everyone else had jams, jellies, gluten free products, candles and the like. One booth in particular, Indian cuisine, was a hard sell. The couple wanted us to try and sample all these products. I didn't want to because we had just had pancakes. The gentleman offered me a cracker with some chicken curry on it. I politely refused because I don't like curry. "Try it, try it, you will see. Taste it, taste it, you'll believe. Try the chicken curry." No, no, I will not eat it I'm in a hurry, I don't like it, green eggs, oops I mean chicken curry." He offered me a refund if I could find better curry anywhere in a 50 mile radius. Oh yes, I am going to burn gallons of gas looking for a better curry...which in my world is an oxymoron. I tasted the curry and confirmed what I know to be true, I don't like curry. There must have been papaya in one of the many sauces I sampled and I am highly allergic to papaya because the all too familiar red bumps, difficulty breathing and eyes hurting hit me quickly. We headed home for Benedryl.

Roy worked in the garage for most of the day. He assembled storage shelves and the like. I helped by holding the pieces he would need. Bill came by with the pew he had found and the two ladders Dani bought for the house in April. He had been to Round Top. While he was here, I asked him about an oak medicine cabinet that had been my great grandparents. It was warped and had a whole lot of mileage on it. He took it apart and explained what we needed to do. Then he volunteered to take it home and work on it. Only an hour or so type of job. Good! Because it would be a month or two kind of thing if we did it and the process may or may not have a few heated discussions on how to do something. He and Peggy brought it by last night along with a kneeler to go with the pew and he even hung a few pictures. It is so nice to have a friend who knows about all this kind of stuff. Roy and I haven't a clue.

This is the apple picking ladder that Dani found. Along with it is a primitive art piece which just happens to be a longhorn. I don't support UT nor do I support UTI's but that is a whole nother subject. The long metal skinny thing was used to draw water out of wells that didn't have buckets.

The entry way with everything arranged. The ladder will probably be hung on the wall, but it does fit nicely into the little niche area.

The pew. You can worship the Lord and be comforted by pillows from the Nord. Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord and then go into the Nord...

Speaking of that song, it was the first song in the worship set at BCF. It was a perfect Sunday for us to visit, Sunday School, oops Sunday Bible study, ahem...Life Bible Studies...teachers were absent and the choir wasn't singing a special. Roy wanted to go because the intials BCF reminded him of the BCS. Roy loves him some LSU football. We really enjoyed the Lord, the service, the people and the message Curtis Jones taught. John 21 is a theme chapter for me and God has used it mightily in my life. I always sit up and take notice when someone teaches or quotes from it. Here are a few tidbits from my notes;
John 21 is giving Peter a fresh vision for his life complete with restoration. True transformation in us ministers to someone else, it spills over into other lives. Transformation is supernatural change, new life, new creation. Transformation doesn't come by trying harder or rearranging the old to look new. I love how what I heard on Sunday reinforced some things from the homework in Revelation Bible study. Love how God fills in the gaps and blanks and gives ample opportunity to see what He is trying to get through to me from different sources and in His Word.

We were out in time to get to Pappasito's before all the church goers and the hung over or hung over church goers, got there. We were able to sit in our favorite waiter's section, Nathan. He was working a large group table and the children from that table were so entertaining. In between laughing at the antics, we compared our sermon notes. Lunch was very good.

The maid gave me a list of cleaning products she liked to use, so I made a trip to Target this morning. Then to HEB. I still haven't unloaded everything. Tonight was a serendipity, I met Dena for dinner. Miss getting to do that on a regular basis. We really have to plan and make it a priority to eat together now since the distance mileage wise is greater, but not greater than our friendship.

It is past my bedtime but I needed something to occupy me while Roy made a trip for me to the 24 hour Walgreen's. He is a special man, loves unconditionally and takes such good care of me.

Living Large in the Burbs

2011-09-23T11:12:00.000-05:00

For the next few months life is going to contain, men in the backyard. What an adventure never knowing what one will encounter just by leaving the window treatment protected bedroom into the bold and bright light of the family room. This week in anticipation of workmen I have been sporting a lovely robe. This morning, I threw caution to the wind and didn't wear my shabby chic. After checking on the dryer, picking up a Diet Coke on the way to the bedroom, I was surprised to see a man's head looking over the back fence. Ahh....! A little later that head now complete with body and Centerpoint identifying patches was at the front door letting me know he would be in the backyard and probably sometime around lunch, our power would be off for 20 minutes. He is hooking up electricity for the homes that will be built behind us. Hope our window treatments get here soon for the back of the house. I also think it is going to be awhile before I can go outside and sit in the courtyard in my jammies with a cup of coffee to have my quiet time. Too much foot traffic happening in this season.

I now have a maid coming every two weeks! It's exciting! Peggy's maid had an opening yesterday morning. She began working here at 8:00 am and was still here when I arrived home a little after 1:00. Before leaving she asked if I would like her to come on a regular basis...YES, PLEASE! We agreed on a price and then she gave me a list of supplies I need to have for her next visit. Roy came home last night to a gleaming, clean, home relatively free from dust. I think until all the construction is finished around here, dust will be an issue.

After Bible study yesterday several of us went out to lunch to Lupe's. Such fun and such a delicious lunch. I also went out for breakfast because I didn't want to hang around the house and be in the way. It gave me a chance to finish up my homework. Our last day of homework this week was to write a letter to ourselves from Jesus, like the letters we have been studying of the seven churches in Revelation. I usually don't like to do things like that but this year I am trying to tackle the homework with a different attitude. Previously it has just been, just get the questions answered, but for this study, I am taking my time and really giving thought to my responses to the questions. Amazing, but not amazing, amazing, that I am getting so much more out of the study. The lecture time has been really good as well. Learning the history of the cities that the seven churches were located in. The hot, cold and lukewarm reference means so much more to me now.

Last night Bill Bain texted me a picture of a church pew he found to see if I was interested in it. Yes, it is not a big pew, it's decorative, has the curved back and it is a really good price.

No big plans for the weekend, which is really just fine. Today the light in the guest bedroom is going to be repaired and I think Roy is going to finish up his sealing and staining on the fence. Then we have a lot of little fine tuning projects to take care of around here. Each week we feel more settled and at home here. Several times a week we say to one another, this was a good decision to move out to the burbs. We still have condo thinking at times, mainly about washing clothes and vacuuming after 9:00 pm. There are some things we miss about being closer into town but we find more things here from week to week that lessens some of the pain of missing inner loop living. Don't know which there are more of out here, churches or Mexican restaurants?

A True, Non Embellished Story, Only Names and Facts Changed

2011-09-21T14:19:00.001-05:00

The blog post you are about to read is true. Only the names and specific details have been changed or left out to protect the innocent.

We love living out here in the burbs for many reasons but one of my all time favorite reasons is the spontaneity fun factor that occurs out here much more often than when we lived near the loop. There are meals to be grabbed with friends at the last minute, fun people popping in and day time schedules that can be adjusted at the drop of a hat. Now I'm not saying that those things didn't happen when we lived closer in, but the frequency of those things happening here are more likely.

Like this morning, Peggy texted and called to let me know her housekeeper had an opening in the morning and did I want it. Why yes, I responded, that would be ever so lovely. Nah, my reply was not that dignified. Just think, this afternoon I faced household chores and now with the maid coming in the morning, I'm still faced with household chores. I believe in predustination, which is cleaning before the maid comes. So, I have picked up things. A little later Peggy called to see if I had the correct supplies for cleaning. You know these aren't ever conversations that Peggy and I have ever even dreamed of having. Just to make sure I had the correct cleaning supplies, we met up at the local HEB, NOT the one on Fry which I really dislike.

So we both arrived and got a cart. We are both dressed in our finest to shop, me in camo capris and she with freshly cut hair and a Baylor Championship T shirt. She had other groceries she needed to get and I just needed to pick up the aforementioned cleaning products. I did need quite a few. What fun, two ADD addled brains pushing a cart around a store neither one of us are too familiar with, the store not the cart. Although I don't believe either one of us had ever met that particular cart before. So nothing was purchased in an efficient and timely manner. We were haphazard all over the place laughing ourselves silly looking for cereal, fruit and milk. And that's when we came across two other shoppers, that seemed a lot like us. Let's just call them Mildred and Gertrude. And let's just say that these two, began having a conversation about...uh...things...stuff while looking at things and stuff. It is too embarrassing to even mention in a blog post what these two were even discussing but maybe it could be told to just a few, very few good friends, girlfriends known in real life. It dawned on Mildred and Gertrude that if store security were watching us, I mean them through secret store cameras, you know up in the ceiling to help eliminate shoplifting, that they just might wonder what was going on. The myriad trips up and down aisles and now this, two women bent over double laughing themselves into a fit or maybe even a puddle if we, they, weren't careful. Two women dressed to the nines in camo and a championship t shirt reading instructions on things and stuff. Then putting things and stuff back on the shelf and then picking up another brand of thing and stuff. It was suggested that if a purchase was to be made, that it might be best to put "it" in the middle of all the other groceries. That way one can be preoccupied about unloading the cart and not looking into the face of the checker and sacker when thing and stuff pass by. As Mildred stood there waiting for Gertrude, the thought entered her mind, that got Millie laughing out loud. What could have made this even worse or a better story depending on how you look at it, at least the checker and sacker weren't former students and a call out for a price check wasn't needed.

Monday, Thoughts Run Amuck!

2011-09-19T17:37:00.001-05:00

The number of workmen in our yard today has been somewhat surprising. The yard is getting re-marked around the transformer as street lights on our block come on line. Me thinks we had the sprinkler heads fixed a little too soon. The brick and mortar guys are here now fixing a couple of places on the stone and on a windowsill in the back. Tomorrow is HOA inspection tour, so I hope when they invade our backyard, the yellow and orange paint marking power and cable lines isn't a non compliant offense. We still haven't done anything about our first write up as of yet...except that the grass is getting greener.

What a joy to awaken to the sound of thunder and rain. Now the wind...was a bit troubling, but we had great thankfulness in our hearts to the Lord for sending rain. On Saturday and Sunday all the rain showers around us went west, south or east of us...it was a little discouraging. All the trees around here look happy and actually are clapping their limbs, but they need more rain. Our drain in the courtyard performed admirably as it hadn't in the other rain shower we had a couple of weeks ago. When I went to the grocery store around 9:30 there was barely any standing water in the ditches along the side of the road. Everything is getting soaked right up.

There are way too many crock pot recipes for roast beef. Think I have finally settled on one and I think I have all the ingredients. Now to find where I stored the crock pot. It could be anywhere in that kitchen.

We have a new neighbor. They just moved in over the weekend. Rumor mill is, that one of them might be a little strange and odd. Hmm...I elect them to be block captain to represent us to the HOA. Which reminds me, the rain caused little mushrooms to grow in the mulch around the trees. Something tells me those aren't considered bedding plants. Better have Roy look into this once he comes home from his long commute and day at the office.

I am beginning to think that Pottery Barn just might be a cult. I'm drawn back to PB weekly, even becoming a fan on Facebook. They sent out a little hint for the upcoming holiday season...

Isn't it beautiful! Not in a baseball sense either, just the beautiful cardinal on pillow shams and duvet cover. They also had some pictures of tableware and decorations, but it is hard for me to get over this bed. Believe me, I better get over it because there are other things that we need more than this beautiful and seasonal bedding.

Crate and Barrel might be a cult too... There is a rocker/glider on sale that would look so cozy, which is designer talk for fitting into a small space, in the casita bedroom. I've gone back and forth on pulling the trigger on this item. Roy moved the project table for me so it will fit better in the scheme of the room. I checked other websites and while there are a few cheaper, it is not the right color of blue and the one at C&B is smaller than the others I priced. The sale is on till October 16. I'm also considering the Bremond chest for the living room.

On a totally different subject, the homework for CBS Bible study has been so powerful and has gotten my attention. I sense that the Lord is telling me just like He did to the churches, there are some things I am doing right and to His glory and then there are some attitudes and indifference that frankly need to be shown the door. Today's homework had us look at Rev 3:20 which is used as a salvation verse, but Jesus was talking to the church...not unbelievers. The last day of homework, we are to write a letter to ourselves, seal it and give it to our core group leader. She will give it back to us at the end of our study. We are to write what we think the Lord would like to see changed in us and we are to write of how we can experience His presence in a more intentional way. To tell you the truth, I usually hate these kinds of exercises...they seem like busy work and I meet it with lots of indifference. But Jesus addressed indifference in the 3rd chapter...vs 19b, so be diligent and turn from your indifference. Ouch! That hurts more than my bruises from falling off the bike yesterday. I do have another chance at the bike thing tonight, though. The doctor wants me to get back up on that horse, oops bicycle and try riding again. The balance and falling thing, not falling off the bike, has him a bit concerned. I'm concerned to but my idea of looking younger isn't scraped knees and elbows. But I might recover ever so nicely in a bed surrounded by Christmas cardinals...

Watch Out for That Left Turn, It's a Dilly!

2011-09-18T19:33:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning with a really bad sore throat. It is a warning sign from the immune systems that I have pushed in more life than my system is able to handle. You better believe at the first sign of a sore throat, I stop and reign myself in. So, this morning, I stayed home from church, reluctantly. Don't think I pushed myself too much physically, I think stress levels were at a high point this week. Several times this week I'm reminded of one of my favorite authors, Ellen Douglas. She's written a book, Truth, Four Stories I'm Finally Old Enough to Tell. She was in her 70's or 80's when she wrote the book. One of these days, I think I just might write the same kind of book. She had to wait till everyone in the stories had died. With the drama and stress of the week, I've been outlining the chapter that happens to be going on at this time of life.

Here is a truth that I can tell you right now. I am going to go buy a girl's bicycle, maybe this week. You see, one of my Doctors is encouraging me to test out my balance because it is so bad. I've been doing my prescribed exercises and he told me when you feel confident in your balance, go ride a bike. I will never use the phrase, "it's just like riding a bike" to mean piece of cake. Years and years ago when mountain bikes first came out, I got one from Roy for my birthday. In all these years, I have never wanted to get rid of it...toting it from townhouse to condo to house. They make lighter bikes with better gear shifts but my red boy's bike has held me in such fond and fun memories of all my biking adventures. Yesterday, Roy put air in the tires and today we decided to test it. A million years ago, getting on a boy's bike was nothing...today, in the here and now, it is downright comical. The bad right knee doesn't want to bend properly. Lots of slanting the bike at an angle just to get my right leg over the seat and bar. Roy wanted to hit the trails right off, but I felt more comfortable on the streets. It wasn't pretty but we did get around the neighborhood once. When my attention wasn't so focused on balance, I tried to grab a glance at other houses to see if the required ornamental tree and three shrubs were present. No way I could count bedding plants. There are a lot of homes without ornamental trees in front of them. Feeling a little braver after our neighborhood jaunt, we headed to the trails and right into the sprinklers. We were going to have to turn back and that's when my accident occurred. A steep banked left turn and bike and girl were separated. Thank goodness no one other than Roy was there to witness my fall and sprawl. Again, I am thankful for all my volleyball training because at least I know how to fall properly. No major cuts, but lots of bruises, grass stained shorts and I'm feeling a tad sore even now. We turned back toward home, we weren't that far away and I successfully navigated all the rest of the turns. Roy has forbidden me to ride by myself. Believe me, not even thinking about it. Now to report to the Doctor in the morning...still need lots of work to improve my balance. Honestly in life, balance hasn't ever been my best thing.

Repairs, DIY and Extra Credit

2011-09-14T14:52:00.003-05:00

I'm starting to get a little paranoid after getting written up by the HOA. Looking at the message boards, the HOA and the message board quote calling them, "thugs" don't seem to have a lot of love and support from those whom they serve, I mean regulate...or enforce, police??? Roy thinks that maybe we are supposed to paint the Comcast and transformer box in our house colors because we aren't too sure what they are talking about in our write up. Roy, the brave one, is calling the HOA today to get clarification on this. The compliance person has a last name that ends with a vowel...so you know me and my vast viewing of The Sopranos (on A&E), Mob Wives, I Married a Mobster and all those types of shows has me wondering if the compliance person is Italian? Hey, I'm not going to rock the boat. Don't want Roy to get a delivery of pond scum with the message Nancy sleeps with the fishes. I was out front today putting a soaker hose on one of the flower beds that may or may not be compliant with 15 plants, and would notice from time to time cars circling our cul d sac. Oh my is that the HOA Po Po? But from the message boards I learned they do their inspections on Tuesdays. We have a nearly dead plant, which may or may not be one of the 15 and we anticipate another letter arriving soon informing us of being the non compliant neighbors. The irony, Roy's job involves a lot of enforcing compliance...and we have a record of non compliance in our permanent records.

The workmen hooking up the street lights were out early this morning. I'm so glad I was dressed when they rang the doorbell letting me know that they would be in the back yard today. Now the sprinkler guys are here fixing all the sprinkler heads that the light and Comcast guys broke. It seems this is going to be a vicious cycle for a while.

I started another DIY project today. The white bar stool we ordered looked yellow against the white project table, so the chair is getting a fresh coat of periwinkle blue to contrast with the table. Those paint fumes get to you after a while. Yes, even a well ventilated area with a fan blowing. Chair looks pretty good but it does have the look of a ADD person who just wants to get the thing painted. Ah, my signature look. There is a space between the project table and the wall with the TV on it. Thinking of putting a small glider/rocker in that space. Crate and Barrel has furniture on sale.

Today is the first day of triple reward points at the Nord. At one point I considered going in town, having breakfast and then spend the morning at the Nord. I also planned to have a balance and equilibrium check up on me, not my tires because my sense of balance is off and I have nearly or really falled or fell. Had to reschedule. So, I opted for online shopping at the Nord. Got the stuff I had planned on buying and maybe found a few things I hadn't planned on buying. That's the beauty of having a plan but not one done in concrete.

Concrete, that reminds me, I better go check on the sidewalks in front of our house. It is our responsibility to keep the weeds out of the cracks that break your mother's back. One person on the message board said they coat the wood in the sidewalk in front of their house with linseed oil to keep it from bowing and cracking. Sounds like a job for Roy who should be getting extra credit from the HOA for sealing our fence.

Written Up and Now in Our Permanent Record

2011-09-13T14:37:00.001-05:00

On my way out to run some errands, I stopped and picked up our mail. A bunch of letters from Comcast confirming our changes, a refund check, a couple of welcome to the neighborhood coupons, our mortgage payment coupon and shock of all shock...a letter from our HOA. We've been written up! Not only did they list out all our infractions, they had taken pictures for proof. Some of those pictures were of our back yard, so now I have another intruder to watch out for in early mornings. This post could certainly go under Nobody Told Us, Part 2. None of our infractions are anything huge and they referred us to sub section C, Part B, article 12.1-13.2 of the infractionary code with reference to sub set K. We have all that paperwork with rules because they were given to us in a huge three ring binder at closing and I'm thinking no guidelines but who wants to sit down and read the whole thing? I have looked at bits and pieces of it and I did notice the list of approved plants and for our information the plants are listed out seasonally. Good grief. Our infractions are as follows, we only have 2 shrubs and we are supposed to have 3, we only have 14 bedding plants and we are supposed to have 15, the phone/electrical box is not painted to match our house color and we do not have an ornamental tree at least 2" with multiple trunks. I would hate to have the job of counting bedding plants. I drove around our neighborhood and it seems several have not addressed their ornamental tree situation. I notice that magnolias seem to be the ornamental tree of choice and with this drought none of them look healthy at all. I noticed Trendmaker across the street put in a Crepe Myrtle and that is probably what I would lean toward. We have such a small front yard, I have no clue where this puppy is going to go. Our other admonishment was to get our grass in green order. I knew that one was coming and the sprinkler system has helped. Now the inspection was done on August 16th, eight days after we had moved in. Where is the grace? Apparently HOA's all over this land hold a pretty high estimation of their responsibilities. I'm glad we have a strong one but I might add that on our cul d sac area, they have let 2 trees die and almost all the shrubs are hanging on by a thread. It has just been in the past few weeks that they've addressed the park area near our home...hey, I am giving them some grace, but whatever. I hope they didn't catch our newest neighbor with their trash out on Monday instead of Tuesday. Roy is calling the HOA tomorrow and get a better perspective of the timeline etc. They sent a copy to David Weekley Homes, so maybe they will add the missing botanical elements since landscaping is included in our home package. I noticed that a copy of the letter complete with pictures has been placed in our permanent record. I thought we were done with permanent records at the end of our formal 12 years of schooling. Now, that doesn't upset me too much because my file from my school years is filled to overflowing with infractions, rules broken and smart alecky banter...along with less than stellar grades and I won't even address conduct write ups. No, this permanent record thing is going to upset Roy. His school records are pristine. In fact the first C he ever made was in law school. I thought he was going to cry when he saw that grade. Yep, we might be the neighbors that need improvement, doesn't use time and materials wisely and doesn't do neat work, but the nice thing about this, all our infractions are out source able...thank goodness!

Celebrations in the Midst of Remembering

2011-09-12T09:59:00.000-05:00

I'm taking my chances this morning. It is usually not a good idea to ease into the morning around here in your jammies. Last week the Comcast and electricians were in the back yard when I came bounding into the family room and had to make a quick dash back into the bedroom. Workman come and go as things are shaping up around here. Last Thursday like clockwork, Abel and his crew were here cutting the grass. The glass door on our outdoor fireplace has been repaired and corbels were installed last week. So everything is waiting to be stained. Roy has even gotten into the whole working around the house thing this weekend. He continued his sealing and staining the fence. He just has a little more to go. Anyway, it is a Monday morning made for lounging.

Roy and I went to Taste of Texas on Friday afternoon to celebrate our 34th anniversary. We went with all the Momo's and Popo's, senior adult hour, but there were quite a few young couples with newborns and small babies there at that time too. Of course our whole meal was delicious and we didn't even do steak. I had the boiled shrimp and Roy has the herb chicken. Of course with any celebration at Taste of Texas, there is complimentary dessert at the end of the meal. We both wanted something different, so we did two desserts. That was our undoing. Pecan pie and cinnamon ice cream for Roy and key lime pie for me. Then our exciting evening continued as we stopped at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It was like we were newlyweds again, picking out kitchen, bathroom and home accessories. Only thing that wasn't like being newlyweds, we were paying for the whole shabang. Oh well, at least I won't have to write us a thank you note. It was our joy to run into Dean Dash Na there. She was buying a shower gift. I loved the anniversary card he gave me. The front of the card had some old man smoking a pipe and the inside said, to my smokin' hot wife. What a great card because he knows how I question all these ministers who always refer to their wives as smoking hot. I question because after all the talk of women wearing modest clothes and I am all for that, so men can have pure thoughts, these ministers refer to their wives as smoking hot and it makes me wonder if men in the congregation who are trying to have pure thoughts all of the sudden start thinking about that minister's wife and realizing...hmmm...she is smoking hot. I am smoking hot only due to some lingering hot flashes that like to revisit me from time to time.

Saturday morning I met Peggy and her crew to get pedicures. Her sister, nieces and daughters were having a girl's weekend at Lake Bain. After our pedi's, we went to Ooh, La La for a mid morning snack. Delicious! Everyone came over to see our house and I even got a pro bono family room rearrangement. Looks so much better! Thanks Jenny! They were all going into Houston for shopping but I knew I didn't have the stamina to do that, so I stayed around here. While Roy went and bought salt for the water softener machine and more fence sealant, I stayed here waiting for another work on the house appointment. Later on in the afternoon I went back to Fulshear to explore a little shop we had seen on Thursday night. The name of the shop is Gabby's and she had such cute things. So you know I am all about helping the local economy, so I bought a few things. Even got a pair of shoes on sale to wear next spring and summer. Although, I might sneak in a wear in or two in the coming weeks.

Sunday morning, I didn't go to church. There are several reasons why. One, I didn't feel great and didn't know if I would be able to stand in the loft as much as the choir would be standing. I also broke or really bruised a toe Saturday night. And two, even though our 9/11 experience ten years ago turned out good, it is very hard for me. Like I have written about before, sometimes I find myself thinking too much of the what if's. It has been ten years since I have seen those horrifying pictures of the twin towers on fire with people jumping out of the buildings to their deaths. I saw one of those pictures accidentally this weekend and that kind of put me over. I watched the Houston's First service on the web cast and cried like a baby. Tears of sadness for all the lives lost, tears of the what if''s and tears of thankfulness to the Lord for sparring our lives. Grateful that He is our Hope and our Solid Rock.

It was Roy's prayer Sunday...he prays more often than that but it is his designated Sunday to lead the early morning prayer in the worship center and then he prays with others during the 9:30 service. He came home after his volunteering in the Connection Center and we went out to lunch. We barely beat the church people into Fuddrucker's. After we ate Roy wanted to go to the Bass Pro Shop in Katy Mills Mall. He is interested in kayaks because he has seen several people out on the lakes around here and finds it intriguing. Who knew that the Bass Pro Shop had so much other stuff than fishing, hunting and camping stuff. It was a fun store and Roy could have probably spent a lot more time there but once again my stamina was ebbing and we needed to go. Think Bass Pro Shop is right up there with the Tractor Store n his estimation. I'm envisioning a lot of Christmas presents from him...from those stores.

Sunday evening I met Dena at Goode Company Seafood for dinner and life catch up. It has been quite sometime since we've caught up with each other's lives. We also took the opportunity to exchange our birthday gifts for one another. I came home full and with an armload of wonderful gifts.

While I was gone Roy had emptied the dishwasher, folded towels, figured out how to change our sprinkler system to water on odd days, picked up the trash in the front yard from all the work going on next door and touched up a few places on the fence. Hmmm....I need to go out in the evenings more often.

Roy realized last night he hadn't taken any pictures of the house since July. So here are a few from what he took.

Nobody Told Us

2011-09-08T17:23:00.002-05:00

We are a month into being new home owners. It was a month ago today that we officially moved in. To say that we are thrilled with our decision to move from almost inside the loop to the ends of the earth, well almost to the ends of Katy, would be an understatement. Although in this month I have realized that sometimes one is not given the full picture of the latest and greatest service or equipment. Early on we realized we would need a sprinkler systems after we in error thought that we could get by watering on our own since we have such a small yard. What they didn't tell us was some of the info on upkeep of a sprinkler system. We bought the line, this thing waters itself. Yea right... Our warranty guy from DW came out last Friday to give us the info on the home we bought. He gave us much more information than we had been given previously on the "guarantee" of our electric bill and added this piece of information that no one had told us, to get the rebate, we needed to have Reliant Energy as our electricity provider. We did not go with Reliant. Then came the explanation of changing out air filters. Gone are the days of changing one filter. We have four to change, one is located in a rather precarious location and Roy is having great fun at the top of an 8' ladder. Also twice a year Roy has to go into the attic with a bottle of bleach and empty it in some PVC pipes located in front of the a/c unit. No...glad you told us...we had no clue. Oh by the way, had we registered our appliances? No...no one told us that we needed to...well yes, if you want them to be covered by a warranty, they have to be registered. Uh, will we need to get them shots and have a meet the warranty registry night? Our greatest surprise of late has been our soft water system. Not once in all the time intensive visits that these people made to our house, did anyone ever say, you have to buy salt and put it in every couple of months. What the heck?!? What happened to the, we install it and you never have to think about it again...except every two months when you load up the thing with salt.

Don't get me wrong, we knew there are added responsibilities to being home owners...I think we thought we could outsource most of those responsibilities...but once you've signed on the dotted line, well here are a few more things that you need to know.

There isn't too much of a difference of finding out these little things after you've signed on the dotted line, made a public commitment in front of friends and family...and no one stood up at the appointed time to protest the marriage and then forever held their peace, when you fall in love and get married. Oh most churches provide counseling and mentoring and maybe even offer a weekend retreat for Pimp My Bride, but there are just some things that no one tells you until after you've honeymooned, set up housekeeping and are adjusting to one another. Or maybe people do tell you but you and your honey are so going to be "not that couple." It will never happen to us, we are so in love...more in love with one another than anyone else in the whole entire world.

Well, I am happy to report that even after finding out things we didn't bargain for when we fell in love and got married, Roy and I celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary tomorrow. It seems just like yesterday we had our friends dress in rented tuxes and bridesmaid dresses that could never be worn again except for maybe a skit or Halloween...I mean Fall Festival costume. Two opposites if there ever where. Two people who were carrying their own set of matching and monogrammed baggage and maybe thought the other one might like to carry the other one's baggage or extra loads...forever...

I love Roy! I'm so glad that we found one another! I'm glad we have lived a full and wonderful life with one another. I even love that Roy is a...how can I say this...too careful of a driver which translates into scary driver...I love that he knows this and handed over the keys when we left on our honeymoon. I love that he is a plan man. I love that he takes care of tedious details and has such great patience. He is a wonderful provider, although I cannot even tell you what his job is....I've written before when he says hedge, I'm thinking shrubbery, journal entries...I'm thinking of a personal book written with all your angst and joys...You get the picture. I love that we laugh, a lot. I love to hear him pray especially when I'm mentioned in his short but powerful prayers. I love that he is my hubs...my one and only...the love of my life...and he can still perform those husbandly duties...he takes out the trash. Happy Anniversary Roy! May we celebrate many more years together!

Alarming!

2011-09-07T08:23:00.000-05:00

Let it never be said that Roy doesn't shake it up everyonce in a while. Although I am about this close to restricting his alarm remote privledges in the house. Last night the water system guys came back for a follow up appointment. Since those kind of discussions totally bore me, I asked Roy if I could not participate except for any random questions that I would need to answer. Not a problem with him. I only had to be a part of the water circle when determining where to put the dang thing. Come to find out, the guy who owns this business goes to Second Baptist and we had a great time visiting and ribbing each other. He loves the choir at the Woodway location. We invited him to come a few miles farther east and visit our 9:30 service if he loves him some choir.... I think he and his wife might actually come. So the water guys finally left around 10:00 and Roy began packing up his stuff for today. I was settling down for a long summer/fall nap whenI hear the sound of the alarm blasting. Has movies taught me nothing, don't go in there...I ran from the bedroom to find Roy...well ran is not really the term, limped quickly is more like it, to find Roy madly punching a series of numbers into the alarm pad. He gets it to stop alarming but all we hear is this monontonious beep. He calls the alarm company...they ask the safe WORD...he gives them numbers...WORD...oh yea, he tells them. So, a techncal guy is supposed to call but before he can, Roy finally figures out how to get the thing to stop beeping. Roy thinks the remote on his keep chain hit the edge of the counter dead on and thus the whole wake up the neighborhood thing happened. I think that we should designate any descrinary income to an alarm fine fund. It took me a while to calm down and get back into that sleepy before bed mode. This morning Roy emailed me from the office. He has decided to stop wearing the remote on his key chain and put it in a safer location. Good, I think we will all sleep better knowing this. Roy's new alarm nick name...Paul Revere.

Remembering Our Personal 9/11 Stories

2011-09-04T21:30:00.001-05:00

Many of you know our 9/11 story. You can read about it here. Then in 2008 9/11 had another story for us. You can read about it here. This year is the 10th anniversary of 9/11/2001. Already in the past few weeks there have been a lot of documentaries and shows revisiting that horrible day in September. It has been difficult sometimes to watch these shows because in the back of my mind I am thinking about all the "what ifs." What if we had gone? Roy would have died for sure because his conference was in the World Trade Center. Sometimes I can let my imagination run wild especially since I would have been one of those people wandering the street with a picture of Roy...asking have you seen him? To be perfectly honest it would have to be a crayon crafted stick picture of him because I don't carry a picture of him in my wallet. Note to self...

Thankfully, most of the time I stop myself from wallowing in the what ifs and walk right into the thankfulness to God but there are those times I catch myself lingering a little too long...in the unknowing. Tonight while doing my homework for Community Bible Study, the opportunity to walk right into the thankfulness and gratefulness to God happened while answering the homework questions. This year we are studying Revelation. It is exciting for sure, but there in the midst of homework was a personal reminder of the Lord when He walks through the fear filled times with us. In Revelation 1, when John falls down as dead at the feet of Jesus after hearing the voice that sounds like great many waters, Jesus reaches out and touches John and tells him not to be afraid. This is glorified Jesus with feet like brass, eyes like fire, with the great voice...touching and comforting John the Revelator. Now this is not the first time that John experienced this. In Matthew 17:1-7 on the mount of transfiguration, Peter, James and John are afraid and have fallen to the ground after hearing the voice of God. Jesus goes over to them, touches them and tells them not to be afraid.

Sometimes we think we are afraid of stuff...happenings...circumstances but we need to be honest, sometimes we are fearful when we sense the Spirit's leading and that voice that speaks to us in our innermost being. His voice...

Several times I have thought...especially since we are now in our new home, will 9/11 have any personal bearing on us this year? I kind of have thought maybe it is in a 7 year pattern for us. I don't know but I am so thankful that God still has us here and He has a purpose for us. I like that our church service on 9/11 focuses on the HOPE of God...the hope that only comes through and with Him.

To the Land of Sugar and Back

2011-09-02T20:11:00.000-05:00

When we last left me yesterday, I was pondering the what ifs from the dryer fire. Hair dryer that is. After I had finished that post Buddy left me a wonderful present...let's just say she regurgitated her treats on the kitchen floor. Not that cat vomit is a joy to clean up but I was so thankful she hadn't wandered over to oh say a new rug, couch or bed covering.

Roy and I had both had "days" yesterday, so we went to bed early. He had an early morning wake up to take the trash out and wait for the A/C man today. I got to sleep in just a bit but I needed to get up and going because of the hair appointment in the Land of Sugar. The plan was to leave early enough to make it to Target before getting highlighted and cut. Well, it's always good to have a plan and thank the Lord I am not a perfectionist, so I wasn't beating myself up as I drove over to the Land of Sugar. For the life of us, we cannot figure out how to get our back seats in the upright position in case we would have passengers that might need to de-car after we come to a full and complete stop. The guys laying bricks on the house next door got quite a show as we read the instructions and then proceeded to not being successful at all. Roy said he is taking Sequisha to the closest dealership and have them show him how to get those seats back in the upright position.

So, highlights and haircut went really well. I stopped at Super Target across the street from them. I think that is my all time very favorite Target. They seem to have different merch, notice I have taken up professional retail talk, and always a good selection. While I had to be really, really good before we bought the house, I didn't even go into that Target before or after a hair appointment. I knew it would be too tempting. Then praise be, the Family Christian Bookstore did not have a line today. I did observe 3 people working at the check outs, but only one was waiting on customers. Found the book that sounded so interesting that Pete Wilson wrote about on his blog this morning. Totally forgot that there is a Lowe's in the very next shopping center. Found the lamp shades I have been looking for. Skipped going to Academy and instead opted for Joann's. Not the upscale clothes store but the fabric store. It's an interesting visit especially for one such as me that is so craft-sewing-artsy fartsy challenged. Most of my energy had been expended and I began the drive back to Katyland. While I was gone Roy had the cabinet guy, TV installer guy, a/c guy and warranty explainer guy to deal with. He told me when the last one left, he was peopled out. I got home for the last of the warranty explanation guy...who...used a Sharpie to write with while sitting on a new couch...and he kept resting his writing hand...with said Sharpie on the cushion of the couch. Each time my eyes followed that downward motion. He seemed to pick up on my intense nervousness of using a Sharpie and increased his hand resting on the cushion. Heck, I would be doing the same thing if I had to say the same thing over and over day after day.... Wait, I do! Neither Buddy nor Roy listen to me the first time...

After warranty guy left, Roy and I starving not to death but close to crankiness, went to Las Almedes for a late lunch. Delicious. And being inspired by my list making, calendar keeping newlywed friend Paige, we went to Get Personal Katy in La Centerra and I got a Vera Bradley agenda/calendar book. Maybe now I will keep better track of my social whirlwind life. Let's see, DVD Dance Moms, DVD Toddler and Tiara marathon...keep track of when I Married a Mobster is on...you know important engagements. When Roy saw the store I wanted to go into, he politely declined going in and went to get a menu from Fit and Fresh. Praise the Lord, he is looking to outsource dinner prep. I didn't raise the bar too high when I actually cooked dinner this week...once...but he loved the leftovers. And score a pair of 30% off on Yellow Box shoes...like I need another pair of flip flops...but hey...such a deal, I couldn't pass it up. Rumor has it when La Centerra expands this year, Anthropologie is one of the stores that will be in the center.

We are taking it easy tonight. I am trying to stay awake. Roy is thrilled that college football is on TV tonight... Buddy is sound asleep so that she might wander all night through the house and wake us up on the hour.

Just Another Thrusday in the Burbs

2011-09-01T17:35:00.001-05:00

This has been one odd Thursday. The day has been complete with a veritable potpourri of happenings. The day started with a small electrical fire. I was drying my hair...and I heard this clicking sound. Never noticed this before and just wrote it off that it was due to the fact my bracelet was hitting my watch. The clicking was getting louder and faster and the hair dryer was in my right hand...the non bearing bracelet and watch combination wrist.. I looked at my hair dryer and there was fire coming out of the end. Not being a Girl Scout as a child, my ever ready Camp Fire Girl knowledge came into play. No, not selling candy door to door. WOHELO! Work, health and love...of course this has nothing to do with fire either, but the middle name of the group is fire. So unplugged the dryer and smothered the flames with a heavy towel soaked in water... Can I just tell you I was more than happy that said fire had not lighted up the morning and most importantly not my hair. And I was fortunate that most of my hair was dry. I was wary of the flat iron for a few seconds, but it all worked out.

Being the almost month old Katy resident, I ventured to Bible study on 99 the back way I have only driven once and it was coming not going that direction. I got so lost. I called Roy because he had driven this way a couple of times in his attempt to find the shortest distance to the Metro Lot. He was of no help whatsoever. I called Peggy...unavailable. So, I finally got there in the most round about way...I was late...but I arrived in time for all the important stuff. Bible study was really good this morning and it will be exciting to study the book of Revelation. The questions surely will be challenging. Honestly, I had difficulty with the time line of Daniel...this can't be any easier. Afterwards as I was walking to my car Mary R met up with me. She was in my group last year. She has the wildest stories...she owns a working ranch in the area. This is the first time I have ever seen her without cowboy boots. She kept me in the hot sun a little too long and I barely had the energy to go to Target and buy a new hair dryer. I came home and went to bed.

There wasn't too much rest for the weary because I got another panicked call from a loved one. It was a week ago that I got almost the same type of call at 6:00 am. I will spare you the details, but it is hard, very hard, extremely exhausting to help this one think through things...and help them make wise, good decisions. Another crisis averted, for now. It is not that I don't think the issue is serious, because I do. It is all the drama, unnecessary drama that comes with it...and the unnecessary mess that has to be cleaned up afterwards. I feel like I have a well funded teenager on my hands..

So after the two phone calls from loved one and the second call was much better than the first because there seems to be a plan in place, I'm sitting here trying to get my heart back in rhythm and reading peace filled verses from Psalms. In the background I can hear mowers, weed eaters and leaf blower things going full blast. Lucky people who can get a hold of a lawn service, so thought I. The noise level increased and I went to the window and saw these guys were working in our yard. I called Roy and asked if he was able to get ahold of Abel. No... Roy told me to go out there and see who was mowing our yard. Quickly I reviewed my limited remembrance of high school Spanish. Somehow the question of, "would you like to play Chinese checkers and have some bread and butter" wasn't going to come in handy for communication purposes. Hallelujah! It was Abel and his guys. They did a great job and we are extremely happy we aren't going to have to buy a lawn mower after all this Saturday. He and his crew are coming every Thursday. If I had the energy, I would do a happy dance.

Roy had to drive into downtown yesterday, so we met for dinner at La Fiesta. I drove in a little early to look at Pier One on Bunker Hill before meeting Roy and then heading onto choir. We needed a chair for our closet. Found just the thing and had the nicest girl helping me. She made the whole experience a lot of fun. The chair is a dining room chair, with a very 50's retro look. It looks great and it doesn't take up a whole lot of room. Score one for Pier One and for the chair...and for Roy who needs someplace to put on his sock and shoes.

Roy is stopping to pick up Chinese food for dinner on his way home tonight. I am hoping I can talk him into putting together the bar stool for the project desk in the casita bedroom, which is going to be my crime labette. Peggy has a crime lab. Roy is taking off tomorrow because we have TV installation happening, another A/C visit, cabinet replacement and warranty meeting. It is more than I can handle besides this hair needs to be cut and highlighted. So thankful that the fire from this morning didn't burn and singe my hair and make me have to cancel the appointment with less than 24 hours notice...cause my hair would probably look like some of my styles of childhood, you know getting a stinky permanent and usually it ruined a third of your hair. Makes for lovely school pictures. That and not too good of impression with my new core group in Bible study. Maybe I could have made up some great story of having a Patmos experience like John. Nah, no one would ever believe it.

Monday Continues...

2011-08-29T14:32:00.000-05:00

Another hot day and I'm so glad to be indoors. Today has been another full day of workmen in and out of the house. Right now the A/C man is knocking around in the attic, outside and in the garage. The casita bedroom is not cooling off quite like it is supposed to. Earlier this morning the drainage repair guys were here working out in our courtyard. Cabinet guys, warranty guy, TV installation guy and a couple of others which I cannot remember right now will be here this week. Meanwhile the boxes are diminishing and things continue to come together. I am trying to do some actual cleaning today since that has been hit and miss. Most of our time is spent getting things organized and put away. Or make that re-organized. Saturday, we took another big load over to Katy Christian Ministries and I already have two more boxes ready to roll. On Saturday, I was able to get into the casita bedroom and get some work done in there. And since the desk came on Friday, I've been able to get things organized in the desk. A huge accomplishment has been working through boxes that have random, who knows what to do with this stuff, kind of things.

After church yesterday, we stopped at Lowe's and finally got the 8' ladder we need to change out A/C filters and change light bulbs. Of course the ladder is safely stored away in the garage. Filter changing can wait for another day.

I continue to make gradual steps towards really cooking dinner. In fact, I was going to fix dinner tonight but since I had to stay home and wait for all these people, I haven't been able to get out to pick up some critical ingredients. So maybe dinner will be cooked tomorrow. It's feeling like a go out or take out kind of night.

An Overcast Day with Some Lingering Rain...I Love It!

2011-08-25T09:34:00.000-05:00

It actually rained here last night. There was a pretty good show going on in the skies over Houston. Seems like a very long time since I've last seen lightning and the rain. Well, it was actually kind of interesting driving home from choir in it. I noticed a text from Roy on my out to the car that we didn't have power. In fact none of CR had power. Thankfully, I had thought to put the flashlights in a place where they could be found easily. Before the lights went out he had been working in the garage putting all the Christmas stuff up in the attic. I was dreading a hot home but the lights came on before I even got to the Beltway. We lost power again sometime after 11:00 but it wasn't for very long.

Without power...the one thought that kept running through my mind, thank you Lord that we put the 9 volt battery into the sprinkler system box. Believe me, I cannot tell you too much of what the guy said to me about programming the thing, alternating days, overriding the system and our seven zones, but I did hear and remember...get a battery so you don't have to reprogram the thing. Done and done. Actually, the wrong one of us received the how to's. Thankfully, there is a booklet that came with the system and Roy can read it in all his spare time.

My trips to Pottery Barn seem to bring rain. I went to PB two days in a row this week, so maybe that helped the rain come. PB is a strange land. It is not particularly a joy to shop in their stores, although I like so much of what they offer. You never know what you can pick up and take to the counter or what has to be called in from the back. It doesn't seem as if the two stores want to accommodate the customer as much as they want to beat the window treatments off of each other. At the River Oaks store, I purchased a lamp that had to be delivered to the store resulting in another trip into Houston to pick it up. They had it in stock at the Town and Country store and at first they were going to make me take the claim ticket back to the RO store for credit. Finally, the clerk relented on that diatribe and actually called the store and did it over the phone. Gee... I ordered my last piece of furniture from them yesterday, a small couch for the bedroom. Think I will start to look elsewhere for anything we need for the rest of the house.

Fact- from our home to Town and Country 20 minutes. From Walgreen's on Chimney Rock to First Baptist-35 minutes. Time mapping is not my best thing but I thought I'd given myself plenty of time to do the PB thing, eat dinner and pick up medicine from Walgreen's and still be at church in time to take in a little bit of Dena's series, God's Story for Your Life. Seems, I was sadly mistaken by not taking in account a police action, 5 o'clock traffic and the like. Came in a little late but was blessed by what I heard. Of course I couldn't stay for the whole thing because of choir. So here's a little plug, if you are wondering what your purpose is, God's story for your life is an awesome study. Dena is one of the best teachers and I'm not saying that because we are good friends. 6:00 pm in room 252 on Wednesdays at HFBC.

There is still much to be done around here but at a stand still until the desk is delivered and my DIY project is finished. Think that it needs one more coat of white gloss and it should be done. Until then...there is always more to put up and maybe clean... Still have my record going of not using my oven or cook top. Although I now know how to set the clocks on the oven and microwave.

Second Day Back at School...or in Houston

2011-08-23T15:12:00.000-05:00

Too bad we don't have any little boys in our lives because our house is big truck/construction central today. The sprinkler guys are working in the yard laying pipe and the lot behind us is being prepared for the foundation to be poured. Not only those two things but there's some kind of big cable laying machine running the length of our fence. It can't be anymore than five inches away from the fence line. Buddy is rather intrigued by the whole thing and I tried to take a picture of all that machinery but the glare from the sun is too much. Lots of roaring of engines surrounding me today.

To celebrate the second day of back to school I went into Houston. It really wasn't something I was planning to do, but Roy sent an email telling me he had left his Blackberry and cell phone at home. Very unlike him to do that, but he was so excited to try his new way to 99 that in all the hurry and scurry of the moment, he walked out the door without them. So, I volunteered to bring his Blackberry to him downtown. He said not until after 11 and I thought, for sure without a doubt. Who was he mistaking me for, the early bird? A type A personality. Actually, I have been getting up earlier than I did at the condo. I can now sing Holy, Holy Holy with the real words. If we sing that song at church, I have to change the words so that I'm not singing a lie. "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. Early MID morning my song shall rise to Thee." True words are early in the morning...but that doesn't happen so much so early mid morning seems to fit the bill. Plan...to leave the house around 9, actuality of exit...9:30ish. Dropped off the mail and headed into H-town. Stopped at the condos to pick up a package that had been delivered, stopped at the bank, took some stuff back to the Nord, got organized at the Container Store, and got some great things on sale at Pottery Barn. (Not seen a rain cloud though) Next stop, downtown to give Roy his Blackberry. Then I went to Lowe's and Michael's. Hit the freeway and stopped in at Home Goods and picked up a hamburger at Mickey D's (no complicated order this time) on my way home. Happy second day of school to me. Interesting that every where I went I saw more moms with toddlers out and about. They probably needed yesterday to recoup. Well, I didn't see any downtown but you know what I mean.

In true bloggy, DIY style, I began a project last night. In true no attention span style, I forgot to take a before picture of my project. Anyway, I am painting a four shelve wall hangy thing. So steeped in craft talk. It is dark brown. I prepared the thingy, primed it and did a coat of gloss white on it. Apparently, one can is not enough...but so I thought. So I went to Michael's and they had two cans left. Score, it was on sale. Extra score, ran into Wanda Jean there. So maybe I will complete my project tonight. It is just too dang hot to work on it during the day. So maybe I should take a mid project picture and then one when the job is complete. Yesterday, considerable time was spent in the casita bedroom because once everything in there is set up, the boxes in the house will diminish.

My quiet time reading was in II Kings this morning. Nothing like some evil kings to get one riled up and going in the morning. So thankful Judah at least had some good kings intermixed with the bad ones.

Maybe tonight Roy will finish our courtyard patio furniture project. There's not much left to do on it but the plastic straps holding stuff together might be nice to remove. It is sometimes overwhelming to think of the things we have left to do. This evening we can check sprinkler system off the list. Have my window treatments for the living room and breakfast nook ordered. Not to fear designer friends, I had professional help for this. I still think these dark blinds look good and all my non professional designer friends do to...the designer types, just give me a weak little smile and kind of have that there, there, you didn't know any better did you...bless your heart look on their face.

First Day Back to School...It Really Doesn't Affect Us Though

2011-08-22T14:39:00.000-05:00

First day of school so I took this opportunity to run to the grocery store. I went back to HEB because I liked it better than the Kroger. Little did I know that HEB could and will fill the deep shoes of the play grocery store. I found out this morning HEB carries the rosemary ham that I found at Rice several weeks ago. Score! This morning I tried to do some real grocery shopping, like stuff more for meals than snacks. It has been so long since I have cooked any type of thing, my mind is blank. Roy suggested Sloppy Joe's and meatloaf. Two things that are very do-able. I am more of a winter time cook, tortilla soup, roast, chili, and taco soup. Anyway, I made a dent into buying staples and the like.

We went with Bill and Peggy to see "I Heard That" in Galveston. It is a play written by the two guys that have done all the Tuna productions. The larger guy was very limited in his role(s) so they added three other actors to fill out the show. It was funny, had good lines, but it wasn't Tuna funny. We ate dinner at Willie G's beforehand. Love their gumbo.

I've been working some in the casita bedroom. It has a long way to go, but bit by bit it will all get done. When Roy and I were at Home Goods on Saturday, I noticed a couple of round lumbar type pillows that are used on daybeds. Just the inserts at PB and other places are out of this world but found a couple for $9.99 that will fit into the pillow covers I bought. So a return trip to Home Goods to pick them up looks in order. Not doing too much in the casita bedroom until the TV is installed. We are just using the little 19" one we have and maybe will get something different when it breaks.

There are a couple more things on my list for today and then I'm calling it quits for the day. With so much to do, I haven't really had time to just sit back, relax and read. Think that is coming sometime very near in the future.

Quiet on a Saturday Morning

2011-08-20T08:59:00.000-05:00

It's an early morning here on the prairie, but not as early as yesterdays. We know our security system works so that is good news. Roy left for the office sometime before 6:00 in the am. I thought I heard a different beep from opening and closing the door when he left but didn't really think too much of it. A few minutes later Roy is calling letting me know he thinks he might have accidentally tripped the alarm but not to worry, he caught his mistake in time. Another 10 minutes later my cell phone rings. The call was from a number I didn't recognize and almost didn't answer it, but I thought what if it is Bassett or from the workmen that are supposed to show up today. It was the security company letting me know that the police were on their way. Roy had pushed the panic button. I told her everything was fine but she couldn't call off the police until I gave her the "safe" word. Safe word? There's a safe word? Roy didn't tell me a safe word. So while the security company held, I called Roy. No answer... I said is the safe word numbers? Of course I was missing the obvious, safe WORD. Finally, Roy answers. I ask him for the safe word and he doesn't have nary a clue what I am talking about. Then he remembers and I was able to tell the security company. She said she would try to cancel the call with the Po Po. So, I did what any normal person would do, I got up and waited for the Po Po to arrive. I couldn't find my summer robe so I had to put on my winter one...heavy...yet soft, but I was sweating bullets. Surely if the Po Po came a knocking at my door, they would suspect something because I was sweating like a big dog. After 30 minutes I realized their call had been cancelled. I was free to go on about my day. My day that started way too early. Too bad because it was one of Buddy's quieter mornings.

Roy spent most of his day at the condo waiting on Salvation Army to come pick up furniture. He got the lady lined up who is going to do the final clean up and he got boxes ready to bring home more stuff left behind. He actually brought home dishes and frozen food so that's not too bad. I was dreading the sight of more boxes. It has been a fairly successful week getting boxes unpacked. Thursday Pottery Barn delivered furniture. We will have to wait on doing any final arranging in the casita bedroom until the TV is hung on the wall. Everything looks nice in there, the day bed and the project table. The console looks awesome in the living room. Bassett delivered the second couch for the living room yesterday. The only thing left, that is for now, is the desk we ordered.

Last night Emily and Dena came over before going to a party for Raouf at Peggy's. The party was for everyone who has ever gone on a trip with Raouf and the Hickey's to Israel. I crashed the party...and only had to take pictures of the group as my "punishment" for not being official. It was a lot of fun, lots of great food and I got to visit with friends I don't get to see very often.

After crashing the party, I came home and crashed. I'd been invited to meet friends for breakfast today but I had to punt. I feel like a cement truck has rolled over me several times. It will be nice not having anyone scheduled to deliver or repair today. In fact no one comes until Tuesday. That's when the sprinkler installation begins. Our grass will be praising God for a consistent drink of water.

Here are a few pictures charting progress

This is the breakfast nook but it is all things meal wise. We turned the dining room into a library or sitting room. Those pics are to come.

Sitting on the couch by the window looking into the kitchen.

Another view from the kitchen of the breakfast nook.

The living room view from the entry way.

Thursday Thoughts, Third Edition

2011-08-18T11:02:00.001-05:00

Every day we are adjusting to life on the prairie. One thing that I'm still learning is all about timing. In Houston, you gave almost every drive time at least 30 minutes, even if you were just a few blocks or miles from your destination. Here, it is all about 5-10 timing, maybe less. I'm talking about driving around here not back into Houston. This actually gives more time to get things done around home or do a blog post. Whatever....

I took yesterday off. I hit the road, went out to breakfast and did some pricing of things, bought pillows and mattress pads for guest rooms and splurged on a bread maker. Not just an ordinary bread maker, but one from Williams Sonoma. This thing does it all except brush your teeth for you. Bought a couple of the bread mixes and I've been given some stellar bread making advice from friends. You should have seen the faces of the sales clerks in Williams when I asked, it says add water and oil. What kind of oil should I use? I kind of had that WD 40 look on my face.

Realizing we get very poor cell phone reception here, we added a Comcast line. Since we have been without a land line for a long time, I had forgotten about telemarketing phone calls. So far all of them have been for home security. When we were pricing home security, we couldn't get any of the major firms to even give us a price quote. Now that we have found a company and have security installed, we are getting calls from every security firm around. I added our number to the do not call list but it doesn't take effect until 30 days from now.

Another thing, we have to call the Chronicle every day to have our paper delivered. With newspapers trying to hold onto a diminishing customer base, you'd think someone could get the paper here. Only day we didn't have to call was on Sunday. Maybe we should change to just the weekends and see if that makes things less complicated.

I think I met the door repair man with jelly on my face this morning. Not that I'm all concerned how I looked to a man wearing crocs, black socks, t-shirt with arms cut off and holey shorts. But you know jelly especially when it is strawberry can quickly be blended into ones cheeks for that sun kissed bronzed look. It is a little sticky but it gets the job done. I attracted a trail of ants though while I was outside with him. Now, the A/C guy will come in a couple of hours to look at something in the casista bedroom and then Pottery Barn between 4:00 and 6:00.

When did mattress pads cost $120.00? I couldn't believe it! The cheapest one at Macy's started at $80 bucks. I took myself right over to Target and got the good old fashioned $20.00 kind. Just need something to cover the thing, not add padding. I also found some $4.50 pillows to put in shams.

Tomorrow the second couch for the family room is delivered. I thought it might be a couple more weeks. The little secretary desk, or would the politically correct thing be to say is administrative professional desk, should be delivered sometime in the next few weeks. Then I need to look for some accent tables since the pedestal table isn't going to work too well in the family room.

Buddy is getting suspicious about our in and outs certain doors. I am trying to keep her on the innocent side of knowing how a front and back door work. Roy and I have a tedious exit process right now. When the door guy came, I did open the front door because I knew Bud was in the back of the house, but I think she got a glimpse of it opening. That crafty cat has about 3 hiding places now. She can't nap on the bed like she used to. It keeps me on my toes.

It was so refreshing to be back in choir rehearsal last night. My soul and spirit were ministered to and afterwards I got my fellowship on visiting and laughing hysterically with friends. It dawned on me around 9:30 that I still had a 30 minute drive awaiting me. Think it will be a good thing because that time on the road helped me unwind. I am usually pretty wired after Wednesday night choir. In fact it was Roy who kept waking me up last night asking questions. He woke up late this morning and when I finally arose, I felt as if a truck had run over me.

Back to my cleaning. It is beyond me how so much dried out prairie grass gets into the house.

Uses Time and Materials Wisely, Works and Plays Well with Others

2011-08-16T09:23:00.000-05:00

Thought I might go with a school theme this morning since school starts here next week. This is day two for Roy driving to the Park and Ride and then taking the bus into downtown. Likes the bus part but is still trying to work out the route he will take to 99. In fact he left earlier today than he did yesterday and in an email this morning I reminded him that school begins next week and the traffic will be worse. Come thou fount of every blessing, I knew that is what he thought about that good news this morning.

Yesterday the patio furniture for the courtyard and for the back porch were being delivered. Of course you could bank on it, both deliveries arrived at the same time. Macy's arrived first and began putting the furniture together and taking it around back. The furniture from Costco was next to arrive and the delivery was anything less than dutiful. Right from the start the delivery man lets me know he isn't going to take any of the delivery apart, set it up or bring it into the house. Told him it was going in the front courtyard, so no problem. I was of the understanding that set up was included in the delivery, but Nancy girl did not read the fine print. I had to help him get the delivery into the courtyard and I joked about not being a member of the union and I hoped I didn't get in trouble. Delivery man had no sense of humor and said, there's no union. Right then and there I should have climbed up on all those boxes on a pallet and yell like Sally Field did in Norma Rae, Union, union, union!!! But I wanted this guy gone, so I only played out the scene in my mind. Think he was waiting on a tip and I usually tip delivery guys because it is hard work, it's hot and most go the extra mile to help the customer. My tip was pulling the pallet up our steep sidewalk with him pushing the thing. Not the thing for me to be doing in the heat and with a few heart events during the week.

So last night after dinner, we went out, we came back home and began to take the boxes apart and assemble our set. I am so very happy to report that both Roy and I stuck with the jobs we are good at and didn't try to take over the other's tasks. Roy actually read the directions and understood them. I read them and once all the jargon about washer K, bolt B, screw A, pvc part H...well you get the picture that I didn't get the picture. Attention span was gone with the Katy prairie wind. The evening grew dark and we kept at it. Never once did we say anything in that aggravated tone of voice, or raise our voices or getting our (read my) feelings hurt. We cleaned up the mess and kicked it out on the curb for the garbage today. We were rather persperous and sweaty and I did the majority of my work seated, but we actually put the thing together and it is still standing this morning.

We didn't get a couple other projects taken care of and we still have some assembly to be done on the table. So, guess Roy and I would both get a + in using time and materials wisely and works and plays well with others. And you know it had to be a God thing because this kind of stuff is not in our natural or spiritual gifting. Thus our usual cry of outsource, outsource, outsource became job well done.

Stuff, Possesions, Junk and Cool Trendy Things

2011-08-15T10:14:00.000-05:00

It is slightly ironic that as I sit here waiting on two furniture deliveries the effect of sorting, giving, throwing, packing, unpacking, storing and giving of this past week has me slightly overwhelmed with the fact, we have way too much stuff. When we began this whole process in February, it seemed we were ahead of the game. I had time to go through boxes of keepsakes and memories. Religiously sorting through letters, cards, journals, pictures and programs I felt like I had done a great culling and letting go. In fact, I went through things a second and third time. There were still too many memories taking up space, so I reluctantly shredded letters from friends. The hardest being, only keeping some of the letters my mom wrote me when they lived in Georgetown. My mom has always loved to write and receive letters which explains why I love that too. She would write 2 and maybe sometimes 3 letters a week to me. So, you see I had a plethora and a dilemma. Painstakingly, I went through her letters and kept the most meaningful. My mother's Alzheimer's makes this decision even more painful, but it had to be done. Then there is the box full of wedding and shower cards. Over three fourth of the cards, I don't even remember the people. Shred! There are boxes of school day memories and the like. Some of that stuff went too. I mean really, why did my mom keep all my workbooks? Another fact confirmed, my artistic ability in drawing has not advanced too much since my kindergarten pictures. Stick figures are my forte.

Our entry way is divided like the wheat and the tares. The boxes continue to increase for Katy Christian Ministries. Some boxes need to go out to the casita bedroom, but I am still going through the boxes in there. No matter, the room needs to be cleared for the bed and project table delivery on Thursday. We think we need to order another bookcase for Roy's study. He didn't realize how much space he had for books at the condo verses here at the house. Several boxes hold things from my desk. I just ordered a small desk for me that will double as a desk and enhance the entry way decor.

It is a process. Granted we both have lots of shorts and t-shirts because at the condo it took forever for clothes to dry. The dryer vent went up to the roof and never did a good job. Can you even realize how elated we have been when it took so little time to wash and dry sheets. We freaked at the timeliness of jeans being dried. Wow, this whole new washer and dryer thing has freed up lots of extra time. We started going through clothes last night because we do not have room for everything.

Here is something that is just sad, I found a box that hadn't even been opened since we moved close to 18 years ago. Serving trays that I hadn't even missed or remembered owning were the contents.

While taking a break from boxes last night, I watched a little bit of Hoarders. Now there is a show that will put light in your britches to get things done. Just from watching a few minutes I had one last burst of energy to take care of more stuff. The man who was the focus last night was trying to analyze why he started keeping everything. He had a significant loss earlier in life and he thinks from that time onward, he began to "collect" which is hoarder talk for keeping all their junk. During different times in this move I have contemplated why I can get on a kick of something and end up with a lot of that something. Could be that when I was a kid our personal possessions were kind of sparse. We didn't grow up poor but I think my parents, more so my dad's view was, don't give your children things that they might like, need or want because this lack will make them strong and not weak. Everything whether it be discipline, love, Christmas, or getting ready to go back to school, was geared to this mantra, you will be strong, in control and not be weak. This way nothing can hurt you. Great theory but it didn't play out well in real life. Roy is the middle child and his whole focus was to please his parents. He though if he didn't ask for anything, they would notice this wonderful trait and give him what he needed. Well, that didn't work either because of the whole squeaky wheel gets the grease thing. Really, the middle kid of five boys... So there you are two damaged people, who like stuff and the lack of stuff early in life has played out into too much stuff later on.

Hmmm....could things be trying to fill that hole in my spirit that can only be filled by God? It hasn't ever really dawned on me, this obsession, until looking at it full on..in the face this past week. I have never been one to hold onto things too tightly, so maybe that justified everything. I don't know, but I did read something this morning that kind of has me thinking and wondering... "It's not our religious activities, it's not keeping the rules, it's not being a dutiful soldier fulfilling a cause. He wants our lives and our hearts in intimate joyful relationship with Him." Living on the Edge by Chip Ingram So then maybe I should be thinking God likes me whether or not I have this cool stuff. I joked with friends the other day that maybe now after seeing all we have moved, that I should read Radical.

Back to work at hand, with a song in my heart, gratefulness for this home and maybe a little more understanding.

900 Post

2011-08-14T13:43:00.000-05:00

Certainly something moving (not referring to our recent relocating) or stirring (no, haven't cooked anything yet) or insightful would be appropriate for a 900 post...but I gots nothing. Roy has gone back to the condo to pick up things left behind and at this point I am almost ready to say...yes, leave them behind. Although the all important ironing board is on its way to Katy. While he has been loading and throwing, I have been sorting and storing. Since I have given over ownership of my beloved desk to Roy, I have no place for my pens, erasers, pencils and paper clips. So, I'm debating whether to go ahead and order a desk that has caught my fancy online or wait. After seeing how much I have that has no place to go, desk ordering will probably be happening sometime today.

We spent a lot of time in Lowe's and Home Depot contemplating 8' ladders yesterday. There was a sign by the ladders at HD that offered free shipping of any ladder under 24'. Yet at the check out we were told delivery would be $49.00. Forget about it...the ladder is cheaper at Lowe's and we can fit it in Sequisha if we happen to put part of the ladder between us on the ride home. We had all kinds of other home goods with us purchased from both places yesterday and fitting a ladder in with us would have been difficult for a ride home. So changing out the filters will have to wait a few more days. We have the more important task of buying TV's facing us. Actually, I very rarely make those kind of shopping excursions with Roy. My gnat like attention span doesn't help in the tedious process of making the correct decision for the TV hopefully living with us successfully for the next few years.

Loving Dish Network verses Comcast. Only now I have to learn all new channel settings. You're probably saying, is that all you have to worry over? No, but again the attention span to actually learn new settings isn't all that focused. There are several projects all over the house that has my attention, well at least for a few minutes at a time. That is why I sit here at the desk, writing a blog post rather than finding a new place for stuff. Since I haven't found an accent table for the family room and Roy doesn't have any kind of nightstand on his side of the bed, and of course the fore mentioned desk, I don't know what to do with things. I haven't even tackled the casita bedroom which needs to be cleared up for the daybed delivery on Thursday.

The ice dropping in the ice machine scares Buddy and me every time. We both just jumped out of our skin and fur. Buddy is beginning to be more confident in our new home. She slept with us last night and she hasn't spent too much time hiding under beds today. The windows aren't as accesible to her for the all important bird watching, so we are going to have to figure something out for her.

Last night Peggy and Bill called us on their way back home to see if we wanted to meet them and Jaime for snow cones. I kind of said no but that was Houston thinking...it is hard to remember we aren't in Kansas anymore. So we met them and then went onto Home Depot.

We aren't on any GPS or Google map yet. So, no one making deliveries can find us and have to call to get directions. We were missed by our garbage service on Tuesday, but happily they found us on Friday. No newspaper delivery until today. Once the new dry cleaners know us by name, we will have really arrived. It still doesn't feel real living out here. Think we located the closest dry cleaners to us yesterday and next to it is a really fun store full of cute things that I have no room for right now but should have that situation remedied in a few short weeks. Hey, just supporting the local economy. They have some of the cutest fall decorations. Maybe fall decorations will help deliver us from this heat and lack of rain. In the spirit of being a good neighbor, I have designated any Nordstrom purchases I might have made to the "we are trying to keep this grass alive" fund. Only in Houston, without any significant rainfall would we be thinking a nice little hurricane might fit the bill.

I still have difficulty finding necessary things to get ready in the mornings. Reality will hit Roy tomorrow as he begins an early morning drive over to the Park and Ride and the ride into downtown Houston. Roy says he has never looked so forward to going back to work after a vacation in all his life. Guess me trying to convince him he was at the Inn on the Biltmore Estate didn't work. I didn't think those freebie shampoos and soap from there were enough.

Just Another Saturday in the Neighborhood

2011-08-13T10:59:00.000-05:00

Buddy and I are holed up in Roy's study. The sa-cur-i-ty guy is here and because Buddy hasn't been here during the week, we are nervous that she'll get skittish and run out the door. Interesting, the very rooms she hasn't wanted to have anything to do with are now the rooms that she is crying to get into. Hmm...sounds a bit like me at times. The study has french doors, so at least she can look out and keep her all too vigilant eyes on everything. I thought she would sleep like a cat last night but she wouldn't stay still for too long. I don't think she is a fan of ceiling fans.

Later today, we will make yet another Lowe's run. We need to purchase an 8 foot ladder, another garbage container, some kind of hose (not panty hose thankfully) and other various and sundry things.

On Monday the furniture for the courtyard and the furniture for the back porch will be delivered. Then Thursday Pottery Barn comes and that should be it for deliveries for a while. I do have a couple other things to order, but will wait and see how everything looks once we are really settled.

It is interesting getting used to new noises in the house. I told Roy in the evenings I feel like I am on vacation somewhere because we were turning on the light in the bathroom so that we, OK who am I kidding, so I could find it in the middle of the night. We finally found our night light and that has helped. I'm also getting used to where I have put my make up and stuff like that. We are at that point in unpacking where we don't quite know what to do with some stuff. Looks like another trip to Katy Christian Ministries is in the offering. Other stuff just doesn't have a place. We cut down our storage pieces when we moved. Some of this stuff will go into the attic now that we have the extra plywood in for more storage area.

For those who might be building a house in the future...you cannot ever have too many electrical outlets in the bathroom. We just have the ones by our sinks. It would be helpful to have at least another outlet somewhere in the room or closet.

Roy and I made our first trip to the local HEB Thursday night. Not too bad. In fact they have two items that I like that I have only found at the play grocery store and surprise, for a much lower price than the play grocery store. I still get the HEB-ijittys there but maybe I will soon over come that. I haven't cooked anything but we did bring home prepared food and had dinner here last night. At the quick stop I made at Rice yesterday, I picked up some deli ham with rosemary. It is out of this world good. I should have bought some rosemary bread to go with it for sandwiches. Maybe on my next stop there I will do just that.

We have found a bunch of Mexican food places to eat around here, now we are on the lookout for other options.

Moved and Unpacked(well unpacking)

2011-08-12T16:20:00.000-05:00

Long time no post and that is due to the fact that we moved this week. This will be short but we are so thankful that the whole process toward the end of the building a home journey went smoothly. Closing last Friday went without a hitch. We came over and picked up the keys and we dropped off a few things that we had in the back of Sequisha. Then we went and picked up our mail box assignment and keys. We headed back to the condo and began loading up the cars. Dena came over and she helped take a load out to our new home. First things first, we ate dinner then came out here. Saturday, we did the same kind of thing trying to get all the kitchen things here. For someone who doesn't cook, I have a whole lot lot of dishes and cooking type things. David and Emily came over on Saturday and Emily used her natural talents and spiritual gift of organization and she and Dena whipped my kitchen into shape. On Sunday, Roy and I brought out all our hanging clothes and then prepared for the professionals to take over on Monday.

So this week has been unpacking, waiting on deliveries, repairs, professionals and did I mention unpacking? The deliveries have gone without a hitch. Next week I just have patio and courtyard furniture deliveries and Pottery Barn on Thursday. I believe Tuesday will be the first day in a long while that will just be a day, a regular day.

We love it out here. One of my favorite things to do in the cool of the evening and yes there is a nice breeze out here that makes it feel cool, is to water the trees and landscaping. We are trying to put up a victorious fight of keeping our grass alive. We have such a small yard, we didn't think we would need sprinklers. Well, we were wrong. So, we are trying to get someone out here to give us an estimate.

We have been without TV or the Internet until today. It was kind of nice to have quiet evenings, with just the radio and a good book. Believe me, even after purging my collection, between the two of us we still have a whole lot of books. The new furniture looks nice and I really want to play with it, arranging it. But...there are more important things right now like, getting rid of boxes.

On my way in to pick up Buddy, I stopped at Bed, Bath and Beyond and did a fairly sizable damage to our home accessories budget. Stopped at Macy's and picked up a few things. Went to the Amish Craftsman to look at benches and tables. Then made a short stop at the Play Grocery store. So, right now, we know Buddy is in the house, we just don't know where. She is a bit overwhelmed by it all but hopefully, she will get used to everything soon.