Whirl Wind Weekend

What a fun but busy weekend!  It might take me all week to recoup.  I loaded the pictures in the wrong order so...we shall start with Sunday and roll backwards.

Sunday afternoon we dropped by my parents for Father's Day.  This is my sweet little mama.  Even though we don't understand a whole lot of what she says, she still has her funny little laugh.

 Mama and me sitting on the couch.  When she was able the backyard, which you see behind us, was ablaze with color.  She has a green thumb and could grow and grow successfully just about anything she planted.  I did not inherit this gift.

 My Dad, me and Mom in front of the usual picture taking spot.

 Mom, Dad and Roy...  I actually used Roy's camera to take the picture.  His camera overwhelms me but he had set it on auto focus, thankfully.

We drove out to Katy afterwards.  We took 90 to 99.  It has been years since we've been on 90 and couldn't believe all the changes.  We passed by the old Imperial Sugar building in Sugar Land.  That is where we turned to go to the farm where we kept my horse way back in the day.  Of course that land has been built on and no horse farm remains.  Even the little road that ran beside the refinery has disappeared.  Now Regal Ranch, that place is still open.  That was surprising. 

This is the one and only window that needs to be installed and progress will resume on the house.  With this delay, we are probably now looking at August for the closing date. 

 Side view...with missing window

Saturday at 2:00 was the wedding shower for Paige and John.  It was a blast,  It was a display shower and that way they were able to visit with their guests. 

The living room display

The garage display

The bedroom display

Friends on display.

John's family on display

Paige's Dad, Mom and sister (bottom corner) on display

Friday night fun on the lake

Paige's dad, Billy, skiing

The fishies waiting to be fed

Chris and Ben the Interns having a little fun in between all their hard work

It was a snap....for Shea, her first time on a wake board

Peggy in her summer element

Step Back, Prepare and a Poem

For some reason my blog has stopped importing into my Facebook notes.  So techie that I am, I went to the help area on Facebook.  I was instructed to send some information, which I did.  Now I am getting more instructions that this addled, not tech, low attention span brain that cannot comprehend.  So here's to I hope it all works out. 

It is so good to have an ease into the day kind of morning.  This week has been full and I've been busier than usual.  Of course when I do this, my body sends me a HUGE message that I need to take a couple steps back and build in more down time.  So it felt really good to sleep in this morning because the next few days might prove to be hectic.  Last night we did our prep work for John and Paige's wedding shower on Saturday.  The group that I am so happy to be a part of who are putting on this shindig is reasonably balanced into those who are good at taking charge and getting things accomplished and those that are there and happy to be apart of it and await instructions.  You know a group of Baptists, especially Baptist women cannot have any type of gathering without the communal gathering and feasting of snacks.  There were some really good snacks to be had in the midst of the prep and fun.  I seemed to find myself more drawn to the fun.  John and Paige were a hoot and so cute to watch as they went through the gifts.  Paige's parents and younger sister had just gotten into town and so they were able to be there to be a part of the festivities.  The shower on Saturday will be a blast.  Roy will be taking pictures for them, so I will have something to post on the blog and on Facebook. 

We have met a milestone here at the condo, all our books have been boxed.  Oh, there are a few exceptions of some notebooks that Roy needs to look through.  The non necessary kitchen items are next of my list.  Of course that last sentence would be an oxymoron here, so I should probably be more definitive by saying, kitchen items in the cabinet that never see the light of day.  That would include things like Pyrex dishes, cookie sheets, cake pans and all the utensils that accompany them.  Once we move I think I will get a hand mixer and a few other kitchen things because maybe the "new" will inspire me.  That and the fact that I won't have a play grocery store just down the street. 

My two favorite pairs of flip flops this summer create so many shoe farts.  These shoes are great support and have that negative heel action that will help me have shapelier calf's and thighs.  Ha!  I really love the support much better than regular flip flops.  So for the most part I don't mind the shoe farts but it is a tad embarrassing when one walks through relative quiet spots in life.  The other evening the loud talker and the obsessive dog walker were sitting by the pool and as I walked passed them, my shoes went to town making all kinds of disgusting noises.  The loud talker even heard them over her loud, booming voice.  For a minute I contemplated turning back to tell them that it was my shoes making that noise, not me.  But what the heck, we're moving.  Besides it will give them something to remember me by when we have moved.  Shoe farts in the bookstore, church, and other places....I usually warn friends and people with me that the noise they are about to hear did not eminate from me, but rather from my shoes. 

This week while packing things in Roy's office I came across my Amplified Bible that I bought in 1974.  I have written about this Bible before.  I had saved money and had Christmas money from my grandparents and after Christmas I headed down to the Baptist Book Store on Main Street to buy my red leather Amplified Bible.  I had priced it earlier and had just that amount of money with me.  Much to my surprise the cost of that Bible went up several dollars in the interim.  That news broke my heart.  The saleslady said, we have a red leather Amplified Bible that we are sending back because two pages in Jeremiah has lighter print.  She would sell me that Bible for the money I had.  I looked at the two pages, they were readable and at the time I thought, who reads Jeremiah?  I think I was in my being all spiritual mode by only receiving great wisdom from the minor prophets at that time.   I notice that I do have several verses highlighted on those two pages, so apparently my thought pattern toward the book of Jeremiah changed.  Because the Lord provided His Word that day, I wrote a poem of thankfulness to Him in my Bible.  So here it is; poetry on a Friday.  Maybe I should add bad poetry on a Friday, but it was written from my 20 year old mind and heart. 

Clap your hands, dance and leap!
For the seeds have been sown
and now it's time to harvest and reap.
The hills and the mountains break forth into singing
with glad hosannas and praises ringing.
The trees of the field clap their hands, they are over joyed.
Because the Word never returns to Him, void.
As the rains from heaven cause flowers to sprout
So is the Word of God that brings souls out.
For the Word of God is full of power and sharper than any two edged sword.
And when it pierces the heart, a person will acknowledge Jesus as Lord!
It is the Word of God that is the power to save and refresh
Not us at all, for nothing dwells good in our flesh.
No matter how good we try to be at any length
the principle still stands, in quietness and confidence is our strength.
So through every valley, brook and rill
Let the seeds be planted!  Cultivate and till.
Because the opportunity we may not always seize
But the Word of God will go out and accomplish
What He would please.

Nancy Doss 1974

In the Multitude....

It is just difficult to stay focused on the things at hand when one is out and about in this spirit breaking, sweat producing, oppressive heat and it is not even August yet.  With all these high temperatures I try to run errands in the mornings or into the evening and try to stay cool indoors at home in the afternoons.  So it was an eventful morning, nothing earth shattering, but more things crossed off the list and a new learning experience.

Today the water is scheduled to be off in order for repairs for various condos.  This must be a season of bad water line breakage because the water is still off here in the late afternoon.  So, I headed out this morning, had breakfast, bought stamps and decided to use the ATM at another bank.  Breakfast good, postage line long, and ATM?  Just another adventure and maybe soon all my experiences at the ATM will be on You Tube.  So, this bank is before all the places I needed to stop this morning.  We rarely stop in at this bank but in my quest to get out of comfortable ruts, I ventured onward to use their ATM.  At least I put the card in correctly and then it asked all these questions to set up what I later learned to be a user profile and when I requested said funds, all I got was a receipt...with no balance...and no money.  Apparently I must lift a little lid to find the cash.  Lid didn't move.  Nothing worked... I'm out of the car trying to pry open the lid which in hindsight wasn't even where the cash comes out. I am looking for a button to talk to someone on the inside...nothing..   Of course I am in a panic cause no bank is going to believe that you only got this little nothing of a receipt and no cash.  So, I park and go into the bank...trying to act all reasonable and not menopausal.  I didn't want them to think that this little receipt I was showing to the receptionist as sweat is dripping down my face to be misinterpreted as a "give me all your cash" kind of thing.  The receptionist man...yep it was a man...  looked at my little receipt and asked, "have you ever used our ATM before?"  No...I usually just use this for groceries and junk like that.  He let me know that I had set up a quick cash thing and I could now go over to the inside the bank ATM and see if everything worked out correctly for me.  Word is probably out about all the faces and gyrations I can go through while using a machine.  He left his desk and I am almost sure he went over to the tellers that weren't busy as said, get the video from outside on her and let's see what happens when she uses the inside machine.  Fortunately, it all worked out and I didn't give another show.  I should have announced no flash photography please as it will cause distraction and miss punching of numbers.  After getting some cash, I headed out the door to Town and Country to see if my stop at that Pottery Barn would make rain happen.  No, but I did find what I was looking for.

Here is the new word of the week that Peggy introduced me to, matelasse.  I think that is French for coverlet.  Anyway, I bought a cream king size matelasse on Monday and today I found a sage blue matelasse for the guest bedroom.  This word matelasse is almost becoming a favorite word right up there with porte corchre.  Since I was so close to Barnes and Noble and I had my Nook, I wander over to sample some interesting reads and bought a book whose title now escapes me.  I never can remember titles.  Made a couple more stops on the way home and now here I am.  I remembered to RSVP for the HFBC wedding of the century and now I am trying to find another RSVP card to returnl for another event we social Monarch butterflies have been invited to. 

That's the hard part about moving.  Everything is getting packed.  Last night as Roy assembled all the info the mortgage company wants to know about us, we couldn't find an April bank statement.  They come in the mail and I put them on Roy's desk so that he can keep them in our little notebook.  He wanted to accuse me of not giving it to him and I wanted to think he probably accidentally shredded it during his marathon shedding a couple of weekends ago.  The later is probably what happened but we were able to get another copy.  Stuff like this overwhelms me.  I got so worked up over not being able to locate it, that it took me longer to settle down so I could go to sleep.  Yea, that sets well with Roy who has to get up much earlier than me but he was very understanding, probably in hopes that I will be as understanding when it comes time to move and he hasn't packed up one thing. 

PSALM 94:19 in the Amplified Bible is becoming a life verse for this season of life, "In the multitude of my (anxious) thoughts within me, Your comforts cheer and delight my soul."  Verse 13 too, "that You may give him power to hold himself calm in the days of adversity."  Funny, never thought of buying a house under the category of adversity and truthfully there are a few background dramas going on in our lives that has nothing to do with building a house but are present never the less.  Anyway, amidst the multitude of anxious thoughts...the Lord's comforts cheer me.  We don't have to do this in our own strength, we rest in the Lord.  The Lord is strong and mighty, He protects and as we are studying in Adult Sunday Bible Study this summer, the Name of the Lord is a STRONG TOWER, the righteous run into it and they are safe. 

Getting ready for round two of going through the boxes in my closet to see if anything is Goodwill worthy now that I didn't think I could part with a couple of months ago. 

Trying Not to be Overwhelmed

I swear we could open a Lifeway Store with all the reference books, Bible studies, Bibles, and cards I have found this morning while cleaning out Roy's office.  By cleaning out, I mean packing and making another Goodwill box that will be out the door soon, I hope. 

It has been an exciting morning because we received an email from our mortgage company asking for all kinds of recent information.  So that means things are on the move.  As I read the list of everything that Roy needs to gather, I became overwhelmed.  Just like Roy becomes overwhelmed when faced with packing boxes.  It is a really good thing that we are so opposite and can take care of the stuff we have more of an affinity for. 

Part of me wants to begin packing up some stuff in the kitchen because, well you know, it probably won't get used in the next month or so.  I was in Highland Village yesterday because I meet Cassi for lunch.  I went a little early to be able to run into a couple of stores.  I even went to Pottery Barn hoping that my presence would produce rain.  I even went twice!  First visit in a long time that didn't end with me getting wet, well from rain.  Sweat, that is a whole nother thing.  I enjoy browsing Williams Sonoma because they have stuff that makes me think if I owned it, I would cook.  Although, I did take a little longer with some items that I probably will get once we have moved in and settled down.  Anthropologie had lots of cute things on sale but cute kitchen items will just have to wait.  Interesting side note to the Pottery Barn trip.  I think I was being set up for a purse snatching in the parking lot.  Hey, still have some street sense from our days living in Fondren Southwest.  Living, not a good term, existing until we could get out is more like it.  Anyway, I turned back and kind of bowed up and made the evil eye at the two following me.  The one who probably was the chosen one to grab my purse was caught by surprise and the one heading to the get a way car, hurried their steps a little more.  Who knows, God may have put some big ol' angels around me and that shook them up.  But just by the way they reacted makes me think, they weren't up to any good. 

Just one more window to be installed and then an inspection and then drywall can be hung and the bricks and stones will start on the outside.  Once that happens I think everything begins to speed up, trim and door work, cabinets, counter tops, paint, and then flooring. 

Here are a couple of pictures from Saturday. 



All the windows are in on this side, except for the bathroom window which will be glass block.

 A courtyard view.  Well, what will be the courtyard.

 A view from across the street.

 Me hanging out on the back porch. 

All my creativity is going into thinking about this house.  I have to make sure not to think about the house before going to bed, because my brain starts running and I can't go to sleep.  It has been neat to walk through the house and see all the verses we wrote on the frame.  I'm thinking on our next trip out that way, I might write a few verses and such on the floor. 

I'm Back!

After two long weeks we finally have the Internet back in our casa. Actually, it is usually I who has fits over no connection, but this time it affected Roy more so than me.  It became quite the fiasco yesterday.  We got the confirmation call that someone would be here before 5:00 and no one showed, much less called.  Until 9:00 last night, Roy called Comcast every 45 minutes and heard a different story or excuse.  In the midst of all this one of the Comcast voices gave us HBO free for 6 months.  Really, that is probably a waste but I did get to see the McEnroe/Borg special and it was very good.  In the past two weeks we have had a lot going on that being connected to the Internet here at home would have made life a little easier.  But, it is great to be back!

So much has been happening but now that I have a chance to write about it, nothing is coming to mind.  The heat in Houston has been almost unbearable.  With the heat has come a small relapse with heart events.  Think things might be under control now, but I don't feel confident enough to be in the choir loft tomorrow morning.  It has been quite some time since I have felt like this. 

I broke my toe on Tuesday.  Quite funny, my toe got caught in the hem of my jammies and with the next step, I tumbled.  I can only wonder what the people who live below us thought.  I was pretty bruised up and sore on Wednesday.  At least I broke my toe in the top joint and not in the middle like I've done before.  It is not as painful to get around when it is a high break.

New challenge for me...  Our bank finally got rid of its 1990 version of ATM and installed one with touch screen.  My first attempt at using it was just sad.  I know the employees had to be so happy to watch the video of me trying to use the ding, dong thing.  After a few futile attempts, success was mine. 

We almost have windows!  Ours have been on back order because the INS raided the window makers and most of the workers were here illegally.  So production went down from 200 windows a day, to about 20.  We only have one window left to be put in.  They have started some of the outside trim work on our entrance.  Bricks and stones should be happening soon.

This is all I've got for now....

No Internet...No Posting

It has been almost a week without the Internet to our home. Comcast is coming out on Saturday morning. So I am writing this on my cell phone. Thus, this will be a very short post and not my usual litany of words.

Work continues on our home. We had the pre-drywall meeting Tuesday morning. Our windows are on back-order. They should be delivered and maybe even installed. We won't know until we get out that way this weekend. If the windows are in, then the drywalling has begun. Roy and I went back to Bassett and bought the sectional couch for the sitting room which is really the room formerly known as the dining room.

I continue my focused packing up of things. I feel like I have gone through a myriad of emotions as I come across mementos stored and put away. Some are making the move and some will be finding themselves in new homes.

Well, my index finger is getting tired. I have lots more on my mind but don't have the pointer finger strength.

Romans 12 and Home Design

A few years ago Romans 12 were my verses for the year.  Almost everyday I went into this small place I had made in my closet to read those verses before starting out on the day.  The year I read Romans 12, in The Message, and asked God to use those verses to make me more like Him, was one of the roughest and hardest years of life. But I loved that journey and learned so much from it.  Romans 12 remains one of my favorite passages in scripture, but honestly, I haven't been quick to spend anytime in that passage again.  A girl has to get her stamina back...  I find myself drawn back to Romans 12 this week.  In The Message paraphrase, we are considering four "everyday, ordinary" parts of our lives; sleeping, eating, going to work and walking around and we are told to lay those areas down before the Lord as an offering.  The question is, what does this look like and how would our lives be different if we thought about these activities as an offering.  The overriding question of Romans 12 is, what does our culture draw out of me and what does God draw out of me?  These questions are quite a bit to think and pray over. 

I have written previously that when we were looking at houses, we had specifics on our list that we needed in our home.  One was it be a spacious dwelling, but not an over sized McMansion.  OK, I don't even know if we could afford a mansion.  Maybe a really large house, but it wouldn't have very much in the way of furnishings.  Even though Roy and I felt strongly about space, the draw of the culture was there to go for bigger is better.  Why in the world would two people without children or grandchildren ever need 5 bedrooms?  And in our case with gimp a limp here, would I ever even see the second story of our home?   Even yesterday as Dani and I were picking out colors, textures and fabrics for the living room furniture and such, I had this nagging thought, we should have bought a bigger house.  It is so easy to be drawn into what others do and what might be expected.  Then it seems so silly when someone who doesn't read my blog or keeps up with me on Facebook asks about the house and I say, oh it has three bedrooms and 3 bathrooms...  When I was growing up, how did our family of four survive so many years with just a bath and a half?  There is it is, the question...is what is my culture drawing out of us...and we had to look deeply and thoughtfully in our decisions.  We want to be beacon lights in this world of darkness, holding forth the Word of Life, but will our possessions and house decorating be what the culture lures or will God draw out of us in our everyday, ordinary, walking around lives. 

In the midst of all these decisions of structure, furnishings, and ambiance came a welcomed article in my email.  This is a newsletter I get from Robyn Waters of http://www.rwtrend.com/.  I found it quite interesting and thought provoking. 




"As I write this, eight men are hammering on the roof above my head. It is really hard to concentrate, so if I flounder or flub, please forgive. My husband and I are getting ready to sell our home, beginning the journey to downsize our lives. A few years ago I wrote a newsletter titled “Simplifying Your Life Can Be Complicated.” I thought I knew what I was talking about, but I’m in the midst of being reeducated.



Thank goodness for Sarah Susanka! Sarah is an architect, cultural visionary, and best-selling author of the “Not So Big” series: “The Not So Big House,” “Not So Big Remodeling,” and “The Not So Big Life.” She has been helping Americans understand how they can downsize their homes without downsizing their dreams for over 10 years. (www.notsobighouse.com and susanka.com)



Her “build better, not bigger” approach to residential architecture is now embraced across the country, but when “The Not So Big House” was first published it was in direct opposition to the McMansion trend. The 60-year trend was homes that got increasingly bigger, even as families got smaller. In 1940, the average amount of square footage per person in a new, single-family home was roughly 300 square feet. By 2000, that number had more than tripled. After a long run-up in median new home size, square footage peaked at 2,309 in 2007. Since then, home sizes have been shrinking, hitting 2,091 in 2009.



Savvy builders are starting to cater to the more modest needs of first-time buyers and their empty-nester parents, the dominant demographic groups over the next decade. Rising energy costs, the poor economy, and the decline in home prices also contribute to the downsizing trend.



Today, more than one-third of Americans say their ideal home size is under 2,0000 square feet, according to the real-estate site Trulia. If you’re thinking of downsizing your home, here are Sarah’s 10 Tips for Designing “Not So Big.”



1. Not So Big doesn’t have to be small: Focus on quality of space, rather than just quantity. Her rule of thumb: you can live easily in 1/3 less space than you think.

2. Make it personal: Your home should provide a sense of livability and comfort that is tailored to YOUR life. Don’t build to impress others.

3. Design for sustainable living: Build your home to last for generations, make it energy efficient, and make it beautiful. We take better care of things we find beautiful.

4. A good neighbor: Ensure your home fits the setting. Respect the views of your neighbors and design it to fit into the existing streetscape in scale and character.

5. A better floor plan for today: All the space should be used every day. With a more open floor plan, rooms can often do double duty over the course of a day.

6. Interior views: Long, diagonal views through adjacent spaces extend the perceived scale. Strategically placed windows or a lighted focal point draws the eye to the farthest point and accentuates spaciousness.

7. Varying ceiling heights: Think height, not just length and width. Create a hierarchy of space where more important spaces are open and expansive, and more intimate areas are lower and more sheltered.

8. Sense of shelter: Use a variety of visual cues to separate open spaces instead of solid walls. Raised counters, rugs, floating ceiling sections and beams can provide a sense of shelter around the activity taking place.

9. Pleasingly proportioned: Appropriate proportioning for human scale can make rooms feel both spacious and intimate.

10. Attention to detail: Everything should be thought through and designed to perfectly support your needs. Think comfort and functionality.



Follow Sarah’s tips and you can have a home that’s both inspiring to live in and perfectly crafted for your everyday living. Bottom line, your home should feed your soul, not your ego.

Smaller homes

Sarah Susanka

Robyn Waters is president and founder of RW Trend, LLC. She is the author of The Trendmaster’s Guide: Get a Jump on What Your Customer Wants Next, and The Hummer and the Mini: Navigating the Contradictions of the New Trend Landscape. Learn more about Robyn at www.rwtrend.com. All Rights Reserved. "


Interesting...I think it really fits well with that Romans 12 kind of life. 

Home Update and Other Various Topics

Roy just called, he has more boxes.  Boxes are usually a pretty hot commodity and sometimes people have to resort to buying boxes for moving their stuff.  Thank goodness copy paper boxes complete with lids from Roy's company is supplying our box needs.  Right now I am very thankful, even though it is a huge carbon footprint, that the company hasn't gone paperless.  On Saturday I actually boxed up books that are in my Southern fiction collection.  My plan was to make multiple trips using reusable bags for all our books.  Now the movers can put them in the truck. 

Progress is coming along nicely.  We are almost ready for our pre-inspection of everything before the drywall goes up.  Our windows are on back order, but hopefully they will be installed soon.  Also DW has a third party inspector coming to look over everything.  We will have our walk thru on Tuesday morning.  We went out to Katy on Sunday to look at the progress.  It had been two weeks since I had seen the house and was surprised that the framing was complete and the roof completely done.  After my hair appointment on Monday, I went back out there to see Peggy and she and I walked through.  The workmen were installing the duct work for the a/c.

Yesterday, I received a spur of the moment text from Lisa P.  Would I like to meet for lunch at the Nord?  As quickly as my fingers would type I replied, yes, what time?  We pretty much opened up the Bistro, chatted through lunch rush, and just about closed it down after the lunch bunch was long gone.  We had a lot to catch up on and we had a great time.  Of course, after being so good and eating a crab stack, we opted to share a piece of chocolate cake.  Thus, when Erin DuBroc, who has helped me make wise decisions nutritionally, and her mom came by the table, I was so busted!  Since it was the day before the half yearly sale, I had a few things put on hold so I could return today and pick them up.  And that I did today, along with a few other needful items.  This just means, more stuff has to go because when something new comes in, the old has to go. 

Today's people watching was really good.  There is a lady that lives here in the condos and she looks like she might be having a rough go health wise.  She walks with a shuffle and a slump.  Her dog walks exactly like she does.  Then there was the rude shopper in the Nord.  How can anyone be rude in the Nord?  She didn't have rack etiquette.  While there were several of us looking through the rounder, she scooted the hangers heartily and we who were also sharing the rounder nearly got our hands caught between hangers.  So, the lady across from me didn't appreciate the rudeness, so she just pushed the clothes back toward the rude lady.  Rude lady, interrupts her cell phone conversation and shoves the clothes back toward the other lady forcefully.  There was a day, and it wasn't that long ago, I would have taken the Red Sea method and would have parted the clothes and shoved them in both directions back at the feuding ladies.  But I deedn't.  Oh, the thought came...but I walked away.  On my way home I stopped at Walgreen's.  An older type couple in a Buick were kind of a bane of my existence, well for the short time I was in the Walgreen's.  They drove slowly but raced to take a parking spot I was considering.  They were quick to shuffle to the pharmacy.  Didn't matter, there were a few things I was getting before heading over to the pharmacy.  It was there at the pharmacy, they parted ways.  She went to look at, well look at stuff.  He took care of paying for the prescriptions.  As I paid for my stuff, I noticed they were both walking around the store in search of the other.  It was rather comical because they just missed each other by one aisle almost every time.  When I went to my car, the lady was standing at the Buick looking in and upon inspection that hubby was no where to be seen, she started back to the store.  Just about that time he came out the door.  No wonder they walked a pretty slow pace, they use all their energy to be rather animated in discussing their where abouts with one another. 

Here are a few pictures that Roy took on Sunday.

The front room has windows, but they haven't been cut out of the reflective barrier.  I'm going back to the car because I cannot walk and wear my sunglasses at the same time.  Although I can walk and chew gum.

 A view from across the street from our previously owned, not owned lot.

 These are bricks for the house.  They're mighty mighty...

 Side view which includes bathroom, guestroom, and laundry room windows.

 On the east side, we have 13 feet between the house and fence.  Ours is a wider lot than most and shorter than the others.  This is probably the biggest part of our back yard. 

 I am writing the verses from Interior Wisdom.  Since the author had gone to all the trouble to list them out for the rooms, I decided not to do double work and look for them from my Bible. 

 This will be the happening spot in cooler weather.  This is where our outside fireplace is being built.

 Side view of our home with the green space.

 The path that heads north.

 Our southern path.  Notice how the trails go under the road.  With all the tornado news, Roy said this is where we will go if a tornado heads our way.  Instant cellar in non basement territory.

Rosemary Pictures

Roy had the camera cable stored away and when he got home today I decided to download the pictures.  Now he has gone to work out and I am uploading all the pictures to FB and some onto the blog.  I think Rosemary Beach is my favorite along 30-A.  Love the little town square, cute shops and well the food.  

This is looking from the living room into the small kitchen.  Small kitchens are good for breakfast, so we ate out the rest of our meals.

 The beautiful beach.  Sorry Galveston...

 Dena walking along the beach.

 Sunset. 

 I took a little spin down to the water.  The water was freezing cold.  No one even ventured out much past ankle level.

Sand that looks like snow.

 Alys Beach.

Tuesday on the beach.  It was very windy and quite cool.  It was a beautiful day though.

 Dena wrapped up in every beach towel available.

La Creama was wonderful!

 The back of the little beach house we stayed in.

 The dreaded circular staircase.

 Front door of the little beach house.

 Eventide, sunset. Vespers.  No matter what you call it, call it beautiful.

I'm Back in Buddy's Good Graces

Some days away on Rosemary Beach does a whole lot of good.  I am a big fan of 30-A in the panhandle of Florida, but I think of all the places I've stayed at or been to, Rosemary Beach has to be my favorite!  The little town square is beautiful, the beach is in walking distance, cute shops and even a new bookstore.  Our beach house was closer to the square and that was quite nice.  Rosemary Beach had a week of cool days with most afternoons warming into just the 70's.  I don't know if I got windburn or sunburn because the wind was fierce.  We picked an overcast day to go into Destin for shopping, lunch and a must required stop at The Donut Hole.  We also went to Greyton Beach and Sea Side several times.  The sand sugar white and the water emerald and shocking blue.  We saw sunsets and even saw one sunrise.  We ate at Wild Olives several times and never were disappointed.  We ate at La Creama twice, once for dinner and another time for lunch.  They serve tapas and chocolate.  Dena and I agreed, lunch was the better option of the two, but maybe that's because we had chocolate fondue for dessert.  Ah, it was awesome.  We loved the little beach house we stayed in.  Furnished so cutely.  The circular stairs did get a little old and we made each and every trip worth it because all it takes is one unnecessary trip back upstairs for something forgotten to cure one of forgetfulness.  The moon was huge and moonlight came through the windows every night.  Because mornings were so cool, in the 40 and 50's, we only had coffee on the deck once, for about ten minutes.  We even got to snack shop in the Winn-Dixie. 

Actually, we were to come back on Friday, but we had to cut the trip a little short.  Monday night Roy called and asked me to go someplace where I could talk to him alone, he had bad news.  Of course I thought, uh oh, the house, his job, my mother or Buddy.  It was none of those things, Dena's pet cat Sassy had passed away.  These pets, they take over a huge portion of our hearts and love.  Having to manage and cope with the passing of a loved one who has brought so much joy, fur, sleepless nights, and rearrangement of jewelry or anything else on top of a dresser is hard.  It is a shock and news too difficult to get one's brain around.  There are conversations and decisions that are difficult to handle between the tears and the lost ability to carry on your side of a conversation. 

Dena and I decided it was best to cut our trip short and return on Wednesday.  We had done everything we had come to do, shopped the stores we wanted to shop, and even worked in a stop at the Donut Hole.  We had endured a trip to the beach, complete with chairs and umbrellas and every beach towel within reach to wrap up in to keep warm.  We took all the obligatory photos and have decided a return trip is in order.  We drove back yesterday and we have also made another discovery, dividing up the trip into two days is more our style. 

This morning, I went and picked up Buddy from the Pet Bed and Bath Inn.  She came home with a much needed mani/pedi.  It has taken most of the afternoon, but Buddy is over being mad at me.  She's been sitting in my lap and "helping" me write this blog post.  I am trying to conquer the laundry.  I will confess, I am still a card carrying member of the over packer's society.  But that's the benefit of driving, the joy of having many things to chose for one's daily attire.  I broke my rule and bought books and some note cards while on this trip.  Two things I really don't have to buy for awhile.  Found some cute clothes and a vintage wooden tool box for the new home.  This trip had a ring to it.  Well, more like three rings to it because I found three rings that I couldn't leave behind in Florida.  If you are at Rosemary Beach this summer, stop in the shop Hissy Fits, cute clothes and jewelry at a reasonable cost. 

While we were in Florida, Roy was being the UPS man, getting Dena's keys from the pet sitter and delivering messages during the critical first 24 hours after receiving the news.  He is actually in Houma, Lousinana now on business and is returning home tonight.  Part of the reason, well that and the whole building a house thing, he decided he couldn't go on vacation.  So Dena and I met at Le Peep this morning to exchange keys.  We would have been eating at Another Broken Egg in Greyton if we were still in Florida, so we just changed to another breakfast place and then I went with her to the vets to give support as she made all the final decisions concerning Sassy.  Sassy had passed away from cardio myopathy.  Isn't God good that the very friend that is with her in Florida, knows exactly what that is and can explain it in detail because it is the very same heart issue that she deals with? 

I will post pictures soon. 

A Snake, A Rat and A Cat Enter a Bar....

On the news the other night, there was a filler piece on the drought.  The reporter went to the Houston Zoo because people are finding snakes in places where snakes usually aren't.  The snakes are looking for water and a cool place.  Just like the rest of us.  But, it usually happens that I will dream about snakes after seeing them on TV.  Commercials, filler news items, National Geographic channel, nature programs and the like.  After watching the report I asked God if my mind wouldn't even register seeing the snakes in order not to dream about them.  Good news, I didn't dream about snakes.  Bad news, I dreamed about talented, hunting rats with really long tails.  In my dream we were on the dock at Bill and Peggy's.  Bill tells us to watch out for the rats in the rafters because with their long tails the rats grab and capture anything within tail reach.  On cue in the dream a rat on a rafter, swings out its tail and grabs a bird in mid flight.  Now, here is where timing is everything.  While dreaming all of this, Buddy in real life decides she is shifting from the right side of me over to the left side of me.  Buddy, climbs across me in real life just as a long tail rat is grabbing at me in the dream.  When Buddy's tail brushes across my face, the rat in the dream had gotten a hold of my hair.  With such problematic timing, I let out a blood currdling scream, scrambling to be able to sit up and swinging my arms violently...warding off the dream induced rat incident.  Buddy looked at me like I was crazy.  Roy didn't even stir.  Didn't snore, didn't wake up.  All he did was sleep in heavenly peace.  He is such a deep sleeper and again I'm asking the Lord to please never let me have any heart issues or such in the middle of the night, cause my distresswill fall on deaf ears. 

What's Up Wednesday?

My TV viewing has picked up recently.  I'm not really much of a viewer on most days or evenings for that matter...except for recently.  From time to time I'll watch a little Housewives of________.  I think Orange County is what Bravo has been showing.  And last night while flipping through the channels, I came across Mob Wives.  Honestly, I have just seen the end of this show before but I had no clue when it is on, so apparently Tuesday night must be the regular time.  It is difficult at times to watch these melt downs, especially between friends because it is mainly between friends, not significant others.  There is a lot of superficiality going on.  Yes, it had me hooked last night. 

We can be just as shallow in the church world.  If we have any Christianise about us at all, we know if we really want to be shallow or want to share some juicy piece of "news", you put the information in the form of a prayer request.  You talk low, make the concerned face, get the holy voice in gear and then generously add the following words to whatever "prayer request" you're sharing...(I know I have said this before but bear with me), sweet, precious, treasure, cherish, and if you want to be too hip to be square (80's shout out) you add relevant buzz words, ramp up, unpack and amazing, amazing.  Amazing, amazing has to come in sets of two to be relevant right now.  Hopefully those of us living in church world don't have husbands, ex husbands, former husbands, fathers, or uncle that can be called at a minute's notice for some disrespect dealt out and that the previously mentioned guys don't go around whacking someone if things get a little too personal in Bible study or the like. 

A couple of days ago I told y'all that I.D. TV was my new favorite channel.  Note to self, quit watching and falling asleep with murder investigations going on as background noise.  This has led to some crazy dreams. 

We have a charitable organization coming on Friday to pick up furniture that we won't be taking in the move.  Then once I get back from my 30-A trip, I can begin in earnest getting stuff boxed up.  There will be more room to store all the boxes.  For once I am ahead of the game and have most everything packed.  It was bugging me, packing, and the chore of doing so was hanging over my head.  Thus I wasn't getting anything done, I just felt overwhelmed.  Roy told me today he has 16 more boxes in his office to bring home.  Love having access to all those 20 lbs boxes of copy paper, complete with lids. 

OK, guess it is time to get back at doing something productive.  Obviously, I have nothing to blog about but that doesn't stop me from taking a break and writing about nothing, just so I can feel like my short break was productive.  Next time, I'm taking a nap. 

This Is Your House

Last Wednesday night at choir rehearsal, we worked on two new songs.  One, This is Your House and the second, Steven Curtis Chapman's song, Be Still and Know.  To say we had an overwhelming worship experience doesn't give justice to to work the Lord was doing in each of our hearts and lives.  The second verse of This is Your House, came alive to me.  This is our desire for our church and for our new home.  We want those who enter to know the Lord and that His presence is there.  Now there probably won't be a cloud or pillar of fire in evidence.  No, it will be that fire that burns within hearts and spirits.  And no this doesn't mean I have made the vow that I've declared I will not make, "God if we can just have this house, we will use it for your glory"...ie...parties, fellowships and the like.  I would be like so many who cannot keep that vow.  We would rather have His grace and mercy decorate the walls and there to be healing in this place.  Here are the lyrics, enjoy!

This is your house, father come and dwell


this is your house, a holy house of prayer

where the lost and the lonely, bring their burdens and their cares

this is your house, this is your house come and dwell
verse 1

we dedicate this temple to you Lord

let your glory fill this sanctuary

be enthroned on the praises of your people

Lord we agree, in unity...


verse 2

Holy Spirit overflow this place


decorate our walls with grace and mercy


let healing and redemption, find searching souls


Lord have your way, we humbly-- pray

A Prelude to a Firm Foundation

We have mixed feelings about the drought this area is experiencing. On one hand, we NEED the rain and it would be best to have it come in regular intravels rather than rain coming via a hurricane. Fields are a lovely burnt umber color, that is fields not regularly being irrigated. On the other hand, no rain speeds up the building process on the house. Grand Parkway construction continues onward probably ahead of schedule due to lack of rain. We thought for sure the rain would come last week because construction began in earnest on our home. Looks like another chance of rain will come on Thursday. Maybe the Army Corp of Engineers could figure out how to get some of that water from the mighty Mississippi over this way.

To write our weekend was full, well it would be true and somewhat of an understatement.  Roy stayed later at the office on Friday and came home pooped.  We opted to stay in and made dinner at home.  I had been out most of the day having a really good shopping day. The morning began with fasting blood work at the Doctor.  Then broke the fast at Le Peep.  Returned some things to the Nord, found a pair of great flip flops, had a productive trip to Macy's and found things for my upcoming trip at Academy.  I had totally forgotten there's an Academy at Westheimer and Voss.  So I hopped on over, OK, I drove, to Barnes and Noble.  I had my Nook with me.  Since I am not technically savvy, I had the guy update my Nook for me and now I can play Angry Birds on it.  Downloaded several interesting books onto it while I was there.  Came home exhausted but very pleased with my penurious purchases. 

Saturday, Roy took Sequisha into the dealership for an oil change and fluid check.  The appointment was at 7:15 AM.  He came by home and picked me up afterwards.  We went to breakfast, Le Peep again, and then headed to Memorial Bakery to pick up cookies for Sunday School.  Then we headed Katy way to look at the happenings on our lot.  The workman were busy and working hard.  We did have somewhat of a surprise though.  On the lot, formally known as our original lot had a SOLD sign on it...not Trendmaker but David Weekly!.  Me thinks there is something rotten in Denmark!  Truthfully, I was a bit more upset by this than Roy.  He doesn't care about the lovely landscaping that could be in front of brick fences, no he loves that our side of the street is built up rather high.  So, yes good drainage, although he must be looking for that rain drainage with eyes of faith.   We also like that our lot is wider than most and shorter than the others.  We barely have any yard to mow.  Now that's a blessing.  We will have an additional 8 feet of space on the East side of the house and the additional concrete being poured for an extended patio will take up space in the back.  It would have been nice for our sales consultant to call or email to let us know why all the sudden the lot that wasn't David Weekly's to sell now has a SOLD sign on it.  OK. back to the original thought, we left the lot and went over to KT Antiques to see if there was anything else I had passed over last week.  We found another vintage table cloth and a cute spice and canister set.  Stopped at the Katy tea room for more Irish brown bread and also picked up a loaf of carrot cake for Roy.  Got back on I 10 and made a detour to Basset so Roy could see and give his opinion on the furniture I had narrowed my choice to.  Then we went to meet the builder day at The Amish Craftsman.  What fun!  We finalized our choices and gave the go ahead since the foundation begins this week.  It takes about 90 days for pieces to be built.  We made some Amish people very happy with our purchases.  Since our order was over a certain amount, we got to take a chance on winning some $$$ and Roy picked a yellow balloon with $50 in it.  We also got an Olive Garden gift card.  So with his winnings, Roy took me out for a late lunch early dinner.  When we got home, I totally cratered and had to take a nap.  But we had such a fun day. 

Looks like the plumbing is in.

 A little more tilling of dirt

 The specious SOLD sign on our original choice of lot...

 This picture below is from our trip back out to the lot on Sunday.  Roy wanted to go out and take more pictures.  We stopped by the Bains before going home. 

 I'm so sure that this is so interesting to everyone. 

 A long distance look at our lot from our original lot

Today I am trying to take care of the little things that bug me about leaving on a trip.  Almost have all that out of the way.  I wish I didn't get so hung up on what to pack, what to wear on in car traveling days, etc...  I am such a mood packer, who knows what mood I will be in next week and will I want to wear what I brought.  The good thing is, there is plenty of shopping on 30-A.  That should help in case of indecision.  

Doing the Catch Up or is it Catsup Thing

Construction (FINALLY) began yesterday on our much anticipated home.  Yes, after a few stops and detours since February 18, breaking ground began yesterday.  Last week we discovered that DW hadn't correctly flipped the floor plan since we are now on the opposite side of the street.  So, a flurry of paperwork along with the sign here, here and here; initial here, here and here took place.  Roy emailed it back and yesterday we went out to the DW office for a face to face with our sales consultant and builder, making sure we were all on the same page.  Our builder told us that the process would begin sometime later in the afternoon.  So we were delighted to see a dump truck and tractor on the lot as we were leaving.  We weren't even planning the drive by, but I knew we would want a picture of this momentous start.  This is all finally beginning to feel real and that it is really going to happen.  They are telling us if the weather holds and conditions are right, the house could be finished in 75 days.  So the foundation should be poured on Tuesday and framing will begin on Thursday. 

Monday evening our Bunko remnant had breakfast at CourtneyS.  Oh my...we ate, no I should say we chowed down on homemade biscuits, homemade jams and jellies, fruit salad and some of the best bacon I've ever tasted. 

Peggy and I did toes on Tuesday and lunch afterwards.  I went with a daring blue polish.  My goodness, if toes color can't get out of the box...  Anyway we had a blast!  We even remembered to use our spa voices which translates to using our inside voices. 

After picking up Roy, going to Katy, treating him to a delicious lunch at McDonald's and then returning him to the office, I met a friend for an impromptu lunch at Grand Luxe.  Great catch up conversations and delicious food.  Anyway you look at it, good combination. 

Last Saturday Roy went with his photography class to an air show in Conroe.  Since I had the whole day and needed a break from the clean up detail,  I did the breakfast thing at Le Peep and then headed out to KT Antiques in Katy.  Bill Bain owns the mall and vendors rent booth space.  KT was celebrating a first anniversary complete with discounts and door prizes.  And I actually won one of the door prizes.  No cheating involved thank you very much.  Peggy arrived a few minutes after I did and we shopped, played and had a good time.  We especially liked the vendor that had vintage hats and since we both plan ahead so well...ahem....anyway, we decided we would pick out our hats per chance we might be invited to the next royal wedding, christening, or gala.  Seriously, I found some great stuff for our new home.  We went across the street to a tea room and had lunch, sans hats.  I am happy to report that I believe I have found the replacement for the Play Grocery Store's chicken pot pie and they also make shepherd pie and forbidden to me, delicious desserts.  Saturday was a wonderful day!

Next Friday I leave for a week's vacay off 30-A in Florida.  We booked and planned this last July.  After a long time's consideration Roy thought it best if he didn't go due to the new home construction and the time off he will need to take when we begin the move in process.  So I asked Dena if she would like to go and after checking her schedule, cause she is one busy person, she determined that she could take the time off.  I'm looking forward to the beautiful beaches, reading, and well of course shopping.  In the long ago time of life I used to have a pretty nice tan and maybe I will revive the tan.  Of course done safely with tons of sunscreen and not like those days of yore when I used baby oil with iodine for the tan and lemon juice for the sun kissed highlights.  I'm sure I will be doing a lot of under the umbrella time too. 

This has nothing to do with anything but I have gotten hooked on the ID channel, true crime stories.  ID has taken over Lock Down on MSNBC as one of my viewing favs.  Only now I might be a little too super sensitive and view everyone in public as a potential threat.  I don't think of myself as a naive person, but the everyday situations that these people on the shows found themselves in and their ultimate demise from being in that everyday situation weighs heavily in my thoughts. Man holds open a door for me, now I'm suspicious not thinking it is a mannerly thing.   It is kind of like when I read books on insecurity, or lack of confidence or on being shy.  Before reading them, I wasn't insecure but all the situations addressed in the book that I never knew I should be insecure about, made me aware that maybe I should be insecure about stuff.  That new info dogged my steps for a couple of weeks until I was able to regain my previous mind set.  Same thing on lacking confidence or being shy.  Yes, after reading a book on shyness, which I was reading to understand what shy people deal with, I began to think I might be shy.  That one didn't last too long.  What I began to think of shyness in me is really just laziness.  I'm good at small talk but it exhausts me, so rather than doing the small talk routine, I mask that I am really shy and that's why I'm not talking.  Of course this only works with people who don't really know me.   Oh let me clear up something else, I am insecure in things but none of my insecurities were addressed in the book I read. 

If you have lasted this long in reading this rather laborious post, I commend you.  This post is for catching up or ketshuping up for chronicaling the comings and goings of the past week.  As almost every chapter in II Chronicles and Kings states, is this not written in tha annuals of the kings?  Well, since I am behind on my regular journal, I decided to just make one entry and it is easier to type it out on the blog rather than write it all down in long hand.