Lake, Lunch and Fun...



CBS Core Group 2012-2013

At the end of our Bible study in May we made plans for our core group and kiddos to have a lake, lunch, milkshake and fun day at Peggy's.  Yesterday was the day and we had a blast.  Although I don't think the children enjoyed themselves said no one.  Not everyone in our group could come but Peggy said we will get another get together on the calendar.  It was nice that we had some pop ins and drop ins that couldn't stay but came and enjoyed the fun.  We were so excited to see one another.  Facebook really helps keep everyone current because you know who has traveled, those who have exciting announcements and the rest of us who have enjoyed the beginning of summer on the prairie.  OK, I know I went to Asheville but technically that was in May.  We grilled hot dogs and everyone brought snacks and drinks to share.  I knew we would have a banquet because all our brunch days at Bible study, we needed two tables to put out brunch.  None of these kids knew each other, well except for siblings, and it wasn't any time at all they were helping, fishing, raft riding, beach playing, lunch eating and swinging off the rope together as if they had known each other for a long time.  Many of us commented how the kids bonded so quickly and we lamented the fact that as we get older we loose that child-like ability.  This morning as I thought about the day at Peggy's it dawned on me that we shouldn't have marveled at this phenomenon of bonding by the kids because from the first day we met in Bible study, our core group bonded and connected at that very moment.  In our leadership meetings on Tuesday, we would go over the stages of growth in a group during the year.  They likened it to the stages of growing up.  I didn't really pay attention when we discussed this topic.  Our group was made up of moms with young children, older children, grown children and grandchildren...and me, no children.  We prayed for one another, rejoiced with one another and wept with one another.  We also laughed and had great discussions of what we were studying.  I must add we always followed all the guidelines of CBS.  Wow, did I just hear thunder?  I didn't think it was supposed to rain today out here on the prairie.   OK, so maybe we didn't always adhere and follow the guidelines, but we were pretty close to that goal.  Wow, was that thunder again?  



 

The moms getting ready for a ride

 

 A view of the dock, beach and water.

 

 

 Getting ready for the ride

 Peggy and Kathleen were the best soda jerks ever...

Nothing like ending the day with a homemade milkshake from Peggy's soda fountain.  You can tell in these pictures that the children were not having a good time.  I think several moms and kids asked if they could be adopted into Peggy's family. 

The Scary Story of the Bloody Toe and Other Typical Junk

There has been some recent news that troubles me greatly.  I don't know why this isn't being covered by the national news but Texas A&M has had two major press releases.  No, not the building collapse.  Note to self, don't hire an Aggie engineer.  I am talking about the Ken doll Yell Leaders of A&;M in the Barbie collection.  Wow!  The second piece of news is the release this fall of an Aggie perfume.  Uh, Gag 'em Aggies!  What do Aggies want to smell like?  Why would I want to smell like an Aggie?  Those Aggies they work on producing maroon bluebonnets and maroon carrots yet they don't look realistically at a real problem they have, parking.  We were on campus several years ago with an ex Aggie....ok, I did that to get y'all, I mean a former student and while my friend and Roy marveled at Kyle stadium and the like, I couldn't help but notice the total lack of parking.  Really, lack of parking is true of just about any college campus. 

The past 48 hours has been rather bloody.  Darn Pradaxa, blood thinner.  On Sunday evening while dead heading roses, I scraped and punctured my arms.  Usually, not a problem but when you have been on blood thinners for over three years...problem.  I left blood splatters on the boards of our raised flower beds.  Sunday night, a stone decorative lamb that is by a table somehow got moved out a couple of inches and my 'this little piggy had none' toe smashed into that sheep.  Being the good Christian girl that I am, I jumped around yelling, oh sheep, oh sheep, oh sheep!  When I really wanted to yell something else.  Once again, good thing we have hardwood floors now in our bedroom because I would have left a bloody trail on the carpet getting to the bathroom.  So it was a quick clean up after I finally stopped the bleeding of the bloody toe. (I'm saying that in a spooky voice)  Last night, sometime in the middle of the night Buddy came to our bed and curled up like she likes to do, on my arm.  After sometime I was really in an uncomfortable position and wanted to shift my arm just a bit.  Each time I attempted to remedy the situation Buddy would dig in a bit with her newly trimmed nails.  Finally, I just had to move and most nights she readjusts and there isn't a problem.  Not last night, she moved to the middle of the bed and silly me, I thought she was waiting for me to get repositioned so she could go back to sleep.  She waited...I closed my eyes...I was almost asleep when she attacked my arm and hand, biting me.  She has a bit of a temper at times.  I yell, but this time not oh sheep.  Actually, I just yelled Buddy.  For once Roy who is never good at those middle of the night wake ups and emergencies, chases Buddy out of the room.    Buddy eventually came back somewhat contrite and slept at the end of the bed.  When Roy was getting ready for the office this morning, Buddy came and slept on my arm a bit.  We've made up.  All is right in the world.  As for Roy, he doesn't even remember chasing Buddy.  Come to think of it maybe Roy was doing his usual wake up in middle of the night thing.  He runs to the front door, I just thought he was chasing Buddy.  Oh well..it worked. 

Yesterday I was looking at summer book releases by favorite authors.  I read some sad news that one of those authors had passed away last year expectantly.  I liked her books but she probably wasn't even in my top ten.  I was so saddened to read of her home going, good news, she was a believer.  I also looked at a couple of blogs that I read every three or four months and again saddened to see that this one particular blogger and her husband are divorcing.  OK, I don't know this blogger at all, I couldn't even pick out her picture for you.  She's positive and looking to stay that way, but it always seemed she wrote in such affectionate terms concerning their relationship.  And no, this isn't a Christian blogger.  Social media now contributes to knowing things about people who we never have met in person.  OK, I had to stop for a bit and of course I don't know what else I was going to write about this...it's gone.  Just wanted you to know I hadn't made a broad brush stroke statement with no follow up on purpose. 

I put a little bit of seed in the bird feeder yesterday afternoon.  It has taken some time but a few of the regulars are back.  One of the mockingbirds that grew up around this feeder was the first to discover.  I know it is him/her because he or she sings in between bites.  It's kind of fun watching them and the doves have returned.  I am getting too emotionally invested in these birds but they keep Buddy occupied with their eating, flying and fighting. 

It's All In How You See It

We have this picture that originally was purchased to put over our fireplace.  I liked it well enough but have had buyer's remorse for two years.  It was picked out for me and I said ok because of the colors and how well the picture would fit into the color scheme of our family room.I found a picture I liked a whole lot better soon after we moved in and it was much cheaper at Home Goods.  This year I found another picture at Home Goods that now graces the room and yes, it is over the fireplace.  The other picture looks really nice over a console type table and the third picture that I have had buyers remorse over, well for a lack of a better place, I hung it in the entry and there it has remained.  This fall when Rancho De Five has the community garage sale, that picture was going at a good price into the sale.  That is until today.  The framed picture I picked up this morning looks awesome!  It would look good in our bedroom but I am rethinking this.  There is a small bookcase in the area before the second bedroom, bathroom and laundry room.  A small bookcase is there but I am rethinking that and considering getting another bookcase, a tall one for that area.  The new Biltmore bought  picture will look great over it.  On closer inspection of the picture that just hung in the entry, for the first time I noticed the teal and blueish green in the picture.  So on a whim I took that picture and hung it in our bedroom.  It was ok, but it still reminded me that I haven't ever really liked the picture and gee, to remind myself of that fact, I could wake up every morning, see the picture and then experience regret.  Then it struck me to turn the picture sideways.  The scene of the picture is trees reflecting in a lake only it is and I say this cause I know artist terms just about as well as I know craft terms...it is fabric not material, that it is kind of impressionistic but only kind of.  When the picture is turned sideways it makes for a wonderful display of color in muted shades of greens and blues.  It looks great!  Who knew?  Roy didn't even recognize the picture except he thought it looked familiar.  Yes, it has been hanging on the hallway wall where from time to time I have shaken my fist at it and instead of saying mini van I say stupid picture, kind of like Homer Simpson.  Yes, it has come to that.  What made it even worse is that we paid over, gulp...$300.00 for this thing and not too long after moving in, Home Goods had the same picture for $59.00!  Wow, I felt stupid and aggravated and sad that I was going to see that very same picture in the entry when I got home. 

Now this is where I wish I knew how to segway this important discovery of finally liking a painting only because I looked at it differently.  Lots to draw from on that but I will be remiss and let you, dear reader, and it could only be a reader, no plural here, to come to your own conclusions of the lesson in this.  Sometimes when we see something differently it can be a thing of beauty and sometimes looking at something differently, it reveals a better view into something you've suspected has been suspect all along. 

So in the spirit of looking at things differently we decided this summer we would visit some of the area churches.  This morning we returned to a church we have visited once before when we overslept.  It was nice getting to sleep in a little this morning and only ten minutes away for the 10:30 service.  They do things quite differently than at the Baptist church and when the preaching was over I was ready to leave but we still had the offering and communion on the docket.  My knees got quite a workout of standing and sitting and since we aren't of this denomination, we didn't know when to stand, kneel and rise.  When they had a few production problems with their screens, we were the only ones who did not know the Apostle's Creed by heart.  Those people kept on going and didn't miss a word.  You would think my ADD would be worse at HFBC but in a smaller worship center I had difficulty in focusing because of all the action going on in the congregation.   Nothing different at all than at First but guess in a smaller room I was up close and personal to everything.  I think in the recesses of Roy's mind he thought just maybe this would be a good church  fit since he is really interested in a neighborhood church but we both knew as we discussed everything over lunch that it would not be a good fit but a nice option for those oops, we accidentally overslept Sundays.  I think one Sunday this summer we might visit this little church near by that is just so darn cute on the outside and that is the only reason I want to go is to see if it is as cute on the inside.  Yes, summer church priorities have come down to, oh it is so cute, let's go. 

We went to Sprout's after church to pick up a few things, brought them home, put them up and went to Victor's for lunch.  I've had a great nap and we are waiting for the temps to fall a bit before going out to dead head roses. 

So It Is Saturday....

It's 11:00 am and both of us have accomplished a lot.  Roy went to Bible study and I did a semi easing into the day thing.  I was out the door by 9:00 to exchange some shorts at Academy.  Then I stopped at the produce stand and got zipper cream peas, blueberries, grape tomatoes and peaches.  Yum!  I am not a fan of summer but I do like it because of all the produce choices that are available.  I headed over to old Katy and picked up the newly framed print I brought home from the Biltmore.  Wow, they did a fabulous job and it turned out really well.  Meanwhile Roy was home while the morning was still cool, which is a relative term here, to work on the fortifications around the bottom of the fence.  No longer will I have to hide from the yard guys because Roy leveled everything so the extra bulky stones are not needed for bracing but I am sure we will find a use for them.  He was just finishing that project when I got home and I used the opportunity of his presence in the backyard to water plants, plants that don't know they nearly were cleared out in my campaign of answers to rid the yard of the unwanted.

Last night Roy and I took our inaugural drive on the newly opened and completed street that will take us, without a dozen twists and turns to Westheimer Parkway.  Of course our joy is not Peggy's joy because this street now runs behind her home.  For years it was a horse farm behind them and then a distant yet close subdivision and now the road.  The good thing is that it should take a lot of traffic off the road that runs in front of their subdivision.  So after Roy and I took our check it out drive and a drive by to see the progress on Dena's house, we went to Sonic.  A strawberry Sunday sounded so refreshing. 

This is fun lunch week.  Yesterday I had lunch with Cassi.  Ours friendship is a great story.  She sat next to me one night at Beth's Bible study because she had came with a guest of Lisa P.  We got to talking and she was looking for part time work.  I asked her to send me a resume and I kind of offered her a job that hadn't even been created yet.   As they say, the rest is history.  She has gone on to bigger and brighter things than that little part time job, which only last a few weeks because she was offered a full time job with another area in the ED suite.  Now, she is the Children's Pastor at Bayou City Fellowship.  That's our framework history and in between all the changes here and there we celebrate a wonderful friendship.  So we nearly shut down the lunch crowd at Las Alameda's.  We had a blast catching up and there is almost always great spiritual conversations as we both desire to do God's will.  Today I am meeting Marcia and Dana for lunch and really look forward to seeing them.  Roy and I have been so hit and miss this summer getting to the church house. 

Another nearly shut down the late lunch crowd with Marcia and Dana.  Great friends and great conversation.  Roy and I went to Kroger's.  I still think our grocery basket looks like we are in college.  Peperoni's pizza for dinner and I'm looking forward to getting back into a book. 

Last night we watered the flowers out front and I need to water another flowerbed in the back.  Have to see if Roy will give up his movie to go outside with me.  Yes, even after a full week without an unwanted, I'm still not crazy about going in the backyard by myself. 

The Hidden Life...From Your Yard Guys

Thursday afternoon and Able and crew just left.  They are the guys who cut our grass.  I wanted to lay or lie low because of the concrete fortifications we are placing around our backyard fence.  To hold them in place around certain areas we had to use some stones until everything settles in.  It does not make for an easy yard cut, more like trim close to the fence.  I didn't want them to come to the door and tell me unless we roll away the stone, Easter reference, that they aren't going to cut the grass or they will charge us more.  No knock on the door and no dirty looks through the windows.  OK, I hid out in our closet where there are no windows.  I have to say I think it is the fence fortification that has cut off access to our yard via the neighbors from the green space.  Haven't spotted an unwanted since Sunday.  Roy goes out each evening to do a look see for me that everything is still in place.

Last Wednesday night I was ready to throw the baby out with the bathwater when it came to our backyard.  The tree that I watered and took care and nursed back into healthy tree-dom from the drought...I was ready to cut it down.  I also wanted to pull up all the flowers and severely cut back all the shrubs we have been waiting to get tall enough to cover those ugly cable boxes in the backyard.  I even turned down a dinner invite for grilled hamburgers at Peggy's cause I thought we would work all evening long.  But Roy told me we didn't need to do that.  We needed to find where the little booger was getting in and limit his access.  We didn't have to destroy our whole yard to take care of the problem.  I think maybe I have taken this torch and burn approach to many problems I have faced.  Too scared to go back into the corner of the fence behind the electric transformer box to solve the problem but willing to destroy whatever not to make things look so appealing.  Good lesson in that.

I read so many different blogs these days.  I've ventured into some really interesting and thought provoking blogs.  I read blogs that I agree with and blogs that challenge me to think through what I have thought or believed.   The versatility and the beauty of their structured words encourage, even when I don't necessarily think like they do. 

Love this quote from How To Talk  Evangelical blog by Addie Zierman:

 It’s possible to write in the small spaces – in the late nights or the early mornings or the in-betweens. It’s a matter of choosing it again and again, every single day, and it’s a hard choice to keep making. But if you choose it, it is possible to cobble a masterpiece from stolen moments.

She is a mom, a blogger and soon to be published author.  Although she is talking about writing while raising two children the concept of writing in the small places in our days applies to everyone.  You can find her blog here. 

All in All

It's a bright sunny morning out here in Rancho De Five.  We were hoping to experience a bit of the rain that fell everywhere else around the greater area yesterday, but alas it was not to be.  Roy's powerful bike light arrived from Amazon yesterday.  He charged it up while we ate dinner and then waited till dusk/dark to try it out.  He hit the water feature trail and arrived home calling the ride with light a success. 

My day was totally fun.  I met Lisa P for lunch at Bistro N in the Nord.  I came just a little early to get some eye primer and I found some necklaces on sale.  Lisa and I hit the Bistro around 11:15 and we left that portion of our visit at 3:00.  Yes, we tipped the waiter extra for tying up his table for so long.  If you've never had the Bistro fries you should go in a avail yourself of their goodness.  We ordered fries as our appetizer.  It has probably been over a year since I've had the white chocolate bread pudding so we shared one and it was good.

I don't even like bread pudding but this one...it's so delicious.  Don't let the bread pudding put you off.   Lisa and I got caught up, laughed, laughed and then we laughed some more in between our serious to semi serious discussions.  Yea, we pretty much opened the place and closed it down before the dinner rush. 

Since Chris was here yesterday instead of going straight home I stopped in Target.  4:00ish isn't a bad time in summer.  Years ago I had bought a set of glasses from Crate and Barrel that I called my Southern glasses.  They seemed very To Kill a Mockingbird-esk.  Through the years the eight became one.  That is until yesterday while looking for a pitcher for ice tea.  There was a box of very close replicas right there in the Target.  Score!  I found the pitcher I was looking for at Home Goods.  I debated on dropping in at Sprouts because I figured Chris was still here at home finishing up and I prefer to come home to just Buddy.   So I went on and stopped at Sprouts to pick up a few things we were out of and when I arrived home, Chris was already gone.  All in all a very good day.

That's a Wrap

Ah, summer!  Hot, hot, and dare I say hot summer.  Once you leave the friendly confines of the A/C just about every bit of energy is drained in three seconds from the heat.  Heat and me haven't done well together over the years and it can still be a huge factor in my heart beat.  I don't know what it is about summer because really when you don't work and have a limited schedule you can sleep in any time of the year, but it is summer and sleeping in seems to be the right thing to do.  Sleeping in is 8:00 am but I could sleep till 10:00 easily. 

I have written before about my jean jacket and dark/black/blue jeans with a white shirt being my uniform of choice or should that be of last resort?  I realize that uniform is mainly for non summer months because the denim theme is carried through for me in summer not in a jacket but in capris and shorts.  If I don't want to make any kind of decision, the denim is the go to uniform.  For more dressy casual the choice of uniform is linen. 

We are still on vermin watch 2013.  We hadn't seen the little guy around but Saturday afternoon changed that. Our neighbor caddie corner to us is not keeping his grass mowed and the weeds are growing tall around his fence giving that little vermin the kind of comforts that they like.  Roy went to Lowe's, bought a trap and also bought stone/brick building materials to cover up the hole he is using to get inside our yard.  On Friday we went to Academy to get me a BB high powered pistol with laser light.  I want to be able to do rapid fire against that thing if I have to go outside.  With my attention span having to cock the rifle six times, I'll lose interest and go onto other things.  Or have a heat stroke.  So we have professional bait/poison box, metal trap complete with a juicy plum, fortifications (and adding to them daily) and fire power that is HOA approved.  I am asking the Lord to provide some hawks to snatch up that little problem.  Peggy has offered her owls that live in the top of the covering over their dock.  I may take her up on that.  Logistically, don't know how that would happen since owls don't respond on command you know like a falcon. 

Saturday morning when Roy got home from Bible study, he and I went to Home Goods.  I love the Katy Home Goods store!  Online I had seen these wooden and wicker storage pieces deeply discounted on Grandin Road.  The price good the shipping costs were astronomical. I almost ordered them on Friday but decided to do a quick look see at HG to see if they had anything similar.  They did but Roy pointed out some obvious flaws to my organizational thinking.  He had nixed a previous idea that morning of big woven baskets because I mainly am looking for someplace to put the bulky sweatshirts and the like but we revisited the idea with a new twist.  We found a red bench that would hold two of the large baskets and shoes could be placed on the support rail underneath.  Lot cheaper and actually has a nice look.  Saturday I worked on rearranging the closet and getting rid of four more plastic storage drawers. 

Friday evening we took dinner over to our friends who have moved into Rancho De Five, just about three miles down the blvd.  Nothing like Peperoni's pizza, salad, and cup cakes from Ooh La La to say welcome.   Heck, it says something to us almost every week, well except for the cupcake part.  I can only wish....

We took a sabbatical Sunday yesterday.  Seems as if in the summer if we make it every other weekend to church, it feels like success.  Roy's schedule had been so hectic and there are just Sundays where rest is called for.  Gee, I think God thought of that.   Besides that, neither one of us was in the mood for a Father's Day sermon. We went out for breakfast at Otto's.  Our first choice had been BWC but it was already busy at 9:00 am.  A new place has opened by us, Cafe Red.  The trendy fusion place didn't make it.  Rumor had it that Cafe Red serves breakfast on the weekends and that is true.  Roy went in and grabbed a to go menu.  Looks like a lot of great choices for lunch and dinner too. 

Last night I was looking for Flora, a new book by Gail Godwin, and I could not find it.  I came to the conclusion that I had left it somewhere on the Biltmore trip.  This morning I was rearranging things and remembered I had put the book in a tote bag the last time Chris was here and I needed to clear out of her way. 

That's a wrap...well for now at least. 

Good Friends-Together Again

We were friends in high school.  We sang songs together, in particular In the Jungle and anything by Santana while we rode around in our cars.  We both had short attention spans, we both loved to laugh and we had tons of questions that no one could answer.  I don't remember when or how I met Mimi but I was always glad that I had.  She drove a gray Tempest that had seen better days and I drove a Chevy Impala Super 8 that if memory serves, I drove rather aggressively and rather fast.  There were times that 8 of us would cram ourselves in that car and go...I don't remember where but we went places mainly to a friend's house or our regular hangout whose name escapes me now, but they had the best fries, church, and sometimes even football games.  Westbury had a terrible team that year but we went to the games to cheer our friend Marty who was the Adjutant General of Rebelettes, fife, drum and bugle core.  She and a few other officers marched and marked time on the sideline while the rest marched and played. So we yelled and cheered for her and as soon as halftime was over, we left. Probably to go get fries. I can't even believe this but because my parents loved Mimi so much they let me go out with Mimi's brother who was 26 and home from Nam.  (not to be confused with NAMB)  Uh, I was 16.  Mimi had forgotten about that and she asked me if her brother had been a gentleman.  Yes, and we only went out a couple of times, dinner and a movie and I took him to a Christian coffee house.  He told me he knew I was too young to date and that was fine by me.  I do know this, the few times we kissed and that's all we did, I knew I had been dating boys before Mimi's brother. That's all I am going to say about that.  After high school our group kind of went our separate ways but several of us from church went to the university formally known as Southwest Texas State University.  Mimi and I lived in the same dorm. Both of us only went there a year.  I was accepted to Baylor but had to come home and go to U of H.  Mimi dropped off my radar for forty years.  I had heard that she had married and moved to a farm.  Somehow wild and crazy Mimi didn't seem to fit the farm lifestyle.  I couldn't see her chasing chickens and mowing the back forty.  Throughout the years I thought of her often, wondered how she was doing and periodically check Facebook to see if I could find her.  Nope, Nada....

But then....  This week I received an email about a joint class reunion of Bellaire and Westbury years 69-73.  On the RSVP list was Mimi.  I emailed her and she responded.  Soon there were a flurry of texts and emails coming and going.  She was in Houston on Thursday so we met for lunch.  We sent each other pictures just in case we had changed in forty years.  For example, I used to be taller.  Good try Nancy.  Anyway we had a blast at lunch.  It was as if we had seen each other the day before.  A two hour lunch that went by too quickly without any awkward silences.  We crammed a lot of laughter and conversation in those two hours.  We found out that our lives in certain things had been almost parallel.  Of course we made plans to get together again and we took a picture and sent it to our friend Beth letting her know she was missed at lunch.  Beth will be in town at the end of June so we will all get together at some time during her stay.  Oh and the part about Mimi moving to a farm?  Well, that is partially true but it is more like one of those subdivisions where you have acreage, animals and gardens. 

The friendship theme seemed to present throughout the week.  Tuesday night I went to a Bible study and the topic is friendships and last night we took dinner over to our good friends David and Emily.  They made the move to Rancho De Five.  Just down the street 3 1/2 or so miles. 

Good friends around a table sharing a meal.  Oh so fun and yet oh so biblical. 

See, we haven't changed at all!  Except I don't wear a cap and gown anymore. 

Wednesday Weporting

It has been an interesting day out here on the prairie.  After not seeing any vermin yesterday I saw a small one this morning running and leaping the in the flower bed.  He better not have been praising God in all that running and leaping.  My deterrent?  I bang on the door and scare him.  If he would only go eat some poison.  Since I haven't and don't know how to load the BB gun and again I would have to go outside to shoot it, I was just left with the noise making.  I may have made Buddy lose one of her nine lives.  I was making breakfast and she went stealth, no bell noise from her collar and I jumped and screamed.  She jumped and ran away.  So my guard cat went back under the bed.  I haven't a clue where my attack mockingbirds have disappeared to. 

You know you put in hardwood floors so that you don't have the marked trail on carpet.  But, what was one of the first things I did?  Yes, I bought an area rug for the bedroom.  Actually I started out with a runner but when I saw a lovely area rug on sale, deeply discounted, I went to plan B.  The runner is now in the closet. 

You know how the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy?  Well, last night I attended a neighborhood Bible study.  Great mixture of women, young, younger still and then me, old.  Actually, there were several fellow Titus 2 ladies there.  Whew!  We kind of were divided into thirds, those who go to BCF, Houston's First and then other fellowships.  I loved it and the time we shared.  I am so glad I had made the decision when I came in the door of the home Bible study was meeting at, not to hang onto my phone.  So when I got home I had received an unwanted but somewhat expected email and relieved to read it at home and not be distracted by it in Bible study.  Last year this email would have put me over the edge but this year after minimal discussion with Roy, I slept soundly and didn't give any emotional energy to it.  I will give you the name of my therapist if you are encountering unwanted drama because she did a great job to get me to this place.  No joy stolen or destroyed last night. 

I am really looking forward to having lunch with my friend tomorrow.  A third friend from high school might join us as well.  Yesterday, I found these vintage pictures from the long ago of Mimi and me. 

My summer reading is calling out to me, so I must answer the call.  Just started 'While We Were Watching Downtown Abbey by Windy Wax.  Great summer read. 

Nannie Get Your Gun or Nannie Oakly in Rancho De Five

 



A beautiful morning after a Sunday afternoon rain.  The sun is shinning, the foliage is a deeper green and I'm excited about a lunch on Thursday.  But all of that happiness in the morning came to a screeching halt while gazing out our back windows taking in a This is My Father's World kind of moment when I saw this little bitty movement among my flowers.  I drew closer by going to our back door to see if this little bit of movement among the snapdragons was one of my guard mockingbirds that have grown up at our bird feeder.  NO!  Dang!  It was a little bitty tiny baby rat.  Now before you think we live in the hood I will remind you we live in Rancho De Five, you know where these kind of creatures shouldn't be admitted, but we live off a green space, a beautiful green space to the eye, but me thinks lurking underneath all the beauty of the verdant view are skunks, rats, snakes and cute little bunny rabbits.  Our neighbor next door is dealing with the rabbits eating his plants.  I would gladly trade with him.  I emailed Roy to let him know of my  I spy with my little eye finding and I was this close to calling a real estate agent and putting a For Sale sign in the yard.  That disturbed him somewhat and he made the call to our home pest defense to make sure they were REALLY bringing the professional box with poison as not to harm birds, cats or cute bunnies coming into our yard.  He also called the HOA and told them they need to do something about the infestation, well in my mind one vermin is an infestation, on the green space.  They were not too cooperative because children and adults walk along that space.  HELLO!  All it is going to take is Mighty or Mickey's great big rat uncle to jump out and scare or bite or take candy away from a baby.  Roy said, buy a box like we are!  I have a feeling he will be out staining our fence again since he isn't getting any cooperation from the HOA.  Why I have a good mind to go out front and pull up a plant so we don't have the required number.  Oh yea, that would mean I would have to go outside.  With all the land being cleared around us for new homes these..."things" are migrating looking for a new home.  Hey, vermin, just keep moving, nothing to move into here.  This is what I don't understand, for the life of me I have the greatest difficulty finding my way back to our bed in the middle of the night and I many times I can't see something I'm looking for and it's right in front of me.  But, I see one little movement of a flower petal in a bed of flowers and I instantly can identify the the encroachment of a unwanted preferably dead pest.  I regret that we did not open up the new BB gun and take some target practice over the weekend but I also know one would have to go outside to make the shot, it can't happen from the inside of the house.  Also, because I just feel safer and I feel certain that everything remains outside, I have put on my trusty rat..I mean rain boots. 

 

 

I feel like the kid who wears cowboy boots with their shorts.  Hey, it works for me, even though my feet are getting a little sweaty.  I'm sure the boots will not stay on all day but I will have them placed in a strategic location for easy access.  I am also happy to see that Buddy must be feeling my concern.  Instead of her usual morning spot of sleeping under the bed or her new secret place, she is so talented that she takes the rug by the back door, folds it in half and lays or lies there, guarding the door.  (Don't arrest me grammar police, I'm experiencing PTSD)

Here is something else that I have found to be interesting in my observations of the great side yard and it has to do with the birds and the bees.  From my observation it seems like we should find another example other than birds for the birds and the bees, maybe rabbits and bees.   None of the female birds I have watched at the feeder and bath are too interested "in doing it, let's fall in love."  It is a constant chase and it is funny to watch how the females are kind of like, 'can I just eat my dinner first or give me a moment at the water and stop chasing me for just one second."   Another observation that the symbol of peace, doves, have become the more aggressive bird at the feeder.  Lot of beak to the head action while feigning they are eating. 

Bear with me one more moment while I tell of my exciting lunch on Thursday.  I got an email last week from classmates.com that someone had organized a high school reunion for classes 69-73 from Bellaire and Westbury.  Last year, my class did not have a reunion because we elected druggies and disenfranchised with the establishment class officers.  So cool in '72, so lame in 2012.  Anyway, I saw on the RSVP that a friend from high school was coming.  I found out that I could send her one email and respond to one email before upgrading to platinum classmates or something.  Anyway, we have been in touch and she is coming into town on Thursday for an appointment, so we are having lunch before it.  So like the last time she saw me I was 6' and weighed 120 pounds so I sent a current picture cause you know I have gotten shorter. 

Oh for the record, the title using Nannie, I hate being called Nannie, Nanner, or Nan.  I didn't want a bunch of musical theatre types Googling Annie Get Your Gun and be disappointed that I am writing about vermin and their ultimate demise, hopefully.  Also note to self, put socks on before rain boots.  I thought I was going to have to call in help for removal. 

***Update, the reinforcement has arrived with the bait box.  He is coming back tomorrow to put more poison in it because the box only has half the usual amount.  Reason, all the bait at their office is gone. Hmmm....sounds like we are not the only ones being visited by unwanteds. ***  Line from Greater Tuna, "I just sleep better knowing there is strychnine in the house."  But that would be yard.  Glad I took off my rat...I mean rain boots before he came.  The pest guy always sees me at my best little makeup, hair not fixed.  He probably would like to suggest for me just to go out in the backyard and scare the unwanteds away.***

Feels Like Two Saturdays in a Row

It feels like Saturday all over again.  Roy took a vacation day on Friday.  I am so glad he did because he was here to take care of a problem.  Love life on the prairie except when it gets interrupted by skunks, snakes and a baby rat.  I heard two mockingbirds making a commotion in our backyard yesterday morning and they were keeping a baby rat from coming under the fence from our neighbor's yard.  Good mockingbirds!  Roy was barely awake but he went out to the garage and got a brick and a small broom.  He put the brick up against the fence and came back inside.  If he hadn't been here I would have had to do that and I would have screamed the whole time.  This morning after Bible study he went to Bass Pro Shop at the recommendation of the Katy Hardware store.  He came home with a BB rifle, a target and some pellets.  I love this because neither one of us could be called outdoor type people.  We are more courtyard and patio type people.  The guy at Bass Pro showed him the caliber and power of the correct gun that will kill a rat.  Who knew?  Well, the guy at Bass Pro, but really math involved in vermin control, wow.  I mean really, we can't be shooting a real gun in the neighborhood.  I'm sure the HOA would have something to say about that.  When the mosquito spraying man came yesterday he told us he would be back Monday with a professional poison box to put out in the yard that won't harm anyone other than vermin.  And fortunately I have my electronic defense that I used in my office at church.  We saw a church mouse from time to time but never in my office! 

Roy and I set about taking care of errands and projects that we had neglected.  We got a lot done and took off the rest of the afternoon and evening.  I'm almost finished with my first book of the summer and hopefully I will get it finished tonight. 

I took Dena to the airport this afternoon.  When she flies out of the country I usually take her.  The brick and stone for her house has been delivered.  I will not miss her parking garage one little bit.  On the way home I hit some hard rain and saw several accidents.  The rain here at home was tapering off by the time I returned.  Roy had leftover BBQ for dinner and I had a fresh tomato sandwich on white bread.  Yum!

The Cardiologist is readjusting my meds.  I'm having a couple of nagging symptoms that need to be helped.  Monitor is coming soon.  Right now as I await the coming monitor no long period of time sitting and I'm to stay out of the heat.  I am trying to convince Roy that means a move to North Carolina for me at least through the summer.  He's not buying it. 

The Wrap Up of a Pilgrimage

While I was off relaxing and having fun at the Biltmore Roy was at home taking care of several different projects.  He decided that when we had our floors put in the bedroom and closet that I shouldn't be anywhere around for that.  I had pretty well organized everything for the closet but Roy moved everything.  He also had new deadbolts put in and on our front gate.  Buddy went to camp for several nights while all this was going on.  We didn't think she would be thrilled staying in the casita bedroom and of course what we call camp for her, she would probably call prison but it would be too hard trying to keep her away from the casita door and trying to get outside.  I love that he even tried to keep up with bird feeding and bird bath cleaning to keep the birds around.  I was happy to come home to flowerbeds that had been watered and a back flowerbed that he had pulled weeds.  Roy said he missed me so much that he was just trying to stay busy.  Ah....I should go away so he can miss me again and get the rest of the honey do's taken care of. 

What I so enjoy about the Biltmore is the beauty.  Of course it is not a bad thing when calling anywhere in the Inn that the other party answers the phone, "how can we help the Monarch party today?  Dena and I were content many a day just to sit on the veranda or in the lobby or in the Adirondack chairs to read.  We went to Blowing Rock and Linville Falls on Tuesday.   We ate lunch at the Village Cafe, a beautiful spot to have soup and salad.  We shopped and found some really cute stores.  Defiantly a return trip is needed. 

 On the way back we took a side trip downtown to find Malaprop's Bookstore.  For years I have heard so much about it and it is one of the best independent bookstores in the US.  Dena is not only good at spotting Cracker Barrel signs and then the winding route to finally get to it, but she spotted a prime parking place right by the bookstore.  Let's just say downtown Asheville is not dead at night.  In fact they have "borrowed" a slogan from Austin, Keep Asheville Weird.  Almost every Southern bookstore has a section for regional authors and that's the spot I track to upon arrival.  Dena was on her own search of books but she was finished way before I was.  But with my purchases I scored free coffee or tea in their cafe and the chance to pick two advanced copy books.  We had quite the adventure in trying to find our way back to the Biltmore.  We didn't lose hope or even get aggravated, we knew that Asheville is only so big compared to Houston.  We both came to the conclusion that Houston is a piece of cake to get around.  We even returned downtown on Thursday to find Asheville's Mast General Store.  During the day, downtown Asheville looks like every other normal business attired downtown.  Again, Dena saw a parking spot and again I didn't have to parallel park.  PTL!  When we came back to Biltmore we drove around the reflection pond and by the gardens...and again eagle eye Dena found a parking spot, up close to the garden area.  Neither one of us had ever been to the garden shop.  We were delighted to find several things that needed to come home with us and even better Dena found the gardener's hand cream that her mom loves and can be difficult to find.  We came back to the Inn, read and then got the last table without a wait on the veranda for our last supper on the estate.  Nothing like eating and rocking and taking in such a beautiful view. 

Another significant event of the week, Dena got hooked on Duck Dynasty.  Not only did I influence my core group in CBS, I finally got Dena to watch and now she is a fan.  On Wednesday night we watched the marathon, only I fell asleep.  She said she stayed up till midnight watching.  Now if we can snag Peggy.  Only thing with Peggy she never stops in the summer unless it is to sleep.  Will have to try for the fall.

When I arrive at the Inn on a trip and see people loading up their car to return home, I always feel sorry for them but happy for me...but I know that the day will come, which was Friday, where the scrumptious looking valet parkers load up my car, give you a bottle of water and I think they should give you a box of tissues for the tears you shed while driving the de-approach road out of the grounds.  Since Dena and I were trying to leave at a halfway decent time, we were there when the dining room opened for breakfast but we didn't want the hostesses to think we were old people who had been up since 3:00 waiting for breakfast.  We said goodbye to our friend Edward.  He is now a captain in the prep area, hand picked by the chef because of his work ethic and attention to detail.  He was a bus boy when we met him last May.  He is a brother in Christ. 

We made it all the way to Amite, LA on Friday.  That made Saturday an easy day of driving and after dropping off Dena, I got home around 2:00.  Next year, we will both be coming out to Rancho De Five on the return trip. 

I have so many good books right now to read but I think I will finish up the Gail Godwin book I began on the trip.  The book, Flora, takes place in Asheville.  It's the story of a girl who could not find her way out of downtown Asheville.  No, not really.

May Pilgrimage Part 2

I think one of my favorite times on the ride up to Asheville are the back roads through the mountains.  Seems like we are on that particular journey usually on Sunday mornings.  Each time the music on the radio station is perfect.  We listened and sang along and then Dena read several Psalms.  It was a great worship service in Sequisha.  We stopped at and of course I cannot remember the name of the place, but it was the location of the 1996 Olympics for kayaking.  The water and the rapids were full of people getting their white water raft adventure on.  One of the men watching the boats told me they had just opened up the upper dam and that is why there was so much activity.  For sure we are going to schedule more time on the next visit.  Then we headed on into what we started calling the gorge.  Lots of twists and turns on a two land road.  Fun!  We headed toward Waynesville and went to the Mast General Store and both of us were very successful in finding things to purchase.  Let's just say Dena will not be running out of peanut butter bars anytime soon.  I did the usual t-shirt thing but also had a glass bottle Diet Coke.  Oh my, so very good!  We left and drove on to Asheville and stopped at The Catina for late lunch/early dinner.  Not bad Mexican food for North Carolina.  To finish up we ordered fried brownie with ice cream, chocolate and caramel sauce.  We felt like we were at the Houston Rodeo with the fried.  We actually kind of peeled away the fried and just ate the rest.  And then....it was time....for the anticipated three mile drive to the Inn.  Beautiful!  Our room was right over the Grand Terrace and we had front row seats in our room to watch the Memorial Day fireworks. 

 

 

 

Nice way to end a day.  Dare I say, it was a blast!

 

Hey Kathy in Mississippi, we will be coming back that way in Sept, the hubs and me.  Would love to meet you at the CB if all our schedules coordinate. 

 

That's it for today.  

The Annual May Pilgrimage

The Monday back after a fabulous time at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.  The whole trip was wonderful and full of good surprises and adventures.  The recurring theme seemed to be timing, more specifically God's timing.  Dena and I were so aware of this from the tiniest details to the grand big picture.  We also made the trip differently in route and timing which in hindsight added so much.

Dena and I have come to the realization that it is better to do a two night drive going to Biltmore.  This time we divided the days into 8-9 hours increments.  Our first stop for the night was in Brookhaven, MS.  We had time to drive around the picturesque downtown.  We paid homage to the First Baptist Church and the St Francis of Assi Catholic church.  Both beautiful buildings in their own respects.  We asked about a steak and seafood place just down the way from the hotel but it had closed down.  Thus we had CB for the second time that day.  It turned out really to be a good dinner.  We both ordered the pot roast and we had the cutest college waitress that we visited with throughout dinner.  At the time we hadn't realized by dividing up our trip we finally after so many attempts, could stop at Dreamland BBQ in Birmingham for a late lunch on our way to Chattanooga.  Siri got us there and back onto the correct freeway. 

Roy used to eat at Dreamland in Tuscaloosa back in the day.  No, he didn't go to the University of Alabama and he would be upset if he knew his name and Alabama were being used so close together in sentences but he went there quite often on business.  He would bring back one gallon size containers of sauce from Dreamland. We'd have friends over for BBQ when he brought back the sauce.  I so want to go to SNL, "do you lika the sauce?  The sauce is good."  Ok, I went there.  Hands down, their BBQ sauce is about the best there is...maybe even beating Goode Company.  The sauce was as good as I remembered.  Dena has a better picture of the remnants of our meal.  It reminded us of the time we went with Lisa P to New Orleans.  The remains of that day are quite legendary and we have the pictures to prove it. 

Back on the highway and ever so thankful to see that the construction on I 59 going toward Chattanooga has concluded because that road surface felt like a roller coaster.  We checked into our usual hotel and walked over to El Matador for dinner, believe me it was a light dinner.  Guac and queso.  Going there is just part of our trip. 

I will stop here and will continue on later.  I don't want to give the impression that all we did was eat...no we did stuff inbetween meals. 

I'm Back!

I have returned after being away a week at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina.  It was an absolutely fabulous trip,  When I returned home the hardwood floors had been installed in our bedroom and closet.  The rooms look lovely.  Now to return everything back to the right place.  Guess it was too much to think that Roy could do that.  I am not complaining because he took care of about every honey do on the list while I was gone. 

While passing through the state of Mississippi we went through Brandon, MS and I thought of the person who reads my blog that lives in that city.  She has commented before but I said Hi to her both times we traveled through. 

I am feeling a bit tired, so I will stop writing at this point, but I will be back soon with lovely pictures and some wonderful stories and thoughts during this fun and fine trip. 

Who Is That Crazy Lady?

I wonder if our ritzy neighbors across the water feature ever notice me at the windows waving magazines?   I wonder if they think there is a crazy lady that lives here?  Friends, do not answer that in the comment section.  You see at times I post myself at the window to keep all the crows away.  They hog all the food, guard the bird bath with few admitted for all swim and they get in huge fights with each other.  If it wasn't for me and the mockingbirds, those poor doves wouldn't get a chance.  Although it seems as if the doves have figured out to hang out in gang form to persuade the crows to move on, nothing to eat here.  The crows are the only ones who fly away at the least little movement, so I stand at the window and knock.  I also stand at the window and wave magazines like I am signaling planes to make a landing.  My theory is if a little movement makes them fly away, why not go all out to get them to flee?  I try not to do this when it is a popular time on the trail around the water feature.  Buddy just takes it all in.  She doesn't care because there are birds to be watched.  In the world of being on a camera, I think this magazine waving might take over first place thus moving me at the ATM down a notch.  I would think all my gestures and face making is always rather amusing to the people who watch that film at the bank. 

Roy has been at a conference in Washington DC.  It's the annual compliance conference that he really likes and brings home a lot of things he can use, principles not give aways.  No, not compliance on my part, but for his job.  I am very, very compliant with all rules, regulations and guidelines.  Was that just a huge flash of lightning out here in Rancho De Five?  He has sent some beautiful pictures from his phone.  Roy went up a couple of days early to once again tour Washington and see the sights.  He took his smaller camera and I can't wait to see the pictures. 

Roy didn't get home until almost 1:00 am this morning.  The flight was delayed by two and a half hours due to weather in Chicago, where the flight was coming from.  Roy said there is no such thing as customer service at United.  They couldn't find anyone who would give them information and when he asked the price of taking an earlier flight, they wouldn't tell him how much the increase would be.  Last year he flew Air Tran and that wasn't a pleasant experience either.  He knows the way to my heart and he brought home cute t-shirts for me.  He is keeping the compliance ones, which is fine by me.  He also brought home a tote bag and a mug.  No, we love that!  We needed another mug to add to the cabinet and another tote bag to cram in a closet said no one ever.  I tried to stay awake until Roy got home and the talking heads discussing the Jodi Arais trial helped.  They have examined every eye twitch, facial expression and speech patterns.  Of course I am keeping up with the latest coverage so I am just as guilty of analyzing it all.  I once knew someone who is very much like her except they never killed anyone to my knowledge, but I wonder if given the opportunity....  The manipulation, narcissistic traits and detached emotions were so difficult to maneuver through and keeping your sanity was an emotional and physical drain. 

Tomorrow I leave to go to my happiest place on earth, the Inn on the Biltmore Estate.  Ah, I feel relaxed just thinking about it.  I have books that I am ready to dig into, so I don't think I will even take my Nook.  There are only a few loose ends to take care of today.  While I am gone Roy will be here because we are having hardwood floors installed in our bedroom and closet.  Now only our two guest bedrooms will have carpet.  I really didn't want carpet in our bedroom but got talked into it at the design center when we were choosing stuff for our house. 

Last night a freak thunderstorm popped up.  Think we got about two inches of rain but we had some lightning that didn't even give me a chance to one Mississippi before the thunder rumbled.  Buddy, my trusted companion hid under the bed for quite a length of time.  Once the worst of the storm passed she was solidly ensconced on my lap.  Every once in a while I heard what I took to be a distressed chirp from a bird outside.  I looked out all the windows because I had a feeling it was one of the young mockingbirds making that sound.  I never could locate it but maybe that is a good thing.  If there was a rescue situation I couldn't bring it in the house because Buddy would try to add to its distress.  The birds are out there waiting for brunch.  I hope Roy remembers to fill the feeder but I know he will put his foot down at standing by the window and waving a magazine to limit the crows access.  When I return home the baby mockingbirds will be grown and starting families of their own. 

Give Me Your Three Best Words

***This was written on Monday and I just now remembered to post it.***


I just had a healthy mid morning snack of purple grapes and cherries.  They were so juicy and tasty and now I am feeling all antioxidant strong.  I love the fruit and produce from Sprouts! 

It was an early morning cleaning out the bird bath and getting the feeder filled.  I neglected to do any of this yesterday.  A morning of church and afterwards running errands and then eating lunch, the afternoon crashed.  Lunch did not seem to agree with me and thus I was out of it for the rest of the day.  When I felt like I had returned to the land of the living, I worked in our closet because next week the hardwood floors are being installed in our bedroom and closet.  Everything needs to be up and off the floor.  So a bit of organizing was called for, not my best thing, but for us, it is rather organized. 

This past week I remembered a conversation I had with a friend who had played baseball almost all his life and several other friends who like me, had played softball.  We laughed because almost every 'saying' in baseball or softball is three words or less.  Yes, there is a generous use of contractions, but still in the three word category.  This is not to be confused with the song, give me three steps, three steps mister...give me three steps to the door.  It's Monday, there has to be a song reference.  We began rattling off sayings like, hit yours, now you're ready, turn two, can of corn, you're so due, and the like.  On the subject of baseball and softball, when you attend kids games or for that matter adult softball games, girl's softball teams are expected to know cheers and chants like, "you've got to want it to win it and we want it more!"  I have never heard a boys baseball team do the cheer, "our team is red hot, once we start, we cannot stop!"  Although I must admit I have heard a lot of pastors and male staff members refer to their smoking hot wife.  What a different meaning this cheer would have if the word wife was substituted for team.  Entirely different meaning for sure. 

We live in a world of three points, a poem and a prayer.  Our lives are filled with three word phrases.  If you're any good at teaching the Bible, most say you can find three points to teach in three verses or less.  Three word phrases are good, we have to have good constructed phrases to convey concise points in conversation.  Having some good longer than three word phrases to toss around, that's good as well.  There are several blogs dedicated to inspiring, encouraging and helping (three things) to find your good phrases.  Yesterday, browsing the formally named Worship Guide, that used to be called a bulletin, the name should probably be the announcement guide, although it is now called the Weekly Guide and yes, hearkens back to the days of yester year receiving the good ol' Weekly Reader, I got really tickled up there on the top row of the balcony at all the three word phrases we use at church. (run-on sentence)  Good phrases, we need them to help define who we are, what we are about and where we are going...(three things again) and sometimes why.  Optimal word,' sometimes.'  Anyway... Maybe we are modeling the three word phrases in honor of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so wanted to write Ghost.  Our church is a biblical, relevant community.  Our work is to be godly, effective and excellent.  We, gather our hearts, grow our souls, and give our lives.  I like that our emphasis of our three word slogans now supports our use of numbers, Mission 1:8.  Houston Project is now known as Houston 1:8.  Can the Christmas program now known as Celebration become Christmas 1:8?  See, even the numbers and I am not counting the colon and not because I am over due for a colonosopy, because now we have one word and two numbers = three.  Easy to remember, easy to say.  The world of three, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. 

I guess I have the three word phrase on my mind because I have been helping a friend write something that makes sense by using three words or less advertising slogans in paragraph form.  The preacher character in Greater Tuna does this with colloquialisms and Peggy and I have done this using all hymn titles. in a M&G program.   I mean who doesn't remember, Where's the beef, finger lickin' good, have it your way, they're great, unleash the beast, snap crackle pop,  breakfast of champions, built Ford tough, and I'm loving it, just to name a few. 

Three words or phrases grab our attention, New Improved Tide!  Again, it seems our world is becoming 140 characters or less.  We are marketed to all day long to think in Twitter thoughts and advertising slogans.  Three word statements, I like them but there is still something to love about a run-on sentence filled with enthusiasm, passion and interest. (three things) 

What I Did With my Saturday

It is a beautiful morning.  Inside our home we have laundry whittled down and the dishes being washed.  I have tons of things to do around the house, so I have decided to punt the farmer's market and Katy Market Days this morning.  After I get the ton of stuff done I plan to read.  Right now my always growing book pile has some great reads in it.  Lots of non-fiction and of course the ever present Southern fiction that fills every bookcase in our home.  I can't even imagine not to be confused with I Can Only Imagine, how many books there would be if I hadn't sold or given away boxes and boxes of books before we moved.  Also contrast my Nook and Roy's Kindle that are both filled with books.  I guess you can tell that I am really thinking more about books than the work that needs to be done.  Work before reading...well, at least this morning.  Dang, I just looked through my new issues of Garden and Gun and the Oxford American...I ordered books.  What about work?  Well this was in one of my many needed break times or for a lack of a better term, no attention span.

Now it is afternoon and I am pleased with the progress.  Last week lamps were delivered and one box didn't look like the contents has fared very well.  I was happily surprised that everything was there but the little knob thingy on the top of the lamp was missing.  I dug through the box and found it.  I almost put those boxes out for trash pick up yesterday.  Whew...  The new lamps look great in our bedroom.  I have a tendency that if I like something or a color I go overboard.  Our bedroom is rocking turquoise accent pieces and I so wanted to go that way with lamps but I went with a lighter color, rubbed antique white and the lamps look fabulous!  The casita bedroom is back in shape except while the guys installing hardwoods in our bedroom are here, Roy plans to camp out casita style.  So, I put the sheets and blanket back on the bed, but not the decorative pillows, daybed cover and such.  Roy suggested that I go out of town while the work is happening and I gladly obliged.  Buddy is going to camp for several nights.  You guessed it, that does not make her a happy camper. 

Now I am really pleased with the progress.  After almost a year I finally hung two tin decorative squares in our bedroom.  I'll be glad to get rid of the big box one of them has been in.  Since Roy isn't here this afternoon I did it my way.  Eyeball it.  He makes us measure everything and we still don't get it right.  I am a little off, picture wise, no truthfully I can say at times I am a little off, but so glad I am not a perfectionist.  It would be a ton of do overs.  Now I am thinking I will try to hang, by myself, this wooden decorative thing we found at an antique store in Franklin, TN.  We've had it several places but not hanging.  When the Crate and Barrel guys brought the new Bedford chest, they actually moved and centered our bed to the wall.  It has been off slightly since we moved in.  Again, not a perfectionist, so I could live with it but I also knew I wouldn't hang anything on the wall until we did finally fix the measurement.  I do have the yard stick out and I have measured the distance between the predrilled holes.  Can I do this by myself?  Guess I will go find out. 

The answer is yes but it came with a price.  We'll need to do touch up on the paint and I accidentally jammed my thumb with a huge nail.  Because I am on Pradaxa, which is a blood thinner, I have been trying to stop the bleeding.  I finally got it taken care of and I think I am going to live.  Please overlook Buddy's blanket at the end of our bed and the box to the side.  It's as if all those years working for Jason Swiggart at church didn't take.  He is the king of presentation and also Pastor to the Stars and now the Burbs. 

Haircuts and Drama

Today really felt like total onset of summer.  A combination of high temps and high humidity and we welcome this state of weather at least until October or maybe beyond.  The heat has never been my friend and I can feel the energy being squeezed right out of me. 

The day began very, very early like 4:30 am.  I've been on the go since then and haven't even taken a little cat nap.  Maybe there is an early bed time in store tonight.  At 10:00 was my hair appointment at the new Emmanuel salon, second location, in Rancho De Five.  It was really nice not having to leave so early and because the appointment was early enough all the parking hadn't been taken at La Centerra.  The salon looks really great!  Very trendy and very cool.  If you live out here in Rancho and you're looking for a stylist, give them a call because Emmanuel, means God with us, so you can never have a bad do.  I go to Stevie and she is only there on Fridays but all the other stylists are good.  I also have to say, they serve the best orange ice tea ever.  After highlights and a haircut, I headed back over to Sprouts.  Picked up some dinner items and cherries are on sale for a fabulous price.  Brought all that home and got things put away to only then leave once again for the Kroger.  Exciting times for sure.

I don't really need exciting times because I have lots and lots of drama happening right outside our windows.  The flowerbed closest to the house, snapdragons and roses, has a bird feeder and bird bath in it.  If a week ever gets slow on news I can go sit in the library or reading room, whatever we call it, and watch life drama unfold between the doves, the mockingbirds and those big crows.  So I am totally going to go on like my mom now, so you've been warned.  The interesting happenings with the mockingbirds is the preparation to see the two younguns fly the coup and build their own mockingbird lives.  At the first of the week those two little birdlings sat on the fence and mom and dad would go to the feeder to the fence to take care of the children.  Those little birds I guess trying to conserve energy, just left their mouths open the whole time.  By about Wednesday, the mom was still feeding them, but not as much.  Yesterday the separation began.  Those birdies chirped and opened their mouths to every bird that came near.  Momma bird was near by and would clear the fence of resting birds if she thought any of them would harm her kiddos.  Today, one of the little ones began to explore and seek out seed on its own but the other bird stayed on the fence.  Once in a while the mother bird would go eat at the feeder and land by her kiddo on the fence, but she didn't feed it.  At one point it was as if the little one was throwing a temper tantrum.  It never relented in loud chirping and the mother just looked up ignoring the tantrum.  The little bird kept getting closer and closer and jumping up and down in front of the mother...nothing.  I just saw that the birds have retired to our back patio but I have a feeling this might be the last night for their mom to stick around.  She has done her job.  It is hard to watch all this happen and of course I want to intervene somehow, but I stay mesmerized at the daily drama at the bird feeder and bath.  I haven't even told y'all the latest on the doves and those pesky crows. 

We loved the three guys that stayed with us on Wednesday night from California Baptist University.  They were a lot of fun.  I even cooked breakfast for them.  On the way home I decided to drive by Dena's lot and see if anything was happening.  Boom!  The frame work was almost completed.  I took a couple of pictures and emailed them to her.  She came out last night, picked me up and we went over to her house.  I couldn't believe how much they had done since taking the pictures a little after 9:00.  I did a video but it didn't turn out so we will have to do a re shoot.  We  went to the new Fusion/Chinese/Japanese/Sushi place for dinner.  It was delicious!  I had eaten there before at lunch but dinner was delicious.  I brought home the leftovers for Roy since he had a haircut appointment at 7:00 pm. 

So, this is where I came in...haircut and this is where I will close, Roy's haircut. 

Getting Ready for Guests

We've had a bit of rain and overcast skies already this morning.  Yesterday, there was a fine misty fog that settled over the water feature.  I love those mornings whose beginnings are bright and full of light.  Let's face it, I seem to like mornings out here in Rancho De Five.  The mornings bring the doves and mockingbirds to the feeder.  There are two young mockingbirds just now getting their bearing and wings.  The mother bird is still feeding them somewhat but each and everyday you can see more Independence happening in their little lives.  I found a dove in the backyard yesterday, deceased.  I should have called Peggy but since she is subbing and I didn't know exactly how long the dove had been there, we gave it a proper service and dismissed it into eternity by wrapping it up and placing it in the garbage can.  No, the dove didn't get the same kind of service that we gave the snake, killed and then thrown over the fence onto the green space for hawks.  It seemed ironic that as I read a book:  The Gospel of Ruth, Loving God Enough to Break the Rules by Carolyn Custis James and reading about Naomi, that I noticed a dove standing there looking at what in all probability was its mate.  Yes, I discovered the bird but left that manly job of disposal for Roy when he got home.  I love reading the book of Ruth and books about the book of Ruth, but I think so far this is by far the most intriguing book I've read about the book of Ruth.  Let's see can I get book of Ruth in a sentence one more time?  Yes, mission accomplished.

I should be getting things ready for our CBU guests that are staying with us tonight.  I'm bringing home three boys.  Most everything is done but just have a few things to take care of.  At first I thought girls would be fun but then practicality hit me, boys are much easier to please food wise.  I'm not planning on doing this, but we could probably plunk down donuts in the morning and they would be gone in a heartbeat.  I am kind of nervous because you know I am not the most domestic thing on the planet, but I am looking forward to doing this.   Last night Roy and I pulled out the trundle bed and then had a dickens of a time getting it to set up properly.  Note to self, only keep 2 students next year.