Small Simple Things of Life

Happy Birthday Jaydon!

2012-01-29T20:16:00.000-06:00

Jaydon celebrated his 8th birthday today! It is hard to believe that he is eight, but I say that every year. I also make the same comment about everyone on their birthday, too. Time seems to be flying by, all the more reason to enjoy every moment of every day!

After church we all met up at Chuck E's for pizza, games and birthday fun. Here are a few pictures:

The birthday boy shows off some of his ticket winnings!

Sponge Bob and friends joined us for the party

The smile says it all!

Emma enjoyed people watching! (This was the only picture I made of her because I was holding her most of the time!)

Ellie had lots of smiles, but not for the camera!


Cameron had so much fun! This was some serious cake eating!

Happy Birthday Jaydon!

Pumpkin Smashing

2012-01-28T22:35:00.000-06:00

Today was the annual pumpkin smash. This event is never planned, oh no. It just happens when the last fall pumpkin is ready to go. And today was the day.

First, the smash.....

Then the ingenious method of hauling...(why Jaydon used the tricycle is unknown to me).


Finally, the smashed pumpkin is put on the brush pile. Good bye to fall!

Wordless Wednesday - January 25, 2012

2012-01-25T05:00:00.001-06:00

Surprises in the Botanical Garden

2012-01-22T20:49:00.000-06:00

This weekend was Dog Days in the Botanical Garden. I took Sawyer and Bentley down yesterday afternoon for a while. We had a good time and I've done two posts on their blog but wanted to post here about what I saw that surprised me.

I had never been to the garden in the winter until last winter (remember that post?) but I was surprised to see the beauty of the garden in a different way. As I was walking with the dogs yesterday I had the thought again that the garden seems to be sleeping, almost hibernating like a bear. In a few weeks it will yawn, stretch and shake itself awake, right? Right! Take a look at this picture:


Does it look like they are standing in a weed patch? Yes, but those weeds are really wildflowers waiting to bloom!

I found myself looking in the places where I knew that in years past there were wildflowers. I saw a nice promise of flowers to come, including bluebonnets! We had rain in the fall, so everyone is hoping for a good crop this year. I saw enough evidence to confirm this expectation. But the big surprise I had was this:

The only blooming flowers at this time of year are the ones that have been planted in the beds of the garden. Walking along one of the trails I was pleasantly surprised to see this small but brave iris blooming! I guess our mild winter had fooled it into blooming early. So sleep on mother earth, but bring spring to us soon!

Some fresh air thoughts

2012-01-19T20:08:00.000-06:00

When I got home yesterday afternoon I followed the usual routine of walking out in the backyard with the dogs; this is just a habit left over from their early days but I still want to make sure that they take care of their business. As I waited on them I realized how nice it was outside. I had been stuck inside all day and the change of being in the fresh air was wonderful! I decided that I needed to spend some time outside, so I changed my clothes and went out.

As I sat down on the deck I realized that I had not been outside on the deck to just sit in quite a while. I had stopped going out in the early morning when the temperatures dropped down in December and the evenings had been too busy to just sit around. It was around 60 degrees with a light breeze, ah beautiful for a January afternoon. The neighborhood was peaceful even though there were traffic sounds and barking dogs. My dogs were playing happily. So this was a pleasant treat and I soon found myself just relaxing and just thinking.

I found myself thanking God for the opportunity to sit down on the deck, being thankful for the fresh air and gentle breeze and the peace of the moment. I thanked God for giving me a tiny spot on the face of the earth to call my own, and I almost felt like I was sitting in a heaven like setting. The phrase "I will praise the Lord at all times" came to my mind. Those quiet, peaceful moments spent thanking God and reflecting made me realize that I do not always have a heart of praise but I should. I truly felt myself praising God as I sat there and so determined that I needed to keep that thought in my head. Just a quick thought of praise is all we need, no matter what the situation. A heart lifted in praise to the Lord is a heart filled with joy, blessings and peace.

Psalm 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Enchanted Rock

2012-01-16T20:37:00.000-06:00

Jaydon, Sawyer and I headed out this morning to Enchanted Rock for a little rock climbing. It was a perfect day to be outside; we started out driving in drizzle and at one point actual rain but by the time the Rock came into view the sun was breaking through. The temperature was perfect to be outdoors but the wind, especially on top of the rock, was fierce. Jaydon actually got a little freaked out by the wind once we got to the top so we didn't stay at the summit very long. I think we would have both enjoyed the result of the climb if it had not been so windy!

As we were starting the hardest part of the climb I had the sheer terror thought, "why am I doing this, I'm terrified of high places, yikes!". But I was determined I would climb all the way to the top, so I just forbid myself to look back. The summit was large and safe feeling so we sat down for a water break (and to catch our breath) but the wind was just relentless so we started down...going right straight into the wind. While Jaydon had pretty much scampered up the Rock, he was holding my hand going down!

Enchanted Rock-this is the only visible part of a huge underground rock.The Indians thought it was enchanted because it made unusual sounds when the rocks cooled at night. There are several other folklore stories associated with the Rock as well.

Jaydon starting the last part of the climb.

The view from the summit.

Jaydon loved climbing on the rocks. I think he would have gone all the way to the top of this rock if I had not stopped him but it was very tall and I did not want to have to explain to his mother what had happened if he slipped off!


*The wind was fierce, as noted by Jaydon's hair.*

This was made at the end of the trail. Jaydon had fun looking for the trail markers (one is just to Jaydon's left in this picture) and there were a few times that I was glad to see one as there was no defined trail in places.

After we got about halfway down the wind was calmer and Jaydon decided to do some more rock climbing before we went to a very nice picnic area to eat our sandwiches and rest for a few minutes. Then we headed out to try to find the scenic trail that looped around the base of the Rock. (I wasn't sure if it was because it is the middle of January or if was because of the drought last summer but everything in the area looked dead. This area reminded me more of the brush country of South Texas than the Hill Country. I wasn't so sure about the term "scenic".) We never did find another trail but did find another area with rocks to climb on.

As we headed back to the car we found this tree along a dry stream bed. We thought it was neat how the roots were exposed by the erosion of the water.

Sawyer found this small puddle and waded in before we could stop him!

What an ordeal!

2012-01-11T22:13:00.000-06:00

I haven't been blogging, huh. Well, that's because Blogger pulled a number on me and I've been locked out. And I've been miserable without my blogs, wah wah wah! I'm not sure what happened but I clicked on the enticing little line that said "Try the updated Blogger interface" and then the trouble started. I'm always willing to try something new, but this was a disaster. I kept getting a message that my browser was incompatible with Blogger and to try Google Chrome and then I got a blank page. After trying everything to get back to the old interface I went into the Google/Blogger help. All that does is throw you into a forum, but thank goodness someone started trying to help me. Finally they sent me a link to download the Mozilla Firefox browser. I was absolutely not going to try Google Chrome at that point. Guess what...the Firefox browser let me into the blog and I was able to get back into the old interface. What an ordeal!

So what does the future hold? In the time that I've been locked out I learned about WordPress, creating your own web site and other intriguing things. Do I see writing code in my future? Not right now, but I think I do see some changes coming. I had already been giving some thought to making some changes, so this bad experience will probably lead to those changes. So, even good may come out of a frustrating ordeal.

And, here is a Wordless Wednesday picture:

The last thing of 2011

2012-01-04T21:52:00.000-06:00

I literally spent the last hours of 2011 finishing the projects pictured below. As I snipped the last threads I thought to myself that it seemed appropriate to finish a project as the year was ending. As I posted a while back I have many UFOs (unfinished objects) and WIPs (works in progress). Symbolically, at least, I hope that since I ended the year with a finished project that 2012 will bring more completed UFOs and WIPs.

I had started these two placemats for the boys a while back. I had taken a class in machine applique at the 2010 Quilt Festival and really enjoyed it, so had decided to make these placemats. They were fun to make, just took forever. I had problems with the embroidery machine and it had to go in the shop for work (covered by the warranty, thank heaven) but had left the Elna set up for applique and worked on these from time to time. Then I really had a problem, my sewing room became a junk room and I could barely walk through it, much less get in there to sew. I'm almost embarrassed to post this, but I did make a picture of the room in its total disarray.

I spent the day after Christmas getting the room cleaned out, cleaned up, and rearranged. I haven't made an after picture, but will soon. I find myself now just looking in there and admiring the room! It looks so nice, and it is a good feeling to have it straightened out. But the best part is that I can walk in, sit down and sew!

3 T's

2012-01-02T21:11:00.000-06:00

Jaydon had experience with 3 T's this past week: Trains, Taking Things Apart, and Tweezers

TRAINS: Some very dear friends invited us over to see their model trains. It was quite a layout, with 6 different tracks and 6 different trains. Jaydon had fun running the trains, especially when all 6 got to running! We passed an enjoyable hour with the trains; I'm glad he had this experience as the memories he will retain are priceless. Thank you to Mr. & Mrs. J. for inviting us over!

TAKING THINGS APART: Jaydon started to replace the batteries in a remote controlled motorcycle when he discovered that the inside of the controller had been shattered (hmmm, has that thing ever been dropped?). So he proceeded to dissasemble the controller. Then he started on the motorcycle. At first I was hesitant to let him destroy a good toy, after all it wasn't broken it just wouldn't work as a remote controlled toy. But then I realized that by taking things apart we sometimes learn about how they are put together and how they work. When he was done everything was completely dissassembled, everything. During the process he would comment, "look at this" or "wow, what is this thing?". He threw away some of the parts, including the wires but also kept a zip lock bag of some parts, including the two electrical boards. Not sure what he plans to do with these.

TWEEZERS: I really thought Jaydon had learned his lesson about cactus several years ago at the Wildseed Farm when he fell into one that had tiny little red stickers. But no, on a visit to the Botanical Garden he started picking the fruit (I think that is what it is called, it is what the cactus forms after blooming) off prickly pears. The first one he picked was red and somewhat soft. I told him to leave it alone that there were stickers on it and even reminded him about his previous encounter with cactus stickers. He wasn't too concerned and even squished the cactus and tasted the juice. Then he pitched that one and went for another one...this one was green and unbeknownst to him covered in tiny stickers. Needless to say that was the end of our outing and we came home for him to use the tweezers to somewhat remove the stickers. And, no, he would not let me do the tweezing since he thought it would hurt if I did it. He sat in the rocking chair for quite sometime working on this project.

Jaydon tastes the cactus juice.

The Week After Christmas

2011-12-30T17:28:00.000-06:00

I love the week after Christmas! Christmas day is past, but the season is still lingering and now the days seem to just glide by. The decorations are still up and being enjoyed, there are a few bites of cheeseball left in the fridge, and the stores have returned to normal. Just like I think that Thanksgiving is the prelude to Christmas it seems that this week leading up to New Years is the postlude. Ah, it is a peaceful, easy time.

I have pleasant childhood memories of the time spent after Christmas in Mississippi. It was a wonderful week of visiting with grandparents and relatives, playing with new toys, and weather permitting it was a time for afternoon walks in pastures and farmlands. It was just an easy, enjoyable week. On the years that we lived too far away to go to my grandparents we would spend this week just winding down our Christmas season but it was not the same.

As a working mother I hated leaving my children in day care or camp during this week. There wasn't anything I could do about it, I had a job and there was no getting off at year end. I always loved the years that Christmas fell around the weekend so they could have a few days at home to enjoy their gifts. In spite of my dislike of having to do this I think they were not too scarred, or at least they don't let me know that this traumatized them!

Now I try to take this week off, if possible. Three years ago I was again in Mississippi, this time starting the task of cleaning out my parents house. My sister was with me for a few days, then James and Erin came for a few days. It was nice to have them there, and we even made a day trip to my father's home town. I drove back in a group of Ole Miss fans headed to the Cotton Bowl! A year later Carole and I were there again, but it was to be the last trip we made to work on the house.

I've enjoyed having this week off, once again this year. While I haven't done most of the things on my to-do list, I have done enough. And I've had time to relax and to just enjoy the end of the Christmas Season.

I love the long shadows made by a late December afternoon sun!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T21:09:00.000-06:00

Here it is! Christmas Eve! I feel like it is really special because when I left my office at 4 p.m. yesterday I knew that I did not have to go back to that place until January 3rd! So not only is it Christmas, I'm officially on Christmas break! Yippee! Now that I've announced that news, here is my more serious post:

Stephanie and I met up at church for the 6 p.m. Christmas Eve service tonight. I think the Christmas Eve service is my favorite church service of the year. For several years our church tried to experiment with the service and do different things. I think the decision makers thought that the traditional way wasn't appealing to people, that we needed new, exciting things like guitars, drums, unusual musical instruments, reading odd things, and a message that really didn't have anything to do with Jesus' birth. Needless to say, I don't think the new, creative services were a hit. Tonight we had a traditional Christmas Eve service and it was wonderful! We sang carols, read the scriptures about Jesus' birth, and lit candles to remind us that Christ is the light of the world. We left the sanctuary singing "Joy to the World". I can't think of a more beautiful, peaceful way to lead us into Christmas Day!

Twas the night before Christmas!

Just Pictures

2011-12-22T21:32:00.000-06:00

NO, NO Time Please Slow Down!

2011-12-21T21:03:00.000-06:00

I realized this morning that I have several Christmassy type outfits that I haven't yet worn this season. And then came the "oh no" thought. Today is Wednesday, Christmas Eve is Saturday and then Sunday is Christmas! Oh no, how can this be? This month has just flown by, and I'm just not ready for Christmas to come and go. Can we postpone it for a week, or two? I started early this year so I could really enjoy the Christmas season, but it has still just gone by too quickly. Boo hoo! I want more Christmas time!

Seasonal Colors

2011-12-17T12:41:00.000-06:00

Usually our main fall color happens in late November, right around Thanksgiving. Not only is our color late, but it is different from other parts of the country. We do have some brilliant colors, but mostly it is a deep, dark red. with touches of gold and orange. Normally the Thanksgiving drives to the Peddler Show are filled with color and comments of, "ooo, look at that". But not this year. Everything was dried up and dead looking. However, the rains of the last few weeks have done their magic. The colors started to pop up about a week ago. As the rain increased, so did the colors.

This week I was waiting for an elevator at work, standing on the mezzanine and looking out across part of town. The colors in this view are always stunning during the fall season. As I looked out at the different shades of red, yellow, and orange I found myself grumbling about the crazy weather and mixed up seasons but then realized that this year was a double treat. We are getting the beautiful fall colors right during the Christmas season when all the decorations and lights are out.

Coming home yesterday I saw a big red bow on a brick wall. The bright yellow and orange trees hanging over the wall just made that red bow stand out beautifully. How fun to have both seasons combined together!

A Big "Grrrrrrr"

2011-12-15T21:11:00.001-06:00

Here we are in the midst of the Christmas season. Decorations are up, shoppers are out and about, and there is ho ho ho everywhere. But there are some Grinches out there. No, actually I think it is some devils! Consider these examples.

It is one thing that the school districts have decided to call the Christmas break a "winter holiday" but last week in the news there was an elementary school near Fort Worth that had banned all parties and Christmas celebrations during the school day. However, they could be done before or after school if they were done for instructional purposes. Really? Oh dear, someone might be offended so let's not have parties and a little fun.

Yesterday it was announced that the lovely little town of Athens, Texas was having problems with a nativity scene. Some aethist group in Wisconsin had decided that it violated their freedoms. They want the nativity scene to go and then to be allowed to put up a banner that states that there is no God, religion is just a myth. They have been told that the nativity scene will come down after Christmas or when hell freezes over. There is a large celebration being planned this weekend to support the nativity scene display. Do Not Mess With Texas, Wisconsin!

And, today in the news there is a Knights of Columbus group in New Jersey that has a banner out that states "Keep Christ in Christmas". Ok, that's not offensive and they are a Christian group. So what's the problem? Another group is demanding it's removal. This banner seems pretty harmless, after all isn't Christ why we have this wonderful celebration? I'm confused.

There are many other examples in the news of groups fighting the religious side of Christmas, I won't go on and on. These grinches (devils) are really making me irritated. They are violating my religious freedom! Grrrrrrr!

A Reluctant Little Angel

2011-12-14T22:21:00.000-06:00

Jaydon started singing in the children's choir at church this fall. He had tried it once before but only went for a while. This year he has been going regularly and seems to be enjoying it. Last Sunday was the Christmas program, presented during the 11 o'clock worship service. He was one of the angels in the "angel choir". The Sunday before at the dress rehearsal he refused to wear the angel halo and wings. No sirree, no way. Stephanie talked up the program and pretty much told him there were no choices, he had to participate. I think he just thought he would be embarrassed and, after all, this program thing was a new experience for him.

I wasn't sure what would happen when the day came for the program. On the way to Sunday School I was talking it up, too. But he put on the halo and the wings and participated, just like an angel. Only his mother and I knew that he was reluctant about the whole thing! He looked so cute in the little costume!

Ah, the children's church Christmas program...one of the joys of the season!

Happy Wednesday!

2011-12-14T05:56:00.001-06:00

A Little Christmas

2011-12-10T19:43:00.000-06:00

I've always loved sparkley ornaments and twinkling lights on a Christmas tree!

Christmas is still coming!

2011-12-09T20:34:00.001-06:00

I haven't been posting the last week. Not because I've been shopping, baking, and doing the seasonal fa la la la laing. No, I've been sick. Not sure if it was a bad cold or maybe even the flu. I went home early on Monday, and actually called in sick on Tuesday. I'm still dragging a bit; I think I'll be back to normal in a day or two. So in a way, I've lost a week of December. An important week with many things to be done. In my frustration and trying to write a to do list I realized that I should not look at how many things I have to do but how many things I haven't done. Here is a partial list:

I haven't made a cute picture of the dogs and printed Christmas cards. But that's okay, I might do an after Christmas card. After all the blessings of Christmas should continue into the new year. And if I don't send out cards, that's okay, too. I've had several years without sending cards and believe it or not, we still had Christmas!

I haven't finished decorating the house, or so I think. Jaydon helped me get up the tree last weekend, and helped get some of the outside lights up tonight. I still have decorations in closets and storage buckets. I wanted to put up another small tree in the house, too. Oh dear! If I don't get the decorating done I'm sure we will still have Christmas!

I had bought some new floral picks and wanted to re-do several wreaths and a spray. The picks are still in the bag. The re-do may or may not happen. We will still have Christmas!

I wanted to decorate my office. Oh yes, a small tree, a Christmas wreath, a basket or two. I had it all planned. The question is that now that we are this close to Christmas do I really want to load up all the stuff and tote it up to the office and set it up only to reverse the process in a few weeks. I think we will still have Christmas even if this doesn't happen.

I haven't baked any cookies, or anything for that matter. I can do this after Christmas. After all we will still have Christmas, with or without the baked goods.

That's a start to what I haven't done. Yes, I have done a few things. I successfully pulled off my office party and ushered at the Messiah, so check those items off the list. I know that Christmas is coming whether I'm prepared or not. And I know there is more to the meaning of Christmas than cards and decorations. Right now I'm curled up with Jaydon watching "Home Alone 2", a real classic. This is what is important, making memories.

Wordless Wednesday, November 30, 2011

2011-11-30T05:43:00.001-06:00

Why I Like Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T20:30:00.000-06:00

The title sounds like a third grade essay, doesn't it? Well, this may read like one, too!

I've been thinking and thinking about why I like Thanksgiving. I've run a lot of ideas through my head and struggled with putting words to my thoughts. Whenever I think of Thanksgiving I think of times in the past, times spent with family. Some involved traveling to Houston or Brandon, some involve just being at home. But I always have a pleasant, peaceful feeling that seems to drop over me when I think of Thanksgiving. So I put together this list, which may be amended in the future but for now:

Reasons I Like Thanksgiving:

The weather is usually nice, not too hot and not too cold. I love November mornings when it is overcast and a little wet and there are colorful, damp leaves everywhere (note that we have NOT had a morning like this this year). Makes me want to call in sick and just go walk around with the dogs and then come home and have coffee on the deck before taking a nap (what a fantasy thought...call in sick? ha ha).
Time spent with family. Yes, we have a big meal on Thursday and then eat leftovers for a while. There is something very peaceful about gathering together for a meal anytime, but there is something special about the Thanksgiving meal. Maybe it is the quantity of food, maybe it is using the good china or the Christmas plates, or maybe because we usually have extended family in from out of town. But we also spend time together shopping or going to the Peddler Show and eating at Chuy's. Time spent together, something for which to be thankful.
Anticipating the Christmas season. Thanksgiving is the prelude, and the wonderful season of Christmas follows. Just thinking about decorations, Christmas music, and the celebration of the season makes me excited. I think that anticipating an event is part of the experience and should be fully enjoyed.
Giving thanks. We are blessed with so much. I think most of us are thankful to God for all that we have and offer thanks throughout the year. I'm thankful for health, for my family that lives so close together, for my home and my dogs and cats that are my companions, a job that supplies my needs, my church family, and for all that I have. But I'm also thankful for the experiences of life and for each day that I live.

Pulling the wishbone

2011-11-26T22:47:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving week has been absolutely wonderful! I could write many words about this week and how much I enjoy Thanksgiving, but maybe I'll do that later. For now I just want to share a few pictures, starting with pulling the wishbone. This is a family tradition and we recited who has pulled with whom over the years! This year Stephanie and Carole handed the baton to their sons:

The boys enjoyed some quiet time playing trains.

Emma is smiling sweetly at her Aunt Stephanie!

Erin and Sweet Ellie, mother and daughter!

Wordless Wednesday November 23, 2011

2011-11-23T05:44:00.001-06:00

Stand Up & Shout "Hallelujah"

2011-11-21T21:24:00.000-06:00

A while back I had written about a blog that I enjoy reading, http://misspreservation.com/. Today I was pleased to see a blurb that mentioned a building in my mother's home town. There was a link to the county paper (sometimes I forget that the internet is everywhere!) so I clinked on it to read the article. Just for fun I scrolled through some of the other articles of the day.

There was a small article about one of the small towns in the county welcoming the Christmas season with their annual parade. The theme this year is "Jesus Is the Light of the World". Yes, that's right Jesus is actually being mentioned and celebrated. This little town isn't afraid they will offend someone, no sirree! They've got the reason of the season figured out and they aren't afraid to tell it out! Yes, the parade will feature Santa and they will have hot chocolate and refreshments afterwards. I wish I could be there to see their parade.

So, stand up and shout "Hallelujah" for a small Mississippi town that puts Jesus in the Season! I can't help but think that if someone did show up in the town and protest the use of religion in a public parade they would be so quickly smothered with Southern hospitality, good cooking, and the love of Jesus that they would quickly forget why they were objecting to the theme of the parade!

A Basket of Fall

2011-11-20T21:28:00.000-06:00

It's here! Thanksgiving Week! Yippee! I really enjoy Thanksgiving, and have many memories of different Thanksgivings, in many different places and settings. Some years are just a blur, but other years are a treasured memory. I always enjoyed going to Mississippi at this time of year, and always wish that I was there at this time of year.

But the purpose of this post is to close out the fall season. Last night I was gathering up fall decorations to be used at today's Thanksgiving potluck lunch for my Sunday School class. I was putting them all in a picnic basket and realized that I had created a basket of fall. It occurred to me that this was an appropriate way to say farewell to fall.

When these decorations came home today they did not go back on display. They are now stored away, to wait for next October's display. Goodbye Fall!

Wordless Wednesday, November 16, 2011

2011-11-16T05:00:00.002-06:00

UFOs and WIPs

2011-11-15T21:19:00.000-06:00

Quilters have UFOs and WIPs. It is part of our culture. Start the project, get well into it with the project spread over half your house, then abandon it for a new project. UFOs are un-finished objects! WIPs are a little more gentler, they are works in progress!

I have UFOs, many UFOs. Every now and then I do finish something so it is not like I totally abandon a project. I started it because it was something I wanted to make, therefore, it is something I do want to finish, right? Right, all will get finished someday. Except for the failed projects, they get re-cycled into another project. But, still these unfinished projects bug me. They call out to me, and sometimes they fuss at me for not completing one project at a time.

But I found out at the quilt festival that Martha Washington (yes, George's spouse) had unfinished quilts. Or at least one anyway. I attended a lecture luncheon with a well known quilt teacher, designer, publisher, etc. The lecture was titled "Why We Quilt". It was light hearted and fun, but the best part was when she showed a picture of a quilt that Martha had pieced but never quilted. The room roared when the speaker pointed out that even back then there were UFOs! Now I feel better about my bad habit!

Wordless Wednesday, November 9, 2011

2011-11-09T07:21:00.000-06:00

I know, it is early November

2011-11-07T20:43:00.000-06:00

I have certain rules about decorating for Christmas. One is that no decorations are to be put up before noon on Thanksgiving Day. When Santa rides in at the end of the Macy's parade, around noon, that signals the official start of the Christmas season, or so I think. Another rule I follow is that the Nativity set goes out first and another is that the stockings are hung on the mantle last. I guess you can think of these as Christmas traditions, or so I think.

Now, the Christmas village is a little different. I know that it has been put up earlier than my preferred start date. I bought the first pieces in 1997, and I'm sure it was around the first weekend in November. I remember bringing my precious purchase home and setting it up that same day. Over the years I've put up the village at different times, sometimes before Thanksgiving and sometimes later. One year I didn't put it out at all, and I really missed it. But it is okay to put up the village early, it is like the pre-season primer. I love its soft, homey glow in the room and the charming Dickens scene is so peaceful. I usually leave the village out until mid-January, it stays out as long as possible.

I let Jaydon put up the village this past weekend. I had promised him that we would put it out after I got home from the quilt festival and he held me to the promise! I was ready to get it out and set up, because that means that Christmas will soon be here. Jaydon was ready, too. He loves Christmas and frequently tells me so. I love it, too! It was fun to watch him with the set up. I put out the fleece base and the buildings, after all they are heavy and breakable! I put the lights in each one and plugged them in, but then Jaydon took over. He put out all the small pieces, the trees and the snow. He even got out batteries and put them in the little piece that has a battery light. He worked for quite a while, getting it just right. I know he enjoyed his work, and I enjoyed sharing the time with him.

I know that a memory was made for both of us while we worked on the village. We've done this before, but each time reinforces the memory of the year before and the time we spent together. Setting up the Christmas village is a small, simple thing.

Wordless Wednesday, November 2, 2011

2011-11-02T08:11:00.000-05:00

I Gave A Party and No One Came!

2011-11-01T21:54:00.000-05:00

The pumpkin was lit well before dark. The big bowl of candy ready, sampled by Gammy, Jaydon and Stephanie. A spare bag, large size, was nearby ready to make its entrance into the big bowl. Candles were burning in the fireplace, coziness abounded in my house. Ah! Halloween, ready for trick-or-treaters.

Or so I thought. Jaydon and Stephanie headed out just before dark to John's house and his neighborhood. I was ready for the doorbell to start ringing, dogs in the kitchen to prevent any escapes. But only three treaters came to my door, all polite, all cutely dressed up. But only three. I went out about 7:40 to just check the neighborhood. Other than someone playing one of those creepy sound CD's the neighborhood was fairly dark and quiet.

It was a school night, there are not tons of small children in my subdivision, and parents are getting away from the trick-or-treat routine. And, I do live on a cul-de-sac and it was fairly dark so parents may have just skipped this street. So, no one came to my party. And I do love Halloween, too. I'm already thinking that next year I'll have a real little party early in the evening and I'll actually invite people to come. I'll have a little candy in case I get a treater or two (or three), just in case.

Sign of the Seasons

2011-10-30T20:14:00.000-05:00

Wherewolf on the front porch!

Scooping out pumpkin "guts"

Look Alikes!

October Musings

2011-10-26T21:19:00.000-05:00

The days are getting shorter, actually it is the daylight that is shorter but the days seems shorter and nights longer. On Sunday we roll back the clock and my beloved Daylight Savings Time goes away and then it really gets dark earlier. If the weather forecast is correct (ha ha) today was probably our last day to have temperatures in the upper 80's. I really don't want to think about putting my sandals and shorts away but will have to do so.

Pumpkins are on the porch and Jaydon will carve his big one on Sunday. Trick or Treat is on Monday. Then on Wednesday I head to the International Quilt Festival (this is my 10th year to go and I'm still so excited!) and maybe to a see Joey march at a football game next weekend. When I get home it will be time to start preparing for Thanksgiving because it will be here quickly. Then the holidays start and before I'm ready it will be New Years and time to take down the tree and Christmas decorations.

Why does this season go by so quickly? August seemed like it would never end, September passed fairly quick, and it seems like yesterday was October 1st and I was getting on a plane to start my wonderful trip. Where oh where did October go? And why will November and December be a memory so soon? Oh, if only fall would linger a little longer.

These were real pumpkins! How 'bout them pumpkins!

Boston Common

2011-10-23T20:41:00.000-05:00

One of the things on my "do in Boston" list was to walk through the Boston Common. It was a beautiful day and Bostonians and tourists were out in full force. Blankets were spread out, picnic baskets were open, and various games were in process. I walked a way into the Common and sat down on the grass. This photo was the part of the view that I enjoyed. I didn't have a lot of time to linger since I had many things on the list, but I needed to rest and this was the perfect place to sit peacefully for a few minutes.

I couldn't help but think of the years of the park's existence and the history of the ground that I sat upon. The tour guide on my trip had told us that the Common was established in 1634, but I can't remember who bought the land or any details she told us. I do know that the land was hilly at that time, and used for cattle grazing, garbage dumping, and for public hangings (ugh!). During the American Revolution the British troops camped in the Common. In the 1800's the park was leveled, drained and cleaned up and then landscaped. The Boston Public Garden, just across the street, was created in 1837. Both are beautiful, and provide a welcome contrast to the surrounding city. I couldn't help but notice one amazing thing about both parks...there wasn't a speck of trash anywhere! I would assume that it is because Bostonians are very proud of their public parks and treasure them way to much to leave behind any trash.

Wordless Wednesday, October 18, 2011

2011-10-19T06:47:00.000-05:00

Gammy Night

2011-10-14T21:59:00.000-05:00

I feel like I'm repeating myself but it seems that this theme keeps repeating itself in my life. I picked Jaydon up at school this afternoon; the first thing he did was give me a big hug. (He won't do that in front of his friends in a few more years, I'm sure). That was the first thrill! As we walked out the door he commented, "I've been thinking about you all day." And I replied that I had been thinking about him and our time together, too. We've missed the last two Fridays due to my traveling, and he was bummed out big time.

But I was also thinking about Cameron today, too. James had called me last night to confirm our Friday night plans. And he told me that Cameron had really been wanting to come to my house last night, but they had managed to convince him that he had to wait one more night! Jaydon isn't the only one looking forward to a night at Gammy's house! Cameron has joined the "I Love Gammy's House Club"! I've posted about this before, but I still marvel at the love that all of us have for our grandparents house. I haven't done anything and I'm sure that it isn't really me they want to be with...it is my house they want to be in!

There was some serious tricycle riding tonight!

Wordless Wednesday, October 12, 2011

2011-10-12T06:45:00.000-05:00

Eating on the Road

2011-10-11T20:58:00.001-05:00

Last week I ate some very good meals on my trip. Some were on my own and some were part of the group tour. I only had one not so great meal but that was at the food court at Quincy Market in Boston (I hate food courts, ugh!) and that was the last stop on the tour. The food is different "up North" in some ways, and the same in others. They do not serve picante sauce, ever and chicken fried steak or country fried steak do not appear on the menu!

On Monday night our group was on its own in Burlington, Vermont. So several of us walked to a local restaurant, The Farmhouse. They only serve food grown or raised in their local area, there were about 12 farms listed on a chalkboard as their suppliers. There was a card on the table that explained their philosophy. I took the card with me because I really liked what they were trying to portray to the community. Their idea is to support the rural nature and agriculture in Vermont and to offer good tasting, healthy food to their guests. They want this concept to be a new model for all restaurants.

In addition to their regular menu, each week they offer specials that feature whatever is in season for that week. Here were the specials for the week of October 3rd:

Pete's Greens Fennel Salad-featured a preserved lemon vinaigrette

Side of local cauliflower

Charcuterie Board-testa, rabbit terine, pork liver, mortadella, venison salami & bresaola

Island Creek Oysters-these were from Maine

House Cured Sardine Toast

Winding Brook Farm Lamb Burger

Pei Mussels

Champlain Valley Gingerbread Spiced Cheesecake (with cinnamon whipped cream)

So what did this Southern girl order? I went to the regular menu and ordered....meatloaf. Honestly, it was the only thing other than the chicken that I could really identify. The menu stated that it was pork and beef; the sides were mashed potatoes, carrots, and butter nut squash. And, there was gravy and mushrooms! I can honestly say it was fabulous and I ate everything. Then I ordered dessert! It was a pumpkin cheesecake pie which had a ginger snap crust, a layer of pumpkin cheesecake topped with a layer of pumpkin pie, and of course, fresh whipped cream and carmel drizzle. I thought I had died and gone to heaven!

I also had an excellent pulled pork sandwich at the Shelburne Museum. It was not in the Memphis tradition, but could quickly become a favorite! It had chipotle coleslaw and "fried root vegetables". No, I could not identify those little crunchy things but they were excellent! Viva La Pulled Pork Sandwich!

To make this quick I also ate salmon, crab cakes, what I hope is the last lobster of my life, chicken fricasse, basil pesto pasta, fish and chips, and I don't remember what else. I did eat clam chowder at every opportunity. Fortunately I did enough walking that I walked off all the good meals and the desserts.

All good things do come to an end

2011-10-09T20:17:00.000-05:00

A week ago Saturday I left for New England. I flew back in this afternoon and as I walked through the airport it seemed like I truly had just left. Why does time seem to fly when we are relaxing and having fun? I was ready in some ways to come home and in others did not want the good time to end...but it did!

So what did I see in New England?

Pumpkins!

A few fall leaves

Lots of beautiful quilts

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T22:13:00.000-05:00

I've recently discovered several dachshund blogs and through them found this thing called Wordless Wednesday. If I've got this right it is just a picture with no caption that you put on your blog on Wednesday, after all a picture is worth a thousand words. Since I've occassionally done a picture of the week I decided Wordless Wednesday would fit into the blog very nicely. I couldn't decide on just one picture to start with, so here I offer three.

Changing the view orientation on a computer

2011-09-27T20:50:00.000-05:00

Tonight I had many things to do. I had made one stop on the way home, then picked up Blossom and made a run to PetsMart. There is a thunderstorm going through the area (or in my case, it is just a windstorm) so I turned on the computer to check the National Weather Service while I made myself something to eat. The laptop was sitting on a chair, happily doing it's little lengthy boot up, at least until Sawyer and Bentley thought I was about to sit down and they jumped on the chair and the laptop. Next thing I knew the screen had rotated itself into a sideways view. Nice, right. And the mouse was really unmanageable.

Hmmm, now what do I do? So the keyboard is facing one way and the screen is the other way. I tried everything, then searched everywhere. Forget Microsoft help. All I learned is that they are not going to support my version soon. So I looked in the laptop owners manual, forget that, after all this is a Dell laptop (boo, hiss!). I tried under the control panel, too. At this point I was no longer aggravated with the dogs, I was after Microsoft.

So finally, in desperation, with my head facing sideways to my hand and my head pounding I went to Google. Found my answer in Yahoo!Answers, quick as a wink. Someone back in 2008 had the same problem and some smart genius (probably a Microsoft developer in disguise) gave the answer: Hold the Alt and Ctrl keys down while moving the arrow keys until the screen is oriented to your liking. How simple, of course! Now you know what to do when the dogs change the orientation of the computer screen! And, now I continue on with my chores only delayed by an hour.

Sweet, sweet, sweet

2011-09-22T21:26:00.000-05:00

I've kept these two little sweet girls for the last three days. It's been fun, but it is double the work, too! I had had the vision that I would dress them up in one of their cute little outfits and do a photo shoot...hahaha. I didn't have time for that. But I did snap a few pictures so I had to share this one. Emma was almost smiling, but Ellie decided it was time for a little snooze.

Encyclopedias

2011-09-21T21:17:00.000-05:00

The condo that Jaydon and I stayed in at the beach last weekend was very comfortable and decorated in a very relaxing style. Jaydon explored every nook and cranny and opened every drawer and looked on every shelf in the unit. I looked around, too. I was glad to see books by Max Lucado and Rick Warren (and others) on the bookshelf. But the most amazing discovery was when Jaydon opened the doors on the cabinet that the television was sitting on. Inside was a beautiful set of Encyclopedia Britannica!

I had to explain what they were, and we spent some time looking up several things. Although the Britannicas are a little technical and more suited for an older student, we still found a few things that interested Jaydon. He likes light and we found a section that had some cool pictures about the nature of light. I'm knitting with alpaca yarn and we tried to look up alpaca. We also read a little about volcanoes. I wished that they had been World Book Encyclopedias as those are a little more inviting. I remembered spending more time than I probably should have as a young student browsing through encyclopedias. Today's kids have the internet to browse, but somehow it just isn't the same. Something about turning the pages of a book...you never know what will be next and what new world will be opened to you.

Phone Books

2011-09-19T18:29:00.000-05:00

Phone book? What is that many of the younger generation ask. We all know, they are those big books printed on cheap paper that we chunk into the recycling bin and think about what a waste they are. Or so I thought.

We have one of the guys that still uses the phone book (yellow pages) regularly. He is my age, but got left behind when DOS went out of use. He is not real technology savy. So he uses the yellow pages to look up everything. Recently his wife called and asked someone to please look up a phone number in the phone book for her. She was on the road and needed to call her doctor's office. But hubby, thrifty guy that he is, had told her not to use directory assistance on the cell phone because it was too expensive. So she called the office. The assistant, of course, went to the internet for the number. As she was looking up the number she was talking with the wife. The wife then asked, "are you looking on the internet for this number?" Yep, wife is not in the technology loop either. We had a good laugh about this!

But a week or two went by and the same assistant asked me if I knew of a good florist. They needed to send flowers to a client. Yes, I knew of a florist but couldn't remember the name. I searched the internet, thinking that I would recognize the name if I saw it. But no luck. So, guess what I had to pull out....the yellow pages! I was slightly horrified but it was the only alternative. I found the florist, recognizing the name just like I thought I would. I called the assistant and told her how I found the number and we really had a good laugh.

Ah, modern times.

Picture of the Week

2011-09-18T20:55:00.000-05:00

Jaydon and I went to the beach this weekend. I hadn't been this summer and I asked myself several times why I don't go more often. It isn't that far, and it is so relaxing.

I love to watch the waves and enjoyed this view with my morning coffee both mornings.

How Did I Ever Do It?

2011-09-14T21:26:00.000-05:00

Jaydon has been staying with me this week. We've had a busy week, Monday night was pizza and homework, Tuesday night Jaydon went to school with me, tonight was Open House at his school. I'm having flashbacks to when my kids were in school and I often felt that I was living in my car. We've had the pizza one night when it was fresh and then left over tonight. Last night was definitely a fast food night. And, I'm not used to having to be somewhere in the morning at a definite time so I've had to really discipline myself to watch the time in the morning (we have a 25-30 minute drive so there is no delay in getting out the door).

What I'm wondering is, how did I do it when my children were small? I worked until 5 p.m., drove home, picked them up from after school care when they were small, put a meal on the table, and then headed out the door to dance, Scouts, soccer practice, baseball practice, choir parents, and I don't remember what else. Oh, yes I remember...I made costumes and assembled homecoming mums during the evenings. And, then I came home and got them bathed and in the bed by their bedtimes (when they were small). There was very little fast food or eating out but by the time Stephanie was in first grade I did have a housekeeper of sorts. But I still have to wonder how I did it.

I remember a lot of times that I thought about the old expression about meeting yourself coming down the road and wondered if it would happen to me. Those were busy years, but good ones. I've told myself that it really wasn't any different back then than it is now. I just did what I had to do and it got done. No different than this week. Except I haven't made any homecoming mums.

And, here's a picture of two fine boys!

The Right Place To Be

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

The day of September 11, 2001 was a long day. It started like any other day, until a little after 8 a.m. when one of the guys, who never raised his voice, yelled frantically for me to come in his office. There on his TV was the image of a burning World Trade Center (later I learned that his sister worked in that building and she had not yet arrived in the city when the attacks started). It was a gripping morning. At one point I went back to my desk to attempt to work, but no one was calling and work was pointless. As the day wore on I finally had to put on my distance glasses since I was watching so much TV, glued to the set was more like it.

One of my co-workers and I had signed up to take a quilting class in a neighboring town and we wondered if it had been cancelled. So we called the shop, they called the teacher and she said she would teach if anyone wanted to come. I debated about going since it just didn't seem respectful, plus my church was having a prayer vigil. I really should be going to church, I thought. But I went on to the quilt shop, and afterwards I knew it was the right place to be that night.

When we all arrived the first thing we did was hug each other, total strangers except for my co-worker and myself. Not the normal way to start a class. Then we discussed the events of the day and how exhausted and stressed we all felt. But we quickly fell to the task of choosing our fabrics and starting the class. The building we were in was built around the start of the 1900's and as we worked I felt those tired old walls speaking to me. They had seen bad times and uncertainty. Two world wars and other conflicts, the Great Depression, the assasination of a president, and other bad news had passed through the doors of that building. I felt the walls saying, "it's ok, we've seen trying times before and our country will survive this horror, too." I felt comfort in the squeaking old wood floors as I remembered the squeaks in my grandparent's floor. The boards age had given them a warm patina and I knew that those boards had had other shoes pass over them in times of trial and tragedy. I also felt comfort in touching the cotton fabrics. They were soft to my fingers and I knew that probably much of that cotton had been grown and ginned right here in our South.

While we worked we discussed the day and our emotions. We all agreed that God was watching over our nation and no matter what horror the next days might bring we would get through this. We all hugged again and left for our homes. I drove home, listening to the radio and hanging onto every detail, and I knew that that shop was the right place to have been that night. There was comfort there in that old building, with other women who shared a common bond of quilting, and I will never forget those feelings of reassurance. Everytime I look at the quilt that I started that night, I am reminded that it is my 9/11 quilt.

Ten Years Later

2011-09-10T21:26:00.000-05:00

As everyone knows, tomorrow is the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America. Until that time September 11th was just another day. Several weeks ago interviews and TV specials began airing about that dreadful day. At first I was appalled and couldn't help but think that the media was just capitalizing on the event and that they would dishonor a very solemn occasion. But I read an article this week that put everything into perspective for me.

The article was an interview with the pilot of Air Force One who was responsible for President Bush on that day. His mission was not only to fly the Commander in Chief but to keep him safe. He recounted the events of the day, dealing with uncertainty, rumors, and not knowing what was really happening at times, trying to keep a level perspective and think through each situation. He told of the eeriness that afternoon after U.S. airspace was closed - they were the only plane in the air and the air traffic controllers basically told them they could do what they needed to do. There was no conversation with the ground as they didn't know who might be listening. And, as he approached Washington he didn't know what was waiting for them there. Had he done everything he could do to keep the president safe? Then the fighter jets rolled up on his wing, saluted and took them all the way to ground and to safety.

As I read this article I remembered every one's uncertainty. What would happen next? Were we under attack? Is this really happening? As I remembered the emotions of that day I decided that maybe it is a good thing to recall that day with interviews and recollections. Every time I see an image of the World Trade Towers in those final moments, I cringe. That is a vision that will forever be in my memory, along with the emotions of that day. But I also remember how Americans came together very quickly and the unity of people after the attacks. In the uncertainty we gathered together, in the days after we had a new perspective on our patriotism, and tomorrow, ten years later, we will remember.

May God Bless America and Keep Us Safe

I Feel A Change

2011-09-08T20:40:00.000-05:00

I had promised myself that I would not do another post about the weather, no more whining I said. But this isn't so much a whine as it is a comment. So here goes.

We've had the worst summer hot hot hot hot dry dry dry. But Saturday night as I took the dogs out before bedtime I thought I felt a hint of a change in the air. Just a hint, I was sure it felt different somehow. Sunday morning when we went out I knew for sure, I felt a hint of fall. A few minutes later the wind picked up and I knew the change had come. Yeeeeaaaah, the heat is gone. I feel fall!

So Tuesday morning I had to put gas in the car. And of course, I'm running late for work and just wanting to hurry and get it done. As I was filling up I looked out across the hillside (the service station is up on a hill and looks out over the airport and part of the city) and I realized that the cool breeze was just fall all over. It felt so good on my face. The morning also just had a look of fall. While the gas tank filled I thought about fall. Pumpkins on the porch, grey mornings when the leaves fall, football, and Thanksgiving. I decided right then as the gas was pumping that I was going to do everything possible to enjoy this fall.

I'm loving these cool mornings, slipping a shawl around my shoulders while I sit on the deck sipping coffee before dawn. I'm loving these evening walks with the dogs and feeling the cool night air descend. I'm loving the late afternoon shadows, the sun seems to have shifted early this year (I know it hasn't but still the shadows already have that long look). Even though it is hot during the afternoons the humidity is low, and I can imagine that it really isn't hot, it's just a warm fall afternoon. I can't wait to get the fall decorations out and get this season started.

After all, it's fall!

Watermelon

2011-09-07T22:14:00.000-05:00

I just realized that watermelon is one of life's small simple things. Why? Well, it is one of those things that you either like or you absolutely do not. I love it!

Jaydon and I had bought one at the farmers market on Saturday. I had chilled it down and cut it on Sunday afternoon. Jaydon watched me do it...I spread out newspaper on the breakfast table and took a "big ole knife" (as Jaydon commented) and cut it open. Jaydon was impressed! To me it was a simple thing, done many times before. We cut it up and put in zip bags. After everyone ate supper the boys each had a piece. Cameron loves watermelon and I knew it would be a treat for him, and it was! I sent a bag home with him for later snacking!

Tonight I ate a piece and was it good! So cold, juicy and sweet. As I ate it I couldn't help but think of so many watermelons I ate while growing up. My grandfather had great big fingers (or so I thought as a child) and he knew just how to thump a melon to tell if it was ripe. He was never wrong, either! I especially remember how good those watermelons that had just been picked and chilled down tasted. Was it the red dirt of Mississippi? Not sure, but as I ate my piece tonight I decided that the sweet taste of watermelon is just one of life's small, simple pleasures.

This is what dogs do for fun

2011-09-06T22:28:00.001-05:00

This is what doggies do for fun when Mama is gone! The paper is what is left of the instruction manual for my food processor. What I can't figure out is how it got off the counter and into the dogs' area in the kitchen. And then how it got into the living room. Bentley and Blossom had escaped from the kitchen, so did they go over the gate with the book in their mouth? Or did they go under the gate? This was NOT what I wanted to come home to after school tonight!

Just a Post

2011-09-01T21:10:00.000-05:00

Finally, this dreadful August is over! I thought September would never come, but now that it is here I know that it is still very hot and very dry outside. This August beat the August of 2009 for the hottest August on record, whoopee I say. I just don't think the drought will ever end, I'm sick of it and would happily leave this desert if my life wasn't here. But instead of whining I decided to do a "5 things" post since I haven't done one in a while. So here goes:

5 Things I'm Thankful for Tonight

1-Finishing my assigned reading for the week, now I can start on the paper and speech that is due!
2-"Homemade" ranch dressing on the wrap that I made for my supper. Yum!
3-A hot bath (and comfy pj's!) after being outside in the heat tonight. Clean feels so good!
4-Four warm little dogs (and one kittie that wandered over) snuggled around me on the sofa.
5-That it is the Thursday night before the Friday before a long weekend! Thank you Lord!

The Silver Ghost

2011-08-30T22:58:00.000-05:00

My path to and from school takes me alongside a train track and requires a cross over the track. Sometimes on the way to school there is a train passing by, sometimes there is one sitting on the track, blocking the crossing which causes me to have to detour. Coming home recently I had already crossed over and was driving parallel to the track. I was tired and ready to get home. There are a few street lights along this road, but there were no other cars so it was somewhat dimly lit. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a glimmer of light and a reflection type of light. When I glanced over I was excited to see an Amtrak train slipping by in the night. All too quickly it had passed and for once, I was disappointed that I hadn't been caught by a train! The sleek, silver body of the train slipped by quietly, car by car, like a ghost gliding through the night.

During those few seconds as the train and I passed each other I thought about travel on a train. I had a vision of quiet elegance and gentle swaying of the cars. I thought of the antique passenger cars that I've walked through in different locations. They were always "old" smelling and faded but I always imagined them as they were in their grander days. Some were beautiful private cars and others just plain and useful coach cars. And the reality is that although they were beautiful and comfortable they did not have air conditioning or heating. Steam locomotives were noisy and the soot from the coal covered everyone and everything. Still the elegance of a by gone era charms me.

The train was gone quickly but I drove the rest of the way home wondering what it was like to travel on a train and thinking of how much our world has changed. Train travel was the mode of transportation for so many years, now it is a novelty mode of transportation.

2011-08-27T19:59:00.000-05:00

Last night was Gammy night. Cameron dropped by for a while and the boys had a good time playing.

What happens at Gammy house stays at Gammy house!
Yes, Cameron is sitting on a table, but that's ok only at Gammy house can he do that!

The Snaggle Tooth and The Artist

2011-08-19T21:19:00.000-05:00

Jaydon lost both of his upper front teeth last weekend!

He is officially a snaggle tooth kid!

Last Friday night he undertook an artistic effort on the driveway...a large stop sign!

Family Meals

2011-08-18T18:35:00.000-05:00

Last post, spaghetti sauce. This post, family meals. Here's what I'm thinking:

Jaydon got a little put out with me on Sunday because I wasn't cooking on Sunday night. Until recently on most Sunday evenings I cooked a meal and we all gathered to share it (the twins have caused a brief recess!). He was annoyed that there was no meal on Sunday. I asked him what he was hungry for, but he couldn't tell me. So I don't think it was so much the food as it was that he missed our family gathering.

Now it has been said many times that it is good for a family to sit down and eat together. My family did when I was growing up but those meals are more memorable to me for the food that my mother cooked than our family time. I'm sure we talked at the table, but I don't remember that part. When my children were growing up I came home from work and put a meal on the table almost every night. There was usually some grumbling because it is impossible to please everyone, but the point was that a meal was served and we sat down together to eat.

Several months back our pastor made the comment that she has gone into many restaurants and seen families gathered around a table for a meal. But sadly instead of talking with each other she had noted that they were all focused on the device in their hands! Were they communicating with each other, no I'm sure they weren't. How sad.

So, back to Jaydon and his desire for a meal with his family. At least I know that I've created a pleasant experience for him and he has good memories already of those family times together. He values that time to sit down with those he loves and visit with one another while eating a meal. There's something about sharing a meal that draws people together. Just one of life's small, simple things!

Spaghetti's Cooking!

2011-08-13T19:07:00.000-05:00

I have a pot of spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove. It smells heavenly! I love the way spaghetti smells while it cooks just as much as I love the way it tastes. I do not eat spaghetti in a restaurant, oh no. I prefer homemade sauce, using my mother's recipe.

My mother made the best sauce ever, I loved to come home from school and smell the sauce (and many other things she cooked, too) simmering. Mmmmm, so good. She had gotten the recipe from the wife of one of my father's pilot training buddies. We had met up with them again while we lived in California and I remember being invited to their home one evening for dinner and she served this wonderful spaghetti. She shared the recipe with my mother and it became a family standard.

My mother made the sauce for special occasions as well as everyday. I always asked for spaghetti on the days I had my braces tightened, as well as for birthdays. When my mother would be out of town taking care of ailing parents she always left a pot of sauce in the refrigerator. We would get several meals out of the pot, and it was during this time that I learned to use the sauce to make lasagna.

So tonight the sauce is simmering and I can hardly wait for it to be done. I can't think of anything more peaceful that spending time in my sewing room, listening to classical music while enjoying the smell of spaghetti sauce simmering. So as I leave here I'm headed to the sewing room to experience peace on earth.

Oh, and yesterday would have been my mother's 78th birthday. So Happy Birthday, Mama and thank you for the legacy of your spaghetti sauce!

Ahhhhh, it's all okay now!

2011-08-11T21:57:00.000-05:00

Ah, yes! There is a football game on tv tonight! Yes, I know, it is only pre-season. But dog-gone it, it sure sounds good. I really haven't watched the game, been working on a knitting project, but just the sound of a football game is so soothing! And it is good to glance up and see a game on the tv. Now, I'm getting ready for fall! The only bad thing is that the pre-season always seems to just take forever to be over. Come on September I say!

Picture of the Week

2011-08-08T22:07:00.000-05:00

I'm almost embarrassed to post this since the market was down so much today and there seems to be doom and gloom hanging out there but, in a way this was good for the economy. Carole and Joe came over for the weekend and Stephanie and Jaydon joined us for a marathon shopping trip. It's been a while since we did this, and the best part was coming home and piling the packages in the floor! And there were a few more that didn't make it into the picture. We shopped carefully and got good deals! A little fun is good for the soul!

Is it pumpkin time yet?

2011-08-05T21:24:00.000-05:00

August, ugh! A few days ago, I was musing on the thought that August is just a blah month. There is just nothing in the month of August except extreme heat. Now, yes, we have a few family birthdays but none are immediate family. And there are no holidays or other events to celebrate. School usually starts in August so that is it. So what good is August? All I think of in August is hot, hot, hot. Everything is dry and dusty.

So, as I was musing I couldn't help but think about fall. Usually I can't wait to get out those pumpkins and fall decorations and about this time I start getting the bug to get that stuff out. In my mind Labor Day is the time to decorate for fall but I usually make myself wait until the first of October. I don't know if it is the heat or what but right now I'm not getting excited about fall. I think August just needs to be done and over with and then I'll be ready for those pumpkins. Is it September yet?

Writing

2011-08-02T17:35:00.001-05:00

July is over, now it is August and so I tell myself that my blogging sabbatical is over. I just wish that August and this heat was over, but we still have a month to go. Maybe we will get some relief, maybe not!

I've been thinking a lot about writing lately. My current class is Old Testament (since this is a Christian u. I have to take 12 hours of religion) and I'm really enjoying it, more on the class later. Homework is heavy duty, but very interesting. Week before last in addition to all the homework I was supposed to write a 2 page paper on Proverbs 31. I had finished everything else, but just ran out of time and wasn't really sure what to write about anyway. The assignment assumed that I knew more than I did, so I was tempted just to skip the paper. But being the over achiever that I am, I knew I had to write the paper. So, on the day of class, just before the lunch hour I decided to start writing. I thought I would try to just blah, blah, blah and get a page typed. Before I knew it I was at the bottom of the second page and realized that I needed to end the paper. I don't know what it was but the words just came to me.

I had a flash back to the first time I went to college and I remembered doing the same thing. I would sit down to write a paper and the words would just come. Only then, I was handwriting papers and then going to the typing lab and typing up the paper (complete with manual footnotes and formatting). It seems that once I start writing the words just fly from my brain to my fingers and onto the page.

And now I have this post to put my words onto. So, I'm motivated to do some writing now that my sabbatical is over. But first, I did a presentation for class last night and had the inspiration to use some of my pictures with the scriptures I was covering. So, I offer the following picture with scripture:

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth." Isaiah 40:28

In the News...part 2

2011-07-26T21:21:00.000-05:00

Several posts back I wrote about the so called experts that want to take away obese children from their parents and among other things do away with advertising "unhealthy" foods to children. Today's news has prompted me to continue this topic.

McDonald's (every child's favorite place and home of the Happy Meal) announced that they are going to begin serving apple slices with every Happy Meal. Isn't that exciting! They will replace half of the fries in the Happy Meal with apple slices. Every child is thrilled. Thank goodness they will offer the option of all apple slices or all fries. But let's see them get that order right...Jaydon and I have learned to check his sack before leaving the drive thru window to make sure that he has a toy for a boy (Barbie didn't do much for him one night) and the ordered barbecue sauce to dip the McNuggets in (the sauce I have in the fridge doesn't do the trick on the McNuggets).

Recently I had picked up a child's meal at Subway for Jaydon. Typically those come with a small sandwich, a choice of apple slices or yogurt, and either milk or a juice box. And they pack it in a cute little re-usable tote bag (no toy but the bag is usually ok, too). Jaydon ate the sandwich but not the chosen yogurt or milk, so I put both in the fridge to save. I took them to work a day or two later as part of my lunch. First surprise was the milk. It was 1% milk...just to note here that I buy 2% but really, 1% for children? Yuk, watered down and tasteless liquid. Then I started on the yogurt. It tasted funny so I read the label...non fat yogurt. Yuk, again. So, I wonder now what is the deal here? Do they want today's children to look anorexic? They will surely starve if all they have is apple slices and non fat food.

My Mind (AKA The Salad Spinner)

2011-07-19T19:58:00.000-05:00

I've decided that my mind is like a salad spinner (you know, one of those little bowls you put wet lettuce in and it spins the water out). What, you say, a salad spinner? That's right, a salad spinner. I have all these thoughts in my head that are always spinning around; I think a lot and my mind travels down many roads. I realized that lately I've been having a thought overload. I just have too many things to think about and I feel that I'm going to short circuit. I've even found that I can't think more than a day or two in advance to make up to-do lists and shopping lists. Five minutes into the future is about all I can deal with.

Then I realized that my brain is like the basket of my salad spinner. It is full of thoughts and is just spinning around. So now when I find myself thinking about something fairly useless I've started telling myself to stop the spinner (my salad spinner has a little black button that you push to stop it) so I push the button so to speak on my mind and tell myself to take that thought out of the basket and get rid of it. Sometimes the thought is something stupid that I have no reason to even be thinking, sometimes it is about something that happened in the past (good grief, no use thinking about that, it is over) or sometimes it is worrying about something in the future.

When the spinner is going too fast or is too full that is the time to push the button and stop the spinning. It is like cleaning house in my brain.

Leonardo Da Vinci

2011-07-16T22:23:00.000-05:00

I had to write a paper for my last class and the instructor was pretty picky about what he wanted. In flipping through the text book for the class I saw a picture of Leonardo Da Vinci's painting The Last Supper. So I wrote a paper on the making of the painting. I enjoyed the research, so much so that I've added Leonardo to my reading list of things I want to read about someday.

I knew that he was a very talented artist but had no idea what a genius he was. He not only painted but he designed "war machines" and dissected dead bodies among other things. What I thought was interesting was that very often he never finished a project. He had different reasons for not finishing, usually because the project wasn't turning out like he wanted but often he just seemed to get distracted with another project. Another interesting fact was that he carried notebooks around with him all the time. He would either sketch ideas or write down thoughts. In one case his grocery list was scribbled in the book!

I don't profess to be anywhere near his intellect but I did relate to not finishing projects. I love to start something but have a hard time finishing unless I'm under a deadline and have to get something done. I also have quite a few notebooks laying around and even have a small one in my purse. And I find myself interested in many things. So I decided that I could relate to the genius who painted The Last Supper.

Speaking of the painting, I should note that within a few years after he finished it that it had been reduced to just blobs of paint. The surface had been prepared correctly but instead of painting on wet plaster Da Vinci choose to paint on dry plaster using a mix of oils and tempera. The result was that the paint began to flake off in a very short time. Ever the experimenter, his idea did not work. What we see today represents careful restoration and only about 20% of the painting is actually original work.

And, the final note I should add is that he was probably a homosexual. All in all I enjoyed writing the paper and found his life very interesting.

In the news

2011-07-14T21:16:00.000-05:00

One of the major topics in the news yesterday was the proposal to take obese children away from their parents. This one had to be thought of by a "real deep thinker" because it is absolutely ridiculous. Will that really help these children? The answer is a resounding NO! And what next, will they take away a child because the parents didn't remember to brush his/her teeth before bedtime? That sounds silly, but it's right along the same line. If they will take away a child because they are overweight, what else will they use as an excuse to take a child from his/her parent?

Now I do agree that there are overweight children and adults out there, no doubt about that. And very often the child that is overweight is accompanied by an overweight adult. This leads everyone to think, "uh oh bad eating habits and no exercise". But this may not always be the truth either. While a good diet and exercise benefits children and adults of any weight sometimes that is not the answer to loosing weight. There are some people that just can't loose weight no matter how hard they try. Besides, how do you define over or underweight? Aren't we all a little different? Do we need to conform to a specific norm?

Today's news showed that certain manufacturers have agreed to stop advertising their products to children since they are not "healthy". One of othe items featured in the news spot showed Tony the Tiger as one of the unadvertiseable items...can you imagine? Frosted Flakes aren't good for you? I've eaten them all my life and I don't think they have negatively affected me.

And what about the west coast proposal to ban putting toys in kids meals from fast food restaurants? What, are they looney? No wait, they don't have kids.

Enough for today, hope I've made my point. I just heard the toaster oven ding, so that means that my very healthy french bread pizza is ready. I'm going to go enjoy it, along with a very cold, delicious and healthy loaded with calories Coca Cola.

Emma and Ellie - 13 days old

2011-07-10T22:48:00.000-05:00

Emma and Ellie (I noticed that both have their left hands out of the blanket and positioned similarly...is that a twin thing?)

Emma, sleeping so sweetly. She had her feeding tube removed while I was visiting.

Ellie, sweet Ellie! You can tell how small she is in comparison to her Daddy's hand!

Both girls are doing very well. Emma is out of the incubator and both are eating very well. I got to hold both of them again today, and came home with that wonderful baby smell on my sweater! We thank God for their health and for blessing our family with such sweet little girls!

Happy July 4th!

2011-07-04T18:24:00.000-05:00

I've fallen behind on blogging, due mainly to the complications and distractions of life! But I've told myself it was just a "Summer Sabatical"! One distraction has been school and my current class, Western Civilization until 1715. I've been buried writing a paper on Leonardo Da Vinci and will do a post soon on that subject.

Part of the reading for the class has had to do with the development of Christianity and the persecution that the early Christians went through. What were those enlightened Romans thinking? And later on, the enlightened leaders of the Church were just as bad in persecuting any one who dared to even think differently, or to think at all. Can you imagine being accused of heresy for daring to suggest that the earth is not the center of the universe?

So my readings and study this summer has made me really appreciate the Fourth of July holiday and the freedom that we celebrate. I can not imagine not having the freedom to believe as I choose and to live as I choose. If the whiners and protesters that are always complaining about America don't like it, they need to leave! Maybe a short sojourn in another country would enlighten them!

So, Happy Birthday America! May God Bless You With All His Blessings!

(Next post, coming up soon....more babies pictures)

Welcome Baby A and Baby B!

2011-06-28T21:59:00.000-05:00

Today we welcomed two more family members into the world! They will have names (soon) and will then be properly introduced into the blog. For now, we welcome Baby A and Baby B!

Baby A weighed in at 4.2 pounds

Baby B weighed in at 3.6 pounds

They were 6 weeks early, and look like little baby dolls, aren't they sweet?

An old friend/Father's Day

2011-06-19T22:18:00.000-05:00

Several Saturdays ago Jaydon and I headed to the closest branch of the local library. I needed to do some research for a paper. I've been in and out of the library in the last few years with him to pick up books, and always look longingly at the adult side of the library knowing that I do not have time to read. But on this trip I rediscovered an old friend, the library.

I've always loved going to the library. I love to read and I love books. When you open the cover of a book there is another world waiting inside the book, and that world will go with you after you close the book. As I did my research I realized how long it had been since I had really been in a library and immersed myself in the contents of the shelves. Ah, old friend how I've missed you!

But I had another experience that morning that jarred my memory. As we started through the library I noticed a man reading a newspaper. Not an odd thing, after all it was Saturday morning at the library. As I tracked down the information I needed I went around a corner of a bookshelf and saw a lady sitting in an easy chair reading a magazine. A magazine. And then I remembered my father...he went to the library to read newspapers and magazines. We never subscribed to magazines (except for the Progressive Farmer and later on Southern Living). We only subscribed to the local newspaper. But my father was well read and went to the library to read magazines and newspapers. He also went to the library to do research on various subjects (usually tax codes and legal issues). I don't really remember him checking out and reading books, but I do remember newspapers and magazines.

As I thought about this (while still in the library) I started remembering all the libraries I've been in in my life. The first library I remember was on Clark AFB, and guess who took me? My father! While I browsed in the children's section he read publications. I know he took me to various libraries over the years. While I checked out books or did research for a paper he would occupy himself reading the current periodicals. I remember in high school that he took me to a local university's library to do research. Thank goodness he didn't realize that I didn't do any research because I was so fascinated with the library that I spent the time just exploring the library. And I thought of the local library across from my parent's subdivision that my father frequented in his final years. He knew the librarian very well, and even when he was very sick asked my sister to take him over to the library because he wanted to check with her about a publication he was watching for.

So on this Father's Day I wish all father's a good day and I remember all the good memories I have of trips to the library with my Father.

Herding Cats

2011-06-16T19:05:00.000-05:00

I love that phrase, "herding cats". It just says it all! I've been herding cats the last few days but I got them rounded up today! We had a wedding shower for one of the young girls in the office. I wanted the entire staff to be involved, and in the end they were. But I remarked to one cohort who worked closely with the event that I felt like we were "herding cats".

So she went to the internet and started sending me pictures of "herding cats"; too funny! I think I need to order one of the prints that was for sale and put it in my office. But the shower was lovely, and the bride was so happy (I had flashbacks to Erin's wedding shower in the same office and hope this bride will have beautiful memories of today).

Now that this is over I have to start on the Christmas party planning. Herding cats again, but this time it is the managers!

Sundays

2011-06-12T21:31:00.000-05:00

Just realized I haven't posted in 2 weeks. Time flies is all I can say! Jaydon and I took Bentley to his first dog show today. Actually it was a "fun match" which is just a show for fun to let the dogs practice for the real shows. I'll do a post on the dog's blog but had to include this picture here:

As we drove to the match (it was in Austin) I couldn't help but think that Sunday is now just another day in our world. Sadly, I realize that not everybody goes to church. And, yes, many churches now offer worship services on Saturday nights. But it just seems that Sunday has lost its sacredness and its designation as a day of rest.

I had been bummed about the match being on a Sunday morning, but just told myself oh well, deal with it. It seems that more and more events are being held on Sunday now. Last week I noticed a sign for a Farmer's Market at a nearby shopping area and thought "Oh neat, I need to check it out." But it is on Sunday mornings, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. right during the church hours. I see kids sports teams having games more and more on Sundays, too. And since the Blue Laws were abolished the stores are open pretty much regular hours.

Now, yes, I do occasionally run to the store on Sunday. And, sometimes I don't go to church either. I admit, I made the choice this morning to take my dog to a dog match and not go to church. Realistically I know we can worship God anywhere, anytime (and we should always be in an attitude of worship) but we should put aside the world for a few hours each week and concentrate our thoughts on the living God. Having the world clamoring at us to go about our business as usual on Sunday is not a good distraction. And what about the day of rest commandment? We all need that rest and a time to reconnect with our faith.

Picture of the week

2011-05-29T21:46:00.000-05:00

Cameron shows off his smile and his new favorite team shirt!

Saturday In the Park

2011-05-21T21:03:00.000-05:00

We started our day very nicely with a family breakfast to celebrate Erin's birthday. It was a great time, good food and a good visit. Later Jaydon, Sawyer and I headed out to explore a fairly new park. I don't know how I did this but I left my camera at home so no pictures.

The park was nice and Jaydon enjoyed the playground. I had to pry him away to go exploring on the little trail. This trail took us down to the dog park. I don't know who enjoyed the dog park more, Jaydon or Sawyer! This was Sawyer's first visit to a dog park and he did great! I'll put a post on the dog's blog about his visit. Jaydon and I thought it was neat because they had a little doggie playhouse/fort.

After a while we went back and Jaydon burned some more energy on the playground. He had never been on a merry-go-round so I put him on there and gave it a good spin thinking he would want off because he was sick. Silly me, I forgot he can ride for miles in the backseat of the car doing puzzles so why would spinning around in a circle bother him?

!Sonrie!

2011-05-20T20:59:00.000-05:00

Last night I was sitting at a stop light, on my way to handbells. I've gotten roped into subbing for a few weeks (I gave up my permanent spot but that is a long story) with the handbell group. I had moaned and groaned all day about having to give up an hour of my precious evening to go stand up there and ring bells. Wah, wah wah. I know that God listens patiently to me because I frequently wah, wah, wah. So there I was, sitting at this stop light moaning and groaning and I noticed the license plate holder on the car in front of me. It said, "!Sonrie! !Jesus Te Ama!". And immediately, I had to smile! If it had been in English I would have thought, "oh, that's nice, Jesus loves me" but something about the joyousness of the Spanish made me smile and brought a feeling of joy to me. !Sonrie! ! Jesus Te Ama!

I went on to practice thinking that thought over and over, in Spanish. Handbell practice went quickly and I was on my way home before I knew it. I know that God put that license plate holder there for a reason...to remind me that he loves me and that I should love him (and ringing handbells for His glory). So, Smile! Jesus Loves You, too!

Day Lilies

2011-05-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

I've always liked day lilies. My grandmother had several clumps near the road in front of their house and I would clip them to go in the many bouquets that I cut and arranged when I visited their house. I remember them being orange or yellow, but I can't remember any details. I've planted them several times during my gardening career, but without any luck (blame the bad soil in one yard and too much shade in this yard). But after last Sunday I'm thinking I might try again (next year!). Sunday afternoon we went to the Botanical Garden and they had quite a display of day lilies:

This picture doesn't do the display justice, it was beautiful!

I had never seen a ruffled edge day lily. This was enchanting!

Different shapes and different colors, so many varieties.

We were exclaiming, "look at this one, look at that one"

Picture of the Week

2011-05-09T21:39:00.000-05:00

I never cease to be amazed at the beauty of flowers. Why do they immediately bring such joy to my spirit? Their beauty and delicate features are so enchanting. God's creation, in all its glory!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T21:13:00.000-05:00

What a great day! I'm blessed to be a mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother! And I'm blessed to have family live close so we can spend time together. Happy Mother's Day to all!

This afternoon it was time for a little dip in the pool! All four dogs got in, but Sawyer enjoyed it the most.

This is Jaydon's version of a "rain dance". Hope it works.

Bubbles are always fun!

Okay, this looks weird but it was funny! Stephanie and Jaydon used the pool as a Frisbee! I think this is referred to as "creative play".

The boys got out their binoculars (Cameron couldn't resist a peak!).

Cameron, sweet Cameron!

The Adventure, Part 2

2011-05-05T21:31:00.000-05:00

There were four or five hummingbird feeders by the back door of the house. If you stood still a swarm of hummingbirds would descend on the feeders. There was so much talking and going in and out that I couldn't catch a picture when they were all around but I did catch these two on final approach!

There was a deer feeder with maize set up in the back yard. Several times I saw probably 40 or 50 cardinals feeding under it. They were beautiful!

I also got a few pictures of the rabbits but it is so dry that the rabbits just blended in with their surroundings. The dryness is really taking a toll on the wildlife, so pitiful! We need rain so badly, and sadly there are parts of our country that are under so much water. If we could just get some of the flood water piped over here!

And, I ended the weekend adventure on an itchy, uncomfortable note. I came home with more red bug (chiggers) bites on me than I've every had in all my life. As we were walking through the grass Saturday afternoon I had a suspicion that the little devils might be there and sure enough they came riding home with me (UGH!). Fortunately, Jaydon didn't have any. Our adventure was fun and we will remember it for a long time.

"The Adventure of a Lifetime"

2011-05-01T21:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my Sunday School class went out to the ranch that belongs to one of the couples in the class. It has been in the wife's family for generations, and I've heard many stories about relatives being captured by the Indians and other pioneer adventures that took place on this property. I took Jaydon along and he had a blast. To get to the ranch you leave civilization and paved roads far behind. As we started down the dirt road Jaydon excitedly commented "This is going to be the adventure of a lifetime!" By the time we got to the ranch I was starting to think the same thing. We went over two cattle guards, through an electronic gate, crossed two more cattle guards, went up and down and around and over a very rough road for several miles and then we were at the ranch house.

With just a little encouragement Jaydon caught on to the rope swing

There was time for tree climbing

Jaydon spent a lot of time on the tire swing

The black object is a large Angus bull. I was told it was very gentle, but I wasn't sure about two small boys being that close to such a large animal! There was a light fence between them and the bull, it just doesn't show up in this picture.

The end of the adventure of a lifetime! I made this picture after I had pulled into the garage and opened the car door. He insists that he was play-sleeping but I assure you he had passed out! As we discussed it over dinner tonight we all reassured him that a nap in the car on the way home is a good way to end an adventure.

There was also a small "tank" (pond to me) that Jaydon enjoyed exploring around and one of the men wanted to teach him to shoot a .22 rifle. I had to decline on that offer as I think he needs to be a little bit older and understand the importance of safety with firearms. His mommy agreed, too!

I also got several pictures of hummingbirds and cardinals but will share them in another post. I've been experimenting with my camera and switched over to manual mode several times. Let's just say that I need to experiment a bit more...

Herbs

2011-04-27T21:13:00.000-05:00

I don't know when I started growing herbs. I think my brother gave me a book about herbs for Christmas one year, long long ago. Maybe I started growing them while I still had a vegetable garden. At any rate I grow herbs. I have one side of the yard that gets mostly sun so that is where I planted herbs when I moved into this house (yes, I actually dug up nice green grass to make the beds for the herbs...what was I thinking?).

I like having the herbs to cook with, it is nice to run outside with the scissors and snip whatever I need when I need it. You can't beat cooking with fresh herbs or vegetables when you can get them. But I also grow herbs for their scent. I love to touch them and then smell the fragrance of the herb. They are so soothing and so peaceful! Basil, mint, oregano, rosemary...each is distinctive in their fragrance and each so delightful.

Last winter was brutal. The chives and rosemary survived, the large lavender bush did not. The parsley didn't make it. I had mint planted in a nice size pot last year. I kept it well covered, and even though it was on the north side of the house it managed to survive. It didn't look like much when I uncovered it, but I trimmed it back and gave it plenty of water and once the freeze danger was over put the pot at the edge of the deck to get lots of light. Now it is back to being a nice size plant. Tonight as I watered it I touched the leaves and enjoyed the minty smell. Mmmmm, how relaxing. Just one of life's small, simple things!

Easter Blessings

2011-04-24T20:39:00.000-05:00

A beautiful worship service on Easter morning!

Jaydon finds an egg!

Cameron is old enough to really be in on the hunting action this year!

The boys share a moment to work on a little project.

Thoughts on Easter Eve

2011-04-23T22:30:00.000-05:00

On this Easter Eve, I've been thinking about the fact that Easter really is the holiest day of the year. It is the pinnacle of the Christian Year, this is the day we celebrate Christ's resurrection and the gift of forgiveness and eternal life. There just isn't anything more joyous or holy than Easter.

But I think we sometimes gloss over the resurrection story. We get hung up on new outfits and planning Easter egg hunts or going to the lake or the ranch or fixing food for a special meal or whatever, etc etc. Just like with Christmas we forget the meaning of the celebration. And this year Easter is so late that it almost feels like we should have already celebrated this a while back.

So, my prayer is that people all over the world will see Easter in a new light, in the right light of putting the celebration of the resurrection first.

Prepare our hearts, Lord, to worship you as our risen Saviour. Amen

Good Friday

2011-04-22T22:28:00.000-05:00

Here's what we did today:

1. We went to the Wildseed Farm and had a picnic lunch
2. We went to LBJ State Park and explored some old buildings
3. We came home
4. We went to the Good Friday service at church

Jaydon sat still long enough for me to get this shot! He was zooming through the Farm!

The wind was blowing like a hurricane but it didn't stop us from going out in the Meadow!

We were excited to drive up and see the red poppies blooming. Last year they didn't have any and these are one of our favorites.

I spent many pleasant afternoons in a porch swing at my great aunt's house. Jaydon and I shared a swing this afternoon at the Living History Farm at the LBJ State Park.

Jaydon had fun on the covered wagon. I couldn't help but think that the people that rode/drove these across the United States were very hardy folks. I don't think any of us could travel even a few miles in one of these.

This is the Sauer-Beckman Farm, an actual farm on the LBJ State Park property that is now a living history exhibit. Reluctantly, Jaydon agreed to explore it. But then he didn't want to leave! He got to see some cows up close and step into the working kitchen where a docent was cooking on the wood fired stove. They had a garden with a headless scarecrow that fascinated Jaydon (it had a hat but he was sure it was headless). It was like stepping back into time as I opened the screen door to go into the house!

Old things, beloved things

2011-04-19T22:23:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of something that is now long gone, my grandfather's barn. I think I made this picture in the summer of 1993 using a primitive, so to speak, 35mm film camera. I scanned this picture from the negative so that is the difference in quality.

Lately I've been enjoying following a blog that I found several weeks ago. It is http://misspreservation.com/ and is about historic preservation in Mississippi. I love reading the articles and looking at the pictures. I've always loved old buildings and homes, especially the ones in Mississippi! The sad part is that now many of the buildings that were relatively new when I was growing up are considered old and needing preservation!

Gammy House

2011-04-17T23:00:00.001-05:00

Ok, here is another small, simple thing to add to the list...Gammy's house. I don't know what it is about my house that makes Jaydon and Cameron love it. I remember when Jaydon was probably about Cameron's age that his mommy called me one Saturday afternoon and asked if he could come over since he had been asking all day to go to Gammy's house. He has always been in and out of my house and lived with me for quite a while when younger so this was not an odd request. I remember when they arrived that I looked out the front door and saw Jaydon just standing there looking at my house with a loving, awestruck look! I could tell that he was at peace since he was where he wanted to be, at his Gammy's house.

Cameron comes through the door when he visits and with encouragement, gives me a hug and then he gets busy playing. He has a good time just hanging out.

Today Jaydon was lounging on my sofa and I asked him what his favorite place to go to was, expecting him to reply the Wildseed Farm or the Botanical Garden as he usually does. Very thoughtfully, he answered, "Gammy House."

I couldn't figure it out for a while. After all my house is nothing big or great and it is usually in some state of disarray. I can't think of anything that would attract children to this house. And I certainly haven't done anything to attract them here. But then I remembered my Grandmother's house, especially my maternal grandmother's, and how I loved to be there. When our car pulled into the driveway of that little country home I was totally at the center of God's universe and there was peace in my heart. It was my Mamaw and Papaw's house and that's all there was to it. I just hope that Jaydon and Cameron will someday have the memories that I have of those visits to my grandparent's house. (Just for the record, my paternal grandparents were special too and I treasure my visits to their little house just outside the wonderful world of Ole Miss)

Just another small, simple thing...your Gammy's house!

Happy Birthday to....

2011-04-10T20:41:00.000-05:00

...James!

Birthday Party Time

2011-04-09T22:18:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrated Cameron and James' April birthdays! It was a great party, with just family to celebrate.

Cameron had on his "Birthday Boy" shirt!

James held Cam while everyone sang "Happy Birthday"

Blow out that candle Cameron!

Hey everyone, I'm the birthday boy!

There was a pile of presents to open!

What a fun time! More pictures to come soon.

Spring, wildflowers, and another day of amaryllis blooms

2011-04-07T21:20:00.000-05:00

This has been the strangest spring, or what we call spring here. It is NOT a true spring but it suffices for a season. I can't bring myself to do a post on things I like about spring because it just isn't spring. Wildflowers are scarce, the weather has been pleasant but way to warm, and I'm not itching to plant anything because it hasn't rained in months.

In regard to wildflowers, I worked in a little town north of here today and as I drove home on I-10 I lamented how few wildflowers there are this year. But I reminded myself that when we do have rain (preferably in the fall) that we will have wildflowers again. But why...because the seeds will be there in the ground waiting for the rain. Yes, I told myself they are there and the flowers will bloom again. I think seeds are amazing. They can lie there, through brutal winters and hot dry summers but just the right amount of rain at the right time and they sprout, bloom, and re-seed themselves. There is a lesson there!

And finally, today's picture of the amaryllis with two blooms open.

The Amaryllis

2011-04-06T22:08:00.000-05:00

Christmas before last one of my co-workers gave each of us an amaryllis bulb. We had fun starting them in the office and watching them sprout, bud and bloom. We each had a different color. After they faded I think most went in the trash, but I brought mine home and put it in a pot outside. It made a nice plant during the summer and during the fall I thought about digging it up and letting rest but I just let it rest where it was, in the pot! I covered up everything during the brutal freeze we had in early February, but, alas, when I uncovered everything a lot of plants were just gone. The amaryllis was mush, so I cut it off and threw the top away. It sprouted out again so I thought it would just make another nice, green plant that would grow in this pot during the summer. Imagine my surprise when, on March 24th I just happened to notice this:

Oh my, that is a bloom. A bloom? Oh my!

This was how it looked on April 1st!

April 4th

April 5th

April 6th

April 6th-one open bloom, one half open and two buds so there is more to come!

And, there are now two more sprouts in this pot, so next year I'm hoping to have more amaryllis. One of life's simple things...watching a bud grow and bloom!

Cascarone fun!

2011-04-05T21:07:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday morning we went to the Starving Artist Show. One of the vendors gave Jaydon a cascarone. We explained the necessary action but he was a little hesitant to try it out. So he volunteered for his mom to demonstrate on him! I don't think he will have any problems with the next cascarone!

We got all the confetti out before he got home!

Made in....where?

2011-03-30T21:47:00.000-05:00

I didn't think I would ever even think of writing something like this but here goes...last Friday night Jaydon and I went to Academy to pick up a few camping items. We walked out with more than I had on my list, but that was to be expected. Two of the items were blue enamel ware mugs (I love enamel ware!). When we got home I filled the sink with hot, soapy water to wash them. I turned the cup over, and as expected there was a label to peel off before washing. But what jumped out at me were the words "MADE IN CHINA". I don't know why that jumped out, but it did. And I thought, grrrrrrr. Then I started looking at all the things we had bought and everything, except the 2 gallon Igloo water cooler, was made in China. Everything!

I remember that my mother used to read the "made in" labels and generally would not buy something that was made in a foreign country if she could find what she wanted that was made in the USA. I remember a particular story about some socks that she went all over Jackson looking for because they were made in the USA! But I never dreamed that I would start doing the same thing, but I am! And it is very disturbing to see that so few products are made here in the states. So, the purpose of this post is to tell everyone to check the "made in" labels and buy American!

And, just for the record, the Igloo cooler was made in (praise God) Katy Texas! Three cheers for the Lone Star State!

A Spring Campout

2011-03-28T21:36:00.000-05:00

Jaydon and I went camping this weekend. Our first stop was at Pedernales Falls. This picture was made from the top of the hill before you begin your descent. Since we have had no rain in months the falls are not flowing very much, only in a few places. I've always wanted to see the Falls after a rain, but no such luck. Our family camped here several times years ago, it is really a great place. Jaydon wants to come back for an overnight camp.

Jaydon loved climbing on the rocks!

He spent quite a while trying to catch tadpoles, but no luck!

He was successful in climbing up this big rock!

This was Sawyer's first campout. He loved the water and even jumped in briefly for his first swim! I'll put a post on the dog's blog about his camping adventures.

After we got to Blanco Jaydon couldn't wait to go swimming in the river. We walked across the little damn to an area that was like a walled in swimming area. He swam for a few minutes but the water was cold so we went hiking around the park for a while.

Blanco State Park is a small park but was a nice place to camp. The park was full, but very quiet and peaceful. I saw a sign on the pavilion that it had been built by the CCC in 1933-34 so I suspect that the park was built around the same time.

I'm not amazed that Jaydon loves to play with the fire, so do I! We built a nice fire and roasted hot dogs (Jaydon actually did the cooking) and made s'mores.

The title of this picture has to be "Misery". It had been thundering and lightening while we enjoyed our campfire and as we went to bed the storm hit. We were dry and fairly warm in the tent. But Saturday morning it was chilly and damp and we only had shorts and t-shirts to wear. And to compound Jaydon's misery....silly Gammy forgot the propane for the Coleman stove so there was no bacon and eggs for breakfast! We did get a charcoal fire going and managed to heat water for coffee and a flavored coffee beverage that warmed us. Needless to say, we broke camp early!

LOL

2011-03-27T23:00:00.000-05:00

Jaydon and I went camping this weekend. I've just spent an hour and half (maybe more) trying to do a post about the trip. I could not get my images to post on the page. They will upload but not show on the final post. I went through the help section and tried a few things. Finally I checked the "Known Issues" section and here is what the first item is:

Some users have reported that images are not displaying on their blog when uploading or editing from the new post editor in IE6 or IE7. We're investigating right now and will follow-up with more info as we have it.

So, LOL!

I Survived!

2011-03-24T22:17:00.001-05:00

I have survived my first college class in thirty some odd years! I took the final tonight, turned in my book and left...went to Sonic to celebrate, too! I'll get the grade next week and then start the next class the following week. So I'm going to get used to this routine, I hope. But this is something I must do, and I want to do, so on I press.

But I do have to comment on some of the differences between the "old" days and the modern times.

In the "old" days grades were posted using your Social Security number. In fact everything was done by your SS#. I thought nothing of giving it out to a classmate to look up something for me. It was just the way we were identified.

There was no internet. Yes, there was no internet. PC's were still a year or two away and then they would be a novelty.

I typed my last research paper on a manual, portable typewriter. Word processing was still in Beta, electric typewriters did not correct, and MemoryWriters were still a few years away.

While smoking was not allowed in classrooms, it was allowed in hallways and most public places. And everyone smoked, yes everyone but me. Ugh! No wonder I had lung problems!

In the library, we looked up information on....micro fiche machines. Another ugh! I think I almost ruined my eyes and had a chronic headache from using them. Do these things still exist? And, we used encyclopedias and reference books to do research.

If I needed to call home, I used a pay phone. What, what is that you ask? No, there were no cell phones in those days. We paid 25 cents to make a local call at a pay phone.

Registering for classes was a half day affair. No, it was not done late at night on a computer. It involved going to the school at a specified time and then walking around a large room, or several rooms, or the convocation center, going from department to department and collecting punch cards for the classes you wanted. Not as easy as it sounded because if a certain class you needed only met at a certain time or was full you then had to go back and start over to re-arrange the other classes. Then you took the punch cards down to where ever the monstor sized reader machine was located. Then, after standing in a never ending line, you got a print out of your classes...then you went to pay. And we paid with a check, yes a check.

Ah, the good old days. Gone with the wind of progress, thank goodness!

The busy world

2011-03-16T21:51:00.001-05:00

I should be working on macroeconomics homework, but I've got this thought in my head. During choir practice tonight I remembered that every Sunday for years our worship service ended with a little song. I always loved it and thought it was so appropriate. Now we sing something different every few weeks that usually matches the theme of the messages and the worship service. But I thought I would put the words to this song here since they have a nice message for Lent.

Let us now depart in thy peace, Blessed Jesus.
Send us to our homes with God's love in our hearts.
Let not the busy world claim all our loyalties,
Keep us ever mindful, dear Lord of thee. Amen
(Found on page 668 of the United Methodist Hymnal, this is a New Mexican folk song)

It is hard sometimes to keep our minds on God. The busy world clamors for our attention and we rush through our days and nights without a thought for God, unless we have a crisis and call out to him quickly. During the Lenten Season we do need to be mindful of God's message to us and the hope of Easter.

And now, back to macroeconomics.

Pet Walker Plus

2011-03-15T21:55:00.000-05:00

I know, you are wondering what this is. This is a Pet Walker Plus, a lead designed for walking two dogs at the same time. It is wonderful! I had seen something similar in a catalog or somewhere, and then couldn't find it again. But this is far better, I'm sure. The leads are connected to a swivel device so they don't get tangled. And you can unsnap one lead if needed since there is a clasp on either end of the lead. I bought two of these at the local dog show on Saturday, and it was money well spent. Last night I walked all four dogs and was able to unclip Bentley when we started out since he was a little frightened and confused. He was quickly in the swing and I clipped him back on. But then trouble started...I clipped him onto the wrong lead so I had three dogs on one walker and only one on the other. To compound the trouble I had both handles in one hand. The ensuing mess was a big tangle, although by the end of the walk this brought them all within about 6 inches of each other so it kept them together! However, as it had been demonstrated at the show they quickly came untangled. The nice part is that when properly used the dogs can walk independently of each other while being controlled with one lead (or in my case, two leads). Great product, I highly recommend!

And, yes, I know this is a dog post on the non-dog blog. I'm including it here for all dog lovers with multiple dogs to walk.

Pictures of the Week

2011-03-13T20:18:00.002-05:00

Cameron thought that the little mouse attached to this learning computer was a phone. How cute!

"Hello!"

I got lucky tonight and got three great pictures of this cute little guy!

Ash Wednesday

2011-03-09T22:01:00.000-06:00

Many of my co-workers went to church today and had ashes imposed on their foreheads. They are giving up something for Lent and are not eating meat on Friday. I have to provide breakfast for a meeting on Friday, so I consulted with one of the ladies to make sure that I provide a proper Lenten breakfast. I didn't go to church and I doubt if I will give up anything this year.

You see, I did not grow up in a denomination that participated in Ash Wednesday or Lent. As a child I heard others talk about "giving up something for Lent" but really didn't know what it was all about. I had attended the "old" Methodist Church (prior to the merger when we became "United") for a while as a child and I'm sure that Lent was not observed. When I returned to the Methodist Church I was surprised about a lot of things, and the observance of Lent was one of them. (Just for the record, for several years after I did give up something during the 6 weeks of Lent, and it was hard!).

I think the concept behind fasting and giving up sweets or something that you enjoy is excellent. We are in a time of preparing ourselves for Holy Week and for receiving the gift of Easter and it is very appropriate for personal denial and sacrifices at this time. But I had to wonder today, did my co-workers really understand what Ash Wednesday is all about? I know this is the only day of the year that some of them go to church, so I had to wonder if their giving up something really has meaning. I hope so.

On a final note, one of the devotional books that I read had an interesting article today. The author suggested that instead of giving up something we should resolve to do something good each day. She gave an example of calling a friend or sending them a card. I think this is an excellent idea for this season of Lent. Let's share God's love by serving him!

Thoughts for Shrove Tuesday

2011-03-08T21:26:00.000-06:00

I'm finding it hard to believe that tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten Season. But then again, it is March and some years at this time we are already well into the Days of Lent. I found something interesting last night so I thought I would share it here.

I love clothes. I'm not one of these people who live to shop, but I do like to wear nice clothes. I'm not sure if I like working or if I just like getting up and getting dressed up every morning! I love clothes. So in reading Colossians 3 I was surprised to find three references to clothing ourselves in a spiritual sense. Three times Paul makes reference to clothing ourselves:

verse 10, clothe yourself with a new self (the preceeding verses discuss getting rid of the old self)
verse 12, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience
verse 13, above all, clothe yourself with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony

Some good things to think about as you put on your clothes in the morning, right? During Lent remember to put on your spiritual clothes, too.

A Sure Sign of Spring

2011-03-04T20:33:00.000-06:00

I snapped this picture this morning with my "purse" camera, which I think needs to be retired after seeing this picture. It may not be the best of shots, but I thought I would put it on here anyway.

It is a sure sign of spring when you see the red bud trees bloom!