The table is set...

We decided to have an evening meal this year...so earlier we ate sandwiches for lunch...and chips and dip. I'm hoping everyone gets an appetite back for all the food that's cooking now. We are abundantly blessed....


Gracious God, we thank Thee for all Thy mercy, love and goodness. Grant thy blessing unto those who are not so favored as we, and help us to be faithful in return for all Thy mercies. Amen.

This last week of November

Thanksgiving. A time of giving thanks. And cooking and eating 'til your stuffed. Today I am thankful that we got the day off and that I can cook in my flannel pajamas. The weather is gorgeous, with just a little chill in the air. Jordan is flying home tonite. Cameron is staying in College Station for the big game...representing us all there. Will is home and still sleeping. Thankful, thankful, thankful.

Birthday flowers sent to me from Jordan

I turned another year older yesterday. Thankful? Yes. Not the older part....but the alive part. Kindergarteners are big on birthdays. So as I walked through classes yesterday, I was greeted and sung to by lots of sweet 5 year olds. At the end of the day, I told one of the car riders at my cone, a kid who was in kindergarten last year, that it was my birthday.

Me: Today's my birthday.

Him: It's my early birthday.

Me: What does that mean?

Him: Thanksgiving is my real birthday, so today is my early birthday.

Me: Wow! That's so cool.....cause Thanksgiving is my LATE birthday!!

Him: (just a very blank stare at me....with one eyebrow lifted)

I ended the day celebrating with some of my favorite people....5 of the kindergarten teachers at Lupe Tortillas. Sombrero on the head and all. If you're not from the south....and Texas in particular....let me explain that all Mexican restaurants celebrate patrons' birthdays by putting the huge sombrero on the patron's head and serenading them with a Spanish version of Happy Birthday. Never does this take place without the thought of lice...for me anyway.

It was a good day.

The last couple of weeks since I returned from London were not as busy as they were tiring. I definitely suffered from jet-lag. And now I know what that feels like. It feels like tired. So one night, while talking to Will on Skype....he asked if I was going to have the house decorated for Christmas by the time he got home for Thanksgiving. Ooooohhhhh. Just the two words....Christmas and Thanksgiving...spoken in the same sentence made me wince.

But then like Nike tells us....Just Do It... I just got up and did it. Will is my most sentimental kid. He loves the holiday traditions....which makes him a real Hackney. The Hackney men LOVE Christmas decorations. Not the doing and decorating part.....just the part where it's done and they are sitting back admiring it. So for Will, I did the doing part.

There was a slight glitch this year. We got out the white tree....that is only 2 Christmases old...and it was filthy. It had been in its box, taped up tight and stored in our garage....and yet dirt still got in.....and apparently moisture as the wires were starting to rust. I was so disappointed. Chuck and I headed out to get another tree....another white tree.

However, we ended up with a green one. A skinny green one. It was a compromise. I wanted white. Chuck wanted big, monster size green. So a skinny green one was the winner. I say "she who decorates should get to pick"......but Chuck's face was so pitiful looking when we stood near the white ones. Hackney men and their strong traditions. Trees are supposed to be green.....whatever. My white tree sparkled and twinkled and reminded me of Whoville and Cindy Lou. And how can one not be happy when thinking of Cindy Lou?

The Santas are out, the tree is up....the table is still decorated for Thanksgiving.

The holidays are merging and overlapping.

Take a look at that pumpkin. The most adorable pumpkin ever. My friend and London traveling companian, Karen, took an ordinary plastic pumpkin and did it up Mackenzie-Childs style. This might possibly be my favorite pumpkin ever. I'm not sure I can put this away after Thanksgiving. It may have to stay out.

I placed a couple of black and white ornaments in my iron basket.

The holidays are definitely overlapping here.



Santas.




The Nativity.




We believe.

Have you paper-mached your cheap wooden bowl yet? I threw a few ornaments in mine....

which is already filled with "finds."

Wherever you spend it, whatever you eat....I hope your Thanksgiving is full of blessings.

A Slight Incident With The Baggage....

Karen and I had a departing flight from London's Heathrow Airport at 11:40 a.m. on Saturday, November 7. We arrived at the airport around 9:00 a.m. which gave us plenty of time to check in, go through security, have a light breakfast and even do some last minute shopping in the airport. We headed to the gate to begin boarding around 11:00 a.m.

We got on the plane and got all situated. Situated in our tee-tiny seats. We watched others get on and get situated. We waited....and according to our watches, it was almost time to start pulling away from the gate. We waited and waited.

We waited.

We waited.

And then the friendly voice of the pilot came on over the intercom and stated that there had been a slight incident with the baggage....and that pictures had been emailed to Houston and they were waiting on an answer. "Folks, it looks like it will be about 30 minutes. We'll let you know as soon as we hear back from Houston."

Baggage? Slight incident? What...the baggage spilled open? The baggage is ugly? What is a slight incident?

Okay. Thirty minutes go by. Another announcement. Still waiting to hear back from Houston. It's going to be another 30 minutes.

Okay....ditto the above paragraph.

Then after 2 hours on the parked plane, the pilot comes on and tells us, "Folks, we need you to evacuate the plane.... get all of your belongings and take them with you. ....you will be given a food voucher for 5 pounds (a little under $7) for a refreshment. We will be updating the situation as soon as we know something."

And so we get off....and wait....and wait. People are asking questions...lots of questions. Airline employees are being vague.

Just what is this slight incident with the baggage?


We are finally told that the baggage handler drove the cart into the aircraft and put a dent in the tail. Well, WE aren't really told....it was sort of spread like gossip through all the waiting passengers. Wow.

And then they tell us that engineers are being called in to do a compression test....to see if the dent will turn into a hole at 40,000 feet. Again, we get this information from other passengers who heard it from other passengers.

Really? A hole? In a airplane? At 40,000 feet? That would be a possibility? That doesn't sound good.

Fast forward 4 hours...oh, you get to fast forward....but we were in slow motion those 4 hours.
Four hours filled with spending our food voucher at an airport restaurant, shopping for nothing at the few airport shops, sitting, walking and doing lots of sighing.

Finally, the engineers gave it the big okay and we were told to prepare to board the plane again.

Here's the thing. We (about 200 of us) were sooooo ready to just get on a plane that was heading towards the states...that we didn't really care that there was a slight chance this plane could blow a hole. I was in a total state of TRUST. Trust in an engineer who we never even saw. I mean...is he smart? Is he experienced? Shouldn't he have to get on the plane with us?

But like cows....we just all got prodded back on the plane with dumb looks on our faces. Tired, dumb looks. We finally pushed away from the gate around 5:30 p.m. And with the exception of one big drop/turbulence while flying over the OCEAN....we had a good flight....no hole....and landed in Houston safely at 9:45 p.m......3:45 a.m. London time....almost 19 hours after arriving at the airport that morning. Wow.

I did call Chuck as soon as they evacuated the plane to let him know we would be late and to watch for information on the airline website.

This is what I said: There's been a problem with the plane. Someone ran into the plane with the baggage cart and they are waiting on help from Houston.

This is what he heard: There's been a problem with the plane. Someone ran into the baggage area on the plane and they are waiting on help.....

He thought a person had run into the baggage area of the plane and was hiding. He thought surely this would make the news....so he watched for it all day. Nope, nothing so exciting. Just lots and lots of waiting.

I can tell you now that I was secretly hoping we might just be put up in a hotel for the night....just one more night in London.

London...Day 7

Friday, November 6, 2009

On this day Kathy ordered a driver to take us to Windsor Castle. While living there, our hostesses don't have their own car but use a service when needed. The mass transit system is so great that one really would never need a car ...except for taking day trips like this to the countryside...a car is much more direct and less stops than the transit.

If you look behind the line of trees, you can make out the outline of the castle.

We're almost there.

This large picture of a bird's eye view of the entire castle was on the wall....this gives you an idea of how large this place really is. It was impossible to capture that with my camera. I think this almost gets you there. I mostly tried to capture small areas of detail....very castle-ly details.

A castle cat. Or a guard cat....as he was hanging around the area where The Changing of the Guards was about to take place.

My view of The Changing of the Guards. Let me just say that tourists make their very own fashion statement....myself included.

The band is leading in the guards.

Do you see the little man sticking his head out of that window?

I will always wonder just who that little man is.

Field Trip.

Royal Mail? As opposed to Regular People Mail?

The buddy system.

Even the lanterns were crowned.

Castle walls.

Guards marching past young love.

The guard cat is leaving his post.

And out comes a new cat. The Changing of the Cat.

Leaving the gates of the castle to walk the streets of Windsor and Eton.

I took this picture to remind myself that it's almost Thanksgiving. Think about....the British don't celebrate this holiday now do they?

This reminds me of my house.....the Eating House.

The Christopher Hotel, Grill and Bar. I had to stop to take a picture of this because the newest member in my family is Christopher...Jordan's fiance. And this green? It's the color of the bridesmaid dresses. So this picture is for Jordan...

...and Chris.

The crooked house.

While this picture should have been deleted....I kept it because it was taken from my seat on the bus leading back to Kathy's from Windsor on our very last night in London. It is cold and rainy outside and I am tired and not really ready to go home....yet ready as I'll ever be.

This was indeed the trip of my lifetime.

The people were nice. The food was good. The city was clean. The weather was perfect. Our hostesses were extremely kind and generous with their time and space.

The weeks leading up to this trip, I started praying to stay well. Swine Flu...or as I call it, Hiney Flu...was running rampant through the schools. And if anyone should have gotten sick, it should have been me. But I didn't. Prayers answered.

I also was extremely busy the weeks and days leading up to this trip, so I didn't have time to get nervous about the flight. Until the day before. I prayed for safe travels and a calmness. Prayers answered.

I prayed for the ability to stay in the moment of each day.

To literally just soak it all in while in London.

Prayers answered.

To Kathy and Andy - Thank you. I cannot imagine how I could repay you for opening this opportunity up for me...and allowing me to bring a friend to travel with...and taking such good care of us while we were there. The food was the best and the beds so comfortable. The best part was walking the streets you walk and eating at the pub you eat at and feeling like I now have a better understanding of you and your life.

To Karen - Thank you. You are the best traveling companion.

A. Because you're a girl. B. Because you like to shop. C. Because you are so generous.
I cannot imagine having taken this trip alone....or how different it would have been with Chuck. This was The Girl's Trip to top all Girl's Trips. Give my thanks to Jerry for sharing you.

To Chuck - Thank you. Who knew when I booked this trip in June, that our daughter would be getting married the same year the other two kids are in college? We are the Hackneys and that's how we've always rolled. All or Nothing. Thanks for the ALL!

I hope I can return to London with you someday...

but don't drag me through too many museums....

or I'll drag you through adorable shops.

To my readers - Thank you. For always stopping by here. I am so sorry if I bored you with all of my pictures from London... but this blog also serves the purpose of memory for me. If I didn't write it down quickly upon return, there was a chance I would forget all the details.

I wish I could have put the smells and sounds as well as

the beautiful autumn weather on here for you....because it was the package deal that made it all so wonderful.

The next post will be the last post about this trip.....no pictures but a really good story!

Aggie Ring Day

Yesterday was Aggie Ring Day...and Cameron got her ring! This ring represents her hard work and some very stressful days up to this point. We were invited to go with her to pick her ring up and Chuck had the honor of putting it on her right hand. She grinned all night.

Heading in the alumni building to get her ring.

Gig'em.....it's official now.

Cameron and her friend, Michael...who also got his ring last night.

A huge Aggie Ring bronze sculpture is now on the site of the alumni building and was the setting for thousands of photo ops last night.

Work hard......and good things happen.

Congratulations Cameron.

P.S. After taking Cameron out to eat, we were invited to attend her Ring Dunking Party. This tradition must have been started by a bunch of boys....the ring is dropped into a pitcher of beer and then the beer is chugged until one gets to the bottom of the pitcher....to the ring.

My daughter stood proudly with 6 guys and 1 other girl...for a total of 8. He who finishes first wins. And then is extremely sick and bloated ....but no one mentions that.

I would like to brag (?) that my daughter came in 3rd. She beat the boys.

She took carpool home and is safely in bed today ....still.....at 3:00 p.m.
I don't even want to know what all happened after we left...shortly after she came in 3rd.

But I was young once...I'm pretty sure I could take a real good guess of some of what happened.

London...Day 6

Thursday, November 5, 2009

On this day, we headed to Spitalfields....an open antique and vintage market in what was once a train station. The market vendors have their wares out in the middle and are surrounded by cute shops and eateries. It was wonderful and overwhelming at the same time.

Books, old coins, vintage clothing and jewelry, art.....like a flea market but way, way better...because it was inside and everything was laid out on tables in rows. So much to see....too little time. I could have stayed until dark. I feel sure I left something there that was supposed to be mine.

Rows and rows of other people's junk. I only looked at small stuff...

knowing it had to fit in my suitcase.




On the way to the ATM....for more pounds. Sites along the way caught my eye. The only time I have seen hydrangeas this lovely is in the floral department of Hobby Lobby. Now I know they really do exist.

I didn't take a picture that showed how large this market was. There were rows and rows of vendors. Too much to see....but I gave it my best

Another area of the market held new items.

Lest you think London is only old and quaint...it is also very modern and growing.

Seating for 2 on a very small sidewalk.

This is what I will remember about London....cute markets up and down the streets.

The prettiest colors are found in nature first.

Eggs? Eggs.

A market window.
My reflection is in the window....above the jolly old guy's shoulder...on the right.

After our afternoon coffee, Kathy headed home and Karen and I returned to Oxford Circus for one more trip to Liberty's Habberdashery....and just to see the sights one more time.

Storefront windows dressed for Christmas.

What you can't see, is that some of these bears were moving.

Christmas caroling...

Bears up to something...

The lights at night lit up the whole area.

Marmite window display...look at the tree....very creative.

This is the West End area....like Broadway in NYC....the theater district. Karen and I ended up this far down because we were looking for those dang red telephone booths that we had seen everywhere. We were going to stay out later and have dinner but we couldn't find a phone to call our hostess Kathy. Our cell phones didn't work and we were in a pickle. What the heck did we all do before cell phones?

This picture is for Jordan....my Wizard of Oz addict.
This child of mine knows every word to the movie....she's watched it so much.

This map of the world is labeled with the time in each zone.

Jet lag is real....now I know.

In the upper right corner of this subway map, is the area known as Hackney. Chuck Hackney really wanted me to get over there but we couldn't fit it in....so I hope this picture will suffice.


If not, Chuck Hackney will have to take me back to London some day.

Because we could never find a phone and Kathy was expecting us, we headed home. It was really a good thing because we were tired and a delicious dinner was waiting. This sleeping guy was my neighbor on the subway. I couldn't help taking his picture because he was fast asleep and holding on tight to his Red Bull.

Perhaps when you drink it all day, it loses its power to keep you going.

This might have been my favorite day....I loved the Spitalfield Market.

Kathy knows me well....

London...Day 5

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

On this day, Karen and I ventured out on our own without Kathy...our personal tour guide. We took the bus then the tube to Buckingham Palace.

Art?

I would love to get inside the head of this sculptor....was he thinking "I'm gonna sculpt a horse...no just his head...and then I'm gonna plant him nose down on granite....and I'm gonna say that represents....uh...the people..." I am sure this means something...but we saw it from a bus window so I couldn't tell you.

Sunshine is a rarity, so the sun bathing chairs are set out on this unusually sunny day.

Somebody's been busy raking.

Buckingham Palace.





Nobody's getting close.


You should click on this picture just so you can get a real good look at these guys "on the job". It will make you rethink your job. Maybe it's not so bad after all. I wonder if they ever fall asleep standing up?



Pretty gates.

This is across from Buckingham Palace...in the center of this picture is the London Eye. This was highly recommended but we weren't able to fit it in our schedule. Next time.

Apparently, it's a huge ferris wheel with big glass bubble like cars...that allow you to see all of London with a bird's eye view. Can you spy the lovebirds in this picture?

Waiting for the subway....the tube. It's a little nerve-wracking waiting because once it stops, you only have a few seconds to get on before the door closes. And in those few seconds, people are getting off and many, many are trying to get on. SCARY.

Coming down the escalator to get on another tube....

there is a group of children on a field trip.

I would hate to be responsible for all of those kids

near a subway....or getting them on before the doors shut!

On the bus home, I think I saw Harry Potter.

There are no school buses...the kids just ride the mass transit with everyone else.





We headed home to eat then turned around and got back out for a real treat. Our hostesses purchased tickets to a concert at The Royal Albert Hall....to see Paul Potts. Do you recall that name? He's the average "Joe" who won Britain's Got Talent with his surprisingly beautiful tenor voice. He actually made Simon Cowell smile and give a compliment with his performance on the show. You probably saw the youtube video going around the net....if not check it out here.

Another full day....and a good night's rest.

London...Day 4

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

This was a day of shopping....we headed to Oxford Circus. The weather was beautiful, with just a quick downpour, then back to sunshine again. The area is decorated with "A Christmas Carol" signs (the movie coming out soon) and Jim Carrey was there to flip the switch that turned the lights on. Hewas to flip the switch at 6:15 pm ....so we shopped all day and hung around for that. It is a complete understatement for me to say my feet hurt at the end of the day. They killed me. In fact, all 3 of us moaned and groaned on the way to the bus stop home.

We did some serious walking this day.

A quick downpour and then sunshine again.

Cute window displays.

Busy streets.





Adorable double-decker buses.

A line of double-deckers.

"A Christmas Carol" signs ready to be lit up.

If you ever get to London....skip the museums and head straight to this area.

Just sayin'.

At the end of this block is Liberty. Karen had this store on her must-see list....as it has a Habberdashery department. Habberdashery.....fabric, yarn, needles, ribbons and such.
You quilters out there would love this place.

A close-up of the store and the ship above.

Fresh flowers and berries.

The view looking up in Liberty. The center is open to the top.

Getting the stage ready for Jim Carrey.

We watched Jim on the big screen a few blocks down...

just us and a million other people.

Jim hit the "ceremonial" switch, but guys like this one were

all along the street ready to really flip the switch.

And the lights came on.

Must be Christmas.

I asked the very important "light turner onner" if I could have my picture taken with him. He said sure...but he is probably still creeped out. I have no pride when it comes to being a tourist.

We ate a great dinner downtown then limped to the bus on our very achy feet.

This was a wonderful day.

London....Day 3

Monday, November 2, 2009

On this day, we took a Double-Decker bus and got front row seats on the second level so we could see the streets of London on our way to Portobello Road and Kensington Road. This

area is full of antique shops, boutiques and gorgeous homes. After shopping and lunch at a tavern, we headed to Kensington Palace to tour the grounds.

A view from the bus.

Each shop has their own unique facade.
Apparently a Green Thumb runs this place.

Motorcycle and moped parking.

Putting this on my Christmas list.

A carriage driveway from yesteryears.

Portobello Road.

This adorable shop had great stuff in their windows but unfortunately was closed on Mondays. This saved Chuck money.

Alice's window.

Obviously, this is the area where the movie "Notting Hill" was filmed.

If you haven't seen the movie ....you should.

The movie was cute and had a great soundtrack.

The red telephone booths were everywhere.

Well, except for one evening later in the week, when Karen and I tried to find one to call Kathy at home. Our cell phones didn't work in London and we thought we would make a call from one of these cute red booths....that we saw EVERYWHERE. But that night, we couldn't find one and we walked for blocks looking!

Kensington Palace.

Gate handles.

The park at Kensington Palace....with a full moon in the evening sky.

Most homes have no yards but they make up for it with beautiful parks.
Toddlers pushing baby strollers. People biking, walking, jogging. Others feeding the ducks.

The weather was in the low 50's.

This old man was calling for the squirrels....he feeds them every evening. His words exactly..."They like my nuts."







The Orangery. This building was used to house the orange trees for the Royals in the past, but it has now been turned into a restaurant. We had our afternoon coffee and some scones here. This was to become a daily habit.

Cute orange trees on each table.

An archway in the restaurant.


We stayed out until dark...then headed back for dinner.

Squeeeshed

After spending more than 9 hours squeeeeshed in an airplane...we couldn't resist squeezing into a photo booth. By the way, why is it that this photograph of me is better than the 4 attempts I suffered through for my passport photo? Not saying it's good, just saying it's better. CVS should get a photo booth. It would at least have more personality than the girl in the photo department. The beautiful brunette is Karen.....the most generous, giving, talented friend in the world. And an awesome traveling companion.


Conversation on the plane heading back to the U.S.....

K: I am never traveling overseas again.

J: It is a long flight.

K: If we do, we're traveling Business Class.

J: Yep.

(I love that K changed her mind in less than one sentence!)

London...the flight and first 2 days

Friday, October 31, 2009 and Saturday, November 1, 2009

• A very long but safe flight to London....sitting thigh to thigh with my friend Karen. The seats in airplanes are made for children....or people with a severe eating disorder. So it's a good thing Karen and I are old friends and didn't mind squishing together for 9 hours. I watched "The Proposal" and listened to Carol King's Tapestry and ate and drank everything the stewardesses passed by with....but never slept. I can now tell you that jet-lag feels like a hangover.
  
  

Heathrow - London, England

Driver on the right side of the car. And driving in the left lane.

This took some getting used to.

A view from my car window of an old cemetery and fallen leaves.



The Thames River....and some rowers.

Being met by a driver who took us to the home of my friend Kathy and husband Andy. We were greeted at the gate!

Walking down a few blocks to the Farmer's Market held every Saturday. What a healthy lifestyle.....walking everywhere and buying fresh, organic food.

The neighborhood we walked through.

Pastries for sale in an open marketplace.

(If I had to see this...you have to see this.)



Dogs and babies everywhere.

Prawns, anyone?

Organic Coconut Macaroons

Flower stalls along the way.

Adorable.

Back to Kathy's....POST...much cuter than the central mailbox we walk to everyday.

A much needed 2 hour nap before heading back out to eat at a PUB. An adorable, old pub. On our way there, we saw lots of Trick or Treaters....Happy Halloween!

Sunday, November 2, 2009

• Stopping at a coffee shop for breakfast.



• Attending a beautiful church service....in a gorgeous, old church with contemporary music and a powerful message with a British accent.
  
• Harrods ....shopping and then feeling very somber while standing in front of the memorial to Diana and Dodi Al Fayed. Remembering her and how sad I felt the weeks after she died her untimely and tragic death. Harrods is owned by Dodi's father and there is much controversy still over their death. I am pretty sure the Royals do not shop at Harrods.



• Visited the Victoria and Albert Museum. We were there too late to see much but we had coffee in a beautiful room of the cafe and visited the gift shop for a souvenir or two.


• Riding the tube and a bus and a walk back to our home away from home.
  

Hallo!

I'm back. I'm jet-lagged. I'm happy. I'm processing. I'm thankful.

Every day in London was full and the only way to do this trip justice on this blog is to take it a day or two at a time in a post. I have over 645 pictures and there were 2 days I didn't even have my camera with me....it was very heavy to carry along. I will not post all the pictures....I promise. I wish I could post some of that crisp, cold air and the smells and noises on here....because that is what I miss the most today. In another life, I must have been a big city girl. I love riding buses and subways and walking up and down the crowded streets.

Until I recover and unpack....some eye candy from London....

Souveniers and postcards.

Cute everywhere you looked.

Crowded streets.

Empty, quiet streets.

Old buildings.

Modern transportation.

Falling leaves.

Traditions.

Guilded gates protecting palaces and castles.

Antique markets.

Leaf covered door steps.

Farmers markets.

Autumn in London.

I love London.

Cheerio, as they say....

Today's the day....I'm headed to London and am getting just a tee, tiny bit anxious. Looking forward to getting on with it....

I have this theory (that has been tried and found true many times) that if I don't really look forward to something, it usually turns out great. And if I do really, really plan and look forward to something, I'm usually a little disappointed. Glass half empty? Murphy's Law? Nope, just how I psyche myself out before big things. So with this trip planned and paid for in June, I have put it out of my mind until this week. Because of course, I had to pack. I even put that off as long as possible. But now I'm ready and giving it all I got now to NOT think about the 10 hour flight.

TEN. HOUR. FLIGHT. Girls, I've been known to get witchy after 2 hours in a car. Thank goodness for Chuck....he's not going. I will have to behave. Sit still and behave. Those are words I have heard my entire life. And still have a hard time doing just that.

I am really looking forward to doing things this week that I have yet to do in this life.....

• Get on and stay on an airplane for more than 10 hours.....TWICE.
• LONDON.
• See a castle. Or 2 or 3.
• Go to a pub. (I've been to my share of bars....but never a real pub.)
• Shop at Harrod's. (I may not make a purchase, but I will shop.)
• Spend 8 glorious days with 2 great friends. Ahhh...a Girl Trip. Never had a Girl Trip this long.
• Be away from sweet Chuck for 8 days....not sure that has happened before. (Chuck, get the grin off your face.)

Check back in 10 days and hopefully, I will have posted my tales of the trip.

On a completely different note:

It's that time of year when Chuck has to sign up for employee benefits for the next year. He is able to increase the amount of life insurance on me and so is having to fill out the paperwork. He called me and said he needed my height and weight.

Uh, no. He does not need to know that. I am willing to tell him how tall I am, but really? Does he need to know that other number? Because then he will know.....something I have been keeping from him. I may have gained just a little bit since our wedding day. hahaha.

Maybe we really don't need to increase that life insurance. And HOPEFULLY, he won't be benefiting from it anytime soon.

Whoooooo knew?

When I am tutoring a small group of kids, I sometimes use a set of alphabet cards that are printed in blue and red. The consonants are blue and the vowels are in red. We "talk" about how many letters are in our alphabet...and the blue ones are consonants and the red ones are our vowels. Today.....

Me: Oh, this one is red. What do we call the red ones?

Him: We call dem da OWL.

Ahhh....I love me some of dem kindergarten kids.

Secrets, Guilt and Other Useless Information

Now that I have your attention, you may be a little disappointed in this post. Although, all of the above will be included....it's not nearly as exciting as it sounds.


The Secret....I've been keeping is that I painted my dining room about 2 weekends ago. And I don't believe I've told many of you. The color before was a faux treatment of a green over a yellowish gold with very little of the gold showing. The green was a nice shade of green....if you love the color of the green felt on top of a pool table. I grew tired of it. I went a little funky. I'm warning you.

Before:

>















What I was aiming for:

























And AFTER...



Sherwin Williams Antiquity:

It's not lime green....it's more like pea soup....or like a green pear. This happens to be Jordan's favorite color...so I know she will like it. And I like it. If you are crunching up your nose right now at this color, believe me when I tell you it looks better in person.

Now for the Guilt: Today's sermon was given by a visiting pastor who leads a World Ministry in India....feeding thousands of orphans and teaching them about Jesus. After a very moving testimony, he asked if we would pray about giving to the Missions of our church with it earmarked for this particular ministry. Only $10 will buy a blanket for a child who lives in the coldest part of India where many die from the exposure to the elements. When these blankets are delivered they teach them about Jesus and Christmas...and how Jesus was poor and had nothing and was swaddled in a blanket.


Well, that opened the floodgates. I sat there and cried. The slide show was ridiculously sad....so that kept the tears flowing. At this point, I am crying for these orphans, and all the empty shopping centers, and the children whose parents never look in their backpack, and people who suffer from Gout....and I start thinking about how I am just one person and how in the world am I going to fix all of this mess?



Here comes the guilt. I am going to London next week. And I spent yesterday shopping for comfortable shoes, toiletry items, and a new carry-on bag. I was feeling so guilty about spending this money because you know....2 children in college and now a wedding and already the cost of the trip. But now I really feel guilty...because now I have these orphan children staring at me from the slide show...and the pastor asked the congregation to pray about this pledge....and then put the pledge cards in the bowls of pottery placed at the alter. I am thinking let's give them hundreds. I am needing to fix this. I look at Chuck and he makes no eye contact. I whisper can we pledge something? He says okay. I whisper how much should I put? He says...in a rather loud whisper... how about $25.00 one time. (He says one time, because that is one of the boxes you can check....but monthly is on there, too.)





And that would be the difference between me and Chuck.

I am worried that the people behind us heard his low ball number. And he is probably sitting there thinking when the heck will she realize money doesn't grow on trees. I can report that we came to a compromise and pledged enough to buy a couple of dozen blankets. We will give monthly an amount that we spend on junk like People magazines and fast food when we have food to cook if we would just cook it.


We then went out to eat after church. Guilt. Is that God or estrogen? I really don't think Chuck feels guilt. So it must be estrogen.





For Chuck: Chuck, I do know that money does not grow on trees. And I do know how hard you work and how stressful it is for you. But I have been cursed with a love for shiny things and a bleeding heart for all of the world's woes. My particular soft spot is for children. Because they did not ask to be born and I cannot imagine a child being an orphan and living like a wild animal. And my brain says FIX IT. And then I can't, so I go shopping. If you think it's exhausting being married to me, try being me.





Thank you for compromising with me today.






And for some useless information: I made some more photo blocks last week so I could finally send my faithful reader, Debbie....who Dixie chose to win a photo block back in September...her prize. I made a few Halloween blocks while I had the mess going on in the kitchen. The possibilities are endless with this craft.

I know, I'm all over the place. Welcome to my brain.

Happy Halloween Week. May your jar be loaded with candy.

I have tons of laundry to do so I can pack for my trip this week.
I hope to have lots to post about when I return.

Hunting Trip

Well, not the kind of hunting trip you may be thinking of, but it was a hunting trip.

We went on the hunt for a dress.

A bridal gown to be exact.

Cameron....reading the duties of the Maid of Honor.

Me.....reading the lists of lists of lists of things to do and when to do them....and letting go.

Cameron, my sister Catha, and I flew to Phoenix this weekend to help Jordan shop for the dress. Jordan knew exactly what she wanted and after trying on a least a dozen or more at 2 different places, she found the one. Just like deer hunters in their stand, we kept quiet. Very, very quiet. The deer would come out in a dress and we wouldn't utter a sound. So as not to disturb her. Sometimes we were so quiet, I swear the deer would look over at us wondering why we were there....sitting so quietly.

Our hunting trip was a success. Only in this story....the deer (dear) won! She found the dress.
It was exhausting for me because I had promised myself and others to keep my mouth shut and my opinion to myself. Not an easy task on any day but especially on the day your first daughter is shopping for her wedding dress......that is getting charged to our American Express.


Jordan (the dear) humored us and tried on a few that were "not her" because we begged her to. She even started bending a little when trying on those dresses that were "not her." Hum.....maybe? The one thing she said she did not want was glitter and bling. And I am not going to reveal anything on this blog........but her dress is very simple, very elegant, very "her"....and might just have a tiny bit of glitter and bling.

She definitely knew it was the dress when she tried it on. And after not saying anything all day, when she asked if I liked it, I replied, "I like it if you like it." Hahahaha. I never talk that way. That's how Chuck Hackney talks.....when he talks. All neutral and Switzerland like lest he sets anyone off. But I was determined to keep my opinion to myself....so I pulled a Chuck Hackney.

I did like it. I loved it. In fact, I found it on the rack and brought it over to her....and she grinned and said, "That's one I marked in the book (catalogue) but the girl hasn't brought it over yet." BINGO. And one minor adjustment was made to the dress....Catha's idea....so it was a win-win for all. The only problem I see is that you....my faithful readers....will have to wait 5 months for the reveal. Could you just die?

I'm kidding. About the die part. But not about the 5 months part.

Getting that huge chore out of the way freed up the rest of the weekend for meeting the new mother-in-law and touring the resort where the ceremony and reception will take place.


Lunch was at an adorable place in the middle of Old Town Scottsdale. This place is as cute as can be and the food is all organic and fresh and wonderful. It will be the site for the Bridesmaids' Brunch being hosted by Aunt Catha.

Chris' mom sat between Catha and Cameron. She told us some sweet stories about Chris as a little boy. Poor Chris. He was the only guy in the whole place. What a trooper.

Catha came along on this hunting trip and made it all the more wonderful.

She is such a calming force to be around.

Jordan seems to be getting a wonderful mother-in-law........one who seems genuinely kind. She might... just might.... talk as much as me. And I'm thinking I like that about her. I like looking like the quiet type for a change. She went with us to tour the resort and she and I got spend some time together. We discussed what we would wear....and she and I agreed it would probably be something long........so we didn't have to worry about our legs. I really loved that about her.


The resort was as gorgeous as I had thought it would be but the weather was severe. The temperature reached 100' and I don't care how pretty something is, the heat makes me want to flee inside. We took a lot of pictures of the place and did a lot of throwing around ideas. We threw them out and Jordan and Chris just looked at us, like really? Are you really thinking that? Not in a bad way. Just in that way that says, "we got it all under control."

This is the door that leads to the area where the ceremony will take place.

The walkways are all canopied in vines.

I am dreaming of sitting in these chairs with my husband after it's all over.....ahhh.

New love.

Outdoor patios every time we turned the corner.

They had me at "birdhouse."

Chris and Jordan in the lobby area.

Posing for us again.

We would walk 3 feet and say stop, stand there, let's get your picture.

I am doing you a huge favor and only posting a few.

Do you see how tall he is?

We did a little shopping and then met up with Chris again for a Mexican dinner at a place that will probably be the sight of the Rehearsal Dinner....Aunt Chiladas. Is that the cutest name for a Mexican restaurant? It was full of atmosphere and the food was delicious. Catha said they had the best Margaritas....after she tasted a couple........so it definitely got her vote. We had to sit outside.........so you know.....I was.......you know........very hot.

Dining a la hell..... I mean dining al fresco.
Not complaining, really. Just setting the stage for you.

I am hot in this picture, got it?

Aunt Chiladas is ready for Halloween.....decorations everywhere.


Did I mention it was hot in Phoenix this weekend? The weekend that the first cold front blew through Houston? The weather here felt delicious when we stepped outside of the airport on our return. A yummy 67'. It was good to return home...but I had a wonderful weekend with my girls and my sister. And my soon to be son-in-law. Who assured me.....after we have put down several deposits.....non-refundable....that he is in it for the long haul and isn't going anywhere.


(He better get his own bathroom and closet.....that's all I'm saying.)

Best part about this weekend? Being with my sister and my daughters and taking it all in....knowing that we were in the middle of one of the times of our lives.

I Do.....not know what I'm getting into....

This is a picture from our wedding in October of 1983. I really wanted to run away to Vegas, but Chuck's mother insisted he get married in a church. ahhh. So with little to no money, we threw a wedding together in less than 6 months. I can only recall a few things about the planning process. And even less about the ceremony. And really only one vivid memory of the reception.

My sister, Catha, had gotten married in April of the same year, so my parent's bank account was drained. And I certainly didn't have any money. I usually only had $30 to live on after my bills were paid every two weeks (I am not exagerrating). Chuck was making less than I was at the time and he was paying off college loans. I just remember doing the whole thing on the cheap. My mother and daddy paid for most and Chuck and I helped as much as we could.

The bride and her attendant are carrying silk flower bouquets. Yes. They. Are. And yes, this photograph is blurry. It was 1983. We did blurry back then.

I wore Chuck's mother's wedding gown and the lady who made my cakes lent me her antique tiara for my veil. The most expensive thing I had on that day was my shoes. I rolled my own hair and put on my own make-up. I had never heard of a pedicure....but it wouldn't have mattered, I wore panty hose. My only attendant was my sister and we had her skirt made...and I guess her blouse was store bought. The lady that made my cakes also did silk flower bouquets. That was all the rage. So I said yes to silk flowers. Because? Because. Chueeeezey. I even had silk flowers wrapped around my wedding cake. Uh, huh. I did. All. The. Rage.

The church my parents belonged to at the time was new and being held in a school building. For weddings and funerals, members were allowed to use an Episcopal church in the southwest area of Houston......so that's where we got married...the place had no sentimental value to us at all. The reception was also there and we were allowed to have alcohol in the form of a punch. Way to go Episcopalians! This was somewhat important to us....because we were at least trying to have a party! My sister had had the hotel reception with the beer and wine. So I had to try to compete with that.

The day of the wedding, the caterer arrived early to set up and went nuts when she saw that a mural of an Israeli town (painted on brown butcher paper) was hanging on all 4 walls of the fellowship hall. She tried her best to camouflage the ugliness with her lattice screen. Honestly, I couldn't have told you what the walls looked like before....and was not really aware of them that day. But oh, I've studied the ugliness in my wedding photos all these years.

Go ahead. Call it ugly.

The caterer let us use her silver goblets for the traditional toast in the picture above. What happened right after this picture is my most vivid memory of my reception. As Chuck and I walked away with our goblets of champagne punch, his mother looked him in the eye and said, "Put that down." And he did. Like a hot potato.

I guess she said that because it had alcohol in it...and they do not drink. But her 26 year old son did. And it was his wedding. And I was just a little agitated that the 26 year old man I had just married had dropped his goblet like that AT HIS WEDDING RECEPTION. And I had just married this man less than an hour before. MARRIED. And that is what I think of when I think of my wedding day.

And that was the beginning......

And now 26 years later, I am here to tell you.......it's not about the wedding.

It's about the marriage.

Jordan is getting married and the planning has begun. We are basically handing over an amount to her....our very own Event Planner....and staying out of it. It will be small but elegant and the guest list will consist of limited family members and Jordan and Chris' friends. It will be their wedding celebration held in their town of Scottsdale, Arizona. I hope it is all she dreams of (within her budget) and that she has wonderful memories of the planning and the actual day itself. But no matter what goes right....and lots of things will.....or what goes wrong...and something will.....it's not about the wedding. It's about the marriage.

To Jordan and Chris: When you say "I do"........you do not know what you are saying. You do not know what life is going to throw at you. You do not know how many kids you will have or how secure your jobs will be. You do not know your future addresses. You do not know your tolerance levels or your ability to share. You do not know what it will feel like to have to go to everyone else's house on the holidays, year after year, when all you want to do is stay at home and enjoy the comfort of your own home. You do not know.

But when you say "I do".....you are saying I can. I can do this....because I love this person.

I remember walking down the aisle of that strange church and thinking, "Gosh, I hope this works out." And then I made that promise.

And it wasn't so much the "I do" part....but it's been the "I can."

The K Word

I shepherd 2 Sundays a month in the first grade class. Today, as my small group was finishing their craft, this is what was said........

Me: You guys rocked on that craft!

Her: (Gasping and throwing her hand over her mouth) You said a bad word!

Me: I did?

Her: uh, huh...

Me: What did I say?

Her: The K word.

Me: The K word? (thinking, thinking, can't think of one...) Whisper it to me....

Her: Crap. (Krap)

Me: No, I said craft. I said you guys really rocked on the CRAFT. (emphasis on this word.)

Her: Oh. My mom says KRAP but I can't.

I am so glad we cleared that up. I can cuss like a sailor but I also can put a lid on it in the right places. I really did say craft. The C word.

Mother of the Bride

Yep! That will be me in March! Jordan got engaged!

I am taking a picture off of her blog..... http://jordaninaz.blogspot.com

Head over there if you want the details.

Prayers answered. Wishes granted. Blessings are abundant.

For Linda B.

Circa 1991.



Chuck and I were living in our first house in the subdivision Pecan Grove, outside of Richmond, Texas. We had 3 children under the age of 5 and were drowning in diapers, dirty laundry and bills. We survived the weeks so we could do chores all weekend. Most of the neighbors on our street were also young parents and doing the same. While I liked my neighbors, the only thing most of had in common was the ear infections our children suffered. You know the conversation....."we're on the 3rd ear infection"....."yea, well mine has her 4th and she's allergic to Amoxycillin." yawn.

Most of the women on my street worked outside the home. I was a stay-at-homer at the time and struggling to make that work for us. The hardest part for Chuck was the one income but for me it was the social aspect. With little to no money, lunches at the country club was not an option. My social network consisted of talking on the cordless phone while changing diapers and stirring the pots on the stove.

The spring of '91, I was invited to a baby shower at a neighbor's house that lived on another street. While there, I met other women who also lived in the area but on other streets. One woman in particular just seemed so fun. So nice. A new friend maybe. Close enough to be called a neighbor but not on my street.


A few months later, I ran into this woman, named Linda, again when I was out walking. A family had moved in across from her and they were all outside in Linda's yard. The new neighbor, who later I learned was named Debbie, was catering to her little boy who had just taken a fall and I will swear to this day that the minute she turned to look at me, I felt a zing. A zing. Like I know you. I've known you forever.


Within days, I had a new group of friends. It turns out that my oldest child was in the same kindergarten class with another family on this same street. I now knew 3 families on the street just before ours in the neighborhood I had lived in for 8 years. Ahhh. Life was good. Our children got along. Our husbands got along. We had great conversations. And lots and lots of margaritas over a great game of Pictionary on many Friday evenings.


This time in my life was so fun. So fulfilling. I was 34 years old and it was the time of my life.


I was staying home. Raising children. Changing diapers. Cleaning toilets. Cooking good dinners. Doing crafts. But this wasn't the fulfilling part. Did you really think it was? Nope. The fulfilling part was this sisterhood of friends I had acquired while doing all those things. We laughed. We traded stories. We did a little male bashing. We babysat each other's children. We were in a babysitting co-op and a bunco group together. We gave parties. We let out steam during major PMS attacks. We were all trying to make ends meet and stay home with our children. We took care of one another.

One funny story from those good old days.....We were all at Linda's corner house with kids running around, in and out of the backyard, moms talking and laughing. After an hour or more of letting the kids play, we all gathered our things to leave. Linda gave me a grocery sack of some hand-me-downs to take home for Will to wear. I put the sack on my hip and gathered my chicks for the walk down the block and around the corner. As I got to the edge of my yard, I looked at my 2 girls, then at the toddler on my hip............only .................it wasn't a toddler...........it was a grocery sack!!! I had forgotten Will! I grabbed my girls and we turned and headed back to Linda's running.

Linda? Debbie? My good friends? They met me in the yard with Will......laughing and asking me if I had forgotten something. And you know that story got told a time or two at my expense.


I knew then that what we had was "the good old days." I had a feeling that it wouldn't last forever....because it was so dang good. And sure enough it did slowly come to an end. One by one husbands got new jobs that transferred them out of state. Tears were shed. Promises were made to stay in touch. And Christmas cards have been sent for well over a decade now.


There is always a nucleus in a group like that. You know the one person that keeps the group going. The one that instigates the parties. Plans the trips to the mall. Calls the happy hour. Finds the best preschool. Always has snacks on hand in her pantry. She's the nucleus. And ours was Linda.


The group began to dissolve when Linda moved to California. The night before she moved away, we all stood out on the street corner and hugged and sobbed. Ugh. I am tearing up now just remembering that night. I knew in the deepest place in me that it would never be the same. The group would slowly begin to disintegrate.


And it never was. Linda moved. Then Grizel moved to Florida. Then Debbie moved to Georgia. Nails in my coffin.



I knew it was the good old days. I knew then that I was in the middle of it. I'm writing this post in honor of Linda. The nucleus. While that isn't a very pretty word.....it has a beautiful meaning.

nucleus –noun, plural -cle⋅i - a central part about which other parts are grouped or gathered; core: Linda was the nucleus.

Linda still lives in California and has remained a loyal Christmas card sender all these years. I haven't seen her in person since she moved but she is still a good friend. She has that special place in my heart and memory. I have to admit I am jealous when I think about the people who get to live near her now. As I know she has done for them, what she did for me....for our group.

Linda and I are facebook friends and she reads my blog. Modern technology makes my brain hurt but I love that we can stay connected if even by this crazy cyber thread. One of the people I am jealous of is a good friend of Linda.....Suzy Bickers....who lives on the same street as Linda now. Suzy reads my blog, too. She sells the overly adorable jewelry known as Stella and Dot. As a thanks to Suzy for reading my blog, I would love for you to go visit her at www.stelladot.com/Suzy. You have my permission to buy yourself something pretty.

And Suzy....please walk down your street and give Linda a hug for me. And tell her I love her. Always will.

What sound is that?

Reviewing the letters and sounds again today.....teaching the children how to use the Word Wall as a tool.

Me: Find the letter T.

Him: There it is... (pointing to the letter on the Word Wall)

Me: What's that a picture of beside the letter T?

Him: A turtle.

Me: What sound do you hear at the beginning of t....urtle?

Him: tur.

Public Toilet Paper

I work in a school.....in kindergarten. And most days, I realize by 2 in the afternoon that I haven't stopped long enough to go to the bathroom. So by the time I do head to the porcelain throne.....I am just about pulling my pants down before I get to the stall.

Yesterday, I open the stall door and I see a million tiny pieces of toilet paper all over the floor. That should have been a red flag for me.....but I am using all the energy in my body to not wet my pants.

I get in the stall, I hover over the potty and ............well...you know.

And then it's time to wipe. I reach for the toilet paper. An inch comes off. I roll it around to find the beginning but it looks like it has been chewed by a beaver and there is no beginning. So I grab at it again. Another inch comes off. I do this at least 50 times....make that a hundred.... and add to the existing mountain on the floor. Feeling guilty the whole time for littering.

And I am hovering. Because that's what women have to do. My thighs are getting shaky. I am not going to make it like this for much longer.

Here's the thing. I can't leave. I can't quit. Because you know....I haven't wiped. So I continue to roll it and look for a beginning and claw at it and even turned to prayer.

At one point, I looked up to see if there were cameras watching this whole act.

Then I reached way up where no hand will go and tried to engage the new roll above knowing full well that wasn't going to happen. Now you dont' need to picture this....but I am hovering and then trying to reach at an angle impossible to humans to get my hand into an opening the size of a piece of bread.

So with the precision of a brain surgeon, I used my fingertips to tear the paper wrap off the new roll and used that. I did.

A little advice....

1. To the person (I am going to assume it's a man....because we all know they don't really need to wipe after #1) in charge of purchasing all toilet paper for the restrooms in the district. Really? Wouldn't no paper be better than this? Why don't you just go ahead and tell us to bring our own from home. There's a budget cut.....at least $100 a year, if you pay that much.

2. If you enter a stall and see a mountain of torn to shreds toilet paper on the floor.....grab some of that "bark off a tree paper towel" first.

You're welcome.

What he loves, what he doesn't

Will came home Saturday as it was his last free weekend until Thanksgiving. He has pledged a fraternity and I guess they own him on the weekends. When he said he was coming home, I kidded him by asking "what if I don't want you to?" He responded, "I'm coming to see the dogs."

And he really was. He loves the dogs. I love the dogs. The dogs are this family's glue.

While home, Will worked on a narrative due in his English class.....on his laptop at the dining room table with one dog on his lap and two at his feet. He told me he loves writing. He said it's so much better in college. They can even use cuss words. Freedom.

Will's professor was a screen writer in L.A. for over 20 years as well as a published author. I asked why he was at Stephen F. Austin now (thinking why would one leave a screenwriting career in LA for the small town of Nacogdoches) and Will said he is getter another degree....and teaching.

So he loves writing.

Will also shared something he doesn't like so far. Apparently "everyone there" is homophobic and uses the N word. Really, I ask? Everyone? After a little discussion we whittled that number down but it still seemed like a lot of people to him.

I explained that he is coming from a huge metropolitan area going into a small East Texas town and there are cultural differences to be expected. He says it's offensive to him. Wow. I was not prepared for this.

So he doesn't like that part.

I told him what I tell the kindergarteners. Do not hang around people that don't act nice.

What should I have said?

Remote Control

Reviewing some letters and sounds today....

Me: (showing the letter X) What letter is this?

Him: An X

Me: That's right! What sound do we make for the letter X?

Him: ........uh, you know, that remote control thing.

Me: Remote control?

Him: Yeah, you know, that remote control thing that check your body out?
(as he runs his fisted hand up and down his rib cage)

Me: Do you mean "x-ray?"

Him: Yeah, you know the doctor can check your body with it.


You have to admit I'm pretty good at decoding. I'm almost ready for the game show Pyramid.

Mothers and Daughters

My book club met again last night after our long summer hiatus...but instead of meeting at someone's home, we ventured out to a Book Discussion and Signing sponsored by Blue Willow Bookshop. Sue Monk Kid (author of The Secret Life of Bees) and her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor have co-written a book called Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Memoir....and they came to Houston on their book tour.




Our group of 8 met for a quick dinner and then an evening of listening to these two women discuss the ins and outs of writing this book...from its conception to the finished product. The book was available for purchase and the long line was available to stand in to get it signed by the authors.

I had my 2 seconds with Sue Monk Kidd and she was a very kind woman...in those 2 seconds. I suspect she won't remember me, but I will remember her. She seemed genuine and unpretentious and still smiling as she signed probably the 250th book of the evening. I asked her if she (pointing to her daughter) was her only child and she responded no, she had a son, much older.....and then I had to move on. Her daughter signed the book and then my turn was over. That has to be exhausting work.



I haven't read the book yet but during the discussion both women read passages from it....enough to know that it is about 2 women, related by birth....one the birthed, one doing the birthing....who are at a threshold in their life. One at the door of entering Older Woman. The other at the door of entering Young Woman, just graduating from college with the future unknown. Menopause, depression, pulling away, crashing together. Mother, daughter.



At one point, Sue Monk Kidd said she was struggling with how to "mother" an adult, after years of being a mother to this child. Well, hello. I am so there. So I am going to dive into this book with the hopes of some revelation.



I have 2 beautiful, intelligent adult daughters....24 and 21. Both have brought me more joy than I could ever have imagined. Both going through different challenges. Both have some of my traits. Some of those good, some of those bad. Both are loved. Both show their love differently. Both are fiercely independent.........as was I. And honestly, I am struggling with how to mother them. I can vividly remember being 19 and thinking....well, I don't need my mother now. (I am not saying this was true...just how I honestly felt at the time.)

Sometimes my daughters still tattle on each other... or one hurts the other's feelings. And I still struggle with whether I am to get in the middle or walk away short of blood. I think they are still testing me to see which one I love the most. I can tell the world....you... I would die for either of them....and certainly die myself if faced with saving only one. I love them both. I like them both. I cannot compare. They are both rare jewels.

What I really want for them is to have each other. They share a childhood. Their memories of their childhood are much more closely related than my memories of their childhood. They share the same DNA. I want them to find who they are and what they are passionate about. And then be flexible enough that they can change their mind as they grow older and their situations change. I want them to have their own children one day....at least two. Because then.....then they will truly know how much I love them.

I no longer need to buy their clothes, wash their clothes, fix their meals, bandage their scrapes, help with their projects or study for tests, carpool them somewhere, plan their birthday parties, cut their hair, take them to the doctor, buy their school supplies, wake them up each morning, tell them to get their bath.....but I love them so much and that is how I showed it for so many years. How do I show it now? Now, when they don't need me.

I am going to dive into this new book with high hopes of relating to this story and coming out of it with some sage advice. Or at the very least feeling like I am amongst a sisterhood going through the same struggle.

P.S. I love the women in my book club. It is a treat to be in their presence. Last night as I was sitting with them at dinner, I had this feeling of being so blessed ....that I can call these women my friends. I kind of stopped and smelled the roses....so to speak.

If you can't say anything nice,

don't say anything at all.

- as quoted by my mother my entire childhood-

We Met The Boy

Jordan came home for the Labor Day weekend and brought The Boy. He is a home-grown Phoenix boy and she has been there for more than 2 years now. They are a couple...officially dating.... and this is the first time we have seen him, but we've been hearing about him for the past 3 months. He's a very nice guy....and they seem to really like each other. I would say love but that's not really for me to say....

And while "nice" goes a long way with me.....

if you really want to impress me, help with the dishes.

I'm impressed.

He dried some more.

While others....like my own biological children were

no where to be found....he still dried.

Like I said, I'm impressed.

We ate out and stopped by a local bar to listen to a band on Friday.
Jordan took him to the A&M game on Saturday. We went to church then came home for ribs, steak, potatoes, baked beans and banana pudding on Sunday. We played board games around the table. And threw in the dogs in case things weren't chaotic enough. He was a good sport through it all. Now.....let's see if he comes back. He's certainly welcome.

Things I Heard at The Cone

I am on Car Duty in the afternoon at my school. I am assigned to a certain cone. Kids are sent to me when their parent's car is coming up to that spot. So I have 30 seconds to a minute or so with a child I don't know. I usually ask them if they had a good day. They usually respond with something else.

Heard Today at The Cone...

One Boy: I hope I see a real falcon one day.


Another Boy: Your voice sounds old. (I am losing my voice).


A Girl: I need to find 3 rocks so I can work on my magic trick. Actually, 2 medium and 1 small rock.


Random thoughts. Scrambled brains. Living in the moment.

Dixie Picked A Winner!

A couple of posts ago, I showed the Photo Blocks I had made and asked my readers to comment if they wanted to be in a drawing to win one. Last night was the drawing and

Dixie (my Bichon/Yorkie Poo mix who dreams of being a Retriever)

and Chuck (my husband friend mix) assisted.

I had 9 comments......printed them out and cut them into strips.

I know you're thinking....she could have used one of those random drawing technical gadgets. No, she could not. She is not technical. And she only had 15 minutes until Design Star came on.

I removed all family members....

Catha, you know that's against the rules of all prize drawings.

And you know you will be getting one anyway. (wink)

I wadded each comment up.....professionally.

And yes, those are the hands of a working girl.

My assistants, Chuck and Dixie, are preparing for the drawing.

They will be thrown into the air and then we'll see which one Dixie retrieves.

But first, Dixie had to dance for it.....she spun around 3 times and then.....

They're down and ready for the choosing.

Official time. Right before Design Star comes on.

After saying, "Dixie, get it, get it, get it!"......

she grabs one in her mouth and under the table she goes.

And she is mad. MAD. Do you see that wad of paper in front of her?

She thought it was going to taste like beef. MAD.

And the winner is .................DEBBIE!

Debbie, you didn't leave an email so please contact me through a comment and let me know what colors and what wording you want on your custom Photo Block. Thanks for playing.

A letter to Will

Dear Will,

I am writing this letter to you the evening before you leave for college. You are my last child to leave for college and while I am so excited for you, it is hitting me a little harder than when your sisters left. Now that's not because I didn't love your sisters....but when they left there was still a child or two here.

I am not finished raising you. This day got here too soon. There are a million things going through my head (and heart) that I think I should still teach you or at least tell you. Bear with me while I type up a few of them.

1. I hope you remember to pray. You will have some scary days, some sad days, and even some extremely happy days in the years ahead. Turn to God in prayer....for strength, for guidance and even to thank him. You will hear him best in moments of silence...so take some time for silence every day.

2. Try to eat healthy. You have always loved fruit and vegetables so I'm not too worried about you ....but eating most of your meals in a cafeteria, you may be tempted to eat a lot of pizza. Just throw in an apple now and then.

3. Be kind to your roommates. Treat them like you want to be treated. Clean up after yourself. Pick your things up off the floor. Hang your towel up. Rinse your toothpaste out of the sink.

4. Go to class. Listen and take notes. Re-write and re-read those notes. Study. Teach yourself. Even if it's not a subject you care about...you will feel good about the good grade. Think to yourself....I am smart. I can learn anything.

5. Do not have sex. Ever. If you do, it should be in a loving relationship. And always use protection. Always. Every time. Every single time.

6. Make lots of friends but choose them wisely.

7. Do your laundry at least every other week. Cold/Cold. Extra Large Load.

8. Stay true to yourself but allow yourself to change and grow.

9. Please don't get any more tattoos. I heard they're going out of style.

10. Don't text and drive. Actually don't do anything else and drive. Just drive when you're driving.

11. It's not legal to drink alcohol until you're 21. NOT LEGAL.

12. Don't get in a car with a driver who has been drinking. Call a cab. We'll reimburse you.

13. Finish college. You are not allowed to quit. However, you will have a time limit....so get busy.


Now, a few things I want to tell you again.....

1. You are my direct hit from God. He knew I needed a third child and a son.....even when it wasn't on my list.

2. You are funny.

3. You are handsome.

4. You are kind.

5. You are smart.

6. You give the best hugs.

7. Thanks for being a good kid (except that ONE incident...which I know you will never do again). You have been a joy (except that ONE incident....which I know you will never do again) .

8. Thanks for teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School with me. Those will always be some of my favorite memories of time you and I spent together.

9. You are extremely talented...especially with your photography...but I suspect what we have seen is only the tip of the iceberg.

10. You will be successful at anything....I hope you find your passion.


So tomorrow, if I cry, just let me cry. I am looking forward to your new beginning but first we must get through this ending.

I love you. Mama

More Photo Blocks

I made a Photo Block (that's what I'm calling it for lack of a better name) for a baby shower gift a couple of weeks ago. Some of the girls at the shower custom ordered after seeing that one. So now that they have been delivered, I thought I would show you what I made.

This one says Cy-Fair Brigade.....made for a gift for a new drill team member.

This was made to match the family room colors of a family whose name starts with a J.





And this was made to match the pink and brown nursery of a baby girl due in December.....her sweet name is on here....and the mom swore me to secrecy as they hadn't told anyone the name yet. But she's announced it since then...so I think it's okay to show it.

Once the pictures are clipped on, not so much of the paper background shows and the bling and ribbon goodness top it off like icing. These are way more fun to make than dinner.

Now....Do you want one? If so, leave a comment and I will draw a name from all the entries one week from today....August 30. I will put the winner on here next week...and contact you if you leave your email ...or you can contact me via my email. I will customize it to your liking...your colors, your saying...a quote, an initial, a favorite scripture, a name...you tell me. These are made to hold a 4 x 6 photograph. When it's ready (and dry!) I will send it to you. Sound fun?

School starts tomorrow. Bring 'em on. I can't wait to see what this year holds. I know there are some precious children in my very near future.

Several very minor items to discuss....

I wanted to post something this evening....this last evening of summer. Before I fall into the large black hole called going back to work. Sometimes when I come in here to post, I feel very selfish. Tonite is one of those times. I know there are people out there who are in deep physical or emotional pain. And while I am not in either of those...I am on the verge of tears. Just the verge. The verge that gives you a little headache. I am at the point where a good cry would actually feel better.

Last week, as I started thinking about returning to school/work and my car rider duty, I almost wanted to cry. I am hot and sweaty in an air conditioned building....so just thinking about standing outside in the heat for at least 30 minutes at the beginning and end of my day....well, like I said.....cry. When you're on the verge of tears, just thinking about sweating can make you cry. So I got my hair cut very short...and went back to high maintenance highlights. I was trying to save money by coloring it myself...but I'm over that. Here's a before and after. The after doesn't really show how short it really is, but it does feature my long ears. I really don't know when that happened. Cry.

Another thing...Cameron just left to go back to College Station.....and it seems I have fallen in love with her cat. I know. Stupid. But I'm just being honest. I'm going to miss that cat. He and I spent a lot of time together this summer....while his mama was at work. He made me laugh. He's a funny cat. I know I sound like a stupid cat lady....but this is the only cat I have ever bonded with. Cry.

I will miss Cameron, but she's been like a ship in the night. We barely passed each other this summer. She was a working girl......leaving at 7:45 am and going to bed early. My schedule was more like Brunch to Midnight Buffet. I know she's ready to get back to College Station and get on with her senior year.....and order her Aggie ring tomorrow. Cry.

And then there's Will. Who leaves tomorrow for Jack Camp. This is the freshmen orientation camp for Stephen F. Austin. The camp where they spend the whole week playing silly games and doing alot of bonding around a campfire. He just informed us he's not going to like it one bit. He's not into that kind of stuff. That's not how he makes friends. Cry.

Oh, and he broke down last week and finally told us he didn't want to go away. Cry.

But he's going. And I am going to miss this sweet boy. Cry.

And this morning in church, I sat beside and behind two of my friends....teachers I adore and have the honor of working with. I love that they are there. And that we can sit by each other and hear the same message. Cry.

If you've ever noticed the words in the header of this blog...Changing Moods Daily....it's because I never know what the post is going to be about. Today I am feeling a little teary. But I'll be okay. We're all going to be okay. Thanks for stopping by.

God Moment

I am participating in MamaKat's Writer's Workshop this week and I have chosen the prompt given to her by my very own daughter, Jordan....Tell about a God Moment.



My first true love, my fiance, had broken up with me just weeks before our wedding date. I was in the deepest, darkest place I had ever been. No light. No laughter. Nothing. For over a year. I was going through the motions of living but I wasn't alive.

I was still calling this guy and begging him.....BEGGING him to reconsider. Begging him to tell me again why he had broken up with me. Begging. I couldn't breathe without him. It was gross. He was my future. He was all I wanted. I had no Plan B. I was wallowing in the deepest, darkest sewer of hell. I was stuck in this place for over a year. A YEAR.

One day, I was walking into a drugstore and had already walked several paces in. A voice in my head said, "Turn around and look." Along with the voice, I swear I felt a tap on my shoulder....yet there was no one around. So I turned around.

There was a stand of postcards....and my eyes landed directly on the one that said,

"Happiness is the best revenge."

Now, I know that doesn't sound like something God would say, but it was like being hit over the head for me. That's it. I get it. I would go out there and get happy....and he would want me back. I am telling you....I was in the dark...and it's like every light in the football stadium just came on.

This funny thing happened on my way to getting happy. I became happy. I was living. I was breathing. I was laughing again. And I realized I didn't need or want anyone that I had to beg for their attention. Hello! I realized I was the only one who could make me happy. It had to come from within me and I alone was responsible for going out and finding it.

This transformation didn't take place over night, but the saying on that postcard....that I never would have seen if that voice (God) hadn't spoken to me to look back....became my daily mantra and changed my whole outlook. My happiness didn't start on one particular day and I was still sad at times, but I did have an awakening.

I am happy. And of course, sometimes I am sad. But I know for sure God is watching over me and will grab me by the collar after he has given me ample time to figure it out on my own.


God Moments. God's Timing. God's Plan. He has never asked us to understand. He only asks us to trust him. He's not going anywhere.

PS....I got happy. Married a great guy who is my best friend....and we put up with each other on the hard days and enjoy each other on the good ones. I had 3 beautiful babies who have grown up into wonderful adults. It hasn't always been easy. But I have always known that God's got my back.

Do I still have trust issues after all these years? Oh, yes.....let's just say Jesus and God may be the only 2 men I trust. Do I still wonder why in the world that guy could have let me go? Wouldn't you? ha. Do I still think about him now and then? Yes...but when I do, I think more about the girl I was then...and realize I had way more growing up to do and way more living (and wonder if my happiness has been the best revenge.)

God really does have a plan. And a time table. And he thumps us on the head now and then with a God Moment.

August 11, 1985

Happy 24th birthday to.....

the first baby.

the one with big dimples.

the baby that could tan while her mama burned.

the little thumb sucker that could fall asleep anywhere.

the one with all the hair.

the one we went to school with first.




the one with big bows...and ALL the hair.

the playroom boss.

the girl who loves cats.







the big sister.




the Aggie.



the girl in Arizona.






Happy Birthday Jordan
with love, from all of us.

They're married!

My sister has been busy this summer with a bathroom remodel, having her whole house painted and even some new flooring here and there. I jumped into helping her because the only thing I love better than spending our money, is spending someone else's. And she is a great client. She listens to me and does whatever I say. I love a client like that!

We had fun shopping for new fabric for some pieces she had reupholstered and for accessories....which is my favorite part of design. While out shopping one day, we saw a painted buffet with all the colors of her new direction. We snapped a photo as I said I was sure I could copy it. In my decorator talk, I told her, "Oh, this is the piece that would marry all the colors together......." because that's how I talk when I'm in decorator mode.

Their painted piece for $1399.00...plus tax.

Large, beautiful and only $1399.00 plus tax too much.

My painted version on a chest of drawers from our childhood.

(Mama, are we in trouble for painting on the furniture?)

Customized colors....aqua, cherry red, golden yellow and shades of green.

The checkered part is a pull out tray. And I think every room needs a little checkered something. Ode to Mary Engelbreit.

Free for a great sister.

I have been working on this piece off and on all week....it was all over my kitchen island and floor....along with paint, brushes and the mess that all makes. Even though I now have a craft room, this was way too big to do in there and I was NOT going out to the garage. My house now smells like varnish and the dogs are high.

I have always loved to paint but I don't do much of it anymore. When copying this piece, I had a hard time figuring out what exactly I was painting. I'm not sure if they're bulbs, pomegranates, peaches or onions. And then the red sea urchin kind of things and pine cones? I do better copying something when I have actually seen one in nature. But if you go back and look at the original you will see what I'm talking about....what the heck is some of that stuff?

Whatever they are....they are now customized in the color of my sister's decor. And finally, all her colors are married.

When's the reception?

Spoiled Rotten

We have lived in this home for 10 years and 4 months. Our homeowner's association fees have included back door trash pick-up. What?





Yep. Back door trash pick-up. Our trashcan area is beside our garage and the garbage men wheel these huge garbage cans on dollies up our driveway, dump our garbage into this humongous can and ride their dollies back down the drive. It has always been somewhat entertaining to watch. These men are like little boys on the way down the drive. Much like watching skateboarders.





But then the economy crashed....or is crashing....I don't think it's hit rock bottom yet. Positive Polly that I am. And our HOA cut out this special service. What?





Yep. We have to take our garbage can aaaaaaaallllllllll the way down to the end of the driveway ourselves. Tell me I'm not affected by this depression our country's in.





Garbage days are Monday and Thursday. Always have been. Still are. But guess who cannot remember that?





Yep. Us. Ever. We never had to before. Because when the garbage bag was full in the house, we just took it out beside the garage to the outside can. And little dolly riding elves picked it up on Mondays and Thursdays.





But now? Now it's out there spoiled rotten and we missed garbage day again. It's going to get pretty rank smelling around here by Monday.



Somebody should warn Chuck that I'm going to go all "Kate Gosselin" on him if he misses it on Monday.

Oh, I can do some "Kate Gosselin" ....but we don't do ugly on this blog.


I'm just a little old-fashioned when it comes to garbage.

I think that's the man's job.

(did I just say that?)

Maybe I'm spoiled rotten.

Troubled Times

Perspective

...The sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compared
with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
-Romans 8:18

*******

My last post might have been sort of heavy for some of my readers. They say you should never discuss politics, religion or sex. But somehow those subjects tend to come up sooner or later. Most of my friends are conservative Republicans.....they dislike our president. And I voted for him. I like him. I love these people...but we certainly have some differences.

The funny thing is, I will admit I am not politically informed enough to even have an intelligent conversation. I was raised in a Democratic home but am married to a very conservative Republican. I have 3 children....1 is Republican, 1 is a Democrat...1 is a Libertarian...

not in birth order.

No matter who the president is, I think we should all keep him in our prayers.......

and realize he is fighting an uphill battle....

and then there's the congress! Throw them in your prayers, too.

When I came across this scripture quoted on Brin's blog....I had to bring it over here. There have always been troubled times. Always. What goes up must come down. The rainbow follows the storm. We would not recognize "happy" if we did not know "unhappy." Black, white. Yes. No. Liberal. Conservative. The ebb and flow of the tide from forces of the moon and the sun.

Get it?

Our country is in the hands of our elected leaders. But those leaders are human....just like you and me. And no matter who the president is, there will always be troubles. Some within his control, some not.

My daily life has never really seemed affected by who is sitting in the Oval Office. My daily life is more affected by my attitude. And the weather.

I will place my trust in God. He seems to have an effect on my attitude. And he certainly controls the weather.

End of discussion.

Hysteria

I have watched very little television this summer....except to have HGTV on in the background...with an occasional glance at what they're doing. So I have not been listening to the "gloom and doom" of the status of our country.......the economy, the bail-outs, the health reform bill, etc. Of course, I hear the bullets that come on before the news or the constant talk on CNN or Fox if I happen to come into the room when Chuck has that on. But, I do not listen to that stuff.

All "that stuff" is driven by our 24 hour media stations and they ramp it up to near hysteria. I would like to think I don't have my head buried in the sand....but rather, I am choosing to not go down that dark, depressing road. I had to learn to stay in the day (my kids are rolling their eyes right now...because that is my mantra and they've heard it so much) and enjoy the moment at hand.

Yesterday, I enjoyed the company of my co-workers and before long, politics was brought up. I am not political. I think of politics as a football game. One team is always going to win......and never will the two teams compromise. Can you just imagine football players on opposing teams in a huddle together saying..."you guys can win the game....we'll play a while, then let you have the game's win on your record."

Our country is in financial and moral trouble. And there are 2 teams, liberals and conservatives, fighting over how to fix it. And I am just old enough to know that this has been going on for years. Years and years. And years.

I have my own beliefs based on my life's experiences. I was still a young girl when the Viet Nam war was going on and I can clearly remember the daily body count being shown on the evening news. It was disturbing for me then and I can't even wrap my brain around it now. So therefore, I do not believe we should be in a war. No war. No where. Is that naive? Maybe. But it's how I feel.

I see the money being spent on that war and think of all the good we could be doing with it. Naive? Probably. But frustrating....so damn frustrating.

I was newly married in the early 80's when the housing market fell in Houston. Chuck and I had a $105,000 mortgage on a home that wouldn't sell for $70,000. I could look out our front door and count at least 4 houses that had been walked off from. Oh, and our interest rate was 14%. I was pregnant with my second child and my company filed bankruptcy....and when I lost my job, I was losing an income of $33,000. So I think I know a little about what a bad economy feels like....the fear it instills and the worry about how in the heck you're going to pay your bills....or buy groceries when you only have six dollars in your checking account until payday....5 days away. And you owe the anesthesiologist a payment of $1000.00 up front for the epidural.

Health reform? I certainly don't know a solution to the incredible mess our health care....meaning insurance and cost of health care...is in. It's always been a mess. I can remember taking home the sanitary napkins that were left over in the box in my hospital room after my first baby was born. Those things were great! They were like mattresses. I packed them in my bag...because I figured they were just going in the trash if I left them. The insurance bill that came a month later, had a charge for $65.00 for those pads. That was 1985. Wow...those were some great pads. I think I understand a little bit about our ridiculous state of health care.

Just last month, I went to the doctor and paid my co-pay. But my insurance wouldn't let me go to the lab in their office....like down the hall from where I was standing. I had to drive to another lab for my bloodwork. And then I had to return to the doctor the next week....pay my co-pay again....to get the results of my lab work. And this is for a doctor of my choice. Well.....choosing from the list my insurance will allow. We pay hundreds and hundreds a month for our insurance premiums. And I am thankful that we can. But what if my husband loses his job? Will there be a safety net? And all those hundreds we have paid in for years and never used? What happens to all that money? Did it buy a yacht for MR. PRESIDENT OF THE INSURANCE COMPANY?


Reform means change. And I think it boils down to most people are all for change....unless it affects them in a negative way. Or cost them. Or only for it, if they reap the benefits immediately. Sometimes, change is necessary for a better tomorrow. But most people, don't want to make that sacrifice.

As long as there has been a democratic government, there have been systems in place to help those in need. And within moments of the systems being in place, there have been those who figured out how to abuse it. grrrr. Figure that one out. If they're smart enough to figure out how to abuse a system....can't they use that brain power and energy to get a real job?

Believe me, I am just as angry about it as you are.

I remember getting laid off and applying for Unemployment. And feeling guilty. Like I was one of those leeches that took from our government. When, of course, my employer had paid into it for years and it was there for me.

I believe in birth control, a woman's right to choice, security of our borders, an equal income tax for all citizens.....like 10%....10% of nothing or 10% of a billion...wherever you fall in that salary range.....no write-offs. I believe if you are over here....it should be legally and you should be paying taxes, too. I believe our country is so big.....that in our lifetime, we won't see a change for the better. I believe I have a right to my opinion and you have a right to yours. I believe if you listen to one side only, you will never know there is another side.

I believe we are only here for a short while. And we should all be getting our hearts in the right place. I believe I will think like a child and see only 5 feet in front of me. And try to please God each day.

I believe I will stick to watching HGTV. Where the worst thing that happens is color choice.

Hey Bidder, bidder!

My blogger/Silver Bella/Aggie friend, Linda sent me an email with an online auction site that was selling off things from the MSC at Texas A&M. Apparently there is some remodeling going on and tear down is happening in the very near future. The site included things from old metal cabinets to sets of 18 mirrors to wall units to tables. There were even some dirty, grimy old couches on there.

MSC? Memorial Student Center. It's the heartbeat of the Texas A&M campus. It houses the book store, snack bars, meeting rooms, lobby areas......and many, many couches where many, many Aggies have napped when they should have been cramming for exams.

My daughters and father are all Aggies...which makes me, my husband, my son and all the cats and dogs officially Aggies. Aggie Daughter #2, Cameron, got online and bid for several items....and we won! I don't know what I'll do with the winning item. But gosh doggit, I won! Okay...the starting bid was $5.00 and I won it for $70. But I WON. I NEVER win auction bids.

So thank you Linda for telling me about this. Thank you Cameron for bidding on it. And thank you Chuck for funding it. For all the Aggies who sat here and sweated on this and scratched it up.....I will take good care of it from now on.

I'm not really the sentimental type, but no matter how ugly this table is....it came from the MSC....the heartbeat of Texas A&M campus. Where the sign on the door reads, "All hats must be removed before entering."

That gives me chills. Traditions. Okay....maybe I am a little sentimental. I probably could have bought this same table at Goodwill for $30.00...but it wouldn't have Aggies' sweat on it.

Gig'em.

Show Me The Shutters

The Inspired Room has a post about shutters.....and creative ways to use them. Head over there and you will find lots of bloggers who have also posted about creative uses of shutters. I jumped on this train, because I happen to have a shutter fetish....not really, I just wanted you to say shutter fetish. Not easy, is it?

The green shutter in the middle was my first shutter brought home from Round Top several years ago. It hung outside on the patio for years. Then I found the set of stained shutters. They hung on either side of my dining room window for awhile. One day, I decided they would work well as a window treatment in my bathroom, so Chuck fixed them together...by screwing a board across the back of all 3....so they could hang as one large piece.

But the bathroom was very, very dark. So after repainting my master bedroom, I moved the threesome in here over the bed. I love them here....they make one grand architecural statement. The statement? BOTH OF YOU SNORE!

I made a curtain for the bathroom window to allow much more light in....and placed 2 solid shutters on either side. These shutters also came from Round Top.

Because I am extrememly modest, I have wracked my brain trying to come up with a way to cover up some of this shower glass door. After finding another beat up grayish green shutter at Round Top this year, Chuck put a hook on the back and it hangs over the shower door now. I then bought an "over the door" hook at Target for my towels

....and now I have most of the glass hidden.

This pair of shutters hang on the fence in our backyard. Just because.




This is a shutter wannabe....a screen from Hobby Lobby. But if you had large shutters you could use them as a screen. I will be on the lookout for large shutters for this very purpose next time I hit Round Top. This is a 3 part screen....but you can only see 2. I took old wire coat hangers to make an S to hook into the screen so I could hang plates on it.

These are not shutters, I know. But while I was outside taking the photo of the shutters on the fence, I thought you might like to see this. I hung some plates by the fence near our outdoor table. I know the cats appreciate a little ambiance. Believe it or not, they are holding up very well...even after this week's thunderstorm.

Chuck doesn't even flinch any more when I do stuff like this. It only took 26 years.

Thanks for stopping by. If you are not a local and you don't know what a Round Top is....it's a bi-annual flea market/antique festival in Round Top, Texas...about an hour and a half from Houston. It's the week before the first weekend of October and April every year.

All of my shutters have come from there and I have paid anywhere from $20 a pair to $50 for one. I especially love the look of those with years of wear and tear and several layers of paint crumbling off of them. If I die from lead poisoning dust....I died happy. Dibbies on the shutters!

The Passport Picture

For those of you who have followed my passport picture taking fiasco this summer, I will tell you one more little story and then reveal the pictures. You're holding on to the edge of your seat aren't you? This is what blogs are all about people. Little, bitty mundane ditties.



Last Saturday, I went to Walgreen's for the last photo attempt...and for those counting, it would be #4. I had done some "head" work and decided I would have one more picture taken and then choose one. No matter how bad it looked to me. I knew I was being ridiculous. But an obsessor doesn't stop easily.



I went to the photo department of Walgreens and was greeted by an incredibly nice young man. Young man = 19 years old. He smiled, he talked, he took my photo. He asked me if I wanted to see it....without me asking him if I could see it. It was just the complete opposite experience of what I had had at CVS...3 times. When I saw the picture on the screen, I commented that it didn't look like me. He said, "Well, not really, but it's for a passport ....and they never really do...."



I asked him if I looked that ugly. He said, "No, not at all....I certainly don't see you like that at all....(hahaha....real laughter). But remember it's for a passport and as long as it gets you where you're going, that's all that matters."




Well, thank you Dr. Phil.....that's all I needed to hear.



Okay, obsession over.










Now here are the 4 pictures.....and then a picture of me that was taken by my talented photographer friend last winter so you can compare.

#1

Flaring nostrils, and flyaway hair. Really CVS girl?

#2

Stupid head tilt and extremely long ears. When did that happen? Is this the best you got CVS?

#3

Longer ears and a closed mouth and Crisco oil rubbed on my face. This taken by the chick who apologized later for being in a bad mood and asked me if I wanted to go on a killing spree with her later.

#4

Prolapsed eyelids...but hey, the double chin looks almost non-existent. And the young guy who took this picture was so nice. I pick this one!

And me.

And the ending to this story......

I applied for my passport yesterday at the local Post Office. I walk in and right beside the window is their photo set-up. Ugh. Only one person is in line ahead of me....and he is almost done. The clerk ask him to raise his right hand and repeat after her, "I solemnly swear that all the information is correct and this photograph is an EXACT LIKENESS of me."

Whoa! I can't swear that! So when it's my turn, I tell her immediately that I can't swear that! hahaha....she says, "Girl, ain't no one like their picture."

Whew.....turns out I'm normal.

Okay Linda and Peggy....your turn.

Find the hidden differences ala HIghlight Magazine

This is the "after" picture of my master bathroom taken on July 9...."after" because I painted the ceiling a khaki color and redid the window treatment.

And this is the "after the after" picture taken just now after doing 3 more things in here. Can you spy the 3 differences in these 2 photos?

Give up?

1.I painted the ceiling from the khaki to a spa green color.

2. I added tassles to the curtain.

3. And Chuck made this ottoman for me.

While I liked the brown color...it was just too drab and dark for this bathroom ceiling. And I had a gallon of the green (SW Contented) left over from painting my bedroom ceiling. So it was screaming for me to use it. This room tends to be dark and I am trying every trick to lighten it up.

Oh, also I had Chuck put in all brass fixtures! Of course, I'm kidding. I am waiting patiently for brass to come back in style. And I know when that will be. The week after I replace them all wih oil-rubbed bronze.

Now for the ottoman....

I saw this is Pottery Barn but it was $799.00. That might happen...if I had another life.

So I took an old rug that I just couldn't bear to throw away even though the cats and dogs had frayed the edges and asked Chuck to make an ottoman similar to this one. It only cost about $50.00 and 3 fights.

Chuck made a frame...think box without a lid. He used banisters which he cut to size for the legs. I bought batting and foam. We stapled, cut, yelled, cut, bossed each other around then stained the legs.

This ottoman will probably be moved around this house as much as the rest of the furniture is. But for now, Chuck has a place to sit to tie his shoes.

I loved you best

I am currently entering a new phase in mothering. I am approaching the empty nest. And my baby birds are gathering their own worms.

In so many ways I am excited because I can't remember living with Chuck before children. We've already talked about how we're going to spend less at the grocery store and maybe just eat cereal for dinner. We've kidded that maybe we could get into an efficiency apartment because all we really need is a computer and a t.v. And of course, maybe we will just continue to sit in the same room and not talk, except to occasionally smile at each with the realization that we raised 3 really great kids.

"Mothering" to me has meant running the house, cooking the meals, bandaging the bo-bo's, running the errands, checking the homework. I am starting to see the end of a 24 year career. And barely, just barely am getting a peek into how cool being the parent of adults can be.

In other ways, I am feeling alot of confusion. What is my place? How do I mother children that are cooked, done, take 'em out of the oven? They aren't getting their daily dose of cuddling and holding and being told "I love You" because they don't climb in my lap anymore. But that love is still there.

I can see parts of me and parts of Chuck in each of my children. It's in them along with their own uniqueness. So just about the time I figured out the first baby's quirks and patterns, along came the second and again the third. I am a very different mother to the first child than I am to the second child than I am to even the third child. And it's because they are very different individuals as well as the order they were delivered to me and the impact that had.

What I want my children to know is that I love them all. And I would die before having to pick just one to save. I did the best I could with the non-existent parenting book. I can honestly say I do not have a favorite. But I certainly have favorite things about each of them.

I am hearing my adult children say things to me that I said to my own mother. And I think, wow, God took his time with that lesson. I am seeing things come full circle and know that the only way my child will realize how much I love them, is to wait until their grown child says the same thing to them.

So the Erma Bombeck article that is my favorite keeps coming to mind. I found it for you to read....This Erma Bombeck column, originally appeared in 1971, Titled:I've Always Loved You Best

From Erma ....It is normal for children to want assurance that they are loved. Having all the warmth of the former Berlin Wall, I have always admired women who can reach out to pat their children and not have them flinch.Feeling more comfortable on paper, I wrote this for each of my children.

To the first born......I've always loved you best because you were our first miracle. You were the genesis of a marriage, the fulfillment of young love, the promise of our infinity.You sustained us through the hamburger years. The first apartment furnished in Early Poverty... our first mode of transportation (1955 feet)... the 7-inch TV set we paid on for 36 months.You wore new, had unused grandparents and more clothes than a Barbie doll. You were the "original model" for unsure parents trying to work the bugs out. You got the strained lamb, open pins and three-hour naps.You were the beginning.



To the middle child...I've always loved you the best because you drew the dumb spot in the family and it made you stronger for it.You cried less, had more patience, wore faded and never in your life did anything "first," but it only made you more special. You are the one we relaxed with and realized a dog could kiss you and you wouldn't get sick. You could cross the street by yourself long before you were old enough to get married, and the world wouldn't come to an end if you went to bed with dirty feet.You were the continuance.



To the baby...I've always loved you the best because endings generally are sad and you are such a joy. You readily accepted milk stained bibs. The lower bunk. The cracked baseball bat. The baby book, barren but for a recipe for graham pie crust that someone jammed between the pages.You are the one we held onto so tightly. For, you see, you are the link with the past that gives a reason to tommorow. You darken our hair, quicken our steps, square our shoulders, restore our vision, and give us humor that security and maturity can't give us.When your hairline takes on the shape of Lake Erie and your children tower over you, you will still be "the baby."You were the culmination.

Julia....the 3rd child and the mother of 3, sad and happy about this place I am approaching....

Love Does Not Always Mean Like

When my children were little, I remember reading somewhere that when the qualities you dislike about yourself show up in your children, they will be the toughest things you have to deal with. For example: impatient, grouchy in the morning, stubborn.

I found this to be so true.

Of late, I have experienced that when my adult children see the qualities they dislike about themselves in me....they begin to fall out of love with me. Opiniated, stubborn, moody.

The only true unconditional love on this earth is that of the parent to the child. Not the child to the parent. Or the spouse to the spouse. Or the sister to the brother.

Notice I said earth. God's love is unconditional.....but he is not of this earth.

If you are reading this...and you are my child....know that there is nothing you can do that will ever make me not love you. Ever.

Looking for an exciting, fast-paced job?

Then do not apply at the photo department at CVS.





If you read about my passport picture taking here.....then you know I said I was heading to Walgreens next. But yesterday as I left the doctor's office, there was a CVS staring at me. So I whipped into the parking lot and headed in....fully confident that this was meant to be and this would be the passport picture I was searching for.



I go in...and there is only one other visible customer in the entire store and she is in the opposite direction of the photo counter. The young, hip worker behind the photo counter didn't even flinch as I approached her. Again...there is no one in here, nothing going on. Just me. And her. And the other customer on the other side of the store.



Me: Yes, can I get a passport photo taken?



Her:



(points to the screen by their freezer........not a word...I AM NOT KIDDING.)



Me: Okay, let me know when you're taking it.



Her: Well, I'm zooming so now.



Me: (lots of nervous movements but staying quiet)



Her:



Me: May I see it?



Her: (flashes the other side of the camera towards me for a second)



Me: Can we do another one?



Her: (rolls her eyes)



Me: You don't really have patience for me do you?



Her: Uh, it's just I've already done like 6 of these this morning........



Me: My hair just keeps messing up.



Her: (in the flattest tone I've ever heard) ...there's a bathroom in the back if you want to go check it.



Me: No, it's okay. Let's just go with that one.


(I am realizing this is my problem...and I need to work on it inside my head....I know you figured that out already...I'm slow)



Her: It will take 10 minutes if you want to walk around. (no inflection, no smile....flat)



10 minutes later....



Me: Are they ready?



Her: Yeah. Look, I'm sorry if I was rude earlier. It's just I'm having a bad day.



Me: Yeah. Me, too.


(staying quiet....but fighting the urge to tell her about my gout, my cholesterol, my age, my thighs, my tooth problem last year, the dog peed in my daughter's bed.......)



Her: So, you want to go on a killing spree together later?



Me: Sure. You plan it, I'll go with you.



Her:



Me: Thanks, bye........


(smile that sympathetic smile that says I'm so sorry your job sucks...it must be so stressful to have to come out behind that counter and take a photo like 6 or 7 times a day....wow....)





And since you're dying to know. The picture sucks. So I know it's something I have got to get over. But if you know me, you know I tend to obsess. This is the Obsesscion du jour. And it's only cost me $24.00 so far.

Yes. That is how I throw my money around. Oh, and $80 on prescription meds yesterday.

Enough about you...let's talk about ME

• It's gout.


• It's not gone yet. Still inflamed (but doesn't really hurt) so I am to take Ibuprofen.


• Doctor said that meant those crystals are still in there as long as there is inflammation.


• Told her about cherries.......well, cherry cobbler....she said the cherries are supposed to be fresh, not cooked. Whoops.


• Told her about the baking soda. She smiled. (Like oh, you little non-doctor you)


• Told her about meds killing my stomach. She said you are only supposed to take it until that happens...then stop. REaLlY? You think someone could have told me that?


• We will never know what triggered the gout but my blood work was fine.


• Well, most of my blood work. My cholesterol is high again. Please take Vytorin.


• Oh, and I have a bunion forming ....they saw that on the x-ray....that was a bonus!


• I waited over an hour to see the doctor so I talked like an auctioneer once she got in there.


• Good news? I'm alive. And have many blessings.


• Bad news? I'm aging. I need to diet and exercise. Wow. I didn't see that coming.

Lady Doctor in dark blue scrubs: ...and then this patient says she looked it up on the internet!

Others: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

This is what doctors are really doing while you are waiting in the room for an hour.

I'm smart

yep....I'm smart. If you read the last post you know that I predicted I would be told to come back to the doctor. I finally called them back....and sure enough my lab results are back and they would like me to come in to go over the results. Well of course. $$$$

My doctor.

Luckily for me, I started talking ....alot....to the office worker on the other end of the phone and got her to at least tell me that my cholesterol and triglycerides were a little high (hello? I could have told them that because I have been very negligent when it comes to taking my Vytorin. Why? Because the last time I had my cholesterol checked it was 113....so in my pea brain I thought I could take a break from that pill) and that my blood sugar/glucose was normal. I couldn't break her though, she wouldn't give me specifics. They need me to come in to go over them...privacy issues and such. $$$

Doctor going over test results.

What about the gout? The what? The gout? The reason I came in.......oh.....well let me see.....(I hear lots of papers being ruffled through...) hum....it doesn't say anything about that. Well, I guess when you come back in they can tell you.



My theory? Doctors cause high blood pressure. And binge eating. And drinking. And maybe even smoking for some. Because it creates job security. Tomorrow I will go back in to go over my test results. I will pay my co-pay, they will bill my insurance, they will need to see me back in 3 months, etc, etc, etc. And if they can continue to prescribe some meds, they will probably win an all expense paid trip for 4 to the Bahamas.

What doctors are doing while you're in the waiting room for an hour and a half.

Look, I am over it. I know you're over it. But I will at least finish the saga tomorrow after I go in and hear the news. You can choose to read that post or not. I would completely understand if you skip it.



Next week....I will post some fun craft stuff or something.

Gout?

I am trying to say/type that word 100 times in 7 days. I think I'm getting close. Many of you have asked if I have found out anything yet. hahahaha. Are you joking? I hurried to the doctor, waited over an hour for my 15 minutes with Dr. Concerned (NOT). He sent me to a lab 2 miles down the road for blood work and to another location another 5 miles down the road for an x-ray. Then to the pharmacist with 2 prescriptions to be filled.....dropped off and picked up later of course. All in all, my whole day was pretty much consumed last Thursday with getting a diagnosis/treatment. By the time I got home, I was in alot of pain and exhausted from the heat. Waaaawaaaawaaa.





(To all the soldiers in Iraq....if by some fat chance you would stumble on here and read this....I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I would gladly relive every day like Thursday for you to be able to come home and live a peaceful life in the US in air conditioning....but allow me to finish the waaaawaaa...it will only take a few more minutes.)



By Friday, my stomach was torn up from the meds so I got on the internet and looked up home remedies....natural cures and such. I was not only in pain with my toe, but now nauseated and having sharp, doubling over pains in my intestines. Dr. Concerned (NOT) had warned me about this but I thought how bad could it be? It was bad. I was desperate. I found one website that promised a 2 hour cure. I only had to pay $19.95 for this 48 page booklet about Gout. All About Gout. Bought it, printed it out. Are you ready for the 2 hour cure?



It said to mix 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in 8 oz. of water, stir to dissolve, then drink it up. Do this upon onset of symptoms. Then before bedtime and when waking then every 4 hours if needed.....but not to exceed 4 teaspoons in a day. Are you ready for this?



I drank one glass in the late afternoon and another before bedtime. I am not kidding you....during the night I realized the pain was gone. I could bend my toe and it only hurt a little when I walked. The swelling and redness was still there, but the pain had almost all gone away.

Believe it not.



Now, I feel like I have to tell you this part. I got on the internet again on Saturday....and one website warned about taking baking soda...especially if you have high blood pressure. It is very high in sodium. Warning!!! Well, I only took in 1 teaspoon in all and it worked. And I'm still here. So I only know it worked for me.



Or it could have been the 8 servings of cherry cobbler. Or the 2 doses of that horrible medicine that tore my insides up.



I am much better. And still waiting for the test results. I waited patiently until Monday. But when they didn't call me, I called them today. Of course, I got a recording for the person they transferred me to...and I am waiting for her to call me back. But I can guaran-damn-tee you she will tell me I have to come in for the results.



Thanks for asking about me...I'll let you know.





PS....I just gotta tell you this...when I was at the lab last Thursday, they needed a urine specimen. With no instructions where to leave the full cup, I just set it on the counter on a paper towel (lid was on and my name was on the label in case you're wondering). I returned to the waiting room and went up to ask the very, very, very busy receptionist....no one was in line, I am standing at the window, but she couldn't look up so I am guessing she was very, very, very busy...where to put the jar. Finally, she looks up, I ask if I should just leave the specimen in the restroom. She says yes. I ask this because there are only 2 lab workers....the receptionist and one I passed by taking some one's blood. And neither of them was guiding me through this process.



Next, they call a young guy to the back and hand him the same type of cup. They tell him to wash his hands first. He says first? They say yes. I am guessing because his germy hands have to touch the thing where the urine comes out??? Anyway he heads into the restroom where my cup is still sitting on the counter. I had overheard him tell another guy that he was there for a drug screening because he was interviewing for a job at a car place.....going to work on cars. If I had had 10 more minutes I would have been able to tell you his life story but like I said, he got called back.


Now, because I watch way too much tv, I think.......what if he switches our urine because he is here for a drug test and he takes mine and I get his and the doctor thinks I'm on drugs? This all whips through my brain in 2 seconds....so I basically yell out to the receptionist.....Wait! Is my cup still in there?



She looks at me with a bothered look and says no. Okay. Good.



I have to ask you....am I the only one who thinks like this?

Third time's not a charm...it's just as ugly.

On my "to do" list ....uh, 2 weeks ago...was to get my passport photo taken. I have already filled out the application, so once I get the photos I can go get in the line at the post office. With my $125.00. One hundred and twenty five dollars. I wonder how much passports cost 30 years ago...probably should have gotten one then. Anyway...

I go to CVS on Sunday to get my photo taken. The clerk takes me over to the freezer section and pulls down a white screen (think overhead projection screen). She motions to a point on the floor where I should stand. I get there and look up and she is already taking the photo. Wait! No, 1.....2....3? And she just keeps clicking.

Wait! Let me get my face on. My photo face...where I try to suck up my double chin and then try to decide if I should have an open mouthed smile or a closed sweet smile. And she is standing 18 inches away from me, so when I look into the camera, I feel like my eyes are crossed. I even ask her...."Do my eyes look crossed?" She shakes her head no.

Okay...wait. Let me pull my hair out from behind my ears and fluff it up a bit. She waits...with absolutely no expression. I fluff up my hair. She clicks again. I am trying to remember how to throw my head out and over like the stars do on the red carpet but it's all happening so fast. Done. She's done and hasn't uttered one word the entire time. This is apparently not as big a deal to her as it is to me.

So I walk around CVS for a few minutes until my pictures are ready. I pay, take the envelope and go to the car. I open the envelope and look at the most hideous photo I have ever seen. I'm ugly? I'm UGLY? And whoa! My nose.......when did it spread all over my face? And the expensive haircut I just got? I look like a wet rat....flattened hair on top and fluffed up fly-away hairs all over the place.

I know it's a passport photo. I know that. But I can't quit thinking about how bad that photo is. I am fast forwarding in my mind to the security point in the London Heathrow Airport when the uniformed guy has to look at me and my passport photo and just can't believe this is the same chick. I KNOW. Me either. He and I have something in common....we head to the airport bar where we share a good laugh.

So I did what I had to do. I went back to CVS yesterday. Different clerk. Same non-personality. (Must be a job requisite.)

Me: Uh, yeah. I was in here yesterday and had my passport picture taken. It didn't turn out so I need to take another one.

Her: stares at me...says nothing


Me: So can I take another one?


Her:


Me: I mean....I will pay for it, I just want to do it again.


Her: Okay.


She leads me over to the pull-down screen.......not a word out of her. Ahhh, she was "trained" by Clerk 1.

Me: So should I have my hair behind my ears or out in front?


Her:


Me: Okay. I'll keep it behind my ears. I thought there might be a rule.


Her:


Me: Should I open my mouth to smile or not?


Her:


Me: Wait....can I see it? (on the digital camera screen...after she takes 2 or 3 shots)


Her:


Me: I'm sorry....am I making a big deal of this? It's just, I'm 51 and I've never had a passport and I really don't want this to be the worst picture ever. And I have this double chin but I don't want it to show and blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

I CANNOT SHUT UP. I AM SOUNDING MORE STUPID BY THE SECOND.

Close family and friends have witnessed this many times.

Her: Okay. That's it. (starts walking away towards the photo department....saying nothing.)

Me: Can I see them on the screen?

Her: Yeah, you can see them on the machine before I print them.


Me: oooooohhhh. (as I look at them) Would you mind if we did them again?

And would you mind bringing your personality with you? If you would talk, I might shut up. Because I have this uncontrollable urge to fill this deafening silence. I mean you're taking my picture. How much more intimate could it get?


Her:


Just starts walking back to the screen.


Me: I'm so sorry.


I am concentrating at this point....on trying to just shut up. CON CEN TRAT ING.


Finally, the 3rd time around the pictures are somewhat better. If you're keeping count...this would be the 3rd set of pictures.

Then I meet up with my sister. I show her the pictures. She looks at them. Then at me. Then at them. And doesn't really say anything. SEE? It's not just me. They're bad.

Today? I'm going to Walgreens.

Angela's Ashes

Frank McCourt passed away today at the age of 78 from melanoma. He is the author of Angela's Ashes....a biography of his Irish Catholic poverty stricken childhood until his immigration to America as a young adult. It's a great book in that it's well written and makes you think and think and think. They made a movie a few years ago based on the book. If you haven't seen the movie or read the book....read the book.

This book should be a must-read for every American teenager. Or any of you who haven't read it yet. You will see your blessings in a whole new light and your troubles will seem minor.

I read this book in December '99. We had just moved to our new house in the spring of '99 and not knowing many people, I spent alot of time reading. A week or two later, Chuck and I were attending a New Year's Eve party at a neighbor's home and I overheard a couple of women discussing it. I was so excited to hear someone discussing it that I butted right into their conversation. The women were in a book club and that was the book they had just read....but were discussing at the next meeting. I got invited and am still in the book club 10 years later. (Shout out to my book club women....I love you.)

I read always....meaning I always have a book on my nightstand. But not all books are worthy of discussion. However, it has been a wonderful thing to be a part of a book club so that I can discuss a book if I'm not ready to let go of it yet. You know that feeling? You've spent time with the characters and the places and their dilemma and then the book is over. But you still need to talk about it before you put it away in your brain.

And speaking of putting it away in my brain... I call it flushing. I read a book. Then flush it. Not literally....but figuratively in my brain. Usually by the time book club rolls around, I have all but forgotten main characters and situations. It was either a good read or a so-so read and then I'm on to the next one.

But Angela's Ashes? It was a good one. While I've long forgotten the names in the book or the details of the situations, I remember the feeling I was left with. I was so sad for this little boy. But so empowered by his ability to reach down in that squalor and poverty, grab his boot straps (intelligence, humor, strong will) and get the heck out of there so as not to repeat his father's mistakes. And his goal? Was to get to America. To the land of opportunity. Something I supsect we natives take for granted.

I'm not saying it is a "feel good" book.....I am saying it is a book that will leave you with feeling.

Frank McCourt....may you rest in peace and know you left a piece of you here for eternity.