Whit's End

They Grow Up So Fast - Roger Report

2011-07-25T16:02:00.000-05:00

It seems like only yesterday that we saw Roger's little head peaking out over the edge of the nest. Already, he is flying! Roger seems to have good ground speed - it is the law of gravity that confounds him. Today he made it to the top of the fence! He is still hanging pretty close to home - in the flower bed, on the porch bench. His parent's watched over him very closely - we have not seen them today. Maybe he is really on his own now!

We have a new baby!

2011-07-20T17:25:00.001-05:00

No, not me. Not a new grandbaby. We have a new baby bird. Mama and Papa Dove have been sitting on the nest for weeks. Finally, today I see the little baby's head! We are so excited! His name is Roger.

A new blog to follow

2011-07-04T14:06:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow bloggers! On the right of my blog you will see a lovely little button for "Everything Design." Please click and check this out! It is wonderful - new business venture that is worth following and watching. Giveaways will be coming! The first giveaway will be based on how many followers Everything Design gets, so hurry!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T10:25:00.000-05:00

I will always be Daddy's girl. It doesn't matter how old I get, or that Daddy has been gone for 35 years. His influence lives on. He was funny, fun, patient and kind. He loved having me around - whether we were watching TV (which he didn't like to do much) or gapping the spark plugs on his car - we just hung out. So many memories and all good - listening to the Indy 500 on the old radio; making fig preserves; 4 mile morning walks; baking bread; lunch at the Petroleum Club; learning to dance (he was very good); trips; washing cars on Saturday; church on Sunday - so many more.

Most important of all is the legacy of how he showed me the love of the Heavenly Father! And some day we will be together in His presence.

Thankful #11

2010-11-11T15:40:00.000-06:00

For veterans. Happy Veteran's Day! My DH is a veteran. My father was a flight instructor during WWII. My uncle was a pilot during WWI. Yes, you read that correctly, WWI. the legacy of veterans extends into all branches of the family and all branches of the service. We are thankful for the veterans for being willing to go where they are sent to serve and protect us.

Thankful #10

2010-11-10T07:08:00.000-06:00

BSf - Bible Study Fellowship. I am so thankful for this organized in depth study. This year is very special. I am attending the study of Isaiah with Little C. Yes, even at 18 months these precious children learn Bible stories and songs. It is creating sweet moments and memories for us.

Thankful Day #8 and #9

2010-11-09T11:21:00.000-06:00

What was I doing yesterday that I missed posting? It is okay, I will catch up. For Day #8, I am thankful for health. I was working out yesterday morning with fabulous trainer Kyle (yes I am thankful I found him too) and realized how lucky I am to be able to do the crazy things he talks me in to doing! I am thankful for energy that comes from working out and from sleeping well. God has graciously given me such blessings of health - to serve Him more.

Today - I am so thankful for family. Reference the boomerang day to completely understand how very close our family is right now. I am also thankful for the two sisters-in-law who live one street over to the east and one street over to the west. I am thankful that I can have lunch with the SIL recovering from surgery and take a little care of her. I am thankful for the daughter who lives close enough for me to zoom over and help her with Little C. And speaking of Little C - do I really have to tell you how thankful I am for him? Here is a pic. . .

Thankful Day #7

2010-11-07T08:11:00.000-06:00

An extra hour of sleep! Sunday to remind me Who I really belong to - and Who should receive all my gratitude.

Thankful Day #6

2010-11-06T06:53:00.000-05:00

At this stage of my life, we should be empty nesters. All the children should be gone. . .living on their own. Instead we have two adult children in the house - the boomerangs. For this I am very thankful. We get to share a part of their life at a stage in their life that normally we would not. It is not always easy - it is worth it all.

Thankful Day #5

2010-11-05T08:34:00.000-05:00

Some Facebook Friends are posting daily during the month of November about what they are thankful for. Great idea! So I brought it to my blog.

Today I am thankful for the beautiful walk in my neighborhood. The quietness of the cool morning, the distant sounds of traffic on the main road, the teacher over the PA system at the neighborhood school calling the children to order, seeing my neighbors walking their dogs while I walked mine, the fall flowers and the fresh mulch, getting to go in late to work so I can enjoy all of this.

What are you thankful for?

Where I have been

2010-07-19T15:24:00.000-05:00

Hello - I have been AWOL for a while. Last week found me with my DD up in Oklahoma cooking for 21 junior high students and their sponsors - 28 people in all. We did 13 meals in 5 days - whew! And we had a lot of fun with that. Falls Creek and the Turner Falls area is very pretty. The kids were the best - easy to talk to and they loved our food.

So for recipes - and maybe I will get around to posting the menus later - head on over to www.eat4less.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

What If???????

2010-05-27T19:10:00.000-05:00

Friend Wanda over at Watered Soul participated in this simple list of Ifs. I like it and want to play too! You play along as well on your blog:

IF I were a month, it would be October: love the colors and cool days, still mixed with warm. And no allergies in October!

IF I were a day, it would be Monday: Get to move slow and line up the week

IF I were a time of day, it would be early!: Love the freshness and quiet of the morning

IF I were a season, definitely fall: See month above.

IF I were a planet, definitely earth: Not sure about living on the others!

IF I were a direction, it would be up: It speaks to the possibilities!

IF I were a tree, I would be a cedar elm: I like them.

IF I were an animal, I would be a daschund puppy

IF I were a musical instrument, I would be a piano 'cause that is what I want to play.

IF I were a fruit, probably watermelon - my favorite summer treat.

IF I were a food, definitely filet steak!

IF I were a color, green. It soothes me.

IF I were a book, it would be a journal to write down things I love.

IF I were a song, it would be Dave Crowder's song I can't remember the name of

IF I were a movie, I would want to be an extra in "Spitfire Grill"

IF I were a flower, I would want to be a yellow rose of Texas

IF I were a facial expression, let it be a smile to bring joy to others.

Now it is your turn!

The Other Favorite House

2010-05-12T17:28:00.002-05:00

This is my other favorite house because of the back story. The house was going to be lost to a renovation of a near by hospital when the owners purchased it for $10. Yes, you read that correctly. They moved it to the current location at a cost of $29,000. Then they lovingly and meticulously put it back together and restored this beautiful example of Arts and Crafts.

Edited: There is no logical reason why the sentance looks like that. Hopefully you can still read it!

The fireplace is fabulous. The lettering above the mantel reads:

By hammer and hand do all things stand

The kitchen cabinets are original - carved open work with green glass handles. The rest of the kitchen was also beautiful, including the high open shelves to show off the owner's glass juicers and reemers.

The breakfast nook - built in and so Arts and Crafts. Just lovely.

This was just so cute - antique mirrors hanging above the tub. I want to do this too! But I only have one - oh well, at least I have something to look for at the antique stores!

If I knew how to do a contest, I would give a prize to the first person who could tell me what this is. I wanted to put these in my house when we built but DH said no.

So there you have it. My second favorite house.

If you are interested in learning more about Arts and Crafts style, check out this book on how to create the style in your home!

My first favorite house

2010-05-11T20:10:00.000-05:00

I actually had two favorite houses from the home tour. This is the first house we visited. It is under restoration, not to be confused with renovation. It is being stripped back to the beginning and restored the way it was built. Fascinating. The walls were lath and plaster. The plaster was taken off the walls and the lath that had deteriorated is being replaced. With the plaster torn off, it was easy to see how well made the house was! The old floors are being restored as well. The original bathroom fixtures are still in the house and hopefully will be used - they are beautiful! The basement (yes, a basement in Texas!) is being finished out as well. Oh and the windows - double hung wood windows with ropes and weights to open and close them! Too cool! I could move into this house so easily. . .

Oh Bud, by the way, there were no snacks on our 2 hour walk. And we had forgotten to grab water bottles! Thankfully as we went through the houses some had water for us. We had eaten at a Vegan restaurant - though neither of us is even vegetarian. It was quite good - we knew that neither of our respective husbands would ever agree to try a vegan place - and we liked it.

I wonder what stories this house could tell. Even more interesting was the quality of the old building. Is there something to be learned? If all the "pretty stuff" (plaster) was stripped from my life, would there be quality underneath? Is there a solid structure? Not by anything I have done - but only because my Savior is the quality. He is the solid structure.

Home Tour

2010-05-09T18:21:00.000-05:00

My daughter and I love to go on home tours. Not the new house builder kind of tours, no. We like the established neighborhood, historic home kind of tours. So for Mother's Day, since we are both mothers, we gave ourselves a present and went on the Fairmount Historical Home Tour in Ft. Worth. Here are four of the houses we saw. Later I will discuss my favorite house with additional pictures:

When we picked up our tickets, the nice ticket person told us that it would be easy to walk this tour. The very farthest house, said she, was only 8 blocks away, and everything else was closer. As we began to walk. . .and walk. . .and walk, we wondered what counting system she used cause it was a lot more than 8 blocks! By then we were committed and we carried on. Certainly got our exercise for the day. More tomorrow.

AmaZing Month - Blogging from A-Z

2010-05-02T18:19:00.003-05:00

I accidentally fell into the A-Z challenge. It sounded like fun - sounded interesting. It wasn't intimidating at first - ignorance is bliss. Then I realized it was a challenge for writers! Real writers! Oh my! What was I doing here? Sheer stubbornness kept me going. I hate quitting!

It was a real surprise to find that I really enjoyed the writing! The words I chose were whatever came to mind for that letter on the day of the posting, or maybe the day before. Not a lot of advance thought - very random and spur of the moment.

What I did not expect from this challenge, the real blessing behind it all, were the new friends I have made. Wanda, Ellie, Bud, Lee, Sock Monkey, Dee the Red Head, Chris, Dragon's Muse, Shannon, Gregg, Stacey, Lorena, Grammie, and Tori. Our bond of Jesus is so strong - it was a joy to log in each day and see what the gang had written and what I would learn that day. Their wisdom challenged me to think about what a word meant - how the meaning or the story affected my life and the lives of others. I am actually going to miss the every day writing though every day checking on the gang will continue!

Now this thought is taking hold. Have you seen the "journals" where someone would write memories to pass on to their children and grandchildren? I generally do not care for the format of the pre-made journals. What if I wrote those memories from A-Z? Sounds more interesting than "What did you do in 1968?" There might be more than one word for a letter - but who cares - it would be fun! So gang, what do you think?

Will I blog more? Probably. Definitely with more confidence and greater anticipation of visiting with the gang.

Cars

2010-05-01T16:03:00.007-05:00

My beautiful niece is in the market for her first car. Thinking about her car hunt brought back memories of my first few vehicles. The first car I had access to was a 1962 Chevy station wagon similar to the one on the right. Ours was gold. I got my driver's license a year before my friend Nancy who lived across the street. We were thrilled that one day a week I could have the wagon to drive to school. It meant that mother could not go anywhere that day, so the sacrafice was hers. When Nancy got her license the following year, she was allowed to drive her mother's Oldsmobile 98 to school one day a week. That meant that 2 days a week we could drive our "own" cars! Oh, the bliss!

After my first year of college, (no, I was not allowed to take a car to school my freshman year) daddy helped me find my own first car - a 1967 Pontiac LeMans. It was darker than the one pictured, and had a black vinyl roof and a white leather interior. It was something - I was crazy about that car - until some girl ran a stop sign, hit me broadside, and totaled my car.

Then the real love of my life entered the picture: a pale yellow 1969 Mustang! Best car ever! Same color as the car in the picture but did not have the intake on the hood. It was actually pretty basic. But it was a wonderful car! Black leather interior. It was not a big engine or anything like that, but it was mine. DH never loved that car like I did. Eventually we were transferred overseas and taking a '69 Mustang was not part of the deal. I have since looked for a '69 Mustang to purchase but apparently they are pretty rare - and honestly I guess I am not looking that hard.
So, sweet niece, your car is out there. And I hope you have as much fun, laughter, and good memories as I do of the gold wagon, the LeMans, and my dear lovely Mustang!

Zion

2010-04-30T08:08:00.000-05:00

Other than singing about marching to Zion, I really wasn't sure whether Zion was a place or what. So I pulled out the trusty Nelson's Bible Dictionary and looked it up. First, Zion was the name of a fortress. Then the name Zion was associated not only with the fortress but the hill on which the fortress stood. When Solomon built the temple on Mount Moriah and moved the Ark of the Covenant there, the name Zion expanded to include the Temple and the Temple area. It was a short "trip" for the name to include the city of Jerusalem, then the land of Judah, then the people of Israel as a whole.

In the New Testament Zion has been given the Christian meaning of God's spiritual kingdom, the church of God, the heavenly Jerusalem.

Is it too much of a stretch to think that God started with Abraham, then expanded to Abraham's family, the nation of Israel as His chosen people, then adopted the rest of us into that family? The word Zion has taken on a whole new meaning.

YOU

2010-04-29T09:32:00.000-05:00

YOU are infinite. YOU are Jehovah. YOU are omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. YOU are glorious. YOU are Holy. YOU are loving and full of grace. YOU are merciful. YOU are sovereign. YOU are wise, faithful, and wrathful. YOU are Lord, Master, and Father.

Xylophone

2010-04-28T16:36:00.001-05:00

Little C got a new xylophone. It makes noise so he is happy.

Several years back, #3 child decided she wanted to be a percussionist in the school band. No, said I. You have had years of piano and you must play something "musical." She insisted on percussion. Shows how much I know - she can play tympany, bells, marimba, snare, chimes, and a few other things I can't remember. Amazing.

So here comes Little C. We think he is a musical genius.

Weigh

2010-04-27T07:35:00.000-05:00

This is an antique scale from England. It even has the weights, although I have not tried to actually weight anything on it. It does make a lovely and unique fruit bowl!

Some of the most chilling words in the Bible are from Daniel: You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting. Not a direct quote - and perhaps better known as the handwriting on the wall. Found wanting - before God I never want to be found wanting.

Do I weigh my decisions and my words carefully enough? In the "big" things of life, yes. In the little every day things, no, not so much. And then that law of unintended consequences jumps up, but that is another post for another day.

And do I sometimes put too much weight on my world? Does it matter too much how many comments I get to a post? Do my fellow bloggers like what I said? Is the office newsletter okay? Enough of that. . .this could turn into a post on Worry!

We do need to weigh our words and actions before the Lord. Because of His great love for me, His atonement on the cross, His resurrection, I will not be found wanting before God. Hallelujah!

vicarious

2010-04-26T07:50:00.001-05:00

Friend RP and his wife recently vacationed in St. John, USVI. He told me about the trip before they left, sent pictures while they were gone, and shared more stories after they returned. I tried to travel with them vicariously - and without jealousy - until I can make my own trip to USVI.

Jesus' death on the cross was also vicarious and substitutionary - for my sins. It is not a trip I can make myself. "My sin - oh the bliss of this glorious thought - my sin not in part but the whole was nailed to the cross and I bear it no more - praise the Lord, praise the Lord oh my soul."

From the spiritual to the practical - no one is going to vicariously visit my house and vacuum. I am in the market for a new vacuum cleaner and need some advice from my blog world friends. Favorites?

Undeserved

2010-04-24T07:30:00.000-05:00

Has anyone said to you: "You deserve it." Maybe it is a pair of shoes or a new car that you are contemplating. "Go ahead and get it; you deserve it." This really bothers me. The idea that I "deserve" something as justification for spending, getting, having is no justification at all. It is perhaps an excuse.

I don't deserve God's love and favor. I don't deserve salvation. It is a gift from God. Perhaps that carries over into the everyday - I don't deserve the nice house or the new car. I have both (although when I am still driving the same car in 10 years it will be the old clunker!) How can I use them to the glory of God? How can I share them with those in need? How can those undeserved parts of my life serve others? I don't have all the answers to these questions. The questions and answers can become part of my daily walk and service to the Lord.

Tea

2010-04-23T07:28:00.001-05:00

Until recently, tea has gotten a bad rap in the US. Something about unfair taxation and brewing a big pot in the Boston harbor. Now tea shops are springing up everywhere and afternoon tea is offered daily in wonderful sophisticated settings. The idea of taking a moment mid-afternoon to brew a cup, maybe add a snack (low cal of course) and just sit - hoping the phone doesn't ring - well, it is calming.

This week has been crazy busy - anniversary party at work, prison ministry papers, house remodel project (see yesterday's post), work, baby, class, friend's retirement party - a moment for calm was called for and never taken.

The Bible doesn't talk about tea but it does talk about spending time in quiet, sometimes solitude, reflection - taking the time to be calm. Jesus was calm, don't you think? I want to be like Jesus.

Songs

2010-04-22T06:24:00.000-05:00

I cannot remember what I ate last week but I know all the words to "Do Ron Ron". How is this possible? It is so much easier to remember songs than anything else. It seems like there is always a song rumbling around in my head as well as on the radio. Favorite groups right now include Dave Crowder Band and Third Day, though there are many more that will be favorites next time I turn on the radio.

And then there are the old songs, especially the old hymns. One of the favorites is "It Is Well With My Soul." I hope that there is always a song in my heart - and in yours.

Relatives

2010-04-21T11:55:00.000-05:00

We all have them. I grew up with lots. My mother was the youngest of 8, my father the youngest of 5. Every summer we gathered in East Texas at my uncle's lake house for the maternal clan reunion. So many memories tied up in those trips. My father's side of the family lived in the same city. Cousins down the street, aunt and uncle around the corner, another aunt just up the road, and other cousins everywhere!

To me the word "cousin" meant so much: no introduction needed; memories forever back; conversation starts in the middle. Yes, we had some quirky people in the family but they were still family. It was not until years later that I realized not everyone grew up like this or had family like this.

Last summer I went to reunion of the members of a high school church choir. 40 years had passed, but we picked up conversations in the middle. We sang some of the old songs. We laughed and talked and the years fell away. We were bound together by our love of the Lord - and our fabulous choir director! We too are relatives. We came together again a few months later to help a former member in need - his house was falling down around him. Volunteers stepped in and fixed what was broken. We helped our own - he is a relative.

During the month of April, I have met some more distant (physically) family members - brothers and sisters in the Lord who are scattered all over the US. Put us in the same room and we too would start our conversation in the middle. We have a bond. We are relatives.

Questions

2010-04-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

My dad had a theory about questions: Ask a lot. He felt that curiosity was one of the most important things we human beings could be. Dad taught us that the best way to have a conversation with someone was to ask them questions - be curious about them. When the visit was over, you would know a lot, and the other person would think that you were the best conversationalist ever!

Jesus asked a lot of questions as well. "Who do men say that I am?" was and is a very important question from our Lord. C. S. Lewis once said (and I am not quoting here) that we had to decide whether Jesus was a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. Which one do you say that He is?

Paperwork

2010-04-19T06:22:00.001-05:00

I am not a fan of paperwork. Last week I had "paperwork day".

This is my desk before paperwork day. Most of that stuff is junk mail. Yuk.

This is my desk after paperwork day. Whatever happened to the Paper Reduction Act? Wasn't that a law or something? But I digress.

DH works for Apple. So we were well into the hoopla of the launch of the iPad. One of the features of the iPad is an electronic book. You can actually "flip" the pages like a real book. It would certainly cut down on paper and may have a future! :-)

There is one "real paper" book I cannot give up for an electronic version - my old Bible. An electronic Bible cannot replace the margin notes, the memories of the Bible studies, the life lessons on those pages. It is just too precious. The Word of God is written for all. My Bible makes those lessons and words personal. No, I won't be "flipping" the pages on an iPad - I will be turning the pages of an old school Bible.

Oooops

2010-04-17T08:48:00.000-05:00

A while back our book club read Knitting by Anne Bartlett. The story is not really about knitting at all, although the heroine, Martha, does knit. The interesting thing that Martha does is take a small suitcase and two large bags with her everywhere she goes. To church, on the bus, to work, to tea in the afternoon, everywhere. The bags are cumbersome, hard to maneuver, and sometimes rule where she goes, where she sits, whether or not Martha can do the things she wants to do. The story weaves around the relationship between Martha and Sandra, Kate, and Cliff. It is not until the end that we find out about those bags and the suitcase: they contain all of Martha's knitting mistakes. Everything she has ever done wrong and intends to fix but either cannot or does not have time. In the end, the knitting mistakes do get corrected, but not by Martha. I won't reveal how - in case you want to read the book!

I have a couple of small knitting mistake projects. One has been in a bag for about 5 years, another for 2 years. There they sit, reminding me that I didn't do something right. They just sit in the craft room - I certainly don't want to take them anywhere with me!

How many of us are guilty of carrying our life's mistakes everywhere we go? My hand is raised high in the air right now. It is where the evil one can push my buttons. I can dredge up things I did in my childhood and they will bother me and haunt me. Our pastor challenged us on the first Sunday of 2010 to lay down those things that burden us and haunt us - lay them at Jesus feet and let them go. The things we drag around are just as heavy and burdensome as Martha's bags and suitcase. Yet we continue to drag around junk with us all the time.

This is still a challenge for me. I am not there - God is not finished with me yet. Am I alone in this or there others who are dragging stuff around that has no purpose in their Kingdom work? Let's pray for each other to dump the useless stuff.

Bees

2010-04-16T21:35:00.001-05:00

This is so out of order for the A-Z challenge but I had to share this with you! I came home from work today a little after 5:00. DH had left for work about 4:15, so there was not a serious time delay between our times at home. I noticed as I let the puppies out that there seemed to be a lot of bees flying around the back yard. Well, the lavender is blooming, and DH had planted a lot of seasonal color in the back yard (later post, it looks beautiful). Maybe the bees were just happy to be in Texas in the spring. But there sure were a lot of them. A really lot of them, hitting the windows and stuff. Called DH. No bees when he was home. Hmmmm. Then I saw it. In the picture. The huge brownish blackish thing in my tree. See it? Bees. Lots of bees. Oh, and on the ground, big mound of bees. Uh, oh. This can't be good. Googled Beekeeper. Called Beekeeper. He will be right out. Whew. I went out with the girls. Come home, no bees. Whew again. This was a new one for me. Beekeeper is my new hero!

Nehemiah

2010-04-16T06:24:00.000-05:00

Friend Christy is going to be teaching the book of Nehemiah in the fall. Christy is such a gifted teacher that if she developed a class on the lessons in the Chicago phone book, I would sign up. Unfortunately, I cannot go to Nehemiah. Yesterday I read through the book to see what I could glean on my own. Briefly, and in no particular order, here is what I found:

Nehemiah's heart was so tender that when he discovered all that had happened in Jerusalem, he wept. Do I weep before God when my fellow brothers and sisters suffer?

N's prayer in chapter 1, verse 5, is beautiful. In the same chapter, when N made his request to the king, he was polite. As he moved on the Jerusalem, he valued his people so much as they rebuilt the wall that he named them individually. When insults were thrown at N, he threw them straight to God in prayer. When a plot against N was discovered, first he prayed, then did the next practical thing: posted a guard. When his own people complained, he pondered their problems then acted promptly going to the leaders. N also came up with a plan repopulate the city. There is a lot of space in the book given to the reading of God's word, followed by praise, then confession followed by praise.

So what are some of the high points of this very quick read?

1. People in our lives are very important

2. Politeness is a good characteristic to have

3. Prayer to God is better than responding to insults

4. Pray first, then do the next practical thing (I think Christy taught me this!)

5. Pondering (thinking hard) is sometimes better than quick action

6. Praise should be my response to God - and often it is not

Okay, this was quick - maybe too quick. Who else is a Nehemiah fan and can add to my list? From this list I do have some things to ponder and pray about today.

Meals and Missions

2010-04-15T08:47:00.000-05:00

Two word title! These will tie together in the end. First let's start with the dark side - we need to visit it briefly. I love housework, ironing, laundry, cooking. Please do not write me about seeking therapy for this - it is just my thing. I love cooking so much that I once got talked into planning and preparing the Wednesday night meals at our church - for about 100 people a week. That lead to volunteering to go on a mission trip and cook for 50 teenagers and adults for one week, three meals a day. The kitchen had no dishwasher, one oven, one sink, no microwave (I talked our group leader into buying one), no coffee pot (seriously) and was the size of a large closet. The stories and blessings from that adventure are too numerous to recount here.

It is happening again. Not exactly a mission trip this time but a high school (plus sponsors) summer camp. My youth minister son-in-law asked if I would like to go as chief cook. Yes! I really would. So off we go - hopefully with a kitchen and equipment better than the one mentioned above.

Cooking for 50 teenagers and sponsors is not exactly foreign mission field stuff. We are all on a mission for our Lord. Our mission field might be our office or with prisoners or even in our own homes. We are all missionaries. We all have a ministry - or we need to find one!

I am in the planning stages for the summer trip - writing menus, experimenting with recipes, and thinking through the logistics of timing etc. This brings me great joy. Don't you think our ministry and mission should be joyful?

Lint

2010-04-14T07:14:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I was reading my favorite homekeeping website, Flylady. Our task was to clean our laundry rooms, including the dryer vent. Failure to clean the dryer vent can result in fire. What!?! In order to clean the vent, one needs a special cleaning kit. So I went to the store and bought one, cleaned the dryer vent (yes, it was pretty linty) and checked that off my list. I am sure DH and the puppies all slept better last night knowing that the probability of a house fire had been greatly reduced.

Have you ever noticed how many things in our lives come with warnings? Nearly everything actually. You know, like "Caution: Improper use of this product can cause harm or death." Do you read every warning label? I do not.

There is one thing where the warning label would be opposite of what we normally see. The label on our Bibles would way "Caution: Use of this product will lead to joy, peace, and life eternal!" That is a "warning" label I can live with! How about you?

Knitting

2010-04-13T06:45:00.001-05:00

Of course this post is about knitting! I love knitting! The project on the left is for my daughter and will someday be a shawl or throw. It has a long way to go.

It is sometime hard for those of us who are left-brains to be creative. Knitting is my creative side. Knitting is organized creativity - it is organized knot tying. It is counting. It is a process. And I love the yarn, especially the natural fibers like wool, cotton, silk, and bamboo and combinations of all of the above.

The Proverbs 31 woman is called a Wife of Noble Character. There are many ways I fall short of this ideal. Verse 13 of the chapter says "She selects wool and flax and works with eager hand." I don't know if she was knitting - probably weaving which I also want to learn - but I can identify with her and hopefully provide little things for my family. (Check my blog: www.patternofgrace.blogspot.com for the latest little project.)

Psalm 139:13 says: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb

God also used a process when He formed us, very carefully counting and planning. It is amazing. My response must be one of gratitude and adoration and knowing that as He began the planning so many years ago, He will finish what He started - He will be with me to my old age and gray hairs. What assurance and love!

Journey

2010-04-12T06:48:00.000-05:00

It's not the destination, it's the journey. Unknown

I love a good trip. We are in the midst of planning our vacation - hopefully this will involve a beach, sun, swimming, and grilling. We will also add in a lot of fellowship within the family and new friends that we will meet. And food - lots of island type food. (This is beginning to sound like letter F day on our A-Z challenge). Once we decide exactly where we are going and staying, the rest of the trip will be fun to plan.

You probably have guessed where this is going. As Christians, we already know our destination. That secured, we can concentrate on the journey. Rick Warren states in his book, The Purpose Driven Life, every journey deserves a journal. This A-Z challenge has pushed me to work on my spiritual journal.

One of my favorite quotes about our earthly journey is one from C. S. Lewis:

The settled happiness and security which we all desire God withholds from us by the very nature of the world. But joy, pleasure and merriment He has scattered abroad. We are never safe but we have plenty of fun and some ecstasy. It is not hard to see why. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world. . . Our Father refreshes us on this journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home.

Have a wonderful Monday journey.

Investing

2010-04-10T08:16:00.000-05:00

This is not a paragraph on 401K's or IRA's, though both are good things. This is about investing of a different sort. By definition investing means to lay out money with the expectation of a profit, or a commitment of something other than money with the expectation of a worthwhile result. Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when he spoke of the talents - when some people received a return on their talents because of the choices they made.

It is easy to give our time to a worthy cause - a little here and a little there. It is easy to give a little money here and there. Is that investing? I don't think so. Investing myself is more than a little time. It is deeper. It is volunteering to work with people and counseling them in their impossible situation. It is being available for the adult children in creative ways. There is no guarantee of the outcome except for this. . .

There is the guarantee of the kingdom to come. The investment is in following the King.

Happiness

2010-04-09T08:56:00.000-05:00

Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. - Abraham Lincoln

It is hard to illustrate happiness. Shining sun? Big smiley face? Happiness is mental - it is within us. There are obvious outward expressions that we connect with happiness - laughter and smiles for example. What about deep abiding happiness? In Philippians, Paul says:

. . .for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

I know that no matter what the circumstances, God is in control. That doesn't mean that I am never angry, never sad, never concerned. It means that underneath those emotions, there is the happiness, the contentment, the knowledge that I can do, be, live because of the One who give me strength - and happiness. Will that underlying happiness spill out into the life of someone else today?

God

2010-04-08T07:54:00.000-05:00

Immortal Invisible Wise Light Blessed

Glorious Ancient of Days Almighty Victorious Unresting

Unhasting Ruler Mighty Just Good

Love Life Giver True Unchanging Father

Alpha Omega Pure Faithful Friend

Fearless

2010-04-07T06:18:00.000-05:00

Fearless - calmly resolute in facing dangers or perils. I love this. This doesn't mean walking a tightrope across the Grand Canyon. That is not fearless - that is foolish. Fearless, for me, is freedom from the fear of making mistakes. For instance, I love knitting but I hate the mistakes. So I have a book called Fearless Knitting. Through that I have learned how to avoid mistakes from the beginning and how to correct them when they occur. No more fear!

Life is another matter. There is much to fear - job loss, money worries, children worries, whatever is on the news today. My friend Edward John has written a book and lectured on Fearless Living. That is how I want to live - fearlessly! And there is only one way: let the One who holds the future take over - because He knows the rest of the story!

Elephants

2010-04-06T06:26:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard the saying "elephant in the room"? Usually this refers to something so huge that everyone can "see" it but pretends it is not there. Like something you need to talk about. A problem maybe. With a friend, a spouse, a child. Why don't we start the conversation? Maybe we think we know how it will end - badly. Or we want to avoid confrontation. Or the status quo is easier than the change that may come. So the elephant becomes our pet. We decorate around it, feed it, try not to bump into it. It sure does take up a lot of space. How important is it to get the elephant out of the room?

Dearest

2010-04-05T12:15:00.000-05:00

"Dear" is such an endearing term - something that indicates a treasure. We use it a lot in the south. I have a dear husband, dear daughters (2), a dear son, dear grandson and dear son in law. I have many dear friends. Without the dear couple pictured, none of my "dear's" would exist: my dear mother and daddy. This picture is from their wedding day - back in the day when a bride and groom dressed up to leave for their honeymoon. My dear daddy passed away in 1976. I miss him terribly - he never got to meet my children which is a huge loss to them. My dear mother passed away in 1996 after years of illness. My children do remember her and it is with fondness. I hope you have a lot of "dears" in your life.

old rugged cross

2010-04-04T10:19:00.001-05:00

I have lots of crosses - metal, ceramic, painted, crystal. I love them all. My favorite is this one. Made of driftwood from South Carolina by my dear friend and sister in the Lord, it reminds me of the ruggedness of the cross on which Christ was crucified. And without getting too carried away on symbolism, without Christ I am drifting. He found me, just as Anne found this wood. The beauty of this Easter is that the cross is empty, just as the tomb is empty, because He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed!

What To Do

2010-03-25T18:36:00.000-05:00

I am sick. It feels like a head cold with strep throat (it is not) and a touch of the flu (it isn't that either). Bottom line is this is not fun and I have been home all week. My boss told me to stay home - she doesn't want me at the office. Today I decided I needed a list - I always need a list - but I didn't feel too enthusiastic about doing much. DD told me to blog about this, which I thought was silly until I got bored. There are even a couple of pictures. So here is my list:

What to do - when you feel like poo

1. Organize laundry room

2. knit

3. Read my new Real Simple magazine

4. Nap

5. Organize Grocery Game desk

6. organize storage closet (it is really small)

7. Get rid of the DVR shows I am not going to watch

8. Nap

9. Scrub the kitchen floors

10. Nap

The reality is that I am not going to take 3 naps. I will take 2. But I couldn't think of a 10th thing for the list. Also, these items are not done in any particular order. I haven't read the magazine yet.

Now about the pics: The desk actually belonged to my mother and while it is not in the style of my house, I have to keep it. I use it to play The Grocery Game.

The laundry room - well, the 1/2 of the laundry room I wanted you to see is - well, clean!

Almost time for Flash Forward. Bye. Hope you don't get this crud, but if you do, you can make a list too!

Spring, Sprang, Sprung

2010-03-21T12:17:00.000-05:00

This is getting almost laughable. Snow on March 21st. The day after the first day of Spring. Really? DH measured 7 inches in the back yard and 4 inches on the grill. No official totals yet. Yes, it is pretty. So were the flowers that my neighbor planted and had to cover with sheets last night. I know, I know. It is Texas and in the middle of the August heat we will look back on this with longing. . .

Good news is this calls for a warm yummy dinner. Try Pioneer Woman's Drip Beef Sandwiches. Let it snow let it snow!

15 Hours of SNOW! #2

2010-02-12T19:07:00.001-06:00

I decided that a pretty picture was needed. I took this yesterday evening before we went on sledding adventure #1. Not since we lived in Michigan or Colorado do I remember the long continuous snow fall that we had yesterday. By Friday morning we had received several more inches.

15 hours of SNOW!

2010-02-12T19:02:00.000-06:00

This picture is hard to see so let me help: This is me, Linda, crazy person on a sled with my neighbor's 2 years old daughter. We were at the bottom of the hill. Yes, we did slide down the hill on the little sled, and yes, the dear little child trusted me not to hit the tree! It was great fun - and since this much snow is so rare in Texas we decided to take full advantage. We went to the golf course near our house and went up and down hills until we couldn't take another step. It is still beautiful and the good news is that now the streets are clear.

Wonderful Weekend

2010-01-23T17:52:00.000-06:00

Wonderful weekend with my friends in McKinney! Me, Jodi, Kathy, and Cathy! Chapel Choir lives on!

SNOW!

2009-12-04T14:56:00.001-06:00

Quick snap on the iPhone from Wednesday morning. It does not snow in Texas in December, especially on the second day of December! I could not believe what I was seeing out the window. The dogs could not believe what they were seeing when they went outside. It was so pretty, didn't last long, and didn't make a mess. Of course, no chance of making a snowman either. :-)

Better look quick

2009-11-26T19:42:00.000-06:00

Because I don't know when you will see this again. In the photo: Chris, me, Cay, and Mike. Yes, me. In a Turkey Trot t-shirt. What you cannot see is the other 36, 996 people who showed up today to walk (or trot, or even run) to benefit the YMCA. And it was fun! There were several bands playing and singing along the way, lots of strollers and dogs and families walking together. Our group was actually 8 strong, though 2 of the participants decided to run - silly girls. As soon as we got to the finish line (no running through ribbon with our hands in the air) we headed to Cat's house for turkey and much more food than can even be described here. Yum. Then we played Back Seat Drawing. Absolutely hilarious. Now it is time for bed.

Sweet puppies

2009-11-11T11:07:00.000-06:00

Hanging out in the craft room the other day working on Christmas projects and turned to find this. Isn't it sweet? What good friends. . .they would have to be good friends to sleep butt to butt, right?

Out and about

2009-11-01T15:58:00.001-06:00

Cat and Mike took Cason to a carnival last weekend. This is how he rides in his stroller - he does not want to miss a thing. I think he is practicing driving already.

Little Punkin

2009-11-01T15:41:00.000-06:00

We took Cason to the pumpkin patch at Calloway's Nursery. He really thought the hay looked tasty. We strongly discouraged that as a snack option. And for some reason, the whole pumpkin thing was very funny to him. He is definitely entertaining.

My New Office

2009-11-01T15:28:00.000-06:00

I returned to the working world with Keller Williams - this time out in the country.
This is the front of the Celina Office. Very cozy and home-like. The agents are wonderful.
This is the view to the west. Farmland. The train goes by twice a day. I like trains.
This is the view to the east. A barn, a pasture, and trees. Very country.
And here are the back door neighbors. They thought I had an apple for them. Next time. . .

Bama Beach Vacation Part 1

2009-09-22T07:41:00.000-05:00

We had a glorious week in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The house was fabulous and the beach was ours. No one else was there. Here are a few pictures - next post will be a slide show if I can make it happen. Chris tried to teach me some camera stuff so I played with f stops. That was lesson #1.

The boardwalk was directly across the street from our house. It was like a movie set!

Aunt Cay is the baby-whisperer. She works magic with Little C.

So Not the Typical Grandmother Part 2

2009-09-03T15:52:00.000-05:00

Mother of grandson has decided to make her own baby food. I did this once. Back in the early 80's. It was spinach. I managed to blow it out of the blender onto me, the ceiling, and the walls. Hello Gerber. Dear Daughter (DD) is more organized, so I will help her. Yesterday I did peaches and apples. After washing the apples, I cut them in half and steamed them in a large pot. When they were soft, I scooped out the seeds, scraping really close to the skin 'cause the color is pretty. Meanwhile, I had cut up some peaches and cooked them in a little tiny bit of water. From that point the method is the same: Into the blender, then into a strainer, then into the ice cube trays to be frozen. Meanwhile, the apples drained off a little fresh apple juice, which I gave to Cason in his first sippy cup! Fun day!

So Not the Typical Grandmother Part 1

2009-09-03T13:08:00.000-05:00

One day I was telling friend Eileen that I loved to blog. (Not that it is obvious since the last post was when Cason was born.) Eileen responded that I was so not the typical grandmother. I think this is a good thing - what is a not so typical grandmother? For that matter, what is typical? I never knew my grandparents. All of my clues came from aunts and uncles who had grandchildren, and from my own mother when my children were growing up.

Friend Kathy has the perfect not so typical mother/grandmother to her children. My own children are in awe of Cutie. Why? First the name. No Nanna or Grammy here. Cutie! How awesome. Second, Cutie went out 4-wheeling with her grandkids. My own children held that event in such awe that I made a mental note: 4-wheel with the grandchildren when they arrive.

So now I am on a quest to find out what it means to be not so typical - 'cause that is what I want to be! Any ideas out there in blogger land?

The pictures were taken in Cason's nursery in the rocker that belonged to my grandmother. I suppose she rocked her children in it. My mother used it to rock us, and I used it to rock my babies. How fitting that it is being passed down the generations!

Cason and his lights

2009-03-23T22:06:00.000-05:00

Our baby is doing much better. He is off of the oxygen, and is finishing up his antibiotics. Today he had an echo-cardiogram to check on a detected heart murmur. That will continue to be watched by his doctor and it is assumed at this point that it will close on its own. He will continue under the lights to improve his jaundice. He is eating wonderfully well and we can't wait to see how much he weighs tomorrow. It still looks like the whole family will be home on Wednesday. Hallelujah!

2009-03-21T18:52:00.000-05:00

Caylin took this picture right after Cason was born. He is doing well. Catherine has been able to feed and hold him and lot. Tomorrow he will be moved out of the intense part of NICU and into a different room. Thursday will be homecoming day! Hooray! He has not lost weight, is off IV fluids, but still has the IV for antibiotics. He is a little jaundiced, and that surprises no one. He is certainly in the right place for those lights if that becomes necessary. We are thrilled at his progress and so looking forward to Thursday. Thank you for your prayers.

Quick Update on Baby

2009-03-20T10:19:00.000-05:00

The report this morning is that our boy took 2 bottles! This is wonderful news as it means no more feed tube, and Catherine can hold him, feed him, and change his diaper. His respirations are still a little fast; overall he is doing well. Keep praying. . .!

He is here!

2009-03-19T18:37:00.001-05:00

Here is our beautiful baby boy! Cason was born at 6:57 on March 18 and weighed in at 7 pounds 11 ounces. Apparently he has some fluid on his lungs, and was transferred to NICU. Lots of signs look good - he has no fever and his respirations have slowed to a normal rate. Lab results tomorrow will help tell the full story. Catherine is doing well, just a little upset that she cannot hold the baby or feed him yet. He is strong and we will get past this. I cannot help but think of Hannah and her prayer for a baby - Samuel! He is beautiful and we cannot wait to play with him. Do pray for Catherine and Mike for their peace of mind and strength, and for our boy as he fights to get rid of this fluid and go home to his beautiful nursery.

Sun Dog Zillionaire

2009-03-03T13:25:00.001-06:00

If a picture is worth 1000 words. . .this is where our Reese stays most of the day or at least as long as the sun is out. Princess was not sunbathing today. Apparently I had closed a door which shut her off from her usual path to the bedroom. She could have walked around another way, but no. She was miffed and got in her own bed in the laundry room. . .such drama!

Celebrate

2009-01-20T18:40:00.000-06:00

No picture on this post, just some random thoughts. We watched the inauguration this morning. Then I decided to make cupcakes - celebration cupcakes. DH wanted to know what we were celebrating. We were celebrating the process. We didn't crown a king today, nor did we rubber stamp a dictator. We did not hail an emperor in a parade and we did not have a civil war to decide our leader. We inaugurated a president. He may not be your choice or my choice, yet the process is the important thing and plenty reason to celebrate! So have a cupcake - they were carrot by the way.

Life with BunaB

2009-01-14T16:44:00.000-06:00

Around 1985, we purchased a house in Houston. In the built-in desk drawer I found a small plastic case labeled BunaB. Inside was a set of instructions and a. . .well, the picture is better than a description. The instructions were rather detailed, but I could not figure out what a BunaB really was or what it was supposed to do. Even so, I moved the BunaB with me to Nacogdoches, through 3 houses there, then to McKinney and 2 residences. Yesterday I found the BunaB again in a desk drawer. Since 1985 a few things have changed - we now have internet and Google. So to Google I went for answers. Sure enough, there was an article on BunaB's. Come to find out, Al Crowder invented the BunaB in the 1950's. Apparently he didn't have enough to do, had a bunch of clarinet reed cases (he was a musician), and came up with a use for the plastic cases. You can read more about this on www.samueljohnson.com/bunab/index.html. Anyway, Crowder took the name Orville K. Snav and the BunaB was the flagship product of his company. Yes, he actually sold these. Bottom line: The BunaB does absolutely nothing. Yet the instructions are quite detailed, and again, really say nothing. It is kind of funny. And yet, maybe there is a lesson here. Are we carrying around something in our lives that doesn't do anything, complete with instructions that tell us nothing? Are we depending on the useless to bring meaning? I read these instructions many times before I figured out that it was all a joke. Now BunaB is my reminder about how critical it is that what we depend on for instruction is real. And the real, best instructions come from a book with a single title: Bible. My friend Christy would be much better at making the spiritual connection - she is so gifted that way. And perhaps I am making too much of this - nevertheless, I am hanging on to my BunaB!

Flower Arranging 101

2009-01-04T20:51:00.001-06:00

After taking down the Christmas decorations, the house looked empty and boring. What would spark it up? A few fresh flowers!

Flower arranging should be an art that all good southern girls know. My friend Christy gave me a fabulous book years ago; it is like my textbook. So this should be easy. In truth, flower arranging requires a double Masters in Design and Engineering. I have neither. I do have a wonderful son-in-law who gave me a beautiful vase for Christmas. So after studying my textbook and the new Martha Stewart catalogue, I tried copying her January arrangement. Hmmmmm. I will try some more. Meanwhile, my brother looks, just looks, at an arrangement and copies it for his Christmas Eve dinner. Real horns and pine cones and stuff. It looks great! I will keep working and experimenting. And a little PS: one of my flowers was dead by the next morning. Oops. Won't use that one again.

Family Christmas Fun

2008-12-19T06:43:00.001-06:00

Every year we try to find something new to do as a family. Grapevine was our pick this year. Did you know it is the Christmas Capitol of Texas? Neither did we. The Christmas part of Grapevine is really one street, Main Street, with lots of shops and restaurants. There are displays in the town square depicting life at the North Pole. There are carriage rides and a train that goes to the Gaylord Texan Hotel. Some of Santa's elves have escaped from the workshop and are running around town. We had a wonderful time shopping (we didn't buy anything), eating, and visiting.

In the midst of our fun, Chris made a new friend. They visited briefly.

Life, Laugh, Love

2008-11-23T14:42:00.000-06:00

Uppercase Living is a company that sells wall letter art. A friend had a show, I loved this expression, and in almost no time and with some help from Caylin, I had wall art! It is a perfect fit for that little section of wall where nothing else seemed to work so well. The items from Uppercase Living can be customized with many color choices. It is fun! I like this expression 'cause it is a good reminder how to live life. Soon after my father passed away (in 1976) Mother made the comment about how she would miss him - "He was just so much fun." That has stayed with me more than any other memory of that sad time - it is something I hope my children can say one day.

Stay-cation

2008-11-23T14:30:00.000-06:00

Stay-cation was a term we learned while Catherine and I were on a stay-cation. This refers to staying where you live but not at home. Cat and I took a weekend and checked into the Belmont Hotel in Oak Cliff, a boutique hotel that is so fabulous. We felt like we were truly away. We had to walk up a hill then down another hill to eat at the wonderful Cliff Cafe. The hotel and our room has a view of Downtown Dallas that is wonderful day and night. We spent the weekend crafting. Catherine's pictures are included. I worked on knitting projects which are not completed as quickly as Cat's cards, decorations, and jewelry. Knitting will be posted to the appropriate blog later. Surprising, having grown up in Dallas, we never visited the Oak Cliff area much. This is a beautiful part of the city - classic older homes on tree lined streets. We drove through the Bishop Arts District - we are saving the exploration of that area for another trip with Don and Mike.

Favorite Kitchen Toy Part 2

2008-10-29T18:58:00.000-05:00

With Don's work schedule, I really like doing a hot lunch. Then, if he comes home at 8:00, he knows that dinner will be hunt and find. Yesterday, I made garlic/rosemary chicken. Here is how: At 11:30, I snipped some rosemary from my garden, washed it off. Then I smashed two garlic cloves with some kosher salt to make a paste. Using chicken breasts with bone in/skin on, I lifted the skin and rubbed the garlic paste on the chicken, followed by the snipped fresh rosemary. Then I let it sit for 1 hour. At 12:30, I turned on the pressure cooker (see previous post), and melted butter and sauted onions. Then in went the chicken, skin side down to brown. Flipped the chicken over, added 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, set the pressure cooker to cook for 15 minutes on high pressure, and we sat down to lunch at 1:05. Awesome!

My New Favorite Kitchen Toy

2008-10-24T12:57:00.000-05:00

This is my new and most favorite kitchen toy ever. It is a Cuisinart pressure cooker. I remember pressure cookers from childhood. Mother had one - it was a Presto - and consisted of a pot, lid and a pressure thingy on top. If used incorrectly, the pressure thingy would blow right off. So this type of cooking never appealed to me because of visions of holes in the ceiling and stuff everywhere.

Enter Don's new job at Williams Sonoma. A customer purchased one of these from him and was singing the praises of 40 minute pork roasts. We decided to give it a try. Well, wonders never cease! It is a marvel!

My first meal was basic beef stew. The Cuisinart brand cooker has browning and sauteing features. So I browned the meat, added the rest of the stuff, and cooked it for 10 minutes, added the carrots, another 6 minutes of cooking, and lunch was ready. Amazing! So that night we had Acapulco chicken with rice - everything cooked in about 15 minutes. The next night chili - wonderful. Today I made risotto in 7 minutes with no stirring and it was the best ever. I love my new toy! Sunday we are going to try a roast - stay tuned for updates. . .

I Love Fall!

2008-10-12T12:44:00.000-05:00

Our most wonderful landscaper, John, finished the little bed in front of the house. You will find me on the bench having coffee - please come by for a visit!

Captain Clinton and the Stingrays

2008-09-10T11:30:00.000-05:00

Captain Clinton picked us up at the dock in Grand Cayman and took us out on our Stingray adventure. We were a little nervous - and then we saw the 'rays. They were enormous! Yikes! But like the brave tourists we were, into the water we went. Thankfully, Capt. Clinton also got into the water with us, helped us hold our new friends and we even kissed the 'rays for good luck! Hope I can find those pictures on someone else's camera. Chris had taken an underwater housing for my camera and was able to get the good underwater pictures. This was great fun!

2008-09-08T19:37:00.000-05:00

In Cozumel, we went to Cooking School! Great fun with Chef Luis, a Cozumel local who had also studied in France and Italy. We made an appetizer, main dish of fish and stuffed pepper, and a dessert dish with cookies and rice pudding. Pam and Mike, Don, Catherine, Chris and I went cooking while the rest of our group took a beach trip.

2008-09-08T18:39:00.001-05:00

Nearly every exit from every port found us on Brett and Melanie's balcony enjoying the view and visiting about our day. Here are a few of the pictures.

And we will sail away. . .

2008-09-08T11:34:00.000-05:00

Off we go on our cruise adventure! Because the Hurricane Gustav is messing with our schedule, we will be going to Progresso, Mexico, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman. There are 12 of us total: Don and Linda, Catherine & Mike, Chris, Caylin, Don's sister and husband, and 4 friends of Cat and Mike's: Brett and Melanie and Joseh and Michelle. All of the pictures will be coming up in the next few days. Keep watching. . .

A clean plane and a new beginning

2008-08-29T20:24:00.000-05:00

As Don landed on Thursday, August 28, and taxied to the terminal, he was met by two fire trucks. They began spraying water as Don taxied under the arches. This was the final salute in Don's Continental Airlines career. He is now officially retired. WOW! Way to go Don!

The new bedroom color

2008-08-18T20:17:00.000-05:00

At long last - we got the bedroom painted! Ah, yes, the term "we" is relative. I cooked dinner while Don painted. I brought Don water while he painted. I told him how good it looked while he painted. And I helped move the furniture back in after Don painted. Don said he is through painting for the rest of his life!

Grocery Game is the Best!

2008-08-10T13:03:00.000-05:00

So today at Kroger, I bought the Electrasol, 4 ct. crescent rolls, 2 green Kiwi and 2 gold Kiwi and 3 packages of gum (not pictured) for 19 cents. That's right! I had coupons, plus sale prices, plus $4 in register cash back from 2 weeks ago. WOW this is a fun game!

We also went to Tom Thumb (we being DH and me and DH being Dear Husband). Left is that picture - all for $47.72 with a total savings of $46.48. In case the pictures if hard to decifer, there are 2 loaves of bread, 5 packages of Oscar Meyer lunch meat, a pork loin, tomatoes, strawberries, kleenex, yogurt, and scrubbing bubbles. Yes this is fun. Let me know if you want to join!

The puppies grow up

2008-07-02T19:29:00.000-05:00

Backyard Puppies
Playing and Resting And finally sleeping

In some order or another this is how the days are spent. With, of course, plenty of chow time. Adorable.

Puppy Update!

2008-06-24T18:51:00.001-05:00

Can it get any cuter? This is how they sleep. They are constantly curled up together. Today they played and played in the laundry room. I took them outside but they were not as crazy out the grass and the cement. Both of them got their first taste of puppy food (canned) and they loved it! Could not get enough! They play and tumble and and fuss and have great fun.

Call in the Pros

2008-06-24T18:37:00.001-05:00

This oriental rug was purchased when we lived on Guam from 1976 to 1980. It is made in China and very soft. It has been in our living room, dining room, and is currently residing in our bed room. Since we have wood floors, it is a great asset and accent. This was, however, an afterthought - we put the rug in the room after we moved in and had done all the painting. We chose a beautiful green for the bedroom walls that does not go with the rug (refer to picture on right). So now begins the great debate - what color do we choose? Don and I have made at least 3 trips to the paint stores (we cannot even stick with one store) and brought home a variety of colors, some of which have already been painted over by other colors. Please understand that the example in the picture is just one of many similar places on the bedroom wall. It is really quite disturbing.

Why are we doing this? I really have no idea since we have in our very own family an Interior Designer. I know this because I helped pay for the undergraduate degree and the Master's Degree. And she has earned her NCIDQ. In a moment of clarity (which was hard to find considering the rather catastrophic bedroom walls), I called said family member and asked her to please pick a paint color - any color - and I will paint the walls no questions asked. I hope she comes very soon. Post painting pictures will be posted - later.

Games at Whit's End

2008-06-10T12:51:00.001-05:00

This weeks game is called the Grocery Game! It might be hard to identify everything in the picture that was purchased at Kroger - so here goes: 1 package chicken thighs, 2 cans Hormel white chicken in water, cherries, green beans, watermelon, tomatoes, Boston lettuce, 1 case water (Aquafina), Tide 100 oz., and 2 Ocello sponges. All of this should have cost $54.99. Instead it cost $31.74. I can live with that savings!

So how do you play the Grocery Game? I learned from a friend at work who conducted a class. It takes a little work and a little time; the savings are well worth it. There is a website that is worth a preview look: www.thegrocerygame.com. For more information, please e-mail me. I would be happy to write you back or get one-on-one or do a class. It is great fun, and I am able to pass along savings or food items that I have gotten for next to nothing to the children.

You can go home again!

2008-06-07T16:33:00.000-05:00

Today we went home. Sort of. We visited the house where I grew up in Dallas. Mother and Daddy bought the house around 1953 or 1954. We sold it to some friends, Mike and Cindy on the right in the picture, in 1990. They have now sold the house and are moving two streets north. As with so many homes in the north Dallas area, the house will be torn down to make way for a McMansion - hopefully a pretty one!

Above: Chris, Catherine, me and Don, Cindy and Mike

So we walked through the house, reminisced, laughed, and told stories. Current owner Mike has been in and out of the house since he was in 8th grade as his parent's lived behind Mother and Daddy. So between us, we have 54 years of history. Mike and Cindy made very few changes to the house. I have a couple of pictures to post (that are in Chris' camera) of the original (1949) pink tile bathroom! We joke that it finally came back in style. It was great fun to walk back through history. We are amazed that a builder can take this home and tear it down, yet understand the costs involved in restoration and updating. Mike and Cindy are saving the beautiful metal plaque with the address on it (just between me and Don) to give to the new owners of the new house.

More Baby Pictures

2008-06-04T13:01:00.000-05:00

Here are some more pictures of our cuties! We took them outside for a little fun in the sun. Not that they can see anything yet. . .

They each weight in at 10 oz. today.

Wind and Rain

2008-06-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

"Climb up my rain barrel; slide down my cellar door. And we'll be jolly friends, forevermore!" Child's nursery song

We are in our second day of high wind. There is no point in picking up the patio furniture until this is over - it will just blow over again. It has also turned rather warm - and there has been no rain for several days.

About a month ago, Don and I decided to try a rain barrel for our new back yard landscaping. After all, it is going to get even hotter and drier and we wanted to water our plants even after the City of McKinney told us to stop watering. Hence the rain barrel. Don ordered one from a website, one with scratches 'cause we didn't care. The first rain filled it up! So he ordered another one and linked them together. We now have 105 gallons of rain water ready - or we will when it rains again. WOW! While we are not exactly the "green homeowners of the year", we are trying to do a little. They are sort of hidden at the end of the patio. It is great fun to fill up the watering can and give the flowers a drink of harvested rainwater. We feel so very earth friendly!

Best plans

2008-05-31T08:57:00.000-05:00

"The best laid schemes o' mice and men
Gang aft a-gley."
Robert Burns

I don't speak Old English, but am pretty sure this means that plans don't always work out like we planned them!

We are pleased to announce the birth of Reese's two baby boys - Helio and TK. They are now 1 1/2 days old and absolutely precious, of course. At birth they weighed 7 ounces each.

Here was the original plan: Reese will have a litter of puppies, probably four, and I will raise them and sell them and pay for our cruise in September. Brilliant! Here is how this really worked: Reese had two puppies instead of four. Labor became so difficult for her that we ended up in the puppy emergency room at 3:00 a.m. cause she needed help. #1 was born there, then we came home and #2 arrived a couple of hours later. Mommy and pups are all well now. She is a perfect mother and they are typical males - they eat and sleep! :-)

Conclusion: If we want another doxie puppy, and we do, we will buy one. It will be less expensive and easier on us all!

Happiness is. . .

2008-05-18T17:27:00.001-05:00

"Happiness Is a Warm Puppy." Charles Schulz, 1962

Can you even tell how fat Reese is? Her puppies are due the end of this week - May 22 or 23. We are so excited - she is ready to be through with this! More pictures will be posted later.

Cooking for the Month

2008-05-14T10:16:00.000-05:00

The actual book title is "Once a Month Cooking" and I highly recommend it, especially in these high cost times. To see more information on how Catherine and I spent a Saturday, go to her blog - she has pictures and everything! What I would like to do is figure out a way to teach this to young people - new brides, new moms, or anyone who wants to learn. Is anyone interested?

Quick dinner night

2008-04-03T18:47:00.000-05:00

Tip: Always decide by 10:00 in the morning what you are going to do for dinner!

That is sometimes easier said than done, especially if you have to be out the door by 6:30 on your way to work. So maybe the decision about dinner is where to go! :-)
Normally Thursday nights is a fast and easy dinner night because we want to be ready to watch LOST. That show is on a break right now. Even so, tonight's dinner was quick and easy so here it is:

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak

Juice of 1 lemon 1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 large clove garlic, sliced
Pepper to taste 3 chopped green onions
1 teaspoon dried dill weed 1 1/2 - 2 pound flank steak

Combine all ingredients and pour into a lock top bag. Marinate the flank steak in the bag which has been placed flat in a pan. Put pan in the refrigerator and turn the bag over occasionally for 2 - 12 hours. Broil meat over hot coals for 5 minutes per side for rare meat. Slice meat on the diagonal across the grain. Serves 6.

With this try green beans, minute rice and rolls. Enjoy! And enjoy those good TV shows!

Italian Night

2008-03-27T18:54:00.000-05:00

Our neighborhood has a fantastic tradition of a monthly dinner party called Dine Around - we go around to everyone's house. March was my turn. I wanted to create an Italian cafe atmosphere. There were 25 people coming so card tables were definitely in order. Those were covered with white paper a la Macaroni Grill, Chianti bottle candles for the centerpieces, and crayons of course! Everyone brought something to go with the main course which was:

Parmesan Chicken Pasta

3 pound chicken (a rotisserie chicken works great for this)
8 oz. bow tie pasta 1 cup plus chicken broth
4 Tablespoons butter 4 Tablespoons flour
1 cup half and half 1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream 1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1/3 cup white cooking wine
1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder and cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon each dry mustard and salt
8 oz. fresh mushrooms

Boil chicken and bone (or use the rotisserie chicken and remove from bone). Cook pasta in chicken broth. Make a basic white sauce: Melt butter, add flour and cook until bubbly. Add half and half and 1 cup chicken broth, stirring and cooking until thickened. Add mayo, sour cream, Parmesan, lemon juice, wine, and seasonings (may want to cut the cayenne pepper down some). Saute mushrooms in butter. Place mushrooms, chicken, and pasta in a flat 3 quart casserole. Sprinkle paprika and additional Parmesan on top. Bake 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. This can be frozen. A reduced fat version will also work by using reduced fat sour cream, half and half, and mayo. Do not use the no-fat products as this does not work - I have already tried!

March Winter Storm

2008-03-06T18:07:00.001-06:00

Tip: Be prepared!

We were hardly prepared for two snow events in the month of March - and in the same week! This is a scene from our backyard this afternoon at 3:30. The big white blobs are the "snow flakes" - they are huge!

Fortunately, last Sunday I had decided to decide on menus for the week. That took us through Tuesday. (Would you believe a short week?) Cay cooked last night, and tonight it is pizza. Luckily Don went to the store early today before the snow and got the bake at home kind of pizza. I was so glad I didn't have to cook and could play in the snow instead. One of these weeks I really am going to plan the menus then share them with everyone. Meanwhile, tonight it is a fire and LOST!

Picante Sauce and Refrigerators

2008-02-23T18:47:00.001-06:00

Tip: Check out the website www.realsimple.com for fabulous cleaning tips.

Browsing around in Real Simple website the other day, I came across a printable cleaning tip page for kitchens. The tasks were broken down by daily, weekly, and seasonally. Quick, easy to keep on track - it is wonderful!

Under seasonal tasks, it listed cleaning out the fridge. Ooops. I am not sure what season we are in or when the refrigerator last had a seasonal cleaning. Which led me to open the door and at least peek inside.

Why do I have 4 jars of picante sauce? Different brands even? (You only see three here - see recipe below). This must be in the "True Texan Manual" - something about acceptable picante sauce inventory.

The fridge is still waiting for a cleaning. There is one less jar of picante - I made the recipe below and took it to Cat's house. I mixed everything in a zip lock back the night before - it helped marinate the meat - and put it in her crock pot at noon on Saturday.

San Antonio Stew

2 pounds stew meat 1 can beef broth
1 cup hot water 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
8 ounce jar Pace picante sauce
¼ cup chopped parsley 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 cloves garlic, minced
16 ounce can tomatoes 3 med. Carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
10 ounce box frozen corn
½ cup water 2 tablespoons flour (for thickening)

Mix all except ½ cup water and flour in the crock pot. Cook on low all day. Mix water and flour until smooth and stir in stew to thicken.

Root Beer Glazed Pork

2008-02-19T08:18:00.000-06:00

A wonderful recipe, moderated, from a gourmet group dinner we attended.

2 cups root beer 2 cups beef stock
2 pound boneless pork loin 4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
4 teaspoons olive oil

To make the glaze combine the root beer and the stock in a medium heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to a thick syrup, about 1 cup, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the grill to medium high. Season the pork loin with the Cajun seasoning. Place on the grill and cook, turning occasionally and basting with the olive oil, until a meat thermometer reads 140 to 150 degrees. (If the pork is drying out too much, wrap it in foil and finish on the grill or in the oven).

To serve, slice the pork and drizzle with the glaze. Enjoy!

Sinks and Sweet Potatoes

2008-02-19T08:05:00.000-06:00

Tip of the Week: Always scrub out the kitchen sink before going to bed.

Last week, Don and I were invited to sub-in at a gourmet group dinner. Our assignment was to make bourbon-mashed sweet potatoes. Simple enough. First the sweet potatoes are baked on a cookie sheet until done. I put them in the oven, told Don to take them out when the timer rang, and went shopping with my daughter. Got home, took a nap, and started assembling the sweet potatoes. Uh, oh, they were not exactly done. No problem. I peeled them and started microwaving them. For some reason it took two small bowls and a plate to accomplish this. Potatoes then went into a large bowl with bourbon, brown sugar and a little salt. Started the mixer, and uh, oh again. There was hard lumps where there should have been whipped potatoes. The kitchen now smells like Lynchburg, Tennessee. No problem about the lumps - into a sauce pan they go for a little stove top finish. Slow cooking in all that bourbon to steam those pesky lumps did the trick - almost. To assure a perfect product, a little time in the food processor should smooth everything out (pun intended). Then, back into the large bowl, add some heavy cream, beat, and into the ceramic container. Finished by 7:28, due at the party at 7:30 - perfect.

Except for the kitchen sink. Let's count the pieces of kitchen equipment used: 1 cookie sheet, 2 small bowls, 1 small plate, assorted spoons, assorted measuring cups, 1 large bowl, 1 sauce plan, 1 food processor, 1 pair beaters, and a ceramic casserole dish. All of that equipment got dumped in the sink as Don and I headed out the door. When we got home, I broke the rule above and went straight to bed. Little did I know that youngest daughter was coming home with a friend - and you already know what they saw in the kitchen! What a mess. From now on, I must obey my own tips!