random

Lydia had this up on Picasa when I came in to the computer. It made me smile.

fixing up

Kim and I re-did the purple shelves in the kitchen. We have been enjoying this kitchen for almost a year now. I'm thankful every time I walk into it.

random shots

I wanted to buy these but couldn't think of anybody that could fit into them.
So, I took a picture of them.

A dresser a friend gave to us. It will be for Lyida when she gets her room painted.
pink or brown. Horse brown.

balloons to celebrate our new Super S that opened. I'll have to see whether or not I'm going to say 'YAY' or not.

a pretty flower in Alvin, Texas.

bunny time

my lovely be-sweatered bunny

reading a bunny book

she's very quiet.

in a thrift store

I went to my favorite thrift store one day right before they closed. Here was this cabinet. Talk about neat. It was very old and very real and very $200. I was short about $190. Rosa said the lady that bought it didn't even blink an eye. I imagine she didn't. I hope she's happy........taking 'my' cabinet.

deco

the new top of our freezer.......we're working on Autumn little bits at a time in the dining room

one of my favorite things.........it is an oversized coffee mug full of plastic cookies. i think plastic cookies are hilarious.
see the little picture in the back to the right? it is Lydia from a LONG time ago. I caught the sun behind her head and she is just glowing.
the picture to the left was hand painted by Olivia

remember?

did you ever eat one of these things when you were little?
this was one of my favorite candies

i was heart-broken when they stopped making this pop. it was the BEST.

these go way back.we don't use them anymore, but I'm not getting rid of them just yet..........

verse

A poem.........

My Father-In-Law wrote this poem! I had permission to get it from his blog.

FRUSTRATION!!!!

After buying a new television and DVD player this past week, I was very frustrated trying to get it hooked up, so I wrote this poem to share my frustration with you all.

I took the new T.v. out of the box
I couldn't wait to tune it to FOX.
When I got it out , I stood amazed
But I had a job to do, I wasn't fazed,
Where was the old T.V. with only one connection?
You would just hook it up, and get picture perfection.
This T.V. has connections galore,
At least three hundred, maybe more.
I took the manual and started to read,
When I couldn't understand, I realized,
It was in Spanish, which I didn't need.
I flipped the manual to the other side,
And I sought information with glowing pride.
For information, I did seek
But the more I read, the more it sounded like Greek.
Against my will, I picked up the phone,
I am sure in this, I am not alone.
I called "Tech Help" to get some advice.
When he finally answered, he wasn't very nice.
After hours of waiting, the first thing I was told,
"Can you wait a few minutes, while I put you on hold?"
After a few minutes, he came back,
"What can I do for you, Mr. Mac?"
After hours of working, we finally got it right.
But it took all day and most of the night.
This morning when I took the T.V. out of its box,
FOX and Friends was then on FOX.
O'riley and Hannity have now come and gone,
Greta Van Sestran was all that was on.
I looked down at the remote and I said, "WOW!"
I wanted to change channels, but I didn't know how.

Good Morning Sunday

Psalm 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Guess What These Are

Let US all know, if YOU know what THESE are. I will tell you one thing, they're VERY old.

A June Day

I started off with desicoffee. REAL cream and the turbinado? sugar. and coffee. I could drink it all day.

I listen to tapes while I work in the front yard. The cord won't reach to the back. I'm one of those people that buy old cassette tapes in thrift stores and actually listen to them. This little machine should play cd's, but it won't. So, it was Chuck Swindoll or tapes.....

I had to deal with this all by myself. Nobody was around for me to run to and cry to. I opened the top drawer in this old desk we have in the garage.....and a HUGE possum was in there. It never moved (wellwhaddyaexpect?) but it was alive. I didn't shut the drawer right away. I had to wait for the guts to do so. Later, I was going to ask somebody to get something out of the top drawer.....for me........hee hee.......but decided against it. It may have ruined somebody's perfectly nice June Day. I guess it found a nice home. I'm thinking thinking thinking how to get it out and keep it out. Any ideas?

my June Day morning

My husband brought me something to eat. He said it was low calorie. Low calorie compared to one with egg AND cheese.
We sat outside on my new Mother's Day/Birthday chairs and ate.

Oh no. This needs blown up and I just don't think I can do it. Any volunteers?
I had a very pleasant time cleaning the garage this morning. I sprayed myself with bug spray......and a low flying airplane sprayed the whole area.
It was SO pretty out today.

I took a bike ride. Perfect day for a bike ride.

fixing to leave

around 1:00

We gave Andy's Kitchen another chance. I'm glad we did. It is a rather strange place, but the food is good.
They bring you a salad, GOOD bread, your drinks, your food............but never a menu. James was celebrating the end of another year of driving a bus.

Lydia at Hobby Lobby. We went shopping after we ate.

This is what I would have bought had $$ not been an issue.......

Something fun to drink from Big Lots.

Friday afternoon

It was the sort of day that made me hunt for things to wash......so I could hang them on the line!

Friday Evening

Made out some job cards for the two girls. I call them joke books.

Like a good neighbor....ice water is there.

Worked on a school book for Kimberly. I'm not really pleased with this book. I thought it would be more practical. 1/2 of it is above what I know, or care to. Oh well.
I've got another one she can do that I got for a dime. This shows you that $$ doesn't necessarily buy good books.
oh, I guess it's not such a bad book.....it has a list of 999 most missspeltt words. Of course, I don't need the help.

I worked on a jumper. I made it too big and decided to totally take it apart to make it work. I just have the hem, now.
Good night everybody.

Anniversary Trip

We started at Denny's and had some Pancake Puppies........on a scale of one to five, they were a 5.

A book store in an old movie house.............

You can't tell really, but this chair was really close to the ground.

We saw LOTS of huge houses..........I heard James whistling/humming "I've Got a Mansion"................


We went to thrift stores and 1 yard sale and a couple of junk? stores.

Friday evening we went to a play.........Last Train To Nibroc. It only had TWO people in it the whole time. It was a good play.......I think it is in book form.

the Aquarium in downtown Houston

sheet of water

big desserts

After dinner on Friday night

I told him to smile like the shark, this is what I got.

middle of Saturday

Purple chicken wire sidewalk...........and my new sandals.

A 5 & dime store.........except everything has an up to date price times THREE.......

This was in Pier One Import store.........this would look so pretty in the dining room when we paint it the Autumn color. Just pretty shiny plates.

Saturday afternoon and home.

Rice Village Shopping
I will bring my bike next time so I can chain it to this cool bike rack.

Bass Pro Shop.......I LOVE that store.

infuser? I don't know what it's called, but we have a 'set' now. I chose Rose and First Rain.

Good Morning Thursday

To my millions of readers, I hope you have a productive wonderful glorious nice happy joyful great fun day.

yee haw

We got a beautiful cool front last night. I really don't mind the hot weather that is coming, but it sure is nice to have a cool spell before summer is here to stay. It's 63 out now, the birds are singing.........you can almost hear things growing. Oh, we have an empty house next to us and our neighbor was over there doing the yard and I went and asked him if he would mind if we trimmed a couple of branches off of the ash tree on the south side of his yard. It's hanging on my side of the back yard and it's dribbling sticky sap and it is also making it solid shade where I have TRIED and TRIED to grow tomatoes year after year. He said......cut the whole thing down. Wish we could do it right now. !!

Make a pulpit of every circumstance.

At even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded. Ezekiel 24:18

God wants us to manifest the sweet grace of continuance amid all the sudden and saddening upheavals of our intensely varied life. This was the prophet's triumph. He made his calamity a witness to the eternal. He made his very bereavement intensify his calling. The evening sorrow will come to all of us: what shall we be found doing in the morning? We shall have to dig graves; have burials: how shall it be with us when the funeral is over?
--Dr. Jowett
Springs in the Valley/Cowman

camping tales

from WAY back!

cool camp out

a RAINY camp out/spring 2007

visiting

lydia in her fancy nightwear

this van is still running........

i wonder if it was humid?

camp and kids

camping fun

a cold camp

smiles

camper smiles

random shots from years before

previous camp outs

fuel

camping

We just had our semi-annual camp out at Brazos Bend State Park. I like to call it Baptist Bend! We have been going for years and it is interesting to think back on how we used to do things and how many of those things have changed.
When we first started going, we rented 3 shelters. One for the men, one for the women and one for the kitchen and the cry babies and their moms.
Now we rent 10 to 12 shelters and we stay in them as families. We are now renting what I call the ‘big house’. It is a huge air conditioned building with tables and kitchen. I don’t know if it makes cooking any easier, we used just a plain old shelter for many years and we all did pretty well with a plug in and a water spigot!
If you have a trailer, you get to bring your bikes. If you don’t, then you just walk every where, which isn’t so bad. Most of us can run faster than the alligators anyway. We’ve played volleyball, washers, softball and Frisbee. Since we have the big house, more table games are played. The women bring pretty tablecloths and we all compare snacks we chose. Quite a while back, there were flashlight contests. We would shine them into the sky to see who had the strongest light. We all kind of got over that and now nobody notices if you have one from the Dollar General.
We’ve gone when it was so cold I didn’t know if I could make it through the night trying to sleep. I remember standing in front of the fire with the wind blowing the smoke to where ever my eyes were and not wanting to make my way to the cold cold shelter! I guess I lived through all of those freezy breezy nights! This past week-end it was very warm, but mostly humid…….anything is better than rain!
I don’t have to worry about little kids being really close to the ground so much any more! I remember drying little tennis shoes in the windows of the shelter. I also left a stroller too close to the fire one night and found out the little hat that I left on the handle was somehow burned in the fire. I’ve taken sippy cups and play pens for the kids, and bubbles, we always had bubbles!
We’ve eaten hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, spaghetti, chicken, pancakes, eggs and bacon, powdered do-nuts, s’mores and LOTS of chips.
I ate my first string cheese on the porch of a shelter one night when it was raining. We all were kind of stuck there, so I guess we started sharing what was in our ice chests! I think that’s where I tasted my first Snapple’s, too!
Our son had his worst bike accident at this park, HUGE tree branches have fallen out of the clear blue sky causing all of us to look for our kids and we have all slept with rocks in our bed……..but the fellowship has been worth it all.
So, you might not get the best night’s sleep on your creaky cot, but night doesn’t last forever. The raccoons might get into your trash, but it was your fault for leaving it out. You may get a sunburn, it may look like a long way from the #1 shelter by the playground to the bathroom, but chances are, somebody will walk with you and you will have a nice visit! It may not be real fun when you get home to find piles of damp smoky smelling sheets, but I’ve always found it worth every minute of being with my favorite people. My church family. I’m looking forward to many more camp outs and hopefully, adjust gracefully to the evolution of our good times with each other.

camping!!!

I always take a decoration......this year it was purple bunnies

The girls were ACTING like they were bored

on the table

Baptist Bend

packing up to leave

in the Big House

playing washers

Grisel decided not to steal my bike.......

success

I've never roasted corn, only boiled it.

It was 5/1.00 at Kroger so I bought 15.

I only brought 10 to the camp-out.

Shoulda brought all 15. It worked.
We took most of the green off and got rid of the silk, wrapped the corn back up and put tin foil around it. Put it on the grill and turned it every once in a while. It wasn't very scientific or exact, but it worked. I spread real mayo on it and sprinkled it with Zatarains. Wish I had some now......mmmmmmmmmm.

did you know?

Did you know that if you blow hot air on a thermostat, that it will come on.......even when it wasn't really ready to do so?
It's a trick you learn if you live where it's hot more days than not.

Learned Something New

We went to the beach today. We usually don't go this early in the season, but time has afforded us to go, so we do. Everybody knows the colder it is, the better shell seeking is. Right now the beach is covered with shells.........none that would sell in a store called The Shell Shop, but they're fun to look for anyway! I cut the top off of a liquid laundry soap bottle and that's what I carry to put shells in. It works better than a plastic bag, believe me.

Two older women passed me today and they had little cloth bags they were putting their found treasure in. They passed back by us again and I asked them what they were looking for. I told them I like to find just the regular shells with holes in them.......so you can hang them from things. They said they looked for GLASS!

(I've been avoiding the glass!!!)

They said it gets tumbled and polished just like a rock, then it's not sharp and jagged on the sides anymore. They showed me some of theirs. It IS pretty. But I only have ONE piece. It is hard to find. The sharp pieces of glass are everywhere....but not the beautiful tumbled safe glass.......collector's glass.....so I learned something new today. I officially am collecting sea glass now. My one piece is about the size of a quarter.

I have a feeling this collection is going to be a challenge. There are rabbits EVERYWHERE........so they're easy.

A thought..........

Those who wish to sing.............

always find a song.

I don't like tea, but..................

I went anyway.

It was not a large affair, like maybe the one in San Antonio or Washington D.C., but it was still worth going to.

I signed a tea-bag, Olivia texted fed-up at the appointed time, we clapped, but I couldn't bring myself to wave the sign somebody gave me.
I'm evidently not a sign waver.
Now I know.
It's a pitiful thing to see how the news networks are dealing with what went on in America yesterday.
They'll broadcast, with great pride, marches down public streets of 'gay rights' people, but they somehow ignore all the Americans that were out yesterday?
And the few that will be shown will be in a negative light.

Why do I keep being surprised at these things?

In the merry merry month of........

April!

It started at 3:30 this morning. I couldn't sleep, so I thought, why not get up and make a bunny craft? So I did.
I don't think it's exactly necessary to get up that early to do it...........so do yours around 10.
Go to Martha Stewart's site, craft of the day.

Here is my day. I spent most of the time outside and playing games.
I also talked to both my mom and dad on the phone.

sewing in the morning

I am testing some patterns for bottles..............they are fun for more than just dish washing soap........Mr. Clean and Spic & Span bottles, too! And hand lotion.

I made some cloth patterns. they are easier to lay on fabric than paper patterns that fly around.
I think I'm all fixed up now. I LOVE to make these. It's something I can start and actually finish.

I cut this out to make Lydia's doll a dress. She chose it. Somehow it didn't look like something she would like.

early morning yard check

I fed the birds and Zephyr must have heard me. She's a sly old cat. Not very fast, but sly.

It was drippy and damp out this morning. I always come to the side garden to check my radishes and the avocado tree. The trees are looking better than the radishes.

morning of the April Day

I e-mailed these pizza people. I won't go in to the 'why' I did....

Olivia made a cobbler. Notice the precaution she took so my oven wouldn't get purple splatters.

I did a load of work clothes. Lydia ended up hanging them on the line for me.
On the new line James fixed.

Lydia and I played some yahtzee.
These are my new gloves and snippers.
they clash........I didn't notice it at the store
and why do they sell dice in sets of FOUR?
I have four wooden dice and four purple dice.
How kooky is that?

noonish

my favorite sunflower seeds........they help me with yard work
I did lots today. It was beautiful out. Windy, sunny and cool.
can it be cool and warm at the same time?

a little tree is growing out of this rock

I don't remember why I took a picture of this.......maybe because it had a bunny in the view?

early afternoon

2:30........cranberry limeade with pineapple, easy ice

thrift store, one CUTE little dress, fifty cents

thrift store, one orange sheet for Kimberly, ten cents?

this is my mulch pile........it's mainly tea bags, coffee grounds, leaves, shredded junk mail and egg shells......it makes the best dirt........if I wait. I stir it, it's good therapy.

April Day Afternoon

I pulled weeds on my side of the back yard........poured some leaves out of a bag to serve as a ground covering to kill weeds.
It's a strange thing, I get new weeds every year. Ones I've never seen before.

Here I am killing red ants. The stuff we bought really does work. Sprinkle it on the mound, then water it a little.

I have a scarf on my head, that's why I look Dutch or something. Kimberly and I played Washers.

Got clothes off the line and parked my bike in the back yard.

last of the day

took some nibbles of blackberry cobbler........I can't believe it! I liked it.

(this is about the time Caleb come flying in the house asking for Daniel's BB gun. JUST GET THE GUN. GET THE GUN!!! I asked """""""""why""""""""""". He said there was a HUGE rat in the doorway. I said it was our baby possum. Good thing I didn't get the gun.)

took a shower and painted my toenails.

beat Kimberly in a game of Scrabble. yay.

Kimberly sang to me with her guitar.

I had a very nice day today. Hope you enjoyed it, too.

reading bunny

.............my favorite bunny, with one of my favorite books, in a favorite pink sweater, in a favorite tub.......in one of my favorite rooms.

random shots

happy day

Happy Day to my millions of readers. Hope your day is sweet and may it even have some sprinkles.

Just a suggestion.........

If you come across one of these little gizmos, buy it. I have two as you see. A big one and a little one and ho ho ho doesn't it look like Christmas in April?
These are little shakers........you could make your own salad dressing, these are GREAT to shake flour and milk to pour into your skillet or pan to make gravy, and best of all, they are great for making pancakes. Just don't ever put the dry ingredient in first.......cause it will just stay there. Put the milk, eggs or water in first. Then shake shake shake and then pour. I love these little kitchen helpers.

irritating

This has got to be the most irritatingaggravatingunreasonable thrift store I have ever been to in my life. This place was ridiculous. Every thing was in one of these plastic bins. No sizes, no order, no NOTHING. Come on guys.........take just a few minutes and put all of the curtains in one, all the baby clothes in another, and keep the boots separate from women's skirts and pillowcases. UGH. And to top it off, you paid for it like you were buying a salad.......they weighed it. Try to figure that up in your head. I got a little jacket cause it had a bunny tag. I didn't much care to dig any deeper.

Luke

This is the day he went to the Doctor. They left the bandage off of his hand........I'll spare you all the picture I took of it! Now it can get air and heal faster. He is a cute little kid. He never laughs out loud.........he just chuckles with his shoulders. He is just a little over one year old here. We got him a 'possum for his birthday. He hugged it and now sleeps with it.

now I know........

I don't like recipe books or cupcakes. I think I will sleep better tonight now that it's out in the open.
Recipe books are filled with recipes I will never use, Poppyseed Sweet and Sour Artichoke Glaze, Snap Crackle Clean Your Cabinet Spicy Gumdrop Whole Wheat Graham Cracker Cookies, Raspberry Spritz Pickled Eggs with Rosemary.........see what I mean? Recipe books taunt me. They sit on the shelf and smirk. I keep some in a drawer and I know they are laughing at me because I don't USE the recipe for pie crusts and salmon mushroom pasties. I just keep having roast and potatoes....and spaghetti.
I have been using the Reiman Publication magazines.........Taste of Home for many years........that's what I like best. They're fun magazines with good pictures and for the most part, simple good recipes.
Now about cupcakes. First, you make them cause your cake pan is dirty. Then you wonder, do I have enough of those little papers? Should I use what I have and spray the cupcake pan for the rest? Nobody will notice, right? Then you fill the pan and papers up, dripping batter all over the sides. The dripping will burn and smell the oven and kitchen up, making you think the cupcakes are done, but they're not. Then you take the finished product out of the oven to frost them. That is, if you can get them out of the pan. You thought you sprayed it really really good, but come to find out, you didn't.
You will frost the cupcake, the paper and your fingers and the toaster and the counter top and your 4 year old in the process.
Then you eat them. That is, if you don't drop them while you're taking the paper off. Two bites and you're ready for another one, then you look like a pig. Cupcakes just aren't very filling.
Give me a cake any day. And I don't even mind if you got the recipe out of a 4,887 page recipe book. Recipes for Today, From Yesterday, and For Tomorrow.....everything from what space men eat to Italian Fizzies.......and everything in-between...........chocolate covered ants, rodeo burgers, butterscotch flan and grilled pancakes.

from the past

just a funny picture from the past
where do YOU wash YOUR hair when it's hot outside?

nobody knows.........

these pictures were lost for a couple of days

picasa changed some things up and I haven't adjusted yet, so a couple of times, I have downloaded pictures and before the final click, I erase them right off the computer...and if that isn't enough, I say YES to clearing the memory card.

I got quite upset the other day when I realized I had done it again. It was troubling to say the least.

But Olivia, and the help of some friends, got them back for me. So you CAN wipe your memory card clean and those pictures are still floating around somewhere, out there.

The pictures that were lost, but now are found, were pictures I took on our trip to Mississippi.

thanks Olivia.

I didn't know..........

Evelyn

Lydia

Sara

Kimberly


So, we have one dress and FIVE girls.......where is the fifth?
Somehow, we never took a picture of Olivia in this dress.
When I had Sara, I had no idea I'd have three more girls.
When I had Olivia I had no idea I'd have two more girls.
When I had Kimberly, I had no idea I'd have one more girl........which was Lydia.......and a grand-daughter that would wear the same dress.
Sorry Olivia.
Oh me, how sweet it would be for Olivia to be in this dress.

Evolution And My Newest Craft

I was making key-chains........and they turned in to little bowls, then they turned into baskets with a handle, then they turned into whisker baskets. Then I put eyes on them, and now they're Kitty Whisker Baskets. They're not very big, so you have to think of 'tiny' whimsical things to put in them.

One Radish

I am so glad my family does not depend on me to keep food on the table.
The bottom picture may look like I have lots more coming, but it isn't so.
It's just greenery.
This is when I miss Millie my rabbit (died July 26) the most.........I would eat the radish, and she would eat the tops.

Friday!

Have a great day.

sidewalk version

ponder the path of thy feet..................KJV

the truth

This is really where we got Lydia.

just in case..........

Just in case you don't know where you are, I hope this helps.

Save a Frog

It seems like I posted it before..........forgive me if I already have.......but I am sure you all need to be reminded again and again. What are YOU doing to make sure YOUR frogs thrive? Do your part. Create frog friendly environments. You won't be sorry.

To Complain Or Not Complain

1. Allow thyself to complain of nothing, not even the weather.

2. Never picture thyself to thyself under any circumstances which you art not.

3. Never compare thine own lot with that of another.

4. Never allow thyself to dwell on the wish that this or that had been or were otherwise than it was.

5. Never dwell on the morrow. It is God's, not thine.





I have found that it is very easy to complain about health, weather, others, our lot, our house, our car, our pets, our family, our hair, our shoes, our everything.
Take the challenge........catch yourself before you start to go on and on and on about how you're feeling, your lot in life, and everything else.
Replace it with a smile, do it whether you feel like it or not and you might just like it better than filling people in with the horrid details of your life.
You will be surprised at how this is not as easy as it sounds. We are so used to ......uh......being human.

A present for my sink.............

A friend gave me this delightful fabric.........I wanted to use it for something that I would use and SEE a lot.........it worked perfect for a sink curtain!

Good Morning Everyone

This is my new yard art. An old sink from Blanco, Texas atop an old rabbit hutch filled with random, old pots and pans.
Come see me and I will give you a tour of the back yard where there are even more sinks. Why do I collect sinks? I don't know. I just do.

Timber Garden

This is my newest garden. It is the Timber Garden, because this is where the tree got cut down. I rocked it in and moved the shamrock plants around a bit.
I got the prettiest and largest rocks from around the yard to fix this garden up. This square wash-tub will catch rain water.

And here I was......trying to pare down my gardens, and then I do this. Except! this one is easy to keep because it is shaded and weeds don't tend to grow here.
And it's right by the front door so I can pick weeds every time I go outside. To feed the cats. 5 times a day.

This is frog water and the silver jar watering pots are for if any chickens happen by. They can get a drink, too.

94 years old

So, I was in Hobby Lobby looking at crochet hooks and thread. This little old lady rolls her cart next to mine and says, "So, whatcha gonna make?" I said, "Oh, doilies and stuff like that." We proceeded to talk for almost half an hour about sewing, knitting, crocheting, quilting and such things as that. She is 94, her and her husband retired in 79. They moved to a three bedroom apartment in the 40's when Dow started up in this area. It was quite a conversation.........she was quite a lady. She gave me a bag of scraps for me to 'quilt'. I will probably make little girl aprons out of them........there was some fabric in the bag with a paper doll print.....in pink. She made quite an impression on me. She said if you let your hands be idle, you get into trouble. I told her I heartily agreed. I didn't get her first name, just her last, and it was an unusual name, so I promptly forgot it.
You can't see her in her vehicle, but I know it wasn't a dream. I have the fabric to prove it.