Computer Virus

Last week while blog surfing, my computer detected a virus. Since I had not knowingly opened any email attachments, I wondered how this could happen. Can you get a virus from going to someone's blog page? My anti-virus program did not find the virus after scanning everything. Then I had to get some help. Eventually, I found the viruses and got rid of them, but still I am having some strange things on my favorite list. Things show up on the list that I did not put there - like ads for viagra and anti- spyware stuff. Why is this happening? It makes me crazy. If anyone can explain how I got into this mess especially if it is from blogging, let me know.

In the meantime, we got the store house moved over to the new property. The plan is to add onto the store house and live in this small house until we someday build our dream home. Toby took half of Friday off since it was a beautiful day to get some work done on the house. Alex, a wonderful young man from our fellowship was here with his dozer truck and trailer to help us. By 5:00 that afternoon, we had the store house up on the truck and were ready to start to the new place. My baby sister and her daughter showed up about that time, so they got to ride along. I am sure they won the "What did you do over the Easter Holiday". I doubt any of my sister's city friends moved a house. My sister and I drove in front of the store house while Jesse and my niece followed behind. We took all back roads so I did not have to stop many cars. The few I did stop and tell, "You can't go this way. House coming down the road!" were very nice. Country folk are just friendly and seem to have more time than others. People wanted to know where we were moving the building, where we were coming from, and how many grandchildren did I have? The real problem came in getting the building off of the truck. After jacking it around (literally), we decided to wait until the next morning when we could see what we were doing. The guys had the building off the truck by 10:00 am at which time, it started raining. Perfect timing!

Toby then decided to take Monday and Tuesday off to get the house set on the block and off of the jacked up pillars. We had to finish laying the block, pour concrete into the foundation wall, and make several trips to town for things we forgot. I am sore from toting block, mixing concrete, bending, fetching, putting...but I feel great. This is MY house.

It was great to have my sister here. I do not get to see her enough. Hang in there, Kathy; the school year is almost over. Maybe we will paint pictures this summer or fish in my pond. Life is much to precious to worry over work.

Busy Weekend

Spring is in the air. The weather has turned warmer, but the wind is howling - typical March. My day starts with feeding the Bambina and ends with the same. You can certainly feel springtime while standing in the barnyard early in the morning feeding the calf. It makes me appreciate Oklahoma. When I did the same thing in New Mexico at this time of the year, I often stood in snow hoping my baby calves would live through the cold.

We got lots done on the new place this weekend. The block is laid. My son, Bo helped this weekend along with my daughter, Jesse. It was great working together as a family. Teasing and laughing at each other made the work easy. I say "easy", but by Sunday we were all sunburned and sore. It has been a while since any of us did construction work. Toby and Bo both have office jobs that have made them a bit soft. Jesse is in great shape and did well. Me, well, I may be fat, but I am strong. There is a great sense of accomplishment in building a house. We have a long ways to go yet.

My granddaughter, Lizzie, came out on Saturday. Keeping up with her is almost as much work as laying block, but she is more fun. She managed to give herself a blood blister on her tiny finger. She also had a little sunburn on her nose. It seems she likes to play in the dirt and being outside( a girl after my own heart). She did sleep better that night as did we all.

I have been reading some blogs from military young men in Iraq. Their lives are amazing. I am humbled and awed.

Tex-Mex

I read an article on Fox News saying that New Mexico Senators were filing a law suit claiming some 600,000 acres in the Texas Panhandle. Being a Texan who has lived in NM, I found most of the article humorous especially the part about claiming El Paso. The article said that there were only "illiterate Mexican" shepherds as witnesses vs. Texas engineers as to how the river flowed when they were young. The article did mention that if you believed the "illiterate Mexicans", El Paso would not be New Mexico, but would be in Mexico. Maybe that is why the Senators dropped that part of the claim.

As to the Panhandle land, well, maybe the surveyors got liquored up or greedy and messed up - I do not know. But as I remember my Texas History, when Texas won their independence from Mexico, they claimed up to the headwaters of the Rio Grande. It seems to me that about half of New Mexico should belong to Texas. For whatever reason, when Texas decided to become part of the USA (1845), they gave up part of their claimed land and made the boundary(1850) as it is today leaving New Mexico as a territory until about 1912. So why did the New Mexicans wait 150 years to file suit? I know they are the "land of manana", but that is ridiculous. Something else I remember from my Texas history is a flag that the Texans flew. It had a picture of a canon that the Texans had captured from the Mexicans during their battle for freedom. The words on the flag were "Come and get it". I think that should be the words for Texans now, and a reminder to the New Mexicans.

Ground Breaking

Today we are breaking ground on our new house on our new land. We have bought 75 acres not to far from where we live now. The land has a large pond and lots of pecan trees. We are building a "studio" (or as my husband says "the shack") first. We will live in the studio for a while and build the "big house" later. I am just so happy because it will be mine to build as I want, and I do love to build. There is just something about swinging a hammer and putting things together - very satisfying. I am a framer at heart.

Unfortunately, my husband thought I was a farmer. We have spent the last 8 years on large parcels of land doing large farming along with our ranching. Going round and round on a tractor does not take a rocket scientist. Although farming has provided me with lots of funny stories, I won't miss it. This piece of land is plenty big for all my critters and a few cows and horses, but I won't have to go round and round anymore - famous last words.

Another Day

Today is my 47th birthday. I have already been out to feed The Bambina (the calf) who was waiting patiently by the back gate. She let me pet on her for a few minutes after she sucked down her bottle. Then I went out in the pasture where one of the older cows seemed to be down. I don't think she will make it - the risk you take buying older cows. We poured quite a bit of money into the Bambina's mother before she died anyway. I hate losing cows. It is both sad and expensive.

Birthdays are not a big to-do in our family. In fact, we rarely remember each other's birthdays. So the big tradition is to call each other on birthdays - if we can remember. The first one to remember to call is the winner - not that you get any prize. You just get to say "nana nana booboo" to the other siblings. My little brother called first. He was thrilled to be the winner for once. My mom called second. I am betting that the other siblings forget. Then I get to say "nana nana booboo!"

Birthdays

On Saturday we had my one and only grand-daughter's first birthday party. It is hard to believe she is already a year old. Of course, she is the smartest, cutest, most exceptional grandchild there ever was. She is walking. Her mother is teaching her to sign. She can sign "more" when she wants more of something - usually Cheerios.

We had mostly family members at her party. We cooked hamburgers outside and played badminton. Lizzie opened her presents. She got lots of clothes and a few toys. Her favorite present was a container of baby Cheerios. She cried when her mother took them away in order for her to open other presents. I thought Lizzie did great after being so good all day. Throwing one fit was appropriate. Someone started singing, "It's my party; I can cry if I want to.." We all had a good laugh.

All the little kids went out and helped feed the calf a bottle. The Bambina did not care as long as she got her bottle. We sat Lizzie on the Bambina and took pictures. We also put Lizzie in the little red wagon and pulled her around the farm yard. She was thrilled. It was a great day on the farm.

Dumbo

On Thursdays I teach art to a group of 20-ish young ladies including my daughter, Jesse. Yesterday one of the young ladies brought Riley, a five year old boy she babysits. To keep Riley entertained while we painted, we put "Dumbo" on the DVD player. I laughed at my art girls because they were so distracted by the child's movie. They were singing along with the songs and commenting on their memories of the movie. Jesse had finished her painting and moved into the den to watch "Dumbo" with Riley. The art girls teased her saying they were jealous that she got to watch the movie and they had to paint. They were surprised when I told them that Jesse had never seen the movie. A few minutes later, my 22 year old daughter came into the room with big tears in her eyes saying, "You didn't tell me it was such a sad movie." Then she went off wiping her eyes and blowing her nose. The five year old hollered, "Hey Jesse, aren't you going to watch the movie with me?"

I love my art girls - they always bring pleasant surprises.