Life of the Party

The party last night was a big success. I was hoping Jesse would take some pictures with her new camera, but she was busy playing volleyball and entertaining the crowd. My job was to crank out food in the kitchen. Toby’s job was to crank out food on the grill. I guess someone had to be the life of the party. We didn’t really get to enjoy the young people until after they were all fed. The food was deeelishous! It has been ages since I have baked a homemade cake, but yesterday I made a chocolate sheet cake that was melt-in-your-mouth-good. The Piper brought his Royals, and they played with the Grand Girls. At one point I looked over and saw Toby sitting in the glider surrounded by four little girls – he looked good with girls all over him. The Piper also brought some queso and some sort of cilantro mousse that were both good eatin’. I made several batches of daiquiris that were crowd-pleasing. There was just lots of food and lots of young people to enjoy it. I did get to play some volleyball before it got dark, and visit with Janice for a while too. We did not get into bed until late, but we slept well.

I love having people over, but with this little house, we have just not had too many gatherings here. My house in NM was perfect for entertaining with its large living/dining area. Last night made me long for a house that was set up for lots of people. That does not mean I need a huge house. It means I need a larger kitchen – one designed to cook in and visit in. When we lived in Red River, we lived in a trailer house that was built sometime in the 70’s. It was small, but well laid out. We had some great parties there. I think the kitchen should be the hub of the house. Someday…

This morning, Jesse wanted to run some errands in town, and she asked me to go with her. I rarely pass up a chance to get to spend time with the girl. She is always on the go, and I take my time with her as I can get it. We didn’t mean to do any major shopping, but we found this dress and these shoes. It was just too good to pass up. Since she was going to a wedding this evening we thought it was perfect. Here she is in her "Pretty Woman" dress. Toby thought it was more like "Under the Tuscan Sun" dress. What do you think? In yesterday’s photo, Jesse was turning three years old. Has she changed much? She is still pretty sassy.

Let the Party Begin

Today is going to be a busy day. Jesse’s 26th birthday is coming up on June 4th, and we are having a get together this evening to eat fajitas, drink daiquiris, and play a little volleyball. If you read this, feel free to come to the party tonight. Jesse says it is not really her birthday party, but just a party. I told her this would be the only party we were throwing and if she wanted to do something on her B-day, she would have to get someone else to foot the bill. Knowing Jesse, she will have someone talked into going to eat at Outback or Texas Roadhouse next week. Bo’s birthday is the week after on the 11th. When they were little, they thought their birthdays lasted all week starting with Jesse’s and ending with Bo’s. The tradition continues.

In the meantime, I need to get ready for this party tonight. I made a list this morning of things I need to do today, but I already lost the list. Should I make another one or spend time looking for the first list? You know that thing I said about "playing the blonde," well it turns out I play it very well. I need to start managing my time better. Being a morning person, I may have to limit my time on the computer. If I don’t get things done in the mornings, I tend to not get them done. I may need to get my chores done before I get my blogging done. It is a management issue. It is kind of like dieting. I need to control my eating and have better eating habits, but I am not willing to give up food all together – same goes for the computer. I have my TV habits well under control. Now I need to work on my computer habits. Yeah right!

Speaking of new blogs (well, maybe we weren’t actually speaking of new blogs, but we are now), I have been reading Maj C over at A Major’s Perspective. He is currently in Kansas and writing about his early deployment in Mosul. Very good stuff! He does not seem to have many readers or maybe I should say commentors. Drop by and give him some support if you get a chance.
Okay, I am off like a heard of turtles in a bowl of peanut butter.

Meme Explanation

In the comments, Sea-gal asked what a meme was – so here is an answer of sorts. According to dictionary.com a meme is: A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.

In the blogosphere, it is like a game or a theme chain letter. Usually someone sends you a specific question or questions that you answer on your blog. Then you "tag" others and keep the meme going. I did not tag anyone in my post yesterday since the meme had gone around most of the bloggers I read. This was a fun meme, but it took a lot of time to find the pictures and get them posted. If anyone wants to try this meme on their blog, go for it. You can also look at CoP, Inquiries, Skybag, and EIP to see how their meme went. Becky did a picture meme, too, but I had trouble linking hers. I would love to see Diva, Sea-gal, Kris, Dawn and others do the meme too, but it is time consuming.

Jesse also posted more pics of Hawaii that should have you LOL.

Picture Me Meme

1. What is your current relationship status?








2. What is your current mood?










3. Who is your favorite band/singer?








4. What is your favorite movie?

5. What kind of pets do you have?












6. Where do you live?









7. Where do you work?











8. What do you drive?







9. What did you do on Saturday?










10. What did you do on Sunday?












11. What is your favorite network TV show?













12. Describe yourself.










13. What is your favorite candy?











14. Favorite sport?









15. Who do you look like?

Shopping

Life happens on the weekends. There are people who use the weekends to clean house and get ready for the next week, but not us. We use weekends for time together, which means by Monday, the house is looking not so clean and there is much to be done around here. Laundry is piled up. There are dishes in the sink. The floor is nasty. The couch is piled with stuff, as is the kitchen table. Of course, we do occasionally work around here on weekends. Things like fence mending, gardening, building the storeroom, etc, do happen, but for the most part, those chores are considered spending time together. The house still falls apart on weekends while we are doing those chores. I’m not complaining. I’m just saying that after a long weekend, I have lots to do. My blogging goes by the wayside too. I may get things posted and a few comments here and there, but I feel so behind on my blog reading after the weekend.

Today, I feel really slow. To make matters worse, it rained hard this morning with lots of thunder and lightening. The sky is dark, and it makes me want to go back to bed. Maybe me and the dogs will have a little nap later, but I will tell you one more thing about the weekend. I took this photo this morning to show you the amount of rain we got in just a short amount of time.

I mentioned that we did some shopping yesterday. Well, Jesse was already in The City with Lindz and Reagan. We met up with her about lunch (she’s good about showing up in time to eat). She had had her make-up done at some store and was looking quite lovely in a made-up sort of way. It is not unusual to get extra attention when shopping with Jes, anyway. She has been known to bat her eyelashes at store clerks and have them falling all over themselves. We stopped in the mall for her to make a return at some store. The male clerk, who had been just going through the routine, brightened and was very helpful after seeing Jesse try on a cute little dress. It was kind of funny, because I assumed the guy was gay (working in a women’s clothing store), and he may have been, but he was impressed with Jes. Then we stopped by a motorcycle shop to let Jesse shop for a new helmet. The owner of the store was more our age, but he seemed to have a great time helping Jes try on helmets and try out the fancy motorcycles. He took good care of her and gave her some good advice on helmets and such. He was not flirty or anything, but he did seem to be enjoying himself. She ended up buying Shoei helmet and extra visor. The owner also gave her a Ducati T-shirt. She always makes shopping interesting.

Years ago, I was shopping with a friend who was wearing a fox fur coat. She also had on a huge diamond ring. It was amazing the difference those things made in the attention we received from clerks. We are talking some major suck-up. Having Jesse around is just almost as good.

Speaking of shopping experiences:
When we first moved back to OK, I went with Toby over to Sulphur to the feed store. It was summer time and I was wearing shorts, a t-shirt and sandals – typical Okie attire. My hair was probably clipped up on my head due to the heat. I had never been to this feed store, but it turned out to have a great selection of women’s western wear. I was looking through some really nice clothing when I realized the dresses were Double D Ranchwear – very expensive stuff! I was really excited and started trying on some things. Then a store clerk came up and said, "We have a five dollar sale rack; you might want to try looking over there." I was really hurt. I put back the clothes I was trying on, and went to stand by Toby who had just spent a big amount of money on ranch supplies. When he asked me if I had found anything that I wanted, I just said no. What kind of sales person would direct you to the 5$ rack when you were looking at clothes that cost $200? She must have been one of the owners or a relative – why else would they put up with someone that rude? I guess I should have worn my mink.

The Eye of the Beholder

Memorial Day:
Like many Americans, we spent our Memorial Day shopping. That does not mean that I did not stop to remember the fallen heroes and those that have served their country. I had sent several Memorial Day related emails to relatives letting them know they were in my thoughts. I always think about Uncle Bob. I picture him standing at the Vietnam Memorial Wall touching certain names with tears in his eyes. As you know, Uncle Bob is just pretty special to me. I think about my cousin Jim who was so torn up when Maj Megan McClung was killed in Iraq – she was the fiancée to one of Jim’s good friends and fellow Marine. I got the following email from Jim today. He sent this email to me, his dad, who served in Vietnam, and Uncle Bob. I thought his way of spending Memorial Day was pretty nice and wanted to share this with you:

To Uncle Bob and my old man – well, thanks gentlemen. I spent about two hours yesterday on the National Mall by myself just walking through WWII, Korea and Vietnam memorials. Then I walked to Arlington and visited my fallen comrades. I thought often of your sacrifices and those of the many who’ve served our great nation in uniform. Thank you both for serving so faithfully.
Garry Owen and Semper Fidelis.
Jim


Last Night:
We kept the Grand Girls last night. It was wild with two girls, two kittens and three dogs. GBN1 was so excited about the kittens she could barely stand still. She wanted to hold both cats at the same time, but the cats were not cooperative. Harriet the cat was great and let GBN1wag her around. Count Rugen the six-toed cat was not so great. Being an ADHD cat, he was not willing to sit quietly in GBN1’s arms. GBN2 has never been around cats. She can make the same "meow" sound as the kittens, but she was more interested in the dogs. Here is GBN1 looking very serious - she did have both cats, but Rugen got away before I could snap the pic.

GBN1 drew these two pictures during church. The one on the left is of me, and the two "people" on the right are Jesse and Crewcraw (Toby). She drew lots of other people including her mom and dad, but they pretty much look like the picture on the right. My picture was the only one with purple on the face and arms. When I asked her why she colored me purple, she said, "Because you are beautiful, Booboo."

Aren’t grandbabies just the greatest!

Memorial Day 08

We were hoping to go to an air show at Tinker AFB, but it is not to be. We will be attending a funeral for a dear elderly friend instead. It is not a bad way to spend part of our Memorial Day weekend. There will be good friends gathered to say goodbye to Flossie and support her living family. It is a good reminder of fallen heroes and their living families.

In past Memorial Days, I always think of my own family members who served their country. Today, I would like to remember Toby's dad who served in the Navy in the South Pacific at the end of WWII. Hub never told us anything about his Navy days, but he did have a great photo with his wavy dark hair showing and his cap set back on his head. He was quite the handsome sailor.

Since I cannot post Hub's Navy pic at this time, I will leave you with two more pics of Jesse and her friend Kat. As always, click to enlarge; you don't want to miss the expressions on Jesse's face.

Cats Again

Count Rugen is asleep in my lap as I type. He has turned out to be somewhat like a kid with ADHD (for some reason I want to type ADHTV). He is the biggest pest wanting my constant attention, but not wanting to just sit in my lap. He is in my lap, out of my lap, chasing, swirling, fighting shadows, crying for attention, and seemingly not knowing what he really wants. Then he falls asleep sitting up, and his little head slowly sinks to his paws. Harriet played with him for a minute, but she thinks he is a pest too.

Yesterday was busy with art all day. After the afternoon class, I wanted to just kick back and read my book, but there was a birthday party for the Diva and for Janice. I went and was glad that I did. We had a great time and the food was just pretty darn good.

Concerning yesterday’s cat post – I wanted to make it clear that I am not a cat fanatic. Cats are just cats. They come and they go. They are easily replaced if need be. I rarely spend money on a cat. But I do find them very entertaining, and I like to have one around. If you knew how I treated my dogs, well you might think I was a fanatic, but I am really pretty practical. I do understand that there are good reasons why people do not like cats. There are good reasons why people do not like dogs. Some people don’t like horses – each to his own. For me, I will give most any animal a chance. If the animal is good and not a problem, I will love it and take care of it. If it becomes a problem, it will be a gonner. I kind of feel the same way about people.

I have had people take an instant dislike to my rat terrier because they assume he is a yippee little dog and they "do not like little dogs." They won’t even give Ranger a chance to show that he is a really cool dog and not yappie. These people bother me. I figure their intolerance for dogs carries over to people, too. I have had people tease and pick at my dogs making the dog upset or they play tricks on the dog to make it look stupid. Are they trying to prove they are smarter than a dog? I have news for them; they are not smarter and they are the ones who look stupid in my book. I have also had people (usually guys) tell me how they hate cats and they like to torture and do cruel things to cats. I’m not very impressed with these people either. These are probably the same kind of people who tease and pick on children to make them cry or get angry. Provoking a child or animal to anger is just not impressive.

If you love me, you don’t have to love my dog, but you better be nice to him. You don’t have to love my cats either. They won’t care one way or the other, ‘cause that is the way cats are.

Here is one of the many pictures taken at the "ball game." This was just a silly photo opt where the girls dressed up in dresses from a second-hand store and then played all sorts of sports. This photo just made me laugh, but there are lots of other photos. I am sure I will post more and Jesse will probably post her favorites too.

Cats and Lovers

I made this statement in a comment on yesterday’s post about cats: Personally, I think a man who does not like cats has other issues to deal with - cats are some sort of threat to some men’s manliness.

Buck questioned my comment making me have to think about it a little deeper. Yep, I think I will stick to my statement. I did use the "some men" not "all men" in my statement – so don’t take this personally. And keep in mind that this is just my theory or MHO.

There are some men who just prefer dogs, but they don’t necessarily have anything against cats and will tolerate them. I have known people who have had some sort of traumatic experience with a cat (just as there are people who have had traumatic experiences with dogs) and therefore have a true hate/mistrust for cats. But some men have said, "I don’t like cats" and have never really been around cats or the few cats that they have been around were not great cats (I’ve been around some cats and dogs that I really disliked). Just like there are great dogs and not so great dogs, the same can be said of cats. Cats have distinct personalities and should not be lumped together in to one large "I hate all cats." I don’t think these men really hate all cats; I think they are just mistaken and need to be enlightened. The question is - are they willing.

So why would men have an issue with cats, but not dogs? Cats are stereotyped as feminine. The Media has shown them to be "women’s animals." You see commercials and sitcoms where some boyfriend has to "put up with" his girlfriend’s cat. George Strait sang a song with the line, "She thinks I like her cat, but you know me better than that." It is true that sometimes the media will use some fluffy small dog with bows in its hair for this part, but mostly cats are portrayed as "a woman’s animal." Because cats are supposed to be feminine, men who try to be macho tend to stay away from cats. Like men who refuse to carry an umbrella, even in a downpour, because it is considered "girlie," there are men who refuse to "like cats" for fear that someone will be mistaken about their manhood (this may be subconscious). I think these men already have problems with their manhood and are mistaken about what is manly and what isn’t. They probably do not know women very well either and are possibly not willing to be enlightened there either.

I have known a couple of men who were hunter/trappers and did not like cats because cats are also hunter/trappers. I think cats are a threat to the men’s hunting ability – sort of rivals. I would say that is an issue of their manliness. In both cases the men were also bird watchers and since some cats kill birds, the men did not like cats. I have had some cats that never killed any birds or mice or anything, while I have had dogs that would kill rodents and some birds that landed in the yard. Yet both of these men liked dogs – just not cats. Why is that? It doesn’t seem very fair.

I have been bringing home cats since I was a little girl. My father was not a big animal lover. We always had a dog, but it was pretty much an outside dog that was only allowed in the house on rare occasions. I doubt if Dad really liked cats very much, but still, I kept bringing them home, and he tolerated my love for cats. I loved my Daddy for that. When I was dating Toby, he said he was not a cat lover. So, I brought him a kitten – sort of a test. Toby loved that cat, and I loved Toby. It was important to me that my man be flexible, willing to try things, willing to love what I loved. It made me willing to be flexible about what he loved. A man who says, "I do not like cats" and has no good reason and is not willing to "work with me," is a man with some sort of problem. I might still like the man and would probably still be good friends with him, but he would be just a notch lower on my list of what makes a great man. Like a cat that knows whom it likes and whom doesn’t, I would probably give a man hell every time I could just because in MHO he has a problem with women too.

Here are some pics of the new kittens. The fluffy gray and white is Harriet. The gray shorthaired cat has not been named, and it needs a name (we have been referring to him a Mitts). It has an extra "thumb" on each paw. What was the name of the six fingered man in "Princes Bride" – you know – My name is Indigo Montoya. You killed my Father. Prepare to die!

Rough Life

The moon last night was big and bright and beautiful. I did not get a photo of it as it reflected off the pond because I knew my camera would not catch the color well. This morning the sun came up with an awesome orange glow – kind of a red sky in the morning. I did get a photo of it, but my camera would just not do it justice. Then we had a thunderstorm, which watered my garden perfectly. The dogs were not pleased with the thunder and lightening. Ranger sat on my feet under the computer desk while Zoe lounged on the bed (she likes being in the house during a storm). There is a kitten somewhere in my house, but who knows where it is. Jan brought Jesse a kitten. He knew we had been talking about getting another cat since the coyotes have eaten all of ours, and so he brought a little gray piece of fluff to our house. Jesse took one look and said, "It is harry. I think I will call it Harriet." Sound like a good name.

I’m actually a bit picky about cats. I want one that is not demanding, a bit standoffish, but will still let me catch it if I want. I also need a cat that will let the Grand Girls mangle it from time to time without hurting them in return. My last cat, Felina, was great. She was all those things and more. I have really missed her, and therefore, would like another cat. And yet, a cat is just a cat. They are easy come and easy go. I always warn people before they give me a cat that it will not have an easy life on the farm. It will get put outside only to be let inside if it behaves. My dogs will chase it, but only when they think they need to prove themselves working dogs. Cats are coyote bait unless they get smart quick and stay close to the house. We will have to see how Harriet does. Ranger is not pleased with the new addition, but then he does not like anything that takes attention away from him. A kitten sitting in my lap is just a blow to his dog ego. He is the prince of hounds.

I am headed into town today - lots to do - Wal-Mart, Grand Girls, lunch with Toby - it is a rough life.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Yesterday I made a trip back to WF this time taking the Diva with me. I don’t know when I have laughed so much in one day. I had several errands to run and a stop at Hobby Lobby because they were having a great sale on art supplies this week. The Diva kept up with me and never complained. In fact, I thought we shopped well together. I took her by to meet my mother – you would have thought the Diva was a long lost daughter the way they got along. We stopped at a junk dealer’s garage sale, and I was able to see the Junk Diva in action. She is a bargainer to contend with. I tried to think about what it was that made us laugh so much, but it is difficult to say, because the Diva is just a happy camper. It may have been when we ordered chicken-tender salads at lunch along with an order of fish tacos (just because we wanted to try them). The waitress said, "I don’t think you can eat that much." Diva and I got pretty tickled at that. I don’t know about the Diva, but I had a great day.

If you have never read Kaboom: A Soldier’s War Journal, then you are missing out on some of the best writing ever. And I do mean Ever. Lt G writes about The Gravediggers and their exploits in "Anu al-Verona" which he has named his area of Iraq. He has nicknames for his men and after reading his posts, you will feel you know them all personally. His stories can make you laugh out loud or they can sock you in the gut. He does use some F-oul language, but get passed that and read his stories. His recent story about Ghost Pandas will make you laugh. Another story about a dog, well, will just make you feel what a soldier feels.

A few days ago I posted a photo of my horses and pond and called them the "three amigos." Several years ago I painted a picture of three colts (not my three) and won a third place in watercolor at a local art show. I called this painting "The Three Amigos." It was my first award in an art show and was a great encouragement to continue to enter my art in shows. I would encourage any artist to enter shows, because it is just a learning experience and a great feeling to see your work hanging with other artists' work. I remember walking up to the show with Toby that night and saying that I did not know why I bothered to enter art shows – that I never won anything. When we got to my painting and it had a ribbon, I was so excited. You just never know what a judge will like. I apologize for the poor quality of the photo.

Shopping

Blogging took a backseat this weekend. On Saturday I went to Wichita Falls to see my mom and my sister, who happened to be in town. We did some major shopping. My sister, Kathy and I are 12 and ½ years apart in age. I was married and gone by the time she was seven years old. She was always the "princess" which was okay by me. I was just glad Mom finally had a girl to dress up with girlie clothes. Kathy and I don’t really look alike, although as she has gotten older, her butt has gotten bigger. From the back, we look more alike now. In fact, Mom, who is tall and skinny, mentioned that she did not know where we came from with our big butts – this was said as she followed along behind us into the mall.

Our personalities are very different, but it is great to have a sister. She has always been easy to pick on. My brothers and I could make her cry at the drop of a hat. Eventually, she learned to fight back - so this trip we picked on Mom while shopping. At one point, we were all in the dressing room trying on clothes. Mom came out wearing a black and white checked blazer with a blue skirt. We started in with the "Oh Mom, that top is black and that skirt is blue and that just does not work well together, etc." We teased her about being a "crazy old lady’ and had a good laugh all the while knowing that Mom was just trying on different things and knew that the two things did not match. Some of the things Mom tried on were way too big. Kathy and I went on about how we never have that problem. Eventually, a lady came out of one of the other dressing rooms and said that she wanted to shop with us - that we were way more fun than her ten-year-old son.

We had lunch at Chili’s and flirted with the waiter. I am sure he was horrified. We did more shopping after lunch. Kathy and I shop more like my Dad. Of course being a man, he was more like a hunter – you know – hunt, kill, bag it and go home. Kathy and I are like that. We know if there is good stuff in a store pretty quickly. Mom, on the other hand, is a wanderer/gatherer. She can wander off and be looking at the strangest things. We lost her several times. It brought back painful memories of my younger years when Mom would pick clothes off of the rack and say, "Do you like this?" I would reply with a definite negative. She would then say, "Try it on, you will like it." I would reply negatively again. She would insist. I would cave. I would go to school with puffy sleeves, ribbons, and no pockets. Things really haven’t changed much, except I don’t go to school anymore. All three of us still do not agree on style, but at least with three opinions things were exciting. You know how I love a good fight.

Shot of Energy

Toby used to have a doctor that he called "Dr. Feelgood" because he would give you two shots - one in each hip - one shot of medicine to cure whatever ailed you and one shot of vitamins to give you a boost of energy and make you feel good. I am sure Dr. Feelgood was not politically correct. No longer can you find this kind of doctor – all are too worried about being sued, but I might actually go to the doctor more often if I thought he would give me something to make me feel better – more energized.

Yesterday I had a shot of energy. Ashley came to art bringing her usual ray of sunshine. She also brought me some funky earrings from Hawaii. She was just what the doctor ordered to brighten my day and make me feel good. Maybe that is why I got sick while she was gone – I was just missing my weekly dose of Ashley.

The good news is that I am recovering from my illness, although my energy level is down. My appetite is coming back (darn it). Things are beginning to taste good again after tasting like sawdust. I’m not sure if that last part should be labeled under "good news." It is not very helpful to my diet. I kept GBN2 all morning and through lunch yesterday. She is much like her father – just an easy keeper. I wagged her around while I ran errands, and she just tagged along like it was all good. She had lunch with Jesse, Lindz, Janice and me. She entertained the crowd like the little princess that she is. I dropped her back at her house and visited with GBN1 who seems well recovered from her vitamin-eating episode. That is one kid who does not need any energy boosts.

The weekend looks to be warm and sunny. I know I am going to be busy, but for the life of me I cannot remember what I should be doing. Sometimes it is nice to just have a weekend with no specific plans. Well, maybe that is not so good for the procrastinator in me. I would really like to catch up on my blog reading, but it is doubtful that will happen over the weekend.
Here is a shot taken this morning of the three amigos standing near the fence longing to be "in greener pastures."

Bit of a Scare

We had a bit of a scare last night. It seems that GBN1 got into a bottle of children's vitamins yesterday. Her mother called Poison Control. PC said that she would had to have eaten at least 20 vitamins for there to be any danger. Later they called back and said that GBN1 should be taken to the ER to have a blood test to see how much iron was in her blood. She could have iron poisoning. So Bo and Sara took GBN1 to the ER and sure enough the docs decided that she did have too much iron and that she should be transported to OU Children's Hospital in The City. This is where things got a bit anxious. We came into town to pick up GBN2 from her Nana so that Nana could then go to The City. Sara rode in the ambulance with GBN1 while Bo followed in the car. On the way to The City, Nana stopped at a gas station and met the ambulance returning from having just dropped GBN1 at the hospital. The EMTs said that GBN1 had done well on the trip and had learned to squirt everyone with a syringe of water. That was after 10 PM and was the last I heard until this morning. A few minutes ago, B & S called to say that they were all okay and on their way home. The City docs gave GBN1 a few shots to bind her iron with something or other and then just watched her to make sure she was functioning fine. They released her this morning with plans for her to visit a doctor tomorrow and again next week to monitor her.

In the meantime, GBN2 is still with me - helping me blog this morning. She is quite fascinated with Ranger and having a grand time. Today is my daughter-in-law's, birthday. I hope she has a good day. She said just knowing that her baby was fine was a good enough birthday.

Here is GBN2 in her pj's feeding Ranger dog food from his bowl. He is ever so careful with her.

Procrastination

This morning I spent some time working on a letter to solicit donations for the upcoming art show put on by the Duncan Art Guild. How do you say, "Give Money" nicely? It is not one of my favorite things to do, but does seem necessary. I have been putting this letter writing off. In fact, I have several letters that I need to write and I just cannot seem to make myself do them. Procrastination is my middle name.

Back in my public school teaching days, I found out much about my personality when it came time to grade papers. You see, I hate cleaning house. I will put off cleaning house until absolutely the last minute or when company is coming. I don’t mind putting clothes in the washer and then the dryer, but I hate folding them and putting them away. There are usually little piles of clothes all over the couch or sometimes just one large unfolded pile. Same with dishes. Washing dishes is not nearly so bad as putting them away, so there is usually a stack of dishes in the drain-board. In fact, I have lots of little piles of papers and such that need to be put in a proper place – someday soon. Vacuuming is the pits mostly because I have to deal with the vacuum cleaner, which is similar to dragging a dead pig. But back in the PS days, when it came time to grade papers, I would rather clean house. Back then, my house was much cleaner than it is now. I guess the moral of this story is I need something in my life that I hate worse than housecleaning. Writing letters for the Art Guild just may be right up there with grading papers. Writing thank you notes may be second on that list of things I hate. Guess, I'll go mop the floor now.

MD Weekend

Weekend blogging is always iffy with Toby home. This weekend was extended to Monday since Toby took the day off. We ran lots of errands in town before heading over to Wichita Falls to do some city errands. It was fun for me just spending time with my man.

Saturday we went by to see the Grand Girls. Jesse had brought them grass skirts with little (and I do mean little) coconut shell tops from Hawaii. Jesse also brought a ukulele for the girls. GBN1 was most impressed with the ukulele. She looked at the coconut shells (held together with strings) and said, "Those are for your eyes." I managed to dress GBN2 in her skirt and shells. She was adorable. It was at that point that the lightbulb when off and GBN1 figured out that the coconut shells were for "your milks." My daughter-in-law was a good sport letting Jesse and I dress her girls up. We eventually took the girls to a youth soccer game where Jesse’s friend Jan was coaching. It was lots of fun.

Mother’s Day was uneventful. No one gave me a Great Dane this year, darn it! Last year we got Zoe on Mother’s Day. It may be hard to beat that little gift. Bo gave me the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Jesse gave me coral earrings from Hawaii. Our plan was to take it easy on Sunday and do some things around the house. The plan got changed when the crazy mare escaped again after a couple of weeks of being content in her pasture. She brought her compadres with her and caused lots of problems. The two compadres got out on the roadway. They were easily brought back into the pasture, but the crazy mare refused to be caught. We had to hook the horse trailer to the truck and put the old gelding in the trailer. The two mares do not like being left out - so they hopped in easily and were caught. We left them in the trailer while we fixed a new fence. I was pounding a post into the ground when Jesse said, "Mom, you are standing in an ant bed." It was about that time that I felt the first fire. Yep, I dropped the pants and shook the ants out of them right then and there. If any passer-bys or neighbors saw me, well, I’m sure they figured it out. We got the new fence put up and let the horses out of the trailer. It was not exactly the way I wanted to spend Mother’s Day, but it was not bad.

Great Friday

I think yesterday may have been the prettiest day of the spring. There was little wind and nice temps – perfect. Toby and I went out to eat after he came home from work. We visited with good friends at supper, but had to get home because the Grand Girls were dropping by. This is the sight that met us as we drove up to our house. Bo and the GGs were trying out the new lawnmower - without using the blade. Notice how beautiful and green things have gotten in OK. The pond is full and the trees are too. We made a trip to the barn where the GGs played in the tractor. GBN2 was not to be outdone by GBN1. Here she is in the "earmuffs." Then of course, we had to have a ride on the four-wheeler as the sun was setting. It was just a gorgeous day. The GGs were pretty excited about a new easel that someone found for me at a garage sale. It had oil and acrylic paints, brushes, several canvases, and pallets. At eight bucks it was a real steal/deal.

Surprises

I’m going to get out of the house today. That seems such a simple statement, but I have not been out since last Saturday. I’m almost giddy. Toby, Jesse, and I are going to meet at the park for lunch. GBN1 would say, "Great!"

Last night I actually participated in cooking and eating supper. Jes and I decided to have salmon cooked on the grill. Jes made a paste of lemon, butter, garlic and rosemary to put on the salmon – it was delicious. I also sautéed cabbage in butter – everything is better in butter. It was a very simple, but pleasant meal – not one of Toby’s favorites. He likes a more manly meal.

Speaking of manly, if you know Toby, he is very manly. Sometimes he has the oddest sense of humor saying things out of the blue that catch you off guard. People who don’t know Toby are never quite sure when he is joking because he is so subtle. Toby is a very quiet man – so that people who do not know him often think he is stuffy. Because of his slow West Texas drawl, they often think he is dull, but then he surprises them, and sometimes he surprises us:

While Jes was working around the kitchen last night, she was singing "Copacabana."
Jes: You know, I finally heard all the words to that song and it is a pretty stupid song.
Toby: Are you saying that my generation’s songs are stupid?
Jes: Well the song is pretty silly and Barry didn’t do that great of a job singing it.
Toby started singing "Copacabana" along with Jesse.
Me: I don’t think I ever paid any attention to the words so I don’t know the story.
Toby: Oh I did. I used to act it out.
This stopped us dead in our tracks – then we all burst out laughing.

Surf City

Jesse's has posted her surfing photos over at Skybag - pretty funny!

On the Mend

Back when the government decided to make it difficult for law-abiding citizens to purchase cold medicine over the counter, many drug companies decided to take the "good stuff" out of their formulas thinking that people would be more likely to buy their remedies off of the shelf. Not me; I’m a brick-brain about this sort of thing. I want something that is proven to work. If the druggist wants to take my ID and make me sign an affidavit, I will look him in the eye and do it. It is too bad that Nyquil gave in and changed their formula – I miss it. Yes, I was a Nyquil Junkie. That stuff was great at night. It worked wonders for your cold and knocked you out so you could sleep. Now I have a new remedy. I take something with an antihistamine for my cold and to help with sleep. Then have Toby fix me a hot toddy with a shot of whiskey – hey it’s as good as Nyquil! I am feeling much better today. I did cancel art today and plan on continuing to take it easy. Hopefully, I am on the mend.


By the way, we have had lots of rain lately. The pond is overflowing the spillway. Several times yesterday we had odd bursts of thunderstorms, wind, and a little sleet. The driveway is a mess right now. It is probably a good think I canceled art – I doubt if anyone but a real cowgirl could get up our driveway.

Melting

Although I felt a little better yesterday, I just felt drained all day. I took a shower about midway through the day when I thought I might not sweat anymore. About the time Jesse and Toby came home from work, I was down again with fever and aches. I spent the evening sitting in my recliner covered in a quilt watching my favorite TV show, NCIS, with my trusty hound at my feet. Toby calls Ranger "the therapy dog" because he has rarely left my side since I have been sick. The Piper showed up at about 8 PM with still-warm, melt in your mouth snickerdoodles. I rustled up some energy to eat one of those – delicious! The Piper also brought me some Irish whiskey for a hot toddy, which Toby mixed for me. Piper, Jesse and Toby sat around the table trying the Irish whiskey and tasting Toby’s Bruich Laddich Scotch Whiskey. They had cookies and also some fresh pineapple, which Jesse had brought home from Hawaii. I sat over in my chair sipping my hot toddy with little energy to add to the conversation because I was going through a serious sweat. Water was pouring off my face like had just sprinted a mile. I kept thinking about the joke "gee for a fat girl you don’t sweat much." What was so funny about that joke when we were kids? When I did try to add to the conversation, Jesse and Toby made terrible fun of me because I called Zoe a "he." They teased me about drinking my toddy and taking Benadryl. Of course they were putting on a show for Piper, who was greatly entertained at my expense. I am used to Toby and Jesse teasing me, and the Piper seemed to think they were very funny. I play the indignant mother very well when actually I think T and J are pretty funny too. Besides, I had no energy to fight back. After the Piper left, I told Toby that the toddy had really been wonderful and the cookies too. Toby said that the Irish whiskey that he made the toddy from "made you feel like melted butter." I had to laugh at his choice of words when I am sitting there feeling like I am melting, sweat pouring out of my body, no energy, and quite drowsy. I slept well until about 2 AM when the Benadryl wore off.

Yesterday I received a phone call from Ashley in Hawaii. She said that they had been scuba diving four times – twice from shore and twice from a boat. They had also snorkeled. She said that she had had stomach flu, but was feeling better. She also said the ash from the recent volcano was causing it to be overcast, but that they had taken a gazillion photos. She agreed with Jesse that the people reminded her of Taos – old hippies and locals. Jesse said that there were gorgeous men, but they were all on their honeymoons with their new brides. Ashley said there were no gorgeous men where she was. Ashley and her family will be changing islands now – I hope the ash/overcast clears for them. They all seem to be having fun. I wish I were there, too, melting in the sun rather than melting in the recliner.

Still Down

I am feeling a bit better at the moment. This illness has been one wild ride of aches, fever, and chills followed by odd sweats. Usually after the sweats, I feel better, but then the cycle starts again. My head often feels like a lead balloon, but mostly the congestion is in my chest. Toby brought me some expensive Mucinex DM. I don’t know if it is working, but for what it cost, I will take it. I have to admit that I have been worthless around the house. Toby has had to bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan. This morning he had to iron his own pants. It is nice to know he is capable and maybe I should feel guilty, but I just don’t have the energy. When I have had a bit of energy, I have tried to keep up with some of my favorite blogs, but mostly, me and my therapy dog have just been resting. Thanks for all the kind thoughts and words they do make me smile. Jesse has her first Hawaiian photos up – so go by and check them out.

Sick

Jesse is home safely. She had a great time, but will have to do her own posting. She is keeping her distance from me, because I am sick. I will spare you the boring details, but it is the pits. I will write more when I next feel better.

More Bits

This morning Toby decided to ride his motorcycle to work. He had his cycle-suit on and was ready to go when the dogs started barking. It seemed there was a coyote about 40 yards (keep in mind that I am a woman and cannot judge distance) from the house. It was near the barn probably checking out his chicken condos. Our dogs were going crazy, but the coyote was just standing there - daring them to come after him. Toby got the gun. By the time he had it loaded and aimed the coyote had moved off further, but he did get two shots at it. He may have winged it, but it ran off into the woods. What was so funny about this? Toby looked like some Iron Man character standing there in his cycle-suit. I was in my nightgown.

Around lunch, I picked up GBN1 from her Nana's house (tomorrow is B&S's 5th wedding anniversary) and took her to the park for a picnic with the other kids from our church. She was quite delightful and talkative as usual. She kept saying, "Uh Booboo, do we have a problem here?" I'm not sure where she picked that one up, but it was funny. Unfortunately, I am feeling a bit puny - like I am coming down with something. After dropping GBN1 off at Nana's, I came home for a nap. Tomorrow is my day with both Grand Girls and I need to be well.

Bits and Pieces

We heard from The Girl last night. She said that they were having all sorts of wonderful adventures and will tell me all about it when she gets home. Her excuse for not sending pictures to me along with everyone else – well, she said Lindz was sending them out, and could not think of my email address. I think she was just having too much fun in the sun to be bothered much with emails or things like calling home. Although I do love hearing from her, I didn’t really expect her to "check in" much. I know she is a "big girl" and that she was having a good time and no news is good news and the apple does not fall far from the tree. She will be home tomorrow – sometime – but who knows when.

Besides reading lots of economic blogs and magazines, Toby likes to read energy blogs. He found this interesting link on "Global Cooling." It is worth the read.

Many times I have mentioned Capt. Jeff Donnithorne of the USAF. He recently sent this email that he was participating in a triathlon to raise money for wounded vets. It is a worthy cause if you want to support the Vets and Jeff. You have until May 10th to send a donation. Here is the info:
Dear family and friends ~As some of you may know, I'm currently training for a half-ironman triathlon which will take place on Sunday, May 18th in Orlando. I've done a few triathlons in the past, but this one is considerably longer than previous races I've done and is proving to be a great challenge to my mental and physical endurance even in the training process. The race will start with a 1.2 mile swim, followed by a 56 mile bike, and then finishes up with a half-marathon run of 13.1 miles. In training, I've done all three of those events separately, but doing them back-to-back-to-back in a 6 hour span will certainly put me to the test. For more info on the race itself, here's the website:http://www.floridahalfironman.com/But the real reason I'm writing is because I've joined ranks with a great team of folks who want this endurance race to have a greater purpose than just personal satisfaction. I've joined Operation Rebound, which works with a foundation called the Challenged Athletes Foundation, to give support to injured veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Racing with me in Orlando will be several veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who lost limbs and are now competing with prosthetic limbs -- these athletes are supported financially, logistically, and emotionally by the fundraising efforts of Operation Rebound. Our team at the Florida Half Ironman will be raising money to support more soldiers in their quest to re-establish an active and athletic lifestyle following their injuries. Getting these soldiers back into an active lifestyle, despite their significant injuries, has proven to be one of the most effective steps in their emotional and physical recovery.It's really an honor for me to join this effort, and I realize that the pain and sacrifice I've experienced in training and will experience on race day is merely a fading hint of the pain and sacrifice that these heroic recovering soldiers experience on a daily basis. That awareness has helped me push through on some long swims, bike rides, and runs, and I trust that it will be a motivating tailwind on race day itself. If you would like to support these injured soldiers through Operation Rebound, I will be honored to swim, bike, and run your donation to the finish line. You can donate online at:http://raceforareason08.kintera.org/jdonnithorneThe website has various suggested "giving levels", from $50 up to $1000. If you decide you'd like to donate, you most certainly do NOT have to give at one of those levels -- you can type in whatever amount you choose (e.g. $10, $25, etc.). The Challenged Athlete Foundation is a certified 503(c), so all donations are tax-deductible.If you don't want to donate online, there's a link on that page to download a form which you can fill out manually and mail in. Please feel NO obligation whatsoever to give -- I know that each of us has many worthy causes competing for our support. If you decide that this is one that you'd like to support, I'm honored to be a catalyst for helping these injured troops.Even if you decide not to give, if you could remember me on Sunday morning, May 18th, I would certainly appreciate your prayers! I will definitely be in need of God's divine tailwind that day.Thanks very much,Jeff

Wicked Wednesday

An aside:
The Piper sent me an email saying that I had misspelled Pomalift yesterday. He had googled it to find the correct spelling. While writing yesterday's post, I had puzzled over the spelling. " Palma, Pomma, Poma, Pamma, etc all went through my mind. Did it have an L or had Okies done their usual L deletion? I did Google it. I did find it spelled Palma, but I did not look any further. Piper did a deeper research of the word and came up with Poma as the correct spelling. I was just lazy.

Strange things happened to me yesterday while I was in town. I stopped by the post office to mail a package to my cousin for her upcoming 50th birthday. I had angle-parked my car across the street from the PO. It is usually much easier and less traffic than parking directly in front of the PO. Because there was a car on either side of me, I had to inch my way back looking over my right shoulder as I backed out into traffic. A truck came around the corner into my lane of traffic, so I waited on him to pass. As soon as I could see that my lane was clear, I gave it some gas to back on out. Who would expect a pedestrian to step behind me from my blind spot. Of course the lady had jaywalked. Of course, she had to see and know that I was backing. There was no way I could see her even if I looked back over my other shoulder. What would possess someone to step behind a backing car? I slammed on my breaks and missed her as she kept walking behind my car, but it really shook me.

I met Toby for a nice lunch and he let me rant about the pedestrian – told me I should have run her down – making me laugh and causing me to "get over it." Of course I would not "run her down" – it was his way of teasing me. Then I went to get my "hairs cut" as GBN1 says. I love going to the beauty shop and letting someone work their magic on me. Maybe growing up with a mother who was a beautician made the beauty shop a place of comfort.

Once I was all refreshed and beautiful, I went to Wal-Mart, parking in my usual parking space. Toby teases me about being like my dad – always parking in a specific place. But I park far out in the lot near a cart-return where I can put my groceries in the car, put up the cart easily, and pull out of Wal-Mart without any hassle. This time, as I was unloading the groceries into my trunk, the wind was blowing like a son-of-a-gun. A big gust of wind caught the trunk just as I turned to set a sack down. The trunk conked me on the head so hard that I saw stars. I stood there holding my head with tears welling up in my eyes wondering if I was bleeding, wondering if I was going to pass out, wondering (for just a second) who the heck hit me on the head. Then I realized that I must look ridiculous standing there and worried that someone might stop to see if I was okay. If anyone had showed any kindness or concern, I probably would have burst into tears. I guess I must be a brick-brain ‘cause I was just fine. I do have a bruise and it did bleed just a little, but the new hair-do covered it nicely. Next time I choose a parking space, I will factor in the direction of the wind.

At church last night, several people told me that the Hawaiian babes had sent pictures of their snorkeling adventure. Since I did not get any yet, it is difficult to pass them on.

Today is art. I am staying home all day.