Preparing For Lent

Go you also into my Vineyard.

Today was Septuagesima Sunday. The readings today scared the heck out of me when I really thought about them.

Father said that although Septuagesima (the third Sunday before the beginning of Lent) is not Lent, it is the beginning of our preparation for Lent. Today is the day when we acknowledge that we are exiles, and the reasons for that. (Hint: Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden for their sin, and because of that we have that pesky original sin).

I was struck by the readings and tried to figure out how they related to one another. The Epistle was from 1 Corinthians, where Paul tells the Corinthians that one can run the race, thinking he is doing what is right, and still wind up being a castaway. He goes on to say that the Jews were under the cloud (remember, the Pillar of Cloud that was God that followed them around?), they passed through the sea, they ate the manna and drank water from the rock (spiritual bread and drink), and yet "...with most of them God was not pleased."

The Gospel was from Matthew 10. 1-16. It's the parable about the man who hired workers to work in his vineyard. He hired some at the beginning of the day, some a little later in the day, some still later, and some at the last hour of the day. They all received the same agreed upon wage, but the workers who worked all day long complained that the workers who were hired later were paid the same as them. They didn't think it fair that the latecomers were being made "equal to them." And not only that, but the latecomers were paid first!

The master tells them that he has done them no wrong, that they are being paid what was agreed upon. The reading ends with "For many are called, but few chosen."

We may say we are Christians, we may go to Mass, receive the Sacraments, pray, give money and time, strive to "win the race," but it is possible that God will not be pleased with us. We may be cast away, because after all, we are filled with that original sin that causes us to worry about what other people are doing, to judge them and think ourselves better, to sin in all kinds of ways. We should be looking at our own sins, at what God expects from us, at how we can do His will, rather than at what our neighbor is doing.

I've had the feeling for the past few months that I'm going through the motions, but not truly doing what God expects of me. I hope to spend the next three weeks before Lent in some deep soul-searching and prayer. I want to really know and love God, to do His will in every part of my life, to be close to Him. I believe in God's love and mercy, and know that His will is for me to be with Him in Heaven some day. Please don't let me mess up, Father!

Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant, and save me in Thy mercy; let me not be confounded, O Lord, for I have called upon Thee. (Psalm 30. 17-18)

A Moment Of Forever

It's a Kristofferson night. Turn off my Playlist music to listen.


A Moment Of Forever

Was it wonderful for you?
Was it holy as it was for me?
Did you feel the hand of destiny
That was guiding us together?

You were young enough to dream
I was old enough to learn something new
I'm so glad I got to dance with you
For a moment of forever

Sometimes when you're cryin', you're happy
Sometimes you're just cryin'
I know. I know.

Come whatever happens now
Ain't it nice to know that dreams still come true
I'm so glad that I was close to you
For a moment of forever.

My Vote For Texas Governor

When Kelly and I went to the Austin Tea Party Express in November, we heard several candidates for governor speak. We were impressed by several of them, but in particular by Debra Medina. At the time I remember thinking that she probably didn't have much of a chance running against two career politicians, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Governor Rick Perry. But I was wrong, and we were not the only ones who've been impressed with Mrs. Medina.

I like her position on most of the issues, including the most important one to me, abortion. Check this page to see where she stands on the issues.

(From her website):
Debra on Life

Pro-Life Period

Life begins at conception and concludes at natural death.

Every human is created in the image of God. God, not man, is the measure of all things. Every human life is precious and I will work to protect innocent human life.

I like her outspokenness. She calls it as she sees it, and doesn't mince words about it:

To kick off the last debate of the primary season between the big three in the GOP, Debra Medina called out Rick Perry.

"In a recent interview at the Blogger's Summit, Governor Perry said that ending the property tax in Texas was a very intriguing and positive idea. However, he fell short of embracing the end of property tax or any significant change in management of the state's current fiscal crisis, maintaining that Texas is on the right path. "Well, I'm saying "bullshit" and here's why," Medina said.

"Not only have we seen loss of jobs in the private sector, the most recent State Comptroller's Fiscal Notes shows total state tax collections have fallen by over 20%, while funds from the federal government to the state government have risen nearly 34% so far this year over last year, to plug the huge hole in Governor Perry's state budget."
Source: The Dallas Morning News

Check her Common Sense page to see her thoughts on the role of government, state sovereignty, taxes and spending, business in Texas, and private property.

Texans, do a little research, and see what you think about what this lady has to say about how she would govern our state. I think you'll like her. Here's the link to her website to get you started:

Debra Medina for Texas Governor.

Beads To Remember Florida

When we were in Florida we shopped at a bead store near our hotel. The man who ran it had trade beads from all over the world. It was an interesting place.

I bought a string of Russian Serpentine beads and some little brass turtles. He said he bought the turtles from "a hippie store that was going out of business." :o)













I wanted something to remind me of our trip and the ocean. I'm not sure what I'll do with them yet, but today I put them on the bead board with a few other beads and I'm thinking about it. I don't know yet if I want to make a necklace or a bracelet. I wear bracelets and earrings more than I wear necklaces, but I'm kind of leaning toward a necklace. Oh well, I'll think about it some more.











Reece and Aubrey will be here to spend the night soon, so I'd better put the beads away and get ready for them.

Random Thoughts

1. My puppies snore like big fat men.

2. The most visited post on my blog is Michaelmas, arrived at by visitors googling "St. Michael" or "images of St. Michael." 90% of random visitors to my blog are looking for pics or info on St. Michael. I think that's fascinating. Why are so many people all over the world looking for the Angel who fights against evil, who protects us from the devil? I think it's because people are more aware of the spiritual battle going on in the world, they instinctively know that something is wrong.

Here is the St. Michael prayer for all those souls who are looking for protection, peace and comfort because of the evil in the world:

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

3. You can make a good steak in a skillet on the stove if your son borrows his dad's grill and hasn't returned it. :o) I pan-grilled two T-bones tonight, and they were delicious. Here's how to do it:

2 thick steaks
choice of seasoning (I am out of Uncle Chris', our favorite steak seasoning, so I used Texas Cajun Seasoning).
olive oil
a little bit of sherry

Oil the skillet with the olive oil, wiping off most of it. Heat the skillet so that it's hot when you put the steaks in. Sprinkle the steaks with seasoning on both sides, pressing it into the meat with your fingers. Cook the steaks for 5 minutes on the first side over medium high heat. Turn the steaks with tongs after 5 minutes, and cook 5 minutes on the other side. This resulted in medium rare steaks, which is how we like them. If you want them more well done, cook a little longer. Remove the steaks to plates. Deglaze the skillet with a little bit of sherry. Cook it down for about a minute. Pour or brush the glaze over the finished steaks. Serve with baked potatos and green beans. Mmm.

4. Nope, I'm not watching the State of the Union speech. I'll wait for Adrienne to tell me about it. :o)

Wednesday With Reece

I went to get dog food yesterday evening, and when I got home Reece was here!

His art project for our latest lesson was to make a pizza. We used a paper plate, red finger paint mixed with a little Elmer's glue and some Italian seasoning (for the sauce), and cut-up bits of construction paper for the toppings. He had fun making his pizza, and because of the Italian seasoning it even smelled liked real pizza.

We used another paper pizza to learn about fractions--whole, halves and quarters.

We were supposed to make mini-pizzas with English muffin halves, but I forgot to buy the ingredients, so we'll do that on Friday. Instead, Papa went to Schlotzsky's and got us individual pizzas for supper. Reece and I had pepperoni and cheese. Yum.

The weekend before last Reece went to the Monster Truck Jam with his parents. This is the second year he has gone, and he loved it! He already had a few monster trucks, but has a lot more now. He brought them all with him to show us. He asked if he could watch "monster trucks on Y-tube," and of course I said yes. So he played with his trucks, making them do all the same moves as the trucks on the videos. Last year his favorite was Gravedigger, but this year he seems to like one called Shocker best. He is very serious while he puts them through their paces. :o)

We stayed up pretty late and slept in a bit this morning. (I got up early to let the puppies out and feed them, but since Reece was still asleep, I went back to bed and snuggled with him for awhile).

Later we went with his daddy to Lowe's, then stopped at McDonald's on the way to Great Grans and took her some lunch, too. He loved sharing his monster trucks with her. She's a great playmate.

We took Teddy for a walk, and Reece was so tickled when he discovered that Teddy is afraid of heights. We went up to the third floor where there is a balcony overlooking the pool. Teddy wouldn't go anywhere near the edge. Reece would try to pull him over close to the railing with his leash, and Teddy would lie down and pull back. They were so cute.

When we left Gran's, Reece instructed me to kiss her good-bye and tell her "Merry Christmas." :o) I've been telling him it's not Christmas any more, and he says, "Oh, now it's January." So then he said to Gran, "Happy Holidays!" and waved at her. He cracks me up.

His daddy is working on his car brakes today, and they were going to get a part after I dropped Reece off. He loves doing anything with his daddy.

My Mandolin

Ron gave me the most unexpected but delightful gift for Christmas.

He is a woodworker, and sometimes orders tools and things from a company called Grizzly. One day, months ago, he overheard me say something to someone about how I had always wanted a mandolin. I play the violin, and thought it would be easy to play the mandolin since the strings are the same. He said that he thought at the time, "I never knew she wanted a mandolin." So when he saw a mandolin kit in his Grizzly catalog, he ordered it for me.

He is in the process of putting it together. I should have taken a before picture when it was still in little pieces; he has already assembled the big pieces. There is still quite a bit to do, including putting a finish on it and all of the smaller bits, but it's coming along.

I'm very excited to have it, and have already found an on-line site with instructions on how to play the mandolin.

I'll post pictures when it is finished.

A Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...
It's been a beautiful day, blue skies, wispy white clouds, warm temperatures.

I am thankful...
for all our blessings, especially our children and grandchildren.

I am wearing...
black yoga pants, purple tee, bare feet.

I am remembering...
my childhood buddy, Tuffy, a little golden cocker spaniel.

I am going...
I've been to Mom's and that's all today.

I am reading...
Birds and Blooms magazine.

On my mind...
I'm exasperated because when we switched cell phone companies I thought our 2 year contract was up. It wasn't (until February), and we were charged an outrageous cancellation fee--for each line! :o( I talked to the customer service rep, but there is nothing we can do about it. However, we won't ever go back to T-Mobile again.

From the learning rooms...
Still on the "out to eat" unit.

Pondering these words...
Jesus, I trust in You.

I love the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

From the kitchen....
I need to lose some weight and am trying to watch my calories. I had yogurt and some Ritz crackers for breakfast (190 calories), and chicken and sausage gumbo soup (Campbell's) for lunch (200 calories). And a graham cracker for a snack. (I'll have to look up the calorie count on that). Thinking a salad will be good for supper.

Around the house...
it seems a little bare and dull without all the Christmas decorations.

One of my favorite things...


From my picture album...
Mom and I made a blueberry pie this afternoon. She had a bag of frozen blueberries, and some Pillsbury pie crusts. I mixed the sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon in my kitchen and took it over there. It looked delicious, but I didn't have any since I had to leave right after it came out of the oven. Here is the recipe:






Blueberry Pie
5 C blueberries
1 C sugar
6 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 T butter
pie dough--enough for a double crust pie.

Mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon together. Pour the mixture over the blueberries and toss to coat. Pour the blueberry mixture into the bottom crust. Dot the filling with bits of butter. Cut strips of pie dough to make a lattice top. Crimp edges. Bake at 400° for 50 to 60 minutes.

Please visit Peggy to read more daybooks.

Pray To End Abortion

God and Father of Life,
You have created every human person,
And have opened the way for each to have eternal life.

We live in the shadow of death.
Tens of millions of your children have been killed
Thanks to the Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Father, have mercy on us.
Heal our land
And accept our offering of prayer and penance.
In your love for us,
Turn back the scourge of abortion.

May each of us exult in hearts full of hope
And hands full of mercy
And work together to build a culture of life.

We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thrifty Thursday

I actually bought this stuff on Monday, but what the heck. I'm showing it to you on Thursday, so Thrifty Thursday. :o)

I think I got some pretty good bargains. That round plastic thing on the left is a food dehydrator. You can barely see it's box behind the Cootie game. All the parts are there, and it works, so I'm planning to dry a lot of fruits and veggies from the farmer's markets this summer. The booklet says you can make jerky and yogurt in it, too.

On top of the FAO Schwartz bead barrel is a mandoline, to slice and julienne foods. I'm going to make some sweet potato fries, and who knows what else. It has all its parts, too.

The bead barrel has hundreds of different kinds of beads--wooden ones, plastic, alphabet--and strings to string them on. Good for teaching little fingers manual dexterity. The girls will enjoy them, too, for making necklaces and bracelets.

The rest of the stuff is from the toy aisle at the thrift store. The Sound Studio kit has a drum, tambourine, kazoo, horn, slide whistle, a stringed instrument like a zither, and some maracas. I think the grands will have fun with it.

In front of it is the Cootie game, with all four cooties and all their parts, and the instructions. Reece and Aubrey have already been playing with the cooties.

In front of the Cootie game is a Bingo game and a box of Double 12 Dominoes, all intact. Then a Scrabble game and Mastermind. I bought the Scrabble set mostly to use in craft projects as we already have one. It would be good for "spare parts," too. The 550 piece puzzle was packaged with some of the other games--a lagniappe. :o)

The counting bears and cups, blocks and the baby ball were all in one bag. Reece has some counting bears, but we didn't have the colored cups for sorting. And the blocks match a set of blocks we already have, so now we have more of them. Camryn enjoyed playing with the little plastic ball when she was here. Don't worry, I scrubbed it in hot, soapy water. I'm a freak about cleaning the stuff I buy at thrift stores.

They were having a sale on children's books. Buy 5 for $1 (yes, 5 books for $1), and get 5 more FREE! So, 10 books for $1. You just can't beat that. Unfortunately, they were pretty picked over, but I did manage to find 10 that we can use.

I love the illustrations in some of them, particularly the one open in the front. It is David McPhail's Animals From A To Z.

Make Way For Ducklings (Robert McCloskey) has already become one of Reece's bedtime favorites. You can never have too many Mother Goose and other nursery rhyme books. And for my budding scientists, an insect book and a book about the body.

The Baby Brown Bear's Big Bellyache book includes lots of other familiar Little Golden Book characters in the story--Shy Little Kitten, Poky Little Puppy, Saggy Baggy Elephant, Tawny Scrawny Lion, Scuffy the Tugboat, and Tootle the Train. Too cute. :o) Danny and the Dinosaur (Syd Hoff) and The Runaway Bunny (Margaret Wise Brown) are classics that the little kids will love. I'll save the Thanksgiving book until November. Did I ever tell you that books are one of my favorite things? I want my grandchildren to love them as much as I do.

Wednesday With Reece

Reece and I went out to eat yesterday evening, going along with our lesson theme. He wanted to go to I-Hop, so that's where we went. He ordered the chocolate happy face pancake and a Sprite, all on his own, pointing out to the waiter exactly what he wanted on his little place mat. But when the pancake came, he didn't want to eat it! He just wanted to look at it. He did finally eat some of it, and we brought the rest home with us. He ate most of it later.

After supper we stopped at Wal-Mart because he wanted a toy. We walked through every aisle of the toy section, and he chose a Lego set that has a little fireman and a rescue truck and trailer. We put them together when we got home and he played with it most of the evening, along with his other cars.

He could hardly wait to go to Great Gran's this morning. He wanted to take his Cars cars and his Radiator Springs rug. When we got there he immediately pulled Gran into the bedroom to play. I put the rug down and they played "Radiator Springs" nearly the entire time we were there. Gran enjoyed it as much as Reece did! :o)

Of course we made our usual McDonald's stop on the way home, but this time we went inside to have lunch instead of going through the drive-thru because his parents were not at home yet. After we ate I asked him if he wanted to play on the playground there, and he said he did. I don't know whether he has ever done that before; he didn't seem to know what to do at first. He stood and watched the other kids for awhile, and I asked if he wanted to go up into the tunnels and he said no. I asked if he wanted me to go with him, and he said yes, so I went climbing through the playground with him. When we got to the top we sat in a little cubicle and looked out the windows. Some other little boys came in and looked so surprised to see a Gramma up there! :o) But they all talked to me and Reece, and pretty soon he was playing with them, too. He had fun, and I loved watching him play.

When it was time to go he got a little upset that I was taking him home instead of back to my house, but once we got there he was okay.

After dropping him off, I came home and haven't done much of anything worthwhile all afternoon. I'm going to run to the grocery store to pick up some things for Mom in a little bit. Ron is in Colorado this week, so it's just me, Maggie and the puppies here.

Sister And Katy On A Warm January Day

I'm up before the crack of dawn this morning. I had to take Ron to the airport for his flight out at 6 AM. I thought I'd go back to bed, but my mind is too busy to sleep.

It's been awhile since I posted any Sister and Katy pics. I took some while I was outside yesterday afternoon, before Reece got here. They are such sweet, loving doggies.

The first two pictures are of them "staying." I think it's cute that they always lie down when I tell them to "stay." Katy is on the left, Sister on the right.















I sat on a bench in the backyard, and they came and put their heads on my knees.












They listen attentively when I talk to them. (Sometimes). :o)















Sister
















Katy





I love them.

An Evening Daybook

Outside my window...
It's dark out now. After a rather ugly, gray start, it turned out to be a beautiful day.

I am thankful...
that January is more than half gone. I can't wait for Spring!

I am wearing...
jeans, blue print 3/4 sleeve tee shirt, black socks.

I am remembering...
how my grandpa called all of his granddaughters "Sis," and would always take up for us if we got in trouble.

I am going...
I went to Mom's today, but was home for the rest of the day. Ron and Josh were replacing a door at Josh's house, and they brought Reece over this afternoon. He stayed here with me, and we went for a nice long walk, enjoying the warm weather.

I am reading...
blogs and political stuff that makes my head hurt. People do seem to be coming to their senses a bit, though.

On my mind...
getting the house really clean, finding shelves for Reece's closet to put his toys on, cleaning up the yard.

From the learning rooms...
The name of the next lesson is "Let's eat out!" We'll talk about different kinds of foods, restaurants and bakeries, how things are made (pizza), and the miracle of the loaves and fishes. We'll practice grouping, learn about whole, half, quarter, and equal sets. And do some puzzles. :o) And of course we will cook or bake.

Pondering these words...
I received a message yesterday at Mass, as I knelt to pray after Communion. The message was "Pray the Rosary."

I was deeply immersed in my prayer, telling God what He already knows, and asking for His help. As I silently cried out to Him, "Lord, what should I do?" I "heard" Him so clearly. "Sharon. Pray the Rosary."

I have been neglecting my prayers.

From the kitchen....
I made pan-seared butterflied pork chops, broccoli and sweet potato for supper. I deglazed the pan with a little sherry and a bit of apple juice, brushing the resulting glaze on the chops to give them delicious flavor.

Around the house...
the whole house needs a good, thorough cleaning. That's my goal for the week while Ron is out of town.

One of my favorite things...
Candlelight. Kelly gave me some wonderful candles for Christmas, and I'm enjoying them so much.

From my picture album...

Reece enjoyed being outdoors today. He said, "Do you wanna play an outdoor game, Gramma?" :o)


Here he is on the front porch.














And in front of a neighbor's house, saying hello to one of their lion statues. He yikes yions. :o)

Please visit Peggy to read the daybooks of other bloggers.

How Was Your Weekend?

Saturday night Josh and Cryise took Reece to the Monster Truck Jam at the Alamodome.

Reece loves just about any kind of vehicle, especially big trucks! But he has never liked loud noises (except the ones he makes). When I saw this picture on Facebook, I asked if Reece was making that mouth because of the noise, and Josh said yes, that the noise "kinda scared him, but he said he liked it at the same time."

He was still excited when they came to pick up his little sisters after the Monster Jam. He was showing me the toy they bought on the way out. When Ron was at their house today, he said that Reece was playing with all of his monster trucks. I'm glad he had fun.

The little girls were sweet and good while they were here. They both played, ate dinner, and took naps. Aubrey is learning more and more new words. She babbles long sentences, but throws in a real word now and then. :o) Even when she doesn't know the word, she is able to make us understand what she wants. She says "bite" if she wants something to eat, or she will hold out her hand and open and close it to show she wants something. She's a smart little cookie.

Today we went to Mass with Mom. Instead of going out to eat, we went back to her place for lunch. I put some beans in her crockpot yesterday when I was there, and I took a can of tomatoes, half an onion, and some Essence of Emeril over there today. She had some good ground beef, so we browned that with the onion, added the tomatoes and seasonings and made some cornbread. Yummy lunch.

The rest of the day I just relaxed, watched a little TV, and napped. Lazy day. :o)

Pray For The People Of Haiti

My darling little granddaughter is asleep beside me in her Tinkerbell blanket sleeper, looking like an angel. Her brother and Papa are safe in the spare bedroom, sleeping soundly.

It's been raining for three days, and chilly, but we are snug in our warm home. We have plenty to eat and drink, a closet filled with clothes to choose from, our loved ones are all safe and unharmed. If only it could be so for all families, all children, all over the world.

My heart is breaking for the people of Haiti. I can hardly bear to watch the news from there. I cannot imagine the pain the people are going through. I'm praying for all of them. If you are looking for a way to help, first pray, then send money. I suggest you donate to Catholic Relief Services or Food For The Poor.

From the Vatican website:
PAPAL APPEAL FOLLOWING EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI

VATICAN CITY, 13 JAN 2010 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience, held in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope launched an appeal "for the dramatic situation currently being experienced in Haiti".

"My thoughts go in particular to the population hit just a few hours ago by a devastating earthquake which has caused serious loss of human life, large numbers of homeless and missing people, and vast material damage.

"I invite everyone to join my prayers to the Lord for the victims of this catastrophe and for those who mourn their loss. I give assurances of my spiritual closeness to people who have lost their homes and to everyone who, in various ways, has been affected by this terrible calamity, imploring God to bring them consolation and relief in their suffering.

"I appeal to the generosity of all people so that these our brothers and sisters who are experiencing a moment of need and suffering may not lack our concrete solidarity and the effective support of the international community. The Catholic Church will not fail to move immediately, through her charitable institutions, to meet the most immediate needs of the population".
AG/EARTHQUAKE/HAITIVIS 100113 (200)

Wednesday with Reece

It's been a chilly, gray, rainy day, but Reece was with us last night and this morning, so there has been a bright spot in the day. :o)

These pictures were taken last night, after we made cookies and had dinner.

He had fun playing with his Cars and watching videos on my laptop. We also drew on the white board, and practiced writing his name, sort of. He loved erasing things more than writing, and when he wanted to erase something, he would say, "I'll vacuum the tree, Gramma." Or I'll vacuum the R, Gramma." I would say, "Okay," and he would proceed to erase whatever he had named.




He said the markers were microphones, and liked pretending we were singing into them. I loved his belly laugh when I was singing and he would grab my "microphone." I would snatch up another one and continue my song, leaning toward him. For some reason he thought that was just hilarious. :o)

At bedtime, he wasn't ready to go to sleep. We read some stories, but when I turned off the light he kept talking. Papa finally got up and went in the other room to sleep. :o)

Just as I was drifting off, Reece said, "Gramma, I yike Carl's, Jr." I said, "I know, Reece. Now go to sleep."

Silence for a minute. Then, "Gramma, I wove cupcakes." "I know, Honey. Now go to sleep."

More silence. "Gramma, we go downstairs, pway Radiator Springs?" "No Reece, it's time to go to sleep." "Awww, why not?" "Because it's night time. Time for sleep."

Quiet. Maybe he is going to sleep.

"Gramma? We go see Gwate Gwan tomorrow?" "Yes Baby, we will. Now go to sleep."

Quiet. Then the cat jumps up on the bed.

"That was the cat." "Yes, that was just Maggie." "Okay. Night night, Maggie."

Then he sits up and looks at Maggie. And so it went until after midnight!

He finally went to sleep, and early this morning just before the alarm went off, he was laughing in his sleep. I wonder what funny thing he was dreaming about? :o)

He did go with me to see Great Gran. They had not seen each other since New Year's Day, and both of them were delighted to be able to play together again. I hardly saw them, as Reece always takes her into the bedroom and they sit on the floor to play with his cars or whatever toys he has brought with him.

Mom had taken down her Christmas decorations, so I spent the time putting them away in her closet. Then I reorganized her closet and made her some lunch.





Reece was ready for lunch by the time we left, and always wants McDonald's, so we stopped there on the way to his house. We got Aubrey a Happy Meal, too. She was happy to see us when we got there, and looked so cute in the little pink long-sleeved onesie and brown corduroy overalls I got her for Christmas.

And so it goes, my life as Gramma. I love it!

Tuesday Talk

I got distracted yesterday (Tuesday), and never posted this. Now I've added a picture and will post it on Wednesday. So, from yesterday:

I've been to Mom's and to Bath and Body Works to exchange something, and in a few minutes I'll go pick up Reece to come and spend the night.

Mom had a 24 hour bug of some kind, probably the flu. She was sick during the night and all day yesterday, but was feeling better today, thank goodness! I sure hope the vitamin D3 I've been taking protects me from catching it.

Ron and I had dinner at Genghis Grill Saturday afternoon, and had the grandkids Saturday night while Josh and Cyrise were on the Riverwalk. They picked them up Sunday afternoon, and then Ron and I left to go pick up Mom. We met Sandi and Mom at a hamburger place in Bastrop, about halfway between SA and Bryan/College Station. We had a late lunch with them--great burgers at a place called The Roadhouse.

I gave Sandi the red beaded necklace I made, and she loved it. :o) It looks beautiful on her, with her coloring.

Mom had a wonderful time staying at Sandi's while we were in Florida. She got to spend time with Kori and Jonah, who also came to visit that week. Sandi's apartment is absolutely beautiful; she has made it very much her own with her usual wonderful style. It looks like something from a decorating magazine.

We got Mom home around 6 PM and got her things unpacked and put away. She was feeling fine when we left, but the next day (Monday) when I got there, she was so very sick. She said she had been up most of the night. :o( I know Reece will want to go over there tomorrow, but I don't want to expose him to any virus, so I'm not planning to take him with me tomorrow.

Speaking of Reece, it's time for me to pick him up! We're going to make chocolate chip cookies tonight (the kind in the tube).

Happy Birthday, Jason!

I'm thinking of you today, and praying that God will continue to bless you always.

I love you!

Mom

A Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...
a very cold January morning. I really dislike winter.

I am thankful...
I started writing things I'm thankful for, and the list went on and on this morning. My heart is overflowing with gratitude for all of my blessings.

I am wearing...
jeans, long sleeved navy blue t-shirt.

I am remembering...
a most special day at Ft. Hood, Texas 39 years ago.

I am going...
to Mom's. We will probably go grocery shopping.

I am reading...
nothing at the moment.

On my mind...
getting back into the groove around here.

From the learning rooms...
I haven't even looked at the next lesson, but will do that later today and get prepared so that when Reece is here tomorrow night we can work on something.

Pondering these words...
The reading from Morning Prayer:
If anyone is unwilling to work, neither should that one eat. We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others. Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food. But you, brothers, do not be remiss in doing good.

From the kitchen....
Beef stew for supper tonight.

Around the house...
laundry from our trip, general straightening and cleaning. I'm not sure if I want to go ahead and take the tree and decorations down, or leave them until Candlemas, February 2.

One of my favorite things...
Chicory coffee with real cream and sugar in a pretty cup.

From my picture album...

A serious Camryn in her little knit hat. She is such a sweet baby!

Please visit Peggy to read more daybooks.

Home Again!

We're home. As lovely as it was to be away, it is just as nice to be home again. Reece was with Josh when he picked us up at the airport, went with us to pick up the puppies, and now is spending the night. He told me he missed me so much. :o)

It's cold here, too. I guess the whole country is in the deep freeze right now. I'm ready for our warm south Texas weather to come back! Beat it, frigid weather!

The puppies were happy to see us. I fed them and now they are fast asleep in their crate. We have Teddy with us, too. He and Kelly met us at the pet hotel, which is not far from her house. I think he was happy to see us, too. Kelly said she is going to miss him, and that he and Darcy had become good friends, so Darcy will miss him, too. Mom will be home sometime this weekend. I'm sure he will be overjoyed to be with her again!

Our trip home was uneventful. I hated to leave our beautiful hotel, but once we were on our way I just wanted to be home as quickly as possible.

We will have Reece, Aubrey and Camryn tomorrow night. Cyrise's brother gave her the gift of a night at a nice hotel on the Riverwalk for Christmas and her birthday. Cyrise's birthday is Sunday, so the kids and I will probably make her a cake tomorrow night or sometime Sunday.

Now I am halfway watching Little Bear with Reece, trying to keep Teddy from eating cookie crumbs, and posting on my blog all at the same time. Yep, I think I'm home. :o)

The pics are just some Florida whimsy from our trip. Something to make me remember and smile. :o)

Good-Bye To Florida

Since this is our last night here, I took one last walk around the grounds and along the pier this evening when we got back to the hotel. I looked for the bird with the fishing line, but he was nowhere to be seen. I hope he got rid of the fishing line!







That white crane seems to love the fountain; he's there every day. I can't believe he finds anything to eat in there, but he keeps trying. He wasn't sure about me, and took big long steps to the side of the pool when I walked by.

The dolphin statue is outside the dining room window. This picture is for Reece. :o)












About halfway along the pier, the hotel grounds music was drowned out by the sound of the retreat music and The Star Spangled Banner from the naval station across the bay. It reminded me of our days living on Army posts, and I stopped to listen. As I was coming back, the lights on the pier came on.






So long, beautiful Bay Point. It's been fun!