Mother Daughter Weekend

Have you heard the saying- "My cup runnith over"?

It is something I have heard since childhood. It is a fond saying. Happiness or warm feelings are running over.
That is how I felt this weekend.

It began by finding out that my new grandchild is a GIRL!!!

 Michele and I planned a getaway to Fort Worth for baby shopping. We stayed in a hotel,

spent time with family

shopped and just hung out.

When our children become adults and have their own lives to attend to, it becomes harder and harder to have that special one on one time. I forgot how much I enjoyed seeing my girl's face first thing in the morning. Greeting the day together. Talking about anything and everything. Sharing ideas and laughing. Children are such a blessing and they are ALWAYS our children, no matter how old they get or responsible they become.

My children may be twins, but they are very different. My son is....well I like to say..."a live wire". Always in high gear-laughing and talking. My daughter is calm and quiet-soft spoken and gentle. But they both share a loving heart. Both are kind and giving. Does it sound like I am bragging or boasting? I suppose I am but just this time I think it's OK. My daughter is the child who calms ME. The tables turned somewhere along the line and now she calms ME.

One day was spent at the local fabric store selecting material for the nursery. Let me say that I have traditional ideas and my daughter has unique ideas. Michele is artistic. She paints, draws and decorates so it took me a while to begin to see her vision for the nursery. Her description.....feminine Victorian princess with little or no pink!

 I can't wait to see the end results. I trust her vision and decorating and know it will be unique and beautiful.
I am planning a rag quilt with these colors...

My contribution to the nursery is a family heirloom rocker. It was handmade by family around 1905. It has been on my mother's side of the family since then. New padding and covers made in crimson will give it new life.

The circle of life! Thank you Lord for my many blessing.

Seasons Change

                                                I think Fall is here!

So this weekend I spent some time making a few changes around the ranch.

 First...the porch. I love the porch. I rearranged furniture for the cooler season. It is so nice to sit in the quiet and listen to the sounds of the country.

Yogi loves the porch too. It is HER domain!

 Some times I enjoy just hanging out. Take my laptop out and settle into my lounge chair, if I can get Yogi to move! Even watch TV. John thought of everything. He had put a TV out there long ago. He enjoyed watching football out there. Other times, I enjoy eating out there or just having coffee or tea.

The chickens have been laying their eggs somewhere other than the coop. NOT GOOD!!
So this weekend, since it was cool, they were grounded. They needed a little reminder of where to lay their eggs. I think it is working. A few eggs were layed inside the coop.

Back to the house. Candles with the scent of Fall were put out.
The figurine was my last anniversary gift from John. I will cherish it always.

I believe smell is one of the strongest senses that triggers memory. To make the house smell even better, I felt like baking. A new recipe for cranberry bread. Yum Yum

1 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup butter

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon orange zest

3/4 cup orange juice

1 1/2 cups chopped cranberries

        

1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
2. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add egg, orange peel, and orange juice; stir to mix and fold in cranberries.
3. Pour into loaf pan and bake at 350 for 70 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
4.  Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.               

Last....decorative leaves were laid out.

A day of Remembrance

It was comparable to Pearl Harbor.

On this day 11 years ago, I was working at DFW Airport. On my way in, I heard on the radio that a small plane had hit a skyscraper in NYC. I was not too alarmed. When I arrived to my desk, everyone was in the break room at the TV. Live, we witnessed the second plane fly into the World Trade Center.

Things went crazy from there. The air space over DFW was shut down and we were released to go home. When I called my elderly mother, she asked "is this another Pearl Harbor"?
She had lived through that and suddenly I had a whole new respect for that experience.
That night at the supper table, John and I with our 4 high school age children, discussed our "emergency plan". With talk of chemical warfare and more terrorist attacks, like alot of families, we were talking about what we would do. If all phone lines were busy and we were unable to connect with each other, our plan was to make our separate ways to the ranch. There we could be completely sustainable. Water, food and space. Thank goodness, that plan was never implemented. But for a long time, we all lived in a certain amount of fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of no control.
So much has changed since then. Some good, some bad. But one thing is for sure, just like Pearl Harbor, we learned alot and we all came together and are stronger. Family and Country.
I stand proud to be an American.
  And thank those who responded with such valor.
    My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones 11 years ago       today in such a devastating manner.
    As I am learning more and more, SOMEDAY, we will understand the events in our lives.
            As for me and for right now....I bow my head.

A Texas Cool Front

This past weekend, our first "cool front"
of Fall 2012 arrived .                  
                                 Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh
Friday at 5P it was 102 and Saturday morning it was 64!
That is TEXAS weather.
There is a saying- if you don't like the Texas weather, wait a minute it will change!
And so it did this weekend. I'm sure next week it will right back to the upper 90s but Saturday and Sunday it was a welcome cool down. When I opened the kitchen door Saturday morning to let Sadie out....I knew it was here! Hallaluuuhhaaaa
I turned the A/C off and opened all windows. Listened to the birds (and Yogi chasing them) as the day began.

 By 2pm it was 94 but still not too bad. Sadie enjoyed lounging on the porch.

  All 3 cats (Larry, Moe and Curly) were there too and Yogi watching over everyone.

 

The chickens clucking in the yard.

When the sun went down, so did the temperature. I sat on the porch to witness a BEAUTIFUL night-time sky. Very clear but dark. That made the stars just jump out. It was the kind of sky where the stars went all the way down to the horizon. The air was brisk and the frogs were croaking. The sound of the windmill keeping beat with the light breeze was not far and coyotes singing in the distance. I watched the sky for about 1 hour-comfortable in my star gazing lounge chair. Saw 2 falling stars and had a heart to heart with God. I love saying my prayers while looking up at the heavens.
I give you a challenge....Find the time-after everyone is tucked in bed, turn the porch light off and slip out, then look up.
Just look up for a few minutes....enjoy the sight. You may even see a falling star. But one thing for sure....you will see God's beauty.

Thank you Dear Lord for all of my many blessings.

Labor Day

Mom's think of certain type of "Labor" when we hear
"Labor Day"....

True Story:

My 27 year old twins were born on July 5th. The day after a fun celebration for the 4th of July.
At 7am we were on our way to the hospital. Their daddy had celebrated a little TOO much and...well let's just say he was praying to the porcelain God! My mother walked into the room and when she say me-fainted smooth out on the floor.
  The nurse came in and said ( In a thick southern accent)
     "Honey do you have anyone who can handle this?"

Oh, sweet memories. Makes me laugh every time I think of the look on that nurse's face!

Blue Moon

Friday, August 31st, the rare "Blue Moon" was in the sky.

This is an occurrence that very rarely occurs. It is when there are 2 full moons in one month. It only happens every few years, with the next one expected in July of 2015.

I wanted to share a little story.

John enjoyed the night sky. The moon and the stars. I guess he was a "star gazer". I was awakened many times in the wee hours of the morning, by John , to witness an rare occurrence in the night sky.

There were times in the winter as I was wrapped in a quilt waiting for a meteor shower.

Awhile back, there was the "Hale Bopp Comet".
Those are just a couple of examples but ones that stand out. We live off a dirt road where there are no street lights, so very little distraction from a full sky of stars. They are beautiful. I have seen many falling stars and actually keep up with the moon's phases. I think God gave us a great gift when he gave us the night time sky.
After my dear John left this earth, my son Brad was explaining (or trying to) to his children where their Popa John had gone. I was not present for this talk but can only imagine how difficult that task could have been. With all of their questions and concerns, my sweet little grand-daughter, must have came to a conclusion on her own. I say that because on a visit not long after, on a weekend when the moon was full, we were out in the yard on bright night, and Karissa pointed to the moon. She said...Meemaw, Popa John is in the moon. Can you see him? He is watching us right now!
There are no words I could only reply with....a hug!

                         From the sweet mouth of a 3 year old.