Sunday, August 27, 2017

Catching up on the Weekend!

Friday morning Ruth Ann and I visited Reaoma for a little while.
She was quiet and didn't even try to talk much. 
The only real word she says is 'Yeah.' 
But she never fails to smile. 
All the staff at the assisted living home loves Reaoma and they all smile and greet us every time we visit. It's hard to leave. Somehow there's a comfort in simply sitting by her chair and holding her hand. I know she will not be with us much longer so we try to see her twice a week. Each visit is a sweet experience for me. A little bittersweet, sometimes. 

As we walked out to my car, I caught sight of this beautiful butterfly!


It was a BIG one and I went over to take its picture.
I got a little greedy after this one shot and tried to get another but she was now aware of me being there and fluttered around for a minute before floating away down the street.
I don't have words to express the connection I felt between Reaoma and that butterfly - but feel it, I did.

We were now heading to Fort Worth where we had planned on having lunch and doing some shopping when we spied a new Italian restaurant right there on Main Street. 
We both noticed it and I asked Ruth Ann, "What do you think? Want to eat now?"


The place is DI Rosani's and it was delicious!
Our goal is to eat at a different place every week and try new foods.

Our favorite shopping area these days is Hulen Street down towards I30.
First stop was Central Market. That place always makes me smile and feel relaxed.
We strolled through the entire store and I still bought less than 10 items.
While I SO wanted to buy some of the Cotton Candy Grapes - at $4.99 a pound - even a small hand full was over $5! I put them back.

The wine section is always interesting so I make a point of browsing through it every time I visit.
Sometimes I even buy some!
Friday I happened to notice the section of wines under the New Zealand sign.
My favorite wine is one I used to buy at ALDI - Sunshine Bay Sauvignon Blanc - but I haven't been able to find any in many months. SO I did find some Sauvignon Blanc from Monkey Bay!- I wonder if that's anywhere close to Sunshine Bay??
I haven't opened it yet but I am looking forward to tasting it later this week.


We pretty much ate our way through Friday!
This time it was a tea break at the Market Cafe and we each had one small cream puff!

Trader Joe's was next on our list and from there we drove over to visit my sister, Nita.
There's always something interesting to see at her house and this time it was a tree!


A Jujuba tree!

Ziziphus jujuba, commonly called jujube, red date, Chinese date, Korean date, or Indian date is a species of Ziziphus in the buckthorn family. It is used primarily as a shade tree that also bears fruit. 


She gave us each a sack and we began to pick!
It stared to rain so we rushed back in the house where we sat around drinking tea and talking.


I was wanting a few more so I went out and picked a couple of pounds of them after it quit raining.
They have a texture similar to apples. I have a basket of them sitting beside me as I write and I have been nibbling on them. I sprinkle them with a bit of salt and they are pretty good!
I don't think they last long after they are picked because some of them are already getting soft.
I think I will take some over to the quads tomorrow!
Bet they've never eaten a Jujuba fruit before.


We had a nice visit and stayed until the Friday Traffic had eased up before coming home.

Saturday was my Stay at HOME Day!!! 
No make up and only the loose comfy clothes I dearly love!

With all the rain that's been in Texas - 


We have had just some light showers.
While the ground was soft and the temps were mild, I spent hours working in the back pond area.
The seven sister roses that we thought would be so wonderful have only bloomed twice in the last 6 years. The bush itself grows wildly and was covering the canas and was down in the ground cover and creeping behind the gazebo. I cut it ALL down. It will come back, though. Louis Dean says he is going to drown it in rose food and if it STILL doesn't bloom in the coming year - he will dig it up.

I also did housework Saturday.
I mainly worked just in our bedroom washing every single bit of bedding and even IRONING all the pillow shams and cases!


The bed is so much taller than our old one. Still the same under the bed space since we used our old frame. I have a small step stool behind that chalk board and I pulled it out to climb in last night!


And I ALWAYS light a candle in celebration of a CLEAN room!!

This morning Louis Dean and I went to church. We lingered long after the service visiting with Amber and Mike and tagged along to children's church to get the quads. Then we visited with the pastor and slowly made our way out the door. I love that. No running out of church like our hair was on fire for us! However, as we were all waking to our vehicles, HUGE round raindrops started to fall and by the time we said good bye to the kids and walked further down to our car - we were drenched!
It was raining HARD by now so we decided to stop at Arby's for a bite to eat and let the rain slack up. After all - we were ALREADY soaked to the skin!


Yum!
No need to worry about cooking dinner when we got home!
We could go straight to football!

Hurricane Harvey has sure made havoc with much of the Texas coast.
Texas is SUCH a big state that it has not affected the DFW area.


Photo: Facebook

 It has been painful to watch the heartbreaking pictures and videos coming out of that part of Texas!


Photo: The Texas Welder (Facebook)

We have been checking on our friends and family down there and I appreciate them sending pictures and updates by way of Facebook.
More rain is expected there for the next several days.

I will close this journal entry by sharing the prayer from Bishop Scott Jones that was posted to our church's Facebook page.......


Amen.......

8 comments:

  1. I am so sorry about Reaoma, I know it has got to be very hard for you. I love your Pretty In Pink picture! How do you eat so much and stay so slim?? I bought those Cotton Candy grapes for the girls last year. I read that they are good when put in the freezer. They all hated them! Said they were too sweet. We have never heard of this kind of tree! The leaves look like rhododendron. Your Coleus with raindrops is gorgeous! I am so glad you are all well, and far from danger!

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  2. i love that picture of the three of y'all together under the tree--that is plum adorable! That pink/green leaf with the raindrops is absolutely gorgeous...you really should do something with that---enlarge to 8x10 and frame it for somewhere in your house or for a gift? or paint it?--i don't know, something, it's so vivid and pretty. How is your all's new bed sleeping so far?? Hopefully y'all are liking it. Glad you were not in Harvey's path and had no damage!

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  3. I'm so glad Reaoma has has you all to visit! A lot of people forget "invisible people" who have been 'care ' places so long. So many people are kind of afraid of those places..no matter nice they.
    When I was younger. my grandmother had to be placed in one. The next day when I visited her, she'd suffered a slight stroke. While she was there my children came with me and a life lesson. They are daughters, fathers and all member of someone's family! And they need love and respect and to treated like precious children.
    Your bedroom is beautiful!

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  4. Linda, I love when you and Ruth Ann are together. You enjoy life. Sweet of you to think of your friend when you saw the butterfly. I always think mommy is around when I see one. It's just comforting. I have not stopped praying for everyone in the line of the storms. They need our prayers and help.Blessings to all, love you, xoxo, Susie

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  5. prayers for all in the path of that storm. your day sounds wonderful, especially the eating your way through it in new places. have not seen or heard of that fruit tree before. they look more like apples than dates so I wonder what they taste like.

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  6. Also in Japan, Texas states in the United States are transmitting information that is causing serious damage by hurricanes. I pray. It seems to be overcome with a strong will.
    Small island country: Japan is also confused by the support of many affected areas due to the Great East Japan Great Earthquake caused by the tsunami, the huge earthquake of Kumamoto, and the flood of Kitakyushu.
    I will give Samurai a strong hope to the United States which is Tomodachi.

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  7. What a terrible thing to see Houston under water but how heartening to see everyone working together to make things better. We have some friends in Spring, TX and we checked on them. They were doing ok as of yesterday. Looks like you and Ruth Ann had a fun time...so glad you can visit with your old friend and just being with her makes her feel loved I am sure. Love your new bed!! Looks so comfy.

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  8. What a prayer! It has my eyes acting up... All of Texas is hurting whether affected or not. Of this I am sure. Every Texan must have family or friends in harm's way. Just to say that I am joining you in prayer for safety and preservation.

    Now Arby's...I have a grandson who joins me for an Arby's lunch. We are the only two in the family who like it there! Actually, this is giving me ideas. 😉

    Joining you in prayer for your dear friend Reaoma, too. What a good friend you are. She has so much, we have so much, to look forward to one glorious day.

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