A Couple of Country Days

It's a good thing to be here in the country.
Life is simple here.
You eat.
You sleep.
You be......
We have rest and recover time here.

Wednesday was a good day. Not as good as Tuesday, though.

Funny how quickly we can relapse into limbo.....

Sherry brings a light with her every time she visits us.

Yesterday she came down to return the saw horses they borrowed.

I love that she brought them in the bucket of her tractor!

Sherry is a keeper! She is salt of the earth goodness and we are so grateful to have her in our life.

She and I walked down to inspect the new chicks.

There were five new ones here!

We went on to the banty pen where they had some new ones but, alas, one chick was dead.....pecked to death. How does that happen? I am new to country things......

This was our view on Wednesday evening from the 'sun deck' meaning the drive where Louis Dean backs his truck up.

I set up my art table on Wednesday.

Art is therapy for me.....

I love everything about it.

The smell of the turp, the anticipation of a completed painting, the feel of the brush on the canvas...

For the Santa paintings of 2018 I chose art work from Dana Gelsinger.

I am not a great artist. But I do love to paint.

I paint some originals - as critters from the ranch and portraits of my family as well as from my favorite photos. But for Santa paintings, I browse Pinterest and other sites......

but for this year I chose - as I often do - from printed gift boxes I found at the Dollar store.

Except for this one.

He's a Pinterest find and I do not know the original artist.

I like him because he is a Western Santa....a RANCH Santa.

I hope I can do him justice.

I am planning on using this one as my Christmas card this year.

He will hang here at the ranch.

It was dark by the time I had based in this Santa.

You can see that it's hot in Texas - even at night!

I paint in the front room without AC but it's not uncomfortable with the fans on and cross breezes blowing. In the country we don't have all the concrete that's in the city. Heat is not quite the same down here.

Update on Mother.....

Deanie and Charlie visited her Wednesday morning and Mother seemed so frail and barely alive.

She wanted to get her hair done and Deanie made that happen.

She had a perm and it made a huge difference - both physically and emotionally.

She perked right up!

Nita took malts in for both Mother and Lillian.

I had been determined to drive up on Thursday morning - THIS morning - so I could see Mother and have a better last visit than the one we had on Saturday. But after seeing this pic, I felt peace in my heart and decided to leave here on Sunday and go straight to the nursing home. I know we are taking things day by day - as is Mother - but we all do the best we can.

I slept well last night....surprisingly.

I woke at 7:00 and went back to sleep.

I woke again at 9:00 and thought - no, not yet.

At 11:00 I got up.

I hadn't slept the whole time but I woke rested.

I found this tea in the pantry here and thought - why not??

I am so beyond ready for Fall!

And here it is only the middle of July!

I know so many of my loved ones absolutely love summer....alas, I am not one of them.

Albeit, my love for fall in no way hurries the calendar one iota.

We all embrace what we love.

Today was another art day.....

Louis Dean cleaned up and gave me his old tackle box for my paints.

The empty space in the middle will hold my turp jars, Liquin and Pink Soap.

Today I painted.

I read several chapters in Backfire.

I napped.

I painted some more.

I fed the goats and the chickens and put up the ducks and geese.

I didn't reach my goal of under painting four Santas - but I came close.

I took some time to go down to the meadow after I fed the critters and sat and soaked in the beauty.

It is my favorite place. 

I called Lillian while I was down there and we had a good visit.

Mother has been calm and all is well there as of this evening.

That's good.

I fixed a Hamburger Helper dinner for supper tonight and Louis Dean and I sat out on the deck with a glass of wine and some cheese and crackers while our meal cooked and we enjoyed the ambiance of the country. 

Then we came in and watched the traditional movie for the 4th of July!

We are a bit late but it is a tradition.

Amber loaned us her copy and it was as good as ever!

I have watched it every single 4th of July - or close to it - since 1996!!!

In other news......

This was Summer and Rayne in Puerto Rico today!

Summer has had good days and bad ones there - just as she has when she is here - but today was a good day! They had a great time at the beach.....

and look how pretty Rayne is!!

They found living starfish..... how cool is that??

I am closing this journal entry with a a peaceful and grateful heart......

We all need a warrior's spirit!