Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Catching Up!!

Saturday noon was our check out time!
I slept in and Summer took the van - who goes by the name of Percy - to get a shower and cleaned up for our return trip home.


We staggered into this nice Courtyard Marriott on Wednesday night like a couple of country bumpkins - forgetting so many things we had to make multiple trips back down the elevator, through the lobby and out to the van. We must have got our act together by the time we were leaving because we made a fairly graceful exit.


We had spied a Goodwill in the neighborhood as soon as we arrived so now was the time to hit that one up - while sipping my very first Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks!


Spur of the moment we decide to drive the short distance to Freeport to Captain Marks Seafood for some fresh shrimp to take home with us!

If we were going to get home before dark on Saturday night we needed to stay in the van!


Drove right smack dab through the heart of downtown Houston.
Reminded me of the all those months in 2012 when I drove this every day back and forth to the hospital - for the 52 days Amber was there and then the visits to the NICU.
The fact I could drive Houston boosted my self confidence to the point I thought I was Wonder Woman! Nothing can be as hard as driving in Houston traffic at rush hour!


Once we got on the other side of Houston heading into Huntsville where the Sam Houston Monument is.....we saw some scary looking clouds. I didn't like the looks of those 'fingers.' We drove through  a good bit of stormy weather until we came out on the other side.
Then it was smooth sailing all the way home.

Our ETA was 8:01 and we arrived a few minutes early.
Unloaded the important stuff and put up the perishables.
Summer had only a few hours sleep the night before and her battery was running low so she said goodnight and went to bed.

Instead of doing 'Damage Control' - of which there was plenty - I opted to pour us a glass of wine and sit in the den with Louis Dean and visit.


He had a love song ready to sing to me!
True love came late in my life and the newness of having someone totally in love with me will never wear off. I am one very blessed lady.

I slept so well!!!
While I had meant to get up and attend church in person.....I actually decided to watch it live online.


While I watched I had a pumpkin pecan dump cake baking in the oven......
It was a September Birthday Celebration at Brenda's that afternoon.....
Little did I know then that I forgot the cup and a half of sugar in the recipe!
It looked good and tasted good.....thanks to the dry yellow cake mix that was sprinkled over the top of the pumpkin filling. Thank goodness for that!


I can not tell you what a perfectly wonderful afternoon we had with Brenda and Billy and their family. To be included in a 'Family' birthday celebration is an honor.
The food was A-MAZE-ing!!!
I love this dear family. My friendship with Brenda goes back about 30 years.
You know one of the biggest blessings of that afternoon?
Spending time with their one and only granddaughter, Brianna.
She is an exceptional young lady.
16 years old and still the sweetest thing.
She paid Louis Dean and me as much attention as if we were family.
Gave us renewed hope for this coming generation.
Of course, Brenda and Billy are the best grandparents and I have learned so much from them.
In the collage you can see the beautiful porch covering they recently had done.
I hope to go over again during this fall season and do a 'tour.' 
Her home is as warm and cozy as you could wish for and I love my every visit there.

We came home all warm and happy!
Stopped at Aldi to pick up a few groceries and then went straight to bed for good Sunday evening naps.
This allowed us to stay up later!
I worked on the quilt for Jaxon.
Our visit to Big Spring is coming right up!

This morning (Labor Day Monday) was a liesurely affair.
I lingered long in the bedroom doing my prayer time and journaling.


I put off making up the bed because of this sweet thing.


Tabitha is a bit shy and skittish. Not at all like her sister, Samantha, who is a social butterfly.
I find it amazing that God gave critters different pesonalities just as he gave people!!

Louis Dean and I stayed home today.
He's been working in his music room and sorting, discarding and packing some things away so he has room in there to move around. I've been in there before when there was no place to sit and you can barely see the floor. He's doing a good job of it, too!

I finally went in the kitchen and started damage control. I know he iced those 5 pans of cinnamon rolls because I wiped up a stream of icing that ran down the front of the cabinet under the sink.
And all the counters were still coated with a film of flour and water.
It took awhile but it's fairly clean now.
And I had such pleasant thoughts while I was doing all this.
Absence does make the heart grow fonder.
It's the same with him.....he told me he thought, "Oh, boy!! Three days with no supervision!!"
But then he said he started missing me after the first one.

While I meant to get out to the den and finish cleaning and decorating it - it took me all day to do laundry, clean the kitchen and do all the regular housekeeping duties.....I cut up the $5 watermelon we bought in South Texas and it was overripe. I am hoping a possum will stroll by tonight and dine on it.
Keeping the 'clean' rooms clean is a lot of work but I don't want to lose ground.
Do I talk about cleaning too much?
For some reason, cleaning is important to me. 
Not that I am a fanatic about it. At least not any more.
However, I do not function well in disorder.
I used to clean non stop but I think I have found a healthy balance these last 15 years or so.


I finished Jaxon's quilt tonight!
This is washed and dried and ready to put in a box and wrap it up!
Piercyn and Jaxon are DONE!
Now I will start on Bella's!
All of Chandy's family are getting quilts for their birthdays this year!

Since it was Labor Day and a day of visiting and feasting......


I made Pepper Poppers.....
Loaded baked potatoes.....
Baked beans......


......and apples cooked in brown sugar and butter....
along with really good steaks Louis Dean had bought for my homehoming but we got around to broiling them tonight!


Summer made shrimp cocktails from the enormous shrimp we bought in Freeport.


We had a special guest tonight and one we have been wanting to visit with for a long long time.
This is Jimmy Albert....I have known him since he was a young boy andhave always loved him!
One of the best guys you could ever meet.
Always willing to give you a hand or help out in whatever way he can.
Salt of the earth.


We four had dinner together in the dining room.


It was good food and lots of conversation with plenty of laughs!
This was the first time for Jimmy and Louis Dean to meet and I think they hit it right off.

Now it is late but I wanted to catch up before too many days got away from me.


My friend, Rosey, sent me this!
I shall forever after spell debris this way!
De'Bris!!!
Classy, huh???

Hoping you all had a good day and I will see you in the morning!



15 comments:

R's Rue said...

I want some cake now. Happy Tuesday. Be blessed.

Arlene G said...

I bet LD was glad to see you and Summer pull into the driveway. I think it is so sweet that he had a love song for you. ( Married to an engineer, that will never happen to me.lol) I like things clean as well. It sets the tone for a calm home I think. Off today to breakfast with Deb then a trip to the library. I might pop into Dollar Tree to see what they have in the store. Then home to stitch as I still have three ornaments to stitch for the grands. Your quilts look amazing and will be heirlooms for sure.

Kathy said...

Going on vacation is great, but so is coming home. You have fun no matter where you are. The cake looks delicious!

Susie said...

Linda, Your life seems to be in a whirlwind most times...yet the slower moments mean so much in your life...family , friends, good food, even if you do forget the sugar. LOL Oh You make me smile. What you said about you and LD being apart then happy getting back to routine. Oh dear, I think that way about Ted a times....thinking dear God I could use a vacation, then I look at him in his recliner and think, "That's my boy " LOL Love the pretty table setting. LD does indeed look happy to meet Jimmy. Glad you all had the wonderful evening. Blessings, xoxo,love you, Susie

MadSnapper said...

It is true that absence makes the heart grow fonder it's also true that if you stay home together 24/7 for 6 months the heart loses the van this quickly so right now I could use a little absence. Out of all the things to talk about the thing I want to mention is something that caught my eye in the Goodwill basket that looks like a really curly headed little pilgrim. Can we have a closer look at it? So glad you got to be with family and that you and summer had such a wonderful time and I I am totally amazed that you drove through Houston traffic I was in that City twice back in 1984 and we were riding in an 18-wheeler and I was terrified

Deanna Rabe said...

Sweet days full of blessing. Grateful for these days in my own life, as well as yours friend!

Changes in the wind said...

So glad you chose to sit down to wine and conversation instead of cleaning up LD messes. Am sure it was appreciated and good for the both of you. You do not speak of going to the grocery a lot but you always have such a variety of food I assume you go often.

NanaDiana said...

It is so nice to catch up with you a bit. I am missing my blogging friends but John's health issues have taken my time unless we are camping and I don't have internet and barely have phone service there.
I am glad that LD and you have such a great love for each other. Wrap your life around that type of love-it doesn't always happen.
As far as the granddaughter of your friend-that is wonderful. We are blessed to have my daughter's three grandgirls that are pleasant and loving and not off the main rail (at least yet- lol).
Take good care of yourself. xo Diana
ps- So nice that you got away and good to see Summer smiling and not in pain.

Vee said...

"Three Days Without Supervision" sounds like a great song! 😁

You are living the life!

Ginny Hartzler said...

Well, this is debris spelled the French way. Looks like you have been having a BALL! Your dining room table looks gorgeous!!! I wish I had decorating talent like you. I love the quilt, it is country chic.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Glad you had some restful days on your trip because you surely did jump right back into the full swing of things on your return. Baking and cleaning and feeding people to make you happy though so who can complain. Welcome home, glad it was such a good trip and you are renewed for the busy days ahead.

photowannabe said...

I got all teary eyed reading the words to that song LD sang to you.
You are truly blessed to have that wonderful man in your life.
God does restore the years of the locust...for sure.
What a precious weekend for you and Summer...too wonderful for words.
thanks for letting us be a part of youramazing world.
Love you Linda
Sue

Blondie's Journal said...

Such a great catch-up Linda! As always you have my head spinning with all your activities, and of course, your great story telling--even if it's about cleaning. I sometimes think cleaning is my hobby! I'm with you on an early evening nap to stay up later. I try to lie on my bed and read from 5-6:00 p.m. but I usually doze off. Then I make a huge iced coffee and start dinner at 8:00. Works for us!

Enjoy your week!

Jane x

Nancy Chan said...

I want some cake too. Cute kitty. Have a beautiful day.

Ann said...

OMG, he wrote you a love song while you were gone? That is the sweetest thing ever. I was married twice and neither one of them ever did anything that thoughtful. You've got a keeper.