News of the Week - so Far!

I'm starting off tonight's journal entry with the good news that the temps are no longer triple digits in the DFW area now!! It was so beautiful outside on Monday morning that I turned the AC off and the attic fan  on and opened our bedroom door to the patio!

Samantha and Tabitha LOVE sitting on the foot of the bed and look outside!

I MAY have had another reason for opening the house up early on Monday morning!

I needed to air it all out after our small kitchen fire on Sunday night!

What happened was - Louis Dean innocently got a handful of potato chips out of the canister sitting on top of the stove. We were in the kitchen together talking and I saw him get a second handful before he went on out to the den to watch a football game and I went down the hall to our bedroom to take a shower. I turned the water on so it could get hot and decided to look in my closet for something to wear the next day. We were taking Amber to the dentist for some oral surgery. I rummaged around and then I smelled something. At first it smelled good - like something cooking - and then it DIDN'T!

I looked down the halla nd smoke had filled the kitchen and was spilling out into the dining room.

I started screaming for Louis Dean as I raced to the kitchen and found the rug on top of the stove on fire. As in flames licking up high!

At this point - let me say - I KNOW! Y'all warned me - especially Sandra - about having textiles on top of a stove. And this was NOT Louis Dean's fault since it was a weird accident that the lid of the canister would bump the knob that turned the biggest burner on the stovetop to HIGH!

I have never thought of myself as being good in emergencies so I kept screaming for Louis Dean!

Only one end of the rug was aflame so I flipped the other end over to smother the fire. That didn't work so I picked up the end NOT burning and carried it to the kitchen French doors - and then I dropped it - on top of MORE flammable things! That's when I got REALLY scared and knew it would be easy for this 'small' fire to get out of control. Mind you, my house burned in 1983 and we lost everything.

Praise God I got the rug OUT the door and there's a water hose only 6 feet away so I turned it on and started spraying it on the rug. It's crazy but that rug was determined to BURN and it took a couple of minutes to put it out!

Crisis averted - thanks be to God!! 

We aired the house out for a few minutes before we went to bed and turned the AC back on for the night.

7:00 came early on Monday but we were there in time to take Amber and then spend some time with her and Mike after the procedure.

We got home before the traffic and I changed into my nightgown, poured me a glass of wine and went to bed to read for awhile and then take a good long nap!

When I got up - I did some art therapy and went BACK to bed!

Tuesdays are special to me and have been since the late 1970's.

It has been my designated art day since then and for well over 30 years I taught an art class right here in my dining room. 7:00 - 9:00 - year after year!

When I met Ruth Ann (Louis Dean's beloved Ellen's sister) , we added a movie earlier in the day and some thrift store shopping since it was senior citizen discount day and then art that night! We spent Tuesdays together for years before her life took her to her hometown of Breckenridge after her husband retired. I still miss her!

God does provide our every need and Brenda started taking a late lunch and we would meet up at the thrift store. She retired at the end of March and we have shared our Tuesdays ever since! 

I met her up at Irving Thrift on Beltline Road and I scored BIG!

I needed some new fall debris and I found some!

Cheaper than Hobby Lobby!

Brenda can spot a Chico or other good brand three rows away!

She found all of these for me.

From Chico to Travelers to a pure cashmere leopard print top....all in pristine condition!

I left my car at the thrift store and we went on to Bedford to get a second ear piercing for our September birthdays!

My 75th and Brenda's 65th!

Billy met us there and took my picture!

He is such a good sport and we all ate lunch at Taco Casa before Brenda and I hit up anther thrift store -

and I did NOT buy a single thing!!!

I admit - I was feeling a bit low or maybe just tired.

That didn't seem to affect the first thrift store we shopped at that morning - but it may have something to do with Dean and Sherry calling me to catch up on things while I was there and that must have given me a boost.

Home for what is now my daily nap!

Then art! 

It's TUESDAY and it felt GOOD to be painting again!

I called this one done - but it isn't!

Just done for NOW!

We tried to go to bed early as we had a video appointment with the surgeon who will be putting the pacemaker in for Louis Dean at 9:00.

The alarm went off at 7:00 and after 3 'snoozes' we got up.

By 8:30 we were dressed, in the den, drinking coffee and looking presentable.

He is SO cute!

We did the check in and since we were in the 'waiting room' I took our traditional selfie.

Alas the doctor had an emergency and it was nearly an hour later when we had our scheduled 45 minute visit - that lasted only FIVE minutes.

Totally understandable so I am not complaining EXCEPT I wished I had asked him about scheduling!!! That was our primary reason for the visit!

I called his office later and the lady asked if we had scheduled and I said NO - it was a 5 minute visit.

She said she would handle it from here and our target date is next Tuesday. She was going to call the hospital - which is in Irving , thank goodness - Dr. Cook is in Plano - and see if that time was available. I kept my phone right beside me all day long and no call back.

I'll call again in the morning.

The thing is I don't know if we can keep the plans we've made for my birthday - which was to be at the ranch. I haven't been there since July and am itching to get back - but now I don't know I can make it there in September or not.

Medicine, prescriptions, making sure Louis Dean TAKES his medicine, keeping up with all the refills and scheduling doctor appointments and then normal routine......I really need to keep my wits about me!!

One huge bright spot shined on me today!

My soul sister Linda Chapman from Canada sent me a birthday box filled to the brim with things that made me smile. We spent a week together in June here in Texas and I feel in my bones and my heart that we will meet again for other adventures!

Thank you, my sweet friend!

My favorite is the pin with the USA and Canada flags together! That's US!!!

That beautiful card is on my bedroom wall and will be a joy to see every day.

Your card alone was gift enough!

I saw this photo on Facebook and it looks so much like the gate at Dean and Sherry's ranch!

I am SO missing being there - but my first thoughts are taking care of Louis Dean.

Tomorrow we are planning on going over to Fort Worth and spend the day with Mike and Joni and Bernie and Lonnie. I made a cake to take  and share....

Except I forgot to lower the rack a notch and the cake rose up to kiss the upper heating element!

It still tastes good!!!

 Jesus is always there for me.

Always has been and always will be.

I Speak Jesus over Louis Dean and over all those I love including all of you who read my words.....