Home Again and Preparing for a Visit With Summer and Rayne....

 We left the country before noon on Tuesday and arrived home by 3:00 after stopping in Italy, Texas for a BBQ lunch which was delicious. 

We had a good journey to the ranch and a good one back home.

Louis Dean was glad to get back to his room as he finds such comfort there.

He can do what he wants and what I call his therapy. It's what makes him happy and content.

Sorting things. Organizing things. Moving stuff from one place to another and then back again.

It's his reality and he is content and I am grateful for that.

My job is to take care of Louis Dean and make sure he takes his meds, keeps his doctor appointments and stays connected to friends and family. He enjoys his music and is a happy man.

Louis Dean loves his cats!

This is Tabitha and she is not a lap cat - unless she wants to be.

Apparently she felt like Louis Dean needed her so she stayed on his lap for hours.

You can tell how much she loves him.

And you can tell how much he loves her!

It's the little things in life that seem to make the most impression on us.

We are getting ready for a visit from Summer and Rayne.

I can't remember the last time I saw my dear granddaughterand I'm looking forward to tomorrow afternoon! Louis Dean and I cut up a piece of carpet from what we had left after carpeting the camper and put it in the guest room between the dresser and the bed.

This is a temporary thing as I want to recarpet the bedroom and replace the bunk beds in the next year or so. But for now it is what it is.

It's been months since I've seen Summer and this is the bag that I have kept her mail, packages and such in. This will take some time for her to sort through.

Summer and Rayne will arrive late tomorrow afternoon when I return from my appointment with Dr. Shashi Dharma for my macular degeneration and cateracts. I can't see squat with my prescription glasses and have been wearing over the counter glasses for walking around and stronger ones for reading. Alas, this was giving me a headache so I'm anxious to keep this appointment. Then next week I have an appointment with my optometrist. All I know is that I can't see! It looks like I am looking through a dirty window.

I have been working on the guest room!

It had become a catch all for one thing and another.

It took a full two days to clean it up and make it a real guest room again,

We used to use this room for the cats but have relocated them to the sewing room.

When we need to isolate them when we are going in and out we still put them in here or in our bedroom. It's dangerous for them to get out. They are house cats and don't know the ways of the outside world.

The guest room dresser is a memory collection of photos.....

I made a batch of spiced pumpkin muffins this afternoon for Rayne, they are her favorite.

I've planned a movie night for Friday with pizza and popcorn except I haven't decided what movie yet. Ilene will be joining us and it will be fun like a party!

Tonight's dinner!

Grilled rib eye steak, fried potatoes and onions and buttered cabbage.

So good!!!

This is hanging on the hook of the guest room door!

Our August Visit to the Country....

 We pulled out of the driveway on Saturday at 1:00 and my Waze app said it would take two hours and one minute to arrive at the ranch. However, we stopped at HEB to pick up a few things on the way.  I had driven the big white truck straight through to Belmeade and when we went into the store, I told Louis Dean to go to the produce area and get lettuce, tomatoes and bananas and I would meet him there because I had to go to the bathroom.

Alas, the only thing he remembered was that I was going to the restroom.

I came out and could not find him anywhere!

I knew he wanted to get some beer to take to the ranch so I checked that area.

I asked one of the stockers if he'd seen a tall older guy wearing overalls and he said no.....

But when I told him I couldn't find him and he didn't have good memory....

he alerted the workers and they formed a search party and found him!

I was talking to son Dean on the phone when they asked me, "Is this your husband?"

I was blessed by their help and we were once again reunited!

Turned out he had been at the restroom area watching for me.

When I came out I didn't see him so we both got our wires crossed!

We continued our shopping and when I had to go back to the ladies room -

I said, "Stay right here!"

And so he did!

From now on we will stay together!

We made it to the ranch in just a little over three hours!

It's good to be back!

I ate the first ripe fig from this bush gifted to me by Nita's beautiful neighbor.

The cats were glad to get out of their kennels.

They are loving the life here!

And so am I!

Last night's sunset.

I woke up this morning and Louis Dean was already out and about.

He couldn't get his lawn mower started and couldn't find the weed eater we had bought in June so he was not a happy camper. Plus his back hurts.

I texted Dean and Sherry and they came down with Sherry's zero radius mower and Dean brought a weed eater!

This was Louis Dean reaction when I told him!

He went out to pull up some of the sunflowers that were blocking our view.

You  know, he has to be doing something!

Louis Dean isn't as strong as he used to be but son Dean is and together they pulled them up by the roots while Sherry mowed paths around our sunflower patches.

Louis Dean is dragging these out the gate so the goats can eat them and hopefully next year we will have sunflowers along the perimeter of the yard.

I'm going out after I finish this journal entry to dead head the roses and pick a bouquet to take home with me tomorrow.

Look at this zipper spider!

I think it's so cool!

Tabitha has spent nearly all her time literally hanging out in the camper.

Samantha has been all over the place running and chasing who knows what and having so much fun exploring.

Sunday Dean and Sherry came down for dinner.

I made roasted veggies.....

and hamburgers. Sherry made fried okra and pepper poppers and brought watermelon.

Rosemary and mint are the only two herbs in my garden down here.

The herd of goats dicovered the sunflower buffet bar!!

Dean and Sherry are such blessings to us.

Louis Dean was not feeling well on Sunday and seemed to be in a daze.

I wasn't much better as I got down here without my medicines.

I don't seem  to realize how well they work until I have a day or two where I don't take them.

I got all of Louis Dean's meds and have no idea why I didn't get mine.

Last night we decided we best go home this morning but really strong thunderstorms came in and the temps dropped so we decided to stay another day. Plus Louis Dean was much more lucid today.

In other news, the Bell girls won their JV Championship game on Sunday!!

All smiles here!

Sherry made chicken curry for lunch and brought some down for us tonight.

We go home in the morning - or I should say afternoon because it will be noon at least by the time we get out of here.

I did not get any writing done except for typing Chapter 45 on a new Word document.

Nor did I get any edits done on Chapter 24 although I may work on that tonight and publish it after midnight.

It's always good to arrive at the ranch and always good to head home.

We truly have the best of both worlds!

30 Days to September First!!!

 It's been a slow easy week here and that's been nice.

No Tuesday Treasures this week as Brenda couldn't make it.

I did go out that afternoon to pick up a couple of prescriptions and since I was just a block away from Texas Thrift - well, what can I say?

Did you know that on Tuesdays when I get in my car, the map app pops up and says it's 7 minutes to Texas Thrift. It only does that on Tuesdays!

I found a few treasures but not many.

 However, I did unload several bags at the Goodwill donation spot.

That afternoon Stephanie brought dinner over and it was delicious.

Not only this but she also brought a roasted chicken.

Win! WIN!!

No need to cook!

**Source**

Then the next day, our sweet neighbors across the street brought over Vegetable and chicken samosas.

We ate them so fast I didn't even take a pic!

They were delicious!

I've spent some time each day this week decorating for fall.

I took several sad old wreathes and spruced them up instead of pitching them in the fireplace for fire starters or throwing them in the Goodwill bag.

I do so dearly love redeeming things.

I have painted every day this week.

My palette for the duck pond sunset.

Even though it is HOT in Texas, Louis Dean does love a campfire!

Ilene and I have a movie date every week and Thursday was when it happened.

I made homemade guacaomole and Ilene brought the tortilla chips for our appetizer!

We had a peach/mango/watermelon cocktail to go with it.

Our movie of the week!

SO good!

It was my second time to see it and Ilene's first.

We are always searching for good movies with a story line that doesn't assault our senses.

Our dinner on Thursday.....

I woke up this Friday morning and simply did not want to get out of bed.

So I didn't.

I checked Facebook, played Words With Friends, looked at my blog site, checked the weather and my emails...

and finally got out of bed. It's a process.

Next up was coffee! My first cup with Louis Dean in his music room and then I took my second cup to the gazebo for my quiet time.

I love the routine of our days. 

The rhythm and rhyme  of morning into afternoon and then the evenings and night.

I use a planner for my days and have added art to it. 

Just a little art every day.

I did a second session on this canvas for my friend, Jutta, in Finland.

And this one - again for Jutta.

I'll soon be painting my sweet neighbor's dog, Mocha.

I think the first one will be the lower left photo.

We meant to go to the ranch on Thursday but the heat was so intense we decided to wait until the weather moderated a bit.

So we will be going to the country tomorrow stopping at HEB for supplies and will spend a few days of rest and restoration. I plan to do some writing on my book - chapter 45! And I will open up chapter 25 and do a bit of editing to prepare for Monday's post.....

We are taking the cats with us this time and the big white truck!!

September is coming......and I am so excited!!

Skipping Children in the Closet chapter this week....

I'm really tired tonight and do not the emotional energy to even open up the next chapter to do any editing on it. 

Instead I am laying the palette to paint this sunset photo of the duck pond which Dean took last week.

I've been staying busy keeping up with Louis Dean that I have put my art on the backburner.

It's already nearly 11:00 as I write but I intend to at least start on this painting.

I put a western movie from YouTube on for Louis Dean to watch.

This evening I gave him a good haircut, fixed a nice supper and watched a little TV with him.

But now I am going to the art table and do what I love to do.

I'll take trash out before I go to bed.

Best to do that under cloak of darkness!