Scenes From the Country....

 Sherry came down on the buggy yesterday and took me down to the meadow.

This is my very favorite place!

There's a bench where I can sit and read or meditate or just be.

Along the back of this meadow runs a creek and during heavy rains, the big tank fills up and runs down to it.

Mama duck had three babies....and now there is one.

Such is life in the country.

Sherry has the mama in a separate pen until the baby is older...

hope he makes it!

Critters everywhere and I love it!

One of the three new babies.

I love watching the goats!

Thumper is Sherry's favorite goat!

Sherry had a hip replacement recently and is doing well.

Recovery takes time and I was so happy to see her with my own eyes.

I walked down there as soon as we got here Thursday and there's nothing like visiting in person!

I have been sleeping and napping a good bit.

The last time we were here was Saturday, January 17.

During the change over from my old laptop to my new one, I lost two chapters of my book.....

39 and 40. While I meant to do some writing down here, I didn't bring the journals from 2002 and 2003. So I'm going to chapter 41 and doing some editing on it.

It takes me two hours to do our meds and this was a good place to work on that.

I filled five weeks of boxes for me and four fofr Louis Dean.

Photo from Friday evening before Saturday's rain arrived.

The Bells at Easter service.

I made chicken and dressing for tonight's dinner along with baked sweet potatoes and cucumber salad.

My plans were to go home tomorrow......but I'm thinking I need another day.....or  maybe two.

I've loved seeing all the beautiful Easter posts on Facebook....

Another Good Week....

 Louis Dean and I have been busy the last couple of weeks getting our outdoor areas ready for spring and summer.

We took all the netting and rain curtains down from the gazebo to open it up.

I love the lights at night!

It now has a different look with all the 'walls' gone.

Sanford and Son used to live in our back yard but they have moved on and it was good to see them go!

Remember them??

This is our morning spot for coffee and bird watching and my Quiet Time.

You can see that Louis Dean keeps a coffee pot out there!

My first honeysuckle and rose bouquet of the season.

Saturday night Ilene came for dinner and the last episodes of The Madison....

although we ended up watching episode 4 that night and the last 2 on Sunday!

My son, Jesse, came one afternoon and checked out the self cleaning kitty litter box for me.

He has one just like it and helped me get mine on Amazon.

There's an app on my phone but I couldn't figure it out and it lost Internet as well.

Turns out the drawer was not shut all the way!

I skipped Tuesday Treasures with Brenda as Logan and Trystan had a concert and we went over before traffic so we could ride with them.

We had front row chairs!

Instead of climbbing the bleachers, Amber brought in three chairs for us.

I am smiling as I write just looking at my sweet Amber and Logan and Trystan.

What a blessing they are to me.

I'm happy to say that the last two decorated trees and all other Christmas is now out of the house.

The sewing room was the last to go!

How do you like my new sewing machine cover??

I'm looking forward to getting back to doing some quilts and mending.

Our sweet Tabitha is in the dog house right now.

I have been smelling cat pee in the sewing room and I discovered why!

She has been peeing under the library table that had a skirt over it....and on a stack of quilt batting and backings as well as a bag that held a shopkeepers apron pattern - all cut out. Now I will have to unpin the patterns and wash the fabric before I can sew it!

AND - she peed on the curtains!

Back when the Bells had taken the cats in to give me a break during the plumbing crisis earlier this year, Tabitha has posed a problem by peeing on clothing and hockey bags. Amber didn't tell me for awhile thinking she had a UTI and took her to the vet. He put her on antibiotics for good measure but I suspected she was acting out.

That added so much work to what I was already clenaing up in there that I was more than ready to get out of town and send some days in the country!

We meant to leave earlier in the week but Louis Dean was out of one of his memory meds so I had to wait until Thursday to pick it up and then we headed south!

I drove straight through only stopping at HEB!

It's only a little over 100 miles from our driveway to the ranch gate and that's about as long as I can drive at one time.

We arrived at 4:30 yesterday afternoon!

My view this morning with the first cup of coffee.

It's so good to BE here.

I have never in my life left my home in such disarray!

Bed unmade, clothes on the floor dishes in the sink.....

It will all be there when I get back and in the meantime....I am soaking up the slower pace of country life.

I close tonight's journal entry with this photo of Charlie.

He belongs to Brenda and Billy and he is so loved.....

as is Miss Sadie.

Tomorrow is going to be a hard day for my best friend.

She gave me permission to share the photos and this is her Facebook posting.....

Our sweet Charlie is very sick. He has a large mass in his belly and surgery is not an option due to his age and a heart murmur. We are so sad to have to say goodbye to him. Laps of Love will help him cross the rainbow bridge peacefully on Saturday

Praying for my friends.....

Children in the Closet....Chapter 38

 Chapter 38 

For several years it had been my tradition to invite a group of ladies and drive them all in my van to the Admore Craft Fair in Oklahoma. My friend, Jean, and her daughter, Shirley, Summer, Mother and I left at 7:00 AM the first Saturday morning in October 2001 and Summer was kind enough to drive for me. 

First stop was the Cracker Barrel for breakfast then on to the fair. We all had a great time and left with plenty of treasures. We stopped at an Outlet Mall on our way back home and then Johnny Carino for dinner. We were happy to be together and it was a day filled with all good things. Times like that were special blessings to me and what kept me going.

Jesse and I went to the SPCA after church the next day and I found the perfect dog. I missed Ruffles so much and losing her was such a shock - it was still a mystery to me that she was gone. I found a black terrier just 8 months old and named her Shadow and that’s exactly what she was - my shadow! She was the best of my dearly beloved Duchess and my Ruffles! I took her home with me and once again, I had a dog who loved me and I loved her.  She settled right in and made herself at home. She even slept at the foot of the bed on my velvet bedspread. A dog after my own heart!

While I settled in with my sweet dog, life continued with Jesse working on the plumbing and the good news was they were able to reroute all the pipes and sewer without tearing up the inside of the house. Benjamin continued his homeschooling lessons and Amber her college classes. Life had leveled out somewhat.

I did something daring right before Thanksgiving. I had always worn my hair long but I decided to get it cut super short. I did not ask Jesse if he approved. I went right down to the salon and said I wanted it short! I actually didn't mean it to be THAT short - but I felt liberated. Then I went to Mother's house and she frosted it for me. On the way to Fort Worth, I stopped to deliver some fruitcake cookies to some friends, Melba and JW. Their hospitality in allowing Summer to use their RV for a month and was such a blessing and answer to prayer.

We spent Thanksgiving that year with our dear friends, Doud and Reaoma, and their daughter, Pam, plus other of their family members. It was an honor to be included in this celebration and, before the meal, we formed a large circle and each of us gave thanks for something this year. 

I wore a new green velvet skirt and a short-sleeved sweater I got at the thrift store the day before plus my favorite fall scarf my dear friend, Debbie, had given me a few years earlier, and my new fall jacket purchased at the Craft Fair! Amber and Benjamin were both decked out in new clothes from pants to shirts to shoes. Very 'IN'. Jesse looked nice in slacks and a shirt and Doug's sister took pics of us for me to use in my Christmas cards. We all looked good! Looks can be deceiving. No one could tell how desperate our situation was and what turmoil we were going through.

The day after Thanksgiving I wanted to go back to Fort Worth and introduce Shadow to my mother. Before we even left, Benjamin was asking how long we were going to stay and when would we get home. A few minutes later he came to me and said, "I'm sorry I was fussing about it. You want to go see your mother. When I grow up and want to come see you, I don't want my kids fussing about it." That squeezed my heart. Benjamin was such a joy and delight to me.

It was full steam ahead with the work on the house and these were busy days for all of us. One morning I woke and, thinking it was time to get up, glanced at the clock only to see that it was 2:00 AM and I had several more hours to sleep! I had a lot of pillows on my bed and a sweet dog on the floor on her rug. Most nights I slept alone and that was fine with me.

As work progressed, there was no water or sewer in the house so we would go over to Summer's apartment to shower and I would often spend the night. Her place became a refuge for me. So many things were going awry on the work at the house that it reminded me of the movie Money Pit with Tom Hanks.

At last, we had water and sewer. Jesse just had a few kinks to work out as in the toilet flushed with hot water. Now that we could live more normally at home while the repairs continued, Benjamin and I put up the Christmas tree. He put on the lights and together we decorated it.

One Friday night we all went to Grapevine, Texas on a Christmas outing. Summer searched out cool things for us to do at the holidays and she and I always enjoyed ourselves. Amber and Benjamin, being teenagers - not so much. And Jesse went but he scowled the whole time.

I hosted a Christmas party for my Sunday School class after church and had CiCi's pizza, punch, desserts and music and games before we went around the neighborhood caroling. I had purchased jingle bell necklaces for all of us and it was a lovely party. 

December days were busy days and since we schooled all year round, we would take Thanksgiving to New Year's Day off giving us extra time to do Christmasy things.

There were a good many elderly people in our church and we were especially fond of one couple.  One December morning Jesse, Benjamin and I went over to their house to see what kind of help we could be to them. They were thrilled! We had picked up Cappuccinos and donuts on our way over so it felt like a real party.

Jesse and Benjamin cleaned out their gutters and raked up all the leaves while I set up their Christmas tree. I left to pick up Amber at the college and she joined me in decorating it. They fed us pizza for lunch and it was a good December day! It felt good to be a blessing and that's what we were. No stress - I felt like we were just an ordinary family, at least for that day.

Benjamin had his Christmas piano recital in Fort Worth and Mother and one of her friends met me there. Amber was at work and Jesse was busy with the plumbing so that was sweet of her to join us.

Benjamin was his teacher’s best student so he played last. Afterwards Mother treated us to lunch at the Black-Eyed Pea. On our way home, I drove by Jesse, Jr's house. Benjamin and I sat in the car together debating on whether to get out. I didn't want to make trouble with Jesse and he would be furious if he found out we visited him, but I missed my first-born son and was tempted to knock on the door. But in the end, I drove away slowly.

Murphy's law ruled over the house project and one thing would get fixed while another thing broke. We had water in the kitchen and laundry room but not in the bathroom so we hauled water in there to flush the toilets.

Jesse had a couple of stone mason jobs come in and would work during the day and do plumbing at night. He was so tired and his back was hurting from all the digging he had been doing.

Our church had one service on Christmas Eve at 10:00 AM. My heart was so heavy as I sat in the pew and looked around. There were very few people and we seemed to have lost our way. I didn’t know what was wrong but something was. Amber had been visiting Fellowship Church with some friends on Saturday night since they had services then as well as on Sunday.  She and Benjamin both wanted to change churches especially since there were practically no young people at Crestview anymore. Jesse would not even consider it. He was the head deacon and that was that.

After church the kids and I went over to Summer's apartment to roll sugarplums - a family tradition! Christmas Eve night we attended a candlelight service in Fort Worth and then Mother hosted a family gathering at her house and Jesse, Jr and his wife, Leigh Ann, were there. I was thrilled! I had made Popcorn Crunch treats for everyone. What a Christmas blessing to see my son!

Mother told me the next day they went to the movies and took their own popcorn!

Christmas Day was good. Stockings at breakfast - juice, cream cheese bundles, eggs, bacon and fruit salad served at 11:30. No hurrying on this day. The tree, naps and dinner at 5:30 - honey ham, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, cranberry salad, cream cheese corn, Parker house rolls, pumpkin pie and sugarplums.

We watched Christmas movies - Home Alone, Christmas Carol, Miracle on 34th Street, Rush Hour 2 and Mission Impossible 2. Benjamin took his Christmas gift - a telescope - out and of course he and his friend, David (his family are Christians but they do not observe special days) played a lot of Play Station 2 while Summer and I finished our Steamboat Springs Ski puzzle. 

  David had spent the night on Christmas Eve, so Benjamin spent Christmas night at David's house. The day after Christmas, Benjamin spent the night with Summer and Amber went to the PTX sleepover. For two days and night Jesse and I were alone together and it was okay. We shelled pecans and watched a movie and, since it was bitter cold and the central heat was not working, we both slept in the den in front of the fireplace. For whatever reason - at least for the most part - if it was just the two of us I felt a lull in Jesse’s resentment of me.

David spent New Year's Eve night with us and he and Benjamin stayed up until 3:30 in the morning playing Play Station II. I went to bed early as I had a lot on my mind. Holidays had always been hard for us but this one wasn't too bad. I worked through some conflicts of my own. I wished with all my heart for peace and solitude but maybe that's what I could look forward to in heaven. I crawled under the covers and started to pray, telling God all my problems, sorrows and trouble. I claimed I Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you."

My sister, Nita, shared this on my Facebook page the year before she died.

My siblings all encouraged me to write my story.....and I am still writing it.

It's Been a Good Week!

 This has been such a good week for us!

The Bells are safely home from their spring ski trip and Bauer has been stuck like glue to his mama!

Mike first fell for this baby kitty and brought him home from a hunting trip but he has totally bonded with Amber!

At long last - in March - our dining room is now decorated for spring.

I'm loving the nature theme I've been usuing this year.....

A truth is told here on this plate and I am so grateful for all my friends who like me!

As a child, i had my siblings but no actual friends, so I treasure all of you who read my words and call me your friend.

The dining room is clean and ready for a dinner party.

The memory wall is full of family photos of both my family and Louis Dean's.

The one on the far right is a picture of Louis Dean's parents.

I am loving my dining room!

Our first dinner party will be Saturday night with Ilene!

Candles lit, special cocktails and good food is the plan.

Earlier this week I cooked some seriously good pork chops!

Cheesy potatoes and peas were the sides.

All good and we enjoyed the leftovers and then the possums finished it off.

We sit out on the kitchen deck every morning and have watched the greening of everything!

The honeysuckle is about to bloom.....

and the roses are blooming, as well.....

Texas sage does well here in Texas and can handle the summer heat and drought.

I bought three new ones last week and LD planted two in the front and one in the back.

The very first honeysuckle bloom!!

It was so exciting to see and I am amazed at how God gives us so many things to enjoy.

Tuesday was my thrift day with Brenda and we shopped two stores.

For some reason I forgot to take pics and post but we did find a few treasures.

I skipped lunch with her and went home to pick up Louis Dean to shop Aldi with me.

Shopping is a lot of hard work - whis is why I was grateful for his muscles.

By the time we shop, check out, load our groceries in the back of the car, unload them at home and then put everything up, we were exhausted! Better both of us than just me!

I put things like chips and cereal in clear glass jars so Louis Dean can spy them.

The sewing room is the last one to take Christmas down.....

but it didn't happen on Friday.

Instead I fixed a good dinner and watched Marshals....

It turned chilly on Friday and I decided to use the fireplace for maybe the last time.....

unless it's on Saturday when Ilene comes for dinner and the last three episodes of The Madison!