Friday, August 28, 2015

Friday With Mother!


It's been awhile since I had a Friday With Mother!!
Louis Dean and I drove over to take her to lunch this afternoon.


She was all smiles!


So was I!

I have been wanting to go to Charlston's on Hulen for some time now and thought it would be the perfect place to take Mother.

*source*

I'd only been once before and thought the food and the atmosphere wonderful.
Mother and I both ordered the clam chowder so we would have room for dessert!
Louis Dean had an enormous chicken fried steak with the best gravy he has had in a very long time and carrots that tasted good enough to BE dessert!!!


Mother and I shared the bread pudding and we could only eat a little bit of the very generous serving!
She took the rest home to eat with her supper tonight.
I had brought over a container of the chicken pasta Caesar salad so she was set!


Mother had a stroke back in September of 2005 - just a few months after Louis Dean and I married.
Since then she has been unable to speak all words clearly - but she is STILL a great communicator!
She let me know she wanted me to take a picture of her holding these two photographs.
The one on the left is Lloyd Ewing, the father of Nita, Deanie and Lonnie. The one on the right is of Mother and I am assuming she was the age when she married Lloyd.


She also let me know she wanted me to make a copy of the photo I had taken so she could have it.
I can do that!

Mother tires easily these days so we didn't stay long after we returned from lunch.
We don't get over to Fort Worth as often as we used to so we had an agenda of errands we wanted to accomplish!


The biggest one was the Dickies Factory!
Louis Dean had ordered some new overalls (as opposed to COVERALLS! These are two different things!) and WE (actually I ) ordered two the right size and two the WRONG size! Although these were ordered online, we could return them to the 
 factory located in Fort Worth at Vickery and Hemphill. This is NOT the best part of town - it's pretty scary! There was a police officer right inside the door and he paid strict attention to each and every person who came in. He was ARMED, let me tell you!
The funny thing is that THIS is where my siblings and I grew up!
We were inner city kids and this area was dangerous back when WE were little!
Louis Dean made quite a haul and I do not think he will be needing any new overalls any time soon!!
We drove all the way back down Hemphill to I20 with me pointing out places from my childhood all the way. Louis Dean said some very encouraging things to me as we drove. While Nita, Deanie (I NEARLY automatically typed Deanie's REAL name!!! She would seriously HURT me!!), Lonnie and I grew up in the ghetto - we did not stay there. Thanks be to God! 

I also shopped Hobby Lobby and my favorite Dollar Store before we headed home.


School has started and I have a 'Teacher Itch!'
Since the quads are in preschool now, I thought I would add some simple things to help in their learning process on Wednesdays.


Craft supplies was another thing on my list!
Rayne will be here Tuesday evening - to help me celebrate September FIRST!!! - and the quads will be here the next day so I wanted to have some fall crafts all ready and waiting.


Logan seems to be the little artist of the quad group, although all four LOVE to color and draw and write. I should get Kailey a calendar. She took mine one time and wrote things in each little box. She did NOT scribble all over it but filled out the calendar with her version of things to do.
She also likes to make lists.


Logan colors beautifully and IN THE LINES!
I think they will LOVE these magnets and door hangers!


The Dollar store had these sunflowers on a clip for just - $1.00!


I'm a sucker for a sunflower!!!


Last but not least, I purchased my special fall candles!!
The middle one came from the Dollar store for just $5.
The other two are rather pricey Morenci candles - Creme Brulee and French Quarter scents.
You can't get Morenci Candles just anywhere! 

*source*

 Elegant Diva is an upscale resale shop where I buy mine!
I didn't stop to browse today but she does indeed have ELEGANT things at a fraction of the original prices. She only handles high end merchandise. NOT your average resale shop, that's for sure.


This has been a good Friday!
Louis Dean is still in his music room organizing his song books.
I think I will pour a glass of wine and take my book out to the gazebo and do some quiet reading.



18 comments:

Linda said...

Linda, it looks as if you, your mother and Louis Dean all had a great meal and some wonderful time spent together. The restaurant you chose does look warm and inviting. Lovely photos. :)

Carole said...

Linda, do you think you take after your mother at all? Was she a great homemaker/nester too? Cheers

Wanda said...

I had truly been wondering about your mom since I had not seen her for a while. I knew how busy you've been with the quads. She sure looks good, and how nice you could have lunch....dessert looks yummy, and then get some good photos with her.

You did good at the dollar store, those sunflowers just had such a touch. I finished my Friday Miss Mouse today, and I so please with the results. I'll be sharing them on my Sunday Sketches with Alexandra. I only have Saturday to do and I will have all seven. This Sunday will be Miss Wednesday. btw...love Louis Deans overalls, or is that coveralls....Can't remember...HaHa.

Kathy said...

So glad you got to spend time with your mother. And you got errands done too. Leave it to LD to stock up on overalls! I'm a sucker for sunflowers too. Those with clips are cute. I'm going to have to look for them in my dollar store.

Linda said...

Absolutely NOT!

Blondie's Journal said...

Love the fun you have with Mother and I think LD certainly deserves his overalls---he is always working-God love him. Both of you!

Can't wait to see what's out there for fall!

Jane x

Estelle's said...

How fun! I ADORE Morenci candles! I used to work in Fort Worth off of I-30 and knew so many areas of FTW. We would buy Morenci candles at a little shop I cannot even remember the name of, but those are THE most scented candles ever! You are going to enjoy these! Good finds on your shopping day and my gosh....that bread pudding looks to die for!! Lovely post Linda!

Arlene G said...

So glad you had a good day with your mom, Linda. I loved your story about growing up an inner city child but not staying there. My father in law and his siblings had a rough childhood due to the loss of their mom and other unfortunate situations and one day Marvin's great aunt was belaboring it as she often did( and I might well do the same thing if I had grown up like she did.). When she finished my sweet husband said to her, But you all turned out real well didn't you? She thought for a minute and smiled...well I guess we did she responded! It is easy to focus on the hard times without being grateful for the good times. That is just human nature I guess!! You are such a joyful person...yours is one of the first blogs I look for each day! I have to see what LD and Linda are up to today!! Thanks for sharing your life with us!

Cheryl said...

It sounds like a perfectly lovely day...with a little something for everybody!! Your mom looks so happy with her special lunch visit and her photos. Louis Dean mus be happy with his new supply of overalls. And you are happy there with your loved ones and finding fresh fall candles (that's one of my loves too!) and school supplies (another one of my loves!) and what's not to like, huh?

I know you're going to have a wonderful time this second time around as a homeschool teacher! The quads are so blessed to have you in their lives!

Linda @ Life and Linda said...

Hi Linda, such a lovely post. Seeing you and Mother together is priceless. I just spent the day with my Mother shopping. Sounds like we went to the same stores. The food sounds delicious! Happy Saturday.

Susie said...

Linda, What a fun day, filled with memories for you...although some maybe not so good...you have risen above all that sadness of your childhood. You are smart enough to know it was God's choice for you. As for me too dear soul sister. Glad you had a good day with your mother and your sweetheart. Blessings, love you, Susie

Cheapchick said...

Candles at the ready and kids ready to celebrate September 1 with you :) The Sunflower should be your official flower since you love Autumn so much!

Caramella said...

You and your mama are beautiful! Looks like you had such a lovely (and delicous!) time!! :)

Linda said...

your mother is so fortunate to have you dn LD to take her out to lunch....and you know you're so lucky to have her round yet. Sounds like you accomplished t lot during that busy dy! Happy Sept 1st!!!

Dee said...

What a lovely day with Louis Dean and your mother and I loved that sweet picture of you and your mom together. I've always enjoyed sunflowers, too so I'll also have to get to the dollar store to see what I can find for the Fall.
Have a beautiful Sunday... :)

Doreen@foxdenrd said...

You and your mother have the same radiant smile Linda, and she looks so happy to be spending the day with you!

That food sounds fabulous, and I love chicken fried steak (but my booty doesn't)..

One of the nicest things about this time of year are the sunflowers. Love them!

Penny said...

Always interesting to go back to somewhere you used to live. X

Carla said...

You always pack your day full of errands with fun stuff and family time thrown in there. Momma is looking good.