Sunday, October 31, 2021

Our Last October Weekend in the Country.........

 It's been a chilly weekend here in the country and I have loved every minute of it!


I took this picture Saturday night.....loving that big red roof and matching carport!


We sat cuddled in our blankets in the front room gazing into the make believe flames of this little heater. It puts out a small amount of heat but a good deal of warm ambiance.
We listened to some music on my phone by way of YouTube....taking turns with old Willie Nelson songs for him and Toby Keith and Keith Urban ones for me.


This is my favorite Keith Urban song.
 It came out in 2004 and I married Louis Dean in 2005.
We had both been married for 41 years and now we were starting a new life together.
I remember telling him that we didn't have 'history'.....and yet I'm sure our paths crossed more than once since he and his family used to visit Irving often. Ellen's sister, Ruth Ann, lived in the same area I did and they ate at some of the same places I did and shopped garage sales and frequented some of the same stores. And now that we have been married 16 years.....we have, indeed, made 'memories of us.'
I love that.


I love this precious man with all my heart and I am so very blessed to know that he loves me with all of his heart, too. We are honored to be given the privilege to grow old together.


We are so very different - kind of like The Odd Couple!
I am Felix to his Oscar.....
He leaves his tools any and everywhere, hangs his overalls on nails and I am constantly, and I do mean constantly. picking up after him. He can make a mess quicker than any two-year-old!


But he has more charm than any man I have ever met and having lunch together on our side porch under the carport is as much a treasure as I could wish for.


As Louis Dean says at least once each and every day - 'We make a GOOD team!'
And so we do!


I've been painting rocks lately.....


and the tomatoes are my favorites!


It's popular to leave them places for others to find but I use them to anchor tablecloths on picnic tables.
And to hold my fabric when I am pinning a quilt together.
This will be for a soon-to-be-born baby girl.


I've also been painting!
I only have one more session on this one of Louis Dean watering my wildflower garden this summer.
I'm allowing it to dry before adding the spray from his hose to finish it off.


One last Christmas painting featuring a truck.
I think I shall be adding a truck scene to the Santa theme every year.
Next year's will feature puppies in the back bed of an old truck.


I love to see the progress of a painting.


Since I work in oils only, it has to dry a bit in between sessions.
I did enough to know that I can finish this one when we come back to the country in the middle of November.

So far I have 140 entries in the Santa Express drawing and I will do the 'random number generator' tomorrow - November 1st - as soon as we get home. And I will have it in the mail to the winner in the next day or two after that.

Tonight, as I write, we are listening to the Dallas Cowboys game with the Minnesota Vikings on a static filled and crackling radio! We just tied the game at the end of the third quarter. I'm ready to go out and sit with Louis Dean for the final quarter!

This is Halloween and it's only the second time in our 16 years together that we have not sat on the front porch sipping wine from our skull goblets and handed out candy.
Our sweet neighbor, Tamara, says she has had lots of trick or treaters!


I will close with the pic Amber sent me!!
A Greek Goddess, deer, black cat, and lumber jack and
Amber is Maleficent and Mike is a Safari guide!






18 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

I love your Red Truck painting! And your tomato rock is so totally cool, it looks just like a tomato! We had so many Trick-Or-Treaters tonight that we ran out of candy and had to open another bag. Wow,your camper is so big!!! When I first saw your first nighttime photo of it, I thought it was a grocery store!!

Brenda said...

Love the painting.

Melissa Y said...

Love the paintings and the Bells are so cute in their costumes!

MimiG said...

When you said you were painting rocks, I wondered about how? What pattern? Colors? They are terrific and that tomato looks like one you would pick up to slice!
The red truck, oh my gosh, I just love it. It's hard to believe that in less than 2 months, it will be Christmas - not quite ready for that.
I love, love Thanksgiving, and just before Thanksgiving, Devin will have an MRI to ensure no cancer cells. Prayers up!
I had over 50 trick or treaters last night, down quite a bit from pre-Covid, but it was fun to see them. Lots of princesses, Harry Potters and cowboys this years and one of the cutest girly scarecrows I've ever seen!
Blessings to you and LD, you are such a loving couple. It's good to see!

Hootin Anni said...

Everything is awesome. From the rock painting, and truck, to your camper picnic & Halloween costumes. But most of all I LOVE the L❤️VE story between the two of you!!!

Estelle's said...

I simply loved how you described your relationship.....music to the ears with such sweet sentiment....and, the simple things you find joy in,,,,such as rock painting....I just love it!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

We are both so very blessed to get to be married to such wonderful men at this time in our lives. Love the Halloween photo at the end AND your tomato rocks! How cool are they. And your Christmas art is gorgeous! Enjoy your day! How 'bout them Cowboys?!!!!!

Changes in the wind said...

Your little home in the country just shines in the dark and I am so happy that the two of you can spend time there. All the paintings look great and are keeping your busy. Just smile when you talk about LD and yes we are blessed to have a husband to grow old with.

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

You are so blessed to have each other to grow old with. I'm sure you missed being at home for trick or treat, but you've had such fun doing your pumpkins there. Your painting as always is to be admired. Louis Dean with your sunflowers is a good one for sure ! Now we are going in to November and not far off will come Christmas which will give us some very busy days ahead.

Arlene G said...

Love your painting Linda. That red Christmas truck is so fun and your rocks are so life like. You have a great talent!!

Meme said...

You are very talented! Love your generous spirit & kind heart!

MadSnapper said...

the tomatoe rocks are amazing and love that truck. ambers family photo is perfect.. what a fun group they are,just like her mama.. i love your country home in the first photo

photowannabe said...

Ahhhh your paintings are spectacular...the truck really feels like Christmas. I had to smile when you said that you and Louis Dean often say that you make a "good team".
Dave and I say that often too, in fact we just said it Friday night when we got home from serving dessert at Celebrate Recovery. You two certainly have made the most of your 16 years together. Precious memories.
Sue
https://allredmop.blogspot.com

photowannabe said...

Oops, P.S. I meant to say that your tomato rocks are fantastic. All the rocks are but those are extra special.
Sue

Vick said...

Another great post showcasing your beautiful paintings, and I did not know rocks could look that authentic. Must be a word for Amber...perhaps gorgeous would suffice.

Some people are meant to be together. Only the good Lord knows why it took as long as it did, but your life appears near perfect. Your appreciation is obvious.

Wanda said...

What a marvelous post. You and Louis are a lot like me and Don. You have packed more into your 40 plus years of marriage than Don and I have done in 60. But then I think you two are a little wilder than me and my dearest. HaHa.
Like you and L.D some of our best times are just eating together and chatting. I'm a big Willie Nelson Fan, so I would enjoy L.D music.

Feels so good to be back! Thanks for your lovely comment. Love and Hugs

Bluebird49 said...

Oh, I just love the red truck painting, sweetpea! Whoever wins that will be fortunate. And I really like your rock paintings, as well. Yes, it is always fun to see how a painting progresses and it takes talent to know just when to stop. Loving the white snow on the truck tire.
Goodness -- what a lovely family are the Bells -- in costume or not! That will be a good picture to look at years from now -- when the quads think they are too old to "dress up for Halloween".
I am so thankful you have Louis Dean, and I am thankful I have Ed. I can't even imagine how or what I'd do without him -- it's been 55+ years now, and I do not want to find out what life is like without him. Ed tells me that maybe Rapture will come and we can go togethet. That's a nice thought.
Sending love, my friend!

Deanna Rabe said...

I love how you just live and accept each other! You do make a good team!

Those tomato rocks are adorable!