Sunday, January 23, 2022

January Days.....

 We have spent the last several days resting and recovering.....going to bed early and sleeping late.
It's been cold in Texas and one morning I woke up before Louis Dean - having gone to bed at 9:30 - and I made a good fire in the den and wore my warmest thickest robe.


It's been lovely waking up with no real agenda other than staying at home and taking Christmas down....a little at a time.


Thursday I cleaned our bedroom really well and lit several candles to celebrate!


I took Christmas down in Louis Dean's bathroom and made another sign reminding him to take his medicine! He takes morning and evening meds + daily eye drops.
One day I reminded him to take HIS medicine and I forgot to take MINE!


By Thursday night I had cleaned our bedroom, hall and both bathrooms.


On Friday I finished the guest room and had it all cleana nd fresh for Summer when she returned from the Bar J Ranch in Arkansas where she's been doing some volunteeer work.

Even though we're retired, there's still something special about a Saturday!


I made a good breakfast of sausage, cheesy eggs and toast and we actually ate at the kitchen table!
Together!!! Louis Dean usually eats in the den and I often eat alone in the kitchen with a book, so this was a special treat.

By the time we did our devotions, it was time to get ready to go watch the kids play hockey!


Our traditional selfie on the bleachers!


They are all ready for the game!
And they played so WELL!!
Both teams were evenly matched and they were tied 3 times before we won 5-4.
I enjoyed sitting on the bleachers and watching.
Behind us were parents and grandparents for the other team and yet we all appreciated the way both teams played. 

We lingered long after the game visiting with Amber and Mike and the kids.
I'd brought a tin of pumpkin muffins and everyone was relaxed and we were just catching up.


Mike and I looked over and saw Kailey sitting with her granddad.
I took this picture before walking over to them. Seems she was advising Granddad to get a smart phone and he was telling her he didn't want a phone smarter than he is.


When I was going back over to talk to Amber and Mike, she asked for my phone and I found 'surprise' pictures on it tonight. It's what she's been doing since she was 4 years old.......leaving me pictures of herself!

We made our Sunday plans for church, lunch out and then Mike's hockey game before we parted ways.
The game today was up in McKinney at 2:45 so by the time we were leaving the ice rink, the western sun was shining in my eyes. Since we had to go to the store anyway.......


we decided to go to a Walmart over there before heading home.
Louis Dean takes his tomatoes seriously!

I made stuff peppers, company mashed potatoes and a simple salad for dinner tonight.
As I was working in the kitchen, I glanced out to see a possum eating the taco soup/chili leftovers I'd put in the feeding dish out by the pond.


I'd say this guy was an older 'teenager.'


You can hear the mixer going in the background.
I use the paddle on my Kitchen Aid to mix the meatloaf.

Then a ha;f hour later I saw a different possum out there!


He - or she - was a little smaller than the first one.


You can still hear the mixer, I think. This time it was whipping the potatoes!

I will close tonight's journal entry with a photo my brother Buster posted today on his Facebook page.


Today would be our father's 100th birthday.
Leo Everett Gage
He was born January 22, 1922.

Buster called me while I was fixing supper and we had the nicest visit.
Not only have I discovered who my father was, I am having such a good time getting to know my Kansas City siblings.
They will be coming to Texas at some point this year and I am planning on going back up to see them this fall, taking Louis Dean with me.

Louis Dean and I were talking about some of the vacations we have had and I am grateful for each one.
We've been to New Mexico and Colorado a couple of times, spent a month in Aberdeen, Scotland....
gone to Branson and several trips to Galveston and San Antonio.
Traveled to Florida and back by car and went on an Alaskan cruise.

It's good to do things while we can.







16 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

It must be so much fun to watch the possum eat your food! So this is a different one? Each time you post the Quads, they seem to have grown! How wonderful to have actual photos of your father.

Hootin Anni said...

What a super post again in your journal Linda!! Love, warmth at the hearth, critters and family!! You just can't get any better.

MadSnapper said...

the first possum looks prettier than the second, both are so cute. love the photo of the cell phone chat with LD and bob doesn't have any kind of phone at all and refuses to. once again I have enjoyed your several days at home. we are both having the same problems with remembering pills.

Bluebird49 said...

I love the fact you have had such wonderful travels! I would like to have travelled more, but am thankful for each time we went to the Outer Banks or the Great Smokey Mountains, or to Alabama to visit Ed and his family, taking Mama when we could. Hope at least Ed and I can go to Dothan, Alabama to visit them in their new home.! need to do that!
Right now, we are snowed in with 5 inches of sno. It's lovely, but us old folks get tired of it quickly when it's easy to slip ad fall.
Loved seeing the Bells, and hearing about them.
Hope you have a great visit with Summer!
Ed has got a terrible cough -- hope he doesn't have Covid, as well.😑
Sending love, my friend!Take care!

Changes in the wind said...

All your things look so nice and clean and I can imagine how wonderful they smell with all the candles. Sweet picture of Kailey and Granddad and they look so grown up in there hockey uniforms!

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

It's nice you have plans to travel. That's something to look forward to. I'm not traveling much these days but staying close to home due to the virus that don's seem to be letting up. Hopefully, I can get to see some of my family from out of state soon. It's been awhile and I miss them so. So glad you found your dad and new brothers and sisters too!

Vee said...

That's a nice birthday for remembering. I am so happy that this great mystery of your life has been solved.

The quads are wonderful sportspeople playing so many games well. What darling grins. You are a good grandmother to make it to their games. I felt so poorly last summer that I did not make even one of the boys' games.

As you know, I don't feel as you doabout traveling. I truly hate it, If I could just arrive at my destination without the journey, I'd be fine. 😁

NanaDiana said...

What a wonderful post, Linda...from eating breakfast at the table together, to the game with the kids, the smart phone debacle and ending with the trips you took.
You dad was a handsome, rugged looking man, wasn't he?
I hope you have a blessed Sunday- xo Diana

LC said...

What an artistic life filled with love! Thanks for sharing day to day joys and challenges.

Carole said...

Ah travel - those were the days! Hope you guys are boosted - we are and the country is now holding its breath about Omicron - hope it is a blessing in disguise - have stocked up on the essentials - wine and cat food! Cheers

Donna said...

Breakfast looked yummy and that's a great selfie of you two!
Aberdeen? How I would love to spend a month! We loved Germany and Switzerland, but Scotland is calling my name! lolol
I put our Christmas back into storage for another year...hate to see it gone.
Have a sweet and peaceful day!
hughugs
Donna

photowannabe said...

I love everything about this post...
Love of home and love of family.
Great picture of you two and the one of the Kailey and LD is precious.
Not so fond of the possums but I know they are good critters to haave around.
Love the ending quote.
That's the way we want to live our lives together.
Sue

Bev said...

Your house looks so cozy!!...

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Taking Christmas down slowly is a good approach, Linda, because so many people seem to be in such a rush right after the day has ended. We waited until a couple of weeks ago and didn't forget anything as we usually have done since we went s-l-o-w. Nice that you have had sleep-ins and that fire looked so nice and must have been very cozy. You are so right about traveling when you can and so that's what we will doing once again next week to FL and back on a road trip.

Judy said...

I love the travel poster you ended with! And I smiled at Vee's opinion of traveling. We are not related to each other!

My dad was also born in 1922...a very good year. He has been gone for just over a year and we miss him!

Your grands do just what mine used to do...take selfies and make them my home screen. Made me smile!

Deanna Rabe said...

I love seeing what you and Louis Dean are up to!

Tim's mom turned 100 last October. He's the youngest of her 6 children, and was born when she was 44 years old!

I'm glad you are building relationships with your siblings, that they have welcomed you!

I have a cousin that we only found out through 23 and me. He was my uncle's only son, but didn't know about him. A college fling resulted in a boy who grew up unloved. My uncle didn't want to meet him, he was dying and not able in his selfish state (his whole life) to even have a conversation on the phone with him.

He and I keep in touch. I'm going to MAKE a meet up happen this year.