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.