Saturday, August 27, 2022

 Louis Dean and I don't see many sunrises but this morning we saw an exceptional one!
My alarm went off at 5:45 and I pushed the snooze button THREE times for a total of 27 delicious minutes. Then I was up and at 'em while banging around and turning lights on so as to waken Louis Dean.


We were sitting with our coffee watching the sun rise together.
I sometimes wish we were morning people - but we are so not - and that makes seeing a sunrise extra special to us. We had time for coffee and our Bible reading before Dean and Sherry picked us up.
We were heading to Hamilton, Texas where Sherry's parents live. They are up north in their RV doing church building work but they have made their home available for when Roy and Ruth Ann and Dean and Sherry meet up for a visit. You see, Hamilton is the midway point between their home in Breckenridge and Dean and Sherry's ranch.


We were a surprise today as they didn't know we were going to be there!


Four good men!
Ken (longtime neighbor to Sherry's parents), Roy, Son Dean and Louis Dean.


Ken plays the harmonica and Louis Dean played the guitar so we had some before lunch entertainment.

The food was delicious!!


Ruth Ann always brings something extra special and classy.
This tomato salad was gone in minutes.


I brought my pepper poppers and they were good if I say so myself.
I may be in need of a new 'go to' appetizer soon.
Perhaps I can find one at Estelle's Blog  
I have used so many of her recipes over the years!
Do YOU have a favorite easy sure fire good appetizer recipe??
If so, please share!!!


Son Dean outdid himself with these ribs!
They fell off the bone and were finger licking GOOD!!!


Sherry's potato salad is always a hit!

We sat around the table and ate and ate!
Ruth Ann and I BOTH brought watermelon and in nearly identical containers!
It was so wonderful to visit with her and catch up - although we didn't really catch up all the way.
She has had technical problems with social media and doesn't get my blog by email anymore so she hasn't been keeping up with all that's happened in my life lately other than the family news from Dean and Sherry and our occasional phone calls. And she is a more private person than I so we had lots of things to talk about.

Regarding the 'Follow by email' thing - it has totally gone away and I looked into a couple of things to take its place but have decided not to do them. I don't write with the purpose of gaining a wider readership but I am so blessed with those who have 'found' me and we have bonded with each other.
I'm pretty sure I don't want to be any more 'public' than I already am and some of the ways to 'Follow' seemed a little too complicated for me. 


I kind of felt like someone in a novel today and yesterday.
Like a Gladys Tabor column where she describes preparing food for a gathering of friends and then traveling there and back. I love everything about this day. Being with family and seeing their faces and hearing their voices. You never know when you will hear a loved one's voice for the last time.
The last time I heard Nita's voice was at Andie's graduation party. I go back in my mind and replay every word I can remember her saying and I love and treasure every single one of them.

Ruth Ann and I go back a good many years now - I met her at our wedding. She is sister to Louis Dean's beloved first wife, Ellen, who passed away in 2000. We were best friends right off the bat.
Ruth Ann and I used to spend every Tuesday together and I have missed her so much since since she moved away.

I love how family oriented Dean and Sherry are. They are the kind of people we describe as 'salt of the earth.' And I am so grateful I am family to them. They have welcomed us here at their ranch and gave us prime location in setting up our camper and then adding on and putting down pretty deep roots.

Dean has been so wonderful this week with our AC condensation problems.
He had already spent the better part of two days doing two separate fixes and then when we came back from Hamilton today, I went in the camper and put my purse in the chair and as I rummaged around in it looking for something - I felt a drop of water fall on my head.

Oh, NO! Not AGAIN!!!


Yes, AGAIN.
I dreaded doing it but I called Dean and told him the AC was dripping in the camper again.
As tired as they were after driving back and doing critter chores and such, they dropped everything and came back up here to fix a third and hopefully FINAL problem!
The plug/hole was stopped up!
Problem solved!
I will bring in fans to dry out the carpet AGAIN tomorrow.
And I think that anything that could go wrong with that situation has already gone wrong and been resolved so here's to no more dripping water inside the camper!


As Dean and Sherry were leaving to go back down to their place this evening - the horses came up hoping for a treat. I had a half loaf of stale bread and half a package of hot dog buns.
The horses loved it!


The Golden Hour really and truly IS Golden here at the ranch!


14 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

The sunset is gorgeous, as are the horses. And the food! What a wonderful time you are having!!

Hootin Anni said...

Be still my heart...I L❤️VE potato salad!!!
You were up early to see the sunrise and witnessed the sunset....a perfect day!! (Despite the leak)

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

I so enjoy the sun rises and sunsets. They do remind me to be thankful for every day. Unlike you I'm early bed and early to rise.I misunderstood and thought you were headed home, instead of going for a visit, It's wonderful you're related to each other and such good friends too. The food all looks extremely good ! I hope you have a relaxing Sunday !

MadSnapper said...

Dean and Sherry's Ranch is what I always dreamed of and wanted and never had. you are blessed that they share it with you and to have them for inlaws.

Arlene G said...

Loved seeing Ruth Ann!! I know it was a sweet visit.

Vee said...

I agree with you—whatever new programs for allowing blog posts to be delivered to email boxes seem to be overly invasive wanting too much information. I am fine with the old-fashioned way.

Guess what? I have missed Ruth Ann since she moved away, too. Your times together were good reading. I'm glad that you were able to get together and almost catch-up.

Oh my! The food does look fine. No one needs go hungry at any gathering you have.



Brenda said...

Lovely visit…prayers…

Stacy said...

Such beautiful scenery and it's a real blessing to have family nearby and a place to meet up with more distant members.

Thanks for following my blog. I don't know if I'm the Stacy you knew or not. I've been following you for a while. I moved to a new blog back in February, I think. I used to be at It's a Great Day to be Alive.

Wanda said...

Beautiful Sunrise. I always thought I was a morning person a I had to work outside the home for many years. After I retired I realized the only reason I was a morning person, is I had to get up and go to work...haha. Now I love sleeping in and taking naps.

Your trip and visiting and music and good food....yes, life is good.

Carole said...

Would love to know how you do your poppers! Cheers

Deanna Rabe said...

I had a good weekend too! I used to love to see what you and Ruth Ann were up to on Tuesdays, so I am delighted that you were able to get together with them!

Dean and Sherry are gold!

Granny Marigold said...

A lovely post beginning with a glorious sunrise and ending with a pretty sunset with the horses. In between you describe such a lovely day with family, friends, food, visiting and even some music. Have a great week!!

Donna said...

If you don't get the camper as level as possible, sometimes the water won't go out the condensate line correctly...a/c may need a through cleaning...wasp nest...the list goes on.
Hope you got it fixed.
Beautiful sunset!
hughugs
Donna

Debbie said...

ooooh roy with those bunny ears, it's so nice to see people having fun!! ld looks awesome, the only thing better, the food!! hehehe

that a/c can be a pain at times, i hope you can get it fixed!!

and i adore the fall layout for the blog!!