Memories, Groceries, Christmas Paintings, Cozy Fireplace and Tabitha....

 It was five years ago today that Nita and Mike took Louis Dean and me to Billy Bob's in Fort Worth to see Willie Nelson for Louis Dean's 81st birthday. It's so natural for me to write 'Nita and Mike.' 

I've typed, printed and written 'Nita and Mike' hundreds of times.

Now when I write it - my heart catches.

All my photos of Nita and Mike are such happy ones.

I'm so very grateful for each and every memory of Nita and I pray every day for Mike and Leah and Billy and all who loved Nita.

I think I am doing well in coming to terms with changing times and traditions and I am not crying every day - although I continue to tear up some. I missed putting the Zoloft in my medicine boxes this week - they were already filled before I got the new prescription and I forgot to add it to the boxes.

I took it last week and I shall resume taking it tomorrow.

It may be a little too early to stop altogether.

Wednesday and Thursday were cozy stay at home daytaking fall down and cleaning in preparation for getting my Christmas debris out. It is such  a luxury to have the gift of days where you don't have to leave the house. Louis Dean has been working on his music and organizing his music room. Wednesday he brought out a bag of cornmeal he had in his room. He said, "I'm not sure why this was in my music room - but I would love it if you'd make some cornbread pretty soon!"

Maybe tomorrow.

Last night stepson Dean and his karate friend came up and spent the night before flying out this morning from DFW to Florida for a karate event. I set my alarm for 4:45 AM and Louis Dean and I took them to the airport. The cold rainy weather had arrived and made for good sleeping weather!

We came home and crawled back in bed! It was COLD as I had the attic fan on but we were warm and snug under all the covers. I slept until 10:30 and I had to wake Louis Dean up at 12:15!

Dr. Shahdad had called Wednesday and said the MRI looked pretty good. She also ordered an ultrasound of his carotid artery which was scheduled for this afternoon at 1:45 - hence the need to wake him up. He gripes and mumbles but after the appointments he thanks me for going with him and taking care of him. It was a cold blustery day and since we were already out, we picked up prescriptions and bought groceries for the rest of the month including things for Thanksgiving.

This year I will be making the broccoli rice casserole and I have everything but the broccoli. I remember Nita telling me how hard it is to find chopped frozen broccoli. I guess I can always buy fresh and cook and chop it myself..

We shopped Aldi and Louis Dean was a big help in lifting the heavy things and between the two of us - we divided the work! Then he unloaded after we got home and I put it all up!

Our pantry is stocked - and I should have organized it better while I was putting things away.

Our freezer and fridge is full and all jumbled.

No leftovers in there to speak of because I have been feeding them to the possums.

Every night I do at least an hour of so of art and have finished 3 out of the 4 Christmas paintings for this year.

This was a fun 9X12.

Finished!

 I added more stars before glazing.

I am really happy with this Santa and he was easy to paint.

Some years I have really struggled with one element or another but this was one that seemed to paint itself. This will be our Christmas card this year.

I took pictures on Wednesday and then last night I started working on ordering the printed canvases and cards and it got complicated and I tensed right up!

Thankfully, Amber is really good at doing this kind of thing and she is working on it for me!

Art is still set up in the dining room and I am doing my best to finish the last canvas this week and then packing it all up and storing it away.

We had the fireplace burning tonight and watched a Christmas movie while I hung the Santa wall in the den. I have more Santas than I do walls so some will hang in other rooms as well.

Tabitha has been curled up on the foot of the guest room bed all.day.long.

I was starting to get worried about her when she came in to see what I was doing in the living room.

I shared this photo from November 1960 on Facebook on this Veteran's Day.

Louis Dean and his brother Alton Ray were both in the Army at the same time.

This is his little sister named Linda in between them.

This was when their father had died and both of them came home on leave -

Alton Ray from Germany and Louis Dean what White Sands Missile Range.

I'll close tonight's journal entry and go in and paint for awhile before bed.

Louis Dean is in the den watching a college football game and working the cat puzzle.

Those are two of my favorite words!