Back in the City!

 I believe the cats knew we were about to go home.

They had a good time at the ranch what with their adventures in getting OUT!

They have played games of hide and seek and chase and we had fun watching them.

Here they are watching the horses after I had just given them some more good carrots!

We left the ranch right around 1:30 and here is Louis Dean and his son saying goodbye.

Louis Dean always thanks him for his hospitality and all of his help and Dean says good things back to him and they shake hands.

We stopped in Mart to buy diesel and then drove straight home with not one bit of trouble.

The truck drove well and I was so thankful!

Home was just as we left it - no surprises.

We did our arrival routine and then Louis Dean soaked in a hot bath so long I went in to check on him.

I woke up first on Wednesday and had my quiet time before slipping back into the bedroom and turning ON a few soft lights, and the ceiling fan and sound machine OFF.

He never remembers in the mornings what our plans are for the day and I wanted to give him time to wake up properly.

I made us a healthy breakfast and we navigated our way to the doctor's office in Lewisville - leaving early to allow time if we got lost.

We actually arrived early at 11:45!

Alas, the office complex does NOT look like doctor offices because it is NOT.

It houses counseling services, church offices and therapy among other things.

I drove around the whole place before I realized this WAS the place!

The suite # was 240, but we found it vacant!

I happened to ask someone and she said they moved to the third floor in July.

We went UP a floor but did not know the suite number.

Once again, a lady came by and I asked her and she happened to be arriving for work at the exact place we were looking for. She was the one who checked us in.

There were several papers to fill out and then both of us went in to talk to the doctor.

She was really good with Louis Dean.

He talked to her about his music and his life and our concerns about his memory - or lack thereof.

She is very young and didn't know many of the songs he was talking about and had never heard of  Mario Lanza and The Student Prince but she was such a good sport about it.

She's a graduate of Texas A&M and I'm sure she's been busy these last few years.

After 45 minutes or so - Louis Dean went in another room for the testing part with another lady named Kim. I kissed him and told him I would be waiting.

I went for a walk and enjoyed the ducks and scenery before coming back and reading my book Up Island and then I polished my nails in the car.

It was such a beautiful day!

Louis Dean came out smiling and I think that's a good sign!

He had been there over three and a half hours.

This painting hangs in the waiting room and we thought it was a bit disturbing.

As I sat down in the lobby of the building reading during my wait time, I did notice all the people coming and going and, truth be told, some looked very disturbed. 

We stopped at Kroger on our way home for a couple of items for dinner that night.

Sabrina and Rayne joined us for both dinner and art class.

I made a pasta chicken salad but it was nothing like the one Sabrina made for me years ago.

Next time I will be asking her to bring THAT!!!!

Art class was underway!

I taught art on Tuesday nights here around the dining room table for over 40 years.

At one point, I taught a morning, afternoon and evening art class!

That didn't last long but after that  I had art tables set up in four different rooms for the evening classes.

That was back in the tole painting days.

I cannot count the number of people I have taught over the years.

Some - like Sabrina - have gone beyond my skills and soared.

But I have to tell you that teaching Rayne her very first oil painting lesson is one of my favorite classes! She is such a dog lover and runs a rescue program back at home in Puerto Rico.

She is knowledgeable on all manner of dogs and horses and chickens and other critters.

She has a YouTube channel called Raining Sunshine that chronicles her love of critters but I can't figure out how to share the link but maybe later I can figure it out.

Anyway, she did a FANTASTIC job on painting her dog Sunshine!

She is an experienced artist in acrylics and 'pours' and has been featured in several art shows in Puerto Rico. However, she said she LOVES painting in oils.....that it's like painting in butter!

Sabrina was bound and determined to finish her canvas since she will be returning to PR next week.

Oils dry slowly and even more so in the humid climate there.

Sabrina does beautiful work and I hope to do a post of some of her amazing paintings soon.

I will paint in my mane next week after the canvas is dry.

Logan sketched the horse for me.

I can paint but I cannot draw!

Today (Thursday) has been a quiet one.

I did not take a single photo.

This morning I had a good long quiet time outside on the kitchen deck wrapped in a blanket as it was on the chilly side.

I had a lot of praying to do and it felt so good to drink my first cup of coffee while being still and listening to the sounds of LIFE.....the black capped chickadees at the feeder, the distant sound of barking dogs, the hum of airplanes overhead, the chirping of the squirrel who came so near me since I was being quiet....and the rustle of the wind as it blew across my face fanning all of the sounds into my ears.

Our oldest living relative died on Wednesday - Cousin Joyce.

She was a beautiful soul and so loved by all.

I rejoice as I know she is in heaven having a family reunion with all who have gone before.

Only her brother is left now as our oldest living relative and I am inching my way to the top.

Back in the day I was always the youngest one since I married so early and was the youngest mother for so many years. And then I was the oldest mother as I had two more children late in life.

And now I am next to the oldest in my family.

That's kind of a sobering thought.