While we MEANT to leave at first light on Saturday - I snoozed until after 7:00!
Still, we made good time and was on the road heading home by 9:15.
We stopped at the Cefco in Mart for fuel and while LD filled the tank up - I went in and bought us some breakfast burritos.
Alas, when I got back in the truck - it would not start!
Dead battery!
As soon as the guy in the next pump over heard that - he immediately offered a jump!
He had a diesel as well and he cleaned the battery terminals with a nifty tool and in less than 10 minutes from dead battery to starting - we were on the road again!
I was driving and di not stop until we got home!!
We arrived right around noon and son Jesse and Rachel were her about an hour later!
\Our den window AC went out last week and in Texas we need all the cooling we can get.
We have one in the den, one in the sewing room and one in each of the two bedrooms.
The den is the largest room and we reallydo rely on the extra AC in the summer.
Jesse did the research for me and found one that will MORE than cool the den and not only ordered it but went to pick it up - all in an hour's time!
I fixed us all ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch and then Jesse worked on the grab bar in the bathroom for Louis Dean. Rachel and I set up my art table which will remain for the rest of the summer! I have so many projects to do and this way I can paint for at least an hour every day.
PLUS - the bonus is - Rachel is interested in learning to do oils!
That's a Win! WIN!! in my book!
While I sat at the table and painted on the Santa couple I am doing for a friend - Rachel glazed a couple of my canvases with Liquin - and I absolute;y LOVED having someone join me at the art table! Not just anyone - but RACHEL!!
This is the one she and I both love so I am hoping we can get it painted before fall!
I'm thinking 2 hour sessions per week and 5-6 class times.
I am beyond excited as I have not had a new art student in YEARS!
How cool to have my dear Rachel for my lateeat student!
We all - Louis Deam and I and Jesse and Rachel had appintments for 5:00 at Lovely Nsils!
I admit it was so relaxing that I nodded off a time or two,
We LOVE this place!
After that we went to Cheddars for dinner!
It was such a fun time!!!
Louis Dean got his Country Fried Steak fix......
And I enjoyed my meal.
Although I brought most of mine home and only ate part of my salad and LD took a to-go box home as well.
This one pic is a result of long hot sweaty hours that Jesse invested getting our old unit out and the new one in! It was not an easy task and he never once lost patience with us as we continually could not find drills, ratchets, flash lights, drill bits, batteries and on and on.
Jesse was a real McGyver and worked around all the difficulties!!
It was midnight when he finished and that was nearly 12 hours he had devoted to us.
Praise God and thank Jesse for this gift of time.
Louis Dean did well with all the activity and today (Sunday) he admitted to being 'discombobulated.'
He has always been able to fix just about anything and the linitations of dementia and old age has been hard for him to handle. I understand. I can't do what I once did and I get so tired that staying home is easier than going out and doing things!
Today I spent several hours on the side deck doing some deep watering and my prayer time and reading. Late in the afternoon we went to Home Depot to buy a new outlet to fit the new AC.
Louis Dean has always been able to do all things electric!
He is very good at figuring things out and I am praying God will give him the memories an d knowledge to change the outlets.
This will make him feel so much better about himself.
It's still possible to sit on the front deck early in the morning and late at night.
Sometimes we miss that morning slot by sleeping too late!
Tarzan came to visit and he was hungry!
I could tell he has lost some weight so I filled the bowl full!
It wasn't long before he was up in my lap.
I just love him!
Yesterday we had some entertainment!
Sherry called and said Steve (neighbor) was bringing over a storage building that they had bought from him some time ago, She knew I would love to watch the action!
Here he comes!!!
I am amazed how you can move things like this.
It was fun to watch....
Backing it in.....
And unloading it to the ground!
The building has landed!
I was able to watch all the happenings from a lawn chair sitting in the shade!
WITH a Billy Goat gruff to keep me company!
It was hot and I guess he likes salt!
I laughed and laughed!
I stopped to see the chickies!
These are the babies I watched when they were hatching!!
Louis Dean isn't able to handle the heat like he used to do.
Two years ago he had a heat stroke and nearly died so I am keeping en eye on him.
We went to 'town' meaning Mart today - I wanted to get the truck AC coolant checked but would have had to leave the truck there and that won't work so it looks like we will be driving home very early Saturday morning to avoid the heat.
Just going on this one errand wore him out and he's been in bed all afternoon.
We drove by the place where the house Dean and Sherry bought used to sit.
No sign it was ever there!
While LD napped, I visited some of my blog sisters and caught up with a few of you!
Sorry I haven't been around much lately.
Much of my time is spent keeping Louis Dean out of trouble!
As in feeding and watering him and making sure he takes his medicine and doesn't get too hot and helping him search for things he can't find.
He and I both can lose something holding it in our hands!
I had gone out to the front room just as Sherry drove up with supper for us tonight!
I went to the screen door and heard a terrible racket thinking something was wrong with her truck!
I asked, "WHAT is that noise??"
Sherry said, "RAIN!!"
What a beautiful surprise blessing!!!
Complete with a full rainbow!
The food was great!!
Dean had smoked some ribs and beans and Sherry made her delicious Gouda potatoes!
We cheered right up!
Plus, Sherry changed out the AC filter in the camper and it's cooling better now.
Louis Dean is already in bed and I am about to finish tonight's journal entry and take a shower and go to bed!
Tomorrow we will spend the day cleaning, packing and preparing for an early departure Saturday morning to go back home.
Hopefully we will get to go the Antique Rose Emporium in the fall when it;s cooler.
We won't get to have dinner and homemade mojitos here with Rosey and Dean and Sherry aas we planned to do on Saturday night!
It will be easier for Louis Dean to stay safe in the heat at home than it is down here.
He does love to 'go outside and play!'
I'll close with news from our friend and neighbor, Ilene.
She has a close neighbor, Lester, in his 90's that she visits and checks on.
She took him to the ER today and he was diagnosed with Covid and an UTI.
Praying for him and for Ilene to keep her from getting sick.
I've been working on a wall in the den for weeks now and it's finally coming together.
There are four windows on this wall -
and there's one window that faces the street. Thursday evening I was working on that one.
There's a baby grand piano in front of the window and I had to carefully squeeze myself into the small space and then stand on a stepladder to finish out the inset part of the window.
That's where I was when I saw our dear friend Ilene walking down the sidewalk!
She saw me standing in the window and I tapped on it and motioned her to come around to the front door!
I carefully squeezed myself OUT and let her in and she agreed to stay and visit while I finished up that window. Win! WIN! It's always nice to have company to talk to when you are doing a tedious job.
While I was still hanging out in the den window - Son Dean arrived to spend the night and Ilene opened the door for him so I didn't have to do my gymnastic act again!
Dean is always so much FUN! He brings a party atmosphere with him wherever he goes and that night was no exception!
Ilene has met Sherry once but this was her very first time to meet Dean!
She knew all about him since I talk of him and Sherry and the country.
We had such a good time talking about bees and honey and plans and all sorts of things!
It was fun like a party and we even had a little wine!!!
I love nights like that!
Dean was gone long hours before Louis Dean and I woke up the next morning.
I took my first cup of coffee out to the kitchen deck and spent some time in prayer.
Still haven't hit 100* yet!
But it IS hot so I enjoy going out early and then again later in the evening!
Friday was errand day and we had quite a few places to go!
Tom Thumb, Walgreen's, Home Depot, Aldi!
We ate lunch at Arby's and that was seriously good.
However, so many errands takes a toll on Louis Dean these days and he had to go to bed where he stayed for several hours.
He slept in the guest room that night and I was up several times checking on him.
I was so relieved when I got up Saturday morning and smelled the coffee!
He was back to his old self and surprised me by having fixed the front door!
It would not 'click' shut so if it wasn't locked - it would open and the cats could escape - which Tabitha did! Twice! No, THREE times.
He had thought ahead and put both cats in the guest room and shut the door!
Some days he is simply brilliant!
And Saturday was one of those days!
Sine I had overstressed him on Friday and he was doing well on Saturday , I decided we would watch church online and lay low on Sunday. That was a good decision.
By day's end the den wall had made some serious progress!
I'm loving the way it's turning out!
Brenda gave me the curtains and I like the way they puddle so I may not even cut them off to fit.
I chose Spiced Vinegar satin wall paint and Jute semi gloss for the bench and back of the walls.
Beige paper pleated black out shades have been ordered and I think I am going to like the option of keeping it darker in there when it's really hot and then let the light in in cooler weather!
Amber and her crew arrived at 1:30 and brought lunch from Olive Garden!
My favorite!
Granddad was taking a nap so we went ahead and ate!
What a great time we had visiting around the table!
When we finished Kailey asked me if I would go with her to wake Granddad up.
You should have seen his face when he opened his eyes and saw Kailey!
We all had soup, salad and breadsticks - but Amber ordered spaghetti and meat balls for her dad!
LD will tell you he does NOT like pasta - but for some reason that doesn't include spaghetti!
The afternoon slipped away with everyone doing things and visiting.
Kailey spent some quality time with her Granddad and he showed her how to hold a violin and she had a little lesson!
Playing music!
Then he sang to her!
Logan helped me thread my sewing machine - I am having some eye issues with macular dengeneration.and cataracts -especially in my left eye.
I did a few mending projects for Amber as we continued to visit and she opened her birthday presents.
They were at the beach the week of her birthday - her perfect happy place!
Harriosn is playing a LOT of hockey and was recently scouted by another team!
He's really good!
But he's also really TIRED!
Still, he was up and visiting with Granddad a bit later.
Brenda had given me a bag of her super cute college granddaughter's clothes and the girls had fun trying them on and posing for me.
They are so cute!
Kailey and Logan scored on many items but Trystan is smaller - and her mommy has been adding some new items to her wardrobe lately so it's all good!
Amber's favorite cake is Dr Pepper cake and I baked one especially for her!
There's a funny story about that cake!
Amber was in the hospital for 52 days before delivering her quadruplets at 29 weeks 5 days.
I was staying in Katy and visiting her every day while Louis Dean was at home repairing the camper so we could live in it for 7 months after the babies were born.
I took a cake up to her room and I don't remember if she ate a piece or not - but she did NOT know that Mike was going to take it to the nurses station and offer some to them. They ate it all and when Amber woke up and asked for a piece of cake - let's just say that she STILL remebers he gave it all away!
Trystan frosted it for me and therefore had the privilege of eating the first piece!
As is our tradiition - the girls take my phone and snap pictures for me to look at when they are gone!
The hours went by so fast and all too sonn it was time for them to go.
Our traditional GOOD BYES - since they were just toddlers!!!!
I hope they will do this when they leave here for the rest of our lives!
Ilene came down later that evening and we visited and I showed her the plants and hoses and such so she will be watering while we are at the ranch so all my flowers won't die.
What we do without our friends??
Dean's flight home from North Carolina was late and we had already gone to bed by the time he got in.
He had a great time and was chosen to do a demonstration for the Grand Master.....
what an honor.
He received several high degree certificats.
I do not remember all of the honors he was given but he had an excellent experience training, testing and demonstrating at the event.
We three had coffee together and packed, loaded and prepared for our trip to the ranch!
I am now the official designated driver not only for the car but the masive 350 Dodge Ram duly with oversized tires!!!
This is a MAN'S truck so you can imagine the stares when I hop out of it - a 5 foot - 130 pound - 75 year old lady! But I can DO this thing!
It was after 12:30 when we left home and our first stop was at the Cumby home to pick up some deck blocks they were giving Dean.
Next stop!
The Hong Kong Market Place and Grocery store in Grand Prairie!
It's a tradition for Dean to put $5 in and get a massage!
Louis Dean wanted no part of it! He didn't even want to come in but I refused to let him sit in the truck in this Texas heat!
While not the most flattering pic - it was such a wonderful experience!
I may have laughed out loud a few times when some unexpected places were squeezed!!!
It was FUN!!
Louis Dean warmed up to the place when we got to the grocery area!
He bought all sorts of things from seasonings to veggies to soy sauce and marinades and dates!
He also chose a plum wine - that may be interesting!
From there we were hungry and decided to eat at what I think was called Captain D's!
I discovered I am NOT a fan of fried green tomatoes!
The food was good and the tea was excellent!
Next came the hard part since we were now in Grand Praire and so we went to Hwy 360 to 287 to I35.
Not the normal route we take but I thought Louis Dean would be pleased that we bypassed so much of I35 which he declares he hates. Alas, now it seemed to be his desired direction - even though the traffic was so much lighter and the scenery so much nicer.this way.
We arrived later than we planned - but we are HERE!
Sherry met us at the camper with a huge bouquet of wild flowers when we arrived last night.
I close this journal entry with a photo form our wedding day on June 26, 2005.
I have loved Louis Dean Dean since the moment I met him at the Fort Worth Zoo on April 26, 2005.
He professes he loved me at first sight, too.
We met on Eharmony and are now living happier ever after!
19 years of marriage and we are so blessed!
We remain madly in love with each other and treasure every day we have together.
He is 87 and I am 75.....
And I am here to tell you that true love is ageless.
