Sunday, September 28, 2025

The Last September Weekend of 2025

 I worked Book Fair from noon to 2:00 on Friday and then did errands on my way home.


We had Happy Hour later on the driveway and asked Ilene to join us.
She and I had Mango Mimosas and I'd made a small charcuterie tray.


We haven't had a real problem with flies this year but that evening we had a handfull of persistent critters! Hence, the net cover!


We visited and I read to them from the book Rachel gave me for my birthday.
Such good advice!
Speaking of possums, ours are alive and well and eating well!


At last I got to sleep late!
Louis Dean enjoyed us having coffee together again.
I made us a good healthy breakfast.
It continues to amaze me that Louis Dean totally forgets to eat if I don't set it right in front of him.

We dressed up and drove to a winery in Grapevine, Texas to attend the celebration of Mike's parents 50th wedding anniversary!


On our way in, we noticed this statue of the Sidewalk Judge.


The party was wonderful! 
The Bells have three sons and the three daughters-in-law, Amber, Whitney and Brittany,
did a great job in putting this all together.


Louis Dean had a good time visiting with everyone.


I even made a new friend but I didn't get a photo as I carried the smallest handbag I've ever carried before and Louis Dean had to put my keys and phone in his pocket!

The party was 3:00-5:00 so we had some time to start a project!
Dean and Sherry gave me a large heavy framed mirror a month or two ago and it's been in the back of the truck ever since.


We managed to get it out of the truck and into the house and up on the chest!
Louis Dean thought he'd get cute and show a little leg!


There it is! 
I thought I would keep it as is until after the holidays but when I woke up this morning I knew I needed to paint it. The dark seemed too much for me.

So after church today, we hauled the mirror out the bedroom door where I can work on it.


I've distressed a lot of things in our bedroom including two chests.


First thing I did was sand it down and clean it up.


Next I dry brushed white paint on all but the metal work at the upper part.


After that dried, I found a can of chalk paint in my storage building.


I went ahead and coated the entire thing with that.


Lastly, I sanded the trim again.
I called it quits then since I had a real mess to clean up in the bedroom.
Tomorrow I will decide what I want to do next. Maybe sand the whole thing and perhaps use a green stain? I'm thinking I may use Windsor Newton Olive Green oil paint and turpentine to make a green stain for the scroll areas.

I've decided to do a deep clean of the entire house - room by room.
I'm ashamed to admit how much dirt and dust there was!
I'm not even halfway done with that room.


It's still in the 90's here but the flowers are beginning to bloom again.
I'm so looking forward to cooler weather but trying to stay in the moment and enjoy these warm fall days.


Thursday, September 25, 2025

Book Fair, Tuesday Treasures, My 77th Birthday and Thursday Art Class....

I met Amber at the Bell Grands middle school to help set up the Scholastic Book Fair! 


Harrison is a library aid and helped us set up.
Jennifer (the librarian) had done all the hard stuff before we got there since she'd been working on it since last week setting the stage for the fair.

Brenda and I celebrated my birthday on Tuesday and ventured over to Dallas to check out a thrift store Susan from the kids' school recommended.
It was a bit of a wild goose chase but we finally found it having discovered the shop had moved.


The three sunflower arrangements were just $6 from that shop and I also bought a brand new fall pumpkin long sleeved t-shirt for $5.
The pillow and enamel sign from our favorite Texas Thrift store.


We decided to come back to Irving and ate lunch at El Fenix.
The food was delicious and this was the first margarita I'd had in a very long time.


Sunflowers!


My Christmas candle for 2025


It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!


I found two brand new flocked garlands with lights!
Brenda and I had such a good day but we did say to each other, "Having fun can be exhausting!"

I picked Louis Dean up when I got home and we shopped Aldi.
He is strong and I am not and have decided to take him with me when I shop for groceries.

Wednesday was a good day to turn 77!
I spent the day doing things I love!


Book Fair with Amber!

Later that afternoon I worked on Chapter 46 of my book and I am so excited about writing!
It's 2005 and my life was turning around for me.
I use my handwritten diaries to help me remember things and I read the first page for the New Year of 2005.....

Advice to Myself for 2005.

 Take life one day at a time.

Pace myself.

Don't look too far ahead or too far behind.

Trust the plan that God has for me.

Believe that each day everything will come to me that I need.

Don't control.

Relax.

Enjoy.

Experience.

Stay true to my convictions.

Do the next right thing.

Don't be nosey.

Work hard.

Try new things.

Live each day and don't just survive.

Think the best of others.

Wear something pretty every day.

Take care of myself.

Talk to my children often.

Always do Quiet Time and praise God every single day.

Hold my shoulders back.

Don't be afraid of doing something that needs to be done - just do it.

Enjoy the small pleasures of life - these are big deals.

Wear fragrance daily.

Pray for others faithfully.

Read a lot.

After all the hard things I have written about in previous chapters, it's an absolute joy to look forward to writing the last of the book. I'm thinking maybe 50 chapters in all.

Jesse and Rachel invited me over for a birthday dinner and it was wonderful!


Grandson Levi was just leaving for work so I had a chance to give him a hug and take a photo.


Rachel is a great 'from scratch' cook and her Chicken Alfredo was SO good!!


Guess what I'm taking a pic of?


Nothing Bundt cakes!!


It was a totally lovely birthday from start to finish!

I was up and at 'em early this morning and managed to be just 15 minutes late for my 12:00-2:00 time slot for book fair.
I stayed a little late since the extra book order came in and it's always fun to fill the shelves up again.
As Jennifer says, "I can't sell what I don't have!"

Thursday art class happened at 4:00  today and we had a good time.


Brenda was here to do the pumpkin craft.....


Just look what a beautiful job she did.


Shirley and I worked on our Santas....


Two more sessions to go but I'm loving it so far!


Each one is different....


I love doing these!


Once my Santas are done - I will pack up my art and put together my fall dining table.


I am so proud of Shirley!
Her very first ever oil painting.
I told her I threw her into the deep end and she's a natural artist and has done so well!





Amen!

















Monday, September 22, 2025

Children in the Closet....Chapter 30

 Chapter 30

  The next few years, for all outward appearances, looked like we were a ‘normal’ happy family. I devoted myself to homeschooling and Amber’s synchronized swimming while Benjamin took Tae Kwon Do classes. We did all the expected things as in church involvement and family gatherings, ski trips, vacations and holidays while no one but my mother and siblings suspected that I was desperately depressed and unhappy. This time, though, I did not resort to pills to help me through. I stayed so busy I didn’t have time to think about what Jesse was doing.
He continued to go to counseling but became even more bitter and hostile to me and Summer and Jesse, Jr. and soon he was resentful of Amber and Benjamin. As well. He changed counselors frequently and then we both went to counseling. Talking was dangerous and I turned into a cowardly little mouse. Whatever I said, Jesse would turn it around and use it against me.
When he was going to Minirith Meier Clinic he was one of their most successful patients and was an example to all in the program. He was leading them in prayer and ‘mentoring’ others – all the while continuing to act out in private. He was severely addicted to pornography and went to great lengths to find ways to feed that addiction.
His counselors were ready to release him from the mandatory sessions when they asked me to come for a private meeting with them. I was shocked at how he had convinced them of his supposed ‘recovery’ and told them frankly what was going on at home and how distant and yet defiant he was with us. I was pretty much a basket case and so nervous but I had to speak the truth. Nothing had really changed. Nothing. In fact, things were getting progressively worse. But they released him anyway and declared him ‘cured.’
 
I had headaches daily and day to day living at home was tense. The bright spots were when Mother would come over and make Texas Trash for us or frost my hair or spend the night and we would wake up to hash brown potatoes and a good breakfast.
She made it a point to go to all of Amber’s local swim meets and even helped with scoring and whatever way she could. Jesse resented her but didn’t say much.
As time went by, I convinced myself that Jesse had actually ‘recovered’ from his addiction. It made life easier for me to believe in him as opposed to giving my doubts and suspicions ground. I put my best face forward and decided to think the best unless confronted with the worst.
Still, I suffered with terrible headaches – so much so that it was an unusual day for me NOT to have one. And I was sick a lot. Seems like I came down with some bug every single month.

In August of 1995, Deanie married Charlie and we attended their wedding. While I would have loved to stay for the reception, Jesse was insistent on us leaving and, so as not to make a scene, we slipped away early. Jesse did not like to visit any of my family – other than Lonnie who worked for him.
When we did go around them, he would slink off and sulk in a corner and cause the rest of us to be uncomfortable so it was easier to go without him.

We continued to attend Bill Gothard seminars and other conferences although they did not seem to bring out the best in Jesse. He would come home all moody and irritable – even more so after   
One of The Promise Keepers weeklong conferences.

By 1997 I was totally looking at my life through rose-colored glasses. I did my dead level best to be the wife Jesse needed and I thought wanted. Turning a blind eye to avoid dealing with things too painful was a way to ‘escape.’ This wasn’t the first time I had used this coping tool. This worked for a whole year – all through 1998 – which definitely had some major obstacles come up.
The year started off fine with Jesse, Jr. becoming engaged to a lovely lady. We were so happy for them – until it all went south. 
Although Jesse had been through his own moral problems and immoral addictions, he was extremely judgmental over both his oldest son and daughter’s personal choices in life. He did not think Jesse, Jr. should marry until he had given his approval and he refused to do so.  He refused to attend their wedding and, I’m ashamed to say it, but I did not have the courage to go against him, so neither I, the groom’s mother, nor Amber and Benjamin attended either.  Instead, Jesse took us to Colorado for a vacation. Mother stepped into the gap and was a support to my son in my absence as were my siblings.
If I had it to do over again – I would have been there along with my youngest children. Alas, life does not give you ‘retakes.’
We were thereby estranged from both Summer and Jesse, Jr. for some time and Jesse didn’t even allow us to go to Fort Worth anymore to visit with any of my family.

One Sunday after church a group of us decided to go to the Olive Garden for lunch. We sat at a table for eight with Amber sitting at one end of the table with Benjamin on her left and her dad on her right while I sat at the opposite end.
We were all having a nice time talking before our food arrived and then there was a lull in the conversation as we were served and then the chatting started up again. Amber and Benjamin decided to share portions of their entrée with each other and she put some of her food on his plate and was cutting some of his to put on her plate. I don’t know what Jesse thought she was doing but he started yelling at her and slapped her hands as if she were a 2-year-old instead of twelve.
The table fell suddenly silent and we were staring at Jesse. Amber was so humiliated that she had slid down in her chair so low you could only see the top of her head. At that moment in time – iron entered my soul. While I had never confronted Jesse in public before, I immediately stood up and walked around the table to where he sat. He quit ranting at Amber, turned in his chair and stood up. I spoke in a firm quiet voice, “You can NOT treat her like this! YOU need to make this RIGHT and you need to it NOW!”
It surprised me when he squatted down by Amber’s chair and apologized and asked her to forgive him. Slowly the table talk resumed and, though everyone was trying hard to act normal, it was obvious that there was more going on in our family than they thought.

I found a horse camp for Amber and Ben – Camp El Har – and they both loved it! We continued to homeschool, go on field trips, attend the Meyerson Symphony, and even had a camping trip at Cedar Hill State Park. Mother came over to visit fairly often and we went to see her in Fort Worth a few times. While Jesse wasn’t happy about this, he didn’t say anything.

I attended a Women of Faith conference with some of the ladies from church. It was the last Friday and Saturday night in September. I had hoped this would help me – but I only felt more alone and isolated than ever. I had just turned 50 years old the Thursday before the conference and was trying to sort some things out in my life. The main thing I felt was tired. Tired to the bone. Tired of trying to make life better. Tired of trying to please Jesse. Tired of walking on eggshells to keep peace in the family. I felt like giving up – and then on Sunday after church – Amber gave me a surprise belated birthday party! She had secretly invited my lady friends from church along with Mother.  She asked everyone to write about the first time they met me and had them all sign this giant card she had made. There were refreshments and, all of a sudden, Life was good again! 
Amber had designed and planned the whole thing and had enlisted her dad to help her, which he did. It was an all-ladies’ party and he stayed out of sight. I missed Summer not being there but was so encouraged by the party that it gave me the extra emotional boost I needed to keep on keeping on.

The year was drawing to a close and on Halloween we had a big ‘Pumpkin Party’ on the 31st of October and then lots of activities leading up to Thanksgiving – which happened to be on Jesse Jr’s birthday. I had quietly mailed a card off to him without Jesse knowing. Summer sent two cards to us – one for Jesse and me and another for Amber and Benjamin.
For Thanksgiving, our table was full but I missed Jesse, Jr, his wife and Summer. Mother was doing her best to visit and stay in our lives as much as she possibly could. I think she was afraid Jesse would not allow her to come over anymore if she left too much time go by between visits. He had only expressed irritation when she was here and he distanced himself – which was fine with us! The chairs were all filled with the four of us, Mother and a friend of Benjamin’s whose family did not celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter. 
Mother spent the night and we all went Christmas shopping the next day. Jesse stayed pretty much to himself working on the storage building in the back yard and hooking up electricity to it. He had also been making repairs to the spa and finally got that up and running.
The last few days of November slipped by and then we were busy all of December with homeschool parties, 4-H meetings, horse lessons, Christmas programs at church, homeschool and other activities. Mother was here for all of them and the week before Christmas we all drove over to Fort Worth, including Jesse, to take her out to dinner and to look at Christmas lights. Jesse was in a really dark and angry mood, but we carried him on our joy until he mellowed out some. By the time we got home late that night, he was much improved.
Joy is a choice. Happiness comes and goes depending on all sorts of things from feelings to circumstances and more. But one can always have JOY if you choose to have it. I discovered this back in September when Amber gave me that birthday party. I can focus on the Joy in life or I can see only the sorrows. One can have both, but if I focused on the sorrows too much, it blocked out my joy. When I could not have the joy and happiness I wanted in my marriage, I could find joy and happiness in other areas. So that's what I did, joy in my children, friends, books, art, music, nature. There’s joy some place if we just look hard enough to find it.

Christmas arrived and, once again, it was just the four of us and Mother plus a couple of friends from church. We made the best of what we had and the day was filled with Nintendo games, good food, all the festivities of opening stockings at the breakfast table and gifts around the tree. 
The day after Christmas Amber and Benjamin went to Horse Camp for three days and nights and loved every minute of it! I knew they would. Mother went home and it was just the two of us, Jesse and me, for a few days. Strange how this worked out. Jesse kept to himself as if he was afraid to be around me. If I was in one room, he was in another. As it happened, I had three wonderful days all to myself. I packed away Christmas, cleaned house and did a lot of thinking and soul searching.

Sunday, September 21, 2025

Scones, Santas, Louis Dean, Brahmas #90, Bauer kitty, Stars Win and Remembering Charlie Kirk.....

Wednesday was a 'Me' day and I loved getting out and having some time to myself.
Amber had planned to go with me to the local Veterans Affairs office to see about possible benefits for Louis Dean. He was in the US Army for 2 years, 9 months and 2 days.
He likes to tell me the story how he and Ellen had just married and he was called up.
Then when he got out after two years, he was called back again during the Cuban Missle Crisis.
He reported to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. He has lots of good stories about his Army days.

Anyway, I had just told Amber on a text that I was low on emotional energy and would reschedule, when lo, and behold, the Veteran's Office called me!
It was a good conversation and he gave me information on how to obtain Louis Dean's DD214 and what to do and where to go in person - so that's on the agenda for this week.

So I took the afternoon off and had a manicure and pedicure all by myself!
LD said he didn't need one yet but that he would go with me since he loves to visit with everyone.
I nipped that in the bud and said I needed some time off duty and all to myself!!
Still, everyone asked about my husband and why he didn't come.
He's a popular guy!

Thursday is now art class day and Shirley arrived with the most delicious walnut and cranberry scones!


YUM!!! Shirley is a first class cook and baker.


I made a garden salad with chunks of fried chicken.


And cantaloupe!


I'm painting four and worked on three during the week saving the fourth for Thursday.
She has so much talent you can't tell her very first oil painting from mine!


Louis Dean is so cute!


I went in to check on him while he was napping and snapped this picture.
I remember when my children were young and I would go in to see them before I went to bed and they looked like angels - no matter what a handfull they might have been during the day.
Same thing.

Saturday was a hockey game for Harrison and we got there early enough to see him before the game.


It was an exciting game and both teams played hard.
It was 1-1 and then we scored makine it 2-1.
At the very last second of the third period, Harrsion scored a perfect goal!
Win! WIN!!

We lingered long after the game and visited for a while before deciding to go to the Bells and meet their new kitten.


I love the signs in their yard!
This is Harrison's #90
I should have take a pic of the girl's band sign.


Meet Bauer!!


Such a handsome little man cat!


Granddad had a good time playing with him!
Then he said, "We need to get a kitty!!"


It was a good Saturday and we enjoyed our time with the Bells.

We came home and had a good rest of the afternoon.


The Dallas Stars preseason games started and we were watching!!


Who knew it would be such an exciting opener??
Tied game that went into overtime and ended with a shoot out!
While we were thrilled to watch this at home....


All the Bells saw it in person!

I watched Fellowship Church service on line this morning and then tuned in to the Memorial service for Charlie Kirk.




I’m excited about so many people accepting Christ as their Savior….. what a privilege to see revival surging forward in my day and time.