A Week of October Days and Nights in the Country.....

We left early Sunday afternoon and I was a little agitated when I went to load my things in the car,

Louis Dean had filled the back with all manner of debris. His kind. Not mine.

Traffic was heavy all the way to Belmead and I tried to focus on the music from my Country playlist.

It features songs from the '80's and '90's.

Normally I turn on classic oldtime country but Sunday I did NOT need to listen to Lefty Frizzel or even other legends. There were enough Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson so Louis Dean and I were BOTH happy.

We stopped at the HEB in Belmead and I was in a better mood by then.....

and then I wasn't. This may have been my last time to take Louis Dean grocery shopping.

He piled so many things in our cart it was overflowing!

He bought a ham and two huge pork roasts and a humungous roll of hamburger meat as well all sorts of things I did not notice until we unloaded everything.

I had left him at the check out with my credit card and went to the ladies' room.

He was already checking out when I got there so I had no clue of all the extras he had stuck in the basket. We spent exactly half of our entire month's grocery budget in one fell swoop!

Talk about roller coaster emotions - I had them!

There had been a major accident at Hwy 84 and FM 939 so I said a prayer for those involved and thanked God we were not. It looked bad but no ambulance and people were milling about.

We had followed the flashing lights that were ahead of us for th last 4 miles up 84.

Do you pray when you hear sirens?

I do and have since I was a small child.

If Mother wasn't home and I heard them, I stopped to pray.

Later in life I continued this as my children would be out and I've just kept up with the practice.

At home in the DFW area, we hear sirens every single day.

In the country I have only heard them once in all the years we've been coming here.

It was good to get to the gate and know that Dean and Sherry love us and we are always welcome here.

I love the moment I drive through the gate!

                                                 This was the last time we were here!

I always turn the calendar when we leave.

And after six months away - we are BACK!

The mops never fail to come up  to greet us.

Such sweet HUGE babies!

Things have been dry here like all of Texas!

The fig bush that Nita's sweet neighbor gave us years ago continues to hold on.

We've never had figs but hope springs eternal.

And my hardy rosemary bush is still doing well.

I had two in my front flower bed at home that did great for years!

Alas, they are both gone now and all the ones I've planted since have not thrived like they did.

A beautiful moon to welcome us back to our country home.

I have been busy cleaning up six months' worth of dust, dirt, critter droppings and cobwebs ever since I got here. Thnakfully, cleaning is my go to therapy and while I won't get it ALL clean - at least it won't be so overwhelming when we come back after Christmas.

Mice had a field day in the big bathroom and I need to bring nearly ALL my clothes home to wash them.

Sherry and I met our friend, Rosey, in Marlin at the Mexican restaurant and we had a lovely long visit as well as delicious food!

I had not planned on cooking that much this week and put most of what Louis Dean had put in the buggy in the freezer! Summer has been taking care of our house and watching the cats while we've been gone AND she cleaned our freezer there one more time to get that rotten smell out. It was awful to lose our entire freezer full of food but it will good to start filling it up again.

She also ordered a new seal for it and I will be keeping my eyes open and checking it every day or two from now on.

I brought potatoes from home and made a rich soup with cream, onions, cheese, rosemary and Jalapeno smoked sausage. Hot honey cornbread, cucumber salad and the pepper poppers Summer prepared for us rounded out the meal.

We ate well and I froze the rest of the soup and plan to take it to Bingo on Monday night.

One morning I woke up and Sherry was out doing road work with her tractor.

She loves running heavy equipment plus she's really GOOD at it, too!

Every day the mops stop by to say Hello and get a treat.

Louis Dean cleaned up the rose garden and tossed it all over the fence for the goats to eat!

We sat out there the other afternoon and watched them every bit of the fresh green weeds he'd pulled as if  they were strolling down a salad bar!

There is a reason we have our yard fenced in!

They would make short work of my rosemary, rose bushes and fig tree!

We laughed out loud when two of the goats locked horns and struggled to get loose!

I nearly always buy a rotisserie chicken for an easy meal and used the rest of it one night for a big salad.

I put lots of things in there and son Dean likes to call them my 'weed'  salads.

It's been good for me to be here this week as I have spent this time recalibrating this journey Louis Dean and I are on and finding my balance again.

Things are constantly changing for all of us and it's a good thing to have special time to ponder and pray and prepare our hearts and emotions for what may be before us.

Dean and Sherry have both spent time with Louis Dean and they brought fajitas down for dinner tonight. After we ate, Sherry and I went out on the front deck to sit and visit while Dean and his dad sat in the front room chairs to drink a beer and talk.

I get a lot of comfort from being in the country.

We leave tomorrow  to go back home but willl return in 59 days!

 

Celebrating Summer's Golden Birthday a Little Early!

We did early voting on Wednesday!!

I help Louis Dean vote by signing an affidavit.

He told me to find the 'I don't care' button!

He really DOES care but he's always spouting off!

We dropped him off at home before Summer and I went for our 60 minute deep tissue massage.

We were in a room together and I am so happy that Summer, did indeed, received a deep tissue massage. Me? Not so much.

I've had one before and this wasn't that.

The massage was my birthday gift to her and we plan to budget one every month.

Summer's piriformis muscle has been causing her a great deal of pain and she had to walk in with a cane. Thankfully the massage helped and she could walk better afterwards.

So much so that we went to Goodwill to unload the back of my car and then went in to shop.

Louis Dean goes through coffee like I can't even believe and the same with coffee pots!

I smuggle the old ones out to the curb when he's not looking.

And daily I make a swipe of debris he's 'rescued' from the trash and hide my trash bag under the dining room table.

I bought what I thought was a coffee carafe for him to use on the kitchen deck to keep his coffee hot.

Alas, it's a kettle to boil water but that's okay because I can use it.

I really AM cutting back on Christmas decorating but I have a theme in mind and will be emphasizing the living room, foyer and front porch!

I think this cooler - which had several ice packs inside - will come in handy to take food to Bingo!

Now THIS is MY kind of salt shaker!!

It's a Gage family thing!

We continued to celebrate Summer's Golden Birthday on Friday.

She was born in 1963 and she will be 63 on Monday, October 26!

A late lunch at Chili's!

Benny was our waiter and it was FUN LIKE A PARTY!!!

Great service!

We had such a good time!

The food was every bit as good as the service!

My beautiful daughter!

We are 15 years apart in age....

the daughter of my youth.

This afternoon Summer came over to make her famous home made salsa!

She has been working in the kitchen whipping that up along with guacamole and pepper poppers!

She made enough to share so we will be taking a container with us when we go to the country tomorrow!

This is Sooooooo GOOD!!!

Same with the Guac!!

I am thrilled to see our possums are back!!

Stephanie hired professionals to trap the skunks and there were four of them so by the time we get home next Sunday - they should all be gone!

Our indoor/outdoor kitties are going to the ranch with us but we will be keeping IN while we're there!

Too many critters and too dangerous for them.

Thankfully, Louis Dean has a work room which I can put them in when we are going in and out.

I've been MISSING the COUNTRY!!!

And Dean and Sherry and Rosie!

AND the critters!

 

Calm and Quiet October Days.....

 Sweater Weather finally arrived here in North Texas and it has been wonderful!!!

Sherry is working from the Irving office again this week and we love having her with us!

I made easy meals over the weekend using 'cleaning out the fridge' menus!

I was sitting in the gazebo the other afternoon reading The Masterpiece by Francine River when I glanced over at the sewing room doors. 

I looking from the outside in and it reminded me of the times Mother would take us on drives through residential areas when we were little.

We loved to go right after the sun went down when you could see inside the windows.

Louis Dean had an appointment with Dr. Sashi Darhma...

....and he got a good report.

I stayed in the waiting room the entire time and counted that as ME time!

I have admired this painting hanging in the office there and I may try my hand at painting it next year.

I love painting birch trees!

The days are getting warmer again now but I haven't turned the AC on yet although we close our bedroom door when we go to bed and turn the window unit on.

The cats are loving their time out in the fresh air!

We played Bingo Monday night and I took pepper poppers and cream cheese corn.

Louis Dean scraped the peppers of seeds and membranes whil I stuffed and baked them.

It's been a blessing to have Monday nights to look forward to and we are getting to know the others better each week.

Instead of thrifting today, I spent the afternoon with Amber.

She brought McAlister's Deli for lunch along with slices of Carrot cake and a gallon of their good tea. As we dined out on the driveway table, we had two visitors to stop by and chat. Stephanie was one and she brought us filled pasta shells. She's such a good neighbor!

Saying goodbye is a tradition that never gets old!!!

I will close today's journal entry with this email Kailey sent to her mother.

Mondays are Amber's day to grocery shop and all the kids send her their choices for meal planning.

Kailey used AI to make her list....

she told it to write it as if sent by a carrier pigeon ....

Hope you are all having a good week!

Don't forget to vote early!