Family and Thanksgiving. Hmm… do those two really mix? I think they do, but our family has had reasons to question it. My first Thanksgiving with my married-into-family was fantastic. My now sisters-in-law were welcoming, and though they were ten to twenty years older than me, they welcomed me into the family as one of their own – even if I refused to eat oyster dressing. After our first Christmas fiasco (fodder for another blog – or therapy – it’s a toss-up), I declared that Thanksgiving would Keep Reading...
Those Pesky Pests
I love living where I do. Deer come right up to my fence to eat the corn I leave for them. Hummingbirds dash around – fighting over the feeder. An occasional hawk perches on a limb, eyeing the bird feeder and an armadillo sometimes ventures into my yard. I love sharing my yard with the wildlife. What I don’t love are the spiders. Last week, I declared war on all eight-legged insects. They had taken over my patio and stolen my serenity. The high-paid pest control people can’t seem to eradicate Keep Reading...
Don’t Forget to Have Fun!
Don’t forget to have fun! Seems easy enough. I have the cutest little grand-girl who is an explosion of emotion, laughter, and silly dances. She is fearless when she “cowabungas” into the pool. But she has hated boating, and that is extremely unfortunate because we are a “boating family.” This little grand-girl has cried for the past several years every time we say we are going boating. She doesn’t like loud noises or bumpy boat rides. Until this summer! The first time we planned to take Keep Reading...
Hummingbirds and Humility
Ya’ll! Have you seen the viral video of the gal trying to rescue the squirrel from her backyard blow-up pool? She is holding a chair by the legs and trying to coax the swimming squirrel onto the back of the chair. She says things like, “Get on the chair, squirrel. I’m trying to save you, squirrel.” My husband sent me the video and said, “That’s you!” It kind of is. If you’ve been reading my stuff for any length of time, you know I’ve tried to save bunnies, turtles (and college boys) on the Keep Reading...
He’s Baaaaack Too! And He’s a “Yaster!”
I have a story about a great big “yaster.” That’s four-year-old talk for “disaster.” I kept my grand-girls for a few days while their parents were on a work trip. One of the grands was worried we wouldn’t be on time to school because…I’m her Nonna. She and her mom seem to think timeliness is not my strength. I do sort of think timeliness can be a moving target, but that’s probably a blog post for another day. Getting to school on time doesn’t usually fall in my category of moving target Keep Reading...
He’s Back!
He’s baaaacckk! Who? Robert… And Roberta. You may be asking who Robert and Roberta are, where did they go and why are they back. Well, I won’t keep you in suspense for one minute more. Robert is my backyard robotic lawnmower. Roberta is a smaller robot, so she stays in the front yard. That’s right! I have Roombas for my lawn. Who knew there was such a thing – or that they would even work? Hubby saw a robotic lawnmower in our new neighborhood and since Hubby loves all things new and technical, Keep Reading...
It’s a Wonder!
It’s a wonder! We got a new mattress today after I don’t know how many years. Mattress shopping made me wonder how in the world my husband and I have managed to share the same bed for our 36 years of marriage. In the early days we were so poor, we didn’t have a lot of options. His dad bought our first bed – a waterbed. They were all the rage back then and if you had one, you know why our generation is marked by fortitude and success. There was no such thing as ordering a bed online, waiting Keep Reading...
Grateful for the Flood
I’m so grateful for the flood! Not the Noah’s Ark flood - though I should be grateful God chose to save mankind and the animals He created. But that’s not the flood I’m referring to. I’m grateful for the flood we had for about four straight years in the house where I grew up. Specifically, in my bedroom, my sister’s bedroom and our shared bathroom. Now that I think about it, the boys’ rooms never flooded and they never had their rooms torn up. Wait, that’s probably an issue to discuss with a Keep Reading...
I Went to Jail
Because some of you asked... She cried when we sang happy birthday to her. I never cry when people sing "Happy Birthday" to me. Usually, I smile and soak it in. But this was not a normal birthday celebration. This was a song sung by some well-dressed women who had just attended a nice ladies luncheon - and some women in orange jail garb. Let me back up a minute. A few months ago, I agreed to speak to some women in Oklahoma for their monthly ladies luncheon. When I agreed, they invited Keep Reading...
I Went on a Cruise and Ended up on the Dance Floor
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I didn’t know a lot of people who went on Caribbean cruises but when I moved to the Houston area it seemed like everyone “cruised.” I added “Take Alaskan Cruise” to my bucket list. I suggested to two friends and their husbands that we should cruise to Alaska for our 5thwedding anniversaries. I suggested an anniversary trip because I thought it was more likely to happen then just saying, “Let’s go for no reason.” Everyone was in. Then reality hit. At Keep Reading...
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