Things To Do On Cold Days

Well, how is the New Year treating you?  It has been ok around here.  Ribs are better and we got snow for Christmas, so we can't complain.

We bought a new car yesterday and that was an exercise in patience and endurance on our part and the salesman's part.  We didn't want to pay nearly what he wanted us to pay and so we went back and forth for hours.  He even found another brand of car for me to drive.  I drove three different cars during our time there.  I wanted a Honda Fit and that is what I eventually bought, but dang there was a lot of dickering and haggling around.  I noticed the salesman started agreeing with me when we drove the different cars.  If I said this one is not as quiet or is bumpier on the road, he would agree.  Sneaky ploy there.   My husband got the salesman down to nearly what we wanted to spend and so we caved.  We had to go to the guy who deals with the title and such.  Another challenge opened up there.  The Raven and Colts game was on tv as we went his office.  The Ravens scored while he was trying to get me to sign documents.  He was a good talker and I was speed reading while we were signing.  There were some issues that he had to change or explain.  When we left I think everyone in the building was walking around by the doors as we left.  It was an interesting day.

I was thinking about it later yesterday evening and my husband and I have an amazing ability to stay on task until we get pretty much what we want.  When we upgraded our phones last spring we nearly put the poor guy in shock it took so long.  We have nothing else that is very important these days, so we can hang in there.  There are two of us and we can spell each other when one needs a break.  We don't do it to be cruel, but just to get what we want.  It is the nature of the game and there is nothing wrong with that for sure.    He is from Oregon up near Idaho and has been in Texas for eight years.  His children are in high school.  It was terribly cold where they used to live and he probably thought we were real ninnies about the cold front that blew in while we were there.  He reminds me of a friend of our family, Tom.  The salesman was flattered, because I told him we are fond of Tom and think he is a good guy.  So, the art of selling and buying has been dealt with for a while.  We have a new fun little car and it will be a while before we have to do that again.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hoidays and Let It SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  December 25th is coming quicker than lightning now.  We got lights outside and on the tree, packages wrapped and sent, and cards mailed.  Not so many cookies, cakes or candy this time, though.  I'm seeing Weight Watchers in my future.

We had a early Christmas with our son and his family.  They have gone to Georgia to be with her family for the holidays this year.  We have had them all to ourselves for a number of years.  She takes our grandson and goes home for a couple or three weeks in the summer, so it isn't as if they haven't seen her family for years.  As I've mentioned before none of our kids are coming for the holidays and it is okay with me.  We had planned to go to the movie and out to dinner on Christmas day, but I think I fractured a rib on Wednesday.  I've had a fractured rib before and it was pretty bad, but this seems to be a little more intense.  I talked with the nurse at my doc's office and she thought the same as me.  The treatment is the same if it is bruised or broken.  Time.  I have some pain medication already because of back problems and it helps for sure.  I'd have already been at the ER if I didn't have it.  However, today seems a little worse and I'm hoping she is in the office tomorrow.

Going to the movie is pretty much totally out for me now.  I went to the nail shop yesterday and it didn't go all that well backwise and ribwise.    So, I'm glad we hit all the big shows in town last weekend.  On Saturday my husband took me to see "The Nutcracker".  That has to be true love!  I was all oohing and aahhing over all the little girls in tutus and velvet and taffeta party dresses out with either their grandmother or mother.  They were so sweet.   The ballet was performed well, and the new sets and costumes were lovely.  The Bass Hall was all shiny and pretty and had tables full of souvenirs on green cloths and nutcrackers coming up the middle.  It was festive as could be.

The next morning I saw that my local yarn shop was offering a class about fixing dropped stitches and what to do if your work falls off the needles and how to keep from having a stroke if it happens.  It was a beneficial class for me.  When I got back home I didn't want to watch football, so we went to see "The Life of Pi".  That was a good movie and calls up some theological and philosophical questions we might not have thought about before.  On Monday, our anniversary, we went back to the movie to see "The Hobbit".  I've been a Tolkien fan for more years that I'd like to admit.  We both enjoyed it, but it will be a little while before I'm ready to go back for another movie right away, plus I'm not sure I can sit that long.

On the upside the world didn't end Friday, so that was a relief. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all and to all a goodnight.  Oh yes!  I nearly forgot!  The weather man is saying we might have a white Christmas!!  That would really be something.  The last time that happened was in 1841.  Texas was a Republic then.  We had gained independence from Mexico, but had not joined the United States.  Now that is a long time.    Crossing my fingers hoping the weather dude knows what is going on.  Even Wunderground says it is probable. 

LET IT SNOW!!!

Rock and Roll Tonight

My last post was titled "Rock On", well, tonight our world rocked, literally.  We were hanging out watching tv and BAM!  I thought a car had hit our house.  We ran around looking around the house, but couldn't find anything.  My husband walked to the end of the block, but couldn't see anyone out.  We finally called one of our neighbors across the street and nobody answered.  Wow...maybe it was an alien and they took everyone.  Maybe...  Anyway I tried another neighbor's phone and they answered.  They felt it and heard it and oh my!  My guess was it was a small earthquake, and come to find out it was.

Our personal earthquake was just south of here.  The epicenter (I never thought I'd have an opportunity to say that in respect to where I live) was just south of us a little in Burleson.  It was a 2.6 magnitude, which isn't much in say California, but in my neck of the woods it is pretty big.

I guess we should have called 911, just about everyone else did.

Rock On

Wow!  I've been out of pocket for a very long time.  There were replies from August that hadn't posted.  Somehow or other the thing for me to approve them got turned on.  I don't know.

What I do know is that I've missed reading you guy's blogs and I've missed sharing some of the things going on in my life.  Not that much going on around here.  About all you would have missed would have been a lot on whining and whinging- about the weather.  It has been so hot and dry it has been miserable.  Now aren't you glad I haven't posted.

I started reading Mona's blog about how she gets her Christmas decorations out and thinks she should get rid of a bunch of them.  I'm the same and have enough to decorate a department store, but this year I used restraint.  Our kids are spending Christmas with their other families this year.  We had all of them here last year and you know the mates have families, too.  So they are off on that adventure and we are starting a new adventure here.  This is the first year we have ever been completely alone on Christmas.  We are going to church on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day we are going to the movies.  I've always been sort of envious of families who did go and didn't spend the day cooking and doing dishes.  It will be an adventure to find a restaurant open, but "A Christmas Story" leads me to believe there might be a Chinese restaurant open.  Anyway back to the decorations again.  I promised that if we bought a 4' prelit tree I wouldn't ask to put up the giant one with all the lights and a billion or so balls and ornaments.  It is working out so nicely.  We put some new lights on the greenhouse this afternoon and it looks all cottagey and stuff.  Also on the subject of cottages and that like, if you want a very easy plant that is tough as nails and has survived a couple of record setting hot and dry summers I offer the small and charming Rock Rose.  The only thing it doesn't like is to be cut back.  I'm sure it is in a grand snit right now, because it got a haircut this afternoon.  It gets huffy, but gets over it.

Anyway, if you are around I've missed you and even if you aren't around, I've missed you, too.  I'm making a resolution to blog a little more in 2013.  The fascination with face book has worn off.  All these plans are contingent on surviving the end of the Mayan world.  We were talking about that grim event the other day at lunch and I've been operating on the assumption that TENOTW (The End Of The World) was to take place on 12/12/2012, but my girlfriends assured me it is to be on the 21st.  That doesn't make as much sense, but I guess I'll go along with them on this. 

Rock On and Peace be with you \/  Live long and prosper, too. 

Daze of My Life

Last night before I went to sleep I had the blog and the people I've been reading for a good while on my mind.  Like extended family who have not called or written in a while I wondered what you were doing these days.  For my part I won't be writing a post everyday.  It has been nice to not worry about it.  Not sure what we have been doing with our time, but it has been pleasant...mostly.

Our tv went out a while back and we bought one at Sam's Club.  We got the young men at the store to load it and I guess we just thought we'd just carry it in and plug 'er in.  We did, but put it on my garden cart after pondering how to get it from the car to the family room.  I suggested calling our son to help bring it in, but nothing happened.  The tv stayed in the car for a few days.  Thank goodness for milder temperatures and a fairly safe neighborhood.  Hubby got the garden cart and we got the new tv on it and it didn't seem too heavy or anything, so we brought it in.  Then came the problem of getting the old one out.  Hubby started moving the old one and without thinking I was all like "Oh wait!  Let me help you with that!!"  I grabbed one end and then felt a muscle tear in my hip.  It was one extremely heavy television!  In fact the sucker weighed a ton!  From then on hubby was on his own and he called our son to help after that.  In his defense he didn't ask me to help with the tv removal.

I've mentioned my little garden cart several times and it is a doozy.  Last spring it was handy to sit on and plant flowers.  I could scooch it along down the row without having to get up and down every few minutes.  It is great for moving items from one place to another.  From now on my husband's business.  It is so rewarding when something works and is reasonably priced. 

Anyway, I'll visit, but maybe not so much writing for a while. 

Working our bucket lists and 4000 miles later

It has been AGES since I've posted and from time to time I thought about not ever coming back but I missed you too much.  We finally reached a point a few weeks ago where we found there was nothing demanding our attention for the first time in...well, our lives.  No kids that need anything, no pets, no elderly, and the pool has a man, the yard has a man, and we set up sprinklers for the rock garden, and put hanging baskets into flower beds that are watered by the sprinkler system. 

Anyway, we had no responsibilities to tend to or anything.  We took off and ran like a couple of dogs that got out of the yard.

We went to Nashville and stayed at the Opryland hotel and went to the Grand Ole Opry.   That night Kevin Costner was at the show, The Charlie Daniels' band, and the Oakridge Boys.  Kevin Costner had a mini series about the Hatfields and McCoys this past spring and he has a band of his own.  They played music from the mini series.  I liked it but some of the people on our shuttle bus had not seen the series and didn't much care for his selections.  They thought the songs were dreary.  Well, the Hatfield-McCoy feud didn't have too many upbeat times.  The Charlie Daniels' band, and the Oakridge Boys sang their hits from long ago like "Elvira" and Charlie Daniels sang "The Devil Came Down to Georgia",  and some very young and upcoming country music stars sang their songs   I don't remember their names.  Oh yes, Little Jimmy Dickens was there.   He has been there since I was a kid and that is a long time!

Then onward to the Biltmore Estate and we stayed at the Inn on the estate in N. Carolina.  Dinner at the inn was fabulous.  I had the chef's tasting menu.  It was a steak with the most delicious reduction sauce.  The vegetables were so good, too.  Everything was delicious.  Dessert was angel food cake with seasonal berries.  Lord it was so good.  I told my husband if I started licking the plate to take it away from me. Ha!

We toured the main house the next morning and I just bought a book with pictures of the home and grounds.  I couldn't take pictures in there and the photos in the book are great.  It was very hot when we got out, and there is no a/c in the big house.  We had lunch at a place where the stables used to be.  We attempted the gardens, but it was just too hot.  I'll have to go back in the fall or spring or another time in the summer.    It was unseasonably hot.

We stayed at a little place in NC on the Blue Ridge Parkway called Little Switzerland.  That was interesting, too.  The local folks were setting up a tag sale in the parking lot when we started putting suitcases in the car to leave.  It might have been great fun to hang around for that, but my husband was on a mission.  They did have a Wal-Mart there, but not on the Parkway.  At another place called a Trading Post I bought myself an apron.  I love it.

The shortest route is not necessarily the fastest route we found out.  The shortest route was pretty, but HOLY COW we couldn't find a town. We got lost in that Virginia forest and in the mountains you cannot get a cell phone signal or Onstar.  Our GPS worked, but didn't tell us how far it was to civilization or gasoline!  I did contact the onstar people for a while and she told us there was a hotel coming up.  It was in a very primitive town and we actually had to go back to find the hotel.  I thought for a minute I heard a banjo start playing and scenes from Deliverance flashed though our minds.  We did forgo that hotel and forged on under out own steam.  Finally we found a gas station in a nice little town and contact again.  While hubby bought gas I went to the ladies room.  When I came out there was a siren going off.  I was all like" what now!!?",  I asked but it was the weekly test of the fire siren.  Moving onward we found a room in an ancient hotel sans banjos and slept soundly.

Moving on we went to Maryland and met up with my hubby's family.  It worked out perfectly and we went to dinner with them at the golf club. Oddly enough there was a corn patch on the course.  I thought that was probably the REAL rough.  We haven't really spent much time with them at all before and this was the the first time we have gone up there.  I've been emailing with one of his cousins since getting back home.  It was a very pleasant Sunday afternoon.

We went through Lancaster Co. Penn., but he was still on a mission or something and we didn't stop until Hershey, PA.  That is where I suspect the sore throat was contracted.  There were a jillion little kids there that didn't really want to be there and some where coughing and crying.  I bought some cocoa powder, since I've had trouble finding it at our local supermarket.  One thing I thought was so special was the hanging baskets full of petunias on all the light posts.  We can't do that here with the heat.  Hanging baskets of cactus isn't that pretty. 

Our next big stop was Niagra Falls.  It is so beautiful I couldn't believe it!  Nothing had prepared me for the majesty of it.  I've seen pictures, movies, and documentaries about it, but was still floored by the beauty.  I'd never seen a blue river that had clear water.  We rode in a helicopter over the falls.  WHAT A BLAST!!! My husband worked at Bell Helicopter for 30 years and never got a ride.  I paid for out tickets and it was worth it for him to get to go. Was fun for me, too.  That evening we went on the Maid of the The Mist boat that takes you right up to the falls on the river.  That was very beautiful, too.  Wet, too.  They give you a poncho and that helps loads, but I'm guessing there were a boatload of people wondering why their cameras no longer work.  We learned ages ago about water and cameras at Dunn's Falls in Jamaica.  I felt so stupid.  Our guide offered to hold our cameras at the van for us while we climbed the falls.  Well, it was an expensive learning curve.  I buy underwater cameras now if we go anywhere there is a lot of water.

We went over into Canada at the Falls and drove to Windsor.  The name of the bridge is The Rainbow Bridge.  I didn't find any of my pets over there though. 

Getting a stamp in my passport was one of my goals and after we'd gone a ways I noticed he didn't stamp it. They didn't stamp it when we came back to the US, either.  I'll have to go somewhere else out of the country.

By this time my throat was becoming an issue so we headed home.  I'd wanted to go to The Ozark Folk Center in  Mountain Home in Arkansas and to P. Allen Smith's place by Little Rock.  I watched  on tv while the home was being built.  Will have to be on another trip though.

We drove 4,000 miles and got some of our bucket list things checked off and added some, and had a really great time. 

On thy grave the rain shall fall

from the eyes of a mighty nation! -Thomas William Parsons