Show and Tell

Hope there's no late fee (property manager jargon) for tardy posters.
I don't celebrate Christmas myself so I thought I'd publish some pictures of some decorations, RV style. Many of the RV'ers who come through our park are what the industry calls "full-timers." This means they spend the entire year in their RV, traveling, usually from place to place, following either good weather, friends and family or just inexpensive parks to stay at temporarily. My camera doesn't do well in the dark I discovered. With the flash it looks like daytime and without it, the lights are just a blur, but here's what I got.
These reindeer stand post at one end of the RV.







This snappy sleigh with rudolph bedecks the back end of the trailer and...







this is their front door and patio, complete with lit tree and snowflake lights hanging from their awning. A 24 hour recording of carols and Christmas ditties graces each passerby.

My pictures really don't do them justice but you get the idea. As you might imagine, the stories these RV'ers tell are some pretty interesting tales.

What's Wrong W/ This Pic?

When I went out this morning to wait for the bus with the kids, there was an immediate windburn on our faces. The stored up warmth from the Franklin stove in the living room was briskly sapped from our bodies. The temperature was 27 degrees, trees were flailing wildly so that despite the cold air you couldn't "see" your breath because the wind stole it away. White, thick clouds so filled the sky that it appeared as if white was it's normal color, especially due to the early hour and the sky being devoid of any of the sun's influence.
Now, several hours later, not much has changed except that the clouds have perceivable texture though still covering the entire sky.
So, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
This is sunny and warm, southern Texas where people travel to escape this stuff! Parts of TX even had snow. Meteorologists predict the temps will soar to 32 degrees by afternoon. We're actually worrying about freezing pipes. Strangely, it was in the high 80's on Sunday.
This kind of weather always excites TT. He has this longing to see real snow and the thought that it may actually occur makes him appear the gleeful child anxiously awaiting the moment when he can run outside to the white wonderland and make snowballs, hear the snow crunch under foot and throw yourself down backfirst in the stuff to make an angel imprint. The slightest drop of precipitation in winter, which usually is a cold rain drop or occaisionally an icy slush drop, sends him rushing to the phone to ask others if it's "snowing" at their house too. LC and DQ have never seen snow and TT hasn't seen it since 1985 when a freak snowstorm dropped a couple feet of the icy concoction in our fair city. That was just before my arrival here. I don't believe I've seen it since 1980 on a hike in the mountains of New Mexico in August where the snow was still stubbornly holding onto the peaks from the winter before. Anyway, it IS exciting, I guess. I just tend to get MORE excited when after a long winter I see the first buds of hyacinth pushing up the earth and long bare tree branches emitting small shoots of green, and the daily progression of more and more green appearing on the trees.
Well, I've just released my blog address to TT today. He'll need to read back several posts to find out what TT stands for. I figured at least someone besides Lori will be reading then. But that's OK. I really embarked upon the whole thing just to reflect on things. So, L and TT, forgive my rambling.

An Earthcoming

First, show and tell. My car is so boring that it really doesn't need a picture. It's a harvest gold Ford explorer. Yeah, you've probably seen a million of them. As some may remember, the only difference with mine is the faint smell of dead chicken. My birth family were always chevy buyers but marriage brought me into a Ford family, hence the Ford SUV. I love BB's show and tells this just wasn't one I got excited about. I've always thought of how nice a shiny red renault (do they still make those?) or a sporty citroen mazarati would look in my driveway. My favorite car that I've ever owned was a '91 Lincoln Town Car. It always made me feel luxurious.

As I near the anniversary of the birth of my firstborn, I always recall the particulars of his earthcoming and how it changed the life of TT and I forever. LC was born at home, which, at the time was a 40' travel trailer (no trailer trash jokes, please.) I've always had this real hatred of hospitals and I didn't feel much better about doctors. Fancying myself a nature woman, I decided to find a trusted soul to be a midwife. Although many found this a frivolous pursuit it lead to one of the most fulfilling experiences in my life, both times. My first pregnancy was fairly normal but without most of the modern frills like sonograms and prebirth gender accessing. My widwife was an herbolgist and I used several herbs religiously to smooth the birthing process. Evening primrose oil and raspberry tea, blue cohosh and verbena. The nine months were some of the most remembered I'll ever live and in retrospect they passed like a freight train, a little slow in coming but once it's past you wonder how it could have gone so fast. I gained 75 pounds!! That was not a good memory! I'm still carrying most of it around I think. On the fateful night I remember laying in bed, tossing and turning, never finding a comfortable spot for my belly. All of the sudden a warmth of unbelievable proportions came over me. I soon figured out it corresponded with a watery alarm of the imminent birth. Did I say imminent? Ha! This was just a threat. Thirty-six hours of many more threats were just beginning to occur. Most of the 36 hours were spent on the pottie, facing the tank, while TT put hot compresses on my back. Many have called me weird but I think the nine months of anticipating and the several hours of wondering how THIS birth will present itself, are some of the best parts of the maternal role, even along with the excrutiating changes, stretches and pains that accompany it. I especially remember how the midwife sent TT and I outside (it was cold) to walk during the 24th hour of labor. She insisted it would speed things along. 30 hours into the ordeal she left ("Where are you going, you can't leave NOW!") and instructed us to become intimate. "This will be the clincher", she said. It always brings things along faster. Well, from that point forward things did move along. Before we knew it TT was cutting the umbilical cord and LC was laying in our arms. I worried about his head, (funny shape,) and thought he must look like TT when he was born. Tired as we were, we spent hours just staring at him, thanking God it all came out the way He purposed for a child to enter the world, wondering about tomorrow, next year and the rest of his little life. Now he's 16, driving, a HS junior and would undoubtedly be embarrased if he read this.
Every year around this time I recount the details, adding more each year I think, to my son, as he ages one more year. It's a family tradition that my mom always kept. She would hold us in her arms and lovingly tell of her trials and joys of our particular birth. At the time, as the time for each sibling came around, we would cuddle in her bosom (knowing it somehow made her feel full and satisfied) and listen as she recalled some of the details of our earthcoming. We would all be present for the "ceremony" and giggle over the poor victim of moms loving embrace, all the while wishing in our hearts that we were the victim. My eyes always fill with warm drops as I recount to my children the wonderful moments before, during and after their birth as my prayers go with them that they too will experience the many joys of life, all the while learning from times of trial and benefitting from the privilege of loving family and friends. Somehow I know that Ma would be happy if she knew I kept this vigil of memories.

show and tell

I love this set. It's from England. No, I didn't go there. I got it from a past tenant in one of the properties I rent. The whole set, can you believe it! It's so fragile looking yet feels strong when you grab the handle. But, do I use these? Not often. They sit on display on a buffet.



















These however, are the mugs TT & I use most. Did we buy them? No we got them from past tenants who left them behind. Does this seem like a pattern? Yes, it's the story of my life. Needless to say my initial is not "R". Why do I like these mugs? They're just the right thickness to fit your lip when you sip. A cup must be either white or a light color inside so that you can see the color of your beverage well. A black inside makes it impossible to tell if the liquid is water or coffee and how dark the coffee is. Coffee must be dark and rich.

Wedding Pics

Garden Wedding

This is my third try with this post. Having problems with inserting photos. I’ll get the hang of it.
Sorry, BB, couldn’t think of any original addictions. TT would tell you it’s the computer and the kids would agree. But it’s the way I relax and unwind (after a full day of WORKING on the computer.) Sounds like the ramblings of an alcoholic defending their drinking. I’ve always spent time daily reading and replying to emails, then I discovered blogs and one by one there were new ones daily I began to read, eventually comment to and now I’m slowly venturing into one of my own. You can see where this is going…
The wedding at our house was yesterday. All proceeded without a hitch, except for the bride and groom, of course, who are now permanently hitched. Guests began arriving around 1pm. The weather was perfect. We had to wait a moment to start while the groom searched for the license in his trunk.
TT performed the ceremony, beginning with a short talk on the joys and realities of marriage, focusing on its origin and counsel found in the Scriptures. The breeze was blowing lightly and it made the bride nervous wondering if the slightly top-heavy vase of lilies behind her would remain standing. However she loosened up for this final part of the ceremony…
After some family pictures and greetings from guests, all came inside for a traditional Mexican wedding meal-Chicken Mole, Spanish rice, pinto beans, ensalada and wedding cake.

After the meal the guests visited for a while then filled some take home plates for later (some may consider this tacky but its tradition
here in TX)

Then came an end to a perfect day. Off they were to the honeymoon and a new life together. It was fun but I look forward to getting back to normal. Did I say normal? What’s that?
Since I can't get more than 3 pictures to publish, I'll post this then post pictures. You'll figure it out.

Hunting Season

This picture is a couple years old. Cowboy's first deer. Yuck! The first weekend in November marks this auspiscious event in this neck of the woods. Personally, the whole thing is ridiculous to me. Grown??? men spend months in advance feeding unknowing animals to draw them to a particular spot, one near their particular "blind" (a small hiding spot where a hunter can remain camoflaged,) then at first legal opportunity (November)they make them prey. TT (tall texan-dad) and Cowboy (my teen son) have been gearing up for this for at least a month already. It used to be they camped in the woods and it was a real "rough it" thing but it has evolved over the years into a comfortable cabin they've built a little at a time with solar energy and a generator for small appliances. They still have to carry in water.
I know many are diametrically opposed to hunting and I can sympathize but it's in their blood. It affirms their feeling of worthiness, bringing home the proverbial bacon, in their case a deer buck. At least they follow Mogley's jungle rule. "Only kill to eat or keep from being eaten." Remember, from Disney's JUNGLE BOOK? We fill a freezer each fall or winter, depending on how accurate their hunting, with at least a couple hundred pounds of processed venison and sometimes hog from their hunting lease. Yes, I eat it too, but it's not my favorite of meats. Although I must confess, the dried venison sausage and jerky are pretty tasty.
My favorite part of the whole experience is that when TT and Cowboy head for the woods they usually go for a night or two and this affords some private time for DQ (Drama Queen, almost teen daughter) and me. We usually splurge with chinese take out and a DVD on one night and sometimes the luxury of not having to fix dinner at all- just snacks when we get the urge. I guess it's a dad/son thing too. They seem to really enjoy their MAN time together. Go figure.

The Boudoir

Let me start with show and tell. I know it's supposed to be on Friday but I only get the camera on weekends because TT (tall Texan) uses it for work during the week. Here's the boudoir. Just changed over the covers from the summer cotton quilt to the winter "bed clothes" as my Mom used to call them. No, my TT didn't build this bed but he IS sexy.
Haven't posted for ages. I'm frantically getting ready for a wedding at the house. A friend is getting married this week and I offered my home. Not that my house isn't fairly clean...but you know how there's always a room (or two) that gets passed over and tends to gather all the stuff you didn't know where to put when you cleaned the rest of the house. I started it yesterday and have finally finished tonight. Now I can take a few breaths before I work on th decorations. She wants "pink." I know a lot of people like pink and I don't mind it but I just changed all the colors in the house to fall shades and now I'll be changing everything to pink. I'm going to surprize everyone by adding black highlights with the pink. I'm using several shades of pink roses with wide black chiffon ribbon. Several strands of little white lights will surround the room with the dinner tables.. you get the picture. Other friends are providing the food, traditional Mexican fare... Chicken Mole, Spanish rice, Pinto beans, potato salad and, of course, Mexican Wedding Cookies and a three tier cake. TT is presiding over the wedding vows. Hopefully all will procede smoothly.

Lost Picture from previous post

M's Turn to Turn 50

M, the love of my life, turned the big “50” today.  Needless to say he’s a little testy.  “What’s one more year,” I tell him?  I’ve already jumped that hurdle a few months back.  No big deal!  At least he doesn’t have to be concerned with hormones and menopause.  I was so glad to be living in such a hot climate while I went though those hot/cold sweats.  Fanning myself continuously was not out of the ordinary so no one seemed to notice that even though I had goose bumps I was sweating at the same time.  Glad that’s over with.  M says I’m still real moody.  But I feel like it’s getting better.  
We walked a couple of miles down to the creek nearby and found this little kingfisher.  While we watched him he dashed down into the water for something, presumably fish, maybe a bug or tadpole.   Our goal was to spot some deer.  J, oldest and son, put out a small automatic feeder that throws deer corn twice a day to try and draw them.  He’s seen a few and there are tracks everywhere.  Unfortunately, no pictures yet.  So many beautiful creations within a short walk from home.  This wildlife management thing we’ve recently signed up for has been exciting for us because we’ve become more aware of all the critters that live with us.  
Everyone’s been talking about fall.  The temps have actually dipped into the 90’s this week and the 70’s at night.  I like it in mid-winter but right now I really yearn for some of the New England sweater weather ya’ll been writing about.  BB’s camping trip has got me planning for one of our own.  It’ll probably be November before we can stand the outdoors without A/C though.  
If you’re following the saga of the dead chicken in the car…it STILL smells.  I’ve tried everything to alleviate it and only succeed in partially covering it.  Any odor removing tips would be appreciated.

A Piece of my Life

When preparing to publish this blog I actually spent months thinking about it. I'd go to the settings page and think about what to enter. What's my occupation? Favorite hobbies, books. I just couldn't describe my occupation in a word or two so I'll take this opportunity to share some of what I do. I live with my husband, son and daughter in a small community called Hidden Valley. Here I have about 5 houses and 15 mobile homes as well as 30 Recreational Vehicles spaces. I manage this property for a sweet man who has always been like my second Dad. His property also includes about 150 acres of riverfront land that used to be a thriving recreational haven making Hidden Valley somewhat famous in this part of Texas. A series of several floods burnt us out on the Recreational end of the Park so we closed it and it is now a wildlife refuge type thing with TX Parks and Wildlife. The photo is me doing some brush piling in the park. However the major part of my occupation is being a property manager/landlord/repair woman/cleaning woman/lawn mower/babysitter/counselor for the tenants of the aformentioned properties. Always on call. It's one of those occupations where you may plan a list to "to do's" but you really have no idea what the day will bring on. Kind of exciting but sometimes harrowing too. My favorite part about it is being able to do it from or near home since I live on the premise. Gives me as much time as possible with my family. I can make it flexible if necessary, usually.
So, that's a little idea of part of what makes up me. Probably the third most important part of me. I'll keep you quessing as to the more important parts till a later post.

Is it this hard for Everyone?

I could write reams in response to your posts but make me attempt striking out with something original and I immediately get writers block.  I mean, my mind is blank!  The problem is that the blogs (bloggers) I read are so interesting.  I feel boring, simple.  But, I’m OK with that.  I really don’t feel that cyber space needs another blog to fill more of its infinite space but I have so enjoyed your posts, and you know who you are.  

I think I’ll just talk about something unusual that happened this weekend to start.  Due to Hurricane Rita that was scheduled to make landfall on late Fri or early Sat, the entire city decided to flock to the grocery stores to stock up.  This was the most amazing site.  Entire grocery store shelves…empty.  Not every item or every aisle, but certain items.  Canned tuna, bread and of course, bottled water (due to its lack many were fast scarfing up the last of the milk, soda and juices.)  Empty grocery shelves are almost surreal in our somewhat decadent lives today.  Anyway, I was only here because I always wait to shop till I’m out of everything.  The less I go to the store the less I’m tempted to buy what I don’t need.  I hate how grocery store these days have everything from shoes to bed spreads to fine wines to the latest fashions in patio furniture.  It’s all so tempting, but I digress.  I tried to stick only to the essentials that normally line my kitchen cabinets.  The $200 order included a plump chicken which I’d planned to roast at some point in the future.  It was destined to go to my freezer till that time.  The following day I had a hankerin’ for a roast chick so into the freezer I went but…no chicken!  I’d shopped with a neighbor, friend so phoned to see if she’d gotten it by accident…”No.”  I check the car, just to make sure I didn’t miss it.  Nope, not in the trunk.  That makes me so mad when something I buy is inadvertently left at the end of the cashiers counter.  I checked my receipt and there it was, plain as day, the third from the last item.  All the pains I take to keep the grocery total low, thriftiness, coupons, doing without luxuries and then $3.90 worth of missing chicken from my grocery order just negated any savings I may have made.  I was mad.  To explain…I live a little far from town and stores are quite a trek so I go pretty seldom and try to combine chores to save on gasoline. So going back was out of the question right then.  DH would be near grocery store so I asked if he would bring receipt and make claim to my chicken.  “No, not me,” he exclaimed.  Well, I put it out of my mind for the time being so it wouldn’t ruin my day.  Along comes Sunday and we are out the door, on time even, for our trip to one of our weekly Christian meetings.  We open the garage and something’s amiss.  DH opens the car door and just about falls over.  Our gag impulses were all tested to the max.  A smell like you’ve never smelled came wafting from the car, and there, rolled under the back seat, was the chicken.  It was swelled up like it had rigamortis (sp) and ready to pop out of its package with little prodding.  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sell that car for love or money!  Did I get teased by the troops all day!  Needless to say, we piled into the truck instead. A lesson learned.  

Second Try

This is new. Finally found a template and format even I can understand. SOooo, the reader of everybody elses blog is finally striking out into new territory. Actually it's a second try after a previously aborted effort. The title? It's how I try to live my life. Current photo: sent to me from elsewhere and named "the Eye of God." Far from simple, yet, simple in that it's clear and bright, free of obstruction. I'm using it to inspire me at least till I get the hang of this.