27 September 2005

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.

26 September 2005

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.  

02 September 2005

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.