New York City

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We have much celebration around here. Big pasta supper for friends and family here last night and then the big graduation party today. Lots of good food and fun. Carol was overwhelmed with all the attention and admiration she got on her special day. She has been working on this degree a little at a time since 1992 so it was quite a celebration of her tenacity. I have no doubt she will be an awesome occupational therapist.
I have taken hundreds of photos of the autumn leaves--it is just so absolutely breathtakingly beautiful here. I just can’t drink in enough of this beauty. I had just had to post more pictures.

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Hello from New York

We left San Diego on Thursday for New York. What a long day of travel! We were up at 4am and left for the airport two hours ahead of our 7:20 flight. Traffic to airport was awful and the airport lines were even worse. We were thinking we would have time to grab a quick breakfast and Starbucks before leaving but that sure didn't happen. We made it to the plane just in time to walk on it. My body has sure gotten used to that strong Starbuck's coffee and I had a raging headache (caffeine withdrawal) the whole way to Cinncinati. Plane was fully loaded for that 3 hour 40 minute flight across the country. BUT, they did hand us a nice little snack pack for free that I was not expecting--crackers and cream cheese spread, raisins and oreos--so we did get something to eat and I got a coke for the caffeine but still did not fix my headache. When we got to Cinncinati we had to rush again to make our next plane which, of course, was at the far end of the next concourse. But I declared I was going to have my Starbucks even if we missed our connection so we grabbed a large coffee and a sandwich to go and were off and running. They were calling our names just as we entered the gate area so we rushed onto the plane. But, oh, that coffee and sandwich were so good. Great flight and we landed in Newark after being in a circle pattern for awhile waiting for an opportunity to land.

We had arranged for a rental car at Enterprise which was quite a bus ride out of the airport. But they were very nice and at last we were on our way to Claudia's(another sister of Don) house in Ridgewood, New Jersey where family was meeting for dinner. A home cooked meal--it was sooooo yummy and welcomed. Was so fun to see everyone. Don's dad and his wife, Lorraine had arrived that evening from Phoenix and his other sister, Chris, from Florida, had arrived earlier this week. A real family reunion. It was great. We are all gathered here for a big shindig on Sunday to celebrate Carol's (Barb's partner) graduation from college. She is getting her degree in Occupational Therapy. She has worked many years on this while working in the school system, too. She will be great in this field of work.

So that catches you up on us. Tania, I am busy collecting all kinds of leaves for you. Hope I am not supposed to be identifying them for you, too.........It was so good to get to internet and catch up with all you bloggers.

We love staying at Barb's house and after seeing the pictures I am sure you will see why. It is like staying at a lodge in the woods. So all is well with us and we are happy to be here. And God has certainly blessed us with beauty to behold.

Thank you, God!!

God is so good. I prayed for there to still be colorful leaves on the trees when we got to New York and it is beautiful. We are at Don's sister's house in Stony Point, NY--it backs up to a state park. Then last night it began to snow--the first snowfall of the year. And we got to see it! It is just so beautiful. I love it!

Look at me now!

I can drive the forklift now. I took a class so I would have my operator’s license to drive it on Red Cross jobs. It was a bit scary for me but I did it and it is fun. In spare time, I practice picking up pallets of stuff and placing them in a box truck then practice taking them out again.\
Things are winding down here. We are leaving on Thursday and I think most of our team will leave before then. Fires are out and the emergency is over. It will be sad to say goodbye to all our friends here. This has been a great experience.

After we left La Costa Resort they put us in another resort--Paradise Island. It is beautiful. I feel like I am in Hawaii--lush tropical vegetation and lagoons are everywhere. The true sounds we hear at night are like what you would hear on a nature sounds CD. The rooms are pretty standard--nice, but not super fancy. It is just a very nice family type resort--and much closer to our work site so no more 45 minute trips to work each day.
So Thursday we head for New York to be with Don’s family. Can’t wait to see them all. And Barb says the colors are really late this year so I just might get to see colorful fall leaves still on the trees.
Alisa says all is well at home with beautiful weather there.
We have not had internet since Tuesday when we had to leave La Costa so I sure miss my blogs.

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Back to reality

Our time is up in our luxurious resort which I have never yet gotten to see in the daylight. Red Cross informed us tonight is our last night here. Don't know where they are moving us yet so don't know if we will have internet or not. We are working long days but we have a great team and love our work. It is still crazy and ever changing and some people have been sent home already so don't know from one day to next what will happen. They opened another kitchen yesterday in the Ramona area north of us. We get up at 5, go to work and load and unload trucks all day long then get home about 9, shower, and collapse into bed and do it all again the next day. But we have had more laughs and fun on this operation and enjoyed our fellow workers more than any operation this year. We work hard but we have a blast doing it. We call our work area "Happyville"--which irritates all the folks who are disgruntled about not getting to do the job they wanted to do. Anyway, I will blog more later--I started one and will add to it. Later.

It's Marme's Fault

OK--here I am loading and unloading trucks all day long and walking all over a huge parking lot so I am getting all this great exercise and should be working off some weight. Then I read Marme's wonderful list of fall favorites and she has to mention Starbuck's Pumpkin Cream cheese muffins! I had never had one before (seldom get to a Starbucks) so thought in her honor and to savor the full fall experience I should try one. I am totally hooked. They are wonderful. I eat one every morning and can't wait until the next morning for another. I do not even want to know their calorie count. We get so little sleep and have to head out at 6am for the 40 mile commute in traffic so we always stop at Starbucks first thing. So if I come home 10 pounds heavier it is all Marme's fault. (But I still thank you, Marme).

News from the Red Cross front

It was so good to read everyones blogs again. Still have not seen our fancy resort in daylight but by night it is beautiful with all the lights, fountains, and beautiful flowers. We have quite a walk each morning at 6 (the self-parking area is not near our room--they want you to use their valet service but we don't--you have to pay $10 a day just to park your car here overnight) but the walk is nice in that the air is cool and refreshing and helps you wake up. We have three others that ride with us--they are a fun bunch that we work with. Leslie is from Seattle area--she is the one we worked with during Katrina. Ray is from Michigan and Twyla is from Rome, Georgia. We have lots of laughs and fun times while working and driving.

Today at work we were applauded by everyone for being the most efficient, hard-working team that has ever loaded ERVs. We were very pleased with that. We try hard to have a good time and do a good job and make everyone smile. We call our loading area the "Happy Zone" and won't let the drivers leave until they smile. We have pallets of water, sweet snacks, salty snacks, clamshells and cutlery, and other stuff the ERVs need. They drive up and tell us how many hundred meals they are serving and we load their supplies for them. We made a sign for our area that says "Snacks R Us".

Today the sun was so strong--we had a nice breeze but the sun was brutal. My face is so very sunburned as I am just out in it all day. Then I was suddenly given the additional job as security supervisor and traffic control on the lot. For the past week we have had a security service that mans the entrances to the parking lot and keeps control of who comes and goes. But today they are gone (I am praying it is just because it is Sunday) and we only have 4 National guardsmen who help keep the street people off the lot. So I have to get two people to sit in the hot sun for an hour at the entrances. I HATE asking people to do this. We have lots of extra people but they just look at me with blank eyes when I ask for volunteers to do this. It really makes me mad--it is like some people come with the idea they are here to work and they will eagerly take on any task and others come with preplanned notions of what they expect and want to do and refuse to do anything else. I was fortunate in finding enough people to do it today and just pray that tomorrow the security service will reappear.

It is now late Tuesday and the security service did not reappear but the job was taken off my shoulders and placed on the national guard guys. They don't do a very good job though....
Work has really picked up and we are working all day long loading ERVs and unloading the big trucks bringing in supplies. Don is in heaven getting to drive the forklift and work around the big rigs. He NEVER sits down all day and works so hard. The sun is so brutal--weather is not hot but sun on your face sure is. My whole face and lips are just so sore. Thus the wacky hat I wear in the pictures.

Just as I am typing I am hearing the news that an earthquake has hit northern California. I did not feel it and I am sure glad. I am not all that impressed with California. People are rude on the freeways and the land is just not that pretty. San Diego is a nice pretty city, I guess, but too many people too close together. I like Texas.

Someone made a big boo boo and ordered WAY too many clamshells(what we serve the hot meals in)--like a million--and I mean literally a million. Last night we had to stay til after 8 unloading big rigs full of boxes of clamshells--they just kept on coming--it was so ridiculous it was funny. We just could not believe it. I think there was definitely some miscommunication somewhere up the line. I thought we should change our sign to "Clamshells R Us" and adopt a "no return" policy to get rid of them. The lot is full of them.

Today a Red Crosser got stung by a bee and stopped breathing and had to be taken to hospital. This is the fourth time EMS has been called to our lot. I am suprised OSHA does not investigate us.....

I must say this is the most fun we have had on a DR in a long time. We prayed for God to put us where he wanted us and tried so hard to take our hands off of it. The people on our team are all such hard, eager workers with great attitudes and senses of humor. We just make our work fun and try hard to cheer up the many disgruntled people who pass our way.

Unfortunately, it seems though that when extra work needs to be done in "dismal land"--the area across the lot where the unassigned people are(who sit in chairs grumbling all day)--they come to us and ask us to go do it since they see that we work. Last night, after an exceptionally hard day of more than normal trucks coming in, and after all the others had left for the day but we were still waiting for additional trucks coming in, they had the audacity to come ask us to go wash 40 cambros. Cambros are the ice-chest size containers that hold the hot food that is served on the ERVs. They are not fun to wash. We asked them why they would ask us, who worked hard all day and still had more work ahead to do that job???? Why did they let the slackers go home? We just flat out refused--not because we would have minded doing it but on principle. It was just wrong of them to ask us. They are always coming to us to do the extra jobs and just letting others do nothing. That kind of stuff just does not fly with me.
OK--that is all the news from the Red Cross front. I gotta get packed up for our move tomorrow.

From Rags to Riches

Boy, have we moved up in the world. Remember how we were living in a highschool gym with 500 other people--well, they were closing the staff shelter and moving us all to hotels. I went to HQ to get our hotel assignment, begging them to put us near our jobsite in downtown San Diego. They said they only had one hotel to choose from and it was 45 miles from San Diego in Carlsbad. I was really bummed about that thinking of how early we would have to get up in order to be at work by 8. We were very happy at the shelter--but school was reopening on Monday.
THEN, we arrived at our hotel--or should I say resort and spa--La Costa Resort and Spa--a five star famous resort where PGA golf tournaments are played. This place is fancy--way out of our league. I feel like a real fish out of water here. Marble everywhere---huge bathroom, gardens, pools--it is beautiful---though I must confess we have yet to see it in the daylight. We leave at 6am and get home after dark. I hope I get to see it in the daytime sometime before we leave. I don't know what on earth happened that Red Cross personnel are housed here--we are used to Days Inn and Red Roof Inns...not anything like this (well, since 9/11 when we stayed in Le Parker Meridian in New York). And wouldn't you know it--I ALWAYS carry my swim suit on Red Cross jobs--just in case--but this time to conserve space I took it out!!! How I would love to soak in the hot tub after a long day of loading trucks.

The bottle of Evian water in our hotel room costs $6.75! On the back of the door it says the rooms go for $475. I was scared to even use the shampoo for fear it would cost me....It is such a shame to have all these amenities and not ever be here to use them. I think we might be near the beach but have not had time to look yet. So frustrating. But luxury is nice--for a bit--but this is just way over the top for me--just too much. I will enjoy it but this kind of lifestyle is just not my cup of tea. The grounds are beautiful with Bird of Paradise flowers everywhere--reminds me of Kauai. If I ever get to be here in daylight I will post pictures but you can google it at La Costa Spa and Resort and take a picture tour.
I think they might have had to close a bit because of the fires and lost business so gave their rooms to Red Cross. How nice for us!

Sad News

I am very sad to report that Birdie died. I talked to Alisa a few days ago and she had found him dead in his cage. I knew he was not feeling well when we left and was really worried for him. I am just so sad and will miss him so much. He just brought so much joy to me--I loved to hear him sing and chatter--and he was so cute when he would ride in the car with me and look out the window. I really enjoyed him so much. It just won't be the same. I had him for five years and loved him dearly. I miss him.

This has been a sad year for me losing animals I love--Crackers, then Sadie, and now Birdie. It is hard to love and then lose--but I am so thankful for all the years of love and laughter all these special pets brought to me.

San Diego

Photo of our new home away from home...


(this was written days ago but I was not able to post it until now, 3 days later)

How quickly our life can change. One minute Don is building fence and I am making a grocery list fixin’ to go shopping when the phone rings and we are requested to go to California for the wildfires there. Yesterday, Red Cross had called us and asked us to drive the ERV there but they needed a three week commitment from us which we could not do as we need to be in New York on the 10th for big family shindig. So…..we thought we were off the hook---though we must admit that each time we watched the news about the fire we were so drawn to be there. So when the call came asking us to go as feeding supervisors and that a two week commitment was ok,, we said yes.



Then life got crazy. I had to call the Red Cross travel agency to schedule our flight--I was on hold for 1 hour 45 minutes--thousands of Red Cross volunteers have been called out on this job so they are swamped. I put it on speaker phone and did other tasks to get ready but it drove me nuts not to be able to make other necessary calls or get online. Don rushed around putting up tools and getting the animals taken care of while I packed up and loaded the car. Then finally my call was answered and we were given a flight that left Austin at 7:20 pm. Yikes! It was noon by now and we still had to gather up our three dogs, two cats, and bird and get to Marble Falls and pack for not only a two week stay in California but a 10 day stay in New York after that. It was crazy.



Lucy, our arrogant cat, sensed our tension and emotions and hid under the bed so it took both of us a half hour to capture her and get her in her hated crate. Don got away with only taking one dog and one cat--while I had a cat who pooped in her crate before we were off the ranch road (such a delightful aroma for a two hour drive), our lab, Hudson, who drooled all down my back, Alice, who whined, and Birdie who is acting real sick and has me really worried. Needless to say, it was a very stressful drive back home. And then a frantic packing party. Poor Alisa, once again we left the house looking like it was ransacked by burglars. We had to get to the chapter in Austin by 5 to get our staff cards and paperwork and then head to the airport. I had not eaten anything but a protein drink all day and was famished. We treated ourselves to an All-star special at Waffle House by the airport and then we were off.



Plane trip was great--no problems at all. Southwest was great--friendly, jovial flight crews and good flights. We got to Las Vegas twenty minutes earlier that scheduled so were able to catch an earlier flight out of there and avoid a layover. (I don’t like Las Vegas). So then we had to wait an extra hour in San Diego for our luggage to get there but that was ok and it all arrived just fine. We grabbed our rental car and picked up another Red Crosser from Massachusetts to ride with us and headed for the staff shelter which was at a local high school gym. It was after midnight when we arrived and we had to blow up our air mattresses and get settled in in the dark. Gym was filled with hundreds of Red Crossers already. (We were nice and blew up our air beds outside) So sure didn’t get much sleep as it was 3:15 our time (1:15 here) when we finally laid down. Boy were we so tired. And lots of people kept arriving all night long so it was not too quiet a place to sleep.



The gym lights come on at 6am. A three hour sleep after our day yesterday made for a rough day today. But the first day on an assignment is always a “hurry up and wait day”. It takes a day or two to get it all organized and running smoothly which is so frustrating as I would rather be working. But when you consider the monumental task of organizing thousands of volunteers from all parts of the country to do a bizillion different tasks on an operation that we are all just walking in on, it is pretty amazing that anything at all gets done.



We were assigned to the mobile kitchen run by Bakersfield Baptist Disaster Relief which was set up in the parking lot of Petco Park--not the animal store, but the stadium where the Padres play. It is a huge set-up with big 18-wheelers pulling in all day long with supplies and all of our ERVs pulling in from across the country. Remember, the ERV is the Emergency Response Vehicle which serves hot meals. This kitchen provides around 20,000 meals daily to 12-15 different shelters up and down the coast near San Diego. Don was given the job of yard supervisor--supervising the unloading and loading of all the trucks and getting the products to where they need to be. I supervise a great team of people in charge of loading the ERV’s with all the stuff they need to take out on their feeding routes It has been so fun to run into lots of folks we worked in Katrina with and have not seen since then. Our work crew all have great attitudes and make the work fun. Don and I are both enjoying this assignment.



The weather has been great but there is smoke and ash in the air so we do worry about what we might be breathing. We were given masks to wear but they are so hot and sweaty and uncomfortable that no one wears them. Each day the air does seem to get better.
It is a very different kind of disaster to work as it is ongoing. Some fires are contained and evacuees can return home so shelters close but new fires pop up or the fire moves on and new shelters are opened up. Makes it so hard for planning meals and organizing things. We don’t get to see much TV so know little of the big picture.



Life in the staff shelter is really fun--we like it here. Lots of people in one big gym but amazingly it is not bad and we sleep well. Our air mattresses are the saving grace--cots are not too comfy. But I am weary so will stop for now and hope I find a place with wireless so I can post it. I sure miss my blogging family and can’t wait to catch up.

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Tag Game

Here is how it works. Tell in your blog seven things we never knew about you and now wish we didn't. In other words...Seven strange/weird/crazy things about me. Then tag someone else-(at bottom of your blog say--I tag_____. And post the blog.

I will be brave and get this over with first.

1. I tend to read magazines from the back to the front.

2. I love Christmas music and listen to it all year long.

3. I love school and office supplies and enjoy spending time just looking at them in stores. Maybe there is that inner urge in me to get organized......I love hardwares stores, too.

4. I get attached to inanimate objects: cups, stuffed animals, kitchen towels, pens, rocks, pillows....

5. I panic if I don't have my chapstick in my pocket.

6. I talk A LOT in my sleep.

7. I have a mole on my left wrist that (as a child) I thought meant that I was adopted. (I really am adopted).
OK--I tag Jenny.

Goin' Through Wilde boys withdrawal......

My boys left the ranch a few minutes ago and my heart hurts. I miss them so already. We had such a wonderful visit--everything a Gema could hope for. Mason and I caught frogs in the creek and found sparkly rocks and collected acorns and looked for different animal tracks in the creek mud and played Hi Ho! Cherry-O and watched the goats. He also was a big help to Pop-pop by helping pour concrete in the post holes. It just did my heart good to see Mason enjoying playing in the creek for hours and getting excited about all the treasure he would find in the nature of the ranch. The weather was gorgeous and perfect.

And Grant-- I can never get enough of holding him and snuggling him and watching his cute faces and listening to his sweet sounds. And I think he grew an inch and put on a pound while he was here. That boy is a meal hound. I just love his sweet little rolls and double chin. What a joy he is. He did great on his travels, too. Slept good and was just a fun, sweet, precious baby boy.

Jenny and I managed to get in a good visit, too, in between frog catchin’ and game playin’. She lucked out and caught me in a cookin’ mood so we had lots of good food along with the fellowship. One night we made caramel apples (Jenny had brought the makins’) and man, were they scrumptious--what a super fall treat!

It was just a wonderful, fun, relaxing long weekend and I am so glad they came. It was hard to let them all go back home but I know Troy must have missed them somethin’ awful so for his sake it made it easier to let them go. I can’t imagine how hard it is going to be on me to part from them after taking care of them for over three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas--but I can’t wait for that time to come! How blessed I am! And thank you, God, for getting them all safely back home to Troy.

Warning!

Long tedious blog to follow. Read at your own risk of boredom. I just needed to work through some crazy feelings and thoughts that were troubling my mind. It helped me to blog it. All is better now.

Home

Yesterday, Jenny and I went to Marble Falls to a baby shower . Amber kept Mason at our house and then Christy drove in from Austin where she was visiting to see us. How great to get to see two of my daughters in one weekend! It was so fun to spend time with Christy. I took Mason outside so he could jump on the trampoline and discovered lots of pecans on the ground. So we went in the barn to get some buckets and then spent time collecting pecans.

That is when I just felt overcome with emotion--a sadness mixed with thankfulness, treasured memories, yearnings, confusion, homesickness, undone tasks, loneliness for our friends and community--I just felt all mixed up.

It just felt so weird to be home. Just this wave of nostalgia swept over me. We have been on the road so much this year with Red Cross or to visit Don’s family or we have been at the ranch. We have hardly been home over two weeks together at one stretch. It has just been weird. When we were out in the yard gathering those pecans it just felt like we were at an abandoned farm or something. I just felt sad. I felt homesick. I yearned for the days of the barnyard full of chickens and milk goats and a big vegetable garden beside it. It just brought be back to the past. I just can’t put into words how I felt. I guess there is still so much of that homestead kind of life in me--buried, but not dead--hoping to be revived someday. I love our home in Marble Falls--I love the land, the barn, the playground, the decrepit orchard, the big pecan trees that we planted long ago, the huge fig tree, the vine covered fences and arbor. So many wonderful memories there. How extremely blessed I am to have raised my kids in that one house. Brian, the oldest ,was 10, Micah,7, Christy,6, Josh,1, when we moved there in 1980. Jenny Rose was born there--at home--in that very house. God brought Beki and Gina to us at that home. And Tammie, Adam, and Amber lived with us there for seven years. I home schooled for 13 years in that upstairs schoolroom in that home. Umpteen beloved pets are buried on that land.

I think this time of year makes me especially nostalgic. I loved the beginning of the home school year. Playing games with the kids at recess out in the playground. Just the special feel of fall-- The way the north wind would whistle against the windows of the school room when a norther blew in; the leaves swirling around outside begging for kids to jump in them; the smell of that first fire of the season in our woodstove. I just love fall and I love home.

I guess I started rambling. My thoughts and feelings are all over the place and I need to write them. I think part of me yearns to just stay home, stay put, be stable and predictable, be there to plant and harvest a garden, to gather those eggs each day, to bring the house and barn back to life. It is vacant now. I feel it is lonely. I feel like it misses its family. Having the big dogs gone--(they are at the ranch with us)--that hit me hard yesterday, too. There is not much life left there. But the ducks, guineas, and barn cats are still there. And my wild birds. And my pot plants. Thank God for Alisa who diligently comes daily to care for them although they are all rather independent creatures. But I am glad there is still some life at home. Life will go on there and we will be back.

I just feel we are in a different season now. We have the time and freedom to do the disaster relief work we love to do. And to travel. And Don’s folks won’t be here forever--we need to spend time with them NOW. I just feel God has given us the means and freedom for such a time as this. I know He will let us know when it is time to become rooted at home once again. But for now, I am thankful for what we have. I love to travel. I love to work hard when we are on Red Cross jobs and to help others. I’m so thankful to be able to be there for family when they need us to come and help out. I love going to Haiti and helping to give fresh drinking water to people who had none before we repaired their wells. I love being in New York, Florida, and Arizona with Don’s family. And I absolutely love the ranch and being here.

The ranch. I feel the same about the ranch as home. I am sad when we leave here. There are sheep and goats and cows here that we have to leave to fend for themselves--(which they are very good at doing). But my heart aches when we leave here and it yearns to return here. There are projects and repairs to be done here as there are at home. It is such an incredible blessing to have two homes that you love so very much. BUT it is also incredibly difficult to do a good job of maintaining and caring for two homes, also. So the best thing we can do is to do the best we can. To prioritize needs and projects and spend chunks of time at each place taking care of those needs. Thank goodness it is only an hour and 15 minute drive from the ranch gate to the home driveway. I am not at all complaining. Just sorting it all out in my mind. Sometimes I worry we are not being good stewards of all this God has blessed us with. We try and we work hard, but sometimes the work is more than us.

I guess it would just be easier if I was a woman with few interests and desires. But I love life. I love being outdoors, observing nature, learning about all I can, being around animals, reading--all kinds of books about all kinds of things. I want to grow more, learn more, be more. I love learning. Everything interests me. I love meeting new people and making new friends and traveling to different places. I love seeing how others live in other parts of our nation or our world. I love adventure and travel. BUT.......... I also relish a consistent early morning quiet time with God; being at home and cooking and homemaking and gardening and weekly Bible studies and regular date nights with my husband and going to church each Sunday and being part of a home group and having girl’s movie nights and being part of a book club and just plain having a stable, comfortable routine.

Maybe that is it. Routine. I need a sense of routine and this year there has been very little routine in my life. Each day is different. While that can be enchanting and exciting--it can be unsettling, too. Ok--I am beginning to feel better. Maybe I just need to work harder to establish some basic routine in my life that can work wherever I am. That might help. I am going to try it. I think that part of my uneasiness is just not knowing what is coming next. I need something to be predictable. Some structure in my life. A plan. A direction. Certain goals to accomplish in a certain time. Not a legalistic dogma but firm ideas of what needs to be done daily-and in the immediate future to make me feel together.

Enough. I feel better. Thank you for wading through these crazy feelings and garbled thoughts.

I Can't Wait!!

Yea! Those Wilde boys are comin’ to the ranch tomorrow to see their Gema. I am so excited. I can’t wait to go frog huntin’ and exploring along the creek with Mason. And, oh, to hold my sweet little Grant in my arms again. I know he has grown so in the three weeks since I saw him last. And, of course, I look forward to time with Jenny. It will just be so good to have them all here.

Saturday should be a fun day for us, too, as we are going to a baby shower in Marble Falls and will get to see lots of old friends. And I just love these gorgeous October days--a wonderful time to be on the ranch.

What happened to all of you?

Ok--I have eagerly awaited today to see what everyone would write in their poetry assignment and no one but Jenny and I did it. Where is your courage, your sense of adventure and stepping out of your comfort zone.

On the other hand, Jenny's friends wrote some beautiful poems which I very much enjoyed and I thank them very much.

As for me, Jenny, I would love to try some more of your creative ideas. Thank you.

My 6th Grade Poem assignment

I did my poem but you will have to scroll down. Evidently, when you save in draft it posts it in the order of when you wrote it, not published it. I did my homework!!!

I'm Excited!

OK, everyone--I hope you all will take Jenny's challenge and do her 6th grade writing assignment. I am very excited to see what everyone will say. I have mine all ready to post on Saturday. It was lots of fun to do and very insightful. Made me really think. For me, I found it easiest to just go with the first thing that came to my mind when I began to ponder the question. Isn't there something that says your first thoughts or answers are usually the most truthful, or something like that. But I must say that a poem like that will also depend on the mood you are in when you are writing it. Anyway, I just wanted to encourage all of you to take the challenge and DO IT! I would love to do something like this again, too. Maybe you could just practice ideas on us, Jenny????

Fences

Don is tackling a huge task all on his own. Our ranch is cross fenced but the front part of one section is just along the road with only cattle guards to contain animals. Goats and sheep think nothing of leaping over cattle guards so to be able to use this 50 acres or so we need to fence it. That is about 1500 feet of fencing needed--and the biggest problem is rocks--large, underground huge slabs of rock--some of them flint. Right now, Don is trying to dig the post holes with his bobcat and a huge drill that is supposed to go through rock. But it does not like flint. He has another drill that is smaller and breaks up the rock so then he can use the bigger drill. It is a long, tedious job--he gets maybe 1-2 holes dug a day. Yesterday, he gave up on the machinery and used hand tools to finish digging it out. Don is the hardest working man I have ever seen. He has the tenacity of a bull dog. He just keeps at something until he gets it done. Long ago, I would have scrapped it all and grabbed the phone book and hired a fencing crew. But Don loves big projects and is in his element. Last night he came in so dog tired I didn't think he would be outa bed for two days. But before daylight this morning he was up and ready to tackle another day.

And after this fence is done--we have the fences on both sides that need to be re-done. I am glad he likes the work and being outdoors and the exercise it gives him. We both love being on the ranch and all our animals we bring with us do, also. And one other thing--when Don builds something it is done solidly and it will last. He does not cut corners. I just hope he and "bob" can win the battle with the rocks. It is a real war. Our two natural resources on this ranch are rocks and firewood---and good grazing grass when the rains come--and wonderful, always flowing springs.

I just wish I could help him more and knew more but I am sure when it comes time to attaching the wire or fence (he keeps going back and forth between using barbwire or field fencing) I will be able to help. We have done that together before.

Another problem we have with fences is our neighbors--the ones with the Longhorns who wander over here. Evidently, their fences are not good so they have opened the gates between them and their neighbors so the cows can go where they want, and now they have broken down our fence in order to come visit our cows. They seem very unconcerned about this. BUT, we have sheep and goats that we want to keep on our own land and when their cows tear down our fence it becomes a problem for us. I just keep thinking back to that line that goes "Good fences make for good neighbors"--lots of truth in that.

I Am.....

I am kind and considerate
I wonder what animals think
I hear the sweet song of a mockingbird on a summer evening
I see hills of trees painted with all the autumn colors
I want a new digital camera with a long zoom
I am kind and considerate


I pretend to understand all my husband tells me about his fence building woes
I feel so very thankful for all I have
I touch Grant's little hands and feet and soft head
I worry about losing a loved one
I cry when I feel the nearness of God
I am kind and considerate



I understand that God loves me and will never leave me.
I say with God all things are possible
I dream of traveling to all kinds of different places
I try to please my husband
I hope to grow closer to each of my family members
I am kind and considerate.

Just Rambling

Monday morning I left early for Marble Falls to pick up our mail, run some errands, return library books, and check on things at home. I had envisioned getting all this done and headed back to Fredericksburg in early afternoon. Ha!! First mistake was going IN the library instead of just dropping off my books. I spent an hour or more selecting a bag full of new books to take back with me. I LOVE THE LIBRARY!! To me it is just one of those places I can look and look and get lost in. I mean where else can you go and load up on a bag full of treasures and have it cost you nothing. The library has always been my place to go when I just need to go somewhere and indulge myself but have no money to spend. I even get nostalgic over the kids book section remembering the many days of bringing home huge bags of preschool books for the nightly bedtime stories. I got the new Nicholas Sparks book THE CHOICE which I have just begun and looks to be a good read.

Ran some more quick errands then on a whim decided I had better get my oil changed (I was overdue about 2000 miles…..), not something I wanted to do but I noticed there was no line so I pulled in and it took all of 8 minutes. But during that time I received a phone call from Red Cross asking me to go see about a house fire in Kingsland. UGH! I was not excited about adding this to my list of things to do. How awful and selfish is that--here someone loses their home and I am griping about losing some time. After I gave myself a talking to, changed my attitude, and repented, I called up the lady who had the fire. She was so very nice and eager to see me so I headed right over there. She had left food on the stove cooking while she went next door to talk to her neighbor. Thankfully, the kitchen was the only part destroyed but black smoke and soot was all over the house. She was able to stay with her neighbor for now but the only other openings the housing authority had were in Marble Falls or Fredericksburg. She was not happy at the thought of leaving her close friends and neighbors where she lived to move to another town. I felt so sorry for her. I was able to give her some funds for food and bedding and some referrals for more help from other agencies.

After that, I decided I was just going to spend the night at home and go back to the ranch the next day. Was so glad I did that as it gave me chance to clean the house a bit, go through all the mail there, and just not feel so rushed. Thought I would even try to have lunch the next day with Amber so left her a voice mail inviting her.

Next morning went to Walmart to get stuff for Don--never heard from Amber so was headed back to the house to gather my stuff and the big dogs and head for the ranch. As I pulled out of Walmart I spied a VW Beetle with a sign on the back that said: Learning how to drive standard. For your own safety don't stop too close to me." I thought to myself that that was something Amber would do--when out popped a head from the driver’s side, hollering “Gema” with a big wave. I followed her back to her apartment and we did go to lunch together. We had a good laugh about her sign and the struggles with learning to drive a standard shift car. I learned to drive in my daddy’s ’52 hunting jeep. I remember sitting in it for hours just practicing shifting the gears. Amber and I both agreed that hills were the tough part--especially when you were stopped at a stop sign or red light on one . You either stall the engine trying to get going or peel out too fast. Ah, the joys and fun of standard…….We had a nice long lunch and visit. It was so good to catch up with her.

Then I loaded up the big dogs and left for the ranch again. We have not often taken Hudson, our lab, or Roxie, our mixed basenji to the ranch. They were very hesitant about getting in the car--I am sure they associated it with vet visits. But they are doing very well here on the ranch. Hudson barked lots the first night but was great last night--we left the porch light on for him. Roxie wants to be with Don every second and just lays by the gate until he returns from fence building. The cats are not too crazy about having these dogs invade their domain but have accepted them for the most part. Lily is still staying on the stairs or in the cabin most days--someplace that she can make a quick getaway (Hudson has been known to chase cats) but Lucy just does not let them bother her and lays on the porch beside them.

Thus is the synopsis of my last few days. Not too exciting, huh?

Lets Go, Yankees!

Ok--Just wanted to say I am going to sit down and cheer the Yankees and help them beat those Indians. And in order to do this properly I will indulge in one of my most favorite treats; fritos with bean dip and a cold Lonestar beer. Life is good. Go Yankees!!

Sweetcakes, Sugar, and a Miracle

Woke up this morning to a strange bellowing coming from outside the back window. Looked out to find a big Longhorn cow looking in at me. She let out another bellow and then I heard an answer from a big steer just up the hill. Talk about big long horns--I knew I was going no where near him. Then noticed the cow had a calf with her also--the whole family had come to visit. We called our neighbors who said they belonged to other neighbors another ranch away so we called them. Learned they were very tame and their names were Sweetcakes, Sugar, and something else sweet sounding. They could not come retrieve them until this evening, but explained that they were very gentle and tame and told us their names. Don and I thought we would go down the fence line and try to figure how they were getting in.

Don wanted to walk but I refused to get out in the open with those big horns no matter how gentle they were supposed to be, so we took the truck. Drove up the fence line and found where the fence was pushed down where they had gotten over it. Decided to continue checking out the fence all the way to the back fence. That is where the miracle occurred. Way down at the bottom, right near the back fence was one of our goats with her head stuck in the fence. Don grabbed his wire cutters and was able to quickly cut her out of the fence.

IF those cows had not come on our land this morning we would have never walked that fence line and found our goat and she would have died a terrible death. So THANK YOU, LORD, for sending a few stray cows to lead us to rescue our goat in trouble. After setting the goat free, we saw the cows coming up the fence line so Don pushed down the fence where they had entered and they just jumped right over it easy as can be and headed back home.

The Lord does work in mysterious ways. I think He also might be hinting that along with the new fence we are adding at the front of the ranch, our side fence is in a sad state of disrepair and needs replacing, also. Poor Don………

Fencing

Don is busy preparing to build new fence so that the other half of the ranch is fenced in and will be usable by the sheep and goats. Right now, there are only two cattle guards to contain livestock which the goats think nothing of leaping across. It is about 1500’ of fencing that will need to be built and he intends to do it himself. Quite a huge undertaking, especially when he has no experience and just has a couple of library books and a good online sight for help.

And then he has me. Poor guy. He has asked me to help him measure and stake flags where the posts will go. I can’t even sight a straight line. I am just so incompetent and confused and inept. He wants me to know stuff I just don’t know. I want to help, I really do, but sometimes I just don’t get it. I feel so bad for him. He needs another guy really bad--one who talks his lingo and can intelligently discuss all this with him. He is so very good and doing big projects and nothing scares him or seems too big or complicated to tackle. So just pray for me that I could be a more beneficial helper…..He even wants me to learn how to drive Bob! YIKES!

Wolfie

Just wanted to tell you I have a new friend whom I named Wolfie. She is a Wolf spider who has spun a huge web across my kitchen window. Each day it covers more and more of the window--quite a masterpiece, really. I enjoy watching her progress each day. Such is my quiet, peaceful life on the ranch.

Sunday afternoon

• Don is snoozing as the Cowboys play
• I am sitting on the porch blogging
• Cows are grazing nearby along the creek
• Goats and sheep are napping on the road just outside the yard fence
• Cats are stretched out on the picnic tables
• Alice is snoring on the couch beside Don
• Birdie is swinging and singing in the breeze from his bungie on the porch
• The wild birds are checking out the feeders I just filled while a squirrel chatters from the tree wondering if I will see him raid the feeders.
• The creek is trickling and gurgling over the rocks making such soothing sounds.
• Ever so often acorns or pecans bomb the tin roof with quite a loud thump
• The wash hanging on the line is flapping in the breeze.
• A strong gust of wind sends a flurry of oak leaves on the tin roof which sounds much like a rain shower.
• The windchimes are playing a sweet melody in this nice breeze.
• How grateful I am, God, for precious, refreshing times such as this. Who could ask for more?
  
  
  

The Creek

Even as a child I was enthralled with creeks. I loved wading and playing in the cold rushing creeks of Colorado when we vacationed there. I used to beg my parents to take me to “The Scenic Loop” in San Antonio. Honestly, I am not sure where that was or what--but in my memory it was a rugged, hilly, rocky area with a nice creek flowing through it--a park of some sort for hiking and picnicking. But for me, it was the most exciting place they could take me. I could just explore it for hours daydreaming of Indians hiding behind trees, to buried treasure hiding in undiscovered caves.

I used to daydream about having a creek like that running through my backyard. I would even go home and try to make one by digging a little ditch and laying the water hose in it. I could just picture what fun it would be to watch frogs, tadpoles and minnows go by and just how wonderful it would be to have a creek of my very own.

Then God led us to this ranch and there was my creek--just like the one in my mind. My dream come true. On one side of the road coming into our ranch is the bigger, wider part of the creek but it is the other side, where it is only a couple of feet wide that is the answer to my heart’s desire. It is just what I wanted as a child and each time I see it I am so overcome with gratitude and thankfulness to God for loving me so much as to bless me with such an insignificant desire of my heart. It is a constant reminder to me of how much God loves us and yearns to bless us and bestow gifts to us--that he does care about all the little things that are meaningful to us. I love you, Lord, and I thank you again.

Desires of my heart

God is just so very awesome in how he blesses us over and over. Just like Tammie said in her blog, he grants us the desires of our heart even when we are not cognizant that we have those desires. In looking back over my life I have seen how he has given me the things that delighted my soul and spirit even as a child.

Growing up in San Antonio, I spent much time with my parents visiting their friends. Some of the friends we visited with often were those that my mama grew up with in the Rio Grande valley who had also migrated to the San Antonio area. As a child I was taught to refer to older close family friends as “aunt ___, uncle___”. One of my favorite places to visit was Aunt Rossie’s and Uncle Frank’s farm in the hills outside San Antonio. It was an old rock house way out in the country and they had goats and chickens which I thought were just wonderful. I just remember the smell of the old house, the jingle of the bells around the goats necks, the dusty roads, the creaky windmill, and Aunt Rossie’s teapot collection. It was just one of those places that stayed on in my memory. It delighted me to go there.

There was another place we visited only a couple of times--somewhere near Blanco, I think. I just remember the rough, rugged hills, a big flagstone patio that overlooked the countryside, goats and goat bells, just the peace and beauty of the place. I guess in my heart I stored that memory of that beautiful rugged scene and the sounds of it.

All this to say I believe God blessed me with this ranch which fulfills all those childhood delights stored in my heart. HE knew my love for the country, animals and nature, the rugged beauty of the hill country. Thank you, thank you, God, for giving me the desires of my heart and leading me this wonderful, serene ranch.

Missin' those Wilde boys

It has been a long time since I last blogged. Lots has happened. There is a new boy in my life--a perfect, sweet, beautiful baby boy named Grant. He completely stole my heart (as each of my grandkids did when they entered this world). It was so wonderful getting to spend a week holding that sweet baby and hunting for doodle bugs, butterflies, and acorns with Mason--I sure do miss them now that I am back at the ranch. I have not yet posted any pictures of Grant as knew Jenny would take care of that but I am sure I might find one or two to include later..... But did want to post the one of Mason who succeeded in catching a butterfly with his hands.

My heart is proud, yet aching over Adam's decision to join the Army. Proud that he has the courage to make his own decisions and follow his dream. But in my selfishness I just don't want him putting himself in danger and in the midst of a nasty war. But I trust God is directing his steps and will be right there with him each and every moment and that is what will carry us through the years ahead. I will support Adam's decision in every way I can and hopefully find ways to be an encouragement to him while he is away from home. Let's all just be faithful to cover him and all our U.S. soldiers over there in prayer.

On the coast with Red Cross

We are back at the ranch again after a 5 day Red Cross assignment. We were sent to feed folks who had damage and power outage from Hurricane Umberto. Left the ranch early Friday morning, went home and dropped off pets and picked up our Red Cross gear and headed to Austin to pick up the ERV(Emergency Response Vehicle) then by noon we were on the road to Beaumont. Discovered our front tire had a bubble in it as we were driving through rush hour traffic in Houston. Took 5 stops to finally find a tire but PepBoys was terrific and got us up and going again quickly.

Upon calling staffing to explain our lateness I was told plans had changed and to go to Amerisuites near Houston airport for that night and go to Beaumont the next day. Room was super nice and we got a great nights sleep and headed out early the next morning. Things were a bit chaotic at HQ in Beaumont--Don was asked to go to Port Arthur and pick up a box truck and I was told to go get our ERV inspected. See, the ERV's--there are hundreds of them--belong to National and are just stationed at various chapters across the country so on each job they carefully inspect them and maintain them.

During the time Don was away I was given 4 different assignments for our ERV by 4 different people which each involved getting the ERV loaded with different items or keeping it empty. I was so frustrated I just drove the ERV to the end of the parking lot and sat in it until Don returned and then we went inside and insisted on knowing who our direct supervisor was--who we were to REALLY take orders from--that we were really frustrated. We were finally informed who our "boss" was and he asked us to go to Houston chapter as their ERV that was serving the Bolivar penninsula had broken down. I was NOT happy about going back to Houston but managed to keep my mouth shut.While I went to staffing to get our hotel assignment in Orange switched to Galveston, Don was waiting in the ERV out front. During that time, yet another person came up to him and told him he was to take the ERV someplace else. This was crazy! Don explained we had our assignment and were on our way. Houston was struggling as well--unsure as to who was in charge of this operation--them or national? No one was communicating well with each other and too many people were taking charge and making decisions without talking it over with others. We sat in on several conference calls and finally it seemed we had a service delivery plan so Don and I were assigned to the kitchen at Crystal Beach on the Bolivar penninsula and would serve the High Island area so we headed to Galveston. I was much happier about this--just wanted out of Houston! Had a nice dinner on the strand, then crashed at our motel. We had done lots of driving in the last two days!

We took the ferry across the bay to Bolivar pennisula--that was a beautiful way to start each day--I loved it! There were several other ERV crews staying at our motel that we enjoyed working with. Kitchen was manned by Baptist Disaster Relief and they were so much fun and just so nice to work with and put out some great food. The people we served on High Island were very gracious and friendly and so glad to see us. We served lunch and supper each day. Power was still out on most of the island and there must have been about 50 utility trucks and crews working all along the highway stringing new wire and replacing poles. It was slow travel time as only one lane was open at a time. I expected High Island to be ritzy and expensive homes but it was not at all--just lots of simple beach type homes--a pretty tight community that really looked out for each other. It was great to have so many people get extra meals to carry to shut-ins and the elderly. We enjoyed our work. Days were long--left at 7:30 and home between 9 and 10.( On Sunday night the line for the ferry was really long--we thought we had an hour wait or so and then the sherriff came roaring up with his lights flashing and told us to follow him and he led us to the head of the line--Wow! was that so great--we felt really special...) Had no time to see much of Galveston. On Monday the power was all restored and we ran out of food so it was good time to shut down after our supper meal. We got home last night.

I am so happy to be back at the ranch. Don is ready to work on Bob and get him up and running again. Animals are glad to be back out here too. Now, we are just waiting for Jenny to call us she is on the way to deliver.

Alisa

I just have to tell you about my very good friend, Alisa. We became acquainted many years ago in a church Sunday school class and continued building our friendship in a Women’s Bible study. She was my neighbor, too, living just a few blocks from me. We discovered we had many things in common--loved garage sales, had both been foster parents, both made lots of stupid mistakes in our lives that God helped us through, both loved the Lord and studying the Bible, both love the outdoors and animals, and we both love to read and own tons of books.
Alisa has been such a blessing to Don and I as she house sits for us when we are away from home. We never have to worry about a thing with her there. Our animals are loved (spoiled, is more like it) and well taken care of, the plants are watered and talked to, the mail is gone through and we are alerted to anything out of the ordinary and she even takes care of paying bills for us when we are gone for a long time. It just gives us such a sense of peace having her there which frees us to concentrate on whatever Red Cross assignment we are on. She has gone the extra mile for us so many times--I mean, one time she was caught in the barn between the mean attacking rooster on one side and a huge snake on the other exit. She did ask for combat pay on that one…….She was the one who discovered most of the murdered bodies of our poultry last winter when we were under attack by skunks, possums, and coons and had to dispose of their bodies. She suffered through Cracker’s last year of life when she was incontinent and there were many puddles to clean up. She put up with two dogs that could not hear or see very well and were pretty neurotic and needy---and a cat that was always up to mischief. She was there for us on the ranch through Sadie’s(our horse) last hours. What can I say but that she is a blessing to us(and our critters) and we are so deeply grateful.
Alisa is always looking for ways to help others either with free labor to aid them in doing a task or finding items at garage sales that would bless someone else. She is always thinking of someone else to include in a lunch or a garage sale outing. When someone is in need she doesn’t think twice about gathering together what funds or items she has to meet that need. She loves to share her books with others and encouraged some women to get together and form a book club. Her heart is always open to responding to someone in need of encouragement or help. She is truly an inspiration to me--a Godly woman whose desire it is that others know the love and freedom that can come from knowing Jesus. Jesus’ love just shines from her. I think of the hymn WHAT A FRIEND I HAVE IN JESUS and know that yes, I do have Jesus as my friend and because of our shared love for Him, I have a dear friend in Alisa.

Such a pretty day

It is so great to have the sun back and cool weather, too. A beautiful day at the ranch. We were headed out to look at some hay to buy when Don decided to try to start his Bobcat and it would not start. Bob needs a new part (something simple, but I can't remember what). Don is very gloomy without Bob. So he mowed the backyard--(a nice way to work off frustration) and I sure appreciated him doing it as I did it last time and it is a tough job. I tackled my hated job of defrosting the 60 year old refrigerator in the shed. What a gem she is, still doing a great job of cooling my Lone Star beer!

Oops! Had an interuption there--call from Red Cross putting us on standby to go to Texas/LA for flooding from Tropical Storm Humberto. That just means we might be called out but not yet. He must have strenghthened quickly as last night it was just a small depression they were watching and now seems like it could be a pretty big flood event as it is slow moving. This has sure been a summer for Texas flood disasters.

Praise God, Bob is healed! Don just came in to tell me the Bobcat mechanic called him back and told him a trick or two to try and it worked--there was water in something or other and Don poured it out and Bob started right up. I have a very happy man, now. He is already off on Bob to clear some roads for the hunters. The grass is so darn high (what a wonderful problem to have) we can't find our roads.
We walked our three miles yesterday to mailboxes (well, almost....there were a few bulls roaming loose between the last cattle guard and mailboxes so we decided to turn around there as we really had no desire to deal with strange bulls. Was a good walk and nice to be doing it in cooler weather for a change.
That sums up my day so far--gotta go get clothes off the line--then think I will go admire the creek and count the sheep and goats. I just love fall weather and being at the ranch.

What can I say........

Just to forewarn you---I am at the ranch and it is a rainy, misty, day--the kind of day you sit inside and reflect on things and have time to write. So the following blogs might not be too entertaining or funny but are just some more ramblings from my mind. What can I say, you hafta write when the thoughts are flowing….

Cards and Notes

Let me begin with a disclaimer here---this posting is NOT meant to produce guilt or to chastise anyone, it is truly just me writing out my feelings and thoughts. I think it is important to do this because, well, we just can’t know how someone feels about things if they don’t voice it.


The older I get the more important cards and notes are to me. I can remember when I was younger (and broke) how silly I thought it was to spend so much on greeting cards. I mean, they ARE so ridiculously expensive, and I would think how the person would read it and toss it in the trash can--what a waste! I mean, a phone call would do just as good, right? But now that I am older and the kids are grown and away from home, all those thoughts have changed. And I can remember my mother exclaiming in a hurtful tone one time how I didn’t even send her a card on her birthday. I felt so awful…..I just didn’t think it was all that meaningful to her---until she said that and then later after her death when I discovered she had saved every single card I ever sent her as well as all the notes and cards from her grandkids.

I cherish every card and note I get--especially the home-made, hand written ones. I guess, I just need that concrete item to look at over and over again to remind me that I am loved and still important in other’s lives. My Bible is overflowing with notes and cards I have stuck in there to keep safe and with something that is always with me--I have notes scribbled on church bulletins from the kids when they were little, all sorts of messages. They are just all so precious to me. I want the phone calls on the special days but I need cards and notes, too. I love going to that mailbox around my birthday and Mother’s Day with gleeful anticipation of what awaits me there. A note of remembrance and love is the best gift ever!

Because of how strongly I feel about written correspondence I have tried to get in the habit of sending notes to friends and loved ones for no special reason but to let them know I care and they are important to me or they blessed me in some way or another--just words of encouragement. It is just such a special way to lift others up. We all need that---and it lifts up the sender as well. And don’t get me started on thank you notes. I used to put up such a fuss as a child when my mother would sit me down and force me to write thank yous for all my gifts. I hated it as a kid, dreaded it, thought it was so stupid. And I forced the same regimen on my children who had the same reactions. But now, I am ever so grateful for this training and have reaped the results of my training tactics when I now receive beautiful, tear-inducing thank you notes from my children. Those are the best! It is important to take time to thank people--in writing--for not only gifts they have sent you, but for anything special they have done for you or helped you with. Everyone needs to feel appreciated. No one likes to be ignored or taken for granted. It only takes such a few minutes of our time to lift someone up and make them feel worthwhile and good. So that is it.

All this to say that I LOVE getting cards and notes--they REALLY matter to me, therefore they probably do for everyone else reading this. I mean, if we all look so forward to reading blogs, how can we not look more forward to receiving a hand-written personal message from someone dear to us. No email or e-card can take the place of one that arrives to your real live home mailbox!

Flowers and Autumn colors

I love flowers! They just bring a smile to my face and delight to my soul. I love gorgeous fields of flowers and just single flowers. They are all just so unique and pretty--each with personalities of their own. Pansies are my very favorites, I think. But I really like sunflowers, morning glories, marigolds, roses, and on and on. When I see pretty flowers I just have to stop and take a picture of them. I keep a file of just flower pictures on my computer that I can go to when I just need cheering up.

My daughter, Beki, really surprised me on my birthday by having a cute square vase of all kinds of flowers delivered to me. She had called to see if I was going to be home on my birthday as something was coming for me----what fear that sent to my heart--as this is the daughter who once gave me a baby pig for Mother’s Day and on another birthday along with Amber gave me Birdie, my parakeet. So I had no idea what would greet me at the door and was very pleasantly relieved and delighted to find a bouquet of flowers--just the perfect size.
My grandson, Blaine, also presented me with flowers from his family--really pretty, tall ones, that I don’t know the name of but they last and last. And Jenny gave me a pen bouquet of pretty flowers--sunflowers and others--silk flowers attached to a pen so they look so pretty sitting by my phone. Now I will know who took the pen from the phone desk………

My favorite colors are the oranges, browns, yellows and reds of autumn. I just love them all mixed together. It was so wonderful to get married in the fall and be able to easily use those colors for our wedding and then to honey moon in New England with the lavish colorful landscapes all around us. I am already itching to go on a fall road trip to states that really have the autumn colors glowing everywhere. After reading my Country magazine I think I would love to go through Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania in the fall. Never been to those states much and the pictures in Country were glorious.

My sweet mother in law sent me a beautiful table runner, placemats, and towels all in fall colors and décor. I just love it and it looks so great on our long pine table--and Beki’s flowers and the Lichtenstein’s flowers just really top it off. So the picture above is showing off some of my delights.

Another Rainy Day

We are at the ranch and it is dark and rainy--not exactly a good day to bring in hay. But I do appreciate the cooler weather and can spend the day doing all sorts of indoor tasks. When I arrived yesterday the rain gauge was overflowing which means we had over 6 inches of rain since we left here less than a month ago. Never have I seen the grass so tall and green--it is just so beautiful. What a different summer this has been for us Texans who are used to August and September being blistering hot and dry. I sure do wonder what winter will be like.
My oldest grandson, Adam, is contemplating joining the Army reserves. That sure brings fear to a grandmother's heart. My first reaction was to tell him NO, NO, NO. I just do not want him in harm's way. But then I think how self-centered of me to want other people to send their loved ones to fight for our freedoms while mine are safe and protected at home. So I just pray for God to direct his steps and lead him down the path He wants him to go down. Another declaration of Thy will, not my will. But sometimes that is so hard to pray.....

Bummed

Ok--so I am really bummed here that no one has commented on my blog's new look. I mean, little ole computer illiterate me finally figured out how to do all this fancy stuff and was so proud of myself and nobody even noticed or commented. Woe is me. I worked so hard to get the picture shows right and I was so thrilled with the results so does nobody like it??? Has anyone even noticed??? I had already enlisted Amber's help with all this then the night before I was going to try to get together with her I sat down and just decided I could learn to do this and I stayed up late and did it and even if nobody else cares, I am very pleased with the results. So there. Now, I will go find a worm..........
I really am ok........just had to get all that off my chest. I think I am just missing having blogs to read. Tania, are you ever coming back??????/ And Gina, are you still alive? And Kara, has your new vacuum sucked you up along with the cat hair??? And Tammie, did you go after Jess' crush and now you are incarcerated? I got to see Amber (alias, Rainbow girl) and her hair looks great--no visible rainbows that I saw. She looked really pretty and showed me the awesome gift she made herself for her mom's and Jess's 10th anniversary. So many talented people in our family!!
We were at church from 9 til 6 today. Big changes goin on that I am real excited about. Our church life has been rather stagnant--no growth or outreach. We had a guest speaker train us in care ministries--ways to really reach out to those around us. About 70 people stayed for this training in team ministries. I am so excited to see how it will go.
We are headed to ranch tomorrow for a week or so to tend to projects down there. I will write more then--my head hurts now and words just won't come. So blog some, people, I miss you.

Jenny, how were the brownies????

Family

My Critters

My Super Grandkids

My Birthday

I had a great birthday! Most wonderful gifts were a beautiful, sweet card from my hubby and phone calls from all of my kids. It just feels so good to be remembered and get those calls. Don and I went shopping for a new couch for the living room (to replace my $10 one that has served us well for 8 years now). We found one we both liked and will probably order it soon. I am on the lookout for a comfy overstuffed big chair with ottoman that would go with a brown couch now so let me know if you see something like that---used would be nice. After our shopping we headed to the Bluebonnet for Mama's pot roast and a big piece of birthday pie. It was a yummy meal. That sums up my nice quiet happy birthday.
Had a great time over Labor Day with Micah and family. I was especially touched that the kids wanted to stay and spend the night so they did and we had great fun. They put on puppet shows which I video taped---that brought back to mind the many "shows" we taped put on by Amber, Adam, Beki, and Gina. And then I got a chance to play Clue with Elizabeth (WHO ALWAYS WINS) but this time somehow I managed to win. Anyway, it was a fun two days with the Lichs inspite of the rain that kept us inside.
That is just all of the excitement I have to report presently. Gina called and seems to be extremely happy with everything to do with college this year--even her classes and teachers. I told her she needed to get busy updating her blog.
And, uh, Jenny, we all know you are busy teaching and writing lesson plans ahead, and being kicked and punched by "no-name", but, uh, you have left us all hanging here waiting for the next installment of your romance novel. Please, maybe just a little update to pacify all of us......
And to Rainbow girl---yes, I will call you soon for help with my blog embellishment.
That's all folks. Thank you again for all my birthday calls and cards and gifts. I love you all!

Cat Resurrectiion

Don has a beloved cat, Pete, that he brought home from the ranch last year. It is a brother to our crazy cat, Lucy, that he became very attached to last fall when we were staying at the ranch. Pete loves to sleep on Don’s tummy when Don is in his recliner.

Well, yesterday I arrived home from the grocery store to find Don very sad and distraught as he told me he had found Pete dead under a tree in the front yard and had to bury him. He was just miserable. Before we left for San Antonio, our big old tomcat, Big Sir, had attacked Pete in a fit of jealousy, and Don was thinking maybe he had killed Pete since we had not seen Pete since we got back home on Wednesday. But Alisa had just talked to me on the phone Tuesday night and said Pete was reclining on her chest as we talked and he looked just fine. So I called Alisa to tell her of Pete’s demise and she was sad, too.

A couple of hours later, Don was out back grilling some chicken when he hollered out to me, “Julie, come look, Pete’s alive!”. Well, you can only imagine the scenes going through my mind…….Pete clawing his way out of his grave; had Don been snoozing and only dreamed he buried Pete?…..what was going on here? I rushed outside to observe Pete calmly eating from the cat food table healthy as can be.

So it turns out Don had buried a different cat that resembled Pete. You see, we have three cats that look very similar--one very wild one, one that thinks he is a guinea or duck and lives in the barnyard with them, and Pete. It turns out it was the wild one that was dead. We were both elated to have Pete back.

I phoned Alisa and exclaimed, “Alisa, Pete’s alive!” to which there was a very long silence as I am sure her mind was playing all the same scenarios as mine did.

Just another crazy day at the Barlow’s.

Tex Robertson and Hondo Crouch

I have been blessed to have known several well-loved Texas characters. One of them was Tex Robertson who was the owner/manager/mentor of Camp Longhorn. He died this week at the age of 98. I heard Cactus Pryor on the radio talking about the time when Tex was swim coach at UT and took a few of his students to Inks Lake and pointed across the lake to some beautiful land and stated that is where he wanted to build his camp. He told them he wanted them to go with him to look it over. They headed back to the car but he stopped them and said, oh no, we are going to swim across. It was the middle of January. But swim it they did and campers (including me) have been swimming that mile ever since.

Tex, his wife, and their five children were a dear part of my life those four years I attended Camp Longhorn. Tex had been an olympic swimmer in 1932 and built an olympic size pool where all of us were coached in swimming by him. He always had a smile on his face and treated you like his own kid. He was a daily vibrant part of camp. He loved kids and he loved his hill country camp and that beautiful Inks Lake that surrounded it. How many lives he must have touched over 50 years or more of running Camp Longhorn. I am blessed to have been one of those lives.

Another quaint Texas character I got to know at camp was Hondo Crouch--you might know him as the founder of Luckenbach, Texas. Hondo was a "character" in every sense of the word. A man who loved life, Texas, kids, and just havin a good time. He was a coach in the boys camp but also the horseback instructor for the girl's camp. He made it exciting. On our trail rides he could make you feel like Indians were hiding ready to attack from the next big granite mound. He would place arrowheads where we could "discover" them and tell us wild Texas tales like the time Sam Bass hid in Longhorn caverns. He would dress up in different crazy costumes and wander around camp just to thrill us and make us laugh. He was a man who loved life and people. As it turned out, I had another connection to Hondo. His sister, Mary, who lived in Corpus, was a very close friend of my mothers. Several times we were invited to their family place near Hunt on the Guadalupe river for the weekend. Hondo would be there keeping everybody laughing with his stories and antics as we swam and played in that clear beautiful river

\I am just honored and grateful that I had the pleasure of knowing two such colorful Texans.

Memory Lane: Camp Longhorn

When I was eleven my parents sent me to Camp Longhorn in Burnet county for a month. It was the best money they ever spent on me. I loved this beautiful camp tucked in the Texas hills on the banks of Inks Lake. I continued to go there for the next four summers. I lived with 11 other campers and two counselors in a screened cabin with metal bunk beds. The latrine (called the “library”) was a short walk away. There was no air conditioning--so on hot summer days we would put a water sprinkler on the metal roof of our cabin to help cool it down during rest time. We had eight activities a day: swimming was twice a day, then the rest you could choose from: crafts, riflery, archery, horseback riding, canoeing, sailing, skiing, and lots of other things. They taught us all about each aspect of the activity--you didn’t just get in and do it. Like for horseback riding--first we had to learn all the parts of a horse, the parts of the saddle and bridle and how to put them on correctly, and only then could we get on the horse and be taught to ride. It was just an excellent learning experience for me in skills as well as living and getting along with others. After all, I was an only child so learning to live side by side with others for a month was a challenge. But I loved it and I thrived.

The food was awesome--and boy could we eat. After all those activities I am sure anything would have tasted good. Camp is where I learned to drink iced tea without sugar--it took too long for the sugar to get passed to me and I was too thirsty so I just learned to enjoy it unsweetened and still do to this day. We always sang either the doxology or the Johnny Appleseed prayer (Oh, the Lord is good to me, and so I thank the Lord, for giving me the things I need, the sun and the trees and the appleseed, oh the Lord is good to me.”) before we ate. After lunch was mail call (great excitement here) and a rest time in our cabins. Then we had a snack and were off to afternoon activities, then supper, then campfire where we had a skit and sang songs.

Friday nights were movie nights where we gathered at an outside amphitheatre and were shown a current movie and had popcorn and cokes along with the Boys Camp(I saw the original PARENT TRAP with Haley Mills here at camp and each time I see a re-run of it I am reminded of this time). Then Saturday night was dance night where we got together with the boys camp for a dance. Sunday night was my favorite as we would get our flashlights and walk up to Church mountain--a big hill with a cross on top and bleacher seats around it. We would sing all the way up there, then sing hymns while there, and sing more camp songs all the way back down in the dark with our flashlights shining the way. It was just a time that really touched my heart.

When the month was up I was in tears--tears of gladness to see my parents again and tears of sadness to leave this place I loved so much and the new friends I had made. I always went through a lonely depression when I got home--a homesickness for camp. I was happy to be back home and with my family but I yearned for those wild, rugged hills.

Camp Longhorn remains a cherished memory of my heart. Who would have dreamed that I would now be living in Burnet county near that beloved place among the hills and dales. God knew how much that place meant to me and brought me back to it and I am so very thankful. YOU are awesome, Lord.

Back from San Antonio

Don and I just spent a week in San Antonio helping some of the flood victims from the rains of Tropical Storm Erin. We were excited about maybe getting sent to the mid-west for all the flooding and tornadoes going on there--but where do we get sent……San Antonio. We were a bit disappointed but, oh well…..we have always prayed for God to send us where he wants us to go, to who he wants us to help, ---not our will but His. This assignment was for Family Service, not driving the ERV. Family service is the function of Red Cross that meets with victims of a disaster and helps them financially with food, shelter, and clothing. Sometimes we can do things like pay security deposit and first months rent to get them into a new place to live if theirs was destroyed.

It turned out to be a great assignment. It was a small operation working out of the San Antonio Red Cross chapter. The job managers were a husband wife team that we worked with in Hurricane Ivan in ‘04 in Pensacola whom we greatly admired. They were so thrilled to see us. You see, national had only sent them 4 Red Cross people who happened to have been in San Antonio already staging for Hurricane Dean. These 4 had NO experience at all in the family service function (which is lots of paperwork and computer work). Don and I are both Family Service supervisors with lots of experience so we were very much needed. The next day some other trained workers arrived and we got an amazing amount of work done. The untrained workers had done the best they could put in the tough spot they were in but the paperwork was quite a mess. But we all worked well together , got the job done, and had fun in the process.

What happens after a week or so into the disaster is that people start talking and neighbors or family members find out that they got money from Red Cross and they didn’t (even though they had no storm damage) and our phones start ringing off the wall with people demanding we give them what their neighbors got. We even had to call the police on one woman who came to the chapter demanding money. It gets crazy. That is when you know it is time to shut down and leave town. Red Cross offers EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE--food, shelter, clothing (one set to wear, one to wash) to get you through the first week of the disaster. We are not an insurance agency there to replace all they lost. But people just don’t get this. It is a very fine line between helping people and keeping them from taking control of their own disaster recovery

For us this assignment was really helpful as we had been trained on how to use their new computer program for entering cases but had never gotten a chance to use it. We did lots of computer work and now feel very proficient with the program. It was just so great to have so much mentoring by our managers, Joanne and Don, who by the way are 78 and 79 years old. I just think it is so awesome that there are so many older people out there volunteering. There is so much we can learn from them. They were a fun couple and we sure enjoyed our time with them.. It was just a great assignment--great opportunity to hone our skills, make new friends and renew old friendships---and we got to have supper and a nice visit with Josh and Kara, too.