Just a Texas Nana

Our Youngest Child is 40 Today!

2012-01-15T22:06:00.001-06:00

I haven't posted anything in months. Life has been way too busy in our house and I don't know how that happens, it just does. One would think as we get older we have more time but I haven't found that to be true at all.

However I couldn't let this day pass without paying tribute to our daughter's 40th Birthday.

Happy Birthday Terri!

This is our daughter at about 6 months. She came in to this world moving and laughing all the time and she hasn't stopped yet! She manages to work full-time, be a fabulous single Mom, writes a sports blog about the Houston Astros, cooks amazing meals and has a food blog, makes unbelievable cakes that she creates for many of her friends special occasions, manages to have a Pumpkin Carving Party for families every year along with a popular and large Christmas Party known as the Night Before the Night Before and of course orchestrates a themed Birthday party for our grand daughters Birthday every year. This is just a start to what she manages to accomplish. As I am writing this it makes me tired just to think about all that she manages. We are very proud of her!

Here she is with one of her best friends, Ellen (on the right) that she has known since she was 5! Our daughter Terri is on the left and next to her is her daughter, our grand daughter.


Here she is with her daughter, my husband and myself and a long time good friend who is considered family. We celebrated this special day with many of her friends and their families at a favorite Mexican restaurant here in Houston we all have been going to for the past 35 years.

Family and friends are truly special blessings that are gifts given to us. Cherish your time that you spend with each and everyone of them.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Nana & Pap Camp 2011

2011-08-03T20:19:00.025-05:00

This year our annual summer Nana and Pap Camp with the grandchildren took us to Fort Walton and Destin Beaches in Florida. So we took off in the car picked up the boys halfway there and found a beautiful beach at the end of our journey. We had a condo right on the beach with a pool and shuffle board court. So we kept busy and enjoyed our days and evenings.

Clowning, swimming and enjoying the beach!

Beautiful beach with white sand and emerald green water!

At Big Kauna's Water park in Destin, Florida

Nice

Naughty

Kayaking

Enjoying the pool!

Oh My!

PLANKING!

MORE PLANKING!

Beautiful Sunsets and sky's!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Nana Camp for the Puppies!

2011-07-16T08:07:00.000-05:00

Maggie and Lucy

The past 2 1/2 weeks I had my daughter's puppy a little 5 pound Maltese by the name of Maggie who thinks she can take on any large dog. She is not shy at all! We have a 11 pound 1/2 toy poodle and 1/2 mystery puppy by the name of Lucy, who is a love bug and would be happy to sit in your lap all day long. They had a great time together and there was much activity in our house all day and evening long. The Puppy Prayer that I found says it all!

A Puppy's Prayer

Now I lay me down to sleep,

The king-size bed is soft and deep..

I sleep right in the center groove

My human being can hardly move!

I've trapped her legs, she's tucked in tight

And here is where I pass the night

No one disturbs me or dares intrude

Till morning comes and "I want food!"

I sneak up slowly to begin

my nibbles on my human's chin.

She wakes up quickly,

I have sharp teeth-

I'm a puppy, don't you see?

For the morning's here

and it's time to play

I always seem to get my way.

So thank you Lord for giving me

This human person that I see.

The one who hugs and holds me tight

And shares her bed with me at night!

Unknown

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

It is June Already!

2011-06-09T08:42:00.002-05:00

I keep thinking I need to update my blog and then life keeps getting in the way. I am not too sure where the month of May went. This is what I can remember we've been doing.....

We have been busy attending the Astros games, many, many Astros games. We have a great package and it is a fun family event.
We spent two days in Galveston over Memorial weekend.We enjoyed the new Rainforest Pyramid and all the water activities that have been updated and added. The Rainforest Pyramid has the most beautiful flowers and birds. I loved it!
We have been to Swim Meets each Saturday. Our youngest grandchild is a swimmer.
We have been enjoying our life going out with friends.
We have been missing our grandsons who will be coming in July!! We will be going for a great beach trip with all three grand kiddos.
Our grand daughter is out of school and the grand sons will be done this week. They are counting down the minutes.
Today is my daughter in laws birthday. Happy Birthday Colleen!
My husband will be having another (#5) surgery tomorrow.
My Birthday and our Anniversary is next week.
And lastly it is very, very HOT in Htown this year already. I can hardly wait until to August I can't imagine how hot it will be then.

So I will get a move on and start taking some pictures and writing a bit more. This is my favorite time of the whole year, heat and all. I love the water activities, the sun, barbecue and lemonade! You will be hearing from me once again!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

A get away to Fredericksburg!

2011-04-06T21:00:00.005-05:00

We have lived in Texas for many years however have never visited Fredericksburg Texas up in the hill country. So I made reservations for us to stay in a log cabin bed and breakfast. It really is all by itself and has a beautiful front porch looking out on to wild flower beds, a enclosed back porch with a private hot tub and the perks just went on and on. The home was just beautiful.

Of course the town has lots of shops and restaurants. Many old buildings and did I mention all the shops?

Then of course there are all the treasures and creatures as you drive through the hilly countryside.

It was great long weekend and one we will make again very soon! It was very different from living in the big city of Houston. The flowers were beginning to bloom and the weather was beautiful while we were there.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

It has been way too long!

2011-03-23T21:26:00.002-05:00

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Yes that is always my closing line however it has been busy, fast and unexpected in my life recently. My last month has been a whirlwind to say the least. There has been health issues with family members, Spring Break and Spring planting going on in my world along with running a company, planning vacations and playing with a very active puppy. I will be back with Spring Break pictures and info in a couple of days. Until then keep enjoying your life, your family and all that presents itself to you.

Good Ole' Comfort Food

2011-02-12T13:27:00.004-06:00

We were invited to a card game with friends on a cold winter's night!
Now that sounds really funny since we live in Houston, Texas but I must say this has been the coldest winter I have ever experienced here. So I wanted to bring something yummy to eat and something filling. So I thought about Mac and Cheese. I am not a mac and cheese kind of gal so I wanted something other than that yellow goo on macaroni. So I found this great recipe with one of my favorite cheeses in it and I will use it again!

GRUYERE MAC 'N CHEESE
6 tablespoons butter
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
4 1/2 cups white sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups gruyere cheese, grated
1 pound elbow macaroni

Heat the milk in a medium sauce pan, melt the butter and then add flour. Cook, whisking about 1 minute.

While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk. Continue whisking and cooking constantly until it becomes thick and bubbles.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dijon mustard, cheddar cheese and gruyere.

Cook the macaroni, rinse in cold water and then stir in to cheese sauce.

Pour in to a greased dish.

Bake until brown on top about 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

If you like things a bit spicy add a can of chopped green chilies.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Absoluto Sauce!

2011-01-31T18:54:00.007-06:00

Well that's what they may say in Italian however you would know it as Vodka Sauce! Now don't worry about the alcohol it is all cooked out. Or if you would like have a glass while you cook it could make the evening much more fun!

I bought my daughter an emersion blender over a year ago and have been wanting one. So when my daughter and I went shopping after Christmas for all the good deals, we found one on sale at Sur La Table. Now I just want to make this perfectly clear this was the only deal I bought after Christmas this year. (this is just in case my husband reads this however since it has nothing to do with the Steelers playing in the Super Bowl...) So I have had this little tool in the box that it came in, on a shelf since December 26th. I came home late this afternoon and was struggling with what in the world we would eat for dinner. Then I spotted a package of spinach ravioli's in the freezer. I didn't want a garlic sauce or an alfredo sauce or a marinara sauce. So I googled low fat vodka sauce and read a few and used a little from this and a little from that. Here is what I did!

I started with the chopped canned tomatoes. Added garlic, italian seasoning, basil, onion, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Cooked it down for about 30 minutes. Then I opened the box to my new emersion blender and tried to figure out how to use it. So I plugged it in, put it in to the pot and pressed the button. The whole time I was praying that tomato goo would not be whirled all over my kitchen. The blender worked and not a drop was sent anywhere other than the pot! Success!

Then I added the vodka and cooked it some more. Then the parm cheese went in and I decided after cooking it for a while I need to use that blender I was getting acquanited with one more time!

I then got out my big pot added water and salt and waited for it to boil. Then the ravioli's went in for a very hot bath. Once they were cooked in about 6 minutes they were drained and placed in a bowl with a little vodka sauce. It was a great meal and one we will do again. Here is the recipe I came up with. Enjoy!

Low Fat Vodka Sauce
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 1/2 cup onion, chopped
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 2 -28 oz can diced chopped tomatoes

(do not drain)
· ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon Vodka
· 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
· 1/2 teaspoon basil
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon pepper
· 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
· 3/4 cup fat free half & half
· ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

This sauce is usually put over penne pasta, however it sure was good over the ravioli!

Enjoy!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas !

2010-12-18T17:45:00.009-06:00

Even at my house!
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Ev'rywhere you go;
Take a look in the five and ten glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Toys in ev'ry store
But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be
On your own front door.

I love Christmas time. The Christmas cards, the baking of wonderful goodies, The great smells coming from the kitchen, the wrapping of pretty packages with great bows, Christmas parties with friends, time spent with family and the remembering and celebration of the birth of our Lord!

Families have traditions and ours is not an exception. There are those favorite cookies baked every year. The cookie decorating done every year with my grand daughter, who is the decorating queen! The Children's Christmas Service on Christmas Evening, cookies and milk left out for Santa, opening one gift on Christmas Eve, decorating the house inside and out and then the celebration Christmas morning.

This year we have added an extra stocking for our newest member of the family. Lucy doesn't have a clue what it is. All she wants is her food, someone to play with her and her toys and to go out for walks. Yes, Lucy is our puppy who is 6 months old.

This is one of my favorite things to bring out at Christmas. My husband made this Nativity set many years ago. It is made in many pieces like a puzzle all with different wood stains. It is my favorite!

My grand daughter making her ginger bread train! She did get to enjoy a few candies along the decorating way!

Here is the finished train! It will make a great centerpiece on the dining table!

Here are the cookies we decorated. We made sugar cookies and gingerbread men. Don't they look great!

I also made some chocolate chip snowball cookies.
There is still more to bake, green tree cookies and pumpkin bread so the next few days the smells in my kitchen will be wonderful.

I hope you and your family are enjoying the preparations of this great holiday and taking time to reflect on all your wonderful blessings!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Thanksgiving Blessings!

2010-12-03T07:27:00.005-06:00

Thanksgiving is a time For reviewing what we treasure, The people we hold dear, Who give us so much pleasure.

This year we traveled to Lancaster PA to have Thanksgiving with our son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons. Our daughter who lives near us traveled up too so we had a great family Thanksgiving! There were lots of laughs, and I do mean lots of laughs. Lots of great food thanks to our daughter-in-law and to our daughter who is a fantastic cook. So for me it was a really relaxing and stress free trip which is a great way to spend Thanksgiving with family. We of course did the usual things like enjoy the PA cheese steak Stromboli, watch lots of football games, played fun games that some family members who will remain nameless didn't play by the rules but I must say they gave us a great laugh! After Thanksgiving day the Christmas decorations came out and we all got in to the act with helping put the tree up. Pictures were taken for Christmas cards and my favorite is one that I know will not be on the Christmas card.
So I will let the pictures tell the story......

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Yummy Healthy Pasta Dish

2010-11-13T10:31:00.004-06:00

Let me first say I LOVE pasta. All kinds of pasta and sauce will do for me. Especially if there is shrimp and garlic involved! Now I don't usually post recipes I leave that to http://agirlinthesouth.blogspot.com she is a fantastic cook, yes she is my daughter but she still is a great cook. I use to cook a lot and make all sorts of things using new recipes to try out on the family. Then the kids grew up and it was just me and my husband. So now I stick to quick, easy and fast as we are always on the go. So with that being said, when I saw this recipe I had to try it and I am so glad I did.

Garlic Shrimp Linguine

1 pound linguine

1 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoon white wine

2 teaspoon parmesan cheese

3 gloves of garlic

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound medium shrimp peeled

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil . Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, then drain.
In a medium sauce pan melt butter over medium low heat, add wine, cheese and garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat 3 to 5 minutes stirring frequently.
Increase heat to medium high , add the shrimp to skillet. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the shrimp turns pink.
Divide pasta into portions and spoon sauce on top; garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

When I decided to make this dish I didn't have any linguine in the house all I had was rigatoni's so I used that. After making the sauce I could tell it would be very little on each portion so I tripled the sauce portion and it was perfect. Especially with using a heavier type of pasta.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 287 | Total Fat: 4.9g | Cholesterol: 77mg

JUST A TEXAS NANA

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

LUCY!

2010-09-23T11:30:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted in ages. I never finished the July Nana Camp Saga.
All I can say is Nana camp was fun filled and everyone got very spoiled.

Then August came and I moved to a new office about 4 miles away from
the old one. That took up more time than I ever imagined but the new
office is great!

Sometime in August I received a text telling me all about a little puppy that needed a home.Well six weeks later and she is ours. Her name is Lucy which is perfect. She is very active and adorable. Her mother was a poodle so we know for sure she is half poodle. The other half, well is a mystery. She is now 3 months old and weighs 3 pounds.

Why? You may ask did we get a dog? Well we have thought about it for
a long time and then always said, "we travel too much", "we really don't
want that responsibility", and many more things. The bottom line is
we really missed having a dog around no matter what all the draw backs
may be. So here is Lucy.........................................................................

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Day 3 of Nana & Pap Camp

2010-07-18T07:25:00.007-05:00

Saturday started with Aunt T coming by in the morning and she took all the kiddo's to the Galleria shopping for new swimming goggles, games and a Dylan's Candy Bar fix.

Then we were off for a fun afternoon at...

Circus costume fun!

Clowning around...

Refreshments including the never ending snow cone!

Then being the great responsible grandparents that we are we took the kiddo's for a well balanced dinner to The Chocolate Bar! Where the Wee One in a very loud voice announced, "Nana and Pap this is an awesome dinner!" There were a few chuckles in the room.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Nana & Pap Camp DAY 2

2010-07-17T10:02:00.002-05:00

Friday was day two of Nana & Pap Camp. I am a day behind. Shocker!
The morning began with Wii and Art. This is what I see most of time
going on in my living room. They love the Wii!

Then we put on our swimming suits and headed out for lunch and to the
pool. We went to a great place for burgers and fries that is down the street
from our pool.

Then it was time to have some water fun and cool
off from the heat.

Pap arrived home early to begin his week of vacation
with all of us. We invited Aunt T and some friends over
to enjoy great ribs for dinner and then to see the movie Avatar.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

NANA & PAP Camp Has Begun!

2010-07-16T17:17:00.007-05:00

DAY 1
The Older One and Middle One (grandsons) flew in from PA late Wednesday night to H town. (Houston) So Thursday was a lazy day. Lots of Wii a few errands, a Mexican lunch out since they love it and then a trip to camp to pick up Wee One (grand daughter). We then went to Wee Ones house (Aunt T live there too!) to play for a while before going out for another Mexican meal! The boys want to get their Mexican fix while here. This will be a fun packed 10 days. Circus on Saturday, packing up and traveling to the beach on Sunday where they will be until Friday and Saturday.

Middle One had to try to get through the doggie door.
No, he could not fit. However........

Wee One made it through! A new
trick learned from her older cousin.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

School Is Out....Let The Fun Begin!

2010-06-06T07:53:00.003-05:00

School lets out early here in Houston. The kids have been out of school for a week. Camp has begun and the pools are open. I attended a schools out pool party and I will let the pictures tell it all. The kids had a blast and the parents and grand parents stayed in the pool to stay cool. A fun time was had by all!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

LAX Boy #28!

2010-05-19T10:13:00.015-05:00

Our second grandson is a Lacrosse Player and a
really great one! He loves the sport.
So AJ this blog is all about you.

It waits in my room. Bundled up in its case.

The dirt smudged along its head after a log day of practice. It waits for game day.

The shaft, so supple in my fingertips
as I slowly trace the argyle patterns

I leap with the stick held high.
With a snap of my wrist
the ball is in my head pressed against the laces,

like a fly in a spiderweb,frozen in my pocket.

I dodge, I spin, I fake a pass.
I cradle around the opponent, my stick above my ear.
My wrists moving at hyper-speed.
Around the crease my stick and I go shoooo
my stick whistles when it slices through the air.
Thwack
the ball smacks the net.
Tweeeeet
the referee’s whistle blows.
Goal for Scarborough!
I march back to the center,
my stick in hand,
head held high,
ready to do it all again.

I love this Lacrosse Player! He will be in Junior High next year!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Run, Run, Run!

2010-05-03T07:46:00.004-05:00

Our oldest Grandson is a runner at Hempfield High School in Landisville, PA. Now running can be defined as a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing a human to move rapidly on foot. It is also defined as, at some point all feet are off the ground at the same time. I am not a runner and never have been a runner. As a matter of fact walking is taxing enough for me. So the joy of seeing this wonderful young man run is beyond words. The miles may keep us away most of the year but the pictures say it all!

I love the green shoes!

I LOVE this runner!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Spring Break 2010

2010-03-22T18:48:00.005-05:00

Spring Break is always a fun time! For years I have traveled to Lancaster, PA to spend time with our grandson's as their parents vacation this time of year. They are always (the parents) excited to get somewhere or anywhere where it is warm and the sun is out. However this year due to the weather there was no time off in PA. No time for grandkids or parents. Actually the kids don't really get a spring break. I think they save those days for snow days. So this year I remained at home in Houston with the milder weather. So Spring Break was spent with our 8 year old grand daughter who lives here in Houston, Texas. So this year we planned a staycation. She arrived at my home (6 miles away) on Monday with a runny nose and not feeling 100% so we changed the activities up a bit and allowed for some down time. (I must say Nana was very excited to have a slower pace)! I guess the older you get the slower you get! That is what I hear from the little angel that I entertained for a week.

So Monday we made a short shopping trip off to.......

Yes you guessed it we were off to Target to get some cold medication and an art project to work on. I love Target and my grand daugher loves Target so we had a great time shopping. We weren't gone long and made it home in time to walk over to our favorite restaurant, Mission Burrito and enjoyed a fun and great lunch. Then it was home to rest and do art projects.

On Tuesday we were off to Chelsea Street Market Children's Theater to see Junie B. Jones. I had been very lucky to get two tickets a few weeks ago as it sold out fast. It was a great production and we laughed and had a great time. Of course it was raining cats and dogs so we walked over to the Chelsea Street Grill and had a wonderful and relaxing lunch. Then we stopped on the way home at the Art Store and then on to Staples to get some new stuff for when school returned. The Weeone loves new binders and folders just like her Mother use too. So of course Nana obliged!

On Wednesday I think I had a crazy moment and decided we would head off to the Children's Museum which is a wonderful and fun place. However at Spring Break it is a crazy place with way too many people! There had to be at least a trillion people! We still found some fun. We went over to the area were you can vote and become a stock broker. She had a great time with the voting machine and made lots of money buying and selling stocks. Perhaps Pap and I need to rethink our current Stock Broker!
Then we were off to the Grocery store where she stocked shelves and bought lots of groceries. Then of course she wanted to try her hand at being a waitress in the Lunch Grill. It was great fun with her taking orders, bringing the food and serving me with the bill. What is really great about the Children's Museum here in Houston is that the children sign up for the job, log in their time and then they receive a pay check. The pay check can be deposited in the ATM machines they have there on their bank card. So they have the wonderful experience of learning work= paycheck = going to the bank and seeing the total money earned. It is a great experience!

Then on Thursday we were off to Young at Art a great place to paint pottery near our home. The Weeone picked a teapot with teacup to paint. We were there for a few hours and had a great time painting and being creative! Even Nana found a butter dish to paint and had lots of fun!

Friday I was off to work and Pap was off to enjoy the Weeone. So he was excited to take her off to a near by park with a lake to try out her new fishing rod he had bought for her Birthday. They were gone for hours fishing and then lunching. No fish were caught however they had lots of stories to tell when I arrived home. They went to a great park off of 290 called Bane Park it is a 20-acre facility with barbecue grills, picnic pavilions, picnic tables, two lighted ball fields, a five-acre handicap-accessible fishing lake, gazebo, horseshoe pits, paved walking trail, playground, rock climbing wall, sand volleyball court & splash pad. It was a great week and much fun was had by all!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Guess Who is 8!

2010-03-16T15:37:00.008-05:00

Our youngest grandchild, our sweet grand daughter was 8 years old on March 8th. Due to scheduling her Birthday Craw-fish Boil Party was this past weekend. It has become a tradition to have a Craw-fish boil every year on her Birthday. It was the perfect day to be outside enjoying friends, family, the trampoline and eating those great mud bugs! Of course there was some great Birthday cake for all to enjoy!

Our daughter makes the best cakes ever! They are beautiful but taste even better.

I love this picture!

Happy 8th Birthday!

Pap cooked the mud bugs this year. He did a great job and we had plenty.

Three batches were prepared and enjoyed by all.

Mmmmmmm! You have to love the finished product. A great time was had by all. The party did not end here. There was a small slumber party afterwards. However Nana and Pap went home to relax and put our feet up after a full day of activities, great food and wonderful fellowship.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Arizona

2010-02-25T10:29:00.007-06:00

We drove from Houston TX to Carefree AZ. It was a great trip. We had never driven through west TX so it was a surprise to see the hills and mountains. Here are some pictures of the sights we saw along the way and while we were there. Yes, they are all of landscape. I love the mountains, cactus, and the architecture of the southwest. It is so different from what we see here in Houston, TX. We enjoyed our time there at an Art Show, shopping for pewter and jewelry. We also enjoyed the South West crafts that were every where. Then of course there are the wonderful restaurants that we had no problem finding.

This was painted on the side wall at an exit we stopped at in New Mexico on our way to AZ.

This is the what we saw as we looked all around us.

This where we stayed for a week. It was a lovely place and we enjoyed our time greatly with our cousins. We were on the first floor of this condo.

Yes, it says THE HORNY TOAD it is a fun restaurant in Carefree AZ. The funny thing is that down the street there is another restaurant called the Satisfied Frog!

This is the beautiful scenery we saw on the way home. It was a great and fun trip and I am so glad we drove it so we could enjoy the beauty of that part of our great country.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

I Love It!

2010-02-04T15:39:00.009-06:00

My daughter announced last week that she was going to give me my Mother's Day/Birthday Gift in the next week. As she said it my grand daughter giggled and stated that's because I am going to blurt it out. I just can't keep this one a secret for very long Nana! My daughter then explained to me that she made the mistake of telling her daughter what she was getting me and she is so excited with this gift she is having difficulty keeping it a secret. Well now I know why she was excited and had a hard time keeping it a secret.

I LOVE IT! IT IS....

Yes a Kindle! I have been wanting one but like many of us I didn't want to spend the money for something I didn't know if I would like and would use. Just in case you too aren't sure, it is great!

Lightweight and thin enough to travel with you. Saves the page where you left off and easy to read. The best part is you can adjust the font size which is most important to me. So I went and bought this for the Kindle....

I wanted to buy a case for it to travel in and to hold when reading so now I am set!

I belong to a book club and we are reading The Help! I am only 1/3 of the way through it and enjoying the read immensely. It reminds me of my childhood days and our housekeeper that lived with us when I was growing up. Nora was a big part of our lives and someone I loved dearly. Reading this book gives me a great insight to life and the changes that have occured just in my life time. Anyway reading it on the Kindle makes it just that much better. So thank you so much to my daughter and grand daughter. Wee one I am so glad you couldn't keep the secret! This will be great to take with me on our trip next week to NM and AZ.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Gone Fishing!

2010-01-20T11:19:00.004-06:00

GREAT DAY!

NO FISH, BUT LOTS OF SNACKING & FISH STORIES!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T19:06:00.011-06:00

We started the holidays by leaving our home in Houston TX on the 22ND of December and heading to Lancaster PA. Of course there were stops along the way. We spent the first night in Birmingham AL and I must say I really like that town they are so friendly. On our way to our second stop we started to see lots of snow in VA and beautiful snow top mountains.

Of course we saw the snow blows out too! Not a common site here in Houston!
The second night we spent in Hagerstown MD to see Richard's cousins and some of my favorite people. Then on to Lancaster, we arrived around 11 am. Of course we had to unload the sleigh which takes all of us a while to get it all in the house. We then visited and got ready for Christmas Eve church. We went to the 3pm Children Service which seems to be the same each time we go. Then on to my daughter-in-law parent's home to enjoy a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner and fellowship. This year during dinner I began to worry about our youngest child as she was on her way to Denver CO to visit a friend. With the wicked weather we were concerned when we had not heard from her after her arrival time. So I sent a text in the middle of dinner which was a no, no but what is a Mother to do. We left there to go home to relax a bit and finish up all the last minute things before the next morning. The door bell rang and a friend of my son and daughter in law's was at the door declaring she had a delivery from Santa. But before she could make the delivery we all needed to be present. Of course my dear husband was still upstairs going at a snail's pace. Finally he came down and the big delivery was revealed. Our daughter and her puppy came through the door yelling SURPRISE! We were all shocked except her partner in crime (our daughter-in-law) everyone else was clueless. It was a great and wonderful Christmas gift to have her there with all of us. The next morning we woke up to lots of presents, lots of food and lots of fun.

The new puppies in our family had a great time too! They both came in to our family on the same day even though they are about 2 weeks a part in age. The brown one is a Morky (Maltese and Yorkie) her name in Abby. The white one is a Maltese and her name is Maggie. They are so much fun and they had fun playing.

After we left Lancaster PA we headed to Knoxville TN for a night and then on to Nashville TN. Neither one of us had ever been there so we were excited to see the city of Nashville. We found out before we left that our neighbors would be there the very same night. So we all stayed at the historical Hermitage Hotel which was absolutely beautiful. Then off we went for a fun night on the city.
This is the State Capital of Nashville TN which we could see right out our hotel window. What a beautiful sight that was. Then we headed back to Houston to do Christmas all over again. We got back very late on the 30th so the 31st we celebrated Christmas once again!
Then later that day or evening I should say we celebrated New Year's Eve. However do to all the traveling our toast and celebration was rather early. On the 2ND of January we were off to see the Disney Rock in Road Show.
Then to finish up the holiday I took our grand daughter on 1/4/10 to see Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. It was great fun and great way to finish our holiday celebrations.

So to all of you I say, "Happy New Year" and may all your dreams and wishes come true this year. For each of you I wish a Happy and Healthy New Year! It is good to be home and get back in to our routine. Of course we will be leaving again for another road trip the middle of Feb. More to be revealed later.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Run, run as fast as you can!

2009-12-13T13:33:00.005-06:00

"Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me,

I'm the gingerbread man."

Every year I bake Gingerbread Men and decorate them for the holidays. This year is no exception. However, I now have help with the decorating. My 7 year old grand daughter loves to help especially if it involves frosting of any type. So I no longer care if the cookies are decorated a certain way. I let her be as artistic and creative as she wants to be. So this year some of the Gingerbread Men are wearing belts and have lots of frosting on them.

Uh oh! Well most of the icing went on the cookies. We had to keep stopping to wash hands since someone loved eating the frosting! What a fun afternoon!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Christmas Baking and Family Traditions

2009-12-04T15:24:00.011-06:00

Those of you who know me know I am big on Family Traditions. I believe every family needs to start their own traditions and bring a few with them from their family of origin. Our family makes Christmas Cookies every year. As the family has grown the assortment of cookies has grown. Each member seems to like a certain type of cookie as their favorite. However there is one cookie that defines our family and has been a tradition for as long as I can remember. It also happens to be our oldest son's favorite cookie and a favorite to our daughter too! When our son was young he would call them Permanent Press Cookies. Yes, I am talking about Cookie Press Cookies. Our recipe is a little different but the cookies are wonderful and can be addicting. In our family they have to be "green trees." Believe me I have tried using other shapes and colors however some members make it very clear they have to be "green trees!"
Quick Mix Spritz Cookie Press Cookies
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 baking powder
1 cup shortening (butter brand)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon

Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together in a bowl. With a pastry blender or two knives cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture is full of very fine lumps.
Measure the egg in a measuring cup. A large egg will measure 1/4 cup. If it does not, add water to the 1/4 cup line. Add the egg, vanilla and cinnamon and food coloring if you like. Put mixture in cookie press and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

I love to bake and usually bake every ones favorite each year we spend Christmas with that Family. We (Nana & Pap) alternate homes each year so that the Grandchildren can remain in their own homes for Christmas. This year we are headed to Lancaster, PA to spend Christmas with our two grandsons, daughter-in-law and our son. So I have been busy baking. Our oldest grandson loves Skor/Heath bit cookies. However I can never find the Skor or heath bits here in Houston. I have one more store to check out if they don't have them I will order them from Amazon.com. Our youngest grandson loves the green trees but his favorite is Chocolate Chip. Then our grand daughter loves Gingerbread men and Sugar cookies (which I will show on my next blog posting. She is coming over to help decorate the Snowman Sugar Cookies and the Gingerbread Men.)
Our daughter-in-law loves English Toffee Bars that I make her when we go up to PA. I love these too and they are super easy and taste very rich.
One Pan Toffee Bars
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup margarine
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 egg yoke
2 cups Bisquick
1 1/4 cups mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup (or more chopped pecan nuts)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix brown sugar, margarine, vanilla & egg yoke. Put in an ungreased 13 X 9 pan. Bake until light brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips. Let stand until chips are softened (3-4 minutes).Sprinkle with nuts. Makes about 32 bars.

Another tradition for me is giving gifts of Pumpkin Bread each year to neighbors, friends and family. I have tried many different recipes but my favorite is the simplest. It is loved by many. Try it and you too will love it too!

One Pan Pumpkin Bread
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup pumpkin
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 1/3 cups bisquick
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
(You can add 1/2 cup raisins and nuts to taste) I never add these since I give it for gifts. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of loaf pan. Mix all ingredients. Bake until wooden pick or knife inserted in center comes out clean. Bake about 45 minutes-55 minutes in a loaf pan. If making mini pans about 25-30 minutes will do. **I double the recipe so I can use the entire can of pumpkin.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Gobble, gobble, it's cookie day!

2009-11-25T20:02:00.008-06:00

Yes, I said cookie day.
My grand daughter made turkey cookies last year with me and she asked to do it again this year. The only difference this year was she did all the decorating all by herself. We made the sugar cookies large and small so we could have different size turkeys. Then she began the decorating right away.

She used mini chocolate chips for the eyes, candy corn for the feathers and orange gel to draw the legs and beak.
I think she did a great job.

After dinner this evening she helped to set the table for our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.

She folded our embroidered Thanksgiving napkins, and set the table with great enthusiasm and
pride. Then she made wonderful name cards for everyone.

We will be frying turkeys tomorrow and making all kinds of wonderful food.

Happy Thanksgiving! Real abundance is found when we join hands with those we love.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

What have we been doing?

2009-11-17T20:53:00.006-06:00

It all started with wanting a new light for our powder room. I bought it and went out one night to come back home to be told that the light could not be centered for many reasons that I won't go in to right now. So my engineering man decided that the mirror would have to come down, we would have to buy a new one and move it over under the light. Which also meant that we would remove the sink, get a new one and move it over. Which meant a new faucet and new counter tops and new back splash since we were completely remodeling. What I am trying to say is, putting up a light meant re-doing everything in the powder room.

I always wanted a vessel sink so now was my opportunity. We have been busy for almost two weeks doing a little at a time. We are almost done! I had some river rocks left over from another project and I had some small glass block that I thought would be perfect for the back splash. So here it is......

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

La Pain

2009-10-29T23:01:00.011-05:00

In french they call it La Pain.
Here in the states we say Bread!
I love making good bread. I think it started when I was a little girl and my grandmother would come and make the best ever cinnamon rolls from scatch. I felt like I was in heaven. I loved the making, the smelling the wonderful aroma as it baked and of course the best part was the tasting. I loved being in the kitchen with her and helping, so I have passed this tradition on to my grandchildren. They all love to help me in the kitchen when I am baking. What a gift my grandmother gave me to pass on. This bread is my favorite it is a recipe I got from our cousins for Honey Wheat Bread with no sugar or preservatives. It bakes in the bread machine and as my grand kids say it is "Awesome!"

Honey Wheat Bread

1 egg at room temperature plus enough water to equal 1 cup
2 T oil
3 T honey
1 1/2 t salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 bread machine yeast

Bread Trivia

It takes 9 seconds for a combine to harvest enough wheat to make about 70 loaves of bread.

Each American consumes, on average, 53 pounds of bread per year.

One bushel of wheat will produce 73 one-pound loaves of bread.

Early Egyptian writings urged mothers to send their children to school with plenty of bread and beer for their lunch.

Breaking bread is a universal sign of peace.

Bread is closely tied to religious expression and communion. Hot cross buns commemorate Lent and Good Friday, Greek Easter breads are set with eggs dyed red to denote the blood of Christ, and Jewish families celebrate the coming of the Sabbath on Friday evening with challah (a light, airy yeast bread made of six long strands of dough which are braided to form one large loaf).

In 1997, Kansas wheat farmers produced enough wheat to make 36.5 billion loaves of bread, or enough to provide each person on earth with 6 loaves of bread.

Farmers receive approximately 5 cents (or less) from each loaf of bread sold.

Bread is probably the one food eaten by people of every race, culture and religion.

Napoleon gave a common bread its name when he demanded a loaf of dark rye bread for his horse during the Prussian campaign. "Pain pour Nicole," he ordered, which meant "Bread for Nicole," his horse. To Germanic ears, the request sounded like "pumpernickel," which is the term we use today for this traditional loaf.

In Britain, the ceremony of First Footing is traditionally observed in the early hours of New Year's Day. A piece of bread is left outside a door, with a piece of coal and a silver coin, and is supposed to bring you food, warmth and riches in the year ahead.

The "pocket" in pita bread is made by steam. The steam puffs up the dough and, as the bread cools and flattens, a pocket is left in the middle.

One bread superstition is that if you put a piece of bread in a baby's cradle, it will keep away disease.

The fastest "bun" in the West goes to a team of bakers from Wheat Montana Farms and Bakery who reclaimed the Guinness World Record in 1995. They harvested and milled wheat from the field and then mixed, scaled, shaped and baked a loaf in exactly eight minutes, 13 seconds.

Murphy's Law dictates that buttered bread will always land buttered-side down.

Bread is inexpensive. At an average cost of about $2 a loaf, bread is a strong nutrition value for the dollar.

Scandinavian traditions hold that if a boy and girl eat from the same loaf, they are bound to fall in love.
In Russia, bread (and salt) are symbols of welcome.

Superstition says it is bad luck to turn a loaf of bread upside down or cut an unbaked loaf.

Legend has it that whoever eats the last piece of bread has to kiss the cook.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Homecoming 2009!

2009-10-18T14:36:00.007-05:00

COLLIN last night when you said your prayer,
And your clothes were folded on the chair,
And your mom switched off the light,
You were still four years old last night.
But, from the very break of day,
Before the children rose to play,
Before the darkness turned to gold,
Today, you're now Fourteen years old.

It seems like yesterday our Grandchildren were being born. Now as I look at each of them they are growing before our eyes. The days rush by so fast. Last night our oldest Grandson Collin went to his first High School Homecoming in PA. We talked to him this afternoon and he says he had a good time and that is what it is all about!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Hello October!

2009-10-13T06:47:00.006-05:00

The conference I was working on is over, the weather is a bit cooler and a great holiday is on it's way. My house is all decorated up for Halloween.

B O O !

So now the challenge is what do I blog. I have been to the zoo with our granddaughter and have some great pics and then there was the National Night Out and I have some great pics of that too~ However I do believe I will share some of my pictures I have taken recently of nature and animals. I love those kind of pictures. They speak to me. Enjoy!

I love flowers and found these beauties at the zoo.

I love flamingos!

I wonder....

God's Art!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

MAS*H

2009-09-25T11:52:00.003-05:00

No I haven't joined the military however my house sure looks like I have. I will spare everyone the pictures of what my grandkids room looks like at this time. So what in the world am I talking about?

Every year here in Houston the Houston Chapter of the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals has a conference. It is a great opportunity for networking with peers in the field, seeing old friends and receiving CEU's for workshops. There is a different theme each year. This year the theme is MASH which means for our conference, Mental Health, Addiction, Service and Hope. It is honoring and addressing the issues of our military as they return home. I am on the conference committee and in charge of decorations this year. I have done this before and held many different conference chair postions through out the years along with being part of the faculty. This year's theme has been a bit of a challenge for decorations. However they are all done, packed and ready to be put in the car and delivered to the hotel on Sunday. The conference is Oct. 2-4. So I am telling you all of this because my blog will have to sit and wait until after this conference for some interesting and fun postings!
<

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Good ole' comfort and great food!

2009-09-16T18:25:00.004-05:00

Our daughter Terri invited us over for dinner Monday night. She had some wonderful pork chops she had a marinated in applesauce and put on the grill. She also had made a wonderful apple coleslaw (which I could NOT stop eating) and then she made Potato Pancakes! Now Potato Pancakes are something we have cooked and served in our family for many years. However some how some way we have not been making them the past couple of years. It may be there was NO weight watcher recipe for them. Shame on them! They are like a good ole' friend a comfort that just tastes and feels good.

The rest of family enjoyed them with cinnamon and I enjoyed them with a healthy glob (is that a word?) of light sour cream. No matter how one chooses to adorn them they are so very, very good. My husband and I have not stopped talking about them since Monday night. So thank you Terri! We will have to remember to fix them a little more often. They were great!

POTATO PANCAKES
2 cups peeled and shredded potatoes
1 tablespoon grated onion
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup peanut oil

<

GO STEELERS!

2009-09-11T07:24:00.020-05:00

Yes, it is Football season once again!

We are ready for some Steelers Football!

I am married to a wonderful man who grew up in Pittsburgh. I guess the saying is you can take the man out of Pittsburgh but you will never take Pittsburgh out of the man. So our entire family including children and grandchildren are all Pittsburgh Steeler Fans. Hats, shirts, pants, terrible towels and flags all come out once again and will be worn and displayed with great pride. Of course there will be football food and drink!

Of course there should be great pride in a team that has won the Super Bowl 6 times!

Last nights game was great!

Tennessee Titans 10-Pittsburgh Steelers 13

Next game: @ Chicago Bears, Sep 20 4:15pm ET

School Days!

2009-08-31T12:57:00.011-05:00

There was a 9th Grade Class that had a boy,

And Collin was his name-O!

There was a 6th Grade Class that had a boy,

And Andrew was his name-O!

There was a Second Grade Class that had a girl,

And Sabrina was her name-O!

The grandchildren are back in school.

The youngest one is on week 2 and the boys first day was today!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Downtown Aquarium Houston Texas

2009-08-21T19:03:00.016-05:00

Our grand daughter got an award from school for a buy one entrance ticket-get one free for the The Aquarium. Houston, TX. The summer has gone so fast with many activities and we didn't get a chance to go the Aquarium until today. Which worked out perfect since school starts on Monday. So this will be our last Whoopee Do with her before school starts!

We headed out to the Aquarium and arrived at 10 am. Of course it was a good ole' Houston day with a high temp and higher humidity. We bought our tickets and off we were to see all there was to see and ride.

We went through the exhibit area and there was much to see to that live in the sea. Pap and I love the sea and our grand daughter shares our interest and amazement. We looked and awed at all there was and then we went back again!
What is there not to love when you see creatures from the sea that are as beautiful as this!

Then of course there is always the perfect photo op!

How did she do this? She is under the water in a bubble! Such a trick, but we will not tell!

Now I am not sure how the white tigers became a part of this aquarium but they are beautiful. This is NOT one of them but another part of the photo ops that this little one loves. It is all about pushing a button and getting in to place. When you are 7 there seems to be small life pleasures in things so simple!

Then it was off to the outside to do the rides. We went on the Ferris Wheel which goes up high and and you can see all of the downtown Houston. It is loved by many but I am not such a great fan. The heights are not my friend which brings laughter from our dear grand daughter.

We rode the train and then it was off to the Carousel. For many, many trips around and around. There seems to be something magical about the Carousel for young and old.

Then this little angel convinced her grandfather in to giving her money for the basketball toss. Well the joke was on the grandparents. The second throw she dunked the basketball and won the stuffed animal. This was now a happy young lady. She also happened to now be hungry so we went in to the restaurant which is surrounded by many fish tanks to entertain. We had a wonderful meal in the cool a/c temps and then returned outside too cool off in the fountain before returning home. It was a great and wonderful day and a great way to end the summer before the school days begin!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

I Love the Bahamas!

2009-08-17T07:25:00.045-05:00

We just returned from a 7 day cruise. We had a wonderful time and after being home less than 24 hours I am so wishing we were back on the cruise ship. There is a lot to be said about not worrying about meals both cooking and cleaning up, no laundry, no scale, no phone, no mail, no errands and NO Worries! The only stress of the whole trip was looking on the TV in our stateroom and finding our sign and sail bill amount. Life was stress free and so very relaxing for a week and we are so thankful we had great weather and calm seas. We left H town on Sunday morning a week ago and headed to the Port of Galveston. Boarded the ship and the fun began immediately!

We spent Monday traveling down to Key West Florida, we arrived Tuesday AM. We walked through town and visited all our favorite places and ended up at Sloppy Joe's for lunch. We have been to Key West many times so we passed on all the usual tourist spots and things to see on the island. Instead we did a bit of walking, shopping and just relaxed and listened to some music.

We have been on about 5 cruises and this was the best!
We had so much fun and the people we meet were great.

Our next stop was Freeport. We arrived early Wednesday morning. We went on an excursion to The Wyndham Fortuna Beach. They had lots of water activities along with a trapeze with a net for the brave. We were NOT!

We enjoyed the beach and the pool. The water was so clear you could see the colorful fish all around you with out snorkeling.

We had a balcony off of our stateroom and really got to enjoy the beautiful sunrises and sunsets. I love the sunrises and sunsets on the water. I don't think there is anything as beautiful!

The next and final stop was the port of Nassau, Bahamas. I love it there. The sunrise in this picture was taken off our balcony it is silhouetting The Atlantis Hotel on Paradise Island. We went for an excursion there for the day. It is a very large place and one could walk for ever exploring.

However once we saw the beach we spent most of our time there.

The sand was white the water a beautiful clear blue.

There is an underground aquarium at Atlantis and the fish are beautiful. Then we did some shopping for our grandchildren in the beautiful shopping mall they have in the main lobby. The building is very large. There are crystal sculptures leading in to the casino. It is just a fantastic place and one where we want to return in the near future.

Then we returned to the ship to continue our trip. We had two days at sea as the ship returned back to the Port of Galveston.

It was a great trip with lots of beautiful sunrises and sunsets!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Happy 14th Birthday Collin!

2009-08-07T13:54:00.011-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Our oldest grandson, Collin is 14 years old today. I can't believe that 14 years have gone by so very quickly. Well they have and Collin is proof of that! So this blog posting is all for you Collin this is your day! Here's a few pictures of you through out the last 14 years. You are such a wonderful young man and we are so very proud of you.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure

Cluck, Cluck, Cluck!

2009-08-03T19:41:00.006-05:00

I wanted to make something with some of the large quantity of chicken I have in my freezer. So I searched on line for something a little different. Terri our daughter had brought us a lot of big beautiful limes on Saturday. I wanted to make sure we used them and they did not spoil. So I hunted for a great recipe to use Limes and Chicken. Well I found a great one!
Here it is!
Tequila Lime Chicken

INGREDIENTS
4 split boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T fresh minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup gold tequila
1 t kosher salt
1/2 t fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 t chili powder
1 T olive oil
I also added some Jalepeno peppers and banana peppers that my husband had grown in his pot garden.
I let is marinade for a couple of hours.

I then cooked it up on the stove with olive oil and some onions and green peppers. I planned to make chicken taco's with the meat so I sliced it up for that use. However it would be great to put it on the grill. After cooked it looked beautiful.

We cooked up some fresh corn tortillas and made some very yummy chicken tacos! It was a great meal and one we will have again!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Nana Camp Days 6 & 7

2009-07-26T20:50:00.007-05:00

Day 6 started out with Andrew and Pap taking a trip to the Kolache Factory. Andrew had his first Kolache on Friday morning and loved it. So he was promised a trip to the Kolache Factory and he did not forget. He and his Pap returned with a big bag full to enjoy! The afternoon lead to movie watching. Andrew, Pap and Aunt T went to see the new Harry Potter movie. Nana stayed back to cook some pasta sauce and have some quiet time.

Saturday evening we headed to Cafe Calais to see a good friend perform. I wasn't sure if Andrew would enjoy this since it is mostly Cabaret music. He loved it! We had a great time.

Sunday morning was a lazy morning of playing Wii and board games.

Then it was off to Minute Maid Park to see the Astros. They lost but a good time was had by all. Andrew enjoyed the game, game food and new Astros visor that his Pap bought him! We returned home where Sabrina joined us for a wonderful cookout and to say her good byes to her cousin.

This week has been a fun and busy week for all. Tomorrow morning early Andrew and I will head to Hobby Airport for his return trip home. I must say I enjoy Nana Camp as much as the kids do. This year I owe a special thanks to my daughter (Aunt T) for showing up through out the week at just the right times to take the kids for a sleep over one night and out to dinner. She also was with us at Schlitterbahn for another set of eyes, hands and of course to accompany our grandson on the really big and scary water slides. Thank you Terri!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Nana Camp Day 5

2009-07-25T16:27:00.005-05:00

Schlitterbaun is what the day was all about. We packed up lots of food, water and sunscreen, then we all piled in to the car. We got to Galveston in record time so we had a chance to do a little exploring. As soon as the park opened we started our 5 hour plus day of water fun! Lots of water fun!

Around 3:30 the rains began however, it was time to leave by then anyway. We had been at the park since 10 am and stayed busy every minute.
It was a great day!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Nana Camp Days 2, 3 & 4

2009-07-23T17:07:00.011-05:00

I had every intention of posting each day. I don't think I need to explain why that has not happened. So here goes the schedule for the last three days.

Day 2 we had to wait at home for AT&T so we managed to stay busy here at the house. Andrew made some homemade bread in the bread machine. We all enjoyed it at dinner time.

We played lots of games and it was a first for Sabrina to play Pictionary.

Then after lunch we were off to the pool to cool off and use up lots of energy.

Aunt T showed up at the pool to join us and then took the kiddo's to a friends home for more swimming and drum playing.

Day 3 took us first thing to Young at Art to paint pottery. Nana forgot to take a picture of the children painting but they had fun and painted for over 2 hours!
We returned home to go to the pool. This time to Memorial Park Pool to enjoy the really fun and fast water slide.

Day 4-We were up early to go get donuts and then head downtown to the Circus. We arrived early to see the animals for 1/2 hour and then got to see the pre-show which lasted an hour! Then on to the main event which was over 2 1/2 hours long. The show was fantastic or as Andrew exclaimed,"It was awesome!"

Then after the circus we were off to the Galleria to buy each child a new DS game and to go to Dillon Candy Bar. The kids love to go there. It was a full day of fun and the best part was Aunt T showed up this afternoon to take the kids to her house for a sleep over. So Nana plans to rest up tonight before our big day tomorrow.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Nana Camp Day 1

2009-07-21T06:46:00.006-05:00

Monday was the big day that Andrew would be arriving from Baltimore. Sabrina came to our home around 8 am wheeling in her big suitcase with all her stuff for the week. Then I kept her busy doing projects and playing cards until it was time to go to the airport. She has been like a laughing, gigling, mexican jumping bean all morning long waiting until Andrew arrives at 2:30.

To pass some time at the airport Sabrina enjoyed a Frosty! I know that was not the way to calm her down but I don't think anything would have done that!

Then right on time the plane rolled in. As Andrew approached I couldn't believe how much he has grown in the last 3 months! Sabrina didn't take long (about 2 seconds) to run up and give a great big hug!

The ride home was full of laughing and talking. Mostly laughing! I think Sabrina laughed all the way from Hobby Airport to our home. We were not here long before Aunt T arrived. We all had a snack of popcorn that Aunt T decided to put all over the kitchen counter! Thanks Terri! Of course we had some funny faces and more laughs as we tried to come up with the weekly schedule. The kids have picked all the activities in order that they want to do and even have a rainy day plan! I love it.
Andrew wanted to get another measure mark on my laundry room wall where we have all the grandkids measured. He and Sabrina had both grown 2 inches since Christmas. Pap arrived home and we were then off for some great Mexican food. We walked to a local place. Got home in time to play Wii and then off to bed for some much need sleep for all. Tomorrow will be a play day at home in the am and then depending on the weather we have plans. Lots and lots of plans. Yes there will be a Day 2 and then....

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Bat Man and Robin!

2009-07-10T17:25:00.002-05:00

Bats in the belfry, going batty, bat mobile, bat cave, wool of a bat, off his own bat, blind as a bat, bat boy and bat shit!
What in the world am I talking about....

BATS! I AM TALKING ABOUT BATS!

Why you may ask? We have them! The neighbors had them and they shared. Oh my, we had to call the Bat People and they will bat proof our house on Monday. Then they come back a week later and and listen to make sure they are all gone. This is not a laughing matter as bat elimination can cost up and beyond $10,000. Yes that much! We were lucky we caught it quickly and they have not nested inside the house and caused a major health problem. This is not what we ever wanted to deal with.

Now here is some interesting Bat info. Apparently these little critters have babies in June and July. The mothers are nursing and hidden. The soldier bats protect the nests. Now all of this really seems silly except during these two months these animals are protected! Good grief!

Bats, Bats and more Bats!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Play Date!

2009-07-01T13:11:00.007-05:00

Sherri Sakson and I planned a play date for Zoe and Sabrina. So yesterday was the big day. Sabrina arrived early in the morning at my house and asked to have pancakes for breakfast. After a hardy meal of pancakes it was time to take a good soak and get our hair washed. Sabrina had lots of fun with the shampoo and making hairdos!

After a relaxing bath it was time to get dressed and head on down the road to meet the Sakson's. We met at The Mad Potter to paint up some treasures. Zoe picked a bowl to make for her Nana. Sabrina picked out a ice cream dish and spoon. The girls had a great time and stayed very busy for a while working on the projects
Here are their finish projects. Of course they still need to be fired up.

Then we walked down to California Pizza Kitchen for some yummy food. The girls had a great time eating pizza and then enjoying their very large desserts. Needless to say the sugar hit and they got a little silly! This is the best picture I could get! It was a great visit and play date.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Wine and Roses

2009-06-23T12:21:00.003-05:00

We met some friends for lunch and wine tasting at Messina Hof Winery in Bryan, TX on Saturday. Since our 32ND wedding Anniversary was on Wednesday we made the decision to stay Saturday in one of the B & B rooms at the winery. It was a great short get away!

I can't believe we have been married 32 years. The time seems to fly and I wish I knew where it all went. What I do know it has been a wonderful love filled 32 years and we are truly blessed to have each other.

On Sunday early afternoon we returned home to Houston. It was Father's Day and Richard got to pick where he wanted to go for dinner. Well we all were surprised when he announced he wanted to go to Hickory Hollow! So off we all went to celebrate at a place that sells the largest chicken fried steak on this planet!

We all enjoyed our meal and good ole' Dad was thrilled with the free roll of duct tape the restaurant gave out to all the father's.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Celebrations All Week Long!

2009-06-17T08:06:00.007-05:00

This past weekend we celebrated with our wonderful friend and neighbor, Terry. Her Birthday was on the 11th. Her husband, Kurt invited a group of us to celebrate on Friday night. The party was held at a wonderful local restaurant and a good time was had by all.

Then on Saturday night we had a group of friends over to celebrate my Birthday a few days early. We all had a great time! Terri, our daughter (sugarhighcakes.com) made a wonderful cake for the group to enjoy. Then on Monday, we celebrated again with Terri and Sabrina and had more wonderful cake.

Today is our 32nd Wedding Anniversary and we are planning a quiet evening. We will be joining friends this weekend in Bryan,Texas for lunch and a wine tour. Richard and I are treating ourselves to a Bed and Breakfast there and will return home on Sunday just in time to celebrate Father's Day!
This is the week for us of Celebrations!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

This and That!

2009-06-13T08:42:00.008-05:00

Since my last post a lot of things have been going on.

Let me begin with my back procedure. All went well and I now have much less pain. I am having to learn a different life style. Which means slow down and take rests through out the day. That really is not me but my body lets me know when it is time to get my feet up and rest. I love the water and the doctor wants me in the water walking, swimming or relaxing everyday. I can do that!

Last weekend we spent our time in Deer Park watching our grand daughter Sabrina in the All Stars Playoffs. She was selected to be on the All Star Team which was a big commitment for her and her mother Terri. With two hour practices almost every night for two weeks before the playoffs. It payed off! They won enough games to come in fourth in the playoffs. They played Friday night, Saturday all day and Sunday morning as well. It was a long and fun weekend. Sabrina played catcher which was fun to watch. It also was hot to be in that get up. I must say she made an adorable catcher. Don't you agree?

My grandsons finished school in Lancaster PA last week. They were quite excited to finally be out on summer break. Collin the oldest is looking forward to his school summer trip in July to Italy and Greece. Our daughter-in-law, Colleen will be going with him and all the other kiddos. She is a brave sole. Collin will be in 9th grade in the fall. High School here he comes!

So now he is spending time with Doug, Colleen and Andrew down on the bay boating. Here he is at the helm.

Andrew will be doing lots of swimming and boating as well. He is looking forward to special time with his Dad (Doug)on the boat at Ocean City,Maryland enjoying the beach while Mom and brother are gone. Andrew is going in to sixth grade in the fall.

June is a busy month of celebrations in our family. Colleens Birthday, my Birthday and Richard's and my anniversary. We have lots of cousins celebrating their birthdays in June as well. We have one very special family Birthday I want to share with all.
Aunt Elsie will be 101 on June 18th. Here she is standing behind her walker. She is surrounded by her family in Pittsburgh. Can you imagine all the life changes she has witnessed!

So this next week will be one of more celebrations. That may very well be my next post.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

It all started with biscuits!

2009-05-29T21:21:00.004-05:00

I have never talked about food or given out a recipe on my blog. So this is a first!

I love to cook and try new recipes. However we have gotten in to a rut recently. We seem to fix the same old favorites often. I usually like to try something new that has been recommended to us, especially if our daughter Terri recommends it. Well,our grand daughter loves pancakes and biscuits. We always use Bisquick to make both. So when she spends the night we always cook breakfast the next morning. This morning she wanted biscuits with eggs and bacon. She really wanted to make the biscuits herself. So she helped me measure out the ingredients. I rolled and she choose a heart cookie cutter and cut them out. They turned out great and she loved them!

While we had the box of Heart Smart Bisquick out I noticed a recipe on the back. It caught my eye and sounded so good. We have been eating restaurant food since Wednesday night so I was really ready for something home cooked and healthy. I also needed something easy and quick so I would not be standing long. So this recipe seemed to fit the bill. It is Italian Pizza Bake.
Well it is really yummy and healthy too!
It is only 200 calories a serving and 6 grams of fat!

1/3 cup heart healthy Bisquick
2 Tbsp egg beaters
1 Tbsp water
1/8 tsp garlic ( I used more I love garlic!)
1/2 cup green, red or yellow pepper ( I used red)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup cooked chopped chicken breast (I used a little more)
1/2 can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning, drained
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup fat free shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 8"X4" loaf pan. Stir Bisquick mix, egg product, water and garlic powder. Spread in to pan.

Cook pepper and onion in skillet over medium heat, until onion is tender. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, and seasoning, heat until hot. Spoon over batter in pan. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake 20 minutes. It makes 2 generous servings.

Enjoy!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Memorial Day, Car Washing, BBQ and Little League Ball!

2009-05-25T11:40:00.014-05:00

I love a holiday when we can cook out and invite friends and family. This year it was just family. Terri and Sabrina had planned to be at the house around noon. Just in time for snacks, Wii and games. We would cook out early due to Little League All Star Baseball practice at 6 pm. As we all know plans change. Sabrina had been sick yesterday with a fever and stuffy nose so when the phone rang at 6:45 am this morning I thought for sure Sabrina was still ill. That was not the problem! Sabrina was feeling great. She was up, dressed and ready to start her day with lots of energy! Terri was now sick and needed to take some medicine and get some sleep. Of course that is impossible when you have a 7 year old around. So Sabrina came to our house to enjoy the day.

After a breakfast of pancakes and bacon Sabrina and her PAP decided to wash the cars together. Sabrina was really excited about this. They got in car washing clothes and off they went to wash our two cars. They washed my car first and the conversation I could here from inside was making me laugh! It was something like

"Pap is this the old fashion way to wash a car?"

Of course she would feel that way when we all go to the "car wash." So this was a novelty and sounded like great fun to a 7 year old.

After the first car was washed she was inside for a drink and a snack. The novelty wore off. Pap came inside to see where his helper was but she told him she was done and would let him wash the next one!

Then the grill was fired up and while the coals were getting hot there was some hitting practice going on. They practiced until it was time to put the ribs and chicken on the grill.

Sabrina came in to help shuck the corn and wash it. She did a great job at that as I prepared the veggie k-bobs. The meal was great! After a few racing rounds of Mario Kart on the Wii, cherry pie and s'mores were prepared and enjoyed as you can see.

Sabrina and Pap were then off with all the gear to go to softball practice.

It was a full day but we took time to reflect on how thankful we are to live in the USA and how grateful we are to all the men and women who keep us safe!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Doctor Doctor!

2009-05-22T10:41:00.003-05:00

It all started with hip pain, not back pain. Then came the big time leg pain. So after drug therapy, physical therapy and an MRI I was off to a Pain Specialist. Believe it or not his name is Dr. Doctor. Really! The appointment was yesterday and he really believes he can help. That is great news as I am NOT having any more back surgery. I think 3 back surgeries in one life time is enough! So next week I have a tentative appointment for Wednesday morning to have the procedure. The procedure is a bit scarry and I found out yesterday I will be awake through the process. It is outpatient surgery so I will be home that afternoon. I will not be able to walk without help for 2 days. So I am just sitting and waiting for the insurance company to approve and move on. Oh how I want to have my active life back. I hope to be back at Memorial Park walking once again real soon! I have been told to get in the water. So I am in search for a pool. An indoor pool would be the best if I have to join somewhere. That way I can go swimming all year which is what I have been told to do. So if anyone out there has any ideas or knows where I can go please let me know. I went to the pool on West Gray they take people for free with doctors orders. However they have a big time problem with their pool and it will not be open until August! So any ideas are welcome.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Project Weekend!

2009-05-18T08:06:00.009-05:00

The dictionary defines project as a large or major undertaking, especially one involving considerable money, personnel, and equipment.

The last plane trip we took Richard was looking through the Sky Mall magazine. He saw some pendant lights that caught his eye. He was excited since they were able to be installed by screwing them in to the existing eye ball lights. Which meant no electrical wiring. That is a good thing since Richard seems to get a shock every time he fools with any electrical project. I was excited about getting more light down on the counters since our ceiling is so high in the kitchen. The much needed lighting was a welcome concept to me. So I ordered two pendant lights not knowing how in the world they would look since we don't have an island to put them over. They arrived last week and were put on Friday afternoon. I love them. They look great but more importantly I now have counter light!

Now I know you are thinking, that didn't take a large amount of money or equipment. The pendant lights were very reasonable that was not the cost. After they arrived by husband declared he needed to buy a ladder that would enable him to reach the ceiling! The ladder was not a cost that I had figured in to the cost of this project for sure.

The next task was our fireplace. Oh, the fireplace had been an eye sore. The tile around it was awful so I had painted it but that was just a temporary fix. We had thought about all sorts of things until one day when we saw some river rock on a fireplace. We loved it. So we ordered the river rock and looked at it for about a month. Well we finally got it up and grouted this weekend. The grouting part of river rock is messy since it has to be done with your hands but we are sure happy with the final product.

So next weekend is Memorial Day Weekend and we will not be doing anything but cooking outside. I can smell the ribs already!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

1st Grade Picnic

2009-05-14T07:58:00.017-05:00

Off I went yesterday morning to the Oak Forest Elementary First Grade Picnic. They had it at Baines Park and it is a great place to spend the day. I got there at 9:30 am and the activities began right away. They have a water fountain for the kids to play in, a lot of playground equipment, a ball field, and much more. The man made pond is stocked with fish as well, however fishing was not an activity that was on the schedule yesterday. I was thankful for that can you imagine 50 something first graders with fishing poles, tangled lines, hooks and then fish! Oh my, the thought makes me dizzy.

My first duty was to go out to the ball field to watch the kids in that area. The kids wanted to play kick ball and they had a blast! There was not one argument as to who would play what position or who would go first. These kids discussed and communicated with each other so well. I was amazed!

Then it was back to the the group where the relay races were going to start around the pond. Of course many of the kids had a cool down period in the water fountain with clothes, shoes and socks on. I am sure it felt great and I would have loved to join them in that water. It was a beautiful day but it was Houston hot! The relay races went well and everyone got a cold treat at the end of the races.
By then the kids were "starving", that is what they communicated often and loudly anyway. The hotdogs, apples, chips, carrots, and chocolate chip cookies were placed out and ready for this hungry group. Terri arrived for a surprise short visit during her working day. Sabrina was very happy to see her! I must say the room mother's did a fantastic job getting everything organized. After lunch it was water balloons, water guns, blowing bubbles and a little free time. Then the teachers walked the kids to a library near by where they got to cool down in the air conditioning and have a story time. It was a great day and I had a wonderful time with the children, parents and other grand parents that were there. This has been a busy week. There seems to be much planned before the school year ends. This Friday will be Field Day for these kiddos.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Good News for Richard!

2009-05-13T07:06:00.007-05:00

Richard got his nuclear tests results on Monday and all was good. We are so thankful and feel like a large weight has been lifted. So now knowing he is in good health we can move forward with many things we had put on hold for a while.

I go to the doctor next Thursday. Hopefully then I will receive a treatment plan for my health problems.

Until then we continue on and enjoy each day. For today, I am off to Sabrina's First Grade all day picnic. I am sure there will be pictures and a story coming soon about that.

Thank you all for your many prayers.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

LIMBO!

2009-05-08T07:42:00.005-05:00

I sure am not talking about the dance.
I mean to be in limbo, up in the air, on hold, pending, in abeyance.

Not a horrible place to be but not a comfortable place to be. What in the world am I talking about? Well Richard has had some medical tests run that will determine either great health or the return of a previous disease that we thought was well behind us. We will find out the results on Monday morning.

Now as if that was not enough I have been dealing with physical pain for well over a year now. I live with some level due to the back injuries and surgeries I have had but this is different. After physical therapy and drug therapy in the last year nothing helped so finally a MRI was taken. Well the results were not pretty so the choices were immediate surgery by a Neurosurgeon or try a different type of drug therapy. This drug therapy involves injections of pain and anti inflammatory medication in to the spine where their is damage and inflammation. I have chosen the
later. I am ready to get going and get it done before I chicken out. Well, the problem with that is it will be two more weeks before I can see the Pain Doctor for the initial visit.

So this household is living in LIMBO!

I can almost hear the music now!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

The Kitchen is Finally Done!

2009-05-05T07:29:00.005-05:00

We bought a home last June that needed a lot of loving care. The kitchen has been a big challenge since it needed a lot of work. It use to have tile counter tops that were ugly, no really they were ugly. The tiles on the counters were brown floor tile with horrible grout between them that could not be bleached out! There was no microwave since the first owner of the home had been a chef and he replaced the stove/microwave with a Viking range. So after we first moved in and Richard discovered he could not reheat his coffee or pop popcorn a microwave was installed on a shelf that he built. Amazing isn't it when our husbands want something how quickly it appears! Next granite counter tops were installed and it really was looking great then. The handles on all the cabinets were replaced to dress up the kitchen a little more. However we still had a painted wall which would have been fine but the wall was in need of repair. So we made the decision to tile the back wall. Of course that lead to hunting for the right and affordable tiles. So we found some glass tiles that would not break the bank. I searched for a decorative tile to put with them that would not over power the glass block. Finally we had it all together and then the work began. I did the tiling one day and the grouting the next. I love the kitchen now. I went out yesterday and bought some canisters since I had none for this kitchen. I found exactly the right ones at Berings. I was looking for something that had the right colors and I found them!

So now the kitchen is done!
Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Rain, Lightening, Thunder and Floods, Oh My!

2009-04-28T12:08:00.005-05:00

The rains began last night. However I was too busy fixing dinner and entertaining our cousins from Ohio and Austin to realize how much rain had come down. It continued through the night and woke me up from a sound sleep around 4 am. The thunder was so loud and it felt like the second floor of our home was shaking! So I laid there and listened to the sounds of the storm that was right over our heads. We finally got up since we could not sleep, turned on the TV to find news coverage on every Houston channel with pictures of life boats, cars stuck, cars flooded, closed roads, closed schools and etc...

It is amazing how much water can fall here in Houston and how quickly things flood. The freeway underpasses are all full with water. It is difficult to believe there are cars under that water. So my plans for the day changed quickly and I am remaining home until this afternoon. Richard ventured to work and found it tricky with lots of water around the Galleria area. So we will wait and hope to see the sun in the near future. Rain, rain go away Robin wants to go out and play!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

I was just Reading!

2009-04-22T07:10:00.007-05:00

Well we all have those funny moments in life. I had one yesterday. I pick up my grand daughter a few times each week. When I arrive in the car line I try to remember to bring a book to read since it is usually a 20 minute wait if I get there early. I arrived early yesterday since Sabrina had a T-Ball Game last night. It was a beautiful day so I turned off the car and opened the windows to get some fresh air. I had my drink with me so I was set to read.

My current Book Club's choice is, "Snow Flower and The Secret Fan." So I open the book and begin the adventure of reading. I was really enjoying the book and reading with some intensity to understand all the customs discussed in the book. Then all of the sudden I hear a siren. It startled me to say the least. When I looked up I realized that all the cars in front of me were gone and the Art Teacher in the Car Pick Up line had a mega phone and was making the siren noise to get my attention! So I pulled up and he shouted in to the car he had to wake me up. I told him I was reading. My grand daughter was at her station patiently waiting and laughing. She climbed in the car and stated "Nana you fell asleep." I of course told her I wasn't I was reading. We had a great laugh together!

Then when I arrived home yesterday I saw a large envelope on the front door step. I couldn't remember ordering anything recently. So I was curious to say the least. I picked up the envelope and noticed the return address. Well what a wonderful surprise I had! While in PA we went for a wonderful Easter breakfast brunch at a family friend's home.
They had this wonderful flag hanging in front of their home. I mentioned how much I loved it and now I have one too! Thank you so much Linda! It was such a surprise and a great way to return home. I will have it hanging in front of our home today. What a wonderful day!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Go Astros!

2009-04-19T06:54:00.029-05:00

I have been waiting for this day to come, to go to Minute Maid Park to see baseball. Today was the day! The roof was open the sun was out and it was a gorgeous day here in Houston. We could not have ordered better weather. It was crisp and clear and that doesn't happen often here in Houston.

Okay we all know the Astro's need some big help but it is still our baseball team. We went this afternoon for our first Sunday in the Park Season game. The Astro's lost, but we still had fun! We routed, cheered and of course got discouraged with some of the empires calls. Terri and Sabrina have tickets with us so we all get to sit together and enjoy the game.

Sabrina enjoys baseball, peanuts and of course the helmet sundae's. Pap enjoys the peanuts as well. Sabrina and Terri got there after us and Sabrina showed up with a bag of peanuts to share. She and her Pap enjoyed them and finished them quickly!

It amazes me how few people are at the games on Sunday. I am sure the lack of winning seasons has a direct correlation on the numbers of tickets sold. That being said it is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon with family and/or friends.

We saw our good friends the Coleman's there. Their seats are in the next section below ours. They were there with their kids and grandson's. We also saw Barbara and George Bush.

So it was a fun afternoon even though the Astro's lost. I am already looking forward to our next game next Sunday.

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

Here comes Peter Cotton Tail Marching up the Northern Trail!

2009-04-10T09:48:00.000-05:00

Our Easter trip started very early on Wednesday morning (5 am) we got to Hobby Airport in record time. The plane was on time and off we went. I must say I have gotten to hate flying but this flight was the best we have ever had! Then it was wait and wait for our luggage. Finally after an hour we were out the door to catch the bus to go get the rental car. We were then off to Hagerstown Maryland.

We arrived early afternoon and had a wonderful visit with Richard's cousins. It is always laughs,a great time and a wonderful meal when we visit with them. Thursday afternoon we got back in the car to head to Lancaster PA.

We arrived just in time to unpack the car, eat dinner and head to Andrew's LaCrosse game. It was a wonderful game, very fast and physical. I could not believe the way these 11 year olds were playing. It was a great game and we enjoyed being there to see our grandson play. He really enjoys playing this game and is quite good at it.

Friday was another fun filled day. We played Wii with the boys, that is always great fun, especially Mario Kart. Then the big treat was listening to Andrew playing drums and Doug playing guitar. They both are really great! Andrew is in band at school and is also taking drum lessons. I think we have a future drummer in the family.

Sunday we celebrated Easter with the family and friends. We had a day of visiting, eating and lots of laughing.

It has been a great trip so far and we still have until Tuesday afternoon to enjoy our time here. So I am now off to play some more games and watch some sports with the boys. Happy Easter to all!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

I get by with a little help from my great friends!

2009-04-06T07:39:00.000-05:00

What a busy week this past week turned out to be.
We had two T-Ball games to attend and it is always
a joy to see our grand daughter play. Go Crickets!

I spent most of the week preparing to open up my new business on Sunday and to give a presentation on Friday to 47 of my peers. The presentation went well and the best part was I had a great friend there to support me! What a joy to have friends.

Yes, I took the plunge and went back in to Private Practice. I guess I should say Private Practice Lite. I will be doing education groups one or two nights a week. My wonderful and supportive friend Vickie has been there to encourage, lend support and of course let me rent her office. Sunday evening was my first group and all went great!

We are getting ready to leave early Wednesday morning for Baltimore and then Lancaster, PA for Easter. I just checked the weather and holy moly it is going to be cold and wet. So the heavy clothes are being pulled out of the closet and now the challenge will be to find something other than sandals to wear.
Have a great holiday!

Thank you to all my wonderful friends for being there. You are truly appreciated!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

April Fools!

2009-04-01T19:56:00.000-05:00

The only fooling going on here is I can't believe April is here! The days are going too quick and I am not going fast enough. We are in to the heart of Spring. The Texas Bluebonnets are out and again as always beautiful.

Sabrina in the bluebonnets.

Sports are in full swing, Collin (8th grade) is playing basketball, Andrew (5th grade) is playing Lacrosse and Sabrina (1st grade) is playing softball. Colleen (daughter-in-law) and Terri (daughter) are busy being sports taxi's and supporting the kids sports.

Our Astro tickets have arrived so we all are ready to go "Play Ball!"

This is such a wonderful time of year of rebirth and renewal for all. The flowers are blooming and I must say I enjoy them greatly!

I received my cards today from Grateful Images. They are beautiful! I will start writing my notes of hope and encouragement today. Please check their link on my site. It is a wonderful exercise in spreading hope. They will send you four beautiful cards free! What a wonderful idea! Can you imagine receiving a hand written card of hope and encouragement! I think we all can use that.

We will be traveling next week to Baltimore to visit with Richard's cousins for a couple of days. Then we will travel to Lancaster PA to celebrate Easter with Doug, Colleen, Collin and Andrew.

So the birds are singing, the flowers are in bloom and the April showers have begun. We are surrouned with beauty and have the warmth of the sun! I love this time of year. I wish all of you and your family a very Happy Easter and Spring!

Life is a wonderful and interesting adventure!

A Great Time!

2009-03-25T07:11:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful time in San Antonio. I loved Sea World, there was much to see and do. The crowds didn't come until after lunch and we had done a lot by then. The shows were great and we were able to divide and conquer to find seats. Pap and I would go ahead and stand in line to get the seats. It worked great and allowed Sabrina to have some more fun instead of standing in line. The weather was beautiful. We finished the day at Sea World with a good soaking in the hot tub. That was a treat for me as it felt really good.

The next day we went to the Children's Museum in San Antonio. When we arrived there weren't many children there so we were able to see and play very easily. Of course as the morning progressed the children came. Still it wasn't as busy as the museum in Houston and that allowed for more play time. I do believe my grand daughter has a love for being a Grocery Store Checker. She loves the cash register and she got to practice those skills. She built a house with her Pap, flew an airplane, built some PVC pipe, worked the gears, played in a tree house and much more. Terri and Sabrina stayed for a Magic Show while Pap and I went to have coffee on the River Walk. Sabrina was picked for an assistant at the Magic Show and she floated in mid air. She tells us there was nothing below her. So we still don't know the trick.

Now the high light of the trip for my daughter, Terri was stopping at Buckee's! She had talked about it for hours on the trip up and my husband swears he didn't hear her shout to pull off at the exit on the way to San Antonio. Which of course gave us all much to laugh about. So he made sure and so did all of us that he pulled off at the exit on the way back to Houston. By then we all wanted to go to Buckee's as we had heard so much about the place. I must say it was quite something to see. They sell everything. Yes I mean everything. It is a very fancy truck stop and one that is extremely clean.

So it was a great and very busy trip. I think the next time we will plan a day at the pool between events. The rest would have served us all well.

Spring Break On The Road

2009-03-19T10:54:00.000-05:00

Well we have packed up everything we could possibly need and then some. We have treats for the car and snacks for the room and of course all of the Happy Hour items one could imagine! We have a bag of shoes just in case one changes their mind. We all have a jacket and hat and of course we remembered the sun screen, swimsuits and everything else we could think to take. One would think they have no stores in San Antonio!

I do think the getting ready and anticipation is always the highlight of the experience. Terri (my daughter) and Sabrina (grand daughter) will be coming over in about an hour. Then we all will go get lunch then head down to the Galleria to pick up Richard my husband.

So get ready I will be taking lots of pictures and hopefully can post a few on the site. We will be at Sea World tomorrow and on the River Walk/Children's Museum on Saturday. Then we will head back home Saturday night. We also hope to get some pics in the Blue Bonnets! So until next time God Bless!

Spring Break

2009-03-17T17:38:00.000-05:00

Yes, it is Spring Break and with that being said it is much more than that!
First of all this is my first entry on my blog. I am not sure what to say or do but I will go forth.
I have lived in the south the majority of my adult life and I love Texas. I am a Nana and have three beautiful, talented, intelligent and less than perfect grandchildren who are all very special. I have been married to my husband for 31 almost 32 years this June. We have two adult children that we raised and are so very proud of all of their accomplishments. Our life has been an adventure. Not perfect but a wonderful adventure that has given us all of what life can possibly be and then some. I try to live by the motto "it is not what happens in your life it is how you choose to live with what you have been dealt." I hope that I have shown that to my children and grandchildren with a good sense of humor and of course a large dose of love. I love my family and feel so very blessed. Friends have been a big part of our life and we are so lucky to have wonderful friends that we have known for years.

So back to Spring Break. I spent the day today at the Children's Museum with my 7 year old grand daughter. We had a great time and managed to stay on our feet and move constantly for hours. After returning home we did a sewing project and I was so impressed with her ability and desire to sew. On Thursday my husband, daughter and grand daugher leave for San Antonio. We are going to Sea World on Friday and then to another Children's Museum near the River Walk on Saturday. I am sure there will be drinks and dinner on the River Walk before returning home Saturday night. I look forward to this trip as a break and a get away that is much needed. I am not sure there will be any rest but I know there will be laughs and fun ahead of us.

Just a Texas Nana

Our Youngest Child is 40 Today!

Nana & Pap Camp 2011

Nana Camp for the Puppies!

It is June Already!

A get away to Fredericksburg!

It has been way too long!

Good Ole' Comfort Food

Absoluto Sauce!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas !

Thanksgiving Blessings!

Yummy Healthy Pasta Dish

Nutritional Information

LUCY!

Day 3 of Nana & Pap Camp

Nana & Pap Camp DAY 2

NANA & PAP Camp Has Begun!

School Is Out....Let The Fun Begin!

LAX Boy #28!

Run, Run, Run!

Spring Break 2010

Guess Who is 8!

Arizona

I Love It!

Gone Fishing!

Happy New Year!

Run, run as fast as you can!

Christmas Baking and Family Traditions

Gobble, gobble, it's cookie day!

What have we been doing?

La Pain

Homecoming 2009!

Hello October!

M*A*S*H

Good ole' comfort and great food!

GO STEELERS!

School Days!

Downtown Aquarium Houston Texas

I Love the Bahamas!

Happy 14th Birthday Collin!

Cluck, Cluck, Cluck!

Nana Camp Days 6 & 7

Nana Camp Day 5

Nana Camp Days 2, 3 & 4

Nana Camp Day 1

Bat Man and Robin!

Play Date!

Wine and Roses

Celebrations All Week Long!

This and That!

It all started with biscuits!

Memorial Day, Car Washing, BBQ and Little League Ball!

Doctor Doctor!

Project Weekend!

1st Grade Picnic

Good News for Richard!

LIMBO!

The Kitchen is Finally Done!

Rain, Lightening, Thunder and Floods, Oh My!

I was just Reading!

Go Astros!

Here comes Peter Cotton Tail Marching up the Northern Trail!

I get by with a little help from my great friends!

April Fools!

A Great Time!

Spring Break On The Road

Spring Break

MAS*H