it's a new blog day

Memorial Day blessings!

2011-05-30T22:12:00.002-05:00

No one says it better than Ray Charles. Please click the link to hear one of his beautiful performances of "America the Beautiful."
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/05/029130.php

tst: pacman

2011-02-22T21:40:00.000-06:00

the nerdy icing on the cake!

2011-02-11T15:14:00.007-06:00

Noah and One-Eyed Sam's friend Clay

In the previous post, you got your first look at all the
nerdy goodness of Noah's new glasses.
They are just the perfect touch to that geeky, nerdy
look he's got going on. Clay seems to approve.

happy birthday, dear hubby!

2011-02-10T22:11:00.010-06:00

There's a story behind this birthday "ice cream cake."

We'll be glad to tell you about it. Just ask.

The important thing is that it's Blue Bell,

and it's one of Dale's most favorite foods!

Before enjoying the "ice cream cake," we had a great dinner,

seated in "Willie's Corner," at Texas Roadhouse.

Happy Birthday, Dale!

and many more . . . . . . .
xoxoxo

geek or nerd?

2010-12-26T14:44:00.003-06:00

Casio Calculator Watch

Pokemon Pokewalker

Vans Slip-Ons, custom painted with scene of gigantic aliens destroying city

Aggie Girl graduates!

2010-12-21T07:48:00.013-06:00

Aggie Girl graduated on Saturday!

Our view from above.
Boy, you have to get there early to get a good seat.
We didn't get there early.

But luckily, we were on the same side of the arena
as Aggie Girl and were able to spot her.

"Wait! What just happened?"

"Yes. Okay. There it is. I've got it!"

Now an Aggie alum.

Joy!

"ain't got time to die"

2010-11-07T13:36:00.002-06:00

tst: ludo

2010-10-19T19:45:00.003-05:00

"The Ludo concert was great last night!

I think I'll get my hearing back in - oh, about a week."

tst: Noah Rocks!

2010-10-12T18:09:00.013-05:00

Last month, Noah, Kevin and Chris had their Eagle Scout ceremony.

The youth minister at our church, Kelly, spoke on Noah's behalf.

She made this t-shirt for the occasion. Don't attempt to adjust your screen --

there was a minor glitch in the production process. But I love it!

Thanks, Kelly, for participating in Noah's special day!

vintage deb

2010-10-11T20:00:00.002-05:00

This is one of my favorite photos of my sister, Deborah,

taken many moons ago in California.

It always makes me smile.

kitty kitty

2010-10-09T17:23:00.007-05:00

I really need to update my blog. I think about it. But that doesn't seem to be the same as doing it. Maybe this is the day I get back in the groove.

Our kitties never get to go outside, but today we let them explore the backyard for a few minutes. I was able to snap a few good pictures of Kiki.

She enjoyed climbing through the dense ferns.

And she looked so pretty in this light.

Joyful, Joyful!

2010-08-06T14:18:00.000-05:00

Joyful, joyful opening dance from Chara's "Art of Worship 2010!"

(My Emily is the dancer in the yellow shirt with short hair.)

remembering Cheryl

2010-07-08T22:28:00.007-05:00

Remembering my sweet baby sister, Cheryl, who would have been 50 today.

This is one of my favorite pictures of her.

It was taken well over 20 years ago.

That's our stepmom, Pat, in the background.
We sure do miss you, sister.

xoxoxo

Noah's senior piano recital

2010-07-01T12:41:00.017-05:00

On Sunday, family and friends had the pleasure of attending

Noah's senior piano recital. He has studied piano for eleven years

with Ms. Nancy, Ms. Wendy, Ms. Sandy and,

for the last several years, Ms. Marina.

The pieces he performed were:

Bach, Invention No. 1 (video above)

Mozart, Sonata in G Major, 1st movement

Beethoven, Sonata in G Major, 1st movement

Kevin Olson, Tango

Ms. Marina's husband, Mr. Guram, has also provided additional

critique, advice and support. It has been a pleasure and blessing

to know them and have them as a part of Noah's musical journey.

tst: magic missiles

2010-06-08T21:15:00.004-05:00

tst: island party

2010-06-01T21:22:00.007-05:00

Emily attended the Brothers Under Christ

(BUCs) Island Party 2010

tst: star trek

2010-05-25T08:23:00.008-05:00

This has been sitting in my photo file for awhile.

I'm not sure why I put it there.

I guess you could say I'm a fan.

And I'm happy to say that now my son is too!

testify to love

2010-05-22T22:32:00.003-05:00

Chara Christian Dance Company :: dress rehearsal :: my Emily is the one with the short ponytail :: they're all such beautiful girls who love to share the Message through dance

breathing air and light

2010-05-09T21:59:00.017-05:00

My most amazing sister, Deborah, started a blog today.

I really love her first post.

Hope you enjoy it too.

breathing air and light

tst: unexpected vacation

2010-05-04T13:55:00.004-05:00

t-shirt tuesday is taking an unexpected vacation,
but will return soon!

tst: ring bobbin' aggie girls

2010-04-27T13:45:00.009-05:00

Emily and four of her friends - in Aggie t-shirts - ready to bob

for their Aggie rings (their version of a ring dunk).

The apples await.

Success!

(click on the pic to see the rings in their teeth)

tst: aggie baseball

2010-04-20T14:50:00.007-05:00

it's aggie girl wearing her aggie baseball t-shirt

(adorned with her "I got my Aggie Ring today!" sticker)

and while we were in aggieland, i got my very first pair of crocs . . .

aren't they cute? and so comfy!

Ring Day!

2010-04-16T22:05:00.010-05:00

lots of people coming and going at the Alumni Building

and one really big ring!

Emily and her roomie Lindsay

as we head toward the building to get in line

inside the building and soon to have the Ring!

Happiness = Emily wearing her Aggie Ring

Finally! Right where it belongs.

tst: chara christian dance co. presents . . .

2010-04-13T17:13:00.010-05:00

Emily will be dancing with Chara Christian Dance Co. at their annual

Art of Worship

May 1 & 2 @ 7:00 pm

Bryan, Texas

Be there!

tst: girl from aggieland

2010-04-06T14:12:00.003-05:00

the girl from aggieland visited us for the Easter weekend

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T18:23:00.006-05:00

On Palm Sunday, Noah was a featured singer with the Children's Choir, Youth Choir and Chancel Choir. Along with the Youth Orchestra, they made beautiful music!

tst: the green lantern

2010-03-30T14:04:00.005-05:00

Green Lantern

In darkest day, in blackest night,

no evil shall escape my sight.

To those who worship evil's might,

beware my power - Green Lantern's light!

Chara at Project Dance Houston

2010-03-29T09:13:00.018-05:00

Chara Christian Dance Company had the exciting opportunity to participate in Project Dance Houston on March 20, at Jones Plaza in downtown Houston.

All the participants learn a group dance to perform at the top of the hour onstage, in the audience area, in the streets -- if you can hear the music, dance! This is Emily (purple jacket) and her friend Emily B. (blue jacket) joining in on the group dance.

It was a very wet, cold day, but the dancers gave it their all. It rained until after noon and then got down into the 40s for the rest of the day. Brrrrr!

Emily and Noah.

The whole family, doing our best to keep warm!

It was a wonderful, inspiring day of performances praising the Lord.

Just wish it had been a little warmer.

tst: home schooled

2010-03-23T13:40:00.003-05:00

home schooled

in more ways than one

tst: anime girl

2010-03-16T22:18:00.004-05:00

cute little anime girl on a t-shirt

Noah picked up at a Wayne Kerr concert

iditarod

2010-03-14T15:50:00.006-05:00

I love the jingle-jangle sound of a happy dog sled team!

Last week, my hubby asked me what I wanted for my birthday. "A subscription to the Iditarod Insider," I replied. "Really?," he asked. "Yes, really," I said. So that's what I got, and I'm loving it! The race started last Sunday, and today is day 8. I get daily updates, behind the scenes videos and reports, real-time GPS tracking of the mushers and their dog teams, the history of the race, and much, much more.

I think my favorite thing about the race is the dogs. They just can't wait to get going and then going again after each stop. And I've always been fascinated by the amazing beauty of Alaska, even though I hate the cold.

The Iditarod is The Last Great Race on Earth, and I think I'm hooked!

tst: norb and dag

2010-03-09T14:26:00.002-06:00

norbert and dagget

(beaver brothers)

the angry beavers

(greatest cartoon series of all time, imho!)

tst: heart of the storm

2010-03-02T13:33:00.003-06:00

woot shirt, of course

birthday boy

2010-02-24T23:02:00.006-06:00

We celebrated Noah's 18th birthday this evening by going to his favorite Vietnamese restaurant. It was my first time to eat Vietnamese cuisine. It was delicious and I'm looking forward to more.

Then he took the four dozen chocolate and vanilla cupcakes I made yesterday to Bible study. And when he got home, he blew out his birthday candles and we had lemonade cake. Let's just say he had a lot of cake today.

Happy Birthday, Noah!
Can't believe you're 18.

Love you.

xoxoxo

tst: video games . . .

2010-02-23T12:46:00.006-06:00

someone loves video games

someone is having a birthday tomorrow, so I made cupcakes
for the Bible study crowd tomorrow night

someone found out he's officially an

Eagle Scout!

tst: superman

2010-02-16T10:39:00.007-06:00

My little Superman will be 18 next week! He loved Superman when he was little. This was one of his favorite t-shirts back then, and of course he had a Superman costume.

Here he is today with his best friend Kevin. They've been best friends since they were about 5 or 6, and look at them now! Wow!

happy birthday, hubby dear

2010-02-13T21:10:00.007-06:00

Oops! I'm late blogging about a birthday here this week on Wednesday. Hubby was the birthday boy, so Noah and I took him out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Yummm!

Then Noah skipped out on us after dinner to go enjoy a "Happy Happy Fun Fun" ice cream sundae with the rest of his Bible study class. Soooo, all the more chocolate cake and Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream for the Dale and me. I tried getting a "birthday boy" picture, but he wouldn't stop moving around.

Happy Birthday, Dale!

And many more . . .

tst: aggie girl

2010-02-09T12:57:00.005-06:00

Gig 'em!

eagle project day 3

2010-02-07T21:05:00.024-06:00

Day 3 of Noah's Eagle project, I arrived after the scouts used bow saws to shorten the fence posts to the correct heighth. Next step was to screw in the fence rails. Hubby manned the power saw to cut the rails to the correct length.

Here's Hubby-Dale, Mr. Cariaga and Mr. Barger conferring with Noah and other scouts while the rails are cut to order.

The fence pickets wait patiently on the little hill.

Installing the rails gave the older scouts the first crack at using the power drills.

Lots of power cords were onsite.

Cody and his crew start installing pickets.

While I was cleaning up the area where the rails were cut, which happened to be inside the church preschool playground, I spied a carpenter's square and a little plastic toy wrench. Too cute to pass up!

Scouts learning how to build a fence.

Ah, the fun part - power tools!

Mr. Cariaga helping get that tricky corner picket in the right place.

Mr. Corpening giving tips to the scouts.

Scout masters supervising.

Noah getting praises from Mr. Corpening on how things are moving along.

Noah keeping an eye on things and supervising the progress.

A thing of beauty!

At last, Noah's Eagle Project completed. It's not only looks great, but it will also provide some outdoor storage space for the church. Great job, Noah! So proud of our soon-to-be-Eagle scout.

make it happen: eagle project day 2

2010-02-06T21:08:00.015-06:00

Noah's t-shirt choice was quite appropriate for Eagle Project day 2.

Yes, that is Cody James Willyumz, Noah's #2 best friend and fellow scout.

Hey, where are all the other scouts? Yes, those younger boys had to be herded back to the work site every now and then.

Getting the post holes in just the right place.

Finally getting to set the posts in cement. The scouts enjoyed working with cement much more than digging holes (notice the return of the younger scouts.)

Making progress!

Fence posts - done. Day 2 took seven hours onsite and one extra hour for Noah at Home Depot to return extra cement bags and buy more wood. A big thank you goes out to Mr. Cariaga for his time, his truck and the loan of his neighbor's trailer to transport all these supplies to the work site from Home Depot.

Once our business was done, Mom, Dad and Noah walked from Home Depot to Taco Cabana to have some dinner before we all took our tired selves home.

Two days down and one to go!

tst: philmont2 + bonus (eagle project day 1)

2010-02-02T12:18:00.024-06:00

This is Noah's troop shirt from his Philmont trip. He brought it back covered with dirt and tree sap after participating in an environmental project on the first day. I have a "take no prisoners" attitude when it comes to laundry stains. It took me days, but I won the battle. He wore this shirt this past Sunday, the first day of his Eagle project. One day down, two to go!

Bonus shirt: Jesus + Awesome = JEAWESOME

That's Kevin - Noah's best friend - weilding a mattock at the Eagle project, which involved removing about 18 large bushes around some AC compressors at our church so that a privacy fence can be built in their place.

Kevin, Noah, Thomas and Dale

These four have been together since Noah and Kevin were about six years old. They enjoyed years of camping together in Indian Guides and then joined Boy Scouts when the boys turned 12.

Here's a glimpse of the bushes in place, about to be removed by a crew of Boy Scouts and some very dedicated Scout Masters.

Mission accomplished. This phase of the project took 4.25 hours.

Now just pray for perfect weather next weekend for the fence building to commence!

tst: how we roll

2010-01-26T09:46:00.004-06:00

" How We Roll "

by Wil Wheaton

(pumpkin pie - under all that whipped cream - by me)

the end of home school time

2010-01-19T07:58:00.006-06:00

I remember the words of David Miller (home school dad and dedicated volunteer at HCYA Sports Day) on May 13, 2006, at Emily's high school graduation ceremony. Mr. Miller announced to the graduates and their families that this was officially the end of home school time in their lives. I thought to myself, "Nah! I've got another home schooler to graduate in about four years." Then I gave it more thought. He was right. With Emily out of high school, taking on college classes and working, she would now have a rigid schedule. No more freedom to do what we want, when we want as a family.

I'm thinking about this because today Noah starts classes at Lone Star College. Now, in our home, in our lives, there is no more home school time. We started home schooling the year Emily finished fourth grade and Noah finished kindergarden, both in public school. Home schooling has blessed our family, and I feel it allowed our children to become the people God wants them to be. And I am grateful that we live in Texas, a home school friendly state.

Our extended family has always been supportive of our deicision to home school. And while we may have been able to do more in our home school days, I know that Emily and Noah will succeed. Emily is already in her senior year at Texas A&M University, majoring in Education. Noah's not quite sure what he wants to major in, but there's a whole big world out there to choose from. I know he's going to embrace this new phase in his education and prove himself an awesome college student, just like his sister.

So here's to the end of home school time! We will miss it and always remember the blessings it brought into our lives. And here's to the future and the many blessings and challenges that lie ahead of us!

tst: Philmont

2010-01-19T07:46:00.006-06:00

Noah picked up this t-shirt this past summer

while on his awesome hiking adventure

at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.

Happy T-Shirt Tuesday!

bird prints

2010-01-17T19:10:00.005-06:00

Bird prints. On our window.

See it there, the white smudge in the center of the photo?

A body, a head, tail feathers and two wings.

For some reason, a few birds have recently tried to fly into our living room but were stopped short by a large plate glass window. It's happened in the past with smaller birds, like house wrens, but lately it's been larger birds. They fly away, seemingly no worse for the wear, but they sure make a loud thump when they hit the glass.

If this keeps up, I guess we'll have to look into finding some window decals to warn them of the danger!

(Update: Evidently, this bird didn't fly away "no worse for the wear." The next morning, we found a dead dove near the window. Time to look for some sort of window decal to prevent this from happening in the future.)

an anniversary

2010-01-16T18:48:00.004-06:00

Flowers? For me? Well, it is the first anniversary of this blog. I started it last year when my sweet friend, Jabel, challenged me to a "blog battle." She started hers first, but I've kind of surpassed her in the number of posts -- just a tad (*wink*wink*).

Well, I will say she's a busy girl these days. This girl never stops -- she's pretty amazing! And I'm really glad she got me to stop thinking about starting a blog and actually do it. Thanks, Jabel. Love you! xoxo

oh happy day

2010-01-13T18:54:00.002-06:00

. . . that Emily ordered her Aggie ring!Today, Noah and I traveled to C.S. with Emily to order her Aggie ring. It was a day she has dreamed of, and I'm really glad we were there to share it with her.

Excited? What do you think?
Oh, happy day in Aggieland!

tst: rock 'em, sock 'em

2010-01-12T07:39:00.003-06:00

This is my favorite t-shirt from Noah's collection.

It's from shirt.woot.com, and it's entitled:

convenient tiny chair.

something new

2010-01-11T08:47:00.005-06:00

We got a new camera! Hubby received a gift card for Christmas, and he had no objections when I suggested we get a new camera. This photo was taken in a dark corner of the kitchen in early morning light with no flash.

Same subject, light conditions, time of day, etc., taken with old camera.

Needless to say, I'm very excited! Thank you, my most wonderful Hubby!

BTW, a belated Happy New Year to all!

tst: Cornerstone butterfly

2010-01-05T08:47:00.008-06:00

There are creative ideas out there that bloggers use as tools to provide a weekly or daily idea for posting. There's Bench Monday, Wordless Wednesday, and one I've used before called Color Week. This inspired me to come up with my own idea, which I'm calling T-Shirt Tuesday. The source of this idea was Noah's t-shirt collection. And Emily has an ever-growing collection of Aggie related shirts that I'll be able to feature, as well. So here's the first installment of T-Shirt Tuesday!I'm very happy to feature this shirt on my first T-Shirt Tuesday. This butterfly is a copy of a stained glass window in the worship center at our church, Cornerstone. Love it! See you next Tuesday . . .

snowball::stockings::santa

2009-12-28T18:59:00.019-06:00

:: snowball ::

For the sake of alliteration, here's a snowball from the

December 4, 2009 earliest Houston snowfall on record.

.
::stockings::

Our stockings look so nice on the "new" white fireplace.

I'm thinking I want to add a little greenery to the stockings

sometime soon - a little jolly holly.

:: santa :: We got a new silver Christmas tree this year, with holographic "needles" that reflect a rainbow of color. I love, love, love it because it's skinny and fits right into our "Christmas tree corner."

This Santa ornament is one of my favorites because it makes me think of my dad. He didn't play the saxaphone, but he was a jolly ol' elf, indeed.

On Christmas day, Emily and I were sick so we all stayed home. Lucky for us, my most talented Hubby is a great cook and whipped up a wonderful Christmas dinner on the spur of the moment. It was a quiet Christmas, but we were all together.

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful New Year.

May 2010 be much better to us than 2009 was!

(And let me just say, whenever I hear an alliteration I think of:

"beets, bears, Battlestar Galactica." Don't you?)

happy snow day!

2009-12-04T16:49:00.008-06:00

Today, Houston got it's earliest snowfall ever! Not that we get snowfall often, but it happens now and then. And it happened today! Noah took pictures while I was working at the dance studio. We took more pictures when I got home. Then hubby came home early, and we got this picture of me and Noah. Folks, this is an event. Snow in Houston! More snow than "if you squint hard, you can see it" snow.

Yes, it stuck to the ground!

And it made neat little piles on the fence.

Here, Noah's footprints became a smiley face.

Lisa at u*handbag is having a giveaway. To enter, you must submit a photo of extreme sewing. I think this qualifies.

Happy Snow Day!

the holidays are here!

2009-12-02T10:53:00.018-06:00

Poinsettias are one of my favorite things about the holiday season. As the mom in charge of the Bayou City Dance Company poinsettia fundraiser for many years (back in the day), I now can't imagine a Christmas without poinsettias. We sold the most beautiful poinsettias, and it was awesome when hundreds of them were delivered to the studio for the dancers to pick up. It was a sea of poinsettias in red, pink, cream and sometimes one they call Jingle Bells (red with flecks of white). They were so beautiful. And now when I see poinsettias, I always remember those days. Oh, the life of a dance mom! I wouldn't change a minute of it.

This year, we had Thanksgiving dinner at our house and my big sis brought me a really big poinsettia plant. It's gorgeous! Our guests for dinner were Deb & Judy and Mary & Charlie. Dinner was so delicious with all of our favorites, and it was nice to be together as a family. And let me just say, you've got to try this cinnamon coffee recipe from the Taste of Texas restaurant. I served it a couple of years ago during the holidays, but I forgot how really delicious it is. I also use their pecan pie recipe, and it's always a big hit.

Here's Emily making coconut cookies for a friend on Sunday. She loves making cookies during the holidays. On this day, our kitchen produced pancakes (hubby), cookies (Emily), walnut chocolate chip pumpkin muffins (me), turkey tortilla soup (hubby), and chocolate pie (hubby). It was amazing and delicious!

VIDEO NEWS

At this year's CUMC Hanging of the Greens, the Best Kolaches performed once again, with Noah as lead singer. They did a great job, as always, with minimal rehearsal time. They're amazing! Here are links to their two performances - Go Go Power Rangers and Winter Wonderland - courtesy of Andrea (aka Snow White). And here's a link to Andrea's blog with a quick video of their performance at last year's Hanging of the Greens. I was there, honest I was. But I had camera issues. So "many thanks" to Andrea for sharing.

Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving, and I wish you all the blessings of the Christmas season.

green. really?

2009-11-24T09:05:00.009-06:00

We have never used green as a color in decorating our home. I've never even had green in my wardrobe. But it's become a new feature color in our living room and kitchen. And I love it! Hubby also painted the fireplace white. The painting is not quite done yet, due to a freakish eye injury he suffered on Sunday. We got him in to see a top-notch doc yesterday, and it's not as bad as we feared. Fortunately, he should be healed in a day or two.

By the way, the new Behr paint with primer in it is really good stuff. Here's the fireplace as a work-in-progress. My sweet hubby did a beautiful job! After 26 years of not really loving the fireplace in the living room, I'm loving my "new" white fireplace. Thanks, Hon!

pumpkin pie & piano

2009-11-16T11:19:00.012-06:00

What happens when you run out of pumpkin pie? You make more! Right about this time each year, I start making pumpkin pie until my family begs me to stop. I love pumpkin pie and they do too. I just think I love it more. For the guys in the family, it's a perfect excuse to consume whipped cream. They'll put whipped cream on just about anything.

I use the Libby's pumpkin pie recipe, but I substitute fat-free instead of regular evaporated milk. To me, that gives it a lighter taste (and is better for you). I've got a nice little collection of Longaberger pie plates (they're awesome), and I look for just about any excuse to bake a pie. Ooh, I can smell this pumpkin pie as it's baking now. MmmMmm!

And here's Noah after his piano performance at this year's Fall Festival this past Saturday. He played Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (first movement) beautifully. His dad and I were so proud! I captured a video of the performance on my new cell phone. Now we just have to figure out how to get it off the phone and onto a computer. I'll update when that happens. : : Better go check on that pie!

Happy Veteran's Day

2009-11-11T07:56:00.002-06:00

Thank you to all those who have served our great nation. May we prove ourselves deserving of your courage, dedication and sacrifices.

tamale pie

2009-10-29T09:18:00.003-05:00

This is another item I recently got from my Aunt Shirley's house - a vintage Corning Ware covered cassarole dish. I actually gasped when I opened the cupboard door and saw it! I have a fondness for Pennsylvania Dutch designs and this reminds me of that style. So yesterday I used it for the first time to make Two-Bean Tamale Pie, a yummy recipe from a vegetarian cookbook my sister Deborah gave us many years ago. It got three thumbs up at dinner.

fall-ish

2009-10-28T06:58:00.005-05:00

Finally, some cool-ish weather here, and it's time for chocolate chip pumpkin muffins.

Got them out of the oven just before I dashed off to work.

And on another "note," here's Noah and the awesome Ms. Marina at a piano recital several weeks ago. Awesome teacher + awesome student = beautiful music!

car :: dance :: retro mixer

2009-10-10T19:20:00.018-05:00

Recent events at i.a.n.b.d.

CAR ::

Noah finally got himself some wheels! Actually, it's my step-dad's 11-year-old Buick, but it's in great shape. Took awhile to get the paperwork in order, but now Noah's got wheels and he's a happy camper! And so am I since I've been sharing my wheels with one offspring or another for four years. We worked it out beautifully most of the time, but it's a blessing to not have to do all that figuring out of shedules. Whew!

DANCE ::

Emily's dance company, Chara, took their 2009-10 company member pictures recently, and they are exquisite! So proud of my ballerina.

RETRO MIXER ::

My dear cousin Lonnie invited me and my sis over to his mom's house to pick out something to remember our Aunt Shirley by. We each got a piece of art that reminds us of her. And I was able to convince Lonnie that I would give her mixer (over 40 years old!) a very loving home.

Well, I think it was love at first sight when my hubby got a look at it. He cleaned it up all brand-spanking-new and hurried over to Ace Hardware to get a brand new cord, since the original one was twisted up from all those years of preparing wonderful food. (He even gave our "old" hand mixer to Emily! Who needs two hand mixers?)

Maybe we'll get another 40 years out of this beauty. That's lots of pancakes and mashed potatoes (two of hubby's specialties).

BTW, I managed to do a little sewing/crafting last weekend.

Emily asked for an iron and ironing board while she was home last weekend. I had recently inherited my mom's iron, which is much nicer than the one I had, so I gifted Emily my old iron. In the garage was an old (kind of stinky) tabletop ironing board that had also been my mom's. So quick as a wink, I fashioned a new ironing board cover and pad with items on hand. The new fabric is much more "Emily" than the old (on the right). She gave me a happy, smiling "Thanks, Mom!" <3

a donkey named Carol

2009-10-01T08:39:00.016-05:00

Ever since I was a young girl, I've had a soft spot for donkeys. One morning in June, I visited the donkeys over at Bear Creek Park and snapped this picture. They've got two donkeys there and they come right up to the fence to see the visitors.

Recently I was thinking about donkeys and realized I really don't know much about them, so I did a google search and found this sweet, sweet story about a donkey named Carol.

This little donkey belonged to my Grandmother B. I've always wondered who gave it to her. And I'm sure this little donkey never really had a name. Maybe Carol would be a good name for her.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Shirley

2009-09-26T21:05:00.007-05:00

Today would have been my Aunt Shirley's 73rd birthday. These beautiful roses are from the most spectacular blanket of roses I've ever seen, given to her by her loving son, Lonnie. And they're pink, of course.

For those of you who knew her, here's a collection of photos Lonnie put together (click on "images").

Happy Birthday, Aunt Shirley. We love you. We miss you. We'll always remember the way you loved life!

remembering my Aunt Shirley

2009-09-09T19:52:00.013-05:00

Remembering my wonderful aunt, Shirley Condry Gainer, who passed away on Monday evening, September 7, after courageously battling cancer. I don't think I have ever known anyone who loved life and loved living it more than she did.

About Shirley: She was my mother's baby sister. Pink was her signature color, and she looked beautiful in it. She loved to travel and had the opportunity to live in many different places - Spain, Alaska, Tunisia, Malta - those are the ones I can remember. During this time, she married her husband, Kermit, three times. The third time it finally took! They worked together and played together over the years. I'd say they had a pretty wonderful life (and raised a pretty wonderful son).

She was always proud of the fact that she played "match maker" and introduced me to the wonderful man who has been my husband for 27 years. She invited us both over for dinner and, when we left, she bet my Uncle Kermit ten dollars that we'd be married within a year. It was one year and three weeks before our actual wedding day. Technically, she lost her bet, so I gave her ten dollars. It was well worth it!

We love you and will miss you, Aunt Shirley. And we have the blessed assurance that we will be together again one day. xoxoxo

better homes

2009-07-31T22:46:00.003-05:00

How cool is this?! It's a picture from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, revised edition, seventh printing (1965). It was my mom's cook book, which I just got my hands on yesterday. I decided to share this on my blog tonight, but I need daylight to photograph the cover. So . . . stay tuned!

joey

2009-07-21T16:49:00.006-05:00

This is my favorite picture of my step-father, Joe. In this picture he looks more like "Joey," which is what his Malandruccolo family called him since he was a boy. Here he's a 17-year-old brand new Navy sailor in Honolulu, 1944. He served for two years and three months during World War II.

Joe passed away on July 19, while making a rare trip to Louisiana to visit his sister and her family. He had a wonderful time visiting them for two days, was treated like a king, and then he had a heart attack the day he was supposed to return home. His plan was to live until he was 120. He said that so often, we started to believe him. I think that's why so many people are shocked to hear of his passing.

Today he would have been 83 years old. Rest in peace, Joe. We'll miss you.

he's back!

2009-07-16T06:18:00.003-05:00

Noah returned from his Philmont trip at around 4:30 this morning!
And here's the coveted Philmont belt.
So good to have him home!

first contact

2009-07-12T16:31:00.010-05:00

Mt. Phillips, New Mexico

elevation 11,713 ft.

Today we received first contact from Noah's Boy Scout troop while on their hike at Philmont Scout Ranch. This is day eight of the ten day trek. Mr. Land called and left us a message from the top of Mt. Phillips. They reached that point around noon and then headed downhill to their campsite for tonight.

This photo was taken with a cell phone camera by one of the leaders. Mr. Land said that there hadn't been any injuries or accidents, and the scouts are all sleeping well, happy and having a wonderful time. All good news.

They've got two more days on the trail and will return to base camp on Tuesday. Can't wait to hear all the stories and see all the pictures when they get home!

this & that

2009-07-11T15:26:00.008-05:00

First, let me say this is a completely random post - a bit of this & that.

My hubby loves to cook, and he's a really good cook! Once in a great while, we are lucky enough to have him make onion rings for us, which he did last Sunday evening. And these rings were delicious! Hot, crunchy and sweet, made with Texas 1015 onions.

Mmmmmm-mmmm!

Last night I finally made the table runner for Deb and Judy that I've been planning to make for over six months now. I get to give it to them tomorrow when we take a trip down south to visit our neice, Charlene. When I first saw the rose pattern fabric, I knew they would love it. The other side of it is linen left over from my latest handbag project.

And here's our Callie cat, purring away in the tub as she enjoys the dripping faucet. It's one of her favorite places to be. She's a silly kitty.

leap!

2009-07-04T13:14:00.004-05:00

Wow, Emily! Great leap!

[May 2, 2009 ~ Art of Worship rehearsal]

Independence Day: America turns 233

2009-07-04T07:55:00.005-05:00

Happy 4th of July! Last night hubby and I watched one of my all-time favorite movies, the musical 1776. It's funny, moving, and makes you think about the brave, honorable men who founded our country and the incredible personal sacrifices they made. And for your reading enjoyment :: the Declaration of Independence and my favorite article written about the signing of the Declaration, The Americans Who Risked Everything.

Have a safe and happy 4th!

to philmont

2009-07-03T11:16:00.024-05:00

Noah's Boy Scout troop got the opportunity to go to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico this summer. They'll be gone for two weeks during which they'll hike for 10 days in the mountains at 7,000-10,000 feet elevation, carrying 40+ pound backpacks. He's been training for the trip for the last couple of months, and for the last few weeks he got up early every morning to walk two miles, carrying his fully loaded backpack, at the local park walking trail. It was hot and humid every morning. In New Mexico, they'll experience highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s and NO HUMIDITY! That should make his backpack feel a little lighter. [Pictured: Dad and Noah making final adjustments to new backpack and hiking boots.]

Here he is before the haircut and sporting some facial hair. This picture was taken about a month ago after a very hot and humid weekend of hiking/camping/training (hence the "can we please go home now" look).
And here are best friends Noah and Kevin about to leave for Philmont yesterday afternoon. They both shaved that morning, and now the race is on to see who can grow the best beard over the next two weeks.

Nine scouts and three leaders are going on the trek. For two weeks! Their moms are going to miss them! But they are going to have an amazing high adventure trip. Gotta love the Boy Scouts!

callie

2009-06-16T16:58:00.002-05:00

27 years!

2009-06-13T09:17:00.004-05:00

Look at these beautiful banana walnut muffins my hubby of 27 YEARS made for me this morning. He got the recipe from the Williams Sonoma website. They are beautiful AND delicious! Last night we celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary by going out to the Texas Roadhouse for steaks and ribs for hubby and BBQ chicken for me. Noah had eaten there earlier in the week to celebrate best friend Kevin's birthday, so we heard from him how good the food is. It has a truly Texas atmosphere and really great food. Happy Anniversary, Dale! I'm one lucky gal.

the beast

2009-06-09T09:38:00.008-05:00

This sign foretells the sad news.
There's a beast lurking right outside our neighborhood, just a couple of blocks from our house. It's taking out the beautiful oak trees and blooming crepe myrtles that line one of the main streets that border the neighborhood to make way for turning lanes and center lanes.
Yes, it will make traffic flow much better in the mornings and evenings, but we will miss the beautiful trees and landscaping we've enjoyed for so many years. Noah and I took a walk over to take a look at the tragic event taking place. So sad.

Goldie

2009-06-07T19:17:00.012-05:00

Emily loves baseball! While watching the Astros play a winning game today, Hubby brought up the subject of my Great Uncle Goldie Holt. I remember hearing stories about him when I was much younger and a little about his career in baseball. Basically, all I knew was that he was somehow associated with the Los Angeles Dodgers.So I decided to "google" him and I found out a lot more than I knew. He was a player, coach and manager in the minor leagues, and a coach for several major league teams. As a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he found talent in the late 1960s and early 1970s that helped the Dodgers win three National League pennants in the 1970s. His entire career spanned from 1924 to 1973.

Emily asked, "Why didn't I know about this?!?" So now I'm thinking that, like one of those geneology commercials tells us, perhaps this explains why Emily.Loves.Baseball!

pleated beauty 2

2009-06-04T21:35:00.006-05:00

I'm so happy to have finally finished my second Pleated Beauty Bag! This one is made with linen, and it's accented and lined with My Folklore Kaleidoscope. I do love the My Folklore line.It's been in the making for a month or so (with numerous interruptions), and I'm thrilled to be using it now. Happiness!

Sunday happenings

2009-05-31T21:06:00.012-05:00

We had a wonderful service at church today celebrating Pentecost - the birthday of the church. (If you get a magnifying glass, you might see Noah and Kevin in the choir loft.)Then we headed over to the site of the location for our new church campus for a groundbreaking ceremony.Here's Emily at the groundbreaking ceremony. Noah was on the other side of the crowd with the youth. It was a beautiful Sunday, even though it was hot! But the backyard was cool under the cypress trees with the sprinkler cooling things down.On another note, we said goodbye to Orlando yesterday (he loves that fairy costume) as Emily moved from the condo to an apartment. She's trading Orlando for the Quaker Oats Man, who's constantly trying to get you to eat some oatmeal. I'll try to get a picture of him next. That should be easy because he never moves.

art of worship

2009-05-28T18:48:00.021-05:00

Chara Christian Dance Company had their Art of Worship performance in downtown Bryan on May 2 & 3 at the outdoor Palace Theater. It was an awesome and inspiring evening! Mom (me), Dad, Noah, Aunt Deb and Judy were there to watch Emily dance. This was Emily's first year with Chara and she absolutely loves it.

Here are a few pics of some of the pieces she was in (she's the one with short hair).

I don't have a video yet of the May performance, but here's one from earlier this year of their dance to the song Stand in the Rain. Chara means "joy" in Greek.

eye spy

2009-05-23T09:24:00.006-05:00

This morning my suspicions were confirmed by another family member. I do believe this bald cypress in the back yard is watching us. Just so you know.

Post script: Click on the photo to enlarge and you'll see the woodpecker holes on the tree trunk just beneath the birdhouse. I remember that noisy woodpecker!

Cheryl Elizabeth

2009-05-22T22:47:00.008-05:00

Cheryl Elizabeth

July 8, 1960 - May 22, 2009

In loving memory of my sweet baby sister, Cheryl,

who entered life immortal today.

Her loving daughter Charlene, sisters Deborah and Denean,

and friend Judy were at her side as she went home to be with our Lord.

We love her and will miss her sweet spirit,

but know we will all be together again someday.

april + jody

2009-04-24T17:10:00.016-05:00

Our neice April is marrying Jody tomorrow! Since I'm sure she won't have time to be checking out blogs today, I'll post a picture of the apron I made for her a couple of weeks ago to send along with their wedding gift. Best wishes for a blessed wedding day and many years of love and happiness, Jody & April!

I found the tutorial for the apron at Cicada Daydream. Love the Dogwood fabric collection Michelle designed and the apron design, which features French seams. It's always fun making things and learning a new technique at the same time. BTW, all the fabrics I used were from JoAnn's.

pink week :: day 5

2009-04-24T14:48:00.004-05:00

a herd of stick horses that Ms. Ginger turned into circus ponies for "bareback riding" dancers

pink week :: day 4

2009-04-23T22:17:00.003-05:00

a few of Emily's favorite books from her childhood

pink week :: day 3

2009-04-22T10:49:00.005-05:00

a little ballerina fairy enjoying the sweet smell of

blooming ligustrum

pink week :: day 2

2009-04-21T07:47:00.002-05:00

Ballerina Princess

(or is is Princess Ballerina?)

pink week :: day 1

2009-04-20T08:46:00.005-05:00

In honor of my daughter, Emily, turning 21, I had planned to celebrate pink week last week. But I got sick and wasn't able to make that happen. So today is the first day of pink week. Having a ballerina in residence for 16+ years will make pink week a breeze!

21!

2009-04-13T08:18:00.015-05:00

It's Emily's birthday today! We had a great weekend, partying with two other birthday girls at Dave & Busters.

Birthday girls Stephanie, Aunt Carolyn & Emily.

We had lots of family at the party- Aunt Carolyn, Uncle James, Dana (& MacKenzie), Toby, Jeff, Steph, Teagen, Aunt Deb, Judy, Mom (me), Dad, Noah and Emily. It was fun! Lots of games, gifts and good food. Oh, and you get to go to the prize room at the end. Emily bought a little stuffed Reveille dog (TAMU's mascot) with her prize tickets. She was happy! Oh, yes, and she got some candy.

The birthday weekend was topped off with lemonade birthday cake and Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla and Strawberries ice cream. Yuuuummmm!

Happy Birthday, Emily! Love you!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T09:02:00.003-05:00

He is risen indeed!

thursday pics

2009-04-09T21:46:00.026-05:00

Noah and I took a trip to REI this morning to buy some hiking boots for his trip to Philmont this summer. It's time to start training! Then while waiting at a red light, I noticed I could see myself in the hub cap of the tractor/trailer truck next to me.
Update: Noah noticed if you click on the image to see it enlarged, you can see my car reflected in each lug nut too.

When we got home there were some beautiful yellow roses greeting us from our neighbor's yard.

I found these pics on my camera today. Emily dances with Chara Christian Dance Company, and a couple of weeks ago two of the dancers secretly tagged everyone else's car during rehearsal. They all got a kick out of it and I think her car looks really cute. BTW, "chara" means "joy" in Greek.

Palm Sunday

2009-04-05T10:13:00.008-05:00

I wanted to share with you the crosses that were made by the jr. and sr. high youth at our church. They were given to the congregation at the Ash Wednesday service, and there's a surprise on the reverse side that will be revealed next Sunday.

Today is Palm Sunday and that means another awesome Easter Cantata performed by the Chancel Choir. Noah and his best friend Kevin (the redhead) were once again asked to participate. This is the second Easter Cantata they've done, and they've also done two Christmas Cantatas. The Cantata features wonderful soloists and an orchestra. Always beautiful and moving.

Have a blessed Holy Week!

springtime view (and SMS! giveaway)

2009-04-03T11:28:00.035-05:00

Over at Sew, Mama, Sew!, they're having their Free Fabric Friday. Today the giveaway is a fat quarter pack designed by Alicia Paulson of Posy Gets Cozy (she's also the author of Stitched in Time). Posy Gets Cozy is my all-time favorite blog. Alicia is a talented writer, artist and crafter. You don't have to be a crafter to enjoy her blog. She writes so beautifully about everyday life and everyday experiences, and her photographs are gorgeous.

Alicia's inspiration for designing the "Oregon April" fat quarter pack was the springtime view from her window in Portland. To enter the giveaway, you're asked to include in your comment what the springtime view is from your window. My springime view is the squirrels and birds enjoying the bald cypress tree just outside our living room window. We've got some ninja squirrels out there. They're quite the acrobats and so much fun to watch. What do you see from your window this spring?

Bald Cypress Playland for the birds and squirrels in our backyard

stitches and scissors - a giveaway

2009-04-02T21:42:00.012-05:00

Darci at stitches and scissors is having a giveaway - some really neat fat quarters. I just discovered her blog this week and really like it. She's got great photos, tutorials and fun projects. It looks like there's lots to learn from her blog. Check it out!

my flickr debut

2009-04-02T06:56:00.023-05:00

Great-googuly-mooguly! I'm excited! Another blogging first for me. I just posted my Pleated Beauty Bag on the Bend the Rules Sewing flickr group. I tried a few days ago and it didn't show up. So I tried again today and it worked! I modified my bag and replaced the little red buttons with wooden ones, and I'm very happy with the change.

I've got some new fabric to make another PBB for me, but I've got to finish up some gift projects first. I did take a few minutes last week to make a wrist cuff for Noah (inspired by these). He loves wearing terry wrist bands, but I thought he might like something a bit more refined. This was a fun, quick project, and we will definitely make more.

morning shadows

2009-03-29T13:48:00.004-05:00

morning shadows cast by two bald cypress trees and a birdhouse

on post-Ike and pre-Ike fence sections

yellow week :: day 5

2009-03-27T14:07:00.002-05:00

breakfast - the most important meal of the day

yellow week :: day 4

2009-03-26T12:39:00.003-05:00

one of these things just doesn't belong

yellow week :: day 3

2009-03-25T12:31:00.002-05:00

laundry day is a very dangerous day

yellow week :: day 2

2009-03-24T12:47:00.004-05:00

umbrellas and canes at the dance studio

yellow week :: day 1

2009-03-23T22:06:00.004-05:00

a fresh bunch of bananas for hubby's morning smoothies

MY pleated beauty

2009-03-18T09:25:00.008-05:00

Even though I haven't finished sewing up the remaining items on my gift list (I've completed only one out of three), I took a break to make something for myself. Inspired by this Pleated Beauty (from Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing), I made one of my own using fat quarters from a stack of My Folklore fabric I purchased a while back.
I've made only one Pleated Beauty previous to this one. It was really big (like tote bag big), but that was fine because dear daughter used it for a dance bag. I made this one smaller so it would be more of a handbag. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. It's interesting how the design details evolve as you go along. I added an extra pocket to the interior, as well as a little ribbon and clip to secure my change purse inside. It was so much fun and now I'm looking forward to making more handbags.

This is Spring Break week for my two Juniors, and it's good to have our girlie home for a week. Before we know it, the spring semester will end and she'll be home for the summer (yea!) -- and then there will be non-stop Astros coverage at our house. Looking forward to baseball season. Yes.

hullabaloo

2009-03-09T09:59:00.016-05:00

We had a great weekend. On Saturday, son, hubby and I had lunch with Deb and Judy at Chuy's. Great Mexican food! They were treating the three of us to lunch for our recent birthdays. Then we all went to a piano performance my son participated in, where the students perform and get a critique from a judge. He was great, of course!

On Sunday, hubby and I went to visit our beautiful daughter. We had lunch at the Hullabaloo Diner, which has been featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The outside was as entertaining as the inside. We saw roosters, hens, peacocks, a "fish" in an interesting spot, and a smiling tree.
After waiting outside for awhile - since they were really busy at lunch time - we got to sit at the counter, which was fun in itself. Once we smelled the coffee inside, we were all in the mood for breakfast even though it was lunch time. So we had eggs, biscuits with sausage gravy, omelets and home fries. Yumm!

Then we strolled through downwtown Bryan and topped off the day with scoops of Blue Bell ice cream at a cute little soda shop.