A new year is almost here... what strange creatures we are that make such a noise about the change in date. No less, it seems like a good time to make note of some 2010 events. Today it was 70 degrees... too weird even for Texas.
Tim found his footing and a place to reside other than at my house... but always our home.
Gelica found Texas and decided to stay... became an official resident.
I tried to count every blessing, missing some I'm sure. For this I pray the Lord remains patient with this very willful, often disobedient child.
As is typical I found myself bored with digital scrapbooking... on a back burner, but I'm sure the urge will return.
End of this particular year found me reviewing how I've looked at what appears to be security. Often running my everyday vehicle to almost empty of fuel, relying on the weekly shopping to supply the next week's needs. Indeed, how did a relatively smart gal get to 50 yrs of living only to wake to the fact that nothing is very secure, much less our everydayness of living.
With this and a very appreciative husband that has been waiting on me to catch up... we embark on a very new path of self-reliance. It became startling clear how very unprepared for anything more than one week away we really are. But we are very fortunate that we are 'country type' folks. Many talents have been honed that will be very useful. Many hobbies coupled with pack-rat mentality means we have many tools, general merchandise on the homestead... if you can call 1 acre such a thing. Perhaps I will make notes here, but mostly I am much more tuned to what I can pick up and read without anything more than daylight or candles. I look forward to learning neglected skills... first up - putting my brand spankin' new All American canner to good use with the garden bounty that shamefully go to waste each year.
Happy New Year - 2011. I think we are up to the challenge. ~..~ vlm
Celebrating birthdays
For some ~ it might take an expensive gift or dinner, a large gathering of folks; maybe a trip to the city for excitement to celebrate a birthday. For me ~ it just does not get any better than spending a week with my best friend trying to get as lost as possible. Explore every dirt road, hiking the side of a mountain to stand in awe at huge rock crevices, walking along mountain streams, surrounded in nature the way God intended it to be enjoyed. Nights cool enough for a camp fire, snuggling in our very fancy tent - ha! This kind of peace and serenity can't be bought and is only found if you really look for it.... and if you are fortunate to love every minute spent with your mate.
To each his own, for sure, because I wouldn't trade my choice for anything else. My 52nd birthday, 22nd wedding anniversary spent at Devil's Den State Park, Arkansas. Our adventures just keeping getting better!
Changes
A week of changes.... JT traveled to Japan for his 1st duty station, Gelica hates good-byes but not as much as the sailor man. Tim moved to a new level of independence ~ even if it's less than 10 miles from home. First steps to somewhere further (perhaps) next year when Kilgore College tells him he has to go be a professional student somewhere else - lol. Rick bought me a dozen roses because I was a little sad to see my kido stretching his wings. I found this unknown flower while fishing with my buddy on Lake-O-the-Pines. It reminded me of these young people bursting away from the security they know.
Casper, Wy in August 2010
Few would dispute that I love to travel and a chance to see a far North part of the USA was a grand adventure. Casper lies in the east central part of the state and is locked away from the world when the winter snows arrive. As a southern native I was amazed to hear that Casper folks don't think it odd that the main and only road from here to there; I-25 is literally closed for weeks at a time. I loved the wide, open feeling, the cool moutain air provided by none other - Casper Mountain that establishes the Southern border of this lively town. The massive wind turbines dot the Northern hills. Located about 15 miles from the city, they dwarf the huge power plant they supply.
It's been a long time since I've flown and now remember why - I hate airports but the chance to capture the view from above the clouds was worth it.
To quote Dorothy - "There's no place like home".
Granbury, Tx July 2010
An extended weekend to visit this very historic town. Rick and I acting like professional tourist for a few days. A favorite photo spot - Grandbury Live theater. We didn't have a chance to catch a show, but hear that they rival Branson, MS shows. Maybe little morbid, but we love historic cemeteries and this town has some fantastic history. The old jail house has been converted to a museum with loads of stories from the retired volunteer gentleman who is old enough to recall a lot of first hand info and tales from his folks.
Notable facts -
Forensic anthropologists are conducting DNA testing on the bones of one J. Frank Dalton, who just prior to his 1951 death in Granbury claimed to be the notorious outlaw Jesse James. History currently purports that James died in 1882 in Missouri, gunned down by a member of his own gang. But revisionists in Granbury have long claimed that James came to their town in the 1880's to work on the railroad.
Then there was John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln's assassin. He evidently spent a lot of time in Granbury's saloons. And like Jesse James, Booth evidently assumed an alias.
Granbury Opera House takes front and center stage amongst the town's entertainment venues. Built in 1886, the opera house exhales a rich history that architects resuscitated in 1975 when they restored the building to its original grandeur.
A quick google of Granbury, Texas reaps a wealth of colorful history for this small, but growing, community with roots dating back to 1871.
Found Discarded / 365 - 7.18 to 7.24.10
DISCARD [dɪsˈkɑːd]
vb 1: to get rid of as useless or undesirable 2: abandon. There's nothing like finding a good deal - trash to treasure kind of thing, especially when a visit to the local library reaps an extraordinary find - FREE set of The International Encylopedia of Social Sciences. Doesn't matter that they were published in 1968 - all knowledge is good.
Rick rescues many unwanted things - sometimes cheap and other times, well, not so. I now have a beautiful desk that was originally a dresser; ugly, unwanted, greatly used up. In his usual methodical manner this rejected bedroom suite is slowly being restored.
When is a flower a weed - when it goes wildly about the yard in unwanted places - like the lawn.
I think of the many, many, endeavors I've taken up - only to be abandoned when I reach my self-described level of competency. This is especially true considering the time, money and complete satisfaction I found when I was aspiring to be an acrylic artist.
365 - 7.11 to 7.17.2010
Everyday sounds - all around us. I've come to accept them as part of the hum... the 'up and moving' section of my day. This week I made a conscious effort to stop and listen to something other than the white noise of my life - constant chatter of the T.V, endless chirping of the resident bird, misc music turned on without a thought to what I want to hear, news, traffic, phones ringing, people talking, etc.
The first thing required is that I tone down the constant clamor in my head ~ not an easy task ~ then take a deep breath and LISTEN... to the sound of my favorite wind chimes, TM's gentle snore of deep slumber (how in that contorted position is beyond me) ...the humming and twitter of little birds that I believe are mislabeled as 'cute' (these warriors are very brutal when it comes to their territory)...
And then there is a sound that is as much a part of my person as the air I breath. The summer sound of cicadas (aka locust according to the older generation I grew up with, but simply not a fact - a completely different bug). While this insect & it's discarded shell after molting have a rich history of terrifying young kids; for me the droning of these creatures have such lulling effect on me that I can't find any repulsion in the little buggers. Endless summer memories carry me away and like a photo that you never tire of looking at; it's a SONG I look forward to.
365 - 7.4 to 7.10.10
365 - 6.27 to 7.3.2010
Other than this little set back the week was pretty usual. Fresh corn ready, more tomatoes and peppers than I know what to do with. Seems everyones garden is flourishing also, so no one wants anything. Lots of summer showers. Best ending I could come up with - margaritas, wonderful baja fish tacos and the best group I know to hang with ~ Rick, Tim & Gelica... ahhhh - you can't be unhappy with that - LOL.
365 - 6.20 to 6.26.10
I just love ordinary weeks when nothing unpredicable creeps in to mess it up. Perhaps this is a sign of aging (gracefully) that it doesn't take a lot of colorful drama to make my life complete.... I'll take it any old day. I definitely prefer watching corn grow, rainbows that show up in the water sprinkler, finding chalk buckets on my back porch and thinking it's pretty cool that some 20+ year olds know how to have fun. An ice cold water (with a few slices of lime and fresh peach... odd, I know, but strangely refreshing and very low cal). The two whimsical critters that reside in the mint pot make me smile each time I look at them (lovingly named Rick & Vanessa... hahaha). A visit by a tree frog to my back porch...and the week is complete with ordinary things that are not very much at all.
6-13 to 6-19 / 365 project
How my garden grows
Procrastination
June 2010
Life can be so exceptional on any given day. My goal is to capture a little of it with my camera every chance I get.
Favorite Shoes
These are quite possibly the most comfortable, durable shoes I've ever owned. This is very important when you spend lots of time outdoors, stomping around in all kinds of terrain. Rick bought a pair a couple of years ago and after seeing how they held up under his abuse - I knew I had to have some.
I highly recommend these if you don't mind spending a little more than you ever wanted to on a pair of 'do-everything' shoes.
Hill Country INSECTS
Of the 200+ photos it's not really odd that I started scrapping a page of BUGS. Unique creatures have always captured my attention. I got past the icky, yucky, panic of discovering one when I was - oh - about 4 yrs old, LOL.
I just see the extraordinary beauty in every living thing and I found some pretty unusual ones in the Tx Hill Country. I wish I could have gotten a good picture of the most awesome spider that spread a web about 6 ft between our camp and the one next to us. She was a subject of many wishful pictures. I even had Tim get involved in catching food in an attempt to lure her off of the cedar branch into her web. Camera shy is all I could figure. Bet she was glad when I left after 4 days of messing with her.i
5.9.2010
Mother’s Day.
Where did this come from? A day set aside to honor our mothers and motherhood. A quick search on the www gave me a new take on this date. I was surprised to find that it is a world wide celebration in one form or another. So much for my conspiracy theory involving a card manufacturer set on exacting guilt from a society to reap large amounts of cash.
This day for me has been an accumulation of memories. Some I hold dear – the ones of my small son delivering me a handmade card along with a ‘gift’ his dad felt would be just what I had always wanted. Other memories are the bittersweet ones of my mom and the vacancy left by her death. That loss when I was 35 left me struggling with this day for a very long time. It seemed to only serve as a reminder that she was gone and I leaned
toward the melancholy memories rather than rejoicing in the time I had been given perhaps because she died a week before mother’s day.
It has been a long time coming that I have finally reckoned with this day. I can walk outside my house to smell the May blooming star jasmine – her favorite – without being taken down to tears. I can watch her transplanted amaryllis bloom, whispering the stories of her life and that of her mom’s (very huge bulbs that have survived moving from her childhood home to reside with her for 30 years and then to my yard).
Momma ~
Who was this one person; her reflection dwells within my soul. Very few people knew her, yet those few walked away with a deeper sense of themselves. A thinker; one who contemplated all mysteries. A God-fearing woman who was held hostage by her own frailty. I have often wondered if she wasn’t in daily reconciliation with a higher power.
As a young child she suffered a high, lasting fever. The final prescription from the local town doctor – strychnine. ‘It will either kill her or cure her’. This was later believed to be the source for her muscular atrophy. You might say that she began her life in what seemed an accelerated act of dying sooner rather than later.
She raised her children with a vigorous desire as her time may be stolen before she was done. Our lives were tended like careful gardens, seeded with many profound conversations that comfort me still. I found her with three year old Timothy sitting quietly on her lap; murmurings too low for me to hear – this not long before she left us. When I ask what they were up to, it didn’t surprise me when she said that she was just telling him things that later he would need to know.
So, today I think on Momma. I have found a serenity in my heart that knows I was more blessed for her short years because she was always busy living harder than she might done otherwise.
Dorothy Arnold Horton, nee Pepper – March 1, 1933 – May 3, 1993
A tenacious spirit to defy the odds – outliving all predictions
A studious reader of anything that questioned ‘why’
A philosopher in her own right
A stubborn soul that spoke of her foundation
A joyful being ~ yet likened to a rainbow after a storm, fleeting but beautiful
A storyteller of our Creek heritage
A magnet that drew people back to her after their first meeting
A lover of coffee
A devoted daughter, sister; wife, grandmother ~ but always just my mom.
Early this morning I had coffee with my mom as the sweet jasmine filled the air. A pair of whip-o-wills call to each other nearby before retiring for the day just as the chorus of day birds woke to sing their jubilant songs.
We talked of all the tears and fears that mothers endure, then pride that finally comes when you see your child bring to fruition all your desires.
We reminisced about the bold personalities of her four sisters, the loving sternness of her dad that was an equal balance to her mother’s gentleness.
But mostly she and I came to terms today about those last pain-filled hours as I sat holding her hand, watching as she slowly drifted from me. After all speech had left her – with distraught eyes that held me captive as if she had something that desperately needed to be said. Those eyes that have haunted my dreams were not a sorrowful cry to not leave this world, but a beckoning for me to let go of what she knew I’d tote around like unnecessary baggage and to just get on with being busy at living.
I caught a reflection of myself and thought – I am my mother’s daughter.
~..~
Where did this come from? A day set aside to honor our mothers and motherhood. A quick search on the www gave me a new take on this date. I was surprised to find that it is a world wide celebration in one form or another. So much for my conspiracy theory involving a card manufacturer set on exacting guilt from a society to reap large amounts of cash.
This day for me has been an accumulation of memories. Some I hold dear – the ones of my small son delivering me a handmade card along with a ‘gift’ his dad felt would be just what I had always wanted. Other memories are the bittersweet ones of my mom and the vacancy left by her death. That loss when I was 35 left me struggling with this day for a very long time. It seemed to only serve as a reminder that she was gone and I leaned
toward the melancholy memories rather than rejoicing in the time I had been given perhaps because she died a week before mother’s day.
It has been a long time coming that I have finally reckoned with this day. I can walk outside my house to smell the May blooming star jasmine – her favorite – without being taken down to tears. I can watch her transplanted amaryllis bloom, whispering the stories of her life and that of her mom’s (very huge bulbs that have survived moving from her childhood home to reside with her for 30 years and then to my yard).
Momma ~
Who was this one person; her reflection dwells within my soul. Very few people knew her, yet those few walked away with a deeper sense of themselves. A thinker; one who contemplated all mysteries. A God-fearing woman who was held hostage by her own frailty. I have often wondered if she wasn’t in daily reconciliation with a higher power.
As a young child she suffered a high, lasting fever. The final prescription from the local town doctor – strychnine. ‘It will either kill her or cure her’. This was later believed to be the source for her muscular atrophy. You might say that she began her life in what seemed an accelerated act of dying sooner rather than later.
She raised her children with a vigorous desire as her time may be stolen before she was done. Our lives were tended like careful gardens, seeded with many profound conversations that comfort me still. I found her with three year old Timothy sitting quietly on her lap; murmurings too low for me to hear – this not long before she left us. When I ask what they were up to, it didn’t surprise me when she said that she was just telling him things that later he would need to know.
So, today I think on Momma. I have found a serenity in my heart that knows I was more blessed for her short years because she was always busy living harder than she might done otherwise.
Dorothy Arnold Horton, nee Pepper – March 1, 1933 – May 3, 1993
A tenacious spirit to defy the odds – outliving all predictions
A studious reader of anything that questioned ‘why’
A philosopher in her own right
A stubborn soul that spoke of her foundation
A joyful being ~ yet likened to a rainbow after a storm, fleeting but beautiful
A storyteller of our Creek heritage
A magnet that drew people back to her after their first meeting
A lover of coffee
A devoted daughter, sister; wife, grandmother ~ but always just my mom.
Early this morning I had coffee with my mom as the sweet jasmine filled the air. A pair of whip-o-wills call to each other nearby before retiring for the day just as the chorus of day birds woke to sing their jubilant songs.
We talked of all the tears and fears that mothers endure, then pride that finally comes when you see your child bring to fruition all your desires.
We reminisced about the bold personalities of her four sisters, the loving sternness of her dad that was an equal balance to her mother’s gentleness.
But mostly she and I came to terms today about those last pain-filled hours as I sat holding her hand, watching as she slowly drifted from me. After all speech had left her – with distraught eyes that held me captive as if she had something that desperately needed to be said. Those eyes that have haunted my dreams were not a sorrowful cry to not leave this world, but a beckoning for me to let go of what she knew I’d tote around like unnecessary baggage and to just get on with being busy at living.
I caught a reflection of myself and thought – I am my mother’s daughter.
~..~
5.4.2010
jour•nal
Pronunciation: \ˈjər-nəl\
Function: noun
1a: an account of day-to-day events
1b : a record of experiences, ideas, or reflections kept regularly for private use
I decided to use this space, in addition to my scrapbook pages, to log my daily musings, general observances and just plan useless information.
It’s a good thing to take stock of life lessons and blessings; make sure you aren’t keeping unnecessary crap stuffed into boxes to mold. I guess some folks do this at the 1st of January – New Year resolutions and such, but starting a few years ago my life seems cycles back around on itself about this time of year. So this is my spiritual spring cleaning – good for soul.
This past year it has had ups and downs but as a whole been a very excellent one. The prior one was littered with so many challenges I was worn to a nub and in serious need of a renewal of heart and mind. The vacation last May was where I found my footing and with the grace of God this year has been so much smoother.
I’ve developed an even stronger relationship with Tim. It is so amazing to spend time with him as a young adult instead the child I was parenting. I’ve always like his ways, but I definitely love him more every day. His quick humor and love of being satirical keeps me thinking of ways to outwit him. He is honorable and loyal. Two traits I admire most and humbled that my son possesses them.
My house grew by one – Angelica is staying with us until she finishes her BA at our local university. She is not only my niece, but one of my favorite people; she brings so much life and happiness to our house. She treats Tim like a big sister and he torments her right back. I’ll wager they will be good friends for all their lives.
I never forget that my greatest blessing is my loving husband who stands behind me, with me through thick and thin; never hesitates to pulls me out of quagmires that I wander off into. I only have to look to him to see the wonderful strengths he’s taught our son. We are a rare couple who actually looks forward to any and all time we can spend together ~ a matched pair ~ no matter if we are sitting quietly together in the evenings, working around the house or finding a new adventure.
Yes, my spring ‘year-in-review’ has reminds me that you never stop learning and growing from experiences. Instead of depending on my own feeble understanding ~ I’ve relearned to give it to God. My walk is not as strong as I want but each day I strive harder that it’s closer with Christ. If I can be a reflection of His grace for the many things I am thankful for then I feel accomplished.
jour•nal
Pronunciation: \ˈjər-nəl\
Function: noun
1a: an account of day-to-day events
1b : a record of experiences, ideas, or reflections kept regularly for private use
I decided to use this space, in addition to my scrapbook pages, to log my daily musings, general observances and just plan useless information.
It’s a good thing to take stock of life lessons and blessings; make sure you aren’t keeping unnecessary crap stuffed into boxes to mold. I guess some folks do this at the 1st of January – New Year resolutions and such, but starting a few years ago my life seems cycles back around on itself about this time of year. So this is my spiritual spring cleaning – good for soul.
This past year it has had ups and downs but as a whole been a very excellent one. The prior one was littered with so many challenges I was worn to a nub and in serious need of a renewal of heart and mind. The vacation last May was where I found my footing and with the grace of God this year has been so much smoother.
I’ve developed an even stronger relationship with Tim. It is so amazing to spend time with him as a young adult instead the child I was parenting. I’ve always like his ways, but I definitely love him more every day. His quick humor and love of being satirical keeps me thinking of ways to outwit him. He is honorable and loyal. Two traits I admire most and humbled that my son possesses them.
My house grew by one – Angelica is staying with us until she finishes her BA at our local university. She is not only my niece, but one of my favorite people; she brings so much life and happiness to our house. She treats Tim like a big sister and he torments her right back. I’ll wager they will be good friends for all their lives.
I never forget that my greatest blessing is my loving husband who stands behind me, with me through thick and thin; never hesitates to pulls me out of quagmires that I wander off into. I only have to look to him to see the wonderful strengths he’s taught our son. We are a rare couple who actually looks forward to any and all time we can spend together ~ a matched pair ~ no matter if we are sitting quietly together in the evenings, working around the house or finding a new adventure.
Yes, my spring ‘year-in-review’ has reminds me that you never stop learning and growing from experiences. Instead of depending on my own feeble understanding ~ I’ve relearned to give it to God. My walk is not as strong as I want but each day I strive harder that it’s closer with Christ. If I can be a reflection of His grace for the many things I am thankful for then I feel accomplished.
FaceBook... thinking out loud
New Look for A Slice of East Texas.
I love FB; love how easy it is to keep up friends and family. Personal favorite is the odd exchanges with my son ~ quirky one that he is. I greatly enjoy the quick little notes, small talk about the current events happening in our lives and the odd little quizzes that appear from folks. You can post a few pictures and check back to see what responses they stir up. Find folks from years gone by and catch up on the news. Yep, FB is a nifty way to say howdy, what cha doin’?
But as most know – I’m a very yaky type gal that often has more to say than most would care to read; hence – take it over to the blog. That’s what a blog was made for – am I right – to blog.
It’s really a journal type of thing so if you care to read the ramblings of a golden aged citizen you just might find I’m pretty eccentric on most days. It’s just one of the many things I love about being over 50… you can generally get away with peculiar ways. Feel free to comment as long as you are nice about it.
I love FB; love how easy it is to keep up friends and family. Personal favorite is the odd exchanges with my son ~ quirky one that he is. I greatly enjoy the quick little notes, small talk about the current events happening in our lives and the odd little quizzes that appear from folks. You can post a few pictures and check back to see what responses they stir up. Find folks from years gone by and catch up on the news. Yep, FB is a nifty way to say howdy, what cha doin’?
But as most know – I’m a very yaky type gal that often has more to say than most would care to read; hence – take it over to the blog. That’s what a blog was made for – am I right – to blog.
It’s really a journal type of thing so if you care to read the ramblings of a golden aged citizen you just might find I’m pretty eccentric on most days. It’s just one of the many things I love about being over 50… you can generally get away with peculiar ways. Feel free to comment as long as you are nice about it.
What you see
Note: Moved this one up because... it's a favorite... originally scrapped 2 yrs ago.While looking through my pictures I find I keep coming back to this one... Why? Because this one shows the simple pleasure being quite, gazing at nothing particular, for an endless period of time.
Rick is lost in thought as he views what may ~ or may not ~ wander under the dock. Or perhaps he sees more than I will know.
Our new pup is unusually still, napping in the warm afternoon sun, or perhaps seeking her own thoughts of nothing.
It was the peacefulness of the photo that draws me back to it. It was a single leaf caught in a tangle of brush. It was the pure contemplation, someone long gone from us, that captured my attention and imagination for this moment. Blend it all together, it speaks volumes to my soul.
vlm
FRESH VEGGIESRick enlarged the small vegetable garden, poured a concrete footer for the blocks to sit on. In the works... cover the blocks with a rock facade, install a critter proof fence around the inside and a little gate. He always puts so much energy into any bright idea we come up with ~ just one of 10,000 reasons that I love him ~ his attention to detail. Then on to the extended patio with steps down the sloping yard and I will be a happy woman (at least until the next project).
Favorite Gadgets
We all have them... things that you call 'favorites'.
Mine are in this particular order:
My awesome Canon SLR (just waiting on my b-day for the telephoto lens :)
My Leupold binos
And last but most recent (yes, I really did ask for it for Christmas)..... Eagle fish~finder.
Just stuff, very true, but at the top of my favorite gadgets that gets me up and moving about my small corner of the world.
It might just be the real deal
I think both of these young peeps are simply great.... so I'd be hard pressed to say who is the luckiest. I hope many good things come their way.
The Story Teller
People - especially as we age gracefully into golden years - love to tell the stories of way back when. For most this is an easy thing. For Rick, it takes a special kind of listener. He will only bring out those old things if you really care to hear them. You have to convince him that you really want to hear of how it was . . . .
So most won't get to know the days gone by in one man's past; but like fine wine ~ he reserves it only for the fortune few that care to hear about a most colorful past.
I'm blessed that I've come to know this very excellent man.
Been Away
It's been too long since I posted any pages ~ lame excuses, but excuses just the same. New pages coming soon as I set aside some time to scrap.
Farmers - sorta
I just love young people. Everything is a new adventure - even working in the vegetable bed. Of course, these two spend most time together jabbing, arguing, or just plain being onery with one another.
Freak Snow Storm
Brrrrrrr. We haven't seen snow like this in about 20+ years. I called Tim to see what he was doing.. 'building a snowman'. I was expecting a 5' man, but Tim never ceases to surprise. The weiner-dog had no problem playing in snow that was almost as deep as her 6". My camera found a cardinal wondering if I was going to refill the feeder today... brrrr. It's cold out there.
Meet Gunny
Gelica and Gunny had been official occupants for a couple of weeks. Being a 'cat' person I knew that he would eventually (maybe) figure out that he wasn't here for a visit or vacation. It was looking like a great place to live given the humes keep snacks in the main room. But after a serious scolding from his peep to 'leave the bird' alone, Gunny deemed his curiousity wasn't worth the trouble - besides it's a pretty scrawney looking bird with no thrill of a stalk-n-catch.
I found said cat making my desk the object of his nap-time while I worked on scrap pages. What better subject than Gunny for a page.
