Let the Sunshine In ~

Fact: We had a gloomy winter around here.  Day after day of rain, cloudy and wet.

I was ready to pack up and head for the hills (which hills, I didn't know).

Fall and winter have always been my favorite seasons - cool, clear, crisp and mostly dry.  No pollen, no steamy days and nights, and no tropical storms.  We were robbed!

But this week we've hit the jackpot.  We're in the middle of the most magnificent weather EVER!



I went to my park today.  I call it "mine" because I claim it.  I love the view of the I-210 bridge from here.  It's a beautiful bridge but if you don't see it from this spot, you never know that.




As I walked today I tried to soak it all in.  I wasn't alone, lots of people out enjoying the park - kids, dogs, people taking pictures.

This is the Indian Bay Pavilion.  It's such a pretty place for family reunions and picnics.



This is what makes a perfect park: walking paths, well mowed grass, playgrounds, restrooms, fountains, boat launch, plenty of benches and a fun splash pad (steamy days...).  

And, and - (this is so coincidental) - the park is very close to Target!  

You gotta love that.

Well done, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury!!

Perfect weather in a perfect park...March 27, 2013, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.

Never trust a pirate ~

OK, while I still remember all the fun we had, it's a good time to put a few words down.  One week of blue seas and warm winds!  I wish I could say sunny skies, but it was overcast most of the week.  I can think of a lot of good things to do in cloudy weather - and a cruise is at top of that list.

On Jan. 19, 2013 we set sail aboard the Crown Princess, leaving from Galveston.  Our crew:  Don & me, Charles & Lou Ellen, Zack & Andrea, Ernie & Belle.  We were headed to Roatan (Honduras), Belize, and Cozumel.

I didn't take many photos. Some are out of focus.  But I wanted to remember the fun so I threw them in anyway.  Here's a little video:





This was our first trip on Princess.  Some things were good, some need improving...it was a nice ship.  Pretty decor, large dining rooms, clean and quiet staterooms - at least ours was.

Princess caters to an older demographic and everything is rather sedate.  Sometimes sedate can be good.  Not always.

Cabin:  Our cabin was on the Caribe deck, which pretty much means we hit the jackpot.  We had a large balcony (9x9) with 2 lounge chairs, a nice table, and a couple of foot stools.   I had breakfast (room service) every morning on my balcony.  Luxury, people!!  If I wanted to relax or nap out there though, I ended up using pillows to make my chair comfortable.

Sadly, the love for our cabin ended with the balcony.  The shower was teeny-tiny.  In the end though...it's all about the bed, and the bed was no good.  Pillows were worse.  I'm picky but all of our beds on Carnival cruises have been outstanding.  Perfect.  And, after our plush towels and thick robes on Carnival, we assumed all cruises have the same.  No.  No, no and no.   Princess has a lot of catching up to do in that area.

Food: We ate in the Michelangelo Dining Rm.  It was kind of pretty and most nights we had our own super-star waiters, Zoran and Paolo.  No kidding, they were awesome.  Zoran is Serbian and we loved chatting with him.  We made reservations each night just so we could get our table in his section.  Some of the food was delicious.  Many nights I ordered the Fettucini Chicken Alfredo.  Yummy!  Desserts were average (missed my Warm Melting Chocolate Cake!).  The best thing I ate all week at dinner was Goat Cheese Souffle.  It was excellent!!

Most of the time for lunch we ate in the International Cafe, a small place right near the Piazza.  Good salads, small sandwiches, desserts.  Everything included in the price except gelato, which was $1.50 for 3 scoops.  We got some only one day...what were we thinking???

Our last night onboard we ate at The Crown Grill (specialty restaurant w/ upcharge).  It was so delicious.  They had a tray with fabulous cuts of meat available and all we had to do is choose!   Don & I both picked the ribeye w/ a side of lobster.  It was a grand meal and that's why I included the steak pictures on my video.

Fun:  Laughing and storytelling, on steroids. Each night at dinner we'd have a topic (or two) and go around the table with it.  Crazy ancestors, alcoholism, snakes (wait - it gets better!) church, testimony meeting, wills, hunting, kids, football, Lance Armstrong, in-laws, and of course - cruising!!  Funny waiters + good storytellers + people who love to laugh = a good time was had by all.

We went to a couple of shows in the theatre.  The highlight of the entertainment was the Princess Pop Star competition.  Think of it as cruise ship meets American Idol...lasted several nights and ended with the finale.  Some singers were good, a few were outstanding, some were awful and some were odd.  Our favorite was a cowboy named Bobby (retired deputy) who sang "For the Good Times". We ended up meeting him, his wife and their friends several times during the week and we had an instant friendship.  We sure enjoyed meeting those folks.  They were from Cameron, TX.  Another person of note in the Pop Star race was Matthew.  He was different.  His singing wasn't entirely bad.  It wasn't entirely good either.  He tried to connect with the crowd by weaving in and out of the audience.  It looked like he was marching through a war camp, looking for deserters.  Matthew had an eye for Diana, a blonde singer, and he set his cap for her.  Oh, we watched the pursuit.  Crash and burn.

One night late we played a round of Pirate's Dice.  You know what they say...never trust a pirate. Fun!!  Speaking of games, we were excited to try our luck at Princess Trivia.  Lou Ellen and I had such a good record on our last Carnival Cruise that I was sure we were gonna mop the floor.  That would be a no.  For one thing, the people on Princess have no clue how to run trivia games.  They allow too much time between questions.  Please! And who knows what the winners got - there was no ship on a stick while they asked your name and did some jokes.  It was sedate, that's what it was.  And still...we did not win!!!   For the record...Robert Palmer is dead and there are 206 bones in the human body.

OK, that's it for tonight.  When I get to it, I'll do another post - Inauguration Day fun, our ports of call and may add a few photos.  Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of...diet coke!  ;)

Paging Michael Bublé... ♪

I love Christmas music (mostly).  The last 15 years or so I've shown a stubborn loyalty to Mannheim Steamroller and didn't want to hear much else.  OK, so I'm a hard nut to crack.  

This year however, I've been completely enamored of Michael Bublé.  His album "Christmas" came out over a year ago but it didn't take for me until this past season.  My favorite:

Pretty much anyone who rode in the Pilot with me had to make peace with Michael Bublé.  And me, singing.  Loud. And I'm not sorry.  Not one little bit.

We had a sweet Christmas.  We missed Jason & the girls, but seeing them via Skype was a hoot.  

Jen was off Christmas Eve and that was good but drats, she had to work Christmas Day.  Oh well, it was great fun anyway. And how fantastic to have Justin & Barbara here.  And of course Victor (their dog-baby).  Such pretty pictures! (Justin Duplantis Photography) Here's a few...I have no clue why Don was wearing an old white T-shirt, but maybe he was waiting for this:

I love, love, loved my tree this year. Last year, it was an all gold theme but I missed my red berry clusters, so this year I brought them back and added the Ballard burlap ribbon for a rustic-traditional look.  My berry clusters are old...they were bought at Hobby Lobby many years ago and they don't even carry them anymore.  But they still look bright and pretty and I'm keeping them.

What a man...Don gave me the Frye bag I was wishing for!  Yes, it came with a dust cover.

The object of my affection.  It's buttery soft leather and smells like boot-shop heaven.



BTW, my scarf was crocheted by Barbara (my daughter in law).  Pretty cool for someone just beginning to learn!

For Christmas Eve dinner we invited the Coffmans to come eat with us.  This shot of their boys in front of my tree brings back memories!!  Our boys looked JUST like that at the same age.  Love.

We have our traditions and for Christmas Eve dinner, we always have Shrimp Gumbo, added some crabmeat to the pot too.  Of course we had ham, rolls and other snacks too. 

And then there were the desserts...Fantasy Fudge, Peanut Butter Pie, and Barbara's special cookies:  

Wishes for 2013:

* No dropping off a cliff (fiscal or other) 

* Smooth seas, calm winds and sunny days

* Do it: (at least) 26 Random Acts of Kindness 

* Hugs and smiles to all

And Michael Bublé...I'm expecting you next Christmas!

(if it seems like I've written Michael Bublé's name too much it's b/c I am tickled to be able to make the "e" with an accent mark like this: é)

The Voice, "Hallelujah"

Love this song. Always have.

It's a heartfelt tribute for those who died 
at Sandy Hook School in Connecticut.  

Powerful.  

God bless us all.

Bless All the Dear Children

I've never been to Connecticut but I always wanted to live in a little town like the fictional Stars Hollow (from Gilmore Girls).  I loved Lorelai and Rory.  I wanted a funny, beautiful town with a town square, a Luke's Diner, a Dragonfly Inn, a friend named Sookie, a neighbor named Babette, and of course Paris and Lane have to come too. The truth is, there is no Stars Hollow.  Bad things happen everywhere.

On Friday, when the first reports of came back of the horror at Sandy Hook School in Connecticut I began to tremble and wanting to talk - I sent texts to family and close friends.  Through the day, the full horror was revealed - the principal, the school psychologist, some teachers and staff and 20 little children were killed.  

In the blink of an eye I counted my chickens...where are my children? Where are my grandgirls?  And then, a sick feeling knowing that at ages 7 and 9, they're the same age-group as those who were killed.

I'm sad but really furious, too. How dare he - the killer - take away the life of those little ones? They are the innocent, the helpless, and the ones who bring us hope and love.

It's just too, too terrible.  I'm sad for the families of those lost,  and for the whole town.  They must cry and go on and honor those who were lost and rebuild  their lives.  It's as if the very heart of Christmas has been stolen away from all of us- the love, the joy, the wonder of the season. 

So I cry.  And pray.  Today while leading music at church, my heart was breaking when I was leading "Away in a Manger" for the closing hymn.  I made it through and kept directing but as tears sprang to my eyes, I could not sing.  The lyrics to the last verse are:

Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay

Close by me forever and love me I pray

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care

And fit us for heaven to live with thee there. 

I hope I can feel the spirit of Christmas.  I want that.  And I hope those who lost their own babies feel the presence of angels as they mourn and prepare to bury their little ones.  

Romney/Ryan

I haven't posted since the election, 3 weeks ago tonight.  But it's been a HUGE part of my life and the month is nearly over so it's time to say a few words.  When my children or grandchildren read this blog someday, I want you to know how deeply I cared about the Presidential Election of 2012.  Romney/Ryan vs. Obama/Biden.  

I put my heart and soul, my prayers, my unwavering attention, and a large chunk of time and emotional energy watching the debates and news coverage, reading all the op-eds, and pouring over the polls for the last 2 years.  I'm not sorry; I learned so much!  And though the end result is so disappointing, I'm still enormously proud of all those Americans who supported Mitt Romney for President and stood up for conservative values and freedom. That makes me feel hopeful for the future.   

    

I love my country.  I'm proud to be a citizen.  I'm forever grateful for the opportunity to vote and make my voice heard.  We lost.  Not just the Republican ticket and my party....all of America lost that night.  I read something that expresses how I feel now.  It's been copied and pasted so many times and I'm not sure who first wrote it:

This is a thank you note to a good man.

Thank you for turning aside from a life of ease and security to run for the presidency against an incumbent.

Thank you for enduring the slander of you, your family, and your faith perpetrated by a criminally negligent media.

Thank you for calling things such as terrorism by their right name.

Thank for selecting Paul Ryan as vice presidential running mate.

Thank you — and your lovely wife — for demonstrating true love.

Thank you for handling yourself with grace and equanimity in every situation.

Thank you for your patriotism.

Thank you for believing in America. 

It was a valiant effort and I'll always be grateful for honest people with pure hearts who want to serve our country and make it a better place.

Love & a Halloween Banner ~

I love fall...Halloween...Thanksgiving...leaves flying through the air...cool weather...football...and politics!!!  Whoops, how did that get in there??  It's big.  It's important.  But more on that in another post.

This is about Halloween.  There's lots of fun decor in the stores but I wanted to make this after seeing it at Susie Harris.   I bought some cute fabric from Hobby Lobby and Hancock.  I got 5 different patterns, 1/4 yd each.

 

From each pattern I cut two diamond shapes.

Then I folded each in half to get the pennant shape.  

I went to Martha Stewart's site to download these cute letters.  I printed them out on ivory cardstock.  Link: letters

I cut them out with scissors, I don't have any fancy punches. 

Then it was time to heat up the glue gun.  The world of glue-gunning has come SO far in the last 30 years.  My first one was from Sears...it was big and black and heavy and could burn like you know what.  Dangerous.  Completely unacceptable.

My current one is some little thing from the craft store that uses little sticks of glue, and although it's pretty warm, it is much safer and easier to handle.

OK.  Then I glued each triangle to my ribbon and then glued the letters on each of the pennants.

I was so proud.  Sometimes I am a crafty woman!!  

I didn't get any pictures of it inside but I went and strung it on Big Daddy's trailer and took a picture there. 

All along my plan was to mail the banner off to California to my grandgirls.  I wanted to make it for them. And today, they got it. :)

When I became a mom I decided that Halloween was going to be a big deal. Pumpkins and fun and festivals and costumes and games and all good things.  Those kids are grown up, but the feeling never ends...that nesting - want to make it fun - let's celebrate - Halloween-time.

from Louisiana to California:

Love & a Halloween Banner ~