Bag Blog

Weekend Report - cold and clear

2012-02-12T19:05:00.006-06:00

Although Saturday was beautiful and sunny, it was down right cold. That would be the day that my sister, her son, my mom, my nephew, and my MIL came for a visit.

Toby and I worked Friday afternoon and Saturday morning on the trim and also did a bit of cleaning for the visitors. They all showed up Saturday afternoon. Toby and I made a big pot of jambalaya to feed everybody. And of course, I fixed a few chicken nuggets for GBN2 who announced, "Booboo and I love chicken nuggets!" Then she picked up one of the chicken pieces and handed it to me. I did my duty and took a bite before going back to my jambalaya. That is what grandmothers do.
I also made a chocolate sheet cake, which we put a few candles on for my nephew's 13th birthday. I happen to have some ice cream on hand to make it extra special. The GGs loved the birthday thang more than the 13 year old.

Since we couldn't spend much time outside without freezing our booties off, the family played Scrabble while Toby and I cooked. They didn't want me to play, 'cause I would have kicked bootie - yeah. It probably was not as much fun as riding the 4wheeler or petting horses or shooting guns, but it still fun. Later we played Pictionary. My mom turned out to be surprisingly adept at Pictionary for a beginner. Toby's mom, well, she was surprisingly like Toby at pictionary, which is not so good, but very funny. Given time, I think she would have caught on - it was new to her. If we had played poker, she would have take everyone's money.

My sister let me play with her iPad. Talk about being bad at something - that was me trying to work the iPad.Given more time and I would have masterd it. She also had a fancy iPhone and took a few photos with it. I had her email some of the photos. The two with my Great Dane, Zoe, are a bit blurry, but I posted them anyway.
This one to show you how big Zoe is sitting next to Jes. This one to show you how funny she is yawning and curling up with a pillow.
This one to show that not all the pictures were blurry and that my mom and GGs are pretty cute.

Sunday was just as cold as Saturday. Lindz and Shay dropped by after church and had a bite of lunch with us. They were highly entertaining as usual. All the company went home eventually, and things got quiet. We built a fire, and I put my feet up while Toby did a few trim boards. Someone has to do the work.

TMI

2012-02-10T20:51:00.003-06:00

Toby took another half day and came home to help put in doors. Yep, we now have a bedroom door, a bathroom door and a closet door. No knobs yet. We decided to head back to town to pick up some knobs and make a Wal-Mart run to stock up for the weekend. Now and then, Toby likes to go grocery shopping with me. In our early marriage, we did lots of shopping together - good memories.

Anyway, at the check out (or the "finish line" as GBN1 calls it) I asked Toby if he wanted a Coke. He said, "Sure." and went off to find one while I put the groceries on the counter. When he returned and sat his Coke on the counter, the checker jokingly said, "Do you know that man? Are you sure you want to pay for his Coke?" I laughed and said that I would pay for it, because he was sharing it with me. The checker then said something about "Swapping spit." I said that it did not bother me, since we swapped slobber all the time. She continued to laugh and say that she was married to a "Mexican" and had once said "swapping spit" to him and he thought it was a very odd thing to say. And he didn't drink after her, she continued - she gave several examples his refusing to drink after she drank some of his Coke. She guessed it was because "he didn't really like kissing much." They had been together for 15 years and he had kissed her "maybe 40 times." As to "the other part of their relationship, well that only happens on birthdays and Christmas."

Toby and I stood there with our mouths frozen in horrified grins. Way Too Much Information!

Award or Chain?

2012-02-09T09:22:00.003-06:00

You may have noticed in my comments that the Mellow Jihadi, my new favorite blogger, has given me the Liebster Award.

I had been seeing this award all over the blogosphere and wondered about it. It seems that it is kind of a meme or possibly a chain letter with well intentions. It is flattering to think that someone reads and likes my blog well enough to link me and make mention on his blog and I do appreciate it. But, now I am required to do the same to five of my favorite bloggers. Dang! On the one hand, I don't mind giving a shout out to fellow bloggers. On the other hand, I hate to make them follow the meme thang, too - mostly 'cause the blogs I read are folk who are sort of set in their ways and might not want to link and copy and do and etc. I hate making decisions. Could I maybe do just part of the meme - maybe mention my favorite blogs and say something about them, without making them do the Liebster thang? Sure, I can. It is my blog.

Here are some of the blogs I read:

Buck, my longtime favorite and friend. His blog has something for just about everyone, well, maybe not fashion or movie reviews, but lots of fun stuff.

Jesse, my daughter and favorite photographer for those who like to look at pictures rather than read.

Andy, who always makes me laugh, but do not follow his links unless you want to be shocked - like 6th grade boy bathroom humor.

Jo, who may be my long lost sister and who is a great artist with a very interesting life.

Wrexie, who is a new blogger to me and seems to have a great sense of humor.

There are lots of other bloggers I read, but according to the Liebster Rules, I only have to mention five blogs. And what constitutes a good blog? I like a good sense of humor, various info, themes and such, but mostly I like a blogger who interacts with his/her readers. It is what makes the blogosphere go round and round.

Movie Nights

2012-02-08T07:15:00.005-06:00

It is very difficult to get Toby to go to a movie, but two in two weeks is pretty unheard of. Most of the movies that come out are not worth going to a theater and spending big bucks, and Toby hates sitting through them in a theater. Most of the time we wait for them to come out on video and enjoy them from the comfort of our home. Now and then there is a movie that we want to see on the big screen. As it turns out, two of the movies that we were wanting to see have been showing at the cheap show (old downtown Duncan theater). Last week, we went to see "Mission Impossible 4," which we enjoyed. Then this week "Sherlock Holmes" was playing. Some friends called saying they were going - so we made it a double date. Toby bought four tickets - all for under $15. Then they stick it to you on the popcorn and drinks. Well, not to us, 'cause we ate before we went. Anyway, Sherlock was fun. I could go to the movies every week, if it were up to me and eat popcorn for supper.
Oh, and I got the pantry finished and started putting things in it. We still need to put a baseboard in, eventually. It seems I need more wine...

Funny Trim

2012-02-07T07:45:00.007-06:00

We have slowly, but surely, been working on the trim work around the house. We have also been building shelves for the pantry. Last night we put the finishing touches on the pantry, but today I will need to do some sanding and painting. When it is done, I will post pictures.
In the meantime, here is a photo of the trim over the front door. Notice that the door is in the corner. Toby could not do the cute little overhang that he had done on all the other doors and windows. Instead, he only did one side of the overhang thang - making it look a bit like a pointing finger. When Jesse came in and saw Toby's work, she went in to her Inspector Kemp from "Young Frankenstein" impersonation with his stiff arm. We all got a good laugh, but really what else was Toby to do with the trim? Then last night after working all evening, we finally sat down in the living room to relax a bit before bed. I looked over at the trim on the door and in a streak of meanness told Toby that I was going to paint,"Mexico - 500 miles" over the door. We both laughed and laughed. Maybe we were just tired.

Weekend Report - Superbowl and Wedding

2012-02-06T07:35:00.004-06:00

We went to a wedding this weekend. It is always nice to get dressed up and go somewhere fun. There was some dancing. I love this picture, because it shows the father of the bride and three of her sisters (wearing bridesmaid dresses) along with Jesse gettin' down. You may note that one of the sisters is about nine months pregnant. I thought she looked exceptionally beautiful. The sister with the long dark hair is one of my favorite art students. She has grown into such a beautiful young lady, It made me teary-eyed to see her walking down the aisle. I remember her as a talkative ten year old needing braces.
There was also some silliness, although I was trying to get a serious picture of GBN2 and Tia Jes. Yep, GBN2 is wearing glasses these days. It is a corrective measure. She says, "These glasses make me look adoable."
And then there was this handsome couple. GBN1 is also growing into a beautiful young lady, probably needing braces, too.

As for the Sunday Superbowl, well, I didn't have a dog in this fight, but it was fun to watch. We went over to the GGs house to watch the game with them and be whallered on. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I had a difficult time keeping the teams straight. Bo told me to just cheer for the red and blue team - ha. I had decided to be for Manning's team, but I kept forgetting which team he quarterbacked. It all worked out. Can you tell that I didn't really care about either Yankee team?

Not being a Madonna fan, I was not impressed with the half-time show. Once again, I just didn't care. As for the commercials, the Great Dane was my favorite, of course.

A Real Cowgirl Trailer Talk

2012-02-02T07:24:00.005-06:00

Years ago, I was talking to a computer-tech friend on the phone. He was having me do some things on my computer that was making me very nervous. I told him so, "This is worse than backing a horse trailer in front of a bunch of cowboys." That line really threw him - probably because he was not a cowboy and had probably never backed a horse trailer. But those of you who have, know what I'm talkin' about. It is one thing to back a trailer when you have all the room and time in the world and no one is watching. It is another thang, when you have a bunch of people (especially cowboys) watching. It's a matter of being a real cowgirl.

The link above takes you to a story about my friend Lynda and being a real cowgirl. For those of you who do not want to read old stories, I'll give you the gist. Lynda and I used to tease each other about being a "real cowgirl." Whenever a challenge of some sort came up, one of us would say, "A real cowgirl could do that." Whether it was backing a trailer or something as simple as opening a jar of pickles. If one one of us was struggling with the jar, the other would say, "A real cowgirl could open that jar." Then we would both laugh. But it was competition, too - a challenge between friends - a cowgirl thang.

Now, Toby can back a trailer just about anywhere. Yesterday, we needed to get some things out of the storage unit. Toby backed the horse trailer/moving van across a busy street and all the way down the storage unit alley to our unit without even a bobble. I'm not sure I could have done it without several tries. I'm way out of practice. Back in NM, we had a Chevy shortbed truck with a bumper pull four-horse trailer. I could put that baby anywhere first try, but that was then. After loading the trailer yesterday, I did bring it home and back it up to the house without any problems. Of course, no one was around to watch me.

The other day one of my young art girls came with her dad to borrow our horse trailer. Since she is learning to drive, her dad had her driving the truck and was making her back up to the trailer. Being the kind of teacher that would throw you in the lake make you swim, he got out of the truck and told her to back it to the trailer - no instruction. Although that teaching method can work, it also makes you want to punch someone in the nose. There she was in the fading sunlight having to back up to a trailer with all of us watching - my heart went out to her. So, I gave her my secret for backing up to the trailer - first time, tried and true - from one cowgirl to another. She did well.

All this trailer talk reminded me of a story from my NM days:

Johnny Mutz is a real cowboy. No, I mean a REAL COWBOY. Johnny is also old time Red River - one of the few true locals left. As you drive out of Eagle Nest, NM, up to Red River, you pass Elizabethtown, an old ghost town. Still standing is the Mutz Hotel (shown in the photo on the link). Johnny's family owned much of the land on that side of the highway and still has a large working ranch there (look for the dragon in the pasture). We once helped out with the spring calf branding on the Mutz ranch - it is a beautiful place. Johnny would be 90+ years old now, and there are lots of stories about Johnny - he is a legend in the area.

One day, the kids and I had been in Red River at the rodeo arena for some event and horseback riding. When it came time to hook up the horse trailer and load up the horses, for some reason, I was all alone. As I started to back the trailer, it started raining. There was no one to help me aim at the trailer, so I did my best and used my secret cowgirl technique. Out of no where, Johnny Mutz came running over to the trailer to give me direction. I was a bit nervous with Johnny watching me, but all he had to do was give me the "stop" signal. I had backed the truck to the trailer dead solid perfect. Johnny was lowering the trailer to the hitch when I jumped out of the truck to join him. With words that I will never forget, in his quiet voice he gave me one of my greatest compliments, "Well, I never knew you'd make a cowgirl." Coming from Johnny Mutz, that meant everything.

This is a picture of Johnny with two of his daughters and his wife, Hank, taken a couple of years ago at Janetta's funeral. It is not how I see Johnny. To me, I will always see him riding his fat appaloosa down Main St. in the Red River 4th of July Parade or stopping by the house to pick up a kid to go work on the ranch - probably 'cause it was a good kid who needed some attention - or picking up the neighbor's dog to work on the ranch - probably 'cause it was a damn good dog.

Dust Bunnies and Apples

2012-01-31T20:25:00.005-06:00

Ever have one of those days where you start one job, which leads to another job, to another job, and you never seem to get anything done? It is a way of life for me. This morning I began getting ready for art girls by cleaning off the table. I picked up some receipts that needed to be filed, but then I needed to put away the receipt file for 2011 and make a new one for 2012. While I was doing the switcheroo with the files, there did not seem to be enough room in the file cabinet for more files. So I had to get out a box and put years worth of old receipt folders away and make room for new folders.

Eventually I got back to clearing off the table for art. We were going to work in pastels today, so I started getting art supplies out of my art cabinet. I could not find one set of pastels. As I dug through the cabinet, I found all sorts of things that were out of place - needing to be put right. There was lots of stuff that just needed to be thrown out. Once I got going cleaning out the cabinet drawer, it was hard to stop. I cleaned out several drawers of my art cabinet, but I did not find the pastels that I had been looking for. Thinking that I had last seen the pastels in Jesse's art bag, I went to her room, and looked in the usual places. I did not find the pastels, but I found a pack of letters written by me to my dad through the years. I only read one, but it was enough to send me into a tailspin of memories. I put the letters away and text (ed?) Jesse to get to the pastels quicker. After a few texts back and forth, I called her, "Where the heck are my pastels?" "Search my room." was her answer. Great - like I had not thought of that myself. I eventually found them, ahem, in my art cabinet.

With the pastels out on the art table, I went in search of pastel boards. I found a few, but not enough for the seven students. Where the heck were all my boards? I probably loaned them to students. I thought it would be easy to go to the barn and cut some more boards on the table saw. Besides, I needed some wood putty from the barn for another project anyway. Out at the barn, I found my big piece of masonite board, but it was covered in dust and cobwebs and was a bit warped. Trying not to think about the cobwebs, I cut up several 12x16 pieces and brought them back to the house to clean the dust and cobwebs off.

I created lots of dust bunnies in the house while cleaning the boards, searching for pastels, switching file folders, etc. I still had time to vacuum before the art girls arrived along with the usual cleaning. When they did arrive, I was a bit sweaty and dirty - just right for some pastel work, which is dusty too. We worked on apples today.
Here is my art - it still needs work, but after my art girls left, I needed rest. I painted this on white pastel paper, while my students used black paper. I would have used black too, but there were not enough pieces to got around (and I was not going in search of any more stuff).
Here is one of my student's work - not finished yet. I think she did very well so far. The other girls took their work home with them. I warn the girls that if they do not take their work home, it will end up on my fridge. They don't know about my blog. Heh!

Actually, I got quite a bit done today - just not quite as I planned.

Weekend Report - And Then There Were Closets

2012-01-30T06:49:00.005-06:00

It has been almost a week since my last post - a very busy week. On Tuesday, I drove Jesse's Scion to the get a new rear window put in. The weather man had predicted rain on Tuesday night - so it was puhfect timing. The downside, was that it pretty well shot the day. I did spend some time with Painting Lady, Barb, while waiting for the car, and that was most pleasant. Wed. I had reserved time for going to The City with the Junk Diva. She took me to some wholesale upholstery places to pick out fabric for a couple of old chairs that need love. I have three old chairs that came out of Young's Ranch in Red River. They have good bones, but need some new skin. Being with the Diva is always a hoot. At one point during the day, I said, "You have not said anything about my new sweater." Her answer, "You look very Mr. Roger-ish." Be careful about fishing for compliments around the Diva. By the way, The Diva and I are planning on taking an upholstery class this month. Should be fun!

When Toby is home, it is serious work time. This past week, he took Thursday and Friday off, because we had lots to do. Thursday we were up and at 'em at the crack of dawn to drive to WF and pick up the Subaru. If you remember, it had broken down the week before. The problem was where to take it to have it fixed - not everyone works on Subarus. We really needed to take it to a Subaru dealer, but the nearest one was in OK City. That meant putting the car on a trailer and hauling it - not our favorite thang. Turns out the Diva's husband, the Junk Hunk, has a trailer fetish and owns all sorts of trailers including a car hauler. Wed night after shopping in with the Diva, I hooked on to her hauler and hauled it home. Thursday morning, we picked up the Subaru and hauled it to The City. Puhfect! While I had Toby in The City, I had him look at rugs and barstools, which we bought - yeha! I love the way he shops! Once again, we crammed ten pounds of stuff in a five pound bag - took us all day.

Friday, we had some more shopping to do, so we made a quick trip to Lawton. One of the things we had been needing to finish our bathroom was a "encurve Decora" glass block. Lowes and Home Depot folks were pretty much idjits about ordering the block. We stopped by Sutherlands to see if they could order the block, and they happened to have, not one, but two encurve blocks on the shelf! And at about half the price as the other places - Double yeha! We also bought a new mattress. I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about that, yet. Grumble.

We still had daylight to burn on Friday after our trip to Lawton, so we worked on shelves for the closets. Before we can clear out our storage unit, we need places to put stuff. The closets needed shelves and hanging rods. We built and painted four shelves. By Sunday afternoon, they were in the closets.
Hall closet
Bedroom closet with two shelves and double hangin' thangs.
Pantry, which will have another shelf - yet to be built. Closets and shelves are more than a "yeha," they are big A--whoop!

Also this weekend, my nephew, Adam, came to see us. We did a bit of watercolor together while Jesse worked on her homework. She posted pics here both of which are very artsy, as usual. Adam was a help carrying the shelves and moving furniture around. For that, we fed him and took him to see "Mission Impossible." He and Jes loaded up her Scion and headed back to Grandma's Sunday afternoon. Toby and I finished putting in the shelves and then slept hard on the new hard mattress.

Soon

2012-01-29T07:41:00.002-06:00

It has been a busy week. Toby took Thursday and Friday off and has had me hoppin'. I'll tell you all about it soon.

Monday Cutie

2012-01-24T21:08:00.004-06:00

GBN2 said she wanted to play on the "duht hill." Monday was "puhfect" for playing outside at the Lazy B. We walked down and fed the horses. Nacho the pony came up to eat and let us pet on him. He would have followed the feed bucket anywhere ( I don't know why his owners can't catch him). We found a great stick down by the pond, which had been chewed by beavers. GBN2 said it was going to be her cane, but it was way too tall for her to use as a cane. I showed her how to hold it as a walking stick - like Moses had. "You mean a staff?" she asked. "And he thew it down and it tunned into a snake!" She is so smart! She carried that stick, jumped, jabbed, threw, swiped, hit, rode, and all the things a kid can do with a stick. I jumped, ducked, tripped, got whacked, and repaid evil for evil. Then I suggested she take the stick home with her :) We played house in the horse trailer and sat on the flatbed trailer in the sunshine to drink our hot chocolate - the dogs loved that. For lunch we had chicken nuggets dipped in Ranch dressing and for dessert we ate a cutie (little orange). It made us extra cute and made GBN2 giggle when I told her so. She put an orange slice up on her lip and did her deep voice, "You must pay da went..." We walked to the mailbox while she told a story about a "Gwandmutha and a little gill who took a walk..." The dogs ran around us barking and carrying on while we walked. I said that Jack, the red heeler, was a bad little brother. "Ya mean they ahh bwuthas? And Zoe is the big sistuh?" This was a whole new thought, which delighted GBN2. When her mother called and said she was on her way to get GBN2, she said, "But I haven't done evweething yet!"

Weekend Report - Fee-ass-co!

2012-01-23T07:21:00.007-06:00

Sometimes when things start out bad, you think they can only get better, but that is not always the case. There is always Murphy's Law.

Friday was a beautiful day with temps in the mid 70's as I drove to WF to attend an art show with Jesse. Just as I got to WF, my car started making some odd noises - like whistle noises. Then it got worse. I pulled over on freeway to take a look at what could be making the noise. Yeah, I looked under the hood, under the car, up in the wheelbase, etc. as if I knew what I was looking for. Nada. When I got back in my car to continue to Mom's house, the sound was much worse. Dang, it sounded like something dragging or grinding, but I was able to drive on hoping that my car did not just break in two. Once safely at Mom's, I called one of my brother's friends who took a look at my car. Long story short, my car is still in WF. I came home with Jesse. But the whole thang rattled me. I hate dealing with such problems - what to do , who to call, etc. If it were up to me, I would have driven it into a car dealership and traded it in.

Jesse said her day had been crappy too - literally. Mom's little dog had pooped in Jesse's room. Jesse had stepped in it and walked around the room before noticing. Then the dog went outside and rolled in something - more crap. Jesse had to bathe the dog for Mom. I'm afraid the dog may meet his end, if he keeps messing with Jesse.

But the art show was fun! Here is Jesse and her pottery. For a closer view you can see these pots on her blog. Jesse's teacher and buddies loved it that I whipped out my camera to take photos of Jes and the art show. The feature artist was Gabriel Dawe. I encourage you to follow that link and see more of his work. Very cool string art! By the time we left the art show, a cold front had blown in and temps had dropped drastically. My coat was in OK. This was very noticeable while pumping gas into Jesse's car before leaving WF - how can her car always be out of gas?

Saturday morning, we went to work around the Lazy B, as usual. Toby wanted to replace the little hydraulic thangies that lift the hatch on Jesse's Scion TC. They had been out of commission for a while. Jesse had been using a big stick to prop the hatchback open, but was worried that if it ever fell on her, it would crush her. The thang was heavy to say the least. Well, Toby found out how heavy. The hatchback did fall while he was working on it. Fortunately, he was not in the way, but the rear window shattered as did the tail-light. What a mess! We were all horrified, but thankful that no one was hurt.

Now we are two cars down. Sunday was interesting working out how to get everyone where they needed to be. Toby had signed us up to sing in an over 50's choir at church, which practices after church. Don't ask me why he signed us up. When I said I would rather sign than sing, he must have confused the words. I have the voice of a thirteen year old boy - kind of deep, but still girly.

After choir practice on Sunday, we were to attend a wedding shower (at the church). My son called on Sunday to say that he needed the Lazy B barn to work on his car and could we get his wife to the wedding shower. And we had to fit lunch in somewhere. So it was one of those, we all went to church. Jes did not stay for the choir and rode home with Bo. Toby and I stayed and sang, but he did not stay for the shower. He went home and handed the car off to Jes and Sara to drive back and attend the shower. They were to be my ride home after the shower. Geeze Louise! I had been at church all day. By the time Jes and Sara arrived at the shower, I was ready to go home - tired of being nice. Don't worry; I sucked it up and stuck it out for the shower. When I did get home it was to a house full of GGs and neighbors trying to catch their pony, which has been enjoying our grass for a while now - a pony rodeo!

Eventually, the GGs went home, Jesse drove my car back to WF leaving hers with a busted window, the neighbors gave up on catching Nacho, and Toby and I were alone, and it was quiet. We watched a little football. Not that I care about who won any of the games, but the teams that I did choose to cheer for, lost. Yep, it was that kind of weekend.

Aberdeen Watercolor

2012-01-19T19:30:00.005-06:00

While painting with the Ladies, I decided to start a little watercolor of a scene in Aberdeen, Scotland. Our hotel was just down and across the street from this pub called the Noose and Monkey. Where do they come up with those names? We did eat at the N&M once - who could resist such a name and funky building? It was not our favorite place to eat, but interesting.

Aberdeen is often called the Granite City or the Grey City because the buildings are made from local granite quarries. The mica causes the granite to sparkle. To me, sometimes the buildings are purple, but some have a rose hue to them. When the sun sets, the granite often has a very nice glow. My purpose in this watercolor was to paint in more color so that it was not just a grey painting. I also wanted the painting to be a bit loose, Painting buildings makes me a bit tight and technical and, yet, not. Now, I will set this painting up and walk by it and look at it and see if I want to make changes. A painting is not finished until you have looked at it for a while and decided if you like it. At art with the little girls, one of my students begged, "Am I finished? Please, please, Miss Lou, say I am finished!" My reply - as if she had been a bad girl, "Go to your room and think about this painting for a while."

Every day while in Aberdeen, I walked down this street past lots of little shops and pubs to the Aberdeen Art Gallery and on to the mall. Sometimes I went over a few streets to the main drag of sorts to do some shopping. I often walked to the Maritime Museum and the Provost Ross House, a museum and one of the oldest buildings in Aberdeen. Jesse did this painting from a photo she took at the Provost House. Museums and buildings fascinate me.

I did not go to WF the other day - to take Jes her stuff, but I may go today. She may put some pottery in a little student art show. If I go, I can see the show. I'll let you know how it goes.

Go Figure

2012-01-19T08:17:00.003-06:00

We laugh at this GBN2 story and use her words which were so puhfect. While eating out at the Chuckwagon with her family, GBN2 insisted on ordering the same food as her big sister. Big sister had ordered beans and rice. When her mother pointed out to GBN2 that she did not like beans and rice and should order the chicken strips basket, she refused - insisting on the same thing her sister had ordered. Fine. When the ordered food came to the table, GBN2 looked at her beans and rice with great disappointment. Aunt Jes pointed out to her that the beans and rice are what her sister had ordered and, therefore, what she had ordered. GBN2 looked at the beans and rice with disgust and said, "Yeah, but then I fig-yud it out."

It is amazing how much the words "figure it out" come up. I've been hanging out on Pinterest, which has some very interesting ideas, crafts, art, photos, sayings, etc. But I was not sure how to go to the site where you learn the craft or find the recipe or see where to buy the fashion. While sitting with my laptop, I asked Jesse to help me. Her reply, "Fig-yu it out!" Thanks Jes. So I managed to get an "invite" and now I can "pin" something on "my board," but I still have no idea what the heck I'm doing.

Life would be so much easier if someone just did all the work for me.

Which Way?

2012-01-18T07:38:00.006-06:00

Today is my big brother's birthday. I did wait until after 6 AM to call him and wish him a happy birthday. I'm thoughtful that way :)

Jesse posted some potter pics and a silly photo for those of you who like to keep up with the fibbertigibbet, a will-o-the-wisp, the clown. I may be driving over to WF today to take her some things that she forgot and needs before Friday. Or I may not drive over. I wait upon her command :) You know that driving to WF is not a problem for me.

Yesterday I had my young girls art class. It went well. We finished up our sunflower paintings without much fuss. The girls knocked out some really fine sunflower paintings. The point of this lesson was to see the color variations in the flower. Since the flower is basically yellow, my students tend to just paint the whole flower yellow. But in doing so, the flower looks like a big yellow blob - the petals all run together. They have to see the differences in each petal and paint them distinctly. It requires lots of painting, layering, and patience - things we are working on. This is how my painting turned out. It has some problems of its own, but when I paint with the girls, I don't always see the problems until after they leave. It is hard to get into the right side of my brain when I'm talking, teaching, demonstrating. Later, I look back and say, "Dang, what was I thinking?" In this painting, I don't like the shape of the top flower and where is the stem to the bottom flower? It needs more work.

If I don't go to WF today, I may go paint with the Painted Ladies. Painting with them is always fun, but I have mixed emotions about it. I don't know if I can explain my feelings. Painting with others is inspirational - it makes you paint. But once again, it is difficult to paint seriously. I find myself doing little exercises, but not finished paintings. And there is nothing wrong with that - sometimes. Brush time is always good.

Wichita Falls or Painted Ladies - we will see how it all works out.

Grown Woman

2012-01-17T09:12:00.004-06:00

Jesse headed back to WF yesterday afternoon. School starts today. With all the work she did over her break, she said it didn't feel much like a break. Since she wasn't home much, it didn't feel like much of a break to me either. I was kind of hoping to see her more. But I'd better get used to it. After all, she is a grown-ass woman - as she likes to put it. Ahh, would you like to know the story behind that terminology?

A couple of years ago while in Austin for my brother's wedding, we were staying in a hotel along with lots of rednecks in town for a car show. The parking lot was full of revved up autos and hot rods. That night we were all awaken by a disturbance outside. With the car show folks still in the parking lot and roaring their engines, some man on the second floor near our rooms (probably trying to sleep) decided to yell at them. Of course, a yelling match was the result. It was hard to hear what the car folks in the parking lot, were saying, but it was easy to guess. The funny part was that the man kept hollering, "I'm a grown-ass man!" Jesse in her sleepy state of being, called the front desk to report a possible fight. Having done her duty, she went back to sleep. The next morning at breakfast "the grown-ass man" was all the talk in our group. We got a big laugh out of the situation and Jesse. And now when Jesse wants to push her weight around, she tells us that she is a grown-ass woman! Toby and I just laugh at her.

By the way, my nephew, Adam, is starting a new school and a new job today in WF. Best wishes, Adam. May your new life be filled with joy and success.
Adam and Jes at Mom's birthday - I cut this out of a big photo, so it is a bit unfocused.

Weekend Report - carpet

2012-01-15T17:23:00.007-06:00

Links: Jesse posted pottery and a photo on her blogs.

Did I mention the the carpet man came on Thursday. We went with the local store, which was cheaper and the carpet layer man was so much more, hmm, with it. Bill, the carpet man showed up early Thursday, worked hard all day, and gotter done. Excited was an understatement for my feeling when he left. When Toby came home, we took off our shoes and walked on the carpet. We rolled around too. I took a few pictures to show you. Toby lay down for a photo, but the dog thought it was play time. It looked fun, so I joined them, but my arm is just not long enough. You will note that there is still more trim work to be done and door to be hung. Here is the hall of closets. Last week we laid the tile and grouted it to get ready for the carpet. I think it turned out well.
The dog loves the carpet. Several times I have caught the cat rolling, yes, rolling in the carpet - the cat!

Saturday, we took a day to go to WF and return the flooring that we bought and did not use. We had several other things to return to Home Depot. I was dreading the returns, but it went well. Then we picked up Toby's mom and had lunch with her. We took her shopping. Actually, we were doing some research shopping. I wanted to look at material to cover a couple of chairs. Also, we will need a big rug for the living room - I wanted to look a bit. Then there is the bar stool dilemma. You would think picking out bar stools would not be complicated, but it is. Back or no back, swivel or not to swivel, comfy or utility and then there is size. Good grief! But it was a good day with Toby's mom. She is very good at color and decor. And there is no way I would fight with her like I do my own mom. I luv ya, Mom.

Our last stop in WF was Market Street. We went in thinking to get Greek yogurt and beer and a tea for the road. I have never been in Market Street when it was so crowded. People were nuts. I gave Toby the "focus" sign (if you want, you can go to "f" and then find "focus" to see the sign). He replied, "Beer, yogurt, and get the hell out of here!" I agreed, but I didn't know the sign for "get the hell out of here." I will look it up.

Sunday I cooked a roast with all sorts of veggies. After church the GGs and their parents came for lunch. After we ate, the GGs took off their shoes and we rolled in the new carpet - literally. GBN2 insisted that I pretend she was a dog named Little Rascal. Then she rolled and romped along with our real dog in the carpet. Bo and Jesse joined us. Jesse and I can still do "the airplane" (me on the floor lifting her with my feet). I'm just so dang short, it was not very thrilling anymore. Bo, on the other hand, lifted his sister and gave her a little bounce and thrill with his airplane. I'm so glad my children took after their father in the leg department. Toby and Bo gave rodeo rides to the GGs. Then the GGs wrastled and killed the big bull (Toby). Although my DIL looked skeptical, she did get in the floor with us. Bo got her and made her squeal! New carpet is such fun!
Since Andy asked about the fireplace in the comments, I wanted to show you our wood stove. It has been quite handy this winter. At first I had trouble starting a fire, but my mountain girl ways came back to me. Last week when we laid and grouted the floor tile, we also added the bullnose tile around the edge to give it that finished look and grouted the tile behind the stove. You may also notice in the first pic above that we laid tile in the bedroom doorway. I'm hoping we are done with tile and grout for a while.

Travel Bug - Friendly Countries

2012-01-13T06:24:00.004-06:00

It's time I let you in on my little secret. I've been reading a blog called The Mellow Jihadi for several months now and really enjoying his sense of humor and stories. His links are interesting too. Today, he shared this link on the World's Friendliest Countries. The United States ranked 5th behind New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Canada - in that order. Read the article for the criteria, but I found it interesting. It was not just the friendliness of the people, although that is important, it is also the ease of everyday life - fitting in and adjusting to life in a different country.

Personally, I don't see how any country that drives on the wrong side of the road could rank higher in best places to live over places like the USA and Canada. Although, I found Scotland very friendly, it took me the whole month we were there just to get used to crossing the street. Italians drive on the right side of the road, but, Lordy, just driving to the grocery store was an adventure. Road signs, stop lights, speed limits, lane markers were more like guidelines rather than laws. You really had to spit in your hat before getting behind the wheel. Toby took to driving our go-kart (Fiat) in Italy like a duck to water - zipping around the Autostrade and city centres with ease. I was more like an orangutang with every finger and toe wrapped around the wheel. In Canada we did not have a car, because Calgary had such a great mass transit system. But when we have rented cars in Canada, the driving was easy and road systems were great.

Language and ease of everyday life were also factors in "Friendliest Countries." Of course, the language in Italy was a problem. Since I could only converse in the minimum of words, real conversations did not happen often. It made me a bit lonely and homesick for close friends. Although the Italian people were warm and friendly and very willing to attempt conversation. Wild hand gesturing, pointing at objects, calling friends who spoke English, using guide books, etc. were not beyond the Italians - I did love that about them. Although the Scottish say they speak English, sometimes we did not speak the same English. Once again, their friendliness out-weighed the language problems. By the end of our stay, I was ready to hear some good ol' Texas twang.

Money could also be a problem. Dealing with Euros was not a problem at the time we were in Europe - the exchange rate was pretty much the same (not so much now). It took me a while to figure out the Brit's money - why do they have to be so different? In Canada, the loonies and toonies were not a problem and the exchange rate was similar at that time. I could spend money with the best of 'em.

Each place I have visited had its own distinct beauty. I loved them all. Canada was so beautiful and friendly, I would love to visit there again. But I think I would not love winters there. Italy was also beautiful and had so many amazing places to see. I could live there for short periods, but the language and hassles of everyday life would make me crazy. Scotland - well, I'd like to do more exploring there. Winter was not idea for site-seeing. Nope, none of those places made me want to move permanently.

Toby's job has been good to let me travel with him and see places around the world and lots here in the USA. We may get to go to Norway soon, and that will be a treat too. But I like OK. It is true - there is no place like home. Gosh, do I sound like an old lady or what?

So, where would you want to live - where could you live?

Repost of Scotland

2012-01-11T17:22:00.003-06:00

Buck has been drinking Scottish beer, which reminded me of a picture of Jesse taken while we were in Scotland. I found the post. Since January always reminds me of our time in Scotland, I thought I'd share that whole post. If you like these silly pictures, go back to Jan 2008 to see more - that is when Toby and I spent a month in Aberdeen.

Fun Photos

Last night we went to dinner with Toby’s boss and two other coworkers whom Toby had buddied up with. The three Scotsmen seemed to have a great relationship joking and laughing and telling stories on each other. They chose to take us to a very fancy place called Howie’s. The food was very good in an artsy-fartsy sort of way, but not what I would have chosen. Apparently it was fairly Scottish – Toby had an oatcake with his appetizer and had haggis with his meal. I had salmon. Someone ordered a side dish of chips (fries) which seemed odd with such a fancy meal, but I love them. The restaurant was busy causing us to wait a ridiculous amount of time for our food, but the waiter brought us a free bottle of wine – not that we needed more wine. In fact, we had enough wine to get into a political discussion – mostly discussing Margaret Thatcher. One man thought she was great and the other two did not. None of them like Bush much or Tony Blair. At one point, I said that because they got most of their news from the BBC, they had a skewered view of America. Normally, I try not to rock the boat when it comes to Toby’s bosses or show my real self, but they all looked a bit aghast. One even said, "The BBC is not biased!" I believe I snorted at that. I got myself under control, had a little more wine, and just enjoyed the other’s conversation. We didn’t get home until midnight – a bit tough for country folk.

In yesterday’s photos, there was a photo of Mom pointing to a piece of gum. There is a story behind that. The sidewalks and streets here are covered with white spots – some of which could be seagull poop – some of which could be gum. Mom and I argued the point – was it poop or was it gum. Toby made us laugh when he said something along the lines of watching out for those seagulls – they might spit their gum out on you.

We had lots of other funny moments. Here are some photos of us having fun in Scotland. This photo of Jesse in the guard house has a story too. When she as six years old, we visited Old Tucson. She and Bo posed in front of the Undertaker's in two coffins. Jesse closed her eyes and puffed her cheeks out. It is a photo that still cracks me up when I see it - so she posed that way again.

We always take a few shots where we imitate art. Here is Jesse stumbling out of the Illicit Still - staged of course. Sometimes we like to pretend we are part of the scene. The headphones at the Edinburgh Castle proved to be interesting. I teased Mom about holding on to hers rather than letting it hang on her neck. Then this happened. But the apple does not fall far from the tree. Mom was constantly tangled in this string that kept her from losing her gloves. Here I am being the puppeteer. BTW, she forgot those gloves hanging in the closet here when she went home. Jesse wanted us to put our arms around this tree so that just our hands showed making it look like a huge person was hugging a huge tree - it did not work out, but we had a good laugh at this shot. Toby is always good for a laugh - here he is smelling a tree to see if it is a cedar tree. Jesse did not like all the beer we tasted.

If you know my family, we have lots of other silly pics, but this should do you for today.

More Carpet

2012-01-10T09:11:00.003-06:00

About a week or so ago, Bo called and asked us to keep the GGs. We dropped what we were doing, which was working on the house, and went to town to get GBN2. We needed to kill some time before we picked up GBN1, who had a doctor's appointment. So we took GBN2 with us to look at carpet or "caahh'pet" as GBN2 says. Since we had been working on the house, we were not dressed in our Sunday best, but this is Duncan. We were hoping to get some info on carpet - learn what is what and get some prices. Upon entering the store, the owner met us and pointed out very specific rolls of carpet and told us what kind of price she could give us. Now there were carpet rolls stacked all over the building, not to mention all the sample books and displays. But she pointed out about three different rolls and gave us a price. When I would ask about a other carpet, she would say something about that carpet being more expensive. In the meantime, GBN2 was climbing on carpet rolls and impressing the owner and other customers with her ability to read, "Gulistan." It was time to go, but we promised to come back and look more later. As we left the store, I told Toby that I didn't realize that I should have worn my mink - which is code for dressing for major suck-up. The whole thang reminded me of this OK shopping experience where I had been looking at an expensive brand of clothing and the saleslady directed me to the five dollar rack.

We have since been back to the caahhpet sto-ah (it is hard not to talk like GBN2) dressed a bit better and received totally different treatment. We learned more about carpets and prices and warranties, etc. Maybe the owner was just having a bad day earlier. She does know her carpet and she is a "getter done" sort of person, although she does remind me of Toby's Uncle Ruth - kind of a know it all with an opinion about everything. At least she didn't have a toothpick to stab at me while she talked.

So yesterday after the Home Depot man left, the owner of the caahhpet sto-ah called to send out a man to measure for carpet. The man drove right to my house - no problemas. He used an old fashioned tape-measure like a pro. The HD guy had used some sort of electronic tape-measure - probably because he was too big to bend over and do any actual measuring. The caahhpet sto-ah man scribbled notes with a pencil and a scrap of paper. The HD man had a computer screen around his neck that he pecked away on with a, well, pecker. The caahhpet sto-ah man told me exactly how he would lay the carpet out and how he would make it work with the least amount of waste. He also told me how much carpet the job would take. The HD man said Home Depot would be in touch with me.

Now, which one should I go with? Neither inspires warm fuzzy feelings. I know carpet places don't hire rocket scientists. The caahhpet sto-ah seems to know their stuff, but may be more expensive. When I think of all the bad experiences with workers at HD, I worry about who they will send to lay my carpet - some person who doesn't know south from east? I also know the highest bidder is not always the best. I hate decisions.

I once used a thesaurus to look up the word "scold" when I wanted a better word to write up a disciplinarian referral to my high school principal. "Had him on the carpet" was one of the ways to say scold, chew out, yelled at, etc. I really don't want to be "had on the carpet."

The Home Depot Man

2012-01-09T14:00:00.004-06:00

I think I give pretty good driving instructions. Why? Because I think like a woman. Maybe that was my mistake, since I was giving instructions to a man. I don't think men really listen (especially to a woman), because in their mind, they already know everything.

We called Home Depot to get an estimate on carpet. They said they would send someone out on Monday. Afternoon would be better for me - yep, they could do that. I should have realized there would be problems when a man called at 9 AM to say he would be at my house around 10 or 10:30. He had two other houses in Lawton to do that afternoon. Yeah, well, I tutor in the mornings. I could rearrange my schedule, but it would be inconvenient. You realize that I live outside of Duncan? Nope, he did not know that. Well, could you do the houses in Lawton first and come here last? Yep, but that would put him here at noon or after. Perfect! I gave the man very simple instructions on how to get to my house from Lawton. After I finished, he said he would probably call again when he finished the other houses. Another clue that he wasn't really listening to me.

Sure 'nuff, he called around noon. I'm almost to Velma, and I have not seen the truck-stop you mentioned.
Really?! It's on the north side of the road - big white building with a red roof. Turn north when you get to it.
Well, there is a volunteer fire department.
Really? Where (the heck) are you?
I'm on the highway that you told me.
It's a four-lane that narrows down to a two- lane. You need to come about 5 or 6 more miles after it turns to a two-lane.
It did that.
Good. Keep coming east until you get to the truck-stop.
I haven't seen a truck-stop.
Are you going east?
Hell, I don't know. It seems south to me.
Really?!
Oh, there is a big intersection marked Plato Rd.
Really?! Cause the highway I told you does not cross Plato Rd.
Now there is an intersection called Elk.
Aha! you are on the By-Pass.

What part of "turn right at the barking dog" did he not understand? I gave more simple instructions - pretty much the same as I had given before, but now maybe he was listening closer. He called again - I see the truck-stop. I turn right?
No, turn left; that is north.
You live in the log house with the red roof?
No, I live in the next house.

He did make it here. He did measure my rooms. He did tell me how I should have laid the Mexican tile and that tile with puppy prints is more expensive...yada, yada. Like I'm going to listen to a man who doesn't know north from south.

There was a lot more to this story and my conversations and instructions getting the HD man here. I hyperventilated at least twice in between his calls. He made something very simple into something so complicated. But ya know, he was a happy man - didn't really seem to know what an idiot he was or how crazy he had made me.

Weekend Report - Birthday

2012-01-08T19:17:00.005-06:00

Toby's birthday was Saturday. It did not go off as we thought it would, but it was a good day - a good weekend. Toby had told the kids that he did not know what he wanted to do on his b-day other than relax and not have to be anywhere. We needed to get some things done on the house while the weather was good. I started a pot of beans to have for his birthday supper (it is what he wanted) but then we would just wing his birthday plans. Saturday morning, he decided he wanted pancakes for breakfast (not on our diet, but it was his birthday). Since pancakes are the GGs favorite, we called them and invited them for breakfast. Jesse put blueberries in the pancakes to make them special. The GGs added whipped cream to make them extra special. The girls were lots of fun. We ran and played until lunch.

After the GGs went home, my nephew and one of his friends showed up to cut firewood. I love it when the nephs come. Toby got out the tractor and drug up a dead tree for them - one that some beavers had eaten down a couple of years ago. He didn't want the neph to scratch up his truck getting to the tree which was on the far side of the pond. While he had the tractor out, he worked on the driveway and some other things that needed tractor work. About the time we actually started doing work on the house, some friends from church showed up. We gave them the tour of the new house and visited for a bit. When they left, the neph and his friend were finished cutting up the tree and were hungry. So we took them to eat at the Chuckwagon - always a treat - and then sent them home. It was too late to start the work on the house that we had planned, and we were rather worn out. I made a pear pie for Toby's birthday - rather than a cake. It was delicious with ice cream.

After church on Sunday, we strapped on the knee pads and did some grouting to the tile we had laid last week. Grouting is grueling work. I'm worn out as I type this, and my hands are dry, dry, dry. Tomorrow after I do some more clean-up work, I'll try to post some pics of the tile. We are expecting a carpet person to come measure for carpet. Yeha!

For a weekend with no plans, it was rather full. What we should have done was go to Golden Corral so Toby could get the senior discount now that he is 55 - ha!. Years ago Denny's restaurants had a birthday special and would give a free meal on someone's birthday. Your life would really be sad, if that was the best you could do for a birthday. Although we started off with no plans other than work on the house and a birthday dinner of beans, cornbread and fried tators, along with some pear pie, the Chuckwagon was pretty darn nice. The pancakes and GGs were fun, too. And I loved all the visitors. You'd think it was my birthday.

The Crazies

2012-01-06T07:15:00.001-06:00

Toby and I have been talking politics - beware. We discussed our theories and views of the Iowa caucus and GOP candidates. With Jesse off in The City working these days, we are empty nesters - I guess we have run the gamut on conversation, and we are down to politics. Take the following with the usual grain of salt knowing that it comes from my blonde head. I stole this cartoon from Buck, because it seemed to express things well. Now let me see if I can express myself well.

It seems no one really likes Romney or Newt, but as I mentioned before, the Media says Romney is our best choice. It also seems that lots of people like what Ron Paul and Rick Santorum are saying (hence the vote in Iowa), but the Media tells us those two are crazy and not electable. Would you say those people who like Paul and Santorum are maybe the far right, Christian conservatives, or maybe just crazy themselves? Or are those people who voted for Paul and Santorum just tired of the same old slick politicians that Romney and Newt represent and are wanting serious change? I'll just refer to the people who voted for Paul and Santorum as the Crazy Conservatives.

If I understand how the Iowa caucus went, Romney just barely won over Santorum with Paul coming in third. Now suppose the Crazy Conservatives had put their votes together and voted for just one Crazy. Hmm, that Crazy would have beaten Romney like a drum with a large majority of votes. It would have been a big statement. If I were a political analyst, I would say that the GOP would do well to take a look at what Paul and Santorum are offering that so many people want. Then I would find the right candidate that represented/expressed those things. That is who is electable. I'm thinkin' it's not Romney or Newt.

It seems to me that the Crazies want things like smaller government, balanced budget, simple and reformed tax laws, and integrity. I'm not sure why that is so crazy. They don't want politics as usual, good ol' boy backslapping, saying one thing and doing another, etc. I watched McCain endorse Romney yesterday saying that Mitt was honest, straightforward, and best candidate to beat Obama. Then the Media showed a clip of four years ago when McCain was calling Romney a liar, wish-washy, worst GOP candidate, etc. What changed in the last four years?

So if you Crazies want change, you'd better get behind one crazy or the other and quit splitting your votes. If you think about it, the Crazies are basically a silent majority that were really not so silent. I think they spoke pretty clear. Now lets see if they can make a difference.

Recapping 2011

2012-01-04T16:34:00.003-06:00

Andy has been thievin' again. So it only seemed only right for me to steal from him. For a recap of the year, he went back and took the first line from the first post of each month. He then used them for his year-end review (year-end sounds a lot like rear end). I liked the idea. This is how my year went.

1-1-11: New Year's resolutions are always the same - more of this - less of that.
2-1: I have taken full advantage of the snow day and been very lazy here at the Lazy B.
3-1: I did absolutely nothing yesterday.
4-2: I can't begin to tell you how incredibly sad this makes me.
5-2: We worked hard on the house this weekend putting in more ducts and the gas lines - all under the house work.
6-2: As I said before, Toby took off work last Thursday and Friday to work on the house.
7-3: My internet has been down for a few days.
8-1: This is just one of the fun things we did yesterday.
9-2: Jesse has only been MSU for two weeks and she already made the Times and Record News.
10-3: It was a beautiful day for the Air Show at Sheppard Air Force Base, and I took lots of pictures of, well, air.
11-2: GBN2 is such a performer/comedian/singer, that people are always saying that I should write down her stories.
12-1: My house and land are being used for a model shoot.

It was interesting to me to go back and see each month. I had to scroll down through the posts to get to the first post of each month - so I was able to get a real review. Hey, I really did do some art work; I've just not done much the last six months. Working on the house seemed to be the main theme. If we were not working on the house, we were just lazy. But then, this is the Lazy B.

Once again, I'd like to do better on my blog and better on my art. As I have said over and over, "When this house is finished..." That is really not a good excuse. I just need to get my priorities straight. Unfortunately, there is that procrastination thang that I'm so good at. Priorities and procrastination - I'll work on those.

In the News

2012-01-04T07:41:00.004-06:00

It's funny what catches my eye on MSN.com. First I have to admit that I run through the headlines there. I used to go to Fox News, but I don't really like their layout. Silly maybe, but there it is. This morning as I perused the news, I clicked on the "7 Fantastic Tips to Eating Less." Don't bother going there; nothing new. Next I clicked on the "Destruction of Wedding Dresses." I didn't read the entire article, because it was not that interesting either.
Now the "Dion and the Belmonts Singer Dies" article was more interesting, and Fred Milano was worth reading about. When the kids were young, we did lots of rocking out to The Belmonts. "Run Around Sue" and "Help me Rhonda" (which was pronounced "hep me") being some of our favorites, and of course, "The Wanderer." We liked to pretend to rip open our shirts and show 'em Rosie on our chest.

As far as other news went, well, I did look at the headlines for the Iowa caucus. For some reason, it burns me up that the Media has put so much emphasis on Romney and Newt while rarely mentioning Santorum. I've kind of liked Rick, but haven't thought he stood much of a chance, since he is not mentioned in the news. It makes me feel like the Media is choosing who should run rather than the people. I feel like I am being pushed around - kind of like when they tell me what is politically correct or what movies are great. I don't think they know their caucus from caca.

2012-01-02T07:41:00.003-06:00

The New Year dawned clear and beautiful. Hopefully it will be a sign for the rest of the year. After Toby worked my buns off on the house, we went to a friend's house for a New Year's Eve party. I did well for about the first couple of hours, but started sinking fast. Although I made it to midnight, it was touch-and-go if anyone else would make it - I was seriously losing patience with folks closer to midnight. Too many parties, too many people, and too much being nice! For those of you who don't know, "tired of being nice" is a joke around the Lazy B. Or as my dad used to say, "It is time for you to go home; Grandma is tired."

Sunday was spent recovering from the late night, but more so from the working on the house. Laying tile and flooring is always hard on the body. Jesse was a big help. She has spent most of her winter break working, drafting up in The City, in order to make some money. Then when we finally had her home, we worked her hard laying tile. She spent Sunday afternoon playing soccer - ah, to be young again.

Yesterday was a more back to normal with my tutoring in the morning. Since Toby only worked a half day, we all went to WF in the afternoon to run some errands. We picked up grout for the tile we had laid and some wood flooring for the hall. Jesse picked up the 26 cups she had thrown in her pottery class. Actually, she did not take a pottery class, but she did use the pottery facilities at MSU. She probably spends more time throwing pots and learning about clay and glazes than the students taking the class. The 26 cups are only a portion of what she had done in pottery this fall. She has not been happy with the glazing at school, so we will probably do some here before she goes back to school in a few weeks. In the meantime, she is back in The City drafting. She has not posted pics of her pots, yet. She has posted pics of the wood firing process. For her NY's resolution, she is thinking about posting a photo a day. That would be interesting.

As for my New Year's resolution, it is pretty much the same as always -more diet, more exercise, and more art. I'd like to do better on my blogging. As this house comes together, maybe I will be able to focus more on art - and post some pics of my work. Here is the Christmas card that I sent out to a few folks.

Party Party Party

2012-01-01T16:57:00.003-06:00

First there was all the Christmas parties. Then we started the birthday parties. After Mom's party on Thursday, there was the next birthday party - GBN2 turned five years old on Friday. They started off with a skating party in the early afternoon followed by a nap before the pizza and presents. The nap was a good idea. It seems like one party after another lately makes for tired little girls. But I loved the way GBN2 blew out her candles - classy.

80th Birthday

2011-12-30T09:40:00.005-06:00

Last night we celebrated my mom's 80th birthday in the usual Barker tradition - lots of family, food, and fun. I took an old photo of a young Bonnie Nell looking pretty sassy back in her day and made invitations out of it. I'd do not have it scanned or on my computer to share, but I will work on that.
In the meantime, she is looking pretty sassy at 80. This is the four of us kids.
Here are all her grandchildren except Nina.
Of course we had Mexican food - it is what we do best. I think I ate more last night than I did at Thanksgiving or at Christmas. Hmm, turkey or tamale...I choose tamale. Several cousins and relatives came - it was good to see my cousins. Uncle Paul is always a hoot.
And several of Mom's friends came, too.
I'm about partied out, but today is GBN2's birthday. The camera battery is charging. Expect more photos tomorrow.

Bo Moment

2011-12-29T06:32:00.003-06:00

Bo has always been a straight arrow. I may not write about him as much as I do Jesse, but he is a special son and not only because he is the father of my GGs. There are several moments in his life that stand out to me. One was when he was about 15 years old and we lived in NM. His roping horse, Goldie, was limping. We took the horse to the vet, who took ex-rays and gave us some bad news. He told us Goldie was beginning to founder, laminitis. We could still get lots of use out of Goldie, but that it was the beginning of the end. The vet put a special shoe on Goldie for the winter and told us to bring him back in the spring. When we brought Goldie back that spring, the vet ex-rayed him again. This time he found nothing - asking if this was the same horse, because there was no sign of foundering. We left the vet that day with much wonder. In a very calm, matter-of-fact way, with all surety, and only as Bo can, Bo said, "I've been praying for Goldie." Enough said.

Another Bo moment that sticks in my mind was his wedding day. He had been all cocky and silly playing poker in the groom's room with his groomsmen before the wedding. He posed for photos showing off his tuxedo with his yellow vest and his yellow high-top cowboy boots. But when the wedding started and he stood down front with that same groomsman and his bride made her appearance at the back of the church, I turned to look at Bo look at her. He pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his eyes. It was a perfect reaction to seeing his beautiful bride start down the aisle. And so many people missed it, because they were looking at her. But I saw it, and I knew his heart and his happiness. It was such a Bo moment.

Last month I posted on how Bo announced to the church that his family was to have another addition. It was the perfect Bo tongue-in-cheek moment. Everyone laughed and applauded. Well, last night was another moment that will stick in my mind forever. My son got up in front of the church to announce that there would be no baby this summer after-all. His voice broke as he said it, and my heart broke for him and his little family.

God is still God, and I put my faith and hope in Him. I don't understand all His ways, but we, my family, will walk through the fire unscathed. My son's steadfast surety is an example for us all.

Christmas and More

2011-12-25T08:10:00.004-06:00

Christmas Eve we had our first party and talent show. It all went well. In this picture, you can see the homemade stage in the background. I may or may not post videos from the talent show. Ya know how they say the camera puts ten pounds on you? Well, my camera seems to have put lots more than that on me. Still, the GGs were pretty darn cute. It was difficult to keep them off the stage. I also like the above picture with Jesse laughing. Speaking of Jes, she bought a real Christmas tree, and she and the GGs decorated it. We have a small fake tree, but the mice got into it this summer - I can't stand that. Jes was excited about picking out a tree at the local Kiwana's tree lot. She said she had never done that. Poor little thang, she used to have to climb all over the mountains in the snow to pick out a tree in God's Christmas tree lot.
Here is looking back the other way at the kitchen. That is my big brother next to Toby and his kids next to him. And of course the GGs being silly.
Another pic of the guests with my mom on the very end. Those wooden chairs came from the old Zuni cabins in Red River. The chairs were made without any nails - all pegs and fitted together. The story goes that the WPA gave carpentry classes in Questa back in the day. I guess there was an abundance of chairs to be had. As Red River made the turn from a mining town to a summer resort town in the late 40's, cabins and lodges were being built all over the valley. Mr. ONeal, who owned the Zuni bought up lots of these chairs to furnish his cabins. I think they are the coolest - my Questa antiques.
Jesse and Lindz doing their usual dip. They have dip photos similar to this at all sorts of places and events - including a dip photo in front of the Eiffel Tower.
My niece and nephew and fabulous kitchen.

It has taken me quite awhile to get these photos up and a blog posted. I actually put the photos on the blog Christmas morning, but things got busy before I could finish the post. After the party, Shay and Lindz had spent the night. It was a rather late night. Then Christmas morning we made a big breakfast and opened our stockings. Then we were off to see Toby's family for the day. Once again it was a rather late night for this farm girl. Since I have been fighting off a cold all week, by Monday morning, I was worn out. We slept until 8 AM! Then we got up and did some work around the house - mostly cleaning up after the party. I made it until 12:30 before I needed a nap. So I took cold medicine and slept like a baby all afternoon. I was worthless. We did make it into town for to see the GGs and deliver gifts late in the afternoon.

Toby has been on my computer quite a bit lately since the other laptop bit the dust, and we have to share. This morning I waited patiently for my turn. He finally handed it over, but about 15 minutes later, he said, "If you are going with me, you'd better get dressed!" He got the squint-eye or Mrs. Potato Head's angry eyes. I did get dressed and I did go with him, but I was not happy about it. We went to Lawton to Home Depot and Lowes. When we got home, we worked on the trim work in the bedroom. Now you know why it has taken me so long to post. It was a good Christmas. I'm glad it is over.