Virtual Game of Catch

Howdy!  It’s me Gus.  Please throw the ball!

I’m waiting…

It’s Mine!

Just look at this technique!!

Got it.  I ROCK!!!  Thanks for coming by to see my mad fielding skills!

What’s Blooming at the Ponderosa

Hello friends!  What’s going on in your world?  We’re having beautiful weather this weekend so I’ll be out in the yard if anyone is looking for me.  Just use the side gate if you stop by.  I’ll be waiting on you with a big glass of iced tea.

Flowers make me happy.    Click on the photo below to see this strange fern, so cool!

New growth makes me happy.

Geraniums ARE happiness.

I love blooming vines.

My tiny backyard is alive with blooms and new growth.

The Japanese maple (aka, the love fern) didn’t quite survive the drought we had last year but there is still one living branch and it’s beautiful.

It will probably be replaced in the fall if we are still here.

Lady Banks rose is as full as ever.

These cuties were actually blooming a couple of weeks ago.

That’s it for the backyard.  I may post the front yard blooms later this week. 

 

P.S.  First Born got that great job she’s been waiting to hear about.  I’m so HAPPY for her!!!! 

Only in Cowtown

Only in Cowtown could you get held up on the way to a job interview by a cattle drive.  It happened to me.  Really, I’m not kidding!  I had a job interview down in the Stockyards.  Crazy, right?  The interview didn’t go all that well but the trip getting there was great!  I love my city and I love being a Texan!!! 

God bless Texas.

Another Great Christmas

We had Christmas day at my house and we took a family photo of Mini Me’s blended family on my front porch with my new lens that Santa brought me.

We had Christmas Eve at Mini Me’s house.  Jude wore his elf jammies. 

Christmas morning with presents from Santa.

Jude all dressed up for Christmas dinner. 

Santa brought Gus a new bed but he still likes to hang out (literally) on the ottoman.

It was a wonderful Christmas full of love and family and I’m feeling especially blessed to have a healthy beautiful family.  They bring me happiness each and every day. 

Baking Day and Other Ramblings

This is Mini Me and her cousin along with Nana’s oldest Granddaughter, Angel.  We made cookies on Monday.  I’m not sure the cookies are edible but the kids had fun making them.  It’s just something we started doing every year when we moved to this house.  It’s really just a way to get everyone together for a girls day.

Granny was able to attend this year because she doesn’t have to work anymore.

Jude decided to hang out on girls day because Pa was at work and they couldn’t go fishing  He doesn’t look too interested in cooking, does he?


Gus wouldn’t stay out of the kitchen.  He was on cleanup detail.

Aubrey aka. Chubs with her cousin.

The Rae Rae contemplating what to decorate next.  She really loves baking, so she says.


Jude decided to go with the neon green icing for his cookie.  First Born was here but she wouldn’t let me take her picture.  Something about no makeup…

Isn’t he a cutie?  My little man.

Cousins, Aubrey and Jude.  They will be the best of buddies some day.
It’s been a strange Holiday season for us.  My dad passed away last week and there were many things to handle so Christmas was put on the back burner for a week.  At this point I feel like I’m just going through the motions.  I’ll be doing some cooking today in preparations for Christmas Eve and Day.  The Elvis Christmas CD will be playing in the background.  Hillbilly is headed out to do his annual last minute shopping.  I hope he survives it.  I’ve told him to limit the coffee intake and leave the gun at home.  It’s going to be crazy out there.
My wish to all of you is that you have a Texas sized Christmas!  Merry Christmas, Y’all!!!

Sweet Things

Just look at this sweet thing. 

Jude had his 2 month birthday already.  How time flies.  I’ll be taking more pictures this weekend to share.

I’ll be giving thanks on Thursday for my healthy family, my sweet babies, my sweet husband and all the sweet people I have met through this blog.  Y’all have a blessed Thanksgiving and be sure to have seconds on dessert!  After all, it’s the sweet things in life that make it so special.

I’m a Hero in Her Eyes

On Wednesday night while trying to watch the season finale of American Idol, the weather man interrupted the show to let us know that we were under a tornado warning.  The storm hit us shortly after, bringing with it golf ball sized or bigger hail and heavy rain.  A tornado had been spotted just west of here and we were in the projected path.  Being the drama queen that she is, First Born ran into the other room announcing that a tornado was headed right for us.   She didn’t think about shielding The Rae Rae from the truth and ultimately scared my sweet baby.  I wonder about that child sometimes…

Mini Me scooped the kids up and along with First Born went to take cover in the bathroom.  Mini Me played games with Rae to keep her from being too scared.   By this time the sirens had been activated so Hillbilly and I began looking out the windows to see if we could see anything headed our way.  I realize this is NOT what you are supposed to do but we are Texans and we don’t take cover until the last possible second because we might miss something. 

During the storm Rae was really nervous.  She had already asked me if a tornado was going to get us and I told her that First Born had been mistaken that all we were going to get was a little hail and that’s why she had to stay in the bathroom.  She comes to me when she wants the truth.  She knows Nana is a no nonsense kind of gal.   I explained that she needed to be in there away from the windows.  This made her feel a little better but as she heard the hail hitting the house she told her Mom that Nana needed to come in the bathroom because she could make it stop.  Right after she had said that I had decided that it was time for me to hang out in the bathroom too, just in case.  Mini Me told me what she had said and just like that the hail stopped hitting the house and the rain stopped.  Nana had done it!  She made the hail and wind stop!!!  I’m a hero…at least in her eyes.

Guacamole and Rio Grande Limeaid

Have you been to San Antonio during Cinco de Mayo?  I have and it’s a beautiful thing to see with the colorfully dressed dancers and beautiful decorations.  I’m just doing a little reminiscing this morning.  Just thinking about it makes me want to bust out my sombrero and head down to the river walk to enjoy the fiesta.  I would wear this beautiful blouse while I sipped an ice an ice cold margarita and munched on warm chips and cold guacamole. 


If you can’t make it down to San Antonio today, do what I’m going to do and make guacamole and margaritas, then take a siesta. 
Guacamole

• 3 avocados
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• dash of Worcestershire sauce (secret ingredient)
• dash of Tabasco
• salt and pepper
• a few shakes of  fajita seasoning (optional)
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Mix together leaving avocado slightly chunky.  Please don’t pulverize the avocados.  What did they ever do to you?
Rio Grande Limeade

• 2 (12 oz) cans frozen limeade concentrate, thawed and undiluted
• 3 cups tequila
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups orange liqueur
• 1 cup fresh lime juice
• garnish with lime slices

Stir together first 5 ingredients. Chill 8 hours. Serve over ice and garnish if desired.
This recipe makes a perfect margarita, not too tart, not too sweet.

As Good as it Gets

It’s been increasingly crazy around my house lately.  Why with children running in and out, Gus constantly into anything he can get in his mouth, trying to look for a job and doing my taxes, I can barely think!  I’ve barely had time to work in the yard, clean house or buy the hundreds of dollars of groceries we are going through. 

We made red velvet cake balls.  It was a bad idea and I won’t be attempting that again, EVER!  It was a complete and total MESS and I won’t be posting that recipe.  I didn’t like them.

I did manage to work in the yard long enough to plant these Lavender Fern bushes on Saturday.  Lavender Fern is an evergreen bush unless the temps get below 20 degrees.  I’ll have to cover them if we get another freak winter like the last one.  I couldn’t resist them though because they bloom almost year round, attract butterflies, they are wonderfully scented and they are beautiful blowing in the wind.  It took me a half day to plant them but I had fun.  I had to dig large holes in our wonderful clay soil.  It was hard because I’m an out of shape middle aged Nana.  OMG, that still freaks me out.  Mentally, I still feel about 30  but my mirror is telling me otherwise.  I loved being 30, it was a great age (that’s when I met Hillbilly and I was still thin).

Gus sunbathed with First Born while I worked in the yard. 

We’re planning a trip to Kentucky to visit Hillbilly’s family in June.  I’ll go unless I happen to land a job between now and then.

Life is busy and beautiful and stressful and I’m guessing this as good as it gets.