Rub-a-Dub-Dub. Having fun in the Tub

*

Out My Kitchen Window

One of my requirements when we were looking for our house was a window over the kitchen sink with a nice view. I must admit I am just a bit claustrophobic and I like to see wide open spaces. I saw some houses that I really liked, but there was no window over the kitchen sink, or there were some houses with a window, but looking out at the outside wall of the house next door, then there were some where you would face the den while at the kitchen sink which is what I had at the rental place we were in last year.

There's an elementery school right across the street at our house now with a big park behind it. There is alot of activity in and around the park. Kids practicing sports, people walking their dogs, running, or riding bicycles and such. I catch myself just standing at the kitchen sink watching people so often. I love my window over the kitchen sink!

This Saturday I am planning to walk in the Juvenile Diabetes 5 Mile Walk around another park here in town. My boss, and friend, Jerry Don has a 4 year old daughter, Avery who was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes last year and we will be walking on the 'Princess Avery' team. Here's a link to her page with a little bit of her story.

Isn't this a beautiful and cool-looking flower? It's a flower from a Passion Fruit vine that is growing in my mother's yard. I took the picture a couple of weeks ago when I was visiting her.


I brought home a cutting from the vine and planted it in my backyard and so far its still alive. Yea! I also planted some seeds but they haven't come up yet. Hopefully one or the other will live and grow. We'll see.

Today after our bible study, Bo, Mason & I went to eat at Beef 'O Brady's Restaurant. We've never been there before but it was good and we enjoyed it. It had TV's all over with sports playing on them, so it is kind of a guy's hang-out sort of place. Right across from us was about six older ladies having lunch. I mean like late 70's, early 80's old. We commented to each other that it was odd that they were having lunch in that type of restaurant. After a little while one of the ladies started to feel bad. We could tell because she put her head in her hands, and all the other ladies were doting on her. Then she started to fall out of her chair. Another lady yelled, "she's passing out!" Bo jumped up and ran over to catch her and keep her from falling to the floor. One of the ladies asked Bo if he was a doctor. "No," he said, "I'm not." I went and got someone from management to come see about her and perhaps call an ambulance or something. In a few seconds the lady came to, and seemed to get ok again. She didn't want an ambulance or any help from anyone. The manager and several waiters stood around and talked to her for a bit, but finally walked away and went back to work. In a little while she was chatting with her friends again and looked just fine, like nothing had even happened. Then before long they all got up and left. It was really strange.

After they left, Bo began laughing.

What's so funny?

That lady asked if I was a doctor.

Yeah, and?

I should have said "no, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night."

We all cracked up laughing. --That Bo is such a funny guy sometimes.

Today at work my boss's dad came by to visit. After visiting for a while he said his goodbyes and headed out the door. A few minutes later he was back, and came into my office.

I just backed into your car.
What?
I just hit your car as I was backing out.
You're kidding!
No, I'm not, I just hit your car.
Oh dear.

We headed out the door together to look at the damage. It wasn't too bad, just a big scrape and a dent across the driver's side back door. He apologized and told me to go get it fixed and send him the bill, and he told me I can drive a spare car of his while my car is in the shop. --That was nice.

And oh well, sh*! happens.

I have been out of town for a few days. Mason, Corbin & I took my niece, Whitney home to Tyler. It was a nice trip, but so hot in Tyler. We just thought it was hot in Amarillo. Even though the temperatures were the same, the humidity there made it seem so much hotter.

We stayed with sister Mary and enjoyed ourselves very much. Mary & John are such good hosts and so thoughtful of their guests, making sure everything we needed to be comfortable was provided and more. I appreciate you guys so much!

Here are Mason & Corbin playing on a BIG swing at their house:











The boys had fun playing at the pool at sister Glenda Lou's house on Thursday:









Thursday night we went out to eat with the whole family:










It was a fun visit and we enjoyed seeing all my family. We got home Saturday afternoon.

Is that a monkey in that tree??




No. It's my niece, Whitney. She's been staying with me this week, and we have had a lovely time.


Tonight we went for a bike ride. As we were casually riding along, we saw four kids riding towards us on the opposite side of the road, two boys and two girls, about 11-12 years old. All of a sudden, the two boys started riding fast and swung over to our side of the road riding straight towards us. It was sorta scary. I thought they were going to hit us, but when they got right in front of us, they swerved around us, laughing all the way. As they went by us, one boy's hat fell off. I stopped and picked it up. The two girls yelled, 'we'll get it,' and turned around to come for the hat. One girl came up to me, stuck out her hand and said, 'I'll take it to him.' 'No mam, you won't,' I said. 'I will give him back his hat, but he needs to come back here and ask me for it. What they did was very rude and dangerous, and I don't appreciate it. It scared us and could have caused us to have a wreck.' The two little girls just stood there in unbelief. 'They were only playing around,' one girl said. 'Well, that's no way to play around. If they want the hat, they need to come and get it.' The boys were waiting about a block down the road. 'Well, ok then,' and off the girls went. They rode down to the boys and we could hear them all laugh as the girls relayed the message. One of the boys yelled 'you can have it, I don't care!' .......All-righty then, Whitney and I proceeded to ride off (with the hat). As we did the boys yelled obscenities at us as they rode off in the other direction.

Other than all that, we had a very nice bike ride.

Isn't that a great tree? It is a big Cottonwood tree in my backyard and I enjoy so much just sitting out here looking at it.

I think it's beau-ti-ful!




I took this picture a little over a year ago when we came to look at the house once. We had the tree trimmed and I think it looks so much better.



A couple of months ago we went to an afternoon birthday party for Bo's dad in Channing, TX on Bo's sister's boss's property. There were lots of really old Cottonwood trees there. Over 100 years old. They were so big around and so tall. They were amazing to look at.

I love trees and just being outside. I love the wide open spaces of the Texas Panhandle too though.

I was just sitting outside this beautiful afternoon thinking. Hope you're having a good one too.

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Today Bo & I were on our way to eat lunch and passed by the old street I used to live on. There were lots of cars parked on the street and mostly in front of my old house. I wondered what was going on, but didn't give it much thought. We went on and ate and came back home. Later I was out on the back porch reading the paper and saw that they were having an estate sale at my old house. It's not very far from us, so I decided to hop in the car and go take a look, just to walk thru and look at the house. It's been 14 years since I lived there with two of my boys, Cody & Adam. In fact, it's the house we lived in when Adam died, the last house on earth he had his own bedroom, where he played out in the yard, and walked thru the last days of his life, so it is a special place to me.

I parked the car and walked inside the house. I felt somewhat overwhelmed. I went into Adam's bedroom and remembered him being there. I thought about cooking supper in the kitchen and Adam sitting at the bar talking to me. I walked out in the backyard and thought about Cody & Adam playing kickball there and basketball in the driveway. What a sweet and wonderful time in my life. I wish I had known then how special it really was and appreciated it more. I had no idea that Adam would be gone one day and I could no longer see him and talk to him. Sometimes my heart just aches for him.

As I was in the house, I tried to look at the 'things' that were for sale there, but it was odd, I just couldn't focus on them. I stood in each room and took in the old familiar feelings the memories brought back. It was refreshing in a way, but oh so sad, too.

What I wouldn't give just to spend a few minutes with my Adam again. Sometimes I wonder why the Lord took him at such a young age. I know though that the Lord knows best. He is in complete control and nothing happens outside of his direction. What a wonderful blessing that Adam was with me for 11 years. Thank you Lord.

Thinking

I have been thinking lately that maybe, (just maybe, mind you), I sort of, want a little dog. I know that is a shock to those of you who know me very well. I have NEVER been a dog-person. I have never liked dogs and am annoyed by most dogs, but lately I have been entertaining the idea. My new neighbor, Suzanne has the cutest little Yorkshire Terrier, and I have actually felt somewhat affectionate towards it, which has got me to thinking about it.

Do I want a dog or don't I?? Would I get tired of it within a week? What a big responsibility it would be. And I sure do like my nice, clean, poopless backyard. Maybe I would enjoy it though, and I could take it on walks with me. Mmmm. I just don't know. --But I am thinking about it.

Well, I guess the footfile isn't that 'new of a thing.' A friend told me today that her pedicurist uses it on her feet every week. No big deal. Oh. Well, I have only had two pedicures in my life ....and they used a pumice stone, which didn't do diddly-squat for the calluses on my feet, but the pedicures sure were nice and relaxing. So to ME, the footfile is pretty cool, even if it has been around for a while. LOL.

You Gotta Try This!

I was at Bed, Bath & Beyond today and saw this footfile thingie. Now, living in the dry Texas Panhandle and at my age, and especially in the summer wearing sandals all the time, my feet get really dry, cracked and callused, especially my heels, so I thought I would just try this thing. I have tried many different products and nothing ever works very well, so I pretty much expected the same thing with this product. But I gotta tell you, and the reason I am telling you this is that I am amazed at how good this thing works. (No, this really isnt a commercial). If you have trouble with dry, cracked heels, you really need to get one and try it. It just shaves that dry, callused skin right off. It's really cool!

It's called a
Microplane Personal Care Footfile and I'm here to tell you it works!

I know this post sounds just like a product ad or commercial. I promise you it's not. I was just so happy with this little thing, I thought I would share it.

OK. That's it for me today. Adios.

Corbin got new glasses. Isn't he cute?


He came over on Thursday and spent the night with us. He and I went to see Spiderman 3. Yee Ha! I enjoyed the time with Corbin, but Spiderman 3 left alot to be desired in my opinion. LOL. Of course, Corbin thought it was great!

Last night Bo & I had his cousin, Linda and her husband over. We grilled some awesome steaks and enjoyed visiting with them. This morning Bo & I went for a 17 mile bike ride. It was such a beautiful morning and a great ride. Oh yea, and on Friday, Bo sold his motorcycle. That was a bittersweet moment. Glad to get it sold, but sad to see it go, too. We have had lots of good times on that motorcycle. Bo plans to buy a new bicycle with some of the money he got from the sale, so I know we will enjoy that.

Mason got a new job and worked his last day at Sonic today. He will now be working at 'the Water Still', a place to buy bottled water and flavored teas and such. He also got a raise with the new job, so that's good. He will finish up one of his summer classes this week, Medical Terminology. Still taking Intermediate Algebra. It will be finished in about 3 more weeks. This afternoon Bo & I took Mason to the Canadian River to ride his dirt bike. He rode for a little while, then his tire went flat so we had to come home.

Well, that's about it for our weekend. It was a nice one. Also, we listened to a great sermon this morning on Genesis 45:16-28 called 'Christ is Enough.' It was presented with Joseph being a picture of Christ and Jacob & his family as a picture of the elect of God. A very good sermon and we enjoyed it greatly.

Hope you had a good weekend too.

PS. It seems my blog is loading so slowly these days and I don't know why. I tried to fix it by changing the template, but that didn't seem to solve the problem. If anyone of my hundreds of readers out there (ha, yeah right) has a suggestion to fix it, please let me know! Bye.

My New Haircut

*

I Have Not Taken a Shower for a Week.

It's true. --What a dirty old woman, you might say. But no, I AM clean. I have been taking baths in my new jacuzzi tub, and I love it. I have always been a shower-girl. Bo or I, neither one ever took a bath in the tub at our old house and we lived there for 10 years. The main reason we installed the jacuzzi tub in our new house was purely aesthetic. When we remodeled the bathroom, we thought it would look bad if we left the old tub, so we replaced it with a jacuzzi tub, thinking we would probably never even use it, but it would look nice anyway and help with resale value someday. But...... I decided to just give it a try one night, and it was SO nice and relaxing. I love it, and since I got my hair all cut off (Did I tell you I got my hair cut very, very short?) I don't have to worry about getting it wet, or I can just dunk my head and wash it very easily.

Guess you're never too old to change!

And yes, I think I like my new haircut. Another big change for me. I have never had hair this short. For the first few days, I hated it. I even went back to the salon and asked them if they could reshape it or at least show me how to fix it. They cut it even shorter and styled it, but I still didn't like it. Then a friend of mine, LuAnn, told me about a product called 'Aussie Instant Freeze Hairspray,' and told me how she uses it to fix her short hair. I tried it and since then, (so far), I am liking it much better. It is some powerful stuff though! It will make your hair will stand straight up if you want it to.

Anyway, that's about it for me. TTYL.

I'm sitting out on my backporch. It's a beautiful day and I'm so thankful I can sit out in my yard again. I missed that alot for the last year or so. Cody, Jenny & Corbin came over on Sunday and we grilled steaks and ate outside. I just love it, ....except for one thing. There is a dog in the backyard next door that barks and barks and barks. He's a yellow lab and very friendly, but his barking is so annoying. Bo & I both have yelled at him several times, but he just keeps right on barking. Mostly it's when the owners are not at home, but sometimes they are. I would spray him with my water hose (like Dorothy does, ---LOL, good idea Dorothy) but it won't reach him. He has a pen on the other side of the neighbor's yard. I guess we will have to talk to the neighbors about it eventually and that's an awkward thing to have to do. They seem very nice so I hope they continue to be after THAT conversation (if we ever get up the nerve). I'll let ya know.

Hey Mary Ellen, I told you I put out a little bird feeder and it sat there for a month without the birds finding it. Well, they have found it now and I have to refill it almost everyday, they eat it up so fast.











I enjoy watching them though!

Hey! It's been a while. It seems I am still very busy these days, but I am enjoying living in our new house and doing good overall. We went to an Amarillo Dilla's baseball game on July 4th and enjoyed that. Here's a couple of pictures:














Off to work. Have a great day!

We're All Moved In!

We're not all unpacked yet, but we're here. I got my internet and cable hooked up a few days early, and was glad about that, but was very unhappy with Suddenlink Cable Co. because they put up this ugly black cable all around my house. They couldn't run the cable thru the attic because of the vaulted ceilings and firewalls up there. (Funny, they said this house has never had cable or internet). Anyway, so they ran the cable all around the outside of the house. OK, I could live with that, but when I saw it all finished, I was not happy. We just had the house trim painted Antique White, and .....they ran ugly black cable over it.



Click on the pictures to make bigger and you can really see the cable.



So I called and complained to about 6 or 7 different people today, all told me I just had to live with it or paint it. I called one more time to cancel my service and got the nicest young girl who pulled some strings. Yea! On Monday, they are coming back out to take down the black cable and put up white cable. I have to pay $33 for the cable but I can live with that. I feel better now.

I have some after-pictures too. These are before we moved in. (You wouldn't want to see it right now, with boxes everywhere.) Here they are:















There isn't any glass in the shower yet. It had to be ordered and will be another week. We are using it though, just being careful not to splash too much. LOL.
And we have a stainless oven & microwave sitting in the garage waiting for Bo to install.

Well, that's it. It has been an experience and we've learned somethings, but overall everything went pretty smooth. Thanks for sharing the journey with us!

Still working on the house, but we're almost finished. The remodeling is all done (except for a couple of minor things), now we just have the clean-up and the move. Tomorrow morning I will start cleaning, along with some help I hired from a cleaning service. There is just so much to clean. Everything is covered in sawdust! And the trim work needs to be polished up, especially now that it is beside the new floors. All the dents and dings really show up. The floors are beautiful though! Then Saturday morning we will start moving.

Last Thursday, Bo & I slipped away for a very quick trip to Tyler. He had some business near there. We only stayed one night, but we enjoyed the trip and the visit. While we were there, sister Mary & I went to a really cool little plant nursery near her house called Blue Moon Gardens. I thought it was just a delightful place. They had some little miniture gardens they put together that they called Fairy Gardens. I thought they were so cool. They are tiny plants and accessories put together in a pot or on the ground. Here's a picture:









I bought some of the plants while we were there and made one myself (not quite so grand as theirs, but I like it):








Next week we will be without internet, cable and the home telephone all week. I called Suddenlink this past Monday to change our service, but they can't get to us until next Friday. Boo.

Well, that's about it for me. My sweet nephew, Michael graduated from the Marines Boot Camp this week in San Diego, CA, and I am just so proud of him. Congratulations Michael!!

Good night ya'll.

Gosh, I've been so busy, I haven't posted in a week. The house is coming along. The painters are finished. The tilers are 80% finished. The wallpaper hanger is finished. The countertops are in. Bo worked hard last weekend installing lighting and ceiling fans. The floor guys are coming back on Sunday to begin sanding and finishing the floors. We move in the weekend of the 16th of June. I will post pictures again when it's done. It looks great, I think.

Last night I listened to a sermon on Sermon Audio by Alfred Chompff called God's Purpose in Predestination. It was such a blessing to me and if you want to hear a good sermon, listen to it. It is quite an humbling sermon focusing alot on Isaiah 43:3-4, talking about God's purpose in reprobation which says:

For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

Also Proverbs 21:18 - The wicked [shall be] a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.

Reprobation exists in order that election may be realized. The reprobate give their lives (unknowingly) that the elect might live. God's love for his people is so great that he made a reprobate people so that his people might benefit. He was willing to give up people (reprobates) for the glory of his elect. How, you might ask. For one, there had to be sin and reprobates in order for Christ to be crucified. And Christ being crucified is what saves the elect. Also God uses the reprobate and sin to produce trials and tribulation for the elect to learn and grow in this life, and he even uses the actions of the reprobate as a means to bring his people to him, I believe.

Reprobation of some is the price God pays for the higher glory of his elect, that he loves so very much.

This is just amazing and so very humbling to me. Am I worthy of such? No, no, not at all!

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his GREAT LOVE wherewith he loved us. Ephesians 2:4

I know this sermon would be considered very controversial and "unfair" of God by human standards, but I believe it only teaches what the bible says

Working Hard

Mason & I worked all day making a flower bed in the front of the house. Before we started it had some english ivy growing like this picture of the other side of the front of the house (which we have yet to work on). Ugh.






Now it looks like this. It may not look like a very big area, but let me tell you it took ALOT of work. I am exhausted and am sure I will be sore tomorrow! I sure am glad I had Mason to help me. I can't imagine doing it all myself.




I love the two Yaupon Holly trees on each end.

















Bo worked hard all day on the inside installing faucets, the garbage disposal, and the pedestal sink and toilet in the guest bath.

Progress Pictures

The living room has a new color. It's no longer green. Now it's tan.











A yellow kitchen! The black granite counter tops are under the plastic, but you cant see them. They look nice though.











Here's the granite on my vanity in the master bath. Doesn't it look good with the flowerdy wallpaper?? NOT!



--Also the jacuzzi tub.





Here's Bo's vanity.


We've got a bit of a problem in the shower. The walls near the bottom and the floor keep getting damp, and we don't know why. A plumber is coming on Tuesday again. Gotta figure that out before we tile it. It could be the problem that was there when we first started, (remember I said when we took out the old tiles it was wet behind them). We had it all replumbed and thought everything was ok now, but it keeps getting damp. Very weird. (and annoying!).



Here's a picture of Whitney I took today. She is going to a friend's wedding and is all dressed up.

Doesn't she look nice?!



*

The guest bath is finished being tiled, but not grouted yet. I love the rust colored dots on the floor. I saw that done in an open house I went to several months ago. I took a picture of it and copied it.

I stuck two different wall papers on the wall above the tub, trying to decide which one to go with. I decided against the yellow-looking one. There just isnt enough contrast from the tile, I don't think. And I am still iffy on the rust one. It seems too dark for such a small room, but Bo likes it, so that may be it. I don't know, ......but I gotta make a decision SOON.

I am not a decorator and all these decisions are getting hard.

Mason & I put in a flower bed in the back yard today and it looks very nice. I just love my little backyard. I really appreciate it after not having a yard for a year.

The hardwood floor guys are finished for now and the painters start on the inside tomorrow. Thursday the granite countertops will be installed.

Every thing is coming along nicely so far.

Love my floors!

We have hardwood floors! Yea! They look so nice and they're not even sanded & stained yet. They finished installing about two-thirds today and should finish up tomorrow. Then they will wait a couple of weeks, letting the wood acclimate to it's new surroundings, and come back to finish up.


























Also the tile guy is almost finished in the guest bathroom. I post pictures tomorrow hopefully.

Still Working (and feeling it too)

Another day of hard work! Here's the guest bath before and during:



























Bo built the frame for the jacuzzi tub in the master bath today:













Then we pulled out all the carpet in the house and the little tacky boards that hold it in place.

The living room before & during. Not much difference except the carpet is gone.

























Monday the hardwood floor layers come and the tile guy starts on the guest bath. The painters start next week also, and the wall paperers start doing the prep work in the bathrooms. It's exciting!

More Progress

Here are some before and during pictures of our work-in-progress:

This is one side of the master bathroom. The shower is behind that wall on the left and there is a bathtub in front of it. Bo has torn out the whole shower and is now opening it up, and has taken out the bathtub. I had noticed when we first went in the house on Tuesday that it smelled very musty. When Bo got the old tiles torn out in the shower, we found out why. It was very wet behind there. He thinks the shower pan had been leaking, and it caused the bathroom and even the whole house to smell very musty and mildewy.












The bathtub and the tile backsplash is gone:













There will be glass in the open places in this picture and of course the shower will be retiled. I gave up on getting the wallpaper off the bathroom walls and called a wallpaper hanger person. They will finish the job and hang new wallpaper.












Here's the kitchen. We took out the island. It was a nice island, but it took up so much room in the kitchen, it made it look and feel small.












Bo & Mason worked hard scraping that linoleum off the floor the first day, but Bo decided on Wednesday to go downtown to where the day laborers hang out looking for work and pick up a couple of guys. They worked on the floor all day yesterday and got it all done.












I think the previous owners liked pink. LOL.

I will share more later.

Progress!

It's 4:30 a.m. I can't sleep. We closed on our house this morning at 9:00 a.m. and Bo, Mason & I went over and got to work. We really got alot done, I think, but have alot to go still.

Bo & Mason worked on removing the kitchen countertops and tile backsplash, the kitchen and laundry room linoleum floor and the hall bath tile and vanity. I worked on removing the hall bath wall paper. Every thing went pretty smooth. I think the removing of the kitchen linoleum floor and the bath wallpapers will be the most work that we will have to do and ugh, they are BIG jobs.

We are only doing the tear-outs and the installers will begin on Monday. This is quite an undertaking, but I think we will like living there when we are finished.

I'm just happy we FINALLY got the house. Yea!

Mason's Graduation Day

Be sure to turn the sound on to hear the lovely Whitney Rodriguez's accompany music. (Hope I don't get sued for putting the music on without permission).

Happy Mother's Day to My Mama!

*

Little Boy Blue

I found this website that you can upload videos to (Brightcove.com), so I thought I'd try it out. This is an old video I had of Corbin. He was 4 or 5, I think and now he is almost 8. We'll see if this works.

My Hero

Last night about 10:30, my doorbell rang. It kind of scared me so I hesitated to answer. I ran to the window to see if there was a vehicle out front. I could see a truck. I couldn't tell what color it was, but it was running and the lights were on, so I figured it wasn't somebody sneaking up to the door or anything.

Who is it?

It's Cody.

Oh dear, I thought. Why in the world would Cody be at my door at 10:30 at night without calling first? All kinds of scarey thoughts ran through my mind.

I quickly opened the door and there stood Cody with a shovel in his hand.

What's wrong Cody, --was my greeting to him.

I was coming to check on you. Bo called me and said he's been trying to call for a while and keeps getting a busy signal, so he asked me to come check on you.

Oh. ---I breathed a sigh of relief.

I hadn't been on the phone so I went to check it and it was not working. Mmmm.

I thanked Cody for checking on me and gave him a big hug.

After he left I thought about him grabbing a shovel and driving over to my house to check on me and was so touched to think that he was coming to defend his mother. It's funny how the table turns as our children get older. When he was a little boy, I was his caretaker and defender and last night was ready to be mine.

Kinda corny analogy, I know, but.....

I sure do love that boy!

Bo & I were in Tyler this weekend. We stayed at Sister Mary's house and had a very nice time. We got to visit with all the parents, and Sister Glenda & family also.














*