Happy 18th Month Birthday To You!

Today is Moochi's 18 month birthday! He is the cutest little guy and we love him so much! He is really growing up so I am including a more recent photo, too. However, the most recent photos are still on my camera -- NOT MY FAULT -- I am upgrading my OS, well, my computer genius son is, and I can't put anymore photos on right now. In the first photo he is just a couple of months old. The second was taken in this past spring.


Moochi is an absolute joy! He is all boy, a bit of a roughneck and the loviest and cuddliest little thing you could want to be around! In case you are wondering about the nickname Moochi -- that is my nickname for him. Nobody else calls him that -- just me.

Sunday Evening -- Remembering San Antonio


It has been a long-standing tradition in our family to stop by the bakery on our way home from church on Sunday afternoon. Our purchase would be our dessert after Sunday lunch. We visited many bakeries through our married life. The first photo is of a donut shop on Fredricksburg Road close to Redeemer Lutheran Church.




The second bakery is by far our favorite and most frequently visited. It is Los Cocos on West Avenue. They have the most scrumptious Mexican pastry, always fresh and the proprietors still remember us after all these years of being gone. When we visit San Antonio there are a number of regular stops and Los Cocos is one of them. Next time you are in San Antonio, check it out -- not the most gorgeous place in the world but I guarantee you, you won't ever notice once you taste their products.

Thank you Miss Elizabeth J

Thank you for the quick delivery of my ACEO's and the nice note. I hope you enjoy your trip, especially your visit to the American Girl's store. I purchased these ACEO's because they remind me of my cat, Rollie. I have added them to my ACEO collection so that when you are famous, one day, I can say I have an original Elizabeth J! Have fun, stay safe!

Unconscious Mutterings -- Week 286

1. flicker -- candle, light, electricity

2. styling -- gel, tools

3. episode -- serial, soap opera, fainting

4. sexier -- Liam Neeson

5. studious -- serious, college

6. mushroom -- sautee, pizza

7. 8 minutes -- Huh?

8. bald -- Kojak, Yul, eagle

9. immunity -- flu shot, healthy

10. sectioned -- orange

Wii


For anyone who might be interested -- there is not a Wii on the planet. Well, not for purchase in a store at any rate. You can get them on Amazon.com but you can't just go get one. I am bummed. The sports package with the bowling and baseball is great fun. The duck shooting is fun too but I guess I will just have to wait. I can see myself being one of those people camped out at the door of Target waiting for the doors to open so I can charge in and fight for my game console.

Bummer.

The Secret of Roan Inish

You know how there are some things in life you just know you are going to love? Like spring and fall and good enchiladas and great movies and a drive in the country? Well, my DVR is on that list. I always liked my VCR and the first one we had was fantastic -- easy to program, etc -- and the last one we had was, well, not. So, when we acquired DVR, I just knew I would love it and I do. I go through the tv listings and program away and there is always something to watch. With that said, however, I had to delete all my "Baby Borrowers" because that show is just too painful!

I digress.

Last night, A was at his bosses house for a yearly shindig -- spouses not included -- so I was home with my frozen pizza and DVR. Not a bad combo, if I do say so myself. So, I went flipping through my line up and settled on a movie that I had seen in the bookstores but wouldn't let go of the cash to buy.

The movie is "The Secret of Roan Inish". It is the story of a little girl, Fiona, who is born on the island of Roan Inish and whose mother dies with the birth of her younger brother. During the course of the movie, the baby drifts out to sea in his cradle, the family leaves the island, the father can't cope with the loss of his wife and child and Fiona is sent to live with her grandparents who had also left Roan Inish due to lack of work. Life on the mainland, Donegal, Ireland, is steeped in folklore and beliefs and Fiona learned them all and believed in them. She is also fascinated by the seals that inhabit the waters around the area. On a trip to the island with her grandfather, Fiona bonds with the island and also discovers that the island is not completely deserted. As the movie progresses, Fiona learns the secret of Roan Inish and she and her cousin set about reuniting her family with their beloved homeplace and opening up the secret.

I won't tell you the secret but I will say that it has a very happy ending. I didn't know what to expect from this movie but it is delightful. The setting is beautiful, off the coast of Ireland. The actors, unknown to me, were very good. The story was endearing. A bit of reality, a bit of fantasy, it held my interest and I will probably be buying it for my DVD library because it is something I would watch again.

Friday Fill-Ins



1. If I could be a fly on the wall, I would be getting the $^&# outta Dodge because A would be coming after me with something to relieve me of the burden of life.

2. Jealousy is an unattractive fact of life for teenage girls.

3. When I see a shooting star my wish would be that it wouldn't disappear so quickly!

4. I'd rather be too busy than bored any day.

5. Certain songs, when I hear them, make me wanna be 15 again.

6. If time were in a bottle -- well, I have to agree with JLSHall here -- big fan of Jim Croce but the whole time in a bottle thing makes you get into the "is the bottle half full or half empty" thing and then all of a sudden you are in a deep psychological/philosophical debate and the song is over and well .... time isn't in a bottle anyway so who cares.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I am looking forward to pizza and a movie with A, tomorrow my plans include seeing Nathan and Sunday, I want to go buy a Wii!

Booking through Thursday

"Do you buy books while on vacation/holiday? Do you have favorite bookstores that you only get to visit while away on a trip? What/where are they?"

I don't vacation much -- A travels for work so his idea of a vacation is NOT traveling. However, we do enjoy short trips from time to time -- mostly to the San Antonio area. I have been to Arkansas and California but I was a child so this question really doesn't apply. With that said, however, I spent some time in Dallas in 1961/62 when my dad was doing some film work here and the one thing I did buy was a copy of "Tom Sawyer" at a drug store. So, I guess I did begin the practice of buying vacation books then.

Yes, I do buy books when I am vacationing. The last trip to San Antonio I bought four books dealing with local history. I had been looking for those sorts of books for some time but I hadn't been able to find any north of Austin so when I discovered them in a bookstore -- Betano's -- on the Riverwalk, I seized the opportunity, bought four and then picked my DH up off the floor when I handed him the receipt for $134. In my opinion, it was well worth it to sort of round out my local history section of my personal library.

While visiting in and around Texas, I don't really have a favorite bookstore -- I mean, B&N and Borders is the Starbucks of the literary world -- they are on every corner so it isn't difficult to find a place to buy a book but I do like to frequent book areas in museums and gift stores of tourist sites. For instance, when I visited the UK, I hit every bookstore/gift shop in every tourist place I went. I have to say the sales people at the gift store at Westminster Abbey were more than thrilled that I visited there!

I find books to be the best sourvenir of a vacation, followed closely by art work and postcards. So, yes, I do buy books while on vacation.

Gone but Not Forgotten -- My Genealogical Search


Aside from my family and my faith, I have four interests in my life -- quilting, cross stitch/embroidery, reading, and genealogy. I wouldn't call them passions, I am passionate about my family and faith but I would say that I am drawn to these activities from somewhere deep inside. They are activities that have rooted themselves in me, planted and encouraged by others and I find no better way to spend my "alone" time .

The two activities that have the deepest meaning to me are genealogy and quilting and they are linked. My interest in quilting began with my great-grandmother, Maggie. One evening in her home, watching her and my grandmother hand piece quilts was the most fascinating thing I had ever seen. They even let me join in and the fire was fueled forevermore.

This same great-grandmother was the basis for the love of genealogy. My father's family had always held family history in geat esteem and had kept the family story alive. I grew up hearing historical accounts of my family's migration from Tennessee to Texas in covered wagons. I learned about our family's place in the founding of this country and this government. It was pretty awesome as a child and the interest never left me. In fact, it just expanded to include my maternal family and my husband's family, as well.

I have decided that this blog is a good venue for collecting and sharing these stories, maybe some photos, for family members that might be interested either now or in the future.

A few of the names that I research are Boyett (and all variations of the spelling), Cocke, Watkins, Conn, Davies/Davis, Webb, Palmer, Brinkley, Rantz. This isn't a complete list but the most immediate list. The areas that I research are Texas, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, England, Wales.

So, if you are interested, come back and join me on my travels through my family search.

Dear America -- A Journey to the New World -- The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple -- Mayflower, 1620




While browsing through our neighborhood used bookstore, I discovered a couple of "Dear America" books. I had noticed this series of books before but they seemed to be completely overshadowed by the "American Girl" series. So, I decided to give them a go for the Young Reader's Challenge and bought both. The first that I have read is "A Journey to the New World -- The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple -- Mayflower, 1620."

The book is written in a diary format which makes it very easy to read. The main character is Remember Patience Whipple, a young girl of about twelve. The book is an account of "Mem's" journey across the Atlantic, the landing at Cape Cod, and the building of the Plimoth Settlement. The depictions are graphic enough to get the point across but not so graphic to be unsuitable. The language is a bit advanced to be realistic for a young girl in that time period but it reads well.

The things that I enjoyed most about the book were at the end! The epilogue, of course, finished the story of Mem and how her history evolved. Then, there is an addendum entitled "Life in America in 1620". This is comprised of actual historical facts as well as pictures, census of sorts, maps and a copy of the Mayflower Compact.

I would recommend this book for ages 8+. It is a tidy little book, great cover, hard-bound with a ribbon bookmark. Very suitable for a library shelf. I am going to donate this copy to my daughter's 8th grade American History classroom.

Tinklepaw Tot

Monique has Cheese. JLSHall has Kayla. I was feeling lonely and left out so I went on a quest to find a companion for myself -- one that be slipped into a purse or bag and doesn't require prescription pet food from the vet.

I visited several places looking at Lil Kinz. Then I looked at Beanie Babies. They were all cute but none were "speaking" to me, drawing me in.

Then, on Friday while shopping at Central Market, I heard a voice -- a small voice which came from a wooden shelf near the cosmetics area. There, on the bottom shelf was a little Jellycat sheep. He didn't have a name, the tag just said "Sheep tot, please take care of me". Well, how could I pass that up -- no name and a pleading note? I mean, really, ME, the nuturing freak of the world. So, I checked his "pursability" and didn't get arrested for shoplifting so into the basket he went. I think the check out boy thought I was crazy as he set my newly purchased buddy on the check writing stand and grinned at me as only a twenty-something male with Fabio hair can do. I felt old and crazy but was happy with my decision to adopt this diminutive sheep.

A name. What is in a name? Well, everything. Our identity. This little sheep had no identity except that he is part of the Jellycat family and he hails from the UK. That is a good thing since all my ancestors do too -- he will fit in nicely. So, the first thing that I thought of what the name my father gave my fledgling craft company -- Tinklepaw -- and since he is a "Tot" I have named him Tinklepaw Tot.

So, here is my new family member~