Good Morning, Frigid Fort Worth!

It is very cold here -- 23 right now at 9 a.m. The high is supposed to be 30.  I will be glad when tomorrow gets here and it will be in the 40's.

I am not a cold weather person.

Back in 1985, in San Antonio, we had 15 inches of snow which completely paralyzed the city.  San Antonio didn't own snow plows.  We were stuck.  These photos came from the internet and aren't my own although I have some but they are packed away.

It was fun for about the first day and then it ceased being fun as I had to rescue my 65 lb. basset hound when she sank in the snow in the back yard.  We watched my elderly neighbor try to shovel snow off his flat carport roof and ended up helping him so he wouldn't have a heart attack.  Being closed up for days with bored kids wasn't fun either not to mention running out of snacks. 

So, I don't look kindly on the fluffy white stuff, the below freezing temps or ice glazing over my driveway and street.  That is all I have to say about it.

I started a new book last night.  It is the second in the Cedar Cove Series by Debbie Macomber -- 204 Rosewood Lane.  I watched the mini-series on tv and enjoyed it so I thought I would delve into the book series and have read the first one.  It is pretty good, lots of characters to keep straight, some spice, some anger, some comedy.  It has held my interest and I read about a quarter of the book in a couple of hours so there you go.

Still trying to shake this bug -- my head is still messed up and still coughing but hopefully it is on its way out the door -- it has really overstayed its welcome!  I am continuing to unpack boxes -- they seem to never end -- and hopefully toward the end of the week we will be back at the old house getting more things packed up.  It is amazing how much stuff there is and how much needs to go someplace else.  Fortunately, though, after the last move, I have been careful about accumulating too much stuff and so it isn't unreasonable, we just got sidelined with all sorts of stuff going on.

So, guess it is time to get the day started.  Have a good one!

Happy New Year!

Yes, 2018 has arrived!  Hubs and I rang it in while binge watching Jurassic Park movies.  I would have preferred to watch something else but was too lazy to change the channel.  It's ok -- kept us awake to enjoy the New Year and listen to the thumpy, bumping of the fireworks outside which we didn't bother to get up and look at.  We were really having a lazy day yesterday!

I had started a new read a couple of days ago and had thought I could finish to add to my Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge but I didn't quite get done.  I did finish it up this morning and thought I would share a review.

The book was Agatha Raisin and the Case of the Curious Curate.

 It was another in the Agatha Raisin series and was pretty much like all the others but I do enjoy these little books even if they are very formulaic.  I might even start another if I can find it on Overdrive for my Kindle.

I am really enjoying the library feature on my Kindle.  I love checking out books on it -- it makes me feel so resourceful!  I have a lot of books, too many actually, and I do like the idea of free instant gratification! 

The new year has started off quietly for us.  We had ice yesterday and we stayed in since we are still marginally under the weather.  It was a gloomy day as the last few have been.  Today, however, the sun is shining and we are inching closer to a warm up later in the week.  I am ready.  I know, that sounds wimpy, but I  a South Texan -- living in North Texas -- and cold weather is just not in my realm of understanding. 

The weather in South Texas is quiet different than North Texas but they have had snow twice down there in the last couple of weeks and I know how people react -- it isn't pretty.  Not much better up here either.  We just aren't built for it.  So, I will be glad to see it go. 

We have had to put off Bean's First Communion twice.  She was supposed to take it on Christmas Eve which would have been a lovely thing.  We all had the flu.  Then she was supposed to take it yesterday, New Year's Eve, but we had ice that closed the highways down and her godmother has strep throat.  So, we are now looking at next Sunday -- her godfather will be serving so he will get to serve her which will be really nice.  Hopefully we are all back together again and the weather is supposed to be good-- in the 60's and I can certain do the 60's.  She has a lovely dress and I will share photos of the event.

So, the first day of the new year has been quiet -- soup for lunch, doing a bit of unpacking and settling in.  All of that has been put off because of the dread, evil disease we have been messing with.  Hopefully I can get more done today and the stack of boxes can dwindle a little more. 

Do you make resolutions?  I do not.  I just like to think that the thing to do is make the most of each day and what it has to offer.  Here is wishing all of you a very Happy New Year full of blessing!

Creeping Up On NYE

I can't believe the Christmas holiday is almost over and we missed almost all of it.  I am feeling some better now but not going to push it.

Tomorrow is NYE and we are supposed to have Bean's First Communion which we had to cancel from Christmas Eve because everybody was sick.  Everybody is better now but we can have ice.  What a thrilling break.

As I said, I am feeling improved but still not wanting to overdo -- I know, that sounds lazy -- so I decided to start a new book even though it is highly unlikely I will finish before tomorrow night to add it to my 2017 Goodreads challenge.  However, it is going pretty well so I might -- we will see.

I chose "Agatha Raisin and the Case of the Curious Curate" to be my quick read.  I love these little cozy mysteries and Agatha Raisin is such an identifiable character.  The character in the book is nothing like Ashley Jensen of the tv show fame and I really prefer the Agatha of the books.

I might have to branch out in the new year and try some of the other cozies out there and I do have the new Jan Karon book to start.  I decided I would wait for the new year for that one though. 

I really do enjoy Overdrive -- I really like checking the books out of the library through Amazon and not even having to worry about taking them back.  It is wonderful! And, there are more and more titles all the time.  I am reading this Agatha Raisin book that way and I love it.

So, I guess it is off to find some breakfast.  I can actually feel my appetite returning even though I can't really taste anything.  I have been drinking apple cider vinegar and it is helping but I need it to help a little faster.

I will review the book when I am done.

Christmas Come and Gone -- and Where Were We?

Christmas 2017 has come and gone and where were we?  Well, we were sick with the flu that is having a good go here in Texas.  This is the first year we didn't get flu shots -- we meant to but time just got past us -- and we came down with the dreaded illness.  I am not sure the shots would had made much difference, though, as this year they seemed to be high ineffective.

So, we have spent the last week feeling awful with no energy and surrounded by yet unpacked boxes.  A couple of days ago I felt better than I do today and I did manage to get a lot of boxes unpacked so it is happening -- it is just a little slow. 

We were doing pretty well trying to get everything done with moving and Christmas and such -- birthdays have gone by the wayside for the moment though but I will catch up with that -- the recepients know they weren't forgotten-- and then we got sick. 

It seems that I have been so focused on either moving or Christmas or being sick that I haven't really thought about reading.

I finished "The Winding Ways Quilt" a few weeks back and decided not to start another book until after the move.  I purchases the new Jan Karon book back when it first came out and I think my new year with start with that.  I am looking forward to it.

I wasn't going to do a Goodreads challenge this year but finally did sign up.  Unfortunately I didn't meet my goal but that is ok because one of the reasons I didn't want to do a challenge to begin with is because I wanted to enjoy the books, not just read for the sake of reaching a goal.  I did enjoy what I read this year and I didn't fall too short -- not sure if I will do another 2018 challenge but rather just keep up with my progress on my own.

So, yeah, we are going to try to finish Christmas up tomorrow and I think I will take the tree down.  It has been a non-Christmas with all the flu and sickness -- the Lost Christmas as my cousin, MLHall refers to it.  Lost indeed.  But, now that it is over, I am ready for spring as I am not a winter person.

Looking forward to the new year with new reading, new projects (going to try to get back to some cross stitch) and new adventures in our new neighborhood!

I Am Sick So It Must Be Christmas

Christmas has never been my healthiest holiday.  This year is no exception.  I am sick.  I feel like I have a really bad head cold but I am running a temp which is going up and down.  It is probably viral.  I am going to try to go to the dr. tomorrow.  I have to be well by Sunday.

Blah.

Moving is Enlightening -- The Upside to Hoarding

They say you never really know a person until you live with them.  I believe that to be true.  I can expand on that -- you never really know yourself until you move.

Twelve years ago we moved from Wakeland Manor to Maison Brinkley.  It was a disaster -- we only moved what we needed and we held on to the rest way too long.  We finally hired a skip and tossed and tossed and tossed.  It was cathartic.

Moving along to the current move from Maison Brinkley to Brinkley Cottage.  We had acquired more stuff, of course, we are human after all.  But, since I have been trying to organize my home more logically things weren't as helter skelter as they were at Wakeland Manor.  I packed like things with like things and labeled the boxes very well.  The movers were great about putting the boxes where they should be.

I didn't pack my kitchen though, until yesterday, and it still isn't done.  I did bring home six boxes of things and have managed to put most away.  Surprisingly, the new kitchen, which I thought was smaller, actually has a lot of storage so I am pleased.  In any event, dealing with the kitchen stuff really makes me wonder what sort of disease I have.

There is no reason for a person to have four cookie sheets, two mini-muffin pans, three regular muffin pans and a miniature bundt cake pan I have no recollection of buying.  It has never been used.  What in the world is wrong with me.

However, hoarding tendencies -- if well, organized and stored neatly -- do come in handy once in a while.  The Bean needs a shepherd's headdress for Thursday.  She doesn't want to be a shepherd but that is another story.  Well, since I am the only person who sews those sorts of duties fall to me and I was stressing a bit since I don't live across the street from Joann Fabrics anymore and all my stuff is packed up in big boxes.

So, I did what everybody does and went to pinterest and noticed a lot of these sorts of costumes are made with towels or just rough cut fabric so I got to thinking.  I like to embroidery cup towels -- the old fashioned muslin sort and I knew I had a package of them.  Someplace.  So, I limped up the stairs, went to the box labeled "needlework" and started rummaging through all the cross stitch fabric and voila! There it was.  A brand new package of muslin cup towels just ready to be transformed into a shepherd headdress.  How will I do that?  Open the package, take it out, place on child's head and tie it on with a random piece of fabric.

Boom.

Hoarding isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Moving -- the Agony and the Ecstacy

We are moving.  I keep questioning this decision.  I am sure I will feel differently when all my possessions (i.e. junk) are under one roof again.  But for now here are my thoughts --

Moving is exciting -- a new house is exciting -- being closer to my kids with less driving is exciting.

Having to learn a new phone number is not exciting.

Having to pack up everything you own -- a lot of which you have forgotten you have -- is not exciting.

We have lots of boxes -- most of which are books and stuff that goes in the curio cabinet.  We also have lots of dust it seems.

Don't buy books.  Go to the library or get an e-reader.  Same goes for magazines. Books don't have the same value they used to -- and they are so easy to hoard.

Arrange your home in some sort of logical manner -- like things with like things -- putting things where you are going to use them.  If you don't have room and have the urge to stick your children's baby photos in with the cup towels step back and re-think.  If you don't have enough room maybe you should get rid of something .

If you arrange your home logically then the movers can pack up for you.  If you don't then you run the risk of them whispering behind your back "what is this broad thinking" or "OMG, why does she have this here".  I am sure they don't do that but that is a real fear.

Ok, time to go take the cover off the bed and throw it into the back of the car.  Day 1 went well with the movers and I am sure day 2 will go equally smoothly.  The rest is up to us and I am sure it is going to take days and days and probably not go nearly as smoothly.  I will let you know.

Let the moving commence.

Crazy World

I grew up in South Texas.  We had one major snowfall there in all my life.  We saw snowflakes once in a while but nothing significant. 

I now live in North Texas where ice storms are common.  We don't get much snow but more than we did when we lived south.  I can do without both.

Yesterday a major snow event happened over the southern half of Texas from the Valley all the way across to Houston.  The photos are lovely.  I am so thankful I am not there trying to get ready to move.

Be aware the citrus prices will go up because everything they are growing in the Valley is probably ruined.

I hate winter.

Checking In

I haven't been here for a few days because we have been knee deep in house moving "stuff". While it seems that this was a quick decision and things have moved along at a rapid pace it also seems like it is taking forever.  I think I am the one taking forever.

Once we took possession of the house, and the previous owner's stuff was out, we finally got a good look at some things that really needed to be done.  The glaring issue was carpeting in the living room.  I would have to say that somebody had an issue with red wine on a beige carpet.  There was also a red wine issue with a lamp shade on the light fixture above the breakfast table.  I am not sure if I want to know about that.....

So, we swapped out the shades on the light fixture and headed to the locally owned flooring store around the corner from the new abode.

We were just going to have the carpet switched out but on further review opted to do a bit more.  The very back bedroom will become our study complete with a rolling desk chair so we decided to put some solid flooring in there rather than carpeting although there isn't anything wrong with the carpet that is in there.  We also chose to remove the carpet from the hallway and continue the solid flooring through there just for a good transition.  

We chose a product called Core-tec -- one of these new modern engineered things that is rapidly replacing laminate.  It is 100% kidproof, waterproof, and pet proof.  And since we don't have too many red-wine issues here I assume it will hold up well. 

We have also opted to remove the wood flooring from the entry and dining room and put this Core-tec flooring there as well.  The wood needed to be replaced and we were keen to do it all at once. 

So, here is that product --

not my house!

Since we are currently living with real travertine floors I think this will be a good transition for us and much easier on my knees as one of the layers is cork.  I feel that twelve years on stone floors has gone a long way to make my knees much worse than they really need to be so I am hoping this will help.

In the living room we thought about going with the same stuff but I really wanted carpet -- again for the legs/knees.  I don't especially like carpet because it is just one big dust ball as far as I am concerned but I do like the coziness of it.  We chose  a Mohawk product called SmartStrand which I was told was one of the lowest VOC products available.  I am all about that, you know.  I would show you a sample but I can't find it on the website and I can't remember the pattern name.  It is a low nap carpet and the color is Antique Light so you can have some idea of what it is -- it blends very well with the Core-tec.

Installation of the floors begins tomorrow and will be done by next Tuesday for sure.  The products are having to come from Georgia but they are due here today and I am ready for work to commence.

I am trying to pack but packing all the wrong things!  I need to be emptying out the furniture but instead I am emptying out the cabinets!  I need to regroup.  That is what I will be doing today as we are carrying a lot of our breakables ourselves and it is taking a lot of trips even though we have a truck.  I think we have too many breakables! I think we have too much stuff, period!

And, I have lost the charger for my Kindle.  Blah.  I am sure I will lose a number of things -- hopefully not my mind.

So, that is my quick update on the transition from Maison Brinkley to Brinkley Cottage.  More later.  Oh yes, tomorrow we get internet at Brinkley Cottage as well!  Yay!  Life will feel much more normal!

More soon.

November Family Gathering

November is a banner month in our family. My parents were married on the 14th in 1942, my in-laws were married on the 13th in 1942, my mother in law was born on the 18th in 1921, my daughter in law was born on the 28 in 1977 and my youngest granddaughter was born on the 17th three years ago.  Lots of celebrations and yesterday was no different.

We started the day with a party at my son and daughter in laws house for the three year old, Emily.  She had a Care Bear cake and received a lot of presents.  We got her a nap mat and a tent all in the ever popular "zebra" pattern.  Black and white goes with everything, doesn't it?

After that party I came home and took a much needed nap to rest my knee and my mind.  Too much going on right now.  After that we went to a local barbecue place called Cousins to celebrate my mother in law's 96th birthday.  All of her four children and their spouses were there.  Out of her eleven grandchildren, six were there -- four with spouses and all 13 of her great-grandchildren were there.  It was a large group and the majority of it was running crazy playing tag and hide and seek.  It was a bit rowdy but I rooted myself in the back corner where I could stretch out my knee and just observe.

And what did I observe?  Well, one lost a colored pencil in the groove in the floor, one was running crazy and ran smack into the wall, the rest of them decided that crawling around on the floor under the tables was a fun thing to do wallowing in all manner of yuck under there.  And, Bean decided to share her science experiment, a lava lamp, with all who would observe.  Very lively group.  The rest of us were complaining about aches and pains and my niece was giving helpful information about my knee.

It was a long day but since I spent the majority of it sitting I didn't get too tired but tired enough that I hit the sack the minute I got home.

My daughter did share these photos  from this year and the past couple of years so I thought I would share them here.  I have to wonder what these girls are eating or drinking that is preserving them so well -- I see very little change in any of them.  I wish I had known their secret about thirty years ago.

Jan Brianna Jill -- 2015

Jan Brianna Jill 2016

Jan Brianna Jill 2017

There are three more girls -- Sarah, Rachel and Rebecca but they were unable to be with us.  Love them all!

That Was Then and This is Now -- Comparing Apples to Oranges

Picture this -- 1973 -- San Antonio, Texas.  Factor in two young people with zero experience in house buying.  Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, right? Not so much. 

When we married in July, 1972 we moved to a really cute little apartment with a sunken living room, a miniscule galley kitchen, a nice sized bedroom and several really decent closets.  Apartment living wasn't really great for my husband, however.  I came home one day to find the closet housing all my wedding gifts emptied, everything piled up in the corner of the dining area and a work bench had been constructed in the closet. 

I knew my apartment days were numbered.

So, close to the end of that first years lease, my mother spotted a house in a little local, neighborhood paper -- the Northside Recorder -- and suggested we look at it. 

We did.

It had a living room/dining room combo, a big eat-in kitchen, three bedrooms and one bathroom. It had new carpeting (gold) and new draw drapes (also gold).  It was enormous in our eyes.  It was close to our families.  And -- it had a garage. 

So, we started negotiation if that is what you want to call it.  The family that lived there at the time had only been there for six months.  The husband was military and they were in and out in a blink of an eye. 

Here were the terms and conditions -- $1800 down and assume a 30 year VA loan that still had 29 1/2 years on it.  We sat on the living room floor with a piece of notebook paper and wrote a contract that we (Hubs and I) would bring her $1800 by a certain time on a certain date, we would assume the loan and a week later we moved in.

Fast forward to now ---

Not. So. Easy.  We have loans and papers and warranty policies and inspections and on and on and on.  While moving to this new house was sort of a quick decision, getting there is slow and painful.  So much to do, so many people to talk to, so many papers to sign (did I just sell my first born?).  Just so much.

I won't be doing this again.

I promise.

All I want to do is move.

And, my knee hurts again -- seems I moved too much yesterday.

Sigh