tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97796492012-01-30T11:38:32.338-06:00Idle Thoughts From a Not So Idle MindLSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.comBlogger8931100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-15667669113046168882012-01-30T09:59:00.010-06:002012-01-30T11:38:32.349-06:00

So far, so good. I'm actually a little ahead of my self-imposed 2012 knitting goals. I completed two projects in the month of January and started two projects. I hope at least one of those new projects is fully completed before the end of February.My number one project for the year was a cowl kit that I requested and received for Christmas. I had seen the kit on the Hill Country Weavers

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-29205387063641093242012-01-07T21:54:00.012-06:002012-01-08T21:12:19.713-06:00

The best part about the Christmas season for me is that I usually have enough vacation saved back that I can take the week between Christmas and New Year's and spend it at home. At that point I have gotten thoroughly sick of shopping, just about everybody has gone to visit family and the neighborhood is nice and quiet and conducive to taking it easy. After a day spent cleaning the house, I was

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-80011905705271291342011-12-16T12:30:00.004-06:002011-12-16T13:01:18.026-06:00

For two weeks, we've been getting slow, soaking rain. Just what we've been needing here in Central Texas. For the first time since Labor Day, I felt like I could risk bringing some of the family treasures back from the storage unit in Austin. I was happy to reach the point where I could feel good about bringing things back home because I was tired of looking at the bare hooks on the wall and

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-31226952769723932042011-12-02T21:41:00.008-06:002011-12-02T23:56:18.314-06:00

You should always look for new life experiences, right? Many, many years ago, before I was interested in things old, I attended an estate auction in Missouri with my Aunt Syble and Cousin Amanda. I can't remember too much about it, probably more interested in checking out the boys at that point in my life. I remember it was a nice day and I remember the steady progression of new lots being

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-87337091875486490082011-11-22T18:14:00.006-06:002011-11-22T21:36:21.770-06:00

When I decided to take vacation time to extend the Thanksgiving holiday to a full week off, I knew that I wanted to go shopping one of the days, but not Black Friday. Initially I thought about seeing if little brother wanted to go computer shopping with me, but first he injured his back and then I did the same, so I decided that could wait until another time.I thought about going to San Marcos

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-2264829536854684792011-11-19T07:23:00.006-06:002011-11-19T15:21:02.499-06:00

Well, the official verdict is in. I have a cat with emotional issues.Now there's a surprise. Have you ever known a cat without emotional issues?I've had an on-again, off-again issue with somebody in the household who periodically decides that rather than use the litter box (any one of the 3 available), he/she will just use the bath mat or the pile of laundry sitting by the washing machine or

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-19339588514398485902011-11-07T06:51:00.013-06:002011-11-08T23:19:57.977-06:00

Sometimes you just have to make a pilgrimage back home and touch base with your roots. When I got word last week that there was a 90th birthday party scheduled Saturday afternoon for a very dear friend in Smiley, David and I juggled our schedules so we could be there. I've not been venturing very far from home lately, so I was happy to have an excuse to point Big Red south and drive the

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-6411763980108597742011-11-02T16:02:00.008-05:002011-11-03T20:27:08.518-05:00

Well, in the ways of the great Internet, a previous post I had been working on went *poof* and disappeared. So, we will take a slightly different approach since I've forgotten what ground I had covered.This far after the fire and the panic and the evacuation and the eventual return to home, life has returned to a certain normality for those of us who had homes to return to. The definition of

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-27036021114070181942011-09-08T22:27:00.002-05:002011-09-08T23:10:41.877-05:00

Five days since I ran away from the fire and smoke. Five days of sitting by the television waiting and hoping for the announcement that the fire was under control. Five days of bad, bad news and horrible photos of the now devastated area that I call home. Five days of wondering if I still had a home. Five days of scanning Facebook feeds and watching press conferences. Five awful, horrible,

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-19721634348296861172011-09-06T15:11:00.003-05:002011-09-06T16:08:46.231-05:00

The relentless heat and drought of this summer has kept me on pins and needles, worried about the possibility of fire. Ever since I moved into the pine forest subdivision outside Bastrop, I've fussed about fireworks, cursed smokers who tossed their butts in the edge of my yard, and shaken my fist at the drivers who drag their trailers with the chains dancing merrily on the pavement, shooting

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-56959799704280403862011-08-28T20:55:00.003-05:002011-08-28T21:53:32.488-05:00

I knew better than to plan anything even the slightest bit strenuous this weekend. 108 degrees predicted for Saturday and 111 degrees predicted for Sunday told me I had better get whatever I needed to do done early. Unfortunately I am also dealing with a little bit of cabin fever, thanks to this nice long stretch of hot weather we have not been enjoying. I needed to get out, if only briefly.

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-77825652020190598072011-08-07T14:23:00.010-05:002011-08-12T10:01:27.463-05:00

Last weekend was a whirlwind of activity. I decided to take a day of vacation on Friday in anticipation of a late evening outing in Austin and a second outing on the following Saturday afternoon. Friend Lana was to spend the night and go to both events with me. We decided to kick off our fun and frivolity by meeting at the Elgin Antique Mall and bringing home the antique oak bookcase I had

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-73573038112651356402011-07-30T22:45:00.003-05:002011-07-31T08:41:56.958-05:00

July ranks just slightly less stressful than May in the work department. Our yearly work cycle really gets started on July 1st and we kick off by mailing out delinquent statements for all of our clients. I stay very busy for several weeks, finally getting a little breather at the end of the month before we pick up with a second wave of statements that get mailed in August. The High: Last

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-92149673074914169942011-06-26T19:55:00.004-05:002011-06-26T20:53:49.295-05:00

Lately, going for a walk with the dogs has been problematic. Just a year or so ago, our afternoon walk involved a round trip of 5 to 6 neighborhood blocks. We enjoyed our 20-25 minute strolls about 6-ish.Then a small pomeranian along the way slipped loose from his owner and attacked us as we passed. It was annoying (how do people stand those little yapping fluff balls?), but I was able to

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-49659871235649553522011-06-25T22:58:00.003-05:002011-06-26T07:03:20.764-05:00

Today was the first time since Mother's memorial service that I put on a pair of pantyhose. Ironically it was in order to attend the funeral of a lady who I last saw at Mother's memorial service. Artie McLaurin was one of the first people I met when we moved to Bastrop in the summer of 1972. She served on the pulpit committee who recommended that my father be called to pastor a new

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-50516563105460244282011-06-13T19:55:00.007-05:002011-06-13T22:18:02.992-05:00

Oh, the joy of getting a working washing machine back on the premises! Not a minute too soon, either. The bathtub was about to overflow with dirty clothes. I just could not face another trip to the laundromat, so when the hamper began to bulge at the seams, it all began to pile up in the tub.I was given a delivery window of 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. today. I was just about to break into a nervous

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-24044930595430145412011-06-07T20:41:00.004-05:002011-06-07T22:43:34.543-05:00

Quite a number of years ago, we spent a weekend visiting our Ging relatives, staying in their beach house just up the road from the beach in Matagorda. I remember playing in the surf, eating well, and discovering on the last day that I had been sharing my bed with a three-pronged fishing hook.This past weekend, I traveled to Matagorda Beach to spend a long weekend in the current Ging beach

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-11637192768731152252011-05-22T21:08:00.007-05:002011-05-22T22:49:45.253-05:00

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I loaned three of my grandmother's quilts to the local museum for use in a special exhibit during the month of May. With the heavy work crush and two weekends out of town, I almost forgot about the event. I decided it would be a good idea to plan on stopping by the museum after my DAR meeting on Saturday.I had asked the curator how she planned to showcase the

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-8012481791489565602011-05-14T20:51:00.009-05:002011-05-19T20:20:58.974-05:00

Where did the last week of April and the first two weeks of May go? It seems like it was only a couple of days ago that Lana and I headed to Dallas for the annual Texas Miniatures Showcase. We try to attend this annual dollhouse and miniatures show if at all possible and we try not to go broke in the process. While it's not the biggest miniatures show, it's the closest to home and some of the

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-21787331662798713472011-04-27T17:04:00.002-05:002011-04-27T17:24:32.941-05:00

There is a certain fellow who resides in the backyard who thinks he is outsmarting me.When all is quiet on the deck and the dogs are inside, he jumps from the nearby tree and makes his way down the framework of the now-denuded canopy and helps himself to the contents of one of the bird feeders.Three of the four bird feeders hanging from the canopy framework are presently full of safflower seeds.

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-52351839614677334542011-04-23T14:52:00.005-05:002011-04-23T15:58:43.248-05:00

I continue to excavate the garage. I think I'm finally beginning to see a dim light at the end of the tunnel. Two more carloads were taken to the thrift store, another box and a half of books were sorted out for the library book sale. The trash dumpster is full and I have two large piles of discards that are ready to fill it back up again after the garbage pickup on Tuesday. All the boxes

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-76921435193481050672011-04-17T09:08:00.004-05:002011-04-17T10:29:25.298-05:00

One of the first bright spots of a good week came along on Tuesday as I was making my way home from the office. The curator of the Bastrop County Historical Museum was calling. The previous week I had responded to an email sent to their members looking for locally produced quilts from the 1950s and earlier for a quilt exhibit the museum planned for the month of May. I just happened to have 8

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-86585197488426454682011-04-17T07:22:00.004-05:002011-04-17T08:36:05.213-05:00

Saturday dawned and was cool and clear (at 7am, anyway), and not wishing to venture out and tempt the fates again, I decided to have another go at the garage purging project. I was about 2/3 of the way through the book sorting, and in a couple of hours I had 4 more boxes of books to take to the library for their book sale. I probably should have stopped there and settled for the satisfication

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-10478177952048952342011-04-15T14:19:00.005-05:002011-04-15T15:20:17.575-05:00

I really did some good planning when I scheduled my spring break. My first day back to work was the day I normally work from home, so I eased back into my normal routine and did not have to venture out until it was time for my chiropractic appointment at the end of the day. The next day was a normal work day, commuting to and from the office without incident. (The calm before the storm, lulling

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-35063624474796695262011-04-14T15:30:00.006-05:002011-04-15T10:50:13.609-05:00

Ever since the lovely stretch of days that was my own personal spring break, I have been paying the price.The day following the nice afternoon at Sherwood Forest Faire, I embarked on one of the stupider moves I've made in recent history. Every one of the furry children was due for a shot and/or annual checkup and I decided to haul the entire herd over to Elgin to see the vet en masse. I normally

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-59175127890317176802011-04-02T19:31:00.002-05:002011-04-02T20:29:48.350-05:00

Day 4 of Cindy's Spring Break found me out at the Sherwood Forest Faire with little brother and sis-in-law. This is a 2-year-old Renaissance Festival located between McDade and Paige. It put on an impressive showing in its first season last year and this year it has made some giant leaps toward establishing itself as an important stop on the Renfest circuit. The food is good, the entertainment

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-52339328622597180382011-03-31T20:33:00.005-05:002011-03-31T22:05:15.941-05:00

It is the end of March and that means one thing...The Round Top Antiques Fair is back and it's time for Cindy's Spring vacation. I try to take a brief holiday every year at this time. It is not only Antiques Fair week, but it is the height of the Texas wildflower season (not so hot this year, but any bluebonnet is a good experience for a Texan), my birthday is just a few days away and a

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-18490061725344842242011-03-28T11:20:00.004-05:002011-03-28T13:43:57.791-05:00

I have become a big fan of the Bastrop Opera House and the company of players who put on musical and theatrical productions through the year. The setting is a historic building that has been restored to its original beauty after years of service as a movie house, teen center and the like. Today you walk into the entry way and you are greeted by deep red Victorian settees and chairs and by vintage

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-49959844300567199462011-03-26T20:47:00.003-05:002011-03-26T22:09:46.508-05:00

This morning I headed to a neighboring town to attend a genealogy society meeting. I had promised myself I would never again attend a meeting of this particular society, but I wanted to hear the speaker they had lined up for this meeting. She spoke at the Smithville genealogy society a couple of weeks ago, but I had been caught up in an unrelenting workload and had been too tired at the time to

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-579813165725539902011-03-20T14:59:00.009-05:002011-03-20T18:52:16.560-05:00

1. Attend the monthly DAR meeting. Check.Our speaker was a gentlemen who is on the Smithville Film and Music Commission and who has the inside scoop on the movies and commercials and web movies and video games that are filmed in the Smithville area. You would be surprised how much filming goes on in Smithville, including the movie that took the majority of the awards at the SXSW film festival

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-83067415622327128852011-03-16T09:37:00.007-05:002011-03-16T17:02:33.414-05:00

Yes, Spring is my favorite time of year.Spring, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.I love thee because of the temperate weather that enables my brain to finally thaw and begin functioning again.I love thee because the mosquitoes have not yet had time to breed and I can spend some time out of doors, at least until the first of the Spring rains comes along.I especially love thee because I

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-45319415946676052452011-03-12T18:24:00.004-06:002011-03-12T20:19:59.885-06:00

This past week found me on edge and feeling the need to make a change. I've been waiting for that feeling to hit and hoping that Spring would be the catalyst. I've spent the last few months fighting lethargy because it was too cold to go outside and my head was too stuffy with winter allergies to be able to make myself do anything productive inside. There was the odd day that I would suddenly

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-45476808771222859832011-01-20T10:23:00.002-06:002011-01-20T11:17:46.204-06:00

Verily I say, "Pride goeth before a fall".Yesterday was a busy, busy day. Last week the service light on the thermostat began coming on for minutes to an hour at a time and I had called my distant cousin Jimmie to come have a look. He could not find anything amiss at first. Then, he happened to be standing over the outside unit when it kicked off. He came back inside and told me we might have

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-71082050468312938102011-01-03T23:15:00.005-06:002011-01-04T16:05:05.982-06:00

Just before the Christmas holidays, I decided it was time to see about getting a map framed to be hung above the fireplace. I got the idea while sitting at Chicken Express one day. They had an early Bastrop County map framed and hung in their dining area and I immediately wanted one for my own. I have a large blank area above the fireplace and it occurred to me that a reproduction of an old map

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-67867665405456627372010-12-15T10:36:00.005-06:002010-12-15T23:12:17.827-06:00

Got up this morning and guess what I found under my Christmas tree?Santa's elves did an outstanding job assembling the Adirondack Cabin Kit I purchased many, many years ago. I made a half-hearted stab at building this little cabin way back when and was horrified by the instructions to cut the pile of individual logs into the appropriate lengths to make staggered edges at the corners. I have

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-43580355832818023612010-12-07T22:55:00.006-06:002010-12-08T08:11:51.782-06:00

Time is flying these days. Thanksgiving sped by in a blur and was followed immediately by a quick genealogy research trip to Houston. Lana and I spent 3 days in the company of cousin Maxine, talking genealogy non-stop and including one day in the Clayton Library (where I found very little, but enjoyed myself nonetheless). Cousin Maxine is beginning to downsize her massive collection of

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-48575603152284655892010-11-21T21:51:00.002-06:002010-11-21T22:26:28.284-06:00

Today I headed to the Elgin Public Library to attend one of their regular literary events. A few weeks ago I attended a program by Susan Wittig Albert, a local author who writes a mystery series I like, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. So, when I heard that Kinky Friedman was the featured author for their last event of the year, I decided to attend even though I've never read any of his books. I

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-44437456811234929552010-11-20T21:18:00.003-06:002010-11-20T22:33:51.997-06:00

Today's DAR meeting included a program on American Heritage in quilts. A true artist in quilting brought a collection of quilts, quilted vests and quilted wall hangings she had made to illustrate the craft. She had the members oohing and ahing and clapping their approval as she unveiled each of her masterpieces.I was one of two members elected to help hold up the quilts for display (I think

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-82537515866292659382010-11-01T08:39:00.006-05:002010-11-01T09:08:32.966-05:00

A person's home is their castle? Hah! Around here the pets rule.Every step I take in my so-called castle is observed by one or more sets of eyes. Even a trip to the bathroom is supervised as one after the other of my five dictators comes into the room, looks at me thoughtfully, and leaves. My time in the shower is a spectator event, with one cat perched on the toilet lid, another on the

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-43567171301045880112010-10-23T21:03:00.002-05:002010-10-23T21:46:38.538-05:00

Good news! There is art for every taste.I'm grateful that a co-worker friend of mine happened to notice that today was Art on the Green, held on the lawn of the Bastrop courthouse. I had not gotten around to reading the local paper and had no idea it was taking place. She suggested she drive down and we would go see what there was to see.It was small, as art fairs go, but full of interesting

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-57284844577858313482010-10-13T10:13:00.004-05:002010-10-13T10:30:23.002-05:00

I do love the days that I work from home. The top ten reasons I love working from home:10) I get to sleep an hour later. (No need to jump out of bed and rush around getting dressed.)9) I can wear shorts and a tee-shirt to the office.8) Heck, I can wear my nightgown all day if I want.7) I don't have to make the 110 mile round trip commute. No driving, no tolls, no idiot drivers to contend with

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-26554254615366388432010-10-10T19:52:00.005-05:002010-10-10T20:55:56.933-05:00

Getting a little bit out of chronological order, I will back up to last Sunday and give you a book report.Back in April of 2009 I wrote about attending a book signing in Smithville where I met a favorite author, Susan Wittig Albert, who lives in Bertram and writes the China Bayles mystery series. I happened to catch wind that she was giving another book talk and signing in Elgin last Sunday,

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-78354336345601779942010-10-09T16:07:00.002-05:002010-10-09T16:47:03.308-05:00

Lately I have been fighting some back issues that won't seem to go away. Thanks to a good chiropractor and a good massage therapist, I get periodic relief, but it has become increasingly clear to me that the problem is I spend way too much time in front of a computer. I had decided that I need a new chair for my home office (and probably one at my work office, as well, but I'm going to see if I

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-23364879781372196492010-09-12T10:44:00.004-05:002010-09-12T11:50:45.101-05:00

Yesterday I woke up with a major back ache. It has been coming on for several weeks and it finally hit with a vengeance. I've spent most of the weekend in reclining position with either a heating pad or an ice pack on the stubborn muscle that refuses to relax.I almost decided to pass on the scheduled marker dedication being made by the Baron de Bastrop chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-21046723591564142502010-09-07T17:18:00.006-05:002010-09-07T17:50:56.400-05:00

Many of you are aware that I have a secret hoard of dollhouse kits, not to mention the things to put in them if I ever get the things built. Lately I had begun to feel a sense of hopelessness with regard to those boxes of wood pieces. With the way my life has been going the last few years, I no longer have the time that is necessary to construct my little buildings. (I will have no problem

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-55783199520854548662010-08-04T17:49:00.008-05:002010-08-04T18:45:51.547-05:00

Awhile back I decided it was time to find a new sofa for the family room. I was just tired of the sofas we had brought with us from the old house, but I wasn't sure what style I wanted instead. I went ahead and found a new home for the old sofas and in the meantime filled in the empty spaces with the double-sized red chair from the study and two pieces I had purchased on impulse when a local

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-4074634506645825692010-08-02T15:14:00.009-05:002010-08-03T11:06:26.687-05:00

For weeks I have felt slightly under the weather. Nothing I could put my finger on. Just blah. I'm fairly sure that my problem is rooted in allergies (all this rain we've had - which I'm NOT complaining about - has the mold count way up there) and I finally caved in last week and started taking a daily antihistimine. It was with a great deal of relief that I woke up Saturday morning and felt

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-66524023777000106912010-07-23T19:26:00.006-05:002010-07-23T20:11:01.451-05:00

About once a month I hit the big Antique Mall in Round Rock at lunch and enjoy a relaxing stroll through the premises. I often leave with some small find - usually a book - and you may recall that last year I found a beautiful oak bedstead that took some finagling to get home. (It was well worth the trouble and I've never regretted adopting it.)Today I was at loose ends, so I headed to the mall

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-70145040335394785432010-07-01T19:29:00.004-05:002010-07-01T21:00:17.896-05:00

I've had some mighty happy little dogs here lately. They really enjoyed having Mom home more or less continually last week. They enjoyed getting an early morning walk and a late evening walk every day. They enjoyed sprawling on the couch or the bed and taking an odd nap here and there. They enjoyed the fact that with a little rest, Mom was less grumpy and more tolerant of the heathen

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-72581406140800380092010-06-23T17:51:00.005-05:002010-06-24T07:44:14.952-05:00

So far my vacation from work stress has been an exercise in cleaning out closets and packing boxes for a later trip to the thrift store. In the midst of all that I ended up repacking about a dozen boxes of books that have been the foundation of "Cat Mountain" for the last few months. I wanted all the boxes moved out to the garage until I find the right bookcases for the bedroom. That resulted in

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-255675219686306432010-06-09T09:01:00.005-05:002010-06-09T09:46:58.011-05:00

Back in the early 70s, Kris Kristofferson was not yet a big movie star but he was hot on the outlaw music scene. My father, mother and I were big fans of his music. Mother and I attended three concerts where Kris performed, the first being the very first Willie Nelson 4th of July picnic in Dripping Springs, which I've written about before. That was in 1973. The following two years brought Kris

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-90871712822039700112010-06-02T20:52:00.006-05:002010-06-03T17:35:55.290-05:00

Back when we first moved to Bastrop, there was a little five-and-dime store down on Main Street. In the rear of the store was a section where you could pick up a few houseplants and the odd vegetable seedling in spring. Mother and I would hit that little store regularly and one day we decided to pick up a couple of philodendrons. We brought them home and hers can be seen in this old photo taken

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-71063433651548021522010-05-23T11:34:00.003-05:002010-05-23T21:32:53.521-05:00

Why is it that urgent health concerns in people or in pets only occur on holidays and weekends? I've spent many an hour waiting in hospital ERs with my mother because she always seemed to hit crisis mode when her doctor's office was closed. I've also spent a lot of time chewing my nails and fretting until the time came that I knew the telephone would be answered at the vet's.Major deja vu. Friday

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-73524974962810755572010-05-16T17:50:00.006-05:002010-05-16T19:25:46.065-05:00

This was the second year in a row (and the third time altogether) that Lana and I were able to attend the Texas Miniatures Showcase in Dallas. Despite the heavy workload that I get hit with every May, I hate to miss one of the few opportunities we Texan miniaturists get to mingle with the true artists in the field of miniatures. I worked overtime last week in order to get caught up with the work

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-52927404790740344242010-05-11T18:46:00.003-05:002010-05-11T20:59:15.572-05:00

You may remember a blog entry from last summer regarding the partial set of stainless flatware that my grandmother Wilcoxen gave me when I was in high school. Although the pattern had long been discontinued, I had decided to try and pick up pieces through EBAY and antique stores to complete the set and use it for my everyday dining. Since then I had acquired enough pieces to complete 1o place

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-6324734577555639802010-05-08T18:58:00.011-05:002010-05-09T11:27:26.860-05:00

This has been a wild and crazy two weeks with hardly a chance to catch my breath, much less stop for a bit of blogging. April and May are generally a blur, with too many things piling up to do and this year was no exception. The last Saturday of April saw the Hodge side of the family gathering in Elgin to celebrate Aunt Bill's/Bettye's birthday. Unkie/Son/Grady/Hodge (nobody in this family goes

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-26325508306649191512010-04-28T17:19:00.004-05:002010-04-29T11:05:10.169-05:00

The last couple of weeks were a blur as I feverishly worked on getting the annual Frankum reunion newsletter completed. I've been fighting some deadline or another for the last month or so and this was the last of them for awhile. It was with relief that I finished the newsletter on Sunday afternoon, several days before I was set to deliver it to the reunion.That done, I enjoyed a couple of

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-89123324491600206562010-04-17T16:22:00.007-05:002010-04-17T17:54:27.416-05:00

Today was DAR meeting day and instead of our usual speaker appearing to us in the community room of the First National Bank, we took a field trip. I was looking forward to this event, even though I was not entirely sure what the subject of our excursion was all about.We met in Serbin, once a thriving little town and now a small community, to visit the Texas Wendish Heritage Museum. The first

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-55329036316809415742010-04-10T21:20:00.006-05:002010-04-10T22:14:38.235-05:00

We had company this week in the person of a Yorkshire Terrier named Clyde. He boarded with us while his folks were out of town. This was the second time he had camped with us and he and Mojo and Coco seemed to remember each other and, for the most part, got along fine. There was a little bit of jockeying for top dog position, but Mojo let him know pretty quickly that visitors had better toe the

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-29423789555152641592010-04-05T22:27:00.006-05:002010-04-05T23:06:54.878-05:00

All good things must come to an end and the last day of vacation fell on the eve of my birthday. It also just happened to be Easter Sunday. In honor of my impending birthday, little brother and sister-in-law made reservations at the Hyatt Lost Pines for their elaborate Easter brunch. From the highway entrance, you drive a good ways before reaching the hotel and on both sides of the road were the

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-71181674491298680482010-04-04T21:01:00.006-05:002010-04-04T21:46:50.639-05:00

Once we got home from our long day of antiquing, we staggered into the house and collapsed. I had made spaghetti sauce the night before, when I still had some steam left in me, and while I got ready to assemble the spaghetti, Suzanne made a salad. I had a box of frozen cheeze toast and got that ready to pop in the oven.I had remembered to get everything we needed. Except the spaghetti. I

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-46568226365663428462010-04-03T13:05:00.003-05:002010-04-03T14:42:39.474-05:00

The second day of our Round Top adventure dawned with aching muscles and stiffness in our joints, but determination of spirit. Suzanne arrived to join the fun and we voted to take a vehicle with more hauling space - just in case. Plus, it was a good excuse to ride in Lana's new red Ford Edge. (Nice car.)On antiquing day two we decided to start with the official Round Top show. Many years ago you

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-49616515820408513222010-03-31T22:38:00.005-05:002010-04-02T16:52:07.933-05:00

The madness that is the annual Round Top Antiques Fair is in progress. Two good gal pals and I decided to use my house as base camp and spend a couple of days in the pursuit of the perfect antique we didn't know we needed until we saw it.We had a great time.On the first day it was just Lana and myself on the road. She had never been on the Round Top Antiques junket and had no idea what she was

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-40627041767969372552010-03-30T14:33:00.003-05:002010-03-30T14:48:18.666-05:00

Day 2 brought house cleaning and napping to our happy home. The dogs and cats are delighted to have Mom home and not glued to the computer. All the shades and drapes get opened when Mom is home, sun is shining through and creating warm pools on the carpet and all is well in their world.We have a new fixture in the bedroom we have dubbed Cat Mountain. I am still shifting my belongings around

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-65937428225454938642010-03-29T18:50:00.004-05:002010-03-29T19:54:25.820-05:00

Today's goal was to obtain a marriage record from Caldwell County. I had a poor photocopy of the record that I had obtained from microfilm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City years ago, but it was blurry and indistinct. I figured it was the best I could hope for, but last week I happened across the information that original marriage records were available through the Caldwell County

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-36563138296116701722010-03-28T10:37:00.003-05:002010-03-28T11:47:25.431-05:00

For two weeks it seemed like my brain shut completely down. I'm mostly blaming allergies for that. With elm pollen and oak pollen and pine pollen floating heavily around me, I became something of a zombie moving slowly and dreamily through life. I hate taking medicine, so I put off doing anything about it with the idea that I could beat the mess with mind over matter. Forget that I have 5 decades

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-39443921322596222812010-02-23T11:42:00.005-06:002010-02-23T12:11:12.390-06:00

Since we have just gone through a urinary infection with Boo cat (he's feeling very much better, thank you), I got the idea of checking out Pet Smart for the current options in cat fountains. Cats prefer fresh, moving water over the boring bowl of water on the floor and will sometimes drink more water if they have a fountain. The vet had warned me that Boo needed to drink more water if I could

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-80780473253949710782010-02-20T19:01:00.003-06:002010-02-20T19:43:22.966-06:00

My mother started it. She took a liking to Royal Doulton's Old Country Roses china pattern many years ago and would pick up a piece here and a piece there as we would ramble through antique and junk stores. It was a luxury then - pricey and hard to find.Then the pattern became more readily available in the United States. David and Karen located a 4-place setting set one year at a garage sale and

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-19348697415417677202010-02-13T09:59:00.003-06:002010-02-13T11:01:12.870-06:00

Remember back last June when Dixie came to live with us? Poor little, half-starved baby.BeforeYesterday all three of the heathen cats spent the day at the vet's, getting their annual checkups and vaccinations and generally racking up a humongous bill for me to settle before they came home.About 3 o'clock in the afternoon, my favorite of the lady doctors called me to report on the health of the

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-4430128412056517322010-02-06T20:54:00.003-06:002010-02-06T21:53:18.282-06:00

I am sporting a black eye today and I'm telling everybody that mean old Dixie kicked me.I wish that were what happened.I am one of the lucky folks who suffer from chalazions, which are like styes but instead of coming to a head on the eyelid, the infection goes deep into the eyelid. You end up with a painful lump that looks horrible and can distort your vision. Sometimes they go away on their own

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-1613770945774438172010-01-30T20:50:00.003-06:002010-01-30T22:05:11.577-06:00

I go to antique stores quite frequently and generally I just look, but sometimes I will be walking by and something yells, "Hey, you! Over here!". I'm going to have to start ducking and running the opposite direction when I hear that call.Today brother David and sis-in-law Karen and I went on a tour of Bastrop and Lee Counties. We started off by loading up a pickup full of furniture and

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-86573766032185113932010-01-26T11:08:00.004-06:002010-01-28T15:56:48.230-06:00

I'm sure everyone has experienced a sudden flashback when a particular song from your past pops up on the radio. Smells, too, can take you back to a point in your history, but music is a more common source of time travel for me.I have been listening to a new album by Rosanne Cash called The List which are her covers of a list given her by her father Johnny of essential country music songs. It is

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-11367225254791660882010-01-24T21:05:00.004-06:002010-01-25T10:17:44.058-06:00

It takes me awhile, but I do get some of my knitting projects completed now and again. This past week I completed a prayer shawl that I started sometime last year. I wanted a project on hand that didn't have a very complicated pattern so that I would have something I could take along on road trips or anywhere else I might be confined for awhile without internet access. I had not made much

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-67525604084275080682010-01-21T21:28:00.004-06:002010-01-21T22:55:18.516-06:00

Last Sunday afternoon I had the opportunity for a little bit of dress up. When I was a kid, playing dress up was one of my favorite activities and there is still a wee bit of the kid in me. I still love to dress in costume on those rare occasions it is permissible - Halloween, theme parties and the like. Growing up, I would prowl the furthest recesses of my mother's closet to put together my

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-45242907864930476012010-01-19T19:49:00.003-06:002010-01-19T21:30:26.363-06:00

I feel a little bit like I'm floating in the ozone these days, like a kite that has slipped loose from the little boy on the ground who is watching it sail away.Most of you that read this blog know by now that my mother passed away in the first week of 2010. It was sudden, but not unexpected. She had been ill for a very long time and the last year had brought a steady decline that had forced us

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-29857369807601911512010-01-08T14:46:00.006-06:002010-01-08T16:36:34.025-06:00

The annual week of intense cold has hit Central Texas. It has not been much above freezing for two days and due to get even colder over the next couple of days.We are staying in and trying to keep warm. Everywhere I look there is a dog or cat snoozing in a nest of blankets.Coco(Geez, Mom, go away!) BooScout Dixie Mojo I think they may have the right idea. Think I'll go look for a blankie of my

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-47429780485048032452010-01-03T21:23:00.002-06:002010-01-03T21:30:06.735-06:00

A certain little Coco dog did a double take while out on her walkie today. She stopped to sniff what she thought was a leaf on the street and it moved. It turned out to be a leaf-colored moth. She was a bit nonplussed. Mojo said that's what she gets for sticking her nose into everything. He thinks she's a regular busybody. She thinks he's a stick in the mud and no fun at all. They both agree

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-27564493442164748482010-01-02T09:17:00.003-06:002010-01-02T09:51:35.727-06:00

As I get older, I get more liable to dismiss trivial details from my mind and sometimes I can't remember where I set the coffee cup I had in my hand just a minute ago. My mind is filled with lots more important details - for instance the ongoing rumination about where in the heck my ancestor Henry Hodge might have married his third and last wife. Where I set my coffee cup is immaterial - until

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-52266971229623075862010-01-01T07:42:00.003-06:002010-01-01T09:00:28.474-06:00

I did not see the New Year in last night. I was exhausted and at 8:30 decided it was time to get myself to bed and let the New Year arrive without my help. Me and my little furry kids piled into bed, set the television to NCIS reruns that I had seen a dozen times and would not engage my brain, set the auto shut off on the television and we were asleep within minutes. Nobody moved for about 9

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-85460185406717234132009-12-13T09:11:00.004-06:002009-12-13T09:28:05.416-06:00

Dixie has had some new experiences this weekend. The first was when Mom lit a log in the fireplace yesterday. I had been concerned that she would burn a paw investigating, but she seemed to know better. She sat entranced, watching the flame, and then realized that it was giving off warmth. She curled up on the hearth and took a long nap for as long as the fire held out.Sunday morning brought

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-61867656647186026072009-12-05T22:22:00.004-06:002009-12-05T23:36:25.129-06:00

Today was a day to play. I've not felt much like playing lately. I've been tired, suffering from allergies and a bit on edge. I have not been inclined to go into Austin or San Marcos for Christmas shopping, primarily because I don't feel up to dealing with crowds and traffic. I was beginning to get a little stir crazy.I had initially intended to go to a book signing in downtown Bastrop on

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-50019584845360468462009-12-01T13:17:00.004-06:002009-12-01T13:40:12.920-06:00

For the length of the time that Boo and Scout have lived with me, there has been a cat condo/tower in the corner of the living room, reaching up to within a foot or two of the ceiling. When they were kittens, they would zoom up to the top and down to the floor in a blur of motion but now that they are grown it generally serves one purpose. I keep their dry food in one of the cubicles that is high

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-57141349778914423902009-11-29T22:48:00.004-06:002009-11-29T23:25:09.316-06:00

Until the last week or so, I thought that Coco spent most of her free time napping or monitoring the folks who take their walks past the house. I never dreamed she was surfing the Internet.It turns out that Miss Coco has joined Facebook and is making friends right and left. She is playing Farm Town, Farmville, Country Life, Cafe World and Yoville. She is uploading photos. My little girl has

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-11054962369856515322009-11-19T14:03:00.007-06:002009-11-20T13:30:57.557-06:00

The wayfaring Wilcoxen kids touched base with home this past weekend. As preacher kids, we bounced around quite a bit as children, but we landed in Smiley in 1964 and stayed for 9 years, the longest stretch our father spent as a pastor in any one place. It was a marvelous little place to grow up in--everybody knew everybody else and watched out for each other. I remember the summers best. Long

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-31718068231472013722009-10-29T11:04:00.007-05:002009-11-06T09:46:10.078-06:00

Just a brief pause in normal proceedings to catch up on the sick ward. While I was in Houston, Mojo and Coco had dental procedures and Dixie had her spaying and declawing done. All are home and well at this point, but it has not been all roses.It took a good 48 hours to get the effects of the anesthesia out of Coco's system. She slept for the better part of the first day home, getting up to eat

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-62557041674000990772009-10-28T08:23:00.009-05:002009-10-28T12:24:47.857-05:00

As a final note for part 4 of the vacation travelogue, here is a hint of a miniatures scene to come: As you can tell, there was no way I could leave this little display cabinet behind. It wants to be an Egyptian vignette.Our last day of vacation dawned with beautiful weather. We ended our visit with Maxine with a leisurely breakfast at IHOP and a careful job of packing the car for the return trip

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-40746464578742440392009-10-26T11:10:00.009-05:002009-10-27T15:23:49.877-05:00

Overnight a weather system came on shore from the Gulf and brought with it rain and wind and a tornado watch. We cancelled our planned breakfast out in favor of staying inside until the weather had settled down. We were to meet Lana's sister for lunch in Alvin and we were relieved when the rain and wind died down mid-morning in plenty of time for us to make our appointment.It is hard for the

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-37682413916774587722009-10-25T15:44:00.005-05:002009-10-26T07:05:52.726-05:00

We arrived in Friendswood safely, with only a moderate case of jangled nerves. The freeways in Houston aren't really any worse than those of Austin or Dallas, but the drivers are considerably more aggressive. They whip in and out of lanes at maximum speed with inches of clearance and they are not at all hesitant to let you know when you have committed the unforgiveable sin of being a courteous,

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-71907746128675497392009-10-25T07:00:00.001-05:002009-10-25T08:21:00.719-05:00

Day two found us up early. Big Red was packed to the rafters with everything but the kitchen sink. Leaving on a trip requires preparations similar to those required for a military invasion. On this occasion I decided to risk leaving Boo and Scout at home, but Dixie, Mojo and Coco were spending the week with the vet. Dixie was scheduled for her spaying and the two dogs were having dentals while I

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-38530874037193241502009-10-24T19:18:00.006-05:002009-10-24T20:53:48.735-05:00

The semi-annual traveling road show that is Cindy's and Lana's continuing excellent adventure series took place this past week. We decided to do our traveling within the State of Texas this year and on this trip we headed off to the Houston area.I don't look forward to driving in Houston, but the fact is that one of the nation's best genealogical research libraries is located there and we

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-33656771704444952482009-10-17T20:49:00.006-05:002009-10-18T07:44:46.630-05:00

The welcome relief of some cooler temperatures has brought with it the desire to get out and do things again after a summer of hiding inside to avoid heatstroke. This week has been rich with opportunities to socialize.On Thursday night I attended the quarterly meeting of the Bastrop County Historical Society. This time we met in the older portion of the county courthouse, in the second floor

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-56113626989202956832009-10-04T07:05:00.003-05:002009-10-04T07:21:23.553-05:00

I was working on the horrible closet cleaning project again last weekend and uncovered a box that I had almost forgotten was in there. I had sealed that box back in 1997 and it has sat in the dim corner of the storage closet ever since. It was pushed to the back of my memory, but as soon as I saw it, I knew immediately what it contained.Twelve years ago today I attended a concert at the

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-72383912777208818402009-09-17T14:53:00.005-05:002009-09-22T09:42:02.862-05:00

I know there are some of you out there who remember Red Skelton's Mean Widdle Kid. "If I dood it, I get in trouble....I dood it!"This has become Dixie's philosophy of life.Dixie's day begins at 5am - if she has been sequestered in the bathroom for fighting with Scout at midnight, she begins meowing to remind Mom that she was unjustly accused and incarcerated. If she has spent the night freely

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-51583928460307533602009-09-15T10:00:00.006-05:002009-09-15T13:30:06.884-05:00

To anyone who has wondered at my absence, I'm okay. Mostly.I'm enjoying the shift in temperature from HOT OVEN to WARMING OVEN, and the accompanying rain we've recently received. That's on the plus side of the slate. With the slight cooling effect, I've begun sleeping again. That's really a major mark on the plus side.Still on the plus side, a couple of weeks ago I located the antique oak

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-69073199479554139222009-09-01T10:26:00.007-05:002009-09-02T08:37:23.436-05:00

I'm beginning to think the cats are out to gaslight me. Scout and Dixie spend a lot of time battling throughout the house - Dixie chasing Scout and Scout hissing and yowling loud enough to wake the dead. On the occasions when they don't respond to my own yowling of "Stop that, I've had enough of that, quit it, NOW!" Dixie ends up shut in the utility room or bathroom for awhile to give Scout a

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-18911949873882349592009-08-29T20:45:00.004-05:002009-08-29T20:55:50.548-05:00

I live in a pine forest and I see from my own back deck the effects of the drought. Two of the pines on my second lot have died. One was ill and on its last legs for most of the summer, so it wasn't unexpected. The other is one of the older pines and has turned brown in the course of the last couple of weeks. I have many, many pines on my two lots, but it hurts to lose any of them. Another of my

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-41820785601463049022009-08-26T20:36:00.007-05:002009-09-22T09:42:02.863-05:00

As I mentioned before, Dixie hasn't quite figured out the jumping up on things that don't give her a good claw hold to assist her way. She's beginning to get the idea, but she's not there yet. Today she managed to clamber up, in a roundabout way, to the top of the work table in my office. She was very taken with the view out the window, which at this particular point in time, included a flock of

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-33751306011784887512009-08-25T21:27:00.003-05:002009-08-25T21:35:29.480-05:00

I got this weird letter the other day from Dell Computers. They claimed to owe me $50 and if I did not fax back instructions for how I wanted to claim the money, it would be turned over to the State unclaimed funds. It has been a pretty good while since I've bought anything from Dell, so I couldn't imagine why they would owe me any money, but I'm no fool and I faxed them instructions to cut me

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-19610089807891239502009-08-21T22:30:00.003-05:002009-08-21T23:10:02.876-05:00

This morning's trip to the vet was an expensive one, but it had the unexpected benefit of creating an atmosphere of peace in the house for the day.Mojo and Coco had their annual exams and two shots each. Both were pronounced in good health and had not gained too much weight, considering we've had to give up our daily walks until this heat wave breaks. They had to have blood drawn for the

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779649.post-4183103421723513472009-08-19T21:42:00.002-05:002009-09-22T09:42:02.863-05:00

For a tiny fluff ball, Miss Dixie has made a huge impact on our quiet household. And I don't mean just the yelling of "stop that" that has become my daily, almost hourly, anthem. She has more energy per square inch than a nuclear reactor. Last night, as I sat at my desk before the computer, she decided she wanted to be on my shoulder. She jumped, reaching for something solid to get her claws

LSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17608749083072334979noreply@blogger.com0