June 30, 2015

50,000+  Page Views on This Blog

June 30,2015

This couple is in our Sunday School class and are hard workers, yet they know how to have fun.  The wife is in charge of the arts and crafts area for VBS, and the husband is patrolling the area during the evenings.  He cooked all the brisket for the supper our class served last night and both worked hard on that activity.  They love the Lord, each other, and every one they meet.

Here we are at the end of June, 2015.  It has been a little over 2 years since I got my Cochlear Implant and almost 2 years since it was activated.  So much has happened during that 2 years.  Almost all of it is good!  Those of you who have been reading along since the beginning of this blog (which started about two years and three months ago), have followed the ups and downs along the way.

A great VBS prop!

Of course I wanted to be able to hear my husband, our sons, their families, as well as friends.  My Cochlear Implant has worked well and has provided great sounds.  I mentioned a few weeks ago about going to a new doctor - an ear, nose, and throat specialist.  His nurse was astounded to know that I could hear and understand speech immediately when the implant was activated. That is not always the case.

 Our oldest grandson is off at a military camp for a month and his little brother 

decided to get the same haircut his big brother did.  He looks SO different!

Those of you who are part of the 50,000+ page views, have followed the preparations for our son's wedding last fall.  You have kept up with another son looking for a house in the town where he is now working.  You have been seeing my grandchildren grow.  You followed my mom's health problems last fall as she recovered from her back injury.  You saw our quiet celebration for our 50th wedding anniversary earlier this month.

 Isn't this waterfall in the gym beautiful?

So many things have been happening.  You have laughed about my magnetic coil on my sound processor and the adventures I have had with the sound processor "jumping" off my head and attaching to other things, like my umbrellas, the car door, and a few other things.  You followed along as Ron and I both had surgery in September of 2013.  Mine was the second elbow surgery and his was the removal of hardware from his broken leg 20 years ago.

 3rd Grade classroom

You have seen how our family has rallied to help each other when needed.  You have watched the birds and plants in my backyard.  You have looked at the quilts I have made or worked on.  You have seen my adventures and misadventures, and still you stick with me and read my blog.   All I can say, is Thank You!  You have encouraged me, made suggestions, offered advice, asked questions, and generally shown that you care about what I am sharing.

Our VBS Director, Miss Debbie.  She does an amazing job each year.  

She will start next week making plans for next summer! 

 Thanks, Debbie!

Let's continue on this path together and see where it goes.  Ron and I have a wonderful, short trip planned for this fall, a very short trip planned in a few days, and so much more going on.  This evening, four of my grandchildren are scattered around the house - a few asleep as they should be, but one or two still awake.  Vacation Bible School continues.  The photos in this blog are from the time I spent at VBS waiting for them this evening.

One of our sweet Grands!

This morning I slept a little late.  I got to the office just after 10:00.  It was windy and raining.  The grandchildren were with their other grandmother for the day.  Ron was out of the office much of the day.  I sewed some and added 5 blocks to the string quilt stack.  I now have 102 squares made.  After work I went to Mom's and boxed up her computer and took it and her to Best Buy to see if they could fix her computer.  The man was so kind, patient, and helpful.  At one point I went to the phone area and asked a lady to help me with a phone problem.  Again, she was kind, knowledgeable, and solved my problem.

That new haircut turned him into a Wild Man

From there, we went to Staples so I could use some coupons.  I bought a few things and then Mom and I picked up supper before I took her home.  She had a coupon and I tried to take it to Staples, but they closed earlier than I expected.  I headed to the church to pick up the grandchildren and it was 9:30 before we got home and fixed supper.  Somehow, I doubt I will be able to get them up and moving in the morning!

June 29, 2015

How Can We Have

So Many Mondays?

June 29, 2015

Beautiful Crepe Myrtle bush in bloom.

Ron got me up at 6:00 for my allergy shots.  He is so good about that.  Of course he can hear his alarm clock, so he does have an advantage.  After I did the shots, he went back to bed and I started making two batches of Rice Krispie Treats to take to the church this evening.

Some of our class members preparing supper this evening for the VBS workers.

I got the grandchildren up at 8:00 and we had blue berry muffins and cereal.  They all ate well and got ready to go.  While they children played, I sewed the binding on a quilt I have been working on for way too long.  I don't enjoy doing the binding so I seem to get hung up on that step, even if it is the last step.

 Servers this evening waiting for the Bar-B-Que burgers to be brought out for serving.

One of the grandchildren went to the shop with me and three went to my mom's house for the day.  It was about 10:00 when I delivered the children and headed to work.  I had lots to do at the office since I had been out of the office last Thursday and Friday taking care of the grandchildren in McAllen.

 Workers enjoying the evening meal before time for Vacation Bible School

The morning was spent mostly on bookkeeping chores: bill paying, opening the mail, filing some papers, etc.  After lunch I started doing the finishing handwork on the quilt but could not get it finished by the time I needed to leave.

 Here is the finished quilt. 

 All of the picture squares are of cats.

For Vacation Bible School, three of the five children need to be there early each evening.  Tonight our Sunday School class was providing supper to the VBS workers and their children.  We provided Bar-B-Q burgers, potato salad, baked beans, drinks and for dessert, Rice Krispie Treats.  We had a good crowd for the meal and they enjoyed the food.  We had at least 11 from our class there to help prepare the food and serve it. 

 After Grandpa showed her how to fix one door, she did the other one.

I did not help much since I was trying to keep up with the youngest of the grandchildren who are here for the week.  He was on the go a lot.  Actually there was another reason I did not help a lot.  When I arrived at the church, I was getting all the grandchildren out of the car and I guess I used the remote to lock the car before one of the doors was closed. 

 Ron to our rescue

Somehow, that, or something else, messed up the locks.  The two back doors would not close.  The lock would not connect to the post as it should have.  It was hot.  I was tired.  I tried and tried, but finally called Ron.  He gave me one suggestion, but I could not get it to work, so he came to my rescue.  He quickly solved the problem.  By that time, they were about ready to serve the supper.

Placing Rice Krispie Bars on platters, to serve

When all was done for the supper and cleaned up, I checked in the children and headed home to finish that quilt.  Then I took it to a lady who is going to deliver it for me. 

 The back of the quilt

Tonight after VBS, the children's other grandmother picked them up and will keep them until VBS time tomorrow night when she will take them to VBS where I will pick them up when it is over tomorrow night.
  
Once back at home, just after 8:00, I relaxed and read for a while.  It had been a long day.  

June 28, 2015

Super Sunday All Day Long

June 28, 2015

The stained glass window in our sanctuary

Ron woke me this morning a little later than I had planned.  I don't usually put my Cochlear Sound Processor on first thing in the mornings.  Ron is not a "morning" person, so he usually has little to say right away.  We were both getting ready for church and he came and sat in a chair facing me and looking at his shoes, I saw they were not fastened.  Sometimes he is stiff in the mornings, so I bent down and fixed the shoes and he started laughing saying that was not why he had come; he had a question.  Oh, well I guess the shoe fastening was a freebie.  I usually head for the sound processor as soon as I can tell he wants to say something, but often he motions for me not to bother.  I sometimes play guessing games trying to figure out what he wants.  We often get some laughs out of my guesses which can become really wild (on purpose).

A part of the VBS decorations in the church gym.

Our Sunday School class included all the regulars except one couple who had car trouble.  The lesson was excellent and fit so well into today's world.  Our class is fixing supper tomorrow for the Vacation Bible School workers and there were some things concerning that, that needed our attention.

Tree house for the VBS Journey Off The Map

Church was very good.  The pastor preached a couple of sermons.  Most of you have heard jokes about long sermons and that the preacher missed some good stopping places.  Today the pastor told us he had three sermons prepared to preach and we had better get comfortable.  I only was able to pick out two, but they were both outstanding and again, very timely.  At the end of the service the children's choir sang one of the VBS songs. 

Children's Choir singing one of the VBS songs.

The decorations throughout the building are amazing.  That is not one of my talents and it is so great to see the detailed work done by others.

Our granddaughter just to the right of center

After church we stayed for a long time visiting with friends and family.  We went with Jeff's family out to eat.  They had come down for the day since one of the children is on the VBS praise team and one is a runner for the workers in VBS and four of them are spending the week.  They will not be with me as much time as I thought.  I have to share them with their other grandmother and so we will alternate nights.

Another of our granddaughters in the middle

When we finished eating we went by Ron's mom's house for a few minutes and I took some more flower photos.  We brought one of the children home with us - one who is not spending the week.  Jeff and the rest of the family went to their old house and picked up a few more items that they had not moved yet.  We met at the church at 5:30 to trade children and let the older ones (the ones staying) go to the first night of VBS.

Decorations in the sanctuary this morning for Vacation Bible School

I returned to the church to get the children at 9:00 and we came home to have supper.  Cooking for this group can be a challenge.  Their tastes constantly change.  They are pretty good about eating what is offered, but not always. 

 A tree house in the tree by the parking lot this evening.

Of course the grandchildren were all hyper when we got home so it took a while to get everyone to get to sleep, but it had been a busy day and the girls had spent the night with friends last night, so I think they were all ready for bedtime.  I know I am!

June 27, 2015

Another Busy Day,

But I Got a Nap!

June 27, 2015

Vacation Bible School starts tomorrow evening

 at First Baptist Church, Brownsville

Today was a real contrast to the last two days.  The chatter and activity of 7 children during the previous two days made today a quiet day, but it was still very busy.  Ron woke me at 6:00 for my allergy shots.  He had been asleep when I got home last night and I woke him just to tell him I was home, so we had not had time to chat.  After my shots, we talked for a while before he left for the morning.  I was trying to finish the blog I had started last night, but even this morning, I woke to find my head on the computer desk after a 45 minute nap.

I had to hurry to be ready for a doctor appointment.  This one was to get the results of some of the tests done for my annual physical.  The results were fine.  I also needed a prescription renewal.  Today I saw a new doctor to me.  He says he helps out every other Saturday.  He was a VERY nice man and I was pleased that he pulled his chair up close to me so I could hear him.  He walked in after going over my records and did not have a laptop that he was looking at the whole time.  He looked at me and asked me about several things rather than just looking at a computer screen.  Nice man.  He had a couple of suggestions and it was a good visit.

From there I went to the grocery store.  I needed to restock my pantry and prepare for the visit of some grandchildren this coming week.  At this point I am not sure of their schedule.  They will go to Vacation Bible School each evening.  I mentioned to the doctor that I would have several of them this week so they could attend VBS with their friends here and he said he had fond memories of VBS from his growing up years.  No wonder he is a nice man.

What an amazing bunch of artistically talented workers we have 

at our church.  More photos of their hard work tomorrow.*

On the way home I picked up some brunch since I had not had breakfast or lunch and it was almost 1:00.  At home I quickly unloaded my purchases, put away the cold things and went to Mom's to pick up Carmen to help me for the afternoon.  She worked her wonders on my house and I did a little bit before taking a nap.  I woke feeling great and took her back to Mom's before long.  I had to stop and get gas.  I have been driving Mom's car for a few days and the gas tank on it is much smaller than on my car.

Ron had spent the afternoon working in the yard and was exhausted.  Oh, he installed a new light fixture in the bathroom I use, while I was gone. The fixture that was there was not bright enough for me and really was delighted to have that treat when I got home last night.

*Photo of tree house from our church borrowed from a Facebook posting by Debbie Hollingsworth Robertson, Director of our VBS.

June 25 & 26, 2015

Two Days With the Grands!

June 25 & 26, 2015

Six months ago, our daughter-in-law, her mother and her sister planned a trip; a trip for late June.  Little did they know that at this time, Barbara's family would have just been in their newly purchased house for 6 days; a house still filled with boxes and boxes.  They left Thursday morning and will be back Saturday afternoon.

Her trip meant that seven children needed to be cared for on Thursday and Friday while our son was at work.  We ended up deciding that my mom, Carmen, and I would all go and have a good time with the children. 

 Five of the children in the living room watching or playing a video game.

Thursday morning, some of the big kids played video games while others found other activities.  The youngest of the boys is the hardest to keep busy.  He doesn't entertain himself well, unlike his baby sister who loves to play alone.  I asked him to help me clean the back patio.  Well, actually I didn't tell him what we were going to do.

 My little helper

Across the back of their house, is this huge porch that goes most of the way across the house.  It had not been cleaned in a long time, so I started sweeping and asked him if he knew where a hose was.  He did, and soon he came dragging the end of the hose.  I asked him to wash the area I had swept.  I noticed it was going to take more than sweeping and rinsing, and Carmen joined us and scrubbed the patio while my little guy rinsed it.

Much to my delight and surprise, this little guy completed the job joyfully and stayed dry.  I was sure I would end up taking him in soaking wet.

He enjoyed the job.  I was soaking wet from sweat.  He was having the time of his life.  He got the spray water bottle and asked what he could clean.  I had him clean the patio windows and you would have thought I gave him a treasure.  For the next two days those windows were always spotless!

My sweet little helper

He cleaned all the glass panels on the balcony and along the stairwell.  Anything that could withstand sprayed water, got his attention.  Each child found ways to stay busy.

One of the other boys set up his army men on the window bars.

We did have a good time, but it was also a lot of work.  Complicating the trip were those still packed boxes.  The children all had enough clothes unpacked, as well as enough toys to keep them occupied.  The missing things were kitchen items like: hot pads, aluminum foil, and general pantry items. 

The missing hot pads created a unique problem Thursday night.  I had prepared a great supper with some help from Carmen.  We had broccoli with cheese sauce, ham, sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top, and French bread.  When it was time for the food to come out of the ovens, I asked our son to get them out since we were using folded kitchen towels for pot holders.  It turned out that the missing hot pads were not the only problem; another was a oven shelf that had been put in incorrectly. 

Tile floor with a topping of melted marshmallows!

As my son tried to get the sweet potatoes out, the wrongly installed shelf tilted downward allowing the dish of sweet potatoes to slide out and across the floor spilling most of its contents.  We are so thankful that no one was hurt and actually the mess was very neatly spread in a straight line making clean up a breeze. 

Actually clean up went quickly

I have a reputation for burning the marshmallows on the sweet potatoes (sometimes including flames).  My reputation continues to grow.  This is the stuff of which legends are made.  The Lady Who
Could Never Get the Sweet Potatoes to the Table; that's me. The dish did not even turn over so the three servings left in the bowl disappeared as we served.  And can you believe it?  The marshmallows were perfectly browned this time!

What was left of our supper

The day had been filled with good activities.  I had been up since 5:00 a.m., so I was ready for a good night's sleep.  It was not too hard to get the children to bed and the next morning, they slept late.  I got up at 7:00, but I think it was after 8:00 before the two little boys woke up Friday morning.

Breakfast was scrambled eggs (some with chopped ham), mini powdered sugar donuts, and cereal.  Most of these children take after their dad and would be happy to eat 4 or 5 bowls of cereal for breakfast and skip lunch.  I didn't allow that, but it sure brought back memories of how much their dad loved cereal for breakfast when he was growing up.

Carmen, one of my granddaughters and I went to run some errands and picked up a nice variety of fruit.  The children love grapes, cherries, peaches, and oranges (just to name a few) and we had all at the meals Friday.  The peaches were perfect and when we got home and fixed lunch with chicken nuggets and all the fruit, they all ate well.  The peaches disappeared rapidly, so when another errand had to be run that afternoon, we got more. Yummy!  Supper was more nuggets, left over ham, and trays of fruits and veggies.  They all cleaned their plates.

The very youngest and the older boys, are most settled in the new location.  There are several large storage closets in this new house and one has been turned into a playhouse for the youngest.  She often went in there, shut the door and stayed for long periods of time.  There is also a walk-in closet in the girls' room that she loves to play in.  She plays so well alone, but also loves to play with especially her oldest sister. 

Friday was over before I knew it.  We will have several of the children next week so that they can attend Vacation Bible School here at our church with their friends. 

June 24, 2015

A Great Day!

June 24, 2015

My rose is still lovely!

Ron let me sleep until he left for work this morning.  Not good!  He forgot I had an appointment in Harlingen at 10:15.  I had to hurry to get ready in time to leave and make it on time to my appointment.  This appointment was for me to get the results from my biopsy done last Friday on the thyroid.  The results were fine.  All is well.  Praise the Lord!  For that good report, I am very thankful.  I have to go back in 6 months instead of a year since this nodule popped up this year.  But, I appreciate that she takes each change seriously.

There are six different large squares in this fabric.  I love the colors in this print.

From there I went to the Picket Fence Quilt Shop.  They sent out an email last night that they were closing and that all items were 40% off.  They had been 30% off for the last few weeks and so I headed over there to see what else I needed.  I bought several pieces of fabric to use for backings or bindings, etc. 

These look good enough to eat! Yummy fabric!

 

As I was checking out, I asked the lady about a purse she had made that was for sale.  I ended up buying it, but noticed a little spot on the front that needed to be redone.  The sewing was a little messy.  This is why I get so little done.  I have now taken the lining out of the purse and redone it and will put it back and redo the binding at the top of the purse.  Sometimes being a perfectionist is the pits.  I am not a perfectionist in all things!  I will enjoy the purse when I get it back together.

My new purse - as soon as I finish remaking it.

After the owner finished ringing up my total, she offered me some books from a table in the back - for FREE.  I selected a few and she kept pushing me to take more.  I would have loved to have them all but felt others would also like to have some.  I ended up with about 20 hardback quilt books that sell for $25 - $35 each.  I would love to have time to sit and go through all of them, but it will take time.  Then I will share some.  I also got a few more free items that she offered to me.  What a blessing to me.

Most of the books the lady gave to me.

From there, I picked up lunch for Ron and me and went to the office.  I spent the afternoon working on assorted papers.  Ron was out for a while and I had a good number of customers in while he was gone.  Most were very nice and polite.  Several of the most polite were young people and that was encouraging to see.

The photo does not do justice to this fabric, but I love it!

During the afternoon I ran an errand to the hospital to get an appointment for my yearly mammogram.  Again I encountered a very polite young person.  I got an appointment for a couple of weeks away.  Last year when I tried, it was a 2 month wait.  Now I just need to find the doctor's order for the test.  Hmmmm... wonder where I put it for safe keeping?

A Texas quilter can never have too much bluebonnet fabric.

Back at the office I prepared a bank deposit and at the end of the day, Ron took that while I went to the pharmacy to get a prescription for Mom and another medication.  Then we met our friends for supper.  We talked for two hours and the guys might still be talking if I hadn't told them I needed to go so I could pack to go to take care of the grandchildren tomorrow.   Mom, Carmen and I will leave early in the morning to get there around 9:00 so Barb can join her mom and sister for a few days out of town.

A batik fabric I bought today.

It was good to chat with our daughter-in-law in New Mexico and briefly with our son.  Then it was time to get this entry written and head to bed.  Hearing was ok today but supper was a little noisy.  The other couple kept offering to move to another table, but I have not found the perfect spot in the place.  This was a new spot, so we will try another table next time.