New profession

I guess I need to be a car mechanic as well as a lawn mower mechanic. Yesterday after church my AC (air-conditioner for all you Yankees) wouldn't run. My mechanic showed me how to bump the housing for the fan motor to get it going again several weeks ago. Well, this time the bumping didn't work and I can't take any more chances of not having an AC since I have a road trip back to Orange this week. I got it fixed to the tune of $245. Ouch! Now my car and my lawn mower are working....no thanks to ME!

More incompetence....

One would think that ExxonMobil could afford to hire competent people. I moved in February. I sent in the change of address form before then to ExxonMobil.....you know where it says on the bill...change of address? Don't even believe that. No one, apparently, reads that. Since then I have called 5 times because they keep sending my bill to Orange, TX. I am fed up with the morons. I went online and looked at my account, but the address is correct there. I have told them that if the next bill goes to Texas, I will immediately cut the card up and never use it again. The only reason I use that gas is because of their participation in the Upromise program where they put one penny of every gallon into an account for the grandchildren. My patience is running out!

Lesson learned...

When one owns machinary, one must be a mechanic. I'm learning. I mucked up the spark plug on my lawn mower turning it on its side. The plug was very black, therefore, not getting a good connection. Dad cleaned it up and the air filter....who knew lawn mowers had air filters!!!!! Runs right once again until I do something else stupid!!

One of life's little annoyances...

A brand new lawn mower that won't start!!!!!.........Ok...it started and I finished the front yard, but then it ran out of gas. I filled it up again and it hasn't started since. That was hours ago. I just tried again a few minutes ago...no luck. I messed the thing up, I'm sure, when I tried to clean the grass from underneath it. I now know that the spark plug must stay on top when looking under the deck. I had turned it on its side before, but now I don't do that anymore now that I know not to. Fact is that I have used it many times since then, but it hasn't run right since then. I guess I'm going to have to ask my brother for help......I hate when that happens!!!!! He probably does too!!

Praying for sleep...

Since last Saturday when I heard that Mary Nell died, my sleep has been less than restful. In an attempt to overcome that now that the funeral is over, I have made the best preparations I can to sleep:

• Put my favorite clean sheets on my bed
• Taken a warm bath
• Swallowed 2 Tylenol PM's
• Turned the AC down to cold
• Brushed my teeth with my favorite Lemon Ice Crest
• Rubbed down with my favorite Tutti Dolci Lemon Merinque moisturizing souffle
• Put on my favorite soft, old, Texas A&M sleeping t-shirt
• Turned on the ceiling fan and the oscillating fan

Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep............

Yet another highly emotional day...

My brother was a pall bearer so I had charge of taking care of Mom and Dad during the funeral. The funeral was here in my town because they needed a bigger church than Mary Nell's own church, so my brother brought my parents to the church and I met them there. This was so hard for my dad because Mary Nell called him her other daddy after her own father died. I had to hold on to Mom every step, even though she had her cane, because she is just so unstable. I also had to go to the church an hour early so I could get a parking place close to the church since I had to take Mom and Dad to the cemetery. Mom cannot walk very far. Needless to say this entire day has been focused on the funeral and the gathering with the family after the funeral where refreshments were provided. It has left me physically and emotionally drained.

Back to Texas!

A year ago I had Conductive Keratotomy on one eye so I could discard my reading glasses. It is supposed to last several years, but after 5 months I was back using my reading glasses. Last week I sent a note to the doctor because they had sent me a card for my one year check-up. I told him I had re-located, but I thought he might like to know that my procedure did not last. Today I got a call from his office. They will do it over for me for free! I was so happy to hear that because once again I had reached a point where I could not see the caller ID on the phone. That was one of the main reasons I wanted it done in the first place. His office told me that several of his patients had the same experience and he wanted to make it right for each of us. So...I made the appointment and I am going back to Beaumont next week and have it re-done! That was a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy day.

A highly emotional day....

The morning started in the kitchen cooking some food to take to my friend's house who lost his sister. Of course, all the food has been going to his brother-in-law's home and rightfully so, but all my friend's children and grandchildren are in and they need food. His wife is just fresh out of the hospital from a hip replacement and she cannot cook for all her kids even though she would like to. I whipped up the always good crawfish cornbread and took it to their house.

Tonight I was at the funeral home for an hour and a half. I have never seen so many people. Every one loved Mary Nell. There were so many people that I have not seen in many, many years that we grew up with.

The autopsy showed a 90% blockage in an artery. This is a death that didn't have to happen if only the doctors would have listened. She told 3 doctors that her chest and arm hurt and none of them sent her to a cardiologist! This is a lady who never ever complained even though she had lots of health issues and could have complained mightily. This is reason enough that the doctors should have paid attention to the symptoms!!!

Totally bummed out...

I just got a phone call informing me that a friend of mine that grew up next door to me died today while shopping at the Dollar Store. She had been to breakfast with her husband, a son and grandson. An autopsy is being done tomorrow in Little Rock, AR. One of her sons is on a mission trip to Rwanda, Africa, and can not get here before tomorrow night. Her brother, Richard, graduated with me. This poor man has endured so much death. First his dad in a tractor-drunk driver accident (many years ago), then his wife died at 36 (many years ago), then his mother, then one of his twin daughters in a car accident which was driven by her sister, then a few months ago his brother....and now his sister. She is 7 years younger than me. Thank goodness he is a strong Christian man!!

What!!!!!!

As I was sitting in my recliner, reading my paper, minding my own business this morning, I heard a lawn mower that sounded way closer than my neighbor's yard. I looked out the door to see one of those huge honkin' lawn mowers had cut a large strip across my yard. Apparently, the new employee got the wrong yard and he should indeed have been in my neighbor's yard. The owner apologized and said he would finish mowing the yard. I told him the cut was much too low and I didn't want my yard scalped like that. Supposedly, he raised the deck, but I can't tell it. My beautiful thick lush, green, grass is scalped and looks horrible. I am very anal about my yard and this just makes me sick. I didn't let him touch the side yard or the back yard so they are still beautiful. Right now I have the water going on it to try to help it grow out some overnight.

I have grass....

Well, sort of! I got 20 squares of nearly dead centipede for $10.00. I need more, but I will wait for some that is in better shape. The business owner said that it will come back with lots of water over the next couple of weeks. We'll see!

Cars..the movie

This one did not meet my expectations. Adults will like it more than children because, as with all Pixar films, there are lots of innuendos that children just won't get. It's cute, but too long. Wait for the video! I nodded off a few times.

Lunch at 10:30!!!

I started cooking lunch at 9:30 this morning and it's only me eating!!! I have lost my mind having so many fresh vegetables that I helped grow and pick. Yesterday I picked green beans, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, and corn and I ate some of every bit of that for lunch plus some new potatoes that I had already dug and brought home. Corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers with Italian dressing, cooked squash, steamed green beans and potatoes and green tea!!! Is that healthy or what? Then why have I gained 5 pounds since I moved????? Can one eat too many fresh vegies?

Now I realize that having stairs in my old town house really contributed to keeping my leg muscles fit. I work a lot outside here, but it's not the same as climbing those stairs a lot every day. Mostly my working outside here just involves a lot of sweat and not much muscles anymore. The hills are huge on my street and I could get out and walk them, but there is no sidewalk so it could be a bit hazardous. I miss my fitness center in Beaumont!! Didn't realize how much it was helping me until I don't have it anymore. Oh well....there are always positives and negatives and the positives outweigh the negatives many times over.

I am a Lily!

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist.People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you.You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words.Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

What kind of flower are you?

Incompetence.....gggrrrrrr!!!!

Six weeks ago I went to a Chase Bank branch in the nearest city to me to close my accounts in Texas. At the time there was some activity....automatic transfer from checking to savings...that happened every month. I was told to call the next day and the closures would be made. I forgot to call, but I called a day later and sent an email as well to the customer service rep who was handling the process. Naturally, I assumed it was taken care of......WRONG! It was not. I found this out when I got mail from Chase saying they had charged my credit card to put money into my savings because there was no money in the checking account! WTF! Of course, they also charge a fee to do this. I was livid and was back at that branch this morning before it even opened. Once again because there is action taking place in the account, I have to call them tomorrow to make sure they got it closed! Incompetence just makes me CRAZY!!!

Texas, Sweet Texas!

Just returned from a long weekend trip to Austin for a wedding reception. I love Austin. It's is such a neat city. The reception was held at Zilker Clubhouse which is up in the hills and looks down on the city and Town Lake. Very cool looking at night, but it was 99 degrees when I arrived there and I had a complete meltdown. NO AIR-CONDITIONER on the property!! It was a very beautiful reception in spite of the heat. The couple got married in Phuket, Thailand in March.

As I am prone to do on these little trips, I got sidetracked in Hillsboro at an outlet mall on my way back home yesterday and ended up spending last night in Dallas and taking a little spin around Grapevine Mills. Now I have to get out and mow the yard so that tomorrow I can go get Mom and Dad's yard mowed! The temp right now is 91 so it won't be nearly as bad as 99 in dress clothes and heels!!!!

Food and festivities.......

I must say that I am now eating really healthy; at least, as long as the vegies are ripening in the garden, then it will all be over. In the past 2 days I have eaten potatoes, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, and zucchini all that I picked myself out of the garden that my dad and I planted. It is wonderful to eat vegetables that we grew ourselves. I love it!!

Last night I went to a deck party and met some more people and socialized with some of the ones I had already met. I am surprising myself accepting these invitations because I tend to shy away from new social events with people I don't know. Since I don't know anyone here, that is the only way to get to know new people, so I have had to bite the bullet and just do it. So far, it has been fun and I have met some really good people.

Behold the caladiums...

All 93 of them came up. I had to take a picture before they get full because I am afraid that every night the deer are going to come feast on them. Observe the stripes in the yard. I need to learn how to operate the spreader so it gets everywhere! I can tell exactly where the fertilizer went!! Ok...I'm trying. Cut me some slack! This is the first yard I ever had!!

A sincere salute ....

I am a seeker.....

You Are a Seeker Soul

You are on a quest for knowledge and life challenges.You love to be curious and ask a ton of questions.Since you know so much, you make for an interesting conversationalist.Mentally alert, you can outwit almost anyone (and have fun doing it!). Very introspective, you can be silently critical of others.And your quiet nature makes it difficult for people to get to know you.You see yourself as a philosopher, and you take everything philosophically.Your main talent is expressing and communicating ideas. Souls you are most compatible with: Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul

What kind of soul are you?

Grass anxiety!

Yesterday I passed by the place where I have been trying to buy a few squares of grass. Much to my surprise, I saw a partial pallet of centipede out in the hot sun, with no chance of water, turning brown and biting the proverbial dust! The place was closed, but it would have been so easy for me to pull my car right up there and rescue that grass. They will not re-open until Tuesday and by then it will all be dead. I guess I should have asked the owner to call me if there was a chance he might have some left over to sell piecemeal, but I didn't. I could just see myself on surveillance cameras on the news stealing grass. I would have gone back to pay for it, but who would believe that???? Now....it will just die a natural death!

Cute, cute movie!

Why do I love the kids' movies best? I always go to them before any of the others.

Too much to ask?

This is the small area that needs grass! It looks smaller here than it really is, but I shall not rest until this area is covered in thick, green grass with no weeds.

Next New Orleans

I love this! Now if only Mayor Nagin and Governor Blanco will slide down the drain!

Foiled yet again!

I went to get the grass this morning arriving at 9:15 after a detour for an egg McMuffin. Turns out the grass was there, but all sold. Seems there are people with BIG jobs who need whole pallets waiting for the grass just like me. As long as he can sell whole pallets, I will not get my few squares that I need. He said there is lots of new construction and he cannot keep up with all the grass needed. Last year he had plenty to sell piecemeal, but that doesn't seem to be the case this year. I'll keep trying....or NOT!

No GRASS yet!

Perhaps it is the Cheech and Chong variety that I need. After two unproductive trips to Bossier today, the grass still had not arrived from the farm in Arkansas. It is due to arrive tonight, so I guess I will try again tomorrow. I am trying to not drive so much and burn so much gas, but this week that all went "up in smoke" ha, ha....anyone catch the pun here???

I need grass!

Not the kind you smoke, but some green centipede! Finally, I found a place that will sell me as many squares as I need instead of a truck load! Tomorrow I am going to get a few squares to fill in some spots (like the whole side yard) where the landscapers did not sod. Why would they not sod the entire yard? Saving pennies, I suppose, but now I am not pleased without having the same grass everywhere. I have not been able to get any grass seeds to come up in that area. It's not a big area and I don't have to cover the entire area because I hope the grass will spread from the squares. If not, I guess I'll just buy more as if I have an endless flow of money! NOT!!!

Cochan de Lait......huh?

I received an invitation to the 5th annual Cochan de Lait by the Krewe des Ambassadeurs. Huh?? Of course, being the Texan that I am I had to look that up. Turns out it's a pig roast. Ok...sounds good to me, within a stone's throw from my brother's lake house. The lady I bought my house from came to pick me up and off we went to partake of the pig that had been roasting since 4 A.M. Turns out it was great fun and I met lots of nice people. Not sure yet if I want to join the Krewe, but I am mulling it over.

Too trusting?????

Twice in the past week, strangers have knocked on my door and I opened it right up. Now I know that goes against everything that I know to do for safety. I tend to think everyone is good and always give them the benefit of the doubt. The doubt is always there and may some day rear its ugly head. I have an innate desire to help people who need help. The first gentleman took a wrong turn off the interstate and needed help to get back to it. I am 5 miles from the interstate, so I was certainly skeptical. I gave him directions and never saw him again. Did I just luck out? Today someone knocked on one of the doors that comes inside from the garage. I opened the door to find a young woman there who needed to use my phone. I thought everyone on earth had a cell phone. Of course, I invited her in after I saw her car pulled in the vacant lot next to mine with the hood up and other people in it including small children. A belt had broken on the car and her brother needed help to fix it, but got no help from the phone call. I then took him to an auto parts store to get the belt he needed, offered the others in the car my outside chairs and a place to sit in the shade while we went to the store. That one turned out OK,too, but I wonder when my luck will run out!!! I grew up in an age where people could, in general, be trusted much more so than today. OK..bring it on...I know a few people are going to give me some grief about this. :)

This makes me laugh!!

It's a t-shirt!

A word about mothers....

I am not a mother so I have not experienced the type of love that a mother has for her children. It is, of course, the strongest type of love there is and I'm sorry that I did not get to feel this kind of love. Each day I am more aware of how blessed I have been to have my mother for as long as I have. I get tears in my eyes just thinking of not having her anymore, but the reality is that I won't have her much longer. The past few years I have been able to spend more time with her and I am grateful for that. Everyone tells me that I look just like her. To me that is a high compliment. I hope I act like her as well. Spend as much time with your own mother as you can so you won't have regrets when she is no longer here.

Draggin',draggin',draggin'....

This week has been sort of a blur. I just don't feel well and for me that is very unusual. My throat is scratchy and there's some annoying coughing. It's an inbetween stage of being well and being sick.....just yucky. I would rather go ahead and be sick and get it over with than to just drag on in this state and not be either well or sick. I slept in until about 9:30, then had to go pick up a corsage, then go get my mom and take her to the cemetery for their dinner on the grounds day. She is just so feeble, but she still wants to do all the things she used to do. This time she could not walk out in the cemetery to where her family is buried. I had to take the flowers and put them on the monument. I'm going back to bed and that is just such a shame because this is one gorgeous day....not too hot and excellent for outside yard projects. Not happening today though!

The fruits of my labors....

Here's the results of all my hard work last week.

Turn out the lights...the party's over...

All the festivities for my aunt's 90th birthday are over and there were lots of them! All her grandchildren came and almost all her great grandchildren. I think we wore her out dragging her around to so many places. She is my dad's sister and I am her only niece. We all went out to eat on Saturday night, then all went to church together on Sunday and to lunch together on Sunday. We all got t-shirts with her picture on them and wore them to the main event last night at my brother's lake house. It was all great fun and I had my first overnight guests in my new home. Here's the honoree.

Cero dinero!

Stolen from here. Great idea! I am a Bush supporter, but I am sick of all the illegals that he refuses to deal with. Print these out and send them to the RNC at 310 First St,SE; Washington,D.C 20003

Busy,busy,busy!!

Since Saturday was a rain drenched day....2.2 inches for me...I just vegetated at home being lazy. I did a lot of work on Friday building new raised flower beds, but purposefully did not plant the flats of annuals that I bought because I knew the rains were coming and would beat them to death. Yesterday I planted some annuals in the new bed around the tree, but I still haven't done the planting in the much bigger bed. Today I went to Mom and Dad's and cut back all of her azaleas. Protocol says that they need to be pruned right after the blooming season. Hers are huge and it was a hard job. After that I mowed all their yard, which, as I have said before, takes a long, long time even on a riding mower. I was there from 8:30 until 2:00. A few minutes of that time I was in the pasture with my brother where he mowed a spot of centipede grass. We cut some sod squares of that which are still in my car because I am too exhausted to put it in the yard where it needs to be. Tomorrow I will have a boatload of yardwork to do, but it will all be in my yard.

Making new friends....

I was invited by the lady who built my house to her home for a deck lunch today to meet some new people. When I first walked out to the deck, I was alarmed because they were soooooo quiet! That didn't last long. They were a fun group, but, of course, I don't remember any of their names. I knew one person besides the hostess. Have already been invited to join a Krewe, which is just a social group disguised as Mardi Gras festivities.. Sounds like it may be fun, but I neglected to find out how much the membership fee is!

Major problem for me!!!

One would think that getting a shepherd's hook into the ground wouldn't be a big deal. Well, not so here on my little bit of ground. I pounded this thing with a huge sledge hammer until I got most of it in the ground and broke off the top of it. It still isn't all the way in. I am doing everything I know to do to soften up the clay. I have researched it on the internet, but anything more than a few (4 maybe) inches isn't going anywhere. I'm open for suggestions!

More house pictures...

Observe the Texas photos. They look crooked here, but I double checked and they are not!! It isn't easy to tell, but the bluebonnets in the lower picture are in a Bluebell ice cream carton. Just another Texas touch!!

The azaleas are blooming. They are a variety that blooms late and blooms again in the fall. I love that!

Day Trippin'

We went here today. This place is on Caddo Lake north of Shreveport and belongs to my high school best friend and her husband. They still live in Massachusettes until they sell their home there and move to Louisiana. They have this beautiful plantation home on the lake waiting for them. On the property they grow native Louisiana irises and they are in bloom now. My friend and her husband are here right now so we went to see them and their flowers. Her brother lives on the property, as well as a hired grounds keeper, and sees after the irises. It is a beautiful place.

My FINAL substantial purchase!!

My patio just was not complete without this. I wasn't even looking for patio furniture when I spotted this and knew it was the one. It is aluminum and will last forever. The cushions can be changed periodically to break the monotony. It's sturdy and easily cleaned, which makes it perfect for me. Come on by for a drink on the patio now that I have a place for you to sit!!!

He is Risen!!!

Artist - Ain Vares — “Jesus Christ is Risen”

Here comes Peter Cottontail......

Peter Cottontail came hopping up to my house via UPS. He's holding a pink miniature rose bush which I intend to plant somewhere and keep it forever. I love it! Thanks to Denise, Paul, Megan and Jake for remembering Grandma Beatty on this Easter.

My most excellent day!!!

I went to a golf course today for the first time in many, many months....before Hurricane Rita. As I was on hole #4, a man came up behind and asked to play with me since he was alone and so was I. It was my first time on that golf course and he was very knowledgeable. We played 18 holes and then went back to his home where we sat on his front porch with his wife and had a drink. That is such a Southern thing to do....a perfect stranger...and I am following him home for a drink. He lives on a street that I go down a lot....a street in old Minden...It is the house he grew up in and he is 78 years old. After many years in New Orleans, he and his wife came home to this old house, updated it, and now have cocktails every day at 5 on the veranda!! Here's to new friends in a new town!!