Beautiful weekend...

It was just perfect as far as weather and working outside went. I went to Mom and Dad's Saturday morning and worked in their yard. Got all the mowing done for the first time this season and all Mom's flower pots ready for her to plant her masterpieces. She has a talent for making beautiful living baskets of flowers. When I finished at their house, I came back to mine and did the same thing. Big difference in the sizes of the yards. It takes me hours to do theirs on a riding lawn mower and not nearly that long to do mine with a push mower. I even had a little sunburn on my face after Saturday even though it was sweatshirt cool most of the day.

Money bags.....

One must nearly have an unlimited flow of money to move to another state. The topper and a HUGE surprise to me is that to transfer my car to Louisiana tags is going to cost more than $500. WTF. Seems that they would want to welcome new residents. Hell of a way to do it if you ask me......but, hey, no one asked me!!! Turns out I am already breaking all their laws here. I had 30 days to transfer my car and driver's license. Who knew? I have been here longer than 30 days, so already I am in violation of the law. GEEEZZZ!!! Well, this is the first thing that caused me any stress and I must admit, it didn't cause much. I am too happy for the little things to bother me. However, that $500 would buy a nice patio set.

Today's project...

I am very happy when I have a project that is house related to work on. Today this was my project. I am happy with the way it helps me be organized. Now when I need my hammer, I know exactly where it is :)

Even though it never got out of the 40's today, I was in the yard fighting my demons, also known as weeds.

Show some love....

"Married at the age of four, an Afghan girl was subjected to years of beatings and torture, finally escaping to discover that within all the world's cruelty, there is also some kindness. " Please read this story and send a note to this girl. This is why we obliterated the Taliban.

Rain, Rain, Welcomed Rain!

This area has needed rain for a long time. Even the lakes were drying up, but the past 3 days have alleviated many problems associated with drought. The one thing it didn't do was soften up my ground around the house enough to stick my hanging basket pole into the ground. I did get it in with the use of a very heavy hammer.....like a mini-sledge hammer...,but not where I actually wanted it. My brother was afraid to keep trying to put it where I wanted for fear of hitting underground conduits. Electricity is underground, but we don't know where. I had 6 inches of rain in my gauge since Friday.

My mother was in desperate need of groceries, so I went to get her and brought her back to Minden to the grocery store. My brother had been by earlier and I told him she was planning to drive to the grocery store. He and I agreed that we would prefer that she not drive in the rain, so I went to handle that potential problem. You know how you sometimes get annoyed at people who block the aisles in the store and are oblivious to others???? Well, I don't any more because that person is now my MOM!!

Yard preparation....

I have always wished I had a yard so I could grow flowers and tomatoes. Now that I do...although it is too hard to dig in right now....I have visions of what things will look like planted in various places. This week I started the process of applying stuff that is supposed to soften up the clay. This weekend is rain, rain, rain, so that will help, I hope. Anyway, the flower beds in front of the house are raised and filled with good soil, so today I ordered 100 caladium bulbs that I will line the beds with. These are the ones I ordered.

Mom Report...

On Thursday I took Mom for her regular cardiologist appointment. She got a good report and doesn't have to go back for 6 months. Her heart beat had a fairly good rhythm and her pulse and blood pressure were good. I am so thankful for that. On the other hand, she has really deteriorated mentally and she now walks like a little old lady with her cane. Of course, it is my brother and I who insists that she use the cane because of her tendency to fall. Her mind is nowhere near as sharp as it used to be and this has just happened since her bypass surgery. Her mind was her greatest asset. She was very smart. She still does her crossword puzzle every day, but it takes much longer and she doesn't always get them all filled in.

Sex offenders.....beware!

This place is very helpful in showing sex offenders near your home. Check it out. It even has a map showing where your home is and where the offenders home is.

Beyond frustration!!!

Do you see this little gizmo right here? Looks simple, huh? It took me two....count them....two freakin' hours and lots of sweat and choice words to put it together. I swore a long time ago that I would never buy another thing that had to be put together. I must have had a brain fart and forgot!!

Laugh Out Loud Funny!

If you need a good laugh......GO SEE THIS!

Dad time....

I called my dad today after the storms and asked him if he wanted to go to Home Depot with me. He gets so tired of sitting home unable to do much. It doesn't bother Mom to sit at home. She is perfectly happy there reading a book and sometimes I know she needs a break from him. He watches over her very closely so afraid that she will fall. I went and picked him and his truck up and off we went. I bought a lawn mower. Yesterday I bought a weed eater and a hoe, so I am ready to tackle the yard. There's just one problem. The ground is clay. It is so hard that I can't even get the pole in the ground that I hang my hanging baskets on. I bought a mini-sledge hammer and I still couldn't get it in the ground. I'll get my brother to try when he gets back from Branson. I hope I pick the right place to put it because it will be there to stay!!!

Stolen property

During a recent visit to a restaurant in Shreveport, someone relieved me of the center cap of my wheel. These are rare wheels and very hard to find. I looked several places before finding one through the internet. All I am missing is the 7" center cap......do you hear me....7" of metal. I can't find a new one at all, but a good used one is $35. I am ordering 2 just in case some jerk does this to me again. I love my shiny wheels. I don't know if I'll be going back to that restaurant. It was in the middle of the afternoon and the perpetrator even left me a Burger King cup on the ground by my car. What a gent!!!!

Lazy kind of day....

I spent the morning in the recliner, but I did manage to get my act together and get more stuff done this afternoon. I emptied the last box in the garage except the 3 that are going to Goodwill soon. The lady I bought the house from was next door today working, so I went over to make a suggestion for her next houses. There is not enough distance in the walk in closet in the master bedroom between the the rods and the bottom shelves and the rods and the floor. My clothes all touch the shelf or the floor. I made the suggestion that she put a little more distance between them in her next houses. She said she would have the carpenters come in and fix mine for me. I wasn't suggesting that she do that, but she volunteered and I am glad. If it stays like it is, my clothes will always be wrinkled and right now I don't even own an ironing board.

Dog tired farmer!

Ok...I am officially a farmer and a gardener now. I worked all morning trying to make my yard pretty. Dad brought an old rickety lawn mower here for me to try. It failed....well, I did get the front yard mowed, but the thing was backfiring so much that it sounded like the 4th of July. I gave up without doing the back yard. I think a new lawn mower is in my future.

Then I went to Dad's to help him garden. He thinks he can still do it, but when he tries he just can't do it. I tilled the garden and planted some tomatoes, radishes, turnip greens and potatoes. And yes, I am the one who will be eating heartily from the fresh veggies. You will wish you were here this summer when I am eating the produce! When I finished there, I came back to my yard and ran over the yard with the spreader broadcasting fireant killer and weed and feed. Then it all had to be watered in. I'm learning!!!

When I finished that, I cleaned up and went to the hospital to see my cousin, then came home, made dinner, ate, and now I am tired!

My future church home? Maybe....

This is my future church. I visited there today and it just felt right. The service was awesome, the music was awesome, and the people were very friendly. I have been invited here by several people and I saw some of them there today. I have not felt compelled to become affiliated with a particular church for a long time. My membership is still at the church where I grew up. I have attended other churches on a regular basis, but never felt the urge to join and get involved. I think this will be different. I hope so. I have longed for a church family for several years, but it just never materialized because I never felt at home at any of the churches I visited.

Excuse my RANT!

My phone has been connected for two weeks now. Imagine my anger and disgust when just 2 days after I was connected I started getting telemarketing calls. Now I have proof that it's the phone company (Bell South in this case) that sells the numbers. I am angry and as soon as is possible I will be switching to Vonage. If anyone knows any negatives about Vonage, please let me know. I will probably not be able to keep my same number, but I don't care!!! I barely know it anyway.

Progress Report

Today I got some major picture hanging done. I did it all myself, too. Instead of borrowing a stud finder (Who Knew!!!), I bought my own, learned how to operate the thing, and went to work. Now if the thing would only find me a stud. :)

Settling in....

Seems like it has rained the whole time I have been in Minden. Last night I went to Ruston with friends to watch their son play baseball and it rained the entire game. Not enough to stop the game, but enough to be cold and miserable. Ruston is where I went to college and it holds many fond memories, but it was hard to recognize any old landmarks because it has changed dramatically since I was there. I do plan to go back in the day time and find my brick with my name on it that I bought years ago!

Today I spent the day (after going to breakfast at Mom and Dad's) in Shreveport shopping for things that I need for the house. It seems the needs (more likely wants) are never ending.

Slothdom!!!

I took a little detour into slothdom yesterday. I have no excuse. The recliner just had a hold on me that normally does not exist. This just happens sometimes. All I do is sit in the recliner and sleep and snore. Sounds like an old lady.....whoa! Maybe that's the problem. The same thing almost happened today, but I just refused to let it happen. I went and bought a headboard for my bed. I have bedside tables that I really like. My dad made them for me years ago when he was playing with woodworking. They are big and tall enough for my tall bed and I didn't want to part with them. If I'm lucky, the new headboard will be about the same color. If not, it will have to do.

Mom's brithday...

Today my mom turned 81. Since there is not a thing in this world that she needs, I went to her house this morning and cleaned her house for her. She really did need that. She hasn't had her cleaning lady in about 6 weeks and she will never be back. She is older than Mom, but didn't want to stop working so Mom let her keep coming even though she couldn't clean very well any longer. The cleaning lady is now in a long term care facility, but I think it will not be long term. I was at Mom's the last time she came and I thought then that she didn't feel well. I asked her and she said she didn't know what was wrong, but she didn't feel well. Within a few days she was in the hospital. Mom didn't let me get one up on her today. Even though it was her birthday, she got in the kitchen (after I cleaned it) and cooked lunch. I told her not to, but she did anyway. She is a sweet, sweet lady!!

I told you I was cold!

I had to stand on a stool to see the ice over my back fence!!

These are icicles on my roof! BRRR!

Progress!!! in spite of the cold!!!

It's too cold to get much work done on the house. After church today, I made at least 15 trips up the ladder to the attic to store more junk. Why do I have all this stuff? Most of it is sentimental type stuff that no one will ever care about but me. After a few more years, I won't even be able to climb into the attic. I should just get rid of it all now!! I have a box full for Goodwill and I can't even describe how many trips I took to Goodwill before I left Orange. Is there any reason that any one person should need 40 golf shirts? I THINK NOT! I have way too many clothes, but it's all such good stuff that I hate to part with it. What to do! What to do!. Progress is being made. See the pictures!! :) My Texas bathroom is almost completed. I had this guest bathroom repainted all white before I moved in because I knew I had to have my Texas bathroom. I still have some final touches before it is completed, but I love it.

Minden, Louisiana...my new home!

This is my new city. It is very quaint with the main streets being paved with brick. Imagine my surprise when I tried to go downtown on Monday and it was all blocked off because Sandra Bullock, one of my very favorite actresses, was filming scenes from a movie there. If I had my senses about me, I would have walked there to see if I could see her. I met someone today who owns a business on Main Street and he showed me some pictures he took of her. Actually, I am just back home. I was born in Minden and raised just 13 miles south of here. My house is coming together nicely. There is still lots to do, but the past two days have been too cold to work in the garage. I did make room for the car since we are expecting freezing rain and sleet tonight. Wow! Big change from Orange,TX!!!

My street...my house

 

2-9-06 The date my life changed completely!

It went off without a hitch except that the movers had to get a trailer to pull behind their truck. I had too much stuff!! They loaded in 2 hours, so we were off by 11 A.M. I arrived in Minden before them where I was greeted by family and friends also bearing gifts. My new home had baskets of goodies from Main Street Bakery, plants, and balloons. The balloons are still a mystery as we do not know who put them in the yard and on the door.
My 14 year old pal and his dad came and hooked up my music system and my computer. Since there was no internet or cable yet, I have been re-acquainting myself with my massive CD collection. AAAhhhhh--I am so happy! Classical music and a fireplace are magical.

Sentimental Send OFF!

There are no better friends on Earth than mine! Four of them...DeLisa, Robin, Michelle, and Amanda....came over Wednesday night before my departure move on Thursday. They were bearing gifts, wine and the most beautiful green plant arrangement I have ever seen. Of course, they also included an Orange, TX t-shirt with their own personalized messages on the back. Then they took me to Acapulco and "made" me drink margaritas. I had a great time and just love those girls. I will miss them dearly.
This is my new kitchen. Look for me on the Food network soon giving Paula Deen a lesson!!

I'll Be BACK!!!!

Today I am turning in my Road Runner equipment and will not be posting for awhile. Not sure how long it will take to get hooked back up to the world once I get settled in my new home. I'm guessing I'll be up and running in about a week, so stay tuned for updates from the new digs!!!

Taking Texas with ME!

Last week I was at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Lake Charles and outside where they have all the rocking chairs, they had purple LSU chairs. Sooooo......I went to the Cracker Barrel in Beaumont to see if they had Texas school chairs. They had one UT chair left and I bought it. If they would have had a Texas A&M chair, I would have bought it as well.....so, no need for all you Aggies to be upset! I'm guessing that the Cracker Barrels in all states have their schools on chairs....Clemson, for example!!!

The first "hiccup"...

Today there was a minor obstacle in the house purchase. I was scheduled to close today on the house, so I went to North Louisiana yesterday. My loan officer called me in Texas and left a message, but I was already on the road to Louisiana, so I missed it. I got to the bank this morning all ready to close the deal only to find out that the appraiser, who actually saw the house last Sunday, did not have his paperwork done!!!! We could not close. I did get the garage door opener and a key from the developer and left it with my brother so that all the stuff (refrigerator, washer, dryer, mattress set, and chair) that I bought today can be delivered next week. I have to go back up there Sunday night, so we can close Monday, then come back to Orange and finish up here. Phew!!!! I am tired!

Busy,Busy,Busy....

There are so many things to do when moving in addition to packing box after box after box. Today I went to lunch with my friend, Joy, fully intending to treat her to lunch for her birthday which is already passed. It's a tradition that we have been doing for years. Today, she would not let me pay for lunch because it was our last lunch.

Next, I took a flying trip to Beaumont for make-up that I can only get at Dillard's. Turns out that Dillard's has not yet re-opened after Hurricane Rita. Wasted time and gas.

Tonight my new furniture was supposed to be delivered, but it's pouring down rain and we desperately need the rain. Since I have to leave town tomorrow to go close on the house, we have rescheduled for Tuesday night. That's cutting it close since the movers are coming Thursday .

Scrambled Brain!

I have had a home fax machine for years which I rarely ever used. With all the stuff going on in my life now, I need it. I have been receiving faxes fine, signing the papers and faxing them back. NONE of ones I faxed back got there. It's always good to make a follow- up phone call to make sure!!!! Tomorrow the fax machine goes in the dumpster. It's too old to even offer to Goodwill because it still uses that roll paper. That kind of paper is not even available anymore! On the other hand, my antique sound system has new speakers and I'm sure it will work great in my new house. Me and Jimmy Buffet will be jammin' while I unpack all this mess. Closing on the house is Friday!!!!

Another dog-tired day!

This is making me crazy. I like everything in its place!!!

Tired to the bone!

OK...it's 7:45 P.M. and I am about to go to bed. I am so tired, but my brain won't turn off. I get up in the middle of the night and pack more stuff. Where did all this stuff come from? I'm so glad I started going through all this mess a few weeks ago. Now I know why I haven't moved in 30 years. It's just a royal pain. I just took my stereo system all apart. I know I will never get it hooked back so it will play my music. It's one of those old type component systems, but it still kicks butt with its sound. I am getting rid of the huge speakers and buying some new smaller ones. I'll probably do that tomorrow. Yesterday I bought a new sofa and loveseat. Gave the old couch away. I needed something that doesn't sink to the floor when one sits on it. Besides that, I need new stuff for my new house. It's going to be a whole new world and I am excited about it.

Mover hired!

Yet another milestone reached! I hired a moving company today and the date has been set for February 9th to depart Texas and become a resident of Louisiana. I don't like the way that sounds, but it has to be. I will always be a Texan at heart.

Going, going, GONE!

My loan officer called today and my loan was approved yesterday! What! I just did the paper work yesterday! I cannot believe how fast this is going. Now I am frantically packing, but I don't really know why because I haven't found a mover yet. None.....not one.....has returned my call yet. This has happened so fast that I haven't had time to wrap my mind around it . There are so many people that I need to see before I leave, but I'm afraid I will not have time to visit with all of them. This is how I feel right now.

Divine Intervention!!!!

I'm back from my search for a home. I didn't have to search at all. Just for fun my dad wanted me to look at some new patio homes in Minden, Louisiana. Well, I had already passed by those homes and always wished I could afford one of those cute little homes. Dad knows the lady who is the developer and she met us there to look at the homes. It immediately felt like home to me. All I can say is my prayers were answered. The next day,Wednesday, I took my brother and his wife to take a look. Thursday, I had the developer put a SOLD sign on the home. I don't have a closing date, yet, but the home will definitely be mine. It's in a beautiful part of town and is just 20 minutes from my parents. Check it out!!!!

Lazy and lethargic...that's me!

Today was one of those rare days that was dark, dreary and rainy...the kind of day that just makes me want to do nothing. Sooooo....that's exactly what I did. Other than a brief trip to drop off stuff at Goodwill and pick up a dog at Weinerschnitzel, I did absolutely NOTHING!

Tomorrow I hit the road again in a serious quest to find a place to re-locate in the Shreveport/Bossier area of Louisiana. Rather than just drive by as I have been doing, I will start getting out and looking....maybe even fill out a few applications. I won't be filling out any that I am not seriously considering because it costs about $30 just to fill out an application.

Go fly a kite!

The last time I played golf, we nearly froze. Today we were scheduled to play again, but being the sensible ladies that we are, we chose to go eat breakfast instead. Before you think we just copped out.....well, we did, but the winds were relentless today. Everything that didn't get blown away by Hurricane Rita got blown away today. Power outtages abounded! I managed to go see The Family Stone and get in a workout today. I must say I am quite proud that today was 4 out of 5 days to get in a work out. I hope to go Saturday or Sunday and improve the average even more.

On a more somber note, January 11th is the anniversary of the death of my very dear friend, Anita. She died at 36 in 1978 of cancer. One would think that after so many years that the date would fade away along with other memories, but it never does. No death before that date or since that date, including all my grandparents affected me like that one. Here's to you, my friend....

Rose Bowl Support...one day only!!!

I love this!
Sorry, but you have to be a Texan to understand this shirt!!!