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!!

Major fatigue.....

I was an early riser this morning....not an every day occurrence...ate breakfast, and got busy outside. Yesterday I discovered that the hard stuff around the edge of my foundation is not concrete, but mortar from sloppy bricklayers. I also found out that I can break it up and move it out so that's what I did. Now I will be able to get stuff to grow up next to the foundation. After I finished that, I went to work with the power washer trying to get the red clay off my driveway. Tough stuff to deal with. I also washed the eaves of the house where red dust had settled. I didn't finish that, but I quit and went to Mom and Dad's to cut me some centipede sod out of their pasture. That turned out not to be so easy, so I gave up and mowed the rest of their yard that I didn't finish last Friday. Also planted some flowers for Mom. She had picked the first turnip greens that I had planted a few weeks ago and tomorrow she is cooking them. Yes, I'm going back for the turnip greens!! Now I am just tired!!!!

April 8, 1941

On this date 65 years ago Vernita Irene Stewart,16, and Samuel Lloyd Beatty,19, eloped. Tonight we had a little party for them to celebrate the event. Check out the cake. It's a Wal-Mart creation!!!

This is my brother and sister-in-law's lake house where we held the party. We will have a big honkin' party on their 70th anniversary!!!!

Hail, Hail....WTF!

Tonight was downright scary. The storms came through and pounded my new house with marble size hail. In Orange, Texas, this would have never happened. Even if it had, I didn't own my home and didn't really care. Whoa! Big difference now!!! The stones were hitting the windows so hard that my brother could hear them through the phone. He lives 13 miles south of me and he got nothing. I called and warned them what was coming so they could get all the cars under something, but they didn't even get any rain. I got all my flowers in, except the azaleas, moments before the hail came. I guess I'll see tomorrow if the buds were knocked off my azaleas. I hope not. I have been looking every day at them just waiting for them all to open and they are just starting to do so. The hailstones in the picture are on my covered patio which has outdoor carpet on it.

Mission Accomplished!!!

This morning I went to help dad plant the garden. He can only do a little at a time and he doesn't trust me to do it right by myself, so we got sunflowers and corn planted. I ran the tiller and made the rows and he planted the seeds with his little rolling planter. He was totally exhausted, so I came home and planted 93 caladium bulbs in my yard. Then I put together a power washer, which I had bought before I moved. My cousin came by on his Harley and chatted for a while in the yard, then my brother and sister-in-law came to put up the last blind for me. In between all that I cooked stuffed pork chop with potatoes and ate dinner!!!
Wow! I'm tired!

Happily Ever After...

I made my first weekender back to Texas....College Station...to be exact to attend a wedding. It was an outside wedding in a quaint setting and very beautiful. Lots of people from my former hometown were there and I enjoyed getting to visit with them. Also, saw lots of my former students and had a great time with them. All is well...........

R I P....Texas License Plate

So as not to be carted off to a Louisiana jail, I complied with the law today and got my Louisiana Driver's License and my Louisiana License plate. The only remnant of Texas, other than in my heart, is my car insurance. I spent a long time today trying to get it switched over, but didn't quite make it happen due to their computer malfunction and an imcompetent computer operator. I think I'll wait until after my trip to College Station this weekend to change the tags.........I'm hanging on for dear life!!!!!

LSU....NOT this time!

No, I am not a turncoat and did not become an LSU fan since moving to Louisiana, especially if they are playing Texas or Texas A&M. I have said it before and I'll say it again..... I have the best friends in the world. These beautiful flowers are compliments of my friend, Janis, in Austin in honor of my moving to my new home. I love me some purple and I love these flowers and I love Janis. Thanks, Sweetie!

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!!