Our Dayze

2009-10-11T18:31:00.001-05:00

I am playing with the new Blogger Go app Charla put on my phone and it works! How fun!

2009-10-11T18:20:00.001-05:00

Will this work?

The Story pg.3

2009-08-25T06:13:00.004-05:00

A Room of His Own

We never knew if our foundling, WB, was a he or a she. But, because we connected his arriving with our son's leaving for Air Force boot camp, we always called it Wille or He. And he was given a room of his own. From the very beginning it was our hope that WB would grow, learn to eat and drink, fly, and some day be released to return to the sky with all of the other swallows that travel to and from this part of South Texas. Just as we had encouraged our own two children as they grew to be independent and self-sufficient, we knew it would be best for WB. So, we designated a room in our house for WB. His nest consisted of old cotton rags arranged in a small laundry basket. The basket was then set by an open window near other mud swallow nests. We were hoping this would encourage his vocalizing so that he would sound like the other swallows. We also left a radio playing softly nearby.....no not classical music to encourage the growth of his tiny brain.... probably our local country-western station to keep him company when we weren't home. Every time we would walk into that room he would throw back his head and strain his tiny beak open as wide as possible, bobbing up and down, in hopes a small morsel of wet cat food would land in it. During the first few days we avoided going into WB's room too often, even though we wanted to sit by his basket and just watch what he was doing. We felt like too much handling wouldn't be good for him. His first days were mostly sleeping and eating and bobbing with blind eyes, still covered with transparent eyelids. He grew quickly, his body thickened and lengthened. And the first evidence of feathers appeared. Have you ever watched feathers grow on a bird? We hadn't and we were amazed at what we saw.

The Story pg.2

2009-08-21T06:04:00.003-05:00

A Foundling

WB was a foundling. The most amazing part of that statement was how that happened. The story Pops tells is that he was in the backyard. Mayday came from the frontyard and sat down at his feet. He didn't think much of it until Mayday started to whimper. When he didn't notice her, she continued to whine. He finally looked down at her and she had something she had layed on the ground she obviously wanted Pops to see. When Pops reached down to pick it up he realized it was a baby bird. Later he would discover the remains of a mud nest and two other babies on the ground. Sometimes when it is very dry the mud nests will not stay attached to the wall of the house and with a breeze will fall to the ground, shattering the nest and any contents. But this time, there was a survivor, WB. Think about that- a 5 month old mix breed mutt discovers a wiggling baby bird, retrieves it, and delivers it to Pops with an expression of "look here" and as Pops would later say, her eyes asked "what are you going to do about this?"

And what were we going to do about this? A baby bird to raise? Baby bird described is: no more than a day old, eyes still closed, absolutely no feathers, not even pin feathers, purplish pink wrinkled skin that is wiggling and opening its yellow edged mouth. After talking about it for a few minutes we decided we would give it a try. Fortunately cousins Walt and Martha had experience in raising baby birds they had shared with us so we had an idea of where to start. First was to be sure the baby was warm. Next to get it to eat.

Not being ornithologists and with absolutely no visible clues on WB as to what kind of bird we had, we just had to guess about food. W and M had explained how they would take dried cat food and soak it in water to feed their young birds, so that was what we decided to do. But how do you convince a one day old bird to open its mouth to take the food. Holding it near, tapping it on the beak didn't work. Pops solution was to scoop a little food on an orange stick (you ladies know what that is) and pry the baby's beak open. It took only two or three times before WB knew exactly what the tap on his beak and our voices was all about. Within a day all that was needed was for one of us to say something and that little beak flew open, anticipating another morsel. Feeding for the first week was around the clock. We fed every 2-3 hours and WB thrived.

Finally The Story

2009-08-19T06:34:00.004-05:00

I've decided I am going to use this venue to finally write a story that I have promised myself for 10 years.... literally, 10 years. It will be written as I find/make the time to get the thoughts in my head arranged so that I am satisfied with what I am doing. My story is about a time when God gave Pops and me an opportunity that on the surface seemed to be all about another creature, but was, by far, more about us.

This is our story of Free Willie......yes, I know a movie has already been made (and maybe a book written) with this same title. But, in reality, that is what we called this experience. In this written account, I think I will refer to this Willie as WB. That would be for Willie Bird or it could be WS- Willie Swallow or WCS- Willie Cliff Swallow. Yes, that's right, the creature God brought to us was a common cliff or house swallow. The dark, blue black insectivors that race around the sky capturing meals. They build mud and grass nests in the most inconvenient places, over doorways or walkways, over patio furniture, leaving mounds of bird droppings in the worst of places. Until this particular summer, I had battled against them by spraying ammonia water in the areas I didn't want them to nest or knocking down the nests as they were being built. But WB was to change our whole outlook.

To really begin this story I also have to include one of our canine companions, Mayday. It was Mayday who brought WB to us. At the time she was only a pup, about 5 months old. She had been rescued from the dog pound on May 1st and so received her name, "Mayday". Of all the animals I have ever spent time with, I have never known a spirit any more gentle than hers. Her story is one that should also be told. Maybe that will be at another time.

The story of WB had it's beginning one morning in July, shortly after we had delivered our youngest to the United States Air Force Academy for summer training prior to entering their world of academics. Right here is where we should have realized that God had sent this little creature to us for a purpose. Our youngest had left the nest to pursue a future in the skies. Yes, we were "empty nesters" and feeling it all the way home in that long drive from Colorado Springs to South Texas. Once home, the void not yet filled, we filled our thoughts with support for our son. We even ran and worked out because we knew that would be what he was doing. It was a form of spiritual moral support. And a form of prayer for his strength and endurance.

technology helpme!!!!

2009-06-20T15:33:00.002-05:00

After 6+ months searching for my next phone, I finally decided on a Samsung Impression. It is a kissing cousin to the iPhone...... without the iPhone charges. There are, of course, some differences. I think this phone will be a perfect transition phone to touch screen 3G technology.... but this old dog will have to study her help manual to learn the new tricks. So, if you try to call me, leave me a message and give me a little time. I WILL get back. Another of life's little adventures!!!!

Are they coming back?

2009-06-19T09:53:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we saw a "horny toad" aka Texas horned lizard.......

for the first time in quite a while. I was walking with the dogs in the early morning and noticed RA stopped along our fence line- out of the truck- looking under the truck. I thought he had snagged a piece of fence wire under his truck and was trying to untangle it. But when I got to him he said he had seen a horny toad and was afraid it had run under the pickup. RA is notorious for spotting horny toads while driving down the road- I am always amazed. Just about the time we had decided it had moved on to the other side of the fence, RA looked down and it was at the tip of his boot.

I hope this is a good sign that they are increasing in numbers here at our place.

sweet basil ideas???

2009-06-02T06:33:00.003-05:00

My sweet basil is thriving, but it is going to seed. I cut off over half of the stalks and leaves and I'm drying them in the dehydrator. Any other suggestions on what to do with so much basil at one time??? A. Lee-Lee would say " put them on a tomato and mayo sandwich".

The Valley of the Jolly (H0-Ho-Ho) Green Giant

2009-05-31T21:14:00.003-05:00

The past month I have been watching the progress of these three century plant blooms. They are in the yard of friends- Rusty and Caroline. It just so happens their yard is just across the street from the parking lot I drive from each afternoon and these "giant asparagus" have been silhouetted against the sky.

Last week I finally stopped to visit with Rusty about how large these three plants have become. He said they are about 6 years old. He has no idea why they are growing so large. Several others around the community are also putting on large blooms.

Another teacher ( and friend), Elizabeth, also came over to talk about the plants. This week's addition to the blooming were all of the smaller blooms coming off of the "pups". Rusty estimated the blooms on the large plants to be about 30 feet high. Supposedly, the century plant dies after it has bloomed. If that is true, there will be a big bald spot in the middle of all of that cluster of plants.

The Gardening Bug

2009-05-03T23:25:00.006-05:00

Like so many postings I have read recently, we too have been bitten by the "gardening bug". Now, this isn't anything new to us. I remember when we first moved to this place, we used to garden a huge vegetable garden, probably 15 X 30 feet, maybe more. RA would take the tractor and plow to the flat part of the pasture (off of the hill, east of the house) and plow it first so it wouldn't be so hard to work the soil. Then we would run water lines from the pump. It was quite an operation. It has been years since we gardened on that scale, but we have always had a small garden outside the yard fence- with mostly tomatoes and squash. This year the tomatoes are growing like crazy- lots of small green tomatoes forming. I also have two kinds of bell peppers, oregano, basil, and a beautiful grapevine starting.

I'm also adding flowering plants this year- in hopes of enticing more butterflies and hummingbirds. My additions include Esperanza, agapanthus and firebush. I had never seen agapanthus before yesterday when I stopped at a nursery near Bulverde. Then I stopped at another outstandng nursery on I-10 just outside Boerne. Here are examples of what I bought:

AGAPANTHUS

MEXICAN FIREBUSH

Not knowing the name of this plant, I used it as an illustration when I was talking about the "burning bush" with my pre-school Sunday school class. In the summer the yellow butterflies are attracted to it. With the red blooms and yellow butterflies it looks like the bush is on fire!!

YELLOW ESPERANZA

These are just about the brightest yellow flower in this part of the country. And with a name like "Hope", I just had to have one. Once again, it will attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Variegated White African violet

The nursery I visited in Boerne bills itself as an African violet nursery, something you don't see very often around here. Well, let me tell you, it's a whole lot more than just African violets. They had at least 10 long green houses open to the public as well as an acre, if not two, of plants outside on the grounds. I have always loved raising African violets and had been looking for a white one. Grandmother Smylie had a beautiful white violet on her kitchen table for years. I had never seen the variegated leaves before, so I am excited to try to grow this one. It is a small starter plant, only 5 leaves with two blooms. It may be a challenge.

Some time this week I will go outside and take pictures of Ray's beautiful tomato plants. He's very proud of them this year.

A Great Evening

2009-03-21T23:12:00.002-05:00

For those who were with me this evening........ It was a great evening. The friends, the food, the funny stories...... and then the land where we will all gather again in 4 weeks. Here is the recipe for the Sopapilla Cheesecake so many of you asked for. And then Big Al's Margaritas.

Enjoy-

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Ingredients:
2 (8oz) pkgs. Cream cheese
2(8oz) pkgs. Refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 c. sugar
1 tskp. Vanilla extract or almond extract
½ c. margarine or butter melted
½ c cinnamon sugar (combine about ½ c. sugar with 1 Tbsp. cinnamon)

1) Using a 9 X 13 baking pan, unroll one package of refrigerated crescent rolls in the bottom of the pan.
2) Flatten. (spread them out with your fingers- don’t separate)
3) Mix together the cream cheese, sugar, and extract.
4) Spread over the crescent rolls.
5) Unroll the other can of rolls and place them on top of the cream cheese mixture.
6) Pour one stick of melted butter or margarine over the top and sprinkle with the ½ cup of cinnamon sugar mixture.
7) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Makes 12-20 servings…….. very rich!!!!

Big Al's Margaritas

1 can frozen limeade concentrate (12 oz makes a pitcher)
1 can tequila
1/2 can triple sec
Add water to the strength you want..... usually 2-3 cans.

Salt the rim of your favorite margarita glass. Add ice and margarita.

Drink cautiously..... the taste can be deceiving.

YUMMMMMM

latest remodel

2008-12-05T19:40:00.003-06:00

Ever start a project because it absolutely had to be done then only to find out it meant starting another project you hadn't planned to start?????? That's what this quasi-porch is all about. We needed to repair a poorly planned seam in our metal roof. A leak had started and the ceiling on the enclosed porch was suffering. So, repair the roof........ but if we ever wanted to extend another porch, we needed to do it now, so that the metal on the roof would be extended in one piece, not several. So, the extension has happened. What we are going to do to finish it out, I'm not sure. Rock or slab or tile or brick for the floor. Probably beadboard for the ceiling. It's much larger that either of us anticipated. Should be a great place to winter my potted plants. Will keep updating as anything else changes.

Big Snake Story #2

2008-10-26T19:31:00.003-05:00

This time I was an eye witness. R A was working on rebuilding the picnic table ( the wrecking crew from Austin had worked it over a few weeks ago) and heard BW (the cat) making noises. The dogs were in the yard with him and he teasingly told Plata to "get the cat". As soon as she got to the cat on the other side of the yard, R A said he could hear the snake start rattling. He ran into the house (with the dogs) and grabbed his 20 ga. shotgun. The snake was just outside the fence- just as before, coiled and ready to strike. When R A shot it, I saw BW jump and take off away from the house. I haven't seen him since...... might be next week before we see him again.

The best part of the afternoon......

Ray's Big Snake Story

2008-10-01T22:15:00.002-05:00

You will have to ask Ray about the story........ I do know there were a few more inches and a head before Walter Ray shot this one with a shotgun.

Ray thinks this is the biggest one we have seen here.

COWGIRL, FIX MY BLOG!!!!!

2008-09-28T21:24:00.004-05:00

Please....................... I tried to add another blog to my list of favorite blogs and managed to lose all of them. Do you know where the went???? Are they just hiding behind a tree or did they poof and go away???? Help!!! You are my ER of the blogging world.

Thanks!!! Yo- Momma

A Long Day

2008-09-20T20:37:00.005-05:00

Today started very early. I had to be at John Knox Ranch by 9:00 am for a Camp, Conference, and Retreat Committee meeting. It is 150 miles (this is beginning to sound like a statement problem in math!!!) and it always takes me 3 hours to get there....... maybe 2.75 if I take very quick stops and there is no traffic. To get there in time I had to leave by 6:15 am- which is still totally dark... not even a hint of daylight. Well, for me to be driving out of the driveway by 6:15, I have to wake up at 5:15am.... and that is WAAAAYYYYYY too early. The wonderful part about driving that early in that direction is that it takes me through some beautiful Texas hill country. My drive was east to Hondo, north to Bandera, east to Boerne, north and east to Canyon Lake, and then north again to John Knox Ranch. Take a look at each of the charming little southwest Texas towns. Hondo is on a railroad line that runs from San Antonio to El Paso. Between Uvalde and San Antonio are small towns that are 15-25 miles apart from each other. My understanding is that the distances had to do with how far you could travel by wagon each day. And I know there were more towns, but the ones the railroad went to survived. Many others didn't. Hondo still has its original train depot and is a stop for Amtrak. Bandera is becoming known as the "Branson of Texas". It plays up its cowboy/western heritage with dude ranches and rustic store fronts. It is on the Medina River and some of my early memories include going with my father to Bandera Wool and Mohair when he was a wool buyer. The same building is now an Antique mall. Boerne has embraced its rustic German heritage and is becoming a "place to go" for antiquers and those who enjoy a weekend at a B&B. The townsfolk will describe Boerne as a "bedroom" community since a large number of those who live there commute to San Antonio to work. Canyon Lake is a town I have yet to explore at length. My turn to John Knox Ranch skirts around the north edge of the town of Canyon Lake. The lake itself is the result of Canyon Dam on the Guadalupe River. The town seems to be the result of people wanting to have "lake homes" and is spread across several hills in the area. I hope to spend more time discovering this community in the future. And then there is John Knox Ranch...my attachment to JKR goes waaaayyyyyy back. I was a camper at JKR in the 2nd year it was open for camping. (1965) It is in a cedar rich hill country setting. The camp itself sits on only a small portion of a ranch bought by Mission Presbytery in 1962. The total ranch acreage is now 300 acres. The committee I serve on works to be good stewards of the assets this camp/retreat center has to offer. Summer camps are typical church camps as well as day camps for local children. We also have bereavement camps for kids, environmental camp for school districts, adventure camps at the coast and backpack camps to the mountains, private requests by both church and non-church related groups, high and low ropes courses with staff to assist, the list goes on and on. But one of the most unique things about JKR is that it is still a bit "primitive", "rustic", "natural", and yet it can be very accomodating for those who don't want to rough-it. I have one more year on this rotation. At that time I will have served the Presbytery on this committee for 10 years. Every minute has been worth it........ but give me my recliner once I'm home!!!

Bible Study-

2008-09-09T22:44:00.003-05:00

Tonight was the first meeting of this year's PW bible study. Our study is the book of Luke and about his Gospel for the Poor. It started some very good discussion about issues of being "poor" as in being on the outside of the mainstream. Three of the members in the group are new to our town and they talked about their different experiences of feeling accepted or feeling "outside". Two are single with no family connections here. One is married and her husband has lived in this area for quite a while. One of the two single ladies found it difficult to feel accepted and find friends. The other two did not. It was uplifting to hear how our small church gave them a connection and a feeling of belonging. That is as it should be.

Four Pounds of Hamburger, 16 hotdogs

2008-09-07T22:28:00.002-05:00

This evening we hosted our church youth group for a swim and supper. We had 6 boys and 2 girls along with 5 adults. Ray cooked 4 pounds of hamburgers and 16 hotdogs. We served chips, sodas and cookies and fruit. At the end of the evening we had no hamburgers, 3 hotdogs, 10 cookies and no fruit left. AMAZING!!! I think we have forgotten just how much high school athletes have to consume to keep going. They spent about an hour in the tank swimming (our equivalent of the "cement pond" on the Beverly Hillbillies!!) and playing either Marco Polo or Sharks and ??????? It was great. The sky was clear. Temps in the low 90s. Light breeze from the southeast. It was wonderful. If any of you has some fun ideas of things to do with a combined Junior High/High School church youth group, please let me know. We are going to have some activities with the youth of another church in town. We also have two weekend retreats in the plans and a trip through the Corn Maze outside a nearby town. Any other ideas???

We're on a roll

2008-09-06T07:22:00.001-05:00

Uvalde 21
Fredericksburg 7

It was an exciting and energetic night.

Week 2 ends

2008-09-04T23:09:00.003-05:00

The beginning of this school year has been such a total opposite from last year. The staff and kids are upbeat. Discipline seems so much simpler. On the most part, my students seem to be genuinely excited about class. Students are arriving with supplies. This is good. I hope it will continue.
Last week's pep rally and football game were outstanding. The student body was involved and having fun. Even at the game, they were on their feet the entire game doing chants and dances and generally supporting the Coyotes. We won over Carrizo Spgs 38-0. Tonight we will be watching the Coyotes play against the Fredericksburg Billies. They are usually a much bigger team than we are. Hopefully we will be faster and wylier than they. We will see. Our pep rally this week was sponsored by Wal Mart and held as a community pep rally last night. It wasn't as well attended as during school. I dildn't get a good sense at school that the student body was as enthusiastic as they were last week, but I am hoping I will see differently tonight.

I will let you know how the Coyotes did when I get back to my computer later.

Back to School

2008-08-25T22:27:00.002-05:00

My first day back with my new students went very well. Tomorrow I will meet the other classes. I hope they go as smoothly.

July Weekends- weekend 2

2008-07-28T13:26:00.006-05:00

We have had an outstanding July- three of the four weekends we have been on adventures. The first weekend I have already posted about- the VHPA reunion. The second weekend came about spur-of-the-moment when on Thursday bro Walt called to see if we wanted to join them on a kayak trip down a section of the San Marcos River. Our response was a resounding YES and we were off. It just so happened to coincide with the girls' get-away (Char and Amy) to Austin and worked out to be a good time for Charla to return to Uvalde for a little visit time.

We arrived in Austin Friday evening just in time to join Walt and Carey at their church to watch Amazing Grace the movie. It is a great movie. Highly recommended by ME. It is the story of William Wilburforce, a member of the House of Commons who was instrumental in abolishing the slave trade in England after being influenced by John Weston, the writer of the original lyrics to Amazing Grace.

Saturday we had a great float on the San Marcos. It was about 1 hour longer than my body thought we should be there, but I wouldn't pass it up if it were offered again. On this trip we made 4 decisions:
1. My kayak is too short and high and wide- sell it.

2. My flotation vest is too big- sell it.

3. Ray's kayak seat needs more support for his back- sell it.

4. Ray wants a curved kayak paddle, his is straight- sell it.

Anyone want to buy????? I think I am going to try the San Antonio Craigslist...... anyone with suggestions???

Here are pictures of Ray taming my kayak.

Saturday night was a great grilled dinner. Needless to say, everyone was so tired we slept very well.

Sunday, after some coordinating with Charla and Amy, we were able to meet in Round Rock at the Hearthstone Rehab Center and visit with Aunt June. She is looking great and making very good progress in regaining her strength.

VHPA

2008-07-11T05:42:00.008-05:00

Reading Charla and Amy's notes on working out motivated me to write about our weedend with VHPA.........no, that isn't Very Happy People Anonymous, even though I think that would be a fun organization to join. It's the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association

Ray has been a member for several years, but we had never attended one of their reunions. In 2004 we met up with his flight class in Washington, DC. for an awesome long weekend. To see a pic of that handsome man-o- mine while in flight class..... CLICK. (hint: bottom R.) Ray was in Vietnam in '72 and part of '73. He served in an Air-Cav unit whose primary assignment was to search and destroy. He was in country for about a year and traveled back to the states on one of the last airplanes bringing troops back. The tall fellow standing behind him in the pic is Mike G. Ray and Mike went through flight school together, flew to Vietnam together, roomed in Vietnam together, and returned on the same flight together. They have remained in contact throught the years and Mike and Linda were at the DC reunion.... I digress.

Back to the VHPA reunion. This year their get-together(25th) happened to be in San Antonio, so we decided it was so close to home we should attend. Ray registered for the reunion and booked rooms at the reunion hotel- Marriott Rivercenter- definitely a place I could hang out in the future. The reunion began with a reception for the first time attendees on Wednesday night. At registration I had a funny thing happen. Everyone registered with the reunion was given a name badge with a bright yellow lanyard. Our name badges were not in our registration packet, so we had to wait to have them printed. A nice young lady asked us our names, hometown, Ray's call sign (Sabre Spoon) ..... and when asking for my information wanted to know what my reference would be- First Wife or Second Wife or Original Wife or Trophy Wife.... I offhandedly said "Only Wife" and that was what she printed!!! Later when I was telling my mom about this, before I could tell her what I said she said exactly the same thing- ooooooohhhhhh that is scary!!! BAck to Wednesday evening, after registration and first time attendees reception, was a buffet dinner as the opening welcome for all of the reunion. We met several people that evening, but Ray didn't see anyone he flew with in Vietnam.

The agenda for Thursday and Friday included several "tours" of the San Antonio area, a golf tournament, the New Braunfels Fourth of July parade, mini-reunions of various outfits, a poker tournament....... all of which we chose to pass up and returned home Wednesday night after the opening buffet.

FRIDAY EVENING(4th of July). This was the only evening the reunion did not have an official function, giving the pilots a chance to get out and try local cuisine. Ray continued to "look" for pilots he knew. Do you know how hard it is to recognize someone after 35 years??? It is even harder to read name badges that hang on a lanyard at your navel!!! After an hour of sitting in the lobby/bar we decided to go to the Riverwalk This is really the heart of San Antonio tourism. Ray had made reservations at Boudro's - one of our favorite restaurants on the Riverwalk. Unfortunately they were for 9:30pm and it was only 4:00 when we started our walk along the river. About 4:30 the skies started getting very dark and by 4:45 we were running for cover at Casa Ole- of course they don't want you to just sit and take up room- which "required" us to order a margaritaontherockswithsalt while we waited for the rain to let up. Casa Ole is just across the river from Boudro's, so once the rain let up, we decided to see if maybe they had openings any earlier for dinner. Fortunately they were able to seat us right then- so dinner was at 5:30 instead of 9:30. Several groups from VHPA came into Boudro's while we were there. Obviously many of the pilots have made this reunion their summer vacations, bringing their families and making plans with other pilots to meet every year. For the newbies, the groups were not yet formed. And Ray continued to look for names or faces he knew, to no avail. After a while, he realized Saturday afternoon was going to be his chance to see others from the 1/9th Air Cav- F Troop when they had their mini-reunion. So Friday night became our official "Anniversary dinner on the Riverwalk". By 7:00 we were on the Riverwalk again. We headed back to the hotel and (here is where my story connects to my opening line) of all things, decided to go to the hotel's fitness center. Ray had never been on a treadmill or eliptical or even used weight machines before. He was totally intrigued. We got on the treadmill and walk/jogged for 30 minutes, varying the incline and speeds. Then I showed him how to use several of the weight machines. The Marriott has an incredible fitness center as well as an indoor/outdoor pool with hot tub and sauna. Like I said, I could easily live here. After the workout, we went outside the pool on a beautiful deck (4th floor overlooking downtown- lights- cabana bar- fire tables..... you get the ambiance) for a nightcap. It was a great evening.

SATURDAY JULY 5TH
Ray's morning was spent in the VHPA General Meeting. I went to a new Mexican Art museum, about 15 blocks from the hotel- at the mercado. On my way back to the hotel I rummaged around a Goodwill store (no great finds) and stopped by San Fernando Cathedral -the very center of San Antonio- a point in the floor under the dome of the church is where all mileage from San Antonio is taken. I once stood at that point with Monsignor Stuebben and sang to my students to demonstrate the amazing acoustics in the cathedral- not bad for a small town protestant girl- especially one that doesn't sing very well. Once again I digress.....

Now here is a CRAZY story. One of the couples we visited with was due to an unexpected meeting on the elevator. Saturday morning we were on our way to breakfast on a semi-full elevator. One of the people to get on with us was a lady about our age wearing a VHPA name badge. She looked at Ray's badge and said "oh, you are from Uvalde". My response "You must be from Texas because you know how to say Uvalde." She laughed and said "One of my best friends' mother lives in Uvalde. I don't know her last name, but her first name is Annie Lee." I asked "Could it be DuBose". "Yes, that's it"....... She was amazed when Ray said, "She's my aunt- my mother's sister". Seems that she lived across the street from Charlotte E. in Roswell and her kids grew up with Mikey. She and Charlotte helped each other through divorces and she(Jan) and her husband(Ron) introduced Charlotte to Luis (the pilot connection- also, Ron is Luis' CPA in San Angelo). What a small world. I think Ray enjoyed his visit with Ron as much as I did my visit with Jan. She is a social worker who now specializes in VA work. She has been a production ceramist when she had to support her family before she started her social work. We had LOTS to talk about!! I hope we can see them again in the future.

Our Saturday afternoon was in a meeting listening to discussion about VA benefits, Ray's mini-reunion, and a nap before the evening gala.

The evening gala was great..... if you don't talk about the food. The Marriott's food service for the large events left much to be desired. And at $45 (Wed.) and $75 (Sat.) per plate, we really expected better quality. That said- the opportunity to visit with other heli pilots and wives was priceless. The evening opened with a tribute to the missing men after the posting of colors. The Missing Man table was set and the emcee read a tribute to thos who didn't return-

I tried to record the Missing Man tribute, but wasn't successful. Here is one interpretation you can read(the one read to us was adapted to fit specifically helicopter pilots)- each part of the the table setting has meaning, the salt, the lemon, the rose vase, the helmet, shoes, flight vest, upside down glass..... A very moving tribute- one that many of the pilots had a hard time getting through.

The end of the evening was a dance with an incredible group from Austin playing, The Reunion Band, who taylored their sets to 50s-70s music.... just our era. Lots of swing and jive and movin' around going on. Some of those old geezers were using moves they hadn't used in years. I know my old geezer got up Sunday morning complaining about how sore he was..... between the treadmill and the dancefloor we started a new workout regimen for him!!

Ray's only disappointment of the weekend was that he saw only one pilot he flew with in Vietnam. Paul L. was a few years older, a Captain, who flew Cobras. Ray said "I ran into one guy who was in my Air Cav Unit and that I flew front seat for a number of times in a Cobra. He was very crazy back then, but I guess I was a little also. I wasn’t rated in Cobras, but we were short of gun jocks so when I wasn’t flying Hueys, I was gunner/copilot in a snake. Not too smart for longevity but very exciting for a 24 year old. "

The VHPA reunion had some good things to offer as far as VA connections and national lobbyists that are important to keep in contact with. But, I think the comraderie of the smaller flight class reunions and the Bullwhip Squadron gatherings are where Ray has had more personal contacts and enjoyed reliving his Vietnam experience with others who were there with him.

It was a good weekend.

A New Recipe

2008-07-03T22:09:00.005-05:00

Tortilla Soup

4 chicken breasts- one inch cube 12 pts.

4 chicken bouillion cubes 0 pts.

1 beef bouillion cube 0 pts.

5 cups of water 0 pts.

1 tsp cumin 0 pts.

1 Tbsp. olive oil 4 pts.

1 chopped onion 1 pt.

1 chopped bell pepper 0 pts.

Fresh garlic to taste 0 pts.

1 can of Rotel tomatoes 0 pts.

1 can of Beef Consumme Soup

(or Beef Broth) 1 pts.

1 7 oz. can of green chilis 0 pts.

1 10 oz can of diced tomatoes 2 pts.

1 15 oz can of tomato sauce 2 pts.

corn tortillas per serving 2 pts.

(cut in strips and fried in Olive or Canola Oil)

2% Shredded Mexican blend

or Cheddar Cheese 1/4 c. 2 pts.

Saute onions and bell peppers in olive oil and garlic until golden. Combine first 4 items in a pot and cook until chicken is tender. Combine chicken, onion mixture and remaining ingredients. Let cook for 1 hour.

For extra kick add fried tortillas. Use with soup. You can add up to 1/4 cup cheese also.

1 cup serving is approximately 1.5 pts per cup without cheese and tortillas.

We ate this for almost a week and never got tired of it. I know some people like to add sliced avocado as well. Don't know their point value.

Enjoy.

Friday in Summer

2008-06-27T11:39:00.004-05:00

I'm a teacher. It's Friday in summer. I'm in my pjs. It is noon. I've baked cookies to send to Will. I've written a Session summary for the church newsletter. I've talked on the phone.

Did I say..... I've thanked God for being so blessed. Life is definitely good for this teacher on this Friday of my summer break.

Happy Anniversary!

2008-06-25T13:29:00.000-05:00

Our engagement picture

June 1977

Ray made the comment this morning that we had been married more years than we were single. That is true for him. As for me, that milestone hit a few years ago. Amazing!!! We have a quiet anniversary evening planned- going to one of our favorite restaurants on the Frio River House Pasture Cattle Company, in Concan. They make a mean margarita and the food is delicious. We like to sit outside on the patio. Next time you are here, we'll take you.

We have a big time planned in San Antonio next week attending the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association national convention. We have a room at the Marriott Rivercenter, where the convention is taking place. I have hopes of spending some time at the San Antonio museums- there are some new exhibits and new construction I haven't seen yet. It should be a fun four days. We will be in San Antonio for July 4th. That evening is the open night of the convention. I think that is because many of the people who will be attending are either active or retired military, so many of them will go to the area military bases for celebrations. The city of San Antonio has some sort of big thing on the Riverwalk that night- If we are lucky we may be able to watch from the hotel without getting out in the crowds.

So, Happy Anniversary to us!!!!

SF- what a weekend.

2008-04-14T22:26:00.000-05:00

We had an incredible weekend in San Francisco. Left Thursday morning..... the same day American Airlines started cancelling flights. Fortunately we were flying Southwest, but the overflow of people looking for flights slowed the whole industry down. We were no later that 30 minutes on any of our flights, which was lucky. I am not going to try to tell all of the stories tonight, because I am just too tired. We found out we are no longer able to have 3 nights in a row staying up after midnight with good food, good friends/family, good drink. We now need 3 more nights to catch up. I hope to download pictures tomorrow to share. Good night. Sweet dreams.

Spring Break recap

2008-03-22T12:17:00.000-05:00

What a great week it has been...... once I accepted our fate of not having any of "the kids" at home. As usual I haven't finished nearly enough of my list of "to do", but the things that have happened have made a great impact on my psyche. I'm not exactly ready to go back to school on Monday, but I am ready to push toward the end of school and having my students prepared for their next steps.

The best part of the week has been choosing my own schedule each day. Most days I had at least one "appointment" I had to meet- Monday teeth cleaning, Tuesday dogs bathed and clipped, Wednesday church bake sale, Thursday Maundy Thursday services, Friday Grandma to San Antonio for dental implant, you get the idea. But the rest of each day was mine to do with as I wished.

Ray and I put in a new flower garden outside the front door. While I was in San Antonio I went to an incredible garden center and looked specifically for Texas perennials- many are native plants that have been domesticated for gardening or zeriscaping.

The varieties we put in include Yellow Wallflower, Cigar Plant cuphea, Mexican Heather cuphea, Harlequin Blue Pincushion flower, and Scaevola. Others that have been successful in this area of the yard in the past are bougainvillae, Mexican petunia, and shamrock. We are trying lavender and Amazon Lotus for the first time. I really like the large rocks between the plants. We had to do that so the animals wouldn't try to dig and nest here.

Spring break also brought baths and clips for the dogs. Here are their pictures.

Plata in front of the bougainvillae.

Plata sticking her tongue out at me...... she was tired of me trying to make her sit still to take pictures.

Mayday........ just being "cool".

The sun is shining. It is definitely spring in south Texas. I'm going outside for a tan.

Check out the new Celine Dion sunglasses- I sure hope BIG is in for a while. I luv 'em.

A little reprieve

2008-03-11T20:35:00.000-05:00

We had a little over an inch of rain yesterday. The skies were overcast for most of the day, but didn't produce the amount of moisture we hoped. Doesn't look like there will be any more chances again until this weekend. I would love to spend a full 24 hours househound by rain.... but then I would want bright skies.

Back in the blog

2008-03-09T22:51:00.000-05:00

Let's see........ 5 months since my last post...... is that too long????? you bet it is. Every day I think I will sit down and add a little something, and then the next day comes.

Today has been an absolutely beautiful spring day in south Texas. This evening the wind kicked up some and the skies filled with hopeful rain clouds. We are incredibly dry here. No recordable precipitation since October. So the clouds in the sky give us hope. Tomorrow is supposed to have an 80% chance of rain. I will let you know if it happens or not.

Another milestone for me- I have officially used my iPod. I downloaded podcasts from Ellen and NPR and listened to them last night. I feel like I am stepping into the 21st C. Yet, so much more to learn about this piece of technology.

Pops had a long drive from Seminole yesterday with an incredibly big load behind him. It took him about 8 hours to travel what should have been 6. Here is what he was pulling......

We are headed to bed. Good night all.

Copy Cat

2007-11-02T21:49:00.000-05:00

Amy and Charla both put this on their blog, so I thought I would too.

Directions: You bold all the things that you’ve done (after copying and pasting). Play along if you want to! I know it's long...
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten tipsy on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse (of both the sun and moon)
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two harddrives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had/Have amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales (one of the biggies on our summer vacation)
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud (still do in my Ceramics lab)
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business (Fiber Finders)
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the snake river (does canoeing the snake river count?)
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in a Rocky Horror Picture Show
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge (I also drove over very slowly)
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept 30 hours in a 48 hour time frame
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read “The Iliad”
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Trying to blog again

2007-10-10T22:33:00.000-05:00

I couldn't believe when I opened this blog tonight that it had been since August since I last posted anything. It's not like there hasn't been anything to blog, it is just that I don't seem to make time at the end of my day to write about it. My last blog was August 16th, the day before we started back to school with a new principal and a whole new structure. We spent our first week together in inservice reinventing the wheel. The next two weeks were with students while we recorded our "reinvent" the first week and published it in triplicate the second week. A routine is beginnning to develop now and life at school seems to be getting more rewarding. I have a "student teacher" this year. The first our visual arts department has ever had. Edna is turning out to be a real asset and probably one of the major reasons I am getting a grip on the new procedures.

One big highlight in September was Ray's 60th birthday. He didn't want it to be a "HIGHLIGHT" so we celebrated with limited fanfare. The weekend of his birthday sister Deezy and brother Rocky came to Uvalde and celebrated with him. He received a wonderful gift from his family- a kayak with all the trimmins'. He made the maiden voyage last weekend and is excited to try out fishing holes on the Nueces every chance he can.

We are looking for a kayak for me to go along with his. I would like one that is just a little shorter than his- makes it easier to paddle ;o)

Home again, Home again, jiggity jig

2007-08-16T05:20:00.000-05:00

We have had the most incredible July and August trips. First to the Gila Ntl. Forest, NM and then on to WA, OR, and CA. I added stamps to my National Parks passport for Gila Cliff Dwellings, Mt. Rainier National Park, Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Site, Redwoods National Park, Crater Lake National Park................ I'm sure there were more, but I haven't yet unpacked my N.P. passport or my travel journal to look at them again. Amy will be sending me a CD of all of our pictures when they get back to Washington. I will post pictures then. We arrived home with summer head colds and dog tired. I slept a lot yesterday and the head cold is much better. My sister-in-law, Charlotte, insisted we take Air Borne to help with the severity and I am convinced it did. I plan to take it this year when I start hearing all of the sneezing and coughing in my classroom. I think one of the good things about taking our vacation at the very end of the summer has been that I wasn't at home planning and fretting about getting back to school. Instead I am enthused and looking forward to starting the school year. So, for all of the teachers who see this, I wish you the same enthusiasm and excitement I am feeling. I hope your teaching year goes well.

and they're off!!!...

2007-08-07T13:58:00.000-05:00

Or so we hope!!!! Our plan is to drive mid-Oregon coast today. Stop somewhere around Florence, OR at a Ntl. Forest campground. Depending on where we find internet service and when, this may be the last post for a few days. We are off for another adventure.

Washington visit

2007-08-06T18:43:00.000-05:00

Today is our 5th full day of being in Washington and the weather is gorgeous. Most days we have had overcast mornings burning off about noon and great afternoons and evenings. Temps are lows in the 50s and highs in the upper 70s. Just perfect.

This picture was taken yesterday at Mt. Rainier. Unfortunately the mountain was hidden by low clouds. But the drive around the mountain was outstanding.

Tomorrow we will be starting our drive to California. We plan to stay in Ntl. Forest campgrounds as we go. If we find wireless internet service along the way I will update with more pics.

Summer Updates

2007-07-28T10:54:00.000-05:00

I was in town last week and someone asked me, "Well, are you ready to go back to school?" This isn't an unusual question for the last weeks of July and early weeks of August. And usually my reply is, "Sure- I do great with a routine". But this year I feel like my summer vacation has just started. June is a blur of this, that, and the other, with no real focal point anywhere. It think I mainly cleaned out boxes. But two weeks ago the real fun of summer vacation began. July 10th Charla drove down with her two dogs in tow and stayed a couple of days. We packed and then headed to New Mexico, via Childress to pick up Richard. From there it was a week in southwest New Mexico in the Gila Ntl. Forest- camping, fishing, hiking, star gazing, cooking on the open campfire, star gazing, roasting marshmallows for S'mores......... it goes on and on. Of course, I won't mention the 21 miles of bumpy, winding, dirt road, getting queasy from the hairpin turns, biting flies, pit toilets, no showers..... It really was great!!!!! And if that wasn't enough of a reason not to be ready to go back to school, we are now on a two week trip to Washington state to spend time with Will and Amy. I will write about this trip and add pictures from both trips when we get home. THEN is when I will be ready to "go back to school". See ya!!!!

Fredericksburg weekend report #2

2007-07-03T13:08:00.000-05:00

I have to comment on the restaurants we enjoyed while we were in Fredericksburg. This picture was taken at The Nest. Located on Washington street, it serves gourmet cuisine that is excellent. Reservations are highly recommended, especially on weekends. www.thenestrestaurant.com

Sunday's Father's Day lunch was also a unique experience. About 10 miles north of Fredericksburg is a very unassuming dive that is an experience just to visit. It was originally a gas station that has kept it's "flavor" in the main dining area. They have recently converted the "garage" into a large group dining facility for catering. To see more about The Hilltop Cafe.... www.hilltopcafe.com

We decided as we left for home, that getting together with our "anniversary buddies" is something we need to do again and again and again. Thanks for the memories, David and Natalie!!

Happy 30th

2007-06-26T17:51:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our 30th wedding anniversary- the day before was Grandma's 56th- amazing. I'm not sure that when you say "I Do" you really realize that means you will be looking at each other 30 years later over a glass of wine, eating dinner off fine bone china, eating a scrumptous meal with Don Williams softly crooning in the background, at your own kitchen table. Very quietly celebrating. In the home we have worked to create over the past 24 years. And celebrate we did. (We were both very slow to get out of bed thanks to a wonderful bottle of French wine the Hoelschers gave us.) Just the fact that we can still sit down at the same table with each other seems to be no small feat. I was encouraged this past spring to hear a report that the divorce rate is down for the first time in XXX years. That is encouraging as long as the "murder the spouse" rate isn't up and the reason the divorce rate is down ;o)
And let me tell you about dinner. After shrimp cocktail, dinner was baked pork chops over long grain and wild rice, sauted mushrooms, snow peas, and steamed asparagus. Dessert was vanilla ice cream with amaretto. YUMMMMMM- and about the pork chops.....They were accidentally the best I think I have ever had. The recipe was a lucky concoction- here it is:

Accidentally the Best Baked Pork Chops

flour
spices
olive oil
Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice
Chicken Broth
4 center cut lean pork chops- 3/4-1 inch thick
Flaked parmesean cheese

In a casserole large enough to hold the pork chops without layering them, pour the contents of the rice box into the bottom of the casserole, including the spice packets. Add chicken broth in the amount recommended on the package instead of water. Spice the pork chops with favorite spices (salt and pepper were all I used). Dredge in flour until all sides are coated. Brown both sides in a skillet with olive oil. Lay the browned pork chops on top of the rice and broth. Cover (I used a 9X13 pyrex dish and covered with foil- sealed tightly). Cook 425 for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and check to see if the broth has been absorbed. If not, uncover and let it sit in hot oven until it is. I left mine in the oven while we were having appetizers- maybe 20 minutes.
The meat was flaking off of the bone- the most tender I have ever had. It was great.

What a wonderful evening it was. And what made it even more wonderful was hearing from those who love us. Thank you.

Fredericksburg weekend

2007-06-18T07:18:00.000-05:00

Saturday and Sunday we were in Fredericksburg with Aggie friends from Alice. They and we were married two weeks apart in June,1977...... 30 years ago. So we decided to meet on the weekend between both of our anniversaries. We had a great visit and some outstanding meals. We stayed at the Hangar Hotel, a 1940s replica of a Hangar converted into a hotel. It is on the edge of the Gillespie Co. airport, so it is not uncommon for "fly in" reservations. In a second "hangar" they have a convention center (with a reconstructed aircraft inside... I'm not sure what it is) and a diner that is based on railroad dining cars. It is all very well decorated.... lots of Art Deco. One of my favorites were the telephones, which were reproductions of the black handled cradle phones with rotary dial of the 40s.(Except instead of the rotating dial, there are push buttons where the finger holes would be.

The rooms have only king size beds in large rooms with 12 foot ceilings. The furniture is all covered in flight jacket leather- purposely made to look worn. The bathrooms have black and while tile with white beadboard cabinets topped with black granite countertops. The closet is a small beadboard fronted cabinet. The lamps are all period styled.

Here are pics of the lobby and check-in desk. Note the luggage and radio near Natalie......looks just like home!!!!!

The bar in the hotel is called the Officers' Club and weekend nights they have live entertainment. After going out to dinner at The Nest, we went back to the Officers' Club and listened to an incredible pianist. After several songs I walked across the room to the piano to watch him play and was surprised to find a yellow lab with a leading harness sleeping at the foot of the piano bench. The pianist was blind and we hadn't even noticed. He was really good. You can see more about the hotel at http://www.hangarhotel.com/ .

I will blog more about the places we ate and what we saw later.

Great recipe- may lead to decadence

2007-06-18T00:49:00.000-05:00

I found this in a Southern Living mini-cook book. It is WONDERFUL!!!!

Creme Caramel in a Bundt

makes 12 servings

Preheat oven to 350.

Must be made at least 12 hours in advance.

3 cups sugar, divided

3 cups whipping cream

1 T. vanilla extract

6 large eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk

1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

garnish: fresh blackberries, raspberries, mint leaves

1. Sprinkle 1 cup sugar into a medium skillet. Place over medium heat, and cook, shaking pan often, until sugar melts and turns to light golden bown. (carmelized sugar) Quickly pour syrup into a 12 cup Bundt pan, tilting to coat bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides; set aside. (Mixture may crack as it cools.)

2. Stir together whipping cream and vanilla in a large bowl. Process 6 large eggs, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 2 cups sugar in a blender just until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. (do not overprocess) Stir egg mixture into cream misture.

3. Pour custard over caramelized sugar in Bundt pan, and place in a large roasting pan on oven rack. Pour hot water into roasting pan to a depth of 1 inch.

4. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in deepest portion comes out almost clean. Remove Bundt pan from water. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Loosen edges from Bundt pan with a thin knife, and invert carefully onto a serving plante. Garnish, if desired.

My final impression was that it is a cross between flan and cheese cake. Oh, yum!

Hi from the hounds

2007-03-26T21:45:00.000-05:00

Plata and Mayday just wanted to say hi!!!!!
It has been rainy and cool today. Tomorrow promises to be clear with real Texas spring weather. I will be riding in a Yellow Dog with 30 students to the McNay Art Museum....yeah!!!

Just newsy stuff

2007-03-25T14:21:00.000-05:00

Last night we attended Kristi and Mickey Gerdes' wedding at the Baptist church. It was officiated by the Methodist pastor and had our own Presbyterian minister in the audience just in case intervention was needed.(vbg) I had helped with the floral arrangements and bridesmaids'/groomswomen's bouquets.....yes, listed on the official bulletin of the wedding were two groomswomen along with 4 groomsmen. Both of the groomswomen wore formal black evening gowns while the men wore tuxes. The bridesmaids were in strapless black with white embroidery across the top of the bodice and around the lower part of the tea length skirts. Their bouquets were light pink tulips tied with black organdy ribbon. I did not wire the tulips, so the trick was to get them to stand up and not droop. All went well. Kristi's dress was one of those that only a very small percentage of the population could fit into and look exquisite. The two pics are of Kristi dancing with her oldest daughter and Mickey dancing with his mom. Oh, Charla, parents of the groom listed on the bulletin were Mr. and Mrs. Farris Bennett and Ms. Becky Gerdes. Grandma went to the wedding with me. Ray was trying to take care of problems with spinach harvest. When I got home from the wedding Ray was ready to go to the reception, at House Pasture Cattle Co. Max Stalling was good, but not as outstanding as I thought he would be. My favorite in the evening's music was at the wedding. Catlin Rutherford and Prentiss Varnon played guitar throughout the entire wedding....no piano or organ. Prentiss sang "If I Needed You" and "You Take Me Where I Want to Be". I could sit for hours listening to Catlin play. It was a great evening.

Then, today....... I received an email from the College Board saying .....

(little drumroll here....)

Dear Laura Dabney,

The College Board is pleased to announce that your Art History course is authorized to use the "AP®" designation for the 2007-08 academic year. The College Board applauds and recognizes your efforts to provide your students with the academic rigor and college-level experience that is the promise of AP. I thank you for the time and effort you put into participating in the AP Course Audit.

YEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAA

and on the 7th day she rested.

What a day!

2007-03-22T23:36:00.000-05:00

Today started at 4:00 am. And, as you know, my body just doesn't function well at that time of the morning. Today Ray and I (assisted by a young human resources trainee) went to Austin to participate in A Taste of Texas. Every two years when the legislature is in session, the Ag related agencies and organizations organize a meal on the lawn of the state capital to showcase Texas products. We provided the green beans. And do I ever mean Green Beans. We opened about 300 cans of green beans that we heated in 5 roaster ovens, rotating and refilling for over 2 1/2 hours. The FArm Bureau office where we heated the green beans faced the Capital building- with the windows of the board room framing the south view of the Capital. Ray would haul the heated beans, usually on a dolly, down a service elevator from the 5th floor to his pickup. Then drive around the block to where the serving tents were set up on the west lawn. The estimated number served was 1200. It was awesome. Because it is on the lawn of the capital, it is open to anyone who wants to come to eat. It is intended to give the legislators an awareness of Texas products, but in reality it also serves to feed many of the area office buildings, tour buses, homeless, whoever shows up.

And to top it off, we traveled in Ray's new 4-door diesel Dodge pick up...... new smell and all. We were beat when we got home, so I took a nap until the last 3 minutes of the Aggie basketball game. What a heart breaker. Better get to bed.

The Last Photo

2007-02-14T19:23:00.000-06:00

How much do I really love this new cat? Saturday evening he was intrigued by the dangling strap of my camera case and pulled it off of a 4 foot bar top onto a ceramic tile floor. The camera just couldn't take the shock. The second picture is the last photo I took with it. I really loved my "very small" Casio digital. From what I understand, to get it fixed would cost almost what a new one would cost. So, I am off to start my quest for a new digital camera. When we bought this one we were clueless. Now I at least know specific features I want. What is this last photo???? A new recipe I made for the 125th Anniversary celebration of First Presbyterian Church, Uvalde, TX. They are called Oreo Bites- and are very much like bonbons- with ground Oreos and cream cheese in the middle. We decided it would be very tasty to add a liqueur to the middle.

Here is the recipe:

OREO BITES

1 Pkg Oreos crushed (food processor is great)

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

Cream together. (I used my mixer). Roll into small balls- the smaller they are, the more they make. Mine were about the size of a walnut. The made about 3 dozen. Chill the balls to make them firm.

Chocolate Bark - milk, dar, white.... I used the dipping chocolate that is melted in the microwave.

Melt the packages of chocolate bark. Dip the balls into one, then drizzle or decorate with the others.

Yield: approx. 3 dz. in 1- 1 1/2 hours.

They are really rich. I think it will probably have to be a special occasion for me to make them because of the time vs yield. Two batches took me about one movie to make.

I'm off to look at cameras! Any suggestions????

Imperial Majesty Laura

2007-02-04T22:17:00.000-06:00

Mo Ranch from the Chapel on the Hill

I tried the link Charla posted and received the title of Imperial Majesty Laura the Festive of Eschaton End, which sent me to find out what Eschaton means and I'm still not exactly sure. But one definition referred to the end of everything, so does Eschaton End mean the end of the end of everything which is then status quo because the end doesn't get started? My other question is, what is a Festive..... someone or something or just a state of being??? So, just to be on the safe side I decided to drop the second half of my newly acquired title and keep only the part I could relate to...... Imperial Majesty Laura. What are the chances I can convince Ray this is actually my new salutation. Good morning Imperial Majesty Laura or Have you fed the dogs, Imperial Majesty Laura or Are you cooking anything for supper Imperial Majesty Laura? Whadda ya think????

I just returned from 48 hours with 5 middle school aged youth at Mo Ranch Mid-Winter Youth Conference, can you tell? ....life is confusing at that age. It actually was a great conference. Probably 250 young people. The debriefing discussion on the way home was that the best part of the weekend was the social/mixer, the best part of worship were the songs, and the worst part of the weekend was that it wasn't long enough. We plan to return again next winter. For any who have never been to Mo Ranch, here is their website. Click on some of the pictures to get a feel for the place. It is awesome. www.moranch.com

Now for a few zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Good night

Time to pay the piper

2007-01-23T22:03:00.000-06:00

Last week was full of adjustments with the weather. The day school was cancelled will have to be made up on the Monday after Easter. Bummer. I guess there are just no freebees in life :o)
We are expecting more cold and wet tonight and tomorrw. Probably not ice, but I am headed to watch the weather news right now to see what the forecast is. Will keep you posted.

Winter is here!

2007-01-16T17:04:00.000-06:00

Today we have a true wintry day!!! School was postponed until 10:00 am and then released an hour early as the weather brought in more freezing rain. Everything is covered with ice and rain. We haven't had any snow here, but some has been reported in the area. I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't have another late start again tomorrow morning. 2 of my classes had less than 50% of my students in attendance today. The other one had about 75%. I think the school has to average at least 40% to be able to record the day as a completed day. I just received a call telling me that all school has been cancelled for tomorrow. The pics today are from day 1. If there is a change when we get up in the morning I will post day 2. Stay warm everyone-

I owe, I owe, it's off to work I go!

2007-01-05T07:13:00.000-06:00

The first two days back at the high school have been surprisingly good. Every time I hear Dr. Brown talk about his vision for our school I am encouraged. He actually joined the Fine Arts dept. meeting yesterday for over an hour and fielded questions about his goals and perceptions/visions if you will/ for the Fine Arts in UCISD. He admits a strong interest in the Arts even though he grew up a jock and never attended any Fine Arts classes. His perception is that students need exposure to all of the disciplines so they can be well rounded.... a good classical education..... yeah!!! I better get on- more grading and planning to do.

Christmas Eve and all is calm

2006-12-24T16:33:00.000-06:00

I am doing something I have no memory of ever doing before- sitting and resting on Christmas eve. All the presents I need for the evening are wrapped. All that I need to have cooked is finished. My clothes are ready for Christmas eve church, so here I am on the computer. I thought I would fill out the Journal Questions Charla put up on their blog.

Journal Questions
1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4. On the 18th page, the 4th line says“…according to the Bible's last book, Death, Famine, War, and.'"
2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch? the desk and computer screen
3. What is the last thing you watched on TV? Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis
4. Without looking, guess what time it is. 4:25 pm.
5. Now look at the clock. What is the actual time? 4:34 p.m.
6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear? the television- Alan Ladd-Paratrooper
7. When did you last step outside and what were you doing? About 45 minutes ago. I went to the jewelry store to pick up a necklace I was having repaired.
8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at? email and blogs
9. What are you wearing? long sleeved Christmas shirt, jeans, black leather shoes
10. Did you dream last night? Not that I remember.
11. When did you last laugh? During Sunday school this morning. Our teacher has some great Texas euphemisms (sp?)
12. What is on the walls of the room you are in?I'm in the office and the only thing currently hanging on the light green walls is an incredibly big shoulder mount of a mule deer- looking over my shoulder out the window!!
13. Seen anything weird lately? That deer is kind of weird if you think about it!
14. What do you think of this quiz? Ditto Charla-Great excuse not to pick up my house.
15.- don't know what this was, it wasn't on Charla's blog.
16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy? a newer vehicle and a back porch
17. Tell me something about you that I don’t know. My favorite place to get away from my brothers when I was little was in a brushy area about 100 yds from the house. I had designed rooms within the brush and would play house there.
18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do? I would want to bring more kindness to the world
19. Do you like to dance? Yes,
20. George Bush: A tough job. I think he is an honorable man.
21. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her? Charla
22. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him? Will
23. Would you ever consider living abroad? Yes, especially if one of my kids is living abroad too.
24. What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gates? I'm glad you're here.
25. Four or five people who must also do this quiz in their journal. I don’t pass these things on. If you want to do it, please feel free. If not, no pressure. (my sentiments too Charla)

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!

Ok Charla, now there's a new title

2006-11-27T23:35:00.000-06:00

The Fighting Aggie Band marching up Congress Avenue- November 24, 2006

While we were with Charla this weekend, she hinted that maybe I needed to write something on our blog since the last posting was about going to Washington and dated October 3rd. So, here it is almost midnight and I should be in bed. But, the brain is whizzing with nothingness and I can't sleep. Ray has a terrible cold so I am trying to avoid him by sleeping in another room. Today was warm enough to necessitate turning on the AC for a while this evening. But I hear that we should be having 20 degree weather by the end of the week. I will have to get busy and put my plants in the greenhouse tomorrow or Wednesday. Our Thanksgiving weekend was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed the two days in Austin as well as the two days at home. Watching the Aggie Corps of Cadets along with the Fighting Aggie Band march up Congress Avenue to the Capitol was a definite high spot. I was surprised to see many Longhorns there as well. I wonder, do you think Aggies would come to watch Longhorns march up Congress Avenue???? Best get on to bed. G-nite all.

48 Hours and Counting

2006-10-03T21:56:00.000-05:00

In approximately 48 hours we will be landing in Portland, Oregon. This is a city and state I have never seen. Unfortunately it will be dark when we arrive and the drive to Lacey will also be in the dark. But, in my mind I can already feel the cool crisp of the fall in the North West. I realized today that part of my expectation comes from the fact that we didn't go north this summer. My childhood and most of my adult life always included summer trips to somewhere north of Texas. My association with "vacation" is the first cool crisp morning on our northward trek. Am I going to be disappointed if I step outside my first morning in Washington and it is balmy and overcast...... maybe a little bit. But I know any disappointment will be quickly replaced with the excitement of exploring a new place- seeing family- visiting places Ray enjoyed when he was stationed at Ft. Lewis. My suitcases are filling. My lesson plans are written. My camera is charging. This is going to be great.

Polos

2006-09-21T20:50:00.000-05:00

My newest fun snack/desert. I took them tonight to our Delta Kappa Gamma supper.

Polos

mini-pretzels
Rolos
pecan halves

pre-heat oven to 200 degrees. place the mini-pretzels on a cookie sheet. top each one with a Rolo (biggest headache is unwrapping each Rolo if you buy the big bag for a larger group) place the cookie sheet in the oven for 3-5 minutes, until the Rolos are soft. Remove from oven and press a pecan half into each one. Let them cool.

For a party I think it would be fun to buy the mini-pretzels that are shaped like Texas (or any other shapes you can find).

Enjoy!!!!!

It's Tuesday, no Monday, no Tuesday, no Monday, no...

2006-09-05T22:16:00.000-05:00

This is a post I wrote a week ago and haven't found time to actually post. It was a crazy day. I will write more soon. L

Have you ever had a Tuesday that was supposed to be a Monday? Or maybe I should ask, have you ever had a Tuesday that turned out to be a Monday? This morning my goal was to be at school extra early because we were going to have to train a full-time substitute teacher in one of our art positions...... yeah, two weeks into the new school year our newest art teacher decided it was physically, emotionally, and spiritually too much for her. So, here we are with 6 classes of Art 1 and no teacher. So, I'm headed to school early.... or so I thought. Carry everything to the car, insert the key, turn, nothing...... not even a whimper. Ray, of course, is 40 miles away and no hope of him coming to drive me to school. Cindy to the rescue- fortunately she had not left the house yet and could come to pick me up. That put a hectic beginning to the day. By day's end though, we had a light misty rain falling. Right now we are sitting in the house with all of the windows open enjoying the cooler/cleaner sky. I'm afraid that is all we will get, but we can keep our fingers crossed.
The latest completion in the remodeling.... staining the beadboard in the kitchen. It is called Culinary Cream- a creamy pickled stain. I'm not sure how well it will show up in the picture, but here it is.

BW

2006-09-01T06:26:00.000-05:00

And here he is- BW (bright white) will write more later.

it's healing

2006-07-08T08:10:00.000-05:00

that's enough of that. i removed the picture of my hand from my last post because i am ready for it to be a forgotten stupidity. we are headed to Austin for Walt's made-it-to-60 party. Ray has some work to do at Texas Dept. of Ag on Monday morning, then home again to continue the painting, sorting, moving..... today's pic is of Ray in his office. After working for Del Monte 16 years, he finally took me to the inside of the plant. I had never seen his office in the plant. As soon as I saw it I knew it was his.... wonder how??? the server is down right now. i'll put the pic up later.

dumb stunt of the year

2006-07-06T16:23:00.000-05:00

My dumb stunt of the year..... I wrestled with an avocado and the avocado won. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! I was making salad July 4th at Cecily and Farris' party house. Cut the avocado in half then attempted to remove the seed with the tip of my knife (while still holding the avacado in my hand). The seed slipped and I gouged a half inch deep by one and a half inch long slice into the palm of my hand. Being late evening on the 4th of July and not wanting to sit eons in the ER..... I also didn't want anyone by Dr. G to work on it if there had to be any work done.... we cleaned it up with peroxide and packed it with gauze until the next morning. Surprisingly it didn't bleed much and really didn't hurt much. Dr. G was in surgery all morning so he finally saw me at 2:00...... opened the wound and basically told me I should have had it sutured the evening before for optimal results in healing. Seems I cut the nerves to the lower part of my index finger and cut through a vein, both of which will heal over time. Good news was that I had not severed a tendon. Really the main reason I even went to the DR was for antibiotics. Today the hand is stiff and has 4 sutures on the outside. I think he put 3 or 4 inside as well. I guess that's about all from here. Back to painting cabinets in the utility room.

Doing dishes

2006-06-24T19:53:00.000-05:00

This week's quote of the week: We arrived home from being gone for a long weekend. Ray said
"This sounds strange, but, are the dishes in the bathtub clean?" Yes, in the bathtub. But now I have access to a wonderful new sink. By the middle of next week I hope to have hot water with it. Here is a peek at how the new kitchen is coming along.

I picked up the glass front doors that go over the shelves. The glass is clear, but has bubbles in it to make it look old. I sealed grout Thursday evening, but have not yet finished. I will have to seal the grout around the bathtub too. I will put more pictures up soon.

Plata is having a hard time getting used to all of the ceramic tile and the hardwood in the den. She can't get the same traction to be able to jump up on the sofa or in my lap when I am sitting down. She will get the hang of it I'm sure.

Plata's Birthday-Flag Day June 14th

2006-06-13T13:25:00.000-05:00

Charla directed me to adding a second day. I also have a second blog, because I didn't know exactly how to get to this. I will have to delete the second blog. I enjoyed having comments posted with my first day. And yes, Corrie, the schnauzer baby is Plata. She is now 4 years old- her birthday is today, June 14th. I am posting a new picture of her. I have also posted a picture of her best buddy- Mayday. We are not sure what her breed is. We rescued her from the Animal Shelter on May 1st, 1999...... hence her name, Mayday.

The Beginning

2006-06-06T23:13:00.000-05:00

Charla and Amy both encouraged me to try to create a blog as a way to keep the family updated on what we are doing. There are times that the challenge of new technology is exciting. Then there are times the challenge is so frustrating it is easier to ignore it than to try. We will see how far I get with this.