BUSY!!!

Our church observes Lent with Lenten services on Wednesday, Sundays are not part of Lent.  But you would think we are in any other season of the church year the way our little church is doing.

Every quarter (I guess) we have a Trivia night.  It isn't church trivia - it is general trivia.  Out Seminarian (and Worship Leader) is a mid thirthies guy.  His history is interesting.  He was a devout church goes - even going to a Lutheran school throughout school, and to a Lutheran university.  Then something happened, and he quit.  Didn't want a thing to do with church.

His wife has been a devout church goer, and so is her family.  When our church organized, they were some of the first to join.  Laura convinced Mike to come - once.  Well, that was then, and now he is going to Seminary. 

During his time away, he worked as a bartender.  And he would organize these trivia nights at the bar.  There they were for money for the teams.  For us, no.  The money we donate (because it is not mandatory) goes to something the church is funding at the time - and not our operating expenses.  Although for a time, it looked like that would be a good idea.  We almost needed to be our own charity.

So - Friday night (in Lent mind you), we had Trivia night.  G and I were going to go, but a spring thunderstorm was threatening with hail and all, so we stayed in.  I think the turn-out was good 

Last night was our "Festa Italiana" dinner.  We have been working on this for months.  It is to pay for our Vicar.  Now what is a Vicar?  It is like a "Practice Teacher" only it is a "Practice Preacher."  She is completing seminary, and this is her internship.  The sticking point is that we need $20,000 to pay her for the year she is with us.

One of our members thought up this dinner.  I really thought it would be a flop because they set the tickets at $100/person or $600/table of 8.  Time went on, and the tables weren't selling.  For the longest there were only two tables bought.  As it turns out, instead of the 10 we originally set, we ended with with 11 (at the last minute - causing a lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth).  We hoped to clear $6000, and we cleared $6400 with more coming in.

I was in charge of the decorations.  I have a "team" of ladies who can channel Martha Stewart and transform our little store front church into quite a nice place for something.  So we went to work yesterday morning, and transformed it into a quaint, cozy Tuscan restaurant.  The meal was lasagna, which I was afraid would be cold as ice since people had to bring the cooked item from home. 

It was all prepared by one person, and she THOUGHT SIL could cook them all in his restaurant cooker, AND would have the rolling holding cabinent to keep them, but that didn't happen.  I am sure that poor woman probably gained a million grey hairs, and lost 15 years off her life with this dinner.

But it was beautiful.  The food was adequate.  The wine flowed freely, and there was plenty.  The entertainment was her brother who is an opera singer in New York.  It was great.

But all this happening in Lent???   What are we giving up again?

Breathing more easily

Yesterday, I had my yearly mammogram.  I will never miss another one.  The last time I did that (for about 10 years), I ended up with a mastectomy.  Don't want that again.  I also had a bone density test because I am on the medication that stops any production of estrogen.  My tumor was an estrogen receptor, so I want to try not to have that around.

We completed the mammogram.  She even did the right breast which is pretty much muscle from my back and an implant, but since there has been pain there, I was delighted to have that one done also.  We went into the room for the bone density.  I wasn't too worried about my bone density.  With the number of times I have fallen on my hips, they must be in pretty good condition.  But at the end of that, the radiologist wanted two more pictures of my breast.

That puts a cold chill down my back.  There is scar tissue there also since when I had reconstruction, the doctor did a reduction.  Hence - cutting and scars.  So I have had some pain because of the scar tissues.  Of course, I worried about that!

Today I got my letter in the mail that the mammogram was normal, but it also said that I have dense breast tissue and yada, yada.  Always had that.  So I am not too worried.  I really am thinking about telling Dr Poison that I have had pain in the right breast which was reconstructed.  My CA25-27 has been rising over the years (7!!!!).  I have to admit, I would love to have a CAT scan to make sure there aren't any little tumors beginning in this body somewhere.    We will see about that one.

Today it was back to the eye doctor.  This was a follow-up on the laser she did on the left eye for the drain that was making the glaucoma worse.  So what did she find?  Well, of course the right eye has to get its fair share.  The pressure was up in that one, SO I get to go in next Friday and have the laser surgery in THAT eye!   I am so thrilled I can't stand it.  And where are the cortisone drops that I use after laser surgery - at the SSB.  And what will my insurance probably say?  I am probably going to have to pay outright for those, even though it will be a new procedure.

I am not looking forward to that procedure.  At least this time, I KNOW it will hurt.  Last time, I thought it was going to be easy.  Not. So. Much.  So I am prepared this time.

Got to sleep in my own bed last night.  The last night in Daughters nearly killed me.  My back hurt so much, and I didn't take any kind of pain pill over there.  I was so glad to be back in my 13 year old bed.  It was great.

Yawn!!

I have been on a period of time where sleep comes with much difficulty.  I get ready to fall asleep - in fact I almost drop my Kindle when I doze off.  Then I turn out the light, and like the light that goes off, my eyes pop open.

Now add a new bed to that picture, and never having used the alarm on my phone, last night was a night of naps.  I am really feeling it today.

I had to stay moving after taking the two little ones to elementary school (the oldest was picked up for middle school) because today was my mammogram and bone density appointment.   I would have loved to have gone back to bed for a while!

When I keep the grands, the oldest one gets up before 6.  I get up at 5:55.  That still gives me time to get her up and ready for her ride that comes at 6:50 should she not wake.  The little ones get up at 7, and then can be dropped off between 7:45 and 8:15.

They aren't missing the parental units too much it seems.  They played especially with Daughter when she called to tell them good night, and this morning when she called.  It was "Hi, love you, bye."  I thought that would hurt her feelings, but she said she was glad because it meant they were doing very well.

So we are at it again tonight.  All of them want my White Chicken Enchilidas - with the exeption of the youngest.  So I will just make her a chicken taco.  SIL left stuff to make a crockpot pot roast, but I decided I was able to cook for them.

Daughter comes back in tomorrow, AND she is supposed to provide soup for the Lenten soup supper that comes before the Lenten service.  I told her I would make the soup in the crockpot.  So I am going to do Tortilla Soup in the crockpot  I think it will be good.  I just don't have any cilantro.  But we will do something.

So that's the happenings down here.  Our temperatures are actually beautiful.  It is still a little cool - especially for us, but I know what is coming.  We need to enjoy this as long as we can.  But the sunshine is so pleasant.  We (hopefully) will get rain this weekend.  We do need it badly. 

Staying with the grandchildren

Both daughter and SIL have business trips this week.  She will only be gone until Wednesday, but still someone needs to be with the kids.  So I will be the one.

I am looking forward to it.  They are fun.  The oldest granddaughter and I get along so well.  She is sharp as a tack, and gives as good as she gets.  We have a terrific time together.  But I am so used to 13 year old kids.  I know that makes me strange, but I really get a kick out of that age group after working with them over 20 years.

Our Rodeo has finally wrapped up.  They did something very unusual - they broadcast the events.  Not the concerts, but I don't care about  that as much as watching the events.  I picked up from the semi-finals through the finals.  Then last night was a different things all together.  It was eight groups chosen to represent the big rodeos in the country.  It was the ones who had won these rodeos the most.  Really good riding!

It was also the Wrap-up party for the different committees.  Daughter and SIL are on "Horsepatility."  As you can imagine, they help in the horse barn.   Anyway, SIL says he has lost 50 pounds in the last 10 weeks (we don't see it, but...), and he didn't realize that the weight loss coupled with the fact that he had not been drinking resulted in him getting a bit, shall we say, looped.

Daughter was really ticked at him.  She even drove home.  Family dinner was here with only that family, and SIL slept for the two hours they were here.  Daughter was not happy.

I was a little hurt that Son and family wasn't here.  I understand that he had a really busy weekend, but the fact they did some things during the week hurt my feelings.  Like they went to Katy to see her dad at least during the week.  But the old poem about daughters and sons is so very true.  I accept that.

I don't know how he is going to keep up with his new schedule.  His band played on Friday night.  Those gigs last until 2, and then he has to break down equipment, get home and put the trailer in the garage, and finally get to bed.  He has three kids under 6.  You know they get up bright and early, but I HOPE their other grandmother had them that night!

Then Saturday he sang with another band.  They hired him (they had wanted him for a long time!) as their front man.  So now he will be appearing with them.  He is keeping his band also. So he has Brian Loftin and Texas Reflections AND Lonely Roads.  He will be playing out every weekend.

Add to this being worship leader for a church way south of us on Sunday mornings.  As with church musicians - especially those who have day jobs - the musicians get to church early to practice.  Then, especially for churches who are meeting in rented spaces, you have to break down the church.

So I do know he was really beat last night.  Plus in his day job he has moved back into the fiber-optic part again.  He has done it before, but that was a while ago.  So he needs to be on top of things.  He is having to relearn the job.  But all of this will help with being moved into management!

I have finished my tales of woe.  Nothing serious.  Just a little moaning, but that's life

Here we go again

Heard around the homestead yesterday:

G:  Did you buy another cartridge for the printer? (asked as I was printing two PDF patterns for dresses that I had downloaded)

Me:  Yes.  I told you I did.

G: I thought you said not to print because you didn't have a cartridge.  I haven't been using the printer because of that.

Me:  says nothing but thinking - I am sorry you know there is another cartridge.  That means you will print everything you come across.  That's why I had to buy a new printer.  Darn!

Today:

G:  Are you printing something?

Me: No, at least not right now.  Why?

G: Something must be wrong with the queue  I guess we will have to reload the computer.

Me:  thinking - Oh, sh*t - he has broken this one too.  

Me:  What were you trying to print.  I will shut this computer down to see if there might be something stuck in the printing.

To cut to the chase, it was fixed.  While I was in the study, we talked about his computer not coming on properly, and the like.  Me thinking that I wish it would break because he is used to working where there is IT people, and unlimited printing available that he didn't have to pay for.  Come to think of it - HE doesn't pay for the printing here either!!!

Oh, get ready little printer.  You are going to get worked to death like your predecessor!

Another find!

On a whim, I decided to download "My Legacy" as another way to do my genealogy research.  I am still trying to fight Family Tree Maker to be able to make CDs of the work to share with family.  Not. Going. Well.

It was while playing with Legacy that I discovered a link to newspaper archives.  Of course, it was a pay for service since the program was free to begin with.  There are many, many mentions of my great-great and great grandfathers in the San Antonio paper.  I can't believe what movers and shakers they were.

This morning I discovered that Ancestry can access those archives.  Yeah, I know, I am a slow learner.  There was the write up of great grandfather and great grandmother's wedding.  They had 800 guests!!  Can you imagine?

I would love to know how the family fell apart.  There is certainly not the monies in any of the families that was once there.  I guess the Depression did them in.  Don't know.

It has just been one discovery after another.  My head is really spinning. 

Heading home tomorrow

While this trip had some diversion, I am still ready to go home.  There is so much I want to do at home.  The diversion was our hunter, his wife and granddaughter were here for the weekend.  He was planting "deer crops" down in his hunting area.  I don't know how he thinks they are going to grow - we still aren't getting rain.  And if the hogs come up from the creek - they crops will be gone.

Yesterday we went to the fellowship hall at the church to buy the book.  It made me realize that I am really related to so many people up here.  I had forgotten I was related to this guy too!  I should have known. 

That got me to close down the research I was doing on G's family and go back to mine.  It has been a while since I have looked at the research, and now that I am more familiar with and know more people, I was amazed at all those I knew.  For a girl who was an only child - I am finding I have a huge extended family.

I was even more surprised when I was looking at my grandmother and family.  It was a surprise to learn that I had another aunt who died in 1936. That I learned when Dad was alive and talked about her.  She was named Florence, and so was my Grandmother.  I thought he was talking about his mother. Nope it was his sister.

  Ancestry is opening up new files now - especially the 1940 census.  There I discovered that I had another cousin. She was born in 1929.  I have no idea where she might possibly be now.  Her dad was from Washington, and I am thinking after Florence died, they moved back there.  Needless to say, I was blown away.

So I have spent a lot of time working on organizing embroidery files and on ancestry things.  I have gotten some books out that are here again.  I also read Warren's autobiography.  He states that it was written from the heart, and it was.  It is his words.  Some things could have been stated differently - I am not sure there was a proof-reader.  But when you figure that German was his first language, and he didn't speak English regularly until 1941 when they were forced to speak English at school, he did a good job.  Errors are easily made when there isn't a proof-reader!

Today will be laundry and cleaning out mess from being here.  Love it.  (NOT)  As I said, the "joy" of having two houses is cleaning two houses.  I have never been one who just loved cleaning.  If I could afford it, I would hire someone to come in.  It's tough being cheap and not a house cleaning fool!

Time flies ..

I don't know about having fun to cause the time to fly, but it does here.  The pace is so slow, but the time just disappears.

Yesterday was going into Mason for bird seed, deer corn, and the groceries I didn't bring.  We took the old Dodge because it needed gas, and we wanted to take it in before it got too hot around here.  Its a/c is a little wimpy. 

We went to my favorite place - the resale shop. As usual I got some really nice fabric - as if I needed it, for an average of about a dollar a yard.   Usually they have yard lengths or less, but this time there were a couple of bigger pieces.  I intend to make some tops.

The damper on everything was the drunk driver who plowed into the crowd at SBSW in Austin.  That's where we get our news, so it was carried most of the day.  ythat is such a wild, eclectic time.  Continual party.  But this guy wasn't partying.  He had stolen a car - probably in Killeen.  (Jude that is about 100 miles up north from Austin.)  He just didn't want to get caught driving drunk again.  He has a record from Alaska.

Today I was working on genealogy again.  I could be taking blinds down to wash the dust (fine dirt that comes in the smallest gaps) from them.  I could be doing a lot.  But I am not.  The big downside of having two houses is cleaning two houses!!  Even though this is MY house.  When we stayed in MIL's, I would kill myself to make sure it was cleaner than when we came in.  If she could see that house now, she would die on the spot.  SIL isn't interested in keeping it up.  It is horrible - inside and out.

So our hunter came up with his family.  That gives G someone to play with in the evenings!!  Out of my hair.

Yesterday the guys came to clean out the cattle guard.  Hope that shuts up the old maid man across the way.  He wants to have us use another way to get into our property.  He claims the water washes the road out.  No.  It. Doesn't.  Besides we haven't had rain in so long!

He b*tched about the dirt filling the cattle guard.  When I talked to him last night with his intended racial slurs toward the Mexicans who work for this company, he was quite subdued.  I think he realizes that we are not going to bulldoze a new road for him.  This is what happens when the land is sold out of the family.  We get people like him.

So - another 5 or so days.  Tomorrow I will go to Doss.  One of my distant relatives has written a book and the signing is in the church's fellowship hall.  I would really like to get the book. 

Try to catch ya' later!

This and that

I am sorry I was so angry and yet maudlin on the last post, and I should probably take it down, but it is how things were/are.  So, in blogger fashion, it will stay.

Today was eye-injection day.  I told that doctor that I would rather have the injection than the laser thingy!  He said "well, at least I am better than someone."  That was what I thought of as being out of character for him. He seems to be rather a sober-sides, so this really surprised me.  But then, I see him less than five minutes a month, so I shouldn't make rash decisions about his personality!







I guess this is another sort of history lesson.  A Facebook page of a Texas magazine posted a drawing of a map of the hill country.  I tbough I would share it.  It shows all the little towns

If you see Doss, which is northwest of Fredericksburg, that is our mailing address - that is IF we had a mail box up the road.  We don't.  But we are off a little dirt road to the west of that.  Where the road number sign is the even smaller (as in a church and the community club building) community where G's family settled,  It is called Hilda. 

Where we really live is another three hours southeast of either Austin or San Antonio.  So this gives you a (kinda distorted) view of where I spend 25% of my time!

And speaking of which - we are off again tomorrow for six days.  We were to go later in the month, but Daughter has a must attend meeting in Austin for her job, and SIL has a "Pizza convention" that is a must for him.  Since he is in the hospitality business - working with restaurants and other food establishments he goes to these conventions to sell equipment.  That means someone stays with the kids.  That would be me!  And that is the time we were going to be gone!

You can follow my trip beginning about 1 pm in Austin where we will head north through Cedar Park to Liberty Hill, Burnet, Llano, Castell, and Hilda.  Then we head west on dirt toward the Llano River where we will stop at the SSB!!  Be there about 4pm!

Partially answered question

When I was younger, I wondered why folks who have been married for 25 plus years get a divorce.  After all that time??

I am beginning to understand.  And it is all that time.  You put up with things for all that time.

So where does this come from.  Well - I know that we are constantly changing as people.  And that means that couples change.  Sometimes, it isn't for the best.

That's how I feel right now.  I really would like to get out.  All this after 46 years.  There are changes, and I don't like them.

We have always had humm .. disagreements.  Some would become loud.  Always there.  But I am tired of them.  I don't fight back anymore.  I just shut up and let him go on.

Last night was almost the end of it all.  SIL and grandson were away at a baseball tournament,  so we went to dinner ":with the girls."  G had gotten meat out - our fav - venison backstrap.  When we didn't go out to eat, we decided it would go into (oh, such a waste) stew for Family Dinner.

It was on the counter  That's important.

When we got home, to cut to the chase, Clyde had gotten it off the counter, and ate it.  Guess who got blamed for it.  That's right me.  Only me.  "If SHE had put it away ..."

I was ready to pack my bags and leave.  I was totally fed up.  I don't know where all this is coming from, but I am really and truly sick of it.  One of the women at church was surprised to learn that he was Daughter's dad.  "He always looks so grumpy"  And he is.  And I am sick of it.  And I am sick of not going/doing anything because he doesn't like "crowds."  He just doesn't like people - and right now I think I am included in this.

Thanks for listening.  I should take this down, but I doubt I will.  I should just keep this to myself, but ...   This is my blog, and this is one of the things it is for.  So, it will stand.

Partially good day

This morning was like old times.  Daughter and I went shopping together.  We used to do that all the time, and I got really used to that.  I looked forward to Saturdays when we would go out to do whatever shopping.  Then came all the sports stuff.  Baseball tournaments, basketball games, and on and on.  There went our shopping expeditions.

Today we went to a Farmers' Market that was in another little burg that is outside Houston.  There are many of these, and this one is just right up the road.  I didn't really expect to get anything exciting.  It is at the very beginning of the growing season, and we did have that ice last week.  I also had been to Costco and bought cherry tomatoes, lettuce, artichokes, and strawberries.  So I didn't need much of anything.  I wanted to get a look at this place though.

This little town is one that we used to frequent a lot.  I haven't been there in years, and it has changed a lot.  The main sreet is quite charming and quaint now.  Our Railroad museum is relocating there soon - in fact the work has begun on the new facility.  The market was small - as I imagined it would be today.  But we managed to buy.

I have suddenly begun to like Indian food.  I mean like from India - not native!  There is a little restaurant close by that we go to occasionally.  They have these things called samosas that I really enjoy.  Where am I going with this?  Well - of all things there was a person there selling Indian food!  Yea.  So we both bought some items from her.

Daughter got two bows from a lady there who had bows and pillowcase dresses (that were too expensive), and then we found a person selling Texas olive oil products.

The only produce were greens (that G won't even begin to eat), beets (same thing), cauliflower, broccoli, some onions and some tomatoes.  There was grass fed beef, but I passed on that today,.  It was an interesting trip,

Today would have been really great because Son was going to come by to do some work for us.  But I should have got together with DIL because I am pretty sure he forgot.  So they are at a birthday party.  They will be coming by later.  But that means he is going to be dressed, AND he won't have his tools, and (this I shouldn't say) the family will be with him,  That means Clyde will be terrorized.  And the toys will be scattered.  And on and on.  Terrible grandmother I am.

So with that negative ending - I will go hang my head in shame.  I do love those kids, but I have never been really good with those who are from 9 months to five years. 

And the eye says "enough already!"

The last time (about three weeks ago) I went to the regular ophthalmologist (don't you wish you had regular and special doctors??) she said that she didn't like the pressure in my left (of course) eye.  She could prescribe another medication for my glaucoma (still think thickened corneas) or use a laser.

She thought the laser would be better, and I thinking that that would be great - not another co-pay, would be good.  So it was scheduled for today.

My appointment was for 11.  G had made an appointment for a pedicure at 1.  He said he tried to call, but I didn't answer.  Well duh!  I told him I would be vacuuming.  So I didn't get to remind him that I had the 11 appointment,

I hate having later appointments.  The doctor always gets behind, and this one really does.  That's part of what I love about her  - she doesn't hurry her patients, but that is also the problem.  She then gets behind.  So I got in at 11:45.

They sat me in an exam room until 12.  Then I got (SURPRISE) a drop in my eye, and was moved to the section where you wait for your eyes to dilate.  At 12:30, I called home.  I told G to go on, and I would be there ASAP.

It was 1 when I got in to the laser room. G had already cancelled the nail appointment.  I wasn't worried about the laser business because about 10 years ago I had a treatment (in the same eye I might add) to take an aneurism out.  So my vision has been crappy (sorry - no other way to put it) for 10 years.

So another drop, and then the dreaded speculum - only it wasn't really a speculum - in the eye.   It was like a speculum, but I believe it was a magnifying device with some sort of liquid in it.  I was still ok - every month I get that blasted speculum for the injection. 

Then the laser started.  She said it wouldn't hurt, and I would be fine to drive.  SHE. LIED.  Like a big dog.  That thing was painful, but not in the eye.  It was in the cheek below the eye.  I was at the end of my rope when she finally stopped.    I hope that little drain is now open to allow the pressure to drop

Driving for the first 15 minutes was quite painful.  Making things worse, the highway is under major construction.  Lanes appear and disappear daily.  It is always bad, and today was horrendous.  And it is really the only way without going miles out of the way to get from the medical center back home.

I survived.  My eye hurts.  The drops to go in four times a day hurt.  And my eye is about to run away from all these procedures.  I may wake up with an empty socket tomorrow!

Thursdays

Some Thursdays are hectic in these parts.  I have my sewing machine club (and IF we weren't gone on the third Thursdays of the month, I would have my digitizer class for my embroidery), and every Thursday G is signed up to play 42 at the community college.

This week we added a "day of beauty" for Clyde.  I forgot about it, and I didn't even get up until after 8.  I am going through another can't sleep time.  He should have been there around 7.  Well, that didn't happen, but it was really OK.

After class today, I was in the area of Costco, so that became part of my day.  I am used to them being busy, busy, busy, but from the talk in the check-out line, today was worse.  There were various ideas about why, but anyway.

I chose a line that looked fairly promising.  From that statement, you should know that it wasn't.  It was moving right along until the guy in fromt of me was next.  Everyone is really good about putting their items on the belt as soon as there is room.  Not this jerk.  AND he had TWO orders.

The poor cashier finally moved over to "help" him put the things on the belt, and was checking him out.  Oh, and he didn't have his card ready.  She got him and his two orders completed by the time I had my things loaded!  She made things smooth and seamless.

So I felt compelled to tell her what a good job they were doing.  She said that idiot has suggested that they only have one line for everyone to use because we have to wait so long anyway!  Unbelievable.  She also told me that one other day a woman wasn't unloading her cart.  The person behind her asked if she thought she was at _____ grocery store where they unload it as you go, and did she need help to unload her cart!  I thought that was priceless.

The old mill

This print was done by an artist in Fredericksburg, and was our Christmas present.  It hangs on the wall in the living room at the SSB.

All didn't go smoothly for the intrepid Germans when they moved to take over this mill.  There is a big retaining pond in back, and I understand the wheel is on the left as you look at the mill.  They have closed it because of the vandals and insurance.  G has seen it - I have not.

Anyway, this creek is normally a slow moving little stream, but there are very heavy rains that can (wish they would again - we NEED them) fall on the watershed.

GGG(+/- some g's) sent the boys to San Antonio shortly after buying the mill to buy a bigger wheel to go on the mill.  Now these days, San Antonio is about 2 1/2 hours away - at 70 mph when you reach the highway.  I can only imagine how long it would have taken the boys.  Atm 30 miles a day, it was about a week, I am sure!

So they set off,  and brought the new wheel back.  It was installed, and was working well - until.  There was an extremely heavy rain.  The creek flooded, and the flood waters ripped the new wheel off.  So there they were - no wheel. I can just imagine the way they felt.

Those Germans were hardy folks.  If you notice on the far side of the creek - across the road from the mill - is a remnant of a rock fence.  This was the way to delinate pastures.  I think the men worked on these fences, but G's theory is that they used Mexican labor to do them.  I can just imagine the work involved in these - especially in the Texas summer heat.

There was only so much work for people at the mill, so as they boys grew into manhood, married and had families, they branched out into other communities around here.  They moved from Doss into Squaw Creek and Cherry Springs.   There are lots and lots of relatives all over that area.

I joke with G telling him that we really couldn't toss a rock without hitting one of our relatives.  He probably more so because his maternal folks are all from that area.  Mine are at least a little more spread out!

A little Texas Hill Country history.  Lady Bug found some of our families listed in her Texas History Book!  She is now a little more interested.

This is not normal!

I was planning to post (easily) some pictures of what it looks like around the house today.  Yesterday was so easy to post!  From the tablet to this computer to the blog.  So, I was all set.  The tablet was dead, so I took the camera.  Taking the card out is easy!  So no problemo! Right???  right??  NO!

I didn't realize the camera was set to internal storage.  To cut to the chase - after an hour and fifteen minutes, I am finally here.  It took utilizing the wonky Dell also, but I finally got the pictures ready.  So here goes.

I also went to the blog to check the layout and realized that I cannot post big pictures in the layout I was using, so I changed it!!

I know this is nothing.  But for us - on the Gulf Coast - in March, it is not normal.  We are just as sick of this as I know a lot of you are.  So - our great ice storm of 2014:

 This is our "grape arbor."  Those are grape vines,  Today they are ice covered.

 Once again, the arbor with some neighborhood trees in the background.  Strange.

On

 We have a wisteria planted in the front yard. It doesn nothing to climb on - and I think that is the reason it doesn't bloom.  In our other house (30+ years ago) we had one planted like this, and it bloomed!  Anyway - today it is ice!!

 Again the back yard - our other neighbors.  The ice actually shows best here.

This is our BIG ash tree in the front.  Our neighbor across the street has their trees pruned to tall, that you really cannot see the ice.  But regardless - enough already!!!

Again?

I know some of you haven't had a break from this cold.  We have.  In fact yesterday was warm - until it dropped 30+degrees in two hours.  We had moved all the plants out of the house and greenhouse.  Please note - I do use the term "greenhouse" loosely.  It is a storage shed with windows and a radiator type heater in it.  But it keeps our tropicals that stay out 75% of the time from freezing.

So now it was 27 this morning.  I know, I know - balmy for some of you.  But still ...

I downloaded some pictures from the last trip to the SSB.  Unfortunately, the tablet (the camera too for that matter) doesn't really capture what I wanted to show you.

This is the road that leads to the SSB.  It is difficult to tell from the picture, but it is dirt.  This stretch becomes terrible when that magical stuff that falls from the sky sometimes happens in these parts

This is from out cattle guard (Texas Gate in Canada we discovered).  There is a small two rutted road leading up the hill.  We can't bulldoze it smoother because the telephone company (Verison) put the phone line right down between the two ruts!  It is taken at about 5 MPH, and even then your teeth rattle.  But then - we have been rattling for about 10 miles by now!

This is the castle.  A double wide.  That is the gate for the new fence to keep hogs and (hopefully one day soon again - if grass returns to the pasture) cattle out.  In the foreground was the previous farm truck - Rusty.  His name is descripive!  It is a 1967 Ford Custom.  Right now - he is just "yard art" because he is very sick.  He doesn't want to start, he is leaking bodily fluids, and once started - he doesn't want to stop.  He has a leaky braking system which has air in the lines.  In the background is the present farm truck.  It wasn't running.  The battery died and we have the new one with us.

This is a view of the Doss Valley from Fuege Hill.  This is the area where my ancestors settled after coming from Germany and San Antonio - that is the ones that didn't stay in San Antonio.  We were coming back from getting groceries in Fredericksburg.,

 

This is Lange's Mill.  This was the "homestead" when that part moved up there.  GGGgrandpa milled grains - when he wasn't making liquors in his still for the Germans in the area.  That was a skill that came with him from Germany!  The mill is closed now, and unfortunately I don't know how long it will stand.  The family there is getting old (late 80's), and I am not sure their kids and grandkids feel like putting anything (money) into it.  The creek in front provided the power to the wheel/

So there you have a brief look at the area around the SSB.