Weekend Recap

I had a great weekend and I hope you did too!  Here are the highlights:

Saturday morning, me and Chip volunteered with Texas All Abilities, playing kickball with kids!  It was fun!  A young fellow, about nine years old, became my best friend in the two hours we were together.  He told me all about his favorite video game...and I mean ALL ABOUT IT!  I know about the Mountain and the Magic Sword and how you get your health and how you climb the towers to get transported to another site and how you have to beat Ganon (or maybe that was the army of Moblin...I can't be sure!) It took me right back to when my boys were enthralled with some new topic and needed to give me all the details.  I just smiled and tried to come up with some relevant questions so he knew I was paying attention.  He also asked me for a hug, so DAY MADE!

Then it was football watching and house cleaning, which was not that exciting.

Sunday morning I went to a Grandma Baby Shower...called a Grand Blessings Shower...for my friend Karen. The drive there and back with my friend Connie was like a fabulous therapy session and we talked about all the things. The shower was held at this quaint little Inn in Fayetteville Texas.  The little town was right out of a movie. There were mimosas and biscuits and Eggs Benedict and lots of laughs and baby things!  Karen is going to be called "Honey" for her grandma name and look how cute these invitations were. A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!

Sunday afternoon, I went kayaking with Nancy.  It has been a while since we have been out, so it felt particularly lovely to get on the water and get moving.  We saw this really cool school of small fish that was swimming in a tight circle.  They were circling and feeding at the very top of the water.  It was so interesting.  We sat and watched them for a long while. We saw a snake and lots of turtles. 

We ended our adventure in this little cove.  Can you see the two big water birds? 

On the left is one of the big white birds sitting on the pole.  On the right is one of those big gray birds that we watched trying to catch his dinner.  Up on the hill grazing were some deer.  Pictures just can do it justice!  Don't you love all my scientific names for things....giant white bird...giant gray bird.  I keep thinking they are egrets or herons, but honestly have no idea.  Most of the time, I think I call them friends.  As in "Hey Nancy, do you see our friend sitting on that pole?" 

Can you see our big gray friend in this picture? 

After a fabulous outing, the sun started to set and we headed for shore.  Such a fabulous way to wrap up a weekend. 

I won't mention the ten inches of slime and sludge we had to stand in to get out of our boats.  That was not fabulous.  In fact it was disgusting. But totally worth it! 

Top Ten Tidbits

A few sentences to help get me back in a writing groove:

1) I took The Worst Dog in the World to the vet today for his semi-annual shots.  Always stressful because he is the worst.  He was on his regular Prozac + two Trazadone so he would be chill.  I put on his basket muzzle before we left and rewarded him with lots of steak on the drive over.  He was not awful.  He looked like Hannibal Lecter in his mask, but it made me feel better that he couldn't snap at anyone that might have the audacity to touch his feet or his sides or look in his ears or listen to his heart.  He doesn't love those things.  They were so patient with him and we all survived.  TWDITW is weighing in at 98 pounds.  YIKES!  He is a unit.  Here is the most recent picture I have of him.  This is how close he likes to sit next to me on the couch...and this is how intently he looks at me the whole time.  I think he loves me hard...but sometimes I'm not sure!

2) My neighbor Judy brought a tiny kitten home to foster last night.  I went over to visit and the kitten was hiding behind the dryer. We left her alone for a while, but every time we peeked in on her she was still in the same place.  We were a little worried she was stuck. We tried all manner of things to get that sweet girl to come out...including this.  Finally, Judy coaxed her out and we blocked off the access to behind the appliances. We were two sweaty messes by the time we wrestled with wood and barricades!  But she sure is a cutie!

3) Today I made some chicken noodle soup.  It is still 1,000 degrees here in Texas.  I was hoping the soup would bring on a cold front.  It didn't.  Soup was still good. 

4) Chip's senior year is already zipping by.  Look at this boy. 

His car..and his flashy shoes.

His senior parking spot. 

Yearbook pictures. 

First day of senior year. 

He has been accepted at Arizona State into the WP Carey Business School for Sports Business. The degree description says it provides a foundation in major aspects of the evolving sports and media industries and graduates will become fluent in trends at the intersection of sports, media and business. Doesn't that sound fun?  He has also applied to University of Houston and is waiting to hear back.  We shall see! 

5) Harry is doing great with the Rangers.  Baseball season is already wrapping up.  The Rangers did not make the playoffs so their last home stand will be this next week against the Yankees.  Harry has an opportunity to stay on with the Rangers full time - but won't know for sure until January.  Fingers crossed it works out for him.  So proud of him for being brave and chasing his dream! 

6)  Kayaking. It is my new pastime and passion. I love it so much. I go with my friend Nancy and we have the BEST time. Out in nature, seeing wildlife, escaping danger, talking, laughing, pointing out cool things.  We can be in the water 10 minutes from our house and it feels like we are on vacation the minute the boats are in the water.  I had no idea how much I would love it.  

7) I got Lana's china coffee cups out of the cabinet the other day. Not sure they have been used in 35 years.  I have decided to use them all the time.  It isn't convenient that I can't warm up my coffee in the microwave because of the metal trim - but honestly they don't hold that much so I drink it pretty fast.  Also, I don't think you are supposed to put them in the dishwasher - but I am.  I want to use them, but I am not hand washing anything. So far, they have done great!  

8) Trying to drink more water. Not a fan.  Hydrating is hard. 

9)  College football is back and I am so happy.  Is there anything better than a full Saturday of college football?  No, there is not. It is the best! 

10) Got a full weekend of activities coming up!  Hope to blog a little bit every day.  See if I can get back into a rhythm. 

Hope you have an amazing weekend!  Get out there and do something fun!   

The Ottoman

Hello all!  It has been a minute since I last felt an inkling to write...but today I do, so let's do it!

This past Sunday, I finally finished a project that has been a long time in the making.  Picture this....a young mom ordering her first customizable upholstered chair. She picked out the cutest plaid fabric..it was a greens and cream plaid with a red thread running through it.  She loved the fabric and the chair, and really wanted an ottoman to go with it, but alas she is so painfully cheap that she did not order an ottoman. What she did do, was order an extra yard of the chair fabric for $40 so she could recover a soon to be found old ottoman herself.  It would be less expensive, cute and crafty and if there is anything this girl loved, it was being thrifty and crafty.

She searched on and off over the next several months (and eventually years) for the ottoman.  Ottoman's are elusive.  Either too big, or too small, or too expensive.  What is the point of choosing the "extra fabric, crafty route" if you end up spending more than a new ottoman would have cost you in the first place.  

Fast forward to few years ago, when the young girl was now a middle aged, peri-menopausal, gal that still had a crafty streak went antiquing with some friends. She was on a quest for three things...a small side table for her son's bedroom, a classic white diner coffee cup and the perfect ottoman.  Wouldn't you know that one of her friends (Hey Sandy!) said she had an old ottoman that had been in her closet for years and years and she would gladly donate it to the ottoman project. On that day, we also found the side table and the coffee cup and declared antiquing day a complete success!

The ottoman was delivered a few days later and it was indeed perfect!  The perfect size and price (FREE!).  The girl pulled the old fabric off the donated ottoman and then tucked it in the garage to finish another day.  She had to find the fabric which she knew was in an envelope in a closet - but which closet?  More months pass and the ottoman is forgotten until a friend stops by for an unexpected visit (Hey Karen!) and home projects and crafts are shared and the ottoman project comes up in conversation.

On Sunday afternoon, the ottoman project was finally completed. The envelope with the fabric was found, buried deep in a linen closet.  When the fabric was pulled out of the envelope, the receipt came out with it.  The fabric was purchased in July of 2001.  Y'all!  The ottoman project had been in the works for over 18 years!  Please note, fabric that sits out and has sun shining on it and people sitting on it fades over the years and fabric in an envelope in a linen closet does not fade.  So, the ottoman and the chair are no longer a perfect match, but the sense of pride in finishing this project was still so satisfying.  I had some trouble finding a working staple gun (Hey Connie!) but once I started stretching and stapling the fabric, it took less than an hour start to finish.

I was just tickled by the whole project and the darling little ottoman!  Welcome to the living room, little ottoman.  It has been a long time coming!