Teamwork-Day 171

When life seems chilly, dreary and hard, look to those who stand by your side and encourage you to achieve your goals and dreams.  Who are those individuals in your life who mean so much to you?  Stop and think!  I know you can name those who truly want you to be happy and successful in life, and who are always on your side.  Reach out to them, join hands and form a team of those who work and play well together!  And then confidently charge towards those goals!  May God bless each and every step along the way!

Carefree-Day 170

What a refreshing morning spent in the park observing two 16 month olds, exploring the rough bark on tree trunks with smooth palms of tiny hands, pulling on blades of fresh green grass with chubby little fingers and scooping up handfuls of tiny rocks only to let them sift through dusty fingers and fall to the ground.  Adrian and Noah have recently discovered that they are making a trip to a park full of adventures if only they will sit still long enough for someone to wrestle a pair of socks and shoes on their precious feet!  Swinging with not a care in the world is my favorite part of watching the boys conclude their morning field trip!  Such happy little guys, and so peaceful! 

Exploring My Creativity-Day 169

This day has been on my calendar for weeks, and I eagerly anticipated taking a Water Color Media class with my friend, Melissa, and many other amazing art teachers!  I was originally worried about signing up for this class with so many artistically talented individuals, and was afraid I would embarrass myself with my total lack of knowledge and skills in art.  Thanks a million, Melissa, for encouraging and motivating me to step out of my comfort zone and join you for the day!  I loved my experiences surrounded by so many wonderful teachers, including the demonstration lessons, helpful tips and pointers from others, great food, and getting to know new people.  My first attempt this morning was fun, and didn't seem too intimidating.  My product is shown above.  My second piece(shown below) was much more challenging as I learned additional techniques to enhance my work.  I decided to embrace different colors the second time around, and then struggled with my decision all afternoon.  I am proud of my new learning and what I accomplished in a 6 hour class, and think that I might really enjoy playing with watercolors again really soon!  Compliments to Lisa Miller, our instructor of the day, for a terrific workshop, and much gratitude to the very kind art teachers from the Brazos Valley who encouraged me along the way!  What a rewarding experience!

Amazing Tree-Day 168

This tree caught my eye as David and I explored many little side streets during our daily walks in Key West.  This was located on the site of an old building that perhaps might have been an old school building.  I'm curious to know more about the history of this site, and the tree! 

Church-Day 167

One of my joys during my travels is to visit beautiful churches, so while in Key West, we spent some time in this one.  Much to my surprise, there were magnificent door panels that opened to the outdoors on each side of the church to welcome in cooler air.  Loved the wooden-beamed ceiling, stained glass windows, and the quiet reverence from the hustle and bustle on Duval Street!

Wondering Why?-Day 166

While strolling through the cemetery one drizzly June morning in Key West, a melancholy feeling overwhelmed me as I passed by this family grave site.  Located in the front were headstones commemorating the very brief lives of three precious babies in the 1800's, all under the age of 1 year.  So many questions were looming before me as I silently grieved for this mother!  What caused the deaths of each of her angels?  Were their deaths sudden because of illness?  What sweet memories did their parents have of their infant and young toddler days?  Why should one mother have to suffer  such a tremendous loss time and time again?  Before leaving the cemetery that day, I returned to the site to capture this photo as I was so moved by my thoughts and feelings for this family and so many others.

Sewing Not My Strength!-Day 165

After cruising on Pinterest last night for baby shower gift ideas, I found the "easiest" idea in the world, and planned throughout the wee morning hours about the fabrics I would buy to make these simple but cute burp cloths.  A morning trip to JoAnn's Fabrics was a success in that I discovered cute flannel and terry cloth for my project, and two colors of thread.  Lunch was a quick peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and then on to more exciting things.  I found my Singer Featherweight in the closet, pulled it out and set it up on my table.  After reviewing the blog I had pinned last night, I carefully cut the fabrics and was ready to SEW!  Unfortunately, I could not remember how to thread my machine after ten years of not tackling any sewing projects.  Can I just say I was so frustrated and then I could not find my manual either!  Fortunately, my mom only lives a few blocks away so I placed a quick call to her for HELP!!  Thankfully, Mom is very good with sewing so, within a few minutes, she appeared on my front porch with a decent pair of sewing scissors, some pins and her knowledge and expertise about sewing!  After much trial and error, she was able to thread the machine and complete one burp cloth.  So CUTE!  Because she knows me very well, and knows I'm a failure with sewing projects, she suggested that I go to the store to buy some for my shower gifts!  Well, she had a good point but you see, I was determined to complete this simple project I started this morning!  I'm so happy to report in my "show and tell" that I successfully completed a second burp cloth after she left me alone to sink or swim with my trusty Singer!  Now I'm wondering if I should add sewing classes to my summer to-do list!  Or should I accept the fact that this is just not something I'm EVER going to be able to do on my own?  I would really love to be able to sew as well as my mom! 

Key West Cemetery-Day 164

David has this fascination with visiting cemeteries when we travel, and I usually do not join him on his stroll through them.  However, while in Key West, I decided to tag along to see what was so attracting or intriguing to him!  In some of my reading about being a writer, a suggested activity was to study names and dates on grave sites as an exercise for future character development.  With that frame of reference, I must admit that I actually enjoyed our drizzly morning walk through the Key West Cemetery!

Twins at 14 Months-Day 163

Oh my goodness, how much fun we are having with Noah and Adrian this summer!  As 14 month olds, they are:

•  walking/RUNNING
• playing hide and go seek all around the house
• fighting over each other's toys, and then making up with sweet hugs
• pointing to objects around the house and verbalizing "this"? or "that"?
• waving bye-bye
• dancing and rocking to music(they love Aaron Watson and birthday songs!)
• signing "more" when they taste something yummy
• exploring behind cabinet doors for treasures
• loving to have books read to them(YAY!)
• pulling off their diapers and running around in the "buff"

Twins are definitely DOUBLE the FUN!!  Praising God for them each day!

One Unknown Soldier-Day 162

David and I hovered under our umbrellas during a slow and steady rain one morning while on vacation, respectfully standing in a section of the cemetery dedicated to fallen soldiers.  The questions circling around in my mind were about his mother and the rest of his family, his fellow soldiers, his duties he upheld during his service, and his demise.  I trudged away from this young man's gravesite with a heavy heart, and visually embraced all of the other unknown soldiers laid to rest around him in every direction.

Street Scene-Day 161

Oh, the beauty surrounding our home away from home while vacationing in Key West!  I loved the comfortable Southern homes, the white picket fences, and the lush greenery, not to mention the vibrant colors of flowers.  I fantasized about buying this one until I learned about the cost of real estate on the island!  Not in my lifetime!  Oh well, I can continue to dream about what life might be like here in this home!

Some Good Eating!-Day 160

I highly recommend Sloppy Joe's on Duval Street for anyone visiting Key West.  They had the BEST sloppy joe's I think I've ever had in my life, and of course, we had to try some of the local flavor in conch fritters with our drinks.  The beverages shall remain nameless on my blog but they were definitely refreshing!  We also enjoyed the live entertainment with some guitar and singing of some wild and crazy lyrics!  The funniest activity I observed was a man who brought his dog in to sit next to him in the bar area, on a bar stool.  Now that's a loyal four-legged friend!

Lunch with Key West Friends-Day 159

Gena and Emily Parsons came by our B&B on our second day in Key West to take us to the neatest place to eat!  Very quaint little Cuban restaurant with lots of character and some terrific food, but the best part of our lunch together was the conversation with these two friends.  Emily and her brother, Hayden, were former Ross students when I was principal there, and they stole my heart from the outset!  Emily has grown into a beautiful young woman full of a genuine interest in others, a passion for adventure, and a contagious love of life itself!  Although I did not get to see Hayden during our visit, Gena shared some heartwarming stories with me about his life.  I have so many fond memories of this young man during his years as an elementary student under my care.  David and I were very thankful for the time Gena spent over the past few months sending us recommendations for things to see and do on our vacation.  We had a terrific time, Gena!!  I am so grateful for this family and their friendship! 

Parrot Head-Day 158

I was fascinated with this parrot being toted around by an interesting character on Duval Street, and wanted to snap some photos of the bird.  I quickly learned that I could for a small fee-ha ha!  Oh well, it was worth every penny to see David with the parrot on top of his head!

Key Lime is the Flavor-Day 157

Key lime treats were in great abundance in Key West, in just about every retail shop and restaurant!  There were key lime:

• margaritas
• coladas
• mojitos
• cookies
• candy
• salad dressings
• cakes
• pies
• hand lotions
• soaps
• etc

But the one treat I waited all week to enjoy was a frozen slice of mouth-watering key lime pie on a popsicle stick, nestled in a crunchy graham cracker crust, AND dipped in a fine shell of chocolate!  Oh so tasty, and yes, a little goes a long way! 

Sailing In the Sunset-Day 156

We couldn't help but to imagine and wonder who owned this magnificent sailboat, and where they might be sailing on this gorgeous evening in Key West!  I've personally never been on a sailboat so I privately dreamed of a destination adventure off into a sunset just like this one!  Who knows?  This might be a future tale of mine!  Or an experience to add to my "bucket list"!  Happy sailing!

Sunset Celebration-Day 155

The sunsets in Key West were breathtaking and such a peaceful closure to each rainy day!  Every evening after dinner, we walked down to "Sunset Pier" with my camera in hand, ready to capture the beauty for our forever memories!  What a perfect way to end our days on vacation!

Brilliant Orange Blossoms-Day 154

Such stunning trees in Key West, bursting with brilliant orange blossoms! I have learned that they are called poinciana trees, and that they thrive in this tropical setting! The locals shared that while the flowers are beautiful on the tree, they are quite messy when they drop their withered blooms everywhere! I think they are lovely!

Celebrating Dad-Day 153

How blessed I am to be able to see and talk to my dad on a daily basis!  I love that he is creative, compassionate, funny, and enjoys spending time with family.  I like that he shared the "organizing" gene with me.  I appreciate his innate ability to see a problem in this world, and invent one solution or many!  I admire his positive attitude and spirit about the things in life, even when I know he is not always feeling his best.  I smile when I observe him being such an encourager and supporter of his new friends he has made at the cancer center while graciously and patiently watching his chemo drugs drip into his veins.  I acknowledge that he enjoys non-fiction, technical topics for reading, and grin when he occasionally will tackle a book of fiction.  I value his desire to make a difference in this world by reaching out to others.  I love that he loves his family unconditionally.  I am grateful for this brilliant man in my life-celebrating Dad on Father's Day 2012!

Sunflowers-Day 152

Loved the brilliantly-colored sunflowers David brought home for me today!  It's been a beautiful day to celebrate my 29th? birthday!  I can almost close my eyes and dream of fields of these amazing flowers! 

My Sweet Kyleigh-Day 151

Love my little brown-eyed Kyleigh!  She is so eager and excited when we pick her up early from "school" to come and spend some uninterrupted time with Hunny and Pop! 

Wonder Pets-Day 150

Oh dear!  It's raining, it's pouring and the twins continually crawl to their wagon, wanting to climb in and go for a walk with us!  After offering many other distractions for their one-track minds about going outside, we quickly selected a DVR'd episode of Wonder Pets.  Winnie, Tuck and Ming-Ming kept them on the edge of their seats for 10 whole minutes!  I think that's awesome for busy 13 month olds! 

Making a Tent-Day 149

Thunder, lightning and pouring down rain at our house calls for the making of a tent with blankets!  David(AKA Pop) had so much fun teaching Noah and Adrian how to create a fun hiding place during our storm this evening. 

Army Wives-Day 148

On Sunday, I was a prisoner to my bed because I felt so badly, but relied on Lifetime Movie Network and my books to keep me entertained.  Army Wives Marathon was the event for Sunday, and I discovered a series I had never watched and never thought I would enjoy.  You see, I am normally not a TV watcher except for HGTV!  Sometime during Sunday evening, I discovered this was a series from 2007 and I had been watching Season 6 SO thankfully, I will be able to enjoy Army Wives from Season 1 because of Netflix! 

Almost Ready for Entertaining-Day 147

Such a fun little project today to prepare my new table for entertaining!  New bench is completed, new placemats in place, candleholders cleaned and filled with new tealights, and fun, summery napkins displayed.  We searched all day for a table runner that would cover an eight-foot table and drop some over the side.  I calculated 120" needed but NOT found anywhere in Bryan/College Station!  Well, truthfully, I only looked at Target, World Market and Pier I, but gave up and came home.  I guess we will shop online for my next purchase unless anyone can provide me information about who might carry a table runner that is long!

Sharing Not Always Good-Day 146

I'm more than happy to share just about anything with anybody, but sharing the coughing/fever virus is really not cool!  My mother-in-law began the spread, Kyleigh was next, and then the twins shared it with Hunny!  I MUST get well quickly as I have jury duty this next week and then Key West.

When Roles Reverse-Day 145

In the past three years, David and I have been blessed with witnessing our own children evolving into independent young adults and parents of their own children-our grandchildren.  At the same time, we have been drawing closer as an extended family by welcoming Mary, my mother-in-law, and David's mother, into our home.  My parents have also joined us in Bryan, living only a few blocks from us.  We are so lucky to have all of our family within just a few miles.  David and I are learning new roles in caring for our parents, and have struggled with some of the challenges we face daily.  Because we desire to give the very best love and care, we have been seeking a class, book or support group to enhance our skills in this new role in our lives.  Thanks to my friend, Julie, we were able to register and attend a dynamic session this past week!  Jim Comer captured his audience from the moment he stepped in front of the room, and maintained a positive and entertaining presence throughout his informative presentation entitled "The Joys and Jolts of Parenting Your Parents".  David and I learned so much from this speaker that will make us better caregivers in the future.  We also were very fortunate to win a copy of his book entitled When Roles Reverse, which we look forward to reading so that we can expand our horizons in the caregiver role.  I would be thrilled to share Jim Comer's information with anyone who would be interested-just send me a note!

Bench Project-Day 144

David and Richard masterfully built a long bench to accompany my new table with scraps of wood just lying around!  In other words, it was free and created with a labor of love.  David decided today was the perfect day to sand it and prepare it for the marriage with the table.  It's my hope that all will be completed with my new table in time to celebrate Father's Day next weekend! 

My Harvest Table-Day 143

On recent trips to Kerrville, I have had my sights on a harvest table or two in the Rouse's carport!  After all, they were both beautiful tables and I definitely needed more seating in my sunroom for shared meals with family!  Our family is growing by leaps and bounds! I'm excited to share that David and Jamie recently made a day trip to the Hill Country to bring home one of the tables for me.  I was assured that this treasure was for Mother's Day, my birthday, and Christmas of 2012!  Oh, yeah?  We'll see about that!  Well, as you can see, it's finally found its' place in my sunroom after retiring a table we have owned since the first year we married.  I think I will enjoy this newest addition in our home.  Now off to find a table runner to enhance this beauty!

Yellow Flowers-Day 142

YELLOW

-flowers

-sherbet

-sunshine

-jelly beans

-lemons

-crayons

-markers

-bees

-shoes

-bananas

-lemon drops

-candles

-legal pads

-sticky notes

-ribbons

-sunflowers

-buttery popcorn

-pencils

-dishes

-scrambled eggs

-mustard

-school buses

-raincoats

-squash

-highlighters

-crime tape

-yield sign

-happiness

God's Beauty-Day 141

Is this not one of the most beautiful flowers ever?  Thank you, God, for surrounding us in the beauty of your creation!

Kyle Field-Day 140

Kyle Field...Aggieland...football...yell leaders...the Aggie Band...kettle corn...Gig 'Em...

David's Old Stomping Grounds-Day 139

We often drive around on the Texas A&M campus, and occasionally David likes to relive and retell the many stories of his early college days in his old stomping grounds!  Utay Hall was a wild and crazy dorm, as I recall, full of young men always looking for adventure and excitement, and not always academic in nature!  I enjoyed it being so close in proximity that we could just walk a couple of minutes to Kyle Field for all of the football games.  David has other reasons why he loved this old place!  Just ask him sometime!

God's Grace-Day 138

Bless you, Lord, for your favor, grace and mercy upon my life! 

David's on a Healthier Mission-Day 137

David and I have adopted more of a vegan lifestyle with lots of exercise included in our daily routine!  Now when I married David, he was a meat and potatoes kind of guy, who wouldn't even look at a vegetable on his plate!  We've come a long way, baby!!  Looking good....

Our First Apartment-Day 136

Yesterday I was feeling a little nostalgic and asked David if we could go and find our very first apartment we shared after our wedding almost 35 years ago.  Y-1-E Hensel Apartments at Texas A&M was our home sweet home, filled with a bundle of amazing wedding presents, meager furnishings that were provided, and us!  Our tiny apartment is the one in the bottom right corner of my picture, next to the stairwell!  We felt blessed beyond measure! 

Memorial Day Weekend-Day 135

Packed and ready for a terrific family gathering at my youngest brother's home!  Clay and Myra were hosting an early Memorial Day cookout, and we were excited to make the drive to Houston.  Amber and the twins traveled with us so we were prepared for just about any circumstance along the way!  Chips, brownies, fiesta salad, sunscreen and baby wipes in my large utility tote!  In my picnic thermal, I had ice-cold potato salad.  My thermal tote was filled to the brim with a variety of baby snacks, cups of cold water, and milk bottles for Adrian and Noah.  And Amber included camo mini-utility bins filled with toys to keep the babies entertained for the car ride.  Yes, they each had their own!  It was a whole lot more fun packing for the trip, and spending the day with family, than it was unpacking!  I wish we lived closer to my extended family! 

Life is a Bowlful of Cherries-Day 134

Cherries trigger memories of a summer road trip to Cloudcroft, New Mexico with Richard and Lane.  Before driving up the beautiful, winding mountain to our tiny cabins, we shopped in a local shop for our food stash for the week.  I'm not sure about anything else that we bought as it has been several years ago, but we headed up the mountain with fresh ripe cherries in abundance, and the best cherry cider I've ever tasted!  How I wish I could have a bottle of that chilled cider this evening!  Isn't it funny how something as delightful but as small as a cherry can bring back of flood of memories shared with great friends?  As I washed this bowlful this evening for our dinner, I thought of our adventuresome hikes, the magnificent sunsets, the amazing wild horses, entertaining card games and conversations, hundreds of hummingbirds swarming our little porches, and satisfying wine as the sun slipped slowly below the mountains into a long, chilly night!  Ah, life really is a bowlful of cherries!

Adrian in Rocking Chair-Day 133

Such an innocent, sweet little guy had his own ideas about how he was going to sit in the little red rocking chair, and where he would look, and with what expression he would pose!  In some small ways, he reminds me of his mommy!  Adrian Reece, you are an adorable little one year old! 

Carrying on the Tradition-Day 132

A tradition has been passed down for many long years in the Madden family with a tiny red rocking chair.  On the first birthday of each child in the family since David's mother was a little girl, a photo has been taken to commemorate the special event.  One-year old Noah loved posing in his "big boy" rocking chair.  Adrian will be featured in my next post-after all, he deserves his own page for this special tradition!

Five Wishes in a Wagon-Day 131

Nestled in a red Radio Flyer wagon so bright,
Tired little Kyleigh wanted to avoid sleep tonight!

This little girl made one wish and nothing more,
She wished her Pop would take her to the store.

Not the store, she said?  "OK, to the swing!"
Kyleigh shouted with glee.

A quick stop at the pink swing and a tune in the trees,
Left Miss Kyleigh yawning and slapping her knees!

"How about an ice cream treat?"
Hunny, that would be really neat!

A walk in the wagon was Kyleigh's next wish,
So she grabbed her silky pink blanket with a confident swish!

When eyes were getting droopy, and her head not so steady,
this little three-year old suggested a movie-yes, she was ready!

On our final trek home, all was quiet and still,

Sweet little Kyleigh had fallen asleep for real!

A New Cookbook-Day 131

I love collecting cookbooks when I travel, and I do actually spend time enjoying the beautiful photos of the many dishes featured in each collection of recipes.  My mom and dad just cruised recently on Royal Caribbean, and brought me an early birthday gift from the ship!  I cannot pronounce any of the original names of the recipes but I can drool over the pictures, and plan ahead to prepare some of the delightful dishes.  The Mediterranean Eggplant is so colorful, and is seasoned with garlic, olive oil and basil.  Since I am a lover of chocolate, the Chocolate Mousse with rum is on my list to try also.  Thanks for thinking of me while you were cruising in the Caribbean! 

My Daughter a Mother-Day 130

Such an honor and privilege to live only a mile from my first-born, Lynsey, and her family!  I am so proud of the mother that she has become to Kyleigh, and step-mother to Madison.  She loves spending time with her girls, playing games, reading books and of course, shopping for girl clothes, cute shoes and bows! Happy Mother's Day, Lynsey!

Peaceful Park Setting-Day 129

Thank you, Lynsey, for introducing us to this beautiful little park just down the street from your house!  I am embarrassed to admit that we live less than two miles from this quiet retreat, and tonight is the first time I got to admire it's beauty and peacefulness!  Remembering our park time this evening shared with Lynsey and Kyleigh!  I'm loving the gifts of time spent with my children!  Life is precious-don't waste a moment!

Pick Me Up-Day 128

When you are feeling a little blue, take a walk in the outdoors!  Just recently, I enjoyed a quiet stroll on a trail and discovered beautiful flowers and the daintiest little butterfly that continued to flutter around my face and landed on me twice.  Grateful for the opportunity to enjoy God's creations, and smiling because of His mercy and grace!

Flowers from My Son-Day 127

There's nothing like walking in from church today to a gorgeous bouquet of fresh flowers from my son, with the sweetest card in the whole wide world!  "I'm wishing you love and the kind of happiness that's reserved only for my mother!"  Thank you, Jamie, for making my day so special by spending time with us, and for the great new book to read!  Loving you always and forever!

David-Day 126

A list about David...

• my devoted husband of 34 years
• an Aggie
• one terrific dad to Lynsey, Amber and Jamie
• our "fixer" around the house
• an only child
• a lover of words-in other words, he loves to TALK
• knows no stranger
• offers terrific wagon rides for his grandangels
• the best "swinger" of the babies and Kyleigh in the swing
• enjoys projects, mostly outside and mostly with wood
• my best friend

May Book Club-Day 125

It's no secret that I am a lover of books and reading, but some selections are among the best I have read in a long time!  For our May book club, we are reading The Story of Beautiful Girl!  Rachel Simon, the author, hooked me within the first five pages of the book and I have not wanted to do anything else this weekend!  I'm thankful for my book club friends and the selections they have chosen, because I have a tendency to lean towards only a few authors and genres!  I highly recommend you adding this to your summer reading list...