Greetings From Another Universe

It has been so long since I have posted, I feel I am a tiny speck on a distant planet calling out to all my long lost blogging friends.

 So much has happened since I last checked in.

 Eldest daughter has remarried and moved to the country with the granddaughters. They are having so much fun raising chickens,  of which I am the proud recipient of dozens of fresh eggs.

Hubby has lost his job. Although we have had some sleepless nights fraught with hard decisions to be made, we have been very blessed. He has been at his new job for one week now.

 We had thought we would have to sell our home and make some major lifestyle changes, but his time of being unemployed was short. It has been good to take a hard look at our expenditures and cut unnecessary spending and fine-tune our budget. It is amazing how careless we can become with our finances when we are lulled into a sense of security and ease.

 I have to interrupt myself here to talk about my Lady Banks rose. These pictures were taken just a few days after a huge storm had dumped over 3 inches of rain and pelted everything with hail. Although the blossoms are a bit beaten-up, I wanted to show you the symbiotic relationship between Lady Banks and the Redbud tree it has intertwined. The tree has thrived more than the other two Redbuds I have, and it taller and fuller than they are. It looks less bedraggled at Summer's end, and is always the first to bud out in Spring.

 We have had several good rains, and although they have not lifted the water restriction caused by the severe drought, I have heard some cautiously optimistic predictions that the drought may ease this year. Fingers crossed! I am hopeful that we will not have the high temperatures of the last two summers again this year.

 I am threatening to move to Alaska if we do! How nice it would be to live in the cool north during the summer and live the rest of the year in Austin.

 I don't think I could leave this area for good. Just the thought of having to relocate during Hubby's job search was giving me panic attacks! The thought of leaving the grandbabies was more than I could bear.

 Libby would die if she knew I was calling her a "grandbaby"! She turned 15 in February, and has shot up several inches taller than me this year, gotten her braces off, and turned into a beauty (she said with grandmotherly pride).

 Charley has gotten glasses, and entered middle school. Loudon is busy with soccer and bug collecting, while Gibby is busy exploring everything he can touch.

 Bocephus is still my gardening buddy and bird watcher--well, he does like to chase the starlings and squirrels. Go Bo, go!

While Tucker and Kiefer guard me while I am "computing". They give each other baths and doze or watch the birds and squirrels while I am working. 

I hope that you all are well, and I look forward to catching up on all that has happened in your lives while I have been away in my self-imposed exile!

The Weather Outside Is Frightful

Since I have nothing to post except expanses of dead plants, I have been looking back on old pictures. This one of a rare snow caught my fancy. I love to watch movies set in winter during the summer. It soothes my soul like eating a bowl of ice cream cools me. Doing both at the same time is even better! ;-)

Tuesday we were greeted by cooler weather. No rain, but lots of wind, which has been disastrous for the fire fighting efforts that have been going on for so long now. The last I heard, over 1200 homes have been destroyed, along with countless thousands of acres.  We are actively helping gather and distribute food and supplies to those who are homeless now. My heart goes out to them and all the brave fire fighters and emergency workers. They have all been without adequate sleep for so long. We keep asking ourselves how long can this go on, but the fires refuse to be satisfied, consuming everything in it's path. Whole towns are being destroyed. They are telling us this is the worst drought since 1854. Water restrictions are mandatory now, and with no rain in sight, we are all wondering how much longer we can go with the lake levels so low. Everyone is praying for rain. It is hard to understand the "why" of things sometimes. But I do know that the land and all of the wild things are crying out for rain. I would like to ask, if you care to, that you join us in lifting up prayers to God to send us rain to quench the fires and refresh us.

A Fairy Tale

By Loudon

 Once upon a time

there was a bad guy robot.

I swooped down

and bonked him on the head.

Phew! Phew! Phew!

(lots of spitting, explosion noises)

and he exploded into a billion pieces.

The End

These days, Loudon is obsessed with pirates. He eats, sleeps, and dreams about pirates. For those of you in the know, he is a Pirate Who Doesn't Do Anything...a Veggie Tale Pirate. He is busy planning his birthday party coming up in October. It will be, of course, a pirate party. I have been on the look out for a wooden box to make into a treasure chest for his birthday present. So far, I haven't found exactly what I want...and I still have to find some treasure booty to put in it.

Watermelons and Wonderings

It's so hot,our biggest form of entertainment is eating watermelon...and having seed spitting contests.

 Charley has a very competitive side, and takes her seed spitting very seriously.

 That must be why...

She has won in her division two years in a row.

 I am sorry I haven't been around for the past few months. I have been dealing with health issues, and just didn't have the energy to blog.

 Even after I started feeling better, I just felt stuck. Even when I would think I had an idea of what I wanted to say,

 When faced with a blank page, my mind would go blank as well. I have thought about shutting my blog down, but something would stop me--probably just more indecision. But I have decided I must make a decision to either get back to blogging, or shut it down.  I hope that everyone is well, and thank you to all who have checked in periodically with me.

Merry Christmas!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Loudon is very much in the spirit of Christmas these days. He will go through the house with his sack looking for presents to give everyone. He gave me his dirty socks. Ummmm, thanks!

I have been absent for much of December is seems. I have been ill again. Bronchitis again with a nasty sinus infection. Both eyes and ears were infected, causing my eardrums to both rupture. My balance has been greatly affected and I look like a drunken sailor lurching about trying to get from point A to point B in the most haphazard method. I am relating to poor little Frisky quite well, and if my ears don't clear up soon everyone will start calling me Sidewinder II. My eyes were swollen shut with pink eye, leaving me almost totally blind. What a sight I must have been lurching about running into walls because I couldn't see them. Not able to read or listen to TV or music has made me a very cranky Grammy. All I could do was lie in bed and think about all the things that I needed to get done for Christmas. This has been such an unusual holiday season. I have been making my lists and unchecking them. I have not sent out Christmas cards this year--a first in 30 years! Holiday baking and candy making--uncheck. Gifts for family, friends, and service providers--uncheck. Hubby has been wonderful taking care of me. Driving me to the doctor, making sure anything I needed was there. Buying presents for the grandchildren--really the only ones that can't be forgotten.  Daughters have taken over the planning and cooking for the holidays. They will be coming over early Christmas morning to begin preparations for our feast. Everything else has been scaled back, and I am wondering if this isn't a good thing. I have always felt that family and friends were the most important thing--but I am getting that lesson first hand. It is so much easier to do for others, but infinitely harder to let everyone do EVERYTHING for you!

To add insult to injury. My computers were both hijacked two weeks ago. A quick trip to the 'puter doctor and hundreds of dollars later I am here to tell you--backup your photos! I lost everything on my laptop and that is where I kept most of my pictures. Thankfully, I have found most of them on two different websites that I use for photos. My son has promised to look at my computer and see if he can't recover them. I always meant to back them up--I knew I needed to, I just kept putting it off. I am here to tell you, don't wait if you haven't either--do it today!

Things are looking up! Even though I still can't hear, I can see again, and the room only spins occasionally now. I don't have to cook or clean up for Christmas, and Mom will be coming at noon on Christmas day to spend a good portion of the winter with us. I have three very attentive nursemaids. Bo must be forced to leave my side to go potty and eat. Although the cats, Tucker and Keifer aren't quite that faithful. at least one and often both are either draped across my feet or stretched lengthwise down my body keeping me warm and cozy.

I do hope that this Christmas finds you with the time to reflect on all the blessings in your life, and that you, as I, find your cup overflowing.

Merry Christmas!
Jenny AKA Morning Glories in Round Rock

Happy Thanksgiving

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.


Sorry I have been so quiet lately. I have been sick for over a month. First with a virus, then bronchitis, and last but not least, pneumonia. I think I am finally on the road to recovery, but do think my gardening is over until next year. I left the garden in quite a mess, with lots of projects half started. I am sure it will all be there waiting for me when I am ready to get back out again.

Presenting…

 

 

Gibson Cole

7 lbs. 8 oz.

September 28, 2010

 

There’s A Fungus Among Us

Since the heavy rainfalls we got with Tropical Storm Hermine, we have had muggy weather with fungi popping up everywhere.

This fungus was on the Granddaddy Live Oak that is host to many life forms

And these are growing like dandelions in the grass.

I often say, our summers are like winter is to those living further north.

I often feel I am hibernating all summer waiting for cooler weather to come alive and go outside again.

I think Mother Nature is of the same mind.

Not only are Toadstools popping out…

The Redbuds are blooming.

As are the Crabapple trees! Is it Spring already? Did I sleep all winter, to awaken in Spring? I shudder to think that is so! That would mean having to survive another summer without the restorative nature of Fall and Winter. I think we have confused trees.

We had our first cool front of the season blow in this weekend Sunday. But first we celebrated Loudon’s third birthday a little early.

His momma was afraid she would not be able to juggle having a baby and giving Loudon the birthday celebration he deserved, so the party came early this year.

Loudon didn’t care. It’s all about the cake and piñata when you are 3.

A Disturbance In The Force

 

…a tropical disturbance, that is. Tropical Storm Hermine is dumping several inches of rain on us right now. Loudon is taking advantage of the rain, soaking up as much as he can, just like all the plants. Remember catching raindrops in your mouth? It must be instinctive, because no one had to tell him about it. I think I will go join in his dance. :-)

A Break In The Weather

This week has been unbearably hot in the garden. Temperatures have hovered around 107. It has given me a headache and made me cranky.

 

 

Even though, I found a mailbox to store my hand tools in. It came complete with real fake flowers, which I promptly took out. It began life in a school as a Suggestion Box. It still had letters to the teacher in it: Mrs. Ledbetter*, I love you. Mrs. Ledbetter, you have beautiful hair. Mrs. Ledbetter, you are my favorite teacher. Mrs. Ledbetter, I don’t want to go to first grade because I will miss you too much. Charley was quite upset that Mrs. Ledbetter did not keep her love letters.

*Mrs. Ledbetter’s name has been changed to protect her privacy.

 

 

What would I do without Zinnias? They are just about all that is surviving the heat!

The Garlic Chives are bursting from their papery buds. Mid week saw a slight change in our weather pattern. High temps have been 98-97, with very pleasant early mornings and late evenings. It’s funny how subjective heat is. A few months ago, I would be sweltering at 98 degrees, but after days and days of triple digit temperatures, suddenly 98 seems almost a breath of fresh air! Sadly, we didn’t get any of the scattered showers the weatherman was promising, but other parts of Austin did.

 

The Morning Glories are stretching their blossomed heads to heaven.

Now that the temperatures have cooled slightly, I am seeing all that is growing and blooming in my garden.

The birds have almost stripped all the juicy berries of the Poke Salat.

The roses don’t seem to mind the heat.

But the Morning Glory leaves are looking fairly leathery and bleached out.

This morning as I gardened—yes, actually gardened, I looked up and saw the moon hanging onto it’s spot in the day-time sky.

Eutin is still putting out blooms.

As are the Four O'clocks.

 

The cats and I are enjoying watching the birds from our cool spot in the family room. Even thought the weather seems cooler at 98 degrees, it’s still too hot mid-day to be out for very long. I am enjoying reading some of your blogs telling me that the feel of Fall is in the air. It may be another month for us, but it gives me hope that cooler weather is coming.

Finding Their Wings

 

Three years ago, my daughter came with her two precious girls to live with us. She was broken in spirit and body. I can’t in all honesty say these past three years have been easy. The girls all have been suffering from various degrees of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as well as other problems. But, I would not have traded this time for anything in this world.

I have watched my daughter struggle to heal and find herself once more. I am so proud of her patience and protectiveness she shows for her daughters. She has gone from cleaning buildings to survive, to getting her teacher’s certificate and special training in teaching children with Autism.

 

I have watched as she paid off bad debts that she did not incur. I have watched with pride as she has fought to get her girls the kind of help that they needed—and continue to need.

 

 

Now I am watching as all three fly the nest to be on their own. As a parent, one of the greatest gifts we can give our children, is that of independence. Watching them fly strong and sure is our greatest joy…

 

I won’t let them see my tears as they move in their own direction. I won’t complain about the quiet house, or how neat and clean it will stay now. I want them to fly without a backward glance to make them falter.