Friday Dribble

Seems to have been a very short week. One day blurs into another. The weather has been just gorgeous. I love the crispness in the air with the bright sun shining........great for walking. This morning is dark and drab.....cool front coming in, I suppose.
Great news! My knee is back to normal.....no pain what so ever......YEAH!!! I am still pampering it and being very careful not to hurt it when doing our workout. We did Yoga using the ball yesterday.....I just skipped over the ones that put too much pressure on my knees. I sure don't want to hurt the other one. I really do love the energy and great feeling I get from exercising.......being able to do it with Trace is just the motivation I need. To me, walking is my acupuncture.....totally de stresses me. Trace and I usually use this time to do a lot of venting, which, I feel helps. It is much easier to meditate or just not think of your woes if you first can talk them out with someone.....a clearing of the mind. Helps me, anyway.
The weekend is here and I am excited. We have so many things on our agenda. I love being busy....makes me feel ALIVE! I don't mean busy, with the day in day out stuff. I am talking about going places and seeing people, busy. I know to sit and do nothing is most people's dream, but I look on it as wasted time. I am trying to get as much living done as I possibly can. I am sure there will be plenty of sit and do nothing days, in the years to come. I love the hustle and bustle of Christmas. I know it is a BIG stressful time for people and most of the joy has been sapped right out of it, but I also feel that most, still love it and get enjoyment of some sort at this time.....be it seeing old friends, being with family, cooking up goodies, decorating the house, what ever brings you happiness is in abundance at this time of year. We just have to take the bad with the good and try and make the positives out weigh the negatives.
Till next time.....be aware of your surroundings, while out shopping. Try and not shop alone....take care and be safe.

Decorations

I did my Christmas decorating yesterday. My tidings are pretty sparse, but I did what I could. I had 4 or 5 boxes of stuff to go thru and pick from, but I will admit that I only opened 2. My space is so limited that I didn't want to come off junky so what I did choose to display had to be strategically placed. I am definitely omitting the tree. My dining table is holiday friendly and I put a lit wreath on the wall for some merriment with a sign above it wishing SEASON"S GREETINGS. I did put a wreath on my outside door and placed a tower of boxes, made of some kind of basket type material, painted bright Christmas colors, with lights entwined on them to sit at the side of the door and light up the way. I am hoping for Christmas cards this year......last year was pretty disappointing. I LOVE to get Christmas cards. I always send them out. I feel it is the least I can do to reach all the people I love and let them know they are special and definitely thought of . I know the stamps keep going higher and higher, but it is still an economical way of saying HI. All who read my blog, get the word out......Sonia LOVES to get Christmas cards......Now send them.......DANG IT!

I hate to admit it, but I am still having some knee problems. I continued to work out with Trace and I think I keep re hurting it. We did a pretty strenuous work out yesterday and by the time I walked back to my house the back side of my knee was paining me. I tried working it out, but it never felt right. We did not do our walk, which probably would have worked it out. It was feeling much better by last night and I took an Ibuprofen when I went to bed......it's not bad at all this morning, but I am definitely NOT going to do a work out with Trace this morning. I am going to give it time to heal. I do intend to go on our walk tho. I really do love the stretching and slow movements of Yoga......I think it has done more to tone me and lengthen my muscles than any aerobics I have done. You don't realize how our bodies tend to get stove up and it is from nothing but the non use of our muscles that cause this. I felt sore in muscles that I haven't used in years.......flexibility is the key people......we have to keep moving and stretching.....keep our old bodies as limber as possible.

My mind has just turned off so I guess that means the end of this blog.....I will say, till next time.

Good Will To Men

Oh that Trace!!!! What A nut.....I don't know where she gets it???? Her story of trying to strike up a conversation with a stranger, puts me in mind of a Christmas several years ago. Trace and I were at the local Walmart, waiting just inside the door for a basket. The place was covered over with people....no baskets to be had. We wait patiently, till finally someone comes pushing one into the basket return.....well, before I could grab it, a woman, not standing there waiting, came walking up, snatched that basket and gave us the old, go to hell look. I was totally mortified and appalled and said......WELL, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! She never even looked back, so much for the Christmas spirit and good will to men. People are becoming less and less considerate of others.....hence, road rage and all the other moments of rage we experience in our lives. No one cares about any one else......all out for NUMBER ONE. This impoliteness knows no age. It shows up in the elderly all the way down to our youth in this country. I come from a generation where men would hold a door open for a lady.....not anymore, I have had young guys let me open the door for them, they walk in, never saying thank you or anything. I just don't get it. What happened to manners, simple politeness? That is totally becoming the downfall of this country. It is an anomaly these days to find anyone who has a smile and a greeting for you......even those that work with the public and are suppose to be friendly. We are consumed in our need and greed for the perfect present, for that undeserving person, setting aside all thoughts of consideration or compassion for the other billion shoppers out there on the same mission. It's sad, people.....very sad. With Christmas looming over us, I dare say, this is just the beginning of the encounters with disgruntled people. I, for one am going to try and be polite and use the manners, my Mother taught me. I will smile and say hello even tho, I know most of my greetings will go unnoticed and unappreciated. It's really how you feel in your heart that counts and maybe, just maybe, what I put out there will come back to me........I'm going to give it a try and will report back my findings after the holidays. Till next time.

Yoga, Cooking And Man Problems

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I finally did it.....while doing yoga yesterday, my left knee did a LOUD POP and I am experiencing some pain in that knee, still this morning. It didn't really hurt THAT bad when it popped, but it was after that when I was getting ready to go for our walk that something happened and I got a catch in there and didn't think I was gonna be able to walk. I could bend the knee with no pain , but then when it came back to straightening it, that's when it would HURT!!! I kept working with it, bending it back and forth and putting my weight on it until it was tolerable to walk. I made it thru our walk, but I can still tell there is something not just right about it, because it still catches sometimes and is still paining me a little. I don't intend to let it get me down......onward and upward! I do intend to be more careful with it and not do anymore damage to it.

I am doing my Thanksgiving cooking today. I am fixing fresh green beans with new potatoes and a Strawberry cake......my Mother in laws favorite. I love the warm cozy feel a house gets when there is cooking going on. A cake in the oven is better than any air freshener you can buy. I am trying to get ahead of myself and do everything this morning.......when I have all day and all the evening. I guess I just get excited and antsy.

I want to rant and rave just a little........My dear husband seemed to have a personal problem this morning. Even in sleep, I could hear him slamming and banging about the house......in a few minutes in was standing beside my side of the bed and in a very angry voice asked.....WHERE ARE MY JEANS!!!!! I DO HAVE 3 PAIR.....RIGHT?????? I CAN ONLY FIND 2. Kind of startled, I said, one may be dirty and in the wash......I LOOKED THERE ALREADY, was his reply. With a quick kiss to my forehead and a BYE, with much disdain in his voice, he was gone. I was up just shortly after that, never really going back to sleep. The first thing I did after getting the coffee going was to go see WHERE his jeans could be.....Lord knows, I hide them from him. Well, I open his chest of drawers and.....what do you know, there sat, folded neatly under 2 other pair of jeans he had dug out and thrown on top of.....was the pair he was looking for. I am owed a HUGE apology, not only for being upset with me, but wanting to have this heated conversation, while I was trying to sleep. It really amazes me that the one person, he supposedly loves the most, he can be SOOOO RUDE to. I would never do that to him. I'm going to let him hear about it when he gets home today. I truly don't think he realizes how rude he is sometimes. Ya know, even if the jeans weren't in his drawer, that was no reason to get all upset and act like a spoiled child.

That's my do for the day. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!! Till next time.

Good Cheer

Holidays are upon us,

They come with heartfelt cheer;

To be with the ones you love the most,

The ones you hold so dear;

Hold this time, in great delight,

A time, our love, can show;

Happy Thanksgiving!

Family and friends,

and all of those we know;

The Holiday's

I am up and moving fast this morning.....don't know why. I feel like I have so much to do, but really.....I don't. I have already made our bed, cleaned the bathroom, got dishes washing......I'm really ahead of the game. I did our washing yesterday, so no clothes to wash. I still need to get the floors cleaned and I have some errands I need to do, but it wouldn't be horrible if I don't get it all done today. I think I am already getting excited about going to Wayne's sister's house for Thanksgiving. The drive is going to be spectacular. We are planning on taking the scenic route. I guess it has been since last years holidays that we have seen Sharon and family, so it will be a nice visit. I am really looking forward to it.
Sharon was just 12 years old when Wayne and I married. I thought she was the sweetest and dearest little girl. I think we clicked right off the bat. I remember her and I giggling at my first dinner with all of them........I was sooooo nervous and very insecure, she lightened a very tense time for me. I guess for her it is hard to remember life before me. I must say, I have to think way back to get to the time before them. I still had a lot of growing up to do when I married at 18, but you know what, I think I did it, being the best wife and Mother that I could be. I take great pride in my home, my marriage, my children and now, grandchildren. Wife and Mother was definitely my calling in this life. Nothing I could have accomplished in the career world could have been more fulfilling for me. I never even considered a career, not even as a little girl. I always played wife and mother. It is such a great and significant role to play.
Well, it is already after 9:oo this morning and my work out mate still hasn't called......she must be sleeping in this morning. I am such a morning person and you know what.......I never would have believed I could be when I was a young girl....I sure am now, tho. Oh well, enough of the reminiscing.....till next time.

The Missing

My freedom has once more come to me.......yesterday being Traci and Randy's last day of their seminar. The kids were really no problem, as a matter of fact Hunt and Jay stayed at their house most of the time......heck, they slept till around 2:00 in the afternoon yesterday. I had to roust them up the day before that cause I wanted to take them to the park where we were gonna meet Katherine and Mason so Kan and him could play. Everything has gone smoothly except I had a terrible fright night before last. Wayne and I were getting ready to go to bed and I went to put Baxter in his carrier, much to my surprise he wasn't in the house. Now, the cold front had come in and it was cold and dark, VERY unusual for Baxter to be outside, most nights he beats us to bed and gets in his carrier by himself. I was quite puzzled, but thought that maybe he had ran out when Traci came over to tell us of their learning's of the day. I went to the door and nope, no Baxter. I hollered and hollered into the nights air, but there was no sight of him anywhere.......I just couldn't believe it, GONE just GONE. We went on to bed, but I got up several times thru the night to see if he was at the door wanting in. Morning came and still no sign of my little Baxter. I was heart sick. All I could think of was that a coyote or some other wild animal must have gotten him. I got myself dressed and started walking the area. The old guy that lives down the road and walks every morning was out so I asked him if he had seen my little dog. He told me, he had. Baxter was down across the street from his house and ran into the woods on that side of the street. I just couldn't figure........WHY he had done this. He had never ran off before. I got in my jeep and combed the neighborhood.......no sign of him anywhere. I got back home and walked to the back and guess what I found?????? GUS, was nowhere to be seen. The cable he was on was gone and so was he. It all started making sense to me. Gus got loose and Baxter followed him off into the night, well, this scared me more cause I knew Gus absolutely runs amok when not confined. I called and called those dummies. Finally late into the morning, I had gone back out to call some more and here comes little Baxter running towards me.......I was ecstatic.....so glad to see him. I got him in the house and tried to coax Gus to come to me, but he wanted no part of being put into captivity again. I had to just leave him alone and eventually he did come and lay in and around the house all day until he let Hunt get close enough to hang on to him for me. I had to dig up a collar cause his collar and the cable and all were gone. I walked him back to the fenced area and led him in, with only one buck of distain from him. He is safe and secure and my little Baxter, after a good bath and the cutting of stickers out of his little feet is home. We can only speculate what had happened to cause these events to occur. I started it by feeling sorry for Gus. He was in the fenced area and he only has a big carrier thing, not a real dog house and I was afraid he was going to get cold thru the night. I told Wayne he should be moved to the shed that's out back to block the cold wind off of him. So, Wayne went out and moved him and we don't know if the cable wasn't connected or what, but he escaped taking my little Baxter with him in his caper. I really do feel sorry for him.....I know he wants to be free, but he is a bad boy and would terrorize the neighborhood. Our neighbors have two little bunnies that they do let hop about their backyard......I would hate to say what would happen to those bunnies if Gus saw them. We just can't chance it, knowing he is aggresive to cats and other little animals. In my grievance of Baxter's dissapearance I wrote this poem.

Contless hours, I sit and wait,
Where have you gone, what was your fate;
I think of you, alone and cold,
I want you back, my arms to hold;
You loved me always, bad or good,
and I loved you, as best I could;
Into the night, you ran and ran,
thoughts of you scared, I could not stand;
Please find your way, back to my heart,
I do not want, this way, to part;
I pray to God, show you the way,
Come back to me, come back today;

with that I will say......Till next time.

Wonderful Travels

We are back, since Monday afternoon. Wayne had two more days of vacation so he is home with me till tomorrow. I can't seem to get much done when he is home.......at least, writing wise. It was great seeing Andy and Linda. We had a good time visiting with them and making our rounds to the numerous casinos there. I must say, none were as fun as our good ole Winstar. I did have a run of luck on the Wheel of Fortune. I won over one hundred dollars at one casino and then playing the same game at another one, won over two hundred more. I was ecstatic........YAHOO!!!! finally, I can say......I WON! We came back with almost all the money we went with......BONUS!

The trip going there was absolutely wonderful. I did see the most beautiful sights.......trees all aglow with spectacular colors. We went thru Helena, Mississippi.......which is just about the most gorgeous town, I think I have ever seen. There were BIG old houses that must have been very old and the streets were lined HUGE, towering trees..... Pecans, Oaks, Cottonwoods all in vivid colors. I know those trees were hundreds of years old. The trees grow twice as big there as what we have here in Texas.......maybe the extra moisture that they get there. I don't know, but they are GRAND!

I must tell you tho, that a menopausal woman cannot and should not try to stay in the same room with another couple. I just about burned up.....I couldn't sleep half naked, like usual and there was no ceiling fan. I thought I was gonna melt away like the wicked old witch in The Wizard Of Oz. I don't know what Linda's status is as far as menopause, but she wore long sleeved winter looking PJ's.......with me, still wearing a summery sleeveless tank top and still just dieing thru the night. I wish I could just get back to normal.....my normal, anyway.

Traci and Randy are attending a seminar in Dallas, which started yesterday. They are there from 8:00 AM till 7:00 PM. It is a three day thing, today being day 2. Wayne and I are here with the kids. It is great being so close that the kids can be at their house if they want to and just come over when they need or want something. Kannon has even done real well. I just knew he would wake up yesterday, see his Mama was gone and start crying, but he didn't. He asked where she was and definitely would have liked for her to be here, but he went on about his playing and did fine.

That's all the news I have for now so I will say......till next time.

Combo Deal

I came down sick.......ugggg! It is just the typical old cold. My head and sinuses are clogged. I have been medicating myself with the usual over the counter remedies, but I also have Hunt using some of his new worldly connotations to pray me well, along with Traci's organically based hot tea laced with, be well herbal ingredients. I do feel better than yesterday, but can't say exactly which helped the most....maybe a combination of all. I still have enough energy to do our ball routine, which we did this morning and I think we are gonna go on our walk also.....see, I'm not too sick. With the kids not going to public school, we thought we would be safe from getting most of the stuff they brought home to all of us, but alas a friend of Hunter's, a school going friend, came over hacking and sick and gave it to the kids and then I caught it from them.

Wayne and I are planning a little trip. We are leaving as soon as he gets home Friday, heading towards Mississippi. We are meeting Wayne's cousin and his wife there.....Andy and Linda. We have a great time together. We all went on vacation together year before last and had the best time ever. Our plan started out to be just a drive to see some of the beautiful colors of the leaves......my idea, of course. Wayne, asked if I would like to go on to Mississippi and invite Andy and Linda to meet us there. They will be coming from Alabama, so it's a little further for us and that's why we are leaving Friday. We should get there about the same time on Saturday. I am looking so forward to it. I LOVE to travel and then getting to be with people you love is just a bonus. I have been packing in my mind all week. It is just gonna be for a couple of days, but with this ever changing weather you never know what type of clothing your gonna need. I guess, I will take a little of everything.....just in case.

I think that's about it for today. I am making ready for our walk, guess I'll stop and say.....till next time.

Dogs and Fences

WOW! what a gorgoeous weekend we had.....couldn't ask for the weather to be any nicer. I wish I had an exciting story to tell of an adventure we had, but alas, twas quiet and most uneventful.

We spent most of Saturday getting the fenced in area secured for Gus. The fence is 6 ft and we are hoping that he has lost some of his agility over these past few years and won't be climbing out of this fence the way he did at our country home. He was a very bad boy......he would absolutely climb out of a chain link fence. This fence is higher and he is older and fatter so we hope the combination proves to keep him in.

On leaving Sunday we decided to put Baxter in the fenced area with him.....bad idea. That little booger dug his way out. Luckily Gus is not a digger, for one thing can you imagine how deep he would have to dig to get his big ole self out of there? I don't even see how Baxter fit thru the small opening....but he did.

Well, I am hoping to get the signal from Trace to go over and do our ball routine. I am raring to go. Till next time.

Friday and TheTactless Man

Good Old Friday....once again. It really does seem like these weeks are just flying by. Yesterday turned out to be a stay at home day. I got some more, putting away done. I seem to have a knack for putting things away and finding a place for everything. I have, not used very much, stuff up in the attic. I have cleaned out and stowed away till the place isn't looking too junked up anymore. Now, the over sized furniture, I can't do much about that except to get rid of it and buy new smaller furniture. The bedroom set was a Valentine gift to me from Wayne several years ago. It holds some sentimental value and I really do like it. So, who cares if the bed takes up the whole room......in the bed, is where we're at, when we are in that room.......right?
Traci and I did the ball routine again this morning.......I really do love it! I think I may have to get the tape myself so I can do it when I want to. Trace switches out and does different tapes, but those tend to be too difficult for me. We do still walk too......most every day. That is my all time favorite thing to do. I could walk and walk and walk. This is not to say that I don't get tired, cause I do, but just a little breather and I am ready to go again.
Wayne has totally dropped the ball, as far as doing any kind of exercise. He wants to lose weight so bad, but puts no effort in it.......oh now, he would beg to differ. He thinks that cutting down to one HUGE plate of food at meal times is all he has to do. He's in denial, people. He thinks he can shed those pounds effortlessly, like he did when he was a young man.....just cut back on the intake and WA....LA!!!! He really cracks me up. He was telling me the other day that he just didn't understand how I diet and exercise all the time and .....get this.....get no results. Was that a big ole slap in the face, or what??? As soon as he gets it out of his mouth he starts trying to tell me that's not what he meant, but HELLOOOO, there is no other way to take it. I told him that maybe I don't have the body that I did as a young woman, but just think what I would look like if I didn't watch what I eat and exercise the way I do. It's a dang good thing that I have as much self esteem as I do cause he sure aint no ego builder. He has never been one to give a compliment, but it seems the older he gets the less tact he has. This age brings on so many things for a woman to be insecure about. It's a time in life when a women wants to hear that she is still beautiful and desirable........I think he needs to have a chat with Dr. Phil or have a swift hit to the head with my frying pan. If I didn't know that he comes by this trait naturally I would really be offended. Doll knows who I speak of.....right, Doll? Oh well, I still love him, warts and all.
Have a GREAT weekend. Till next time.

A Ball Of Fun

Yesterday, Traci and I started yet another exercise routine.....this one is soooo fun. We have big exercise balls that we use and it is really just a lot of stretching and posing. You would never believe how much it works out your body.....I am really sore this morning. It was great fun, very low impact, but yet moves along fast enough as to not get bored with it. The lady on the tape is on a mat outside in Hawaii, the back drop being the beautiful blue ocean with waves cracking on the rocks....how calming and serene is that? That ball can pose quite a test sometimes.......have you ever tried to balance yourself, laying on your back, on a round thing, while kicking one leg in the air.....hey! this takes some real coordination. My first attempt to do a circus act like that, I found myself propelled off the ball and hitting the couch knocking it a few feet backwards. Trace and I found this quite hilarious and had to really work at getting our composer back to finish our work out. Anyway, I highly recommend it.....lots of fun and good for the ole bod.

This was another great Halloween. The kids decided to hook up to one of the trailers and pull the little ones around in the neighborhood that is right down from us. Wayne and I stayed at Traci's to hand out the candy for the little trick or treaters that might show up. She had a strobe light, fog machine and thunder cracking, to get us all in the Halloween spirit. Sad to say we only had one car to stop, but that's one of the disadvantages of living in the country. The kids returned with huge smiles and filled sacks.....seems the neighbors were very generous. I am so glad to know that there are still those out there that hold to the Halloween tradition. The giving of candy to dressed up, excited children that have no malice or wrong doing in their little hearts just the promise of candy by saying those three little words......TRICK OR TREAT!

We never made it to our historical outing yesterday. Today may hold some new and exciting things for us. I will clue you in tomorrow.....Till next time.