Things that make me happy!

-wind chimes ringing in their non-patterned pattern.
-the feel of the ocean wind on my face.
-the dark gray of clouds against the blue of the sky or the green on the trees.
-Christmas songs on the radio.
-big hugs from people I love!
-music from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Simple Woman's Daybook: 25APR12

Simple Woman's Daybook:25APR12
FOR TODAY:
Outside my window...I hear the cars passing by on the highway.
I am thinking...that I still  have a lot to do in order to be ready tomorrow morning.
I am thankful for...all the blessings I have in the form of friends who support and love me and put sad faces on my facebook when I don't feel well.
From the learning rooms...painting is my newest thing I'm learning.
From the kitchen...i made blackberry cobbler the other day.  Does that count?  It was DEE licious!
I am wearing..grey cut-off sweat pants and a really old Southwest Texas State University shirt. It is faded and has a few holes, but at least it has the name of the school right, yeah?
I am creating...this week, it was jewelry as one of my 'Pay It Forward' gifts.
I am reading...a book about two kids who grow up and become decent human beings. (what a description!)

I am wishing...and hoping and thinking and praying and planning and dreaming his kisses will staaaarrrttt!  had to do it y'all.  Don't forget to sing it out really LOUDLY!

I am hearing...the ticking of the clock on the wall.
Around the house...Pop is asleep.  I have a pile of clothes on the couch I need to fold and pack.  The kitchen is clean except for the floor and I'm one weary puppy gal!
A few plans for the rest of the week: I am going to do whatever I want from tomorrow morning at 9 or so 'til Sunday at 5 p.m.   I'm REALLY looking forward to this time off!  I think I'll have three bubble baths! <3

A recent picture of me.  Those glasses!! But if I didn't hang 'em on that string, I'd lose them all day long!

Uninvited--but welcome--guest at my tea party

It was Sunday morning at Rusca House Bed and Breakfast in Natchitoches, Louisiana.  I awoke early so I could knit and drink hot tea and enjoy the beautiful back yard garden.   As I sat knitting and sipping tea, this cat walked past me, then made a u-turn, hopped up on the chair catty-corner to me and sussed out what was in my cup.  I was quite charmed by the situation. It seemed--somehow--to be right out of Alice in Wonderland.

Thanksgiving Weekend, Galveston!!

I had a very relaxing, enjoyable time Thanksgiving weekend. Since Mom and Daddy were in Oregon for Thanksgiving and Aunt Nona was in Georgetown watching Jennifer play basketball, I decided to finally take my one-year paid vacation. The guy who sold me my vacation week was able to give me two nights at the resort for free, so I slept, and took bubble baths, and watched t.v. and ate in style. That first photo is from the kitchen in my unit. I took other photos of the rest of the unit, but they disappeared from my camera! Not sure why, but I guess it doesn't matter now since I have a new camera!
When I planned this vacation, I determined that I would do at least four certain things:
-Attend the inaugural Galveston Christmas Gift fair in the convention center.
-Watch the 4D Polar Express Movie.
-Walk through the Festival of Lights at Moody Garden, and
-Ice skate.

Of course I did all of them!

These really cool folded washclothes held my personal dishwashing liquid and salt and pepper. what a cute idea.  Never thought about the personal size salt and pepper, but I guess there would be no way to ensure that it wasn't contaminated.  and--I guess--in a way, it is nice to know that this stuff is just for me!

This adorable Boy Scout taught me how to fold my own personal American Flag.  This lesson was made possible by my donation of 1/3 of the money I spent at this holiday gift fair--$2.00.  Yes, you may go ahead and now refer to me as Loralee Fabulous Responsible Ford.

I forgot to mention to rockin' cool thing which happened as I was about to go into the Holiday Gift Fair.  I was about to descend the escalators when I saw a couple ascending the escalators on the other side.  I asked them if they had gone to the fair and they responded affirmatively.  By this time, they were at the top and i had started descending.  I asked them if it was worth the $ 5.00.   The man of the couple looked at the woman of the couple and she turned to me and said, "Come back up here."  Of course, I obeyed.  When I got to the top, the man of the couple handed me a yellow ticket and said, "Enjoy yourself!"  I thought it was a wonderful thing to do, especially since--I found out later--that it was a VIP ticket which was worth $ 25.  I had access to the VIP lounge which had punch, wine, cheese, appetizers and cookies.  I only had one bite of a cookie--the head off of a gingerbread man!  Nothing else seemed good, though I enjoyed looking at the Christmas decorations, talking to the wine lady (didn't drink any though) and looking at the fruit and vegetable art.  Really, Really cool!  The above photo is a parrot made out of yellow squash!!

A watermelon, carved into some flowers.

Not sure what it is, but it is pretty and made out of a white pumpkin!

Next came the lights!   I had a really cool picture of about 15 butterflies made out of Christmas lights, but it disappeared from my camera, along with those photos of my unit.

Oh!  I found the photo of the fifteen butterflies, except there is really eighteen! If you click on it--after you're done reading the blog, of course, cos you don't want to miss the video at the end!--you can see some really interesting details.

Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of unsweet iced tea with no sugar and no lemon!

This is me.  I am waiting in line, wholly ready to watch Polar Express 4D.  I was disappointed to find that it wasn't the whole movie, only some highlights.  It was really rockin' cool, though. I would not be averse to seeing more 4D films. In the Spring, I think Moody Gardens (in Galveston) is showing The Wizard Of Oz in 4D.  I'll have to take a trip down then.

Clearly, we can put the below photo down as a bad job.   I thought it looked cool, though, so we're keeping it!

About the 4D:  It was awesome!  The seats rumbled like we were on a train, and lights flashed like the front light on a train.  In the hot chocolate scene, we could smell hot chocolate, and--coolest of all--when we were at the scene wherein the train was rushing across that big ice pond, skidding everywhere with a crack chasing after it, and putting on the brakes, causing ice to shoot out from the back of the train, we felt a spray of cool water on our faces.  I think it came down from the ceiling, but it was such a surprise and a delight!  I loved it--except for the guy in the row behind me who was loudly complaining about what a waste of money this movie was going to be.  I do not concur with him, however.  It was AWESOME!!! Just sayin'.

  

The hot chocolate scene!

The gal sitting next to me had some rockin' cool shoes.  She didn't think they sold them in adult sizes, though. :(

Santa was sweet and let me take his picture.  It cost ten dollars to sit on his lap, so I decided to forego sitting in his lap and telling him what I want for Christmas.  You remember that my name for the weekend is Loralee Fabulous Responsible Ford, yeah?

Moody Gardens is famous for it purty flowers, especially during the summer months.  Thankfully--though it was a cold, cold night which required coats and hats and gloves and scarves--there were a few beautiful yeller flowers here and there around the Festival of Lights.  This was one of the last photos I took with my, now defunct, camera.   By the way, yellow flowers are my favorite!! <3

It was a lovely, lovely, lovely vacation!  I got to take three...count 'em...three jacuzzi, hot-tub, soaky, bubble baths!  YAY!

Dunno where I took this accidental shot, but the colors in it made me happy, so I decided to include it in this tableau...

...and, here I am, ice-skating!  YAY!

Hope y'all had as much fun as I did!

Another Ford Family

Because of the vehicle company, my surname is a household word. The last name 'Ford' isn't really popular, however. Out of a national population of almost 313,000,000, people who bear the last name Ford number only 205,000. And, really, as a grown-up, I have only met about maybe 20 people--other than family--who also share the name my Daddy gave me. Which is why I was ecstatic when--on my annual paid vacation from work--I met a whole family of Fords.
When the little girl told me her name was Victoria, I said with happiness, "My little sister is named Victoria! Victoria (omit middle name on the world wide web) Ford!" My new little friend Victoria gasped and said, "Really? My name is Victoria (omit middle name on the world wide web) Ford!"
"No!" "Yes!" and everyone was really excited that we have the same name. Anyway, they spent the evening (and I watched) playing the game of Life. It was fun and I liked the idea of *sorta* spending the first night on vacation with my family playing games.

Victoria and Denzel are playing the game of Life.

a bad photo (but Mom looks so beautiful in this one, so I had to post it) of Mom and Ricky, Jr.

Ricky, Jr., Mom, Ricky, Sr. and part of Victoria.  All these kids love the camera!

The other Victoria!

Me!

Denzel is doing his little dance on the catwalk!

The Fords, junior

Aren't they adorable!?! They were having fun posing!

'

Thanksgiving with the Wrights

For Thanksgiving this year, my family was unavailable. Mom and Daddy went to Oregon to spend the week with my brother, Douglas, and his wife, Boyd. My aunt was spending the holiday weekend cheering on her youngest grand-daughter in a basketball tournament. I had the pleasure of spending the day with the family of one of my college friends. We had a really nice time eating and playing guitar and visiting. The men might have enjoyed watching football, but I did not. My camera was working that day. However, three days later, it started to malfuction greatly, and today, it died completely. :( So, these are some of the last pictures I took with my Kodak Easy Share. I'm hoping to be able to afford this one in its place.
After the family supper, Rachel and I went back to her home. We watched--and sang along--to an awesome HD version of Beauty and Beast and an un-awesome (but only cos it was a live action film. Ever notice how weird and kinda lame live action is on HD) version of Lemonade Mouth. I like the movie a ton! The music is fun and then there is the fact that there is a red-head in it. Y'all know how much a fan of redheads I am. Rachel and I joked that the redhead was my boyfriend and the long-haired brunette was her boyfriend. Such fun! It was a great day.

Aunnie and her niece and nephew.

An accidentally art-y shot.

An adorable baby in an adorable hat!

Leah and her baby girl!

Three generations! <3

three girls from college.

Sunset on Thanksgiving Day--Beautiful!

Sunset on Thanksgiving Day--Beautiful!

Another sunset. Really interesting colors. Almost unreal.

Grandpa Todd and his grand-girl!

Simple Woman's Daybook: 20NOV11

Can you believe I haven't don't one of these blogs since the 24th of July?   I guess it is time for one, yeah?


Simple Woman's Daybook: 20NOV11
FOR TODAY:
Outside my window...I am outside my window. Pop and I are sitting outside on the carport, waiting for our dinner to finish grilling.  We're having barbecue ham, corn on the cob and brussells sprouts.  When I bring it all in--and while I'm getting Pop dressed for bed--I'll pop a few rolls in the oven and we'll have a nice colorful meal!  But for now, he and I are enjoying the air getting a bit crisper and cooler, a few lingering crickets chirping, and the very, very end of the sunset.  By the way, the clouds are moving very swiftly over our heads.  Sometimes, it is just so amazing how nature works, yeah?
I am thinking..that I am really enjoying the approach of Autumn/Winter.  I'm hoping that next year by this time, I will be living somewhere that has Four Seasons!  But we'll see.  I'm staying here until Pop doesn't need me anymore, as far as I know.
I am thankful for...the many people who have been praying for me during this ovary/cyst scare I've been going through the past two months.
From the learning rooms...I'm learning how to use my new computer.  Every single brand is different.
From the kitchen...I'll be making the Ford family Thankgiving tradition 'Cranberry Salad' on Wednesday.
I am wearing...capris and a green blouse.
I am creating...knitted caps.
I am going...to try to be less selfish.  What a challenge, yeah?
I am reading...a book about some English lady who moves to the American West.
I am hoping...that I don't let myself down and spend the Four Seasons money on things that aren't either a) an emergency and b) moving someplace with Four Season.
I am hearing...crickets and the sound of highway traffic.
Around the house...nothing much!
One of my favorite things...playing my guitar.
A few plans for the rest of the week: preparing for my Thanksgiving/One Year Vacation weekend in Galveston this weekend.  Oh, and Thanksgiving Dinner with Rachel Wright and her familia.
A photograph for your consideration:

I took this picture last Saturday at the end of my work day. This kind of light is what I call 'otherworldly.'  I imagine that this is what the sky looks like if you live in Brigadoon.