Skipping Birthdays

Today is my birthday

What shall I do about getting older?

I know -

I'll curl my hair

and iron the wrinkles out of my birthday suit

umm dress

and 

put on my big girl panties

and deal with it..

while I wait for my knight

in his shining '66 Impala Super Sport

to take me out to dinner

now that I'm finally having a good hair day

Because the good news is...

There's still a burn ban

so I get to skip this birthday

and stay forever 29

(Apologies to Great-Grandmother Raney

- but I just love this picture)

Thanks for stopping by...

He Even Makes the Deaf Hear

Sitting at the front

Leaning a little closer

Reading lips

What?  Excuse me? Can you repeat that?

Missing the conversation
Missing the punch lines
Missing the sermons

Avoiding talking on the phone

Not hearing my sweet grand babies voices

Asking HIM:

"If You are ever just looking for deaf ears to heal,

I'm in line.
Please heal me"

That was my life for years

without and then with
high quality (at the time) hearing aids

that amplified but still distorted sounds

Pre-mature

Age related

Hearing loss

probably genetic

After a year of ear infections

constant squealing in my ear

and reduced hearing,

I asked the question:

"Is there anything that's better than what I have"

"Oh, yes. 

Even today's lowest technology is better"

So they re-tested

 re-evaluated

computer analyzed

 and recommended

the right devices to correct my loss.

Digital

Blue-tooth compatible

smaller over the ear

no big pod

And I can hear

I can understand

I can sing (maybe on key)
I can hear!

And my phone, itunes, radio, TV, and stereo

will all stream directly into my ear

via bluetooth technology



I feel like a new person!
I never realized how handicapped I felt

The birds sing sweeter
Music is clearer
Conversations are complete
I can hear

And I know HE could have
and still can
totally and completely heal my hearing loss.
But for now, with help,
I can hear

I can HEAR!

Thank you, Lord.

Thank you Ted for letting me spend the money

Thank you inventors and designers for new technology

Thank you, Jesus

Hannah 1:1-11

Nana, will you tell me a story?

Sure sweety,

Once upon a time in a far away country...

What was the country?

Egypt.

Oh.

Egypt had a very mean king.

I don't like mean kings.

But there was also a very brave little girl there

named Miriam who had a baby brother

Miriam.

Wait, wait, wait, Nana.

I think I know this story.

The mean king said to kill all the baby boys.

Miriam put her brother in a basket in the water

His name was Joseph.

And the lady was in her pool

and said wait while I ask my dad if I can keep him.

So she asked her dad if she could keep him

and he said yes

and she took the baby to her house

And when he got big,

he went to a forest

and found 4 sisters at a well

and went home with them

and they gave him some sheep.

Then he went back to the mean king

and hit him with a stick.

Nana, did that mean king die?

South Padre Island Day 5

After walking what seemed like miles of beach yesterday,

I had a little trouble talking my body into moving this morning.

But when I got to the end of the boardwalk,

I saw that the Sun had finally peeked over a cloud.

Then I walked down the street and bought Bagles for breakfast.

Wish you could hear the little song/chant the 11 year boy gets from the name of the bagle store. 

 It's quite entertaining!

Today was our last day here.

We played, boogie boarded, sunned, walked, and napped

on the beach

until they took away our umbrella and chairs.

Thanks to my precious family

for the invitation -

it's been great!

South Padre Island Day 4

Yes, there's a sunrise there somewhere!

Today, we went to,

not the Sandy Beach or the Rocky Beach,

but to the Shelly Beach

on the north end of the island

where we gathered

seashells by the seashore,

brought them home,

cleaned them

and made some designer jewelry

to wear to dinner tonight

with all the beautiful island people

And it rained.....

Harrison's Blog Post

This is a picture of a bird I took not 6 ft away!

This is a White Egret preening itself on a bush. The first one we've seen since Louisiana.

Here comes the parking patrol. Park here, and your car will be pooped on!

Here's Daffy Duck having some nice fish for lunch. Yum.

We found this interesting turtle at Sea Turtle Inc. Cool shell, don't ya think?

gigantic old turtles still need to breath!

See ya later alligator! 

After Dinner on the Island

Last night we had dinner with friends from home,

who are also visiting the island.

After Dinner Entertainment

They all have a device in hand!

South Padre Island Day 2

A day at the Beach must begin at sunrise

(My sentiment

-not one shared by the rest of my family)

I had a little conversation with the one legged bird

about her perseverance.

And what great balance she has.

She can still hop, fly, hunt for food,

and fuss at her friends while chasing them away from a potential snack. 

And speaking of birds:

Holly, pointed her cheeto as them and told them in no uncertain terms that we would not be sharing our lunch, as it was snatched out of her hands.

It was so funny, that we had to talk her into a re-enactment.

Then on to the serious business of sand castles

Before

and

After

After?  Really?

I thought you were pulling our leg!

Riding the Boogie Boards

Are we having fun yet?

South Padre Island

Toes in the pool, today...

Toes in the sand tomorrow!

Snow, Flood, and Fire

Last summer when we were anticipating living through a North Dakota winter, we were assured that there wouldn't be that much snow - only 50 mph winds and days of -30 temps.  That was comforting.....

Thank you Lord, we went to a job in Southern Louisiana and were there for their "winter".  I think we had 4 hours below freezing!

We have friends in both places and have been keeping up.

North Dakota has broken snow records from the 1800's - something like 120 inches, maybe more.  Last weekend was the worst blizzard of the season.  12" of snow and no electricity for several days.  How hard for them to be without power for that long.  Gas pumps and grocery stores can't sell anything.  Hotel restaurants had to get creative with meals.  Food from freezers and refrigerators was moved to the snow to keep it from thawing and ruining.  They had to shovel snow, to get to their cars, to charge cell phones and get messages out to nosy people like me.

All that snow has finally melted and is moving down the Mighty Mississippi to Southern Louisiana.  In North Dakota, we stood at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers that eventually make their way to the Mississippi.  Several years ago, we went to concert on the banks of the Mississippi in Memphis and I hear that Memphis is preparing for the worse flood since depression years.  In Louisiana, we marvelled at the size of the river every time we crossed it or stood on its banks.  Reports say Mississippi River floodgates will be opened and that 25 foot floods are coming to the Achafalaya River basin - that is right where we were living and still have friends there.  What will they do?  Where will they go.

Meanwhile back home in West Texas, we've had a few showers but not enough to plant or lift burn bans or halt water conservation rules.  I sure wish we could harness some of that snow and water, and bring it out here.

Visiting with girlfriends about the recent tornadoes, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, etc.  One friend suggested that all of creation is groaning for the return of her creator.  Now that makes me think too hard.  But I have to wonder...

However, I do know that He said, when we walk through the fire, and when we walk through the floods - that He will be with us.

Lord be with all those folks and their families and homes and property.  Protect them all.

Snyder Wheels Car Show

Snyder Wheels  20th Anniversary Car Show

(we helped with the first one!)

was a huge success.

There were 220 beautiful cars parked around the square

 and down the side streets

The event included live music, a burn-out contest,

hula hoop contest, and pedal car races.

It was a beautiful sunny day.

It's only fitting that I wear Heather's '57 Chevy Jacket.

-that was her dream car.

Jimmy has a beautiful red '57.

She called him "Uncle Jimmy"

maybe hoping for a chance to inherit the car.

They had a special love for each other.

Pam commissioned Nathalie Kelley to paint the picture of Jimmy, the car, and his reflection...

Jimmy compares the restoration of the car,

to God's restoring his soul.

He is a sweet man and has a wonderful wife.

Today was a good day.

We had fun at the car show.

We got to see lots of friends.

Life is Good.

Work Day

On the way to San Angelo for work week-end at our Dove Creek house,

 we drove through about 10 miles of

burned pastures, mesquite and cedar trees. 

Then this sign really made us laugh....

Duh!

Saturday Morning Priorities

Coffee on the Deck!

After hours of serious planning,

We finally get down to business

Trimming Trees

Stacking Firewood

Hauling Brush

To the home of the next bonfire (when the ban is lifted)

Then the mama says,

"Last one in the creek is a rotten egg"

Looks like poor old Max is the rotten egg...

That's as far as the transmitter on his collar

will let him follow his nose.

Poor Max

Even Lily got to take a dip

Then as an extra special treat,

We enjoyed the magic of the San Angelo Symphony

and the Cirque

Click Here for a little of the show:

(Cirque de la Symphonie)

What a night!

Addie (Hannah's American Girl doll)

learned to do the splits,

Harrison walked all the way to the car

just like the clown,

Tom was playing the mouth sax, or trumpet, or something

and Papa just wanted some ice cream...

It was fun!

We have sore backs and tired muscles,

But we gotta lotta, lotta stuff accomplished!

Why do we work so hard here?