Renaissance Sights

Each year the Texas Renaissance Festival (click at your own risk. . .video and loud bagpipe music ahead) is attended by thousands. . .literally. There are die hards who live for it, make costumes for it, plan for it.

The day we went there were 32,000 there and that was just one day of one weekend. The kids and I had never been, Tony hadn’t been in years, and I can tell you right now that Thad will NOT be going as a teenaged boy. The wench costumes and chain-mail slave costumes are NOT for those with hormones surging. As it stood, he was only interested in his wooden sword this year. I’m not really a festival kind of gal, but it was a gorgeous fall day, and the kids had a good time with Tony’s parents and us too. The entire thing is 54 acres. We saw about 10. Here are some of the sights. . .

Can you BELIEVE this boy’s eyelashes????

Choose Your Own Title

Even I don’t have the words for these photos.

November Eve

My life is. . .

East

West

Neighborly

FM 362

In Texas, there are FM roads. It stands for “Farm to Market” and harkens from days gone by. I used to live off of FM 1960–which is now a 6 lane road with a turn lane down the middle lined with all manner of capitalism run amok–and several Sonics.

Where I live now, there are also several FM roads, but my FAVORITE to drive is FM 362. It is about 5 miles longer than my normal route but, on days when I have the time or just want to, I take that way home. It’s 18 miles of curves and hills and pastures and beautiful Texas country vistas.

Once you get to the road I need to turn down to get home, it’s becomes woods again, but if you go the additional 10 miles to the end, you start getting into the very, very beginnings of the Texas hill country. It is worth the drive. So, on Saturday evening, I took my little camera and set off to photograph some sights. . .but discovered that I can simply hold my camera and click, click, click away as it focuses on the yellow line (as did I for those of you worriers) to get shots of the drive–not necessarily what I set out to get, but it made me happy. I took about 300 shots, but I won’t put them all here. You’re welcome.

Just Past the turn home.

Hill Country Ahead

Windows down, music up.

Approaching White Hall

Little barn

FM 362 North

Fun

Funx2

NOT in the road.

Hill country-ish

Highly recommend the Kia Rondo

GORGEOUS. Oh. My. Goodness.

Pretty

Moo

Fun again

Fun x 1 million

Texas

FM 362 South

More woods

Shade

Lone Star–also not in road.

Some of you may know this place.

Their very own road.

More shade

Texas 2

Curvy

Nearly Home

Take a right.

Baptist Church near the corner

Have the specialtea

Our wonderful neighbors had told us about a little house that sold food “up the road.” Turns out it’s less than a quarter mile, so we hopped on our bikes and sallied forth. It was a nice day–cool and a little overcast. Perfect weather for the menu.

They serve soup d’ jour (it was seasoned pinto bean that day–really good) and a slab of cornbread for $2.50. The kids got Belgian waffles–2, homemade with strawberry glaze OR maple syrup, fresh cut strawberries, and fresh whipped cream WITH pink sprinkles for Victoria. $3.50. That’s right, home-cooked food for all four of us, $12.00. AND bike ride. AND really, really cute decor–your general teacups, etc. but also lots of family mementos and framed advertisements from days gone by.

One of the proprietor’s, Joan, lived in the house until she was 12. They moved it from Houston to the country, stripped all the wallpaper, linoleum, vinyl, and other detritus to reveal the gorgeous pine wall boards and floors inside, and painted the outside a WONDERFUL shade of red. She put some of the old textiles in a shadow box–one of my favorite features–and has several small albums of the “redo” on a table for customer perusal.

We were all enchanted.

Cute!

Wonderful kid sized wicker. Mine are almost too big.

The Lone Star and Friend

Friend. Took photo through a screen door so it’s a little fuzzy once blown up.

I don’t think they’d miss this at all.

Or these. Besides, I really NEED a cinnamon bear.

And the bears need company. This chicken is perfect.

Of course, the chicken needs a friend too. This cricket is too big for the chicken to eat, so it would be a PERFECT friend.

The cricket might get lonely too.

Nuts and Bolts squirrel

Some Texas Pride

I got permission from the owners to post the photos and sign (free advertising for people in the area), but here is their website.

It was a LOVELY day.

Fungi, Flora, and Lichen

We still have no grass in our “yard.” I used that term “yard” very, VERY loosely. We have dirt. We have weeds. We have lichens and fungi. We have FLOWERING weeds. We have weeds that do a fine IMPERSONATION of grass but not a blade of real, live (in Tony’s book ONLY St. Augustine qualifies) grass.

We still, however, have beauty. And yesterday morning I went in search of it WHILE wearing a sweatshirt. Bliss. Here is what I found. Click on the pictures to see closeup.

*40* Things about Sarah (and some about me too)

(Forgive the whacked out spacing of the pictures. . .they were all there this morning, then I sent them into cyberspace. . .and they were my bane the rest of the day. Enjoy ‘em anyway.)

Sarah and I have been friends for a long time. This is not the first blog entry to start with those words. But it’s true. It’s 34 years worth of true, and today Sarah turns 40.

Sarah's wedding: How we looked.

Sarah's wedding: How we felt.

Sitting atop my 1976 Lincoln Contiental in front of Sarah's house with Michelle

Now, I turned 40 about 6 weeks ago, so this is not a casting of the proverbial stone–or icing flower as the case may be. But I thought I would give you 40 things about Sarah. I may not know her BETTER than anyone else, because there are large chunks of the past 22 years that I’ve not been physically around to see, but I certainly have known her LONGER than any of the people she is in regular contact with other than her parents and brother (hey Kevin). I now give you. . . Sarah. . .

1. loves words. . .all words. . .big ones, little ones, unusual ones, quirky ones, funny ones. Loves ‘em.

2. ate enough banana Laffy Taffy to keep her orthodontist (I ALSO know him. . .and his wife and kids) in business for several years.

3. and I got into REALLY big trouble by staying out until after midnight when we were in high school. We were, actually, sitting in the pitch black parking lot of our high school campus talking about some boys. That makes it no better. It’s just where we were.

4. and I did NOT get into big trouble for jumping the railroad tracks on Finks Hideaway Rd. in her brother’s CRX (sorry Kevin), because God sent his angels to keep us from wrecking it (sorry Mike) so we never got caught.

5. managed to drive said CRX while I changed clothes in the passengers seat (a feat in and of itself mind you) which leads me to

6. is a very, very good driver.

7. can sign (that is S-I-G-N. . .as in “sign language”) entire songs WHILE holding the gear shift of a manual transmission car–such as a Honda (name your model).

8. is also very, very smart. Very. Very.

9. spent several summers working with handicapped kids at a Lion’s camp.

10. climbed a mountain in Colorado MORE than once on Wilderness Trek.

11. is a lifeguard and could save you if you were drowning.

12. spent many hours with me in Mrs. Rosie’s swimming pool in Bastrop getting a tan and talking about those same boys–and others–up in #3.

13. sat by me in band–we both played the clarinet–on occasion when Christy Barker and I would duke it out over who was first chair. NORMALLY it was Christy.

14. served as my “matron” of honor. (I beat her to 40, but she beat me to the altar.) I got to be her “maid.”

15. watched in amazement as I managed to hit myself in the face with the passenger seat of my car.

16. spent a lot of time laughing at me–but not nearly as much as I laughed at myself.

17. was in chorus and wore a “Super Pickle” dress (me too).

18. never played a sport but was manager for the Lady Eagles basketball team.

19. took dance for a really long time.

20. had a cute dog named Rocky who used to clickety-clickety on his clackety toes across the floor.

21. is NOT a morning person despite the fact that she now gets up at the crack of dawn.

22. has lots of really great ideas. (See #8).

23. breaks into spontaneous song–and dance–for no apparent reason.

24. endured/listened to/commiserated with my teenaged/college aged angst.

25. thinks I always look the same–no matter the weight gain or loss, hair cut, clothing items, new wrinkles, or gray hair. This is a sign of true friendship.

26. came with my mother and sister to get me after I had been in Montana for a summer my Jr. year in college. When Momma asked what I wanted her to bring when she came to Searcy to get me I said, “My birthday cake and Sarah.” (I turned 21 the next day.)

27. and I would have REALLY benefited–rather our PARENTS would have benefited–from all of the snazzy calling plans now available. (We DID get in trouble more than once for long distance phone bills.)

28. wrote lots and lots and lots of letters and notes to me–and I wrote back. Still have ‘em–and the ones from Mary Linda too.

29. was the first non-family member I called the night my Daddy died.

30. introduced me to her future husband for the first time when I came to visit her in Abilene. (Hi Troy).

31. let me hold and feed and change and dress her brand new baby girl when she was just a few days old. (Hi Ashley).

32. “accidentally” told me she was expecting her second baby when she one day casually asked me what I thought of the name “Riley.” (Hi Riley).

33. and she did not get mad at me when I told her how jealous I was that she was pregnant and not me.

34. can cut through the garbage of a situation and get to the heart of the matter like no one else I know.

35. attended Ouachita Christian School–all the way from elementary to graduation–and was voted Miss O.C.S. by the student body her senior year.

36. has a thing for baskets. . .and shoes. . .and nail polish. . .and bows.

37. probably developed a twitch when I misspelled several words and called Kevin’s CRX a CRV (we own a CRV NOW) in the first, first post, but would NEVER tell me in a million years and will laugh at me for trying to make this post perfect all stinkin’ day long.

38. loves her family.

39. loves her friends–one of which I am blessed to be.

40. loves her God.

There is much more that the confidentialty contract we sealed long ago with some Diet Coke and a few secrets won’t let me say, but we will get to see each other in two weeks (!!! First time in a year and a half–last time we got to spend all of about one hour together.) and have some Johnny’s pizza and laugh until we’re exhausted. Until then–Happy Birthday, Sayruh. You know I love ya more ‘n my luggage. (And I AM pleasant. . .) And forgive me for some of these pictures. Most of them are WONDERMOUS, but some were necessary for illustration don’t ya know.

We had been pretending to be the leaping reindeer that Sarah's mom had on the wall in the dining room. . .one can only assume Sarah wasn't through being a reindeer.

Same night as the reindeer incident--New Years Eve, 1987. Don't remember what was up with the Post its.

As God would have it, we sat next to each other for our first grade class picture. Peep Sarah's knee socks. I had INSISTED on wearing panty hose that day.

Rerun of us with Timms, May, 1987

Not Sarah BUT Sarah's grandmother, Maxine--my dear, dear friend.

We went on a trip to Pensacola after I graduated from College--Five Flag Motel Cheapest Rates Gulf Side.

We were enamored with the tiki-faced palm tree--the hotel was destroyed in hurricane Ivan.

With our duplex mate Julie in Abilene, 1991

February, 1990 with our friend Brandon

Christmas, 1987 sitting in my Momma's rocking chair in our house at the annual Christmas party.

Bad picture--but there is Sarah to my right, and Christy in 1st chair, and me in the middle.

Jr. year in high school--probably spring?

Graduation night with our (very tall) friend Mark

Sarah and Christy giving me The Look on the way either to or from Nashville.

Weekend Photos

Heather approaching 8 months.

Play hard, yawn harder

Heather and Uncle Tony

Ah. . .the Bluebell (K)Country (K)Cone

Perfecting the art of braking as opposed to baling.

Bed is now by window. . .

Baker's Rack/Bookshelf/holder 'o stuff

Sewing Table--obviously no sewing going on right now.

It’s beginning to look a lot like home.

The lighting is bad, because I took these at night. . .but the desire to do so hit me, so I went with it. Our walls are still frightfully barren, but things are starting to shape up. As you will see from the captions, this was a “group” effort. Even if some of the ladies don’t know they were part of the group.

The first thing you see when you walk into my house. . .along with a pile of shoes by the front door. Floral arrangement courtesy of my sister. Table was my Granny's.

Plaque that is on the table in the entryway. . .it was supposed to go by the doorbell, but I plunked it on a photo stand, and we like it here.

My Granny's drop-leaf table. One day the photo tree from my Momma will have black and white family photos in it. Doily is Italian lace from my friend Carolyn.

This is standing at the fireplace looking back toward the entry and dining room. I conveniently cropped the pile of clean clothes that need to be folded OUT of the shot.

My friend Jennifer helped me with my mantle wall. . .lots of trial and error, but I like it. And more importantly, so does Tony.

My favorite side. . .I\'m normally not a colored candle kind of gal, but this one was just right. It\'s sitting atop a little grapevine wreath. Vase + eucalyptus = $20 @ WalMart.

Top of the entertainment armoire. This was the hard part.

Yes, there are tags dangling from the photo stands and a sticker on the hurricane globe. Long, long story that ended in the breaking of glass. Raided the study for “books to match” my color scheme, cast iron birdhouse from Tuesday Morning, photo of the kids I gave Tony for Father’s Day when Thad was 2.

Dining Room, The cabinet you can see totally see was my Granny's.

Coming into the dining room from the entryway. This china cabinet is the one I got at the flea market.

Crystal dish was given to me by Mrs. Ladelle for my wedding, and the doily was given to my by my friend Carolyn.

Extra chairs for Granny's table. My cousin reupholstered them several years ago. My wall is looking a little purple in this one.

And there you have it. The craft room is also doing much better. . .but the lighting in there at night, while wonderful for reading, writing short notes, contemplation, and readying one’s self for bed, is ATROCIOUS for picture taking.

Y’all come see us!!!!

While in Galveston

Galveston Island

On Tuesday of last week, I had a mini nervous breakdown of sorts. I found out that the last door (of which I am aware) to a job in the district closest to our new home was slammed in my face much like the nanny-hiring scene of Mary Poppins. That being the case, I am still very much employed. And I am thankful. But my current/old district wants me to take three days of training this week to do something I don’t really want to do, therefore, as of tonight when I go to bed, my summer is pretty much over.

So I fell apart. Then I developed a plan of action. Then we went to Galveston. My in-laws have a little house about a block off the seawall–nothing fancy but handy as all get out with it’s kitchen and bathroom and beds and all. It also has an air conditioner which they declined to use (they were there too) as the breeze was “so cool” (at the end of July in Texas) and they were doing some work inside.

*Ahem.*

So day one was hot, but good. . .we all got a little sunburned but not horribly so. The morning of day two with it’s “cool” breeze dawned hot and humid, so we set off to the beach again. And that is when I tripped over a brick that had become dislodged in the walkway of the house, and fell, and really, truly, totally messed up my ankle. And skinned my knee. I had to sit for a moment to make sure the ankle was not broken. I determined that it was not, and would have sat longer, but the fire ants that came to check on me gave me some encouragement to get up quickly. The rest of the weekend was spent with my ankle propped up being lovingly iced by a bag of frozen peas on top and a bag of frozen corn underneath. I am still limping.

In an amongst all of the sweating and icing and breeze enjoying, we played dominoes, went to eat at Tortuga’s, rode the ferry to the Bolivar peninsula and back, drove down to the west side of the island, went to happy hour at Sonic twice, ate popcorn and generally had a fun time.

AND I turned 40. I’ve had several people ask how I feel about that, and the true, honest answer is that I don’t care one single bit. It was another day to love on my family and laugh at the funny things they say and do. The only thing I found ironic was that I turned 40 with a skinned knee, and that is SO par for any course I’m on. That sort of brings the 4 decades of my life into sharp focus. As long as I get to enjoy it with these monkeys, I’ll take the clumsiness any day.

Pretty to look at--painful to comb out.

Pink cheeks. . .beach hair. . .ready to run errands with Mommy.

The girl was exhausted after day one in the waves.

Thad on the front porch