Adirondack chair

Rick loves to do woodworking and has bought most of the tools he needs and set up a shop in one of the garage bays. On Wed he started building this Adirondack chair and finished it on Fri. The chair looks really nice; just needs me to paint it. When he retires he plans on doing woodworking and selling it. That will give him a hobby and keep him busy and off the streets causing trouble.

Wild mushrooms

These were growing in someone's front yard. I saw them while out walking and they were so unsual and pretty that I took a pics to blog.

Blingcheekies on Fri

Chris and Aly had to work on Fri but Aly said she would make Jason blingcheekies (I know that's not how it's spelled but it's how it sounds. Rick was busy building an Adirondack chair so Jason and I went over. I didn't have any because I ate so much on Thanksgiving Day, but they looked delish.


































In the evening we drove to Stanley's Farmhouse Pizza. It's a fun place in the country, just in a barn with picnic tables sitting around outside, but the pizza is gourmet and delish. They had two fires but also needed to put some heat lamps around. It wasn't too cold, just a little more heat would have been nice.

Chris, Aly, and Oksana went to walk around The Domain and look at Christmas lights while Jason, Rick and I drove home; Jason had to get up at 5am and was trying to get sick so he just wanted to get some rest. Chris Facetimed and showed us the lights. That's on my list to do this season. Love looking at pretty Christmas lights.

2nd Thanksgiving

I picked Jason up from the airport at 12pm on Wed. He really wanted to go to the San Marcos Outlets; I talked him out of those and we went to Round Rock Outlets. Didn't find anything.

We ate a late lunch at Rudy's, delish as always. Came home, chatted with Rick. Jason was super ti-red because he had been up since 4:30am. We met Chris, Aly, and Oksana at Torchy's, they came back here and we all chatted.

Kincade Facetimed with the little squirrels and us. Love talking with them, miss them so much! Jason and Chris played in the church's Turkey Bowl on Thursday at 9am. They enjoy playing, it's never long enough for Jason. They came back and Chris got to work on his famous pumpkin pies (they are delish), Jason made the stuffing (good) and Aly made a salad.

Rick cooked the turkey on the Traeger and it turned out beautiful.

After dinner and a little dessert, we walked down the hill and decorated about 7 trees, as per Austin custom. It was quite fun. We played Apples to Apples, which I find fun. Chris and Aly left at 8pm because they both had to work today. Sniff.

All in all, quite enjoyable. We missed Scott.

Wild life in Texas

Tarantulas and scorpions and fire ants, oh my.
These are just a few examples of the diversity of wildlife here in Texas of which I have first hand knowledge.

Scorpions, I have seen a couple in the house but they were either already dead or dying, due to the poison put down outside. One in my swim shorts, luckily I peaked inside and shook them good, which I always do. One on Rick's flip flop, which he saw before sticking his foot in. So no scorpion stings, would like to keep it that way.

I have gotten bitten by fire ants quite a few times, once 20-30 bites. Felt like my feet were on fire for several days, puffy, swollen. Even sweet little Hattie got a bite from a fire ant last summer. Not fun. Whenever we spot a hill we give them some poison also.

Tarantulas aren't supposed to be deadly, just look ferocious. I have seen them: one on the road, one on our front porch, and I just came across one on the trail between the houses. It wasn't moving and I wasn't getting close enough to see if it was dead.

The type of wildlife that inhabits the great state of Texas -  I won't miss.

Men vs Boys

Grackles

For some odd reason I'm just totally fascinated by these birds. They are big, obnoxious, and loud, especially in the Spring and Fall. They leave people alone, aren't friendly like pigeons, are not particularly attractive. And they can set up quite a racket. But for some reason I really like them. I'm a person who really is for the underdog and perhaps I see them as underdogs.

Just don't get Hollywood types

Mel Gibson has made another film called "Hacksaw Ridge." It's a true story about a Seventh Day Adventist during WWII who was a conscientious objector and refused to fight but was a medic and saved many lives. It's being called the best war film in the past twenty years.

Don't know if this is true or not, but some people won't see it because of their objections to Gibson and his two drunken rants against Jews. I don't honor him for those things either. I don't honor him for not saving his marriage to the mother of his seven (?) kids. But I am a forgiving person, recognize that we are all human with human frailties and I otherwise really like him and his body of work. And it helps that he leans more to the conservative side.

These same people are the ones who honored Roman Polanski, awarding him Best Director for several films. But here's the thing: he raped a 13 year old girl, drugging her with Quaaludes before raping. I'm not going to go into the whole story, but he was indicted for crimes, including the rape and fled. He cannot come back into the US or will face these charges. Hollywood gave him awards, which he accepted from another country because he won't face the criminal charges. They certainly seem to have forgiven him for the rape of a 13 year old girl.

I guess some people are more equal than others.

Democrat protesters and violence and hate

Liberals. Obama supporters. Hillary supporters.

I've never seen anything like it before in my 60 years as a citizen of this nation. I've seen many, many presidential elections. I wasn't thrilled when Obama won, either time. I wasn't thrilled when Clinton won, either time.

But I never thought to take to the streets, burn things, show vile mockups of them being hanged, like I've seen of Trump. I never thought to write graffiti, or take to social media and write posts about killing either of them, like I've seen about Trump and Pence.

And you can say, well it isn't all Demos or Hillary supporters. But it's enough of them to make a loud and clear statement about the types of people who are "liberals, progressives, Hillary and Obama supporters." I've read stories and seen videos of mobs pulling people out of cars to beat them for no other reason than being a Trump supporter. Read and seen videos of other beatings for the same reason.

I've seen numerous Mexican flags being waved. I don't get that. If you don't want to be an American, don't stay. I've seen a few posters being carried that say Love Trumps Hate. As they are out being hateful and violent, don't they see the irony of their own actions?

It's sad, makes me sad for my country. Makes me afraid of the legacy that is being left for my kids and grandkids.

Is it time to divide this country into two separate countries, as these protesters seem intent on doing violently, and have the liberals in one part and the conservatives in another? Anytime they don't get something they want they take to the streets, burning, beating, destroying. Do they realize that 1/2 of the country supported Trump, voted for him? Elected him president? Are they saying they also hate 1/2 of the citizens of this country? Because even now I don't hate them.

I'm sad.

New Hope

I took Scott to the airport at 1pm yesterday. Although raining he got off ok, no delays and made his connection out of Dallas. So sad to see him go.

Last night Rick and I were watching some of the early election returns and finally at 8pm I went to bed and read for a while. Scott and I had been texting and he was saying it looks like Trump is going to win but I didn't believe it. Both Rick and I thought he would lose, I just felt the media had been doing all it could to get Hillary elected and with the Demo cheating, didn't see him winning. At 9 or 10 I turned out the light and went to sleep, what would be would be. Rick came to bed at 2:30am; I woke up and said who won? He said you won't believe it: Trump did, Hillary has conceded.

The country has awoken. I think we might have a chance to continue as a great Republic. Notice I don't say a Democracy because that is not what the Founding Fathers and our constitution give us. Thank goodness. A democracy will always descend into pure mayhem. A republic has checks and balances and as long as a good percentage of the people remain honest, it will stand.

As far as I'm concerned and for all the good or help the Republican Party elites and powers do for rank and file Republicans, the Party can just go away. Let something else and better take its place. I think the old liberal (in the best sense of the word) members of the Democrat party probably feel the same. Both party's elites are in the game for themselves: power, money, ego, whatever - not for the good of the country or the people of this nation.

Trump ran as an outsider, a populist, and won as a populist. That is his mandate.

For now I can only say: Yay.

First Thanksgving Dinner with Fam

Since Scott will not be here for Thanksgiving we had a dinner yesterday for him. Rick did a ham and brisket on the Traeger (he knows how to BBQ on that critter!) along with crab cake mix stuffed salmon, I had the usual fixins': stuffing, potatoes, baked beans, green bean casserole, rolls, cukes,  salad, and for Chris, mac and cheese. Of course, pie, pumpkin and apple.

The guys watched football and Aly and I did our own thing. Should have played games but wouldn't have been able to get the menfolk away from the tv.

Even Zoya got extra chicken and ham.

Boys

Scott was delayed leaving LA, so we didn't get home and to bed until 1am on Thursday. Up the next morning, 1/2 Price books, Torchys for lunch, then the HEB to pick up some fav food for Scott. He and I watched a few cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies, I had him take the 5 love languages quiz (I enjoy this book, quite interesting), Rick got home, and Chris and Aly came over. Just a super enjoyable evening.

This morning we just mosied around, met Chris for lunch at P Terry's, Frys to look at tv soundboards, Scott went to Chris and Rick and I came home. I had gotten a sore throat so I took a hot bath, wrapped in blankets to burn the bugs off. 

The boys came over to watch a football game and get pizza for dinner. Nice relaxing afternoon and evening, just love to have my kids around me.

So nice to have a good husband also.

It's raining, it's pouring, the...

Scott is coming tonight so of course it started raining.
He secretly knows a powerful rain dance that he does whenever he decides to visit someplace. He has rained out Tuacan numerous times. Whenever he visits Texas it rains.

He's the Rainmaker.

Halloween

We decorated the house a little more this year than we usually do. We bought a light that projected purple and green witches across our garage, orange lights in the front entry, scarecrow, jack-o-lanterns and some lighted small wire pumpkins. Looked festive.

I bought enough candy for 200 kids; maybe got 75. Lots of candy left over and I'm not sure what to do with it.

Katy Hobbs Smith came over and I walked with her and the kids for a while. It was quite fun. Her kids are adorable with sweet personalities. Some (fool!) scheduled a work meeting for Andrew last night at 8pm. Halloween night. So he couldn't trick or treat with the family for long and hurried off to the meeting.

Chris came over and Zoya went crazy for each group that came to the door. Barking and running and certainly wanting to jump. We tried to tell her thanks for the people warning, but we knew. Didn't work, she still wanted to tell us each time. So Chris just held her.

Pink muhly grass

The roundabouts in our subdivision have this grass planted in them. All thro the year it's not really noticeable, then Fall comes and the blossom is this really pretty pinkish/purpleish color and they pop. Especially if a bunch of them have been planted together.

Rick and I thought they were so pretty we planted 4 in our back yard. Not enough to really pop, but pretty. Also, the Mexican Fan palms droop down and kinda hide them. Rick keeps their fronds cut off, but still.