Reunion and Stuff

Another reunion behind us. Last year's attendance was dismal. This year was much better!

Sam visiting with one of his cousins.Carol handling the buffet. I was across the room at the door making sure everyone signed in and took money for raffle tickets. I happened to look across the room and noticed that she popped something in her mouth. We made eye contact and she grinned. She was already hitting my deviled eggs. :-)

Last year I took squares of white fabric and some fabric marking pens. I asked every family to sign a square. There's not but 20 blocks in this quilt...and three have no signatures...as I stated above...small turnout. The quilt was on the raffle table...chances go for $1 each or 6 for $5. Money goes for a donation to the church for the use of their fellowship hall (a church where none of us are members, but they let us use their facilities and we give a donation for the use - the turnout was so low last year that the preacher told me he did not want to take the donation...I told him how much we took in...how much I was told was needed for the cemetery fund...and that I was told to give him that...this year we were back on target). The balance of the money goes as I just mentioned...to the cemetery fund for mowing.

Red is one of my favorite colors. I finished the crocheted vest earlier this week and the hat last night.

Cooking Cajun Style!

#1 Take one authentic Cajun cookbook from Baton Rouge.
#2 Pick your recipe.#3 Chop the vegetables. (Notice how I slice my mushrooms? That is an egg slicer...works!)

3. Dredge the chicken in flour and quickly brown in bacon grease. Remove and toss in the vegetables, cooking until onion is translucent. 4. Stir in tomato paste, wine, a few other ingredients, return chicken to skillet. Cover and cook until done.6. Serve over rice. I know you will ENJOY!! I know...I can't believe I forgot to snap a photo of this delicious food plated.

Driver's Ed 101 Revisited and Edited

1. If you drive up behind a truck...NO not a pickup...a real, full-grown truck...one of those that hauls freight (as in everything you own!!), can you see the driver's mirrors? The mirrors that stick out to the right and left on their doors? No? Then guess what? THEY CAN'T SEE YOU EITHER!! Back off!

2. If you have a handicapped placard hanging from your rear-view mirror in the center of your windshield - especially if you are in Texas - take it down and read it. There will be mention not to drive with the placard dangling from your rear-view mirror! Depending on several different factors, you could pretty much hide a Mack truck behind that sucker.

3. Slower traffic keep right. Doesn't matter if there are signs posted to do so or not. It's common courtesy. If you are slower than the flow of traffic, ESPECIALLY if you are driving 10-20 mph below the posted speed...or lower...arrggghhhh...please get in the right hand lane.

Ducky aka my son commented: In your response to #3: In the state of Texas, if driving on a State Highway or Farm to Market (FM for those who don't know), it is against the law to impede the flow of traffic in the inside lane. Furthermore, if the road/hwy is only one lane each direction and you are moving slower than the flow of traffic, irregardless (sp) of speed limit, it is your legal obligation to move over to the shoulder/side of the rode to allow faster moving traffic to pass. Thought I'd share a tidbit I learned while working at DCSO.

4. If you come to a crossroad and do not have a Stop sign but they do...YOU DO NOT STOP! Coming up to a Yield sign? Start looking before you get there. They are generally located a Y's where the visibility is good. If nothing is coming, you do not have to stop.

5. If driving scares you, then by all means puleeze park your vehicle in the driveway/carport/garage and ask someone else to drive you. I remember driving my elderly neighbors around whenever they needed to go to town...two different households! I especially enjoyed driving "Aunt" Lena to run her errands...because I got to drive her 1951 Chevrolet 2-door coupe with the factory visor! The 1951 Chevrolet 2-door coupe I learned to drive on did not have the visor...so I felt like I was "uptown" driving hers. :-D

For those of you fully capable of driving, if you have a neighbor who has no business driving any more and their family is to chicken to do anything about it, offer your services as their chauffeur for free. Believe me...you will be blessed from their knowledge and wisdom.

6. Also from Ducky: My previous comment is classified as part of the "Texas Highway Courtesy" laws. Another part of that law is when ANY emergency vehicle is approaching behind you running full code (lights and sirens) you HAVE to pull over, stop, and let them pass before continuing down the corridor. This law applies to ALL roads, streets, highways, etc in the state of Texas.

7. More from me!! If you are passing one of those big trucks, aka 18-wheelers, NOT pickup - get around it! Don't dawdle along beside it. You see those big wheels and tires? When...not IF because eventually every truck out there is going to shed a tire!...GET AROUND IT! Did the driver speed up? You either speed up or drop back behind the truck. (Refer back to #1 please.) Listen to me! Daddy's occupation on my birth certificate is listed as "Truckdriver."

8. If you're on a 4-lane yard and there's a vehicle on the shoulder of the road...if you in the outside lane...if you can, move to the center lane. If you can't move over or are on a 2-lane road, slow down a bit.

9. I forgot about motorcycles!!!
Riders...Wear a helmet and proper riding gear!
Don't get stoopid
Remember - if you collide with anything bigger, YOU are most likely going to be the loser!!

Everybody else...DO NOT RUN OVER A MOTORCYCLE!!!
Do not pull out in front of a motorcycle.
Do not stop quickly in front of a motorcycle.
Don't get stoopid!
Remember - if you collide with a motorcycle, you may kill someone!

10. Funeral processions in Texas - Generally the hearse has its headlights on as does every vehicle in the procession on their way from the services to the cemetery. In rural areas especially, if you see them coming toward you...pull over out of respect for their loss. Two-lane...head to the shoulder and stop. Four-lane...same thing. Probably the only time you do not do this is on an interstate...and of course in cities.

Cranky
Old
Woman
signing off!

Fog and Family

The first day of autumn brought seasonal temperatures! This morning we had a wonderful cool and crisp 58...let me type that in all caps...FIFTY-EIGHT BLESSED DEGREES this morning! AND...I got photographs of the first fog of the season!


This evening, I drove Mama to her youngest grandchild's wedding rehearsal. I went back out to her mini-van for my camera when these four sat down beside each other. Mama, my sweet sister-in-law Marilyn holding my baby brother's grand daughter Addi, and baby brother Joey - remember "the Brat" who put rocks in my gas tank all those years ago? ;-) Isn't this shot just too precious?! My nephew Cody and his daughter Addi.

All I can think...is...my assumption is that Cody's other grandmother is footing the bill for the wedding...the bride has five attendants...I know beforehand that the dress "ain't no slouch"...that money could go so much farther LIVING...instead of photos in a photo album.

Texas on Fire

I drove to San Marcos a couple of weeks ago to a meeting pertaining to my job. This was during the Cass and Marion County fires...believe the news called it the Bear Creek Fire. Approximately 50,000 acres were burned and over 100 homes.

About 4:30 September 7, I woke to the smell of smoke in my house. I unplugged my cell phone and slipped on my slippers then stepped outside. After walking around my home I saw no fire, so called the dispatcher at the sheriff's office. The wind had shifted and we were smelling smoke from the Bear Creek Fire. There was no danger of it heading our way, so I went back to bed. I left the house at 8 headed south. I drove through smoke from home to just north of Tyler... about an hour.
Thank God for the firefighters, forest service, and volunteers...and the God sent rain!

So...I'm in San Marcos...you know...the town with the outlet malls?! And I take a photo of FOOD!

Wind came up here Sunday evening. We lost a tree. But no big deal. It's a small redbud that was too close to the house to start with and we knew that some day we would have to take it out. This spring I noticed that the bark was peeling. Sam was going to remove it this winter. It fell perfect...away from the house (wouldn't've done any damage if it had fallen toward the house) and missed my birdbath! It had few if any roots.

One Thing After Another

What is the use of having this fancy HD television when if the signal is bad...you don't have a freaking picture of ANY sort except this lovely notice??? At least with the analog signal we could see ghosts or snow or something!!!

Another beautiful sunset! Which reminds me...I have had some photos published! Elected county officials receive a monthly magazine called County Progress...you can find it online...but you cannot find my photographs of the county that were published in the August edition! I'll scan the two pages TWO pages...okay...two half pages...when I get a chance. I haven't even thought about it.

I made English muffins over Labor Day weekend. They tasted as good as they look! But the recipe made eight large muffins. Next time I'll divide the dough into ten muffins. Unless, of course, I intend to make hamburgers.

Big man in a big chair. LOL A few years back, Mama gave me an antique youth chair that she acquired during her antiquing days. When I mentioned "tying" Colt in the chair Erin looked at me. Sam brought the ribs in from the grill, and we were getting the rest of the food on the table, she asked what I meant about "tying" Colt in the chair. See the white around his middle? It's a cup towel slipped through the upright posts on the back of the chair and tied in the back. I just told Erin to watch that he didn't slip under it.

I'll be back later with the recipe for the English muffins. Oh...wait! As I was typing in the labels for this post...English muffins popped in. Perhaps the recipe is already here. Yes! The recipe has already been posted: http://keepyouinstitches.blogspot.com/2010/01/english-muffins.html

How Did Your Weekend Go?

WOW! Isabel! This is neat-o. Where can I get a set of wheels like these?Colt, just talk to my Mommy and Daddy. Here...just look at all the bells and whistles...
Oh! Isabel! It comes with a pretty pink doggie too?!Here, let me get around here so that I can...
...take the little pink doggie off your hands!'Scuse me while I have a looksee at this little charm...HEY! Colt! No fair!!! Give that back! That's MINE!!!

This was so funny! I was just snapping pictures and didn't notice the "story" that was going on at the same time until we were looking at the photos today.

Needless to say...I had a wonderful weekend! Just perfect for a Granny and Grandpa!!

2012 Cruise

Deposit is paid! Five of us are going on a cruise out of Galveston next April. Four are repeats from our 2010 cruise. We have an added tag-along. Two adjoining rooms on the Carnival Triumph with ocean views.

What are Little Boys Made of?

LOVE of course! A couple of weeks ago, I got to hold and play with Isabel. This past Sunday was my turn with Colt.


And sometimes they are made up of something very sour! ;-)
By the time he is walking and running everywhere...I'm certain by next April...he will be a big brother!

Fire

Texas has 254 counties. 250 have burn bans in effect. We are included.

On my way home from work, I noticed that a dark black roiling cloud of smoke was in front of me. I immediately called the sheriff's dispatcher and reported it. She said that it had been called in. As the road angled, the smoke was on my right...on the road parallel to the one I was traveling on. The other road...was the north end of MY road!

When I got home, I ran into the house and told Sam. This was due west of us.
My niece drove by (on the road that I travel on the way to work and back home) and took this photo. The forest service helicopter was picking up water from a nearby pond. Someone timed them...a turn around was only four minutes...the close proximity of ponds and as it got later in the day the wind abated...both were instrumental in our all volunteer fire departments controlling and extinguishing this fire.

Yep. My niece was rubbernecking. Had no business in the area. There was more traffic on this road in that short time than there is in a week!

A neighbor to the east of us was at her son's place to the west of us...that kept a much closer watch.
The only loss of buildings was the barn where the fire started. Thank God! We were told that the fire came within a few feet of that person's home. He was extremely lucky.

We are still waiting on word about why the fire started...and how many acres of timber were burned,

While the smoke was roiling...I had an evacuation plan. I called the dispatcher and verified my number and asked her to please call me if the fire got really out of hand and we needed to evacuate.

First...call the neighbors in the trailer immediate to our east...she was laid up with shingles...bless her heart.
Then...I scoped out my quilts, guns (Hey! Remember I'm in rural east Texas...it's okay here), and photo albums. And then we kept a close watch on the smoke.

Up the hill closer to the fire, neighbors and friends were gathered where they were told to wait with tractors outfitted with plows, discs, and blades to help the forest service cut a firebreak to keep the homes from succumbing. Sam had his mower attached to his tractor and didn't go change it out. The forest service and fire departments did their job.

We drove down the road this morning...the fire was far enough off the road, that we could see no damage. The house and barn where the fire started are isolated and cannot be seen from the road. Only 3 or 4 homes were evacuated.

I've rambled enough. All is safe.