Portraits

Formal night

At Progreso

 
 

Sea Cruise!

 Our even year women only get away!

Beckle, Earlene, me, Nancy, and new cruiser Rosemary

A little line dancing to get things started.

Food on this cruise was just so-so.  Our "friends" laughed at Earlene and me when a bowl with about a quarter-size bit of guacamole in the middle of the bowl was place in front of us.  Just the dab of guacamole.  That was it. Since we'd both ordered "chilled avocado soup" I wondered WTH?  Leaned over and looked at Earlene's, then noticed the two little pitchers placed on the table on the other side of Earlene.  I patted Earlene on the knee with a "Whew! He's not through.  He's going to pour the soup out of those little pitchers over this."

Yep!  Don't tell me that we don't know how to cruise!

Primping for our formal evening.

Um...guess what I purchased in Progreso?!  Almond liqueur.  DELICIOUS!!

Then there was the repeat "guest" appreciation event.  Rosemary and I shared a table.  In the center was a blue margarita.  The pink stuff in the back - rum punch.  I don't know what was in the mini flutes, but that stuff was good.  Thank goodness each had a thimble-full or less of booze.  They would've just had to go back to the cabin and get a blanket if the alcohol content had been higher.  We also had free drinks the last night of the cruise.  They were stronger so I just had two...or three.  I lost count. :D

Two Carnival ships at Cozumel...ours was the one in the back.

R&R

Sam will be holding down the fort as I head south tomorrow. Five women will board a cruise ship at Galveston headed to Progresso and Cozumel. Returning back to the real world next Thursday and work on Friday.

If anyone is leaving on the Carnival Triumph Saturday - look me up! :D

Today was not good

Wednesdays - at noon - I spent visiting with Mama. I didn't rush in and change sheets...sneak in to do her dishes...dust anything while I was in the bathroom. I did those things on other days. On Wednesdays, we sat and we visited. I hugged her March 28. Kissed her on the cheek. Told her I loved her. She told me she loved me.

Today was Wednesday. From lunch on...was not a good day.

Mama was found in bed March 30...which was my parents' anniversary. We got the death certificates yesterday and the date was set at March 29. She didn't suffer. Someone asked me if it was unexpected. I replied that it was an unexpected expected thing. With her health problems I thanked God for every day that we had her. That I had her.

This morning I tried to call my aunt - Mama's younger only sister - to check on her. Her line was busy every time I called so I called her daughter-in-law. Aunt had been rushed by ambulance to Longview yesterday (Tuesday) with a possible stroke but was stable with no lingering affects - most likely a TIA. And most likely the phone was left off the hook at her home.

So really, from mid-morning on...this was not a good day.

Now - helping baby brother (executor) deal with the estate (he asked me to meet him at the lawyer's). I'm the type person that when it's time to deal with something I want it dealt with. This is not going to be fast. It is going to be slow.

It is lingering too long. It is moving too fast.

Rejuvenating Weekend

The long a-waited photos. Let me introduced Cain Martin - my wonderful new grandson who came into my life at just the right moment.He has such a sweet mother to let me commandeer him to love and hold and smell that sweet baby smell. To feed him and rock him. To burp him and change his diapers. So glad he's a breast milk baby!

Big brother, Colt, will be a wonderful example and role model. The two of them will get into more trouble together than either one could dream of separately. Girls (big and small) just wanna have fun! Sweet Isabel. I gave her the very first lemon wedge she's ever had. She tasted it...made a face...and looked at me with a "You gave me that to eat?" look on her face. I missed that photo, but got this one. Haven't you just fallen in love with those eyes?

Saturday was Erin's birthday. John had nothing planned so I told him I wanted to bake the cake...since I haven't been sleeping well and was generally up at 3 a.m. every morning. Then he said she really liked my chocolate lava cakes. They have to be eaten shortly after baking. So I took the ramekins and fixin's and baked them there. The candles and little banner were Sam's idea. I told Erin to save the candles and we could use them again next year. And the year after...and the year after that...and...well, you get the idea.

Having step children is one thing. But no one can deny that this little boy is my grandson! ALL MINE! Chocolate mouth and all. Remember Serenity, Harmony and Kaylee from December? These girlies are the other three kids in my life. Looking forward to seeing them this summer!

Recipe time!
Molten Lava Cake

1 6 ounce package Baker's bittersweet chocolate
10 tablespoons butter (YES! TEN tablespoons!)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup flour
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks

Spray 6 small ramekins or 6 custard cups with non-stick spray.
Put chocolate and butter in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 2 minutes. Whisk until all chocolate is melted. Stir in vanilla, powdered sugar, and flour until blended. Lightly beat eggs and yolks and stir into other ingredients until completely incorporated.

Pour into baking dishes. Set filled ramekins/custard cups on a cookie sheet. Bake only what you want to serve/eat right now at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Middle should be wet! Do not overbake or you will have some really good cakes without a molten middle. Run a skinny knife around the inside edge of the baking dish and carefully because the dishes will be HOT, dump out on a dessert plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. (I set a dessert plate on top of the dish and very carefully with a hot pad or cup towel folded several times, turn everything upside down.)

OR Cover each dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator and remove plastic. Bake as needed - or wanted! - according to the above directions. These will last a couple of days in the refrigerator without baking.

I generally bake to order, popping the required number in the preheated oven before sitting down to eat. When they get done, set on the counter to cool a bit while I finish my meal. Then plate. DIG IN!

Not a Friend

I've heard some people call their parent a "friend."

My mother was not my friend.

She was my mentor - not my friend.
She was my confidant - not my friend.
She was my biggest cheerleader - not my friend.
She was my role model - not my friend.
She taught me how to be a good mother - she was not my friend.
She showed me how to love God - she was not my friend.

She was more than a friend.

She was my mother...so much more than just a friend.

Today

Junior, Billy, Joey, and I - along with our families - will go to the funeral home today then to the cemetery for the final services before Mama is buried.

Just a Note

I noticed that someone from the Midlothian area found my blog while searching for my mother. Please comment and let me know who you are...

A New Grandson

Colt and I welcome his new baby brother and my new grandson into this world!
Cain Martin
Born Friday March 30 at 9:03 a.m.
7 pounds 9 ounces

Talking About Daddy

Or at least his trucks - on Facebook.

Daddy started out driving an ice delivery truck when he was still really just a kid. For you young 'uns out there - I'm talking about blocks of ice to go in the ice box. Not refrigerators. This was before electricity. He told me about knocking on the screen door of a kitchen one time and the black lady telling him to "come right on in, son"... Big woman. Taking a bath in the wash tub in the kitchen. Of course, Daddy did tell some tales.

He worked for Red River Army Depot, but Mama said he'd work awhile...they'd lay him off...they'd call him back. It just wasn't steady work. Daddy, Mama, and Jr. moved to Grand Prairie, Texas. They came back so that the same doctor at St. Michael's in Texarkana could deliver me. Then we moved back. BJ was born in Dallas.

Daddy went to work for Lone Star Boat Company in Grand Prairie. It sold out to Chrysler Boats.
http://www.fiberglassics.com/library/Lone_Star

Wasn't he a handsome man?!Can you imagine driving trucks like this coast-to-coast? summer and winter? He told another story about J. C. Jackson and him driving their two trucks in California one summer. They were driving through orange orchards and saw a sign "All The Orange Juice You Can Drink - 5 Cents." Well they pulled over and threw their nickels down. Gulped a glass each and said, "More." Gulped that down. "More." Next time, she said, "No." Neither one of those men were much for being told "No." "Whaddya mean, 'No'? The sign says ALL you can drink." They were told real quick that they'd drank all they could drink at that stand. LOL

Someone on Facebook asked about Daddy's 1949 Ford. Baby brother Joey had it last. He sold it quite awhile back...20 years or so???

Then the old red B-Model Mack was mentioned. Daddy bought it to play with. He sold it to Chrisman's in/near Coal Hill, Arkansas. Joey had worked for them when he owned the '49 Ford. They totally refurbished it. They even found the original bill of sale in the door panel! Joey was supposed to get some information about Daddy to them and they were going to put a plaque in the truck dedicated to him. I hope they did.