Yarn Purchase

I have an order in with Knit Picks for sock yarn and enough yarn to do one short sleeve sweater. I am patiently waiting on that order.

Meanwhile, we went to northTexas Friday to see John's (my stepson) new business location (he sells cars...classics mostly). Of course Sam had to go to the local Harley dealer and found another of the long-sleeve white shirts that he likes. I saw a Hobby Lobby sign and ran through it while he waited in the parking lot. (He is a patient husband-in-waiting, but we needed to get back to the 'shop' before closing time.)

The ribbon "yarn" has always fascinated me. I found thisOriginal price was $6.99. I purchased 10 balls for $1.19 each.

WHAT OH WHAT??? am I going to make out of it? LOL

Confession Time

All right. I think Tyler Perry is a very talented person. I do not like his Medea movies. However, that's what I watched last night...Medea Goes to Jail. Sigh. You know. Confession may be touted as being good for the soul. It can also be embarrassing!

It did, however, have its moments. When Medea tells the women in prison that each of them was responsible for the situation that they were in. That it was no one else's fault. Get over it.

So true.

Speaking of movies...have you seen Taken? GREAT movie! High tension though. I had to go home and rest when it was over.

Tornado Warning

Well, I'm not going to tell you what we went to the theatre to see, but Mama, me, and several of our closest and dearest friends were watching the movie when all of a sudden the movie stopped and the lights came on. Walter (owner) came out and announced that a tornado had touched down on Hwy. 11, and he wanted us to move to the back of the theatre under the lower roof (what used to be the balcony above but is now screen #2). So. We did. Before moving, all of a sudden someone plopped down in the seat beside me. "I'm going to sit with you." I looked to my right and saw that my new neighbor was a young lady that I know. "Come on. Follow us." I had Mama go in first and sit beside the wall, then me followed very closely by Whitney. Her mother had called her and told her to get home. I told her to sit right where she was and stay out of her car. Yep. Usurped her dear mama's authority.

I don't know how long we sat and visited and made phone calls to tell relatives where we were in case they had to dig through the rubble to find us. :) Eventually, we all went back to our seats and the movie started again.

So. How did you spend your evening?

Freeze Results

The bluebonnets withstood the freeze, but you should see the azaleas. Kaput. Hopefully the peach orchards in our area weren't hit too hard. Oh! And strawberries will be ready before long! A couple of the orchards let you do your own picking. Carol and I have done that twice. I still have strawberries in the freezer, but a bucket full would be nice to just eat.

Tammy commented on my last post that they still have snow. We get snow maybe once every 5-10 years. It's wet snow. Then it freezes and turns to ice. Generally it's gone the next day. The years that I was gone, after Daddy died in 2000, they had a freeze here before Christmas...then had one in February 2001. It was a really bad time for Mama. Anyway...that's been 9 years...we are due some white stuff.

I'm working on another sock. Started a leaf pattern. Did not work out. Thank goodness I found out on the second row after the ribbing. I frogged it (unraveled it)...had to completely frog it...couldn't pick up the ribbing stitches and decided 10 rows of k1, p1 would be easier to redo that fuss and fidget with picking up stitches. I got several repeats of a basketweave pattern done since last night.

Before the Freeze

Yep. Gonna freeze before daybreak tomorrow. Not knowing what I'm going to wake too, I took more photos of my bluebonnets this morning. Since we've mown, they really pop!

March Comes in Like a Lion

And leaves just as bad! We have winds at 25 mph and gusting to 35 mph! Yesterday temps got up to 80 or 81 degrees. Today only 62. We will get close to freezing either tonight or tomorrow night. (See previous post about spring in Texas.) So...spending the day inside. Sam's watching the race. I'm listening to it. Tomorrow, he's going to finish mowing the back of the property and I'm cleaning house and ironing...groan.

I completed a pair of socks! Finished grafting the toe this morning.

I love the lacy pattern.

I pulled two balls of green yarn out of the bag and found a leaf pattern to try out this time.

Yesterday we went to Jefferson Texas...mainly to hear Lady Chazz and the Tramps. I've talked about them in a previous post...Chazz's husband was a high school classmate of mine. After retiring from the US Navy, he and his wife's band do the night club circuit. Yesterday they were playing a benefit for an injured girl. We didn't ride over though, we drove in the 4-Runner...didn't know how late we would stay or how cool it would be when we left. While there, we ate at Lamache's. A delicious Italian restaurant. One of the best we've eaten at next to DiBella's in Galveston.

We saw a couple in their leathers. They also had a full grown German Shepherd with them. ??? The question was answered when they got ready to leave...

GRIT

Thanks to GenaB, a misplaced Texan from Tyler now living in Grand Junction Colorado, I know that I am a GRITS.

Girl
Raised
In
The
South

What an appropriate acronym!

You know, we Texans could just be a GRIT

Girl
Raised
In
TEXAS!

I better go get my hair dry and put on some makeup. We did the yard today and have plans to go to Jefferson to a Bike Benefit in a few minutes. A high school classmate of mine is performing...mentioned him once before I think when he, his wife, and their band performed at Sam's Town in Shreveport. They are setting up outside so we won't be couped up with the smokers.

Later!

Stormy Night---Windy Day

I heard a coyote crossing our property sometime before midnight. He yipped all the way across behind the house. I started to get up to take a look out the window...but was too lazy. We woke in the wee hours to lightning and thunder. And I mean it was just right outside our window. I looked out the bedroom window to make certain the two big oaks out back were still standing and not ablaze.

I stopped at a couple of estate sales this morning on the way to the grocery store. Okay...big detour around the grocery store. ;o) The sales were as different as night and day. One had some wonderful stuff! Franciscan dishes. Pottery. Silver as well as silverplate. Some crystal. Tablecloths and napkins. I purchased a nice (probably not crystal but still nice) two tiered serving piece $8, three tablecloths without a single spot on them...one with eight matching napkins all for $10!!, three dainty lady's hankies $5, and an American Fostoria cruet $15...I'll have to watch Carol's bag next time she visits or it may walk out the door with her!!!

I bought the crystal/glass serving piece and the tablecloths and napkins for our library's Friends group. We've been doing a little catering and providing our own items chancing that something gets broken or stained.

The hankies and cruet (as mentioned) are mine to keep.

Then...the other estate sale. I did not see one interesting thing. Wait! Yes I did. A Brother zig-zag sewing machine. If I needed yet another machine I would have seriously considered this. But, with three machines already...;o) The poor lady had the 'blue goose' or duck or whatever everywhere. I would've considered the dishes until I saw the goose/duck. Shudder. Reminds me of when we were house hunting. Someone younger than me had completely redecorated her in-law's home before moving in. Blue...blue...BLUE carpet and those blasted blue geese everywhere! And this was in 2003...not 1995!!! I told Sam that if we bought the house the blue carpet would have to go. His statement? "But it's new!" I didn't care. The couple who did buy it were retirees from the Dallas area. First thing they did? Ripped out the new blue carpet. I rest my case!

Not necessarily these...but similar.

Enough of that. Now for some fun.

I am a Southern woman. This proves it. Changes to fit me are in italics.

Southern women appreciate their natural assets:

Clean skin.

A winning smile.

That unforgettable Southern drawl.

Southern women know their manners:

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, sir."

"Why, no! I'm not that kind of girl!"

Southern women have a distinct way with fond expressions:

"Y'all come back!"

"Well, bless your heart."

"Drop by when you can."

"How's your Mama?"

Southern women know their summer weather report:

Humidity

Humidity

Humidity

Southern women know their vacation spots:

The beach

The river

The crick

Southern women know the joys of June, July, and August:

Colorful hi-heel sandals

Strapless sun dresses

Iced tea with lemon

Southern women know everybody's first name:

Honey

Darlin'

Sugar

Southern women know the movies that speak to their hearts:

"Fried Green Tomatoes"

"Driving Miss Daisy"

"Steel Magnolias"

"Gone With The Wind"

Southern women know their religions:
Baptist

Methodist

NASCAR

Southern women know their country breakfasts:

Red-eye gravy

Grits

Eggs

Country ham

Mouth-watering homemade biscuits with Mama's homemade jelly

Southern Texas women know their cities dripping with Southern charm:

Fort Worth

Dallas

San Antone

Houston

Southern women know their elegant gentlemen:

Men in uniform

Men in tuxedos

Rhet Butler

Southern girls know their prime real estate:

The Mall

The Beauty Salon

The Rodeo Arena

Texas Motor Speedway

Southern girls know the 3 deadly sins:

Having bad hair and nails

Having bad manners

Cooking bad food

More Southernisms:

Only a Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a conniption fit, and that you don't "HAVE" them, you "PITCH" them.

Only a Southerner knows how many fish, collard greens, turnip greens, peas, beans, etc., make up "a mess."

Only a Southerner can show or point out to you the general direction of "yonder."

Only a Southerner knows exactly how long "directly" is, as in: "Going to town; be back directly."

Even Southern babies know that "Gimme some sugar" is not a request for the white, granular sweet substance that sits in a pretty little bowl in the middle of the table.

All Southerners know exactly when "by and by" is. They might not use the term, but they know the concept well.

Only a Southerner knows instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a neighbor who's got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl of cold potato salad. If the neighbor's trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin'!

Only Southerners grow up knowing the difference between "right near" and "a right far piece." They also know that "just down the road" can be 1 mile or 20.

Only a Southerner both knows and understands the difference between a redneck and a good ol' boy.

A Southerner knows that "fixin" can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adverb.

Only Southerners make friends while standing in lines and when we're "in line," we talk to everybody!

In the South, "y'all" is singular, "all y'all" is plural.

Southerners know grits come from corn and how to eat them.

Every Southerner knows that gravy is a breakfast food and that fried green tomatoes are not a breakfast food.

When you hear someone say, "Well, I caught myself lookin'," you know you are in the presence of a genuine Southerner.

Only true Southerners say "sweet tea" and "sweet milk." Sweet tea indicates the need for sugar and lots of it. Sweet milk means you don't want buttermilk.

A true Southerner knows you don't scream obscenities at little old ladies who drive 30 MPH on the highway. You just say, "Bless her heart"...and go your own way.

Another Quilt

This is for the project I mentioned on a previous post. I hope to be able to share the details before the end of next week.

The weather's been nice one day, wet and/or cold the next. Yesterday nice. Last night it thundered and was just a bit wet but cold this morning. This afternoon, clear and if you stayed out of the wind, short sleeves were perfect. Tomorrow it's supposed to be clear. Thursday wet. Friday clear. Ah! Just another spring in northeast Texas!

I did a bit of cleaning in my flower beds close to the house yesterday. Gotta lot left to do.

Dogwoods, Bluebonnets, and Wisteria

I finally took the time to take photos of the dogwoods. I had a wonderful drive home from subbing at high school today. Stopped by Mama's for a few minutes and ran the programs on her remote. LOL Don't know what she did, but she could only pick up one channel on her bedroom television. I handed her the remote and told her not to "touch anything from the waist down" on it.

The photos were all taken on the way through "the country" between her house and mine. This piece of property actually butts up to the back of our property. We were amazed at how close it really is after the property was logged last year. The logging definitely opened up the sky to the dogwoods. They are solidly peppered across the slope.

I mentioned them growing in layers when they weren't exposed to full sunlight.

Here's that "lollipop" tree again.
Just a note about the wisteria...you can tell where there's an old house place by what grows there...daffodils popping up in the middle of a pasture beside one old oak tree. Wisteria takes over everything. Someone once told me about her love for wisteria...but you only gave a plant to someone you hated. ;o) I stopped in the middle of the road to take these. The heady perfume nearly made me drunk!

The bluebonnets are in my yard. They just keep spreading and spreading much to Sam's chagrine. Of course I do everything I can to help them spread! From previous posts, you've seen them close to the house around the azaleas.