DECEMBER 31, 2014 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's just a few hours until the New Year can be officially welcomed!  Consider yourself  officially wished a Happy New Year!

The neighborhood party started about 2:30 p.m. and we were all home by 7:30 p.m.!

Of course there was eating, visiting, and games!  Thirteen of us gathered for a great time together.  

How long will it take to remember to write "2015", or say "twenty-fifteen"!

My sister, Jan and husband Bruce, had plans to leave central Missouri in the morning, then being here by Friday evening.  But....there is an icy wintry storm between them and us, so they are postponing their departure until at least Friday.  We want them to drive safe!!

December 29, 2014 Traffic Madness

Traffic in Laredo today was madness:  school break traffic, after Christmas shopping traffic, and big city traffic!

We used the excuse of a grocery list and a stop at Lowe's to make the trip this morning!  Of course, Gary and Evelyn went with us.

We enjoyed lunch at Red Lobster's.

Jim and Dee have invited friends over for the afternoon of New Year's Day.  Evelyn and I both had groceries to buy to make food for that gathering.  

This morning started out at 38 degrees....yes, 38 degrees, and cloudy.  The sun broke through about noon and temperature reached near 60 degrees.

December 27, 2014 A Dark and Dreary Day

Glen and Gary worked this morning on the outside project.  Evelyn and I mostly stayed indoors.

It has been 'dark and dreary' most of the day; temperature range of 54 degrees to 66 degrees.  

It has been a good day to read!

There has been three kiskadees each morning enjoying the Magic Mix and orange halves and grape jelly, with an occasional House Finch keeping them company.

December 26, 2014 Thirty-Eight Years Ago

Actually 37 years and 364 days ago we were celebrating Christmas with my parents.  I was 9 months pregnant; actually 15 days past the due date.  

My mother said "let's get this show on the road."  I went into labor after midnight, and delivered our son, Darin, that morning.  

Thirty-eight years later he is a loving father and husband and son, an excellent policeman.

Happy Birthday, Darin.

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Today has been a beautiful Day After Christmas!  

Gary and Evelyn are all settled in, glad to have escaped Winter in Missouri.  

We went back to Jim and Dee's this morning to help with the un-decorating of all things Christmas!  There are already plans for the next gathering.  Remember New Year's Eve is next week!

The rest of the day Evelyn and I watched Glen and Gary work!  No jackets necessary, unless the wind was blowing!  The high was 77 degrees, with a low of 49 degrees.

Here's a few pictures of the new project...more concrete and adding a bathroom.  The bathroom will have space for a shower, stool, vanity, washer/dryer, water softener, and a water heater.

View from the concrete where our motorhome is parked.  The "pole barn", or outdoor living space, was built in the 1970's.

View looking to the west.  Concrete can be used for another RV; Framing will be for the bathroom.

Close up of the work.  Looking through the space where our truck is parked is where Gary and Evelyn are now parked.

Looking at the Bathroom area.

Looking from under the Pole Barn toward the southeast.  

December 24/25, 2014 Christmas Eve/Day

These two days have been spent with friends and family!

Evelyn and Gary arrived this after just before two p.m.

Dee and Jim hosted a wonderful gathering for 24 of us yesterday afternoon.  They  prepared a ham, with all of the side dishes being brought in by all of us.  

Mid afternoon we played a few games of BINGO.  

Today a dozen of us gathered again at Jim and Dee's for the most delicious leftovers.  Dee added a dish of baked spaghetti.  Umm!

Gary and Evelyn arrived in time to get a plate of lunch, also.  After they had greeted everyone and finished lunch we came home.  Gary and Evelyn got the fifth wheel parked, and utilities hooked up.  

We sat outdoors for a couple of hours, catching up on everything.  

December 23, 2014 Windy Workday

Winds blew from the north today, cooling the sunshine and high of 73 degrees.  As long as I could stay out of the wind and in the sun, it was a great day!  

Glen worked on the outside project.  I was the occasional assistant.  Pictures soon, I promise.

This is Tuesday, so it's Jam Session night.  There were ten on stage tonight.  Several of us re-convened at the Dairy Queen afterward for a snack of one's choice!  

I visited the library this afternoon for the first time this winter.  We have just been too busy before now!  

December 21, 2014 Christmas Pot Luck at FBC

Tonight the church hosted a Christmas pot luck supper meal.

Church provided smoked brisket and beans and rice.  I assume brisket is a southern Texas Christmas tradition.  Beans and rice are an all-year-'round tradition!  

The fellowship hall was filled with families.  There are several Spanish families with small children attending.  

Pre-dinner activities included singing of Christmas hymns.  Pastor Lee this morning emphasized the difference between Santa Claus and Jesus, making sure both children and parents knew that Santa is not Jesus.  Some of our families have never attended church.  It is back-to-basics in many ways, which is good for all of us.

December 20, 2014 Shopping

Yes, we went shopping on the Saturday before Christmas.

Most of the time was spent at Lowe's choosing supplies for Glen's ongoing project.  I know I haven't mentioned specifically what type of project; but, be patient for another week, and I will post pictures and details.  Got your curiosity up?

I did some grocery shopping at WalMart.  It was busy, but not THAT busy.  Of course, I only shopped in the grocery section!

We "spied" three of these along the highway, just east of the Rio Grande River.  They were spaced out over a stretch of 80-90 miles, or so.

Do you think you know what it is?  Spoiler alert!  Here's the description....

A 72' long unmanned surveillance blimp!  It is technology that was used in Afghanistan with the military, and now is being used along the Mexican border.  This particular type is tethered for communication purposes.  

Of course we always see Border Patrol and Highway Patrol vehicles as we travel.  We feel that the borders are well patrolled/guarded, and are very safe.

YESTERDAY
We were part of a small group of friends that helped Jim and Dee set up tables and hang Christmas lights in prep for the Christmas Eve pot-luck gathering.  

December 18, 2014 A Misty Drizzly Day

The day started out with a mist, turned into a drizzle, with low clouds, and fog.  There was a total of 0.03" of measurable precip!  All in all, not a nice day.  Now, the day was was 61 degrees; thankfully not 31 degrees.

We stayed indoors.  We returned calls, opened mail, talked to family and friends.  I did some reading; Glen played arcade games on the computer/phone.

We are looking forward to seeing sunshine.  Tomorrow we will help friends Jim and Dee set up for the Christmas Eve Party.

AND, Dee is picking me up at 8 a.m. to check out some yard sales.  

I know.  Exciting.

December 17, 2014 Quick Trip

We returned this afternoon from an "over and back" trip to Houston TX. We left Monday morning.

I had an appointment yesterday morning for a follow up (original in November) mammogram.  I learned after several tests that all is normal.  We are grateful for the reports.

I ask for prayers for a dear friend who is awaiting answers from medical tests.  It will be ten days before the reports are back.  Those will be long days of uncertainity and worry.  

It is five and half hours to Houston.  We didn't do any sight-seeing except what was on the side of the road.  We did make quick stops at Best Buy and Lowe's.  

We are counting down the days until family and friends arrive from Missouri and Oklahoma. 

Are you ready for the visit from St. Nick?  

December 14. 2014 Christmas House Tour

The Chamber of Commerce sponsored a Christmas "house tour" this afternoon.  There were only two homes, but very full of the Christmas spirit.

Here's a few pictures from the afternoon.

House Number One:

A snowy welcome--even in the desert.

 One room was filled with a display of Christmas villages.

 These all had moving parts!

Just one table of goodies!

One room was decorated with 'Nativity Scenes".
The hostess told us she and her son-in-law work on decorating and setting up the villages every week-end starting the first of October.

Here's House Number Two:

 Welcome to the Lozano (family) home.

 Water feature in the front lawn.

 Welcome!  "The front door was approximately ten feet tall.

 The "owl"-themed tree in the office area.

 Table filled with Christmas themed salt and pepper shakers.

The back lawn was secluded and beautiful.

 Pots of greenery (all grown in this area).

 The back of the home.  Swimming pool to the right.

 One of two koi/goldfish ponds.

 A grapefruit tree, one of many kinds in the orchard area.

 Different types of cacti.

The outdoor entertaining area.

Keep in mind that everything (except the cacti) have to be watered...the orchard, the lawn, the rose bushes, etc.  

It was an entertaining afternoon.  We enjoyed conversing with the host/hostess of each home.  The college-aged daughter gave us the house tour at the second home.  The host led us through the secluded back yard with all of the different destinations.  One area that I didn't get a picture of was an enclosure/outdoor bird cage, 10'x15'x8'(height) filled with exotic birds.  

We sat outdoors after we returned from the home tour.  We enjoyed visits from neighbors.  

It was 80 degrees and sunny today.  

Remember you can click on the photos to enlarge.

December 11, 2014 Hey, You People Up North

We mowed the yard and trimmed with the weed-eater this morning.

Admittedly there wasn't much grass, mostly weeds, but it was green, tall, and needed mowing!  It does look better.  

All of the rain in the past month has made everything grow!

The mequite trees are finally dropping their leaves!  

We sat out in the recliners to read the weekly newspaper!  

No sun today, but the high was 71 degrees.  

December 10, 2014 Around the Area

Here's a couple of things seen in the past ten days.

Indigo Snake, crossing the street.  I think Indigo Snakes eat rattlesnakes.

We just learned the neighbors have this for a pet. It was out with the dogs.  A pot-bellied pig.

This was the sunset one evening as we were leaving Laredo.

Glen didn't go to last night's Jam Session.  A neighbor was here; by the time he left Glen wasn't in the notion of singing.

December 8, 2014 Monday Night

Glen and I are settled in, just ordinary living.  I know that you aren't interested in what time we get up (late), or what we eat each meal, or if we walk to the neighbors in the afternoon to visit.

That is what we have been doing the past week!

Glen has been working a bit each day on a plumbing project.  I watch and when Glen calls I go hold one end of a pipe or board or something.  It is very exciting.

The back yard birds have found the grape jelly, orange halves, and Magic Mix (a peanut butter/lard/corn meal mix).  There has been birds feeding that we didn't see last winter.  The golden-fronted woodpecker or grean jay or greater kiskadee squawks whenever the food supply needs replinishing.  

We are counting down the days to the arrival of Evelyn and Gary (around Christmas).  My sister Jan and husband Bruce are driving from Missouri around the first of the year!  Other "winter Texan" friends from Oklahoma and Michigan and Missouri will be on the same schedule...between Christmas and New Year's.  

It's has been misting rain since late Saturday night through mid-afternoon today.  Total rain is .60 inch.  The locals are calling this a "rainy" winter!  Temperature all day and now is 59 degrees.  No snow worries!  That kind of rain total doesn't raise the lake level.  

December 4. 2014 A Backyard Bird

Happiest of Birthdays to Glen's next younger sister, Marcella, today.  Marcella and Jeff are working for Amazon Fulfillment Center in Kentucky until December 23.  They are walking nearly ten miles each day filling your order to Amazon.

Here's a new backyard bird for us.  We have seen them in our neighborhood, but never IN our yard.  There's been a couple in the yard the past few days.  It is a Northern Cardinal wanna-be...you'll see.

This is a Pyrrhuloxia, probably a female.  "common in brushy desert habitat."

This is a Black Phoebe.  The belly area under the wings are white, but I couldnt get a good frontal view.  I will keep trying.

December 3, 2014 It's Someone's Birthday

It's my wonderful husband's birthday! 

 It has been a very quiet day.  He has played in the dirt, really.

Glen has a plumbing project in the works.  He dug in the dirt, glued pipes together, covered pipes!  Just his kind of day.

I gave him a choice of birthday sweets, and he chose Apple Pie.  I baked it this afternoon.  A warm slice of the pie was the appetizer for supper.

Here's a birthday fact for Glen:  his birthdate......12-3-45!  Isn't that cool!

Thanks to our family and friends for the calls, texts, FB wishes for Glen's birthday.

December 1, 2014 Long Day

It was a long day in Laredo!

First stop:
   groceries at WalMart

Second stop:
   lunch at Red Lobster--Glen's birthday choice

Third and longest stop:
   Verizon.
   My phone for several days had not been notifying me when I received text message, or had missed calls.  

Verizon's solution:  download a new update with "fixes" for text calls.  Both our phones were connected to Verizon internet so downloads could start.  It took 90 minutes for all of the downloading and updating.

Update:  as soon as we got in truck we texted each other and I STILL was not getting notifications.  SIGH!

We still had a stop at Lowe's so didn't turn around and go back.

After Lowe's we were headed south to Zapata and sighted another Verizon store.  We stopped there and in five minutes or less the employee had the phone fixed. He said as soon as I described the problem he knew what it was.  I told him he was "good" and for any other issues we would be back to that store.

Solution Number 2:  somehow a button that indiciated "do not disturb" had been pushed on, and no notifications were coming through.  Once "do not disturb" was turned off, everything worked.

Once we got home the hard part of grocery shopping started: the unloading and putting away of groceries!

There's a north wind blowing slightly cooler temperature for tomorrow!