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Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween

The recent storms shook loose thousands of acorns and pecans in my neighborhood. I have plenty of my own acorns, but as I walked with Emmi this afternoon, I gathered a few pecans from the sidewalks. There were pecans in all states of "undress". I thought this would be the perfect chance to try out some of the new Photoshop Actions I downloaded from Pioneer Woman. By the way, she is featured in the latest Southern Living magazine. Here is a young cat that found Emmi to be quite scary. Seeing her peeking out from behind this fence almost drove poor Emmi crazy (of course, being the chicken that she is, she probably would have just run from the cat). Using PW's Seventies Action (I really am a child of the seventies, because I really love this effect): Using PW's Colorize Action: And using PW's Heartland Action: We also saw lots of signs of fall in neighboring yards. I'm guessing that little goblins will soon be making their way to my front door--I'd better go get the candy ready!
Friday, October 30, 2009

Rain Day

Wow! This is the first time I ever remember having school canceled due to flooding in Shreveport!! Last night's storm was incredible and dumped so much rain on our already saturated ground. My street was flooded, my neighbor's garage was flooded and apparently there are plenty of houses flooded in the area, too. I'm fortunate in that I never lost power or internet, and after initially waking up at 5 a.m. to check the TV for closures, was happy to turn over and get a bit of extra sleep.

So what have I done today? Well, this . . . and this . . . and lots of this . . . and after a great meal at Rollin' In The Dough, now I'm beginning this . . .What's the best part of it all? Tomorrow is only Saturday!

A Promise

Torrential rains, tornadoes, flooding and high winds. The last 24 hours have been wild. But, as the skies cleared this evening, I was struck by the beauty of the clouds.
such contrast from the previous night . . .
and while these are not in the form of a rainbow . . .
perhaps they are still a promise of hope . . .
and certainly of joy.
Thursday, October 29, 2009

Maggie Lee 4 Good

Maggie Lee would have been 13 today. Her life ended way too soon, as the result of a church bus accident this summer. I never knew Maggie Lee, but have many friends who did and who have been touched by both her life and the grace in which her family have handled their loss.

Today, 17,000 people from across the country joined together to perform individual acts of "good"----Maggie Lee 4 Good. Her classmates in the seventh grade class at First Baptist Church School chose to assist with the Carnival at 81st Street ECE Center (where my office is located). It's hard to say who had more fun---the preschoolers or the big kids, but it was definitely a wonderful act of kindness to this school and these children that are often forgotten by outside groups.

I am in awe of Jinny Hensen who has chosen to channel her grief into things that enrich the lives of others. And while there surely have been dark times filled with tears, on this, her daughter's birthday, she was at 81st Street in the midst of her classmates sharing joy and laughter. As we wore t-shirts with her logo and thought of small ways to help others, I can't help but think-what a wonderful way to celebrate her life!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009

A Moment of Silence, Please


Each morning, as I open my kitchen window shade, Betty, the blue, boy beta swims to the front of the bowl awaiting his food (that's right, Betty was a boy). However, today was different. Instead of swimming, he floated---right to the top of the water. Can we please observe a moment of silence in his memory--Goodbye, Betty!
Sunday, October 25, 2009

To Have And To Hold

Meredith got married this weekend. With the health scare that she's been dealing with for the last few weeks now behind her, this day was even more special. I'm happy to report that she now has a clean bill of health, but she is still healing from her surgery and will require frequent follow-ups. This weekend was all about her and Matt.

Mimi and I drove over Friday afternoon and after taking her to the rehearsal dinner, I picked up Jana at the airport. We had most of Saturday free, so we had fun browsing Main Street in Grapevine. The wedding itself was absolutely beautiful. Meredith looked wonderful and her family was so happy for her. I met the newest additions to the family---baby Beckett, who was just 5 days old (his mama looked amazing as Matron of Honor!!!) and his big sister, Chloe. Hard to believe that this handsome father was the 3-year-old ring bearer in my own wedding! The reception was held at a local vineyard and every detail was just perfect.Here are few of my favorite pictures:
The grandmother of the bride--Mimi
Jana dancing with Craig's brother, "Burr"
The mother of the bride--Jim's sister, JaniceThe father of the bride, Craig
Jana and Meredith, cousins
Jana and me

Wet and a Bit Wild

Last Monday morning, as I made the 45 mile drive up to the Rodessa Head Start Center, the peaceful, country drive had been replaced with a "white knuckle, hold-on-tight to the steering wheel" drive in a torrential downpour. We've had an amazingly wet fall, like many parts of the country. The rain poured down and I sweated out whether or not the roads were all passable. Fortunately, I made it there and back safely. This week, however, the effects of the storms were definitely evident. The park where I generally stop to eat my P&B crackers looked a bit different.While there were not many people picnicking or camping this time, there were quite a few cars stopping by to look at the lake. And the wildlife seemed to be thrilled to have the park to themselves for a while. There were squirrels scampering around, butterflies in the grass,and herons perched in trees and wading in the water. And in stark contrast to the flooded lake, the ground still appeared parched in some areas. Crest levels have not been reached yet and there has been more rain since then, so who knows what next tomorrow will bring.
Saturday, October 17, 2009

GGM 2009

The Greater Gift Market is today. With all the organizing and ordering and setting up, I've been a bit stressed that it will all come together the way. But, the day is here, the goods are displayed and I'm headed to the church. (I already did my pre-shopping because I know I won't have time today) Here's a little preview of some of the wonderful things for sale:
Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Shine

Thai commercial for Pantene. (be sure to silence my music to the right, first)

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Craft Hope Project #5

Craft Hope has posted their latest project and I can't wait to get started. This project will benefit Margaret's Hope Chest, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Margaret's Hope Chest works to provide "hope and comfort to those in need". Through Craft Hope, the goal is to provide homemade quilts to every homeless child in their school system during the Christmas season. They're calling this project "Hope Squared" because of the squares that will be used in the project. Sounds like fun to me---can't wait to begin!
Sunday, October 11, 2009

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