Daughters and their cats

A message earlier from Elise: Mountain lion makes his way across several counties near & around Lubbock within the last several days. More news at 10 on Channel KCBD. The kitty crew will not venture out this evening due to sheer terror experienced by their mother on hearing the news.

Later we heard the critter had been spotted near Shallow Water, TX, which is a safe enough distance from the kitties.

And a picture on my phone from Emily earlier today asked, "What doesn't belong in this picture."
It was too small to figure out on the phone, but she sent an email just now, and it was easy to see Jack practicing his Halloween stare.

These two items arrived the same day. My Medicare card and my Smart Phone. I guess that says something, but I'm not quite sure what. I guess I'm kind of proud of being a senior citizen and still being able to maneuver my way around this phone.

At first, I refused to change phones, just wanting to settle for my old flip phone but one with a back this time. I've been carrying around a backless phone for months now, but it worked fine and dialed the correct numbers and rang decisively, so what more could I have expected.

I just didn't know.

Until my Evo came. I probably know about 1/100 of what you can do with one, but it has been fascinating. I'd still prefer to read and write email and do internet things on my big computer, but when I'm on a trip or just curled up on the couch and don't want to leave the room, I just get out my cute little phone and explore.

There are many things that I don't know what to do with and never will, but so far it's been a world of fun. It's now possible for me to download books from the library onto my Kindle - which is on my phone also now - without even leaving the house. I can also download audio books from the library. There are things I can do with coupons and grocery shopping, but that's all confusing right now. Mike has a matching one, and he's passed me in knowing what he's doing, but he's had a Blackberry for years and knows his way around a little bit.

Another good thing is that I've caused our children endless amusement with my learning process.

Elise: "Mom, you texted me this cryptic message just now. It must have been meant for someone else." I've now found the punctuation marks, so they should all be thrilled with my texting now.

Emily: "No, Mom, it's not a Droid. It's an Android. No, not an I-phone. An Evo." "Ryan's shaking his head." Hey, no mother-in-law jokes. I could be asking how to use a DVD player. Wait. That's over? I guess I missed that. I went from VCR tapes to whatever it is that's going on now with TVs.

Speaking of TVs and couches, when I moved here, I arranged my having-seen-better-days furniture around a rug in front of the fireplace. Cozy. And where is the TV in this picture?




Behind those doors. Behind the couch. For a person to watch TV, they would have to either lie on the couch or sit in the chair and try to see over the couch. So I just didn't watch TV for 5 years unless someone came and helped me rearrange the furniture temporarily for a football game or something.

But now that Mike is here, we thought we might find the TV and turn it on - with pretty dismal results. I saw a room redo in Southern Living yesterday, laid the magazine down, and proceeded to move all my furniture around.

Excuse the props of ladders and vacuum cleaners, but I do think this is more practical. Not so cozy - kind of disjointed - needs a big coffee table - but maybe it'll work. This is just the rough stages. The TV is now accessible right across from the couch and main chair.


I'm open for suggestions and decorating ideas. And some shows on TV worth watching.

I've just come in from the 2nd pruning expedition.
We worked nicely for about 30 minutes, and then the differing of opinion started. We were flagging down passersby asking for names of marriage counselors. I gave permission for the 20-foot "shrub" to be chopped down at the ground. Easier than arguing.

Live Goes On - and Very Nicely

For months, I never wrote anything because the same thing happened this year that happened last year - spring came, things bloomed, I complained about the heat and lack of rain during the summer, fall made me happy, and then I complained about the cold weather when winter came. The dog got out/learned a new trick/did some cute things. The cats were cats. I worked and went to the grocery store and post office and sometimes the fabric shop. I regretted so little time or inclination to sew. A few times a year, I would go someplace or eat lunch with a friend. I talked with my family and visited them sometimes. Took Mama to the beauty shop and Wal-Mart every Friday and to church on Sunday. Worked, it seems, all the time.

But times have changed, and life is fun again - or most days anyway - since Mike's moved back. He didn't take well to retirement the first month, but just yesterday he realized how much fun it was to work at your leisure in the yard with no deadlines to be back at work on Monday morning, to take a walk in the middle of the day, to sit on the front porch with a cup of coffee. We're working hard, doing some cooking, lots of laughing, a few meltdowns on both sides, playing with our new phones and his new computer. And most of all enjoying the nice weather.

I don't have time to do pictures today, but I have a few and will be back more often hopefully. The trouble with doing a lot is not having time to sit down and post journal entries and download pictures. We (mainly Mike) have spent the week on cutting back and cleaning up our front and side yards. I don't have any before pictures, but maybe I can do some after ones. We went to my godson's beautiful wedding in Jacksonville Beach and have pictures from there. I'm going to add this blog entry of Sherry's, the mother of the groom. She has some sweet pictures of the wedding plus some quilts. I'll add some more later.

My mind is so full of things I don't want to forget.

Just a few hurried pictures taken when I was trying to cheer up the inside of the house a little bit.

The napkins need washing, so I don't have the napkin rings on yet, and one placemat is upside down, but it makes me happy, especially with pumpkin spice candles and cinnamon roll coffee to lift your spirits.

So life is good for the most part. My father-in-law is still feeling bad and needs prayers, so please remember him, that he will be feeling stronger and able to enjoy life a little more. Also prayers for our friends in Guatemala who are battling devastation from flooding. E-mail from Gaby: "The rain started a week ago and we haven´t seen the sun again. Please pray for us, pray to stop the rain."