Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Happy 2nd Bloggy Anniversary to me

I'm not necessarily  consistent when I blog but I been blogging for 2 years as of this past Saturday. I never expected to last much past the 1st year but surprise I'm still here.
I did it Mommy
I recently posted on Facebook a picture of the Grandpuppy because she graduated from her first round of Obedience Classes and now I have to share on my blog. I had to laugh because Pamela said that during the ceremony when she gave Sophie a command Sophie would bark at her. This little fur ball has quite the personality. Must take after her mom being so sassy.



Aren't they just the cutest ever.  They're moving on to Level 2 sometime this month.

They're coming home to celebrate our birthdays this weekend. Pamela's is Saturday and mine is next Tuesday. Pamela comes home now about once a month. Damn she's growing up. This working stuff gets in the way of us seeing more of her and Sophie.
We'll start celebrating Friday when she gets home.

Photograph by Richard Day/Animals Animals—Earth Scenes
Guess what I saw..... a real Blue Bird! No not a Blue Jay but a Blue Bird.
My husband thought they were one and the same but they're not.
OMG it was so pretty.
No that little guy/gal wasn't in my backyard it was up near the Woodlands. Dang it I didn't have my camera with me. From what I hear there is a Blue Bird Watching group up there. I may have to research and see if I can find the group and find out where the most spotting's are so I can get a picture for myself. These photos are from the Internet.

So it's been 6 weeks since my knee scope and it's finally beginning to feel better. Still have some minor swelling but I'm starting to walk without a limp. That's not to say it doesn't hurt when I step wrong. Started physical therapy  a couple of weeks ago and he gave me homework. Uggh. Never did like homework but I did it.  My knee hurt worst afterwards so they did this thing where they stick little electrodes around the knee and send small electrical currents thru it and put a big frozen gel pack on top. When they did that I started like Whoa... "Electricity and ice/water aren't  exactly friends". They laughed and told me it was okay and I guess it was because I'm still here. But doing that treatment after the exercises seemed to really help.
Now speaking of surgery..... David and I get to spend more quality time together.. We go to the orthopedic for my check up and to determine the fate of David's knee this Thursday. They even talked about a partial knee replacement. Let's hope this knee brace he's wearing is helping.  He'll definitely have to have a scope on his left knee for the torn meniscus but for the other issues he's having we'll just have to wait and see. More on that after our visit.

Saturday I went and bought a new curio cabinet for our hallway to hold a small camera collection and whatever else. David found it on Craigslist.  Now that I've got it in place I can start decorating the wall with  family and maybe some friend photos. David doesn't want me to hang the pictures I had going up the stairway at the old house but I want to hang a few of them so I'll have to pick out my favorites and then add new ones as they happen. I have to decide what color I want all the frames to be.  Most that I have now are various shades and types of brown but there is a couple gold, red and green ones. A Hodge podge for sure. I also want to get the signs that say Family and Friends  in cursive. I think that will work anyway. Or maybe I should paint  "Wall of Horror  Honor"  lol. As I was setting up the cabinet and putting in the 2 shelves I realized there's a space for a 3rd shelf. I called the store to see if maybe I just didn't pick up the glass shelf. Nope it only had 2. So I unloaded everything, pulled out the shelves and took one to the glass company to have a 3rd shelf made. It's ready.  I did leave my antique hand crank sewing machine, antique thread spools and a couple other older sewing items in the bottom. Can't wait to put everything back in it.
                         Thanks hubby, I really like this new curio cabinet.
Our next purchases is a rustic bookcase for the guest room,  a rustic dining table and hutch.

I want to share something my friend Carol made for me.  A woman of many talents. She knits, crocheter's, quilts, sews and does embroidery. Someone wrote on facebook the other day that "When I grow up I want to be like Carol" Me too! LOL
Here's what she made for me and anyone else who wants to buy some.
I mean she does make her living selling her wares. 
  Aggie Tennis shoes and Boots along with the four boots in the center for the quads.
Aren't they adorable? Let me know if you want some and I'll get you her number. Obviously she'll make them whatever color you want.

And the last thing I have to share is some quilted postcards I've made over the last 3 months.
 I wish I could put my quilts together so fast..... 
 
See the pocket? I hide money/check in there

Made these for birthdays

"Party until the cows come in"




 



 


This one I made for a friend of mine who is a big FARMVILLE player.





That's it for now! More to come.
So until next Blog ...
I think I am, therefore, I am. I think... ~George Carlin~



Carla


Saturday, February 23, 2013

All My Wild & Crazy Friends

When we moved in July 2011 the Meadow Larks filled our back yard every day. I've only seen them a few times this year but I still hear them. They've probably been hiding across the street until they started building the new house in on the lot. 








Here's one of our Great Blue Herons. We usually see 3 or 4 at least around.












Of course there's my hummingbird friends. Love to watch these guys zipping away.







Black Bellied Whistling Ducks in the back yard after a pretty good rain.







Oh Wait.................................................


You were expecting wild drunk and crude pictures weren't you.

Well You're gonna hate me..... LOL.. I don't really have wild friends well I do but I probably can't write about some of the stuff they do. Then again maybe I will.


A while back my friend who is now the proud momma of quadruplets Blogged about an article she wrote called "Birds of a Feather," a round-up of the top bird-watching vantage points and parks in Texas, March/April 2012. I had to leave her a comment on her blog that I didn't need to go anyway to watch for fine feather friends because since the Hubby and I moved to the country I have plenty to catch my attention.

Here's a wild creature mowing the yard. A little scary! No feathers.

I think this is A Red Winged Hawk that hangs out in my neighbors  trees. The neighborhood says there's a male and a female that hang around.


















Had a lot of Big fat Robins at the beginning of the 2012 Spring I haven't seen any yet. You'd look out and the whole yard would be black there were so many of them. They should be showing up again soon.


This Red Winged Black Bird loves the bird feeder. Came home Wednesday and the bird feeder was covered with them. When they fly you can see the underneath of their wing is red.

Now how did this featherless wild friend sneak in here?    Okay this our friend Pam who lives in Austin. She's a lot of fun.   Don't you love that hat? We were at Bat Fest.

And the wild woman is my hero. This is my sister who is in the Air Force Reserves and has served in Iraq and Afghanistan and probably other areas I know nothing of. But trust me she is wild and crazy. LOL  
Okay back to my feather friends.  This little guy/gal and 2 other friends appeared on our porch right outside our back door.

Aren't they pretty?


We have a flock of 17 Canadian Geese that stay around our Lake and sometimes end up in our back yard. And there a Monclovia Duck that hangs with at least 2 of the geese.  I guess they're friends. This past week the geese decided to hang out in the front yard and driveway. I won't show you the mess they made on our driveway. Gross! These guys are huge. It's scary sometimes in the morning before sun rise and all you can hear is this woosh woosh then they finally honk.

Ever watch an old vampire movie where the vampire turns into a bat and you hear the erie sound of the wings flapping. That's what the flock sounds like as it flies over our house.



Vultures. These birds creep me out a little.

We have lots of Mockingbirds. It was a little foggy when I took this one.



This creeper showed up after the flood. Don't know what he was but he's dead now. Just seeing it gives me the willies. Yuck!

Spotted Doves 


and White Winged Doves flock to our yard and feeders.
Some of the birds I've seen I haven't been able to to capture in picture such as the Egrets, Grey and White Ibis, red hooded bird called a House Finch and a small yellow bird I think is warbler of some kind or haven't been able to get close enough to identify some of the birds yet. I found this picture on the internet of a bird we've seen quite a bit this month in flocks in our yard. Or at least I think it's the bird we have. It's called a Kildeer. 

A few more unfeathered friends from the past.  

Kim probably forgot I even took this picture in 0



Former bosses and now friends from 06
I was Patty and Judy secretary




Phi Mu Sorority Sisters having fun 2010
2012 Phi Mu Sisters 
It was go Texas Day at Work Friday.

Ashley had the shirt but needed a hat.

I loaned her mine for the picture
I think she looks good in a hat.

   Kim took the the Texas Day and Dress like a Cowboy to a new definition.  LOL. She wore her Cowboys  jersey and an interesting hat.

Well I've bored you enough with my fine feathered and unfeather friends. There's plenty more of both but that's for another post.

So until next blog post I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
"Life is a patchwork of memories"

Carla



Thursday, February 14, 2013

Monday, February 11, 2013

Live Music

Okay as empty nestors David and I have been doing more things and one of them is going to more live music venues.


Photo from Website
We've been to various places but for now we frequent




Puffabelly's (click on the name for their history) in Old Town Spring where one of our favorite Texas musicians Davin James hosts a special guest every Wednesday night. We hope to see Davin and his full band some this year maybe at the White Elephant in Ft Worth. Who Knows. Puffabelly's opened in 1995 in the old train depot and a week later it burned to the ground. Puffabelly's had a replica train depot built and reopened. It has that rustic feel and gives you an up close personal connection with the musicians. Puffabelly's has a wide selection of food and appetizers that are all very tasty and of course there's adult beverages should you care to partake. Warning the jalapeno burger is not for sissy's but they're really good. LOL.

Closer to home we hit Main Street Crossing (click on the name for more info) a small intimate venue in Tomball that hosts a wide range of country artist, new upcoming artist and a few pop.
They have a small menu of salads, burgers and pizza and a couple of appetizers. Oh and my new fav is their Pesto Chicken Salad sandwich that was recommended by our waiter Jacob. Thanks Jacob. Ladies you might want to consider sharing this one because even I couldn't finish the whole sandwich by myself. And of course they have beer, like 30 different kinds and a wide selection of wines.

So you ask Why am I talking up these places? Are they paying me? I wish but nope. The hubby and I just love going there to enjoy the atmosphere, the food and the music. And speaking of music...

This past Wednesday we hit Main Street Crossing with our friends the Harpers to listen to Max Stalling and his secret weapon....his beautiful and talented wife Heather at Main Street Crossing in Tomball. 

We've seen Max and his band @ Cypress Saloon but we love to see Max at this venue up close and personal. He has lots of great songs. I can't pick just one as a fav. And guess what he's an Aggie. LOL  Each time we've seen him he's brought his lovely wife Heather who plays a mean fiddle. I don't remember any fiddle sounding like that when I was in band back in the day. She gets that bow moving and it becomes a blur. The first hour or so is live on Texas Radio FM105.3 and by 10pm it's just them and us. 
Heather belongs to a band called the Blacktop Gypsy. Her band is made up of 3 guys and 3 gals. We haven't caught the whole band but we did get to see Heather and 2 others, Andie-Kay Joyner lead singer and Steven Cooper on guitar at MSC. One day we'll get to catch the whole band at some venue.

Max told the guys that he brought some CD's and Koozies which would make great Valentine's gifts. What better gift a Max Stalling gift and/or CD for the gal in their life. So guess what I got.... a Max Stalling koozie for an early Valentine. Yep nothing but the best for me. LOL. Just kidding I actually like me new koozie. We already had all the CD's he had with him so far.
Photos I snapped while listening to Max and Heathe.




Great night with great friends, great food and great music by the Stalling Family.
These two put on a great show. Go check them out sometime.
Here's My Valentine's present being put to use on the patio at sunset the next evening

 
So until next blog.... Keep singing.•´´¯`•.¸¸.•.♫•¯`•.¸¸.•.♪♫•*
I like the sound of a Mexican bass run      I like the feel that it puts in my bones     Sometimes I wonder how I ever got here      I'm just trying to get home..•.♪♫•*.. ~ Max Stalling ~



 
Carla