Golly Gee

I'm so goofy I had to pull my post since I forgot to link back to the blogs. Leave it to me!
 I have a new friend and follower who just gave me "The Liebster Blog" Award. Kuki of Along the Way recently started following my blog and I hers. Click HERE to see what she's up too as she shares her thoughts and observations from her little corner in South Texas. Thanks Kuki and I hope you continue to follow and enjoy my Little Bit of this and That of Life according to me. ;o)

 

Rules of the Liebster Blog Award are:

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog
2. Link back to the presenters blog
3. Copy and paste the blog award on your blog
4. Present the Liebster Blog Award to five Blogs of *200 or less followers who you feel deserve to be noticed.
5. Let the recipients know they have been chosen by leaving a comment on their blog

Here's my list of recipients

1. Bells and Kilts  The blog initially began when she and the hubby moved to Scotland for a year so she could share all their travels and adventures while residing overseas. Now, the blog chronicles her passions for traveling, cooking, living in Texas, visiting family and enjoying our three adorable dogs and two grumpy old cats. And now she adds not 1 but impending arrival of quadruplets. 
2. Linda's Journal  Linda shares her passion for life, decorating, crafts, painting, gardening and impending arrival of 4 new grand babies. She's Amber's mom. We are talking two talented and very special Ladies. 
3. Bobbidink Designs  Mandy shares her latest quilty creation and talent for long arm quilting.
4. Quilter's Crossing   What better way for Deb and Mandy to share their love of fabric, quilting and sewing than open a quilt shop in Tomball Texas and start a blog. The blog shares the latest fabric and notions arrivals. Let's you know about available classes,  events happening at the shop and shares the talent of some of their customers.
5. Cabin Quilters Each month Diane creates Desktop Calendar to share. You'll enjoy her sense  of humor as she shares quilts, life events and other quilty events. She is a quilter, retreat owner and talented.

I really enjoy these blogs and I hope you will too. I want to be just like them when I grow around I mean up. The round part is already taken care of.

Until next blog..  A Lifetime's not too long to live as friends and a quilt is not too small to sew them in.

Guess What?!!

 Can you believe it, it's really done!   

The 4th car bay of the garage expansion is finished and ready for David to put all his Big Boy Toys in. The garage is totally his domain  They do need to come back and finish cleaning the brick on the back of the garage to get all the mortar residue off. Looks like they got the top half done but the bottom half still has a film of mortar.. But construction is really done now. Well they have to come back and put the gate up on the fenced area but that's a quick fix.

We had a fence erected just off the patio to put the trash cans behind and we had an extra 10x14 concrete pad poured instead of just a step to hold David's smoker and whatever else. Like chairs and a small table to sit in the sun on the cooler days. Maybe we can get a table with an umbrella for warmer times.  In the picture above they had the gate off so they could pour the 10x14 pad.

 

 And taa- dah the patio is complete. We have fans and lights now. At night it looks like an airport runway lite up. We are clear for take off. LOL.  Two fans on the patio and two on the porch and lots of lights.

Last Wednesday my friend Cynthia came out to visit and we sat on the patio for an hour just rocking, talking and watching the birds before we came inside to sew. I spent almost 30 minutes to an hour every morning while off work last week then again in the evening. It's awesome. I usually have a puppy in my lap. Dexter loves being outside and in my lap as I rock and read. LOL

We now have 4 rockers. Pam was very upset there was only 2 rockers when she came home at spring break. Poor baby had to sit in a regular chair from the table a couple of times but she jumped in the rocker a couple of times if one was available.  

Now we have enough rockers even for a guest or two.

Notice a theme?

See the star on the base of the chair on the right.

Notice the star in the center back of the new style rocker here on the left.

The Texas rustic look with stars has taken over even outside.





Okay me and blogger are not one again today. Tried to post and it moved a paragraph down to the bottom and then when I came back to edit it removed everything I had written past this point. GRRRRR

Try again.

I walked around the lake to stand on the bridge and take a full picture of the back of the house.

Looks pretty good if I say so myself.

My personal “Yard Crasher” meaning David (he’s Ahmed Hassan’s stunt double on HGTV. LOL)  can’t wait to start working on the flower beds.
David moved the form boards from the yard that had been laying there since February to clean up the yard. Had to! Found a couple of slithering friends (snakes) under them. YIKES!!
I HATE SNAKES!

We moved the Big Blue flower pots that we had to where we think will be their permanent resting spot to help hide the small trail we have and the septic tank area and frame the window. We testing the idea out anyway.
I want David to take it slow and easy on the landscaping so he can enjoy our new outdoor space and home but I’m not sure that’s gonna happen. He's not very patient. Imagine.

I found this idea on Pinterest. David said he saw someone on Craigslist selling wagon wheels. He liked this idea too so we might try this somewhere in our yard. I can think of 2 bare walls that a wagon wheel and Blackeyed Susans would look great on. If you'd like to see more pictures from John Dreyer click HERE.  
He has all kinds of pictures.

Something else we'd like to add to the back yard is a fire pit and I found a simple fire pit idea on pinterest which is kinda what we had in mind.

David had built this really STURDY trellis at the old house that we grew a couple of red passion vines on well I'd like to see him build another one so we have have passion vines here too.

Now I have to laugh because didn't I just say I wanted him to go slow and I keep coming up with ideas for him to incorporate in the yard.

Now if we could have a little dry weather again for a while longer the contractors

would tear out the pitted up driveway and pour a pretty wider one and the much needed sidewalk up front.
It will be soooo nice to have it all completed. This picture doesn't show all the potholes but they are there! I usually step in one every time I get out of my car if I park in the driveway.
The blue pipes you see will be under the concrete so we can run electricity for lighting and/or water for soaker hoses and a sprinkler system one day. David thinks of everything.

Oh and guess what?! I got to celebrate my birthday one more time. LOL I just had to get another day of celebration in there. My friend and neighbor from the old neighborhood took me to lunch. We met up at Celaya’s off 1960 on Perry. Very tasty… 

Until next blog...'I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life.'

~Maya Angelou~

 
 

 

Somber kinda day

Today David and I went to the funeral of a good friend's mother. March is a bitter sweet month really when I think about. Pam and I celebrated our birthdays which was fun and happy and now we celebrate the life of someone's mother who has passed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Flaherty Family in their time of sorrow.

It was 5 years ago today that we lost David's mother. There's not a day I don't think about her. She loved this time of year, well she loved every day of the year to be honest. She always loved how all the Bradford pear trees bloomed down Cypresswood and the flower petals would look like snow when they blew off the trees and the street would turn white with all the petals. When the Bradford pear tree at the new house bloomed it immediately made me think of Thelma. She was one special lady.

Until Next Blog.......

And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
  Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.

 

Wrapping up the celebration

1^st off I find it very irritating that I type up my post and do a preview then when I post, it changes the font size in different areas and sometimes rearranges my paragraphs. Not sure how that happens. So let me apologize now if part of a paragraph and pictures ends up at the bottom of a post or the fonts aren’t all the same.

Well the celebrating was wrapping up Saturday the 3rd, Day 4 Pamela and I headed to the Woodlands to meet my Mom and Joe for a birthday lunch at BJ’s. Another yummy place we enjoy eating at. May I just say that though Christmas I can control my weight but during the month of March my eating habits go out the window. The menu at BJ’s is big which makes it hard to decide what to eat. After much deliberation Pamela decided on fish and chips, Me and my Mom got a grilled turkey burger and Joe got a pulled pork sandwich. We were all stuffed and satisfied. Mom and Joe gave us each a Happy Birthday balloon and birthday money to go buy what we want. The balloons tipped off  the waiter that it was our birthday so he gave both of us a warm chocolate chip cookie with a scoop of ice cream. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm good. We did shared with Mom and Joe.

That evening David, Pam and I went to a Quad Party. What’s a Quad Party you might ask?

Well our friends are having quadruplets. That’s 4 babies all at once. Surprise!  Anyway Mom-2-Bee didn’t want the typical pink and blue with games kind of shower so her mom helped put together a Texas themed party. Don't you love the little onesies banner.Another friend stepped up and cooked fried chicken,  lots of fried chicken. This chicken was awesome. David has already commissioned him to cook for us at a party. Of course the cook is also expecting his first

baby (singular) within the next few weeks so I’m not sure he’ll be ready to cook for us if we have a party in May or June. You know new patio, at the new house and a nursing school graduate. Lots to celebrate by May or June Also on the menu that night were

 mashed potatoes, tasty green beans, corn and lots of other tasty morsels along with adult beverages and the tame stuff like soda and water. There were lots of pregnant women roaming around that night so I was afraid to drink the water if you know what I mean.

When gift time rolled around they had stacks of clothes, diapers and other necessities. Instead of getting a couple of outfits they were getting them in 4's or more. 
Now the Dad-2-Bee had to check out the hooded bath towel and he modeled the carrier.

They got one(4) of those baby back packs and Mike figured he’d have one baby strapped to the front, one to back and one in/on each arm.

Aren't they a cute couple? Their lives are about to be changed forever. With lots of diapers, little smiles and giggles, tears, lots of them, more diapers, love, frustration and joy. All multiplied by 4.

 The little blonde sitting on the couch is the Quad Grandma to be. I think that was the first time that night she actually sat down for any length of time. 

Right before we left I saw the best book ever that they received as a gift. You know I felt exactly like the parent in the book on occasion when Pamela refused to go to sleep and kept thinking of reason to delay bedtime.  This book cracked me up.

Sunday was a day of rest. Pam headed back to school and David and I cooked something on the grill. Now Monday the 5^th was my real birthday so David decided he wouldn’t make me cook that night so we headed up to the local Mexican Restaurant called Julio’s. Had me a margarita. Whew! Okay I’ll full and satisfied. I guess I can stop celebrating for now. Well sorta because Friday the 9th Pam and I went to Reba at the Rodeo. YeeHAW.  Awesome show. Now I'm done until next year.

Here's are a few more pictures from the Tri County Quilt Guild 2^nd Quilt Show.

Carolyn stands by her quilt. Wouldn't like to paper piece this quilt?
She's a teacher at Quilter's Crossing





This was the Tin Can Raffle booth. Buy tickets and drop then in the can of the item you'd like to win.
Lots of cool stuff on the table.



My neighbor and fellow guild member admires her blue ribbon quilt.
Wonder if I could convince her to leave at my house. It would look awesome
on the wall in my Texas guest room!



Carol mans the Story Book quilt Booth.
Quilt-themed books are paired with small quilts made guild members, availabe for check out to area schools, churches, scouts or you to read to your own childen. The quilts presented as a hands-on depiction of the story suitable for grades K-6, and address a variety of themes, including personal loss, tolerance, death of a loved one, perseverance, moving, and appreciation of heritage. If your interested in checking out a book and quilt you can go to http://www.tricountyquiltguild.org/ and click on the Story Book Quilt Link.

  

If you want to see the whole album of pictures you can go to
http://hurricanecarla35.smugmug.com/TriCountyQuiltGuild/2012-03-02-thru-03-Pieceful/21896211_DH9Z9k

If you didn't make to the show you should have but don't fret we'll have another in 2014.

Until next Blog….. Always Celebrate Life like there’s no tomorrow. 

Day 3 was a Special Day of Celebration



Friday was an extra special day! I mean Wow is it really possible that another year has flown by? 

Well I guess so because Pamela turned 25!  

Isn't she cute? She was 9 months old in this picture. We used to celebrate her birthday and then mine when she was younger but in the last 3-4 years we have been celebrating together if we can. 

It seems like yesterday when I
drove her to her1^st day of kindergarten @ St Rose of Lima.




The days, months, the years seemed to fly by and she was graduating from the 5^th grade and it was time to start a new phase of her life, public middle school.  

She's so silly

She had her trials and tribulations like any young person growing up. Self image and self confidence but she has always seemed to handle herself with a maturity beyond her years. She's such a little devil. lol

….And here we are! Wow 25!
So Pamela always remember

“you is kind, you is smart and you is IM – POR – TANT”.

(“The Help” Abilene to Mae Mobley) 

♥▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬♫♥♫▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬♥

(¯♥’★♫♪• HAPPY BIRTHDAY 25^th PAMELA•♫♪★’♥¯)

♥▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬♫♥♫▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬♥

  

Of course I'll continue to celebrate because my birthday isn't really until Monday. 

 Here’s a few more peeks at what I saw……

Deborah shows off her Blue Ribbon (1st)

Friday I went back to the Guild Quilt Show to photograph more quilts and whatever else hit my fancy.  So many pretty quilts, so many vendors, so many activities.  And yes for me this is celebrating.    

I was surrounded by quilts, fabric, other quilty things, friends and lots of talented people. And I was off work. Hehe

 

Linda


It was hard to decide which one to show here....

 

 I even got to go to lunch with my friend Karen who works at the Berry Center. That was a first.  We caught up on all the latest in that 30 something minutes.

Whoops time was flying by and I needed to leave to pick up Pamela at the house so we can go out to eat to celebrate our birthdays together. I’m late as usual…….
To make things easier on Dad we have one birthday dinner celebration….
I got home, Pam jumped in the car and we headed toThe Taste of Texas.
Yum!!! The food was so good. Of course we all had big juicy steaks that cut like butter. Oops meat on Friday. I promise to do better the rest of Lent but you can’t go to the Taste of Texas and not eat red meat. We ended dinner with tasty desserts. Our waiter gave us each a choice of desserts. Pam had the apple dumplin with cinnamon ice cream and I had a big slice of key lime pie. They were sinful. David chose to help us eat our desserts. We were in Heaven and soooo full by the time we were done. 

We opened our birthday cards from David and found money and gift certificates for a massage at our favorite place… 'Waiting to Exhale'… Ahhhh can’t wait. And he bought us some rodeo tickets to REBA. Yee Haw. David is/was very good to us. Thanks Honey!! Oh and we got some gift certificates to eat at 'Tea for Two' who has awesome jalapeno chicken salad.


After all that food we went home and curled up on the couch and just vegged. So ends our day of celebration. But there’s tomorrow….!

So Until next Blog………."Promise me you’ll always remember: you’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” ~Christopher Robin (to Pooh)

 

Day 2 Celebration begins

Had to start Thursday off by going to work but that's okay because when the clock strikes 11:50am I was off and running.


I head to the Berry Center to take some pictures as Tri County Quilt Guild sets up for our 2nd Quilt Show called Pieceful Moments. Our first show was very small in size and space but the turn out was huge (approx. 1000 visitors) and I hope for the same success and more for our 2nd show. This is part of my celebration since I love quilting.

As I've said before I love to surround myself with talented and knowledgeable quilters. Gives me plenty of options when it comes to who to ask questions when I'm needing help which is usually quite often. Not only are the members talented but they're giving of their time and efforts. It has taken 2 years to plan and improve upon what we learned from our first show. And I'm sure we'll learn more at our 2nd show.

Here's a couple of sneak peeks of what I saw Thursday. I have to edit most of the pictures before I release the entire show album

Quilts for Sale Booth





Setting up Carol June Booth -  Embroidery, bags, shirts, quilt blocks



Linda Love by her quilt in the show

Story Book Quilt Booth - check out a book and quilt





Quilter's Crossing Booth




The Square Quilter Booth

 There are Over 150 quilts on display and something like 30 vendors to shop at. 

Can't wait to go back for more on Friday!

 Now would you look at the time!
It's nearly 3:15pm and I need to head out. 


I've got to run home so I can change my clothes and pick up one of my dates for the evening... and then we'll meet our 3rd party in crime I mean fun at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Part of my birthday present from David is a ticket to Ladies Nite Out at the Rodeo.

YEE HAW!
 

Our Andy Warhol Picture


For a fee we receive all the food and drink we can consume, party favors, pictures, fun, tattoo's(not real ones), hair bling, make-up, more pictures, drinks, fun, the rodeo and the show "Lady Antebelum" and more. Did I mention drinks and fun? Oh okay just making sure.
 Here we are waiting for our blue martini..that's poured through an Ice block shaped like a cowboy boot. 


 
Now how stupid am I... I didn't take a picture of them pouring the liquor through the ice but then I was rather busy holding the martini glass trying not to miss any liquid as it flowed out but I did find this picture.
  
Sheryl and Kathy are 2 of my sorority sisters from college. Sheryl has been attending the rodeo with me for the last maybe 6 years and this was Kathy's first time to join us in the fun.

Kathy  Me and Sheryl with our Turquoise Martini's



 Bottoms UP Cowgirls!

Enough of the frilly drinks on to the Corona.

 My daughter usually comes but she had class and a test on Friday so she missed all the fun hopefully she can make it next year. 

Entertainment for the night Lady Antebellum. Great music. And I didn't mind staring at the guy singer. Whatever his name is. I can never remember the names of singers and songs what can I say.. Oh yeah he was ...easy on the eyes. Hey I'm married, older but not blind or dead. 

Here's Sheryl showing off the bling in her hair. Can't see it in the picture but it flashes...

I'm sure everyone on the freeway as we drove home was wondering 'what the heck' as our bling just flashed away. My bling was on the left side and hers on the right. I didn't even think about the blinking bling until I walked into my dark bedroom and saw the bright lights blinking in my mirror.  LOL.

Here we are at the end of the night. Still standing and smiling!
And a clear table.

Darn it though they took away the cowboy boot center piece that was made of metal and wire mesh  with added crystal bling. It would have looked great in my little niche' in my hall at the new place. Now if I'd been smart I would have taken a picture to show you and maybe one of my readers could have told me where to find one.

 You'll be happy to know I was home and in bed by 11:30pm. Just to start over again on Friday(Day 3).

Are you bored yet? So ends my Day 2.

It was fun day to me

Until next Blog..........Birthdays don't mean you're old. That only happens when you quit celebrating and having fun. So I don't think I'll stop. ;o)