Quick Wimberly Trip

David and I had a weekend planned to go to the Farm, stay at Pamela's house, go to Waco, visit Magnoila market, Hope to see Chip and Joanna Gaines at the Market from the Fixer Upper show, go back to the farm until it was time to head home but one of David's high school buddies shot out an email asking if anyone in the Bell Gang was interested in coming to their Wimberly place.  

Warning blog heavily loaded with photos.

So our plans changed. And we were off to Wimberly on Friday Morning. They live high on a hill with loads of beautiful views.




Billy & Cheryl opened their home and offered up some good ole hospitality.

Love their beautiful home and bright outdoor furniture.

Meet Billy Senior and Billy Junior. hehehe
They only had Billy Senior when we were here last hear.

We ate at some new places while visiting. For dinner Friday night we headed to a Pizza place that Billy and Cheryl raved about only to find that they had over a 2 hour wait time. So we ended up at Trudy's in Austin but just outside Dripping Springs.

Saturday we hung out and enjoyed their balcony and nature before heading into Wimberly and River Road and then to lunch

We were heading to car when Billy hollered for me to come see the Banana Spider. Okay I'm not into spiders but I was curious.

Look at this spider. It's huge and scary.

This thing was interesting but scary as heck. He moved once real quick and so did I. The above picture more accurately shows the size.
Supposedly they are mildly poisonous unless you have an allergic reaction to the venom but I didn't care to find out either way..

Aren't you glad I shared this with you.



After my fascination with the spider we headed into Wimberly. Billy drove us down River Road that runs beside Cypress Creek where homes, cabins and families were washed away during the recent continuous rains in June. Nothing could prepare you for the scene we saw. Now's when I wish I was a much better photographer. 
My photos don't even begin to share the devastation. River Road is a narrow road and no where to pull over so I shot some pictures out the car window as we drove down the road.

This use to be someone's home. 

100 year old Trees, Rocks and roots were just moved around like they weighed nothing.

Tree's were bent and twist 

and 

stripped clean of their bark. 
Most likely without the bark the trees will die.

Caught some people relaxing in the cool refreshing water. It did look really inviting. It was HOT Saturday. Hard to imagine that this same water in Cypress Creek in Wimberly raging and destroying everything in it's path.


You can hardly see the stairs just hanging there off the bluff on the right of the picture above. That last step would be a doosey. The river was something like 40 feet out of it's banks.  It's hard to image the water being that far out of it's banks and that high.


High above the river not even this house escaped damage. 

It's all boarded up.


Seeing all of the devastation put a lump in my throat. 

This was a house and this is all that's left.  Driving this path made me choke up. I just can't image the fear and the loss of life, homes and belongings. It tears at your heart.

We left here and headed to lunch at Salt Lic in Driftwood. Soooo Good! After that we all probably needed a nap but we headed to Wildseed Farms then Fredericksburg for some shopping.

No turquoise this time Pam Jackson but we did have a Jalapeno Margarita at Hondo's.



Sunday we got up hung out again on their awesome balcony. I did some bird watching. They were very distracting. LOL Kinda like the dog in "UP"...(squirrel) BIRD.  

Can you find them in my not so great photos. 

I need a bigger lens. These little guys were very skittish. 
They were so cute.

Cheryl and I were wanting a picture of this truck with the longhorns in front of it. We passed them going into Fredericksburg Saturday thinking we'd get a chance to snap a picture later but the Longhorns didn't cooperate. They were gone I took this picture in 2013 and it now hangs in my house. Maybe next trip I'll catch those longhorns out by the truck.

Did you do anything for Heather Von St James All or Nothing event on July 26. She's trying raise awareness for  Mesothelioma an asbestos disease.   She is a 10 year survivor.

I can't say I did anything totally crazy but David and I did relax all weekend and didn't leave the Hill Country until 3:30 Sunday. Normally we get up have breakfast and we hit the road for home by 12. We were in no hurry this time.  No rushing around. We got up Sunday as I said earlier and I did a little bird watching, visiting with Billy and Cheryl then headed into to town for brunch. We weren't disappointed. We ate at the Wimberly Cafe known for their awesome breakfast. Yum Yum

After brunch/breakfast we did some shopping. Hope y'all did something fantastic.

I'm sure you're tired now after reading all this so......

Until next blog.......The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. ~Elisabeth Foley

Magic Mike and Sorority Charity Auctions

So we had a great 4th and then the days went by slowly yet almost to quick. After the 4th we had to go back to working 10 hour days so we could get that glorious Friday off. It seems to be busier this year compared to last year but that tends to make the days go faster. 
Thursday the 9th one of the girls I work with thought we needed to go to the movies. I said sure shouldn't be a problem but Pamela is coming into town so let ask if she'd like to go. As soon as I told Pamela we planned on going to see Magic Mike she was all in. Pamela also invited her elementary school friend to join us. Us girls had a fun. First we went to dinner at Los Cucos. Yum Yum. Might of had a margarita and only one. Wanted to have clear vision for the movie.

30 Minutes before show time and we're the only ones in the theater. Ashley and I were ready for the show to start. It was funny because other women started coming in and we saw one poor guy come in with his girl. Then came these two women and one was really vocal. "Hellooo ladies are we ready for some Magic Mike and on and on"  She was funny. And then at the end of the movie she had more comments and the movie ended too soon. Oh Oh the final scene leaves you with your mouth open and eyes wide open. Holy Crap. I was amazed to see Michael Strahan as a dancer. A whole new side of the man and others I recognized from other TV series. Wow and of the main hunk....Channing Tatum...mmmm yep he was good and amazing. Great way to start the week. Fun night with the girls.
Friday Pamela and I got to run errands, have lunch and she had a beauty shop appointment. 

Pamela's hair looked great thanks to our wonderful hair stylist Brittany Bunch.  
Brittany looks beautiful in whatever color of hair she has. She's the red head. If you click HERE it will take you to the shop she works at and you can make yourself an appointment. You won't regret it.
I haven't. I really need to get mine done but haven't had time. Pamela and I usually schedule our appointments the same day back to back but not this time. But I scared the heck out of her when I walked in with Pamela.
Brittany made sure Pamela's hair was curled so it would look good on Saturday.

Saturday was my sorority chairity auction and luncheon with my Phi Mu sisters. It's always a good time and fun to catch up with sisters. 
We get together to support Texas Children's Hospital and the Children's Miracle Network.

And what I didn't even think about was that it was the 40th anniversary for many of the girls. It was only my 39th. LOL
Wow where has the time gone?

Of course all the freeways around suck between traffic and construction everywhere.
Pamela took a selfie of us before pulling out of the driveway. Look I had curled hair but that didn't last long after walking from the parking lot to the restaurant. I thought I put plenty of hair spray but I guess not. Pamela's hair looked nice all day. She got some of Daddy's curly hair.
Oh I forgot to tell you an important fact.  One of my sorority sisters sold her house here in Houston and moved about 2 hours away so she called and asked if she could stay the night at our house and I said sure... No Problem. Never thought any more about it until the night before Pamela came home.. mmm When Pamela bought her house she moved the furniture out of her room here which included her bed that she put in her guest room.  OH CRAP I only have one bed now in the guest room where Sheryl will stay. OOPS.  Two folks one bed. What to do...It worked out because Pamela went to stay with her friend while her husband was out of the country for the night. Win Win 

And to top it off My Tiny Dancer Emily from Missouri texts me on Thursday evening to say she'll be in Webster just outside Houston. Not exactly just outside but close enough. Under normal circumstances it would take maybe just over an hour but nothing is normal on Houston hiways.  I feel like a bad Aunt because so much was going on that it just wasn't going to work for me to get there. So she danced 3 dances at a pageant that her instructor was putting on and I missed it. Damn it.


Can't be in all places at one time.
Here's the class of 75 and 76.
Great bunch of girls that I can call sister.



As I walked thru the Armadillo Palace and looked at all the silent auctions items this gal walked by and I thought wait a minute I know that gal but not as a Phi Mu but from somewhere else. I just couldn't figure it out until we were sitting down and I saw her smile and realized I knew her from the Middle School I worked at 8 years ago. She was one of the teachers. Her mother was a Phi Mu from Texas Tech but we won't hold that against her. LOL. Her mother was also our chapter advisor the year I came in.
This is Jonell's husband Bert and below is Jonell. They hosted an after luncheon reunion for the 70's girls. They are the host and hostess with the mostess. Bert went above and beyond. He had grilled, chicken, pulled pork, sausage, baked beans, homemade cole slaw and much more.
And trust me it was all yummy. They opened up their home and kitchen to us.

click on the following to see more pictures   Phi Mu class of 1975 and 1976  

Love in our Bond...

  It was a great day. Sheryl and I made it back to the house around 10 I think. 

Sunday I went grocery shopping so we could eat this week. ;o)

Pamela was able to stay home till Wednesday and my Mom came home from Arkansas on Monday so I took off this past Tuesday so we could go up to visit her, run some errands  and take her to lunch. Then Pamela and I headed back home to sneak in a massage at Waiting to Exhale before dinner.
It was awesome.

MMMmmm what shall this weekend bring...

Until next blog post...We are sisters. We will always be sisters. Our differences may never go away, but neither, for me, will our song. ~Elizabeth Fishel  (Blood sisters or Sorority)
 

Hard Work and Fun

Nice break from the 4- 10's. Only had to work 8 hrs a day the week of the 4th of July because of the holiday. But it's started all over again on Monday.
Last Monday me and some of the girls from work met up at Los Cucos on 290. The usually suspects Ashley and baby girl Aria, Samara and tonight Cassie joined us along with her hubby Tim. Monday and Tuesdays are $2 margaritas all day. Couldn't pass it up. We drank responsibly honest and had a light dinner.

On Wednesday 
evening David and I headed out to Puffabelly's in Old Town Spring to see Davin James and his guest artist Thomas Michael Riley. They were in rare form tonight. Laughing, Singing and playing guitar. We missed TMR's festival in Luchenbach this year because we were shoulder deep in boxes. LOL. We were in Bryan helping Pamela move into her new house. Maybe next year.
Thursday evening David and I hit Sam's for some burgers, dogs and beer.Prepping for a small gathering of friends from his work and mine. Oh and Pamela invited a couple of her friends out. Friday I had to go to the store for some smaller items we couldn't get at Sam's. It was packed but only on certain aisles. I had stopped on this one aisle trying to figure out what I wanted but as I was trying to get out of the way I noticed out of the corner of my eye this grocery basket coming straight at my basket but thought nothing of it I mean they'll stop, right? Nope he didn't. The guy slammed his cart into mine.. I thought really, What the Hell!? So I looked up but not really looking at the guy because I'm still thinking "Was that really necessary" then I did a double take. It was a guy I worked from Heritage Bag Company over 20 years ago. Couldn't believe it. His wife started laughing when I did the double take. Thanks Joe and Michelle Slaughter for making my day at the grocery store.

Silly Man mowing the grass in the rain. He was determined to get the yard mowed before the 4th of July. Out of nowhere it started pouring down rain. Made the job a lot cooler.
Within an hour the sun was back but tolerable sorta. David worked hard on the yard all day.
You know having a small or big get together is hard work. David worked his butt off getting the patio cleaned up and setting up tables, chairs and icing down some cold drinks Saturday morning. Might have been a few beers in one cooler. My wine was in the fridge. I think a good time was had by all that was able to come out. 

 David provided plenty of fireworks.
 Those boxes are full. 
Great fireworks show!

Thanks to Pamela's friend's husbands Josh and Ryan they helped David carry out, set up and light everything. Thanks guys.
I can't thank everyone enough that brought something. We had more than enough food, Thanks Ashley and Nancy for helping pick up the kitchen.
Barbara if you're reading folks were wondering where you were. It was a Happy 4th of July. Which I might mention was my nephew Zachariah's birthday. He's a real firecracker. Here I go again I was so busy then tired I never took any pictures of my own but my daughter Pamela did and Ashley took some of her daughter. Wish I had gotten pictures of the other folks and their kids that were there. Must be old age.
Little Miss Aria.

   I think this rocket is one that had tiny parachutes attached to every star blast that rained down on us and the house. The ends were still hot.  
 

 Aww Pamela's childhood friend Marlaina has a baby bump. By the time the girls hit middle school they were inseparable. So glad they have continued their friendship.
That baby bump is a boy. Names are still in the air.

So happy for her and her hubby Josh. 

 
 Pamela and Dad.
When the last box of fireworks went off and then stopped we thought the show was over then almost 2 minutes later out comes more pretty fireworks. Then it was over unless you count the box going up in flames about 30 minutes later while we all circled up  talking and laughing. 

 Kristina  Marlaina and Pamela.

Pamela met Kristina thru Marlaina and Josh.

Kristina and her husband Ryan have now become good friends with Pamela



They're a great bunch and so funny.

 What a great weekend 

Now before I close out I need to mention a new blogger friend who reached out to me. 

Meet Heather Von St James.
She has a special event coming up called All or Nothing on July 26th.  Heather says "I'm raising awareness about my story to encourage people to really live their lives in the moment and make the most of each and every day."
You see Heather is a 10 year mesothelioma cancer survivor and is now called a poster child. Her goal is to inspire and encourage victims. Mesothelioma is an asbestos disease. Just 3 months after giving birth to her beautiful daughter she got her diagnosis. She never worked with asbestos but her father did she contracted the disease 2nd hand. She has quite the story. She is a survivor in the true sense of the word. She lives life to its fullest and that's what she wants you, me, everyone to do on July 26. How you do it is up to you but do it. It could be anything. All you have to do is google her name and she's every where, Facebook, blog, articles etc... Check her story out and her Event 

Until next post.....The trouble is if you don’t spend your life yourself, other people spend it for you. ~Peter Shaffer