Catch up...

OK, I was able to download something from Fuji's website so I can get the darn pictures off my camera with Windows 8.  I'm able to use PicMonkey to resize pictures, so I'm back in business there. I still don't like Windows 8, but I guess I can live with it (as if Microsoft has given me a choice). 

I've avoided taking pictures over the past several months because they'd just have to stay on the camera.  Now I'm back in business!

Here we go...

Reid on his birthday, January 28, 2014

Keith and his new car...probably February 2014?

Baby waiting for dinner to be served.  (My cats live like Kings and Queens.)

Murphy napping in the laundry basket.

My sweet Grace looking out the window.  She will be 21 years old this summer.  (Unfortunately, I didn't realize the camera was on the wrong setting, but I still like this picture.)  She couldn't look out the windows at our old house because they were up too high and she couldn't easily get to them.  Now she can watch the world go by.

That takes care of all the pictures left on the camera!

"S" as in Oil SPILL for Alphabe-Thursday

Welcome to Ms. Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday.  This week we are studying the letter "S" as in oil SPILL.

Just so happens we were down in Galveston earlier this week and things were pretty quiet along the waterfront.  I'm sure you probably heard about the oil SPILL on the news.  I hate hearing about oil SPILLS and their impact on fish and wildlife, but I believe things weren't as bad as they could have been along the Galveston coast.  However, it brought things to a standstill.

Three cruise ships were unable to leave port for a while.  One left earlier on Tuesday and I heard on the news that a second one was able to depart after we left.  There wasn't much going on, but the tall ship Elissa was sailing up and down in front of the dock.  She was supposed to leave on Tuesday for the first time in two years, but they said an oil sheen in the harbor forced them to postpone their departure until Friday.

I was told that the people on the third cruise ship had boarded Sunday evening, but they had just been told they could get off and get a refund and a discount on a future cruise.  The newspaper said they were still cleaning the oil off the hull and couldn't depart.

We thought we smelled oil, but water looked good to us.  We didn't notice the sheen.

We saw some small black things floating in the water.  You might be able to see what I'm talking about if you enlarge this picture by clicking on it.  Overall we didn't think it looked too bad where we were.

There are always some off shore oil rigs in for maintenance.  I thought the oil rig and the old 1887 Elissa were quite a contrast. Normally she's docked at the Texas Seaport Museum and you can go aboard.

Some oil rigs can be moved and they're towed in by tug boats.  There's a really interesting museum call the Ocean Star where you can learn about the different types of oil rigs.  In fact, the museum is on an old oil rig that's been converted.  I went years ago and it was very interesting.  I didn't think to take a picture.

Most boats were docked and tours were canceled.

The Dolphin Watch tour wasn't running.  I sure hope the dolphins are OK.  You can see them when you take the ferry across to the Bolivar Peninsula.  We thought about taking a ferry ride, but they weren't letting anyone out of their cars on the ferry because of the spill.  I'm not sure why.

They said today that all marine traffic can now move to and from the Houston/Galveston ports.  However, the fishing industry is very concerned about the impact to their industry.  They now say the SPILL is drifting toward Matagorda Bay.  This time of year there is great concern for the migratory birds.

The weather was beautiful down in Galveston and we ate outside on a deck.  It wasn't snowing.  (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)  I think some of you have had snow again.  You'll get your revenge.  Soon it will be blistering hot here and we'll be hiding inside with the A/C while you're outside enjoying great temperatures.

Please head over to Jenny's blog for the list of Alphabe-Thursday participants.  Thanks for visiting.

"R" as in Norman ROCKWELL for Alphabe-Thursday

It's hard to believe that another week has rolled by and it's time again for Alphabe-Thursday.  This week we are studying the letter "R" as in Norman ROCKWELL.

I grew up with Norman ROCKWELL.  He was an artist/illustrator and did many covers for The Saturday Evening Post and Look Magazine during the time I was growing up in the 1950's and 1960's.  He also did additional work for the Boy Scouts of America.

My Dad used to commute to New York City by train.  He would pick up the Saturday Evening Post so he'd have something to read on the ride home.  I always looked forward to seeing the latest cover.  I'd study all the detail.  Normal Rockwell knew how to tell a story with his work and it was often humorous.  I was fascinated.

Norman ROCKWELL is the artist that did The Four Freedoms Series during WWII.  You've probably seen them before...Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear.

 Freedom From Want

 I would love to go to the Norman ROCKWELL Museum in Stockbridge, MA. Although it's been number one on my bucket list for many years, I don't see myself going anytime soon.  However, in the early 90's the Boy Scouts of America had a traveling exhibition of some of the ROCKWELL works they own.  They came to Houston and the exhibit was held at the Houston Science Museum.  I thought that was a little strange (instead of the art museum), but I saw a small article in the newspaper and decided to head down there and take a look.  I don't think many people knew about it because when I got there it was just the security guard and me in the room for a while.  I was thrilled.

I walked around the room and took my time trying to study all the detail.  I talked to the guard and shared my story about Dad and the Saturday Evening Post.  Unfortunately, I was having trouble seeing because there was one of those velvet ropes and you could only go so close to each piece.  I couldn't decide if my reading glasses were helping and I turned to the guard and laughed.  I told him I was having trouble because I couldn't get close enough.  He smiled and said, "There's no one else here you can just go under the rope."  I'm pretty sure he wasn't supposed to let anyone do that, but I was ecstatic.  I ducked under and was able to see everything up close and personal.  I could have touched them, but I knew better.  It was the thrill of a lifetime for me.

I do own a few ROCKWELL prints, many ROCKWELL books, some ROCKWELL figurines, and a Christmas Village that is Stockbridge, MA.  There's even a little Norman ROCKWELL figure.  Am I obsessed?  I'm currently reading American Mirror, The Life and Art of Norman Rockwell by Deborah Solomon.  It's a controversial book, but I'm not that far into it to give an opinion.

This is one of his better known pieces done during the Civil Rights Movement called The Problem We All Live With.  I have the print hanging above my fireplace.

It really tells the story of what was happening at that time in our history.  I love the way he put the little girl in a white dress which symbolizes innocence.  This innocent child has to be escorted through hate just to attend school.  It really made an impression on me.

Now head over to Jenny's blog so you can see the list of other Alphabe-Thursday participants and visit  their "R" posts.  Thanks for visiting.

"Q" as in please QUIT!

It's time again for Alphabe-Thursday sponsored by Ms. Jenny at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent."  This week we are studying the letter "Q" as in please QUIT texting and driving!

Back in the early 1990's I used to drive my husband to work.  It was less than ten miles and we'd hit the road sometime between 6:15 and 6:30 AM.  I used to be horrified by all the drunk drivers I saw on the road.  I kept seeing more and more cars driving very slowly or swerving into the next lane.  I thought it was kind of strange to see them on the road at this time of day since bars closed at 2:00 AM.  Then I realized what was happening.  People were talking on cell phones!  This was long before most of us had them and talking while driving was an unusual event.

(I don't know how many of you remember, but there was an aerial that had to be pulled up and they were kind of big and bulky.)  At the time I thought it was kind of dangerous.  Eventually, it became the norm and a few states enacted legislation to make it illegal to drive and use a cell phone. 

Then texting came into being.  I'm not sure exactly when texting began.  It seems like it's been around forever, but it's probably a relatively short period of time.  Could it be less than ten years?

Texting and driving is even more dangerous than talking on the cell phone while driving.  You have to take your eyes off the road for extended periods of time.  I think it should be illegal.  In Texas a few years back the legislature passed a bill to ban texting and driving, but the governor vetoed the bill. (In Texas cell phone use is only illegal in school zones.) It varies from state to state.  Personally, I'm in favor of any kind of ban on cell phone use while driving.  However, that's probably not going to happen in a lot of places.

I don't know what the law is by you, but at the very least please voluntarily QUIT texting while  driving!  It's not worth someone's life.

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to be responsible for anyone having to put one of these on their car.

This one made me smile.

Please head over to Jenny's blog for a list of this week's participants.

I hope Jenny will be back with us soon!!!

"P" as in PARALYMPICS and PRAYERS

It's time again for Alphabe-Thursday sponsored by Ms. Jenny at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent."  This week we are studying the letter "P" as in PARALYMPICS.

I spent a lot of time in front of the TV last month watching the Sochi Olympics.  NBC and NBCSN had hours and hours of Olympic coverage.  During that coverage I learned that they would also be broadcasting the PARALYMPICS from Sochi in March.  It's only 50 hours of coverage, but more than they've ever broadcast before.  You can read all about the athletes and events at the Team USA PARALMPICS website.

I'm looking forward to the coverage.  Unfortunately, most events seem to be broadcast live in the middle of the night and not rebroadcast later during prime time like the regular Olympics.  So, I'll have to make sure I record the events I want to see.  However, the Opening Ceremony will be broadcast live at 11:00 AM on Friday morning.  You can find the complete schedule at the Team USA site by clicking here and then clicking on the Media guide link on the left hand side.  It will bring up a schedule to download.

I heard someone say on television that these athletes train just as hard (if not harder) as the regular Olympic Athletes.  I'm looking forward to the Sled Hockey.  I've never seen it before and I think it's going to be pretty exciting to watch.  Will you join me in Sochi from March 7th through the 16th?  I think it's going to be very inspiring and lots of fun.  I'm glad that these athletes are finally getting some television exposure.

"P" is also for PRAYERS for Jenny Matlock.  I hope and PRAY her doctors are able to get some answers and find a suitable treatment so she'll be back with us soon.  In case you missed her post you can read it here.  If you would like to send her a card I have her snail mail address. Just let me know if you need it.


Jenny is a very special person.  She's been so supportive to us as my son has battled cancer.  When he had his first stem cell transplant she wrote about it on her blog and people from all over the country sent him cards.  She remembers both of us on every holiday.  I'm sure other people have similar Jenny stories.  That's just the kind of person she is.  Now Jenny needs our support and PRAYERS.

Please head over to Jenny's blog so you can see the list of other Alphabe-Thursday participants and join in the Alphabe-Thursday fun.

"O" as in OILERS for Alphabe-Thursday

Dear Fellow Classmates,
I am really struggling to keep up with the rest of the class for this session of Alphabe-Thursday.  I was late joining in and am finding this weekly assignment more and more difficult for my poor 68 year old mind.  Finally, after much mental anguish I settled on "O" as in OILERS...specifically the Houston OILERS NFL football team.

 They began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League.  They played in the old Astrodome (which has fallen into disrepair and will probably end up being torn down).

The Houston OILERS broke my heart when they left Houston in 1997 and moved to Nashville, Tennessee where they eventually became the Tennessee Titans.  The 4th largest city in the country was then left without a football team.

I really enjoyed the old OILERS.  While the team played in Houston I even appeared on a TV show called Quarterback Corner with Warren Moon and Giff Nielsen.  I had gone by Jiffy Lube and gotten two tickets to the show.  My husband and I went and before filming they asked us to write down a question we'd like to ask quarterback Warren Moon. Warren went through all the questions and picked a few to answer on the show.  Mine was one of the ones he liked.  (I still have my appearance on tape.)  I wanted to know how he felt about letting his own children play football.  As I recall, he said some players had reservations about letting their own kids play because they were well aware of the chance of serious injury.  He said he wouldn't let his son play until 8th grade.

That evening Warren Moon, Giff Nielsen, and Bum Phillips signed my OILERS football.  I still have it.

Yes, my heart was broken by the OILERS, but then Mr. Bob McNair brought NFL football back to Houston in 2002 when the Houston Texans began playing at the new Reliant Stadium.  I became a more serious fan and started studying the game.  I took classes that the team offered and bought a copy of The Complete Idiots Guide To Understanding Football Like A Pro by Joe Theismann.  I now have a better understanding of the game and actually enjoy it a lot more.  I still have a lot to learn, but every year I get out my book and brush up on my football knowledge.

My husband and I didn't always agree on what to have for dinner, what movie to go see, or what restaurant to visit, but we always agreed on the Houston Texans.  We went to as many home games as possible and I have many wonderful memories.

This picture was taken in 2007 outside Reliant Stadium.

 Since Jim died my son now goes with me.  I've managed to turn him into a fan too.

Win or lose I'm a Houston Texans fan.  I sit in my seat until the game is over.  This past season our team only won two games.  I watched in dismay as people would boo and file out of the stadium long before the game was over.  I don't get it.  Tickets aren't cheap and you're paying for a whole game.  Why leave?  I don't think there's a single player that goes out on the field intending to lose.  They want to win too!  I stay to the bitter end and cheer them on.  I have fun!

This year it was reported that some fans actually showed up at quarterback Matt Schaub's home because they were upset about the way he was playing.  What jerks!  Get a life!  It's a game...a form of entertainment.  It's not a war.  Matt Schaub is more than just a football player.  He's someone's son, someone's husband, and someone's father. 

One thing the Houston Texans have are some really great men on the team.  I really appreciate the fact that Mr. McNair seems to stay away from players with questionable pasts.  We have players like Andre Johnson and JJ Watt (along with many others) who are out in the community doing good things.  To me there is more than just winning.

I really had to question my love of football this year.  As the team losses piled up things started to get kind of ugly.  I really didn't enjoy the atmosphere.  I think a fan stays with their team win or lose.  Anyone can support a winning team, but I guess not everyone can support a losing team.  All I can say is, "GO TEXANS!"

Now be sure and visit Jenny at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent" so you can visit other Alphabe-Thursday participants.  Thanks for visiting...

"N" as in NOTHING for Alphabe-Thursday

Oh no!  Is it really time for Alphabe-Thursday again?

Talk about drawing a complete blank...that's exactly what happened to me this week.  NOTHING came to mind.  Finally in desperation I googled "N" and came upon phrases that begin with words starting with "N."

Kind of a stretch...huh?  Bare with me.

Some were just so so.  However, some I really liked.  Here we go...

Never a borrower nor a lender be.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

No man is an island.

Nothing is certain but death and taxes.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Never do tomorrow what you can do today.

Never judge a book by it's cover.

Never judge a man 'til you've walked a mile in his shoes.

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

No news is good news.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Nobody travels on the road to success without a puncture or two.

And in honor of the CVS drug store chain in taking a stand against smoking and deciding to stop selling cigarettes...

NO SMOKING

 Guess that's not really a phrase, but Reid suggested I add it and I liked the idea.  This week MD Anderson Cancer Center came out and applauded CVS for deciding to remove cigarettes and tobacco products from their stores.  You can read about it here.

Now go visit Jenny at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent" for a list of this week's Alphabe-Thursday participants. 

Thank you Jenny!

A Little Experimenting...

I was so disappointed when my computer crashed.  With Windows 8 on the new computer I could no longer use the photo software I knew and loved.  Loretta told me about Pic Monkey.  You don't even have to download it and it's free.

I had some extra time this afternoon and decided to play with it.  Loretta did something a little fancier with her doll picture, but I was happy just to convert this one to black and white.  It seemed appropriate for these 1950's Mouseketeers.  (My sister is on the left and I'm on the right.)

Alphabe-Thursday..."M" as in MISTAKE

I thought I'd jump in here and try and get a post up for Alphabe-Thursday this go around.  I haven't been reading or posting much lately and thought this might get me back in the groove.

Gosh, talk about getting back in the groove.  I've been telling myself I'd start walking again for exercise, but that hasn't gotten off the ground yet either.  Oh well, the longest journey begins with the first step.

So, welcome to Alphabe-Thursday sponsored by Ms. Jenny over at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent."  This week we are studying the letter "M" as in MISTAKE.

This week coincides with the Suchi Winter Olympics and since I thoroughly enjoy the ice skating events I thought I'd do my post on ice skating costume MISTAKES.  Like this one...

They actually won the bronze medal at Vancouver with a "Send In The Clowns" routine, but the costumes weren't exactly my cup of tea.

How about these?

You can see more MISTAKES here.  Personally, I didn't think they were all that bad, but some definitely could have been better!  Shouldn't the costumes add to the routine and not be a distraction?  What do you think?

Now head over to Ms. Jenny's blog to visit this week's letter "M" posts.

Thanks for stopping by...

Change...the good, the bad, and the ugly

Change.  I think I hate it.

I've been buying Pine Sol since we first got married in 1968.  I loved the clean smell.  While living in Sicily my maid called it Peen-A-Sol (that's Italian phonetically spelled) and used it all the time.  To this day I call it Peen-A-Sol. 

I mainly used it when I soaked and scrubbed kitty litter boxes.  You'll notice I'm using the past tense when referring to Pine Sol now.  All of a sudden my Pine Sol had this strange smell.  I thought it was horrible and I hated the way the kitty litter boxes were smelling.  The smell was actually better before I added the Pine Sol!  At least I thought so.

I decided to E-mail the company.  Sure enough, they had changed the formula.  They were honest.  I was told that the product was actually better now as a disinfectant, but no longer contained pine oil due to a pine oil shortage.  My guess is that the pine oil became too expensive.  However, I would have been willing to pay more for the product I liked.  Now I no longer buy Pine Sol.  In fact, I threw out the bottle I had and switched to Mr. Clean Disinfectant.  The smell is OK.

I hate change.

My computer crashed.  I bought a new one and now have Windows 8.  I was perfectly happy with Windows XP.  I had what I needed to know figured out.  My photo software worked with Windows XP, but no longer works with Windows 8.  Why can't Microsoft leave well enough alone?  Why not have one basic operating system and give us the option of adding bells and whistles?  Don't keep completely changing it every couple of years.  I want every program I've ever bought to continue to work.  That's why you won't be seeing pictures with this blog post.  I've stopped taking them.  I need to sit and spend hours figuring something else out and I haven't had the time or the energy to try.

I hate change.

Things have changed so quickly in the last ten to fifteen years.

I'd like a television that comes on right away.  Remember how they used to be?  Now you have to wait and read a "please wait" message before you finally get a picture.  They make these fancy television sets but they can't make them come right on?  I guess I'm an instant gratification kind of person.

I hate change.

OK, I like my cell phone.  Although I have it primarily for phone calls it is nice to text, get on the Internet, etc.  It's just that when I go some place everyone is looking at their phones.  I see people driving and texting all the time.  In Target or the mall you have to constantly be watching because people are walking and texting or talking and not paying attention.  No one looks up much any more.

I kind of hate this change, but I like it too.  I have mixed emotions with this one.

Packaging.  I hate the way some products are packaged in that hard plastic.  You end up having to cut through the plastic and struggle for 10 minutes to get the item out. I bought one of those "advertised on TV" cutting instruments at Target.  It helps, but it's still a pain trying to get something out.  Remember when things were packaged in little boxes that you just opened?  None of this plastic stuff.

Ever since the Tylenol scare in the 1980's a lot of packaging changed.  It was necessary because there are some evil people out there.  I think of the Tylenol scare every time I try and open a bottle of  Tylenol or Excedrin.  You see it in the grocery store too.  Food is packaged differently now.  Sadly, it's necessary but I don't have to like it.  It just seems to be more and more difficult for me to get things open.  I believe it's because my hands have gotten weaker in my old age.

I've contacted more than one company about the child proof caps on toilet bowl cleaner.  I have trouble opening most of them.  I don't have little children in my house.  Why can't I buy cleaner with regular caps?  Can't there be a choice?  They tell me it's Federal Law.  So, I have to bang the bottle on the side of the sink until the cap breaks, or get someone to open it for me and then I leave it open.  I hardly think that's safe, but I have no choice.

I hate change.  Some change anyway.

I know there's good change too.  There are plenty of good changes.  It's just that today frustration has led me to focus on the ones I don't like.

Any changes you don't like?

A New Normal Christmas

I believe we're going to have a somewhat normal Christmas this year.

It won't be like the Christmases we had when Jim was alive, so I guess we'll have to consider it our new normal Christmas.  Last year was the first Christmas without him, but Reid was in the hospital and we were all focused on getting him well. 

Tomorrow we'll make meatballs and cook the spaghetti sauce for Christmas dinner.  Keith and Reid have been baking cookies and on Christmas Day Troy and his family will join us.  I bought a bunch of prizes and we'll play Bingo after dinner.  The prizes are wrapped and the winner of each game will  be able to pick one.  Some are good prizes, some are just OK, and some are from Dollar Tree.  I think we'll have a good time.

Saturday, December 21st was the one year anniversary of Reid's stem cell transplant.  We all went out to our favorite German restaurant to celebrate his new birthday...the day he received a new lease on life thanks to Keith's stem cells.

I know we're going to have a good Christmas this year and I hope all of you do too.

Merry Christmas!

A Very Merry Christmas To Us!

Yesterday was the day.  Reid was scheduled for his one year follow up visit at MD Anderson.  We left home at 6:45 AM and didn't get home until almost 7 at night.  It was a long day, but the news was good.  His PET scan was clear.  There was no cancer!!!

On December 21st it will be exactly one year since Reid received Keith's stem cells in a stem cell transplant.  He has gone one year without cancer!  After three rounds of chemo and two stem cell transplants no cancer could be detected.

 He's been through hell and back the last four years, but he's never given up and he's never stopped smiling.

Today he's tired and sore.  He received 6 injections yesterday.  A flu shot and more childhood immunizations.  After a stem cell transplant all the childhood immunizations have to be given again.  I guess he wasn't really smiling then, but he does smile most of the time.

So, I guess you could say our Christmas present came early this year.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers.

Now I'm going to go ahead and breathe.  I've been holding my breath for weeks.

Do you have pets?

I buy 40 pound bags of Dr. Elsy's Kitty Litter at a time. I had been buying them at Petsmart, but a couple of months ago they put the bags on sale for $14.99 a bag (normally $17.99 a bag).  I would go and they'd be sold out.  I like this particular brand so I decided to Google and find out where else I could buy it locally.  Well, my Google search also pulled up Chewy.

I love Chewy!  It's an online pet supply store.

Other than being a satisfied customer I am in no way connected to Chewy.  This is not a paid advertisement.  I'm just thrilled that I found this company.

I now pay $14.99 a bag and if I spend at least $49 the shipping is free.  There is no sales tax.  I order five bags at a time.  On Black Friday the bags were $12.99 each!  It's delivered right to my front door.  I now have it set up for automatic delivery and they send me an E-mail whenever the order is ready to ship and then again when it is shipped.

They sell all sorts of pet supplies...food, flea products, toys, beds, etc.

If you call them you actually get to speak with a human being.  How's that for service?

You can read more about the company here.

I just wanted to pass my accidental find on to you.  I don't think they've been in business all that long.  Maybe a year or so?  I had never heard of them until I stumbled upon their site in the Google search.

This Crazy Cat Lady and her brood are satisfied customers.

Change, Change, Change...

I know it's been a while...like 4 months!  We've had some changes and a computer crash.

I now have a new computer with Windows 8 and my photo software no longer works.  I know it was old and outdated, but I knew how to use it!  It will be a while before I have time to figure out how to resize and touch up photos.

Would you believe I lost all my genealogy stuff in the computer crash?  I thought I was backing it all up, but I was only backing up My Documents.  At least I didn't lose all my photographs and important information, but everything in my genealogy program was lost.  Sadly, I'm no tech wizard and will now have to start over again.   It's on my "to do" list.

After I had that floor put down in July I decided it was time to move.  I spent weeks looking at different areas and finally settled on the Clear Lake area of Houston.  It's only 6 miles from where we used to live.

Reid and I spent weeks bringing over one or two carloads a day.  We'd empty boxes and bring them back to the old house to pack again.  It was very hot and humid and we both wore out quickly.  It took forever, but we finally had movers come and move the furniture and big stuff the middle of October.  There's still stuff in the garage at the old place and I'm hoping when Keith comes at Christmas we can get that cleared out.  I need to get that place sold.

Right now I'm sitting in the bedroom surrounded by unpacked boxes.  This is a two story house and the downstairs is pretty organized.  The mess is all upstairs! 

Reid has been very tired lately, but he goes back to MD Anderson on December 16th for all the tests and scans.  On December 21st it will be one year since he received Keith's stem cells.  It's hard to believe that a year has gone by already.  My hope and prayer is that everything is OK.  I'm thinking that he might just need the thyroid medication adjusted.  A few months ago he did develop Graft vs Host Disease, but it was caught right away and he's been on Prednisone ever since.

Meanwhile, Reid flew to Austin on Thursday to spend a few days with Keith.  He was going to drive, but decided to fly so he wouldn't be worn out when he got there.  They're attending a Comic Con convention in Austin.  He will fly back on Monday.

I'm going to work on this bedroom today.  Hopefully, I can clear out some of the boxes and give this room a good cleaning.

It's actually cold here!  Cold to us anyway.  I guess it's in the 40's.  I don't have any heat on and hopefully won't need any.  I need Reid to figure out the thermostats.  They're electronic.  How I miss the days of thermostats with just on and off buttons.  It's very comfortable in the house and I usually try not to run the heat since it's so drying anyway.

I put up the Christmas tree on Wednesday.  It's not decorated.  I just like to put it up a week or two in advance so the cats can check it out and lose interest before the decorations go up.  Keith is coming for Thanksgiving and we might decorate it while the turkey is in the oven.  I haven't cooked a turkey since 2008.  There's just been so much going on the last few years, so I'm really looking forward to cooking again.  I love the smell of a turkey roasting.

Ooops, had to stop.  My 20 year old cat was meowing at the window.  She wanted me to open the blinds so she could look out.  She loves the lower windows in this house. The other house had windows that were too high for her to reach in her old age.

Here are a few pictures I took a while back with my cell phone.  (I don't even know where my camera is, but I'm assuming safe and sound in a box somewhere.)

I have no pictures of the front, but this is the backyard.

I had the kitchen painted before we moved in.

Reid changed the locks.  (That's one of my dolls watching him.  I thought she looked cute in the window, but I don't think he was impressed.)

This is the room that sold me on this house.  It's supposed to be an office, but it's going to be my doll room.  I put a few dolls up on the shelves just to see how they'd look.  Now the room is filled with boxes!  It's the only room downstairs that isn't organized, but I decided the dolls could wait.

Jim used to tell me that I had too much stuff.  I've decided he was right after all.  I can't imagine ever moving again.  It's too much work and I'm old and tired.  :)  I have taken some boxes to Goodwill, but it's hardly made a dent.  It's hard for me to get rid of things.  I can always find a sentimental reason for keeping stuff.

Now I have to start focusing on Christmas.  Keith wants me to return with him to Austin for a few days.  It's very tempting, but I haven't decided what to do.  I really should stay here and try and get more done.  I need to start addressing Christmas cards, but I need to find the list first!

Yesterday was a somber day for me.  I vividly remember November 22, 1963.  It was comforting to see the reaction of others on television.  I thought I was the only one tearing up all over again.  It was as if it happened only yesterday.  For those too young to know but old enough to remember 9/11, the reaction is pretty much the same.  You see those horrible pictures again and it's as if it just happened.

I'm going to try and start visiting blogs again and post a little more regularly.  I just needed to take some time away from the computer in order to get things done (or at least attempt to get them done). 

Have a nice Thanksgiving!