Caution: Lots of Pictures!

After two weeks without power, cable or internet, I was ready to get the heck out of southeast Texas for some serious 'dehurricanizing.' Nothing seemed more enticing than a solo trip along the backroads of Texas, with the gentle fall breeze blowing through my hair and some great music to remind me of better times...not to mention no one nearby wanting to discuss Obamo or Palin or inclement weather!
There are a lot of beautiful and serene settings along the backroads of the hill country...
First stop: Round Top, Texas, where twice yearly the farmers rent out their pastures and fields to antique dealers from all over the U.S. for the gigantic Round Top Antique Faire, a wonderful week long event. For miles and miles all you see are tents and booths and barns and lofts filled with spectacular goodies mixed with a little junque. I suppose you could compare this event to Woodstock, except it's for serious antiquers.

Lots and lots of good junk!
There were leggy ladies...
and some hot men!

Lots of stuff from yester-year...
and some pretty cool primitives.
I always spot the beautiful flowers!

A whimsical little coffee shop on wheels!
This vintage truck is now a planter!
On the road again....a beautiful Texas pasture. See the horns behind the bail of hay?
'For Sale...as is'
After passing through little communities with names such as Dime Box and Zionsville, I reached the big city...Austin, Texas. This is a birdseye view of the fabulous Driskill Hotel, where the President as well as all dignitaries stay while in the capital city.
My youngest son, Jarad, craving some Red Velvet from 'Hey, Cupcake!' This is a multi-million dollar business which operates out of an Airstream trailer. The key? Location, location, location!
Another view of the beautiful state capital.
Jarad took me to 'The Great Outdoors'--a garden center unlike any I've ever seen. There were roosters made from old recycled metal...
...and goats!
...a little peek at the skyline.
Art, Austin style. Maybe this is why the city is dotted with 'Keep Austin Wierd' bumper stickers!
On the road again. Only the sign remains...another business is on the property.
Another wonderful garden center is discovered, and this one has tons of statuary!
Maybe this guy could guard the cottage...
On second thought, this creature may be more intimidating!
It was great to get away but as always, it was great to get back home, too... energized and refreshed and ready to plan my next little road trip!

Thirty Days of Happiness: Day 24

Happiness is perusing old picture albums and reflecting on fun times shared with special people. This picture was taken a few years ago in Colorado Springs at the family reunion of my then fiance. Although I typically accompanied him to 2 medical conventions a year in Colorado (I think he really wanted to ski!), I remember the clouds as being breathtakingly beautiful this particular time. Thank you, Matt, for all the wonderful times and for the heart-touching and humble manner in which you have come back into my life.

Thirty Days of Happiness: Day 18

Flamingos is Progresso, Mexico

Happiness is beholding the magnificent, wonderous creations of God which are ever present in nature. These flamingos were spotted during a ground tour which was offered when on a cruise to Mexico last August. According to the tour guide, these birds are not born with this vibrant, peachy-pink color but, rather, they acquire it through their dietary intake. The water where flamingos reside is typically extremely high in iodine, which is thought to be a great contributor to their spectacular color. Simply beautiful.

I'm back...from a little piece of Heaven on Earth...

Mom's home!
I'm still mad 'cause she stayed so long... "Now she can cook my favorite dinner!"
Andi was one happy little girl when I returned from 18 days in Montana. Look at that shocked expression when I first walked in! She took off running in circles like she was in a marathon then, after pondering a minute, crawled under the bed and sulked before parking her cute little self in a dining room chair. Talk about a grand performance! I missed my baby girl like crazy, but the trip was absolutely wonderful---every minute of it--- and I would give anything if I could simply close my eyes and wake up there again. The breathtaking scenery was a constant reminder of the magnificent vastness of God, the only One who could speak such wonder into being.

Marvelous Montana!

A Page From the Journal---Hurricane Rita

October 2, 2005

I woke early today, while it was still dark outside. The street lights have been snuffed out by the wrath of Ms. Rita and even the sight of headlights is rare. The silence is almost eery. The city--for the moment--is declared "closed," and actually, I think it may even be illegal for me to be here. But I've chosen to maintain a low profile and stay put. The few officials who are aware of my presence come by to check on me at odd hours and that's been wonderful. And they always come bearing gifts--bags of ice, cases of juice and water, non-perishables. I've got lots to do to restore my property to a state of orderliness and evacuating will only prolong the progress. There's a gazillion leaves to rake and bag and dozens of branches to drag to the curb but as the sun comes up it becomes hotter than hell in this humid aftermath so I must utilize the early morning and late evening hours to complete my tasks.
As I walked across the cold concrete driveway, I noticed the sky was still full of stars. Walking further, an owl greeted me with a full and resonant hooting sound coming from the woods behind the house. This quiet nightscape was actually full of sound, of fresh and damp morning air, of an endless starry sky that seemed to wrap me into itself. I was at once enfolded in the presence of God, unable to feel any boundaries. What an awesome feeling of divine love. What a comfort to know that this enfolding happens not because of who we are, but because of who He is. Not because of our personalities, our deeds, or our intentions, but rather, it's all about Him. In this moment of pure holding, in a moment that seems all too brief, I recognize the person in me that came into this world full of possibility and destined for joyful unveiling and manifestation. This person within is sheltered and usually hidden beneath the thick layers of indoctrination of who I usually see myself to be, beneath convention and programming, beneath all the shoulds and oughts, and all the plans that were made for me by my family and culture. In this moment I feel the pure lightness of this self, the unbounded freedom inherent in my entity. This – my original self – how do I describe her? Well, she is open, naked, uninhibited. She is inquisitive, receptive, and responsive. Though at times unaware of self, she views her intimate world to be emanating from her very self. She is not separate from others; indeed everything she sees seems to be an inexplicable extension of herself. She hungrily searches for eyes, for glimmers of knowing recognition in others. And when she feels this recognition her whole body responds with joyful exuberance. She reacts with amazement at the simplest of miracles. She knows God in a personal and real way, therefore, she knows what real love is, and each day she prays for multifaceted prosperity in her life and in the life of the yet unknown man who will one day be her covenant mate.
In the immediacy of this moment, this fresh moment standing enveloped in darkness, I am alert and conscious, engaged in the immensity of God's magnificent creations. The reality of my smallness is unveiled just as the early light illuminates the low fog rising in the nearby woods. Little me - I am so small, just a speck on the planet, yet not insignificant. I remember who I am. But greater than that, I'm reminded that He knows me better that I know myself. What an awesome God he is. What an awesome plan I believe He has for me.

A Few Vacation Pic's

Rippin and Runnin'

Running into folk at the bottom of the beautiful Carribean...
Savannah wins the grand prize in a contest on board...
Because we're critically short of L & D nurses, I've had to work 12 hour night shifts for the past three days even though I've been pretty sick with a yucky summer cold. Thankfully, I feel much better today. Shifting gears...I had planned to go through all my vacation pics and try to post the best of them, however, I'm staying closely tuned in to the weather channel and, just to be safe, I think I'll make a quick trip to Sams to stock up on a few supplies just in case the potential hurricane brings wind and rain that may affect the power. I hunkered down and stayed home through category IV Hurricane Rita, without power for about 16 days I might add, and I certainly don't care to ever experience such again. I pray that the Master of the elements speaks peace so that all nations and cities will be protected. In Jesus magnificent name.

Home

Lots of laundry to do, gifts to sort and pic's to tweak, but I'm back from my great vacation to the gorgeous Carribean and, yes, I'm ready to go again! After church today I'll devote some time to reorganization and tending my gardens and by tomorrow, hopefully, I'll be back into a routine and be able to post a few pictures.

Vacation Time...

The plants are watered and trimmed,
the faded blooms are dead-headed,
the compost is turned.
The porch and patio are swept
and everything is tidy.

The frig is clean, the floors
are mopped, the mirrors and
furniture are sparkling.
The bedding is changed
with sweet smelling linens
straight off the line.

The bills have been paid,
my bags are all packed.
The camera is charged
and my passport is tucked
away in a safe place.

The house sitter has
'parrot instructions'
and Andi has plenty of treats.
Nothing much left on the 'check off' list.

I'm counting the days now. Just three
to go before I set sail for the land
of beautiful beaches and sunsets.
I think a pedicure with a nice French
manicure would be special treat
for tomorrow....

First Stop....Jaffa

More Pic's....

I've added more pictures to the Holy Land post of July 5.....

2006 Holy Land Tour

This was the trip of a lifetime! A wonderful journey shared with those whom I love most of all.

Memory Monday

When I awakened this morning I realized that exactly one year ago today I was touring the Holy Land with a group of the most wonderful friends one could ask for. The trip was without doubt one of the greatest events I've experienced in life and I would absolutely love to go there again some day. The picture I've posted is of a cemetary on the Mt. of Olives, which is directly across from the Eastern Gate. According to the Bible, this is the site where the Lord will set foot when He returns to earth and because of this, the gravesites there are highly coveted and cost as much as $250,000.00 each. The graves are extremely close together and cover the hillside for as far as the eye can see. You will notice that there are no flowers on the graves and that many of the graves have stones placed upon them. We were told that flowers represent celebration and joyous events, therefore, they have no place in the graveyard. The stones are symbolic of heaviness, therefore, they adorn the graves as a symbol of the heavy heart the surviving loved ones have. This tid-bit is just one of the dozens of interesting facts I learned in that glorious ten days.