Get Off the Fence

(originally uploaded here on flickr)

Have you ever gotten some advice that has stuck with you for a long time? Quite a few years back now, I was a single mom raising my three kids and working two full time jobs to make ends meet. I was busy, busy, busy and trying to be a good mom at the same time. I was an escrow officer by day and a waitress/bartender in a fun steakhouse by night. The kids soccer games, trying to keep up on the housework and working Friday and Saturday nights took up the weekends. I did not date, was not interested in doing so for several years. My boss and good friend who is a college rodeo coach and PRCA Dodge spokesperson gave me some advice that I have never forgotten. And not because I listened to him, but just because it was so humorous. He was telling me that I needed to take some time for myself and that I needed to start dating again, but being an old cowboy (if he was reading this, he would take offense to my use of the word old. Sorry, Del, you know what I mean!), and his advise to me was:
"It's time to get off the fence and back in the chute." Hysterical ~ it still cracks me up!
Have you ever been given some advise or such that kicks around in your head because it's just so funny? What was it?

Tour of Duty

We just got word yesterday that our son, Ryan, who is stationed in Germany with the Army, is deploying this weekend for his second tour in Iraq. Please say a prayer for Ryan's safety and for his sweet wife and baby son...

A Giveaway

My friend Jodi over at This Handmade Life is giving a set of her beautiful spring notecards away on her blog. I have a set and let me tell you how absolutely gorgeous they are! Jodi does wonderful work with her photographs and crafts. She makes incredibly cute bags as well. Stop by her site for a visit, leave her a comment on her giveaway post and be entered in the drawing. If you post a link to Jodi's site, she will give you 5 extra entries as well! So say hi, meet her darling little son, Isaac, and spend a few minutes in Maine getting to know Jodi and her family. You will be glad you did...

Spring Snow

As I was looking at my spring snow pictures from this past week, this little ditty popped into my head ~
"It's springtime in the Rockies
and I'm full of mountain dew;
Can't even read my catalog's
the way I used to do..."
My Mom used to sing that quite often and there it was - bumping around in my pea-brain after all these years. I don't really even know...is it a part of a song, a poem maybe? Does anybody know?


My sister and niece, Stacey and Dawn, were here visiting this week and we talked about sayings and songs that we remembered from when we were kids. In the days when it was okay to carry your kids around in the back of the old pickup truck, we would sit back there and sing songs over and over again. Turns out that Stacey still remembers all the words to "One Tin Soldier" and I have "Seasons in the Sun" down. Neither one of us can remember much of "Billy, Don't Be a Hero" or "Wildfire". I think it was our older sister, Susan, who decided on our song choices, so maybe she remembers the other lyrics? Do you? And who sang "Billy, Don't Be a Hero" anyway? Anybody?

May you be blessed with old songs popping into your head today...Sit around the table and sing them with your sisters. You'll be glad you did!

Happy Spring

Right before we left for Texas, I recieved these great metallic tags in the mail from a giveaway on Heidi's Vacuuming in High Heels & Pearls blog. I knew that I wanted to do something fun and spring with them and my front porch really needed "springing" up. I came up with this fun Happy Spring garland using those spectacular tags. Some scissors, glue and fabric was all it took to make my porch a little more spring like. Thanks, Heidi!!


I made these little Easter goody bags for my little Puddle Ducks. They were filled with easter grass, jelly beans and chocolate bunnies. They each got to take one as they left for home at the end of last week.

I hop you all had a Hoppy Easter!!

A Bit of Our Travels

We were going to Texas. A southern state. It's going to be warm, right? Better pack some shorts and sandals. We boarded the plane at Portland in 55 degree weather only to disembark in Austin to a brisk 30 degree's with a 35mph wind. Waking up Friday morning at our kids house, we peered out the window to see...snow... WHAT?? Sheesh, I should have brought a little more than my lightweight rain jacket. It actually warmed up and was really nice by Saturday afternoon, but we did not ever break out those shorts.
We had a really nice visit with Sam and Jes, loved meeting our tiny little Weston and giving him a thousand kisses. It was a great trip but, like always, we were happy to get back home. Below is just a bit of our trip ~

Mount Hood from the plane


Here they are ~ Sam, Jes and Weston. It was so good to see them and see where they have been living the last several years. Weston is such a little cutie. Six weeks old and just the size of a newborn now. So tiny. He has his Grandpa's natural scowl, poor guy. It's really funny, he always looks like he's just a bit concerned by the going on's around him. And with every right, he was born into a kooky family after all! We miss him already. (oh, and of course Sam and Jes, too...)



We tried to wander through the equipment museum's at Fort Hood, but there was such a cold wind blowing that soon we gave up and went back to Sam and Jes' house for naps all the way around and a game of Scrabble. Doesn't that helicopter look just like the one we saw for all of those years on M.A.S.H.? What we did get to see was really interesting. There was also a pretty powerful memorial to the fallen Fort Hood soldiers from WW II...



I was searching for a yarn shop and right next door was this super cool vintage Airstream trailer turned into ice cream and cupcake stand. I love finding things like this on our travels. (The yarn shop was wonderful, also. In an older house. The rooms of yarn just went on and on. Almost overwhelming!)



We spent just a little time in Austin, but what we saw was nice. We went to the Texas History Museum not far from the capital building. Holy cow, a lot has gone on in this big state. It was a fun afternoon and really interesting. Did you know that 99% of our rice comes from Texas? I had no idea. Thought it was mostly all cattle country.

A Sneak Peak

We're back from Texas and I just couldn't wait to show you this picture of our tiny little grandson, Weston. I LOVE this picture. More Texas to come later this weekend...


And, I finished my first knitted sock. I'm ecstatic! Wa-hoo! Not nearly as hard as I made it out to be. Thank you, Nancy, for the link to that great knitting site. It really helped me to figure it out. I'll definately check it again for other knitting problems that I know will come up in my knitting escapades. I've started the second because after all, I do have two feet and I'm watching the post excitedly for The Ultimate Sock Book that should be arriving any day now...

Deep In the Heart of Texas

~Once a year, go someplace you've never been~

I try to follow that suggestion, not only because it's fun and exciting, but because my soul needs and deserves it. The anticipation of the going gets under my skin and itches until I can hardly sleep. My mind swirls around all the sights and sounds that we will shortly be experiencing. I mentally pack and unpack my suitcase twenty times until that time when my hands are truly packing. I'm as excited as a young child ~ What will we see? What will we do? How will the air smell? Will we see city lights? Will I get to smell the farmland and taste the regions fare? ARE WE THERE YET??

Tomorrow I will pack for a short trip to Texas. We are meeting Weston, our newest grandbaby and can hardly wait to hold him. We haven't seen Sam and Jes for over two years now and are so excited to just share some time with them. Sam is in the service, stationed in Texas, but scheduled for his second deployment in June so it's definately time for a visit.

Riff has driven through a small part of Texas and I have never been anywhere near, so this is our "go someplace you've never been before" trip this year. Actually, last year passed without me meeting this goal, so I may have to make it up this year. Not sure where that second place will be. I promise to take pictures of the first.

The image above is some travel tags that I made for myself using Aimee Ray's inspiration in her book Doodle-Stitching, (which I borrowed from Monica ). The light isn't very good, but they are really bright and springy. I made my first tag very similar to the one in Aimee's book, but changed where the ID window goes. Aimee had hers on the inside, so that you see the ID when you open it up. I wanted mine to show on the outside, so I put it on the back of the tags. As I was making my first one, I suddenly had an image of cherry tree's in bloom floating around in my head and this is what I came up with. I really like it and couldn't wait to get it on my suitcase. I'm ready now ~ the anticipation is high ~ Thursday night I will be smelling that Texas air for the first time.

Happy Trails to you...