Five Things On My Mind

1. What a fantastically gloomy day it was today. I love rainy days. Not drizzle, not mist, but the kind of rain that will clean your car, wash your windows, feed your plants, and cool the burning hot asphalt all at the same glorious time.

2. I want a swimming pool. Our neighbor made a tragic mistake yesterday by giving us a tour of his backyard at our Memorial Day block party. It was like stepping into another universe. Outside his fence - acres of dry, brittle pasture. Inside his fence, a gorgeous lush lawn with tropical plants and a gorgeous swimming pool with a bubbling hot tub and a diving board that whispered for me to jump in.

3. I have fabulous neighbors. We live in a tiny country town where it's common practice to wave hello as we pass one another, but sadly less common to actually KNOW one another. Of course I always knew that behind those brick walls and shutters, actual human beings were living their lives but to actually meet and speak to one another was embarassingly lovely. Life is too short not to know your neighbors.

4. I want to go on vacation. Where? I have no idea. We went to NYC twice last year, so am I crazy for craving another visit? I think I am. I've been longing to go to Europe, but if we ever go, one week won't be enough. Two, three...maybe. Can we afford to spend three weeks in Europe? No. Or how about flying to San Diego, renting a car, and driving up the coast to another favorite city of ours, Seattle. It's about 1300 miles of mind blowing beauty, but 1300 miles with gas at $4 a gallon? I don't think so. Oh well.

5. I'm insanely sleepy but I know that the moment I close my laptop and lay my face on the pillow, my brain will go into torture mode by hurling thoughts, to-do lists, memories, and dialogues at me at warp speed. I could read my book (Traveling Light by Max Lucado) but I'm afraid turning on the light will wake my slumbering husband and he's exhausted and needs sleep. Maybe I'll stay awake and Google my not-gonna-happen-this-year European vacation.

Trip Recap

I flew home from Austin yesterday after a wonderful 6 days with my family. Here are some of the biggest event from my trip:

1. Seeing my parent's house was mind boggling. The last time I saw it was roughly halfway through construction, but it is now almost complete and so beautiful. I look forward to creating many memories there - riding fourwheelers through the trails, fishing on the pond, hiking to look for critters, and mostly spending time with my loved ones.

2. Saturday, Mom, Sid and I drove to Spring to see my five year old niece Makenzie play her first T-ball game. Makenzie told me she was "taking a little break" from horse lessons, so T-ball is now the new focus. She told her Mommy when she woke up, "Today is a BIG day for me." She hit the ball farther than any other girl, and I think she might have been the only one who knew to run to first base! One boy walked to the bases with his hands covering his face, another hit the ball, picked it up and walked with it to first base, and another, after hearing his Dad yell for him to "touch the base," ran over and literally stooped down and touched the base with his little fingers. So precious.

3. Sunday, Sid and I had a great visit with Granny and Grandad. I was surprised at how well Grandad looked and how chatty he was. He has been organizing the cleanup of the shared courtyard in their assisted living center for weeks. He had the staff clean out the fish pond and had asked my Aunt Mary to find a couple of white doves, which she brought over earlier in the weekend. The four of us had such a good time sitting in the courtyard, watching "Whitey" and "Blanca" get acquainted with their new home. Grandad was so proud and joyful to see his idea fufilled, and we talked about the references in the Bible of doves and peace.

4. After packing the rent house most of the day, we all went to bed early. In the middle of the night, Grandad called to tell Mom that he was having a spell. The Hospice nurse was there in less than an hour to give him medicine and help him sleep. Tuesday was a very hard day for all of us. Mom and I arrived at their apartment late that morning, and while Grandad slept, we took Granny out to run some errands. When we arrived back, the Hospice nurse told us that his condition had really changed and that we probably had only 24-48 hours left with him, or maybe a week or two at the most. I feel so blessed that I was there to hold his hand and tell him I love him.

5. I flew home Wednesday, and when I landed, Mom said Grandad was more alert and had visits from my cousin Mark and his family. While everyone sat in the courtyard, Grandad had a private chat with the Hospice nurse. She told my mom that he had picked his words very carefully so he wouldn't hurt any feelings, but he didn't want everyone standing around his bed waiting for him to die! It was freaky for him to see everyone standing around his bed. Mom and I shared a laugh, knowing that even in his last days, he is as fiesty as ever.

I am so thankful for my wonderful trip. It's very strange and heartbreaking, knowing I will probably never see my Grandad alive again, but as I've written before, I am so lucky to be nearly 30 with him in my life. He has instilled in me a love of the Lord, baptized me in the Medina River, gave me my most cherished childhood memories in my favorite place in all the world, Bandera, taught me through his example to help others, love nature, and always thank God for family. One of these days, I'll post some old pictures, but today is not the day.

On the Road Again

Sid and I leave for the Austin area tomorrow morning to visit my parents and grandparents for the weekend. The boys will be moving furniture from my parents rent house to their beautiful new rock home on 22 acres, affectionally nicknamed "The 22." Hopefully Mom and I will be sitting on the back porch sipping iced tea while the boys are hard at work. I'll stay a few extra days to help out and if time permits, we'll make a run to Houston to watch my niece play her first T-ball game, and I heard it through the grapevine she is quite the star. This does not surprise me in the least, however, since she mastered horseback riding at 4 years old, and even after falling off, promised me that she was not even scared.

I am so blessed to be almost 30 and still have my Granny and Grandad in my life, and Sid and I are so excited to see them this weekend. They fell in love with Sid at first sight, and vice versa. Grandad turns 90 in July and congestive heart failure is finally wearing his poor body out. We don't know how much time we have left with him - days or weeks - but when God calls him home, he is ready to go. I, on the other hand, can't imagine a world without him in it. My fondest memories in all my life have Granny and Grandad in them, and God has blessed our family tremendously. As a kiddo, I would cry and beg for them not to leave after a visit, and with my Grandad being so sick with the end in sight, I have that same feeling as a grown woman. Ah, but God has prepared a house for him and I know he is ready to be out of pain.

I hope to get lots of good pictures this weekend!

Life is a freight train...

Have you ever been strolling through a perfectly normal day – unconsciously absorbing all the usual sights, waving hello to the neighbor, petting the dog, drinking the morning coffee - when all of a sudden you become completely aware of everything around you, most significantly, yourself?

It used to happen to me as a kid, as I was brushing my teeth or curling my hair, and my eyes would suddenly catch a glimpse of a girl in the mirror and like a lightning bolt on a cloudless day, it would hit me – that’s me in there! It was as if I had gone my whole life, all 9 or 10 ten years of it, completely unacquainted with myself. What a strange and beautiful feeling to meet yourself in the mirror.

Do you ever feel that sometimes we sprint through life like a freight train -pedal to the metal –while minutes, hours, and days scream by in such a blur that we can’t make anything out? We all know that feeling, when you’re driving down the road, eyes glued ahead, when you suddenly become aware that you can’t remember passing a single landmark – road hypnosis, I believe the experts call it. But then, you’re strolling through a perfectly normal day, waving hello to the neighbor, petting the dog, drinking the morning coffee, and life slaps you awake.

Maybe you’ve never met yourself in the mirror or maybe all of us have. I am in love with my life, I just wish I could remember to slow down and savor each and every bite.

Our Night Out

I've always known that I have the greatest husband in all the world, but he further confirmed this fact on Friday when he surprised me with an overnight voyage to our favorite "local" (by local, I mean within 20 miles) hotspot. Why? Because I've been a little down in the dumps and he wanted us to have a fun night out - sans dog hair, messy house, work, responsibility - in the spirit of our favorite city - NYC.

He found a fabulous new hotel that has set out to imitate the hip, urban vibe of the Big Apple and we fell in love with the place. After dropping our bags, we headed to Nicolas - an Italian restaurant in Legacy Center - for an incredible feast. You know those dinners that last forever, where you just say yes to everything the waiter suggests? This was one of those and it was utter perfection. After a leisurely stroll around the pond and a few lingering pauses to soak in the live music, we headed back to the hotel. Wild and crazy pair that we are, we topped the night off by watching Fever Pitch, devouring chocolate candy and sipping Dr. Pepper into a sugar coma.

Saturday morning, we awoke from our comas, and if I had cut myself, I'm quite sure chocolate would have oozed out of my veins instead of blood. A few Advils later, my Sid took me out to lunch and on a shopping expedition to the mall and downtown McKinney. Our purchases? A whopping $120 earned us a couple pieces from an antique shop in McKinney - a dresser (love at first sight) AND a telephone desk (for our entryway). With a little paint and tender loving care, they will be good as new.

Because we are idiots, Sid and I decided to add fuel to our chocolate migraines by sharing a piece of....you guessed it....chocolate cake. Looking back, I want to punch both of us in the face for torturing ourselves in this way. I should add that Monday starts our diet makeover, so I think our thought was to live it up until then. Makes you wonder why we both have a zillion pounds to lose. Hmmm....

Here are a few photos of our trip:

Out of Words

I've been thinking that I should probably write something if I want to keep my blog readers - all precious 5 or 6 of you. It doesn't happen very often, but this week I don't have lots to say.

I followed up on my Girly Time plan of action. I read my book - Son of a Witch (the sequel to Wicked), I watched Must Love Dogs (so-so) and Love Actually (one of my favorites), and I had a foot bath. I did not get the opportunity to shop at Target, but I DID go to Southlake for work and naturally I snuck over to the square and popped into a store or two.

Sid made it home safely and, as always, I was so happy for him to return. The dogs breathe easier when he's home too. They are so protective when he's away - they follow me everythere and bark at everything.

I spent yesterday with Joanna - the highlight of my week. It was so nice to catch up, although we've been friends for so long that when I DO see her, it feels like no time has passed.

As for the weekend, I can look forward to shoveling sand and moving rocks but hopefully the flagstone patio will be complete by Sunday.

Happy Friday!

Girly Time

Sid is on the road to Houston for the Offshore Technology Conference, and while I always miss him terribly when he's away, I am looking forward to some good old fashioned girl time. Here is my plan, in no particular order:

Life is So Precious

I received terrible news a few days ago from a close friend and it has been marinating in my brain ever since. Her sister, who is also a friend, had called to report that her mother-in-law was in a terrible accident and did not survive. She had veered off the road at night (there was no guard rail, no street lamps), her car spilling into the lake below. She had a husband, two sons, and three grandchildren who will never, ever be the same.

I share this only as a reminder, mostly to myself but maybe you need it too, that God never promised us a long life, with time to watch our children and our children's children grow up, that we would be disease free, or immune from hurt and tragedy, nor that our lives would be anywhere near perfect. It's up to us to squeeze every last drop out of each and every day, because we never know when or where the road stops for us.

A few things God DOES promise his children:

• Love - "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." Jeremiah 31:3
• Peace - "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27
• Forgiveness - "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." Psalms 103:12
• Salvation - "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved" Mark 16:16
• Everlasting Life - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life " John 3:16

In the words of good ol' Abe Lincoln, "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."

Project 365

I've copied the Carroll sisters and started Project 365. Check it out and start your own!

http://leighsproject365.blogspot.com/