September 28

My house guests left today.  Last thing Mandy said was "we'll see you Sunday or Monday"  so I guess that means when they come back from the ranch they are going to, they'll be spending another night here, or maybe two, who knows.  All I know is that it's true about after three days house guests and fish.......

We aren't going to Ruidoso because the floor isn't ready and Gabriel can't go hunting until maybe next weekend.  So we'll just put that off till next weekend.  Maybe by then we can move furniture into the upstairs bedroom.

Mary Ann cooked for me and Chris today.  Tilapia, rice, salad and it was yummy.  Chris had played golf this morning and after the girls left I went over to her house to get away from Miss Lady (cleaning lady-that's what Chris calls her).  Mary Ann and I had gone to the grocery store after our walk this morning and she just cooked us up some lunch.  It was really nice.  Then we came home and watched Mad Men from last Sunday and then took naps.  Old people. 

Chris has gone to his study class of the Divine Chaplet..and I have Bible study tomorrow so I need to go study.  I hope all of you (my loyal followers) have a wonderful night.

September 26

After Mass we went downtown to the Home and Garden Show...boring.  Then we went to the open houses...fun.  We are seriously trying to decide if we want to have this big house with the pool and all if we are going to be staying in Ruidoso half the time.  Who knows what we'll do...anybody's guess.

Then we went over to Patsy and Eddie's for dinner, German food.  And then came home to Mandy, Cindy, and Binky.  Chris calls them Winky, Blinky, and Nod.   They just laid around the pool all day so there you go.  Chris and I are going to bed and they are going to stay up and watch tv and visit. 

Maybe Mary Ann will come over tomorrow.  We'll see what we shall see. 

Even tho I am not too happy I have all these house guests that I don't hardly know,  I will thank God that I have this beautiful home to share with them, and I hope they are enjoying themselves. 

September 25

I had a birthday, again.  This was the 61st time this has happened to me.  This has happened alot.  You have no idea how fast time goes by until you look back and say you are 61 years old.  GOSH!!

We went out to Becky Westbrook's ranch about 26 miles from Median yesterday and met Pam and Doc from Sugartree.  We went fishing and Pam caught about 20, Doc caught 1 and Chris caught 1.  I caught none, zero, zip, nil.  But it was fun anyway.  We have new fishing poles and Chris says we could start fishing, more, and have a big time.  I have a fishing hat too.  Chris has a fishing vest.  And we have a tackle box and alot of lures.  Good ones.  I never new that fishing could be so much fun.  After we fished all day we went to Helotes to a CONCERT and saw Ray Price.  (Make the world go away..etc).  He is 83 and looks about 103 but he still has such a beautiful voice.  I guess he is still doing what he loves and it was great.  It was outdoors and kinda hot, but we danced and had fun.  It was too hot to drink anything but tea and suck on the ice.

Mandy came on Thursday and we went out to dinner with her and Mary Ann and Melissa and Ramsey for my birthday.  Gabriel called while we were there.  I wish they could have been with us.  And I wish Patrick could have been there too.  But they weren't and that was ok.  I love all my little babies.  Then Friday we went to the ranch and Mandy went to the airport to pick up her sisters from Florida (2 of them) and they came over to Helotes to the Ray Price concert.  Today they went shopping and Chris just took them to Martinee's to party hard. He just dumped them out and they were sure dolled up.  I hope they don't get into trouble.  They are taking a cab home.  They wanted to take Mandy's car, but it wasn't really a good idea.  I don't have any idea how long they are going to stay.  Or what I am going to do with them.  But we are leaving Wednesday to go to Ruidoso and Chris is going hunting with Gabriel.  So after Wednesday they are on their own.  They are really on their own anyway.  This is crazy, I don't hardly know what to think!!  It's like they are all on vacation and I am the hostess.  But it's really ok, I just don't know what to do with them.  I just hope they are enjoying their vacation. 

Chris (football-my-life) has been happy all day watching all the games.  Texas got beat is all I know, and at home...hehe.  Hope Emily had a good weekend at her leadership retreat and that she gets to go home next weekend.  It will make Caroline happy. 

Mary Ann, Melissa, and Ramsey have gone to the coast.  She just called to make sure I was still alive.  I think she might have had a little something to drink...since I just saw her the day before.

That's about it so until tomorrow..bye.

September 22

Joe Ramsey and Karla had a baby boy this morning.  John Amon and he was a big one.  Nine lbs something..but not as big as his big brother was.  Carol says all is well so I'll just have to wait to hear when I can go see them.  A new life.   Amazing.

I thought Emily was coming this weekend, but she had applied to be in a campus leadership program and was accepted for that and they are having a retreat this weekend, so maybe some other time.  She's going home the next weekend, and her sister Caroline will be so happy to see her.  So that is good.  And Matt and his friends are coming to San Antonio, but they aren't staying with us.  They are just going to the wedding, playing golf, and going back.  But Mandy  (Mikie's ex)is coming and bringing two of her sisters.  They will be on their own tho, I already told her we won't be around.  I am not looking forward to this but what do you do.

Carrie told me today that some boys at school have been bothering Caroline, just talking ugly, talking about sex, talking about smoking dope, just cussing and being crappy little 8th graders.  She is so sweet and doesn't want to get anybody in trouble.  But two other girls heard them ask her if she was pregnant and it made her cry.  She isn't even big, but it's something all teenage girls worry about.  So, the other girls told on them and they are now in trouble, so hopefully they will leave her alone, and start acting better.  It makes me so sad for Caroline, because she is so sweet and just beautiful and talented.  So I am still hurting for her, because she is hurting.  But Carrie says it is ok and Caroline is fine.  I hope so.  I love her.

I'm sad.  I'm going to bed.

September 19

Another beautiful week has come and gone.  We had a lot more rain this week, which is always good.  I went to see Ramona and Beezus with my daughter and youngest granddaughter Ramsey.  She is so funny and sweet.  She just loves everything and everybody.  My oldest granddaughter Emily is coming to see us this weekend.  She is a beautiful freshman at Texas A & M University.  She wants some cowboy boots, says everybody wears them there, duh!  I can't believe she doesn't have any cowboy boots!!  I can't wait to see her.

We have a new priest.  He reads his sermons which is not so great.  Chris says it doesn't matter because he can't hear anyway.  That really is getting worse, so Mary Ann and I are thinking about taking a course in American Sign Language.  The only problem with that is he has to actually LOOK at you, which could be a problem.  Our new priest tells jokes too.  Today it was:  Adam says to Eve, "I don't understand why God made you so beautiful and so stupid at the same time."  Eve replied, "He made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me, and he made me stupid so I would be attracted to you."  Okie dokie!!

I went to a jewelry party with Patsy today in New Braunfels and why I don't know.  I don't even like jewelry that much.  Anyway I'm way too old to buy something just because I'm embarrassed not too.  The refreshments were good and I did say thank you for inviting me.  And made my escape.

The Boardwalk Empire is starting tonight..right now...so gotta go.

P.S.  The reason I don't have any pictures anymore is because Mary Ann won't come over here and help me.

September 16

Thank goodness my sweet Mary Ann finally came over and showed me how to get back in to my blog.  I hope I haven't lost all my followers because I haven't been able to let you know what has been going on.  It was a problem with the password/log in thing but now I'm back in business.  There have been lots of  hours with Judge Judy, Hoarders, Forensic Files, and my new favorite Animal Hoarders.  And I finished my painting of the flowers, the huge one for the entryway.  And I'm almost finished with Mary and Baby Jesus.  But the big news is Chris has finally come home, thank goodness.  I missed him so much and it was awful because the phone in Ruidoso is in the front room which is piled high to the ceiling with beds and all the stuff from upstairs that you can't get to it.  And the cell phones don't work up in the canyon, so we couldn't talk on the phone until he came into town....to eat usually or play golf.  But we did email back and forth, Carol said I should IM him but I don't know how to do that, but he doesn't either, so he'd send me an email and I'd send him one back.  I should have flown to Roswell or El Paso, but after Carol left we had the hurricane, actually a tropical storm, but hurricane sounds better, and then it was almost time for him to come back, but still I should have gone.  I'm just so glad he's home.

I started my Bible study yesterday next door at Sonya Kelly's with some of our neighbors, her Mom and sister, and I think it will be good.  You know on my mind always is our son Patrick and how much I love and  miss him and his family.  My prayer is someday things will be better.  Chris and I will never really be whole again until we have him back.

I have decided I am a crummy poker player and don't know the first thing about the game.  I don't understand half of what Mary Ann says about it on her blog.  But the thing is it's so much fun, and I do win alot, well occasionally, and I love it when people get mad and say stupid things.  I love to beat the mouthy ones.  I love to beat anybody.  I just love to play poker.

Gabriel called last night and told Chris all about his big hunt and he shot something.  It looks like a big giant deer with horns, but he called it some kind of goat.  He's having the head cut off and going to have it mounted or whatever and wants to hang it on the wall in Ruidoso.  I said 'sure, we want the place to look like Clayton Williams' house in Midland.'  I said 'you don't have anyplace to hang it at your house, or Carrie doesn't want it in the house?', and he said 'sort of' and I couldn't tell if the timidness in his voice was fear of me or of Carrie, he is such a funny sweet man, so we'll hang it with the fish he caught and the one Jackson caught and the one Chris caught.  Now I think we are going to need something like a turkey or some kind of birdishness or a bear or something to compliment this menagerie we are going to put in our newly remodeled home in Ruidoso.  Actually I think it will be nice to have dead animal heads, and dead fish hanging all over the place, because just think of the stories they will be able to retell, every time someone asks about this one or that one.  It will be so much fun!!

Back to the painting.  Chris is out hiking.  Mary Ann left after her oatmeal.  Another day in paradise.

September 10

Since Chris is still in Ruidoso I can watch whatever I want to on the TV.  If you have not seen Hoarders, well all I can say is that you will not believe it.  These people save everything, trash, empty boxes, papers, I mean everything.  And usually they collect something  and they have thousands. And it is usually something that most people wouldn't want at all.  The stuff is everywhere.  You can't walk through their houses.  The faucets don't work, you can't use the stove.  And the BUGS!  Then, some family member contacts some type of 'hoarder professional'   who gets all these volunteers to come over and baby talk these people to please throw away some of your stuff and we will help you clean it all up.  Then the hoarders cry and don't want to throw anything away.  So it takes days to clean up to some extent. And everybody knows that they will just start doing it again.  Also, I'm wondering where they find these volunteers..I mean I think you should try to help your fellow man..but I'm just saying.  Most people would not be volunteering to do that, and most people would suggest a bonfire if you ever saw anything like that.  So this is what I have been watching.

Now, last night it was just Cops, and World's Dumbest...whatever.  So I found Animal Planet and if you have a hard time believing Hoarders....just try Animal Hoarders on Animal Planet.  The dogs, like 40 that live in the house.  The cats, like 127 that live in the house.  Well you can imagine, but you really can't and even I can hardly watch it.  But evidently somebody is watching it, probably people who have a relative like that and are trying to figure out a way to get some 'volunteers' to go over there and do something about it.

So if you don't have any  hoarding problems consider yourself very lucky.  I know I'm certainly glad that is ONE obsession I don't have.  In fact, I have spent today discarding every magazine over 2 months old, and organizing closets and the pantry.  (I saw the previews today for one coming on where when they start throwing out things, there are bats in everything.  Yes, bats.  Well I just don't know what to say.  I'm getting all creepy just thinking about it.  But I truly do feel sorry for people who have this horrible problem.

And to think that when I talk to Chris he is going to the golf course, going fishing, going to Cloudcroft, the workers have given him elk steaks, which he is preparing like chicken fried steak, and the mountains are beautiful and the river is flowing.  Poor thing, I'm thinking maybe I should record one of these Hoarder shows for him.  He might like that.

September 8

The tropical storm  has finally passed I hope.  We had 4 1/2 inches yesterday and over 5 1/2 inches so far today.  The water came up on to the patio and was about 2 inches away from the door.  Chris is still in Ruidoso and I think I am a fraidy cat after all.  He called when it was at it's worst and I told him about the patio so he called Tim (Kelly) next door and Tim called me and wanted to come over and turn the valve or something on the pool to let water out, but it was POURING down rain and I told him it was fine, and finally it did quit raining and the patio is fine.  But the front yard is going to have to have some work done on it, part of the flower bed has washed away and is gone down the street.  But I guess we are lucky compared to the people in Mexico and Brownsville.  And Mary Ann has lost a huge tree in her front yard poor thing.  And the electricity keeps going off and on so I'm getting off of this and hope I don't get blown away.  And the TV better come back on is all I have to say.

September 7

Labor Day weekend has come and gone.  Carol and I just shopped and ate and talked.  We got in the pool Sunday because it was nice, and then she left Monday so now I am all alone.  Chris is in Ruidoso and says the remodeling is coming along.  He said he would pick me up in El Paso if I want to fly up there but now we are having a HURRICANE or a TROPICAL STORM or SOMETHING.  It is raining so hard you can hardly see the street in the front.  The pool is overflowing and the wind is blowing.  So I'm just going to paint. 

And as far as playing poker you can forget that.  All the crummy AIPF idiots are playing today and I have already lost about 6 tournaments so that's it for me today.  Maybe they will go back to work in a little while and I can try again.  In fact, I think I have just talked myself in to trying it again.  No, I'm going to wait.... have a little will power would you!!   Come on!!  I'm pitiful.  

September 3

Well, I know that all of you (my readers and followers) have wondered about my silence yesterday.  So I will set your mind at rest and tell you that I am fine, and have some news.  I have already discussed with you the details of having to buy a computer.  But I had a horrible experience with a june bug that got into my hair, while I was drinking a cup of coffee and playing poker.  Needless to say the computer is no more.  So today Mary Ann and I went to Best Buy and bought this nifty computer (it was the cheapest one they had and I think it will be fine.) 

So my sweet daughter got it all set up so I can find my blog, and my email account, and her blog (pokerlawyer.blogspot.com) and installed bodog... I am back in business.  (Her blog is a lot better than mine but she talks a lot of legalize and a lot of poker which can get very boring) 

And the best news of all Carol got here today for a visit.  I am so happy.  We will play mahjongg and shop and have fun.  Chris is leaving tomorrow to go to Monahans to play in a golf tournament then to Brownfield to go bird hunting with Gabriel, then to Ruidoso to check on things.  So I will miss him but my sister is here and we will have a great time.  I will be sure to tell you all about it.  Later.

September 1

Time is flying by.  It's already September.  Everything seems to go quickly except the work in Ruidoso.  But they keep saying it will be ready for Christmas.  I sure hope so. 

I worked on a painting all day.  I've got it at Patsy's because she's giving me some help because it's flowers and I don't even like to paint flowers but she says it will help with my technique.  We'll see.  Blah.

I had a dream about Suzi Blair last night.  I haven't dreamed about her in a long time.  She came into my house and wanted to teach me a new dance.  It was awful and I told her so and she said "oh no, this is going to be all the rage and you need to learn it."  It was called the 'reindeer' and she was just jumping around all over my house.  So I tried it, anybody could have done it.  So now I'm just waiting for the reindeer dance to become popular and I am going to be ahead of the game.  That was her whole point.  Weird huh?

I'm tired of this hot weather.  Maybe it's going to cool off this month.  I hope so but what will be will be.