Ramblings...

Hi Everyone,

Hope you all had a good week. Mine was pretty good, but I thought the work week would never end. It seemed like it dragged on and on and on.

My week coming up will be busy. By busy it means I won't be able to come home right after work each day. On Monday or Thursday I am going out with Evelyn Mann to discuss the bibs we are making. We are looking for a housewife who is a great sewer with a good machine to make bibs for us. Do you know of anyone? Then, Tuesday, I have to work late and maybe go and vote early. On Wednesday, I am going to G&G's for dinner after work, then at 7:00 p.m. I am going to Blue Willow Bookstop. Some of the AP and GT 12th Grade English students are going to hear an author speak for extra credit. The publishing company of the book is the publisher that Ashley works for so she asked me to help her out, so I rounded up some kids to go---of course, the teacher said quite a few of them bombed their poetry test, so they want the extra credit. I will be there with a sign in sheet or something. Thursday I will be going out after school with Evelyn if we don't go on Monday. Then Friday, I am going to a Ladies Banquet at church where they have a speaker, etc. Today, we are waiting for someone to come over to give us a price on pruning our trees and taking down the dog run. Once the dog run is down, we can plant some grass back there.

Not much else going on around here. I have been designing Jimmy's graduation announcements. I think they are turning out well. I made a baby bib yesterday, but the neck bias didn't turn out too good, but I liked the material I used. Dad and I went to the Guitar Center yesterday to get a foot pedal for his electric guitar. We found one, so he jammed while I sewed.

Well, that is about it here.

Be good and have a good week.

Mom

Bibs, Guitars, and Books!

Hi Everyone,

Well, I just thought I would write to keep you up to speed on our lives. Basically, John and I get up, go to work, I run errands, I come home and watch my soap, John comes home. We both eat sometime between 4-8 p.m. We do the wash when we feel like it. We unload the dishwasher when the dishes pile up. We use the computer whenever we want to. We read when we want to. And our newest thing is going up to the gameroom where I sew and Dad plays his new steel guitar. It is sorta like listening to the kids learning the piano or their instruments, so I am used to the beautiful sound. Dad is taking his first lesson next weekend. Below you can see the newest bibs I have made. I have the tuxedo bib and the double-sided wipeable bib modeled. Guess who the models are? I have also made a scarf using Dallas Cowboy fleece. What do you think? Who wants the scarf? I will mail it to the first person who responses with a "YES, I WANT THAT BEAUTIFUL SCARF!!!!"

Also, this weekend dad bought a new North Face coat. The one he previously bought on ebay was a knock off, but this is the real mashed potatoes. Okay, I don't know where that phrase came from, but you know what I mean. He loves the coat too and it will be perfect for Alaska and Canada.

Dad is going to England in early March. It would be nice to meet him over there, but this time doesn't work out. My spring break is the same as Jennifer and Jimmy this year. Jen says she is going to Padre Island again though and Jimmy said he might not be home, so I am available for anything that comes up. Sorry, Johnny, your spring break days are over. I am sad for you.

I am going to start reading The Appeal - the new John Grisham book this week. I hope it is better than his last few ones. I feel he has really gone down as an author. I hope this meets the same criteria of his earlier books. If not, I am beginning to question if he had a ghost writer when he first started.

Pray for Jimmy. He is waiting to hear back about his job offer with Perennial Capital. He has an interview on Thursday with Wells Fargo.

Hope all is well with you guys. Write every once in a while.

Love you.

Mom/Patti

Happy Valentine's Day

I want to wish everyone reading this blog a "Happy Valentine's Day!"

No cutsie poems to share or words of love - just some photos of what dad and I bought each other for Valentine's Day.

Dad got a new pair of shoes from me.

And I got a pair of "Britney Spears like" sunglasses from dad. No prescription, but they fit really good.

Have a great day.

Mom/Patti

We didn't sit on "Sat"urday!

Hi All,

Well, Grandmother has been upset with me this week. She said she goes to my blog and there is nothing new there. She doesn't like that at all, so I am dedicating this blog to her. It won't be that interesting, but it will make her happy. And that is my goal in life!

The run down for today consists of our errands.

1. We went to the bank to deposit some dental refund checks. While we were there dad found out that he couldn't get any "crisp" new $1.00 bills or $5.00 bills due to the Chinese New Year. The Chinese have been invading the banks for these bills.

2. We went to UPS to mail some packages and buy stamps. Dad is sending back the knock-off "North Face" coat he bought on Ebay. It was advertised as the real thing, but once it arrived, and was carefully analyzed, he realized it was a knock-off. It was the amount of fur in the hood that finally sold him it wasn't authentic. That plus a real North Face coat has a hood you can detach, and this one was sewed on solid.

3. Then, we went to the dry cleaners. Not that interesting actually. I only had one item to be drycleaned compared to dad who had about 25 items.

4. Next, was the Lexus dealer. "We" can't find one of our Lexus keys, so we were going to get another one made, but when dad found out that ONE key would cost $300.00, he decided not to get one. If anyone knows where our Lexus key is, please let us know. JIMMY - THINK!!! I thought I was getting a key for a Valentine's Day present, but I couldn't even get that.

5. Then, we went to Hallmark and The Accessory Place in Town and Country. Well, actually, I went in those stores while dad sat out in the car contemplating life and listening to the birds. I wanted to take a picture of the beautiful Valentine's Day display, but some lady with pumps on kept cleaning the shelves with her little feather duster. I didn't want to draw attention to myself. She looked mean too, and I wasn't in the mood to get yelled at. So, no picture here.

6. Grandmother and Grandfather were next on our list of errands. Yes, mom and dad, you were Errand # 6 today. Grandmother was making two kinds of soups when we arrived. I gave her a Valentine's Day present---but low and behold, when she opened it, it was black, not white. She is keeping it though. Then, Grandfather showed off his backyard. He had some work done in the backyard. A trench was built and dirt was put down to try to stop the lake that appears in their yard when it rains.

7. On our way home, we stopped in the Pretty Penny. Today was their last day they would have all their Christmas stuff out and on sale. Everything was 75% off, so I spent $63.00 buying little gifts for teachers, etc. for next year. I was excited to get that much off on everything. Oh, I stopped in and peeked into Blue Willow Bookshop next door to Pretty Penny too.

8. Dad didn't accompany me to Pretty Penny. He went directly to HEB and started our grocery shopping. We didn't buy much, but enough to last through the week. 9. We came home. Dad went out again to go to Discount Tire. We needed new tires for the Lexus. He is sitting there right now waiting for them to put the tires on. Hey, it is just $800.00!

Not much else. As you all know...Coby is still in India. Keep him in your prayers. Jen doesn't feel too good - she said she has a sore throat and she is very tired since she had to be at a "lock-in" all last night with church kids. Johnny is fine - got through another round of layoffs this week. Jimmy is looking for a job and going to class - we hope. He started his new internship this week with Boston Logistcs. He says he likes it. Ashley is going to visit him next weekend.

Email Grandmother sometimes. Maybe she will get off my back about being "slack" on my blog. Besides that, G&G love hearing from you guys - a call every once in a while or a snail mail letter or even an email would be nice.

Have a nice rest of the weekend.

Mom/Patti

P.S. All these pictures, excluding the one with Grandfather, were taken without dad's knowledge.

Flowers, Hello Dolly, and A Steel Guitar,

Hey Guys,

I have some great news for you. I have some real pictures for this blog. I thought you would like them more than pictures of my feet like once before!!!

Well, yesterday, dad came home from work and he had bought me some flowers. So, I thought I would take a picture of them and share them with you. No, that isn't a tiger or some type of leopard in the picture....that is the jacket that dad bought me for Christmas. I put it in the picture for effect, but I think I need to take some photography lessons.

Today, mom, dad, dad, and I all went to the Mayde Creek High School's Performing Arts Centers musical of "Hello Dolly." It was really really good. Some of the band played, the orchestra was there, the theatre people, and the choir. It was great having them all together. I don't know how some of those kids learn so many lines. I saw some real talent today.

Speaking of talent, dad is on his way! He picked up his new steel guitar tonight. He is super excited about it. He just set it up in the "cleaned-up" gameroom. Below you can see how proud he is of it. You can see the amplifier along the wall.

I am in the middle of reading four books at the same time now. They are:

1. How not to look old by Charla Krupp (I will look so cool when I finish this book!!!!)

2. Smoke, Mirrors and Murder by Ann Rule

3. Bitter Medicine by Sara Paretsky, and

4. Business Plans for Dummies

Don't forget to pray for Coby. He is leaving for India tomorrow on a mission trip.

That is about it. Have a good rest of the weekend.

Love,

Mom/Patti