What's Making Me Happy Right Now?

1. Tyler Candle Company's Fine Laundry Detergent for my linens.

Seriously, this stuff smells amazing.  I purchased a sampler package from Tyler Candle that included a small candle, a car freshener and a very small bottle of this 'Glamorous Wash".  One day on a whim I used it to wash the sofa throws.  What a difference it made.  Now I use it on my sheets and towels too.  I love crawling into bed and catching that waft of pleasantness that you only get the first day or two after using regular detergent.

2. Cozy Dearform Slippers

In January, I was rushing to make it to our annual Popcorn and Pajamas Movie Night with the ladies at church.  I wasn't going to make it home to change into my pajamas, so I ran by the store and picked up a pair.  I decided to grab some slippers to complete the ensemble and I love them.  I have Dearform lightweight ones that I usually wear all year long...but on our few cold evenings in 2017, these have felt so snuggly and warm that I think I'll keep them out until the temps get above 90 again.  LOL!

3. 'Not-a-meal-plan' meal planning.

Three weeks ago I desperately needed to make a grocery store run.  We were out of everything after all the holiday festivities and the large meals that came with them.  I also knew that I could make a big shopping run but then I wouldn't know what to cook.  So, I pinned a few recipes in Pinterest, added the items needed to my list and made a makeshift plan that could easily be adapted to cover last minute guests or to allow for a quick throw together when you've had a hard day at work.  I cooked three nights in the first week.  That's a record for me lately!  When I get stuck I can look on this list, pull up a pin and within an hour (usually less), voila, we have dinner!  It's working for me right now.

4. Discipleship small group.

I joined a 4 woman small group back in November.  It is a one year commitment to work through the 25 lesson Discipleship Essentials curriculum.  The lady who organized the group is a friend of mine, I had participated in a previous study with one of the other ladies but didn't really know her, and the youngest lady in our group I could only refer to as an acquaintance when we began.  This has been a pure delight as I get to know these women on a deeper and more intimate level than just attending church would allow us to do.  It's a twice a month commitment that gets me up and out of the house earlier than my normal.  It challenges me to share beyond what I normally would in a larger group.  And, even though much of what we are covering I have been exposed to for years, it is challenging me to rethink the importance of the basics of Scripture.  I've really never understood the 'small group' appeal, as I was already in a smaller Bible study and attending Sunday School.  But this is different.  Always the same four people, always focusing on what we are doing with the truths revealed, and an opportunity to truly do life (the good-the bad-the ugly) with one another.

5. Book Club!!!

I've always wanted to be in a book club.  I would be so jealous listening to others talk about their gatherings.  I talked about how it all started with a holiday gathering here.  After our first meeting, we decided to do it again in January and now we have a book picked out for February too!  I'm loving it and last week when we met Meagan decided to join us.  That is just the whipped cream on top!

6. Goodnight kisses from the grands.

Meagan, Derrick and the kiddoes are staying with us for a couple of weeks as they renovate their house.  It's a change for Jim and I but we decided to just enjoy the snuggles and goodnight kisses while we could because we already know that 'the days are long but the years are short!'

7.  'This Is Us' on NBC.

I'm not a big television watcher.  Don't get me wrong.  If I sit down in front of it, it can be hours later before I get up again.  BUT I don't intentionally sit down to watch much television other than for the purpose of spending time with Jim. (Who told me last week, "I prefer my books on television." He cracks me up, y'all!) We accidentally stumbled upon this series during the 4th episode after hearing a little bit of buzz about it the week before.  Y'all, we were HOOKED! Thankfully, we were given the opportunity to catch up on what we had missed between the episodes still on the Prime Time DVR recordings and repeats over Christmas hiatus. This show is done so well.  I love the characters, I love the ensemble cast, I love the storylines, I love the mystery of what happened to Jack and when, but most of all I love the hope of a family that doesn't have it all together, but who still loves one another, warts and all.  I don't remember being so in love with a new series since the beginning of Game of Thrones...which I can no longer watch even though I loved so many of the characters and storylines. I'm looking forward to so much about this show.

What I Did In October

Grandmas Gone Wild 2016

I visited South Padre Island for five days and four nights of making memories with two of my longest and dearest friends.  Not our usual trip but one of us had never visited South Padre before, so it counts!

View from our balcony

At the pool

This is where we spent most of our time!

The Sapphire from the pool

The best place for a morning cuppa is looking out over the water.

CCA Awards

Attended the CCA Awards where one of Jim's fishing buddies won a new boat and trailer for the largest recorded Speckled Trout during the 2016 STAR Tournament.

CCA = Coastal Conservation Association; STAR Tournament =State of Texas Angler's Rodeo

Thad with his plaque.  The boat and trailer were in the parking lot.

Sargent Weekend

Pappaw and Sweet Bailey Rae

Blanket time in the front yard with Bailey and Carter (and Jennifer, too)

This should just say:

"My Happy Place"

Added a little décor to the porch to make it ours.

"The Strategy of Pairing" (as Gretchen Rubin would say)

Took care of my annual check-up and rewarded myself with dinner and a movie (Storks) with the Ham & Rodgers families.  I did not take a single picture, but we had a blast hanging out at the arcade and then we had the WHOLE THEATRE to ourselves.  We could pick out seats and run around during the movie without bothering a soul.  A good thing since this was Dayton's first trip to a movie theater. 

Abundance: Frisco

This year was Conference Year for our ladies retreat and we decided on a trip to Lifeway's Abundance with speakers like: Angela Thomas-Pharr, Curtis Jones, Lisa Harper, and Lysa Terkeurst.  It is a rather new addition to their conferences and was given a thumbs up by all ten of us!  There was a long road trip, shared cheesecake, honest conversations and ice cream surprises to mix with all the laughter.

Fellowship at Field Store Ladies Retreat 2016

My girl and I

Loved our t-shirts this year!

Thanks for the great design, Peyton!

Teaching a much younger woman (and friend) the glories of Snapchat!

I felt so hip!

Vintage Market

Met up with Robin and Stacy for a fun day at the Market. This was my first visit to the one at the Waller County Fairgrounds.  I feel like Goldilocks in that it wasn't too big or too small, it was just right!  Got some great finds but didn't take pics our adventure. We shopped and shopped, then we drove in to Chappell Hill for lunch at Bevers Kitchen. Yum!

My Vintage Market find of the day:

A box springs tree for the seasons

Brooke's 9th Birthday Brunch: Unicorns

A donut cake for our 9 year old granddaughter

Bailey's 1st Birthday Party: Boho

Bailey and her smash cake

Halloween After Party

They all gathered to go trick or treating about 20 minutes from the house.  Afterwards they came out for dinner, a hay ride through the woods, Halloween Bingo, Pumpkin decorating and Hocus Pocus.

From the back: Kelli (Scarecrow), Bri and Bailey (Twin Pin Up Girls), Meagan (Sugar Skull), Dayton (Half Beard Pirate)

Middle Row: Maddux (Storm Trooper), Brooke (Cleopatra), Davin (Storm Trooper)

Front Row: Ellie (Spider Girl), Delayne (Mermaid) and Weston (Captain America)

AND Lots of Razorback Football: For Better or Worse!

Alcorn State - W

Alabama - L

Ole Miss - W

Auburn - L --- with her finger and her thumb in the shape of an L on her forehead!

The older grands built a fort during one of our football gatherings...complete with fire pit!

Throwback Thursday #2

Because there have been so few posts on the blog in the past year, I thought it might be fun to look back on Thursdays to see what has transpired in that time.  Today's Throwback Thursday will be:

Ladies Retreat

Surfside

Back Row: Lynn, Suzi, Maudell, Barbara, Ellen, Kyra, & Brandi
Front Row: Nancy, Anita, Jeannie, Linda, Shirley & Fonda

Last September I helped to plan our Women's Retreat at church.  I was very surprised to learn that several of the ladies had never spent a weekend at the beach.  So, we booked a house on Surfside, asked my dear friend Ellen to be our speaker and gathered for a glorious weekend of fellowship.  Our theme was 'Jesus is My Anchor' and the t-shirts turned out so cute!  I love it!  We ate like queens, laughed ALOT, took walks on the beach and listened to some good teaching from the Word of God.

I am looking forward to our time away this coming October as we travel to the Frisco/Dallas area for Abundance by Lifeway.

Well, Hello World. How've You Been? Good to See You, My Old Friend.

I love that song by Lady Antebellum and it is striking a chord in my heart as I opened the blog page today.  It's been a long, long, LONG time...and I've missed you.

I've been meaning to update here since January.  But one day becomes a week, which becomes a month, and before you know it I have posted only once in nearly year.

I think mourning does that to you though. 

Don't get me wrong, I haven't been in a deep depression with no light in sight.  (Thank You, Lord, for Your great mercy.)  But I know that the loss of my dad last February has cast a pallor over my heart and I have had a hard time expressing myself.  I am beginning to get my voice back now though and wanted to check in with whoever is still out there reading this little piece of me. (I know of at least two of you!!!)

Just to let you know how we have been, everyone is doing well in the Goode family.

• Meagan and family are all settled in to the country life. They are homeschooling and involved in Boy Scouts. Derrick is working in a neighborhood in Katy and enjoying his new zero turn mower. (Those are the things that excite you when you get to a certain age. AHEM!) Davin has taken a huge interest in sports cars thanks to a ride in the Corvette and Fast & Furious 7. Delayne is growing like a weed and can talk you under the table.  She is loving all things Ariel at the moment. (If we've watched Little Mermaid once, we've watched it 50 times.) Dayton is still one of the happiest children I have ever seen -- always smiling.  Well, unless you tell him that he can't go outside. He is happiest just sitting in the Polaris pretending to drive. Meagan has been raving about the new online grocery shopping service that Wal-mart now provides.  I cannot even imagine...but I do know that if that had been an option back when I had to coax five children in and out the car I probably would have been gushing over it too.
• Kelli and family are nearly finished with their massive remodel project of Matt's childhood home.  The house was very nice to begin with but Kelli has turned it into a beautiful display of her distinct personality. They, too, are homeschooling.  Matt promoted to Sargent last fall.  We are so proud of him and his dedication.  Brooke has grown into such a compassionate and responsible young lady. She loves to read. (Which makes me VERY happy!) Maddux is losing those little boy features and growing into a handsome young man.  He played football last fall and enjoyed it...but his love is still all things Lego's.  Ellie is hitting a growth spurt in which she may just catch up to Weston.  But we're not holding our breath. She loves her Pappaw...and dogs.  (No connection implied. Ha!) And as I said, Weston is a linebacker-to-be.  He's a chunk and cute as can be.  Which is good, because he can be a bull in a china shop so I'm sure the Lord made him cute so his mom wouldn't kill him.
• Brianne and family are also doing well. She and Josh are adjusting to this thing called parenting.  As most of us know, you cannot fully explain it to anyone until it happens...and then you just have to figure it out.  They are doing a great job though.  Josh is home at the moment and that little girl of his just adores him.  Bri is over the moon in love with our sweet Bailey Rae...and it shows in their relationship.  That girl wants no one except her momma, especially when daddy is off shore.  Bailey looks just like Josh, has Bri's super blonde hair but has a temperament all her own. When she gets mad -- she's mad all over. And when she stops crying she sniffs and sighs for the longest time so that you don't forget how mad you made her.  Bri and Josh just hosted their annual crawfish boil on Saturday and did an outstanding job once again.  The food was delicious and the company even better.
• Brian is still in San Marcos and working at the resort.  He is thinking of moving back to the Houston area in the fall and perhaps going into drafting.  He and Deborah were able to make it in for the crawfish boil and it was good to see them.  I don't hear a lot from him...so there's not a lot to report.  But he does make it home for every family event possible, and for that I am thankful. 
• Will is still in Tomball, living with friends and working for us.  We see him about as often as we see Brian...but he seems to be doing well too.  The big news for him is that he got his hair cut this past week.  This was him at Christmas: 
  

          and this is him now: 

As for Jim and I, we have been busy getting things done around the house.  He had his shop erected last year but we just completed the finishing touches on  the game room build-out earlier this spring.  (We love it! It is now the favorite family hangout.)  He has been working hard at clearing the back of the house, making us a backyard and pathways.  We hired someone to come in and clear out the underbrush in front of the house.  Now we just need to have some trees cut.  (We have lots of pine.)  We also have someone installing the rock around the sides of the house. All of these were things we have been planning since the house went in.  We just got a bit burned out last year and decided to give ourselves a break from all of the construction. 

We hosted our annual Custom Fire Protection crawfish boil out at 'The Barn' a few weekends ago.  That prompted us to get some of these things taken care of.  It turned out great.  I estimate we had about 80 people in and out throughout the afternoon.  We had lots of room and the Lord blessed us with the perfect weather.

Okay, enough about us.

How have you been? 

Have I mentioned how much I've missed you?!?!

Girl Time

I know it has been a while.  Seven months, actually.  Maybe we will talk about that in the future. 

For now, I am blowing the dust off of my keyboard long enough to share this bit of preciousness with y'all.  This photo was taken on the morning that we were leaving Hot Springs to head back to Texas after a wonderful New Year's holiday with the Goodes.

Ellie, Delayne and Tossie helping Nonna/Aunt Fonda get ready for the day.

You are welcome!!!

All In A Goode Family Weekend

Last weekend was a whirlwind of activity. Some weekends are just that way. Others, I sit at home and watch the plants grow!

So, to share our whirlwind with you, last weekend we:

Went to a baseball game 

What a lucky girl am I?  I had four handsome escorts to watch the Sugar Land Skeeters play last Friday night.  Sam, Will, Maddux and Davin

The Skeeters mascot: Swatson

Davin is ready to catch any foul balls heading Nonna's way!

Maddux watching the game

Great seats!!  Thanks, Robin!

It was Star Wars Night at Constellation Field:
Davin and Maddux had a blast getting their picture made with this Storm Trooper!  Maddux looked for the Storm Troopers every time we left our seats!

Attended a wedding:

Davin dancing with the Maid of Honor, Monica Morales

He is a party animal.  Meagan and Derrick had better watch out!

Went to a dance recital:

Matt, Bri, Brooke, Meagan, Kelli, Davin, Jim and Maddux

Our Tiny Dancer, Brooke

Her costume was of a kitty cat.  I wish y'all could have seen Davin's face when she finished her dance and came to sit with us.  His eyes got big and he was mesmerized by her 'fur'!  She LOVED all of the attention!  (Davin brought her the teddy bear...we all showered her with FOUR flower bouquets!  They were bigger than she was!)

The weekend was filled with reasons to celebrate and to enjoy one another.  I am so thankful for that opportunity.

Unplugging

Jim and I just found out that we will be spending this weekend at home ALONE!  For the WHOLE weekend!  The boys are off on different adventures with their friends for the weekend...so, short of a visit from our married children...we are pretty much on our own.

So, for the rest of this long holiday weekend, I am going to attempt to unplug.  No facebook, no draw something, no blog.

See y'all next week!

How Did February Get Away From Me?

I know, I know...you are all waiting for the recap of our Grandmas Gone Wild trip to New York City.  But that is going to have to wait because, quite frankly, I didn't take many pictures at all.  So, I will have to get copies from Robin so that I can then post about the trip!

But here we are at the end of February and I still have not posted my monthly update for 2012.  And because I really do want to live by this year's motto of

"If it matters, you make the time.

If it doesn't you make excuses."

 ...I am going to quit making excuses and just tell you how it is!

It is not going very well, my friends!

• Read through the Bible in a year - Thanks to the accountability of the Facebook group, I am doing pretty good in this one.  I have missed about six or seven days since beginning, and have made up all but about three.  Since tomorrow is February 29 and there is no set reading for that day, I am going to try and catch up what I have missed.  Thanks again, August!
• Exercise 30 minutes a day - I did this for like four days...way back in January...and I haven't done anything since.  I am thinking of re-framing this one to be 15 minutes a day to start.   I would love some ideas on how to get this one to become a full fledged habit!
• Weekly Meal Plans - I started out all gung ho on this one.  I downloaded an app to my iPad and started collecting the recipes to make it even easier.  Then, after our trip to Arkansas, I decided to trade in my wi-fi iPad for one that was 3G capable...which meant I had to start all over on the recipes.  I got two weeks in and the thing quit working.  Just quit!  Wouldn't turn off or on...it would just hang up and stay at the same place.  So, I got another iPad...which meant going back to AT&T to activate and reloading all my apps, including the menu planner.  I told Jim that I wasn't even going to start inputting all the recipes again until I was sure this one was going to work.  So far, so good...so I guess it is time to get back on that horse!
• Eat breakfast every morning - Epic fail!  Nope...not happening!
• Spend more time with the grandchildren - So far we have been able to exceed my ideal.  In January, we had Davin over one night while his mom and dad had a night out.  The next weekend we had Brooke and Maddux over for the evening while their parents went out.  And then I had the opportunity to spend time with Maddux for his birthday.  This month I hope to take a day to go with all three of them and their Mommies to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo carnival for rides, funnel cakes and agri exhibits.  Lots of fun!
• Remember to count my blessings - I did okay in January, but February has seen very few things added to my list.  I really, really need to get back to this one!
• 2012: The Year Of Organization - I didn't share this one with you earlier, but this is what Jim has titled the current year.  We have a long way to go, but have been making great headway on this one.  We have totally revamped our Master Closet, we re-purposed the linen closet in our bedroom and I am almost finished with the remodel of our Home Office.  I have been setting a goal of one project a weekend and (other than the weekend I was in NYC) so far, so good!  I have carried two or three loads of things to Goodwill.  Bri has taken a TRUCKLOAD of clothes to WARM.  And Jim has burned or hauled off a couple of truck loads of trash! (Albeit, a lot of that was from an abandoned travel trailer left on our property by the previous owners.)  AND, Jim has been tackling the garage while I have been hard at work on the inside.

As to the other things I hope to accomplish this year:

• I still haven't found that photography class, but Robin has offered to take a trip to Colorado with me to take Kristen's class, if we can't find one around here. 
• Getting crafty again - well, one of my daughter's gave me my first project after reading that post!  Guess I better get busy on it!!
• Making time for special relationships - I don't know if that family reunion is going to happen this year or if it will have to wait until next year.  I really need to see if we can book a block of rooms for this summer.  But, I am making time for those lunches and dinners with friends.
• Jim's big day - I found a place that I want to check out that I think he will love!
• Read for fun more - I just started Jane Eyre, which I have never read...and I really need to read The Hunger Games before that movie comes out next month!
• Women's Bible Study - I've missed the past two Wednesday nights...but plan to be back at it this week.  And our Wednesday lunch group has been struggling with all sorts of illness and scheduling conflicts, but we keep plugging away at it!
• Travel - I just returned from the New York City trip last week.  We had a great time!  And I'll be traveling to San Antonio next month to watch one of my beautiful nieces in a pageant there.  That will make three trips in three months...so, I'm thinking I'll need to stay home in April! 

I hope I have a better report for you in March...until then, I'll keep 'striving for excellence, not perfection."

Gettin' Giddy Wit It!

One week from tomorrow I will be 'Leaving On A Jet Plane' and headed northeast!  I find that I am already in an 'Empire State of Mind"!

That's right, it is Grandmas Gone Wild time again and we are heading back to the "Big Apple"! 

It is a place I never, ever thought I would visit.  Couldn't even imagine wanting to visit...and yet, this will be my fourth trip and "I Love New York"! 

I find myself wondering if it will be "Snowin' In Brooklyn" when we arrive.  And I can hardly wait to see the "Bright Lights" of "Broadway"!

Okay, I'll quit quoting song titles...but you get the picture!  I am excited!!!!  And I am ready to go!!!!!

I can't stop thinking about what I am going to pack...and that is no small decision!  I am TRYING to pack lightly this trip.  It hasn't happened on any of the previous Grandmas Gone Wild trips, but a girl can dream can't she? 

Actually, I just don't want to be burdened lugging all that stuff through the airport.  I read articles where people can pack for a long weekend in an overnight bag.  And I want to be one of those people!

So...I am attempting to make sure that everything that goes into my suitcase this time can (and will) be worn at least twice without looking like a repeat!  I usually return home from a trip with almost half of my clothes still clean and ready to go back in the closet.   

I have been working on getting my clothing into more of a 'Mix and Match' style since coming home from Boston last year.  I am trying to think more basics with just a few trendy things thrown in for interest.  And now that my closet has been purged and neatly sorted, I am finding it much easier to get dressed without wearing the same thing repeatedly.

I do confess that I have also started perusing Bri's Lucky magazine for fashion tips because I am stuck in a Mom-Rut, y'all!  I had fallen into the "I don't like my body type now so I will just cover it with anything big and loose fitting until I get time to exercise" trap.  Problem is, I am now going on year five of this trap...I still don't exercise...and I don't like the way I look in the clothes I have been wearing.  So, I started googling fashion tips for my body type and taking notes. 

Guess what?  Belts are my friend again!  And I now know why I like to wear certain jeans over others!  It may cost me a little bit of money to get this wardrobe updated...but I find that I am not wasting money on things that I decide later I don't like or that can only be worn with the same thing over and over.   And guess what is even better?  I am going to New York (where it is still winter) but I live in Houston (where winter never came) so most of my new items have been found on CLEARANCE!!!  Score!

Okay, I think I'll go listen to some Alicia Keys now!

"New York,
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing you can't do
Now you're in New York!
These streets will make you feel brand new,
Big lights will inspire you,
Hear ït for New York!"

 Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsforsong.net/

Still Here!!!

Hello, Blog-o-sphere!

I noticed on my site meter report that several of you have been checking in this past week and I feel bad that there has been no new news!  Don't you just hate visiting a blog for an update and listening to the crickets chirp?

Well, we are all still here.   Some of us a little more so than others.  I have been having horrible computer problems this month.  Our Internet at home has freaked out on us and will only let us view one or two pages before booting us off.  I think with the addition of Brian's computer and video game we have overloaded our ANCIENT router!  I really need to get on the telephone with AT&T this week and get the issue resolved, but I haven't made the time to do so yet.  It may mean a new router...but that is fine by me so long as we can all log on and get something accomplished!

My work computer came down with a critical illness after a power outage a few weeks back.  It worked, but would not allow communication with any printer in the whole office!  It did that a few years back and Geek Squad was able to get me back online, but without access to print labels.  Go figure!  I decided that enough was enough and ordered a new computer which did not have a strong aversion to printers...label or otherwise!  Well, it took a week to receive, a week to load the software and get hooked in to the network...and then I left town for a few days.   Believe me, after all that computer drama, I deserved a few days away!!!

And that is why I have not posted in over two weeks. 

Aren't you glad you asked?

Football season is winding down.  Two more games...one tonight and another next week.  I will post pictures soon of our Football Frenzy Tailgate Party last Friday night.  We had a blast tailgating with the Waller High School Cheerleaders.  Sweet girls...and Davin is their #1 fan!  He doesn't even like going to a game if they are not going to be there!!!

I'll have a few pictures from our weekend getaway to share too.  But only a few, because I really took it easy and didn't take many pictures at all. 

So, next time you stop by for a visit...maybe I'll have something to share and it will make those dang crickets shut up!!!

Close Call

Many of you have called or sent emails to ask how close to our home the fires came.  Here is the lastest map released by Waller County.  The fire area is in red.  I have roughly marked the location of our house with a purple star on the left hand edge of the map.  We estimate the nearest fire line to be between 3/4 to one mile away, as the crow flies.

Too close for comfort, that's for sure!

A (Rather Far Off) View To A Wildfire

I didn't take many photos. I didn't get any the first few days because: (1) the fire was not as close as the last one, so we thought we wouldn't be affected AND (2) when we were evacuated, we were sure it would only be for a day at most. I finally got my head about me around Wednesday and started snapping a few pictures.

It is hard to be prepared for the views that sometimes catch you by surprise...especially when you are driving. Thank goodness for my trusty iPhone. I think most of my pictures were taken on it.


The Riley Road Fire: Taken from 362 around Howell Road at 11 AM on 9/7/11

 Our home is located roughly two and half to three miles from where this picture is taken just to the left of the tallest tree.  A little too close for comfort.  Things looked to be coming under control when I snapped this picture as we were going on our daily recon mission.  But it wouldn't stay that way for long.


Riley Road Fire Spreads To 1488: Photo taken from Joseph and Rice Road around 3 pm
This photo was taken from roughly two miles away from the new flare up...but our home is no where near this end of the fires.

 We were going to check on the neighborhood as we went to pick Will up from school when the south end of the fire flared up in just moments.  It was a scary sight as just after I took this picture a school bus rounded that curve!


Riley Road Fire: 9/7/11 at around 10 PM
This is the view of the fire at night from roughly the same place as the first picture was taken.

Things were looking very promising as we returned to the neighborhood on Thursday morning.

Riley Road Fire: 9/8/11
Photo taken from 362 near Howell Road

As you can see, the smoke plume was no longer black but a white color.  We REALLY, REALLY thought that we would be able to go back home within the next 24 hours at this point.  But, as was the pattern of this fire...the mornings looked calm but the afternoons found higher wind speeds and flare ups that lasted into the night.


Riley Road Fire: 9/8/11 afternoon
This picture was taken at 362 looking down Reids Prairie...the street into our neighborhood.

 Things were not looking so good for the home team here.  The smoke was horrendous.  We couldn't even tell where the fires were because we couldn't see the plumes.  Our home is about three miles down this road.  And did you notice the 'Burn Ban' sign under the speed limit?  Yeah, someone needs to tell this wildfire that!


The smoke at our house on 9/8/11 (the game cam date is off by one day)

It is hard to see in the game cam picture alone...but when you look at the prior photos you can really tell how smoky it was at our house that day.  BUT look at that nice cool 67 degree temperature!  Too bad we missed all of those beautiful fall-like days worrying about a wildfire.  It is now back in triple digits!

Riley Road Fire: Photo taken from the Waller City Limits on 9/9/11
This is what it looked liked from our hotel.

Still quite a bit of smoke on Friday...but we were just sure that they would be letting us back in within 24 hours!

Not quite, but we were able to go home Sunday evening at 5 pm.  Someone was very wise and turned off our air conditioning before heading out the door.  Jim or I neither one can remember doing it...maybe Derrick did.  All I know is that because of that the smell of smoke is very faint inside our home.  Thank goodness!

It took us until this morning to get the house cooled back down...but it was so worth it!!!

This last picture is from my drive into work on Monday morning.  I found myself in this military convoy of about ten trucks hauling heavy equipment.



Military Equipment being moved out on 9/12/11.

You can still see the haze in the air...but what a wonderful sight to know that the heavy work is completed and that we are now on the downhill side of these forest fires! 

We aren't totally out of the woods yet, but we get closer with each passing hour.  This thing had so many names...The Magnolia Fire, The Tri-County Fire, The Riley Road Fire...it seemed like a mythical hydra for a little while, they would stop it here and three more would break out there.  We are thrilled to be home but we know that so many of our neighbors are still in limbo or worse yet, suffering loss.  Please continue to keep this area in your prayers!

We Are Home

...at least for now. 

We were able to return at 5 last night.  Jim and I rode out to the house to make sure that all was secure and that we had electricity before heading back to the hotel to load up and check out.  Other than our poor cows being without water for days...all was well.  Ladies January and March along with Sir Loin slurped and slurped, faster than the water hose could keep up.  Jim had to go into the pasture with them to hold on to the water trough because they kept turning it over trying to get to the water at the bottom!  We then turned them into the green grass in the front pasture and they decided to forgive us for deserting them in the chaos. 

Jim and I had the BEST night's sleep in a week.  There is no place like your own bed for getting some good rest.  We were up kind of late trying to get the house in order.  As I told you the other day, we had just finished dinner when we were evacuated.  All of the food was put away, but we didn't have time to finish the dishes.  We just threw what we could into the dishwasher and started it before heading out.  I had to throw out four very delicious looking Strawberry Napoleon's that were left behind in the rush out of the door.  Sad!

I joked on Facebook this morning that I was apprehensive about leaving home and maybe I should pack a bag JUST IN CASE.  In all honesty, we were so apprehensive about leaving and not being able to get back in, that Jim elected to work from home today.  Although our home is safe, the wildfires are not out...only contained. 

As I was driving in this morning, I found myself in the midst of a convoy of military heavy equipment that was being moved out of our area.  Sounds like good news, at least. 

However, in the last hour there has been word that five new fires have erupted as the winds have picked up and the heat has returned to the Houston area.  I can feel my stomach begin to churn again.  I think I may have an ulcer by the time this is over!  I am glad that Jim is at home just in case we are evacuated again.  I guess I will be packing that bag tonight just to be on the safe side! 

That's where we are in our little world.  I am going to try and post some pictures of our vantage point of the fires for tomorrow.  Hope you are all safe and sound and enjoying wonderful fall weather!

Time Marches On

The skies look relatively blue today.  There is still a slight haze of smoke lingering just above the tree lines and you can smell a bit of char in the air.  We have just returned from another recon mission to lay eyes on our neighborhood for ourselves.  The parking lot of the Holiday Inn remains crowded with cars and people discussing their situations.  Other than that you would never know that our world has been turned upside down by a wildfire.

The world goes on.  There are 9-11 remembrance ceremonies on every television station and we all stop to reflect on where we were a decade ago as we heard the news.  (Driving in to work, stopped at Bellaire and Beltway 8...when the second tower was hit and we all KNEW it was no accident.)

Many prepare for the first game of the NFL season.  Even I have found myself double checking my Fantasy Football team and making substitutions as news of Arian Foster being out today flood the airwaves. 

There will be a meeting at the high school today at 1:30 and 3:00 to update us on the status of the wildfires.  I am torn between going for first hand information or just hanging out at the hotel with my family and watching football...since I know the information will soon be all over the Internet anyway.

That's what is going on In Goode Time today.  Hope you are enjoying a relaxing Sunday with your loved ones...and maybe a little football thrown in as well.  Here's to your team...unless your a Colts fan, in which case, "Go Texans!" 

The Week That Just Keeps Going...And Going...And Going...

What is up with our out of control life?  I haven't been able to post all week due to the craziness of it all.  So, here is a (not so) quick 'Week In Review'.  I will try to post pictures later.

Last Thursday:  We had a slow day in the office as Porter and Jim were both out dove hunting for Opening Day with a client.  They had a successful and fun filled morning.  That evening we went to watch Will play in the JV Maroon game against Terry.  The weather was nice, the company was great...but Will pulled a groin muscle and had to sit out about half of the game.  It was a nail biter, but this time the suspense did not end in our favor.  The final score was Waller 7, Terry 13.  We ended our day with a great Mexican dinner after the game.

Friday: A quite night for Jim and I as Bri was out with friends and Will had to Maroon Man the Terry game in Fort Bend County. Jim and I finished up the irrigation system to the new food plot at the 17 acres.  (What a romantic evening alone, right?)  Will had the privilege of donning the 'Wally' costume for the game.  He had a great time...but I will be honest with you that in this Texas heat, he didn't smell great when we picked him up!  When you wear Wally, you have to bring him home and give him a bath.  Let's just say he got a strong dose of Fabreze!

Saturday: While Jim and the boys trimmed limbs down at the 17 acres, I headed to the Katy/Richmond area to meet up with friends.  We had tickets to see Kid Rock at the Cynthia Woods Pavilion!  (Thanks, Robin!)  We all gathered at Robin's for pizza before the limo picked us up for the ride to the concert.  Fun!  Fun!  It was a great concert and we had AMAZING seats!  I can hardly wait to show you the pictures I took on my cell phone with NO zoom!  So close! 

Sunday: I arrived home just as the family was beginning to stir.  Jim made a delicious breakfast and then we headed back down to the 17 acres to shoot skeet and target practice with my new 22 rifle. It was Bri's first time to shoot a shotgun...and the pictures are priceless! Will won the skeet contest...and Bri won the target shooting contest. 

Monday: Jim and Derrick took the morning to play a round of golf.  The weather was much nicer, but the winds were wild!  I spent the day cooking ribs and all the trimmings and desserts.  In fact, I made so many appetizers that we weren't even hungry when it was time to eat.  So, we decided to go back to the acreage to do some more shooting. 

While we were shooting, Brian received a phone call from a friend who told us that a fire was burning about 10 miles away from us.  We thought little of it and finished our competition before heading home to eat.  We had just finished eating and were getting ready for dessert when a police officer pulled into our driveway and told us that we had 15 minutes to evacuate. 

We grabbed clothes, a few pictures and pieces of memorabilia before heading out.  Oh, yeah, and we grabbed Wally!  We didn't have time to evacuate the cows or even to load up the motorcycles, four wheelers or the boat.  We went to Meagan's and Derrick's to spend the night and really thought we would be back home the next day.

Well, we are still out!  The fires are still burning and in fact have recently flared back up.  Jim and I spent most of Tuesday and Wednesday sitting just outside of the evacuation zone trying to get a visual for ourselves of where the fires were. 

Wednesday night we celebrated Brian's 21st birthday!!!!  We plan to celebrate without the wildfire  stress hanging over our heads as soon as possible!

Thursday we went into the office, but still made two trips out to Waller to check on the status. 

Today I made the trip to Waller by myself.  The skies were clear blue and all was looking to be almost over.  I even watched the big DC10 fly over with the first load of flame retardant to smother the fires.  THEN about three o'clock, the winds picked up and the fires began spreading again.

 We no longer think we will be back home in 48 hours -- short of a miracle.  We have taken up residence at a Holiday Inn for a few days to give Meagan and Derrick a break and to be closer to the house just in case things change and we can get in to check on the cows.

If anyone is still reading...thanks for keeping up with us!  I hope to get pictures posted next week.  I just need my card reader...which is at the house that I haven't been able to get to in four days! 

Talk to you all soon!

Is It Ironical Or Comical? I Haven't Decided Yet

Saturday, August 20
11:30 AM

Despite my desire to stay home on Saturday morning doing nothing after a busy week, I agreed to take Jim in to Houston to pick up his 1987 Chevy Blazer from the stereo place.  He has already had it painted, new exhaust put on and now had it in for a new sound system.

The plan was for me to drop him off and then follow him home to make sure that the truck made the trip.  He hasn't had anything done to the motor yet and it has been sitting up for a couple of years.

1:00 PM
Jim and I made a stop at Gander Mountain before heading over for a quick stop at the office.  As we were pulling into the office parking lot, my truck began to make a weird jerking motion and the Check Engine light came on.

We had one of our suite mates check it out.  He cleared the code so that we could get on down the road and the truck ran fine...but the Check Engine light stayed on.

As I dropped Jim off to pick up his truck, I told him that I wanted to go ahead and drop the truck at the dealership.  I had this same problem last year about this time and when it struck, I barely made it into the parking lot from Highway 6.  It is the sensor in the gas pedal that goes out and so the truck doesn't register that you are giving it gas. 

It takes Jim a little bit to go through the orientation of his new stereo with a technician.  By the time he is ready to go, I am a little less stressed and decide that I would rather just go on home.  We can bring the truck in on Monday.

So, we head out.

1:30 PM
We are driving down Highway 6 and are almost to the freeway when the Avalanche starts making that lurching motion again.

So, I call Jim and tell him that he needs to lead me in to the dealership after all.  It takes me over a mile to get the truck up to 40 MPH on the frontage road!  I am so thankful that I never made it to the freeway!

We make it to the dealership and drop the truck for the service department to check out on Monday.

When I got back in Jim's 1987 Chevy Blazer with no air conditioning and LOUD exhaust system, I had to shake my head and laugh.  The 2009 Chevy Avalanche was supposed to be the Rescue Vehicle...but instead it had to be rescued!!!!

Ironical?  Comical?  A little of both?  I haven't decided yet!!! 

If The Shoe Fits...

When Jim and I share our adventures in South Africa with others, it never fails that we get the most feedback from this hunt:

Whether pictures on Facebook or someone inquiring of us in person, the responses we get to the zebra are always a mixed bag.

So, it was with great curiosity that I picked up this box of shoes I spotted at Robin's store, Mimosa Rose, last month.  (The Mimosa Rose link will take you to their Facebook page.)

As if the name were not enough to pique my interest, look at how they were packaged.

And the bling?  Can you see all that bling?

Needless to say, this pair of shoes found a home!  With a name like that, zebra print and all that bling...what else could a girl do?