my sage was blooming...

it smelled so good...

I decided to bring some in...

well as you all know...

I just had to take photos....

one thing led to another...

which it always does....

so I had myself a little photo shoot....



thought I'd give you a little break...

from my fishing stories....



I just love my milk glass vase...

from my Dad and step Mom...



the honeysuckle is in full bloom...

how I love the smell of it...

I remember putting it in my hair as a kid...

the neighbors tried to wack it all done last year...

well...guess what...it is triple the size this year...

they gave up....

I still have my bale of hay from Fall..

driving my hubby nuts....

but Hotrod  and I love it...

so do the dogs...

even a bird feeder had to get in on the action...

some of my favorite things...

rust...flowers...milk glass...peeling paint...

Hubby doesn't understand my attraction...

but I don't understand his "Inventory" either...

Hubby got to go on a fishing trip with a friend yesterday afternoon...

they caught 49 crappie and bass between them...

you know I will have photos to share...

Monday tidbits....

 this is the view I see on most of our hikes...

Hubby is always a head of me...

not because I'm slow...

but because I am always snapping photos...

or picking wild flowers....

or well you get the point...

every now and then he will turn to look...

No Honey...the Sasquatch has not got me....

I'm still here....

 Shirley the Squirrely is still here...

she still makes her presence known...

loudly too....

 

 the sunflowers Hotrod and I planted are growing nicely...

he really enjoys filling up the watering can....

and watering our plants....

 

 Hotrod is now.....Dr. Hotrod....

he loves giving us check ups.....

The Doc is in he says....

 

we had a busy Sunday....

Hubby and I went out to breakfast...

going out for breakfast is my favorite...

then we headed to Chambers Nursery...

we got manure...mulch....dried Molasses....

tomato plants...pepper plants...squash plants...

cucumber plants...cantaloupe plants...

strawberry plants per Hotrods request...

that is what he wants to plant in his garden tub...

we got everything planted....

scrubbed off all the manure and dirt....

loaded up Rooster and the fishing stuff...

we headed to the river to fish...

we hiked to another location this time...

only about a mile hike...no big rocks to walk on...

only big hills to climb up and down...

we spent the afternoon fishing....

it was a beautiful day....

we were both pooped when we got home...

Rooster too...he spent a lot of time swimming...

Happy Monday everyone....

we got up bright and early this morning...

guess where we went???



we went fishing...

but first we hiked...and hiked...and hiked...

we were going to fish at a park close to home...

but hubby decided he wanted to go down to the Trinity river...

we have fished at several spots there..

but he decided none of those looked good....



so we hiked...stopping and looking at spots...

some of the brush...grass...etc...

was above my waist....



finally we find the right spot....

and a good spot it was....

even after the at least 1 1/2 hike down...

hubby caught a little catfish right away...

I caught a big Drum...and another one about the same size..

but right as it got to the top of the water...

it wiggled off the hook...

I caught 5 or 6 perch....

then we hiked all way back to the truck...

we got at least 3 or 4 miles in...

came home had a little lunch...

then Hotrod came to spend the afternoon...

a nice Saturday indeed....



I have so many photos from our weekend at the lake....

I can probably do posts for weeks (months)....

we've gone fishing a couple of times this week...

so of course I have more photos from that...



my sweet Hotrod...is being sweet again...

I am a happy Oma....

those little phases can sure make an Oma tired...

 



I'm hoping to finally get my veggie garden planted this weekend...

I've been putting it off because our weather...

it's been bouncing up and down...

plus I just haven't been ready to do it yet...

now I think I am...

I'm not going to over do this year....

keeping it simple...

I want to be able to spend time fishing...family time...

exploring....day trips....not worrying about my garden...

I've got to find a day to clean out my little building...

it is such a disaster...it is also time for a paint job...

I'm thinking Hotrod might just about be big enough...

to give Oma a hand....or at least his hand prints...

Country Music lost a great man today....

We will miss you George Jones...

 



Today was the dedication for the George Bush Library...

here in Big D...at SMU....

All 5 living presidents were here....

I can't wait to be able to go see it...

My Son saw Airforce one....

a lot of roads were shut down today...

lot's of alternate routes had to be made...

 



we had a beautiful spring day here today....

perfect weather to be outdoors....

it is amazing how a day like today will make me feel

so much better....I've been in a bit of a funk this week...

 



sending prayers out to a friend who lost his Mom this week...

another friend who lost her Mother in law this week...

a old and dear friend whose Dad got bad news today...

his cancer has grown...he can no longer do radiation or chemo....

they are looking for an alternate plan...

 



♫The stars at night are big and bright♫

♪Deep in the heart of Texas♪

 

this song always makes me smile....

 



speaking of Texans....

Texas Tales  needs your votes...

she is the Mom of almost one year old Quads...

she is also the daughter of Linda at

Linda's Life Journal

If you get a chance go by and read both blogs...

they are wonderful ladies...

Linda lives across town from me...

Her daughter and family just moved to Big D...

from Houston....

 

 



there is something so relaxing about reflections in water....

but why do the reflections in the mirror cause so many problems???

 



Hubby called me to the computer...look at this he said...

it was plastic surgery and botax gone bad....

these people were all attractive folks...

but they felt the need to change...

and they ended up looking scary....

 



isn't it funny (strange) how we view ourselves so

differently than others do....

how we look at ourselves and pick out all the flaws...

 



but others look at us and see the beauty...

I admit I battle with my mirror all the time...

I've tried something new though...

I try to look at the good in myself...not the flaws..

(that scream at me when I look in the mirror)

it is amazing how much better you view yourself...

if you go in with a good attitude...

try looking in the mirror...

tell yourself...

you are beautiful...you are special....

your family loves you....

don't let the self doubt creep in...

before you know it...

you feel good...

and when you feel good...

people around you notice it....

when I look at old friends from younger days..

I still see those young faces looking back at me...

sure they might have wrinkles...

receding hair lines...

put on weight...

but in my eyes...

they are still those young happy face kids from my past...

I had a friend tell me you look the same as you did in high school...

but I look so old....

I thought it was funny...I thought they looked the same as high school...and I looked so old...

as they say...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

we should all keep beauty in our eyes...

for ourselves too....

say it with me...

I am beautiful....I am special...my family loves me...

Happy 4th Anniversary...

To my Handsome son and Beautiful daughter in law...

 

 



Guy time...

hanging out with Pawpaw has it's perks....

you get to sit on tractors....boats...motorcycles....

forklifts....trucks...guy stuff....

Hotrod has a passion for any thing with wheels...

it is fun watching little boys...

learn about guy things...

cause try as we might...

women just can't teach boys guy stuff....

oh sure we can teach them to fish....

play ball....ride a bike...

but they need guys around to learn guy stuff....

 

 

cause let's face it gals....

we just don't get guys...

we love them....

we want to be with them....

but we really don't understand them...

any more than they understand us...

 

The proverb "March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers", first recorded in 1886, or the shorter  version "April showers bring May flowers" are common expressions in English speaking countries.....

we have been having April showers here in Texas...

we are very thankful....

 



the showers give our wild flowers a much needed boost...

soon they will not have much moisture...

with tons of sun and heat....



I read a blog post that made me stop and think...

Heart of Texas Blog....

if you get a chance stop by and read it...

we really do spend too much time playing with our phones...

not enough time interacting with people....

I'm making a promise to myself....

when I'm with others....my phone will stay put down...

no checking my Facebook...etc.....

During business hours I do have to keep track of my emails and such.... my phone is much faster and easier...

 



I know it will be a tough thing to break...

but my family and friends are more important to me...

while I was at the lake...I only checked my phone occasionally...

so I know it can be done...

how about you???

does your phone take up a lot of your time???



Happy Earth Day April 22nd

Earth day started in 1970...

It was started by Gaylord Nelson....

 then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin...

 





I remember when it started...

I was 8 years old....

it has become much bigger over the years...

 



with all that is going on the world...

I think it is nice to stop...

take a moment to appreciate the place where we live...

Earth...

when live stresses me out...

nature is my cure...

the great out doors...

plants...animals....the call of the wild...

something about being out on the lake...river...

a field...my yard...just brings me peace...

gives me a new outlook on life....

while on our weekend away...

I saw lots of families...

enjoying the outdoors...

I think that is one of the greatest gifts you can give a child...

The love of the earth....the great outdoors...animals....

 



 our get away weekend started a little rocky....

we had a super busy work day....

my paging service that calls my cell phone to

let me know I have messages stopped working...

I called Verizon early Friday morning...

they said it should be resolved by end of day...

well I thought everything was okay....

I was checking for messages....

no problem...

didn't get to leave till almost 7:00 because of work...

we get on the road...traffic is great...

I call to check messages one more time before my son took over...

could not open up my voicemail box...

tried calling my phone number...

you could not leave a voice message...

called Verizon on the road....

spent most of the drive to the lake on the phone...

in the mean time...no customers could leave messages...

we could not access our mail box...

finally I talk to someone that has a clue...

they get my voice mail box set up again...

but still no pager notification...

9:45 pm....we have a voice mail box....

Saturday I get a call from Verizon ....

well someone finally figured out the problem...

hopefully will be resolved today....

 so Hubby and I eat some dinner...

decide to call it a night...set the alarm to get up early for fishing...

we got on the lake by 6:30....

it was cold....in the lower 40's....

but was bundled up....it was a beautiful morning....

steam coming off the lake....

Hubby caught a nice size bass...and crappie...

we spent the day fishing....or relaxing...

Hubby and Rooster took a 2 hour nap...

I went exploring...camera in hand....

 

 for dinner...Hubby cooked us a steak on the grill...

we had baked potatoes...mushrooms with onions and garlic..

and a salad...

took a little nap that ended up being a very long nap...

watched old movies and old TV shows....

got up bright and early on Sunday to fish on the dock...

we didn't get in a rush to do any thing...

we relaxed and took each moment as it came...

we even stayed 3 hours after check out time...

we just got everything packed up for home...

checked out...then went fishing for 3 hours...

I caught 5 perch...

3 back to back...

pulled one off...dropped back in...

boom...caught another one...got it off the line...

put my line back in the water...

boom...fish #3....

all while hubby had gone to the truck to get a drink...

Rooster had a blast...

Back to the real world now...

most of the time my little Hotrod...

is a happy go lucky fellow....

singing....laughing....full of joy and happiness....

but sometimes.....

he is stubborn...hard headed....

can throw a hissy fit with the best of them....

yes....I am...admitting it....

my Hotrod is not always a ray of sunshine....

it's not an easy thing for an Oma to admit....

but I raised a strong willed daughter...

grew up with a strong willed brother...

both of which could test the patients of a saint...

but both grew up to be good adults....

so as an Oma that has lived through this...

I know this too shall pass....

(something I repeat over and over in my head)

but let me tell you....

at the end of the day....

I'm a tired Oma....

he is the love of my life....

hissy fits and all....