Spider lillies

I have always had these beautiful red spider lillies in my garden every year. We just have a few days left before we turn in the keys to our old place. I was down on my hands and knees the other day, looking to see if there were any signs of lillies. There was not. I had seen some blooming down at the Arboretum just a few miles away so I figured we just missed them for some reason this year. I had just wanted them to bloom one more time. It has been 2 weeks since I saw the ones at the Arboretum.
Well, this morning as I returned to the old house to get a few more things we left behind, I was greeted by a whole bed of lillies. Goodness, where did they come from so quickly? God does such sweet little things for us to cheer us up and make our lives richer.

Well, I am heading back to the old place with a shovel tomorrow and the lillies will be moving with me too.

Ah.....changes galore!

Right about now, I could be sitting on a nice soft carpet before a roaring fire- probably either in Northern Italy or the Swiss Alps.   Let me pinpoint that to either Asiago in Italy or Chamonix in France. A good book would be great and of course, plenty of hot chocolate. Snow falling outside would be a great touch. If these moments were as easy to order up as food on a menu.
Anyway, the good news is that I am sitting on a couch right next to a fireplace. I hear it is the gas type and I haven't checked it out to see if it already has one of those logs that never need to be replenished. I will miss the real fires but I will not miss my  episodes of getting the logs squeezed into the fire place. Too often last year, my feeble efforts resulted eventually in a warm house, complete with smoke and fire marks around the fireplace where they just should not have been. It was so cold last year. I could not stay warm without a fire.
Well this is my second night sleeping in a new place. I have many memories of the many homes I have lived in all my life. Each one had something special to enjoy and for me to develop warm fuzzy feelings about.
Everybody needs these kinds of places and a place to call home.

Moving Days

I am thrilled to be moving and to be surrounded by family. I still have things in the old house, including me, but hopefully we will be moved this week. It seems we do move now about every 8 years. I will miss this place and all the beauty of it. I just wish the house wasn't falling apart. Old houses just need so much care at every turn. I was outside today disassembling my dog kennel. I had forgotten how well I had assembled it in the beginning.  did a great job on the pavestones.


 Valorie is still in the hospital. It is great to have them all closer so I can help with the kids. I feel like a grandparent again. The last time I stood waiting for a school bus was when I was in High School. Yes, that was the 60's. Hopefully Valorie will be home soon but she is in good hands there at Texas Children's Hospital.

Movin' and swimming

When it rains it really rains!
 We got about 6 inches today and I had to get out my Wellingtons to negotiate the yard. This reminded me of a Hurricane but it was just the rain side of a tropical depression named Hermoine or something unusual like that.
We are still busy packing and should be moved soon. Funny thing is, we moved into this place right after Tropical Storm Allison. It really flooded Houston. Now we are moving out on the heels of a storm. Well, it really isn't unusual for Houston.

Chemistry

Teri is almost all set for her Chemistry class in the Woodlands. That makes 4 classes. Thank God 2 of them are in the same direction. She has a tough year this year with Algebra 2.. I think she will find her dog training relaxing. I am learning to be more commanding and not such a push over. Tough one for me! I am hoping to take over more of the dog training so Teri can study. Ha Ha....I am glad it isn't me. How does my child have such a thirst for strange stuff like Chemistry?

Ahemmmm

It is 5 am and I can't sleep. I meander outside in the back yard and it's a beautiful night. I love the hours right before dawn. My friends, the racoons, are always prowling around the yard but as soon as they see me, they scurry a bit up the nearest tree and peek at me from their hiding place. They are so cute. I always search for the fireflies as when I see them, I figure all is well. These days when the house is full and the ambiance in the home is ambition and buzz, I find myself looking for a quiet place for thot gathering. and moments to just get quiet for a bit.. I am becoming climaized as I have been spending more time outdoors  and it's not all that bad.

It is also very hard, sitting here wondering if we are "too move or not to move". I just have such a definite feeling that it is time for a new start. There are things that I love about where I am. I have grown attached to some of the neighbors as we have gone through some hard times together. Neil id undergoing Chemo a 2nd tme and Stan is forever entertaining with his stories of yesteryear. He looks especially exotic as he pulls weeds in his front lawn in a full bee keeper outfit. He hates mosquitos. Lawana is always fun to talk to and never seems to change. Most of our neighbors here are lonely old people, living alone. I hate to leave them.
I also love the huge trees all around and yet look forward to living in a place where I can rest in peace and not have flashbacks of a trees falling during a hurricane. Experiencing that felt a bit like a scene from Lord of the Rings with the huge trees coming alive and moving all around That part of the movie traumatized me a bit more that anything else and as I walk down the street here, I am in awe of the beauty of the trees but also walk carefully, knowing limbs fall all the time and at the first sound of a crack, I should RUN! I was watering a few days back when a large limb fell and crushed the neighbor's patio set just a ways away.
Well, back outside......I need to go check on my raccoon friends who are actually, most likely, raiding the garbage again.

Little People Parties- Poster girl