Sunday Songs

I absolutely love this song.

Enjoy

So Many Books, So Little Time

Today my book club met to pick some books for the next few months. We have taken the summer off and I know that I am ready to be back reading some new books.

The photo below is my fancy tablescape after the fact. I just piled up the books I had on hand, a few pumpkin candles, and there you have it! We had apple cake and coffee and fresh fruit. Pretty simple, just the way I like it.

I have been a member of a book club for about 25 years and I think the best part is the way it has introduced me to many books I would never have read otherwise. The group that I began with 25 years ago in Kansas is still going strong and I love getting their reading list every September. I try to keep up with their reading too. We lived in Kansas for about 20 years, but it was 3 different houses with a move in between each time. Both times I returned to my book club they would mention a different book, as we so often do in conversation, and so often I hadn't heard of it, or read it. It was always said "Oh, we read that while you were gone." Well, it got to be a joke, as they could never have read that many books in the time I was away. Now, with the ease of computers, they can send me their list...........problem solved!!

Our group was formed last fall by me. I had hoped that there would be a book club in our neighborhood when I moved here 3 years ago, but no such luck. I joined the local women's club group for 1 year, but it didn't really work for me. I do better with smaller groups I guess. So I finally decided to try to form one and we had about 6 participants last year. Today there were 6 of us and I so hope we can make this work. We picked 4 books for October through January.

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

{couldn't figure out how to underline....is that basic or what?}

I have read The Glass Castle and The Book Thief. Both were very good, so I won't mind rereading them.

Any one else have a great book to recommend? We are always on the hunt!

It's Raining ~ It's Pouring!

Wow - do we have a lot of rain! It started sprinkling yesterday, and then continued on and off throughout the night. It was so nice to wake up and hear the rain on the roof. {I am enjoying the sound, only because we haven't had rain for awhile, so it feels very cozy. Ask me again in a few days if it doesn't quit:-) }

It rained hard all morning, and at some point this morning in between downpours I ran out to empty an overflowing rain gauge and take some pictures. I think we have about 6 -7 inches of rain so far!

This is the only picture of our neighborhood pond that I could find. If you enlarge the picture you can see a stone wall in back of the pond. I have no idea how high it is, but at the peak of the rain today the water was at the top of the wall. The pond is not really a real pond, but it is a retention pond where a lot of the water from my neighborhood goes.

So where does all that water go you might ask? Right through this spillway, which is the back of my yard. Officially my yard is on this side of the fence, but you can see that it is really close to our yard. The water was roaring over the wall, right into my backyard.
The trees got a little wet!
This is the ditch in the back of our yard, where all the water runs. I would say it is about 3 -4 feet deep in this picture. It was running pretty hard, and would have been fun to set a little boat at one end and watch in race through the water. My little grandson Cooper is coming over at supper time and we just may have to try it!
I thought I would get a lot accomplished today since I stayed home all day. Not! I visited on the phone with several people, some fun, and some just phone calls to return. I had better get busy though because tomorrow our neighborhood book club will meet for our new year and they are coming here.

Happy New Year To Me!!

Kind of a funny title for a post, I know, but there IS a reason.

I have had such a fun summer, with lots of travel, and company, and floating on a raft in the pool. If I wasn't busy with someone, I was busy being lazy in my pool. Many of my good habits went by the wayside this summer and I need to get them back.

I am one of those kind of people that need a date to begin something ~ and I really like January 1 for some really BIG changes. But that's too long to wait and I thought September is like the beginning of the year to me too. As a student for many years, then a teacher, then a mother of students, and then a teacher again, I have begun many years in September.

So, great idea, start everything on September 1, just as I do in January. But, I will not be home on September 1, in fact I will be gone 14 out of the 30 days in September. SO, the usual me would not start anything, because it could not be done perfectly ~ and I would continue on with many bad habits.

But instead I am going to begin my changes anyway ~ and here are my hopes for the fall.

1. Spiritual ~ I will be beginning my bible study for fall on Isaiah and I want to remain faithful and complete each lesson each week and even a little early if possible.

~get back into the groove of my morning quiet time.

~be more faithful in my church attendance, a little slack this summer.

2. Physical ~ back on the dreaded treadmill for 30 minutes M-F. I hate doing this, but I will admit I feel better when I do.

~Journal my eating. {maybe I won't eat it if I have to write it?}

~Drink my water.

~No eating after 8pm.

3. Home and organization ~ where do I begin? EVERY WHERE!!!

I would ideally like the whole house done by Thanksgiving ~ but that is a big job for me. I will try to post my progress on Mondays ~ for some accountability.

~Fall decor out and weeded through

4. Social ~ Hmmm...get a social life.

We moved here to TX 3 years ago and spend the majority of our time alone or with our children~which we love to do. But we do know a few people and we need to make more of an effort to have them over.

Suzanne at Southern Inspiration is hosting a Get It Done party and I am joining in. Please go to her blog to read all about it, I found out about it from Debbie. Thanks !!

Today is a day of travel for us {ick} and then I will be without the internet for a few days:-(

I WILL check in with my progress on any and all hopes when I return.

Good luck to all of you that are planning on some changes...anyone else want to join us?

Planning for Fun!

We are planning a family vacation for early next year here! This will greatly simplify our Christmas shopping this year that's for sure. We took our girls to WDW when they were in kindergarten and thought that it was such a perfect age. Elizabeth is at the same age, and so loving the "princess" thing that we decided we would like to take the whole gang this year.

Bob is here on business this week, and I tagged along so that we could check out a few places and try to start planning.
We will spend a lot of time here.
And I am hoping that we will stay here..........isn't it lovely??
I know Elizabeth will want to meet her!
And our grandson Cooper will LOVE meeting him. I know Ben will love it too, but Cooper is a little obsessed with "Fuzz Lightyear".
We will have a wonderful time, I know. Watching their faces will be the highlight of the trip for me, I may have to walk through the park backwards just to experience all of their joy and wonder. I know the kids will love it all!!

We popped into one of the many gift shops to buy a few trinkets to fill a box for them for Christmas. Just a few little things to let them know what's coming up. I can't wait!!

Elizabeth and the First Day of School

I can hardly believe that Elizabeth is in kindergarten! Where have these last 5 years gone? You know when you are young, the grownups always tell you that time really flies....well they are right. It just seems like yesterday that she was born. Before I know it Ben and Cooper will be going off to school too! So I intend to enjoy these days as much as I can.

So on the first day of school, I was unable to make it to Laura's to be there when she got home, but I met them for ice cream and a few back to school treats. Here is our big Kindergarten girl with her treats.
Everyone needs some princess school supplies.
And a book to store all of those kindergarten memories.
And her favorite, another Ramona book. She has been enjoying the stories.
She is now into her second week of school, and things are going well. I can't wait to go to her school and check it out. Grandparents' breakfast is coming soon!

Jackson is 1 !!

Our sweet Jackson turned 1 on August 19th. We were invited to his house to play at the splash park and then come home for lunch and cake. His party wasn't for a few days, but he had to have a little something on his big day.

This is the darling shirt Auntie Laura got him for his birthday. A friend of Laura's is starting a business and I think it will be a success.
Cousin Elizabeth helped hold his hat in place. He wasn't too sure, but he had his eye on his mom who was doing something interesting with fire and food! Jackson loves to eat!
The birthday boy.
Now this is the party. Darling table of sweet treats.
Auntie Laura made the cake and it was as good as it looked.
More decorations.
Jackson couldn't take his eyes off of this cake. He remembered the yummy treat he got a couple of days ago and he wanted this one.
So did brother Cooper. I love how he is stealing a lick while the other 2 are being sweet for the picture.
Jackson is sharing a little with mommy.

Bob and me with our very favorites!! They don't look at the camera easily but they are all adorable.
The family....more favorites.
We are blessed.