Birthday

Today would have been my Dad's 82nd birthday! I wonder how we would have celebrated, if he was here.

Happy Birthday, Dad, we miss you and we love you.

Just back....

...from Florida where I visited my kindred spirit, the Charleston Yaya, and her family. What a great weekend it was. Her daughter, Kaiti, and Grandson, Collin, were there too and what a time we all had. Collin is 6 months old and just the best, cutest, baby. Kaiti is such a good Mommy and of course, Aunt Kelly is the greatest too.

Here is Collin, all dressed up for church on Sunday. He seemed to change and grow everyday and he learned something new everyday.

He loved playing with his toes and discovering new

toys.

It was such a joy for me to finally meet him and to spend time with him. Of course, it was GREAT to see the rest of the family too. Aunt Kelly will be headed to South Carolina the week after next, where she will be attending Charleston Southern University and will be in the nursing program....way to go Kelly, I am so proud of you.

Kaiti and Collin will be headed back to North Carolina next week. They will be anxiously awaiting the return of Collin's Daddy, Capt. Robert, US Marine Corp pilot, now on deployment in Iraq. While I was still in Florida, Kaiti got word that Robert had the privilege of flying Sen. Hagel of Nebraska, who was part of Obama's group touring there.

We are all praying for safe travel for the family and for Robert's safe return in October.

Mid-July already!

I can't believe that it is the 15th of July already! Where does the time fly off to? This has been a busy few weeks. My quilt guild had their summer retreat the last week-end in June. There were 24 of us at a really nice retreat center near Independence, Texas (http://www.heartlandcountryinn.com/buildings.html). We had a great time and accomplished alot. We each were asked to make a block from pink and white fabric. One lucky winner received all the blocks to make a quilt with. My friend, Linda, was the lucky winner, and she is shown here with the retreat committee. I was able to finish my July "button-up" which you can see in the side bar.

We were given a project to do. A block had been made and we were to add borders to it and the finished quilt will be donated to the Cancer society. I was part of the first group and here we are examining the center and deciding what we will do with it.

And here is the finished product. Pretty good looking, if I do say so myself. You can see our pictures at

http://www.bbqg.org/photos.html

Fourth of July found me visiting my son in the hospital. He had another attack of pancreatitis. He was not happy to be in the hospital, but fortunately he caught it early and was only there until Saturday morning and is fine now. He just needs to watch what he eats.

The Stovall family reunion was held at my cousin's house near Brownwood, Tx last weekend. There were about 40 of us (not nearly as many as there could have been). We always have a great time...lots of food, visiting and Bingo. We also cleaned up around Dad's grave while we were there. It was a sad time.

I leave on Thursday to visit my chosen family in Tampa and see my new adopted grand-baby.

Isn't he the cutest thing? Can't wait to see him, his Mom, Aunt and Grandparents. (His Daddy is serving our country as a Marine aviator stationed in Iraq.) See what the baby is up to in my blog list under "LimaBean." I will tell you all about it when I come back.

I have been tagged.

Ok...I guess I have procrastinated enough and have to play the game, or my BFF with give up on me all together.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago? This is pretty hard, because I don't even remember what I did yesterday, so 10 years was a long time ago. I was living in Summerville, SC, working at an elementary school in Berkeley County...as a Library Media Specialist. I had just gotten my Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of South Carolina a couple years before. My son was in the Army and may have been stationed in Bosnia then, but if not, he was at Ft. Hood, Texas in the First Cav. I had been a widow for six years at the time. I was very involved with the LowCountry Emmaus Community and Chrysalis of the Low Country. I had no thoughts of retiring and moving to Texas, but look at me now!

2. Name my five favorite snacks: Well, since I like most everything, I guess I would have to say: 1. ice cream, 2. cheese sticks, 3. Sonic peach tea (does that count as a snack?), 4. chips, 5. cheese balls and crackers. NO, chocolate is not one of my favorite snacks. In fact, it would be WAY down the list ... yes, I know, I am weird.

3. Five things that were on my to do list today: 1. Go to the sewing room and work. 2. Do some laundry. 3. Catch up on the reading for my Bible study. 4. Go to the visitation of one of my Dad's coffee drinking buddies who passed away this week. 5. Finally complete this tag.

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire: I would pay off the Family Life Center at Stallsville UMC in Summerville (my church here seems to have plenty of money, and I know Stallsville doesn't). I would tithe to my church here. I would buy my son a house, and of course, pay off this one. I would hire a housekeeper, because I hate to clean the house. I would give lots of money to Water Missions International so that they could provide clean drinking water where ever it was needed. AND I would take lots of trips to see my adopted grandson Collin and his family.

5. Five jobs I have had: I have worked in Libraries most of my life, whether it be the public, junior high, college or elementary school library. I tried to sell World Book encyclopedias one summer, and Sarah Coventry jewelry another. I was part time assistant property manager for my apartment complex in Dallas and was a baby sitter for a company in Charleston.

6. Five bad habits of mine: The worst one is being the great procrastinator (therefore, one of the reasons it took me so long to do this). Starting too many projects and never finishing them. Not exercising or eating healthily. Gossiping. Taking people for granted.

7. Five places I have lived. Kenmore, NY. Munich, Germany. Plattsmouth, Nebraska. Tonawanda, NY. Newfane, NY. Syracuse, NY. Olean, NY. Angelica, NY. Huntsville, TX. Dallas, TX, Memphis, TN. Summerville, SC. Bryan, TX. Oops, you only wanted 5 didn't you?

8. Five random things people wouldn't know about me: Most people wouldn't know that I have 5 sisters and 3 brothers. I love visiting San Diego, California. I have a niece that was in the Marine Corps and had two tours of duty in Iraq. I miss my yaya terribly. I know, that is only 4, but I am such an open book, I can't think of any others.

9. Five cds that I'd have to take on a desert island: All I would need is my IPOD. I have a whole bunch of electic stuff on it. Of course, I would much rather have books than cd's any day.

Whew, this has been a chore. I am so glad it is over. Yaya, I hope you are happy now!

I know...I know...I have been tagged, and I am it, but you will have to wait until after I come home from quilt retreat to see my answers. Look for them early next week.

The Wedding

Pam (my sister who lives near Austin) and I just got back from Maryland where we attended the wedding of our nephew Ian and his bride Jessica. Mollie (mother of the groom) met us at the airport and took us to the resort where the wedding took place.

It was a beautiful Golf resort in the hills just outside of Baltimore. We rested a bit and then left to meet some of Ian's (the groom), Megan and Dylan's relatives (sister and brother of the groom) and their Dad for dinner near the harbor in downtown Baltimore. We ate at a neat little restaurant called One Eyed Mike's. http://www.oneeyedmikes.com/Home.aspx The food was excellent and the company was so much fun.

On Saturday we went into Ellicott City (http://www.ellicottcity.net/) for a little sight seeing and shopping but the heat and humidity drove us back to the resort.

The wedding that evening was beautiful. Everything went off well and the staff and accommodations were fantastic. It was the kind of reception where nobody left until it was over (most of the guests stayed at the resort) and even then a bunch of us went to the bar and partied even longer.

Spent the rest of the time just sitting around visiting and catching up. I don't know when I have laughed so much....my sides still hurt.

Came home yesterday and can't get motivated to do much. It is just tooooooo hot. I haven't sat at the sewing machine in a week....I am having withdrawal. Oh well, tomorrow is another day and maybe I can get something done.

Mother's Day, Birthdays, oh my.

I decided this Spring that I was not going to host all the "celebrations" that the family does together. Dad always insisted on having everyone "home" for these special days, but I think that was just because it was easier for him not to drive. Now we can share the wealth and get together at the homes of some of the siblings.

Pam, in Round Rock, had everyone to her house for Mother's Day. Mom and I drove over on Saturday and spent the night, which is another new adventure for us. We had five us, four Grands and two and a half Great-Grands, plus in-laws, etc. We had a great time and lots of good food.

Mom's 84th birthday was celebrated in the woods, at my brother's house. Pete and Lee leave on the lake, five miles from the paved road on a dirt road. It is a great place, very peaceful and quiet. Unfortunately none of the other kids could make it, but we had a grand time.

I have been busy doing some quilting. The picture is of the June button-up that I made. I will have one for every month. The panels button on to a background quilt, and are fun to make. It looks a little cock-eyed in the picture, but that is because I couldn't get a very good shot of it. I am tryiang to organize my sewing/computer room, but I think it is a lost cause. I have too many projects and not enough time. (sound familiar?)

Who says you can't....

Last year someone (I think it was a SIL) told my Dad that lilacs wouldn't grow in Texas. Now, all my life I have been told that when my Grandmother needed to reprimand one of her kids she would send them out to the lilac bush to cut a switch. AND, if it wasn't big enough, you had to go get another one. I guess Dad had to cut many a switch for himself, 'cause he sure did like to tell us that story.

Anyway, Dad went all over town looking for a lilac bush, but none were to be had. I was looking at Southern Living magazine on one of the many trips to a doctors office, and there was an article about lilacs and which variety would grow in our part of the state. I ordered one and it came while I was in SC last summer. Needless to say, Mom and Dad planted the little thing in the middle of the front yard (not my choice of locations, but oh well) and durn if it didn't survive the winter and is now in bloom. It is not a very big thing, but it is blooming...Praise God.

On the other hand, Sean and I tore out the vegetable garden in the back. I am going to decrease the size of the bed and plant some kind of flowers there. It is against a chain link fence, so I think some kind of vine would be nice. Some perennials, so that I don't have to mess with planting every year. I am just not the gardener my Daddy would have liked me to be. I think I will also do some upside down tomatoes, so that Mom can pick them without having to get into the garden. (She fell in the squash last year and Dad couldn't get her up so she is not allowed in the garden any more.)

Tomorrow some of us are going to the Bluebonnet Festival in Chappell Hill. I will let you know all about it later.

It has been ever so long since I have written here. I mean to everyday, and then just don't know where to start, or what to say. So, I guess I will just start from the beginning.

DAD - We had to put Dad in the hospital the weekend before Christmas. He had pnuemonia again, and as the week passed, he just got weaker and weaker. We called in the family and finally had to say "Good bye" on New Year's Eve. We know he is in a better place and is with out pain or infirmities. The funeral was here in Bryan on Friday and we took him to Zephyr to be buried in his family's plot. Here is the tribute I gave at the funeral...it will tell you a little about our Dad.

"There are so many stories about our Dad, Grampy, Great-Grampy, I am not sure where to start, because we could be here for several days, if we told them all. Growing up with our Dad was, at the very least, an adventure. As we have sat together the last few days and shared our memories, most of them come back to the many excursions we took over the years. They weren’t fancy trips, although Mom, Dad and five kids piled in a car one December back in the 50’s and drove to Texas to visit the relatives for Christmas. We were so excited to meet our aunts, uncles and cousins, to see the farm where our Daddy grew up and where so many of his stories had come from and to see “real” cowboys (anyone who wore boots was a “real” cowboy to these Yankee kids and several of our uncles fit the bill). But most of the time, we would just pile in the car on a Sunday afternoon. We never knew where we were going or how long we’d be there. It could be a picnic or a dip in the lake, or maybe just a drive down a country road that he thought we should take. Back when the “older” kids were growing up, Dad would sometimes find a back road to our Grandparents house in New York. We wouldn’t have a clue where we were going, until we saw the “black bridge” and then we knew and he would laugh as though he had really played a trick on us. With the younger kids, he would find a berry patch and we would pick buckets full for Mom to make jam or maybe we would pick melons out on the A&M farm. But, whatever the destination, Dad would make it an adventure.
He was always building something, or planting something. If there was a patch of ground, he would put a garden or fruit tree on it. I have never had a green thumb, but very soon after I came back to live with them he wanted a garden. Of course, he wasn’t able to do too much of the work, but ok, I thought, I would handle a small garden. BUT NO!!!! Our garden had to take up most of the back yard. My back hurt for days, but we loved the fresh vegetables. I thought we had a huge garden until Mike told me the other night about a garden they once had with 107 tomato plants, plus corn, squash, green beans, lettuce, beets, etc. I guess I didn’t have it so bad after all. (But, if you need any green onions, please let me know.)
Dad was so proud of our achievements. Graduations, weddings, grandchildren, he loved it all. I think a moment that really shows this was when one of the grand-daughters went off to Marine Boot Camp the day he had his second open-heart surgery. Three months later Dad and Mom flew to Charleston and off we went to Paris Island for her graduation. He was like that for all his kids, grandkids and great-grands.
There are several “Dadisms” that we remember well….
“get that hair out of your eyes”
“close the door, were you born in a barn?”
“I cut my upper lip worse than that and went on whistling”
“I walked 5 miles to school, bare-foot, in the snow, up-hill both ways.” (He went to school in Texas, for goodness sake!)
But, the greatest lesson he taught us was to have love and laughter in our lives. If you had been by his room in the hospital these last few days, you might have wondered what was going on, because we were cutting up so bad, but we were sharing that love and laughter that he cared so much about. He would be lying in that hospital bed, sound asleep, or so we thought, and as we talked, joked and laughed, you could look over at him and he was chuckling and smiling along with us.
And talk about love! Who would have thought that that cute young girl, who found him on that street corner oh so many years ago, would still be around today? Mom and Dad’s love knew no bounds. Oh, Dad loved to pick on Mom, but she would just give him “that look” and go on. The last thing he said on Monday, when Gerry told him that Mom was coming to see him was “I love her.”
And, Dad loved each of us un-conditionally. No matter what kind of trouble we were in, or how much we messed up our lives, (and Daddy would say “you know who you are”) we always knew that Dad and Mom loved us and that we could always come home again. And some of us did. We might have stayed for just a while, or moved in permanently but we were always welcomed. Daddy always said “We may not have much money, but we’ve got a hell of a lot of love.”
So Daddy, we will miss you and all the lessons still untaught. But we will never forget the love, the laughter and the great adventures we encountered along the way. And we will always try to make you proud".

SEAN - Just a couple months after that, Sean's girlfriend broke up with him and he and his two dogs moved in with us "temporarily." He is exploring his options, which include job changes and new living quarters. Who knows what the future will bring there. It is a joy to have him here and I think Mom is really feeling more secure with a man in the house.

ME - I have been able to do somethings for myself. I was able to attend our Guild's quilt retreat in February. It was a much needed get away and had lots for fun making new friends and expanding my skills. I also got to go to the Dallas Quilt show in March where we saw many beautiful quilts.
There was even one of Middleton Gardens in Charleston, done in tiny circles (like a digitized picture). You couldn't recognize it unless you were far away from it.


A couple weeks ago, two of my quilting friends and I went to the Tyler Quilt show by way of Georgetown and Temple (about 150 miles out of the way). We participated in a Shop Hop (the reason for going so far out of the way) and managed to visit 4 quilt shops, plus the show. We also were able to "do" the Azalea Trail in Tyler. I had no idea that the azaleas and dogwoods would rival Summervilles, but they did.

Ok, I guess that about catches me up...I promise I will try to do better from now