Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

Why don't people read things?
Why don't service people return phone calls?
Why do people think they can get away with lying?
I was in a very bad mood today.
I said a few curse words, but thought even more.
Maybe tomorrow will be better.


ps.  this is me trying to be optimistic...

Turn Turn Turn

Autumn isn't here yet, but it is on the way!  I realized last week that one of the trees that fell had the prettiest yellow leaves each Fall. It's sad to think it won't be there this year.

Remembering

 This is a drawing I made shortly after 9-11 inspired by the images I'd seen on TV and in the newspapers.

Today is the anniversary of 9-11, the first attack on US soil in my living memory. It was a sad sad day. I'm remembering the victims and their families today. 

May God bless them all. 

The GIft I Wish I Could Refuse

Lee left me with a little reminder that a tropical depression can pack quite a punch.

It's 2 trees down, not one. I didn't know that until I was able to walk out into the yard after work last night. The one on the ground is from the neighbor's yard behind me. It probably pushed my tree over. The tree behind the bedroom is holding it up, but it is bending this way.

I talked to the tree service I used the last time a tree fell, but I'm not sure when the they can get out here. People with trees on the roof come first. I hope I don't have a tree on my roof by that time!

I've moved into Rachel's room until the leaning tree is no longer looming over the house.

To Austin and Back

I returned home last night from a week in Texas where Rachel, her kids and I visited with "my cousins" as Elijah happily called them. A happy time was had by all! 

We had no idea about the wildfires burning around Austin until we arrived home last night. The fires have been sparked by the horrible drought conditions in Texas this summer and high winds which were a result of tropical depression Lee in the Gulf of Mexico. The temperature, when we arrived there Sunday before last, was 112 F. It felt like you opened the door on a hot oven outside. We drove home yesterday along the upper edge of Lee. I think we made it through Jackson MS just before their deluge of rain began. The rain reached us here in mid Alabama overnight and it has been raining continuously all day. Too bad this storm didn't head toward south Texas. They would welcome all the rain with open arms.

Here are a few of the things Rachel and I saw the afternoon we drove around downtown Austin site-seeing.

Looking up Congress Ave. towards the state capitol. 

 

 You can tell how old this area is by the size of the trees. Most trees don't seem to grow this tall there.

 Also, the area right around town is hilly. Most of the rest of the city is flat by this Alabamian's standards. 

 I wish I could give you the history behind these beautiful houses, but I can't. Sorry.

These painted cows were placed all around town. Each must have been done by a different artist.

One of the highlights of our trip was the night we went to a production of the Wizard of Oz in Georgetown in an old art deco style movie theater. The acting and costumes were great. Both the children and the adults loved it!

As fun as it is to get away and visit with family, I have to say like Dorothy....There's no place like home!

Mom, I'm Working on My 5 a Day

Zucchini Ravioli Lasagna

I recently read a recipe for this somewhere. I didn't save it, so I made it up this past week. It turned out to be very good. I've had a slice every night. (I don't cook very often)  There is one for supper tonight and I frozen more for later. I've never been able to un-learn how to cook for a crowd...thus the super sized casserole.

Here's how you can make it if you wish to try it or better yet...if you like to hide your vegetables under something delicious...like me.

2 jars ready to use spaghetti sauce
1 lb of hamburger browned
Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese
1 family size pkg of 3 cheese ravioli
2 large zucchini
celery seed, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes and seasoning to taste.

Brown meat. Add seasonings and cover the bottom of a large casserole dish with meat sauce. Then mix the spaghetti sauce and cooked ravioli. Place a layer of meat and ravioli sauce in the dish and top with thin sliced zucchini. Put cheeses on top of this. Then add another layer of all ingredients ending with meat sauce only. Top with cheese and bake for about 30 minutes at 350.  The zucchini will be slightly al dente.

Bon appetit!

Funny Story

As I said in the last post, last Saturday I hosted a bridal shower for my nephew's fiance at my home. Around 20 or more people attended. About 20 minutes into the party the phone rang. Rachel answered it for me. In a minute she came over and said my next door neighbor had called worried. She wanted to make sure that no one had died...so many people were over at my house. 

I mean really????  Is that the first thing people think when you get old....not that you're having a party, but that you died???

It's official. I'm old....nearly dead in fact!

The Party's Over

 Yahoo!

Yesterday's beach themed bridal shower was a big success.

Today, I'm spending the day in bed. 

: )

....Like Weeds

Because I haven't taken any pictures in a long time until today....

I thought you might like to see how much these two have grown.

A Recycled Missive

I belong to a mailart group and I thought those you who are crafty and those of you who love crafty stuff would like to see this neat  recycled letter-holder-booklet that I recently received in the mail.

Security envelopes were recycled by slitting the edges and turning them inside out. A portion that included the window was cut. In this particular book 6 envelopes were used. They were fastened together using star shaped brads. The back of the brad was disguised using small stickers.

The edges and insides were embellished and postcard sized images and letters were added by slipping them into the pockets formed by the envelopes.

Finally, the booklet was inserted into a envelope made from a page torn from an old thrifted book. And in this way, a fun piece of mailart was created!