Another Golf Ball Found!

I know weird! But you will have to read my earlier post about finding golf balls, etc.  So this morning I walked over to the clubhouse and I thought again to myself, wonder if I'll find another golf ball today? So I kinda looked around (a little extra) and didn't find one....wasn't disappointed but I thought to myself, "I need to be positive and visualize finding one". Went in and got my Starbucks and slice of banana bread that the club provides every Saturday and chatted a bit with Vanessa, the other Admin Asst...met a nice lady who is a member and was visiting with her adorable grandchild...she noticed I had my name tag upside down so I fixed that, chuckled at myself and then started my little jaunt back to the Realty office.  I looked to the left and there it was!  I actually laughed out loud and thought to myself "you have got to be kidding"!  There sat in the shrubs was yet another shiny, dimpled ball just waiting for me to pick it up and add to my collection.  And this guy was even more special as he has an Irish guy on him with a cap and kilt skirt on! So he's really special :) 

Again, I know these posts seem a little silly but these "little things" just keep happening to me on a daily basis and I love it!  Do you see my new candle that I lit to smell up the office?  It's delish! Pineapple Ginger...they burn these candles in the Spa at Cimarron.  When it starts to get cool and feels a little like Fall, I will burn the Hazelnut Latte....

Forgot to Mention...

I forgot to mention in my last post what was so exciting! I have so much going on in my head that I forget to mention them all...well, most of them.  Got to keep some secrets to myself...hehehe.

Anyhoo, I mentioned on Facebook that a few months ago I was considering taking Real Estate classes to get my license.  I put it on the back burner when I was hired here at Cimarron Hills.  You will see how everything I'm about to write here ties in together.  So I'm ferociously looking for a job. Newspaper, Monster, and even Craigslist.  I find one that I think will fit my qualifications and send my cover letter and resume.  Not even 10 minutes later I get an email wondering if I can come in for an interview.  The quick response made me think "this could be good".  Within the email of course I find out what the business is and where, etc.  When I looked up Cimarron Hills online, it really peaked my interest.  My interview is the next day, so Tim and I drive out to Cimarron the night before and look through the community and the beautiful town of Georgetown.  We eat at the Monument Cafe, which was delicious...they have the best biscuit/bun by the way.

After going through the Cimarron community I go to their website and do a little research so I'm prepared.  I plan what I'm going to wear so I can make a good impression and head out the door with a positive attitude and a big smile.  I get to the office and find that my lip is on the floor and I possibly may be drooling even?  The office is gorgeous and I am already visualizing that I work at Cimarron...are you getting the picture here with the positive thinking and visualization?

I go into my interview with Judie and everything goes well, very well.  I like her alot and we seem to click.  This was a Thursday I believe and I find out I'm the very first interview and she has 3 more that day and another 5 or more Friday.  I keep thinking positive thoughts and go on my way.  I don't hear anything over the weekend or Monday and am just about ready to call when my phone rings.  Judie asks if I could come in for a second interview in about 2 hours.  Of course!  I get ready, put my dress and my cowboy boots on and head back to Cimarron.  She just has one question...why I have so many jobs on my resume!  Immediately I say "Oh that's easy to explain!" and tell her about where we lived in Minnesota and that good job opportunities were hard to come by and how far away we lived from a town of about 10,000, not too mention I spent many years following Shelby and the basketball team around, etc.  She offers me the job....

So...now I'm working as an Administrative Assistant in the Realty Division at Cimarron Hills.  I love my job and working here and as I learn more about the future building plans, etc. I start to think maybe, just maybe I should look into taking those classes.  Then last week a realtor comes into the office because she has a home listed in Cimarron.  I wanted to see the home since it was vacant and she said she would walk me through it. She told me her story about moving here from California, didn't know anyone, took the classes and did very well her first year in a declining market because of the economy.  When she told me what she made that first year, my ears perked up a little bit...well, more than a little bit.  I ask her a few more questions about the company she works for, etc.  I then tell her I'm also a photographer.  She hires me to take pictures of the new listing.  So I also make a new contact and possibly a new market to earn some extra income photographing homes for realtors.

All these ideas start going through my head about taking these classes...if I can do it, how will I come up with the money, when will I take them, I'm new here, will my boss get upset, yada yada yada.  Well you know what, yes I can do it as I've owned my own business, been a legal secretary for 12 years (preparing real estate forms in some offices), I can photograph my listings myself, design flyers and marketing material and the list goes on...I know I can do this.  I research the classes and talk with a few people and decide I am going to do this!  The door is wide open here for opportunity with future development plans here where I work.

Now I need to bring the subject up with my boss.  I did just that and she was on board and said she felt I would make a great realtor!  I looked up the real estate school and signed up for a career fair but it was on a Friday from 11-2.  I'm thinking shoot, I probably work that day.  Looked it up and I was off!  Is this real?  Everything just keeps lining up for me....

So yesterday I went to the Career Fair, in my dress and cowboy boots, and talked with about 30 different realtors, agents, business owners, etc. and also with the director to sign up for classes. While I'm there, I run into the broker of the agent that came into the office and shared her story with me about how she got started in real estate.  You know, the lady that set a fire under my butt.  I told the broker about how I met her agent and how impressed I was and she said that this lady was the Realtor of the Year for 2010 in her office. Wow.  Is this a coincidence that all these things that are happening?  I don't think so.  I thought to myself when I left yesterday who would be the first person to send me an email and guess who it was?  The one person I thought would and that is the broker of the agent I met.  She was a very positive and cheerful person who had a great story as well.  I've now had three emails and I forgot to mention one guy I met was a photographer as well!  We talked for quite a while and he share some information on a tool I didn't know existed...an wide angle lens that I can attach to my iphone! I can buy it at Best Buy for about $15....see, there is a reason I keep meeting all these interesting people...

And, an agent from one of the other businesses I visited with gave me a wonderful CD to listen to in my car.  Guess what it's about?  How a positive attitude can affect your life and business...I listened to it on the way into work and got all pumped up again!  Alot of points he makes are the same as The Secret.  Common thing going on here don't you think?  He mentions a bunch of positive thinking books and authors and I'm going to go out and get a few of these....

I have to give Tim some credit here as well as he has been telling me for months "Ask for what you want, ask for what you want".  You won't get anything unless you ask for it, right?  So go on, ask.  You might like what you get in return. I'm loving it.

A Great, Positive, Exciting Week!

Here's a little story of something that JUST happened to me about 2 minutes ago...I am at work and walked over from my office to the main Clubhouse/Admin Office.  On that little trek, I walk behind the clubhouse where I pass the 18th hole and the practice putting green.  About a month ago I found a couple of golf balls in the shrubs so now every time I walk over there I look for those white, little dimpled balls. I know, silly, but entertaining to me nonetheless.  I'm really a simple gal.

So a few minutes ago I walked over and on my way I told myself "I'm GOING to find a golf ball today, I know it and I believe it!" (Oh, and I visualize it) And lo and behold, I look below the shrubs where I found the first two a month ago and there lies a single golf ball!  It gets better :)  Since I was now below the shrubs near the 18th hole, I had to take a different path to get back up to the clubhouse...well wouldn't you know it, I found TWO more!  I know this sounds SO simple BUT little things like this happen to me ALL the time now!  I love how it brings a smile to my face and brightens my already bright day...for real.

For the past year I've been really focusing on positive thinking and starting the day off being grateful and with a smile on my face.  Years ago I remember people always telling me to "smile".  I must have just had the most awful expression on my face for strangers and friends to TELL me to smile! Wow.  I used to dress just a frumpy as I felt and it evidently showed.  I bought the DVD The Secret many years ago and loved everything about it.  I tried to incorporate it's message into my life but it just wasn't working.  A few times it did and after I made a life changing decision to move back to Texas and focus on my happiness and got away from the negativity that was my life, things changed drastically and very fast.

I have watched the DVD quite a few times this year and have really focused on my attitude and being grateful for what I have, not what I don't, and having a smile on my face all the time to everyone, even strangers.  It is amazing how just walking into a room with a smile on your face attracts people to you...doors open and opportunity just seems to appear everywhere!  It's what you do with those open doors and opportunity that counts...and I'm going to keep smiling and walking through every open door and seize every opportunity that is thrown my way!!!! Watch out people, cuz this little Texan is raring to go and is burning a bright new trail! Yee Haw!!!

Yet Another Great Weekend

 The Bistro...

 The peach and pecan cobblers...to die for!

Bikes on a fence...Tim loved them and wanted a picture!

An old Coke machine that worked!  I had to have one...the original old coca cola bottles. $1.10.  They cost her $1.00 and the .10 was for the two nickels she gave me to put into the machine to get my coke!  It was ICE COLD too! Delicious!

 Our little B&B cottage...ain't it cute?

Tim and I drove to the quaint little Town of Salado Saturday afternoon and stayed at a cute little Bed & Breakfast and just drove around and enjoyed the surroundings.  We checked in and then went to a little Bistro and shared a bottle of Chardonnay and I had a bowl of their Chicken Tortilla Soup as I had not eaten and was starving!  We were looking forward to a nice dinner so I didn't want to get full but yet had to put something in my tummy to go with the delicious wine we were sharing.

While we were in this adorable Bistro we started talking to the neatest young couple and their one year old little girl.  He overheard us asking about where to have supper and chimed in "do you like a good steak?"  Well ummmm, YEAH!  We love a good steak and usually share a ribeye as they are so big...he said we had to try Johnny's as it was pretty much the best steak he's ever had and he has sent many people there to eat and they have all loved it.  AND on Saturdays their special is a Sirloin dinner for Two.  And let me tell you, this is not just a little sirloin, it was an inch thick and 32 oz!!! Plus we each got a salad and a choice of potato....we are both potato freaks so he had the mashed and I had to have their fries because I have been "searching" Austin for my favorite kind of home style fries.  When she told me they make their own fries I knew that would be my choice...well, it would have been my choice anyway...and so to top it off they were THE fries I've been searching for!  So for $41 (included a $7 tip as they were wonderful and the young girls' deserved it because Tim teased them relentlessly) we got: a huge 32 oz med-rare DELICIOUS Sirloin grilled over a mesquite pit, two salads, mashed potatoes for him and home fries for me, Texas toast for two (which I only had a bite because I wanted to save room in my tummy for the steak), a neverending glass of Sweet Tea for me, one Michelob Ultra for Tim, and a peach cobbler with a huge scoop of ice cream and the unbelievable pecan cobbler with huge scoop of ice cream!  Great service, atmosphere and even better yet for Tim, owned by an Aggie alumni!  So there were cool pictures all over from A&M.  Well worth the money and only 45 minutes away, so we WILL be making a road trip to Johnny's again soon!

We found the cutest barn that was being set up for a wedding so we went inside to check it out and it was like the barn in Hope Floats with all the little white lites everywhere...we looked at all the pictures on the tables and the decorations and saw the koozies that had the date and name of the couple and guess what? They were Aggie alumni as well and had A&M on the koozie! What's up with the Aggie theme goin on here?

Drove around the little town and took a few pictures and saw a few things we wanted to take pictures of the next morning.  Tim is getting so good at find things that he knows I would love to shoot...he's becoming quite the Assistant and is fun to just joy ride with and look at the beautiful countryside we call Texas.  It is so relaxing and actually exciting to find a cool old car, truck or barn to shoot pictures of!  It's like find a treasure or something...it is just so much fun and so enjoyable to have someone to share my love of photography with and who just "gets it".   Last weekend we were on our way to New Braunfels and I was trying to take a picture of my last quart of moonshine in the car and having a difficult time doing so without it being blurry.  All of a sudden he stopped the car and I thought it was so I could take a non-blurry of my moonshine so I immediately said thank you and gave him a little kiss for doing so...he then pointed to the right and there sat a really cool old car that he knew I would want a picture of...It kind of took my breath away when he does things like that because I'm not used to it and it is just thoughtful and sweet.  All I can say is it is a wonderful way to enjoy each day being cherished like that by someone :)  just plain amazing really....

So then Sunday we get up bright and early (around 6:00 a.m.) and drive around to get some sunrise shots and some of a big ole' red barn we had found the day before.  Stopped at Roy T's Donut Shop to try their donuts as one of his friends that he works with said we had to try them...well I only had a half a donut because they didn't compare to Round Rock Donuts in the least and I wanted to save my calories for my first ever B&B breakfast!  We drove around some more and found the coolest old police car and four old volkswagon bugs sitting in a field all in a row.  Tim found both of these...see, he's getting really good at being my Assistant!

Then back to the B&B for a breakfast of Egg bake with sausage and cheese, fresh strawberries, bananas with cinnamon sprinkled on them, cinnamon rolls and biscuits with four types of preserves. It was pretty good but I'm still a better cook and all I could think of was what I would be cooking for breakfast if I ran a B&B! Silly me....

Then we drove our short jaunt back to Austin and enjoyed Sunday with his daughter Jordan before she starts school Tuesday.  Decided to make my own batch of chicken tortilla soup since I wanted to prove MY tortilla soup is better and have actually been craving it lately for some reason...made it from scratch (including the corn tortilla strips) to put on top.  Only thing missing was fresh avacado as neither one of us wanted to venture to the store. 

I proofed our pictures from the weekend and posted them on Facebook then took an hour long nap...watched the neatest show about catfish noodling in Oklahoma.  It made me want to go noodle for catfish!  Only thing that really bothered me were all the snakes they kept showing swimming in the river! Creepy...

We were going to top the weekend off and go see Jon Wolfe again at Nutty Brown Cafe but he didn't play until 8pm and we knew we wouldn't get back until around 11pm...both had to work and just were a little tuckered out.  So finished my book and went to bed at 9pm!

Just another wonderful weekend with great memories to file away in my little blonde head.....loving life right now...can you tell?

Two Blogs To Share

Sorry I have been remiss in many posts lately, but I have stumbled onto another wonderful blog that I can't stay away from!  And I found it by reading one of my other favorite blogs no less!  The first blog I would like to share is one I found a little over a year ago while looking for free fonts to use with my photography.  It took me to a site where I could download the coolest fonts for free...I loved the site so much and while perusing through it I noticed a tab at the top labeled "Blog"...so of course my curiosity got the better of me and I found a great one...great pictures, great recipes, great ideas and on and on...I have actually made some of the recipes on this blog and they are good! I love her craft ideas and she has some great "give aways".  I find myself salivating at her pictures and all the places she gets to travel (I think because of her blog), and all the yummy desserts she gets to test and take pictures of...I even purchased one of my camera straps from a site she recommended because I saw it on her camera and fell in love with it!  Anyhoo, this blog is called http://www.kevinandamanda.com/   CHECK.IT.OUT.PEOPLE (check out her scrapbooking room) It is to DIE FOR.

So onto the one I'm currently addicted to...I found it by reading through a post that Amanda had made on Photoshop Actions and photographing food.  This blog has so many interesting "tabs" to click on that I can't get caught up!  It's a good thing my job isn't too busy yet so I have time to inhale this blog.

She has great recipes as well, a photography section that I can't stay away from, a handsome husband that she calls Marlboro Man, 5 children and they live on a big ranch.  I read yesterday that she is going to have a show on the Food Network the end of this month too!  She has an entertainment section and writes about movies (I LOVE MOVIES) and television shows, etc.  and she wrote a book about how she met the love of her life, the Marlboro Man!  I found that a few days ago and can't stop reading it either!!!! What a cute real life romance story!

Now I'm warning you women friends of mine right now that you will love this blog!  I mean she even had a post on cute things to do with Mason Jars...I mean I KNOW there are all sorts of things to do with Mason Jars but I wanted to go home and do all these things too because they looked so cool in her pictures...I'm gonna start looking for Mason Jars at Goodwill now LOL

So before I go back to a pivotal point in her book, I will share what the name of her blog is:  http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/

I'm tellin ya, get ready to be on the computer for hours on end...I'm getting ready to click back on there and read a few more chapters of the Pioneer Woman's romance with the Marlboro Man...see ya later chickadees!!!

Recipe of the Day ~ 8/10/11

Beef Gravy ~ You can also use chicken in this recipe

2 lbs. sirloin or round steak (I used venison as we had a lot and it was delicious), cut in small pieces
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chicken
1 pkg. onion soup mix, mix with about cup of water
1 can mushrooms (pieces and stems or whole, whatever you prefer)

I usually salt and pepper the meat, and sprinkle some Lawry's Season Salt on as well. Place meat in casserole dish.  Mix the soups and mushrooms together and pour over the meat.

Bake in oven at 250 for about 4-5 hours.  Meat will be very tender.  I serve over white rice or egg noodles.  Super easy and tasty....I used to make this in the Fall when it started getting chilly outside.  It's good anytime of course and makes great leftovers.

Quote of the Day ~ 8/10/11

You live longer once you realize that any time spent being unhappy is wasted.  ~Ruth E. Renkl

Oh What a Beautiful Day Yesterday Was...

 Yesterday Tim and I drove "Pops" to Oklahoma to meet his grandson...we conveniently met in the middle where of course a casino happens to be... I haven't been in a casino since I left Minnesota so I was excited to be able to play the slot machines a little bit.  Tim was looking forward to playing the crap tables but unfortunately for him, they only had card tables.  So I played the slots for a little bit while we were waiting for Mark and hit a $300 jackpot after about 20 minutes...played for about 3 hours and left even, after a few drinks and lunch so it was fun.  BUT the best part was the drive there and back...and all the great pictures I got along the way...and the little treasure of a town we found that we are definitely going back to in the very near future!

 We were on IH 35 and lo and behold we see this old car parked in front of this building with old signs and very old gas pumps...I mean, how perfect can they set this picture up for me? Really!  It was hot out, but the blue Texas sky had just enough pretty clouds floating about to make a beautiful skyline.  The colors of the signs and the old rustic wood, along with the car and gas pumps...wow.

 And to top it off parked right next to this building was this old black Ford truck with a tractor to the left and a red old barn behind it set up another great shot....is this real?









On our way yesterday morning we saw this huge junk yard full of old cars and trucks and Tim promised he would stop on our way back so I could shoot some of them...as usual, he made sure I got my images...he parked in the ditch off the access road and helped me onto the top of my Explorer so I wouldn't get a 1st degree burn from the 105 degree heat, drove the car veerrryyy slowing while I'm hanging on with my camera and telling him when to go and when to stop for each shot...I had to be on top of my car because of the extremely high fence :)  It was hard to get the individual cars as they were jammed packed and I could only get what was close to the fence...but I was happy with what I got, but also itching to climb the fence and get more...and I normally would have, but there was a cop parked around the corner.  Dammit.  I can't tell you how many times I have trespassed and climbed fences to get a shot of a cool old barn or vehicle. Too many to mention...very exhilarating I might add :)  And I was excited to be able to use some new actions that I downloaded last week.  This action is called "Old Western" and I can see I will be using it alot! I Love It!

Now I don't usually take pictures of newer cars (70's), but I downloaded another action called "Seventies" and had to try it out as well...I Love this one too, especially with this image, but want to try it with an image of a person (young girl) dressed in seventies themed attire...just got to find a willing subject...

This old jeep (I think that is what Tim said it was) jumped out at me as well when I saw it sitting there but ended up not being one of my favorites after I played with it...I still like it though.

This old truck was in a field south of Fort Worth.  Ever accommodating as Mr. Tim is, he stopped again for me :)  I can't say how wonderful it is to have someone that will go out of his way to help me get my pictures and enjoy it as well.  Makes for a very enjoyable day. Oh yes, and I had to "stop and squat" so I got my shot and some relief!  A little "tmi" but everyone has had to pee by the side of the road once in their life, right?  If I have to go, I'm going...no more suffering for me! As least until I get an indecent exposure ticket maybe? Neh...

This of course is the same picture as above but with a different vintage action...amazing how it changes the whole mood of the picture.  I love the look of this image too!

After we took the pictures of the old white car in front of the building with the old gas pumps, we drove around the little Town of Salado and found some more great things to snap.  Most of the places were closed because it was after 5pm on this glorious Sunday, but we did stumble into a little antique store and found some treasures to purchase.  I will post pictures of those later.  There are a lot of  Bed & Breakfast places, wineries and antique stores waiting for us to explore but since they were closed we decided we had to come back and book a room at one of the B&B's and enjoy this quaint little town over a couple of days.  Looks like we will be going back in a couple of weeks....can't wait!

This old stagecoach was parked outside of the The Stagecoach Inn (hence the name), which is a little restaurant we are excited to try out as well...along with the many wineries in town...I am excited about strolling around Salado and taking many, many more pictures...check back in a couple of weeks for more photos of Salado, Texas! I know where I'm bringing my friend Patti when she comes in December!

Oh Dove How I Love You!

I'm at work today and thought I'd open my one Dove Chocolate for the day with my morning coffee and see what wonderful advice or comment they tell me today...this is it:

You're gorgeous. Love, Dove

Well, thank you so much Dove for the sweet words to start my day on!  I can tell it's going to be a great day!

Treasure Hunting on My Day Off

Soooo...here are some of my finds yesterday..my new hobby, shopping for things, some I need, some I just want and some needed to add a little personality to the abode!  Everything in this first picture was $.99 each.  We were making margaritas the other day and didn't have a strainer for them... of course that went on my mental list to look for at Goodwill!  Much to my surprise I found one in the first "kitchen tool" basket I picked up AND it has a bone handle which is a bonus.  Saw this cute little nut cracker and mini whisk in the same basket and thought they would all look cute in the little Basil dish.

The second picture is of two unique wall decor that I fell in love with!  I love rustic looking things and it will go with my furniture when I get it from Minnesota.  Everyone tells me they are scones and should be turned the other way for a candle, but I didn't see them in my mind that way, at all :)  I saw two distressed metal antelope horns!  And I knew exactly where they were going to go as well!  We bought this big tall clay pot the weekend before in Laredo ($18) and that corner needed something on the wall by it...so the antelope horns went there...I love it. Oh and the pair were $2.99~

These three black iron rope thingies were laying right by my antelope horns and I had to have them as well.  I had never seen anything like either one so was thrilled to find them laying side by side just waiting for little ole' me!  I knew they would look awesome on someone's wall, that someone being ME! These were $3.99!

 My favorite color is burnt orange so when I saw all of these grouped together I had to have them as well...the cork on the glass jar (which is actually pretty big) was really dirty but with a scrubber it came off easily. These three pieces were $5 total.

 Okay, okay, so I have a thing for pottery items as well, especially little pieces, but the bigger ones talk to me too.  I swear they whisper so only I can hear...look at me, look at me...take me home, pretty please?  So each of the little guys were $.99 each and the two in the back were $2.99 each.  The two pretty cork stoppers were $.99 each as well...can you tell I love the $.99 price?  Tim and I went to another one last night to look for a night lamp since I like to read at night...of course found a brand new white one for $5.99 :) anyhoo, I would pick up things and put them back down because I thought anything over $.99 was too much!  He thinks it's pretty funny how frugal I am when it comes to shopping at Goodwill.  He loves to remind me what we pay for a nice dinner with a bottle of wine on occasion...but it's the thrill of the hunt!

Here are my plates that I LOVE!!! It's hard to tell what the real colors are by this picture, but they are very earthy, more deep rust...I immediately picked them up was thrilled that there were 5 of each size and even MORE thrilled when I turned them over and saw they were Sango China and SUPER DUPER thrilled when I saw the price!!!  $.99 for each dinner plate and $.59 for each salad plate...when I looked them up online I was shocked at the bargain I had just found.  This little shopping excursion just kept getting better and better!

This is another of my favorites of the day...it is stamped Vino D Italia...$2.99. It reminds me of the movie Message in a Bottle...I might just write a note and roll it up and put it in there!  Love this guy though :)

People Plates!

My two adorable plates I found last week!  I thought they were from Poland but they are from England.  I found them online for about $6 each and I paid $1...I just think their so cute :) Don't know what I'll do with them or if I'll use them but just had to have them you know!

Love this Poem by Karen Kingsbury

In 2009 I was introduced to Karen Kingsbury books...and I fell in love with them.  She usually writes series of books but does have quite a few single novels as well.   The first series I read was the Redemption series...I fell in love with the Baxter family and as soon as I put one book down I was ready to pick up the next one because I had to know what was going to happen.  I am now reading the second book in the Bailey Flannigan Series called Learning.  The first was Leaving...so Leaving, Learning and the last will be Longing.  Bailey Flannigan was a character from another series called "Fame" which had five books.  I love how she starts another series from a character of a past series because the characters endear themselves to you and you want to know what happens to them.

Back to the first series I read...I actually bought the second book of the series without knowing it so I had to go back and read the first and then the third, fourth and fifth! I couldn't put them down...the second book was called "Remember" and at the time I was working at the nursing home in the Alzheimer unit.  This book touched me because one of the characters worked at a nursing home in the Alzheimer unit and her stories with the residents hit home.  The five books in the series are: Redemption, Remember, Return, Rejoice and Reunion.  LOVED this series!

Karen Kingsbury is a Christian based writer but writes about everyday people/families that have flaws and secrets like all families do....she will put some scripture into the stories as it pertains to the characters and what they are going through in their lives...her stories touch on so many things as well that some/most of us have gone through.

The point to this diatribe was to post a poem that she wrote in one of the books.  It was from a mother to her son the day he was to be married.  It touched me as well because at the time it was Shelby's senior year and a year of many "lasts" for me as her mother.  I shed a tear when I read this poem.

"Long ago you came to me, a miracle of firsts.
First smiles and teeth and baby steps, a sunbeam on the burst.
But one day you will move away and leave to me your past,
And I will be left thinking of a lifetime of your lasts.

 The last time that I held a bottle to your baby lips...
Last time that I lifted you and held you on my hip...
Last time when you had a binky stuck inside your mouth...
The last time that you crawled across the floor of this old house.

Last time when you ran to me, still small enough to hold,
Last time when you said you'd marry me when you grew old.
Precious, simple moments and bright flashes from the past,
Would I have held you longer if I'd known they were the last?

Your last few hours of kindergarten, last days of first grade...
Last at bat in Little League, last colored paper made..
Last time that I tucked you in for one last midday nap...
Last time when you wore your beat-up Green Bay Packers cap. 

Last time you caught a frog in that old backyard pond...
Last time when you ran barefoot across our fresh-cut lawn,
Silly scattered images to represent your past.
Would I have taken pictures...if I'd known they were the last?

The last dark night you slipped in bed and slept between us two,
When last I read to you of God or Horton Hears a Who!
Last time that I smelled your hair and prayed after your shower...
Last time that we held devotions in the evening hours. 

The last time you were M.J. in our games of give-and-go...
Last time that you made an angel in the melting snow.
I never even said good-bye to yesterdays long passed.
Would I have marked the moments...if I'd known they were the last?

Last piano lesson, and last soccer goal you kicked...
The last few weeks of middle school, last flowers that you picked.
Last time that you needed me for rides from here to there...
The last time that you spent the night with that old tattered bear.

Last time that I helped you with a math or spelling test,
Last time when I shouted your room was a mess. 
Time and life moved quicker, taking pieces of your past.
Would I have stretched the moments...if I'd known they were the last?

The last time that you needed help with details of a dance...
Last time that you asked me for advice about romance. 
Last time that you talked to me about your hopes and dreams.
Last time that you wore a jersey for your high school team. 

I watched you grow and never noticed seasons as they passed.
I wish I could've frozen time, to hold on to your lasts.
For come tomorrow morning life will never be the same.
You'll pledge forever to your girl, and she will take your name.

And I will watch you, knowing God has blessed you with this day.
I never would have wanted, Luke, to somehow make you stay. 
They say a son's a son until he takes for him a wife.
You're grown-up now; it's time to go and start your brand new life.

One last hug, one last good-bye, one quick and hurried kiss...
One last time to understand just how much you'll be missed.
I'll watch you leave and think how quickly childhood sped past.
Would I have held on longer....if I'd known it was your last?"


Kingsbury. Pages 209-210

Wranglers or Levis? That is the Question!

 I have to admit I like both, especially when they are peeking out of a pair of leather chaps...seriously! Dang! So what is the fascination with us women and cowboys? Is it that rough and tumble, scruffy, wranglers/levis with cowboy boots and cowboy hat look?  Or could it be that sexy walk and sly little smirk that makes you wonder what the hell they've been up to?  I think it's all of the above and the fact that they can two step you around the dance floor like poetry....hmmmm.  I just don't think I could handle the life of a roaming cowboy...could you?
  They have a bad reputation for being playas!!!

Looky What I Found!

I thought I'd do a little research on the Aynsley dish and found out that it is a mint tray and is sold in the range of $15.99-$25.99!  Nice little profit if I sold it :) Gosh, maybe I should try and sell these little treasures! I can't wait to find out what those two little polish plates are worth!!!

There were five fine china tea cups and saucers there last time but they wanted $2.99 and that was a tad too pricey for me LOL.  I bet they could be resold for more though...I just may have to look into reselling this stuff!

It's kind of a rush to find something for a $1 and find out it's worth alot more...

Miscellaneous Treasures

 Here are a few more of my finds...the clear margarita glasses were $1 each as well as the other margarita glasses with color on the rim.   The little flower dish I was pretty proud to find for $1 and on the back it is stamped "Est 1775 AYNSLEY, Made in England, Fine English Bone China, Cottage Garden, Portrayal of the Flora of an English Cottage Garden...I need to google that dish some more but, yup, pretty sure it's worth more than a buck too!   The pretty colorful plate is from Pier One and was $2.  The cork frame was however, $4.99! But me being a lover of all things Wine, and a saver of corks, just had to have it!  I have a few more things to take pictures of and will post, one being these two dainty little plates that I adore and they came from Poland!  Another great find....I'm thinking I need to hit up Goodwill again real soon...I'm having withdrawals...

Yes I Admit, I Have a Bowl Fetish

 I have collected bowls for quite a few years and my "Minnesota" collection is, well, still in Minnesota :(  So I decided to start my "Texas" collection in the hopes that one day soon they will be merged.

I'm pretty proud to say that all of these bowls were purchased at a thrift store, namely Goodwill.  Yes, good ole' Goodwill...which I hate to admit is my new addiction. There, I went and admitted it...dang.  But seriously people, you just can't even believe what you can find at the Goodwill stores here in Texas! And there are 22 of them in Austin! You could spend all day long driving around going to Goodwill stores and finding a treasure at each one....I haven't done that yet, as there are two that I really like and seem to find some sort of prize or treasure that puts a smile on my face.  The first picture is a HUGE bowl that I put veggies from the garden in or have used to serve meals as well.  I think I paid $4 for it and it is from Italy.  The second bowl is great for fruit and I paid $3 for this clear beauty.   The third, and one of my favorites, I use to serve vegetables in and I paid all of $2 for it...the bugs and bees make me smile.  The pedestal bowl is another favorite and I use it to put veggies from garden or for serving delicious coffee cakes in :)  I believe I paid $4 or $5 for it.  The bird bowl looks to be an antique and when I brought it up to pay for it an older lady saw it and while drooling, said "you got yourself a nice bowl there young lady"!  I paid $3 for it...the two smaller bowls I haven't used yet but will use them for dips and I paid $1 for each of them.  One is from Pier One and the other has R.R.P. stamped on it.  I looked it up and it's from Robinson Ransbottem Pottery of Roseville, Ohio.  Company started in early 1900's...I think it's worth a little more than a dollar :)  And of course I've found all kinds of other goodies in the dish/glassware isles.  That's another post!  I will try and post whenever I get a new "treasure" in my search for the next bowl to add to my collection.

Recipe of the Day ~ 8/4/11

Chorizo Bean Dip

1 lb ground sirloin
1/3 lb uncooked chorizo or bulk spicy pork sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pkg taco seasoning
2 cans (16 oz) refried black beans (I'm going to use regular refried beans)
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1-1/3 cup salsa
2 cans sliced ripe olives, drained (I'm going to slice calamata olives)
2 cups guacamole
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
3/4 cup jalapeno-stuffed olives (going to pass on these I think)
Tortilla chips

Directions: Crumble beef and chorizo into a large skillet; add onion and taco seasoning. Cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Spread the beans into a greased 13x9 baking dish. Layer with the meat mixture, cheese, salsa and ripe olives. Cover and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
Spread guacamole over the top. Combine green onions, sour cream and cilantro and spread over guacamole. Sprinkle with stuffed olives. Serve immediately with tortilla chips. Refrigerate leftovers.
Yield: 48 servings

This is another contest winner and 100% said they would make this again...I think this is what's for dinner tonight! Don't want to cook another big meal tonight...soooo, it's either this or breakfast tonight!

Quote of the Day ~ 8/4/11

There are exactly as many special occassions in life as we choose to celebrate ~ Robert Brault

So what are you going to celebrate today?

Walkin' After Midnight

Just listened to Patsy Cline's Walkin' After Midnight on the stereo here at the office.  This song will always remind me of my daughter Shelby as it is one of her all-time favorite songs...she heard this song at a County Fair when she was about 10 and has loved it since.  She's one of "those" people who knows all the words to every song that you can imagine, from hip hop to rock and of course country, including classic country.  She was the one that provided the CD's for the run in  music for volleyball and basketball for years...and still texts me or calls me and says "listen to such and such song"!  So I go to Itunes and look up whatever song it is and 9 times out of 10 I love the song.  She used to find songs that no one had heard and bring them to school and most of the kids would ask who she was listening to so they could go download the song too! We certainly have the love of music in our blood...the latest album she called me about was Colt Ford's new CD.  That was one out of the 10 that I did not like as it's too much rap mixed with country.  She got to meet him last year and have her picture taken with him at Country Fest in Minnesota.  Just couldn't get into Colt Ford.  I like his name though :)

One guy that she told me to listen to last Spring was Brantley Gilbert, Kick it in the Sticks.  I googled it and fell in love with the video and the song...come to find out 4 or 5 songs that he has written have become hits for Jason Aldean.  He is finally getting some recognition and starting to tour.  Google that video on youtube! It is a bad ass song and video....seriously.

I think I'll go watch it now....

Recipe of the Day ~ 8/3/11

Hot Pepper Pleasers

10 banana peppers
1 pkg. 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped pepperoni
2 Tb olive oil

Cut peppers in half lengthwise; open and lay flat. Remove seeds if desired.
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and egg until blended. Stir in the cheddar, mozzarella, onion and pepperoni. Spoon into peppers.
Place into two 15x10x1 baking pans and drizzle with oil. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Yield: 20 appetizers

I'm going to try this one! They look delicious and it says it's an award winning recipe! Looks pretty easy and now is good time with all the peppers available from your gardens! Enjoy!

Paula Deen's Ultimate Coffee Cake

This is Paula Deen's Ultimate Coffee Cake in real time! I put it together last night so it could rise and baked it this morning for 30 minutes so it was still warm when I brought it to work  :)  It was a hit!  You can experiment with the recipe and add different pudding flavors and nuts.  You will find the recipe in an older post below...

My favorite was the butterscotch with pecans, but the vanilla with sliced almonds is good and the one pictured I used caramel pudding flavor, with some caramel topping and walnuts and it was very good as well.  I did add an extra 1/2 cup of brown sugar and would have added more nuts if I had more!

Try it, you will like it...I promise!

Music to My Little Elf Ears

These are the songs I am currently listening to over and over and over....I go through periods where I find songs that I love either because of the artist, the words and the mood they put me in.  I downloaded these from Itunes last week, burned them onto a CD and listen to it everytime I get in the car! In the order they are on my CD they are:

1.  Kenny Chesney's "You & Tequila" (Make Me Crazy), romantic to me
2.  Luke Bryan's "Country Girl" (Shake It For Me), makes me want to dance big time
3.  Blake Shelton's "Drink on It", love, love, love, Did I say Love? From his new album Red River Blue
4.  George Strait's new song "I'm Here for a Good Time"...this should be everyone's motto! He sure knows how to pick a song...guess that's why he is King George?
5.  Eric Church's "Homeboy", love the anger in this one, makes my head bob :)
6. Stoney LaRue's new single "Velvet", I'm in love with his soulful and unique voice and will go see him live any chance I can get!

I'm going to buy Blake's new CD as I love the song Honey Bee and there are others on there that I know I will enjoy as well...so might as well buy it right?  I can stare at his pictures too :) double bonus~

Recipe of the Day ~ 8/2/11

Frijoles Borrachos

3-4 cups of dry pinto beans, pick stones out and clean
  you can soak them in water over night if you want, cover beans with water with about 3" over
salt pork, buy one piece and cut about 5 slices from it, freeze the rest for your next pot
4 whole jalapenos
4 pieces whole garlic cloves
3-4 tablespoons of Fiesta Pinto Bean Seasoning, Walmart or HEB
Salt and Pepper
One bunch of cilantro, rip leaves off stems, slightly chop
One medium white or yellow onion, chopped
1/2 pound of bacon (I use peppered), diced small
3-4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 bottle beer of your choice

Place beans in big soup pot and cover with water, about 5" over beans. Use your judgement.  Add the salt pork, whole jalapenos, whole garlic cloves, salt & pepper and Pinto Bean Seasoning.  Bring to a boil and then cook on medium for about 2 hours, then on low for another hour. Until beans are soft...make sure not to let the water evaporate! If you need to add more water, add hot water.  Once beans are done, scoop out the salt pork, jalapenos and garlic (if you can find them)

In a separate skillet, cook bacon till a little crisp, add onion and cook till soft, add tomato and cilantro and cook together for about 10 minutes.  Pour all into the beans and add the beer! Cook for another 10-15 minutes and done....you can add more beer if you want.  I play with the amount of spices depending on what size of pot of beans I make. They are great leftover, but juice will get thicker each time you heat up...super yummy with barbecue and/or Mexican dishes.

Enjoy!

Quote of the Day ~ 8/2/11

Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring ~ Oscar Wilde

Dove Chocolate has great advice!

Having my one piece of Dove Chocolate for the day, of course just so I can read what the blue foil says inside :)  today's advice/quote is:

Create a happy place ~ Love, Dove

I don't know who writes their little quotes, but I love how it fits my life perfectly right now!  They are good, really good...BOTH the writers and the chocolates!

Quote of the Day ~ 7/31/11

Forever is composed of nows ~ Emily Dickenson

Dove Chocolate Says...

I'm at work for a few hours on this beautiful Sunday and since I fill the glass bowl with goodies I thought I would have my Dove Chocolate for the day and see what my foil wrapper had to say to me :)  It says:

Keep believing in yourself and your dreams...Love, Dove

WOW! How appropriate, eh?  I think I love you Dove Chocolate...

Quote of the Day ~ 7/29/11

Hitch your wagon to a star ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Majestic Site Every Day

Every day on my way to work there are TWO fields with herds of this majestic animal we call the Longhorn.  One heard is larger and their horns are much bigger and I've been wanting to get a good picture of them, but they just haven't been close enough to the road for me to stop and snap a few pictures...as soon as they decide to take a nap by the fence again, I will stop and shoot some with my real camera! This is from my cell phone... I love instag.rm and their actions...very cool way to upload pictures to Facebook, etc.

Enjoy the beast!

Recipe of the Day ~ 7/28/11

Paula Deen's Ultimate Coffee Cake (Did I say Ultimate?)

16-18 unbaked frozen dinner rolls
1 (3 oz) pkg regular butterscotch pudding mix, not instant
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (I used more)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (definitely used more)
1 stick butter, melted

The night before place frozen rolls in well greased Bundt pan.  Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls.  Sprinkle brown sugar over pudding mix.  Sprinkle chopped pecans over brown sugar. Then pour the melted butter over all of it.  To prevent the dough from forming a hard crust while its rising overnight, cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap (what I did). Let rise overnight at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn pan over onto a serving platter to remove and serve by pulling apart chunks with forks.

You can also make a version with sliced almonds and vanilla pudding mix.  The one above was my favorite, but both are yummy!

When you turn them out onto your serving plate, it's a beautiful masterpiece! Try it...can't get any easier than this now can it?

I Love Dove Chocolates ~

It's not because of the chocolately creaminess either, it's because of the mini quotes that they have inside the foil wrapper :)  Yep, Ms Quote Queen here buys them mainly for that purpose! And today's mini quote is perfect!!!!

Happiness is in the heart, not in the circumstances. Love, Dove

Ahhhh yes, now I need to get me a cup of Joe and open up one more of those blue foil decadent sweets and get this day started!

Phone Call Made My Day!

Whoop!  Jon Wolfe actually called little ole' me! For real!  Anyhoo, my two nieces, Suzanne and I were at Grist Mill in Gruene last September just chatting and having a drink outside while waiting for the Charlie Robison concert to start at Gruene Dancehall.  I had only been back to Texas for a short time and we wanted to hear some country music in Gruene no less, one of my favorite places.  So we are all standing there together posing for a stranger to take our pictures when all of a sudden this very happy guy jumps in our picture!  We laugh as he introduces himself as "Joey" and he makes his way to the mens room...on his way back he stops and asks if we would do him a favor.  This peaks our interest so we say of course, what do you have in mind?  He says "you see that guy over there with the camo cap on?  He's a new, up and coming country singer.  Will you go up to him and say "hey are you Jon Wolfe that new country singer?"  Immediately, Suzanne, Tish and Steph start the trek over there with me following behind.

So they ask him if he's that new country singer Jon Wolfe and he cracks up laughing and says "did Joey send you over here?"  Um, yep!  So that's how we met Mr. Wolfe.  We hung out with him and his two friends and a girlfriend of one them until the wee hours in the morning.  He sang one of his songs to us at the table in Mozie's and when we all left, he gave us a copy of his CD that was going to be released the following Tuesday.  We are driving back to San Antonio and I pop the CD in and lo and behold, this guy can sing! From the first song to the last, we kept looking at each other and giggling and saying is this for real? Did we just meet the guy that is singing these songs, because he is going to be big.  Of course I'm partial because he is such a sweet, down to earth, not to mention good looking young man that sings traditional country no less.

So from that time on, we kept up with his progress and kept in touch with him, even going to dinner with him and enjoying a Stoney LaRue concert in SA.  He has a great story and has worked at this for quite a few years now.  He's opening for different artists and starting to get known, little by little with his debut single reaching #7 on the Texas Chart.  His second release is currently #13 on the Texas Chart.   Back in December he told us that country artist Joe Nichols was thinking of recording one of  the songs that he wrote.  Today he told me that Nichols did record it and it will be on his next album, hopefully to be released this Fall.  He also told us that George Strait has a couple of his songs on hold to record as well.  I hope that George will record them as I'm sure that would be a huge kick starter for Jon.

Here are a couple of pictures from a while ago of me with Jon and my niece Tish. Unfortunately they are a tad blurry as they are from the cell phone...but nevertheless, it was a fun night!