This 'N That...

Hey people - y'all still with me?  Sure hope so!

Not really much going on around here. It was in the 70's here yesterday in my part of Texas, close to 80 in some parts south last week.  Our daffodils are out and the trees are beginning to get those little fuzzy things on them where they'll bud out.  But before we think it's spring --- caution!  We will probably get a couple of cold/freezing cold spells before winter has moved on.  I'm telling my fruit trees to please not bud right now. Last year's late freeze got my plum blossoms - but not the peaches.

We had a 150+ year old oak tree in our back yard behind the house.  I say HAD.  It's dead now.  I hate it like the dickens as it shaded our deck and most of the back yard.  About 4 years ago, we had a drought here with 100+ temps and no rain for months during the summer.  It took until just about now, but it's been slowly dying.  I think it was weakened, and it's got some kind of disease now.  We've had limbs cut out of it several times, but it's about to bite the dust.  It borders my garden and we try to walk around its spread mostly.  We can see some dead limbs hanging in it and it's just downright dangerous now.  The tree service is coming tomorrow to cut it down.  I'm looking forward to seeing how they're going to do it!  It's huge!

It's so sad - we had lots of trees die in the woods on our place and we've taken to not walking the trail or riding our Mule through there either.  The dead ones are falling across the path and just waiting for a strong wind to knock more huge branches and tops onto our heads. My guys need to get in there with chain saws and take care of some trimming and burning...

I've been painting some when I'm not keeping my little grand baby.  I don't have time when she's here and I'm not pulling out the turpentine and paint thinners for her to breathe.  When it's just me, I open the windows by the spot where I paint and turn on a fan.  If it gets chilly I just add a sweatshirt or light jacket and keep painting.

Here's my latest....

This painting is from Turner Falls, Oklahoma.  Went on a painting trip a few years ago with some fellow artists - as you can see, this is not a painting of the falls, but of the river that leads to the falls. We went at just the right time to see the autumn colors. It was beautiful and I have plans to do more paintings from that trip!

Baby Bella-boo is growing and changing every day! She is so precious!  I love being a Mimi, maybe even more than being a mommy!  The kids bring her and let Tony and I enjoy her for a day or so here and there - AND it lets them get out and go on a date! Win-win for everybody!

Yep, you can see that our little grand-daughter hasn't a stitch of hair.  My kids didn't either.  I rather like little onion-headed babies myself!  She's got a purdy head, too, so it just doesn't matter!  Plus- it's fun to kiss and rub her head - funny how baby heads have wrinkles in the skin.... (giggle-giggle) gobs of  baby hair is highly over-rated if you ask me - it usually falls out anyway.  And then you have to stick it down with spit if you get a baby with shocks of stick-up, little gorilla-lookin' hair.  But those are cute, too!

OK, that's all I got today, guys. Gotta rustle up somethin' for my Hongry Man for supper! Bye!

Hello 2015, Goodbye 2014

Caution:  Long Post w pics...

Where oh where do I begin?  Where do I start?  I left you all here in blogland, friends, to mourn the loss of my sister, Lisa, and just flat lost my blogging mojo.  Still not sure if it's back yet, tho, so be patient with me.  Time will tell...  Grief kinda comes in waves...

In February, it'll be two years since we learned of Lisa's cancer, and our world turned upside down and sideways.  I HATED that she had to go through the surgery, hated that she had to endure the chemo which in the end didn't really help, hated that she had pain and suffering especially those last few months.  But, we had almost a year and a half to share, to love, to talk, to laugh, to cry, to hold each other, to pray together and with our parents and our families.  We saw family members mend some hurt feelings and broken bonds and we all drew together as a family. Now, we've always been a close tight family, but you can't all be perfect all the time.  Lisa's undaunting faith in the Lord and love impacted us all.  Little things that used to bother me DO NOT MATTER.  What matters is our love for God and our love for each other. That's all.

Lisa and I have always been connected at the hip.  How we could grow any closer is hard to fathom, but grow closer we did.  We had to get down to the nitty gritty and talk about some really hard stuff.  Her kids first and foremost.  All five of our kids belonged to both of us.  Tony and I now have all five of these grown kids to call our own.

With Lisa, nothing was left unspoken, no love or feelings were not expressed, no tears cried together were not cried.  I guess that's the thing with an extended illness - having time to say goodbye.  Would that I could have gone through this for my little sister. Our parents have really had a hard time.  It's not for me or us to understand except that we live in a fallen world.  And if there were no pain and suffering, we would not need the love and saving grace of God. There was no pain or sorrow in the world when God created it - it was only when sin entered the garden and the world that the perfect became imperfect.  We need the Lord desperately, and when we go through these times (and we all will) He promises to be with us and help us through.  We will understand in the great by and by.  Lisa's favorite verses...

Isaiah 40:31New International Version (NIV)

31 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

My sister is soaring on wings like eagles and her strength has been renewed!!!

We shared SO much, sometimes we would even call each other at the same time or look at each other with unspoken words that we didn't need and KNOW what the other was thinking. One of the most wonderful things that we shared besides our faith is that we both became first time grandmothers in 2014.  Lisa didn't get to see her little grandson make his grand entrance nor did she see my little granddaughter.  But Tony said that perhaps she got to hold and love on both of them in heaven - that's comforting and I like to think that.  It makes me happy to think about her holding both of those babies before we ever got to!  I'm sharing a pic of Lisa's little Gauge, and one of my little Isabella. My daughter in law and son gave Bella my sister's middle name, much to my delight!  Of course, that brought happy tears and I know it would be a hoot for Lisa to know that!

Gauge

Isabella

The Lord is SO GOOD to us!  These two little babies have been a huge band-aid on our broken hearts!  There IS Joy in the midst of pain and sorrow!  Joy that we know that Lisa awaits us in Heaven, and Joy and thankfulness that God has brought these two little miracles into our lives at a time when we needed them most.  

So...  I want to end this long post on a good note, with a heavy but joyful heart feeling immersed in God's love and comfort upon our families at this time.  Thank you, my blog friends, for all your love and prayers and well wishes that have come my way in these past two years.  I'm looking forward to 2015!  

Summer 2014

I may have to introduce myself again - it's been so long since I've actually visited with y'all.  Still don't know what my new normal is...  since I lost my sis.  But I'm trying to move forward.

I've spent most of this past year at Lisa's house soaking up all the time I could with her.  The Lord in heaven has been so close to our family these past months, and the knowledge that she no longer suffers goes a long way towards beginning to heal our grief and sorrow over her loss.  Our faith is strong and we will eventually find our way again with His help.  I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your words, your prayers and your concern.  I shall talk about Lisa, I'm sure, but I'll try not to moan and whine.  She's a lot better off than we are right now!  This pic was taken in the spring when my brother Dan, Lisa and I were all together for the last time... Dan lives way off in NC....

 This is a picture of Lisa and her husband about 3 weeks or so before we lost her...still beautiful!

Needless to say, my garden was a pitiful flop this year.  Daddy's garden fared a little better - we were all pulled to my sis...  I've made peach jam and pickles and hot salsa.  Surprisingly, our little bitty peach tree was absolutely loaded with baseball-sized peaches this year - no thanks to me.  We had an abundance of rain this spring/early summer - totally NOT normal at all!  I'm just now having to water the yard - it's just now looking a bit dry.

My daughter graduated from Nursing school with a Bachelor of Science.  We are so proud of her!  It was hard, but she stuck it out, passed her NCLEX, and is now employed at a major Texas hospital!  Lots of prayer and hard work!

Below is our family at her graduation + her significant other in the hat and my parents.  What a great day was had by all!

I totally forgot to show y'all something I made my daughter for Christmas...

Now, don't look at the pink stuff, and don't look at the wedding ring quilt, and don't look at anything else girly or foo-foo in this room.  Just look at the rag quilt.  THAT is what I made for baby-girl for Christmas. It doesn't have the binding on it yet.  Here's what happened - it was a surprise...

Happy tears when she realized that I'd made it and put all those long hours into the quilt!

It DID turn out nice - all her cowboy colors... I'd love to do another one IF my hands can recover from all the clipping...  If you haven't seen them on Pinterest, every seam of every square is clipped so that when it's washed, the seams get fuzzed out.  She loved her quilt...

See ya next time...

My Sister Lisa

It is with overwhelming sadness of my heart to tell you all that my sister Lisa has been called home to be with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. She passed away after a 15 month battle with ovarian cancer this past Saturday in Dallas with her entire family surrounding her bedside. She lived her faith until the very end and told my cousin "me and mammaw and papaw will be waiting for the rest of you goonies to get here some day".  Lisa touched many lives and we will be celebrating her victory Saturday at her memorial service. She told us she wanted happy songs, happy faces, funny stories and no black clothes. So that's what we're doing. I'm so sad to lose my sister soulmate and my mom and dad are lost without their baby girl. Her husband and their four adult kids are grieving too. Lisa did not make it to see her first grandbaby coming in July. My husband said that Lisa would get to see that little grandson before all the rest of us. The Lord is with us all and His Spirit is bringing great peace and comfort through our memories and loved ones. We are a family of Christians and our trust in Him will see us through. Please pray for our family as we move ahead without her. Our joy is the knowledge that we will all be together again someday... Heaven is looking a little sweeter each and every day. I love you Lisa. I will miss you so very much...

Update 5-13-14

Hello there friends...

Sorry it's been so long since I've blogged.  I do miss you all and miss hearing about your lives and goings-on.  Just thought I'd check in and update you all.

My sister Lisa is still fighting her ovarian cancer.  She's one tough cookie.  Keep those prayers coming please.  I know several of you are keeping in touch via email and I really appreciate you!  Lisa has exciting news ~~~ SHE'S GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER IN JULY!!!  Her son and his wife are expecting her first grand baby!

Where should I begin... hmmm...

My daughter Hayley, just graduated from nursing school with her BSN and already has secured a job at a Ft Worth hospital.  YEA!  Nursing school is tough - those folks are on the front lines every day - I have a new respect for them - they are definitely Florence Nightingales and sometimes spend way more time and thought with their patients than the doctors do!  So proud of her!

Adam Fears, my country musician son, is still in Nashville and on the road touring, and his video, "Middle of Nowhere"came out TODAY on GAC Great American Playlist program at their "one to watch".  He made it.  It's been his dream since GAC's beginning to be on there!  Take a listen and a gander at his new video... If you're interested, the same show will repeat on May 22, 23 at 11:00 am Central time.  His songs are available on ITunes, too!

He's doing great!!!  If you like the song, pls go to www.gactv.com, go to videos and click "emerging artists" in the left column. Scroll down and you'll see Adam's video in the listing.  There's a place to send email requests and comments, too, if you're so inclined.  The more comments/requests he gets the better his songs get in the ratings!  Thanks!

In other news...

I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER IN OCTOBER!  Can you believe it's finally happening??? It's MY turn!  And me and my sister Lisa are BOTH expecting our first grand babies!  Lisa's first comments were "YEA!  We'll have babies at Christmas-time!" and "Vickie, it's just something else that we can share!"  We've not had any little ones at Christmas since my daughter and her son were young!  And they are 25 and 26!  My son and his wife are expecting - my New Zealand/Denver kids. Mine and Lisa's two kids that we thought would be the least likely to have babies, much less get married!  Couldn't have planned it if we'd tried...

Farm life is going ok, I'm still in the chicken business and working on my garden, altho it's smaller this year.  It's been a weird spring - the weather has been crazy up and down in temps.  We got a late freeze and it got my plum tree, but not the peaches.  Cut my grapevines way back and it looks like we're going to get ALOT of grapes this year. Been doing a little painting, too.  Will have to update my art blog...

Well, that's all the news for now.  I'll try to get around and do some visiting as I can.  The best thing that's going on (besides the babies) is that I'm getting to spend LOTS OF TIME with my dear little sister/best friend!  She is my heart...  Take care friends - will try to be back soon!