Transparency

After reading a friend's blog today, I realized that my blogs were rather generic... usually showing a picture of something or someone that I love or an event like my granddaughter's play or snow in Texas. Those are all good things to report on, but I am never transparent. And I am a very transparent person. If I'm hurt about something or mad, it is written all over my face. I can't fake it. And for those of you who actually read this (and there are so few), I am going to commit to being a little more real, and transparent, like all of you are. My life isn't perfect, but I do feel that I am in a very "comfortable" place right now. I have a job, I have my sons and grandaughter nearby, I have met and fallen in love with my best friend forever (and we are slowly but surely planning a life together - I guess at this age, things don't happen as quickly as when we were young), and I am now at 11.5 years post-death-sentence "you'll never go into remission" diagnosis. Here's to more transparency and more frequent posts! (picture circa 1972) Love you all!

Snow in Texas!!!

Here's Star, fat and muddy, in the snow. We had more snow than I've ever seen in Texas during the holidays... it was great! The mini-cabin is the dog house Robin made for our dogs (his one cocker spaniel, my two lab mixes), and the "outhouse" is actually a well house that Robin made to look like a 2-door outhouse! This is Robin's house in Joshua, which will be my home some day soon I hope. It seems like selling my house is going at a snail's pace.

A Christmas Pageant

Kylah's after-school daycare had their Christmas pageant. Kylah participated in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" song. She was "three french hens." She did beautifully and I was very proud of her; she always knows her part and is a very enthusiastic performer!

My latest creation uploaded to my stock photo site.

Tennessee!!!

My trip to Tennessee was so incredible. Of course, it was awesome being with family, in particular my Mother. We went on a 6 mile hike through the Smokies, walking alongside a roaring river, tumbling over rock faces with small waterfalls, and covered with awesome autumn trees. The leaves were falling around us... it was so cool. A definite highlight. We also went barn-quilt searching. There are actual maps that lead you to hundreds of these quilt patterns on the sides of barns. Of course we only got to about 15, but it was a lot of fun and very interesting. It took us to places we never would have gone otherwise. We also took a two day trip to North Carolina, to tour the Biltmore Estate and stay one night at the Biltmore Inn. This is a world I'm not familiar with... the ultra rich. It was incredible, and again, so gorgeous set against the spectacular fall splendor. We took another drive through the Appalachian mountains, getting a different, more landscape-like view of the Fall color, and discovered a cool, small, somewhat undiscovered campground that the Ranger says never fills up. We are going to go back there some day, I hope, for actual camping. And then it was the best part... simply time with family... Mother, my sister Stacey and her husband, my niece and her family. That is my niece Megan's son in one of the pictures... Riley. He is just adorable, and treated me like he sees me every day... allowing me to love him up and play with him. And it was my Mother's 82nd birthday. It was so great spending this time with them all.

Soccer!!!

'Tis the season... here's Kylah all decked out and ready to play!!!

Scout and Star

Do these babies have it rough or what? My gorgeous paints tweaked with a vintage look.