Our Redneck Side!

This photo just screams Redneck to me! The boys are my nephews and my youngest son in the middle! This was taken after swimming in the tank, after a full day of HOT work!

The promise of an evening swim is often what gets us though a hot work day! The boys just tossed a younger cousin into the water. If no one tosses him in, he just tosses himself into the water!

Trixie is also excited about the evening swim! Of course, she gets excited about ANY water!The boys are about to begin to earn that evening swim!A wheel barrow can be a pretty comfortable place to enjoy those popsicles while taking that break from hard work!If you are tired enough, the concrete is even comfy enough for a nap!

Ya'll Come Back Now!

Lorilee

YIKES, I married the Thriller Monster!

When we were first married, my husband was into making latex masks! We even made a plaster cast of his face so he could sculpt the mask to fit his face. He would paint his eye area and chin with grease paint. Then he would glue on the mask pieces. He also made a mold of his teeth and sculpted the cat teeth to fit over his teeth.Heh heh, I married this!

Ya'll Come Back--he doesn't always look this way!

Lorilee

Summer Flashback to Lake Texana!

One of my favorite places to go in the summer time is Lake Texana. Last summer, my youngest son and I joined my Pop, Grandma Barb and my nephews there for several days. We water skiied, tubed, fished, rode bikes, and swam with plenty of eating in between! Above is a view of Pop and Barb's camper, our home away from home!
The lake was extremely low. Old tree roots that were once submerged were now exposed. Three of my nephews are playing in the water.

My brother and nephews are scavenging for lost fishing tackle! The grass visible in the foreground is the usual shoreline!

My Dad and nephew are getting the boat into deeper water for an evening boat ride. We have had the boat since I was a sophomore in high school.

Grandma Barb assigned the boys a job rotation for meals. This was Brian's turn to help with the cooking. Pop is supervising!

The boys all gave riding the tube a try! I gave it a short try, but it is hard on the lower back! I got this photo of Brian wiping out. Unfortunately, when Pop let off the gas and the boat abruptly slowed down, I fell back against one of the seats. I was kneeling to look back and take photos. I ended up with a large purple bruise on my tush! OUCH!

I can still water ski! My son took the photo.Thankfully, he didn't know how to use the zoom!

My nephews and son are looking for the alligator that lives near the pier.

This doe had twin fawns. The deer at the park are very tame. They will practically eat off your plate if you let them. Campers are discouraged from feeding them. The raccoons will also get into ice chests. One evening, the boys entertained themselves banging on the dumpsters and watching the raccoons come scurrying out. Well, they did until the park ranger made them stop. We found out about their antics after the fact! Hopefully, we will make it back again soon!

Ya'll Come Back Now!

Lorilee

"Boo" Fun!

Each Halloween, we "BOO" other faculty and staff members with little treats! Those wanting to participate put their name on a ghost and tape it to the cabinets in the teachers' lounge. Starting today, each person participating can take a ghost from the wall and "BOO" that person with a treat. I found the little Jack-o-lantern at our HEB Plus. I had the little jingle bell charms in my craft tubs. I spray-painted a basket I already had. I dipped Nutter Butter cookies in melted Almond Bark and added mini chocolate chips for their eyes and mouths. I had some bark left, so I filled some Wilton ghost molds with it.

I had to take the photo outside of my vehicle at school since I finished putting it together this morning. It was still too dark to take a photo when I left home. Once inside my classroom, I added some chocolate candy. We are not supposed to spend over $5.00.

Ya'll Come Back Now!

Lorilee

An Evening With Spirits!

On Saturday evening, my husband, and I went to Evergreen Cemetery for "Going to the Light" sponsored by Victoria Preservation Inc.. We wandered around until the tour began.

I have always been fascinated by cemeteries. It is one of the many interests I inherited from my Mom.

I thought this edging was interesting. It looks "homemade". As darkness fell, the tour began. We stopped at the graves of numerous spirits of past citizens of our city! They shared the stories of their lives.

I believe this was the spirit of Judge John L. Dupree.

This is the spirit of artist J. Ferdinand McCan. The volunteer "Spirits" did a spooktacular job sharing the highlights of the lives of the citizens from the past! I think David and I will make this a tradition as long as V.P.I. continues the tours.

Ya'll Come Back Now!

Lorilee

Rocking HI Ranch, the Intro!

Opening weekend for White-tail deer season is next week. We will have to give up Halloween this year if we go to Rocking HI Ranch for Opening Weekend. Since Brian is a 5 foot 9 inch 13 year old with a deep voice, I don't think he needs to go Trick-or-Treating! He might feel otherwise! He mentioned something about inviting a bunch of his friends over to our backyard for a campfire Halloween night. I think heading out to the Ranch is definitely a better plan! About 18 years ago, my Dad's dream came true when he was able to purchase property for cattle and hunting! We named it Rocking HI Ranch, since HI is my Dad's cattle brand. It has been a tradition get together to hunt Opening Weekend (white-tail deer). First it was my Dad, Mom, brothers and my oldest son and myself. (My husband does not hunt) After my mom passed away(10 yrs ago), just my dad, myself, my youngest son and Dad's dog went for Opening Weekend! Last year, it was a bigger "crowd". My Dad, stepmom, Barb, my nephews, Devin and Walker along with my youngest son and myself. In the photo, Pop, Barb, Brian and Walker are heading out to their deer blinds. Devin and I will be walking to the nearest blind. At this point, an adult always hunts with each boy. Brian likes to hunt with Grandma Barb because she takes food with her! Pop is more of a minimalist hunter. He only takes his gun, binoculars, flashlight and cell phone. I take binoculars and my camera!! After deer season, we buy pork and make venison pork sausage! (A future post)
This photo was not taken during deer season! This is the stock tank that Pop had dug at Rocking HI Ranch. We named it Skinny Dip Place. We also named all of the "roads"(using that term loosely) Some of the roads are Happy Trail, Bunny Crossing, Quail Crossing, Snake Lane, Dusty Trail, Shady/Spooky Lane,and Country Club Drive. There is an area of larger trees that we call Sherwood Forest. We use the stock tank for swimming and fishing. Pop stocks it with catfish. The cattle are fenced out of the area unless we are there. We don't want them in the water doing their "thing"! We also built a floating pier for swimming and fishing from. We have a mount in the center for a patio umbrella on the pier along with a catfish feeder on a timer. Last summer, we built a large metal building at the Ranch. Pop and Barb keep their camper parked inside now. The plan is to build a camp room in one corner. We started the building by building forms and running electrical and water lines in the early summer. It was a very rainy summer, and pouring the concrete kept getting postponed until July 31. That was probably THE most hot and tired I have ever been! July is not the optimal month for outdoor projects in South Texas. The photo shows my brothers doing the "skreeting" My Dad and Brian are spreading concrete while nephew, Willie, watches. Before the day was over, he was IN the concrete too!


My Dad and my baby brother are putting up the first roof beam. We used Dad's Zetor front end loader as a lift. My brother built an actual basket for his John Deere for people to stand in to work! It was cool!

The first sheet of tin is finally going up! My Dad and brother, Steven are on the ground. My brother, Brandon is on the ladder.

Yippee! All of the side tin is up. Now for the roof!
Most Saturdays, we worked until we could no longer see! We worked on the roof all day! Pictured are my brother, Brandon, his son, Willie and myself. This was our first experience building this type of building! We are familiar with wood framed buildings and fences!

Ya'll Come Back Now!

Lorilee

Chase the Chicken!

The other day, after getting Brian from school and stopping off for haircuts, I arrived home to check on the girls. Oprah was running around with a dead sparrow in her beak. Aretha and Ethel were chasing her trying to get it! They stopped chasing her so she set it down try to eat on it--Yuck! They saw this and came running. Aretha managed to grab it and run with the others after her now! This game continued for some time. I have noticed that the sparrows have discovered the "chicken scratch" that I scatter in the pen for the girls. I would love to have seen them catching the sparrow!
Ya'll Come Back Now!
Lorilee

The Colors of Fall!

Some of my favorite plants are fall bloomers! This is Hill Country Aster. The whole bush is covered with blooms. It is awesome! I love Nandina 'Fire Power' because of its fall color. It is bright green in the spring and turns deep red in the fall.

I just planted this Bottlebrush 'Little John' this spring.Umm, it doesn't come in purple.
I also planted my Vitex this spring. It actually blooms in the spring and summer too! I think the butterfly is a Painted Lady.

I looked in all the nurseries in town for a Golden Raintree. None had them. I grew this one from seeds that I picked up in my husband's grandmother's yard. The seed pods are some of the prettiest fall color in this area, in my opinion.

Ya'll Come Back Now!

Lorilee

ABC's of Homemaking

Brenda at A View from the Pines had this posted and asked others to share and pass on! So here goes!
Aprons - Y/N? If Y, what does your favorite look like?Definitely! I could never pick a favorite! I use different aprons depending on how dirty I plan to get. I have some just for "company".
Baking - I like to bake cakes for decorating. I also love to try new cookie recipes.





"B" for Brandon, my "baby" brother washing dishes in their old house. They have since moved.

Clothesline - Y/N? I have lived in 3 different houses and had a clothesline at each one! I adore line-dried sheets!
Donuts - I have never made donuts, but I have made Rosettes. They are also fried.
Every day - One homemaking thing you do every day I used to always make my bed, but now my husband leaves for work at 2:30 a.m.. He gets home in the early afternoon and immediately takes a nap, so I just "straighten" the bed! Now, I guess it would be feed my chickens!
Freezer - Do you have a separate deep freeze? I have a separate deep freeze and an extra refrigerator.
Garbage Disposal - Y/N? I have one, but I don't really use it!
Handbook - What is your favorite homemaking resource?

My mom was my best homemaking resource until she passed away. Now I guess it is the internet!

"H" is also for my hubby, David. Thank you for installing our new toilets!

Ironing - Love it or hate it? Or hate it but love the results? I don't mind ironing, and I love the results!
Junk drawer - Y/N? Where is it? Yes, it is in the kitchen!
Kitchen - Color and decorating scheme The walls are a sandy color with a light color wash. My curtains are green and taupe. The floor is a light oak laminate. The cabinets are also oak with a light stain. We have an antique oak pedestal table and chairs that we bought in Gruene, TX and an oak hutch that we found in Warrenton. They are a darker color than the floor and cabinets. I have a large pot rack that I adore hanging over my island.
Love - What is your favorite part of homemaking? Enjoying the end result of a just cleaned house, eventhough it doesn't seem to last long!
Mop - Y/N? Yes, we only have 1 area rug.
Nylons - Wash by hand or in the washing machine? I only wear them about 1 or 2 times a year! I wash them in the washing machine on the delicate cycle.
Oven - Do you use the window or open the oven to check? I use the window for my visual check.
Pizza - What do you put on yours? I love canadian bacon or the supreme with all the veggies!
Quiet - What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? During the school year, that is when I do my blogging and blog reading!
Recipe card box - Y/N? What does it look like? It is my mom's. White metal that holds 3x 5 cards and is about 12 " deep. I don't know where she found it. I also have numerous notebooks for computer printed recipes.
Style of house - What style is your house? The same as all the others in the neighborhood. Brick with a garage that opens to the front. Our brick is dark red. We have a green front door and shutters. We call our interior eccentric eclectic! heehee!

"S" is for Steven, my just a little bit younger, brother. He is preparing catfish to fry!

Tablecloths and napkins - Y/N? For everyday, I use placemats. If I am having company, I might use a tablecloth instead. It just depends. We have an antique table without a clear finish, so we always use coasters. I also use cloth napkins most of the time. (Yes, I iron them too)
Under the kitchen sink - Organized or toxic wasteland? Sort of organized, but too crowded and full!
Vacuum - How many times per week? Once a week during the school year, with swiffering in between. I probably vacuum twice a week in the summer.
Wash - How many loads of laundry do you do per week? I wash one load each evening during football season. The rest of the time a few a week. On Saturday and Sunday, I wash 4 or 5 loads.
X - Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off? Oh yes, I am ALL about lists. I love the feeling I get when I get to cross something off when it is finished!
Yard - Y/N? Who does what? I do the spraying, fertilizing, weeding, tilling, planting, and usually the mowing. Sometimes by husband or son will do it. The one thing I do not do is use the string trimmer. It causes shoulder and neck pain!
Z - What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?I guess that would be locking the doors and arming the security system.

Ya'll Come Back Now!

Lorilee

More Birthday Goodies!

My Dad and Barbara (stepmom) gave me a cookbook and this apron for my birthday. Barbara's mom gave her the apron. She found it mixed in a box of fabric scraps that someone gave to her for her quilting.

I found the necklace among my collection. I think they go well together. I like the juxtaposition of a utilitarian work apron with the dressy going out necklace! The cookbook is entitled Caring and Sharing Favorite Recipes Volume III From the Kitchens of Holy Family Parishioners. I can't wait to try some new recipes. Ya'll Come Back Now!

Lorilee

Good-bye Lucy

Poor Lucy died this afternoon. I buried her just outside Cackleberry Cottage and the chicken's pen.

Garden Decor!

I love to have pretty things in my garden along with my plants and flowers. I thought I would share a few of my non-living garden pretties! This is a bat that I found in a catalog. There is a legend that these bats keep away the evil spirits. I can never resist a bird! This one sits on a concrete bench in the garden area behind my "barn". It is a good place for viewing my bats leaving the bat house in the evenings! I found this chicken at Tuesday Mornings! This little collection started with the cross in the center that we bought at the Texas Renaissance Festival. The outer two crosses were bought during our anniversary trip to Gruene Texas. They were being sold at a booth on Market Days. They are made carved from stone.

The enamel bowl was given to me by a dear friend, and it hangs near the back door on the patio. Tree frogs like to hang out under it.

After reading the book Rabbit Hill to my oldest son when he was younger, I knew I wanted a statue of St. Francis in my garden. My husband gave this one to me.

A friend and ex-neighbor gave us this Texas shaped stepping stone. He and his father cut it out. I have it in an area surrounded by pavers just inside one of the side yard gates. It is definitely dry when the mondo grass doesn't even look very good!

I scavenged this window frame from an old building that my Dad is tearing down on some of his property. I painted and distressed it and then had mirror cut to fit. You can see my doggy, Honey, in the reflection. The Texas stepping stone is also located within the pavers in the reflection.

Several years ago, I attended the Rockport Hummer/Bird Celebration in September. A man was selling these at a vendor booth. He made them! I love the way the nostrils are the entrance hole.

Frederick is the newest addition to our yard. We found him this summer while on vacation in Fredericksburg, Texas. He stands guard outside my "barn" door. (It is really just a garden shed.)

Ya'll Come Back Now!

Lorilee