Red Poppy Festival

Stella

Yesterday hubby and I volunteered to be at the festival to help with the city shelter's adoptable pets efforts.  It was a long day and I got a little sunburned, but not too badly.  Here is a picture of the dogs we were holding and providing information on, while they got lots of attention and petting from folks (especially children) who passed by.  Stella is a Boxer mix, nope not a pit bull mix and not as old as she looks either.  She is actually very sweet although unfortunately some were a little timid of her since she is mistaken for a pit bull sometimes. Hubby did a great job of showing her off. 

Sheila

Sheila is a Border Collie, Australian Shepherd mix and she was a handful for me as she is only a puppy, four months old.  She was trying to lick up every piece of kettle corn she could find on the street!  Lots of folks thought she was very pretty and intelligent. Hopefully neither of these gals will be at the shelter much longer.  Although it was a long day for all the dogs that we had at the festival, I'm sure they enjoyed being away from the shelter for the day as anything beats the kennels and loneliness they often bring.

Actually, there are a lot of volunteers that help way more than we do and the animals do get more attention than I'm sure other shelters dogs/cats do.  They are lucky to be in a town where there are so many people that love and care about animals.

It is really hard not to walk away with one of them, every time we leave to come back home after volunteering.  But we know that one or two of our dogs are pretty set in their ways and don't even want another sheltie around (we tried with Ladybug).  So for now we will be happy with our four fur kids.

Garage sales, Guitars and Goodies...

Okay so I only played one guitar but at least I played it! :)  It has been months and my fingers can tell (as they are still a little sore and numb at the tips).

This morning we checked out some garage sales, but didn't come away with much.  I got a 4 CD package of George Strait songs and a potato masher (yes, one of those old hand held ones).

Then we got the grocery shopping out of the way and I did some baking.  I made my yummy SouthernBelle Gourmet pumpkin loaf (but in muffin form), and brownies with peanut butter for hubby since he hasn't had any in a while.  I'll take some of the muffins to my folks. Mom loves them!

Then this afternoon, watched one of our DVDs that we got from Blockbuster's going out of business sale and then I playing my guitar for a little bit.  I am really rusty with it, so I need to make it a point to practice more often!  After all, how am I going to be a female Willie Nelson success if I don't play more often!  At least I do get singing in every day!  Just one of the many joys of working from home!

                                                              

Farmers Market OPEN

I finally remembered that the farmers market is open.  So I went over this afternoon and got a wide array of wonderful locally grown vegetables, and strawberries.  I also bought a chocolate mint plant to add to my balcony garden.  What's funny is the lady who sold me the plant had me bite into a leaf to taste it and it was right after I had eaten a strawberry that was given to me to sample.  I told her it tasted like a chocolate covered strawberry with a twist of mint! :)

I also got the most interesting looking pattypan squash! :)   I think I'll call this one a Turkey squash instead!

I had a wonderful stirfry of vegetables with dinner today! Yum!  Nothing like fresh veges!  Oh and of course garnished my plate with a few strawberries on the side.

News these days...

I came into the kitchen today just in time to hear that social security will likely run dry by 2033. ...great..just  when I hit retirement...gas prices are still really high... there is much mudslinging going on in the political arena...and these are just the first things that come to mind.....

The drama with presidential candidates is a given, the closer it gets to election. The gas prices being high actually does not affect me much. I've only had to buy gas once this year so far!  That is just one of the perks of working at home and not venturing out much (spend less money that way).

But social security running out..that is crippling.  I know I am not alone when I say I am really concerned about that!  I have paid into social security for years and years and would like the comfort of knowing that it will be there for me when I need it, not to mention deserve it. I have very little other retirement and at this rate will not have much saved at all, so I am praying that social security will still be real and paying out when the time comes for me to not work so dang much!  What are we all to do?  Those of us who will absolutely need it?...

If it is no longer there, I guess working full-time until we drop dead is going to be the norm.  I hope not! I suppose the house could be sold and we could pitch a tent somewhere that it is allowed and try to live on the net proceeds from selling the house. There's always the chance of winning the lottery too.  Let's just hope that things get better and that a solution to the funds running out comes sooner than later...in the meantime I think I'll vow to stop watching too much news!  ;-)

Garage Sale Volunteer Day

Today was the local animal shelter's annual garage sale and hubby and I volunteered to help.  We got there in plenty of time to help make the coffee and straighten out tables. It looked like hardly anything sold yesterday by the way the tables were full, but we heard that a lot sold yesterday!!  That was great news!

It started out a little slowly this morning with not many people coming but by 10:00am or so there were several people coming and going. Hubby was great as he always is, at organizing tables and consolidating. Between that and helping folks carry out their treasures, he was kept pretty busy.

I was helping with the donuts and coffee and stole some time to look around myself.  One side of the room had everything at 50% off. Hubby and I both saw this nice buffet I guess you would call it, with drawers that curved and was very ornate. It was only $50, so we got it.  We rearranged the living room and here is a picture.  On the wall in the center is a wall hanging we also got which goes along well with our mostly country style home.

Since we moved one of the couches to the back of the room, it actually looks bigger than it did before and we love our new piece of furniture...and what a bargain! 

I also picked up some things for my youngest that she can use when she becomes a teacher, including some awesome stamps (dragon, bunny, etc). We also got a few other treasures and I got a whole box of paperback books for my oldest who loves to read.  I hope she likes the selection I picked.

So overall we had a great day; volunteered for a good cause, and got some goodies to boot!

Now to relax and rest our weary bodies!

In Memory of Shelby

I was looking through some photos that I have and came across this one of our lovely Shelby who went to heaven over 2 years ago already...she was such a beautiful loving dog..

Shelby came to us from Georgia, she was rescued by a wonderful woman who did some sheltie rescue and accepted her because her family no longer wanted her since they had a new real baby and no longer wanted her. We adopted her and flew her from Georgia to be with us.

She had some wonderful times and some I wish had never happened, like the time she was brutally attacked by a chocolate lab a few years after we got her.  She was a trooper and survived that. She was content and carefree most of the time...except when it stormed outside...she would shake and whine and I tried my best to comfort her. I don't know why some dogs are afraid of storms and others could care less.  Obi didn't like storms either. I take comfort believing that they are both in heaven where there is nothing but sunshine 24/7. 

When she got diabetes she started going down hill from there. She lost weight and her arthritis got worse. She was almost completely blind. She started stumbling down stairs too. So we decided to let her go... Sweet Shelby...I still miss her from time to time.

Barking!

Last night we could not sleep well at all. There was a dog barking from at least midnight until this morning after 6:00am.  It was pretty much non-stop, every few seconds.  What I don't understand is how rude people can be.  Did they not hear their dog barking all night long?   My guess is maybe they had their air conditioning on so they didn't hear it.  Otherwise they are just plain rude!  I was tempted to go over there and pound on their door and wake them up and tell them to let their poor dog in the house or find it a home where folks will let it stay in the house at night!  Ugh!

I hope it will not be barking all night again.  I don't hear it barking right now, but my head hasn't hit the pillow yet.

I forgot I was going to go to the Farmers Market today. Darn! I will have to put it on my calendar so that I don't forget next week. It just started back up this month which is one reason I forgot. It only runs from April through November.  I love buying locally grown produce and meats!  Supports the local farmers and also is fresher and less or no preservatives!

Well I did it. I finally joined the ranks of pinterest.com.  It automatically updated my facebook to the new timeline which I don't really like, but oh well.  If anyone cares to check it out, I mostly have my Southern Belle Gourmet foods featured first.  I've also pinned some others photos of shelties.
My page is: http://pinterest.com/dstjames/

Tomorrow is Friday. Yay!

Wednesday 'eve

One of our dogs Merlin, does something so cute!  Whenever he hears a firetruck or ambulance siren (the kind that get higher pitched as it goes, then down again), he howls.  It is so funny.  He seems to be chiming in to get the word out.  Sure makes me smile when I hear him.

Tomorrow is hump day already! It was beautiful out today again and I walked to my mom's for a visit. I just love when the sky is blue as far as the eye can see.  Did a lot of walking yesterday too, with the dogs.  We saw a dead snake. Hubby thinks it was a copperhead.  Either way, I was startled the first time I saw it. That is something that reminds me that I am in Texas.  I never saw a snake like that out in the open back in PA.
At least it was a dead one.

My mom is getting rid of some old cookbooks so she asked me if I wanted to go through them. I am taking some for me and some for the girls to see if they want any.  There were a few that were quite old and still with bookmarks in them. I will have to see what I can come up with and try to make one new meal a week - that my husband will actually eat. That is the biggest challenge.  The lists of foods he eats is very short.  But there is bound to be a few good meals that contain all ingredients he likes.  So will be looking through them this weekend.

I am going to plant some new seeds this weekend too.  I got the seeds at the Dollar Store for .25 cents a pack!  So sometimes things are even Less than a dollar there!  I do not go there very often but should go every so often as there are some decent things there at a good price.  ;-)

Weekend hurry up and get here!...

Monday Moping

Not mopping, moping...not that this house couldn't use a good cleaning..

I probably should not blog because I like to blog about positive ,events or people...but I feel like blogging, so I will, even though I am not in the best of moods.  Why am I not in the best of moods when I am healthy, my home did not get hit by a tornado this weekend and I am gainfully employed?...I know I have a lot to be grateful for and I am!

Bottom line, I thought I may be able to work overtime with this job, but it doesn't seem like it is going to happen.  And it just is not enough to meet all the monthly outlay, not including any extras.  I have been trying to get another part-time job in my line of work but that hasn't happened yet either.  Don't get me wrong, I like my job and I like working just 8 hrs a day, but if I am going to have to stress out about not meeting expenses, it doesn't really matter does it?  So it is what it is for now.  Luckily we are due to get a tax refund but frankly I was planning to try to save that to go toward our real estate taxes that will be due before year's end. I really don't want to use it to pay bills. 

  I'll be fine. Something will happen and everything will work out, it always does. I am not one to settle for less than desired. I feel a little better already having blogged about it.  Going to relax, watch TV and peruse monster.com.

Stormy days...

I hope everyone in the Oklahoma/Kansas tornado area stay safe this weekend. It is suppose to be a bad weekend there!  We should be okay being in the central part of Texas although the threat of rain loomed heavy in the clouds all day.  A drop here or there is all we got (so far).

Hubby and I volunteered today for the town's animal shelter who had a trailer set up at a Market Day event in the town square. We each took care of one of the dogs up for adoption.  I had a Chihuahua/German shepherd mix. Yup, you read that right.  It really looked like a Chihuahua (small like one) but had some brindle coloring on its legs.  It was a cutie pie and I don't see him being at the shelter very long.  Hubby had a larger dog, which was a boxer mix and although she was very sweet, she had a bit of a pit bull look to her face and so some were cautious to come up to her.  She had beautiful green eyes though and was very sweet - not aggressive at all.  Actually Joey, the dog I was holding was the nippy, barking one! :) 

I haven't been at the square in a while, probably a year. It is really neat.  A nice quaint square with historic buildings and shops!  I forgot that was one of the things I was attracted to about this town when we were first house hunting in Texas.  I will have to go visit again sometime when I am not 'working' at an event.  All day long there was the smell of Kettle Corn in the air, so I did grab a bag of that before we left.  

Pleasant surprise!

In an attempt to not wait until the last day to do our tax returns I worked on them this afternoon and got them done.  I had been purposely putting it off as I thought for sure we owed this year!  After all, I was a 1099 employee first quarter last year.

Much to my delight though, we are actually due to get a refund! Woo hoo!   I had enough taxes taken out when I became a W2 employee, that it more than covered any taxes I would have owed.  Now I know tax experts always say, if you are getting back a refund you are paying too much in taxes and the advise is to change the amount having withdrawn.  I say no thank you!

I know I don't earn any interest on the taxes that Uncle Sam has throughout the year but I'd still rather get a refund come tax time than owe money!  It is what I consider a savings account and I know others think like me when they have a hard time savings any money.

So I am in a great mood now that I know this fact.

Ever crock pot?..

I do!  I love using a crock pot and use it whenever I possibly can!

Today I noticed that I had some cauliflower and bok choy that was getting pretty old. It was either have it or chuck it.  So I decided to cut it up and put it in the crock pot to have as my veges with dinner (we were also having tater tots), but I prefer a more healthy vegetable, especially when having breaded shrimp which is already..'breaded'.  My hub asked me what I was making.  Was it caulibok?  Or was it choyflower?  :-)

Frankly I didn't care what it was called, all I knew was I was using up some vegetables and eating something healthy!  Did you know that one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat are Bok Choy with Shitake mushrooms?  I started out with that last week but only had Bok Choy left this week. Bok Choy (which I first heard about on that show Dr Oz), contains cancer fighting compounds and shitake mushrooms are packed with vitamins and minerals and also I've read protect against cardiovascular disease.

I got the cauliflower last week because it was on sale for 99 cents a head and that was too good a price to pass up. So just by chopping them up along with the Bok Choy and throwing them in my crock pot with a little olive oil and a smidgen of water, I got a healthy veggie to eat with my not as healthy breaded shrimp.  Hey at least the shrimp were cooked in the oven and NOT deep fried. :-)

Got some great news last night! The oldest is coming for a visit the end of next month!  WOO HOO! This is the one that moved back east last August. It will be great to see her since we haven't seen her since then.  She has decided she loves being back 'home' (PA), so I wasn't sure when we would see her again. I was hoping for Christmas but she let me know it would be much sooner.  Something to look forward to next month!

Well I think it is a popcorn kind of night!  Something else to look forward to!

So....

...what do you do when you return your movies for the last time to Blockbuster?..you stock UP! 

They had every DVD on sale and we could not resist.  Got some great movies!  Some I wanted to see but never did, some are older classics, and some just looked like they would be good.  So even though our beloved Blockbuster is closing, we will at least have some movies to watch for a bit and will worry about where to go when the time comes.......

Took my hubby to pick up his truck at the old auto shop that we like to take our vehicles to as the guy that owns it is fair and does not tell you that you need to get things done to your car that don't really need! Yes, an honest auto mechanic!! This place has been around for 85 years (I looked it up).  The inside has recently been remodeled and now it is beautiful with an old gas pump, Texaco signs and other things that one would see on that show American Pickers.  It looks really nice now, yet still has the old fashioned charm!  Way to go Danny (owner)!

The speed limit on some of the local highways have been raised recently and although the sign has 75 mph on it, I do not feel safe driving that fast, so on the way back from the shop I went no higher than 70 mph and even that is higher than I like to go.  Guess they just want to keep increasing the speed limit in this state so that it can have the highest accident ratings!  :- (

Okay, off to watch some Hardcore Pawn (that's PAWN)!  ;-)




 

Snail Haven

Remember when I posted that photo of the snail attached to the back of the house?
I was filling up the bird bath the other day and happened to see a shadow on the underside of it.

I looked and saw a hideout for snails! :-)

Farewell Blockbuster

We wanted to rent some movies this weekend and went over to the only remaining Blockbuster in town.  My daughter saw a sign in the door Everything must GO!.  Uh oh.. We entered the store and I asked right away. Sadly this was the last weekend to rent movies. After that, they are closing.

I know, I know....we can always go NetFlix, or Red Box or whatever other impersonal DVD rental places are 'out there'.  But Blockbuster was the closest thing to the movie theater that we had.  We could go there and see the vast array of movies available to rent.  Often we could get a good opinion from the person behind the counter as to what was 'good'.  We could also ask if the 'hottest' movie that was all 'out' had been returned recently but just not replaced on the shelf yet.  And often we were in luck!

I also enjoyed seeing whatever they were showing on all the overhead TV monitors. Then there was alwasys the nice movie snack selection.  They even have a freezer with a nice selection of ice cream treats!  I am going to miss that place!  Of course when we return the DVDs, we are going to see what kind of sale they have on all their inventory, but still I will miss them and that personal touch!!

Anyone have any ideas as to the next best thing?  And no, we are not ones to buy pay per view or download them from a computer.  We like renting them, and sticking them in our DVD player. Call me old fashioned!  Well...actually we aren't that old fashioned since we do rent DVDs although we have tons of VCR movies too! ;-)

Birds...

With Spring comes familiar events, like hearing the birds chirping in the early morning from open windows.  This morning I was going to get up whenever I just so happened to wake up.  My youngest is home for Easter, thankfully and we stayed up a little longer last night to catch up on her life.

I woke up to the sound of birds singing and chirping away and smiled.  Then I heard one particular bird, chirping the first three notes to Three Blind Mind in perfect pitch.  Then I heard it again, and again.  How many times can one sing "Three Blind Mice" in their head before they give up and just get out of bed?  ;-)

Got a few chores done, including getting a few things at the grocery before it gets too crowded today.  We are going to make one of our yummy apple crumb pies so I got granny smith apples for that and some things for Easter dinner tomorrow. 

It is another beautiful weekend here.  I hope all those who celebrate Easter have a wonderful day tomorrow and don't forget to remember what this day stands for.

~ Other flowers along the way I walk ~

I just love SPRING! 

~ State Flower ~ State bird?

Here is a picture of the Texas state flower the Bluebonnet.  This is not my yard but these folks had a lot and they are beautiful!

And lately...this is the State Bird .. (the Mosquito)

More Pics

Alot of our yard decor was rusting or totally faded and thanks to the restoration shows my hub watches on cable tv, he got the idea to refinish them (with spray paint that he had in the garage). I think they all turned out very nice!  So I am posting them here : - )

Colon chat...

My sis is once again pressing me to get a colonoscopy as I am well over 50 and she is 3 years younger than I.  She had one and there were two polyps found so she is worried I may have some too. While I appreciate her concern,  a colonoscopy is one of those scans/tests that to me are prescribed for every single person so that the doctors can line their pockets. Used to be everyone that turned 50 did not need a colonoscopy but now every one does.  No one mentions though the risks of having one done; perforating the intestine, bleeding or infection.  True the risk is minimal (I've read .35% with no polyp removal up to 2.3% with polyp removal). The same place I found those stats, listed lifetime risk of getting colon cancer at 6%.  So that gives me 94% chance I will not ever get it. And so to me the risk is minimal and everyone does not need a colonoscopy at age 50 or nearing 55 either.   


I have researched causes of colon cancer, etc and interestingly enough, one of the things that can cause colon cancer is radiation.  Do you know one type of exposure to radiation?  Mammograms! No surprise there! I also read that the average age for those getting colon cancer is 64.  If this is the case, perhaps I will get one when I am 60.  I have read the tips to prevent from getting it, including no smoking, balanced diet, ideal weight, exercise...and all those things I do.  I am in just as good as shape (and weight) as in my mid 20's.  So I do care about my health in that I do everything to help prevent all cancers.Until I decide it is worth the risks to get one...I am sitting on the fence.

Happy April!

It is April!  Yippee!!  That means the day(light) will be longer, the weather will be warmer and I can enjoy watching my garden grow especially now that I am not working day and night anymore.

Yesterday met my sister for lunch. We ate at Pei Wei, and it was really good!  I got enough leftovers to have for lunch too. We did some shopping after that and I got a nice top. Hard to pass up a good sale.  I wasn't going to try on anything but since my sister was, I gave into temptation. Anyway, only got one and it was only $17.99 (sale price) and an Ann Taylor...so, I allowed myself this new top.

Another gorgeous day out too!