Wednesday night, Texas Heat played at Shotz's Bar...Amanda jumped to help sing a song with them.  Amanda, Dondi, ?, and Ryan checking to see if she's singing!! It was a "blue moon" event!!!

Sunday we had a baby shower for Susie and baby Morgan. Me, Susie, and Nancy were being good sports!!

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is upon us. Amanda was home for the holiday for the 1st time in 6 years.  It was really a fast week. Will post a few picks of what we did just so you can see how busy we were.  Wet and cold and more to come!  Puts you in the spirit I guess, but what's the deal with everyone having their tree up while I'm still looking!!!!  It may have something to do with my thinking I might want a fake tree this year.  Spend the money for one that smells great, makes a mess then gets thrown away or on one that doesn't smell, might not be as pretty but I can use it from now on?  Hmmmmm....might not have one until Christmas Eve at this rate.  This Christmas will be good but the next one will be great...will have my new grand daughter then!!!! Although Caleb is not to be slighted.  He is so funny and cute and serious and all boy!  So much fun to have around unless he's not having a good day...but isn't that the way everyone is?  I really don't get these old women that want to have kids.  I couldn't keep up with one all day every day!!! It's nice to have them for a while and then....they go home.  And then you miss them till you have them again.  Anyway....I'll write more as it gets closer to Christmas....enjoy the photo's!!!

New steps....

Well, here we go entering a new phase in life....where to go for the holiday's.  It was always a big deal when we were the "young kids" but now...I see that everyone wants to share your time.  Bill and I will be going to the future in-laws again plus we will probably do something at home too.  This is the first time in hmmmm 6 years (?) that Amanda will be home for Thanksgiving so I think that is what brought up the question of where to go.  Our neighbors have asked us to join them and for the first time in a couple of years other relatives will be gathering in Harlingen and we have been invited there; but to accept any of those invitations would be leaving our son and his fiance out and I just don't want to do that.  Next year I hope to have this all ironed out way before the Holiday season hits.  Next year...there will be a grandchild and a wedding so major time share will have to be planned!!!  I don't remember it being so difficult but maybe that was because my Mom was easy..she would go with us or to my brothers...her choice and didn't cook for Thanksgiving.  She also surrendered Christmas to my in-laws. She would join us on Christmas Eve and have us over for breakfast Christmas morning and then go back to my in-laws if she felt like it.  Now my heart breaks realizing how little Holiday time we gave her.  The last year she was with us she spent Thanksgiving with my brother and his family.  She didn't feel well and was also "put out" with one of Bill's Aunts so she opted to stay in McAllen while we made the treck to Harlingen.  That was the last Holiday I didn't spend with her, her last holiday ...1994.  So although I don't want to be a Holiday pig....I am looking forward to spending lots of Holiday time with my growing family.  Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Just Ramblin'

Nice overcast day! I was really getting tired of all that hot weather.  So nice out that the a/c hasn't come on today.
Just have rambling questions today.  Why does it take so long to clean house when it only takes seconds to get it dirty?  Why does it seem like there is only one person per household that knows where the trash can is and what should go in it?  How do friends know just when to call and cheer you up?  Why do flowers grow better outside the flowerbed than inside?  How does raising the price of everything help the economy?  Why does rasing taxes always seem to be the answer to any government problem? 
Why have our expectations of how children should behave been lowered?  When did parents stop disciplining their children?   When did kids stop worrying about what was going to happen when they got home if they got in trouble at school?  Why do some parents think the school should raise their children?  Why does anyone like reality TV?
What happened to good animation for Saturday morning cartoons?  What happened to good Saturday morning cartoons?  Is everyone happy with the "change" we have so far?
What do dogs dream about?  Do cats dream?  Do scientists really want to cure diseases? 
Wouldn't that put them out of business?  Why can we cure some diseases but not a cold?
Why are the side effects of some medicines worse than the illness they are supposed to treat?  Did Jules Verne have visions of the future?  Why didn't our troops receive the Nobel Peace Prize?  Why is every crazy thing people do news worthy?  Is there truth in journalism?  Is the new media impartial?  Did you know there really was a Saint Nicolas?
Well, that's just a few of my questions today.  Hope you're enjoying wonderful weather and I'll ramble more later.

My friend Nancy has the nicest blog. It's always warm and friendly and makes you feel good.  Her last one reminded me that it has been 20 years since she lost her sister.  Wow! Where have we all been that the time has flown by?  I can still remember when the White twins arrived at Bryan Elementary.  They were so confussing....mirror images!  I'm sure they delighted in our confusion and I must say....it took a long time to be able to tell them apart.  Speaking of passing time....40 years since high school graduation?  I don't know if I've been having so much fun that it has flown by so quickly or if I've just been running to keep up!!!  Funny how we have all turned into the older generation.  Sometimes I don't recognize that person in the mirror with the grey hair and wrinkles.  Where did she come from?  If my Mother was still on Earth I would say she was pulling a prank on me!  I really laugh when people tell me I haven't changed a bit.  I don't remember having grey hair, wrinkles and bi-focals in high school...but I do look like an older version of that Friday night twirler with all that energy and enthusiasm.  I can still twirl but if I did the splits I would never get back up!  I'm a little sedate now but still have that fiery temper and still don't mind sharing what's on my mind.
I guess we have all aged in one way or another and that's ok.  I don't relish the alternative and hope I'm around at 100.

It's about time that the citizens recognized that we as a people can no longer sit back and let the minorities run our country.  Have we sat back and watched for too long?  That's going to be the question.  We have a bi-racial President who would not produce a birth certificate.  What happens if it's proven that he is not a US citizen?  Do we get our money back?  I would really like for him to stop flying around the world on my dime.  His trip to Denmark, on my dime, to "pimp" Chicago is the grossest waste of taxpayer money so far.  If he felt compelled to do this he should have taken a day off without pay, booked a flight on a commercial aircraft, paid for it himself, and gone as a regular citizen.  What is he neglecting while he does this public service for Chicago?  People who won't stand, much less say the pledge of allegiance to the flag now have their kindergarten classes pledging allegiance to Barack Husein Obama, chanting his name in songs.  There have been Muslim prayer meetings on the White House lawn...(so they say on line) but our children can't observe a moment of silence during school because they might pray?  No prayers at football games?  Funny how no one was offended by these pre-game prayers when all of us 50 somethings went to school.
Folks, we need to stand up and take back our country if it's not too late!  Go to a County Commission Meeting, a City meeting, find out what is going on in your neck of the woods.  Join your PTA/PTO, go to school board meetings, get involved with your children and school.  We have to see what's going on and stop the negative impact of our government on our society.  Our President thinks our kids need to attend school year round and that their day should be longer because they aren't keeping up with other countries.  They don't need longer days or more days, they need quality days.  Get rid of the TASP and other tests that don't really measure anything except how much money is going into the test companies pocket.  Give the time back to the teacher so he/she can TEACH what the kids need to know to survive.  Final exams should be the ONLY exit exams for high school Seniors.  For college entrance, do well on the ACT or SAT.  If the teacher can get back to the basic principles instead of teaching to tests, students won't need remedial college classes.  Some where along the line we have decided that EVERYone should attend college.  Why?  We have millionaires who never finished high school, we have genious's who would rather be janitors.  Isn't that their right?  Isn't that what freedom is?  The ability to chose one's future should be left to each individual.  Teachers should be allowed to do their jobs, free of over testing, so that students are prepared.  Education has turned into a money maker.  The colleges make more money the longer a student has to stay there.  That's why all these tests need to be eliminated.  If you make a good score on your ACT or SAT, go to college.  If your classes prove difficult, hire a tutor, study more, party less and be determined to suceed.  Too many students that don't test well are wasting time and money in remedial classes that don't count for anything.  Give them the knowledge they need to suceed, not tests.

Joy

To have such joy..what a wonderful thing.

In honor of All that perished and survived 9/11

Oh! say can you see by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming!  Whose broad Stripes and bright Stars thro' the perilous fight, o'er the ramparts we watch'd were so gallantly streaming?  And the rocket's red glare, the shells bursting in air!  Gave proof thro' the night that our Flag still was there:  Oh!  Say does that Star spangled Banner yet wave, O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep, where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes..What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, as it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?  Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, in full glory reflected, now shines in the stream;  and the Star spangled Banner, Oh! long may it wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore, that the havoc of war and the battle's confusion, a home and a country shall leave us no more?  Their blood has wash'd out their foul foot step's pollution!  No refuge could save the hireling and slave, from the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave;  And the Star spangled Banner, in triumph doth wave, O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!

O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand, between their lov'd home, and the war's desolation; Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n rescued land, Praise the pow'r that hath made, and preserves us a Nation!  Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto:  In God, is our trust; And the Star-spangled Banner, in triumph shall wave, O'er the land of the free and home of the brave.
......Francis S. Key

Hope you ALL knew there was more than one verse.  Never forget......9/11