Thursday, April 29, 2010

Trip to Spring Branch and the LOFT

Lunch at the Loft. There have been some new changes and more coming since we were there. Here we are eating the delicious chicken salad sandwiches and fruit..
Jenny and grandma.
New is the Coffee Traveler...
and ice cream...
of all flavors.
Here grandma is shouting out the next order to the ladies in the kitchen. She just might have a job.

Also there is usually something for sale. Sometimes more then one thing.
The outside is still just as cozy and fun as always.
150 years old... or the cuttings from 150 yr old rose bush from the orginal owners. I'm not sure I have that right. Jenny?? Comment if wrong.
Thanks for the fun day Jen. Always fun to visit and eat and shop at the Loft. Thank you too Emily.:)

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Road trip to Mason

Bluebonnets for miles along the road side.
We drove Northwest on IH 10 and then 87 to Fredricksburg then Mason
where we turned off onto 1723 then right onto 2389 towards James River and the Bat Cave.
We could not begin to capture the most amazing display of the blue bonnets.
It was a continuous flow of a river of bluebonnets. Here is my mom seeing one of the best years for the wildflowers.
We crossed over the James River (which was under water) What we saw on the other side is one of the most beautiful panoramics in the area. Very few cars were there so we had it almost to ourselves.


We had a picnic in the car after driving 145 miles. (We were half way through our trip)

We also took a side rode off of 2389 and were surrounded by blue!!
What a surprise when we were about at the end of 2389 (the Bat Cave Rd.)
We returned to Mason and took Hwy 29 east towards Lano and the Willow City Loop. It was beautiful also but not near as spectacular as the Mason area for the wildflowers this year. This is fun showing my mom around her new state. She has seen a new part of Texas that she hasn't seen and I think loving it.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Got Milk

 Samuel Stewart Tootle
I know a lot of you have seen this picture but I just couldn't resist. It's by far my favorite.
Photo by Millie Tootle

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Continued story of the Kittens and the Patio

Below is my moms patio that had 6 little kittens living in this corner, yesterday. They have been taken away by the mom to another location. :) That makes for a happy heart in me. With the help of Jenny and Benny (my mom and my new best friend ) (apartment maintence man), there now is a fine bug free screen stapled around the patio opening.
That makes another room in her apartment.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Spring brings new life and new blooms.

My mom was waiting for the oak pollen to finish falling so her porch was still wrapped up and waiting for the day we attached the porch.
When she went out the day before to start moving things around, a cat jumped out from behind a chair. Then she heard little soft mews. And the plastic cover over the chair began to move. Chesley to the rescue. He went over and fixed up a safe place for the kittens for the night. until we could get the apartment to figure out something. After all no pet deposit no pets. :)
Spring has sprung and babies were born. Six of them!!!!! On her porch.
Apartments way of  trapping the mom with the kittens but the kittens were too big and could get out of the safe trap ? so they turned it on it's side but...  
I couldn't take it!!!!! Just all small and I couldn't stop looking over the wall and see them and hear them crying and the sun was shinning on them. O it was one of the worst mornings of my life. 
Not wanting 6 kittens I did the next best thing. I put them in a box next to the cage. ??? Much better. I was then off to get some cream or milk. O gosh the attachment was getting stronger.Then I went back to see them after we went to the store and three kittens were missing. Hopefully the momma cat come to collect her kittens. I'll let you know next blog.
With Spring come what we call spring cleaning. So all the dust, pollen and dirt were hosed off
and put back in place.

Meanwhile the tomatoes are growning ..

                                and the flowers. Spring = babies,  Gods garden and spring  cleaning..

Monday, April 19, 2010

Rainy Saturday and Sunny Sunday

We have a flood in our backyard. But the rain we so need for summer knocked off some of the roses that Chesely JUST planted. Figures.
Again, a dogs got to do what a dogs got to do, come rain or shine.
SUNDAY. Driving into the Los Patios after church.
Here is my mom on the patio. The food was wonderful and we ate alot. I don't think either of us ate again until today (monday).
...
.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

More of Mom's Happy Birthday and our 3rd Annual Fiesta Family Dinner

April 15. Happy acutal birthday Mom. We started off with getting nails done then a little shopping (food) then what else...lunch at Taipei. Yummy Lemon Chicken lunch (split).
Beautiful nails mom and tea to warm you up in the hot south on this rainy birth/tax day.
OK mom home resting and Chesley and I getting ready for the 3rd annual Fiesta Dinner combined with my mom's birthday. (Mom's least favorite food so we'll go to Outback to celebrate another day).

JENNY THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO WELCOME GRANDMA DOTTY. GREAT CARD...
to the newTexan. Welcome!
Ryan came right in and saw the dining room all decoraated and he went to a chair and just sat there staring at all the colors. He said, I like it and he was hungry. OK then bring out the food nama.
Finally I passed the camera on and got a photo of sweet Sammy and me.
Of course Sammy was passed around and loved sitting on grandma dotty's lap.
We have added a new member of the family to our 3rd annual Fiesta and now Birthday Dinner.
Happy birthday to you.... The little plate was going around and around playing Happy birthday. Notice Ryan was mesmerized.
Both grandma and Ryan loved the singing cupcake.They are waiting for the song to stop. :)
So we gave Ryan one and lite a candle and let him watch the cupcake go round and round. It was eye level so why not just open mouth and take a bit.
People!!! Grandma is opening her gifts. Thanks Rod and Ryan you were watching..
then the rains came again tonight. It was raining very hard and we all went outside to watch it except Grandma. She doesn't understand what a big event it is to see rain in SA. She'll find out and when she does, I'll show her this picture. :).
Here you will see Jessica telling Jenny and story and Chesley telling Rod a story and notice Ryan bent down looking at a snail I just stepped on. ekky.Little boys love that kind of stuff.
ooops we left Samuel inside and he fell asleep. Someday Sammy you'll be out there with us.

Mommy and her boys. Sweet moment with sleepy boys.
Ryan caring his bag of Cars, Woody, Buzz, Thomas the train.
As I walked back in I stopped to take a picture of the wreath and by the time I got inside a picture of my picture flashed in my mind and I saw something pink in the left hand corner of the door so I went outside and saw this...
Thanks Martha, I'll take these pretty tulips to my mom tomorrow. You sneaky sneakerton.