Split second of fame...

We are happy to report that our Thanksgiving (week) was GREAT!

That is, for most of us it was great, Haime had a sinus infection and grumbled his way through most of week. Of course, to add insult to infection, he didn't get to play golf last week, then he learned that one of his  golfing buddies broke his leg (again), and will be out for an indeterminate amount of time. Poor Haime. He followed up the buzz-kill of Thanksgiving week by having a colonoscopy today. His is such an exciting life.

Speaking solely for myself then, I had a GREAT Thanksgiving. We generally have our Thanksgiving meal at lunch, as we did this year. All of my sisters and most of their families were gathered around the table(s) and, while there is usually some drama involved when families gather, we seemed to make it through the festivities with relatively little of that this year. The food was spectacular, the wine plentiful, (possibly the reason the drama was held to a minimum), and the company enjoyable. One of the highlights was getting to Skype my niece, Sarah, who is in Leeds, England. You just have to love technology!

Rather than participate in any "Black Friday" craziness, my sister Janet and I went to see Lincoln. Let me just say WOW! Haime and I used to go the the movies often but recently, we just don't seem to take the time or, we don't agree on which movies to see, or there are just none that either of us think are worth attending. This one is worth seeing, (possibly multiple times). If there are not multiple Oscar nominations for this flick, I will be very disappointed. Daniel Day-Lewis...INCREDIBLE. Of course the mid-nineteenth century insults are worth the price of admission on their own.

On Saturday, yep, you guessed it, I was bound for God's Country for the final regular season game for A&M's football team this year. We played MIZZOU and won...(WHOOP!). My sister Karen attended the game with me and we enjoyed the game, the cool weather and each other's company. Toward the end of the fourth quarter, my cell phone started going crazy with repeated "incoming text message" notifications. Then Karen's did the same. Of course, being a mom, my first thought was "uh-oh, what terrible thing has happened?" Well, as it turns out, Karen and I had our faces broadcast to the entire ESPN-watching world. My friend, Annette, took the pic the the left from her television screen and sent it to me later. So, if my split second of fame, (having my homely mug broadcast uninvited to your screen...(no I'm not smiling at the young man's pit...)) caused any of your televisions to instantaneously combust, blame ESPN. I have to admit, I thought it was kinda cool.  

TTFN

Lois

Counting Blessings...

For those of us fortunate enough to reside in the U.S., Thanksgiving Day is tomorrow. Thanksgiving is possibly my favorite holiday. To be honest, for years my joy over Thanksgiving came from the once a year chance to eat my mother's dressing. I'm not a big turkey fan, for me, its ALL about the dressing! In recent years, however, (possibly because since I'm closer to 80 than to 20), the joy I feel during this time of year is tied to the love I have for my family and friends. Unfortunately, my son Reece will not be with us tomorrow. While we will all miss seeing his devilish grin, he is safe and healthy and happy and will join us for a "late Thanksgiving" dinner next week...(we get dressing twice this year!) 

We are expecting a very full house tomorrow. Between my four sisters, their husbands and children, mom, Haime, my son Chipper and his wife Mallory and their son (the most amazing grandson in the world!), and me, we'll feed about 20ish. My niece, Sarah, will also be absent. She is in a "study abroad" program this semester. We are all very proud of her. I just don't think I would have had the self-confidence, courage and fortitude to live overseas by myself when I was 21. I am sure she can expect turkey and dressing when she comes home in a couple of months. (I may have to meet her at DFW and get in on the dressing in Dallas too!)

During Thanksgiving, we are called upon to count our blessings and to be thankful for all the gifts we have received. Of course we should never take for granted our health, employment, housing, etc, but I believe it is the people in our lives who are the truest blessings. I found this cartoon the other day and it just made me laugh. Riches are a common dream among many of us. We all have friends who work crazy hours at their jobs in the hopes of saving enough money to...

I know some people who play the lottery every day and spend more money on it as the jackpot dollars increase in the hopes of winning enough money to...

When I chose to retire at a relatively early age, the only riches I could count on are those listed to the right, above. You know, I'm fine with that. 

So to all of you viewers of this blog, thanks for taking a minute or two to read. You are a blessing to me. To my family and friends, (the regular reading of this blog is mandatory for them), you are my truest blessings. I love you each and all. 

Now, off to find the "stretchy pants" so I can be comfortable after attacking mom's dressing tomorrow.

TTFN, 

Lois

I'm with Sammy...

When I began driving, the speed limit on most Texas highways was 70 mph. Then, like most of the rest of the country, Texas responded to the gas shortages of the 1970s by lowering the limit to 55. In 1984, rocker Sammy Hagar released a song "I can't drive 55." Well, as the number of speeding tickets I have collected over the years will prove, I can't drive 55 either Sammy. 

Some of my friends will argue that driving at speeds over 55 mph results in much less efficient gas mileage and should, therefore be avoided. I'm sorry, while I agree with the issues of caring for our environment and conserving energy whenever and however we can, I just can't make myself drive under posted speed limits. I get frustrated with drivers who slow the rest of us down on highways by not maintaining proper speeds. I have posited the theory that slow driving actually causes more traffic accidents on major highways than does moderately higher speed. When on major highways, we expect other drivers to be travelling at the posted speed limits and, if they are not doing so, that they have the courtesy of driving in the "slow lane." 

When Haime and I first moved back to Texas from California, I worked for Austin ISD for two years and commuted approximately 56 miles each way everyday, (I refer to that as my time in Purgatory-on-earth). The traffic going into and out of Austin was the stuff that road-rage came from. I have driven the highways going into several major cities in several different parts of this country and assure you that I-35 around Austin is the worst. The problem is that there is really just one North-South route into the city. Fortunately, two things have happened. First, I got a job out of Austin and second, the SH-130 opened. SH-130 is a tollway that allows drivers to travel from I-10 (south of Austin and east of San Antonio) to I-35 (north of Georgetown).

Let me clarify. I like Austin. It is a very fun city with tons of great restaurants, eclectic shops, modern buildings, great parks and theater and is just a fun place to visit. It is not a fun place for commuters. In addition, I have family that live north of Austin and prior to SH-130 opening, I visited them only when absolutely necessary. Now with the opening of the tollway, I visit much more often (hee-hee-hee...maybe more than they'd like.) Anyway, for me, the cost of using the tollway is inconsequential when weighed against the frustration I felt when I had to rely on I-35.

Another fun benefit of using the SH-130 is the speed limit. For most of the route, the speed limit is 80 MPH and on the newest leg (the southernmost part), the limit is 85. Whoo-hoo! The biggest problem with the newly opened leg of the road is not the speed, rather, it is the wild hog population in the area. The road takes you through former ranch-land. Like many parts of the southern U.S., wild hog populations in the area are a problem for farmers and ranchers. Now, it seems, they are a problem for drivers as well. Fortunately, (or not), they are mostly nocturnal so daytime driving on the road has not been a problem.

I can tell you that today, as I drove to and from Round Rock to visit my sister Karen, I loved the drive. I was able to circumvent Austin and I assure you I did not drive 55...Sammy would have been proud.

TTFN

Lois

"Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs..."

I grew up, (OK, honestly, I probably haven't completely grown up---thank goodness, and Haime seems to be regressing), in the 70s. This was an interesting time for music. Styles of music were as varied as the genres  with which they were labeled. Many of the songs written during this time had war protests and social commentary themes while others were just fun. I've previously written how song titles sometimes just pop into my head when I see or experience things and yesterday was another one of those days.

I had an appointment with my G.P. doc scheduled for next week, actually, it was for Friday (yes, the day after Thanksgiving). I'm not a fan of doctor visits. Fortunately, I am basically in great health and since jumping on the "weight war" and "exercise" wagon, I think I'm getting healthier still. But, since I've passed the "50-year" mile marker, I'm trying to be an adult about some things so I started going to have an "annual screening" a couple of years ago...crap. Anyway, I found a G.P. that I just love. She is roughly my age, slightly overweight herself and has a GREAT personality. Her straight-forward and friendly manner and her honest "I know exactly what you mean" ways of listening, make her a perfect choice for me. She was actually a referral from a friend whose opinion I trust. I started seeing her when I was still working in San Antonio and she kept late office hours so it worked out great. On the down side, she has changed her office hours and is now only in the most convenient location on every-other Saturday. Most days she works at one of the hospitals through one of the universities in S.A.

A couple of months ago, I was sick with some type of bug. One of the negatives of seeing a G.P. who is only available two Saturdays per month, is that when you want to see her for some bug, you are basically outta luck. It has been my experience that bugs don't cooperate and present themselves only at the most inopportune times. I elected to let my body fight the bug on its own and fortunately it worked out just fine. It might have taken a little longer but I reasoned that my immune system needed to exercise itself anyway. However, I started thinking that this might be some sort of sign that I should find a G.P. that is more available. Then I got better so I didn't give it any more thought.

As part of the annual check-up, I report to the office about a week prior to my scheduled visit for blood work. In-so-doing, the report is back when I visit with the doc. So, off I went to see "Vampira." When I arrived to have a blood sample collected, the receptionist told me that they had no record of my appointment in the computer. I showed her my "don't-be-a-moron-and-forget-you-have-an-appointment" card on which the date and time clearly showed my appoint for Friday, November 23 at 8:00 AM; (I ask, what kind of masochist makes a Dr.'s appointment for the day after Thanksgiving AND schedules it for 8:00 AM? Actually, I reasoned that if I made such a ridiculous appointment, it would help me resist the extra dressing and pumpkin pie...at least I hoped it would). The nice receptionist apologized and said that not only did they not show my appointment in their system, the office was to be closed that day due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Well crap! (Holy smokes, that's two "craps" so far in this blog, can you tell I'm a bit peeved?)

So, now you see where the Five Man Electrical Band's 1971 hit "Signs" came from. Just in case you need some help remembering their contribution to the social commentary songs of the early 70s, here's the chorus:
                                         "Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs. 
                                          Blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind.
                                          Do this! Don't do that! Can't you read the signs."
I've decided to heed the signs this time and am currently on the hunt for a new, more conveniently located and more readily accessible G.P. Sometimes being an adult really stinks!

TTFN

Lois

The "Fall Love Fest" continues...

Let me begin this post with a very honest, humble and heart-filled thank you to all veterans and family members of veterans. THANK YOU for your unselfish service to our wonderful country. THANK YOU for your willingness to fight to defend our way of life; THANK YOU for your willingness to put the needs of all of us ahead of the personal needs of yourself and your loved ones; and THANK YOU for doing so with honor and dignity that is the envy of the entire world. 

  

By now you should be well aware that I LOVE fall/autumn! Haime and I are eagerly awaiting another bout of much cooler, (actual fall-like), weather which has been forecast to blow in this evening. Our trees are starting to drop leaves and the autumn smells are becoming more evident. One of the things I do not like about this time of year is the time-change. Don't get me wrong, I am one of the "don't mess with mother-nature" types who believes that we should not "change" the time at all. However, if you are going to "change" it, revert back to the model that was in place a couple of years ago when the "fall back" change happened in early October rather than this one of early November. With the delay, we are not given the luxury of a gradual adjustment to our days getting "dark earlier." Whose bright idea was that anyway? 

As Thanksgiving Day (one of our favorite holidays), gets closer, we are beginning to talk more frequently about our Blessings. Haime and I are well aware of how Blessed we are and are making a much more conscious effort to reflect on, and thank God for, all we have been given. Certainly our family tops that list. A couple of weeks ago a young cub scout came by selling "Trails End" popcorn for his pack's fundraiser. Haime and I were both reminded of our days supporting Chip and Reece in their cub/boy scout popcorn fundraising ventures. I know it sounds cliche' but, where the hell did the years go? The neighbor boy was in his uniform and we immediately noticed that he is representing the newest generation of scouts from the same pack that both Chip and Reece were in. It was such a bitter sweet memory. When our boys were that age, I was so caught up in trying to juggle family, work, various activities and commitments, that I now realize I probably missed a lot. I wish I had taken more time to just enjoy being with them rather than involving them in as many activities as I did. However, as we spend time with them now, we are both so proud of the wonderful men they have become, maybe we didn't do too bad as parents.  

Wurstfest, (a salute to sausage), is winding down in New Braunfels. This year, I attended with a college friend, mom and my sister Karen. We had a great time listening to the German music, eating potato pancakes and applesauce, schnitzel, sausage, strudel, sour kraut, turkey legs and drinking a beer (or two). One thing we did not do was participate in the "Chicken Dance." Maybe we are just "too cool" (OK, clearly that's not it), to "flap" our bent arm wings  and "peck" our beak fingers, but the appeal of joining in on the "Chicken Dance" has long gone. 

Our weekend also included a new spectator sport: Pumpkin Chunkin. It was held at a favorite winery and it was certainly a hoot. I think it would have been more entertaining however, if we had consumed a great deal more wine first. Following the Pumpkin Chunkin, we ventured over to a beer garden to watch A&M Beat the Hell Outta Alabama! WHOOP!!! It was so much fun watching the game with dozens of Aggies from all over the state who all found their way to the same place just to watch the game. We enjoyed great company, an awesome game (when it wasn't a nail-biter); some good food and beer (and aspirin and antacids) and ultimately cheered (after lots of praying and breath holding), our Aggies victory. 

Yep, the "Fall Love Fest" definitely continues.

TTFN

Lois

RIP 2012 Elections

Haime and I are "Fightin' Texas Aggies," me, by virtue of my heritage (and true maroon blood), and Haime, by association. My mom's family has had every American-born generation represented at Texas A&M since the 1920s. Of my immediate family, two of my sisters and I are former students from the 1980s, both my sons are former students and two of my nephews are current Texas Aggie students. I'm giving you this background in order to demonstrate how deeply connected to Texas A&M our family is. With all of that said (typed), I respectfully add my condolences to the family of Coach Darrell Royal. Coach Royal was the head football coach at the University of Texas (I have never typed it that way before, as we all know the grammatically correct way of referring to that school is tu...ask any Aggie), from 1957 to 1976 where he compiled a record of 167-47-5. He led the school to three national championships and remains the winningest coach in the schools history. In short, he was the bane of our existence as Aggies. Coach Royal passed away today at the age of 88, RIP Coach Royal.

Today also marks the beginning of healing for our country, I hope. After a very long bitter and bloody presidential campaign, what our country needs most is to put politics aside and remember that our neighbors and friends matter to us regardless of their politics. I am so disheartened by the division this campaigning has caused among so many and am more thankful than I can clearly express that it is over. One of my earliest politically-based memories is from the 1964 Presidential campaign. I was about 6 and remember asking my mom who she voted for in that election. She told me that whom a person votes for is a secret and that the voting was done in a "booth" so that no one could see who you marked your ballot for. When I asked why it was a secret, she told me that some people get very angry with others if they don't vote the way the mean people think they should. Wouldn't it be nice if we could turn back time (there I go channelling Cher's song again), so that the choices we make for our elected officials were personal and not the basis for drawing lines between ourselves and others? With the popular vote being so close in this election, I think the message is crystal clear, it should be the job of both sides of the aisle to figure out how to work together to bring the concerns of the PEOPLE of this nation to the forefront of the discussion. Its time to heal the chasm because as my friends in business will tell you, when a company is divided, it makes it most vulnerable to outside interference.

Congrats to our elected officials...now get to work!

TTFN

Lois

I Elect to Ignore Expectations

So apparently November is like "national-post-a-blog-everyday-month." WHAT? I didn't know when I started this thing that it came with built in expectations. I mean what if I did a "procrastinators" blog...I guess I'd eventually get around to writing something but certainly there would not be an expectation of a blog post a day for that. Then, what if I got hit by a bus...(why is it always a bus? Why couldn't it be a smart car? Either way, I think being hit by any sort of motorized vehicle would put a damper on my day.) At any rate, you should probably not expect to see a "blog-a-day" from me regardless of the expectations for such from the "blogger police." I'm just not interesting enough to come up with something worth writing about that often (or now, really.)

Tomorrow is FINALLY election day. GEEZ, this has been the longest, bloodiest, nastiest, most stomach turning, lie packed campaign from both candidates to date! I took advantage of early voting (in case I got hit by a bus and wasn't able to vote on the actual election day), so I could cancel Haime's vote. I've written about the fact that we are often at opposite ends of the spectrum on many things and politics is another example. I have to say though, this year, were the race not virtually tied, I would have mounted a campaign of my own to have "Daffy Duck" or "Miss Piggy" written in as a better choice than the ones we were given. I have been so appalled by the half-truths, mud slinging, fact twisting and blatant lies perpetuated by both sides during this election that I just want the whole thing to be over with! I am not alone. This past Sunday, the homily message was on tolerance, love and acceptance. The message was given by our deacon and he did an awesome job tying in the Gospel's message of loving our neighbors and our enemy's, with the need for healing our nation after this very divisive campaign. Good job Victor! I seldom engage in political discussions, and I will not do so here other than to say that I am very fearful that the division in our country that has been a result of this awful campaign will not heal.

TTFN

Lois

Saints and Souls

As I've written before, we are Catholics. Both of us are "cradle-to-grave" Catholics, although we are not as devout as our grandparents probably would have liked us to be. I mention this because we have celebrated All Saints Day (yesterday Nov. 1) and All Souls Day today. While All Saints Day is, I think, pretty well known and understood, All Souls Day is, as far as I know, pretty much a Catholic thing. What's the difference you ask? Well, Wikipedia gives this explanation:

                   

All Saints Day (in the Roman Catholic Church officially the Solemnity of All Saints and also called All Hallows or Hallowmas), often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity in honor of all the saints, known and unknown. In the Western calendar it is the day after Halloween and the day before All Souls' Day. In Western Christian theology, the day commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven. It is a national holiday in many historically Catholic countries. In the Catholic Church and many Anglican churches, the next day commemorates the departed faithful who have not been purified and reached heaven. Christians who celebrate All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day do so in the fundamental belief that there is a prayerful spiritual bond between those in purgatory (the 'Church Suffering'), those in heaven (the 'Church triumphant') and the living (the 'Church Militant'). Other Christian traditions define, remember and respond to the saints in different ways; for example, in the Methodist Church, the word "saints" refers to all Christians and therefore, on All Saints' Day, the Church Universal, as well as the deceased members of a local congregation, are honored and remembered."

At any rate, on the drive home from All Souls mass this evening, I was thinking about the difference in the two celebrations for me personally. You probably won't be surprised to learn that I personally know far more sinners than saints, probably because "it takes one to know one." So, while I know something about a few of the "beatified" Saints, (thank you 8 years of Catholic school), I really focus on the good people who have preceded me in death who, I believe are Saints themselves.

On my drive home tonight, however, I realized that of the two days, All Souls Day is the more personal for me. During our mass, the names of those in our parish who have died during the 12 months since the preceding All Soul's day are read and a friend/family member is invited to come forward and light a candle in memory. Tonight, I helped with the lighting and as family/friends came forward, I couldn't help but think about those friends and family that I had lost. While a big part of me still aches at the loss of some of them, I've had sort of gotten to that place where I truly believe they are in heaven. Mostly that belief gives me comfort.

TTFN

Lois