SUGAR MOON

Chandor Garden's...

2012-02-28T21:20:00.002-06:00

Moon Daisy earned two flex days from school and decided she wanted to spend them with MeMaw and Paw-Paw, so Friday she hitched a ride with her Paw-Paw and showed up on my door step. She hung out with us at the house over the weekend and then Monday we drove around the area looking for unique places to take pictures. I will post a few later in the week.

Today I took her to Weatherford, Texas to meet her mom. While there we took a walking tour of Chandor Gardens. Chandor Gardens is a series of "garden rooms" featuring English and Chinese motifs. Douglas Chandor, an artist who painted portraits of President Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, among others, created these gardens starting in 1936.

Upon Chandor's death in 1953 his wife, Ina, opened the gardens to the public until her death in 1978. The gardens were neglected for the next 16 years until 1994 when Melody and Chuck Bradford bought and restored the property. In 2002 the city of Weatherford bought the home and gardens and once again opened them to the public.

Moon Gate

Tiered Copper Fountain

Pixie Pond

Mount Cox

Chi-Ling Fountain

On the left is Ina's Walk which was the initial feature of the garden in 1936.

The Trellis Pond

Court Yard and Chandor Home

We had a great time. The home and gardens are unique and interesting. I have only given you a small taste. I look forward to visiting again in the spring when the Wisteria petals will "drip like purple rain from everywhere" and all things beautiful will be in full-bloom. Imagine.

Have a blessed week!!!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things...

2012-02-25T17:42:00.000-06:00

Brenda's Photo Challenge:

From the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Mansfield, Missouri

Inka & Piper

For more photos follow this link.

Have a great day!!!

It's Been One Year...

2012-02-21T21:37:00.001-06:00

It doesn't seem like it, but it's been one year since I first pushed publish. I can never think of anything interesting to write about, but I write anyway. One of the best parts of blogging is the people I've met. Donna, Bossy Betty, McGuffy Ann, Crafty Sue and others. I've enjoyed getting to know you through you blogs. Thank you my "virtual" friends for all of your nice comments.

Counting Blessings:

10. "Virtual" friends

11. Stray cats

12. Raspberry preserves with seeds

Have a blessed week!!!

It's A Nice Day For Your Feet...

2012-02-19T14:10:00.004-06:00

I have a most precious little great nephew. He's in kindergarten, very shy and very red-headed. His Papa (my brother) calls him "Rooster". He is the only red-headed person in our family. His three siblings are either blonde or brown. He's a miniature of his daddy, except for the hair. On Valentine's Day his mother posted this on Facebook:

If you go outside, take off your shoes because according to Cash,

"It's a nice day for your feet!"

1st day of Kindergarten 2011

siblings

I am never going to experience a warm day again without thinking, what a nice day for feet.

I hope this week is feet weather!
Have a great day!!!
1st five photos taken by Liz (mom).

Family History...

2012-02-18T23:00:00.005-06:00

I recently attended the funerals of two of my cousins. If your family is like mine, funerals, while devastating, are also family reunions. We exchange memories of childhood adventures, reflect on time spent with grandparents, take pictures, make promises to get together, say our goodbyes and wait until the next funeral to gather again.

After returning home I went through some old family photos and posted them on Facebook. This instigated lively debates in trying to decide who, where and when. I wish I had asked more questions while the older generation was still around. Hind sights twenty twenty, right?

As death begins to claim my peers it makes me aware that my generation is in charge of the history making now. I don't feel that old. Where has the time gone? Just yesterday I was raising a family and now I'm the family matriarch. I'm not sure how I feel about that title, but then the choice isn't mine, is it? As Scarlett O'Hara said, "I won't think about that today. I'll think about that tomorrow."

Today, I'm going to call my siblings, give my spouse a hug and count my blessings.

Have a nice day!!!

Fuzzy Friday...

2012-02-17T23:59:00.001-06:00

My hubby plays the piano. He will only play for me and it's always out of hymnals. Today as I was passing the piano I glanced at the song he had been playing and it spoke to my heart, so I thought I would share the first verse and chorus.

It may not be on the mountain's height, or over the stormy sea; It may not be at the battle's front my Lord will have need of me; But if by a still, small voice He calls to paths I do not know, I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in Thine, I'll go where You want me to go.
I'll go where You want me to go, dear Lord, o'er mountain or plain or sea; I'll say what You want me to say, dear Lord, I'll be what You want me to be.~~Carrie E. Rounsefell, 1861-1930

And for my "Fuzzy Friday":

Have a blessed weekend!!!

Happy Valentines Day...

2012-02-14T21:58:00.000-06:00

One For The Money...

2012-02-12T10:53:00.002-06:00

Hubby took me out yesterday for an early Valentine's Day. We ate at Texas Roadhouse, my personal favorite, and then went to see "One For The Money". If your a reader you already know this was Janet Evanovich's first mystery novel featuring bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. Plum was played by one of my favorite actresses Katherine Heigl. I think she's talented, cute and witty. I like anything she is in.

This movie was quick and humorous. It lasted about an hour and a half. To me any movie that lasts under 2 hours is a good one. I catch myself looking at the time during movies. I can't set there too long without some kind of handwork going.

This action-comedy will appeal mostly to readers of Evanovich. My husband was one of three men in the theatre all accompanied by wives, so you might warn, or not, your hubby before taking him.

Heigl didn't disappoint. I want be putting it on my "watch again" list, but if you want a light-hearted fun movie it's worth going to see.

Have a blessed week!!!

Wordless Wednesday...

2012-02-08T16:52:00.003-06:00

Have a great rest of the week!!!
Hosted by Feeling Beachie.
and Boca Frau

Top Ten Tuesday...

2012-02-07T23:40:00.000-06:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish . This week the topic is the top ten books I would hand to someone who says they don't like to read. Well, since I love to read and am always trying to get non-readers to read my favorite books I jumped right on this one. *= My all-time favorites.

1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee*
2. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
4. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
5. The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers*
6. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
7. Haunted Mesa by Louis Lamour
8. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald*
9. Amoveable Feast by Ernest Hemmingway*
10. The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Happy Reading!!!

Book Find...

2012-02-06T22:40:00.011-06:00

I found this old shorthand book at a library book sale. It's about 3'' x 4.5". The first copyright is 1949 and again in 1963.

I never took shorthand, but looking at this little white book I wish I had. It would be like learning another language, a secret language.

Some of you may have actually used one of these books. It's called the Gregg Shorthand Dictionary and contains 34,055 word entries, alphabetically arranged. According to the Internet the Gregg version of shorthand was first introduced in 1888. Here's a sample:

'Translation'

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Amazing.

Counting Blessings:

#7 Church family

#8 Music

#9 Quail in the front yard

Have a great tomorrow!!!

Linking with Communal Global.

The Woman In Black...

2012-02-05T20:18:00.000-06:00

The Woman In Black is an old-fashioned ghost story. For my part it needed to move a little faster. Hubby said it moved slow on purpose to build suspense. I guess he was right. I jumped eight times and even shouted out during one of those jumps. It was eerie without including much gore or violence.
Daniel Radcliff, formerly Harry Potter, did a good job. Once the movie started I didn't think of Harry.
The Woman In Black won't become one of my favorite scary movies, but since I consider myself a master at jumping out from behind a door and giving hubby a near-heart attack, I enjoyed it, if only for the jump factor.

Have a great week!!!

Memories...

2012-02-04T00:00:00.000-06:00

Brenda's Photo Challenge: Memories

1990--My four kids hanging out together.

Click here for more photo challenge photos.

Have a nice day!!!

Fuzzy Friday...

2012-02-03T13:18:00.000-06:00

Here's sending a warm and "Fuzzy" Friday your way!!!

Tagged...

2012-02-02T12:00:00.026-06:00

I was tagged by McGuffy Ann, at McGuffy's Reader. Thanks McGuffy!
All games have rules, so here are the rules for this game of tag:

The Rules:

1. You must post the rules.

2. Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then

create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.

4. Tag (eleven?) people and link them on your post.

5. Let them know you've tagged them!

Eleven (Fun) Facts About Me:

1. I'm a hermit at heart.

2. I rarely miss "Nancy Grace" on HLN.

3. I love a good mystery. My friend tells me I try to turn everything into a mystery.

4. I enjoy people, but I never mind being alone.

5. I still have my Christmas pedicure.

6. My goal in life is to be others-centered.

7. I still have my beloved monkey from childhood, "Monkey Joe".

8. I collect Chatty Cathy's.

9. I don't have my Christmas decorations put away yet.

10. I sleep with a fan on even when it's freezing outside.

11. I dip my popcorn in hot BBQ sauce.
My Questions:
1. What is your favorite color? Purple
2. What is your favorite flower? Iris
3. What kind of pet would you like to have, if possible? Just my chihuahuas and cats.
4. What is the most unusual pet you've ever had? A little bitty green turtle my grandfather bought me when I was five.
5. What is your favorite song? "Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends"-Ronnie Millsap
6. Why did you start your blog? For fun.
7. How/why did you choose the name for your blog? I am a fan of Bob Wills. I chose it for his song Sugar Moon.
8. Do you have a nickname? What is it? Yes. "Kye". My baby sister couldn't say Kathy. I am Aunt Kye to my nieces and nephews.
9. What is the ringer sound on your cell phone? I use different ones for different people. My old ringtone was "Seven Spanish Angels" by Willie and Ray.
10. Do you collect anything? What? Nutcrackers, Chinese pincushions, cachinas, sock monkeys, old school bells, stereo viewers and stereo view cards, Chatty Cathys, Indian dolls, anything Roy Rogers, western Christmas ornaments, western salt and pepper shakers
11. What was the last dream you had? I don't normally dream and if it isn't an odd one I don't usually remember it.
Questions For Those I Tag:
1. What is your favorite childhood book?
2. What is your favorite childhood toy?
3. Who is your hero?
4. How many times have you read the entire Bible?
5. What is your favorite meal?
6. What is your favorite snack?
7. Are you a night owl or an early bird?
8. Who is your favorite author?
9. What is your favorite genre?
10. If you could change one thing in your past what would it be?
11. What is your favorite hobby?
I Am Tagging:
1. Mama Hancock
2. My Daley Life
3. Made In Heaven
4. Crafty Sue
I could only come up with four at this time. This wasn't hard until blogger kept messing it up. I don't know what the deal was, but I had to redo it several times.

Have a great day!!!

Wordless Wednesday...

2012-02-01T21:19:00.003-06:00

Here is what I saw on the porch when I looked out the window of the front door. I tried to take a picture through the glass, but with the glare it was impossible. All I got was a picture of my door. It was so comical I had to share. Excuse the artwork, but you get the idea. The cat was about 2 feet from the skunk. This was my angle and obviously I couldn't open the door.

Have a great tomorrow!!!

Crazy Hair Turns Seven...

2012-01-31T22:27:00.001-06:00

Where does the time go? My sweet little "Crazy Hair" is seven today. That means I'm--never mind. "Crazy Hair" is a combination of his older sister and brother. He's calm, sweet and a little O.C.D. He loves his crazy hair and so do I.
His mother took him to a friend of hers to get a haircut last week and the friend cut his curls off. He didn't realize it until he looked in the mirror and then his mother said he had a "melt-down". He didn't want to go to school the next day and when she made him go anyway he came out wearing a hoodie. When she picked him up he was happy and said he had a good day. Typical "Crazy Hair."

Happy Birthday Sweetie Pie!!!

Easy Recipe for Wine Making...

2012-01-30T23:55:00.001-06:00

I got up early this morning and decided before I left the house I was going to make a gallon of wine. A friend gave me a gallon and a half of fresh grape juice some time ago and I stored it in the freezer for this purpose. I couldn't find my favorite recipe, so used another recipe. I hope it turns out, but whether it does or it doesn't I now have a gallon of red, sweet, fermenting mixture in my pantry. It will be ready on February 27th.

1 glass gallon jar with small mouth. 4 cups sugar.

Add 4 cups boiling water and stir with a long handled spoon.

Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons of dry yeast with 1 Tablespoon of warm water to make a smooth paste.

Add 3 quarts of grape juice and the yeast to the sugar mixture. Stir well.

Put a large ballon over the mouth of the jar. Secure tightly with string or rubber band.

The balloon will inflate. The wine will be ready when the balloon deflates. This should take about 24 days. Strain the wine several times before bottling.

Enjoy!!!

Reclaiming The Master Bath...

2012-01-29T21:57:00.001-06:00

We've been working on our master bedroom and bath for some time now. This fall we reclaimed our bedroom and today I made progress towards reclaiming the bath. One scrubbed shower ready to be grouted and one sparkling tub ready to be used. We are still working on the ceiling in the bath and sink areas thus the drop cloth in the pictures.

Before cleaning I pulled, pinched, clipped and reworked the houseplants,

including the dying Peace plant.

I like it when I make progress even in small amounts.

Have a peaceful week!!!

The Rain Was Wonderful...

2012-01-28T22:05:00.002-06:00

but once again we have a lake in our back pasture

and lots and lots of ducks.

It amazes me that so many ducks come to a place that is normally dry. I wasn't able to get a good shot of the ducks. Too far away.

Have a nice weekend!!!

Fuzzy Friday...

2012-01-27T00:06:00.002-06:00

Since I'm no longer babysitting my little Fuzzy boy I am having a bit of trouble keeping up with my Fuzzy Friday pictures, so this Friday I'm going to post another warm and fuzzy.

I received this snapshot in a text. Crazy Hair has decided to wear his tie to school. He has worn it a couple of times this week. He loves to dress up.

Counting Blessings

#4 Rain

#5 Walking into the den and finding a fire in the fireplace.

#6 Friends that text to remind you of appointments.

Hope you've had a warm and fuzzy Friday!!!

Ouch...

2012-01-22T21:43:00.000-06:00

The week before Christmas I was taking a crock pot out of my pick-up and broke the lid. At the time I thought the broken pieces fell into the pot, but today as I brushed my hand across the seat I discovered I was wrong.
It wasn't much worse than a large paper cut, but before I could see what happened I had blood on the seat, on my pants, and running down my hand. I went inside, washed it, checked for glass and reached for a band-aid. Being the grandmother of five grandkids all I had was-Winnie The Pooh. Ha!

Here's hoping everyone has a wonderful week!!!

Natural Born Artist...

2012-01-21T13:55:00.004-06:00

Today I was sitting in my husband's office talking to him while he was on his computer. I looked over at some pictures we had leaned up against the wall and saw this one. My youngest daughter drew this when she was five years old. I thought it was so good and cute that I took it and had it laminated. I have kept up with it for 20 years. For all it's 5 year-old imperfections it has so many perfections.

Look at the table legs and how the cat and fish bowl must be sitting on the side of the table and the sun peeking in front of the curtain. It makes me chuckle out loud, but then look at the cat's face, and the fish bowl. There are actually little objects inside the bowl and how about the bookcase with what I guess to be a plant sitting on top of it. I remember thinking what a wonderful picture for a five-year old to have done. So, naturally, I had to laminate it for posterity. I think I am going to frame it for my sewing room. You know the catch-all room that needs to be deep cleaned before I can sew in it. Yea that one.

She can thank me for her crooked bangs.

Well she didn't turn out to be an artist, but she does have a very good job, has started to graduate school, bought herself a new car this week and this mama is very proud of her. I just wish I had her and the five-year-old too, but time flies on.

Have a great week end!!!

Fuzzy Friday...

2012-01-20T00:49:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone is having a warm and "Fuzzy" Friday!!!

Counting My Blessings...

2012-01-16T23:51:00.000-06:00

In November I reviewed the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voscamp. I liked her idea of keeping a gratitude journal and have decided to join Ann in her 2012 challenge-Multitudes on Mondays-A Thousand Gifts. It's a way to count and list your blessings up to a thousand and beyond. If you are interested in the book and haven't read it yet you can purchase it through Amazon.com.

Counting Blessings--I am thankful for:

#1 Love Letters

#2 Happy Grandkids

#3 Mountains that look like ships

If you would like to link with Ann and chronicle your blessings click here to learn more.

Have a great week!!!