Galveston...Oh, Galveston

Kimberly came for a very quick visit this past weekend. Mark was coaching his Lacrosse team so he was unable to come too.

The weather on Saturday was absolutely beautiful so Kim and I went to Galveston for the day.

We started at the beach at the seawall. Off came our shoes, the sand was warm and soft. The water was not so warm as you can see by these photos.

Since hurricane Ike the beaches are being rebuilt, businesses are slowly reopening and Galveston is slowing coming back to life. Don't get me wrong...there is still alot of work to be done. Many homes were destroyed by the storm surge and if they weren't completely destroyed they had so much water in them that it is almost like a rebuild.

The seawall area is full of life. Cars line the seawall,, there are joggers on the wall and sand, hotels and restraunts are open for business. It is exciting to see.

The historic Strand is probably my favorite place but right now it is still almost ghostlike. The water level along the Strand was approximately 8 to 10 foot. Business lost inventory plus have to gut and refurbish the interior which is slow and costly.

The 1894 Opera House has reopened as well as several cafe's and retail stores. Plus...the cruise ships are using the port once again.

Without a doubt Galveston is coming back!

Work in Progress

Every time Craig and I move, which has been a lot over the years (15 times to be exact) the master bedroom is always my last project. Most people I know always organize their bedroom first but my reason for waiting is Craig and I are the only people to use the room so I feel like the other rooms are more important.

The master bedroom is currently being transformed into a peaceful retreat.

We have a new duvet cover and window treatments. I also made two wall hangings for over the bed.

Less than half the room has been decorated so the room is definitely a work in progress.

Our Own Little Bit of the Tropics

Slowly but surely Craig and I are landscaping our pool area. We so want it to have the relaxing tropical feel and look.

For trees, we planted 3 Mexican palms and 2 Queen palms. They are small but large one are way too expensive for our budget so we will enjoy the small ones for a few years until they have time to grow. In the Houston climate most tropical plants grow like weeds and these trees are to add between 1 to 2 foot of growth each years.

To enhance the waterfall we added Ginger, African Iris and a couple of different kinds of ferns. I did also put a few pots of flowers to fill in the gaps.

Last but not least is my gargoyle. He is quietly sitting on the wall just waiting for the pool to warm up.

You will also notice the solar floats in the pool. The floats help to warm the pool with the use of the sunshine. In the past week the pool temperature has increased by 14 degrees; an average of 2 degrees a day. The pool is now at 74 degrees. If the water continues to warm at this rate we will be swimming in about a week. Hurray!!!!!

Just Call Her "Bar"

Our former first lady Barbara Bush underwent open heart surgery Wednesday March 4 to replace an aortic valve.


A few years ago, I had the opportunity to meet the former first lady at a book signing for her book titled Barbara Bush Reflections; Life after the White House.



Mrs. Bush is a petite woman. She has such a larger than life presence on tv that I was surprised when I saw her in real life. In the photo, I was in flats and she was in heels.


At the book signing all you could do was stand next to her and have your photo taken; there was to be no time for a visit; just keep the line moving. I walked up to her, extended my hand and introduced myself and told her I was very honored to meet her...turn...smile...flash...exit.


As I was waiting to receive my autographed copy of her book I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Mrs. Bush! She had stopped the receiving line, come over to me and said "Thank you, out of all the people here today, you are the only one who has introduced themselves and I appreciate it".


WOW, she came to me. It's a wonder the secret service didn't tackle me or something.


Whether or not you agree with Bush politics, I have to say in my opinion, Mrs. Bush is an extraordinarily ordinary person. After all, she did break her ankle sledding with her grand kids while she was the first lady. Her signature pearls are costume jewelry. At the Houston Astros game she and Former President Bush 41 sit behind home plate and when the "kissing cam" comes around she always plants a big one on George. She smiles really big and he kind of smirks.


Mrs. Bush has a good prognosis and they said she is doing well. She has even requested her children NOT come to the hospital because in her word..."a hospital is no place for children". I think that is so funny because her kids are in their 60's.


My prayers are with the Former First Lady, her husband of 64 years George H.W. Bush and the rest of the Bush family. They have quite a matriarch.

Mother Nature Is Such A Tease!

This year winter seems to be going on forever in Houston. I am soooo ready for warm weather. I am even ready for the sweaty hot humid days of summer. I just want it to be warm!!

The azaleas are starting to bloom. The grass is getting greener. Could this be a sign Spring is ready to spring?

Our weathermen have forecast the next few days to be in the upper 70's and low 80's with night in the 60's. Who knows if they're right; there's a 50/50 chance as always.

But then.... Mother Nature will once again have a good laugh; the temperatures on Sunday and Monday are forecast to take another dip into the upper 60's with nights in the 40's. Boo Hiss!

The Sweet Smell of...Dirt?

For as long as I can remember I have enjoyed the smell of freshly dug earth. The cool feel on my hands and feet is pure relaxation and the musty damp odor clears my mind. Weird...I know.

On a warm spring or summer day, heck, on any day I try to find a reason to dig even the smallest of holes. Sometimes I replant flowers in pots, sometimes I switch shrub locations just to get my hands into the cool damp earth.

I find a certain tranquility in hearing the crunch of ground breaking under the pressue of a shovel piercing the weathered top layer of soil. And I loose track of time listening to the swoosh, swoosh of the shovel blade carving out the looser soft layers beneath.

Digging is "me" time; time I listen to the world around me--NO phones, NO emails, NO fax, just me, the warm sun and all of nature. I know most people would rather have "me" time at a spa but I can say I'm just not one of those people.

Why, you may ask, am I sharing so many thoughts about dirt and digging? Because Craig and I have purchased plants to landscape the pool and backyard. I am looking forward to a few afternoons of "me" time . So with a little luck and a whole lot of sweat we should have a tropical backyard by this weekend.

Start Counting and Get Moving in 2009

This year rather than a New Year resolution that I will not adhere to I decided to give myself a motto or new way of daily living.

Over the past 7 years of living in Houston I have done something that is uncharacteristic of me. I have become very sedentary which is not good at my age or stage in life. I could give several excuses for my behavior such as....

1. No sidewalks or walking trails in our neighborhood
2. Quit going to the gym because all the high school kids sit on the machines and talk on their cell phones
3. No bike paths in our neighborhood...bike had a flat anyway. :)

I could go on with excuses but the fact is I have gotten lazy! With that laziness I have put on quite a few unwanted pounds which seems to make me lazier.

So at the start of this year I decided to make a change for the better.

The website www.everydayhealth.com is a great help to me in being true to myself. I am accountable only to myself for my calorie intake and my activity output.

So far it is not a burden because it is not some crazy kind of diet plus no meetings or "public" weigh ins. I am eating the same as before but it is making me aware of what and how much I am putting in my mouth. I seem to have quit eating out of boredom just because I know I will have to track it and I want to be truthful to myself.

I am actually enjoying tracking where my calories come from and feel very guilty if I don't track some kind of activity for the day.

I also read a quick cardio tid-bit for tv addicts and couch potatoes that I am going to try on the days I can't or just don't want to go biking or walking. While watching tv, do jumping jacks during the commercial breaks. Jumping jacks are a great quick cardio and if you think about it for every hour show there is at least 15-20 minutes of commercial breaks. The family will think I'm crazy but just maybe they will join in.

My motto for the year is Start Counting and Get Moving in 2009. Wish me success!