More Privacy

Our backyard is a place to sit, swim and relax out of the eyes of the general public but lately our backyard has been a place of "spying" eyes.

Since there are no alleyways in our subdivision we share a common back fence with our neighbors.  For the most part it is no problem, everyone minds their own business.  However....this summer it has become a problem.

The neighbors behind us are adding a outdoor living space and pool addition.  Their project started mid-March....mid-MARCH...and they are still not finished.  UGH!!!!!!  The pool is just your typical pool but it took them until the week of Father's Day before it was completed.  The patio and outdoor kitchen is still under construction.  I actually feel sorry for my neighbors.

We have had weeks and weeks; months and months of hammers, saws, drills, etc..  Once again, it is nice but nothing "grand".  Problem is there are only 2 workers doing the project and these men work a few days, don't work a few, work a few mornings, work a few afternoons, work evenings, sometimes they work on weekends.  One night they were laying concrete until after midnight using flashlights.  No the patio is not that big, believe it or not they were using individual bags of QuikCrete (I'm sure the neighbors won't have problems with that later on and yes I looked over the fence to see what was going on so late)

Anyway...it seems like everytime we walk out the back door someone comes to peek through the slats in the fence which is annoying plus we are not that interesting.  Craig finally got a belly full last week when we were out enjoying some quiet time in the pool, low and behold the neighbors started mowing their lawn.  Again usually not a problem, BUT this time it was.

Our neighbors son mowed back and forth along the same path 2 times, then the dad weedeated back and forth 2 times, THEN the dad mowed back and forth along the same 2 foot wide path next to the fence 3 more time.  Are you kidding me, it takes 10 trips along the same path to cut the grass plus 4 trips with the weedeater?   NO WAY!!  Craig also noticed as they were "mowing" along the fence they were peering through the slats. Maybe they were looking at what we have planted around the pool to get some ideas, who knows, but that was the straw that broke the camels back.

Time to make our "privacy" fence more private.

In our Home Owners Association builders guidelines fences are to be constructed every other section flat.  Their reasoning is no one has to have an entire backyard of the "ugly" side.  My personal opinion is it just makes both side ugly since it is not uniform. 

Our solution was to add pickets to the "ugly" side which are off set from the other side eliminating the gaps plus we put lattice strips over the other gaps.  Until the new pickets and strips weather like the rest of the fence we have a striped back fence but at least we don't have spying eyes.

before

after

before

after

                                                                         

Out with the Old...In with the "New"

Craig and I recently began considering trading the 2006 Acura for something a little newer with less miles.

While the Acura was still a good car, it had 115,000 miles and wouldn't be paid off until September 2013.  The A/C was also going on the fritz so we were going to have to spend some $$$ to get it fixed.

Anyone who knows us will realize this was not an easy decision because we literally drive a car until the wheels fall off because we don't like car payments and only had 1 year until the Acura would be paid off. 

Last week we discovered we could join Johnson Space Center Credit Union and they were offering used car loans with interest as low as 1.74%.   Yes...that's right 1.74%.

Ok, so we decided it was the right time and shouldn't pass up on cheap interest if we could find a vehicle we both liked.  Off to CarMax we go.  

Craig had his sights on a couple of luxury type cars but I wasn't too keen on some of them.  I was looking for a small SUV which Craig wasn't keen on so I suggested we look at crossovers.  I thought a crossover might be comfortable for both of us; something not too small and claustrophobic for Craig and something in which my feet would touch the floorboard.

After talking to my sister who has a GMC Acadia and loves it, we found the Chevrolet version.  So we decided on a 2012 Chevy Traverse with 9100 miles on it.  So far we are both really loving the car.  And the best things are it still has all the new car warranties, an interest rate of 1.74%  and our car payments didn't go up.

My Eleven.

What is "My Eleven"?

I was tagged by Kimberly at "Granthamania".

I have to post a photo and mentioning 11 random things about me.  I then have to answer 11 questions from Granthamania.  Finally I have to create 11 new questions and tag some friends to do the same.

There are 6 rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself & 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the 11 questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog and tell them you've tagged them.
6. No saying, "If you are reading this, you're tagged."

11 Random things about me

1. I'm a pretty good Scrabble player. I don't use big words but am able to find bizarre places to use a vowel and get a score from 2 words at once. I'm sneaky. :)
2. I was voted an Amarillo College beauty while attending Amarillo College.  Not a big deal since I was 1 of 8.
3. When I was around 6, the neighbor kids and I used to ride our bikes behind the crop dusting plane to feel the mist on our skin.  Gotta' love that DDT. ha
4. When I was in 1st grade the school house merry-go-round (the old fashion kind suspended on a center pole that you sit on and dangle your feet)  fell and trapped my foot under it.  I remember it hurting really bad but have always been told I was just good at pretending.  It has taught me to not complain when something hurts.  Just suck it up and go on.  lol
5. My 1st car was a Ford Pinto.  Loved that little car.  3 speed stick....zoom zoom.
6. Estoy aprendo espanol.
7. I like getting sweaty/dirty. 
8. I had Bell's Palsy when I was 14.  The left side of my face was paralyzed for almost 6 months.
9. I like doing yard work.  Refer to #7 
10. I absolutely hate car payments.  I know they are a necessary evil but I wish I could not have a car and ride my bike everywhere. Not practical in Houston
11. I thoroughly love warm humid salty air. (Take me to the Caribbean!)

11 Questions from Kimberly at Granthamania

1. What is your earliest childhood memory? Is it a good memory for you or a not-so-good one? At the age of 3, having my photo taken for the Friona newspaper with Jay Jarboe.  We were Mr. and Miss Valentine for the year.  It's a good memory.
2. What is your favorite book? The Bible doesn't count for this answer. Erma Bombeck's "Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession".  It always gives me a belly laugh. 
3. What is THE ONE thing you would do if you knew you were going to die tomorrow? Have you done it already?  Get the photo albums organized.  I'm working on it.
4. If you could live anywhere, where would you live? On a tropical island as long as my kids are there too.  Something like Gilligans Island or Swiss Family Robinson. :) 
5. What is the one thing you would want your children to remember you for? I want them to always remember me for always being "in their corner" and how very proud I am of them.  
6. Would you rather be able to run faster than a cheetah, fly or breathe under water? Breath under water
7. What is your favorite song? Otto Titsling.  Just kidding I have lots of favorites.  My favorite church song is "In the Garden".
8. If you could travel time, what are three points in time you would visit? The roaring 20's, Woodstock and I'd like to see the pyramids being built.
9. Would you rather have a full-time housekeeper or personal stylist? personal stylist!
10. Would you rather be smarter or prettier? smarter... yeah definitely smarter.
11. What is the strangest thing about yourself that you're willing to share? (Keep it PG-13) I like to watch scary movies when I'm alone?  Not sure that's strange. 

11 Questions for my tagged friends

1. If you were a celebrity what would you be famous for?
2. If you were given an all expense paid 1 month vacation, where would you go?  And why.
3. As a child what was your favorite toy and why.
4. In any situation, if you knew then what you know now, what would you change?
5. Do you have a hidden talent?  What is it?
6. If no one would ever know, would you have plastic surgery to look younger?
7. Do you prefer a massage or facial?
8. If you had to eat the same meal everyday for a year and you wouldn't gain weight what would it be?
9. If you won the lottery, what would your first splurge purchase be?
10. What sport in the Olympics do you wish you could win a gold medal in? Why?
11. What's the 1 thing you would be willing to walk 10 miles to get? 

My tagged friends are:

Gaye at Life at the Ham's House
Jennifer at The Huntington's
Sarah at Mas & Sarah + Saylor
Donna at Gore's Go Costal

Have fun

Counting Skills

Chloe shows off her counting skills.

Christmas 2011

The holiday season this year was a blur.  Seems like the world was spinning twice as fast as usual.

The week before Thanksgiving and the week after Thanksgiving Craig and I made 2 quick trips to Austin to help Kim and Mark close-in their utility room.  It looks fantastic!

The weekend of December 9th, Kimberly and Chloe came to Houston.  Kimberly took me to see the Houston Ballet's Nutcracker.  We had a great girls night out while Pop (Craig) had Chloe duty.  Mark was unable to come because of work.

Dressed up and ready for the ballet.

While Chloe and Kimberly were here Chloe decorated some Christmas cookies to take back to her Daddy.

Painting icing on the cookies

She wants to do it herself.

Chloe's creations

Of course she needs to try a few.

Chloe loves her Uncle Josh.  (notice Chloe's "cheese" face...she's a natural)



A couple of weeks went by and the whole gang arrived for Christmas. 

The stereotypical family photo in front of the tree

My mom came for Christmas. We were all glad she could make it this year.

Last but not least, here are a few of our goofy photos from Christmas 2011.

Supper time.

My kids are such good sports.  Love my little sock money's.

Chloe in her Mom's sock money hat.

Our tradition is to take a non-traditional family photo at Christmas. 

"Do It Anyway"

a motivational poem by Mother Teresa.

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.

Pod People?

Anyone who knows me knows I love "scary" movies.  One such movie is The Invasion of the Body Snatchers; not the new one but the 1978 version with Donald Sutherland and Jeff Goldblum.

In the movie, there is a mysterious plant which grows pods.  These pods "grow" the body snatchers.

Over the last few months, we have had a mysterious plant growing around our pool. On this plant we have discovered a pod.

Mystery plant

Is it an invasion?

A tiny pod

Could it be we are being invaded by body snatchers?
The answer will be unveiled at a later date.