Thursday, January 28, 2010

WHY IS IT ....

that on this rainy day all the idiots in the county are out driving?  I missed our mail carrier this morning, so decided to drive in to the Burnet Post Office.  It too is a nice drive, the lower part of Hoover's Valley Road is maintained by the County, so its curvy, filled with pot holes, and dogs that come out of no where to talk to your tires!
     However, once you're out of the valley the road is maintained by the State.  This section is approximately 6 miles of NO PASSING anywhere, wide shoulders, lots of curves and a 70 mph speed limit, weather permitting, on new asphalt.
    Enter today's weather ... rain, fog and wind.  And here he comes, a white Suburban starts passing everybody, doesn't matter that we were on curves, and he didn't give anyone a chance to pull over so he didn't have to enter the oncoming traffic lane ... as luck always has it for those types drivers he didn't have an accident, and I wouldn't wish that on him ... BUT where's the County Sheriff or Burnet Police when we need them, the guy had to be doing 80 mph plus .... and while I'm on the stubject ....
    Why is it that men still leave dresser drawers open, and can put dishes in the sink but not the dishwasher?  Until next time ....

Saturday, January 23, 2010

PARK ROAD 4

     Well, you might be wondering what's Park Road 4, and why would anyone blog about a road ... I kinda wondered that myself until Friday when I was driving home from Marble Falls.  You see, Park Road 4 is so many things, it's a roller coaster, lots of curves, beautiful scenery and above all, for some reason when driving the stretch from FM2342 to Marble Falls a sense of peace comes over me, except for the few times when I feel like Dancia Patrick and wonder if I indeed had another life (excuse me Shirley McLain).
     Returning from MF the road is rather flat, then without much warning you observe the "steep hill" designation, and you think, can't be too bad ... NOT!  When Carin and Melisa were small Don loved to tell them "oh no, the bridge is out", at about that time you take your foot off the gas, and brake, and it is just like a roller coaster.  Of course to get the full effect and sensation, your arms must be waving in the air and you must scream, that's the fun of it!  Okay, from that point and after your stomach has removed itself from your mouth, the road begins to curve and there are other steep portions, but nothing like the first hill! 
    My next favorite site on Park Road 4 is the beautiful Highland Lakes Memorial Cemetery.  It too sits on a flat, but rather high point on the road.  Toward the east end of the cemetery is an enormous white cross, it is beautiful.  Last year when our lives presented challenge after challenge and we never thought we'd return to normal, I'd drive through the cemetery and sit at the base of the cross.  It brought much peace to my soul and gave me strength!
     The next few curves and hills are filled with beautiful countryside, the "show goat and show lamb" ranch, then you approach Longhorn Caverns.  They're a must see at least once, so much fun on the guided tour.  Passing the entrance and around the next curve you enter into a flat area of terrain, and then on the horizon you see it ... the Castle ... it's beautiful, and you know when you're following a first-timer on Park Road 4, they come to a halt and pull over to view this majestic home in all of its beauty.  Yes, an architect and his wife built the Castle in the early 2000's after they'd seen a castle on a European vacation, it's our understanding they still live there with a 360 degree view of Burnet County.
     My next favorite spot is the scenic overview, just past the entrance to the Castle.  It too is a quiet place with a beautiful view of Kingsland and Llano County.  And yes, there were a few times I stopped there to reflect on our lives!  You can see forever, the hills, the water in the distance, the sunset, all beautiful even in the grayness of a winter day!
     Once you leave the scenic overview, it's down the winding road until you reach Hoover's Valley!  Don always wanted to retire in this area, he never thought I would because I loved all that Houston offers, what he didn't realize ... I truly love the peace and quiet of this beautiful countryside ... so my friends, take time to enjoy the surroundings of the Texas Hill Country, it's beautiful and peaceful!Until next time ....

Monday, January 18, 2010

Dylan's first ever birthday party!

     Hard to imagine isn't it, that at 7 years old this Tuesday, Dylan never has had a birthday party in his honor!  When you think about the gift that children are, and you keep them for such a short time, some of the unpleasantness of any child not being loved or in a loving home, never crosses our minds.  How truly blessed we are in our lives not only to have this life, but to have been given the gift of healthy, happy children!
     So we decided to make his party day a "day trip" instead of spending the night and disrupting the daily lives of Carin, Rusty and Dylan ... that won't happen again, we'll disrupt them :)  We arrived at Chuck E Cheese in plenty of time for the event.  Looking around I was glad to see the security measures in place to ensure the safety of the children, back when Carin and Melisa were growing up, that wasn't such a concern, but not so now.
     Everyone began to arrive, and the activity began .... moving quickly from one ride, or game to the other, full of such energy.  Carin had forgotten her camera, so it was up to me to follow Dylan and capture as many moments as I could and that was a challenge!  Then the time came for the kids to eat pizza and the festivities with Chuck E Cheese, and I'm thinking Dylan's not real sure of this tall gray mouse, he did accept his birthday crown but was not eager to have his picture taken up close with Chuck E.  Presents opened, cake and ice cream eaten and then on to more games with more tickets as Chuck E and the hostesses for each table threw handfulls of tickets into the air.  And yes, Grandma was down on her hands and knees scooping up as many tickets for Dylan and friends that I could .... hmmm, not as easy getting back up!
     So the time came to head back to the Hill Country, Carin and Rusty did a wonderful job with this first of many, many birthday parties for this lucky and blessed young man!  Our love continues to grow daily for Dylan, his life has not been easy and there are many days ahead that will challenge Carin, Rusty and Dylan, remembering the good times, and the blessings to come will help this family grow in love and strength.  We are all blessed to have Dylan in our lives .... until next time ....

Friday, January 8, 2010

I thought I left Iowa ....

well, it was January 1969, 41 years ago that I left my family and friends in Cedar Rapids and flew in to Austin, TX ... thought when I did, I left the cold weather behind.  Obviously cold weather has really found it's way to Texas this year; now, I was raised in lots of cold and snow ... I remember walking to and from elementary school one day in "thunder snow", oh yes, and it was uphill both to and from school :)

        Still enjoy cold weather, because I know it won't last ... until this year that is!  It's been an abnormally cold December, and now January, what happened to Al Gore's global warming.  I did read, however, the earth is warming but that doesn't mean there still won't be cold; the cold days just won't be as frequent. 

        Really, I don't mind the cold ... it's the WIND, and the rain (not so much this time)!  So, to pass the time I've been sorting through 2009 files and organizing 2010 files, not much fun, BUT the projects will be done and next week when it's warmer, and raining I understand, I'll be out and about in the Hill Country.  Until next time my friends, stay warm and cozy ....

Friday, January 1, 2010

HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

A new decade begins!  We hope all family and friends had a safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR celebration!  We celebrated very quietly, and have for the past several years, trying to stay awake with Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest, how exciting is that!  So today brings in tamales, corn bread, chili con queso, blackeyed peas and dessert with friends Eli, Sharon, Dan and Jackie!  Along with the food, of course, is non-stop New Year's Day parades and football ... have a wonderful day, and blessings for a happy and healthy New Year ... until next time,