The Simple Things, Part Deux...

As our wonderful Christina can attest to... The simple things in life bring the most enjoyment and the purest sense of self for me. I have contemplated what that is, having since been away from home for the past two weeks. Here is my list of simple things this week that are making me one satisfied lady:

• My own bed, equipped with one lovely man who cares deeply for me, no matter how much weight I gained eating Louisiana food and drinking daquiris in the heat.



• Being American in a time so full of freedom and acceptance with the realization that life is about loving what we have instead of constantly striving for the next big milestone.



• Hot coffee with cream and sugar - I might just vaporize into thin air without my morning cup!



• The health of my children.



• The smell of cut grass



• Flowers in bloom in pots or beds or in the wild. They are God's dress clothes and they are splendid!


• My Bible and journal. Both may be frayed around the edges, but that just means I am not... Well, mostly... Ok - I'm frayed! But I am working on it! :)



• Animal fur... Wait! Let me explain! I love the way I can sit in the floor and love on the dogs and cats and the bunnies and bury my face in their fur and have them love me back unconditionally. They don't care where I went or why I went there, they only care that I am back... That is delish!



• My general sense of safety. I am so fortunate to have that sense of where I am going, what I am doing and that I can do it without bombs flying about or threat of gunfire or kidnapping. So many other places don't have that.



• Honest to goodness friends. I am blessed with a few that I know would be there for me, no matter what time or what the problem is. I don't have handfuls, but I have a few and I count them one of my simple things!

Thank you again, Christina, for this wonderful oportunity to reflect and put a little thankfulness back into my crazy day!

Home again, home again, jiggity jig!

As I have mentioned before, there is nothing like driving up ones own driveway after being gone on a wonderfully fulfilling trip! I am so blessed to have been afforded the time to visit with my family, both in-laws and blood relatives. I am still mulling over the sweetness of that time together (and formulating some "favorite simple things" for Christina's roster tomorrow...) as I sip a glass of wine and wait for Hubby to return home from the vets... Again.

Bekki's cottage style home, 3 blocks from Lake Pontchartrain

I miss my sister and her sense of humor. I don't miss the humidity and the high temps... Definitely a Colorado gal! But I love my sister's house and the incredible stuff we were able to see. I love the way she is always so organized and also so very laid back. Anything goes and nothing at a terribly fast pace... She has adapted well to southern life. I admire that!

I also miss my sister-in-law! She and I were fast friends and partners in crime! The best going-out-girlfriend EVER! She can always keep a secret and she is absolutely a treasured friend! I am also stoked (if that isn't too lame a term to use any more...) that she will be here sometime on Thursday! I might be able to sneak in a night out with her loveliness! Yay!

The kids under a Live Oak at the Lake shore

The kids loved the entire experience, although two days travel home were a trial for all! UGH! I wish that I could have somehow found the stamina to do it all in one day, but a 20 hour trip just isn't in my repertoire! Maybe earlier on in my youth... But then again, maybe not. I was always one to sleep in!

Happy Fourth of July!

The day was another wonderful trip with Bryan and Bek. This time to the ball park to watch the Zephyrs play ball at the local baseball park across the bridge in Metairie, LA. We had "ball park food" (read: nachos, hot dogs, slushies aka "snow balls", and pretzels) and lots to drink (water, not alcohol...) and afterward they set off fireworks and hosted a band for all to enjoy.

It was wonderful and hot and sweaty and yet I am still in awe of how lucky we are and how fortunate my children are to have been born in our great country. We take it so for granted all the time and rarely stop to realize how truly lucky we are to be able to be here and have every advantage all but handed to us on a silver platter. It made me very thankful and aware of all my advantages.

I hope your holiday was as spectacular as ours was... Wherever you happen to be!

Looks like palm trees to me...

The Insectarium or I May Never Sleep Again!

This little treat was quite interesting, but I have to admit, I left itching all over!!!!! Quite the sensory overload looking at all the creepy crawly things and watching the kids peer into all the amazing exhibits.

A few grimaces were shared by all...

Deadly stuff and not so deadly stuff... Creepy, crawly all the same!

Cockroaches the size of your palm!

We did have a splendid time getting around the building and there was always another room full of stuff to see. Girl and I agreed that the Butterflies made up for it all with their incredible iridescent colors that looked airbrushed on .

It was absolutely amazing how the colors seemed so unreal! As if somehow someone had hand painted all these bugs for a display... It was beyond anything your imagination could capture. Then there was the room full of live butterflies. I had one light on my shoulder that had a lady practically squealing as she took pictures. At least I hope that was what she was squealing about (shudder)!

Original Jewel-Tones

Both Girl and Boy enjoyed themselves, and while I was creeped out completely and may never truly sleep a deep sleep again, I was impressed with what we learned. We watched short movie in one of those interactive theatres that sprayed stuff in your face and poked your seat - quite annoying! I hate things that make me scream right out loud in public... Could have done without the stink bug smell too. Blech! There were videos and displays on almost every type of bug from Cockroaches to mosquitoes to termites and love bugs... I, frankly, didn't know there even was such a thing, outside of a Volkswagen!

The underground display... Riding an earthworm!

Ah yes, culture comes in many shapes and sizes... I am just thankful that most of these were fairly exotic and I don't have to deal with them on a daily basis!

I can't stand spiders and Tarantulas are no exception! (biiiiig shudder!)

This dude cracked me up... "It's mine... ALLLLLL Mine!" (He's got a banana between his front legs with his proboscis stuck right in the middle of it...)

Lake Front Property

It has been a wonderful few days for the kids and I. We have been basking in the company of Auntie Bekki and Uncle Bryan and while we miss being home, it has just been a wonderful get away!

Bryan is ingenious at finding things to do that catch the interest of Boy and Girl. We recently went down to the Lake front to check out the water, walk Jake the Wonder Dog and generally sweat off a few pounds!

I love the architecture down by Lake Pontchartrain. The houses are up on pylons to keep from flooding in bad weather, although most of these have seen a major rebuild since Katrina. The big porch fronts and wicker furniture are welcoming and inviting. Wouldn't it just be wonderful to sit out on the chairs in the evenings and sip icy drinks while you watch the sun set and the water sparkle?

Some of the houses have fake walls to hide the pylons... This is an old style Louisiana home... Bryan's favorite.

This one is HUGE!

The jetties are topped with birdhouses set up to lure back the Purple Martin and seem to be working rather well. They swoop and dive, catching insects and putting on a display for us to oooh and ahh over.

We did make another trip down to let the kids play in the murky waters. Pontchartrain is rarely glassy, so the waves make things a little muddier than the grown ups like, but for kids - It's all good! It was great to watch the kids enjoy their first "beachy" experience, as they haven't been to the ocean yet. Boy brought in some shells and Girl has a piece of worn wood that is old and petrified enough to feel like stone.

Ever the clown....

Some quick pics from Texas for the Fam...

Enjoy!

Jay and Abby discussing what we should do next...

Lucy, canine hunter

Trenner-Bob, aka Trent, Guitar Hero Pro!

Ilena, playing Guitar Hero and taking the remotes away from Jay!

Brenham, TX

If I thought that Oklahoma was hotter than a firecracker, I soon learned that Texas was sweltering, though strangely without as much humidity. I had been warned that I would be facing air that just didn't move and was so heavy with moisture I might actually become stuck in mid-stride. That was simply not the case. Houston is aparently in a drought situation right now, having not seen rainfall since early March. Tragic, since I was expecting sub-tropic flora and fauna... The grass, what there was of it, actually crunched underfoot!

We went on a short walking tour of downtown Brenham, Texas. It was filled with all the old shops and store-fronts. I began to feel nostalgic for those old southern towns, with their languid pace and friendly smiles. We ducked into shops as we heated up to suck up the air conditioning and browse the antique malls and craft booth malls set in old, character filled buildings. There was even a mall that was closing down that had some very good deals! (Since I am bringing home some presents for family, I cannot divulge the booty as yet...) It was wonderful and made me want to "nest" in a bad way! I simply love the southern decorating style, with its magnolias and chunky woods mingling with fine china and wrought iron... If I only had the time - and the funds!

I am sorry I didn't have more room to pack stuff home! This would have been a treasure!

Brenham Courthouse

The feel of small towns is one I am always amazed by. I love the old store fronts and the lazy feel as we walked down the streets. It is that slow feel that makes it so enchanting. Having grown up in a large city and then moved to the rural countryside with my husband, I was enthralled with the comraderie and the friendliness around us as we walked, though it was late in the day. The other thing I found crazy about this small southern town was the fact that at 5pm it all shut down! There was not a single shop in the down town area that was open after 5:30! That was absolutely astounding to me! It made it very quiet as we were almost the only ones browsing at all.

The air was hazy and sticky with the heat, but it had it's yeild of beauty too... Flowers were on their last blooms and I had to search to find ones that were still fresh. But they were gorgeous!

I just love the red center...

Must Be Heaven Cafe... And the ice cream really was heavenly!

We had a snack in a wonderful little cafe/ice cream parlor. It had that old time feel that I love with dark wood and a marble bar top. It was cool and cluttered with antiques. The ice cream was Blue Bell and I am told it is absolutely the best in the country... I have to agree! That hot day and the Mocha Almond Fudge... I was very content! I did have to stop the gal from loading me down with almost a pint of ice cream when I mistakenly ordered a "Two Scoop" bowl! Everything really is bigger in TX!!!!!

I so would have brought this bench home, had I had the room! It was wonderfully old and creaky and would have made my Hubby shake his head at me in absolute disgust! (Again, the aversion to patio furniture must be the culprit!) I had to walk away as I started to think about shipping and how I might con my brother in law to drive it down on their trip to Lake Powell....