Thursday, April 29, 2021

Thursday Thirteen Mini-Vacation

 


We got back yesterday from our mini-vacation to Lake Charles:  me, my husband, my sister, her husband, and my newlywed nephew and niece-in-law.  Is there such a thing?  Probably not, but I like to make up words! We only saw my nephew and his wife once.  They were honeymooning, so they made separate plans except for one celebratory dinner.

1.  It was so good to get away from home and go somewhere just for the fun of it, even though it was short.  We've been sitting at home for how long now?

2.  All six of us had a wonderful steak dinner the first night.  So much fun!


3.  Slot machines were fun.  Win some, lose some.  That's how I expect it to go anyway.


4  The lazy river was awesome!

5.  They also have a heated pool.


6.  We had a room with a view of the pool even though we had booked a standard room.  The above picture was taken at night from our balcony.

7.  My husband did well at poker and blackjack.

8.  We were within walking distance of another casino (the one my nephew stayed at), so we ventured over there for a late night snack.


9.  Video poker was fun.  Some wins.  More losses.  Haha!

10. Free drinks while you're playing.

11. We got to eat dinner at a place that was new to us; one of my sister's favorite restaurants.

12. Very comfy hotel beds and pillows, which is not always the case.


13. We went off property to eat at a local po-boy shop that was really good.

It just ended too soon.

To see more T13, click here.


Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Photo Wednesday

Pre-wedding Prayer, November 2020
Morgan Falls in Alvin, TX

 
My granddaughter, taken earlier this month near Austin, TX.

I just love trees!  They have so much character. 
Taken at Hermann Park in February, Houston, TX

For more fun photos link up with image-in-ing or Wordless Wednesday!

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Woooo Hoooo Tuesday!

 Time to link up with Comedy Plus and Stacy Uncorked.

I'll just jump right into it today. I've been having really weird dreams lately which reminded me of the dreams I had as a kid.  When I was a little girl in the sixties and early seventies, I had a recurring nightmare about a house that was haunted.  The walls would close in on me (and whoever else happened to be in the dream with me), and other weird things I have tried years to forget.  The really spooky thing?  The house looked like the one in the movie Amityville Horror which didn't come out until 1979.  Strange, huh?  A little twilight-zonish, I think.

I'm so excited to be taking a mini-vacation to Lake Charles, Louisiana today.  My sister and her husband will be there as well as her son and his new wife (NEW as in they've been married one day!)  They are staying at a separate resort as my sister and I and our husbands, but we will get to have dinner together now that we are all vaccinated.  I'm so excited about the lazy river!


  And gambling, of course, although I'm not a huge spender.  It's going to be so much fun!  By the time you read this we will have checked in and we may even be in our rooms sleeping off our first day of fun by then.

And now...

I think my cat would know.  She seems to know her name.




My mom's cats love boxes.  My cat loves clean laundry, so if you leave it in the basket for a hot second, she's in there with it.


Hilarious!


All too true!


And last, but not least...

And now I bet you have that Bonnie Tyler song stuck in your head! Sorry!

Have a great week!





Saturday, April 24, 2021

Sunday Synopsis

A Spark of LightA Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book is introduced online this way: A powerful and provocative new novel about ordinary lives that intersect during a heart-stopping crisis.

This is true. The place where this crisis occurs is a clinic that provides abortions as well as other women's services. The story is set in Mississippi. As of this writing, Mississippi requires a licensed doctor to perform abortions, but providers, both the individual or the institution may choose not to participate. Counseling for the pregnant woman is mandatory, as is parental consent, lab work, and an ultrasound in which the mother may choose whether or not to hear the baby's heartbeat. A woman must wait 24 hours after counseling to have the procedure. Abortions are illegal after 16 weeks unless the mother's health is in danger. This requires a court order.  Partial birth abortions are banned. Surgical and medication (chemical) abortions are provided as follows: Medication abortion is offered for women who are at 11 weeks' gestation or less. A woman may instead choose the surgical abortion which can be performed up to 16 weeks' pregnant. Apparently, after the first trimester, the procedure involves extra steps and takes a bit longer.

That being said, this isn't just a story about abortion. As usual, Jodi Picoult tackles a controversial issue attempting to demonstrate the many different theories and reasons for a person's beliefs. Although she takes care not to impose her opinion, I think it is quite clear.

There is a varied cast of characters, but only a few that you feel like you get to know very well. There is Hugh, the hostage negotiator who doesn't realize right away that his sister and daughter are in the clinic when it is assaulted. Several characters who aren't seeking abortions are at the clinic during the attack. You learn their back stories to show why they are there. There is a pregnant nurse, a woman seeking an abortion, a woman pretending to want an abortion but is actually a protester. You meet a women who is at the hospital after she had been to the clinic, the clinic owner, the doctor. You think you will dislike a certain character, but you'll find out you actually like the character.

A few things I didn't like about the story... First, the story starts near the end of the stand-off and goes back hour by hour showing what led up to the attack. I prefer stories to be told chronologically. Some of the stories don't make sense until you know the whole backstory. I also didn't like the ending. The book just ends. We don't find out what happened to all of the characters. I did like how she cleverly connected the characters. But I hate when I don't get a resolution.

I did have trouble reading this book just before bed for two reasons: 1. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens next. 2. It was too stimulating for bedtime reading. It made me think. That's a good thing, but not right before bed. And although it was long, I read it fairly quickly. Picoult is great at creating suspense and building characters, even a sympathetic bad guy. Great book.

View all my reviews

Mother's Day is Coming!

 Have you thought about what you might like to make or purchase for your mom this year?  Right now, I'm looking at this cute graphic.  I might put it on a shirt.  Or maybe a mouse pad or cup.  I'll have to decide.  The good thing is, it's only $1.00 to purchase the SVG to use with your cutting machine.  And if you don't like it, Creative Fabrica has many other options!


If you'd like to purchase this design, click here.

If you'd like to check out other designs, click here.

Happy weekend!

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Wacky Holidays in May

 


We are all expecting "Cinco de Mayo," Star Wars Day (May 4th), and Mother's Day coming up in May, but what about Batman Day or Eat-What-You-Want Day?  That sounds like my kind of holiday!  Here are some weird and wacky special days coming up in May.

May 1 - Step-mother's Day.  Who knew?


May 2 - Lemonade Day.  Great day to develop some entrepreneurial skills.  Or not.  Lemonade stands are illegal in many states.



May 3 - National Two Different Colored Shoes Day.  Celebrate what makes you YOU.


May 6 - No Diet Day.  Live it up and help reduce weight discrimination.


May 8 - No Socks Day.  Free your toes!

May 10 - National Clean Up Your Room Day.  Making parents happy for at least one day a year!


May 11 - Hostess Cupcake Day.  Commemorating the date the first Hostess Cupcake was sold back in 1919. I like Hostess cupcakes!


May 12 - Limerick Day.  There once was a man from Nantucket...

May 13 - National Frog Jumping Day.  Remember the Mark Twain story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County?


May 14 - National Dance Like a Chicken Day.  I like a good chicken dance every now and then.


May 15 - Armed Forces Day.  I had to include this one since my "new" son-in-law has joined the Air National Guard.


May 16 - Sea Monkey Day.  Remember ordering Sea Monkeys from ads in the back of magazines?  Oh, and Sea Monkeys are actually tiny brine shrimp.


May 18 - I Love Reese's Day.  This is my favorite candy!  Can't wait to celebrate with a Reese's!  This has only been a "holiday" since 2010 when Facebook fans of Reese's acquired 40,000 signatures on a petition

There are many more, but this is Thursday THIRTEEN.  For more fun lists, visit the home of Thursday Thirteen.

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Photo Wednesday

 Some photos from my weekend.  These were taken at Fair Park in Dallas.

Texas State Fair Ferris Wheel

The Cotton Bowl

Look at all those turtles!

Visit image-in-ing and Wordless Wednesday to see more photos!

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Tuesday Already?

Random Tuesday is hosted by Stacy Uncorked, and Happy Tuesday is hosted by Comedy Plus.  Won't you join us?

It doesn't seem like it should be Tuesday already.  Since I retired, sometimes it's hard to remember what day it is.  Quarantine has only made it worse!  How about you?  Do you ever forget what day it is?  Of course you do!  It's universal!


My sister and I have been on a several months' long quest to get treatment for our mom's open leg wound.  Nothing we have tried has worked so far including a Venaseal procedure, arterial angiogram, cultures, a biopsy, silver alginate, zinc, and intravenous antibiotics via a PICC line, to name a few.


Yesterday, we saw a "new" doctor who thinks it might be something called Pyoderma gangrenosum.  It is difficult to be hopeful since so far it has only gotten worse despite several suggested treatments.  One of us has to accompany her to all of her appointments because 1) she can't drive with the wound on her leg; in fact, she can barely walk, and 2) she has lost some cognitive function and has difficulty communicating.  Your prayers for healing would be appreciated.


Happy news:  I got to visit my daughter all weekend!  Her husband is at basic training for the Air National Guard, and she's been so lonely.  She's a four hour drive from all the family, so we don't get to see her as often as we would like.  And I'm getting excited about my upcoming trip to Lake Charles with my sister and our guys.  These things keep me going amid the medical 

This is supposed to be happy Tuesday, so let's get to something that will make us smile.

This reminds me of Elaine from Seinfeld!


How I feel about waiting for doctors!




Yes, I find this funny!


And this cracks me up, too!




And last, but not least...

Awwwww.

Have a great week!



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