Happy Random Tuesday

 A day late and a dollar short!

I'm sitting here listening to the sounds of mowers in my neighborhood reminding me it's still summer even though it feels like it's flying by.

Of course "summer" is a relative term in Texas.  Historically speaking, the only month that has been consistently cold is January.  Wearing shorts on Thanksgiving and Christmas is not unheard of. Spring nd Fall last a week if we're lucky.  So... it's all relative.

Besides, Texas teachers report back to work (in most cases) in three short weeks!  I'm so glad I'm retired!

I finally finished the shirt I talked about making.  It's been done for a while except for the hem, but I finished it yesterday.  Not sure I like it, but I did it!  I haven't made clothing for myself since high school (ancient history).

I had my "repeat surgery" last week.  In April, my previous doctor botched what should have been a fairly routine outpatient procedure.  I'll see my new doctor tomorrow for results and follow up.

Moving right along...

A couple of days ago, I think "Richard" delivered my package.  There was a photo and a message saying my product was delivered, but it wasn't a photo of my house!  I have no idea whose house it was because they didn't bring my product to me which is unusual.  I still don't have it!

genius!

Speaking of mowing lawns...

And last, but not least...

Have a great week, and don't forget to visit Happy Tuesday and Random Tuesday Thoughts!

Feeling Crafty

I'm linking up with The Blog HobKnob sponsored by Madeinaday.com.http://madeinaday.com/

This has been a lazy summer so far.  Last year, I got a part time job and kept it through December.  I'll be taking my daughter off to college this summer, but I have had three weeks of laziness so far.  I have done a few crafts so far.

I made a patriotic wreath.

Here are some birthday cards I made.

I learned to make a paper rosette, but I've had a hard time repeating it.  It's harder than it looks!

I'm going on a scrapbook retreat with my sister in a week.  Can't wait!

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Energy

I am not a good long-distance driver.  The road hypnotizes me, puts me to sleep... during the day when the sun is shining brightly.  But, I will do (almost) anything for my kids, so I made this crazy trip.   It was over 1300 miles, round trip, in 54 hours.  Whew!  Saw lots of these on my drive:

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Well, as I said, I don't do well driving during the daytime with the sun beating down on me, and I was in the car alone for the entire trip minus 3 1/2 hours that my daughter was with me, so my husband urged me to drink a five hour energy on the way home. I had gotten relatively little sleep the night before the last leg of my journey, and I felt like I was falling asleep.  My eyes were closing in spite of the things I was doing to keep myself awake.

I have never before in my life had so much as a drop of energy drink in my life, but I took his advice because I had another six hours to go.  It. Tastes. AWFUL!!!!!  I don't know what urine tastes like, but the 5 Hour Energy tastes like I imagine urine would taste with some artificial flavoring added.  I guess it helped since I stayed awake without having to stop for the night, but I sincerely hope I never have to drink it again!

Strawberry Peachy Sangria

  
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On occasion, I love to order a cold Sangria when we go out to dinner.   My favorite is the strawberry or peach sangria at Outback or the blackberry at Carraba's. They are sometimes expensive, so I have recreated my own version at home.  I use Moscato wine, any brand, and Dole or Welch's Strawberry Peach juice.  The juice also has apples and pears in in.  Mix half and half, half wine, half juice, and add some ice.  Stir, pour in a wine glass, add a straw, and there you go!  Your welcome!

Summer Movies 1 & 2

One way to keep cool during the summer is to stay indoors, and what better place to be indoors than a movie theater?  Especially since I had gift cards to spend!

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A friend and I went to see Mud yesterday.  I really had no idea what it was going to be about but Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon sounded like a winning combination.  The two teenage boys who played Ellis and Neckbone (yes, I said Neckbone) were more of a focus than MM or RW.  In fact, Reese was hardly in the movie.  Overall, it was good; not great, just good.

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Today, my mother, my daughter, and I went to see The Internship.  I like Vince Vaughn. I'm not crazy about Owen Wilson, though.  And I definitely wasn't a fan of The Wedding Crashers.  I didn't like that at all, so I had very low expectations for this one.  Thankfully, it exceeded my low expectations.  The fact that it was "set" at Google made it even more interesting, even if some of it was unrealistic.  There was one scene that was a little uncomfortable inappropriate - my mom and my daughter were with me - but overall, it was funny!  I actually laughed out loud several times.  And I didn't know Vince Vaughn could write, but he did a great job!  Summer is off to a pretty good start.  Can't wait for The Heat!

Summer!

A video in honor of the last day of school. Live from 1972, the year I completed 2nd grade, Seals and Croft (both from TEXAS!) perform their #1 hit Summer Breeze. Makes me feel nice... warm, simple, melancholy, and pure, like things should be. Enjoy!

We Want to Know Wednesday

This is my first time participating in "We Want to Know," but I have always enjoyed reading them, so I decided to play along.I'm linking up with Mamarazzi, and Crazymama is asking the questions.

(1) What is the usual summer high temperature where you live?

About 100 degrees, sometimes a little less, often more.

 (2) How do you keep cool? Do you have central air?

You can't live in Houston and NOT have central air.  My husband likes to set the AC for "light snow."  LOL.  The only time I have to be hot is if I'm outside or if the power goes out due to storms, which is rare, thankfully.  I also keep cool by shopping indoors, not at strip centers where you have to go outside, and occasionally, I go swimming.

(3) Do you swim? If you get in the water do you get your hair and make-up wet?

Yes, I swim, and I get my hair and makeup wet usually, but really?  Who wears makeup to the pool?  Maybe in my younger days!  LOL

(4) What is your favorite summer look? As far as outfit , shoe choice and hairstyle? (Pics are rad or just describe it.) Do you wear less make-up in the summer?

I like to get my hair highlighted in the summer so the blonde shows a little more.  Casual is the way to go in outfits.  Tee-shirts and capris or shorts are the best, along with flip-flops or tennies, since I don't have to work.  I try not to wear makeup often during the summer, again, because I don't have to work.  I usually use some eyeliner and mascara, but I don't use "full" makeup unless I am going out somewhere special.

(5) What is your favorite summer meal to make or eat, either way? (Score extra cool points for a recipe.)
I don't make anything special for summer that I don't make at other times of the year, but I guess I would say tuna salad.  Tuna, hard boiled eggs, mayo, a squirt of mustard, sweet pickles, and some garlic salt.  I actually make good chicken salad, too.  Grilled chicken (not canned), mayo, sweet pickles, celery, and a few water chestnuts.

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Thursday Thirteen

My summer is winding down, and it's been a good one. It's gone by so quickly, but also left me with fond memories. Here are 13 Happy Summer Events.

1. Better-than-average report cards from the previous school year from all three kids.

2. A trip to the beach to swim, sun, and barbecue with the whole family.

3. Paintball party for my son's 14th birthday.

4. Kemah Boardwalk party for my daughter's 14th birthday.

5. Movies! Despicable Me and Inception, just to name two.

6. Books! Fang and Worst Case, to name two.

7. A blog post every day!

8. A trip to southern California with my husband.

9. A short trip to Louisiana with my sister. 10. Meeting friends for lunch (since I can't do that during the school year.)

11. Getting a pretty pedicure so I can wear my flip=flops.

12. Spending time at my son-in-laws - swimming, having dinner, playing Uno Attack, and playing with his two-year-old twin boys.

13. Remodeling of the house which concluded with our new front door.

Visit more Thursday Thirteen here!

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Thursday Thirteen

13 FUN Things to do in the Summer!

1. Sleep late - just like you did when you were a teenager!
2. Stay up late watching movies.
3. Participate in the reading program at your local library. And it's free!
4. Visit museums. We've got History, Art, Holocaust, Chidren's, and Natural Science museums!
5. Go to the beach! We are lucky to live close to one.
6. Barbecue in the backyard.
7. Go swimming in the neighborhood pool.
8. Visit a waterpark. We have Schlitterbahn, 2 locations, not too far.
9. Have a picnic! Where? In the back yard, at a park, at a playground.
10. Run through the sprinklers like you did when you were a kid!
11. Meet your friends for lunch or coffee.
12. Make crafts: paint, make soap or candles, create cards, scrapbook, etc.
13. Make some homemade ice cream!

Have a fun summer! Join us for Thursday Thirteen!

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Back to School Essay

The kids are getting on board those YELLOW school buses! Now that we've headed back to classes for the 09-10 school year, and I bet some of you are dreading that back-to-school essay many teachers assign: What did you do on your summer vacation?

I went to New Orleans for a weekend.

I went to Lake Charles for a day.

I did a little swimming and took a few walks.

The kids and I went to Palm Beach at Moody Gardens Galveston twice.

I went to Schlitterbahn in Galveston once.

I painted and redecorated two bedrooms.

But mostly, I did crafts, watched movies, and read books. Three of my favorite things! I accomplished 29 traditional scrapbook pages, 8 cards, and 10 digital pages this summer. Read about that here.

I frequented the movie theater 10 times, usually early in the day since it's less expensive. I saw:

Angels and Demons - loved it, though not as good as book
Night at the Museum 2 - better than I expected, funny, extra touches and historical details
The Taking of Pelham 123 - suspenseful, but jumpy camera movement for effect
Imagine That - better than I expected, sweet family movie
17 Again - formulaic, but still cute
The Proposal - great movie! I usually like Sandra Bullock's movies.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - awesome!
Public Enemies - not bad!
The Ugly Truth - hilarious!
The Hangover - even more hilarious!
Descriptions of these movies can be found at Internet Movie Database.

I saw 16 movies/TV series on DVD and started 2 more. Here's what I watched:

Slumdog Millionaire - definitely different
The Spiderwick Chronicles - clever and cute
Lost season 3 - I'm a late bloomer where Lost is concerned, and I love it!
Prison Break season 4 - so sad to see this one go.
Sophie Schole, the final Days - subtitles are difficult, but it had a powerful message
Princess Protection Program - cute!
Confessions of a Shopoholic - eh, it was okay, not great.
He's Just Not That into You - the story of my relationships; eh, not that great, either.
Yes Man - eh, I'm not a big Jim Carrey fan, but it was okay.
Another Cinderella Story - Selena Gomez is cute, but the movie is not great.
The Other Boleyn Girl - very different from the book, but I liked it.
ER Season 10 - I watched ER until a few years ago when life just got too busy, so I'm catching up.
Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 6 - my husband's idea.
The Beach - different from the book & not that great
Cloverfield - really stupid movie reminiscent of Blair Witch Project
Isacc's Storm -historical account of the Galveston storm of 1900.
Started on Lost Season 3 and ER Season 11.


I also read 11 books, and I only have a small fine to pay at the library for overdue materials!
The Beach by Alex Garland - different than my usual read, zipped through it
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers - good concept but a bit redundant
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccoult - emotional with a surprise ending (way better than the movie that was out this summer!)
The Associate by John Grisham - good, but not his best.
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant - interesting.
Time Bomb by Jonathan Kellerman - strange, but suspenseful.
Darkwater Rising by Marian Hale - not one of the better books about the storm of 1900.
Fingerlickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich - made me laugh out loud!
Wicked Prey by John Sanford - suspenseful and edgy.

Dry Ice by Stephen White - one of my favorite authors.
Blood on the River-Jamestown 1607 by Elisa Carbone - the kids and I had to read it for school.

All in all, I would call it a very productive summer!

The topic over at Heads or Tails is "yellow."

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Thursday 13

To participate in Thursday 13 or view more participants, click here!

13 Reasons to Love Summer

1. No school! One of the FEW perks we teachers have, although many of us teach summer school for financial reasons. I choose not to.

2. My twins’ birthday. Number 13 coming up! Last year’s birthdays were chronicled here and here.

3. Swimming at the neighborhood pool or Grandma’s house.

4. Waterparks like Palm Beach at Moody Gardens or Schlitterbahn.

5. Sleeping in. I never get enough sleep.

6. Vacation. Where will we go? We went to Arizona last year. We’re thinking of a cruise or Cozumel (or a cruise to Cozumel).

7. Time to spend with friends.

8. Catching up on TV and movies. Lost, Prison Break, Grey’s Anatomy are my favorite TV shows. Movies I’ve seen recently: The Spiderwick Chronicles, Slumdog Millionaire, Night at the Museum 2, and Angels and Demons. Next movie on the list is Prince Caspian. And I can't WAIT for the upcoming Harry Potter movie!

9. Picnics in the park. (Did you ever read my post Blindfolded at the Park?)

10. Catching up on unfinished projects around the house. I want to paint the kids’ bedrooms this summer.

11. More time to READ!

12. Sunny, warm weather.

13. Summer fruits and flowers.

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It's All Good!

I have had an incredible start of summer! Friday was my last workday for 2 1/2 months, and I only had to be there for two hours.

Sunday, I attended my awesome nephew's graduation ceremony. He graduated with honors on the Distinguished Achievement Program, received several scholarships, and will attend Texas A&M in College Station this fall.

Also on Sunday, my son got to go to a paintball party. He had so much fun! Monday, my daughter attended a swim party and also had a blast. My son and I also went swimming.

The best part of my Monday, though, was lunch with three special women I met through blogging: Kris from It's My Life, D. from My Life is Based on a True Story, and Bubba's Sis from Mother, Daughter, Sister, Friend... Me and Magical Getaways. That was the highlight of my day, actually of my summer so far. We had a terrific lunch at Gringo's. Good food, good fun, and good friends! Here's a photo from the first time we met for lunch.

Tuesday, I took the twins to Palm Beach at Moody Gardens. Other than sunburn, the day was just plain fantastic!

Later this week, my "babies" are having their 13th birthday parties (even though their actual birthday is toward the end of the month). My daughter is taking two friends shopping, out to eat, and to get makeovers. My son is having a pool party. And, my daughter leaves for Summer Excitement Sunday. She will attend six days of youth leadership training and super-fun activities at Lubbock Christian University.

Side note: My mom was in the hospital for two days with pneumonia (she recently had surgery and chemo for lung cancer), but she came home yesterday. Thank goodness! And my oldest step-daughter fainted while she was running, but a Good Samaritan stopped to help her, and I'm happy to report that she was released from the hospital after a few hours and is home and doing well.

So, even though there were two scary incidents, it's all good now.

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(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

I almost forgot (go figure!) to post this photo for the Summer Fun Photo Contest sponsored by 5 Minutes for Mom. The deadline to enter is August 13th at noon. Go enter your family-friendly, summer photo now!

The contest is sponsored by The Skinny Cow. My family discovered them in our search for delicious, low-fat, frozen treats. Our favorites are the mint fudge cone, chocolate sandwich, and the new caramel chocolate skinny dippers.

Heads or Tails

One of my fondest memories as a child is hearing the familiar tinkling sound of an ice cream truck a few blocks away. The second we'd hear the high-pitched, ultra-fast "turkey in the straw" song, we'd run to our mom or dad and ask for a quarter or fifty cents to get something from the musical truck that would shortly be on our street.

We'd meet half the neighborhood kids outside and wait in line for our turn to buy a sweet, creamy treat. I always chose a fudgesicle. Always. We'd stay outside and eat our ice cream with friends from the neighborhood, and I'll never forget a girl we called "Little Linda" who let her dog share her nutty buddy with her every time.

Visit more Heads or Tails participants by visiting the homepage!