Look What I Found!!!!!!

Woke up this morning to some strange sounds! It didn't really register at first until Tish said something. We usually have a lot of noise around here in the mornings. Dogs, whining, Quaker, quacking, Finches, squeaking. Finches.....SQUEAKING?
After some investigation, we found babies! A LOT of babies!
The eggs hatched. I can't even count how many babies there are. They are so tiny and thier nest box is pretty well closed in. But, with some effort, I managed to get a few pictures.
LOOK AT MY REALLY, UGLY NEW BABIES!!!!!
They seem to be doing okay. I hope Mama and Papa take good care of them. They will be very pretty when they grow up!

Just another update!

Last weekend, we took our future daughter-in-law out for dinner at her favorite restaurant, Olive Garden. We had a lot of laughs and got a chance to catch up on the latest wedding news.
We tried to get a picture of Tish's baby belly, but the belly just isn't co-operating. At a little more than 5 months, you would think, she could pooch out a little for the camera!

Geri and her goofy boyfriend Bryan came over, later in the week and had dinner with us. The brought our "grand-dog" Julian, with them. I have never met such a BIG teddy bear in my life (Julian, not Bryan). We really had a lot of fun. Bryan is hilarious. He and Jerry hit it off. When they weren't telling silly stories, they were poking fun at Poor Geri. Luckily, Geri is a good sport.

I got off work early, Friday. That in itself is amazing. Then Geri, Jerry and I met for dinner. After dinner, Geri and I headed out for Shreveport. While, Jerry headed out for a two day Fly Fishing School. Tish, was already on her way to Little Elm's first football game of the season.

Geri and I had a really nice visit with my family, and there were a couple of cameo appearances from Bryan via speaker phone! I thought Mom was going to pass out from laughing at that boy! I think I have them convinced to move back to Texas. At least I have a sorta promise to come visit at Christmas. I would really love that. I want her to get to see the rest of the family.

Jerry learned how to cast a Fly Rod. We now have a new obsession. Fly Fishing!!!!

Now, I just need to convince him to get obsessed with helping set up the crib, for the new grandbaby! I'll keep working on it.

That's all I have for now.

Baby Progress!

Little Marilyn, (no, we still don't know for sure), is growing. She (he) is approximately 5 1/2 inches long and weighs about 7 ounces. Hopefully, we will soon get that all important sonogram, that will let everyone know, what I already know, IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!! Tish is now wearing her maternity clothes, although she still has not really gained any weight. She is doing great! Grandpa is doing great, I'm doing great! We are going to buy some more fabric this week-end to get started on the bed clothes and accessories.

I got music!

Thanks to my wonderfully computer literate daughter, I now have some of my favorite tunes added to my blog. Wait for it...........................That's nice. Enjoy!

Yeah!!!

Tish and I got up early, well, around eight, that's early on Saturday, right! Anyway, we got up early and went to McDonalds for breakfast, then we went SHOPPING!!!!!!
We had a blast. Jerry told us about a Garage Sale in Anna. We stopped by and got a Graco stroller and infant car seat for $10.00. They look great. A little sanitizing and they are in perfect shape for our" little-one-on-the-way".
Then we went shopping for maternity clothes. Tish has finally given in. Her little belly won't fit into her regular clothes any more. We found some really cute things at Ross and Old Navy.
After that we went to WalMart and bought curtains for her room and lots of stuff to make a crib quilt and blanket. She decided on a Jungle theme.
Adding what we got today, with the great bassinet and playpen, both Graco, that her Dad surprised her with earlier this week, and the crib and changing table, we bought a few weeks ago and it's beginning to look a lot like BABY around here.
Tish's Wish List still has a few items left; she still needs a bouncy seat, an exer-saucer, and a swing. Along with the usual crib sheets, diapers, receiving blankets, onesies, etc. But the majority of the BIG stuff is done!
It feels good to know we are getting well on our way to prepared. I love hanging out with Tish. She has such a great sense of humor, we had a blast.

I Can't Remember!

Many moons ago, when I was pregnant with Krysta, I was told that nurses could predict the sex of a baby by listening to the heartbeat. A slower heartbeat was a boy and a faster one, a girl.
I went to the doctor with Tish today and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat. Anything over 120 is normal according to the nurse. Our baby's heartbeat was 154.
I just can't remember the parameters, was it over 140, means a girl?
Or, was it a higher number? We would really like to have a little girl!
Tish and the baby are doing great! Tish still has not gained any weight, but the doctor did not seem at all concerned about it. I guess I am just an old worrier!
Everything else checked out just great!
If anyone else knows the answer to the heartbeat question, let me know!
My memory is just not that great anymore! Well, the truth is, it never was that great to begin with.
What was I saying?

Yakity Yak, Don't talk back!

Alex has been trying and trying to teach Mocha to talk, but she just won't listen!

UH!OH! It's a baby belly!!!

From flat to fluffy, She can still wear some of her clothes (only because they are low-riders). She can still fit into her favorite sweats (only because they were 4 sizes too big to begin with). But, it won't be long and the baby-t's will have to be packed away for a while! Tish's belly just suddenly popped out there. We got her room "Clean Sweep" clean and rearranged, we put the baby bed and the changing table in there and hopefully next week-end we can go shopping for some curtains and other things to finish it out. We are trying to figure out a theme that will fit both Mom and Baby. Tish has pretty much decided the underlying color will be green. Then when we figure out "boy or girl" we will add blue or pink and other accessories. Tish has always loved "John Deer" green and pink as a color combination. So that will not really be any trouble to do! I can't wait to find out. I can't wait to get started! This Grandma stuff is more fun all the time!

We're Home!

And I am glad! We went to Fairfield lake this morning. We spent most of the morning fishing for Blue Gills. They were not biting. Jerry caught one really nice one, I didn't catch anything but a really nice sunburn. My legs have not seen the sun since, I can't remember when, so this morning I got up, shaved my legs, put on shorts, and spent a couple of hours, riding around in the boat. I had a great sun umbrella and plenty of water to stay hydrated. We keep sunscreen in the boat. I wasn't concerned.
After a while, we decided to give it up for the day and go to the fishfry. I got out of the boat, we trailered it and went inside the cool air-conditioned building. Then, the pain began. I noticed for the first time, in years, what a sunburn feels like. I think it will be a very long time before my poor legs see daylight again.
On to other news. The food was wonderful, the company was entertaining and we had a great time.
After leaving the lake, we drove around Teague, looking for familiar, childhood memories. We found our old house, the place where my Grandpa's house was and the old gas station where he used to buy me cokes and candy bars. Along with a few other memorable landmarks.
All-in-all, we had a very nice day!

Weekend Fishing Trip

Jerry and I each took a vacation day on Friday for a little R&R, just the two of us. We went to Lake Bonham and camped out.
Friday evening we brought in 9 crappie, we cleaned them and cooked them for dinner. There is nothing better than fresh caught fish, cooked and eaten in the great outdoors.
Saturday morning, Jerry went out early and caught 23 more. I stayed behind, to sleep in, but ended up getting up earlier than I meant to and broke down our camp while he was out. He released the fish, he had caught rather than having to clean them before we came home.

As you can see, Lake Bonham is beautiful. It's not large as lakes generally go around here, but the fishing is great and the campsites are near the water. We had a great view of the lake, and a shady campsite which made things pretty nice considering the heat. Our tent is a snap to set up and take down so the actual work went by pretty quickly.
We had a very nice time, just being together and enjoying the peace and serenity of nature, it's times like this that reminds me what we have together and how very special our love is.

There are a lot of houses along the shores of the lake. Almost all of them have private boat docks or boat houses and fishing piers. Jerry and I would love to be able to buy a house on the water front. Not really such a far-out dream. The houses are generally modest and likely within our budget. I think we will probably pursue that goal, sometime in the not-so-distant-future.
But in the meantime, we have babies and weddings to plan for. Real life goes on, but we do have wonderful weekends together to make plans for future dreams come true. That also, is part of real life and part of what makes us stronger.

Children at play!

Baby Mocha is growing up. She has made a lot of new friends.

Here she is, learning how to chew one's tail, from Sami.Go away, KID, you bother me!
Maybe, Alex will play!!!What are we playing?How about, "Catch My Tail" or "Here We Go Round The Little Green Bird"? Or "Follow the Leader"Snickers, Do you wanna play?
No thanks, I'll just watch this one!

When your children have feathers or fur, it's quite interesting to watch them play together. Mocha and Alex have become very good friends.
Sami and Snickers have learned to be more patient and Mocha is learning respect for the beaks and teeth of her elders!

"Marilyn"?

Here is the first picture of Tish's baby. It's not easy to see, sonograms never are and they become more difficult to see when you scan them. But, if you look closely, in the center of the picture, there is an odd shaped black area, that is the uterus. Laying on "her" back, is "Marilyn". Her little head is to the right and her belly is in the center. The small white dot is a tiny foot. "Marilyn" is approximately 6.47 centimeters long from crown to rump, or a little less than 3 inches, about the size of a lime. Tish is a little more than 13 weeks, or 3 mos. along.

She is doing very well and feeling wonderful. She is eating more now than she ever has, although she still isn't gaining any weight.

We are all so excited. Even Great-Grandma Margaret is getting into the act and has picked out her own special nick-name for her newest Great-Grandchild. Aunt Beth wants to know as soon as we do, if we are really having a girl so she can start picking out some clothes. Grandpa is ready to go fishing and me? Well, I am just excited about seeing a healthy and beautiful baby. Well, it doesn't hurt that Tish is living with us!

As Mothers, we spend the majority of our lives raising our children to be adults. We teach them every thing we can about the big, wide world and how to survive it. I believe empty nest is when the last of the children are grown and gone and we are waitng for the joy of grandchildren.
The waiting can be painful at times. There is nothing more glorious than the birth of that first grandchild and no words to describe the feelings that accompany the births of each one in turn as they come along. I really did not realize the capacity for love that is in my heart until Jacob and Lucy and it does not diminish. Two more grandbabies! What a joy.

I'm Tired!

This week was a hard one. We had our annual STATE SURVEY........
It really went very well. I work in a very nice place, we weren't really worried, but State Surveyors always make people uncomfortable and that causes a general feeling of anxiety in a building.
I think there must be a special class on "How to Confuse and Intimidate People" that all surveyors are required to attend and pass with 100% completion in order to become part of the secret society. They don't talk unless they are asking you a specifically difficult question. They always look at you like they think you are making up the answer and then they walk away without replying to you! You don't know until they walk out the door, if you did okay and then you don't know for about two weeks, if you didn't!!!!!! It's enough to drive any one a little crazy.
Anyway, it's over now (until next year) and we did well.
I am mentally and emotionally exhausted! I thought I was going to have to work 10-6 all week-end but we got that covered. So, tommorow, I will be sleeping in, getting up when I wake up and sipping my coffee while I watch a little brainless T.V. Then maybe, I'll take a nap, eat a little lunch, take another nap, watch some more nonsense T.V. eat some dinner and go to bed for the night!
It's so nice to not have any responsibilities for a change. All my children grown, just me, Jerry and the critters! Jerry usually goes fishing on Saturdays. He is so sweet, he actually goes away for the morning, not only because he likes to fish, but also because he wants me to have my "Do-Nothing" Day. I love Jerry, everybody should have one!!!!
Tonight we're having dinner out of a can! How cool is that?! I get to start my week-end early!!!

YEA!!!!! Way to go, Jerry!!

4 More Pounds! That's a little over 14 1/2 pounds for two weeks! I am so proud of my sweet husband. He is working hard and doing a great job. Congratulations!

Tish had her first doctor appt. today. She is 11 weeks along. She is just fine. She has another appt. next Monday to do a sonogram. Pictures soon!!!

It's been a long week!

What a week!
Everyday this week, I have gotten up early, fixed Jerry's lunch, ironed our clothes, gone to work early, worked 9-10 hours, came home, fed the critters, cooked dinner, watched a little T.V. and went to bed. Only to start all over again the very next morning.
It is finally Saturday!!!!
This morning, I slept in, ran some errands and went shopping with Tish.
I have done nothing else!
Last Monday, Jerry weighed in and he has lost more than 10 pounds (in just 1 week) on his diet!
He is doing great. He is sticking strictly to the meals that I provide for him. I am learning how to cook, all over again.
Tomorrow, we will go to church and then we are going out to eat. We ate at Ghengis Grill last night. Our first meal out in 2 weeks! I really enjoyed not having to cook.
This morning, Tish and I went shopping around for baby stuff.
We checked out the local resale stores and found a baby bed (like new condition) and a changing table (also, like new condition) for the grand price of $30.00 for the two of them! We also priced new ones and we managed to save close to $300.00 by buying used items. We still need to find a mattress for the crib. I am pleased with our results this morning. We are planning to buy something we need, each payday. I think we will have every thing the little one needs by the time (she) arrives.
Tish has a doctor appointment on Monday. We will have a definate due date then. We are all getting so excited.
I can't think of any other news for now and I have to get ready for next weeks' Rat Race!
More news next time!

Lots of News!!!

Here are a couple of more pictures of Mocha. She is about 9 weeks old now and developing quite a personality. So far every one loves her. Still isn't any bigger than a minute. But she thinks she is a Great Dane.

More news on the Homefront for any one who is interested. Jerry has just completed his third day of Weight Watchers. He is doing great. I am helping by planning menus and packing his lunch. I am proud of him. I know he will reach his goal.

We are expecting 2 additional grandchildren in February. Krysta and Cotton are expecting their third and Tish is expecting her first. We are going to have quite a busy Spring next year. Not to mention a very busy next few months.

My job is going well, I had to work third shift for nearly two weeks and I am really hoping they will be able to cover it for a while so I can do my own job. I was able to take today off and spend some time with Jerry and Tish. Oh! and Mocha, and Snickers, and Sami, and Saul, and Alex, and Spike, and Candy, and Digory, and Annie and Ollie, and Ozzie and Harriet.Whew, did I forget anyone?

Well, that's all the news for now! See ya later!!!!!

One year older!

One more year, one more birthday, a little older, a little wiser. It's almost over! I had a very nice birthday this year! Jerry got me a sweet new puppy! Tish and Geri Alice got me a little bitty crate for my little bitty dog and a gift certificate for Petsmart so I can get more puppy stuff! Aaron and Ashley took Jerry and me out to eat on Friday night to OUTBACK. My favorite steak place!!! To celebrate my birthday and Father's Day! I got several phone calls wishing me a happy birthday!
All in all, it was pretty nice! I'm glad it is over. Now, we can get on with the rest of the year.
Mocha is getting sweeter and more adventurous every day! She is so tiny, it is a blast watching her play and run. We already have her crate trained. She goes to sleep almost immediately when I put her to bed. I got a playpen to put her in during the day while I am at work and she really doesn't seem to mind being confined for the length of time I am gone, but when I get home, she is ready to get out and play!
Jerry is already attached to the tiny pooch! I think she reminds him of Hershey, our little female chihuahua, that we lost several years ago to old age. She was Sami's mom. She was such a sweet little thing and we both really miss her!

It was great to have Aaron home for a little while! He looks so good! It is obvious that the Army has been good for him. He has put on nearly 40 pounds! I know that sounds weird, but he weighed 167 when he joined up and at 6'3", that is pretty thin. He weighs 205, now and it is all muscle!
Ashley is so sweet! She adores Aaron. Anyone who sees them together can tell that right off! She also is sweet to me and Jerry. She loves to hug him just to hear him say, "YUK!" Aaron has changed in a good way. He has grown up so much, but there is still that playful, goofy side of him, that we all love!
I am going to miss him, again! But he will be back around Christmas.

An up-date from Shreveport!
Everyone is doing well. Eddy is feeling better. He is bored silly, being pretty much housebound until the doctor releases him to go back to work! Other than that he is almost back to his lovable self! Mom and Beth are doing well. They are enjoying the birds. Mom called to wish me a happy birthday and get a refresher on clipping her cockatiels wings. I really am happy she called! I am glad that they are enjoying having the birds and interacting with them!
Lexus is becoming more social, Eddy said she will let him pet her! That is great! Mom has also discovered that Lexus does't like hats! She gets really upset when someone wears a hat where she can see them! Eddy says, that is because it's bad manners to wear a hat in the house!

Well, it's bedtime! Thanks to you all for the birthday gifts and good wishes! I love you all!

Introducing Mocha!

Here she is!
Weighing in at 18 oz. She is six weeks old. We have had her only three days and she has already managed to steal a few hearts. Mine, Jerry's, Tish's, Aaron's, Ashley's and just about every body at work or any one else who meets her.
Sam and Snickers are not overly impressed with her yet. They just sniff her and walk away when she gets close to them. Spike can't decide "what" she is. He keeps sniffing at her and then ignores her. You can almost hear him thinking, "It smells like a dog. But it looks like something I ought to eat!" Candy could really care less and Alex hasn't even acted like he noticed. Saul hasn't met her yet. I am a little concerned about him trying to play with her, he only weighs about a hundred times more than she does.
She sleeps a lot and eats about every 3-4 hours. She will play for about 30 minutes and then gets sleepy again. She loves to be cuddled and will follow me around begging to be picked up.
She is a little doll. We are going to love having her around!

ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY , NO MORE DOGS!

Let's see. There's Sami, our eight year old chihuahua. Then there's Saul, our two year old german shepherd mix. And of course, there's Snickers, our three year old yorkie-poo. That's enough, right? Well, maybe not! Monday morning, I am expecting the delivery of a tiny, little, 6 week old, chihuahua female. Did I mention tiny? Sami weighs approximately 8 pounds. Snickers weighs approximately 11 pounds. Saul tops out at close to 100 pounds.
Mocha will weigh less than 4 pounds, full grown. At 6 weeks old, she probably weighs a little less than 1 pound! Oh yeah, did I mention, tiny?
I haven't seen her yet. I can't wait! I won't be able to leave her at home for a while. So, my boss, who is a dog lover, has given me permission to bring her to work with me.
I guess, there really is always room for just one more!
Pictures coming soon!!!!!

Just an update

The "Let's get Alex to stop biting" Project appears to have been successful. I didn't think so at first. When I got home from out of town, he was still extremely aggressive. He would not "step up" and bit me painfully hard when I tried to handle him.
We spent the last two days cleaning the house and rearranging furniture and "critters". We moved his cage back to the original spot and amazingly, he didn't bite me. He didn't bite yesterday or today. He has been talking his silly little head off and "wonder of wonders", he is "stepping up" on command. I am so happy. I can finally interact with him, without losing blood. He even gave me a kiss, on request. He is molting, which could explain some of his disagreeable attitude, I am going to clip his wing feathers tomorrow. They have grown out and he flew across the house today. Not good! There are too many dangers around the house for little birds. Also, trimming his wings helps to improve his willingness to be handled.
Other news, the Zebras have laid three eggs! I don't know if there is a chance they will hatch. Or, if they will survive, if they do hatch. But it is kinda cool. The little Zebras are about as big as my thumb and their eggs are about the size of small peanuts. They are spending a lot of time, in and out of the little nest box, but neither one of them is doing any sitting, yet. I'm going to leave the eggs alone for a while and see what happens. Some of the information, I have read regarding birds says that the eggs will lay dormant until "Mama" begins to sit. So. I'll be watching for that and give another update at a later date.
Jerry tied some cool new jigs this week-end. He is going to attempt to go fishing in the morning, weather permitting. We spent all day Saturday and most of today, steam cleaning carpets and clearing clutter out of the living and dining room, so he deserves a little treat before he goes back to work. I go back tomorrow. It has been a great vacation and I hate for it to end, but gotta make a living.

Doin' The Boardwalk

This is my little brother, Frankie.
He acted as tour guide.









A beautiful shot of the Red River.












Enjoying the scenery.
You can see one of the "Boats"
on the right.









The "Long-Allen" Bridge.
One side is Shreveport, the
other side is Bossier City.









I like the shark.









Beautiful flowers everywhere.









Frankie and Kim, enjoying a laugh.









Geri and I made a new friend.









Where else in the world, might you find a "Craw-dad"
on a carousel?









Geri found a zebra. Behind her you can see
a large fish and a turtle.












Sunset!









There are really too many pictures to post them all.
I think this one is great. Hope you enjoyed the mini-tour.

What a trip!!!

Sunday afternoon, Geri and I loaded up "Lexus", her cage, all her belongings and enough clothes for three or four days and headed to Shreveport. I love going to visit my Mom and seeing my family.
We went to help out because my Step-dad, Eddie had surgery on Monday morning and I wanted to be there for them. Eddie's surgery went great and he is now at home recovering. I really felt bad for him in the hospital. He is blind and is limited on what he can do in unfamiliar surroundings. Not to mention, the difficulty of having surgery and the pain that usually goes along with it. Once he was able to get back home to his own world, he was much happier and Mom and I tried to make sure he took his pain medication at regular intervals. Before too long he was his old jovial self. Well, almost, until his pain returned. We finally got him convinced that it is alright to take the pain med. when you are hurting and we were able to keep him somewhat comfortable. I really admire him. It would be so easy for him to sit down and say, "I can't!" But, I don't think he even knows those words. Beth tells me he is her mentor. Although she has serious vision difficulties, like Eddie, she has the opinion that she can do anything and the intellegience to figure out a way, when a lot of us would just let someone else do it for us.

Monday evening after the surgey, Eddie was too tired and uncomfortable for company, so we let him rest and Geri and I toured "The Boardwalk" with Frankie and Kim.
We had so much fun! Geri was the official photogragher. She took over 1oo pictures of all the interesting sights, including me, Frankie and Kim. I will be posting them at a later date. Geri is busy editing and cropping them. When she has them just right she will download them to my computer and I can share them.
We must have walked forever! The wierd thing is when we finally got back to the car, according to my clock, we were only out for about two hours.
I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with my little brother. He was such a clown and picked on Geri constantly. Kim was almost as silly, so we got to laugh a lot.

Tuesday morning, Eddie was released from the hospital. So we stayed close to home and watched over him. Mom made "chicken and dumplings" for dinner. When I was little, that was always my favorite meal. I found out, it is also Beths' favorite meal. We spent Tuesday evening watching American Idol (Jordin was outstanding) , watching over Eddie, creating a blog for Mom and just sitting around the dining room table, drinking coffee and talking girl talk. I never get to see enough of Mom and Beth, it was so nice to get to sit and talk.

In between, other things, I taught Mom to clip the birds wings and taught everyone how to physically handle Lexus and Sam (Moms' cockatiel).

We left around 11:oo this morning. It seemed to take forever to get home. We made a couple of extra stops for food and other things. When we got home, I cooked dinner and watched the Idol results show with Jerry.

I love going to Shreveport. But it is great to be home. I miss my sweet husband when I am away from him. He won't admit it, but I think he misses me, too.

A New Day!

Today, I have been doing a lot of remembering. I think we have a tendency to do that as we get older. Not that I am old. But, sometimes you just get a chance to think about your life and how the choices that you made affected the outcome.
I think about my children, all grown now, and how proud I am of all four of them. I hope that I had some small influence on how they have all grown into responsible adults.
I think about my sweet husband and all the ups and downs we have been through. I think about our 30+ years together and wonder why he never grew tired of me. I wonder how we could have just grown closer over all these years. All the trials that we have been through, all the adventures. I think about how he has supported me always, and given me little pushes when I needed them. If not for his support, I would never have made it through Nursing School.
I think about my two beautiful grandchildren and I pray that when they are grown and I am gone to be with my Lord, they will remember me with love as I remember my own grandparents. Every day they get older and wiser. Life is a great adventure to them and I want to be part of that adventure.
I think about my Faith and how my life as been blessed by the presence of my Lord for as long as I can remember knowing Him. The truly amazing thing about Christ is that no matter how preoccupied we become with what we perceive to be important issues, He never becomes too preoccupied to be with us, in our times of need. For some reason, we don't always recognize His presence. For me, He has been like a warm and comforting quilt on a chilly winter day. He is like a constant hug, a precious friend, a candle when the lights go out. He is always with me, I don't make a single decision without His influence. I don't say a single word without thinking about what the consequences might be. Because of Him, I find it impossible to deliberately cause pain to someone else. Because of Him, I find it impossible for sadness to enter my life and stay there. Because of Him, as Paul said, "I am content!"
I realize that I have made mistakes in my life. Some bad mistakes and some not so bad. If I could go back and do it all over, I am sure I would just make different mistakes. That is what comes of being human. God created us with the ability to make choices and sometimes we make the wrong choice, either because we don't know any better or because we knew better but, were too stubborn to admit it.
Anyway, so far, my life has never been boring and I have quite a few years left yet to have many more adventures and make many more mistakes. I am so glad that I have a loving and dedicated husband to share them with and Christ to guide our path.

Lexus is going home!

During my last trip to Shreveport, Beth mentioned that she would really like to get Mom a "talking bird". I thought it was a great idea! When I got back home, I started making calls to find Mom a Quaker. I didn't have a lot of luck. Most of the places I called didn't have any babies for sale and the one place that did wanted nearly $200.00 each for them. When I said that was a little high, I was informed that they were hand fed babies and were well socialized.
I understand the difference, however as bad as I wanted to, I still could not afford that much for the bird. I still needed to get a cage and supplies. The total amount for everything I needed to set Mom up would have been somewhere around $400.00.
As I was trying to figure out how to make this work. I was visiting with "Alex" and "Lexus". I was trying to get "Alex" to "step-up" and he bit me, HARD! He has been doing that more and more lately. He and "Lexus" were acting a little bit too attached lately. I decided that I needed to separate them. Then, I got the brain storm. "Lexus" does not get enough attention because "Alex" is too aggressive when I get near her. "Alex" is just getting too aggressive. What if "Lexus" went to live with Mom in Shreveport? Mom could have her talking parrot, I could work with "Alex" on his aggression and "Lexus" could be the center of attention for a change.
I talked it over with Jerry, I talk every thing over with Jerry, and decided that I would work on that project!
My next door neighbor had a cage that was not being used, I asked her if she would be willing to part with it, she said, "Sure, just take it". It is a very nice cage, actually nicer than what I could have bought. I brought it home, gave it a good cleaning and a few new nuts and bolts. Now, I had a great cage! Next, I moved "Lexus" out of the cage with "Alex".
Almost immediately, "Lexus" became a little more social and "Alex" became a little more agreeable. They can still see each other but they are less disturbed when I get in their cages to feed them or clean. "Lexus" is a little more verbal and will say words that we can understand, occasionally. She does not have the vocabulary that "Alex" has, but I am confident that will change once she gets settled in her new home.
The best part of all of this, is Mom, Beth and even, Eddie are excited about her. Eddie even told me that he has always wanted a bird that could talk.
The thing is, that Eddie is having surgery next Monday, he will be off work for several weeks afterward. I think "Lexus" will help the time to pass a little more pleasantly. Someone will need to spend a great deal of time talking to her and handling her. I am sure that by the time Eddie goes back to work, "Lexus" will be talking a lot more.
After, thinking about it and trying to make the best decision for "Alex", "Lexus" and my poor sore fingers ("Lexus" doesn't bite me) I really believe this is going to be the best resolution for all of us.
Although, "Lexus" is meant to be a gift to Mom, from me and Beth (it was her idea, after all), I hope that she is a blessing for them all.

This is "Alex" (on the left) and "Lexus" (on the right. This picture was taken when I first brought them home. Since then, I have discovered, that having two Quakers is very different from having just one.
When I previously owned a Quaker, she was very affectionate and easy to handle. She was always willing to cuddle and although she would give me an occasional nip, she never hurt me.
When I first got "Alex" and "Lexus", I was able to get "Alex" to "step up" and he would let him hold and cuddle him.
Over the last few weeks, "Alex" has become increasingly aggressive. He would never really let me near "Lexus" but I was okay with that. She is really shy and I was not sure how much she had been worked with. I was content to just be able to handle "Alex".
Well, things have changed dramatically. "Alex" bites me every chance he gets. Not a nip, a painful hard bite, that usually draws blood. So, I made a difficult decision. I am separating "Alex" and "Lexus". I moved "Lexus" into a separate cage this evening. I have her in the living room, where she and "Alex" can still see each other, but tomorrow, I will move her into a different room. I am hoping that this separation will allow me to work with each Quaker individually. I know "Lexus" will be a little more accepting of my attention without "Alex" close by and getting upset. And I believe, it will allow me to handle "Alex" a little safer if he doesn't feel like he has to "protect" "Lexus".
In a couple of weeks, "Lexus" will be moving to Shreveport to live with my Mom, my little sister, Beth and my Step-dad, Eddie. I am confident that she will adjust well to life without "Alex". As a matter of fact, I think she will probably be happier without his overpowering personality preventing her from getting any attention. I am in hopes that I will be able to accustom her to being handled befor we go to Shreveport. Mom and Beth are both exteremely excited about there new parrot. Jerry thinks they are going to be very suprised when they realize exactly what they have gotten themselves into.

A Trip to the past!

I learned a lot from my week-end in Shreveport. I learned that I have ancestors from Ireland on both my Mother's and my Father's side of the family. I learned that we are decendants of "William the Conquerer" and that we have royalty in our bloodlines.

Well, that explains the attitude!!!!!!!!!

I also learned that this is a picture of Chief Moshulatubbee, a Chactaw Indian chief and he is my great-great-great (maybe one more great) Grandfather. Cool Huh?

Apparantly, he married a white woman and changed his name to "Bottoms". Their daughter was my Grandpa's, Grandma.

My niece, Lou Ann has done an extensive family tree for the Allison/Woodard children. She did a wonderful job, I am extremely impressed with her perseverence and hard work. Not to mention the hours of research and patience that this project has taken.

I also learned that I am not the only one of my three siblings that is going deaf in one ear. One of my brothers went to the doctor and found that he had 60% hearing loss in his right ear. My other brother also suffers from hearing loss in one ear and my niece, Lou Ann has hearing loss in her left ear. Mine is my left ear. My brother Roger called it the "Allison Curse". Luckily, Beth is not an Allison. It is some kind of hereditary bone deformity inside the ear!

See kids, sometimes I really don't hear you when you speak. You thought I was just getting senile.

Well, no worries about that.

I had a great time visiting with my Mom, my favorite Step-Dad, and my sweet little sister. I visited with my brother and his wife, and Mom and I went to the Cemetary and put yellow roses on Rogers' grave.

We spent a lot of time just talking, playing on the computer, looking at the family tree website, with my niece and drinking coffee.

I think, I have Beth convinced to come for a visit this Summer and maybe I can really get Mom and Eddie away for a few days.

Mom, I love you so very much, I am so proud to be your daughter. You are an inspiration to me. You have been through so many trials in your life and you still manage to have compassion for others. You still show nothing but love for those who hurt you. You continue to give help to those who are in need, even though they might use you. You are what the Bible tells us a Christian should be. I am blessed to be your daughter!!!!

I am looking forward to your visit this summer!

Easter Weekend Adventures

Friday night after work, we met Cotton and Krysta for dinner at one of our favorite places, Genghis Grill. Jacob and Lucy really seemed to enjoy their food. Eating with chopsticks IS a lot of fun.

After dinner, the little ones decided they were going home with Grandma and Papoo. So... we loasded up the carseats, Lucy rode with Papoo and Jacob rode with Grandma. We went to Walmart, spent too much money, then Jacob and I went by their house and picked up some PJs and a change of clothes for each of them. On to Grandma and Papoos house, we set up the tent, played with Spiderman "Dash and Crash" race cars, ate cereal, ice cream, Barbie Pop Tarts, chips and dip. Finally, we went to bed. Lucy slept on the couch, Jacob slept in the tent and I slept on the floor next to the tent. Saturday morning, we went to McDonalds for breakfast. Then we took two, apparently still sleepy, little munchkins home to Mom and Dad. We all had a blast. It is soo cool that they are getting big enough now to tell us when they want to come over and big ehough to stay all night.

Saturday night, I had to work, 10p. to 6a. When I got home from work. My sweet hubby let me sleep for a few hours, then we were off again.

I had promised to go fishing with him on Sunday and he was ready to go.

We were going to try out a new place, Coffee Mill Lake. Sounds cool, right. We stopped at McDonalds in Bonham for lunch. Jerry stayed with the boat, I went inside. I got in line behind a group of seniors. That's always interesting?!! 10 minutes later, I got to place my order. I ordered our food. Mmmmmm, Hamburgers. And cokes!!! When i tried to get our cokes, something was wrong with the machine and the cokes tasted terrible. No CO2. I asked the girl to fill them from the other side because the one on my side wasn't working. She said,"Oh, I guess, I should have told you, we are waiting for the CO2 man to come. We have bottled water, HiC, Power aid, or iced tea."

NO COKE!!! How can you eat Hamburgers with out a COKE?????

Jerry thought it was hilarious, he drinks iced tea most of the time anyway. I drink cokes. Hamburgers just don't have the same effect with iced tea. Well, I ate it anyway. Then we stopped at the bait shop and bought cokes. It just wasn't the same.

Okay, now we are on the road, we drive around and around the country side. We see cows, horses, mules, goats, dead coyotes hanging on a fence, and lots of pretty open fields and old houses, but no lake. We drive some more, still no lake. I don't think there really is a lake. Lakes are big. They're not that hard to find. If there really is one!!!

We gave up and went to Bonham. We were not even in the water good, when I caught the first fish. Then I caught another one. 4 nice crappie, in the first 10 minutes. Jerry was so busy taking fish off my hook. he didn't have time to get his wet.

Then, the contest was on for real. I ended up with 12 keepers. and threw back 2, one flipped off before we got him in the boat. Jerry ended up with 6 keepers, 3 throwbacks and two really nice Bass, that he caght on his own hand-tied jig.

I told you all, I know how to fish!!!! I just haven't done it in the past 20 years. After this Sunday, I will be taking on challengers. Watch out Krysta, the REAL, "Reel Girl" is back in town and she is HOT!!!!

Easter weekend "Camping Trip"

We are planning a camping and fishing trip this week-end. Everyone (Jerry, Cotton, Jacob) is excited about it. I am usually not all that excited about pitching a tent, sleeping on the ground, no a/c, no t.v. or any of the rest of those cool little two letter words, however, I am starting to get excited. Jerry bought me a rod and reel because I said, I need to get a fishing license so I can fish with Jacob and Lucy while he and Cotton go out on the jon boat. Well, that is all I needed to say! Now, I have my own rod and reel and he is making plans for future fishing adventures with just me and him and his little boat out on the lake for hours. As Lucy would say, "WOO HOO!" I used to really like to fish. Who knows, maybe after this week-end, I will start really liking it again. I know, I can give the rest of the "Reel" Girls a run for their money. I may not have been for a while but it's all coming back to me and I learned from the best and original "Reel" Girl, Jerry's Mom. You know, when we went with her, the ground didn't seem quite so uncomfortable and she was so unpredictable, that you never missed the t.v. She was always so cool, that you never missed the a/c.
I am hoping to create some memories with my own grandkids this week-end. And show
Krysta (and Cotton) that Mom might be old but she ain't lost it!

First Sleep-over at Grandma and Papoo's House

Jacob wanted to have a sleep-over. So we did! Friday night he came over in his pajamas to sleep over at Grandma and Papoos house.

He was a little worried about where he would sleep, but once he arrived, he was very excited.

Grandma had bought a tent, two sleeping bags, and a lantern.

The tent was a "junior". It set up quite easily in the living room. Jacob had a great time playing in it. He also had a couple of visitors. "Spike", who is curious about everything, was his first visitor. They had a good time together. Then, "Digory" played in the tent with Jacob for a little while.

We had ice cream and "Hot Wheels" cereal. Then my little camper watched "Eragon" with me and finally fell asleep in his little tent.

Saturday morning, we made a trip to the donut shop for breakfast. Mommy and Lucy came to pick him up around then.

He is such a sweet little boy. I can't wait until the next sleep-over.

Another Birdbrain Grandma!

This is my Mom! If you have ever wondered where I came from, now you know! I get my sense of humor from this funny lady! I'm not quite sure why she is wearing an Alabama t-shirt, since I am pretty sure she has not been there, but she is wearing the hat in honor of Mardi Gras. TOO CUTE, MOM!!!!

Ollie's Big Adventure

Saturday night, we left the house for a short while. We needed to go to the grocery store and pick up a few things for a family dinner, we were having on Sunday, in honor of Tish, bringing home a Boyfriend (for the very first time) to meet "The Family"! This was not her first boyfriend, just the first one she has brought home!
So, needless to say, we wanted to impress the young man with a wonderful, home-style Barbeque Dinner. We left, only after I made sure the dogs were crated and I had covered the finches, so the cats would not bother them.
Upon arriving back home, the first thing I saw when I opened the door was the bird cage, up-side-down on the floor and "Spike" crouched right next to it, licking his lips.
I dropped the bags, I was carrying in and immediately picked up the cage. "Annie" was still inside, a little nervous but otherwise okay, but "Ollie" was missing. After an exhaustive search through the house, I finally gave up for the night. I thought "Ollie" was a goner for sure, this time. Little did I know, he had a few tricks still up his sleeve.
Sunday morning, I got up, started the coffee and left for the store to get some charcoal and aluminum foil. As soon as I arrived back in the drive way, my cell phone was ringing. "Mom, we found your finch!", "Where is he?", "Flying all over the house!"
Apparently, with the morning light, "Ollie" woke up and decided to dive-bomb Tish, when she walked through the living room. When I got in the house, Jerry was standing in the living room with a large minnow net in his hand and Tish had locked the cats up. It was literally a 20 minute work out to catch the tiny imp. He flew from the front window to the dining room, to the kitchen, back to the living room, back to the kitchen and so on and so on........until, either he decided I had exercised enough or he was hungry, he finally let me catch him with the minnow net. I know, he let me catch him, because, he actually waited for me to net him.
Back in the cage with "Annie" and he dove into his food bowl, the poor little guy was really hungry.
He was no worse for his adventure, Jerry, Tish and I, all got our morning workout and "Alex" had another good laugh.
We had our dinner and met Mr. Really Nice Kid, everyone liked him. Cotton, of course, had to interview him to make sure he was good enough for Tish, he passed the test with flying colors. Jerry liked him, I liked him. Krysta liked him. We'll have to see how things go from here.
It has been along and eventful day, so I am saying "Goodnight" and hopefully, "Ollie" will stay put for a few days.

Bringing home "Ollie"

I named the two finches "Annie" and "Ollie". I named them for my Mom and Stepdad, Margaret Ann and Edward Ollie. Of course, Jerry had a great time with that one considering how teeny the birds are. Mom will get him for that.

I think "Ollie's" name is very appropriate. When we got home from the pet store, I opened the door of the carrier to carefully remove the little things and "Ollie" promptly flew out. He flew here and there throughout the the house for a good 15 minutes. Then, I had a brain storm. I made a careful note of his latest landing, I know, sounds silly, but I am very forgetful. I went outside and got Jerry's fishing net from the boat, then being careful not to spook him, I netted "Ollie". Yeah, I caught him before the cat did. But, my celebration was short-lived. He is so small, he wiggled his way through the net and we were off again.

Finally after several more minutes of chasing him around the house, turning off ceiling fans, making sure the doors to the other rooms were shut and praying he doesn't decide to land in the pot with the boiling potatoes, I caught the little rascal. Very gently, I picked him up, he is so tiny, I was careful not to squeeze and congratulating myself on a safe rescue, when he slipped through my fingers and was off again. Okay, so laugh. Have you ever tried to catch a small bird or a mouse loose in the house?

Luckily, this time, "Ollie" landed on the kitchen counter and tried to slip between my espresso machine and my coffee bean canister. Haha, the little goof ball trapped himself. This time when I picked him up, I kept my hands closed tightly together. We made it to the cage and "Ollie" joined "Annie", who I am sure was cheering him on. I know "Alex" and "Lexus" were enjoying the show, "Alex" was laughing.

I could have let "Spike" help, he was trying to until I locked him in the bathroom.

So, we are all safe, and I am glad, I chose the names I did for the finches. I am sure, even if no one else understands, those who know my Mom and Stepdad will find their names perfect.

I love you Mom and Eddy.

MORE BIRDS??

If you follow my blog at all, you know about, "Saul" our shepherd mix, "Sami" the old man, "Snickers" the hyper one, "Candy" the 20 pound cat, "Spike" the mischeivious cat, "Digory" the sweetheart and The Quakers, "Alex" and "Lexus". You have also met my 4 kids and my gorgeous grandbabies.
Now introducing, "Annie" and "Ollie". They are Spice finches. They are no bigger than a grown persons thumb. I think they are really very pretty. Finches are not really the "hold and cuddle" type of pet. But they sing prettily and are nice to look at.
I really enjoy my pets, but they are quite a responsibility, they require a great deal of daily attention. With my children all grown, they are great company. Even after the roughest day at work, I know when I get home, I will be greeted with a chorus of happy noises. Of course, dinner and household chores have to wait until I let "Sami" and "Snickers" out to potty, let "Alex" and "Lexus" out to play, feed and water "Saul" and give him his treat, feed and water "Digory", and now feed and water "Annie" and "Ollie". Oh, I can't forget "Candy" and "Spike", even if I were to try, they let me know quite loudly and adamantly, that they would like their water freshened and their food dishes filled.
Then, I start the people food. I usually end up sitting down for the first time about three hours after I arrive home from an eight hour day at the office. The good thing is, I think, I have cured my insomnia.