SPRING IS HERE...WANTED!!!!

I love winter flowers!  The paper whites and amaryllis are a relief from the barren branches and bare dirt  we have at this time of year.  I think spring is here, though, because the wind is blowing (I can hear the dirt hitting the window), and it is warming up; the little cardinal birds are here on their way to a summer spot.  I heard a meadow lark the other day, but he won't be here for long, because very soon he will fly all the way to Montana!  Our neighbor, Tom Hovland, always wanted to be the first one to hear the meadow lark sing.  It was an undeclared contest between him and my Dad. 

WANTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want this book!  If you ever go to a library sale or a garage sale, grab it for me, or if you have it, and are cleaning house, let me know.  It is out of print now, and these two authors are the best in the art of pattern making.  Right now, I am riding herd on some girls who are supposed to design something to wear in the business world for a state technology contest.  I do have my flat pattern design manual from Tech, but am drooling over this one by Hillhouse and Mansfield.  Right now, we are coming up with a design, and believe me it is not easy to keep them from wanting something appropriate for a tattoo parlor or for a salesgirl in Abercrombie.  I am not sure they are ready for all the work it entails either, but I will keep you posted!  In the meantime, keep your eyes open for this book. 

Flying High

Here she is packed and rearing to go back to the tundra of Montana!  After two months of being away from home, and her cats, Mom was ready to get back, and there really isn't anything better than your own little bed, and home.  I am sure she will miss the weather down here; it was nearly 70 today, and I need to spray winter weeds.  I miss her, and hope she will make the trip again next year.  I do regret that Maya Angelou got sick and canceled her appearance at UTPB, but Mom was not sorry at all.  Everytime I go to the airport I feel like throwing a fit over the condition of our country.  Sending someone home is so sterilized, now.  You might be able to stand there and watch them take their shoes off, then go through the scanner, then they disappear.  I liked it better in the old days when you could follow them to the boarding gate, hug and kiss, and say good-bye.  I started flying back in the 60s, because the parents were smart enough to keep me from having a car, and I had to fly back and forth from Lubbock to Billings.  I shudder when I think of the first time I flew from Lubbock.  I knew nothing, and it didn't help that the speaker system at the Lubbock airport was worse than the speakers at Sonic.  I was walking around in that tiny airport, and suddenly realized that garbled message coming over the intercom was my flight!  They were about to taxi to the runway, so I went running out on to the tarmac waving my ticket and yelling at them to wait.  Luckily the pilot was awake and saw me, so they let the steps down and I climbed aboard (Roberto, you would have been proud of me).  When I moved off campus to go to grad school, my Dad gave me a .38 to put under my pillow, and of course, I tucked it neatly in my purse when I flew back and forth. Well, don't worry about grad students packing heat on the plane nowdays.  No siree!  Today, you are totally safe in a plane, unless there is a terrorist aboard who has a bomb in a private place! My goodness, haven't we come a long way. 

Cupids, The Tin Man, and Little Mr.

First of all, happy Valentine's Day.  Bob sent me roses on Friday!  It's always a delightful surprise to get flowers, and it was a perfect way to end the week. 

Then, that evening Mom and I went to Midland, and I got Roberto to take her to see Wizard of Oz at the Midland Theater.  I think she liked it, however, I am not too sure about Roberto.  All he said was the Tin Man wore silver tights and had a wedgie!  I stayed with Marina and little Mr., and it was all fun.

Today, after church, we went to UTPB in Odessa to get tickets to see Maya Angelou.  The tickets are free, but everyone had to appear in person to get them.  Dr. Angelou will speak on Wednesday night in the gym there at the university, so off we will go again.  Then bright and early, about 6:00 am, on Saturday morning, we will tear off to the airport so Mom can wing her way back to Montana, and wade through the snow drifts while she waits for a chinook.  I will crash, momentarily, and then find things to do to fill the void she will leave.  It has been  good having her here for two months.  I just hope she wasn't too bored, and that she will come back for another extended stay.

Chocolate Gravy, and a Fantastic Saturday!!

I have been looking forward to Saturday all week, and counting Weight Watcher points, ignoring hunger, just so I could have chocolate gravy and biscuits.  It was worth the wait.  Mom managed to make it through one serving , and said it was just too "different;" she  wanted no more, and so ended her experience with a true Southern dish.  Some people in Texas, and the South grew up on this, but a lot didn't.  My mother-in-law never mentioned it, and I never heard of it until I was teaching in Welch, Texas.  One of the dad's brought my class chocolate gravy and the kids did the biscuits.  I am not going to put the recipe here, because all you have to do is go to The Homesick Texan blog and download hers.  This is one of the blogs I follow, and find a lot of interesting things to cook.  She suggested adding a little cayenne pepper to it, and that sounds good, but I haven't tried it.  I do recommend the chopped pecans, though. 

The highlight of Saturday was Roberto, Marina, and Rhys here for dinner and football.  Great Grandma got to hold him.

After dinner, we went to Crane to watch the Alumni Football game between Rankin and Wink, old time rivals.  Little Rhys watched, and then tried to sleep.  Just about the time he relaxed, and started into a deep sleep, the crowd broke out in yelling and screaming, and he would jolt back awake. 

Here are just some of the football players, and as you can see they range in age, some with salt and pepper hair, even.  All are former Red Devil football players, and proud of it.  Spring has not really arrived!  Crane has new artificial turf, and it looks good doesn't it?

After the game I got to keep little grandbaby while Mom and Dad went to a party for the Alumni.  I loved it, so my advice is make some biscuits, chocolate gravy, and play with the kids.  Have a blessed week.