LOVE THOSE LAMESA GALS!



Last Saturday I had a "Girls' Day Out" with six women from Lamesa.  It had been so long since I had done something as frivolous as going shopping,  that I was in culture shock for at least an hour. 

I met the ladies at Jackie's house, and we headed out to Post. 

Two of the gals were in the back seat talking non-stop about all the stuff they had bought, and then one pipes up and says, "Who is the best hair dresser in Lamesa?"  That's when I realized that I had come to a new world--the world of Lamesa.  Lamesa has a culture all its own--one that I dearly love and miss so much.  I had so much fun in Lamesa when I taught ten miles down the road.  I just love their glitz!  The ladies doll up more in Lamesa, Texas, than anywhere in the world.  They get their nails done whether they need it or not. 

These ladies know how to shop and they do it on a regular basis--purses, shoes, clothes.  You name it they have it.

We had a fabulous time looking, eating, looking, buying.  I found a neat bookstore at the end of the tour, and was  talking to a country lawyer, ex-district attorney, turned author when they called and said, "Time was up.  We are heading to Rag Town Theater."  I had to leave the author, without a book or pictures.  I was all set to take a picture of the resident Siamese cat, when she jumped down, and I didn't have time to make her pose (against her will) for a picture to go with the story. 

Here we are with friends from Post from left to right starting with the front row:

Maria Aguirre, Dorothy Evans, Rosie.  Back row:  Pam Vogler, Jackie Hahn, Jackie Calhoun, Janelise Bowman, Carol and Wayne McDonald.  We met Carol and Wayne at the restaurant, and then went to see them perform in Bethlehem at Rag Town Theater. 

After last Saturday, I realized that my life has dwindled into a very boring routine--go to school, stay after school, go home and do it all over again, day after day.  I am resolved to go back to Post  with the crew and take care of unfinished business; so that cat had better be ready to cooperate because here I come!





Fashionistas at AHS

Boots!  Boots with skirts and dresses are the thing here at AHS.

Some guys like the boots from the South, South of the Border, that is.

Some of these Mexican boots are really fancy.

The kid that owned these boots says they portray his life.  He's into rodeo, which is one big gamble.

Hope his rodeo life is as good as the hand on his boots. 

Anyway, the four aces are made by a boot company called Tin Haul out of Las Vegas.  So, Cowboy, if you really want to dress up, check it out on line.

Homecoming was a parade of fashion!

Lots of fancy mums. 

The bigger the better.  One mum I saw was so big it had to have a strap around the neck for support.

Belts are glitzy with lots of shiny stones of all colors.

Shiny, and colorful stones are everywhere, including purses.

And then there are feathers in your hair that are attached with some sort of clip so they stay put, and you just shampoo them with the rest of your locks. 

Honestly, I am not sure what the rest of the world is doing as far as fashion--but here where I reside--gaudy is good! 

Hope y'all have a blessed Thanksgiving! 

Entertaining Papaw

Bob was so amazed at how fast Rhys could scamper up the slide.  He said, "He just climbed up that slide like a little monkey, and I held my hand out, and he took hold of it and climbed the rest of the way up!"

Feet first, Rhys!

Down you go!

Now, turn around, and do it all over it again.  And, so it goes with grandparents as babysitters!  We never tire of games the babes want to play, and are just so amazed and delighted with their antics.

We miss you and love you Rhys!

Three Boys Shopping

You know that shopping is not exactly a man's delight, but Marina and I managed to get these three in  DSW in Lubbock.  Inside the store  were chairs for people who were tired of shoe shopping (how can that be?).

Rhys found his monkey/leash, so Marina put it on him.  He loves it!  I think it gives him a sense of freedom or something.  So he enjoyed the shopping immensleym especially when a three year old boy came along and wanted the reins.  Bob actually found a pair of shoes, and then we wrapped up our shopping.  Here are the guys walking to the car (111 degrees), and little Rhys is helping all he can.

Watch your step (little boy is still holding on to the bag)!

Grandbabies are just grand.

And they make grandparents so proud, fill our hearts to the brim with joy, and we just love all the cute things they do.  Rhys, you are just so fun.  Just look at you--I kneeled down to get a better picture, and so you did the same.

Thank you Robert and Marina; you are doing a great job.

Bob, Rosie, and Rhys outside Lujan's Restaurant, Lubbock, Texas on June 26, 2011.

Happy Birthday Beto!

It doesn't seem long ago you were playing all over the neighborhood in Rankin with your little buddies.

Those days were filled with Cub Scouts, 4H, football, basketball, and homework.  You were a joy to raise and I miss it!  I hope you have a blessed day, and the most spectacular year ever.  Happy birthday from your Mom and Dad.

BURNED UP AND BLOWN AWAY

This weather isn't so bad if the air conditioner is working, and you don't think about what is happening outside your four walls.  Temperatures have been over a 100 for quite some time, and we have wind nearly every day.  I took a few pictures hoping to show some of the damage this drouth, heat, fire and wind has done.   This pasture is between Midland and Andrews County.  The mesquites are burned and the charred vegetation on the ground has been blown out.  I saw a roustabout crew working on a cattle guard while it was about 105, and those boys sure looked hot!

Since all the grass and brush are gone, the pastures are blowing.

In some pastures the mesquites are coming up from the roots--fire doesn't kill them.

We had a promising looking cloud the other evening, and I was so hoping and praying for rain.  There were a few drops of rain, and a whole lot of sand.  This is a picture of the water tower during that sandstorm.  If you look closely you can see the mustang on the tower!

I took this picture of the street just a few minutes before taking the shot of the water tower.

As a result of all this dirt and smoke we do have spectacular sunsets out here in this burned off desert.  I tried to capture some of the color, but my camera just doesn't do the job.  The sun was going down like a huge red-orange ball, and the sky was red-orange and violet--absolutely beautiful.

When we get rain I will be sure to send pictures!  

 

One week later--look at all this green!  Fooled Ya!  This isn't West Texas.  I took this through the window of the pickup as Bob and I were whizzing through the southern part of Nebraska heading for home.  He had a bid meeting in Beatrice, Nebraska and I tagged along.    

I just want to do a contrast here for you--Andrews County and Beatrice, Nebraska.  So, when you say your prayers don't forget to ask for rain for us, because we are burned up and blowing away (it will be 105+ today, again). 

A Grandparent's Dream

I have had the most exciting four days you can imagine--well, all grandparents will know exactly what I am talking about.  I am taking care of our grandson  while Mom and Dad are gone to a conference.  He is so much fun, and inspires me to act so silly.  We play ball, slide on the slide, play in the water, and read books.  Rhys is almost 19 months old, and doesn't walk; he runs.

When we were on our morning walk, I caught a baby horned toad for him to inspect.

He loved watering the plants in the backyard.  His Papaw let him work on his laptop, and saved Rhys' first document.  As you can see, Rhys loves to push buttons.

Papaw had to inspect the automatic watering system, and Rhys checked out the water output.

Alas, his parents will be back today, and they will take over the raising of Rhys.  It has been so much fun, and I hope I get another chance to babysit very soon.

STUCO PREZ

This year I was the advisor to Student Council, which gave me access to all the previous records that are stored in a file cabinet in my office.  At the beginning of the year I casually browsed through a binder that looked old and interesting.  Now, I finally have time to write about the minutes I found.
"The first meeting of the 1972-1973 Student Council was called to order by Max Lucado, the president.  After introducing the officers, the minutes were read and approved, and the roll was called."  Imagine that--Max Lucado's name on those pages just as "matter-of-factly" as Victoria Chavez!  I was amazed.
Bobby and I went to one of his church services with Robert and Marina when they were living in San Antonio.  I still have the bulletin from Oak Hills Church, with the notes I took about "Facing Giants."  We all have to face giants from time to; some have bigger ones to face than others.  The lesson was about David and Goliath and the five stones David chose to defeat the monster.  Lucado said that "giants" dominate the landscape, intimidate, and contaminate our hope, and when this happens we need to choose the five stones for strength (use your hand to remember them).  The thumb is our past--remember all your prayers that God has answered, and the victories you have had that seemed impossible at the time.  The index finger reminds us to pray, even when the situation looks hopeless.  The middle finger is tallest and stands for our highest priority--God.  Look at the situation as a chance for God to show you His strength.  The ring finger is for the right passion--we should run toward the problem just as David ran toward the giant--"I pursued my enemies and crushed them; I did not turn back until they were destroyed (2 Samuel 22:38).  Most of the time we try to run away from our problem, while telling ourselves we are a victim.  The little finger is for persistence--keep praying, pray long and hard.
The bulletin from March 26, 2005 is still in my Bible, and from time to time I pull it out to read again, and remember all the giants that God has defeated for me, and to remind myself He is in charge.  All is well.  I hope you have a blessed day.

YAHOO!!!!! I MADE IT!!!!!!

Hi ya'll,
I made it to the end of the school year!  I have had no life, not even able to read your blogs, or call or do Face Book, during the last semester.  I have no idea if any of you have won the lottery, had another baby, went on a cruise or flew to the moon.  In fact, I feel like I have been on the moon since being separated from you like this.  At times I felt like I could not go another step, but God pulled me through, and here I am six hours and 30 minutes after the last bell rang still at school.  I am heading home, even though I have a few papers to grade and get in the gradebook--to heck with it.  Well, it has been a test of endurance for this "Old School" home economics teacher here at this AAA high school, and it has been a year of rebuilding, but it has been worth it.  Next year will be easier.  My next project is to get my home computer fixed.  It crashed Monday, but soon I will be checking up on everyone.  Later.

OUT OF THIS WORLD FUDGE TOPPING!

I am home recovering from the flu, and am barely able to do anything.  I feel like my brain hurts right above my right eye.  It is all I can do to type up the next set of lessons for the school urchins; it looks like I will be out all week.  The only other time I was out of school a week was when Dad passed away.  I should be getting started on the next battery of questions for the kids, but I want to tell you about this fantastic fudge sauce.  We, meaning Student Council, owed one of the classes a reward for turning in the most aluminum.  I guess we are promoting obesity too--food rewards do that you know.  Anyway we made sundaes with hot fudge, and strawberries (if they wanted them).  Here it is!
OUT OF THIS WORLD FUDGE TOPPING
1 C sugar (if you really want it sweet, use 1 1/2 C)
1/2 C butter
3/4 C cocoa
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 C evaporated milk
7 oz. marshmallow cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C chopped nuts

METHOD OF PREPARATION
1.  Use a 4 qt. saucepan sprayed with vegetable spray.
2.  Melt butter over low heat.
3.  Sift the cocoa into the pan, and then add the sugar, salt and milk.
4.  Add the marshmallow cream and bring to a boil.
5.  Cook and stir about 5 minutes. 
6.  Add the vanilla and the nuts.
That is how the recipe reads.  I didn't exactly follow the recipe, but waited until the mixture boiled about 3 minutes, stirred in the marshmallow cream.  And then took it off the heat, added the vanilla.
We put it on the ice cream while it was still pretty warm, and the kids loved it.  In fact I saw some of them up there at the counter, just scooping out chocolate topping. 
I wish I could say this was my invention, but I copied it out of a cookbook in a house I was renting at Alpine the summer Mom and I went down there for a week.  Enjoy!

The Best Whole Wheat Bread--ever!

Mom sent me this recipe years ago, and her hand written, plain, index card is stained with much use and yellowing with age.  Maybe some of you would like to have some healthy, tastey, whole wheat bread for a change.  Here goes!
WHOLE WHEAT BREAD submitted to some paper that Mom read by Victoia Seitz--Roundup, Montana
10 cups whole wheat flour      or      2 1/2 C
1 C oil                                   or       1/4 C
1 Tblsp. salt                           or       1 1/2 tsp.
8 C warm water                     or        2 C
5 Tblsp yeast                           or        1 Tblsp. and 1 tsp.
10 C white flour                      or        2 1/2
2 C honey                               or        1/2 C

1.  Put whole wheat flour into a big bowl, a dishpan if you are making the full recipe!
2.  Pour the warm water over the flour.
3.  Drizzle the honey over all this.
4.  Sprinkle the yeast on top of the honey, and DO NOT STIR.
5.  Place in a warm spot and cover with a moist dish towel.
     In 15 minutes to an hour many bubbles will appear as the yeast goes to work on the honey, and begins to 
     grow and produce carbon dioxide, which is the leavening agent in  bread.

6.  Now, stir and mix thoroughly; add the oil and mix some more.

7.   Begin adding the white flour and mix.  It will probably take more than 2 1/2 C.

8.  Knead for about 10 minutes.

9.  Let rise.

I like to put the dough in a Tupperware bowl, because it seems to act like a proofing oven of sorts. 

10.  Make into loaves--two for the small recipe, and who knows for the full recipe.

I noted with a purple marker on the card to add pecans and raisins before mixing in the white flour--makes it great for toast.

I also made pizza crust for the "lock-in" tonight.  STUCO officers decided that they needed to get their reports done, and they wanted to do it all tonight, so I am fixing supper for us.  This will really be a test for me, because staying up most of the night is not my idea of FUN!  The only reason I said, "Yes," is because there seems to be no time to do reports during the day.  Pray for me, and the girls.