Graduation Picture

I think I promised a picture of my Granddaughter at her graduation from the University of New Mexico.  Here it is!
Liz is going to be an awesome elementary school teacher!

Home Again

Sweetie and I are back home -- we enjoyed most of our trip but, as usual, we are happy to be back at home.  Lots of things to do here -- besides unpacking and putting away and then catching up on our mail.

My hand is healing but it still gets very sore when I use it too much.  What constitutes too much?  This morning it was just eating breakfast with my right hand, using the curling iron on my hair, putting on makeup, and dressing.  By then my hand/arm was aching.  Still, the bruises are turning yellow in places -- a sure sign of healing.  Still overall technicolor, however.  I know this, too, shall pass but...I wish it would hurry.

Took a different route home -- avoided the long expanse of empty desert and kept to I-40 through Amarillo and then down via I-27 into Lubbock.  Stayed at a LaQuinta and it was so nice!  The room had a king size bed and there were safety bars in the bathroom so I felt safe in the shower.  Sure didn't need another fall!

We spent last night in Austin -- stopped by to see my Mom -- she is getting out a little more but she really isn't better.  Sad to see her going downhill.  She will be 91 years old on the 27th.

Home today and happy to be here.  We all went to eat Mexican food tonight -- it was good but was too much so I have enough for lunch tomorrow.

I'll try to post a graduation picture soon.

Take care, all, and drop a line if you can.

Mother's day 2013

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers...even if your country does not celebrate Mothers on this particular day we should bless our mothers at some time.

Went to see ogd graduate yesterday  so nice!  unfortunately I fell going into building  .. flay on my face!
nothing broken but right hand/arm in brace...can't do much with hand...still pain & swelling.  Not how I meant to spend this special day.

Taking a break...

Sweetie and I are visiting our oldest daughter in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Our oldest granddaughter, Elizabeth, will graduate tomorrow from The University of New Mexico with a degree in elementary education.  Sunday is not only Mother's Day but also daughter's birthday.  Perfect time for a visit.

Weather is beautiful here -- 60's (F) during the day, 40's in the evening/night.  Daughter and I shopped for groceries yesterday -- had a wonderful dinner -- grilled chicken breasts and lots of vegetables.  I enjoyed it all, especially the veggies.  Ate artichokes for the first time -- at least for eating the pull-off version.  I usually eat artichokes in something -- like artichoke dip, in a fish dish or in pasta.  I like them but thought the effort in baking and eating the whole thing was wasted effort -- not enough to each bite.  Like them better other ways.

Tonight we are having a pot roast (cooking in the crock pot as I am writing this) and I volunteered to fix cauliflower.  Don't know what else is planned.  Most everyone has gone to play golf -- Liz and I will have lunch together a little later.  She's still asleep and I need to shower and do some grooming. Tomorrow will be a busy day!

Albuquerque is a nice place -- just has lots of the dirt that I am so allergic to.  Where I live open spaces are covered in vegetation. Here, and in El Paso where we previously lived, an open space is covered in dirt.  There just isn't enough water (rain) to allow plants to grow freely.  When the wind blows, which is quite often, the dust/dirt blows, too.  My nose runs and runs!

Abq (as it is abbreviated) is built in the Rio Grande valley next to a range of mountains.  We have visited the mountains on multiple occasions -- I love them.  The view of the city from the top of the mountain is beautiful. 

One big attraction here happens in the fall.  The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.  Hot air balloons come from around the world to fly during the two weeks of Balloon Fiesta.  We came one year and it is a wonderful sight.  I wanted to post a picture from that occasion but can't  find one quickly so it will have to wait.
On our way here we took a shorter route that led us across miles and miles and miles of nothing but dirt - flat, barren land.  It must take multiple acres to support one cow.  The desert does have a beauty of its own but, frankly, it is not my favorite place. 

Guess I better wind this up and get ready for lunch.  Take care, everyone, and let me hear from you when you get a chance.
Anita

As Time Goes By...

Once again I have been buried in this and that and time is marching on.  Now it is May!  What a shock to look at the calendar and find it is less than one week before we leave on vacation.  WOW -- guess who is not ready!!

Meanwhile, I have had my 6 month check up at M.D.Anderson and I still show no cancer in my lymph nodes!  Praise the Lord!

  I learned that the more I talk the better it is because it gives my tongue the exercise it needs.  Funny.   Telling me that it was good for me to talk more.  I've never had a problem with talking too little -- just too much.  I do notice, however, that sometimes my tongue feels stiff and perhaps swollen.  My daughter said that sometimes it sounds like the tongue is swollen when I speak.  Feels that way to me, also.  Truth is, it may be swollen or it may just be stiff from disuse.

I was also given some exercises to use to practice those sounds that are difficult -- rather like singing practice. 

We have been having lovely weather -- tonight, however,  it is windy and quite cool -- we are expecting temps in the 40's tonight.  Love it!!  A/C off, windows open.  My favorite way to sleep.  A few days ago we had a day of rain!  Lovely, lovely.  We think we got 3+ inches at our house -- some places got as little as 1/4 inch and some places got 8 inches.  I thought ours was a nice middle of the road amount.  Our trees/plants really needed the rain and I always feel natural rain is much better than watering from the hose.

Because of the alternating warm/cool weather we are having a rather strange spring.  So far, my amaryllis plants have bloomed (red), our hibiscus has been blooming for days, the azaleas are finished, and the back yard is a sea of wild violets.  I'd rather it be grass but once the violets got a good strong-hold we were unable to keep ahead of them.  Oh, well, we'll just keep mowing them down.

I've been so remiss in writing that I fear my few followers have given up on  me.  Hope you still drop by from time to time -- Doug?  Do you still stop by?  How are things in Ireland?

If anyone had a minute, drop me a line.  I'll try to post a few times during our trip to see our granddaughter graduate from college.  It may be cold where we are going!