Problems!!

I have been trying to update the blog but have run into issues of not being able to post images!! Will keep trying!

SNOW!!

Snow is something that we do not see very often in central Texas! These flakes were huge...I took this at 8:00 am this morning and it is still falling. Jeff and I donned baseball caps and sat in the hot tub with the snow falling all around us. It is very pretty and will melt soon, so we will savor it for today!!

The dogs LOVED it!

Happy Tuesday!

Brrrrrrr...it's cold outside!

OK, OK...I know that we have it really good in Texas but it is chilly (thanks goodness, no snow!). In our hot, hot summers and chilly winter days, I dream of spring and fall and sitting outside. You have seen some pictures of part of our outdoor area when I showed you the table Jeff built (in an earlier post). Here is the other side of the outdoor area...



The mantel is made from a pecan tree we had to take down to build the house. The inside mantel is almost identical. We do use the outdoor fireplace on fall nights...the sofa is a great place to take a nap or read a book.

Hope everyone getting these terrible snow storms stay safe and warm!

MIA and Yummy Chicken Dish!

WOW! I have been missing in action for quite some time...I have had a bad case of 'Cedar Fever'. In January, the male cedar trees start to pollinate and allergies go crazy. It has taken over two weeks and a round of antibiotics to finally knock it out! However, I am feeling better every day!

This chicken dish is so good and very easy!

3 or 4 chicken breasts (use either bone in or boneless)
6 roma tomatoes (seeded)
3 zucchini sliced into 1 inch pieces
1 fennel sliced
4-5 whole peeled garlic cloves

Place veggies in roasting pan and add extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat veggies) and salt and pepper to taste and toss. Place chicken breasts on top of veggies, coat with extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, remove and add 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Serve with rice or potatoes, if desired. An extra bonus with this one pot meal is the easy clean-up.

My Favorite Artwork

Have you ever heard of Brad and Sundie Rupert? They are great artists and make the coolest artwork. In the above picture, they made the "Compassion/Love" piece, as well as, the cross on the round disk. I first bought my first piece at my favorite shop in Fredricksburg. Check out Remember Me, Too if you visit.



I have one additional piece in my office at the Pet Resort. The Rupperts are at Round Top each April and October...they also have a cool web site. Just Google their names and it will take you right there! Jeff prefers, well, more traditional art. So we compromise and enjoy it all.

Happy Wednesday!

Entry way cabinet

Jeff made this rustic looking cabinet for our entry way. We have tried several things there, but since the ceiling is so tall, the space required something more substantial than the smaller pieces we tried. We bought the doors, which are actually old window covers from Costa Rica, at Round Top. The bars and latches were all in good shape and we liked the way the faded paint looks. We found the lock, which still works at an antique shop in Gruene, Texas.


Here is the side of the cabinet looking towards the front door. My friend, Robin gave me the cool heart as part of my Christmas gift and the cross was a Christmas gift from my step daughter, Joyce.

Can you tell that I collect crosses?? :-) I found the large iron cross in the Wisteria catalog.



This is other side of the cabinet. The angel is handmade by a New Mexico artist.

Last time that we were in Round Top, we purchased some additional doors and he is going to build me another cabinet to replace the hutch we currently have in the dining room. I can use the storage!!

A Dog's (Pet's) 10 Commandments

Wow! How much we love these silly dogs! They are a part of our life everyday and when we travel, we miss them so much! Trooper will be 10 years old this year...how times flies.

A Dog's 10 Commandments

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well being.
4. Don't be angry with me for long and lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.
5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember I could bite you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old and weak.
9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.
10. On the ultimate journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier if you are there, because I love you so.

As I type this, my Ranger is laying by my feet, watching after me. In this down economy, many pets are being giving up...PLEASE help in any way you can...adopt, give funds, volunteer!

(In the picture above, Ranger is on the left and Trooper on the right.)

Girlfriends Rock!

This picture was made at the Christmas Party we have each year for our associates...some of my girlfriends also attended...from left, Susan (me and Hartley), Anne-Marie and Robin. They are dear friends and such a blessing to me! Wish all of my friends could have been at the party, but alas, some live far away! Missed you bunches!

Ruidosa, New Mexico

This old church is located just outside Ruidosa, New Mexico...it is located off the road in a very peaceful place. Most of the graves are older, a few more recent. We spent some time here looking at the markers. This cemetery predates the time when Billy the Kid was ranging around this area.


Since we have been married, our Christmas card is a photo of a cross from our travels. (I collect crosses - more on that later...) This was our 2008 Christmas card. A lovely place tucked off the road on the way to Ruidosa...a reminder to always take the path less traveled.

More Colorado Pictues

Jeff and I out show shoeing...it was fun and very cold! I loved this sport since you don't fall down! :-)

This is an outside picture of the house we stayed in...lovely! The views are incredible!

Happy New Year!

We just returned home from a trip to Durango, Colorado. Our good friends, Russell and Sandra Brown rented a fabulous home over two weeks...many of their family was able to come for Christmas. We arrived on December 27th to a beautiful winter wonderland! The picture above is the entrance to the subdivision in which the house is located. I LOVE the barbed wire look!

We went snow shoeing, cross country skiing (I am now an expert at getting up!!) and Jeff went downhill skiing one day. It was a fun time!


We were driving along and saw this beautiful mule deer buck eating some leaves. We watched him for quite some time and he was totally uninterested in us.

As with all trips, it fun to go and nice to get home. We returned to colder than normal weather in Texas...as in the rest of the country. We were happy to see the boys and by the way they were wagging their tails, the feeling was mutual! Home sweet home!