Sweet Spring

Now before those of you who are my friends shivering in far away places think I am rubbing this in, please remember this - summer in southeast Texas is the hottest, suckiest state of being known among the living - at least in these United States - alright at least in my experience. It is hot and it is buggy - and the worst part is that it lasts most of the dang year! Ugh.
But the feeling outside today, a steady breeze blowing enough to open the windows and doors and have the fresh air blowing in at the most perfect temperature - not hot or cool - almost, again I say almost makes up for it. The sunshine is out. I threw the kitchen door open and our kitty cats who have been outdoors mostly since birth have been wandering in and out. The sound of the breeze blowing through the trees and brush makes a scrubbing sound and you can hear rustling leaves, cause we don't rake 'em.
Ahh! Yep, it's only January - but it's spring in Texas.
See y'all later - I'm going to sit on the front porch and eat hamburgers with my kids for dinner.
(Pray for Travis - it's feast or famine for him - he started working 7 - 12s today! Poor guy!)

Insatiable Bloodsuckers

Mosquitoes that is. I woke this morning to a ton of mosquito bites, only one of which I knew about last night before I went to bed. There aren't any inside the house - and my outside time yesterday consisted of a 30 foot walk to the car and back. I don't know how they did it - they must've bit me through my clothes. I even have them on my back, and the more I think about them the itchier they get! Ugh. I have always been the one person in a crowd to draw all the mosquitoes to myself. I remember last fall when we moved in here that for a couple of weeks if I went outside at all I came back in having been "eaten up" as my grandmother would say. I did however read online that garlic is a natural mosquito repellent - not to mention the other bloodsuckers, vampires that I could hold at arm's length!

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Whew! It got soooo hot today - mid-80s and it is just now noon. It is also very humid. All the storm windows and inside windows went down. I live in a house of glass - so this is no small feat. (It was one of the things that I LOVED about this house - and my husband hated was the massive amount of large windows!) Most people around here have had their air on for weeks - but we have enjoyed the cool mornings and evenings and endured a few hours of warmth in the afternoons around dinner time. It must be the windows but we seem to have a lot of cross-ventilation that creates a breezy atmosphere, not to mention the ceiling fans on at various speeds different times of the day. I didn't want to close the windows until I knew they would be shut for a while, because of their age and the sheer quantity of them, it is no small feat. This morning I knew I was in trouble when I broke a sweat scrubbing the toilet! So, we are bracing ourselves for the heat. I am thinking that it might be a nice week to take a trip to the gulf coast. What is the weather like where you are? (Don't forget to tell me where you are!)

Texas Spring

I am totally loving the Texas Spring. Everywhere I look there are beautiful things blooming. This is a picture of Wisteria that I saw hanging over the fence at the Chinese restaurant where we ate yesterday. It is so gorgeous, and it seems to be growing everywhere that I look, in bushes, vines, and even large trees - everywhere except my yard. I intend fully to have some in my yard shortly! I have seen it in a lot of Victorian era art but never in person. I think it is just lovely.
Later I will post pictures of the azaleas and possibly bluebonnets. There also seem to be wildflowers growing everywhere! I know that with the heat of summer they will be shortlived, but for now I am really enjoying them.

Scrap Happy - The Joy of Sisters

Woo hoo! I'm back! My hubby had to do some work on my computer so I could start digi-scrappin again - and today I made my first page in FOR-EVER. I thought you'd be so happy about it that I'd share it with you too.
For any of you fellow digital scrapbookers out there that might like this kit - I GOT IT FREE at one of my favorite scrapbooking sites - Shabby Princess. It's still available so go on and snag it! Shop around and buy some other stuff too - they have such gorgeous stuff there!

Glorious Spring!

One of the definite things to LOVE LOVE LOVE about Texas is the early spring! The temps have been in the 70s all week - windows open, ceiling fans blowing a gentle breeze in off the front porch. Life.is.good! It makes me feel emotionally more grounded - and while I have never had a diagnosis of seasonal disorder - I think it must at least give me a pretty good slap across the face every year.

Spring typically does NOT make me think of reading. I read all the time, but I usually snuggle in and read more in the winter. However Callapidder Days is hosting a "Spring Reading Thing". It is a challenge to help you make a list of things you will read this spring, and work on it. It starts on March 21st. Go on to her blog and read all about it.

Another beautiful thing is that all the bushes, and plants around my yard are blooming. It is such an awesome time. Spring is the perfect time to celebrate Easter - the new life we have in Christ is the only thing that has more potential to breathe new life into us. I am so thankful for a God that paints the world with pictures of spiritual lessons!

SPRING Forward!

Don't forget tonight to set your clocks forward! I was just reading a very interesting article about Daylight Savings time. The article explains why it is more difficult to "spring" forward than it is to "fall" back, and offers some helpful suggestions to keep your sleep cycle consistent.
I also learned that Ben Franklin is the one that originally conceived the idea of "daylight savings time". I suppose the fact that you had to dip candles or burn oil must have made finding a way to make the most of the daylight hours more a necessity than it is now.
I also found this web-page that explains the history of Daylight Savings Time and anything else you could want to know about it. This year it is more than 2 weeks earlier than it was on last year's "spring forward" date of April 2nd. And did you know that there are many places in the world and even in the United States (Arizona for one) that do not observe Daylight Savings Time.
Interesting stuff. I didn't learn this in school people.

Shout out to Snow Dwellers – Come See Me Soon!

I had to evaluate my motives for wanting to publish this post. I woke to temps this morning in the 60s. The sun was out earlier and birds are chirping, but even while it threatens rain, I have windows open and am enjoying the scent of spring. Some of my friends live in the breath-taking mountains of West Virginia – it is a gorgeous place that I will forever call "home" – but this time of the year, it seems cold, and slushy, and any snow that has fallen is dirty, icky; your house begins to have a mud trail up the front porch from where snow has slogged down to the dirt and created a muddy mess. It is sometimes hard to see through that to the beauty that will eventually be springtime in the mountains. But spring will come. For me, in TX, this nice weather has come a bit earlier – and it is a blessed reprieve. I have been soooo cold here – way colder than I ever expected. Everyone says it is the coldest TX winter they can remember. (That figures!) But did I want to post about the lovely weather to make my friends jealous? Maybe just a little bit – but not for ugliness sake, but so they will want to come see me! Come see me soon! Love ya ~ Jewls