Over the Ground Lies a Mantle of White

A heaven of diamonds shine down through the night - two hearts are thrillin' in spite of the chill in the weather. That's how we felt this morning when we woke to a "Winter Wonderland" in southeast Texas. It was amazing - and such a lift of the spirit at Christmastime being far from home. Kendra and Kaitlyn called me to Kaitlyn's room for this view. It was snowing on the way home last night and when I went to bed, but I never expected this! If you want to see more pictures of the snow - check out the December 2008 album by clicking on my "web album" link in the left hand sidebar. Sleigh bells ring, are you listenin'? In the lane snow is glistenin'. A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland.

Live Blogging Gustav

It has gotten significantly darker here in the past hour. I am at my mother-in-law's house which is only an hour north from where I live. I can't seem to think about anything but the weather, and yet it seems to be freaking me out. The local radio forecaster's report made my mother-in-law cry - something not easily done. CNN is listing it as a category 1 storm. I just want to go home. To increase the anxiety - I have not been able to reach Travis in the last hour. There is nothing to do but sit and wait for Gustav to show himself.
Update: 3:25 pm - just talked to Travis - he is fine.

Gloomy

Here is a little picture of our weather today. Not pretty. I know when I wake up and the house is still dark that either I should roll over and go back to sleep - OR perhaps I live in Texas. It hasn't been too bad this spring - but last year from September until February - it at least felt like it was rainy every day. Today's forecast is for thunderstorms.
It feels a little gloomy right now in my life. Sometimes there is nothing like a good cleansing rain and thunderstorm to kind of scrub the surface and set things right again. Then when the sun comes out, you appreciate it more than before. This can be true in life as well - but for some reason in the midst of the storm, I forget that it is really what seems the most terrible thing that is making it better. So today I intend to enjoy the gloomy weather. I am sure I have at least one kid who will sit on the porch swing in the thick of it with me and watch it roll.

It Was Nice

Today was an average day. This afternoon I had to take Kendra to a rehearsal. I took along the bodice of the dress I have been working on so I could work on some hand-stitching. Kaitlyn and Kullen hung out with some of the other kids, siblings and friends of the four main characters who were rehearsing. The home we were in is a large family of five kids - all who are teenagers or in their early 20s. It was so nice. They reminded me in a lot of ways of our dear friends the Pierces, and made me homesick for them and happy at the same time that maybe there is room for another such lovable family in our lives and hearts.
The weather was perfect - almost reaching 80. When I walked outside the sunshine felt so good, and the sunlight and temperatures combined to really burn off any residual winter chill.
It was a nice day.

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!)

Sandals and Wool Socks

The weather here is so very strange, and after a year and a half of my reporting it, I continue to be dumbfounded. It was in the 3os and 40s a few days ago and today it is in the 70s. It got a bit humid, not too bad. I worked up a sweat while tidying up the house. It was nice to open a couple of windows a little bit and let some of the fresh air in. I even turned on a couple of ceiling fans. One day I'm wearing sandals, and the next wool socks. I am so not used to this - but honestly, I am learning to love it.

Wicked Crazy

After our tornado fly-by on Saturday, I was none too happy to hear thunder rolling and see the flash of lightening all night long. I didn't sleep that well. This is one terrible storm. I called Travis on his way to work and he said it is pretty bad out there. It is storming bad enough that I am not wanting to go take a shower yet. I don't know why - but when I was a kid you didn't talk on the phone or take a bath when there was a storm. I have a friend who still won't talk to me if it is storming outside - even after much explanation that the danger existed in the possibility of lightening traveling down a cord to the phone and zapping you. I have also seen it travel down an antenna into an old console television that I was sitting 3 feet away from. It was turned off and blew anyway.
It's crazy outside, but not just because of the weather. I tend to be an extrovert, who doesn't mind being out and around people, even in somewhat crowded situations, but a few days ago I was in a Walmart where the throngs of people felt like a mob of crawling cockroaches, it was just that icky. Then last night, the girls and I went out for the final thrust of what we needed to get done, not to mention grocery items that we needed, including toilet paper. As we were leaving one store, there was a man in a truck that squealed to a stop next to a car where a woman was jumping out - all kinds of profanities ensued. It appears that she cut him off and he followed her into the parking lot angry to have it out. I was glad he ended up driving away - but it was freaky to see tempers flaring like that. Then on our way home, I was driving along about 60 mph through an area where there was a convenience store, when suddenly a car shot out in front of me with no lights on - and he was a dark gray color. I didn't see him until I was right on top of him. Things are so crazy out there - I think it is time to stay home until Christmas. I realize that these things can happen anytime, but there is a strange tension and energy out there. I think I'll stay home and watch movies instead! Y'all be careful out there!

Fall Has Arrived in East Texas

When summer is over, and all sorts of fall activities start, I start craving a change of weather. I want leaves to burst forth in brilliant color and cool crisp winds to blow my way. I want to listen to the Little Women soundtrack, drink apple cider and visit the pumpkin patch. Fall in Texas leaves something to be desired. Thus far the temperatures had not cooled. Occasionally you can see a brown leaf drift slowly and anti-climatically to the ground. But yesterday something wonderful happened..... when we left for co-op in the morning it was downright muggy. Around noon I started to notice trees blowing in the wind outside, followed by a little rain, and there was a major drop in temperatures. Today I would classify as chilly! Woo hoo. A sign of fall at last. The leaves are still brown, but there is a breeze in the air and I'm loving it.
The weather change put me in the mood to do something fall-ish. I stopped by the HEB and picked up some pumpkins, and brought them home for my kids and Michael to carve. We put on a scary sounds CD and carved us up some pumpkins. Kendra and Michael carved Jack and Sally from a Nightmare Before Christmas, and Kullen did Jack as well. Kaitlyn did a creative jack-o-lantern face. They were all pretty cool. I didn't get a picture of Michael's before he took it home, but he promised to send it to me. He lies - I'll never see it!

I never got a picture of Kullen with his pumpkin. He wasn't having a good night. The pumpkin he carved is to the far right in the top picture.

Weather - Ugh

There is much talk in the area about Hurricane Dean. I just read the local television stations website with up to date information about the storm and read this disheartening phrase: forecasters saying it could turn into a monster Category 5 storm within 72 hours. Not what somebody new to hurricane weather wants to read. I also checked this out on an almanac site, and even if the hurricane doesn't make a direct path toward us, we are going to have a wet and dreary week! Ugh. Please pray for us.

Dog Days of Summer Over? I Think NOT!

Perhaps the lazy days of summer are over, as I feel the electricity of activity cranking up all around me - both in the real world with co-op and sports and the 8,924,375 symptoms that we are just around the corner from most kids going "back-to-school", and in the cyber world as homeschooling friends are blogging about their activities, curriuculum, lesson plans, etc. (None of which btw will you find here other than maybe the mention of a good book.......) However, my friend Joanne posted on her blog this morning that she heard on the news that the "dog days" of summer were over. I can tell you that summer weather is still in full swing in SE Texas. We have had 108+ heat index over the last week, which is causing tropical storms and potential hurricanes to swirl off our coast. It is hot outside like parking your car in 100 degree temps with the windows up out in the full sunlight hot. When you step outside you are immediately damp and it takes your breath away. We are thankful for AC on a whole new level, both in the car and the house. Hot, hot, hot!

I'm Dreaming of a WHITE Easter????

This has got to be THE weirdest thing I have ever seen! It was so totally unexpected. We went to a "Good Saturday" family get together, and shortly after everyone was assembled, somebody said, "It's snowing!" We had seen a few flurries mixed in with sleety rain on the way there, but of course you know I thought to myself, "This is TEXAS. That is all you're ever gonna see!" Well fool me - because every few minutes my husband was saying, "Julie, come and take a picture of THIS!" The flakes were getting bigger and bigger, and before you knew it the grass was covered, kids were outside in flip flops and capris, grabbing snow off of cars and throwing it at each other. Unreal. There were spring flowers in full bloom - because it has been HOT here. Just yesterday my girls were laying out on a blanket in the sunshine. And today we see this:
This is the only picture I could get of all three of my kids in one spot - and this is before the ground was even white! See all the cutie-patootie native Texans in the background - they threw the door open and the whole crowd of us came in and out watching this in awe and wonder! Good thing my girls turned around at the last minute and went inside to grab their coats when we were leaving the house. I was wearing capri pants, a spring shirt and a lightweight jacket - in total denial. I was freezing! A white Easter? Whoda thunk it?

On another very interesting note, on our way home the neighboring town was hosting a "Dogwood Festival" and they were shooting off fireworks as we came through, so we pulled over to stand in the sleet and watch them! I KNOW that is a first - I've never seen fireworks and snow on the same day!

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!)

Are You Sure It's March

After a day at the park today, I have sunburn and mosquito bites. Are we totally sure that it's only March?

I Just Can't Help It!

I am sorry - I just can't help myself. This was the thermometer on my front porch - in a corner - in the shade this afternoon! It was almost summer weather here today and I'm loving it! I thought I would post this picture to prove how lovely it is here in Texas. (Although this is likely an indication of how terribly hot it is going to get in a month or two! YIKES) Thermometer courtesy of Andrew Seredinsky and family! (Thanks y'all!)

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

BIG Surprise!

It is raining again. East Texas is about the rainiest place in the world. I don't believe I have ever seen so many rainy days - and yet, people continue to tell me that it isn't even the rainy season yet. I think instead of the new mini-van, perhaps methinks we should have purchased a boat! I am serious. Don't laugh - no really. My front yard right now is a river. The water just keeps on coming.
Also, can anyone tell me WHY in an area that is tornado prone, the houses aren't on solid foundations? In fact - basements, we were told by our Realtor do not even exist. I got a nice induction as to what it is like when your house is 3 feet off of the ground with no skirting the night we moved in. A big honkin' thunderstorm moved in, and we were sleeping on an air mattress on the floor since our new bed had not been delivered yet. When the thunder crashed against the ground, the entire house vibrated. No, I did not think it was the husband working off some chili - I definitely thought that like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, our house was about to be sucked up into a twister and that I was about to be thrown directly back to WV. Maybe the south had rejected me?! Every other member of my family slept soundly and never woke up. Now with all the rain I am worried we might sink, or be swept away in floodwaters!
And another treat - today our neighbor came over and said that her dog had puppies that look just like MY dog! She says they all have a "lab" look. We are all very excited - and can't wait to see what they look like. (It was raining too hard to walk NEXT DOOR!) However, I'm wondering since Jett is wearing an electric fence collar, how this happened? It is pretty funny to remember a couple of months ago how the neighbor-man worked so hard to keep other dogs out of his yard, only to realize that the little floosy was out doing some visiting of her own!

SNOW: A Love Hate Relationship

My girls, Kendra & Kaitlyn circa Jan '96
My husband called me on his way to work this morning to tell me that all of our friends back in West Virginia were being covered by heavy snowfall. Initially when I hear reports of snow I am jealous. There are some things I love about snow. I love watching the kids bundle up to go and play -making snowmen, snow angels and having snowball fights. I love how silent the world feels as the flakes drift softly to the ground. The world that seems to spin and scream with activity is stilled and muffled under a blanket of white. You feel a sense of awe and wonder, and dare to even whisper for fear of disturbing something sacred. I loved living in the Blue Ridge Mountains on snowy days. It was a day to drink hot chocolate, watch movies, catch up on a good book, make Snow Cream and cook a big pot of soup! Even though we homeschool we typically called school off for at least the first day for the children to enjoy nature's wonderful white playground.
However, there is an ugly side to snow. For about one day it maintains this silent beauty, undisturbed by the pressure to move it aside and return to normal life. The next day, worries come in about the missed income should your husband not be able to get to work. The silence is disturbed by the sounds of snow blowers and salt trucks, and the scrape, scrape, scraping sound of what seems to be a million snow-shovels. The packed snow on the steps has a slight melt off in the daytime, and as it is packed down by the feet of those coming in and out of the house, becomes this thick, immovable block of ice. With a little more melting the tracks of footprints from house to car become a muddy mess, and your house and car wear the tell tale signs that it is winter. I have traveled down icy hills holding my breath as I slid out into oncoming traffic because of a commitment at the community theater, and been more scared than I care to remember traveling down snowy mountain roads on the way home from church.
The truth of the matter is that I love snow - but I can live without it! As much as I might miss it at times, I won' t miss it at all while I enjoy the 71 degree high today where I live!
FYI - the picture above is of my girls, Kendra & Kaitlyn circa Jan '96 - I intend to caption it when I figure out how!!!!

TEXAS - Prayer Request and a Funny!

We have many family members in Texas right now that we cannot contact by telephone. We are very worried about them. Travis' grandmother is 92 years old, and she is with his parents and aunt, cousin and her three very small children. They are already very tired from being in the car yesterday for 19 hours. My dad just called and said he heard that Lufkin, their hometown was being reported from on CNN and that they are in harms way and should probably be evacuating. We haven't been able to get a phone line to Texas all day. Gas is also in very short supply there. Usually I am glad that I do not have cable - but right know I am only getting bits and pieces of what's happening from others. I will trust in my great big God to protect them. I am asking you to ask Him to take care of them and all the people in danger from this terrible storm tonight.

On a lighter note, one morning this week, Kullen and I were driving Travis to work so that we could have the car for the day. On the way back, on WGTS 91.9, they had an elementary school class saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Having worked with Kullen on that last year, I was coaxing him to say it with me and them. He didn't seem to remember much of it - and so I started in my mommy lecturing way telling him how important it was to know the pledge if you live in America. He is in the backseat, and I was looking at his face in the rearview mirror when he said, "Mom, pretty soon, we won't LIVE in America. We'll live in Texas!" I just cracked up! And I remembered the blinkie that I pasted just above this paragraph!!!! Too funny! I can't wait till he gets to tell Memaw and Papa that one!

Happy Fall Y'all

Tomorrow is the FIRST day of fall. What do you do with your family special to celebrate this awesome season? If you're reading this - consider yourself TAGGED! Tell me what you do to celebrate autumn!

Our family always loves to go to a fall festival called Joshua's Hands, put on by a large homeschooling family with the support of their church. They have games and all kinds of activities - puppet shows, face painting, auction, crafts to make and take, Christian bands, petting zoo, demonstrations of spinning wool, antique show, and my favorite part is the food - homemade beef barley stew, chilli, hot dogs, and apples everywhere! They decorate it really nice and it is such a great fall outdoor activity.

Another tradition we started last year with my friend Tina was "Happy Fall" breakfast together. They come to my house and we have a BIG breakfast. I make a ton of pumpkin pancakes, and sausage with maple syrup and butter - and we have hot spiced apple cider and hot chocolate or coffee to drink. It was such a fun thing to do. Last year we did it rather impromptu - but both of our families loved it so much that we decided to plan it, and invited another family that lives nearby.

Oh yeah, and for anyone interested, here is the Pumpkin Pancake recipe:

Pumpkin Pancakes
2 cups biscuit/baking mix
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 c. pumpkin (canned - NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1 can (12oz) evaporated milk
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla
Maple syrup

Combine dry ingredients in bowl.
Combine wet ingredients separately.
Blend well - and stir into dry ingredients and mix well.
Pour batter by 1/2 cupfuls onto a lightly greased, hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown.
Serve with syrup.

Sorry for the oversight - originally I left the pumpkin out of the recipe - inadvertently. I apologize for the error! Gosh! I promise the rest of the recipe is here - in the right amounts!!!! We had them today, and they were wonderful!

It's Happening - Fall is Here!

The evenings have started getting cooler - so we've opened up our windows - and only for the hour around dinner time is it warm enough to want the AC on. It is starting to get dark earlier in the evening, and school has started back up for public school kids and homeschoolers alike. I have been in denial as all these things are happening - because it will be ten times harder to pull away from my little house in the big woods if the trees are covered with fall foliage, but the other day I spotted the first specks of color coming to my trees! (See the picture above!) My house has a full basment, and it puts the rest of the house out of the ground about seven steps in the front, but because of the slope of the land, we are at a second story level in the back - and with the view from every window in this house - you feel like you're in a treehouse! So, when those fall leaves come bursting forth, it just takes your breath away. I remember my grandmother coming to visit us shortly after we moved in during the month of September 1998, and sitting in the rocking chair by my front window, which is a large window seat - and saying that she had never been anywhere more beautiful and peaceful. The only sound through the open windows was the rustling of leaves, and the sound of scampering squirrels. I have always loved fall - but here I have loved it even more. I am going to miss it terribly. My first instinct is to feel like I am undergoing torture, but if we trust the Lord's timing is perfect, maybe allowing me to experience a fall here - at least a part of it - one last time is a gift, and not a curse.