Goodness!

Well, what do you know? I got big, ole raise yesterday. It wasn't time for a review or after a year or anything - it was a "just because you're doing a great job" raise!

Nice, isn't it?

And, even nicer... I got my best friend, Kaye, hired. She starts a week from today.

Yesterday, I received my order from our favorite potter, Gary. A beautiful heart-shaped mug (that's for ME) and a lovely heart-shaped candle holder that I have given to my coworker and friend, Wendy (she loved it), and Gary included a really amazing "mystery gift." I can't tell you what it is because I don't want other Gary afficionados to be jealous. It's possible they could come after my collection and things could get ugly.

The Colonel? No calls yet... he's been here over an hour. He has that "staring at the computer screen" down pat, though.

I don't think he got a raise.

Surprise!

I can't believe it... I am going to have a surprise party. So, why do I know? Because my family is goofy, that's why!

My brother and sister-in-law decided I needed a surprise party for my 50th birthday. Now, I am not a big party fan. They know this and don't care. I love them.

Actually, I haven't had a real party since I turned 18. See, my birthday always falls right around Thanksgiving, plus my dad's birthday is the day before mine, so we've always kind of shared all of it at once - Thanksgiving and the birthdays.

But, my party-planning sis-in-law (Jana) can't control herself. Do you have one of those in your family? The one that decides all holidays will be at her house, decides the menu, and organizes every detail? That's Jana. At first, it used to bug us, but now it's so easy to let her run with it. She LIKES it. So, we all bring things, help her clean up, but we don't have the stress of, "is my house clean," "where will we find extra chairs at the last minute, " "who's getting stuck at the kiddie table," and all those nerve-wracking items.

Okay, Lynda... you still haven't said how you found out. Alright already. My stepmom called and asked if we wanted to do Thanksgiving at the ranch on Friday instead of Thursday because my brother was picking up my mom at the airport on Thursday. Mom? She never comes for Thanksgiving and always comes for Christmas. We do Thanksgiving with Dad (birthdays, etc...).

So, I ask Jerry if he knew my mom was coming for Thanksgiving...he squirmed and pretended like I was speaking Chinese. Like I could just wake up and order fried eggs in Beijing. This meant I had only one option. Call my sister.

Now, my sis, Susan, can't not tell. I say, "Why is Mom coming for Thanksgiving and why didn't I know?" She says, "Okay, but you can't tell Jana I am telling you....blah blah blah." And there you have it.

They were good, though. They got the email addresses of all my friends and sent them Evites for the Saturday after Thanksgiving (my actual 50th birthday). It's going to be an open house, so people can come and go as they like. Quite frankly, I didn't think anyone would come during the holiday weekend (understandably so), but Susan assures me more than I think are coming.

For the first time, I am really looking forward to a party.... I think some of my friends that came to my 18th birthday party will be there. I can't believe I am going to tell you this, but on that cake, this was written: She's a woman now! (18 was the legal age in Texas way back in that other century)

So, I guess this one will say, "She's an old woman now!"

I can take it... why? because I embrace it. I am happy to be 50. I feel really blessed to have such a loving family and caring friends. Life really is good!

Happy and Kreativ

Well, well...thanks to my friends Kerrie and Wep, I have received this award twice! I am just awful about paying these forward, so please forgive me for being slow.

Kerrie would like to know a few things that make me happy, so here are a few:

Hearing a lawn being mowed early, early on a Saturday morning.
The smell of newly mown grass.
Laughing until you hurt.
When the weather is cool enough for a sweatshirt, but warm enough for shorts.
When the last decoration is on the Christmas tree and you step back and it's just perfect.
My grandma's house.
Puppies, puppies, and more puppies.
Little puppy bites.
The way a baby feels in your arms and smells.
Catching a glimpse of my daughter and finding her to be the prettiest girl on earth.
My husband's laugh.
The beach.
The sound of the surf when you're drifting off to sleep and waking in the morning.
Finding beautiful seashells.
And the telling and retelling of family stories.

These things make me happy. And if you want to share what makes you happy, too, then feel free to take this award and share your list!

Thanks, Peace, and Clean Water

You know, I never intended my blog to be more than a place for me to record my days and thought, etc... but, as I am sure happened to you, too, it changed.

Oh, I still do that. Post what I am thinking about, what's going on in my life and the such, but now I feel like I have so many connections to people that truly matter to me. Even though we haven't met formally, I value the opinions of you. You know who you are.**

And to new people who happen by... I've met most of you this way - by following a link on someone else's blog or you following one to mine.

What I am getting to is... Thank You! Your opinions, suggestions, and comments help change my perspective, let me look at my own situation through a different filter, and I can't tell you how helpful it really is.

Sometimes, you're just plain hilarious. Hilarious works really well for me, too.

For now, there is peace in our house and Jerry & I have begun a plan for our family and Nicole. We think it has a good chance of working and I'll tell you more about that later. For today, she's being an angel and we're enjoying life.

Okay. I have a change of subject midstream. I know that is a big shock to you! I talked to the VP of my company Friday and asked if we could get a small microwave for our office. He said we could AND to order a water service. Do you realize the ramifications of this??? This means no more bathroom water coffee!

I can't tell you how much I love knowing I won't have to buy coffee every morning and that we will be drinking clean spring water coffee?? Life is good.

So, Jerry and I went and bought a microwave today and took it to my office. We then took a gazillion motivational framed posters OFF the walls and left one tastefully framed photo of the city of Houston over the main reception area and one (only ONE) motivational print hanging in the main area.

There are no motivational posters in my office, but the Colonel?? Oh the Colonel has about eight, plus two ship paintings. Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love nautical things. Really, I do. But these painting...well, they leave much to be desired.

I am wondering if the Colonel is going to freak out Monday? I'll let you know then.

**just in case you don't know who you are, let me share some names: gary, kris, melissa, wep, katie, kerrie, and so many more (sorry, I got tired of linking).

Bowling Like Golf

I went bowling yesterday with three of my best friends from high school. High school, people, high school!

We graduated in 1977, so they are probably my oldest pals. We've decided to get together every other month or so and stay connected. So, what does that have to do with golf?

Well, we all bowled like we were trying to obtain a great golf score. I won the first game with 109 points. I completely lost the second one with a score of 65. 109 was the high score of the day.

Afterwards, we went for lunch and adult beverages.

I'll tell you about my friends later - for now, I am off and running!

We're going to the theatre in December. No scoring involved.

Welcome to Texas!

Greetings to all my Blog Around The World friends! I am sorry to be a bit late posting my Texas tour - I had a bit of miscommunication, but I am sure it was my fault - figures!

Anyway, welcome to the Great State of Texas!

Now, I know the other Texas sites will probably give you a lot of great Texas info, and I can't wait to read it all, but I thought I'd just tell you what it means to BE a Texan.

Bear in mind, I am not only a Texan, I am a seventh-generation Texan and a bona fide member of the Texas First Families. Pretty impressive, huh?

Everything is bigger and better in Texas. Why do we say that? I'll tell you why - we believe it!

We can't help it, though. It starts before we walk into school - especially if BOTH your parents are native Texans, too. And when you walk into that school, it intensifies!

As you've probably already found out, our capitol is the biggest of all the states. Not only that, our flag can be flown at the same height as the United States flag. Why? Because we're Texas, that's why!

Please don't take this as conceit. It really isn't. It's just who we are and what we're taught.

We appreciate that all the states of the magnificent country are special. We just like that ours could hold most of them. And, that we really could cecede from the rest of you and survive just fine.

Here are a few of my favorite Texas things:

Our state bird - the mockingbird - no other bird on earth can sing like this one. Even though they'll make off with your tomatoes and ruin your garden, nothing is prettier than the mockingbird song late in the evening.

Our state shell - the lightning whelk - so pretty and you CAN hear the ocean in it. This shell is only found on our Gulf coast.

Our state flower - the beautiful bluebonnet - a blue so blue it will hurt your eyes when you come across a sun-splattered field of them. No photo can do them justice.

There's so much more - real cowboys - do I need to describe this? Thought not.

Rodeos. The coast. Canyons. Deserts. Ranches. Flowers. Fruits. Three of the country's largest cities (Houston being the best one, of course!). Fairs. Longhorns. Roadrunners. Tex-Mex food.

Mostly, though, it's the people.

Even in the big cities, you'll find our native Texans to be kind, courteous, gracious, and welcoming. What are our big cities anyway? Small town people who relocated for work. We still have southern manners with a little bit of wild west attitude.

So, come on down, y'all, and stay a spell - enjoy the Lone Star State! After all, the word, "Texas," comes from "tejas" which means, "Friend."

You have a Friend in Texas :-)

Joke and Win

I have spent almost ALL day at The Potter's Blog. I suggest you make a stop by there, too! Who knows? You could win a piggy bank, but take a moment and read the jokes - some are so corny, they'll just make you laugh out loud and there are loads of clever ones, too.

Big fun, Gary - thank you!

Awards and Getting To Know Who?

Isn't it nice to get an award from friends? And isn't it even nicer when you get it from two at once??

A special "thank you" to Kerrie and Veggie Mom!

So, in the established tradition, I will pay it forward to the following four blogs that I enjoy daily. Give them a visit - you'll be glad you did!

A Shelter From The Storm

Tale of a Kansas Girl

WepRuminations

The Scholastic Scribe

And there you have it - four different perspectives on life - each intriguing in their own way.

Now, for some fun...

Share 3 unique things about yourself and your life, 2 of them true, 1 false, and we'll all wonder which one is not true.

Here are mine:

1. I became a first-time mom at 46

2. I have ridden in a submarine

3. My artwork was used on a CD cover

And there you have it... what isn't true?? What are yours?

Sex & The City

Yes, I know, I am way later than everyone else and am probably the last Sex & The City fan who has seen the motion picture, but I did. Today. I went with my best friend and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

There have been varying reviews and I can see the validity of those that weren't so favorable, but they weren't factoring in what made it good for me.

What is it, you wonder? If you don't want to know the ending, quit reading now. Ok, the factor for me is the ends got tied up even more nicely than they did at the end of the series. And for fans, we all want the happy endings....

...we want Dorothy to get home from OZ even though we loved her adventures while she was there.
...we want George Bailey to understand one "common" life has far-reaching meaning.
...we want Ebenezer Scrooge to realize that even he, Mr. Bah Humbug, has a heart and can find the Spirit of Christmas down inside it.
...and we want Forrest and Jenny to really be like "peas and carrots."

Yep, Charlotte had a baby, Miranda and Steve are truly happy (now), Samantha was true to herself, and Carrie is now Mrs. Big.

Winner! and other ramblings...

Back on line for just a bit and I am a winner! Why not scoot on over to A Very Mary Design and take a peek at the earrings I won. Thanks, Mary!

I'm at work right now and no one is here but me, so look what I'm doing...sneaking in a post.

Wanted to take a moment and thank my Scrabble buddy, Kerrie, for the nice welcome. Why not drop in and meet my friend from down under. We've been playing online Scrabble for quite a while now. Well, it's not really playing for her - she pretty much whips my butt every time - I might just occupy some time. If you could see how many times I get all vowels, you would know I was truly under some kind of Vowel Monster spell. It's really unbelievable.

Anyway, if I have led you to believe that we're only friends via Scrabble, that would be wrong. Scrabble allowed us to develop a great friendship. Hopefully someday we'll get a chance to meet in person.

Hmm... yesterday I left off wondering when my child would come home. She did good - she was home in time for us to take her dad out to lunch. We went and had Mexican food and good time was had by all. She even stayed home for the rest of the day which is a big accomplishment for a 16 year old with a car.

Of course, all her friends were doing family stuff, so that kind of put a crimp in her style.

Oh well, we all get crimped from time to time.

When does school start????

Starting Over

Well, what do you know? You CAN lose your blog. I had a blog that I maintained for over a year (same name) and left it unattended for about two. With a little inspiration (thanks, Kerrie) and reconstruction (thanks to free templates), you can reblog.

Why am I calling this Art On A Limb? You can read all that in my profile. I'll share some of my art at a later time.

Why did I abandon my first blog? Easy! We became parents... of a teenager! Our daughter came to us at age 13 and we adopted her ON her 14th birthday. She's 16 now and life is finally settling into some sort of routine. We have issues, lots of them, and we're all learning as we go, but we have some really good experiences as well. Over all, she's a fantastic kid and we feel blessed to have her. She is, however, a teenager, so we are discovering how much into the fire we jumped. Send good vibes, thoughts, and prayers our way.

If you've ever considered adopting an older child, I'd be happy to discuss it openly and honestly with you. Before you think I will be negative, let me assure you, I encourage it! I will, however, not sugar-coat the experience.

Since this is my second first blog, I'll share a little about myself and see where life takes these posts.

I was employed at a major auto finance company for (almost) 24 years when I got laid off this April. This meant losing a lot of perks - a decent salary, five weeks of vacation, and good friends acquired over a long time. The friends, of course, remain, but we just don't see each other on a daily basis anymore.

Anyway, my job was so industry specific (auditing car dealerships), I was afraid I would have to go into general administrative work. I wasn't against that, but loved what I was doing.

God is good - all the time! Before I was through at the first place, I was offered an amazing job by one of our contractors. This isn't a contract job - I am a full time employee doing similar work for what may be the best people to work for. They are headquartered in California and have no full time people working anywhere out of that state - until now! At the exact time I was being shoved out one door, my current employer was opening a satellite location right here in Houston. So, now I have my own office overlooking a beautiful parkway that I share with one other employee, the marketing manager. I couldn't be happier in my work situation.

Jerry and I will have our 19th anniversary in November. We've been together since 1981, so we've shared half our lives together and we're still best friends. That's a really good thing.

Our daughter, Nicole, will be a junior this year. Unfortunately, she thinks school is strictly a tool for socializing. We're hoping she'll buckle down a bit this year, but we'll have to wait and see on that one. She recently got her driver's license and now we don't see her too often.

One thing we've required of her is if she is to have a car (she has my old one), she is responsible for the gas. Gas is at $3.90 a gallon here in Houston as of today and that's a lot of money to a teen. She has a summer job babysitting for her aunt and uncle four days a week. She's making $120.00 each week - saving $30.00 to savings and $30.00 for the new Sprint Instinct phone she wants to buy, so that leaves about $20.00 for spending and $40.00 for gas. We're finding she's needing to do extra "work" around the house to earn more spending money, but that's good for her.

We have two dogs who are members of the family, Gordy and Georgi, so they may be mentioned from time to time as well. They're really very funny.

Nicole and I attend the local Unity church and Jerry is Catholic. We have a spiritually diverse home, but it works for us. I am certain I'll be writing more about this over time.

I intend to also include some lists of favorites - books, movies, etc.... later.

Yep, it feels good to be back and I look forward to cultivating regular reads.

Thanks for reading my first new post. I will return the visit.