CAMPING!

I did something this weekend I have not done in over 20 years ... I went camping ... and I went camping In Texas for the first time. We went to Meridian sate Park; it was so much fun, I loved it! I went with my cousins and their gang and my husband, my kiddos all I had to work, and they missed out on a great time. I have not sat around a camp fire and talked and heard scary stories in years, and boy does that bring back memories from the old scouting days!!

Meridian Lake ... isn't it beautiful!

My cousin Chris and his son Noah ... break time after a long upward hike!

Wander who's more tuckered out?!

The family hikin'

Tracy, my cousin and I also played the game 'going' on a picnic and she and I got all the way through the alphabet and remembered everything we were bringing on the picnic!! We brought ... Apple juice, Blueberries,Chimichangas, Ding-dongs, Enchilladas, Frankfurters, Guacamole, Hummus, Ice-cream, Jello, Ketchup, Lollipops, M and M's, Nuts, Oranges, Peanut butter, Quesadillas, Rasberries, Spinach, Tacos, Unicorn cookies, Vegetables, Wasabi, Xuaca (some mexican food), Yogurt and Zingers! How about that, I can still remember! We even got her hubby Greg involved in it.

Boy, one thing I didn't really remember how to do and felt like such a clutz, was ride a bike. Sure I knew how to get on a pedal and all but when it came to switching gears going up a hill...that I completely forgot how to do. And, oh one other thing...I gotta get these thighs of mine stronger. Was the last in the pack!!

Meridian State Park was beautiful. Friday night it got real cold, if you walked away from the camp fire it was definitley freezing but something about being all bundled up that makes it very cool! The next night was actually warm but still had to have our campfire. Whats camping without a campfire? Oh one more thing...we had so'mores ... and they were delicious. Hey have you ever watched a marshmellow swell up on the fire...it never disappears...hmmm, wander what it does in our stomach!! Who cares right, whats better than a so'more on a cold campfire night sitting with your friends and family ... I loved it!!

Texas Thursday

Texas Thursday ... you ask whats that? Well since I just moved here to Texas from California only a month ago, there are alot of things that are different out her in this great state! So every Thursday I am going to pick a couple and give my thoughts ... you ready?

The 20 mile per hour speed limits around schools. I have heard of going slower around school areas and I am all for that in protecting our children and even in California we too lower the speed limits around schools when in session, but, I have never seen this Texas way. You all have flashing lights that tell us to slow down ... so everyone is going like 45 mph and in an instant they slow down to a barely crawl at 20 mph ... they keep this 20 mile per hour thing up the entire time and as soon as they hit the line, you would think there was a fire ... varoom, and every one is off like it's a race. It is the funniest thing for us Californians to see!

Another thing that's different here ... round hay bales. Hay bales are square, who ever thought they would be round. Isn't a bale a square, or I thought it was? Maybe they are not called bales maybe they are called hay rounds or something to that sort, but since I don't know any ranchers so cannot ask them. So if there are any Texans out there who ranch or farm, can you let me know what you all call them out here. One thing is for sure, I surely do enjoy driving down the street and seeing a field full of hay .. bales .. or is it rounds?

Well thats the two things for this Thursday ... there are so many more that I am discovering every day! What an adventure.

White Wednesday

Today is WHITE WEDNESDAY and my first white wednesday! They say whites not a color but I think it is one of the most beautiful colors there is. I love wearing white ... white shirts, white sweaters, white anything and I love it! I love distressed white furniture, frames ...it has such a warm feel to it. White is simple, clean, angelic, luminous ... some beautiful white things ...

Countdown to Holidays

OK today is the day I start! I started back to Curves after years 0f being away...got up at 6:30 AM and went over there and did my 30 minute workout! Since I have not worked out in quite a while it kind of kicked my butt, but it felt great finally sweating and doing something for myself! I love how working out makes you feel. It is just getting to the point where you get up and go. If I can do it for one week I think I have it licked! So lets hope I keep up with it. I am so lacking energy and a sort of enthusiasm in my life and they say working out gets those endorphin things a movin' so get movin' endorphins!

I also will stat eating healthier today..well at least for 4 days then we are going camping with my cousins and you know when you go camping one has to have so'mores! But just for the weekend and then back on to healthy. The holidays are coming real fast and we all know that means ... lots of sweets! Got to be ready for those!!

Hopefully tomorrow I am not too sore. I am going to start with White Wednesdays. Found these great blogs and they do White Wednesdays, Black Fridays and so on, so thought it would be fun to get into that sort of blogging.

O I forgot ... on the list of things about me...I love BIG SHIRTS! My girls hate them, but they are so comfortable. Just bought a few men's flannel shirts from Target and love 'em!

Old Cemeteries

Who would 0f ever thought that one day I would go visiting old cemeteries with my daughter, mom,dad and cousin? Well I did the other day and it was one of the more interesting days I have had in a long time. It is such a strange feeling to be standing on top of or next to a relative who lived over 200 years ago and the grave marker still stands. To find out where my great grandparents and great-great grandparents are buried and once lived.

We also visited several towns my dad's family grew up in and visited quite often ... Wortham and Coolidge Texas. Can't say I would live in Coolidge but definitely can see living in a small town like Wortham.

My dad has been working on genealogy for so long and even has stories about these relatives. What an amazing thing he has done for the family by putting together the "JONES" genealogy history.

It was so cool too to see my daughter and the interest she took in this and she is only 19. It meant so much to my dad to have us all there with him as we visited our long lost relatives ... they are not really lost, they have been found and the stories will continue as long as the Jones family keeps them alive!

Getting to know me!

My two daughters each have a blog. Lindsay has had hers for awhile and it is so funny and so cute and so much like her personality … asweetamericanhoney.blogspot.com. You have to read it is great. Good entertainment for most days!

Aarika just started her blog today. Her blog is at: beautyinthebutterfly.blogspot.com. She is looking forward to getting it going, she loves to write so I know it will be a great blog.

I am way too serious for a blogger, I need to loosen up. After many weeks of reading Lindsay’s I have come to realize, she is right…get lose mom, enjoy blogging, it can be a lot of fun.

So here goes my first try at it. I am going to do what she did on her blog and that is “Get to Know Me”. This is not going to be an easy task as I do not write about myself and I have always been a serious writer so here we go … lol!!

Writing about my past is pretty boring. They say without your past you wouldn’t be where you are today … well that is certainly true. So I will start off with recent events.

If you really knew me, you would know that …

I have three kids…best things in my life; two gorgeous daughters and one brilliantly, handsome son.

My family changed forever on a Sunday morning 5 years ago. It was the day my son Erich died. The death of a son, and brother changes the family, changes oneself. One can never go back and be the person or family they were the day before. You have to struggle through and become someone different, someone new; you have to rediscover yourself and your family. The dynamics change … the home changes.

My eldest daughter was recently married to a wonderful young man who I adore. He treats her like a princess and she her prince. They are so cute together.

My youngest daughter… A mind of her own and oh so stubborn,. Artistic, fashionable, creative and a heart that melts in an instant!

I married my husband 8 years ago - I knew him in high school. We hooked back up on classmates.com! A wonderful man who would do anything for me … he has a few tricky quirks we are working on, but don’t we all.!

My soft spot is helping others. I would help someone any day before I did something for myself.

I Love taking in kids who are having trouble!

I enjoy chaos and confusion … which means I love having lots of people in my house.

I hate putting silverware away in the dishwasher. Will wash them a thousand times before I have to put them away … really irritates my girls!!

I like to be the one who drives when my husband and I go places. He scares me how he drives. Don’t tell him that but he does. He always brakes too late!

I love going to the movies. I get lost in them. Could sit for hours in a movie theater, but rent a movie and I cannot sit still for 5 minutes.

My passions in life are my kids, writing, creative art, mixed media art, decorating my home; my new found love for Photoshop, riding the wave runner and getting facials!

My dislikes are any cooked vegetable beside corn and peas; never ever give me okra or Brussels sprouts… I will actually throw them back at you!

Ice cream … I do like … but would switch it up any day for a bag of salty chips!

Things I really hate … yearly female checkups. If women had invented medical
equipment, I know they would have invented something besides stirrups! Leave it to a man to leave us wide open on a table! The other is mammogram … I loved the old cliché’ when they say a mammogram is like shutting your boob in the refrigerator door! OUCH.

My fears are trying anything new … is it because I am afraid I will succeed or fail?? Not sure about that one.

Heights- I hate heights. Jumping off a curb scares me.

Making friends ... dreadfully afraid to do that; afraid to open myself up … What would happen if I did, someone would get to know me. Isn’t this what this blog piece is all about, maybe this will help me; something better.

What I still want to do in life; my bucket list …

Write a book.

Be known for something

Create something that is unique to me

Parachute

Find God in my life

I am sure there will be others as I get use to writing about myself. But for now, that will about do it. Wasn’t as bad as I thought! Hope you enjoyed it!

Vintage Suitcases

I just love the look of vintage suitcases. Recently I went on one of my first outings to an antique store in Texas and came across these great suitcases. I love 'em. And ... they have made great props for my daughters photography business. It makes me wonder where these suitcases have been and who the people that once owned them are? Where have they gone in this world? what boats, what trains or planes have they traveled in? Oh the stories these suitcases could tell! If only they spoke ... There is so much history caught up in these wonderful finds of mine...I cannot wait to get some more!

Five Years Ago

Yesterday was a day that a mom should never have to live through and yet I live it everyday, it is just yesterday brings it more to the forefront, where you live every minute and recall every detail of the most horrific day of a parents life ... the day your child dies. Erich Vincent Malone died October 16, 2005 and yesterday marked the 5 years. Wow, 5 years, it cannot be five years since I have hugged him and heard his laughter and his voice; the smell of his hair, the beeping of his ventilator. How can it be five years that my son has not lived with me and been a part of our lives. He has missed so much. My daughter wrote a beautiful and sad blog yesterday about him. If you have a chance you should read it at: asweetamericanhoney.blogspot.com

It was the most beautiful post and so personal.

It is not right to have a child taken from you ... there is nothing right about the timing. Life is not suppose to be about grieving for your child, my son Erich. It changes a mom, forever. And not necessarily for the good. It brings upon a sadness that never seems to go away. My two daughters say I have changed alot, that I am not the same person. I do not remember what that person was. I do not think she exists anymore. We all are the result of our experiences in life and how can I be the same after Erich died.I do try and I try real hard to be happy for them and the mom they knew, but they still say I am not. I do not know what to do to make them happy. I do not know what to do to regain our relationship and make a family again. People always tell me that God has a plan for us all that it was Erich's time ... but look what he did to our family. How can that be for the good. He gave me more than I can handle this time ... more than I know what to do with. I am told also to go back to church to build a realtionship with God, but how when I still have so much anger towards him. Our lifes were not suppose to turn out like this. I had three beautiful smart and happy children and when one goes away the happiness that once was goes with it. We all try real hard in our own way to get through each day with out Erich, some days easier than others, but always, each day there is someone so important in our lifes missing.

It is impossible to regain what we had .. I would give my life to have Erich back with his sisters, they need him and they miss him so terribly much.

I will try harder ... for Erich and for my girls.

WaterMarks

I am learning how to do watermarks for my "artistic creations" and that of my photographer daughter Lindsay. It is kind of fun actually. It is so hard to remember all the steps to photoshop. Think I will always need to have a book by me to remember . Its a learning process I know!!

Thursday in Texas

It is Thursday and I cannot believe how fast the weeks seem to be going by. I thought when I moved here to Texas and began working remotely from home, I might have more time to do some crafts; but it seems like I have less time to do anything. Maybe I am trying to prove myself to my boss and get some projects out quickly so he knows this working remotely can indeed work...if only he knew how much I want it to.

I still cannot say it feels like I am in Texas, why is that? I am not sure what I was hoping for but it has not happened yet. Maybe I was setting my self up for a fall thinking Texas could and would change everything. What I miss most of California, is first and foremost visiting my son at the cemetary. People say they are with you all the time, and yes he is, but I found comfort going to sit there by him and just talking to him, it seemed more real for me. I miss taking flowers to him and mostly I feel horrible as this Saturday is 5 years since Erich died, and I will not be there to sit by his side. Makes me so sad. I will be moving him here in 6 months but for me that is a long six months. My family thought that's what I should do, so for once I listened to their advice...that doesn't happen much!

Secondly I miss going to work..who would have thought that. I miss the interaction with the friends that I left there and just the interaction with people other than family. Sure I talk with them on the phone, but nothing takes the place of a physical visit. I will be going back in November and December for a few days to work there, so it will be nice to see them all again.

I did start another Photoshop class last night. I really do enjoy those, but there is so much to remember, good thing for notes and books! I would like to get really good at it and then begin working on actual photographs and alter them to various images. Hopefully for Christmas I get my wish and get a camera!!

I am hoping to start a bird house this weekend. Going to my first college football game and am so excited. It is TCU (home team, my family out here are alumni) against BYU! Think it is actually sold out as TCU is 4th inthe country! GO TCU! GO FROGS!!

"First say to yourself, what you would be and then do what you have to do" ... Epictetus

Livin' in Texas

Wow, I cannot believe how long it has been since I have written on my blog. I have to make it more of my everyday life as it seems it gets put behind every other little thing I have on my list to do or I get lazy and just do not go on to update my life! That is probably more of the true story. I finally moved here to Texas and today is the first day in one week I have not had to do something around the house to unpack or hang pictures or whatever one has to do to gt a house settled. Seems like it is a never ending story!

And the hardest part is that the walls are all different so now I have to decide how to rehang my pictures all over again. What pictures go where and with what and what looks best .. all trial and error by me. See I have to hang them before I can decide if that is where I actually like them which means tons of holes!! Bad for the walls ... good for my final look!

It has not totally felt like Texas yet,I am not sure what I was expecting, but it has not hit me yet. I am searching for something, hard to expalin what ... but I will know when I find it. Today I started to walk. Walked with my cousin and what a beautiful walk ... tall trees, creeks, bridges ... amazing scenery so early in the morning. Walked for one hour so am hoping to keep this up so I can get back into shape. My cuzin Jamie walks way too fast for me!!

I am starting a new photoshop class today with Cynthia Powells workshops. Am so looking forward to getting back into my art. I lose myself in it and I love it! Well time to sit down to work. I am now working remotely so it takes discipline!