A Few Ramblings

Soooo ... here's what's new in my slow country existence exciting, thrill-packed, adventurous life.

The pine trees have all exploded. Anyone who has ever lived anywhere near pine trees knows what I'm talking about. You think cedar gives off a lot of pollen? You have no idea. Pine trees are insane! Everything around here is yellow. (Luckily, though, pine isn't a high allergen like cedar or ragweed.) When you leave town (Bastrop) to drive out to my place, you enter a long stretch of very pretty highway. It's divided most of the way, with huge, lovely lob lolly pines towering on both sides, and the center, of the road. When you first start on this road, you pass the state park (which is filled with said pines) and come down a little hill. The past four days, when you go over this hill and look to the road ahead, it looks foggy. Or smoggy. It's a little disheartening, because we don't have smog out here, until you realize that the fog/smog is yellow. Bright yellow. You can see clouds of pollen, swirling around like smoke. It's almost beautiful in some ways ... until you walk outside in the morning and see your footprints behind you on the ground.

Everything is yellow right now!! My car is very dark blue, but you probably couldn't tell from a distance. It's yellow. My porch? Yellow. My outside tables? Yellow. My black cat? Yellow. My ... well, you get the picture. It's suppose to be very windy tomorrow, and then we've got a good chance of rain Monday and Tuesday, so hopefully the wind will knock most of the remaining pollen down, and the rain will wash it away.

I can't believe I wrote two full paragraphs about pollen. I'm so sorry. And slightly embarrassed. I mean, not this embarrassed, or this much, but still. I apologize none the less.

Spring is here! And by spring, I actually mean summer. Seriously. It was 96 degrees yesterday. Broke a record for the entire month of March. The early wildflowers, like bluebonnets and paintbrushes, are coming out everywhere, and the dew berries are going nuts. We've got vines and those funny white flowers all over the place, and that's making the bees very, very happy. I've taken some really good pictures in the last few days; I'll try to get them up on Monday.

Speaking of my kids Ok, I've got something wonderful to share with y'all. I had a dentist appointment yesterday morning. No, that's not the wonderful part. I had to be there at 8, which means leaving my house at 6:50. John closed on Thursday, and didn't get home until after 2. (I knew it was going to be late, but I had no idea it would be that late!) I had sat Sam and Evie down on Thursday evening and told them that I was going to the dentist early Friday morning, and that it was important to let Dad get some extra sleep. I told them I would have breakfast ready for them (we made milk cake together the day before, and it's a great breakfast treat), and told Sam I would have David's milk already poured, and ready for Sam to heat up. I had them get out a few of their fav books and put them on the coffee table (it's a huge treat for them to eat in the living room), and that I would have the TV turned to PBS, so whenever Sam came downstairs, he could turn Sesame Street on (also a huge treat).

They knew that John would be one room away, so it's not like I left them alone. We have worked very hard to teach the kids what to do in various situations, and what warrants coming to a grown-up for, and when in doubt, they know to get a grown-up. I was hoping John would get to sleep until 8, because I love that man more than life itself, but I don't always like him when he's severely lacking on sleep. I'm just saying.

I got out of my appointment (which went great) at 10, walked over to Half-Priced Books (how do I love thee? Let me count the ways ...), and called John before I went in. Keep in mind that this was around 10:15. Sam answered the phone, and took the phone to John when I asked him to. Here's the awesome part (and sorry it took me so long to get to it):

John was still asleep!! The kids got up around 7:30, and David got up sometime between 8:30 and 9 (Clifford was still on, and that's how the kids were able to tell me when he got up), and they behaved themselves the whole time! No one yelled or screamed or broke anything or set anything on fire or killed the cats or went swimming with Squishy the Goldfish in the pond or anything!!!!

They all ate their breakfasts, had their milk (Sam heated up David's for him), cleared their places, and quietly talked, colored, read books, and watched TV until some idiot I called and woke up John.

I was soooooo proud of them!!!!! Yay for training my kids ... and the training actually working!!! I'm so happy!!!!!

Anyway. I've really got nothing else to report. John's dad is meeting us at church tomorrow. He says he really doesn't believe in organized religion, but always goes to church every year on Palm Sunday and Easter. I was slightly confused my the Palm Sunday thing, and don't even get me started on people who don't believe in organized religion. I could go on for a long time. But I won't.

We've got a Sip'n'See (a baby shower, post-baby being born) for one of the gals after church, and it's going to be a luncheon. I'm on the shower committee. That feels strange to say. But there it is. Her baby is so cute. His name is Luke. I want to eat him. My ovaries twitch when I hold him. Sorry, probably too much information. I want a baby!!

Huh? What? Who said that?

:)

Hope everyone has a blessed weekend and a great week!!