Deliberate spontaneity or spontaneously deliberate....

I've decided I want to be more flexible and regain some of my muscle tone(this would be the deliberate part). I tried skating today for the first time in 9 years, it was NOT pretty(this would be one of the 3 spontaneous parts). Anyway, I've found 5 Element Qi Gong is an easy way to get back into exercising. Several years ago I did yoga all the time and LOVED it but one day it was too cold(I did my routine outside) and it was like hitting a steel wall. I have never done a yoga routine since then. This is fun and doesn't take long to learn or do(spontaneous thing #2). I follow along 3-4 times a day.



I've also started walking at a local park again(spontaneous thing #3). This is Julianna Park for the locals. My plan is to get fit enough to be able to skate. I took 2 semesters of roller skating in college and loved it. Hopefully it won't take too long to get back in the swing of things but I've GOT to have better muscles in my legs!











Along the walking trail is a small neighborhood park(Ward Park). We lived a few blocks from this park before Ryan was born and I'd walk there when I was pregnant. It used to have old, dangerous equipment but yesterday we were pleasently surprised to see this being installed! Now, if they'd only add more tables and a bathroom we'd be set! Luckily its just a 1/4 mile or so to another park(at the upper end of the trail) with facilities. This looks like one to add to our rotation.

Christmas Party...

I'm sitting here wondering why we haven't done one before!! We had a special time visiting and the kids enjoyed getting to play with things they don't have access to on a regular basis. My friend Brandee suggested we rent out the R.O.C. here in Longview for our party and it didn't disappoint. I'm pretty sure this will be a regular event!

Everyone brought wonderful food and we drank hot cocoa, fresh Guatamalan coffee, and sherbet punch. Mark joined us for a while to shoot baskets with the kids before he got called to a delivery. I sent him with a bag of party mix but he missed these...


(basic recipe at Homesick Texan-do a search for chocolate pie. mine is altered with an extra egg yolk, 2 more tbsp flour, dark instead of regular cocoa, and about 1/4 teaspoon mint powder in filo cups)



(this room has foosball, ping pong, and pool tables)



(they shot hoops and played dodge ball in the gym)



(the cafe area had more than enough room for our group)



(they provide the tables, chairs, trash cans, and access to their full kitchen)



(you can tell we had great food!)



(the tree has gorgeous sequined Chrismons on it, wish I'd got a picture by itself)


Now I'm tired! My parents will be here sometime tomorrow so who knows what my blogging will look like until after Christmas. Hopefully I'll get some in. I'm headed to Gilmer tomorrow for soaps and bath salts(shhhh) from my friend Tricia at Herbal Grace. She goes to a few flea markets with her wares so I've got an excuse to shop a bit.

a bittersweet day...

(Shimmer Angel)

Amidst the excitement and festivities that are Christmas at our house, we've got sadness. Our dear Shimmer has passed away from a sudden illness. Last Saturday she was fine, I held her and felt nothing. Tuesday the girls felt a small, almond sized lump on her side. By this past weekend it was larger than a chicken egg, probably cancer. She was a spunky little pigger with a cantankerous and bossy "Miss Piggy" personality. We'll miss her.


(Merry Shimmer)



(painted hutch with handmade decorations)



(I think Amy did this one last year)


(red metal cart in the dining room. notice the paint swatches)



(top of the china cabinet with vintage ornaments and decorations)


In Other News...

A-1 Medical Equipment and Supplies is officially servicing patients!!! Mark is thrilled to finally be going. I hope they aren't too busy over the holidays though!

My parents will be here Friday!!!!! I'm trying to plan some meals and snacks for us. Last night my party mix plans fell through because the store had NO cereal, not one box! I'm headed that way in a little while to try again. I also forgot raspberry extract for our hot cocoa(a little gourmet secret) and hopefully they'll have peppermint too(they were out of that too).

Ryan has a Christmas party with his youth group tomorrow night, then our homeschool party, then another homeschool party on Friday with a different group and then hopefully nothing! Sarah's AWANA class is having a jingle party tomorrow so I've got to sew a bunch of jingle bells to a shirt for her. Should be cute!

Guess that's all. The dogs need fed and let back in. Its freezing here... no really it is. We try to wash and dry clothes to help keep the dogs warm since our dryer vents to the garage. It does work but with temps not out of the mid-30s all day it will be a struggle.

I'm spending the morning with apple cider, lightly spiked with buttershots and caramel syrup. Tastes like a caramel apple in a cup!

Today's Adventure...

I know I've posted about this before but, our family enjoys drinking Raw Milk. It tastes sooooo much better than store bought and is very healthy for you(read some of the links on that website)! The first time Amy tried it she said it tasted "alive". Today Sarah and I set off about 9am for our hour-long trek with threat of sleet and snow, thankfully we had neither. Here's what we saw...



(we didn't think they'd stick around, some were a bit antsy but some came right on up)


(this babe licked our hands with her rough tongue)


(she really liked getting her nose petted)




(isn't she a doll?)

Making adjustments...

Yesterday I danced with a bully. I let her sway me to do something I didn't think was right. My action didn't really hurt anyone but it was unfair to some other people. I was distracted, getting ready to head out the door with three kids, sorting through some items for a flea market sale this weekend, needing to go by the bank and other errands before landing at the park, planning a camping trip, and dealing with a lot of other people's emotions and feelings that were supposedly hurt so it was kind of a "heat of the moment" moment. I was hoping that by doing what was asked, I'd not be bothered again. In the back of my mind was the thought that a snowball might be in the making but thankfully it wasn't. Her foot did not get caught in my door, there is no entrance gained. And, it won't happen again.

What a DAY!!

Actually it all started yesterday when Sarah and I left bright and early to get the milk for our co-op. It was an uneventful trip up but on the way back a strange animal ran right in front of us, I thought I'd hit it actually. It was fuzzy, chocolate brown, and ran like the dickens. If I didn't know better, I'd swear it was a guinea pig! Anyway, we were almost home when a huge buck ran up the embankment along side the highway and caused me to very nearly stand the car on its front end. Luckily he decided not to dash into my path but turn and run up the shoulder towards us. Just as he got within about 15 feet of the car he bounded back to the woods. Absolutely amazing, would have loved a picture or two.


(Sarah and friend ready for a big night)

I picked up an extra kid when I took the milk to the drop-off house. She went with Sarah to their church's "trunk or treat". Mark joined up with us later and then we went across town to pick up his car from work. Sarah's friend spent the night and went with us to homeschool park day...


(Jackson park play area)


(pecan leaves)


(trees mid-park)


(Virginia creeper)


(park trail to the right)


(Ike damage to the left of the trail)


(Ike damage by the creek banks, I did not happen to include the picture of a homeless camp that I happened to be standing in when this pic was snapped)


(sparks of sunshine)


(hello there, I see you)


(he doesn't live here but someone probably does)


(Sarah and friend spinning)

After park, we ran by and grabbed a bite of fast food, then to Goodwill for socks and on to Kids Station for a birthday party. It was a looooong day, but oh, so enjoyable.

(girls in the ball pit)


(birthday boy)

Wild and Wooly Texans!

In my last post I mentioned our field trip to a living history event in a nearby town. There were supposed to be 10 or more demonstration set-ups but many of them backed out at the last minute for reasons unknown(to us). The owners of the establishment felt so bad that they refunded everyone's money and let us go in for free! It was something we all agreed we'd have gladly paid for anyway. We had a FREAKIN' BLAST!!! It was all made even better with the addition of beautiful cool fall air(low 80s are considered such in east Texas), wonderful fellowship, curly fries, nachos, turkey legs, and a totally CrAzY kAraOKe train ride with insane people who shall remain nameless!!


(Traveling Texas Style, 1830s-1840s)


(Trader on Horseback)


(Civil War Saddle, the real deal, not a reproduction!!)


(Female brave who happened to have been homeschooled!)

Both of these riders are on Colonial Spanish Horses from Karma Farms near Jefferson.

I think because of my love of all things artistic, these guys were my favorite.


(Blacksmith beginning the ladle making process. The feather in his hat is forged, wish I'd asked if I could photograph it.)


(Blacksmith forming the bowl of a ladle. He was a bit farther along in the process than the other man.)


(Blacksmith wares for sale. I wanted that door knocker in a bad way but was too chicken to ask how much it cost.)


(Trapper/storyteller with a beaver pelt.)


(Learning how to use Char Cloth to start a fire.)


(Don't look Anet! The trapper was cooking his lunch, which happens to be a squirrel.)


(The char cloth guy also made lead bullets because he was the "law", Texas style. The small pail is filled with melted lead.)


(Kids hanging around the teepee.)


(Sarah and Grant tried hard but I'm not sure anyone in our entire group got the tomahawk to stick.)


(Yall watch it, Kim's got a tomahawk!)


(I wanted to take this drum home with me but couldn't quite afford the $400 price tag. That's me with the dark hair and Kim in the brown shirt. I look a bit short because I was kneeling.)


(Kids getting ready for our train ride.)


(Big Cypress Bayou. Yes we did see two alligators along the way!)


(They typically lurk in waters such as these.)


(Or these. The green and brown "ground" is actually water.)


(The tracks carried us through some "spooky" places as they gear up for their Terror on the Bayou haunted train rides. I'd LOVE to do that!)


(I didn't see this man when I took the picture but he ended up ON the train a few seconds after this shot so I guess he wasn't a bad guy.)


(We ended our day with a trek through the corn maze and haunted cemetery.)


(Corn maze)


(The cemetery)

And that concludes the field trip portion of this blog. If you are ever in
Jefferson, Texas, in early October this makes for a lovely day.