Thursday, May 28, 2009

Hart Ranch

Here's where we hung out this Memorial Day weekend. Joe and I love spending time at my parents' home in Whitney. In fact, everyone does. They have worked really hard to transform the place over the last 11 years. My dad likes to joke that he works harder in retirement than he ever did at his nine to five job.



They've remodeled a bare bones farmhouse and made it into something really special. The cedar split rail fence (below) is actually part of the small dog area that my parents built especially for Harry and Phoebe. Since they are city dogs, we wanted to be able to let them outside without worrying about them darting under a horse.




Phoebe did make friends with the new baby (out of "Bully for Sarah,"a mare my mom named for me, in honor of my college graduation). Mom thought it was amusing to tell everyone that "Sarah" had her first baby and watch their reactions. Stick around Hart Ranch long enough and you may have one named after you too!




Recently they began working on creating an outdoor living area. They built the pergola and patio and had the limestone table built. I went with my mom to pick out the slab from a quarry in Florence, TX. All it needs is a pool...Joe and I are trying our darnedest to convince them it would be worth it!

Since the guest bed is a queen, and far too small/safe for Joe, me, and two small dogs, I sleep on the living room sofa. It's nice because there are floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the pasture, so I often wake up to see deer or turkey crossing the valley. It sucks because they are on the south and east side of the house so all of that lovely sunshine comes pouring in at daybreak..and I am notoriously not a morning person.
When Phoebe woke me at the butt crack of dawn Sunday, this is what I saw. Sometimes being up early isn't so bad.



Found a butterfly frantically crawling around the yard . I only got a couple of shots...when I scooped it up to get a picture of it balancing on my hand, it flew away. I thought it was dying, so it was bittersweet.


Saturday, May 23, 2009

Variations on a Daylily


I just happened to be at my parents' house when this daylily bloomed.  I love the chartreuse throat contrasted against the petals.























Friday, May 15, 2009

Love Those Girls!

My nieces are the cutest little people I know (Joe's sister's girls). They are 7 and 9 and will be coming to TX to spend a couple of weeks with Joe and I. We are so excited about having them out here. I am teaching summer school during the second semester so I think they are old enough to want to sleep in as late as I do. ;) I am leaving to pick them up in Pensacola the second weekend in June and staying with my brother for a couple of days before heading back to Texas with the girls.

Here's what's on our agenda so far:

Rangers game- baseball fans or not, surely they will be exicted about the atmosphere...the sheer grandiose of the ballpark...the possibility of catching a foul ball?

Planetarium @ UTA- now one of the largest in the U.S. There's something magical about star-gazing...and Joe's student discount.

Hawaiian Falls Waterpark- I can lay out and turn 'em loose.

Lone Star Park- I practically grew up at the race track...surely I can teach them a thing or two about the sport of kings.

Lunch at the American Girl Store at the Galleria- the English teacher in me wants them to get hooked on this series of books. I loved them as a little girl.

Iceskating at the Galleria..or maybe at the Plaza of the Americas...is that rink still there?

Museum of Natural Science and History...Fair Park has some cool photo ops.

Kimball Art Museum- can you say FREE?

Cedar Hill State Park...maybe I can make up some kind of scavenger hunt. Is that lame?

Cheer Camp- My former co-worker/ co-cheer sponsor is now coaching at a nearby school district and her squad will be at camp when the girls are here. We're SOOO going to watch evals at TCU. Their mom might kill me when they get home and want to be gymnasts/cheerleaders, but hey, it's free entertainment.

Girl Party! Manis...Pedis...and a chick flick Movie Marathon! I bought a crap-load of supplies from the eyeslipsface.com sale and think we can have a nice relaxing day. Ideas for fun girly movies?

Drive-In Movies- they are going extinct....just watch the previews.

I think that'll keep us busy!



Self Portrait taken of Katelyn, me and Kristen in Key West.

City-fied they are not! (4-wheeling in Fl, last spring).

Kristen (her mother's clone).

Katelyn is her daddy's clone...with a female chromosome.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Phunky Phresh

I was beginning to worry what would fill the void left when Barnes & Noble pulled up roots as the main anchor in the local strip mall and moved across Hwy 67 into the new mixed retail/ dining shopping center. When Linens N Things (in the same strip mall) went out of business I envisioned a Dollar General or something equally unsavory moving in.

While Joe and I were out and about this weekend we noticed that the former Barnes & Noble will be a Sprouts Farmers Market.

Given that the nearest Central Market or Whole Foods in almost 30 miles from the casa, we are excited to have some semblance of quality a mere 8 miles away. I've never been to a Sprouts before, but I hope it is as nice as Central Market. In the burbs we have to drive over the river for a variety of seafood, wine & cheese, and veggies...and well, just about everything else you can imagine. If they carry my Fage Greek yogurt, I will be in hog heaven. I have a feeling our grocery bill is about to drastically increase.