A new hunter is on the scene!

Dennis is on vacation for the next two weeks.  He really needs it!  Saturday, he worked until 3:30...getting off early by skipping lunch.   Then he took Rebekah B. hunting for youth season.  He had built a stand on their place a few weeks back to make it easier on her (and him).  They showed up here around 9:00 p.m. (along with a proud papa, Thiess) with a big buck AND doe!  By the time Dennis got finished skinning and quartering them, it was 1:00...and he still hadn't had time to eat anything since breakfast.  He was one exhausted guy!  But he was SO proud of Bekah!  He loves to share his love for hunting with others and see them be successful.  (No, this isn't Bekah's buck, but her's was very nice!)

I had spent Saturday cooking for our potluck Sunday.  We had 2 guest speakers come over from JH:  Ralph S. and Grady D, along with their families.  In between services, James and Renee were gracious enough to invite everyone over to their house for the potluck.  After an early assembly that afternoon, we grabbed a quick supper and then spent the rest of the evening visiting at the Browns.  It was a great day of fellowship...and yummy food! 

Dennis and I slept in this morning until after 8:00!  It felt wonderful!!!  After tending to some chores around the house, we drove to the Bass Pro Shop in Grapevine.  Dennis had a gift card that he'd received for his b'day.  We shopped for a good while, finding Dennis a new pair of warm hunting pants and some more jerky mix, grabbed a burger for supper and then went over to Grapevine Mills to see if there was anything we wanted to do there.  "Courageous" was showing at the theatre, but it was a couple of hours until the first showing and we didn't want to stay that late.  The aquarium was too expensive and we really weren't interested in the stores in the mall, so we braved traffic and headed home.

Dennis, James and Jared, Sherrod and Stephen are planning on going to E. TX to hunt in the national forest for opening weekend.  They leave Friday:  opening day is Saturday.  They plan to be gone until the following Wednesday.  They ought to have a blast!  The girls and I are planning to go to FW on Saturday to watch a movie and probably do some shopping.  I'm hoping they'll agree to a sleepover that night!

I hope everyone enjoys this beautiful November week!

De 14:4 "These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, 5 "the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the mountain goat, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. 6 "And you may eat every animal with cloven hooves, having the hoof split into two parts, and that chews the cud, among the animals.    ;)

"I'll Fly Away"

What a week!  It all started late Tuesday morning when Sheila called to see if I could go to FW with her.  She had a recall notice on her car and was able to schedule an appointment to get it fixed at 2:00.  We grabbed a quick lunch and drove to the Honda dealership on the west side of FW.  While they worked on the car, we did a little shopping.  It worked out perfect.  They called to tell her it was ready just as we were finishing up at Mardels!  I made it home just in time to throw together some supper for the four of us.  After supper, the girls and I worked on their costumes:  a "spelling bee" for Sheila and an owl for Jessica.

I spent all day Wednesday cooking up jerky.  Then James came over so he and Dennis could study with a couple that have been attending services with us for several months.  That night, just as we were about to go to bed, we got a call telling us that they had CareFlighted Dee Jordan to FW after a massive heart attack.  We were awakened the next morning to a phone call letting us know that she has passed away.  Such a shock!  Her Alzheimer's had been worsening, but no one expected her heart to give out like that.  It was a blessing that she died so peacefully, but poor, dear Winston is absolutely heartbroken!  Thursday was a whirlwind of phone calls, cooking and visiting...then crashing that night.  Friday morning, I started preparing for the kids coming in for the weekend and funeral.  Anita had had a rough day on Thursday, so I invited her over for lunch and visit Friday afternoon.  Their family has really been going through a hard time lately and the stress is really working on her.  (They just took her mom back to the hospital this afternoon.  Her diverticulitis has her where she can't keep anything in her stomach.  She keeps getting dehydrated and losing weight.  Please keep her in your prayers!)

Stephen and Mandy got here just in time for supper Friday night.  They had a wonderful trip to NH and Maine.  Ricky came in Saturday night...just in time for supper!  It was great having my kiddos all home.  It is a rare occurrence these days, so I treasure every minute!

Thiess had asked Dennis to speak at Eastside Sunday morning, so Dennis asked Stephen to fill in.  It was good to see everyone there, and Stephen gave a very good lesson on "hospitality."  Ricky wanted to spend more time visiting with our Highway family, so he attended there that morning.  Evening services were cancelled for the family visitation for the Jordan family Sunday afternoon.  Stephen and Mandy left after visitation, while a big group of us went for our usual Sunday night dinner at Rosa's.

We awakened this morning to a gray world...pretty fitting for how we were all feeling as we went to Dee's funeral.  The fog was so dense, it was scary to get out on the highway...visibility was extremely low!  Everyone made it safely, however, and we all said our goodbyes to a dearly loved lady.  Ricky headed back towards Arkansas right after the service.  We set out dinner for the family afterwards.  I finally headed home around 2:00.  An exhausting weekend, both emotionally and physically!  So thankful for my family and my church family though.

Today's verses are in memory of Dee...she was one of the most hospitable ladies I've ever known:
Ro 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;  11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

Jerky Time!

First batch of deer jerky this season!

Dennis killed his first deer of the season on the opening morning of bow season...a nice big doe!  That next week I defrosted the freezer to get it ready for this year's supply of meat.  ~Household tip #423:  Always remember to turn freezer back on after defrosting it and replacing all of your frozen food in it!~  The only things I lost were a couple of half empty bags of fish, a few bags of veggies and fruit.  The meat was all frozen hard enough and packed tight enough to stay frozen until I noticed, the next day, my error.  *sigh*   After aging the venison for 10 days, we butchered and packaged it.  I still had quite a few packages of meat left over from last year, so I'm trying to use them up as quickly as possible.  Today I am cooking up a batch of jerky.  I have a few more packages that need to be sliced and marinated, which I'll probably cook up Wednesday.  The weather is supposed to be quite chilly, which will be perfect for running the oven all day!

I had three medical appointments last week...I must be getting old!  Wednesday I went to a hand specialist that my doctor referred me to.  I have a nodule on the palm of my hand that she was concerned might cause a contracture.   
The hand surgeon told me it was called Dupuytren's Disease - a genetic condition most often found in men of Northern European ancestry.  Well, obviously, I don't fit the first criteria, but I am of Scots/Irish descent.  The tissue just beneath the skin (the fascia) starts to grow in a cluster, causing the nodule and can, but doesn't always, cause contractures.  Mine hasn't done this yet and hopefully won't.  The doctor told me to just watch it to make sure it doesn't.  The condition can't be treated, other than surgery to remove the material when it does start contracting.  The trouble with surgery is that it can trigger the growth of more nodules...thus the wait and see approach!

The same day, I also went back for my followup to the cardiologist.  He said I passed my stress echocardiogram with flying colors.  His only suggestion was to try to lose another 20 pounds by my next visit...good suggestion...hard to comply!  I'll do what I can tho!

Then on Thursday I went for an MRI.  I've had a pinched nerve in my neck for about 10 years and it has been getting progressively worse lately, so my doctor wanted to get a better look at what was going on.  Guess what?  I have a pinched nerve in my neck!  The MRI was an experience that I DO NOT want to repeat.  I managed not to totally freak out, but my heart was pounding 90 to nothing and I didn't dare open my eyes!  After some fervent prayer, I started counting backwards from 1000 to try to keep my mind off of where I was.  I made it through, but I was SO relieved to get out of that place!!!!  My doctor wants me to see a neurosurgeon to see what my options are.  I'm not sure surgery is the best option for now...I don't think I'm suffering enough yet for that!  I do NOT want to live on pain medication tho.  Right now I'm using a muscle relaxer and ibuprofen, which does pretty good.  My doctor tried me on Neurontin, but I didn't like the way it made me feel and quit taking it after a few days.

Looking forward to the weather turning cooler tomorrow!  The lows are supposed to get down into the 30's.  I am SO ready!!!  I got the yard mowed Saturday, and I'm hoping it will be the last time for the season.  This summer was so hard on our lawn.  We watered as much as we could afford to (and then some), but we still ended up with some dead spots.  The 6" rain we got while the girls and I were in Arkansas was greatly appreciated!  (We even saw some hay that had been cut yesterday on our way to the assembly...first time in MANY months!)

Sheila made a quick trip up to see Ricky over the weekend.  She took off a couple days from work, so she wouldn't have to hurry home.  We are expecting her back this afternoon or evening sometime.  I'm glad they had some time to spend together!  Stephen and Mandy are in New Hampshire (I think...somewhere in New England, anyway!)...paid for by Edward Jones.  They are supposed to come back by here this weekend on their way home.  Look forward to their visit!

I hope everyone has a good week!  Wish I could share some jerky with you!

 Ge 27:7 Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death.

4th Annual Mother/Daughter Weekend

Living area of cabin

Our cute little kitchen!

We headed out Friday when the girls got off work...about 4:30.  It was a long drive, but we finally arrived at our cabin in Eureka Springs around 1:00 a.m.  Paula had been there several hours already and was settled in.  The cabin was great...cute, cozy and clean!

exterior view of Quigley's Castle

The upstairs "butterfly wall".  (She even raised her own moths!)

After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast cooked in our little kitchen, we headed into town for the sights.  The first stop on our itinerary was Quigley's Castle...a must-see in our opinion.  It was built by a woman named Elsie Quigley using the rocks she loved from her place.  Her goal was to bring nature inside and she certainly achieved those results!  All four sides of her house had huge windows so she could have plants growing from the native soil of the first floor...all the way to the ceiling of the second floor.  She was an amazingly industrious woman!

After touring "the castle" and the gardens and grounds surrounding it, we headed downtown to shop and see the sights.  We FINALLY were able to find a place to park...about 1/2 mile from the downtown area.  (It was Corvette weekend and the town was FULL!)

We walked for hours, enjoying the quaint shops and eying the beautiful architecture and gardens, as well as the natural beauty of the town.  


That evening, after supper and a cutthroat game of 3/14, we went on a "Haunted Hayride".  After much laughter, screams and more laughter we headed back to the cabin for a late-night movie and then bed.


Sunday morning we drove to Harrison to worship with the congregation there.  It was good to see Kenneth and hear him speak.  After services, we visited awhile with Kelli, Trey and Cara (Ken was speaking in Hot Springs).  Then we started back towards Eureka, via War Eagle Caverns on Beaver Lake.  After a guided tour through the cavern and a couple of close-encounters with the native bats (although not as close as we were made to believe), we made a quick stop at War Eagle Mill and then back to Eureka.  After an amazing supper at Casa Colina, we went back to the cabin for a rousing game of Balderdash, an evening of "Enchanted", some poetic journal writing, and then bedtime.

After sleeping in Monday morning, we tidied up the cabin, packed our belongings and reluctantly left our little cabin.  One final stop at Thorncrown Chapel...a glass cathedral overlooking the beautiful Ozark mountains...lunch in Alma...then a parting of our ways with Paula.  As always, we thoroughly enjoyed our time together and look forward to next year!


Pr 18:24 ¶ A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

That is the way I feel about fall!  Although we are still having an occasion day with temps in the upper 90's (or even 100), the nights are dipping down into the upper 40's and lower 50's and the days are really comfortable (for the most part).  The girls and I went to the Fall Festival at Clark's Gardens Saturday.  The weather was perfect!  Although the flowers aren't at their best right now, there were still plenty to look at...along with pumpkin patches intersperse throughout the gardens.  There were dozens of monarch butterflies feasting on the flowers...so pretty!  We were also able to sample the wares of a few salsa vendors, taste some stuffed jalapenos and "chocolate with a kick", as well as sample the chili cookoff's entries.

Bow season started Saturday and Dennis was able to get off work by 4:00.  So he headed out to his deer stand and bagged a very nice, big doe!  We quickly got her skinned, quartered and put in our "aging" refrigerator.  Sherlock did NOT know what to think about all the goings on!  He was very leery of that big critter hanging upside down in the garage and couldn't understand WHY Dennis wouldn't let him jump up in his lap!  It was fun to watch him!

Jessica mentioned that if I wanted something to work on, she would like to have an infinity scarf.  First she had to inform me what exactly that was (I am SO fashion conscious!), then I got on the internet and started looking up patterns.  Thursday, while I was in Weatherford, I made a stop at Michaels and bought some yarn and circular knitting needles.  This is quite a step for me.  All I've ever knitted before (other than practice swatches) is dishrags.  So I grabbed my "Knitting for Dummies" book and began.  Two days later, I ripped it all out and started AGAIN!  I think I've got the hang of it now.  It is slow going...I've only got about 1 1/2"  done (it is supposed to be about 9" wide).  But my "rhythm" is improving and I'm gaining my confidence.  (Sherlock also doesn't understand why he can't sit in my lap...and play with the yarn...while I'm knitting!)

Friday, the girls and I leave on our annual Mother/Daughter weekend, Lord willing!  It will be a grueling drive Friday night...an 8 hour trip to Eureka Springs.  Paula will be getting there several hours earlier.  We are really looking forward to the weekend!  We always have a lot of fun, but we don't overtax ourselves...just do whatever we feel like, when we feel like it.  We have discovered the joys of renting cabins for our stay, which gives us a good measure of privacy and latitude in our plans.  We can save a little money by preparing our own breakfast, plus we usually bring home leftovers for at least one meal.  We carry "chick flicks" to watch in the evenings, as well as cards and games.  I am so thankful that we are able to spend this time together!  We hope to make them a life-long tradition!

I hope you all enjoy this wonderful fall weather and find time to hang out with loved ones this week!

Ac 14:17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.