Welcome to the World Little Bitty Cowpoke!!!

My son called me this morning, happy with laughter in his voice...I'm a new Grandma all over again! The Tiny Cowpoke arrived about 3 AM this morning, all 5 lb 10 oz of him, just 12 hours after his Baby Shower. My Beautiful Daughter-in-law is doing well, as is the 5 weeks early little guy. I think I am going to Dallas today to meet this eagerly awaited bundle of love, what do you say?

This and That

There has been too much going on at the R&R Ranch to sit down and blog about it. One important event has been Tex's (and his twin brother's) 75th birthdays. Bird Girl organized a nice family celebration at Celebration where brothers and sisters, and "their cousins and aunts" gathered to wish the birthday boys well. Tex was touched by all the fuss. Then we got to watch the Middle Grandson play in a tennis tournament the next morning!

Right before the party, I went to the funeral of a young man who was a close friend of my children. I had just seen him two weeks earlier. Please pray for him, Ted, and his wife, Rachel, and children Cameron, 4 and Gabby, 2. I saw all the now mid 30year old adults who used to come in and out of my house when they were teenagers. They have grown up so well, now with families of their own. I thank God for all the help He gave us as they were growing up; we sure did something right.

Tex and I had gone to New Braunfels for my annual contract conference, visiting with Lawyer Girl and her fella, for a night on the way. Even stopped at my favorite clothing store's outlet for a few bargains. Tex did really well and we had a good break from our regular routine.

Choir is out for the summer but not before we did a gorgeous piece of Mozart that warmed my heart and toes! There is something so grand and full of worship about his Masses!

Citizen Soldiers

It is Memorial Day weekend, perhaps our greatest National holiday. There is much more hoopla for 4th of July, little kids love it for the fireworks. Memorial Day is a thoughtful day for the adults of our country, only celebrated by some parades, and concerts, and a day off of work for some. I find that the older I get, the more this day means to me.

I belong to a family of citizen soldiers, the ones who enlist or are drafted, serve in a time of war, and then return home to their family and live the rest of their lives as civilians, regular contributing citizens. I am grateful to God for my country and for my family:

For Benjamin C. who served in the Revolutionary War,
For Eli C. who served in the Civil War,
For my father-in-law Charles R. who served in WW I,
For my father, Robert J., my uncle Jimmy J., my brothers-in-law, Wallace R., Charley R., Bob R., Gordon R., Edwin G., and other in-laws, George G, and Theresa M, who served in WW II,
For my husband, Fred R., who served in Korea,
For my brother, Dan J., cousins Ralph R. and Terry M., and many friends who served in Viet Nam,
For my son, Ben G., who served in the 1st Iraq War,
And for the families who loved them, prayed for them, and welcomed them back home, some of them bearing internal and external wounds of war.

I hate war above almost all things; I believe that war is the ultimate failure of a nation, that we have failed ourselves and our God every time we go to war. And yet, I have the highest respect for every one of those who have served our country so ably. I cannot quite be a pacifist when I believe that this world demands that we keep a strong defense. I am profoundly thankful for our Citizen Soldiers!

Gray Saturday in May

It has been overcast and rainy here for what seems like weeks. At least, we are getting our overdue Spring rains, but the gray skies are doing a number on my mood. I am just kind of blah and irritable. Just ask Tex!

Our really good caregiver for the last 6 months or so has now become highly erratic, so we are having a progression of caregivers coming in and out while we wait to see if she can get her act together. I hope she does because when she is good, she is really great with Tex, I can find things in the house, and our schedule goes smoothly. With other people, I have to train them, keep checking on things, etc. At least I am reminded why I pay an agency so that there will always be someone here with him. Of course, all the end of the semester activity keeps me extra busy at this time of the year also.

I find that I am very conflicted about both retiring and keeping on working. I truly enjoy my interactions with the students, feel that I am contributing to their education and to some of them personally. On the other hand, I find that I am less tolerant of the normal accountability procedures and fuss at them more than is necessary. Working is also my ongoing way to get out of the house and get more social interaction than I have when I am home with Tex. So, I have pretty much decided to keep on one year at a time. I plan to work at least for one more year so that I have my 10 years in with The Great University, which has been my goal all along.

Post Easter

Easter was lovely...lovely music, lovely flowers, lovely rain, and both sides of family. After doing it all, Tex and I came home and took long naps! Then I finished the taxes on Monday evening-- first time I have done our own taxes since Tex and I were married! Many thanks to our dear friend Judy for helping me along.

Today I took a day off, and what a beautiful day! Best of all we went to the Men's Drygoods Store and got Tex some new dress duds. Hooray!

Maundy Thursday Mishaps

We got the Littlest Cowpoke yesterday after his school let out early for Easter Weekend. Private schools can do that...I sure wish they had let my kids' public school out then. I always had to write a note and sometimes talk to the principal when I pulled them out for Good Friday!

Anyway, the plan was that Tex and L. C. could play outside on the MES swingset during choir practice and Tex could sit with LC (complete with new drawing materials) during the Maundy Thursday service. The best laid plans of Socialworker went awry. All the wildfires in Oklahoma, and West Texas sent their smoke to our neck of the woods. Thus, neither LC nor Tex could be outside at all. Couldn't leave them alone at home because LC would not be where I could watch him, and Tex can't supervise him alone at home. So, long story short, I had to miss the church service and watch, in order to keep my men safe and without respiratory problems. Darn!

You would think that I would be grateful that the fires were far away and had not, to our knowledge, caused any fatalities...and I am, but still I whine about missing my favorite Easter week service. God protect the firefighters and those whose property was lost and those in danger.

Things are Swimming!

What a great conference in Atlanta! Things went swimmingly-- airplanes on time, wonderful workshops in which I learned new stuff, plus a visit to the new Atlanta Acquarium, where the fish are swimming. Tex did very well while I was gone which is always a great relief. It rained a lot there but to this drought-plagued Texan, that in itself was delightful!

Back home, beautiful music to learn for Easter. I am enjoying being back in the choir after about a 4 year absence, due to T's illness. He actually is doing well enough for me to sing again, which I very much enjoy doing. And only aout 5 more weeks to this semester, hurrah, hurrah.