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Summer is in full swing here.  I am trying to keep to a normal life schedule and make it to bed before 11:00 p.m., and wake up before 8 a.m.  The longer into summer I get, the farther from this schedule I drift however. 

Summer means lazy days.  I pretty much do nothing and I only get half finished.  So I have to work on it again the next day.  Don’t judge me.

I spend a lot of time outside in the backyard just sitting and listening.

Last summer, a weak baby cardinal who needed more time in the nest, hopped around my backyard for a week while it’s momma and daddy squawked their encouragement to take to the skies.

This summer, a baby blue jay hung around for about a day.

The swooped and sailed and flew and dove at me.  Squawking and squawking some more.

I flapped and swatted and cried for my mom.  Then ran in the house and watched from behind the window glass.

Finally, the little feathered fellow triumphed and took flight into distant skies.

The End.

……….inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read. Groucho Marx

I love books.
I have recently finished Eat, Pray, Love which totally changed my life. 
I had to buy a copy so I could re-read it and then read it again, mark in it, and dog ear it.

I’m currently reading The Time Traveler’s Wife, and it’s taking me a long time.  We just seem to be stuck in time. 

The Pioneer Woman posted a poll about favorite books.  Here is the list and the number of people who said that book was their favorite.  I’ve read quite a few of these.  My goal is to read the ones I haven’t.  If I can stand it.  I’m not really sure I can stomach any more Harry Potters or Twilights.  And there is a couple that I have extreme little interest in reading.  This feat may take the rest of my life considering I am an extremely slow reader and I fall asleep after 6 minutes.  

 I’ve highlighted the ones I’ve read in green.

Title [Count}

To Kill a Mockingbird [2222]

The Bible [2017]

Pride and Prejudice [1508]

Gone with the Wind [1268]

Harry Potter (series) [1110]  I’ve only read the first four.

Anne of Green Gables [1009]

Little Women [916]

Redeeming Love [633]

Jane Eyre [598]

Twilight (series) [560] I’ve only read the first one.

Outlander (series) [477]

Little House on the Prairie (series) [454]

The Lord of the Rings (series) [376]

The Catcher in the Rye [363]

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn [349]

The Great Gatsby [334]

Where the Red Fern Grows [343]

Secret Garden [318]

The Stand [285]

Giving Tree [277]

East of Eden [275]

Poisonwood Bible [266]

The Notebook [258]

Charlotte’s Web [243]

Red Tent [218]

Time Traveler’s Wife [215]

Pillars of the Earth [203]

Wrinkle in Time [202]

A Prayer For Owen Meany [211]

Atlas Shrugged [193]

Count of Monte Cristo [190]

The Grapes of Wrath [183]

The Little Prince [173]

My Childhood [164]

Wuthering Heights [160]

The Hobbit [149]

Lonesome Dove [141]  I started this, I don’t remember finishing, but I know the movie by heart so that should count for something.

Love You Forever [135]

Kite Runner [131]

Outsiders [129]

Rebecca [128]

Ender’s Game [128]

The Outsider [128]

Les Miserables [128]

Secret Life [127]

Goodnight Moon [122]

My Sister’s Keeper [119]

Secret Life of Bees [119]

Eat, Pray, Love [118]

Persuasion [117]

Any thoughts?
Which of these is your favorite, if any? 
Which one should I tackle first?

Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. ~Mark Twain

Happy Reading,
Angel

I delivered Meals on Wheels today.  It’s one of my absolute favorite things to do.  It really is.  No joshing.  It’s not required community service or anything, it’s completely voluntary.   Today they had meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, and green beans with some pineapple chunks for dessert.  It made a well rounded meal. 

I met an 88 year old man who sure did like my yellow car, especially the rack on top because it could haul lots of stuff, he said.  He tried to kiss me right on the lips, but I ducked my head in time and so we just put our foreheads together for a nice, awkward moment.  Now tell me, who wouldn’t love this?

A few years back, it could’ve been five but it might’ve just been four, my niece Ashlynn and I delivered during the summer.  I thought it was important that she see and understand how fortunate we are and that we should help others.  We both loved it.   We had a regular route and went once a week.  Ash was about 6 or 7 years old and some of the elderly people really enjoyed her.  So of course, she enjoyed them.  They would offer her candy and cookies.  There was a little lady who’d let her pet her cat and one small tidy man would give her a dollar bill everytime.   His house quickly became her favorite. 

Each summer I have had the best of intentions to deliver Meals on Wheels, but since my life motto is “Seize Tomorrow”, I never did.  Until this summer.

Yesterday morning I was out walking.  I try to spend that 30 minutes in prayer.  It’s a good, quiet time and I tend to focus more.  Just a couple houses from home, I thought of calling Meals on Wheels to sign up again.  But by the time I made it in the house, I had other thoughts bombarding me, the phone was ringing, and the devil distracted me. 

Later that day I was reading some of The Purpose Driven Life.  I was reading how we should be servants and serve others through our SHAPE.
S—spiritual gifts
H—heart
A—abilities
P—personality
E—experiences

During this reading, Meals on Wheels popped into my head again.  I don’t have a lot of abilities, but I can drive, that’s one.  I know this town like the back of my hand, that’s another.  I have free time.  Plus, I enjoy it.  Later, I’ll call them later, I told myself.   But that little nudging wouldn’t let up.  So I went to the phone.  I told her my name and was wondering if they needed any delivery help this summer.  The lady on the other end said, “That’s strange.  I pulled your card out just this morning.” 

It’s not really strange though is it?  Isn’t it really God?  I mean, both times I was attempting to spend time with Him when I had the Meals on Wheels thoughts.  They weren’t really my thoughts, but more His side of the conversation.

  Sometimes He speaks with a small, still voice.  And sometimes, I have to be still and tarry with Him a bit in order to listen.  He’s always with me that I know for sure.   Sometimes I can see Him in the midst of my life, right there in the middle of everything,  but sometimes I only see His back as He is leaving a situation.  That’s when I stand amazed and say, That was God.  But when I seek Him, He’s there,  just waiting on me, as if I’m the most important person in the world.   I love Him so much. 

He makes my heart sing.

He makes everything
groovy.

The annual carnival has arrived in my ordinarily sleepy town.  With it comes the sights, lights, smells, and funnel cake.  It’s appealing from a distance.  The Ferris wheel turning, the high pitched shrieks, the smell of fried corndogs.  It beckons you, calls your name, casting a magical cotton candy trance over your entire body.  One giant step across the thick, black cables lying across the parking lot, and there is no turning back.  But be warned:  underneath the canopy of flashing colorful lights walking amongst us you’ll find a smorgasborg of tattoos, facial piercings, colored hair, women in skimpy clothes shaking what they shouldn’t, and fat men in their pajama bottoms.  The carnival is able to bring out a vast number of oddities from the human race.  Really the kind you only find on http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

It is quite a paradox to me why Hollywood never tells the truth.  Steel Magnolias has a wonderful Christmas carnival scene with a cast of clean people, Southern belles, fresh baked goodies, and carnies with teeth.

Not so much here.

Jason and I sat on a bench, ate carnival fare, were harrassed by the carnies pestering us to throw darts at their balloons for $5 a dart, and people-watched as Ashlynn ran amuck with other preteen girls giggling and gossipping.  Not unlike a lot of adult girls.

Occasionally we took a notion to walk around where we witnessed a grown man holding on to a large gray trashcan barfing.  A little boy tossed his cookies on my nephew’s back as they were getting off  of The Storm.  His momma had to run across the street to the nearest Hastings and buy him a new shirt.

Fun times, folks, fun times.

On our 349th trip around the midway (can I call it that?) we walked upon 4 or 5 cops talking to a couple who were hanging on to each other for stability.  Then the man points to my husband, “Jason!  I know this guy.  Jason!”  The air reeked of alcohol, the couple stumbled around trying to stay upright.  The officer was talking into his little radio on his shoulder.  “Jason, will you give me a ride?  You’ll give me a ride won’t you?”  Of course my husband nods.  He knows this fella.  He knows what its like to be down on your luck, needing a helping hand.  “Talk to this officer, Jason.”   We stood there with the cops and the drunks as the main cop talked into his shoulder.  Then the police said to take them home, and to make sure they don’t get out again. I stayed at the carnival with Ashlynn and hoped that drunk lady didn’t puke in my car while Jason delivered them safely home where they more than likely fell on the bed and watched the room spin.  Kind of like a super hero isn’t he?  Keeping the streets safe, two drunks at a time.

 I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was naked and you clothed me,  I was drunk and you gave me a ride.

Uh, scratch that last part.

The carnival is appealing from a distance.  And if you do venture in, once you get home you might consider bathing in battery acid. 

One day of school left.

‘Nuff said.

I get a lot of love letters from my students.  Mostly my girls. 

I have one precocious child who asked me earlier in the year how long I’d been teaching.  To this, I replied 10 years.
She created a doting card for me.

One line read:
“Those ten years really paid off.  It seems like you’ve been teaching 100 years!”

I’m going to take this as a compliment, whether it was intended as one or not!

On Monday night we had storms.  I didn’t know that because I was sawing logs with my sleep number set on 45, dreaming of a strange child named Ohm who was up for auction because he broke out in bruised lumps on his body whenever he made a sound. 

Uh, yeah.
I probably should lay off the late night snacks. 

The next morning, I stumbled out of bed to check Facebook and heard from my town friends that there were tornadoes in 57 surrounding counties and it was frightening.  To everyone except me.  Instead I was being haunted by Ohm, and was taking his picture and blogging about him to try to find him a good home.  I was hoping you would take him in.  You would wouldn’t you? 

Tornadoes in real life. 
Weird boys who flap their hands in dreamland.

Anyway, I was just so thoroughly impressed with myself and my sleeping abilities.  Because obviously, I’ve got to work with what I have.  So impressed, in fact, that I bragged about it on facebook. 

You remember what my grannie always said, “She who tooteth her own horn, the same shall not be tooted.” 

Needless to say, I awoke this morning at 2:20 with a brain synonymous to a monkey on Red Bull and acid. I tried praying, I tried stretching, I tried reading, I tried deep breathing.  If Jason had been in the bed, I’d’ve tried that too.  I was desperate. 
Nothing would settle the monkey.

So I finally gave up at 4:00, had coffee and started my day.  Now I’m tired.
The last time I bragged, my goldfish died.

Karma.
You know what they say about her don’t cha?

Lesson learned this time.
Really.

Shhhh.
The monkey is finally sleeping.

Today I’m continuing educating the world about the fascination and awesomeness of Lukenbach, TX.

When I stepped onto the porch of the general store, the first thing I noticed was all the names that people have written all over the building.  Leaving their mark I guess.  Which is really frowned upon.  There’s a sign that says the store is like a antique rocking chair, sit awhile and relax but please don’t write on it. 

The general store also used to be a post office, but it closed down in the 1970’s.

Straight back behind the general store is the beer joint that is still in operation.  It also is laden with all sorts of diversity.  Dozens of caps hang from the rafters, stickers line the benches, badges line the windows.

Sayings hang around reminding people to be responsible drunks.

If you need credit, you don’t need a beer, you need a job.

If you’re drinking to forget, please pay in advance.

Please don’t make us make don’t signs.

 And a white line is painted across the floor.

Fun tidbit #2— (zwei)

The Luckenbach General Store was originally a post office with a bar behind it.  But when the post office was in operation, you couldn’t cross the white line into the post office with a beer in your hand.

Luckenbach, Texas.
I’ve found my home.
I’ve caught the Luckenbach bug and I bought the T-shirt to prove it.

There’s not much there in this sleepy little town, except a general store/former post office/beer joint, and a dance hall.

I spent a half a day there last week. 
I tried writing about it, but there is so much I want to share with you, I couldn’t get my little thoughts to come out and lay down straight enough for anyone to make sense out of.  So I decided instead to give you a fun fact, tidbit, or story about Luckenbach each day until you get so tired of listening to me, you’ll either stop reading or send me a one way ticket to where “Everybody’s Somebody”.

 Probably the former.

Tidbit #1—-

On August 23, 2009, Luckenbach broke the Guiness World Record for the number of musicians singing and playing the same song at the same time during “Pickin’ for the Record”.  The song of course was “Luckenbach, TX” made famous by Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson with 1,868 guitar players participating.   The Guiness record was previously held by a group of 1,802 Germans who came together to play “Smoke on the Water”. 

Participants were given a t-shirt and a number.  There were bricks on the patio that some people bought for $50 engraved with their name and number to commemorate the event.

Here’s a portion of it.  Please watch. 
http://www.youtube.com/v/HvsfCmI9Amk&hl=en_US&fs=1&

Man, is that cool or what?

I’d’ve loved to have been there.

The past few days we relaxed in Fredericksburg in this little cottage on the corner.

I miss it.

 It sits next to this spacious, yellow home with a porch that I dream of having some day.

There are a few things from the past that I wish were of the present.  Porches fall in that category.`  I sat on the porch in a white wicker rocker and was transported to a time where lemonade on the porch and a visit with friends were meaningful occurances.  And there goes Miss Scarlett walking past carrying her parasol and Mr. Rhett in his frock coat tips his hat as they pass.

Besides 8 1/2 hours of sleep each night, this cottage is all I need in life. 

A bed and a couple of chairs,

A kitchen,
a bathroom,
and a closet.

It even had a hot tub. 

I really miss it.

This little lizard was there too.

And I didn’t mind him one bit.

It was quaint, cozy, private.
And the neighbors dog didn’t bark either.