Welcome to Texas!

Thanks to Michael Hodson of Go See Write, I have this wonderful visual of Why It Is Taking Me So Long To Get Through Texas.  For those of you who did not already know.

 

Hmm.  Yes.  So grab a copy of James Michener's Texas (at 1344 pages the size of the book is comparable to the size of the state.  They should take you about the same amount of time to get through), and let's get going.  And I'm serious about the book; it's a must-read if you haven't yet.

For the European equivalent, we'll be starting around Vienna and going through Munich, Stuttgart, Luxembourg, and then following the France-Belgium border up to around Lille.  Or if you prefer, Galveston, NASA, Sugar Land, Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge (I could not resist!), La Grange, The Luecke Trees (more about that later), South Austin and McKinney Falls State Park, Enchanted Rock State Park, Menard and Mission San Saba, Monahans Sand Hills State Park, and Kermit (again, I could not resist!), before moving on to Carlsbad Caverns.  Whew!  Tired yet??

Here's a teaser from the Galveston area.

 

Flock of Seagulls at Galveston Beach Wikimedia

Things I Have Learned From My Son

I figured I would conclude the Lessons Learned/Mother's Day Series, with things I have learned from my son.

1. One of the top three best things in life is being a Mom (right up there with being a Christ-follower and being Mr. Marvelous' wife).
2. Raising children is an adventure.  And most of the time I was just wingin' it.
3. Make sure your child knows that they are more important than stuff.
4. Encourage your child's enthusiasms and passion.
5. Encourage your child to have balance in their life.
6. It's easier if you give yourself and your family permission to be less than 100% perfect.
7. In your imperfections, mistakes, and sin, teach your children how to react to these things and handle them in a manner that pleases God.
8. Don't spend too much time bragging to everyone about how wonderful your child is.  In the first place, as soon as you do that is inevitably when they are going to do something especially knuckle-headed.  In the second place, you don't know what wounds you are inflicting on someone whose child is not doing particularly well at that moment.
9. It is not a good idea to expect a person in their teens or20's to have the same maturity that you have in your 40's and 50's.   Remember how you got there?
10. Spending time being with someone you love is important.
11. Grace.  This man has taught me so much about grace.  He has extended grace freely on a daily basis to his Mom.  
12. Personality quirks make life a LOT more fun!
13. Encouraging independence is not easy for a Mom.
14. Don't hover.
15. Being Mom to Mr. Marvelous Jr is....marvelous!

Thanks, Son!  I love you!

Lessons I Have Learned From My Mother-In-Law

I miss my mother-in-law.  She died in the spring of 2001.  I'm sure that the past 12 years have softened my memories a bit; she had her moments (as do I).  However, we had a good relationship and I enjoyed her company.  Mr. Marvelous says that some of the stories and family histories she shared with me were things he had never heard before.  He was always a little surprised at some of the things I would tell him!

So here are some of the Lessons I have Learned from Sara.

1. How to cook vegetables southern-style (a huge relief to Mr. Marvelous after living with a few months of "Yankee-Style"!)
2. Flower gardens are just as important as vegetable gardens.  Sara is with me whenever I try to "do" flowers.
3. One day I will find "up" and discover all those things I have put there through the years.
4. Save everything; you might need it later.
5. The joy of a porch swing.
6. How to make a really, really good zucchini casserole, and chicken baked in Durkee's sauce.
7. Canning is not only something that is done for preserving the harvest, it is fun.
8. Be interested in what your children and grandchildren are doing.
9. Don't try and make your child perfect; it doesn't work. 
10. Family is important, even when they are difficult.
11. Homemade fruitcake really is good!
12. Be very generous with your time, energy, and life.
13. The work of the home is important, but so is taking time to enjoy life.
14. The value of close friends increases with age.
15. Keep a sense of humor.
16. Eventually social filters will start slipping and your heart attitudes will be revealed.  Keep grace very close.

A Quick Look at the Bayous...

traveltips.usatoday.com

For those of you who are just joining us, a quick explanation.  My trip is a virtual trip.  In reality, I am still in Alabama.  I have not been to Texas since my brother's wedding almost 27 years ago, so I am dependent on the web to find my pictures.  All pictures featured here were found using Creative Commons and are available for use as long as I give credit.  That's why each picture has a caption with the place and the name, or pseudonym as the case may be.  I am impressed by the work of these photographers and am grateful for their generosity with their work!  So here are the pictures of my "trip" through the Lousiana Bayous.

Egret over Bayou: Alicia Lee 2007

Lowrider: JCWinkler

White Faced Ibis: Dan Pancamo 2011

Ancient Tree in Bayou: roycope219

Attwater's Prairie Chicken: USFWS

Beaver Dam In Cypress: finchlake2000 2011

Bayou Teche: jcwinkler

Bayou Home: Rennett Stowe

And finally, this one.  There's a story behind this one and why I have included it.  I'll tell you about it next time!

Washburn Tunnel Under the Houston Shipping Chanel

Things I Learned From My Mother

 My Mom is a pro.  She is a professional Wife, a professional mother, a professional Nana, and a truly wonderful and professional Great-grandmother (or Grand-Nana).  In honor of Mothers' Day, here is a list of just a few of the lessons I have learned from her.

1. If it is not raining, go ahead and hang out the laundry.  If it rains, thank God for giving you an extra free rinse.
2. Home made granola is easy to make and good.
3. Home made buttermilk, not so much (you don't want to know the details but it did not involve a churn).
4.  Spend time with each child every evening before bed.  Read a good book, a Bible story, work on a memory verse, a catechism question or two, and teach them to pray.
5. One of the most important tools a housewife has is her thumbnail.
6. If you forget your youngest child's birth date, you will not ever live it down. 
7. Sunday dinner is incomplete without company.
8. Always read.
9. Always learn.
10. Always listen.
11. Find some handcraft to do.  Busy hands are happy hands.
12. "Yankee" style vegetables are quite economical.  Because in the south, no one eats them much.  They are really quick and easy to fix, too (just long enough to get them hot).  Except Boston Baked beans.  Those are good but they take forever.
13. Good music is as essential as good food.
14. Good music is defined as having been written before the 1900s with the exceptions of Aaron Copeland, Burl Ives, Gentleman Jim Reeves, Tennessee Ernie Ford and (gulp) John Denver.  And just for the record, I do not agree with her about John Denver.
15. Do the chores you dislike the most first and get them over with.
16. As soon as you finish the Saturday chores in the summertime, find a friendly neighbor with a pool and take the kids swimming.
17. When your child is having trouble adjusting to a new school and walks out to the car after school with "that face", hand her a map (it's a big piece of paper with all the streets and geographic landmarks), and let her navigate a 1-2 hour road trip.  Just for fun.  She might even open up and tell you what's going on.  Or she might just find some enjoyment in the day after all.
18. It is essential to know how to cut up a whole chicken.
19. NEVER put cast iron cookware in the dishwasher.
20. Always be ready for adventure; it is usually just waiting for you to find it!

 Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Please pay no attention to the necklace.  She is convinced it is a maple leaf.

Country Girl Couture

I have become a country girl.  And I am a little (!) old-fashioned.  Most days I am at the house taking care of things here.  A trip to town has become an event.  Since I find slacks and jeans uncomfortable what with the various medical accoutrements, I wear a skirt and blouse or a dress.  Since I have glaring-pasty-white legs, that means stockings.  And since I am a Southern Girl, I put on my small string of pearls that my dear Aunt Emmi gave me. 

Please don't tell me that these are fake.  In my mind they are pearls of great price.

A couple of Saturdays ago it was shopping day and off we went ~ a trip to town!  We had a blast, got the shopping done, and got home early, so I decided to do some Saturday chores.  You know, those things that have to be done every few months but somehow keep getting put off.  The one chore that had been hanging heavy over my head was the chicken house.

That's the "after" picture.  You don't want to know what the "before" looked like.  Trust me!

I went inside, took off my town clothes, put my "country clothes" back on, shoved my feet in my wellies, and got to work.  It wasn't a big deal, just raking it out and allowing Mr. Marvelous the privilege of toting the bin over to the compost pile.  

As I was walking back into the house I noticed my reflection in the door.  Oh my! 

What does a well-dressed Southern Lady wear to clean out the chicken house?

House dress.






Wellies.

 

  

 

And pearls.

No wonder the girls were so amused!

Louisiana Bayous

Twenty-seven years ago I drove from Gainesville, Georgia to Houston, Texas.  My brother is still a little unhappy with me for doing that by myself.

I chose the scenic route once I left Jackson, Mississippi.  I can not remember if I took the Interstate to Louisiana or not, but once I got down around New Orleans I got on US 90 and headed west.  I drove past many of the places I have mentioned on here.  It was a hot July day, and the bayous were cool and inviting.  I enjoy bridges and there were many of them.  As I drove along and over the bridges I was peering left and right.  To the right were the deep, cool woods and the waters of the bayous.  I imagined what animals I would find in among the plants and waters; some friendly and some not so much.  I hate snakes!  To the left were the salt water marshes and the gulf.  Yes, I know that US 90 is further inland than that, but compared to where I was currently living (Gainesville, Georgia), this was practically beachfront!  I was sure that I could smell and feel the beach.

I was traveling on my own, blessed with a love of travel and adventure, a very active imagination, and a deep love of the water.  This was one of my Laura Ingalls Wilder moments.

As I have walked through Louisiana in my imagination these twenty-seven years later, some of the sights and smells and sounds have come back to me, along with the feel of the cool breeze through the open car window.  The memories are not quite as vivid as I wish they were.  Yet in my mind this has been the opportunity to do the on-foot exploration I day-dreamed about as I drove along.  Thanks to the internet, I can find many pictures and word-pictures of that area.  If I wanted I could probably even find videos that other adventurous spirits have made as they traveled along this path. 

I thought about searching for some public-domain pictures to post up here to chronicle the adventure.  I probably will before the week is over.  For now, however, I hope that you can just take a minute to close your eyes and use your imagination to find the deep, dark, cool bayous of Louisiana.  Experience the sound of a great blue heron taking flight, the cry of a hawk, the plop of a 'gator sliding into the water, the cool damp feel of the breeze coming from the dark, dank water holes, and the fleeting sight of a bayou bobcat.  Take a few minutes and dream.  Join me on my walk!

My girls were fussing this morning more than usual so I went out to check on them.

I don't blame them for fussing

I almost thought one of the wild turkeys had slipped in and left us a gift!

Spring!

Spring!

 Spring on the Homestead.

 New life all around.

New chickens.

Soon-to-be new chicks.

 New Rabbits.

New Garden in back.

 (Yes, we are trying corn this year)

New Garden in front!

New work.

More new work.

Just seems like a good time to find new life in the blog.

God's peace to your homes!

Photo-Op!

We did finally make it through New Orleans.  One of the first things we did was walk around Lake Ponchartrain at Sunset.  Beautiful, isn't it?

Lake Pontchartrain!

The next morning we had to hit Cafe' Du Monde for beignets and coffee.  The nice thing about making this a virtual trip is that the beinets have absolutely NO calories whatsoever! :)  We had a dozen each.

Beignets and Coffee at the Cafe' Du Monde

 That afternoon after wandering through the French Quarter we found the Columns Hotel which houses Albertine's Tea Room.  I think that I went to Albertine's many years ago with my mother and Grandma.  Nancy and I had a full afternoon tea; just what we needed after that stroll through town.

Entrance To Albertine's Tea Room

We left New Orleans and traveled due west, passing through Hahnville.  It's a rather small little community not too far out of the big town.  Here's the old Homeplace Plantation.  It was a fascinating house to wander through. 

Homeplace Plantation, Hahnville, Louisiana

Leaving Hahnville, we came to Lake des Allemandes.  The history of that area is interesting.  Believe it or not, even with that French/German name combination, it was settled by a Scot!  We flew Dan out to pipe for us at sunset that day.

Lac des Allemandes, Louisiana

By the end of last week, we had totaled 364 miles.  That put us right at Convent, Louisiana on the Mississippi River where we saw this. 

Manresa Retreat, Convent, Louisiana

It is a Jesuit retreat (meaning no women allowed) but again the benefits of a virtual tour kicked in and we had a lovely time wandering through the gardens and admiring the art and architecture of all the buildings.  The monks got in a bit of a snit with us being there, so they left and we had the whole place to ourselves.

We have left Convent behind and are on our way to Texas.  It will take a little while to get there, and it will take even longer to get through.  I remember the first (and only) time I drove to Houston.  I made the trip solo from Gainesville, Georgia.  When I got to the border I glanced at my odometer and discovered that I had driven 600+ miles.  Then I looked at the sign and discovered that the other end of Texas (El Paso) was another 800 miles away!

Here is the link to the map we are using.  You can zoom in to see more detail.  New Iberia and Lake Charles, coming up!

Where in the World are Nancy and Virginia?!

First things first.  Our route has changed.  Originally we had a member of the group who very much wanted to see the Caribbean, particularly the Dominican Republic.  Unfortunately, this member had to drop out.  So Nancy and I sat down and talked about how we wanted to get to New Zealand.  We have decided that our route is to go from Irondale, Alabama to New Orleans, then cut over across Texas (watch out, Carol and Ashley!), take some time to see the Grand Canyon, and head on over to California.  I found this link to Google Maps Distance Calculator.  It's a lovely handy-dandy tool that lets you calculate over-land walking distances.  You can swap between map or satellite and get some great close-ups of where you have been.  You may expect to see a good bit more of this little application!

So over the past many weeks Nancy and I have been walking, Zumba'ing (Nancy, not me) and swimming our way west.  We did make a stop in Demopolis along the way, and said hello to the parents of our nephew's wife.  Hi, Scott and Patty! :)

Today as I totaled our miles so far I discovered to my surprise and delight that we had made it to New Orleans!  Yay for us!!  Later this week I'll add some entries about the interesting things we discovered along the way, the places we shopped in NOLA and the lovely tea room where we had afternoon tea (Albertine's ~ the same place I went with my mother and grandmother in the mid-1980's).  So watch for pictures in a day or two.  In the meantime, let us know if you want to join us.  We'll be walking around the French Quarter and along the shores of Lake Ponchatrain.  See you soon!

Learning to be Inefficient

Yes, I really did mean to type, "inefficient"!
Growing up, one of my heroes was Frank Gilbreath.  You remember him; the father of twelve featured in the book Cheaper By The Dozen?  I loved his efficiency studies and work.  I was fascinated by his approach to getting things done.  I am not always the most efficient person, but it bugs me to waste motion and steps.  I was a nurse and getting things done quickly and efficiently was critically important.  I am a Mom; efficiency is even more critical in this job or I would never finish and get to bed at night!
The magazines are full of little tips on how to get your work done as easily and efficiently as possible.  Put a basket in each room to collect the household detritus; don't carry it back until it is full and then put everything away at one time.  Stack things at the top and bottom of the stairs and wait until you have to make a trip up or down to combine jobs and save steps.  Do everything in one room before moving along to the next.  When hanging out clothes, drape several items over your shoulder rather than walk back and forth to the clothes basket.  You get the idea.
The goal of all of this is to save steps; to make as few steps as possible in a day.  But stop and think just a minute.  If all my steps count toward going to New Zealand, and if I want to get there in my lifetime, maybe instead of taking fewer steps each day I really want to take more.  So I have had to start making a conscious effort to be less efficient.  One day in the late afternoon I glanced at my pedometer and discovered that I was not getting very many steps in.  I think I was only around 2 miles for the day.  I still had some laundry to get done, so I picked up an item in the bedroom and walked through the house to the laundry room.  I walked back to the bedroom and got another item.  I think I carried that whole load of laundry from bedroom to laundry room one piece at a time.  Then I started picking up the clean laundry in the laundry room, carrying it to the bedroom and putting it away......one piece at a time.  For the rest of the afternoon I cleaned house like this.  Of course it took longer to get things finished, but they did get finished and at the end of the day I was over 4 miles for the day.  I also got some rather befuddled looks from my husband ~ who knows me too well and is too wise to say anything!  I did finally explain to him what I was doing and why.  I choose to believe that those choking noises were him expressing his admiration for me and not snorting and choking in an effort to keep from laughing out loud!
The bottom line here is that there is no pressing reason for me to burn through household chores in an hour or less.  If it takes me all morning or all afternoon to get my work done and I can get a little further along my path while I work, so what?!  Remember, I am taking a lifetime to make the trip of a lifetime.  New Zealand, here I come!

Pedometer Woes

The first three posts in this series were written in January of 2012.  It is now June of 2012 and the next few posts will be playing "catch-up".  Today let's talk about how we get what we pay for!
Back in January I shopped around a little bit looking at pedometers.  I needed to purchase several, so I did consider the cost of these items.  After looking around at several different stores (WalMart, Academy, Amazon.com and Target), and doing some limited research online, I chose the New Balance pedometer and found that the best price was at Target.  I could get them for just under $10 there and I went with it.  I have liked New Balance merchandise in the past and refuse to buy sports shoes from anyone else (long story for another day).  The price was less than half of what a pedometer costs at Weight Watchers so I got them.  At least they would get us started, right?  These pedometers also did cumulative steps, distance and calories burned.  Unfortunately, they ONLY did cumulative.  They did NOT break down the cumulative on a day-by-day basis.  If you lost one days' worth of data, you lost ALL your data.  They also did not clip onto clothing very securely.  One of our members discovered that and at the same time discovered that they are NOT waterproof (don't ask, but I'm sure you can guess!).  Then we found that the NB pedometers would not record steps unless they were fastened in a rather particular way to the waistband.  If the waistband were tight or if the pedometer were not at a rather exact and particular angle to the ground, no steps would be recorded, no matter how many you took.  Finally, we discovered that they broke quite easily and that if the battery died it could not be replaced without breaking the clip.  Would you believe that even with all this, when my first one died I bought a second one?  After the second one broke, I gave up and gave in and purchased a Weight Watchers pedometer.  That was in early April and I am still in love with this gizmo.  It is important to record your total daily distance data at least once a week.  It only holds 7 days worth of data and at the end of 7 days starts all over again.  But since batteries can die at any time (and do!) getting into the habit of recording that data every 2-4 days is necessary (and it can't hurt to record it daily!).  I am still on the same WW pedometer, the battery seems fine, the clip is sturdy (and comes with a small tether if you want to be extra certain not to lose it), it is not picky about how it is positioned on the waistband, and the battery is easily replaced.  It is more expensive at $25.99 (that's at Amazon.com and I think it costs the same thing at a WW meeting).  But since I have not had to replace it in almost three months and the NB had already been replaced once ~ OK, twice ~ by this time, I think I'm still ahead financially.
So that's that for pedometers.  Next up, learning to be INefficient.

Walking Blog Has Moved!

The trip to New Zealand is now being covered at the following link: Walking to New Zealand.  Also found at www.sisterwalk.blogspot.com.  Hope to see you over there!  Meanwhile, I will be posting periodic family stuff back over here....when the mood strikes.

Going!!

Let's Go!!

I have heard from several friends that they want to join our trip.  Hurray!!  The more the merrier!

Here is what you need to do to join our walk. 

1. Get a pedometer.
2. Figure out how to use the pedometer
3. You might want to grab a water bottle to remind yourself to keep hydrated, and a journal to keep track of progress.  These are not essentials, they are just for fun.
4. Go to your local library and find any of the Sisterchick books by Robin Jones Gunn.  Read them.  You may read these in any order, although we recommend starting with Sisterchicks On The Loose (the first one she wrote).  
5. Send me an email that you want to join up.  I will send out group emails periodically. 
6. Leave a comment and let us know you are walking with us.

There are a couple of ways that you can walk with us.

1. Start from Irondale AL and walk with us.  Of course you can!  If you are going home every day for work or school and home every night to tend family you can magic yourself to Irondale; after all, we are women!
2. Start from where you are and design your own trip.  If you decide to do this option, let us know.  I would encourage you to start another blog about your own trip and we can link our blogs together.

The whole purpose of doing this is for women to share life, encourage each other, and have fun (not necessarily in that order!).  Some of us need to be exercising more for general fitness.  Some of us are concerned about our weight.  Others need to have more fellowship (probably most of us!).  Whatever your goals are, join us and let us cheer you on.

Nancy is the picture gal of the week.  This picture is another reason why we are not flying or driving or sailing on this trip.  Can you imagine how much luggage a group of women would need for this kind of trip??!!

So add a comment and send us a note and let's get going; sunshine and sand are waiting!

Getting Set.....

Why Not?!

First things first.  A new blog will be starting (I think) in the next few days.  Stay tuned....

Earlier this week I wrote about traveling and the things that keep us from traveling.  You know, all those grown-up responsibility things?  Just to recap, I have a sister who wants to go some place warm where she can feel the sand and hear the ocean.  I have a sister-in-law who would love to see more of America.  I have a niece who wants to see the Dominican Republic (NOT Dominica...sorry, Megs!).  And I have longed to see New Zealand.

Today the four of us got together and started planning our trip.  Our route (right now) is Birmingham  to the Dominican Republic by way of the Bahamas.  This is the first leg of our trip.  Our start will be Irondale, Alabama to Tifton, Georgia.  That distance is about 268 miles (give or take).  We have already left!  Yup, that's right, we are on our way.  No hotel reservations or worrying about restaurants.  We will be sleeping and eating at home most nights.  Really.  

For Christmas, I gave my fellow travelers a pedometer, a journal notebook, and a water bottle.  Today we set up our pedometers.  We are going to wear them each day and track our distance.  Some of us are also swimming, which counts toward the total; any biking, canoeing, or other activity that moves us will count.  The distance from Birmingham, Alabama to New Zealand is a little over 8,000 miles.  Of course, the distance with our going to the Bahamas and Dominican Republic first will increase that.  We will be finding photos from Google maps to share and if you have pictures from any of the locations we cross that you would like to share with us we would love to see them.  Who knows, at some point we just might get to visit one or two of these places in person!

That brings me to another point.  I've heard from a couple of folks lately that they wish they could travel.  Why not join us?!  All you need is a decent pedometer.  

I found these on sale at Target, here

No passport, no visas, no plane tickets, no frustrating TSA agents, no hotel reservations or Traveler's Checks to buy food.  Just clip that pedometer on and see how many steps you take in a day.  It is much easier to have a pedometer that measures distance in addition to steps, although I guess you could figure that out yourself.  A computer is nice for tracking progress but a paper map works just as well.  Leave a comment every so often letting the rest of us know where you are.  As we hit milestones we will celebrate each others progress.  If you would prefer to travel to Alaska or Borneo, let us know so we can celebrate that with you too.  

This is a new year, with a new start and a new (or maybe just quirky?!) idea.  We would love to have your company!