Sunday

Last night our granddaughter wanted to talk to us on the phone. I answered, and I heard her exclaim that she wanted to talk for herself! wow. Such fierce independence for a three year old. Too cute to this old granny and grandDad. I was glad to hear that the packages arrived okay, and were things that fit.

At one point, our son said, "now Abigail..."

You know you are in trouble when dad uses your full proper name.

And then they said she fell asleep. Our son and daughter-in-law explained that the little miss had played through her nap instead of actually napping. Oh, dear. Now we understand the "independence". Here we were headed to bed, and they were just going to supper. And had had to shovel more snow, whereas Bob had had to mow our green, green rye grass. Bob has had to mow twice in February. I look up from the computer and out the window to a restful green carpet of thick, green grass. So pretty. And good for the eyes.

I just want to remember: "now, Abigail..." in that voice from her dad. And how at three, she wants to talk for herself. wow. Little tidbits in the life of our too far away granddaughter that a granny wants to treasure. (and share with her other granny!)

Saturday

We took the plymouth in for an oil change and diagnosis on the "check engine light".

We took the stack to Best Buy, but our warranty means sending it in for a week. no thanks. we can just blow a fan on it. Bob was not impressed with the computer geeks at Best Buy. He did not think they knew a capasitor from a hole in the wall.

We also went by Home Depo. Got the bulb for the oven. But, our roast is still cooking...so we cannot quite put it in right now. The roast was tasty for lunch, but I'd like to see it fall-apart done. Makes the house smell good. And we looked at insulation. The only have the non-itchy blow in kind. And not a great selection of stove tops.

But, at least we are addressing things on the honey dew list. It is a start.

Bob is mowing. Well, buy more gas for the mower... the grass had quite a layer of frost on it this morning, so in my opinion, it is too wet to mow. But, what do I know? And with rain predicted next weekend---thanks to el nino, we are in for a wet, wet spring.

Salad for supper with cornbread muffins and roast beast...

It is a beautiful day here in Texas. Clear skies. Signs of spring. I saw a flowering red bud tree yesterday evening. And those red bushes that are one of the first to bud. And another robin.

Modem died, but we are back up with a brand new one!

Diary of an internetless woman:
25th of February. Two months since Christmas? Thursday that feels like a Friday
No internet this morning for some reason. Modum is blank. No little green lights. Clear skies, so it is not because of the weather. Unless cold knocked it out. Thankfully, we do have phone service.
Bob has jury duty in town today. Usually, jury duty involves travelling downtown Fort Worth, finding a place to park...paying more for parking than they reimburse you, unless you ride the train. And some show up first day downtown Fort Worth, but get sent to strange places where you need your car.
Listening to the radio. Looking out on our green, green back yard. Made Folgers this morning. They have a new "dark silk" flavor.
Aren't we boring?
Tech support says it is the modem. They want me to stand on my head, disconnect the power, plug the modem into an outlet so they can "reset" it. Sure.

So, Bob came back from his adventures in jury duty. He was not needed, but was given a certificate exempting him for two years. He unplugged the modem, and talked to tech support and ordered a new modem. Delivery guaranteed by Monday, March 1st. So, no internet. No facebook. No blog reading. No email. Oh, well. Cords all over the place. Dusty, dusty cords.
At least we can still watch TV. And listen to the radio. And talk on the phone.
9:30am. Bob is driving downtown to work with his certificate. His laptop quit working. He has the two old laptops pulled out and piled up under the shelf by his chair.
Why does this feel like Friday?? We had church last night, Wednesday night Bible study. More later.
noon: still marveling over the verses our pastor covered last night. I Peter 4:12- and into chapter 5
so many snippets of verses I know, but to see them again in contest. Words jump out at me, like "fiery trials" and how does one "obey the Gospel"? He compared it to the various trials where we are to consider it all joy...and be not the troublesome meddler...
I called my friend, recently widowed, and it is so easy to talk for an hour. The poor woman is never alone, as who keeps a sick child? Grandma. That is who. And who picks up other Grandma's grandchildren when they are out of town? That is right. Grandma. Yikes. Please give my dear friend the spine to say no. And take a day off from carting and keeping other people's children. She loves to clean, and needs to do her taxes, and oh, my---there is the whole grieving thing. Can everyone back off and give her a year to cry? We are entering that critical six weeks after time when friends peel off, and people want to move on, but hey, I think my friend would love a day all to herself.
I'm off. Off to run errands. Still on the hunt for some black slacks. Drooled over some white ones by White Stag at Walmart yesterday, but not in my size. Walmart used to care about us fatties, and stock the good knit slacks by White Stag.
5pm---Bob is bringing home tamales! whew! Since he has the car, he thought about swinging by Luna's. What fun!
I did find more Balneol at Walmart, and ate chicken for lunch at Chick-fil-A ! The traffic over there is so heavy around the new stadium. Yikes.
Cold rain predicted for tomorrow, but the snow and sleet should stay up around the Red River. The temps were in the fifties today, but cold wind made it feel much colder, even though the wind was from the south. I am convinced that the air was cooled by the melting snow to the south of us.
We will probably watch some Olympics tonight. I feel kinda cut off from the world---no Brietbart TV today nor facebook news on our extended family. But, I survived.
I called Bob's sister, Barbara in Albuquerque to put a note on our facebook, that our modem died. And called James, too.
9:30pm went to bed. Bob was starting to snore through the Olympics. I hate how they were letting us watch one skater, then the even more dangerous events on skis. The women were skating in less than bathing suits. I don't get that, either.
Friday, February 26th
Since we went to bed so early, Bob got up early and ran. No rain yet. No possom in the trap.
Good thing I held onto one phone book. Kinda needed it to call AT&T about the modem. They were able to diagnose over the line. We are getting so spoiled being online 24/7 that a phone book seems archaic. And living in the metroplex, we were burdened with phone books from Dallas and Fort Worth, too. Takes up a lot of closet shelf space. It has been a while since I perused the phone book. There are color-coded sections for restaurants, dentists, doctors, coupons. A handy spot to check restaurant hours, but why oh, why would you name your restaurant, "Riscky's"?? Is your meat safe? Why make us wonder?
The word, restaurant, is a difficult one for me to spell correctly. I need to practice spelling it, because I somehow learned it wrong. restaurant. ants are not a good thing at a restaurant, but the aunt word is not in there. restaurant. restaurant. restaurant. restaurant. restaurant. restaurant. restaurant.
Can't wait for the Tuesday primaries here in Texas. Maybe then the flood of junk mail fliers, robo phone calls, and tv and radio ads will stop for a while. There just seems like no break between elections. And our never-ending champagning president....yuck. Our trash can is overflowing with the expensive, shiny fliers that tell us absolutely nothing about the candidate. What a waste.
Time to do some laundry. And two tamales for breakfast would have been enough. And this is my last Izze. I think an Izze helps you digest tamales just as good as a beer does. IMHO. LOL
10:30am bathed, shaved my mustache, trimmed my bangs, and I am watching the doves fight over the birdfeeder, peer into the window at me, and line the power cables. One dove has a feather out of place on top of his head.
Our outlets are beginning to look like the outlets in the movie, Christmas Story. Yikes. Every electronic device needs a plug. When I see those glade air freshener ads on tv, I wonder where does that lady plug them in???
4:30pm Bob called. Train? yes. Home.
UPS just delivered our modem, I bet. I have not opened it. TV quit working. I fell asleep in the chair. Dreamed vivid dreams.

9pm---we are back up and running! Had supper with Ben. Our Friday night catfish special at Cracker Barrel. New waiter kept getting the order wrong, but that just gave us more time with Ben! Too funny. Thank you, Bob for getting us back up.

Yippeee!!!!!!!!

saw a cutie on Michelle's FB page: Even the Calendar says WTF after Monday and Tuesday. (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) Does SS mean anything in LOL talk?

Snow flurries yesterday. Clear skies today !

Snow flurries all day on and off yesterday. But, the heavy stuff stayed to the south of I-20. Some folks down there got five inches. Yikes. Our fourth snow event of the winter. This will be a winter to remember.

The sun is shining brightly outside today. Enjoying it while it lasts.

Made a run to Walmart and stocked up on laundry liquid, coffeemate, coffee, bleach, and wandered through their Easter candy display. Ben called me yesterday and said that Veggie Tales candy was featured. I found it, but it looks like it was made by a very cheap vender. My boys all have the plush toys from Veggie Tales. These came with little zippers with candy inside.

How come Walmart has the nice knit slacks in a wonderful assortment of colors for the thinner ladies, but not us fatties?? I have been on the lookout for them. White Stag is the maker. Guess I will have to do some online sluthing.

I mailed the big sister t-shirts to Abby. They may not want her to wear them for a while yet. But, they will be ready.

An Email to my dear husband...

Living dangerously today, aren't you??? Your cell phone rang. I thought it might be you wondering where it was, so I answered. But, it was xxxxx xxxxx saying top up or lose it. So, I tried. but, I could not remember my vin number fast enough, so it rolled over to a real person after five minutes. by then, I had the vin number off all our vehicles at the ready. I went ahead and topped up. and marked the calender in May when we gotta do this again. I chided them to be more old people friendly, 'cause we gots money too, and we don't likes the rap music. ha I think she helped me top up just to get rid of me. she asked me the phone number of the phone! I don't know that. what a silly question. why would I call myself? And where was their company, by the way?? New Jersey, she said. Wow. we do not buy hot sauce from New Jersey, so I don't know why we are letting them gouge us for "minutes". Our credit card is about to expire, so she said we'd have to call back with the new number next time, but I asked how exactly could we then talk to a real person again?? Ususally, it is press one if your are an idiot, press 2 if you want to hear you are an idiot in Spanish. She laughed and said they don't have the feature of being about to talk to a real person in the "menu" at this time. Then, after I got off the phone, it hit me---I just talked to a "real" person by staying on the line 'cause I did not know our vin number. Come next May, I will be slow to find it again, I'm thinking. I may not have gone to college---but I am learning how to deal with these phone company people. During one of the ads---they suggested we throw away our land lines and just go with them for $50 a month! Yikes. We are paying that with our land line folks, and we get internet access. They must think we are really stupid.

Well, at least I have accomplished something today without even having to leave the house!! We now have $46 each on each phone. Lovely. How are we gonna use up $92 in "minutes" before May 18th?? I'd call you right now, but I have both cell phones. Yours is done charging, however. Love, your silly wife

Fifty and Sixty year old Orphans

The Carlsbad Williamsons and the El Paso Williamsons. Double cousins. Their parents, Clara and her sister, Mary, married brothers named Joe and Bill. So, they shared the same set of grandparents. This bottom picture shows the eight children of Clara and Joe, and the three of Bill and Mary.

The middle picture is the cousins and their spouses. And the top picture has cousins, spouses, children and grandchildren. And that is not even all of us !!!

Stories from Saturday

Some of the amazing stories I heard on Saturday, at Bob's Uncle's memorial service:
Bob's Uncle Bill fell out or was shoved out of the back of a truck as a six year old, and the back tire drove over his head. He lost one eye, and the hearing in one ear. But, he grew up normally otherwise, and when WWII came along and his country was threatened, Uncle Bill told the only one lie of his entire life after memorizing the eye chart, and joined the army. He served as an officer of an ambulance brigade and saw the Battle of the Bulge. Bob's dad, Uncle Bill's younger brother, also served as a navigator in the Army Air Corps, B-24s. Both men were relieved that their dear mother had passed so that she would not be worried about them.

But imagine if you will, sharing the same name and signature as your father, and faithfully sending your army paycheck home to the bank in El Paso for the years of WWII. $22 a month. Thinking you'd have a nest egg when the war was over and you finally were able to go back home...but when Uncle Bill got back home, the money was gone. All gone. His father, not a great bookkeeper, had used it all up. It was gone. And his father's second wife had sold all his and his brother's belongings, books, as she did not think they'd be coming back and/or she was a greedy mean woman. That marriage only lasted six months.

But, Uncle Bill was not bitter. He just went about getting a job, getting married to the woman he'd been writing during the war, and raising three amazing children with the daily, purposeful choice each day to be a better father, husband, uncle than any he'd ever known. Depending on a daily reading of God's Word, and prayer, and leaning on the Lord, he continued to be the most humble, gentle man.

Half million out of power during the storm

Last Thursday, the "historic" snow of 12 inches fell upon us. Some in Haslet, Texas got 14 inches. The snow weighed down branches, and caused power outages. Over the next few days, as the snow started to slowly melt, over half a million people were without power. My husband works for the power company, and it is being declared the biggest storm and widespread outage ever. I think everyone is back on now, but it was miserable for so many. Trees in our neighborhood had been trimmed about a month ago, so we had power just on our side of the street. It is so nice to see sunny, cloudless skies today.

Five days after the Historic 12 inch snow---the view out my back window

pristine snow still---five days after ! No little boys to make a snowman, and the backyard is soggy as a sponge. Snow is about gone from roofs, but our backyard on the south side of the house, still has this snow cover. I should have drawn a big red heart for Valentine's Day.

Lost Post

I just spend two hours composing a post. I lost internet connection in the middle, so I should have saved it before posting. It is gone. Maybe I revealed too much. Only God knows what I shared about the two hour memorial service, and six hour reception. Only God knows my heart. I wish Bob could have read it, but maybe God does not want him to.

I am angry it is gone, but the process of writing helps organize my thoughts. Dump my concerns. Maybe I will try again later. Maybe. There is nothing permanent nor sure with flakey computers. Oh, well.

"I'm Going To Be A Big Sister, Grannie !"

Hello?

Hello?

(silence)

Is this Abby??

yes!

Did you have a good day at school?

yes!

_____ ______ ______ _____ _____ ____ ____ , Grannie !

What?

___ _______ __ _______ __ ______ _____ , Gran--neeee !

Wow. I wish I could understand you. Maybe Daddy can help?

(Andy:) Listen for the second word.

___ ________ __ __ _ ____ ________ , Grannie !

Whatever it is you are saying, it sounds good.

(Andy:) we will call back in a few minutes.

Andy called back. I put it on speaker phone, as James and Amber were here, and thataway, GrandDad could hear it, too.

"I'm going to be a big sister, Grannie !!!" was what she was trying to say.

(Grannie needs the gift of toddler interpretation. I could only understand the word, "Grannie.")

Bob has two nieces due this year---one in June, and one in October, so there will now be two baby Williamsons due in October. October 12th is the triplet's birthday, so it should be easy to remember! They need a birthday buddy.

I'm back up...but earlier I wrote:

no internet. no phone. I still have a cell phone. $29 on my Virgin cheapy cell phone that I usually leave turned off, as it does not hold a charge.
I am thankful for heat. I am thankful for electricity as most of my neighbors are out. Last night we watched the blue fireworks show as the power lines rubbing snow laden tree limbs arced. And while brushing off the car, I could hear the hummm of the transformers trying to reconnect as chunks of snow fell on my head and on the car with a blop. The roof is dripping, and the snow is falling off the branches raining snow down below in clumps and sprays of snow.
The snow is so bright. Last night we marveled at how you could read by the light of the snow. Bob is convinced it is the city lights reflecting off the snow. But, I think it would be bright enough to read without the lights reflecting off the clouds. So, on a clear night, with no city lights, does the snow illuminate the landscape enough to ready by??
Sallycat is disturbed by the sound of clumps hitting the roof, house, and car. I guess, to a cat, it is like being bombed with snow from above. She is disturbed by the vacuum cleaner, and broiler fan, too.

I have given myself the challenge of what the sermon on the Road to Emmaus looked like. Luke 24. Jesus did not record it maybe because HE wants us to dig it out ourselves. What OT passages talk about Jesus's first advent, resurrection, and in a three hour walk?? Jesus hints that He started with Moses, and all the prophets, and the Psalms...ready? set? Go!

comparing crepe myrtles during and after the storm

can't even see the compost heap underneath !

scroll down six more pictures to see what it looked like last night for a "before" shot.

the morning after the Historic snowstorm

mimosa tree next door

after Bob left for work, I took these photos of the front and side yard

If you click on the image and make it bigger, you can count twenty robins perched in the trees, bushes, and on the power lines out back. And you can see my scary looking wind chime! Bob made it for me. clangs purty.

Historic Snow

It started snowing before midnight, and continued all day yesterday, and only quit a few hours ago. We got a record twelve and a half inches. Since it broke the record, and since even the twelve point one was thirty years ago, they are calling this an historic snowstorm.

Bob knocked a lot of the snow off the cars and shoveled the drive last night before we went to bed, and the temperatures stayed right at freezing. Then he cleaned the walk and drive one more time this morning, and sprinkled ice cream salt (rock). Walmart hides rock salt in the spice/flour/sugar aisle and calls it ice cream salt.

Most of the neighborhood looks dark, and the sky lights up with the strange blue of transformers blowing and power lines arcing as heavy snow laden tree branches rub against them.

Ben called last night and asked Dad/Bob questions about the arcing he was witnessing all over town. Over 175,000 are without power, according to the radio.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/weather/stories/Up-To-2-of-Snow-Expected-Thursday-84053662.html has the blue arcing I was describing--found it on Drudge!

Winter Wonderland

We awoke to two inches of snow on the ground!! Wow

This is unusual, but not unheard of. I remember a few Valentine's Day snowfalls, and one on St. Patrick's Day. Bob made a huge snowman soldier one year, so it kinda stands out in my mind.

But, the WBAP weatherman is saying we could get between four and six inches. I wonder if that is near or breaking a record? It is suppose to snow all day. And when the temps fall below thirty tonight, all this mess is gonna freeze and make traveling treacherous tomorrow morning. Things will be fine by Saturday, and the memorial service for Bob's uncle, but getting here will be dicey for relatives dependent on the airlines from the east and west coasts.

Our grass is super green underneath...thanks to my husband spreading rye seed and then fertilizer. The bushes and trees are starting to lean under the weight of the wet snow.

Days ago, they warned this storm was coming, but they could not tell if we would receive the brunt or if it would stay to the north or south of us. Looks like it hit us head on.

I can't believe the local school district decided to have school today. I feel so sorry for the teachers.

Amazingly, the birds don't seem to mind flying in the heavily falling snow. I wish I had refilled the feeder with the bag of new seed yesterday. Oh, well.

This is more snow than we received at Christmas and New Years, and snow then is unusual.

We sure enjoyed a phone call from the granddaughter last night. I am so glad they are enjoying Anchorage. We asked her if she likes snow, and she said, "yes". Too cute. They have a new puppy, so we hear a lot of "no, get down" in the background.

Here I was yesterday looking at the time lapse videos of the snow on the east coast...and we have our own snow scape out our windows!

ROBINS!!! THE ROBINS ARE ALL OVER THE BACK YARD. THIS MUST BE THE DAY THEY MIGRATE THROUGH NORTH TEXAS !!! WOW

And Ben checked in. He was enjoying a day off seeing as how they cannot get on roofs in this snowy weather. It is now 10:30am, and still snowing. steadily.

Why Read Your Bible?

http://dbcmedia.org/sermons/why-read-your-bible/