The Volunteers

 Tom and I try our best to stay busy since we have retired. So when a volunteering opportunity came our way recently, we signed up. For the second year in a row, the College Gridiron Showcase has been held here in Ft. Worth. This is where recently graduated football players from across the nation get their chance to be interviewed and scrimmage in front of the National Football League scouts (professional football). Over 200 players were to arrive in Ft. Worth, many by plane. Our airport, which  we share with Dallas is over twenty miles to the east so we were delighted when we finally got train service connecting the two.

Tom and I,  unlike most folks have already ridden it several times,

so meeting  the players at the airport and directing the to the train seemed the perfect job for us. It was a fun day...although standing on my feet for five hours straight and all of the walking here and there  I have to admit was a bit tiring. It really didn't seem that long though because we were so delighted to meet so many friendly and polite young men.

Big Sister

As some of you know, we had another granddaughter arrive five days after Christmas, which is why we have been in Austin for so long.

The nursery was all ready for little Margaret Lynn, who they will call Maggie, even though she arrived two weeks early.

 Hannah had even graduated from Big Sister school, where she learned everything she will need to know in helping care for her new little Sis..

So what do we do with big sis while Mom and Maggie are in the hospital all week? Mom thought of everything and enrolled Hannah in a riding school that is on a beautiful multi acre ranch right in the city.

There was even a graduation day for that .. We watched Hannah go through the paces with her horse Poco..not missing a single step..
Mom and Maggie have finally arrived home after a few minor complications that kept them all week, and we have returned to Ft. Worth where wehope things will settle down to a regular slow pace around here.
Medical update: I have an appointment with an orthopedic doctor this week and will probably start physical therapy on my still ailing right arm...although I am amazed at how good I have gotten using my left arm. :) I have missed blogging and hope to get caught up with what all of you have been up to.

It’s A New Year,

It is a new year and I am aware I have been neglecting my blog. My daughter whose baby was due in January had the baby early...five days after Christmas, so we have been here helping out. I hope to be home soon and back on a regular schedule.My wish for all of you is to have a:

As we sail into the new year

Just wanted to say hello and apologize  for my absence. I am recovering after my fall and have also been out of town for the Christmas holidays. Tom and I were in Austin with our youngest daughter and family. I haven’t been taking very many pictures. Although...

This is a colorful image on some notecards my little granddaughter Hannah designed for me. A sailboat bobbing along with whales and sharks below and sea gulls above (complete with legs and feet). Hannah is seven years old and so enjoys painting. 

I am hoping all of you had very happy and festive holiday !

The Lights of Christmas

Hello friends. I am back from North Carolina, although I will not show you a picture of myself. It appears I have been in a fight....with the bandage on my face and all of the bruising. Heck my neighbors probably think I have really had a face lift HA! That is not going to happen. Tom and I did ride around town a bit tonight...yes on the way to the ice cream parlor.  tried to take some pictures along the way of the Christmas lights...They are not very good.....but here goes.

This pretty old house had lights up the drive and their trees wrapped in white lights.Tree wrapping is very popular here. There are services that do it for you for a tidy sum.

This one had a mixture of trees wrapped in white and green.

These large Live Oak tress were amazing with red trunks and red and green balls hanging from the limbs,

and this house had so many red lights that there was a red glow over the whole block.

The gates to this estate are always very welcoming, although I feel sure they are locked.

This house had rather simple decorations...but be nice, that's my door!

Ouch!

I have been in North Carolina visiting my daughter. Had a wonderful time until I had a run in with her stairs and ended up at the hospital. No broken bones and the stitches will be taken out on Tuesday.

I will return...Janey

HoHoHo

It is such a busy time of year! I promised myself that I would simplify, simplify, simplify.. but I think I have failed. We have a large artificial tree that we were not going to put up since we aren't hosting Christmas....but guess what...here it it!

We both love the holidays....and the thought of no tree seemed dismal. I usually do a lot of baking, but held to my promise here. .. I did attend a luncheon yesterday and I knew the ladies would bringing little favors to exchange, so this is what I took....not a lot of baking required for these:

You start out with a bag of little square baked pretzels.

Next unwrap a  Hershey's Kisses(I needed two bags for the number I was to make).That was the labor intensive part...I put Tom to work. Of course I had to watch and make sure he wasn't eating every other one.

I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper and loaded it with pretzels, putting a Candy Kiss on top of each square. Put into a preheated oven (200 degrees F, or 93.3 C) for only about 4 mins. Test one to see if the chocolate is soft. Remove from oven and top each one with another pretzel...pushing down gently or else the chocolate squishes out the side. Put into the fridge to chill for about 15 mins.

I put about 14 salty and sweet pretzel sandwiches in each little cello bag and fastened with a small rubber band.

All done up in matching bags with cute tags, they made a nice treat to put on the luncheon table.