Nell Hill's

Patsy and I took off to Kansas City to the new Nell Hill's store. It is fabulous!!! I had to remember that I was flying back home and couldn't buy anything that was not flat or could not be folded. The new store has so much room and so many room settings. It is just beautiful. We loved the new spring bedding and pillows she had on display. I bought her latest decorating book. Then we went searching for "Victoria Trading Company" catalog outlet store. WE FOUND IT!!! But not without many turn arounds and U-turns--remember I am directionaly challenged. We turned around so many times that I could not have explained to anyone which turn to take to get back to the expressway. I know it is a sad state of affairs. We did a lot of laughing over the whole experience. Patsy does not let it get her down, she knows her sister well. Tonight we are going to start pricing stuff for her garage sale on Saturday. OH WOE!!!!!

BBBBRRRRRRRR!!!

Oh My Gosh!!! It is so freakin' cold here. It was 30 degrees last night. I went to bed wearing a sweater. Patsy had to cover her peonies. Her trees lost limbs to the ice storm they had just before Christmas, so yesterday we picked them up and put them in her burn pile. The clay flower pots that were left outside just crumbled in our hands as we picked them up. I keep thinking--IT IS THE END OF APRIL it should NOT be so damn cold. I forget that I am above the Mason-Dixon Line. In fact, I am not too far from the Canadian Border. Good Grief!!!
If I were to take out driving, I would cross four state lines and be in Canada. That same trip in Texas would probably get me from San Antonio to Abilene. I live in a very unique place. Warmer, too. Well, I need to put on a parka and help Patsy outside. BBBRRRRR!!! What fun.

Crazy Night in Kansas

Patsy and I stayed up and watched "Desperate Housewives" last night and Pat fell asleep in her comfy chair. I woke her up to go to bed and by the time we got back to the bedroom we were wide awake. We laid in bed and talked until midnight. We fell asleep and woke up again around 2:30ish and talked until 5:30 when I rolled over and told her I was taking another nap. I slept until 8:15 and couldn't do no more. I got up and made coffee. She was still sleeping. I think that I hear her bumping around in there. We are staying around the house and doing some yard work today. Her tulips are just gorgeous. It is cold as a frog's hair here. I'm glad I brought a couple of sweaters. More later

Going to Kansas City!!!!

Sunday I leave for Kansas and a week with Mama Willa and Patsy. We plan a trip into Kansas City to the new Nell Hill's store. I have been getting the news letter from Mary Carol McGarrity, the owner of Nell Hill's, so I have a map to get there. It will be fun to just hang out with my sister for a week. I worked yesterday and will help with a group of St. Luke students on a fieldtrip to Austin and the Texas History Museum. I am really looking forward to that. I plan to make notes so Kirk and I can go back on our own. I need to go and get some laundry done, dust, vacuum, and clean bathrooms. I am trying to look at those chores as important activities--it has not sunk in as of yet. Maybe, when I step back and look at a really clean bathroom or bedroom, I can smile at my handy work!!! The Amish consider it a sacred activity, I AM really trying to look at these chores in the same way.

Dust Bunnies the size of Bubba

Kirk and I have been sneezing, coughing, sniffling, and feeling crappy in general, so I decided that I needed to get rid of the dust. I started in our bedroom. I emptied the wall unit of EVERYTHING and washed them down with Murphy's Oil soap, then I polished them with Lemon oil. IT TOOK ME THE WHOLE EFFING DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have too much stuff on those shelves, but I got rid of some of it. Considering that the room is my sanctuary, I really need my gardening books, decorating books, and novels on those shelves. I am now going to go through every room in my house and get the dust OUT!!!! I did not pull stuff out from under the bed, so, that will be a job for another day. I will move to Kirk's bathroom next. Then, I will move on to the other rooms until I have done the entire house! Lordy, what a job. Well, gotta go.

Inspiration

Last night Kirk and I watched ABC's Prime Time with Diane Sawyer. She interviewed Randy Pauche(I think I spelled his name correctly). He is an incredible human being. Several months ago I got an e-mail with the lecture that he gave at Carnagie Mellon back in the fall. He had been diagnosed with cancer of the panceas. His doctors gave him six months to live. He has lived beyond those months, however he is fading. He has a wife and three children. His children are under the age of six. I called the interview inspirational because you NEVER felt sorry for this man and his family. You felt sad that he will be leaving them soon, but not sorry. I thought that I would cry my eyes out over his destiny. I did not. I teared up a couple of times when he talked about how his children's lives will change with his death. He said that he decided to use the time he had left to create safety nets to catch them after he dies. He knows that it is going to be very difficult for them. He is the example of how to live and how to die. His faith must be huge. He believes in loving now, playing now, living now. When you really think about it, NOW is all we have. We can't change the past and we don't know the future. Now is all we really have. It makes you rethink a whole lot of things, and just move forward with what you know right now.