Fossil Rim and Dinosaur Park... Antique Shopping

Hey, gotta share some pictures from our latest outing.  I kidnapped my husband and we went to Glen Rose, Texas for the day.  So... let the pictures begin.

We left Garland around seven on Saturday morning.  Yes, I had my coffee on the road and woke up as we went along.  I am NOT an early riser!  But, hubby is and so it works out fine.  This group of pictures just goes to show the fog that morning.  Unreal...

As thick and dense as the fog was, when it cleared the day was gorgeous!  It got to the mid 80's.  That was Saturday, and as I type this up on Sunday... I can hear the sleet hitting the windows here.  Gotta love our Texas weather!!!

First stop, Fossil Rim.  What a beautiful day to take a three or four hour drive with the windows down!  Because it is prime time and a weekend, the price was $23.95 and the feed was $8.  Worth every penny of it, this was so much fun. This link will keep you up to date of closings due to weather, pricing, and other things going on at the reserve.  http://www.fossilrim.org/

Some animals were more shy than others.  As you will see below, you just have to wait... most of them will come over to the car.

You just can't look away for too long, the animals might be on their way into your vehicle when you turn back around.

Carry a wet washrag in a large ziplock, or a couple of them.  You WILL get slimmed!!!  You really don't wanna use baby wipes cause of the taste it will give the animals.  We would just wipe off on some napkins that we happened to have in the car.

This next set of pictures... oh how cool!  An ostrich!

This guy was aggressive!!!  I was so glad that I had the bag secured between my legs.  He just kept coming back.  Hubby finally had to just slowly drive away.  I think that was the area that we used the most food.  Speaking of the bag of food... we had leftovers and gave it to another family that was just starting the tour.  They give you about 2/3 a lunch bag of it for $8. 

I heard that you have some food for me?

The baby spotted dear, they never came over.

To see so many of these signs is sad... it tells you that lots of folks have ventured outside of their vehicles!

His friends must have sent him over.  Surprised hubby!  

When you get to the 1/2 way point, you can wash your hands in a sink with soap and water!!!  There are also restrooms and a petting zoo area there.

It was so bright out, that seeing through the camera phone... well, most of either the animal or I am missing!  Oh well, we got some.

Large turtle.  This thing was huge!!!  He was fenced, so I couldn't get close to him at all... bummer.

This is how hubby "poses" with the animals.  He's so cute!  Oh, which one?  Hubby or the goat?  Well,...

The gift shop had some severe fire damage and would not be opened for another week.  That is ok, we don't need to purchase more stuff that is just gonna sit around the house.  Photos are great and really all we needed!  Though, I did press a penny.

Plan to eat lunch at the half way point.  The food is good and the prices are too!  We got a burger and split it.  Then one soft drink (free refil) and a cold Gatorade.  Oh, the burger came with fried, they were so-so... the burger made up for it!

The rest of the trip if the opposite trails that you drove across coming in.  This time, you get a second chance to see everything again... except for the ostrich.  We didn't see them a second time.   

How graceful, to see these run was so neat.  You did have to be very patient and just wait for one to come to the car.  Also, when they are done, they are done.  This one didn't even visit the other side of the car.

My Mother's favorite animal was the giraffe.

The zebra came to both sides and were not shy, and were patient with us!

Ewww... can we say toothbrush dude?

Feeding time and glad they are behind that fence.

Couldn't get to the Rhinos either.  This one had been rolling in a mud pit.

There were just a few of these.

What a morning!  That was great!  I think that it would be beautiful to got back in the Spring, when everything is lush and green.  But, you have to remember the Texas heat can be bad.  It was the mid 80's when we left and a lot of the animals where chillin' in the shade of the trees.  So, I would say to get there early like we did so that you get the most interaction with the animals.

NEXT... we went up the road to the Dinosaur Park.  There are two, Dinosaur World and Dinosaur Valley State Park.  http://www.glenrosetexas.net/dinosaur-valley-state-park.html  Also, they are within just miles of each other.  

Here are just a few pictures that we got while there.  It got hot when we were hiking.  We got lost on the trails and a guy from England actually helped us find our way out.  But, it was fun, the scenery is beautiful!  If you can just take one hike... go the blue trail (the high one, not the low one! that is when we got lost!) and when you see the yellow trail turn left and take it to the TOP!  It is a walk, but so pretty!  Coming back down, when you see the turn that shows both the yellow and blue arrows, go down and to the right!!!  Anyway... here are the pictures we took on our phones.

There are tons of folks wading in the stream, my camera phone deletes out moving objects.  I was able to get a lot of them out!

On the way to the top...

This is at the top... so enjoy the breeze, cause you gotta make your way all the way back down now.  I do think that some of the other views on the way up are almost as pretty.  There are also benches at the top to sit and rest a bit. 

Thank you my dear hubby for a fantastic day!!!

We also did some fun shopping at a few antique shops... Was great to meet the owners, we had a blast visiting with them.  So, please stop in at these two shops that are close by in Rainbow, Texas.  Tell the ladies there that I said "Hello!"

The shops...

American Country Mall... Connie, 254-897-2049  and  Rainbow Station... Nancy, 254-396-1722.  Both are in Rainbow, Texas right there on Highway 67.  Lovely folks!  Wanna go back with my painting students in the late Spring.  

Ok... that is all for now.  I will be back in a few weeks.  Stay safe, stay warm, and be blessed!  Be sure to say a prayer for God to bless all the small business owners!  I know that I for one appreciate my customers and covet any prayers that I can get. - Pam

Sewing Area... and Painting and Scrapbooking

I decided that the "studio" was just getting out of control.  So, I began the overhaul, it was just that bad.  We have been bringing in stuff from my dad's that was mom's work room.  It was ok to start with ... but then a box here, a box there.  Memo to self, put stuff up when you bring it in and if there isn't a place for it... then don't bring it in the house to start with.

Below, is a picture of my very first sewing area, the machines had to go below the pop-up tables.  Just goes to show, that we can do something with a space and then upgrade as we can afford it.

http://tinkartist.blogspot.com/2012/09/making-large-work-space.html   This link will show you how to make your own table out of a sheet of plywood from Home Depot.  This is the most reasonable priced way of doing things that I have found.  Please feel free to share your room in my comments!  The picture below is how I had the table this last time.  But, the supplies were all in a bookcase across the room and the serger machine was kept in the closet.  Just too time consuming to get to what I needed for a project, so I just didn't use the space for anything but a junk surface.

Also... that file cabinet to the left (below) is covered with woodgrain sticky back paper now too.  My fabrics are in those cabinets hung by type on file folders.  That is also shown in my blog.  Keeps fabrics clean and no fading from the sun, plus they are at your fingertips with just a pull of the drawer!

The next picture show how the room looks now.  I must say, it is very workable now.  Everything right there where I can get to it!  The over-sized mat for cutting is standing at the end of the table with my tabletop ironing board.  

I hope you like how I labeled everything for you and that maybe something here will help you in your sewing space.  Click the picture and it will be larger and easier to read all my notes and labeling.

A friend asked me this week if we ever get to where we stop changing things in our "work spaces".  I told her that I didn't thinks so.  It is the nesting trait that we have as women. So... don't forget to check back often to see the next part as it is revealed, or just follow and it should let you know when I update the blog.  There will be at least three parts to this room makeover.

So... hope to see you soon, as I am excited about this and want to get it finished up pretty quickly.  Next entry will be the painting area in the room. -Pam

HEY!!!!!!!!!!  I AM BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I am finding it easier to just add the pictures of the rest of the room here, instead of starting another new post.  So...

Below is the left and right sides of this painting area.

This next picture is moving on around.  The new work space is really deep.  I used a 2x4x10 to make the legs for shelves.  Then, the top shelf is hung with the $2 brackets that are all wood and sold at Home Depot.  The entire new scrapbooking work area was made with one sheet of plywood and the (2) 2x4x10s.  I am loving all the space!

All the magazine boxes are decorated with the type stickers that are in each one.

Had to find a way to keep the Sizzix right at hand!

There is a plate with an old clock pulled apart that is a project.  All sorts of fun stuff.  But, it is all organized now.  Hope you have enjoyed!

See ya soon!!! -Pam

From Christmas to Curtains...

Well, Christmas was fun and full of surprises.  If you read my last post, then you know that we went into the holidays with a great sadness in our hearts with the loss of my mother just weeks before.

To make it worse... I was scouring the master restroom the Saturday before Christmas and lost my wedding ring somewhere between the dresser that I had laid it on and who knows where. My phone would not let my husbands messages get through, and I was not due for an upgrade until Feb, 15th.

On the upside... I got to host both sides of the family at our home.  Hubby's side of the family all came on Christmas Eve for a Mexican fiesta.  My side all came over on Christmas Day for the traditional eats.  Both days went really well.  I was pleased, except that we didn't find my ring in any of the packages.

We went to AT&T and told them what was going on with the phone.  I got to start the new contract early, got $75 off phone of my choice without penalties, and didn't have to pay shipping or any of those "other" added charges.  New phone should be in between the following Wednesday and Friday.

On the Friday after Christmas, we went and ordered a sofa that we really liked from the Haverty's Outlet.  Ok, great, get to post the old one on the facebook garage sale site and hopefully get it out of there before Tuesday when the new one comes in. Why not, I have seen some stuff sell pretty quick, why not a couch?

Monday morning...this is where it ALL gets good, really GOOD!!!!  A single mom messages me that she really needs seating for herself and her son, can she come over first thing and get the sofa.  Doorbell rings... new sofa is here.  Fits perfectly!  Lady is due any minute when my daughter suggests that we look in the cushions, you know we always find coins and stuff in there.  Doorbell rings... I answer the door with tears rolling down my cheeks.  I am explaining to the lady that is there to get the couch that we just found my wedding ring in the couch!!!  I know that we had looked there before, but I guess it got scooted to the front?  Dunno.  Just Praising God!!!  She leaves with the old couch.  Doorbell rings... My new phone just got delivered.  WOW!!!  What a day!!!  Still feeling blessed!!!

Oh, the curtains part?  We had no curtains before all this started.  Just a top little valance.  We really needed some thermal lined curtains, something very inexpensive!  After several stores and patience running thin on some folks part...drum roll please... Anna's Linens came through.

Now, to go home and make it all look like it goes together in the bay window.

Ugly white rods... I have to find a way to make these work.  The window is crazy angles and new rods just are not in the budget!

Not much head room...gonna have to be creative.  I see another trip to the store in my future.  Maybe some clips that can go around the rods?

This shows the overhead alcove area a little bit better.  Talk about your wonkie windows!  Who designs these things?

Found these rod "clip rings" at Tuesday Mornings.  Got the three packages that they had and headed back home.  I was already thinking about the white rods...and plotting my next move.

These are the old ugly rods.

IF you have kept up with me at all, you know how I love spray paint.  I really am not too fearful of painting anything!

I knew that it was warm enough to do it, but only if I got to it right away.  Warmest part of the days here in Texas are from 2 to 4 or 5 in the afternoon. Now, let me just state that several light coats, allowing drying time between each is the best route of action to take.  I did two medium coats, let them dry for about an hour.  Not what I would advise you doing!  I only scratched one though, and am very happy with the end results!

Back in the house.  These were curtains with the grommet holes in the tops.  Well, they were too long and I didn't like the top!  Yes, I bought them already knowing this.  I turned down the top to the inside and attached the clips!  Now, they are the right length!  And, I didn't have to do any sewing!!!  I win!

After I got one all measured out, then I just laid the next panel on top and attached the clips.

Clip and go!!!  I WILL be using this style of clip again!!!

I had to have four panels.  So two of the panels have one less (each) clip than the other two.  So...I just did some adjusting to space them out differently.

Loaded up my rod and hung up my curtains!

Ta-da!  New curtains on the old cheap white rods that have been spray painted!  Oh, I would also rather use Rustoleum for this type project, I just didn't have any at the time.

So...these are our new thermal lined curtains.  They are actually tan, brown, and blue.  Matches the rest of the room perfectly.  I hope that helped you in seeing that you can make changes fairly easily.  It doesn't always take sewing and a lot of cash.  These are not the $40 panels that so many of the department stores sell!  Think outside the box!  The hem didn't have to be at the bottom, and the ringed tops didn't mean that I had to use them!  In fact, I could have hung them upside down and hemmed up the ringed area if I just wanted to hem them.

Oh...guess who got to go to the last Cowboys game?  Yeppers!!!  Another great gift!

We were just 19 rows from the field on about the 40 yard line!

Any questions?  Hope you enjoyed this little read.  IF you would like to have me blog on something specific, please leave me a comment.  See ya in a couple weeks.  -Pam

A Real Story ...

Ok... this might be a bit of rambling, please try and stick with me.

Our story starts on Tuesday, November 5, 2013.  Daddy awoke Mom mid-morning and asked if she was ok.  She had been sleeping for almost 40 of the last 48 hours.  Mom was speaking a bit slurred and her face was droopy.  We all know that is a sign of a stroke.  Daddy called the doctor and he was told to get her to the er at Lake Pointe.

Mom had been in and out of hospitals over the years, I am surprised that they didn't know her by name.  She had scoliosis, diverticulitis, gout, shingles and a number of other things over the past few years.  She was a fighter, and a survivor of breast cancer too.  In the more recent, she had a mole on her back and little pea sized blood spots on her back and they had moved to her face.  Mom's doctor even told her that she had a 5% chance of developing leukemia due to what all her body had been through.  Her weight and lack of physical activity were getting the better of her too.

Back to the story at hand...

It took a while to get the catheter and iv all set up.  They did some tests and ruled out a stroke right away.  The brain and lungs both looked fine.  So... what was this?  The longer she was there, the more she seemed to come out of whatever this was, but she was having some severe pains in her belly.  They said that they were going to keep her overnight and do some more tests.  Daddy was sent home and my sister (several others) and I stayed there until he got back with some stuff to do while he was there.  By this time, daddy was used to grabbing a briefcase and spending nights at the hospital.  The rest of us went home when he got back and planned to meet up the next morning.

I got a call on Wednesday morning that mom was on her way to Medical City in Dallas.  They were better able to take care of her there and wanted to do a bone marrow test.  So, I grabbed some stuff and off I went.  The ambulance ride really wore her out.  The spots were going away a bit, maybe this was an infection.  They were treating her as such and though her belly was swollen, she seemed a bit better.  Daddy stayed with her when they did the bone marrow test.  They numbed the area, but had to keep her awake.  Not knowing what was wrong yet, they didn't want to sedate her.  Her blood counts were all over the board and the put in a PICC line so that they could take blood more directly and keep up with the numbers.  I went home that night in hopes that they would be able to give us results of the test on Friday.  They suspected leukemia.  IF this went they way they were thinking, mom would stay in the hospital on floor eleven and undergo several weeks of treatment and then maybe off to some Cancer Center to see what else they could do.

I am leaving out lots of details... my sister and son stayed at the hospital almost the entire time.  We took turns holding mom's hands and just talking to her, trying to calm and soother her.  My daughter had only been back from a two year teaching job in South Korea for a few months.  Family was in and out like crazy.  The nurses were awesome!  We all loved Mary and Jen the most, but they would all do anything we wanted or needed.

I had migraines on and off for three days and the injections and pills were getting to me.  We were on the floor where the stem cell and marrow transplant patients were.  You washed your hands every time you were buzzed onto the floor.
Ok. ummm...
Thursday.  I was up and headed back to the hospital first thing, really wanting some answers.  There was the doctor... ok, here it was, some answers... Some thirty minutes later, the doctor and several other official people came through the door.  This couldn't be good.  The doctor went over to mom, woke her up, asked her if she knew where she was and told her that she had acute leukemia.  Mom was told that there were three options.  One, not really an option at all, cause it was several hard fast doses of treatment.  But, she wasn't strong enough to do that.  Second, a milder dose.  Would last three weeks, they would know in the first week if it was working or not, and once started...the doctor didn't want to stop treatment til it was over.  The pain would be a lot worse than what she was going through now, and he couldn't say if she would even make it through.  The third option, to just die.

We all just stood there in shock.  Not what we expected.  All the sudden, I was firing out the questions.  What was the treatment, how long would it last, how sick would she get, could they make her comfortable when the treatments were not in progress,...

Mother just looked up and daddy and asked what she should do, was she going to die, what should she do,... Daddy had tears streaming down his face and told her that he didn't know, and that they would need to talk.  She didn't want more pain, she was barely hanging in there right then.  She asked if they could just put her to sleep and not wake up.  She looked past everyone and straight at me... I am the logical tough one when things need to be done, I fall apart later.  She told me that I knew what she meant.  I told her yes, she wanted to go see her mom and the others that had died in the past five years.  She nodded.  They said that they could make her comfortable, but we were not just taking her out.  Mom looked up at daddy and asked him if he could come with her.  At this point, he cried and said that he wished he could, his heart was breaking.  I told mom that I needed her to leave him with us, that I couldn't lose them both at once.  She said ok, but that I better take care of him.  I promised that he would be taken care of.  All this took place in maybe fifteen minutes?  I should have written before now, but it was just too painful.  It still is, but I need to get this written.

Mom took a nap and we all got on our phones.  Daddy had me to call mom's sister and last one of the family.  They would leave in the morning (Friday) and start the 20 hour drive.  Cousins dropped by, people called, and even more prayed.  All the grandkids were local and came to the hospital.  The nurses were shocked at the number of young adults in the halls and asked them to wait in the lobby as there wasn't enough room in her room.  The legacy is amazing!  I went home late that night and into the arms of one of the most amazing men in the world, my dad is the other!  We talked, cried and just "were".

Up at out early the next morning, my husband stayed with me, didn't go to work for the next week.  Friday... mom was moved around five in the morning to a suite down the hall and around the corner.  The nurse said that this would allow enough room for everyone that was there to actually stay in the room.  What a blessing.  Mom was in and out, mainly out.  Sometime that evening, I got a call from my aunt.  They were at the Texas and Louisiana boarder...should they keep coming or could they spend the night?  I told them to grab a snack and keep driving.  Now, I know that they don't speed, and that trip was a 20 hour trip done in fifteen.  Another blessing or even a miracle.

Mom's meds were reduced so that she would wake up.  We knew that she would be in a lot of pain and the nurses would crank the meds back up as soon as we wanted, making her comfortable again.  She got to mumble to her sister.  Daddy and she told each other that they loved each other.  Then, daddy told mother that she could go now.  We all cried and she had a hard time going back under.  My daughter and sister held her hand and tried to soothe her.  I got up beside her and told her that she needed to sleep, this was it, the next time that she woke up it would be over and she would know no more pain.  Mother drifted off.  I think this was some time before midnight.

My dad used to do volunteer work with the hospice group in the Rockwall area, so he knew what signs to look for as the body shut down.  Mom, as usual, had her own plans.  Her nails never turned black, the urine bag needed changing right up to the end, and there was no great struggle.  The nurses were changing shifts and trying to get daddy to go to another room to get some sleep.  He had only slept a couple hours that night and not many more in the past three days.  As they were walking around the bed, he said that there was no need as she was gone.  Her body was on it's last breath, we woke everyone up, gathered around and sent her of with a prayer of praise.  I cry even now as I sit and write this.  My mom was 75 years old and married to the love of her life for 54 years.  They had gone to many places and done many things and now she was gone. Daddy, as expected, just kept talking to her, telling her how beautiful she was, how he missed her and he was sorry that he couldn't save her.

The next few days were a viewing, more family coming in, and a funeral.  We have seen family that have been away for way too long and spent hours playing catch up.  Stories were told about mother and the person that she was.  Picture were looked at and then we started to be able to tell jokes and more stories.  We are healing.

My mom was a collector of everything, she grew up in that time where you just saved and used it all.  She never really got used to tossing out... anything.  She did her shopping through mail order books, we had to cancel over forty of those.  There has been a lot to do and there is still more to do.  We are getting by, each in our own way.  We have each other.  My dad still has days where he is lost, and that is ok.  My mother and daddy were a team, friends, soul mates, lovers, ...

I don't know it this will help anyone or not, shoot... not sure that anyone got down this far.  I wrote it for me.  I needed to share.  My daughter has put together a page in honor of my mom, and we will add stuff from time to time.  My son is doing a ton of family tree research now.  Like I said, we are all dealing in our own way.  I have been told that the holidays this year will be hard.  I decked out the house for Christmas!  I still know that it will be hard and next year might be just as hard cause it all happened so close to the holidays.

My mom is in no pain and will be taller the next time we see her... her scoliosis is gone!!!

Oh... please take a look at the page my daughter has made... this is such a cool thing to do for a family ... There are videos, pictures, poems that my dad wrote over the years, a great recipe for Sausage Cheese Balls, and more...  http://joschremp.blogspot.com/   

I will be back in a few weeks.  IF I don't get back before Christmas... Have a blessed Christmas and be sure to tell those around you what they mean to you!!!   - Pam