Rescue Me!

My darling daughter, Kellye, and I went home to Cleburne, Texas for Thanksgiving and my dad's 80th birthday celebration.  Wednesday through Monday...now that's a "quickie"!!
On the way back...this is what we found on the side of the road.

OMG!!!  Two puppies!!!  Took them to the vet yesterday.  Henry weighs 20 lb and Boo Boo weighs 15.5 lb
They are approx. 14 weeks old and are full blood Australian Shepherds!  No micro chips but fleas/ticks and intestinal parasites otherwise very healthy.  The treatment is working well, got our shots and are the sweetest two boys ever!!!  Love that puppy breath!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

 Trip to Hico.  The famous Koffe Kup!  Chicken Fried Steak, yum!!!

 The Homestead antique shop in Hico.  Fantastic!!!!

 The cemetery where most of the Cook and Hedrick family (my Dad's side) are resting in Walnut Springs.

 A very cool pole lamp I bought in Oklahoma City.

 My three sweet peas in a pod!!

My sister, Karen and I at the Koffee Kup.  (she's on the left)

Outside Cowboy Up in Calvert, Texas.   Bought some great cowboy items there.  There are many great stores in Calvert.  Unfortunately, they were not open when I went through.

Just some of the highlights of my trip to my great home state of Texas.  My sister and I also went antiquing in Waxahachie where I got to go (and buy many wonderful things) in The Crafty Scrapper!  I antiqued all the way from Indiana to Texas and back!  I'll post pictures of some of the "finds" soon.

YeeHaw!!! I'm goin' to Texas!!

And here is the reason why...

Proud Papa Ryan with his 3rd son, Trace Owen Marshall.  Born August 5th!!

Oh, and lets not forget the two proud older brothers, Riley and Grey!!


Can't wait to see Mama Jo and all the family!!!

Find the OCD Border Collie

Border Collies are extremely focused!  They will stay on task, not moving a muscle or eye muscle until reading the movement that signals them to react.  That's why they are so good at herding and are easy to train and... scary smart!  Our Allie is no exception.  I can talk to her like a human and she actually understands.  I have been able to just look or make hand movements to her and she gets it.  She even knows right and left.  Weirds me out sometimes.
So.  Today.  It's hot, humid and all together like an armpit outside.  Allie likes her tennis ball but, I usually wait until the shade is to the patio to play with her.  She was cooped up all day while I was at work so when I got home she was ready to play.

This is the view of the back yard from the patio.  See, no shade yet.  Also note the fire pit/pile of wood at the end of the patio with the "beaten path" from the left around it.  This is Allie's route from returning her ball to getting into position for the next throw at the side of the fire pit.  Over and over we do this.  Until I tell her "last one" which she catches, returns and drops on her way into the house for a drink of water.  She knows.

So, since there was no shade, I took the ball out to the back of the yard to play with her.

This is 80 paces (I counted) straight out from the last view now looking back.  See that there is nothing in the yard.  See the piece of leafy thing in the bottom of the picture?  That is a small sunflower (maybe a weed, don't know yet).

Now.  Do you see a yellow tennis ball and something black crouched behind the weed?

Look a little closer.

Yep.  There she is.  She as returned the ball and is in position, watching, ready for movement.  Guess the weed is the new "point of reference" for fetch.  OCD?  I rest my case.

kat

Photo cards

This picture of the darling couple of actors/singers, named Cutter and Soule, is from my postcard collection.  I searched and searched for anything that would tell me who they were.  No luck whatsoever!!  This card touts their 1909-1910 season.  A hundred years ago!!  Can you imagine?!  I would love to know about them!

This next photo is of four people that, I am guessing (by their "costumes"), are just dressing up as cowboys and cowgirls.  Guesstimating around the late '40's early '50's (?).  Looks like a fun time was had by all!

Thanks for looking!
kat

Ace Reid, Cartoonist

I love to spend time (hours) in antique stores.  Among the many things I am on the look out for are vintage cowboy items.  Needless to say they are rare up here.  But, down in Columbus, IN, in an antique mall, I happened upon these two gems!  I have been a fan of Ace Reid's cartoons since I first saw them on a calendar for The Rio Vista Bank.  That's the Cowpasture Bank in Rio Vista for those who are not familiar and for those who are!  At any rate, these little books are copyrighted 1961 and 1962 and are in great condition.  I got them both for $12.00!!  They even have lines on the outside back cover where you could mail the book
just fill in the lines and add postage, no package needed.  Remember those days?
So, I bought these for my son in Texas but, I intend to enjoy them in the meantime.  I hope you will look up Ace and read about his wonderful life and humor.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Reid
kat

This pretty much sums it up.

But in Indiana it's not like New York where everyone's like, 'We're from New York and we're the best' or 'We're from Texas and we like things big' it's more like 'We're from Indiana and we're gonna move."  
Jim Gaffigan

I must have had THE WORST driving day of all times today.  I even blasted my horn at an old lady!  Sorry.  Everyday that I leave my street I am furious by the time I get to the first  traffic light.  I'm not a violent or un-understanding person.  Anyone who knows me knows that one thing about me.  But, PLEASE, people, learn how to drive!!!!!  OMG, I could go on for days. (Breathe, count to 10.)     But, I won't.  I  am not without experience, mind you.  I have driven in most of the states of our nation.  So, it is not as though I don't have a point of reference.  When I see someone driving like a "normal human being"  I think to myself, 'They must not be from here'  Really.
kat

Iris Garden

These iris bulbs were here when we bought the house in Dec. 2007 but of course we didn't know about them until spring.  We were thrilled when they came up the first year we were here.  This year, though...let's just say they must of had a lovely winter and their showing this year is magnificent!  These are the heartiest iris' I've ever seen!  6 to 8  huge blooms on each stem.  Even the bulbs that my husband moved to other beds are doing great.  We had one gold one last year but, the lavender and bi-color ones are new (and facinating!)  The last picture features our Border Collie, Allie, posing, er, resting.

Again, the wonderful scent... oh the memories...

kat

Memories from a 1957 Postcard Communication

Postcard dated June 19, 1957 from my grandfather, George L. Horton to my grandmother (Grandmommie) Ella Mae Horton.  PaPa's  note reads: Temple [Texas] Tues. June 19, 1957
Dear Ella and kids well I am feeling fine thay sure nice to me  I had 5 x-rays yesterday an 3 today  nice S.E. room on floor.  The Dr. said he was  (? positive ) it wasn't something else.  I will have to take insulin shots at most anything.  So it won't be so bad afterall.  Drive careful.  By love George.
Okay.  so the story is  this:  my grandfather worked for the Santa Fe Railroad in Cleburne, Texas and when you needed to go into the hospital you went to the Santa Fe hospital in Temple, TX.  My grandmother was a nurse at the time.  This was when they found out that he was diabetic.  Turns out he was a "brittle diabetic"  (extremely difficult to control his blood sugar level).  He sent her this postcard to let her know when to drive down to pick him up from the hospital.  You didn't pick up the phone and call someone in those days, it cost money.  A postcard and a 1 cent stamp was cheaper.
So, I just spent the last 30 min. or so looking at the old photo album.  The obituary from the Cleburne newspaper doesn't give the date (or it was cut off) but, PaPa died in 1959 (?)  I remember that I was 5 years old and in a car parked in the Santa Fe hospital parking lot late at night and my mother came out to the car crying and said that "Daddy passed away".  My uncle was sitting with me and my little brother, sister and cousins in the car.  It was warm and the windows were down.  Must have been summer.
That's the way it was in those days.

The treat of Texas comes to Indiana!

Now we're talkin!!!!  It seems that there are enough of us here that have some pull to convince Blue Bell to come this far north.  And I was thrilled just to find Ranch Style Beans at Marsh, hah!  Tip of the iceberg, so to speak.  I saw the billboard last week, heard the radio ad today.  It is only available at Meijer stores (bless them) and I will drive the extra miles to bring back the best ice cream on earth, dammit.  There goes my weight loss goal for the summer!  Now... to whomever brought this piece of heaven to us grateful, misplaced Texans - we thank you!  But, just so you know, if you could get Whataburger up here... you would be a god/goddess in my book (and a godsend to all of us!)  A "heya" to all you Hoosiers, get out there and try Blue Bell ice cream! 
On a side note: (a million years ago), my ex, an artist, did a painting for the owners of Blue Bell Creameries.  It is also a print and features our daughter, Kellye, as the little girl leading the cow.

Can you just smell the Blue Bonnets?

Once you smell the blue bonnet you never forget!  Drive down the highway or country road with the windows down and become intoxicated!  They are probably gone by now down there but just seeing a picture of one of the beauties brings back all kinds of memories.  I hope everyone enjoys this little glimpse.
Photo with permission by Susan Wittig Albert of Lifescapes

Any Texans Out of Water out there?

I, a Texas native, am looking to connect with other (poor, misunderstood, lonesome) Texans that are not/can't be living in Texas at the moment.  Only a Texan can understand what it means to be a Texan.  And, those of us that (for whatever unfortunate reason) cannot live there right now, need to band together, by God!!!!  We need the comfort of fellow Texans!