Thoughts from Woman Who Walks with a Stick

Cedar pollen on the way out!

2012-02-11T09:06:00.000-08:00

Cedar pollen is on the way out! Yea! Took my early morning walks outside all week long. Had a couple of cool mornings but it felt good. This morning it's cool but the sun is out so I imagine it'll heat up some.
Since our we've had a non-winter this year everything seems to be blooming early and it all looks pretty. This would make me happy if I didn't know that a long hot summer was coming our way. Hopefully with La Nina ending soon we'll get back to a normal weather pattern and get some more rain.
My Mom has been having some memory problems and I've been talking to people about it like her doctor and nurse and our daughter Pam who is a nurse that has extensive experience with elderly patients. Their advice is most welcome and helpful in allowing me and our family to give her the best care possible. I've found some good sites online too. One of them is shown here.
http://www.helpguide.org/elder/alzheimers_disease_dementia_support_caregiver.htm
Took some more photos while I was out and about, hope you enjoy them.

2012 Frankie with his new van and his dad

daffodils blooming in our front yard Feb. 2012

roses blooming in Feb. 2012

the park was full of runners getting ready for marathon

Early February Updates

2012-02-05T07:19:00.000-08:00

Not much to report. We've had some nice rain but not enough to bust the drought. Spicewood Springs, TX which is not far from Austin was in the national news this past week because they ran out of water in their wells. Lots of boat ramps sitting on the ground that used to float on 40feet of water. So sad. The cedar pollen is letting up some so hopefully it won't be long before it is all gone. We have light rain this morning and cool. It got up to 84 a few days ago. Not much of a winter around here this year.
The city finally had enough of the Occupy Austin sleeping on the outside stairs of City Hall so they rousted them. Arrested 7 or 8 of them and now they are regrouping. I think the movement has ran out of steam.
Still enjoy watching the birds outside our window. Hate the Morning Doves because they are piggies and eat until all the seeds are gone. I chase them off when I see them. The Doves try to intimidate the other birds too but have more than a match in the woodpeckers who are not afraid of them or any of the other birds that come to feed.

female woodpecker-has half of a red cap

hail fell for first time in many months

pea size-no damage done

Still Feeling the Cedar Fever

2012-01-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

I think I need a gas mask, this does not work.

Well here it is late January already and deep into the 'cedar fever' season. Ick! I don't like it, don't like it at all! But the nasty pollen will let up, I hope, sometimes in February or horrors early March. We'll see. Right now it is high, high, high and I don't venture out much and yep, I'm still medicated. Sigh. I did try to walk outside but my eyes paid the price for it. And as you can see my get up was a bit crazy-scary lady so I'm back to the indoor routine.
We loved the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers game and the even though the Houston Texans lost I thought they also played a good game. We were shocked by the Packers poor play an the Denver game was a yawner. Two more play off games and then the Super Bowl and football will be gone until late August. Really hate that the season is so short but it's too brutal a sport for the season to be any longer.
Happy to see a new episode of Once Upon a Time and having said that is anyone else bummed that the hot Huntsman/Sheriff was killed? Note to writers of the show; It's a fairytale folks so don't kill off anymore of the fave characters, okay?

White spot are feathers all messed up-was he in a fight?

Ragged start to 2012 Walking Routine

2012-01-09T09:23:00.000-08:00

Leaves lined with frost

Had a bumpy start to 2012 regarding my walking routine. It started off well and I got my miles in what with the lovely frost and all but then cedar pollen reared its ugly head and all was lost...at least for a while. Got an infection in my left eye and was tearing and itching and sneezing so much that it wore me down physically and I gave up and went to the doctor. She said it was an especially brutal season for 'cedar fever' and my visit resulted in my getting 4 prescription medications and one over the counter and orders to remain indoors until the situation improved.

Last night it started to rain and I thought 'hooray I'll go out and walk tomorrow' but in the morning it was more like thunder storms and while I love walking in the rain, lightning is another matter. So my indoor walking routine will have to do for at least another day. The doc did recommend that I use a painters mask when I go out for any length of time so I'll try that even though it looks strange but then again this is Austin so I shouldn't worry because people don't judge so much. I'm not sure if I've posted the pics of the woodpecker. If I have just ignore them or enjoy them again.

Woodpecker giving us his profile

Better look at his awesome red head

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T15:47:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year and that it's filled with only good things for you and yours.

After Christmas

2011-12-27T07:04:00.000-08:00

Tiny village decoration

Hope everyone had a great Christmas holiday. We got to visit our daughter and her family in San Angelo while my brother came and visited our Mom which made for a good time for everyone. We ate some good food, chatted a lot, and opened some nice thoughtful gifts. Thankfully the traffic was light for us going and coming and so was the weather. I took my camera planning on taking a lot of pictures but I only took one! Guess my memory is getting bad too. Guess the coming New Year is the next thing to celebrate. Not much to that one though. We try to stay up to see the new year in but sometimes when the clock strikes 12pm it finds us snoozing. ;-) The sun is shining brightly this morning and it's supposed to be in the 60's and 77 on Saturday! I hope the hot dry New Year's Eve is not a portent for our hot dry weather to continue on the rest of the year. We could really use a cool wet summer but I guess we'll have to wait and see what Mother Nature will bring us. One thing this sunny dry weather will bring is the dreaded Cedar Fever...some is here because my eyes and ears itch. Sigh...at least it is seasonal and will go away in about 5 or 6 weeks.

Winter hass arrived...sort of

2011-12-22T07:54:00.000-08:00

Fall leaves I saw on one of my walks

It still looks like fall around here even though winter officially arrived yesterday. Also so did the rain! Got an inch around here! It was nice falling asleep to the sound of falling rain.
Hope everyone who plans to be on the road this Christmas holiday to visit family and friends stays safe and has good weather.
Many thanks for the kind words I've gotten on my annual Christmas poem.
Well, I'm having a problem with Google this morning so I'm going to cut this short and post it before the browser has a fit again. Stay safe out there and have a Merry Christmas!

No More Rain :-(

2011-12-17T09:38:00.000-08:00

Our lovely rain has moved out. It wasn't the drought busting rain we needed but it was nice and it greened things up a bit. Alas it did not come early enough or in the needed amounts to save some of the trees and other vegetation in the area. The trees shown in the picture should all be like the one to the left but as you can see they did not make it and are marked to be removed. Still the park is looking pretty and I know that the park employees and several volunteers works hard to make it look as nice as it does. As you can see in the picture not many people were out and about. I love it the most when it is cold and rainy and almost deserted. The sun brings out way too many people and their dogs which wouldn't be a problem if most of them would obey the pooper scooper laws but alas too many of them do not.

We went to see the new Twilight film and while I like the vampire genre and Robert Pattinson I find this take on it too young for me. While the CGI sequences were done well I felt they had way too many musical interludes for my tastes. It was best (for me) when the actors were interacting and the story was moved along. The new Sherlock Holmes film was more to my tastes and I did enjoy it. Robert Downey, Jr seldom disappoints.

Our daughter has been having a bit of trouble with her heel healing up. She had to return to the doctor because the incision site became infected and they had to open it up and clean it out and she's back in a short boot. Hopefully it will be taken care of soon.

a week after surgery

two and half weeks after surgery-ouch!

Sometimes Making a List Can Make You Sad

2011-12-11T20:02:00.001-08:00

I was updating my Christmas card list today and became very sad when I saw how many of my friends on the list had died. One is too many but there were more than that to delete on my list. One I only learned had died after I sent my cards out last December. I emailed her and noticed she failed to email me back but I just figured she was busy or traveling. Not so. She was dying from a brain tumour but never said a word. I did keep emailing her since the emails always went through but I should have called and asked why I hadn't heard from her. When I did hear some news it was from her husband telling me of her passing. So here is my goodbye to some wonderful people that I used to write to and should have written to more. Sandy Ahara, Marie Russell, Eddie Gardiner, and Bonnie Carr. Sadly Eddie's wife and our good friend Betty Gardiner is in a nursing home suffering from advanced dementia. I wrote my annual poem dealing with this subject before I updated my list so I guess they were all on my mind. So write or call or visit your friends and loved ones while you can because they won't be here forever.

Blustery Day

2011-12-06T08:30:00.001-08:00

Wonderful walk this morning. Around 35 and windy, almost feels like winter. Not many people out on the Hike and Bike Trail though, just a few runners and a couple of people walking their dogs.We had three days of light rain and even an early morning thunderstorm and it was all great. Wish we had more.
Did walk over to the Occupy Austin site but there are few hardy souls out there right now. One young man I talked to said they are planning in Occupy Foreclosure type protest which is to occupy empty homes that were foreclosed on. I don't know how that will go over with those who own these properties but I guess we will see if this protest takes place.
Here are a few more photos taken over Thanksgiving week.

Frankie, Pam, Lauren

Waiting on news of sisters foot surgery

Cyndi's foot a week after surgery

Evie and Frankie

Awwww

Rain, Rain, Stay a while

2011-12-04T04:57:00.001-08:00

Had a lovely, mostly misty, Saturday. Early this morning it was raining pretty good and it was nice to lay in bed all toasty and warm and listen to the sound of the rain.

Black Crested Titmouse

Did find out that the little bird with the topknot is not a baby anything but it is a Black Crested Titmouse common in northern Mexico and Central to Southern Texas. They are very cute and very hyper! We also have had a cropped red-headed woodpecker come around to eat some raisins we put out and he is very handsome...for a bird that is. I hope to get a photo of him (I know it's a male because they have the red head and the females don't) some day soon.
The Longhorns got trounced by Baylor but I sort of expected they would lose but I did not expect that they would lose by that much. LSU is still rolling and look quite awesome.
Once Upon a Time is on tonight and it is a new episode. I hope so because I do so love the fairytale aspect of the show.
It's still dark and more rain looks like it is on the way so this Sunday is shaping up to be a good one. I think I might go back to sleep. :-)

Boogers

2011-12-01T07:32:00.001-08:00

Felt kind of achy yesterday so I was plied with alka-seltzer plus and slept a lot. Better today but still a little boogery...know that's not a real word but it describes my condition at the moment.

We had a good time this past week. Had all our kids here and grandkids too. It's been a long time since we've had them all here at the same time so having them all here was a real treat. Evie traveled here from Seattle and it's the first time she's been here for Thanksgiving in about 10 years. Pam came in from San Angelo. In the pictures you can see that Cyndi is on crutches. She is on them beause she just had surgery to have some screws removed from her heel. Her body was rejecting the metal in the screws and lots of inflamation and infection was growing on the screw heads. She feels much better now it has all been removed and can walk for short periods of time. Stitches come out in a week or so. Second family pic back row, me, Lauren, Pam, Frankie, Frank, Derick, front row, Evie, Cyndi, Mom, Krys

We started decorating for Christmas and took these photos when the outside was done. No decorations on the inside right now.

The little birds shown in the photo appeared today (Dec. 1) on our windowsill. Don't know if they are baby cardinals or bluejays. Usually baby cardinals are mottled but these little ones have different coloring so it's hard for us to tell what they are. The tiny bird with the black and white face is a chicadee. It's so much fun to watch them interact. Speaking of interacting I thought the photo showing 'family interaction was very telling of todays methods of communicating. True we were not having a meal at the time but we were sitting around the table talking to one another...

while others were talking and using different tech methods of communication at the same time.

Evie riding the train!

me, Evie, Krys

G-Kids Lauren, Derick, Krystal and oh...Fanita too

family where I can't see me! Too short ;-)

Family interaction?

Family

Chicadee

young cardinals or bluejays?

Wet Saturday!

2011-11-26T11:06:00.001-08:00

Had a great Thanksgiving day. Frankie came over on Friday after their trip to Dallas so he could visit with his sisters and later the girls went over to Cyndi's to celebrate Lauren's and Krystal's birthdays. They were born 7 years apart on the same day! Cool, huh. Derick went over for a bit as did Cyndi's boyfriend Mike. I think a lot of singing and eating of pizza and some partaking of jello shots went on but what happens at Cyndi's stays at Cyndi's. ;-)
It started raining sometimes during the night and was still raining lightly until around noon today. It's cooler too and we are expecting lows in the 30s tonight. Yea! Awesome weather. :-)
The Longhorns won and so did the Cowboys! Now if the Crimson Tide can win today that will be super duper. Have a great weekend folks and stay safe.

Safe and Happy Holiday

2011-11-24T06:58:00.001-08:00

Everyone have a safe and happy Thanksgiving. We're busy getting lunch ready and then it's time for football. It's the last game for a long while between the Longhorns and the Aggies. I suspect the Horns will lose but one can hope they will win. The Cowboys play at 3:15 and I'm looking for them to stay on a winning roll. Fingers crossed!
I'm not planning on going anywhere tomorrow, especially shopping. Too many scary shoppers out there bleary eyed from getting up at midnight to buy stuff that will most likely get returned the day after Christmas. Just not my thing but luck to those who enjoy it.

Just Posting Stuff

2011-11-19T14:17:00.001-08:00

Now this is a beautiful morning!

We actually got a bit of rain on Thursday and it was cool for a couple of mornings which made for nice walking. The heat is back though and that stupid sun is shining brightly burning and fading everything it touches.
Started this post a few days ago waiting for something interesting to happen but no such luck.
Clouds, sunshine, warmer temperatures. Longhorns losing. Same, same.
They arrested 5 people down at the Occupy Austin site for chaining themselves to a tree because they didn't want to move so the place could be power washed. It was orderly though and no one was pepper sprayed or hurt.
My carotid test results were worrisome but could have been worse so it's something I can hopefully manage. I think that for most of my life I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop but it never does. This can be a good thing or not depending on how you view life. I just bumble through it glad to be alive.

Disgusting heat is back

2011-11-12T12:06:00.001-08:00

The heat is back with winds from the south and no rain no matter which way the wind blows. Bah.

Giant under eye bags

My glasses stay icky because my eyes are constantly watering from my allergies and from the frickin' giant fatty bags under my eyes. Can't see half the time. Another bah.
Had another carotid doppler on Thursday but expect it will be okay. They did it because I have been having morning headaches. I suspect it's because my BP has been a little high. We'll see. My football teams (Longhorns) are lossing but that's nothing new.
Lots of bad stuff in the news so life is better with the TV off these days. Think I'll stick my head in the sand and ignore it all. For a while anyway.

Time Change

2011-11-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

While I don't mind the fall back an hour time change I do wish that we could have the same time all year long. This jumping back and forth an hour messes with your body clock and I just don't think it's a good thing. Plus running around changing the time on the clocks that don't automatically update themselves is a big pain in the drain.
Our weather warmed up again but some clouds rolled in and we did get a bit of rain over the weekend. The weatherman said a cold front was on the way and should get here tonight and bring some thunder storms and more rain. We hope he's right.
Nothing exciting on my walk today. They are cleaning up the area around Auditorium Shores that was host to the Fun, Fun, Fun Fest this weekend. Lots of tents and fences to take down but not a whole lot of trash which is a good thing.
I didn't go to the Occupy Austin site this morning but I did read in the paper that they had a successful march to the downtown banks on Nov. 5. Across the country thousands of people closed their bank accounts and joined smaller local banks and credit unions. Maybe the banks will notice and maybe they won't but I do think that the movement is on the right track by using this tactic. If the movement affects their bottom line they will take notice and make changes.
On a completely different note I've got to say here that I've been enjoying 'Once Upon a Time' and 'Grimm'. Fairy tales have always been a favorite of mine and it's nice to see them being re-imagined.

Cool Morning Walk

2011-11-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

Some will have a job...painting over this.

Had a nice walk this morning thanks to the cool front that blew through here late last night. I must admit that yesterday I was skeptical about it getting cooler when I sat watching the evening news while sweating and eating a Popsicle. But the front came through and made things much nicer. Could have used some rain but alas no rain fell in our area.

The photos I'm posting were taken on Tuesday and one of them has a word in it that has been edited, by me, for obvious reasons. I don't like graffiti but it is around so I captured a few bits of it.

Not a Perry fan I'm guessing. (edited by me)

The GOP campaign seems to have gone down a road that is not a good one. I prefer to judge candidates on their policies not their private lives but I guess you can't get away from it these days. Hopefully things will not get any uglier and everyone can get back to talking about the important issues that affect us all and the solutions to them so everyone can make an informed decision in the voting booth come Nov. 2012.
And will the media please not devote so much time to the Lohan and Kardashian woes. I'm tired of hearing about them and just want them to go away.

Upside down Ron Paul sticker

Occupy Austin Updates

2011-11-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

My visit to Occupy Austin on Nov. 1, 2011. I decided this morning to walk to the Occupy Austin site and take some photos and do some interviews if possible. The site was quiet and by my estimation there were more police officers than demonstrators. The vibe I got was one of peace and the area was clean and tidy. I observed a gentleman walking around with a broom and bucket sweeping up any bits of litter he could find. Some people were asleep and some had left to go to their jobs or take care of family business, classes, and other appointments. I talked with Burt who is a veteran about his reasons for joining the Occupy movement as well as two other gentlemen who were holding signs by the street corner. The following are some of my thoughts on what I heard.

Burt-Vet. and Occupy Austin participant

Burt joined the movement to protest the treatment of veterans and the possible reduction of benefits and medical treatment of long time vets and those returning from the middle east.
One young man joined in the protest because he believed that greed and government were taking away the opportunity of American citizens to get an affordable education. He had been attending college but had to drop out because of the lack of funding. He thinks that a free education for those serious about attending college to 'better' the world would help out the country and less emphasis should be placed on those seeking education and jobs that deal with just making money. He cited lawyers specifically but I didn't quite understand why.

Two Austin Occupy Demonstrators

The other man I talked to (the one with the signs and the ball cap) was the only one who showed real passion and some anger. He wanted an end to lobbyist controlling the outcome of legislation that was detrimental to the common man by buying the votes of unscrupulous politicians and said those people should be voted out. He also had some heat for the banks that took the bail out money but did not change the way they did business and continued to foreclose on homes and refused to lend money to small businesses. He encouraged everyone to come out and join their march to the nearest Wells Fargo Bank on November 5th.While I do believe that for the most part the people of the Occupy movement are sincere I think that a lot of them are searching for a more cohesive cause to rally behind or perhaps someone to lead them. This movement is not the angry violent anti-war movement of the 60's but it does have an air of frustration with the way things are in the world. Most of the rhetoric is directed at the wealthy and big corporations. For now the leaders are happy that banks have backed off of debit card fees but they only see it as a small victory. Where will it all end? I haven't a clue but it will be interesting to go along for the ride and see.

Cooler but no rain

2011-10-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

Here we are near the end of October and while it's been cooler for a few days no more significant rain has come. The drought is still ongoing.
At the Occupy Austin site there have been arrests made. By Patrick George and Andrea Ball | Sunday, October 30, 2011, 01:40 AM
Update, 5:17 a.m.
Additional arrests were made shortly after 2 a.m., bringing the total number to 38. Police Chief Art Acevedo, who arrived at City Hall around 4 a.m. to talk to remaining occupiers, said that most were charged with criminal trespass and would likely be released soon.
“No one got hurt and that’s what’s important,” he said.

Police officials confirmed that about 20 members of the ongoing Occupy Austin demonstration were arrested outside City Hall earlier this morning and charged with criminal trespass.
Demonstrators who were present during the arrests say that around 12:30 a.m., officers attempted to shut down a table that was used to distribute food. When the demonstrators refused, they were taken into custody. The names of those arrested were not immediately available early Sunday morning.
Officers originally warned the demonstrators around 9:45 p.m. that a city ordinance prevented food from being distributed at City Hall after 10 p.m., said Brian Overman, who witnessed the arrests. He said officers also removed other parts of the camp, including blankets and sleeping bags.
Another demonstrator, Zachary Hill, said that demonstrators locked arms and sat on food to prevent officers from taking it away.
“The only resistance on this side was passive,” Hill said.
While I understand some of the frustration that has led to these demonstrations I really don't know what the end game is. At what point will those demonstrating say we've done what we came to do and got the results we wanted. Corporate greed is not going away and neither are the rich who like the poor are always with us. Most of us are stuck somewhere in the middle and plod along making ends meet and just living our lives the best we can. I'm feeling very apathetic these days because I no longer believe in change of any kind. People are who they are and things are what they are. The winners so far out of this Occupy deal are the area credit unions. People are closing bank accounts and moving to credit unions in good numbers and I guess now we'll see if the CU change the way they operate with all this influx of cash.
On a lighter note the picture below was taken from our bedroom window. The little blue jay comes often and hangs out on the window sill. Sometimes he's very noisy but he's always very cute. We get other birds too but they don't pose for photos like he does.

The Longhorns won a game making them 5-2 (I think) for the season which means they don't suck as bad as they did last year when they won...hum...if my memory serves, just three games.

Occupy movement still moving in Austin

2011-10-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

It's a sunny and cool Saturday morning in Austin and there will be lots of people on the city streets. The Occupy Austin group, see live here, and the LiveStrong 5K are both downtown today. The Longhorns are playing the OK State Cowboys which brings in lots of people to add to the chaos. Tomorrow the Austin Walk for Aids group will be on the streets. So far everything has been orderly and peaceful which speaks well for the folks around here.
It was 50 degrees when I woke up this morning. Very nice but we still could use some more rain and rain would have made it a perfect weather day.

Thunder and Lightning

2011-10-09T04:39:00.000-07:00

Woke up to thunder and lightning this morning and rain! Yay! Just raises my mood immeasurably. Also our daughter and granddaughter that live in San Angelo are coming for a short visit. That merits another Yay!
Oh and I did get to order my Game of Thrones book. If you just put in the title of the book the set comes up, if you search science fiction and fantasy books then all the single novels and sets come up. Guess it's a glitch in the search engine of B&N that does that. Anyway all's well that ends well.
I've just thought of another good thing too. The Dallas Cowboys can't lose a game today because it's a bi-week for them. ;-)

Updates done on a muggy Saturday afternoon.

2011-10-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

We got some rain showers this morning. Downpours for 30 to 40 seconds but 3 or 4 of them so far. All of it is most welcome.
The Occupy Austin is still going. They did march as a group to the nearest Bank of America and those who had accounts there proceeded (in an orderly fashion) to cancel them. The group here is organized with child care for those who want to participate in the protest but not have their children there and other groups supply water and food for the demonstrators. You can check out the videos and article here.
Sadly the Longhorns got slaughtered. I could not stand to watch it so I tried to download the second book in the Game of Thrones series. Alas Barnes and Noble only has the first four book set for the Nook App so that means I'd have two editions of the first novel which would be lame. I didn't know you could run out of an ebook edition! Amazon has it so I might get it there but I have a gift card at B&N and really wanted to use it. Sometimes the tiny things in life can be very complicated. :0\

Occupy Austin

2011-10-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

We got a bit of rain this morning and hoping for more over the weekend. The temperatures are still high (it's 93 at the moment) but no triple digits for now.
On my morning walk I ambled over to City Hall and talked to a couple of Occupy Austin demonstrators and took some photos. Most of them are young and either college students, blue collar workers, musicians, and artists.

There was not a big crowd this morning but it was over a thousand last night and as the day wears on and people get off work and out of classes they expect more. The two young men I talked to said they were hoping to make the people pay attention to the devastating effects of corporate greed. Greed in and of itself is not the problem it's when it's pervasive and gone wrong. They specifically talked about the Bernie Madoff debacle, the Bank of America recent announcement of the $5.00 debit card fee. I gathered from their statements that these companies making obcenely large profits on the backs of the middle classes is the reason the economy is in the tank. They believe that the workers who make the companies grow are being lied to and cheated. The two young men (pictured) seemed sincere enough and one was a college student and one worked downtown. I didn't ask them for any personal information but I did ask them for permission to post their photo on my blog. They were happy for me to help them spread the word. I really don't see any clear cut cause (in the 50s we had Ban the Bomb, the 60s we had the anti-war dissidents) but I'm hoping that the organizers get their act together and establish a real strategy to make their case more cohesive and clear. They have the growing man-power and I hope they use it in a positive and productive way.
On my way back across the river I saw a large number of police gathering in the park. I think at the time I was there the police outnumbered the protesters. I just saw on the news that the number of protesters has grown but the tone of the demonstrators is still peaceful.

Our daughter texted the picture below. It appeared on our grandsons doorway. We have no idea what it means. Perhaps someone looking at the blog might have some idea as to what it could mean.

Autumn Is Here..Not !!!

2011-09-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

The calender may indicate that it is Autumn but alas around here the temperatures do not. We should be around 86 this time of year but for the past three days we've had highs in the 100+ range again. 90 days of 100+! Our average temperatures for this time of year should be around 84. Right now it is 88 thanks to a 'cold front' that blew in this morning. Highs in the 90's are forecast for the rest of the week. Ick! Parts of Texas were lucky enough to get some rain yesterday and the day before but only a spritz and sprinkle fell in a few places in the Austin area. The leaves are falling from the trees and they are brown but it's not because the season has changed it's because they are dying from the intense heat and lack of rain the area has had in the last year. Very depressing and I could just scream when I watch the Weather Channel and hear them wax poetic about blue skies and sunshine making for a perfect day, weather wise that is. We're up to our dried out eyeballs with sunshine and if I sound cranky and grumpy it's only because I am. Oh to have a few cold rainy days that allowed you to sip hot tea or coco and slip into some fuzzy socks and curl up with your favorite honey or blanky and be all comfy and cozy. Umm...bliss.
My granddaughter and I went to see the movie 'Contagion' which is about a fast moving virus that kills thousands of people and wouldn't you know it...my granddaughter got sick. 101 fever, nausea, the whole bit. When she was on the mend I got sick but with different symptoms so I don't think she passed on anything to me. We are both feeling much better now. The movie did make me mindful of a couple of things. Wash your hands more often and don't touch your face unless you have clean hands.
Our grandson started school at the Aveda Institute http://www.avedainstitutesbb.com/austin-salon.php
and we're really proud of him for deciding on a career and going for it. I'm really looking forward to him doing my hair. :-)

I'm So Over Summer!

2011-09-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

Love and compassion arising with a clear recognition of the importance and rights of others will reach even those who would do you harm. (Dalai Lama)

I follow the Dalai Lama on Twitter because I like his tweets. Some, like the one above make me fell better about things.

It's still excruciatingly hot here, in the 100+ range, and more of the same is in the forecast until next week when we can expect highs in the upper 90s. Big cool front huh? BTW no rain in that forecast either. Ugh.
It's difficult to enjoy a daily walk when the morning temperatures are 82 with 79% humidity. But, I'm still out there walking. Not fast but at least I'm doing my 3 miles a day 5 days a week.

Happily some Texans did get a bit of rain but a good old wide spread soaking is needed to bring any kind of relief .

Not only are farmers and ranchers in deep trouble because of the lack of the wet stuff and over abuncance of heat but trees are in distress and other vegetation is dying. Animals and birds in the wild are abandoning their young because of a lack of food and water. We've seen mockingbirds, bats, and other insect eating species looking pretty ragged and scrawny these days because no rain equals a low insect population and thus no food for them. We can help the seed eaters by keeping the bird feeder full and our two birdbaths filled with water. Insect eaters are harder to take care of but we did read that they would eat fruit so we often chop up a pear and add some raisens to the seeds. It's not much but we're hoping it helps the little critters out. I think other animals might be drinking out of the larger of the two birdbaths such as possums and a raccoon we've seen scooting across the yard early in the morning. While we are not in the horrible crises that Dafur is in the drought here is still pretty terrible and we hope it ends soon.

I'm keeping out of politics this time around other than voting of course and the occasional donation. From what I've seen on the news things are already getting ugly and I have no desire to see anymore.

Football has started and I hope the Longhorns do better this year...I know how could they do worse than last year but hey I can hope can't I?

It's September already and I started this post in the early part of August...hum, am I procrastinating or just lazy. Perhaps a little of both things.

I am reading Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire and it's pretty good. Love me a good fantasy story. I do see a bit of the Lord of the Rings in the story though but I guess if you're going to borrow from a storyline you shroud borrow from one of the best. :-) Also downloaded Mile 81 by Stephen King but haven't read it yet.

So hopefully it's goodbye to the summer and its heat and a wishful, wistful, hello to winter full of cold days and lovely rain.

More heat on the way

2011-08-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

August is here and the 100+ temps that have been plaguing us since May is expected to intensify with record temperatures coming in the next few weeks. Please, anything over 90 is the pitts. To make matters worse no rain is in the forecast for the near future.

I am still walking though and if you get out on the road by at least 7:30am the heat is not so bad.

There are some new works of art on display in the park down by the river. This time instead of decorated guitars we have decorated cows. They are very cute. The one pictured is my favorite because she is all dressed up for her run/walk and has a cuter outfit than me . The blue head band looks way chic on her ;-) I will try and post photos of the other cows later on.

older

2011-07-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

Had a nice birthday yesterday. Thanks to all who sent birthday wishes. tomorrow we will celebrate my birthday along with Frankie (our son) and his stepson Craig. That means cake! I hope that wherever you are today you are cooler than we are in Texas. On a sad note our hearts go out to the people of Norway. We hope they will heal soon from the tragic events of the past few days.

Summer trip

2011-07-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

We got to go on a 4 day trip this past June and had a great time. The place was Shreveport, LA. We stayed at two different casinos and naturally did some gambling. We had good rooms, good food, and good company. We also went to the Louisiana Hayride building and visited the Elvis statue and although the pictures are not included in this post there were some taken of James Burton statue and his Rock and Roll recording studio. I'll post those later.

1 Cyndi and the Elvis statue, 2. Krystal and I with part of the Elvis statue, 3. Me and Krystal, 4. Me and Cyndi at breakfast, 5. Frank and Krystal as same meal

More than one thought

2011-05-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

                                                               Our lovely Mom.
                                                           Happy Mother's Day
I'm glad Osama bin Laden is gone and I do hope that those who have lost loved ones and suffered because of him get a measure of peace and sense of justice now that he is gone.  I do not feel like celebrating his death because I think that dancing in the street is akin to those horrid scenes we have all seen on the news of our brave soldiers killed and than dragged through the streets with people cheering and jeering. It's all horrible.
On another note I had to have a nuclear stress test this past that took about three hours. I think I did okay and that not much has changed since my last one. They did a number on my arms though trying to find a vein, mine are small and tend to roll and wiggle away from the needle. Can't say that I blame them.
On a frivolous and fun note I'm going to state my thoughts on the NCIS episodes leading up to the season finale. The blue eye Tony got in his drink glass sent to him by the P2P killer belongs to someone we know but who may not be dead just because they are missing an eye. Also the writers made it a point to let us see the mask makers of the FBI or CIA or one of those secret orgs. So someone may not be who they seem to be. The growing tension between Gibbs and Vance may be a big clue in that they both sense that something is wrong with the other. Gibbs has blue eyes and his iris scan would certainly open the door to operations. The popular notion is that the eye belongs to Trent Kort a re-curring CIA agent. I don't know that his iris scan would open the door to Naval MTAC operations but then the writers could explain how and why it did. Two characters are reported to be killed off. I think one is Mike Franks and I'm not sure who that might be. My guesses are Jimmy Palmer who works in autopsy or Director Vance. It's a great show that makes you happy and intrigued for an hour.As for who the killer is...I haven't a clue.

Spring comes to Austin

2011-03-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

Winter has gone and spring, well almost summertime temps, have come to Austin. SXSW, the Travis Co. Rodeo, the Texas boys high school basketball championship and a few demonstrations at the capitol have made for super crazy traffic which includes not only the four wheeled kind but the two wheel and foot kind. It's nuts. The parks are a dizzy crazy quilt of fences and cars parked in every little niche they can find. Celebrities have descended en masse to sell their latest projects so if you thought you saw a famous face on the Hike and Bike Trail you probably did. Thankfully SXSW will be over after this weekend and we'll only have the rodeo until the 26th and the Cap Metro 10K on the 27th.
I've kept up my walking routine but I think I gained some weight recently. I would increase my mileage but when I go over 5K a day or an extra day a week my left hip starts hurting. But my weight tends to go up and down 5 to ten pounds and while it was cold we made a lot of heavy comfort food type meals in the crock pot so hopefully I'll lose it now that salad and lighter meal days are here with the warmer weather.
Photos: 1. Mountain Laurel, 2. Wisteria 3. Wisteria and red leaf hedge outside our bedroom window 4. White Iris in front yard 5. Bright pink geraniums and St. Francis statue off the front porch
Between the Mountain Laurel and Wisteria the yard is full of heady scents!

Winter comes to Austin

2011-02-04T09:03:00.000-08:00

Winter showed up in Austin last night, well acutally it's been here all week but it just snowed last night. Not much I know but for us it's something rare to enjoy for a while. My mom had fun walking on the snow and making a snowball. The sun is out now and most of it is gone but that's winter in Austin.

Never know

2010-12-17T18:29:00.000-08:00

Long time since I've posted...just nothing much to post. Still doing my walking routine but I've got the routes down pretty good so I know the distances without having to write them down. Haven't been doing them the last couple of days though. We were on our way to see our son and his wife this past Sunday who live in Kyle and while we were waiting to make a left turn of the I35 frontage road we were rear-ended by an off duty cop driving a big A.. pick-up truck. It was violent and upsetting and it totaled our car and did a number on us too. We're sore and cranky now with bumps and bruises and aches and pains, but thankful that we were able to walk away from it. The past few days has been spent dealing with insurance company crapola and getting another car and now working on the personal injury part of it. Again, thankful that we are ambulatory.

Anyway hope all of you people out there have a great holiday season and enjoy your families because you never know when you may not have them around.

Tropical Storm Hermine

2010-09-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

We got lots and lots of rain over the past couple of days. 8-12 inches in our area depending on how close to downtown you live. While we loved the rain I can understand why some did not because it did do a lot of water damage and sadly some lost their belongings and in one sad case here in Austin one lady lost her life. One wonders why someone would risk their life by driving around warning signs and barricades but it's something that happens every time if floods. Below are a few pictures of some of the affected areas. I took the first two but the one of Barton Springs now and before the flood is from the web.

Hike and Bike Trail

Near 1st Street Bridge, water ran over the road.

Barton Springs now

How Barton Springs normally looks

Little critter and a lily

2010-06-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

You can find the most interesting things on a walk here in Austin. I came across the little bird shown (you have to look close to see him/her) on the Hike and Bike Trail. I tried to shoo the little critter closer to the river because it had wondered close to Riverside Drive which is a long way from the river, at least for one so tiny. Alas I could not do it so I found a Park employee and later saw three of them gather around the place I last say the little bird and I hope they got it back where it was supposed to be. I think it was an egret or another water bird from the same family. The yellow lily photo was taken in the front yard. Guess lilies love the heat and humidity because they are looking beautiful.

Busy week coming up

2010-06-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

We have a semi-busy week coming up for us. Frank has BCG treatment (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin-Chemotherapy Drug) on Monday, an eye appointment on Tuesday and on Wednesday we'll be taking our son to have his knee operated on.
The picture is of a butterfly (I think because it's prettier than a moth) that emerged from a cocoon that had been attached to a leg of a table that sits out on the patio. There was one more cocoon but th tiny creature escaped its confined space when we were not around. Ain't nature grand?

Photos

2010-05-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

Photos taken recently. Flower baskets are a story all thier own. Let's just say they had a hard journey getting here but they were worth it in the end. The purple daisies arrived 4 days late and a bit wilted, the carnation, daisy basket arrived fresh and are now on my dresser looking pretty. Thanks Pam! We were at our sons house over the weekend for a delicous dinner and he and Sandy made us feel very welcome. The photos of our son and my mom were taken at his house. Cyndi and Derick arrived later on Mother's Day after we got home dressed in outfits Derick had made for the kids he looks after at the Boys and Girls Club. They gave us quite a giggle. My walking is harder this week because not only has it turned quite warm but the humidity is high too. 73 temp and 87 humidity! Blech.

Roundup

2010-05-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Place Austin, TX

Name & City
Bib No 4730
Age 65
Overall 595
Chip Time 58:18.38
Gun Time 1:01:19.00

That's me in the red visor. Didn't do as well as last year, about 2 minutes more this year which surprised me because I felt good except for a couple of blocks near the end. There were people older than me who had fantastic times and people younger than me who had crappy times so I guess I should be happy with what I did. I'm thinking about taking the training classes for the CapMetro for next year but they don't start until October so I have lots of time to talk myself out of it. I do want to break the 50 minute mark so it's something to think about. The picture below is not at all flattering but the face I was making was near the two mile mark and I knew hills were coming up. Not my favorite things.

First posting of the year

2010-04-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

As you can see I haven't posted anything since the first of the year. After fighting with blogger for half an hour today I remember why I almost quit doing it. Evie did want to see some of the pictures I took of our garden and of places along my walking route. Speaking of my walking route I do have some things to write about that are pleasant. Two different ladies stopped me while I was on the road (one got out of her car) to tell me that they had been watching me for several years and were inspired to get out and do some sort of exercise. They both said they admired my willpower and I told them thanks but willpower had little to do with it because I do it for medical reasons. One said I looked 'terrific' which was nice to hear. It was very nice of them to stop and give me compliments and encourage me to continue on. Having said that I will tell you that I signed up again for the Texas Roundup which is on April 28th. My doctor wanted me to sign on for the Cap Metro 10K but I'm not ready for that, maybe next year if I'm still around and able to walk. My medical tests were good by the way with cholesterol and tryglicerides way down. Trying my hand at meditation but so far I'm doing poorly. Frank's checkup with the doctor who did his leg surgery (17 years ago now) was good and his x-rays clear. Also his bladder cancer is in check with no new signs so that's a wonderful thing to hear. The first one was taken in January when it was snowing, the second this week in April when it was raining, same location.

Yellow rose blooming in our yard. It appears they are long lasting ones and we look forward to seeing many more of them bloom.

Pink and lemon zest petunias. Really pretty and they'll bloom until it gets too hot.

Last day of 2009

2009-12-31T10:04:00.000-08:00

Got my last walk in on the last day of 2009. Austin is getting ready for First Night and the news media said 100 thousand people are expected to downtown tonight. Festivities start at 4pm and run until about 3am. Hopefully 2010 will be a great year for everyone. I know we could use a good one. I'm currently reading John Adams by David McCollough (a gift from Krys) and it's very good. I really like John and Abigail Adams. So live a long healthy life and prosper in whatever manner you hold dear be it money, love, self help, etc. .

Happy New Year 2010!

Greetings

2009-12-24T07:04:00.000-08:00

A very Merry Christmas to all.

Monday of Christmas week

2009-12-21T11:28:00.000-08:00

Did my walk this morning, 3 and half miles. It was coolish and sunny. Today it should get to 67 for a high. Then we did a bit of Christmas and grocery shopping. Just finished helping my mom get out a few Christmas cards and now we're going to do a little more grocery shopping. Oy.
We saw The Road yesterday with Viggo Mortensen and it is an excellent film. It puts people in an apocalyptic situation seemingly without hope and leaves you with the feeling that not only can the earth renew itself after a cataclysmic event but that human beings can retain their humanity and desire to go on living in such a situation. Go see it if you get a chance.

Stuff

2009-12-20T07:04:00.000-08:00

Walked 3 days this past week and did okay. Krys and I saw New Moon and it was better than the first film in the series. Today we plan to see The Road at the Alamo Draft House. This morning I watched part of the Shawshank Redemption (based on a Stephen King short story). It's a very good film, full of hope, and one of my favorite film adaptions of King's stories. This week I got a phone call from a dear, dear, friend and it made my heart smile to hear from her.

We watched most of the Cowboy game on the nfl.com, had to get on and off the site to keep the play going because if you just let it run they switched to the studio. Guess that's what you get for the 'free' showing no matter that it has lots and lots of ads just like the regular TV showings. Glad the Cowboys won but wish they would do better in every game and not just the ones they 'have' to win.

Took the photo on the Hike and Bike Trail. Thought it was sweet that someone decided to decorate the tree for Christmas.

Don't send stupid stuff to me

2009-12-12T18:16:00.000-08:00

What do the following people have in common: Eliot Spitser, Mark Sanford, Newt Gringrich, David Letterman, Alex Rodriguez, Shaq, Kobe Bryant, Micheal Jordan (and the list goes on and on) have in common with Tiger Woods. Yep, they've all had affairs. And all you numnuts who think you're so cute and funny by spreading your stupid jokes around the Internet can just stop sending them to me. While these people did bring on the situation they are in through their own actions, their families did not and I'm sure reading all this garbage does not help any of them heal from the public humiliation they are suffering through. Last I read Mrs Sanford filed for divorce. They had a lovely family and now it's broken up. Not such a funny thing is it? So yuk it up and hope you or a loved one doesn't wind up in a similar situation because I'm sure you'd think differently if the shoe was on the other foot.

Past week

2009-11-22T18:19:00.000-08:00

Got in 5 days of walking last week. 4 days were cool and sunny. Friday it was rainy but I got my time done between the rain storms which came and went most of the day. I'm looking forward to seeing Pam, Lauren, and Rick over Thanksgiving. Krys and Lauren will get to celebrate their birthdays together. It'll be fun.

Walking

2009-11-07T16:12:00.000-08:00

Only got 4 days of walking in this week but each of those days I did at least 3 and half miles. It was cool in the mornings. Friday I just couldn't drag myself out of bed.

2009-10-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everybody. Hope you get lots of treats and no tricks. Here it's sunny and cool which is what a lot of people call a beautiful day. Frankly at my age I call any day I'm alive to see beautiful. :-) I kept up with my walking since my last post (time off when I was ill) and after a short while of doing 2 miles, I'm back up to my 3 + miles again. Sometimes I wonder why I keep this blog when there is posting I can do on Facebook and Twitter. And sometimes I wonder why I post on any of kind of page. Guess I like the blog because you can write as much as you want and have your pictures too. I still haven't figured out how to keep things aligned but it'll come with time. Here in Austin they have passed a resolution or a law or something banning texting while driving in a school zone. Exactly how they are going to enforce it I haven't a clue. We were behind someone texting on their phone on our way to the grocery store this morning. Their car was weaving from side to side and going 30 in a 50 mile an hour zone. Morons. I'm now home and watching football with Frank. When I get bored with the games I'll watch a movie on my laptop or write or paint some. Always something to do. Anyway ta ta for now.

Spotty week

2009-10-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

Ah here it is the weekend and I've only had 4 days of walking in. The long weekend we took cut into my walking schedule or at least that's what I'm blaming it on. I did try to walk a lot while we were away to make up for it.
While we were away I was amazed by the fact that even though I had taken my laptop with me I did not even unzip the bag and get it out. Didn't miss it. I did use my cell phone and text and called the family a few times (and once our friend Karla got an errant message from me) but I didn't feel the need to check email or read the news, etc. As it turned out I didn't miss much email wise because when we got home I checked it and out of 57 emails only two were from people I knew. One friend and one family member, the rest was newsletters, sales ads, and garbage...of course the spam folder was full. Gotta love that delete button.
This week we've been enjoying cooler temperatures for a couple of days. We were at 95 on Thursday, 81 on Friday before the front moved in along with some much welcome rain, and today it's nice and cool without rain.
It's fantastic that President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize although it caught me by surprise. My thoughts on it are that the world was sick of us throwing our weight around and kicking sand in their faces and just were plain pleased and happy that diplomacy is back on our agenda for getting along with the rest of the earths inhabitants. I think it was a we're happy with the new path of your country award rather than an individual award. Anyway an award for peaceful endeavors is a nice thing.

The photos below were all taken in Butler Park which is located between Barton Springs Rd and Riverside. Since the recent rains the flowers have been spectacular. Click on the small pics to see the large ones. They make wonderful background photos for your desktops. :-)

Middle of the week

2009-09-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

Day of the Dead Art Show
Host: Dandelion Botanical
Artist: Evie
Date:Saturday, October 10, 2009
Time:6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:Dandelion Botanical Company
Street:5424 Ballard Ave NW
City/Town:Seattle, WA

Walking has been pretty good this week. I did 5K on Monday and today. On Tuesday I only did 2 miles because my walk was cut short by a rain storm. I don't mind getting wet but the air to ground lighting is a downer. ;-)

Walked by this house on Lamar and it's all decked out for Halloween. A bit early for it but it still makes you smile.

Obesity Growing as Cancer Risk for Women - Science & Health News Briefs | Newser

2009-09-24T12:14:00.001-07:00

Obesity Growing as Cancer Risk for Women - Science & Health News Briefs Newser
AP Summary) – Being fat could become the leading cause of cancer in women in Western countries in the coming years, say European researchers. Being overweight or obese accounts for up to 8% of cancers in Europe. That figure is poised to increase substantially as the obesity epidemic continues, and as major causes of cancer, such as smoking, drop. Colorectal cancer, breast cancer in menopausal women, and endometrial cancer accounted for 65% of all cancers linked to being fat.
"Obesity is catching up at a rate that makes it possible it could become the biggest attributable cause of cancer in women within the next decade," a researcher says. Between 2002 and 2008, he says, the number of such cases almost doubled to 124,000. Scientists aren't sure why being fat boosts your cancer risk but suspect hormones play a role. As people become fatter, they produce more hormones such as estrogen that help tumors grow.

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Walking has been nice so far the past few days. Sprinkled during my walk again this morning and it was a cool 65 degrees. I'm lovin' this!

More Rain!

2009-09-22T07:38:00.001-07:00

More rain last night and this morning made my walk much different from yesterday. It could have been 5 to 10 degrees cooler to be perfect but I won't complain too much since the rain is so very nice. While traffic was heavy the hike and bike trail was almost deserted. No dogs running around, no young moms pushing huge strollers, and no people sleeping on the benches. Loved it! Froggy would have liked the puddles. :-)

Monday, Monday

2009-09-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

Felt really tired last night and found myself making excuses not to walk this morning. When I woke up I still felt the same but I got up and got dressed and left for my walk around 7:45 or so. It was very humid and in the 70's with almost no wind making the air feel close and well just plain icky. I only did 2 and half miles but I guess that's better than nothing. Cool front on the way tomorrow so maybe it'll be better. Cowboys lost last night. :0( Chalk it up to bad execution and some bad luck. Lots of odd bounces of the ball went the Giants way. People are already calling for Romo's head. Oh well, that's the way it goes sometimes.

More than halfway through September

2009-09-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

Did great in my walks this past week. 4 miles one day and 3 to 3 and a half the rest of the week. The cooler weather makes me feel more energetic so I go do a little more. The recent rain brought out lots of flowers, most glorious, the School House Lilies shown growing around the pagoda in the back yard. The lilies are popping out every where though along with lots of other flowers. Also pictured are the back doors of the house. I cleaned and taped the windows off, Frank sanded and painted. Football season is here and in Austin you would know it. Lots of Longhorn and Texas Tech fans in town along with sports news crews and the blimp. The Horns won, avenging a bitter loss to the Red Raiders last season.

Mussings

2009-09-16T08:19:00.000-07:00

My walking routine has been more pleasant since the temperatures have dropped to a more comfortable level. I did 4 miles yesterday and 3 and a half today. At the park this morning while I was getting a drink of water I suddenly found myself surrounded by several young men dressed in running shorts and shoes. They all looked fit and were friendly. I walked a short distance away from the group and was going to take a photo but alas I was too slow and they all took off again after they had completed their water break. An older man dressed in shorts and a burnt orange windbreaker was shouting at them to move it. Perhaps they were distance runners for the Texas Longhorns since the coach was wearing Texas Longhorn colors.
Lots of flowers have popped up since the heavy rain we had a couple of days ago and our area is starting to look like Austin again.
I had one of my check ups and my blood work numbers were pretty good except for some border line blood sugar and kidney numbers. The doc wants me to go back in three months and have them repeated. Still not diabetic which is great and he said that he was pleased by my holding the line against diabetes because he himself had no patients 65 or over that had high blood pressure and high cholesterol that were not diabetic except for me. He reiterated that my walking 5 days a week was a big factor in my fighting off diabetes. Me weight was the same as the last time which is okay although I would be happier if I had lost a few pounds. I also had a bone density test and that came out normal so no osteoporosis. Yea!

Old sayings are sometimes true

2009-09-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

I've always heard be careful what you wish for and today I got a taste of what that means. I've been crying, no, begging for rain for months now. We've been getting dibs and dabs lately but today we got the big gulp. 3 inches in less than an hour. It was great! The only problem is that the house we live in is split level and the living room can get flooded in a heavy rain. The back yard tilts down from two angles which sends water flowing towards the base of the house plus the gutters were overflowing and couldn't do the usual good job they do keeping the water away. So Frank, Krys, and I were out in the pouring rain digging out and widening the area beside the house where the water was running and sweeping debris like leaves and bark from the raging rapids swirling around the base of the house. The good things were that the room didn't flood and we also got our Saturday night baths early which was quite a treat. ;-) Also it cooled the temperature off a lot and we didn't have to turn on the AC at all today. The bad thing was all this beautiful rain didn't fall on the lakes which supply water to the city so it didn't do much for the drought. We're very happy it rained so much but we're ready for more. can't wait for the fall season to get here.
The Horns won in Wyoming and Bama is winning as I write this. Also loved seeing Tiger get back to his usual spectacular, record setting, golf playing ways. Hope he does the same tomorrow.

Tuesday feels like Monday

2009-09-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

Well the summer is officially over and I wish that Central Texas paid attention to the calendar. Alas triple digits are in the forecast for at least a couple more days and only 10 percent chance of rain. This is not good. Summer, summer, go away, don't come again til June 2010. Took a couple of pictures of a display near the Hike & Bike Trail. It's meant to encourage people to clean up after their pet and I hope it has good results. The hill shown is dirt that represents the collective poo that all the dogs in Austin proper produce in one day. Ick! Had a nice walk yesterday and today despite the heat.

Saturday had its up and downs

2009-09-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

Frank enjoyed watching all the football games on Saturday including the Alabama/Virginia Tech game. It was a hard faught game and a close one until the last ten minutes or so. His little elephant mascot started out watching the game just fine but would up on his side from all the action. The Longhorns was a yawner.

Into September already

2009-09-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

"No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick. If you agree, please post this as your status for the rest of the day." A nod to Barbara for the above message.
Only got four days in so far this week. Had a doctor's appointment and a bone density test on two different days. One was early enough so I could get my time in before it got hot. Sadly we got into the 100 range again for two days and maybe some more on the way in the coming week. Summer will be over one day soon, I hope.
Seems Pres. Obama can't do anything right for some people. Pres. Reagan and Bush both spoke to school children without sparking an outrage. Also I don't know where this 'socialism' thing comes from. Do the people spouting that garbage even know what socialism is? I'm inclined to think they do not. The dictionary definition is "a system of society or group living in which there is no private property. a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done." No way, no how is the Obama administration supporting anything like that. Health care reform would be like Medicare, Medicade, CHIPS (administered by states), and Veterans Health Care. All of these programs have problems but for the most part they serve the people well. Horror stories of private health care denying claims and people dying as a result of these are too numerous to mention and it's weired to see people standing up for these giant health insurance companies who make a profit off of peoples ills. People being shouted down at meetings and carrying guns to town hall meetings. Hateful comments and slurs demeaning the President and his family are spewed out every day and wait for it...no one's getting arrested for it like they did when people were arrested for wearing t-shirts saying they didn't like the previous president. Preachers praying for the death of the President!! It's all crazy and I'm horrified and angered by it at the same time. I had hoped for a change but not this decent into madness. I don't like people for the most part and the actions of many are proving to me that I'm right to stay away from them. Whatever happened to do unto to others what you would have done unto you?

Not in the hundreds is good

2009-08-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

Ah what a difference 10 degrees less makes. 72 this morning, light breeze, lower humidity. Fabulous. We had some real measurable rain last week and the grass has greened up a bit. Yesterday the temperature stayed in the 90's and that made it so much nicer than it was the last two or three months. The only way it could have been better is if it had been raining. The evil high pressure system has moved away allowing for the change. Now on to other things. Frank had his check up with his urologist and it was good and he will see him in three months for another one. I have an appointment tomorrow, my first since going off of private insurance. School has started and Cyndi has her students back. Krys is already deep into her studies and our niece Olivia is a high school student! Where does that pesky thing called time go? Got my walking in today and will have to adjust for tomorrow since my appointment is early. Maybe I'll use the dreaded 'treadmill' to get it done since the afternoons still get hot. We'll see.

Obesity May Shrink Your Brain - Science & Health News Briefs | Newser

2009-08-24T08:38:00.001-07:00

This is yet another reason to keep your weight under control. Of course this was a small study so who knows if it's true or not. Even if it's not there are plenty of reasons to keep fit. On the walking front I did my usual last week. I woke up shortly after 7 this morning and didn't feel all that good and laid there and debated with myself about whether or not I should go for a walk. Finally I talked myself into doing it and did okay. Guess I'm just sick of the heat (105 yesterday) and humidity. Only a few more days and we'll break the 68 or 69 days of 100 plus days set back in 1925. Sigh, not a record I'm happy to be witness to. :0/

Obesity May Shrink Your Brain - Science & Health News Briefs Newser

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Remodeling the Front Door

2009-08-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

Frank did a good job of redoing the front door. At the moment I can't find a photo of what the front looked like but it was sort of yellowish and had no glass in the top two panels. The door was getting cracks and showing it's age and we had looked at solid core doors with glass panels to let light in but still be secure and they were all expensive. So as Frank remodeled the door for about 80 dollars as apposed to 300 to 1,300 for a new door. I think it looks great. :-)
I did do my walking last week and today but didn't enjoy it very much because of the humidity and heat. Enough with summer already! I'm ready for some cool, crisp, fall days.

It's raining, it's raining!!!

2009-08-12T16:16:00.000-07:00

What a fabulous afternoon! We're actually getting some rain showers and thunder storms. :-D The unsteady clip below shows RAIN WATER coming off the patio roof and some of the yard. You can see the big brown swath cutting across the back yard due to lack of the wet stuff and only being able to water it twice a week, and sometimes only once a week. We are loving this even though it won't make a dimple in the drought conditions we've been having. For this moment, it's wonderful.

Same o same o

2009-08-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

Still hot here, 105 and no rain. :-( Yesterday Frank called me to come to the front door and when I got there the precious smell of rain was in the air but alas it came from miles away because we didn't get any of the precious wet stuff. The seven day forecast calls for more of the same 100 plus temps and very isolated showers. I realize that having an unrelenting heat wave and drought is not the worst thing that can happen to a region but since I'm living with it and in it I think I will lose what's left of my mind if this weather doesn't break soon and we get some relief.
Saw some of President Obama's town hall meeting and was happy to see people behave like civil beings. Screaming, shouting, acting like an ass so others can't get their questions asked and answered is not exercising your 5th amendment rights it's stupid, rude, and asinine. By all means ask your questions and speak your mind but do it in a way that reflects respect on your up-bringing.
On a brighter note for me we enjoyed Tiger winning his 5th tournament this year and being a gentleman and speaking with respect about his opponent. We look forward to him winning the next tournament. Also it was good to see a football game again even if it is only pre-season. And all this hoopla over Michael Vick. Let the man play in peace. He payed his debt to society and is doing his community service with quiet dignity. He's not a murderer, drug user, rapist, etc...etc..so lighten up and let him play. If Peta has to have someone to beat up on go after those people slaughtering horses in Florida of hunters hunting game from helicopters, the list goes on and on and on.

Get the facts about the stability and security you get from health insurance reform | Health Insurance Reform Reality Check

2009-08-10T05:55:00.001-07:00

Get the facts about the stability and security you get from health insurance reform | Health Insurance Reform Reality Check

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Tuesday feels like Monday

2009-08-04T07:22:00.001-07:00

We're back home and I took my walk this morning. It was hot but I stayed in the shade and thankfully there was a breeze that gave me some relief from the heat. 104 expected today. Lots of laundry to do so I'd better stop messing around and get to it. The following article was written by Viggo Mortensen and I thought it was a good one so I'll share it here with you.
In the U.S.A., at this time when at least an incremental step is being considered by Congress toward legally guaranteeing that all citizens have some form of health-care coverage, the pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies are spending record sums to advertise the benefits of the status-quo. This would be the same status-quo that has enriched insurance companies for many years while leaving millions of citizens young and old uninsured or cheated out out of the often unreliable and over-priced coverage that they might barely afford. The same status-quo that has allowed pharmaceutical companies, with the collusion of our government representatives (most of whom are heavily-lobbied and campaign-funded by these very companies), to make huge, unjustified profits. What does this massive surge in public relations spending by the insurance and pharmaceutical companies, to the tune of millions of dollars a day on all media advertising, tell you? Does it perhaps beg the question of why so many members of Congress are dragging their feet, trying to dilute and delay legislation until it amounts to a practically meaningless change in the national health care system? Does it explain the resistance from mainstream television and radio spokespeople to real change in the system, or the voice given to disreputable hack doctors and scientists that have suddenly been enlisted to resist this change? Does it throw some light on the motivations of extreme right-wing corporate shills like Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, Beck, Medved (and too many of their clones to mention) in their efforts to vilify President Obama or anyone wanting to at least try to set up a slightly more equitable and efficient health care system in this country so that we might take another step toward becoming a civilised nation? V.M.

In San Angelo

2009-08-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

Visiting in San Angelo with our daughter Pam and her family. We had a nice ride up from Austin and were amazed at how green the countryside was after you left Llano. I'm a wee bit green-eyed with envy but I know that water is a precious commodity in most of the world so I don't begrudge the rainfall to anyone. I didn't walk yesterday s0 I walked this morning and did 3.19 miles to get my five days in. It was 72 with a very nice breeze. Pretty sites along the way like the ponds pictured and the various ducks and maybe geese?

No rain, too much sun.

2009-07-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

On my walk this morning I was hopeful that some rain would come, but it the beautiful storm clouds were just that...beautiful and impotent. Sigh. It's depressing and distressing to see trees, flowers, and grasses dry up to a crispy yellow and brown. I did walk a tad over 2 and half miles and will most likely stay inside again to escape the afternoon heat. I will say that I'm sorry for the Pacific Northwest people (our Evie among them) suffering through a heat wave of there own because while we've had more heat than they have and no rain all summer long we at least have air conditioning. To paraphrase an English nursery rhyme. Rain, rain, don't go away, come see us at least every other day, all creatures great and small would like to play. Rain, rain, do go to Spain, please, please show your lovely face again.

On a more serious note. Go here and please, please, read the health care point plans with an open mind. Why do people think it's okay to let people who can't afford to live a good life do without and die because of lack of good health care and other basic necessities? How anyone could not do something to care for the those who have the least among us is beyond me.

July flying by

2009-07-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

July is almost over and I'm hoping August will go by just as fast so we can escape the relentless heat of this summer. Lake Travis is 30 feet below it's capacity and three cars and one motorcycle have been found and pulled from the lake floor. The Perdenales River is dry and boat houses lie on sandy bottom of the river they once floated on. I know we're in a bad drought but the thousands of homes and commercial buildings built around the Highland lake and river areas have helped speed up the draining of the once beautiful waters of that area. Leave it to the human race to devour all the natural resources they can before abandoning them to move on and decimate another area. I'm sort of glad to see the people who rape the countryside lose value on their hideous Mac Mansions and would be gleeful if not for the devastation left in their wake. Not having any money to contribute to the green organizations that fight the developers I do what I can by signing petitions, writing letters to politicians, recycling, and picking up trash when I take my walks. I've not done as well on my walks this week due to allergies to the high mold or a head cold. So far I don't' know which one it is, only that it's annoying not to feel good. Enjoyed the Tour de France. Lance will the third on the podium which is not bad for a 37 year old man who has been away from competitive cycling for 4 seasons. Great job Lance!

Last Milestone BD

2009-07-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

I did it, I'm 65, officially a recipient of Medicare. ;-) So many people do not make it this far so I'm happy to be still be here. Thankfully to reach this age is not as emotional as say reaching 30 was. To be called ma'am now is nothing new and no longer having men eye you with appreciation and interest is also nothing new. Happily my Frank still looks at me with a twinkle in his beautiful brown eyes even though I suspect that age has idealised my image for him making me appear much better than I really am. ;-) Thanks to the dear souls who sent me emails, texts, cards, and good wishes. You all are much better friends than I deserve but I'm very grateful for you each and every one of you. May all of you 'Live long and prosper'.

Start of a new week

2009-07-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

Even though I haven't been posting my walking distances doesn't mean that I haven't been faithful to my routine. I have been doing at least 2 and half miles 5 days a week down from 3.1 miles. The distance reduction has been due to the extreme heat we've had here in central Texas and I expect to go back up to my usual when the days are cooler. Had another bummer when Lance Armstrong didn't pick up time on the first Alpine leg of the tour. True he is second, but a distant second. Guess you can't do at 37 what you did at 34...but I think the 3 year lay off had more to do with it than his age. Don't know if I'll watch it as much this last week since he's all but conceded the race to one of his teams other riders. Concerning Tom Watson's loss at the British open I think the sports casters are not being fair to Stewart Cink who beat Watson when they said he stole the tournament from him. He played better, therefore he won. Also Tom Watson is gentleman he's reported to be as his "I don't give a damn about Tiger Woods" statement reveals. Well, I don't give a damn about Tom Watson. Meanwhile there are other more serious things to think about like the fight for health care, which everyone deserves to have, not just the rich. And there is a young soldier being held captive who might lose his life and whose life or death plight is getting less air time than Michael Jackson's death. The entertainment news service these days only goes for ratings and not for the facts or truth in the stories but their opinions on the stories. It's a shame too because good, honest, reporting would be appreciated. Now for my pet peeve of the day. I'm often appalled by reading some of the comments by so called 'normal people' on stories found on websites. These people are mean spirited and downright hateful and they can't spell for taffy. It's scary and while there are times I would like to comment I don't because I don't want to get in an argument with some nut. But then again that's just my opinion. ;-)

Ack!

2009-07-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

Alas it looks like my fav golfer will not make the cut this weekend. The worst part is having to listen to the pundits and non-fans gloat and talk about him being 'finished' in the game. I guess even the great ones must travel in the valleys to appreciate the peaks. This being said he has won 3 tournaments since his return from knee surgery but not a major. Oh well, he'll be back.

Doing stuff to stay out of the heat

2009-07-16T11:10:00.001-07:00

Another hot day, 103 forecast, so I have thought of things to do inside besides working on my large paintings. Been having a bit of fun decorating an old purse of mine. Eddie fans should get it. Any thoughts on what other Eddie tidbits to paint on the little purse? Have been following the Tour de France on Versus and today the British Open has started. Tiger not starting off well but never, ever, count him out. Read this article in the local paper today. It lets us know how dangerous this unrelenting heat can be.

AUSTIN
"Man dies from heat, EMS says
A man died Wednesday of apparent heat-related causes after emergency crews found him unconscious in a car.
About 4:30 p.m., a man was reported as being unresponsive inside a car in South Austin, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services officials said. Medics found the man in cardiac arrest and performed CPR, but he died at a hospital about 5:40 p.m., EMS officials said. They did not release the man's name or age.
The man's body temperature was 108 degrees when he died, officials said.
"The individual appears to have spent long hours over several days working outdoors without proper hydration," EMS Assistant Director Frank Urias said."

Social networking and other mussings

2009-07-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

It's becoming quite a task to keep up these days with friends and family what with all the avenues now available to anyone and everyone. Now you can be followed or completely ignored by people you know or don't know on venues such as Twitter, Blog Sites, or personal web pages just to name a few. The way I handle it is to be more of a lurker than a contributor. Right now on Twitter I'm following Lance Armstrong as he rides in the Tour du France and Eddie Izzard when he does anything because he makes me laugh. Oh, and I follow Evie too. :-) On Facebook and by reading personal blogs, I keep up with my brother, children, grandchildren, and friends. I express my thoughts on my own blog when the spirit moves me and my creative endeavours on my personal web page when my artistic juices move me. I write (although not much as of late) poems and stories, and paint pictures because I enjoy doing it. I don't know why I focus on landscapes because I'm not much of a traveler but then again I travel in my minds eye so I don't have to do it physically. Besides, no real place could be as idyllic for me as the places I create so why should I go to the trouble of looking for them? It might mean something, or not, that my landscapes have homes, barns, etc..but no people. Does that mean I'm anti-social or that I just like to be away from the craziness that goes on around us in our ever changing world? Who knows, I certainly don't. ;-)Hopefully people will like the fruits of my artistic labors but if they don't then that's okay. The picture posted is of 'my studio'. Not a big space but I get good light and for me the art of painting is all about light and shadows. Hum..I got off the subject of social networking didn't I? Oh well, it's kind of scary but that's how my real conversations go, all over the place! Have a good day and stay safe and find a way to express yourself. You'll feel better for it. :-)

Too hot, too hot

2009-07-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

Haven't been blogging or doing anything much these days. I go out early on my walks and sad to say am doing less distance at this time. About 2 and a quarter to 2 and a half miles instead of the 3.1. They are predicting 105-106 today with a heat index of 110. The normal temperature for this time of year is 94. No rain. Heat advisories are in effect for most of Texas. In a way this weather is almost as debilitating as the cold is where my brother lives. I have been watching the Tour Du France now that Lance Armstrong is back in it and marvel at how far and how fast those men go on their bicycles. Have also been following Lance on Twitter and had to chuckle at this photo he posted. He said it was a little bit of home. The photo was taken in Barcelona. I would think it was done by a Longhorn fan because of the orange and white but then there is the owl...hum...could it be the collaboration of a Longhorn and Rice fan?

We're gettng bigger, not better

2009-07-01T12:40:00.001-07:00

It seems Americans are gung-ho on the dangers of smoking but are ignoring the dangers of obesity. While I'm not slim by any stretch of the imagination (in fact my BMI puts me in the moderately obese range) I do try to keep my weight under control and do some physical activity to keep my healthy and my fat cells at bay. Smoking does cause a variety of health problems but so does obesity. Eating healthy and staying active is something we can all do to make our quality of life better. Oh and I'm almost one of the 65 and beyond they are talking about.
AP Summary) – Mississippi's still king of cellulite, but an ominous tide is rolling toward the Medicare doctors in neighboring Alabama: obese baby boomers. It's time for the nation's annual obesity rankings and, outside of fairly lean Colorado, there's little good news. Obesity rates among adults rose in 23 states over the past year and didn't decline anywhere, says a new report.
And while the nation has long been bracing for a surge in Medicare as the boomers start turning 65, the new report makes clear that fat, not just age, will fuel much of those bills. In every state, the rate of obesity is higher among 55- to 64-year-olds—the oldest boomers—than among today's 65-and-beyond. That translates into a coming jump of obese Medicare patients that ranges from 5.2% in New York to 16.3% in Alabama, the report concluded. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-07-01-most-obese-state_N.htm

Thoughts from an acheing head

2009-06-21T06:06:00.000-07:00

Laying in bed with a raging headache but unable to rest. Took a couple of Excederin and hope they work sooner than soon. Meanwhile I'll blog to take my mind of the ache. Had a bit of a conversation with my brother while he was here about the ways of communicating today. He says that his blogging, face booking, has kept him in touch with his old friends and made him some new ones. I am in touch with friends I made on the Internet and met in person but also with those I had as snail mail pen pals and have never met. While email, twitter, face book, etc. is certainly faster, snail mail is far more personal. The pleasure of finding a letter from a friend or loved one in the mail box is not the same as reading an email. Also it required more commitment because the letter had to be written, put in an envelope, and mailed! There is not much effort put into dashing off an email. Granted the web cams and voice chats which I use quite often can put you in the here and now and I wouldn't want to do away with them. I also recognize the fact that devices such as cell phones and laptops can keep the world connected and show us much more of the world than all the news shows combined. Witness the turmoil in Iran. Twitter and Youtube has been a life line for those protesters in Iran whose freedoms have been so brutally repressed. So yes I see the good in instant communication. I also see the bad side of it when I read about someone who has lied about who they are and caused great harm to those who believe them. It's not perfect, but then again nothing is. I do miss getting personal mail though. The pleasure of finding a letter from a friend or loved one in the mail box is not the same as reading an email. Grabbing a cup of tea or coffee and settling into a comfy chair, opening the envelope that just days ago was sealed shut by a warm tongue, unfolding the sheets of stationary that were folded by loving hands and catching the scent of the person who wrote it can be a very sensual experience or a comforting one depending on who sent it. I miss that. I fear the personal letter has gone the way of the dinosaurs, and that is a shame.

Saturday catch up

2009-06-20T07:56:00.001-07:00

Not my usual routine this week. Frank, Krys, and I got a rare chance to trek to Shreveport for some R&R. We didn't break the bank but we had a good time anyway. Also got to visit with my brother who came for a nice but brief visit to pick up his daughter for her summer trip to his home. While my brother loves Austin I don't think he's used to the heat anymore. It's been in the hundreds or close to it for a couple of months now and strangely with not much rain we have high humidity to further make you feel blah. It makes for good swimming weather though and if you get out early in the morning you can get a nice run or walk in. Kind of embarrassed to say here that my walking routine has been erratic this week but I did get in three days this week. I guess two out of three isn't bad. I'll be back on track come Monday. On Sunday we plan to go out to our son's house for a cookout to celebrate Father's Day. It should be fun.

Sunday, Sunday....

2009-06-14T05:13:00.000-07:00

Enjoying my brother while he's here on a visit. We watched W. yesterday and I liked it. I had heard of the film and couldn't imagine Josh Brolin as GW but he did a good job and it was very believable. On the walking side I've kept up my routine. Hopefully while my brother is here we'll go out together one morning and he'll help me rev up my pace that I'll do one day out of the 5 I walk. I want to walk a 5K in under 50 minutes. A modest goal that I think is doable. My left hip is a little tender right now but that comes and it's not so painful that I can't deal with it. Also while my brother is here Frank and I (along with Krys) are making a trip on the cheap to Shreveport to stimulate the Louisiana economy. ;-) It'll be a nice change for a couple of days. No dishes to wash, no bed to make, now that's the life. :-) The pic I included here is one of some figures used for the Texas Click It or Ticket campaign. Why they used the figures of Elvis, Yosemite Sam and the others I don't know. They are cute though.

Lazy Sunday

2009-06-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

Wow here it is well into June and hot. We're expecting triple digit temperatures today. Ugh. I love Fall and Spring but Summer and Winter not so much. I've kept up my walking routine since my last post with my usual 3 mile average 5 days a week. With the days longer and hotter now I try to go early in the morning and get it done. I've been working on my painting and I'm thinking I'm getting better at it. Please see the posted photos. 1 is entitled Sunrise, 2 is The Lake House, 3 is The Boathouse. I hope you like them. I've also done some reading, the latest being Duma Key by Stephen King. I enjoyed it very much. Krys and I have seen two movies so far this summer. Star Trek which was super fun and Drag Me To Hell which was okay. We also took a trip last weekend to see our youngest granddaughter graduate from high school. Boy are we old! ;-) The battle to save the trees (mostly older pecans) at Barton Springs has been been won. Only 8 or 9 trees will be removed as opposed to the 28 they wanted to cut down. Yea!

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-23T09:16:00.000-07:00

2009 is flying by with the summer months coming up. It's already been hot here in Austin and not much rain but somehow things are pretty and green. It's been up and down for walking weather but I've managed to keep up my usual 3.1 miles a day, 5 days a week. There is a Triathlon on Monday but I decided not to enter that. ;-) Didn't want to embarrass anyone, mostly myself! Things are kind of quite which is not a bad thing. We're going to Frankie and Sandy's for Memorial Day to visit and try out his new grill. Should be fun. Cyndi and Pam are visiting their sister up in Seattle and by all accounts are having a great time. We talked to them this morning using Skype and it was fun. The photo is of Sammy, Pam, Rick, and Lauren's new addition to the family. He's a cutie!

Playing catch up again

2009-05-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

The weather here has been hot, terribly humid (90% one morning), and just plain icky for outdoor activities but I've kept up my walking regimen. Since I know the distances of the different routes I take I can safely say that I'm getting a 5K in 5 days a week. Sometimes a wee bit more, sometimes a wee bit less. No pictures available yet from the Texas Roundup but I'll post one or two when I get them.
Meanwhile I'm posting a photo of the first green beans of the summer from Frank's garden. They were good too. :-)
Also (and please forgive the poor quality) some photos of Krystal getting her certificate from the honor society.

2009-04-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

Good news all around. Frank's surgical procedure resulted in good news. No tumor found. Whew! That gave us all a big lift after a over a week of worrying about this new 'thing' the doctor had seen on his last visit. Next visit for him is in three months. Also Cyndi was offered her teaching job back, same school, special education department. It starts in August but meanwhile she's working as a sub at the same school and full time at the IRS. Don't know where she gets the energy.
It happened to me again! Another lady came up and talked to me and said she had seen me walking down So. 1st Street all the time. She was very pleasant.
The photos in the slide show below were taken in the house and yard where we live. Hope you enjoy our springtime show.

Who knew?

2009-04-27T11:24:00.001-07:00

While out on my walk this morning I was approached by a women who said she aways noticed my walking when she took her grandson to school in the morning. She said she would tell her grandson 'there goes the lady with the cane', and he would say 'grandma you always say that'. She said she wanted to meet me and she wished that she was as strong as I appeared to be. We chatted for a few minutes and she told me she used to walk until she fell and hurt her knee and that she will have to have surgery on it. I told her that she should be just as good as new after surgery and would most likely be able to walk like she used to. It was a pleasant surprise and it just goes to show you that you can affect peoples lives without ever being involved in their lives. I'm happy that it appears I affected her in a good way. Glad I got my walk in early this morning because now we're in the middle of some rain storms which are most welcome. I got my 3 miles in.

Things worth reading again.

2009-04-26T16:21:00.000-07:00

In talking with my brother about a group of new walkers he is mentoring I mentioned to him this post I blogged about in March of 2008. It's long but it has some good stuff in it.
This article from the Mayo Clinic website with my additions added in red.Benefits of walking. Walking for fitness can help you achieve a number of important health benefits. For example, you can:
Reduce your risk of a heart attack. Walking keeps your heart healthy by lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) and raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol). A regular walking program also reduces your risk of developing high blood pressure, a factor that also contributes to heart disease. Can't say this has been true in my case.I take two different cholesterol medications. The doctor tried to reduce the dosage after a year of walking and good tests but my cholesterol and tryglceride readings shot up so I'm back on the old dosages.
Manage your blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, walking may reduce it. Walking may have helped my blood pressure because it has been so low at times that instead of the two pills I take I only have to take one of them, this I do of course on the instructions of my doctor which include monitoring at home with a unit that measures blood pressure.
Reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Regular exercise reduces your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you're a woman, overweight and at a high risk of diabetes, walking can improve your body's ability to process sugar (glucose tolerance). Walking has helped me in this instance for sure because the doctor said if I hadn't started a walking program and stuck with it that I would now be on diabetes medication. He also said that walking was better for me than any pill he could give me. He didn't say I would never get diabetes but that I was doing a good job of staving it off by making this change to my lifestyle.
Manage your weight. Walking burns calories, which can help you manage your weight. For example, middle-aged women who walk more than 10,000 steps a day have lower levels of body fat than do women who are less active. Can't say that walking has affected my weight at all except for the recent 3 pound loss during my 'Hillary' activity and it might turn out that this weight loss is due to a malfunctioning thyroid rather than my physical activity. The jury is still out on this point for now.
Manage stress and boost your spirits. Going for a brisk walk is a great way to reduce stress. Regular walking also can reduce feelings of depression and anxiety. Sometimes I've cried and cried, usually when I'm trying to get myself up, dressed, and out the door. At times I've felt at peace while walking but not often because I find myself resenting the fact that I'm walking because I HAVE to and not because I WANT to.
Stay strong and active. As you get older, walking for physical fitness can prevent falls, help you stay mobile and maintain your independence. Staying fit can help you grow older more gracefully but lather on the sun screen and wear a cap or visor because your body might love the exercise but your skin will suffer if you don't.
Don't let falling off the exercse wagon make you feel like a failure and give up on your plan for better fitness. Use these tips to get back in the groove.
Think positively. Don't let negative self-talk, such as "I'm a failure," get in the way of starting again. Shrug it off as a temporary break in your walking program. Wish I could say this was one I followed but I'm not a real positive thinker. I am a plodder though and get the job done, even while grumbling about the unfairness of it all.
Re-evaluate your goals. If your goal is to walk two hours a day 365 days a year, you might be setting yourself up to fail. Set realistic goals for yourself, such as 30 minutes five days a week. I try and most often succeed in walking 5 days a week for at least an hour a day. 6 days a week was a bit too much for me and my right hip hurt. Cutting back corrected this problem.
Get going. Build walking into your schedule today. Just do it. Walk for 10 minutes on your lunch break. When I worked in I used my break time to get in a few minutes and the boss helped by giving me errands to do that involved walking and that worked until I retired and then I fell into not exercising at all. What got me back on track was the doctor telling me that I would get diabetes if I didn't do something sooner than later. So far my current plan is working fine. At least once a year I take part in a organized walk like the Texas Roundup.
Continually plan. If you're taking a trip or working overtime, think of strategies for incorporating short walks into your day to keep your plan on track. When we go visit our daughter in San Angelo I have a route I use in the neighborhood and when we go gamble I use the hotel gym to get a session in on the treadmill...if they have one. If not I take breaks from the one- arm-bandits and walk several times around the outer edge of the casino floor to get some movement into my day.
Hope you find these tips and information helpful. Now get out there and move it!!!

Texas Roundup Results

2009-04-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

Had a nice time even though it was humid. Lots of people. My time is as follows. My chip time from last year was 56.01 and they broke it down on the charts to 17 min. miles. They didn't do it this time. I guess any improvement is a good one. :-)
5
Rose Carr
Austin TX
4462
64
530-on the overall chart I was 529 so not sure why I'm 530 here, not that it matters.
53:54.31
57:22.00
03:27.00

Day before 2009 Texas Roundup

2009-04-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

I'm cheating and posting here the little blurb I posted on Facebook today. Lazy huh? I walked to the convention center which is about 2.8 miles from here to pick up my packet in an hour and 18 minutes, than I walked back to Barton Springs and 1st where Frank picked me up. It wasn't too hot, around 74 but it was way humid. Ick. Don't look to improve on my 5K time tomorrow cause I'm just slow, slow, slow, but I'll have a nice time.
Anyone watch 24, the CSI shows, NCIS? I'm getting a little bummed about the possible loss of some favorite characters. Evie will be MAD if Lt. Flack is axed from the show. On 24 the bodies drop like bowling pins so with the exception of Jack anyone could go. NCIS says it is losing a character but it isn't. Talk like that is annoying. As for CSI Miami and the original CSI no one is leaving so that's good.

Rain, rain, has come again!

2009-04-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

Oh geez, I wrote a bunch of crap and saved it each time but still I lost it all trying to post these stupid pictures. Don't know if I can even remember what I wrote. I did update that I'm still walking and keeping up with my distances on Google Pedometer which I will recommend to anyone who wants to keep track of their walking or running data. It's so easy to use even I can navigate it. It is raining this morning as the title of this entry indicates and it is most welcome. The picture looking out the window on the rainy streets in front of our home was taken with my laptop camera as were the photos of my paintings. Regarding my walking endeavors I had planned on signing up for the Texas Roundup which is next Saturday. I'm not known to be very social but if it's taking part in things like organized walks I can do it because you're not expected to interact with those around you except to stay out of the way of the fast runners and walkers. ;-)I'm not sure I can do this Roundup though because idiot Perry is going to be there and I don't think I can stomach his preening stupid face and still concentrate on the mechanics of getting through the walking course. Ugh. About the paintings. One is just of a lake front with trees and cabin in the distance. It's not yet finished but I'm happy with it so far. The other one is a cartoon like version of a Dia De Los Muertos figure. It also is not complete but I'm not sure if I like it or not. I tend to use bright colors and paint places that I would like to be even though they are just a composite of different areas of the country I have seen or thought I remember seeing. Memory is a funny thing. Some memories I'm not sure are things I actually remember or things that have been described to me by someone else and I just think they are my memories. Okay now I'm getting a little goofy here, must the the rain. ;-)

Bad case of 'I don't wannas'

2009-04-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

Did my usual 3 miler on Monday which was nice because of the cool and windy weather. I think we got down into the high 30's last night which is not normal for this area this late into the new year. It's good though because the high temperatures are going to settle in soon. But I digress from my original thought for this blog. I found myself tearing up and whining to myself that I didn't want to get dressed and go on my walk. It's not that I wanted to stay in bed either, I just didn't want to go outside. Am I becoming agoraphobic? Seems a bit far fetched to think that but I suppose anything is possible. I gritted my teeth and put on my big girl panties and forced myself out into the world. It was pleasant weather, sunny and cool, and there were not many people out and about so it made for a peaceful time for me. One question to those who get out and walk or run. What's with people, both men and women, who bundle up with ear-muffs, jackets, knit caps and scarves paired with shorts! I saw a lady yesterday dressed like that and it puzzled me because her legs were beet red from the cold wind. Do people not think about their legs getting chapped or frost bitten (not much chance of frost bite here) but you know what I mean. It seems kind of silly to me to cover your top half and leave your bottom half to suffer the elements. I very seldom wear shorts in the summer to wearing in the winter is not something I would even consider doing. Anyway...it's just something that made me go 'hummmm'.

Came across this other piece of art that is in Butler Park. It's a forged metal sculpture by an Austin artist named Colin McIntyre.

April fooling around

2009-04-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

Did my walking this past week, averaged 3.2 miles a day for 5 days which is good for me. Weather was perfect for it too, 50's with a light breeze every morning this past week. Wish it could stay that way all year long. We had nice visit with Frank's brother Richard who stopped by for a few hours on his way to San Antonio. They had a good time telling on each other. ;-) Cyndi and Frankie got to stop in and visit with him too.

Spring has sprung

2009-03-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

As you can tell by the date on my last blog entry I have been lazy about blogging. I have been walking though and doing at least 3 miles a day 5 days a week. I've posted some photos of things I've seen this past week. Spring is bursting out all over Austin thanks to the bit of rain we've had recently. I hope you enjoy viewing the photos as much as I have enjoyed taking them.
1. A tree putting forth brilliant yellow buds in front of a stone wall that fronts the St. Hose Hotel on South Congress. 2. Wisteria climbing a pergola in the court yard of the old St. Jose Hotel 3. A pictorial history unfolds for you along the newly constructed pathway on Cesar Chavez that overlooks Town Lake. 4. Bluebonnets growing along the edge of South Fifth. Doesn't my cell phone take great photos? It's a Motorala Razor too...not a fancy Iphone. :-)

Getting normal rhythm back is hard

2009-03-15T05:04:00.000-07:00

Getting back to my normal walking rhythm has been difficult. I was doing okay until this past week when the weather turned cold but joyfully wet replete with lighting and thunder storms. Loathe to get back on the 'dread mill' I made excuses not do do so. I did a routine of walking in place with a video each day but it's not the same. Hopefully I'll get back to my routine and get my groove back. ;-)

Getting walking patterns back

2009-03-07T06:21:00.001-08:00

Found this interesting: "There's a spike of 5% in heart attacks during the first week of daylight saving time, according to another study published last year. The loss of an hour's sleep may make people more susceptible to an attack, some experts say. When daylight saving time ends in the fall, heart attacks briefly become less frequent than usual." I hate DST because I'm an early to bed and semi-early to rise person and having daylight until almost 10pm and sunlight streaming in your window when you're still trying to sleep is most annoying. Also I hate losing an hour of sleep which made a big difference when we were working and not so much now.
I've been doing 5K every day this week on my walks and not having any ill effects from doing so. Haven't gone in a used my Internet distance measuring tool because I pretty well know the distances my usual routes are now. My speed hasn't increased any but that's just me. I think my spirit guide must be a turtle. ;-)

Back to normal, whatever that is.

2009-03-01T16:34:00.000-08:00

I'm getting back to normal after having surgery and took my first walk outside, by myself yesterday. Did three miles too and was happy about that. The wind was fierce and it was cool, a welcome relief from the 91 degrees we had the day before. Thanks to all for the lovely get well cards and good thoughts and wishes, they were and are much appreciated.

Setbacks but still ticking

2009-02-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

First of all let me state here that I'm so very thankful that my husband and I have such good health insurance. I don't know what people do who don't have any. We're hoping the new administration will fix this problem so all Americans have access to good health care. Frank and I have had some medical problems that joyfully are not life threatening but still troublesome and in some cases quite painful. On Thursday the 5 of February I was brought down by acute cholecystitis, which translated is a common gall bladder attack. More painful than childbirth pains because at least they come and go and you have a bundle of love at the end of it, this pain is long and hard and has no rewards. When I went to the ER they thought I was having a heart attack since I have a history of cardio problems. After a battery of what I'm sure are outrageously expensive tests, the diagnosis was the gall bladder problem. On the advice of our primary physician I'll be seeing a surgeon this next week to get it taken care of. Frank has been undergoing a second round of BCG treatments and had a scary reaction to the second treatment in the round. Sigh of relief it was nothing serious, at least that's what his doctor said and who by the way I'm impressed with. He called him not once but twice to check on him. Usually doctors leave the calls to the nurses but in this case he handled it personally. So, you can see why we're so happy to have the health insurance we do have even though it's expansive to maintain. At least we have the resources to keep it current. When I turn 65 I'll have to drop it but we will still have good insurance to take care of our needs. My advice here is to exercise, eat healthy, and get a good night of sleep. Even all the money in the world can't buy you good health if you don't take care of yourself.
Speaking of exercise my schedule is in disarray but I've managed to keep some in and keep track of it! 2-5-09 I felt great and did 3.246 miles that morning, by 11 that night everything changed. :-( 2-6 thru 2-7 in the hospital so no exercise. 2-8 none. 2-9 two fifteen minute walking routine with a video I found on Real Age. 2-10 thru 2-13 30 minute walks on the treadmill.
Re: the Stimulus package-guess the Republican Party can be the Party of NO after all.

Treadmill 1, Rose 0

2009-01-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

Now the problems I've been having are minor when you consider what's going on in the rest of the world but they are annoying...to me anyway. I've been talking about the cedar problem plaguing central Texas that forced me to do my walks indoor where you think it would be safe. Alas this was not the case for me. It's no secret that I abhor using the treadmill because it is boring. The machine must have heard me and decided to extract some vengeance because I fell on the darn thing and got spun off. I was attempting to adjust the elevation of the platform and my feet drifted off to the side putting my right foot half on the sidebar and half on the moving track and this is not a good thing. The little plastic 'key' that's supposed to stop the movement of the track just slipped off the bottom of my t-shirt and didn't work this time. The upshot is that I now have a pair of lightly bruised knees,arm, and a darker bruised ego. Of course I'm blaming the treadmill because this couldn't have happened due to my own clumsiness. ;-) Anyhow that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Walking stats January 26 to January 30, 2009. All but one day was on the evil treadmill. 50 minutes, 53 minutes, 4 rounds around a large store-did about 1 mile and a half, 52 minutes, treadmill, 49 minutes treadmill.

Getting better

2009-01-25T18:10:00.000-08:00

Wow it seems like ages since I've blogged. The cedar got the better of me and it surely messed with my walking schedule. Some days I just pushed through it but with my eyes watering and so swollen it made it difficult to see clearly and then it got to where I had no energy and finally had to go to the doctor. He gave a cortical (s) steroid shot and some Zyrtec and did my usual lipid blood work since which I was overdue for. Good news is that my cholesterol is 180 and my triglycerides are 107, LDL 92. Didn't get the rest of it but the upshot is that I'm stable and doing okay. The bad news is that I'm kind of housebound with my air filter going until the cedar eases up. Seems I can combat the low to medium readings which are like 50 to 600 grains per cubic meter but when it hits over 4 thousand per cubic meter it's an unfair battle. So here are my stats: Jan. 13-Jan 25. none, 3.155, 3.135, 2.897, none, 3.018, none, none, none, none, first day I felt strong enough to exercise and did 55 minutes on treadmill, 58 minutes on treadmill. I found that if I put a movie in my little DVD player and put on headphones to hear it I didn't get as bored. I was happy that I stayed strong and found that it wasn't hard to walk that long.
Have some photos to post but I may do that tomorrow.
Oh I saw a piece on 60 Minutes about the Israel/Palestinian situation and it doesn't look good. So much horror and trouble on both sides.

Special Day Indeed

2009-01-20T10:17:00.000-08:00

I was moved by President Obama's speech which is not unusual for he has always been a great orator and well able to move people with the power of his words.America the Beautiful has always moved me and sung by Aretha it was really memorable. I confess here that Rev. Lowry's speech made me smile and I heard myself giving him a hearty Amen for which I hope my brother will forgive me. ;-) For a moment during the singing reality reared its head when the camera panned to the men dressed in black stationed on the top tiers of the capitol building...not all of them were holding cameras. But it's a joyous time for us and I did truly feel a dark cloud lift from my heart when I saw former President Bush and his wife Laura leave. I wish them both peace. It's comforting to know too that President Obama's staff is already hard a work and that really difficult task of getting our nation now starts in earnest. I know things won't change overnight but at least now we have people who no strangers to long hours and hard work and if only two or three promises are fulfilled in the coming year that we will all be the better for it.
A non-inauguration topic here. The dreaded Cedar pollen is over 4 thousand grams per unit which means it's very high. My eyes are swollen to mere slits and doctors are warning people who are affected by this scourge to stay inside for now. I'm following their advice. The photo above shows the pollen coming off the trees be they shaken by hand or wind. I'm sure the woman doing the shaking of the tree branches is not affected by the pollen because if she was she would never, ever do such a foolish thing.

Results Day

2009-01-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

Frank had his follow up visit today and that pesky patch of irritation was indeed a superficial, non-invasive bit of trouble. He's going to have another 6 weeks of BCG treatments starting in February. It is not unusual for these things to be stubborn and hard to eradicate or to reoccur. The doctor is being super-duper cautious and this is a good thing. So things could be much, much worse and we're very positive that things are proceeding well. I know you'll keep him in your good thoughts and or prayers.U
Walking Stats January 4 through January 12, 2009: CEDAR HIGH-NONE, 3.057, 3.106, 3.023, park walk with Krystal 2 miles, Frank's biopsy-no walk but did ride stationary bike for 15 minutes, 2.501 cut walk short because cedar made my eyes water so bad that it affect my vision, none, 3.107 windy but cold and thankfully cedar on the low side.
For those of you not familiar with 'cedar fever' it is an allergy to mountain juniper that affects central Texans. From late December through late February and sometimes early March, many people experience an itchy, runny nose, sneezing, nasal blockage, excess tearing and itchy eyes. Others complain of itching of the palate, throat, or ears, and postnasal drainage. Some have fatigue, mild headache, facial discomfort, sore throat, partial loss of sense of smell, and sensation of ear plugging. My allergy meds keep the post nasal drip and sneezing under control and it's the itching of my eyes and in my ears and sometimes elsewhere that makes me crazy. Short of living in a bubble with a really good air filtration system you can't escape the effects of this potent and prolific pollen. Alas conventional therapy with antihistamines is not for me because they make my legs hurt really bad. The good thing is that it is seasonal.
Was a pleasure to see Hillary Clinton at her hearing today making her case wit nary a wink, a 'you betcha', or "I'll get back to you with some" quip. I wonder that anyone could watch her and marvel at the breadth and depth of her knowledge and then somehow throw their support to the governor from Alaska. To say that they are as different as night and day is putting it mildly.

Biopsy day

2009-01-09T11:03:00.000-08:00

Frank got through his biopsy A okay. No results until mid-week but the doc says he thinks things look fine and that he's just being cautious which is a good thing when it concerns a persons life, don't you think?
No walk yet today but I'll get something in.

Back to serious business

2009-01-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

Please think about Frank tomorrow. He's having another biopsy done on his bladder. The doc say a spot of inflammation during his checkup on Dec. 29 that he thought needed to be checked out. We'll keep you posted.
Walking stats later but I did have a nice walk this afternoon with Krystal. We went to the park that is close to us. It was hot for this time of year.
Found the article below and thought it was something that should be shared.

Teen Obesity Can Cause Liver Disease, Cancer
Posted Sep 8, 08 4:16 PM CDT in Science & Health
(AP) – In a new and disturbing twist on the obesity epidemic, some overweight teens have severe liver damage caused by too much body fat, and a handful have needed liver transplants, the AP reports. The condition, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure or liver cancer, is being seen in kids in the US, Europe, Australia and some developing countries. Experts warn that pediatricians to be more vigilant.

An estimated 2% to 5% of American children over age 5, nearly all of them obese or overweight, have a condition called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. As fat builds, the liver can become inflamed and scarred, leading to cirrhosis, a condition mostly caused by hepatitis or alcohol. Liver failure or liver cancer can follow, but fatty liver disease can be reversed through weight loss