Pictures taking during prep for One's birthday dinner

Italian Creme Cake
might also have stated:
guaranteed to bust your best intentions (diet-wise)
I could feel the sugar burning my tongue,
this morning I have a headache induced by the tiniest bites
and the thought is - probably another few bites with coffee would cure it!

These vegetables just looked so fresh and lovely.  I prepared a chicken and vegetable soup which was served over steamed cracked wheat. The wheat tasted sweet, or cinnamony.  a bit different from previous times with this recipe - still pretty yummy.  The rainbow beets were an error.  I meant to pick up turnips (which are the secret ingredient to any delicious vegetable soup btw).  I didn't use the beets in the soup, but I'm looking for interesting recipes for them today - probably will roast the for a dinner with pork tenderloin.

Abs

Homestead Heritage - a Village NW of Waco

Weekend in Austin

[II (A) plus]

[I and III]

Nice, like happy dance great, to have lots of the kids home for the weekend.  One thing they have underlined for me is we really need a kitchen big enough for everyone to cook in.  It is one of my favorite things to cook with my people.  These guys with their hairy faces would be a source of amusement for Uncle Tommy ... I can hear "scruffy, very scruffy" on the breathe of a chuckle.  These few are some of the best days!  (Missing you C.)

These sugar cookies are soon much more trouble then they look like they would be!  I can see why I don't bake.  First, the dough has to chill. It's temperamental!  Mine was, according to V, "overworked".  I used the mixer rather then stirring it by hand,  then they were undercooked - then burnt.  My son asked me if they were gingerbread when he saw them.  The frosting gets crusty. It's super sugary and you have to constantly wipe little bits away.  Brownies are better.  I think I am done with sugar cookies.

LOVE

protects trusts hopes perseveres 

Sammy startled him!
I know he might be there so I have the camera ready.

tiara, feather boa, and cake!
HBD precious.

Just silliness for today

While my husband is away the "ugly house" has seduced an admirer and is now pending (it really might not pass inspection so I find that  interesting to watch).  Finding myself both relieved and some what disappointed, I'm 100% back in the quest.

Meanwhile, L is back at our old house tending to office type work and tinkering around the house. As I walked Sammy yesterday, this popped in:

I would say that although the topics are rich in their variety, that this is a typical "type" conversation between us.  Now that he spends a good deal of his time away from the office I am learning how to cope with all the special attention.  While I "rat out" my family members might as well go all in.

"I"

"II"

This I absolutely adore because I am not near enough to "do" a cake and it's tremendously delightful for me to see big sister step in to do this labor of love for a younger sibling.  She does create the most amazing cakes!  Even when we were all nearer she often baked for the family.  Just sweetsweetsweet.

"III"

He hasn't seen this house.  I am interested to see how much like home it can feel for him.  His special request is lots of home cooking.  That we can do!

"IV"

Her pharmacy defaults to my number even though we have requested a change several times.  I like to send picture messages in lieu of the 100 words.  She cracks me up!

"V"

And the mystery of the missing sock is solved.  For some reason she can text off and on during the school day.  I actually like it.  This one is already getting four or five solicitations from Universities every day.  I can feel the nest getting ready to empty.  Several years ago II's little slicker hanging on our covered back porch became a nesting place for a momma bird.  It was left hanging to dry where we could look out the breakfast room window in to the hood and watch the eggs progress all the way to chirping little hungry birds.  I was standing on the porch when they all made the flight from the nest.  The sweetness of the memory still brings tears to my eyes.  Ah ...

Whatever did we do before texting made connections so easy?

I am staying busy around the house mostly.  It feels good to have things set straight.  I have some cleaning to do later today - and a walk with Sammy.  Every time a plane flies over I wonder why I am "putting off" going back to work a few mornings a week as a flight instructor.  I am dieting - that's true and it does make me a bit tired and maybe not sharp enough to keep an eye on things in the air.  I am losing the weight I put on while sitting with Tommy.  Yesterday a picture of L, Tommy and I appeared between two books.  I do not remember anything about the picture at all.  Nothing looks familiar about it except the three of us.

Based on my glasses I'm guessing vintage 1985 ...
L still had a full head of hair, I was paying double for spiral perms,
and Tommy seems to be sporting bike helmet head!
He would love seeing this every bit as much as I have!
~ still sorting through the big unpack in Texas!

 Lately, I have begun to feel more like myself after the trauma and stress of the past couple of years.  I am totally looking forward to trying out the local gliding activity.  

For now I seem to be happiest reading, walking, cooking, playing ... getting ready for three of my kiddos to come in for a visit at the end of the month.  I really hope I start wanting to fly regularly again. 

house hunting ... not so much fun!

bathroom of a home we were shown last week
I really love (considered and it isn't too strong a word here)
the recycled glass countertops

Those counter tops are about the same price as other solid surface tops. About half the price of marble or granite.

This home had a lot going for it, but for me it seemed to be short one or two rooms.  It's at the top end of my price range and per square foot - high for my area. (The entire house was painted pink or turquoise ... I like white/grey.)

master bath at another house I visited last week

This home is at the lower end of our price range (which is good), has a very desirable location, and acre of land, several really great trees and comes with a lot of BUTS.  I can definitely see structural problems and possibly mold.  It hasn't been updated since the year it was built (1982).  The closet which is accessed from the bath is about three times larger then we need - plenty of room for a great shower.

The bathroom is begging for a nice tub like this.  None of the builders here seem to be using freestanding tubs.  Even in that very nice bathroom shown first it's all about those big non-jetted Jacuzzi tubs.  I think this one is both aesthetically more appealing and would be lots easier to clean.

The foyer on that ugly house could easy look like this.

My husband likes travertine floors and we are comfortable installing them DIY.

I believe the doors in the house (which are very nice solid wood) could be striped, bleached, pickled or whitewashed and look just like this ... all the existing wood doors and trim has turned orange-y with age (poly) ... they despair for  fresh air.

I'm a huge fan of these very light (and not at all yellow) wood floors  I think the chevron will be dated pretty quickly, but it is fabulous in that picture.  I lean towards wood floors or concrete but I like travertine (without grout).  I'm researching how to take care of it.  It was in a vacation rental house in the Keys and I thought it was beautiful.  I also like the wood ceiling treatments in these pictures and would like to use that in the foyer and den of the ugly house.  It really could be quite special.

I would also want to replace the french doors and even the breakfast room window wall with this type black steel door/window treatment.  

That houses a really bad kitchen - well here's a pic:

Hoping the kitchen can be totally gutted.  If that doesn't fit in the budget it's a deal breaker.  I cook.

Two of my kids know we are considering the fixer upper.  They say "run" ... they say Dad has better things to do, will soon remember that, and I will be stuck with a big ugly brick shack!  My husband doesn't like to hire help!  also, I didn't mention, the yard is entirely unlandscaped and the concrete driveway is in pebbles.  It's a real mess.  The realty says they are asking too much for it in it's present state.  In the mean while, I clean and reorganize my little rental refrigerator and look out the back window to see white egrets flying high over the river.