Oh what a night!

Calvin and Hobbes (a.k.a. Amanda the Panda).

The rain from the Texas Hill Country made it to Houston last night. It rained all night and parts of the city are flooding as the rain keeps falling. Fortunately we live in an area of the city that (usually) doesn't flood.

This morning around 6 a.m. we were awakened by flashing lights. A house undergoing renovations in the middle of the block caught fire. It looks like the exterior of the house is still in place, but the interior, including the two-story addition in the back, are toast. With the rain coming down and holes in the roof, I fear the couple and their three small children will be starting over. Thankfully no one was living in the house and no one was injured.

Today I'm celebrating Halloween. The city is a soggy mess so I doubt we will have any trick or treaters tonight. It's sad for the little kids.

It's a small world

Dr. Mc and I took TLP to the pumpkin patch after mama bear got home from work yesterday. He had been a little cranky so I didn't know how he would react to having his photo taken. In true TLP form, the camera came out and so did his smiley face. He loved the leaves and dirt, and didn't know what to think about the pumpkins that were half his size.

We brought him home and changed him into his Halloween costume before putting him in the front yard for another photo op. I'm going to save that photo until Halloween, but will say this ahead of time: ADORABLE!

Today I'm celebrating a small world. Susan, my cousin who lives in Richmond/Rosenberg, called me from New Orleans last night. She was there with some friends when she ran into Big Daddy Nick at Pat O'Briens. Too funny.

On the move

Today was the second day in a row that I went out in the car. Yesterday I had lunch with a friend, voted, and shopped for some fall/winter clothes for TLP. Then today I went to the cleaners and then had a mani/pedi.

I've seen the trailer for the new James Bond movie and can't wait to see it. As much as I loved Pierce Bronson as Bond, I even more crazy about the dark side of Bond that Daniel Craig brings to Bond. There were a couple of loose ends in the final scenes of Skyfall. I'm anxious to meet the new characters. I'm also looking forward to seeing Burnt. I love cooking movies and shows.

Today I'm celebrating holiday catalogs. There were eight in the mail today. Can't wait to dive into them.

Lots of rain

Early this morning, The Suffers were on their way to Austin for another great show. They're opening for Lionel Ritchie at ACL Live tonight. It's another feather in their cap!

Dr. Mc left for Austin around 2:30 p.m. with Big Daddy Nick's parents. It was already raining in Houston and I think the weather was worse in Austin. I know they made it to Austin because Dr. Mc was texting and requesting photos. I sent her a photo of Rose (haha ... aren't I funny), but that wasn't what she wanted. She sent a photo of The Suffers playing on stage. Lots of lights!

Today I'm celebrating a sleepover with TLP. He has a runny nose so I doped him up and put him to bed around 8:30 p.m. Now, where's my cocktail? 

Equal Rights

It was just on the news that Planned Parenthood will no longer receive state medicaid funds in Texas. This is so unfortunate and the result of some people misrepresenting Planned Parenthood services as mainly abortions. While abortions are part of the services provided, Planned Parenthood offers so many other health services, as well as education and advocacy, to all individuals.

I see this same sort of misrepresentation by some about the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) that will be on the November ballot. Opponents of the ordinance are promoting it as "the bathroom ordinance" or "the predator ordinance," stating that HERO will subject women and girls to sexual predators who are "allegedly confused" by their gender identity. The truth is that HERO will help ensure people the basic rights to find a job, enjoy an evening out, and obtain a place to live without discrimination.

Today I'm celebrating the vision of equal opportunities for all, regardless of race, creed, color or gender.

Marcus Rothkowitz

What a beautiful day in Houston. It should be this way all week. I love it.

Mr. B and I, along with two friends, had brunch this morning at Menil Bistro. We tried to have dinner there once, but it was too crowded. Today, the crowd was small for brunch and the food was good. Both of us said we would go there again, although the Bellini wasn't that terrific (not frozen and served in a martini glass).

Today I'm celebrating the artistry of Mark Rothko, who was born Marcus Rothkowitz. (Although he began painting in mid-1920s, he didn't legally change his name to Mark Rothko until 1959.) We went to the Museum of Fine Arts/Houston after brunch to see the Rothko exhibit. I enjoyed seeing his earlier figurative works, which are quite different from his later abstract expressionism. I don't think I really appreciated his later work until I stood in front of it and studied the colors and brush strokes. It's not possible to see the details in a photograph.

Friday!

A couple of months ago on a Friday night, I got small thin crust pizzas, as well as a couple of movies. Dr. Mc and I put on our stretchy pants and, along with Mr. B and TLP, we enjoyed a relaxing evening. Unfortunately Big Daddy Nick was touring with The Suffers, as he is this weekend, also.

As I remember it, TLP was cooperative (i.e., quiet and ready for bed early), which made for a great movie night at home. I'm thinking about a repeat of that adventure tonight, and wonder what took me so long to do it again. Maybe every Friday night should be pizza and movie night?

Today I'm celebrating the start of the weekend. My schedule doesn't change any during the weekend, but Mr. B is around the house. It is <insert (a) or (b) here> nice to have Mr. B home. <(a): always; or (b): usually>

Sneaking out of the house

Looking out the window all I can see are beautiful blue skies. It looks to be the perfect fall day in Houston, except the temperature is in the 90s. We had a cool front yesterday that lowered the humidity, but not the temperature.

Southwest Airlines is having a sale on flights between HOU and ABQ. This NEVER happens! Mr. B and I decided to take advantage of the $99 fare and booked flights for our January wedding anniversary. Being in SFe in January can be magic or tragic. We have been snowed in at times and at other times there hasn't been any snow on the ground.

Today I'm celebrating leaving the house. I'm not supposed to drive until I get the all clear from the doctor, but I desperately needed a frozen yogurt from Menchie's. It didn't matter to me that I had to drive the old Explorer. I just needed to get out of the house.

Another fabric sale on Etsy

I can't decide if I have a cold or something sinus related. I think it is a sinus problem, but then whatever I have is being passed around the family. First Dr. Mc, then TLP, next me, and now Sweetness and Girafferty.

I thought I was getting over whatever I have, but last night I couldn't sleep much because my nose was running and I was hacking.

Today I'm celebrating cooler weather. I keep hearing that there is a cool front coming. Today it was in the mid-90s in Houston. The cool front (if it comes) is supposed to drop the temperature to the mid-80s, which is still hot to me.

A good day

Last week I photographed more fabrics to post and sell on Etsy. No one is buying anything I've posted, but I can be patient. Then today – behold – I sold six yards of fabric. I'm now jazzed and ready to photograph and post more fabrics tomorrow.

In between sitting on the floor with TLP, I've also been washing and folding clothes. I don't know how two people (Mr. B and I) can dirty so many clothes in a week. Or how we can dirty so many dishes in just one meal.

Today I'm celebrating while smirking. Let me preface the rest of this paragraph by stating that I wish no one ill well or bad luck. In fact, I hope good things come to everybody. However, today I saw some really poor writing and had to chuckle. He-who-has-so-much-to-learn thinks youth is better than experience. So naive.

The new norm

As we age, "things" change. One friend is facing hip replacement surgery. Another is getting ready for knee replacement surgery. Both of these people have been active all their lives, which makes me think they were too hard on their parts. At least that's what I'm telling my lazy self who doesn't exercise.

My biggest health problem has always been stress. I'm reading a book right now by Brene Brown titled, "The Gift of Imperfection." Although it's not easy to forgive myself for not being perfect, she has good points to ponder.

Today I'm celebrating good health. I recently had all sorts of tests performed, and the results are that my parts are functioning well. Not perfect, but well!

They're not for everyone, but small towns can be really fun

Hangin' at Orsak's in Fayetteville.

We're back in Houston after a weekend in the country. We definitely consider Fayetteville, Warrenton, Round Top, etc. to be the country. We weren't looking for anything special at the antique markets, but just strolling around.

Malburger Farms was terrific, as always. I found a nice piece of vintage fabric and Mr. B found some damask napkins for our collection. Then we went to Round Top, which was a total mess. I wanted to go to The Big Red Barn, but it took us almost an hour to make the five mile drive from Marburger Farms to Round Top. There's no telling how long it would have taken us to drive another five miles from Round Top to The Big Red Barn. Royer's was closed so we ate dinner in Fayetteville where we were staying at the Market Street Inn (very nice). Sunday we went to Warrenton, which is always a crap-shoot flea market (at best). I found two more pieces of vintage fabric there. As you can read, there were no big expenditures during the weekend.

Today I'm celebrating small towns. My family lived for five years in Alice, Texas, which is a small town about 45 miles west of Corpus Christi. I loved it there and cried for months when we moved back to Houston just before I started high school. In Alice, my best friends lived just down the street. We rode our bicycles everywhere in town. Friday nights were football games at Alice High School. There were county fairs, homecoming and holiday parades, and community swimming pools. The junior high reading teacher and an elementary school teacher left their families and ran away together. What a scandal! Five high school senior boys got drunk, crashed into the elementary school, and died. What a tragedy! As much as I loved Alice, my life would be so different (and not in a good way) if we hadn't moved back to Houston. Staying in Alice, I probably wouldn't have gone to college and discovered creative writing, which has been one of the passions and joys of my life. Life was simpler in Alice, but opportunities were fewer and exposure to the arts was pretty much non-existent.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. In 2015, it's estimated that just under 30% of newly diagnosed cancers in women will be breast cancers.

My family has a much higher rate of skin cancer than breast. A cousin of my mom's is a breast cancer survivor of 30-35 years. She is the only family member I can think of who has had breast cancer. On the other hand, just about everybody in the family has some form of either pre-cancer or full-blown skin cancer. After my older brother died of melanoma I was dedicated to getting my skin checked once a year. Then my dermatologist moved to Katy and I haven't found another one. Shame on me.

Today I'm celebrating feeling better. I think I had a sinus infection, but it's better.