Fore!

Concan Country Club was a great course to play on Thursday!
I love these little people at the clubhouse~

The hungry golfers had to grab a bite after the 9th hole~Jeff, Shannon, me & Allen~

Thank you Melanie

My beautiful daughter Melanie gave me these in honor of my 50th Birthday ~ today! The hat ~Party City ~and~ the beautiful glasses~ Z Gallerie~
But, my greatest gift I've received in the 50 years I have been on this earth ~ is you Melanie! Thank you for being the beautful person you are today! Luv you! ~ mom ~

Frio River Adventures 2007

How can I begin any better than that?

The Frio River is ~

1) Crystal clear,

2) Crisp & cold,

3) Emerald Green & Sunflower Blue & everything in~between,

4) Swift & calm,

5) Not overcrowed & yet to be truly discovered,

5) The BEST river in this great state of Texas!

6) And, It's where the girls are.....(wish I had that sign)!

We had the best time in Concan. Yes, I said Concan~not Cancun. I know it is confusing, but truly this little town just this side of Leakey is called Concan. Actually, Garner State Park is located here. We always have stayed in the RV park on the opposite side of Garner. It is quite, clean, shady and really GREAT! We love it, and never leave without booking for the next year!

I have many more pictures, and will post them in several posts~so will have to add more tomorrow. I am worn out from 2 full days of kayaking....and you will see why when I post the next group of pictures!

Nice Matters Awards

I am about to leave tomorrow for our Annual Concan/Birthday Trip, but before I go, I want to send a little blogging love to a true inspiration to me~dawn houser~one of the neatest blogmates I have! You deserve a little luv' today~because you know Dawn, you are the best bloggin' friend to me~

~and~

I know you sent it to me first, and you already have one, but kansasrose, you are my kindred sister blogger, and I love blogging with you way up in Kansas! I am praying for your computer tonight sister!

~and~

one more to boot~Deb Trotter~you are the coolest, Cowboy's Sweetheart. I want to be just like you when I grow up! You are a boot scootin' boogie good blog friend as well! Thanks for your help with my ~slideshow~.

God bless you girls~may the "Circle Be Unbroken"!

Swings

A couple of pieces I made this weekend~A string of dark cranberry red czech fire-polished crystals & dainty Karen Hill Tribe silver beads; holding a large faceted drop pendant of moss opalite ~

The matching earrings are what I will call my "swings"~

Also made with the same cranberry red czech fp crystals; they dangle freely from almost 2 inches of sterling silver chain! The total length of the earrings are just shy of 3 inches.

Everything Glorious

Have you ever listened to a CD and thought~you know this is art~but with music~yes, music art! Melanie had bought the David Crowder CD called "Collision", and shared it with me on my recent visit to SA. We drove the streets of the city, whose major arteries were designed using the original cow trails, listening to "Collision" and loving the time we had together.

Then this week she sent me THE link:

http://www.myspace.com/davidcrowderband

His new "Remedy" CD is coming out September 26th; and the song called Everything Glorious (which we both LOVE) is playing on his myspace page!

David Crowder, a Waco native, is a true Texas music artist!

p.s. Thanks Mel~ I love you!

Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood. ~Helen Keller

I've Been Blessed~

~by kansasrose. My very first blog award~Thank you Jenny!

The Angel and the Star

When I got back into town from my SA trip, I had to take another look outside~to see what is left in my bare backyard. I see the garden angel Melanie gave me a couple of years ago. It stands next to the garage, right in front of Allen's chili piquin bush.

And~

~blooming right on que~ My Star of Texas cactus is beginning to bloom! Thank you God for having angels watch over the little things. I believe I will make it now!

Best Lite Lunch in SA

Each time I visit Melanie in San Antonio, I HAVE to go to Cafe' Salsita. This is what I order every time, without a second thought. It consists of two puffy chicken tacos along side a cup of tortilla soup~aka the Salsita Lite lunch. The kicker for me is ~ not only do the tacos have a giant dolop of creamy fresh quacamole on each, but the beautiful cup of soup does as well ~ including a heaping mound of colorful torilla strips and an extra grate of mexican cheese. The ingedients are always crisp and fresh. This is heaven with a mexican twist!

mecca hair studio

This sleek and contemporary hair salon, located in San Antonio, will start selling my jewelry in the middle of September.

The owner, Shawna Teniente, is Melanie's hairdresser; and really loved my Katy Prairie necklace. I will begin selling the line here. I am hyped!

The studio is retro & cutting edge; with a dash of warm glow. I especially love the georgeous crystal chandelier hanging right in the middle of the studio!

mecca hair studio

201 jackson keller

san antonio 78216

210.832.8009

Bleeding Heart

My aunt, Anna Mae, has many wonderful flowers~living in Tampa~she is able to grow so many different types of tropical plants than we are in Texas. This particular cutting came to me by way of my mother, who brought it home with her, from her last visit or two ago. My aunt "loads up" my mother with so many cuttings, that when my mom returns home she is in a state of panic~putting as many in the ground or in pots, as possible. Many come back specifically tagged for me, as my aunt knows I love flowers as much as she.

This Bleeding Heart Vine ~made the cut~ as; this past Monday, we had our flower beds CLEANED out by some very able-bodied fellows. I was amazed at what I had actually forgotten about! So you realize, that means there was way too many things(?) growing in my flower beds. I love to garden as much as my two grandmothers, many aunts & uncles, my mother, both my sisters and my brother~but jewelry, and an aching back (see post regarding movement below) had taken the place of the time I would have been in the flower beds.

I am actually EXCITED with the new possabilities ~but times are changing~ and low maintenance (annuals) will now be my preference. Maybe tomorrow I will change my mind. But today....i indeed have a ~bleeding heart~ as my flower beds are CLEAN.

~Quote on Bloomberg today~

"Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid of standing still."

save the prairie

~one of my newest passions~

http://www.katyprairie.org/home.html

~more to come~

Katy Prairie Jewelry

~~my new jewelry line~~

i think i'm likin' it!

movement

.........has always been easy for me....until about 2 years ago. i started experiencing pain in my left knee. i went to see an orthopedic surgeon. she said i had sciatica. i did stretching exercises~but not regularly. then, i started experiencing lower back pain. me? no, not me. the athletic minded, over-zealous, aerobics nut, can do-it-all one! yes, it hit, and it hurt. i went to my pcp, then went for numerous physical therapy sessions. it helped when i went, but i was not faithful with doing the exercises at home.

so, that brings me to the big 50~approaching fast~not to mention those extra pounds!

i had met a special person at one of my sales last October. she bought several pieces at the sale, and kept in contact, because she liked my jewelry. her name is Angela, and she teaches yoga at Yoga West in Katy. she told me that yoga, (and I did hear you Angela), would help my back. but I had tried yoga before, many years ago, and didn't think it was right for me~my back hurt~i couldn't possibly do a forward bend!

then, several months ago she invited me to the studio for the summer soltice celebration~to sell my jewelry~and~ participate in the classes that day, if i so wished.

i am so glad i wished, as after that one day, yoga has been a turning point in my physical and mental being. i have enjoyed it so much, feeling a freedom and joy in my body, that i have not felt for some time. yoga is for everyone. so much can be learned from this ancient practice, and i am in for the long haul. one of the other teachers at the studio, janaki, had suggested to the class, a couple of books that she enjoyed. i have bought one by one, reading them, digesting them, learning.

i am a born-again Christian, and nothing will take the place of that fact~pure and simple. the beauty of yoga, is, that is my choice, and there is no judgement in that choice, by the teachers, the studio or my fellow classmates.

so i say to you today......find your movement....perhaps you should find yoga!

ps.....this cookbook, Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners, is like no other you have or will have; as it explains alot about finding the types of food that is right for you to eat-plus it has great recipes!

Signs, Shoes and A Margarita Machine?

~it saved my CASH sign~

~camp sign~

~one shoe left behind~

~ and a ~

~For Sale Sign~

~ONLY IN TEXAS~

Rapids Both Big and Small

The Guadalupe River was definately running rapid, and this is how it looked on Saturday, after the 9 inches of rain on Friday~lots of runoff from upstream. The only way some people were able to ride the river, was by guided raft trips. However, a little later in the day, the tubbers started showing up! The water was running so fast, there was never a need to pick up your tube, and walk~Nice~

But meanwhile, back at Camp Huaco Springs, the little ones were having a great time floating on the man-made rapids, which is fed by a natural spring. Two ways to float down to a great little pool, with swimming at the end~and the children were loving it!

I must say, I almost got a tube and jumped in myself!

Dutch Oven Grands

~Dutch Oven Grands~

My husband has been once again been working on perfecting his dutch oven cooking, and this past week, on the banks of the Guadalupe River, during our annual rv trip to New Braunfels; he once again proved ~ he knows his stuff!

He used his chimney to "prep" the coals, to ensure he had the desired heat needed. (This is like preheating your oven at home). He then cracked open the can, lined the biscuits inside the dutch oven, closed the lid~ and then, he methodically lined those "just right coals" on the bottom and top of the dutch oven ~ ensuring he will get the right and even amout of heat needed to bake the biscuits. He lifted the lid only a few times, just to see if the biscuits were baking as he thought~and yes they were~and yes they did! The end result~

a basket full of heavenly grands!

A Quote to Ponder

Each morning I ride the park & ride into downtown Houston. I walk 4 blocks to my office. One of the first things I do when I get into the office is turn the screen onto the Bloomberg. This piece of equipment is packed full of financial data; always changing, living and breathing information ~ tons of information for the financial world.

But it has become more to me than my "go to" for financial quotes, data and calculations; as each morning I have gotten to where I look forward to reading the quote of the day, which pops up on the opening page. Quotes are given from persons as wide spread as actors, writers, Presidents, doctors, lawyers and Indian chiefs.

~~~Today's quote~~~

"Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise." Alice Walker (writer)

New Slide Show~now will always be at the end of the page!

Rest

The rain, once more, has given me an opportunity to change my plans for today. I find myself running faster than my legs can go. I do not believe this is what I've been called to do; as my journey in life is not about me. And so today, I say to you, as it has been said to me ~

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 12:28-29

Happy 1st & 21st

I have been blogging for a year, and to say it seems like it, is well...just not true. I have enjoyed putting my thoughts down for all the world to see. If you have enjoyed reading my blog, please send me a comment, and let me know you are out there! I would love to add you to my link, and me to yours ~ if you'd like! Knowing that someone half way around the world reads my little posts is quite exciting to me.

Allen and I had a great time Saturday celebrating our 21st wedding anniversary.

He bought me

~~~a great gift~~~

and I bought him:

~~a cookbook~~

cook·book
n.
A book containing recipes and other information about the preparation of food.

However, this is not just a cookbook. It is an encyclopedia.

en·cy·clo·pe·di·a
n.
A comprehensive reference work containing articles on a wide range of subjects or on numerous aspects of a particular field, usually arranged alphabetically.

No kidding~it really is! I do not believe I have EVER seen a cookbook like this one! Allen's mother was from Louisiana, so the cajun heritage is definately "in his blood". The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine by Chef John D. Folse, CEC, AAC, (in its Fifth Printing: December 2006), is a compilation of four years of research, two years of writing and a lifetime of experience cooking and sharing Louisiana's cusine ~ and ~ is 841 pages of history, recipes, and beautiful photographs. We have one other of Chef Folse's cookbooks: Hot Beignets & Warm Boudoirs, which we bought while at T'Frere's, our favorite B&B in Lafayette, Louisiana.(BTW....Maugie and Pat Pastor are two of world's best B&B hosts).

So, next time you are in Barnes & Nobles, check this one out. You WILL be amazed!

Bone & Bars

This bracelet has also been made with the carved bone beads from NYC. I have got to have one for myself, but this one is for sale ($51). If you are interested in buying it, it is on RJ's Jewelry Shop!

The First Friday was fun, but a little soggy. The rain definately kept the crowd down. I did learn alot from Susan McEwen about her beautiful Fused Glass Jewelry-pendants, earrings, bracelets, that she sells at the gallery. You can see her pictures on the DaVinci Artists Gallery link! That is the great fun of First Friday's, as the artists are there to talk to you about their work, pictures, jewelry, pottery, and glass art.

....and these "were" there as well. These are my infamous Caramel Fudge Bars or Brownies....whatever you want to call them, they are chocolately delicious! I have been making them for over 25 years, and they are always a requested favorite!

Caramel Fudge Bars

1 package German Chocolate Cake Mix

3/4 cup margarine, softened

2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided

1 cup chopped nuts, pecans, walnuts or almonds

1 package caramels, (approx. 14 ounces-or less is okay)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Stir cake mix, softened margarine, 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk, and nuts until well mixed. Spread one half of the mixture into a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan. This is a thin layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes. At this time, melt caramels with the other 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk. (I do this 1 minute at a time in the microwave, stirring as best I can after each minute). Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the baked mixture, as soon as you take it from the oven. Carefully spread (pour) the caramel mixture over the chips. (I try to avoid the sides, because it can really get tough to take out of the pan when cooled). Drop (like pats of butter) the remaining cake mixture over the top, and return to the oven to bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. Let them completely cool, then cut into approximately 24 large brownies. (I cut mine smaller because they are rich).

Enjoy!

Blooms From Buckets

This lilly blooms only when it rains buckets ............

Need I say more?

Thank you God for the beautiful rain!

Fused Dichroic Glass Pendants

Okay, now I'm in trouble. Thanks to a great teacher, Ann Rush, I am definately hooked. These are the first of many fused glass pendants (and more) to come; and the first of many classes I plan on taking with Ann. All I need now is a kiln....Allen can I change my wish list for my 50th Birthday?

Hand-Formed and Lovin' It

Took me a little time, but I finally got there! I added a small black onyx cube to my first pair of earwires, and I love how they turned out! Simple, I know, but success breeds desire. Tomorrow I am off to a Glass Fusing/PMC Class, and I am SO excited.

Turn out the lights and see it turn

This may remind you of the disco ball that hung high up top the gymnasium at the school dance, but it's not. It is one of my new designs, and it is at the Da Vinci Artists Gallery ready to be snatched up. I actually made two, and one now hangs around my neck, occasionally, and I love it!

I feel like dancin'!

Father's Day 2007

Melanie helped Allen prepare a recipe this past weekend from Allen's newest cookbook - The Texas Cowboy Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos by Robb Walsh. It is a great cookbook, and contains alot of great Texas history.

The Maque Choux (Mock Shoe-which is not a french phrase but is supposedly of American Indian origin) that they prepared, from the fresh corn Jeff & Shannon bought at HEB, was DELICIOUS! How could a Father's Day be more perfect for a father, than to have two of his daughter's by his side?

New York Findings

This combination is quite a show stopper, and one I am consistantly exploring these days. Natural is "IN' and that includes two of my favorites - bone & turquoise. Never mind that these carved bone beads came from my recent New York trip. M & J Trimming on 6th Avenue proved to be the largest trimmings store I have ever seen; and beads & findings were just a small part of it. I was on a mission to find carved bone beads that day, and carved bone beads I found. One focal point bead to match the rest was all they had, so I had to make one really groovy necklace with it! I am pleased.