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| Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble! Omaha Steaks arrived on dry ice in a cooler. We couldn't resist putting the dry ice in a pot of water to see what would happen. |
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| The evaporating dry ice cascaded over the edge of the pot. |
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| A spoonful of evaporating dry ice! |
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| Took Jade and Great-grandma Evelyn to Kirk's birthday party Friday, February 15. Sarah's cousin Jordan was bamboozled by Jade's toy. |
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| Sweet hug from Great-grandma Evelyn. |
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| Baby Jim, Hannah, Jade, and Gran-Jan |
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| Jade, Hannah, and Jim. Yes, Jim is growing! At nearly 6 months old, his head is in the 100th percentile, his length is in the 95th percentile (if I remember correctly), and his weight is in the 95th percentile. I think he looks a lot like Daddy Kirk. |
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| We thought we were going to catch the Big Guitars of Texas performance at Antone's, but the show didn't start until 10 p.m. on a work night (for me). So we opted for coffee and people watching at the Halcyon Coffee House around the corner. I had an iced toddy, black. Didn't know exactly what a "toddy" was. Learned it's coffee brewed overnight in the fridge. I can do that! Very strong and delicious. |
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| Papa with his mocha latte, doctored up with honey and extra half-n-half. |
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| Papa's been wanting some new hybrid hiking boots/athletic shoes. Got 'em at Whole Earth Provision Company before our coffee shop stop. |
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| Papa with his mocha latte and pedicab drivers at Halcyon Coffee House |
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| Kite-eating tree goes for hearts on Valentine's Day |
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| Jade was interested in shopping at Target until she saw the giant concrete balls out front. Nothing more fun than sliding from the top to the ground! |
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| He lives in the elm tree outside our bedroom window. On this misty day, he was snug and dry. |
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| Hold the phone! After our shopping trip to Target, Jade admires her new shoes that go with her new dress. |
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| Poor Boo-boo! She skinned her nose earlier this week when she tripped off a front step (not at the House of Light and Joy, I must quickly add.) Her new admonishment: "Don't fall down!" |
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| Living in Crestview is like living at a giant swap meet! Neighbors constantly notify each other on our neighborhood list serve of items left at the curb. Papa scored this mini-fridge. Using the curb method, we've re-homed seats from Amon's Suburban and a patio umbrella and stand (that we originally took from someone else's curb then decided we didn't want. Solution? Put it out on our curb and post it on the neighborhood list serve). Today, a neighbor offered a pomegranate tree to anyone who was willing to come over and dig it up. We also get regular posts about lost dogs, cats, and chickens that have flown the coop. Yes, chickens. |
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| Papa, with his find. |
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| Ice-cold soy milk, rice milk, orange juice, and Topo Chico mineral water, plus lots more room in our regular fridge. What will someone leave at the curb next? |
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| Not sure why the driver of the tractor pulling Float #44 is wearing a helmet. In case the crowd throws beads back at the float? So they'll ping off his helmet? So King Kong can't grab him by his hair? |
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| Parade viewing from motorized recliners: just like being in your own living room! |
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| Feeling a little homesick for the rows of azalea bushes on St. Charles in NOLA. I associate them with February and Mardi Gras. No fragrance, but about as beautiful as a pink blossom can be. |
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| Our azalea bush is loaded with blossoms! |
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| DonnaLynn, far left, sent this photo of herself and her squad, pre-Super Bowl game at the Super Dome. Have a great day, DonnaLynn! I hope all the fans behave. |
Emma sang soprano in the All-Region Middle School Treble Choir February 2, 2013, at Shoemaker High School in Killeen, Texas. I especially enjoyed "El Condor," performed in Spanish and English. The song, based on a Peruvian folk tune, brought back memories of my childhood in Peru.
But I'd been puzzled ever since Emma first sang the song for us, before she was chosen for the regional choir, because I remembered the lyrics including "I'd rather be a hammer than a nail," and Emma's version didn't have those words. Thanks to a little Wikipedia research, I'm no longer baffled. Turns out the choir performed Earlene Rentz' version, which has different lyrics than the those of Daniel Robles, the Peruvian composer who wrote the song in 1913.
And, having come of age in the late '60s and early '70s, what I remember is the Simon & Garfunkel 's version from 1970, which DOES have the lyrics "I'd rather be a hammer than a nail, . . ." But no matter what lyrics are sung, the melody is melancholy and beautiful.
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| After the concert, we had dinner at Nomi, a Japanese steak house. Soooo delicious! |
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| Jade had so much fun on the slide. Not only did she fearlessly slide down on her tummy, but she encouraged other children to go ahead of her, giving them a gentle nudge on the back to help them down the slide. |
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Her favorite room was the "ball" room: lots of activities such as shooting balls into moving buckets and the ball roller coaster.
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| Jade's shades |
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| Jade occupies the viewing stand, awaiting the Zoomer |
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| Where, oh where, is the Zoomer? |
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| Here comes the Zoomer! |
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| Clean and shiny! |
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| The Zoomer leaves the car wash |
