Mia/Shanana's office

That's the view from my office window. 
The Capitol photo above was captured
by zooming in from there.

I was at work today.  See the photos of all of you?  That's a photo of the bulletin board next to my computer.  Makes me happy all day long to see all of you!  You'll also see the red guitar ornament from LaWanda, to remind me that the slide blues guitar career is still ahead.  And the lucky fish ornament.  I say "lucky" because the Chinese believe fish bring luck and so do I.

Penny Possum

Penny Possum surprised and hissed at P. Tom/Papa tonight when he opened the door from the sunroom to the back deck.

Baba's hungry!

Baba Cat paws out her last morsel of cat food

Lazy Sunday

Hi Emma, Mya, and Otis! 

Emma, how is your very last Sunday before school starts?  Do you have all your notebooks, pens, pencils, etc.?  Do kids still have to bring a box of Kleenex at the beginning of the year?

Mya, did you play in the water again today?

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P. Tom/Papa tightening the screws on the back door

Otis, did you chase Kool into her secret hiding place?

Emma's "10 minus 10 days" party

Birthday cupcakes at the Valencia Hotel.  Mmmm!

Emma flew around the Rainforest Cafe
while we all sang "Happy Birthday Cha Cha Cha"

Emma at the Rainforest Cafe in San Antonio
with Austin friends Lili and Marisa

P.Tom/Papa Momo is 59

Our niece Sarah, Tom's Mom Evelyn, and the Birthday Boy

Hi Emma, Mya, and Otis.  Can you believe P.Tom/Papa turned 59 on August 9?  Next year, we'll have a big party to celebrate his 60th.  To celebrate this year, we had dinner with Grandma Evelyn and Sarah at NXNW, Sarah and Shanana/Mia's favorite restaurant in Austin.

Lulu Grace Ollison-Lewis

Leaving Reno

Sweet little Lulu Grace Ollison-Lewis came into this world July 30, 2010.  I didn't want my granddaughter's first and only birthday to end. My flight left Reno, Nevada, at dusk, and I stared at the sunset, wanting to catch every last minute of Lulu's day.  We flew directly north, apparently faster than the speed of darkness. For the next hour-and-a-half, night fell behind us as we chased the sunset all the way to Portland.  Thank you, Lulu Grace, for your spectacular "hello" and "good-bye."

We love you and miss you, sweet angel!

Arriving in Portland

Leaving Reno on Lulu's birthday

Arriving in Portland on Lulu's birthday

Shanana/Mia's happy birthday

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Shanana/Mia and Uncle Tyghe after lunch in Austin

Thank you, everyone, for a most happy birthday!  Emma, Al, and Joyce left "Happy Birthday" on the answering machine.  I can play it and enjoy it over and over.  And Mya put a video of herself singing "Happy Birthday" to Mia on her blog.  Thank you, Mya!  You make me smile.  And Otis played with his train in the background while Skyler and LaWanda sent birthday wishes.  Not to mention that Tyghe and I had a long lunch together.  What a fabulous day!

Mr. Jeff at Work

Mr. Jeff and Papa/Papa Papa talk about the poor hackberry tree that will find a new home as mulch in someone's garden.

Mr. Jeff took part of our fence and part of  Ms. Lisa's fence down to drag the branch from her swimming pool through to Mr. Neighbor's yard where the hackberry tree was  for chipping.

Papa/Papa Papa rares back for the hurl

Papa/Papa Papa putting the melon (Papa/Papa papa says anyone with too much sports time on their hands knows what "putting" means)

The Great Watermelon Hurl

Papa/Papa Papa is winding up.

Okay, so things are kinda slow at 1303 Alguno Road.  But we have our fun.  Like when Papa/Papa Papa demonstrates his fastball form by hurling watermelon rinds out to the compost heap about 60 feet 6 inches from the deck.  You baseball fans will know that's the distance betwen the pitcher's mound and homeplate.

Hackberry Tree Trimmed

A limb from this hackberry tree fell into our backyard and across the fence into the neighbor's swimming pool.  Luckily for us, Mr. Jeff knows how to cut down trees that are about to fall over.  Here's Mr. Jeff's ladder leaning against the tree with ropes anchoring limbs to be cut.  Skyler knows how to cut down trees too, but he lives far away from us in Portland, Oregon.

Baba Cat Is Still Looking!

Here is Baba Cat checking on the humans inside the house.  "Where's my dinner?" she's asking.  Luckily for the fat little squirrel, Baba Cat does not go to Mozart's with us!

Fat little squirrel

Hi Emma, Mya, and Otis.  On Saturday, we had coffee at Mozart's, next to Lady Bird Lake.  This fat little squirrel lay in wait for any cinnamon roll or breakfast taco crumbs.  If you didn't watch out, he would hop up on the table and scamper away with a bite of your breakfast!

Moonflowers

We love our moonflowers!  They only bloom at night.  When moonlight shines on them, they nearly glow.  Moonflowers have a faint, sweet fragrance.  The seeds are as prickly as cactae and as big as ping pong balls!  I'll send you a photo later, after the blossoms have become seeds.

Porch swing in the rain

We were surprised with a steady summer rain this afternoon, after I had watered both the front and back yards.  The basil plants and impatiens were wilted but perked right up.  Then, before I'd even turned the water hose off, a summer rain blew in.  It was wonderful!  The cats and I sat on the front porch, safe and dry, while grackles on the power lines enjoyed a bird bath and doves cooed.  Raindrops dripped from the peach tree right next to the porch swing, where I rocked.  Tonight many moonflowers will bloom.  I'll send you a photo.  We love you!

To Emma, Mya, and Otis

Hi Emma, Mya, and Otis.  How are you today?  We have created this blog for you and all our wonderful grandchildren to come.  We will be joined by little Grace very soon.  Will she be a Leo? A Virgo? Or a "Lego," as Emma calls herself due to her August 24th birthday? Skyler and LaWanda are keeping Grace's first name a secret until she is born.  What will it be?  Any guesses?